Pink Saturday 8/23/08

Here it is again - Pink Saturday. Last week there were 80 participants and that's good. I, however, never did get around to visiting all of them and for that I'm very sorry. That's just a lot of surfing and I simply didn't have time with all the other things in life.

I have favorite bloggers I visit. Some just because they may need a lift that day. Some because I simply like reading what they write. Some because of the "eye candy" it provides and we ALLLLL know how I feel about "eye candy"! ;-) Some because I have a history with them and they make my day and make me happy - my ebay group. :-) Some because someone said, "Connie, you're gonna love this blogger so go see her." Well, I've whittled my favs down to about 120 now. Yep, that's just the ones I visit pretty regularly. I have a feeling I'm going to have to "whittle" some more. But I definitely try and visit as many as I can. I may not leave a comment if it doesn't particularly warrant a comment but most times I do.

Now, part of why I blog is to help all you chicks make your homes beautiful. That can involve many, many things - from having a loving home to having a comfortable home people like to visit for the "comfortableness" to simply making "all things beautiful" in the home. (Messy teenagers excepted here!) So let's look at how you can have gorgeous containers out of some "mundane" things.

Old pickle, olive and marshmallow creme jars are what I've done to make these lovely jars. Spray the lids, add roses to the tops if you desire, add some decoupage of your kitchen or whatever you desire (I always do roses.) - and this can even be pix of the munchkins(!) - and then start putting "stuff" in them. I've combined things in these jars and still have to add more stuff to a couple of them, but I'm putting nails, screws, picture holders, etc. in one of them. The other has just snippets of ribbon, fringe, just anything that adds color to it or that you can think of that you'd use everyday and want to be handy while "pizzazzing" up the place. So don't throw those jars out; put them to good use, chickees!

My little wall pocket where I put papers until I'm ready to file them.

My packing supplies! Yep, I will occasionally send out something in these pink envelopes. They sure do get noticed when someone pulls them out of the mailbox!

This is a faux rose and you've seen it many, many times over in my photos but it is the most realistic rose I've ever seen in silk. It has fooled just about everyone who has seen them in my home. It is truly exquisite and I was lucky enough to buy all that the store had of these. I have them all over the house. I've never seen them again anywhere. :-(

Since it is "pink saturday" I thought I'd show off this "pink" coupon I got. I've obliterated some of it so it can't be copied and taken advantage of, but not many "coupons" come in PINK! :-)

Steal of the day..........uhhhh, I mean my "best deal" of the day. These sheets were $7.99 each and the pillow cases were 2 for $3.99!!!!!!!! Squeeeeeeeal!! Now, I'm not needing sheets at the moment but I simply could NOT pass these up. They are high-end decorator sheets and pillow cases. PLEASE enlarge the pix to view the tone-on-tone loveliness of these beauties. Just so gorgeous and SOFT!

I have been waking up at 3 or 4 in the morning lately because I'm so jazzed with energy. (My ebay group is starting to worry! Hah) But I'm fine, just so much to do I need to start early. ;-) Anyway, I got up and started making a pillow for the popup trailer Love Bunny just got. (Yes, it will be frou frou-y and I'm working on it!) I have this quilt that I finally cut into and made this darling little pillow to take camping. The quilt is double sided so one side of the pillow is one pattern and the other side of the pillow is the other rose pattern. Came out quite cute I think. The one in the background is a bed pillow that just may get to travel to the campgrounds also. ;-)

A cute little card someone gave me last year. Pink mice chicks having a cup of tea.

I made this polka dot rose to put on this little letter holder about 5 years ago. It is on a paper holder for a wall next to a desk. It has specialty rose papers in it also. Now I've learned there is a blog called the Polka Dot Rose! Cute.

A sweet tag given to me last year for my birthday which is coming up next friday the 29th!! Yippeeeee...........

Okay, little chicks, get busy and make your home gorgeous - no matter what your style. I've given you enough "hints" for this day..............

Coming Soon!!

Coming soon to a blog near you!! Ask Rhea what this is all about, chickees.... ;-)

A Bit More Formal Country

Oooops, sorry, Vickie, it was Salado, Texas. I knew it ended in an "O"!!!
My friend, Vickie, just opened her website and has lots of lovely things to sell. She also has a little shop in Plano, Texas, if you're ever in that area. You'll have to go and ask her where it is though. I'm not familiar with that area.
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Yes, this is definitely country. It reminds me of an english country home - while country, just a tad more formality to it. I truly love this style of decorating. My preference is for my living room to be a little more formal while still romantic with lots of roses around it. I love the "old world" charm of this style. And I've always loved the rich reds in living rooms.

The bedrooms are gorgeous; however, I prefer them light, airy and more romantic, but these are definitely stunning.

Sofas should always be comfortable before anything else. My back cushions are downy-like in their cushiness also. My back screams at anything else! I've had them restuffed to achieve that elegant luxuriousness. Love them. The one below looks very tempting.

We will always have lovers of blue. I love this color. I don't think I would want it in my living room to this extent though. However, yes, this is one gorgeous room with the antique looking chest and tables. Country in its finest form.

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Last night at about 9:30 or 9:45 pm the doorbell rang. Now, hubs is still in Orlando so I didn't answer the door because it was so late AND I had forgotten to turn on the porch light. It rang twice but I just sat there kinda frozen. Know what I mean??? So anyway I told him about it this morning when we talked on the phone and he said I could have looked out the peephole. I said nuuuuuuuu, it was dark! He said you could probably have seen out there anyway and now I wouldn't know who it was. WHO IT WAS??!?!?! I wouldn't have opened it to anybody anyway that late! No self-respecting person would ring my doorbell that late at night with good intentions and since my aged body/legs prevents me from running faster than a "crook" I passed on that one. ;-)

So this afternoon I called our next door neighbor and asked if it was him. They're a young couple with 2 toddlers. He said it wasn't him but it was the police. I asked why the police would come so late. (About a week ago this young couple had all the windows broken out of a car they keep in the driveway instead of putting it in the garage. It is NOW put into the garage at night.) Anyway, the plainclothes officers came around late to ask questions. Kinda weird to me, neighbor too because he was bathing the 2 toddlers to put to bed. But it is what it is. Apparently this happened to about 40 cars that night but only his in our neighborhood. Sad that kids (probably) have to resort to this sort of vandalism to get their kicks. Just makes me sad that I can't even feel safe in my own home or neighborhood anymore. And I live in one of the least crime ridden states and in a nice neighborhood.

So hubs gets home tomorrow and said that the Sunshine State lost its reputation this week. He didn't see the sun once while in Florida and it rained every single day. Next year the convention will be in Phoenix. Okay, Arizona, get ready for rain!!!!!! :-)

Photographers and Stylists

When I read a magazine or book, I read all the little, seemingly inconsequential, things in it - who did the photographs, styling, editors, staff, date it was published (if a book) and all those little things with which we don't concern ourselves very often. I can actually tell when the editor of a magazine has changed just by perusing the magazine even before I sit down to peruse it leisurely. They each have a certain "style" as evidenced by the "recent" (few years ago now) changes in Romantic Homes magazine. I noticed it immediately with Country Home and Country Living through the years.

But besides seeing who the writer of the article is, and let's just talk about magazines in this post, I look for the stylist also.

I didn't think it would be a particularly hard job, but certainly glamorous, and would have loved to do it. But since I've become a photographer, and I use this term very loosely here, I learned how hard both jobs can be! Getting the light just right. Cramming all the lovely items into a small space to add pizzazz to the photo. Hard work I'm sure!! I don't even come close to being good at either. I am barely adequate when posting pix for this blog. So with great "reverence" I salute the photographers and stylists of those truly beautiful stories we read in the magazines today.

Now, the the proofreader I've noticed is slacking on the job though. The current issue of Romantic Country, summer 2008. Have you noticed that on page 21 in the top left picture the clock is running backwards? And just below that one the clock looks like it's upside down. Now, that can't be a reversal of the photo but what's with those people hanging the clock upside down???? Page 28 left photo of the buddhas. Read the description and look at the buddhas. They've reversed the photo. Then we have page 50! Whooooa chicks! The pink telephone dial is backwards, the writing on the shadow box on the wall is reversed and the clock again is running backwards. I know, I know, not a big deal, but those proofreaders should have caught those "goofs"! Yoohoo, Romantic Country, I'm available!!!!! I'm not cheap though!! :-)
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The shutters were put beside the archway on the dining room side. I'll probably spend the rest of the year patching nail holes........uhhhhh, only the visible ones though!

I've put one french wire basket under the picture off center. I could not get it centered with all the other stuff. AND since I worked so hard to get it out of my daughter's shed and home to Idaho I'll be darned if I'm NOT going to put it up somewhere! Now I just have to figure out where the other one will go. It will have to be low because of not being able to see what is in it up high. I also hang items HIGH and low on walls. I think it adds visual interest and love it. I've even put pictures leaning on the wall on the floor or on baseboards too.

Be creative in what you do in life and how you decorate your home. It sets you apart from all the "cookie cutter" or "accepted" decorating styles and shows YOUR style, not your friend's style or the show room salesperson's style, but your unique style! I do and I highly recommend it. :-)

Today I went to Boise since Love Bunny is away. I bought these 2 feather pillows for $24.99! Squeeeeeal, yes for both! That's $12.50 each for a 20" x 20" feather pillow. I am truly blessed. :-)

Now for this next part you're going to have to use your imagination since I didn't get "before" pictures but they're in some picture somewhere on this computer but I'm too lazy to find it so I'll just describe the "before" to the best of my ability. Ooooohmygosh!!!! Yep, that's what it was before. (I bought it but for the life of me I can't remember WHY I would have bought it!!) An "ohmygosh" lamp! Dark wood with a beige shade and amber crystals hanging down. Pretty ugly let me tell ya, chicks! Soooooo, I decided to take my handy dandy spray can of white paint and spritzzzz it. I had that other shade - remember, I stuck a faux fern in it till I could figure out what I was going to do with it?? Okay, after taking off the amber (yuck!) crystals and painting the lamp white, I then decorated the lamp shade.

Now, a sweet friend named Sharon gave me a little charm last year and I wanted to do something reeeealllly special with it since it is so teensy tiny. I don't see how she paints on them. Very tiny! I decided to put that little pink roses charm on the new lamp. Voilà, the new frou frou lamp with parchment roses, lace and Sharon's lovely exquisite charm!! Very little effort for spectacular results!!!



Sharon's hubby is really into western movies. He watches them frequently. I have this art print by Chuck Haan in my hallway. No, I am not into western art, but when I saw this many years ago in a little antique shop in the Niles area of Fremont, Calif. it touched my heart. It's an Indian brave looking sweetly at a little bluebird on a snow covered branch of a tree in the dead of winter. It just stole my heart away and I had to have it. So even in a romantic, shabby, girly pink house this print holds a place of honor. I thought Sharon might like to show it to hubby.

The point of this story is: If you love it, if it touches your heart, then you should have it no matter what the decor of your home is. Ooooooh, and btw, please don't tell Love Bunny I said this. It DOES NOT apply to model trains!!! No no no no no no no no no!!

Can We Talk? And a Tag or Two....

When we go on vacation we will watch television at the kids' houses and this time I saw a commercial that really struck me. Okay, okay, just listen now and give an old lady a chance, will ya?!?!

It was about some "green bags." Yep, Debbie Meyers bags. Now, this might not be a revelation to you chicks, but it was to me! I'd never ever heard of them before since we don't watch tv. Anyway, I got on my laptop and immediately ordered some and they came about 3 weeks ago. Wellll, let me tell you, they are really something!!

When hubs is away I don't cook. Usually just eat salad or microwave something easy. So tonight I went to Burger King, got a salad, brought it home and threw some tomatoes we've had for about 3 weeks on top. You'll see them on the salad below - the grape tomatoes. They are great, haven't shriveled up at all and truly, they are at least 2 weeks old. I love those green bags. They truly do work. I had some strawberries in them and they kept lots fresher for a long time. I saw in WM the other day that they carry them. So run out and get some! Trust me, they work and are WORTH it so save on fresh veggies and fruit!

Below is a cuke I just put in one. The grape tomatoes have been in the bag for about 5 days and still no deterioration at all.

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Also The Polka Dot Rose has tagged me for 7 things you don't know about me. Now that's hard because I've pretty much laid it on the line on this blog but I guess I still have some "mystique" about me to come up with something.

1.
Against all the things your mom and dad tell you to never ever do, I did. I accepted a ride with a stranger once at about age 10 or 11. Nuuuuuuu, nothing happened. We lived in Texas and it was a long walk to school and a couple offered me a ride one day. A husband and wife and it was hot and rainy so I accepted. They took me to school and it was fine but it's one of those rules your parents throw at ya 5 minutes outta the womb. I still remember it, so on some level it must have "traumatized" me!! I was perfectly fine though.

2.
I swam in a bayou once in Texas or Louisiana; we were close to border so don't know which state we were in on that outing. After I got in the friends and their parents told me it had alligators. You never saw anybody get out of a body of water so fast in your life! Never again did I swim with those people. OR go with those people!


3.
I absolutely hate balancing my checkbook. Hate it but I do it every 3 or 4 months. I don't worry about the money because I check my account on line frequently; it's just the actual procedure of it that I hate. My son is like me; my daughter ISN'T........

4.
I lost the back of my bathing suit once in a pool. I was about 12 or 13 and had a new suit with ruffles on the bum. They ripped off and I didn't know it until a sailor (it was a pool on a military base) came up to me and told me. I was mortified and it took several days before I went back. My glorious naked b*tt was in full view for all those guys to see for a while! Now they'd probably go eeeewwwwwwww and run the other way!

5.
I love public speaking. It doesn't bother me one bit. I'd rather do that than fly in a plane, which I refuse to do anymore anyway!

6.
I love going to the dentist. Most people go every 6 months for cleaning and checkups for regular maintenance. I go every 4 months because I can't stand them not feeling clean. I also never have bad breath. I have no clue why, but my granddaughter told me my breath is always like a baby's breath. Of course, she may not have been near me after a chunk of extra sharp cheddar cheese!

7.
I hate wearing shoes! I'd rather be barefoot in the house so that's why I'm compulsive about clean floors. And that's also why I am always crunching my toes on a piece of furniture!

Now I'm supposed to tag 7 people to do the same. I'm tagging you chicks who have Roses in your blog name. Youuuuu know who you are, sweets, so fess up and do it. I think you need to link back to me, so do that also. ;-)
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The other award is Best Friends Forever Awardy. Shirl and Alaura gave me this one.
Here are the rules:
1. Use the Twinks Bank icon
2. Nominate 5 other people only
3. Four (4) nominees have to be dedicated followers of your blog
4. One (1) has to be someone new to your blog and live in another part of the world.
5. You must link back to whoever gave you the award.

I'm nominating Katie, Rhea, Vickie, Ele and Fitty.