My life is to make everything around me beautiful.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Vignettes Can Be a Lot of Different Things

People think vignettes have to be a book and a vase of roses or something similar. Not necessarily true, chicks, although that can be quite stunning and original if taken the time to think it out "creatively." It can be anything you want it to be as long as you assemble items in one particular space - a little space with items that evoke emotion is what works best for me. Something pleasing to the eye. I've gone around my home and just photographed some little descriptive vignettes to show as examples.

A pedestal rose plate with bars of fragrant soaps - some hand painted - and some little fizzie bath hearts given to me. They are absolutely sweet smelling and fragrance my guest bathroom.

A stack of white towels in a little pink wire basket. They are in there for guest's immediate pleasure and convenience so as not to have to go rummaging around underneath the cabinets. Just a thought to the comfort of my guests and family. ;-) I have a friend with a teenage boy who is meticulous in his personal grooming and will not use a towel after someone else. So I decided to do this with him in mind. Always a fresh and scented one for that young man. He steals my heart with being so well groomed.


Some little birdhouses on my mantel - one I made and three my friend, Rhea, made. Hers are stunning and I have a lot of items from her - so many, in fact, that I may have to dedicate a room to her! ;-)

Some old vintage rusty finials on my mantel also. I love the patina and rust of these old iron objects. These don't have much verdigris on them but I especially love the verdigris on old copper objects. And, of course, the proverbial "rose" to add to their beauty. If you knew how many roses I have in this house you'd faint. I have several hundred ribbon roses, many silk roses, dozens of paper roses, millinery roses and porcelain roses. I should call this the Rose House. Well, actually some of my friends do call it that.

Starfish that I spray painted pink and sprinkled on german glass glitter. I just love the look of them on the mantle. I love "fluff" everywhere I can arrange to have it.

Even my craft paints and paint swatches from a paint store can be a vignette when arranged on a vintage old shelf with snippets of leftover lace tacked on the shelf. I think you'll have to agree it adds "color" to the place!

As simple as some vintage salt and pepper shakers painted pink and set on the shelf with paints.

Even little sachets scented with fragrance oils lined along another shelf can add not only beauty but a wonderful scent to enjoy in any room. Yes, I actually do this in every single room - living room, family room, baths, office, bedroom......every room. And these certainly add beauty to the room.

And then there are the tops of book cases that aren't really conducive to hold actual book on the top so I just put some vintage sewing drawers with CDs or DVDs in them and little boxes I've tried selling but didn't. So buyers loss is my room's gain! LOL

One of my favorite vignettes is artist paint brushes. I just love seeing all the brushes in a pretty vase or container. These are mine and I would NOT call my self an artist. I call myself a BEGINNER!! ;-)

I have a bowl on my coffee table that has some pink sea shells (I painted them pink) and I love the juxtaposition of them with the roses and faux desserts I have on there. This one below is not in my home but I think it's stunning. Just simple everyday things gathered together in one spot for a lovely vignette. Rocks in a vintage yellow bowl, starfish and old ephemera.

The roses, sea shells, starfish, a wicker basket leaning against a wall, attractive statues, a container of nails and a plate of fruit.

I liked this room when I first saw it and was drawn back to it because of the table vignette near the dormer. I also stack pictures on the floor leaning up against a baseboard. I just love the look of "high" and "low" pictures. Most people hang their pictures too high on a wall. That's fine if there are other pictures below it but the room looks out of whack if all pictures are at one level in a room and that level is 6 feet up the wall. Lower your pictures so that the lowest part of the frame is no more than 46 - 48" from the floor. It will make quite a cozy difference in the look.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Cath Kidston Fabric Boxes for Pink Saturday

Eye candy for ya, chicks!! Aren't these little shabby roses fabric boxes the cutest?!?!? Squeeeeeallll........ I just love them and one is a gift for someone in a swap but she doesn't blog so I don't have to worry about her seeing them! LOL

~*~

Another gorgeous shabby chic country bedroom! I would love to have that striped and floral chair. :-)

Friday, October 24, 2008

When You Whine.......... and Some Awards

This is what you get when you whine!! LOL I do not recommend this and am absolutely NOT a whiner. Truly, I am not. I jokingly "whined" about not winning Jan's blog giveaway and she told me she had a prize for the "first whiner." That was MEEEEEEE! Sooooo it did pay to "whine" just this once!!! Ya whine, ya win?!?!? :-)

A beautiful book, a darling card in the shape of high heels.....squeeeeeeeal....a box of tea bags, a snippet of needles in a darling card, a bar of lemon verbena soap that smells wonderful, a tabletop picture frame and a little photograph book.
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The Kreative Blogger Award from Erin at Old Grain Sacks and Lavender. Thank you, sweetpea.

I am to list 6 things I value and 6 things I do not value. I then pass it on.

Value:

God and my religion and living forever as a family unit

Husband and children

Humor

Truth

Righteousness -
I'm sadly not a perfect person but I'm striving every minute of the day

Art and technology


Do not value:

People who do not value human life

Guile

Children who have not been taught manners

People who bash my country - the greatest country on this earth

Intellectual snobbery

Orange - this color just sets me off. I'm not fond of halloween for this reason - too much orange. It just does something to my brain. Certain colors can affect people this way. But it's almost like sending this feeble brain of mine into overload!

Now, I think I want as many people who see this to respond. There are over 120 bloggers on my Google Reader and I'd like to know more about them. I could not possibly list them all here unless I wanted to sit here for hours and trust me, that just ain't happenin', chickees!! ;-) Soooo if you read this please take the time to go to your blog, do this and then email me and let me know so I can read it. I'm sure we all share some similarities and diverseness on these issues and would like to read about yours. So please feel free to respond on your own blog.
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Another award from Cindy of Cottageremnant. I am to list 7 things about myself. Don't you chicks know enough about me already?!?! I'm boooooring!!! Lead a quiet life in the burbs with Love BunnnNNNNnnnyyYYYY. Okay, let's give it a try.........

1.
I was a heathen until about 16 years ago when I had a spiritual conversion that rocked me to my core. Yep, it does happen even to people from San Francisco Bay area of Calif. Total 180° turn around from our old lifestyle.

2.
I love coloring in books but don't do it as often as I'd like. I just love the sereneness of it.

3.
I would eat out 5 nights a week if hubby would. I detest cooking meals any more. Seniors should get at break at age 55 and not have to cook at all. I'm sure the government would provide each of us with chefs if we just asked! Of course, that might mean an increase in taxes but hey, what's money, right?!?!?! Sheeeeesh....

4.
I once worked in a burger joint flipping burgers at a young age and never got a tip! Well, maybe one, but it was only once. I worked that job for only a few months though. Maybe that's why I hate cooking meals so much in my older years. No recognition for a job well done.

5.
I've never drunk coffee. Tasted it once as a teenager and hated it. Love the smell but can't stand the beverage. Coffee ice cream mixed with chocolate ice cream is another story, however..... Yummmmmmm

6.
I love the Christmas season but hubs and I don't do the commercial thing anymore at all. We just refuse to get caught up in that. I do, however, get my daughter a box or Good and Plentys for her if she comes to visit on Christmas. She does all the cleaning up for that box of G&P! Well, worth the 59¢ I spend.

7.
When hubby was in Okinawa for 13 months during the 60s we communicated via ham radio operators over the phone. Have you ever had to tell your hubs "I love you, roger, over and out" with 2 other men listening when speaking to him?!?! Very embarrassing. Ooooh, nuuuuuu, my truly embarrassing moment was one of those private things that happen and you can never ever tell anyone about it! Know what I mean.... Nuuuuu, don't even ask! It'll never leave my lips... ;-)

So now if you're reading this then please consider your call to tell 7 ridiculously private things about yourself and let me know so I can read it. Truly, I'd love to see everyone who can respond.
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This Marie Antoinette award comes from Cathy of Treasured Heirlooms. She is one of the absolutely sweetest chicks in blogland. I adore reading her blog and visiting her eye candy on her website. Truly a creative person. She also has a pink house which is definitely my kinda place!! Hah..... But she is a kind and considerate person. And I thank her profusely for giving me this award! Smoooch, kiss-kiss!! ;-)
Now for 7 bloggers to receive this award I'll name

1. Natasha Burns
2. Fitty's Pinky Rose Cottage
3. Shannon Thompson
4. Sweet Cottage Dreams
5. Somewhere In Time
6. Rose Colored Glasses
7. Rose of Sharon

I do so enjoy these women. I enjoy many more also but these were selected this time.
~*~

Don't you just love this white and blue bedroom? I do!!!!


Thursday, October 23, 2008

My First Roses Painted Shelf

Okay, I took the leap!! I had this little shelf I found at a thrift store and decided to bite the bullet and paint the ratty thing with some shabby roses. Here is the result. I have to say I am delighted with it. Okay okay, my roses aren't like anyone else's but they're mine!!! I'm on a roll again, chicks!! Wooooohoooooo!!! ;-) Do I hear an offer?!?!?! LOL





Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Woodsy Retreats

A common dream of some people is to have a summer place at the beach or a cabin in the woods or the mountains. I think I'd prefer a cabin in the woods. I love being alone with my Love Bunny all snuggled in a cabin surrounded by a river or lake. But here we are in the suburban housing development on the outskirts of Idaho. I like it because there are neighbors around and that seems safer for us retired people. Quiet. Just the right size house for us. But woods bring an atmosphere that we love. I'd want my house in a clearing with woods/trees on the "outskirts" so I could have sunlight but I'd want to see the woods in the distance. Maybe a few trees around but nothing that would block the sunlight, just a few trees for a bit of shade. This is a dream; it will never happen at our stage of life. LOL

This is a rustic look and I think it's cute. Kinda has a woodsy look. It's a style I adore.

I remember going to a home about 15 years ago now and walking into their house. They used their family room as their "living room" because they had 5 boys. The actual living room was used as an office because the father was into sports big time and needed a big "office." I walked in and came eye-to-eye with the biggest dead animal head I'd ever seen in my life. A moose or an elk, not really sure. Not that I've seen too many dead animals on walls. Just didn't get that much in California and the crowd we ran with! LOL But I just about passed out it was so stunning/frightening to me. Nuuuuuuuu, I have no problem with people hunting but the dang thing was so big it took up the space of a very large sofa or even dining table jutting out into the room! Plus it was staring directly into my face! Shock, I tell ya. And not one feminine touch in that house! At least the house below has a feminine touch and is quite cute.

Now, this little cottage is screaming to me to take it home! I would love to have this in my back yard but Love Bunny keeps telling me he'd have to change the sprinkler system........as IF I cared!!! LOL This is adorable!

This is the inside of the little cottage above. Can't you just see it as an artist's retreat painting in that wonderful sunlight??

This is close proximity to the above little cottage. I could live with this too! Love it.

This house is in the woods but not actually woodsy but it is very pretty with all its open windows to the woods so I'd call it kinda "woodsy" and could live here very easily. ;-)