For A Special Friend

A friend is going through some rough times lately with her hubby being unemployed for several months so I made her something special. It's been hard for them but they have faith that things will be alright and perhaps turn around soon. But she's been so wonderful to me with her generosity, kindness and faith and wanted a french country apron so I made this as a special gift for her. Maybe someone you know is going through rough times and you could make their days brighter by doing something wonderful. Isn't that what this life is all about? Hmmmmm....
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It's All About Me! 10/22/09

When Natasha announced this event I was hesitant at first, not for any particular reason other than I'm so busy at this time in my life that I wasn't sure I wanted to take on another "thing or event" to stress me out. But after a few days I thought "why not" and decided to enter. Truly I am not a chick who has a problem doing things for myself. I try to not be egotistical or narcissistic but I think we all are to some degree even if fractionally. I am truly trying to be like my Lord and be humble, submissive and loving as He is though. But I digress from the story.

So I decided to do something I've been wanting to do for a year: make a beautiful cuff that I've seen on Natasha's blog. I hemed and hawed about this for weeks and finally it got down to the wire to the point that I either do it or drop out. So off to WM and Joanns I go to look at their laces. The lace sat around for days before I even took it out of the small bag. When I finally did, I took measurements of my wrist. Okay, now what to do? I've never made one before but I knew that this one wouldn't be given away or sold so that was the toughest part—doing something from my heart because it was mine to keep and to pass to my daughter or granddaughter as a rememberance of me and my taste and hoping they would wear it someday. And if the new great grandbaby is a girl then I sure hope she is froufrou like her great grandmother—me. (Oh, btw, I've decided what I want that baby to call me: GG, standing for great-grandma since my grandkids call me Nana. I selected what I wanted them to call me before the first one was born). That's my privilege. :-)

So here is what I made just for me and my progeny.

My cuff started with lace and I then added a vintage crocheted rose I have been saving for something special.

Then a lovely rhinestone button for its center. Another pink sparkly button on the other side of the wristlet and then some ribbon roses.

Then since I love polka dots I added this cute little fuchsia button.

Then in the back a pretty dark pink button.

It is so funny because I wore this the day after I made it and did I get the looks from people! Not one asked me about it and it is very prominent on my wrist but lots of stares, I tell ya, chicks.

But I decided to go on and make a couple more for just me. This one is another one that I'll never get rid of because that piece of jewelry is precious to me.

Keeping this one also because the rose was given to me by my friend, Bertie. She's fantastic. I used my new sewing machine to do a smocking stitch and then a feather stitch with pink thread. I then added faux pearls and Bertie's rose.
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But as I was making that one for me I also made a couple for the girls of a friend of ours. They are 11 and 9 years old so I think they'll be into froufrou-y stuff by now, right? I sure hope so.



For a friend who is going through a stressful time who will have received it by the time she reads this. Very french looking, don't you think?

These two I made to be given away to the Young Women class I instructed on making aprons.


And this one is for a very special friend of mine who just spoils me when.....well, whenever I least expect it. But then I never ever expect anything tangible from anyone! It's always, always a surprise when I receive anything. She, also, will have received it by the time she reads this.


And this one to a very special "southern belle" chick who adopted me. ;-) I sure hope she receives it by the time this is published. ;-) Surprise!!!!

I really thought I was done and then I had to do this beauty. Reminds me of a Snow Princess with its cool blues and pearls. The recipient will have this one before she sees this also. I love how the new sewing machine lets me embroider the ribbons so beautifully.


Who knows where this one will go? Wherever my heart leads it!

So in the end is it all about me? Maybe and then again maybe not because I get such pleasure from gifting my friends with these things. I did the ones for me first and then I thought how much pleasure the cuffs would bring my friends. And......I couldn't resist! And there will be more to come for some others. And.....maybe even a giveaway.....
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Pink Living Room #1

Again, some of you wanted me to post on my living room after we did the pink paint on the walls and, while you can see it on my right hand sidebar by clicking, I'll do it for you.

The walls are Behr paint called Cupid's Arrow and is definitely pink. I am loving it. It feels like I live in a pink cake box with white frosting (the trim) or in a confectionery store. I tried several different kinds of curtains but these plaid ones look the best with the pink walls. The pink pillows are another TJMaxx find for $13.00 each this time but still feather pillows. The other pillows on the right I made from a gorgeous roses barkcloth fabric and the one of the left is from my friend, Rhea, who made it. My lamps are ones I got about 6 years ago and added the silk roses to the shade.

I stack boxes under my coffee table. Paper covered boxes and fabric covered boxes bought mostly in Calif. when we lived there. I only bring beautiful things into this house. (Well, okay, mostly beautiful things!)They contain storage for things not pertaining to my sewing or craft room or for my office. See what you can do with a bit of creativity. I have numerous hat boxes in most rooms to hold other storage also. I'm very limited in this 1800 sq. ft. house but it's easy to keep clean...that is when Love Bunny remembers to take off his mud trackers at the laundry room door. ;-)

I have numerous plates I try to hang on walls where appropriate without looking too crowded. I'm finding since the walls are pink and not beige I'm less likely to fill them with so much froufrou and fluff since I'm loving the color so much. I'm also not a fan of cathedral ceilings but they came with the house and not much I can do about it. But I do love my ceiling fan and am just trying to figure out how I can hook up a chandelier to it. Not sure it can be done, but I love chandeliers. If there's a way I'll figure it out, but in this Idaho desert we need ceiling fans way more than we need chandeliers.

I had to give one plant shelf to hubs for his limited edition prints of trains. But I also put up some vintage train cases. Most of them I've either covered in roses fabric or decaled. One in front of that vintage fence gate is still in its original form, but when I can find the time I'll be doing it in fabric also. I have one or two in my craft room waiting for me to finish it also.

My tribute to my favorite artist, Susan Rios. I absolutely adore this woman and her paintings. Most on the wall are hers—either paintings or limited edition prints. The one of the woman in the black hat with roses reminds me of Susan's self-portrait she did many years ago. I've emailed her to let her know this. I picked that picture up in Goodwill for $2.00!

The lampshade is another one I decorated with paper roses and lace. I bought that antique chair on the left of the sofa table at a store in California last year. I've piled books on it and put one of my vases from a collection I have and stuck some realistic roses in it. The trunk under the table is my hubby's old USMC trunk he had. I painted it white and use it for storage now since I doubt he'll be shipped out to foreign lands again. :-)

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Show Your Cottage Monday 10/19/09

Cielo at the house in the roses has started "Show Off Your Cottage Monday." So this is the first post that I had pre-scheduled for that day and decided that this will just have to do until I can get some other things posted. Enjoy and please go visit the other participants. :-)
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Since Love Bunny has decided to drag me to the other side of the state and I certainly want to participate in Cielo's Cottage Monday I've decided to just put one picture of a vignette on my mantel. Those of you who have been following me for a while know that 2 summers ago I added a "faux mantel" to our family room to jazz it up a bit. The vignettes on the mantel are changing with such frequency Love Bunny can't keep up with it, chicks. Hah.... Anyway, that is all I'm going to show you of our "retirement/forever/I'm not moving again" house. Enjoy and see you next week.
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Also a friend of mine makes these lovely faux pastries and at affordable prices so give her a look and see what you might like. Visit Jen here.
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Random Thought:

Look around your house and use something in a different way for a new look. Think of what else you can do with it besides its "normal" use. You can do it! Just see it with a "different eye"! I do it all the time.

Family Room Refurbishing Part 4

Last post for the family room.

This corner here is where I've framed 2 pretty cards and fun-tacked 5 other cards that were sent to me for helping someone with their computer. (Just something I know a bit about and can help with sometimes.) She's a very famous painter and I'm not going to name drop.

You'll notice I am not a bit afraid of painting the mats "wild" colors. I love the vivid green and the caribbean blue I came up with after mixing several different colors with white for the 2 mats in this room. It adds a bit of a tropical feel to it with the little pink starfish on the ladder. I love color and am lavish in its use in my home.

The mantel contains some darling little birdhouse ornaments made by Rhea of sweetnshabbyroses and isn't doing very well physically right now. I added some white garland and bright pink and green balls to the mantel along with a little roses vase on the left and some more cupcakes on a rose plate on the far left. The little ballerina I made out of a matchbox and decorated with papers and garland. I had it for sell but it didn't sell so I get to keep it. I'll be making some more simply because I love having that kind of thing around my home. Beauty!

Here is the faux fireplace screen closer. (Click for a better view.) I added the paper roses, leaves and ribbons along with 2 small decals on the sides after painting the whole thing white.

On the right side I have a most unusual little tree I found at Goodwill but it is quite heavy and is done with wire. I have no clue what it was made for but I bought it home, painted it white and added little fabric covered eggs I bought last year after Easter when they were on sale. The roses in the little tin pot are my foray into coffee filter roses. Those are very labor intensive to do and hard to get them to look right. It wasn't worth the effort although I eventually did get a good looking one that you can see on the left of my sidebar.

On the left side of the mantel I have some more faux plants with little roses stuck in the middle. As I said, I don't care what other people think; I do what I like. I have to live in this house and that's what is important to me—what I and my hubby think of it. He thinks we need more model trains in it but that's beside the point. *Wink*

I made the one quilted ecru roses pillow on the left but the plaid one I got at JCPenney for a steal and the 2 blue toile I got at TJMaxx for $25.00 for the 2 of them and they're feather pillows. Squeeeeeeeal.

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