All Things Pretty...

Daffodils...and a poem

Daffodils

by William Wadworth

 

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

 

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

 

The waves beside them danced;

but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed--and gazed--but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

 

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(linking to Show and Tell Friday.....  stop on by for some lovely Easter and Spring decor ideas!)

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Welcoming Spring...

It is officially Spring...the birds are chirping, the sky is blue, the hyacinths and early-blooming tulips are starting to peek through the earth...   ahhh. 

Goodbye Winter. 

Wait a minute...

I just looked out my window and I don't see any hyacinths or tulips.  In fact, my "earth" is still white, covered with snow.   The sky is blue (that's a good thing) - but it has a 21 degree temp to go with it. Hmmm.  Something is wrong with this "Spring" picture.

So while I wait for true Spring to arrive here in Minnesota, I have been (somewhat) content with preparing for Easter by decorating my home and working on Spring/Easter craft projects.

 

 

 

It seems that every year about this time, I get the urge to play with eggs. 

 

 

 

 

I love buying a bagful of plain little eggs and adding bits and pieces of lace, ribbon and millinery left over from prior projects.

 

 

These eggs are not for the minimalist....  they are a bit decadent, with all their frou-frou finery.

 

 

 

 

While I like "plain" eggs, I just can't seem to resist the urge to pretty them up a bit. 

I've also been making pretty Easter tags using vintage images.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I made some extra ones to gift to friends for Easter...  

and a few are available for sale in my Etsy shoppe (these come in sets of 3 with a handmade tag).

 

 

 

Many many Easters ago (maybe 20?), I handpainted actual eggs.   I gave one to my mother, another to my dear Mother-in-Law, and kept two or three.   These are so fragile, that over that years, they have cracked/broken ~ so I'm down to just this one.  

When I look at the teeny tiny details, I'm still amazed that I had the patience to paint these! 

 

 
 

 

Enjoy these first few days of Spring 2014!

 

(ps  Linking to Beverly's Pink Saturday)

Roses...and snow

Another expected day off due to severe weather conditions today...  

outside:  snow snow snow

cold: -40 degrees wind chill

 

 

 

inside:  sunny and bright

 

 

 

I felt  lucky  blessed to be warm and toasty in my home today,

surrounded by the things I love.

 

 

 

My camera captured a few pretties that make me smile.

 

 

 

Roses never fail to warm my heart. 

Artifical ones are beautiful as well...

but the real ones fill our homes with their fragrance.

 

 

 

 

Wishing you a warm and rose-filled day...

 

(I'm sharing with Blissful Whites Wednesdays at Timewashed...)

 

Happy Holidays....

...Christmas is behind us.... we are preparing to ring in the New Year.

I have so many wonderful things to be thankful for as I say "adios" to 2013.   Much has happened this year and I can't wait to see what 2014 will bring.

We are working on a new "look" for my blog - so I will be sharing that in January. 

In addition, I got published for the very first time (yay!!) - which I will also be sharing.

In the meantime, I bring you some of my favorite pics of the season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wishing you joy, peace, love and harmony.

 

First blooms...

Flowers on my kitchen window sill always make me smile...

 

Like these lilies-of-the-valley from my garden (first blooms this year) and the dainty white roses are from the rosebush my son, Jordan, gave me for Mother's Day.

A few years ago, I started asking for rose bushes I could plant in my garden and enjoy year after year vs. the traditional Mother's Day bouquet. 

 

(We are so far behind on bloom season this year!  Usually by this time, the peonies are starting to open... mine are barely budding now...  I guess I have a bit of waiting before my favorite blooms of the season explode.)

 

What's blooming in your garden?

 

Crazy busy...

We are down to just 16 days before the end of the school year (yippee!)...  I'm crazy busy getting ready for summer vacation and have not been very good about blogging. 

I miss it.  

I'll be back soon... in the meantime, I leave you with this gorgeous yellow rose from my Mother's Day bouquet....

 

 

Wishful thinking....

Just when we thought that Spring might actually be around the corner, we get hit with (not) one, but two snowstorms!  I also hear that we are supposed to get even more snow this week...  yuck.

 

To cheer things up around the house, and my spirits, I went out and bought pretty pink and coral tulips.

 

 

 

Is it my imagination, or did the price of the flowers go uphill as the weather went downhill?  I could have sworn these tulip bunches were $2 less last week!   It's a conspiracy, I tell you.

 

 

 

I've also brought out more of my "flower" vases to cheer things up.  

This one was a recent estate sale find; I love its delicate pink roses....

 

Surrounding myself with flowers and pretty things always cheers me up.

 

Happy Monday!

p.s.   finally recovered from my Europe trip, still organizing and editing photos, which I hope to share later this week!

Easter 2013...

 

As I finish packing for my upcoming trip to Europe, I am just a tiny bit sad that I will be away for Easter Sunday.... 

I will miss the many hours of cooking and dish-washing (haha)... seriously, I will miss having Easter brunch with my children around me.

 

 

Only a few of the bunnies made it out to play this year...

 

 

 

Wishing you the loveliest of Easter...

 

 

Sunday flowers...

I recently discovered an easy and fun way to enhance silks

so that they look a bit more realistic.  

  

Modern, expensive silks are so realistic that you sometimes need to touch them to check for authenticity. 

 However, the inexpensive versions usually look "fake" and very unattractive.

As I was doing a bit of early Spring cleaning today, I wished that I had purchased some fresh tulips or similar Spring-y flowers at my local grocer.  

 

After our gloomy, snowy week, some beautiful blooms would be most welcome.     Being a girl who likes "instant gratification",  meaning-  I don't want to wait 'til later when I can get it now- I decided to pull out one of my recent bouquet finds and see if I could make it work.

 

After placing them in a lovely vintage white pitcher, they needed a little "something something" to look right.   I remembered I had armfuls of hydrangeas (from my summer blooms) drying downstairs ...  

I took a few stems and mixed them in with the silks.

 

What do you think?  

 I like them a bit myself. 

Not a substitute for the real thing, but they'll do in a pinch ((smile)).

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Dried roses and pretty plates...

Dried roses and pretty plates...

I don't know why I have such a problem throwing out dried roses... 

   Maybe it's because I find that they are almost as pretty when their petals get crinkly and their color changes. 

 

 

There seems to be an endless supply of them on my kitchen windowsill... 

especially in the middle of a harsh winter,

 when my soul is craving the splendor of Spring.

 

When I gaze out the window, I like to see the contrast between the flowers and the blanket of snow covering my yard.

 

 

 

it is the perfect place to create little still-life vignettes...

 

((smile))

 

((sigh))  

 

Here's hoping for warmer weather and an early Spring...

Sunshine Room update...

The "new" Sunshine Room is still in process...    although, from the way it's going, I think it's starting to look more like a "garden" room...   flowers are everywhere! 

 

There is sooo much to do (still) - but I wanted to share some pics of what it looks like so far.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An old tulle canopy which covered by daughter's bed for many years has been repurposed...  the sheer white dresses up the windows a bit, without blocking the beautiful natural light (one of the room's main features). 

...  lots and lots of layers, draping, and white rosettes...

 

 

 

 

 

 

...the wall behind my desk is covered in tulle, and a gorgeous vintage mirror holds center stage. 

White plates, suspended by laces and ribbons, add whimsy.

 

 

 

It's starting to look like a store display instead of a workroom/craft room... which is fine with me!

 

I'm just following my heart on this one - no decorating rules, no do's and don'ts.... just pretty things around me.

 

 

 

That's all for now... I'll share "final" views when it's all complete.

 

p.s.   Linking up to Transformation Thursday... visit here for wonderful inspiration

Religion in the morning light...

More experimentation with lighting, camera settings, editing...

 

Today's subject was "religious artifacts, icons"

 

 

 

 

 

I have amassed quite a collection of old bibles; many of them in foreign languages.

The spine of these old gems are just beautiful.

 

 

  ... it's been a long and tiring week thus far.  I have Friday AND Monday off, so I'm looking forward to ending my work week tomorrow!  Yay!

I have a BIG project planned for the long weekend:  moving my Sunshine Room up into my old master bedroom.  Lots of packing and sorting to do....  hubby will move the big furniture pieces and I am in charge of everything else.  Can't wait to see it all finished!

 

Playing with light...

We recently moved our master bedroom into my daughter's old room... it's not the largest bedroom in the house, but it does have the en suite bathroom and beautiful morning light.  

I experimented a bit with photography using only the natural light coming through the window sheers...

 

 

 

...my vintage thrift store lamps look lovely here... 

and so do the felt roses wreath in winter whites.

 

 

 

Wishing you a wonderful Sunday!

 

 

 

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Cheap flowers and a candle...

The new year awakes the desire to de-clutter and re-decorate. 

As I moved thoughout my home today, taking down holiday decor and putting my "garden" look back together, I incorporated a couple of inexpensive, yet beautiful touches.

 

 

The floral pillow was a special find at a local church's rummage sale two summers ago.  I came home with a carload of these beauties (at $2 apiece!!!)

 

.

 

This candle is my latest favorite... the scent is delicious and romantic.   I buy it at a local occasional sale in a gorgeous shop named The Bee Cottage.

 

 

The darling little plate is one of three....  they used to hang in my late mother-in-law's dining room.   She had such a wonderful eye for beautiful things!

 

(pattern is called "Georgian" by Homer Laughlin)

 

 

The silk flowers were purchased just this weekend during a quick visit to the thrift store... (only $1)... 

they are not of the best quality, but their divine shabby colors make up for that.  

Wishing you a lovely week ahead!

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Trimming the tree....

 

I am way behind on holiday decorating!  

Time to trim the tree....  

I think (if my energy permits) we will put up three trees this year;  the artificial one upstairs with a crystal/white/silver/gold theme....  the "real" tree downstairs in the family room, with the traditional decorations. ..   and the 4 ft. vintage silver tree in the guest room for our holiday/wedding guests to enjoy!

 

Stay tuned for pics.

 

 

Hope you are enjoying your week;

it's good to be home and nesting a bit. 

My little corner.... the Sunshine Room

Karen is once again hosting her "Where Bloggers Create" blog party...  I remember finding it last summer and visiting so many beautifully creative spaces, in all sizes, colors, styles.  This year, I'm joining in on all  the fun!

 

So here is my little corner of the world -  where I create to my heart's content.  

Nothing quite matches, nothing is perfect... or over-organized...  but I love it!   

 

Welcome to the "sunshine room."  

 Aptly named by my children due to the bright yellow walls.

You see, this room is just 10' x 11' and sits in the basement of my home, with just an easement window for natural light.  To make things worse, the window is in a corner of the room, so very little sunshine makes its way in.

 

 

 

Solution?  A bright, cheery color for the walls and furniture...lots of lamps.

 

All of the furnitue and accesories in the room are second-hand (with the exception of the bookcase).  Putting the room together on a tight budget means I'd rather spend my cash on supplies vs. furniture.

 

 

My biggest challenge with the room (besides the lighting) is storage for my ever-growing amount of ribbons, laces and miscellaneous crafting supplies.

 

I also love old books (especially children's books) and have now officially run out of room for them (until I find another bookcase to repurpose!).

 

 

Each of the above pieces were individually purchased at a thrift shoppe; each for less than $5.  

Some needed a bit of TLC, some lace "covering" for little dents or flaws.

 

 

 

SOME OF MY FAVORITE THINGS IN THE ROOM ARE...

 

RIBBONS

I have ribbons stored everywhere....    

I am very visual and need to have things out where I can see them.  

Using hatboxes for storage is fun and inexpensive, but my favorite are the clear ones (the one above used to belong to my daughter's great-grandmother)  where I can see its contents.

 

DOMINOES IN GLASS

Last year, I joined the dominoes craze... I wanted to alter dominoes day and night!  

During that time I scoured my favorite shops for  ivory ones and was lucky enough to find severa sets.  

These are now stored in glass containers... waiting their turn for a makeover.

 

 

PEARLS

Pearls are another one of my passions.  

I can't pass up a vintage strand if the price is right.  

Some of them are displayed on this wire form (which also used to belong to my late motherin-law)... the beautiful vintage pearl tiara was a recent find.

 

VINTAGE WATERCOLOR

This pld watercolor by an unknown artist called out to me from an estate sale -

I love the look on the little boy's face!   

 

 

SILK FLOWERS...

the ones that look so real, that you have to touch them to make sure they aren't!

I have a basketful that sits in a corner of the Sunshine Room... waiting for the perfect project.  

In the meantime, they pretty-up the room.

 

 GLASS BOXES

I love these!

They are perfect for storing little things:  buttons, scraps of millinery, beads... 

They don't take up much space, are fairly easy to find and inexpensive (I never pay more than $2-$3 for mine), and look beautiful either empty or full.

I have also used them as gift boxes for birthday gifts for friends, or even as containers for swap gifts.

 

 

MIRROR MIRROR on the wall...

In a room this tight and lacking in natural light,

a mirror placed in the right location can work magic.  

This old beauty sits next between the entry door and the easement window;

 light reflects off of it into the space.

 

 

 

BASKETS

..another storage solution...

I used mine for displaying and storing items that are too charming to hide away...

such as vintage baby shoes.... or fabric flowers.

 

POTTERY, VASES

for storing scraps of vintage wallpaper, dowels; anything that is long and narrow.

 

 

 

VINTAGE NOTECARDS

I buy them whenever I find them... usually less than $1 for an incomplete set.  

(the handy storage unit with drawers, on wheels, was another thrift store find)

 

 

PRETTY TIN/METAL CONTAINERS

They store some of the tags and tag books received from swaps.  

It keeps these visible and handy so I can pull them out for admiring or for inspiration.

 

 "WALL OF FAME" INSPIRATION BOARD

I use the inspiration board in a less traditional manner;

it displays cute business cards, notes, tags, and miscellaneous pieces received.  

These are bits and pieces that have brought a smile to my face.

 

 

BOOKS

Tattered, worn spines are my favorite.  

I have a weakness for children's books with beautiful illustrations.

(the little box was one of my earliest creations... after discovering Sandra Evertson and falling in love with her whimsical style)

 

AND FINALLY, MY DESK AND CHAIR.

 my chair is in pale chippy yellow, with a worn pink roses decal...  

 

My desk is  large, also chippy yellow (yes, I found it this way!) ... it is solid wood and heavy.

 Always full of materials and projects "in process"

 

 I customized the inside of the panel door by a whimsical children's painting

... using cutouts from some favorite cards and adding a freehand background. 

 

And there you have it....  a glimpse into my sunshine room.

I hope you enjoyed your little tour.

 

A Red, White & Blue Weekend...

My weekend was filled with barn sales, estate sales, garage sales... some gardening... some family time.  It was busy, yet enjoyable and relaxing.

(this was the actual site of a Barn Sale I visited in Medina, Minnesota...isn't it wonderful?)

 

I don't know if it was the barn itself or all the red, white and blue vignettes I saw at every single place I stopped (I almost had to check my calendar:  did I missthe  4th of July or something? !?) but I was feeling it!

When I got home, I decided to "bring out" the reds in my screened-in porch ...

 

 

If you recall, last year I painted all of my white porch wicker (boring and faded) black, and found a truckload of floral pillows at a local church rummage sale (for just $2 apiece!). 

   

(the red/white felted wool/cotton knit throw was another recent find... for $3.99...homemade and beautiful.... I was going to save it for the chilly evenings of Fall, but since it fit the theme, it came out to stay)

What's fun about these pillows with their array of colors is that I can highlight any of the colors with accessories for a different look.

 

My vintage tablecloth collection is put to good use during the summer months, as I like to use them on my porch tables for a punch of color.

 

 

Another Barn Sale find were two vintage smaller flags, which were mounted on dowels and tin stars added; perfect for my deck flower pots!

Well there you have it! 

My porch is festive, patriotic, and totally ready for the 4th of July!

 

Linking up to:

Open House Thursday @ No Minimalist Here

Uncommonly Yours @ Uncommon Designs

 Show & Tell Friday @ Romantic Home

 Vintage Patriotic Party @ Common Ground

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound

Simply flowers...

After a couple of hours of gardening in temperatures that went from 71 to 90 in 2 hours, I was beat!  I came indoors, "wanting" with all my heart to spend a few enjoyable hours crafting...creating....  but my poor body was not in agreement.

 

So instead, I took a cool shower, grabbed my camera, and walked around my home snapping some photos and playing with the settings.  

It was relaxing... and fun. 

Unexpectedly so.

 

 

I saw lots of dust mites... but instead of grabbing a rag (or mop) as I usually do... I just continued on my merry way.

Snapping more photos.

 

 

(my mom would be so upset that I ignored the dust!)

 

 

But it felt good... almost like I was playing hookie from school.

 

 

...flowers everywhere

 

 

 

..a mix of old, new...  found objects, made objects...

 

the whole look of my home doesn't quite fit into one style "label"

 

... and I didn't even care...

because that is exactly "my style"

 

If it's pretty, and it makes me smile, it finds a place in my home.

 

Hope you are having a wonderful week!

 

linking up to:  White Wednesday

 

Happy colors...

Are there colors that just bring a smile to your face?  For me, it's always been pink... and over the past couple of years, my palette has expanded to include the softest shades of blues, turquoise, lavender, gray (I call it "silver lining" gray), creams/ivories (melting vanilla ice cream).

During this time of year, after all the white and blah dreariness of Winter, I am especially happy to see the yellows, pinks, and other sorbet colors springing up everywhere.  I have been known to stop the car in front of a complete stranger's house, get out to admire their garden (and maybe snap a photo or two)....  it is a bit scary for my husband, as he thinks I am trespassing and infringing on people's privacy.   But I promise, I stay on the street (never even setting foot on their actual lawn) and never ever look into windows!  I could be called a "bloom stalker."

Anyway, I digress.  What I really wanted to share with you today were these blooms I purchased at the local grocery store.

 

Yes, I know that some of them are not naturally this color and they have had a bit of assistance from the Dye Fairy.... but nonetheless, I could not resist them!

They were inexpensive, colorful... and last forever!  

(I brought them home over 10 days ago and they are still looking pretty!)

 

(pardon the crooked labels on these... not sure what happened, since they looked fine before posting... urgh!)

And while we are on the subject of "happy colors," I'd also like to share the April tag I made for The Altered Paper's "Tag-a-Month Swap."

The bunny is holding his very own Easter basket...

and is surrounded by lilacs and other Spring flowers.

 

(one of my favorite color combinations:  lavender and teal)

This was actually the second tag I made for my partner, Tina, due to the fact that we experienced a mishap with the first one.  My partner patiently waited for me to make another tag to send.

The sweet tag Tina made for me....

Miss Molly Cottontail is adorable!  She brought a smile to my face, and will be a lovely addition to my tag book... thank you so much, Lisa!

 (Linking up to Show & Tell Friday over at My Romantic Home)

Sunday pretties...

Now that the St. Patty's feast of green is over with...  we can focus on our next creative adventure:  Spring and Easter!   Definitely one of my favorites!

Today I'm sharing these lovely French plates found this weekend at an occassional sale.  They have a few dings, but did I care?!?   Vintage French plates are getting more and more difficult to find and when I run across them, I quickly snatch them up (as long as the price is right).

 

...the colors are wonderful...

..there are five in the set (three of which are in great shape!)...

 

Happy Sunday!