Sweet Blogging Gifts

Bonjour Mes Amis,

Hope you are enjoying your day so far!

I was so excited to receive the most wonderful package in the mail yesterday!  My sweet blogging friend Susan over at Evelyn & Rose sent me these gorgeous gifts!

 Susan shares my love of blue and white, and all things French!  If you've not visited her blog before, be sure to head on over, as you are in for a treat!  Her home is as lovely as her sweet and thoughtful spirit is!

Just look at this gorgeous crown fabric that she sent me!  Love! Glittery light blue crowns on a white background!  I will think of something exta special to create with it!  And this equally beautiful light blue lace trim.  Light blue has been my very favorite color since I was a young girl (many moons ago!).  Also some tres chic tea died Eiffel Tower tags, oh so pretty shabby chic floral tags and pencils..........

 And this gorgeous red & white damask ribbon, perfect for Valentine crafting!

And, these beautiful floral magnets that I adore!

I was so touched by Susan and her thoughtfulness!

I am continually amazed at all of the wonderful kindred spirits here in blogland.  You all have truly enriched my life, and I feel blessed to have gotten to know so many of you!

Thank you again, Susan! You know my taste well:) You are the best!

French Valentine Peat Pot

Bonjour Mes Amis!

I've been having so much fun creating little peat pots for Valentine's Day!  Last week I shared with you a bunch that I made in more traditional colors of pink and red.  Well, you know how much I love all things French, and that blue and white is my favorite color combo.  So I could hardly wait to make a little Valentine peat pot with a French twist!

After painting the pot white and lightly dusting it with glitter, the fun part of embellishing began!  I stitched up a cute little ruffle out of blue crepe paper.  This time I wizened up, and sewed the ruffle from a double layer of the crepe paper. This worked so much better than the single layer ruffle, as that was  fragile and tended to rip too easily as I was stitching it up.  I still had some of my tiny light aqua blue pom pom trim left

 (isn't is just darling?), so that was added to the top edge.  Oh, before all of that, I fashioned a little handle by twisting two iridescent pipe cleaners together.

 The cute little heart was made by gluing a snippet from a vintage French book page to a heart which I cut from chipboard.  And of course I just had to add a generous dusting of glitter!  A decorative brad with an aqua center made the perfect embellishment for the center, I think!

 Then began the fun part of filling the little pot with glittery goodness!  I printed out my very favorite vintage Valentine image from the Graphics Fairy (love those sweet little birds!), and mounted it onto chipboard, that I first covered with a vintage French book page.  More glitter, a cute little silver fleur de lis charm, blue and white baker's twine, and a teeny tiny clothes pin were all added.

 A sweet little German glass glitter birdie decided to perch in the basket, too! He's nestled in amongst shredded vintage French book pages.

I also added a few tiny white silk flowers, that I dusted in glitter.  'Cause you know my old saying: 

 "You can never have too much glitter!"

 I had so much fun creating this little pot!  I guess you could say that peat pots are my latest addiction!

 Oh, I almost forgot to mention that I also added a white glittered sprig, as well as a puffy white glittered heart.

 The puffy heart was actually left over from my red and pink basket projects, and started out life all red and glittery!  Of course that wouldn't work for my Frenchy pot, so I painted it!  Yep, I painted over the red heart with a thick coat of white, then sprinkled on a generous dusting of clear Martha Stewart coarse glitter, my favorite "go to" glitter!  So remember that if a craft supply isn't fitting in with your project, you don't necessarily need to make a mad dash back to the craft store!  Don't be afraid to change it up in some way, with paint or whatever else strikes your fancy!

 Ok, this last shot has absolutely nothing to do with my peat pot, but I just couldn't resist sharing!

We have a heated bird bath just off our back deck.  Hubby and I really enjoy sitting in our sun room watching all of the birds that stop by for a visit to our many feeders, and to get a drink at the birdbath.  Well, yesterday we were treated to a flock of bluebirds in our back yard!  I quickly grabbed the camera, trying not to startle them (they are so shy!), and was able to get this shot before they all flew off!

How cool is that?!

Hope you all have a great week, thanks for visiting!
Linking up with Timewashed for Blissful Whites Wednesday. Be sure to visit for tons of inspiring ideas!

A French Themed Vignette

Bonjour Mes Amis,

Hope you have been enjoying your week!

I first posted this vintage pedestal bowl makeover last summer.  So if you saw it then, I apologize for the repeat!
I am always hunting for pedestal bowls to transform, and I must say this was one of my favorites.

I've just submitted the above photo to Jeanne d'Arc Living facebook page. They are having a photo contest, and the winner will receive a copy of their new Easter book!  So if you haven't yet voted, and you feel so inclined, maybe you could vote for me?  You can vote here.here

Thank you!!!

Anyway, back to my pedestal bowl!  I added this gorgeous label from The Graphics Fairy to the front (love!).

Oh, in my excitement I neglected to mention that I first painted the pedestal bowl my favorite creamy white, then gave it a generous dose of distressing.

I guess you could say one of my "signature looks" is using vintage sheet music in many of my projects.  So I just had to line the inside with some from my collection!

She ended up being bought by a customer in Australia!

So funny to think of my little decoupaged bowl finding a new home clear around the world!

Hope you have a great weekend!

Sentimental Gifts

Hello everyone, hope you all are having a great day!

Are you the sentimental type?  Do you have treasures or mementos that remind you of special times in your life, or of special people?

I know that I am sentimental, and I have a feeling you all are, too!

So today I'm sharing with you some special gifts that I just received in the mail, that belonged to one of my favorite aunts. She was my mom's sister, and had such a sweet and gentle spirit. Sadly, she passed away two years ago. I'm so happy that my uncle wanted me to have these beautiful fans, which I will always treasure.

 My aunt was quite the adventurous woman. She and my uncle traveled the world.  She even climbed the Great Wall of China!  She brought the first two fans back from China.

 This beautiful pink one, above, is my favorite!  I love the floral motif, and the colors are amazing!

 This one is so pretty, too!  It features beautiful pink and red flowers on a branch, and a butterfly.

 This last one, below, came from Japan.

 I just love the gorgeous aqua and blue shades!  The colors are so me!  And the graphics are amazing!

 I plan on displaying them in shadow boxes.  I know that Hobby Lobby carries a nice assortment of them, so I'll be hunting for the perfect ones to showcase the fans in.

 I think they will look so pretty hung on the wall, and will be such a sweet reminder of such a sweet aunt!

What sentimental treasures do you love?

Valentine's Day Peat Pots

Bonjour Mes Amis!

It's a cold and snow dusted day here at the chateau, the perfect excuse to cozy up and work on some fun projects!

I had so much fun creating Christmas peat pot baskets, that I could hardly wait to put together some for Valentine's Day.

Have you caught the peat pot addiction??!

I began by painting the pots a creamy white, with a bit of glitter mixed in for some added sparkle.

I then had fun filling them with various bits and pieces that I had on hand.  I picked up these puffy red glittered hearts at Michael's.  Love!

For the graphics, I printed out these sweet cherub images that I found at Magic Moonlight.   .

Aren't they darling?  I mounted them on chipboard, and glittered them with Stickles glitter glue.  Adorable tiny clothepins were clipped to the corners, to hold various charms such as little keys and a heart. All tied on with baker's twine from Target.

Oh, I first filled the pots with crinkly shredded brown craft paper, and some shredded vintage sheet music.

I left a bit of room inside to tuck chocolates or other yummy surprises.

The hardest part of the project was making the crepe paper ruffles.  Basically you sew a running stitch, being oh so careful not to tear the crepe paper.  Easier said than done!  Then very gently draw it up to create a ruffle, and hot glue to the inside edges.

Isn't the pink felt heart trim the cutest?  Thanks to my blogging friend Kim who gave the heads up when she first discovered it, I picked up a few rolls of it at Target (or "Tar-jay", as I like to call it!).

More chipboard and vintage sheet music were used to create hearts for the front of the pots (glittered, of course!), and were embellished with pretty rhinestone and pearl brads.

I also tucked a few tiny cream silk flowers inside, which I covered in a dusting of glitter.

'Cause you all know my saying:

 "You can never have too much glitter!"

I had so much fun creating these!  

Now the wheels are turning and I'm looking ahead to making some for Easter!

Hope you all have a fun and creative day!
Linking up with Timewashed for Blissful Whites Wednesday
Common Ground for Be Inspired Friday
French Country Cottage Feathered Nest Friday

Shelf Obsession

Bonjour Mes Amis!

So I've already admitted to having a mirror obsession.  Now I am confessing that I officially have a shelf addiction  as well!
Since shelves have always been a popular item in my Etsy shop, I'm always hunting for interesting ones that I can transform with a little paint and tlc.  I've even gotten hubby into the act, and have commissioned him to build me some for my shop!  So today I'd like to share with you some of the latest ones that I've been working on.

 Isn't this picket fence style shelf just adorable?  It was dark green when I found it, and I thought the color really didn't do it justice!  I immediately thought "pink"!

 Wouldn't it be darling in a little girls room or nursery?

 It has that shabby cottage style that I love so well!

 And I was super excited when I discovered this pair of vintage Syroco shelves recently.  Originally a "gaudy gold", I could hardly wait to paint them creamy ivory!

 Just look at their amazing details.  They even have the original "Syroco Wood" labels on the back!
Like many of the early Syroco pieces, this pair is made of wood and other materials.

 They truly have the look of finely hand carved wood, I think!

 I found these sweet little shelves on separate thrifting trips. While they are not identical, I thought they would make a cute pair, after I painted them my favorite shade of light blue.  Much better than their former dark brown color!

 One of the shelves features a neat curvy top and bracket, the other has a handy plate groove.

Ok, here is one of the shelves my handy hubby made, and I just love it!

 Love the brackets he added to the sides. And the oil rubbed bronze coat hooks, too!

I painted it a creamy white, and am so happy with the way it turned out!
I just finished painting several more shelves that he built for my shop, in blue and aquamarine tones (love!).
I'll be sure to share them with you soon!.

You can take a peek at these shelves and more in my Etsy shop, if you care to take a look!
Joining the following parties:
Be Inspired Friday

Creating a Romantic Vignette

Bonjour Mes Amis!

Today I wanted to share with you a little vignette that I created, with a touch of romance!

 I started with a large galvanized metal tote, that I found a few years ago at a yard sale for just a few dollars. I really love the contrast of the rustic tote and the soft and feminine accents.

 For this vignette, I knew that I wanted to add some of my vintage linens, as well as this sweet little light blue cherub, and my favorite Valentine image from the Graphics Fairy.  I found the angel a few years ago at a garage sale.  It was unfinished plaster when I discovered it. I painted it my favorite shade of light blue, followed by an antiquing glaze to give it time worn appeal.

 Beyond that, I wasn't sure what I was going to use, so I just started gathering bits and pieces from around the house that spoke "romance" to me!  I must admit that it took me way longer than it should have to pull together!  I just wasn't happy with the way my tote was coming along.  My hats off to you ladies who make it look oh so effortless to create interesting, creative and unusual displays!

 So, after what seemed like forever, I finally am happy with the end result!

 I turned one of my shabby chic picture frames into an impromptu little chalkboard, that I propped up on an easel (I love easels!). 

 Ok, so here is what I added to my little romantic vignette:

some of my mercury glass votives (for safety's sake, I added battery operated tea lights), a pretty aqua vintage doily, and one of my favorite vintage linens with tatting, and a silk hydrangea.  I raided my jewelry box and added some of my vintage Austrian crystal necklaces for a bit of bling!

 Since hearts speak of romance, I added this heart shaped lavender sachet that I made from linen fabric, and embellished with crinkly seam binding and a glittered silk hydrangea blossom.

 And what could be more romantic than Paris?  I just had to tuck in this little Eiffel Tower that I brought back from a trip to the city of lights!

 It's hard to get a good photograph of it, but I also added this adorable little glass cloche. Tucked inside is a real birds nest, with some pinecones and acorns that I've glittered 

('cause you can never have too much glitter!).

 Aren't the little birdies sweet on this pretty vintage Valentine image?  I just printed it out and glued to chipboard, followed by a generous dose of glitter.  I added vintage sheet music to the back (forgot to get a photo of that!), so it would look pretty from the backside, too!

 I also scattered some of my vintage sheet music glittered roses.

 I've place the vignette on our coffee table, and I'm now finally happy with the end result!

 Hope this has inspired you to add a touch of romance to your decor!

Have a creative and wonderful day!
Joining Timewashed for Blissful Whites Wednesday