My Shabby Chateau

Gorgeous Chalkboard Makeover

2012-02-15T17:25:00.000-08:00

Hello, hope you all are having a great week!
I've been on another chalkboard kick, and have been busy creating a bunch of them for my Etsy shop. I could hardly wait to share with you this beauty! Of course, she didn't start out life looking so pretty! Oh, no! I'll show you in a bit what she began life as.

I began by painting her my favorite cream color, followed by just the right amount of distressing. And Oooh, la, la! A shabbyliscious new chalkboard is born!

The frame is a vintage syroco type material, and is very heavy and ornate. It really has the look of hand carved wood! Just look at all of her gorgeous details! While I would dearly love to keep her, I placed her in my Etsy shop. Now, I just need to find another frame like this (I wish!), and I'll keep that one for myself for sure!!

Like all of my chalkboards, I use chalkboard vinyl. The great thing about that is you can use both regular chalk, and chalk pens, too, for a dust free finish.

Ok, ladies! Are you ready to see the "before"? I sure hope it's not sacrilegious to replace the Last Supper with a chalkboard! (sorry Jesus!)

But, I think He would approve of the new look:)

Here is another vintage beauty that I just completed. The pictures just don't do it justice!

I forgot to take a before shot of this one, but it had an ugly old print in it, and the frame was a gaudy gold.

This one is solid wood, and the details are just so pretty!

And here is yet another one that I just created! This one is a lightweight plastic frame, though looking at it, you would swear that it's carved wood!

It's got lots of pretty and oh so shabby details!

You can find all of these (and more chalkboards, too!) in my Etsy shop, if you care to take a peek!
Enjoy the rest of your week! I think I'll be dreaming of chalkboards tonight..............!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-13T22:30:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a wonderful Valentine's Day! Be sure to spend it with the ones you love!

The Northwest Flower & Garden Show

2012-02-12T11:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday hubby & I went to the Northwest Flower & Garden Show in Seattle, where this years theme was "A Floral Symphony". Not only was there a dizzying array of unique display gardens, but tons of fun and interesting ideas that left me, well, dizzy with excitement!

Check out this oh so fashionable mossy lady. How fun is that? Notice that her wine glass is actually a terrarium?

And I totally am in love with this three tiered garden and the cloche as well!

Beautiful succulents in a concrete vessel.

In keeping with the musical theme, check out this piano bar! How fun is that?

A tiny potted garden reveals a setting fit for garden fairies! An adorable little moss covered bistro set feels like it's part of a secret garden!

I am in love with these vibrant hued roses!

Wish you could smell these lovely lilies!

There were lots of orchids on display. Not sure what variety this one is, but I think it's just stunning!

Now here's a fun idea! A frame from a vintage mirror is turned into a memo board, by replacing the mirror with chicken wire. Genius!

More lovely orchids.

I loved this terrarium display! Large glass jars turned into fun and low maintenance little gardens were such a great idea, I think!

How pretty is that?

Now this is another absolutely genius idea, I think! A row of glass test tubes become miniature gardens! Love the layers of soil and pebbles.

Notice the mossy wall?

Not sure what this container originally was meant for, but I love how it was repurposed into a fun planter!

Lots of pretty spring blooms.

Aside from all of the wonderful gardens, there was a large marketplace area filled with just about every imaginable yard & garden related need. And some fun home decor booths to temp as well! Thought you would love this idea below! It's a section of old rusty bedsprings, covered with glass, to make a fun little display!

I am in love with this shell encrusted mirror!

One of my favorite displays was this recreation of a vintage Parisian street scene. Oh, la, la!

Complete with a French poodle!

In the next two shots, you will see a pond that had a "fogger". It was so neat!

Do you have spring fever yet? I sure do!

And last of all, this vertical display of plants, how cool is that?

That's it for today! Now I need to get caught up with all you talented ladies and see what you've been up to!

The Great Frame Up!

2012-02-10T09:16:00.000-08:00

Hello ladies! Hope you all are having a great day!

A bit earlier this winter, I was commissioned to create a large collection of painted picture frames for a loft style office in Chicago. Of course I was thrilled, and jumped at the opportunity!

I already had some interesting frames in my stash, and also made many trips to hunt for more, both vintage and newer. My clients were interested in an eclectic mix of ornate and clean & simple lined frames, and asked that they be painted white, with a few gold and silver for some added punch.

And this is what I came up with! I had so much fun creating this collection.

This was my largest custom project yet, now I can't wait for more commissions!

Lots and lots of ornate shabbyliscious frames!

And here they are, in their new home! It is a rare treat that I get to see my creations in their new environment!


photo courtesy of Zapwater Communications

From lil' ol' me in small town Washington State to Downtown Chicago! Not too shabby, I guess!

On a different note, hubby and I will be attending the Northwest Flower & Garden Show tomorrow in downtown Seattle. I can hardly wait! I know that it'll give me spring fever for sure! I'll be taking lots of photos to share with you all!

Have a great weekend!

Paint Therapy!

2012-02-08T10:23:00.000-08:00

For some, it's retail therapy. For me, it's paint therapy! On a typical day, you will find me creating in my work room, happily painting away! And yes, it truly is my therapy! Of course, half the fun is seeking out the gaudy, the drab, and the dull, that can be transformed with a little tlc. So today I thought I'd share with you a few of my latest projects, all of which began life looking rather, well, drab!!

Isn't aqua one of the cheeriest colors ever? I think so! I thought it would be perfect for this vintage wooden organizer box that I found last week in a dark & dusty thrift shop.

Some distressing in all the right places, and ooh, la, la!!

At the same thrift shop, I found this jewelry organizer. I didn't realize it, but several of you told me that actually the intended purpose (back in the 70's!) was to hold measuring spoons & cups. Now painted a pretty shade of turquoise, I think it's perfect repurposed as a jewelry holder!

And this is what they began life as. I guess the dirt & dust were free!!

I'm always searching for pretty picture frames that I can paint, collections of frames are one of my most popular items in my Etsy shop. I forgot to take a before photo of the frames below, but I am thrilled with their makeover!

Painted a pretty pale pink, I think they now are absolutely shabbyliscious!!

Wouldn't they be cute in a little girl's room, or a nursery?

That's it for today, I've got more painting to do!! Hope that maybe I've inspired you to get busy and paint something!

Glittered Valentine Jar Candle Tutorial

2012-02-04T11:57:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to create are glittered jar candles, which are not only lots of fun to make, but super easy, too! With just a few inexpensive supplies, you can make one for yourself, or as thoughtful little gifts.

Here is all you need:

You can find the jar candles at the dollar store, or most grocery stores carry them in the Hispanic food section. You'll also need Mod Podge, a foam sponge (I like to save plastic containers from produce as handy little trays), a sheet of vintage sheet music, and the image of your choice. I found this beautiful vintage Valentine image over at the Graphics Fairy. Of course, you don't have to use vintage sheet music, you can always print some out from the Graphics Fairy.

I would be totally lost without my Martha Stewart glitter! Yes, I would:) As a matter of fact, several people here in blogland have bestowed me with the title "Glitter Queen"!!

Cut your sheet music to fit the candle, and brush with a thin even layer of Mod Podge. I always keep a roll of waxed paper handy in my craft room to use whenever I have messy projects. Believe me, your work surface will appreciate it!

Adhere the sheet music to your candle, pressing out any wrinkles or bubbles. Do the same with your image, and set aside to dry.

Next comes the fun part, creating the embellishments! Of course, you can keep your candle plain and simple, but I like to add a few pretty additions. I decided to make a heart for this one, so I cut a small heart shape from "grunge paper", by Tim Holtz. You could easily use chipboard for this, or even cardboard from a cereal box. I'm a big "use what you've got" kinda girl, and I know that many of you are, too!

Then I cut two heart out of the sheet music, the same size as the grunge paper. Using a thin coat of Mod Podge, glue the sheet music hearts to the front and back of the grunge paper & set aside to dry.

It's no biggie if everything doesn't line up, you can always trim it with your scissors later.

Ok, now for the really fun part, the glittering! Of course, you can skip this step if you are a glitter phobe, like some of you here happen to be (and whose names will go unmentioned, tee, hee!) Anyway, go over your candle with a thin coat of Mod Podge, and lightly cover with the glitter of your choice. Again, this is where I use the waxed paper to protect my work surface, and make clean up much easier!

Do the same thing with each side of your heart. Oh, I almost forgot to mention, punch a small hole in the top of your heart first.

Once everything is all dry, tie a pretty ribbon around the top, adding your heart to the end. I used pale pink crinkly seam binding to tie a very generous bow

And there you have it! A fun and easy project that even the kids could help with!

I'm giving this lovely to my neighbor as a little thank you gift. She is very musically inclined, so I think she will love the addition of the sheet music!

The candles look absolutely magical at night when lit! Here are some of my candles. The one below is one of my all time favorites!

Ok, I take that back, this Eiffel Tower is one of my all time favorites! For this one, I used a silver fleur de lis charm as an embellishment.

Oooh, la, la!

I made this Valentine jar candle last year. Aren't those little birdies sweet? I love the pretty blue forget me nots, too! All of the images that I used for these candles are compliments of the Graphics Fairy.

Now get your glitter out, and get crafting!

Linking up with Karen at The Graphics Fairy for Brag Monday
and Debra at Common Ground for her Vintage Valentine Party

Fresh Blooms & Other Fun Things

2012-02-01T16:37:00.000-08:00

There's nothing like getting fresh flowers to lift your spirits, especially this time of year! So today, I thought I'd share with you some of the gorgeous blooms that I've been given since having surgery last week.

Hubby brought me the most beautiful bouquet of yellow roses! I adore yellow roses, though I don't think he realized that, he just made a lucky guess! I am doing to dry them and save for a special project!

I love taking close up photos of flowers. It's so easy to miss all of the beautiful details if you don't take the time to really look at them!

My sister sent me this gorgeous bouquet of spring time flowers, I love them! Pink and white flowers are my absolute favorite!

I wish you could smell the stock! Their spicy scent is absolutely amazing!

And just look at that stunning lily!

My mom sent me this lovely basket filled with a beautiful pink azalea, and a kalanchoe (I think that is what it's called??)

How pretty!

My sweet friend Cindy over at Cindy Adkins Whimsical Musings sent me this gorgeous card that she made! Cindy knows how much I love blue! Just look at all of the details that she put in it, love the key and the mannequin!

Cindy also surprised me with this beautiful bracelet, I love it! More blue:) Can't wait to wear it! Thank you, Cindy, you are the best!

My sweet neighbor lady brought me down a couple of primroses today. Aren't they pretty?

Now our house is looking so cheery, it almost feels like a greenhouse here:)

Yesterday I went to the doctor and had my stitches removed. It was my first big outing since the surgery. As a treat to myself, I stopped at several thrift shops for some much needed "thrifting therapy". I didn't find alot of goodies, but I did manage to find several small pretty picture frames that I'm going to paint and put in my Etsy. Picture frame collections are one of my biggest sellers, so I'm always on the hunt for more! I also am always searching for wood items that I can transform. I found these two pieces below. They may not look like much now, but wait til you see their "after" shots! I thought the vintage wooden box had great potential, and I was super excited to find the jewelry organizer, as I'd been looking for one for quite some time. I'll be sure to share their transformations with you!

Hope you enjoy the rest of your week!

Fun Valentine's Day ideas

2012-01-30T12:13:00.000-08:00

Bon jour, Mon Amis! Since Valentine's Day is just a few short weeks away, I thought I'd put together some inspiring ideas, compliments of Better Homes and Gardens.

I don't know about you, but the first thing that comes to mind when I think about Valentine's Day is sweet treats! Anything chocolate, and you can count me in! How about some mini raspberry and white chocolate whoopie pies? Yum-O!

Cheesecake is my absolute favorite dessert, so these cheesecake brownie bites would fit the bill nicely, I think!

Equally drool worthy is this amazingly looking chocolate malted milk ball mousse! I really want to try this recipe! I remember as a little girl, eating so many malted milk balls, that the roof of my mouth got sore!

And what would be more romantic for the day than candle light? While this vignette was geared towards Christmas, you could easily swap out the little ornaments for a few fresh flowers tucked here and there. Or maybe a sprinkling of rose petals for some added romance! I really love the idea of turning interesting glassware, and vintage silver pieces, into candles. Notice the vintage jello mold turned candle, how cute is that? I am going to try that one for sure!

What would the day be without a special Valentine card for your loved ones? I rarely buy cards any more, I prefer to make them myself. I thought this one below was so pretty, and a great way to use up bits of scrapbooking paper. Cards don't have to be elaborate to be special!

I really love this idea, above. Take a box of store bought candy, cover the box with gorgeous papers and trim, and viola! Even an inexpensive drug store box of candy seems elegant now!

Here are some fun packaging ideas for your gift giving. I love keys, and thought it was such a neat idea to add one to a gift. The packaging is so pretty here, making it a gift within a gift!
I also really love the idea of adding goodies to a plain ol' brown paper lunch bag. Make a cute tag by adding foil wrapped chocolate hearts to the tag, and clip it on with a clothespin. How fun for your kids to give to their friends or teachers!

Of course, we can't forget the flowers for Valentine's Day, can we? (hint, hint, hubby!)

I especially love this sweet little bouquet in a silver mint julep cup. And the tussie mussie is oh so romantic, I think!

all photos courtesy of bhg.com

You can find more great Valentine ideas over at BGH.com, as well as the recipes for the yummy treats that I've shown here.

On a side note, I'm starting to feel alot better, still moving slow, but improving. I'm having some issues going on with leg numbness and a terrible burning sensation in my leg. The dr's office said that a nerve may have been disturbed during surgery. I hope that whatever it is, it's not permanent nerve damage, as it is really freaking me out. I'm going to the dr. tomorrow, so I hope I get some answers! Thank you again for all of your support and prayers, you guys are my life line!

Home Sweet Home

2012-01-26T10:44:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to say that Thank God, the dr was able to perform the surgery yesterday laproscopically. So I was able to come home last night, very happy about that:)

When I was in the hospital, I pictured all of you and your prayers and encouraging words, surrounding me in a big warm hug! And you know what? I wasn't afraid. I wasn't nervous. I knew that I was in good hands. Hubby and I even made little jokes while we were waiting in pre-op:) I have nothing but good things to say about the staff at Skagit Valley Hospital. They were kind, caring, and very attentive. So your prayers made all of the difference in the world to me, and I appreciate it soooo much!

Not feeling very frisky today. I'm in alot of pain, but look forward to when I am fully recovered, and can get back to doing fun things like blogging, thrifting, and glittering everything in sight:) I have a good nursemaid by my side today, hubby took the day off, and is at my beck and call:)

Thank you again for your encouraging words and prayers, you guys are the best!

Upcycled Pedestal and Cloche

2012-01-23T12:03:00.000-08:00

Bon Jour, Mon Amis! Today I thought I'd share with you a recent project of mine, an upcycled wooden pedestal, topped by a glass cloche.

If you're like me, you have a closetful (or more!) of potential craft projects, just waiting to be transformed! Well, I'm always hunting for wooden candlesticks, and usually have a small collection in my stash. Wooden bases (make that wooden anything!) are also high on my list when I'm out thrifting. Glass cloches are always on my thrifting wish list, and I just happened to have a couple of extras on hand (yeah!).

So, one day when I peeked into my closet, I suddenly saw the makings of a beautiful wood pedestal. Of course, it was there all along, I just didn't invision it til that moment!

So, with the help of my handy hubby, I was able to transform drab to fab!

(ok, I promise next time to take some "before, during, and after" shots!)

Light blue is my very favorite color, so I knew that it would be perfect for this new beauty! I then gave her what I like to call "a generous dose of distressing", and viola!

A pretty new baby blue pedestal was born! I've placed her in my Etsy shop, and now I need to make one for myself, too!

On a side note, have you heard that Picnik is going to be ending in April? I just found out the other day, and I'm so disappointed! I really rely on it not only for my blog (I enjoyed playing with it and altering all of the photos you see here today), but for my Etsy shop as well. Not sure what the reasoning is. So, if any of you have another free (and easy to use) photo editing program that you could recommend, I would love hearing about it!

See the gorgeous tag, below? My sweet bloggy friend Myric, over at Petites Passions, created it, and sent it to me! I just love it, and also love how she mixed sand with glitter (be still my heart!) for the border! The girl is a creative genius! Thank you again, Myric!

I'm linking up with Cindy Adkins Whimsical Musings for her awesome linky party!

Trivia Time

2012-01-21T12:43:00.000-08:00

Hello ladies, hope you are having a good weekend. All of our snow is finally melting, yeah! \My friend Myric over at Petites Passions has tagged me, and posed the following questions:
(sorry, blogger was NOT cooperating as I was writing this, hence the numbers being off!)

Where is your ideal retiring place?
Someplace warm and sunny! I love the Carolinas, maybe North Carolina.
Which food you do not see yourself eating?
Believe it or not, steak! I hate steak. Oh, and I would never eat sushi, I like my meat well done, thank you:)
If you have an opportunity to ask one question to your favorite celebrity, who and what question will it be?
Well, Robert Redford has been one of my favorites since I was a teenager and had a major crush on him! We actually got to see him a few years ago when we were in Savanah on vacation. He was directing the movie "The Consipirator". I was too star struck to ask to have my photo taken with him. Plus, I don't think the police officers guarding the set would have appreciated it! I probably would ask him some silly stupid question, like, what did he eat for breakfast that morning?
What do you think is the most romantic food?
Just about any food can be romantic, in the right setting! Take out pizza can be romantic, eaten by candle light!
Who's blog do you visit the most?

Ok, now you are putting me on the spot! Yours, of course:)!

If you are to award one blogger who and what would it be?
That would be Nana Diana! She's kookey, she's funny, and she has a heart of gold!!
What are you most passionate about?
Ok, it's too hard to narrow it down to just one! My crafting is so important to me! It helps me keep my sanity! I thank God for Etsy! And of course spending time with hubby and our little furry girl. Simple stuff like that! Oh, and glitter, gotta remember the glitter!
What other foreign language do you wish you could speak?
French! I try, but I would love to be fluent1 I've not practiced in a long time, I think I'm getting rusty!Which era in history would you like to go back to,and why?

Believe it or not, I'd rather stay right here! When I was younger, I was fasinated with the Victorian Era. But then I realized that I really do love my conveniences, like contact lenses, and hot showers1 plus, I can't imagine wearing those killer corsets all day!

Were you a memeber of a club in high school?
No, I was way too shy!!!
Do you prefer a sweet or savory dish?
Do I have to choose between the two???! Well, I have a real sweet tooth, but I also love cheese, pasta, and pizza!

Well, that's it! I hope I've not bored you all to tears with my answers! Mryic's rules stipulated that I tag 11 more bloggers with my own questions, but I'm going to take the liberty and break the rules, and not pass on the torch! Enjoy your weekend!

Snow Business!

2012-01-19T16:06:00.000-08:00

When hubby and I moved from Michigan to the Pacific Northwest last year, we were really looking forward to the luxury of having a mild winter for a change.

Well, it had been mild. Until this week, that is!

Look what Mother Nature decided to gift us with! Over the past several days, we've had at least 12" of the fluffy white stuff! I could hardly believe my eyes when I awoke the other day to all of this! And here we were told that when it does snow out here, which isn't that often unless you are in the mountains, that it melts right away. Well, I don't think this will be melting any time soon! And to think that there is no snow back home in Michigan (well, that's all about to change soon, I hear!!)

I snapped all of these photos from inside of the house. Since I've been fighting a cold, I've not even set foot outside for days!

Check out our deck! I will have to admit that it is pretty, though I would much rather see it from the distant mountains rather than this up close and personal. I'm just thankful that I don't have to be anywhere! In the mountain passes, they received a foot of snow a day for five days straight! So I'm thankful we don't have that do deal with, at least!

Believe it or not, these little guys stay put year round! I guess they must be alot hardier than they appear! This poor little hummer was trying his hardest to drink from the feeder, but I don't think he had much luck. The sugar water was frozen!

I felt so sorry for him!

I wanted to thank you all again for your continued prayers and support as I face upcoming surgery. I am taking it easy, trying to get over this cold so I don't have to postpone the operation any longer. And, thanks to your prayers, I'm not feeling nearly as anxious about everything as I had. So that is a miracle in and of itself!

You ladies are the best! Keep warm!

An Update

2012-01-16T16:40:00.000-08:00

Hello Ladies, I want to thank you all so very much for your prayers, and your words of encouragement! It means more to me than you will ever know! I'm glad I decided to share with you about my surgery, and my fears. Knowing that you all are thinking of me will make a world of difference!

Unfortunately, I just found out today that the surgery will be postponed until next Wednesday the 25th. I have a cold (which I was hoping to throw off), and the dr. said that she wouldn't recommend surgery at all while I am sick, as it could lead to pneumonia. So, I am disappointed that I have to wait (I just want to get it over with!), but yet relieved, as I know it would not be a good thing going into this not feeling well. Again, thank you so much, hearing from you all is just like getting a big hug!

Asking for Your Prayers, Please

2012-01-15T18:25:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

I'm not normally the type to talk much about personal matters here in blog land. I would much rather chat about fun things like glitter, spray paint, and thrift stores. I wasn't planning on sharing this at all, but after thinking about it, decided to ask for your prayers. I just found out this past week that I have an ovarian cyst the size of a grapefruit. I'm having surgery to remove it this Wednesday afternoon.

I've been having lots of abdominal pain for the past two months, and have had lots of testing done. Dr's told me it was everything from muscle pain from exercising, to my gall bladder. Well, neither was the case.

I've never had surgery before, other than when I was a little girl and had my tonsils removed. So, I am scared, shocked, nervous, and worried. So I ask to you please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. It would mean so much to me. The dr. said that due to the size of the cyst, she didn't know if she could remove it thru the laporoscope. If not, it would require more invasive surgery, which would mean an over night stay in the hospital, and 6 weeks of recovery vs 1 week for the less invasive. I have a feeling that it'll have to be the more invasive surgery.

I've not really had the heart to blog much lately, as I've been so upset by all of this. Again, it's not easy for me to talk about personal things here. But just knowing that you are thinking of me will really help to lift my spirits. The dr. said it is rare for it to be cancerous in women under 50, so I am trying not to even think about that!!

By the way, I snapped all of these photos from our "backyard", the Puget Sound, the other night. I do believe that it was the most gorgeous sunset I've ever seen! And believe it or not, I've not altered these pictures in any way, it really was that stunning!

Thanks so much for your prayers, I'll be sure to keep you posted!

White Washed French Country Basket

2012-01-11T19:01:00.000-08:00

Bon Jour, Mon Amis!

Do you love the look of rustic baskets as much as I do? Oui? Well, today I thought I'd share with you one of my latest creations, a wicker basket that I gave a French Country accent to!

What could be more French Country than chicken wire? I really love the look. I began by giving the basket a white washed treatment, which really gives it Old World charm, I think!

Next, I created an oversized tag from one of my all time favorite French graphics from the Graphics Fairy.

The piece de la resistance is a key that says "dream". As in "dreaming of Provence"!

Oh, and I can't forget the big floppy bow that I made out of rustic looking burlap. This was a fun project, which transported me to the French countryside (in my mind, anyway!!). I'm adding this lovely to my Etsy shop, if you care to take a peek! Au revoir!

French Flower Market Buckets

2012-01-08T16:01:00.000-08:00

Bon Jour, Mon Amis!

Hope you all have had a great weekend! Wow, it's hard to believe that an entire week of the brand new year has already come to a close!

Today I'd like to share with you a pair of French flower market inspired buckets, featuring one of my very favorite motifs from the Graphics Fairy. Well, I seem to say that all images from the Graphics Fairy are my favorite! But, I just can't help myself! Karen has so many wonderfully gorgeous images to chose from, it's impossible to pick just one favorite!!

Isn't that label just gorgeous?

After finding these large tin and galvanized buckets on separate thrifting trips, I just knew that the rose label would be the perfect addition!

Love the copper toned finish of this bucket. Can't you just imagine it with a huge bouquet of springtime wild flowers?

And forgive me if you've already seen the photo below, but I just couldn't resist sharing it again! I snapped this shot at one of our favorite flower markets in Paris. Doesn't the sight of all of those pretty blooms make you yearn for spring?

Hope you all have a great week!
I'm linking up with the Graphics Fairy for Brag Monday

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou! (or, "Happy New Year!")

2012-01-04T14:50:00.000-08:00

Hello Ladies!

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! Hubby and I returned from Maui in the wee hours yesterday. We had a wonderful trip, but it always feels oh so good to be home! Thought I'd share with you some more photos of beautiful Maui (hope you're not sick of seeing them!).

The first few shots are of protea flowers, which were at the Ali'i Kula Lavender Farm. Aren't they beautiful?

You might not think of lavender when thinking of the Hawaiian Islands, but the farm, which is in "Upcountry", (up the mountain) provides ideal growing conditions with dry soil, sunny days, and mild temps.

The view at the lavender farm is just stunning! You can see for miles, with West Maui and the ocean in the distance.

Also in Upcountry is Surfing Goat Dairy. I know, you normally don't think of goats and Hawaii together!!!

This sweet little goat was just 7 days old! There were several week old babies, and it was so cute to watch them try out their wobbly legs. The farm makes award winning goat cheese, and hubby and I shared a slice of their yummy lilikoi cheesecake.

Ok, did you know that there are cowboys on Maui, too? Upcountry is also home to many cattle ranches, as well as "paniolo's" (cowboys). The western style town of Makawao makes for a fun day trip. Bet you've never seen a cow wearing cowboy boots before!

The western style buildings, dating from the late 1800's I believe, now host interesting galleries and shops.

Below is a Hawaiian cardinal. Isn't he pretty? He was enjoying a bit of our leftover popcorn (even though the condo we stayed at posted a "do not feed the birds" sign, we just couldn't resist!).

This is the second time we've stayed in the same condo, and we love it! It was so hard to leave and come back to reality! If it weren't for our little fur baby (which we dearly missed!), and hubby's job (minor detail!), it would have been so easy to stay the rest of the winter!

I would never get tired of this view! The sunsets in Hawaii are spectacular!

Since we fly standby, it was quite an ordeal trying to make it home! The airport was beyond a zoo, all of the flights to the mainland were totally full, and we ended up spending Sunday night at a hotel near the airport. That's after spending all day trying to get out! Our suitcases made it on the plane to Seattle without us, meaning I didn't even have so much as a change of clothes with me, or my toiletries, either! Needless to say, I was pretty stressed, and so happy when we finally made it on a flight the next afternoon to Portland. Since we couldn't catch a flight to Seattle, we ended up renting a car and driving back. But at least we made it!
Here's wishing you a wonderful 2012!

Aloha From Hawaii!

2011-12-30T19:38:00.000-08:00

It sure is easy to leave all your cares and worries behind on the mainland when vacationing in Hawaii! As a matter of fact, I've decided to make my resolution for the coming new year (and I never make resolutions!!) to worry less and take one day at a time! We are having the best time here in Maui, but sadly our time here is coming to an end, as we have just a few more days le ft here.

We went snorkeling both Wednesday and today, and saw tons of amazing tropical fish. We also were thrilled to be snorkeling right next to gorgeous Hawaiian green sea turtles. ( I can't take credit for the first three photos, I've never had luck with those underwater cameras.). Anyway, being so up close and personal to those beautiful creatures is one of the most amazing things we have ever done! As they are protected, it is illegal to touch them or harass them in any way. Just being able to witness them in their own habitat is truly a treat that we won't forget!

We had another surprise today as we were about to get out of the water. We saw a beautiful, and very large, Hawaiian monk seal! He was busy munching away on a fish that he had caught, and we were amazed that we were so c close to him, and that he swam so close to shore!

Yesterday was another adventure, as hubby rented an airplane, and we spent several hours flying over the island, as well as along the Molokai coastline. Below is a photo of the condos we are staying at. The cove you see is where we snorkel. It sure is going to be hard leaving this beautiful place!

Isn't the water just gorgeous?

Below you will see the coastline of Molokai. I wish that you could have been with us, as the photos just don't do it justice! Molokai has the world's tallest sea cliffs, and the views are just incredible!

Ok, I got my photos a bit out of order here. Below you will see the coastline on the way to Hana, which is one of the most beautiful little towns I have ever seen!

More of the Molokai cliffs.

Not sure if you can see it in the photo below, but there was a really beautiful waterfall
amid all of the lush greenery.

I am continually amazed at all of beauty that God created here in Hawaii! It truly is heaven on earth!

More of the stunning coastline on the way to Hana.

Notice the sea cave below?

Here we are coming in for a landing at the Hana airport, a tiny little airport right on the coast!

And here is yours truly in front of our ride! It was a very, very windy day, making much of the flight super bumpy! We hitched a ride (which is a story in and of itself, and issomething I wouldn't even dream about back home on the mainland!!!) into town and back, and had a bite to eat for lunch.

Tomorrow we are heading to "upcountry", to visit the "Surfing Goat Dairy" (don't you love that name?), as well as a lavender farm. I'll be sure to take lots of photos!

Thanks for coming along on our adventures!

Wishing you all a verry Happy New Year!

1,200 Feet Over Maui

2011-12-27T19:24:00.000-08:00

Aloha!

Hubby and I are renting a plane later this week here in Maui, so yesterday, I went along when he had to go up on a test flight. Even though hubby has been flying for many years, whenever you rent an airplane, you have to first go up with an instructor and perform a few basics, such as several "touch and goes", landings and take offs.

It was a beautiful, sunny day, but very windy, which made for a very bumpy ride!

This is Hookipa Beach (above). If you click on the photo, you might be able to see all of the windsurfers (there were dozens of them!), and it's considered the best place in the world for the sport!

Acres and acres of sugar cane fields. So pretty, I think!

This is a first for me, flying over a cruise ship! As we flew over, I could see people lounging in chairs by the pool, and people playing basket ball on the court! The looked like miniture people from above!

Coming in for a landing. We landed and took off with the big jets, which is always exciting!

And back on land, a beautiful sunset at our place!

Hope you are all havinng a great week! I'll share more photos of our adventures in a few days!

Mele Kalikimaka! (or, "Merry Christmas!")

2011-12-25T12:14:00.000-08:00

Aloha! Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas, and a very Happy New Year! Hubby and

I have been sitting on our lanai this morning, watching the surfers and rainbows, too! A bit surreal for my first Hawaiian Christmas! Thought you might want to see a few of the beautiful tropical flowers here! Hope you all have a great day spending time with those you love!

Have a Very Maui Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2011-12-21T15:55:00.000-08:00

It sure is hard to believe that Christmas is just right around the corner, isn't it? Now that hubby and I are living in the Pacific Northwest, with no snow and fairly mild temps, not only does it not feel like Christmas, but it doesn't look like it either! But hey, I'm not complaining, I'm definitely not a snow person! This Christmas will seem even more different, as we are headed to Maui in a few short days to celebrate the holidays! I've never been anywhere remotely warm at Christmas, let alone somewhere tropical for the holidays, so it will indeed seem strange! But a good strange!!

We are renting the same condo that we stayed in two winters ago, so this will be our view for the next week or so! Wish I could take you with me! I'm taking my laptop (gotta get my blogging fix in once and while, can't go cold turkey that long!). So hopefully I'll be able to share some photos with you of what we are up to!

Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas, and a Very Happy New Year!!

The Christmas Tree Diet

2011-12-19T19:10:00.000-08:00

Ok, did that title catch your attention??!! Maybe I should have said "The Christmas Tree that Went on a Diet", 'cause that's what our tree looks like this year!

Hubby and I were about to head out in search of a Christmas tree that we could cut at a tree farm. But then our neighbor told us that she had a tree that she wanted cut down, and she thought we might want to use it as our Christmas tree. Well, I was a bit apprehensive when I first saw it. I personally love big fat, full trees! The fatter and fuller the better! And this tree, well, it needed some help! It looked especially sparse when hubby brought it into the house!! So I joked that it looked as if it had gone on a diet!

While I still am not in love with this tree, at least it was free!! I've used only a small fraction of our ornaments on it. and hubby liked having to put only one strand of lights on! I really love this sweet little birdie.

And just look at the sweet face of this cute little angel!

Of course there just has to be some glitter and glitz!

Isn't this little squirrel adorable? He is made out of seed pods and other natural materials.

Ok, here in the day light you can see just how skimpy he is! I wasn't even going to share him with you this year, but then I thought, "let's go ahead and keep it real!!" I bet he is the skimpiest, scrawniest tree you have seen here in blog land! He makes me think of a Charlie Brown Christmas tree! Hubby joked that we didn't lose our view of the Puget Sound. We can sit on the couch, look at the tree, and enjoy the water view thru the branches!

He does look better at night, I think! Next year, I'm definitely going to get the biggest, fattest, fullest tree that I can find!!

I also wanted to share with you today a wonderful gift that I received from my sweet friend Cindy over at Cindy Adkins Whimsical Musings. Cindy is one of the nicest, most thoughtful people you could ever meet, not to mention incredibly talented to boot! She created for me this gorgeous collage on a vintage book cover! And she also sent this cool necklace made from an upcycled domino. How fun is that?

Cindy's attention to detail is impeccable. I just love this pretty rose made from cheesecloth. Who would have thought cheesecloth could be so beautiful? Thank you again, Cindy! I love it all!!

More Aqua and Turquoise Love!

2011-12-16T22:31:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I know that todays post has nothing to do with Christmas, but I thought I'd share with you a few of my latest projects!

Do you love aqua, turquoise, and all shades of blue and green in between? I sure do! No matter what the weather outside, how cold or gloomy it may be, I always get a lift with these wonderful, cheery hues!

This wooden bistro sign is one of my favorites. I painted it a pretty aquamarine color, that I absolutely love!

I have so much fun mixing lots of different paints to achieve a new custom shade. That way, I can get alot more mileage out of a handful of bottles and jars of paint, rather than having to go out and buy a ton of different colors!

I've also been busy hunting for interesting picture frames that I can transform with paint. My frame collections have become one of my best sellers, so I spend lots of time each week searching for more to add to my stash!

I really love all of these beachy feeling aqua blues!!

I also am always searching for cloches, and painted the base of this one a vibrant turquoise (another one of my own color creations).

And you know how I love all things French! So I was thrilled to discover this vintage print of the Arc de Triomphe, which is on one of the most beautiful streets in Paris, the Champs Elysees. The frame was a really dull, totally drab creamy gray color when I found it. I think the aquamarine really makes all the difference in the world, and really makes all of the other colors pop!

You can find all of these in my Etsy shop, if you care to take a peek!

That's it for today! Now go out and find something that you can transform, and have a great weekend while you are at it!!

Upcycled Vintage Jello Mold Ornament

2011-12-14T18:26:00.000-08:00

How are you doing on your Christmas preparations? Is your home all decked out, cards all sent, cookies all baked, and presents all purchased and wrapped? No??? Well, join the club! While I am officially thru with decorating, I've not really done much in the way of baking, and still need to send out cards. As for gifts, this is going to be a less is more kinda year! All of which will hopefully allow us to focus on the true meaning of Christmas, and not just on all of the commercialized stuff!

I have been enjoying a bit of Christmas crafting, though! Since I'm a "use what you've got" kind of girl, I've been trying to focus on creating with what I already have on hand, rather than buying a bunch of supplies at the craft store. Awhile ago, I found a stack of petite vintage jello molds at the thrift store, and quickly snatched them up. While not at all sure what I would do with them, I just knew that inspiration would eventually strike!

My oh so crafty friend Kim, over at Musings From Kim K came to the rescue, and gave me some tips and ideas, as she had created some of these herself.

So, I gathered bits of this and that, and began filling a mold with moss, faux greenery (glittered, of course!) and berries, and this adorable little German glass glittered bird. A glittered silver snowflake adds even more sparkle!

I also added a petite aqua vintage Christmas ornament, and fashioned a handle out of a silver pipe cleaner.

Just look at that cute little face? Isn't he just darling?

I had so much fun making this (thanks again, Kim for your help!), and can't wait to make some more. I think a bunch of these hung on the Christmas tree would be so cute!

Now go out and find something to create, and be sure to add a little glitter while you are at it!!!

My Christmas Hutch

2011-12-11T16:34:00.000-08:00

Like so many of you, I've decided to take a "less is more" approach to my decorating this holiday. Rather than nearly every nook and cranny getting filled to the brim with Christmas decorations, I've instead focused on a few areas. And you know what? Not only was it alot less work, but I enjoyed the process a whole lot more!!!

So today I'd like to share with you my antique hutch, that is all decked out for Christmas! Normally my hutch is given a prominent place in our living room, back home in Michigan. This year, at our "home away from home" here in the Pacific Northwest, it really didn't work in the living room, so it's residing in the kitchen.

Isn't this little German glass glitter birdie darling? He's perched in a vintage silver creamer (a cheap-o thrift store find!), along with some moss and greenery. Love that patina!

Ok, I bet you thought that I painted everything in sight white, right? Well, not this baby! I really do love the dark tones of this piece, and since it's been in my family for well over 100 years, I could never bare to paint it!

My theme here is green and creamy white. Always a favorite color combo of mine. The three vintage pottery pieces on the top shelf were given to me by mom my years ago, and are some of my favorite things.

A cute little house and bottle brush tree tucked beneath a glass cloche. (Sorry about the glare on the glass here, it's hard to avoid!) Why is it that everything looks better under glass?

Another cream bottle brush tree, a small shabbyliscious mirror, and a lion bank, which is quite heavy. It belonged to my dad when he was a young boy and is another treasure of mine.

A sweet little angel made from batting, and a pretty urn filled with sparkly greens and berries.

Another antique silver creamer (I think I need to start collecting these!!) filled with a vintage shiny brite ornament, as well as some greenery and creamy berries.

I painted and glittered this fat birdie, and placed him atop a thrift store glass candleholder, along with some greenery. I used hot glue to adhere the pieces together, so I can easily take them apart if I want.

A cast iron mini bird bath, filled with more vintage ornaments and greenery.

On the very top of the hutch is a pretty candle lantern and some faux greenery.

One of my all time favorite thrift store finds is this pretty cast iron candleholder (for a mere buck!).

In the center is a pretty cream tray, a thrifty garage sale find.

I love the look of the beaded grapes in this vintage ceramic urn. You can never have too much sparkle and shine at the holidays!

And last of all, a pair of heavy crystal Christmas trees, perched on a pair of vintage books. You can't tell from the photo, but the trees are of an iridescent glass, and look just magical when they are illuminated by candle light!

Hope you all had a great weekend! Can't wait to see what you've been up to!!

On Dasher, on Prancer, on...........Piglet????

2011-12-08T19:45:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, hubby and I went to downtown Seattle to check out some of the Christmas lights. One of our favorite things to do in the city is go to Pike Place Market, which was all decked out for the holidays.

Ok, I bet you all thought that pigs couldn't fly, right??? Well, I've got news for you: not only can they fly, but this year a team of pigs is filling in for Santa's reindeer here in the Pacific Northwest! Yes, it's true! They were spotted on top of the market at Pike place!

We even have Rudolph!

In keeping with the theme of the farmer's market, there were even giant lit up fruits and veggies! How fun is that? The market is always a fun and festive place, even more so at the holidays!

The below photo is a rarity, snow at Christmas in Seattle. I think this may have been taken a few years ago.

photo courtesy of flickriver

See, I told you they could fly!!!


photo courtesy of Argosy Cruises

Even the boats get into the spirit of things!
And I love the shot of the space needle, below.

photo courtesy of inspired photos

This is the unofficial mascot of the market, Rachel the Pig. She is a giant piggy bank, and usually is one of the most popular places for tourists to get their photos taken (poor Rachel, everyone always wants to sit on her back!).

That's it for today, hope you are having a great week!

Glittered Christmas Jar Candles

2011-12-06T17:47:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to make are glittered embellished jar candles, so I thought I'd share with you today some that I recently sold in my Etsy shop.

I began by covering the candles with this gorgeous French Christmas sheet music from the Graphics Fairy. I really love the sepia tones. I also added copies of reproduction French Christmas postcards. Aren't the little birdies flying over the heart of Paris just too sweet? And of course the Eiffel Tower is one of my favorite memories of Paris, so I had to add that as well.

A very generous dusting of glitter gives the candles a truly magical look when lit!

For the two Frenchy candles, I added very generous bows of crinkly taupe seam binding, and jingle bells for a festive touch!

I also created two beachy candles, with the addition of pretty shell images that I cut from scrap booking paper. I think the colors of the shells are perfect along with the sepia toned sheet music!

To complete the beachy feel of this pair, I added gorgeous aqua crinkly seam binding. Love!

When I was out shopping for jingle bells, I didn't have any luck finding the color I wanted. They all were either shiny gold or silver, or gaudy red and green. Nothing that would go with the vintagy look that I was going for. Since you may have realized by now that there's not much that I don't spray paint, I decided to spray paint the bells a wonderful oil rubbed bronze tone! And of course I had to add glitter, as well!

Here they are, all festive and sparkly!

Hope you are having a great week!

Coastal Christmas Creations

2011-12-02T18:33:00.000-08:00

The other day I was commissioned to create some Christmas table top decorations with a coastal flair. Of course I jumped at the chance to get my creative juices going, and had so much fun with this project! Here is what I came up with:

Petite Christmas wreathes, to be used as candle rings! First off, it wasn't nearly as easy finding the bases for these as I thought it would be! I finally found some rings that I liked, then also purchased a bunch of assorted greenery "picks". I cut the picks up, and wired them around each ring, giving them the really full look that I love. Then, I gave the wreathes my special painting technique that makes them appear as if the have been lightly dusted with snow!

The piece de la resistance are small glittered shells, that I collected on our beach. I also made small paper roses, that I created from vintage sheet music, and dusted generously with glitter. Rhinestones in the centers are added for even more bling! While the roses are very labor intensive, I do love the look and feel that they add to the wreathes.

Here they all are, marching down the center of our dining table! Imagine how pretty these will be with candles lit in their glass votive cups!

Of course I just had to check it out and add some of my own candles, just to see the effect!

I was having so much fun with their photo shoot, I moved them over to my Frenchy table and snapped a few shots!

I had so much fun creating these! The best part of all is that not only are they one of a kind, but they can be used as mini wreathes to hang on the wall, or as candle rings.

That's it for today! Now go out and find something to paint, glitter, or decorate!

Have a great weekend!
I'm linking up with:
Funky Junk Interiors for SNS
Boogieboard Cottage Masterpiece Monday
Faded Charm White Wednesday

More Glittery Christmas Fun!

2011-11-30T15:46:00.000-08:00

Hello ladies! Hope you all are having a great day! Today I'd like to share with you my vintage three tiered wooden pedestal bowl, all decked out for the holidays.

You may remember seeing this piece before. I found it last winter at a thrift shop for a mere $5, and couldn't scoop it up fast enough! Of course it wasn't creamy white when I discovered it, as it was a dark brown, and I could hardly wait to give my shabbyliscious treatment to it! It spent the summer on our coffee table filled with shells from our beach. It's one of my very favorite pieces, and oh so fun to change out with the season! I had so much fun putting this glittery look together. Let's start at the top and work our way down, shall we?

I began by placing various bits of faux greenery, and real pinecones here and there, and added this pretty German glass glittered Merry Christmas ornament to the very top. A cute little birdie, also covered in German glass glitter, decided to make a nest here. Isn't he just precious?

I really love the look of these big pinecones that I painted Heirloom White, and dusted in, yes, you guessed it, more glitter! I think they look as if they've been coated with a light dusting of snow.

I adore this pretty angel, covered in German glass glitter. She has begun to take on a lovely patina already.

I love birds, and couldn't resist this sweet glittered cardinal, that I found at Michael's a year or two ago.

I also really love this greenery that comes complete with "ice crystals"!

A pretty silver glittered ball ornament with a filigree design, and some faux berries complete the look.

I've displayed it here with the French sign that I made for my Etsy shop (might as well enjoy it myself while I can!), a stack of vintage books sans covers, and of course I had to add in a little Eiffel Tower from a trip to Paris! Cloches are another favorite thing of mine, and my mom bought me this petite one when she came to visit us this summer. Tucked inside is a tiny cream bottle brush tree and a bit of greenery. Love this look!

Another one of my favorite ornaments is this sweet little snow dusted house under a glass dome. While it's not vintage, it has that old fashioned feel that I really love, and it always brings a smile to my face!

Here's one last look at my vignette. I had so much fun putting it all together, I have a feeling that I'll want to keep it up long after Christmas is over:)

I'll be linking up with White Wednesday, even though I'm a bit late!

Have a great day!

Bubble Wrap Christmas Trees

2011-11-28T15:47:00.000-08:00

Hello, hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday! It was so great to go back home for a few days, and visit with family and friends. We didn't even have any trouble with our flights at the airport, like I had feared, yeah!

Today I wanted to share with you a few Christmas ideas, that I actually posted last December. I know many of you are already ahead of the Christmas decorating game. But since I am just now hauling out boxes of decorations and really don't have anything new to show you yet, thought you might like these ideas from last year!

Can you guess what these trees are made of? Ok, I totally gave it away in the title of my post: bubble wrap! Hubby and I visited Quebec City for the past two Christmases. The city is truly a fantasy land, and the next best thing to taking a trip a quaint French village, minus the long flight and expense! Well, since we live on the west coast this year, we will not be visiting again this holiday (there's always next year!). Anyway, when I saw these trees there last year, I was totally amazed! I wish that you could have seen them at night, all lit up with clear lights, and a fresh dusting of snow. The effect was just magical! I thought the idea was pure genius, one that not only would be repurposing and recycling something that you may already have on hand, but wouldn't cost a small fortune, either.

The trees were made using large bubble wrap, but I think smaller bubbles would work just as well. What a fun idea, don't you think?!

I'm not sure what the proper name is for the material used for these trees, and the flowers below. I believe that it's the silver insulation stuff that electricians used. Or else it's just more packaging material, not sure. Anyway, I thought it would be so easy to recreate this look, and I bet you would be the only one on your block with the floral lit garland!!! All you would have to do is cut out some large flowers, add a small slit to their centers, and stick in a Christmas light in each one. How fun and unique!

Ok, hope these ideas have gotten your creative juices flowing! Now I need to get busy and start doing some decorating myself! Have a great week!

French themed notecard giveaway

2011-11-23T19:20:00.000-08:00

Hello ladies!
Hubby and I made it to Michigan today, no problems with the flight, yeah! And, I have an internet connection, too! Life is good! Anyway, just wanted to write a quick post today to tell you about a giveaway that Tracie over at Fishtail Cottage is having that I sponsored. Tracie not only is a fellow Washington State blogging friend of mine, but she has the most gorgeous blog as well! To celebrate her one year blogging anniversary, she is having some awesome giveaways the entire month of November! If you visit her blog here, you will have several chances to win a set of glittered French notecards that I created. Be sure to check it out!

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I know that I am especially thankful to be back home, and have the chance to spend some time with family and friends that I've missed dearly!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-22T15:05:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving, hope you get to spend it with those you love!

I can hardly believe it's that time of year again already, can you? Hubby and I are flying home to Michigan tomorrow for a few days, I can hardly wait! Since we fly standby, I am always a nervous wreck, as we usually don't know if we'll make it on the plane til the last minute! Yikes! So, I am holding my breath (trying to remember to breathe!) and saying my prayers that we make it! There and back!

It's always been one of my favorite holidays, no gifts to worry about, no decorating to do, just cooking and eating! So pass the mashed potatoes and gravy (my favorite!) and have an extra helping of pumpkin pie!

Taking my laptop along, not sure if we will get an internet connection or not. At any rate, have a wonderful day!!!

It's Going to be a Glittery Christmas!

2011-11-19T16:18:00.000-08:00

When it comes to Christmas, do you like to break out the glitter as much as I do? Well, you know my motto by now: You can never have too much glitter!

And with the holidays just around the corner, what better excuse than to add even more glitz and sparkle!

So today I'd like to share with you one of my latest creations, a glittered Christmas swag, that I made for my Etsy shop.

I began by pulling out all of my supplies, and Christmas goodies that I bought last year on clearance after the holidays. I decided to go with a musical theme for this swag, since I had picked up some gorgeous musical notes covered in German glass glitter last year at Pottery Barn. I had forgotten that I'd even bought them, and was so excited when I pulled them out of my stash!

I wanted the faux greenery swag to appear as if it had been lightly dusted in snow, so I very lightly misted it with spray paint. Yes, you read right, I said spray paint! You know how addicted I am to the stuff, and there's not much that I don't cover with it!:)

The swag also has real pinecones, and I just love the way they look all frosty. Then came the fun part, adding the embellishments. I also had these adorable little silvery glittered snow flakes, which I thought were a perfect addition to the glittered musical notes.

And to further add to the musical theme, I made some of my glittered roses out of vintage sheet music. While they are quite time consuming to create, I think they really are the piece de la resistance to the swag! Oh, and I added tiny rhinestones to the centers of the roses for even more bling!

I'm so happy with the way this came out, and I think it's even more prettier in person than in the photos!

That's it for today, hope you are having a great weekend!
I'm linking up with Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
and Shabby Art Boutique Inspiration Friday
Faded Charm White Wednesday

Glittered Christmas Tussie Mussies

2011-11-17T17:26:00.000-08:00

Hello ladies! Hope you are having great week! I've been busy creating away in my workroom, and thought I'd share with you a couple of my latest projects. If you visit here on a regular basis, you know how I love all things that glitter! And what would a Christmas project be without glitter? So I created a couple of vintage inspired glittered tussie mussies that I'm going to be taking to my booth.

I'd never made tussie mussies before, and really didn't know where to start, and I didn't have a clear picture in mind of how they would look. Well, I just gathered up all of my materials, and started crafting away, and had a blast in the process! The base of the tussie mussies are heavy cardboard cones that I purchased at Michael's on clearance after Christmas last year. In fact, nearly everything I used for this project, I picked up on sale after the holidays last year!

I first covered the cones with copies of vintage Christmas sheet music, compliments of the Graphics Fairy. Then, I began filling them with bits of this and that, including these darling little German glass glitter birdies that I found at Pottery Barn last year after Christmas. At the time, I really didn't know what I would use them for, but they were so darn cute, I just couldn't pass them up!

Lots of greenery and glittered faux berries and leaves, as well as cute little gold glittery hearts. Because you can never have too much glitter!!!

I added some pretty gold trim (found at a garage sale last year while on a camping trip in Northern Michigan!) to the tops of the cones, and used narrow gold cording to fashion hangers. I am in love with the gorgeous trim below, I've never seen any just like it, wish I had more!

I also added pretty little round ball ornaments, one pink, and one green.

Don't you just love projects that don't involve buying anything, just using what you already have on hand??

I had so much fun moving these little guys around the house for their photo shoot! This birdie decided he wanted to hang from the chandelier!!

Who could resist that cute little face?

I had so much fun creating these, that I think I'll run to Michael's to pick up some more cones. This time, to make some to keep for myself!!

Have a great night, now go out and glitter something!!
I'm linking up with Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for SNS
And Karen over at the Graphics Fairy for Brag Monday.

Sometimes Simple Is Better!

2011-11-14T14:47:00.000-08:00

Have you ever planned a project, intending to create something extravagant, time consuming, or complicated? And then ended up fashioning something than was rather simple, that you liked oh so much better? Well, today I'd like to share with you one such project!

I am in love with galvanized anything, so I'm always on the prowl for unique pieces when out thrifting. Well, a few weeks ago I discovered a set of two really great galvanized containers, one smaller than the other, that had neat copper handles. I couldn't scoop them up soon enough! As is often the case, I wasn't exactly sure what I would do with them, but I knew that inspiration would eventually hit! Initially I thought I'd create gift baskets out of them for my booth, and planned on filling them with lots of goodies, and then maybe decorating the outside in some way. Well, the more I thought about it, the more it occurred to me that a simple design would not only save me alot of time (not to mention money!), but might also appeal to more potential customers as well!

So I hopped over to the Graphics Fairy, in search of some ideas (Karen has some awesome graphics!), and found this really neat French label, that I knew would be just the thing for my galvanized pieces!

All it took was a little Mod Podge, and voila!!! An easy, peasy project that I think turned out better (and far quicker!) than my initial plans!

I took them to my booth, but I wouldn't be heart broken if they didn't sell!

I think the tone of the label coordinates perfectly with the copper handles. I am super happy with the way they turned out. So next time when I'm planning a project and think of something complicated or time consuming, simple can be oh so much better!

I'm linking up with Karen over at the Graphics Fairy for Brag Monday. Be sure to visit for some terrific ideas!!

French Farmhouse Wire Baskets

2011-11-11T11:04:00.000-08:00

Hello Ladies,

It's a rainy day here in the Pacific Northwest, making it a great day to cozy up inside and stay warm and dry!

Whenever I am out treasure hunting, I'm always looking for interesting wire pieces that I can transform with paint and some embellishing. So today I'd like to share with you two of my latest transformations.

Oooh, la, la! I am in love with this wire basket, which has neat wooden handles. The basket was black when I found it, and while it was nice, I knew that it could become tres magnifique with my favorite creamy paint!

Making tags are also one of my favorite things to create. My Frenchy bird tag was created by tea dying a tag, adding a snippet of a page from a vintage French book, then some of my favorite stamped images. Don't you just love this sweet little birdie? Of course, I've got to get the glitter in somewhere, so I added a silk hydrangea blossom that I've glittered, as well as a tiny rhinestone for added bling. I tied it on with some wonderfully crinkly taupe seam binding.

The basket below was also black when I found it. Isn't it amazing what paint can do? Some distressing and another one of my French tags, and it's all set for your French farmhouse!

I've put both of these baskets in my Etsy shop. And that can mean only one thing: I need to create some for myself to keep, as I am in love with them both!!

Ok, the next photos have nothing in the least to do with baskets or French farmhouse anything! But, I thought they were so beautiful that I couldn't resist sharing! I took these shots of our sunset last night, and believe it or not, I've not retouched these photos!

The bottom three photos were taken half and hour after the above shot. Isn't it stunning?

Notice the silhouette of the mountains in the background? I took these shots from our window. I would never get tired of this view!

I just love the reflection of pinks and oranges on the Sound!

Hope you all have a terrific weekend! I won't be on here much over the next few days, as hubby's nephew and his wife from California are going to be visiting us again for the weekend. We are so excited to have them stay with us! I'll catch up with you all in a few days!

A Drab to Fab Makeover With a French Accent!

2011-11-08T17:51:00.000-08:00

Bon Jour Mon Amis!

Today I thought I'd share with you one of my latest creations with a French Accent!

I began with a large wooden plaque that I discovered at a thrift shop. The plaque has seen better days, and I'll show you that in a second. But first, I wanted to show you the "after", below!

Ok, this is what it used to look like! Yikes! I thought for sure that the woman checking me out at the thrift shop would surely think that I had the most horrid tastes! But no, she actually loved this plaque! She kept raving about how beautiful it was, and I didn't have the heart to tell her that the violin print was going to be quickly going buh-bye!!

It took alot more elbow grease to remove this baby than I imagined it would! Lots of sanding and hard work later, I finally succeeded and began with a blank slate! After painting the plaque a creamy color, then distressing it and putting applying an antiquing glaze on, she was feeling better already!

I actually wasn't sure when I purchased the plaque what I would do with it, but I knew that it was calling out for a French makeover! I ended up using one of my very favorite French images from the Graphics Fairy. I had it enlarged, then applied it with Mod Podge. I love the scalloped edge of the plaque, and I think it's a nice compliment to the Graphic.

Ok, here is where I have a bit of a confession! Initially, I planned on doing the Mod Podge image transfer technique to the plaque, rather than decoupaging the image on. If you are not familiar with that process, basically you print out a mirror image of your graphic (printed in reverse), apply Mod Podge to the image side of the paper, then place the image side down on your surface, smoothing out any wrinkles or bubbles as you go. Let it dry overnight, then remove the paper portion buy moistening the paper and rubbing it off with your fingers. In a perfect world (haha!), the paper will come off, magically leaving just the image on your surface.

Well, as we all know, life isn't always perfect! I should back up a bit and say that I first spent a ton of time trying to print out the image into several different sections, as my plaque is over 19" across. I had to print it out in 4 different pages, then get everything to perfectly align. Not to mention the fact that I always forget how to print a mirror image! Anyway, let's just say that the process was not a success, more of a disaster actually! Too much of the image kept coming off rather than transferring to the plaque, and I was not a happy camper, to say the least!

So, I then spent several hours just trying to remove the remainder of the paper, and the image that did manage to transfer. I then made the executive decision to decoupage an enlarged copy of the graphic on instead! Oh, so much easier!

So, while this project ended up taking much longer than I had planned, at least I learned a thing or two along the way! And I must say that I am very pleased with the way it finally turned out!

I'm putting her in my Etsy shop (even after all of that work!). In the mean time, I had fun with her photo shoot, and thought my Eiffel towers that I've collected on trips to Paris would create a fitting vignette. A small glass cloche and a tiny nest (isn't it darling?), as well as a couple of vintage books sans their covers, and viola! One of my favorite drab to fab Frenchy makeovers!

I'm linking up with Kathleen over at Faded Charm for White Wednesday. Be sure to visit!

Au Revoir!

Snow Covered Mountains

2011-11-06T15:19:00.000-08:00

Hello ladies, did you remember to "fall behind"? While I love getting that extra hour of sleep, I really don't like the thought of darkness settling in so much earlier! How about you?

Since we've moved out here to the Pacific Northwest, hubby and I try to explore our little slice of paradise as much as we can! So yesterday we took a road trip to Leavenworth, a beautiful and quaint Bavarian style town amid the Cascade Mountains. We'd been there several times before, and thought we could catch the tale end of fall colors enroute. Well, we did manage to see some color, but also lots of snow, too!

These photos simply do not do the gorgeous scenery justice! I wish that you could all have come along with me yesterday, the snow covered mountains were just stunning!

The mountains are always beautiful, but with a fresh dusting of snow, they are even more dramatic!

Luckily there was no snow on the roads. When it gets bad, drivers are required to put chains on their cars. Yikes!

I am continually amazed at how breathtaking the scenery is here in Washington State!

I took these photos as we were buzzing along in the car. The pine trees blanketed in snow were so pretty!

We love the town of Leavenworth, and thankfully it wasn't as busy as it was there in the summer. The first time we visited in August, it was in the upper 80's. Yesterday it was just above freezing! Luckily I thought to take along my winter coat!

It truly feels as if you are in a quaint old European village in the heart of the alps!

I especially love this pretty building, below, with the blue shutters and trim.

As pretty as the town is, I missed all of the gorgeous flowers that were everywhere last summer, below.

Another summer shot.

And speaking of snow covered mountains, the next photos of the Olympic Mountains, is the view that we are treated to from our home!

I wish that the mountains would have shown up better in the photos. They are stunning in their fresh coating of snow!

That's the Puget Sound, and Camano Island that you see in the distance. Aaahhhh, I don't think I could ever get tired of this view!

Hope you all have a great week! Can't wait to get caught up with you all, and see what you've been up to!

Vintage Sheet Music Christmas Ornaments

2011-11-03T14:47:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,
I know, it may seem a bit early to be thinking of Christmas already, but I just can't help myself! The other day I made a few ornaments that I'm taking to my booth, and thought I'd share them with you today.

I had fun making a bunch of these last year, so I thought I'd make a few and see how they sell in my booth before I go hog wild making a ton of them!

I began with clear plastic ornaments from Michael's. (No worries about breakage, yeah!) Then came the fun part: filling them with hand torn strips of vintage sheet music, and embellishing them with crinkly seam binding, glittery silver stars, and dainty little glittered silk flowers. I am in love with this gorgeous aqua seam binding! Since I only had white silk flowers, I just brushed their petals with a bit of Mod Podge, then dusted them with some light blue flocking from Martha Stewart. I think they came out quite nicely!

And for the ornaments below, I used my favorite taupe seam binding, and just added some glitter to the flowers. Because you can never have too much glitter!

They are so much fun to make, and they look so pretty gathered in this wire basket for their photo shoot, I think!

The wire basket was also one of my most recent creations. I love wire anything, and was thrilled when I discovered this three tiered beauty last week while out thrifting! It was black when I first discovered it, but I thought it would look oh so much better painted a creamy white! It was quite challenging spray painting all of that wire!

A bit of distressing, and I am lovin' the new look! As much as I adore it, I'm putting it in my Etsy shop.

Oooh, la, la!

Now I'm off to do some more creating and blog hopping! Hope you all have a tres magnifique day!!

I'm linking up with Finding Fabulous for Frugalicious Friday

Vintage Framed Chalkboards

2011-11-01T14:08:00.000-07:00

Hunting for interesting picture frames has become my latest ~~obsession~~ passion! There is hardly a week that goes by that I don't visit the thrift store in search of them! Today I'd like to share with you one of my latest frame transformations. Of course, they didn't look this good when I found them! Oh, no!

This is what they began life as! Not terrible, but I knew that with a little paint and tlc, they could go from gaudy gold to shabbylicious! There weren't any makers markings on the frames, but they are similar to Syroco. After removing the very dirty glass and prints, I gave the frames a much needed bath, and several coats of wonderful creamy white paint.

I then distressed them to highlight all of their gorgeous details. They really do have the look of carved wood, I think! Next, I had my handy hubby cut new masonite board to fit, and covered the board with chalkboard vinyl.

I can almost hear the frames breathing a sigh of relief! While they cost a bit more than I normally would be willing to pay (everything seems to be higher out here in the Pacific Northwest, even thrift shops!!), as soon as I spotted them, I just knew that I couldn't pass them up!

They can hang either horizontally or vertically. I also think they would be beautiful on an easel, like the one below. I've placed them, and the easel, in my Etsy shop, if you would like to check them out!

I'm linking up with Kathleen over at Faded Charm, for White Wednesday,
and Debra over at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

French Blooms

2011-10-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

Bon Jour, Ladies!

Hope you all are having a great day! For those of you who were hit by that snow storm over the weekend, I hope you are staying warm and safe! It's hard to think of snow this time of year!

Today I thought I'd share with you some of my latest flowery creations.

I've been having fun searching for picture frames that I can transform. Several months ago, I picked up some beautiful decorative paper with an all over lavender flower pattern. I didn't know what I'd do with it at the time, but I knew that eventually inspiration would hit (and something tells me that same thing happens to you creative ladies, too!).

Anyway, I painted three different shaped frames Heirloom White, then added the lavender paper, along with gorgeous French labels from the Graphics Fairy, to two of the frames. I thought the paper was so pretty by itself, that I just used it solo in the smallest frame. The label above is one of my very favorites!

Isn't this copy of a vintage lavender print just beautiful? I simply mounted it atop the lavender printed paper.

I'm so happy with the way they turned out!

Another fun project was added a label (courtesy of the Graphics Fairy, of course!) to this giant galvanized flower bucket. I adore the French rose perfume label, and thought it would be perfect added to the bucket.

I love the wooden handles.

As much as I love it, I've added it, along with my lavender framed prints, to my Etsy shop.

I also added this pretty vintage pedestal bowl too. I painted it cream, followed by some distressing and antique glazing. This Graphics Fairy French soap label is another one of my favorites! Don't you just love those jasmine flowers?

I wish that I'd remembered to take a before shot of this lovely. It was pretty sad looking, with a very shiny varnish over the wood, which was stained a very icky color. Ugg!!!

One of my trademarks is adding vintage sheet music to the inside of the pedestal bowl. This sheet music just happened to be both in French and in English, so was quite appropriate for this project, I think!

You can find them all in my Etsy shop, if you care to take a look!

Now go and find something that you can transform!!

Fluffing My Booth!

2011-10-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

Hello Ladies!

Hard to believe that another week has flown by! Seems like there is just never enough time to do everything that needs to be done! Or should I say "things that I want to get done"! I feel so fortunate to be able to stay home and "play" in my workroom, creating treasures for my Etsy shop, and now for my booth! Yesterday I took a few things in to the shop, so I thought I'd share a few photos with you.

I made the Parisian themed banner as a fun decoration, not to sell. I've hung it from twine with mini clothespins. Love! Another one of my favorite things is the tall rust colored flower bucket you see on the left. I've added a beautiful French label from The Graphics Fairy to it. Actually, quite a few of my creations involve the Graphics Fairy! I'd be lost without her!

Almost everything in my booth I've painted or altered in some way! The challenge is to continually find treasures that I can transform! But, I am loving every minute of it!

Still hoping to sell this gorgeous vintage Queen Anne dresser that hubby and I painted. It is super heavy, so we definitely don't want to have to haul it home!!

I love this pretty light blue plant stand that I painted. It was a very boring dark brown when I first discovered it! Perched on top is a galvanized bucket (I adore galvanized anything!), that I've added a Graphics Fairy French label to. Behind it on the wall is the same label, and an additional one, that I've added to a black frame with a neat linen like matte. Tres chic!

The black framed corkboards were another one of my latest fun projects. I brought them with us from Michigan, and spruced them up with a fresh coat of black paint, as well as pretty wooden floral appliques. The piece de la resistance is pushpins that I made out of little tart tins made in Germany (another thrift store find, of course). I just love them, now I want to make some for myself!!

And here is my cute little curio cabinet that I told you about the other day. If any of you are ever in the Marysville, Washington area, I would love to meet you at my booth, at Sasafrass & Company!

Have a great weekend! Now I need to pay all of you talented ladies a visit!

Cute Curio Project

2011-10-26T17:39:00.000-07:00

Hello Ladies!

It's a cold rainy day here in the Pacific Northwest! So it's a good day to cozy up inside by the fire, and work on a bunch of fun projects!

Today I'd like to share with you a cute curio makeover. Of course I was a bad blogger yet again, and neglected to take "before" shots! Let's just say that this cabinet didn't start out life looking very pretty!

But this is what she looks like now, after several coats of Heirloom White (what else?!), and some decoupaging.

I found her a few weeks ago at the thrift shop, just begging for a transformation! The poor thing was a really ugly wood tone, and had a horrible, super shiny varnish on! Ick! After lots of sanding, followed by priming and painting, she was feeling oh so much better! I distressed a bit around the edges to give her even more character. I knew as soon as I spotted her, some vintage sheet music had to become part of her makeover. Luckily, the entire back portion was easily removed, so I was able to decoupage it with some vintage sheet music from my collection.

I'm taking her to my booth tomorrow, but today we had fun doing a little photo session with some of my favorite treasures!

The Eiffel Tower makes me smile each time I see it, as it's a wonderful reminder of a trip to Paris! The little cream porcelain dish behind it is from a girlfriend, and the cute vintage hobnail pitcher was also a gift. The little boy you see on the right is actually a pin that my sister gave me years ago. I really love it. It's covered in vintage buttons. To the left of the little boy is a mini tart tin from Germany, another thrift shop find (hmm, I see a pattern here.....). I've been transforming some today into magnets, but thought for now it would look cute perched on the shelf!!

These sweet little birdies were found at another thrift shop. Can you believe that I spray painted them, too?

Yep, I just couldn't resist!

I think she is so much happier now with her new look! And I am, too!

Tag, You're It!!

2011-10-24T17:31:00.000-07:00

Hello Ladies, hope you all had a great weekend!

I know that many of you love paper crafting. It's one of my favorite things to do (when I'm not busy spray painting and glittering everything in site!). So I thought I'd share with you some of the decorative tags that I've recently made.

I always like to tuck a little surprise in with all of my Etsy orders. So many customers of mine receive tags that I've made.

Vintage sheet music from my collection, a sweet birdie rubber stamp, as well as a few Frenchy stamped images, and a pretty hydrangea blossom make up these tags. Oh, I just had to get the glitter in somewhere, so I generously glittered the silk hydrangea blooms! Crinkly taupe seam binding adds a pretty touch.

Of course I love making French themed tags, and created this one from a snippet from a vintage French book, some of my favorite French themed rubber stamps, and topped it all off with twine and a rhinestone atop the Eiffel Tower ('cause a girls gotta get her bling on!!!)

The tags all started out as this: boring manilla shipping tags! I bought a huge box (there were at least 1,000 tags!) at a garage sale a couple of years ago, for just a few dollars. Yeah!

I always begin by tea dying the tags. A bit time consuming, yes. But so much more interesting, I think!

I like storing and displaying the tags in my pretty aqua vintage pots. Who said storage had to be boring?

I also like to add my tags to some of my finished creations. Below I've added it to a sweet little decorative birdcage that I just sold in my shop. I never permanently adhere the tags to the items, that way the recipient can easily remove the tags if they wish.

Glass cloches are very popular in my shop. I often add my tags to them as well, like the above one that I sold awhile back.

The tags are so much fun to make, and one of the best parts of all is that I usually have everything on hand to make them!

Have a great week! Now I am off to visit all of you creative bloggers!

Another Rough Day at the Office

2011-10-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

Hello ladies!

Today I'd like to introduce you to my assistant and faithful companion, Emily. As you can see, she is hard at work! The lower level of our home is a walk out, so there is plenty of light, making it the perfect spot for my workroom. I love wicker, and have ~~Emily's~~ my white wicker love seat and chair down here.

So, we both enjoy spending alot of time here! I snapped these photos the other day when Emily was hard at work, helping me on my many projects! Ok, maybe not helping too much, but she is a good supervisor!

She even has her own little baby blanket! Do you think she is spoiled? I tried my darndest to get her to look at the camera as I was snapping away. The only thing that worked was when I said to her "say cheese!", as she knows what that word means! (she loves cheese!)

Ok mama, just let me get back to sleep, er, I mean work!!!!

On a different note, I have a little request. Tomorrow, Ralph, the husband of my sweet friend Cindy over at Cindy Adkins Whimsical Musings, is having surgery. Many years ago Ralph lost his arm in a work accident. Tomorrow he will undergo surgery on his other arm, which means he won't have any use of it for some time. You can read about it here . If you could please keep both Cindy and Ralph in your thoughts and prayers, that would mean so much! Let's pray for a quick and speedy recovery, and strength for them both! Thank you very much!!!

Giant Turquoise Fork & Spoon

2011-10-17T10:42:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy Monday! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Today I'd like to share with you a recent fun makeover of mine! I've transformed several sets of giant wooden vintage fork and spoons, but had never found a pair as unique as these! The details are amazing, and feature a heavily hand carved design that I think is so pretty! Of course, they didn't begin life looking this good. Oh no!

This is what they looked like when I first discovered them a few weeks ago. Ok, but destined for fabulous!! I was nearly jumping up and down with excitement when I first spotted them in the window of a thrift shop one morning. The shop hadn't opened yet for the day, but when it did, I made a bee line for these babies as quickly as I could! I immediately knew that they just had to be painted turquoise!!

I love mixing various colors of paint til I come up with just the right shade. While it was rather tedious painting these by hand (I've yet to find a turquoise spray paint!), I am really happy with the results!

Some distressing, and my favorite Ralph Lauren antiquing glaze, and viola! They have gone from drab to fab!

And here is the big reveal! These puppies are really big, measuring over 2 1/2 feel long!

They now reside in my Etsy shop, but in the mean time, I am admiring them!
Have a great day! Now go out and find something to transform!

I'm linking up with Donna over at Funky Junk for SNS

Tres Chic!

2011-10-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

Bon Jour Mon Amis!

Do you love trays as much as I do? Well, I am always thrilled when I discover an interesting tray that I can transform in some way. Today I'd like to show you my latest tray chic creation. (get it, tres chic?!!!)

I always like to begin by showing you the "after", as I'm afraid that I might scare readers off by showing them the "before first!! Anyway, the tray began life pretty enough (below), but has some water spots or some sort of damage to the finish. Too bad, as it could have been pretty! I knew that with some paint and decoupage, I could give it a new lease on life. I fell in love with this sweet birdie image over at the Graphics Fairy, and thought it would be perfect for my tray.

I began by painting the tray white (by hand, which is oh so much more time consuming than spray paint!!), and followed by with some distressing and Ralph Lauren antiquing glaze. Then came the hard part, trying to figure out how to enlarge the birdies to be large enough for the tray. Since the tray is almost 2 feel long, printing the image onto a standard 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper would be way too small. So, it took quite a bit of finagling, but I finally figured out how to print it out into 4 separate sections. I then cut the images out and decoupaged them to the tray. I really love the colors and their sweet little faces, too!

The tray has a great curvy shape which I also love!

While this project was very time consuming, it was alot of fun, too!

I've put this in my Etsy shop, though it is so tempting to keep it for myself!

Now I need to find some other use for this image, as I think it is a new favorite of mine!

Hope you have a tres magnifique weekend!

Upcycled Spindle Candle Sticks

2011-10-11T15:40:00.000-07:00

Hello ladies!

Hope you are having a great week!

Today I'd like to share with you one of my latest projects, a set of candle sticks made from wooden spindles.

For this project, I enlisted the aide of my handy hubby, who put the candlesticks together for me (as well as cut the wooden tops!). Anyway, I'll show you what they started out life as, but first let's take a look at the final product!

When I first spotted a bunch of these new unfinished wooden spindles at the thrift shop earlier this summer, I quickly snatched them up! I just knew that they would be the making of a fun project! Candle sticks were the first thing that came to mind, as they are one of my very favorite things to transform.

I just so happened to find three unfinished wooden bases at another craft shop and thought they would be perfect as the bottoms of the candle sticks.

I really love the shape of these spindles! The shorter two are identical, and the taller one is of a different shape. I think that just makes things a bit more interesting! I didn't have anything to use for the tops of the candle sticks, so hubby bought a new piece of wood for me, cut them to size, and assembled everything with screws and wood glue. (so glad to have a handy guy around!!)

I then painted them all a nice crisp white, and distressed them to further enhance their curves!

I love the look! I have several more of the shorter spindles, just waiting to be transformed! This set is now in my Etsy shop, if you are interested.

Have a great day! Now go out and find something to paint!!

I'm linking up with Kathleen over at Faded Charm for White Wednesday,
and Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday,
two of my favorite days of the week!

I've Been Framed!

2011-10-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

As in picture framed!

Lately I've been having so much fun creating picture frame collections for my Etsy shop. I think Pottery Barn must have started the trend (don't they seem to start them all?) of hanging empty picture frames on the wall, or propping them upon a shelf or mantle. At any rate, I love the look, and thought I would show you some of my recent creations.

To me, half the fun of putting these collections together is the thrill of the hunt! Yes! I am sure you all know that feeling! I've been searching high and low for unique frames to transform with paint and a little tlc. While they may not start out looking so great, I think with some paint and distressing, they are all happy with their new look! This set currently resides in my Etsy shop, if you care to take a peek!

The two above frames are some of my favorites! Both are vintage, and ooozing in shabby goodness! One is made of a very heavy resin, the other is wood and gesso. Love!

I also like combing other accents with my frame collections, such as this neat vintage key plaque in the photo below, and the vintage candle sconce in the first photo.

The next photos (below) show a collection that I put together as a custom order for the sweetest woman! She is going to be turning them into chalkboards, to hang in her soon to be born baby boy's nursery! She was so much fun to work with, and I am thrilled to know that my frames will play a part in her baby's room! It's so rewarding to get to know some of my Etsy customers a bit when I work on custom orders, or hear that they are going to use one of my creations at their wedding or for their babies!!

I love how while all of the frames are different, they have been united with my favorite paint color. You guessed it! Heirloom White! A bit of distressing gives them even more character and adds to that "aged over time look".

Some are vintage, some are newer. I really love this little frame on the right (above). Isn't it gorgeous?

The other day I went out hunting for more frames to transform, and lucked out and found a bunch! Now I'm in the process of working a little magic on them before I put them in my shop!

I'm super excited, as hubby's nephew and his wife flew in today from California to visit us for the weekend! They are in route right now, so I won't be on here much this weekend. Hope you all have a great one!!
I'm linking up with Debra over at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday. Be sure to check it out for tons of great ideas!

Heirloom White Birdcage Makeover

2011-10-04T17:41:00.000-07:00

Hello Ladies!

You all know how much I am ~~addicted to~~ in love with Heirloom White spray paint! At any given time, you will find me covered in splatters of it, from my face down to my toes! So today I thought I'd share with you one of my latest transformations, this gorgeous decorative birdcage.

Isn't she pretty?! I must admit that painting it was no easy fete! Not to mention the amount of paint that she required! But, I am oh so happy with the result! I gave it a bit of distressing for that wonderful "aged over time look", as I like to call it.

And this is what she used to look like when I discovered her while out thrifting! Very dusty, and very much in need of a makeover! After giving her a bath (and removing the very dusty faux greenery, which is going right back to the thrift shop!), I think she is much happier with her new look!

I love that you can lift the lid right off, and check out that adorable little front door! She is quite heavy, weighing it at over 7 pounds!

As much as I love her, I have put her in my Etsy shop, for one lucky person!

And speaking of birds, I thought you might like to see "our" resident eagle! I snapped this shot in our back yard, which overlooks the Puget Sound. Mr. Eagle likes to keep a close eye on the water, and his prey! We have a pair of them that have a nest in a neighbors tree, and we are thrilled that we hear and see them up close and personal every day!.

I'm linking up today's post with White Wednesday, over at Faded Charm. Be sure to visit for tons of inspiration!

Glittered French Themed Cards

2011-10-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

Bon Jour, Mon Amis!

Today I wanted to share with you one of my latest creations. I always like to add a little extra surprise in with all of my Etsy orders, and with larger orders I like giving a bit more. Often I will give a set of note cards that I have created, and send along with larger purchases. That way, the recipient will feel like they are getting a little extra gift to themselves!

I began with blank cards from Michael's, then added vintage sheet music, which I guess you could say is one of my signature looks, as I use it in so many of my creations! The gorgeous designs came from The Graphics Fairy (of course!). These two are my absolute favorite designs from Karen's site!

You can't tell very well from these photos, but I've added touches of glitter here and there, 'cause you know what my motto always is: "You can never have too much glitter!"

I finally got around to purchasing some "Stickles" glitter from Michael's that so many of you have mentioned. I love this stuff! It is so easy to use, and not at all messy to work with, like regular glitter can be. So, for my glitter phobic friends (you know who you are!!) I would definitely give this a try!!

Another signature look of mine is crinkly seam binding. I just love it, and go thru quite a bit of it! For these cards, I added my favorite taupe shade.

I think this set makes a nice gift for my customers, and a fun surprise, too!

Now go out and create something fun!!
I'm linking up this project with Karen at the Graphics Fairy, for Brag Monday!

A Few Fun Halloween Projects, and a Giveaway Reminder!

2011-09-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

Hellos Ladies!

It sure is hard to believe that September is nearly over, and Halloween is just around the corner! I thought I would share a few Halloween projects that I made for my booth. Of course you already probably know that they involve glitter and Mod Podge, my two favorite crafting supplies!

I really love this owl from Karen at the Graphics Fairy. Doesn't he look spooky? I had an unfinished wood plaque in a neat shape that I loved, and I thought it would be perfect to create this glittery wall hanging with. I also found the orange and black patterned paper over at the Background Fairy (Karen's other site). I began by painting the edges of the plaque black, then decoupaged on the papers, followed by a dusting of glitter. I really like how it turned out!

A scrap piece of masonite that just happened to be the right size became a cute little hanging. I just decoupaged this adorable little girl popping out of a pumpkin, which I found over at Moonlight Magic. A wire hanger, and some crinkly orange seam binding and black raffia (oh, and I can't forget the giltter!), made for an easy, peasy project!!

I really love making glittered jar candles, and I used the same images as I did on the hangings. Orange, black, and gold crinkly seam binding add a fun touch! Since I am new at having a booth, and not sure what to expect sale wise, I didn't want to get too carried away making tons of Halloween stuff all at once. If these sell out, I'll get busy and make some more!

They were so much fun to make! And they look even prettier when lit!

Just as a reminder, my friend Miranda over at Blooming in Alaska is having a giveaway to celebrate her 100 followers! She is giving away a brand new copy of Flea Market Style, as well as a $25 gift certificate to anything in my Etsy shop. I know she would be thrilled for you to pop by and say hi (and become one of her followers, hint, hint!). But hurry, tomorrow is the last day you can enter! Good luck!!

All Set for Soggy Seattle Days, and a Giveaway!

2011-09-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

Hello ladies!

It's a bit of a cool and dreary day here in the Pacific Northwest, so it looks like I'll be spending the day indoors working on projects.

Meanwhile, Emily thought she would model her new raincoat for you! Isn't it the cutest?

It comes complete with a hood, and reflective stripes! She's not too fond of wearing it (or any coat, for that matter!). As a matter of fact, whenever she sees me coming towards her with a coat, she does her best to run and hide!

I think she's feeling a bit camera shy in this shot:)

Now I just need to get a pair of new rain boots, and we both will be all set!

My friend Miranda, over at Blooming in Alaska, is having a giveaway to celebrate 100 followers! She is giving away a new copy of the fall/winter "Flea Market Style" magazine (love, love, love that magazine!!), as well as a $25 to anything in my Etsy shop! Be sure to visit Miranda, to see how you can enter. Oh, and she would love it if you became a new follower of hers (wink, wink!!).

Have a great day!

Fresh Fleurs

2011-09-26T13:53:00.000-07:00

Hello Ladies!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! We had such a nice time with our friends who visited from back home! It was great seeing them, and showing them some of our favorite places out here in Washington State. On Friday, we went to downtown Seattle, first to Pike Place Market (always lots of fun!), then to our favorite waterfront restaurant for dinner. Thought you might like to see a few shots I snapped of the glorious blooms at the market!

Aren't these sunflowers and glads amazing? What a gorgeous fall arrangement, I think.

I am especially in love with stargazer lilies. Wish you could have smelled them!

The dahlias were just stunning! I didn't realize that they came in so many different colors.

The pink ones were my absolute favorite!

This is only a small sampling of the many flower vendors at the market. You can purchase huge, stunning bouquets for just $10!

After a busy week last week last week cleaning, cooking, and entertaining, and site seeing, I hope to get caught up on all of my visits with you! Have a great week!

French Farmhouse Inspired Tiered Wire Basket

2011-09-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

Bonjour Ladies!

As most of you know, I adore all things French, so when I spotted this gorgeous two tired wire basket recently while out thrifting, it just knew that I had to bring it home!

The basket immediately said to me "French Farmhouse"! Ok, the basket itself didn't actually say that, but that is what came to mind when I laid eyes on this beauty! It may be hard to tell in the photos, but she was a sort of weathered gray color when I spotted her. I actually liked the color, but I had something just a bit different in mind.

So, I ended up painting her this soft "French Bleu" color, which is my own custom blended shade.

A bit of distressing, and oooh, la, la! Now all I need is the French farmhouse to put her in:)

Ok, a girl can dream, can't she????? ***sigh***

Anyway, it would have been easier, much easier, if I had just spray painted her. But no, I like doing things the hard way, haha! While it was quite tedious painting her by hand, making sure I got into all of the nooks and crannies, there really wasn't a spray paint out there that came close enough to this look. Guess that's what I get for wanting something so specific! But, I am super happy with the way she turned out! While I would love, love, love to keep her, I have put her in my Etsy shop, if you care to take a peek!

I won't be on here much for the next few days, as friends of ours from back home are flying in tomorrow to visit us for a long weekend. We are super excited, and can't wait to show them the sights!

So, I'll be catching up with all of you wonderfully talented women next week! Hope you all have a terrific weekend! Au revoir!

A Fun Book Project!

2011-09-18T16:09:00.000-07:00

Hello ladies! Hope you all have had a wonderful weekend!

One of my dear friends is going to be a grandma for the first time, so as a surprise for her, I thought I'd make her a special book. (she's not into blogging, so no worries that she will see this post!) Her little granddaughter will be arriving shortly, so it was super fun making such a pink and, well, girly book!

Isn't this little fairy just darling? I found her, as well as many of the other images that I used in this project, over at the Graphics Fairy(thank you, Karen!) and loved her so much, I decided to place her on the cover! I began the project with a blank heart shaped chipboard book. When I do projects such as this, I never really start with an exact plan, I just gather materials that I already have, go to Michaels if need be, and of course head on over to the Graphics Fairy!

To me, it's so much more fun to let the creation evolve as I go along, than to have a specific plan; it almost takes on a life of its own! I just wait for inspiration, add a snippet of this, a sprinkling of glitter, and have fun! The book is held together with 2 metal rings, and I've gussied them up by tying generous bows, made with my favorite peachy pink crinkly seam binding, and some pretty vintage lace.

I picked up some pretty pink papers at Michaels, as well as some wonderful stickers from K & Company. I used my favorite glue stick "Uhu" brand, to adhere the papers to the chipboard pages.

I found some baby poems on line, and printed out a few of my favorites to add to the book.

I also raided my stash of stickers and rubber stamps, pretty paper flowers, and of course, glitter!

I adore this sweet Mother and daughter image, found over at The Graphics Fairy.

Buttons (some vintage), a few tiny rhinestones, pretty borders, and fun cord complete the look!

I am in love with the "clothesline" full of baby clothes stickers! Aren't they just darling?

While the book was very time consuming, it was so much fun to create!

I also really like this cute sepia toned photo from The Graphics Fairy. Oh, and I added a few snippets of vintage sheet music from my collection thru out the book.

This adorable little smiling baby being "carried away" by a birdie just makes me laugh! Again, compliments of The Graphics Fairy.

More fun graphics, stickers, and embellishments!

Love this little silver ducky charm, that I just happened to have!

And I fell in love with this cute little girl, also from Karen.

And of course I just had to add a couple of fun things to the back of the book!

I ended up making a couple of extra pages, as it only came with 3 or 4 pages. Luckily, I saved a piece of chipboard (cardboard, actually) that came along with a large wall calender. Because you never know when you might need that sort of thing!!!
Have a great week, now go out and create something fun!
I'm linking up with the Graphics Fairy for Brag Monday

Think Pink!

2011-09-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

Hello ladies!

I know that for many of you, painting with pink is nothing new. But, can you believe that I myself have never painted anything that color (other than my nails!)? So, I took a brief departure from my usual creams, blues, turquoises and aquas, and went to town!

Remember the "gaudy gold" syroco wall pockets that I showed you last week? Well, they have since been transformed with the prettiest shade of pink, and I must say they look oh so lovely!

A bit of distressing, and now I think they have gone from gaudy to glamorous!!

I found this adorable wood shelf last week while out thrifting. While I loved its original white color, I thought it would be charming painted pale pink! Don't you just love the scalloped detail at the bottom?

I think it would be so sweet in a little girls bedroom, don't you?

I also gave this pair of vintage Homco candle sconces a facelift! I think they would be so cute hung along with the shelf!

I love metal and wire anything. Tthis cut little shelf originally was black, and while it was ok, it was looking just a bit boring and tired. Boring no more!

It's amazing what a little paint and distressing can do!

I've added the wall pockets to my Etsy shop, and everything else is going in my booth. Now I'd better find something else I can paint!

Have you transformed anything lately with paint?
I'm linking up with Beverly of How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday

A Peek at My New Booth!

2011-09-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

Hello ladies!

Hope you all are having a great week!

I'm so excited that I finally got my very own space at Sasafrass and Company antique mall!

Saturday I set up my area, then went yesterday and added even more treasures! So, here is a peek at my goodies.

Shabbylicious vintage Queen Anne dresser. Love!

Lots of framed rose prints. And of course my signature colors of cream, white, aqua, and turquoise!

Parisian and beachy chic!

I'm having so much fun already! This is my first time having a booth, so I guess I will learn as I go! I still have some nooks and crannies that need filling. So, I've been busy at work (play, really!) creating more treasures to take in, as well as pack up orders for my Etsy shop, which has really been on a roll lately! Needless to say, I am thrilled! Tired, but thrilled! For those of you who have been visiting me for awhile, you know that this has been a rocky and rough year for me, with our stressful cross country move. So, it is so nice to be excited and happy again! And getting to create to my little hearts content is just divine!

Ok, the following photos are of one of my very favorite booths in the shop!

I love, love, love all of the beachy and shabby chic treasures that it is brimming with!

And I really love that wicker wrapped big bottle!

Her displays are amazing! Drool worthy, indeed!

Ok, I really need to get one of these Paris signs, that she made herself! So me!!!

Oooh, la,la! And I am loving all of these wonderful cloches. I want it all! I think I need to get that adorable little plaster bust beneath the cloche. It would go perfectly with one that I already have!

Check out this gorgeous chandelier! I could always find a place for that in our home:)

Ok, ladies, that concludes our little tour for today! If you are ever in the Lakewood/Smokey Point area of Washington State, be sure to visit Sasafrass and Company! I would love to meet you!

Enjoy the rest of your week!

I'm Just a Gold Digger!

2011-09-10T16:23:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not that kind of gold digger!

But I am sure that the checkout people at the thrift shops and antique malls that I frequent think I must be! Just look at the latest loot that I brought home!

Wow, that's alot of gold! I was super excited to discover all of these solid wood frames the other day. I actually liked them in their golden state, but I just had to give them a makeover (of course!).

I was also thrilled to find two matching vintage syroco wall pockets, at two separate thrift shops! Score! I've not yet painted the wall pockets, but I'll be sure to show you the finished product. Anyway, I'm not painting them my usual Heirloom White (shock, gasp!), but a color that is totally new for me!!! (I know, you will be on the edges of your seats just waiting for the big reveal, right?!)

Ok, so here are my transformed frames and mirror, in all their shabbilisciousness!

The details of these frames are just amazing, and I think their new paint job and distressing really highlight all of the wonderful details. They are even prettier in person, as the photos just don't do them justice.

I've added this collection to my Etsy shop, if you want to take a peek. Pottery Barn style without the PB price tag!!!!!

The frame below is one of my favorites. Actually there are two in the collection just like this. They were made in Mexico, and feature heavily carved details, and even faux "worm holes"! I've been having so much fun creating frame and wall decor collections. This is actually the second one that I've put together for my shop this week!

I've got a bit of exciting news! I finally have a booth at a local antique mall, that I'd been trying to get into for awhile! Yippee! This is my first time having a booth, and I went in today to set up (hubby helped out with the heavy lifting!). The mall had a long waiting list of people who wanted a spot, and the owners liked me and my work, so they invited me to come aboard! I'm beyond thrilled! I'll go early next week to add more treasures, and take some pictures of my space to share with you all!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

I'm linking up with Cindy over at Shabby Chic Girls' Club!

More Island Hopping Fun!

2011-09-06T17:34:00.000-07:00

Hi ladies! Hope you all enjoyed a nice long holiday weekend!

Today I wanted to share with you the trip that we took yesterday to Orcas Island, which is part of the San Juan Island chain. It was a glorious day, perfect for flying! So, take your seats, fasten your seat belts, and come along for the ride!

This is our second trip to the San Juans, and I must say that these are some of the most beautiful flights we have ever been on! The scenery is beyond gorgeous!

You can click on any picture to get a larger view. In the above shot, you might get a glimpse of Deception Pass bridge, which is covered in a coat of fog. Actually, fog covered much of several distant islands, and the effect was just ethereal!

Here we are, getting closer to our destination!

Lots of little islands to see!

And Mount Baker was in its full glory! Just stunning, I think!

Ok, we are almost there!

And here is the runway! Yikes! From above, it looks very short! Whew, thank goodness it is just an illusion!

After a short walk into town, I just had to check out a few shops! I was afraid that being a holiday, everything would be closed. But, I was in luck!

Aaaaahhhhh! This amazing boutique was right up my alley!

Suspended from the ceiling were a bunch of paper parasols. Love!!

Yummy wire cloches, and all sorts of other shabbylisiousness!

And lots of wonderful burlap, too! Be still, my heart!!

I really love these galvanized metal shelves. They would look so nice in our house!! In fact, I would love to have a bunch of these in my dream kitchen (someday!).

Check out this awesome mirror!

Lots of pretty blooms on the island!

Not sure what this white flower is, but it's just gorgeous!

I've got many more photos to share with you, so I'll save that for a post later this week! Now I need to get caught up with all of you ! Enjoy the rest of your week!

A Few Seattle Sights

2011-09-04T14:43:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, hope you are enjoying a nice long weekend!

The other day was hubby's birthday, so to celebrate, we went to our favorite restaurant in downtown Seattle!

It was a beautiful night, perfect for walking along the waterfront.

The Seattle skyline is pretty amazing! Notice the snow covered peak in the foreground? That is Mt. Ranier, the tallest mountain in the state. It looked just stunning at sunset!


photo courtesy of Seattle Pedicabs

We discovered Anthony's several years ago, when we stopped in Seattle enroute to Hawaii. It is right on the water, and the food is amazing!

Like many downtown eateries, they also have a walk up fish bar. We are real fish and seafood lovers, so we are lovin' it here!

If you are ever in Seattle, I would highly recommend a visit to Anthony's on the pier!

I had halibut cakes, with garlic mashed potatoes. Delish! Not to mention shrimp cocktail, the best clam chowder, wonderful sourdough bread (which is really popular here, love it!), and the most delicious Baily's Irish Cream chocolate mousse! Did I mention that we both were totally stuffed?

We love walking along the waterfront enjoying all of the incredible boats and yachts.

Notice the name of the pretty boat below? "Knot too shabby"! Loved it!! Chic, yes, shabby, no way!!

A gorgeous sun set over the distant islands.

photo courtesy of Seattle Pedicabs
After dinner, we took a fun (and fast!) ride in a pedi cab!

Gorgeous flowers!

When I first saw this large metal sculpture from the front, I thought it must be some strange piece of modern art! Then I walked around the side, and noticed that it was a very large "wind blown" umbrella!

Thanks for joining me on our little outing! We are really having fun exploring our new home, can't wait to share more photos of beautiful Washington State with you!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!