Best Laid Plans

This week-end I have lovely painting projects outside and a goal to find my old walking route and enjoy some outdoor exercise.  What happens?  Another snow storm!  No way can I paint those massive shelves that have to be hauled outside OR go on that walk.

Not to be deterred, I take my paint bucket into my studio and search the house for anything I can find to paint.  I start with these dish racks and the fleur de lis I found at Hobby Lobby.

A bit heavy looking, no?  But these items turn out fabulosa after a bit of creamy paint.  I’m excited to show off my pink petal plates found at the consignment store, Home Again.

Here are those lovely dishes in the newly painted dish rack.  Looks amazing, doesn’t it? 

I absolutely love that fleur de lis, too.  These pieces are so light and airy now and actually look like they belong in my home….they just seemed so dominatrix before.

I’m having a blast taking these floral plates out of their boxes and putting them in my other new dish rack.  I also find Mr. Prince, my rusty iron frog, and spruce him up with a bit of paint too.

I put the dishes side by side in my cupboard with the goblets found at the new consignment store at Gardiner Village.

It’s so fun to show these off in my cupboard with the glass door!

I’m amazed that these goblets exactly match the pink petal dishes that I bought last year.

There’s one more project that I want to share.  It started with our book club trip to Park City. 

I found these gorgeous papers at Michaels there.  All the other things were right here in my studio….just waiting for a project.  So I wrapped the candlesticks in both papers, then a bit of old lace, and finally tied it up with some twine.  This is what they look like now…there’s a close-up, too.

 

 

 

 

 

Aren’t they spectacular, spectacular?  What a great day!  A bit of snow and sleet didn’t bother me at all, so remember….

Don’t let it rain on your parade!

 

Something Old, Something New

Something old, something new, nothing borrowed, something blue.  No….it’s NOT a wedding, it’s my Easter decoration!

Something old:  the three pink vases I picked up at a thrift store for about a dollar or two.  I love the pretty pinkness of them and how they look in my dining room.

Something new:  the light, delicate flowers in the vases and the decorated wooden Easter eggs.  All 5o% off at Hobby Lobby, my favorite store on this planet.

Here is a close-up of the wooden eggs on a tea towel I got in a set at TJ Maxx.  I couldn’t resist using it as the base for this Easter center piece.

Since the pretty tea towels make me so happy, I have them on other horizontal surfaces around our living area, too.  And because our main colors are a creamy yellow with a healthy heaping of pink, it’s all good.    

I also have some new dishes that remind me of spring.  I put them in my hutch instead of my usual Easter paraphernalia.           

So here’s the hutch.  If you look closely, you can see a spring tag I made in browns and pinks.  I like it so much I decide to keep it and make new ones instead to give away in our tag exchange.

 

 

 

Here are the dishes close-up and personal.  There’s something I realize about dishes I like:  they need to have a decorative edge…not just smooth and round or square, and they definitely need a floral design (I guess that’s the romantic in me).  These dishes have both!  I hope they make you smile….I feel happy and cheerful every time I look at them.

Picture Perfect

I’m so excited to tell you all that I bought myself a new camera!  It’s a Cannon Rebel and I love it!  It’s so different than my little Fuji point-and-shoot and I’m still getting used to it. 

I bought it just before spring break started and was lucky to have my daughter and her family visiting, so I had lots of gorgeous gals who were eager to pose.

Here’s one of my first shots of my cute little granddaughter.

What a glamour girl!  She’s a natural poser. Just like her mom in this next photo.

It’s always exciting when she comes to visit!  I especially love the excuse we have to go shopping.  Our Monday destination is Hobby Lobby.  My favorite craft store.

Just look at these sweeties!  Reese is in the green (that’s her mom in the photo above) and Taylor is in pink…I’m not sure where her mom is off to at the moment, but aren’t these the cutest girls? 

They have so much fun together as cousins and friends.  Sometimes they even dress alike and I love that!

 

We also had a family picnic at the park where I tried to get some pictures of Josie swinging.  It was hard for me to get the shot at just the right time, so even though the subject was wonderful, my timing…not so much.  Here are some of the shots that weren’t totally awful.

 

I love these photos of Josie and her dad!  I’m glad you can’t see all the pictures of only feet and swing bottoms!

I just want to get in the car and drive to the park and jump in a swing and fly away!

 

Have a great day!  Remember to save some time for family and fun!  Thanks for stopping by.

Sharee

The Best of Times

This week-end really was the best of times, people, places and movies!  Our book club meets this Friday in Park City to discuss Half Broke Horses and The Last Time They Met…but on the way  some of us just had to stop for the first showing of Atlas Shrugged which opened at 10:30 am that very day.

Although I had read Atlas Shrugged a few years ago, when our book club decided to read it last year, I reread it.  And loved it even more than before.  I’ve been following the Atlas blogs and cast my “Demand” more than once.  It wasn’t even going to show in my state!   Finally I got my “golden” ticket!

What a great way to start our book club week-end!

We met at the condo and then hit the Factory Outlets for some serious shopping. 

I love, love, love these shoes!  They’ll be great once it stops raining and snowing here and fabulous for Hawaii and our Mexican Riviera cruise.  Ooops…did I forget to mention those dream vacations?  Watch for future installments.

Shopping was great and we followed that up with a yummy diner at the Baja Cantina and sweet treats at  Rocky Mountain Chocolates and a trip to the book store (or course!).

Back at the condo, we talked about our book selections, life stories, more books and movies.  What wonderful women I have  to share my life with.  I am truly blessed.  We talked into the wee hours, and finally fell asleep. 

After breakfast we find the World Market.  It’s amazing!

Here I find great treasures for filling Easter baskets but….shh, it’s still in the bag because it’s a secret!  I can show you the fabulous earrings I bought and the cute little bag the cashier put them in.  I even have a close-up. 

Then it’s back to the condo, pack up and load up for the trip home.  But there’s one more ultra fabulous stop on the way home ….  Cherry Lane Boutique!!  Do  you know how many times I’ve wanted to stop here?  Problem is, I’m always with my husband who just moans about these little shops.  This time, it’s only us girls, so of course we have to go on in!

I feel transported!  It’s everything romantic and feminine, sparkly and lovely.  It’s eye candy that looks and smells so inviting.

  Too bad I’m so close to the end of my paycheck….that doesn’t stop me though from buying a fantastic purse, beautiful earrings and a gift card for my daughter.  And don’t worry…payday is only seven days away!

Here’s an idea I found on a little charm there.

Have a great day and remember:

Be happy with

who you are!

Spring Break

Spring break and I finally get a chance to have fun creating tags for the season.  Usually I create tags that are pretty much the same, but this time each one is a bit unique.  I can’t wait to exchange them!
My first tag is from an insert taken from Somerset Studio Clip Art pages…don’t you just love this little vintage charmer?
I also used pieces of three different scrapbook papers and a butterfly from my Mariposa chip board box.
If you look closely you’ll also see a postmark stamp and the SOAR is from Jim Holtz Adage Tickets which I used on most of my tags.   
The first two tags I made, I did using only various scrapbook papers.  They’re okay, but definitely  lack the charm the vintage girls give the rest of the tags.
          
I’m so glad that I decided to use the vintage clip art.  Aren’t you? 
I have to give a huge thank you to the wonderful http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com who so generously provided the charming vintage graphics that I used on so many of my tags.
     
I love this sweet little girl with the bunny so much that I have to use her in two different layouts.

       

I really like the pastel colors and the bird cut-out on the left tag.  The tag on the right is a vintage ad for chocolate and has another of my Mariposa chip board pieces (sanded lightly and stamped).

But this is my favorite…this delicate child with the white dove.  I just love the pink and brown palette and the message for all of us:  I hope you soar.

May the blessings of hope and
joy be with you this season and

always.

Priceless Persuasion

I just returned from such an entertaining production of Jane Austen’s Persuasion that I can’t wait to write about it.
I love the irony in Austen’s work and often have to chuckle at her portrayal of various characters.  This production was so funny!  The theater was filled with laughter.
Mary, of course, had all the best lines and delivered them perfectly!  Parts of the play were sweetly poignant and tender.  The only music provided was from a pianoforte.  Perfect!
Of course, I always have to take note of the fashions and plan for future Regency wear…just look at what the program provided!

       
Am I a Janeite (adoring Jane Austen and every detail about her)?  I thought I might be at the last JASNA Convention, but I’m absolutely certain after viewing this tender romance about forgiveness, redemption and second chances.

Hopeless Romantic

I’m such a hopeless romantic that even now, a month after Valentine’s Day, I am compelled to make a post.  Tragically I’ve had no internet for weeks, and for weeks it felt like I lost a good friend.  Last night my son told me about the reset button and it actually worked!  For ME!!!   So I can’t go on until you see the Valentine tags I hung from my light…..looking from both sides.

This view is looking from the kitchen side out to the east and facing my little gallery of watercolors.
If you look closely, you can see my addiction to flowers in those pictures.


This view is looking towards my kitchen.  I loved this pink tulle so much I hated to take it down.  Feel the same way about these lovely tags, too.
I just have to decorate my hutch every Valentine’s.  Don’t you just love all things frilly, pink, and floral?   Those things are right up there with roses, hearts and chocolate!

I love this old hutch that was a wedding gift from my sister-in-law, Mary Gwen.  It was old from the beginning….painted yellow with metallic gold trim. 
I absolutely love it with its shabby chic look.  It’s my favorite piece of furniture, and so fun to decorate!
When I run out of holidays, I actually fill it with dishes.

Here is the close up.  I tacked fabric to the back and stuffed it with romantic gifts from my husband, heart shaped items, loads of pink or red things, and a few old things I tole painted back in the days before I started teaching.  Can you find the nurse Dawn doll in her pink dress and the little pink pig?
One of my favorites is the  frog sitting on the edge of the middle shelf.  Don’t you just have to kiss a bunch of frogs before you find your prince?

The Reading Life

I admit it.  I am a book addict.  Is there a BAA—Book Addicts Anonymous?  Maybe I don’t really want to know because I don’t think I want the cure.  I love reading books, smelling books and talking about books. 
I love my book clubs!!  Last night we had an author visit.  
We were fascinated by John Yves Bizimana who wrote the true story of his Escape from Rwanda. 
It is a story of faith, hope and survival that is uplifting and somewhat miraculous.  He graciously answered all of our questions and even lead us in a little call and response chant from Africa.
I suggested that we also read Left to Tell by Imaculee Ilibagiza. 
This is a selection from one of my other book clubs that we read a year or so ago, but it’s a perfect paired reading.
John was a young child as he escaped so his writing isn’t quite as graphic, but the scenes of being herded into the stadium and later those of the dying and mutilated bodies are the same.  How did this horrific genocide happen in our lifetime?
On the lighter side, we reminded each other of our book for next month, The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte.  This should be fun since we all read Bronte’s Jane Eyre last year, and last fall I had fun meeting the author, Syrie James, and having her sign my book.
Next month we also have a shhhhhh…secret book.   My son asks, “How can you all read a book if  it’s a secret?”  Well, the secret books (yes, we have more coming up) are those that are so near and dear to one or more members’ heart that they will be literally crushed if we say anything BAD about their book.  That’s the part that’s the secret.  Mum’s the word—or the bad ones anyway.   I’ve already started this one and I love it already!  At least what I’ve read so far.  The Violent Bear It Away is  so funny from the start,  that I’m signing off to go read.  TTFN.