French Influence

It should be no surprise by now that I'm influenced by all things vintage and French.  My blog's namesakes Evelyn (grandmother) and Rose (great-grandmother) had the last name Labossiere.  Memeire Rose had a heavy French accent and hailed from Quebec.  I loved listening to her soothing voice as a child, and seeing her devotion to the Rosary and her Catholic faith.  She was a talented seamstress and taught her daughter Evelyn well.  Their influence surrounds me in so many ways.  I think they would enjoy that French decor and sewing/knitting/crochet/embroidery projects are embraced in our home.

This bench needed an extra something, so I cross-stitched my initials on it.  My grandmother loved to embroider.  Now this reminds me of something that would have come from an old French sheet.

Small accents...

This chair is one of two found on Ebay 5 years ago.  I love the French look of them.  They were painted ivory, then stapled with linen fabric as a temporary measure.  I think it may soon be time to recover in something lighter...perhaps with a monogram?
And what's more French than these cute urns?

The pillow is made from fabric by Annette Tatum.  I love her designs!

Chippy old shutter...

I'll leave you with some fresh hydrangeas from the garden, comfortably resting in a flea market pitcher on a chippy cabinet. 

Sharing with Debra's Vintage Inspiration Friday and Courtney's Feathered Nest Friday. 
I'm also linking with Michele's {PRIMP} your stuff link party this week.
Have a great weekend!

White Cabinet for Kitchen

My dear sister wondered if I'd be interested in a white cabinet of shelves she no longer needed.  Ummmm...YES!  I was looking for a narrow one to fit in our kitchen, and this works perfectly. 
Thank you Michelle!!!
Thought I'd share it over at White Wednesday...

It blends right into the French Farmhouse look I was going for.  Perhaps I'll add some cute hooks on the right side for hanging embroidered towels. 

Hope you are enjoying your summers - stay cool!

Trying Out a New Camera...

Hello there!  Guess what?  My dearest husband surprised me with a new camera for my birthday recently!!  Yippee!  Our current camera is 6 years old - bought when our son was born.  This wonderful new gift has much better resolution & zoom capabilities.  I've been having fun testing it out around our home and with our somewhat willing children.
Although my photography skills are far from what I see in many of your amazing blogs, I'm glad this blog will get a boost with clearer photos.  Maybe now I won't have to use Picnik so much to edit them.  :)
Here are some unedited 'practice' pics...

Thanks for stopping by!

I'll Be In The Garden

Ahhh...summer.  It's this time of year when we feel like our home has grown, as we spend much time in our outside 'room'.  Since starting this blog last fall, this is the first chance to share our garden respite areas during the glory of summer blooming. 
I recently painted this patio table set white (it was previously black).  It will look more aged after leaving it out a few seasons.  Here it is with a summer table setting.

The basket and grain sack (used as a runner) are flea market finds from this past weekend:

This shelf was one of two I also scored at the flea market.  I wasn't sure I wanted this one, as it is dark, but my silent decision-making prompted the vendor to keep lowering the price for both.  Isn't it funny how sometimes just being silent will get you a better deal?  (He said I had a poker face, when really I was just trying to figure out what to do with the shelves).

The shelf is currently attached to our fence, but I'm not sure I love it here.  This rusty old plant stand (center) and watering can (on the top shelf left) were from the same flea market:

Last year, our children and I surprised my husband with a hammock for Father's Day.  He likes to take well-earned breaks here.  It is a restful spot by the hydrangeas:

Here's our wicker chair (found curbside) nestled beside the blooming 'New Dawn' climbing rose bush:

We're blessed to be able to enjoy the outdoors here.  With all these whites, I'll be linking with White Wednesday this week.  Happy summer!
Also linking to Sandy's summer video to share summer flowers.

Summer Kitchen

It's been a while since I've shown our kitchen (see this post for its' French Farmhouse transformation).  Thought I'd share some vintage finds that have found their way in here for summer.  I'll be linking to Vintage Inspiration Friday and Feathered Nest Friday this week.

I removed the toile tablecloth to showcase the simple summery vintage white cloth...bowl of peaches ripening on top:

The shelves hold recent ironstone finds, as well as some rustic cans:

The old clock ticks comfortably, while fresh hydrangeas and wildflowers from our garden cheer us at morning breakfast:

This next rusty piece was a find at the flea market.  The vendor sold it for $2, while we both wondered at its' original purpose.  I'm hanging it with a faux nest to appear like a birdcage.  I'm sure a candle inside would look nice, too.

Enjoy your summer weekend everyone!

Ballet Birthday

Hello friends!  Hope you enjoyed the 4th of July long weekend.  We celebrated our little girl's birthday with a ballet-inspired party.  She was full of giggles and smiles throughout!  It was such fun to decorate with this feminine theme.  Of course I had to share the pretties with you kindred spirits.

What's a party without someone hanging from the chandelier?  Here's a ballet paper doll used for this decoration.  I simply gathered tulle with a ribbon around her waist.

The same type of doll was used for the ballet art in our daughter's bedroom.

My husband thought it was strange that I was digging out this white Christmas tree from storage.  It was used for this table display:

The ruffled pink tablecloth is actually a Simply Shabby Chic curtain panel I draped over the table.  The tags on the tree are made by Elizabeth of Porcelain Rose.  They are the sweetest ballerinas with a little glitter on their dresses!

I used more of Elizabeth's tags on the favor bags.  I have to thank Victoria of Slightly Shabby for introducing me to these tags via her recent giveaway. 

On the table, ballerina cupcakes stand ready...

...and this dancer delights the crowd:

This flea market print was borrowed from our girl's room:

A delightful party for a delightful girl!!

I'm linking this post to the White Wednesday and Pink Saturday parties this week.