Where I'm Creating

There's a tiny little space in our master bedroom where I create.  It's not much, but gives me such peace and pleasure.  Nooks and crannies hold delights and works in progress...

An old shutter holds items listed in my Etsy store or on their way there soon...



It's not too early to be creating for Christmas decor.  This year I'm making Jeanne D'Arc Living style ornaments - white, vintage, with a touch of sparkle.

Our bedroom door holds handmade stockings:

(the red striped ones will definitely be on Etsy)

I thought I'd spruce up the miniature trees I altered last year, by making them ruffled tree skirts:

So much fun awaits when I open these doors of the wardrobe...

...to see my inspiration board and the stash inside waiting to be transformed.

It doesn't hurt to have glitter over my head as I dream...

Now I'll be headed to White Wednesday to take in all the heavenly whites...I'm sure many of you are happily creating, too!
Also sharing with Show and Tell Friday.

My Glamorous Friend

Do you have one of those friends who is the most glamorous girl in the room?  Maybe you are her!
I've always been in awe of my friend Maria's style.  She puts on an outfit and it is truly an ensemble.  I want to run home and change my clothes or at least put on a necklace!  My style is simple, but Maria takes hers to such a beautiful level, without being over the top. 

I have to share her with you because she's recently begun blogging.  My dear, fashionista friend Maria, whom I've known for 20+ years, is sharing her thoughts on bridal style with you.  You'll love to visit her at Pink French Bride. 

Maria worked at Boston's one and only 'Priscilla' bridal boutique back in the day, and has always loved working with brides for their special day.  Now she is located in Naples, Florida and has a bridal accessory business called 'POP! Jewels'.

I'm blessed to see Maria about once a year, when 8 of us college friends reunite and act as though we saw each other yesterday.  Time has passed, our lives have brought many adventures, joys and sadness, but we feel like 20 again in each other's presence.

(doesn't she look 20?)

Every time I see Maria, I get encouraged to go home and add some sparkle to my wardrobe or add a bold color or two.  I'm inspired, and I know she'll inspire you, too.  She is a treasured friend of mine with a heart of gold.
I think I'll introduce her to the gals at Pink Saturday!   

Dining with Decay

Something strange and quite unsettling is going on in our dining room...

Some uninvited guests have refused to leave...

Bats have taken shelter in a tree by a graveyard...

...while my pretty cabinet shelves have been intruded upon.

Things are looking grim...

It's unclear who had a hand in this transformation...

...and this guy isn't talking...

oh...the decay!

I do believe two little children may have helped, and perhaps their Mom did need to add that one sparkling touch...

Hope you're having a spooktacular time decorating for Halloween...I know we are!
Sharing with White Wednesday.          BOO!

Fall Flea Market Finds

What a glorious fall weekend we just had here.  I was able to hit the local flea market with my Mom, which was a nice treat.  She behaved and didn't buy a thing, whereas I....well...here you are:

How could I resist this serene, beautiful, patina-ed, breathtaking garden statue of our Blessed Mother...

She was my last find of the day and by far the favorite. 

I was on the hunt for vintage white linens, and the search paid off.  The embroidery and crochet edgings on these various pieces really caught my eye:

It's never too early to shop for vintage Christmas!  These were all found at the Flea:

 

Simply darling:

Love this old white bottlebrush tree, and the vintage mother of pearl buttons:

Speaking of Christmas, I've been busy covering some mini boxes with vintage wallpaper and ephemera.  They'll get ribbons to hang as ornaments.  Hmmmm...to keep or sell on Etsy.  Tough decision!


(quite the juxtaposition - little tree with towering gifts)



Sharing these treasures with Kathleen's White Wednesday, Debra's Vintage Inspiration Friday, Cindy's Show and Tell Friday, and Courtney's Feathered Nest Friday.  

The Winner is...

...Abby from Abby's Paperie Garden!  Congratulations Abby!  I used random.org to choose a number, and hers was the lucky #9.   

Thanks to all of you who participated.  I will definitely have another giveaway near Christmas with some holiday creations.  It is so much fun!
Abby - the pillow, fabric heart and book will be headed your way soon.  I'll touch base to get your address.
Have a great week everyone!
- Susan

Fall Dining Room

Hello friends!  Boy, was it cool this morning.  Fall is in the air and in my dining room...

My sea-shell mirror has been 'dramatized' with vintage music book pages.  I simply glued the pages to a paper plate and lightly taped it to the back of the mirror for a temporary look:

The pages came from this book, a find from last week's White Elephant shopping expedition:

I also used the pages in these frames:

The fall buffet:

A banner reminds us of God's blessings:

The fall table:

I was glad my daughter recognized this knitted piece as an acorn, despite the soft colors I used:

A simply way to decorate this corner:

Don't forget to enter my giveaway - it ends this Sunday evening.

I'll be linking with Show and Tell Friday, Vintage Inspiration Friday, and Feathered Nest Friday this week. 

Hope you are enjoying your fall!

White Arched Window

I was driving home last week from Michael's craft store after purchasing the fabulous autumn Somerset Life issue with Petite Michelle Louise's feature (on the cover!).  Already feeling giddy, I stumbled upon this fabulous arched old window from my neighbor's curb!  What!!!!!  You can't imagine how fast I parked my car and scooted over there to take a look.

Of course I promptly cleaned it up and put it on display.  The lace angel wings and white fabric heart (also listed in my Etsy store) were gently placed against the window.  The two frames nearby were originally located in the master bedroom (and were brown), but I moved them here with their recent coat of Heirloom White spray paint.  I've heard rave reviews about the paint from Donna's blog.

Can you believe the varied colors in these hydrangeas?  They were some late bloomers from our bushes outside:

I thought this crinkled seam binding blended right in with the flowers:

Another find at Michael's crafts were these mini pocket watch faces.  I got the idea to transform them from Mikey's blog 'Shabby French Cottage'.  See his post here to learn how.

Lastly, here are some new pillows I'll be adding to my Etsy store.  Vintage Belgium ribbon is sewn to the front of each pillow, with a hand-embroidered matching number in the center.

There's still time to enter my giveaway! 
Sharing all these whites with Kathleen's White Wednesday party.  Thanks Kathleen!
Also sharing with Feathered Nest Friday and Vintage Inspiration Friday.