Evelyn and Rose Giveaway!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED - THANK YOU!



To celebrate the opening of my Etsy store last week, I'm hosting a giveaway!  Thank you for all your support during this exciting time.

The winner of the giveaway will receive:

1. A unique pillow from my 'Present Pillow' collection.  This 8" x 8" pillow is sewn from hopsack linen and stuffed with non-allergenic polyester fiberfill.  It is wrapped like a present, with a nautical-inspired fabric bow with 'shield', and pretty crinkled white seam binding as ribbon.
2. A wire heart with gathered white linen/cotton fabric.  I saw similar ones in JoAnne Coletti's latest book 'The Feminine Home, Where the Heart Is' and had to make some. 
3. Christina Strutt's book 'Cabbages and Roses Vintage Chic'.  This book was originally published in 2003 as 'Country Living Decorating Vintage Style' and I have pored over my copy ever since.  It has timeless, vintage appeal. 

Similar handmade items are available in my Etsy store Evelyn and Rose.

For one chance to win, you simply need to leave a comment on this giveaway post. 
For a second chance to win, feel free to post about this giveaway or add my giveaway button (see my sidebar) to your blog with a link back here.  Then leave me an additional comment on this post letting me know you did.

That's it!  I hope one of you will enjoy receiving these gifts as much as I enjoyed selecting & making them.  The winner will be drawn next Sunday evening, October 9th.
Thank you, Susan

White Elephant Hunt with Petite Michelle Louise!

What a weekend!  I went on a White Elephant hunt with a great friend.  Vivacious Michelle, from the Petite Michelle Louise blog joined me on a trip to the White Elephant shop in Essex, MA.  We laughed, talked endlessly, and shopped through dust and rust to find amazing bargains. 
I wish I had taken photos of Michelle's astounded face at the very friendly prices to be found.  Here we are, picking through the loot at the outlet store: 

(me on left, cute Michelle on right)

We called ourselves the Picker Sisters after a TV show by that name.  I haven't seen it, but Michelle joked that we were doing what they do.  :)

(look at Michelle's stylish Paris bag - she looked so chic!)

(perfect for White Wednesday, no?)

We spent time shopping at the '1/2 off' outlet and regular store down the road, and seriously could have spent all day.  I loved watching Michelle's mind work as she thought up ideas for creations she could make with various treasures.  Many of your names came up: "Amy would love this...wouldn't Rhonda love these?...Melinda would get this door...Sandi would get this rustic bucket".  Isn't is great how through your blogs we really do get a sense of your taste?  And of course we have to share this with Kathleen's White Wednesday party. 
Here's what I brought home.  First, this great old wooden ladder:

($10 - yes!  There's 3 more there...hurry!)

I also found the cool flour sack there - in my palette!  It hangs next to this amazing enamel bucket that Michelle brought me.  She thought it would fit my farmhouse-style kitchen more than it did hers.  Isn't she thoughtful?  And of course she embellished it with one of her amazing signature-styled tags. 

I cleaned up this old top of a baluster/fence post(?) for our mantel and got a neat old music book for a future project:

Keep your eye out for the autumn issue of Somerset Life, on news-stands soon.  Michelle's doorknob inspiration holders are on the cover and she's got an article inside!  Congratulations Michelle!  Visit her blog to see what she brought home from the White Elephant.

And thanks to all of you offering well wishes on the opening of my Etsy store.  Stay tuned for a giveaway soon...

ETSY shop is open!

Hello there!  I'm happy to share the news that my Etsy store is open for business.  You can find it at:
www.etsy.com/shop/EvelynAndRose

Thanks to all of your support and encouragement, it is finally a reality. 
I hope you get a minute to stop by.  Here are some items listed:

The 'Present Pillow Collection'

More pretty pillows

Jeanne D'Arc inspired angel wings

fall wreath

And stay tuned this week to hear about a fun shopping excursion I had yesterday with Petite Michelle Louise!

Living Room Fireplace and Etsy Shop News

Hello friends!  I was so honored to be featured in last week's White Wednesday link party - thank you Kathleen!  It is my favorite place to seek out dreamy white inspiration each week.
For this week's party, I thought I'd share a view of our living room fireplace, with some fall changes surrounding it. 

We had an abundance of hydrangea blooms this year from our 5 bushes, so now I've been drying them.  I love how they fill this white basket (from sweet Karen of A Shabby Moment in Time).

I made two pillow covers out of a vintage grain sack, and placed them on my transformed white chairs for a fall look.  I'm not crazy about the dark red brick on our fireplace (that's for another post), but now I love how these all-white chairs balance it out:

On the shutter (also from Karen) hangs a small angel wings ornament I made.  It is a miniature version of the wings I made in this post. 

Both sizes of angel wings will be available in my Etsy shop opening soon (hopefully within a few days)! 
In addition to these, I will be introducing the Evelyn and Rose 'Present Pillow Collection'.  These are pillows uniquely wrapped like presents, with fabric bows and seam binding ribbon...

I will also be listing vintage white towels, available for custom monogramming, inspired by the Jeanne D'Arc Living style...

Stay tuned for the shop opening news and enticing giveaways to come...

Special Memories and Fall Decorating

I've been thinking about.....our wedding day. 

My husband and I were married 8 years ago today, September 13th.  We first met at the church where we married - St. Patrick's.  I was walking home from Mass, and he introduced himself as he walked to his car nearby.  He was the man I had been waiting a long time to meet. 

God brought us together, we are sure of that.

Each September I take out our wedding album and keepsakes, and we remember and celebrate.
Our invitation and unity candles are on display:

Our honeymoon in Paris is a cherished memory:

It is a special time of year for us.
As I start to change out summer decor for fall colors, I am reminded of how many seasons we've shared and I look forward to each coming season.

Here are some dining room updates I thought I'd share at White Wednesday this week.  It's good to be back after a little blog break!
Dining room cupboard:

(see this post on how the pumpkins were crafted)

Introducing more dark brown into the room...

I'll share more as the rooms change.  And I'll be sure to share some New England fall foliage with you all!

The Feminine (White) Home

Hello friends!  Thankfully Irene came and went without much damage here.  We lost power for 12 hours, but that was the worst we encountered.  Our hearts go out to those that experienced much worse devastation.  Nature can astound and remind us what is truly important in our lives. 
Our children start school this week, and I will be focusing on getting them ready.  But I did want to do a quick post about the fabulous book I recently purchased from Jo-Anne Coletti called 'The Feminine Home - Where the Heart Is".  It is gorgeous!!
Take a peek:

What a lovely assortment of homes to discover inside its' pages.  All in the white, dreamy, Jeanne D'Arc Living style and accompanied by enchanting stories and quotations.  You can order a book here at Jo-Anne's website.  She is also having a giveaway for a signed copy of the book, ending 8/31.  So hurry!

Still in the 'white' frame of mind, here are a few whites from our living room...

   

Sharing with Kathleen's White Wednesday.  See you in September!

Seasonal Transition

Summer's warm and sea-breezed days are getting fewer, but we're making the most of them here.  Our children start school next week, so I'm also thinking of fall and the crisp autumn days ahead.  The house is in transition,  not to mention a bit untidy from full days with active children.  I hope to post some full room shots of autumn decor in the weeks ahead. 
In the meantime, here is a quick fall project I worked on today.  These craft store pumpkins got painted with white gesso. I've been trying out gesso after seeing all the amazing projects Rosemary creates with it on her blog. 

hydrangeas in transition, too...

After gesso-ing the pumpkins, I 'painted' glue in the top creases with a toothpick and sprinkled with clear glitter.

 
Here is a before pic of the pumpkin from the craft store.  It was a bit too cream-colored and smooth for me:

Some lingering touches of summer still brighten the day...

I've also been busy designing and creating some handmade goods for my soon-to-open Etsy store!  I'll be focusing on what I love to work with - fabrics.  Inspiration surrounds me...

The pretty and the rustic combined...

Of course I'll share the store news with you as soon as it opens, which will hopefully be next month.
Until then, enjoy this transitional time full of opportunities!
Sharing this post with Kathleen's White Wednesday and Cindy's Show and Tell Friday.