Mail lady did it again - much to my surprise!! I got a package from my secret pal with all this stuff in it: a wonderful wall hanging, a hand painted CD keeper, a tiny little pitcher(!), a card, a notepad and a little rose pillow!!! I just kept pulling things out of the box. I'm so amazed by it all. How amazing is my secret pal?!?!?! Wow, just look at it.~*~Then my foot received a card from Miss Katie, the Hun, whose hubby is off fighting the California fires while she is home fighting off a cold/allergy from the smoke of those fires. ;-) She hopes I take a "step" in the right direction...
Exclamation Points in Life!
I found out many years ago I live my life in "exclamation points"! I talk in "exclamation points" for the most part. I'm enthusiastic about life and all things around me. Today I want to show you an "exclamation point" in my life - this little "jar."I have many "containers" I've bought through the years to hold things. I don't believe in putting something in just a plain ol' jar, box or container when there are such gorgeous ones available! This is one of them I absolutely treasure. I think I bought it at Macy's but it's been so long I can't remember - probably 20-25 years ago. It sits on a table...
Afternoon on the Patio
Another day having a luncheon with friends. Here is another of Susan's beautiful paintings titled "Amaryllis." I love this setting! A pot of tea, old wicker or rattan, cushions, lace and roses. What more could we want? Just so inviti...
Surprise from Ele!!
I cannot believe this!! You gals are just so sweet and kind to me. And just for starting this group! WOW!! You continually amaze me. Look what arrived in today's mail - this wonderful little box with a snow covered house on it all decorated for Christmas. I'm stunned - truly!! Ele, our farmer's wife from North Dakota made this wonderful little box decorated with toile paper and jewels and roses and gorgeous trim! All pink, of course, my favorite color in the world!! And then she added a beautiful little tag she makes. Ladies, you don't want to miss her tags or blog. Go here Ele to see her gorgeous...
Happy Halloween - Early!
This picture isn't a halloween picture but it has a scarecrow and reminds me of halloween. I think it is cute; although, I'm really not a big halloween person. I love seeing the kids and giving out candy but it's always been a bit spooky to me. DUH!! Anyway, this is another one of Susan's paintings and more will follow in the next several days also....
They Lift Me Up!!
There is a group of women who definitely lift me up! All the lovely women on the PRH group on ebay. They don't do anything but brag about each other and say nice, sweet, wonderful, encouraging, loving things to each other. I love all of them and wish I could adopt all of them. Rhea gave me this "You lift me up" award and that sweet thing lifts us all up! I'm going to pass this along to some other blogs I've seen that I like and maybe they'll be lifted up also. But no group on earth could be more lifting up than the PRH group. Best chicks in the worl...
Patio Tea Time!
Another place for a sweet afternoon of tea! Just outside your back door on the patio! Susan does it again! All you need is a simple table, a beautiful white cloth and a couple of chairs - wicker or white resin can do, ladies. Cobblestones would make it romantic also. Just think about what you can do for your afternoon tea........
Woodland Tea!
Perhaps you'd prefer a "woodsy" type of tea for you and your friends. This is an exquisite setting - again from Susan Rios! Dream and enjoy. More to come, ladies. Much mor...
Ocean View Tea!
Can you even imagine what it would be like to live in this setting? On the Pacific Ocean with lovely friends visiting for tea. Just too delightful to think of!...
Grandmas Living Room, Trellis & Luncheon
These are 3 more of some favorites of mine by Susan Rios. One is set for a luncheon or tea with white wicker and a lovely setting with Olivia on it - the name of Susan's daughter.The trellis one is the very first picture I saw of Susan's in Victoria magazine in the middle 1980s. I fell in love with her paintings then.The top picture of the maroon horsehair sofa with linen pillows and antimacassars on the arms of the chair. Just reminds most of us of our grandmother's house.Sigh, softer times. More photos will follow in the next few da...
Picnic and Bedroom Setting by Susan Rios
I'll share more of Susan's gorgeous tranquil settings in her paintings. The first one is a picnic setting we'd all love to be in. Just a tranquil luncheon by a babbling brook.The second picture is a lacy bedroom with a bridal bouquet on the bed. The shoes are rumored to be Susan's wedding shoes when she married.These are just the epitome of lacy, feminine, calm and beautiful things most women ado...
A Teensy Tiny Chandelier!!
I bought something on line the other day from Bertie and when the package arrived this little tiny chandelier was in it!! I was absolutely in shock! Just ask Jack. I tried to purchase one from a lady on etsy and she had sold out. I lamented to my PRH sisters about it never ever thinking someone on there made these little "glittering jewels"! But when my package arrived there was this inside along with some beautiful ephemera and scrapping things. She is just the sweetest thang eveeeerrr!!! I love ya, chickadee.......... ...
I made you smile?!?!?!
I made someone smile!! How sweet is that? I received this award from Bertie and what a sweetheart she is. I cannot believe all this woman accomplishes in a week. It would put me in bed for a month! She is a crafter/sewer/designer extraordinaire! We love her as another PRH sister and you won't want to miss seeing her "cottage", which displays her "decoratingness"!! She's fantast...
"Loving Touch Suite" by Susan Rios
This is another lithograph of Susan's work that I have. It's a pencil, pen and ink drawing. This woman is just so multi-talented! But I wanted to share some of her creations with you. I'll be putting more on in the future to show you some more of her work from a book I have of her. But isn't this just so feminine and pretty. I can just imagine my home with little vignette like this one. Wait...........I do have little vignettes like this or similar around my home! Hat boxes, books, ROSES, vases, little pictures and ribbons. I have a box of the most exquisite ribbons I bought from Alexandra Stoddard...
My 2 Influences: Alexandra Stoddard & Susan Rios!
This is Susan Rios' Fiona's PlaceOne of my favorite paintings.My issue of the new Victoria came today. I'm just a tad disappointed in the premier issue but I'm going to subscribe for a year and see how it evolves. My very first issue of that magazine was one that had Susan Rios in it. She touched my heart with her paintings and lithographs and I've acquired a few of them - the limited edition lithographs. Susan is my favorite painter. I just feel like I could slip into any of her paintings and be comfortable living there.The article I like best today was the one on Alexandra Stoddard. I have many...
The Fantastic Women of PRH!
Oh, I just got permission to post a picture from Katie that is one of my favorites.***Last week we, the women of a wonderful group called Pretty Romantic Homes on Ebay decided to advertise our creations on our blogs. First I have to mention that they are kindest, sweetest, most supportive, loving women I've ever met. We live in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio, W. Va., Idaho, Florida, Australia, New Jersey, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Montana and Michigan (Amy!). But we have an incredible amount of talent from painters to sewers to crafters and other mixed media arts....
My Fuchsia Shawl Vignette!
I love this pink silk shawl. Actually, it is a piece of silk I found in a markdown bin at a fabric store years ago. I tried to think what I could make out of it but, alas, there wasn't enough of it for anything other than a "shawl" so I "fringed" the edges and put it over a table in front of our family room sofa. It is the most gorgeous shade of pink I've ever seen and I get to gaze at it daily from my chair in that room!The little vase I found at a specialty store in Boise and just loved the MacKenzie-Childs look of it and bought it fast! I just stuck some very real looking roses in it and plopped...
Little Rose Petal Ornaments
I've been practicing making some different kinds of Christmas or Holiday ornaments to hang on a shabby chic tree. On the first one I used snippets of scraps from my roses fabrics. On the bottom two I used some rose petals I have had for several months. I have used them to make petal cakes and will probably do them again but I have had these old glass bulbs from the thrift store for over a year and done nothing with them. They turned out okay and are a lot less trouble than painting them but I think I'll paint the rest and see how they come out. I just like trying to come up with different things....