Pink Saturday 5/14/2011

Another Pink Saturday has come around. To view all of the participants, hop on over to Beverly's blog by clicking on the icon below:
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I cannot tell you how good it feels to simply take a shower or even just wash my hair over the kitchen sink. Having this boot on my foot has lost its luster, let me tell ya. To update you, I had a doctor's appointment 3 days ago. When he walked into the room he asked me where my boot was. It went downhill from there. :-(

Through miscommunication I thought I didn't have to wear the boot. He had a fit when he found a lump on my heel incision. He thinks he may have to go back in if that lump is an injury. We'll know next Tuesday. I was furious with myself for believing I wasn't finished with the boot. Plus he had told me not to drive and I drove there! Love Bunny was teaching and couldn't get out of it so feeling pleasantly well enough I drove. I didn't drive home! I called a friend to come and get me.

Then when hubby called me that he was on his way home that afternoon I told him what happened. I figured he'd come home and get someone to go with him to fetch my car. Nuuuuu, Mr. Macho drives his truck to the doctor's office, switches to my car, leaves his truck there, comes home, rides his bike over there, pitches it into the back of the truck and drives home. What is it with men having a problem asking for help?

But anyway, I'm having to wear the boot even to bed and can only take it off if sitting and watching videos on my laptop. I've now watched over 50 videos from friends and the complete collection of James Bond movies for which my daughter sent me the DVDs. Okay, enough of my travail.

I was in WalMart on Tuesday with hubs—me in the riding cart—and a woman stopped me and said she loved my hair. What is it about my hair that so many women find appealing? Her appeal was its fluffiness. Sometimes it's the color. For Pete's sake, it's only gray sprinkled around a light brown, nothing special I assure you, but her compliment came as a surprise. I said thank you, always the best response, and drove away in my electric cart. But I was still astounded by the flattery, albeit, pleasantly. This photo is today after washing it and feeling marvelously better.

This little shelf was one of my very first attempts at painting. I'm sharing "old stuff" as I simply don't feel stable enough to go out much wearing this boot.

Another attempt at bird nests.

My bouquet will be 50 years old in about 3 1/2 more weeks. I couldn't just stash it away. It is part of my wall decor in the living room.

My Mother's Day rose is finally wilting but I won't throw it out until the petals drop.

~*~

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Another Beautiful Valentine Swap

Happy Valentines Day to all of you!!

My ebay group did a valentine swap also. They have spoiled me for almost 3 years now with their love, humor and gorgeous crafts given to me. I cannot say enough about these women. I was partners with Shirl of Shirlsrosecottage this time. This woman does the most gorgeous silk ribbon embroidery. Shirl has been doing it a long time and does exquisite work.

But Shirl sent me my favorite kind of candy — coconut and almonds. It's almost all gone and I just got it a couple of hours ago. I'll TRY and leave some for Love Bunny but first come first eater is my motto!! :-)

But look at this beautiful little fleece embroidered roses hearts banner. It is fantastic in person, let me tell youuuuuuuuu!! I'm hanging it in a very special place also.

And Shirl does lovely cards also.

And this little valentine pillow with embellishments galore. I cannot tell you how much she has thrilled me today. I am truly blessed by these women. Truly!!!!!

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Vignettes Can Be a Lot of Different Things

People think vignettes have to be a book and a vase of roses or something similar. Not necessarily true, chicks, although that can be quite stunning and original if taken the time to think it out "creatively." It can be anything you want it to be as long as you assemble items in one particular space - a little space with items that evoke emotion is what works best for me. Something pleasing to the eye. I've gone around my home and just photographed some little descriptive vignettes to show as examples.

A pedestal rose plate with bars of fragrant soaps - some hand painted - and some little fizzie bath hearts given to me. They are absolutely sweet smelling and fragrance my guest bathroom.

A stack of white towels in a little pink wire basket. They are in there for guest's immediate pleasure and convenience so as not to have to go rummaging around underneath the cabinets. Just a thought to the comfort of my guests and family. ;-) I have a friend with a teenage boy who is meticulous in his personal grooming and will not use a towel after someone else. So I decided to do this with him in mind. Always a fresh and scented one for that young man. He steals my heart with being so well groomed.

Some little birdhouses on my mantel - one I made and three my friend, Rhea, made. Hers are stunning and I have a lot of items from her - so many, in fact, that I may have to dedicate a room to her! ;-)

Some old vintage rusty finials on my mantel also. I love the patina and rust of these old iron objects. These don't have much verdigris on them but I especially love the verdigris on old copper objects. And, of course, the proverbial "rose" to add to their beauty. If you knew how many roses I have in this house you'd faint. I have several hundred ribbon roses, many silk roses, dozens of paper roses, millinery roses and porcelain roses. I should call this the Rose House. Well, actually some of my friends do call it that.

Starfish that I spray painted pink and sprinkled on german glass glitter. I just love the look of them on the mantle. I love "fluff" everywhere I can arrange to have it.

Even my craft paints and paint swatches from a paint store can be a vignette when arranged on a vintage old shelf with snippets of leftover lace tacked on the shelf. I think you'll have to agree it adds "color" to the place!

As simple as some vintage salt and pepper shakers painted pink and set on the shelf with paints.

Even little sachets scented with fragrance oils lined along another shelf can add not only beauty but a wonderful scent to enjoy in any room. Yes, I actually do this in every single room - living room, family room, baths, office, bedroom......every room. And these certainly add beauty to the room.

And then there are the tops of book cases that aren't really conducive to hold actual book on the top so I just put some vintage sewing drawers with CDs or DVDs in them and little boxes I've tried selling but didn't. So buyers loss is my room's gain! LOL

One of my favorite vignettes is artist paint brushes. I just love seeing all the brushes in a pretty vase or container. These are mine and I would NOT call my self an artist. I call myself a BEGINNER!! ;-)

I have a bowl on my coffee table that has some pink sea shells (I painted them pink) and I love the juxtaposition of them with the roses and faux desserts I have on there. This one below is not in my home but I think it's stunning. Just simple everyday things gathered together in one spot for a lovely vignette. Rocks in a vintage yellow bowl, starfish and old ephemera.

The roses, sea shells, starfish, a wicker basket leaning against a wall, attractive statues, a container of nails and a plate of fruit.

I liked this room when I first saw it and was drawn back to it because of the table vignette near the dormer. I also stack pictures on the floor leaning up against a baseboard. I just love the look of "high" and "low" pictures. Most people hang their pictures too high on a wall. That's fine if there are other pictures below it but the room looks out of whack if all pictures are at one level in a room and that level is 6 feet up the wall. Lower your pictures so that the lowest part of the frame is no more than 46 - 48" from the floor. It will make quite a cozy difference in the look.

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My Trellis Room Divider

I want to show you my special room divider. It's a trellis I bought many years ago from a store going out of business and I just had to have it! You know the feeling!! ;-)

Anyway, I got it for a song and it has served we well for photo shoots and now as a divider between living room and dining area. On it hangs gifts, paintings of roses special women have given me, snippets of things I just love looking at, hankies, pieces of vintage lace I've found over the years and not known what to do with because there isn't much left of it, cards, tags, special little ornaments that have been given to me or I've bought for their beauty and "eye candy", lovely little envelopes, scrap paper, a fan, hearts, pretty little note cards, paper roses, seed packets (YES! seed packets that I considered beautiful enough to hang), a decoupaged sign I made many years ago for hubby and me, even some lovely business cards from people I buy from, a little gorgeous beaded lampshade I don't have a lamp for - yet, a picture of the cheese factory in Pleasanton, Ca. where we used to go for lunch sometimes, ribbons and just about anything I consider too beautiful to throw away.

I love beautiful things as you've probably heard me say before. My eyes feast upon them on a daily basis and it makes my heart sing and to be happy. I'm a happy and positive person but I am happier when I can view lovely things. They don't have to be expensive; indeed, most of the things I have on the trellis or in my home aren't expensive but ohhhh the joy they bring me!!!! Just too much for the heart to describe.

So enjoy looking at these things and I hope they make your heart sing today. Try your own "trellis", whatever that may actually be! Celebrate the blessings of your life!!

There are many pictures of this and I hope you enlarge each one to fully view everything.

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Roses & Easter Arrived Yesterday!

Oh my gosh, look what arrived in the mail yesterday for me! Some things I ordered but some were just a "gift" from Rhea and what a surprise. Just meander down and take a look!! I was sooooo excited that I forgot to take pictures until I was reminded. I had already hung some of these things on my lattice (thank you, Miss Rhea! :-) ) so I had to take them all down and put them on the kitchen counter to photograph.

First, there are the parchment roses I ordered from Lori and they are lovely.

Then some little millinery "posies" from sweet Rhea. A "bling" C - my initial, some little white plastic hearts, tags, birds and a cupcake.

Would you just look at these sweet chicks?!?! I call all my gals "chicks" because we really a gaggle of chicks!! Hah! Look that word up and it means: informal or disorderly or noisy group of people. Yep, that's us chicks!! Right on the nose!

Another shot of the little tags.

And theeeeennnnnn we have some sweet little birds in their own little white tissue nest. How cute. And notice how sweetly Rhea wraps them. I think I'm gonna take a clue from that and wrap better when I send something.

Now, the sweetest thing of all!!! A non-caloric cupcake (eye candy for us computer people......hah! I love eye candy!! Isn't he too cute? I've named him Mr. Ed - not after the old show by that name but after sweet Rhea's hubby who is not only a hunk but a really sweet guy......according to Rhea, of course, and she would NOT lie about that, trust me!!

And looooook at this cloche!! It's tiny but so adorable. I just love it because of it's tininess and look of fragility. The rose is under there for now but I'm thinking of other things to go under it also. I'm so glad I got it!

When I first opened the package and saw these I thought they were giant lollipops! Oh, be still my heart......candy?!?! So I opened them up and here's what they actually where. Are they not adorable?!?!?!?! Maybe even better than candy because I won't eat these up. Hah!

And just to keep some of you up to date on my office/crafts room this is how far I've gotten in a week or two. Pathetic, huh??? I'm still working on it though.

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