A Fun Retreat

Last week I was invited to go to an all girls retreat at my friend's beautiful cabin. I was both excited and anxious---excited to get away for a much needed break; anxious because ALL of the other ladies are expert quilters. I wondered how I would spend my time while they pieced and sewed. Most of my projects of late have been large, involving rooms or furniture in my home. . .nothing conducive to a weekend getaway. I was at a loss as to what to do. One son suggested that I take the break to plan future projects. A friend proposed that I bring magazines or books. Both were wonderful ideas but I felt the need to be creative alongside my friends. So I threw together several things I had lying around my home, items I had purchased earlier hoping one day to try my hand at creating.While my friends cut fabric scraps for quilts I used their cutting tools to cut apart dollar store t-shirts. Using the cut apart t-shirts I made necklaces with the help of this tutorial.I learned how to "finger knit" with the help of this post. It was so easy and fun that I made a brown friendship bracelet for each lady on the retreat.I covered a metal letter "A" with moss. And used my friend's cabin decor to stage this glamor shot.While my quilting friends were busy sewing I stayed busy creating words with wire similar to one I made here. I plan to use these as gift tags. I even crafted up several of these wire "eat" signs for my friends to take home and stick in breads, cakes, or anything they're serving to family and friends.I had so much fun with my creative and loving friends! I came home energized and happy. It's amazing how a little girl-time and crafting can energize one's soul!

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Winter Florals

I love to use amaryllis flowers in my
winter decorating.

I've always used the fake variety

but for Christmas a friend gave me
my first amaryllis bulb.It was so fun to watch it grow, it changed almost daily.
I was so happy with my real live amaryllis
that I partnered it with a live orchid. Both are easy and rewarding to grow.
And they're beautiful too!

Back In Love

I have loved my long green table for years. It was a thrift find that may have once been a school science table---the old gum stuck underneath, as well as the holes from a pencil sharpener would indicate that that was it's previous life. I painted and distressed it to match my home decor but that was a few years back and my style has evolved since then.
A couple of weeks ago I stopped to look at the mis-tints at the big orange box store. I fell in love with a quart of muddy gray paint that someone else did not care for. A few coats of paint and it looked like new.Wanting to keep the story of the science table in tact I gave it a glaze, darkening it over the dings and scratches, to bring out the previous chapters of it's life.Then to give it a little more interest and height I added some casters.

I am back in love with my table!

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Couldn't Be Simpler

We live in an incredible age!

We have decorating inspiration galore at the touch of a finger. Yet, I fear we can feel that if we are not spending money and/or hours re-purposing, refurbishing, spray painting, sewing, hot gluing, or adding rope onto something then we aren't really decorating.

Making your home beautiful can be
simple and fast.

It's as easy as placing your favorite collection
in a silver tray or pretty bowl.Even simpler, place a pretty rock,
(I found this one at a nearby stream) or shell atop a stack of books.These are simple joys that make for a pretty home.

Lucketts Part One

My daughter asked me what activities
I might be interested in doing while I was visiting.
On the top of my list was to take a trip to
The Old Lucketts Store. I had heard about Lucketts by reading blogs years ago
and I was excited to see if it was really as wonderful as I had read.
I was not disappointed. Talk about eye candy! I took tons of photos and it's still just a portion of all there was to see.
So for those of you, like me,
who enjoy perusing the pictures in magazines and on blogs
much more than reading the words, this post is for you.
ENJOY!

Serveware

I succumbed.

I did.
I saw this little beauty on the very bottom shelf at the thrift store.My first response was to gasp.
A little.
Then reason took over as I reminded myself that I am trying very hard to
buy only things that I know I will use.
But the hypnosis of ironstone had me under it's spell
and I picked up this pretty little piece of serving ware and placed it in my basket.
I told myself that it was possible to enjoy it's beauty while shopping.
And then leave it.
But the more I stared at it in my cart the more it had my heart.
I knew it would never be used.
I reasoned that it could always be just a gorgeous display piece.
After all it certainly appears to be vintage.Who uses these things anyway?
Although . . . . .
with Mother's day just a few days away,
my family could lovingly bring me breakfast in bed using this on a tray.
Along with a vase of beautiful flowers.
But that's not going to happen.
Ever.
My family knows that the only breakfast I enjoy is cereal.
With a little orange juice on the side.
Not exactly a breakfast in bed menu.
Nope.
This won't be used on Mother's day.
Or any of the other three-hundred-and-sixty-four days of the year.
But who made the rule that you could only enjoy things if they serve a purpose?
Not me.
My rule would be:
If it brings a smile to your face, and a dream to your heart,
and it won't break the budget,
it's okay to buy that budget smiley-face-dream-maker.
Just as long as you don't buy so many
that you end up on some TV show for hoarder's.
Or have to join Smiley-Face-Dream-Maker Anonymous.
My other rule is that a woman should always by herself
a little something for Mother's day.
So this is my gift to me.Here's where you envision me with a smile on my face
and a dream cloud floating over my head,
wishing myself a Happy Mother's Day.
And wishing you a Happy Mother's Day too!

A Welcoming Arrangment

This vignette is currently on the table in our entry
to welcome family and friends.
The arrangement is simply a grocery store bouquet
with a few flowering tree branches from our yard tucked in.Everything else {silver, faux plant, leaf ball, books}
is thrifted items.I adore how simple, thrifty items placed on a tray
can look so formal and beautiful!