Blue Monday

 

Happy Blue Monday! Smiling Sally is hosting this party and she is a true delight. Be sure to take time to drop by her blog to visit her and the other Blue Monday partiers!

I am starting with this picture I took at Thanksgiving when my oldest daughter , Danielle, her hubby, Tom and their son and my only grandson came to visit. It was such a happy time as all my children were home. I haven’t seen them since then, except on Skype, which is the Jetson’s video phone. Who’d have ever imagined there would come a time that you can talk to and see the person on the other end of the line?!

I am glad they decided to wear blue so the picture works for today!

This pitcher with the delicate blue floral pattern cost $3! It is one of my recent thrift store finds. I actually passed on it; couldn’t get it out of my head and zoomed back across the store, wondering why I was hesitating over the $3 price tag! Sometimes you find such great deals that you get used to things being crazy-cheap; like .25 or .50. So $3 seems like highway robbery until you hit yourself upside your head and get thinking properly!

I don’t know a think about it except I know I just really like it. It seems old but I don’t know. In my dreams, it is a rare collectable worth thousands :)

 

Finally, I am showing one of my vintage hankies that I am using as a table mat, at the moment. I adore the patterns and colors of vintage hankies and this aqua blue shade is my favorite.

Thanks for stopping by! I enjoy the visits so much and I am wishing you a joyful week.

Burlap and Silk Screening

This is my first time attending the Make it for Monday party hosted by Cindy at Cottage Instincts. She has such a funny and great way of creating and looking at things, so you need to stop by for a great time of inspiration.

I love creating things. I love seeing what others do and gleaning information on how I can, perhaps, try it myself.

I do not have skills or talent, but, I keep trying. My criteria for attempting a project is that is be:

Cheap

Quick

Easy

Super Easy

I have been coveting the projects made from burlap. When I saw large burlap pillows at Pottery Barn for $$$$$$, I decided I had nothing to lose by giving it a whirl.

I bought 1 yard of 2.99 burlap from JoAnn’s and this silk-screening crown stencil kit for $10 with my half price coupon. I also bought some black fabric paint for a couple of bucks.

This stencil is pretty large and has adhesive on the back so you can lay it down and reposition as necessary. You can use it over and over.

Since I work on my kitchen island, I grabbed the giant thick envelope that covered the cute kitty calendar my hubby got me for Christmas and smoothed a hunk of burlap over it. After peeling off the stencil, positioning it on the burlap and smoothing it out, I spread a thick stripe of the black fabric paint right above the crown design. You can’t really see it but the crown has a fine mesh screen in the cut parts of the design.   I learned that you need to put on a really good amount of paint so that there is enough to spread all the way to the bottom of the crown.The stencil kit came with this hard plastic tool for spreading the paint. You drag the paint straight down with the stencil. At this point, you will be pretty sure you have ruined the whole thing. Then you peel back the stencil and there is a design that really looks like a crown.   I repeated this process 3 times in a row. I put a single panel in this thrift store frame that I painted red. And, I made 2 pillows, which I just stitched together on my sewing machine and stuffed full with fiberfill.

It’s kind of bumpy and wrinkly but I figured it was a practice run. I won’t be punishing anyone by making them sleep on them; they are for decoration and are good enough. Actually, the wrinkles managed to work themselves out over a little time.

Pink Saturday Delights

It’s a yummy Pink Saturday! For this special day of pink hosted by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound , I am contributing a pink cupcake for everyone. One each to start with and seconds if there is enough. My sweet friend , Ana Helena, who moved here from Brazil, did a terrific job, baking and decorating them.

Grab a few cookies to eat now and take a plate home with you. These are out of this world; creamy, buttery; melt in your mouth delicious.

To offset the sweetness; I have some bold, eye-spinning French roast coffee made in my pink French press.

If tea is your preference, I have some fresh tea ready in the pink tea pot.

Hope you enjoyed the little treat and we’ll have to do this again soon!

Beverly challenges Pink Saturday paticipants to find someone we haven't previously met and feature them on our PS blog. I am pleased to introduce: Barb from Dogma Diva, she has a great style and vibe; a sweet lady. Drop by for a visit!

REDnesday~Did it!

Yes, I did! A couple of things, actually.

This used to be a pretty red-framed mirror until it tragically fell off the wall. For 10 months, it has sat lonely and naked in my garage, waiting for me to find a place that cuts mirror for replacements.

I have seen really cool blackboards created by creative people all over blogland and thought I would give it a try someday. Finally a light bulb went on in my brain to use lonely-naked frame. I set up shop in my work space/kitchen island.

I tell you, this chalk board paint went on really slick and easy. One coat was enough but I was on a high so I added another. I am one who loves to create but feels like I am lacking in the talent and skill department. That’s why this was a perfect project. It took 5 minutes and I wasn’t able to mess it up!  If you want instant gratification and to feel really good about yourself; buy a can of chalkboard paint, grab a frame of some sort and 5 minutes and that’s it!

You see a roller in the tray. I didn’t use it. My daughter Lilly painted a wall in her domain at the same time. It turned out awesome and I’ll have pics later. There is still a ton of paint left in the can and I am scanning my home for another piece to convert. This was a banner day! I did a project I always wanted to do and I went to the Rednesday party for the first time :)

Check out the party at It’s a Very Cherry World. It’s a ton of good fun for us red-lovers!

A Green Giveaway!

Mary at Vintage Cottage, is having a really cool giveaway. To celebrate March and St. Patrick’s Day, she has some specially selected goodies; such as this:

and this:

 

Do you have the Luck  o’ the Irish?

Come on, you can stop sewing for a second.

Click on the Leprechaun at the top of the page and try your luck!

Blue Monday~Creative Daughter

 

  Click on the picture of the bird to visit Smiling Sally and her guests for Blue Monday. It is a great way to start your week, I promise!

My youngest child, Lily, and my middle child, Monica, noticed, last week, that they were wearing old sweats, t shirts, miss-matched socks , crazy hair and freshly- scrubbed- no- make up faces, as they settled into bed. I confess that I am in the same condition by bedtime. The constricting day-time clothes are peeled off as soon as I am sure that I’m home for the evening and that no visitors are expected. If, I happen to have a work-at-home day, I may be found in that condition at any moment. Even more so, as I will have paint on my hands and in my hair. The entire front of my shirt will probably be drenched with dishwater, too. At the very least!

I’m not sure who said it first, but, “We look like Ragamuffins”; certainly the expression is from old stories we read together, is what the sisters agreed upon.

The next day, this is what I found in Lily’s room. One busy girl creating art, freehand. No stencils, no tracing; just acting on the urge.

No trendy quotes such as :” Keep Calm and Carry On”, or “Always Kiss Me Goodnight”, or even “Princess”.

And this is my contribution for Blue Monday. Lily’s room is a soothing spa blue, with ocean-inspired decor.

And, now it has it’s newest accent piece!

How often do you just “go for it”?  Do you ever or do you need to plan it out, take measurements, obsess about the color and placement…?  I wonder if Lily will always be this free-spirit that will just make it happen?

I wish you all a Happy Blue Monday and a happy Blue week!

Pink Saturday

I look forward to Pink Saturday all during the week. There is just something about this day and the pink-lovers that participate, that warms my soul. And my soul can use warming on these cold, snowy days. I have found that the pink party-goers are the sweetest of the blogging bunch. How could one love pink and not be full of sweetness?!

Zip right over to Beverly’s site; How Sweet the Sound, to attend the Pink party. There are a ton of friends on the party list that would love for you to drop by and say “hello”.

Does this mid century dishware look familiar? I recall seeing this and similar types at my friend’s homes while growing up.

My friend, Debbie, sets a beautiful pink table with pink flower placemats and pink rose china.

This pink crystal or glass, footed bowl is lovely as a centerpiece.

The pink and gold striped glasses are, well, um, happy, is the word that comes to mind.

Debbie is , also, good at creating mosaic pieces. You can see part of the mosaic picture frame she created on the left. Mosaic is an art that is on my “bucket list” of things I want to do. It is in my heart and my head, to create mosaics and I dream of being to the point of actually being able to try it. I have the feeling that I’ll just have to answer the urge, plunge in  and just do it. If I keep waiting until I am caught up with everything else, it may never happen!

A row of pink topiary trees create a garden on top of the hutch. Finally I have these embroidered linens with pink flowers and crocheted trim in pinks from light to dark. I love these vintage linens made with such care. It seems that it is a skill of the past. Young ladies always learned this art. I don’t know anyone of this generation who does this; sad really. I never learned and so I haven’t been able to pass it on to my children.

Do you embroider? Do you have embroidered linens that someone in your family made?

Thanks for stopping by! I love the company :)

Pink Saturday Cat’s Meow

To enter a Pink Saturday Party, click here. Beverly, I hope you are doing well and will have the chance to enjoy the party. We’ve been praying for you!

 

Happy Pink Saturday! Welcome friends and thank you for coming by because:

Emmett was my Valentine’s Day present from hubby, exactly 1 year ago. He is a rescued kitty and is purrrr love! He is slightly pink, just for today :)Lovely pink wedding! J’aime les chats. I am a cat person. I love pictures of kitties and the vintage prints of kitties are so precious. For Pink Saturday, I tried to find pics with at least a little pink. The kitties are playing so nicely together. London Bridges is one of their favorite games. There is a smidge of pink on their noses!

Happy Valentine’s Day Dear Friends and Family!