Vignette Fridays!

I am participating in Vignette Fridays over at Color Outside the Lines.

I decided to share one of my old favorites with everyone.

Remember this?

 If you've never seen this before, you can read more about it HERE.

That's all folks!

See you soon....

collecting

A few posts back I showed you this:

I told you I would tell you more about it later.

Today is the day.

I have many collections. (no, I'm not a hoarder)

This little cabinet holds one of my favorites.

It is filled with miniatures from all over the world. 

(among other precious treasures - like that picture at the top of my grandparents dancing - love that one)

When I travel I try to find small replicas of famous landmarks - preferably in pewter, but I'm not too picky.

These aren't all from my travels - my children know I love these, so some of my collection is from their own adventures.

Most cities have at least one structure they are known for...

All of these souvenirs are very inexpensive and easy to pack.

If you want, you can double-click on this image to get a better look at these.

 I've even gone to the trouble fun of labeling them for you.

When I was a young girl I had a charm bracelet with charms from my travels.

I've hung it here too.

I know this doesn't look like much, but it is one of my favorites.

When my husband and I were in Rome, we tried to get to the ruins before they closed the gates.

We ran all the way up the hill, huffing and puffing, only to have the guard shut the gate in our faces.

I did the only thing any red-blooded American tourist would do in this situation.

I bent down and picked up a chunk of the path.

The Ugly American strikes again.

What do you collect?

I'd love to know.

Come back soon to see the progress on my new website.....

We're planning a fun contest where you can win a special little something...

...straight from the attic!

The Rusty Bird

Meet my friend Virginia:

Some call her this:

She makes these:

Better than a bird.

She is one of my favorite vendors at Vintage Barn Show.

Last weekend, at the show, she gave me this:

And because she knows how much I love to use vintage ephemera in my work, she surprised me with these:

Virginia has no idea how much I love birds.

And nests.

I have this rather large *gallery* hallway in my home....

It is actually the size/shape of a small room, and it is where I have displayed most of my bird's nests, etc....

I hung one of my necklaces from Virginia's cage and added some eggs.

(more about that cute little cabinet and a later time...)

I think it looks just dandy.

I made this cube a while back. Not as easy as it may look.

This is where Big Mama usually lives.

This is a grouping I made using old botanical bookplates with inexpensive frames from Michaels. The key here is using the same exact size frame and mats (I cut my own) to make a statement. 

This sweet little table was my bedside table growing up. It is circa 1860. (or so my grandmother told me)

I love it.

The collection of large eggs on the right are actually from chickens we had many years ago.

We called them "The Girls".

I blew them out and saved them.

I hope you enjoyed meeting Virginia.

Thanks for stopping by!

ps: make sure you come back to see how I use the treasures Virginia gave me.

You won't be sorry!

waiting for Seabass

Today my daughter Jaime's baby boy is officially 10 days overdue.

To distract/entertain myself I thought I would share his wonderful *new* room with you.

Jaime and Jacob didn't want a nursery that was too "theme-y".

They found all furniture on Craig's list or already had it and re-purposed it.

While we were in California Dennis and I spent a day helping to pull this room together - it just goes to show you that you don't need to spend a ton of dough to create a unique artistic and peaceful space.

This chair was reupholstered in a cheerful yellow gingham.

Office furniture re-purposed and filled with inexpensive canvas catch-alls.

The little rocker was a gift from Jacob's office.

Dresser found on Craig's list - painted and transformed into a changing table. (a little surfboard wax and those sticky drawers were gliding in and out like new!)

Prints are colorful concert posters that had been in their old livingroom.

This shelf was made by Dennis for Jaime many years ago when she lived in San Fransisco.

Several years ago we remodeled our guest cottage. Jaime was the first to move in and she wanted a cowboy themed bathroom - I commissioned my son Dusty's best friend, John Stepanian (who had the gift of bending wire) to make this from barbed wire - I'm so glad she saved it!

Jacob's contribution - he and Jaime had seen something like this in a magazine - for lots of $$$.

Engineer Jacob said, "I can make this" - and he did!

Love the different colors and patterns.

And Jaime had seen this idea somewhere and said, "I can make this!" - and she did.

Better than the original!

ok....how cute is THIS?!

Jaime remembered those silly battery-operated fish plaques (you know, the ones that sang?)

...a slab of wood from Michaels, a little felt and....voila!

Remember this from the shower?

Dennis's gift to his newest grandson.

And finally this....as you may or may not know, Jaime and Jacob took a year-long sabatical from their jobs to travel the world.

The last six months were spent in New Zealand - which is where they picked up this....those mirrors are cut in the shape of New Zealand.

The next time I write, this room will be filled with the sweet sounds of new life....

Til then ~ love and blessings,

easy last minute Mother's Day project...

I just came across this photo album I created for my Nine Ladies lunch group a few years ago.

My friends absolutely loved this little party favor, and I thought it would make a fabulous Mother's Day gift.

I got the idea from this Martha Stewart wedding project.

Back then I thought it would translate nicely into a sweet girlfriend gift.

Today I think it would be a great Mother' Day project!

All it takes is some cardstock, a ruler, an Exacto knife, some photo corners and...

 a handful of photographs.....

I had been taking pictures of my friends at every luncheon for a few months until I had exactly what I needed/wanted....

this was back in "99....I didn't have any fancy-shmancy digital camera or photoshop on my computer....

heck, I'm not even sure I had a computer then....

I had to actually go to a store(!!!) and have these developed into the warm sepia tone wanted.

I used nubby watercolor paper (because I just loved its texture)

Then I used those old fashioned photo corners to mount each picture to its *page*.

drum roll pleeeeeze.....

ta da!

If you make yours and fill it with family photos your mama will positively melt.

I guarantee it.

Happy Mother's Day!

Love,

ps: a special shout out to my baby girl Jaime who is hoping to celebrate her very first Mother's Day this weekend.

she's five days overdue.

stay tuned......