Refurbishing Some Red Shoes I Love for Pink Saturday 12/5/09

A friend of mine is doing a series of photos of Victorian Christmas' through this whole month. It is "eye candy" for sure. So won't you please go visit her at Aunt May's Cottage.

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Visit with Beverly at howsweetthesound for more participants for Pink Saturday. You'll not be sorry. Hope your holiday was wonderful!
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Beverly has asked us to share a Christmas memory and mine just happens to be about a pair of red shoes!

In the late 1950s we lived in Yorktown, VA. and did our shopping in Williamsburg. One day while shoe shopping my mother wanted these red shoes for me and I wasn't particularly fond of the style. I would only agree to them if she bought me a pair I liked. I was a teenager and a bit obstinate. So we bought 2 pairs of shoes that day: the red pair and another pair that the color escapes me after 50 years, but I rarely, if ever, wore those red shoes and never did hear the end of it from my mother. Oh, I loved the color, just not the style.
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I've had these shoes for over 25 years. They were my favorite pair of shoes but as you can see they've just about had it. Who am I kidding; they've definitely had it. They just went with anything: skirts, dresses or pants. I love them. So instead of throwing them away I've redone them to keep in a spot in my home. If I could find a shoemaker to duplicate them I'd have another couple of pairs made. But, alas, around here no one would take on the challenge. That surprised me because they definitely look easier to make than a pair of cowboy boots!

First step was painting them. I didn't necessarily want them to match so I painted one pink and one white. It took several coats of paint for them to even start to look better.

First I added german glass glitter to the outside. Then I started with the embellishing.

I painted the heel alizarin crimson red. That's about as red as you can get. I've given it many coats and may have to do many more through the days just as high end house painters and decorators do to those fabulous homes in magazines. Do you realize that in some cases those homes get 25 coats of paint? Yep, they do. The more paint the more luminous the wall. I've never done less than 3 coats of paint to any wall I've ever had.

Then I added some gorgeous vintage lace and some ribbon roses.

Since I call just about everyone "chick" I decided to add a little chickadee and a frivolous bright pink feather. A paper rose tops it off.

I wrapped some beautiful fabric around some poly filling and stuck it inside the shoe. After all, who wants to look at the yucky inside. On the sole I glued some pretty paper on but didn't take a picture of that.

And voilà the end result.
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I'm grateful to have lived in many places in the U.S. and having visited other countries because I then can truly judge about how wonderful this country is.
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Cottages and Roses Paintings #4 for Pink Saturday

This is the 4th time I've edited this post!! I keep thinking of things I want to tell ya chicks or tips I want to share.
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I've been thinking on what I wanted to do with a corner behind me to the left of the desk in my office. I just couldn't come up with anything, but actually I hadn't given it too much thought as I've been super busy trying to find space for my sheets and towels.........here I go—getting off track!

Anyway, I was reading a blog the other day and she had a corner and "BOOOOOING", it hit me like a ton of bricks!! I don't know why because I've done this in my house in other places, but it just didn't hit me until I saw her picture. Donna "snapped a rubber band" at my head with the picture over on her blog today.......hmmmm, seems like yesterday though. Oh well............ I simply put a little lamp that has been sitting on the floor until I could find out what to do with it. This is the corner where my cable modem and wireless router sit and it looks just "blah" there. I've been thinking but it didn't sink in until her blog picture. I am going to cover the little tv tray it is sitting on. My office can't be configured many ways because of all the electronics I have hooked up to my computer so this is IT, chicks. It fills that corner AND gives me some light. But it was so short that I added the books to it for a bit of elevation. Works very well. DUH!!!

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I've had these millinery roses for years and years and they've kind of "settled or flattened" from being in a drawer for so many years.

Then I came across a tip from Heather several days ago—can't really remember when— and tonight I decided to test it out as I had nothing to do. Riiiiiight!!!! Hah. Anyway, I thought I'd share this tip/trick with all of you. It actually worked well as you can see in the pictures below of the before and after. They're actually very perky and pretty now.

The tip is to hold them upside down over a steaming kettle or pot. I used a pot with boiling water and held it over for a minute or so and voilà! They are back in shape.

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Okay, I got to thinkin' today, chicks. I wanna do a swap with only one person! Just me and someone else. I want to do a crown swap. Anyone wanna accept the challenge to do it with me??? Hmmmm??? Just email me today and let me know. I'm only going to do one person. I want to get to know one of you very well. By 5 pm tonight. I'll pick the name out of a hat and announce it after 5 pm TONIGHT. This is gonna be fun!!!

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I saw this darling prom gown and had to share. While certainly more modest than some I've seen, most of the teenagers I know wouldn't wear something without a sleeve. However, this dress is adorable with its net ruffles and being pink so I had to share.

I love hand bags like these below—all pink, satin and froufrou-y.

I guess men design these shoes. Women who actually wear them wouldn't design something so high you look like an elephant walking down the street. Just watch the women in these HIGH heels walking. They CAN'T! Why can't they design these in a shorter heel style so we don't ruin out feet later in life. Trust me on this ONE!!!! They are adorable though.

This looks like something designed by a man who hated women! Like maybe the Marquis de S*de!

You certainly won't break a heel in this one; you'll break your FOOT! Silly.

Seriously, chicks, can you REALLY see someone actually buying, wearing and walking in such a shoe??? This designer must REEEEALLLLY hate women! Idiot!
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How I love this magnificent huge rose bouquet!

Spending a summer afternoon watching sail boats drifting by while reading your favorite book and having a picnic lunch with someone special.

Spending some time at the sea shore watching the ocean ebb and flow in your solitude with the birds drifting overhead and a blue bouquet at your window. Feel the sand on your toes as you dig them into the sand.

A bouquet of roses freshly picked from the garden and tossed onto a side table until they can be arranged into a vase. She reminds me of Paul de Longpre and his luscious painting of roses in this one.

Another exuberant bouquet of picks from the garden on a summer morn with fresh berries and other fruit for a tête-a-tête.

Last of these paintings by Barbara Mock.
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Greenhurst Nursery #18

We come to the end of this nursery series and I've loved showing you a part of my state. Idaho isn't famous for very much - mostly potatoes and they do grow the absolutely best potatoes in the world over in the southeastern part of the state. Yes, there really is a difference in the taste of potatoes! However, we are also famous for ski resorts and cowboys. So let's begin the ending of this tour.
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When I did my first photo shoot of the nursery this area was awaiting decorating and was pretty much bare. But it is usually the "centerpiece" of the store. I'm glad I went back to snap some more pictures for you to see it as it usually is but "with the seasons."
This also is the room to the right of the entrance that was bare and awaiting decorating. And what decorating it was. There has to be at least hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of ornaments in this room. Ornaments with very nice price tags......hundreds of dollars for just one ornament. If you enlarge some of the photos you can see a few of the price tags. Here's another "Charlie Brown" minimalistic" tree. It's adorable with its center pole white and green stripes.

Many Father Christmases..........most of them absolutely stunning.

Don't know who is the creator of these little ornaments but again, it's a "lime green" Christmas. Must be THE color of the season this year.

Enlarge to be "delighted"!! Look at the legs on those glittery goblets! I may have to get one next weekend.

Ooops sorry, these aren't in order because I meandered around that day to areas that weren't available during the first shoot. BUT if you love tropical or Hawaii type Christmases then this is the area for YOU!

Pillows with raffia ruffles!

Hula girls, pink flamingos (and we ALLLL know how I feel about pink flamingos!), syrupy cocktails in glasses, fish (fish??? Yes, FISH, but what colorful fish!), sea horses, dolphins, palm trees.........oooooh myyyyyy........

Here we go again with that lime green. Look at those shoes with the pink bows! Squeeeeeeal...... Pink and green everywhere. Aloha!!!!

Totes also.

Ahemmmm, back to the Mainland Christmas.......

This is what you first see now when entering the front door. Remember, the last time it was the halloween witch and display. Glad I came back to shoot one more time for you chicks!!!

Their revolving tree at the front door. It's very tall also.

Giddyup, ya cowgirls!

Oooops again, swinging back over to the tropical area.......

Okay, are you getting nauseous from all the going back and forth yet?? Well, hang on, it's almost over, chicks....

Look at this little music stand and the "legs"! No self-respecting stand would be without her high heels now, would she?!?!?!

A little round stand with just Christmas tree cookie jar and a furry snowman cookie jar and a green frog on a pink toadstool and lot of PINK ornaments on that tree that is one step up from Charlie Brown's.

The other side of the round stand.

Here's the little piece I gave you a "peek" at of awhile back. Do you remember that I posted a little "foot" to tickle your fancy and tease ya?!?! You are now entering the world of the pièce de resistance. Are these not absolutely adorable? Weeeellll then, look below............

Sarah!!!!! Oh, Sarah Palin!!!!!!!! Where are you? I'm shakin' in my high heels, chickees!! I gotta watch out for that moose huntin' chick! I think she has my name on that gun of hers. I think she's just jealous because I'm sooooo glamorous. Would ya just look at my high heel boots and my PinkkkkKKKK frock with the ruffles? And the ribbons on my feet.....uhhhh, I mean hooves. And my antlers??? Are they frou-frou or what!?! They'll hold candles but I ain't putting any in there till someone tells Sarah I'm not a moose. I'm a moosette with a roses garland around my gorgeous neck? Just call me Molly Roses Moosette! Yep, that's me, my sweet chickettes...... Okay, let's boogie on outta this place and put some dust behind us before Sarah sets her sights on me. I'm gonna "jingle" my bells for that chick! Do ya think she likes pinkkkKKKK?!?! I sure hope not or I'm toast. I'm sure she's just jealous of my outfit......or my chapeau or my HIGH HEELS.........

Yep, for a cool $1,900.00 you can take me home and I'll be yours forever! Just keep that gorgeous gun-toting chick away from meeeeeeeee! Squeeeeeeeeal!!!