Pink Saturday 9/5/2009

Yep, it's another pink saturday! If you wish to view all the participants go to Beverly's blog and go around blogland to visit each one. I think you'll get a treat visiting with them.

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Some close ups of my message boards that I call "memory" boards because it's one of my favorite places to hang the things sent to me by friends or members of my ebay group. The rose with the hanging beads are from Bertie of AuntMaysCottage. You don't want to miss this woman's sales on her website. She makes the most exquisite things with vintage wedding gowns.

The little hand painted ornament was painted by Lorena of RoseChicFriends. I have several of her hand painted items as well as a canvas she painted. Just beautiful! Give her a visit.

Just little tags and cards sent to me when I order something over the internet. They do bring me joy and I'm always surprised at the loveliness and generosity of these women.

This is another creation of Bertie's. She spoils me! But the little valentine heart creation is Rhea's of sweetnshabbyroses. She's been very ill for a couple of years now and isn't creating much these days much to the chagrin of those who have purchased her creations. But I do talk to her from time to time on the phone.

More cards and one little one that looks like an evening gown. Isn't that sweet?! I just loved it and knew immediately where it would go.

More cards and tags. I have the privilege of knowing some of the most talented women on the internet. The little red heart is by Lorena also. The pink string hearts are by Shirl of Shirlsrosecottage. She does the most exquisite silk ribbon embroidery.

Lorena also does clay roses that she makes into little pins as evidenced by the little pin in the bottom center left of this photo.

I thought I'd show you my favorite shirt. Orange is my least favorite color but when it was combined with red, pink and fuchsia in this shirt I couldn't resist. You can't see the front but I "embellished" it with pink pockets and ribbon strings. I need pockets in everything I wear, chicks!

Roses hanging over my bed attached to the canopy of netting.

I'm sure you've seen these paper pompoms before but it's pink saturday and I'm showing them again. They hang in 2 corners of my bedroom.

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Random Thoughts:

Idealism becomes exhausting. I much prefer realism.

More Lights for the Patio

Love Bunny is eating those olives as fast as he can to get me more jars so he doesn't have to climb up into the garage attic and search for the old canning jars. I can keep that man on his toes! Anyway, I finished three more with simply saving jars from food stuffs.

I've added tulle netting to one, ribbon to another and then one has lace from a vintage pillow case that I cut off. I've added paper roses and silk roses to each one. Now if I can just get hubs to add hangers around the top of the patio cover for me to hang these we're in business, chicks!

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I saw a sign board at a church the other day that had this title for a class or sermon that was to be given: Success over fear. Now, I don't know about you but I don't WANT to get over my fear of snakes or airplanes. Why would I ever want to get over a fear of something that isn't hurting me or anyone else and that I don't particularly want to get over. I don't fly or plan on any trips to the Amazon to pet snakes.

A woman in our church wanted some help with painting her son's room once and I went over to help. As I was painting the inside of the closet she just haaaaaaapppppeneddddd to mention that her son's pet snake got loose and was lost. What kind of a homemaker lets the pet snake get loose I ask you?! You have never ever seen anyone drop a paintbrush so fast and exit a house as I did that day!!!! I panicked and left. Why in the world wouldn't that Ditz tell anyone before they came into her house????? Oh, they found him weeks later when someone was sitting in the family room on one of those banana chairs and the snake slowly exited. Can you imagine what that room would have looked like if I had been sitting on that banana chair?!?! To say nothing of the Ditz. I went into her house only once after that and when the son brought the snake out and said it wouldn't hurt anyone and would I want to pet it, I told hubs I'm outta her and we left posthaste. Eeeeuwwwww..... Ooooh, and it was NOT a garden snake, it was one of those that wrap themselves around you. A boa constrictor I believe he was. Heavy sigh...............
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Random Thought:

In our old age women "leak", but men "splatter" from the time they're toilet trained.

Silk Ribbon Embroidery for Pink Saturday 3/28/09

Just a reminder to one and all that a tutorial on making those pretty ribbon bow clip-ons is now available on the right hand sidebar here. Just find the sassy red pair of shoes with the pink ruffle bow, click on it and it will take you to the tutorial. I want to see your handiwork though, gals! ------------------>

Here is another pair I made recently. I've attached them to my black shoes, they could be attached to white or red just as easily. Does that mean I need to go find a pair of white ones now?!?! Ooooh, hold me back, chicks! But thought I'd show you how you can do this.


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Also want to let you know that in another day or so I've got a tour of a friend's log home that she's made shabby chic romantic. You'll love it! I promise you it's gorgeous!!
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I've done silk ribbon embroidery for years and just love it. I thought I'd show you some of the photos of a book I have on it. Isn't it lovely?! I've done most of the flowers and leaves in this book. What creations you can do simply with ribbons. Fantastic.

Purse made entirely of ribbons. You can make tablecloths this way also.

A beret with the most exquisite roses I've ever seen.

And another hat with silk roses and leaves. This is really and truly very simple to do.

A bridal bouquet that will last forever with white silk roses.

You can even make a very easy swag to decorate a chair.

An everlasting tiara made of white roses that will last forever for the bride.

Even African violets that will never die.

You can even embroider a ribbon for a special decoration on a pillow or scarf. Very easy!

Another purse or lingerie bag up close.

The actual lingerie or jewelry bag. Stunning!

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!!!!!

Pink Saturday 8/16/08

I get "edgy" when I don't get "personal" on my blog. I really can't explain it, chicks, but just don't like posting pix from magazines all the time. Too "impersonal". Soooo today, after doing this post about 3 days ago, I decided to put in the latest with the redo and ask for some help from all you creative decorators.

These 2 photos are the family room in its current disarray. If I'm looking for something for another wall in the house I go to this room and "shop" and usually leave a nail in the wall where the item was. But sometimes I take the nail out to use in the other room. AND when I leave the nail there and bring something into the room I'll just hang "whatever" on it. (This you can see in the 2nd photo below.) This drives hubs nutsy but he doesn't say much at all. He loves me and only lives to make this chick HAPPY!!! And truly, what can he say when HE bought the trailer and the seller didn't have a keeEEEeeey for the dooOOOOoor to the trailer so I had to call a locksmith to come out yesterday to make a keeeEEeeey for it and the cost was $80.00!!!! Yes, 80 buckarinos!! Soooo he'd best not say tooooo much, huh?!?!

I've taken the trellis apart and moved them to opposite ends of the sofa. (Oh, btw, some gals have asked what the fabric is on that sofa. It's a heavy twill with green ticking stripes that I bought online and just LOVE it. Plus I've washed it numerous times and it comes quite clean and still looks wonderful!) So I've been combing the internet for some prints of favorite artists to hang in there. I want one big print/picture hanging there with other small ones....the small ones I have already. Just some shabby chic/romantic/roses pretty prints or posters. I've searched a bit on ebay but haven't found anything yet. Any ideas or things you might have come across that you think I might like would be greatly appreciated.

I did take a few minutes to make this pillow for Love Bunny to rest his head while napping. (See the one in the middle of sofa.) I caught him falling asleep the other day and he looked so uncomfortable trying to sleep sitting up. So I took a feather pillow, made a pretty roses cover for it and just put it on there for him to grab when he feels his wee head lolling over! :-)


This wall is just waiting for the faux fireplace surround and mantel which will ship on or about 8/25 so not much can be done until then. Looks kinda sad at the moment though. My tool box is ever present now. Things have just been dropped in there to get out of the way in other parts of the house.

My "dilemme du jour" are the little french wire baskets. They are antiques that I scavenged from daughter's shed during our visit to Calif. last month if you'll remember. I love them but want to put something "unique" in them. Now, I have what I think is enough "greenery" around the old homestead at the moment so I'd like some ideas of what I could put in them so I can get them hung up as I've been tripping over them on a daily basis. ;-)

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Love Bunny (Hubs to those new readers) and I picked up this little cow bell years ago in an antique shop in Pennsylvania. (I was "into" my country period then, but I've repented and am now "into" my shabby period.) We'll probably never go back there again since I refuse to fly any where anymore, but he has a brother and several sisters living there or in neighboring states. But it was a pleasant experience to tour the antique shops and Amish country.

Anyway, it has been sitting "around" in different homes with its rust and heavy wire on the top and I got to thinking, yeah, yeah, I know, I know, but give me some slack and read on annnnyWAY. Hubs says that usually means he's going to have to do something for me, but I got to seriously thinking about its color. It didn't go well with all the frou frou-y type stuff in this house so I decided to paint it pink. Now, you might say "PINK"(!) for a cow's bell? And then I'd say "whaaaaaa, ya never seen any fashionable cow critters?" (in my best hillbilly accent and pardon me if you're a hillbilly but I hold great reverence for hillbillies since I descended from a long line of them.) So I took my trusty can of pink spray paint....spritzzzzzzzzzzz.....and here it is in all its glory! I know there must be pink cows somewhere out there because I've seen the "strawberry (pink!) milk at WM!! So kiss my grits, sweet chicks!! Hah......

I just love this color but this can kinda got away from me if ya know what I mean here!

I made 8 of these little chair back pads several years ago and they are as red and pink as they look in the photo. They will be for sale in my selling blog soon.

Now don't laugh but this is one of my mouse pads and my "mouse" resuscitator on the left - the pink towel. Once in a while my mouse's scroll wheel needs a bit of "massaging" to perform the scroll. I wet this towel and vigorously "scratch" her little back. She purrrrrs like a kitten for several weeks after that and then we have to do it alllll over again: wet the towel, massage her "wheel" and dry off her little backside. (Ronda Ray Juniper said it has to be a HER as a HIM wouldn't be so finicky! And she knows because we both have Macs and Might Mouses that scroll up and down and sideways for our Macs.)

The painted rock below means a lot to me. It was painted by a friend. She is in a group on ebay I am in and they did a swap of painted rocks - rocks coming from the area of the painters as a friendship momento. Well, I couldn't paint worth a lick at the time and still can't paint worth much now but she painted one with her roses for me and sent it to me. She's a Nevada homesteader and has one of the most gorgeous bracelets up for sale on her ebay but look at her selling blog also: Apetalapart. It is beaded and Katie has done her gorgeous silk ribbon embroidery and a decoupaged button for this bracelet. You have GOT to see it. It is truly beautiful, unique and one-of-a-kind!

I thought I'd show you the darling little newborn booties Katie made for her new granddaughter that are for sale on her selling blog. And they're "PINK"!!! Aren't they precious?!??! This is her own design and I think she did great!
And isn't this blue cobalt bottle just scrumptious? I just love that color. Of course, I love Katie also!! ;-) She's a peach! Plus she has peacocks visit her on a regular basis. Don't even get her started on the goats and baby peahens! Whoooooa, she's so funny about the goats, too. But maybe that's another blog though. ;-) Hah.......

Decorating the Living Room

I seem to be making some headway in this house the last 2 days. But wouldn't ya know it; I had to stop and resuscitate the mouse!! She's been giving me a fit lately and I usually just dust her off - her belly button, ya know, that scroll wheel. But she's been sucking some serious dust around here so it's been a miracle that I can revive the little darling. *Sigh*.........................

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This was 2 days ago. I was so tired I didn't know whether to climb the ladder to paint/hang pix or get on my knees and put stuff back that was to be "lower"! My feet are killing me from standing on that ladder, chicks.

Do you realize that I "shopped" right outta this house??? Yep, old things placed in different places seem new again. Besides, hubs said to keep it to a minimum. They're just no fun when it comes to remodeling and redecorating. Actually, this whole remodel was his idea. Ya woulda expected me to say nuuuuuuuu?!?! Get a grip, chicks, this was decorating and spending money here. It's our lot in liiiiIIIIiiiiiffffffffee. (When I type the words that way you'll know I'm RAISING my voice and lowering it. Hah...No matter.......on with the show.)

Anyway, today shows a marked improvement.....in the living room. The family room??? Pfffffffffttttt. It's trashed! Now, I'm not so proud that I wouldn't show you but there's nothing to show in there at the moment. I've pretty much stripped the pix off the walls and brought them into living room.

Notice the french wire baskets. I don't know where to put them! I'll have hubs help me decide tonight. He's actually pretty good at noticing things and recommending things when I'm stymied. You all have been a big help with your email suggestions also. Thank you!

Clock was moved last night but moving a grandfather clock is a delicate matter. We had to almost disassemble it to move it - take out the weights and pendulum. But it's there. I've added 2 pix above it and some pretty little boxes on the overhead. Being from California I'm squeamish about putting things "UP" when they could "FALL" on your head! These are light however and not a problem.

The print on the left of the photo is 1 of 3 of my favorites. It's a Susan Rios print. The one in the middle below the painting of the girl (more on that in a moment) is my absolutely favorite of all times. When we lived in California I had a huge family room and had slipcovers made for a sofa I had. It was a wide pink and white stripe. That thing cost me a fortune! That was over 20 years ago and cost me $800.00. I could actually have bought a new sofa for less at that time. I loved it though.

One day when I was at the Valley Fair Mall in San Jose I went into the Martin Lawrence Gallery there and found this print. I immediately bought it because I absolutely adored it and it looked a great deal like my home with that sofa and the lace curtains. My heart was stolen, little sweets. But when we moved up here and then to this new house 3 years ago we didn't have room for it. I sold it for $100.00 and included 2 outdoor wrought iron chairs. Pathetic.

Anyway, the limited edition on the far right with a white frame is another of Susan's prints. So I grouped them all together.

Now, about that painting. I purchased it recently at Goodwill for a couple of dollars because it touched my heart and it has pink roses on her hat. BUT the thing is Susan Rios did a self-portrait once and that is a lot like her portrait. I have a book of her painting and prints in it and that portrait is in there. Except for the hat it could almost be her. It is truly amazing. So I hung it with her paintings. I've also included her self-portrait for you to see the similarities - the pose, the hair, the white blouse, the direction in which she's looking. You'll have to enlarge the pix of living room to see that portrait better.

My new sink!!!!!! I love it. I like stainless steel and it's not as deep as the old porcelain one. I did put one pix over the sink that I can look at. Still much more to do there but I had to get some of them off the floor and hung! I'll get Love Bunny to put a shelf in there - I have no "shortage" of shelves or I'll hang that little french country shelf for miscellany.

This is a mosaic my daughter and granddaughter made me. She never got a photo of it 3 years ago and is updating her portfolio of mosaics. So I had to photograph it for her. If you want to see some of her pieces for sale go visit Nan. This is a hobby for her. She's like me and CANNOT do nothing!

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Now I want to share with you a special gift that Katie recently sent me! She just started a selling blog. But I have to tell you also that she recently has taken up silk ribbon embroidery. (We've created a monster!! Aaaack!) AND she's recently had her first grandchild, Syllah May, which was a terrific thrill for her. We followed the journey with her from the announcement of her daughter's pregnancy to the delivery of Miss Syllah. She's a beauty also, but has the most extensive wardrobe of any new chick I've ever seen!! Anyway, Katie made this quilted tote for me and it's lovely. You have got to go to her blog and see her exquisite silk ribbon embroidery! That new baby had the most exquisite first wardrobe I've ever seen. Goooooo! Ooooh and why the tote???? I guess she just "loves" me for some crazy reason! :-)~*~

*UPDATE at 10:15 pm TONIGHT!*
I composed this post tonight at 6 pm or so after working all day (but I wanted you to view the "latest" of the kitchen) and adding to the draft of this post and scheduling it to come on line at midnight, but hubs put up a couple of shelves for me tonight so it's 10:15 pm and I've been up for 20 hours now and still going strong............ Hah! If you believe that you're nuts because you can tell by the run on sentence!!!!! I'm about to keel over. BUT I'll just post this and go because hubs is tired.*Fini* Bon nuit!