Notes from A Cottage Industry

Oh, the fun things a girl can find at the Dollar Store.

Seriously fun things. 

Cute (and trendy, even!) paper goods for parties?

Yes.

Fabulous stocking stuffers for the kiddos?

Yup.

Cold medicine, toothpaste, aluminum foil, or dishtowels?

They've got 'em.

Million dollar candy bars for our "Million Dollar Providers" attending a Bootcamp at work?

Of course.

Really?!

Really.

(And, for all of these items for a dollar, no less.)

Every time I start a creative project for any type of event, whether it's for work, for home, or for a friend, I pop on over to the dollar store and just cruise on through each aisle.

Last week I got square paper plates. Totally designer looking, and, at 10 in the package for a buck, the price was right. I can't wait to use them.

In the case of the candy bars, I was wandering through on my lunch break and spotted them. Since one of the point we teach our members is how to become a "Million Dollar Provider" they were just too perfect to pass up. I took a picture of one with my phone and headed back to work.
I then shared the photo with a coworker and we came up with a use for these perfect candies.

I ran back over a few days later and bought up the amount we needed, and then I created little little printed strips to cover the brand name marketing already on the candy wrapper. I printed them, cut them out, and added them to our candy bars for a custom look.

 

This idea would work for any kind of event; a birthday party, a congrats present, a just-because-you're-so-special gift.

Do you shop your local dollar store? I'd love to read about your finds!

Weekly Words to Live by...Happy Mother's Day!

A little sneak peek at the latest project around the house.

 I am finally, finally, tackling my craft-room-slash-home-office, and, because it's going to be my creative space,  it's a real labor of love.

Now, you would think since it's so close to my heart, I'd be moving faster on it, but...no. I've been oh-so-slowly working on this since...gosh, I think just after Christmas.

Eeek.

Well, I'm getting focused in on it now, and moving along at a slightly faster pace, and so I thought I'd share a little sneak peek.

I'm still trying to organize all of my assorted types of paper, and litle bits of ribbon. I'm still searching for the right rug, (or not) and maybe some item for the center of the room (a chopping block type of island, about three by three)...or maybe I just need a rearrangement of furnishings?

 

 

Gosh, I just don't know.

When I am trying to figure out the best room arrangement, I use graph paper and use one square per foot. I measure the room, the windows, the doors, and then all of the major furniture pieces. (Do you use this method?)

You know, you don't even have to buy graph paper anymore, you just google some up and print a page.

How easy is that?

I always make sure to have around three feet of walking space around pieces that stick out into the room. Make sure you don't ignore how many little one foot boxes are between furniture pieces, so you end up with enough walking room.

I'll be sharing an update with more complete photos soon!

 

 

 

Have I been to one too many Vintage Fleas?

One of the charming vintage shops in Vancouver Washington came up with a not-new-but-new-for-our-area event…a monthly Vintage Flea Market, to be held on the first Sunday of each month through summer.

Last Sunday was the first one. Both of my daughters and I had discussed getting a booth space in the parking lot, but...the weather here in May is dicey at best, so we chickened out, and decided we would just attend the event as shoppers. As it turned out,the event was great, and the weather was perfect, other than some pretty heavy winds, which were playing havoc on some of the booth displays. I took plenty pictures, but as I edited them, I realized that what I was drawn to more than anything else, was the fabulous art of display these talented people have.

 

 

The place was crowded with shoppers…lots of browsers and looky-loos, and folks eye candy shopping for inspiration. I say this because I didn’t see a wave of near hysterical shoppers running at items as I have witnessed in years past when the crowds of women scampered to grab what they could before someone else snagged it. Out of the three of us, only one daughter bought something. She got two darling wooden turquoise children’s chairs to go in the playroom.

It got me to wondering. (And maybe I’m wrong. I often am, you know.)

Could it be?...Have I seen it all? The weathered creams, whites, and burlaps. The feed sacks, the chalkboard painted buckets, tables, dressers...you-fill-in-the-blank. 

Now, don’t get me wrong. I like this look. 

Heck, I love this look. ( I have a version of it in my own home, and my daughters have their own versions of vintage in their homes too..)

But I seem to have it already. So do my girls. I do not seem to come across anything that I feel like will add to my spaces with such impact that I am willing to pay a high price for it.    

That brings me to the other thing that we all noticed. (and I am wondering if you have noticed this in your area as well, as this was not the first event I have noticed prices edging up.) People seem to have really raised their prices. (and this may have been why nothing really grabbed me hard enough to buy it.)

I mean, I am not expecting yard sale pricing by any means at all, but eight bucks for a small metal tag that I was thinking could be too-cute tied with jute around a cloth napkin at a summer barbeque? That’s just not happening at my house, when we are eating off my thrifted-for-twenty-dollars-six-years-ago pfaltzgraph Filegree white dishes, and the handmade cloth napkins my mom makes for me with discount fabrics. It just seems that as a vendor in afair, without the overhead that ashop owner has to bear, the prices would be a little lower. 

 

Am I  getting out of touch?  Right now, the things that send me to the moon  all seem to be table setting related, or for parties, or a small intimate event. (Like a cozy breakfast for two)I never to seem to find any gotta-haves for my own home decor these days.

I am hoping it’s not that I am “getting old”. You know, like before you know it I will be sporting sensible shoes that resemble men’s house slippers, (gasp!)  going to bed with the chickens, and saying things like “he hasn’t got the sense God gave a goose”.   

What do you think? Are you feeling like you  have seen most of the ideas and pieces, or are you still finding so much stuff you need a pick-up to take it all home? I’d love to hear your thoughts on all of this, and also, I’d love, love, love to read what kinds of things currently do inspire you right now into nesting mode over-drive...

**Edited Tuesday, May 7, 2013- While as of now, I have not had any negative comments here from readers....I want to apologize with all of my heart to anyone I inadverently offended with this post....those that had a booth in this fair, and to Billie who owns the charming shop as I stated in my first paragraph. I did not realize....(obviously, I had a complete brain lapse, and ...I did not think.) as I wrote my thoughts, that anyone involved in the fair would take offense. (Not sure why, it just didn't enter my mind as I wrote. I think maybe it didn't occur to me because I didn't say anything negative about the products- quite the contray, they were all fabulous, or I wouldn't have taken so many pictures.)

The main point I was sharing, (or...attempting to share) besides noticing pricing on the upswing, was that I am kind of surprised at myself, at not being swept away in a vintage frenzy, as I have been only a few years back. The fact was, it crossed my mind that I might be thinking more these days like...ehem...an older lady. (No ofense meant to any women out there older than me. Especially not you, Mom.)

Again I want to say, to Billie, and to the vendors in the Flea Market event...I am sorry if I offended you in any way.

Truly.

(Insert large embarrassed cringe here.)

I will not ruin a perfectly decent apology here with excuses. I will say that Cottage Vintage Home's next Flea Market will be held June 2nd.

All you need is love.

And...Love is all you need....along with a little paint, a few flowers, and some elbow grease.

After I shared my photos yesterday, it occurred to me that I had some old pictures of the house...before.

Before the thrifted and moved (and moved) adirondack chairs came to live in the yard.

Before the little wicker chair and rain boots found a new home on the doorstep.

Before we drove around for more than two hours and then knocked on some stranger's front door to ask her what the name of her house paint colors were.

And she happily shared them.

We didn't spend a lot of money, but the changes are priceless when I look at the before and after shots side by side.(Oh, keep in mind that the before picture was taken at the end of summer, when a lot of lawns here look rather dry and...dead.)

 

 

Mmmm hmmm. I likey.

 

See what a little love can do?

 

 

 

Pops of color.

Aaaaah, it’s Friday.

I cannot remember a longer week than this one. Seriously, the days have seemed to each be three days long at work, and I know why.

I have spring fever.

Yes, warm-and-sunny-blue-skies-flowers-blooming-everywhere spring fever.  This dry gorgeous weather hit the fabulous Pacific Northwest this week with such sudden-ness that I have been unable to concentrate on anything work related.

Even though I swore I wasn't going to buy any plants for outside until at least mid May, I ran out on my lunch break on Monday and bought several ivy geraniums. (We have red front doors, and I could just envision the bright pops of red geraniums adding that needed touch to the front of the house.

I then spent Monday evening sharing my vision with my Rock n’ Roll Buddy of the amazing impact the hanging flowers would have on our home once he installed the screws under the eaves  to hang them.

The geraniums waited patiently in the flower bed below where there new home would be.

I spent Tuesday evening letting the idea gel a bit more in his head.

The geraniums continued patiently waiting.

He obliged on Wednesday after work, (See? I knew he just needed time to digest the idea and see the potential!) and I was right. They added the perfect amount of color and balance. Once they were hung we went down to the sidewalk to bask in the awesome-ness that was our walkway of hanging geraniums.

*sigh*

Amazing what a huge difference four hanging flower pots can make.

Now I am thinking that we really need a nice shade tree out there in the yard behind the Adirondack chairs…..what do you think? Can you see that? (I would move the chairs more forward on the lawn, which is fairly large...)

 

 

It's just like decorating any other space in our homes... the front...the outside...is the first thing anyone sees, and you know what they say about first impressions.

So, when this time of year...this glorious weather...hits, I am suddenly all about creating a welcome feeling...outside. LAst year we painted the exterior, and this year I want to continue the momentum of making our home look happy...just like us.

Loose curls.

I shared this hair photo a short while back.

(It's my current "dream" hair-do.)

It's just taht I do not really understand how to achieve this look.

(Insert big, long, frustrated sigh here.)

I am always amazed at how some of my coworkers manage to have that messy, tosseled, kinda-curly-kinda-straight hair style. I saw  this video and now I know. Watch this:

 

Now, my only question is, how can you apply this look to shorter hair, and is it a look that only girls under 40 can pull off? Sweeps rules: http://www.blogher.com/hair-sweepstakes-official-rules-week-7 Prizes & Promotions page on Blogher.com: https://www.blogher.com/blogher-tv-weekly-hair-style-sweepstakes

Yet another quick peek at my teeny-tiny booth case at Camas Antiques.

 

When I was down at Camas Antiques this weekend, browsing the basement, I was also re-fluffing my space.

 

 

My favorite new thing I've added to my case are these sweet little dictionary page heart banners. Perfect to string across a headboard, or a spot in your cubical at work, or pop inside a card to mail as a charming surprise for a friend.

I will be back down tomorrow when I am planning on doing a major overhaul to this little space, but for now, here are a couple more shots of my latest eye candy....

 

Happy Wednesday, everybody!

A (semi) hidden hot-spot....Downstairs at Camas Antiques.

 

I always love plundering around Camas Antiques, and it occurred to me that I do not think I have ever mentioned that there is a basement level... a downstairs portion to this fantastic slice of vintage heaven on earth.

And it seems to be getting better by the week these days.

 

The stairs that take you down to the lower level are at the back of the store, and for some reason, a lot of folks seem to miss them entirely.

Anyway.

There are several new vendors down there.

And all of them are fabulous.

Oh my.

 

If you're lucky enough to get to spend some time in Camas Antiques, you've just gotta make sure to go downstairs and check every last nook and cranny out.

You're bound to find something you cannot live without.

 

 

 

It's that time of year again.

 

..and, by "that time" I mean the time of year when the dollar store (and every other big box store in America) gets out their summer gear, which includes pool noodles.

You've seen these things, right?

Now, my Mom enjoys a good pool noodle. In fact, when she lived in Nevada, she was part of a click of summer-time pool junkees who boasted sassy swimsuits with coordinating cover-ups, flowered-flip-flops and brightly pedicured toes. They would catch up on the latest news around town, (Remember, they don't call it the biggest little city for nothin'.) and sunbathe and paddle around in the pool with their noodles.

This explains why they were lovingly referred to as the "Noodle Girls".

Anyway.

Pool noodles.

They're not just used as floatation devices anymore, people.

Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no..no.

They're also the coolest, cheapest, most fantabulous boot-plumper (boot holder-upper? Boot support?) in the free world today.

Thank you, Pinterest. (What did we do before Pinterest? How did we live?) Boots that have been abandoned on the floor of our closets for the off seasons,lie there like lopp-eared bunnies, taking up far too much real esttae on the closet loor.(and getting all creased in the wrong spots to make matters worse)They almost always manage to become separated from their mates during this time, so that when boot weather finally does arrive again, it's a scavenger hunt to find a matched pair.

 

 

At a dollar a noodle, you can create two pair of boot incerts (that's fifty cents a pair, or a quarter a boot. You can't beat that!) and they cut like butt-ah when you use a Cutco bread knife to create them.

Just sayin'.

It effortlessly sliced right through the three noodles I bought, and in less than one minute I was ready to go organize the floor of my closet, which currently is just a giant pile of assorted footware.

 

What are you waiitng for? Those pool noodles at the dollar store will be long gone by June, and then you'll have to wait another whole year. (I know this first hand, as I discovered the idea on Pinterest last year, and waited till July to go buy some.)

An easy secret to amazing gift tags that add a whole lotta wow to any gift.

 

Okay.

This is such a no-brainer, I am betting 90% of you already have thought of this, but for those other 10% of you...(or those of you who knew this, but just kind of forget to try it...)

Here's my easy-peasy trick for great gift tags: whatever the occasion, I google up the word (Like, let's saay...birthday, or graduation, or whatever) and, after the word, I type "quotations". Up pops pages of quotes about a topic. I search them until I find one I think is perfect for my need, and then, I copy and paste it into my cheesy print program, and change up the font to a sassy looking one that fits my taste.I add whatever else I want (Such as, "Happy Birthday!" or "Happy Housewarming") Then, I print it, cut it out, punch a hole, and tie it to my package.

Ta da!

A fabulous gift tag to make any present more special.

Weekly words to live by...Happy Easter!

The Grown-ups Easter Brunch tablescape.

 

It wouldn't be right to share the kids Easter brunch tablescape without sharing the grown ups table too, so here are a few pictures to inspire you....

 

 

We debated between the idea of a traditional look, with my Grandmother's china, which I had used for years at Easter and now lives at my daughters home, or to go with a casual garden look.

In the end the casual look won out, because she hadn't unpacked the dishes, coupled with the fact that we are currently enjoying a little warm, sunny spell here weather-wise, and so the garden theme seemed a no-brainer.

 

 

We used an old weathered child's wheelbarrow, filled with terra cotta pots and baby violets nestled in birdseed. We placed the wheelbarrow on a craft paper runner (Bought by the roll in the paint department at Home Depot) atop a vintage crocheted tablecloth, and topped it all off with cute burlap bunny napkin rings on spring-time green striped napkins with my mother's beautiful dafodil silverware...perfect!

A sweet idea for your Easter table.

 

I have a thing for chocolate bunnies.

Can you tell?

 

 

Okay, actually I set these chocolate bunnies out as a sweet (pun intended) tablescape idea for a children's Easter table. Truth be told my daughter would put me in the dog house if I actually gave my grandsons this amount of chocolate.

This year our family has grown to the point where we have achildren's table, and a grown ups table, and we're having Easter brunch at one of my daughters homes. I was over helping with our tablescapes today after work and we decided to use a bedside table and two kiddie chairs tucked into a perfectly sized alcove in the dining room for the older boys.

 

 

How perfect is this? We even used the little drawer to hold moss and some Easter eggs...

 

 

and we used a roll of painters paper (available at places like Home Depot, in the paint department, and it also comes in a fabulous muddy green!) and cut a little runner for the table, which can catch spills, and be used for coloring while waiting for dessert, along with my own Mother's (The Sewing Queen!) daffodil engraved silver (so perfect for spring!) for both tables...

 

 

...and pretty cloth napkins.

Do you set a special table for the little ones in your life at special gatherings? I'd love to hear your ideas for making everyone feel oh-so-special!

NOT another boxed cupcake post.

Nope.

No baked goods involved.

Just wanted to share another cute use for those fabulous little clear boxes from the folks at Garnish...my daughter just celebrated her thirty first birthday, so you can imagine how tickled I was to find this cup down in one of the booths at Camas Antiques one day.

I added a giftcard, and popped it in the box with a pretty bow. Her birthday present was ready to go.

And...it's another boxed cupcake post.

Right about now you're probably rolling your eyes, and thinking, "Good-God-a-mighty, how many of these silly boxed cupcakes does she need to share?"

Um, apparently at least one more.

You see, when I bake cupcakes, I always make a few extras and pop them in a zip lock bag in the freezer, where I can pull them out as needed, for dessert, or for...well, little boxed prezzies for friends.

Today I went with a double papered look (the black cupcake paper is a bit larger than the white one I baked the cupcakes in) and decided to go with yellow and black.
I made a cute little tag with a birthday candle on it to accompany the usual Happy Birthday tag....a sweet, unexpected surprise.

I think she's gonna like it.

Not your ordinary Valentine.

...for my extraordinary buddy at Camas Antiques, so that makes it kinda perfect, right?

My buddy's last name is Crawford, and when I found this vintage hanger, I grabbed it and put it away for a fun little Valentine's present.
I made the tag in my print program on my computer, and used a digi-stamp picture of a vintage hanger to carry out the theme.

I hope your Valentine's Day is anything but ordinary!

 

Oh-so-easy cupcake packaging.

One of my friends at work had a birthday last weeka nd I wanted to do a little something special for her. I keep unfrosted cupcakes in the freezer, and so I pulled one out, along with some pink frosting I had frozen in a tub as well.

After frosting the sweet little cuppy-cake, I put it in one of my clear cube boxes, and to make it look more festive, (and to make it so the cupcake wouldn't move around in the box) I sprinkled Valentine (red, pink, white)candy corn around the bottom of the cube.

I added a big fat ribbon and a home made tag.....viola'!

Instant party.

A housewarming gift basket.

I put together a housewarming basket for some friends. I love grouping things together to create a themed gift, and last night we went to their new place.

We were picking up a pizza to take with us, so that started my inspiration. I got a pizza cutter, some new pot holders and an oven mit, a nice big pillar candle along with a match-light, some cold beer, and, a nice soft blanket throw for their sofa. Last but not least, I scooped the last of the homemade coconut ice cream into a cute to-go container for a late night snack for our friends.
It took me no time at all to assemble the items. I bought the throw and oven mitts, (gotta love Target!) but I had all the other items at home already, so it was really pretty easy.

I always use my plastic grocery sacks as filler to plump things up...
and then cover them with some shred.
Adding coordinating ribbons to items adds a nice touch...
and a sweet tag I whipped up on my computer pulls it all together....
It looked great, traveled well, and, it went great with the five meat pizza.

Life is in the details.

I think the little surprises in life are quite often the most fun. Seriously, in less than five minutes, you can make someone feel special with an unexpected surprise.

And it is oh-so-worth the miniscule amount of effort!

We had friends over last Sunday to watch the Seahawks first playoff game, and it happened to be my gal-pal's birthday. We arrived home from our weekend getaway at noon, and they were arriving before the 1:30 kickoff, so I didn't have a whole lot of time, but I knew I could easily pull it together.
First, I threw the ingredients for her favorite ice cream into the ice cream maker and let it do it's thing. Then, I headed for my craft draw of odds and ends. (Do you have one of those? I think we all need one.)

In the craft draw I chose a long pick with a glittery foam flower. (I got these cuties, four in a pack, a couple of years ago at the dollar store.) I then printed two little tags on my computer, whick simply means that I typed "Happy Birthday" and then spaced down a ways and typed "...and many more!" in purple ink.(In Microsoft Word-font size 36) I cut the tags out like little flags and wrapped them around the pick.I glued them on with a glue stick. (four for a buck at the dollar store)
When we served the ice cream at half time, I stuck the pick in her dish, and her dish of ice cream was suddenly an event.

I love it when that happens.

It's time to drink champagne and dance on the table.

Add some glitz to your bubbly this new year's eve. (or anytime you want things festive for that matter.)

Oaky, I will admit that I have been overcome with the glitter bug this week. this being said, last night I ended up carrying it through to one last new year's eve item.

Mmm hmm, I was thinking, how about making the beverage of the night that much more festive? Or, for a new year's day brunch? For that matter, adding some gold glitter to any beverage bottle would also make quite a statement as a hostess gift as well.

Whether it's champagne or sparkling cider, or even wine for that matter, the process is the same...I got a bottle of sparkling cider that happened to have gold foil paper at the top. (Several champagnes are wrapped this way as well) Take a small jar of gold glitter (or you can use white, or silver glitter if you'd like....the possibilities are endess!) and some household glue..
Working over a piece of paper of some sort, rub an ample amount of glue on the bottm half of the foil and down onto the glass bottle itself...
Sprinkle the glitter over the glue. Stand the bottle up to dry, and use the paper as a funnel to put the over-spill glitter back in the jar.

It's that easy.
And sparkle-y.

And fun.

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone!

What are you doin' New Year's Eve?

You know I love to bake.

And to make cutie patootie lil' tags and such.

But this year, time slip-slided away from me and Christmas baking didn't actually happen other than a double batch of snowball cookies.

Sad, I know.

Then, it occurred to me that there was still time before the official holiday season wraps up to do my baking and share it with friends and family. After all, there is still New Year's Eve coming up!

We will be bringing in twenty thriteen at a band gig, and I was thinking....What could be more fun than to surprise the other band-mates and thier sweeties with party bags, full of prezzies and treats?

I tell you, I got so excited about my idea that I was like a tornado running around the dollar store, and then whipping through my craft supplies, looking for my most perfect sparkly-glittery-it-must-be-new-years-eve stuff. (Seriously, I was able to get the party hats, gift bags, and horns all for under six bucks at the dollar store, and I have plenty of extras!)

I made quite a craft mess in the kitchen where I was working on things, but it was well worth it, and here's a peek at the the end results...

I think I've covered all my bases:

Party Bags. Check.

Party hats. Check.

Party horns. Check.

New Years Resolutions Cards.(with pens, no less.) Check.

Midnight snacks. Check.

All that's left to do is bake my cookies, and assemble all the goodies in the bags. If everyone has half as much fun opening these presents and using them on new years eve as I did making them, we're golden.

The living room takes on Christmas.

Yes, I know this post is over-due, and Christmas Day has come and gone.

Whatever.

So.

The living room.

At Christmas time.

I had originally wanted to do a ginormously tall, but slender noble pine Christmas tree in the living room this year, but, even though Thanksgiving came a little earlier in the month this year, we ran out of time.

(That seems to be a pattern with me these days, I've noticed.)

This year, the big tree found it's home in the corner of the dining room. Then, what we ended up going with in the living room was a fabulous on-loan-from-my-daughter thrifted small white artificial tree, which I placed on the trunk at one end of the sectional.
I love it!(Is that an incredible tree for two dollars at GoodWill, or what?!)
Splashes of red, grey and black added more Christmas-y color on the white sectional..(See my vintage red and white quilt? I adore it!)
....with snowy, glittery accents around the room...
along with lots of family Christmas photos.
The best part of all of this is the fact that I can keep the festive reds and greys going through winter, for Valentines Day, and then, when I am tired of it (and you know I will be) I can pull out my favorite-color-of-spring, Robin's egg blue, to change things up.

...and to all a good night.

Even our bedrom got some Chritsmas little touches this year. Little details like stockings hung on the footboard of the bed...
and a sprig of evergreen tied with a red satin ribbon on the headboard...
Keeping my main pieces neutral, in whites, creams and tans allows for lots of looks, by simply changing a few items. For the Christmas season, I traded out the white duvet for a red and white ticking one with matching shams. I then found some euro shams with red detail stitching and a felted red and white snowflake pillow for a holiday pop of color.
I think this colorway will be great through winter, Valentine's Day and all the way through until spring hits.

A tree with white twinkle lights rounded out the holly-jolly-and-a-little-romantic look, and adds a warm glow to the room. Little unexpected touches make it all so special.
Once New YEar's arrives, I will remove the all-out Christmas items and change them to something more geared towards winter and then Valentine's themed, but for now, I am just really enjoying the magic of the holiday season.

Still wrapping?

...or, dare I ask...still shopping?

Join the club.

Not only am I still wrapping, (Who are we kidding here? I haven't started.) but I haven't yet addressed our Christmas cards. (The "holiday season" teachnically runs through January first, right?)

When I had the idea for the grand baby Christmas shoot, I hadn't thought about Christmas cards. In fact, truth be told, I haven't mailed out Christmas cards in a decade.

At least.

Oh, I've wanted to. I've bought cards, thought about making cards...and then run out of time.

Or steam.

Or whatever it takes to get-er-done.

Anyway,

The pictures were all just so adorable that I got the idea to use one of the mischevious boys and the sweetie-pie little princess shots as our card this year.

Yeah, that was prety much it. It was an idea.

Finally, last week I rallied myself into a card designing frenzy of sorts and decided to make them.
After three rounds of printing, I finally got the inside of the cards printed on the correct side of the paper (aaaurgh!) and right side up...voila'!
This year's Christmas miracle will be friends and family receiving a real honest-to-gosh Christmas card from me.

The warm glow of the holidays....in the dining room.

This year I think..I know...we are all hugging our loved ones a little tighter, and the blessings of family and home hold renewed meaning.

We're still decking the halls around here, a little bit more each night, and each day I look forward to enjoying the warm glow that candlelight casts in all the rooms when I arrive home from work.

One of the rooms I am most excited about is our new dining room.(Do you remember it before?) It was the family room, but we have reinvented it, and now the first room you see upon entering the house showcases our fabulous craigslist honey pine dining set, and trust me, it looks like it has always been a dining room.
The original dining room of the house is actually very, very small, and will now be re-invented into either a music room for my Rock n' Roll Buddy (my vote) or a home office space.(Currently my home office area shares the guest room, which is a little tight, but seems to be working.)

We will be installing a beyond beautiful thrifted old crystal and brass chandelier very soon, (and you know I will share pictures!) but for now, the glow of christmas lights on the tree, coupled with candle light and the floor lamp in the cormer create a very inviting look.
My usually all white stoneware collection has touches of reds and evergreens, and bits of shiny silver...
The tablescape carries my latest favorite color-way of grey, red, black and white in a winter and Christmas-y theme, showcasing my glittery snowmen and a couple of my Santa hats from the grand babes photo shoot.
I continued this color theme through out the house, and I will keep the colors this way through winter, only putting away the actual Christmas items...tomorrow, the living room, followed by  the oh-so-Christmas-y bedroom!

Cozy supper set up.

There is nothing cozier than a meal by candle light. It adds a warmth to any table setting, whether it's breakfast, or supper. Some tea lights set in rock salt in old canning jars creates a casual and wintery mini-centerpiece.
I'm going with a red, white grey and black color way for Christmas this year, and I am using a couple of super inexpensive scarves as runners.(One on the breakfast bar, and one on the dining table)
...Giant plastic snowflakes (two for a buck at the dollar store last year) make fabulous chargers, and eensy-weensy mittens with an evergreen sprig add the perfect finishing touch.
Pretty, and warm, and welcoming, don't you think?It makes any meal feel special.

Adding a little charm to my work-place supplies.

I think I shared a short while back that I got a nice promotion at my grown up girl job.

And I am really enjoying it.

As I am learning the various aspects of my new job, I have divised some strategies for keeping various data straight, and in order. That brings me to today's post.

I bought a pile of composition books back in late August, when it was back-to-school sales were in force, and I got them for fifty-seven cents a book at WalMart. (Still cheap, they are normally about a dollar each.) Anyway, I decided to use some of my composition books for work, to use for note keeping...
...and tracking my activities with certain members.

All I needed to do to add a little charm to these other-wise ordinary comp books was to personalize them by covering the generic cover wording with home-made labels.

Easy, peasy.

In no time at all I had three personalized journals for my desk at work, and they look like me. (does that make sense?)
After creating these, it occurred to me these sweet little journals would make fabulous gifts as well, and for mere pennies.

I like that part too.

And I'm sharing it with you, 'cause I thought you'd like it too.

Original Art Exhibit.

             






*sigh*

Each one is absolutely perfect, and positively one of a kind, and all of them melt my heart.

Oh, and I love the cute tree pictures too.

A tablescape from an early Thanksgiving family gathering.

My son and his family flew into town this weekend to meet the new babies, and so we celebrated an early Thanksgiving together.

(It's so fun, with all of the grand babes these days!)

I wanted to follow up and share what I ended up doing with the fabulous (and super cheap) CHristmas ornaments I got at my local WalMart.

As you can see in my top photo, I used the two ornaments together with asimple satin ribbon as place markers for all of the guests.
I used white pumpkins (Some faux ones from year's past, and some real) as my centerpiece, along with candles.

Oh, how I adore candle light.

The thing is, it really doesn't take a lot of money, or time to create a charming table that looks inviting and makes your guests feel special.

**Edited to add: Sources for items on my table:

Glasses: LIBBY Water Glasses (My daughter has them and so do I- each slightly different) from WalMart- sold in 4 packs
glitter letter- Christmas section of WalMart with ornaments $1 each
Faux Mercury Glass Leaf Ornaments- WalMart Christmas Section $1.97 each
White pumpkins- some real, from the grocery, some fake, from Michhaels Craft Store AFTER Thanksgiving 75% off
Glass Candlesticks- from various thrift stores, usually a $1....trust me, they ALWAYS have these kinds of ]candle sticks.
Faux Mercury Glass Candle sticks- my daughter's- she got them most likely at WalMart or the Craft Store.

The look and feel I was going for was kind of a rustic-vintage-elegance, and I think I came pretty close, don't you?

What about you? Do you have atraditional table setting for Thanksgivng each year. or do you do a different look each time? Do you use place mats, chargers or tableclothes, or do you prefer to showcase the bare wood of your table? I'd love to hear what all you do!

Christmas ornaments doing double duty.

Have you seen all of the Christmas decor out in all the stores?

Oh, my.

I absolutely go to crazy-town when I cruise the holiday aisles. Last week I spotted the same glittery alphabet letters I bought last year, and promptly scarfed some up to use as place cards for my Thanksgiving table scape. (Only a buck each!!)

I also discovered the most fabulous mercury-glass-wanna-be leaf ornaments, and I had to have them. (at $1.97 each, these were actually in my budget, and they simply scream Pottery Barn, don'tcha think?) Just you wait till you see how these are going to be used on the same Thanksgiving table scape. The trick is to not only think Christmas when looking at ornaments. I found items that will make wonderful New Year's Eve decorations, and plenty of charming Valentine's hearts, all for no more than two dollars each.

Think a little further outside the box next time you pass by the holiday decorations in your nearest big box or dollar store, and I think you'll be thrilled with what you find.