WINNERS! WINNERS!

66 19

Random numbers generated Jun 29 2009 at 23:48:54 by www.psychicscience.org.
Free educational resources for parapsychology, psychical research & mind magic.

WOW!  I have chosen the two lucky winners from the random number generator web site above!

#66  Kathryn  from                                                                collagediva                                                                                 won the charm that we were offering

#19 Susi from                                                              dragonfly dreamer designs                                          won her choice of a set of tags that we were offering

You may want to stop by and tell them congratulations!  OR how envious you are!

I would like to thank each and every one of you for your generous and kind comments!  I am always always excited to receive comments and this was beyond anything that I had expected! 
Again a HUGE thank you!  For any newcomers, I hope that you enjoyed our blog and will come back often and visit with us.  Our next event will be towards the end of July

when we will participate in the “Where Bloggers Create” blog party!  How much fun to get a glimpse at everyone’s creative work spaces!  Be sure and mark your virtual calendars for this next event!

Our Etsy shop will continue to fill up with new and different items.  Miss Heather is almost back to working again.  I took her last Thursday to the Doc. where she had her 35 STAPLES (ouch) and her drain removed (yuk) and she doesn’t look like a Frankenstein experiment any more!  She’s feeling better everyday!

I’ll be back tomorrow with at least one more decorating post before the Holiday weekend!  I can’t believe that July is almost here!  That means just one month closer to Halloween!  My favorite holiday! 

See Ya!

Denise

PARTY TIME!!!!

THE STORY>>>>>>>PART 1

It was almost time…….tomorrow everyone, everyone from Blogland would attend her party!  I just had to be magnificent!  She had been planning it for well over a month.  It would be a bright and beautiful affair out under the trees with a cool breeze blowing, the scent of Honeysuckle drifting through the June air.  She could see it, as if she were already there………………..

Yes Yes!  Perfect!  It would be perfect!

The invitations had already gone out.

Alas!  Things WERE NOT going as well as she had hoped!   The weather was not cooperating!  It was well over 100 degrees just that very day!  What would she do……what would she do?   An outside party was out of the question.  Everything would melt!  The Carrot cake which she had planned to bake from scratch.  The petite meringue cookies which she was going to prepare. The imported chocolates that she had planned to serve.  RUINED!  It would all be ruined! 

She went to bed that night very sad……thinking that she should just cancel her beautiful party.  Surely no one would come with such horribly hot hot weather!

Suddenly……in the middle of the night……she heard a noise.  She sat up and listened……nothing…….perhaps she had imagined it?   No,no……there it was again…..the same noise, coming from…..her dining room?   She very timidly arose to investigate.

There was a light.  Had she left a light burning?  She thought not.  This light was different.  It was dim and yet it glowed, illuminating the entire room.

She very slowly entered the dining room and was stunned by what she saw.

They were beautiful!  And yes she KNEW them, but they weren’t REAL.  How could this be. 

“You didn’t invite us to the party.”  One of the girls said.

“Well of course not, you’re, well….you’re just statues.  I am sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you but…..”

“No matter!”  The girls said.  “All is forgiven.  We have prepared a magnificent party for you!”

She began to look around, to take in her surroundings, and what she saw took her breath away!  The entire room was bathed in a beautiful light, unlike anything she had ever seen!  And it looked as though glitter and jewels floated in the air!

“But how, how……..?”  She said, struck nearly speechless by the beauty that surrounded her.

The girls giggled.  “We are magic!”  They said in unison.  “Just as you always suspected.  Even Her Magnificence is here……although she absolutely refused to wear a party hat!”

And there she stood…….bathed in that incredible light, holding glittered golden stars and as silent as stone……………………………………………………….

TO BE CONTINUED!!!!!

The party continues tomorrow morning.  Or will it still be nighttime?  We shall just have to wait and see…..

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

PART 2………………….

She looked up at Her Magnificence who appeared very very tall indeed sitting on her dining table.

“Hello.”  Her Magnificence barely rolled her eyes, the crown on her head gleaming and glittering in the magical light.

She turned to the Party Girls.  “I must apologize for her.  She’s been a bit of a Diva ever since she took a permanent place on the blog side bar.”  “That’s all right.”  Said the Party Girls.  “Tonight is a night for celebration!”  “We shall completely ignore her!”

Was is night……or was it morning?  Who cared really!  She let the beauty of her surroundings wash over her.

Her Grandmother’s silver adorned the table.  Tied to…..what was that?  Inexpensive flour sack towels. Hummm…..not a bad idea and generously sized for all of that dessert they would be consuming.

But wait…….there appeared to be NO food at all on the table.

“I really really hate to mention this.”  She said, looking at the Party Girls.”  But….well…..there is no food for this party.”

Again……in unison…..the Party Girls giggled.  (It was becoming an annoying habit of theirs.)

“Of course there is food on the table.”  They said.  “Just look a little harder.  And believe, really believe!”

And so she did.  She closed her eyes and imagined everything that she had planned for her grand soiree.   Ahhhh!  There it all was!  Now she could see it all!

Tea cups and saucers.  Stacked high, some with little treats inside the cups.  Just waiting to surprise her guests.

The table was arranged in cool neutral colors.  Just as she would have done it!  Neutrals had become her new favorites of late.  She thought to herself.  How did those Party Girls know these things?

A vintage table cloth  which in fact, she had just purchased the week before at a magical price of only $9.00!

A wire cloche with her dessert plates and vintage dessert cups stacked underneath.

A glass cloche with a vintage compote dish.  Yes!  Yes!  Now she could see the tiny desserts inside.

She had to laugh at one of her garden statues wearing a vintage straw hat and pearls!  The vintage picture with the faded velvet background was perfect.  Who needed to purchase flowers when you could just use what you had around the house to adorn your table?!  Those Party Girls!   So clever!

And she COULD see her carrot cake sitting atop the stand which was draped in khaki linen.  Yes!  The cake went perfectly with the neutral color scheme!

And the Party Girls smiled as they looked on.  Looking so beautiful in their new hats!

Vintage sheet music.  The perfect sepia tones.

A mini brown tureen.

More decorations which the Party Girls had pulled in from other parts of her house.

And so…..the party began!   And suddenly she happened to glance outside.

 

Where it was indeed morning.   And at her house……the weather was perfect!  And everything in her world was magical!

To celebrate the day………….AND the opening of their new Etsy shop, there would be a……………………

GIVEAWAY!!!     GIVEAWAY!!!!

COMMENT ON THIS POST BETWEEN NOW AND MIDNIGHT MONDAY!  THERE WILL BE TWO, THAT’S RIGHT TWO GIVEAWAYS!!!!   THE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED TUESDAY MORNING!    WE WILL BE GIVING AWAY…….

ONE OF OUR NEW CHARMS.  CHOOSE THE PATTERN OF YOUR CHOICE.  (CLOCHE IS FOR DISPLAY ONLY)…….SORRY.  BUT I BET YOU ALREADY HAVE ONE.  I KNOW HOW YOU GIRLS ARE.  HAHA!!

ANOTHER LUCKY PERSON WILL WIN A SET OF OUR BEAUTIFUL NEW TAGS.  AGAIN, YOU MAY CHOOSE FROM ANY OF THE TAGS LISTED ON ETSY, AND WE WILL MAKE YOU YOUR OWN SPECIAL EXTRA GLITTERED SET!!!  SO IF YOU HAVE NEVER COMMENTED BEFORE, NOW IS THE TIME TO STOP HIDING AND START COMMENTING!   CAUSE WE ARE GOING TO MAKE TWO OF YOU GIRLS HAPPY HAPPY READERS!

Be sure and check out our new Etsy shop!  We are so excited!  It is still very much a work in progress and items are still waiting to be added in our jewelry category.  AND I noticed this morning, that I did not have measurements on the lengths of the necklaces so that will have to be done quickly.   That’s what happens when you wait until the last minute.

The link to our new Etsy shop is on the upper right hand side.  Just click to enter.  And if you don’t see what you want, keep checking back.  We will be busy busy adding to our Paperie, Jewelry, and Hand Painted categories.  And (I promise you Heather) I am going to be selling pillows and such! 

Also…….Heather has a NEW on-line portfolio.  You will see the button to enter right underneath the Etsy button!   Enjoy!  Enjoy!

Remember!  COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT!!!!!

Huummm!  Something tells me that we have not seen the last of those Party Girls!  I bet they will continue to show up in future posts.  They were so much fun!  A little annoying, but lots and lots of fun!

Enjoy your day browsing through all of the Tea Party posts!

Denise

Project suggestions!

Everyone is very interested in the ceiling treatment shown in yesterday’s post.  I don’t blame ‘em!  Heather and I were also.  So we’ve been scheming on the best way to accomplish this project.  We came up with two different suggestions.

1.  Heather used to hang wallpaper for a living.  The worst job she ever had (according to her.)  Anywho…..she does know all the ups and downs of this sort of thing. 

This will only work on a smooth or (wall) textured ceiling.  NOT popcorn.  FIRST,  in pencil draw the outline of your frame.  Then, PRIME the area with a……and this is important……wallpaper primer with a SIZING in it.  The SIZING is very very important.  IT is what gives the surface a little extra tack and allows the paper to stick.  The primer is what will allow you to scrap the paper off if you ever get tired of it.  THEN…….the only thing that we could come up with, since you are  using old old vintage paper,  is to decoupage the paper to the ceiling.  Wallpaper paste or white glue probably won’t work.  You will probably find that the paper just disintegrates or falls apart if you use anything else.  How to apply the frame to the ceiling?? Construction glue or screw it to the ceiling.

 

2.  And this idea is the one that we think would probably work the best.  Use a piece of thin wood cut to fit your frame.  Cut your hole in the middle for your ceiling fixture.  Prime as suggested above.  Glue your vintage paper directly to the wood leaving a flap at all four corners unpasted.  Glue your frame over the finished board using construction adhesive.  Screw the entire piece to your ceiling at all four corners.  Using a little extra glue, paste the flaps over the screws to disguise them.  Hang your fixture………….You’re a genius!  And it looks incredible!  If you ever want to take it down, you just have a few holes to patch and paint over!

If anyone decides to try this, we would love to know.  We would both love to try it in our homes but it will be awhile.   Hope these suggestions work for you.  The second one definitely  sounds the easiest. 

P.S.

Heather also suggested using double stick tape to adhere your pages. This way, you could overlap your pages a little to achieve that almost curled or worn edge look.  Whether you decide to tape them directly to the ceiling or use a piece of thin wood, we would still recommend the primer with sizing.  You would probably want that extra tack. 

P.S.S.!

Wouldn’t this also look cute with different scrapes of vintage wallpaper.  Cut into various sizes to form a patchwork pattern??

Enjoy!

Denise

Timeless Design

Do you find that certain styles or colors have a timeless appeal?  I think that a neutral palette is one of them.  Whether it’s used in a more contemporary setting or in a more shabby chic room it is a look that I always find beautiful!

Certainly, no one does this look better than The Curious Sofa (pictured above.)  These chair slipcovers are to die for!  I was positive that I needed one until I called to check on the price.  $240.00 each.  More than a little out of my price range.  For now, I guess I will just have to dream.

I love this room.  Neutrals but with a touch of color here and there.  Like the turquoise color in the built-in china cabinet.  Set off by the neutral dishes.  How about the pale pink treatment over the door?  I would have never thought to have done that.  Which is one of the reasons it appeals to me.  The totally unexpected!

How about this ceiling treatment instead of a traditional ceiling medallion.  Brilliant! 

Those sepia toned drapes!  And it looks like instead of reupholstering the entire sofa, she just reupholstered the cushions, using some ticking fabric.  Love love love it!  Also the trolley turned coffee table.

You can see more pictures of this gorgeous home in the magazine “100 Ideas Flea Market Style” published by Better Homes and Gardens.  It came out this Spring and has some great stuff in it!  I’ve about worn my copy out browsing through it!

Neutrals with a touch of sepia tone and a splash of color here and there.  I could totally do that!  Color must just run through my veins!  I always start out with great “neutral” intentions but end up with color color color!

So…….I went on a little treasure hunt.  And, to my surprise, found that I actually own more neutrals, mostly in accessories, than I thought.

Honest to goodness, I just had these draped over a chair after laundering, waiting to be put on the “tree bed.”  They looked so pretty and fresh just hanging there, it’s actually what gave me the idea for this post.

Crystal chandeliers!  The ultimate in bling AND neutral color.  You can’t miss with crystals!  They go with everything!

My beautiful Santos!  I swear I have posted more pictures of her than my family!  She can’t run away or protest. 

Ruffled cotton sheers!  I also love lace!  They make a room look so romantic and give the illusion of cool breezes while still letting in some light.

Old photographs, mercury glass, silver and a bit of lace.  If you don’t have any old family photos, the flea markets abound with them.  It’s fun to pick through them and purchase your favorites!

A collection of bottles with crystals, etching, pearls, mercury glass, and gold accents mixed in.  All of which adds that extra little bit of texture to make it an interesting arrangement!

More bottles with a venetian mirrored frame in the background. 

My late Grandmother’s silver which I am very proud to own.  I have the entire set and try my best to take excellent care of it!  Displayed in a chippie white and rusty planter.  I love the contrast.

A beautiful neutral vignette.  I also love my cheap costume jewelry.  It finds it way into vignettes around the house much much more than I ever actually wear it.

I could have a whole collection of trophies.  Unfortunately I can’t afford the vintage ones.  Cloches are always fun.  I do little seasonal arrangements under them.

Soaps in a glass jar.  Sitting on a silver tray.  The lamp in the back ground is silver with a grey crushed velvet shade.

Another thing that I’m really loving of late, are the pillows made of burlap and bleached muslin with the vintage grain images and other French sayings on the front.  I think they go perfectly with the whole neutral color scheme.  Which I may be scheming towards myself…….we’ll see……it’s a thought anyway!

P.S.!!!!!!

Don’t forget!  The Mad Tea Party is this weekend.  It all starts with Vanessa at The Fanciful Twist and is sure to provide some beautiful pictures.  Don’t  miss it!

Black & White Sunday

Happy Birthday today to our beautiful granddaughter Allyson!

11 years old today!

She’s our little Mermaid!  Winning swim meet after swim meet in her hometown!  Way to go Allyson!

What a beautiful young lady you have become!

We love you, PaPa and DeeDee!

I’m sure you will all agree that this is the perfect way to feature Black & White Sunday, with a digital collage of a beautiful mermaid!

Denise