Coming soon..Roses!

I am really excited for spring. I think from what I have read most of us bloggers have "spring fever".

I so look forward to having roses in my yard again like this one from last year...

What fueled my excitement is I recently received the handbook of roses from David Austin Roses. Oh, how I love their roses!

My sweet Mother gave me the money to buy myself a Eden climbing rose. I can't wait for it to come--I have been wanting that rose for several years after seeing it year after year on Cindy's blog (from My Romantic Home).  Recently I have seen the same rose on other blogs and I knew I needed it for my garden. Thanks Mom for making it happen:)

I am going to plant that Eden Rose right outside my bedroom window.

Eden rose will be planted here

After receiving the handbook I think I am falling in love...

This rose is called falling in love and the description says...

"This has large, classically shaped flowers of warm pink and porcelain white. The blooms last a long time and so are good for cutting and bringing in the house. In the garden they are borne on a sturdy, bushy plant. It has a delicious rose and fruit fragrance."

Are you in love too? I think the kids might need to get me this one for Mothers day!

Are you planning on getting any new roses this year? 

Thanks for visiting!

Grandma's Painting

Both of my Grandma's were talented painters. I have always wished I had inherited that ability but that gene seems to have skipped by me. Since I recently lost both of my Grandma's, I cherish the things I have of theirs more than ever. They are as different as any two Grandmas could be but I feel like I see myself in both of them.

This painting was done by my paternal Grandmother. She was such a fun woman. I remember her having a tea party for me once in this little outdoor room she had. She poured into our beautiful little teacups rootbeer and milk. It was delicious. She sat in the tiny little childs chair right next to my sister and I and seemed to enjoy the "tea" party just as much as we did.

She would have been very popular in our blogging world. She was flea market chic before it was so popular. Her front yard was always decorated with items that made it like a fantasy place to a child. Actually, even in my adult years I loved her whimsical yard. She had pet raccoons at one time, something I can imagine myself doing! She was very artistic. She had colorful glass bottles in the window and the light would shine through them and I wanted to grow up to be like her. And I did...except for the part about that I can't paint.

When I saw this painting my Grandmother had done I knew it would look perfect in my house. I was so happy my Dad was willing to let me have it. It looks like it was painted for my living room. Obviously, my Grandmother had a love for white too! Last summer I had white roses, daisys, and catmint is an arrangement on the mantle and realized I had almost recreated my Grandma's painting without even trying too. I can't wait until those same flowers are blooming in the garden this year. Until then I can just enjoy them in Grandma's painting.

Thanks for visiting!

Another new magazine!

I yet again stood in the magazine aisle of Walmart looking at another BEAUTIFUL new magazine that I just can't buy because of the $9.99 price tag. This time my son was with me, and he was not nearly embarrassed as my daughter was previously. The magazines are just getting prettier and prettier, but the price just keeps getting higher too. Seems like $9.99 is the new norm price for magazines.

Have you seen this one before? Maybe it is just a special edition.

Isn't that chandelier gorgeous?

Sorry about the glare--those darn Walmart bright lights :)

Well, those outside photos make me want to go work in the yard..so off I go...

My yard has almost every flower it seems, but I was missing snowdrops. My parents brought these over for me from their yard.

Thanks for visiting!

Aqua Crystals!

I have been obsessed recently with the color Aqua. I have always liked it but I have seen so many beautiful shades of it recently that I have decided I really want to paint my sun room Aqua. I also want to accent with more pops of Aqua. Don't get me wrong--I still love everything to be clean and white, it just makes the Aqua look all the more beautiful.

I have several projects I want to do with Aqua crystals. I had seen some beautiful antique chandeliers that had aqua and opaline crystals. I have to be reasonable about what I can find, and what I can afford, so I went looking for some pretty yet affordable crystals. I was so pleased to find http://www.cristalier.com/.

They have so many beautiful crystals and so affordable..in many different colors, including Aqua!

I wanted to see how pretty they would be and if they would be the right color to go with my other obsession right now, blue Mason canning jars. I contacted the company and asked them if I could buy just one and pay a reduced shipping because the shipping is $10--no matter what the size of your order. So they took my address and said they would look into it. Two days later I was so thrilled to receive this crystal and a pen! You might think it is funny to be excited about a pen, but I always love a new purse pen. :) And the crystal--it is beautiful! It is the perfect Aqua color. I can think of many many projects that would be beautiful with these crystals! I thought it was so awesome that this company sent me these at no charge, and it makes me think that they have a really great customer service department. Sometimes that is hard to find these days!

You can see how beautiful the color goes with the blue of the Mason jars! I love them!

I found this at Goodwill a few weeks ago...

 

Can you see my vision?  Not so pretty now, this is going to be gorgeous when I get done with it after I get some more Cristalier aqua glass crystals. Stay tuned!

I'll end this post with a darling little watering can I got at our local thrift store for $1. My husband put some holes in the bottom so I could use it for a planter. Isn't she cute?

Thanks for visiting!

Goodwill Bookcase

While at Goodwill a couple weeks ago I found this little bookcase. It is not antique, it isn't even vintage, so it is not the type of thing that usually catches my eye. It actually had stickers on it that said, :Inspected by 5".  But I knew I could make it cute and I wanted it. Janae said I should get it because she hates it when I moan about something I didn't get at Goodwill. At Goodwill I never have buyers regret--it is that I didn't buy it regret that gets to me.

So this is how it looks now that I have "fixed it up".. 

 

 

This is how it looked when I bought it...

I knew that with the paneled back, and the detailed edges I could make this cute!

I painted the inside of it Martha Stewart's River Mist--the same as the teacup cabinet which is now sitting on top of it.

The perfectionist in me is saying it isn't done yet. Even my husband agrees it needs some little feet. I don't like it when I can't see under something and it needs a little more height so it is in better proportion to the teacup cupboard.  I also think that the top of it needs the lace technique--like I did here. Then it will be perfect! I plan to use it as a place to keep all my vases..that soon I will need easy access to because I love flowers in the house!

Thanks for visiting!

A new magazine!

I love magazines. One of my favorite luxuries is to cuddle up with a glass of wine and a really good decorating magazine. I found a new magazine today at Walmart  that I just adore! Problem is there is not $9.95 in my budget at this time in my life for a magazine. Bummer. So much to the embarrassment of Chantel, I soaked in the beautiful pages while standing in the magazine aisle.

I swooned over all the beautiful articles...

I looked online and couldn't find anything about if this magazine is going to sell subscriptions. Does anyone know their website? I couldn't find it. Janae said her and I could share a subscription, that would make it so much more affordable!

They fed into my love and obsession of Blue canning jars...

 

I am hoping my Mom finds Janae and I all kinds of Mason jars at garage sales this summer!

 

Just wanted to share this beautiful new magazine..for those of you that are magazine lovers like myself. Are there any bloggers I know in the magazine?

Thanks for visiting!

All about Me

I have read a lot recently on blogs about how blogs are getting so commercialized and not as personal as they used to be. I have really found in my short experience as a blogger  everyone to be so nice and I feel like I am making wonderful friendships.  I enjoy making friends online. I have seen this done on other blogs and so you can get to know me better...here is 25 random things about me!

 

1. I am the oldest of 3 children, with a younger sister and brother

2.  I was married 12 years to my first husband, who is Janae's biological father. I still consider  relatives from that relationship to be family.  My first husband is named Jerry, and my husband now is Jerry. I always joke I have always been married to Jerry.

3.  I have been married 15 years to my husband. He is 10 years younger than me.

4. As a teenager and young adult I worked as a Podiatric assistant (feet)

5.  I made mohair Teddy Bears and was featured in Teddy Bear Review magazine in the late 1980's

6.  I had a miscarriage before having Chantel, and found out when Chantel was 7 months old I was pregnant with identical twin boys

7. We didn't know Gage was disabled until he was 9 months old and wasn't progressing as Wyatt was

8. I owned a Dairy Queen for over 20 years. I love Dairy Queen! Starting at about 4 years old Janae worked at Dairy Queen with me, she always insisted on wearing a managers shirt.

9.  I have a tattoo of my four kids' names wrapped around my ankle intertwined with roses

10. I make myself do housekeeping chores and reward myself by allowing myself to spend time working on a crafty project

11. I have been published many times in scrapbooking magazines and was quite involved with the industry (design teams etc.) for many years

12. I use to show and breed Silver and Golden Persians. I had a kitten that was used in a Friskies advertisement

13. We had a pet alligator named "Gatorade"

14. I walk 2 miles a day with my Mother

15.  My favorite drink is unsweetened ice tea. My favorite alcoholic drink is Long Island Iced Tea

16. My favorite color has always been pink though I am recently infatuated with aqua.

17. Even if I won the lottery I would still shop at thrift shops

18. My favorite TV shows are "Criminal Minds", "A Gifted Man", and "Unforgettable"

19. I am very interested in the paranormal and Wyatt and I love to watch "My Ghost Story" and paranormal investigation shows together. Chantel refuses to even be in the room when we are watching them.

20.  I love to listen to music from the 1970's

21. I am in love with Nate and my husband says that is fine since Nate is gay

22. The thing I most miss with this bad economy is eating out...I love restaurant food!

23. I crave beets and green olives and keep both in the refrigerator at all times

24.  I believe some people who aren't actually your blood relatives can be just as much family as someone who is a blood relative

25. Sitting in front of a warm fire on a clear night, with people I love, a cold beer, and a dog or two at my feet, is what heaven on earth is to me

Well, now you know me so much better!  Anything surprise you?  Do we have anything in common?  I would love to learn more about you too:) 

Thanks for visiting !

Goodwill Frames Transformation

One of  my favorite things to find at Goodwill is a pretty frame. That is just one thing that I can never have enough of!

This is one I got the other day. I just knew it would be beautiful. I decided to just let it sit empty on my mantle. I saved the glass so later I change my mind about what I do with it if I want. Here is what it looked like when I bought it...

In this state it is just not my style. So I painted it white..

I used my new favorite spray paint. A quick coat..dries in 10 minutes..I love it! Janae tried it and she is not in love with it like I am. She is a gloss girl and I like it flat as can be so maybe the gloss isn't as good. So anyway--the frame looks pretty white but it is not showing it's true beauty yet.

So I break out one of my all time favorite products..Rub n Buff, in my favorite color, Spanish Copper.

I have used this product ALOT and I have found that the best applicator is my finger. I run my finger along the frame--hitting the spots that are sticking up and where wear would happen, if it had been naturally worn.

About 30 seconds later I had this lovely detailed frame for my mantle!

I have used Rub n Buff on almost all my projects, especially frames. I love my "photography wall" in my livingroom where I grouped together a bunch of Goodwill frames.

I love the pretty detail these frames have, that is shown off so beautifully with the Rub n Buff.

Today besides painting my frame I worked in the yard between Oregon rain showers.

Oh my goodness--our gardens are so ugly this time of year. Just wait though, in a couple months they will be gorgeous!

Until then I made myself happy buying a few little primroses, pretty and cheap! They remind me of what is to come as I clean up all the dead stuff.

Edited to say: A lot of people have been asking where to find Rub n Buff--it can found in some craft stores and in art supply stores, but usually they only carry the basic gold and silver colors. Since I like the Spanish Copper I usually just get it on Ebay. One tube lasts forever. I am only on my second tube and have been using it for about 3 years.

Thanks for visiting!