Valentine's Roses in My Ballard's Inspired Vase

I previously shared this Ballard Designs inspiration...

...and my version with an Ikea container.

It was just the thing to hold the beautiful Valentine's roses my son gave to me yesterday.

Hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Robin's Egg Blue Birds & Apothecary Jars

I had originally painted these Dollar Store tea light birdies a cream color but wasn't thrilled with the outcome - too rugged versus shabby chic.

Totally inspired by Grace at Ruby Moon Designs and her charming Nutmeg Eggs, I ran out to Michaels and squealed when I saw the very same paint she used! Robin's Egg Blue. (Read about her obsession here...but watch out, I think it's contagious!) On top of the blue (a flat paint), I dabbled on some iridescent white gloss paint for a contrast of color and texture.

My current obsession? Apothecary jars. Yesterday, I found this beauty at Micheals for 40% off and placed my beloved pears inside...happy sigh.

And this one was behind the counter at the thrift store, a spot I rarely check. But they kept announcing that everything was 50% off in that section, so I took a quick look. And there she was! Inside is a pale green and silver garland left over from Christmas.

This petite jar I glued to a candle holder, both found at the same thrift store as above. It holds two of my special teaspoons, the rest got packed away along with my favorite napkin rings that I wanted to add. Oh well...

Inspiration from the Ballard Designs catalog...

An Ikea storage jar covered with a netted bag and several clusters of grapes inside. With these newly acquired treasures, I wanted to experiment with different fillers, though the fun is in changing them out seasonally or for holidays.

You know what's next, don't you? They have caught my attention and my curiosity is piqued...cloches. Though behind in my discovery of these decorative accessories, I'm not one to jump on a trend unless it makes sense for my life. And if I am genuinely enthused about it. I heart apothecary jars! I'm linking to...

 

Images From A Snowstorm

A blizzard + cooped up kids (and Momma) = a necessary outing with a camera. Within minutes, my daughter had climbed up onto a huge drift in front of our house and found herself sinking into deep snow. H-e-l-p, Momma!!! With my camera in one hand, I jumped into the drift and tugged on her leg until I got her free. She's my adventurous one, that girl. Younger brother is more cautious but a willing participant in most of her schemes.

We embarked upon a tour of our neighborhood, walking in the middle of the road until a truck came along, forcing us to dive into the snowbanks on the side of the road. Here are images from around our 'hood:

I was delighted when I spotted Mr. Owl standing watch over his little house. My slight bird obsession is alive and well!

God's creation is glorious! All of these branches looked to me like hands outstretched towards heaven......or bowed down in adoration.

I really like the contrast of the hard, dark metal against the fluffy, white snow.

And finally, the stunning jolt of turquoise against the snow. There are amazing color palettes all around - I really like the neutral background of the shed with a pop of the turquoise, which is quickly becoming a favorite color.

MIA, but I'M Back!

It's been over a week since I last posted anything - I had to go out of town unexpectedly for a family emergency. All is well, and I am now back home. Thank You, Lord! I have a few projects in the works and am very eager to share them. Creative outlets are so therapeutic. While I wrap those up, please check out my new blog header! I am very pleased at how it turned out, hurray! New projects to share very soon...

Beautiful Bag Adorned With Petals and Vintage Brooch

When I saw this tutorial from Jessica at Happy Together on U create for Petals Galore, I knew I had to make one for my daughter. My version is made from a Dollar store purse, a bag of white petals, a vintage brooch and hot glue. I was so eager to start the project that I neglected to take a before picture of the purse. It's called a "skirt" purse with light blue fabric and a denim band at the top.

Starting at the bottom or the "hem" of the purse, I hot glued the petals, overlapping them slightly. I did one side of the purse first, then flipped it over. The final step was gluing a ribbon band at the top and a vintage brooch where the ends of the ribbon meet. The purse was a dollar, the bag of petals were a dollar at the thrift store, and the vintage brooch was something I had. I will be making a bunch more of these - they are so easy to make yet turn out so beautifully. I love how the petals dress up the purse. So soft and romantic and absolutely lovely. This was the perfect gift for my daughter's birthday! Check out Jessica at Happy Together - she has amazing tutorials and fantastic ideas. It turns out that we both grew up in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia! It's DIY Day at A Soft Place To Land, Talented Tuesday at My Frugal Family! and Show and Tell at Blue Cricket Design. Check out the amazing creativity featured there and visit the numerous links for inspirational ideas!

Inspired, Romantic Shelf...Mantel Party Friday

It's time for another great party over at Stories of A to Z! And it's not just about fireplace mantels (I don't even have one!) Showcase your buffet, shelves, bookcase... The important thing is, join the fun! For me, it has been just the inspiration I've needed to make the extra effort to create lovely spaces in our temporary home.

A few weeks ago, Marcia from Blessed Mom's Simple Home shared her lovely mantel, filled with special items from her grandmother and parents. It was feminine and romantic. I wanted one just like it! Alas, most of my treasures are currently packed away. With her ideas as a starting off point, I surveyed our house and came up with a shelf makeover - this long shelf sits high above our couch and is probably the first thing you see when you enter the home.

I placed a white tray behind the flower arrangement to break up the red and brighten up this area, which is far from any natural light. The two candle holders are elevated by ramekins, and I placed the red flowers in two bowls. Don't know if you recognize the flowers, but I yanked them out of the flowerpots from my front porch/steps makeover from Beth's Staircase Party back in November! Yup, totally fake. and cheap. But I like arrangements like this that can be used all over, numerous times, to add that certain color or texture that's needed. I got these in a clearance bin at Michaels for about a quarter each.

I adore these white candle holders and have had them forever...clearance items at Marshalls or TJ Maxx. Pretty beaded details along with twisted wire. Love, love, love them!

The overall look is simple. clean. fresh. and I hope it captures a bit of the "romantic white" from Marcia's inspirational mantel!