A Giveaway and Fall Touches

...touches of Autumn around my shabby white mantel...I think I'll link this up to White Wednesday at Faded Charm~ 

These sweet little resin pumpkins were a horrid orange, but thankfully they took well to the paintbrush

I scored this lovely silver bucket at a tag sale for $1.00!!!  My friend and fellow shop girl Mary (aka Chanel's Shabby Rose) gave me these lovely little bottles.  I added some french script paper to the inside of the bottles. Very simple and packs a punch, don't you think?

They nestle very nicely alongside the antique bottle with old label. I'm linking this up at  Vintage Inspiration Friday over at Common Ground.

Here is an old 1902 Holy Communion Certificate.  Very French looking and the colors just whisper "Fall" to me.

Look at this huge pumpkin I scored at Home Goods! It's heavier than it looks, and it came just like that...no painting required.  All for only $12.99

And what is Fall without some lovely dried hydrangeas I ask you?  (resting in a basket I bought at Brimfield)

This is my little pumpkin vignette on my dining room table

The cherubs wanted in on the fun too...

Some adorable paper flowers in my kitchen

I added this sweet basket with delicate flowers against my aprons for a "Fall" touch

And what speaks of Fall better than Jeanne D'Arc Magazine? It's loaded with beautiful ideas to incorporate Fall into your home, mixed with french/farmhouse style.  If you haven't had the pleasure of getting your hands on one of these...you may be in luck.... 

They can be ordered on line and retail between $25.00 and $28.00 depending on who you order from.

Now for the good part....

One lucky reader will have the chance to win one of these exquisite magazines in my giveaway. (flowers and vase not included)  I'm celebrating reaching 200 followers! (well, now a little over)

You need to do two things to enter:


1. Follow my blog and leave a comment that you do


2. Grab my giveaway button on my sidebar and add it to yours...or mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back to this post. (and mention that you did)  You can do both in one comment if you like!

That's it...Giveaway runs between October 5th and 19th with the winner being announced on the 20th!

Good luck and happy Fall to everyone!!

Angel Wings and a Guest Post

~Today I'd like you to meet someone very special~

Her name is Susan and she just opened  her etsy store. I wanted to give you a sneak peek of some of the treasures in her shop, lovingly crafted by hand.

Just look at these gorgeously romantic angel wings......so feminine and sweet

And now before I show you more, I invited Susan to write a guest post to introduce herself.

I know you'll all love her.  Take it away Susan......

"Thank you, Karen, for including my shop news in your White Wednesday post this week!  I am honored and grateful.  To all Karen's readers - I had the utmost pleasure in meeting sweet Karen last spring at the 'At Home With White' event at the Wrentham Country Store.  I knew I had found a kindred spirit in her, as well as our dear fellow blogger and WCS vendor Sandi (A Cottage Muse).  I can't stop featuring the shutter I purchased from Karen in my blog posts and Etsy listings as background!

My love of all types of needlework has allowed me to provide unique creations to decorate my home over the years.  Now I'm happy to be able to provide such creations in my new Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/EvelynAndRose.  The items are inspired by all that is French, romantic and vintage.  I only create what I love and would use in my own home and hope that you would enjoy them, too.
Thank you, Karen, for inviting me to your blog this week.  What a pleasure!  - Susan" 

See...I told you! Isn't she a doll? 

Now for  more eye candy...look at this pillow she created. It's part of her "Present Pillow Collection".

Another scrumptious heart, leaning on that shutter Susan was telling you about...

And just look at the fabric on these luscious pillows.... SIGH....DROOL!!!

I hope I've whet your appetite for the kinds of things Susan will have at her store. So hurry over and check out her shop AND blog  ...you wont' be sorry!  And more good news...Susan will be hosting a giveaway very soon, so stay tuned to her blog for that!

I'll be linking these lovely whites to Faded Charm for White Wednesday. Thanks as always Kathleen, for hosting this party! I look forward to your posts every week!

Treasure Transformation

I wanted to show you a before and after of each of these tiny projects, but I forgot to take a "before" of this one.

Anyway, I picked up these little vintage Lucite boxes at an estate sale. Six of them, yellowed to perfection in their own little wire rack.  I imagine they were used in the MR. of the home's workshop for little do-dads and what-nots.

I had these beautiful vintage look tickets that I was waiting to use on just the right project...and voila~

A little modge podge and they're all set for eternity...

I plan on adding knobs to the covers like the one you see here...

Won't this be a great addition to someone's craft room?  I think this will land in my rented space at WCS or perhaps in my soon to open Etsy Shop.

I found this basket at the Christmas Tree Shop. Not loving the Rooster, but the basket has great bones.

Rusty looking wire with wooden handles...I could see the French in it, just begging to come out!

I removed the yucky lovely rooster and added an antique door plate, some vintage lace in the center of it, with a Tim Holtz number decal to finish it off

I then strung some vintage lace all around the inside and tied it on with some string.

I think she looks and feels better now, don't you?

Lastly, (and I apologize about the blurriness of this photo) I had this cool wall hanger. The glass door knob is beautiful and the whole piece is quite heavy, but I just wasn't loving the blue....

So, I pulled out a vintage index book I picked up (photos of that later) and decoupaged the heck out of this little sweetie!  What do you think?

So... I hope with my vintage Lucite find, embellishing the basket with an antique door plate, and dressing the little sweetheart above in vintage papers, I can safely and happily link up to Vintage Inspiration Friday over at Common Ground. (for my second time joining the party)  Thanks for hosting Debra!

White Wednesday Aprons

Today I'm linking up with Kathleen over at Faded Charm  for White Wednesday.

My offering to you are these lacy, dreamy, vintage white aprons

For now I have them hanging in my kitchen from an old garden rake

If you look closely...you can see the detail that went into these vintage lovelies

They seem too pretty to wear, don't they?

I can just imagine June Cleaver donning something like this, as she putts 

around the kitchen in her high heels....

Since I live with all sons (and being the only female in the home)...

I have but one hope for my lovely vintage apron finds...

May my young men not use these as hand towels as they make their way 

around the corner...  :(

Loving all things white...and especially on White Wednesday.... 

~I've got a brand new pair of roller skates.... and you've got something I need

Does anyone remember that old song from Melanie?

Well, I've got a brand new old pair of roller skates.....

Let me tell you...these things are pretty heavy, not to mention awkward. Not sure how anyone ever roller skated in these.  They're not a matching pair...but precious just the same.

I just couldn't resist buying them when treasure hunting this past weekend.  They're so shabby, crusty and rusty to perfection ~

I'd like to put them in my rented space at the shop, but I need your help ladies! What could I embellish them with to add a little romance or chic to these, or how could I re-purpose them for another use?

I'd be so grateful for your ideas.  I lean toward shabby, romantic, french things, if that helps.  And to show my appreciation, if I choose your idea,  I'll be sending you  a little gift of thanks. I'll be sure to show a follow up pic, once I choose your "inspiration".

I'm also linking up with Debra at Common Ground for my first ever "Vintage Inspiration Friday"

I'll be waiting to hear from you all, (inspire me please) and until then...anyone want to race???

Family Rules

Oh happiness...my custom family rules sign arrived today. 

Look how gorgeous and it's HUGE!

The creators of this sign ask you to give 8 rules or thoughts that make up your individual "family rules or mottos" (or things you want to promote in your family)

There's a close up below that shows the actual color of the sign...the one above was taken in different light.

I first saw these on this blog

http://tarahlowry.blogspot.com/2011/05/back-in-business-for-summer.html

 and just HAD to have one....

Now...if I can just find a wall big enough to accommodate it....

Brimfield FleaMarket

I had the pleasure of attending the Brimfield Massachusetts Flea Market this past Friday.

I only took a few pictures this time, since I was very preoccupied with dragging my little cart through the muck and mud.  It had rained all week, leaving the poor dealers (and customers) to contend with the mess.

Let me show you  a few of the pics I did take...

This is the Bliss Farm's Antiques Booth.  Jackie does a beautiful job displaying her wares....

Sigh!

Ooh La La

Next I stopped by this gorgeous space...

The Textile Trunk

She specializes in Antique and Vintage European Textiles

This is Wendy, the owner...very sweet to pose for me

Lastly, I stopped by my friend Yvonne's space. 

Yvonne has a local shop "Shabby FiFi".    I actually first met her on ebay and was delighted to find how close by we lived to each other.

Aren't her displays to die for?

She has such an eye for arrangement...

I SO wanted to take one of these cherub statues home with me.. but alas...I wasn't there to shop for Karen...  :(

Here's one more view of her fabulous tent 

And here's our  Shop Keeper Extraordinaire, Mary Ellen.

As huge as Brimfield is, I was amazed to run into her twice.  Look at all those treasures in her cart.

In the days to come, I'll be sharing some of the treasures I picked up, although I must say, I actually had more luck over the weekend at local tag and estate sales.

For now, I'll be linking those gorgeous Cherub Statues to White Wednesday over at Faded Charm. Thanks Kathleen for hosting!!