By the Seaside

** sweet memories with family**

London Sole {across the pond}

Biz lady extraordinaire.....Vogue calls the designer 

"queen of ballet flats".  Jane Winkworth has been designing shoes since the 

late sixties.

If a shoe is called "ballet sneakers" who wouldn't want a pair?

Classic style & the pink pair is a nod to the current pop of color trend.

These are my favorite and the string can be adjusted to your foot.

Florida 2012

We are having a good time... lots of taking it easy and enjoying family.

The weather is great and it's my first time here. I grew up going to Kansas & Michigan.

Where is your favorite spot to vacation?

{Yesterday we went to Sanibel Island, so quaint and pretty}

Vintage Cabinet {lots of drawers}

Please excuse the glare and the light--gray day here in Ohio. Well, I have wiped down every drawer and still need to wipe the glass one more time. Although think it would be good to wait until things are put in the drawers. Don't you think she would look purty with a coat of Annie Sloan's dark wax on the black?

Two of the drawers have broken glass, which is easy to replace one of these days. Even though we want the cabinet upstairs, will go ahead and fill em' up and start organizing. 27 drawers should hold a lot of our small inventory.

 This space where the cabinet currently resides was from one week ago.....I was getting inspired to fluff and well, this table was moved to make room for the cabinet that "didn't fit up our stairway"! Oh, dear!

 Some of these things in this drawer will pop onto Etsy.......

See this wee piece? It was discovered when I was treasure hunting, 1/2 off and in the original box.
Miss Vivi has my dollhouse and this will reside in there. {I love thrift shops, antique places & the fleas! What is it about finding something one-of-a-kind? Do you love this type of shopping?}

Enjoy your weekend! What are you doing? Organizing? Relaxing? Don't forget to go to Church on Sunday......... ;)

P.S. I started drinking Slim Fast {generic brand, Kroger's} and I will keep you posted on this. I'm usually starved by mid afternoon. haha. {do you have any luck with this stuff?} I'm beginning to wonder about my relationship with weight loss drinks.
xo

"Valentining"

Luke with his "air mail" mailbox--complete with a movable propellor.

Yes, the things we do for our kids. 

I love his class, such sweetie pies! We crafted pipe cleaner rings with the girls,

made famous by Wendy a.k.a "the pipe cleaner lady"!

{and the boys made something not as exciting as the rings!}

Little brother, Zach came along to hang out.

Needless to say he was a happy camper!

Shopkeeping Style {Master Bathroom}

{Image Source}

Photographer: Janis Nicolay of Pinecone Camp blog

Perfect storage piece for the Bath! 

{White towels are my favorite}

No, Ma'am I'm sorry......

 {here she is without drawers put in!}

1.

 but, she won't fit up your stairs! Indeed I had measured the incline of our stairs wrong, very wrong. This piece has kept me busy this week... I spotted her in a favorite digging place, and had a "hold" tag put on her. {Right after I spotted her}  The drawers, all 24 of them are what we need to accomplish some of the store's bigger goals this year. However, the goals need to get finished upstairs in the shipping/inventory room, not in the dining room. Our upstairs windows are big enough for it to go through, however, that will be a chore.for.somebody. Anyway, we swept, wiped down & put a good coat of polish on all of the drawers that seriously keep cloning themselves.

The drawers are what sold this shop girl on her......it's easier to keep organized with drawers. Currently we have stacked boxes and every time you go to get something it's awkward to say the least. Plus, the drawers have glass fronts surround in aged brass, with darling pulls.

What: Vintage Rike's Department Store cabinet with drawers. {Dayton history, love it}
When: Circa 1940's
Where: Dayton, Ohio

love, love old department store display fixtures.

scene from 2/1/09...gathering and delighting in evening lamp glow.

{what is it about the remains of the day? maybe it's grasping all the sweet remnants that are left?}

2.

Friday, 2/10/12, arrived with a flurry of the usual school morning hustle & bustle. I felt a strong urging to get the crock-pot going before bus time. That never happens. {Chicken, sweet potatoes, apples & a surfeit of spices, simple yet tasty. }

 By mid-morning a friend stopped by and we sat and enjoyed mid-winter's frolic by chatting by the fireside. I felt a presence telling me to reach out instead of holding back. What are we scared of anyway?

By late afternoon I was in a homemaking flurry of baking this no- knead bread.  {I haven't baked homemade bread in years.} Must be the weather? Luke was asking for it and so wanted to surprise him after a long school day. I had went to the grocery on Thursday and was happy I did. {see why next}

By late afternoon another friend called and her husband was out of town and wanted to do something. Coincidentally, my mother had told me the day before in regards to her being without her hubby this weekend.  I had a tugging at my heart that I should call her on Friday to see if she wanted to come over, and she called me first! Goodness, I had been to the grocery, crock-pot was a simmering, salad ingredients in the fridge and she had a dessert made. Voila! Dinner is served and the more the merrier! {& louder :) }

See? That is what make our days sweeter, brighter and joyful. I can choose to be frustrated or really see how life's days are beautiful. Sweet.

Have a lovely weekend!

Arrows for Valentine's Day

Gather together:
Long wooden skewers
Japanese washi tape in an assortment of patterns & colors
Gold metallic cord 
Card stock {any color will do}
Fringing scissors {optional}


Follow instructions for the mini arrows here, in one of our previous tutorials. The bottom portion of the arrow, you can fringe the paper making it a wee more festive.

Attach a pretty tag and write a Valentine sentiment for the recipient.
{The arrow in picture above, I used for a cake topper, hence no tag.}

I'm your target Valentine!

Candy Bags {head to the paint store!}

{ Make it!}

Gather together:

Paint sample cards {I picked these up at Lowe's, I like the width of them.}

Crop-a-Dile or favorite hole punch.

European stapler for the darling petite old brass staples. Find it here and here.

Red foil hearts {or you can cut a heart out of pretty card stock you have on hand}

Glassine bags {find on Etsy or Google glassine to locate}  or if you don't have any make your own out of wax paper}

Favorite stickers/labels

Candy

Brads

Stamp

 Put your paper heart in bag.

 This bag was a wee bit too big, so I folded it on both sides to fit the heart. {I taped the folds with Japanese tape on the back}
Fill with candy making sure the candy stays on the front of the heart.

 Fold your paint sample card in half.

 Fold paint sample card over bag and staple twice towards the top, space the staples evenly. Punch a hole with your crop-a-dile or favorite hole punch in the center top of paint sample card.  Insert brad and stick a label on the center of paint sample card. Last, stamp your favorite sentiment on label.

Sweetie pie sweet and fun to give.....

Zach's 3rd Birthday Party {2/1/12}

 I made the cake! {The recipe is a keeper.}
Thank you Camille Styles!

Cupcakes with Martha Stewart's Chocolate Ganache Frosting recipe.

*Easy recipes*

 Banners waving!

 Arrow stuck in the cake {with a cute fortune tucked on top.}

It had a really sweet saying on it and couldn't resist!

 Shopkeeping style--old cash register drawer. {I've had this for 12 years now!}

The drawer is filled with fortune cookies, wooden spoons, straws and of course party blowers.

 Luke had started a canvas and his background colors fit in perfectly.

Plain & simple lunch bags for treats and vintage roll of fabric to tie them up.

I always have a zillion detail ideas and only about a fraction of them get accomplished

{anyone else like that?}

 It's a party--the pennants are strung!

See those cute little jugs of juice; they are from Dollar Tree.

The twine; it's from a clothesline, red/white and from Dollar Tree.

{looks like thick bakery twine!}

They also have the clothesline in a green/white & blue/white combo;

 just cut it apart and tie up gift packages.

 We are blessed to have you Zach.....

born 2/1/09

@ 1:09 pm-- it was a sweet moment when the nurse said

you had red hair!

You make us laugh Zach Ellington!

Gotta run, Matt is picking up Chinese, yum!

Tomorrow I have more Valentine's Day crafting....

xo