Spring vignettes...

Spring has really arrived here in New England! Not only outside, but inside as well!

A little spring vignette in the Family Room featuring a vintage paint-by-number and bird figurines.

I think Mama Bluebird is squawking to Mr. Blue Jay that he'd better stay away from her nest and eggs!

As you can see, I use most of my old chair pads on tables rather than chairs. This plant is enjoying soaking up the sun through the slider.

Now this plant is an artificial boxwood, so technically it doesn't need the sun's rays, but I think it likes this spot in the window anyhow!

Baby is enjoying lounging in the family room today, laying against one of my favorite pillows made out of an old chenille bedspread. It is definitely a spring pillow with a big pink rose against a blue and white background.

This floral swan was a bedroom decoration in one of my girls' bedrooms when they were little. They're now in their 20's, so it's been around for quite some time.

It sits above the family room sliders.

This is my Christmas/Easter cactus. I call it that because it blooms at both Christmastime and in the spring around Easter. It sits on a robin's egg blue floral place mat in the living room bay window.

And last, but certainly not least, is the bird bowl I shared with you in yesterday's post. This little fellow definitely brings a touch of spring to the fireplace mantel.

(photo editing courtesy of PicMonkey)

I hope you enjoyed some of our spring vignettes. I'm linking up to Beverly's Pink (Spring) Saturday at How Sweet the Sound, so stop on over!!

Happy spring, everyone!

Donna

Button, button, who's got the button?

I do, actually!

Lots and lots of creamy white buttons...

... and they're all being watched over by this beautiful little bird, perched on the rim of this petite bowl. Isn't he handsome?

I thought the bowl might look good holding some earrings from my vintage clip-on collection since they pick up a lot of the colors in my little friend...

But a little birdie told me (yes, it was him) that he prefers to be the main pop of color, and I quite agree. This beautiful bird bowl was sent to me last year by a very good friend who wanted to cheer me up. She knew I was having a hard time dealing with my dad's passing and, being the generous, caring person that she is, she sent this little beauty my way to bring a smile to my lips.

I'm sure that any of you who know Claudia from Mockingbird Hill Cottage won't be a bit surprised to learn that it was she who so generously sent this little fellow my way :) (Thank you, Claudia, I love him!)

You might remember that Claudia also posted about PicMonkey last week. Let's just say I'm officially addicted to PicMonkey now. See the photo above?

Look at it after playing with PicMonkey!! OMG, I am absolutely in love with this site! You must go check it out!

It's like eating potato chips. One just doesn't satisfy you. So I "tweaked" another!

Isn't this just too cool?? I hope you all have as much fun as I do visiting PicMonkey! And Claudia, once again, thank you for my beautiful bird bowl! I absolutely love it!

I'm linking up to Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home. Be sure to pop over and visit everyone!

Donna

A bed of roses...

The last time I showed you our bedroom, the bed itself was a rumpled mess (thanks to our Baby!!). I promised to share pictures when the bed is made and, as usual, Baby insisted on being in the photos (she's such a little ham!)

I have a couple of different coverlets or quilts for the bed and this is one of my favorites. Who can resist lush pink roses against a robin's egg blue background? Baby and I certainly can't!

The back set of pillows are covered with white eyelet shams...

... and the front pillows sport vintage Battenburg lace shams...

...with beautifully embroidered rosebuds.

A small accent pillow with roses and pink pom pom trim (from a little girl's department) sits between all the other pillows.

With it's 'sweet dreams' message, bluebird, and pink roses, I decided to indulge the 'little girl' in me.

I thought this photo of Baby was hilarious. To me, it looks like she is climbing out of a (non-existent) hole in the center of the bed!

So after all of the bed-making chores are done....

... it's time to relax and enjoy the long overdue delicious spring breeze coming in through the open bedroom window!

In my next post I'll share some thoughts we've been throwing around  about how to give this "stuck in the 80's, half colonial/primitive, half shabby cottage" bedroom a much-needed facelift!

I'm linking up to My Romantic Home's Show & Tell Friday. Be sure to stop by and see what everyone is sharing this week!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Donna

Thrift Store Mantel Decor...

I've been playing around with the mantel decor a bit and thought it might be fun to group several thrift store finds together...

There's a silver candleholder, some small shaker bottles, a white footed vase...

... and my favorite, the lady head planter vase on the end (found last year at a thrift store in Cambridge, MA). Although she's elegant just as she is, I wanted to try a few different looks on her...

Here she is modeling a bit of faux ivy....

... and here she is sporting a bird's nest to celebrate SPRING.

 Decisions, decisions...

Although it's hardly spring-like, with it's black velvet brim, I kept coming back to this vintage hat with the delightful netting and rhinestone embellishment (picked up at yet another thrift store in Cambridge last year)...

So for the time being, Miss Lady Head Planter Vase will sport her black & white hat while sitting on the mantel among my other thrift store finds.

I'm linking up to Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show & Tell Friday, so be sure to stop over and see what everyone is sharing this week!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Donna



My creative space...

Welcome to my little cottage office/studio!
(click any photos to enlarge)

I learned of this fun "Where Bloggers Create" party through Claudia's blog...

It's being hosted by Karen at My Desert Cottage. She thought it would be fun if we shared our little creative nooks with each other... Thanks, Karen, for a great idea!

Although it's not a very big room (smaller than 8'x10'), I am so fortunate to have a space to call my own! I recently rearranged the room, so it's a bit different from when this photo was taken. But it's still full of all the things that make me smile... artwork and signs painted by my girls, old family photos, chippy windows, and lots of junktique finds like the old green desk, the vintage tablecloth covering an old file cabinet/table, and the pink lamp(s) on top of the bookcase.

I made this bulletin board out of an old chippy window by applying cork squares to the window panes with double-sided tape...

And this is my computer/blogging corner!! (Although since recently rearranging the room, the computer now sits on the green desk, which has been moved into the corner, and the white shelving unit now sits on the other side of the room).

Here's the exact same view of the room in the early 90's! As you can see, I still have the same peachy-pink wallpaper that we put up when it was Courtney's room. Court has since moved into a larger bedroom, which pleases her to no end!

I fell in love with this chippy green desk at a sidewalk sale years ago. It's one of my all-time favorite junktique finds. Some day I'll try to get better photos because the green is much prettier than in shows here...

Photos of the girls are tucked under the glass desk top, as well as some cottagey placemats that match my no-sew window valance. I painted some old black/grey office supplies so I'd have a more cottage-friendly stapler and pencil sharpener. And my best friend (the fan) is never far away!

Okay, if I ever clean/rearrange my bookcase shelves, I promise I'll show you. But trust me when I say you would not be impressed with them in their current state! I can at least show you the top of the bookcase... I got the vintage lamps & shades for a song at a second-hand store that, unfortunately, is no longer in business... Boy, do I miss that place!

There are a lot of handmade things in my office, including this eye pottery that Amanda made in high school. I think it's so unique!

I also have a small "Mary" collection in my office... A thrifted Mary sits on top of a hand-painted cigar box....

...while an old ceramic Mary (that once belonged to my Mom) hangs on the wall. Isn't the swag of crosses sweet? I got them from Lori at Katie's Rose Cottage a couple of years ago (I love her shop! The CREATE sign hanging from the mirror over the bookcase was also from her shop!)...

On the old white shelving unit (that used to house the computer), I now have a special shelf with an old Mary paint-by-number, a vintage chalkware Mary statue, a little plastic shrine (that the girls bought for me many years ago), and my mom's and nana's Mass cards in little white frames. My (black kitty) Mr. B's ashes are in the blue urn (actually a cotton ball dispenser), and little animal figurines are reminders of some of the sweet fur babies we've had. So all in all, my office/studio is filled with special memories and things that make me happy.

And about that valance that conceals the shade ... Since I have no talent in the sewing department (do you give lessons, Claudia?), I just folded 3 placemats, side-by-side, over a curtain rod and then folded crocheted doilies over the areas where the placemats overlapped. Easy breezy (it has to be for me! ha ha)

I'm looking forward to visiting everyone else's creative spaces!

Donna

Repurposed Cigar Box... Pink, of course!!

A few years ago my daughter, Amanda, vacationed on Cape Cod and brought me back a hand painted souvenir from a cute little shop in downtown Hyannis...


The artist had transformed an old old cigar box into a shabby work of art...


The box has a dimensional hand-painted rose on the lid...


...and through the painted strips, you can still see the original embossed writing on the sides of the box (Rothschild Baccarat)...


This beautiful gift sits in a vanity tray (that I painted pink), on top of the bookcase in my office....


... centered between a pair of white iron lamps with pink pleated fabric shades (a great vintage store find!!!)...

Be sure to check out everybody else's "Pink Saturday" posts at Beverly's beautiful blog, How Sweet The Sound!


Donna