CastleAndCottageSigns

Winner of the Farmhouse giveaway!

2012-01-21T09:25:00.000-05:00

First...I must tell you all how humbled I am!

This giveaway has exceeded my dreams and I am so

touched by all your comments

~ the enormous response has been such a thrill ~

sort of a 'pinch me' feeling!

A big thank you to each of you, from the bottom of my little heart:)

Now for the random.org number....

~20 ~

which corresponds to Gina!!

Gina said...

Throw my name into the hat please!! Love these signs!!

Congrats girl!!

Also...in business news ~ a really big thank you to Sharon

aka Pansy Cottage Girl

and creator of

Launch Your Creativity

for featuring me this week!

Take a look at Sharons site where she inspires women to follow their dreams....

Sharon..you are the best!!

Happiness is...

2012-01-16T10:14:00.000-05:00

knowing you have the

most

adorable

grandson on the planet!

just ask Braydens grammie ~ who kindly shared his letter "B"

photos with me!

Photo shoot cut out letters are now available on my website

www.castleandcottagesigns.com

ps... there's still time to enter my Farmhouse sign giveaway!

click here or scroll down to the previous post....

Farmhouse Sign giveaway!

2012-01-12T07:58:00.001-05:00

A new year...a new giveaway!

What's not to love about Farmhouse decorating?

Chippy paint,

worn finishes,

aged zinc

a little rusty accessory

here and there..

all exude the feeling of

lived in

loved.

Exactly what HOME should be about!

I've been designing signs around this theme for years but lately the style has taken off...

I'm painting more and more Farm style signs than ever...Love it!

Time for a little

'giving away the farm'

celebration!

One lucky winner will get to choose either my

Farmers Market

Sign

or my Family Farmstead sign....

{personalized with Your Family name & year}

In keeping with the simple farm life...

this giveaway will be

simple...

just leave a comment on this post to be eligible!

This put's your name in the hat for the drawing ~

one week from today ~ January 19th ~

I'll use random.org to pick the lucky winner!

Want more chances? Of course you do! Simply do any or all of these...

blog about this giveaway...

add a sidebar button to your blog...

post about it on facebook or twitter...

or become a follower of my blog...

then come back here and enter another comment so your name is in the hat for each entry!

This giveaway is welcome to all inside the US...wether you have a blog or not!

Just be sure to leave me a way to contact you in your comment.

Thanks for stopping by

Good Luck to all!

Linking up with LaurieAnna's Farmhouse Friday!

{go visit LaurieAnna's blog to see the wonderful Farmhouse Bedroom she's posted...

gorgeous!}

my DIY make up table ..

2012-01-09T11:05:00.000-05:00

TADA!! here it is...I finally got around to doing a little photo shoot of it...

it was quite a labor of love...and really hard to keep it hidden in the workshop while I worked on it!

It started as an old vanity from the thrift store...I just used the legs and drawer with the skirt and added a new top...

the top has a mirror base to it then a glass shelf where the trays slide under, making all her make-up clearly visible and easy to access!

and I had alot of fun filling it up with all new make up and accessories...

she was so shocked when she removed the paper I had draped all around it with a bow on top...I thought she was going to pass out! lol.... she made my Christmas when she said...

"this is every girls dream!"

We had fun making these two jewelry boards with black burlap wrapped over simple foam board...

it was the perfect touch to the table in her room...

What do you think?? Every girls dream or was mom just trying to relive her teenage years?

lol.... okay...maybe I was just a little!

I'm thinking sign giveaway coming up next post...just a few days from now...

thinking Farmers Market sign to celebrate it's over 150 etsy hearts it's gotten!

woohoo!!

See you then!

(´¨·.(´¨·.¸(´¨·.¸Merry Christmas!!¸.·´¨) ¸.·´¨)¸.·´¨)

2011-12-24T08:51:00.003-05:00

What a wild ride it has been....this past month or so. Since early December we've painted and shipped over 60 signs! I loved every minute of it...even though it meant pizza for dinner more times than I like to recall!

I couldn't get to blogging, but oh how I've missed it and really missed visiting all of you.

Say hello to Jr. Miss Sussex County... Caela Grim!

I received the cutest thankyou card and these photos from Caela for letting her borrow my car to parade with this Christmas season....isn't she just adorable?

You're so welcome Caela....my little car looks quite famous!!

I didn't get to do alot of decorating but I did get the tree up and somehow found time

to decorate at least the front door....

Next week I'll show you the gift I made for my daughter Hannah...it was inspired by this diy makeup table I found on pinterest....

It really came out quite awesome and I can't wait to see the look on her face when she opens it tomorrow morning! (gee I hope she doesnt read this!!)

Be safe everyone and have yourselves a....

(´¨*·.¸(´¨*·.(´¨*·.¸(´¨*·.¸(´¨*·.¸Merry Christmas!!¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*´¨)¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*´¨)¸.·*´¨)¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*´¨)

paula

Hello my Pretties!

2011-11-04T15:46:00.000-04:00

That was a little belated halloween humor....!

I really don't like it when I disappear, but it was totally unavoidable.

Pinky swear, it was.

If October was any hint of what November will bring in the sign business...well

...let's just say I'm sorta shakin in my boots!

Honestly though..it's all good!!

If you have a sign ordered with me, custom or just a web order...

rest assured that I'm working on it, pinky swear again!!

But, if you don't have one ordered....

go to my etsy shop and check out my two newest signs....

hurry...go now...they are ready to ship!!

One in black background ~ white lettering....

Moulins de Provence

it's a mill, in France!!!

the other with a white background and black lettering....

all deliciously

chipped,

faded,

cracked and

down right

trashy looking!

okay, trashy may be pushing but

trust me...

You'll love em!!

xo till next time...

.oooooo yah, wait...one more thing...

...giveaway coming soon...

pinky swear

{that's three pinky swears in one post, oh my!!}

xoxo

Front Page!

2011-10-17T06:57:00.001-04:00

'Timeless Love' by EarthAndInk

Women"s Heart ........W... mablum $17.00	Personalized Wedding Gift, A... inspiredartpri... $35.00	Custom Wedding Sign bride an... castleandcotta... $42.00
Sparkle Fantasy Marie Antoin... RomanticThread... $1250.00	The Original Rose cut crysta... jorgensenstudi... $54.00	Lily of the valley - a cream... gardensofwhims... $30.00
Vintage Vanity Brush Comb an... VintageGeek197... $40.00	TWINKLE TOES Ballet Flats ..... everlastinglif... $295.00	bridal clutch vintage glove ... lauraclauson $55.00
Vintage Clock Necklace smafactory $23.00	vintage rare 1930s tan camel... simplicityisbl... $320.00	Chandelier 5x7 photography a... IrishVikingDes... $7.00
Crystal studs, bridesmaid ea... AuroraCollecti... $25.00	Cameo Necklace Vintage Style... Jewelrybynala $26.00	Ivory Flower Girl Tutu Dress... Nmoledo $94.98

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

I made the front page of etsy!!!!

WOOOOOHOOOO!!!

I have the Most Creative Customers....

2011-09-30T12:55:00.002-04:00

I really do....they give me their ideas and together we create

magic...

see for yourself...

Donna's enamel bowl by her kitchen sink...holds her soaps and sponges...

Linda's sign inspired by Ballards Pruvost sign...personalized!

A gift from the bride to the wedding planner...with the bride's boquet duplicated by hand painted flowers, how sweet is that?

Did you see Tracie's Chicken Coop she built?

Now it's official...it has a sign!

Heading to Dana's? Bring a quarter or drip dry!

Tony has dubbed his (gorgeous) home the

Shady Bungalow...he'll be hanging his sign on the front porch.

Liz is a bride "on the ball" the

wedding is next June and she'll be ready!

Such a sweet customer!

And Julie Ann is so creative and such a joy of a customer to paint for....her Christmas will be Red with lot's of Silver german glass glitter....love it Julie Ann!!

They are a creative bunch aren't they?

Then there's the customers that send me photos of my signs in their homes....

I LOVE THAT!

Kara's French Bathroom.....ooh la la Kara!!

How cozy and warm is Diane's Guest Cottage? Love it!

That's some of this past month's custom signs...I realize it's been three weeks or so since I posted last~ that's a long time but September has been a doozy of a month here!

Let's just say I am

so thankful

for the worlds best customers who have kept me painting!!!

'tis the season of the Black Cat...

2011-09-13T11:14:00.000-04:00

Welcome to

The Black Cat Cafe

Eat Drink and be Scary!!

awesome vintage black acorn hooks...

hang your broom and hat!!

Looks like a fun place huh?

where is it you ask??

In my etsy shop!!

Say Mmm!!

2011-09-06T07:18:00.000-04:00

This may come as a big surprise to you, but it's true. I LOVE to cook.

I do...I love to try new recipes, to try them out on unsuspecting guests and obligated-to-love-it family members (they're my favorite guniea pigs).

Last night I made Tyler Florences' Spahgetti alla Carbonara for the first time....it was yummy!

Another five stars for Tyler!!

(okay, this is his photo, but mine looked just like it..I swear!)

What I loathe about cooking however...is the planning, shopping and yes, the cleaning up.

I suppose I sound just like every other woman in the universe huh?

Then I discovered this site...

SayMmm.com

and wow, was I amazed!

Talk about simplifying life!

The whole site works by clicking and or copy/paste...what could be easier?

Here's what the site can do...

all for free!!

Meal planning - Easily plan meals by day, week, or month with an online calendar designed to work with your recipes and shopping lists.

Grocery lists - Simplify grocery lists with smart features that help you remember

and organize the things you need to get.

Recipes - Save all your recipes (up to 100 free, more than 100 requires upgrading to Saymmm Plus at just 3.00/mo.) and meal ideas in one place, organize them as you like, and just click to use them in meal plans and shopping lists.

Honestly...you should check it out. I've started using it and it has made the past week so much more stress free when it comes to meal planning and cooking.

The only thing it doesn't take care of is the kitchen clean-up part....

oh well, I can't have it all!!

xoxo

signs of a hurricane...

2011-08-30T13:53:00.001-04:00

We really lucked out...compared to other people, mostly in other states...we really did just fine.

We had alot of flooding in our basement and alot of tree limbs to clean up... that's about it.

We never lost power although we were thoroughly prepared to.

My son who works for a tree trimming company has been working 14 hour days since the storm started Saturday. Now it sounds like his crew might be traveling out of state to help out, maybe New York he tells me. I really do worry about him and this massive clean up they tackle all day, plus working around electrical wires. I'd appreciate it if you could keep him in your prayers for me.

I took some photos of our yard but lost them to a broken camera picture card. I put the card in the computer to view them and bam...card broken, just like that. I guess that was my only big loss from Irene.

Here are some of my favorite shots from around Delaware and surrounding areas (all taken from our local newspapers)...

and Maryland...

what a great idea!

the one below I found on the web...not sure where this restaurant is located but I'd eat there...they have a great sense of humor...

speaking of signs...

since my computer was off during Irene, and I couldn't get to the workshop out in the garage...I sat and painted some new signs that were just waiting for me to have the time....I had all the time in the world waiting for Irene to leave...

Each of the signs above are available in my etsy shop.

a few of the custom signs recently shipped out..

Happily ever after...at the farm!

Wall planter in aqua!

Lucky is David's cat...he has his own garden!

love how this sign turned out..one of my favorite fonts, Algerian.

I hope all of you that were in Irene's path are making out okay! My family in Mass & RI still don't have power...that would be tough but at least they are all okay.

Added note... is anyone else having trouble leaving comments on blogs? Seems after visiting the first few and commenting blogger doesn't know who I am anymore...try to use the url identity but now that's not even working...is it just me?

The Winner & What a blast Virginia beach was!

2011-08-25T11:39:00.001-04:00

And the winner is...

comment number 8

.....here's what she wrote...

Hi Paula,

Glad to see you back, we've missed you!

Oh, your signs are the loveliest I've ever seen. I hope to order one for my shop soon.
Love the Christmas sign, it's wonderful.

I am excited to be included in your giveaway!

{do you know this gal???}

That's right Sissie....it's you!

Congrats girl!

Thanks to all who entered! I've read and read again all your wonderful comments and they have me smiling ear to ear! I'm so lucky to have you all as blog buddies!

What a week I had in Virginia Beach...one of the best vacations I've had in years!

Between all of us, we have almost 1000 photos... yes, one thousand, that's not a typo!

Here are a few of my favorites from the week...

Our family photo on the stairs of the house...

My dad and his five kids...( I say 'kids' cuz we were like kids all week!)

then we added in the spouses and our kids...

then down to the beach for more family shots....

Mike jr, me, Hannah, and Mike

a surprise kiss!

me and Hannah

Mike and Hannah (seems we always have to drag him out of the water for a photo!)

my sisters and me...

Donna, Tina and Laura

got a few shots of Hannah that we might use for her senior pictures this year...does she get this beauty from me? ! lol!

one of the funnest things we did was an Iron Chef cookoff...between my neice Rachel and brother in law Greg...what a feast they put on!

Greg was the winner, but since Rachel's young and only been cooking for a short while she gave him quite a run for his money! She made the grilled watermelon salad..it was awesome!

My brother serenaded us each night with his guitar!

I got in 4 tennis matches! The courts were on the ocean...it was heaven!

I even got my sister Donna to play on the last day, she had never been on a court before, turns out she's pretty good~ I hope she keeps playing when she gets home.

And on the last day, Mike finally got me in the kyak and out on the ocean....I was nervous but once I got out there I didn't want to come back!

Can you see how far out we went? The most peaceful place on earth I tell ya...I want one of these!!...Santa are you listening??

My Endless Summer Giveaway!

2011-08-10T05:28:00.008-04:00

It's time!

Can't believe how long it's been since I last posted...I got totally swept away with sign orders and have had barely any time for play ~ it's a good thing I really love what I do, so much so that it feels like play!

I can't thank all of you enough for hanging in there with me!

Here's a few of my recent custom signs...

I also worked on a few new signs...here is my

absolute favorite...

Ta da!
I know...it's Christmas...but did you know...there's only 136 days till Christmas?

Yeah, I thought you knew.

Another new one...the vintage French Bakery.

I've a third one in the works...a Farmers Market sign...soon!

okay...here's the scoop on the give away....

because I'm sooo excited and sooo in love with how the

Merry Christmas

sign turned out~

I've decided to give one away!!

It measures a huge 40 inches wide by 20 inches tall...

very distressed and chippy~

I did two versions of this sign,

one with just a light gray shading on the letters...

and another with silver german glass glitter shading....

so the winner will get their choice!

Or....the winner can choose

a $75.00 gift certificate to either of my shops...

castleandcottagesigns

or my etsy shop

castle and cottage on etsy

which can be used to purchase any sign there OR on a

custom sign!

Since I like to keep giveaways simple...just two things...

I'd love if you were a follower of my blog

and two, leave a comment on this post.

And as always, feel free to post about it on your blog and come back and leave another comment for another chance!

This giveaway is open to the US and Canada...

I'll be using random.org to draw the lucky number...
be sure that I have a way to contact you if your number comes up!!

This will run for 2 weeks...ending on Weds. August 24th.

Now more happy news...I go on vacation Saturday!!
To Virginia Beach with my family...all 21 of us!
Here's where we're staying...right on the ocean!

Sweet huh? I so need this vacation, it's the perfect way to end the summer don't you think?...{and dream of an endless summer!}

Good luck everyone...and again,

THANK YOU

for hanging in there with me!!

Where Bloggers Create 2011

2011-07-15T09:22:00.004-04:00

Welcome to my studio!

" Altelier No. 2 "

This is my first year joining Karen Valentine of "My Desert Cottage" for her Where Bloggers Create Party!

Although some of you have seen my studio I thought I'd share it again for new followers who haven't ...

~Moi~

{not the best photo of me because...well that photo has yet to be taken! lol}

My studio was once our dining room ~ a place we hardly used ~ so it seemed perfect to move in here ~ now it is the busiest place in the house...

I've alot of photos to share ~ when it's your favorite place you tend to get a little

'snap happy'

"you cannot depend on your eyes when your imaginations is out of focus"

Mark Twain

I've filled it with all my favorite things...almost all things vintage...and gave each one a new purpose.

This vintage suede and fur trim coat covers my tripod.

My design board with vintage suitcases propped on an old sewing machine trestle ~ they hold numerous magaznies and books.

We added this new door to close off the living room ~ then added the old hardware and hooks to

hang my 'gathering bags'... they help to keep the clutter down.

I love vintage frames and alphabets.

I made custom shelves to get the best use out of this three sided corner...underneath the painters cloth skirt are my filing cabinets.

Vintage art books and gardening books...two more of my favorite things.

German glass glitter in repurposed jars with vintage labels.

My mom ~ always keeping her close to me ~ and Nana's old tubes of oil paint. Two of my most inspiring people.

My chalkboard and world clocks.

Vintage paper file for computer paper.

The necessary stuff.

My vintage clothing store painting table.

Old card files have been painted white and filled with paint tubes and bottles. They are now

new old paint files.

Originally painted black ~ this spring I painted this chest a beautiful robins egg blue to lighten up the room.

I kept one thing from the dining room in here ~ my vintage silver. Each now holds and art supply of one kind or another.

Vintage printer blocks.

Hangtags for my signs ready to go.

"The world is but a canvas to our imagination"

Henry David Thoreau

Vintage office supplies ~ love bringing back those days when things weren't so digital ~ simpler times.

Scattered throughout the studio are vintage religious items ~ they add alot of warmth ~ visually and spiritually.

My old tin mailbox holds shipping labels perfectly.

Hope you enjoyed my little tour of my favorite place to be!

Be sure to check out the party and visit what looks like over three hundred wonderful

spaces Where Bloggers Create & be inspired!

I'm getting much better cold wise...and business has been wonderful..which all

has me thinking it's time to celebrate with a sign giveaway...

probably next week will be the perfect time!

Back from Vacation {?}

2011-07-11T08:10:00.007-04:00

Sort of a vacation...more like one of those vacations you need a vacation after! We traveled all around the state of Iowa...never really sleeping in the same bed twice! I left home with the sniffles and a stuffy nose...this got worse as the week went on. When we got back I went straight to the doctor to find out I had pneumonia! I'm MUCH better now...but yeah, I could really use another vacation!

I forgot my camera...can you believe that? These are photos from our cell phones....flying into Omaha~the flooding was unreal to see, felt more like flying over the ocean.

A scary sight...the water covering everything but rooftops and treetops.

We watched fireworks twice...once at Spirit Lake then again at Lake Okoboji...

The boats and the crowds began gathering on the lake, it was just beautiful!
The ferris wheel at Arnolds Park, Lake Okiboji, Iowa. My husband got this shot...he was very proud of it:)

In the airport on the way home...my little environmental scientist thought this sign on the door was soooo cool. We don't have 'tornado shelters' on the east coast. I had to drag her away ~ she really wanted to open it!!

And here...meet my new partner in ~~crime~~ signs!!!
This is my good friend Marie
(with her two adorable grandbabies, can you believe she's a grandmother?!! ~ she looks more like the big sister!!!)
who has joined me in the cutting, sanding and painting of a gazillion signs!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer...
if you're in this current heat wave stay safe & cool!

xo

Hello world....

2011-06-28T06:59:00.006-04:00

are you still there? I hope so...cause I'm back!

I'm sorry I haven't posted in so long....it's been quite a month. But I finally feel like there's light at the end of the tunnel...things are looking brighter!

I'm happy to tell you that I've gone and got my self a partner~ a wonderful friend who's ready to take a plunge into this sign painting world with me! We've been busy, showing her the process and teaching her the techniques I use...lot's of fun and she's doing great! I'm quite optimistic about this venture of acquiring a partner~protege. When I get back from our little jaunt to Iowa I'll do a formal introduction:)

We leave tomorrow for a family wedding. I hope to have our laptop up and running so I can still keep in touch.

I've opened my shops...my etsy shop and my website, with limited signs right now and a 3 week turnaround time. When I get back from Iowa and we get rolling it'll be a much shorter turnaround time.

Wishing you all a safe & happy 4th of July weekend!!

MacKenzie's sign ~ with ♥

2011-06-16T10:07:00.004-04:00

As promised...and with lot's of love painted in...my sign (now on ebay...click here! ) to help my niece MacKenzie raise the funds she needs to go on a humanitarian mission to Haiti~

Mac Kenzie just finished her freshman year at Northwestern College in Orange City, IA...(where she is also a member of their women's basketball team, which, by the way, just won the NAIA national championship!!!...but I digress...back to her mission...)

Along with other members of the Trinity Reformed Church of Orange City and with two other organizations... United Christians International and Promise for Haiti they will travel to Pignon Haiti, July 27th~ Aug 5th.

"An estimated 250,000 people were killed and 300,000 homes destroyed in the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit the Port-au-Prince region January 2010, leaving 1.5 million homeless. Eighteen months later, roughly 700,000 are still living in miserable tent camps, with nowhere to go."
source~ montrealgazette.com

MacKenzie and her team members will be making cement floors and roofs for housing, helping at the hospital and a newly developed school. Knowing MacKenzie, she'll be putting her whole heart into this mission and I couldn't be happier to help her get there!

visit Castle & Cottage on ebay

On another note....

I've been on quite a ride since the June issue of Romantic Homes (this is a big part of why my blogging has been sporatic, to say the least!)...

it's been a whirlwind of sorts and has me thinking and rethinking alot of things~

all to do with Castle & Cottage and the kind of business I have and the kind of business

I want it to be.

Many opportunities have been presented, to the point of leaving me completely overwhelmed...what path I take, if any, remains to be seen but I just wanted to mention it here, as I am spending alot of time contemplating many things, many changes and

crossing my fingers

I make all the right choices!

my little royal wedding

2011-06-10T07:57:00.014-04:00

Welcome to Stephanie's Wedding Blog party! I'm so happy to share and relive my wedding with you...24.5 years ago...I felt like a queen for a day!

~the church~

St. Mary's in North Attleboro, Mass... the same church where my parents were married and I was baptized....

one of the most beautiful churches I've ever seen...the architecture is stunning!

I wore my mom's wedding dress, and carried an exact replica of her gorgeous bouquet...to me it was perfection, how could you improve on perfection?!

from the newspaper...

our photographer captured the look on our faces after the ceremony... when they opened the church doors and we saw how much snow was falling.... priceless!

~us with Nate...Mike's nephew~

even 25 years ago I was in love with vintage.... my going away 'outfit' ... an antique Dior sequin sweater in creamy white, purchased at a thrift store near my college for $2.50, and yes I wore it at my wedding!... oh how I loved that sweater and still do!

I'm off to paint wedding signs today.... Ryan and Jena's sign is next up...their big day is fast approaching!!

Thanks to Stephanie of Angelic Accents for hosting this fabulous wedding party!!!

What's new...and what's old

2011-06-03T11:03:00.006-04:00

I've been dying to post all week!.....so much busy fun stuff going on!

Here's what's new.....

The response to my little debut in Romantic Homes has been overwhelming! You may have noticed my shops are sorta...closed! This is just for a little bit while I catch up. ....

a few of the customs I've done recently.....

and what's not new?....blogger issues.....what's up????

I've tried to do some blog hopping today but it only remembers me and let's me comment

some of the time....then it's starts going nuts, it has no clue who I am...what????

Even my blogroll has mysterious posts listed under some of your blogs....okay...who's 'tuttie'???

anyone else notice this lately?

on Memorial Day...~later in the day when all the tourists had headed home~we ventured to the beach...I took a ton of photos but here's my favorite...
Mike on his skimboard...he did this all day!

one more new thing in the works....

coming up soon I've a gorgeous new sign that I'm working on for a fundraiser for my niece MacKenzie and her upcoming trip to Haiti....

So proud of her and so excited to be helping her out for this once in a lifetime experience!
stay tuned...

xoxo

three little words....

2011-05-27T07:18:00.005-04:00

I haven't floated away...

as you can probably guess, I'm just swimming in paint....

life. is. good.

I'll be caught up soon...then I'll be back, with a bang!

My Bella Inspirations Table Runner...

2011-05-19T12:27:00.003-04:00

Did you see I was the winner of Sherrys' ~ Miss No Minimalist Here ~ giveaway last week?

I won a French burlap table runner from Laurie of Bella Inspirations...

and it came today.....!!!

It is GORGEOUS!!
I think it was made just for my granite island....

in my french kitchen...

I love how it warms up the granite...and adds more all-natural beauty...
Check out Laurie's etsy shop here...

and her beautiful blog....
"Bella Inspirations"

A BIG THANK YOU TO SHERRY & LAURIE

XO XO!!

Anticipation....

2011-05-17T07:19:00.004-04:00

Sometimes a song comes on the radio and it's as if they're playing it
just for you

last night...
driving home from Hannah's lacrosse game,
just me and Carly Simon...
"We can never know about the days to come
But we think about them anyway, yay
And I wonder if I'm really with you now
Or just chasin' after some finer day"

and my mind is racing...
so excited for friday when Mike get's home...
(he's out of town again!)
can't wait for summer when it's hazy, hot and humid....

(oh I love summer!)

and Carly's still singing....
"Anticipation, anticipation
Is makin' me late
Is keepin' me waitin'"

and I'm still dreaming along......

so looking foward to vaction...visiting family in Iowa and Virginia Beach!!
(woohoo!!)

soon I'll be 'three days ahead' instead of 'two days behind' on my work....

(yippeee!!)

And tomorrow we might not be together
I'm no prophet and I don't know nature's ways
So I'll try and see into your eyes right now
And stay right here 'cause these are the good old days
And stay right here 'cause these are the good old days
these are the good old days
these are the good old days

And *snap*!

Yes, these are the good old days, right here, right now....enjoying what I've got, what I've acheived already,

stopping and smelling the roses!

I've been painting from sun up till sun down lately!

here's just a few of the signs...

Life is good...thanks Carly...these really are the good old days!!

Spreading the word...Help find Maddy

2011-05-13T14:31:00.004-04:00

Helping Spencer from Bellamere Cottage to spread the word...

Being the mom of a teenage daughter, I can't imagine how fearful her parents are. Since us bloggers range all over the country...perhaps spreading the word and her photo will help!

God Bless....

The Prom & that's why I love Paypal!

2011-05-11T07:04:00.004-04:00

Last weekend was Hannah's prom. We started the dress hunt in early March and after looking at just about every prom dress for sale in the state of Delaware she finally found this one online....

It would take 3 weeks to make, 10 days to ship. We ordered it~ she was so happy!
(I won't mention the name of the website...but there it is in the photo!)

Two weeks before prom the dress still hadn't arrived...I started emailing them." Don't worry, we're working on it, it will make it for May 7th." This is what they kept telling me. These emails come from "Boris" and he's writing in broken english...I'm starting to worry.
Eight days til prom...still no dress. The last email says they're shipping it on May 2nd. From China!! No way Boris...it ain't making it. I went to paypal and filed a dispute (thank goodness I paid with paypal!!). 24 hours later I was refunded.

I. Love. Paypal.

So...she borrowed a dress from a friend ....

Hannah's in pink...

she's beautiful....

and happy....

and.... a bit grown up... (oh no!)

and had a great time....

phew!

.... and the moral of the story...if you MUST buy a prom dress online ... pay with paypal!!

Lessons from Mom...

2011-05-06T09:48:00.003-04:00

Mother's Day...always spent with my children and my husband...a cherished day together with them doting on me, just precious.

But my heart is truly with my mom.

She left us in August of 1999,

but she remains in my thoughts daily...

my memories of her and the lifelong
lessons she gave me become more dear to me with each passing day.

she was the one who taught me...

to be a free spirit...that what you could make with your own two hands~ what you could grow yourself in your own garden~ would be more valuable to you and your soul than anything you could purchase at a store~

that if you gave your all to just 'getting by', then that's what you'd get~

and when you don't know what you want,
then it's probably time to start enjoying what you have~

Thanks Mom, for always believing in me~ for always seeing the part of me that I could never see ~ and for just being my mom, then and now.

Wishing all of you a beautiful Mothers Day weekend full of
sweet new memories and precious old ones!

If I didn't see it ....

2011-05-02T13:39:00.003-04:00

with my own two eyes....

I would never believe it!

But there it is... page 12... in full color!!

pinch me!

Thank you, Romantic Homes and Justine Lopez.

I'm simply blushing, and smiling...from ear to ear!

What an absolute honor!!

But I'd be remiss if I didn't thank all of you,

my fellow bloggers, customers, friends ~ old & new....

I wouldn't be here without you!!

~a stroll through the yard ~garden tour~

2011-04-26T10:43:00.004-04:00

come see...

Behind our house and backyard...growing effortlessly throughout our neighbors trees...the most gorgeous wisteria...

Each year it's display gets more showy... I can see this from my kitchen window and it is breathtaking...

Easter Sunday turned out to be one gorgeous day. Beatiful sunshine all day and temps in the 80's ~ it really felt more like the fourth of July. We actually ate our Easter dinner on the patio~ that had to be a first! I decided to spend the day outside...planting pots and window boxes...

I have this blue/white theme going on...blue lobelia's are one of my favorites you'll notice.
Two of these pots on the patio are planted with them as well as white star zinnia's. It wasn't until I finished them when I read the little plastic insert from the greenhouse... it read 'plant 18" apart'..ooops. We'll see what happens~ my white marigolds (which I started from seed and are only a few inches high right now) might be replacing them....that's the fun of gardening:)

Out front, this is the side yard... I painted my window boxes black and planted them with white geramiums, creeping jenny and yes, more blue lobelias. This is where I'm contemplating doing a little formal english garden~perhaps a knot garden... you might remember last year my son took down a tree from here, now I have plenty of sun to play with....just not sure if I want to take on such a big project when there's still the vegetable garden to plant.
How about that chippy white paint on this 100 year old house?

I also planted a white rose on the side of the porch, can't wait to see it grow and bloom ~ then to have the aroma while sitting on the porch.

Onto to the urns....

each year they get something different...this year I decided to make them 'busy' ~ six different plant varieties in each. I'm anxious to see how they do. The sweet gentleman that owns the nursery helped me pick these out...I think he was a little glad to see me go when we finally finished walking around all his greenhouses and trying different plants together~ but I think it was worth it....each urn holds wave petunias in pale yellow, white salvias for the centers, trailing blue lobelias, a straw flower in a deeper yellow, white allysum, and a few trailing dichondra called 'silver falls'. I love the way they look already so it can only get better right?

That's a great start for me this year~ thanks to the weather I'm ahead of the game as far as gardening goes...next up is the vegetable garden and I can't wait!!

Linking up with Pam of Sidewalk Shoes for Garden Tuesday!

bloomin' lilacs

2011-04-20T07:28:00.004-04:00

the long wait is over...the lilacs are blooming!first... I took their photo...
... they were all smiles for me....then...
I picked them!....
they're still smiling!

The bathroom reveal....

2011-04-09T08:49:00.013-04:00

Finally...I am feeling much better and able to post my bathroom photos! I'll tell you, I wouldn't wish thyroid problems on my worst enemy! I spent most of my week on the couch...the fatigue I felt was unbelievable. I'm not 100% but I'm getting there.... thank you all so much for your well wishes! Okay....here's a little before and after.... from small and dark.... to large and bright! We are just loving it! get ready...I took alot of photos!... The walls, which are a textured wallpaper, are painted a soft aqua {color called 'nautilis'}.... the trim and window are a soft creamy white {'sailcloth'}... the vanity is a deeper aqua {crystal blue}... vintage hooks for more towels and a hanging vintage wall basket for face cloths... found the perfect vintage runner with crocheted trim {from my stash of doiles} for the window

irish moss in a vintage urn from the garden

there's alot of trim in here, Oh what fun all that was to paint!

kept my vintage toliet paper holder... 'garden in the sun' in french..with lavender titled hooks, for fluffy white towels.... chippy enamel bowl with milk soaps in pretty wrappers.....

a vintage dairy scale I found on etsy...it holds a basket of lavender soaps and extra votive candles...

my towel cubby (right behind the shower wall) I built this when we first moved in 15 years ago...there was no storage for towels so I had to get creative~ where there's a will there's a way!

frosted glass on the window for privacy and light...

and a jar of seaglass...

quite the change huh? Mike was so shocked when he came back from his trip...I loved that! He opened the door and said...OMG...and I said...oh yeah, I did the bathroom over...like it? But I did save a tiny bit for him so he won't feel left out...the ceiling...I don't do ceilings!!
Lol! Thanks for hanging in there with me and hope you enjoyed my little bathroom makeover...have a great weekend everyone!!

bathroom sneak peek....

2011-04-06T07:06:00.005-04:00

I did it....I finished in time! Sadly, I can only show you a little peak right now... {the new towel bar}

For the last few days I've been nursing my aches and pains~ I wish they were just from redoing the bathroom but not so. Seems my thryroid has gone haywire on me...lab tests show it's level at 17.6, normal is .04-5.0 ~ leave it to me to be anything but normal! I thought it'd be best to take a fews days and just rest, let myself get acclimated to the new meds. If you've placed a sign order with me rest assured I'm still working on it...just a tad bit slower!! I'll be back ~hopefully tomorrow~ with loads of photos...I can't wait to show you my new loo!!

hugs, paula:)

while the cat's away...

2011-04-01T06:38:00.006-04:00

Good morning & happy April 1st! April is finally here...

no kidding, let's have a big sigh of relief ~ ahhhh~

I've had a super busy week...you could say March went out like a lion for me.

On Monday I dropped off my darling husband at the airport for a business trip to Florida. I said...'are you sure you want to do this...leave for the week?...you know how nothing is the same when you get back?'..... he said yes, he had to go. Okay...kiss -kiss~ bye then. I left him at the airport, came home and got busy finishing my orders that had to go out....and then,

the project began....

you see....a few weeks ago I had found the most gorgeous fluffy white towels at an outlet sale... Being pure white, they didn't match my bathroom...but I was not passing them up, they were marked down to $2.50 each...I brought home 10 and stashed them away in the attic...ya know, for a rainy day. And guess what? It rained alot this week.

So while the cat was away....I did play.

Here's my bathroom before I began... it was very 'boudoir'...and very red.... It's been like this for about eight years. And eight years ago I loved this look, I really did...but now...not so much.

Here's what I had been dreaming of for at least a year...my little 'inspiration file' that Mike had no clue existed....

I had just 2.5 days to pull this off...the only thing I had to start with was my new towels and I had to be as thrifty as possible (so I wouldn't get in big trouble when he got back! lol!)

think I could do it? Stay tuned!

{adoring white marigolds}

2011-03-23T09:34:00.012-04:00

I've fallen for marigolds...a flower that was once on my

'never plant' list.......

(I'm not a fan of orange flowers~especially ones that have more of an

'odor' rather than a 'scent')

now, since I've discovered the white marigold...they're at the top of my list.

I purchased a seed packet of 'Snowman Hybrids'

and was quite surprised when I opened it to find about 15 seeds inside! My plan was to plant a living white fence around my vegetable garden...I'm going to need alot more seed packets!

Aren't marigolds one of the prolific seeders, making their seeds quite inexpensive?

Apparently only the orange variety...the ones school children

sow in styrofoam cups in the classroom.

A little research led me to some interesting White Marigold history,

and perhaps the reason for the costly seeds.

Seems it took 56 years to find the right recipe mix to produce a white marigold.

In 1954, after many unsuccessful years,
David Burpee, (son of the founder, W. Atlee Burpee),
offered a prize of $10,000 to home gardeners

to help the professional breeders.

David Burpee in a feild of marigolds.

(image via horthistoira.com)

More than 8,000 gardeners answered the
challenge and sent in their seeds each year.

Alice Vonk of Sully, Iowa, started her first garden when she was 11-years old,
the same year that David Burpee started his search for the white marigold.
When the contest was announced, she sent in her seeds for testing.
For 21 years, she continued sending seeds, hoping she had the winning mixture.

The Burpee Company had spent more than $250,000 on researching
and testing the seeds which had been sent in during the years they ran the contest.
As the years dragged on, finding a mix for the white marigold seemed almost
impossible. So it was with great appreciation that Burpee finally awarded the prize
to Alice Vonk in September, 1975.

Alice and David Burpee

image via flickr

Her years of perseverance had paid off;
she had found the right mix of seeds.

Today, 36 years later, the 2 ½ inch-across white marigold developed by Vonk,
named Snowball, may be found every January

in the Burpee catalogue, as well as a few other white varities they've since developed.

Thank you Alice...I have a new appreciation for these valuable little seeds!

As for my living white fence around my vegetable garden?...it may be a little spacey!

Linking up with Kathleen at Faded Charm for White Wednesday!
And Tracie at Fishtail Cottage for Cottage Flora Thursday!

Spring Cleaning ~ my studio

2011-03-16T12:23:00.018-04:00

I'm a firm believer in spring cleaning~ as long as it begins in my studio ~
some of you may remember this photo~ my studio last fall ~

I have since let in the sunshine ~ let there be light!~

Come on in.... I'll show you around!

{these are just some of the photos I took,

there are more to see if you click on the"my studio" link in my header}

Starting in the corner where I keep my tripod, under the cover of a vintage suede and fur trimmed coat~ the photo is blurry because, well....my tripod is under there! I got it out for the rest of my photos...

my design board

My "love banner" made by Carla... fits perfectly on my vintage suitcases. They have been great for storing magazines & catalogs.

The door to our living room...

new door ~ old hardware

A chippy white frame...framed vintage alphabet and two vintage hooks to hold the 'gathering bags' ~ each with a label...

one gathers items that need to go back to the workshop ~ the other gathers things that need to go upstairs ~ always trying to keep the clutter down!

This three sided corner was tricky to make work for storage ~ I created shelves then skirted the bottom to conceal my filing cabinets. You probably recognize this as the area where I take my photos of signs.

The shelves are filled with items I love to see... vintage art supplies and art books, a vintage Ball canning jar holds my grandmother's oil paints... and a photo of my mom~ she looks like she really didn't enjoy having her photo taken that day~ I love the pouty look on her :)

A few of my vintage gardening books & my Paris charm ~ created by Lulu ~draped over my favorite vase ~ patiently waiting for this year's lilacs....soon.

moving right....

my world clocks ~ still ticking away ~ but I added a chalkboard that I made for jotting down important stuff... like....

(guess where Hannah wants to go this weekend?)

I'm still searching for the perfect vintage cabinet to house this techy stuff but until I find one this thrift store table with very sexy legs is working nicely.

moving to the right... the painting table...

I added my favorite quote to the wall ....

to the right of my table... my vintage metal card files. I gave them some white paint to brighten them up. They hold all my paints and then some....

each with it's own label.

I'm really falling for printers blocks lately ~ I've acquired #'s 4 & 3's ... my kids numbers on their jerseys in various sports :)

I think the 'springyest' thing I did was paint my chest robins egg blue ~ I'm just loving having this color in here!

hangtags ready to go

vintage framed print, The man and his flock....

also falling for vintage office supplies these days... love them!

and last, my vintage mail box ~ it holds my shipping labels, keeping them handy.

There...spring cleaning is done!

{what about the rest of the house? what house??}

Hope everyone is enjoying some spring weather and freshening up!

Morning in the Garden...

2011-03-10T14:01:00.000-05:00

***this is a repost from early last summer***we'll rename it

'a trip down memory lane'

linking up with Tracie from

Fishtail Cottage for Cottage Flora Thursday ~ enjoy!

here we go....

Some early Monday morning garden shots...

my perfect place to enjoy a cup of coffee...

loving the symetry...not perfect but sooo close!

radishes just about ready to harvest and red leaf lettuce...

the cucumber trellis...my personal little Eiffel Tower!

my best gal...I think she's finally found her happy place!

The one thing "bad days" have over "good days," is that they're completely optional.

Have a 'good day' everyone!!

·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*´¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·´ paula

I'm still here & what do you think of these....?

2011-03-08T10:33:00.003-05:00

I'm still here!!!

still on the 'right side of the grass' as my comedian father likes to say!

Just been busy, busy with this that and the other...{all a good busy tho}....

This morning on my way out for an early errand

my heart nearly skipped a beat when I saw these in the front yard....

Tulips!

...up and at 'em ....

I didn't even know they were awake!!

Have I been so busy I missed the daffodils and crocus'?

Spring is so close ...I can feel it!

Here's something I picked up at the flea market a ways back. I got about ten of them for

*cheap cheap*

I've been pondering what to do with them for quite some time now.

They are some sort of doors to an old chest, really neat hinge marks left in them and a glass viewing window. The lady who sold them to me thought they were part of an old apothecary chest but she wasn't sure. Shall I paint them with neat typography in black, maybe some gold?? Turn them back into a reproduction chest??

...I can't decide!!

Thought I'd ask some of the most creative people I know...what do you think?

bumped into a cutie on the beach!

2011-02-28T13:21:00.002-05:00

Yesterday afternoon the sun came out...it was a warm 60 degrees...and the whole family was home ~each busy working on a different chore~ when we decided to take off to the beach! We do that alot, just play hooky, pack up and go! Life's too short not to, right?

What a thrill to spot a cute seal pup on our Delaware beach!

Apparently seal sightings are common on our beaches this time of year,

something I never knew!

There were volunteers from MERR (Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation) there. They were keeping a watchful eye on the pup as she rested....they said she was fine...

just napping....

isn't she so cute?

We are so lucky to live so close to the beautiful Delaware coast!

Hope all of you had a warm & sunny weekend ...maybe even got a sunny nap squeezed in too!

The spice of life!

2011-02-25T16:47:00.009-05:00

The sweetest thing about blogville that I love is meeting new friends...meeting a kindred spirit always makes my day!

Meet my new friend Jacquie Rae of Vintage by JacquieRae!

Jacquie has a wonderful etsy shop full of vintage items that I love

~pitter patter~

{sorry, these are mine now...but she has more letters & numbers to choose from!}

and check out the vintage birdcage..solid brass!...

love those little feet!
You can visit her etsy shop here...but wait!

before you go there, you must visit Jacquie's blog!

(click here to visit Jacquie's blog)

Jacquie is new to blogville (remember those days?!) and is having a giveaway to reach out and get to know....you!

This beautiful handcrafted bird feeder she made with vintage fransican tea cup and saucer...

~love that tea cup and that copper stake! ~

spring is in the air!!

So visit my new friend, join in on the giveaway

...and maybe you'll meet a new friend...

and add spice to your life!

xo xo

paula

Announcing the winners....

2011-02-24T10:14:00.004-05:00

you read that right...winnerS...as in plural!

You see, I am so absolutely amazed by the response to this giveaway. I never dreamed it would be this big~ I am incredibly humbled by each and every one of you!

Your sweet and thoughtful comments, those of you that posted about it on your blogs or facebook, and those of you who chose to follow my little blog!!

How could I choose just one?? I couldn't...so I decided to do the next best thing and that was to choose two winners!!

(since I've a couple more already made up and ready to add text)

...that was it~

TWO WINNERS!!

so here they are...

First was comment # 49...

"Oh my gosh, these are gorgeous. I'd love to win one. Count me in! Judy"

Congrats to Judy of "French Laundry"!!!!

and comment # 22...

"I'm posting your giveaway on my blog:) Blessings, Linda"

and congrats to Linda of "Coastal Charm"!!!

and to each of you who entered...the biggest thank you from the bottom of my little creative heart!!

one more day to get you're name in the hat!

2011-02-23T14:02:00.003-05:00

Hello sweet friends!

Just a quick post to let you know that my planter giveaway will be open till tomorrow morning at 10am...
I know I said it would end today but I'm moving like a turtle today...which is bad news for me (and the family I have to feed tonite!) but good news for you if you haven't already gotten you're name in the hat...so hop over to my giveaway and I'll be back tomorrow morning with the good news!

Cottage White Flower Pot hangers...giveaway!

2011-02-16T14:43:00.010-05:00

Well, my new creations are ready for their big debut!....first here is the inspiration photo from Pottery Barn. The first thing I thought when I saw this room was 'I need more plants in my house!'...then ...when I looked closer....

that was it... I was off to the workshop! Some things just happen that way don't they?...you see something and your whole day is completely changed!

I made two....one large size for a 6.5 inch flower pot, one smaller for a 4.5 inch flower pot...

(the large one measures 24"x16" and extends out 9"~ smaller one measures 19"x11" and extends out 6"....they are made nice and sturdy to hold a flower pot filled with dirt & flowers and I'll be shipping them with the shelf unattached, you'll just need to screw in the included screws in the predrilled holes to attach the shelf)

I'm so pleased with how they came out... I think they are perfect for the front porch...on the deck...in the kitchen with herbs... in the bathroom with lavender....just about anywhere!

They are pretty just plain old chippy white but of course I don't plan on leaving them like that...you know me better than that!

But what to put on them???? I began to realize the possibilities were endless...

a number?

gorgeous french text?

awesome Italian text??

there was no way I could choose one....so the only solution is to let the customer choose...

(click on this to enlarge the photo and see them close up)

oh what fun I had playing with all the different possibilities!

So that's how I'll be listing it...as a 'custom ~ choose your own text' item. You'll also get to decide if you'd like more chipping/distressing on it...right now they have 'medium' distressing.

Okay...let's get to the giveaway part!

I'm giving away the smaller one of these to one lucky winner, and you'll get to choose what you'd like on it for text/image. To be entered, simply leave a comment on this post, that will give you one chance....blog about this giveaway or add a sidebar button on your blog, that will give you two chances to win (be sure to come back and comment that you did that so your name is in the hat again). It's open to the US & Canada and will end on Wednesday, Feburary 23rd...sometime in the evening I'll get a winner via random.org.

Good luck to all & thank you for stopping by ...your freindship is such a treasure!

ps...the larger one is listed in my etsy shop!

pss...even if you've won one of my giveaways in the past...you're still included! :)

Linking up with Kathleen at Faded Charm for White Wednesday:)

Happy Vday ... & ... a PB inspired upcoming giveaway!

2011-02-14T10:18:00.007-05:00

Well hello there friends!

First...happy valentines day!!!

my favorite valentine's card....so pretty and....
source: abcddesigns on etsy

so romantic, don't ya think? ....hee hee...ain't love grand?

okay...from naughty to nice here we go.... I've been busier as all get go working on a new design...it's just hours from being completed and when it is done...I'll be back to offer one of them in a give away...here's a couple of photos from Pottery Barn that inspired this new design... just to get you thinking.....

hmmmm.... what could it be?..... I can't tell....not til I get it finished... maybe one more day:)

see you then!

just a little bribery~

2011-02-08T07:45:00.003-05:00

not all bribery is bad, right?

This one won't hurt a bit, I promise.

It's a call for photos~ I'm looking for photos of your sign that I can add to my online galleries.....

like these....

thank you Darlene!

thank you Kathy!

thank you Barbara!

Okay...here's the bribe:

Email me (paulasmall@comcast.net) a photo of a sign you've purchased from Castle & Cottage,
or one that you received as a gift or
even one you won in a giveaway...

and I'll promptly send you a coupon code for

10% off in my etsy shop!

This coupon won't expire~ you can use it any time! If this goes well I'll keep it going at least through Feburary, but the coupon code you can use whenever!

I know, technically it's not a 'bribe'...but it feels like it and I got your attention didn't I?

Getting organized with Evernote & a cottage muse giveaway!

2011-02-03T08:42:00.009-05:00

Since 2011 began, I've been struggling with my one teensy-weensy perennial resolution~
getting MORE organized

Each and every New Year it is the same...clean out files, sort, compact, ditch and try again to be more organized....try a new method of staying organized.

Well here it is, only Feburary 3rd and I think I've got it accomplished! Yippeee!

Let me tell you what I found... (thanks to Meylah for the introduction!)
Evernote. Their motto is 'remember everything' and so far this is true.

Since joining...(oh about 24 hours ago!) I've managed to get all my digital files into one place.
This is a huge feat for me...when you have your own business, digital files that you need to keep handy can become overwhelming. Evernote has simplified this for me in a way I never thought possible. I've compiled so far about 80% of my sign business 'stuff' and when that is done I'll move on to adding personal and life 'stuff'.

Evernote isn't brand new...it's been around since 2008, so you may have heard of it. But, if you haven't it is definately worth checking out.

Here's a little on how it works, or should I say how it works for you...
- capture anything. Chances are, if you can see it or think of it, Evernote can help you remember it. Type a text note. Clip a web page. Snap a photo. Grab a screenshot. Evernote will keep it all safe.

-organize it all. Everything you capture is automatically processed, indexed, and made searchable. If you like, you can add tags or organize notes into different notebooks.

Then, if you're really tech savvy- you can access your evernotes from your mobile device. Just imagine how handy this would be when your out shopping and realized 'if only I knew the ingredients I needed from that new recipe'.

Think about all the files you've created, be they bookmarks or image files when surfing the web and blog hopping...all the ideas that you've come across and saved- most to be lost and never seen again! With Evernotes, you'll be able to put everything into one place, neat and tidy and sorted for you. It is amazing.

They have a free version which allows for so many uploads (I used that up in about an hour!) but the premium version is only $5/month. Think of it as a 'cleaning lady' for your mind- and goodness she's cheap!

Okay....enough of my rambling on that.

Now...be sure to visit Sandi at A Cottage Muse ...she's celebrating her one year blog anniversary and is giving away a Castle & Cottage custom sign!

Good luck and big hugs to everyone!

Pink Valentine Etsy Treasury~

2011-02-01T10:08:00.005-05:00

Couldn't pass up the chance to share a beautiful Etsy treasury!

'pink valentine' by gorgeouslittlegems

On the Wings of Love. Vintag... alicewphotogra... $12.00	Blushing in Pink ouma $840.00	Louise, delicate filigree ea... InmostLight $16.50
Misty Morning in Pink - 8x8 ... donnageissler $30.00	I Do Cupcake Sticks - Ivory ... vintagetwee $5.00	Solid Natural Perfume Mini, ... IlluminatedPer... $17.50
Dancer on the Beach 8x10 Fin... lucysnowephoto... $25.00	Modern Valentine Wooden Hear... indobaytextile... $8.75	Light Pink 38 x 19 mm Preci... bobbeads $7.99
Create 8x12 Fine Art Photogr... CocoCherie $25.00	Tiny Dancer clairelafaye $465.00	French PATISSERIE sign shabb... castleandcotta... $36.00
so in love, (5 x 5 fine art ... GabrielleKai $15.00	Pink Balloons 5x7 Fine Art P... SilverHorsePho... $15.00	Paris Photo Collection - 8x1... littlebrownpen $60.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com.

thanks to everyone for helping lift my spirits on my Winter blahs post! I did get out into the sun on Sunday~ we actually played tennis for almost two hours! It was still a chilly 46 degrees but the sun was bright and it was just what I needed~ sorta gave me hope that spring can't be too far off!

I hope all of you in the line of this latest blow from Mother Nature are staying safe & warm!

In the depths of winter...

2011-01-29T09:28:00.003-05:00

source

It's been awhile since I posted...I wish I could say

'wow...time flew' but I can't- it doesn't.

This time of year, time more like stands still. I've been somewhat inflicted with the winter blahs...the kind where you don't feel like doing anything.

I cook, and we eat..then I cook again...and we eat again...this seems to be the routine as of late. It's getting old. Hurry spring...my waisteline depends upon your timely arrival!

I'm hoping the next week will be better than the last. In my mind I've so many things to get doing- but no get-up-and-go to do them with.

Perhaps next week will be better. I'm thinking of starting some seeds indoors just so I can feel some dirt on my fingers...that is always comforting for me. Today I'm going to pick up a Lilac scented candle...the aroma might just do the trick.

CSN winner & new signs!!

2011-01-19T11:38:00.008-05:00

Well hello sweet friends!I want to say the chill is ending here but I'm afraid to jinx us and *poof* make it snow!lol...so I'll just hush and enjoy the sun quietly.
Hope it's getting better where you are.I know one place that will be happy today...over at Linda's ...aka A La Carte!!Linda your lucky number 11 came up! Congrats on winning my CSN $55.00 giveaway!!

Min:1
Max:42
Result:
11
Powered by RANDOM.ORG
(I tried to get that little random.org photo to put here but??? it wouldn't let me??)

Okay...take a look, I've been a busy bee painting these dreary winter days away!
(each photo is a link to the item in my etsy shop)

First... a little bling for your studio!
next... I finally finished my latest putti... she now declaresLa Belle Jardin ~ The beautiful Garden~ ...all chippy, cracked and worn but oh so elegant!

Then a little ooh la la...

tell your sweetie it's okay to get you lingerie this Valentine's day...lingerie for the wall ... oui!

Off to London, Notting Hill to be exact...well, dreaming of it anyways,

someday

*sigh*

Okay...I saved the most exciting one for last.

I've gone a little retro with this one.

It was inspired by everyone's favorite carnival gal...Lulu!!

did you see her blog post where she shared this photo she snapped?

well it inspired this...

The Tempest!...so much fun to create... the whole time I was remeniscing about my teenage years..Friday nights at Rocky Point Park in Warwick Rhode Island...it was THE place to be...any of you New Englanders remember Rocky Point? I was there just about every friday night ~ either there or Bobby's Rollaway in Pawtucket, roller skating! okay, now I feel old. :( Hope everyone is having a good week! I'm off to clean my studio, I've created quite a mess, as usual:)

Let's warm up with a HOT giveaway!

2011-01-15T08:28:00.007-05:00

This winter chill isn't giving up. What ever happened to Delaware January's where we would reach 60 degrees on some days? It didn't happen everyday, just enough to give you a break from this bone chilling weather. C'est la vie! But suppose we make our own heat...with a giveaway! When CSN contacted me about doing another giveaway on my blog, that's just what I thought. CSN has over 200 stores that carry everything from swingsets to firepits to hot tubs, and they are offering a 55.00 gift certificate to the winner...to spend anywhere in one of their 200 stores!

take a look at a few items that *warmed me up*!

a girl can dream, right?

Entering is easy...just leave a comment on this post - (feel free to gripe with me about this cold weather!) and on Wednesday (19th) I'll pick a winner via random.org -simple!
Good luck & think spring!!

Glass Trees

2011-01-12T08:46:00.002-05:00

We really lucked out...1-4 inches of snow was predicted for last night- 5-8 inches upper state, which meant 1-8 for us~ {I've learned the hard way that's how it works!}

When I went to bed last night is was just raining, yay! This morning we woke to .4 inches, just enough to call off school in this state! But look what else mother nature left...glass trees...

Tried so hard to capture the beauty with my camera, can you see the ice covered branches?

With the sunrise it was just breathtaking!

I was so suprised to see I had captured a bird in flight among the tangles of icy branches...

Hope all my snowbound friends are fairing well...I'm so glad we lucked out with just a dusting~ I've just sorta~kinda~really had enough snow to last me a lifetime!!

{adoring} a beautiful mess

2011-01-08T06:15:00.006-05:00

Had to share... discovered in the New York Times...did you see it?

the first thing that drew me was the name of the store...

'a beautiful mess'

(oh! that's what I call my home too!!)

Located outside Malibu, Ca

(just another reason to ~~move to~~ visit Cali!)

Take a stroll to their website and be delighted...
a beautiful mess...
and then hop over their new blog...
a beautiful mess

but don't miss

3 Fine Grains

Kimberly Frasers website

(the incredibly talented co owner of a beautiful mess)

...oh the inspiration you'll find there!
Her creations are simply gorgeous!

{pure love}

It's been a very busy first week of the year here in my studio. Late yesterday afternoon I realized I hadn't left my beautiful mess all week!- (with the exception of an occasional post office trip)- but all in all it was a good week... lot's of orders finished and some new designs started!

I'll be sharing those with you soon:)

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Almost time for L.O.V.E. !!

2011-01-05T09:14:00.005-05:00

'All You Need is Love' by TagSaleFinds

The Word Love.

Enjoy this etsy treasury!
Do you have Christmas down, packed away? Me neither. But it's almost time for Valentines Day!! that should get me moving ...chocolate, roses, smooches...yippee!
A big Thank You to tagsalefinds for including my sign!!

TTV All You Need Is Lov... mingtaphotogra... $30.00	Silk Shantung Scrabble ... bambina $160.00	LOVE upcycled license p... tomboyART $70.00
LOVE Languages - ShortS... BucktoothedBun... $20.00	Love You xx a token of ... EnchantedGlass $20.00	Tattoo inspired headban... janinebasil $23.00
DeepBlueC Boutique Cust... mydeepbluec $135.00	LOVE is all you need vi... castleandcotta... $36.00	Custom LOVE Wedding Ban... bekahjennings $18.00
FREE SHIPPING - Vintage... vintagemarvels $30.00	Pear and Apple. lavende... lapomme $35.00	Scrabble Love cozy rockentot $12.00
CANDLE - LOVE LETTERS &... kokocandles $20.00	Wood Wedding Puzzle (gu... BellaPuzzlesTo... $385.00	LOVE - CIRCUS PILLOW PillowPallooza $115.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

The first sunrise of 2011...

2011-01-01T08:17:00.006-05:00

and it was spectacular! It holds so much promise for a beautiful year ahead, as do I. Each New Year's Eve I never make it to watch the ball 'drop', but getting up early today to see this ball 'rise', over the rooftops and through the trees...well....that more than made up for it.

We had a perfect New Year's eve with good friends, Moggie and Charles. Although they live next door, we just never see them enough! I actually made my first Lobster bisque and it came out perfect. After searching for the perfect recipe, and realizing lobster bisque could be very complicated, I settled on Paula Deen's Creole Shrimp and Lobster Bisque

- simple & divine!

Moggie and I are not only neighbors but kindred spirits as well, as she is an entrepenuer and an artist- she and her daughter Meg own Bead My Love -

a company they created together, out of their love for beading and bead embroidery.
Their creations are exquisite, truly breathtaking works of art!

They travel extensively...attending bead shows and teaching classes throughout the year- quite the dynamic duo and I envy their amibition as well as their talent!
At the end of January they'll be exhibiting at the To Bead True Blue in Tuscon, Arizona, a big event they are very excited about. Visit their website for more info about this talented Mom and daughter team ~ who I'm proud to call 'neighbors'!

We're supposed to be in the 50's today and sunny, I may just be on the tennis courts breaking in my new racket my darling children gave me for Christmas! The perfect start to 2011!!

Cheers!

Toss the resolutions!

2010-12-30T06:48:00.001-05:00

I think this little girl's got it going on...

who needs resolutions??

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

You have til the end of the year...

2010-12-29T13:16:00.005-05:00

to enter Kathy's great giveaways!

I don't know if it's possible that any of you don't know Kathy~ she's one of the most active bloggers I know and has a wonderful blog always full of decorating tips and ideas. If you don't know Kathy...this would be a great time to meet her! She's having a week of giveaways to celebrate her 500th post and 3 year blogaversary! It ends New Year's Eve~ at midnight ~

look at the goodies so far...

Tara's printable memories from her etsy shop...Just Devine Style

A Willow house cookbook holder from Debbie at Love the Decor!

and....my Je t'aime sign ~ perfect for Valentines Day...(it's coming you know :)

Good luck to all!

New cushions for the patio...

2010-12-27T12:27:00.002-05:00

...courtesy of Old Man Winter.

Some of them are 12 inches thick...what a guy!!

Just in case anyone's looking for me...I'm shoveling!

The Ghost of Christmas Eve Past

2010-12-24T08:27:00.007-05:00

Another Christmas Eve is here, which means another visit from the ghost of Christmas Eve Past.
He comes every year, and brings me back to the Christmas Eve's of my youth.
Back to the late 60's and early 70's, when Christmas looked alot like this...

(now this could easily be my mom or one of my aunt's, but it isn't...it's a photo from google)

It was always at our house, on Grant Street, and everyone came- cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, second cousins and great aunts and uncles- the house seemed it would burst at it's seams! The tradional Italian Christmas feast would take place but I can never seem to remember what the main dish was. There were too many sweets around to be tempted by, penuchi fudge, Mom's mincemeat squares, Aunt Emma pizzelles, always dusted with powdered sugar...

I only remember filling up on Nana's brightly frosted sugar cookies- it was the one night of the year you could get away with such a meal!

But the most memorable and meaningful part of the night was what took place after the feast- we all got bundled up and paraded up and down the street visiting each neighbor's front lawn to sing Christmas Carols.
No matter the weather (and this was New England so there was usually snow) we went carolling every Christmas Eve. Off we'd go, this large group of young and old, with mittens and song sheets in hand, door to door and house to house.

I remember it all...we sang at the Brennan's, the Hjerpes, the Dion's, the Tinkham's and we never missed Mrs. McCrettons, where she'd always invite us inside for hot chocolate and another song around her piano! I remember it all as if it was yesterday, and remeber it with great joy. It's a lost custom today and I only wish that I could travel back there with my children and share this vision with them, I know they'd love it!

As I take this trip down memory lane today, it makes me thankful and sets the mood for the day. To be ever grateful for the memories the holidays season makes, memories with family and friends- because no matter what is, or what isn't- 'under the tree', what means the most and will stay with us forever is what's 'around' the tree- our families.

Wishing you all a safe and warm Christmas with the ones you love!

I'm back!

2010-12-20T06:06:00.004-05:00

*completely exhausted*

I feel a little like I've just spent two weeks on a treadmill, well, at least my body does~ I shipped the last 5 signs on Saturday, at least the one's that "had to be there before Santa!"

I never dreamed I'd be as busy as I've been with my signs~ all a very good busy though! Just wished I had planned a little better, but that's what New Year's resolutions are for, right?

Here's my star I promised to show you....made with vintage sheet music and german glass glitter, modeled after the one in Pottery Barn...

without the flash...then with the flash... the tree is so hard to photograph!

Here's the whole tree...my husband loved the star but..."couldn't it be lit up?" he asked.

Yes, it could, I told him--next year!

Just use your imagination honey, same with the sign hanging there that I didn't get to finish...imagine it with beautiful script in the banner- 'Joyeux Noel' perhaps, some distressing and lot's of glitter....next year!

I spent yesterday doing some Christmas shopping...oh, the people, the traffic, the lines!!

Despite the Christmas music playing in every store and the employees donned in their 'santa hats' - everyone looked so tired and miserable. I kept thinking, 'why do we do this to ourselves?'

I finished, got what I needed and got home fast before they could infect me with the

"bah humbugs"!

This year we opted for a little different Christmas card. Usually we take a family photo, (since all our family is either in the midwest or in New England and we don't see them often enough.)

I had seen this on etsy and thought it would be the perfect photo for us since we spend so much time at the beach, even in the winter ---

not perfectly written but it's the message that counts!

Hope you all are having a good week with the countdown getting so close-

try to keep the 'bah humbugs' away!

The tree~ sheet music bird ornaments~and two winners!

2010-12-05T05:46:00.014-05:00

The tree is up! A little happy dance ~ I'm loving the way it looks...

this year I decided on all silver and creams, with little bird sheet music ornaments...

and another paper banner~ ok, I'm a little obsessed with paper banners!

I made this one using what they call an "end roll" from a local printer. If you've ever ordered a sign from me, it came wrapped in this white paper~ it's basically newspaper without the print on it. If I didn't have this paper, I would of used a roll of 'cash register' paper, I've seen this at Walmart and it's relatively cheap. Anyways... I cut two inch strips, tea dyed them, then transferred the 'merry christmas' with graphite paper~ went over it with a sharpie~ then cut the edges with 'torn edges' scissors...

and voila!

The font is one of my favorite font purchases~ P22 Cezanne~

here it is in case you'd like to make one...

The sheet music bird ornaments were easy, once I got the bird shape drawn that is! I made a few one dimensional and a few three dimensional...just gluing two of them together, except for the wings, then folded down the wings so he could fly! I added a little silver german glitter to the edges...they sparkle and twirl! Thought I'd share this outline too for you to make your own sheet music birds...

I used the "Wreath Waltz" sheet music from Karen~aka The Graphics Fairy

{Thank goodness for fairies!}

I simply printed the sheet music on both sides of cream colored card stock. Traced the bird outline and cut...easy!
I'm thinking of making more of these, you could glue a pick inside the body portion at the bottom and add them to wreaths and arrangements...how pretty would that be?

A little burlap under the tree made the perfect natural tree skirt...I love it all but it's not quite done yet...I'm working on a star for the top~ I'll share that in my next post!

Now....Happy Birthday to me!!!

It's today! Look what I found this morning by the coffee maker...

Oh, I adore that man!

That card was the best birthday present I've ever received! We spent the weekend together, a not so very romantic weekend~ we installed a wood stove out in my garage workshop ~ to keep me warm while I'm creating the mess I make out there! Now, that is true love, isn't it?

Oh!!...last but not least... the two winners of my Peace~ Love~ Joy signs giveaway!

"She dreams big" & "Suzie Button"

....congrats girls!

A big thank you to all of you...your comments and support really 'keep me ticking' and I love each of you!

Let the decorating begin~and a link to a great tutorial!

2010-11-27T06:46:00.010-05:00

with handmade paper garlands and music sheets! It always starts at the mantle in the kitchen. This years' theme is music sheets and paper garlands.

I'm loving the look!

Sometime this past summer I stumbled upon a stack of vintage church hymnals~I picked them up for a song! The woman at the counter told me that her husband ~ a pastor at a local church~ found them in the churches old piano. These two actually have dates in them of 1893-just imagine how many church services they've seen...the weddings, baptism's, funerals and holiday gatherings!

She was curious as to what I planned for them- at the time I didn't know, but I loved the typography and the old paper~just lovely! I think she thought that strange, but I wondered myself why her husband would be willing to part with such beauty that held so much church history-that to me was even stranger!

anyways, here are a couple of them in my mantle display~

As much as it hurt, I pulled out four of the pages from the Christmas section and wrapped them around my 'Sacred Heart' candles, then tied them with hemp.

The pages were just a little long and had to be trimmed...but naturally I couldn't toss those sacred scraps...they are now a little chain placed in my studio.

My favorite part of the mantle is the paper garland I made...edged with silver german glass glitter for a little sparkle!

This weekend we'll be working on the tree...I know I want more paper garlands ~ I'll have more photos to share next week!

Little update on these candles....

Diane, of Lavender Dreams has posted a wonderful tutorial on making these candles...she did a great job with her first tutorial and her candles came out fabulous! Check it out here.

A big thank you to Diane!!

If you haven't already scroll down and get your name in the proverbial hat for my sign giveaway...two winners this time & it's open to everyone!

Peace Joy Love ~ my two year blog anniversary giveaway!

2010-11-24T05:59:00.002-05:00

This proves it...time really does fly when you're having fun!

When I think back over the last two years and all the new friends I've made it just amazes me. Who could of guessed the world could be so small?
It's a wonderful feeling just knowing we are always there for each other...giving and receiving
PEACE JOY AND LOVE all year round...and so my giveaway...two years - two winners!

Each will receive a set of my new signs...

PEACE JOY & LOVE...

~they each measure 9" x 5.5" and are embellished with silver german glass glitter...they hang with vintage black seam binding ribbon~

they are sparlking reminders of this wonderful blog world we live in aren't they?

Keeping this one simple...just leave a comment on this post- and, best of all...this giveaway will be international!! Anyone, living anywhere in the world can enter (just be sure to leave me an email address if you don't have a blog to contact you through).

I'll choose two winners via random.org on my birthday...Monday December 6th.

Lot's of love to all of you & a Happy Thanksgiving!

{adoring sweet paul}

2010-11-16T06:52:00.007-05:00

Have you met Sweet Paul...aka Paul Lowe?? oh, you're gonna love him! Sweet Paul is a food and prop stylist living in New York...

his Holiday online magazine is just out...and it's swoon worthy...and it's free!!

(click the photo to go to sweet paul's magazine)

crafting....love this light...keeping my eye out for a vintage bakers whisk!!

recipes....Sweet Paul also shares his creative genius on his blog....

(click the photo to go to Sweet Paul's blog)

I'm hooked! Love every bit of it!!

Big day coming up!

2010-11-10T09:29:00.003-05:00

I've been quite the blogpost slacker lately haven't I?

Well, I have to tell you that's one of the things I love about blogging....

I think it's a 'no pressure~just have fun' kind of thing and I hope you do to.

In my 'blogmind'*

*blogmind: a word completely made up by me, meaning the part of your brain that blogs all day long...you know, when you're riding in the car or in the shower, or washing dishes...you find yourself writing blog post after blog post, only to completely forget them minutes later, cause,

well, you thought of a new one!!

LOL...tell me this happens to you too, please!!

yes, in my blogmind lately it seems I've either had

way too much to say or, nothing at all to say.

So I usually end up deciding to spare you of both!

Okay...now onto the 'big day coming up'....

Here's a hint:

cotton.

Cotton is the traditional 2 year wedding anniversary gift. But it's not my 2 year wedding anniversary. It is however my 2 year blog anniversary on November 24th...

so they'll be a giveaway coming up soon! But, it won't be a bag of cotton balls, I promise!!

It's beginning to look a little like Christmas...

2010-11-01T11:36:00.007-04:00

In the studio!
yes, I've been painting Christmas signs...but look closer... no, closer....

It's mistletoe!
Fresh mistletoe, picked fresh last week by my son...the arborist!
I had no idea that mistletoe grew around here...
and no idea where it grew exactly.
Turns out mistletoe grows 'on' trees!
The tree is it's 'host'...it feeds off it.

It arrives there from birds dropping the sticky berries on it's branches. I was amazed to learn this!
Now, on November 1st....there's fresh mistletoe around the house!!
...if it is too early for Christmas decor well it's certainly not too early for smooching right?

A big thankyou to all for leaving me great advice on my Saturday post...we've decided the best thing to do is go with 'no driving'. I am approaching it like....we are starting over, at square one, with the learning to drive thing. I really think kids are allowed to drive too young, especially with all the hand held gadgets they try to juggle. I was very touched by everyone's comments and they were very helpful in figuring out what to do...thankyou all from the bottom of my heart:)

Motherly Advice...

2010-10-30T08:06:00.003-04:00

I'm always quick to give it. Now I need some back.

If you're a regular visitor to my blog you know I'm not one for 'long posts'....but today is going to be one of those long posts, know up front that I appreciate you hanging in there!! xo!

I find myself this morning at a very 'cosmic' place, for lack of a better word. It's as if all my thoughts, concerns, and fears have molded together in my mind and brought me here. It's not a good cosmic place-I'm not comfortable in it.

The best way to tell you about this is to go back a couple of days. On Thursday of this week, two teens (17 & 16) were killed in a car accident about an hour or so north of our home. Speed.
They were speeding on a highway, tried to divert lanes and lost control. The male driver (17) was thrown from the vehicle, the female passenger (16) was dead and trapped in the car for hours. They had just left school, her parents believed she was riding the bus home. I didn't know these two teens, but the story left me in tears, literally.

I spent my day in melonchally. I just couldn't shake the whole story and the pictures of it. Most of you know I have a 17 year old daughter-Hannah- who's been driving for about 6 months now and like alot of parents at this time of life, well-I pray alot.

Hannah is not one to make bad decisions. She makes me so proud all of the time I have to pinch myself. She's about a straight A student with realistic goals in life. She is always quick to dismiss herself from the 'wrong crowd' and I so admire this. Pretty much an all-around perfect child. Lucky mom huh? I think so too.

Yesterday, my dear friend PJ did a wonderful post about being a 'good mom'. If you haven't seen it you should go check it out....very thought provoking. I loved it because it so spoke to me, it's one of my favorite subjects. I commented about how being a good mom to me was about always being dilligent at it...be quick to learn from your mistakes and keep at it.

Okay...now to last night. I let Hannah go with a friends family to a Halloween haunted house- almost 2 hours north of us. I knew this meant she'd be home late, driving later at night than I ever let her before (illegal mind you) but I let her go. I didn't like it but it was one of those very few times I conceded. Big mistake, mom. Here comes the icky part of my story...at 1:30 am this morning I got a call from a State Trooper. He had just pulled Hannah over for speeding, he was very concerned, and rightly so...85mph in a 50mph zone. I was-am still devastated. I thanked him for what I believe was an act of 'saving my daughters life'. I've barely slept since.

I realize that some of you reading this have children that are older and grown, and have been through this in one way or another, and maybe think, well....'it's part of growing up, for parent and child-it will be okay.' I think that too, after all, my son is 22 and we did the speeding ticket thing with him and got through it...part of life. But for some reason...this feels different.

I feel lost, like I don't even know how to handle it this time, mostly because it was so out of character for her and so against all I've tried to instill in her. After all, like I wrote in PJ's comments, I believe that children live what they are taught. So which lesson did this teacher miss? Which chapter did I skip over? 85 in a 50 remember. How do I even approach this? If I missed that chapter -and didn't even know it- what else did I miss???

It is likely that she will lose her license...what judge in his right mind, two weeks from now and in light of the recent teenage speeding accident involving teens-is not going to take her license? I told her last night this was possible, and I won't be pleading for her in any way shape or form, under any circumstances. It goes against everything I believe to stand up for a child who was wrong in their actions. She's pretty devastated. I ended it with ...Hannah, I love you more than you know, and when we are in court on Nov 16th, I'll be thanking God that I'm only in court and not at the cemetary.

That is what the judge will do I'm pretty sure-what I am unsure of is what I should do. Do I let her drive from now till then-at all? Do I take the keys, make her take the school bus to school, which will devastate her? Do I ground her? I've never had to ground her before. Is what I'm pretty sure the court will do punishment enough? Or is this one of the areas parents must be the really bad guy, which amounts to ruining her junior year in highschool, at least in her eyes. I have to decide what to do-at least until the Nov 16th court date, at which time someone else will decide.

I'm honestly lost on this...and your thoughts will be so appreciated-I don't want to miss any more chapters.

Life full of Romance....

2010-10-26T14:22:00.006-04:00

I'm so honored to be included in an Etsy treasury!
Life full of Romance by Vart....here are a few of the items included

I've been included in treasuries before, just never one that made the

front page

of etsy. But if it gets alot of clicks and comments...

it {Life full of romance}

just might make it to the front page!

Am I suggesting that you go there {Life full of romance} and click and comment away???

Yes!

but only if you want...I'm not begging for you to go there {Life full of romance} or anything...

but look what sign she chose for the treasury....

I LOVE YOU!!

so.........if you go

{to Life full of romance} I'll love you forever!!

Candy Cane with your hot chocolate?

2010-10-21T12:17:00.003-04:00

Just a quick post today...still busy with custom orders but finding time for some new Christmas signs!

yes....I said Christmas...sorry, but it will be here before you know it!

Just listed in my etsy shop....

hope you are enjoying your day! I'm off to paint, paint, paint!!