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...is, Donna! 
It was a good thing she became a follower and told me so, because that was the entry for her that won. Thank you, all of you, who visited my blog and left such kind comments. Thank you also, Kim, for hosting another year of the Cottage Charm Giveaway. It has been great fun, and I've met such wonderful new friends.
Well, we finally got our veggie garden in this past week (still working on the flowers). I know...it took us forever, but better late than never. It's a small garden really. It makes me sneeze and itch just thinking of weeding, but the veggies are worth it in the end. We put in tomatoes (of course, like, who doesn't put in tomatoes??), spinach, broccoli, corn, peppers (I finally will try to grow some peppers this year--yum), green beans, peas, and carrots. Yum! Hopefully we will get a good enough harvest so that I can freeze a lot for the winter. I so dislike wasting and try to make use of every bit that grows.
Speaking of gardens...I bought this game, The Garden Game, at a yard sale awhile back. It is a wonderful game! I played it for the first time this past week with my kids (6 and 9) after we finished with the garden (I thought it was appropriate since they helped plant the seeds). It was a little over my 6-year-old's head and I had to explain a thing or two to my 9 year old, but it taught all sorts of wonderful things about pollinators, microbes in the soil, composting, mulching, etc. while our little stones worked their way around the garden path. Whoever has the most in their garden (via garden cards--beautifully illustrated, by the way) by the time the first person gets to the garden gate wins. It was fun and educational, and I'd highly recommend it.
...will go a long way. I saw an enameled metal flower orphan earring in turquoise and yellow and just HAD to make a little collage with it. It was sweet and looked cottage-y. I have three little mirror ornaments and decided to embellish one with what few coordinating yellows and turquoise vintage jewelry pieces I had...and voila...this hanging piece was born! A piece of yellow organza ribbon completed the look. I'm pleased and hope you are too!
I have met a truly, truly super nice person...who happens to have a shop with the most gorgeous things in them. The items appeal to me because, as you already know, I love sparkles--especially vintage ones. Yes, we both sell items with similar appeal, but since our creations are different from each other, I'm happy to tell you about Michelle (also a fellow Lollishop vendor). Her shop is Blingnets where she sells magnets and small hanging "glamers", she calls them, embellished with vintage jewelry.
And to add to the charm, there are very few people as nice as Michelle. So, I'd encourage you to check out her shop and enjoy her things.
One of the main factors that confirmed our choice of house plans when we built our house several years ago was the "turret room", as we call it, which is the rounded dining area off the kitchen. I thought it looked English and cottage-y and bright and pretty. I wanted a crystal chandelier, and we found the perfect one at the price we had allotted for it. When the builder finished the ceiling he put, I thought, a cheap-looking piece of wood in the very top rounded part of the room. I looked at that for years not liking it all the while. It didn't match the surrounding wood. AND...the chandelier was too high up into the ceiling and sort of got lost up there. Well, my parents surprised us by having an electrician come to lower the chandelier this past week. During this process, my mom painted the center top of the ceiling the same color of the walls (she is very brave getting way up there on a ladder) while I cleaned and polished all of the crystals until they gleamed. I'm most delighted with the results! The light is now stronger down where we need it, the ugly wood piece is now covered with paint, and, yes, the chandelier is down where we can see and enjoy it.
Remember those four wee blue robins' eggs that I posted about a few posts back? Well, each egg has now hatched, and mama left her four little ones for a bit to find them a juicy worm for lunch. During this time, much to our happiness, we were able to see the small fluffy birds and snap a quick picture before getting mama too upset with us. They certainly are darling, and it has been such fun to watch the progression this spring.
There's nothing like homemade goodies from the kids...and on Mother's Day yesterday my two were very excited to present to me homemade cards and these adorable fence planters. Grandpa took them to the Home Depot kids project day (the first Saturday of each month--and it's free!) while I was out with my mother where my two sweeties built these planters just delighting in the fact afterward that they had a secret. Then when Gramma had them over this past week they carefully painted the planters and picked out the colors to paint hearts to stick on them. One picked out a purple petunia and the other a pink petunia--they know I love their spicy scents! Well, to say the least I was delighted. I like them as little white chairs when turned around AND as picket fence planters. They worked so hard, and I'm just thrilled and very pleased to say the least. Hubby gave me the sweetest card and a pair of earrings--such a thoughtful and wonderful man he is.
I had a very relaxing day yesterday and was glad to spend time with my own mother on Mother's Day--something I could rarely do during all of those years we lived half way across the country from each other. I'm so thankful for her and am blessed that she is my mom.
Mommy Robin had left her little eggs and was away getting worms when I approached our tree with the camera. Snap! I finally got a picture of her darling little eggs. I just love the color, don't you? Now we are all anticipating the appearance of the four babies. This is the coziest spot, I think. What a perfect place for a nest...and what a perfect nest!
...is, Donna! 
It was a good thing she became a follower and told me so, because that was the entry for her that won. Thank you, all of you, who visited my blog and left such kind comments. Thank you also, Kim, for hosting another year of the Cottage Charm Giveaway. It has been great fun, and I've met such wonderful new friends.
Speaking of gardens...I bought this game, The Garden Game, at a yard sale awhile back. It is a wonderful game! I played it for the first time this past week with my kids (6 and 9) after we finished with the garden (I thought it was appropriate since they helped plant the seeds). It was a little over my 6-year-old's head and I had to explain a thing or two to my 9 year old, but it taught all sorts of wonderful things about pollinators, microbes in the soil, composting, mulching, etc. while our little stones worked their way around the garden path. Whoever has the most in their garden (via garden cards--beautifully illustrated, by the way) by the time the first person gets to the garden gate wins. It was fun and educational, and I'd highly recommend it. 
We had to include a wedding picture of some sort, so I made a hanging ornament out of a picture of my husband's maternal grandparents. I have always liked the picture...his grandmother looks just beautiful, I think. I added an embellishment and a rhinestone and put a white organza ribbon tie on it.
The "Something Old" was a vintage hankie.
For the "Something New" I made Cathy a brooch with my favorite pink flower beads and added two Swarovski crystal butterflies.
The "Something Borrowed" was a vintage piece of lace with an old pin stuck in it to secure it.
The "Something Blue" took me the longest to do. I embellished a perfume bottle with clear and blue rhinestone vintage jewelry bits and "pearls". The settings were all silver tone metal to match the silver on the stopper top. It certainly had lots of sparkle.
Oh, and this was the packaging. I wrapped the gifts in some greenish turquoise tissue paper then put ivory netting over that and tied the gifts with sage green ribbon. The tags identified the different parts of the saying and what to expect inside each gift. The tags were made of some very pretty paper I found...and the colors tied the whole gift packaging together.
...will go a long way. I saw an enameled metal flower orphan earring in turquoise and yellow and just HAD to make a little collage with it. It was sweet and looked cottage-y. I have three little mirror ornaments and decided to embellish one with what few coordinating yellows and turquoise vintage jewelry pieces I had...and voila...this hanging piece was born! A piece of yellow organza ribbon completed the look. I'm pleased and hope you are too!
Everything came wrapped in pretty tissue with glistening pink ribbon.
"Something Old" was a lovely teacup and saucer with pink and yellow flowers. I love teacups!
"Something New" was a cupcake book. Who can resist a cupcake book? I'm looking forward to taking some time and giving it the proper reading over! 
"Something Borrowed" was a little porcelain box with roses on the top and "lace." It reminds me of the dainty ladies with porcelain lace dresses that my great-grandmother used to have.
"Something Blue" was the most amazing...not to mention sparkly...sign! I just love the color blue Cathy made this in. It says "Bliss" on the bottom and is a true show stopper. 
Lastly, we were each to include a wedding picture of some sort and in some form. Cathy did an amazing job on the sparkly frame. It's beautiful The wedding picture itself if both funny and elegant--the bride looks like she "got him". Of course, her dress has lots of sparkle too!
And to add to the charm, there are very few people as nice as Michelle. So, I'd encourage you to check out her shop and enjoy her things.
One of the main factors that confirmed our choice of house plans when we built our house several years ago was the "turret room", as we call it, which is the rounded dining area off the kitchen. I thought it looked English and cottage-y and bright and pretty. I wanted a crystal chandelier, and we found the perfect one at the price we had allotted for it. When the builder finished the ceiling he put, I thought, a cheap-looking piece of wood in the very top rounded part of the room. I looked at that for years not liking it all the while. It didn't match the surrounding wood. AND...the chandelier was too high up into the ceiling and sort of got lost up there. Well, my parents surprised us by having an electrician come to lower the chandelier this past week. During this process, my mom painted the center top of the ceiling the same color of the walls (she is very brave getting way up there on a ladder) while I cleaned and polished all of the crystals until they gleamed. I'm most delighted with the results! The light is now stronger down where we need it, the ugly wood piece is now covered with paint, and, yes, the chandelier is down where we can see and enjoy it.
It has been a long, cloudy, cool week...and with some newly-acquired pretties, I just couldn't resist being busy creating. It has been such fun, and my family has been so patient...since....once I start something it's hard not to finish (that's why I should never touch a long novel--no housework would get done and no one would see me for days until I finished every last word!). I've completed three perfume bottles with vintage jewelry bits on them--two I have listed, and the other I will list probably tomorrow in my Etsy and Lollishops shops. 
I've also had fun beading up some new clips/charms. Enjoy!
Remember those four wee blue robins' eggs that I posted about a few posts back? Well, each egg has now hatched, and mama left her four little ones for a bit to find them a juicy worm for lunch. During this time, much to our happiness, we were able to see the small fluffy birds and snap a quick picture before getting mama too upset with us. They certainly are darling, and it has been such fun to watch the progression this spring.
There's nothing like homemade goodies from the kids...and on Mother's Day yesterday my two were very excited to present to me homemade cards and these adorable fence planters. Grandpa took them to the Home Depot kids project day (the first Saturday of each month--and it's free!) while I was out with my mother where my two sweeties built these planters just delighting in the fact afterward that they had a secret. Then when Gramma had them over this past week they carefully painted the planters and picked out the colors to paint hearts to stick on them. One picked out a purple petunia and the other a pink petunia--they know I love their spicy scents! Well, to say the least I was delighted. I like them as little white chairs when turned around AND as picket fence planters. They worked so hard, and I'm just thrilled and very pleased to say the least. Hubby gave me the sweetest card and a pair of earrings--such a thoughtful and wonderful man he is. 
Mommy Robin had left her little eggs and was away getting worms when I approached our tree with the camera. Snap! I finally got a picture of her darling little eggs. I just love the color, don't you? Now we are all anticipating the appearance of the four babies. This is the coziest spot, I think. What a perfect place for a nest...and what a perfect nest!
It includes the book, If Teacups Could Talk by Emilie Barnes, a card of three white flower buttons, a thimble, a package of pretty springtime tissues, a little bundle of English Breakfast Tea, a pink glass hat pin, a Bachelor Button vintage image zipper/purse clip, and a springtime flowers charm (these last two made by me). 
