A Forced Project

I realized--after the fact, of course--that it really can be okay to be forced to do something. A certain someone had a cup of milk in the refrigerator, and a certain someone else knocked it over today getting milk all over the place. It's amazing how much milk there can be in a small, plastic cup. Well, cleaning the fridge certainly wasn't on my list of things to do today. Does anyone put cleaning the fridge on their "to do" list? Mmmm...can't remember ever doing that. Anyway, whenever something spills, I clean it up then and there and move on, or if there is a dirty spot, I just clean it up. Well, after today's mishap, the whole appliance needed a thorough cleaning from stem to stern (who wants a refrigerator smelling sour?), and that's exactly what it got. Unfortunately, I could only get half of it done before having to go grocery shopping which made the task a little more difficult to complete, but it now looks spic and span. Besides, it's nice to know what is exactly in that fridge...not that things ever linger long in our refrigerator. Leftovers rarely languish for more than a few days. But, I did rediscover BBQ sauce on the door which I think I'll fix with chicken this coming week. So, the moral of the post?....drink all your milk so that it doesn't spill! ; )

New Bottles

I'm having such a grand time working on perfume bottles. One of my favorites has sold (see the apple blossom one a few posts down)...but two more have been listed, and I'm working on others (I'll have to make sure to do a post on the purple and lavender one!). Here are the two most recent additions.

This one reminds me of spring with its white flowers and butterfly. Of course the pastel-colored rhinestones are always a favorite.

This one features two crowns and is fit for anyone who likes royal pretties. I like the deep, rich ruby colors, the pearls, and those rhinestones!

Oh, don't forget to enter my vintage Valentine giveaway. See the link at the sidebar. I'll choose the winner this week.

Birthday Cake Earrings

Probably about 8 years ago I reallllllly needed some creative rejuvenating and to get out of the house. My son at the time was around two, so with my husband's encouragement I took a cake decorating class--the 1st Wilton class (I also took the 3rd Wilton class right afterwards--someday I'll take that 2nd class). Besides having an absolute blast (boy, did we eat a lot of cake!), I learned that my teacher played the violin AND taught violin at a small Christian college in a town between Madison and Milwaukee. I wrote down her email address. I had always wanted any children of mine to learn the violin because I saw it as a nice challenge and because music was going to be an important part of their homeschooling. It was amazing that this nice lady not only taught violin but with a Christian perspective so that our music values would be the same.

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Fast forward....my son at age four (our daughter too when she was four) began violin lessons with this lady, and we have been going to her these past five years. We get this teacher a birthday present every year because, well, she deserves it. Last year she joked that she should get cake earrings to wear just one day a year--on her birthday. Mmmmm...note to self.

Well....voila! I found these adorable cake earrings on Etsy at Inediblejewelry. They are so appropriate because not only did she joke about having a pair last year...but I found her at a cake decorating class. I love the detail and colors...and, yes, those colorful sprinkles. They did a fabulous job (check out the "cake" part--it looks so real). I'm pleased as punch and can't wait to give them to her. What do you think?

Vintage Style Valentine Giveaway

This giveaway is for the vintage romantic at heart! Included in the giveaway is a pretty vintage handkerchief with red and pink flowers and a blue ribbon in a cut-away pattern. There are also three thumbtacks--one vintage jewelry piece, one vintage guilloche piece, and one vintage image piece.

Also there is a vintage image Valentine pin with a French boy and girl, plenty of pink roses, and the words "Love's Greeting" on it. It is enhanced with superfine glitter in pink and green on those roses. Finally there is a dangling pair of vintage screw-back earrings that feature white plastic flowers with rhinestone centers.

The rules to follow are simple (international friends are most welcome!):

1. Leave a comment below for one entry.

2. Follow my business Facebook page (see link on the sidebar to the right) for another entry and leave a separate comment saying you did this.

3. Blog about this (feel free to use the top picture here) for another entry and leave a separate comment saying you did this.

I will pick a name sometime on February 1. Make sure I have your email address so that I can get a hold of you. If I cannot...I'll have to pick another name. Thank you for entering!

Mother-of-Pearl

I was captivated by Victoria magazine's January/February 2011 section entitled "Treasure from the Sea." All of the mother-of-pearl in the article (it's on the cover as well) was just gorgeous. I have always liked the warm iridescence of mother-of-pearl, and I like it's "oldness". By oldness I mean that mother-of-pearl has been a beautiful embellishment or material that has been used for centuries. There isn't a shell button that I can't resist. My mother had a mother-of-pearl inlaid compact mirror that I remember admiring as a child. What a pleasing article it was to read!

Well, fresh on the heals of reading that article, I put together this perfume bottle with a little mother-of-pearl bird on it. The sweet bird was a recent antique store find that I immediately liked and knew I could use somewhere. It has an aurora borealis eye that goes perfectly with the pinks of the apple blossom vintage jewelry piece that I used to embellish this pink stopper-topped bottle. Enjoy!

Vintage Valentine Pins

I remember when I was young, my dad came home one day with a sweet plastic valentine pin for my mother...and a little one for me! I was delighted! To think that while Dad was thinking of Mom, he included me as well. It meant a great deal to me--that I was special too to be in on this sweet surprise. Dad has always been very, very thoughtful...I realize this more and more as time goes by. Anyway, I think I have that little pin tucked away (for some reason) in my cedar chest which I'll have to dig out sometime...and wear again. (All of my special memory items go in there.)

These pins that I finished recently reminded me of that Valentine's Day years ago. They are all made from vintage pictures (postcards, etc.) and embellished with glitter.

Join in on the Teacup Trade

Now, this is just my cup of tea! Faith, Hope, and Cherrytea is hosting a teacup trade. How fun! Hope on over to her beautiful blog to check out the details (as well as her blog) and join in the fun. P.S. Don't you adore her gorgeous picture of stacked teacups above?

A Colorful January!

Forget January whites! I'm all for color! I don't force my cactus to bloom in December but instead let it stay on its own cycle and then enjoy the plethora of color in January when all is bleak, white, and gloomy. I have this usually right by my kitchen sink...which is a corner sink below two windows. My cactus loves it there, and I love the anticipation of watching those little pink buds pop out then grow into these beautiful blooms. Bring on the color...and so long bleak January!

Back from a Door County Anniversary

This past Wednesday was our 21st wedding anniversary. I have now officially been married more years than I was unmarried. My husband and I got married when we were 20. My dad had to give his permission to stay at an inn for our wedding night because we were under 21! Anyway, this past Wednesday we went to Door County which makes up the end of the peninsula that juts out into Lake Michigan. We love it there--no big box stores, small shops and cafes everywhere, a much slower pace of life indeed, beautiful landscape, etc. In January there is a VERY slow pace with most places closed, but we found a nice place to stay with a warm indoor pool and a pretty view at a most reasonable price (hey, there were only 2 other people staying at the place when we were there). There were a few thrift shops open that my dear husband took me to--and I found some definite pretties to put in my shop or to make up as tacks or to embellish with. I'm tickled with that. I'm thankful we could get away...and thankful for my husband and these wonderful years we've had together. I'd marry him all over again! He's a blessing, and I praise the Lord for him and our marriage.

New Year...New Calendar

A new year means, of course, a new calendar. I can't bear the thought of paying full price for a calendar, so we usually wait until the last week of December to buy our new ones at 50% off. The kids each got one for their rooms and one for their school desks, and I got my favorite "Teapot & Tea" calendar. I really love this calendar. If I'm going to put something up on a wall in my home--visible to all--it must be pretty and be in keeping with the decor of my home. This calendar certainly fits the bill. Each month is gorgeous...although this year unfortunately Joni has included a very ugly witch teapot for the month of October. I was so disappointed! This is one thing I have liked in the past about this calendar in particular...each picture was very general for the entire month...not just one day of that month. I think the October teapot is SO ugly, that I am taking a favorite picture from 2010 to paste over it. I don't do Halloween and definitely don't do witches and don't want to see that all month! Anyway, otherwise each month is beautiful and interesting in every possible way. Now I am taking the time to convert anniversary and birthday dates from the old calendar to the the new one (if I didn't write them down, I'd forget for sure), my husband's schedules, appointments we've made already, etc. Oh, happy new year to everyone. I hope it is a good one for you.