Smell of Roses in the Air

Whenever a window is opened...whenever laundry is being hug...whenever the mail is retrieved....the smell of roses is in the air.

What a delight!  The winter was hard on my roses bushes, and I lost three of them.  However, the heartiest of them have remained, and how wonderful they smell. 

This huge bush out back we have let grow with sweet abandon.  It is really huge...probably too huge.  However, we can smell it all around.  I've brought some in to enjoy as well.  How I love roses!

Roses from Hubby

I love how when my husband comes home with flowers...he is ALWAYS grinning from ear to ear as if he were really, really pleased with himself. Well, he should be, and I'm always pleased when he comes home with some. It doesn't happen terribly often, but when it does I'm just thrilled.

Somehow he always knows when I need them most and what in particular would be the best flower. Guess that's part of being married for over 20 years! Thank you, dear hubby. These smell wonderful and are such a pretty, bright spot in my day.

Perfume Bottles

These two perfume bottles were found at a flea market last summer. One still had stickers on it. The other didn't. However, I believe they both are Italian glass. They are very heavy and are of great quality. They simply had to be decorated with fabulous jewelry pieces, and it took me awhile to figure out what to put on them. I felt the green one needed lots of clear rhinestones--so I put all clear, dazzling rhinestones on it. The pink and green one (reminds me of watermelon tourmaline) has pretty green leaf jewelry, clay roses, and aurora borealis rhinestones. I enjoyed making these and seeing them go together.

A New Brooch and a New Perfume Bottle

I have been able to get two things done this past week. I acquired some exquisite (and a little expensive, might I add--but worth it!) rose shell beads this past week and am working on putting them into jewelry. Once I got the beads I just had to sit right down and work on a brooch. I made this light pink, Victorian-looking, Shabby Chic-looking rose brooch with a crystal butterfly. I sort of don't want to part with it because I like it so much!
Secondly, I finished another perfume bottle. The vintage pieces come from jewelry featuring daisies as well as parts of a leaf bracelet and some rhinestones. I'm pretty pleased with how this little bottle turned out as well.

A Delightful Discovery Indeed

When I was a young , I was promised by someone that when I got older I would receive a set of dishes with dainty scattered pink roses all over them. For years I would dream about those dishes and how many Betty Crocker points it would take to save up for rose patterned silverware to match. Unfortunately I never was to receive those dishes.

Before my husband and I got married 20 years ago, my mother and I were on a quest--with a budget, of course--to find dishes for our new household. I had given up on those rose dishes by then, and instead decided I wanted to have a "fruit" inspired kitchen (not literally fruit, but a take off of the "fruit of the Spirit" as is found in Galatians 5: 22-23 " But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."--depicting what someone who has put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus should be like). I thought green backgrounds with bright fruit could always be fresh and pretty in a kitchen not to mention easily updated and enhanced. At the time I couldn't find a set of dishes to fit this theme...and expensive china was out of the question. So, Mom and I decided on a rather utilitarian set of ivory "stoneware" looking dishes that were very economical and practical and would go with my fruit theme along with green glasses and fruit napkins. I had hoped to replace them within a few years--perhaps if I broke a few I would NEED to replace them...but, alas, they have been durable and faithful all of these years through kids and moves and mishaps and klutzy moments. I would dream of china and see fruit patterns by Lenox and others and sigh at their beauty and despair at their prices. Some "everyday" fruit dishes have come out by Corelle, but they just never "spoke" to me.

I confess, however, that through the years, although I have greatly enjoyed my fruit theme, I have always had a heavy tug towards roses and have SO enjoyed the rose trend over the last many years. There are just so many pretty rose china patterns out there that I have seen in magazines and in other people's kitchens. *sigh*

Well, the day before yesterday Mom and I were at a thrift store and I saw these...
There are two plates of each size--the larger plates were $1 each and the smaller were $.50 each! How could I resist? I tried not to do a little jig right here at the thrift shop for excitement. They are in perfect condition, and I bought all four.
As you know, I already have a teacup and saucer and dessert plate in the Old Country Roses pattern (as well as a mug from which I'm drinking tea right now) and teacup and saucer in the "Ruby Lace" pattern. Now, I say this is a "delightful" discovery because the thought occurred to me that fruit or no fruit I could be on a very thrifty and only budget-friendly quest to find more of these plates, one-by-one if necessary, to build up a set of dinner and dessert plates via thrift shopping or on Ebay or garage sales and the like. I don't need all of the extras, but a set of these for company would truly be a dream...a dream come true.

Fancy Sugar "Cubes" for Tea Tutorial

A tea is really fancy when there are many little, pretty details. Yes, sugar cubes are fancy--but these sugar "cubes" will make your tea more so, and let's face it, can a tea ever be too fancy? It is actually quite simple to make these pretties, and I know you will be pleased with your efforts.
For each sugar color, I used the following ingredients: 1) 1/2 cup of white sugar, 2) one drop of food coloring [Don't use more than one little drop of food coloring, or your colors will be too deep. Pastel colors are always more delicate and pretty for a tea.], and 3) 1 teaspoon of water.
Mix the water and coloring with the sugar thoroughly. The sugar will be damp. Press the sugar firmly into pretty, small-sized candy molds. Clean any excess sugar off around the tops of the molds so that sugars have no "furry" edges after they harden.
Allow to harden at least 12 hours in the molds. Wiggle the shapes a bit then pop them out of the molds onto a plate. They will have shrunk in size some and should come out easily. Let harden several hours more decorative shape up.
Put on a pretty plate or into a clear sugar bowl for your tea!

New Victorian Fan Brooch

As promised, here is a peek at what I just finished. I found this bone fan bead at one of bead shops I visited this past week and just HAD to sit down and work on it. I decided to decorate it with "roses" and green "leaves" for a Victorian look. Also, the burgundy background and all the brass gives it a Victorian feel as well. The bottom needed something, so I put some heavy needlepoint thread in a coordinating green color there to pull it all together and give it yet another genuine fan look. Hope you like it!

Just Because...

Dear hubby brought these home yesterday...just because! Isn't he sweet? I'm always thankful for a bouquet of roses (you know I love roses)...especially when they smell great too as these do. Speaking of "just because"...in case you haven't signed up for my vintage Valentine pin giveaway, visit a few posts down and sign up. The drawing will be held on Wednesday.

Lollishops Bits and Pieces Collage Group Challenge

Well, I couldn't resist this challenge (see post about it here) because of several reasons. First is because it is for Valentines' Day. Another is because I love little itty bits and pieces of things--anything in miniature appeals to me. Next, I couldn't resist a challenge and wanted to participate. Also, embellishing is just SO fun. Finally, I wanted to try my hand at doing some "paper art"--something I have little experience with and know little about. Now, scrapbooking and paper art is something that I don't do and haven't done much of in the past. I don't know all of the details of what type of paper to use, what kind of glue to use, whether to seal over your work or not, or how the details should be put together. Regardless of my lack of knowledge, I decided to do this and had a ball doing it. I really do respect people who make tags and scrapbook goodies all the time, since I had glue and scraps of paper all over me and my kitchen. I know this doesn't look as professional as many you may see, but this is my version!
I decided to do a tag. We're supposed to put these in our Lollishop/on Etsy...but, do people really buy things like this? I have no clue what to charge. These certainly aren't my area of expertise. I worry about the embellishments and bits falling off. Anyway, the size of the tag is 4" x just short of 2-1/2" . I divided the main part of the tag into 8 main sections and glued different coordinating papers into each section. I trimmed out each section with glued sections of "pearl" trim....then embellished away. You know me, I LOVE to embellish.
Since I love tea and roses and sparkles, these had to be a part of the collage.
Then I finished off the tag with a bright pink organdy ribbon with a little lace flower and my signature and date on the back just to make it extra special.

For the Love of Guilloche

I never really knew what guilloche (not to mention how to pronounce it) was until my mom told me a story (along with a quest) about a piece of jewelry her grandmother owned. It was a blue enamel piece in the shape of a bow with little pink flowers on it. She remembers her grandmother had it and upon her death was buried with that brooch on. My mom mentioned that she is on a quest to find a piece that looks like that. Well, first I did a search to figure out exactly what it was she was looking for (always a good idea to figure out at the beginning of a serious search) and discovered that guilloche is an interlaced curved pattern either painted or carved on metal over which is clear enamel so that the pattern shows through. You can see that in the white on these pictures. A simple search on Ebay revealed a plethora of amazing, gorgeous pieces--jewelry, compacts, hair brushes and combs, etc. There are stunning pieces are out there...and pricey too at times...my favorites with backgrounds of white, green, and blue. While I still haven't found the blue, pink-rose encrusted bow brooch, I have and will continue to enjoy the search.
The Coro-signed locket brooch in the pictures above, I found at an estate sale. I contemplated taking the piece apart since I like the parts of it but not the locket/brooch as a whole. However, I figure why take a nice signed piece apart that someone else may be looking for or want. I've put this in my Etsy shop. Perhaps someday, I may find just the right guilloche piece that "speaks to me" for my own enjoyment (and at the right price). Until then, I shall continue to enjoy looking at all that is out there...and perhaps I just might find that blue bow brooch for my mom.

Perfume Bottles and Romantic Homes Magazine

I always get way too far ahead of myself when it comes to reading my magazine subscriptions. I just got "Tea Time" in the mail...their January/February issue where they are talking about Valentines Day already...but I can't help it! All of this beautiful, fabulous information with pictures is sitting there waiting for me, and I can't resist peeking...then reading...from cover to cover!
Well, the January 2010 issue of "Romantic Homes" arrived, and I've already read through the whole thing. I couldn't help it. There is a must-see article about the home of one of the Layla-Grace co-founders, Wendy Estes, (the ornate white-with-pink-kissed-roses dresser is WAY, WAY beyond gorgeous), and there was a little article about perfume bottles. How can one resist an article about perfume bottles?
First, in the picture above, is the decorative glass "tray" that I have on my dresser. I don't use the things on it. It is basically just for decoration. I like the labels and the shapes and think it is romantic in every way.
The pink one with the heart-shaped topper I've had since high school and really like the color of the bottle AND the heart, of course.
The green one with the crown topper I bought in New Zealand at an antique store. It is a bath salt bottle actually with some of the salts still in it. I thought the crown was gorgeous and unique.
This is the perfume I use. My husband loved the scent...on another girlfriend, if you can believe that! LOL! But, no hard feelings at all, and I've worn it for over 20 years. He usually gets it for me for our anniversary when I'm out. I take great care not to waste it, and a bottle lasts and lasts and smells wonderful...oh, and makes me think of Paris!
These are little miniature bottles that I have sitting on this chintz plate on my dresser. You know...I can't resist anything in miniature, so a few miniature perfume bottles are a must. The Poeme bottle was given to me, and I like it for it's shape. The Paris miniature bottle, I've had for years and years. It was a "diamond" edition freebie with a Paris perfume purchase well over 10 years ago. My kids think it's a real diamond--wish it were!
Finally, this trio is an inexpensive set, but they look expensive, I think. The colors go perfectly with our bathroom colors. I love the crystal stoppers, and they sparkle and shine (when they aren't dusty!) and look beautiful when the sun is shining in our bathroom window. They just seem to glow.
I really do like and enjoy perfume bottles. I love their shapes, sizes, and labels. I don't have many perfume bottles, and those that I DO have aren't expensive ones. But, who needs to spend all outdoors to enjoy something pretty? Bottles and labels in many shapes and forms (like my glittery, shabby rose perfume label ornament--for year-round enjoyment) can truly add pretty spots of color and glamor to a home.

How did he know?

I'm convinced spouses have special radar within them...each just KNOWS something is going on with the other--without a word spoken or even without seeing them. How did my sweet husband know yesterday was trying? How did he know that homeschooling was a challenge yesterday? and that not one but two violin strings would break before practice? How did he know that some other things were a bit over the top and I was somewhat frazzled? Well, he came home with a grin, a hug, and these. *sigh* I just love him! ; )