Tuesday, April 23, 2013

The Marketplace: Etsy and Boutique Showcase

Hi Everyone,
and Welcome to The Marketplace
This is a link party to share your Etsy Shop and Online Boutique goods,
and if you aren't selling, then have fun shopping.

Here are a few links from last week's party.

Kathleen has recently opened an Etsy Shop, Faded Charm.
You'll love her vintage wares, and enjoy her beautiful styling and photos.

Vintage French Alarm Clock  from Faded Charm



from The Old White House





from The Lazy Peacock



from LaCroix Rosion




from Knick of Time



And today the gals from Sweet Magnolias Farm are in the Spotlight. They are also having a Give Away this week celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Blue Ball Jar, so you'll want to run by and enter if you haven't already!


Here are a few items from their Etsy Shop that bring some Farmhouse fun for Spring.









Thanks gals!

Hope you'll join in and link up to three individual items.
Or just a link to a blog post,
but please make sure these items are FOR SALE.
You don't have to have a blog to join in,
but if you do, please be a follower of this blog,
and I'd love for you to grab the button below
for somewhere on your sidebar,
to let everyone know about the party.


Have fun shopping,
Remember this link is open all week,
so stop back by later to see all the new items being listed.

Have a great week,





Sunday, April 21, 2013

a little family news...

OK, I have to admit that this photo below of the adorable baby French Bulldog has nothing to do with my family news...except maybe that it has the sweetest most nibble-able ears I've seen. I looked for a more appropriate illustration of the situation, but believe me, you'd rather see these sweet pink ears!

google images

...Now on to the news...

If you've been reading me for awhile you'll know that I've mentioned several times that my hubby has been dealing with an inner ear condition called Meniere's Disease, which causes hearing loss, vertigo attacks, and a bunch of other awful symptoms. It's been almost two years that this has been a daily struggle, and it's only been since October that he's been diagnosed and we've been seeing a specialist. 

The doctor has had several methods of treatment that he tries before considering surgical options. Well...none of those have helped enough for my husband to lead a normal life, so he will be undergoing surgery this week to have a shunt inserted into his inner ear through the bone behind the ear. The shunt will relieve the fluid build up, which is the culprit in all this.

After much prayer we believe that this will be the means to get his life back, and feel like himself again. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers this week. I'll be scheduling The Marketplace, and  Be Inspired Party as usual, but I'll be out of the loop so to speak. I'll be keeping one eye on the blog, but he'll be in the hospital for two days as they keep an eye on him, since this is a major surgical procedure with general anesthesia. I'll be giving an update on things later this week.


see you tomorrow for


and Thursday for




just wanted to let you all know...
and say thank-you in advance for the prayers.



xoxo,

Bovine Beauties

Last week in my post on the downstairs mantel I mentioned I had a fondness for vintage landscapes, especially with a few cows and sheep sprinkled in. I'm always on the lookout for a sweet vintage sheep or cow print, and a few weeks ago hubbs and I found this one in it's original frame on one of our trips home from St. Louis.



I have it in the Living Room, but the glare from the windows is so bad I couldn't do a straight-on shot. I'm generally a little wonky anyway, and this just proves it. 




The antique clock is a family piece that my mom and dad had
 in their Dining Room  for as long as I can remember.







Here's another old print in the Living Room that I painted the frame. It had been dark and not attractive, so it got a shabby paint treatment. My husband gulped hard at my painting it, but didn't voice his opinion. He's learned...when it's gotta be painted...it's "gotta be painted!"










This old print, also in it's original feather painted frame,
is in the Master Bath above the tub.
(sorry...no bathroom "reveal" at the moment)



And here is the little milk maid, "Amalie", that my husband gave to me for Valentine's Day last year. She's in the kitchen. Also tricky for a photo without glare.




 I had to move her to another spot for a good look.
She's so sweet.



 These old prints make me think of the French Countryside. Today I just shared a few of my cows...now the sheep are another whole blog post.


joining in for these weekly parties:


 Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings
Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
A Stroll Thru Life
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House
Knick of Time
The Scoop at CedarHill Ranch
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style




Hope you're having a wonderful weekend,

Friday, April 19, 2013

Be Inspired: #135: At Home With White

Hi Everyone and Welcome to Be Inspired!

We might not all decorate with just "whites", but we all love and appreciate it's serene, calm, and fresh approach to decor. When at a flea market, or show event, I know I'm always drawn to those spaces that are predominantly "white". Spring is the perfect compliment to "whites" in our home decor, so my first pick of links this week is Sandi from A Cottage Muse.

Sandi has a shop space here,
and took us along for the At Home With White Show,
at the Wrentham Country Store.
She has several posts on this amazing event,
you'll want to check them out.









Lamp Revamp from Mallori
at Vintage Finds
lovin' this modern square shade on a vintage piece.



You might not know what this is...
But if you want a good laugh and a funny story of an estate sale
from two wacky bloggers



No, it's not a Pottery Barn catalog page,
who sat a wonderful Springtime table for two.



Amy At All Things Home shares a wonderful moment with her youngest daughter
and reminds us how blessed we all are, in her post "A Table of Plenty".




And Linda from It All Started with Paint has had me drooling all week



Today's Be Inspired Sponsor is Dee from French Bleu Vintage



 Dee has an ever changing and updated online boutique that's full of wonderful vintage and antique treasures. Transferware, home decor, lovely china, and object's d'art abound. Hope you'll run by the shop and take a look.


Thanks Dee!


Hope you'll join in for today's party, 
now open to all inspiring posts, not just vintage.
Please have a link within your post to be featured.


and check out these other fun Friday parties while you're at it.



 Thanks so much for joining in on the fun!
xoxo,








Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Be Inspired Showcase

It's Wednesday and time for Be Inspired Showcase. The Top Visited and inspiring links from last week's party. It wasn't until I had this post put together that I realized each one was about Spring flowering fun.

Old Door Photo Prop



Garden Bath 



Sweet Violets from Designs by Cleo, did what I did and made her own seed box,
but she used a wicker case from shopping her stash.


Ruth's Garden Shed painted by Lynda Bergman
What a fun way to liven up a mundane metal garden shed.


See you tomorrow morning for Be Inspired!



xoxo,

It's a "bird" thing...

...and it happens every Spring.

It was time for a sideboard "refresh" after Easter and I've been antsy to get my Pier 1 scroll-y chalkboard in place. The bunnies are all put back to bed, and this time I know where to find them. All tucked into their see-thru giant plastic tub in the basement storage room. sweet dreams...



After Easter I always go to my nature/bird/nesting theme.


I thought I wanted just a plain (gee, that's not a word that I use often) and simple sideboard vignette, but I should have known that once I had things in place that I'd be looking for something else to slap up here for more visual interest.


So I found a couple of my unframed vintage bird prints and a few of my paper play things from last year. I loved paper dolls when I was little, now it's "paper birds". I'm addicted I tell ya...



These little sweeties are cut from an old torn up bird book and mod podged onto an old dictionary page. Then framed in an antique photo album page. Click here to see the original post I did on them.
Don't you just love an ill placed 80's doorbell (below, upper right) 
for some shiny hallway fun? yuck.



An old French Ironstone tureen and English platter are my staples,
that I brought in from the Dining Room buffet.
time to mix things up.


Then I brought in these little ivy topiaries from the Living Room sofa table,
 for something a little different.


I just found a new preserved boxwood wreath too, so that may go here in place of this mossy/twiggy one. Now that the birdies are hanging around it looks a little "busy". (I whined last Christmas Season about a boxwood wreath for weeks. none to be found under a $100.)


So here's the Hallway Sideboard... for awhile anyway.
You never know what you'll find in here.
Thanks for coming by to visit!

joining these weekly parties:
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Blissful Whites from Timewashed


I'm joining in with all of you, sending our love and prayers for Boston, and for those whose lives are forever changed by the tragic event at the Marathon.