Pink Flowered Dishes

Hi Everyone, hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend! Can you guess what we did? If you guessed painting walls, ceilings, and closets then you're right!!! We're getting there, but wow, are we bone tired. Oh, I forgot about pruning dead shrubs and rose bushes...and going to Lowe's three times and Wal-Mart three times. No matter how hard you try, you just can't think of all the "stuff" you'll need for a marathon working weekend. And also finding the paint you had mixed that looked perfect on the paint card is actually waaaay too light so you go back once again.

OK enough whining, something pretty to look at... A couple of weeks ago we did the attic clean out and I found two boxes of this oh so sweet Homer Laughlin Virginia Rose China. It had been my maternal great grandmother's. Most of it was well used, so some is chipped, but other pieces like a few of the plates were pristine. I found a few old "rose" postcards to add in for a little vignette in the sitting room.

There were two varieties of cups,

 this one on the bottom looks like a little newer version.

I was looking through some of my books last week, and realized the roses on the cover of this edition of The Country Diary of An Edwardian Lady had the same pretty trailing roses.

Here's another pattern of Homer Laughlin hiding behind the first plate. It has a little green band on the edging. My Peonies are blooming out front and they are fabulous! covered with ants... but fabulous! Click Here if you'd like to see last year's post on my Peonies and pink dishes.

Dog roses?

Sort of like a shrub rose bush to me.

(I see they're native to Europe)

I found this little metal wheelbarrow a few months ago, and it was just waiting for something fun to haul around. And of course, every little wheelbarrow needs some gardening tools!

When I finished playing with the dishes, 

I nestled them all in my white basket tray on the bottom shelf of the baker's rack.

When I started packing dishes back in February I had to decide what to keep or try to sell. I just couldn't part with any of my old china pieces, so they were all packed away. Now finding these, I'm so glad I didn't let them go and now I want to locate all my other "pink rose" china. (boohoo, they're in a storage unit until a house move...) Can't wait to put them all together for some fun vintage place settings.

One of my vintage embroidered tea towels...

Hard to believe it's this close to Summer. Often, Memorial Day is cool and rainy here, but we had hot and rainy instead. Our Realtor is ready to get the house listed since we have the pool. I was tempted to just jump in this last weekend, but resisted. Painting with wet clothes didn't sound like a lot of fun.

I miss you guys...I'm hanging in there just counting the days until I can see my new doctors. In the meantime I'm trying to not overdo it and rest alot in between house duty. Sending each of you a big hug!
joining in at
Savvy Southern Style
From My Front Porch to Yours

xoxo,

Repainting a Dollhouse ...

I have to admit, this has been a strange week. My usual schedule; my comfort schedule, has purposefully been altered. This is the longest I've gone without sharing a blog post in the last almost 5 years. (Even when I've been in the hospital I've managed to get my hands on my computer) It felt a little like mourning, a little like freedom. But either way it's something I knew I had to do.

I said I'd post when I had something interesting to share with you all, and right now even though I have lot's of things on my mind, and still can grab onto some inspiring things, I've known that I needed to slow down and not feel any pressure and "compulsion" to blog. I think there have been a lot of us that have been blogging for awhile that can agree, blogging can become more than a little addictive. It's been a "good" habit for me, but still one that keeps a person always on the lookout for that photo, that topic, that subject that is begging for attention. 

So, this little dollhouse is something I've wanted to share for this last year, but just haven't gotten around to working on. Back in the 80's when we lived in Marietta, Georgia, dollhouses and miniatures were all the rage. I had my father-in-law put together two dollhouses, one for each of the girls, then I painted and decorated them. My older daughter is and has always been a person that loved to play with small things. The younger daughter has always been a bicycle, exercise, ball playing nut, so she wasn't quite as "into" the miniature stuff as her sister. 

This one is the younger daughter's. Even though she's been married for eleven years, this has set in our attic until last Fall when I asked her if she'd mind if I repainted it and use it for "decor". I think she was secretly glad for me to take the responsibility and itsy bit of guilt off her shoulders. 

It's been knocked around a lot and some of the gingerbread trim was lost years ago. The posts are a little wonky, but it still needed to be loved. A couple of coats of White and ASCP Paris Grey for the shutters and trim, did the trick.

My paint job is messy, but I wasn't going for perfection,

 just want it to be for decor right now.

Hopefully, I can get around to repainting the inside at some point,

 until then it's not going to show.

As you can see, it wore the country colors of the 80's, 

country blue and a mauvy-red.

Here are some wonderful images from my Pinterest Board

 on Dollhouses for Decor

And this last pic is from a sale at The Seedbox Antiques Spring Sale in 2011. I just fell in love with this old dollhouse sitting out on their porch. I should have gotten a better pic of the weathervane...can't remember now what it was.

So now I'm just waiting for my husband to set this up on one of my pieces of furniture in my studio. And speaking of studios, I've lost all control of it. It has turned out to be "temporary housing" for any and all things that needed to be brought over here. It's a mess.

On the big house, we're down to patching nail holes, working to pack the garage, and finishing up some outside work...we're shooting for mid-June to list it. I haven't been able to do much of the work. My hubby says he just wants me to "supervise".  

Thank you so much for all the wonderful notes and sweet comments. I've read each one with tears in my eyes. This is just something I need to do for now. I know you understand...when something so big takes over every waking moment, there's no getting around it. I need all my focus and strength dedicated to getting through this health situation, but I'm hoping to post once a week, and keep you all filled in. OK, see you soon...

Joining in at these get-togethers:

Savvy Southern Style

xoxo,

Putting The Marketplace on "Hold"

Hi Everyone, if you've read my posts last week, you'll know that this is the last "Marketplace"... at least for awhile. I've had some cardiovascular problems that have been ongoing for a while and now it looks as if I will be needing to take the summer off to have open heart surgery. I'm not closing down my blog, but I will be blogging when I can, and letting you all know what is happening. We are in the last few weeks of having our house ready to put on the market, and then I'll be having out of town doctor appointments... so our lives are definitely in "transition". If you'd like to know the details then click here.
I want to thank each of you that participate each week in coming by to share your wonderful goods, and also equally important, those of you who come to browse and shop. I hope this party has brought you many new visitors, and sales. My concept in starting this linky party, was a way to bring more attention to the talented shop owners who often get lost in a sea of Etsy sellers.

Thanks to all you faithful linkers, I've really enjoyed seeing all your wonderful items and browsing your shops!! Here are just a few things I picked from last week to share:

Mademoiselle Tresors

Transferware Set

Vintage Game Letters

Vintage 541

Green Vintage Mesh Shelf

Distressed Donna

thanks so much, gals!

Debbi from Marionberry Cottage gave me the link to The Friday Flea which is the same kind of link party, so be sure to watch for it later this week, looks like fun!

Hope you have a wonderful summer!

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Today's Sweet Sponsor

Sweet Magnolias Farm

Today, and Always...

Wishing you the most precious 

Mother's Day...

Make the most of each day with your children and family.

Create memories to carry them their lifetime.

xoxo,

Be Inspired #189 Putting things on "Hold"

Hello Friends...

Welcome to the last Be Inspired 

for a little while.

If you read my last post then you'll understand. I won't go through everything again on this post, but I have had some major heart problems since last summer, and they've become much worse over the last 6 months. I'll be seeing new cardiologists in St. Louis coming up soon, and hopefully they can repair some damage that has been done. I'm putting "Be Inspired" and "The Marketplace" on hold for awhile. I'm taking the summer off to probably have surgery and hopefully, we'll know something about our permanent home by Fall. I'm planning on still doing some posts, and then keeping you all updated on what's happening. So, things will change a little over here, but I want to stay connected with you all!

I have so enjoyed hosting Vintage Inspiration that became Be Inspired. You all are the greatest bunch of inspiration anyone could ask for, and I'll miss it. But I'm not saying "goodbye", only that I need to refocus on my health and prepare for some big life changes. Yesterday's post was a testimony of my thoughts, feelings, and faith, and I'd love to share it with you and let you to know what's going on.

So, now let's take a look at just a few links from last week. 

I'm going to really miss the fun!

Painting with Abandon

from Amanda at One Girl in Pink

"What is..." Ironstone

Oliver and Rust

Gallery Wall Tutorial

from Kristi at Making it in the Mountains

Green Italian Chair

D.D.'s Cottage and Design

 DIY Spring Wreath

Simply Suzanne's at Home

Penney's Vintage Treasures

Organizing the Studio

thanks so much gals for sharing your homes and lives,
 and all your inspiration!

Let's do this one more time!

xoxo,

   

    An InLinkz Link-up