Thursday, November 17, 2011

On a Rainy Day......


Yesterday started out as a typical rainy dreary day!! I had planned on staying home and bringing up all my Christmas decor... 
but then it all changed....
I met my very good friends, Marni and Nancy for an early lunch, which actually turned into a later lunch.. By the time we were done catching up it was already 2:00. At this point, I felt it was too late to start with hauling boxes of Christmas stuff upstairs, so I decided to head over to one of my favorite shops...

SHUTTERS!! 


I absolutely love this store, and have been long overdue for a visit...
Well, I was not disappointed... as usual!! 
From the moment I walked in the front door, I felt the Christmas Magic!!



 They are in full Christmas mode! Although Christine, (the shop owner) kept apologizing for not having the shop in order. I kept giggling inside...The shop looked beautiful!! If you are not sure how to display things, they do it for you... It's great!! They have little vignettes set up everywhere with different Christmas themes. 




Not only do they give you great decorating idea's with their displays.... It is such a pleasure to shop there. Christine and her mom, Kathleen, are so friendly. I feel like I am shopping with  friends. You laugh and cry and everything in between!!. I always have so much fun!! And I always leave with something wonderful!!!



I do !! I do !!! 






   



 I bought only a couple of treasures for home this time around.. I will wait until I take out my Christmas stuff, to see what I really "need".. I can not wait to go back.. 
I snagged this glittered sign.

These heavy raw linen towels.. hmmm pillows maybe??

These Gorgeous Glittered Ornaments!!! 

I'm loving these feedsack towels!!

These are sooo cool!! And recycleable!!
PLACE CARD's. You write on them with chalk!! 

***************************


I believe... do you???

Because....

Soooo...

&
 Remember.....
Because...

AND.... just so you know!! 

Wishing for you a....


Thank you Christine for making my rainy day into a sunny one!!!
See You SOON!!! 
xxoo

Shutters is located at:
604 River Road
Fair Haven, NJ 07704
732-842-6611
www.shutters.com
Christine and Kathleen DeVincens
Hours: Mon-Sat 10-5, Sun 11-4







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Thursday, November 10, 2011

Festive Apron Swap!!


Tomorrow is the last day for the 
Festive Apron Swap Sign Ups!!

How wonderful would it be to 
make and receive a 
FESTIVE HOLIDAY INSPIRED APRON!!

 This will be a ONE for ONE swap.
You will make an apron, 
preferably vintage holiday 
(Christmas, Hanukkah, etc.) inspired, 
and receive one in return.

Sign up deadline is Nov. 11.

Email me directly at: Unqantq@comcast.net you can also, leave a message here or on my facebook page to sign up. I will need your mailing address and email address. 
I will provide you with mine. 

DEADLINE for ME receiving your apron is DEC. 12. This way, I can photograph, and resend out the apron so that it is received before the holiday.
Please include with each apron $5.00. This cost is to cover return postal mailing fees. If you would like to include "xtra items" with your apron, please make sure they will fit in a small mailing box.

Please also include your name, address, email, and blog, website with the apron you send me

This is going to be sooo much fun!! I can not wait to see what everyone comes up with!!

Remember! You can do whatever you want!! Just keep it festive!!

I have already started making mine!!! 

PS... some really GREAT and TALENTED
 ladies have already joined in!! 

Friday, November 4, 2011

I've Been Tagged.....



The lovely Grace from Pink in the City,  has kindly tagged me... 
I am told my job is to give you 10 facts about myself... 
so here it goes....


1- My favorite "color" is black!!
2-I say way to many curse words!!
3-I am a 3 year cancer survivor!!
4-I am totally head over heals in love with my husband!!
5-I own way to many coach sneakers! I have them in every color.. some duplicates, yet, I never wear them!! 
6-I have bought presents for friends and decided to keep what I bought and give them something else!! sorry!! ;-0
7-I only have 1 gray hair!! and 1 gray eyebrow hair!!
8-I sometimes drink way too many glasses of wine!! Well maybe alot of sometimes... ;-)
9-I totally see the good in every single person...
10-I am afraid to drive long distances!! I have full blown panic attacks over bridges!! UGH!!
NOW.....

  1. Marlene "Honey Comb Cottage 2B"
  2. Ann Denise Anderson "Whim & Fancy Designs"
  3. Jenny Holiday "Everyday is a Holiday"
  4. Geralyn "Greetings from Geralyn"
  5. Susi "Susicreates"
Rules are simple, just post 10 facts about yourself... and then only if you want.. name 5 bloggity bloggers that you want to know 10 facts about!! That's it!!
***************************************************************
Now for the real business at hand.. 

The APRON SWAP!!

 I have decided to host an apron swap... 

How wonderful would it be to make and receive a 
FESTIVE HOLIDAY INSPIRED APRON!!
 This will be a ONE for ONE swap.
 You will make an apron, preferably vintage holiday (Christmas, Hanukkah, etc.) inspired, 
and receive one in return.
Sign up deadline is Nov. 11.
Email me directly at: Unqantq@comcast.net you can also, leave a message here or on my facebook page to sign up. I will need your mailing address and email address. I will provide you with mine. DEADLINE for ME receiving your apron is DEC. 12. This way, I can photograph, and resend out the apron so that it is received before the holiday.
 Please include with each apron $5.00. This cost is to cover return postal mailing fees. If you would like to include "xtra items" with your apron, please make sure they will fit in a small mailing box.
Please also include your name, address, email, and blog, website with the apron you send me

This is going to be sooo much fun!! I can not wait to see what everyone comes up with!!
Remember! You can do whatever you want!! Just keep it festive!!
I have already started making mine!!! 

PS... some really GREAT and TALENTED
 ladies have already joined in!! 




Wednesday, November 2, 2011

My trip to Asheville, NC




Sometime ago last spring, my very bestest friend Grace from Pink in the City, and I signed up to attend a special event happening in Oct. called Once upon a dream, in Asheville, NC, hosted by Jennifer Hayslip from Sweet Eye Candy Creations.


 We were so excited to go.. and have been patiently waiting for the day to come...

 We signed up for some swaps. Grace &  I agreed we would only sign up for two, so as not to overwhelm ourselves.. A decision I would later regret...(more about that later) ;-}

The first swap was a Fairy Laurel. Hosted by The very talented Karla Nathan..
This excited me very much. I always wanted to make something like this. So I really put myself into this one. We had to make something a fairy would wear on her head in a woodland garden setting. I started with a crown I purchased from Sherry Baldy. Then I cut it down and added lots of antique millinery flowers, some mother of pearl antique stems, lined the inside with moss. I then added some Rhinestones, and glass beads. sprinkled it with fairy glitter dust. I added some butterflies too. I added some antique lace and a frozen charlotte with wings and a laurel of her own to the back. I made a carry case out of a vintage hatbox. Covered it in burlap. and added some antique lace and a brass stencil monogram letter C. I printed out the fairy name of my swap partner and added that to the top. I still felt like I needed more so I made a frozen charlotte fairy to a ribbon spool covered in sheet music paper, and set that inside the crown. I also filled a bag of goodies with antique findings, etc..

 This is my fairy laurel....

























Swap number 2 was a fairy shoe. Hosted by the Sweetest Sherry Williams.
We had to take a shoe and make something a fairy would wear in the forest in soft shades of blue or cream. Then fill it with at least 10 items and display it beautifully. I used a wire shoe and filled it with a bunch vintage pearl necklace pc''s. I took antique lace, gathered it and hand sewed to to the outside rim all around the shoe, and added antique peal buttons around the lace and down the front. I made a miniature fairy with wings and added to the inside of the heal with moss and vintage millinery mushrooms. On the front I put huge feathers and added a millinery flower to the center. I then painted and glittered and decorated a basket and filled it with rhinestone tulle and added some antique trade cards, pictures, a frozen charlotte, a tintype, some antique lace, tinsel garland, antique pearl buttons, vintage jewelry, etc.. to the basket!!

 This is my shoe:









 Now that I am all done with my swaps, the only thing I can do is get my fingers and toes done....


OK! I'm ready!! Asheville.. Here we come!!! whoo hoo!! 

 After the drama of them loosing my suitcase, bad continental! bad continental!! We decided to spend the day in town shopping and eating!! The weather was GORGEOUS! Perfect fall weather for the entire trip!





Fried Green Tomato's


Local goat  cheese!!


A butternut squash pizza??


Apple Cider Martini!!


Yummy Cupcakes


Cheesecake


Beer Sampler!! mmmmmm!!
 We headed back to the hotel and decorated our rooms later that night! All in pink of course!! I made banners with our names on them, and bought us some pink fluffy blankets. Grace bought garlands and pink lights to also hang on the beds. She had these beautiful pillowcases, pink of course!!, made with our names and once upon a dream artwork done by the very talented Pamela Huntington. We even decorated the bathroom with pink rugs, towels and Grace bought PINK TOILET PAPER!! Haaha!
 We felt like pink princess's!!


The view from our hotel room!!

 We then headed over to a local place for dinner! Loved it!!

 Thursday afternoon, we met the wonderful Claudette from Pink, Poodles and Pearls.

 As all the ladies from the event started arriving, it was so nice to meet all these wonderful women, with whom blogs I have read, in person. Everyone was so lovely!!


Grace and Hope




Andrea, Natasha and Tiffany


Grace, Marion and Rebecca 


Heidi


The Sweetest Amy Powers

 The next couple of days we spent crafting. All the events we attended were just over the top beautiful! When you walked through and entered each event, you felt like you were in a fantasy. She really thought of every last detail. 

 This is the first craft we made a Prize Ribbon Sprite
Class by Karla Nathan

And here is the bracelet I made!
My very first one! I am so proud!!

This is the Mid Summer's Mobile
Class by Natasha Burns

And last but not least the Dream Fairy Cloche.
Class by Dee Foust


 After a couple of days crafting and meeting some wonderful ladies, we headed over to the Biltmore. WOW! is all I can say about that. You were not allowed to photograph inside but it was just incredible.
 After the Biltmore, we headed over to the winery for lunch and then back to the hotel to prepare for the swaps. My swap partner for the laurel was Cheryl Mylar Stoneham! Such a lovely and talented lady!! I absolutely adore the laurel she made for me.
 I have found the perfect spot for it and will treasure it for years to come!!!





 The shoe was a blind swap. We drew numbers and coincidentally I received the shoe from the same lady who received my shoe. This was her shoe... It was filled with all sorts of goodies!!! 


 After our swap exchanges, we decided to head back to the hotel get all kinds of comfy,
have a quick dinner and early night.



Photo courtesy of Tiffany Kirchner Dixon  - The Fancy Farmgirl Photography
 Thank you Jenn for a wonderful memorable event.
&

 Thank you Grace for being such a good friend 
and sharing this with me!!


======================================================================
 OH!! I almost forgot!! The decision I regretted!! Remember! So there was this apron swap, which I did not join!! WOW! Some of the aprons I saw on this swap were just GORGEOUS!! I really regretted not joining in on that swap!!

Soooooooooo, I have been inspired!!

 I AM HOSTING AN APRON SWAP!!!

 How wonderful would it be to make and receive a FESTIVE HOLIDAY INSPIRED APRON!!
 This will be a ONE for ONE swap.
 You will make an apron, preferably vintage holiday (Christmas, Hanukkah, etc.) inspired, and receive one in return.
Sign up deadline is Nov. 11.
Email me directly at: Unqantq@comcast.net you can also, leave a message here or on my facebook page to sign up. I will need your mailing address and email address. I will provide you with mine. DEADLINE for ME receiving your apron is DEC. 12. This way, I can photograph, and resend out the apron so that it is received before the holiday.
 Please include with each apron $5.00. This cost is to cover return postal mailing fees. If you would like to include "xtra items" with your apron, please make sure they will fit in a small mailing box.
Please also include your name, address, email, and blog, website with the apron you send me

This is going to be sooo much fun!! I can not wait to see what everyone comes up with!!
Remember! You can do whatever you want!! Just keep it festive!!
I have already started making mine!!!