Today was a day that was illuminated by Texas blue skies, radiant sunbeams, and cherry  red cardinals decorating gray and barren  trees of  Winter. Life is good, life is sweet. I just could not think of a better way to celebrate the blessings of this day than to begin it with a brisk walk,  then  creating a sweet and simple Valentine Vignette. For this sweet and simple valentine vignette I used vintage china and Valentines. All of these Valentine's are from my family.  Some of these Valentines date back to my Grandmother. The little love notes written on the back of them make me smile. Of course a bright and brilliant primrose is always a welcome guest. Vintage Valentine postcards, and ribbon create a small banner to accent this Valentine Vignette. Whimsical Wonder. Simple joys unfurl their blossoms and create childlike delight.     Finding wonderment in gentle light, velvet green petals and golden glow treasures. Collections thoughtfully curated throughout the years, create a swee

Tulips are one of my very favorite flower and it just seems they have such a merry way of brightening up spaces during these Winter months. I especially love vibrant red tulips set against a neutral backdrop, and of course, they are perfect for Valentine's Day.  However, if you are like me, you will have noticed that Tulips have an uncanny way of leaning, drooping, bending and actually becoming quite unbecoming! I have tied them up, cut them down, leaned them against other flowers, all in an attempt to keep them from drooping. Yet, they drooped...making me a very unhappy flower girl. This past week, I found myself craving a bouquet of fresh cut tulips. Before I purchased these tulips I did a little research on the topic of  caring for fresh cut tulips, and gleaned some tips. I tried these tips out and they worked! I have had these tulips for a week and you can see they are standing up straight, seem quite happy and have retained their color. Here are the 5 tips I used for caring fo

Do you sew? I do not sew. However,  I do enjoy browsing through fabric shops, always hopeful that one day a pattern will make sense to me. I really do not sew,  I kept repeating those words over and over as I snipped, measured, and threaded my needle, to make a dear friend a Spring Banner for her Birthday. I was just going to have to get it together, and as my Virgo friend Vera would say from Row Homes and Cobblestones , but your foot to the pedal and sew. So, sew I did. Using this adorable, bright and beautiful  Simply Eclectic Fabric Line , that I had picked up at Kari Annes' fabric launch party. Along with  some fabric that I had at home, I set to work to make this fun, colorful and wonderful DIY~ Spring Banner. While sewing and watching a few precious little deer out of my window, I discovered something about this sewing business and me. It is not so much the sewing that I do not like, truth be told I ended up really enjoying this project-the trouble lies in me processing the

Hello my sweet friends, I sure hope that this week has been going well for you. Mine has been a mixed up pot of sewing, projects, and meeting some lovely ladies for book club. We are reading Reconstructing Amelia this month, have you read it? Today I would like to share with you  one of the easiest and sweetest DIY Spring projects that you could ever make. Seriously, if you have about 45 minutes to spare,  a few twigs, hot glue, succulents, moss and sweet rose buds you will have made a twig planter. You can make this Spring planter while you drink a cup of coffee, tea, sparkling water or hot cocoa. The largest commitment you will have in making this twig planter is a stroll through a park, or a hike in the hills to collect the twigs. I know this DIY planter is too early to make for many of you, because you are covered in a blanket of snow. So, if this project catches your eye, but the time is not right to make it, just Pin it! So, you see I collect all sorts of things when I go for my

Sharing some thoughts and snippets of our home today. I am not sharing to influence, tout or set as an example. I am not a decorator-I am a simple woman who has been blessed with a forgiving and loving God, good family and supportive friends. I am in one word thankful. I am sharing thoughts and photos today, because it has taken me a very long time to realize that through the journey of life it is important to create an environment for ourselves that comforts, inspires, and soothes the weary soul. Defining your own decorating style and discovering your sense of self, is therapeutic. Just like the animals in the forest, "going home," is a safe and soothing feeling. These nourishing elements which we have placed in our home will help our delicate souls to thrive. Thriving souls are happy souls, surround yourself with gentle inspiration. Living and life are a blessing, and you know,  it is not easy for any of us. What you often see on the outside, is not what is happening on

Did you know that flowers always, always make me smile and make me forget my worries . I come from a circle of flower loving peeps. Our clan loves all flowers. They can be roses, hydrangeas, asters, tulips. We will even take a good looking dandelion. Some bouquets last longer than others, and I just get so aggravated when some of the bouquet begins to fade and some does not. You know how that goes, and when that happens the bouquet is just plain awful. It seems that it would be easier if they would all fizzle out or give it their all. Best way to handle a bouquet that is half alive and partly dried up is to discard the old and trim down the surviving flowers and make mini arrangements. Somehow trimming those dwindling stems down and pulling off those old dead leaves seems to revive them and they get a bit of a second wind. Fortunately I inherited many vases, because my Mom and her Mom always, always had flower gardens and those magical gardens were ever so prolific. Blooms began in ear