The Classy Rabbit

Flea Market Finds and Weekend Reading

2008-04-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday everyone!

I decided to work on a few projects yesterday and since it rained ALL day long, I thought I'd get out the sewing machine. I loved making that Eiffel Tower pillow that I posted about here so I though I'd make yet another French Inspired pillow. Can you tell I absolutely adore anything French??

so, here it is and like the previous one, I was again inspired by a cute vintage postcard.

Then, as promised, here are my latest flea market finds...these two items below are going to go into a swap gift package that I'm working on. (Just a little sneak peak Rhonda!!)

I also found this adorable wall hook made out of a glass doorknob. It's a reproduction but soooo cute all the same. It's one of the few things that I will leave exactly as I found it. I'm going to put it in my kitchen and hang a few of my aprons on it.Lastly, would you look at this super cute bed tray? I'm going to repaint it in a softer, creamier white to make it look fresh. Then, I'm going to decoupage the removeable tray part of it with a soft blue and creamy beige toile fabric remnant that I have. Once all of that is finished, I will antique the whole thing. Can't wait to start working on the tray but I have to hold off until we get a sunny day and it dries up a bit outside. Then I can paint it out there!

After many indoor games played with the kids and a bug making session, (plastic bugs made from sqirtable goo - what can I say, we have 3 boys!!) I got a little free time while they played with the V-Smile. So, I had a chance to read my new Romantic Homes magazine and a new book from the library called "French Country at Home" What a beautiful book!!

Here are a few pages from the book for you to enjoy...

And finally, a project that I completed last week but never had the chance to post.

I was at the Goodwill store and found this lovely obelisk plant stand for $5!! Very cute but definitely needed a makeover.

So here is the completed stand holding a few of my favorite things...

my sweet nest from the extremely talented Heather of Pretty Petals Boutique

A cute little cherub that I bought at an antique store about 5 years ago...
I have a neat little story about that antique store. Before my husband and I got married, I lived with three roommates in this really cool old house. The house was built in the 1700's and had served many uses throughout the years. It was at one time a tavern, a hotel and I believe a post office too. Anyway, I moved out when I got married and then several years later, my mom and I were antiquing in that same town. We stopped by "my old house" to see if any of my roommates still lived there. I had been out of touch with them for a couple of years and was going to surprise them with a visit. However, when I got there, we discovered that the house had been sold to new owners who turned it into an antique store! Of course we had to go in! It was kind of neat to walk into my old room and see all of the pretty things in there and the kitchen where I used to make so many meals was all full of candles and cute handmade soaps! One day if I ever make it back there, I'll have to take some pictures. I found that cute cherub on a shelf that was tucked into an alcove at the top of the stairs(where I used to store my off season clothing - LOL)

And here is a little heart shaped pillow that I made

Have a wonderful Monday and stay dry if it's raining where you are!!

xo, Erin

Spring In Bloom

2008-04-19T19:13:00.000-07:00

Today was such a beautiful day!! Temps in the 80's with the most wonderful warm breeze! Spring is definitely in the air and we're seeing evidence of it in all of the flowers and trees too. We decided to take a walk today and enjoy it before doing some planting in the gardens. I am finally getting around to planting a rose garden this year. But more about that in a minute. First, would you just look at these beautiful Bradford Pear trees?? They're blooming all along both sides of our street so this is the view out our front door - gorgeous!!!

This is the view looking down the street
same street, just a close-up picture. I always look forward to the trees' beautiful show in the Spring as well as their magnificent color burst in the Fall.

Anyway, back to the garden. I had shrubs and plants in there that were getting a bit out of control - especially the Vinca. They have beautiful purple flowers but to tell the truth, they're just taking over and choking everything else out. So...out they came today. After lots of digging and pulling, digging and pulling, the roses finally went in. Poor hubby was removing roots as big around as my leg! Even the kids were getting into it. We planted "Pink Peace" roses. They're a wonderfully fragrant hybrid tea rose and as the name implies, they're a deep pink color. Can't wait 'till those babies start blooming - Mmmmm!!!

I also have some pretty pink Peonies to plant, however, I couldn't quite decide where to put them, so I'm holding off for a couple of days.

So after all of the garden work, I spent some quiet time in the library picking up a few books that had arrived from the BIG library in town. One of which is Sandra Evertson's book, "Fanciful Paper Projects" Great book by the way!! I'm sure a lot of you have already read it but I'm a little slow - LOL! I also tried to get "The French Inspired Home" by Kaari Meng. I have "French Inspired Jewelry" and I adore that one so I can't wait to read this one! Can you believe our library doesn't have it?

So then I decided to make some cookies for dessert because the ole' sweet tooth started speaking. We grilled hamburgers outside this evening and had a nice cookout so the cookies were a delicious finish!

Okay, so I might go and eat one right now but only after I make a cup of tea first. Then, I have some catching up to do on my Tivo'd (ha ha, that's what I call it) Martha Stewart Crafts on DIY Network. Oh my gosh, I think I have like 15 episodes recorded now so I have GOT to catch up. Not all in one night of course!

Okay, I shall return tomorrow with some new and fabulous flea market finds that I plan on fixing up this week. Maybe even tomorrow if time permits - we'll see. I'll post a few sneek peak pictures!

Have a happy evening everyone out there in blogland and until tomorrow...

xo, Erin

Friday Flea Market

2008-04-18T10:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Friday Flea Market!

Pictured below are this weeks offerings. Remember, if you click on the words "Friday Flea Market" on the right sidebar, you can visit all of the blogs that are participating! For your convenience, you are more than welcome to pay using Paypal or you may pay with a money order. Just leave me a comment on this post or send me an email if interested in anything that you see. Items will be available on a first come first served basis and shipping will be determined by your zip code.

Thank you so much for visiting today!

Here we have a cute set of 2 scrolly candle sconces. I have painted them a creamy, shabby white and then applied rose decals on either side. There is only one pictured, but you will be getting two in the set.

$10.00 for the set of two

Sweet vanity tray. This started life as a cake stand but when it lost it's pedestal, I decided that it would make a great vanity tray! I painted it white and then added a pretty rose. Voila!! A lovely vanity tray

$10.00

Shabby cottage-y wall shelf. Isn't this adorable?? Two keyholes on the back for easy hanging!

$15.00

Thank you for visiting and have a happy Friday!!

xo, Erin

I'm Back!!! Swaps, Soccer, Scrapbooking - Oh My!!

2008-04-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

I have been MIA far too long - LOL!! I have missed blogging so much. While I did try to travel around blogland and make lots of visits, I didn't get very far. We've been pretty busy around here.

I have to show you my most recent swap though. This is a package that I received from Keke over at Cherry Kingdom for the "I Dream of Spring" swap hosted by Vintage Indie! Would you just look at how beautifully she wrapped this?! Keke wrapped it in a wonderful piece of lovely floral fabric. She then wrapped that in tulle and then tied everything up in a pretty satin ribbon complete with pink ric-rac and vintage milinery flowers. It was topped off with an adorable Spring carrot! So cute and I LOVE it!!

Inside this fabulous package was the most gorgeous vase which I tucked my paper roses that I made into. She also enclosed a wonderful vintage book, a beautiful tea towel

as well as these amazing French postcards for me to frame and put in my kitchen! I love it all! Keke was so thoughtful in everything that she sent to me. I had so much fun with this swap!!

Thank you Keke!!!

Now, here is what I sent her.

A vintage wooden purse filled with flower seed packets, a pair of gardening gloves and some vintage clothes pins that I painted.

A cute vintage lamb planter and a vintage flower frog.

Such fun!

Okay...so what else have I been up to?? Well, soccer started for the kids and we've been attending practices and they had their first game this past Sunday. They had a blast and they love soccer!! Hubby and I have been having fun with it too. It's so much fun to watch them play and to see their faces light up! Middle son even scored 2 goals - YEAH!!!

Then, I have also been working on a very special scrapbook. The Staff Appreciation Committee at the kids' school asked all of the room mothers to make a scrapbook for the teachers to show their appreciation for all that they have done for our kids this school year. I have been working on that. It's been a lot of fun to do - I just love scrapbooking! So anyway, I'm using the Foof-a-La Hall Pass pages to do this one. Definitely school themed and I love the vintage look of it. I sent home papers for each of the students in the class to decorate in their own special way and then when they return them to me, I'll compile everything into a finished scrapbook. I'll definitely post pictures of the finished project. I'm excited about it!!

Anyway, that's what I have been doing lately. Thank you all for your nice emails and some comments too inquiring about where I have been and also for your well wishes! You all are so kind - you're the best!!

Oh, and one more thing...look at this COOL moth that was on the front of our house today. It was so pretty, I just had to take a picture of it. I've never seen one like this but my son swears it paid us a visit last year because he remembered seeing it.

Have a great day everyone!!

xo, Erin

An Award!!

2008-04-06T07:37:00.000-07:00

I am excited, thrilled and honored to have received this award from Jennifer at Dust Bunny Hostage! You have to go and read her blog. What a fantastic person. She is a warm, caring, beautiful person with a wonderful sense of humor! All of these lovely qualities rolled up into one person - FABULOUS!! And...we have the bunny/rabbit thing in common - she's my sister hare from another mister hare - LOL!!
I would like to pass this award on to:

Rue at Rue's Peanut Butter and Jelly Life

and

Kat at Justabeachkat

Thank you Jennifer, so much!
Now, go and check out her blog, you'll enjoy it!

Also, for those of you who love buttons as much as I do, you have to check out the Button Floozies! I have joined the blog so come on over after you have visited Jennifer!! It's going to be lots of fun!

Have a fantabulous Sunday and God Bless!!!!

xo, Erin

A Fun Little Pillow

2008-04-05T13:34:00.001-07:00

I found an old French postcard with the Eiffel Tower on it as well as some pom-pom trim that I had in my craft room and voila - instant inspiration!! I made a cute little accent pillow for my slipcovered wing chair! My son even helped! I was thinking that I might make a few more and put them in the Classy Rabbit Boutique! I hope you all are having a fabulous Saturday!!

xo,Erin

Friday Flea Market

2008-04-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Friday Flea Market!

I just discovered this fabulous idea last weekend and thought it would be such fun to join in! So, here I am and I hope you enjoy browsing. If there is anything that you would like to purchase, please leave me a comment on this post or, if you prefer, you can email me and I will let you know what the shipping cost will be, based on your zip code. You may pay with a money order/cashiers check or Paypal if you prefer. Items are available on a first come first served basis. There are several other blogs also participating and you can view the whole list by clicking on the words"Friday Flea Market" on the righthand sidebar. Directly under the red and white polka dot blog button. Thank you so much for visiting Friday Flea Market!!

Sheer vintage cafe curtains sprinkled with pink cabbage roses

$10.00/pair - there are 2 pairs available

Cute little pink box with sweet pink birdie on top

$7.00

Pretty canvas-like laundry bag covered in sweet pink roses.

$15.00

Vintage welcome sign - I painted it a creamy white with pink lettering then distressed it slightly

$10.00

pretty sheer vintage cafe curtains covered in pink flowers

$10.00/pair - one pair available

Two sets of salt and pepper shakers. I painted the screw-on lids black - I would use these for decorative purposes only since I painted the lids

$5.00/set

Cute little wicker wall sconce/shelf. You could probably put one of those little battery operated flickering tea lights into a pretty votive holder and place it on the shelf.

$7.00

Shabby and sweet little candle holder. Wouldn't this be adorable with a cute little nest and bird inside. It looks just like a pretty little bird cage!

$10.00

Well, I hope you have enjoyed browsing Friday Flea Market and I thank you for visiting!!

xo, Erin

An Award, 2 Tags, Swap Goodies, New Shoppe Items

2008-04-01T18:41:00.000-07:00

Okay everyone, as promised this is a BIG one!! Now is your chance to stop and go get a cup of tea or a Diet Coke. It's gonna be awhile! I have so much to share! First off, the Bella Enchanted Easter Basket Swap. I'm a little late posting this so here goes:

My swap partner was Maria over at The Junk Drawer. She was such a wonderful partner! We have so many of the same interests in common. Would you just look at the fabulous basket of goodies that she sent me?

Lot's of yummy candy - there was also a delicious Russel Stover dark chocolate covered marshmallow egg but uh-oh, I ate it before I could snap a picture of it

Then, there were these deliciously colored vintage clothes pins wrapped in fabulous lace

these sweet Easter picks, crepe paper and tag

some lovely vintage wrapping paper, doilies and wall paper packs

would you check out this adorable duck applique??!!

oooohhhh and glitter....I'm in love!!

beautiful organza bags full of candy and pretty beads

lovely rose stems and millinery

vintage postcard images and vintage flashcards

paper packs

pretty speckled eggs and doilies and look at those adorable chickies!

WOW!!! Thank you Maria!!

Okay, now this is what I sent her except that I forgot to photograph everything before packing it into the basket

so...here is everything all packed up
What a fun swap!!

****

Alright, here is the next item on the bloggy post agenda...new pretties for my shoppe! I have been working and painting and sanding oh my...first up we have this adorable jewelry box! I painted it in my favorite shade of creamy white and then distressed it to give it a beautiful, timeworn French look

Look at those pretty French blue velvet lined drawers...ooohhhhh la la!!

Look at these fabulous salt and pepper shakers! I though the shape was so cute!! a little wicker wall pocket/shelf

sweet little doves that I painted

scrolly birdcage style candle holder

I'm going to get all of these items plus a few more I'm still working on, in the shoppe in the next day or two!

I took a little break from working and creating yesterday and went to the flea market! Even if I don't buy a thing, I thoroughly enjoy looking through all of the treasures that the flea market has to offer! Yesterday, I found so many beautiful things. I did purchase these buttons! I simply adore vintage buttons and I love to collect them and place them in pretty jars and bowls around the house. I love the way the sunlight catches the clear faceted ones!

Okay, now for my award - YEAH!!! Thanks again Rue! As promised earlier this morning, I must pass along this award to 10 other people

It's very difficult to have to choose only 10 because there are so many Excellent blogs that I visit every day but I must follow the rules so here goes:

I wish to pass this award to the following:

Heather at Pretty Petals Boutique

Kari & Kijsa at Ask Kari & Kijsa

Jen at Dust Bunny Hostage

Deena at Living My Fantasy Life

Cindy at My Romantic Home

Alexandra at Silver Bell Cottage

DebraK at The Bunnies Bungalow

Jennifer at Child of the King

Ginger at Enchanting Cottage

Jillian at Jillian's Pages

Thank you!

Now for the first tag from Rue. List 10 Weird or Random Facts or Habits about yourself. Then tag 5 others

1) I have this insane fear of talking to people on the phone - why you ask?? I haven't a clue - it's so weird!

2)When I fold the laundry, it must be warm right out of the dryer. If it's not, I'll run the dryer for another 10 minutes until it is - I guess it's the wrinkle factor. I hate folding clothes that are wrinkled!

3) There are 3 magazines that I love to buy off the shelf at the store. Romantic Homes, Romantic Country, and Country Living. It would be a lot cheaper to just get a subscription I know, but there's just something about seeing a brand new issue right there on the shelf just waiting for me. And...I never buy the front copy, it must be two or three back. I want a brand new, untouched copy - so weird, I know!!

4) I used to work in the airline industry - I worked for TWA to be exact. I started when I was 19 and worked right up until I had our first baby! Now I am a stay at home mom and love it!! I did get to travel though all over the place! I used to fly all the way to San Antonio just to buy a brand of salsa that I loved and they only carried it there. My roommates used to come home from work and see grocery bags with the state of Texas printed on them and say "Oh my, she's been grocery shopping in Texas again"

5) I met the wonderful man that I am now married to in an airport! It was love at first sight and we've been together now for 12 years - married for 9 this month!

6) I cannot stand the taste of caffeine free soda

7) I am constantly re-arranging the furniture! We're talking every 3-4 months here. Hubby has threatened on more than one occasion to bolt it to the floor - hee hee!!

8) Along the same lines as the furniture, I have an issue with paint too! I have repainted our bedroom alone 5 times in the 9 years we have been in our house. I've loved every color though, my problem is just that I also love to change the color! I am in fact getting ready to do it again! Oh, and the master bath has seen a paintbrush and roller 5 times as well!

9) No matter what, whenever anyone leaves our house, we always stand on the front porch and wave until the car has driven out of sight. We always do this, no matter what.

10) I crave order and organization, however, I just can't seem to figure out how to be organized! You should see my craft room where it is so messy that I can never work in there, let alone find anything that I need! I bet I have 3 of everything. I'm always having to go out and buy what I need when I need it because, you guessed it, I can NEVER FIND IT IN MY CRAFT ROOM!!!

There's 10. I hope you enjoyed getting to know a little bit more about me! Normally, I would tag 5 others but I think that this time I will leave it open to anyone who would like to play along. If you're reading this and would like to participate, feel free to do so. Let me know though, if you do, so I can come over to your blog and read your list!!

Jillian, I am going to take this evening to think about 6 more things for your tag and I promise to post it tomorrow! Thank you for the tag!

Have a wonderful night everyone and if you made it all the way to the bottom of this post, I thank you for sticking with me!!

xo, Erin

Good Morning!!

2008-04-01T02:49:00.001-07:00

Good Morning Everyone!!

I have lots to post today but alas, it's 5:40 in the morning and we have kids to get ready for school, I have grocery shopping to do, a field trip to help chaperone with my son's class - it's gearing up to be a pretty busy morning but when I return home this afternoon, I hope to sit down here at my computer and post away!!

One thing first though that cannot be delayed because I am so excited about it - I got an award!!! My very FIRST award, from Rue over at Rue's Peanut Butter and Jelly Life!! Thank you, Rue! I'm doing a little happy dance, can you hear me singing with delight??

Thank you !!

I am to pass this award on to 10 others and I was tagged for a meme too so I will definitely do that when I return this afternoon! Everything will be included in a post this afternoon.

Oooohhh, and I have some new goodies for my shop that I will be adding, so stay tuned...I'll see you this afternoon!

Have a lovely morning!!

xo, Erin

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

2008-03-29T17:11:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a beautiful Saturday. The weather here was gorgeous with bright sunny skies and temps in the 50's! Hubby and I got to enjoy a nice dinner out together. It's been soooo long since we've been able to do that.

Anyway, I have that frosting recipe that I promised earlier this morning. Rue, your comment cracked me up! I still giggle when I read it! So here it is:

1 cup(2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but not melted

6-8 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy; about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled. Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

This recipe makes enough for one 2-layer cake or 2 dozen cupcakes.

I must give credit where credit is due...I got this recipe from Magnolia Bakery while doing a recipe search for Vanilla Buttercream Icing.

It's delicious!!!

Cupcake Decorating

2008-03-29T05:08:00.001-07:00

Hello!

I had a lot of people email me and a few who left comments with some questions about how I did the cupcake decorating on this post here. Thank you so much for your interest and kind comments and emails!

So...I thought I'd do a post about how I did it. Most of the questions were about the colors used and which tips I used. I wanted pastel colors so I used gel food coloring that you can buy at the grocery store. I used Betty Crocker gel food colors and it comes in a box of 4 tubes. The colors included are red, yellow, blue and green. With this type of food coloring, you generally don't get the bright colors that are pictured on the box. They're usually always a softer version of the bright hues. The less you use, the softer, more pastel the shade is. This is exactly what I wanted so I just used a small squirt of the gel to achieve the desired pastel color. I used each color as it was in the tube. You could definitely experiment and mix colors if you wanted to.

(Just a note, if you're looking for brighter, bolder colors for your icing, I have found the Wilton concentrated gels work well for that. You can find those at most craft stores in the cake decorating aisle and some Walmart stores carry them too in the craft section.)

Anyway, I have a really YUMMY vanilla buttercream frosting recipe that I use. Just stir in the food coloring and be sure to mix really well. You don't want any white streaks through your frosting. Okay, now for the fun part. As soon as I finished making the icing, I divided the plain white icing into four separate bowls and made up four different colors. Then, to decorate I just used plastic ziploc baggies for piping bags. They're much cheaper than cake decorating bags and you get the exact same results. Snip a tiny piece of the corner off of each bag with some scissors. Place your cake decorating tip inside the bag where you just cut the small opening. Now, you can fill your bag with the desired icing color and decorate to your hearts content! I used 3 Wilton tips - #12, #21 and #2. #12 is a wide circular opening, I used it for the smooth swirls. #21 is a star shaped point that I used for the more textured swirls and #2 is a tiny circular opening that I used for the polka dots. Everything that I used is pictured above for easy reference. I hope this helps and answers all of your questions! I was going to include the vanilla buttercream frosting recipe in this post too but I hear the baby waking so I will have to put it in another post. Hopefully I will get it posted today! Have a wonderful day and happy baking!!

xo, Erin

Baby Shoes

2008-03-27T17:30:00.001-07:00

My baby has outgrown all of the super cute little baby shoes that you can buy in the stores. I have a pair of Carters baby slippers that are shaped like the most adorable little puppy dogs - complete with little fuzzy ears but as I went to put them on him today I was so sad to see that he has outgrown them! So, I decided to make my own!

I made two pairs - one is a soft blue chenille and the other is a sweet little baseball theme. I love them!! They were such fun to make I just know I'll be making many more!

I found a cute little pattern here. They are very quick and easy to make and she has a wonderful tutorial as well as a printable pattern! They are for size 6-9 months but you can do what I did and just cut them slightly larger if you need them bigger.

Have fun and enjoy!!

xo, Erin

Projects!!

2008-03-25T09:34:00.000-07:00

I know, second post in one day, I can hardly believe it myself!! I was so excited though about checking off a few more projects on my list as I finished them and I wanted to share them with you!! First, remember those chairs I posted about back in January? To paint or not to paint? Well, I decided to go ahead and paint them and boy am I glad that I did!! I like them soooo much better now! For those of you who didn't see the before photos back in January, here they are.

I also finished up a button frame that I've been meaning to do for awhile now. It was fun and very easy!
Here's how I did it:

First, go to the dollar store and buy yourself a cheap $1 frame like the one above. Then, get out all of your buttons and sort through and set aside the ones you want to use. I used all white ones.

The next thing you want to do is give your frame a coat of spray paint. I used white to match my buttons but you can use whatever color you want to coordinate with your buttons. Then, get out your glue gun, let it heat up and start gluing on your buttons. I think the whole project only took about a half hour!

I then mounted the picture on a page from an old book.

Great fun and here is the finished project!

Last but not least, I have this altered book/scrapbook. I found a children's board book at the dollar store - you gotta love that dollar store! I made a template for the page (you only need one template because all of the pages are exactly the same) and then I cut out pretty scrapbook paper for each page of the book. I then placed pictures inside and embellished it. So cute!

Have fun creating!!

xo, Erin

Cupcakes!!

2008-03-25T07:12:00.000-07:00

So, are you wanting a cupcake now?? I love cupcakes! I love to make cupcakes! It was one of the things I had been craving so I made a whole mess of em' for my Easter dessert buffet! Now you can get an image induced sugar high at 10:15 in the morning! Anyway, I hope everyone had a very blessed Easter. I know we did. We had a houseful - 20 total, I think, maybe a few more! We had a great time and ate lots of great food. The kiddies all had a fabulous Easter egg hunt in the backyard - the weather was perfect for it!

and now I'll leave you with some little papier mache bunnies I made a couple of years ago

Have a lovely day!!

Some Pretties for Easter

2008-03-19T14:08:00.001-07:00

I ran out yesterday to do my weekly grocery shopping and to pick up a few last minute things for the kids' classroom Easter parties. While out, I stopped in at Michaels craft store and the Dollar Store.

Boy, am I ever glad I did! I went in for scrapbook papers and would you just look at what I found?? I saw this pretty box at Michaels several weeks ago but I didn't want to pay what they were asking for it. It just so happens though, that it was marked down - YIPPEE!! So I decided to go ahead and get it. And then, as I turned the corner, I saw this beautiful clock and little wall hook and scrolly white frame! Oh my gosh, everything was marked down 40% and I had a Michael's gift card!! So, needless to say, I came home yesterday with wonderful treasures that will go perfectly in my new kitchen!!

Then, I wandered into the Dollar Store for some gift bags as well as a few goodies to fill them with for my kids' classroom Easter parties. While in there I found these adorable little marshmallow bunnies and chicks. I got a couple of bags for my candy/dessert buffet that I'm going to do for Easter. You see, hubby and I gave up all sweets/candy/desserts etc... for the Lenten Season. That means nothing sweet for me until Easter Sunday. I have been craving something sweet for so long!! I thought it would be fun to go all out on Easter Sunday with sweet little candies, cupcakes, and other pretty desserts on a buffet for everyone to enjoy.

Have a blessed day everyone!!

xo Erin

My " New" Old Desk

2008-03-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

I got another project done on my LONG list of projects - hee hee, you know how that goes!!

I had this old vanity that I found at a flea market and I decided to turn it into a desk. I really love those kitchens that have a built in desk incorporated into the cabinets and counters. So cute but we don't have one. So, I decided to make myself one. I took an old vanity that I had and repainted it white. I then antiqued it exactly like I did with the sofa table. I have this cute old ice cream parlor chair that I found at Goodwill so I'm using that for my desk chair. I think I might make a round cushion for the chair too - I'll add that to my project list - LOL!!

Have a happy Sunday everyone!!

xo Erin

Lots to Catch Up On...

2008-03-15T19:03:00.000-07:00

I'm back - I promise!

My husband's sweet grandmother passed away earlier in the week and so I've been away. She was a WONDERFUL person who lived a good life and will be greatly missed by many!!

On a happier note, today was a beautiful day, warm and sunny. We all worked out in the yard and gardens today cleaning them out and getting them all ready for spring planting. Even the kids helped out! Definitely a family affair! Anyway, while near my Rose of Sharon bush/tree, I removed some of the seed pods from the branches that had only partially opened last fall. I removed the seeds only to find out that they are shaped like a perfect little heart - who knew??!! So cute I just had to run inside and take a picture. I never knew they were heart shaped. I guess I need to pay more attention to these things!!

Then, I came in to take a break and do some baking!

My very good friend gave me the neatest gift about two weeks ago. She gave me a very unique gift of Amish Friendship Bread starter.

This is how it works:

The starter comes in a zip-loc baggie and for the first 5 days, you just squeeze and mush the bag each day to mix it up. On the sixth day, you add flour, sugar and milk and then mush the bag again. On days six through nine, you continue to mush the bag each day. On day 10, you add more flour, sugar and milk and then mush the bag again to mix it up. Then, you measure out four 1 cup servings of the mixture and place them into four new zip-loc baggies. You now have 4 new bags of starter. You keep one for yourself and then pass along the remaining 3 to your friends. You take what's leftover in the original baggie, mix it up with various ingredients and then pour the batter into two large bread pans. Then, you have 2 loaves of wonderfully, delicious Amish Friendship bread! The secret is in the starter. They say that only the Amish know the secret starter recipe. If you follow the directions and always keep one of the starters for yourself, you'll be baking this bread every 10 days! So today I made my first two loaves. What fun! I took this loaf pictured along with one of the starters and the directions to my neighbor down the street.

Okay...some more fun stuff!! Remember the Sweet Little Nest swap I mentioned a while back? Well, I'm finally able to post what my swap partner Heather sent me! Isn't this such a sweet nest? I love it so much and look at all of the goodies she sent along with it!

Here is a beautiful box in a lovely shade of pale blue that I simply adore! On the box are the sweetest cherubs (which I also love) it is soooo me - just what I love! And guess what was inside the box??Yep...this oh so cute rabbit - which I also love!

And...check out this lovely tag with beautiful ribbon attached she made for me

This tag has my name on it all glittery and pretty

and this tag says "nest" also beautiful all done up in glitter!

Would you look at this gorgeous vintage postcard she sent me - LOVE IT!!

Thank you so much Heather!! She also sent me lovely book pages too! They're wonderful and I'm thinking of using some of them as a backing for some pictures I took of the baby. I switched the images to sepia tone and they would look beautiful mounted on those book pages! I'll have to post pictures when I'm done! Thanks again Heather, I had such a great time swapping with you! You should go and check out her beautiful blog!!

Then, I got another package from sweet Deborah at Pictures, Pots and Pens for participating in her Pay It Forward!! She sent me an adorable bucket filled to the brim with all sorts of wonderful goodies!! The beautiful bucket is a lovely gift in itself!
She beautifully wrapped each gift in pretty pink rose covered paper. It was so pretty I took a picture of the wrapping first. It was driving my son nuts! He kept saying please, please can we just open it?? Why do you have to take a picture - LOL!
Inside were these lovelies...

A notepad that says "Both of us can't look good at the same time. It's either me or the house." Too funny! Also enclosed was a super cute magnet that says "It's so exhausting being fabulous." Love it!! Also packaged inside were adorable Mary Engelbreit dimensional stickers, a wonderful dark chocolate candy bar with a vintage postcard image as the wrapper. I just know I'm going to use that wrapper in a great art project after I've eaten the candy. The wrapper is so pretty! There is also a wonderful rose scented candle and a nice BIG bar of soap (which I love) that smells really yummy!!

Thank you sooo much Deborah! You are very sweet and very kind to send such a wonderful gift! I really appreciate your kindness and generosity!

I have one other goodie that I received in the mail that I want to post but I'm suddenly having trouble uploading photos to blogger. So...I'm going to keep you in suspense until tomorrow when I can hopefully upload the photos.

Have a good night all!

xo Erin

I'm Back!!!

2008-03-10T18:53:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh, I'm back online and I feel like dancing! It's amazing how much we rely on our computers for everything! I never though I'd be that dependant on a machine - LOL! Thank you for your sweet comments and understanding!

Anyway, I have a few things yet to reload on my hard drive such as all of my photo software, etc...etc... and then I have lots of pictures to post and lots of catching up to do! It's getting late though and I have to get up VERY early tomorrow morning so I will sign off for now!

Goodnight all...sleep tight, see you tomorrow!

Hope to Be Back Online Soon

2008-03-07T05:13:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Everyone!!

Just wanted to let you all know that I have been away due to a virus on my computer. I cannot get online and I am unable to access anything on my compter- emails, files, website, address book -nothing! I am currently at a friend's house using her computer to post this and I hope to get mine taken care of this weekend! By Monday morning, with any luck, I will be back up and running! Please bare with me -I know that there are a couple of you who I owe emails to and I am also trying to get my website orders out. I haven't forgotten anyone and I will get back to answering my emails very soon! I apologize but will be back!

Have a great weekend everyone! Hope to talk again Monday!

Another Swap~Dream of Spring

2008-02-29T18:34:00.000-08:00

I have joined a swap hosted by Vintage Indie. It's called I Dream of Spring and it looks like it's going to be a fabulous swap. I love swaps - they're such fun and there is such amazing talent out there in blogland!

So, anyway, part of entering the swap is posting and answering these 5 questions so here goes:

a. What's your favorite part of spring?

My favorite part of Spring is the abundance of flowers, the beautiful fresh air, throwing open my windows and the sunlight on my face. I love all of the pastel colors and the sweet chicks and bunnies of Easter! For me, spring is a time of rebirth and of course all things girly and frou-frou!

b. What are your favorite flowers?

Roses!

c. What types of hobbies/crafts do you enjoy?

I love scrapbooking, altered art, paper crafting and just about anything I can create with vintage ephemera and old photos. I also love to create jewelry out of vintage beads, baubles, buttons and rhinestones.

d. What types of vintage do you collect or look for?

I LOVE those beautiful old sepia toned baby pictures! I'm always on the lookout too, for vintage beads and buttons. I also love velvety vintage milinery flowers in the pinks, pale blues and soft browns

e. Any allergies or things that you absolutely can't stand?

I have no allergies and there's nothing I can think of that I can't stand

This is going to be fun!! If there is anyone else interested in this swap, be sure to go to Vintage Indie and check out all of the details - but hurry! You must enter by March 1.

A Little Birdie

2008-02-28T14:15:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited, I got something in the mail!! Yeah!!! Would you just look at this cutie? I won this sweet little bird and nest from Mahala at Simply Sage during her One World One Heart giveaway. It is gorgeous! Mahala, you outdid yourself. I love the glittery bird and his sweet little nest full of eggs! A GREAT BIG thank you goes out to Mahala! Go and check out her blog if you get the chance!

Have a lovely evening everyone!!!

Nest Swap~~Sneak Peek!!

2008-02-27T12:26:00.000-08:00

I joined in Speckled Egg's Sweet Little Nest Swap! I put the finishing touches on my swap partner Heather's nest today so I thought I'd post a little sneak peek. I don't want to show the whole nest - that would ruin the surprise for Heather but I will show you a teeny little bit of it!! Okay Heather, now's the time to close your eyes if you don't want to see any of it!

(The actual nest is hidden from view)

Okay, here it is...

Okay, that's all you get for now. The rest will have to wait until Heather's nest arrives safely in her hands.

Have a lovely day everyone!!

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

2008-02-26T12:53:00.000-08:00

Oh my, it's raining so hard today but that's okay because gloomy days are also very cozy days in my book. Perfect days for warm fuzzy blankets, cups of tea, good books, etc...etc...

I went grocery shopping today but I got lucky because I ventured out early this morning before the rain really had a chance to get started. I was able to make it home and unload the car before it got bad. Now it's coming down hard.

So anywho, I promised pictures today and I've got pictures!! First things first - you've got to see the before pictures of my table. I know there are many people who GASP at the thought that anyone would paint over good wood. But...I LOVE white painted furniture!! And besides, I can justify this. Would you just look at the top of this thing?? The top was terribly discolored so I figured I MUST paint it, right?

So here it is before

be sure to take note of the top here...

And here it is after
much better, I think!

The chandelier is going to have to wait. I want to find some pretty crytal drops and maybe some strands of beads or crystals to add to it! It will be ready soon I hope.

Have a great day!!

~ Erin ~

My Menu Board

2008-02-25T17:33:00.000-08:00

I finished one of my projects today but I haven't been able to take the picture yet. The chandelier is all painted but I just need to glam it up a bit! Pictures of those hopefully tomorrow! Look what I did get though. I found this cute chalkboard at a flea market awhile back for $1 - Yep, $1 ! The frame was dark burgundy in color so I painted it white to lighten it up a bit then added a pretty ribbon to make it fit into the decor around here. It now serves as my menu board in the kitchen! How fun is that??!!

Happy Monday!

2008-02-25T04:39:00.000-08:00

Today is supposed to be really nice outside so I think I'm going to take advantage of the good weather to get some painting done. I have a few projects that need completing. I have this great chandelier that someone gave to me awhile back. I'm going to get it painted and I want to hang it in the kitchen. We currently have a fluorescent fixture hanging up there which I'm not exactly crazy about. The builder put it in when the house was built - which reminds me, today is our 9 year move in date anniversary!! My gosh!!! Has it been 9 years already? Time really flies.

Anyway, I have no idea how to get that thing off. We have replaced many a fixture in this house with new lighting and I myself have hung several chandeliers but this fluorescent light has us stumped! It's probably not as difficult as it seems - it's just intimidating to me because I'm not sure how it is attached to the ceiling or where the holes are going to be when the fixture comes down. I was ambitiously thinking that I could just unscrew the thing, remove it from the ceiling and rewire the chandy to surprise my hubby when he gets home. After looking at it this morning though, I'm just not sure it's going to be that cut and dry. Hmmmm....don't know what to do! Have any of you out there in blog land ever done this before? I'll have to think about this some more. I'll post some pictures later today of any projects that I'm able to complete. Have a good day everybody!

Sunday Morning Pancakes

2008-02-24T07:27:00.000-08:00

Yummm!! We made pancakes this morning and they were so yummy, I thought I'd post a picture. Very easy too, made with bisquik!

2 cups Bisquik

1 cup milk

2 eggs

2 TBSP sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

Cook on griddle until golden

add butter, syrup, or honey - whatever you like - fruit compote is good too!

Have a happy Sunday!

Pretty Finds

2008-02-23T18:23:00.000-08:00

Look what I found at Marshals!! I just love this. I've been on an ongoing treasure hunt for the new kitchen. I have been inspired by this theme for a year now. It has been a year since I finished our baby's nursery(which was done in a French theme) and ever since then, I have been in love with that style of decorating! I have been collecting little things here and there just waiting for the time when we re-do the kitchen. So now that it is here, I can't wait to get it all decorated - to get all of my treasures out of hiding and out in the open! I promise there will be pictures!!

Have a great weekend!!

Sinks and Faucets and Countertops Oh My...

2008-02-20T18:29:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I am beyond excited this evening!! We went out this afternoon and ordered our new kitchen countertops, sink and faucet. I can't wait for everything to be installed. The countertop is called Blackstar Granite and we got a beautiful sink and faucet to go with it. The sink is a lovely shade of creamy white called "biscuit" and the faucet is the prettiest oil rubbed bronze. Very European looking. We currently have a stainless steel sink with a double bowl which is nice but neither bowl is really big enough for my big pots and pans. The new one has a HUGE single bowl with TONS of room. It reminds me of a big farmhouse sink only without the apron. Oh I love it!! We also got all new door handles for the bathroom, laundry room, front hall closet, pantry and basement steps. The finish on those is the same as the new faucet. Did I say I can't wait??!! LOL - I'm just a little excited!

So anyway, I bought this fabric pictured above to make my new kitchen curtains! I can't wait until everything is put together. I'll be sure to post plenty of pictures when it's done.

Shopping...

2008-02-19T11:26:00.000-08:00

I decided to take a side trip to Marshals today while out running errands and going grocery shopping! I wish you could have seen all the adorable Easter stuff they had out. Soooo cute!! I just wish I had my camera with me. The displays were adorable - yummy eye candy for sure. I was picking up everything and looking and almost boughteverything too. But then I thought...wait, I can make this. I'll save my money and make my own! There were rabbits in pastel blues, pinks and greens with these really cute folk art type rabbits riding on their backs. Then, there were roosters in the same pastel shades with soft white polka dots on them. The roosters opened up so you could put all kinds of goodies inside and they had vintage looking Easter postcard images on their sides. Everything was all glittered and ohhh soooo cute! They also had yummy chocolate bars with vintage Easter postcard images as wrappers.

I did buy this super cute cappucino mug though. It's chocolate brown with pink polka dots on it and it came with a little notepad and pen! Oh and I found an Italian espresso maker too. I have always wanted one of those but just never went out to find one. So, when I saw it today for $7.99, I just had to have it! I came home and made myself a cappucino in my new mug with my new espresso maker and settled in for about a half hour to read my newest Romantic Homes magazine before the kiddies came home from school. Bliss! Hope you all are having a lovely afternoon!

Pay it Forward

2008-02-18T12:39:00.000-08:00

Just a little glimpse of the Spring that is to come. I've got a real case of Spring fever here. These are last year's tulips but I know that in about 2 weeks, I'm going to see those little green leaves poking up through the ground! So, until then...

I have decided to participate in Deborah's Pay it Forward! Here's how it works...

If you would like to Pay it Forward - The first three people to leave a comment on this post saying they'd like to participate will receive a gift from me (Erin) in the next 365 days. The only condition is that those people who decide to participate will have to do the same on their blogs. Pay it Forward! Don't forget to specifically mention in your comment that you want to do this too.

Have fun!

Happy Sunday...

2008-02-17T06:12:00.000-08:00

Hello...I do hope everyone had a fabulous Valentine's Day. I know we did!! I feel bad though for my oldest - the school nurse called me because the poor dear got sick at school and I had to go and pick him up. He was sick on Valentine's Day!! He wasn't feeling well the next day either so I kept him at home and he missed his Valentine party at school (they had the classroom parties on Friday) I felt so bad for him. Saturday, he was finally feeling much better so we all went out to breakfast. And what do you think happened after we ate?? Yep...you guessed it, he got sick again! We just can't seem to get rid of this virus that is going around!! They have all had it. As the day went on though yesterday, he got much better and finally today, he's back to his old self again - YEAH!!!

Anyway...blogging went on hold while everyone was getting better so I didn't get to post any of my recent projects that I had been working on. I thought I'd catch up this morning!

So here's the first project

It's an old bench that I have had for awhile now but I didn't care for the color very much. I had been debating whether to paint it white or black - I just couldn't decide. I love two styles of decorating and I kind of have them both incorporated into our home. One is, of course, Shabby Chic/cottagey and the other is more of a French Country look. Color wise, polar opposites but I do love both styles. Anyway, I decided to go with the black since it's in my foyer and front hallway. Shabby Chic doesn't hit you until you step into the family room off the kitchen. I made a little heart shaped pillow of sorts out of some red checked fabric I had and then attached a red ribbon for hanging as well as a vintage chandelier crystal that my mom gave me. I also made a pillow for the bench out of some red and white toile fabric.

Here is the after picture of the completed bench

Then, I have this adorable garden statue out in my flower garden that my dad gave me several years ago. It's been outside since he gave it to me but I recently noticed that he has a little crack in his shoulder. I just love this statue though so I decided to bring him indoors out of the cold, fix him up, and give him a makeover!

I put him on this pretty little pedestal that I had and I'm quite happy with his new look - I think he is too! He looks right at home atop his perch standing guard over the newly painted bench!
I must admit though, I say a little prayer each day that one of my boys doesn't knock him over as they go running by!

So, as decorating goes, it's never really finished is it? I couldn't stop there so I changed the little vignette on the foyer entry table! I made a little topiary in an old cement urn that I had and placed it on the table with a couple of mirrors (one of them I painted black...hmmm...is black my new pink??? I think not - LOL) Anyway, then I added a black and white checked ribbon around a GIANT glass candle holder and tied it up in a pretty bow with an old key. As a final touch, I added a couple of paper roses that I made. So there you go - a new look for the entry foyer!

Here is a close up of my paper rose.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!

And The Winner Is....

2008-02-14T12:50:00.000-08:00

We have a winner!!

First though, I must say, I had such a wonderful time participating in OWOH! Thank you Lisa for such a fabulous idea and I can't wait to do it again next year!!

Thank you to all who participated in my giveaway, I used a random number generator to pick my winner.

Okay. Now for the moment you've all been waiting for...drumroll please...

The winner is...Becky from Art of Zinkibaru

Congratulations Becky and thanks for playing!!

Happy Valentine's Day to you all and I hope you all have a blessed day!

One World One Heart Giveaway

2008-02-12T20:43:00.000-08:00

I just found this fabulous blog!! I'm a little slow but I've decided to join in the fun. It's the One World One Heart giveaway sponsored by Lisa Oceandreamer. The idea is to bring bloggers together from aroung the world! It's such a wonderful idea and the giveaway is open to anyone who leaves a comment on this post by February 14. So, make sure you leave a comment and I will draw a name on Valentine's Day. Also, make certain you leave contact information so that I can notify you if you have won. If you don't have a blog, be sure to leave an email address so that I can contact you that way! Go check out the One World One Heart blog - there are lots of other participants listed there!

Okay, so here is what you will get if you win! It's a journal that I've made with pretty papers, ribbons, tassels and cute flat glass marbles! Perfect for keeping a garden journal, recipe journal or simply to write down your thoughts. Good luck everyone!!

Here is a picture of the back of the journal.

*UPDATE*

I will draw a name and announce a winner at 3:30pm Eastern Time. All entries made by that time will be counted. I had THE BEST time with One World One Heart and I thank everyone who entered in my drawing. Good luck to you all and I hope you each have a fabulous, blessed Valentine's Day!!

A Fabulous Giveaway!!!!

2008-02-04T18:26:00.000-08:00

Here is a fabulous giveaway that I just found here! You must hurry though because the deadline to enter is today, Feb. 4! Hurry on over and see this lovely blog and enter to win this wonderful book by Catherine Matthews Scanlon!!!

Good Luck!!

I've Been Tagged....7 Random or Weird Things About Me!!

2008-01-23T09:47:00.000-08:00

How fun!! I've been tagged by my sister hare (in the bunny world) Jennifer, over at Dust Bunny Hostage! I get to list 7 random or weird things about me and then the fun part?? I get to tag 7 others. Told you this would be fun. So...after much thinking, here are 7 weird and random things I betcha' didn't know about me:

1) I love peanut butter and jelly - but only on toast. Put it on bread that has not been toasted, ughh yuck!! Don't know why but that's just how it is.

2) I have an intense fear of the dentist! I have given birth to 3 children and I can still honestly say that I would rather go through labor and give birth again before I would would like to sit in that dentist chair. Put my feet up in those stirrups at the ob any day just don't ask me to go have me teeth cleaned!

3) I cannot stand shoes on my feet. I love to shop for shoes and buy really cute ones but wear them? Nope, not so much. I have been known to go out in the dead of winter with snow and ice on the ground and check the mail in my bare feet. In fact, I'm not wearing shoes right now. I have a cute new pair of those little ballet flat style shoes sitting right here on the floor next to my feet but I'm certainly not wearing them - LOL!!

4) I love coffee, LOVE IT!! But only in the morning when I first wake up. After that it just doesn't taste right any more to me. However, I do enjoy cappuccino in the afternoon if it's flavored with hazlenut or caramel syrup.

5) I love chocolate candy, fudge, brownies, etc...but I really dislike chocolate cake. What's weird is this: I LOVE red velvet cake. And isn't that really just chocolate cake with red food coloring added? Hmmmm....

6) I'm one of those nutty door and window lock checkers. Even if I have not opened a window all day, I will STILL check it 5 times before we go to bed to make sure it's locked. Same with the doors. It's official, I'm nuts!!

7) And last but certainly not least...I hate mayonaise on my sandwich. I just don't like the taste or texture of it. Kind of grosses me out. However, I love tuna salad, chicken salad, mayo based dips - all made with mayo! Just don't spread it on the bread! How weird is that?

Okay, now the time has come to tag 7 others. Here goes...

Kat at Justabeachkat
Penny at Lavender Hill Studio
Laurie at Mom of 2 Roses
Cindy at Romantic Home
Melissa at The Inspired Room
Katie at 2 Blue Eyed Girls
Donna at Under the Red Roof

You must each list 7 weird or random things about you and then tag 7 others to do the same. Forgive me if I've tagged anyone who has recently been tagged!! Have fun with it!

Top 10 Projects of 2007

2008-01-19T09:27:00.000-08:00

Manuela at The Feathered Nest and Cindy at Romantic Home did this and I had such fun looking through theirs that I decided to join in too!

So, here are my top 10 projects for 2007. I had such fun doing them all - some where quite the challenge and some were very simple but I loved completing each one!

Enjoy

This is the bedroom redo for the boys - we went for a travel/safari theme

here is the baby's nursery I did

here is one of my favorites. It's an old vanity that was rescued from one of those beach houses in the Outer Banks of NC. My sister used to live there and she got it for me. I painted it white and then sanded it down A LOT to give it a distressed look

this is an old french chair that I picked up curbside - CURBSIDE!! for free - they were throwing it away. Aside from needing to be refinished, it was in great shape. This is one of two that I got. Right now I've got them in my dining room. It's a little more formal so they're stained in a cherry stain but I'm thinking of painting them white. what do you think??

here's a pretty little sideboard. When I got it at the flea market, it was a little rough. I saw great potential though so I bought it, brought it home and gave it a little love (and white paint of course)!

another curside find! It amazes me what some people throw away, but hey, keep throwin' cuz I love to find it and bring it home!! I painted this one white too and now it's my favorite little letter writing desk.

I found this lovely at The Old Luckets Store in Luckets, VA. I painted it and put a pretty ballerina print inside. The rose paper it's mounted on is actually just some pretty wrapping paper I found!

here is by far the most time consuming project I did. I got this wing chair - for free - and decided to reupholster it. It was the first time I have ever tried to do this so please excuse this reupholstery rookie - LOL!! Anyway, it was quite the challenge but lots of fun! Can you tell that I LOVE toile??!!

a cute little fan that I found at the flea market. It wasn't a very nice color though - kind of a yucky brown metal. I fixed that though, I took it apart and painted it then put it back together again

and last but not least, an old wicker tray that I found at the flea market. I painted it white and then decoupaged some pretty wrapping paper to the inside. I then added some grosgrain ribbon and voila - a cute little tea tray!

I hope you enjoyed the little tour of projects! Have a great weekend all!

It's Snowing!!

2008-01-17T13:12:00.000-08:00

Ohhhh it's so beautiful outside today!! How's this for cozy and romantic?? Everything is blanketed in a layer of the fluffy white stuff. I love it when you can stand outside while the snow is falling and everything is so silent. I swear you can actually hear the snow falling. So pretty!!

We are lucky today because we're all at home and can enjoy the beauty of it.

Have a lovely day everyone!!

Isn't it Romantic?

2008-01-16T07:49:00.000-08:00

I FINALLY found a copy of the February issue of Romantic Homes!! YEAH!!! I have been wanting to get my hands on it so bad and I finally found it. Okay, I'll admit, I'm not a subscriber (I should be because I never miss an issue) but, there is something so thrilling about going to Walmart and peeking in the magazine section and seeing a brand new issue for the first time just sitting there on the shelf waiting for me to buy it. Crazy right?? It would be a lot cheaper to just subscribe - maybe one day...

Anyway, delicious eye candy in there...YUMMM!!! I loved the Annual Roundup of the Romantics!

And...speaking of romantic, baking is romantic to me. I mean, for me, romantic is a broad spectrum of things. Anything from candles and music all the way to, well, baking! I love baking with my kids and they always love the end results as much as licking batter from the bowl. So, I decided to start keeping a journal of all of our baking endeavors. Inside you will find pictures of all of us at work, little tips and tricks we discover along the way, and of course the recipes. I made it using one of those marble composition books I had and lots of cute scrapbooking papers. One day when the kids are grown, they'll have a record of what we made, the recipes we used, and lots of good memories!

Here is the front of the journal and yes, many of you may recognize that little guy on the front. Isn't he cute? He is from Sandra Evertson's book "Fanciful Paper Flowers". You should check it out if you haven't already. She has lots of adorable art in there that she has given the reader permission to copy and use for your own personal projects! Isn't she the greatest? If you click on her name above, you can go right to her creative and very inspiring blog. Thank you Sandra!!

A few pages from our baking journal

A few more little romantic things...look at this beautiful book that my sister gave me. I adore it. I absolutely love, love, love Maud Humphrey. Her paintings and illustrations are just lovely. My sister found this book of Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes illustrated by the one and only Maud Humphrey and she got it for me. She sooo gets me - LOL!

And last but not least...a few tags that I made. I'm hoping to get lots more done to put into my Classy Rabbit Boutique! I have been so busy lately, I haven't been able to update it as I had intended to do. Lots of Valentine goodies to stock though and we'll be back on track before you know it!

Okay everyone...have a lovely day and go do something romantic! Take time for yourself to read a book or take a hot bath by candle light. Or, something as simple as setting the table tonight for dinner with the family using your best china and don't forget to light some candles! I do and my kids love it!

Mmmmm...Beautiful Day!!

2008-01-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

Wow!! What a day. It is just beautiful outside today. It's near 70 degrees and a lovely breeze is blowing. I tried to capture the breeze in these photos. Can you see the lacy pink sheer curtains billowing? Speaking of lacy pink curtains, I picked up those babies at my local antique store for next to nothing! Love them and what a perfect day to hang them. I have all of my windows open enjoying the fresh air and sunshine!

Look what else I found. I went to the grocery store today to pick up some espresso beans and I found these frames in the dollar aisle. Two of my favorite colors. Pink and robins egg blue! The picture looks kind of powdery blue but it's actually a lovely shade of robin's egg blue!

Have a great day everyone!!

A Quiet Afternoon

2008-01-01T14:11:00.000-08:00

I hope that everyone has had a wonderful first day of the year! As for me, hubby had to work today and the kids had some friends over this afternoon. They spent some time in the backyard on the swingset and play fort. Way too cold out there for me so I stayed inside watching them through the window while the baby napped. I took advantage of some quiet time. My brother gave me Kaari Meng's book French Inspired Jewelry so I made myself a hazelnut cappucino and read my book. Quite a pleasant afternoon!!

Have a fabulous evening!!

Happy New Year!!

2007-12-31T19:18:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!

I always start thinking about Spring right after Christmas. I know we're only 10 days into winter but I can't help focusing on Spring. I don't know, maybe it's my longing for the warmer days or maybe it's simply the sense of renewal that the new year brings. A brand new year, a chance for new beginnings. Whatever the case, I'm ready to start spring cleaning as soon as the Christmas decorations come down!

The very last day of 2007...it was a good day!

The morning started out in the vet's office...our little hamster has "wet tail." When we purchased her, the saleslady at Petco told us that this could happen. She told us what to look for and gave us the number to the vet's office. Sure enough, Lucy got it. I noticed all of the symptoms last night. She was a little dehydrated so the vet gave her a shot of fluids under her skin which will be absorbed to correct the dehydration. She is also on antibiotics for 7 days and Petco covered all of the costs! I sure learned a lot about hamsters today!!

I'm happy to report that Lucy is feeling much better now and even got a chance to play a little with the dogs!

The boys and I stopped for lunch on the way home and then when we got home we played cootie. I promised them we would play it today. Do you remember that game from when you were growing up? I always loved it!

So...now the kiddies are in bed and I think it's finally time to play with my Christmas toys! My dear sweet husband got me a brand new Epson Picture Mate Personal Photo Lab!! Can you say scrapbooking??!! And look at these beautiful papers I got as well...

Mmmmmmmmmm...I love all these shades of pink

I think I see a few blissfully quiet hours of scrapbooking in my future!!

Happy New Year everyone...may 2008 be the best yet!!!

Stay Safe!!

A Wonderful Christmas Was Had By All!!

2007-12-30T13:11:00.000-08:00

I hope each and every one of you had a very blessed Christmas with loved ones!

WOW!!! What a week! We all had such a fabulous Christmas spent with lots of family and friends. On Christmas Eve we all went to my husband's mom and dad's house. All of his brothers, sisters and family friends gathered there as well so there were tons and tons of friends, cousins, aunts, uncles and of course lots of yummy food and baked treats! We had such a great time. Then we came home and had Christmas morning at our house. After we opened our gifts and had breakfast, we packed up and went to my mom and stepfather's house. Another day with lots of fun and food. My sister came from South Carolina and my brother was there too. We had a delicious dinner of Smoked Cornish Game Hens, Broiled Asparagus with Garlic Butter, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Dinner Rolls and of course a table full of delicious treats to choose from for dessert! Then, on the day after Christmas, we gathered with my sister and my dad at my brothers house and we did it all over again. I love this time of year! We continued to visit more family through out the rest of the week and yesterday my mom and my sister came over and we all went shopping. Then afterwards, my husband met us for dinner at a brand new pizza place that just opened up in our town. It was delicious!! Whew!!! It's been a long week but lots of fun!

As we're slowly drifting back into the swing of things, we decided to take it easy today. It's cold and raining here so we decided to take this day and make it cozy. I got out the popcorn popper and we made some good old fashioned popcorn and snuggled in to watch Mary Poppins.

I want to thank all of you sweet bloggers for visiting our Christmas Home Tour and for all of your kind and generous comments! You all are the best!!

Dinner at my mom's...Cornish Game Hens and all the trimmings...

The table is set!

My mom's living room tree.

And speaking of gifts, would you just look at the gift bag that my mom and sister made? They actually made lots but this is the only one I got a picture of. So cute!!

They made really cute gift tags to go with them too. Those crafty ladies!!

Merry Christmas From Our Home to Yours

2007-12-24T05:15:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! May it be a blessed Christmas filled with peace and joy! I know it's kind of late in the game, but I thought I'd join in BooMama's Christmas tour of homes. Just think of it as a Christmas Eve candlelight tour.

Welcome to our home! Won't you please come in?

First, as you come in the front door, we have a few different views of the foyer. Here is part of my teapot and tea cup collection

and then there are a few shots of the lights and garlands going up the staircase as well as on the rail upstairs overlooking the foyer.

Here we have a view of the dining room trees and garland.

Now we'll head into the living room

a view of the tree and fireplace.

the top of our mantel

a little tree on the top of a roll top desk

a vignette on top of a china cabinet.

Here is a centerpiece I made for the dining room table. I filled a dish with vintage ornaments. These belonged to my grandfather when he was a little boy.

Another view of the ornaments and the dining room Christmas tree.

Here is a display on a table in the foyer

This is a hall table in the hallway going into the kitchen.

My mother's sled that she played with as a little girl.

And now we're headed into the formal living room. Here are two trees on an old buffet server that I found at a flea market.

Another view of the dining room. Did I already post this picture? Hmmm.....I think I did.

The Nativity scene in the basement family room.

Also in the basement, a vintage glass tree

and last but not least, our basement family room tree!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

SO GLAD YOU CAME BY FOR A VISIT!!

My Boys' Room Before and After!!

2007-12-14T19:28:00.000-08:00

My gosh, it seems to have been ages since I've posted anything! So much happening this time of year. I always think I have so much more time that I actually do. Well, first things first. Remember that room I was redecorating for my boys? It's finished!!

Here is the before picture. I had actually started clearing things out and taking bedding off of the beds and just making a huge mess when I suddenly realized - uh-oh...I didn't take any before pictures. So, the room is a huge mess in this picture! Oh well, such is life. You can get a basic idea of what it looked like.

And here is the after picture! We went with a travel/safari theme. The boys have a large giraffe that was our inspiration piece and they already had airplanes hanging from the ceiling so we went with that.

I have a cute old luggage rack that I had painted white as well as an old metal suitcase on hand so I placed the suitcase on top of the luggage rack and voila - an instant side table with a travel theme twist. I also painted a vintage dresser black and decoupaged some girrafe print tissue paper onto the drawer pull plates. The drawer pulls themselves were painted red.

then, I found an adorable picture of two giraffes

here are the kids existing airplanes

and a few other things around the room

Christmas Thought of the Day

2007-11-26T04:40:00.000-08:00

29 Days Until Christmas!!!

Candlelight and Starlight

By candlelight and starlight came He then,

To kindle Hope of Peace in hearts of men.

And every Christmas candle on the sill,

Reminds the world that Hope is burning still.

We see a promise in it's glowing beam

Of one day the fulfillment of that dream.

By candlelight and starlight came he then;

May star and candle light his way again.

~Helen Lowrie Marshall

We're going to go to a neighbors house today to help her decorate for Christmas. Lots of garlands to hang and decorations and lights to put up! I love to decorate and since my house is all finished, she asked if I would come and help her out. The kids don't go back to school until tomorrow and she has five of them so all of the kids can play and have a good time while we decorate! Fun times!!! Have a great day everyone!

Happy Sunday!

2007-11-25T10:23:00.000-08:00

November 25...Exactly one month until Christmas!! I hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving! I know that we did. My sister came up from South Carolina as well as my brother. My two stepsisters came, one with her husband and the other with her fiance on leave from Iraq. The wedding is next weekend so we'll all get to see each other again very soon!

We're all in Christmas mode now. I love Christmas and have decided that I will post a little Christmas joy each day from now until Christmas day!

Why do the bells of Christmas ring?

Why do little children sing?

Once a lovely shining star,

Seen by shepherds from afar,

Gently moved until it's light

Made a manger's cradle bright.

There a darling baby lay,

Pillowed soft upon the hay,

And it's mother sang and smiled:

"This is Christ the Holy Child!"

Therefore the bells of Christmas ring,

Therefore little children sing.

~Eugene Field

Today I have decided to tackle the boys' bedroom with a paint brush, roller and a couple of cans of paint! Hubby and I have discussed painting the boys' room for awhile but just haven't seemed to find the time to do it. So, I have decided, with the help of my boys (well, sort of, they're 7, 5 and 6 months old), to do it today and surprise him with it! It's going to be so cute! I painted the walls ochre above the chair rail and then I'm going to stripe them with a creamy white. Below the chair rail moulding, I'll paint the walls in the same creamy white. The chail rail is going to be painted a nice shade of red. With all that cream and ochre, I'm going to need a punch of color! We're going to have a travel/safari theme. The kids have this huge giraffe that they can actually sit on like a chair so that was our inspiration piece. They have antique airplanes hanging from the ceiling already, so that is where the travel part of the theme is going to come in. Well, we just took a short lunch/blog break and I can hear that the baby is awake from his nap so I must say goodbye for now and go feed the baby, play with him for a bit and then it's back to work while my troops (aka boys) look on.

Have a great day all!!

Happy Thanksging!!

2007-11-22T08:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Wherever you may be today, I hope you have a blessed day with loved ones! For those who will be traveling, I wish you safe travels!

God Bless and be safe!

HUGE Score at the Flea Market!!!

2007-11-20T10:22:00.000-08:00

I decided to go to the flea market today and would you just look at what I found!!

I got lots and lots of pink, white, blue and mint green vintage Christmas balls as well as a vintage Woolworths Christmas tree topper. It has silver tinsel surrounding all of the white lights.

I also found a pretty little teacup!

I love to collect those cute little baby planters in the nice shabby pink and blue colors and I found one of those too! A great day at the flea market!!

My Little Tiny Crowns!!!

2007-11-14T10:21:00.001-08:00

The tiny crowns are finally finished!! I first made them with superfine glitter but that was a little too fine and it didn't cover well. So, I went with regular glitter and that worked much better. Here are my reindeer...

My angel got a pink one

and even one of my Christmas tree angels that I made got one

Lucy

and Miss Mabel each wanted one too but I told them that I thought all that glitter and glue would probably cloud their water too much :)

Have a great day everyone!!!

A Fun Little Craft Project for You!!

2007-11-11T18:49:00.000-08:00

I remember being so disappointed when Gerber started using little plastic boxes for their baby food instead of glass jars. I loved using all of those little glass jars for craft projects and I was afraid that eventually you wouldn't be able to find them anymore. But alas, here we are 5 years and another baby later and Beechnut still sells their food in glass jars. But anyway, one day while shopping I couldn't find what I was looking for in the Beechnut brand and so I had to buy Gerber in one of those dreaded plastic containers. After the food was gone I thought "hey...these are kinda cute" and I washed it out and saved it. So...that brings me to my craft project(finally! whew...I got a little off track there...sorry)

Here are the containers before

And then... I painted the little boxes and lids pink. I decoupaged some reproductions of vintage postcards to the lids and added a little glitter(of course...I LOVE glittery sparkly things) Then I dipped the bottoms and sides of the boxes in some shimmery glass glitter and added a few ribbons and pearls. There you go! Gerber would be proud!!

The one on the right with the blue background has a picture of a fairy and a little boy floating through the stars while sitting on a pillow. It doesn't show in the picture but on the side of the box I added:

Through a sea of stars we float

With a pillow for a boat

Off to dreamland every night

There and back by candle light.

A Chilly November Evening!

2007-11-10T19:27:00.000-08:00

As I was unpacking yet even more lovely Christmas decorations, I came across my beautiful Christmas With Victoria book that my mom gave me last year. I had been looking for it and I guess I forgot that I packed it in with my Christmas decorations!! I think this chilly November evening calls for a hot cup of tea, a cozy blanket, lots and lots of pillows and of course "Christmas With Victoria" I love to snuggle up with my hubby as he watches TV and read my books and magazines! Ahhh the joy of a chilly evening in the warmth of one's home!

Ohh and I almost forgot!! As I was reading through Sandra Evertson's blog this morning, she had the most adorable post about making teeny-tiny little crowns covered in sparkly glitter. Well...you know I just had to try that!! It just so happens that I had all of the supplies needed on hand so I tried a couple of them today. I'm letting them dry right now but as soon as they're all finished I will post a picture. I have two papier mache reindeer on my mantel this year that will be wearing those adorable little crowns very soon! Keep an eye out for the pictures to be posted! You've just got to go over to her blog to see these. She's even posted a mini tutorial on how to do them! Love these!

Here are my reindeer without their crowns....They will soon be wearing them though!!

A Great Blog!!

2007-11-10T05:42:00.000-08:00

For those of you who haven't already been for a visit to Nunnie's Attic blog, you should definitely hop on over! She has an inspiring blog where she posts "Blessings of the Day" each day! She's even having a giveaway but you must hurry because it ends today! You've got to visit her store too, Nunie's Attic. She has beautiful things there and great chandeliers as well. She also has the cutest rooster lantern! Go check out her site. You won't be disappointed! Have a beautiful weekend everyone!!

So Much Catching Up to Do!!!

2007-11-08T18:03:00.000-08:00

Wow, it feels like I have been away for months, although 11 days may as well be months because I have missed my blogger friends so much!!

Anyway, we all had a great Halloween. Lots of candy has been enjoyed by all - including me who has had entirely too many Twix and Kit-Kat bars. Well, okay, and Almond Joys and Snickers - you get the idea!!

Where have I been? What have I been doing? Well, let me show you.

You see, at our house, Christmas is a HUGE deal and it takes quite a while to decorate for this beautiful and holy season. Everyone gets involved, we even had one of my little 5 year old's friends over helping us put the trees up. Today we moved on to the lights for the trees. We will put up and decorate 5 full size Christmas trees, at least 10 mini tabletop trees, tons and tons of garlands and lots of little white lights (all tastefully done hee hee-not too over the top) It will take the next few weeks to get it all done! This is why we start so early. Don't get me wrong, we love Thanksgiving too just as much, however, we like to have all of the Christmas decorations up by December 1 so that we can enjoy them for the whole Christmas season. Here is a little sneak peak at what we have accomplished so far. We'll put up the real trees as it gets closer to December. That way they'll stay fresh. I'll post the remainder of the pictures once it's complete and once it gets closer to Christmas!

I've been busy working on Christmas items for my shop too! Also, the Vintage Tree Topper Swap is under way so I can't wait to get started on that! Donna over at Under the Red Roof is hosting the swap. You should definitely wander over to her blog and pay her a visit. She is incredibly talented and has a great blog!

Well, I will close for now but I will be back with lots more to share and I won't wait 11 days to do it! Have a lovely evening everyone!

Happy Birthday Katie

2007-10-28T21:44:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to my sister Katie!!! I hope you have a great day!!

Look at This Beautiful Moon!!

2007-10-26T17:47:00.000-07:00

Since it's pouring down rain and we can't see the beautiful full moon tonight, I thought I'd post this picture I took from our driveway of last month's full moon and pretend it's tonight's moon. That way if anyone else is missing it because of the rain, you can just pretend right along with me - LOL!!

Enjoy!!

And the Winner Is....

2007-10-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

First of all, I must apologize that the winner was posted much later than promised! Today was a half day of school for my kids so things have been a little hectic around here today. Okay, so anyway...the time has come to announce the winner!

This is how I came up with a winner. I wrote all of the names on little pieces of paper and then I folded them up and put them into a bowl. I had one of my boys reach into the bowl and pull out a name.
And this is who he picked...drum roll please.....Kari & Kijsa...yeah!!! But...we weren't finished just yet. You see, I had such fun making the banner that I made another one and my son had such fun picking the name that he begged to pick another one. So...I let him.

And this is who he picked...are you ready? The second winner is Manuela of The Feathered Nest. Yeah!!!!! Congratulations!!

Congratulations to the winners and thank you so much to everyone who participated in my very first giveaway! I thoroughly enjoyed reading about all of your special traditions. I had such a good time doing this and I can't wait to do another so stay tuned!! Have a great afternoon everyone!!

Hooray! Hooray! A Blog Giveaway!!

2007-10-23T09:53:00.002-07:00

Welcome to my very first ever blog giveaway!!

I thought of doing a Halloween themed giveaway, however with Halloween being next week, by the time your prize arrived to you, Halloween would be just about over. So...that brings us to the giveawy that I chose instead! With November and December fast approaching, the Holiday Season is almost upon us. What I've decided to do is this: Just leave a comment to this giveaway post telling us what your favorite holiday tradition is - what do you and your friends/family love to do each year? Whatever you celebrate during this time of year, we'd love to hear about it! The contest will run from now until midnight of this Thursday (10-25-07). I will compile all of the names and then draw one from the list. The winner will be announced on Friday morning! Be sure and spread the word!

This is what you will win!! It's a cute banner that I made especially for the winner. It's done in sweet pinks and greens - lots of roses and gingham, polka dots and glitter! Each flag of the banner has a pretty, sparkly white letter that spells out "DREAM". They're all sewn to a cute pink and white polka dot ribbon. Darling for a little girls room or for those of you who decorate in the shabby chic fashion at Christmas, this would be perfect for hanging along a mantel!

Enjoy
and have fun!!

Beautiful Sunrise This Morning

2007-10-23T04:56:00.000-07:00

Good Morning All and Happy Tuesday!

Would you look at this beautiful sunrise? After I put the kids on the school bus this morning, I came back home to let the dogs out in the backyard. This was my view!! Just breathtaking. The amazing thing was, it was pouring down rain at the same time.

Then, when I turned around, I saw this beautiful rainbow! Wow!! What a start to a new day!

Well, I hope you all have a lovely day and I'm headed off to the grocery store.

Scone Recipe

2007-10-21T18:46:00.001-07:00

As promised earlier, I have that scone recipe to share. This is my friend Monica's recipe. As much as I'd love to take credit for it, I cannot. They are so easy and quick and ohh so moist and delicious. Anyway, here it is:

Monica's Cream Scones

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. You want a nice, hot oven so these scones will rise nicely.

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 TBSP baking powder

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream

3 TBSP melted butter (to brush the tops of the scones before baking)

about 1/4 cup (more or less to taste) Heath bits-o-brickle toffee bits (to sprinkle on the tops)

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and white chocolate chips in a medium sized mixing bowl. Pour in heavy cream. Stir ingredients until just combined. Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead lightly 7-8 times. Make sure you don't overwork the dough. Shape into a round about 1 inch thick and cut into 8 wedges. Place wedges on a foil covered baking sheet. Brush tops of scones with melted butter and sprinkle tops with Heath bits-o-brickle. Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes until just lightly golden brown.

Serve with whipped cream, lemon curd or raspberry jam.

Enjoy!!!

These can also be made with dried cranberries, raisins, chocolate chips, etc....just substitute whatever filling you choose for the white chocolate chips. Also, you can sprinkle sugar on the tops instead of the toffee pieces. Whatever you're in the mood for. This recipe is so versatile.

Happy Sunday!

2007-10-21T11:16:00.001-07:00

Happy Sunday everyone!

I made white chocolate scones today with toffee crunchies sprinkled on the top. They were so delicious with a cup of tea this afternoon! I spent the better half of the morning with the kids organizing their rooms and now they have a friend over so they're busy playing and having a good time.

So, I have been thinking about how I need to re-do my craft room. (I've been inspired by Penny over at Lavender Hill Studio) You'll have to take a peek at her blog.

I have a challenge though. My crafting room is in an unfinished part of our basement. I need to figure out a way to make the room as cozy and girly and shabby chic as I can. All while the exposed studs and wires and water heater are keeping me company - hee hee! I think just getting it organized will be a huge first step and I do have some white fabric hanging to hide the 2 X 4 studs. Actually, despite all of these things it really is a great space. I just need to cozy it up a bit. Any suggestions?? Please?? LOL!

Anyway, I do hope you all are having a fabulous Sunday afternoon and I will check in a little later to share that delicious scone recipe!

Have a lovely day!

The Things Kids Say

2007-10-20T20:06:00.000-07:00

With Halloween just around the corner, I thought I'd share this cute little story. My five year old said to me this evening in his best scary monster voice, "Mamma, do you know what a mummy is?" So I thought I'd play along and I said, " Hmmm, is it a CREEPY Halloween costume?" He says to me, "Uhh, no mamma, its just a creature all wrapped up in toilet paper!" I just thought that was too cute. Have a great evening all!

A Good Mail Day!!

2007-10-19T15:32:00.001-07:00

I went to the mailbox today and what did I find???

My super, fabulous Great American Aprons pattern book that I bought from Whimsy Pink!!

I just love it and would you look at that beautiful piece of fabric that she included with it? Oooohhh that is definitely going up on my inspiration board!! You should check out her lovely blog at http://lauraspretties.blogspot.com

Thank you!!

Look at This Gift I Received!!

2007-10-19T06:55:00.000-07:00

I just had to show you this beautiful brooch that my good friend Laura made and gave to me! Isn't it wonderful??? I love it so much! Thank you Laura!!!!!!

I've Been Working Hard Today!!!

2007-10-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

Pink bird topped wood box

Pink and green toile nightlight

Cake plate with painted aluminum cover

Here are some items that I made this afternoon to go in my little Classy Rabbit Shoppe! I've got plenty more to be added but alas, the school bus will be here soon and I must go and get the kidlets! Have a great day everyone!

My Goodwill Table Before and After Pics...

2007-10-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

Remember the story I told you about the table I found at Goodwill for just $5.00?? Well, I finally got it painted and I've just posted some before and after pictures.

Here it is before the makeover

And here it is after the makeover. I think it looks soooo much better now! But then, I think almost any piece of furniture looks better painted white!! Ha Ha!!

A few of my favorite pretties on top of the table.

Have a beautiful day everyone!!!

Vignettes

2007-10-14T18:45:00.000-07:00

A few of my favorites throughout our home

I love to decorate using little vignettes anywhere I can. On desk tops,

on the countertops,

tabletops,

buffets,

armoires,
shelves,
etc, etc...

They're such a wonderful way to showcase all of your flea market treasures and they can be changed whenever you want to give the room a whole new look! I especially like to change them with the seasons or when I come across some new finds at the flea market. Some of my favorite items are tea sets, old vintage fans, sea shells and pretty silver trays just to name a few!!

New Web Site!!!

2007-10-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited that the website is up and running! I have a couple of my products added but certainly not all of them yet. I will be working on it all weekend. If you have a few moments, hop on by and take a peek. I've got a link listed on the sidebar of my blog or you can go to http://www.theclassyrabbit.com/. Thanks and have a great evening!

Beautiful, Crisp Autumn Day!

2007-10-12T15:53:00.000-07:00

I'll be the first to admit, I'm a lover of the hot, summer weather and we've been really lucky around here to have the warmth stretch so far into fall. It was in the 90's on Monday and Tuesday of this week and then it dipped into the 80's for Wednesday. When we awoke Thursday morning to temps in the 50's, I realized that fall is finally here! It was so windy and chilly but...it was the perfect day for a trip to the pumpkin patch and a bowl of hot soup for lunch.

I think when the air becomes crisp and I can curl up with a good book and a pot of tea, I just might have to admit that I really do like fall but shhh...don't tell anyone I admitted that!

So today we went to the pumpkin patch. When we arrived, a wagon of hay was waiting for us to take us on the best hayride ever. The air was so crisp and the sky was so blue, it was a beautiful day. When we got to the pumkin patch, everyone scrambled down from the hay and immediately went on a search for the "ultimate" pumkin. There were green ones, white ones, and big orange ones too and of course plenty of decorative gourds. What a fun day on the farm it was!

Happy Autumn everyone!

Good Morning

2007-10-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

Look at these cute little boxes I found at the craft store last week.
I thought I would fill them with little goodies

for the other moms at the school bus stop for Halloween.

Any suggestions as to what to fill them with?

I was thinking definitely little chocolates and maybe some of those

Bath and Body works trial size lotions. They smell so yummy!

Any other ideas??

A few more fun little flea market and yard sale finds.

Have a beautiful day!

Another Great Find

2007-10-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

I just had to share this one! I saw a picture in a magazine of the cutest little coffee table - painted white of course and I thought Hmmm I really think I need one of those for my living room. It's one of those oval shaped ones with the really sweet Queen Anne legs. So anyway, I suddenly start to get the itch to go to Goodwill. You know, just to "look around". Maybe they will just magically have one there. You know how that is - hee hee. So I go and I'm walking through the store and don't you know I found one buried under some stuff. I could not believe it. But it gets better. I start moving some stuff around only to find the price tag - $5.00 - can you believe that?? Of course I had to buy it. So I get to the register and the lady says to me "oh I'm so glad to see that table is going. It just arrived 20 minutes ago and now I don't have to find a place for it over in the furniture section." Oh I love it when I listen to that little voice that tells me to go on a junking jaunt - LOL!

So, long story short, I now have one of those cute little Queen Anne coffee tables for my living room. I'm going to take some before and after pictures which I will post as soon as it's done.

What a day. Have a great evening everyone.

Erin :)

Exciting News!!

2007-10-09T17:10:00.000-07:00

Some baby blankets I made with matching burp cloths.

I have exciting news!! I am going to have my very own online shoppe soon! I have wanted to do this for quite awhile now and I finally decided to just go for it. The site is currently under construction but should be finished up in the next day or two. Then I'll add my content and jump right in! As soon as it's done, I'll post the web address! I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself hee hee! I'll check in again a little later. Have a good evening!

Hello

2007-10-08T18:48:00.000-07:00

Hi,

A great big hello from The Classy Rabbit. I'm new here in the blog world and so I'll tell you a little about me. As you can probably tell by my blog name, I love to collect vintage rabbits! They are just so darn cute, I can't help myself. LOL!! I also love pink and anything vintage and shabby chic. I love to decorate and shop the flea markets, estate sales, yard sales etc... To me it is a great treasure hunt and the thrill of a great find is so addictive! I find happiness as well in a pot of tea and a really good book. Life's simple pleasures are what make me happy.

So anyway, I decided to go to the local flea market today just to have a look around but of course I found something. The cutest little Lefton china rabbit caught my eye. He had the sweetest little face complete with rosy cheeks and ears. He even had a little pink on his sides. Of course I had to bring him home with me! Rabbit and pink? Definitely a find :) I also found the sweetest little divided baby dish and as an added bonus there was a little rabbit family on the front of it. Call me crazy but I bought that too!

Well, it was a productive day at the flea market. Good night to all and sweet dreams!