Weekend Delights

{images via Oh, Mishka and Dwellings and Decor}

Creating little gardens in glass jars.

Crafting my own clues in a game of "I Spied October".

Checking out these tips on How to...Live Like an Artist.

Counting on this song to keep me dancing for joy.

Thursdays Creative Thrift

I'm not a big fan of halloween, but I sure do love pumpkins.  I think these are a few of the most creative, but simple pumpkin designs I have seen.  They're cute, funky and pretty enough to leave up for the whole season.  Sweet Paul is debuting his pumpkin designs each day throughout this week.

{all images and designs by Sweet Paul}

Flower Pins

I found this blog over at mustard and sage.  Alexis takes old clothing and does miracles with them and shows you how to do it too.  I would definately make this flower pin to add a little beauty to my accessories this season.

Loving this room today

{image via diy mag}

A gift from my friend

Today was one of those days for me when the clouds hang low over your head and it feels like you can't do anything real good and your not even sure if anyone even likes you. My mind seems to be scattered with too many thoughts and sometimes it makes me real tired.  But my spirits were lifted today when I came home and opened up my mailbox.  I got a little gift from my sweet friend Dee.  I had ordered one of her original collages, "bee free" and she sent along some goodies with it. 

I love the way it was wrapped up so pretty and simple with brown tissue paper and a raffia ribbon.  It was like opening the present twice because inside were all the goodies wrapped up in a silk green ribbon and a vintage hankie.  It smelled so good too because wrapped up inside the hankie was insense.  I love all of it Dee, the sea glass (collected by her in Vancouver, BC where she is originally from), the pretty Lollia soap, the washcloths, the insense and a sweet little vintage hankie.  Thank you for making my day and putting a smile on my face my friend.

Boxed up Birthday

{image by i luv sugar}

I saw this cute idea over at mustard and sage.  You can purchase all this birthday fun right here from i luv sugar.

Weekend Luau

So this is what I was doing this weekend.  Since I have degree in interior design friends always ask me to help decorate for parties.  This weekend we had a special Luau for Pastor Appreciation and I helped with the decorations.  I had so much fun doing this one.  Since we had a budget of zero, I had to get very creative.  That is usually the case, but I love the challenge.  A friend painted the backdrop above and others donated items for us to use.  I wanted to bring in the atmosphere of a luau as much as possible so I hung blue and green streamers above and strung dollar store flowers on twine to get that lush feeling.  The pictures don't quite show how cool it felt to be sitting under it, but you get the idea.

I don't really like to buy party store decorations because sometimes I think they look a little cheap, but I did go ahead and buy this grass table skirt because it looked better and was probably cheaper than I could make it myself.  For the buffet centerpiece I used terra cotta pots and bases.  I spray painted them a rustic gold and turned them upside down.  I loaded the bases with ferns from my backyard, tropical fruits from the grocery store and a few fake flowers from the dollar store.  I spent only $23 dollars on the dollar store flowers and they went quite along way.  Oh, and we can't forget about the tiki torches.  The congregation already had these so we just loaded up some buckets with rocks to keep them stable and added red cellophane and battery powered candles to light them up.

We have some pretty talented youth who provided the entertainment and there was plenty of Hawaiian food and dessert for all.  I even took home some leftovers.

Thursdays Creative Thrift

{images via Design*Sponge}

I spotted this on Design*Sponge today.  A felted screen that gives you some privacy, but also let's the light in.  This one is the creation of textile artist Chela Edmonds, but the cool thing is, she gives you all the instructions so you can make one yourself.  

Sweet Smelling Bubbles

I've missed you dear friends since I have been gone for a couple days.  Hopefully I'll have some good photo's to show you what I have been up to this Saturday.  Until then I thought I would leave you with some sweet smelling bubbles that I saw on Style Notes today.  These bubbles are made by a perfumer in France and they come in delicious flavors like Melon, Pear, Cold Mint and Cut Herbs.

Happy Monday!

{image by full of bliss}

Good Morning friends.  Did you have a good weekend?  My weekend was full with visiting friends and going to an engagement party.  I've got a couple projects coming up that I am working on.  I hope to have pictures for you when I'm done.  I'm not real good at remembering to bring my camera, or even if I do, I get so caught up in what I am doing I forget to take pictures, but since I've been blogging and I'm planning on getting my business going in the new year, I'll be working harder at doing this.  Hope your weekend was full of bliss.

Weekend Delights

My two favorite seasons are spring and fall.  I love them because they remind me of fresh new beginnings and seasons to come.  It's a time when flowers bloom and leaves show their real colors.  I love how the Lord gives us the seasons as a preparation to let us know when to plant and when to bring in the harvest, and when to open our windows or when to start bundling up.  During this fall season he paints us beautiful pictures with different shades of red, orange, yellow, purple, green and brown.  When the seasons change from summer to fall I like to warm up my home with pillows, candles, blankets and flowers, change my purse, eat and drink things made with carmel and snuggle up on the sofa with a warm fuzzy blanket.  Here's a few things on my to do list to get ready for the season.

Straighten up my home office and make a few changes.

Find just the right calendar for the new year.

Get out my favorite winter purse that my best friend knitted for me.

Would love to snuggle up with this blanket from Pottery Barn.

Eat lots of Washington Apples and enjoy the outdoors.

Make this Caramel Cake.

Thursdays Creative Thrift

This fabric decoupaged chair first caught my eye here which then led me on a little rabbit trail to it's photographer here and then to it's re-design here.  If you'd like to make, do and mend your own you should check it out here.

Cozy toes

The weather is getting a little colder here now and I'm thinking of ways to stay warm. Seems like every year around December I buy myself a new pair of slippers. These ones by French Press Knits look really cozy.

What's Your Interior Style?

{image spotted via Ada and Darcy}

I took this interior style quiz last week over at Ada and Darcy. I don't think the results quite fit me the first time, so I had to take it a second time. If you'd like to find out what your interior style is click here. Does the test match your style?

Happy Monday!

{image found via The Design Boards}

I spent my weekend practicing taking photo's for this on-line photo e-course. I'm not quite ready to show any of my photo's yet, but when I'm finished, if there are any good one's, I might post them here. How was your weekend?

It's a Photo Swap

Want to join this photo swap with me? You have a month to take pictures with a disposable camera or a roll of film and then you send it on to your swap partner to develop. Oh, the anticipation, not only to recieve your swap partners film to develop, but to wait and see what your own photos look like when your swap partner posts them on her blog. This will be a fun project for the visually stimulated and For the easily distracted...

All Buttoned Up

A few cute things made with buttons.

a. Button Magnets
b. Fabric Collage Clutch Purse
c. Button Napkin Rings
d. Too cute - flower button necklace

Thursdays Creative Thrift

{Image via How about orange...}

A thrifty way to adorn your gift packages. How about orange... has a tutorial on making these bows from a magazine page or a map like the one shown above.

Cupcakes in Cups

I saw these cute cupcakes in teacups made by Sweet Paul on say YES! to hoboken this morning. Be sure to visit Sweet Paul for the recipe and baking instructions.

A date in the city

I'm always longing for a day in the city. I love the sights the sounds, and all the hubbub. Everything always moving, always something going on. Being in the thick of things - people watching, window shopping, admiring beautiful old buildings with art deco design. The first place I visit when I go to downtown Seattle is my favorite, the Anthropologie store. So when I heard that a new store was opening up in Bellevue, I convinced my husband that we needed a well deserved date in the city. He agreed, so Saturday afternoon we got all dressed up in our hip city clothes, (which includes black of course) and were off for a day of city dwelling. Our first stop, The Bravern. A brand new contemporary but European inspired village in Bellevue where we shopped, ate lunch, and for dessert, tried the famous Trophy Cupcakes for the very first time. The lunch filled us up and the sweet, creamy cupcakes put us over the top.

After our filling lunch and dessert we decided to head over to Seattle to walk it off. We got to the Pike Place Market just in time to get a large bouquet of fresh flowers for only $5. I love the Market for all the sounds, the smells and a bountiful harvest of colorful, fruits, vegetables and flowers. I'm not so fond of the fish smell, but it wouldn't be the Market without it. We ended our day with our bags full of fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese and wine for a romantic dinner at home.

Happy Monday!

Isnt' this rose so soft and dreamy loooking? It's one of the last few roses from my garden. I'm just popping in real quick to say goodmorning and I hope you all had a glorious weekend! I'll be back a little bit later today with some pictures of my weekend adventures.

Thursdays Creative Thrift

{spotted on double takes}

Now, how easy is that! Just pile up your throw pillows and voila, instant sofa. This cushionized sofa was created by Christiane Hoegner.