My Lovely Cluster

I made a Sweet Valentines cluster over on Lovely Clusters.  Check it out over at Lovely Clusters for all the links and more pretty clusters.

Weekend Delights

{image via it's mary ruffle}

Spending the weekend at a house by the sea

Something extra decadent for dessert

Scrapbox for lifes meaningful moments

Sending a sweet message by way of sea

Thursdays Creative Thrift

Would you like a little CREAMUH and SHUGUH with that?

I spotted this super cute creamer and sugar on Ormalu.  Kaitlin was inspired by a similar set at Fishs Eddy, but...when the set was no longer available, she decided to make her own.  The creamer and sugar bowl were found at Target and she used black glass and porcelain paint and rubber stamps to spell out the words.  You can find all the detailed instructions right here.  Kaitlin also runs an etsy shop with all kinds of paper products and good things for organizing your files and office.

Show some sweet love...

DIY Valentine Goodie Bag;  Doily Pillow;  Valentine Cards;  Mini Sewn Paper Hearts

Knack

I love this new piece Barb did for a customer over at Knack.  She gives personality to every piece of furniture she repurposes and makes the pieces come alive again.  Knack is up for The Poppies award for Favorite Handmade Artists Blog, if you like her work you can place your vote for her over at Poppytalk.

Dreaming of...

{image by alicebgardens}

sunshine on my face, warm breezes, walks by the river, reading on the patio, ice tea and lemonade, skirts and sandals, walks on the beach, water on my feet, blue skies, garden tomatoes, roses and lavender

2010 Handmade Olympics

Have you heard?  Rikrak Studio is hosting the 2010 Handmade Olympics.  There are 8 fun and creative events to enter.  You can participate by nominating both yourself and another shop, blog or handmade item.  There will be a gold, silver and bronze prize packs valuing over $2000 USD in handmade and vintage prizes.  Nominations for entry end January 31st and voting begins on the top ten in each category February 8th.  So head on over to the Rikrak Studio and LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!

Feed Your Soul

I just stumbled upon this before Christmas.  Have you seen it yet?  It's the free art project from Indiefixx, called Feed Your Soul.  I might be a little late in finding this, but I'm glad I did so I can share it with you too.  This is just a sampling of the many pieces of beautiful art that is available for free downloading.

Taking Time Out For Prayer

My heart feels saddened for others this week.  I am having a hard time getting passed it and I need to take time out to pray, to get on my knees, to cry out for help, to pray for healing, provision and restoration.  In addition to the devastation in Haiti, a fellow blogger, Gina Drennon from the shop Feather Your Nest lost her husband suddenly to a heart attack.  She is in need of support and you can read her story here on Knack.  This hit close to home as a dear friend of mine lost her husband as well to a heart attack on Christmas Day, for which I will be attending the memorial service this Saturday.  In addition to this, I had a little scare Saturday morning when my son called to tell me that he had hurt himself badly snowboarding when he slipped on some ice and ended up wrapping his body around a tree.  Thankfully he was wearing his helmet.  He hurt his leg, but after resting it all day yesterday and today, he is going to be fine.  Just a lot of saddness hitting my heart these days, and some things I need to be thankful for too, so forgive me if I take a little blogging break. 

{you are____________}

Love these sweet valentines I saw on Love.Obsess.Inspire.  Fill in the blank with these cards from Little Aviary.

To Do Today

I'm sorry I don't have my usual Thursdays Creative Thrift post up today.  I've been putting off quite a few things I have on my to do list and I'm in need of getting organized and writing everything down.  I'm using this To-Do List today designed by Anna.   If you are in need of a new to-do list today, she is sharing her free download for you to print out at home in two different sizes.

To My Love

Happy 14th wedding anniversary my love...

{You Have My Heart card seen via Erin ever After}

Old Renewed

You know how we've been talking about renewing our spaces this year.  Well I added a few "new to me" blogs to my google reader a couple of days ago and while skimming through the plethora of posts yesterday, these pictures caught my eye. 

This is the work of Bonnie Forkner, a mountain living, home-crafting, knitter, gardener, candle maker, cook, jewelry designer, illustrator and a keeper of chickens.  This is some of her new work.  In her travels she has collected old frames and prints and has given them a second chance to be cherished by bringing them home, cleaning them up and giving the frames a fresh coat of white paint and adding a few words about what the picture says to her.  Her new shop is called Old Renewed.  She also authors the blog, Going Home to Roost and runs her first etsy shop where she sells her bright and woodsy handmade pillows, aprons and dish towels.

Singing in the Rain

While it's snowing in the rest of the country it is raining here.  I'm kind of glad it's not snowing though, because I'm ready for spring.  I found a few things to make the rainy days fun, or if you're wishing for rain you can make your own rainy day song with this raindrop melody maker.

{image found via delightful blog}

{My umbrella stiched print by Laura Amiss}

{raindrop wall stickers by Studio Violet}

{image via P is for Party}

Thursdays Creative Thrift

See this little dressers life evolve from a painted little happy clam

to absolutely gorgeous Silver Leaf Glam!

I love watching the progress of all the projects going on over at Pearl Street Interiors. Jenny has an amazing eye when it comes to decorating and refurbishing furniture. I've had this silver leaf dresser saved in my "projects to do" file for a couple of weeks. I promised myself and my husband that in the next couple of months I would do something with a few pieces of furniture I have stored out in the garage, or get rid of them. I really don't want to get rid of them because I have a plan for them...you know how it is.  You can see all the befores, afters and in betweens right here on her blog.

All buttoned...uh...wrapped up?

This package is just the cutest, don't you think?  I have never seen a button-up shirt used as gift wrap before.  I know the holidays are over, but red and white go quite nicely with Valentines Day.

DIY Painted Centerpieces

I've seen this done with white, but I really like them in black too.  I saw this idea on Twig and Thistle.  Kathleen collected miss-matched glass and ceramic pieces from the thrift store and painted them with a flat black paint to make beautiful wedding centerpieces.

Interior Inspiration

I decided in the New Year that it was time to do a few updates to my interior decor.  I've lived in my home for four years now and there are a few empty spaces that are just dying for me to decorate them.  Here are a few pictures of interiors that I have been inspired by lately or have been stashing away for awhile now.  I haven't narrowed anything down yet, but my design wheels are beginning to turn.

{image found via gathering spriggs}

I have an Ikea corner sofa that I've had for about 6 years and it previously had a white slipcover over it, but I just purchased a new gray for cover it.  I'm inspired by this room above with it's gray sofa and the brightly colored pillows just kind of squished into it and laying all haph-hazard like.  This room has a cozy lived in look to me.

{image found via made by girl}

I have very tall ceilings and still need to do something in the entry way.  I have a couple of different ideas and this is one of them.  I really like the design painted on these walls.  Something like this might go well in my dining area as well.

{image found via auburn & ivory}

I would really like a new chandelier above my dining room table.  When it comes to accessories, I like alot of twists and curves.  I've been looking at designs like these or ones with hanging white capiz shells.

{image found via made by girl}

It's always been my dream to have a garden room.  This space is inspiring me to add a few plants here and there.  I'd like to get a bunch of them at different heights and sizes and put them near the window in my office or on top of one of the bump out walls in the loft.

{image found via coco+kelley}

I like the black framed mirror in this room and the picures lining the walls.  I still have yet to put up any family pictures.  Should I do this in my entry area or going up the stairway...decisions, decisions.

{image found via Simply Grove}

I think this table and hanging lamp shade would look so cute in my kitchen.

{image found via made by girl}

I just like this room becuase I'm attracted to all the pops of color.  I love the turquoise door frame and raspberry credenza.

{image found via P is for party}

I want to decorate with this pretty garland and have a little party in my kitchen.  I seem to have quite a few of these little garlands hanging around my house lately.  I like them because they make my space personal and fun.

One Thing in 2010

So as I was looking for my list of goals that I had written up for myself in the beginning of 2009, I found my list of goals for 2008 and you know what was at the top of my list for 2008, "Get Files Organized". I guess I still need to work on that goal, because I still haven't found my list of goals for 2009. It's okay though, because I have decided not to compare myself this year to my lists of goals, but to follow a few bits of advice from Michelle Ward, a life coach and blogger of When I Grow Up.  She has suggested to accentuate the postive with a short list of questions that encompass 1 Thing in 2010, so I've decided to do something different this year and take on her challenge. 

{image found via A Beautiful Ripple Effect, made by Everything Lovely}

1. If you were only allowed to have 1 Intention for 2010, what would it be and why?  Well, I think this print sums it up for me.  I want to, follow my yellow brick road...and be happy.  Oh...I'm only supposed to use one word right?  Well that word would be, Motivated.  I have good intentions, but sometimes I really need to work hard to get through them or motivation to just get started.  Sometimes when I start something that I really want to do and I get to a certain point, a little voice inside me says, why don't you just go back to what you were doing before, that way you don't have to worry about failing, rejection or dissappointment.  This year, this voice will not be bothering me, because I have banned him.

2. If you were only allowed to have 1 Goal for 2010, what would it be and how can you achieve it?  My goal for 2010 is to get my interior and event design business going.  I have already done a few pro-bono jobs in 2009 and had a few paying ones as well, so now I have a few pictures that I can pull together for a portfolio.  In Jan/Feb I plan to develop a website and get a new business license, and since my husband is a great salesman he will be helping me to sell my services.  I've decided it's okay if it doesn't go as fast as I think it should, because we do have an income to back us up.

4. If you had to get rid of 1 Thing in 2010, what would it be and why?  I know this one is going to sound like the resolution that is usually right at the top of everyone's list, but I'm serious about this one this year.  It would be, to lose 40 lbs.  Why, because I want to feel better, feel more confident and be taken seriously.  If I lost 40 lbs, I believe these things would be accomplished for me.

3. If you had to do 1 New Thing in 2010, what would it be? Will you commit to it now?  I want to take photography lessons so I can take better photo's of my work.  I plan on signing up for a class in the spring of this year.

5. What have you achieved in 2009? List it all!  Okay, here goes.  Homeschooled my son for his 11th grade year, so he would gain the confidence and skills he needed to attend a technical college for his senior year.  Celebrated my 13th wedding anniversary with my husband on January 13th.  Went skiing with my family in Whistler, BC in February, after not being on ski's for about 10 years and made it all the way down the mountain without falling...yeah!  Realized that I really enjoy Event Design since my friends kept asking me to decorate for their events and celebrations in 2009.  Started my blog in April of this year after two years of procrastination with a little help from the Blogging Your Way e-course held by Holly Becker of Decor8.  Went through training so I could be a volunteer for Care Net.  Found something to be grateful for during the entire month of November by having 26 days of Gratitude here on my blog.

Okay, it took me a little while, but I feel really good about my goals and intetions this year and my accomplishments for 2009 as well.  Do you have any intentions for 2010?