Manger Scene Memories I am happy to join Diane for Creating Christmas Memories with Vignettes. She asked if I would create a vignette and tell a story and the first thing that came to me was to share this manger scene. This was the manger scene of my childhood. I happened to inherit it last Christmas. The thing I remember most about this was how crazy I was about Baby Jesus. I used to sit and look at this manger and stare and play with Baby Jesus; I was maybe four, it is one of my earliest memories. I have always been enamored with babies. I went … [Read more...]
Table art. If you're the creative sort, you not only enjoy setting an inviting table, you probably like creating something pretty for it, too. We are each blessed with some sort of creativity. I like creating with my hands and my camera lens. Sunday was one of those days when nature's bounty, creativity, a special gift, and beautiful weather all converged at the same moment. It was an amazing few hours. I had so much fun setting the table and photographing it. My husband, who so graciously went with me to the park to lend a hand, kept hearing me talk … [Read more...]
Inspiring Christmas Vignettes Hello. I’m so happy to be here today on An Extraordinary Day. Diane is such a talented and wonderful blogger and I was thrilled she asked me to share some of my Christmas vignettes with you. As Diane mentioned to me, vignettes are little snapshots or memories and as I combed through my holiday projects to decide what I was going to share here, it was a wonderful trip down memory lane. I hope you enjoy my projects. Creative Decor Vintage Button Snowflake Ornament | Miniature Yule Log | Apple Advent Countdown | Winter Centerpiece | Brown Paper Packages Advent … [Read more...]
Decorating for Christmas has often been one of my favorite things to do. Yet, some years, we can get overwhelmed with Christmas decor... Where do we begin and where do we end? There's the entryway, the tree for the main living area, wreaths, and garlands, and the list goes on. Today I want to help make Christmas decorating easier for you. I'm kicking off a weekly series... Creating Christmas Memories with Vignettes Every Wednesday between now and Christmas a different blogger will be stopping by with vignettes they've created to inspire you in your Christmas and holiday decorating. I'm so … [Read more...]
My heart sings for simple doable home decor. Even more... when it's inexpensive to make. Oh! And packs a WOW! Are you ready for a project that's all that and more? I'm going to show you how to create a flowery book page pumpkin that's extraordinary! The best part is that it's whimsical.... it delights children... and make adults smile. I brought one with me when I went to visit a friend and she fell in love with it. Don't you think it's looks adorable in her tabletop greenhouse. Sometimes we take seasonal home decor too … [Read more...]
Today we're making another stop at my friend's home to see her lovely living room dressed for fall. Earlier in the season I showed you her jewel-toned dining room, her stunning entryway, and I showed off my book page pumpkins on her screen porch. This past weekend I was at her home and finally the sun came out so I could get some good shots of her living room. In between a trip to the farmers' market and breezing out for a stop at the hob lob, I grabbed my camera and shot a few photos. I didn't take a lot of photos... this is pretty much everything. This was not a photo … [Read more...]
Last year I went hunting for acorns. I walked for what seemed like miles through the woods that rimmed the cornfield, eyes to the ground, carefully searching for those little nuts with cute hats. After expending all that effort in the hunt, I walked home with a small handful. That's all! This year I had success and found all the acorns I ever wanted! Please … “Pin-it” – Share it on Facebook – Stumble it! You know how you hear that there will be a bad winter when there are lots of acorns? Last winter was the worst I've known, and there were hardly any acorns in my neck of the … [Read more...]
With Sweetest Day coming up this weekend, I thought it would be fun to share a little vignette I recently put together at my friend's home. You might have seen her jewel-toned dining room here. Or her amazing tree-lined entryway here. Or her screened porch here. Today we're back in her entryway. She has the sweetest desk there and it made a perfect spot to create this vignette. Here's how it all started. Around Valentine's Day, I created a box disguised as a stack of letters filled with words of affirmation. (You can find the tutorial … [Read more...]
There's something special about a bundle of love letters wrapped up in ribbon. Want to top that? Create a lovely stack of letters that is a treasure box in disguise... Sweetest Day is just around the corner! Those of you who live in the Midwest are undoubtedly familiar with the special celebration in October called Sweetest Day. Saturday, October 18 is Sweetest Day, this year. It's a day created by Cleveland, Ohio confectioner manufacturers back in 1921. You might have thought this holiday was a creation of Hallmark since the greeting card manufacturers are enjoying this day … [Read more...]
Welcome to Project Inspire{d}! I am so glad you're here! Can you believe we're already a week into October?! And boy has October been different than the warm sunny days of September. I think it's rained every. single. day! As I type, I'm hearing thunder and seeing lightning. We've had so much rain that the little boats at the dock were nearly submerged. That's a LOT of water!! Well enough of the weather chat. I hope you have sunny skies and beautiful color wherever you look. Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by, link up your Great Ideas, link back, and leave your warm words. You … [Read more...]
It's true! I've been at it again..creating home decor with book pages. Today, I'm going to show you how to make pumpkins made from paperback books and create realistic pumpkin stems, too. Right now, pumpkins and gourds are overflowing at every farm stand along the road. They're beautiful and colorful and expensive. So...what'a gal to do when her pocketbook isn't filled with extra pennies for a plethora of pumpkins? Create them from book pages, of course! A nice tall book page pumpkin is easy to make. Crafting skills not required! And those amazing pumpkin … [Read more...]
If you've been following here for any length of time, you know how much I love book page projects. Creating everything from Christmas trees to medallion wreaths, to spring-flowering branches with book pages makes my heart sing. As summer rolled into fall, I got the itch to create another book page project. Any guesses as to what I might have tried my hand at? Yup! You guessed it! Pumpkins and gourds. Please "pin" and share this image. You really can create pumpkins and gourds from paperback books! Especially if you have a great … [Read more...]
You've just moved into a 70's house with flocked wallpaper in your main hallway. What do you do? I know this didn't require a moment of thought... "Strip it off, as fast as possible!" Now, I know that not everyone subscribes to that thought. I know someone who didn't want to deal with stripping flocked paper off the lath walls of her old farmhouse, so she painted it. The pattern was subtle and it worked for her dining room. But...I digress. My good friend tackled the flocked wallpaper challenge and won! After countless hours of stripping away that ugly old wallpaper, she had … [Read more...]
Raise your hand if you love the colors of fall. As much as I appreciate and enjoy a neutral palette with just a punch of color, the jewel tones of fall make my heart sing. When used beautifully in a room, those jewel tones of fall create a warmth and coziness that make me feel safe. Color is like that. If I were to tell you my favorite colors I'd tell you I love red, blue, green, and yellow. Not usually all at the same time. Except in the fall. Then, I want them all! For the most part of the last nineteen years I have … [Read more...]
Have you ever wanted to bring someone a bouquet of flowers, or have a beautiful vase of fresh flowers in your home, but didn't have the extra money to pick up something from the grocery or florist? Unless you live in a concrete jungle, I have a great tip for you.... Look along the roadways as you travel and start to notice all the wildflowers growing along the byways. That is where I found the flowers to create this arrangement for my friend who just had knee surgery. Over the years, I've noticed that when I gather these bouquets, the flowers just naturally complement each other. … [Read more...]
On these hot summer days, we're all looking for ways to feel cool and comfortable. One way to feel cool as a cucumber is to surround ourselves with cooler colors likes blues, whites, and greens. Last summer I had fun playing around with a tablescape in coastal blues. What blues are coastal blues? Just look at your favorite body of water. Notice the many, many shades of blue. Use them freely and you're off to feeling cooler and refreshed. Who knew it would be so easy. Now go check out my Casual Coastal Tablescape here. Can you believe that in a … [Read more...]
Getting together with friends is one of the most challenging things about long distance moves. Living five to nine hours away from each other means we stay connected via Facebook, email, and of course, by phone. But, there's nothing better than being face-to-face, is there? Recently I was able to spend some time with a dear long-time friend. After getting into town, I joined her and her family for breakfast. After a delicious breakfast of baked stuffed raisin bread french toast, we covered three coastal towns and visited some of her favorite thrift shops, enjoyed … [Read more...]
