Metamorphosis Monday

Ok, so I'm joining Susan and the gang over at Between Naps on The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday, but I think I'm kinda pushing it for calling this a makeover!

I was dinkin' around in my studio, and was working on a top secret project. I didn't want any Joe Shmow waltzing in, and I was thinking, "I need to make a KEEP OUT sign for such times." And I thought of those old fashioned "Do Not Disturb" signs that you'd hang on a room doorknob. I happened to have one I picked up at a Thrift Store for yeah, 10 CENTS! Am I a bargain shopper, or what?

So I stared at it and thought I'd like to have it a little more clever and not so rude as KEEP OUT and thought of a little royal saying I'd heard or seen somewhere...I stamped it out on a sticker, slapped some scrap wallpaper on the hanger, stuck on a cigar label, plus used a couple of well-placed rubber stamps, and Voila!

I was going to take a picture of it hanging outside my studio, but found my camera battery was depleted...and it was too dark by the time I was ready to take the picture. Oh well, I'm sure you get the idea.

So there's my goofy Met Monday creation!!

Check out the others... they're way more imaginative than mine. ;-)

Have a great day!!

Another Blogger's having a Giveaway!

Oh my goodness! Deb, over at Yaya Chique is having a big ol' Texas Giveaway!! I JUST found out about it...it ends tonight. Pop on over there and check out all the fabulous goodies!!

Have a lovely Sunday!! ;-)

Gratitude Journals

A good friend of mine, Joanne, is a Life-Coach. When I was going thru a rather forlorn time, she encouraged me to start a Gratitude Journal. "Don't make a big deal out of it (she knows me well)....just write two or three things you're grateful for at the end of the day..even a word. Like your breath, your heartbeat".

Well, an amazing thing happened...as I focused on things in my life that I was grateful for, my view on life shifted. My attitude adjusted towards the positive. Nothing physically had changed in my life, but I 'felt' better! Yeah, I know..you already know all this. Funny thing is, I did too. But sometimes one finds themselves suddenly in a funk and has no idea how they got there! Like me. I wasn't paying attention to what I was thinking about. What I was dwelling on. And there I was again...in my pity pool!

Joanne's gentle encouragement to start a Gratitude Journal helped me get back on track. I found I liked the little journals..I could keep it in my purse. Sometimes I'd keep it handy in the car because often when I'm stopped at a light, I see something that inspires me, or thoughts come to me that I want to record right away.

So I made a couple of extra journals and listed them in my esty shop in case anyone should be in need of one. I liked that they are small~it was less intimidating for me to get started on my list-- maybe you're that way too!

I like this little reminder. It's stamped on the back of the journal as well as this cute little tag that comes with it..serves as a little bookmark for ya!

While I was listing goodies I also put this in the shop. It is this month's Mind Wide Open challenge.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~ Melodie Beattie

Tablescape Thursday~Courtney's Book Club

Courtney started a Book Club this past Monday, and to kick it off, she hosted a dinner party for her girlfriends who joined the 'club'! They are reading "When God Writes Your Love Story" by Eric and Leslie Ludy. When she told me she wanted to serve dinner the first night I said "Could I puleeeze to do the tablescape!!?" It didn't take much too much persuading to get her to agree. ;-)

So, of course, I ran about the house gathering old books for the center piece..

Courtney

 made personalized bookmarks for everyone, which served as 'place cards'..she also made journals for each friend..

The napkins were brand new from Goodwill...and serving as a placemat is MacKenzie Childs' paper napkins. I wanted to keep the setting  fresh, colorful and fun.

Another view...oh yeah! I just got those blue water (or wine) goblets at the Dollar Tree!!

The blue 'crystals' hanging from the candleabra are Christmas ornaments I purchased at 80% off  a couple of years ago..

...Thought this was a fun title, given the theme of the Book Club! :-)

There's a local antique store that sells these beautiful books for $2 each!! I just love the illustration!

So here are the journals Courtney made for her friends..

...and the back.I think her journals are lovely... I'm trying to encourage her to open an Etsy shop...Whatdiya think? Do you think she should give it a go?

Then my sweet daughter suprised me with this one she made especially for me!! What a sweetie!

Be sure to check out Susan's fabulous tablescape and MANY more who have participated over at

Between Naps on The Porch!

My First Table Top Tuesday

The lovely and talented Marty over at A Stroll Thru Life will now be hosting Table Top Tuesday. When she described it as showing all your table top displays and vignettes anywhere in your house, I thought "Well, this is just right up my alley!!" So I'm joining the fun and hope to play along every Tuesday! (It'll give me motivation to dust every week, too!!) :-D

To start off this week I am cheating just a little...you see, Marty had a 'Show Us Your Cloches' party last Friday and I totally forgot..so I'm taking advantage of this now to show a few cloche displays. I asked Marty if it were okay and she graciously gave me her blessing! ;-)

So this is my nod to Valentine's Day decorating. A little romantic vignette in the dining room.

My sweet friend, Judy, taught me how to paint the cherub. It was all white to begin with and with her magic touch with various paints and finishes produced this little beauty! The plate is one I decoupaged with the darling cherub image and gold and white tissue paper.

I stuck a little candlestick lamp under a cloche with a cherub and Valentine embellished bottle.

Under this small cloche is a picture of my grandmother when she was about 18 years old..

Also in the dining room, sitting on the dry-sink is another little lamp under a cloche. This one flickers, and a small little flower arrangement and a vintage pink ornament keeps it company.

In the sitting room is this angel under cloche with sheet music called "A Perfect Day".

Also in the sitting room is this little vignette under glass..just odds and ends that I found pleasing to the eye and just bunched them together in the cloche!

I have a music book opened to the song "Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms"..that was the song my mother used to sing to me when I was a little girl...

It sits upon the coffee table with a baby picture of my dad, a vintage beaded purse, a glass doorknob, and a candle holder. It sounds kinda funny when I write it out, but somehow it works in the display...

Well, THAT was fun!! Hope you enjoyed my first Table Top Tuesday!! Be sure to check out Marty's Blog for other blogger's wonderful displays!!

Metamorphosis Monday~Toni's Guest Room

About a month ago I was in San Diego and visited my dear friend Toni, and gave you a tour of her house.

Well, since then she's redone her guest room and sent me a few pics, so I thought it perfect to show for Metamorphosis Monday! Above is the before picture..

Drats! I transfered the pictures from email and they won't enlarge without going all blurry!

She had painted the walls a beautiful springtime blue,

and painted the shelf white and it's given this room a whole new fresh look.

Well, I hope you can get a little (pardon the pun!) idea of the beautiful transformation the room has taken. I am so sorry for the tiny pictures!! :-/ 

Check out Susan's blog at Between Naps on the Porch for large size pictures of transformations...be sure you have a full cup of coffee...you'll be there awhile looking at some great metamorphosis's!!

A Thank-You Gift for Karen..

Yesterday Karen over at My Desert Cottage received her thank you gift I sent her for helping me beautify my blog. I wanted to share with you what I did!

I saw this tutorial for making a photo wallet on You-Tube by Stampingholly and was so excited about it I couldn't wait to make one!

So after watching the video, this is what I came up with:

This is from one 12 X 12 double side printed scrapbook paper and it's all just folded!

Then you create tags to fit into the pockets.

I'm showing you both sides of the tags...

I recycled tissue boxes and cereal boxes and cut them into tags and covered them with various ephermera.

On the upper left corner of this tag, I found a sticker with a vintage postage image..it's dated February 14,

..Karen's birthday!! ;-)

Here is the back of the same tag. I put to use several rubber stamps, too!

Inside the book is space for two tags. One is tucked into the left and on the right, I glued on a small bag, stamped it with one of my favorite verses and tucked a shipping label tag inside..

Here is the tag that's tucked into the left pocket. I also have a collection of vintage scripture cards and I tucked it in as well.

The other side of the tag..

And here is the back.

A view of the back of yet another tag...

These are SO much fun to make! Hope you give it a try!