Happy Labor Day!

I hope all my U.S. friends have a happy and safe Labor Day! 

Updated to add:  Happy & safe Labour Day to my Canadian friends too

Charm School Saturday

Liz at Rose Vignettes is hosting "Charm School Saturday".  She's asking bloggers to join her in showing off your charm bracelets.  I originally told her that I didn't have a charm bracelet but then I remembered this one!  It's not your traditional charm bracelet. It's a beautiful work of art from Joy at Cupid's Charm.   It's made from broken china.
I bought this last Spring as a gift to myself.  Every time I wear it I get complimented on it.  I love Joy's work and have a few other pieces of hers as well!
Head on over to Liz's blog and see her beautiful charm bracelets!

Enough with the white, bring on the blues!

I Love the Blues!, originally uploaded by Romantic Home.

Thank you all so much for a comments yesterday. I know I should have ignored that person and in the future I'm going to try to do that!

I'm still going through a little bit of a blogger's block and I realized yesterday it's because I haven't been buying any pretties and I haven't been working on any projects lately and that seems to be what my blog is all about! But, I also always try to show you something that I think is beautiful so here's another mosaic made from photos I found on flickr (the middle photo is mine though). I think I could start a blog called mosaic of the day...I just love making these! If you ever were curious how to make one you can just click here.

I'm so happy it's a 3-day weekend. It was 101 degrees here yesterday but it's supposed to cool down tomorrow. I've been taking a break from my many projects I have lined up but I plan to get back at it this weekend and paint my two chairs below....you'll have to come back to see if I painted them white....or blue! Or maybe I should work on the bathroom wallpaper project...

Edited to add: Click here for the story behind the chair above.

White, white, white, white...

This is for Anonymous who left the comments below on my post called "Inside & Out ~ I Love White Homes"

Anonymous said...
It's not that they look cold, they just look like an igloo. I think white is for snowmen, hospitals....and igloos.Signed,Frosty.

Anonymous said...
Oh, and sheep are white too. Most of the sheep that post on here like white. Baaaaaah humbug

When I read those comments from you I figured you must have stumbled upon my blog by mistake and felt the need to comment. I thought it was really funny (except for the part where you called my readers "sheep"). I could have deleted your comments but I chose to keep them there. I'm a little baffled that you came back to my blog yesterday and left this comment:

You've been Frost biten! said...
I love Marthas Vineyard because it's not White! Signed, Frosty

I love that you signed it "Frosty" since you said in your previous comments that snowmen like white! I guess I've rubbed off on you now! I made the mosaic above just for you and your new love of white. I hope you like it!

You know I love Martha's Vineyard right?

It's more like I'm obsessed with Martha's Vineyard! When run across photos like these, my heart skips a beat! I found these on Flickr and got permission to share these with you. Click here to see a lot more of her photos from Martha's Vineyard. (thank you cafechatelaine for letting me use your photos)
These are from illumination night which took place last Wednesday, August 20th. It's annual tradition where all the adorable gingerbread cottages in the Oak Bluffs campground hang lanterns from their cottages. Someday I'm going to plan a visit to see this! Can you imagine how beautiful this must be at night! There are over 300 cottages in the campground so I'm sure it is a beautiful sight to walk through and see.

There are a lot of photos of Illumination Night on Flickr...click here to see them (I just realized that not all the photos that show up in this search are from MV but they are still pretty). If that's not enough you can visit MV Obsession (click here) and visit a blogger that is more obsessed with Martha's Vineyard than me. Trust me, if I lived on the East Coast I would be vacationing there a lot more often!

Tablescape Tuesday

This worked out perfectly...I had nothing to put on my blog today and I happened to hear about Tablescape Tuesday hosted by Susan ~ Between Naps on My Porch (also known as Moonlight & Magnolias on Rate My Space). She has the most beautiful tablescapes...some people are so gifted with the talent to set a beautiful table and she is one of them!
These are actually old photos that I pulled off the computer so I hope you don't mind seeing reruns. I wasn't even going to post at all today so I'm glad this opportunity came along. I seem to be going through a "Blogger's Block" lately. I hope I'm not all blogged out!
These photos were taken awhile ago. I still have my old dining room table and the hutch is stark white. I've toned that down a bit since then. This is my summer beach cottage tablescape. I had so much fun creating this. It was like I was little girl playing house. So head on over to Susan's blog to see the other bloggers that are participating in Tablescape Tuesday.

My New Plant Stand

I went to Marshalls on my lunch hour last Friday and I found this plant stand for $19.99! (excuse the messy topiary on the right (above), it really needs to be trimmed)
I originally was going to use it inside but for now I put it outside and just transplanted some impatiens that I already had.
I love the Fleur-di-lis detail! I couldn't believe this was only $20.00!
Remember my living wreath? It's really starting to fill in nicely but there is something strange growing on the top left-hand side. I didn't plant this! I was going to pull it out but I decided to wait and see what it becomes. Maybe it's a morning glory??? It has heart-shaped leaves. Anyone know what this could be? Perhaps it's just a weed? I'll keep you updated if it blooms. I think a morning glory might look pretty trailing down the side of it as long as it didn't get too big!

Inside & Out ~ I Love White Homes!

photos from www.countryliving.com

I can't get enough white! I love white interiors ~ some may say they are cold but to me the are fresh and soothing! White linen with crystal chandeliers....I love that look!
Old white homes with white wicker furniture on a wrap-around porch are my favorite!

Photos from www.countryliving.com

White even makes bricks look better!

White gardens are so pretty!
White with a little blue...perfection!

Photos from www.countryliving.com

All photos above are from CountryLiving.com ~ a wonderful place to visit to be inspired!

The photos below are from my trip to Martha's Vineyard 2 years ago. I love white houses with black shutters and there are blocks and blocks of them in Edgartown. I walked up and down so many streets looking at them and I still daydream about them often!

Vintage Seam Binding

I went to the thrift store on my lunch hour on Monday and found all these rolls of vintage seam binding for only $4.00 total.  
Someday I plan on getting artsy and try my hand at making some tags and bookmarks so these will come in handy.  Don't you just love that old packaging?

Also I found some good blogs recently.  Did you know Rachel Ashwell herself has started a blog?  Click here.   

If it's a funny blog you are looking for then click here to see some poorly chosen photos from Real Estate Listings.  Now I understand why there are so many "fix your home up before you sell it" decorating shows on HGTV!  What are people thinking?  Shouldn't Real Estate Agents know better than to post these horrible photos? 

How To Make a Seashell Wreath

Awhile ago I promised I would show you how I make my button wreaths and I just never got around to it....so sorry! I did make this shell wreath and it's made the same way except with shells instead of buttons!

You will need a styrofoam wreath form, ribbon or strips of muslin, shells or buttons (lots of them!) and a hot glue gun.

The first step is to wrap the ribbon around the wreath form and secure it a few times with a dab of hot glue here and there. For my button wreaths I ripped strips of muslin fabric and used that to wrap around the styrofoam. Either works fine because you won't really see it once you're finished.

The next step is to hot glue the shells (or buttons) on. Very easy just time consuming! Make sure the shells are going in different directions. I first added shells to the top and then added them to the inside and outside rim. Then I added small shells in the gaps to fill it in. I finished off my adding more shells on top to give it dimension.

To hang it you can just add a ribbon. If you prefer you can twist a piece of florist wire around the wreath and twist it at the top to make a little loop. Do this before you start adhering the shells so it will be hidden underneath them. The DIET....someone left a comment yesterday asking how it's going... Actually the NutriSystem food is pretty good. This was my dinner last night and I was supposed to have a salad (or fruit serving) with this but I wasn't that hungry. I grilled my asparagus on the grill which is my favorite way to cook veggies! I have a little grill pan (bought at Marshalls) with holes in the bottom and I toss the veggies with a little olive oil (which is allowed on NS) and grill them on the BBQ. Sooo much better than steamed veggies!

I've lost 6 lbs so far. The weight doesn't seem to come off as fast as it did when I was younger that's for sure!!!

Laundry Basket Makeover

I've been wanting to replace my big ugly plastic Rubbermaid laundry basket for awhile. I've been looking for a wicker one that I could paint but they all seemed so cheap looking to me. Then I found this very sturdy one at a thrift store. It was perfect for the project I had in mind.
I used the same painting technique I showed you yesterday but used blue paint before I did the whitewash over it. I originally wanted to make a removable cover that folded over the top with the lace hanging on it but it was so much harder than I imagined because the basket is tapered at the bottom. I struggled with it for awhile and finally gave up and gathered the top and hot glued it in. For the inside base of the basket I covered a piece of cardboard with batting and fabric and hot glued that in. I still really wanted to add the lace so I just hand sewed it on in a few places around the basket. It didn't turn out as great as I had imagined but it's still better than the ugly plastic basket...unless you are a 15 year old girl who asks why we can't just have a plastic one like everyone else!

A Picnic Basket Project

Remember my thrift store picnic basket I found for $5.00? I painted it this weekend and I'm so happy with how it turned out!

First I spray painted it green using Rust-Oleum American Accents paint in Seaside Green.
Then I diluted a creamy white craft paint with a little water and brushed it on it small sections and wiped it off with a rag to give it a whitewashed look.
You can see in the photo above the three stages. The left is just the dry green paint, the middle section has the diluted white paint applied and the right has the white paint that has been wiped off.
I love how this turned out and now I have a beautiful picnic basket for less than $10.00.

I recently found this outdoor fabric to make pillows for the patio. I just have it wrapped around the pillow for now but Beau doesn't seem to mind!

Have you seen the cover of the September issue of Country Living? OH MY GOSH! I LOVE IT!!! I'm seeing a lot more blue lately in the magazines! You know that makes me happy!

I also made a laundry basket using this same painting technique as above but with a different color. I'll show you that tomorrow.

My soon-to-be new home!

I just wanted to let you all know...I plan on winning HGTV's 2009 Dream Home Giveaway! It's like this home is just calling my name! I usually don't enter these Dream Home Giveaways but this one is in Northern California! ...in the wine country! I've always wanted to live up there! It would be a little too far to commute to work every day but I'll deal with that when I win it! Maybe a 2 hour commute each way wouldn't be too bad???? I'll have an extra bedroom so my blogging friends are welcome to come visit! We could go wine tasting and shopping together!

REALLY, I'M NOT JOKING! I'm going to win this! (maybe I've been watching "The Secret" a little too much??)

Click here if you want to see more of my future home!

Recent purchases

A few of you asked if I bought anything at the shop I showed you yesterday. No, I didn't because I have been trying to cut down on my spending. I have made a few small purchases though. These little bunnies above came from a thrift store. They were $2.99 each and I just had to have them. They have a "Made in Japan" sticker on the bottom so I'm thinking they are probably from the 1960s or older. Lauren called me at work yesterday, she had just noticed them sitting up on the shelf with my chintz and she said they were scary looking with their pink eyes! I think they are cute! I'll probably put them away until Easter though.
This planter above I bought at a vintage shop that was having a big close out sale and I think I got this for $7.00. I love all those roses!

After seeing Carolyn's beautiful green picnic basket I knew I wanted to find one to paint also. I lucked out and found this one for only $5.00 at the first thrift store I went to. I've already painted it but haven't had a chance to take a photo of it yet so I'll show you that next week!
I found this to add to my Christmas Village collection. I have a few Dept. 56 pieces and some cheaper ones. This one is marked Dickens Collectibles on the bottom but I'm not sure if it is a Dept. 56 piece or not. Mine are packed away so I can't compare the marks on the bottom. It doesn't really matter if it is or not, I still like it and for $5.00 it was a great deal!

We have a winner!

Denise who left the comment below is our winner:
Anonymous said...
Hi Cindy!Your blog is truly delightful and I think I got a couple of great ideas for Christmas gifts from delight.com. Hooray!The RuMe Bags Reusable Totes - Silicon Valley are the perfect gift for my friend and I am trying to take my own bags to stores now so that would be my choice. Thank you,denise

Congratulations Denise!!! ...but really you are all winners because Delight.com would like to offer you all a 20% discount on any order over $35 now through the end of August. Just use the code: CindyDelight. HOW GREAT IS THAT!!!

Also sign up for the DelightDish, their weekly newsletter that also has lots of special offers, invitation to events, and newsletter only sales. Click here to sign up!

Thanks to all of you for entering and thanks to Delight.com for hosting this giveaway!

Three Sisters in Willow Glen

This is a cute little shop in Willow Glen (San Jose, CA) that I went to on Sunday. I asked if it was okay if I took some photos to share here and it was. You can click on the photos to enlarge.

I hope you enjoyed your visit!

Do you know the way to San Jose?

Willow Glen is a quaint little area in San Jose, California and just a few minutes drive from where I live in Campbell. I lived in Willow Glen years ago and would love to live there again someday. It's just full of beautiful old homes. I drove through some of the streets on Sunday and snapped some pictures from my car to share with you.

This one below I had to drive by fast because I used to date the guy that owns this. Actually I don't even know if he still lives there or not but I didn't want to take a chance. We dated for just a very short time about 18 years ago, right after my first divorce.

Here's another shot as I'm driving by. I see a basketball hoop...hmmm maybe he's had some kids since I knew him. Around the corner from his home was my little house. I moved here when I first got married in 1979. I was a very young bride, just a month away from turning 19 years old! My in-laws bought this adorable little house for us which was right around the corner from them. We lived there, happily married, for 9 years. The first 7 years it was just the two of us and then baby Vince came along (the room with all the windows in the front was his nursery.) A couple years later the fairy tale ended and divorce became my reality whether I wanted it to or not. I stayed there about a year after he moved out and then my in-laws sold the house and I moved into my very first apartment. It was a hard time for me...I loved this home. It had 3 bedrooms, 1 very small but cute bathroom and a huge backyard with a swimming pool and lots of fruit trees. It looked so much better when I lived there than it does now! They cut down a tree that was planted near the truck. We had it painted a gray-blue with white trim. Every time I'm in the area I have to drive by this...so many memories!

I hope you enjoyed your tour of Willow Glen. There are a lot more beautiful homes there so I'll go back and take some more photos soon.

Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway (click here). Today is the last day. And if you haven't seen my product review yet for the new JC Penney line called Linden Street (click here).

My Romantic Home~The Movie!

The other night I was playing around with my mac using iMovie and I made this video which I tried to put on YouTube but I got an error message so I thought it hadn't been uploaded. I had stayed up to 1:00 AM on a weeknight doing this so it was really frustrating when it wasn't working.   This morning I got a comment from someone who saw it on YouTube and reads my blog!  I had no idea it was even on YouTube!  Of course, I had to sneak my kids into this (the dog too)  and it was a challenge to get them in at just the right moment in the lyrics but I did it!  So here is my first iMovie...

Gifts & Tagged!

I received a beautiful gift in the mail this week! Ginger~Enchanting Cottage sent me these gorgeous toile canvas grocery bags...6 of them! (you can click on the photo to enlarge) I love them! They are something I would have bought if I saw them. I couldn't wait to use them so I've been bringing my lunch to work in one of them this week!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was tagged by Carolyn~Wings of Eagles last Sunday to list 5 things I love. Thank you Carolyn! This is an easy one!

1. My family

2. Being enthusiastic ~ I feel very fortunate that little things make me happy!

3. Rain! We don't get rain here in the summer and I really miss it!

4. Decorating! Why I didn't choose this as a career ~ I just don't know!

5. Thrifting, flea marketing and finding treasures

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sandy ~ Lu Lu's Fluffy Ruffles gave me the awards below! Thank you Sandy!

I hope you all have a great weekend! I plan on starting the chair I bought at the flea market months ago!

Plate rims

I'm copying this idea for a post from Tales from an OC Cottage. It was such a good idea I couldn't help but show you my plate rims. Are there any other plate lovers out there?

I blame my mom for this obsession. I think she blames her mother...

A Giveaway

Awhile back I asked you to please visit Delightful Blogs and rate my blog. So many of you not only rated my blog but left the nicest comments. The people at Delightful Blogs had never seen anyone get so many votes! They came up with an idea to host a giveaway here on my blog and I agreed as my way of saying thanks to all of you!


Their sister site is called Delight.com and they have all kinds of wonderful products. To have a chance to win, you just need to go to Delight.com (click here) and pick the item you would like to win and then come back to my blog and leave a comment here with the description of the item (please be sure to include your email address if you do not have a blog). They will choose a winner through a random drawing and if you win....drum roll please....you will win TWO of that item! One for you and one for a friend! The deadline to enter is Tuesday, August 12, 2008.


Here is just a small sampling of what you can find on their website:

So go run on over there and run back here and leave your comment! Good luck!

New things!

Remember when I went to the new shop in my city called Vintage and Vogue? Well I finally got around to taking pictures of my very small purchases. I really could have spent a lot of money in there because there were so many beautiful things but I restrained myself!
This little vintage compote dish which is turned upside down with my grandmother's candy dish on top was one of my purchases. Sorry....It's kind of hard to see upside down. I forgot to take a picture of it before I did this. I just attached them with museum wax so I can take them apart later. Museum wax is used to hold breakables down during earthquakes but it also works for stuff like this when you don't want to use a permanent glue.
The other item I purchased is this bird hook! I love this! It's going to be a hand-towel holder in my downstairs bathroom....if I ever get started with that project. It's the wallpaper that is intimidating me. If it were a matter of just painting the walls, it probably would be finished already! I plan on painting this either an antiqued white or blue. The wallpaper is about the same color as the pillow I have this resting on in the photo.


Remember a couple weeks ago when I polished all my silver? I just want to say that I am never again going to use TarnX again! The silver started tarnishing within days of using that stuff! Plus so many of you left comments that it can ruin silver. I'm going to update that post to include this information. I'm going to go back to using Wrights Silver Cream!

Updated: I bought my museum wax at "Bed, Bath & Beyond" but if you don't live in an earthquake area it may be hard to find. If you click HERE you can buy it from Amazon.

Moving things around

Yesterday I was in the mood to move some things around. That tiered table used to be next to the sofa but it was too crowded over there since I bought the hutch so I moved it over to the other side of the room.
In it's place I put my small tray table. I even put the lemon drops in another jar. This jar came from Costco last December. It's so heavy!
A couple weeks ago, I moved my Christie Repasy painting (it's actually a canvas print, the originals are out of my budget!) from my bedroom to my dining room. I feel like I can really enjoy it more now that it's downstairs!
I don't know what it is about moving things around that makes me happy. I love how everything looks so fresh and clean with just a few changes!

We had fun selling at the flea market on Saturday. I made about $90. Most of my things were only $1-$2 each. My highest price item was a wine rack for $20. Lauren made about $70 just from cleaning out her closet! She was thrilled! The only thing I bought there was lunch! It was hot so I really wasn't in the mood to walk around much. It was fun just sitting in our booth and doing some people-watching.

Later this week I'm going to have a great giveaway so make sure you check back for that!

Inspiration from flickr

Beautiful Flickr Favorites, originally uploaded by Romantic Home.

There are so many beautiful photos on flickr! I can just get lost there for longer than I should! These mosaics are another fun thing you can make on the Big Huge Labs site, www.bighugelabs.com.

I took a vacation day today. I'm selling a bunch of junk at the flea market tomorrow. I have to clean closets today and get everything piled in my car so I can hit the road before the sun comes up tomorrow! I need to stay focused and get this not-so-fun job done and try to resist the urge to read blogs today! I hope everyone has a great weekend!