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Saturday, April 7, 2012

Easter Peeps and Chocolate Bunnies

I spent my day gardening and cleaning today.  It's always nice to have that organized feeling after a hard day of work.  Not that I am organized, mind you, but I feel like I accomplished a lot. 
Last year I found this adorable little advertising box at American Home Antiques in Ventura, California.  It's a quaint and charming little shop in a seaside town.  I always find something I just have to have.  If you follow my blog, you know by now I have a fondness for these little Peeps so it was only fitting I scooped up this precious little cigar-style box.  I don't think it's old.  Probably a reproduction, but it is adorable.
 I stuffed it with some of my little critters from the 99 cent store.
 Don't they look happy?  Below are two of my faux chocolate bunnies that I have had for years.  They look like the real thing.  I tucked some herbs in an old enameled roasting pan.  I love the green and the soft yellow color.  Perfect for plants.  I think I am going to have my husband drill some holes so I can make this permanent and allow drainage.  The pan really isn't useful anymore as a roaster.
 I do love these little guys.  They always bring a smile to my face.  Happy Easter everyone.
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Thursday, April 5, 2012

Rock-a-bye Baby

Can I just say this is the prettiest rocking chair I have ever seen?  Oh if I had a grandchild, this would definitely be mine.  I love the soft colors and the worn paint and the details of the cut work.  No, it's not in my space.  Wish it was though.  It belongs to a fellow dealer, and I'm not sure how she can bear to part with it. 


The details are exquisite.  Yes, this is a very special piece.  I hope it finds a good home soon.

Thanks for taking a peak.  Stop by again soon.
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Mondays          The House in the Roses       Debbie Doos         The Graphics Fairy
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Tutus and Tea Parties       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage   
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style           Primp         Faded Charm Cottage            
                                     Fine Craft Guild     It's So Very Cheri Bloghop     Ivy and Elephants
Thursdays        Embracing Change     The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here 
                                     Tablescape Thursday
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    At the Picket Fence     Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Decorating Insanity
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors



Stationery Warehouse Vintage Typography

It's Thursday and it's that time of the week.  I don't know why I am calling these vintage typography.  This is a true antique piece of ephemera.  It's dated April 13, 1893.  It hails from New York and is addressed to Globe Printing and Binding Co.  Look at this beautiful penmanship.  I am having so much fun reading all the information on this invoice.  Who knew business could be so fun.  Check out that phone number in the upper left hand corner. 

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you have a wonderful day.
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I'm partying at...


Mondays          The House in the Roses       Debbie Doos         The Graphics Fairy
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Tutus and Tea Parties       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage   
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style           Primp         Faded Charm Cottage            
                                     Fine Craft Guild     It's So Very Cheri Bloghop     Ivy and Elephants
Thursdays        Embracing Change     The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    At the Picket Fence     Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Decorating Insanity
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors



Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Paris Market 4

This is my final post on the Paris Market in Savannah, Georgia.  You can tell I spent a lot of time in this shop studying its every morsel.  Maybe because I myself am a dealer and I know how hard it is to collect this many items to create wonderful vignettes such as I found here.  I also recognize the talent of whoever took part in putting these displays together.  In every nook and cranny of this beautiful shop there was eye candy that one rarely comes across. 
I know you are all being patient with my current obsession with bird's nests.  I also love branches, twigs, and anything galvanized that belongs in a garden.
 This collection of watering cans was extensive.  They looked great amidst all the floral color.
 This table was set with white ironstone and linen.  Very pretty and natural.
 I must try weathering some of my new pots.  These all had great patina.  If they were reproductions, they were sure convincing.
 Do you see the green books in the background that are stacked?  I saw stacked books everywhere that were similar colors and sizes.  Really made a visual impact.
Still strolling through more books.  No Kindles here.
 No, not a Kindle in sight.  The next photo is one I really enjoyed.  Animal crackers and a circus banner.  There was something for everyone here.  I will study the photos and aspire to recreate the look in my own small way in my space at Aubergine Emporium.  I have sold almost two thirds of my space in the last two weeks.  Hip Hip Hooray!!!!!  It was a long cold winter in this economy but I am seeing signs of life once again.  This will give me a chance to reinvent myself, and I will try to bring you new photos of our spring look and my space as well.  Thanks so much for indulging me as I strolled through this entire shop.  I hope you enjoyed it too.
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Mondays          The House in the Roses       Debbie Doos         The Graphics Fairy
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Tutus and Tea Parties       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage   
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style           Primp         Faded Charm Cottage            
                                     Fine Craft Guild     It's So Very Cheri Bloghop
Thursdays        Embracing Change     The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    At the Picket Fence     Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Decorating Insanity
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors



Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Feather Your Nest

I've been doing a lot of cleaning up in the yard, cleaning out the shrubbery and getting things ready to take to my space at the shop.  I've had this bird house for a couple of years.  I brought it home to place a cross bar in the top so that I could hang it.  To do that I had to unscrew the metal top.  Needless to say, I never got around to it and just left it in the little side yard with the top on and the screws out.  Looked fine all this time.  Saturday I pulled it out and decided to put the screws back in and take it back to the shop the way it is.
 I knew I had to lift off the top and carry it from the perches to get it back in the garage to finish the job.  When I lifted off the roof, this is what I found.  A little bird had managed to go up under the eaves and build a nest.  Not just any nest, but an exquisite delicate perfect little nest!  This is unlike any other nest we have had in our garden and what a pleasant surprise to find it still intact and perfect as nature made it.  I was so gleeful to find this, I gently removed it and right now it is being stored in a sideways pot, waiting for it's permanent home somewhere in a very special place.
 Here are some of my other nests I have collected.  I purchased this one from Julie O'Keefe's Home and Garden.  I love the little spotted eggs.
This is one of my favorite nests because it is rather large.  I stuck one of my moss bunny stakes in it and filled it with white roses.  My little mother goose is keeping a watchful eye.
 I redid my terrarium in a more neutral color tone and added three nests to it, a couple of birds and some pretty green moss balls.  I love the natural color scheme.  Very peaceful and relaxing.

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I'm partying at...


Mondays          The House in the Roses       Debbie Doos         The Graphics Fairy
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Tutus and Tea Parties       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage   
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style           Primp         Faded Charm Cottage            
                                     Fine Craft Guild     It's So Very Cheri Bloghop
Thursdays        Embracing Change     The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    At the Picket Fence     Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Decorating Insanity
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors



Monday, April 2, 2012

Packaging Labels

For this project I used various Graphics Fairy images to make packaging labels.  As many of you know, I am a dealer at Aubergine Emporium in Simi Valley, California, and when I find things to sell, sometimes it's easier to package the items to sell them as a lot instead of individually.  Even though I did this project for sales labels, it could be applied to party favors, stocking stuffers, goody bags and a whole host of other things.  How about cute packaging to put in your child's lunch bag?
 I went to the party store and purchased a package of 25 clear cellophane bags.  They were very inexpensive.  Then I selected various Graphics Fairy images that I thought might apply to my subject matter.  The ant blocks got an insect label.  The silverware got a pretty French label and my kitchen goodies got some beautiful red cherries.

 To print the labels select print and then choose to print four 3 1/2 x 5 inch labels to one sheet.  Cut the images out so you now have four separate images.  Then I took one sheet of card stock and used spray adhesive to attach the image to the bottom half of the card stock.  To do this you will want to place your card stock in a horizontal position.  Each piece of card stock will take two images side by side.  Cut the card stock down the middle.  Now fold the card stock in half with your label on the bottom so you have a flap that will go over the top of the cellophane bag.  You may have to trim the card stock on the back side a little bit to make both the front and back of your label the same size.  Place it over the top of the cellophane bag and staple on the sides to keep the bag closed and your label in place.  I tried to conceal the staples in the image so it would not show.  Very easy project with lots of potential for so many uses.
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Mondays          The House in the Roses       Debbie Doos         The Graphics Fairy
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Tutus and Tea Parties       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage   
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style           Primp         Faded Charm Cottage            
                                     Fine Craft Guild     It's So Very Cheri Bloghop
Thursdays        Embracing Change     The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    At the Picket Fence     Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Decorating Insanity
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors



Sunday, April 1, 2012

Moss Bunnies Diorama

Remember when we were children and we had to make dioramas in class?  I remember those very well.  Even my children had to make them.  Back then we used shoe boxes.  Doing one of these again made me feel like a child.  Especially playing with the Easter bunnies.
 I purchased this container at Home Goods because I thought I could use it for garden vignettes which is what this is essentially, but you could use an aquarium or an open bird feeder.  Let your imagination go wild.  I filled this with an old oil funnel and placed the nest in it and surrounded it with the Easter straw stuff (not sure what it's called).  These are paper mache carrots with feathery foliage.  If you did this for an Easter buffet centerpiece, you could use real carrots with the tops.
I found the moss bunnies at Julie O'Keefe Home and Garden in La Canada.  They are precious little plant stakes.  I can use these year round.  The roses are left over from last week's Trader Joe's bouquets.  Yep!  They are still beautiful, aren't they?
 I wanted to do something with my clip art.  Nothing like waiting till the last minute.  Couldn't come up with anything brilliant for Easter so I cut a couple out and used double-sided tape and placed a  couple to the back glass to make a back drop.  Worked great.  If I start the day after Easter, maybe I'll be ready to share 4th of July clip art before the last minute.
 I stuck in a couple of the peat pots I did with the little wire handles wrapped in foliage.
 I set it all on top of more Easter grass straw.  I tossed in a few pastel glittered eggs and there you have it.  I did remove the front glass from this so my foliage and flowers could hang over the edge.  Also made it better for photographing.  Like I said, this would be great for a buffet centerpiece.  Thanks for visiting.  The bunnies thank you too.
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I'm partying at...


Mondays          The House in the Roses       Debbie Doos         The Graphics Fairy
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Tutus and Tea Parties       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage   
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style           Primp         Faded Charm Cottage            
                                     Fine Craft Guild     It's So Very Cheri Bloghop
Thursdays        Embracing Change     The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    At the Picket Fence     Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Decorating Insanity
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors