My Favorite Posts of the Year

Taking another page from Kim at Cheap Chic Home, here are my four favorite blog posts from this year that did not make my all time most viewed blogs.  These French signs are my favorites and are the only ones as of this posting that have not been sold.  I have sold a couple others similar to these so I know it will take a special person to purchase them.  Also I do not want to separate the pair.

 This crate was a very popular post as well and one of my personal favorites.  It has since gone to a good home.  This was a fun crate to transform and it attended one of my first link parties.

 I adore these pumpkins.  They were, believe it or not, my second post on October 25.  I thought they turned out so cute, but, of course, did not get any comments.  I love them just the same.  They are full of fond memories of stepping into the unknown world of blog land. 

 My Great Find Cabinet has also found a good home.  It was hard to part with her, but I think she is happy to find permanent lodging.

Happy New Year and thanks to those of you who view my blog  You all inspire me to continue.  I wish for wonderful things for all of us in 2012.

Top Four Posts of the Year

I am taking a page from Kim at Cheap Chic Home and showing you my top posts since I started my blog on October 24.  It took me into November to figure out what the whole Link Party thing was all about, and I totally credit Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for her fabulous tutorial on linking up.  Thanks for all the help you experienced bloggers provide for us newbies.  I would be lost without you.

 My roses made from newspaper and coffee filters were my all time most viewed post.  Thanks to Debbie at our shop, Aubergine Emporium, for explaining the process.  Her wreath was my inspiration for these.

 I used a graphic from the Graphics Fairy for Spoonful of Sugar.  I am a paper-holic and Karen was one of the first blogs I started to follow.  I have another upcoming sign I am planning that will complement this piece.

 My next most popular post was this paper poinsettia from book pages.  I saw some paper flowers in a shop in Orange County and that inspired me to try a holiday flower. 

Last but not least was this incredible buffet my husband labored over forever to get it to the perfect place for resale.  I couldn't do this without his help.  He literally transformed this broken down piece of furniture into a thing of beauty that is now capable of being used for decades to come.  Thank you to all who inspire me.  It is the support that we give one another that makes the world a happier place to live.

Vintage Graphics

I feel like this week is a winding down week.  I am off of work and have family visiting.  I am not sure which new projects to start in the coming year, but I assure you I will hit the ground running on January 1.  That is usually how I work.  I purchased a new computer on Tuesday so I can hold more images and use my  computer to do more creative things.  For these endeavors, I rely heavily on my tech support team to make technology decisions aka my two daughters.  It amazes me how tech savvy they are, while we older types struggle to learn new skills.

Since I am still in this limbo state, I went through my graphics collection and found three new images you creative blogger types might be able to do some creating with.  I love this first one.  It is so simple yet complex at the same time.  I love the gray and white coloration.  I might try to create a Valentine's card with this one.

 The next two are very colorful for sure.  I happen to love the soft time worn vintage pinks and aquas.  There is something very romantic about them.

 Hope you can think of something creative to do with these.  Thanks for visiting today.

Field Trip to the Ronald Reagan Library

This week my daughter and son-in-law are visiting from Northern California.  Monday we went for a visit to the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California.  It is a beautiful facility and has amazing exhibits of our history.  We got to actually go on board Air Force One which is permanently housed in a huge hangar.  Of course it is not the current Air Force One, but it is the actual one that President Reagan used.

Now normally I hate to have my photograph taken, but I thought I would share this one for the blog.  I really need to get more updated pictures for the blog in general, but there just hasn't been time.  My son-in-law snapped this photo of my oldest daughter and myself in front of the President.  This mural is larger than life and makes us appear even more petite than we are, but it was still a fun photo op.

I am spending my day with my new computer, getting it internet ready and loading my various softwares on it.  I can't believe how much time all this tech stuff can take.  I know it will be worth it.  I can't wait to learn some Photoshop skills.

New Books For My Library

I love decorating books with a passion!  I would almost say I am addicted to them.  Although some of them are a bit pricy, a book is solid photography and great content while some of the magazines today are $10 to $12 and to me they are loaded with too many advertisements.  Here are some of the books Santa brought me for Christmas.  This one by Fifi O'Neill, Romantic Prairie Style, is incredible.  The other book is great as well.  Pale & Interesting is the title and it is written by Atlanta Bartlett (love that name) and Dave Coote.  Both ar recent books.

 I also received Photoshop Elements for Dummies and some other informational books on selling one's wares and growing one's craft business.  I do really want to learn better photography skills this year and I want to learn how to do awesome things with Photoshop.  Baby steps, baby steps.  I want to learn it all at once so I need to pace myself and set small goals so I don't get overwhelmed.

Recovering from the Holidays

I think the holidays have gotten the better of me.  We had a wonderful Christmas Eve, enjoyed a huge holiday meal and opened our gifts.  Christmas Day the guys golfed in the early morning and came home and dove into all the yummy left overs.  I am still feeling exhausted today from all the extra activities of December.  It is always one of the more enjoyable months of the year but leaves me drained by the final week.  It is also a good week to reflect on the year's events, goals and achievements and a time to make decisions for the upcoming year.  I am still wondering what the new year will bring and deciding what direction I would like to take.  I plan to grow my blog, learn more about photography, and set new personal goals to help me grow as a person.

I loved the simple arrangement my friend did for her holiday party last week, so I tried to duplicate it for our Christmas Eve dinner.  We have a long table so I did three clear bowls with cranberries and used one white Peony in the center of each one, surrounded them with pomegranate halves that I baked for a half hour to dry them and spread a few evergreen sprigs and put them on a long mirror down the center of the table.  They were the perfect height to converse over.  Peonies happen to be one of my favorite flowers and these were exceptionally beautiful.

My daughter found these cute booty socks at Target and we all had to take pictures of them.  I love Target.  They have great buyers and the merchandize is wonderful.

No slipping and sliding in these babies.  They were even skid proof. 
Last week I reached 32 followers.  Woo Hoo!!  That was very exciting for me.  I hope you are all recouping from the festivities.  My family is off to the Reagan Library for the afternoon so I had better get going.  Have a wonderful day.