Saturday, October 29, 2011

{out of the loop- but I have a beautiful reason}

 My "day job" that I am lucky enough to do from home has been really, really crazy lately...consuming lots of my time...

...but...

This beautiful {young lady} is why I have been out of the loop lately...

...ranking {No.1} at Orange Belt Conference for the FLY as well as for both of her RELAYS. She ranked {No.3} for the BACKSTROKE.

Going into the District Meet yesterday in Winter Haven, FL, she was ranked the {DISTRICT CHAMPION} for FLY and both of her relay teams were ranked {No.1} as well...no small feat in a District our size.

Yesterday was no exception to how well this team works together.  Both our Boys and Girls Teams left he District Meet Ranking {No.1} and Olivia will head to the Regional Meet in St.Petersburg, FL next week in all four of her events. This is a big deal for her. She swam with two older sisters all through her High School years. They were both excellent swimmers, but she has taken the lead with them graduated and has truly excelled this, her Senior year. Both a Captain and a highly motivating and upbeat team player, she has made us proud!

She has always, always been a REAL LIFE {winner} in our hearts...
 ...staying true to her heart...not letting anyone darken her dreams...

...and we know that she is destined for great things! We love you Olivia!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

{ some fall decor and a happy harvest }

 Autumn, in all of it's {glory} is one of my favorite seasons. I love the change of colors. Even in Florida we experience a tiny bit of {fall} in the leaves and foliage around us...and on occasion, if we are lucky, in the weather.

The last few days have been {glorious} and the children and I have enjoyed sorting and placing out all of the harvest decorations.

Autumn decor is never quite as {warm} feeling in the day, so I tried to photograph our decorations in the evening...well taking photographs indoors, in the evening, even with a great camera is not an easy thing...

...this is what we were able to {harvest} out of all the images we shot...





The new {forever} jack-o-lanterns are wonderful...I love their soft glow, and endless life. A few white gourds and my favorite year round {pear lovies} and I feel as if I went to the Farmer's Market.
 Autumn colored leaves, on strands of silk garland, make all of my {white} pop this time of year. Touches of galvanized metal look beautiful with fall shades too...and while orange in not my favorite color, it works for {fall}.
 This kids always want {spooky}...I always just want {fall}. We meet in the middle. The mantel gets a lot of yummy strands of leaves and berries. For Halloween I add in strands of black silk oak leaves and a spooky, glittery crow. After the last of the {tricks and treats} have gone, I pluck out the {eery remnants} and let the rest stay in place through Thanksgiving.
 ...except for {Pepper}. She is a permanent, if not {spooky} feature.
 A few years ago I stumbled across a sweet Halloween Tree. This year I decided to mimic my Christmas tree's {tulle} skirt and placed a smaller version of one under the tree. I nestled some autumn goodies in the tulle and it is so sweet!
 I love the miniature orange globe lights on the {not-so-spooky} Black Tinsel Halloween Tree. Adding in a strand of silk magnolia leaves gives it some character.
 The foyer gets a make-over similar to the mantel. Lots of {Autumn} color, with some black silkies added in. The dried corn husk wreathe adds simple contrast to the black front door.
 A {sweet} spindly wreathe is an old lovie.
 A simple strand of fall leaves hangs in wisps above the double doors heading to the backyard.
One of my favorite fall plants is {bittersweet}. I have several pieces tucked in here and over the mantel.
 The kids love the {not-so-spooky} tree, as Sophie has so appropriately named it.
Her personal favorite? The {not-so-spooky} ghosts and pumpkins that hang from it.
 My desk plays host to {no orange}. I have to have my little bit of just {white}. Even at the holiday. 
One small white gourd perches atop a stack of cigar boxes that I painted.
 Another whimsical Halloween Cat stands guard over a tiny vintage bowl of cherry tomatoes.
The reason for his guardianship? These are very {special} tomatoes. Miss Sophia planted a tiny seed a few months ago. She has seen that seed turn into a giant flowering plant that stands over 5 feet tall.
A sweet {tomato and mozzarella} salad to be made very soon!
 I love vintage, and Holiday Decorations are no exception. This sweet tin {eek} sign is one of favorite 
Halloween items. It is a perfect mate to the {vintage} collection of statues I have.
White pumpkin and berry garland keep company with the statues.
 I love all of the white and lights. They make the {orange} more bearable!
 Since Miss Sophia had to have a shot of her favorite {not-so-spooky} Halloween Tree, Ethan had to have a shot of the {very spooky} Halloween Wreathe. It hangs from the mantel and has lots of spooky moss and black roses adorning it. Fall leaves and a Haunted House Sign add some fun. 
Ethan's favorite part of the wreathe? The wobbly-bobbly skeleton!
  The huge silver star above the mantel helps reflect the light. The autumn colored lampshades cast an eery glow. It is very pretty after dark, with the high lights off. I wish the photographs would have turned out!
Spooky fun and color everywhere!
 A vintage baby bathtub from an old orphanage in South Florida is filled to overflowing with a giant corn husk garland and assorted gourds and pumpkins...oh yes, and a stem of white flower. {for me}
 {oh how lovely! the top half of the {not-so-spooky} Halloween tree decided to sputter out just in time for this evenings photo session! Yeah!}

Hoping you and yours have a very { Happy Halloween } !

I will be linking up these {funky fall} decorations at Funky Junk Interiors - Saturday Nite Special!


Wednesday, October 19, 2011

{new etsy goodies}

 I have always had a love of leather crafting. I love the feel of the leather and the dimension that tooling adds.

{I love a process.}

I love laying out the design. I love the patterns, unique and original hammered out each time the mallet falls. I love painting in the details, planting a beautiful garden as I go. I love the staining. Taking the vivid color down a notch, creating a timeworn look, soft and weathered.

Each time a beautiful {process}. A routine. A ritual. An assembly line...

...a calming feeling.

 ...vintage seam binding tie closure adds charm to this cuff...
 ...LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!...
 ...a teardrop cut from leather, vintage beading, and a cabachon make for a beautiful pendant...
 ...these are my lovies...I love the vintage jewels. I have been collecting vintage jewelry for a long time, and finally I have found a way to use some of my favorite pieces...
 ...I fiddled with the stain and sealer until I came up with a beautiful {glazed} look...
 ...and the colors are wonderful. There is no rule for beauty in a garden, as there is no rule here...
More beautiful goodies coming to {etsy} soon!


{these are unique designs created for my etsy store. thank you}

Sunday, October 16, 2011

{sweet vintage hats}

 Just a few more delicious vintage finds for {Miss Sophia's Room}...

...aren't these little hats precious? They are the most beautiful shades of velvet and are covered in the loveliest findings...





...the berries, flowers and leaves are all a wonderful velvety {SILK} material.
 ...I can not wait to do a photo shoot with these alighted atop Miss Sophia's little head!
...the colors are amazing...there is no comparison to old world findings. The detail, and craftmanship is beyond compare.
Have a super happy day!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

{the beautiful wild west}

 I journeyed far from home recently, and my travels landed me in the breathtaking states of {UTAH} and {IDAHO}. My eyes alighted on sites that took my breath away. Overwhelming feelings of awe surged through my mind, flooded my senses, as I beheld the grandeur of of these raw and gritty patches of the {WEST}. To realize the uninterrupted allure that this part of our country possesses it quite astonishing.

Everywhere I was surrounded by God's artistry.

I felt a deep respect for the land in the simple beauty of a farm...

 ...considered the humble dwellings that swelled with years of life and living...
 ...realized the escape that the desolation of such a land can offer...
 ...imagined the immensity of God's greatness...
 ...felt the madness of nature in her most inelegant state...
 ...enjoyed the warmth of the landscape in one moment...
... and in the next, felt my smallness in the shadow of a towering storm...
 ...witnessed the change in God's palette...
 ...I felt a surge of happiness at the beauty of simple of things...
 ...I felt keenly aware of God's power in nature...
 ...there was thrill in leaving the {known} behind...
 ...and reverence for the {unknown}...
 ...I experienced the labors of a {local love}...
... and tasted the  proverbial {fruit of the vine}...
 ...felt comforted with the simple order of everyday things...
 ...observed delicacy in color...
 ...regarded Mother Nature with a wary eye...
 ...and admired Heaven from afar...
 ...I perceived the constant and steadfast loyalty in {ONE}...
 ...and the strength and dependability in {MANY}...
 ...I glimpsed a rare beauty, found only in the day's end...
 ...and felt the love and bond of {friendship}...
 ...I felt solitude...
 ...and fear of the unknown...
 ...I felt joy in God's unending gifts of beauty...

 ...and of color...
 ...I understood the perfection of the forest...
 ...my breath caught with the rise of the sun...
 ...my heart soared with her setting...
 ...I was a loving admirer of God's canvas...
 ...and rambled through his gallery, ever aware of his Glory.
I was a {traveler}.
I was a {witness}.
I was {BRAVE}.



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