wallpaper emo

So, the exciting news is that we are rebuilding our garage to house cars on the bottom (duh) and a studio for our artistic and antique-y pursuits over the top (a second floor). It should be done this spring. Of course, being the decorating sort that I am, I've been dreaming of how the interior will look. Its essentially a garage apartment with a small bath and small kitchen and one biggish space. I have been pretty true to the French salon inspiration, but have been pondering the details. I have a few small French antique pieces tucked away here and there, awaiting placement when the time comes as well as some statuary and architectural pieces. I'd also like to make this space the home of my crown collection. All the while, I must also leave myself room to create and have the nuts and bolts of an art studio in place. For a long time, I've wanted to have an all white or cream and white space, but as I am out in cyberspace, gathering ideas, I come across the black and white theme. I've always loved a bit of black in every room...I think it really adds some needed punch, even in a relatively pastel environment, but this is a bit more than that. Looking at these photos, I'm starting to think there might be a change in tack. If not for the studio, then perhaps in the main house (wow, that makes our place sound so grand...believe me, it isn't!). Maybe the downstairs bathroom...maybe the upstairs bathroom...hmmmmmmmmm. Dreaming in black and white...who knew it could be so VIVID??? Well, I must get ready to go to work so this train of thought will have to be put aside for the moment. If anyone wants to send me some super inspirational links for a French salon/art studio/garage apartment, please feel free!



Until next time,

Happy Pink Saturday! I hope this finds you well...my second Pink Saturday appearance, thanks to Bev at "How Sweet the Sound" who is hosting this event. As I was taking pictures for an item to be put on Our Cottage Garden, I said to myself, "Self, wouldn't this painting be just ADORABLE for next week's Pink Saturday?" And apparently, Self thought it would, indeed, be adorable, so here it is for your perusal. It is a painting from a gal in my local area. She does really pretty and sweet little vignettes, among other things. I love the fancy kitty in the bottom left. Cats just seem to make a house a home, but that's probably a personal bias I have...I'm a Leo, born in the year of the Tiger, how could I NOT like cats?! But I digress. The painting was just so cute and, well, PINK! AND it had all those cozy elements like a big comfy couch, lamp, roses, and the aforementioned kitty. It evokes a smile when you look at it, doesn't it? I must admit, unlike lots of ladies, I don't think pink is the beat all to end all, but I do enjoy throwing it around here and there to inject a little femininity to my surroundings (much to my boys' chagrins). A TIP FROM THE QUEEN: I do tend to buy pink tools for myself because then my husband doesn't inadvertantly take my stuff and put it in his toolbox. A big man with a pink hammer would definitely have some SPLAININ' to do to his buddies! Hey! I just got some inspiration for next week's Pink Saturday post.

Until next time,

I just finished reading "The Shack" and I have to share with you that it is absolutely the best book I've ever read. My cyber pal Lidy had a post on her blog a few days ago about it and I became intrigued and bought it for myself. WOW! It is such a powerful novel and I was amazed at how moved I was by it. Whether you are a religious person, not a religious person, or, like most of us, somewhere caught in the middle and not sure exactly how you fit in, I think you will love this book. I'd love to hear from you on your thoughts about the book if you've read it. Enjoy your weekend...

Until next time,

Well, after a much needed break from my Ebay auctions, I FINALLY got all of this week's offerings put on. It seems that I'm always in a crunch to get the photos taken, pictures cropped, descriptions written. I know I should be more organized, but the fact of the matter is, I'm just not. I'd like to think that in 2009, the Organization Fairy will suddenly descend upon my life and fix everything that is, shall we say, not working to its optimal capacity. Sigh...a girl can HOPE can't she? One year, I discovered the Fly Lady, http://www.flylady.net/. It was a true revelation. I did, indeed gain a great bit of organization that year, but then the next "thing" came along that derailed me (I don't even remember what) and I scrapped her bits of sage wisdom and fell back into my old bad habits. Do you all have these problems with being overbooked and underdisciplined and overwhelmed with life? I will qualify this question by saying that I am living the life I love for the most part, its just the details that sometimes make me crazy. Please send me a comment and let me know that I'm not alone out here in Disorganizationville! In the meantime, here's a mosaic of this weeks' offerings. There's an antique French net lace collar, a lovely Victorian painting featuring pretty little violets, a neat silk embroidery embellished vintage sewing kit filled with notions, a really cool shell that is decorated with shell roses, a handpainted serving dish featuring beautiful pink roses and dated 1915, and a handpainted brooch featuring gorgeous pink roses and blue forget me nots, circa 1900. You can reach my auctions by clicking the button on the left sidebar of my blog, should you be moved to do so. Otherwise, just enjoy the photos and have a great day! Click anywhere on the mosaic to see a larger version of the pictures.

Until next time,

As I sit here trying to figure out how to balance working at my "real" job this weekend, visiting with my long lost godson who is visiting from out of state, and returning to creating new Ebay listings after a 2 week break, I got the urge to share with you some of my favorite Ebay listings from 2008. I enjoyed doing the mosaic for My Romantic Home's End of Year party so much, I decided to create some more. I only sell what I would love to have in my own home, so, while it makes it fun to shop, it does sometimes make it hard to sell. I'm glad to have my photos to refer back to since it does help me to feel like I still have some piece of these beautiful items which have since gone on to different homes. I have a definite "look" that I sell and I find that helpful when shopping because I love LOTS of different antique things. If I didn't limit my purchase choices, I'm afraid I'd have more than I could EVER list! That being said, I should get these tired bones to bed so I can make the most of the time I have this weekend and get some pretties listed for Sunday evening. Okay, after I watch the "Best of" show on HGTV with Candice Olsen-she is SO WONDERFUL. If you haven't caught "Divine Design" on HGTV, check it out at http://www.hgtv.com/divine-design/show/index.html and see when its on in your area. In the meantime, enjoy the photos. BTW, you can click anywhere on the mosaic and it will enlarge the whole thing so you can see the pictures better.
Best wishes for a healthy and happy 2009!