Friday Favorite

Today's Friday favorite is a jewelry casket I purchased at an antique show for $20.  Someone had damaged one of the hinges in the back (you will notice the top sits a little askew) so it was reduced from a price of over $100.  I did not care that it was damaged.  I have never seen another one like it although I am sure there are more out there.  I especially love the cherubs sitting on the top blowing horns.  I have a collection of these jewelry caskets which hold some of my compact collection.  As I was photographing this one I noticed it was dusty - oh well!

I did manage to finish the file drawer project mentioned in a previous post. I primed it, painted it and then used several stencils to decorate it. The drawer now holds some of my ribbons.  

This first photo

 is a view of the top of the drawer.  I used a

 swirl stencil on the front and a decorative scroll and damask stencil on the top and sides. On the back

 I used a scallop stencil. 

Friday Favorite

This is a cross stitched and embroidered wall hanging/quilt I completed about 10 years ago. It is four feet square and embroidered in shades of blue and white. It is one of my favorite projects and hangs in a guest room in my house.  It took me about a year to complete it.

My grandmother taught me how to embroider and I really enjoy it, but go in spurts with projects. 

I am now working on another quilt/wall hanging of the same size and it is taking me far longer to finish because I don't work on it consistently.  I have a goal to try to complete this project by the end of the year. We'll see!

LOVE THIS BOOK!

I just picked a copy of the book Vintage Vavoom by the editors of Romantic Homes Magazine.  I have thumbed through the book at least three times in the last week to look at the wonderful photos of vintage finds shown put to use in all areas of the home. The photos really are pure eye candy.  I think this book has been out for about a year now so I am late to the party,  but I am really enjoying it.

It has been nice here in Atlanta the last few days so I have been able to take the book out on the deck and read it there in the sunshine.  

My two four legged assistants have also been enjoying the nice weather.  Assistant 2 is napping on the job again.  

Friday Favorite

I just love this fingertip towel holder. It could be because it has a cherub as the base. I got this on ebay some time ago and absolutely love it. It sits in the master bathroom with four white on white embroidered fingertip towels. I look at it every day and never get tired of seeing it. I can't remember how much I paid for it, but I do know there were other people bidding on it. I am glad that I was able to buy it because it is one of my favorite, favorite things.   

No cards this week. I did make a ribbon holder out of a coffee cup holder I bought at the thrift store. I removed the center piece that would have held the 

coffee mugs and drilled holes in the base for dowels.  I then painted

the dowels and the base in green, blue and of course pink! 

Friday Favorite

Another trip to the thrift store this week yielded a few things that I could not pass up.  One of these things was a little brass bowl with a cherub leaning over the side.  Something about it just made me want to take it home .  I love anything with a cherub on it so I guess that is why I was attracted to it.  Right now it sits on a glass plate (also a thrift store find) with silk flowers in it.  It is on my work table and I really like looking at it as I work.

The card pictured is one I made for my sister's birthday.  I really like the simplicity of it and the soft colors (pale blues and yellows). 

Spring is Here

Spring has definitely arrived in Atlanta. Flowers are blooming everywhere.  Even in my yard. I confess to not having a green thumb.  I think plants are allergic to me and not the other way around. I do enjoy plants and flowers - I am just lousy at trying to grow them. This may have something to do with over watering or under watering which seem to be my main problems with things that grow in the yard or in a pot.    

It seems that I can't get the watering issue right. And by the time I figure it out, the plant has keeled over never to be revived. Anyway, despite my lack of gardening skills we have a 

beautiful Swamp Jasmine (horrible name for such a pretty plant) vine that is just thriving. The Clematis is also doing well. And don't even get me started on the Phlox. It is lovely as well.  

Okay enough about stuff (gardening) I know little to nothing about. I went to the thrift store and purchased this metal file drawer.

Hmmm what to do with this??  Here is a before photo. I think I will start by giving it a nice coat of white paint and go from there. I will post after photos when I have transformed it. After I have given it its facelift - I think I will store rolls of ribbon in it.

My assistants, Woody and Sierra are pretty lazy today as it is rainy here today.  Woody is fast asleep. Sierra is a bit more alert.

My Assistants

I have two assistants who help me when I am in my office/studio space. They are very helpful and work for food and treats (not quite peanuts). They do have a tendency to nap on the job and drop balls on projects, but other than that, they are wonderful to have around.

Assistant one - Woody (aka Big Boy) is a 98 pound male golden retriever. He is very sweet and loves the color pink (my husband disputes this, but he always selects the pink toy out of the pile to play with).

Assistant two - Sierra (aka The Princess) is an 80 pound female golden retriever. She is high strung and playful and wants what she wants when she wants it (breakfast, dinner, playtime, etc.).

Assistant one (Woody) likes to nap in the guest room which adjoins my office. Assistant two (Sierra) naps on a loveseat in my office.  There is quite a bit of napping with these two and not a lot of work, but I think I will keep them anyway!