it's time for a bit of romance!

i've spotted these
altered books
with sweet "shadow
scenes" in several
somerset pub-
lications,
but have never made
one...
UNTIL NOW!
i picked up an
old book at a
garage sale
for 25 cents.
loved the title.
have no idea
what the book
is about, but
loved the
title!
anyway. i
glued every
stinking page
together. (it wasn't
really that bad,
i worked on it
on little road
trips. i wasn't driving.)
then i began
cutting away the
pages inside to
create the shadow
scene. i used
a flirty old
postcard, glitter,
a dictionary cutout,
trinkets, stamps,
and more
glitter!



on the cover,
i mod podged
an antique
luncheon
napkin to the
taupe colored
cover, keeping
the title in
clear view and
added a ring
of white buttons.
what fun!
happy day to you!

the lucky girl is....

(i feel sooooo excited!)
vintage at heart!
i'll leave a note on your
blog, and please email me
with your real life cottage
address and i'll send it
first thing. thank you for
visiting my blog!
now. to all the rest of you.
ohmygoodnessgracious.
i would like to send each of you
a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
these will have to do.

you have all blessed
my heart incredibly. thank
you for the kind - KIND
words and encourage-
ment. i feel so
loved and happy!
i must say a huge
THANK YOU! to jodie,
you southern dearie,
for the
friends and for the
excitement you created in
regard to this happy little
giveaway. you are a gem, and
i am so thankful you are
my big bella sis! :) i am so
looking forward to meeting
you in november.
happy day to all,
and a most sincere thanks!

let's try a happy little givaway...

okay, i realize that
20 blog posts might not
be that big of a deal to
you, but in my world...
it's way HUGE!
you may not know it,
but i am a non computer
kind of gal. i would
much rather play in my
art room, which brings
me to the giveaway!
this "man's shaving
kit dealie" was picked up
at a local yard sale, and
given new life as a happy
little
sewing kit. contents include:
a handful of white buttons,
four spools of thread, needles,
and safety pins.
please leave a comment,
and on sunday, i'll
announce the winner.
thank you for visiting
my little blog!

happy day!

another little lovely...

yard sale find to share.
this chippy paint child's desk.
one dollar.
yes.
ONE DOLLAR!
i'm telling you, when
little pieces of
furniture are involved,
i simply cannot
control myself!
(particularly ones
that are already painted
white.)

i popped the legs off,
covered the bottom in
fabric, let mod podge
work her magic with
images of roses, bits of
an old hymn and
scripture, added
some lace and buttons,
and i've got myself
a lovely little portable
desktop!
i hope you're inspired!
happy day to you!

grown up nite out...

is a big deal around
this household. a group of
our friends meet
once a month for dinner
and conversation.

there is plenty
of laughter, no one
has dishes to do,
and we
invariably leave
the evening feeling
happy and blessed.
last weekend we
headed to a small
town near here with a
big reputation for
good food.

look at that calzone,
and let me just say
DE-LIC-IOUS!!!
yes, the atmosphere
matches the dining
experience. i even took
a photo of some of the
decorating in the
little girls' room!

happy times.
if you're in the
neighborhood, we'd
love to have you
join us!

anne of green gables...

is my all time
favorite book.
i love - love - LOVE
happy stories, and
this one just does
it for me.
so, when i was pondering
how to cover my newest
junque store train case,

it seemed natural
to use some pages
from one of the MANY
copies i have lying
around.
i was also totally thrilled
to finally get to use
the floral paper i'd
been saving for
something special.

i used some personal
treasured quotes from
the book here and there,

added selections that
make me laugh and cry,

and dressed it up with
bits of lace and antique
white buttons.



isn't it amazing what
a little mod podge can
do? i just love that stuff.

happy day! oh, and by the way,
if you haven't read anne of
green gables, or if it's
been awhile, i highly
recommend it! :)

here's a fun little paper project...

to brighten your
day. it's called a "quadrarama",
and even my fourth graders
can handle it!

it's one sheet of
12 inch by 12 inch
cardstock,

folded into
eight equal parts,

a snip here,
glue there,
embellish like
a crazy woman,

and adorable.

you could create a
holiday table topper,
a party centerpiece,
or any other theme
that you want to share
with your houseguests
or friends!


happy day!

when the boys go fishing...

mr. elliott is ONE HUNDRED percent all boy!!!

just look at that grin! heart breaker!
anyway...
when the boys go fishing...
the girls play
"silver bella"!

this is beatrice's
very first time
sewing. her grandma
gave her the machine
for Christmas.
she's making
a little tote. one that
will be oh so handy
for her princesses,
barbies, books, and
other priceless treasures.
we finished the pocket
tonight. check out that
trim! we've got
a future bella on
our hands, girls!

happy day!
UPDATE:
***here is the finished product!!! oohlala!

smiles to you today!

little cute pieces of furniture...

make me weak.
this is my art desk.
(well, one half of it
anyway.) the little
white dresser has
just found its home!
it was FREE! saved
from an apartment
building that
is about to be
demolished. here is the
before photo...

the drawers were
tossed to the side.
(i am not so good at
taking "before" photos
because i am so
anxious to get to
the "after" part.)
i think she is just
adorable all dolled
up with glass
knobbies. there was
a greasy grubby
stain that just would
not go away, so like
every good woman i
used a little concealer
and she's good to go!

blessings!

okay. so i don't really want to clean...

i like to play, and i've really
got a

my paper stash needed
some sorting, so it
was very important that
i cease all cleaning to
take care of that. :)
i started with an old crate,

added some felt on the
bottom to protect the
floors,

collaged a pretty,

attached a glass
pull, (thank you,
lover) and loaded up
my paper collection!

way more fun than
cleaning!
happy day to you.