More Snow, More Spring

Yes, it is true, we did have snow over the weekend.  Upsetting though it may be, Spring is in the house and that's all that really matters. 

My dining room hutch got the Spring treatment. 

The left side...my favorite candle holders from Target (purchased quite a few years ago).  I added a little burlap to the tall candles.   Pewter pitcher found at an antique store.    I used one of the burlap frames from my Winter mantel, but added a little bunny ornament to it. 

The right side...the other candleholder and my pink Bordallo Pinheiro cabbage bowls.  I love them!  I have seen these plates & bowls in the prettiest tablescapes throughout blogland.  Who knew they'd also work nicely in a vignette?

In the center, a Wisteria cloche filled with robin's eggs set atop a pedestal dish.
 

A small bird's nest wreath over the mirror and that completes my vignette. 

And now a message.......................

Ok Mr. Winter, you may think you're funny, but you're not.  I got Spring going on...so there!  Take that and be gone with you!

Thank you for allowing me to get that off my chest!   

Linking this to: Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Your Cozy Home Party at Cozy Home Scenes
Winter Blues Wednesday at DIY by Design
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

The Mantel is Ready

Yesterday morning, my mantel looked very sad:

Actually, it's looked that way for a few days now.   It's been in Spring/Easter transition mode.

This morning however, my mantel is completely decorated!  Yeah!   

But...

I'm sorry to say, I can't share it with you.

Why, you ask?

I'm saving it for the Great Spring'tacular party!   Shannon will be hosting the mantel party on March 13th and  I hope to see you there. 

I will give you one last mantel-related image though:

Hmmmm.  Have a splendid weekend friends!

Is It Too Early?

I don't know what it is, but being home from work this week

has sent me into action.  

Tell me, is it too early for this? 

 I didn't go into full-on Easter mode,  I just scattered

a little Spring happiness around.  

Honest! 

The Great Spring'tacular

~Flash News Report~

Hot off the press

Spring Fever is spreading like rabbits!

 
Symptoms include, but not limited to:

1. Daydreaming about pastel colors.
2. Increased desire to bite off chocolate bunny ears.
3. Visions of marshmallow peeps dancing in your head.

Prescription:

There's only one cure and we're here to help you!

The Great Spring'tacular Party

Join others who are experiencing the same thing, there's nothing more fun than getting together and spreading the fever!

I hope you'll join us for 4 days of inspiration. Link up ~ at one or all parties! You've got plenty of time and we know you're getting Spring Fever just like us!

Grab our button, put it on your sidebar!

Invite all your friends~we're going to have a Party!

<div align="center"><a href="http://randomthoughtsfromanincoherentmind.blogspot.com/" title="Random Thoughts"><img src="http://refreshrestyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Screen-shot-2012-01-23-at-3.43.12-PM-e1327351698531.png" alt="Random Thoughts" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Everyone's Invited! I hope to see you here!

Debbie from Debbiedoo's is hosting the Magazine Copycat Party on 3/12

Shannon from Fox Hollow Cottage is hosting the Mantel Party on 3/13

Gina from Random Thoughts (that's me!)  is hosting the Craft Party on 3/14

Debbie from reFresh reStyle is hosting the Tablescape / Recipe party on 3/15

Please come and join the fun!

The Ugly Rug on the Stairs

When we bought our house back in 2000, the staircase came with an awful striped rug.  Let's see if I can find a picture of it.....

....oh yes, here it is.

That's a beauty, isn't it?   I think I could have won an "Ugliest Rug in America" contest with this one. 

Around 2003-2004, we removed that awful rug and had this berber rug put in.  

Can I just say that I am so over this rug?  Ugh.   I've wanted to rip it off the stairs for some time now.   It looks so dirty and we have had it cleaned professionally, which I thought made it look dirtier, if that's even possible.

I decided to gently mention the topic to my husband.  To my shock & surprise, he is all for ripping the rug out.  Apparently, he hates it too, and quite possibly, hates it even more than I do.

We know what lies under that berber and believe me, it ain't pretty!  As I recall, it's painted....and several different colors at that.

So, I shall begin gathering inspiration, reading tutorials, etc. etc. etc., on painted stairways. 

If anyone has any ideas, suggestions or wise advice (or even some advice that is completely unwise,)  let me have it, I'll listen to anything right now. 

A happy weekend to all.  We are on Mid-Winter Recess all next week....yippee!!! 

Valentine's Day Love

Sending lots of love your way for a.....

...Happy Valentine's Day!

Choir of Angels

I feel so sad over the tragic loss of Whitney Houston.  I am able to throw away all thoughts of her and her troubled years and go back to the days when she was a celebrated icon with a voice of gold. 

I was in high school when the world was first introduced to Whitney.  My friends and I just loved her.  I  remember that we couldn't wait to get her cassette tape.    (Yeah, I said cassette tape.  We had big boom boxes back then. lol)        

I remember playing that thing over & over again.  She was beautiful, she made great videos, she had a cool style, but most importantly she had that voice, that incredible voice.   

I always loved the song, "The Greatest Love of All."  This song was played at our high school graduation in 1986. 

It's really upsetting when the singers you enjoyed, the ones you grew up listening to, the ones you hear singing in the background as your high school memories play before you (like in your high school graduation), are just one day gone...and gone all too soon.   (Michael Jackson, anyone?)

Rest in Peace, Whitney.    God's Choir of Angels just received a new voice and what a voice it is! 

The Artist

My 13-year-old daughter wanted to see the movie, The Artist. I have to admit, with all the Oscar buzz, I was kind of curious about it myself. A black & white, silent movie up for 10 Oscar nominations?  This is the year 2012, correct?

She & I went to see the movie last night.  We were the youngest people in the theater.  LOL 

Actually, I shouldn't be laughing because honestly, that's a downright shame.  Young people don't know what they're missing.  We loved this movie, really loved it....that's coming from me, the 13-year-old & all the other people over 75 in attendance.    At several times throughout the movie, I looked over at my daughter.  I saw her face in total awe, eyes wide with a hint of a smile on her lips.  She was taken in and I can't say as I blame her. 

So, if you're looking to see an excellent movie, one unlike anything else out there, take a chance & see The Artist.  Not to sound like a movie critic, but I think it's a piece of cinematic genius. 

Spring Dreams

I really shouldn't write this post.  I really shouldn't write it because I know the minute I press publish post,  somehow, someway, it will most likely start snowing...better yet, it'll be a snowstorm of blizzard-like proportions.  I have, however, been known to be a rebel from time to time, so I'm going to write it anyway.

I don't mind Winter, and I don't mind snow.  That being said, we are experiencing a particularly mild Winter this year and now that the holidays are over, I'm kind of enjoying this milder weather.   The only problem I'm having is that I'm beginning to wish for Spring.  It's this mild weather that's making me wish for it far earlier than I know I should.   

It could be dangerous, but here I am, risking it all, to take you into my Spring Dreams.......

Country Living

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Gina on Pinterest

    

Source: google.ca via Gina on Pinterest

Southern Living

Source: arosynote.blogspot.com via Victoria on Pinterest

Source: polyvore.com via irisistible on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Lynn on Pinterest

Do I dare click that publish post button?  I'm certainly not ready to wake up from my Spring dreams yet.

Cupid's Arrow Tablescape

I wasn't planning to do a tablescape for Valentine's Day because I don't own Valentine's Day dishes.  I know, hard to believe, but true.

Then suddenly, it dawned on me.  Why do I need to have specific Valentine's Day dishes in order to do a Valentine's Day tablescape?  I can pull this off without them!  The challenge was on and here is what I came up with.

I used my Pier 1 red salad plates that I've had for years.  Cream dinner plates from Better Homes & Gardens (Walmart) last year.  Heart boxes from Michaels.  Cloth napkins from Bed, Bath & Beyond...a steal at $1.50 for 4, on clearance.  Gold flatware is "borrowed" from my Mom.  It's called Cellini Romanesque.  

My Dee Foust Cupid from last year.  I love this guy!   Gold candleholders purchased quite a few years ago at Michaels.

 

And there you have my Valentine's Day challenge tablescape.    Big hugs to each of you!

I'm linking to:

Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Your Cozy Home Party at Cozy Home Scenes
Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

 

The Big Pom Pom Flower Tutorial

So many of you have asked & here I am, ready to answer...with a tutorial!

As many of you know,  I made this ruffled lamp shade last year.

This is the tutorial for how to make the Pom Pom flowers that I used on that lamp shade.  Yes, I can hear them too...the angels are singing.  

Now bear in mind, I am not a master tutorial giver, ok?

Also, I do not want to hear a single snicker at the condition of my dry-and-badly-in-need-of-a-manicure hands, ok?  It is winter in New York, afterall. 

I'm feeling a little sassy today, can you tell?

Now that we've got that squared away, here we go!

1.  Gather some supplies:  fabric, scissors, hot glue gun, a round shape to use as a template.

In case you might like to know, I used Osnaburg for my lamp shade flowers.  The Osnaburg fabric was great because it has a tendency to fray which was the look I wanted with the lamp shade.  Today I'm using this purple cotton because hey, I just feel like it.

2.  Trace & cut several circles (about 10) from your fabric.  The size of your circles depend on how big you want your flowers to be.  The circles shown here are roughly 2 inches in diameter.  Your circles do not need to be perfectly cut.   Sometimes it's fun not being perfect. 

3.  Take one circle and place it in front of you to use as the base of your flower. You will glue all the other  circles to this piece.

4.  Take another circle and squish it up at the center, so it looks like this.

5.   Add a bead of hot glue to the tip of the squished up circle.   

   

6.  Stick glued piece to center of circle base. 

7.  Repeat with the rest of the circles, gluing them to cover the circle base.  Eventually you will have something that looks like this.



I don't really have a set number of circles you need to glue down.  I just keep gluing and filling in until I think the flower looks full enough, covers the circle base & is shaped to my liking.  In other words, I just wing it.

  

 

I think these Pom Pom flowers are great because you can use them in home decor, for pretty headbands, purses, or even for jewelry.   

If you should have a question, need me to explain, clarify, or talk you through it, do not hesitate to ask me.  I do realize that tutorials often get confusing.  I shall do my best to help you.  I aim to please.  Yessiree, I aim to please.

I thank you all for visiting today.  Now run off and adorn your home and/or self with some Pom Pom flowers, k?

Linking to:
Potpourri Party at 2805
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Inspiration Friday at At the Picket Fence