Set a Pretty Table!

Do you ever do anything fancy, just because?

Last week I set a pretty table for dinner...

I used our regular dishes, but I set them all out and lit some candles...

 The kids wanted to know what the special occasion was?  There was not a special occasion, just a pretty table. 

They were excited anyway.

 That night our hamburgers tasted magical, we all talked about our day and we worked on using good manners.

Sometimes it is fun to make it fabulous ~Just Because~.

Do something unexpected to make your daily routine a little brighter! 

Join us at Cielo's show off your cottage Monday

 

http://houseinroses.blogspot.com/

 Have a lovely and blessed day!

Hugs,

Olivia

Remembering 9-11 on Pink Satuday

 I will never forget walking into work and standing there watching the t.v. as the events of September 11, 2001 unfolded. I was pregnant with my first child and fear welled up inside of my heart. 

At that moment I wondered what type of world am I bringing my precious baby into? As the days passed I watched our country come together, I watched heroes form in all different ways. I found peace in the courage of so many people.

 Today we pray for and remember the brave firefighters, police, office workers, families and country that will be forever changed by the events of Sept 11, 2001. 

  We also remember and pray for the soldiers and their families who fight and have fought with so much courage to protect the United States of America.

~God bless America, protect our families, hearts and homes.~

Please stop by and say hi to our lovely hostess Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday.

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Hugs,

Olivia

Darling Shabby Romantic Suitcase!

Oh, I just have to share with you this darling Romantic Suitcase!  

Try as I may to leave items as is...my sneaky white paint brush whips out and takes over! 

The old brown suitcase I found at the Pink Door Resale shop for $1.50 was no exception...it got a royal shabbyin!

I painted the suitcase with a white semi-gloss latex paint.

I thought I might leave it white until, I was so inspired by this beautiful romantic Victorian card, I found at

http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com

I just knew it was meant for my suitcase!

 The card reads 

~Loves Message~

This is so sweet and romantic to me...

I distressed the suitcase with some light sandpaper to give it a little  shabby imperfection.

It rained alot today so out came my hot glue gun and glitter and I crafted up some darling Victorian tags.

Embellished with fabric roses, glitter and vintage music paper...

I still need to add the ribbons at the top, I used all my crafty odds and ends to fluff them up!

I want to thank all of you lovely bloggers out there who are so inspiring to me!

I will be linking up with the lovely Cindy at Romantic Homes for Show and Tell Friday

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/ 

and 

the beautiful Connie at Beautiful Living
http://connie-livingbeautifully.blogspot.com/

for Frou Frou Friday!

Squishy Hugs,

Olivia

My Cottage Kitchen

Good Day!

Let's sit for a moment and have a cup of coffee!

Ahhhh, that's better. 

I had a little get together at my home yesterday I will share with you a sweet photo of my dad 

(he's single ladies )holding my first nephew..

For dinner we had smoked pork sandwiches...

Yum!

My project for the day is creating a faux fireplace mantel in my living room! I am letting my hubby sleep in so I can surprise him with our project! (Giggle)

 Since I am still on the couch in my pjs, I will share with you a bit of eye candy from my cottage kitchen...

 A darling vintage scale topped with a tea cup and vintage linen

 This is the view out of my kitchen window

One of my favorite finds, a darling chippy hoosier cabinet

S

Shabby Chippy goodness you know I love...

One day I will get to visit Paris, my husband made me this sign

 Well, you know I can't sit around in my pjs blogging all day, 

time to paint and create! Cross your fingers and toes my hubby will help me with my faux mantel project today!

Hope your day is Fabulous!

I am joining the beautiful Cielo for Show off your Cottage Monday

http://houseinroses.blogspot.com/

Squishy Hugs,

Olivia

Oh La La Pretty in Pink...Plus Chocolate!

Oh my heavens, Chocolate and Pinks who can resist!

That's right, I baked up some delicious double fudge chocolate chip cupcakes to celebrate Pink Saturday! Yum!

I was also in the mood to whip up some pretty in pink treasures and look what I came up with...

this adorable vintage dolly we named Rose~

 In case you thought pink pumpkins only exsist in fairytales, welcome to my fairyland powder room! 

 

That's right I have one bathroom dedicated to my favorite color...PINK!

 

 

 

I also needed something in my powder room to hold my fresh linens so I crafted up this darling little basket...

 

 A lovely pink lady planter...

 

Well, I hope you have a lovely day and Happy Pink Saturday to all of you pretty in pink lovers, please stop by and visit our lovely host Beverly at How Sweet the Sound http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

for more pink goodies!

Squishy Hugs,

Olivia 

Fall Decorating Party!

All it took for me to whip out my fall decorating magic wand, was a rainy day and temperatures below the 90's! 

I was so excited to begin my fall decorating I completely tore apart my dining room and redecorated with fall colors!

I gave my mother in law my corner cabinet so I hauled in this darling hoosier cabinet I had in the garage. I found some cornucopia baskets at the Pink Door today for cheap, I shabbied them and stuffed them full of white flowers with fall leaves delicately mixed in.

 I wanted to blend whites with shabby fall colors, I am still on the hunt for some beautiful gold and orange roses!

Of course I could not resist adding a pretty garland to my chandy!

Now, I must find a fabulous fall tablecloth and napkins to create a beautiful table setting.

 Ok, now I will show you my corny stuff that I do for the kids...
This is my little cutie pumpkin, he blinks on and off (also covers up ugly cords in the corner)

My son LOVES little light up houses (to be honest so do I). I found this little darling at a tag sale yesterday and I could not pass it up!

Please bear with me, I adore change, mainly because as a busy mom so much of my day is filled with routine. So yes, I change up my home and my blog header...at least you will not get bored visiting me! Please let me know how you do Shabby Chic "Fall" at your home.

The seasons in my life are ever changing and my home tends to reflect this...

This Shabby Vintage Chic is partying with 

 My Cottage Charm at

http://mycottagecharm.blogspot.com/

A House in the Roses at
http://houseinroses.blogspot.com/Thrifty Thursday at 

http://lbratina.blogspot.com/

Cindy at Romantic Homes for Show and Tell Friday

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Have a lovely and blessed day!
Hugs,
Olivia

Shabby Chippy Whites

Welcome!

Today I am celebrating White Wednesday and showing off some very Shabby Chippy Whites! We all swoon when we find an antique piece with its original patina...

 This statue is an old French or Italian hunter, made of white metal and used to decorate the end of a stairway post. I found this at a tag sale, the lady who sold it to me said it had been in her family for years but she could not figure out what it was.

I rearranged my entryway and created a mirror collage above my white buffet!

I shabbied this darling frame and then hung two smaller shabby mirrors inside! I loved how it turned out!

I also picked up this darling little lamp, shabbied the base and found a home for it in my birdcage!

Oh, I just love Shabby Chippy Whites! The cross in the center my husband got for me a long time ago, it is one of my favorite pieces.

I have been working on several projects so check back for some before and after pictures! 

Whoo Hoo! We love Shabby Makeovers!

Enjoy more white Wednesday at Faded Charm

http://fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com/

Squishy Hugs,

Olivia