
Friday, July 25, 2008
Rare Footage!

Labels:
Doug and Rex
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Summer Sale!
White Picket Fence Gone Wrong!
Welcome to our IMperfect home! I'm joining Linda at Restyled Home by sharing an imperfection in our front yard.
This photo was taken in June 2005 before we installed our picket fence. The sod and sprinkler system were installed, but we forgot to plan ahead for placement of our fence. Sprinkler heads were placed at each corner of our brick walkway where the fence posts were supposed to be. It was too late to reconfigure the sprinkler system, so we had figure out how/where to place the fence posts for the front gate.
Here's a little secret. . . . the ornate wrought iron sections of our fence were a quick fix for one of our many mistakes as homeowners!
While shopping for other items at a local antique mall, I happened to find two wrought iron pieces, painted white, rusty and charming in a shabby chic sort of way! My husband had doubts, but I had a vision! 
I was certain they could be placed at a diagonal next to our gate thereby avoiding the sprinkler heads.
We were blessed to find 2 of the wrought iron pieces!
Now, the sprinkler heads water the flowers growing on both sides of our front gate. It's as if we planned it from the beginning!
Labels:
front gate,
Imperfection,
wrought iron fencing
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Thank you, Lynn and Cielo!
Lynn, thank you for your thoughtfulness, friendship and The Brillante Weblog Award!
Cielo, thank you for your kind words, faith and special Blog of Distinction Award!
Labels:
Blog of Distinction Award,
Cielo
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Catch Up!
I don't like playing catch up . . . with cleaning, laundry, mending, projects, weeding and pruning. However, I don't mind catching up with magazines! In fact, I intentionally let them pile up saving them for a special block of time when I can:
Country Home Magazine
Be inspired.
House Beautiful April 2008
Relax.
(Hmmm, I don't recall where I saw this one.)
And dream. . . .
Country Home MagazineBe inspired.
House Beautiful April 2008Relax.
(Hmmm, I don't recall where I saw this one.)And dream. . . .
Labels:
dream,
fun,
inspiration,
Pile O' Magazines,
relax
Monday, June 30, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
AS IS!
This could be me someday!
Who can resist rummaging through thrift stores for bargains? There's only one thing better than a vintage find. A vintage find requiring no work! A treasure requiring no fixing, rewiring, tightening, sanding, scraping or painting! Don't get me wrong! There's great satisfaction in turning trash to treasure.
Who can resist rummaging through thrift stores for bargains? There's only one thing better than a vintage find. A vintage find requiring no work! A treasure requiring no fixing, rewiring, tightening, sanding, scraping or painting! Don't get me wrong! There's great satisfaction in turning trash to treasure.HOWEVER. . . . I'm completely satisfied when I find a piece that is beautiful AS IS!
Recently, I've been blessed with a few such treasures. My husband is happy that less pieces are doing time in his garage awaiting rehabilitation!
Labels:
As is vintage finds,
thrift stores,
yard sales
Friday, June 20, 2008
Garden Party!


A few years ago we planted Morning Glory around the back fence.
It grows like a weed and quickly gets out of control. Ask our neighbors!
Several years ago we planted a Sally Holmes antique climbing rose on each side of an arbor my husband built over our back deck.
It's finally climbing over the top. I look forward to a summer when the two Sally's meet in the middle of the arbor.
I tease my teenage daughter that by the time she marries, the Sally Holmes' will cover the arbor where she will say her vows. She thinks I'm kidding!
In the days before our pool, we had a small vegetable garden, a swing set and later, a giant trampoline. Now, there is limited space for a vegetable garden so we have only squash,
tomatoes
and corn.
Yes, corn!
I'm so excited to serve fresh corn on the cob this summer!
We planted 60 stalks hoping for an abundance to share with family, friends and neighbors!
After harvest, the corn stalks will be a festive fall backdrop for the Pumpkin Carving Contest I've been planning to host for years! Maybe it will happen this year!
Please follow me to the deck where we enter our home from the garage. There I have a flower box filled with pink petunias. It sits under the shade of a Crepe Murtle tree. On some mornings, I sit at a bistro set I purchased in Mexico sipping coffee. . .
gazing at paper lanterns purchased at Big Lots last year, and . . .
feeding our resident squirrel. She's a female squirrel we affectionately call "Mama."
Mama has been eating sunflower seeds and peanuts from our hands for at least 5 years!
Please follow me upstairs! Just outside our master bedroom, we have a small deck/patio.
An old tree that came with the house shades this area and the deck below. I hang paper lanterns from the branches almost all year long.
I found my paper lanterns at Big Lots, the 99 Cent Store and Cost Plus Imports last summer. Some are battery operated and light up at night!
This year I planted pink petunias in sap buckets and in the flower boxes surrounding the rail.
I also added a water feature with potted plants (more hydrangeas!)
I squeezed in a "nap time" area featured in a previous post using a $5 metal cot purchased at a yard sale. 
It's finally climbing over the top. I look forward to a summer when the two Sally's meet in the middle of the arbor.
Please follow me to the deck where we enter our home from the garage. There I have a flower box filled with pink petunias. It sits under the shade of a Crepe Murtle tree. On some mornings, I sit at a bistro set I purchased in Mexico sipping coffee. . .
gazing at paper lanterns purchased at Big Lots last year, and . . .
This year I planted pink petunias in sap buckets and in the flower boxes surrounding the rail. Well, I'm out of gardens to share! Thanks for joining me! I think it's time for a nap under our shade tree. . . . Thanks, Cielo, for hosting a fun garden party!
Labels:
Cielo's Garden Party
Friday, June 13, 2008
A Piece of Heaven!
We all know the feeling. One step in and you're breathless!
That's the feeling I had when I visited a special shop in Camarillo, CA.
A couple of weeks ago, Jennifer Grey from The Old Painted Cottage, took me shopping at some of her favorite hot spots. Yes, lucky me!
My favorite shop was Posie's Boutique where Jennifer and I shopped for hours!
The store is absolutely filled with shabby cottage treasures magnificently placed in the most alluring vignettes!
Beds and linens.
Wardrobes and mirrors.
Vintage and new.
Papers and textiles, pinks and whites, crafts and crystals, aromas and music. . .
Posie's has it all!
I bought a few items at Posie's. Jennifer had more self-restraint and bought nothing! The gift bag alone was worth the trip! You can't go wrong with pink and white stripes and brown polka dots! The sweet little flag was FREE!
Jennifer, thank you for sharing with me your time and hidden treasure spots!
Jennifer, thank you for sharing with me your time and hidden treasure spots!
Labels:
Camarillo,
Posie's Boutique,
shopping
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Arte y Pico Award
Thank you, Lynne Laura, for this award! Lynne Laura has a charming blog at A Romantic Nest and is so kind to faithfully stop by mine to brighten my days with her kind words! Be sure to visit her often. She will warm your heart!The origin of the Arte y Pico Award...
"This prize has arisen from the daily visits that I dedicate to many blogs which nourish me and enrich me with creativity. In them I see dedication, creativity, care, comradeship, but mainly, ART, much art. I want to share this prize with all those bloggers that entertain me day to day and to share this prize with those who enrich me every day. Doubtlessly, there are many and it will be hard to pick just a few, the people I will name today deserve this prize, as do the very long serious list of bloggers I also enjoy to read, but I will name the first 10 and will leave the rest of the work to all the bloggers that visit other's blogs and are nourished by them."
~~~~~
There are 5 rules for this award:
1. Choose 5 blogs you consider deserving of this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and contribution to the blogging community regardless of the language.
2. Each award should have the name of the author and a link to his/her blog to be visited by everyone.
3. Each award winner should show the award and put the name and link to the blog that presented him/her with the award. I know it says this is a rule but I also know that not everyone likes to do this. I won't be hurt if you don't.
4. The award winner and the one who has given the award should show the Arte Y Pico blog so everyone will know the origin of this award.
5. Show these rules.
I pass on this award to Lynn at The Rose Cottage, Cielo at The House In The Roses, Rene at Miss Gracie's House, Debbie at My Vintage Daydreams, and Jennifer at The Old Painted Cottage!
Okay, I hope I followed all the rules to accept this prestigious award! Thanks, again, Lynne Laura. Talk to you soon!
Labels:
A Romantic Nest,
Arte y Pico Award
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Vintage Marvella Rhinestone Jewelry
This a short tutorial on Marvella jewelry. The only signed Marvella jewelry I own are these pearl and rhinestone earrings my mom gave to me.
Marvella was founded by Sol Weinrich in Philadelphia, PA around 1911. The company changed names over the years. As of 2000, it was owned by Liz Clairborne, Inc.
Marvella specializes in simulated pearl jewelry. Before World War II the designs were mainly simulated pearls, plain and faceted beads and rhinestone roundels for spacers set in gold plated metal. Marvella also used the best quality aurora borealis beads.
Marvella had many trademarks. My mom's Marvella pearl earrings are marked "MARVELLA" in block capital lettering. I was unable to match the marking used by Marvella to determine the production date of my mom's earrings.
I have a few more posts on vintage rhinestone jewelry coming soon. There have been some inquiries about whether my vintage jewels are for sale. Sooooo. . . . I listed a new category on my website where you can find some of the pieces you've seen on this blog AND MORE! Hope to see you there!
I have a few more posts on vintage rhinestone jewelry coming soon. There have been some inquiries about whether my vintage jewels are for sale. Sooooo. . . . I listed a new category on my website where you can find some of the pieces you've seen on this blog AND MORE! Hope to see you there!
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