It's An Easter Parade!

I've been invited to Miss Sandy's Easter Parade and you are invited too! Visit the Quill Cottage for the sweetest Easter post ever! You'll see a lamb nestled in lavender, a chick sitting in chives, a jumper in jonquils and so much more! As if that wasn't enough, you will be thrilled with Miss Sandy's spectacular give away! Don't miss the Parade!
Easter is the perfect celebration! Warm weather, fragrant flowers and Life Anew! So delightful is the season's display of lavenders, yellows, greens and PINKS! Who can resist the bunnies, chicks and blooms. . . oh my?

HAPPY EASTER!

Shabby Cottage Focus Group

Thank You!

A BIG THANK YOU to all who take the time to leave kind words! I've met some wonderful ladies in blogland! I value your creativity and kindness! I only wish we were neighbors dropping by for a daily dose of laughter, coffee, and cucumber sandwiches!

In this post, however, I'm putting you to work! I'm hoping for some feedback in two categories.

First Category: Handcrafted Roses vs. Rose Decals. In the past, I've detailed my cutepinkstuff with handcrafted roses. Recently, I have been adding vintage inspired rose decals, as well. I'm having fun varying my products, but I'm curious about your preferences. Specifically, I am wondering if the decals are shabby chic vs. Victorian. Too much color? More dimension with the handcrafted roses? New vs. vintage? Handcrafted vs. commercial? These are just a few considerations to ponder. All ideas are welcomed and appreciated.









Second Category: Pink vs. White. A majority of my products are painted shabby pink, but I recently added a new website category featuring white products. I LOVE PINK, so most items get PINKED! However, there are times when a piece will look better painted white. (I also know that only in faeryland can everything be pink!) Do you prefer white or pink items? Do you prefer white with handcrafted roses or decals? Do you prefer pink with handcrafted roses or decals?

Hello!

Too much of a good thing can be wonderful, indeed! Yes, I now have a PINK phone! My ONE-AND-ONLY-BEST-SISTER found this sweet treasure for me. It's not enough that I'm always on the look out for cute pink stuff. I've now recruited my sister (who is not fond of the color pink!)

The phone works, too! It's fabulous and functional! It's also petite. It would be charming in a little girl's room, but it is equally charming sitting on my desk. It looks so cute! I love technology, but I don't like seeing it, unless it's PINK!

Okay, I admit I'm a bit spoiled. I now have a PINK laptop and a PINK mouse! I wasn't looking for them. Really! I have to blame it on someone, so I blame it on my ONE-AND-ONLY-BEST-SHOPPER-SISTER who happened to see this SONY VAIO. After all, we needed another computer in the house with two teens, a pre-teen and a precocious 4 year old always wanting computer time!

You can find the PINK SONY VAIO at Staples and at Office Depot. You can find the PINK phone online. I have three phones NIB (new in box) listed at cutepinkstuff.com. Can you believe it? My ONE-AND-ONLY-MOST-GENEROUS-SISTER bought me four of them! Stop by if you want one of these cute pink phones for your desk, too!

The Party is Over. . . .

Decorating for Valentine's Day is simple for a girl who loves the color pink! My fireplace mantel always has pink candles burning, so I simply add a few more candles, hang a pink chenille garland, and a pink feather heart.
My yellow love seat needed some love, so I tossed a couple of pink satin pillows their way. My white ceiling tin boxes have been empty since Christmas, so I filled them with hydrangeas and lilies, in pink, of course! My clock tells me guests will be arriving in 2 hours and I am still decorating for the party. That tells me I am falling behind schedule!

I began my way upstairs to get dressed when I noticed my mirror was bare! No time to go out shopping for something pink and beautiful to fill that space, so an orchid purchased earlier for my bathroom became my mirror's lovely companion!

Fortunately, I had set the table the night before the party. Highly recommended!


I added a glass ornament garland and tea lights to the candelier hanging above the table. A few details came to me as I began preparing the meal. Miniature bisquit cutters form the sweetest marshmallow hearts! A marshmallow heart atop one's coffee adds sweetness and charm! I couldn't stop there! I needed butter pats for our rolls. . . . Squares gave way to heart shaped butter pats!

Next, the "home theater" needed some attention. The slip covered pillows, cushions, ottoman cover, armchair covers and tablecloth were washed, pressed and replaced (at midnight the night before the brunch while kids and hubby were asleep!) An hour before guests arrived, a coffee table from another room was substituted for the ottoman. Valentine chocolates and caramels were placed on the table. (By now you are probably wondering how I could accomplish all this with 4 kids in tow! My helpful husband took our kids out for breakfast and dropped them off at school.)

On the menu was spinach, mushroom and cheese filled crescents, asparagus with red peppers, rolls and a white cake with cream cheese/whipped cream filling topped with strawberries. We had a "Tuscan" theme to go with the movie (hint, hint.) Authentic olive oil from Tuscany was served with crushed garlic for dipping.
A bottle of vintage 1988 Tuscan white table wine was served with the main course and with the Tuscan movie (hint, hint.) Sorry, I have no photos of my party. I don't like having my photo taken and neither do my friends! If I told my friends that their photos would be posted on my public blog, they would have stayed home! My friends joined me for food, fun and no fotos! (Giggle.)
Well, all of you have been so patient. I must tell you now that the movie of choice was. . . .

Thank you to all who entered my Valentine Brunch Contest! Everyone had great chick flick choices, but no one chose "Under The Tuscan Sun!" After thoughts of disappointed bloggers crossed my mind, I decided to select one entry from a random drawing. The winner of the Cutepinkstuff.com Glass Jars with Rose Lids is. . . . . . . . . . . . . Becca Of Bluebirds and Roses! Becca, I will email you with the good news!

Thank you, everyone, for the sweet comments! Cindy

You Are Invited For Brunch (Contest and Give Away!)

My Valentine's Day Brunch invitations are sent! My friends and I are gathering at my home for a "Mom's Day Off" which includes brunch, dessert and a movie. I wish all of you could attend, but you can join me in spirit. Here's how!

Join me by entering in my Valentine's Day Brunch contest for a Cutepinkstuff.com Give Away! All you have to do is guess the movie I am showing! Leave a comment on this post with your best guess. Hint: It will definitely be a "chick flick."

The winner will be announced on Friday, February 15, 2008. The winner will receive a set of Cutepinkstuff.com Glass Storage Jars with Pink Rose Lids! Good luck, everyone!

We Call It Home

The Cinderella fairy tale resonates with me as I peruse decorating magazines. Someday (dreaming) I will transform from sweeping the chimney to dancing in a ball gown. I long for the day (dreaming) when I will live with my Prince in a castle far, far away. . . . There will be horse drawn carriages, pristine gardens, countless rooms filled with the finest furnishings, decorated lavishly in creams and pinks, crystal chandeliers sparkling everywhere, and only the finest imported food will grace our finest china. Stop. Rewind. Put down that decorating magazine and return to reality!Today, I visited Linda's blog at Restyled Home. For a reality check, visit Linda's January 30, 2008 post, "Small Aspirations. . .do you share them??" In a nutshell, Linda wonders why decorating magazines rarely show us photographs of realistic homes? Here is a portion of Linda's post:"Indeed, I am disheartened with never being shown a basic home that has been built in this decade . . .that is simply decorated well. Not all of us can afford to install soapstone countertops, hand-hewn ceiling beams, reclaimed flooring, "walk-through" fireplaces... Why, some of us actually buy all of our building materials at places like Home Depot. . . .For many of us, building centers are often our only source for materials."I agree, Linda! While my husband is shopping at The Home Depot (his idea of fun,) I thumb through the magazines. Most of them get a thumb through, but not a thumbs up! I often wonder who lives on these picture perfect estates? The "Cinderella Syndrome" overcomes me. I often get discouraged. For example, does anyone remember reading one of the later issues of Martha Stewart magazine last year? I believe it was the October or November issue. I wish I had a photo to share with you! Martha Stewart was serving her Thanksgiving Dinner to guests in her new barn equipped with a full kitchen and heated flooring with views of the great outdoors AND her prized horses in their stalls! There must have been a large staff cleaning stalls and lighting scented candles around the clock!

When I see an occasional magazine with charming and modestly decorated homes, it's refreshing! Romantic Country Magazine comes to mind. The decorating magazines (and books) I think are purchase/subscription worthy tend to be those that feature stylish homes with charm and simple renovations on a budget.
Our home is still owned by the bank. No inherited castle here! I still sweep the chimney and don't own a ball gown. We have no horses or carriages, but we have an SUV spacious enough for our large family.
Our garden is not pristine, but laden with weeds that seem to like our sunny location. Our house has several rooms, but they can be counted. Our rooms are filled with furnishings, mostly bargains from furniture outlets and yard sales. They are fine, but not the finest.

Yes, our rooms are decorated in creams and pinks, but nothing is lavish. I have glass, not crystal, chandeliers. Plenty my husband would tell you. We dine on imported food, imported from the local grocery store. Sometimes our china sees the light of day , but our everyday dinnerware is dishwasher safe and paper plates can be a mom's best friend. Our house is often rearranged, redecorated, and renovated with the help of our local Home Depot and bargains from Saturday yard sales! My kids say they NEVER want to move so relocating is out of the question. I live with my Prince in a castle far, far away. . . . We call it home!

RAIN!

When the sun was shining I was on a role planning a Valentine's Day brunch for some deserving friends. Now that a rain storm has arrived, I've lost my momentum! I'm somewhat embarrassed to say that the weather has a direct effect on my mood. In an attempt to get me back on track before Valentine's Day passes by, I am posting this collage! Besides, this is much more fun than doing the laundry!

Thank You!

Thank you, Lynn, at The Rose Cottage! I first met Lynn through my website when she ordered a Rachel Ashwell lamp shade. Little did I know that this chance meeting would culminate into an online friendship! I am grateful for Lynn for many reasons.

For Christmas, Lynn sent me a special spoon she decorated in shabby style with sweet pink embellishments. Lynn's spoon was one of her many holiday items she sold on Etsy. Be sure to visit Lynn's Etsy shop for a variety of precious items including vintage tags, greeting cards, baby slippers and so much more!

My special spoon was only the beginning! Last week, Lynn passed on to me 2 blog awards.
Yes, there is more! Lynn featured me on her blog, too! You will have to see for yourself how wonderful is her post. Visit Lynn often for a regular dose of warmth and sincerity! Thank you, again, Lynn for all you do. You are amazing and wonderful!