Cut 'n Paste

And the winner is....

(Thanks to the random number generator) Poster #4:

Lulu Sparkles!

(I've sent you an email Lulu, so be sure to check your inbox).

Sorry for being a bit late in posting the winner, I had forgotten that I had agreed to pick my Dad up from a doctor's appointment and then take him home. Thanks everyone for 'playing'. I've got some exciting news to share, hopefully I'll get it up tomorrow.

He's OK...and a giveaway

I hope that each of you had a great weekend. For you US readers, I know that you had a long weekend. Did you do anything fun?  Here in Canada it was just a 'normal' weekend <smile>. However, there was nothing 'normal' about the one Rick and I had. We had an unscheduled trip to the ER on Sunday as Rick was having chest pain accompanied by flu-like symptoms. Come to find out that the man has been having sharp chest pains for the past month and hadn't told me....niiiiice. Long story short, after tons of tests, looks like his cardiac health is good and they're wondering if it's his gall bladder. So he has some specialist appointments coming up so that we can hopefully get it all figured out.

As a thank you for your continued reading, I have a little giveaway for you. Up for grabs is one copy of 'Haven' by the decorator Chris Madden. This beautiful book walks you through three decorating styles; romantic, adventurous and serene. It helps you decide which one is you and how you can achieve the look. So if you'd like to add this book to your bookshelf, please leave a comment and I'll draw a name on Friday morning. As I will be paying for shipping, this draw is open to Canadian and US addresses  only (thank you for your understanding).

 

Lookie here!

Here's a little something I found at the Goodwill store 2 weeks ago. I didn't actually buy it for the box (in fact the box has already been donated back to the Goodwill store - grin!). I purchased it for the treasures within. Usually at my Goodwill store, they would have emptied the box and sold the contents individually, however lucky for me, they sold the unit contents included. Inside were vintage seam binding, rhinestone & mother of pearl buttons, and lots of other things which were simply junk.

And the best part, It was only $9.99!! Score!

So tell me, what treasures have you found lately?

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Well jeepers, you sure know how to make a group of girls feel special! I want to say such a huge THANK YOU for the incredible welcome you gave Postmark: LA. To say that I feel humbled and warmed by your comments is an understatement. From the bottom of my heart, I really do appreciate each of you!

Thanks to the random number generator, the lucky winner of the embroidery project I made for Postmark: LA is ANN who posted on May 16 at 7:58 PM. Congratulations girl, I've sent you an email, so check your inbox.

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Thursday morning Rick and I drove down to Seattle for a few days. Our plan was simple, to relax, hit a few antique and salvage stores and go to a Mariners baseball game. We did all that and more. Still love spending time with my man. He's a peach and humors my meandering through antique malls at a leisurely pace as I examine each treasure. He even spoiled me by purchasing a few things that I thought were a bit pricey (but I loved!).

Once again, thanks for your support and encouragement. It means the world to us! 

Postmark: LA

After many months of work, and several blog hints and teases I am so tickled to reveal the secret project that Teresa, Charlotte, Rebecca, Pam, Amy and I have been working on. Without further delay, here is our baby, POSTMARK: LA

Imagine a girls getaway that fills your creative well. A trip that reminds you why you create and how much fun it can be. Imagine friends who understand your passion for vintage and your appreciation of pretty. Now imagine one of these friends whispering a dream, "we should do a book"....everyone laughs, then, a pause, and suddenly this dream seems possible. Achievable...dare we say, even fun!

Yes, as many of you guessed, we have created our own 'petit livre'! We've been hard at work designing the kind of book that we would like to read. One that celebrates friendship, vintage findings and inspiring thoughts. Heavy on the eye-candy graphics and also including several 'for your use' pages (including an embroidery pattern and vintage photos just to name a few) Postmark:LA is a visual treat.

It's been a delight to work on this book together  and I can't say enough sweet things about 'my girls' who included me on this amazing journey.

You can purchase your copy of Postmark: LA  HERE.

As a thank you for your patience and joy in sharing this project with us, I'll be giving away the embroidery project that I created for the book. Just leave a comment below and I'll draw a name on Monday! Here's a wee peek at what you could receive:

Have a great weekend everyone!

Paris here I come!!!

So thrilled to share that I will be traveling to PARIS in October for the Paper Co. and Show!!! I'm so very excited. Another opportunity to practice my French and immerse myself in French culture and architecture. I'm also excited about sharing my passion for scrapbooking and mixed media with European students. So if you're looking for somthing fun to do October 10-12, maybe a trip to Paris would be perfect?!

I'll be joined by some of my amazingly talented friends like Rebecca and  Kah-Mei - what a treat! Thank you Paper Co. and Show for the invitation, I'm counting down the days!

A little scared

Renovation time! This has been the byword in my household ever since I came home from my stay with Diane from Melrose Vintage. I was so inspired by her creativity, home and store, (and don't even get me started on how beautiful Wendy's home was!) that I've felt motivated to get movin' on some projects around my house. Rick and I have decided that after almost 8 years of living in the same paint color we are ready for a change....a big change.

Our living room has been taupe/brown and after we changed our trim and fireplace from red (last fall) to white, we feel in love with the wall color all over again. However Rick (more-so than I) felt that it was time for a change. So for the past week we've been living with several large poster boards with sample paint colors on them so that we can choose a color.....it was SO nerve-wracking making our choice. Do we go with the 'safe' choice, a soft neutral, or go more bold with a color? Here's my thought process and dilemma as I've been pondering what to do:  I've loved aqua forever, but also really love tone-on-tone cream/ivory/white rooms and also Scandinavian gray rooms.

My dream house is either version of the designer Carrie Raphael's house. See these two magazine articles: Her home in 2002 and Her home in 2008. What an inspiration she is! (PS: remember to sign up for her newsletter when you're at her site!)

So, after looking at the paint again yesterday we jumped off the cliff and ordered a pale bird's egg aqua. Today Rick began painting....and now he's scared. Not sure if he likes it... just. not. sure. Ahhhh...what to do?? Do we keep painting? Stop now and cover what we've done???? My guess is that we'll continue painting tomorrow and see what happens...

I'm sure I'll be sharing much more about our renovation as it goes along, but I thought you'd like to hear what we've been up to so far.

Melrose, part II

Did I tell you yet how much fun I had last weekend? Oh, I did? Well, it bears repeating. I simply had too much fun with Diane, Wendy and the Melrose students. Our project was more on the mixed media side than straight scrapbooking and it was a blast. For many, it was the first time they'd played with gesso and artist acrylic paints. I was so proud of everyone's projects and loved how each one looked unique. What a treat.

Here are more photos of the store and the class while in progress! (sorry that the color is a bit off on the class shots)

In addition to class time I had the privilege to do some antiquing with Wendy and Diane (we all found great treasures! I'll get the photos of my finds up on the blog in my next post) and we had a rip-roaring dinner with Kim on Friday night.

Thanks again to each of the students and Wendy and Diane!

Melrose Vintage

What a weekend! A huge thank you goes to Diane, Wendy and all the students who shared their evening with me!

See, I told you that the store is gorgeous!!! I look forward to sharing more about my weekend soon :-)