Part 2 ~ What I Love About Our Home

Part 2 ~ What I Love About Our Home

My very favorite part of our home is our master bedroom. I have some of my wedding memorabilia there. The plantation cupboard that my DH added lights to is my very favorite thing in that room.
No post from me would be complete without a picture of a mirror, now, would it? This is one of my very favorites. And I just love using my new apothecary jars, too.
This is what is on top of my husband's nightstand. Karla, sorry, but I cropped out the ugly electronic digital clock!!
I am posting this picture for my sweet friend Lori of Pink Faded Roses. I think she will love the doll & my small pin money banks.
I have so many more "favorites" but this will have to do for now. Wedding invitations won't address themselves!!

Hugs,
Stephanie

What I Love About Our Home

What I Love About Our Home

Karla's Cottage is having a party today ~ post a pic/pics of what you love about your home & hop over to her blog to let her know, & she will invite lots of friends to come visit you!!

One of my favorite pieces of antique furniture is this old German cupboard. We purchased it about 20 years ago. It still has the original leaded beveled glass & tiles, a really neat spice rack, & dough board. All we had to add was the glass display shelf, the lights, & a little elbow grease. I love the fact that there is so much space to stash my "STUFF"!! My daddy made the wall piece with the wooden bowl of fruit & the handmade pestles & rolling pin. He also made me the little black & white pig weather vane.

This piece holds a special place in my heart because it was the first antique I ever purchased "all by myself". My mother & I were "running" as my girlfriend Rhea likes to say, & found this sweet tile-backed marble topped washstand in Sherman, TX. I haggled with the owner of the antique shop & got $50 knocked off the price & was so proud of myself! It is in a hallway & hard to back far enough away to get a decent pic.
I love little accent tables because you can always find room for just one more!! This one sits in a corner of our dining room & holds some of my favorite objects. A cherub scales of justice, a fleur de lis ornament, a Roses covered casserole, a cut-glass handled bowl, & a favorite little demitasse cup & saucer.

Beneath it is a little something I'm posting for Vicki at All Bliss Be Thine, because I know she will love this. I found this little concrete lounging cherub for $3.00!! My husband bought this hanging cupboard for me with only a minimal amount of arm-twisting. I just keep adding doodads to it. Among other things, it holds my grandmother's basket salt & pepper shakers, my mother-in-law's little yellow pitcher, a tiny snuff bottle with dipper, our wedding china demitasse cup & saucer, a Spode child's egg plate, a few Limoges trinket boxes, & some vintage lace trim & doilies that my grandmother made.
I hope to post more pics later in the day, so please stop back by.

Hugs,
Stephanie

Vintage Green Colored Glass Antique Mirror

Vintage Green Colored Glass Antique Mirror

Isn't this just the most gorgeous mirror? I say that a lot, but WoW, I almost never find any with the vintage green glass & this one is just so pretty that I wanted to post a picture of it for you to see. It has inner reverse bevel banding, scalloped colored glass edges & beautiful convex bull's eye etched florals. I would definitely keep this one in a heartbeat but it is just a little too big for where I would need to put it, so I've listed it for sale on my eBay. This is just one of the romantic things I love about our home ~ all the pretty mirrors I get to keep & display & enjoy ~ until they sell!! Hope you enjoyed seeing this European piece of the past!

Hugs,
Stephanie

Parties and GiveAways

Parties and GiveAways

Karla of Karla's Cottage is hostessing a "What I Love About My Home" party on Sept. 25th to celebrate her article in Romantic Country magazine. Feel free to grab the button above and add it to your blog. Karla also has some fun giveaways for her party, so check it out! Special thanks to Beth at Gathering Dust for helping Karla with the button & to allow me to add the little blurb about it here, too! Should be tons of fun as we are each supposed to link to Karla & share a picture of something we LOVE about our home!
We all know that Karla's giveaways are awesome ~ proof right here. I posted a few pics last week during my bridal tea, but wanted to show some better pics of her goodies for you today. She sent me a brown wrapper (not plain, but with a gorgeous little rose on it) tied in pink netting with a gift inside, some wonderful French-wired cherub ribbons, & a beautiful decorated box. More of her handpainted roses adorn the front cameo of the box, along with some tiny millinery flowers & a brass heart charm.....and lots of glitter!!
Tucked inside the brown wrapper was this 2die4 vintage wallpaper wedding gown paper doll dress!! Look at all the details....the slightest hint of silver, a rhinestone sparkle, more millinery flowers in the bouquet, & vintage lace trim & dainty pearls at the base!!! Perfect for displaying at my daughter's Nov. wedding!!
Every angle of the hand decorated box is beautiful. Plenty of sheet music, a vintage bridal portrait, a German diecut of a little wedding party, and more glitter!! The sweet little bride figurine was nestled inside.
Even the back bottom of the box is adorable!


I had to have one of Karla's handpainted sap buckets, so I wanted to show it here along with all the goodies! You gals better go sign up for her party & giveaway, or I might just win it all again!!!
My sweet new friend, Vicki (Pink Pearl Girl) of All Bliss Be Thine did the sweetest thing for me recently. She realized that I have a MANIA for sweet little mini-chandeliers, so she shared one of hers with me!!!
She also included a beautiful little cherub with gold wings as a special surprise! This hangs proudly in my dining room now!
One good turn deserves another, so I rushed off one of my special handmade angel pin/pendants to her. I do hope she will enjoy wearing it as much as I enjoyed making it for her. Shoot, she may even embellish it on one of her pillows or come up with an idea I haven't even thought of for it! She does absolutely amazing displays in her home & on her website, so RUN, don't walk to her blog & website to get some of the best eye candy & beautiful items EVER!!
Hugs,
Stephanie

Welcome to My Bridal Tea

Welcome to My Bridal Tea

Welcome to my Bridal Tea in honour of my daughter's forthcoming marriage. I'm so glad you could join us today.

Please stop & sign the guest book as you enter. My sweet friend Vickie of Visuals by Vickie found us the beautiful chocolate & strawberry pink cream satin guest book & matching pen set. We love the rhinestone accents.
My Scarlett O'Hara Bride Doll of Gone With the Wind fame by Seymour Mann presides over the guest registry. Please have a wedding cake cookie & petit four as you join us in all things bridal!
~ The table setting ~

The pink & white china is by Spode Pink Tower. The silverplate is my wedding silver, Community & the crystal is my wedding crystal, Lenox Moonspun with Platinum trim.
The stemware has tiny satin ribbon roses at the base with crystal centers & sits upon vintage silver coasters. Vintage embroidered roses linen cutwork napkins are used along with a soft pink damask tablecloth.


The pink 3-tiered cake was designed by the bride-elect. It is placed atop a mirrored silver plateau with tiny prisms surrounded with sprays of paper roses at its base & our own "almost vintage" wedding cake topper.
We are also using my late mother-in-law's silver teapot.

Included is an engagement picture of the happy couple in an engagement ring frame, along with some pink & clear crystal diamond paperweights. Aren't they both adorable? She is a hazel-eyed blonde All American girl next door type & he is of Italian/Hawaiian descent. A miniature bride & groom centerpiece rounds out the tabletop decor'.

At the bride's place setting, several things have been done to make her feel extra special. She has a pretty fluffy chenille & pink roses bow pillow with tiny satin bows & a vintage crystal brooch on it. Her napkin ring is an over-sized "diamond" engagement ring pin. Can everyone join together & say "BLING"!!!!!

A vintage silver tussie mussie holder holds tiny silk flowers & seed bead flowers.
She also has a tiny pink cherub rose covered tiered plate that holds 2 special little gifts for her. Her very first Christmas ornament for she & her groom, a tiny bride & groom atop a handblown heart, & a small box wrapped in the palest of pink satin moire ribbon. Inside is the penny that my father placed inside my bridal shoe on my wedding day for good luck. Now I am passing it on to her in the hopes that it brings her many happy wedded years also.


Each bridesmaid will receive a small box covered in pink roses that contains a special surprise for them to wear with their gown on the day of the wedding. Sorry but no pictures yet, as I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise should they read this! Also, atop their napkins they will find a tiny handpainted roses key tied in organza ribbon to remind them that true love is the key to opening your heart.

My dear friend Karla of Karla's Cottage designed a series of beautiful wedding items for me as a prize in her latest giveaway on her blog. She made a beautiful box with a sepia toned bridal portrait attached to the inside lid cover & tucked in a sweet tiny June Bride figurine nestled among silk flower petals. She also designed the stunning paper doll wedding gown (she intends to sell these on Etsy, or send her an email if you just can't live without one!). Notice the vintage millinery flower bouquet & the tiny rhinestone accent & the pearls & vintage lace at the bottom of the gown. She also sent me the wonderful German die cut of a happy little wedding party.

Laurie of Charming Designs made us the little birdie on the Pearls of Wisdom pin cushion. Adorable, isn't it. Her little birdies are showing up everywhere, even in magazines, I hear!! Can't wait to show you how we use this at the wedding!

And then sweet Vickie also sent us the adorable Bride & Groom Kitty Couple with all those wonderful feathers & little rhinestones that are nestled in among pink & ivory Christmas ornaments in another of my cherub compotes, a gift from my dear parents.

Thanks so much for joining us today for our Bridal Tea. Hasn't this week just been the most fun visiting all the blogs for beautiful teas?!?! I definitely think we should do this more often!

Hugs,
Stephanie

Welcome to my Tea Party

Welcome to my Tea Party

Welcome to my tea party. Make Mine Pink is sponsoring tea parties for those that would like to participate. Click here to visit more beautiful blogs that are also hosting tea parties this week.

Today I am featuring our wedding china demitasse cup & saucer & a sterling demitasse roses spoon. The china is Sheffield Classic Rose. Also featured is my mother-in-law's silver tea set. The underplate is not an exact match but I think it looks very pretty with it. All items are placed on my grandmother's Eastlake window table that is in the same original shabby condition I received it from her in. It is one of my very favorite tables and has been used in so many different rooms in my home ~ in a guest bedroom, hallway, & now in a corner of our dining room. We also have pastel teapot sugar cookies to go with our tea. Do you like sugar with your tea? I prefer two lumps.
I love using pink damask napkins & have attached a small 1950's rhinestone pin to the napkin for a little added sparkle.

Sitting nearby are one of my favorite cut glass cherub compotes, a gift from my parents for my birthday several Christmases ago, full of handpainted rose ornaments & other vintage Christmas balls. And of course my darling "Spoonful of Sugar" Birds from Laurie of Charming Designs are also nearby.
Thanks so much for stopping by to have tea with me today. Please visit again soon, & please stop by other beautiful blogs that are also hosting tea parties this week for wonderful decorating ideas & lots of pretty eye candy!

Hugs,

Stephanie

The Name Game ~ I've Been Tagged!

Middle Name Game ~ I was tagged by Mary of Isabella's Closet, Heather of Pretty Petals Boutique, & Alison of Creative Art and Craft by Alison Gibbs for the name game. See, here is what happens when you don't blog for almost a week ~ everyone comes after you!!!! Tee Hee.

Here are the rules for those that choose to follow them: Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog post containing your own middle name game facts. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

My middle name: KAYE

K = Kind

A = Animal Lover

Y = Yakky (Is that even a word? . . . I talk A LOT!)

E = Ecclectic

As much fun as this is, I don't have time to check & see who has not yet been tagged, so I'm inviting anyone who wants to join in to please consider themselves tagged!

Hugs,

Stephanie