Easter Treats Swap

I hope your Easter was pleasant.  We had the most gorgeous weather combined with a nice simple dinner with my Mom and Dad topped off with homemade Blackberry pie with vanilla ice cream--YUMMO.. Absolute favorite--the berries were so sweet. 

I took Mom over to my favorite store here, The Fresh Market, which is a combo of local fresh fruits and veggies coupled with gourmet goods.  I really recommend them if you have one in your area.  Small store but everything is always fresh, and they have an old fashioned butcher meat area, then some prepared foods to take home.  Love that I can get just what I need especially with the meat choices.  On the the sweets!

 Cassandra hosted an Easter Treats Swap with old fashioned paper egg cartons as the container.  My partners were the sweet talented-- Holly and Julie Ann.  The boxes are adorable and oh, was I spoiled with sweet treats!! Thank you ladies --my little one and I enjoyed oohh and ahhhing over everything!

From Holly ( I adore everything but the top, and the sweet bunny and lamb are my favorites):

 I just had to share the handmade card--love this sweet girl.  Reminds me of mine.

From Julie Ann ( I absolutely adore this gorgeous antique wedding cap she parted with! I already hung it up on my inspiration board--it is so sweet.) 

And this is what I sent them.  I took a handmade crochet flower and sewed my fabric posey with it, then expanded it with lace, dried flowers, and vintage bobs and pearls.  I love how full and textural istbecame.  I handmade these sweet bags from vintage curtain fabric, dabber of paint, and ribbon with dried flowers and my favorite this spring, the vintage daisy.  The colors just speak to me this year, the blues, whites, and feminine laces.  LOVE! 

This is one of my favorite stamps-made each a pocket with a note inside.

I hope you enjoyed all the goodies! Off to bed--Night all.

Before and After--a Little Shabby Sweet Thanksgiving

Our First Thanksgiving in the new old house this year. I am having 9 people for dinner--definitely not the size of the one's my Grandma hosted over the years.  I do miss her and being the one to make the 'real' whip cream. Does anyone do that anymore? It's so simple to make.  Oh and helping her 'make' the apple pie and then her baking the leftover pie crust with a little bit of sugar and cinnamon...ahh the smell was wonderful but the flaky sugary goodness was the best.  Wonderful simple times filled with simple Joy. Thanksgiving has always been about sharing, giving thanks, and the simple emotion of Joy.  Thanksgiving wasn't fancy, just filled with food, laughter, and well, football, if my uncles had their way.  Since we moved South, our family is small and over the years, our Thanksgiving has progressed to sharing with those that don't have anyone or are also transplants with no family and won't be going home for the holidays--so you may end up eating of a melamine plate but the door is open and your belly will be full!  This Thanksgiving will be hard for many --I will do as much as I can to make sure others share this joy too even if its for a few hours.

The table is simple but I wanted something a little shabby with a vintage feel for my sideboard.  These pumpkins would be perfect for any Fall project.
Here she is finished:

A paper mache pumpkin found on clearance --less than $1; mod podge, walnut ink stain, vintage paper, clear glitter, new and vintage embellishments.

These little 'Joy' pumpkins will be on the main table.

Before:

 After: some craft paint, new and vintage embellishments, handmade tag, and a little bit of glitter.

Off to travel to Asheville for work today with a late night arrival back home.  Hope you have a beautiful day.

More Sweet Halloween

This year my favorite color combo is black and white with a pop of color or bling.  I gathered this sweet Halloween tag set together along with my other Halloween tags.  Just email me at kristen7744@hotmail.com if you are interested in any.  The purple wall hanging or door hanging is so adorable with the nice shot of colors. 

A few more items for Halloween left to show you soon.  I've gotten side tracked lately with everyday life and 3 kid birthday parties!  My soon to be 3yr old has goes to more parties than I do :)

Sweet and Simple Halloween

Bang, down comes the big box of Halloween and Fall.  I had packed them away a year ago, one because of the lack of space and two as I knew we would be moving to a bigger house (specifically with a room for my 'stuff').  Sadly, a lot got smooshed by our movers (aka DH's friends) you know the one's that do it for free beer?!  So I have been happily putting out my Fall decor, which is my favorite time of year, and smiling as most of my Halloween tidbits survived. 

Having a 3 year old, I wanted sweet, simple, and a bit of vintage thrown in.  You don't realize that most of the Halloween items out there now are for adults until you have a terrified child! I took my little one to Michael's and she got scared over the crackling, howling, and sinister looking decor.

Cracking open that box (oh, wait that should be plural with groans from the DH), I forgot about all the vintage looking scrapbook items I had picked up year over year.  Now I have space to keep my goodies out or organized without putting in the attic for a year. 

I made this little collage with my little one in mind.  It has vintage paper, scrapbook paper that had a vintage feel, rub-on's behind the goofy ghost, and a sweet glittered pumpkin Boo with a cute hang tag dangling off for some extra fun for her.

She said is that for me? Yes, and it will hang sweetly off your door for the season.

This vintage inspired collage below is in my favorite, black and white color scheme, and with sweet black glittered cats, and the piece I've been so wanting to use in a project for so long now, the fluffy feathers! I just adore this piece using scrapbook paper with a vintage feel, vintage inspired images, vintage flowers and vintage earring bob, and my new favorite love, stamping. It's so simple with a slight elegant air.

Hope you enjoy.  I have a few more projects to share soon.