inspired by charm

the long lost quilt {inspired by charm}

2012-01-27T11:42:00.000-08:00

last week a friend asked whatever happened to a quilt {inspired by charm}. i realized i haven't talked about it for quite some time. shame on me! i actually haven't worked on it for a while either so it gave me a little motivation too.

here is the original post for any new followers that have no idea what i'm talking about. i'm at the point where i no longer need fabric. so, thank you, but no need to send anymore.

the quilt is coming along wonderfully. better than i ever expected. and even though i said my 'dream on' quilt was my first quilt, this quilt actually is my first quilt. 'dream on' was just the first quilt i actually finished.

as i now know a little more about quilts, this is essentially a scrap quilt. it's made up of pieces of you, my followers. all of the fabric used to make this quilt top is from you. thank you, thank you, thank you.

all the squares are officially cut. and all the rows are together. i'm currently in the process of paring up the rows. i only have about four more pairs to stitch together.

then, i will pair the pairs to make sections of four rows. like this one.

i'll continue to piece the sections together until its finished. i'm using this pattern.
do you see any of the fabrics you sent?

i still have no idea what i'm going to use for the backing. i'm thinking some sorta of black and white polka dot. what do you think? it needs to be simple and work well with the wonderful scrappiness of the top.

i'd really, really like to find something like this (a black and white stripe) for the binding, but i haven't been super successful yet. i also haven't searched super well either. i'll let you know what i come up with.

so that's where i stand. i'm really, really, really hoping to have it done before summer gets here. i have plans to hang it in my gift shoppe as part of a display to share it's amazingness with everyone.

either way, i think it looks fierce and i'm so excited to see it come together.

in other news....

thank you for all the amazing 'ask me' questions. i'm going to trying and get everything together this weekend to start answering some questions next week.

so, if you do still have some burning questions feel free to continue to leave those in the comments section of that post or via email.

i'm also so overwhelmed at the respond of 'going american made' in my gift shoppe. thank you! i've already stumbled across some amazing products.

if this all goes well, i'm hoping, over time, to be 100% american made in my shoppe. wouldn't that be spectacular!? please, please continue to spread the word. tweet it. facebook it. pin it. thank you! thank you!

and finally, the newest issue (issue III) of FOLK magazine is out. this issue happens to contains an amazing 10-page feature on my little inn. yep, 10 freakin' pages!! talk about a dream come true! i took all the pictures for the feature and wrote the articles to accompany the pictures. it's somewhat of a day-in-the-life/ making dreams come true/ how did i get here type article.

because of this, and because i've surpassed 1000 followers and because the editor of FOLK is wonderfully generous, i'm going to have a little giveaway here on monday. you'll have multiple chances to win a copy of this issue and/or a one year subscription. so be sure to stop over on monday.

this weekend i will be doing some painting (walls not signs), some quilting, some bookkeeping and lots of other fun and not-so-fun things. what do you have planned?

my little shoppe seeks american made

2012-01-26T09:56:00.000-08:00

so i assume by now most of you know i own and run a bed and breakfast. inside that bed and breakfast, in what used to be the living room and entryway, i have a little gift shoppe. again, if you've been around for a while, you already know this.

so, this weekend i'm finally packing away all the unsold christmas items. yes, they are still up. but don't worry the rest of the house is christmas free. i'm been thinking a lot about the direction i want to take the shoppe, what items sell well, what makes people happy, etc.

right now i do order from a couple wholesale companies who products are mostly made outside of the united states. they do have nice things and the price is right, but i just don't enjoying seeing all this stuff coming in that says made in china. nothing against china, but i'd like to start supporting more local and/or small craft businesses, artists and designers. make sense?

also, over the years i've built quite the inventory in my shoppe and it's becoming a little too 'full' for me. my goal for this year is to simplify. i need more empty space. i'm feeling overrun with 'stuff'.

anyway, back to my point. i need your help. i've tried searching the internet and places like etsy for great products but i'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. so i thought i could turn to you for some help and input.

how, you ask?

well, are you an artist/crafter/small business person person that has really cool products and are willing to ship products for me to sell in my shoppe?

if you are not an artist/crafter/small business person, is there a product you love that is made by a small shop (or larger business located in the US), local artist/crafter/designer that you think i should carry?

if you answered 'yes', then you can totally help! ...keep reading.

i do attempt to have some sort of theme or feeling in my shoppe. the look is contemporary/traditional meets rustic/vintage. ... i guess that's the best way to describe it. i'm not a country store. though i do have a touch of primitive (more vintage) here and there. i love more contemporary things that'd you'd see in west elm. but i also love traditional things like that of pottery barn. i also love crafty, colorful and whimsical things that you'd see at a local craft fair. (though, no crocheted toilet paper roll covers.) again, if you scroll through my blog or my pinterest account you'll get a pretty good idea of what i'm looking for. i also included some pictures in this post for inspiration. oh, and the look of things is very important to me. i love pretty unique packaging.

i'm really hoping to find an amazing line of bath and body products: lotions, bath salts, bath bombs. i do sell this soap from indigo wilds - a company based in kansas city missouri. Also looking for maybe some crafty/stationary things? possibly a jewelry line? unique wall decor? home decor? some sort of hard candies?

some other american brand products i currently sell are bridgewater candles, curly girl designs, bebop biscotti, stone house dip mixes, goblin chocolates (actually made right here in st. marys!)

i'm aware that the response to this may be limited but you gals and guys are so amazing i figured it was worth a shot. and i know most of you can't visit my shoppe (due to distance) and that's a really bummer, but i hope you can help me out anyway. maybe, just maybe, i can start an online shop some day. wouldn't that be awesome!?

with so many talented people and artists right in my own backyard i kind of feel ashamed that i don't have more 'locally' made things available. and there is not better time to change this than right now. i came across this quote/image the other day and it's really what got my brain in a tizzy.

via

i'd really appreciate, if you can't help, if you could pass this post/message along to your friends or someone you think may be able to help.

feel free to leave a comment below with any response or suggestion. you can also email me at inspiredbycharm@yahoo.com if you'd prefer to keep things on the down low. if that's how you roll.

i will be tweeting and facebooking and pining my our finds, so feel free to follow along in the excitement!

i thank you in advance for all your help. and always remember to support small business and all things local.

and please know i'd love to sell everyone's work, but i do have a small space and i'm searching for a specific look, so please, please don't be offended if i am unable to sell your products. thank you again.

via FOLK magazine

today i...

2012-01-25T13:36:00.000-08:00

...am grateful for your kind words, support and love of my sign. thank you. you have truly moved me in a profound way and i am unbelievably grateful.

...decided i needed a case/bag for my laptop. i really like this one.

via FeleCase on etsy

i don't like the price tag ($60) so i'm going to attempt to make it myself. anyone know where i can get some really good wool felt?

...was so happy to stumble across the amazing house tour of one alicia (and andy) paulson of poise gets cozy. she is truly a visionary in every sense of the word. in a way, her house breaks all the 'rules' of design and i am still infatuated with it. i'm all about throwing the 'rules' out the window!
it's a home. a beautiful, comfortable home.

my favorite part of the tour? when andy said, (in response to the question 'what is your favorite part of the house') "actually, i like anywhere alicia is." and the most heartwarming part is he honestly meant it. he is completely smitten for her. i hope i find that kind of love some day.

...am kind of embarrassed by the fact that i really like this song. it just makes me want to dance and sing and be happy. this is weird, right?

...appreciative of this video posted by mighty girl. the best part? ... "it's a lie. it's simply a lie..."

...ready to get back on my sewing machine. i have fabric cut out and it's screaming in the cabinet for me to stitch it up into something beautiful.

it will be a plus quilt. tutorial here.

...have the urge to buy a puppy. i won't. but i do really, want one. one just like this.

don't worry mom. i won't be buying a puppy this weekend.

...read this sign.

via gillar girl

and i honestly thought it said 'make more farts' for a good 30 seconds. make. more. farts? i just didn't get it.
this is why i need to put my contacts in before i do anything else in the morning.

what did you do today?

from wood to wall - the making of a sign

2012-01-24T16:09:00.000-08:00

well, the sign is finished and on the wall. it feels good. and to be honest, i absolutely love it. having a one-of-a-kind piece is pretty awesome to me.

so as promised, below is a detailed tutorial on how everything came together. just a warning, this post is going to be a little long. there are a lot, i mean A LOT, of photos. so, i'm going to try and be as brief as possible with my wording. ready?

i started off with two 1x12x8s from the local hardware store. they were about $13 each.

other than some knots they were in pretty good shape. i wanted my wood a little weathered, so i got out some 'tools of destruction'.

i pounded heavily with both sides of the hammer. sawed the edges. beat it with some chain. i sanded down most of the sharp corners. (i ended up not really using the screw driver. ) it's hard to tell in the photos below but you'll see more of the 'beaten look' after the next step.

on pinterest i discovered you could age wood with steel wool and vinegar. after doing some research (it seems there are several ways to do this process) here what i came up with.

in two pans (don't use good tupperware. oops!) i placed a piece of steel wool. to one added apple cider vinegar, the other balsamic vinegar. no specific amounts here.

i waited about 30 minutes. then, with rubber gloves, i used the soaked wool to scrub the wood. the picture on the right is the after.

i then did the same with the balsamic and steel wool.

this is how the wood looked after about 15 - 20 minutes.

you can see more of the grain and the markings i made with my tools of destruction are much more obvious.

here's the wood completely dry. i was really pleased with the results. i will be doing this again for sure.

i'm assuming that you could take it even further if you let the steel wool soak longer. or do more applications.

the wood even took on a speckled look. a friend on facebook, after seeing these pictures, thought it actually was old wood.

then i joined together both pieces of wood, on the back, with joining strips. four of them.

following that, i penciled on my design. i used a plate for the circle of the sun. the rays were just randomly placed. no measurements. i don't do well with instructions and measurement when it comes to painting. and yes, i'm using a quilting ruler.

i decided to paint my red outlines first. though, looking back, it may have been easier to put these in last.

a sun! things are finally taking shape.

i then applied some blue painters tape to preserve the red lines. i had to paint over the red that the tape didn't cover so that it wouldn't show throw my other paint. this is when i realized it may have been better to paint the red last. oh well, lesson learned.

i then picked a random collection of blues and yellows to fill in the rays of the sun.

i intentionally wasn't perfect when i was painting, leaving some of my weather wood showing through.

i purposely avoided the nicks and dents i made earlier. i used cheap foam brushes to apply my paint.

another thing i hate about painting is cleaning up. when i was done, the brushes went in the trash.

~~once everything was dry~~, who am i kidding... i have no patience, before everything was dry, i removed the tape to expose my beautiful red lines. perfect!

next i gave everything i quick sand and then applied a white wash. just a mix of water and white paint. i worked quickly and wiped the paint with an old towel as i went. this gave me a sun faded look.

i felt needed a few more distressed elements on the piece so i used a fork to create some worm/bug holes.

i then went over the whole piece with a dark wash, just like the white wash. for this i used burnt umber paint and water.

this darker color settled into all the distressed marks giving me a really aged and weathered look.

done! well, the background anyway. next, i needed to add the text.

i used a word processing program on my computer (iStudio) to pick fonts i liked. i then printed out a couple test pieces to get the size of the front right. the main font is haettenschweller and the script font is zapfino.

once i had everything printed out, i cut and taped the pieces of paper together.

i then shaded in the back of the paper with the printed text. i used a pencil to color everything in. personally, this works best for me. i've tried chalk (rubs off to easy) and carbon paper (turns your paint blue). this is time consuming and a pain-in-the-you-know-what, but it works.

once the back is shaded in, i flipped the paper over and positioned it onto the sign. i then trace the letters. this tracing transfers the shading you just did to the sign creating an outline for you to paint. make sense?

then i painted! i do mix in a couple drops of water to my white paint for an easy and smooth application.

yes, i'm a lefty. any other lefties out there?!

i bought these paint brushes at wal-mart and have found a couple that work well for me. these i do wash and keep.

i gave all the letters two coats of paint with a very light sanding in between. then, i erased any visible pencil lines.

and that's it! complete! ain't she purdy?

i choose to not put any sort of top coat on the piece as it will be indoors.

to hang it, i drilled two small holes into the back of the wood. then i put two screws into the wall. i put the holes on the screws and the sign was securely hung! or so i hope.

like i said, i love unique, one-of-a-kind pieces and if this isn't one of them, then i don't know what is. the whole thing cost me under $35. i basically had to buy the wood, steel wool, joining strips and a couple brushes.

and the style, colors and sentiment are a perfect fit for the space.

and even though my head is way to big for this hat, i'm pretty darn pleased with my work.

i hope this little tutorial was helpful. let me know if you have questions.

do you think you'll be making a sign of your own?

make a place beautiful

2012-01-23T08:34:00.000-08:00

i can't believe it's monday already! the weekend flew by. did you do anything exciting? i'd assume not since you were glued to your computer and/or smartphone following along my with my sign making adventure. right?

thanks to all of you that responded to my my tweets and gave words of encouragement via my facebook updates.

the sign is pretty much done. i have to attached some sort of hanging hardware so i can attach it to the wall. it will reside in one of my guest rooms. that room is currently occupied. so, for now it's sitting in my gift shoppe.

i did manage to take some photographs outside before the rain started. attempting to take pictures inside before it is actually hung on the wall was near impossible.

hopefully tomorrow (wednesday at the latest), i'll have a full post with how i did everything. it's going to take some time to go through 500+ pictures and put everything together. unfortunately, time is not on my side this week.

anyway, here is the sign in all it's glory.

i'm really pleased with the way it turned out and it will totally make a statement in the room. there are a couple things i would do differently, but i think that happens with every project i make. and it's a good thing! i'm always learning and trying new things. and for my first sign/artwork of this scale (8ft x 2ft), i think i did a pretty banging job.

and, as always, i do appreciate your opinions, so feel free to leave lots of lovely comments below.

i also added a new tab to my side bar .... FAQ (frequently asked questions).

at the moment there is nothing in there but i will be answering at least one of your questions at some point today so check that out later this afternoon. it's a question several of you asked. but don't get too excited since i assume you're going to be slightly disappointed with the answer.

anyway, thanks again for following along with me this weekend! i really hope you like the sign and learned a thing or two along the way.

have a great week everyone! and don't forget to make lots of beautiful places.

very PINteresting {slow cooker meals}

2012-01-22T14:09:00.000-08:00

happy sunday everyone!

have you been following along my with my sign making adventure? what do you think? enjoying the process? or are you fully annoyed by all my tweets / Facebook updates?

it feels really good to be painting again so i'm enjoy the process. though, focusing all my energy on this project is keeping me from doing other things that need done. i suppose, like anything, it's a give and take.

at any rate i'm hoping the sign is mostly complete tonight. tomorrow i'll have a full reveal on the blog and then on tuesday i'll show you step by step how it came together in case you weren't able to follow along or were confused by any of the steps.

right now, as the paint drys, i am taking a break from painting to share my weekly pinterest finds. this week i was inspired by all the slow cooker/crock pot meals. i am a huge fan of anything from a crock pot. slow cooker meals are always warm, hearty and flavorful. they are comforting. unfortunately, living on my own, i don't find myself cooking in a crock pot often, but that still doesn't leave me any less inspired. here's what i came up with... and, i warn you, you may need a napkin to wipe the drool.

chicken cordon bleu <-- click link for recipe.

brie and brisket quesadillas with mango barbecue sauce <-- click link for recipe.

tomato basil parmesan soup <-- click link for recipe.

orange chicken <-- click link for recipe.

egg brunch casserole <-- click link for recipe.

pizza burger (low cal) <-- click link for recipe.

crock pot chicken parmesan <-- click link for recipe.

baked potato soup <-- click link for recipe.

balsamic honey pulled sliders <-- click link for recipe.

okay, i'm seriously craving something warm, hardy and delicious!

do you like cooking in a slow cooker? any great recipes to share?

follow along! #makingofasign

2012-01-20T07:46:00.000-08:00

happy friday everyone! thanks so much for your awesome 'ask me' questions. they are fantastic and i'm so excited to answer them!

do you remember last year, around this time actually, i was painting/making signs? some of your favorites included this paris sign, best is yet to come and schrute farms. well, inspiration slapped me across the face the other day and i have a new project in mind! it's going to be my biggest sign yet! 8 feet by 2 feet!

for those of you that follow me on pinterest or 'like' inspired by charm on Facebook may already know that i was planning this little project. yesterday i needed you help with a quote for the sign. thankfully lots of you responded to my pin and Facebook post with the help i needed.

while i didn't actually tabulate the votes to pick a winner, several of you liked a certain one, and once i sketched things out it seem to be the perfect fit. so, the winner is....

it stuck me as a perfect addition to the sign and a perfect sentiment for my guests. if you like the winning images you can purchase a copy of it here on etsy for $15.

so the plan is to work on this sign this weekend and have it finished by monday or tuesday at the latest. (i hope) i thought it would be fun to take you along with me on this process. remember i did something similar when i turned my gift shoppe into a christmas shoppe?

you can follow along via twitter. you can find me @inspiredbycharm or follow along via #makingofasign. my tweets will also automatically be posted to the inspired by charm Facebook page. (if you are viewing pictures via Facebook click on the provided thumbnail and it will take you to twitter. there should be an button or link that says 'show media' or 'show picture', click on that to see the full sized image.)

if you don't have Facebook or twitter, don't worry. i will write up a detailed post on monday or tuesday documenting this adventure.

sounds like fun, right? i hope you'll follow along and share lots of feedback during the process.

and don't forget to keep submitting your questions for me here. i'm really, really appreciate this!

have a fantastic weekend. let's get #makingofasign started!

ask me.

2012-01-19T00:30:00.000-08:00

i have a feeling that once hit the 'publish' button on this post i'm going to hear crickets chirp. But i'm okay with crickets.

so, today i figured i'd turn the tables and see if any of you have questions for me. i have had this little page, on and off, for about three years now. and ever since 2012 came rolling in i've had a new appreciation for my little home on the web. with hopes and goals of growing this into something great... but, i need your help.

so let's bring on some questions! is there something you want to know about me but never asked? do you want to know my secret recipe for pumpkin pancakes? what a 'day-in-the-life of an innkeeper' is like? or where i like to shop for clothes? or why i have a ridiculous number of pinterest followers?

feel free to throw in suggestions for the blog! do you want to see me post more about this and less about that? maybe something you want me to explore more. or something new you'd like me to try. now's the time!

now, i can't promise i can or will answer every question, but i'll give it my all! oh, and there is a little post about me here, so that may answer some of your questions.

i'll give it some time and once i have enough stuff, i'll do up a post or two (again, depending on the amount of questions) answering everything i can. sound good?

feel free to leave a comment below or email me at inspiredbycharm@yahoo.com. (email is the best option if you feel a question may be a little too personal or not appropriate for the comments below. thanks!)

ready. set. go!

berry danish minis

2012-01-18T09:34:00.000-08:00

so i think i've created a new recipe! ...at least as far as i know. with so many talented people out there, and outlets to share those talent,s it's becoming harder to create something that is truly original. this recipe came about from a mash up of two other recipes i've used in the past. the result is a really simple and delicious breakfast pastry, dessert or coffee-sipping-snack. i call them berry danish minis.

aren't they cute? for what they lack in size they make up for in flavor! do you immediately want to make some of your own? good, let's get started.

here's what you'll need....

1 package pillsbury crescent rolls (or one of those new fancy crescent sheet things)

4 oz softened cream cheese

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tbs sugar

1/2 cup jam OR 1/2 cup fresh berries (mashed and mixed with 1 tbs sugar)

[for this recipe i used 1/4 cup cherry jam and 1/4 cup blueberrie/blackberries. i wanted to try both]

step one: preheat oven to 350. open your crescent rolls and split at the seam into two sections. unroll unto a lightly floured surface.

step two: seal the seams with your fingers. roll out dough until about 1/4 inch thick.

step three: combined softened cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. spread evenly onto both pieces of dough.

step four: spread jam OR mashed berry/sugar mixture on top of cream cheese.

step five: roll up dough lengthwise.

step six: sliced rolled dough into eight even sections.

step seven: place cut sections into a lightly greased mini muffin tin.

step eight: bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown on top. then, allow to cool in pan for about five minutes.

step nine: remove from pan and lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar.

step ten: devour

talk about yumminess! and super easy, right? told ya!

so what do you think? will you be giving my berry danish minis a try? i sure hope!

music inspired art

2012-01-17T11:35:00.000-08:00

this morning, my best friend in another life (and hopefully this one someday), jen from notes from the heartland and onion grove mercantile pinned this amazing artwork inspired by lyrics from an avert brother songs.

since my brain is 90% song lyrics and i adore music i thought i'd do a little etsy search to get what other fun artwork i could come up with. i was pleasantly surprised! lots of beautiful and inspired pieces.

wouldn't something like this make a beautiful wedding gift! you could get the artist to create a custom piece with the song lyrics from the couples first dance.

1. Avett Brothers via sarahchiarotdesign 2. Strawberry Fields via Forgotten Pages

i discovered this adele portrait via twitter last week. i'm a huge adele fan and i adore this print!

3. Adele Portrait via Andy Needham 4. Rolling in the Deep via ataglancegraphics

more adele, printed on an old book page. and lady gaga + lime green + a swirl font = awesome.

5. To Make You Feel My Love via Forgotten Pages 6. Born this Way via ataglancegraphics

beautiful and unique art, right?

you can also check out my attempt at creating some music inspired artwork here. (even though i now realize that most people just don't get it. fail.) oh well, i like it!

so, what artists are you listening to these days?

inspired by charm now has it's own little space on Facebook.

click here, hit the like button to follow along!

i finished my first quilt

2012-01-16T11:06:00.000-08:00

it really feels good. what started back in may of this year has finally come to completion!

even in the 'dead of winter' (thought today it seems more like spring) this quilt just makes me happy. i felt the same happy feeling last may when i stumbled across this quilt via in color order. yeah, i pretty much ~~copied~~ borrowed her design exactly. thank you for the amazing inspiration jeni!

the patterned squares are four charm packs from urban chiks 'dream on' fabric line. the yellow is corn yellow from kona. the gingham blue backing is actually a vintage sheet i picked up this summer at goodwill. i used the same corn yellow for the binding.

i attached the back of the binding to the quilt by hand and i'm so glad i did. i think it looks great and i really enjoyed the process. it gave me a chance to sit and relax, which i don't get to do very often. i worked on it over a couple nights while watching tv. perfect! Initially i wanted to machine stitch my binding, but i think i'll be doing all my binding this way.

i still have no idea what i'm going to do with it now that it's finished. my goal is to make one for each of my guest rooms. i just need to figure out which room i want this one to go in.

either way i just love it and can't believe it's mine and that i made it!

what fun projects have you been up to lately?

i'm linking my quilt up here today. click on over to see all the submissions.

have a 'lovely' monday!

very PINteresting {desserts}

2012-01-15T10:32:00.000-08:00

i don't know about you but pinterest has been such an amazing tool for me! as in innkeeper i'm always picking up breakfast ideas, unique bedroom design ideas, beautiful garden spaces and the list goes on! if you are not one of the 240,000+ people that follow my pins already you can find all my pin boards here. i thought i'd share some of my most recent dessert pins. even though i'm on a little 'new years diet', you can guarantee i'll be making some of these as soon as the situation arises! if your planning a party, you can send my invitation to my little inn. i'll bring dessert.

nutella crack pie <-- click link for recipe.
yep this looks freaking amazing. nutella = awesome

homemade twinkies <-- click link for recipe.
i'm not a huge twinkie fan, but the homemade recipe sounds really good.

peanut butter chocolate pie with pretzel crust <-- click link for recipe.

chocolate and peanut butter together is my favorite kind of dessert! a pretzel crust. yum-o!

rolo stuffed chocolate chip cookies <-- click link for recipe.
i love rolos and i love chocolate chip cookies. this means i would double love these cookies.

red velvet cheesecake brownies <-- click link for recipe.
does it get any better than this!? these look sinfully good.

soft brown sugar cookies <-- click link for recipe.
i love a soft cookie! these look so good.

how to bake a heart into a cupcake <-- click link for recipe.
i mean, come on! ... this is so freakin sweet!

homemade mounds bars <-- click link for recipe.
almond joy is probably one of my favorite candy bars, so i'd be adding almonds to my recipe. great easter treat!

puff pastry cherry blossoms <-- click link for recipe.
i adore cherry pie. i'd assume these would taste similar. i'm thinking these would be yummy for breakfast too.

chocolate mousse cheesecake <-- click link for recipe.
this looks like a chocolate lovers dream! decedent!

winter mixed berry and citrus sorbet <-- click link for recipe.

i didn't think i'd have the urge to break out my ice cream maker in the dead of winter. i was wrong.

brownie 'n berries dessert pizza
you had me at 'brownie'. this looks amazing. and healthy too... right? cause of the berries? no?

strawberry sheet cake <-- click link for recipe.
this just looks so good! and another perfect valentine's dessert.

frozen strawberry crumble <-- click link for recipe.
this looks like a quintessential summer dessert. totally trying this one as soon as the temperatures reach above freezing.

chocolate bourbon bread pudding <-- click link for recipe.
great recipe for this time of year. warm, comforting ... and a splash of liquor always helps!

red velvet strawberry shortcake <-- click link for recipe.
what an awesome valentines day dessert! right? beautiful!!

have you made any heavenly desserts that you found on pinterest lately?

friday the thirteenth

2012-01-13T12:30:00.000-08:00

last night i bought some cuties. i ate about six or seven at once. they really are magically easy to peel, and quite delicious!

i also finished my quilt last night! it's beautiful. i'll show you the full thing next week sometime.

there was snow on the gourd this morning. i have yet to figure out why it always snows at night. it's one of my least favorite things to see in the morning. needless today i'm really enjoying this mild winter.

i made little mini cinnamon rolls for breakfast this morning. quick, easy and delicious! here's the recipe.

some lovely fabric arrived in the mail today too. i've been eyeing up this typewriter print from the ruby star rising collection from melody miller. now i just need to figure out what i can make with it. any suggestions?

how's your friday the thirteenth?

HST stands for half-square triangle

2012-01-12T10:44:00.000-08:00

if you haven't already guessed it i've been bit by the quilting bug. i have officially spent way to much time looking at fabric online, planning way too many quilts i want to make and working on the four quilts i have in progress. and to be honest with you, i love it.

last night i was hand sewing the binding on this quilt while watching my favorite abc comedies, sipping on chai tea, cats by my side. i enjoyed every minute of it.

so my blog friend jeni over at in color order is hosting a half-square triangle block of the month quilt. i have yet to do anything like this and with my new found love for quilting i was immediately on board!

being new to this i don't really have a stash of fabric to pull from, so i found a couple online shops and sales and pulled together this lovely collection of purples and greens.

i'm planning restyling one of my guest rooms with purple as the inspiration, so i thought this quilt could go in there and help inspire me to pull things together.

last night i pieced everything together. i was actually pretty happy with the results since this was my first time piece together a block. i did have a couple issues, but that was to be expected. here's what i came up with.

proud of myself for actually completing it i checked the final measurements. the finished block should be 12.5 inches square. well, i'm short about .5 inches all the way around. crap. i'm not exactly sure where things got screwy, but it looks like i'll be making another block.

i cut all my squares last night and started making my HSTs, then i ran of out thread. double crap.

now i'm at a stand still until i can get my hands on some thread. thankfully i have until the end of january to sew up another block. i'm hoping to turn my ~~screwup~~ practice block into a pillow or something like that, so no harm done.

you are also welcome to join in the the fun too! hop on over to 'in color order' and read about all the detail here.

and swing on over to kim's blog to check out her blocks for january. she's being extra ambitious buy making two. go kim!

do you think you'll be playing along?

a beautifully imperfect chalkboard tree

2012-01-11T12:27:00.001-08:00

the other day the lovely and super talented maureen from maureen cracknell handmade pinned the cutest little print. this one.

so i used it as inspiration for a chalkboard drawing for that little chalkboard i painted on my cabinet door.

remember?

anyway, here's how it turned out!

pretty cute, right?

now, i know it's perfect. but i'm kind of tired of perfect. i'm guess i'm learning to appreciate the value of imperfection. the beauty of homemade. the importance of character.

with thousands of blogs and places like pinterest, i think the pressure to have everything 'perfect' is so high these days. don't you? you must have perfect photographs, perfect ideas, perfect wording. it's exhausting.

and with a goal of simplifying this year, i've kicked perfection to the curb and it's not longer welcome here!

is anyone else feeling this way too? or am i out on a limb (pun intended) on this one?

at any rate, i hope you like my little tree .... imperfections and all!

wrapped up in clover

2012-01-10T12:41:00.000-08:00

i'm going to write this post based on the assumption that you've heard (and, of course, loved) etta james - at last.

it's been a while since i made any sort of printable. maybe last valentine's day? anyway, the other day i stumbled across this video on youtube of darren criss (yes, i watch glee and love every minute of it). the part of the video where he mentions the song lyric form 'at last' - my heart was wrapped in clover - stood out to me.

i've always sang those lyrics but never understood what i was singing. this happens to me a lot. so i did a little google search to uncover the meaning of 'in clover'. it turns out its a term of endearment. it means that the person was absolutely smitten. aww. beautiful, right?

so, wit that, i was inspired to make this little print. great for all year long, but kind of perfect for valentines day.

here is the link to a free PDF copy of the print. once you download it, just print it from your computer printer like i did. once it's framed, no one will ever know! it's our little secret.

i did add a little 'created by' text. my guess is that it may not even show up when you print it since it's so close to the bottom. but if it does, once you frame it in an 8x10 frame, it won't show. promise.

what do you think? love it? hate it?

either way, enjoy it!

*updated 1/20/11 - RIP Etta James, your music will live on forever in my heart, wrapped up in clover.

antiquing with charm {part 2)

2012-01-09T12:47:00.000-08:00

i mentioned on thursday that my mom and i were going fabric shopping. lucky my mom found all the fabric she needed. i on the other hand didn't do so well. i came home with two fat quarters. thankfully i found what i needed at the intrepid thread, pink chalk fabrics and the fat quarter shop. but more on what that fabric is for another time.

we did stumble across this antique shop during our travels. what a great little shop. tons of amazing treasures! though, most things had a pretty high price tag. and with a goal to simplify i really wasn't looking for anything. until i saw this.

from what the shop owner told me it's a form that was used to make wheels for trains. she could be wrong, but i'll take her word for it until someone tells me otherwise.

and if there is one thing i do need around my little inn, it's wall decor. and i just love things like this. it's unique. it's old. it had a story. and it looks fantastic!

sadly it had no price tag and based on some of the other prices i was nervous to ask. to my delighted surprise i was told it was only $35! and let me tell you i couldn't pick that thing up fast enough. i just wanted to check out and leave before she realized she made a mistake.

it could go in several rooms in my house. but i ultimately decided to place it in one of my guest rooms, the garden suite, which at the time, had a big empty wall.

it matches perfectly. i already have yellow and blacks in the room. and i just love the little yellow paint markings. i wonder who painted them? when they painted them?

the wood tones tie in beautifully with the shades and the wood floors. i'm one lucky duck!

i'm not sure if it will stay here forever but for now it's happy here. and i'm happy it's here too.

have you found any treasures lately?

my go-to waffle recipe

2012-01-08T15:08:00.000-08:00

i should have just posted this along with my carrot cake waffle recipe on friday, but i didn't. i had a feeling a couple of you were going to ask.

so this is my go-to waffle recipe. it's very simple, but it really works for me.

ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp melted butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup butter milk

begin by mixing all your dry ingredients into a large blow. then mix all your wet ingredients in a medium bowl. add your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients. mix until just combined.

that's it.

this mix is easily doubled, tripled or quadrupled. i do it all the time. for my waffle iron (this is the iron i use except mine only makes four, not six) i like my mix on the thicker side. i also, as you can tell from the pictures, never completely fill up my iron. cleaning up waffle batter that has run over the side of my maker is probably one of my least favorite things. plus i love the look of the rough edges.

i really like this recipe because you can add basically whatever you want to it. some of my favorites include blueberries and lemon zest, chocolate chips, cranberries and orange zest, quick oats and almonds (plus a little almond extract), peaches, coco powder and dried cherries, pineapple, etc...

you could even take a savory route and add in cheddar and jalapeño or sausage and swiss cheese. serve with some scrambled eggs and salsa and you have a great dinner in minutes!

i also adjust my sugar amount based on what is going in the waffle. if i'm using cranberries i may add a little more ... if i'm adding pineapple, maybe a little less . you can also use whole wheat flour if you'd like. i usually recommend half whole wheat and half all purpose.

good luck! happy waffle making.

so, i'm curious, how do you like your waffles? i'm always looking for new ideas!

carrot cake and disco balls

2012-01-06T12:02:00.000-08:00

if you follow my tweets or follow me on facebook you'd know that i made carrot cake waffles for my guests today for breakfast.

i found this recipe via this pin the other day. i'm constantly looking for new and unique breakfast recipes and this one looked like a winner. i was right.

i did make some adjustments to the recipe. i just used my basic waffle mix recipe and just added the cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and carrots . i left out the raisins because, as in my experience, most people don't like them. i didn't follow the original recipe because i like my go to waffle mix recipe and there is no way i'm beating eggs whites at 5 am.

no harm done though. as you can see the results were wonderful. see all that grated carrot goodness? they tasted great!

i also adjusted the maple nut cream cheese by adding a little sugar to it. it just needed a touch more sweetness.

topped with maple syrup these waffles are a winner!

and don't you love my new tablecloth!? i found it here.

and in completely random news i decide to participate in the #discomania virtual blogger party via decor8. you can read all about the details here. it sounded like fun and i was disappointed i missed the #stripedmania party.

so i laid on my dining room floor with some mini disco balls i had in the shoppe and snapped a self portrait.

i thought it turned out kind of nice. eventually my picture will be pinned here, but that has yet to happen. but, when you do see it, please keep repining it! my face has never been pinned before! if you're a blogger, you can submit your picture via this flickr group.

have a great weekend everyone!!

will you be trying out this recipe and/or participating in #discomania.

something productive

2012-01-05T12:42:00.000-08:00

i love sarah richardson. i know, i've mentioned this before ... okay a couple times before. yep, i even have a pinterest board just for her.

last night i had one of those moments where i got sucked in to the internet. i was checking my pinterest, then pinning like crazy, chatting with my FOLK friends via facebook, constantly checking my facebook notifications. scanning google reader ever minute for new posts. i guess i was nervous i was going to miss something groundbreaking. hot. mess.

this was me, like seriously.

does this happen to you? (i love portlandia by the way.)

anyway, through my 'technology loop' i did pull something productive out of it. amazingly.

so back to my original thought: sarah richardson. i love everything she does. seriously. but last night i got hung up on this particular image.

via

love the brass bed, the pillow, the duvet cover (which is from here ... and is currently on sale ... and i have a 15% off coupon ... so i may be buying this [for one of my guest rooms i'm planning on redoing in pinks and oranges] if i can scrap up some change. i have until january 27th to decided. don't you love it!?), and i especially love the quilt on the wall (and how it's hung).

i've been quite quilt obsessed lately. i hope you don't mind. i promise this isn't'going to become a quilting/sewing blog... not that that's a bad thing. anyway, the quilt on the wall. i really like it. so i spent some time searching the web for a pattern with no luck. i even asked my pinterest followers for help. still no luck.

so i printed off some graph paper. and, after a couple failed attempts i discovered and drew the pattern!

i'm actually super proud of myself. i'm sure there is 'quilt talk' explaining the pattern, but i don't speak quilt. so this drawing is perfect for me! it's basically a combination of different 9 blocks. see?

this is obviously a great quilt to use up scraps. but, since i'm new to this quilting think, i don't really have scraps. my mom and i are going to hit up a couple quilt shops on saturday, so i'd slowing like to start picking up a couple pieces here and there. i'm going for mostly pinks and oranges but may throw in a couple blues and greens.

after my technology loop ended and i nestled into bed with some satisfaction from my creation, i decided to add 'create an original quilt pattern' to my bucket list. which reminds me, i need to start a bucket list.

have you ever created your own pattern for a project?

a little happiness boost

2012-01-04T14:21:00.000-08:00

as i was perusing blogland at 6 am this morning, after spilling an entire cup of coffee on the floor, inspiration struck (from blogland, not the spilled coffee).

it's sad to say, but it's a rare thing for me to mail a thank you note. i know that probably sounds horrible, but it's true. so when i saw this post from the fabulous tobi fairley, i was inspired!

she shares her new year's resolutions in the post. one of those resolutions includes sending out a thank you note every day. it's been said that being more grateful can improve your overall happiness. i for one could use a little happiness boost every now and then so i thought i would give it a shot.

as a way to save a little cash i decided i would make my own thank you cards using things i had on hand. another personal resolution - spend less! i just created a simple pamphlet style card using iStudio on my macbook. i used craft paper colored card stock and envelopes. and then just printed everything out.

pretty and inexpensive! what's not to love? i saved the files so i can easily print and cut more whenever i need them. and have you seen the new love stamps from the post office?

i love them. pun intended.

here are the details if you'd like to make some yourself:
thank you/address font - traveling typewriter
large flourish - found here
small flourish - found here
craft colored card stock and envelops - via this store
baker's twine - i have a huge roll, but you can get lots of colors here.

i would put up a printable/download for you but i don't own the rights to the graphics and i'm pretty sure you don't need stationary with my name and address.

and no, i'm not committing myself to send out a thank you note everyday. that would be a plan to fail for sure! but i'm hoping to send them often and randomly - even for the little things that wouldn't typically require a thank you note.

and yes, an ultra fine tip sharpie is my writing utensil of choice. i think i own every color and then some.

do you send thank you notes often? what ways do you practice gratitude?

honestly, it just makes me happy

2012-01-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

getting back to reality wasn't as bad as i expected. i suppose i'm ready. well, kind of. in between quilting i've been on a purging and organizing streak. i'm just in a mood where i want to get rid of everything. do you know what i mean? i've made multiple trips to goodwill and i'm sure the garbage man is going to be pissed when he sees the pile of junk i'm pitching. i'm just sick of the clutter. i need to simplify.

i also took some time to hang a new (and easily one of my favorites) piece of artwork. it's titled 'paper lanterns'. i purchased it from the always amazing and super talented rachel of funnelcloud studio and funnelcloud the blog.

i needed to replace a 2011 perpetual calendar that previous hung in this frame and i knew she'd have something that would work perfectly! she seriously has some of the coolest prints in her shop and i just adore her blog. check out her christmas tree this year. she made all of the ornaments!

anyway, i'm loving my new print. honestly, it just makes me happy.

i also managed to finish quilting my quilt. again, it's not perfect (and that's oaky), but i really, really love it. i also wanted to mention that the idea/pattern for the quilt came from jeni over at in color order. you can check out her quilt here. thanks for the inspiration jeni!

in cleaning things out i also hada chance to go through my small fabric stash. i now have two more quilt projects lined up! the first is going to be a plus quilt. i'm going to use this tutorial with a yellow, green and brown color palette.

some of these fabrics are vintage bed sheets from here, vintage fabric from here, napkins from my shoppe and other fabric i picked up at some point.

the other quilt i'm going to create is without a pattern (wish me luck). the plan is to do half square triangles in a rainbow of colored ginghams and solid white.

something like this maybe?

the gingham material is vintage from this blogger (and her mother, i believe) and i got it here. the white is from kona which i got here.

with quilts being made, a plan to get organized and to simplify, and a goal of losing about 25lbs (yesterday i made a batch of poop cookies) i'm off to a good start for 2012.

here's hoping it lasts!

a quiet house

2012-01-02T11:02:00.000-08:00

i finally had a moment to breath over the past day and a half. it's been amazing. i've had the place to myself. for some reason the only thing i really wanted to do this entire holiday was get out my sewing machine and work on the quilts that i started months ago.

thanks to a quiet house and a law & order: svu marathon yesterday i did just that. it feels good. really good.

owning my little inn is wonderful. but i do miss having a house to myself at times. there are days i want to stay in my pajamas all day, turn up my music a little too loud and leave a couple dishes in the sink, or a lot of dishes...who's counting. lately i cherish days like these. they are far and few between.

i managed to piece together the entire top of my quilt.

then, yesterday, i pinned everything together.

i had this light blue gingham vintage sheet i used for the backing. i don't think it could be any more perfect.

then i started quilting. i feared this part.

i'm happy to report its much easier than i thought. is it perfect? hell, no. but i'm learning to love imperfection these days. attempting to be perfect it just way to much work.

happy 2012 everyone.

short and sweet

2011-12-28T18:00:00.000-08:00

i'm having/had another open house today (and tomorrow). even thought it's a bit early, our town turns on all their holiday lights tonight (it's called light up night) and local business offer special, snacks, holiday cheer, etc. so my post is a little short, but i had to share my new little creation.

remember i showed you the hot chocolate mix i made? well, i found these little plastic vials (i got the 50 ml) online. they hold exactly enough mix for one cup of hot chocolate! genius. so i made about fifty of these single serve vials for the shoppe and my baskets.

aren't they great!? i had to share because i think they'd make super sweet gifts for people that you want to wish a happy holiday ... but don't really want or need to by them a gift.

you could get some vials and fill with hot chocolate mix, candy, coffee creamer, dip mixes, anything really... even homemade bath salts or lotions. they make great gifts to past out to people like the post man, co-workers, ups and fed-ex people (mine defiantly deserve a treat [maybe all 50 of these vials] for the amount of stuff they deliver here) or even an extra treat for a special waitress/waiter... lots of ideas!

cute, right? whataya think? have a great weekend everyone!

peacock tree

2011-12-22T11:51:00.000-08:00

i thought i'd share some photos of one of my favorite trees in the gift shoppe this year. it's a ten foot tall tree, but the top three feet is made of a bendable rod allowing it to 'lean'. sorta looks like a whoville tree. you can call me michael-loo-who!

i was inspired by the colors of a peacock and these beautiful sequin peacock ornaments below.

90% of the time i wrap my tree with ribbon. i didn't have anything in the shop to match, so i used a glittery green ribbon i found at wal-mart. i love ribbon on a tree. it fills that empty space so nicely. it also helps to hide cords from lights.

and of course i had to have real peacock feathers. found these guys on ebay for a steal!

an elves view of the tree. magical, right?

even sequin butterflies!

and any good tree needs a little glitter! i love the colors of glitter used on these teal glass ornaments.

some jewels for added sparkle!

the most amazing glittery green ferns i've ever seen. these really make the tree extra special.

and a disco ball inspired ornament. i love how they reflect the lights.

what do you think of my tree? i will share pictures of MY actually tree sometime next week. have you put your tree up yet?

december

2011-12-21T10:04:00.000-08:00

someone pinch me. seriously. really hard.

is it really december 21st? december is usually a somewhat steady month for me but this year it was pure craziness. most of my christmas decorations are still sitting in their respective tupperware containers still packed up from last year.

i wanted to make some pillows. that didn't happen. i wanted to make some christmas trees out of funnels, (which i have been collecting since the summer). that didn't happen. i wanted to make ornaments for my pink christmas tree. also didn't happen. and most of all, i wanted to share it all with you. and, as i'm sure you can tell as my last post was exactly a month ago today, that didn't happen either.

i hate to complain because i'm really thankful to be busy here, really thankful. but i just love this time of year. i wanted a minute to suck it all in, to enjoy it. you know what i mean? i didn't even get to play along with kim and her dare to diy party. (even after i bugged her about it months before it started.)

as the holiday nears i'm thankful that i penciled in at least a couple days of nothingness. some time to create. some time for family. time for giving. and lots of time to stuff my face with cookies, appetizers, wine and everything in between.

i've been planning at lot in my head on how to have a better year next year. so i anxiously await 2012 with open arms and an open mind. how about you? are you ready for 2012?

i hope to post again before this weekend but in case life pulls me away, i wanted to wish all of you a very merry christmas. thank you for all your wonderfulness and support this past year.

probably the easiest cookies ever .. and a question

2011-12-16T12:48:00.000-08:00

things have been pretty busy around here. busier than last year at this time. busier than expected. and don't get me wrong, busy is good, but certain adjustments need to be made.

i offered to help bake holiday cookies for my mom this year and trying to squeeze cooking making into my schedule hasn't been necessarily easy. so when i saw this recipe for 'candy cookie cups' i felt like i hit the jackpot.

you only need three ingredients:

1. one package (18oz) individually portioned refrigerated white chip macadamia nut cookie dough (i know it's pre-made cookie dough, but you can't tell, trust me)

2. twenty-four miniature peannut butter cups (reeses of course!)

3. and 1/2 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts.

got your ingredients? here's what to do...

sprinkle macadamia nuts into 24 greased miniature muffin cups, 1 teaspoon in each.

cut each portion of cookie dough in half (or just tear it like i did), place each half in a muffin cup.

bake at 325 for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown.

(and don't forget to unwrap your peanut butter cups in advance)

immediately (after taking pictures for you blog) place a peanut butter cup in each cookie; press down gently.

cool completely before removing from pans to wire racks. (this step is actually important. can't rush this one!)

ta-da!

and they really are delicious. honest. and no one will ever know, expect for me of course, that you used refrigerated cookie dough. and i promise not to tell. so if you need a quick super yummy cookie, give them a try.

ok, and now for the question. i'm in the need of a new computer. last year i got a virus on my current computer (a laptop from dell) and it's just never been the same. then this past summer i dropped my laptop. i know. shame on me. so now the screen is literally hanging on by the wires on the one side. and the cd-rom is slightly dysfunctional.

i've been a lifetime pc user, but have interest in switch over to mac. so please take a second to complete the poll below. and if you have more detail advice or a very strong opinion, please leave a comment below or shoot me an email. thank you! thank you!

so why not you?

2011-12-12T12:59:00.000-08:00

a dream

2011-12-10T07:08:00.000-08:00

owning my own business, a bed and breakfast no less, has been a dream come true. yes, there are days when i want to run down the street screaming or sit in a dark corner and cry like a baby (i guess that comes with any job), but all and all it is amazing and i feel very lucky and fortunate to do what i do.

nate berkus

i have a 'plan' and unofficial goals as to how long i want to do what i'm doing. i also have ideas for what i want to do next. no, i'm not going to be an innkeeper forever. and yes, eventually i'd like to live somewhere where the nearest mall isn't an hour and a half away (a good restaurant is also a must).

eddie ross

for as long as i can remember i've always loved designing things. creating things. i often wish i would have went to school for design rather than hospitality management. certain thoughts kept me from going that direction, but that's neither here nor there. everything happens for a reason and i'm happy with my journey thus far. no regrets.

matthew mead

thankfully, i'm surrounded by a few inspiring men that have created a career, business or empire from their passion for design and beautiful things. the crafting and 'design blogging' world seems to be heavily dominated by women (who, without saying, are amazingly talented beyond any doubt), so it's refreshing to find a couple men out their doing their thing.

david bromstad

these men, nate berkus ... matthew mead ... eddie ross ... the barnhouse boys ... david bromstad (and probably many more i had yet to truly discover) constantly inspired me to pursue this passion i have for styling, design, creation. if they can do it, so can i. i'm not one to pat myself of the back ... and i'm sure that my 'talent' doesn't hold a candle to the work that these men have created, but given the chance i think i could hold my own.

http://www.barnhousebh.com/

so while i continue to live my dream of being the best and most amazing innkeeper i can be, i want to start looking towards a future dream too. how i'm going to achieve this dream ... or if i'm going to be any good at it is yet to be determined. but i do think that if we all followed our dreams and did what we loved, this world would be a different place.

if you have any advice ... if you do what you love ... if you are a designer/stylist/creator/artist by trade i would love to hear from you. comment below. email me. all advice is good advice.

if not, what is your dream job? what is stopping you from achieving that dream? or what plans/goals to you have in place to achieve your dream(s)?

and thanks for listening to me ramble for a bit.

embroidery hoop art

2011-12-06T05:36:00.000-08:00

even though this is soooo 2010... or 2009... maybe even 2008 (who knows) i'm going to share it with you anyway cause i just love how it looks. (i'm getting off to a good start.)

my mom recently claimed one of the bedrooms in my old house as her sewing room. we both loved the look and simplicity of embroidery hoops filled with coordinating fabrics and hung on the wall. so as part of her christmas gift this year. i bought several different sizes of embroidery hoops from here and filled them with some beautiful fabrics from here. and while i was putting together her gift ... i also ordered enough supplies and fabric for myself. and this isn't being selfish. just efficient. or at least i tell myself that.

the 'artwork' is in my hall which can been seen from the kitchen, so i tried to match everything up with both my kitchen (which has reds and pinks and grays) and my hall (which will soon have these curtains [and sadly my sewing machine is still in the box ... but i'm getting it out this week ... i needed thread ... and i got some practice fabric. encouragement welcome.])

i really like how it turned out. it's cozy and warm ... modern and fun ... a bit vintage, perhaps?

i love the fact that it can be easily changed when i get bored of certain fabrics.

the investment was minimal (even less expensive if you have a bunch of extra fabric laying around). and i used the smallest 3M removable hooks i could find so there are not an excessive amount of holes in the wall.

not to shabby if i do say so myself. what do YOU think!?

taking it easy

2011-12-04T13:45:00.000-08:00

after one of the longest weeks i can remember, i'm taking a breather and listening to some new music from tony bennett. his new album is fantastic. here are two of my favorites.

enjoy your sunday! see you tomorrow!

antiquing with charm

2011-12-02T12:16:00.000-08:00

over the past week or so i hit up some nearby antique shops and have found several really cool finds with pretty amazing price tags. so i thought i'd share two of them (both currently hung in my kitchen) with you today and i'll share the rest when they find a more permanent home.

first, i found these red shutters at this really odd shop that's only open during the holidays. this woman and/or man collects the most uniquely odd, yet beautiful, things all year and then sells them at christmas time.

the store is seriously magic. i missed the first weekend this year, but you can bet next year i'll be the first in line! the store is called chris moose. more info here.

the color is just amazing. and i love the little topiary detail. but the best part ... both shutters ... 12 bucks. for two shutters! amazing! i think i looked at the price tag like twenty times to make sure i was reading it right.

then, to add some holiday cheer, i found this vintage red and green santa apron.

it was sorta odd to photograph ... my camera wasn't being nice with all the light coming in from the window. but the details are beautiful and it's in great shape. when christmas is over i found another apron (which is the fabric my fudge is setting on) to replace this one.

both aprons, only $5 each! i'm usually try to work them down in price a little bit (even though i'm not very good at it), but when things like this are more than reasonable, i'm happy to pay.

what do you think? have you purchase any unique antiques lately?

FOLK christmas winners!

2011-11-21T12:02:00.000-08:00

first, thanks for all the wonderful and amazing comments all of you sent last week. you are the best!! i wish i could send all of you copies of FOLK!

since i can't send it to all of you, ~~five~~ six (yes, an error on my part has increased the winners from five to six. the more the merrier, right!?) will have to do. so, without further adieu, the winners of FOLK Issue Two: Christmas! are:

Kim - Home is Where the Heart Is
Jeni - In Color Order
Rachel - Funnelcloud
Miss Effie - Miss Effie's Diary
Cherri Lynn
Erin - Carolina Country Living

Congrats ladies! I will be in touch via email. I'll have your magazines out in the mail as soon as i get your mailing addresses!

thanks again to everyone that entered and for all the amazing comments!!

thrifty thursdays return december 1st

2011-11-17T15:29:00.000-08:00

is it really thrifty thursday already? is thanksgiving really next week!? is it just me or is time just flying by these days. things are just non stop around here and i think that's making time go extra quickly...which i'm not too happy about since i just love this time of year.

sorry for the short notice, but thrifty thursdays is on hold this week and next week. we'll pick things up where we left off, with week four on thursday, december 1st. i will also have two categories for submissions, the first will be your normal thrifty thursday projects. the second will be projects inspired by the holiday season! sounds fun right!? i know i have a couple thrifty projects up my sleeve for the holidays. that is, if i can find the time to actually do them!

if you have projects you wanted to link-up this week, just hang on to them and you can link them up in december. and since i didn't want to leave you completely empty handed, i thought i'd share a thrifty music video.

check out this cover where the 'music' is created with just these gals amazing voices and three empty cottage cheese/yogurt containers.

pretty amazing right!?

and don't forget to enter my little giveaway this week! and thanks for all the love in your comments. you certainly know how to make a guy feel special.

it's here! and a giveaway

2011-11-16T11:00:00.000-08:00

well, the wait is finally over. 'FOLK Issue 2: Christmas!' is here and little ol' me is a part of it's amazing pages!!!!

i still am finding it hard to believe, but i guess it has to be true as i'm holding copies in my hands! and not only am i on one page of the magazine, i'm actually on several pages! somebody pinch me.

in this issue i have two columns. the first is called 'inspired by'. This issue focuses on burlap.

This particular column instructs you on how to make these amazing trees and wreath out of burlap. Pretty spectacular, right!?

i spent hours and hours creating this collection of burlap-wonderfulness and i couldn't be happier with the results.

they are now proudly displayed in my gift shoppe for all to see!

the second column, Sweet Endings, gives a tutorial on how to make the 'old fashion' dried apple wreaths and cinnamon applesauce ornaments.

my method of displaying these creations gave them a fresh new life...

...and a christmas project that can be cherished for years to come!

pretty stuff, right!? they also smell ah-mazing!

you'll also find a recipe for these delicious cookies....

cream wafters! my favorite.

plus, tons and tons and tons of other inspiring holiday projects, recipes and stories. i was impressed with the first issue of FOLK but this issue truly takes the cake! and at 160 pages long it will keep you inspired for a while.

issues can still be found through small retailers listed here (my gift shoppe included in that list).

and in celebration of this excitement i decided to give away FIVE copies of the 'Christmas! Issue' to the always wonderful and super kind readers of inspired by charm! i wouldn't be in this magazine without your kind words and constant support!

there are TWO ways to enter...

first, simply leave a comment below. if you are a 'no reply-comment blogger or if you are not a blogger at all, PLEASE include your email in your comment so i can get in touch with you.

second, tweet, blog or Facebook about this giveaway. then, come back here and leave a comment with the link showing you shared this exciting news.

pretty simple, right?

This giveaway will end Saturday, November, 19th at 9PM EST. I will announce the winners shortly after.

Good luck everyone! And thanks again for all your support! For more information on FOLK, please visit the website and follow the blog!

yep, that's my face. in a magazine. *pinches self*

jelly and hot chocolate

2011-11-15T13:53:00.000-08:00

this sunday i had ~~a day off~~ what i thought was going to be a day off. i had been putting off making red pepper jelly for quite some time. it's probably the most time consuming jelly to make. in my opinion.

so, at 12:30pm on sunday i started the process.

five and a half hours and 71 jars later, i finished.

then last night, i got them all pretty with a piece of polka do fabric and my little labels. finished.

have you ever had red pepper jelly? it's delicious and really not all that spicy.

there's two ways to serve it. first, you can mix it with cream cheese to spread on crackers. or (my preferred mentioned) just pour it on top of a block of soften cheese cheese. again, to spread on crackers. let me tell you. it is dynamite! i loosely used this recipe for the jam.

i also, with the help of my mom, whipped up two extra large batches of charming hot chocolate mix. milk and white.

this stuff is delish! so much better than store bought. makes a perfect little and tasty stocking stuffer!

slowly but surely i'm getting ready for the holidays. how about you?

is next week really thanksgiving!? oh my! better get busy!

and be sure to stop back here tomorrow! i'm having a little giveaway with five winners!!!

Thrifty Thursdays - Week Three

2011-11-10T16:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for joining me for Thrifty Thursdays! Week Three of Inspired by Charm's link party!

Thifty Thursdays is every Thursday starting at 7pm until Sunday at 10pm EST.

As i mentioned yesterday I was a ginormous slacker in regards to being thrifty this week. Though, while I was creating a winter wonderland in my little shoppe, I did do at least one thing thrifty. The picture above is a tree. For the garland/ribbon, i cut strips of burlap i had on hand and wrapped them around the tree. Instant and free tree trimmings! That counts, right?

I also wanted to recap some of my favorites from last week's Thrifty Thursdays.

First, speaking of burlap, I loved WhisperWood Cottage's Burlap Pillow.

To cute, right!? Simple, crafty and beautiful!

I also love the piano bench makeover from Foreign Domestic.

I'm always amazed at what a fresh coat of paint and some fabric can do! Super cute!

And last but night least check out this bathroom overhaul from 1829 Farmhouse.

I mean come on! The vintage sink, the sliding door, the artwork, the lighting... to. die. for.

Thanks to everyone for partying along! And if your blog was featured don't forget to grab a button!

This week you are welcome to link up any thrifty finds, creations, ideas, etc! As long as it's thrifty, it goes! I'm thinking about adding a 'theme' to next week's party, so stayed tuned for those details.

Alrighty, now it's your turn to share....

but first a couple small guidelines:

Be sure to link up thrifty projects only.
Pretty, pretty please link back to this party on your post with a link or a button (available in the sidebar).
And, since i get excited with fun new projects, know that i may share your project here at inspired by charm.

That's it! Pretty simple.

And you are more then welcome to follow me at any of the links below for highlights from the party throughout the weekend!

Have fun! Thanks again for joining the party!

done ... well, almost

2011-11-09T14:42:00.000-08:00

oh my. did you follow along with 'the making of a christmas shoppe'? i sure hope! sorry i was scarce the past couple days. i was knee deep in christmas!

i honestly spent about about 50 of the past 72 hours completely dedicated to transforming my shoppe. leavening little time for sleep or anything else. today i'm running on about 3 hours of sleep.

things aren't quite finished but they are pretty dare close. and my mom was amazing and helped me out all day monday and all evening on tuesday. i would have been in deep ~~sh*t~~ poop without her. i'll be posting pictures here later this week. in the meantime head on over to Facebook and check out some unedited shots i took this afternoon. then come back here and let me know what you think! i wish you could all visit in person!!

thrifty thursdays - week three will be tomorrow at 7 PM as usual. i will also be recapping my favorites from last week in that post. i was a slacker and didn't create anything thrifty this week.

see you tomorrow!!

oh! and a small reminder, the lovely kim over at newlywoodwards is daring us again this year! daring us to diy! the fun begins this sunday! click here to read all about it.

the making of a christmas shoppe

2011-11-06T06:56:00.000-08:00

Starting at roughly 12 noon today (actually whenever I publish this post) I'm going to start turning my little gift shoppe into a magical christmas shoppe!!

I thought it would be fun to included all of you in the process! So if you haven't already, head on over to twitter and 'follow me' (#makingofachristmasshoppe #oldcharmgiftshoppe) and/or click over to Facebook and 'like' Old Charm Bed and Breakfast. There may even be a picture or two on pinterest (on my 'i love christmas' board).

peacock tree - 2010

I'll be posting pictures, ideas, thoughts, and other fun and completely random things. I'm sure I'll need your advice along the way and feel free to chime in with comments, replies, repines and retweets!

The Christmas Shoppe opens on Wednesday at Noon so I'm on a deadline! This adventure will only last 72 hours.

We better get started!

Thrifty Thursdays - Week Two

2011-11-03T16:40:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for joining me for Thrifty Thursdays! Week Two of an all new link party!

Thifty Thursdays is every Thursday starting at 7pm until Sunday at 10pm EST.

This week you are welcome to link up any thrifty finds, creations, ideas, etc! As long as it's thrifty, it goes!

For my thrifty project this week, i killed two birds with one stone. As i mentioned in a previous post this weekend i'm switching my little shoppe from fall to christmas. I have 72 hours to make a wonderland! And let me tell you i couldn't be more excited!!

Some of local folk often get confused about what goes on behind the walls of my little inn. So I wanted to create some sort of sign for them to know exactly what is going on and when it's happening. So i thought a little sign would do the trick. Plus this is the best kind of thrifty! Why? Because it was absolutely free!!

I used a scrap piece of wood i had and painted it white. I printed out the text from my computer and transferred them to the sign. Then, I painted them with some red paint ... and voila! Instant signage. The sign is double sided so both sides say the same thing.

Unlike some of the other signs I made, I kept this one very crisp and clean so it would be very visible. No fancy distressing this time.

And althought the sign isn't offically 'hung' yet (The 'Christmas Shoppe' open next Wednesday), this is what it will look like.

Not to shabby right? Now everyone will know that there is a christmas wonderland inside my little inn AND exactly when they can visit it. The best part ... zero dollars! I'll jazz up the poles with some pine and christmas lights early next week.

Alrighty, now it's your turn to share....

but first a couple small guidelines:

Be sure to link up thrifty projects only.
Pretty, pretty please link back to this party on your post with a link or a button (available in the sidebar).
And, since i get excited with fun new projects, know that i may share your project here at inspired by charm.

That's it! Pretty simple.

And you are more then welcome to follow me at any of the links below for highlights from the party throughout the weekend!

Have fun! Thanks again for joining the party!

i'm dreaming of a pink christmas

2011-11-02T18:42:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's after november 1st so christmas is in full swing... around here at least.

Last year after christmas, I picked up a brand new 4 foot tall pink christmas tree for around $10. i mean come on, who could resist? Over the past year i've been thinking about where to put it and how to decorate it.

Well, I made a few decisions. First, I want to make every decoration/ornament for the tree. This includes the garland, ornaments, tree topper and skirt. Now, this doesn't have to happen all within the next two months. I'm perfectly happy to piece it together over a couple years. Second, I wanted to use vintage sheets as my theme. Perfect!

Yesterday i got started on the first round of ornaments. I have about 15 or so that are about 80% finished so I can't share them with you quite yet. But soon.

In the meantime, thanks to the search feature on pinterest, I thought I'd share some other holiday decorations, inspired by pink! enjoy!

vintage silver and pink + tree 'skirt' love

via

retro aqua and pink

via

pink with scandinavian style

via

'bubble' gum pink

via

vintage ornament love

via

eclectic pink

via

pink on pink

via

pink, perfectly pastel

via

white on pink on black

via

pink goes traditional

via

organized pink collection

via

pink meets glamour

via

shabby chic pin

via

and who would have thought pink could look so positively perfect for christmas!?

what non-traditional colors will you be decorating with this holiday?

and don't forget tomorrow is Thrifty Thursdays - Week Two!! Hope to see ~~there~~ here!

i did it!

2011-11-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

i can't believe i actually posted 31 days in a row (32 if you include this post). it seems like yesterday i mentioned i was going to participate in this series and now it's over.

it was an interesting ride, but i'm not going to lie, i'm actually really happy it's done. i think we all need a little break at times. to take a breath. to oil our gears.

so i thought today i'd just recap some of the fun things we did over the past 31 days. and although i didn't always stay on the 'trying something new' topic, i think i faired pretty well.

i taught you how to make apple cider floats ...

i made festive halloween decor ...

i painted acorns ....

i shared a dream come true ...

i learned how to make vanilla extract ...

i bought stuff at goodwill ...

and i even started a new link up party ...

not to shabby.

hopefully you had fun with my little series. but now i thankfully put it to bed. but have no fear. i have lots of fun stuff to share! thrifty thursdays continue, today i began working on ornaments for a christmas tree inspired by vintage sheets, and i'm just about ready to transform my gift shoppe into a winter wonderland. so stay tuned for lots more ... inspired by charm!

a thrifty thursday recap - week one

2011-10-31T16:00:00.000-07:00

wow! i'm so floored by the response to thrifty thursdays! thanks to all of those that linked up to the party and for those of you that promised to link up in the future.

i also wanted to send out a ginormous thank you to the queen of junk and new friend, Donna from Funky Junk Interiors. donna is also a writer for FOLK and has quickly become an amazing sounding board, advice giver, and true friend. she even linked up her pallet sofa! you'd be crazy not to check it out.

thanks donna for your continue support, guidance, and encouragement!! thank you!!

some of my other favorites from the party include the anatomy of a thrifty guest cottage from maple & magnolia. her guest room is just gorgeous!

and it even has an old bed and breakfast sign above the bed! love it. i also love her painted suitcases that double as amazing storage. so stylish. so smart.

head on over and drool over the rest of the room. there are even fabric door pulls on one of the dressers!

another favorite was burlaps and denims barrel shade chandelier.

spectacular, right!? now wait till you here this.... she made the shade with a hula hoop and burlap.

i'm amazed. speech. less. wow.

and finally i simply adore the photo display four corners designs made from some rusty old springs.

seriously!? people literally blow. me. away!

and wouldn't it double as the best christmas card holder!? oh my!

ladies, if you'd like you're welcome to steal the bottom below and tell all your friends you were featured on inspired by charm!

thanks again to everyone else for parting along! join me again this thursday (same time. same place.) for week two of thrifty thursdays!

sunday at goodwill

2011-10-30T16:37:00.000-07:00

no, i didn't spend the whole day at goodwill. but i did make a quick run though and i'm glad i did. and let me tell you, it was a quick run through. for some reason it was packed in there! last minute halloween costumes maybe?

anyway i did make three really good purchases.

first a ton of 'vintage' rick rack and bias tape. all for $2!

i was really excited when i saw this. this year i'm going to attempt to decorate a christmas tree, a pink christmas tree actually, with homemade ornaments. so i'm hoping to be able to use this when making them.

but once i looked at all the packaging i'm not sure if i want to use it. maybe i should frame it? make some artwork? and just buy new stuff for my ornaments. what do you think? help!

also talking about ornaments, i'm participating in the freshlyblended ornament swap this year. i participated last year and it was a lot of fun! you make and mail 8-10 ornaments and then receive the same amount in the mail! it's so fun and who doesn't love to get mail.

if you want to play along too, head on over to sign up. the deadline is november 7th.

back to my finds. more ornaments. i got two boxes of red glass ornaments. $1 per box.

i have a loose plan for these. last year the incomparable matthew mead had a display made with these glass ornaments and a wire tree form. this wire tree form to be exact.

i was so excited to see he is selling them in his new collections online shop this year!! as of now they are currently unavailable, but i'm hoping to scoop one up when they are. cute, right?

and lastly i found a thrifty find for my mom! an old metal lamp!

she's in the process of redoing her living room and needed a lamp. i'm going to give this one a face lift with some yellow paint, keeping the arm gold. what i really like about this lamp is that a portion of the back (that little bump) is open. so, not only does the light shine down, it shines up, creating a really neat effect! and it was only $2! love it!

so that's it for this haul. what do you think?

just a reminder ... there are a couple more hours to link up any of your thrifty finds in my first thrifty thursday! i'll be doing a little recap here tomorrow. stop back to see my favorites!

everything happens for a reason

2011-10-29T12:41:00.000-07:00

via

it looks more like winter here today. it's been snowing since i woke up. it's to early for snow, right?

happy saturday everyone!

painted plate

2011-10-28T17:27:00.000-07:00

I have another thrifty project to share! You all inspired me with your amazing projects and ideas that you've linked up at yesterday at Thrifty Thursdays! Thanks to everyone who is participating. Please keep those links coming. It's so fun to see what you've created!

Anyway, remember that leaf dish I found at Goodwill last week?

Well, I gave it a facelift! Ta-da!

White, fresh and beautiful! Spray paint is the best!

I started off with three layers of white primer. Then three layers of white high glass lacquer.

Then I let it dry for several hours and filled it with caramel hershey kisses. just in time for halloween!

a trick and a treat!

Thrifty Thursdays - Week One

2011-10-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for joining me for Thrifty Thursdays! An all new link party!

Thifty Thursdays is every Thursday starting at 7pm until Sunday at 10pm EST.

This week you are welcome to link up any thrifty finds, creations, ideas, etc! As long as it's thrifty, it goes!

For my thrifty project this week, i wanted to share i lamp i restyled. i actually did this awhile ago for my garden suite but never shared it here. I thought this would be the perfect time!

Several years ago, when i was working at this hotel in philelphia they refurbished their rooms and sold the used furniture and accessories to the staff. I purchase two of these lamps.

I think they were $20. I used them as is but never really loved them. When i finally got my room painted and curtains done, i decided they needed a makeover!

And a makeover they got! I just love these lamps now. Bright and natural with great textures. The perfect addition to this room.

And the process was pretty simple. I just spray painted the base with a cherry red spray paint i found at lowes. I used the same shade and wrapped it with twine i found in the hardware section at wal-mart. Each roll was about $6 and it took about three spools for both shades. I started at the bottom attaching the twine with hot glue and worked my way up the shade hot gluing as i went.

I think the results speak for themselves! beautiful, right?

I do have one small warning. All the twine makes the shades fairly heavy, so be sure your lamp can support the weight or just used a thinner twine.

Alrighty, now it's your turn to share....

but first a couple small guidelines:

Be sure to link up thrifty projects only.
Pretty, pretty please link back to this party on your post with a link or a button (available in the sidebar).
And, since i get excited with fun new projects, know that i may share your project here at inspired by charm.

That's it! Pretty simple.

And you are more then welcome to follow me at any of the links below for highlights from the party throughout the weekend!

Have fun! Thanks again for joining the party!

a book and my heart are full

2011-10-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

in each of my five guest rooms here at my little inn i keep guest books. a place for people to write messages, their thoughts for the day, notes of why they are visiting, etc.

while cleaning a room today, i noticed one of the books was full. i let out a little yelp of excitement and read the latest entries.

i created these books, a recommendation from the previous innkeeper, as a little memory keeper of all my amazing guests and their experiences. i'm beyond humbled at all the amazing and heartfelt comments held within the pages of each of these books. it's beautiful. and a reminder that i'm doing ok.

so, if you don't mind, i thought i'd share just a few meaningful excerpts from this book (as hopelessly self promoting as it sounds) ...

"i truly feel that this experience will be cherished and remembered as a new beginning for you as this establishment takes form into your creations - and, for myself - as an experience in st. marys and the memories created through new friendships."

"our stay here at old charm has been wonderful! this is without a doubt a home away from home. ... i love how you come here, and automatically feel relaxed..."

"it's always great to observe something done right. michael, you define innkeeper."

"honestly, my favorite place to stay in the world, and, not to sound like a massive douche, but i've been to A LOT of places."

"every morning you created a breakfast sensation that was not only wonderful to the taste buds but also a work of art in your presentation. ... you are a great ambassador for the town of St. Marys."

"we wish you all the best as you follow your journey in life and we'll always know that we have a home in st. marys."

wow.
i know! seriously, people are amazing. i'm so grateful to my wonderful guests for choosing to spend their nights with me and then leaving me such amazing notes of thanks. i hope to fill many more books!

i also wanted to remind you one last time about tomorrow! it's the beginning of thrifty thursdays here at inspired by charm! a place for you to link up all things thrifty! woot! woot! here's a little sneak peak of my project!

stop back tomorrow to get the full picture and to share your own thriftiness! the party begins at 7pm est. i literally can't wait to see what you have to share! and don't forget to spread the word! free free to grab a button in the sidebar. the more the merrier!

hope to see you then!

a double dose of progress

2011-10-25T17:03:00.000-07:00

is next week seriously the first of november? tell me it isn't so!

this week is kind of a crunch for me, a good crunch though. why? well, october 31st is the deadline for my submission for FOLK, issue III. This month has been a complete blur for me. while i've been working on my projects here and there, i haven't really been able to turn up the music and dive in.

i had a slower day on sunday and finally finished up a big portion of the project this afternoon. phew! feels good. and i'm thrilled with the results. i wish i could share more (and i will after the issue is released), but for now, i'll have to keep you in suspense.

in other news, my bottles arrived today for my vanilla extract making project.

i used twenty-four vanilla beans, 12 8oz bottles, and about 3 liters of vodka. now, all i have to do is practice patience. i guess i'll have to distract myself with more projects.

speaking of projects, do you have some great things to share on thursday? don't forget, it's the first of many thrifty thursdays!

please spread the word. the fun will begin at 7PM!

a new project

2011-10-24T15:53:00.000-07:00

last week i bought another new magazine. i know, i have problems, but that's not the point. so, this is the magazine a i got.

christmas ideas from better homes and gardens. first, i have to tell you, if you only buy one 'christmas magazine' (other than FOLK, of course) then you NEED to buy this issue.

i can't tell you how many wonderful, new, inspired and ah-mazing ideas are packed into this magazine. seriously amazing. i restrained myself from taking pictures of every page, but i did want to share two things.

first, love this use of three cloches.

consider this another idea to my list of new uses for cloches.

second, this issue features the uber talented layla and kevin from the lettered cottage. i've always loved their house and projects. their spread in this issue is just brilliant. i'm in love with their holiday decor.

i mean, come on! right!?

so back to my point, when i saw the cover of the magazine, i noticed these festive appliquéd pillows and feel in love. i knew i had to make them, but i wanted to give them my own little twist.

instead of using white fabric i wanted something a bit more colorful. the pillows will be used on some accent chairs in my dining room so i wanted them to match all the festiveness of my dining room christmas decor.

i decided i'd use material from vintage sheets. i visited one of my favorite etsy shops and found exactly what i wanted.

pretty amazing, right? the shop owner, jeni from in color order, is not only the sweetest, but she is incredibly talented. the projects she creates on her blog blow my mind. she also has the cutest bunny, george. if you haven't been to her blog yet, stop on over and say, 'hi'!

i'm hoping to have these finished up before christmas and will definitely be sharing the results. so stay tuned!

do you have any fun diy project planned for the holidays?

i'm pooped

2011-10-23T17:40:00.000-07:00

well lovely readers, i am just pooped. exhausted. tired. spent. sleepy. ... you get it?

so all i have today is this new song/video. and although it's about a relationship, i'm using it's message to keep me motivated. cause as they say, 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.' i've honestly listened to this song about 100 times over the past couple days and i'm still loving it! i hope you enjoy it too!

see you tomorrow!

close-up part 2 {the gift shoppe}

2011-10-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

hope you enjoyed this new set of close-ups.

you can see the first ones here ... close-up part 1 {the gift shoppe}

until tomorrow!

old and new

2011-10-21T17:25:00.000-07:00

old...

my grandfather gave me this slew of old road maps! have you seen all the crafts involving maps floating around blog land? currently i have three amazing ideas. one involves those lamps i found at goodwill, the other involves a piece of furniture, and the other is a secret (it will be in issue three of FOLK *fingers crossed*).

new...

i broke down and bought some vanilla beans and vodka. now i'm just waiting on the glass jars and vanilla extract making will begin! i got the vanilla beans from here. the ones from madagascar.

happy weekend everyone!

it's on! ... thrifty thursdays link party!

2011-10-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

oh, i'm just thrilled that you are on board for thrifty thursdays. i was worried no one would link-up. thanks for the excitement! next weeks party will begin this super fun series, which will be held every thursday. maybe once things get established there can be a theme for each week? who knows...

so as i mentioned yesterday, you'll be able to link up anything thrifty related. maybe a recent thrift shoppe haul .... or a project you created from something you found at your favorite antique shoppe ... or maybe you need some advice on what to create with a hidden treasure you've had in the back of your closet. if it's thrifty, link it up!

today i decided i would share some inspiration. i'm going to take you on a little journey of some old but good projects that i whipped up with some thrifty finds. i'm hoping this will get your juices flowing!

first are the shelves i created in my kitchen from vintages crates. the contents vary slightly at the moment, but they are still hanging strong ... and i adore them!

then there's my quick cabinet redo. i use this vintage cabinet in my gift shoppe. i painted the interior door with chalkboard paint!

remember this quick table top decoration from ceramic candle holders i found at goodwill. these pillars were dirt cheap and i just love them!

these succulents i planted in a silver sugar and creamer were the cutest. even if they died. but that was my fault.

this is the shelf i created in my hall from vintage corbels and a piece of wood. you may remember seeing it here the other day.

and since the holidays are quickly approaching here are two christmas inspired thrifty creations!

my candlesticks and antique christmas ball centerpiece is still one of my favorite projects. loved how this one turned out.

and last but not least is my vintage christmas apron turned window treatment. cheap and easy holiday decorating!

inspired?

so what will you be linking up? any ideas? good luck! see you next thursday!

$12 goodwill haul

2011-10-19T13:12:00.000-07:00

the last thing i need is another project. seriously.

with that being said, i was at my local goodwill and picked up several new projects. here's what i got...

first up, two candle sticks. the top section and bottom section are metal but the middle portion is plastic. which, you can't really tell unless you pick them up. i'm thinking about silver leafing them just to freshen them up. though they are fine in their current state.

my favorite part about them is this little hook towards the top! i already have several ideas on what to hang there ... especially for christmas! these were $1 a piece.

two vintage pillowcases. i've been on a vintage sheet kick lately. i'm have several quilts i want to make and have some christmas ideas that involve vintage sheets. $1 for the pair.

now i just need to buy some spare time. anyone know where i can get some?

i'm probably as shocked as you are about this next purchase. i bought an afghan. i'm typically not a fan of this style of blanket, but this one spoke to me. and the price was right ... under $3!!

it's in great condition and was super clean. i'm thinking about redoing one of my guest rooms in purple. and i think the pop of royal blue will look just amazing!

i also got this ceramic leaf with the thoughts of painting it white and using it as a candy dish of some sort. maybe evening hanging it on the wall? love the shape and style, just not the color. it was $1 too.

and last but not least, these two lamps. $2.50 a piece. they need some funky shades and a good paint job. but i love their form and style. and they are the perfect size for a little desk lamp. i'm thinking about creating lampshades like these.

great finds, right?

so, i've been waiting to host a weekly linkup party. and i thought it would be fun to call it 'thrifty thursdays'. you could share your finds, ideas, and/or projects created from your thrift store purchases. the weekly posts would then become a great resource to inspire future projects.

what do you think? would you participate? we'll give it a try next week and see how it goes!

cupcakes, cupcakes, cupcakes

2011-10-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

today was day one of my week long open house. it's off to a slow start, but i'm hoping for a good finish!

so, today's post is a stretch on my trying something new for 31 days series, but i hope you won't mind after you take a gander at these lovely cupcakes.

my mom made these.

vanilla cupcakes with a purply, vanilla icing.

the colors are just perfect! fun and festive!

and these are my favorite ... the ones with the spider webs, chocolate cake with peanut butter icing! yum!

the others are vanilla with peanut butter icing. now you understand where i get my cooking and baking skills!

and these are the ones i mentioned yesterday. caramel apple cupcakes.

don't they look great!? so fun and different. and the recipe was pretty easy too! and those caramel bits i asked about yesterday melted up so nicely!

if you'll excuse me, i'm off to enjoy a cupcake and a glass of milk!

so, what's your favorite cupcake flavor?

a week long open house

2011-10-17T18:47:00.000-07:00

tomorrow begins a week long open house in my little gift shoppe.

i've never done a week long open house, so this should be interesting! i'm not sure what to expect.

i'm making these cupcakes. aren't they cute? and my mom is making some other varieties too. i'm so thankful for her help. it's really needed lately.

these cupcakes require a caramel icing. the recipe calls for those square caramels wrapped in the clear plastic. i bought these 'caramel bits' instead, so i'm hoping they will work. has anyone ever used them before?

i'll let you know how they work out tomorrow! either way, it's better than unwrappingg 30+ caramels!

oh, and i found a temporary spot for my ginormous lanterns. i'm sure they'll be relocated when i start getting the shop ready for christmas is a couple weeks! yep, the switch begins on november 1st!

and i'm kind of excited!

how was your monday?

homemade vanilla extract ala whipperberry

2011-10-15T17:27:00.000-07:00

sometimes i just come stumble upon something so new and wonderful. and since all things new is the theme for this month, i just had to share!

i'm loving this new-to-me blog called whipperberry? ever hear of it?

specifically i love her new tutorial for homemade vanilla extract.

and her accompaning tutorial for making the amazing fabric labels! she used her at home printer to print the labels on fabric. ah-mazing!

beautiful, right?

follow this link for all the details.

have you ever made homemade vanilla? after seeing this are you encouraged to try?

FOLK Subscription Winners!

2011-10-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

wow! what a response! thank you to all the wonderful people that entered the giveaway and shared the FOLK love!! you guys rock!

the two winners were chosen randomly via random.org.

Congratulations to:

Chas & Grace

and coincidently both of these lovely ladies are fellow bloggers too!

you can visit Chas at A Woman's Haven and hang out with Grace over at Sense and Simplicity!

ladies, if you could please email me your mailing address ASAP so i can give it to the editor by tomorrow.

thanks again to everyone that entered. and below is just a reminder of some general information about getting your hands on a copy of this magazine. remember if you'd like issue two, christmas 2011, you must order tonight or tomorrow.

if you'd like to preview a copy of the first issue click here. subsequent issues will not be able available to view online.

if you'd like a single copy of issue two, christmas 2011, click here. (you must order by Saturday, October 15th - sorry for the short notice.)

if you'd like a subscription of FOLK, click here. (if you order by Saturday, October 15th this subscription will include issue two, christmas 2011)

i will ahave copies of issue two, christmas 2011 available in my gift shoppe.

if you want to learn more about FOLK you can visit them via their website, facebook, or the FOLK blog.

and finally, if you'd like a copy of issue one, i still have some available in gift shoppe. if you can't actually visit my shoppe and would like a copy, please email me, and i can ship you a copy. i only have about 10 left. i will not be shipping issue two, christmas 2011 so be sure to order that through FOLK directly.