Holiday Magic: Eye Candy for the Shabby Chic Heart

I truly love Pinterest. I could spend hours gazing at some of the incredible photos and ideas. Today, just to get you in the mood for the holidays, I've decided to share some of my favorite Christmas photos from Pinterest... I've included original sources when I could find them.

Love this simple, yet elegant idea...

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This blogger has awesome taste...love her house.

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Wonderful idea and a lot of Patience.

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Victoria's Secret anyone? Sorry. It is a cute idea...

Here's to a white Christmas...

Ideas for Little Wood Frames?

If you saw my craft room right now (aka bedroom), you would think I was, well, a little disorganized. I literally have about five projects going at once. Christmas trees, jewelry boxes, pillows, gift bags, switchplates...ahhhh!!! I'm also trying to organize a teacher's luncheon school so my downstairs office has papers strewn across the floor. Needless to say, I don't need another project, but here I am asking for your help on yet another one....

I have five of the little frames you see in the pictures -- they are roughly 4-1/2" x 4". I've kept them for about three years now. I have no clue what to do with them, so, I'm coming to you dear followers to give me some ideas. All I know is that I DON'T want to use them as picture frames. Ideas? Anyone?
P.S. Stay tuned for some tutorials coming your way.

A Cameo Appearance

I have an upcoming craft fair and I've been slaving away  working hard to fill my inventory! One of my online shops is booming right now making it hard to keep up (great news). I recently finished this cigar box and love how it turned out. I used a vintage cameo that I was going to sell in my vintage shop to embellish it. It was funny, I was working on photographing the cameo and the finished box (sans cameo) separately when I set the cameo down on the box...it looked great! So, that's how it came to be! Just when you think you're done.

2 Hands Indie Craft Market and More!

Today, before soccer games began I managed to squeeze in two yard sales, a flea market and the 2 Hands Indie Craft Market. A busy morning to say the least. The yard sales were a bust-- nothing good, but the flea market yielded me two more very cool wood cigar boxes, some 45 records for the 5th grade sock hop (I'm running it with two other moms this year), and some little ironwork findings for my artwork. (Sorry, no pics of my finds...too late in the evening.)
However, I did take some pics at the market...sorry they aren't larger, but I took them with my phone and they don't really look great when enlarged.

First up is Kacey from FoundStudio and I must say that the pictures I took do not do her artwork any justice so I pulled one off of her etsy shop.  She does incredible mixed media work and I swear I couldn't stop looking at her stuff.

Here is Marghi, a successful jewelry artist, who I met about a year ago. She has an etsy shop Divine Planet, and her jewelry, like her personality, evokes a zen-like calmness with just the right amount of sparkle and spice!  

Here's Jessica, who doesn't have a shop just yet, but creates beautiful and colorful pottery (her colors remind me of Fiestaware). I wish I would have thought to bring a real camera...her pottery was so pretty!

Then, I found  Michelle, who makes these incredible purses. Her shop, Purses with a Past, is also on etsy. She creates purses with pieces of vintage materials such as tablecloths, piano seats, bedspreads...such vision! I've never seen anything like them...again, I wish I had a better camera because these pics just don't do her work justice.

Such a great group of talented artists! Yes, I was going to participate in this particular fair, but since it's at such a small venue, I was placed outside and I just didn't want to chance it, so I vetoed it...maybe next year I'll get a space indoors! Oh, and my kid's bathroom made The CSI Project's Top 10 this week!! Yippee!

Special Room Makeover Update

We are making progress on Joey's room -- see this post for story. The mural is 80 percent complete, as is the closet installation. The bedding has arrived and so has the camo netting for the window treatments I'm planning on creating. Here are some sneak peeks at the mural -- Call of Duty Black Ops theme.

 Cool explosion, don't you think? These guys are true artists.

 Opposite wall.

Close-up of one of the helicopters...looks 3-D in person.

I'm in Love

I was writing another post when I heard a knock at the front door. My new slipcovers just arrived!!! And, I'm in love.
About a month or so ago, I contacted TopNotch Sewing,  a local mom and daughter owned business to create some slipcovers for my well-worn family room sofa and loveseat. I purchased some natural canvas at Joann Fabrics half off and the ladies went to work. They did a fantastic job (as usual) for an incredibly reasonable price.

I'm so excited! However, now I have to get the rest of the room to encompass the laid-back, beachy feeling I want in the room.
Away with the dark paint, too much furniture, and large armoire taking up the corner...
Bring on the soft blues, off whites, new patio doors and new TV... Patio doors first as winter is approaching!
Wish me luck on the rest...

Halloween Tabletop and "Eyeball" Recipe

So, we had a great time at book club the other night and I thought I would share my tablescape with you and some of the treats I served! The pics aren't that great...had to use a flash as it was held in my basement. My friend Mary brought a mulled wine called Witches Brew that she bought from a Michigan vineyard...it was good!! Maybe too good.

Here's a close up of the eyeballs I made...marinated mozzarella balls with sliced green olives! Easy peasy...well, a little tedious.

Here's the recipe:

Marinate these ingredients overnight:

1 pound cherry-sized fresh mozzarella balls

1/3 cup olive oil
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon course ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 sprinkle of crushed red pepper

1 tsp of Italian seasoning

Then, add the 10-12 pimiento-stuffed green olives, cut in half.

Tip: carve a little hole or slice the top to make a flat spot on top of the mozzarella ball so that the olive slice has a place to sit otherwise it will slide right off...trust me
 Drizzle remaining marinade over mozzarella balls, and serve.

HAPPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!