A Petite Cottage

My Santos Dolls

2012-01-24T10:20:00.000-08:00

A while back, while surfing the net, I came across these beautiful dolls that I fell head over heels for. They are called Santos Cage Dolls.

They are reproductions of Santos (which means saints in Spanish) that were used as in-home alters a long, long time ago. They have a pretty interesting history...If you'd like to read more just click here.

They are kind of pricey but a few weeks ago I just happen to find them on the Tuesday Morning website for a great price.

I just had to have one. So I did that fluttering eyelash thing to hubby, which he can never resist, and he said yes...Yay! And I guess he must have liked them too because he said I should get the two Tuesday Morning had for sale...Yay again...He is definitely a keeper. Hee, hee, hee.

Aren't they absolutely beautiful? I have also seen several around Blogland all dressed up. I can't wait to dress mine up too. I have already started by putting crowns on them. (The gold colored crown was a gift from my mom and dad from their trip to Mexico.)

Thank you for stopping by for a visit today.
Hope your are having an awesome week.

Hugs and Kisses,

Toughest Critic

2012-01-19T15:12:00.000-08:00

I have always been my own toughest critic. No matter what new thing I decide to dabble in, there is a great big chance that the first try at it will end up in the trash. However....

Once in a very rare while.....

I get it on the first try...Yay!

It's a portrait of surrealist artist Salvador Dali that I painted on canvas. It was a gift for my daughter.

The tough critic in me still thinks I could have done it better...But then again, it's not too shabby for my first try...Plus my daughter loved it and I am thrilled about that. Hope you like it too.

Thank you all for stopping by to visit with me.
Hope you come and visit again soon.
Wishing you a fantabulous day.

**A little note for all you sweet blogging friends who left sweet Birthday wishes for my daughter...A great big THANK YOU from the both of us.**

Hugs and Kisses,

17...Already!?

2012-01-18T06:19:00.000-08:00

Today is my beautiful baby girl's

17th Birthday

I just can't believe how fast time has flown by.

Wishing you a wonderfully blessed, beautiful, happy and fun day. We love you tons.

Happy Birthday Briana!

And also a Happy Birthday to our sweet little Chihuahua, Cookie.
Her birthday is on the 24th of this month.

Hugs and Kisses,

Paris Flea Market Mantel

2012-01-13T13:43:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

I'm still here. It's been one of those weeks. Uggg! Life sometimes just seems to get in the way...Anyway, I wasn't able to get to any of the projects I wanted to start this week...:-( But at least today I was able to get around to redecorating my mantel. Just wanted to share some pictures with you. Tell me what you think...

I'm calling it my
"Paris Flea Market Mantel".

Here's a closer look.

All the items, with the exception of two, I got at Le Thrift Store...Hee, hee, hee. Not exactly a Paris Flea Market, but the next best thing...I think :-)

The vintage french postcard and pearl garland were a giveaway I won from my friend Linda a while back...I think it goes perfectly here. And the really old books under the bust were given to me by my dad...Well just until he wants them back :-) It took me a while to convince him that they would look much better displayed in my petite cottage than stored away in a box in his house :-)

Oh no, wait, three things...The little birds where a gift from my cousin Irma.

Hope everyone had a wonderful week.
Enjoy your weekend!

Hugs and Kisses,

My new coffee table.

2012-01-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, the last of the Christmas storage boxes was put away.

Today, I get to have some fun putting our petite living room back...But where to begin?

I know! I've been dying to decorate my brand new (to me) coffee table that my hubby gifted to me for Christmas.

It's a beautifully restored vintage railroad cart turned coffee table. I had only mentioned it to him once or twice and how sweet that he remembered...I LOVE IT!...But I love you more Babe :-)

I went with a simple vignette.

There's my thrifty find shoe forms...A bit ironic, I know, but these shoes look cute on the table...Hee, hee, hee.

Hmmm, now what should I do next, the mantel or the sideboard? Maybe I'll take a little break instead :-)

Thank you for stopping by for a visit today.
Your company always brightens my day.

Hugs and Kisses,

First project of the year...done.

2012-01-05T00:11:00.000-08:00

Yay! I just finished my first project.

I decided to tackle the album first.

It is now our brand new "Family Christmas Picture" album.

Not too bad for $1.50 plus some scrap fabric. What do you think?

Above is a little reminder of what it looked like before :-)

Wishing you a beautiful day!
Thank you for stopping by.

Hugs and Kisses,

First thrifty finds of the year...

2012-01-03T11:11:00.000-08:00

Hello my sweet friends!

Just wanted to share with you my first thrifty finds of the year...

So many goodies.

Aren't these awesome?

Small scrapbook album for only $1.50! It'll be going through a transformation soon.

This little oval, wooden plaque will also be going through a transformation...I don't want to spoil it, but it's to display a Christmas gift...Can't wait to show you when it's done.

And isn't this fabric just beautiful? I have an idea or two of what I want to make with it.

And last but not least...This cute little star. Hmmm, I'm thinking decoupage and music sheet paper.

These projects just got added to a long list of projects I want to get done this year...Boy, I can't wait to get started. Now, which one should I tackle first?

Here's to a very creative and productive new year!

Thank you for stopping by for a visit.
Hope you come back again soon.
Have a wonderful day.

Hugs and Kisses,

New Year Wishes

2011-12-29T11:48:00.000-08:00

Wishing all my sweet blogging friends a wonderful and prosperous

New Year!

May it be filled with lots of fun and exciting new adventures, much love, good health, tons of laughter and lots and lots of creativity.

Taking the rest of the year off...Hee, hee, hee... I will see you all next year. Hope you all have a wonderful
New Year's Celebration.

Hugs and Kisses,

Most Treasured Ornament 2011

2011-12-27T10:43:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!

I do hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. We spent ours surrounded by family, laughter, good food, (way too much good food...Hee, hee, hee) happiness and tons of love. Today, however, I was feeling a little sad because it all had come and gone way too fast. But as I thought back on Christmas and the rest of this year it made me start thinking of the new year and imagining what new adventures it would bring. Well that just cheered me right up and got me so very excited with anticipation.

This last year my family and I had our share of awesome adventures and there are two in particular that we felt were worthy of commemorating in our yearly Most Treasured Ornament. So if you don't mind, I would love to share what they are with you...

This first adventure was learning how to drive for our 16 year-old daughter and learning how to stay calm and relaxed for hubby and me when she's behind the wheel... I'm almost positive I get two or three more grey hairs every time we take her out to drive...Hee, hee, hee. She passed her permit test on the very first try...unlike me...Yikes! did I just admit to that? She is doing very well and soon will be taking her actual behind the wheel test...Wish her luck.

I just had to take a picture of the first time she got behind the wheel and drove. Am I the only one that has done this? :-)

Our second adventure was a trip to the museum..."Museum?" You may ask. Well sure we've been to museums before but this exhibition was special. It was from Señor Juan Antonio Pérez Simón's very private collection of Spanish Masters, called From El Greco to Dali...And our very own San Diego Museum of Art was the only museum in the entire United States that was fortunate enough to be able to exhibit these wonderful masterpieces. The collection travel from Paris to Quebec City and on its way home to Mexico City it stopped in San Diego. How awesome is that? Anyway, we have always been huge art lovers and to be able to see such a wonderful collection was absolutely amazing...But that was not the best part. My daughter and I are huge, huge, huge, Salvador Dali fans and to be able to see up close and personal some of his pieces was just beyond words.

This is a super miniature copy of the original Dali piece titled Ascension of Christ and was one of the pieces we saw.

Here are a couple more pics of our Most Treasured Ornament from different angles...

Phew! This was a long post. Hope I didn't bore you :-) Thank you for your visit and do hope you enjoyed this year's Most Treasured Ornament and the stories behind it.

Wishing you a wonderful day.

(If you haven't heard the story of how these ornaments came to be and would like read it you can just click here. To see some of the other ornaments you can click here, here, here and here.)

Hugs and Kisses,

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2011-12-25T01:00:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a very

Merry and Blessed Christmas

From my family to you and yours.

Hugs and Kisses,

Christmas Countdown Ends...

2011-12-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

♫On this last day before Christmas

With you I'd like to share....

One Babe in manger...♫
Remembering He's the reason for the season :-)

Yay! Tomorrow is Christmas Day!
Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas Eve.

Hugs and Kisses,

Christmas Countdown Continues...

2011-12-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

♫On this 2nd day before Christmas...

With you I'd like to share....

Two Tasty Treats♫

Yum...My favorite, chocolate chip cookies and vanilla eggnog.
Please, won't you join me?

Wishing you a beautiful day.

Hugs and Kisses,

Christmas Countdown Continues...

2011-12-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

♫On this 3rd day before Christmas

With you I'd like to share...

Three Trendy Tree-ees♫

Hope you're all enjoying my countdown to Christmas.
Wishing everyone a beautiful day.

Hugs and Kisses,

Christmas Countdown Contiunes...

2011-12-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

♫On this 4th day before Christmas

With you I'd like to share....

Four Feline Features...♫

4 more days....Yay!

Have a grrrrreat day!

Hugs and Kisses,

Christmas Countdown Continues...

2011-12-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

♫On this 5th day before Christmas

With you I'd like to share....

Fi...ve Feathered Friends♫

One day closer...Yay!!!!

Wishing everyone a beautiful day.
Blessings.

Hugs and Kisses,

Christmas Countdown Begins...

2011-12-19T08:31:00.000-08:00

♫On this 6th day before Christmas

With you I'd like to share...

Six Sweet Snowme-en♫

The countdown will continue til Christmas Eve. Yay! Hope you enjoy.

Thank you so much for stopping by for a visit today. I know you all probably must be very busy with last minute Christmas preparations...So it makes my heart very happy that you took some time to come visit with me. You have brightened my day.

Wishing you a beautiful day.
Blessings.

Hugs and Kisses,

Twas 11 Days Til Christmas...

2011-12-14T10:54:00.000-08:00

and all up in here...(Hee, Hee, Hee!)

Our fireplace and mantel were all decorated... But what's that I see and hear?

One swan a swimming and...

Two birds a singing.

But why do they sing?

Well because we have two birthdays to celebrate!

My handsome nephew, Andres, who today turns 18 and

Little baby C.C (My brand new niece)...Cute as a button and sweet as can be...Born today, December 14.

A very Happy Birthday to both.

Hugs and Kisses,

I Am Touched Beyond Words...

2011-12-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

Blogging has been an absolute wonderful experience for me. My blog is not only a place where I can express myself creatively and where I can share my thoughts, my life and my passions but it has also been a special place through which I have met many wonderful, caring, creative and inspiring people. A few whom I have developed sincere friendships with...Like my friend Ally from the blog of the same name.

My sweet friend Ally is from Italy and although I do not know Italian nor she English, thanks to Google translator our virtual friendship has blossomed. Today I wanted to share with you the special gesture she had towards me.

Today I received from her a sweet care package filled with wonderful, thoughtful and special gifts...

So many wonderful treasures...Hand-made place mats made by her especially for my hubby, daughter and me... And even one for Cookie. Some yummy candy and treats, an Italian cookbook and well so much more. Here is a closer look at some of the other items.

She knows how much I love birdies...

This sweet little pillow was hand-made by her too...Sew talented :-)

Cookie says, "Thank You"...She loved her cute little mat :-)

I don't know what I did to deserve such sweetness but....

Grazie dolce amica mia.

And thank you for stopping by for a visit today.
Wishing you all a very special day.

Hugs and Kisses,

♫Oh Christmas Tree♫

2011-12-07T08:54:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone.

Today I would like share with you our Christmas tree...

It's not much different than last year's...with the exception of a few new ornaments.

My favorite have always been the traditional Christmas colors...Red, green, gold and white.

Here's how it looks at night.

Oh! And look, is it snowing outside?

Well not exactly...They're just paper snowflakes but I can dream can't I :-)

Thank you for stopping by for a visit.
I do hope you enjoyed your stay.

Hugs and Kisses,

Frost Advisory?...Here?

2011-12-05T11:26:00.000-08:00

Burr...It has been quite cold here...More so than we are use to for sure. But cold enough for a frost advisory? Yup! It sure feels like it :-) It got as low as 32 degrees in some areas last night...I wonder if this mean a possibility of snow?

I can sure dream...

Wishing everyone a wonderful new week...

Stay cozy and warm!

Hugs and Kisses,

Tea Time

2011-12-02T15:30:00.000-08:00

I finished...finally...Yay!

All my Christmas decorating is done. I thought I had finished yesterday but turns out there were a few more touches I wanted to do, but as of this moment it is all done. Now I can really sit back, relax and enjoy...And what better way to do it than with a delicious cup of tea...Care to join me?

It's cinnamon tea with French Vanilla creamer...Yummm. It is the best thing ever. Have you ever had it before?
I just brewed a fresh batch...It smells soooo good and it makes our whole cottage smell good too. I'm so glad you stopped by today...Thank you for joining me for a cup of tea.

Hugs and Kisses,

Snowman Makeover

2011-11-29T10:53:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

This year's decorating has been going very slowly. I've been having some health issues that is making it difficult for me to do very much. And it doesn't help that I tend to overwhelm and over work myself with a lot of things to do which is creating too much stress for me and in turn making things worse health wise. So today, in the effort to distress a bit, I took a little break and I did something that always seems to help me relax....I crafted!

This little guy was a gift from my sweet brother-in-law, Miguel. He was a sample that his office was getting ready to toss out because of this...

When Miguel saw it, he immediately thought of me. He knows how much I love snow people and he thought that if anyone would be able to give this little guy new life it would be me...Isn't that sweet?!

So in keeping with my new leopard print Christmas theme I made him a new little leopard print cap and pant cuffs.

I think he looks rather stylish with his new look, don't you?

Thank you for stopping by for a visit today.
Wishing you a wonderful day.

Hugs and Kisses,

Christmas Season

2011-11-25T07:54:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

Today is officially the beginning of the Christmas season here at A Petite Cottage...Yay! And traditionally we like to start decorating for Christmas the weekend right after Thanksgiving....I can't wait!

I've always love to decorate with traditional colors like red, green and gold but once in a while I like to throw in something new. Last year I had the idea of adding a bit of leopard print to the mix but couldn't really find anything so I decided to make some of these...

Leopard print paper stars.

And this year I'll be adding these as well....

I made these a few weeks ago and I just couldn't wait to share them with you.

Made from some recycled items like a leopard print skirt from the thrift store, some old ornaments and some vintage buttons and button covers...

Plus a few new items too, like the crochet roses and pretty ribbon.

And what about you? Have you started decorating for Christmas yet?

Thank you for stopping by for a visit today, I always enjoy the company.
Hope you had a beautiful Thanksgiving Day.

Hugs and Kisses,

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T01:00:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a very happy and blessed

Thanksgiving Day!

Hugs and Kisses,

I'm Thankful For...

2011-11-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day of my "I'm Thankful For" posts. I had so much fun sharing with you every day, during these past few weeks, what I was thankful for. A heart-felt thank you to all who joined me and shared with me as well...

I'm truly thankful for...

You all.

Wishing everyone a fantabulous day!

Hugs and Kisses,

I'm Thankful For...Day 22

2011-11-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

Today and every day I'm thankful for...

Mi Linda Familia.

My beautiful family.

(Picture taken on Easter a couple of years ago.)

What are you thankful for today?

Wishing everyone a beautiful day.

Hugs and Kisses,

I'm Thankful For...Day 21

2011-11-21T05:14:00.000-08:00

Today I'm thankful for...

Family Treasures.

They are little treasured pieces that once belong to a family member that serve as reminders of just how special they are to me and which help keep them close to me always.

This towel was macrame by my great-grandmother...From my dad's side. It's just beautiful.

What are you thankful for today?

Wishing you a beautiful day.

Hugs and Kisses,

I'm Thankful For...Day 20

2011-11-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

Today I'm thankful for...

Good Clean Humor.

I love to laugh and smile, it makes me feel young.
Hope this puts a smile on your face :-)

What are you thankful for today?

Have a wonderful, laughter filled day.

Hugs and Kisses,

I'm Thankful For...Day 19

2011-11-19T06:30:00.000-08:00

Today and every day I'm thankful for...

My hubby's hugs.

They always make me feel oh so safe and loved.

What are you thankful for today?

Happy Saturday Everyone!

Hugs and Kisses,

I'm Thankful For...Day 18

2011-11-18T09:03:00.000-08:00

Today I'm thankful for...

Thanksgiving School Break.

Today is my daughter's last day of school before Thanksgiving break...Yay!

What are you thankful for today?

Wishing everyone a awesome Friday!

Hugs and Kisses,

I'm Thankful For...Day 17

2011-11-17T15:15:00.000-08:00

Today I'm thankful for...

Nap Time :-)

It's been an extra busy day today and my nap gave me that little extra charge I needed. Can't say I looked this cute napping though...Hee, hee, hee.

What are you thankful for today?

Wishing you a wonderful day.

Hugs and Kisses,

I'm Thankful For...Day 16

2011-11-16T15:05:00.000-08:00

Today I'm thankful for...

My computer...

Because all my sweet blogging friends live in it :-)

(Source)

What are you thankful for today?

Wishing you a wonderful day.

Hugs and Kisses,

I'm Thankful For...Day 15

2011-11-15T11:56:00.000-08:00

Today and every day I'm thankful for...

My beautiful daughter.

I feel so very blessed to have such a funny, smart, kind-hearted, loving daughter, who loves to make me laugh and smile.

What are you thankful for today?

Wishing everyone a wonderful day.

Hugs and Kisses,

I'm Thankful For...Day 14

2011-11-14T10:25:00.000-08:00

Today I'm thankful for...

A beautiful, sunny day.

A wonderful beginning to a brand new week.

What are you thankful for today?

Wishing everyone a beautiful new week.

Hugs and Kisses,

I'm Thankful For...Day 13

2011-11-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Today I'm thankful for...

His great love.

What are you thankful for today?

Wishing everyone a beautiful Sunday.

Hugs and Kisss,

I'm Thankful For...Day 12

2011-11-12T10:44:00.000-08:00

Today I'm thankful for...

The roof over our heads.

It's been raining all morning and as much as I love rainy days, a roof to stay dry under is something definitely to be thankful for.

What are you thankful for today?

Wishing everyone a wonderful Saturday.

Hugs and Kisses,

I'm Thankful For...Day 11

2011-11-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

Today I'm thankful for...

All the brave men and women who served and are serving this great country of ours. God Bless America.

What are you thankful for today?

Happy Friday Everyone!

Hugs and Kisses,

I'm Thankful For...Day 10

2011-11-10T09:05:00.000-08:00

Today I'm thankful for...

Being able to witness and enjoy such a spectacular view out our living room window earlier this morning.

The photo doesn't do it justice, but the moon over downtown was simply breathtaking.

What are you thankful for today?

Wishing everyone a beautiful day.

Hugs and Kisses,

I'm Thankful For...Day 9

2011-11-09T08:43:00.000-08:00

Today I'm thankful for...

Modern appliances, specifically my washer and dryer.

This morning I'm doing some laundry and I'm so thankful I won't be doing it like this...:-)

(Source)

What are you thankful for today?

Wishing everyone a fantabulous day.

Hugs and Kisses,

I'm Thankful For...Day 8

2011-11-08T08:50:00.000-08:00

Today I'm thankful for....

My pink, fluffy, super warm robe.

My pretty snowflake scarf.

And my super cute, shabby chic, rose socks.

Becasue they are all doing an awesome job of keeping me nice and warm on this very chilly morning.

What are you thankful for today?

Wishing everyone a wonderful thanksgiving day.

Hugs and Kisses,

I'm Thankful For...Day 7

2011-11-07T08:27:00.000-08:00

Today I'm thankful for...

The little extra time I got to spend with my hubby this morning.

Monday mornings are usually hectic and rushed trying to make lunches, helping our daughter get ready for school and helping my hubby get ready for work...But not today. We had a little extra time because Hubby went into work a bit later than usual today. What a wonderful way to start the week.

What are you thankful for today?

Wishing everyone a wonderful Monday.

Hugs and Kisses,

I'm Thankful For...Day 6

2011-11-06T07:36:00.000-08:00

Today I'm thankful for...

God's Word.

It gives me daily hope and strength.

What are you thankful for today?

Wishing everyone a wonderful Sunday.

Hugs and Kisses,
♥Ana

I'm Thankful For...Day Five

2011-11-05T09:45:00.000-07:00

Today I'm thankful for...

SATURDAYS!

Wonderful, sleep in, having real breakfasts, family play days... :-)

What are you thankful for today?

Wishing everyone a wonderful Saturday!

Hugs and Kisses,

I'm Thankful For...Day Four

2011-11-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

Today I'm thankful for...

Rainy days.

It's raining today....Yay! I love rainy days. There is something so calming and nostalgic about them that makes me feel good all over...plus my petite garden gets watered without me having to do it :-) Oh, yeah and I get to wear my cute pink polka dot, wedged heel, rain boots too...Hee, hee, hee.

What are you thankful for today?

Wishing everyone a wonderful thanksgiving day!

Hugs and Kisses,

I'm Thankful For...Day Three

2011-11-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

Today I am thankful for...

My daily morning walks and all of God's beauty I encounter along the way.

Although my walk is not through a nature trail, but through a residential area there is still so much of God's beauty to be experienced...Here's a bit of what I encountered today.

A beautiful tree with turning leaves letting us know fall is here.

A beautiful Magnolia tree in full bloom...My favorite.

A sweet little rose bush still gracing us with pretty roses.

Pretty purple flowers.

Even a watermelon growing in a neighbors yard...Beautiful and delicious.

What are you thankful for today?

Wishing everyone a wonderful thanksgiving day.

Hugs and Kisses,

I'm Thankful For...Continues

2011-11-02T08:10:00.000-07:00

Today I'm thankful for...

A wonderful family I can count on.

I am not one who tends to ask for help, always one who offers it...But today I needed it and I was able to count on my beautiful baby sister...Thank you Lucy, I love you very much.

What are you thankful for today?

Wishing everyone a wonderful, thanksgiving day.

Hugs and Kisses,

I'm Thankful For...

2011-11-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st of November Everyone.

Since this is the month of thanksgiving (Even though I believe every day should be a thanksgiving day because there is much to be thankful for.) I thought it would be fun to share with you every day, from today until Thanksgiving day, something I am or was thankful for on that particular day. Sounds like fun, right? Okay, lets begin...

Today I am thankful...

That our petite cottage was not TPed last night because we weren't home passing out candy...Sorry I can't say the same for these homes...

(All images were Googled under TPed Houses)

Yikes!

What are you thankful for today?

Wishing you a wonderful first day of November...

Always thankful for your kind friendship, visits and sweet comments.

Hugs and Kisses,

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T04:00:00.000-07:00

Wishing everyone a very happy, fun and safe Halloween....

Trick o' Treat!

Le Swap Meet

2011-10-25T09:33:00.000-07:00

Can you believe there are no "Flea Markets" close to where I live? Arggg! I know! All the good ones are further up north and just a bit too far to get to as often as I would like :-( However we do have plenty of "Swap Meets".

Some may argue that they are technically the same thing. However, the swap meets here are nothing like the flea markets up north. The swap meets here have much more of the newer stuff and less of the shabby chic, vintagey stuff that I love so much. Which I guess is why I haven't been to one in a long, long time...Until a couple of weekends ago.

Our daughter had been wanting to go to one for a while now and ask if we would go, so we decided to make a day out of it...And boy am I happy we did. This is what I found...

This little cutie was spotted my by hubby...He knows me oh so well...Love the birdies...Only $3.00.

Then I spotted this...

Cute little garden flag with birdies on it...Yay! Only $1.00. It was brand new, still in the package.

And then we came across a vendor that was selling all her jewelry at 50 cents a piece.

Can you believe this gorgeous rhinestone bow brooch was only 50 cents?

And I couldn't resist this beautiful cuff bracelet...It had a je ne sais quoi about it. I Love it! And then of course I found my beautiful Dia de los Muertos calavera from my previous post there too...

Needless to say I am totally reconsidering Le Swap Meets now. Can't wait to go again.

Thank you for stopping by for a visit today.
I always enjoy your company and sweet comments.

Wishing you all a beautiful fall day.

Hugs and Kisses,

A Bit Of Halloween Decor

2011-10-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome Everyone....

Won't you come in and see what I've done to our petite cottage for Halloween?

Oh, don't be scared...It's not a real skull...Hee, hee, hee.

It's a traditional "calavera" (skull) very popular in Mexico during El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) which is celebrated on the 1st and 2nd of November.
The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have passed on.I found this one at the Swap Meet this past weekend...Isn't it pretty? Can I even say that about a skull? Hee, hee, hee. Look at the pretty little bird design on it. When I showed it to my hubby he said, "You would find a skull with birds on it." He knows how much I love little birdies...:-)

The mantel got a little Halloween makeover too.

Kinda spooky huh? Actually I just stopped dusting for a couple of days and there you have it...cobwebs and spookiness...Hee, hee, hee.

Thank you for stopping by. Hope you come again soon.
Have a spooktacular day everyone!.

Hugs and Kisses,

My Fall Inspired Mantel

2011-10-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

I was just thinking that I haven't shared with you my Autumn Inspired Mantel for this year yet. Well, I was also thinking I should share it before I start adding all the Halloween decor :-)

Made the twig urn out of some pretty twigs my hubby and I found on one of our walks.

I think for Halloween I'll hang some little black birds off the twigs... Like this:

Or this...

What do you think?

Now off to decorate for Halloween!

Wishing everyone a fantabulous weekend.

Note:

Urn with birds photo source #1
Urn with birds photo source #2

Hugs and Kisses,

Petite Autumn Porch

2011-10-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

I must admit...I've fallen a bit behind. I barely just decorated our petite porch for autumn...Guess pretty soon I'll have to add the Halloween stuff too, but it the mean time here is a little peek at this years Petite Autumn Porch...

Thank you so much for stopping by for a visit today. I always enjoy your company.

Wishing you all a beautiful Autumn day.

Hugs and Kisses,

My New RAT

2011-10-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

First, I guess I should begin by explaining what a R.A.T is...It's a cute little acronym my hubby, daughter and I came up with for Roadside Acquisition Treasures. Those awesome little treasures that some people seem to believe are trash and abandon at the curbside...If you're wondering why we went with R.A.T instead of C.A.T (Curbside Acquisition Treasure) which is a bit cuter, well it's because I tend to spot these treasures while my hubby is driving and when I yell C.A.T my hubby thinks it's a real one crossing the street... Rats are less common. Hee, hee, hee. Anyway, I just wanted to share with you my newest R.A.T.

It never ceases to amaze me what people throw out... I cannot wait to get started on it's transformation. What do you think?

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend.

Hugs and Kisses,

Sweet Treats

2011-10-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

My most favorite Halloween candy has to be the sweet, delicious candy corn. Yummy! As I was surfing the net the other day I came to find out that it's not just for eating anymore...

Source

All very cute ideas, however...This is still my favorite way to have it...

Close at hand to snack on at all times...Hee, hee, hee!

Happy October Everyone!

Hugs and Kisses,

Lighting Up Our Beaches

2011-09-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

For the last couple of days our beaches have been lighting up at night...

Video from YouTube.

Isn't it cool? There has been a strong red tide here in San Diego this past week which is what this is... The red tide is a discoloration of seawater caused by a bloom of tiny organisms known as red dinoflagellates – And if I understand correctly when these tiny little creatures become agitated they light up through a phenomenon known as bioluminescence. Amazing! Just thought I'd share.

Wishing everyone a phenomenal weekend.
Blessings!

Hugs and Kisses,

Monogrammed Delight

2011-09-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I have been busy, again, ~~making~~ picking pumpkins at the oh sew special pumpkin patch. Just wanted to share my new embroidered monogram pumpkin.

Love the cinnamon stick for a stem.

You can find some at my Etsy shop...And you can get it personalized with your very own initial.

Thank you so much for stopping by for a visit today.
A very happy Wednesday to you all.

Hugs and Kisses,

Cookie's New Sweater

2011-09-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

Momma: "Hey Cookie look what Momma crocheted for you...Here, let me put it on...Ooooh, soooo cuuuuute. Picture time!"

Cookie: "But Momma I was taking a nap..."
Momma: "Oh, you look soooo adowable." **Snap**

Cookie: "Can I go back to my napping? Pleeeeese!"

Momma: "No, no, no...sit up Cookie...show Momma your new sweater." **Snap**

Cookie: "Now can I go back to my nap?"

Momma: "Okay, but one more picture." **Snap**
Cookie: "Thank you Momma, and thank you for my new sweater, I love it."

Wishing everyone a wonderful new week.

Hugs and Kisses,

Cinemagraphs

2011-09-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

The other day I came across on the net a picture that totally blew me away...I was intrigued and had to know how it was done. They are know as cinemagraphs...They are a combination of still images and animation, created with some video footage and the Photoshop CS5 program.

I just had to share some cinemagraphs I found by photographer Jamie Beck...Hope you enjoy.

Aren't they amazing?...I'd just love to make my own...Now if I can only get my little hands on this Photoshop CS5 program.

Wishing everyone a beautiful weekend.

Hugs and Kisses,

Oh Sew Special Pumpkin Patch

2011-09-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

I've been busy ~~making~~ picking pumpkins at an oh sew special pumpkin patch ;-)

Sew many to "pick" from. These are the ones I got last week and this week I plan to ~~make~~ pick some more.
There are small ones.

There are stackable ones.

And there are large ones too.

These ones and....

this one I made a couple of years back.
And now they adorn my coffee table...

a side table and...

my sideboard.

Hmmm, now I think I need some more for my dining room. So off I go to the oh sew special pumpkin patch...(my sewing machine area). Hee, hee, hee.

Wishing everyone a beautiful day.
3 more days until Autumn is officially here...Yay!

Hugs and Kisses,

It's Looking A Lot Like Fall

2011-09-13T17:05:00.001-07:00

Although officially autumn doesn't begin for a few more days....It it definitely starting to look like fall at our petite cottage.

I just love the beautiful colors of fall.

Today I decorated my living room sideboard.

Sweet little birdies always seem to find their way onto my vignettes. I just love birdies!

And how about you? Do you decorate for the autumn season too?

Thank you for stopping by for a visit today.
Hope you come again soon.
Wishing you a beautiful day.

Hugs and Kisses,

Small, Easy And Quick Project

2011-09-09T07:04:00.000-07:00

I've been itchin' to work on a project, but it's been too hot, hotter than it's been all summer, to do much of anything. Worse part about it is that our petite cottage has no centralize air...Eeek, I know! But we do have several fans working overtime and we're not the only ones. I guess we all have been running our air conditioners and fans so much that we must have blown something. Yesterday, a big part of California along with parts of Baja California and Arizona had a blackout that lasted almost 8 hours... Eeek, I know! We've gotten our electricity back here already, but not sure if other parts that were affect have theirs yet.

Anyway, just before the blackout I was able to bare the heat long enough to work on this small, easy and quick project...just to calm that itchin' a bit...Hee, hee, hee.

Inspired by this graphic I designed for my blog a long, long time ago I came up with this...

I used a cutout version of the graphic (Bird silhouette, seen above) as a stencil.

Then I filled in the design with some black acrylic paint. Pretty easy huh? There are probably other methods you can use to accomplish this same look, this is the one I decided to use because I already had the cutout of the silhouette.

After the paint was completely dry I ironed it to set it in and then sewed my little heart away to make this cute little pillow. What do you think?

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend.
Here's hoping for no more blackouts...:-)

Hugs and Kisses,

Scrumpdiddlyumptious...

2011-09-07T11:12:00.000-07:00

I'm almost sure I've mentioned once or twice before that I am a devout chocoholic....I LOVE THE STUFF!!! But did you know there was one other candy that I love as much as chocolate?

It's hot, spicy, sweet and yum, yum, yum, scrumpdiddlyumptious.....

Mexican Hot Candy...

Some of my favorites are spicy tamarind ball candy..."Pulpa Rindin"

And chile powder candy..."Pica-Oh" made with sugar, salt and chile powder...Yummo

What about you? Do you have a favorite candy?

Hugs and Kisses,

Beautiful Rain

2011-09-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful way to begin the new week...Raining....I just love the rain.

And what a perfect way to end our last day of summer vacation...Raining...It's been raining all day and into the evening.

(My favorite umbrella)

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.

And wishing everyone a wonderful new week.

A heartfelt thank you to all who left such sweet, caring and kind comments for me on my last post...You have lifted my spirits...Much love to all.

Hugs and Kisses,

A Great Big Hug

2011-09-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

It's been a little tough for me this past week... But your sweet friendships and kind comments are like a great big hug to me...Thank you for making my day a little brighter.

Sending everyone a great big hug right back...

Have a wonderful weekend.

Good-Bye Summer

2011-08-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

Here at our petite cottage we'll soon be saying good-bye to summer... But before we say adieu, until next year we're trying to get in as many fun, summer, family activities as we can before school starts next week. This has left me with very little time and energy to work on any major projects...

However, at the end of the day when we settle down after a busy day, I like to sit in my new comfy chair next to the opened slider door in our bedroom to enjoy the cool breeze of the evening and crochet.

Just thought I'd share with you a little something I've been working on...What do you think?

Wishing everyone a fantabulous day.

Hugs and Kisses,

Bunny Mystery...Revealed

2011-08-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

It's time to reveal what my little bunny treasure is from my last post...

By the way, a great big "Thank You" to all who played along...It was so much fun reading all your comments... Unfortunately no one guessed exactly right :-(

I loved how creative some of your guesses were though...Planter, bookend, pencil box, vase...:-)

Well, here's what it really is...It is a combination of two things (And I would've accepted anyone of the two guesses.) As you open the little bunny door, inside you'll find a little mirror and three little drawers...It's a jewelry box!

And if you look in the back you'll spot a little winding key...So it's a music box too. And the tune that it plays is the Do, Re, Mi, song :-)

Okay, although no one guessed exactly what it was...I think I should still send someone a little surprise for playing along...And I think it should go to....Drum roll please...:-)

Tanna at The Brick Street Bungalow

After all, hers was the only guess that was kinda close...She said: "Did it hold a radio that played this little tune?" Congratulations Ms. Tanna! Please email me your info so that I may send you your little surprise :-)

Wishing everyone a wonderful new week.

Hugs and Kisses,

Feeling Nostalgic

2011-08-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

♪♫♪ Doe- a deer, a female deer

Ray- a drop of golden sun

Me- a name I call myself

Far- a long long way to run

Sew- a needle pulling thread

La- a note to follow so

Tea- a drink with jam and bread

That will bring us back to do... oh oh oh ♪♫♪

Funny, I don't know why, but this morning I woke up with this song in my head. It was one of my favorite songs when I was a little girl and now every time I hear it it brings back sweet childhood memories. One memory in particular that comes to mind is of a special little tresure which has had me looking for it like crazy this morning so that I may share it with you... Where could it be?...

Ah, there it is! I found it!

Isn't it cute? But what is it? Well it's my....Wait a sec...I've got an idea. How about if you try to guess what it is. The first person to leave me a comment on this post with the correct guess gets a little surprise. Doesn't that sound like fun? Alright then...Happy Guessing.

Wishing you all a ♫Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, Do♫ day :-)

Note:
Link for pic 1
Link for pic 2
Link for pic 3
Link for pic 4
Link for pic 5
Link for pic 6
Link for pic 7
Last picture is mine.

Hugs and Kisses,

My Brand New Chair

2011-08-22T00:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone.

I just wanted you to know that I finished my chair project a few days ago and my intentions were to share about it with you on Friday but......

Hubby had other plans...He thought I needed to get out of the house and take in some fresh air so he planned a family trip to the tide pools. It was the perfect day for it and we had a wonderful time.

And now that I'm refreshed and ready to begin a new week I'd like to share with you my brand new chair....

Here it is....

What do you think?

Run your mouse over the picture to see the before...

Wishing everyone a beautiful new week.

Hugs and Kisses,

Chair Project Sneak Peek

2011-08-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

(Image from The Graphics Fairy)

I thought I would take a little break from all the cutting, pinning and sewing to show you a little sneak peek of how my chair project is coming along.

My goal is to finish it by Friday...Wish me luck.

Wishing everyone a fantabulous day.
Blessings.

Hugs and Kisses,

And The Winner Is.....

2011-08-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

But before I pick the winner I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for the encouraging comments you left on my last post...I am so ready to tackle my chair project now :-) I will keep you posted on the progress...

And now to pick the winner of my give-a-way...Are you all ready?

I'm using a random number generator/picker to assist me today....

Drum roll please....

And the winner is.....

Sweet Commenter number...

Let me just go back to my Giveaway Celebration post to see who that is...Will be right back...

It's Elizabeth from Home Is Where The Heart Is....
Yay!!!! Congratulations Elizabeth.

A special thank you and a great big hug to all my Sweet Followers. You had made my blogging experience a wonderful one and my life a bit brighter. Love to you all.

Wishing everyone a wonderful new week.

Hugs and Kisses,

Just Do It!

2011-08-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I've had this project in my garage...f o r e v e r...Remember this curbside find from a long while back?...(Click here to see.)

Well this last Monday it finally came out of the garage. It's finally cleaned and in the house and ready for me to start on. But....I'm having such a hard time starting. I keep putting it off one more day.

First I have to detach the back seat cushion and make a separate cushion, then I have to patch up the hole that it will leave, then I have to sew a slipcover for the chair and ottoman and then...Whew! I'm tired already, maybe I can start on it on Monday...Arrrg! I just need to do it!!! I could use a bit of encouragement...:-)

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend.

Oh, but before I go I wanted to thank everyone who left such sweet birthday wishes for my mother-in-law...A great big hug and thank you from the both of us.

**Giveaway Reminder***
Last day to enter is Aug. 14, 2011 if you haven't done so yet...Click on the sidebar picture for more details...Thank you.

Hugs and Kisses,

A Special Day...

2011-08-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

This blonde cutie is my sweet mother-in-law, Lola and it's her birthday today....Yay!!! She likes to visit my blog so I thought I'd surprise her with a birthday post just for her....

Feliz Cumpleños Lola!

Le doy gracias a Dios por haberme regalado una suegra tan linda como tú. Te quiero mucho y te deseo un día muy hermoso.

Besitos,

♫Ana Has A...

2011-08-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

Little Lamb...

Little Lamb...
Little Lamb ♫

♫Ana has a little lamb whose fleece is white as snow♫

♫This cutie was a thrift store find,
Thrift store find,
Thrift store find.
This cutie was a thrift store find, a gift for me with love♫

On our most recent trip to the thrift store I spotted this little cutie. I showed it to my mother-in-law who just ooohed and ahhhed over it...I lovingly gave my sweet little find over to her thinking she was going to buy it for herself but...I was wonderfully surprised when we got home and she handed it to me saying she had bought it for me....Yay! Isn't she the sweetest? Love you Lola.

Wishing everyone a wonderful new week.

Hugs and Kisses,

Just Too Hot!!!

2011-08-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

I love the summer time and even the warm weather, but when it gets sooo hot my brain can't think straight well I just can't get too much accomplished.

Yes, it's 80 degrees and it is barely 10:00am...Ugggh!

May be I should head over to my favorite thrift store...the only one around here with air conditioning...:-) Hopefully the hunting is good and I'll have something awesome to share with you all next time.

Stay cool everyone!

Note: If you haven't entered my giveaway yet just skip down to my last post and read all about it. Deadline is Aug. 14, 2011...Good luck everyone.

Hugs and Kisses,

Giveaway Celebration

2011-08-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

It's time to celebrate...Yay! A Petite Cottage is celebrating reaching 500(+) Sweet Followers...Yay, again!!! And what better way to celebrate than with a giveaway, so....

Here is what the giveaway will be...

A pretty fabric bag made we tons of love by me and....

a petite arrangement of sweet paper flowers that I made out of a vintage dress pattern.

If you would like a chance to win, this is what you'll need to do...Be a follower of A Petite Cottage and leave a comment on this post. That's it...Easy as pie. You'll have until August 14th to enter.... Good luck everyone :-) And thank you so much for following...

Note: If you are a follower but have no blog or other site I can contact you at, please make sure you leave an email address where I can reach you in case you are the winner.

Happy first day of August!
And have a wonderful new week everyone!

Hugs and Kisses,

Time To Celebrate!

2011-07-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone.

With a humble heart, today I wanted to share with you that my petite blog has almost reached 500 Sweet Followers! Yay! Can you believe that? Not me. When I first started blogging I never, ever imagined, not in a million, gazillion years that anyone would visit my petite blog, much less follow it.

I feel so very truly blessed to have met many wonderful, supportive, kind, sweet, creative, inspiring and caring friends through my blog. Each and everyone of you and your sweet comments have made my life a bit brighter and sweeter. Thank you!

So let's celebrate!!! But how should we celebrate? Well, you'll just have to stay tuned...

Wishing you all a very sweet and beautiful day.

Hugs and Kisses,

La Marché aux Puces

2011-07-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

Aaah...Paris! Ever since I can remember The City of Love has been on the top of my list of places I'd love to visit.

*Sigh*...Maybe one day.... And if that day ever comes you know I'll definitely visit La Marché aux Puces.

The Flea Market.

I can't believe I found this awesome sign at the GW...Oh, but it didn't look like this when I got it....

It looked like this...What do you think of the of the transformation?

Hope everyone is having a fantabulous summer!

Hugs and Kisses,

Ralph Lauren Bed Sheet Repurposed

2011-07-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

A couple of weekends ago I bought this Ralph Lauren, queen size bed sheet for only.....Are you ready for this?... $4.00! Can you believe it?!

The only thing was, I thought it was way too pretty to hide under my bedspread. So I assigned it a new purpose....

It is now a duvet cover for the down throw that sits at the foot of our bed. Oh, but that's not all.

There was enough fabric left over to also make a sweet little decorative throw pillow and...

a pretty little bag for me and...Yes, there is more...

an apron.

A duvet, pillow, bag and apron for $4.00...Not too bad!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

Joining in all the fun over at:

Courtney's: French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday.

Cindy's: My Romantic Home for Show And Tell Friday.

Vanessa and Heather's: At The Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday.

Alison's: Stuff and Nonsense for Fridays Unfolded.

Hugs and Kisses,

Three Loves Combined...

2011-07-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

If you've been following my blog for a while...(Thank you, how very sweet of you.)... then you may already know that I love to reuse and repurpose. I'm always looking for new ways to give old items new life. You may also know that I love to sew, and you may also know how much I love everything vintagey... Well, today I wanted to show you how I've combined all three of these loves together...

I took some vintage sewing patterns and made these pretty paper flowers out of them.

I used both the tissue part of the pattern and the instructions. (Used the instruction pages to make the rose.)

I think they turned out sew pretty...Don't you? :-)

Hope you're having a fantabulous summer.
Stay creative everyone!

Hugs and Kisses,

Goal Accomplished!

2011-07-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I'm so excited to share with you that I accomplished the goal I set for myself at the beginning of this week...Yay!!!! I challenged myself to complete two projects this week...One old and one new. The old one was an afghan I started crocheting about 12 years ago...Yikes, 12 years! I know... And the new one was transforming my most recent thrift store find....Do you wanna see?

Remember the "Taters and Onyons" bin? (Click here for a before pic.) Well, now it's this awesome shabby and tres chic storage bin.

Originally I was going to repurpose it as a "Doggie Food" bin...You guessed right Julie Marie :-)...But now I believe it can be used for many other things...A TP storage bin for the bathroom for example, or maybe a mail bin, or maybe even use it for it's original purpose, potato and onion storage. The possibilities are endless. What would you use it for?

And below is the beautiful rosebud afghan....Finally completed. Yay!!!

It feels soooo good to finally see it done.

Love the sweet scalloped border.

Now on to my next project...Well, maybe after I catch up with my house work :-)

Hugs and Kisses,

Unfinished Business...

2011-07-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else do this, start a new project when you have old ones that still need to be finished? I am notorious for doing this. But I want to change, really I do :-)

I started crocheting this very sweet, rosebud afghan...YIKES!...about 12 years ago. I think it's been waiting long enough to be finished... Don't you? Hee, hee, hee.

My goal for this week is to finish my "Taters and Onyons" box project and this afghan. One new project and one very, very old one.

Posting about these projects always seems to encourage me to work quickly and most importantly to finish...Must be all the sweet, kind and supportive comments I always get from you, my dear blogging friends. Thank you.

Wish me luck...

Wishing everyone a wonderful and productive new week.

Hugs and Kisses,

Ah Sugar, Sugar...

2011-07-08T12:40:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to wish all my SWEET blogging friends a super SWEET day.

(SWEET, vintage, sugar scoop is a thrift store treasure find.)

(The lavender....Mmmmmm, smells so SWEET...is from my petite jardin.)

Sending tons of sweetness your way...
Have a wonderful weekend.

Hugs and Kisses,

Taters and Onyons

2011-07-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

After a very much appreciated and needed four day weekend, which helped recharge my battery, sort of speak, I am sooo ready to tackle my next project.

It's this "Taters and Onyons" box I picked up at my local thrift store for the incredible price of...

I'm thinking of giving it a brand new look and a brand new purpose.

You know me, I can never leave well enough alone. I'm thinking of making it into........

You know what? I think I'll wait until it's done to show you instead...Hee, hee, hee...I know, I'm such a tease :-)

Wishing everyone a wonderful summer day.
Thank you for stopping by for a visit.

Hugs and Kisses,

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-02T06:45:00.000-07:00

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend.

Hugs and Kisses,

The Red Wall Is Gone...

2011-06-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

I had been toying with the idea of changing our living room's accent wall color for a while now. I loved, loved, loved my red wall, but I felt it was time for a change. Sooo... A few weeks back I finally did it. The red wall is gone...

Run your mouse over the above picture to see what the wall looked like before.

At first I missed my red wall a lot...

But I really did like the new color, I just needed some time to get use to the change.

Change is good!

Thank you so much for stopping by for a visit.
Wishing you a beautiful day.

Hugs and Kisses,

Curbside Treasure 2:

2011-06-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I had almost forgotten I told you in a previous post (here) that I would share with you my other most recent curbside treasure find. Well, here it is...

Isn't it awesome? I'm calling it a linen chest because...

Look at all the storage I can use for my dining room linens.

It's missing the bottom drawer but still has the drawer front...Can you see the doors knobs in there?

Can't believe how lucky I got. Love this piece but....

I'm not sure what I want to do to it yet...It's the biggest piece of furniture I'll tackle yet and I'm a little unsure of what to do.

Should I paint it or stain it to match my dining room table top? What should I do to the drawer? Maybe make a new one or just add some hinges to the drawer front and make it a door that opens up. Or maybe I should just leave it open and add some baskets. What to do? Any suggestions? I'd love to hear them.

Hugs and Kisses,

Patriotic Pillows

2011-06-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July is just around the corner so I thought I would add a bit of patriotic decor to our petite cottage...

I've been busy making these cute flag inspired pillows.

Aren't they cute?

I love that they're in cream and khaki...Perfect colors for my decor plus this way I can keep them out all year round.

I even made a couple to put up on my Etsy shop. I'll be putting them up soon...

So what do you think?

Hugs and Kisses,

Calla Lilies

2011-06-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

Calla Lilies from my jardin...

I'm so excited beacause they're in bloom.

I have only seen them bloom once and that was when I first got them about 3 and 5 years ago...

And all of a sudden both plants decide to bloom this year...Yay!

And I wanted to share them with all of you, my sweet blogging friends...
Wishing you all a beautiful new week.

Hugs and Kisses,

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

Papi, I know you wanted all boys but instead you got a house full of girls...Yikes! I know it must have been tough...But you did real good :-) I love you very much. Happy Father's Day.

And a Happy Father's Day to...

my sweet Dad-in-law...

my handsome hubby...

and to all the other fathers I know...All my love to you.

Hugs and Kisses,

Curbside Treasure

2011-06-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back my sister and brother-in-law's dear friend and neighbor past. He was a kind and sweet man and an avid collector of anything and everything. He left behind a home full of many, many, many treasures. Sadly, many of these treasures his family saw as junk and ended up tossing them out to the curbside...Amongst those items tossed were a chair, (below) which my hubby picked up for me and one other item that I will share with you in a later post, which my sweet sister and brother-in-law snatched up especially for me.

The chair was in pretty good condition, but in dire need of a makeover... That blue velvet just didn't quite go with my decor :-)...So here is what I did with it.

First I took the seat off and reupholstered it and then I gave the chair a couple coats of a cream colored paint.

After the paint was dry I grabbed my trusty Valspar Antiquing Glaze...

With an old bristle brush I brush on a fair amount of glaze one section at a time...

Making sure I put a little extra in any seams, carvings, dings and dents.

Then with a slightly damp cloth I wipe off the excess.

Transforming an area from this....

to this.

Once the glaze was completely dry I put my newly upholstered seat back on.

But it wasn't quite done yet...I also stitched up a pretty little seat cover to dress it up a bit more.

Here's a close up of the pretty little pleated ruffle.

And the cute little tie in the back...

One man's junk was definitely another woman's treasure... I love it! :-)

Hugs and Kisses,

Miniature Beauties

2011-06-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

Today I thought it would be fun to share with you one of my favorite collections. It's the smallest of my collections, both in size and in number...

These miniature beauties only measure about 2" in height and are hand made by very talented Mexican artisans. I was told they were made out of "migajon de pan" (A clay of sorts made out of bread crumbs).

This one was my very first one. She is wearing a traditional costume from Oaxaca, Mexico. Hubby got her for me on our very first family trip to Mexico, about 14 years ago. So much beautiful detail.

A beautiful bride was added a few years later...Just look at those sweet tiny flowers.

And this is my most recent one. A couple of weeks ago Hubby went on a business trip to Mexico City and found her for me... Isn't she beautiful? I love my mini collection... And how about you, do you have a favorite collection? I'd love to hear about it.

Hugs and Kisses,

Odds and Ends Project: Finished

2011-06-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

My Odds and Ends project is finished. Yay!!!

Look what I made with the salvaged cabinet door, vintage receipt clip, vintage kitchen towel holder and a pair of wooden decorative appliques...

It's a calendar/message board... And I love how it turned out.

This vintage kitchen towel hanger will no longer hold towels...It'll hold messages and reminders. Love all it's charm and chippiness.

And this vintage Yawman & Erbe MFG Co. receipt board clip won't be holding any receipts. So what do you think?

If you didn't see what all these odds and ends looked like before just keep scrolling down to my last post.

Hugs and Kisses,

Odds and Ends Project

2011-06-06T21:25:00.000-07:00

Hmmmm....What can I possibly make out of these odds and ends?

*One old cabinet door (Salvaged from Dad-in-laws house).

*Two wooden decorative mold pieces (65 cents from thrift store).

*One vintage Yawman & Erbe MFG Co. receipt board clip (95 cents from same thrift store).

*One vintage kitchen tin and ball towel holder (Salvaged from my parents kitchen).

Shhhhh....Do you hear that?

My little creative wheels are turning...Hee, hee, hee.

Are you curious to see what I'll make? Me too :-)

Wishing everyone a very creative week.

Hugs and Kisses,

Special Pancakes

2011-06-05T13:40:00.000-07:00

Hubby hasn't been feeling well lately. He's been fighting a real nasty cold so I thought I would make him some pancakes this morning to cheer him up.

But not just any old pancakes....STAR WARS pancakes! He is a huge STAR WARS fan.

They were so much fun to make...

And the best part was that they put a smile on Hubby's face and made him feel just a bit better.

Wishing you all a wonderful day and may it be filled with tons of happy smiles.

Hugs and Kisses,

Pretty Paper Peonies

2011-06-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, since I can't grow pretty pink peonies in my zone...

Then I'll just have to make some.

I made these pretties out of tissue paper.

They were so much fun to make.

A sweet alternative, don't you think?

Wishing you all a beautiful and creative day.

Hugs and Kisses,

No Peonies For Me

2011-05-31T08:41:00.000-07:00

I love, love, love peonies and since I was feeling a little more confident about my gardening skills I thought I would give growing them a try. But...

As I researched where to find them I found out they cannot be grown in my zone. What!?

Something about not enough "chilling hours"...But us Californians do plenty of chillin' out...Hee, hee, hee.

Now I know why I have never seen a peony around here...Can you believe I have never ever seen a peony in person?

Well at least I can continue to enjoy their beauty through pictures...All pictures are from Country Living Magazine. Hope you enjoy.

Wishing everyone a fantablulous day.

Hugs and Kisses,

Bee Happy...

2011-05-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

Today is a bee-utiful day...

Birds are singing, sun is shinning and the bees are a-buzzin'...

Found this cute little beehive at the thrift store for about a buck.

But it didn't look like this when I first got it...

It looked like this. What a difference a little paint can make...Love it!

Wishing everyone a BEE-utiful day.

Hugs and Kisses,

Drawer Transformation...Finis!

2011-05-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

Remember a few days back I showed you this salvaged drawer I was going to work on?

Well it's all done and here it is...

All of you who guessed I would transform it into a doggie bed for our sweet little chihuahua....You were right :-)

My hubby added some feet that he cut out of a left over piece of wood at the bottom for a bit of height... Not too high though... Cookie is getting a little older and can't jump as high as she once could. Then I gave it a couple coats of paint, hand-painted La Petite Chienne, (The Petite Dog) and Chic Boutique.

Then I antiqued it with some glaze and as a final step I sewed a pretty and comfy little cushion for it. Tres frenchy, don't you think?

I think little Miss Cookie liked it.

So what do you think?

Hugs and Kisses,

Sigh....

2011-05-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

After 18 years of marriage.....

You still make my little ♥ pitter patter.

Happy Anniversay Baby!

I love you forever....plus a day and a half :-)

Oh so Delight-ful...

2011-05-20T13:01:00.000-07:00

IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE!

Recently I met the delight-ful Linda from the beautiful blog DELIGHT, and believe me her blog's name is right on the money...It is truly a delight to visit. It is filled with beautiful pictures, inspiring ideas and sweetness through and through. If you haven't met Linda yet you should run right over to her blog to say hello....and prepare to be delight-ed (Click here for a visit.)

Oh but before you run off, let me tell you why I'm so excited. Well you see, a few weeks back Linda was celebrating her 100 followers with a giveaway...And I can't believe it, but I WON!... Yay! And my little treasures from my new blogging friend just arrived in the mail...Do you wanna see?

Mmmmmm....As I open the package a beautiful perfume scent fills the air.

It's like Christmas...So many little packages to open...Yay!

Look at all these beautiful goodies....Here's a closer look.

I love the pearl garland, glittery pins and vintage postcard from France...Sweet!

Beautiful hand crafted board pins, made by Linda.

Oh, la, la...tres jolie. Les petite bougies...Birthday candles from France.

Pretty lace embellished box where the glittery pins came in. Oh and can't forget the pretty silver tray too...Merci Linda...I love it all.

Thank you everyone for stopping by for a visit today.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

Hugs and Kisses,