All Things Pretty...

I need a gardener...

We've had continuous rain for two days now... the rose petals are strewn over the lawn.... leaves and branches are drenched and bending...  the weeds are dancing.

Each Spring, I have the very best intentions:   spend at least 4 hours each Saturday and Sunday weeding, mulch all beds (which requires 50+ bags) before Memorial Day weekend, plant vegetables and herb garden on first weekend after "last frost date" ... and so on.   

 

Then Memorial Day comes around and I realize that I was dreaming.  

Such was the case today... when I walked around my garden snapping photos.

 

I did manage to spend 6+ hours last weekend just weeding... my knees, back and hands reminded me for days that I had done way too much.

But the results were well worth it.

Of course, that was only a fraction of what needs to be done.

So I've learned to just enjoy what is beautiful about my garden at the moment...

 

 

...to stop and smell the roses (literally)

 

And maybe....just maybe.... 

hire a gardener.

 

la boite aux tresors...

Do you love pretty little boxes?  

Whenever I see one, my heart beats just a tad faster....  I need to touch it, to look inside.    It's a weakness that I am not ashamed to confess.  ((sigh))

Imagine my delight when the MAMA group hosted a "vintage tre'sors box" swap!  The catch here was that we were to finish our petite box using crackle paint (no problem... except I hadn't used the stuff in over 10 years!)

My swap partner, Thespa, likes turquoise... so I thought I would surprise her with a very traditional French color combination of turquoise and lavender.

 

The ribbon color was perfect (and extra special because it came from my late MIL - Bebe's- stash)....

 

A bouquet of handmade fabric flowers and a few vintage silks grace the top....a touch of the vintage soft bluish/green tulle (also from Bebe's stash).

I handwrote "Paris" using an embossing pen (my new favorite tool!) -

and voila!  

love how it turned out....

(I forgot to take pics of the "tre'sors" I stashed inside: vintage gloves, vintage earrings, lavender crocheted doily, laces, ephemera...)

When I opened my package from Thespa, I knew that she had doneher homework... or else she's a magician.... after all, how else would she know just how much I love the natural colors she used and that tattered rosette?!?

 

 

...she totally spoiled me with all the lovelies stashed inside my box...

 

And the best part?  The rosette is not attached, so I am already planning on attaching a pin to it so I can wear it... yay!

(ahhh... see the lovely lace and crochet pieces?)

 

Thank you, dearest Thespa, for my fabulous box and "tre'sors"

Flowers from friends...

These enchanting flowers were handmade by my MAMA sisters!

 

 

 

 

 

We participated in the "Spring Flower Swap" and were to create 5 fabric or ribbon flowers in Spring hues.

 

These were the blooms I made ...(I posted about them here).

 

Thank you so much, ladies, I love every single one of your flowers!

 My challenge will be to incorporate them into some project(s)...

because I want to keep them all!  

I'm thinking some brooches, pin, etc.  

What do you think?

Marie's garden...

Ever since joining the Marie Antoinette Mail Art Group, I have been challenged to try new things and new ways of expressing my creativity.  

A recent swap titled "Marie's Garden Tea Party" proved to be another "first" for me:  it required that we create a garden using a teacup as our base.  

My swap partner, Melanie, sent me this divine piece....

...which she titled "The Queen 's Garden Tea Party"

Here sits Marie....enjoying her tea and sweets 

These little pastries (handmade by Melanie!) are tiny concoctions of sweet perfection.

The teacup itself is gorgeous; with painted blooms in the softest colors.

Thank you, dearest Melanie, I aboslutely love my teacup garden!

 

My garden in a teacup for Melanie was titled:   Tea and Roses for Marie"

Melanie loves pink, so I decided to use lots of roses in varying shades of pink (to match her teacup pattern), with a few accent flowers in other colors.

 

I made two rose topiaries for Marie's garden....

Marie herself is wearing a gorgeous chiffon yellow gown, with flowers and feathers in her hair...  as she stands prettily under her rose arbor.

 

What a wonderful swap this was!

I had almost forgotten that I fell in love with "Crafting" when I made my first dried flower arrangement.... this project, which required working with lots of silk flowers and various little elements, reminded of those days.

 

Another creative swap for the MAMA group was a paperweight....again, the main theme being "marie" of course....  this time under glass.

 

I decided to go with the heart-shaped paperweight... and used vintage sheet music for my background.

For this project, Marie got decked out in her pearls and crown....

I went a bit overboard with the luscious pink ribbon (couldn't resist!)... but love how it turned out.

...ahhhh.... love working with Marie images.  

Can't get enough.

What projects have you been up to lately?

p.s.   Linking up to Pink Saturday (Beverly's party over at How Sweet the Sound)

Mi madre...

 

...my mother...she has always been the pillar of our family....the one that managed the family budget (which at times was very, very small)... that made sure I had a pretty new dress to wear on the first day of school (handmade, of course)...  that always had, and still has, some advice to give out (whether I want to hear it or not)...

Her wisdom, her caring, her love...  often taken for granted, not always appreciated...

 

Always the loving, giving, grandmother ("Abuelita")

Her grandkids are her pride and joy...

..and they adore her!  

They know they are lucky to have her in their lives.

 

Muchas gracias, Mami, por todo lo que haces por nosotros.

 

We love you!

Te queremos mucho....

Happy Mother's Day!

Feliz Dia de las Madres, Mami.

The lilacs...have finally bloomed

I've been very patient this year.... waiting for my lilac trees to bloom. 

 

To me, they are the "sign" that Spring is finally here (to stay), that our chances of frost are slim (although we've had snow in June before)....

 

 

I love coming up the driveway after work, getting out of my car, and being accosted by their sweet fragrance. 

B.L.I.S.S.

A bit of vintage....

Happy Saturday to you!

Today I'm sharing some of last weekend's finds...   from an estate sale that I almost missed!  

 

A sweet container that one had a lid...  I fell in love with the delicate pink spray of flowers (sigh) and knew it was perfect for displaying my fresh-cut roses

(since the roses in my own garden are not yet blooming, some silks are filling in for the moment)

 

 

This particular estate sale had thousands of silk florals!   Stems of every color, size, material...  wreaths, bouquets (lots of bridals!)  

I came home with a very large box of  silk roses.

Tucked away underneath a pile of stems, I found this little cherub.

Gold-toned, with fine details, and carrying a basket on his back.

isn't he divine?

 

I also came home with several dozen of these little bouquets, in a variety of colors.  

The delicate little flowers are perfect for all types of projects... and it seems that they (the flowers) are getting harder and harder to find at local craft stores, so I was delighted to find this stash.

I love it when you find pretty treasures in unexpected places...don't you?

 

(linking to Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound)