Artful Blogging Magazine

 I bet you didn't think you would hear from me again so soon! This must be some kind of record or something!! LOL!

After my last post a couple of days ago, a package arrived in the mail. I'm kind of embarrassed to share it with you since I have been sooo remiss in keeping up my blog. But really I am more excited and honored than anything. I got an email a few months ago from Artful Blogging magazine asking me if I would like to be in one of their upcoming issues! Uhhh. Yes, please!!!

 I knew exactly what my article would be about and how I would start and finish it. You see... back in 2009 , before I started my blog, I had picked up a copy of Artful Blogging on the newsstand. I didnt even know what a blog was, but the pretty cover attracted me and soon as I started visiting the blogs I was reading about, I was hooked! I knew I had to start a blog too.

So, now everything has come full circle and I am in the very magazine that got me started and I am receiving emails and messages from ladies who were inspired by it and want to start a blog of their own! Seriously, how cool is that?????

I am always so thrilled when I can inspire people in one way or another, since I am constantly inspired by others.

Have they started cloning humans yet???

No, really... have they?? Cause I neeeed one! Seriously though..... You may have noticed my lack of blog posts lately. I know, I know. My News Years resolution was to do more frequent posts. Well, any one who's made one of those pesky resolution things knows how hard those are to keep!!!
I have been a very, very busy lady. And something was bound to fall by the wayside. Unfortunately it turned out to be my much beloved blog.

Fortunately my lack of time is caused by something I love to do. Junking, painting, creating and decorating!

My space at The Tattered Nest is still going strong and I love filling it with vintage goodies and items I both find and create. Here are a few more pics of my just redone space there at the Nest!

So, finding and cleaning and painting and making all takes up alot of my time!
So what did I do???

 I decided I needed to do a second location, and am now participating in a monthly vintage market in Chandler called Highland Yard Vintage!
(Seriously, what was I thinking?? LOL!)

 But truthfully, I am having the time of my life. Being a vendor/designer at two places in the valley is the hardest work I have ever done, but also the most fun!!

The space at Highland Yard is much smaller that my space at the Nest so it makes it a little more managable, but I trully am working 7 days a week to try and keep up.

And that brings me to another little thing...
After much contemplation and arguments with myself I have decided to take a short hiatus from the Where Bloggers Create party this year. (Many of you have probably already figured that out since it's mid July and there has been no party announcement.)  I just dont think I can take on another thing right now. I dont want to let anyone down by not being able to give my all to everything I do.

Thank you all for understanding and sticking with me through these few and far between posts. As always, I will try to be better, but now you know the reason I have been away!

Take care my friends!!! Hopefully I will see you soon! :)

Springtime Decor

Springtime is the time of year I love to freshen up the house with a good cleaning and a new look!

I've never really been in love with the mirror that backs my china hutch. Until I can change it, I decided this vintage white shutter would do the trick and give me more of the look I was after.

This  cute vintage piece was garage sale find. I already had a similar piece in the house that I left the wood alone, so I wanted to paint this one. The top was actually in really nice shape so I left it alone and opted just to paint the base. It makes a nice little cabinet for napkins and extra serving pieces.

I made another fitted table cloth from a fabric shower curtain I found at Goodwill. I just loved the grey and the pattern breaks it up just enough to be interesting.

This black iron cloche was the top of a vintage birdcage. I had it in my shop for a while, but no one bought it.  Sometimes things work out for the best because I just love it on my dining table. 

The bunnies were also earmarked for the shop, but never made it in there. They are vintage flocked bunny banks and remind me of my childhood. When I unwrapped them after my trip I fell in love with them all over again and decided they belonged on my table instead. They will probably stay there all the way until Fall.

(That really happens way more often than I would like to admit!!! ) LOL!

Adjacent to the dining room is my living room and this is where I eat my breakfast and drink my coffee in the mornings. It is the brightest room in the house during the day. I put my twine wrapped eggs in a wire basket  on the coffee table. If you want to see how I made them, you can find the tutorial here.

I know its already after Easter, but I will keep these on the table until Fall as well.

I hope you are all having a wonderful Spring where you are. The temps are already up into the 90's here so summer is not far away!!!!

My New Coffee Bar

I have wanted to set up a cute coffee area for quite some time now. Recently I was able to acquire this wonderful galvanized 3 tier stand and I knew it would be perfect for what I wanted to do.

I had a lot of fun finding things in the house that would give me the look I wanted as well as be functional for its purpose. I found this reproduction tobacco basket at Hobby Lobby (I have a love/hate relationship with them) but it was just the right backdrop for the vignette.

I love how it looks there now, and I have a place where I can put together my delicious drink every morning. :)

For the table, I always like to have fresh flowers. They make me happy and they cost less than $6 a week.  For spring I filled this vintage bowl with some ceramic eggs I found at the thrift store and used shredded music sheet paper for the nesting grass.

This is my view while I stand and do dishes. (Yes, I do them by hand every day!) 

They days are warming up now so I usually have the door open and can hear the birds singing and feel the fresh air.

I think I'll go have some coffee now!!

An Entry Way Update

 Early this year I decided my entry way desperately needed a change. I had actually been feeling that way for quite a while, but it never found its way to my priority list until recently. I wish I had a photo of the before, but I'm not very good at remembering to do that before I start a project!

Basically it simply consisted of the singer table you see in this pic, and a large landscape painting. The painting was lovely, but it just wasn't what I wanted there any more.

I had the little cabinet in my studio for quite a long time. It needed painting and I just wasn't inspired to do anything with it until I realized how perfect it would be in the entry!

 I used a baby bed spring that I had found somewhere and wired or tied the items onto it.

The crate in the lower right corner is perfect for keeping things like sunglasses in it.

On the table sits an old typewriter that I got in California when my sweetie and I went the Rose Bowl flea market many years ago. In it is a piece of paper with one of my favorite quotes...

"When you follow your bliss, doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors" 

I see evidence of that in my life all the time. :)  I hope you are following your own bliss!!