My 4 Legged Kids

My beautiful 4 legged kids like to keep me company while I'm working. When I reach for a bit of flowers or ribbon, it makes my heart happy to see them sitting there watching me, just waiting for me to leave my chair and give them a belly rub! Their sweet faces brighten may day!

The Illusive Swan Booth

Photos of The Illusive Swan booth at the Victorian Faire

The Victorian Faire

Each year in the small historic town of Belvidere, there is a beautiful Victorian Faire located in the courthouse park square. Ladies & Gentleman dress in their period clothing and mill about, browsing amongst the many tents, filled with Victorian and shabby chic treasures. There are also games for the children, food vendors, horse and carriage rides, music & dancing, tours of the lovely historical homes, and even afternoon tea. I've taken some photos of the event...I hope you will enjoy them.

I can hardly believe that summer is almost over. In typical fashion, it flew by so quickly that I didn't have the chance to do even half of the things I had intended to do. My plans were interrupted by that awful nemesis named Murphy. But despite Murphy's disruptive presence, I still managed to make numerous batches of homemade jam, enjoy many home cooked meals while dining alfresco, share a picnic with a friend at a local arboretum, take my nieces out to tea, spend a long weekend with family at the beach, plant and enjoy the rewards from my garden, and spend a glorious and romantic week in beautiful St. John with my husband!

But now autumn is knocking on my door with it's crisp, cool breezes. Despite the grieving I do each summers end, there are many things to look forward to, like hot cocoa by the fire, homemade apple pie, and soft cozy sweaters. With the arrival of September you'll find me busily crafting in my studio in preparation for the Victorian Faire, or creating custom Christmas orders for my early bird customers. The work has already begun with the first dreamy trees created, listed and already sold. But there are many more to come. I hope you'll stop by for a peek!

From the Garden

I love this time of year, when once sleeping flowers are wide awake, and practically shouting their presence with their bold colors. When I first started my garden, I went for the pale faint tones...my version of a shabby chic, English garden. But my love for the Caribbean has inspired me to bring a little bit of it home, a reminder of those glorious days spent floating on a turquoise sea, and wearing a pink hibiscus in my hair. So I stained my deck, porch and furniture a rich dark chocolate shade, and added lots of vibrant hues. Deep rich reds, lipstick pinks, and bright corals. They really pop against the dark wood, and as I sit in my gazebo, it's easy to imagine that the turquoise sea beckons just beyond the trees. And if I want to wear a hibiscus in my hair, I have only to reach out and pluck one!

Chinese Satin Rosettes

I just love the feminine fashions out today, with the girly ruffles and rosettes on cardigans, dresses and tees. I was searching for some in specific colors but was not able to find them. Then one day while browsing on Etsy, I came across the shop "Palmsprout", and found beautiful rosette flowers made from Chinese satin. They are just gorgeous, and I confess, I wanted to go a little crazy and put rosettes on everything from shoes, to handbags, to tees and cardigans and even for my hair! Jennifer, the charming creator of these little beauties, was so kind, and even went to the trouble of making me a little swatch card with all the colors she has available. She will make them with a bobby pin for your hair, or a pin for your clothing, and even accommodated my request for assorted sizes. The magenta flower shown is pinned to a matching tee, and the trio of aqua flowers on my cardigan are in different sizes. Simply un-pin them prior to washing, but if they go in the wash, they'll survive just fine, but will require a bit of ironing to regain their shape. I get so many compliments when I wear them, and now my teenage niece wants some as well! Visit Jennifer at http://palmsprout.etsy.com and if you don't see a color you are looking for, just ask her...she's got a dozen or so!

Images of Savannah

I just returned from a place that I view as one of the most beautiful cities in the world...Savannah. From the first moment I arrived in the historic distric over 20+ years ago, I was hooked. I felt as if I had been there a thousand times before, and in the numerous visits I've made there since, the feeling has remained. It's as if a part of me is returning home. Here are some pics from my latest trip. Enjoy!