Feelin' Like a Rhinestone Cowgirl

I'm a romantic, Victorian, shabby chic kind of a girl but I'm a little bit country too (okay, maybe a lot)!  I spent the first 5 years of my life on a farm with horses, goats and chickens. My dad was a farrier when he first met my mom and he paid his way through college as a rodeo photographer!  Hubby was born and raised on the farm where his parents still live to this day!  Why am I telling you all of this?  Well...I won a giveaway...the first giveaway I have ever won and it's a gorgeous Rhinestone Cowgirl Necklace created by the talented Tanya of Bead and Needle!  My favorite boots are my Laredo's and I love to pair them with a ruffled skirt and denim jacket!  Now I have the perfect accessory for my cowgirl chic attire!  Thank you, thank you Tanya for the generous gift!

 

I just had to share this photo from Tanya's blog.  I thought the cracker jack box idea was so clever and can you believe she even included two boxes of cracker jacks for my little guys?  So thoughtful!

Just look at how beautifully Tanya packages and presents her artful jewelry!  Lovely!

Tanya has cleverly titled this piece "Rhinestone Cowgirl" and boy am I feelin' it...Yee haw!  It's a vintage cowgirl image behind a crystal chandelier prism surrounded by ritzy rhinestones...I am smitten!

I must say a heartfelt thank you once again to sweet Tanya for the generous gift!  Now, I know you're anxious to check out her beautiful creations on Etsy, so here is a link to the Bead and Needle shop.  And please visit Tanya's blog here too and be sure to tell her I sent you!

Thank you for your sweet visit today!  Several of you have asked how I liked the movie "Coco Avant Chanel"...it was so wonderful!  The acting was great and the imagery was gorgeous!  It was an intriguing story and overall very well done.  I haven't returned it yet...I am tempted to watch it again!  I also highly recommend the French salted caramel ice cream (wink!) 

 

Best Wishes and Blessings!

Amanda

 

Little French Nest

Once upon a time, there was a beautifully delicate mother bird.

As she anxiously awaited the arrival of her little ones, she feathered her nest

as any good mother would do.

While the other little mothers were gathering twigs and leaves, this petite mademoiselle scoured the flea markets of Paris.  She sought out little gems and trinkets to create a place of warmth and whimsy for herself and her 3 perfectly elegant eggs.

Every day she gracefully travelled through the clouds with bits of vintage lace, bobbins of pretty pink thread, glitzy rhinestones, strands of pearls, and fancy French perfume labels.  Dropped and discarded treasures left on the market floor...if it fit in her delicate beak or carefully manicured talons, she scooped it up and carried it away.

It wasn't long before her nest was a charming, elegant  reflection of herself and her love for all things fancy and French.  She ruffled her silky feathered wings and nestled down on her eggs to enjoy the beauty that surrounded her and to dream dreams of sweet times to come. 

La Fin (The End)

As I created this whimsical and frilly little nest for spring, I couldn't help but daydream about a fanciful French bird who would feather such a nest for herself!  I hope you enjoyed daydreaming with me!  I am planning on putting together several of these nests for the shop very soon!  Just add it to my long list of fun projects I hope to get to between cooking meals, folding laundry, mopping floors and running errands!

Tonight I am kicking back and taking a break from it all!  The dinner dishes are done, the little guys are in bed and Netflix delivered...

Have you seen it?  I hear it's fascinating!  Audrey Tatou is so adorable and such a fabulous actress.

I guess you could say I'm in a French mood today...did you pick up on a common theme?  And to top it all off...

French Salted Caramel Ice Cream!

Ooooh La La!

I hope you have a wonderful evening!  Bonne nuit!  By the way, that little French perfume label is a free printable from The Graphics Fairy!  She has a marvelous collection of French Ephemera that she shares on her blog...absolutely free!  Okay, I am off to enjoy my French film and ice cream!  Thank you so much for your sweet visit dear blog friends!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Fun New French Inspired Blog Party!

I will be joining in the following fun parties:

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Home Sweet Home Friday at The Charm of Home

Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest

Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound

Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy

Voila at The French Cupboard

French Party at Le Chateau des Fleurs

Coupon!

Just showing a little love for my blog buddies! 

Here is a coupon just for you!  If you live in the Pacific Northwest or plan to visit the Portland area, print this coupon and present it with your purchase for 20% off a regular priced item from my shop space at Camas Antiques! 

To print:  right click on the coupon image and select "print picture."

Thank you for your sweet visits, thoughtful encouragement and for being the best blog buddies a girl could ask for!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

The Aftermath

Tuesday is usually the day when I look around at the mess, the aftermath of a day or two of creating and pricing inventory for the shop.  Giving my little space at Camas Antiques some love often means neglecting my household duties (of course I don't neglect my sweet family, just the laundry, the dishes and the housekeeping).  Before I roll up my sleeves and start putting the house back in order, I'll share a few photos with you of the goodies that made their way to the Antique Store last night!  I hope you all had a lovely weekend!  It was so nice to have hubby home on Monday for Pres. Day and to have a break from running back and forth to the preschool!  I was literally in pajamas until after dinner last night...working away on my little projects!  It was wonderful!

I love this big pink basket and tried very hard to justify keeping it.  I just couldn't find the perfect spot for it in our home...so off to the shop it went!

I never pass up a Beatrix Potter book.  This one is very special because...it's pink!

This is a vintage Bessie Pease Gutmann print titled "Love is Blind."  So sweet!

It's all coming together!

Did you notice my petite chandelier hanging above the dollhouse in my little space at the shop?  If you remember reading about it in previous posts, you'll know that I bought it to go in my kitchen above the sink.  I haven't given up on that idea!  It just turned out to be more complicated than I had hoped and I am now on the hunt for very special kind of hook to make it work.  In the meantime I thought I would use it to glam up my space and shed a little more light on my treasures.  It does have a "for display only" tag on it which I hate doing...but I really don't want to sell it!  Sorry!  I know how disappointing it is to see something in a store that you love only to find a "not for sale" tag attached to it!  I have sold several chandeliers in my space over the years...I enjoy them but they never stick around very long!  This little sweetie is a keeper...I am not about to let her go!

Thank you so much for your sweet visit today!  Hi-ho, hi-ho...it's off to work I go!  Back to cleaning up the aftermath of a weekend of fun projects and a neglected household! 

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

I will be linking up with the following fun parties:

White Wednesday at Faded Charm

For the Love of Roses...

The rose bushes in our garden are just starting to bud and although I know it will be some time before we see any of their splendid blooms, I am giddy with anticipation!  In the meantime I thought I would share with you more of the roses blooming here inside our home...on teacups, plates, in books etc.  I've set up a rose themed vignette on our dining room buffet just for you!  Enjoy!





"Language of Roses" by Stelvio Coggiatti.  I love this book.  It's much too pretty to have tucked away on a shelf!  If I remember right, I paid $1 for it at a yard sale a few years ago!  This rose is my favorite.  It's called Eden.



Royal Albert's "Lady Carlyle."

This teacup came from my husband's grandmother's collection and it is my very favorite.  The back stamp reads: "To commemorate the birth of Princess Margaret Rose 1939." 

My prized $2 yard sale teapot.  I know I've shared it before but when I opened my Victoria book "At Home With Roses" today and saw the same "Winton Julia Chintz" pattern, I decided I needed to share again.

Okay, so these aren't roses, but are they not the prettiest carnations you've ever seen?  My mom brought me a bunch for Valentine's Day and I just had to share them with you!

Are you ready for the weekend?  I know I am!  I have sooo many projects to work on...housework, organizing, crafting, pricing things for the shop...  I should really make myself a list!  Thank you so much for stopping by to take a stroll through my little bone china rose garden!  I do hope you enjoyed your visit! 

Have a wonderful weekend!
Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

I'll be joining in on these fun parties!   
Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound
Favorite Things Friday at A Few of My Favorite Things
Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Show off Your Cottage Monday at The House in The Roses

Valentine Sachets, Tooth Fairy Pillows and...Dinosaurs?

Happy Valentine's Day my dear blog friends!  Yes, I have been busy doing a bit of crafting this weekend...and baking up some pink heart shaped cookies too!  I didn't take pictures of my cookies.  Several of you have shared the prettiest Valentine cookies with us this week and truthfully my frosting skills just can't compete!  I did pick up some great new techniques from some of you who were sweet enough to share some tips and tricks and I am getting much better! 

Remember those pesky little dinosaurs that made their way into my family room photo last week?  They were a favorite find from the dollar store and my biggest little boy thought it would be fun to pick some up for his preschool friends for Valentine's Day!  Just a warning...they're not pretty, and they're not pink but I do think they turned out cute...as cute as dinosaurs can be!

Be My Valentinasaurus!

And for his sweet teachers, we whipped up a couple of tiny lavender sachet bundles...

We found this gorgeous vintage Valentine on the Graphics Fairy blog.  We printed it, cut it out, glued it to cardstock, added detail to the corners with a scalloped punch and glammed it up with some glitter!


I wanted to share one more little project I worked on this weekend that has nothing to do with Valentine's Day.  I made a few tooth fairy pillows for the shop...just for fun!  I've had the idea dancing around in my head for such a long time but had yet to do anything about it.  Again I used a gorgeous image from that generous Graphics Fairy for my packaging.  The card with poem will show on one side while the pillow will be visible from the other side of a clear bag.  I love when people tell me that their little girl makes a b-line for my space when they walk into Camas Antiques and so often I have those little girls in mind when I make something to sell.  I guess I think that those are the little girls who would prefer a frilly, vintage inspired tooth fairy pillow over one with an appliqued tooth on it...maybe I'm wrong?  Nevertheless, I had fun stitching these together!

Thank you so very much for your sweet visit!  I hope your Valentine's Day is perfectly lovely!  Make sure to stop by the Graphics Fairy Blog for Brag Monday to see all of the wonderful projects that crafty people are making with the pretty vintage images found there! 

Now, I am going to go grab a cup of coffee, curl up in my favorite chair and hop around to see how all of you are spending your Valentine's Day!  Soon I'll be making breakfast for the little boys, we'll put the finishing touches on our Valentine's and head out the door to my biggest little boy's first ever school Valentine's Day party!  "sigh."  Where does the time go?  Hubby and I will go out for a romantic evening...but not tonight.  We decided to hold off a few days ...wait until the restaurants aren't quite so packed.  I think I'll make something extra special for dinner...surely someone is sharing some romantic recipes on their blog today?  Let's see...

Best Wishes and Many Blessings!

Amanda

I've also linked up with Making the World Cuter Monday, Life Made Lovely Monday and Tea Rose Home!  Be sure to visit these fun parties!