A Peak at My Valentine's Day Decor

Do you decorate for Valentine's Day? I go all out with Fall and Christmas decorating. And, by the time Christmas is over I am yearning for a bit more simplicity and a lot less clutter. However, I do love to be festive and also to use some of my beloved treasures. For Valentine's Day, I just add a few hints here and there to remind my family and our guests of the month of  LOVE.

A fun and festive wreath in my dining room

A similar garland to brighten up my vintage-window-pot rack.

Hints of red and love and a vintage candy dish.

Red hot candies in my Ball Jar lamp. I love them so much I keep them in there year round.

Hugs and Kisses on the bathroom door. 

Even a little something to brighten the black and white bathroom.

I love this rose-colored decanter and sweet little glasses,  especially since it once belonged to my sweet Great Aunt Elsie. 

This wonderful, tiny, vintage cup belonged to my husband's Grandma. So perfect for Valentine's Day.

It sits on my piano with a red candle vase and a little framed photo of my kids when they were tiny.

Janie is the cutest photo bomber ever!

I stuck the camera behind the curtain. It looks like she might be stalking birds. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

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It's Still Winter!

I took this little video yesterday morning. The ice is melting and breaking up. The entire lake has been frozen for months. Our little bay is the last to still have ice. It is usually this way.

We had a week or so of above freezing temperatures and most of our snow melted. I even took Bear on a few hikes in the woods and we mostly hiked on snow-less ground! He obviously loved it! Just look at that smile.

Then, this weekend we got 5.2 inches of snow. What a strange winter. I love spring so much, but I am making myself have a positive attitude about winter. After all, what could whining and complaining do to help? It is so pretty and it is still winter!

What has your weather been like this year? I know what your answer will be if you live in the South or the North East.

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We all Need a Little Downtime

For fast-acting relief

try slowing down.

~Lily Tomlin

My perfect weekend includes fun, laughter, family, friends, maybe accomplishing a project or two, and.... downtime - time to slow down and relax, read a book, take a nap, snuggle with this cute puppy. He's got his priorities straight! I am scheduling Sunday to be with and like Bear! The morning will have church and the evening will have friends, family, and laughter in it over Sunday dinner, but the in-between is for relaxing!

What is your idea of a perfect weekend?

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Furry Little Helpers & My Miniature Christmas Tree

It was time to decorate this little miniature tree that I have in my kitchen. It is special to me because when I first got married, my mother-in-law gave it to me and started buying me a tiny ornament each year. When I would visit her in Wisconsin, she would often give me one of hers. She had so many. This tree was fun and perfect for the collector in me! Each ornament has a special meaning. I love that about Christmas...

My cat and dog want to be involved in everything I do! When I brought in each box or bin with Christmas decorations they both acted like it was, well... Christmas!

Janie loves boxes. It is so funny how cats love boxes. I am constantly pinning pictures of cats in boxes on Pinterest. I took the lid off of my box of miniature Christmas tree ornaments and she popped right in! No matter how small a box might be, Janie is sure it will work. No body-image issues there!

Bear was intrigued and kinda sad that Janie could jump right up on the kitchen counter (and stove top) to explore.

So, I brought him a chair for a closer look! He looks so innocent...

Janie was so happy and cozy. She started rolling around.

They were both so cute, but such a distraction!!! Decorating this little tree took me twice as long because I just had to snap all of these cute pictures!

Janie finally settled in and slept just when I was finished and wanted the lid to the box back.

My little next door neighbors, who are now adults with children of their own, made this little heart and the red bird. I love them. Above it is a vintage angel ornament given to me by my mother-in-law, whom I miss very much...

I used to have pet ducks. I loved them so much. I have two of these glass duck ornaments to remind me of them. My daughter drew me the Rudolf ornament when she was about seven or eight. She is 17 now. The little red candles were a gift from my friend Janet, who was the nanny for the neighbor kids. She helped them make the ornaments in the photo above.

Merry Christmas!!!

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A Painter's Drop Cloth, My New Holiday Table Decor!

I love, love, love my new holiday table cloth! It is sturdy, washable, natural-looking, and beautiful! And, at under $11, the price was right! I love the oatmeal color, with tiny fiber flecks.

I inherited my Grandma's beautiful, antique, round-pedestal table, which when the leaves are in, creates an oval that comfortably seats eight. I have had a difficult time getting tablecloths to fit. This 6' x 9' drop cloth is close to perfect! I bought mine at Home Depot.

I used it for my Thanksgiving table too.

The neutral color is the perfect backdrop for almost any table runner. Especially my vintage, patchwork treasure. Bear is ready for dinner!

I am having a challenge keeping Janie off of the table. She loves to sneak up here and lounge when the sun is shining through. 

It drapes nicely.

Look at the detail on my runner, found at one of my favorite vintage and antique stores in Post Falls, Idaho.

I brought my rosemary plant inside this fall and added a sprig of red berries to make it festive.

Merry Christmas!

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Bear - My Cozy, Cute Puppy

Bear is so snuggly. He sleeps with my husband and me and would be content to lay there well into the morning hours. Sometimes he needs to go outside to potty, but he runs back in and jumps back in bed! I get up early and come into my studio to work and usually Bear drags his sleepy self in too and snuggles on the little bed near my desk. Sometimes I carry him. I have a pile of pillows on the bed but the heart pillow is his favorite. I often catch him sleeping with it.

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A Peek in My Studio

It's a cozy, foggy Saturday morning here on my lovely little lake. I am enjoying this day so much! It feels good to sit here in my jammies with my coffee, Madeleine Peyroux playing on my Pandora Station, and both my dog and cat snuggled up together on the bed in my studio. I feel a day full of creating coming on!

My daughter made me this lovely daisy mug in pottery class.

This is the little scene I look at while writing or working on the computer.
I love vintage florals and angel pictures. Oh, and pixies too.

Up close of the above scene. The picture is me as a little girl.

It was early morning in the summer after sleeping on my deck.

The monkey's name is Chippy and she was my LOVE! I still have her.

Another little scene on top of my glue cabinet.

The lamp was my Grandma's and the little

patent leather shoes were my first dress-up baby shoes.

Bear and Janie sleeping in a pile of blankets. Content for now...

I love a peek into other peoples studios and homes. Do you have a special creative space for yourself in your home? If you know of a blogger I should visit, please leave me a comment! 

For more peeks into my home visit my My Vintage Home page.

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Poor Bear! He Did Not Like Halloween

Bear LOVED Halloween! NOT!!!!

Ugh... this is humiliating and the hat thing makes me squint.

Maybe if I pretend to sleep it will go away.

I can't move.

And, it's too small. I'm too embarrassed to even look at you.

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Halloween Decorating

It's almost here - Halloween. My Halloween decor is pretty simple. My style for Halloween is rustic and simple. I love black cats and Jack'o lanterns the most. Normally I decorate a bit more. My little baby Bear is still in the puppy stage of chewing though, and he was beside himself with excitement as I brought out my things. So much so, that quite a few things had to go back in the storage bin because he was sure they were especially for him! Maybe next year? He ended up wearing himself out and fell asleep on the back of the sofa by the time I was taking these pics.

Happy Halloween!

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