Pink Saturday ~ Altered Journals or What to get Aunt Millie for Christmas

Even as a little girl in grade school, I eagerly looked forward to the art part of the school day...coloring and cutting and pasting and creating. (I never looked forward to Math...wonder why?? ) Both of my parents were very creative and artistic people and I was so lucky to inherit that gene. I finally got to take a day this past week to sit and create some items for the boutique. One minute it's 9 am in the morning and the next thing I know I am racing upstairs to make dinner.....my mind just get's so involved in the creative process, time just flies.

I love making the altered art journals. They make charming one-of-a-kind Christmas gifts or any time gifts, for a special friend, Mom or sister. This one is called "Thoughts from Home". When altering one of these books, I get to use all the bits and baubles and pretty pieces I collect on my treasure hunts and incorporate them on a cover. My endeavors, with no intentions whatsoever, ending up with lots of pink this time. On this journal I used a replica of a sweet faced little girl from one of my antique penny Victorian post cards. I gave her a a twirly skirt of many layers of ruffled crepe paper with a bodice of vintage sheet music. She has a vintage watch face in her hand and a pink dove in the other....time and love. I used a vintage heart earring with pink rhinestones as a charm to hang from the riot of ribbons off to the side of the journal. Creating these journals with something from the past and treasuring them for something new, makes a delightful way to pen your thoughts and memories and a very special way to preserve the past and future.





And "fancy tags" are also something I enjoy making. Once the creative juices start flowing there's so stopping the ideas. These charming tags are what makes that hohum wrapped gift say "wow". I think the presentation in a uniquely wrapped gift is so much a part of the gift giving. The image on this first set of tags is also taken from one of my collection of antique penny post cards. I just love the soft coloring in this and the 'Best Wishes' sentiment works for a Christmas gift, birthday or just because gift. An extra added touch is the vintage white button, vintage lace hem facing and pink bow.

The second set of tags was inspired from a newspaper department store ad I saw. I love pink and black together and the 3-d pocketbook and ribbon used as a handle really makes these cute tags pop. Polka dots.....so French chic....don't cha think?


Saturdays are always such a fun day for all of us that participate in Beverly's love of pink. For all the pink you could possible want just click here. You will love it! Happy Pink Saturday.

P.S. I almost forgot........any comments on any of my November blog post are entered to win the ornaments give-away blogged about here, with more still to come :). And don't forget to Vote here for me. Many, many thanks :) Oh...and while you are there sign up for the $50.00 gift certificate to be given away to one lucky person for our "Thankful For You" sale. at the fabulous on-line shopping mall Shabby Lane Shops. It can be used at any of the participating shops in our sale over the Thanksgiving holiday. Hurry....only a few days to sign up. Just click the badge below. (Whew....lots going on here today).

White Wednesday ~ I Love Jingle Bells

I love jingle bells, don't you? The sweet tinkle of the bells is just so Christmasy and letting a bit of the Christmas sparkle into your day is a good thing and a fun way to start the festive spirit. Here is an easy and quick way to add a bit of that jingle bell spirit into your home. I simply went out into the backyard and picked a tree branch. This one happens to be dogwood because it has many little branches (and it was a branch that needed to be pruned anyway :) A quick spray of white paint, then get out the trusty hot glue gun. (Don't use a low temp one). And just glue on some jingle bells. I picked up a bag of the silver all sizes bells for just a couple of dollars. I also saw this idea in a high end shop for their holiday Open House and the cost was ....well.....let's just say....make your own in 10 minutes. :) I plan on using mine around the punch bowl at my Christmas tea party. They would also look great on the mantle, on the wreath or make several and place them in the Christmas tree. A bit of white added to a green tree really makes it pop.

And today, for Kathleen's White Wednesday, (click here for lots more beautiful white posts) I have two more ornaments or gift toppers to add to the give-away I am having all this month of November. To be eligible, all you have to do is add a comment to any of my November blog post and take a quick trip over to Shabby Lane Shops and vote for me. Just click here and scroll on down the page. It's quick, painless and easy, I promise. I would love it and thank you so much. Okay....that's enough of the boring stuff...on with the give-away. This pretty white deer looks for all the world like a glittering Christmas sugar cookie and he measures 5" x 5". The second ornament I have made just for you. It's a pretty gold glass ball glittered and flocked with the beautiful word Peace. The collage below shows the other ornaments in this give-away and I am sure there will be at least one more. The drawing will be held on the 30th of November, announced right here and I will ship them right out to the lucky winner, so what cha' waiting for? Leave a comment and go vote my little chick-a-dees!

Pink Saturday ~ A Christmas Baby

Happy Pink Saturday! Guess what we are expecting in December? (not me! but my oldest and his gorgeous wife ) Yep....a new Christmas baby...a little girl. Needless to say, Papa and I are very excited and you can just imagine all the sweet pink baby things I have been buying for her. Look at these pink felt crib "Cozy Toes" shoes. Aren't they the most adorable tootsie holders you've ever seen? I purchased these from Etsy seller Kathydee. She's a wonderful seller, her prices are very reasonable and she has some of the cutest baby shoes on the block. And really getting into our Pink theme, just look at her little nursery. The paint color is Ballerina pink. Couldn't you just scream? Birdcages and birds decorate the crib wall. How divine! And so perfectly sweetness and light. And to top it off, Ms. Connie over at Living Beautifully made the sweetest birdhouses for me to go on the nursery wall. She sent them straight on to their house. I haven't seen the photos yet of them on the wall but here is a picture of one of her houses. Too cute I tell ya. That little precious bundle will have so much eye candy to look at she will be tweeting before you know it. :)



Now this next item isn't exactly pink but pink is red before it's pink....right? .....Does that make sense? Anyway, this is leading up to my give-away that is going on all this month of November. I am hoping that just for leaving a comment on any blog post this month and casting a vote for me at Shabby Lane Shops, you will be the winner of a whole Santa bag full of ornaments, ...... some old, some new and some made just for you. This pretty hand crafted Victorian inspired vintage Christmas cone works as an ornament or fill with sweets and give to a special friend. It's made from a faded red burlap type fabric, trimmed with red and white grungy candy cane twist and old wire is the hanger. The Vintage Nest just had to add a bit of vintage ...... in the old red cardinal bird. He's a little bit scruffy but then again he's old. :). You can go here and here to see what's already been added to this sweet give-away. And there's lots more to come....(hint, hint.....gold and white.) So leave a comment and your name goes in the Santa hat for the draw at the end of the month and don't forget if your name is anonymous leave me an email address to contact you with. And don't forget to vote for me. The prize is a trip to the North Pole. Just kidding, just kidding! Besides, I would rather head South. :)






I wish for you a wonderful sunny and fun weekend. And thank you Beverly for hosting our always fun Pink Saturdays. For a whole list of fun pink just click here.

White Wednesday ~ She Sells SeaShells

\Love this set of vintage cream colored seashell plates I found recently at a church antique sale that featured many items from old Virginia country homes and estates. This is a set of eight and they are marked Made in Japan. They have that fine crazing that I just love. Fantastic to use and if I had a beach house these pieces would be mounted on the wall as art work.....to see and use.

Hope you all are having a fabulous week and Happy Wednesday. For more wonderful White Wednesday's just click here to whisk you right over to Kathleen's blog, Faded Charm. There's a whole list of participants on her side bar. AND don't forget to leave a comment on any of my November post to be entered in my latest give-away. It's a good one with lots of goodies to be included. As the month progresses I will be posting about more items to be included in this give-away. You can click here to see the original post.

Here Comes a Pink Santa Claus

Okay....here it is! This is the second item, added to Santa's bag, for my awesome November give-away. Remember in the post below this, I showed the sweet snow ball that would make a gorgeous tree ornament, a door hanger or even a kissing ball. Everybody needs a kissing ball hanging from some strategic spot during the holidays. Remember the song "I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus underneath the kissing ball last night?". Okay so it wasn't in those exact words but you get the picture. :) This is a charming gift tag I crafted from the image of one of my antique postcards. This one was dated 1908 and has the faded and worn old Santa, dressed in pink, looking through the holly wreath. And the hanging ribbons are vintage pink rayon seam binding. It's a personal favorite of mine. I added white sugar snow glitter on the edges and oh so soft maribou feather trim on the bottom edge. The sentiment says simply: "Merry Christmas". It's a post card size tag and would be perfect on that gift for someone special.



You can leave a comment on any post during the month of November to be entered in this give-away and don't forget to vote for me in the Shabby Lane Shops boutique decorating contest. Just click on the cute Santa below to be magically transported to the voting booth. If you leave an anonymous comment don't forget to leave me an email so I can reach you, should you be the lucky winner of this fabulous give-away. And stay tuned because more will be added to this give-away as the month progresses. :) This is so much fun! Oh yeah, .... if you have already left a comment once it's okay to say "Hi" again. I love to hear from you. Have a super great weekend and I'll see you soon.

White Wednesday ~ Have You Heard?

Have you heard? There's a contest going on!! (Subliminal message here...VOTE for ME). And everybody knows how much fun blog land's contests and give-aways are. For my White Wednesday today, (there's just a little bit of red ) I am giving away this gorgeous cottage style large white mica glittered snowball. It's got pretty sparkly green holly leaves and a happy red jingle bell. You can hang it on your door to greet your holiday visitors or it would make a darling Christmas tree ornament. Now mind you...this is just one of the items in this give-away. You have to trust me that the rest will be FAB-U-LOUS. Something old and something new. You know I just have to do something old with my website being The Vintage Nest and all. :) You will love it! The give-away will last all of November so you can leave a comment on any of my blog post this month and your name will go in Santa's hat for a draw late on November 30th. I will ship off to the winner in time to enjoy for the holidays.


Now that's not all. I am a proud member of a wonderful on line boutique shopping mall called Shabby Lane Shops. We are having a contest to vote for your favorite holiday decorated boutique and I am shamelessly plugging for your vote. All you have to do is click on the gorgeous Santa badge below. That will take you right over to the voting booth. Just scroll down the page until you see The Vintage Nest.

Wait.....we're not done yet! While you are there be sure to sign up for our Treasure Box Give-Away. People, this box is amazing!! Just ask the gal who won the October box. She was speechless. A number of the boutiques have contributed fun and beautiful items to this treasure trove, not to mention there is a gift certificate too. Win this baby and it's a sweet little Christmas present just for you. So, whatcha' waiting for? Get on over there and sign up. Just click on that adorable treasure box badge below.


Okay now.....Remember VOTE for me (there's that subliminal message again) and leave a comment on my blog at any time during the month of November. (Don't worry...I'll remind you some more). And please please don't forget......if you comment as anonymous that's perfectly fine but leave me an email address to contact to you with. I mean....... if you win you do want your prize...right?

**** The wonderful White Wednesday's are hosted by Kathleen at Faded Charm. Go on over there after you are finished clicking all the other buttons here for more fabulous white posts. I bet....I just bet...there are more give-aways going on. :)

Pink Saturday ~ Loving's Produce

I was really at a loss as to what to post for this Halloween Pink Saturday. I knew it would have to have something to do with Fall and Halloween and pink but surely not a pink pumpkin. I really worried over this! :) Then the other day I was out for the day with my Mom, pulled into the parking lot of our destination, and voila! ....... there it sat. A pink produce truck!! How apropo. Loving's Produce has been a fixture in our area for as long as I can remember but they never had pink trucks before. Don't know why the change but I LIKE it. Don't you? And with the pumpkin on the side of the truck it made for the perfect Pink Saturday Halloween.




And thank you Beverly of the blog, "How Sweet the Sound", for hosting this wonderful day; that so many of us in blog land have come to love. For a complete list of all participants just click here. Have a fun and fabulous Halloween Day. :) Boo!

White Wednesday ~ Faded Pearls

I am thrilled to be included in this wonderful White Wednesday hosted by that pretty blog called Faded Charm. On my treasure hunts every week, I am always on the look out for bits and baubles, faded and worn, shiny and bright, tarnished and shabby......pieces to include in my new and make-over projects. These things sit around in glass jars and old dishes just waiting to be made into something wonderful. Actually, I think they look pretty wonderful just the way they are! Have a wonderful Wednesday and please visit Kathleen for a list of all the participants. :)

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The Winner's Circle

Around here it was all about racing this past week. My oldest son ran in the Care 4 Breast Cancer Run for awareness and the task force for the uninsured and under insured in his hometown. Out of 1600 runners he came in third and raised quite a chunk of money. This is a photo of him back in his school days running a race. I know he will be so embarrassed that I posted this but I don't care.....I am so proud of him!!!!



Back in August we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary and I gave Bobby G. a racing school gift certificate. What an idiot I thought to myself after it was all said and done. What have I done? He needs that like he needs a hole in the head. Ack! But after seeing the big grin on his face yesterday it was worth it. He loved it and I loved the sounds of the race cars as they revved their engines and sped off around the course. It was very exciting driving your car through the tunnel that the real Nascar drivers would have used on a race day.......getting suited up and being interviewed just like the real deal. The weather was just perfect and it was a fun afternoon. Problem is next year I will have to come up with something that is even more thrilling. :)




And speaking of the winner's circle I have been blessed again this week with not one but two awards. Marie over at Personalized Sketches and Sentiments gave me this blog award, "you're the sweetest". It's a cupcake! How sweet is that? And I have to tell you if you are looking for a very special Christmas gift you must go see Marie's blog. She does the most incredible sketches you have ever seen all done in a person's name. You have to go look!


And Sue, over at CollectIn Texas Gal presented me with the Honest Scrap Award. Sue is an avid vintage collector and her blog is really fun to read so I hope you will visit her and tell her I sent you. :) Thank you Sue.



Have a great week y'all and may your racing heart not be scared to death this Halloween week.

White Wednesday ~ Baby Boo

I am, as I see so many of you are too, crazy about the white pumpkins. These are the little ones called Baby Boo. How cute are they? I have used them all over my home for the Fall season. Here I placed them in a vintage clear cut glass compote among my white shabby candle sticks along with a vintage silver garden dove statue. I love the serene effect. The dove is available for sale at The Vintage Nest. I am tickled pink to be joining White Wednesday hosted by Kathleen at the gorgeous blog, ..... Faded Plains. Click here for a list of all those participating.



Also, I was delighted to be given this sweet award from Tammi of the blog, Visions of Vintage. Thank you Tammi. It was a great surprise and I love it.

Happy Wednesday and I'll see you back here for Pink Saturday. I am off to spend the day treasure hunting with my Mom.