Tag Tuesday: Keys and Locks

I'm so fortunate to have a very, very, creative thirteen-year old in my life. She always checks for the next Tag Tuesday theme and makes a tag alongside me. This week, I let her fly solo, and her tag was so darned cute and creative, it was good enough to stand on its own. Here is Montana's take on this week's theme:

Montana started with a black card stock tag. Would you believe that she just knew to rub orange and yellow chalk on it to make it appear rusted??? I would never have thought of that! I also love how she used a Tim Holtz pin for a keyhole! That kid is just soooooo creative!

When you open the door, here is the view inside:

I am so delighted to see the creative abandon that kids take with textures, color, and materials.

Blessings!

Laura

Spring Projects and Inspired Sunday Blog Party

Hi everyone! It's officially Spring!  We have had Autumn-like temps here, a wonderful break from 80s and 90s, and the tiny bit of gardening instinct I had kicked into gear, along with some Spring cleaning and shopping and of course a tag for Tag Tuesday with the theme, Spring Flowers. This was quick to put together with Prima paper flowers, an antique pearl button, preprinted Bingo card and touches of ribbon, including the leaves which I cut from the ribbon.

All week long I've spent the last hour and a half of daylight working in my flower beds.  I can't believe how quickly weeds take over!  Once I had the two beds in the front yard cleaned out, I bought plants that grow well in a western garden from Home Depot. Today's project will be to plant and mulch.  Here's where I am right now:

I will cut open and plant in these bags of potting soil letting the plastic provide weed barrier. This idea came from the U U of Missouri, found on Pinterest.

I'm trying columbine this year. I love its color and delicate, weedy look.

Geraniums love this spot, require very little water, and grow like weeds!

This theme of Spring Flowers and new life was blooming in so many of your posts as well.

Newcomer, Meg, from My Vintage Life,  shared her lovely collection of floral bridal headpieces--making a comeback with our teenage flower child population in So Cal! lol! Meg also shares gorgeous vignettes of fresh flowers and the beautiful Australian countryside.  

Brittany, from the Rococo Roamer, shared a post about Victorian furniture, which I love, but what really struck me was her wedding photos! So befitting this theme as two lives two join together to embark on a new life together, and find beauty all around! (And so rockin' the red shoes!!!!)

Last of all, some inspirational words from Debby Ray at My Favorite Things to launch the season:

Have a wonderful week!  

Laura

Inspired Sunday Blog Party

Link whatever you think would inspire us to beautiful living. Please link to my blog from yours, and post my button on your blog if you are featured. Thank you!

Inspired Sunday Blog Party: Almost Spring!

While most of the country is cold, cold, cold, we in Southern California are experience a perpetual summer!  (It was 93 today!) I think we are all ready for Spring--most of you for a warm up, but for us a cool down!

I've been trying to catch up on my tags for Tag Tuesday this week.  The theme of maps was the inspiration for my "California Dreamin' "tag. I used a piece of vintage map, a girl from Pink Persimmon stamps, and rhinestone stars to mark destinations in So. Cal. Does it make you want to visit sunny So Cal?

Next was a tag for the "Pretty in Pink" theme. I painted cardboard and coated with pink sparkly nail polish.  The light pastels and use of jute remind me of Spring flowers and birds' nests:

Many of you are ready for Spring as well. Penny from Penny's Vintage Home, is getting ready with a new potting shed complete with a gorgeous potting bench her husband made from a door. It looks too pretty to pot on! I want one! :-)

Sherry from The Charm of Home created a simple Spring wreath for her door utilizing faux greenery from past years and trimming with a bird's nest. So simple and inexpensive, but so beautiful!

Newcomer, Betty, at My Cozy Corner created this beautiful Spring tablescape for a luncheon using thrift shop dishes and napkin rings and grapevine wreath around the plates. I just love the touch of Spring that the grapevine brings. Great tablescape, Betty!

Thank you for linking up with the blog party this week, everyone. I wish you a wonderful week ahead, filled with love and beauty and more fresh breaths of Spring.  If you have been featured, please put my button on your blog.

Laura

Inspired Sunday Blog Party

Link up anything you think would inspire us to beautiful living! Please link back to my blog.

Inspired Sunday Blog Party: Fantasy in Pink!

Happy Sunday, everyone!  I have needed quite a lot of mental escape time lately, so I decided to get right to your blog party posts.  I saw a recurrent theme of fanciful posts that took me away to delightful places. You will notice that they all are fantasies in pink!

Magali, from Little White House, was dreaming of a new kitchen - a fantasy in pink, perhaps - and her post is a wandering monologue with this kitchen.  In a fog of half-sleep and tea-induced lucidity, she takes us through several iterations of possible pink kitchens only to decide upon "awakening" that the kitchen needs to be some other color! Hop on over to her blog for this lovely post and to weigh in on your color suggestion!

Debbie from Debbie Dabble showed us how big girls play with her fantasy-in-pink doll house. I would just love to see it in person! Debbie is into the details, as you will see when you look at her post.  And I just love that she named it! Big girls can find many hours to escape in the pink fantasy that is "Nelson Crest!"

Susan from Eclectic Shorebird shows how one small vignette can carry one into the world of fantasy. Her little pink paper house, Hotel du. Cheval Blanc, just leaves us imagining what secrets are hidden behind it's elegant walls.  Hop on over to Susan's blog to escape the mundane and visit her fantasy in her wildly creative post.

From the large pink fantasy to the small, I hope you enjoyed the creativity of these imaginative posts.  They certainly put a smile on my face this week!

Laura

Inspired Sunday Blog Party

Link up your inspired posts. Please visit a few of the other blogs, and please link to my blog from your post. Also, if your post is featured, please put my badge on your blog.

Inspired Sunday Blog Party

We've had such a lovely week here in Southern California, receiving desperately needed rain, although too much at one time on some days.  After not raining for seven months, this has seemed like a special holiday.  I have not been very creative, but I have been busy, listening to the problems of others, venting my own, and sharing tears and hugs--our souls being filled by relating with each other.

Beauty also filled my soul this week as I recently discovered Turkish silver jewelry and purchased some for my birthday, some a little bit vintage:

And some a little bit more contemporary. The craftsmanship and prices are unparalleled with anything I've found at any US stores.  Ebay and Yurdan.com carry a wonderful selection.  

Your posts also filled my soul with beauty.  I am delighted to feature two newcomers today. First is my fellow Tennessean and paper crafter, Tonya, from Chattering Robins, who made this elegantly adorable ATC box and the cards that go in it. ATCs are Artist Trading Cards--business-sized cards that provide a small form for artists to experiment with ideas, media, techniques, and to trade. I love Tonya's work!

Next up is Ramon, from Row House Events and Interiors. He executes eclectic vintage style with contemporary colors and patterns to create a warm, casual elegance in his interiors. I hope you enjoy his work as much as I have! 

I'm so glad everyone joined this week. If you were featured, would you please post my badge on your blog? 

Have a great week!

Laura

Inspired Sunday Blog Party

Now let's see what you are up to this week!  Please link a maximum of three posts and be sure to link to my blog party from your blog.