Perfect Pastels

Spring. Summer. Ice cream.
They kinda' go together, don't they?!

When I was styling Rita Reade's Mammabellarte booth

for the Vintage Marketplace show this past weekend,

the pale pink, white, and aqua color scheme

reminded me of strawberry and vanilla and mint chip ice cream...

it felt a bit like I was inside an ice cream parlor!

Let these pretty hues inspire YOUR summer decor

for a Home SWEET Home...

This was the main visual draw in the booth - the back wall.
Furnishings create a setting, then details bring it to life....

A darling dining table, painted with perfect pink stripes, conjures up a sweet shop,

a theme reinforced by ironstone creamers, wire urns, and vintage teacups

to create a party setting.

the white milk-glass chandelier sparkles in the midst of soft pastels.
Rita's own photos (STUNNING!) are turned into her line of greeting cards
with pure vintage style.

[ psssst..... have you ever tried PAINTING a CHANDELIER???!
yup. it can be done!

I shared a few of my painted chandy projects in a past post...

click to check it out here! ]

 It only takes a touch of color to create a theme....

bows, ribbons, patina on old pieces of furniture, even paper lanterns

easily add personality and style.

At every show, Rita dolls up her two mannequins.

They always have petticoats on, and special corsets or aprons to coordinate with her theme.
THIS time around, the girls wore sassy, sexy pink and Rita's original mesh crowns...
[ you've probably seen her famous crowns in many magazines! ]  

... even the back of the mannequin is stunningly detailed.

One final detail that just made me SMILE:

 Miss Rita created this darling 'Baby Bunting'
by clipping baby clothes and shoes to a simple length of twine.

We hung it across the back of the booth and it just charmed the heck out of everyone.
It's a simple idea that can be easily changed,

and it works perfectly for party decor AND nursery decor.
When I was painting murals in a little girl's nursery many years ago, 

the client (who became a dear friend) did this and used hers as a window valance!

See more photos of Rita's booth on her Mammabellarte blog

BoHo Blues

As summer days heat up, blue hues can cool us down!

I had the opportunity to frequently help my friend Rita Reade 

get ready for the vintage show that she hosts with her sis in law, artist Christie Repasy.
Rita is so busy with show biznez, she hired MOI to take all of her fab stuff and style her booth - 

which is a total win/win:
She's freed from the stress of getting it all done, 

and I get to play in the vintage world I love so much!

The show is Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 6 - 8, 2014,

and the show theme this season is 'Bohemian Beach'.
Rita didn't necessarily go with a beach theme, more cottage-y,

but the aqua color she chose was certainly in evidence in many booths...
I was completely inspired by what I saw!

 Every shade of blue was represented, 

bringing a definite bohemian seashore / beach vibe to this beautiful park in the desert.

Here are a few shots from Rita's Mammabellarte booth:

Details: Furniture in soft blues, whites, and warm pinks lend a beach cottage feel.
And a salvaged sink gets a new metal stand, and can be used in many ways on a summer deck!
Here, it's a planter.

Details: a faded aqua painted cabinet & basket, table runners made from vintage fabrics & trims,

and what looks like a ship's wheel - perfect summer decor.

 Details: a milk-glass chandelier and a ruffled sky blue tote bag on a regal mannequin.

 Furnishings and accents in white and aqua and pink create a serene setting.

Since I left on setup day, many of the booths weren't finished yet and 'ready for their close-up'.
If you keep an eye on the Vintage Marketplace's facebook page, you'll be seeing lots of images
of beautiful booths, dazzling decor, and inspiring ideas very soon!

Here are a few beautiful Boho details that I WAS able to photograph before I left:

The entrance gate just beckons you inside, a gateway to untold wonders...

Christie Repasy may be a renowned floral artist, 

but the girl works magic with paint everywhere...

This is not an old lantern. The patina is painted on!

And the va-voom paisley curtains here? Shower curtain panels.

 Last spring, I shared my embellished umbrellas / parasol tutorial

here on the blog and in Creating Vintage Charm magazine.
I used lace tablecloths and frilly petticoats.

At the entrance to the show,
 Robin of Vintage Beach House showed off HER versions, 

and let me tell you they are bodacious beauties!

She used doilies and table linens sewn together, dyed them a saturated aqua

AND THEN

she topped them with shell & bead-encrusted finials:

Can. Not. Breathe. GORGEOUS!

Quite a bit of summertime inspiration can be found at shows like this.
And it's all affordable and 'do-able' - just get your Boho vibe on ;)

shared online:
 
Creative Country Mom's Garden | Home Sweet Garden Party

Summer's Knocking!

I love changing up the decor on the front door every season!
Lest that sound like a LOT of work and a LOT of storage is needed, lemme' 'splain:

The easiest way to do this is to find a container of some kind to hang on your front door...

like the cute white wire cone-shaped basket shown here.
My Mom actually found this at a thrift store
[the nut didn't fall far from the tree!]

and it is proving to be a perfect way to easily - and inexpensively - freshen up the door decor.

For a fresh spring accent in April, I filled the basket with real moss from the yard 

and faux pink roses that came off of an old wreath Mom had shoved in the garage....  FREE!
A snippet of vintage ribbon and it was done:

Now that Summer is arriving, it's time to refresh the basket.

I went to the dollar store and found everything you see below:
one set of 3 flags, one set of flip-flops, 

1 bunch of red flowers and two bunches of white daisies,

and a red bandana.
Cost? $6.

I wrapped the bandana around the foam already in the cone basket,

then stuck the flags and flowers into the foam.

I shoved the flip flops between the bandana-wrapped foam and the back of the basket,

and hung it all on a nail in the screen door.

Fast. Cheap. Easy.TM
... and at the end of summer, it will be filled up with fall leaves and a big ol' foam pumpkin.

From the dollar store.

Because cheap does not mean tacky! 

Yet because it's so inexpensive, 

it's no big deal to throw it all away - instead of storing it for a whole year.

Looking for more 'Fast, Cheap & Easy' ideas for your Memorial Day Weekend decor?
Check these past posts out:

                        Custom Water Bottle Labels                             Easy Bandana Pennant Banner

                Coke Carton Picnic Caddy                                            Game Board Placemats

Vintage Bottles as Flower Vases

shared online:

Cupcakes & Crinoline | Project Inspire{d}

Creative Country Mom's Garden | Home Sweet Garden Party

Red, White and Blue - Water?!

 my 'famous' strawberry & blueberry flavored water

was featured in a past post about front porch decor here on the blog.
it really is pretty, isn't it?!
I made and served this beverage at the vintage shows that I hosted on my farm in Washington,
and it was included in one of the articles i wrote for a magazine.

It's a simple 'Fast, Cheap & Easy' idea (my trademark!) for summer entertaining:

Just put layers of frozen blueberries, ice cubes, and fresh strawberries

in an old glass jar, then fill the jar with water.

They flavor the water ever so subtly - SO refreshing on a hot day - 
and it looks absolutely perfect for a patriotic party!

I can't believe how many times that image has been shared and pinned since then! 
It's my most popular pin EVER, so I want to thank you for the love!

i've always thought that photo was too dark, 
but i can't remove it because of all of the pins & shares - 
so i've added a better, edited image up above in this post and re-pinned it!

You can see another version of my flavored water here

and here

shared online:

Cupcakes & Crinoline | Project Inspire{d}

the How To Home | Project Inspire{d} #274

creatively beth | team creative crafts linky party #147 (2023)

thank you for featuring my project, Miss Beth!

memorial day, labor day, fourth of july, patriotic party decor, red white and blue decor,
red white and blue berry water, entertaining, patriotic party drinks, diy, homeward found decor

Finding Your Way Through Wonderland...

I've previously shared info on this marvelous event for women, 

but wanted to share it once more so that no one misses out!

Held once a year in sunny Southern California's vintage & antique community of Orange,

the Launch Your Creativity networking & educational event 

is geared toward women who HAVE a business or who want to START a business.
Whether you will offer your own artisan work, a store, a service, or a franchise 

(natural oils or makeup, for example),

here is where you will find resources, inspiration, encouragement, support, and connection

to women who UNDERSTAND and can EMPOWER you and your business!

The two-day event is coming up soon, and you don't want to be late for this very important date!

Come to Launch, and learn how to navigate 'Wonderland'
("I wonder how to start... I wonder what to do next... I wonder if I can DO this...")
and you'll find yourself on the road to SUCCESS!

Visit the Launch Your Creativity Website HERE 

to learn more about the event and to purchase tickets
Limited seating available
 

PS: The DoubleTree Hilton Inn is located just two miles South of Disneyland !
[ If my Disney work schedule permits, 

I'll be participating in the 'Truth Over Tea' Panel Discussion on Saturday morning ]

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!
Even if you have no Irish blood in your family line, 

St. Pat's Day is the day that EVERYONE can be Irish and celebrate!

In a similar way, ANYTHING in your home can work as 'party decor'....
and everything doesn't have to be printed with shamrocks to be festive.
It's easy: just start with the color green, and create!

Here are some examples of how everyday dishes, gift wrap, and serveware

can be combined to create a fun green & white service bar or table setting.

A few items with shamrocks are shown, too ;)

 ... and of course, you can decorate YOURSELF, too!

 You wouldn't want to be caught without some green on!