Labels

I've been adding a few finishing details to my office closet. One very important detail are the labels. I adore labels for organizing. With labels I never have to hear the words, "Moooooommmmm, where's the _____?!?" or "Honey, where do I put this?"Labels don't have to be office supply ordinary. It's always an enjoyable touch to turn the practical into the pretty. It gives you even more reason to smile when opening an organized closet.Interestingly enough, my husband and I had a discussion about labels a few days ago while out on our morning walk. We didn't discuss the labels that help keep us organized, but rather the labels we tend to give ourselves. We all do it. Unfortunately, personal labels aren't always as wonderful as organizational labels, although both can serve as a means to contain. Have you noticed that often the labels we give ourselves are not positive and character building? In fact it's the negative labels that truly do keep us contained and boxed up. Personal negative labels keep us from growing and experiencing all the good that life has to offer. Negative labels can also keep us from giving the best of ourselves to others. I realize this daily in my own life and I'm trying to break out of my boxes with negative labels. It's definitely not an easy thing, especially when the labels have been there for years. But I know that if I am to become the person I am meant to be, I have to remove the stifling negative labels and replace them with encouraging positive labels.
Spring time is a time of change and renewal in nature. It's also a excellent time to make changes in ourselves. Will you join me and think of a few positive labels to describe yourself and then daily work toward those attributes?The incredible thing about giving positive labels to ourselves is that it can become contagious and before you know it, you'll find yourself giving those around you positive labels too.

Why don't we all start
a positive label epidemic!

Simplicity At It's Best

Sometimes it's the

simplest of things
that make you smile.Moss and rocks from the yard
in a pretty little white dish,
resting on a book with a great title,
with a motivational thought
thrown in for good measure.If you want to make your own fork easel,
just click here for directions

Les Fleurs

Don't you love it when you go to the grocery store
to buy something practical and find

something pretty on clearance.
These beauties haven't even bloomed yet,
but they were clearing them out.I brought them home,
plopped the disposable pots into real pots,
and then placed them into my "fleur" cart.This cart has been part of our lawn art for years; it's even served at a few wedding receptions. Several years ago, inspired by an old wagon wheel, I designed this cart. My hubby took my design plan and made it work. It's weathered, crooked, cracked and chipped,
but it's a little something that
makes our home unique to us.

So Pretty-New Products from Jardins En Fleur

We got an email from Jardins En Fleur about their new pieces today. OMG they are so pretty! You probably know from our previous post that this is one of our favorite new vendors. The prices are getting more reasonable. The chairs shown are about $350-400/each. The console table is about $1500.

If you like the softer, prettier style of home decor, this line is so for you. It's Asian decor done in a very modern and original way.

Here are pictures of the new pieces. They are shown here in white lacquer, which is a great neutralizing color. We love using it in rooms with lots of colors or patterns...

If you need pricing and availability, please visit our home decor store. Thanks!

Fresh Bedding from Mystic Valley Trading

We haven't purchased any bedding for our store for a while, mainly because they are a bit cumbersome to sell. But we just received our Mystic Valley Trading catalog today and they have some really pretty stuff! What's more, they put everything into one convenient package so we don't have to list each piece individually.

Here are some bedding from the Spring collection that we really like. They look fresh and fun.

The bedding sell for about $1500-$2000 per ensemble. To see more, visit the Mystic Valley web site. To get pricing and availabililty, please drop us a line.

Modern Fabrics from Duralee

Duralee just came out with a collection of modern fabrics that we thought are really pretty.

Here is a sample of it. To see each sample, check out the Duralee's Simply Modern Collection.
There are five additional books...




To get pricing and availability, please visit our fabric store.

A Basket Case

Have you seen these
vintage baskets?Aren't they wonderful!
They have a similar look and feel
to the vintage grain sacks
that were the inspiration for my framed burlap. Of course I needed to make my own version.

I found an old laundry type basket at the thrift store for two dollars (apparently I deleted the "before" picture off my camera, so imagine the generic light colored, light weight basket). I painted the basket. When painting any basket, it's good to soak it in water first, and then dilute the paint a bit for the best coverage.
Then I dry brushed over it with lighter and darker colors to achieve a more worn appearance. After the paint was dry, I painted on the numbers.

Now I have a unique big basket
for storing all kinds of things.