fresh picked

fresh flowers

The other day I was driving along Hope Street in the East Side of Providence, a beautiful section of the city: full of large homes on tree-lined streets, cafés, shops, parks, colleges and universities and ... a flower cart! I wish I had my camera with me but alas, I did not.

So there was this adorable awning-topped flower cart on the sidewalk in front of this manse of a house. In the cart there were vibrant arrangements fresh from the garden in spray-painted silver Starbucks cups. Please leave $5 a bunch Since I only had a $10 -- I bought two! I hope to return this weekend to take photos to share. For now, here are some I snapped of the bouquets back at home.



fresh paint

Here's what I brought in from my backyard. Spray-painted at the picnic table, dry and ready for tinkering.

fresh dècor

GASP! Look at this new garden wall dècor from Pottery Barn Kids! PBK is a great place for shabby and cottage finds and as you can see, it's not just for kids.

fresh colors

Laurie Star is having her first giveaway! I told her that these are so much fun, so please visit the talented Laurie to enter. I am planning my own blogiversary giveaway so stay tuned for details!

fresh sigh of relief

Hooray! My I Thought of You swap partner Debi received the goodies I assembled for her and I'm so relieved to find that she is very excited about everything. {I was worried} I used these little Martha Stewart goodie bags (love them) to package up some of her treats.









xo

debi thought of me

Recently I took part in the I Thought of You swap hosted by Stephenie at Just a Little Bit Pink. The premise of this organized exchange was to buy things that made you think of your assigned swap partner. Stephenie advised that we tell our partners what colors we like, what items we collect, and to gather inspiration from our partner's blog. I was thrilled when Debi and I were paired-up because it was GASP at first sight when I saw her blog, Life in My Studio. Debi and I share similar favorite colors and collections and I knew that shopping for her would be like shopping for myself -- only more fun -- and it was!

Today my package from Debi arrived! {You may click-to-enlarge any photo}


The parcels (sounds cuter than "packages," doesn't it?) were wrapped so sweetly.




So very Marie!


Ooh la la!


Debi enclosed the prettiest card with the nicest note.


GASP ~ SWOON ~ FAINT


This prettiest box filled and topped with millinery flowers in my favorite colors is especially meaningful because in one of the first posts of Debi's I read, she used this decorative paper in a project and I went bananas over it. She gave me the product info and I ordered some at once.


I blogged about swooning over these at Brimfield.


Gosh, months ago I blogged about a photo of bottles oxidized over time to a lavender hue, and wanting to begin a collection. I have one now!


Vintage wallpaper in pretty florals


A stack of beautiful fabric squares, a glass flower frog, a full box of vintage clothespins and China plates!


As I began to put my new treasures into piles, the trims and toppers from once-wrapped parcels looked so lovely that I had to do something with them ... immediately!


Well, no, I didn't use them to embellish a gown ...


I prettied-up a lampshade. {Kind of like children playing with the empty boxes on holidays!}

THANK YOU so very much to Debi for thinking of me and assembling the most delightful box of beautiful treasures! Thank you also to Stephenie for organizing this brilliant swap!

Blogging has touched my life in so many heartfelt, creative, generous and wonderful ways. For this I thank and am thankful for all of my blogging friends.

xo

a secret for pink saturday

Pink as roses


Pink as sweets


Pink as a peek at my swap partner's treats! {tee hee}

Happy Pink Saturday!

xo

ps
dearest friends, please note that the top 2 images were found doing a google-image search. source links are attached to each photo.

busy as a beehive cottage bee

I have a hunch that you may already know Maryjane from The Beehive Cottage. She is the most inspiring, energetic, warm and generous sweetie. Did I mention busy? Maryjane has 11 grandchildren, a vintage trailer for fly fishing trips and she even makes her own laundry detergent!



If all of this didn't keep her busy enough, Maryjane has just started a 2nd blog named in honor of her mother and grandmothers. It's called SweetSassySadieLee and will feature recipes, crafts, homemaking skills, home dècor and more! There's also a 2nd Etsy shop with the same name!



The photos included in this post are gifts I just received from busy bee Maryjane. She knows I love the banners that she makes and sells in her Etsy shops and asked me what kind I would like. I chose a birthday banner and it is so full of beautiful detail. She also surprised me with a bag of her sweetly scented homemade laundry detergent (!) and adorably stamped envelopes! I just love that little Maryjane, I call her my Fairyblogmother.

Okay, now while my boys are busy playing I am going to attempt some blog-hopping!

xo

hydrangeas, glitter and more!

Harwich Port
August already? Summer is in full-swing around here and I have so much to share (and so little time to blog right now)! Please bear with me for another long post.


For those of you far away, Cape Cod is a seventy mile long penisula with fifteen townships stretching eastward from Bourne to the tip at Provincetown. My sisters and I stayed mostly around mid and lower Cape Cod but it's all really scenic and lovely. Lots of roses over wooden fences, beaches, chowder, gift shops ... Okay, back to pretty pictures!


Here is the office of our motel. We didn't want to spend lots on a fancy inn or hotel and this charming place was right on a main road to everything. Love the starfish in the windows!


Harwich Port


Hydrangeas were in full-bloom EVERYWHERE!


This is the Chatham Chamber of Commerce. So cute! More starfish in windows.


Chatham Village Antiques
(I believe this shop sprung out of Ruffles and Roses, featured in last May's issue of Romantic Homes. A collaboration that include(d) Lizzie)
Any details, Lizzie? Just leave a comment.


I know a few bloggers who would GASP over these vintage hats.


I really like this idea from Colorful Creations, Hyannis


The side yard of a beautiful shop called The Rose Victorian, West Dennis


I bought this sweet Josef Original April Birthday Girl at The Rose Victorian even though my birthday is in October. I adore the blue.


Shop owner Kathy is such a gracious sweetie! Her shop is filled to the brim with beautiful teacups, figures, and framed yardlong prints of roses.

And as promised, I also want to share what was waiting for me when I returned. A box packed with pink tissue-wrapped packages from cool-cat M at Tales from an OC Cottage.

I am always in awe of M's wonderful and almost wreckless use of glitter. She doesn't have an online shop so I asked if she'd like to swap (is this becoming a problem of mine?) and was so happy when she said yes.


What I received was a greatest hits collection of M's blogpost creations!


GASP! Is this the coolest? It won't even ruin my "diet."


M says "chintzy is a compliment!" I like how the teacup set she included helps to organize collected business cards while hiding my big ethernet thing from Verizon!
(The doll is from Laurie Star's etsy shop, Trinkets)


I love this. M will spray paint anything and she sent me one of her pink painted spoons along with this DIY "kit."


Here is what I sent to the OC. The photos that she posted came out much better than mine.

Okay, well I'd better get back to catching up on some other things. Including packing up goodies for Debi my swap partner in the I thought of you Swap hosted by sweet Stephenie at Just a Little Bit Pink.

xo