Romantic Homes comes to visit...

it was with considerable trepidation that I agreed to have my home photographed, once committed, it was down right panic. One week to get ready, Yikes!!! I shoved things in closets, the garage, the back of my car, some of it may be lost forever! I put the cat in the garage with everything else so I could take the slip covers off the couches, she's such a cute little dirt bag, and yes I found her later, she's only going to put up with the isolation for so long. When Jacqueline, Mark and Laura showed up at my door, it was a relief, by then I'd decided, it is what it is, after all I am a Junk Diva! All three were so friendly, seemed like I'd known them forever! Jacqueline has a sharp eye for composition is very focused and guided the whole process seamlessly. I really tried to stay out of the way, but it wasn't easy since I was so fascinated with all the goings on. I now have a treasured copy of the magazine on my coffee table to remind me of my Christmas in July experience with Romantic Homes.

The December issue is on the magazine stand now.
*Scroll down to bottom for more pictures.

The Flower Sak

Latest creative venture, decorating Sak purses with vintage lace, buttons and cloth flowers made by yours truly! Still trying new things, haven't gotten tired of this yet, lots of possibilities, I'll keep you posted when I come up with something new.

Divas at the Palm Springs Follies

Divas Judy and Pat with Special Guest Star John Davidson after the show. John claims he will turn 68 this year, hard to believe so much time has passed, I still remember him as a young , fresh faced talent that came on the scene in the early 60's. He's the consummate entertainer, and very gracious, standing around after the show having his picture taken with fans.

If you have never been to the Follies, treat yourself, this is a 3 hour show, top notch talent, that will entertain both the ladies and the gents.

All 7 Divas piled into my van May 6th and hit the road for our mini road trip to Palm Springs, a great time was had by all...might even do it again next year.

You can read more about the Follies on their website...http://www.psfollies.com/index.php

.....a little paint can do wonders!

I've been shopping in my garage lately, and finding things that I bought years ago with the intention of fixing, painting or tweaking in some new way. Well I came across this little distressed table and fell in love again, such cute lines, the biggest decision was what color to paint it.

After considering the usual white and black, I opted for a light spring green, seems to go with so many settings and adds just the right punch of color, don't you think!

This table is is sold!

Vintage Inspired Powder Room

...because St. Patrick's Day is coming up, I thought I'd put up a few pictures of what became our green guest powder room. This room was not a pretty sight when we moved here, it was too small for the enclosed tub and shower and cabinet that housed the small sink. The 17 years of this being the only bath room on the 2nd. floor main level, I can tell you it was a drag at 2am, when I would find it occupied and have to inch my way down the stairs in the dark to use the facility! Why sooo much green, besides my being an eco-friendly kinda gal, it all started with the painted early 1900's Globe Wernicke lawyers bookcase and of course because green is the color of rebirth and renewal, and if ever a room needed renewing, this was it.Now , I sometimes get carried away and think that if it's worth doing it's worth over doing, this may be one of those times, but I'm not tired of it just yet! I started this, to show you that decorating on a budget can be fun and rewarding, besides, you get to make the rules. If you love it, your family will too, and that's all that matters!The only things in the room new out of the box, are the sink, toilet, wall lamps, wall paper and tile floor. The shutters, mirror, and all accessories are from antiques stores, flea markets, garage and estate sales. The lawyers bookcase came from an auction house that I used to go to. The mirror over the sink is from the Empire Period , early 19th Century and is called an Ogee Mirror. I picked it up for about $40.00 because it was in such poor condition. Typically, they were made of pine and covered with mahogany veneer, over time the veneer gets damaged and no one wants to repair them.....that's where I come in, I love the pine underneath.I take the mirror out and float the wood frame in very warm water to soften the glue so I can scrape off the veneer, clean it up a bit and it's gorgeous just as is. I will usually give it a coat of varnish to protect it, put the glass back in and for not much money have a piece of history and a beautiful mirror that is useful and will add charm to any room in the home.I might add that with this mirror I embelished with decopage using flowers from the wallpaper and at the top, which you cannot see, I added the inscription "Nothing Is Impossible". A great thought to start the day!My few family pictures from the 1800's are too scary to display, so I pick up happier looking ones from flea markets and the like, I especially love the ones of children. The bookcase stores extra towels, soap, toilet paper, and of course some of my chosen "Instant Relatives".

Romantic Antique Lace and Linen

The allure of antique lace and linen has captivated the romantic at heart for centuries.
When I see a beautiful well prepared item of antique lace or linen I think of all the hours of love that went into it's creation or how carefully it was treated to with stand the test of time. Then I also think of how many hours of restoration that might have gone into returning it to its former glory.Through the years I've acquired boxes of lace and linens because I love them and I always intend to restore them, some for myself and some to sell. So far it hasn't happened! Well, this may be the year, the picture above shows that I've started at least! The sweet heart pillow was made by a Junk Diva friend, she's very creative, and it's one of my favorite things, besides with Valentine's Day this Saturday it made for a nice picture. .
If you're interested in caring for your own Vintage and Antique Linens and Textiles you might want to look in on this site..... Caring for Vintage and Antique Linens

Altered Art for Valentine's Day

I've been a fan of altered art for a couple of years now. It allows me to feel a little creative, keeps me out of trouble, and once in a while I make enough to cover the cost of materials.
Most of what I do is with a computer graphics program called Paint Shop Pro, made by Corel. This is a piece I made last year for a Valentine's card.
Digital art is so addictive, I sometimes need to be reminded to shower and eat!
The Junk Diva T Shirt I did last year for myself and my Junk Diva friends.

The Economy, we must keep our sense of humor!

Due to recent budget cuts and the cost of electricity, gas and oil, as well as current market conditions and the continued decline of the economy, The Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off.
We apologize for the inconvenience.

Crown Ducal Blue Chintz

This is a wonderful group of Crown Ducal Blue Chintz that I will be listing on ebay this week.

This chintz pattern was introduced in the United States in 1926, it is transferware made in England. All of these pieces have good color, no breaks in the pattern and no cracks, chips or crazing, unless noted in the listing.    SOLD

.....escape to the garden!

This is the place where the garden plans come together! I store garden books, magazines, tools, pots, fertilizers, all things related to gardening, plus all my vintage garden treasures in this small structure.Notice the unusual clippers above the couch! I will add more to this as time goes by, maybe I can find the before pictures so that you can see what a little imagination can do. If I can do it, anyone can!

Kitchen Remodel 2004

I live in a small New England style cottage by the beach in Southern California. My husband and I have spent the better part of 28 years remodeling and putting this house in the condition you see now. This is the 2nd and final kitchen remodel for us, and you'll be amused to know that it was all done to accommodate the antique primitive buttermilk sign that I fell in love with. The sign was actually in the store for sale, but every time I walked by it, I felt compelled to keep it.....so I did!
The room is now bright and cheery and I have all my favorite yellow ware bowls, pewter plates, tins and dishes on display and within easy reach, all thanks to my clever husband who went along with my ideas, well most of them anyway.

American Cottage Antiques

Child's Glider Horse On Primitive Cupboard

I'll be picturing some of my favorite things from the house, so you can see my interest is primarily in Country Primitive Furniture. The old red painted cupboard came home with me many years ago from an Auction house in Vista, Calif., sad to say the Auctioneer passed away some years ago, great guy and always had interesting and quality items for sale.

The child's glider horse was a gift from my husband, it's one of my prized possessions, as you can imagine.