~ALL GLITTERED UP and Then Some~

 This time of the year always ushers in a flurry of business.  Always thankful for that! 

I still love working with vintage images and graphics!  I noticed at Market in this past summer that the WOODLAND look is very popular once again!  

Everything is always changing!

 My Mr. AGPMan cut out over 100  wood pieces for me to use in these Glittered Christmas Hangers.

 

Here are some new decorative Bottles!  They are going onto my website later this evening.  A little time consuming to do the labels, but still fun!  My daughter, Adrienne, made the Bee Charm(s) out of a vintage image for me!  Love it!

Here's a picture of one of the Tattered Prairie Pins I have on my website.  I have another dozen to photograph and list today!

  

Right now I'm totally enjoying the FALL decor around my home (inside and outside) even though my head is into Christmas.  When someone is self-employed like I am the seasons have a tendency to get all jumbled up.  I have to start offering my wares early or people don't have time to decorate.  After all these years I've accepted it and it doesn't bother me in the slightest.

Hope you are all doing great.  I love Blogging again and plan to share more with you soon!

Blessings...

 

~ANOTHER YEAR OF CHRISTMAS OFFERINGS BEGINS~

Every year I spend a lot of time hunting down the different components for the Tattered Vintage Lace Stocking Hangers (Ornaments) I offer up at Christmas.  I just love making them and I'm always so happy to put the trims and laces to good use...

 

They are a lot easier to find than real VINTAGE FELT.

 

This year I've cut out 100 separate wool felt pieces for the petite Stocking Hanger Ornaments.

(That's the boring part!)

That is fifty more than I cut out last year...ran out of the wonderful old felt and the stuff you can find readily available today (from Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Hancocks, etc.) is crummy.  Argh!

 

They only offer Poly Felt and it pales in comparison to the vintage Wool Felt offered up until about the mid 1970's.  You can find new Wool Felt...but goodness...it's so costly!

Christmas is just around the corner...can you believe it?  Thanksgiving is so close to it this year that it makes the the holiday season feel scrunched and rushed...  Sometimes it's a challenge starting Christmas during the Harvest time of the year...  But, if I don't I never catch up.  

Sew...sew...sew...off to work I go.

Blessings...

~~MY COTTAGE WHITE CHRISTMAS HOME~~

Busy morning for me as I work on finishing up special projects for last minute Christmas orders.  I'm always amazed and grateful for the business that comes my way year after year...  These are truly tough days in our economy and so I thank you all so very much for the biz.  You bless me.

 Yesterday I snapped a few more pics of my La Chaumière de Briarwood dressed in her Christmas best.  I've had so much fun decorating this year with our new wood floors and the opened-up-wall.  

 After owning it for a couple of years I finally decided to use the vintage tinsel I found at one of the estate sales I camped out at for days and days.  I love how it looks on our mini Christmas Tree.

 

We use this vintage vanity stool (with the tufted cushion removed) for extra seating when need be.  My Miss K routinely sits on it and it's become her chair!

I have a thing for chairs.  

I do.

They just find me and I'm happy to give them a new home.

This is the first time in years we've had a mirror over our fireplace.  I love the simple white floral wreath hanging in front of it so much that I decided to skip hanging my OVER-DONE Christmas Wreath up this year.  I also toned down ALL our Christmas Greens again this year...painting them out with my favorite soft white paint.  Last year I spray painted our big Tree.  This year I dry brushed tons more of her branches and now she's even whiter than before.  Love it!

 Our mantel's greenery was also brush painted.  I love Magnolias and I've had these for fifteen years.  This year they also received a wee bit of paint.

My Mr. AGPMan ended up making 22 large Christmas Tree Baskets and 14 small ones and they all $old but one.  Next year I plan on offering them on my website.  With all the problems with my hands this year I didn't do too much painting... :(  Sure miss it!  Next year will be BETTAH!

  Breakfast room is white, white and more white. 

A little outside view!

So there you have it for now...

Tomorrow I'll be finishing up the Christmas Goodies for our neighbors and friends.  Can't wait to show you the simple and INEXPENSIVE wrappings this year for our traditional Almond Brittle gift-giving!

Blessings today!

Love to you...

~WEE LITTLE STOCKINGS~

Ever since we returned from our little getaway it seems I've been busy as ever.  I've had Fall decor to pack up for another year, shop orders to fill and of course the decking of the halls inside our La Chaumière de Briarwood for Christmas has been a priority!  Such fun!

I'm super excited because my sweet Miss K is coming over this weekend to help me with the final touches.  I promised her when she was here a few days ago I'd  help her make Stocking Sachet Ornaments and Hangers!  Can't WAIT to see what my favorite little girl comes up with.  She loves BRIGHT COLORS and LOTSAH GLITTER....  Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

(I'll be SURE to share with you HER CREATIONS!  :)

 I, on the other hand, LOVE WHITE!  But then you probably all know that by now! 

 Soft white vintage linens and sweet cottons trimmed with aging laces just make my heart SING!

I'm still crushin' on this sweet Sepia Santa image!

 Remember last summer when my Miss K and I went to Tennessee to visit my sister?  Well...while I was there I found this AMAZING metal Christmas Stocking at an antique mall in her town.  It was only a few bucks and I loved that it was made from reproduced vintage style ceiling tiles!

 I brush painted it with my favorite cottage white paint (Behr/Home Depot) and that was it!

Not sure WHAT I'm going to do with it yet...I may give it one more light coat or two...I'd like it a bit more WHITE!

OK...I'm off for today.  Much to do and I don't want to get behind!

Love to you...

~LET THE CELEBRATION BEGIN~

~DINING ROOM 2011~

My Mr. AGPMan is off work today and tomorrow and now that he's OUT OF SCHOOL guess what he's going to be helping his wifey do?

(It's getting back to NORMAL around here!)

Yep...Christmas decor is going up and I'm so excited!  Everything is different this year so we are in for some big changes!  The wall the cabinet you see below was opened up earlier this year and we installed wood flooring throughout our downstairs.  Not sure HOW everything is going to come out, but I'm going to find out very soon!

~TWO PRETTY TREES~

Lots of bins to haul down from the attic and even more from our outbuilding in the back!  Each year I gift my children with treasures I no longer use so hopefully lots of pretty things will be created this year...

~ALL OPENED UP~

As soon as I have everything in place I'll be sharing more.  I'm thinking you all are doing the very same thing as I am this week!

Let the fun and celebration begin!

Love to you...

~~~~~SWEET LINEN CHRISTMAS PILLOW~~~~~ and Hand Painted Signs~

 ~LINEN JOYEUX NOEL PILLOW~

Last Saturday I shared with you the great five dollar deal I got on a Ralph Lauren decorator pillow, remember?  If you missed that post you can read about it here!  It was actually the feather insert I wanted and over the weekend I finished working on the Christmas "Joyeux Pillow" for my La Chaumière de Briarwood.  Can you believe I'm actually keeping this one for myself?  I love the simplicity of the Pillow and can't wait to find the perfect spot to display it!  A pretty soft white linen fabric was used, opting to keep the lines clean and embellishment free.  No lace, buttons or trims and even the ruffle was a basic (done by hand) reverse tuft and pleat.  For good body and form the Pillow was lined with a weighty muslin and an easy-to-open zipper was added to the back.  The inside seams were serged so when the cover needs to be cleaned there won't be a problem with unraveling.

 ~HAND PAINTED COTTAGE SIGNS~

I also got around to working on the two Signs I showed you in that post as well.  Both sold fairly quickly but you can still see them if you'd like to by clicking here!  I must be on a painting kick because I honestly think I've finished up more painted projects this Christmas Season than I have in the past three previous years.  I have a closet in my studio with three shelves inside that have been totally filled up with items base painted in cottage white, pure white and pastel pink.  Incredibly I've actually made a noticeable dent in my stock!  Whoot!  Whoot!

My customers sometimes ask me why I don't paint more...

Well, the easy answer is:

"I'm not sure!"

A more detailed answer is:

"I hope to in the future!"

My most honest answer is:

"Painting doesn't come as easy for me as sewing sometimes does.  I love it as much (if not more!), but it's more of a challenge for me.  So, I have to be in the mood to paint or I can't get my brush to paint what I see inside my head!"

Later this week I'll be showing you more of our decorated home.  A few new things have been added this year and I'm excited about some of the little changes.

Hope your day is awesome!  Mondays are generally a bit less hectic for me so I'm looking forward to having somewhat of a slow-motion day...

(Sounds fab to me!)

Blessings and love~

~JOYEUX NOEL PILLOW ON THE CHEAP~

~PILLOW IN THE MAKING~

My Mr. AGPMan and I got up extra early today so we'd be able to get lots of our Christmas buying done before the afternoon shopper crowds set in.

 

~CAN YOU SAY LIME GREEN?~

But, we were met with really stormy skies and massive Oklahoma wind and rain.  I actually love rainy days, I just don't like having to get out in it and the getting wet.

 ~FIVE LITTLE DOLLARS~

So, our plans abruptly changed and we decided to stay home.  My guy lit a fire and we settled in to do some other things instead.

~GREAT FEATHER PILLOW INSERT INSIDE~

I'm going to put the finishing touches on some decor (because I'm a bit behind in finishing things up) while my hubster works in his shoppe on man-things! I'm working on some special orders and a few things for my La Chaumière de Briarwood as well.

 ~GASP!  I REMOVED THE TAG~

(hope I don't go to jail under penalty of law!)

See the lovely (???) lime green Ralph Lauren pillow above?  Well, I snagged it at TJ Maxx for a mere $5 (original price was $40!).  The outside fabric was not to my liking but the inside held a fabulous duck-feather pillow form.  Feather inserts can be costly so whenever I can find them on the cheap I bring them home with me.  Anyway...I printed out the JOYEUX NOEL wording on fabric shown taped to the pillow form and later today I'm going to use it to fashion what I hope will be a sweet little pillow for our family room!

~PAINTED SIGNS IN THE WORKS~

The two metal signs above will be transformed this week as well!  I'm thinking something French sounding will look lovely painted on the front...maybe some roses, too!  Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

Hope your Saturday is awesome.  I"ll be showing you the finished pillow and signs, soon!

Blessings and love to you~

~AND THE CHRISTMAS TREE GOES UP~

~ALL PAINTED UP~

(frosted white and totally yummy)

Yesterday evening my Mr. AGPMan and I packed up our fall decor and returned it to it's hiding place safe within our attic.  And, there the two boxes will stay until we haul them back down next year.  I feel like 2011 has blown by us in a flash, do you?

"Like a commet blazing 'cross the eastern sky, gone too soon...".

 ~WIREY and BRANCHY~

(just love the texture)

Christmas bins are currently stacked up all over my downstairs and just like I've down for all my married life (and then some!) I'm about to begin another season of holiday decorating.

I love CHRISTmas and all it represents.

New life.

Growing Peace.

Constant Hope.

Fresh Promise.

I'm thinking the year has gone especially fast for us because as you may remember last May my guy returned to school.

Here's a quick update for you:

 ~STUDYING TAKES HOURS~

Of the three accelerated semesters my hubbs had on the horizon he just finished the first one.  That means he's one-third of the way through the process of getting his degree in computer science.  It's been grueling.  The study time has been challenging to work through, more-so for him than for me.  Don't get me wrong...I absolutely hate the fact 'his time' is no longer 'my time' (just keeping it real here!).  I terribly miss the fun times we've always had as they've been replaced with hours and hours apart.  But, knowing he's working towards completing some unfinished business is making it MORE than a worthwhile experience.  I'm more proud of him than I can say.  Sooo proud.  School is always tough...but when you have a full-time job, life responsibilities, a wife, family and home maintenance chores, etc., the balancing act can be a bit difficult.  Anyway...like I said~one semester down and two to go.  Next year at this time we'll be planning his graduation and boy am I excited about that!

Oh...and his grade for Semester One?

A BIG FAT "A"!!!
(nothing less for my guy I can assure you!)

And so...we are pressing on and excited about the

Season of Light!

The Tree at the top is exactly where I'm at in the decorating process.  A couple of days ago I showed you how I painted my new Christmas Tree from SAM'S CLUB.  If you missed that post you can find it HERE.  Currently our new girl is standing proudly in the corner of our formal dining room just waiting to be dressed.  More soon!

Now...as if my day isn't convoluted enough (much to do!) this is the security word I got earlier this morning...  

~FLABI or FLABBY~

(doesn't matter to me HOW you spell it!)

Do I need to tell you that seeing that word was MORE than depressing?  I've kept off all but TWO of the forty pounds I lost earlier this year, but man, it's been hard to stay focused with so much food around!!!!  Anyway, that word was NOT what I wanted to read the Monday after Thanksgiving!

Exercise Bike HERE I COME!

OK peeps...hope your Monday is fabulous!  I'm back in my studio working on painted pretties.  The decorating will have to wait until this evening...  I owe, I owe, so off to paint (and sew) I go...

Love to you...