~ROMANTIC EASTER BUNNY...From Drab to Fab~

 ~BUNNY FROM ROSS~

(Before and After Her Makeover)

A couple of weeks ago while I was out and about I stopped into my friendly neighborhood ROSS store and had a look around.  Now...I don't know about you but I'm NOT afraid or too PROUD to admit I shop at discount stores!  I love them and soooo does my pocketbook! :)

That said...I always go to places like Stein-Mart, TJMaxx, ROSS, Marshall's, etc., BEFORE I go to the Mall Stores because the way I look at it if I can snag a "Jones of  New York" cropped sleeve T-shirt for $12.99 why should I give Dillard's or Macy's $24.00 for the same exact thing?  To me it's a NO-BRAINER!  Besides, I really do TRY to be a good steward with the money I've been blessed with (and saving $ also makes my Mr. AGPMan a very happy hubby!).

 ~TAH DAH~
(Romantic and Chic!)

Now...I'm the first to admit that discount stores don't always have what I'm looking for...and it's a bummer to sometimes to feel like I've wasted my time stopping in when I end up coming home empty handed.  Still...I always manage to find something sweet...even if it's NOT SO CUTE to begin with!

~READY FOR MY CLOSE-UP MR. DeMILLE~

Take the two Easter Bunny Rabbits you see at the top for instance!  The one on the right was how it came to the USA via China (chunky ceramic nose and questionable painting job and all!).  It was OK as is, but nothing truly special to me!  If it hadn't been cheap (I think it was $4.99 or $5.99) I'd have passed on it.  But, since I truly thought it might look fab with a tiny little shabby cottage chic makeover I decided to buy the only two my local ROSS had for sale and bring them home!

 

~OH NO!  MY DRESS BLOWED UP!~

Now...the first thing I did was pop off from the front that crummy looking carrot/pocket thingy and then paint the entire Bunny out with my favorite cottage white paint!  After a quick repaint job that included tiny pink rosebuds and a fresh new SPRING sign (vs. Welcome) my new little gal-pal was ready for tad bit more embellishing!  So...pink and cream florals (yummy roses, too!) and pale sagey green leaves were added to her collar and ruched rayon ribbons and a vintage satin bow in pink, too!

 ~HIPPITY HOPPITY EASTER'S ON IT'S WAY~

Now...generally I'm not one for using tooooo much whimsy.  I like it...just don't have very much of it on the inside my home.  But, I do favor using a bit more fluff and stuff under the awning of my front porch and so that is exactly where my Bunny-Fashionista will be residing!  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the other one...  I may end up giving it to my AdrieGirl, but only if I can find one for my daughter-in-love, my Miss SarahGirl,too!  If not I'll save it back for next year!

Don't forget I'll be starting another Giveaway on Friday!  I'm truly excited about this one...hope you'll hippity-hoppity-back-by to see what's coming up next!

It's sure to make all you pink lovers BLUSH!

Love to you...

~~~~ROMANTIC PINK ROSE EASTER BASKET~~~~ Making A Sweet Find Even Better

 ~COTTAGE CHIC EASTER BASKETS~

Newly Transformed

I am always over the moon happy when I can find something sweet and simply by adding a few extra touches make it even more wonderful!  The sweet little baskets you see above served to be my latest makeover projects!

~WITH VINTAGE FLORALS and RIBBONS~

A couple of weeks ago I found these two darling twig baskets complete with soft purple violets and a single large pink rose on each one.  Although they were charming, something in my head thought they could be made into something truly divine by adding just a few extra touches!  So, I decided to bring them home and play around with them a bit...

I love working with vintage millinery florals and aging blooms and couldn't wait to get started!

~PERFECT FOR SPRING~

I've collected vintage millinery flowers and fabulous old roses for years and years.  I love adding them to pretty new finds, but they can end up being very costly in the end if I'm not careful.  By mixing things up a bit and incorporating newer parchment roses and velvets with a few carefully selected old floral finds, the two baskets were eventually transformed into what you see above.

~EASTER READY~

I'm not a big fan of the color purple.  But, I have to admit I love it for Easter and I'm totally in love with the way the original flowers look combined with the pink roses and vintage floral accents.  Rayon ribbon was added to the handles and even more flirty ruchey loops attached to the sides...

Not sure what I'm going to do with the second basket, but the first one is staying here inside my La Chaumière de Briarwood!

Isn't it amazing what a little hot glue and some imagination can do? Hope you are inspired to create something similar for yourself or those you love this Easter!

Blessings and love to you today... Thanks so much for stopping by~

~~~~~~ROMANTIC VINTAGE ROSE EGGS~~~~~~ SO EGGSTRAORDINARY

~PRETTY PASTELLE EGGS~

Let me tell you...I LOVE EGGS!  Oh...not the real ones, mind you (although I do think they are OK, too)...  I'm talking about the sweet, colorful and simply yummy Easter Eggs we all seem to find while out and about during early Springtime shopping!

 ~SOFT PINK - PALE MINT~
~FROTHY CREAM - ALICE BLUE~

Doesn't matter if they are made of milk chocolate and covered with snow white frosting or made of marshmallow crème.  I love them all just the same (unless the EGGS come from SEE'S CANDY...and then I'm a total gonner!).  I'm having to be a REALLY GOOD GIRL and extra careful to not indulge too terribly much in my favorite TREATS because I'm still on Weight Watchers (and lovin' it by the way...I'm down 25 pounds!!!).

~COVERED IN VELVETS~

So...the best kind of Easter treats for me (and I'm thinking for all of you other weight-conscience gals out there) are the non-edible kind!  I'm over-the-moon happy with the way the embellishment of these charming Pastelle Eggs came out and I'm hoping you will love them, too! 

~VINTAGE and PARCHMENT MILLINERY FLEURS~

I only have a few of these but the ones not already spoken for have been uploaded to my A Gathering Place Website today (under Easter Favorites).  I hope you'll stop for a closer peek... Maybe you'll even be inspired to make some of your own!

Hope you are having a fabulously creative day!

Love to you~

~HAND PAINTED BUNNIES to Tickle You Rosy Pink~

 ~COTTAGE CHIC BUNNY IN PINK~

Easter Sunday - April 24th

Before I share with you some of the latest painted pretties for my shoppe I want to take just a minute to say a huge thank you to all of you sweet people who took the time to send your thoughts my way regarding the passing of my childhood friend.  You have blessed me and I passed along your words to Andrea's family.  I hope you know how much your kindness has meant to me.  Thank you again so very much!

Now...a few days ago I shared with you a photo of three identical little Easter Bunnies before their transformation!  Today I will be uploading all of them to my A Gathering Place Website and I hope you will check them out when you have time.  One is pink, one is cream and one is white.  Hope you love them as much as I do.  They were a JOY to create...

~HAND PAINTED ROSES~

Each Bunny comes with hand painted pink roses~  They include a charming bouquet of vintage and newer millinery roses and assorted blooms all tied up with ribbons about the neck.  Don't forget I only have THREE. :(  Try as I might I haven't been able to hunt down any more! 

~SO ROMANTIC FOR EASTER~

I just finished several other hand painted pink rose pretties and they will be uploaded as soon as I can get them photographed and descriptions written!

Blessing to each of you today.  Isn't life great?  I just love breathing in the soon-to-be spring air and the promise that those fresh and new days hold!  Thanking God today for His goodness and grace.  Can't imagine where I'd be without it!

Love to you~

~WHEN CHILDREN BLESS and New Easter, Too~

 ~SIMPLE ACTS of LOVE~

When my children grew up and left home, in my heart I felt as if I was waving goodbye to the very best part of my life.  I loved everything about my home and family when my babes were little and even though I've gained much pride and joy in seeing them both reach adulthood, inside I'm still lonely for their daily presence.

I miss their voices.  Their endless (and often loud) chatter.  Their angst.  Their simple (?) demands and certainly their laughter.  I miss cooking and baking their favorite foods and...

well...

just feeling needed, I guess.

What I didn't realize during their first early years away from home was that a lovely change was taking place within their own heart's and lives.  As the two of them sought out and found their own true loves my Mr. AGPMan and I began to see things come to pass than any mother and father would surely be blessed by.

  ~A SWEET NOTE FROM ADRIENNE~

This morning the doorbell rang and when I opened the door a pretty bowl of fresh flowers were immediately placed within my hands.  I wasn't expecting anything.  I mean, it's not a 'special day' and so I had no idea who the bouquet was from.  Imagine my surprise when I read the loving card you see above.  The flowers were from my precious, beautiful girl.  No doubt a recent conversation reminded her that I will never get use to her being gone.

Not ever.

Despite the fact my life is blessed and constantly filled with love, laughter, excitement and a whirlwind of activity, my heart will forever long for the days when the tiny hands of my children were held tightly (and safely) within mine.

For Valentine's Day my talented and incredibly gifted son, Brandon, sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers...  Now~this may not seem like a big deal to some mothers, but for this "over-protective-sometimes-makes-her-son-nuts-Momma" I was filled with joy.  My father told me once that when a son has 'proper raising' he will be around when all others have left...  Not sure I feel comfortable taking any of the credit for the man he is today, but I'm blessed by his tender offerings of love just the same.

Life is good...and I'm so thankful to God for two amazing kids.

 

 ~LAST YEAR'S BUNNY~

Now...if you've followed my blog (or even more-so, my work) you know I love bunnies!  Every year I seek out new, fresh styles for cottage makeovers and I was thrilled to snag the three sweet ones you see below (before the new paint job).  The last couple of years it's been 'slim-pickins' so I was over-the-moon-happy to even find these.  This week they will be completely transformed using pinks, creams and whites and will include hand painted roses!  Look for them to be offered in a few days on my website! 

~TRANSFORMATION COMING~

I'm back in my studio working today and busy as ever.  Hope you are having an awesome Saturday...

Love to you...

~SWEET EASTER PILLOWS and Other Cottage Finds~

 ~CROSS STITCHED BUNNY PILLOW~

Did you know that Easter Sunday can fall on 35 possible dates between March 22nd and April 25th?  It last fell on March 22nd in the year 1818, and will not do so again until 2285. It landed on March 23 in 2008 (way too early for me!), but will not do so again until 2160. Easter last fell on the latest possible date on April 25th in 1943.  But, this year it will fall just one day before that, April 24th, 2011.

 ~SWEET IMAGE PILLOWS, too!~

When Easter Sunday comes too early in the year the ground in Oklahoma is still mostly brown from our frosty winter weather.  Green grass is a must for this Cali native and so I'm extra excited that it falls late in April this year.  Who can have an Easter Egg Hunt when the earth feels like dry, cracked hay under your feet?

~PRETTY WEBSITE OFFERINGS~

I started early with my Easter Website Offerings this year and I've loved having more time to design and plan new things!  The Pillows you see above will be available later today with more planned for early next week!  The Altered Art Easter Cards, Hang Tags and sweet Tea Bags are already available with new styles coming up in time for Easter gift giving!

 ~MY FAVORITE CARD EVER!~

~MATCHING HAG TAGS, Too!~

 ~GOTTA LOVE THOSE BUNNIES!~

I hope you'll find time to enter my Giveaway that is currently running for some of my Easter Pretties.  You can find more information HERE or you can find a link at the top of this page on the left!

~EASTER GIVEAWAY~
Enter Today!

I hope you are having a great day!  I'm over the moon excited about our French Door being installed in our breakfast room this weekend.  We are praying it doesn't rain so everything will run smooth!  Thanks for all your sweet comments yesterday!  Choosing to remove the window seat was tough...but we are loving the extra space!

Love to you...