~OUR HOME FEATURED IN SIMPLY SHABBILICIOUS MAGAZINE~

Our 1960's era home (built in 1969, but sold for the first time in 1970) was featured this month in the online magazine, Simply Shabbilicious.  I hope you'll check it out when you have time.  Several other homes and businesses have been showcased and I think you'll enjoy seeing what everyone has to offer.

Thank you, Kerryanne, for including parts of our Oklahoma home, my studio and my Booth at Serendipity Market in Edmond.  You've blessed and honored me.

I'd love it if you'd FOLLOW me on PINTEREST and LIKE ME from your personal page on FACEBOOK!  It  helps my wee little business get noticed out there in a sea of amazing and talented artisans.

Danka, Merci, Grazie and Thank You!

Hope your day is wonderful.  I'm off to create.

Love to you...

 

PS:  My Miss K started 5th grade today!  WHAT?????  Where have the years gone????

~CASA ROMANTICA MAGAZINE SHOWCASES MY HOME~

Sometimes, believe it or not, I am at a loss for words.  To this day it's impossible for me to describe how I felt the day I married my beloved or the feelings I had when I bore his two children.  Those three single moments will always remain the highlight of my life.  Lots of other wonderful things have happened to me since~  Watching my children graduate and then go to college and/or serve in the military and then subsequently marry ushered in feelings of great joy.  Seeing the miracle of my Miss K come into the world changed my life...  I love being a Nana, even if right now it's only to one little girl...

Like many of you, no doubt, I've experienced my share of heartache sprinkled upon the pathway of my life.  I'm grateful the rough times have been far outweighed by the good times and although I shouldn't be, I'm always surprised when super-wonderful things come my way.  Today I was reminded of the words to a favorite old hymn,

WHAT GOD HAS PROMISED

(Flint/Runyan)

 that says...

God has not promised skies always blue,
Flower strewn pathways all our lives through;
God has not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

But God has promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

God has not promised we shall not know
Toil and temptation, trouble and woe;
He has not told us we shall not bear
Many a burden, many a care.

God has not promised smooth roads and wide,
Swift, easy travel, needing no guide;
Never a mountain rocky and steep,
Never a river turbid and deep.

But God has promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

A couple of months ago I was contacted by the editors of the Italian Magazine, CASA ROMANTICA, in hopes of doing an article showcasing my work and my La Chaumière de Briarwood.  I was shocked at their interest and was once again left speechless.  No words came to me...just sheer excitement that anyone would think anything I've ever done would be worthy of publication (OK!  I admit I might have run through the house screaming at the top of my lungs for a wee little bit, but no one was home to see me so I don't think it counts!).

Just hearing from the editors brought back the feelings I had when the American Magazine, ROMANTIC HOMES, first contacted me in 2005 about doing the same thing.  Back then I was pretty new to selling my wares and was totally clueless as to what I was doing.  I'm a firm believer that once we know better we should do better and I hope over the past seven years I've learned how to better dress my home while staying true to her simple, yet beautiful, lines...

Today I'm grateful for both change and progress and for the nod given to me by those who are far more gifted than I.  There are so many incredible homes worthy of attention and talented people who never fail to inspire me every single day.  And so I press onward doing what I love in hopes that someone else out there will be inspired to do the same.

I'm sharing with you a few photos a fellow blogger, Rosetta from http://theromanticrose.blogspot.com/ sent to me this morning of the article published in the June 2012 edition of CASA ROMANTICA (Thank you, Rosetta!  You bless me!)  Incredibly they showcased nearly every room of my home and lots of my work as well.   I'm hoping one of my sweet Italian friends (Valeria, Debby, Rosetta, Maria, Evelena and Angelina, Marta, Cherie' and Colona) can locate at least one copy for me and send it my way.

 Many, many more photos where included in the article, but I'll save them for another time.  Right now I'm working on translating the article so I can read for myself what all they had to say.  So far I've only managed to decode :) the first page!

 I leave you today with this...

Stay true to your calling and hold fast to your dreams!  Don't think for a moment God doesn't care about you or them.  What seems big to you isn't to Him!   After-all, He was the one who placed those desires deep within your heart.

Dream on friends...DREAM ON!

Because I'm trying to be tender to my hands and arms I will be blogging only a handful of times a week instead of every day for awhile.  That said, I'm going to let this post serve as my Thoughts on a Sunday Morning post as well.

I'm linking up with Kathleen over at Faded Charm for
White Wednesday!  Hope you'll visit all the gorgeous whites when you can.  You are sure to be inspired!

Blessings and love to you for a wonderful day!

Love to you...

 

ROOM FOR CHANGE...Updated Shabby Cottage Chic Style

GUESTROOM SHOWN 2004-2005
Shades of Sugar Pink

In September 2005 Romantic Homes Magazine came all the way to Oklahoma for a photo shoot of my La Chaumière de Briarwood (The Briarwood Cottage). It was a very exciting time in my life even though I didn't have the first CLUE as to what I was doing. I have to laugh about it today because I would do things so differently now if I had the chance...

I promised to show you some pictures of parts of my home and I thought it would be fun to show you what our little guestroom looked like about five years ago. Back then the walls were painted a soft sugar pink with the furniture a fresh, crisp white. The vintage metal bed was from the 1940's and even though it was charming I longed to find something different.

Now, I love pink! I do! I do! It's my favorite color and always has been. Still, as my taste for cottage style decorating changed I found myself moving towards an even softer, lighter look and feel for the room! By adding a darling vintage 4 poster bed, an old refurbished door, a vintage sewing machine cabinet (that doubles as a table) and a sweet sewing chair the room was easily transformed. I updated the linens, changed the throw pillows, added a gorgeous old chandelier and with the addition of a small metal bench at the foot of the bed the room took on an entirely updated, fresh and clean appearance. More romantic, less whimsy...

GUESTROOM 2009

Shades of Soft Taupe

HALLWAY INTO GUESTROOM

Let it be said that I'm into to changing things! The room has been given a repaint job and now proudly shows off a soft shade of pale taupe. The furniture, all gently distressed, is my favorite cottage white. Although I'm constantly moving things around I must also tell you that I'm into recycling most all the finds I discover. Several times over in fact! Everything shown in the pink room (except the bed) is now being used somewhere else in my home...

Mr. AGPMan's OLD OFFICE 2004

Before we jostled some things around to make better use of the rooms in our home, my Mr. AGPMan's office was upstairs. It was your typical "man room" and sported little style (sorry honey!). About a year ago his designated space :) was moved downstairs and I took over the room and turned it into a pretty retreat. It's been transformed it into a place where I sit and read. Since this picture was taken I've painted the cabinet doors with shabby pink roses and...

TRANSFORMED INTO MY SITTING ROOM

flipped the desk to the other side of the room! I love it much more this way! The vintage Tell City Bench below is now under the window which provides wonderful lighting when I curl up with my favorite weekly read!

SWEET TELL CITY BENCH

You'll notice some of the things in the Sitting Room pictures have been moved into the Guest Room! I told you I move things around!!!

I PROMISE before Summer's End I will show you more pictures of my home! Currently we are working on our space-challenged Master Bedroom! That's the room I gave you a sneak-peak of a few days ago!

Blessings to you as you find the potential in your own beautiful home...Rebecca

REFURBISHING THE DREAM Vintage Train Case Restoration

NEWLY LISTED TRAIN CASE

BEFORE HER MAKEOVER

Oh those beautiful vintage Train Cases! Truly the most alluring of all the lovely and feminine beauty related offerings from our past! I just can’t get enough of them! I love not only their boxy style but I love the era they seem to represent. A time when women were women and weren’t afraid to don a suit and crisp white gloves while shopping in high heels and lunching with friends…

I’ve loved vintage luggage for as long as I can remember and first entertained the thought of refurbishing a Train Case back in the early 1990’s. The idea came when I saw the cover of a craft magazine showcasing an old suitcase with hand painted violets. Back then I was always on the lookout for things to use as PROPS for my retail store…I actually never got farther than just base painting the exterior of a Case that truthfully was better suited for the trash! Still, the concept of taking something once highly sought after, (and certainly past it’s prime), and re-purposing it into something usable for today intrigued me. So, I banked the idea but knew that one day I’d return to the vault that stored all my dreams of restoration.

ROMANTIC HOMES MAGAZINE - SEPT 2006

In September 2006 Romantic Homes Magazine showcased the very Train Cases that once had been only a passing thought (“Cinderella Story” called “Hello, Gorgeous”- written by Hillary Black). I couldn’t have been more excited when I saw my work in print!

Since the day I first saw that craft book cover, I’ve transformed almost 100 Cases turning each one into what I call “Gathering Cases” ™! Perfect for holding memories and keepsakes of all kinds! My favorite Case will always be the one I gave as a gift to my only daughter on her wedding day in September ’07… A creamy cottage white beauty graced with hand painted blush-white and taupe-y white roses! It was lined with the fabric of her gown and included lace from my mother’s wedding dress and the ribbon trim from mine…

FIRST REFURBISHED "GATHERING CASE" (circa 2001)

It’s taken me years to narrow down the BEST Cases and the ones to pass on! I’ve included a picture above of the first Case I ever gave a FULL MAKEOVER to (circa 2001). She is warped (that is what happens when you choose a Case that is NOT wood) and yellowed (used the WRONG kind of sealer), but I still love her!

Normally reserved for special orders, I finally listed a newly refurbished Case on my website (first picture above). I hope you’ll check her out! Be inspired! If I can make them then I promise, you can, too!

Blessings to you…Rebecca