STUDIO SNEAK PEAK

I'm excited to be participating in Where Bloggers Create 2011 Blog Party.















A few weeks ago when I found this oversized mod "Audrey" canvas, part of which is shown in the first picture above (it's really big!), to hang above our antique fainting couch in my studio (You can read the story about how we acquired one of my favorite pieces of furniture here and what a coincidence it was), I happened to think about how blessed I am to be able to use this space in our home for creating. (It's so wonderful to be able to leave supplies and materials out while working on a project!) That led me to think about how fun the blog party was last year, getting to view so many spaces full of creativity and imagination. It was sooooo inspiring! And I started wondering when it would be time for the next one. Well, that same day, I pulled up the talented Karen Valentine's blog, My Desert Cottage, and read her post where she was announcing the 3rd Annual Where Bloggers Create Blog Party to be held on 7/15/11. I was thrilled! I've done some rearranging and made some changes since last time, so I can't wait to share my studio but most of all to get a peak into everyone else's creative spaces!

May all your dreams be sweet! Patti

PERSONALIZED LUGGAGE TAGS

One of my coworkers' birthday is coming up and our office will be taking her out to eat to celebrate. I found the coolest gift tags on Etsy to include with the gift we got her (she loves to travel). Look at the yellow/white quatrefoil design and the "mod" print teamed up with it!! I think my coworker will love these!

I was doing a search on Etsy for "quatrefoil" and found Anne Smith's shop, monkey doodles by munkeekid - custom invitations and paper adornments! I love paper products and she has some awesome designs of customized notecards, gift tags, party invitations and my favorite ---the luggage tags, which you can get in any of her designs! Don't those make a cute "little something extra" to add to a gift!

I love the way Anne mixes various prints together, and the fact that she has quatrefoil and chevron designs, too! Check out her uber-cute monkey gift tags HERE. She's had customers order her designs to use for basket labels for their pantries, too. What a clever idea!

I plan on ordering some notecards next, but I'm having trouble deciding which ones to get----I love them all! Thanks, Anne, for the quick service on these tags!

Have fun checking out her shop! ----Patti -------

By the way, I've blocked out my coworkers name, address and phone number on the tags in the photos, but Anne will customize them for you.....

RED, WHITE & BLUE BREAKFAST!

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

I feel so blessed to be living in freedom and am remembering the brave men and women serving our country in the military who protect our freedom!

We started out our day with our favorite breakfast cereal, Kashi's Cinnamon Harvest, along with a generous sprinkling of fresh blueberries and strawberries----a red, white and blue breakfast to start off the Fourth of July with the right colors! (I probably should let you think I had that all planned, but it actually was a surprise---I really wasn't thinking about it being those colors when I put together breakfast this morning! Ha! Isn't it great when things just happen to come out special like that!) Check out the heart-shaped strawberry slice in the spoon. That bowl was for my sweetie, Big D! I told him I made that strawberry just for him! Hee! Hee!

I received this cute patriotic 3-D card in the mail a few days ago from my good friend, Sabrina! It decorates a shelf in the master bath. Love it! Thanks, Sabrina!

This really tall (14"!) bright blue mercury glass vase was FREE (yes, FREE!) last year from Paul Michael's in Canton, TX, right down the road from LaurieAnnas (another of my favorite must-stop shops when in Canton!) I had signed up on their mailing list and they sent me a postcard for my birthday saying there was a birthday gift waiting for me, and when I picked it up, this was this awesome vase! (You know I LOVE anything mercury glass!!!) I was a little bummed that I didn't have a room that the bright royal blue color would fit in, but then I immediately thought about saving it for patriotic decorating! I LOVE it!

Due to hot dogs being such a healthy treat (ha! ha!), I usually only fix them once a year---for the Fourth! I also baked an apple pie this weekend, so yesterday we had apple pie and hot dogs! Yum! Our all-American feast!
HOPE EVERYONE HAS A SAFE & FUN FOURTH! GOD BLESS AMERICA!

DON'T MISS THE SUPERMOON THIS WEEKEND!

Hope you get to look outside at the Supermoon this weekend! Apparrently, the moon is closer to the earth tomorrow than it has been in 18 years, causing it to look larger! I went outside & looked at it tonight and to me it didn't look any larger, but it was super-bright!---like a lamp that someone plugged in!---brighter than I've ever seen it! And it had a glow or aura surrounding it! My Mom is the one who phoned me to tell me about it early in the evening and that's when I went outside to see it (Thanks, Mom!). Later, when I was already ready for bed, they had the story about it on the evening news and then I wished I had taken photos of it to post because it looked so cool, but I didn't feel like getting dressed again to go outside.....but....Big D (that's my amazing husband!) immediately offered to run outside & take them (Thanks, Hon!).

So, I really hope you get to see it tomorrow night! It was amazing, even tonight! In the meantime, please enjoy these photos, courtesy of Big D!

Sweet dreams! Patti

P.S.: Click on any of the photos to enlarge. I started experimenting with enlarging my photos tonight (see first photo), but I think now I have to enlarge the width of the post or something, because now that first photo has the moon off to the side, but I guess that isn't really a bad thing after all. Anyway, I'll have to go to some of my favorite blogs, which have tutorials about how to improve your blog and read up on the how-to's!

TOTALLY UNEXPECTED!

I had to share this amazing bouquet with you! I helped a friend with something, and she surprised me with this huge vase of gorgeous roses and other beautiful flowers, which she brought by the office! So totally unexpected! And the scent is absoutely heavenly! (I wish you could smell them!) Thanks again, Tiffany! You are so sweet!

Blue & White Christmas!

It's become a family tradition - we go on the Christmas Tour of Homes in Waxahachie, TX during the holiday season! The decorating is always incredible, and this year was no exception! This tree, decorated in blue and white china, graced the front porch of one of the homes this year. It was just a small taste of the fabulousness inside!

CHRISTMAS BIRDCAGES!

My Mom and I had so much fun decorating last night for an extended family Christmas party today! Decorated birdcages were the main centerpieces. More photos to come.....