Shabby french for me: ~ RUFFLED LINENS Giveaway at Shabbyfrenchforme!! ~...

Shabby french for me: ~ RUFFLED LINENS Giveaway at Shabbyfrenchforme!! ~...: ~ Ruffled Linens Giveaway, Christiana from Ruffled Linens!

This is one of my favorite blogs to follow and Rachel is offering such a great giveaway!  Be sure to stop by and check it out! x Drena

Happy Halloween!

Been busy, busy, busy!!  Hope everyone has a safe & happy Halloween! Thanks for all the continued support and likes on my Facebook page and Pinterest and Instagram.  Feeling more inspired than ever, meeting so many talented people!  See ya'll next month! x

Me, channeling Marie Antoinette, in my favorite chair.

Made a sweet dream catcher one afternoon

Creative process

Our Hemmingway Manx, Princess

A good day at the market (Love my green bread box!!)

Festive Fall Centerpiece (Thanks Shabbyfufu for the inspiration!)

Unexpected glamour & detail. Broken necklace turned into a ceiling fan chain

Thinking ahead to Christmas

My secret garden

Villeroy & Boch Cortina china, found at a garage sale.  Perfect to mix in with my floral china.

Creative Thinking

When money gets tight, especially around this time of year, with the holidays approaching, it puts me in a creative mood. I so enjoy my Saturday trips to the flea market & various sales. Hunting for bargains, hidden treasures, finding things that can be repurposed and given new life, thinking outside the box. Not to mention, it is a great couple of hours spent with my dad. I found a beautiful stained glass, that even with a couple cracks, still has years of beauty and a new life in our home.
I have also been taking advantage of drier, cooler(?) weather, getting my garden back in order. It's a process right now (lots of weeding!) but I look forward to sharing pictures with you in the coming weeks. I don't know very much about gardening or landscaping but I enjoy being creative with our outdoor living spaces. I like our garden to reflect our home, with an eclectic mix of furniture & details. Almost everything in our garden was reclaimed or generously traded from family & friends, including many of the plants. I just recently found a three light lamp post for the back garden & can't wait to put it in. I am constantly thinking about plans for the back yard. Again, being on a very tight budget inspires my creativity.
While I was outside gardening this week, I came across an endless supply of sticks & foliage for projects I have had in mind for awhile. Not to mention, it is the perfect escape from yard work, to sit inside, in the cool, with my glue gun.  I am having a lot of fun making my stick stars, for lack of a catchier name. (Suggestions welcome!!) I'm working on all different sizes, and using different decorating materials & paint colour. Expect more pictures, as I continue to work on them. I also made my first wreath, weaved from cuttings in my yard & decorated with dried roses. I am in love with the wilted beauty, that seems frozen in time. There is great satisfaction in creating something from items you already have, including sticks & flowers from the garden. Now, I find myself looking around outside with new appreciation, wondering what I will find to make next. Don't be afraid to try something new, you will probably surprise yourself. Appreciate all that you have, right down to the smallest things. You don't have to be wealthy to live a rich life.

Have a great weekend! Thank you again for stopping by & for all your support and kind wishes.
x Drena

Breakfast

My new star, hanging in our living room. A perfect example of glamourustique.

Something new, slightly worn, but full of beauty above our bed.

The quiet peace of the morning in our kitchen, after my boys are gone for the day

A cup of tea while I work on my stick stars

Last thing at night, walking through our cottage in the gentle glow

The window above my kitchen sink, an ever changing display of treasures

My first star, made entirely of goodies collected in our garden.  The piece of chipped china was found while weeding a flower bed, a reminder of days gone by.

My grandmothers china cabinet, now home to my ever growing collection.

Drying my anniversary bouquet of roses, makes for a pretty display of fall colour on the chandy

You don't have to be a great chef to display yummy, baked goodies under a glass dome.  One of my favorite, must have touches in any kitchen.

Egyptian perfume bottles and vintage earrings found at the market

Beauty is all around us, even faded, in all her glory.  My first wreath, again made from goodies collected in the garden.

October

October has arrived, though I am sad to say, the cool weather has not shown up in Florida.  It is hard to get into the fall spirit, with pumpkins & cinnamon, when the weather seems more fitted to summer. But, I love this time of year, so I dug out the boxes of Halloween decorations & picked up those adorable white pumpkins. I'm still learning, when it comes to taking pictures around our home, so I appreciate all the kind words & encouragement. Orange is probably one of my least favorite colours but I love how it pops against all my white. It really says, "Fall is here!" at least in spirit, lol.
I look forward to my Saturday trips to the flea market & estate sales with my dad.  I grew up, doing this, long before it found main stream appeal.  For our family, it is a way of life, tradition.  Putting a home together with treasures found over time is so rewarding.  Everything has a story, a purpose, meaning in our day to day life.  I always want a home that says "I live here, this is who I am" Decorating & design is an ever evolving art.  I love finding new ideas, inspiration on the blogs I follow, Pinterest or homes I visit. When all else fails, fresh flowers, yummy candles & music can do wonders. I always have all of the above. Have fun & don't take everything too serious. Sometimes the most beautiful ideas appear by shear accident.
Thank you again for stopping by and following along on Facebook. I look forward to sharing more. Until next time, much love & happiness.
x Drena

Box of Halloween & fall goodies

Texas will always hold a special place in our heart

This vintage, mirror tray with beautiful porcelain roses is probably one of my favorite recent finds. 

The picture, I shot of my baby boy when he was 1 month old, he is nearly 12 now!

 

The marshmallow, sometimes makes it hard to get up in the morning and even easier to curl up for a nap.

Even the glow from the television works to help set the spooky mood

Pumpkins, ghosts and vintage

My finds from last weekends trip to the flea market.  Some of these items already have new homes.  I love treasure hunting!

My favorite roses, perfect colour for this time of year.

Love the vintage appeal of this Halloween sign my mum picked up for me at Home Goods.

Live, laugh, love.  

Beautiful pendant from Silpada, a gift from my mother in law and loving reminder of the importance of family. 

ps. Bedposts make a perfect place to hang necklaces.

 

 

 

Getting ready for fall

Trying to get in the mood for autumn can be a challenge when living in Florida. Even though the cinnamon brooms have appeared at Publix, we have yet to see our first cold front. Fingers crossed we get cool weather soon, as I can't wait to open all the windows.
I finally got around to painting our fireplace. It was an odd mix of gray & pinkish brick. It was installed back in the '60's, so it wasn't original to the bungalow. The coat of white ties it into our living room much better. I'm still getting use to living with so much dark wood, a compromise for my boys. I like to think that it brings a nice English sensibility to the living room. And, at least there wasn't too much of a fuss when I framed the tv!
Hope everyone is having a lovely week!
x Drena

White brick, roses and a touch of fall

Wood & White with a great vintage Union Jack license tag

I love candlelight.  I highly suggest checking out the latest issue of Romantic Country magazine.  Great feature on the beautiful home of Tausha, of Simply Me http://shabbychicgirls.blogspot.com/  Love her blog!!!

Found this great wicker pumpkin for $1.00 at the market

Little white pumpkins and dried roses

After I painted the fireplace brick white & framed the tv. (I still want to paint the mantle white...)

Candlelight

I found this beautiful frame at an estate sale for $10.00.  I painted it white, and used wire to secure it to the wall. 

Bagheera adds the perfect Halloween charm (I don't know if he is too sure about the pumpkins, lol)

Slowly but surely...

Hey there, just a quick post (testing 1, 2, 3 ) LOL
Seeing how posting on the go is going to work. I take most of my pictures with my phone, so I had to give this a shot.
It's still warm down here & as you can see, it looks more like Spring than Autumn but here is hoping we get a cold front soon. More projects & pictures to come! Advice welcome from those of you who make this look so easy!
Enjoy your week and find beauty in unexpected places!
x Drena

Butterfly in the back garden makes me think of Spring

Trying to get in the mood for fall...

The butterfly meadow in our back garden.  The old pump house from the 1920's behind our property is glamourustique!

My tools of the trade, right before the table went from chocolate to vanilla!

Our chickens enjoying the afternoon outside

My garden boots by the back door...

Please Excuse My Dust

Hey everyone, I am busy moving pictures between computers, retraining myself on blogging and trying to get this baby up & running.  Thanks for being patient with me.  Aspire to inspire and have a beautiful week! x