Smile Like You Mean It
I just HAD to create something with some different colors and I really like how this one turned out! I so love this photo I used courtesy of SassyArts from Flickr. She has some really wonderful photos that she shares in the Collage Images group on Flickr. Don't you just love that wonderful smile on her face? When I saw her I knew she would be perfect for the phrase "There 's a Silver Lining to Every Cloud" . This piece has such a happy feeling- it makes me smile every time I look at it!This is a little banner I created. I just love the little girl's face! I have been feeling so inspired lately- my muse has been keeping me quite busy! I hope she is here for an extended visit this time! I'm off to visit all of your blogs, ladies, because really YOU are all are my muse and you never fail to inspire me!! Thank you!!
Michelle xoxoxo

Happy Mother's Day!!
I wish I could be with my sweet Mama this Mother's Day. She said they will be having my favorite meal and dessert at her house this year. Tostadas for lunch and her homemade chocolate cream pie with real whipped cream for dessert!! Mmmm!!! Here are the presents that are on their way to her....... (no peeking, Mama!!) I made her this photo frame and added a photo of her at the beach. It was an awful ugly frame from Big Lots. I painted it white, then covered it with vintage wallpaper and new scrapbook papers and added a vintage millinery flower and some pretty trims! I love it so much I wanted to keep it, so I will just have to make myself another one.
This adorable carnival doll is just like mine (seen in my blog banner). When Mama was visiting we found two of these cute dolls. She bought me one but didn't buy herself one and wished later that she had one. So I went back to the shop and that cute little dolly was still there!! I was so happy I could find her! It was two weeks after we first found them and I was sure someone would have snatched her up because she is SO cute and such a good price, too!! I added a little lace dress (more of a slip I guess, it's scandelously transparent and short!!) and gave her a little pink feather for her hair. I also found some pretty laces and trims and glass buttons to add to her gift!
I also added in some fun ephemera like sheet music and photos and pretty papers.
I added a photo of her to this sparkly letter "C" for Carol.Oh, and of course here she is dressed as the garden fairy. She really IS the garden fairy, too!! If you ever have a chance to see her amazing gardens you would see why!!
Happy Mother's Day to all my sweet blog friends and to my wonderful, talented, loving Sweet Mama!!!

I've been busy.......creating two new pieces!! "Far Away in Fairyland" is the first 3D box I have used and it was such fun! I need some more boxes to play with!! I found this one at Hobby Lobby and it was so cheap, but it was a seasonal Christmas item.
This collage includes a photo of my favorite subject- my sweet Mama! I love using old black and white photos of her! Here she is having her foot buried in the sand buy a guy she has a MAJOR crush on!! She was only about 5 or 6 years old. She looks like she is having the BEST time!! I love that photo!
This beautiful enamelware plate is my Mother's Day gift. (I was lucky enough to get it a bit early!!) I just LOVE it!!! It has a pink rose, my favorite aqua blue, it's enamelware and just a bit chippy- just perfect!! Thank you to Sweet Husband and my adorable little guys!!

Show and Tell Sunday!!

This week's Show and Tell Sunday theme is "Show us your favorite antique stores." I did that just a few posts ago, but I cropped the photos down this time and I am hoping you won't notice that they are the same photos!! LOL! So here we go!

I have been a winner twice lately! First I won a lovely paper flower from Laurie at Lori's Charming Designs!! Then I won this beautiful vintage table runner from Patricia from Vintage Linen Treasures!!
Also, I feel very honored to have been awarded the "Arte Y Pico" award by my sweet new blogland friend Bettsi from Tender Arts blog! The "Arte y Pico" award was created to be given out to bloggers who inspire others with their creative energy and their works, whether it be writing, artwork or more. When one recieves this award it is considered a "special honor". Once you receive this award, you are to pass it on to at least 5 others.

There are so many ladies whose blogs inspire me that I just cannot pick! So this award is for all of you!!
Michelle xoxo

Betty Bathing in Bling!These are my photos for "Show and Tell Sundays", a fun new group on Flickr. This week's theme is "vintage bling"! How fun is that? I love my adorable Betty Boop bathtub soap dish. I use it to hold my pretty vintage jewelery.
Doesn't this photo look SO luxurious? Rhinestones on piles of vintage lace! I also like using my mini dress form to hold my jewelry. I can't wait to see the other ladies photos and you can see them too, if you visit the "Show and Tell Sundays" Flickr group!

Blue and yellowA few of my favorite blue and yellow treasures. The box is a boot box I found next to one of my neighbor's garbage cans. It was very clean and sturdy so I couldn't resist grabbing it. This is something I do sometimes and it embarrasses Sweet Husband to no end! Poor thing. I covered the box in some pretty gift wrapping paper I found at Walmart. I think I will use it to store some of my treasures. This pretty enamelware coffee pot my sweet Mama bought me as an early Mother's Day present. It is from T.J. Maxx and I think it is just as pretty as any vintage one! I adore that shade of blue!!This is my favorite pie bird- isn't she SO sweet??
She is sitting on this lovely plate which is yet another gift from my sweet Mama. Yes, I know I am spoiled rotten.
Next is one of my favorite of all my vintage plates.And here is a pretty little gravy boat. Have you noticed how much I love flowers?Here are a couple of close ups of a vintage tablecloth my sweet Mama gave me last Christmas.
I just love it!!A favorite sheet music cover. I think it is so pretty and the lady reminds me of my Mama. My kids say it's a picture of Gram!
My one and only barkcloth pillow, found at an antique mall years ago.
A vintage embroidered pillow.My Betty Fairy book- a reproduction. It has the sweetest illustrations inside!
A birthday card my Mama gave me a few years ago. Isn't it just magical??
A happy little moon.A small collage I created last summer.
A tag I made for a swap, but like it so much I had to keep it and make another one.
And last, a pretty vintage piece of silver with a perfect aged patina! No polishing silver in this house!Here I have filled it with some treasures.Oh, one more (not so pretty) thing to show you! I picked up this sad, beat up little stray in a neighbor's yard because it was free! I am sure I can make it pretty with some paint and papers! Sorry I had to embarrass you again, Sweet Husband!! You all should have seen the look on his face as he helped me put it in the car! I wish I had a camera at that moment! LOVE YOU, Sweetie!!

The Sleep Fairy
A new collage I created today. I really like this one. My favorite collages are the ones that are sparkling , magical and sweet!Here are a few random photos from around the cottage.A shelf in my studio, lovelies in my vintage sewing drawer,
and my chintz collection.

Missing them already......
My parents just left this afternoon and I miss them already. We had such a fun visit and antique shopping was a big part of that fun! Above is my mom and my sweet little guy.
He is so good to always pose for me and my millions of photos I take! This store always has so many wonderful goodies both inside and outside as you can see.
It was inside this store I found an amazing bargain. I found this gorgeous 16 X20 oval wood frame for only $10!!! I had them hold it while my mom and I looked around the store for more treasures. When I was ready to pay the man who worked there said "Oh, that has already been paid for by a benefactor- and admirer of yours." I looked at my Mama and said "DAD!!" Apparently, while we were busy shopping he was busy buying this for me. I thought he was just at the counter showing off his grandson! How sweet is that? Thanks Dad!!
Next is my new VERY favorite antique store! This place was loaded with all sorts of goodies that I love! Dreamy, isn't it? All the lovely shades of white?? It had lots of booths full of colorful goodies, too!It was in this store I found another treasure that I have recently been searching for........
this sweet carnival doll!!! My sweet Mama bought her for me. Isn't she SO cute??
I made her a little dress of lace and gave her some pink feathers for her hair.
I love this booth at yet another antique mall, but the prices were very high, so I just look here for fun and inspiration.
Oh, and here are some yummy colored vintage prom dresses. I loved the pink one in front. Sorry I didn't get a better photo. I wanted to take it home with me but it was over $150.00- yikes!
Here are a few of my sweet Mama's beautiful vintage finds.....
Actually, I found these beauties for her. We were in a booth and I saw a huge wardrobe and I said "I wonder if anything is in here" but in my head I was thinking there wouldn't be. But there was! I found a big ziplock full of vintage millinery flowers! We went through them and each bought a few of the best ones. What a fun and lucky find!!
Here is a plate I gave my Mama for her birthday and some more of her vintage finds.
She found the entire set of rhinestone jewelry above for only $4- wow!! I guess the Antique's Fairy was watching over us and guiding us to the prettiest goodies and the best bargains!! LOL!!
Thanks for the fun time Mama and Dad!

Heartiest Greetings, dear blog friends!My sweet Mama and I have been having so much fun! I have lots of pretty photos to share today! First are the photos from my favorite antique mall. I love the pretty pastels, the lovely creamy whites and that great piece of wrought iron fencing!Mmmmm!! Look at those wonderful chippy aqua doors!!Oooohh!! A pretty in pink prom dress!!See that pretty white vintage flower basket in the photo above? I bought it! And see the pretty pink frosted window in the photo below? It is so much prettier in person. I wanted to buy that , but it was quite pricey.I fell in love with this gorgeous table! Isn't it the most perfect shade of aqua?! I pretty much wanted to buy everything you saw in those photos above, but here is what I was lucky enough to come home with. A large doily with the prettiest crochet trim, these lovely ribbons and this gorgeous pile of vintage laces- all for only $6!!
Here is the white vintage basket I told you I bought, filled with my favorite vintage millinery flowers!And I also got this cute little flower frog. I love using them to show off old postcards and photos!
My sweet Mama bought me this amazing vintage frame that I adore!! She also bought me this super cute lantern at Hobby Lobby!
We will be going to a few more antiques stores next Saturday so check back for more fun photos!

I'm so happy!!

My Papa and mama have arrived! My sweet mama has brought some photos of the new artwork she has been working on and I LOVE it all!! Her artwork is so pretty and sweet!! She just uploaded her new collages to her flickr account. Click ALittleBitMagic! if you would like to check it out. Here are a few sneak peeks of her work.......

Soon she will be uploading photos of her beautiful jewelry and original oil paintings, too! I will let you all know when she does!

Egg hunting and house cleaning....A fun Easter was had by all here at our house. It was my 3-year-old's first time dying Easter eggs and he loved it!The boys had the best time hunting for eggs!
Today I am busy cleaning my little cottage in preparation for my parent's visit. They are coming to stay for a week or so and I can't wait!Here is a photo of my sweet Mama and me. We always have the best time and we always visit our favorite antique stores when she visits. This time I will bring along my camera and show you some photos of some of my favorite antique stores!
Well, I'm off to scrub and clean.... if only I had this cute red and white polka dress to wear while I 'm doing so!

Happy Easter!! Welcome Spring!!Just a few photos of my hutch decorated for Easter and Spring!! These are a few of my favorite things...
Pretty spools of thread, vintage flowers, sparkling belt buckles, a vintage clock....
a sweet bunny, chintz, lovely and sweet vintage cards.....
my McCoy vase in the perfect shade of aqua blue and a favorite vintage corsage flower...
more sweet vintage postcards and a sweet pink and blue pie bird that I adore.....
a lovely rose pitcher and sweet vintage teacup............a sweet little girl all ready for an Easter egg hunt and pretty plate and creamy vase....a gorgeous heart made from the prettiest rose fabric my sweet mama made for me......
and lastly, a thrift store find, this lovely birdcage! It was an awful dark green so I painted it a pretty shade of aqua blue and how perfect that it came with the sweet pink birdie already inside!! (and I just realized I forgot to take out the ugly old dark green feeder cups and reattach the bottom of the cage! I get so impatient when I want to photograph things!) Hope you all have a wonderful Easter day with your families and happy Springtime to you!!
Michelle