Romantic Bedroom Inspiration....
There's a reason I named my blog Rose Garden Romantic and my Flickr account Seaside Rose Garden. I love the sea. I adore roses because they remind me of my sweet mama's garden. And I'm a hopeless romantic. So it's no surprise that when it comes to decorating, those are my favorite themes! We moved into the house we are renting 4 years ago and I still have not decorated my master bedroom! Since we have always moved often, I don't do a lot to the houses I live in. But since we've lived here 4 years now and there's no sign of that changing anytime soon, I've decided to stop staring at those ugly dark green walls in my bedroom everyday when I wake up. I want to wake up to something beautiful and cheerful. So this weekend we are off to buy some paint! I have made a fun little collage for inspiration for my room's new look.
It's going to be a use what you have makeover for the most part. I already have a cottage style white bed, a vintage white dresser and a large mirror just like the one you see in the above photo. But the one in the photo is from Pottery Barn and costs hundreds of dollars. I got mine for $15 dollars from the Goodwill and painted it white! I even have a pretty barkcloth floral print pillow similar to the one on the bed. All I really need (o.k. want!) is a pretty chandelier, pretty bedding and some paint. I am terrible at making decisions and choosing paint colors is so hard. Wish me luck!
Michelle xoxo

Happy....
I love collecting! I collect so many things. One of the funnest things for me to find are vintage toys, children's books and baby items. They are just so cute and whenever I see them around my home they make me happy!
Ever since I first saw Jenny's cute vintage pianos (here and here and here)I wanted to find one of my own. I was so happy to find this toy piano, but it was an ugly dark brown wood. I painted it a cheerful aqua blue color and I think it turned out pretty cute, but I may not be finished with it yet...
This sweet baby sheet was made by my husband's dear grandmother. I was so happy to have it passed down to me. She was excellent at embroidery. The back looks as good as the front. It was an extra treat that it has bluebirds because I also collect anything with sweet vintage bluebirds on it! I'll have to show you that collection another day.
This copy of "A Child's Garden of Verses" has one of the prettiest covers I've seen! It's copyright is 1917.What do you love to collect? What is it in your home that makes your heart happy every time you see it?
Michelle xoxo

I Love the Goodwill- Part 3
Hello, dear readers! It's time for installment #3 of "I Love the Goowill"! I'm very exited about my latest find, this cute, clean and comfy checkered chair! I was very happy to find it was also a recliner. I covered the seat with some pretty vintage floral fabric to make it more fun and more me.
My new purchase inspired me to redo this whole corner of the living room in a whimsical cottage style. The cute Alice in Wonderland bunny is one of my favorite Marshalls finds from years ago. The lampshade with the ruffle and the silver vase with roses are from the Goodwill. The vintage hat covered in soft peachy pink flower petals is one of my favorites.
I filled one of my new (to me!) vintage suitcases with lots of pretty treasures.
Tucked inside are all sorts of goodies. Vintage lace, millinery, buttons, a sweet half doll, a charming little creamer and a fabulous old copy of "A Child's Garden of Verses". Don't you love the blue polka dot paper inside? I even like how it's partly torn away.
A close up view of all the loveliness!A sweet embroidered linen my sweet mama gave me. The colors are so soft and the lace edging is so pretty!
My favorite little rusty alarm clock. I love collecting them.
Lastly, a view of my half wall behind the chair. The photo is of my mama and her parents. I adore the sweet photo and the gorgeous frame (another great Marshalls find!)
Thanks for stopping by today, dear friends! I'll have to come visit you all later tonight after the 3 sweethearts are fast asleep!
Michelle xoxo

White Wednesday!
Oh goody! It's White Wednesday! I haven't participated in a long time and I've missed it! I promised to show you all the rest of what I found on my Mother's Day antiquing jaunt and some of it just happens to be white!
I have been searching for white suitcases for years and I've actually found several, but never wanted to pay $30 or more each. Since I wanted at least 3 so I could stack them, that would really add up fast. So I was very happy to find these small size ones for less than the price of one big one and they fit nicely on top of tables for a lift! Also, the little men in my life are more likely to leave them alone if they are high instead of stacked on the floor. I also found the photo of the lady, the pretty piece of crochet lace, an old bottle that I'm exited to embellish with lace and rhinestones and the faux fur collar, which I really only bought for the rhinestone clasps on it!Now I'm off to visit the other White Wednesday participants. Thank you to Kathleen of Faded Charm for hosting this fun weekly event!Michelle xoxo

A Lovely Day......
Lucky me! I had the loveliest Mother's Day! My sweet little guys gave me the cutest cards, homemade presents and my favorite candy! Then my sweet husband took me to one of my favorite places- the antique mall, of course! This is what I found.....An adorable Easter booklet! It tells the cutest story of a ducky who lived in Easterland. He was sad because he wanted to dress up for Easter, but had nothing to wear. So the other animals in Easterland help him out- each giving him something to wear. I will share more of this book another time. It's just too cute!I found some pretty aqua blue buttons for crafting. A girl can't have too many vintage buttons! And my favorite find of all... this amazing vintage quilt! I adore the colors, the vintage prints, and how it's faded to such a soft look!
And can you believe it was only $20!? Yes, it true! It does have a few small spots that are coming apart, but for the most part it's in great condition and not a single stain. Here is the yummy fabric on the backside.
My four handsome guys... adoring me, showering me with candy, hugs and kisses and taking me antique shopping! It doesn't get better than that! The only way to make it better is if I could have spent it with my sweet mama! Miss and love you, Mama!!! I found a few more things, too, but I'll save those for my next post. What did you do for Mother's Day? Michelle xoxo

Happy Mother's Day!!!
These are the gifts I sent to my dear, sweet Mama for Mother's Day this year. A pretty vintage journal, crochet lace, a millinery flower and some gorgeous rhinestone pieces!I also sent this lovely brown transferware plate and cute vintage photos!
It is so fun and easy to shop for her because we love all the same things!And for your Mother's Day gift, dear friends is something I know you all love... some gorgeous eye candy from my Flickr favorites! (Click to enlarge and see all the beauty up close!)
I hope you all have a lovely Mother's Day with your loved ones!
Michelle xoxo

It's been a long time....
Sorry I've been gone so very long, dear blog friends! There has been illness and many other things keeping me away, but all is well in my little cottage and I'm so happy to be back! (image courtesy of http://artfreebies.blogspot.com/)
First I will show you a couple of my latest finds. Can you believe I found this amazing brown transferware bowl at Goodwill? Only $5!!!
I love the way it looks filled with vintage white buttons and rhinestones!I also found this gorgeous aqua swan McCoy vase at the antique mall for only $12!!! I didn't realize it had a crack that had been repaired till I got home, which explains the great price, but you can't even see it unless you are looking for it!
I took a few photos at one of my favorite antique malls to share with you. Don't you love this sweet old dress! Look at those ruffles!!!And this dress with the pink silk sash is so beautiful!!! I drool over this gorgeous sconce every time I see it.My sweet Dylan had his first birthday a couple of weeks ago. We had his party at the park because he loves being outdoors so much.
He loved the swings!I hope you all have a day as happy as this little guy did on his birthday!Michelle xoxo