Best Fall EVER!!

Fall is simply my favorite season of all time...I feel blessed each year on my birthday because it always seems the Fall leaves are at their peak of splendor and it makes me feel like this alone, the beauty of crimson and gold, is my finest birthday gift.

This year, my friends Randy and Kevin celebrated their love and became legally married in New Hampshire.  I was honored to be the photographer and capture the joy!  The weather could not have been more picture perfect....

The happy couple could not have been more debonair and handsome....

Every detail was gorgeous, every word spoken, beyond heartfelt..

 Before the big day, several of us gathered at my Cozy Cottage in Florida for a craft day to create the decor.  It was a fun filled creative time filled with laughter and joy!  Visit my friend Karla's blog for a most beautiful re-cap!  Click Here:

http://karlascottage.typepad.com/karlascottage/2014/11/a-fabulous-craft-day-bachelor-party.html

Wishing you the best sweater weather season ever!  

Gatsby Queens Artist Retreat, Registration Open!!

 Queens of Art 2, GATSBY QUEENS now open for registration!  This is a decadent artists retreat weekend featuring beautiful 1920's inspired projects, antique treasure shopping and more!  

See a few of the highlights below, but visit the event blog here for all details and sign up information:

QUEENSOFARTEVENT.BLOGSPOT.COM

SPACE IS LIMITED TO 15 LADIES!  DON'T MISS THE FUN AND FABULOCITY!!

Summer Projects

 I have been creating quite a bit this Summer!   The above photo is a sneak peek at an amazing piece I bought for $30 and transformed using a fabric medium!

I am so thrilled with the results!  It will be published in an upcoming feature called "Grunge Gone Glam", Restoring a forgotten period piece to new found splendor....

 I have been so inspired lately to create with vintage religious items.  Something moves in my spirit when I work with old prayer cards and devotional books, etc........

I opened up my Shabby chic Shack for a meet the artist event and filled it with more of my new creations for sale....

This is a gorgeous Parisian perfume box I picked up and used a beautiful embroidered trim, vintage millinery and trim to make it special.........

I adore making home made soaps and bath products...this is what I call my rosebud layer cake lavender soap!

I took time to work on a project for myself too.  I was gifted with this wonderful little figurine and as a photographer, I fell madly in love with it!  I had never seen one like it with the one closed eye and the little camera!  I knew I wanted to create some kind of special assemblage with her so............

I used an old candle stick holder.....

a cool vintage camera I found in Kansas for $6.00 that I felt would be the perfect size.......

I painted them and embellished it and it came out like this!!

I even had some fun decoupaging the back.... 

Hope you are smiling this Summer.  Take some time to relax and enjoy!!  xoxo

Summer Fun!

 Happy Summer and Happy 4th of July!  It's been a busy time here with lots of fun, parties, new life, cooking and art!

My neighborhood here in South Florida is the best place to be on the 4th of July!  One of our neighbors puts on a huge and wonderful fireworks production, and on the other side of my house, you can view 3 different cities firework shows!

I had a great time grabbing a few snapshots with my I phone of the children... they were so patriotic....

A most joyful summer welcome has been bestowed upon  my Standard Poodle Satine's litter of 7 gorgeous puppies!  They are little bundles of sheer bliss...4 girls and 3 boys.  

Here are a few of them.... I gave them their temporary names for my purposes and since they were born so close to July 4th, they are patriotic names.... The Patriot, Hero, Glory, Liberty Belle, Abe Lincoln and Betsy Ross!

Needless to say, these days I find myself spending HOURS holding and cuddling these sweet peas!  OH there is nothing greater than puppy love!!

I found these sweet cupcake toppers and made Posh Poodle "Pupcakes" to celebrate their one week birthday!

Today the pups are 2 weeks old and their eyes are opening!  We have decided to keep one since this is Satine's 2nd and final litter... the whole process is so joyful and I have loved basking in the glow of new life!

Bliss at Birdsong!

 I consider it nothing short of a blessing to attend Karla Nathan's Birdsong Event in Kansas.  It is like stepping into a wonderland of sorts, where beauty surrounds one EVERYWHERE! 

 I have decided next time I will bring my pro camera and shoot everything..these are all photos from my I phone,  but I think they still capture the beautiful bliss......

 Her studio is so beautiful, it is as though I would love to go one day and do nothing else but just gaze at the splendor of art creations!

 In fact, during our classes if I took a quick break to get a drink or a treat, I would find myself gazing into a cabinet or upon a bowl of millinery and would stop myself and realize I needed to get back to work!

 After a day of wonderful antique shopping in Kansas City, Angie opened her store for us to come shop and do a project and enjoy wine and appetizers.  All of this on HER birthday!  I loved this sweet store and came home with some wonderful treasures....

We had so much fun creating all of the projects...

I adored having some time with Lori and Andrea!  We shared so many laughs, I still smile thinking about it!

Karla taught us to make these precious fairies. This is mine... It was so much fun watching a pipe cleaner stick figure transform to a sweet little fairy person!

And Randy's????  Oh my goodness!!  I called it his "selfie elfie" It was so whimsical and so..... HIM!!!!

And speaking of Randy, we were pretty good at creating our projects, but we were best at chilling the wine...(and drinking it!!) :):):)

One night we made dinner in Karla's wonderful Kitchen.  I threw together a squash casserole and Randy roasted up yummy potatoes!

A new family member joined the Nathan family too...
Meet Terrance!

I adore our mobiles we created.  This was the very start of them and I brought mine home to put some fun finishing touches on it.

I think the most special day was the day of the fairy tea for Grandma Joan.  The girls were so excited about it and Karla served the most special brunch....

 Even the butter dish and plates were Birdsong themed!

One of the highlights of all of Kara's meals was her homemade bread!  SO WONDERFUL!!  I came home with a loaf and enjoyed it for 3 days for Breakfast lunch and dinner....

It is times like these that make me ever so grateful for artistic events and friends like Karla. 

Living a beautiful life to the fullest is really what this is all about.

  Until next year, Birdsong lives in my heart everyday....xoxoxo