Fur Babies

Wow ~~

I have needed to get to this blog for sooooo long.  I have really missed it.  :) With additional events and merchandising work along with family I have taken a much needed respite. 

I am glad to be opening up this blog and writing again. Ya!

How was your Thanksgiving?  Good I hope.  It is turning colder here and time for Winter.....

Since merchandising for me includes some fashion exposure and it has been keeping me busy, I decided to share one look this season that really has me excited.  Shut your eyes if you are a PETA person ~ (I am not), but I am hooked on the fur accessories and trends this season.

Now earlier this summer I was out and about at an estate sale and I could not pass up these adorbale and girlie mink collars I spotted for a modest amount.  What a steal!

Pretty colors and SO vintage!

 

Look how cute when topped on an Ann Taylor sweater. :)

 

There are some lovely looks out there this season in many stores as well. 

 

                           This sweet little faux collar sweater is from Banana Republic ~           http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=233674002

                      ?
                                       How about this cute little number?  Just lovely.
                          http://with.woman.excite.co.jp/coordinate/C20111122174952022/

I am just loving it all.  Now I was planning on putting those estate collars in my Etsy shop but somehow they have not landed there just yet.....you can look for them.  Maybe.......

So sorry for the long hiatus but it is almost the end of the year and I knew I needed to high~tail it back into the good graces of the blogging world. 

Thanks for being here. :)

xo Julie

There's A Summer Place For Music ~~

~All The Way~ Duet Frank Sinatra & Celine Dion 2001 ~ Not only is this song beautiful I get a charge out of the lovely subtleties of love in this song that I don't think many even understand or give a thought to these days. ~~

I love linky parties! I don't do enough of them and it is a good reason to update my blog ~ ha!

How about a little love song summer fun?  I am sharing my quick list of songs to add on www.bettybuigles.com ~ on her blog ~ check it out! How about a top 5?  I am going to indulge and add some of my favorite love songs here to share.  A couple of just personal favorites (like the one above) while others have sentimental strings. 

Moonlight Serenade ~ Sinatra  Another favorite ~ *sigh* ~~ :)

Any guy who *understands* (let alone sing this tune) is a WINNER! ~ Try A Little Tenderness~ Michael Buble ~ music my husband bought me. :)

Elton can do a love song for sure. More music given from the hubby. :)

Something About The Way You Look Tonight ~ 2007 

Bon Jovi ~ Thank You For Loving Me. Because...well...it is dripping with that wonderful combination of rocker sweet perfection and I am an 80's girl. :)

Nat King Cole ~ Unforgettable. In honor of my parents.  I remember this music as a child. :)

With a summer wedding to attend next month it is great *mood* setting stuff ~ enjoy! :)

Bleachy ~ Beachy

More bleached/to~dye for stuff... Had to try my own version of dipping/dying denim in bleach....really neat! This was a pair of old Levi's maybe even from Goodwill ~~ I forget. :) I have been inpired by all of the dipping and dying going on.....fun!

Source: shesfancyfree.blogspot.com via Julie on Pinterest

To Dye For Pink ~

Hi again! Back just like I promised ~~ I wanted to show the tye dye fushia T I did. Liked it so much decided to model it for you. :)

I used just a quarter of a tsp of die for this color. Deeeper and darker would be great too! I really like the season of coral colors this summer....I am trying to get that color right on another shirt. Lets see if I can pull it off. :) Stay tuned......

To Dye For

Hi there! It has been just too long not posting here...I know, I know....tell me about it. Anyway..... Starting to get back into my projects mode once again and decided to show a little sprucing of some upcycled T's. I have a pile of white shirts that are just...well dull and boring so I decide to take the plunge and give tye dying them a try. My first attempt didn't turn out too bad if I do say so myself!

I will post and show the others too once I get them done. The Rit website is great and where I have to go to find some of the colors I am looking for ~ ordering them and waiting.... For your information, I went to Martha Stewart's tye~dye directions that I pinned on Pinterest. (Don't you just love Pinterest?)

Source: marthastewart.com via Julie on Pinterest

I used the accordian fold that was described in the directions....easy. The only thing is ~~ I used BLACK Rit dye to do the shirt above and it really turned out looking like a shade of blue??? Oh well ~~ looks great! The secret trick here is that since the directions callled for an enamel or glass bowl tub to tye dye AND the water had to be heated or HOT. I did the shirt above in my old crockpot ~ Yes, I said crockpot! Worked and cleaned up great! Hold those thoughts and ideas...and I will be back to show off the rest! :)

Spring!

YA...it is Spring!

I thought I would add a new Spring feel to my blog with a cute new banner...

There.

Now I can move on to the new season. :)

Easter is coming fast. I literally do not know where the time is going. I have been the busiest I have ever been in about a year and a half of merchandising so economically speaking, I hope that is a good sign of things to come. I wanted to start to get to a litte Easter decorating so I thought I would drop by and give an Easter egg project.

Last year I did a little Mod Podge on some eggs and have seen other versions of this project, and they turned out really well...so here I am to share my take. :)

I love all of the pretty fancy paper napkins that are on the market. Whenever I see them and see a print or pattern that strikes my fancy, I pick them up. At just a few dollars a package and all of the great prints for paper crafts ~ they are a good investment.

Pretty for Spring...

I try to pick patterns that have nice objects for cutting and pasting. Anything goes really...so no rules. I cut out the shape as close as possible for the look I was going for.

You can see I chose the butterfly here....

I did take real eggs and blow out the centers, rinse them out and dry. The better paper napkins such as these, will be 2~ply (at least). Just pull apart the top layer with the print and cut out. This is all you need. These can then be stored and made keepsakes. Decorated eggs to keep ~~ I like it! :)

Garden eggs for you ~~ Have a wonderful Easter. :)

Taking The (Project) Leap!

Oh my gosh ~~ how is everyone? It cannot be the last day of February I mean really ~~ where is the time going?

No worries, I have had quite a few events and merchandising to get done and SO busy is GOOD. :) I was putting my blog on a little break for the time being...as anyone could see. I am looking around now and I think the look and feel of my blog needs a little freshening up for Spring....so hopefully I will roll out a new look and feel soon too!

I really need to get back into my bloggging schedule, BUT taking some time off for planning, working and creating is good too and so I hope I can share all of the ideas I have been brewing up! Ha! We shall see....huh?

How about a project? If you haven't kept up with me in Pinterest ~ please do!
Just one of many places I have been gathering ideas for the 2012 year. I recently saw a chair recover job that caught my attention. Now I have several antique chairs in my house. You know ~~ the kind, that can have the seat (and sometimes the backs) removed and recovered for a new look. Well I have 2 kitchen chairs I have had for oh ~~ 15 years. I bought them in a little antique shop in Holly , MI. That cute little town has a reputation for good antiquing and has a street named "Battle Alley" of all things! Lovely place. Visit ~ www.battlealleyaracade.com ~ I have redone them over the years, here and there and recently it was time to freshen them up. If you ever get a chance to purchase old chairs such as these that have the ability to be recovered, you won't regret the purchase. I have loved these chairs and changing the look.
Now ~~ if you have followed my blog you know I like to use, reuse and upcycle etc...so these chairs were no exception. I have three busy boys in my house and have had slipcovers from Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel over time to save the furniture! Sturdy and strong and washable ~ I just love them. I had a white cotton canvas twill one that was pretty worn out and began to tear after years of use and abuse (and washing!) and so I decided to cut it up make new with it and here is the results of the project.

Chair with old seat unscrewed....

The once wonderful slipcover now a pile of material for use on my chairs!

This is the cutting out of both the back and the seats of the chairs from the old material on the chairs. I just use it as my template so I can later wrap on the back and seat and staple gun to secure.

This is the seat ~ cut out and ready to be stapled. Now too ~ this is the Pinterest inspired portion. I saw a chair with a cute French postage stamp print on the seat, so on my seats I picked this cute French vintage chocolate print from the Graphics Fairy (see her link on the side of my blog!) to add a cute touch. Love it!

And now...(drum roll) the finished product ~~

Wha~la! Good as brand spanking new!

A New Year

Well ~ well ~ ~ long time NO blog! :) How is everyone?

I have been of course busy through the Christmas season and I took a much needed break to get through a busy last part of the year. It has been great and busier is good and it allowed me to spend some much needed time on some new work and tasks.

I am now looking out watching it snow and excited about a brand new year!

Source: Uploaded by user via Natalie on Pinterest

I plan to be back at it here with new projects and posts. January is a great time to get things in order but it is also a great time to look back and see what was right and wrong with the previous year and I think I have a lot to be happy about! I accomplished many of the things I set out to and formed some great stepping stones for the future.

It is all about reflection and planning and I am looking forward to 2012!