Tabletop Pink

                

               Valentine's Day is coming and  I wanted to create a Romantic centerpiece for the table. I cruised Pinterest and YouTube. Wanting some inspiration with the items I have. Only what I wanted, have, and what was in the stores, did not match to the inspiration I envision.

After a day of cruisin' I found how to make this lantern. Took me 10 -15 minutes to hot glue together the 5 frames purchased from the Dollar Tree.  Levi Kitty has approved. Flowers & ivy are from Hobby Lobby.

   As I  'shopped ' my box of Valentine I had nothing pink but this tulle and one pink heart ornament. The tulle spent a week inside the lantern before I found this Cherub; 40% off at Hobby Lobby.

   
                             I  also purchased 2 pink ornaments to match the one I owned.

                                                                    The Table

                               until next,
                                           Mia

... on a Whim

             One day I was out for lunch with my Sister and a Friend and we where near a discount store, and I wanted to check it out for Valentine decor.

      I could not believe it - there was none, zip, nada, not a single Valentine in sight. What I did find was this ever so cute Besty Johnson purse.

 
            I love it- a perfect little bag and the price is just too good to pass up - $16 bucks!!!! Home it came, then it hits me .... Rogue One. I wanted to see the new Star Wars movie, that was my treat for this paycheck. Sad, I am, purse, I have (insert Yoda voice ), good thing Rogue One will be in the theaters a few more weeks.

       


             It did get me thinking { Random Thoughts}
                                                 Instant Gratification....


                      Here I am working towards a goal - Mountain Living - how can I make that happen if I spend my money all willy nilly. Even if I know that I have some money put away, I know that there is not enough for me to spend frivolous at the moment. The point of this Random Thought is Instant Gratification kills Long Time Goals.

My trip last year to Big Bear Valley

       It has taken me 52 years to realize that is why I'm where I am today and not Mountain Living. Little fact: at age 22, TRAE's father & I used to take drives up the Mountain, we would pack the kids up ( at the time it was TRA- E wasn't born yet) along with a lunch and enjoy the drive. We decided that this was where we would buy a house. Life didn't turn out that way but I kept saying someday. At age 50 I began thinking I can, at 51 I started saying I can. Now, recognizing the habits that has kept me away and curbing Instant Gratification is a hard thing. It even has me wondering if going to the theaters for Rogue One is an Instant thing when I know it will be on Vudu in a few months and I can watch it whenever. 



       Well, this whole thing also changed my idea for a pink Valentine decor (especially since I really couldn't find all that much in pink & vintage Valentine), I went with what I had.

     It is beginning to look a lot like Valentine's Day around here, I will take pictures this weekend and share on Monday - hopefully but I will have Tabletop Tuesday for you this week.

                      Off to 2 Nephews birthday party then Retail work.

           
                                       until next,
                                                               Mia






PS hitting Publish without editing, sorry for any bloopers.  MUCH LOVE 

Rainy Days

Library Rose

   Once again it is raining here in Southern California.  The rain is all about the puddles that need attention - splashes and snuggling under the blankets with a good book or a TV marathon.

Levi checking out the Rain

      The ultimate way to spend a rainy day is to splash the puddles then snuggle the blanket. Alas, my day will be full of work.... well write this then Retail tonight. Maybe tomorrow I can catch a puddle or two, for the forecast says there will be some stray showers.

As Eddie Money sang 'I Love a Rainy Night' runs through my head,

 I listen to the rain fall outside my window and want to snuggle under my covers.

To bad I would not call in to say I can't make it.....

a rainy day isn't a good excuse..... 

yet.

The pictures are from this rain storm and the last weekend.

Well, time to get ready for some Errands & Retail. Enjoy this Rain and grab a blanket to cozie up with a good book.

until next,                                                           

Mia                                        

Tabletop's working

Valentine's Day 2015

         
            Love this tree, the hearts may have been too big for the tree but I loved the concept of a Valentine tree - just like a Christmas tree. But instead of a pine tree it would be ivy. I have yet to get the right size but I know that it will be an ivy tree. A bigger one.


                     

                 This is how this tree looks 11 months out of the year, hoping around my room. It has a mate but like a lot of my decorative pieces it is in the storage shed. And my Valentine box.

     Storage shed is outside and this was last weekend ...  Oh my weekend is Wed & Thu from the Retail job, Thu is a day that I clean for someone.... rain. Blessed Rain, I love rain.  ok ok back to the subject: table & Valentine ....
          
               The rain kept me away from the storage and getting my Valentine box and getting any decorating done. Hope I can get the box out tomorrow cause it is to rain again on Thu, and a table for Valentine's Day.



                 Well, it is time for me to get ready for Retail.


                                             Until next,
                                                      Mia
  

Pretty Kitchen Things

   I adore pedestal  plates; though the ones I want cost to much or when I find one that isn't pricey,  it isn't on the shopping list or the reason to have one 'why, what would you do with it????', has been a question to myself.

    For starter's I would put Birthday Cakes on them. Last Sunday was my birthday and my sister made me a Carrot Cake. I had bought a glass cake plate form the Goodwill store and a candy dish from another thrift store .... put them together and it becomes a pedestal.

   

  Pedestals, to help compliment a vignette for the table. This pedestal is a set of 3, glue together from Dollar Tree candle sticks and candle plates.  I made them when I Fall~ified our home. At first they where going to be the same heigth, then I found a taller candlestick at Wal-mart and like the taller pedestal with the 2 smaller ones.

My next pedestal is with a glass lid that lost it's partner, when I came up with what to do with this lid, first thought it can be a potpourri dish that could be Valentinie (hearts) catcher, so I went to Hobby Lobby to look for some Valentine filler and I saw this pretty little Bird Bath and knew the lid will become this - my inspiration:

Hobby Lobby's version

My version

For now it will be a Valentinie catcher, till I get some paint  - birds maybe, thinking I may want to be able to change birds or put a nest with eggs & flowers. The ideas can be endless ...

              Well, off to do the endless ideas, have an awesome Saturday,
                                                   
                                                  until next,
                                                            Mia

Tabletop Photo Shoot

        Wanting to have a nice cache of photos for Random Thoughts, I browsed Pinterest for some ideas and found a few lists of Photo Challenge ideas. This ideas is also to help me become a better photographer, play with lighting, angles, close-up, and the whatnot of picture taking. So I gather some things up with Books being the composition of this session, I started to style them and take pictures.

                                     It started like this, and I began thinking of what can fit...

                                    My sister's gift - a door angel, nice....but not quite the fit standing

  
                              I added some dried roses. I love them, the color in which they
                              dried to me is - Vintage Romantic. They are very delicate and
                              I am looking for a way to keep them from crumbling.

             

                             Added some linens and pearls, I opened a book. These books I
                            chose for decor, not reading, so when I noticed the headings
                            'Beyond Life' and 'The Candle' I thought Jesus & perfect.

 

                           How I left the table, simple with the angel and my collection of pears.

              I am not going to share all the photos today, that won't leave any for my Random Thoughts post. I hope your day is simple and full of beautiful memories.


                              until next time,
                                                  Mia
                 

Resolution New Years

                   The other day someone asked me what my New Years Resolution.....
    it made me think; I haven't done a Resolution in a while. When I was young, I would promise myself that I would take better care of my face and wear make-up. As always by March I would not care if I had any make-up on. My kids really didn't care if my lipstick was on when breakfast was need to put on the table. As time passed I noticed that it just became a habit I wanted to keep trying, like joining the Gym for others. It was then that I came to see that every day is a New Day, every week as a New Week and can have a fresh start 365/52 times verses 1 time a year.

                  Lamentations 3:22-23   Because of the LORD's great love we are not
                          consumed, for his compassion's never fail. They are new every
                          morning; great is your faithfulness.


         'every morning' it is a new beginning to be better at something new to you. No more New Years Resolution for me just New Day to be a brighter me.

                         a picture I took one morning while walking to my college.




                            until next,
                                                Mia

Tabletop of my Desk

         

             My desk at any given time of the month. It is a constant battle to keep clear. It is used for so many task, that it takes 20 minutes to clear a spot just so I can do a project and quite often it needs to be put back. This picture was taken 3 weeks ago when I realized that my tissue box project was not happening this Christmas.

             This morning  with Dutch and parts of a new project I had gone to a local thrift store and found a couple of glass pieces to transform .... now I just need to search for my glue, LOL it's in my tool box under the desk with my sewing box.

     

             This is when I had first move the desk into the closet and I was seeing so many projects being done here. Today I have come to the conclusion that I need to organize my desk with it's designated 'job' storage, i.e. business on the left, craft on the right, pictures up top  (the shelf), and paper with the printer. The printer is opposite of the desk with a chair in between.

                One thing I am thankful for is this desk to catch all my creative thoughts and be able to see them come to life one day.  Time to get those designated spots in order started.... have Retail tonight.

              Have an awesomely blessed day,
                                            Mia