Painting My Dreams

This is what you think about when you sleep on a 

feather pillow under a feather duvet!

Soft and sweet and you fall right to sleep

Another painting in my "Painting my Dreams" Series

Available as a print now here. 

It is so cold outside in the single digits

and we are very glad for feather down coats,

duvets, and all warm things.

Sweet Farmhouse Country Whites

I can knit, but I am not great at it and the tension is all over the chart. So, it was a sweet deal to bring this vintage sweater home for five dollars. It's made of wool, mohair and acrylic. It is so soft and lightweight and great for a cool summer evening like tonight. Isn't this white kitten precious? More softness and beauty. White flowers make even dirty barns look beautiful...or at least I think so.
Connecting up with White Wednesday,   Katherine's Corner,  Common Ground,  and French Country Cottage

Dreamy White Diningroom

Simplify and beautify with whites.  This buffet table usually looks like a flea market table in my diningroom, but I took everything off and only put back on the silver tea set and a tureen. I like it so much better as it looks dansk/norsk and so calming because it's uncluttered. I am trying to simplify. I have a burlap tablecloth on for now. The texture adds some rustic texture. The vintage silver tea set makes it my Downton Abby corner.

About this time an idea came to change it around every week and photograph this wall. What do you think? Am I crazy? It would be a good design challenge. Shabby chic whites!

Connecting up with Faded Charm Cottage
 French Country Cottage
 Romantic Home

 Ivy and Elephants

Spring Whites All Year Long

I am fine and still in love with chippy and vintage whites! Spring, family and farming keep a person lively and busy. I will try to get on more often. Big word here is "try." Everything is bursting in the yard and more trimming is needed.

Aren't these whites lovely? The birdbath has rust and charm and room for water or use it as a shallow planter. The love seat is so pretty without arms. Vintage typewriters have such charm...especially when they work. And this sweet petticoat is unique in the way it's made. I would love to wear this under a slightly shorter skirt with cowboy boots! A girl would feel and look feminine whatever the setting. These beauties are from Luckett's Store which is always filled to the brim with tantalizing things.

I am connecting up with White Wednesday. Hop on over and take a look at lots of lovely whites on Faded Charm Cottage blog. You won't be disappointed. Also linking up with Wow Us Wednesday and What's It Wednesday

Godinger Silver and Pomegranates

Vintage looks better when it looks well, vintage. I got this Godinger silver plate platter at the thrift store and I don't think it was ever used. It looks too shiny for me, but I know in just a month or two if left out it will start to tarnish beautifully. Plump red grapes, juicy blackberries and tart pomegranate seeds look sassy on the tray. The tray is a bit gawdy for me, but when it's filled up properly it looks just right! The last photo is a new modern tray from Godinger. Wouldn't this leaf handled hammered tray look great on a wall? On another note, I read that one of Godinger's best selling items is their flatware called "Old Country Roses" which was designed to go with Royal Albert's Old Country Roses China.

Brody Glass Co Bud Vases

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Today I upgraded some glass vases to a mercury glass look. Sparkle for the new year.

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I did this one first and then I did two more. Three is a charm after all! My gingerbread cookies there on the left.

These vases are readily available for pennies at thrift shops. I took them outside to spray silver paint on as we were having snow flurries. None of the snow stuck.

This Brody company made all different kinds of glass vases and some were colored and some were milk glass. The company started in 1958 and marketed their vases to the florist trade. The company has changed names a few times. I chose three the same height, but with different shapes. They really compliment each other.

With rose buds! I actually have one more step before they are finished. That is the antiquing which gives them true charm. Theses vases look great displayed on a mirror because you get double the shimmer.Total price for this is 3.00 (This gold mirror is in line for a makeover too.)

Connecting up with these friends:

Feathered Nest Friday

Vintage Inspiration Friday

Christmas Vintage Glass Ball Vases

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Where to put those little sprigs and twigs I keep bringing in the house? The fresh scent of evergreens... I took the tops (the metal hanger part) off of some vintage, silver glass balls. They immediately rolled over. So I added some grain. Just a 1/2 tablespoon to each and they stood upright at attention. Then in went my fragrant clippings. The sweetest Christmas decorations. I feel a bit like a kid again.









There is so much sparkle going here when I put them in a silver dish. The lip of the dish is tarnished but the inside is polished. I kind of prefer this two tone look.









I had thought about setting them in snow or large crystalized sugar, but I'm sticking to silver and the bright light this reflects. Instant mercury glass vases for 5 cents each.



I am connecting up with these friends:


Romantic Home
White Wednesday
Wow us Wednesday

Breakfast Delicious Art - Food

Sometimes I need a little pick me up in the early morning . Keep those eyes open. This morning I got out the pewter plates. Nothing makes you more thankful for nice china dishes than pewter. I love the old-fashionedness and the slate grey of pewter. Like I am waking up in Colonial Williamsburg. But they are heavy! Can you imagine hand washing a stack of these every meal? Pass the jam please and the cookie cutters.




I was given some Trader Joe's preserves (thank you Rebecca) and they are so tart and delicious. Like a day in May. Philadelphia Cream Cheese on my first toast and then added the star toast with raspberry jam. So delicious. Fully charged. Ready to leave my French Castle. ;-)


Linking up with these friends:

Potpourri Party

Vintage Inspiration Friday

Feathered Nest Friday

Freckled Laundry

Romantic Home

Dandelion House

Moss Badge Theatre

To make something look pure, fresh amd organic add a moss badge to it. A stamp of approval! A living stamp.




If you can't find the orginal lid to the vintage cream/milk jar make cookie lids! Very organic and yummy and they don't last long.





There has been a little moss theatre taking place at my house.




A heart badge for this darling and wee sized pumpkin.




Do you eat food that is sprayed not just once but many times? (Apples are sprayed weekly!) How would you make a symbol that stood for organic. This is my design here.








Hope you're having a great creative weekend! Eat well.

Connecting up with these great friends:

Stuff and Nonsense

Show off your Cottage Monday

Industry West Chairs Galvanized Metal

These industrial chairs came directly to me today on my blog ad! I've seen similar ones on European blogs around dining tables. The buffed gray metal appeals to me. It looks similar to watering can metal, but it's actually galvanized steel (not zinc) from Industry West. Check out their web site as they are on sale today for $125.00 each plus shipping. They tell me they are reproductions of vintage french chairs.

They have a great Facebook page with lots of pictures.

Mini Salvage Window Greenhouse Handmade

Isn't this adorable and just the right size for starting some cuttings and seedlings? Maybe you could just have a little bed of lettuce greens in here? I am in love with this homemade, frugal, chippy white one that I saw recently! I went out to the barn and saw a few windows in the corner from when the orginal windows were replaced from the house! Yippeee! (If you don't have old windows you could always use clear plastic and some two by fours.) We are trying to keep ahead of the cold and keep growing.

Chalkboard Art

I've been working on some black and white art. Here is a sneak peak of the first one.

Didn't you love chalkboards when you were younger and now they are hot items with messages, poems and drawings! Maybe we loved them because they were spontaneous. To pick up a piece of chalk and draw without deliberation was liberating. If you didn't like the drawing it came off just as easy. I remember looking forward to my turn at helping the teachers clean the boards and they had this one eraser pad that made it look brand new. You see it didn't take much to make me happy.

This print is up on etsy.

Christmas Santa Woodland Gnome ACEO Art

When you go deep into the woods this is what you see. Gnomes and wee folk with their pets collecting pinecones. (You also see poison ivy but we won't mention that.) This is a santa gnome with his pet squirrel collecting pinecones.

Aceo - Art Cards Editions and Originals which measure 2.5 by 3.5

For Sale on ebay.

Log Cabin House with Black Picket Fence

Black picket fencing? Yes, and look how wonderful it looks with the coloring of this old log house. It picks up the black shutters and black door trim. A white picket fence would look out of place I think here. When this house was remodeled all outside boarding was taken off and what a jewel it is now.

This house reminds me of the log cabin quilt pattern with the red square in the middle. I love the red door and the red lantern on the outside windowsill. Colors are everything. Brown, cream, black and red. I would love to make a miniature log cabin quilt with these colors. We've all been sick at our house so it won't be soon. Besides I can't add one more thing to my lengthy to-do-list right now.

Bright Star Movie Costume Designs

Janet Patterson did an outstanding job with designing Fanny Brawne's clothes in the movie Bright Star. She designs 19th century costumes with whim and attention to details. For the above soft pink dress and coat she said, "I used the romantic valentine theme to select the fabric..." and she was off with her imagination and style. The dress is adorable.

While we are snowed in here in Maryland (I'm really understanding old-fashioned snowshoes now, not so beautiful but very, very helpful) sunny Los Angeles is hosting the 18th annual "The Art of Motion Picture Costume Design" at the museums and galleries at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. The costumes from the academy award nominees are on display. Winner will be announced in March 2010. The fun part is that Janet Patterson's costumes are there from the movie Bright Star! Also showing there are costumes from "The Young Victoria", "Nine" and "The Imagination of Doctor Parnassus."

I am beginning to really notice details on dresses because my dolls are somewhere between the romantic 19th century to the primitive peasant style to painted cloth dresses. I'm just starting to add ruffles to my dolls dresses. I saw recently laid my eyes on some antique dolls that were wearing accurate period clothing from the time frame they were made in. Amazing costumes. Very elaborate. If that doesn't motivate you to experiment and design with more detail!

I shall practice a few male costume designs on my westie dog, Sir Salty, first. How much clothing can he handle? He doesn't like hats that much or anything slightly binding.

Primitive Folk Art Sculpted Black Americana Doll

Dollmaking is an art that does not grow old for me. I've always thought of myself as a painter and not a scupltor. That changed a few weeks ago when I started my very first clay dolls!

I tried to sculpt Valentine from one of my black folk art paintings. I must confess I enjoyed painting her the most when creating her. Sewing is another creative avenue.

Valentine's hair is pulled into a side bun. She stands 20 1/4-inches tall. Straight and elegant. Valentine is up for sale on ebay now. Just type candylei in the search box. Be sure to stop back in to see my other dolls that are nearing completion.

Victorian Houses Frosted

I love old victorian houses. We have some older ones here close and since the snow has frosted them all I took some pictures. Wouldn't you love to sit up in that top window with a book or a painting easel? I would.