A Few Pretties from Around the House... (and a project)

I was in the mood to snap some pretty photos today.

I picked a few stems of our Lily of the Valley. It smells wonderful!

 I was also playing around with a new tablescape. I love this vintage linen and rusty old bird cage. The flowers are from my display at the Na-Da sale. Check out pictures of my booth here.

I also gathered up the last of our tulips for a quick photo shoot. I LOVE that old clipboard!!! 

We are nearing the end of our most recent renovation. After this project is complete, we will be taking a summer break from projects. If a can of paint won't fix it, we aren't doing it. My husband has been working non-stop on this house since the day we moved in 18 months ago. He needs a break. 

Our current project involves the living room and there are big things happening. This is a photo from the day we moved in.

I hope to be able to show it off next week. 

Until then, here is a teaser...

Something AMAZING is happening with this cabinet. 

Stay tuned...

Linking Up To:
Miss Mustard Seed 
Funky Junk Interiors
Mod Vintage Life
 Coastal Charm

Savvy Southern Style

Na-Da Farms

I must apologize right off the bat. I would love to give you a more thorough tour of the Na-Da event but we were so busy that I didn't make it around to everyone's space. I am sure that some of my other blogger friends were able to travel around and take pictures  I will link to their blog posts about Na-Da on my facebook page.

Until then, here is a glimpse at my space:

My space was next door to my good friend Christie of Carter's Cottage. We always have so much fun together. I wish I had a better photograph of our space but alas... there were always so many customers shopping. :)

My favorite part of our space is the windows drawn by my mother. We had the idea to add a galery wall to add ambiance to our space. She made 7 large window that will be on display in my house in the near future. Here is my favorite one:

I love the Na-Da event. 
However, I am glad to have a bit of free time again. I am actually excited to do laundry. 

Thanks for checking in. 

Getting ready for the Na-Da Sale

So I may have been a bit absent lately. 

It is not because I have forgotten about the blog. 

I have been teaching and painting my little heart out. 

School is amazing but very overwhelming right now. On top of that, I am getting ready for the Na-Da Farms Barn Sale.

 

I am so excited to spend the day with such talented people, especially my good friend Christie of Carter's Cottage. We always have a blast. 

Here is a quick glimpse of some of the pieces I have been working on:

I have many more pieces to bring but they were in the garage. Trust me...that is not a place to photograph right now. 

I have something very special planned for my booth set up. It is going to be amazing (thanks to the art work done by my mom). 

See you Friday!!!!

Whimsical Perspective in Romantic Homes Magazine

Yes, you read that correctly. 

Yesterday, I was finally able to shout it from the rooftops (on Facebook at least).

My blog and home were chosen for the June issue of Romantic Homes Magazine.

I was contacted back in February on a Sunday night. I was asked to submit photos for consideration by the next weekend. There were a few problems with this. 

1. I was going away the next weekend. I needed to submit them by Thursday.

2. Any photo I needed to submit, needed to be retaken because mine were not large enough.

3. I am not in my house during the daylight in the winter. Tricky to take a lovely picture. 

4. It was February... in Illinois... How in the world am I suppose to make that look like a delightful June day?

Not to worry, I get by with a little help from my friends.

My most wonderful friend, Mary, jumped into action while I was at work on that Monday. She ran to our local floral store and purchased some roses and other bright and happy flowers. She met me at home as soon as I arrived and we arranged and rearranged the areas in my house that I knew I wanted to photograph. We tried some night pictures. My poor husband even stood outside (in February) with a spotlight coming in the window. Alas, the night photos were out of the question. 

So the next morning, I left a bit later for work so I could take a few morning light photos and then ran home at the end of the day to take the same photos with late afternoon sun. After one last photo inspiration, we took our last photo on Thursday morning. My photo editing was done by Thursday night. Then the photos were submitted. 

That's when the waiting game started. 

I found out pretty early in the process that I had been choosen for the "site seeing" section but I still couldn't believe it. I didn't want to say anything until the magazine was in my hands. I told friends and family but didn't want to totally spill it yet.

Until yesterday... when it arrived in the mail.
My poor neighbor, Lynn, had to hear me scream and shout.   

I will let you see the full page spread for yourself in the June issue of Romantic Homes when it hits the stores next week. 

Until then... Here are a few of the submitted photos that were not chosen:  

My collection of wooden boxes...I have a problem

 I am so proud of the pictures and of our house. My husband has spent the last 16 months working non-stop. He deserves as much recognition as I do.
This is huge for us. 

We have big things planned. 

Stay tuned... 

Linking Up To:
Miss Mustard Seed 
Funky Junk Interiors
Mod Vintage Life
 Coastal Charm

Savvy Southern Style

Spring is in the Air

The last few days have really given me hope that Spring might actually happen this year. 

The birds are chirping...

The flowers are blooming...

Paint is drying in the driveway...

I took a moment to photograph the nature happening in our yard while the paint was drying. 

I planted a few things today that I hope will bloom soon and I will get the garden going on Memorial Day Weekend. Until then, this is the nature I have. 

It's not a lot but it gives me hope.

Warmer weather might be here to stay.

Some of my Favorites - Photographs of the House

Tonight is the kind of night where we are reminded about the amount of projects that are currently going on in our house. 

The laundry is piling up because I am dealing with projects on the back porch.

The dishes are piling up because Mr. Whimsical is dealing with projects in the living room.

There is a thick layer of dust (and dog hair) everywhere due to all of these projects.

So I thought I would go to my happy place and reshare a few recent photos of our house in all of it's (clean) glory.

Ignore the floor in this photo. It was taken before the floors got refinished.

I feel a bit better now...

Linking Up To:
Miss Mustard Seed 
Funky Junk Interiors
Mod Vintage Life
 Coastal Charm

Savvy Southern Style

Collections - A Whimsical Link-Up Event

Welcome to my next Whimsical Link-Up Event!

I can't wait to see what you have come up with.

 

I have definitely had collections on the brain this week. I have shared my favorite collections with you and now I am excited to see what you have come to share.

I have also been on the hunt for collection inspiration.

  Here are some of my favorites from Pinterest.

 This one makes me smile. I love the humor and beauty in this.

source

I have loved this hankie pin for a while. I love the colors and display. This may pop up in my house soon.

source

Now it's time to show me what you've got!

Link- Up Event Guidelines:
 1. Please begin following my blog or facebook page.
  2. Link to my blog in your post for feature consideration.
 3. Show some blog love and leave comments for others.

My Collections

To be honest, I am not sure how these collections started. Sometimes collections stem from a special gift or family heirloom. Other times, you just find something pretty or unique and would like to have more. 
I think my collections follow the second path. I must have acquired some of these items and began searching for new variations of them.

 I am hosting a link-up event on Monday (4-28). Please stop by and share your collection. I am excited to feature them on my Facebook page and Pinterest Collections Board.

Here is a glimpse at my favorite collections:

My collection of platters is always on display in my dining room. Each one is very different and none of them are perfect. Chipped and cracked are the way to go. I love the variation in finish and the possible story behind them. None of my collections were costly to start. Most of these were purchased from garage sales for a dollar or two. 

This collection is a bit more personal. I save everything my grandma gives me.  One of those gifts was a few antique spools. Since then I have acquired a few more and have fancied them up with some colorful trimmings.

This is my favorite - My Ball Jar collection. I am obsessed with the color, shape and style of these jars. This is only a fraction of my collection. The rest are in use all over my house holding pencils, toothbrushes, flowers and much more. 
This is an easy collection to get carried away with. I have been able to limit myself with some simple guidelines for purchasing. I knew I wanted enough of the standard size turquoise jars to use as matching centerpieces if an occasion ever arises. After that, I only purchase ones that are different than ones that I have or different from ones that are readily available. I also only purchase Ball Jars that are 50+ years old. I am feeling pretty good about this collection. However, I will always be on the hunt for a purple and green jar. I found a large purple one a few weeks back and it was priced at $125. Too high for me. :)
The search continues...

Please join me and share your collections that you are so proud of. I can't wait to see them!

Click Here to Link-Up!

Thanks for checking in!

Linking Up To:
Miss Mustard Seed 
Funky Junk Interiors
Mod Vintage Life
 Coastal Charm

Savvy Southern Style