Thursday, November 29, 2007

I love getting wonderful mail!! ~ plus my son's new house!


Don't you just love great mail?? I received the most wonderful package today from Carol at Raised in Cotton. I won a giveaway on her blog and it was the most heavenly soaps and I just love them!! Everything Carol does is exquisite. Thank you so much, Carol ~ I love everything so much . . .


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I also wanted to show you a photo of the most adorable little house my middle son Brad just rented for himself in downtown McDonough. It has two bedrooms and is so very perfect for him. He said it was built in 1943 and I have to tell you, I LOVE it!! Of course I love older homes, they have so much character, and the size of this one is just perfect. He is only 21 years old and the manager of Grand Harbour Imports in McDonough, GA and I have to tell you, he will have this little cottage looking amazing!! I will have to show you photos when he's totally moved in, you will love it! Anyway, here's the outside photo and a little peek inside . . .



I am so in love with this painting that he's putting in his living room!!

Happy Birthday Sweetie!


Today is my husband's birthday and I just wanted to tell him how much I love him, appreciate him and am so thankful that I married him!!
You're my best friend, my partner, the father of my children and my wonderful husband.
Wishing you a wonderful birthday and many, many more!!!!

xxoo, Dawn

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Adding more!


Do you do this? Pack things away for safekeeping, thinking, "I'll store these in this spot so nothing will happen to them!" And then...You. forget. the spot.
I do it ALL the time! But I did find some more ornaments that I tucked away. Here's a few more photos of the tree in progress:



These are a few little cones I made a while back ~ looks like they need candy!


I love these sparkly birds ~

Isn't this the most incredible color? It's a vintage ornament and I'm not too crazy about the bursts on it but the patina is so beautiful, faded and still around to celebrate Christmas!

Our tree so far ~




We started decorating our tree last night and so far it's looking pretty ~ We have several more ornaments I've yet to find but should today.


Don't you love turning off all of the lights and looking at the tree? As a child that was so magical to me . . . I would also get on the floor, on my back and lay under the tree and look up through the branches! Christmas was a wonderful time in our home, beautiful music playing and looking at the gifts under the tree, trying to guess what's inside. As an adult, it's a little different now with the financial responsibilities of it all.


But sometimes, just for a moment, in the dark, gazing at the tree's soft glow

. . . it's magical again.


Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Have you been missing Ellie??


Well, she's doing great!! Just as frisky as ever and getting so good at being potty trained. She held her own with my son's English bulldog and his girlfriend's boxer this past weekend too! Ellie's not had a lot of other doggy company so we were wondering how they were going to get along. I wish I had taken photos of them together but sometimes I just don't think!

Here are a few pictures of her today. She's playing with a favorite toy. I starting making some strange sounds and she tilted her head for me! I just love it when she does that.

Well, we're about to start on the tree. I'm going to put the lights on it so we can decorate it tonight. Hopefully I'll have some after shots for you tomorrow!
xxoo, Dawn








Monday, November 26, 2007

So glad she's back!


My sweet friend, Cindy and now FULL owner of The Plum Tree Antiques has started her blog again!!! You can visit her at For Love of Home. She has some wonderful plans for the store and she's promised to give us sneak peeks as she goes along. I've always, always loved her taste and great display ideas. I can't wait to see it all come to fruition.

So stay tuned to Cindy's blog to see what she's up to and I'm hoping she will give you a few glimpses of her cottage ~ it's AMAZING!!!

Welcome back, Cindy!!




Can you believe it?

It's here! The countdown until Christmas ~

What really made me realize this, is yesterday our entire family, Dennis, myself, Brent, Emily (Brent's girlfriend), David, Brad, Chase and Noah, went Christmas tree shopping!

It was dreary, chilly and sprinkling rain off and on, but we didn't care. When we stepped out of the car, the fragrance in the air was heavenly! It instantly took me back to my childhood. Isn't that amazing how certain smells can do that to you?

We came home with a beautiful tree for the living room, courtesy of our oldest son, Brent, who insisted that we pick one out for our home and he would pick one out for his.

Our two oldest sons, Brent and David, Brent's girlfriend Emily (plus her boxer and his English bulldog!) will be heading back to Savannah, GA today and life around here will return to our normal. We enjoyed each other so much! I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones.

I've now got to get busy straighteng up the house, creating and filling up my Etsy store, The Plum Tree, and making a few Christmas gifts too! (Plus I must catch up on all my favorite blogs!!) xxoo, Dawn



Brent, Emily, Chase, Brad, me, Dennis, David and little Noah in front!





Look at these gorgeous flocked trees, they have a blue cast because of the tent overhead . . . They were twice as much as the regular trees!





Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Embrace those you love ~


As busy as you may be preparing for your Thanksgiving gathering, remember to stop, enjoy your family, relish the time you have with them, laugh, hug, reminisce and enjoy every single second ~ as time is so fleeting!


I wish each of you, my sweet blogging friends, a wonderful, happy, and safe Thanksgiving whether you are by yourself, just the two of you or if you have a giant family piling in. Stop and treasure this moment in time . . . xxoo, Dawn

Monday, November 19, 2007

Hmmm. Eight things that I love about my kitchen . . .


OK. Sweet Karin of Meandering Travels and Mindless Thoughts tagged me to list eight things that I love about my kitchen. Right now, at this time in my life, after birthing five sons, and cooking and cooking and cooking, my kitchen is the last place I want to be. Is that awful?


I have a beautiful handpainted sign in there that says "Herb Garden" but there are no herbs growing there. But I do love my sign. I have a lot of pottery that my husband and I have collected all around the tops of the cabinets and I like most of it. But truthfully, in this particular house, at this particular time in my life, I just want to get the heck out of there and go to my room. "My room" is my so-called studio but to me, it's my creative room. Where I have the majority of my supplies and I love to be in there.


But I have to tell you, I do cook really good! And I can bake a mean pound cake that will make you slap your moma, but I've been there and done that and for some reason, I just want to stay out of my kitchen!


One more confession, my husband cooks like a dream! He loves Ina Garten the "Barefoot Contessa." He owns every one of her cookbooks and his meals are amazing!!! Our sixteen year old has friends that want to come over just so they can eat his cooking, how wonderful is that?? So anyway, I tell him, "Go for it, honey!" I do clean up for him because he hates that. But . . . so do I. Maybe that's why I don't love my kitchen so much right now. When I cook, I clean as I go. When the meal is served, the kitchen is beautiful. But I also take a lot longer to prepare a meal than he does!


I'm sorry sweet Karin, but I tried. My kitchen is just a room I want to walk right through right now!!

xxoo, Dawn

Don't you just love a giveaway??


Especially from a really talented artist?? Sweet Becky at A Wing and A Prayer is having a giveaway on her blog and I just had to spread the news! Click on over to enter to win something beautiful from her. xxoo, Dawn

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Sneak Peek!


Here's a peek at my gifts for my sweet Pay-it-Forward volunteers. I still have to tie them with a ribbon hanger ~ they are copies from my collection of vintage postcards sandwiched between glass. Thank you all so much for Paying it Forward ~ These will be in the mail to you this week!!!

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Thankfulness ~


I've been reading so many beautiful posts about being thankful and Thanksgiving. Everyone's posts have been just wonderful. I've been thinking for several days now about posting on thankfulness and trying so hard to wait until closer to Thanksgiving, but I just can't!


I am thankful for so many things. Here's a small list of mine:


Thankful to have a Lord that loves us enough to send His only Son to die for our sins, just so we can live in Heaven with Him!


Thankful to live in America, one nation under God. That I can walk freely due to the sacrifices that so many have made and continue to make, so that our nation remains free.


Thankful for my parents, my childhood and that they loved me and my brothers so much.


Thankful for my husband, his goodness and love for me as I've always wanted to be domestic, be home with our children and be home to create even though financially it was sometimes a strain.


Thankful for our beautiful children and to be blessed FIVE times with these incredible boys ~ how could I ever deserve this?


Thankful for the good health of my family, friends, and myself. Have you ever been so very sick and the first day that you're feeling like yourself, you appreciate it so much. Just being able to do the simple things, like a load of laundry, are wonderful!

Thankful for sweet friends that are tried and true. Friends that I've had for many years or for just a few, that I love dearly. For friends I've made here in Blogland that are the sweetest, kindest women who lift me up daily!


I'm truly thankful for so many things ~ even for a soft bed to lay my head at night, have you ever thought about that? So many do not have that luxury.


When I get grumpy, sad or feel angry, I do have to remind myself of all that is good and wonderful in my life, slap myself and say, "what are you thinking!"


I have to say that I'm even thankful for the tough times we gone through in our life as a family. We are better for it and closer too!


Well, that's just the tip of the iceberg for me. I try to be a thankful person all year long, not just in November because I realize that each minute we have here, together, is a true blessing to be appreciated and enjoyed.


xxoo, Dawn

Friday, November 16, 2007

Pure sweetness ~


Hmmm . . . wonder what these will be? :)

We are definitely ready!


The Plum Tree is hosting a second Christmas Open House this Sunday afternoon and boy, is the store ready! I've updated the store's blog if you'd like to take a look around! Have a wonderful day!! xxoo, Dawn

Thursday, November 15, 2007

A Sweet Pink Doll Trunk ~

Do you remember these?? Every stylish doll had one, right? This one looks to be about as old as me, whew! And I'll soon be 46 but it seems to have aged a lot better that I have . . . Oh well, I found this a few months back
and just absolutely love it.
I have several now and really intended on selling this one.

I would like to offer this one to my blog readers. It stands 9 1/2" tall by 5 1/2" wide and 5 1/2" deep. If you would like to purchase it, the price is 24.00 plus 9.00 shipping.
Just email me at:

sewmanyroses@yahoo.com

Thank you all so much for your visits and sweet comments!!



A glimpse of fall this morning out my back door!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Recycle, repurpose ~

I love to take an item that has had a past, probably a good past, but now maybe it's missing a few parts or is scratched up and tossed aside and then turning it into a thing of beauty again. A new life with a new purpose!


This little silver sugar dish, missing it's lid, caught my eye so I grabbed it up thinking to myself, "surely I can make something neat out of this."

Well, today it had a little makeover. It has been transformed into a regal pin cushion. Adorned with snippets of vintage lace, beautiful old buttons and even a little antique watch face! It stands about 5" tall with the puff of the pincushion. I should have it in my Etsy store shortly.


I hope you all are having a wonderful Wednesday!
xxoo, Dawn

SOLD! Thank you so much!!!!



Oh, and who would've ever thought I'd walk in the living room and see this!!!


Tuesday, November 13, 2007

A different look

How about all neutral tones for the rag ball ornaments?

For this one, I ripped natural colored muslin fabric and covered the styrofoam ball. I misted the ornament with instant coffee and blow dried it to give it an "aged" look. Then I used hemp, vintage beige seam binding, a bell that I aged a bit in a solution, a snippet of old lace and lastly an instant coffee dyed tag with a torn piece of sheet music on it to adorn the top.

To top it all off, I lightly sprayed with glue and added diamond dust to give it a sparkly snowy effect!




Rag Ball Ornament Tutorial ~



These are very easy ornaments to make and
can look so charming if you make several in coordinating fabrics.
You can use homespun fabric
(looks the same on both sides of the fabric)
but you don't have to.


Let me show you how I make mine:
The simple supplies are styrofoam balls, florists wire,
wire cutters, hemp cord or twine, glue 
(I happen to love the brand that's in the photo),
scissors and fabric.

Also aged tags and stamps if you'd like
to hang a message on each one.



First I cut in about an inch at the end of the fabric
and I try to space my cuts evenly apart.



Then I rip each strip off from the fabric.
Of course you will have strings but
just pull them off and throw away.



Next, I cut a piece of floral wire and bend it into a U shape
for the wire loop on the ornament.

Apply a little amount of glue to the ends
and press into the styrofoam ball
leaving about 1/4 - 1/2 of an inch still sticking out.





Then I put glue on the end of one of the fabric strips
(on the back side), press it down onto the ball
right near the hanger and start wrapping the fabric around the ball.

Don't worry if you run out of fabric and
the ball is not completely covered.
Be sure you glue the end of the first strip to the ball
then grab a new fabric strip, apply glue to the back of the end
and press down where you left off
and continue wrapping until the ball
is completely covered in fabric.







I like to age the smaller manilla tags with instant coffee,
let dry and then stamp a message or
Christmas image onto it.

Plus I've used some hemp cord to tie
through the wire loop to serve as a hanger.
I've tied the tag through the wire loop as well.
I had one little piece of fabric left and
tied it on right above wire loop as an additional decoration.







I hope I explained everything clearly.
You may already know how to make these simple ornaments
but I just thought I'd share how I make them.
This would be a great project for children as well.
You can color coordinate these to match your home, too!




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