Silk Ruffles & Rosettes

... just sharing my latest fabric creation.

A sweet silk scarf with a wide gathered ruffle on one end

and multiple layered rosettes embellishing the other,

and too many tiny ruffles to count in between!

I found the weightless silk top fluttering in the breeze,

another alley find on my walk home from the beach.

The neighbor had been editing her closet

and there were numerous items left out for others to

discover, take home and treasure or share.

I loved the beautiful fabric this top had been made with,

and having nothing to risk I tossed it in the laundry.

Grateful it laundered beautifully,

but since it wasn't my size or style,

I chose to re purpose the top into this ultra feminine ruffled scarf.

Unfortunately I did not take a before photo,

but this snapshot will show you what was left

after this sewing project was completed.

A Lovely Surprise

What a lovely surprise to come home to !

I had a long distance call from a girlfriend,

while I was in Hawaii,

who left a message that

I should pop in to the closest newsstand

and pick up the latest copy of

Romantic Homes Magazine !

Telling me that my blog had been featured in it !

I am honored to be included with so much other talent,

since I believe with all my heart,

that real joy comes in sharing with others.

Kauai

Kauai is known as “The Garden Isle”

for its tropical rain forests,

fertile valleys and lush abundance of flora.

The island seems to be teeming

with numerous varieties of exotic flowers and plants

the showy red ginger, the magnificent torch ginger,

sensational birds of paradise, sweet smelling plumeria

and hundreds of species of orchids,

and an endless supply of vibrantly colored hibiscus varieties.

Kauai is like a gigantic tropical botanical garden

with inspiration everywhere you look !

Take time to play with your friends, nurture your heart and feed your soul.

Happy Summer !

A little back story.

A dear friend and fellow flower enthusiast that I have known since I was 17

lost her sweet husband suddenly 3 months ago.

In one of our late night conversations

she mentioned that she always wanted to go to Hawaii.

I googled, I researched and within 2 weeks we were " living the dream ".

We spent one sweet week together in gratitude and friendship.

Straw bags and summer fun

.

On a recent trip to Kauai

I snapped these photos of a few of the lovely embellished straw bags

showcased in the charming shops.

.

My luggage already being at its weight limit

and having several straw bags at home

I resisted the temptation.

I promise myself I will embellish my own,

with all the bits of fabrics, trims and buttons spread through out the studio,

hopefully before summer is over !

Shelves and collections

Friends were having conversations

with each other about collections

which is what sparked my imagination for this post.

Where do you keep your treasured personal photos ?

and the hat box overflowing with love poems ?

possibly in a bookshelf behind beautiful glass cabinet doors,

under lock & key ?

Shelves are perfect for showing off our collections

or adding an extra dimension to a wall.

This shelf was added as a structural element in the sitting room

to store a few antique leather bound beauties away from the sunlight.

Here the top shelves of the welsh cabinet

in the breakfast room are used

for displaying a few favorite antique tea cups and saucers.

And these shelves in the powder room are perfect

for showing off a collection of vintage perfume bottles.

Colored glass vases are always happy in a window !

The Italian ceramic collection is in easy reach

displayed on the top shelf of the 40's O'Keefe & Merritt Stove.

Here vintage sewing paraphernalia and baskets reside on this narrow storage shelf.

Then there is the crammed shelves in my art studio

wall to wall glass shelves

overflowing with my own ceramic creations.

Childhood mementos are stored above the loft window.

Vintage bird cages & baskets are throughout the cottage

but these call your attention perched on top the living room bookshelf.

Another shelf is created on a pony wall by adding

crown moldings on both sides with a flat board topping them.

You probably shouldn't get me started on boxes...

or this post may never end...