Sophie Rose Designs

A New Beginning

2012-01-13T12:54:00.003-05:00

Coming back soon.... :)

Apron Love!

2009-05-06T16:30:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone!

Gosh, I'm so sorry I've been such a neglectful blogger!!! This past Winter really took alot out of me, and I am so very, very grateful that Spring is here!! Warm weather really brings me back to life!

I've also been hard at work trying to get caught up on some custom orders. I'll be showing pics of all that soon!

For now, how about some apron goodness!!!!

I was thrilled to be able to recently participate in a swap thrown by Heather and Stephenie! Thrilled, but also a little bit scared because I can't sew!!! :(

Lucky girl that I am, I got an apron made by Miss Heather herself!!!!! Eeeeek!!!!!

Isn't it just drop dead gorgeous?!?! I am absolutely enchanted with it. It is a soft pale blue with lovely cream and white accents.

Here's a closer look....... the fabric is very sheer and light with a pleated panel in front........

This girl is the Queen of Millinery!!!! She always makes the most beautiful floral arrangements!!

Just breathtaking, with a beautiful blue jewel as well!

Yummy cream colored velvet ribbon!

Gorgeous lace details!

Underneath is a vintage petticoat!!! Ohmigosh!!!!!!!!!!

Doesn't this just make your heart melt?!?

And as if all that gorgeousness wasn't enough, check out the back!!!

It's just as gorgeous as the front!!! It's like I've got two aprons in one, lol!!! :)

Creamy satin and beautiful ruched ribbon........be still my heart!!!!!!

I'm LOVING this petticoat at the bottom!!!

Such beautiful details.........

I'm truly a lucky, lucky girl!!!!!!! Thank you again so very much Heather!!! I am totally amazed by you girl!!!!!!

Yikes, someone is crashing my photo shoot!!! ;)

Heather was sooooo extremely sweet and generous to remember my kids as well!!! She gave Timmy some Hot Wheels (his faves), cookies, stickers and the most precious little apron for Sophie!!!

Here she is modeling it! The adorable little bird frock underneath is from Miss Cheryl at Rosey Posey Confections. I played with the color a bit on these to give them a vintage look......

I tried to get her to smile, but she wouldn't and she also kept looking away from the camera..........that's a two year old for you!!!! ;)

These next pics are of the apron I made for Miss Jennifer of Sweet Eye Candy Creations! When I learned that I was making one for her, I knew I had to "girly" it up big time!!!! I was inspired by the lovely petticoat she wore to Silver Bella!

You know, I never would have dreamed of making an apron on my own! I can't sew a stitch, so the thought of making any kind of dress or garment never would have crossed my mind.

Thank goodness for glue and liquid stitch!!!

Of course, you know me, I had to get some ruffles in there!! :)

A pretty vintage jewel piece......

Some lacy bits peeking out the bottom.......

Thanks so much for letting me be in your swap Heather and Stephenie!!!

I'm off to catch up on everyone's blogs........see you all soon!!

Sick and Tired....

2009-03-31T17:19:00.008-04:00

of being sick and tired!!!

Just a quick little post to let you all know that I haven't forgotten you!! My kiddies and I have been SO sick!!!
We've all had some virus which has hung around for nearly a month! It's insane!!! This past flu season has been so hard on us! I thought that once Spring got here, things would get better......yeah right!
Poor Timmy just missed a week of school and ran a fever the entire time. I've never seen a fever last so long! We took him to the doctor three different times. They ruled out all the major stuff like pneumonia, and finally just said it was some kind of virus and it would have to run it's course.
Well, like clockwork, as soon as Timmy's fever broke, Sophie's temp shot right up! So as you might imagine, Mommy is sick and WORN OUT!!!

Anyhoo, I just thought I'd pop in and say hi!! I'll be back soon with a more upbeat post! I hope you're all having a happy (and healthy) Spring!! :)

A Bit of Romance

2009-01-23T10:14:00.100-05:00

Hi all!

Well, my little guy is finally better! Have I mentioned how sick I am of Winter yet?!? Poor Timmy came home from school the day before his birthday running a fever of 103. We found out he had Strep and he spent his whole birthday on the couch. He got to stay home from school for a few days, so at least he got a mini vacation!

He's fine now, and I've been cleaning like crazy trying to kill any germs left lingering around. I was afraid Sophie was going to end up sick, too, but so far she's her normal active little two year old self!! ;)

Now for some yummy stuff!!

I'm dusting the cobwebs off of my poor neglected Etsy shop and listing some Valentine's goodies!

I tried to make these as romantic as I could. I was going for a really romantic, old fashioned look......a bit like vintage candy boxes from the 40's. I so miss that "look" from back then. Things just seemed so much more beautiful then. Why can't we have that now? I seriously think I was born in the wrong time!!

I've made four of these for my shop...

Lots of crepe ruffles and yummy roses!!

Here's heart #1, "Camille"

I used a very pale pink velvet for this one and an extremely full and lush crepe ruffle. It has the pink velvet on the front and back. The main focal point is a gorgeous vintage rhinestone jewel piece.

This is the back....

Here is the front......

Here is heart #2, "Elisabeth"

I used beautiful antique pink fabric on both sides. On the front we have two little glass glittered birds holding a garland of roses.

The back has a pretty vintage jewel piece. I tried to make both sides pretty on these, so if you get sick of one side you can just flip it over! ;)

Here is heart #3, "Fleurette"

I used a pretty silvery gray fabric with pink roses for this one. Across the front is a banner of white roses.

It has a champagne colored crepe ruffle and lots of cream ribbons along the sides.

For the back I used vintage lace over a champagne satin. Some pretty fringed trim and a pale mint green ribbon finish it off.

And lastly, here is heart #4, "Queen Marie"

For this one I made my fullest, most lush crepe ruffle ever!

Along with the crepe ruffle, I made a ribbon ruffle to add even more ruffly goodness!

For the back I used vintage lace over a silvery gray background. In this picture you can really see how much crepe I've used on this piece. It is a massive ruffle!! Along with the crepe, is a little glass glittered bird and even more ruffly ribbon.

I used a champagne colored satin for the front and topped it off with a big bow.

I sure had a lot of fun making these. I'm going to start trying to keep my shop stocked with more pretties! I've been really inspired here lately......it's been such a long time since I have been!! :(

Take care everyone! See you next week!! :)

RIP Country Home

2009-01-12T14:26:00.014-05:00

Update 1/15:

I was going to post some of my Valentine's goodies, but unfortunately I've got a sick little boy on my hands. Today is Timmy's birthday and sadly he has got Strep throat!! What a way to spend your 7th birthday!! :(

I'll be back next week! Have a nice weekend everyone!!!

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

Oh my gosh!! Have you all heard the news?

They're doing away with Country Home!!!

Noooooooo!!!! I grew up on Country Home!! My mom was always a faithful subscriber. She still has stacks of them in her garage dating back to the early eighties.

Along with her Country Living mags, I would sit and read them over and over, absorbing the beautiful homes for hours. I swear they helped shape me into the person I am today. I still remember an ad from long ago with a little girl in different pastel colored tutus. I can still see that so vividly as one of my first memories and I think my love for all things pink was born that day.

I grew to love decorating, crafting, antiques, and all things home related through those magazines and my sweet mom.

*sob*

Wishing for Spring

2009-01-09T09:48:00.024-05:00

It's been so cold and dreary here lately, that it's got me thinking about Spring!

The weather played a mean trick a week or so ago when it got up to almost 70 degrees! Oh my gosh, it felt like heaven.

Right now it's 24 degrees here and next week the high is going to be 12!

So, I thought I'd share some pics of my roses from this past summer. Won't you come along and dream of nicer weather with me?

These are my Geoff Hamilton roses, my absolute favorites. They're a really pale pink and are so darn pretty!!

I love the way they look when they are in their prime....

And I also love them when they're past their prime. They start getting a little loose and floppy, like the whole tattered, shabby look that is so romantic.

Roses are the Queen of the garden, and like a Queen, they are demanding of attention! I love them so much, but I would really like to learn how to tend to them better.

Every year I battle bugs and that awful black spot fungus that roses get. The Japanese beetles just eat them alive. I hate using pesticides, so I usually just pick the little jerks off and squish them!

Don't feel bad for them though, those little guys are a true enemy of roses! So many times, I've seen where they've crawled inside a bud almost ready to open and they'll chew it from the inside out and there goes my beautiful bloom. :(

Do any of you deal with these issues?
I would love any advice you would be willing to share! One of my biggest problems is the black spot. I'm afraid they've all got it. I've heard that once they get it, they'll always have it and all you can do is control it.
It's a huge pain, as left alone it will strip your plants of all their foliage. Do any of you have any good tips?!? I've heard that Messenger (I think it's called) works wonders. Have any of you ever tried it?

This next pretty girl is my climbing rose. I've only had it for a couple of years. I think it's had three or four blooms total, lol. I think it's a Queen Elizabeth.
Now this thing is hard to deal with!! Probably because I don't have a clue how to take care of it. It gets crazy, growing in all directions! I try to tie it to our arbor, but it doesn't seem to want to stay on the wood. Instead, it grows straight towards the sky like it's reaching for the moon!

It, too, has the black spot. I've contemplated cutting it all down and trying another type of rose. But, I hate giving up on a plant. I feel like I should try to help them out all I can.

The few blooms I've had are beautiful!! But my dream is to have an arbor chock full of blooms, not one or two blooms with a whole bunch of leggy growth sticking out everywhere! Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong? Should I cut it all down and just let it grow back again?

I hope you all have a nice weekend! I'll be back next week with some ultra romantic Valentine goodies!! :)

'Twas the Day Before Christmas.....

2008-12-24T13:44:00.017-05:00

I just wanted to drop in and wish you all a very Merry Christmas!!! I also wanted to make good on my promise to show you my other project.

I gave our Nativity a little makeover.......

This is a vintage set from the 1940's. I know you're supposed to leave antiques alone, but trust me, it needed this!! The barn was covered in paper made to look like dark wood and the chalkware figures were painted in very bright primary colors. It did not go with my color scheme at all.....

So I papered, painted, glittered, glued, frilled, primped.....

.....and Voilà! Now it matches the rest of my house! I made it a special pedestal to sit on, so I don't have room for all of the figurines. So I decided to use baby Jesus, Mary, an Angel, and three little sheep.

The sheep are so cute! I have a few more I'm going to use in some forthcoming Spring crafts.

Next year, maybe I'll try and make a few of these for my shop! Anyhoo, I probably won't post again until after New Year's. I'm going to try and enjoy myself and have some fun with my kiddies!

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!!!

Christmas Party!

2008-12-15T10:29:00.035-05:00

Hi everyone! Sweet Miss Heather from Pretty Petals is having a Pretty Little Christmas Party!

I thought I'd share some pics of my Christmas tree that I've been working waaaay too hard on. I've got such a love/hate relationship with decorating! I love pretty things, and I love feathering my nest, but I usually drive myself crazy in the process by being extremely picky. Sadly, Christmas is no exception! I have spent hours working on this tree. Please, let me know what you think!

I made garlands of crimped, ruffly pink crepe which took forever.....

I swagged the entire tree with these and even though I spent entirely way too much time, I am really happy with the end result. The crepe filters the light so prettily and creates the illusion of being hand dyed.

After I worked the kinks out, and got my technique down a bit, it started going a lot faster.....

Here's a close up. Please let me know what you all think! And be honest!!! I swear I won't get hurt, lol! Have I wasted my time with these garlands or do they come anywhere near that "look" we shabby gals crave?

Here's the top of the tree. It's kind of tall, and I couldn't get a good shot of the whole thing. I took a cheapy plastic star and glass glittered it and it looks really good with all the little lights reflecting on it......

I added some pretty white bows for added softness.....

Here's a couple of little ornaments I whipped up.....

Some pretty glass balls........

I've got another little Christmas project I'm working on and I'll post again soon and show you all! Now I'm off to visit all of your lovely homes!!! :)

I'm Baaaack!

2008-12-03T10:57:00.045-05:00

I know, I know.....

I pretty much fell off the edge of the world, didn't I? I swear I didn't mean for this much time to go by between posts! Sometimes, though, life can get a bit overwhelming and you have to just step back and......breathe.

I'm happy to say that I'm now ready to jump right back in the saddle, so let's go!

I do have some yummy things in the works that I'll be showing you soon, as well as some decorating projects I've been working on.

For now though, I'll share some pics of my kiddos, who've definitely been keeping me crazy busy.

Sophie is really getting big! We just celebrated her 2nd birthday. She's starting to look less like a baby and more like a little girl. Why can't time slow down just a bit? :(

This next one is my new favorite pic of Sophie. You don't even know how lucky I was to get this shot.....

She looks like she just sat there and posed for it, doesn't she? If only!! This girl is a bona fide wiggle worm. She's on the go 24/7 and doesn't stop. Ever. She was sitting on our table wearing her pretty little birthday dress and I just pointed the camera and clicked. Lucky me!

Here's the birthday girl with one of her "beebees"

Here are my little trick or treaters. Darth Vader and a little Halloween ballerina. Doesn't Darth look menacing in this first pic? LOL

I'll be back soon ( I promise) and I'll have a lot more to share with you!

Happy Birthday America!!!

2008-07-04T10:55:00.010-04:00

I know.....it's been waaaaaay too long since my last post!!! Everything is fine.......I've just been hard at work! Hey, whatever happened to the lazy days of summer?!?!
I'll be back soon with a "real" post......I promise I'll have lots of yummy new things to show you!

The Great Flood of 2008

2008-06-11T10:31:00.016-04:00

Hi everyone~

I'm sorry I've been a little MIA lately!!! It's been crazy around here!
Here's a quick peek at what's been happening in my neck of the woods.....

I live in Indiana and this is some of the worst flooding this area has ever seen.

This is a road not far from where we live....

Corn fields have been turned into lakes!

Our bank getting completely swamped!!!

Another road.....

Here's the flood creeping up behind my husband's grandparent's house. Those are all farm fields with ruined crops.......:(

Thankfully, the water is finally on it's way down! This area has been recently hit with two tornadoes and this awful flood.......we need a break!!!

I'll be back soon with a 'regular' post........I'm going to have a ton of stuff to share with you! Hugs!!!

The Season of Life

2008-05-27T21:18:00.060-04:00

Warm weather, how I've missed you!!!

I absolutely love right now. Spring fading into Summer, especially the months of May and of June.......

Does it get any better?

Beautiful things are everywhere!

These are some pics I took a few weeks ago of my Dogwood and Crabapple trees.......

I just love Spring flowering trees! How I wish they would last longer! Sadly, those pretty blooms are all gone now.

All this warm weather has really lifted my spirits and I've been crafting away at some new things!

This is a custom jewel box I made for Miss Sandy of LuLu's Fluffy Ruffles. She liked the one I made for Natasha a while back and asked if I'd make her one. She wanted a vintage jewel piece on top.....

I was thrilled to come across this amazing vintage rhinestone brooch!

Here's a closer peek........

I gave her plenty of lush ruffles!

This is the inside. I lined it with a pale blue velvet and pale blue ribbon accents.

Here we have Miss Sandy's monogram....

She also requested an altered perfume bottle like Natasha's.

Here's a closer peek of it, too. I trimmed it in vintage lace and another vintage rhinestone piece.

I hope you like it all Sandy!

I've got some new things in the works for my shop as well! I'll be back soon with those and some other projects I've been working on!

See you soon!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-10T13:36:00.011-04:00

All that I am, or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.

~Abraham Lincoln

To all of the sweet mommies out there......I wish you all a wonderful, blessed Mother's Day!! :)

Kentucky Derby Hat Swap!

2008-05-01T23:08:00.001-04:00

Wanna know a little something about me?

I am a huge hat person!! Actually, I'm a huge headwear person. I love hats, crowns, tiaras, bonnets......you name it!

So.... when I heard Bristol from Honey Bend Vintage was putting on a hat swap, I was there!!!!

My partner was Renee from Vintage Recreations. She was so sweet and so easy to work with!! She told me she likes blue, sparkly stuff and vintage.

This is what I came up with....

I decided to make a crown! Of course, I just had to make one in a Marie Antoinette style......good grief, I've got such a growing obsession with that woman!! LOL

I tried to add a lot of sparkle for Renee with glass glitter stars, German lametta tinsel and vintage rhinestone jewelry....

I used vintage lace as a base and encircled the entire crown with a wide crepe ruffle. I trimmed that with more vintage lace and pale blue ribbon.

Around the bottom of the crown, I made a little garland of pretty trim, crepe and roses!

I wanted a really soft color palette, so I used mostly white and cream with just a bit of blue peeking through.....

This is the side view......

This is the back......I lined the inside completely with marabou!

Thanks for swapping with me Renee!! I hope you like it!!!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Swap Goodness from Australia!

2008-04-29T22:50:00.023-04:00

Get ready!!!

Have I got some goodies to show you guys!!! I received my swap package from Natasha the other day!!

Get ready for some major eye candy!!!

Oh. My. Gosh. Isn't that beautiful?!?! I about fell down when I saw this and yet I had a terrible dilemma! How on earth could I unwrap such an amazingly gorgeous package?? I knew something wonderful was waiting inside, but that wrapping job!!!

Here.....have another peek!

She even made this adorable tag from a vintage receipt!! How cute is that!?

Well, I finally forced myself to open it and I couldn't believe it (actually yes I could, this is Natasha after all!) there was something even more beautiful inside!!

Eeeeeek!!! Take a gander at this basket!!!! It's actually got a handle so I am thinking about using it as a purse!! Look at how she embellished the top of it with beautiful vintage millinery flowers!!!

And......look at all the goodies tucked away inside!!!

There were so many yummies, I couldn't even capture them all in one shot!

Check out the Cath Kidston bath melts!!!

I love love love those pink roses!!!!

I am now the extremely proud owner of some of Natasha's artwork!!! Oh boy, isn't that beautiful?!?!

She sent a bunch of gorgeous vintage trims and lace too!! I adore that sequined flower!!!

Here we have a darling vintage angel and the sweetest little salt and pepper shakers! I'm planning on purchasing some of Miss Heather's silver glitter and filling these babies up!!! :)

She sent me some jewelry too!! This is one of her sweet bird's nest pendants! Oh my, it is sooooo pretty!!!

This sweet girl even sent stuff for my kids!!! How thoughtful is that?

Check out her painted roses on the tag!! SO gorgeous!!!

This is an adorable little mermaid for Sophie! Isn't it darling?

Aren't I a lucky girl???

Thank you soooooo much sweet Natasha!!!! I absolutely adore everything!!! I seriously felt like it was my birthday with all these beautiful things!!!

And a big thank you to sweet Miss Heather for putting on such a fun swap!

Hugs to you all!

Goodies Galore!

2008-04-18T01:23:00.007-04:00

Hi bloggy friends!

Don't you just love getting yummy things in the mail?

Especially things wrapped like these?

YUMMY!! I just adore getting a box in the mail and finding such treats inside! It makes a girl feel downright giddy!!

The blue package contained a gorgeous journal I purchased from Alisa Jane. Isn't it so pretty? I love the antique key hole plate!!

Even the inside is pretty!! I just love it!!! You can check out her shop here!

These next yummies are from Miss Jenny of Everyday is a Holiday. I recently swapped with her and look at what all this sweetie pie sent me!!!

She sent me two of her gorgeous kits!!! Oh my gosh, they're beautiful just sitting in their packages, lol!

See what I mean? She's such an amazing artist!!!

AND....if that wasn't enough, she sent me this precious picture as well!! Aren't these little cupcake dolls just darling? SO beautiful!!! Thank you so much sweet Jenny!! :)

Next up are some more vintage goodies I'm adding to my shop!

First.....a vintage pink sewing basket!

This is the lid.....it's got beautiful shabby roses on top!

More pretty vintage china.....

These little rosebud teacups are soooooo precious!!!

This next piece is my offering for Heather's 'Junque in my Trunk' swap! It's going to the adorable Natasha Burns!

I made it to look like Marie Antoinette's own personal jewel box....I have a little fantasy going that this is the one she kept all of her favorite treasures in, lol.......

This is the inside.......

These are some goodies I've added for the 'junque' part of the swap!

Next stop....Australia!!!

Lori's Doll Challenge!

2008-04-08T09:50:00.024-04:00

Hi everyone!!

Sweet Lori from Faerie Window is having a special day devoted to your favorite dolls! I'm not a huge doll collector, but I do have a couple that are special to me that I thought I'd share!

This one is a recent purchase from one of my very favorite antique stores...

What really sold me on this one is her pretty dress!! It's very full with pink roses and a lovely pink ruffle...

She's got a 40's hairdo with her original pink hat! So cute!!

Now, this next one has a bit of a sad story...

I bought her several years ago and I thought she had the sweetest little face!!

She's wearing an adorable vintage smocked dress. I just fell in love!!!

Unfortunately, someone else did too! Miss Sophie took a shine to her and against my better judgement, I let Sophie play with her. At first I thought it was going to work....Sophie loved her new baby, kissed her new baby, hugged her new baby and then......

dropped her new baby! ACK!!!!! We were in the kitchen when I heard a loud crack, and this was what I saw......... :(

Fortunately, it cracked along the seam, so her sweet little face was untouched. But from now on she'll have to wear a hat!! And NO MORE little girls are going to be playing with her......for a year or two at least!!!

Those are all my 'dolly tales' LOL......I'll be back with another shop update soon!!!

Vintage Goodies are Coming to my Shop!

2008-03-26T15:23:00.000-04:00

Ack!!! I feel like I've been so out of the loop lately!!

I told myself I was going to start updating this blog more often....well, you know how that goes!

*sigh*

Did you all have a nice Easter? We had a nice time and got waaaaaay too much candy, lol.

Let's see..... what else has been going on.....

Oh, yeah. You remember this little gal?

Well, last week, out of nowhere, she got sick and started running a fever.

My kids have never been big fever kids. I mean.... on the rare occasion they do get one, it's like 99 or 100 degrees.

Sophie's fever was almost 104.

This was completely new territory for me! It was in the middle of the night (of course) and I had no idea what a "trip to the E.R." fever was. So here I sat with Sophie in my arms, searching Web MD, trying to find out some info. I had given her some Tylenol to bring the fever down, and was checking her temp like every five minutes.

Finally, it started coming down. We took her to the doctor the next day, and found out she had an ear infection AND a bit of the Flu as well!! My poor baby!

Anyway, long story short.....Spring is here and we're STILL getting sick!!! :(

*sigh*

I do have some good news, though! Do we have any antique lovers out there???

Well, guess what? I'm adding a new section to my shop!! That's right, I'm going to start selling antiques and vintage items through my Etsy!

I have some pieces from my own personal collection that I'm going to be listing today. Here are a few.....

First, this beautiful old children's book!

It's called a 'Bubble Book' and this one is called 'The Pie Party'. The illustrations are SOOOO gorgeous!!! It's dated 1919, so it's almost 90 years old!!

There are more yummy pictures inside, and they're just as magical!!

This is the back of the book. It's in very good shape for it's age. Aside from normal wear, the only real flaw I've found is the one crayon marking. (Not my kids' doing, lol)

Next up, some pink vintage ric rac....never opened!

This is a gorgeous little German made creamer with TDF roses!!!

And this is another darling creamer with roses!

This one is ironstone and has pale grey flowers. It's marked Alfred Meakin...

This is a shallow bowl and has beautiful shabby roses in the middle. It's very delicate.

This bowl is heavier. I think it's ironstone. It, too, has yummy roses on it!

I love pretty dishes and I plan to keep my shop stocked with them from now on!

I've made a few things lately as well. Now, I'm not a big jewelry maker and this is probably the only piece you'll ever see from me! I found these pretty, delicate, pink glass beads the other day and just had to get them! I decided to make a necklace....

It's got a French cut Swarovski crystal hanging from it. Very simple, but very feminine and pretty!

I also made a Tussie Mussie! I used lots of yummy velvet fabric and pretty lace in shades of dusty pink with ivory trim. I'm calling this my 'romantic carpetbag' look, lol.

It's got a big pink rhinestone jewel on the front...

And soft ivory trims on the back.

And lastly, I made another wreath!

This one is made in total Marie Antoinette, eye candy colors!

The banner is made up of little feather trimmed badges which say 'Amour'...

I wrote the letters using a quill pen dipped in brown ink...

I also added these fabulous pink roses!!! They look so real!!!

I will be adding these yummies to my shop throughout today and this evening! Thanks for stopping by mon amis!!! :)

Random Goodies and Business Cards!!!

2008-03-16T22:36:00.005-04:00

Hi everyone! I got a very yummy package in the mail the other day.......

My new business cards!!!!

They were designed by the fabulous Heather Bluhm, and I just LOVE them!!! I feel so professional now, LOL!

Thanks again so much Heather!!! I am so thrilled with your wonderful work!!!

It has been getting alot warmer here lately.....YAY!!! I am SO ready for nice weather. When it's cold out, I just tend to hole up in my house. I don't do the whole driving on ice/snow thing, so if there's even a chance of bad weather, I pretty much stay put!

Now that it's getting nice out however, I've been going to some of my fave antique and junk shops!!

Here's a few goodies I picked up the other day....

I'm starting to get obsessed with vintage baskets and I was thrilled to find one with it's original paint....it's got that cool Shabby Chic patina that only age can bring!

The framed mirror is so neat... it's really deep set with little built in shelves, so it's almost like a shadowbox or something. I'm guessing it's from the 30's or 40's....possibly older.

What really grabbed my attention was the awesome gesso frame!! It's so yummy!!! Somebody painted gold on part of it......no thanks!!! I'm gonna have to touch that up so it's ALL shabby white!

Let's call these the 'before' pics! I'll be sure to post the 'after' ones when I get it all finished!

I also got a cool embroidered hanky with the letter T....it doesn't show up very well in this pic but it's so pretty! Someone made this long ago, and their craftsmanship still holds up and inspires.

I found the toile pitcher at Hobby Lobby!

I love going to shops, but I gotta tell ya, I am almost giddy at the thought of summer coming and the start of YARD SALE season!!!! Are any of you addicted to yard sales too? Oh my gosh, I have gotten some of my most prized possessions at yard sales! One day I'll have to have a special post devoted to all of the yummies I've found over the years.

That's about it for now, but I'll be back later this week with some more goodies for my shop!! Hugs to you all!!!

Spring Fling!

2008-03-05T11:24:00.076-05:00

Okay, I'm finally ready to show you what I've been up to!

I have to admit I am pretty much exhausted right now! I have been working on these for days and days and days.....

This first one is my little French Easter egg....

It says 'Joyeuses Paques' which means 'Happy Easter' in French!

This is actually a little egg shaped box which can be opened! I painted it a soft pale pink and glittered it with clear glass glitter. Then I trimmed the entire piece with a very lush crepe paper ruffle!

On the front is the banner and some yummy millinery flowers....

I also added a bunch of pale pink seam binding ribbons so you can hang it~ I thought this would look so sweet on an Easter tree!

I actually have another one of these eggs in the works, which I'll be adding to my shop later on tonight or tomorrow!

Moving on.....

How about a sweet French Easter pail?

I painted this a yummy robin's egg blue and sugared it with a mixture of glass glitter and vintage mica! I don't know if you can tell from the pics, but it has a very pretty shimmer!

I made a sweet little friend to go on it. She's also been sugared in glass glitter and is wearing her very own Eiffel tower hat!

On the front is a banner which says 'J'aime Paris dans le Printemps' which means 'I love Paris in the Springtime'...

I made the crepe ruffles extra lush and trimmed the piece with real German Lametta tinsel! This stuff is awesome! It is made from metal and will take on that old tarnished look that we all love!!!

Now, what could this be???

Let's peek inside.....

Bonjour!!! It's Mademoiselle Lisette in her bohemian French nest!!!

What all do you have in there Lisette? Let's see....a chandelier, a replica of the Eiffel tower, a pink mirror....

You've feathered your nest quite well!

Lisette herself is quite decked out in luxe trims, flowers and even a rhinestone pin!

She comes out of her nest so she can.......

Fly up to her rooftop perch and gaze at the stars! Oh Lisette! Can I come live with you? LOL

I used lots of yummy goodies on this! Vintage rhinestone jewelry, vintage millinery roses, lots of glass glitter, vintage smocked fabric...

The best part is the curtains!!! I used this awesome antique pink fabric with a damask looking pattern! It is to die for!!!

I almost forgot! The banner at the bottom reads 'Paris dans le Printemps' which means 'Paris in the Springtime'. Au revoir Lisette!

Okay! Now, this next piece is the one I thought you guys might 'flip' over. LOL, I hope you like it or else I'll be eating crow, eh?

I'm calling this piece 'Big Brother Bunny'.....

I've grown quite fond of this one. I sort of patterened it after my kids.

This is 'Big Brother'......

And this is 'Little Sis'.......

Big Brother is giving Little Sis a ride home on their yummy little wagon! It's got roses for wheels!!!

Poor Brother has got some pink cheeks! It's hard work hauling his sis around, LOL.

Sis is riding up on a cushion of pink crepe ruffles....

Not that she thinks she's a princess or anything, LOL....

The bunnies are both ceramic and the egg is paper mache. I painted them all in yummy pastel shades then sugared them in a mixture of glass glitter and diamond dust.

The diamond dust is made from very thin sheets of glass and puts off a wonderful shimmer!

I used plenty of crepe paper goodness on these! I think I'm getting addicted to that stuff, LOL.

Well, there ya have it folks! Those are my Spring offerings for this year! I will be adding them all to my shop tonight!

I thought I'd share with you one last thing before I go. This is another baby collage I just made. I really had alot of fun making these! This one is going to sweet Miss Cheryl....

Well, that's all for now kiddies!!! I'll be listing my new stuff in my shop throughout the course of the evening......now I've gotta go feed my crew, LOL.

Hugs to you all!!!

You Make My Day!

2008-03-02T17:19:00.016-05:00

Update 3/4......Due to some yucky, dark, dreary Indiana weather I've decided to unveil my goodies tomorrow! I just can't get any good pics on days like these!!

See ya tomorrow!!!!

Hello sweet friends!

This is just a teeny post to pass out some awards....

Miss Angelina, the cardmaker extraordinaire, gave me a very sweet award the other day....

Thank you sweetie!!!!

You're supposed to pass this on to 10 bloggers who make Blogland a happier, more special place. This is hard!!! I truly appreciate each and every one of you!!!

This time I'm going to go with.....

Amy from Bunny Rose Cottage.

Lori from Fairie Window.

Jenn and Jacqui from The Bowerbird's Nest...(we miss you ladies!!!)

Debbie from Purple Flower Fairy.

Dionne from Cherub Kisses Boutique.

Natasha from Artistic Creations by Natasha Burns.

Heather from Pretty Petals.

Michelle from Rose Garden Romantic.

Karin from Creative Chaos.

And right back to you Angelina! Angelina from Angelina's Beautiful Cards.

If I had time, I would add so many more to this list!!! You all truly 'Make my Day' every day!!!

I will be back on Tuesday to unveil my Springtime goodies!!!

Oh my gosh!!!

There's a particular something I've got in the works that I think you guys will FLIP over!!!!

See you soon!!! ;)

Ta Da!

2008-02-22T08:28:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the new Sophie Rose Designs!

Doesn't it look great? This is all the handiwork of the amazingly talented Heather Bluhm from Bluhm Studios! I am thrilled with how it all turned out! She designed me a logo (which is also my banner above), business cards, a new etsy banner, a packaging label....the works!

Thank you, thank you Heather!!!!!!!!!! I adore my new look!

I'll be back soon with some Easter/Spring goodies to show everyone! Off to work I go!

Some Yummies and Exciting News!!!

2008-02-20T02:22:00.001-05:00

Hi sweet bloggy friends!!!

Did you all have a nice Valentine's Day?

I did, thanks to my sweet hubby Tim! He took me out for Mexican food (my fave) along with our sweet little ones. I know, I know. You're not really supposed to take the kids along for a romantic evening out, but I'm funny like that. I actually have more fun when I have my babies with me. On the rare occasion I do leave them with someone else, I pretty much worry and have an unsettling feeling all night, lol. Besides, when I see them having fun, it makes Mommy happy too!

Anyhoo....

Who else adores this stuff?

Oh my gosh, I am a Lollia lovin' fool, lol! Not only do their products smell amazing, but can you get any prettier?? I would love to fill my entire dresser top with Lollia yummies! Tim bought me this huge bottle of bath foam for Valentine's Day! I saw a pic of it online and I had it on my wish list. I thought it would be really tiny, but it's enormous! I am in the middle of redoing my bedroom and I'm going to gussy up my dresser with some really girly type things and this is going right in the middle! When I get it all finished, I'll post some pics!

I entered a really fun swap a while back that Debbie from Purple Flower Fairy was putting on.

It was a vintage mug swap! Isn't that such a neat idea?

Anyway, Debbie was my partner and look at what she sent me!

An absolutely beautiful vintage mug chocked full of goodies!!!

There was a wonderful smelling sachet, vintage buttons, pink pom pom trim, beautiful barkcloth fabric and tons more! She really spoiled me!!!

Isn't this mug gorgeous? And it's a huge size! SO pretty and shabby chic!

Thank you so much, Debbie!!! I adore everything!!!!

I've been hard at work on some goodies for my shop! I've got alot of Spring/Easter things I'm working on as well as others.

Here's something I did over the weekend....

I've been trying to stretch my crafting wings a bit lately. I thought I'd try working with this sweet vintage picture of a baby.

I wrote 'La Petite Bebe' all around the picture and added some wonderful old rhinestone jewelry for a little sparkle!

I used an antique piece of architectural molding as the base. It's got the old chippy white paint that we all love and you can see it peeking through.

The baby herself is adorable! She is sitting on an amazing chair with a beautiful floral print.

I wonder whatever became of her and her pretty chair. I adore the old pics we crafty girls love to use, but sometimes my curiosity just runs rampant and I sit and stare at those people of another time and wonder about them....what their lives were like, who they loved, who loved them and how they died. Does anyone else do that, or am I just weird, lol?

I'm actually tempted to keep this piece for myself, but I'll probably list her in my shop. Maybe.

And, before I forget......I've got something forthcoming that I'm super excited about!!!
I don't want to tell you too much.....let's just say my blog may look a little different soon! Stay tuned! ;)

Germs that WON'T DIE and Marie Antoinette!

2008-02-13T11:11:00.029-05:00

How's that for a random post title, lol?

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to write a new post! I've been SO SICK! Again! My little 'teeny bear' was only sick for a day or two and then passed on her teeny germs to Mommy and I've been sick for over a week, lol. Bring on Spring!!! Right, Amy? ;)

I've been trying to complete some orders, so I'm only going to show you one thing today. But it's a good thing! Now I know I'm waaaaaay late to the party on this, but I just watched Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette the other night for the first time.

Talk about pure eye candy!!! That whole movie is just gorgeous from beginning to end! It's definitely the prettiest movie I've ever seen! The acting is great, too. Kirsten Dunst did an outstanding job as Marie.

If you've never seen it, do your eyes a favor and watch it!!!

I was so inspired after seeing all of the fabulous costumes (they are to die for) that I made my own humble little version of a 'Marie Antoinette' hat...

I decided to make it ultra girly (of course!) and added tons of feathers and pale pink yumminess!

This can actually be worn or just displayed. I have it sitting on a French garden cloche....

On the front of the hat is a sweet little pink bird with curly pink feathers and wearing a vintage rhinestone 'brooch'....

On top of the hat are three pink ostrich feathers. I also added a bunch of pale pink seam binding ribbons. The ones you see in front are what you would tie under your chin if you ever wanted to wear this! There are also ribbons hanging down in the back so you would look pretty coming and going, lol. I will be adding this to my Etsy shop sometime today!

Please forgive me for posting way too many pics of this, lol. I've been trying to work on my photography skills (or lack thereof) and I've really been trying to 'capture' my work better. I get so frustrated with that! I can take two hundred pictures of something and maybe five of those will turn out well, lol.

My sweet hubby surprised me with some roses the other day and I've been trying to include them as a prop....

They are all the way open now and are SO PRETTY!!! I LOVE roses so much!!! I wish these would last forever. Isn't it sad how something so beautiful will be gone so quickly?

Mmmmmm, feathers and roses....my faves!!! :)

I will be back soon with more goodies to show you! I hope you all have a wonderful and romantic Valentine's Day!!!

Will It EVER end?!?!?

2008-02-04T09:04:00.000-05:00

Well, lol, germs just seem to LOVE my kids this year!

Sophie Rose is sick and is being a total BEAR! We like to call her 'Teeny Bear' and today she is really living up to that name!!! So I'm not being able to get anything done right now....

I'll be back in a few days and show you the new goodies I've been trying to finish!

I can tell you this much......

There's a certain French queen involved....

See you soon!

L'amour est dans l'air (Love is in the Air) Part Deux

2008-01-29T15:21:00.000-05:00

Salut les amis! (Hi Friends)

Are you ready for the second part of my post devoted to romance?

Today I'm going to show you my pink French hearts!

I really had alot of fun making these! I think these are truly the 'look' I'm trying to go for.....really soft and feminine with a French twist!

This first one says 'Amour'.......the beautiful French word for love!

I painted these a very soft pale pink and glittered them with clear German glass glitter. I made an ivory crepe paper ruffle to encircle each one, and they each have yummy sculpted roses and a crepe paper banner with a romantic French phrase.

This is what they look like hanging up.......

This one says 'Je T aime' which means 'I love you' in French! Yum! Yum!

This one has a ruffly crepe paper banner with white sculpted roses.....

And this one says 'Je T adore' which means 'I adore you'

I think this next picture really embodies the look I'm trying to go for....

From now on, I'm going to be making alot more of these really pale, pale yummies!

I hope that's a good idea, lol!

Tomorrow or the next day, I'll have the last post of this little series! Thanks so much for stopping by! And if anyone ever sees something they like and it's already sold....just email me! I'm always happy to make custom orders!

L'amour est dans l'air (Love is in the Air)

2008-01-29T12:23:00.000-05:00

Hi Bloggy Friends!!!

I'm happy to say that my little guy is all better now (Yay!) and no one else in my family has gotten sick.....YET! I tell ya, I am READY for Spring!!!!

Today is a rare warm day for us... it's supposed to get up to 55 degrees today and since we've been having temps close to zero here lately, this feels like a heat wave!

Anyway, I cannot wait for Spring! I'm already working on some Spring goodies!!! Bring on the bunnies!!!

But before I get ahead of myself, let's think romance!

I've decided that instead of doing a really long post, I'm gonna break this up into several short ones...... so today is Part One, lol.

I've really enjoyed making these 'romantic' pieces, and I'm going to continue to make these throughout the year. I think romance is going to be a strong theme for me from now on.

So, anyhoo, I think the following would definitely be suitable for use year round!

Today's piece is my 'Amour' garland.....

This is my first ever glitter garland. I just adore these! I've seen alot of these out there and they're just SO PRETTY!

Mine says 'Amour' the French word for love. I used a very pretty shade of rose pink seam binding ribbon and hung each letter separately. That way you can hang them horizontally or vertically or diagonally or however your heart desires!

I kept the ribbons a longer length so they're more like streamers.

I glittered the letters heavily in German glass glitter and the sparkle they give off is SO pretty! I tell ya, if you haven't used glass glitter yet, RUN get some!! You will not regret it!!! Just be careful, cause it is made from glass and it can cut you! Trust me on that!! LOL

I glittered the backs of the letters as well....that way if these were hung over a mirror, the reflection would look good, too!

I'm off to list this in my Etsy shop! Come back tomorrow for Part Two of my little 'Romance' post!!

An Update on Timmy

2008-01-23T08:57:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone!

I'd like to thank you all for your kind thoughts and get well wishes for my sweet Timmy. Unfortunately we found out on Monday that he's got Strep!! He is on antibiotics now and starting to feel alot better. This is seriously like the second or third time we've had Strep since Fall. Yep, gotta love those germs school age kids pass around!!!

I'm going to try to post again on Friday and show you guys the Valentine's goodies I've been working on!

I'll leave you with a cute pic of the sick boy taken about a month ago while being his Daddy's big helper! See ya!!! :)

A Little Romance

2008-01-19T21:02:00.001-05:00

I usually don't post on the weekends, but I thought I'd show you a little more of what I'm working on!

My little guy is not feeling well, so I don't know when I'll be able to finish these....it may be on towards the end of next week. I'll keep you posted of course!! Let me know what you think of these!

I've decided to really streamline the look of the work I do. I'm going for an even more feminine look, and I'll be using a lot more of really pale, pale colors......mostly pink, some aqua, maybe a little robin's egg blue. I guess what I mean is I'm going ultra girly... even more so than I am now, lol.

I think the piece I'm about to show you exemplifies the look I'm trying to go for.....

This is my 'Amour' heart....

I painted it a really pale pink and sugared it in gorgeous white glass glitter. The resulting effect is really soft and delicate....

I made a banner to go across the front which reads 'Amour'....the French word for Love....

I encircled the entire piece with a crepe paper ruffle and pretty white fringe trim. I also added some yummy sculpted roses .....

The best part about this piece is that it can be used two different ways. You see, it's actually a little box which can be opened. So you can use it laying flat on a dresser or...

you can hang it up! Also, in this pic you can see the letters I used are actually gold, and they shine so prettily in the light.....

This could be hung on a door knob, a dresser knob, the wall, or a little pink 'romance' tree.....

One thing I am trying to do is to keep these suitable for use year round. They would look very nice for Valentine's Day, but heck, we ladies like romance all year, right?! ;)

Anyway, that's all I've got for right now. I've got more of these in the works, as well as some other yummies. I'll post again when I get more finished!

Happy New Year!!!

2008-01-01T00:08:00.000-05:00

Happy 2008 to all of my sweet blogging friends out there!!! My wish for you is to have the happiest and healthiest year ever!!! Thanks for being so nice and supportive of me these past few months! I sincerely appreciate all of you!!

Happy Christmas Everyone!!!

2007-12-23T16:01:00.000-05:00

I hope you all have a fabulous day!!!! I will see you later this week!

Winner!

2007-12-15T13:42:00.001-05:00

Oh my gosh!!!

I don't know what on earth has happened to my header!!! I logged on earlier and it's all messed up! Do any of you have any ideas on what could have happened and how I can fix it? I've tried uploading Sophie's pic all over again and nothing is working!!! Help!!

Also......I have a winner for my giveaway!!!

I had my hubby draw the winning name and it's......

Amy from Bunny Rose Cottage!!!

If you could email me your address again Miss Amy, I'll get your ornament sent out ASAP!!!
I hope you like it!! And thanks to all of you sweet gals for your nice comments! Don't worry~ I will have more giveaways! :)

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Christmas Open House

2007-12-10T20:20:00.003-05:00

Welcome to my first annual Christmas Open House!

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who prayed for my brother in law, Adam.

He is doing very well!! He made it through the surgery and he's actually doing better than the doctors expected! So that is awesome news!!!

Okay.......grab a nice cup of hot cocoa, sit back and relax........

This is gonna be a looooooong post!

First up...... How about a little giveaway?

Up for grabs we have a sweet ornament handmade by yours truly. It's a New Years ornament! I thought I'd get one of you lovely gals off to a good start in 2008! ;)

It has the New Years baby coming up out of some vintage sugared roses.

Across his chest is a little banner which says 2008....

The front of the ornament says 'Bonne Annee' which is French for Happy New Year. It's got lots of pretty trim including vintage tulle and vintage pearl jewelry!

All you have to do to win is leave a comment for this post, then on Friday I will take everyone's name down and draw the lucky winner!

Okay!

Now here are my Christmas and Winter offerings for this year! All of these are going in my Etsy shop.

First we have....

A Noel pennant banner!

This is done in very pale, pastel colors with pretty icy blue ribbon and white tulle!

The letters are handwritten by me using a quill pen...

I used premium luxury cardstock in beautiful shades of pink and silver. Very chic!

Next, I've made two special Christmas edition Whimsy Pails!

This is the pink one.....

It has a vintage 'Merry' on the front...

It also comes with some super cute goodies inside! Here is a little tree ornament all decked out with pastel balls and vintage rick rack!

And here we have a snowflake wand which describes Winter perfectly......'Brrr', lol.

Best of all, these pails each come with a little white feather wreath! Yummy!

This is the other one.....it's a mint green color....

This one says 'Christmas'.....

It comes with a bottle of 'snow'......which has a mint green sugared crown on top!

The green pail also comes with this cute Tussie ornament! It's got the sweetest vintage angel near the top....

And a rhinestone jewel at the bottom! The green pail also comes with a feather wreath!

Next up are my Super Luxe ornaments.....these sort of took on a life of their own, lol!

They just kind of grew and grew, and when I saw how big they were getting, I decided to just make them as big and fluffy and foofy as I could!!!

This one is done with icy pale blue accents. It's got a blue vintage earring. I will have more closeups in my Etsy for these.....

This one says 'Fa La La' and has a vintage rhinestone pin and vintage lace accents....

This next one says 'Noel' and comes with vintage rhinestone and lace accents, too!

This last one has a glittered bird with a pink feathered tail and a pink rhinestone pin!

Okay, this next one just melts my heart!!!

This is a vintage ornament that I've altered a bit. The little angel has the sweetest face ever!! All I did on her face was give her what all good angels need.....a little blush! :)

In addition to her original foil wings, I've given her some pink feathered wings! I glittered the bell she sits on and added a little sign that says 'Giggle'.

Cutest of all though, is the little vintage angel 'doll' I gave her! It, too, has the sweetest little face and pale pink wings!

I think they make a cute pair, don't you?

Okay, are you still with me?!

How about something ultra feminine.......

I have two Holiday wreaths listed right now, so I decided to just make one with some yummy vintage sugared roses!

My wreaths can be hung on doors, walls, or used in an entirely different way....

Like on a cake stand with a candle in the middle! This would make a lovely centerpiece!

Now, I've saved my favorite piece for last!
This is called 'Winter Wishes'......

It features a graceful glittered deer standing under an archway of snowy white feathers!

Around the deer's neck is a ruffly crepe paper and rose garland!

This would be a wonderful centerpiece on a wintertime table! It looks good sitting flat or displayed on a cake stand for added height.

Feathers and a crepe paper ruffle encircle the entire piece for added whimsy and plenty of fluffy goodness!

The deer stands on a snowy path, like he has come out from a snowy wood to greet the cold Winter's morning!

Across the front is a banner which reads 'Winter Wishes'. So if you're wishing for something special this year, maybe this is the piece for you!

Well, everyone, that just about does it for my Open House! Thanks for stopping by and for being so patient while I got all my ducks in a row!

I will be listing everything you see here in my Etsy shop immediately after I finish this post!

Remember to leave a comment and I'll enter you in my drawing for the 'Bonne Annee' ornament!

Big hugs to you all!!!

A Little Update

2007-12-10T10:27:00.000-05:00

Hey gals!

I'm sooooooo close to having my open house ready........it will be either tonight or early tomorrow!

It's so hard to gets things done when you have little kids!!! Seriously, you ladies who have little ones and still manage to get things accomplished have my TOTAL RESPECT!!!! :)

One more thing....

Please, please pray for my brother in law. His name is Adam. He has Crohn's Disease and hasn't been doing very well. He's had problems with infections that won't go away and he's lost a bunch of weight.

Well today, actually right now.....he's in an Indy hospital getting ready to be taken in for exploratory surgery. My husband is up there right now with him.

Adam's a great guy......very funny and super nice. Please pray that he'll come through this and that this surgery will help him.

Thanks so much everyone!

Still Alive!

2007-11-29T16:32:00.000-05:00

Boy, does time get away from me or what!!!

I'm still here....trudging along, trying to get ready for my Open House which is this Monday the 3rd!!!

We've all been sidelined by STREP THROAT!!! ACK!!!

Be sure to come by on Monday!!!

YUMMY STUFF AHEAD!!!! :)

Enjoy your weekend everyone!!!

Madame Fifi and Exciting News!!!

2007-11-08T16:43:00.000-05:00

Hello gals!

This is gonna be short and sweet......I've got sooooo much work to do to get ready for a certain something I'll tell you about in just a minute!

First however..... Have you ever seen that funny graphic online that people use, it says something like....'I have no idea what you just said, so here's a bunny with a pancake on it's head'......and there's a funny pic of a bunny with, for some unknown reason, an actual pancake on it's little head?

Anyhoo.......

How about this instead? I have no idea what you're talking about.....

So here's a little bird with the Eiffel Tower on her head!!!

Everyone meet Fifi!!!!

Actually, she prefers to be called 'Madame' Fifi!! You see, all her life Fifi has wanted to go to Paris!

She has dreamed and dreamed of the romantic French city, and she knows in her little birdie heart that it's right where she belongs......

She made a special hat for herself that she proudly wears everywhere she goes!

All of the other little birds thinks she's quite silly and even a little bit eccentric, but Fifi doesn't care!

She is quite happy to sit on her lovely nest and enjoy her own little French world she has created for herself!

Sweet little Fifi is going to flutter over to Etsy for awhile.......

Now, on to the exciting news! I am planning on having a Christmas open house here on my blog! It is going to be on Dec. 3.

Mark your calendars ladies!!! You are NOT going to want to miss this! I've got some luscious goodies in the works! And......I'm going to have a little Christmas giveaway!

Trust me, you WANT to be there.........we're talking some major Shabby Chic yummies gals!!!!

Okay! I'm off to list Fifi! Good night!!!!

Short and Sweet

2007-10-24T13:35:00.000-04:00

Ack!

Where does the time go? I can't believe it's been almost two weeks since my last post!

I've got to get on the ball ladies!!!

I'm going to have a really big post soon, as well as a huge update for my Etsy shop! Get ready.........;)

For now though it's going to be short and (very) sweet! Guess who turned 1 year old the other day?

My little sweetpea! This was her "nice" cake for guests.

This little chocolate one was her personal cake! Here she goes.....

Lol, you know that movie Poltergeist, when the meat on the counter starts kind of imploding from the inside? Why does that last picture make me think of that?!?!

See ya!

In A Christmas Mood

2007-10-11T16:33:00.003-04:00

I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready for Christmas!!!

Well, I'm not actually ready for Christmas.....I've got sooooo much I've got to do before it gets here.....but I'm already getting in the Christmas mood big time!

Last night we watched Home Alone while I worked on some new Christmas wreaths. What is it about that movie that always makes me feel so happy and giddy inside?

Anyhoo......

How many of you are planning on having a pink Christmas?

Then this may be of interest to you......

This is one of my new wreaths. It says "Have A Pink Christmas" and what Shabby Chic lovin' gal doesn't want to have that? I know I do!!!

This would look very nice on a front door like I have pictured above.....

Or, hanging on a large mirror....

Or, if you're not a pink kind of gal.....then maybe you'd like a white Christmas....

This wreath is all snowy white goodness!

It says "Wishing For Snow"

It's got a pretty glittery banner that sparkles just like snow!

My wreaths always come with plenty of ribbon so they are super easy to hang wherever your heart desires!

I am going to be listing these in my Etsy shop later on today!

You can always custom order these in your choice of colors, sayings, etc. Just send me an email or convo me over at Etsy.

I've got other Christmas projects in the works.....ornaments, Christmas themed Whimsy Pails, and more!

And now......

For the cherry on top of my little Christmas post, check out this gorgeous shadowbox I got from Miss Rhea!

Isn't it adorable? It's sooooo sparkly and happy!

I can't wait til it's time to decorate for the holidays.....

This little sweetie is going to be front and center!

Sooooo sweet!!!!! Be sure to go visit her yummy blog today!

Have a great afternoon everyone!

Whoops!

2007-10-08T17:24:00.000-04:00

My date is off on my last post! I actually posted it today, Oct. 8. I am going over to Etsy right now to list Angel Bunny! Have a great night everybody!!! :)

Say Hello to my Little Friend

2007-10-06T16:29:00.003-04:00

Don't worry!

This little friend is quite harmless. In fact, she's pretty angelic!

Let me introduce you all to.......

Angel Bunny!

Poor little Angel Bunny!

No matter how hard she tries, she just can't be good!

Notice her little crooked halo?

She wants so much to be a good little bunny, like all of her friends in Bunny Heaven!

But it's just so hard.......

She's been warned that if she gets into the angel's carrot patch just one more time, she's going to be kicked out of Bunny Heaven for good!

I have a bad feeling she's going to be evicted from the heavenly realms sometime tonight......and I bet she's going to land right smack dab in my Etsy shop!

The poor thing! Hopefully, she will find a new home..... someplace where she will be appreciated and can eat all the yummy carrots her little bunny heart desires! ;)

Bloglandia Ball

2007-09-26T10:00:00.002-04:00

It's the Bloglandia Ball! Everyone is getting all gussied up in their dreamy best! Please go here for more details...http://www.elizabethbunsen.typepad.com/

Be careful though, ladies!!! I'm playing Cupid tonight! If I see anyone looking a little bit lonely, they may get shot with one of my glittery darts!

Have a beautiful time at the ball.....and remember, if anyone needs help in the love department... call me!

Tagged Again!

2007-09-22T16:20:00.000-04:00

Hello All!

I just got tagged by Britt! Please visit her here:http://sparkledvintagecharm.blogspot.com/. She's extremely talented and makes such beautiful jewelry!

Ok! Here are the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules

2. Share 7 facts about YOU: some random, some weird....all devastatingly interesting.

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them)

4. Let them know they've been tagged by a comment to their blog.

Devastatingly interesting, LOL.

I don't think there's anything devastatingly interesting about me, so let's just go for weird, LOL! Here goes....

1. My middle toe is longer than my big toe! I've heard that means you're supposed to be bossy. I guess you'd have to ask my husband if that's true... ;)

2. I had a huuuuge crush on Paul McCartney growing up. I mean huge.

The whole daydream about someday being called Dara McCartney, that whole thing, LOL. Now I'm completely indifferent to him! Isn't it weird how certain dreams you have do a complete 180 in your lifetime? Sort of like the whole "Movie Star" dream I used to have. I used to think that if I didn't become a famous actress, life was just not going to be worth living, LOL. Now I honestly can't imagine my life any other way than what it is.....being a happy stay at home mom with my two babies and the love of my life, Tim.

3. I like to put hazelnut creamer and one packet of hot chocolate in my coffee every morning. It's pretty good! I haven't been drinking coffee for very long, but I am totally addicted.

4. I'm a big yard sale fan! I've been going since I was a little girl. I get almost giddy when I get something cute for really cheap. One of my best finds of all time was a vintage cowboy blanket. These people had it on the ground, I mean had it laying on actual dirt. They were using it to keep a bunch of old beat up stuffed animals off the ground!! I asked the lady if it was for sale and she said something like "you mean that old blanket?" She asked what I would give for it and I said 50 cents or something and she sold it to me! I took it home and washed it and it's awesome! It's on Timmy's bed right now. I'll have to post some pics of it someday.

5. My name is Dara! Some people think it's Sophie. That's okay!! It doesn't bother me in the least, but Sophie is my little girl's name. The one getting mad at me right now because I'm typing instead of getting her a graham cracker, LOL.

6. I've always felt a strong connection with the 1940's and 50's. I don't know why! I feel like I should have lived back then. The world just seemed like a more romantic place.

7. Tornadoes scare me silly! Every year we get warnings for them and every year I'm scared to death.

All righty then! Now I'm going to tag Angelina, Amy from Bunny Rose Cottage, Miss Rhea, Cheryl from Rosey Posey Confections, and Linda from Restyled Home. I know it's not seven, but I've got a grumpy girl on my hands and no coffee in my system, so I'll see you all later!!

Yummy Stuff

2007-09-19T12:40:00.001-04:00

Good Grief!

Have you ever just blinked and it's been like a week later? That soooo just happened to me! It's actually kind of scary, especially when you have little ones. I'm afraid one day I'm going to wake up and they're going to be married and out of the house. Of course, once the teenage years hit, I may not be that scared, lol.

Which reminds me, you haven't met my sweet little guy yet!

This is Timmy!

This was on his first day of Kindergarten.....he looks a little uncertain doesn't he?

He's already had to deal with a bully! And guess what? She's a girl!!!

He's really sensitive, and I was worried about boys picking on him, but never a girl! I guess she's quite the little handful! The teacher made her apologize to Timmy for some things she said, and that made him feel a lot better.

I told him to always be nice to her no matter what, because you never know what could be going on behind the scenes with people.

Now, on to the yummy part of today's post!

These first pictures are of a wreath I just made for the super nice Angelina of Retro Whimsy Greetings. You can visit her here: http://beautifulcards.blogspot.com/

She made me her artist of the week! Thank you sooooo much Angelina!!!!!

She was wanting a Christmas wreath, and I had so much fun making it!

I really hate to see it go, but I know it's going to a good home!

It really put me in the Christmas mood! I looove having everything all pink and girly at Christmas! Heck, I love having everything all pink and girly year round! My poor husband.

Okay! Now I'd like to show you something I've been working on all week! I had so much fun making these!!!

I'm calling them "Whimsy Pails" and they are going to be chock full of yummy stuff!

I'm making them in pale pink, pale blue, and (my favorite) mint green! They will each have a color "theme" meaning the pink one will have yummy pink stuff inside, the blue one will have blue stuff and so on!

This is a little tag I made for the green one...

This is a little Tussie Mussie I made for the blue one...

And this is a teeny tiny party hat I made for the pink one!

Each will have a little bottle of some whimsical fun!

"Mermaid Tears" for the blue, "Fairy Dust" for the pink, and "Moon Beams" for the green!

Also included in each one will be one full sheet of vintage sheet music and a few surprises! I plan on making them in these colors, but each one will always be unique! Some may have more vintage goodies inside and some may have more handmade goodies, but I promise they will all be yummy!

I plan on listing these in my Etsy shop tonight. I've also got several other things I will be adding in the next day or two!

See you soon!

Tagged!

2007-09-12T08:46:00.003-04:00

Yikes!

I've been tagged for the first time! I hope I do this right!! Here goes.....

Here are the rules....You must state the rules before you state the facts. The facts are to name one thing relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you do not have a middle name, then choose the middle name you wish you had. Then, you tag one person for each letter of your middle name and let them know they've been tagged.

Okay! (deep breath) My middle name is Mickey. I was named this after my beautiful grandma who sadly is no longer with us. Her name was Mildred, but everyone called her Mickey.

M......Mother of two sweet kids
I....... I am a Christian
C.......Charles....the name of my sweet uncle who recently passed away
K.......Kindness.....what I value most in people
E.......Energy.......what I need more of!!
Y........I yearn to see my uncle and grandma again some day!

I am going to tag Natasha, Cheryl, Amy, Lori, Heather and Jessi! If any of you have already been tagged before for this, I apologize!

Okay!

I have been working on a whole slew of new things for my shop! I am going to try to list some things on Friday....if my little ones will let Mama get some work done, LOL.

Wanna see a little preview?

A sweet baby.....

A fluffy friend....

Mermaid tears?

Have a great week!!!

Etsy Shop!

2007-09-06T22:12:00.001-04:00

I did it!!!

I finally opened my Etsy shop! I'm officially a business woman, LOL.
It's kind of sad looking....someday I'll have to gussy it up a little bit....get a cool banner and all that!

I listed my "Petite Fleur" party hat and my "Fluff" pillow.
I've got alot more I'm working on that I will be listing soon!
Well, I'm off to craft some more! Have a great night!

We Have A Winner!

2007-09-05T17:25:00.001-04:00

Congrats Cheryl!!!

You are the new owner of my little pink hat. Hope you like it!!!

I honestly wish I could give all of you nice ladies a present!!! You've been so sweet in your comments to me. I will definitely have more giveaways!

I am going to try to list some things with Etsy tomorrow!

This little hanging pillow is one of them....

Labor Day Thoughts

2007-09-03T16:44:00.001-04:00

You know, if you had told me ten years ago that I would be starting my own business, I never would have believed it! This is just not like me! I'm a very shy person and I can't believe I'm actually going through with all this! I'm forcing myself out of my shell, and it's really, really scary. Sometimes I get racked with doubt.....wondering if I'm making a big mistake. But when I read your encouraging comments, it really truly helps me to press on. So, thank you!!!

Well, on to other things! Did you hear there is going to be a ball? How beautiful and romantic is that! We're all invited!!! Go here for more details......http://www.elizabethbunsen.typepad.com/

I have been hard at work on my ball gown........wanna take a peek?

This next picture is of a project I did yesterday. It's for a sweet little relative who's turning one year old.

Lastly, I've been thinking about entering Sophie in a baby contest that a local town puts on each fall. I've never done anything like this before. I can't say I'm 100% in love with the idea of a baby contest, but my husband won this particular one when he was a baby....and I thought it would be so cute if Sophie could win just like her Daddy did! I'm leaning towards doing it.....so please wish me luck!! Because if she doesn't win, I'll probably cry, LOL.

I took a few pics of her today. I tried to get a good head shot to use for the contest.

I will let you know the winner of my giveaway on Wednesday! See you then!

Giveaway!!!

2007-08-31T18:41:00.001-04:00

Hi all you nice ladies out there! I've got some good news!

In celebration of the upcoming opening of my Etsy shop, I am having a little giveaway.....

This is a little hat I made that is reminiscent of the pillbox hats from the 1940's (my favorite decade!) Here it is being worn by my favorite model... :)

For a chance at winning this hat, all you have to do is leave a comment for this post! On Wednesday the 5th, I will write down everyone who has left one and I'll ask my hubby to draw the winning name. Good Luck!

I am planning on opening my shop this next week! I am going to have lots of yummy stuff!!! Stay Tuned!

A Mini Makeover

2007-08-25T10:44:00.002-04:00

First of all, thanks soooo much for all of the sweet comments you ladies have left for me! I truly appreciate all the encouraging words! I'm very happy to be here in blogland!

I thought I'd share with you a little project I recently did....

I found this poster at our grocery store of all places!

I thought this was so cute! And for 50 cents you can't really go wrong! So I bought it and decided it needed a little makeover....

I took some pretty paper and made the dress form a new outfit!

I just glued everything right on top of the print. Then I added a little paper rose for a corsage. I think it looks a lot more 'girly girl' now, which is right up my alley!

One More Thing....

2007-08-24T21:14:00.000-04:00

Does it break some blogging rule if you post more than once a day? Oh well, LOL.

When I look at other blogs, I love to see pics of the people who write them. It makes it so much more personal and helps you to realize that there's a flesh and blood person there. I thought I would post a couple so I wouldn't be some faceless stranger!

These are of me and my sweet little rosebud!

Ta Da!

2007-08-24T08:38:00.001-04:00

Well, I've officially finished my first piece! I have several others that are almost there, but just need a little tweaking. If I could only learn to finish one before I start another!

Okay! Drum roll, please!

This is a party hat! It was definitely inspired by my love of all things Shabby Chic. It says "Petite Fleur" which means "Small Flower" in French. I thought that would be fitting for the sweet little girl in the picture. (Aren't all little girls like flowers? So sweet and pretty?) It sits on a base, so it would be used for a table top decoration. Maybe at a little girl's birthday party?

So anyway, this is one example of what I've been up to lately! I will be putting this and a few other things on Etsy soon, I will let you all know when!

New Girl in Town!

2007-08-23T11:11:00.001-04:00

Hi Everyone!

My name is Dara. I'm a 30 year old SAHM who is off in pursuit of her dreams! I've always loved making things and I've always loved anything vintage. It's taken me 30 years to put two and two together, LOL. That's okay, better late than never, right? ;)

I am super excited to announce the grand opening of my crafting business~~Sophie Rose Designs. I decided to name it after my ten month old daughter, a source of much happiness and inspiration to her Mama. I will be selling on Ebay and Etsy and hopefully someday will have my own website. Thanks so much for stopping by! Please feel free to leave comments!

Here are a few little things I have in the works...