I Heart Home

Sweet little birdy dress

Bird medallion dress 7/8
Originally uploaded by kinchimama

I adore this "upcycled" tea towel. i would have certainly chose this dress from my closet is I were still this small:)

Getting Ready for a New Season

Although the fall season has arrived, it certainly takes it's time kicking into action around here. For instance, the temperature was a whopping 93 degrees today! I wished the weather would hurry up and cool off, especially after browsing through some of my photos from around this time last year. I mean I'm ready to put on a sweater, jump into a pile of leaves, and carve a pumpkin. I know, I know soon enough. Here are some photos that I came across, thought you might enjoy a little peek into my home. 

For those of you not in my class, wink-wink, I am trying out the new Picnik website that I just found about over at Blogging Your Way, an e-course that I'm taking through Decor8. As a designer, I've always defaulted to Photoshop, which is a great program to use on certain projects, but can be very time consuming for preparing blog photos. Leslie Shewring, a fabulous photographer that authors the blog  A Creative Mint and is also a guest instructor on BYW, shared with us this easier way to edit and creatively display images online. I've got one four-letter word to describe it, L-O-V-E; and oh I have another, E-A-S-Y. Lots of options chicas, and it's FREE!! (yet another wonderful four-letter word). Check it out!

Drive Surprise

A few weeks ago, my husband and I took a Sunday drive through the mountains on an old two-lane highway. It's a cruise we've taken a lot, but this time it ended up being an real treat! 

 

We came upon a yard sale and pulled over to check it out--I cannot believe that my honey was up for this. Anyway glad he was, because we found some super-neat, vintage treasures. I took pictures of a few of our purchases so you can see for yourself. Probably needless to say but, I heart yard sales!

 
 

I've Been Featured!

I am absolutely bursting with excitement! I have been featured on Heather Thompson's blog Gathering Spriggs. Please stop by to read my interview and view some of my photography. And if you feel so compelled, I would love for you to enter a comment on her blog:) 
 

No More Mundane

Have you ever noticed how a grouping of similar objects makes the mundane so much more interesting? Maybe it's because each piece of a collection compliments the other. Well, whatever it is, I absolutely love collections!

Over the summer, I accumulated lots of items from various places. I took some new and a little of the old and grouped them together to create a few new collections to share with you. Above are some hankies that I found at a garage sale. There were about 50 of them for $10. Flowers are on most of them, so I thought it would be fun to display them in a vase. 

 

Here is a jewelry box that I bought at a barn sale. I filled it with some beads and baubles that I've had hidden away in plastic bins.

 

Last week we took a short trip to Santa Barbara. During our walk on the man-made harbor (I don't know what the technical term is), anyway, we were lucky enough to find this treasure trove of sea glass.

I hope you find my collections as inspiring as I have. It was a lot of fun! 

Pretty Tease...

I'm still here, I haven't forgotten about you all! First and foremost, I must let you in on my little secret. I have been trying to hold off until I have all the elements set into place, but I'm absolutely bursting at the seams! Here it is...I've been working diligently on my upcoming "special-offer" that I will be revealing to all of you, soon! Give me a few more days. I don't want to ruin the surprise, so I'll save the details about my "giveaway" blog for later. Oops, I slipped a little! Oh, well, you're bound to find out sooner than later, anyway. Here's a photo to wet your appetite--a LOT.... Check back, because you don't want to miss out on this one!!

Flower Power

I can’t seem to resist strolling through my garden every chance I get. Literally, my flowers seem to have this strong power that entices me into their fragrant and visually beautiful world. When I feel stressed, or my eyes are strained after sitting too long at my computer, or I simply need a breath of fresh air, I just step into my garden, and I am instantly rejuvenated. What seems to be the most insignificant thing, like watching a bud getting ready to blossom, or a random plant popping up far away from where it originated, or pruning, or pulling weeds gives me the greatest feeling of peace.

 

It's also been great to watch my garden landscape come together after years of nurturing. I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a green-thumb, the sprinkler system has worked wonders. But, after many costly trips to the nursery and a few failed attempts with finicky plants, I’ve come to realize that perennials seem like the best bet. For me, these have been the hardiest, most cost-efficient, and low-maintenance choice of plants. And, they smell great too!

Fairy gardens are another favorite of mine. And, these gardens are so versatile, what I mean is that you can create a giant fairy village or you can simply keep it confined to a small pot. I think these would be perfect on a patio, as an urban garden, or a great "beginner-garden" for kids. The best selection of miniature (fairy) plants that I’ve found is at the M&M nursery, which is located in Orange, CA. That’s an hour and half from me, so I don’t get to go there as often as I would like. Boo-hoo! 

Here are a few pictures that I took on my last visit to the "fairy" nursery.

 

Overall, I feel blessed to have an amazing bit of nature right outside my door--my garden. It has been something that continues to peak my interest day after day.

Pretty Collections

I spend a lot of my time in the kitchen, although my husband does most of the cooking. But, other than a place for making meals, it’s become a meeting place for our family. Our friends and family enter our home through the kitchen door, rather than the formal entryway, so it’s a greeting place, too. Having said all of that, it seemed only appropriate that I decorate it in cheerful, pink flowers! On the main wall in the “breakfast nook” (that’s what I’ll call it, because it has no exact function at this time), I have displayed my collection of mostly pink, rose-y plates. (I must admit that my mom helped me hang these plates in this most delightful arrangement—she’s a natural.) Doesn’t this look like the perfect place to have morning tea? Yeah, I just realized, I really need to start doing that!

 

A lot of my china is hidden away in a cabinet, never to be seen. So the other day, I decided to pull out some of my favorite pieces so that I could practice my photography. I almost forgot what I had; I need to get in there more often!

 

By the way, before I go, I wanted to tell you that everything I blogged about today, I found at various garage and estate sales. The plates ranged from $1 - $9 each and the teacups and saucers were $6 for a set of four. The hand-painted rose pitcher was $2. What a bargain! I’m seriously feeling the urge to go garage-sale-ing this weekend!!! (I always get butterflies when I do this, don’t you?)

Where Was I...

Over the past few weeks--well, months--I’ve been completely consumed with getting this blog up and running. As some of you may have experienced, there is a bit of techno-knowledge that one must become familiar with. Once I began to understand how things worked, I was on to my next task--custom design. And then, of course, listing my blog on various search engines. To make a very long story short, I’m pooped! I’m ready for the fun stuff!! So, back to my original mission… I would like to share with you some of my recent inspirations that I’ve found in and around my home.

I’ve had this old Singer, hand-crank, sewing machine forever—well, since I was about nine years old. My father bought it for me. I thought it was the neatest thing ever. None of my friends had anything like it. And, I immediately felt this was my invitation to the world of fashion. It wasn’t easy, but Barbie got a whole new wardrobe that year! Now, I just display it in my home—I still think it’s beautiful.

I can’t remember where these paper flowers came from, but when I got them, I wrapped them around this wall sconce. Very sweet.

Hope you all have a nice and safe weekend. And, if you have some time away from work this holiday, look around your home to see if you can find things that you truly love. I'd love to hear about them. Thank you for visiting!

I See Red, Too!

I am so excited to be participating in the "I Saw Red" game. I can't believe it's Thursday night, and I'm just finding out about this. I guess too much work, work, work, no time to play!

Ok, enough of my moaning. Here's the skinny, one of my very favorite blogs, published by Sadie Olive, has started this fun little task. You simply find anything and everything red and share it through your photography. Needless to say, this has given me the inspiration I needed to get busy on my new blog.

I've posted some old photos that I had on hand. But, I want to take more!!! I have lots of ideas, yet so little time left (before the game-color changes, that is!). So here they are, enjoy!

Here is a giant hollyhock in my front yard. My gardener planted it voluntarily, I had no idea what it would become. A real, BIG, red beauty.

I'm not sure what the official name is for this plant, I just refer to it as the red, pipe cleaner. I think it's normally a tree, however these have been trimmed into bushes along the porch of my mom's home. Very red, very fluffy.

I took this photo on a day trip, up the coast, to the Mission San Juan Capistrano. They have a beautiful courtyard garden inside the mission, definitely worth the hour car ride. Anyway, amidst all the gardens and architectural beauty, I was captivated by these ordinary red candles. Not something I had seen before. Having grown up in a Baptist home in Texas, the Catholic religion and rituals continue to fascinate me.

These are the very red, High-Society climbing roses that bloom rampantly, just outside my office window. My grandma gave me this gift when my son was born. It makes me smile and completely calm when I see it. (It's a nice break from the computer.) And, it smells wonderful, too!

Despite his rough and tough personality, it makes me so happy that my son is beginning to share my love for all things beautiful in the garden.