A Package At My Door From A Rose Of A Blogger.....

I entered a giveaway at Lisa's blog and much to my surprise and amazement I WON! Now when I tell you that I never win anything, I mean "I NEVER WIN ANYTHING". If I am on the slot machine next to you in Las Vegas, you will start losing and when I enter my name into contests, I undoubtedly win phone calls from telemarketers (don't you know they just want your information to sell to other telemarketers?) Well not this time sweet sista! I won her birthday giveaway and you would have thought it was my birthday with all of the goodies I received......

She starts out with the sweetest little note to me

This very vintage little tile and adorable little dish are probably two of my favorites in the "box of goodies"

A bundle of fabric and hankies and doilies gives me a ton of neat ideas.....

This adorable little black tray (with what else but a rose on it) and mini cup & saucer will look so sweet in a new hutch I purchased recently. I will show that off in another post.

Lovely vintage cards from a time-gone-by.....I love the worn, antique look they cast and the history behind them intrigues me......

Vintage wallpaper pieces, millinery and a little bag of lace puts a smile on my face.....THANK YOU LISA and I must tell you to go and visit her blog at A Thing For Roses . She has the most amazing gift for finding items at yard sales and thrift shops and you will be amazed to see how she turns them into practical and functional items for her home. I had the awesome pleasure of meeting Lisa last summer in an antique shop in Temecula. We didn't even know each other as we stood at the counter but started talking about "blogs" and we quickly recognized eachother from the wonderful community of blogging sisters......she is a very beautiful Rose of a lady......

Debbie Kay

A Beautiful Goodbye And A Few Good Buys.....

The celebration for my dear father was so beautiful and such a lovely time to share how he impacted our lives as a result of knowing him. It is hard letting go but I am so grateful dad knew Jesus and is living forever in Heaven at the foot of the throne with his dear friends and family that went before him. I think about him everyday and will until the day I join him in heaven.....love you dad!!!

While I was visiting with my mother and getting things prepared for the celebration, we managed to find some time to pop into the Goodwill and I spied these little treasures.....

Cute little cherub for $.99, a sweet little bowl with roses on it $.99 and a milk glass footed dish for $1.99.....I thought it was quite worth it.....

My mother was cleaning out her china cabinet and offered this pretty cup and saucer to me....I gladly accepted and added it to my collection of roses....

Look at the sweet little cherub on the base of the display stand. I like to think of it as an angel watching over me in the absence of my father.....very comforting to me......thank you for all of the comments you left for me and the prayers you sent on my behalf. I treasure all the visitors to my blog and appreciate all the friends I have made as a result of this online community.

Love to you all,

Debbie Kay

Not as good as my Friend Joanne.....

Well I was in a baking mood today (even in this heat, I just love to bake) so with the air conditioner on full speed and my convection oven set to 350 I used the lovely recipe that Joanne from Cottage in the Making posted on her blog and made some cupcakes to serve from my very vintage stand......they didn't come out nearly as lovely as the cupcakes Joanne made but she is a professional cake decorator and I am an accounting nerd so she has an unfair advantage over me.....I wonder if she can balance her checkbook with her eyes closed like I can...just kidding.....

I only wanted to make a dozen cupcakes since my family really doesn't like cake-like desserts so I decided I would make this little bundt cake with the remaining batter. I am going to take it to work tomorrow and share it with my co-workers. It is one of the girls birthday this week so I think it will be very appropriate.....hope they like it......

After I finished baking, I felt like finishing some of those spray painting projects that just seem to mount every weekend. Remember these little numbers I scored at the Salvation Army last weekend? Well they didn't stay gold and brass for long.....BEFORE

And AFTER.....

My neighbors always comment on my spray painting and I always smile and say "my treasures are so much happier in white".

My mother gave this mirror to me a few years ago and my husband liked it gold. Not me, so I decided it was time to "make it mine" and paint it.....

That's more like it.......

Wonder how long it will take him to notice......probably forever!!!

Have a wonderful week. I am going up to Northern California at the end of this week for the life celebration for my dear dad so please remember me and my family in prayer as we celebrate him and (try to) say goodbye.....I sure do miss him...

Lots of Love,

Debbie Kay

Lunch Hour Luxuries......

Well I did it again, I popped into this little place next door to where I work and found some delightful treasures.....

I couldn't pass up these beautiful rose plates, I am trying to add to my (very small) collection of vintage plates and these were a very reasonable price.

I don't know what purpose this decorative glass piece serves but I envisioned "Cupcakes" on it when I saw it displayed in the window of the little antique shop.....so I must get to baking some yummy lemon cupcakes to serve from this very vintage server.....

Pretty huh?

Another cute little sugar bowl, I think I might have a "thing" for crystal sugar bowls. They are so feminine and pretty and of course I would offer a pretty silver spoon for serving sugar in this dainty piece. Back to work, lunch is over......

Debbie Kay

Organized Office = Happy Debbie

Well, it took some doing and it took a lot of time coupled with loads of patience (computer chords are very difficult to untangle), but I finally got my office space in the sunroom under control and organized. Now when I sit down at my desk to pay bills or blog or just sit and dream, I can do it in front of a clear space and there is definition to my world.....see if you like it.....I forgot the "before" picture but it is probably just as well, you would have thought me to be a complete slob....... There is a place for my pens, pencils and markers. My little bulletin board from which to hang anything that makes me smile....... A little place to put my address stamps and a pretty note pad. I love pretty stationery and I enjoy using it for little notes to friends....
I found this little etched glass goblet at a little antique shop the other day (I think it cost me $4.00) and I just knew I could use it at my desk for these little cherub stamps that I like to include on envelopes when I send letters and cards.....

My thrift shop cherub gladly holds some adorable tags I purchased from Katie's Rose Cottage. Drop by Lori's website, you will love the sweet treasures she sells....

A friend at my old job gave this wire heart to me and I wasn't sure what exactly it was for, so I spray painted it white, hung a pink ribbon on it and made it a nice little place to display cards, notes and business cards.....

I took the adorable wall pocket that my beautiful friend Jennifer gave me for my birthday and painted it white. I used some rub n buff in silver just to highlight the cherub a little better. It houses my bills that need to be paid.....

I took the flowers from the thrift shop candleabra and cleaned up the little glass sconces. I need to find some pretty crystals and silk roses to weave through it. I did find a little spot in the corner of my desk area for it.

Most evenings I sit at my desk and blog, think, pray, ponder, contemplate and DREAM.

Debbie Kay

Thrift Shop Stop(s)......

I don't have an opportunity most days to get out and mill around the Thrift Shops and so while I was on the other side of town today for an appointment, I decided to seize the opportunity to pop into 2 stores that I normally would not have ventured into. Boy am I glad I did; I scored these sweet treasures and walked out for less than $10.

I just love the ceramic plaques with the roses on them. They had a price tag on the back of them that said $20.00 for the set but the sticker from Salvation Army said $1.99 each. I gladly paid the SA price......

Here is a better look at my new (old) goodies; the sweet little mirror is going to be painted white, the cherubs will lovingly hang on the wall in front of my desk, the adorable little white candlestick has already found a new home under a sweet little cloche in my sun room and the ceramic boot with cottage roses is for a very special friend. I love to play with my new toys when I get them.....and I love to share them with my beautiful friends who mean so much to me.

I don't EVER go on picnics but this adorable little picnic basket was beckoning me and I just could not resist. Perhaps as my life has begun to change and rearrange, I should find time to stop and spend some very special time with my children and people who mean so much to me; a picnic would be such a sweet way to do that!!!

Some chicken salad sandwiches, potato salad and cupcakes for dessert. We could tuck a couple of bottles of Trader Joe's sparkling Lemonade in here and were off on a picnic. Simple and sweet......

Can you believe that this plaster stand was only $3.00? It is kind of torn up at the bottom but I simply turned it around so that the damaged part is facing the wall and it makes a nice addition to my front porch. I purchased a lavender plant recently and I think it will look fabulous on this white stand. Couldn't pass it up at that cost......

These sweet little teacups were $.99 each, how could I say no?

Imagination please with these; I know these will look amazing after they are bathed in white paint. The brass cherubs will adorn a cottage rose picture I have hanging in my sun room and the big chunky candlestick will hold something shabby chic no doubt....

I love the shape of the candlesticks and saw beyond the gold leaf and dark rustic finish. I will share their transformation as soon as the paint dries. I would say my day was good......

Debbie Kay

Just love to make it my own......

These dark and dreary frames were in a "cast off" bin at a local antique store that was closing and a bargain at just $3.00. They were so dark and so ugly but I thought that a coat of white paint and a little imagination could make these a sweet little shabby chic addition to my cottage decor.....

White spray paint, some shabby chic wrapping paper and ribbon makes these as sweet as they can be in my cottage sunroom.....

I hung them from these hooks found on clearance at Michael's.... And since I was on a roll with the paint, I decided that I would turn this rather dark iron piece into a shabby chic shade of none other than "white". It looks so much better and it adorns the mirror in my living room. Remember this very ornate yet dark frame I bought at the Ventura Flea Market?

Well there is no room for gold leaf amongst my cottage treasures.....I am always on the lookout for beautiful frames in antique shops and thrift stores. I would love to showcase a vignette using shabby chic and victorian style frames on a wall in my living room. One (wo)man's trash is most often a treasure just waiting to be born.....

Debbie