Westie, Art & Garden...by Candylei

Valentine Tokens of Affection

2012-02-11T19:20:00.001-08:00

Sweet Valentine candy hearts.

How lovely to arrange a heart on each spoon.

A little extra pretty at the table.

They have a vintage Victorian look.

Drop a candied heart into your tea cup!

Our sweet teacups from Anthropologie.

Connecting with:

French Country Cottage

Valentine Hearts in the Kitchen

2012-02-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

Don't you believe in putting love into your cooking?

I do! Red pepper hearts for the little valentines.

Sweet things don't always mean it's full of sugar.

We didn't eat on time

as you can see I had alot of fun
preparing dinner.

This just shows hearts can

be put back together with love.
I did eventually get my fajitas made.

Kids love visual shapes at the table.

Fresh vegetables are good for everyone.

Red fruits and vegetables are loaded with goodies.

And, of course, I had to save the red pepper seeds!

Connecting up with The Rose Garden in Maleviks Party

Westie Valentine Dog

2012-02-08T19:02:00.000-08:00

Here's one of my Valentine boys.The hairest one.

I tried to put a red ribbon on his head. He shook it off and played with it instead. He sees the cat do that so you can't blame him.

We have a nice clean landscape right now. Snow freshens up and brightens up everything. Makes it right slippery too! Some of the Canada geese are still here. There are 6 who stayed behind this winter. Mr. Red Fox is out in the fields, but I never have my camera when I see him. I don't want him eating the geese eggs this spring.

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White and Rhubarb Raspberry Valentine Hearts

2012-02-07T19:10:00.000-08:00

Any excuse to whip cream.

My favorite Lenox bowl to whip it in. Got out my heart cookie tin.

Played a bit. I spooned some whipped cream into the heart cookie cutter and lifted it up. So pretty. Would anyone like a little whipped cream on the side of their dessert?

Here is the treat! Rhubarb raspberry crisp. It's so good. It makes you pucker up your mouth and squint your eyes because of the tartness, then the sweetness kicks in and it's oh, so good.

A little mini heart on top.

The little whipped heart grew. Not only are the heart cut outs very Valentine like, they also make for smaller servings which is just what I need.

Connecting up with White Wednesday
A Beach Cottage

English Style Cottage Garden at My Fingertips

2012-02-05T11:06:00.001-08:00

Pop up gardening book!

I feel like Cinderella when I open it.

From above they are just as pretty!

When you open the pages they spring to life

which is what we are waiting for outside.

Books like this were first made in the 1800's

but this one is fairly recent

I picked it up at Goodwill

It has provided lots of inspiration and dreaming

The soft colors of roses, delphiniums and other

cottage flowers make my heart pitter patter faster

Isn't this just dreamy?

Someone has already cut flowers for me!

No deer or groundhogs in this garden

Just flowers and sunshine.

I've collected a few of these books

from the outside you can't tell

what suprises will justle about when

you open the book.

I am still a kid at heart

With a drawer full of seeds to plant

and some in the refrigerator too!

Connecting with Pink Saturday

and Maleviks Rose Garden

Valentine Treats Every Day

2012-02-03T19:20:00.000-08:00

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My new motto:

"Make every day above average," by Candylei

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Today I did!

Linking up with:

French Garden House
Katherine's Corner

Gardenia and Primrose and...

2012-02-02T11:48:00.000-08:00

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A stroll through the local garden nursery turned into aroma therapy. This sweet scented white gardenia relaxes every muscle in your body. I always feel invigorated after a walk down the aisles. Light of heart and mind, but a longer list of plants and seeds on my wish list.

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Light and airy would describe the white primroses. A large grouping of these would be terrific and eye catching! They are so beautiful and feminine that we really don't miss a scent. They have many other attributes. Today I got busy and got my hands dirty. All of the extra lavender plants that have been grouped by the veranda/porch were finally given a place in the garden. We've had a few days at 63 and it is fabulous! Things are getting accomplished outside. Yay!

Connecting up to French Country Cottage.

Ring Bearer Bird Nest Pillow With White Flowers

2012-01-31T19:15:00.000-08:00

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I love soft things like moss, soft grass and little feathers. There is a little collection of bird nests in my house that I have picked up off of the ground after summer thunder storms. One such nest fell on the floor today and the outer portion of the nest cracked off. To toss it... or not I asked as I held it in my hands? No. It was so soft and light. A mother bird had really worked hard on this house.

I sprayed the little softie-nest white. Set it up on a white urn (98 cents from thrift shop) and then I wondered what I could do with it. A little "real" moss sat in the center (it made me wonder what it would feel like to sleep on a moss bed) all plump and pretty ready for a bird family.

The idea came to make it a ring bearer pillow...all soft and sweet! I took some of the white carnations--love that clove scent--and made a little carnation lei around the top, not stitched together but tucked under the moss bed. It was pretty enough to set on the urn as well, but it is perfect for a ring bearier to carry down the aisle at a wedding.

That is my actual wedding band that I squeezed and twisted-squeezed and twisted some more-all the while remembering when it used to be loose! This is my husband's grandmother's wedding band. My original Hawaiian wedding ring did fall off and I never did find it. Often they put a ring on the pillow that if the ring bearer loses in the excitement of getting ready and doing cartwheels or jumping like a frog and if the ring gets lost it is not a problem...the Best Man has the "real one." Did any of you have an all white bridal bouquet? I did. I guess that should have been a sign that I would love white decorating down the road!

It's exciting to recycle nature's gifts, even if they are fragile.

Connecting up with these friends:

White Wednesday
The Picket Fence
Wow Us Wednesdays
House in the Roses
The Vintage Farmhouse
Beyond The Picket Fence

Paris Dress

2012-01-29T12:01:00.000-08:00

For the love of paper!

Look at these beautiful paper dresses

I'm in love with them

Lately I've been working with paper

No fumes paints

No pins and needles to step on

No expensive supplies

and yet it's rewarding in the

creative sense.

I didn't make these darlings,

but I wish for some Paris robes.

Eileen Blue White Floral China England

2012-01-26T14:50:00.000-08:00

The sweetest old china platter

It's old, but new for me and this blue

and white says SPRING.

Now I know why Mother's always

want their kids to eat everything...

because the plates are so beautiful!

Any food would look good on this platter.

W.H. Grindley made these dishes.

Do you see the cruise ship on top

of the globe?

It cost me only pennies and it dates

between 1891 and 1914.

This dish has been around!

I wish I knew alot more about

old pottery houses in England.

Some trade mark stamps

identified here at The Potteries

Connecting with:

Vintage Inspiration Friday

The Shabby Nest Frugal Friday

Feathered Nest Friday

My Romantic Home

The Charm of Home

Farmhouse Friday

Dollhouse Cottage Painted White

2012-01-24T13:11:00.000-08:00

It's pretty amazing what white paint can accomplish! I got a little dollhouse and I wanted it to fit in with our decor. My two paper dolls live here now. They haven't spent their first night in it yet, but they are happy and going to plant a cottage garden around it.

A little moss from outside gives this dollhouse soft footings! (The little boy needed something to water.)

Furnishing are needed. Do they have a craiglist for dolls? Just kidding. They will have to be made by myself and it's going to be a fun challenge. Not that I need any more challenges...but this will be fun! And it will have a white decor, Scandinavian and French whites.

This is the before picture. It went from cute to ethereal! The spray paint I used was purchased from Kmart and it's Rust-oleum 2x. They advertise that in one can you get two can's worth of paint and you only need one coat to fully cover metal, wood or plastic. This was a plastic type of resin dollhouse and I love this paint worked! Wow did it ever cover it in one coat. I am so impressed with it and I still have lots of paint left in the spray can that cost 3.99 which is reasonable.

I am connecting with White Wednesday.

Show off your cottage Monday.

Romantic Home

Godinger Silver and Pomegranates

2012-01-22T11:50:00.000-08:00

Vintage looks better when it looks well, vintage. I got this Godinger silver plate platter at the thrift store and I don't think it was ever used. It looks too shiny for me, but I know in just a month or two if left out it will start to tarnish beautifully. Plump red grapes, juicy blackberries and tart pomegranate seeds look sassy on the tray. The tray is a bit gawdy for me, but when it's filled up properly it looks just right! The last photo is a new modern tray from Godinger. Wouldn't this leaf handled hammered tray look great on a wall? On another note, I read that one of Godinger's best selling items is their flatware called "Old Country Roses" which was designed to go with Royal Albert's Old Country Roses China.

Grainy Sugar Snow

2012-01-21T18:31:00.000-08:00

We got it last night. Snow sifted on us and then little balls of ice. They call it wintery mix. We call it Maryland snow. It gives such a fresh, bright look to the usual winter browns of trees. Then there is the boxwood with the leaves a deep green with the white icing. Nice contrast. I do love English boxwood. It always looks beautiful January through January! June through June. This garden is off of our porch or veranda.

The snow ought to make it easier for the birds to see the berries...

This thuga shrub turns the color of a brown paper bag. The snow covers enough branches so that the ones we see look lacy.

All of the little animal tracks decorate the fields and... roads. Last night I was out driving and there were kids doing donuts at intersections. They were hitting the brakes and doing all of the things you are taught not to if you want to stay on the road. I wonder what their cars look like this morning? Keep on the road and keep warm.

Girls Cotton and Linen Dresses with Lace

2012-01-18T19:01:00.001-08:00

If there are pictures to inspire me

to sew and garden I believe these

are them from Vogue Magazine.

I love the country.

The fields of clover and wild flowers

the gentle breezes that fluff our hair

Cotton, linen, lace,

and family.......

L-O-V-E

Shabby Chic Rose Styling

2012-01-17T14:07:00.000-08:00

My formula for styling.

Keep arranging until it sizzles.

Make it have a lived-in look.

The top is my finished vignette.

I started with some (still) gorgeous

dried white roses.

These were on long stems

from South America.

I couldn't believe how they

dried white/cream and not brown.

I love arranging them in a

heart shape but I also

didn't want them

handled too much by little fists,

so I put them in a vintage pitcher

probably from the 50's

thrift shop purchase 1.00

I like the see through look here.

Then I walked by my rusty

silver platter that I hadn't

put away yet and inspiration hit.

Romantic crystal, candles,

roses and diamonds.

Okay. The "diamonds"

are really glass on a keychain that

I slipped down on the candle.

It cost 2.00

Here is where I stopped.

Doesn't the cream,

silver and white

look charming?

Plus the shimmer even

without the candles lit

gives it a shabby chic style.

Connecting with these friends:

White Wednesday

The House in Roses

Wow Us Wednesdays

Ivy and Elephants

Limoge French Handpainted Tea Cup

2012-01-14T19:03:00.001-08:00

I may not live at Versailles or any great castle, but my home is sweet. Sweet because of who lives here and the little things that brighten our routine. This limoge french tea cup and saucer have a shimmer like a pearl or an abalone shell. It is a handpainted set and I wonder about the painter. Did they have a lovely garden? A big family? Love? I guess I wonder about these things because that is what I have and that is what makes my home sweet.

Connecting to these friends:

French Country Cottage

Common Ground

Hyacinth Perfume

2012-01-12T18:50:00.000-08:00

These little bell flowers on the hyacinth are perfuming my room with loveliness.

Nature's little packages send up beautiful stalks of bell shaped flowers loaded with perfume. Isn't it amazing that you can't smell the fragrance until they open? And that they come out of a round shaped bulb perfectly?

Paper Dolls Winter Whites

2012-01-11T18:33:00.000-08:00

Winter Whites

brighten the room

even if they are small

I made this wee paper doll girl today holding hyacinths.

What better "doll stand" than a bird nest!

She is also keeping the new/old white deer company

I got these for 48 cents and think they are sweet for winter.

The silver plate tray might be made into a chalkboard

since it has rust spots but then again that adds a rustic

quality. Maybe I should just fill the tray with candles?

Linking with White Wednesday.

Farmhouse Prairie Dresses - Gorgeous

2012-01-08T19:35:00.000-08:00

I have some lacy tablecloths and curtains packed away.

Aren't these dresses beautiful?

I would love to put something together like these

Ralph Lauren haute couture dresses.

French Frocks and Ruffle Clothes

2012-01-05T18:53:00.000-08:00

Smitten by french linen ruffles! I can see myself running through the fields and working in the garden. Sit down to dinner in these french robes. Have you ever been to this fab Un Coeur en Provence French blog? Everything is a treat for the eyes, home and "la nature". One of her adverstisers is Artisan Couturier Be sure to visit.

Candied Orange Peel - Cooking Art

2012-01-04T19:14:00.000-08:00

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These candied orange peels are delicious and anyone can make them. All you need is an orange, water and sugar! Simple as can be. Your kitchen will be fragrant and your tastebuds delighted. I am getting more and more like my mother. Frugal. I peeled an orange and as I went to put the peels in the garbage I stopped. A little voice in my head was saying I was throwing away the best part of the orange. Why not make candied orange peel? Nothing to lose. All gain. We get in habits and sometimes it's good to break them. And so after I had just wiped down the stovetop and sink and counters I got out the cutting board and started cutting away the pith. Sliced the peels in strips and dropped them in water and boiled them a few minutes. Emptied out the water and repeated that 4 times. Then added water, orange rind and sugar and simmered them in the syrup it made for 30 minutes or less. Drained them and then dredged them in sugar. They say the blanching takes out the bitterness. They were so sweet and delicious that the compost pile will not be seeing very many orange rinds in the near future. You can snack on these or add to desserts, put on cupcakes, pancakes, whatever. Plus we have the orange flavored syrup for hot chocolate or to add to whipped cream!

It's a new year. Why do we wait for a new year to make resolutions and changes? Tradition, I guess. Really we can change anytime we want to...Which got me thinking about what I want to change or what have I changed? First of all I want to be a better listener and observer. Some people don't communicate what they are thinking or feeling, but if you observe them you will know. Plus it doesn't hurt feelings to observe, it's not like painfully prying out information. Chip, chip, chip, ouch! There is a time to talk and a time to walk. We always want to make other people better, but maybe I will also work on myself! Big project; right?

Thank you for stopping in as I save one orange at a time.

Sweet Baby Knits

2012-01-02T18:07:00.000-08:00

This sweet sweater is darling in a 3 month old size. It's from baby Gap, I didn't knit it even though I wished I could have.

Two Beautiful Blogs

2011-12-30T13:03:00.001-08:00

I have found two beautiful white decorating blogs that I want to share with you. Det Vita's blog is full of wonderful whites and lovely photography.

Also visit Tina's blog at Me and My Shed. Isn't this picture fabulous of her conservatory that she calls her "shed?" If only I had a shed this gorgeous. After visiting these blogs you won't be singing the blues...you'll be singing the dazzling whites!

I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays! Won't be long til school starts again unless we get lots of snow.

Brody Glass Co Bud Vases

2011-12-29T19:43:00.000-08:00

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Today I upgraded some glass vases to a mercury glass look. Sparkle for the new year.

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I did this one first and then I did two more. Three is a charm after all! My gingerbread cookies there on the left.

These vases are readily available for pennies at thrift shops. I took them outside to spray silver paint on as we were having snow flurries. None of the snow stuck.

This Brody company made all different kinds of glass vases and some were colored and some were milk glass. The company started in 1958 and marketed their vases to the florist trade. The company has changed names a few times. I chose three the same height, but with different shapes. They really compliment each other.

With rose buds! I actually have one more step before they are finished. That is the antiquing which gives them true charm. Theses vases look great displayed on a mirror because you get double the shimmer.Total price for this is 3.00 (This gold mirror is in line for a makeover too.)

Connecting up with these friends:

Feathered Nest Friday

Vintage Inspiration Friday

White Chocolate Divine

2011-12-28T19:27:00.000-08:00

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These delicious peppermint white chocolate "melts" were so rich and creamy. I wondered how could I photograph these to show how delicious they were? (I only had two.) The white roses were the best pick. Right in the center and as velvety as the rose petals. A rose pedestal!