Happy Birthdyay Jessica, where did time go

I just want to say a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my lovely daughter Jessica today is her big 21st birthday, I do not know where all the time went. I have included some special photo's to share with all of you. Love you Jess. LOVE MOM

REDECORATING A MUCH NEED SPARE ROOM

Goodmorning all you fellow bloggers out there. What another beautiful day here in the Pacific Northwest. Just wanted to share a few photo's of the spare room we are doing. First off the concrete floor came out better than I thought........I hope you can really tell how rich it looks with the walls and the radiator sitting there. I plan on placing one of my vintage quilts over it...........I just love how it came out. We should have the vintage iron bed in there this weekend. Stay tuned for more. HUGS MARY

INSPIRATION FROM ITALY

Today I want to share some photo's from Italy. Being the quilter and gardener I am, colors and textures give me a lot of inspiration........I am trying to get a spare room fixed for my husband at this time. He is due to have a knee replacement and so our spare room downstairs is getting a big makeover.............. I am useing some of these colors in these photo's for my inspiration. One thing that I have done that I always have been wanting to do is paint a concrete floor all white. My husband agreed with me and we were so happy with the out come. I would highly recommend the new BEHR with primer in it to anyone, we painted the floor the color porcelain. IT CAME OUT WONDERFUL...............I am off to get more done today and when the room is done we will post the photo's. HUGS MARY

Why do we love VINTAGE so much

Hello everyone and hope you are enjoying the start of Fall. I have been asked alot from my friends what makes me like or thrive to buy VINTAGE. I have always liked the look of vintage. I liked the thought of the wear and tear that it had gone through. I remember long ago that I was buying a new table for us to have dinner on and the thought of the kids scrapping the top made me nervous..................everyone said to put a table cover over it, well now why buy something that had to be covered up. I stumbled on a vintage oak table and chairs and it has out lasted the kids growing years and the cost was less for vintage verse a new wood table, imagine that. How do you view the look of vintage? Hugs mary

Colors Mother Nature Gives Us

Hello and happy first day of Fall. I know other areas around blog world are still having summer, here in the PACIFIC NORTHWEST are seeing and feeling fall. I have been taken back every time this year on the colors that Mother Nature provides for us. Being the gardener I am and quilter colors and textures and prints are always in my head. I hope you enjoy the photo's and take a few moments thru out your day to enjoy the colors around you. Hugs Mary

Vintage garden tools and mini greenhouse

Hello all and hope this was a good weekend. Do you know how much I like old garden tools, well I do. I have a garden shovel just like this and it takes me back everytime I see it, first off who made the handle and where was it made. I love old garden buckets, I have been collecting them for some time and when I look at this photo of the bucket resting on the lawn it makes me want to go and gather one of mine up and use it.......................now for the little make-do green house, is this just fabulous. How many of us get those old windows and have x-tra to spare...............alls you need to do is use some wood or bricks or cinder block like this photo and you have a mini green house. Now that fall is in the air would it be cool to have a lot of these. Have a good day. Hugs Mary

VINTAGE LAMP CREATES A SOFT GLOW IN LIBRARY

I wanted to share my vintage plastic doll lamp. I purchased this a while back at a Antique store and just loved it. She had no shade and no dress.............I am sure in the day she would of been dressed just fabulous. I then purchased this shade and vintage veil for pennies.....................and I thought what would happen if I made these into a shade.................my husband told me to place the 5 watt bulb inside for safety reasons. I placed this beauty in my vintage armoire..............and at night I turn this on for a soft glow in my library.........Hope you enjoyed my visit. HUGS MARY

FALL DECORATING

I have bought my first little mini pumpkins! I did not grow any this year do to the vines take up so much room, however next year I am going to do a veggie garden away from the flower garden and that will let the pumpkins be able to go where there heart desires.....................I saw the other day these lovely pumpkins made out of beautiful muslin and bit and pieces of laces........has anyone got any idea if there is a pattern out there for these, if so please let me know. I am going to try and give it a stab to see if I can make them on my own. Have a great day.  HUGS MARY

LOOKING FOR THIS RED FABRIC

Hello blogger's and TGIF!!!! I need to know if anyone knows the name of this fabric that is in this photo. I just love everything about it. Red for one, the linen look, the wording, what more can I say. If you have seen something like this in one of your favorite material shops please let me know. Have a great and safe weekend. HUGS MARY

NEED MORE THYME

Ever wonder were the Thyme goes, or do you feel you never have enough Thyme. Funny thing about Thyme, when I was young Thyme went by so slow, now that I am over 50................Thyme goes by to fast.........now why is that?  HUGS MARY

AGEING LIKE FINE WOOD

I am a avid collector of old things, especially anything that is wood in that primitive state. Do we look at ourselves with beauty like we do when junking for those oldie but goodies? HUGS MARY

MY REWARDS OF GARDENING

I love the rewards of gardening! I picked some of my favorite flowers this evening, I want to enjoy everylast vase of flowers b/4 the first freeze comes. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do. I placed the vase next to my favorite chair in the frontroom. Hope you enjoy my photo's. HUGS MARY

Remember 911

Hello and TGIF! I just wanted to take a few moments to say how proud I am of our country. I am going to think of that awful day on the attatck of our country. I remember so clearly seeing the news on these events and it will stay with me for ever. I also had a chance to go to ground 0 with my husband and to also visit 2 of the fire stations that had great loss to them. I remember seeing the sphere that was saved from all the damage and I believe they are going to place it  in the memorial that they are building at this time. How are all of you going to remember this day and if you ever have a chance to visit any one of the memorials I would highly do so. HUGS MARY

French street theatre

Hello everyone! I just wish I could of seen this puppet in real life. Can you just image the people that built and operate this one! I hope you enjoy the photo's. HUGS MARY

Mary Engelbreit

Mary Engelbreit

Have a safe Labor Day Weekend.

TGIF!!!!!!!  Here is a good cheer to everyone out there in Blog land. Hope what ever you are doing it is safe, and fun. I leave you with a nice festive fall photo. HUGS MARY

Kids are back to school and Fall is in the air

Hello all you fellow bloggers out there. Boy can I feel the fall comming in the air. This morning on my way to my big girl job................I felt a little chill in the air, I even thought of using the seat warmers to............but I refrained......... Just as everthing in the yard has had it's glory it is going to be time to prune back.............. Costco has been selling bulbs for a few weeks now and I just saw some ornamental cabbage for sale................the pumpkins should be arriving at the stores soon. I leave you with a photo I got on the net of a little building with moss all around it........it reminded me of here in the Pacific Northwest...........I will deeply miss the nice summer days here but I will welcome the fall and winter. Hugs Mary

Northwest Blackberries

We had a little bit of a rain and wind storm yesterday here in the Pacific Northwest, it is a sure sign that Fall is on it's way. I have been enjoying the picking and eating of our native blackberries here. I am going to check on them today and see how many were destroyed due to monther nature yesterday..................If I did not have to go to my big girl job I would pick as many as I could so my husband could make us some jam (he is the head chef) in our home.............the man loves to run the KITCHEN. Enjoy today all and make it a good one. HUGS MARY