Love from my studio

Cute Puppy Talk on a Hot Day

Put some new things in the shop...www.firstlove.etsy.com...lacey bloomers and a vintage linen top...easy breezy summer wear.

I have a very full bridal skirt I'm finishing up...can't wait to show you!!  I'm so excited-but it's so funny to watch me wrestle all the layers of tulle, tafetta and underskirts! lol 

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Ok during these "dog days of summer" I have been smitten by a cuter than cute little puppy named Bailey....

No, she's not mine!!  The kitty would never stand for it!! lol

She belongs to my longtime friend Kristy who has started a blog for her called Bailey: Unleashed  ...it's really such a cute place to stop by...if you want a smile :)

Go here...(  http://www.bailey.sampasite.com/)    you can check in on lil Miss Bailey and see what she's been up to.

And, if you wouldn't mind, you can do me a big favor and hop on by this link...

http://www.cutestpetcontest.com/bigpic.php?enum=100333062

and go vote for her in the Cutest Pet Contest...thanks for that!  And Bailey of course thanks you too :)

She's so people friendly she will probably want to come by and give you all a puppy kissy for helping her out!  And if you don't like that, well then she will just happily wag her tail and bring you her little ball, k?

Now, mind you, the kitty is only too happy that I am several states away from Bailey so I don't get any ideas about puppy sitting.

He can happily go back to watching the birdies from the door in his seat...yep, spoiled to have his own chair.

Have a happy day...think of me here sweating...though can't complain much cause this afternoon I have been invited (with the boy) to dear Ruth's house to hang out in her loverly air-conditioned house :D

xo

A Win for Me

How nice to know you've been chosen a winner, right??

Yes, it is...esp. when the prize is such a beautiful thing you have long admired like this beautiful photo....

I love it...it was done by a talented photographer named  Capree.

You can find her etsy shop here (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5148329)

I want to buy a few more of her prints to go with this one....I love the vintagey quality of it in a very believable way...very romantic and goes perfect in my studio :)

Summer heat, romantic creations and friendship

Well, hope you all are enjoying your summer thus far...I have to say as I've stated before...I am not a summer girl.  Can't stand the sweating, the heat and the lack of energy because of the aformentioned!!  Sheesh...made worse by the fact that my studio has no air conditioning!!  Yep, I am serious...sad but true. 

However...to make me smile through my crabbiness (which by the way I am really sorry for...don't mean to have you come by to visit only to have me whine!!)

Yes, as I was starting to say...to make me smile through the crabby business I was sent wayyy long while back the most perfect for me atc card by my (proud to call her) friend Sherry over at http://espritdart.blogspot.com/...

She made it so perfect to suit me...I just love it!!  And her too!! xxoo

I have it right on the little shelf over my sewing tabel so I can see it always  :)

Now...confession time here...I had promised to swap with her meaning I would be making one to send to her...well I did make one however, it took me a reaaalllly long time til I got it to her (blush blush)  I had been wrapped up with the show I had been busily getting ready for and it went under one of the ever present piles.....imagine the uh-oh moment when I discovered it a week ago only after it waiting around about a month+!!!  Of course dear Sherry, the graceful angel she is replied to my apology with the grace of an angel....she is just that way...wonderful and kind with a smile you can just about see in her emails and on her blog.  Go over there I'm telling you the truth!!  She is just the sweetest :)

This the one I made for her...it's the one on the left.

The one on the right was done by my dear boy who wanted to get in on things as I was wrapping mine up!  He's so funny...but I think he might have a future as a Bionicle atc maker, don't you??  :)

I've been busily listing and creating for my etsy shop (www.firstlove.etsy.com)...I have to share something with you all...totally not bragging here but I was featured in a Treasury..yep on the front page!! My first time :D  Yay!  I was notified by a wonderful customer...I didn't get to see it (darn) but then 2 days later I got told I was in another one  featuring the toile purse!! :) Now you would think I would try to save the page so I could show you but in my excitement I only saved the email with the link not thinking that these pages expire on etsy all the time...they aren't forever!  duh to me!! lol

Oh well, I have lots of new pretty things in my shop...starting to do lots more bridal...and I'm so loving it :)

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Oh gosh...I just love this purse...the handle sooo old from a tattery old purse found in an antique store...soo funny cause the lady who I bought it from had to give me this huge talk about how old it was and she hoped it was going to be put to good use not thrown away or even cleaned up.....boy, did she ever sell it to the right person!! lol  I just love it and have held onto it for a looong time, but now it's found a new home on this purse :)

Love to you all...I have bought a spot on the feature page of the Storque on etsy tomorrow...hope it gives me lots more exposure :)

Happy summer sweaty times to you all...lol  I will try to keep cool!

I think the heat is getting to us!!

After all the fun and tea partying here http://lovefrommystudio.typepad.com/love_from_my_studio/2008/06/so-sorry-to-be-so-late-to-the-party.html

with that  time- monitoring rabbit

and his wacky friend the Hatter

my tummy all full (and hips a little wider!) with all the sweets I ate...I went off in search of some other fun to pass the sweaty day...

While out I saw Hello Kitty and Choco Kitty in Mystic hanging out in the harbor watching the boats...

Well after watching the boats for a while we went out for a watermelon smoothie to cool us off...yum!!

Back at home still a bit whiny and sweaty from the heat we (the boy and I)  decided to play a game of Catopoly...Monopoly but with everything cats!!  lol 

Well, all was going well til the cat (Chesire Cat?? hmm, maybe!) decided to give his two cents on how I should be playing...

As you can see by the next photo...he must have been working with my opposition b/c things went downhill quite fast after his advice!!

Is it just me..or are those eyes mocking me just a bit??

Yep, I definitely blame the heat for this silly post!! lol

xo

So sorry to be so late to the party!

blush, blush...yes I am late, late for the very important date :(

The Party~~~~

The day, searing hot and muggy, was all about the indoors til I heard the ramblings of a hyper bunny right outside my studio door...

He was repeating the same thing over and over "I'm going to be soo late for the party.  Oh dear oh dear."

 I decided to let my curiosity get the best of me and don a perty frock (fresh from the studio!) and stylish headpiece and follow that frisky bunny to this so called "party" he was in a rush to get to.  Hang on there bunny...let me catch up!!

As he hopped by me, he droppped one of his little gloves and then....well you all know how the rest of that story goes!  lol

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Oooooooh...what a pretty table all set up for tea!  Wonder who the host is??  Noone is here!

Uh oh...I hear someone coming....and he sounds weird with all the loud muttering!  I'd better hide so he doesn't see me!!

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~"Come out of there young lady!!" (yes my story so I can be young if I want!!)

"Come on out and have some fun and tea and eat with me!!  We'll have laughs and stuff our tummies...eat all you want just don't tell your mommy!!"

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He was a funny odd character who yelled everything he said and laughed at nothing in particular....

But oh my did he ever make a wonderful cup of cranberry tea!  (actually cran- raspberry juice...remember it was hot out!!  he-he!)

Pretty peculiar those manners of his!!

Lovely sweets he served...oh my!!  Creamy frosted cuppycakes and turtle cake with caramel sauce...yum!!

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Well, I guess you shouldn't be expected to have good manners if you are the "Mad Hatter"!!....right??

I will try one of the cuppycakes...

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Well it was a fun day but oh my...my tummy is full and I'm all laughed out from that Hatter and his funny antics....

So I thank you from myself and my sweet boy- the ever willing assistant...thanks for joining us in our fun tea party...we wish you all had been here!!

Big smooches....now I'm off to hop on over to check out all of the other parties and photos :)

Geepers...we could use a new post here!!

Been so busy with all the summer things going on and re-doing of studio bathroom and keeping the boy occupied...not o mention I also have been soo blessed to have my (step) mama in town from down south (major shout of joy for that!!!!)

Sooooo, please forgive my leave of absence....not the least of which was the very problematic fact that I had totally forgotten to post just so the pics of me didn't have to be on my blog as the most current post for all this time!!  Aaaargh!!  Just what I get for taking a leave of absence...sheesh! lol

Here are some pretty fishy-related photos we took yesterday (Thurs) at Mystic Aquarium in Mystic Connecticut (so sorry...too sleepy from the long day to add the link)

Hope you like the photos

 

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P.S. Did you see the piranha in the first photo at the top of the post??  Well they are just as still in real life in the water as they look in the photo!  They do not move...sooooo creepy and menacing!  Eww!

One of the sweet stingrays we got to pet....soo soft and a bit like touching wet velvet! 

And this last photo....pure accident but sooooo cool!

My boy in the reflection of the glass checking out the fish....

  I will post pics of the bathroom I'm re-doing soon....but for now I need to go and sllep so I have energy for tomorrow....

You see I don't want to be late for this very important date!!!

I am invited to a very special party!

Go check out Vanessa's amazing blog if you haven't already....this should be a very fun time!!  http://afancifultwist.typepad.com/a_fanciful_twist/

Just some bits to share

Have filled up the shop with some new things...been putting the boy to work shooting some photos.  I must brag on him and say I think he's done a mighty good job  considering he's not even yet 11 !! :)

Now mind you...let me just say I cannot wait for Christine to come back from camp so I can shoot her again and gladly retire from my temp job of model..

..hopefully I can wrangle one of my dear friends into taking over for a bit :)

K, so after a looong day of shooting, listing, schooling (summer stuff ) and taking the boy for a bike ride and cleaning, and jewelry making...just grabbed the camera and took some pics from where I was sitting of some pretty things in my studio that are making me smile :)

3 vintage tiaras waiting patiently to be turned into something

recent score of vintage buttons won on ebay...soooo many tones of white!

all lined up

just adore these vintage pearl buttons

soo special to me...this wonderful piece of artwork by the talented and sweeter than sweet Miss Natasha (http://www.natashaburns.blogspot.com/)

I've fallen in love with the delightful work by this artist Amber Alexander (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5408586) ...my dear kitty print is awaiting that "perfect frame"...still searching for it so I can hang it up in my studio.

Have a lovely night all of you dear people...I'm off to watch a movie then snuggle off  to beddie-bye xxoo

I'm Dreaming of a Place....

I'm Dreaming of a Place....

yes, if I had my choice it would look something like this....

the colors, textures, items in each space.....(love the inspiration board!!)

the wear and tear of things well used and loved

things seemingly left about in disarray but yet nothing is ever there without purpose, each single object is deliberate in the picture of the whole

My inspiration for today....

all photos from "comfortable country"~enrica stabile

Filling Up the Shop

Been taking today to load up the shop with some new goodies...Lovely summer lovin' items all in easy styles with lots of vintage details.

Really loving linen and lots of crochet with sparkly things here and there....well, I mean who doesn't love the sparkly, right?? 

 Ooooh and lacey vintage bits and tattery fraying edges of old charmeuse and satins.....love love all of it :)  Like getting dressed up all pretty but not in a fussy "perfect" or "pristine" way...sort of more relaxed almost like you just found these things in a dream of an attic somewhere and you take all of the clothing and accessories out and though they show the wear of their previous owner from years past you simply have to put them on and wear them.....oh what a sweet dream....atticy chic.  Guess that's a "just right" description for my style.

Gotta get back to editing the photos I shot of my dear, generous of her time and fair of face friend Christine who so kindly gave of her time to let me quickly shoot some things on her on this the last day I will see her for the next 10 weeks....sigh...she's off to have fun as a camp counselor and will prob come back yet even prettier with her tan!  Ahhh...youth!! lol

Hope you enjoy checking out these items made with all my heart~~

Pics from the show

Well Saturday the results of all my work for the last month+ were all laid out for all to shop/see.

The day was wonderful, albeit super hot, but with my 4 lovely friends who offered to come along and assist me it was really fun.  Wish I'd been able to get more sleep the night before but with dear Ruth offering to do a lot of the driving to and from the show (1 1/2 hours each way!) I was able to survive the day and also avoid any car related fatalities!

So, I'd love to share with you the pics of my very first show....

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The "First"......

~ ...and "Love"  for First Love Designs :)

~ Some bridal headpieces and baby booties in the case and collars all across the table

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My dear friend Kristy, from wayyyy back when, even flew in (from Florida!!) just so she could help out with the preparation and the show day!! Serious love there...makes me tear right up with appreciation :)

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My lovely "crew" of dear friends.  My heart is so happy and filled with joy just from having all of the amazing help from each one of these gals....all of the help, love and support from each of them is truly more valuable than gold....I love you all with my heart :) xxoo  Thank you so much...I couldn't have done it without you....

The pretty gazebo/grandstand from which live music/jazz was played....

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and the lovely lake next to where the show was held....wish I'd taken more pics of all the vendors but the temp went up way into the 90's and the sweat was pouring out....also unfortunately the foot traffic was not as much as I'd have liked due to an unfortunate oversight of the show on the same day as the high school's had their grauations....sigh...well in the spirit of lemons into lemonade at least I have a ton to now list in my shop and I was fortunate to make many new contacts :)

One of which was a lovely lady I really was blessed to have spoken to when she came to my booth..dear Beth ( http://www.sweetbayflowers.com/) she encouraged me that despite the lower than expected sales my things were really special...so nice of her to stop by and even her beautiful daughter Elizabeth who also chatted with me and gave me the bundle of vintage clothing for me to use to make things with :)

  I was really so blown away by the kindness...she and her daughter were like a ray of sunshine in my day.

Well, all in all I am glad to have had the push to do the show....glad to have had the responses to my work from real people esp. when everyone kept asking if I had a store (oh don't I wish!!)...and I'm so glad to have had the love and support of my dear friends both before and during and even after the show with all of the unpacking of the cars....very happy and hopeful of the contacts made for future things :)

Thanks for letting me share...I have missed all of your pretty blogs and look forward to hopping by them all and reading about all I've missed :)

xo