Marie's Danse des Fleurs Event Location

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I did, but I have no intention on eating turkey for the next month or two. lol

Things have been a little slow the last few days, which is not too bad. I know I have things to be done, but I have been taking time to relax and do something for myself. I have been reading a bit on my Twilight book series . After seeing New Moon twice, I am now interested in read the last two books again.

I also wanted to create something I have been meaning to make for a friend for the holidays. I am sure once she sees this she will know it is for her lol (I am terrible at keeping secrets) but just in case I am not gonna say who it is for. :)

I created it as a necklace, but it can also be transformed into a charm bracelet if she would like that better. It is made of 90% old vintage buttons, but there are just a few newer buttons. I really liked the scratch and dent feel on these. The links where actually from an old vintage charm bracelet that I tore apart.

LASTLY I know it is a little ways off, BUT I was very excited to share that the location for my Marie's Danse des Fleurs Event is now finalized! I hope to have registration for my event open in April. I know that sounds a ways away, BUT I think it will be here before you know it! You can click on the button below to read a little more info about the event and teachers!

The location will be at Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa Florida. The location is on the outskirts of Tampa in a smaller part of town, which is very nice.

The location is about 30 miles from the airport, and they provide transportation fto and from the airport I believe for a small fee. There is so much to do right at the resort once you arrive you may not want to leave! They have a spa, tennis, golf, a fitness center, kids program, pools, MANY restaurants, sports bar and more.

Also located nearby is antique shops, malls, theme parks, Orlando, and beaches. There is plenty to do for everyone if you bring the whole family. Also the accommodations are beautiful, and they will be giving us a group rate on the rooms.

I am thrilled to be working with Saddlebrook, and I am super excited about some of the special things they are doing to customize our experience to be full of that over the top Marie flair. So be sure to start planning now, and don't forget to check back for updates.

Thanks so much for visiting

Holiday Secret Marie Swap

For Christmas the Marie Antoinette Mail Art Group decided to hold a "Holiday Secret Marie Swap". I missed out on the last secret friend swap, and was so excited when one of the members volunteered to host it! This meant I got to join! I just finished up everything the other day and got it all packed up! I can't say who it is for yet until they receive it. SHHHH. . . . . It's a secret!

Part of the rules where that the gift of items had to come in a pretty decorated display. I really was not sure what I wanted to do at first and looked all over for a neat idea. At first I thought a pretty hat box would be perfect, but I was surprised how hard it was to find one I liked. Then I considered boxes. In the end I decided to go with a handmade stocking! Above is a photo of the cuff on the stocking. It is very long and skinny whimsical looking stocking.

Inside we had to include a number of different things. Including handmade tags (first photo). One handmade ornament, but I made two. A faux cake and another Marie inspired ornament. My partner likes pink, can you tell. BUT so do lots of people in the Marie Antoinette group.

Other required items were: fabric, paper, four different pieces of ribbon, 5 embellishments, and 6 flowers. I was sure to include all of this, and then some. :)

I was lucky to have plenty to share and had lots of fun putting my kit together. I was sure to include some of my recent fun finds. Like the embroidered material I got on clearance at Joann's, some fabric from the unique cape.

Some pretty millinery, and vintage jewelry pieces. I hope my secret friend likes it, I had so much fun putting it together!

Happy Holidays!

A Trip Down Inspiration Lane

Kimberly's Booth Paris Rags

The alarm went off at 7am yesterday morning, and even though I am not a morning person I jumped right out of bed. I got ready, grabbed my map and was out the door. I had the privilege awhile back to come across Kimberly Ryan in cyberspace. She told me about Remmigers Antiques & Collectors Extravaganza. An enormous flea market, and I was on my way to check it out.

Kimberly's Booth Paris Rags

I got in the car, the GPS set, and popped in "The Killers". I felt so refreshed and was excited about my little adventure. The directions said it would take about an hour and 30 min to get there, but my husband said more like an hour.

Kimberly's Booth Paris Rags

I did not care though, because I was in no hurry and was enjoying the freedom and independence of venturing outside our small town. To some it might not seem like much, but to me it was a big deal. I did not travel much when I was younger. So it's times like this getting out on my own that makes me strong and confident.

Kimberly's Booth, I bought the cream shirt to the left with the brooch to the far right.

Mt. Dora was beautiful, making the drive very rewarding. I have never been a big fan of palm trees so I loved to see the beautiful oaks, and cedar trees on the way. I really did not see many palms which was very refreshing. With so many places in the US loosing their leaves I could appreciate all the lush green. There was also a large lake that I drove over. Water as far as you could see, I took a deep breath as I drove across the bridge soaking in every moment.

Kimberly's Booth Paris Rags

The flea market was HUGE, and slightly overwhelming. Within 10 minutes I was already lost and wondered if I would ever see my car again. Perhaps if I camped out until everyone was gone I could then safely find my vehicle. I walked quickly past all the wonderful booths in search of Kimberly's booth.

Kimberly's Booth Paris Rags

She was the main reason why I wanted to go, and I knew I could always come back through after my visit with her. Since it was Sunday, the last day, I was not sure how late Kimberly would stay open. I could tell by my quick glances I could have spent my every last dollar in any one of the isles I passed by. And I surely did not want to miss her or exhaust all my funds before I found her.

My Cuff from Kimberly's Booth Paris Rags

After much searching, pretty much on the other end of where I parked I noticed a beautiful dress form. I knew from Kimberly's site that I would be looking for a lovely soft, frilly, feminine booth. And sure enough her booth stood out so beautifully among the others. It was such a pleasure getting to meet her. Kimberly you are such a doll!

Kimberly and Me

I had lots of fun in my little visit and enjoyed the goodies I picked up from her! You can tell I had fun by the goofy photo of me mid laugh! I bought from her a beautiful cuff, top with a brooch, and some paper flowers. I took lots of pictures of her soft girly booth.


After my visit I searched out some food. On my way, it lead me to a gathering of cute little shops in a cluster outside of the other vendors. They were all decorated so beautiful outside , I just had to get a few photos. I found food in one of the buildings and sat down for lunch.


It was nice to only have to worry about what I was going to eat, instead of what my adorable picky little one was willing to eat. After my break I wondered through a few of the shops inside. There was so much stunning Victorian furniture, I was just completely overwhelmed.

There where booths as far as the eye could see, which was saying a lot since the flea market was on a bunch of hills. Despite all the goodies, I found a few places I really liked to spend most of my time. I only came home with one bag of goodies and a wire dress form. Let me show you what I got.
I found this adorable little girls pink sheer dress with little roses and some cream lace. The front has a large worn stain, but the rest of it is stunning. I am not sure what I will do with it yet, but I did buy it for the adorable material.

I also found another booth with lots of vintage linens, cards, sewing patterns, and buttons. I found this cute card I really liked, and these two handkerchiefs. One is blue, the other aqua. I also got a small handful of beautiful cream shell buttons.

Of course I could not pass up ALL the jewels! Many of them were higher priced than what I can normally get them, but I did find a few good deals, and an unique piece I just had to have.

And lastly I picked up this wire dress form. I thought it was so CUTE, and was shocked at how cheap it was. One of these days I am going to have a booth set up for craft fairs and I thought this would be so cute holding some of my items such as necklaces.

Just as I was starting to get wore out I started to feel rain drops. I took this as my sign to head out. Of course I had concerns that it would start to down pour on me as I was heading to my car in the thick path of dirt. . . . up hill! BUT today was my lucky day and I only felt a few small drops which actually felt good after a day of walking in the hot sun.


On the way home I was able to enjoy a few more things I over looked on the way there. A few unique trees, beautiful houses, and other small things. As I reflected on my trip I found that I picked up inspiration in many places along the way. The refreshing lake and trees, the company of beautiful friends, soft girly things that made me feel pretty again, and lovely vintage things I could dream of one day having for my own.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

The Enchanted World of Art

You know being a mom is the most rewarding thing, and it is surely an adventure! But the truth is sometimes I feel ordinary. I wake up each morning and comb my ordinary hair, and put on my ordinary comfy t-shirt and capris.

I step into the kitchen to make my ordinary bowl of cereal. And this begins my mostly ordinary day. Granted there are the days where I am pulling my little monkey off of the chandelier, but for the most part things are predictable.

But every other day I have the opportunity to be whisked away to a magical land full of color and sparkle. Some days I am in a beautiful candy land, and some is a whimsical forest.

I love art, and I love the places it can take me. I can get lost in the images that dance in my head as I'm creating. Each art piece is it's own adventure. The other day I was working on a jewelry piece for a very talented friend Robin Sweet. The colors requested where rich purples and Burgundy. The creative process was splendid considering the different challenges I faced.

For starters I wanted to use unique chain that was old and worn. I found some at a flea market booth where vintage jewelry was sold. The chain was beautiful but the color was off. I decided to buy it anyways and research how to oxidize it myself. The end result was wonderful and the feeling of success was delightful. We tend to be our worst critics, so I find that when something does go well I try to grab on to that feeling of accomplishment, even in the little things.

Next for the color. Surprisingly the colors where harder to come by than I thought. I searched all over for vintage items with garnet in them, but still no luck. In the end I decided to purchase some new items with purple in them, and then replace a few stones in a vintage piece I already had at home. Now that I had my main pieces it was easy to find stunning beads to go along.

I sat down with my collection of rich colors and beautiful golds and brass. It was now time to put my creation together. Almost like a fairy tale I could see my mind start to wonder with swirling gold glitter circling a sea of beautiful thoughts and images.

The beautiful rich colored pieces in front of me provoked me to think of things such as rich wines in beautiful goblets of brass and rooms with soft velvet curtains, embroidery and brass moldings. These colors radiated the feel of royalty, and in my fairy tale I was a queen. I could visualize my beautiful gown and the long flowing necklace that adored my neck as I glided across the room.

Despite my often ordinary situation my project guided me through a enchanted paradise of royal splendor and allowed me to take a much needed deep breath. Just enough refreshment to carry me through the day, but also enough to keep me wanting and entice me to return tomorrow.

Where does your art adventures take you?

Robin, I had a BLAST making you this necklace, I hope you too feel like royalty when you were it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Twilight Charm Bracelets

All I have to say is . . . WOW! I had so much fun last night swapping out and mailing all the beautiful Twilight Series charms and working on my bracelet. It was such a fun project putting my bracelet, or rather braceletS together. The girls who joined the swap sent so many that I had to make TWO Twilight themed bracelets, AND I LOVE THEM BOTH!

For the first one I made, I decided to use the red, crystal, and cream charms. I made this one layered. I did a piece of smaller chain with some vintage crystals for the top layer and the bottom layer has the charms. GOSH so many beautiful things I'm not sure where to start!

Well . . . in the middle is a soldered charm from the New Moon poster of Edward that Rhonda made. Next to it is a STUNNING Crystal that Bryanna gave me as a hostess gift. Kristin made the adorable round text bobbles, and Bianca made the oval bobbles on the two ends. One is a photo of Edward, and the other says "I love a happy ending, they are so rare ~Aro". For the beads lots of the shinny crystal ones are from Bryanna, some of the red ones are from Rhonda, and I also added a few. I LOVE IT!

For the second bracelet I used the silver, grays, and blacks. Rhonda sent a bunch of wonderful silver charms, including: a wolf, piano, baseball cap, truck, moon, and more. Kristin gave us each these adorable metal charms that said things like: New Moon, Edward, Bella, etc. Bryanna made the soldered charms to the left and right. They are so cute.

The glass is beveled. I used another soldered charm from Rhonda for the vocal point on this bracelet as well. I added the wing in the middle. I used two of Bianca's round bobbles on this one too. One says "Do I dazzle you", the other says "and so the lion fell in love with the lamb".

Thanks so much ladies, YOUR THE BEST! I can't wait to see the other bracelets!

Soft and Pretty Things

Unfortunately Dylan and I are dealing with our every other month colds right now, but prior to getting sick I had some time to create a few things.

This is my very first apron I've made. Even though I am sure I could have made one without a pattern, I wanted to learn how to use a pattern. I picked up the one for this apron at Joann's. On the MAMA site we are doing an apron swap, and I wanted to do a test run first. I made a few mistakes when making it, but nothing too bad.

I think I am going to keep this one to display on my dress form. I made the apron using pink and blue fabric, and then went back over it to embellish. I added a sheer blue and white ruffle at the top, and a white lace ruffle on the pocket. On the bottom I added some pink lace from a vintage linen I purchase a little while back. In the lower corner I attached some millinery, and a blue satin ribbon rose I made.

I am excited now to make the one for my partner since I have a feel for things. I just have to decide exactly what I want to do. I have a variety of vintage things I would like to use, just can't decide. I also picked up a pattern pack the other day that has vintage archive apron patterns. They are so CUTE!I also found these stunning pieces of fabric in the clearance bin at Joann's. They are so soft and stunning! I would like to use one of them some how in my apron.

I also was able to finish up my 4x4 pages for a Marie Christmas book. Well I am off to look around in blog land a bit, and then try to get some rest.

Thanks so much for visiting!

Twilight Charms and WINNER!

Well before I go any further I need to share with you photos of my adorable little dino! Dylan had so much fun this Halloween. He really likes Dinosaurs, so we got a dino costume. Well we thought it was a dino, but after looking at it we think it was a dragon, but oh well. lol It was adorable either way!

We went to a little Halloween gathering in a near by park and Dylan won best costume in his age group. He won a PURPLE baby doll lol. We caved pumpkins and played games. IT WAS A BLAST! I got him a pumpkin to carry his treats in. I did not think he would actually carry it, but surprisingly he LOVED IT. He liked to examine all his treats, but did not eat them. I would have thought he would try to eat them paper n all, but he didn't.

I also finished up my Twilight charms! I was very excited about this swap and made a bit more than I needed. lol When deciding what to create I KNEW I wanted some pretty charms of the Cullen crest. I LOVE these charms! I made enough for one for each girl in the swap.

I also made a few more photo charms with a variety of photos from the Twilight series, including a few photos from the up and coming New Moon movie. I had a little trouble taking photos of these ones, the light was not working with me well. lol They really are very pretty in person.

I also got a variety of different silver charms for everyone. Including some apples, garlic, lions, moons and more. Each girl will have a few different silver charms.

The charms that took the longest to make were these little soldered ones. I am pretty happy with how they turned out though. On the front they all say Twilight, and on the back is different quotes from the movie.Lastly I made each girl about 16 glass bead charms. This was so much fun! I can't wait to see all the other charms. I will be sure to post a photo of my bracelet once it is done.

WELL, it's that time! Time to announce the winner of my Necklace created for my Haunted Masquerade Blog Event. Thanks to everyone who came by to visit me and left a comment!

AND THE WINNER IS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . she dreams big!

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit me!