Monday, November 02, 2009

"Cupcakes and Fairytales"

Remember the simple delights of childhood? How a cupcake could make you giggle and a fairy story would stir your dreams? The smallest things, done just right, could bring out the biggest smiles of all.

Cupcakes remind me of those happy times – they’re so simple, easy and childlike. Who doesn’t love a cupcake? And yet, what is simpler than a tiny round of cake topped with frosting? They’re never overly indulgent, but give us just a bit of fun in a perfectly sized morsel. They appeal to our playful and teasing side.

It’s the simple things like cupcakes that bring us so much pleasure. They’re a scrumptious reminder of the delight we feel when we take time to enjoy the simple things in life. The sweetness of stealing a moment just for you, to soak in a hot luxurious bath or sip your favorite tea from a cherished vintage cup.. The delight of a sharing a special moment with your favorite daughter, granddaughter or child. Tiny pleasures, yet supremely satisfying.

Fairies and fairytales remind us how easy it is to escape to that land where a little frivolity can brighten a whole day. A bit of fun and fantasy in a world where hard times are far too plentiful. They stir our imaginations and make us believe we can fly on wings sprinkled with fairy dust back to those simpler times.

We only need to find a happy magical moment – think back to a special day or ahead to the possibilities of tomorrow – and dare to dream of the things that delight and refresh our senses. The first snowflake that tickles your nose, the aroma of grandma’s holiday baking, the bubbling laughter of good friends. An impish collection gives us an excuse to make believe, to remember, to dream, and to recharge.

All things whimsical have a place in our lives. Each brings about smiles and wisps of childhood memories. Whether it is a fanciful collection or a whimsical element added to your decor, the hint of fun is a welcoming greeting to all.

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday November 6, 2009 as we present "Cupcakes and Fairytales"


Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Photo Contribution 1: Angel Heart Designs | Photo Contribution 2: Caroline Alexander | Photo Contribution 3: Gail Friend Design

Monday, October 26, 2009

"Colors of Autumn"


Autumn bursts into a seasonal symphony of color. With swirling leaves of crimson, amber, and gold against a background of crisp blue sky, it excites our senses and invites us to grab hold… before it slips away.

This is a season of celebration, meant to be shared with family and good friends. There are family dinners at tables covered with vintage cloths embroidered with the colors of fall. Time spent together carving pumpkins and decorating with colorful gourds. Weekend afternoons are spent winding through corn mazes, and trips to the apple orchard. Cool crisp evenings and long walks, enjoying all that the season offers before moves into winter.

Nature’s display mingles with the scent of fall. Pies made with fresh apples baking in the oven, cinnamon and spiced tea steeping in a vintage teapot on the counter and marshmallows toasting over a crackling fire. The crisp cool air that rushes in when you open the front door refreshes and excites the senses.

The changing fall foliage provides inspiration for our indoor and outdoor decorating. We add accents from an autumn palette of copper, rust, green, gold and pink to highlight forgotten nooks and crannies. We warm up your our homes with the colors of falling leaves… orange, brown and yellow. Maybe a fall wreath hanging in the entranceway, a needlepoint cushion stitched with rustic fall colors, a pumpkin spiced candle, or a pretty fall bouquet displayed on a side table.

The colors of autumn pervade our quiet alone times too. We start knitting projects with yarn of warm russets and reds, crimson and gold. We stitch quilts with beautiful fabrics that remind us of swirling leaves and autumn’s irresistible allure. Perhaps an attempt at keeping the autumn colors just a little longer.

Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday October 30, 2009 as we present "Colors of Autumn"



Photo Contribution 1: Caroline Alexander | Photo Contribution 2: CandyLights | Photo Contribution 3: Coeur d'Alene

Monday, October 19, 2009

"Pumpkins and Spice"

With the return of autumn come the familiar feelings of comfort, happy childhood memories and hope for what the future will bring. Comfortable fires and cozy kitchens surrounded by the warmth of family and friends. Crunching leaves and laughing voices. A brisk walk in the cool air. With crackling leaves under foot, the sights and smells mingle and wrap you in memory like a warm blanket on a chilly evening. The smell of a fire burning in a neighbor's fireplace as you take your evening stroll, reminiscent of outdoor bonfires and marshmallow roasts, or a cool night warming by the fire with someone you love. Vibrant carved pumpkins or hand crafted velvet pumpkins, both have their place. Some gracing the front steps, others atop a dining room table or sideboard. Reminders of nights spent trick-or-treating, carving friendly pumpkin faces and toasting pumpkin seeds. All reminiscent of autumns gone by.

Cinnamon and clove potpourri simmering on the stove top or in a kettle on the wood burning stove fill your home with the delicious scent of fall. Friends stop by for spiced cider and fresh pumpkin bread - right out of the oven. Laughter and conversation over a table set with a whimsical pumpkin fairy or an elegant pumpkin centerpiece, fills the the room.

The autumn season evokes many happy memories of childhood mixed with anticipation of what's to come. Sunny crisp afternoons picking apples in the orchard, slicing apples for the secret recipe passed down from your grandmother. The aroma of baked apples and gingerbread spiced candles in vintage teacups and containers fill the room.

Autumn is the time for quilting and knitting in front of a crackling fire. Remembering grandma's hands, covering yours as you learned how to make your first stitches so long ago. The season bursts with memory. Memory of all of the senses.

Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday October 23, 2009 as we present "Pumpkins and Spice"



Photo Contribution 1: Esprit de Joie | Photo Contribution 2: Patricia Rose | Photo Contribution 3: Camelia Cottage

Friday, October 16, 2009

Make Mine Pink Shopping & Decorating Guide

Your favorite Make Mine Pink Boutiques have joined to bring you a Holiday Shopping Guide as well as decorating hints and some really delicious recipes. You may purchase it at http://magcloud.com/browse/Issue/40059

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

"Posh Tots"

Childhood is a time for make believe and today’s tots are growing up in affordable elegance that makes everyone believe that with a little creativity, our little ones dreams really can come true. Children of all ages are being dressed in style and nurseries and bedrooms are decorated in luxury thanks to incorporating vintage a treasures from yesteryear. At baby showers, we welcome beloved little ones with fashionable outfits and one-of-a kind treasures, like a vintage silver rattle or heirloom dresses and designer clothing made from vintage textiles. Nurseries and children’s rooms are decorated with vintage and repurposed items that once considered ordinary, now add an touch of luxury that inspire imagination. You might catch a glimpse of a vintage chenille blanket
draped across the crib or a delicate needlepoint pillows set on a chair. Whimsical and chic bootie planters grace a nursery shelf. Vintage hand stitched coverlets, often hung on the wall for display.

For our posh tots, every first is cause for celebration. There’s the first birthday, first step, a first tooth. Parents capture all these firsts in photographs and store treasures in keepsake boxes just the right shape for a child’s first coat, her first birthday dress or his
first birthday suit.

Every child needs a fairy to watch over them at night and keep their dreams sweet. A fairy house night light, magical and enchanting, lets the fairies know they are welcome in this child’s special place.. What girl doesn’t dream of a fairy tale tea party? Perhaps a tea pot night light adds a Victorian touch to a little girl’s room and whisks her off
to dreamland.

Do you need something special for a little girl made of sugar and spice? An engraved silver charm for her first piece of jewelry, or paper dolls that are just like the ones you had when you were a child. For little boys made of puppy dogs’ tails, lights in superhero colors to string
over a headboard or around a window frame. Quilts with dinosaurs, trains, lions, and planes to add adventure to a little boy’s room.With the right accessories and a sprinkling of imagination, your special child won’t need pixie dust to transform into a posh tot.
Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday October 16, 2009 as we present "Posh Tots"



Photo Contribution 1: Sweet Hummingbird Lane | Photo Contribution 2: Mary's Cottage Treasures | Photo Contribution 3: Roseblossom Cottage

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Pink Twilight Sale

Please join us every third Saturday of the month from 6:00 pm – midnight EST for unbelievable buys from the Make Mine Pink boutique owners! 6 Hours and 6 hours only - once a month where you'll see buys like never before on make Mine Pink. Mark your calendars so that you don't miss this new, monthly event.
First event date: Saturday October 17th 6:00 PM - Midnight EST.

Monday, October 05, 2009

"Girly Finds"

Women everywhere are no longer afraid to show their girly sides, but instead celebrate it. We now seeking out pieces that make a statement about who we are. Instead of downplaying our femininity, we accessorize and decorate with items that celebrate being a girl. Not only is it OK to show our feminine and flirty side, it’s easy too! Everywhere you look, there’s something fun and interesting and available at a great price. The smallest touches in just the right places are all it takes to become a girly girl.

Take a length of vintage French velvet ribbon. There’s nothing simpler, yet it can become the perfect hair tie for a casual dinner. There are other trimmings to be considered, too, like pretty rick rack in a rainbow of colors, vintage jewelry, and silk roses to add on to a favorite bag or tote.

Girly finds in various shapes and sizes can change the ambiance of any room. A piece of handmade lace draped over the back of a chair. A floral pillow placed on the bed. Nurseries, once cold and sterile, now lit with antique chandeliers, crystal prisms giving the room a dreamy, girly look. Yards and yards of silk puddling at each window.

A Victorian shawl wrapped around your shoulders creates an elegant entrance. Pouring tea from a teapot painted with delicate roses turns tea for one into a relaxing and feminine getaway. Luxury soaps, as pretty as they are practical, are scented with soothing fragrances and poured into delightful shapes. Boxes made out of vintage wallpaper, buttons and handmade roses are filled with old love letters tied with velvety bows.

A single feminine element is all it takes to change the appearance of anything, or the atmosphere of any occasion. Just adding a touch like a simple rose belt to a denim skirt, or a snippet of lace at the cuff is all it takes to make personalities emerge in a sea of girly girls.

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday October 9, 2009 as we present "Girly Finds"


Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Photo Contribution 1: Shabby Shan's | Photo Contribution 2: Caroline Alexander

Each year Make Mine Pink and all of the members come together to help raise Breast Cancer Awareness.
Make Mine Pink will donate 20% of all membership fees in the month of October to the Susan G. Komen foundation. In addition, we will be hosting our annual PINK OCTOBER SHOP HOP as a way of providing some fun for our customers, while at the same time bringing attention to a much needed cause.
Many of our members will be hosting special events on their sites and we urge you to take a moment while searching for shop hop bags to see what events the individual boutiques are hosting.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

"SIMPLY PINK"

Shades of pink are popping up everywhere. Pink, once reserved for women's boudoirs and little girl's dresses is now being incorporated into the décor of homes everywhere. Sometimes in hues of summer sunsets, and sometimes bold and bright, pink makes a statement that is impossible to ignore.

Many decorators are "all things pink" fans and put pink in every corner and space - pink furniture, pink curtains, pink accessories. Others' craving for pink is satisfied with just a bit of a favorite shade here and there. You may find a pink pale mirror hanging in the cream colored powder room, an antique pink teapot for tea parties with the girls, or an accent wall painted in a vibrant pink.

Mixing shades of pink makes a room feminine, but the single pink accent in a black and white room can command just as much attention. Towels with pink tatting in a white basket, a miniature pink accent placed on a shelf, or a pink cushion on a contrasting sofa. Even when subtle, pink catches the eye wherever it's used.

Over the past few years, pink has been proclaimed the new black. It's the color that fits in with any theme - from girly to chic, from romantic to modern. Store windows are filled with eye popping pink accessories and furnishings. Designers are using extravagant pink fabrics for whole pieces or to create just a few pink touches. Websites are celebrating pink by selling pink products and giving us ideas for decorating in pink.

What is it about pink that makes us love it so? It's the color of play and delight, yet feminine and strong. It can be whimsical on vintage doll tutus and pink fairy cake pillows. It reflects a bold zest for life when used on larger pieces. It's a reminder of the past on keepsake boxes, and feminine on a ribbon or a rose.

Make Mine Pink represents so much more than just the color pink. It symbolizes women, femininity, strength and calm. Whether you surround yourself with pink or just keep a special pink reminder nearby, pink celebrates life - everything you already are and all your hope for the future.
Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Photo Contribution 1: Sew Victorian| Photo Contribution 2: The Pink Rose Cottage | Photo Contribution 3: Pei Li's Dollhouse Miniatures|

Monday, September 21, 2009

"TIMELESS TEXTILES"

There are some fabrics that never go out of fashion. As the years pass, they grow more beautiful by adding the threads of history to their own. The original colors might fade, but these timeless textiles stay bright with the memory of the hands that created and cared for them. The stories they know are never truly forgotten when we make room for them in our lives and in our homes.

A beautiful damask tablecloth used by your grandmother might grace your own dinner table, completing it with memories of the past and those you love. Linen napkins, slightly worn with use over the years, are now a tradition at every family gathering. Somehow, the table never looks complete until one is placed by each setting. Embroidered hankies handed down from your mother add elegance and sentiment to your bedside stand.

These timeless textiles - hand stitched or hand created - can be worked into almost any décor. Monogrammed pillow cases edged with a bit of tatting - perhaps bearing your own initials or a great-grandmother's - grace your beds. A vintage quilt is draped across the back of your sofa. It seemed magical when you found it, and you lovingly mended and washed it, and adopted it as your
own.



A long lost needlepoint, now rescued and restored, sits
elegantly on a boudoir chair,
in its rightful glory.
Some textiles are not so old, but they give a feel of yesteryear with a crisp new look. Kitchen curtains crafted from new vintage inspired fabrics hang on a sunny window. Crochet doilies draped over lamps or chair backs add a little extra warmth to a cozy room. A new mini quilt combining delicate hand and machine stitchery is destined to be a future heirloom.

Whether hand crafted, hand created, or stitched by modern machines, timeless textiles mix our stories with those they already know, and will pass them down to generations to come.

Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Please join Make Mine Pink for shopping with a twist on Friday September 25, 2009 as we present "TIMELESS TEXTILES"



Photo Contribution 1: Grandma G's| Photo Contribution 2: The Raspberry Rabbits| Photo Contribution 3: C'est Chouette |