Monday, June 29, 2009

Shades of Red, White, and Blue


Shades of red, white or blue remind me of 4th of July parties and fireworks and special times with family and friends. Vintage aprons, adorned with red roses against what was once a vivid blue, now slightly worn with time. Blue and white checked linens - once grandmother's finest, still carrying traces of the 4th of July picnics I had as a child. Pale blue Depression glass against the finest white tablecloth, topped with a white milk glass vase and filled with the summer flowers. On the wall, a white French farmhouse shelf displays white china hand painted with red and blue buds Adding a little color to your table, shades of red, white and blue can turn any meal into a celebration. Blue and white Italian place settings against a red tablecloth. An angel food cake atop a favorite white cake stand, topped with fresh summer blueberries and strawberries. Red sugar-coated candies in a white candy dish hand painted with blue forget-me-nots. Hanging nearby, white and blue checked kitchen towels decorated with shiny red apples Placed somewhere you didn't expect, red, white and blue can create a burst of color in any corner. Red roses on canvas and hung on a freshly painted blue wall. A piece of broken china jewelry - tiny blue and red roses against pure white china. A white lace sun catcher, with a red and blue design, hanging in the window. In the guest bathroom, a blue tissue box holder painted with white and red flowers. Tucked into a corner of your purse, a blue hanky trimmed with red and embroidered with white daisies. And dangling from your wrist, a bracelet made of cinnabar, turquoise beads and bone.
For a special touch of whimsy, plug in 4th of July light bulbs in red, white and blue. Use a white table runner with appliquéd blue rabbits and red rose buds. Display faux strawberries dipped in white chocolate placed in a blue cake box that looks pretty enough to eat. You can wear a soldered charm of red breasted robins against an azure sky, sprinkled with white German glass glitter or write on the white pages of a notebook decorated with red roses and blue ribbons.
With shades of red, white and blue surrounding us, celebrations of life can happen any day.

Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday July 3, 2009 as we present "INDEPENDENCE DAY SHADES of RED –WHITE and BLUE!"



Photo Contribution 1: Grandma G's Photo Contribution 2: Candy Lights

Monday, June 22, 2009

"A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME"


I've never seen a rose I didn't love. From the first blossom of spring, gently swaying in the breeze, to an intricately stitched needlepoint rich in history, I love them all. Silk roses mixed with a bunch of silk hydrangeas, gracing a vase on the mantle. Cabbage roses on a sugar bowl and creamer, brought out for a grandmother's tea. Colorful rose cupcakes scented as beautifully as they look.

Roses represent so many wonderful things and are often used to celebrate special milestones such as weddings, births and anniversaries. We might write a special announcement on stationery with long-stemmed yellow roses lying against a background of a French poem. Use white satin roses to create wedding memories in a vintage box.

Roses have also been used throughout the centuries in home décor. Like wild pink roses painted on porcelain china plates. A crystal bud vase embellished with a pink silk rose, ready to hold a freshly picked rose bud from the garden. A French ribbon rose attached to a crocheted cushion in the living room. Hand built ceramic roses to use as drawer pulls, or as a magnet to hang up a special photograph.

Milliners used silk roses to embellish the finest hats; perhaps one covered with embroidered lace and handmade millinery roses. Seamstresses stitched the richest brocade drapes adorned with roses. Grandmothers embroidered the most delicate rose patterns on tablecloths and handkerchiefs. Now we can give silky velvet rose pins a special corsage. For everyday occasions, you might wear a vintage pink rose apron or admire a rose-shaped pillow made of hot pink satin.

Throughout the years, famous artists have studied and painted every aspect of the rose. Antique lithographs and post cards from the 1800s grace our homes today with their everlasting beauty. From a rhapsody of roses printed on canvas and hung over a doorway to garlands of decal roses that make favorite items look hand painted, roses continue to gracefully fit every lifestyle and décor.

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday June 26, 2009 as we present "A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME"




Photo Contribution 1: Katie's Rose Cottage Photo Contribution 2: The Decal Cottage

Monday, June 15, 2009

Favorite Finds


You know that sudden flutter you feel when you discover a long sought after treasure? Maybe it's a piece of faux pastry delicately iced and trimmed with lace satin ribbon that takes hold of your imagination and makes you smile. Or vintage china pieces with hand painted roses that bring back forgotten memories. A cottage frame trimmed in vintage wallpaper to hold a treasured photo. Crisp table linens, reminiscent of special teas shared with Grandmother so many years ago. Hand painted silk roses adorning a beautifully wrapped gift or Cameo soaps, delicately scented to tuck inside a drawer of vintage hankies.An armful of hand-embroidered pillowcases you can't wait to bring home and show off by piling them on your bed. A rose scented candle that hides inside a special teacup. Garden party hats with vintage floral brooches and ribbon bands, just right for a party or to dress up a corner of your room. Broken china mosaics on a teapot, lamp or silver plated tray to bring out when company comes. A vintage rhinestone necklace and bracelet to put on for just the right occasions.

A white painted cottage cabinet to be filled with hand-painted dishes, appliquéd tea towels, chenille bedspreads or vintage toys. Wrought iron candle sticks that dangle delicate crystal drops. They add an instant aura of old-fashioned romance. Vintage nursery jars to put in your powder room or the master bath, unexpectedly filled with rose-shaped soap petals and lavender potpourri. Hand stitched needlepoints, rich in history, combined with pastels silks for a treasured pillow. Tea cozies trimmed in Venice lace and satin ribbons and bows - stunning as any china teapot and just right for an afternoon tea party with friends.

Favorite finds of all shapes and sizes, to fill each corner and to suit every whim, wait for you to discover at Make Mine Pink.

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday June 19, 2009 as we present "Favorite Finds"


Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink
Photo Contribution 1: Pink Hugs Sweet Shoppe Photo Contribution 2: The Roseberry Cottage

Monday, June 08, 2009

Along the Garden Path


Delights and pleasures that make your heart beat a little faster await you along the garden path. Sights and sounds and smells that excite your senses and inspire your imagination. Perhaps it's the purple cone flowers, multicolored morning glories, fragrant angel trumpets, or the lordly foxglove, all grown from seed and tended with love, that line the path and remind you to dream. Or the delicate shadow of a Victoria trellis supporting a new vine that takes you on a new flight of fancy. In the early morning hours, or when the sun begins to set, a verdigris candle holder or metal scroll work lantern might illuminate the garden pathway. But it's the vintage metal buckets painted with floral designs and planted with overflowing flowers, that seem to light the way.

Along the garden path, a cherub garden sculpture, or a vintage cherub planter might welcome you to this less-traveled road. Ceramic plaques engraved with thoughts and sayings to brighten the day remind you of the peace you find when you walk here, and invite you to linger a while. Garden mushrooms greet you, as does the sparrow-song sung by tiny birds that have stopped to rest on bird-feeders shaped like perfectly opened petals and delicately formed tea cups.

A garden tea party...a hand painted table brought outdoors just for the occasion. Sparkling candy lights make this a fairy-tale place in the midst of an enchanted path. A Victorian cake stand filled with roses and sweets takes center stage, the vintage china tea cups and plates are set. In the shade, you can remove the sun hat that was created just for you, in a design that makes you smile whenever you catch a glimpse of it.

The garden scenery is reflected in a beautiful handmade cushion, stitched from fabric alive with pink blossoms, then placed on a nearby garden chair. A decorative vintage birdcage hangs from a weather hook. On the table lies a gardening book filled with inspiration and ideas to share. Later, you'll remember absent friends and lovingly write to them on note cards reminiscent of a favorite rose garden. But for right now, you'll celebrate with those who are here, and share the treasures you've found along the garden path.
Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday June 12, 2009 as we present "Along the Garden Path"

Photo Contribution 1: Treasured Heirlooms Photo Contribution 2: Caroline Alexander

Monday, June 01, 2009

"Something Old, Something New - A Perfect Time for a Summer Wedding!


Mist Moonlight CreationsSomething old, something new. something borrowed, something blue. The age old timeless phrase describes the perfect ingredients for a beautiful summer wedding.

Something old symbolizes continuity with the past. Perhaps the bride will wear a piece of heirloom jewelry passed from mother to daughter. A necklace your mother wore to her wedding and your grandmother to hers. A vintage piece of delicate lace stitched into a veil or the edge of a wedding dress, or tucked into an embroidered sleeve, a vintage wedding hankie passed down from a great-grandmother.

Something new, to show hope for the new life ahead. Whether it be the traditional strand of pearls a new bride wears or rose patterned wedding invitations embossed with the initials of the special couple. A scrapbook uniquely designed to hold the memories of this day. A rose photo frame to hold your memories. A vintage cake topper - new to you - a bride and groom surrounded by vintage daisies and lily of the valley buds. A quilt lovingly hand-stitched for the new couple to treasure forever.

Something borrowed, reminding the bride that she can depend on their friends and family in the years to come. Stepping away from the wedding attire, today's bride and groom often choose blend the old with the new as they plan a more intimate reception using vintage silverware borrowed from grandmother's silverware drawer to serve the reception dinner. The crystal candle holders that sit on the dresser of a good friend. A vintage beaded clutch, borrowed from a mother's closet. A round hanging mirror framed by lavender vintage flowers and ribbon, to lend the bride when she checks her veil is sitting just right.

And something blue represents a love that remains true. Robin's egg blue thank you notes. Blue forget-me-nots on vintage china to serve the bridal tea. Unique wedding centerpieces that combine the old and the new, with a touch of blue for good luck.

The past, the future, friendship, family, and forever love, joined together to create one perfect day.

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday June 5, 2009 as we present "Something Old, Something New - A Perfect Time for a Summer Wedding!"

Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink
Photo Contribution 1: Misty Moonlight Creations

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

The Secret Garden

www.angelheartdesigns.comDiscover a secret garden, a sacred place that refreshes your senses and feeds your soul. Whether purposefully planted - like grapevines carefully twisted along a white painted arbor - or tended by nature's hand - a colorful explosion of wildflowers in a forgotten field - you'll recognize your own by the little flutter you feel inside. A place that inspires new dreams and renews forgotten strengths.

It could be bold… like a spring garden of bright red tulips, with a friendly plaque that says "Welcome friends." Or rows of dahlias in strawberry, sherbert, and lipstick pinks, lining a garden pathway. Perhaps it's delicate as dainty hearts bleeding from a hidden bush, or a single lily, whose petals are beginning to open in the sun. A perfectly pruned rosebush in a landscaped yard, or a topiary of French roses placed on the patio for everyone to enjoy. An untamed daisy bush that decided to spring up in a hidden corner, and catch your eye whenever you look out your kitchen window. A leafy hosta surrounded by blue forget-me-nots and ceramic mushrooms. Orderly pink and purple fuchsias trailing from painted pots, accompanied by a tea cup birdfeeder.

www.carolsrosegarden.comOr does your own secret garden flourish indoors? A garden embroidered along the edge of a vintage linen tablecloth, or decorating the notepaper and envelopes you keep on your writing table. Romantic peach rosebuds encircling a china plate. French ribbon roses, and hand-built ceramic roses added to dresser drawers and empty table tops. A floral pattern on a vintage handkerchief. Fleur-de-lis carved into a white display shelf. A vintage needlepoint of pink stargazer lilies surrounded by burgundy roses. A garden of photographs and memories, sprinkled with tiny flowers.

Secret gardens, wherever they may lie, fill our days with sacred places and secret sanctuaries.

Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday May 29, 2009 as we present "The Secret Garden"


Photo Contribution 1: Angel Heart Designs Photo Contribution 2: Carol's Rose Garden

Monday, May 18, 2009

Cherished Memories


Old photographs, yellowed with age. Dad's pocket watch, the hands of time still ticking. Maybe slower than before. A delicate needlepoint, not quite completed, wrapped in tissue and waiting to be rediscovered on the bottom of a hope chest.
Pieces of the past, your most cherished memories, seeking a place in the present. The faces in the photo may have grown up or passed on. The fingers that wound the watch and pulled the needle now lie still. But these memories remain, and ask to live again.
Much loved tablecloths, used for special family occasions. Grandma's rhinestone brooch, tarnished with years, but twinkling with the possibility of renewed life. Scented letters bound with a faded ribbon, tucked away for a granddaughter to read of a great love.
Cherished memories that make your lips smile and your eyes shine. Maybe you'll set the table with your mother's cloth, and tell everyone about your favorite family Christmas when you were a child. You could brighten up the dulled brooch and pin it on your favorite church dress. Perhaps it's not the right time to share your letters with your granddaughter, but tonight could be a good night to tell her a story about when you were young.
Old French perfume bottles lining a bedroom shelf. Antique silver spoons with intricate designs, soon to be polished and repurposed into delicate silver jewelry. Cozy quilts stitched from well-loved clothing.Your most cherished memories, much too precious to remain hidden. You feel a little flutter as each is carefully uncovered and made new. Everyone will wonder what great secret lies behind your sudden sparkle, but the feeling is too powerful for words.

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday May 22, 2009 as we present "Cherished Memories"

Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Photo Contribution 1: Rose Blossom Cottage Photo Contribution 2: Rose Petals and Blooms

Monday, May 11, 2009

Romantic Roses


We're in love with roses. From the gentle scent of the first spring rose to the hand painted roses on repurposed furniture, we surround ourselves with the beautiful flower and its romance everywhere we can. In a bedroom, fabric pillows and slipcovers covered in romantic red roses and buds. On a sofa in the living room, needlepoint pillows rich in history and memories, with the most intricate rose designs. On a dresser or hallway table, a pink porcelain rose tucked into the corner of a vanity tray, reminiscent of a dresser tray that held my mother's prized perfume bottles.

Perhaps our love of roses springs from the memories they awaken. A broken china charm painted with a blushing rose evokes an image of the hand painted rose china my grandmother carefully brought out whenever I came for tea. Silk roses placed in a hand painted tea pot remind me of the fragrance of fresh cut roses from my mother's rose garden. Ribbons of hearts and roses across a folding fan recollect a fan she might have held on a hot Sunday morning in church.

Or perhaps it's the myriad of messages a rose can express without saying a word. A rose wreath on an embossed card adds the words "I care about you" to everything you write. A welcome wreath of pink and purple roses hung by the front door announces "Welcome!" to all who enter. Vintage postcards adorned with roses by some of our favorite rose artists from the 1800s, framed and displayed proudly in our homes, inspire our imaginations with possibilities that could have been penned.
For whatever reason, one thing is sure. Romantic roses capture our hearts and fill our homes.

Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Please join Make Mine Pink for shopping with a twist on Friday May 15, 2009 as we present "Romantic Roses"



Photo Contribution 1: Pale Pink and Roses Photo Contribution 2: Candylights

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Beautiful Blues

Beautiful blues… the classic colors of sea and sky. Once a year, beautiful blues against crisp, clean whites adorned the blue and white issue of Victoria Magazine. Do you remember how you anticipated your copy? Blue is calming and serene. It's a coastal color, often used in bedrooms and rooms of relaxation. From delicate pastel to a deep, emboldened navy, adding blues to your décor can evoke a tranquil yet often vibrant mood.

In the bathroom, perhaps a white towel edged with beautiful blue forget-me-nots and pale blue trim. On the kitchen table, a teapot or tea cup with a blue floral pattern, or a shabby blue tea cozy that warms a pot with beautiful blue, waiting for a friend.

White pillows dressed with lavender blue roses or embroidered bluebirds on a white bedding set. On a bedside table, a white vintage doily with blue accents and edging, a grandmother's white hanky stitched with a dainty blue ribbon. A blue and white needlepoint cushion set carefully upon the bed - an elegant white lily surrounded by a blue fringe. On a white fleur-de-lis shelf, a Battenberg lace fan with vintage millinery flowers, in a color pronounced "bleu". A vintage robin's egg blue bottle stopped with white fabric flowers, tied with a pale blue bow. A white bowl hand painted with blue morning glories. Hanging on the wall, a French ribbon glitter plaque of white doves and blue roses. By the front door, a nautical tote bag that reminds you of the sea. In the craft room, oceans of blue and white fabric, or a sprinkle of blue flowers. Near the telephone, a handcrafted notebook, embellished with blue sky. In a jewel case, a single blue bead on a string or a classic blue cameo.

Stitched bluebirds, hydrangeas and bows. Tiny blue lights, sweet as cotton candy. Handmade bouquets of blue roses, or a single blue pansy. Beautiful blues surround us, and remind us we are home.

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday May 8, 2009 as we present "Beautiful Blues"



Photo Contribution 1: Noelle Garrett Designs Photo Contribution 2: C'est Chouette

Monday, May 04, 2009

Join Make Mine Pink For a Mother's Day Shop Hop


Make Mine Pink's Mothers Day Shop Hop begins today~ check here for all the details and for a list of prizes. Enjoy the Shop Hop.