A prosperous New Year to you!

Time to dust off last year's resolution list ... cross off the things you did ... put those you didn't on the list for 2012! Don't you love the New Year? We're all equal ... it's a fresh start!

This postcard makes me smile. Look at the boxes waiting outside ... a whole year sitting on your doorstep. And don't you love the red string tied around some of them? So cute. The card is addressed to  a woman in Hawaii ... betchya this is the closest to snow she'll see!

I haven't thought much about making New Year's resolutions ... other than to continue to find ways to be happy ... to be able to laugh at some of the things that go wrong ... to take some time off ... and to enjoy being creative. I think those are enough!

Have a happy, prosperous, and creative New Year!

Cute color name ... Tangerine Tango!

I'm trying to acclimate myself to the 2012 Pantone Color of the Year - Tangerine Tango. When I heard it was the chosen color a few weeks ago my first thoughts were "I don't look great in orange" ... but then I started thinking I don't have to wear it! I can just use it. So I've been keeping my eyes open to the combinations of colors you can use with it. Suddenly it was showing up everywhere ... like in this beautiful bouquet that greeted me at Kowaslski's Market this morning. Pink. purple, and green look pretty good with it!

It was on the dinner table last night, too! It looks good with green and white.

We already have it at the Cottage in some beautiful Moda flannels. Brown, teal, pink ... they also look great next to it!

Naturally it'll show up in October. (Yes ... I still have Halloween stuff on my worktable ... inspiration donchya know!)

It's perfect on this eye-catching book spine. Look how well it plays with blue, and yellow, and red!

I love how it looks in this quilt block from the 30s. That soft blue really pops next to it. That quilt maker knew it would be a popular combination ... someday.

Terry Atkinson was way ahead of the curve when she designed this fabric for Red Rooster a few years ago. Look at all the colors you can put with it!

Look around ... what combinations do you see that will go with this year's hot color??

Have yourself a merry little Christmas!!

I have a HUGE postcard collection that is really heavy on the Merry Christmas stuff! I like to read the backs of the cards and one thing I've noticed ... through the years all people want for those they love is for them to have a good and happy life. Wishing that for you this year as well!

Merry Christmas!!

Festive finishing touches!

It's all in the details ... the tiny things you do that make people secretly squeal when they see them! The holidays are the perfect time for adding these darling surprises. Take some inspiration from the things I saw at the Bachman's House. There are several I want to do!

Instead of writing your guests names on place cards ... how about a photo in a pretty frame ... and it's a favor to take home and remember the day!

In another life this used to hold back flowers in the garden ... now it's showing off Christmas cards from family and friends!

Fun wreath made from vintage silver serving trays. I love this!

You can find these glass cups at estate sales or the thrift store ... or in my cupboard! So cute using them between the window and the screen.

Look how old wooden utensils were made into recipe holders ... or they could hold cards or pix of favorite people!

I think it's fun to decorate other parts of the house that no one expects ... like the bathroom!

Aren't these cool touches? And they don't require a lot of effort.

I love it when the outside is as interesting to look at as the inside!

Take a stroll through your woods ... pull stuff from your closet ... discover unusual pieces in the antique store ... decorate your home for the holidays!

Merry Christmas!!

Feeling crafty!

I'm always on the hunt for great craft room ideas for my hideout and I found some fabulous ones at the Bachman's House! I love the vintage look of it all ... thinking a trip to Hunt and Gather might be necessary. Soon!

So are you inspired? Going to change your craft room after the holidays?

Great ideas for Christmas decorating!

Well you'll never guess where I went! I know you will ... the Bachman's Christmas Ideas House! I took a little mini-vacation and drove over there the other day. Still as inspiring as ever! This year's house was very wintery ... lots of silver and white and light. Still cool!

I think the front porch will always be my favorite. It's a decompression zone before you go into the house ... especially if you've made the mistake of going to the garden center first! It's chilly on the porch but I'd still want to hang out there ... wearing a jacket and probably fingerless gloves, of course!

One of the things I loved about the Christmas house is their great use of lights. They had small spot lights hidden in unexpected places that really added drama ... and light ... to areas that normally are pretty dark.

Like inside the fireplace. It's dark and dreary without a fire there! I love this idea.

This was a glass light cover ... the kind you probably would have seen hanging in Grandma's dining room. They put it on one of those wire garbage bag holders ... from Grandma's yard ... put a glass round on top ... lit it from below. Wonder if it's too late to get the fixture from my mom and dad's house. Hmmmmm ....

Lots of mirrors all over the place helped to keep the light bouncing around ... pretty even on a sunny day. I loved the living room.

The theme from the downstairs was carried out in mom and dad's bedroom upstairs. It was dreamy ... very romantic ... if you're in to that sort of thing! :-)

It's impossibly hard not to keep looking at the prettiness!