'Twas The Night"

Dear Friends

Merry Christmas!  Twas the night before Christmas, as I write this,  I just wanted to wish everyone a beautiful day with the ones you love.  I am feeling blessed and hope you are.  If this is the first time you have tuned in thank you, and if you have visited my blog before thank you, I hope I have kept you shabby entertained,  I'm only a simple shabby girl just trying to make this world more beautiful one shabby post at a time.

Shabby Snow Globe

Dear Friends

Merry Christmas, dear friends! I am honored to be included in my first Christmas Blog Party! Creating Christmas link party hosted by Jann at Have A Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson and fellow beautiful blogger's.  This year my Christmas is about fun and color with the inspiration of a wonder horse.  I used a lot of my same decorations but I love changing them and making Christmas decorating fun. My other inspiration was the bubble gum machine, red, turned shabby pink to make a snow globe to match my "Shabby Snow Globe" tree.

Oh What Fun

Dear Friends

How was your Thanksgiving?  I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family. Traveled home to see father, brother and my children, we had a wonderful time.   Celebrated 33 years of marriage and all I wanted was seeing my family.  Now on to my favorite time of year.  I have been decorating the tree and wanted to share one of my inspirations!  I found this old "Wonder Horse" some of you may have owned one.  This one I repainted with the help of my daughter, an old find repurposed and beautiful again. A fun before and after!  Santa is happy and " Oh What Fun It Is To Ride"! Stay tune, more shabby beautiful to come!

Just Dessert

Dear Friends

Happy Holidays!  Thank you for always tuning in, and I thank each and everyone of you for spending your precious time with Debby. I try not to take any little thing for granted.  This post is to the ones you love, lost, and are still looking for.  Holidays are hard, I know.  This post is dedicated to my mama "Donna".  Our last Thanksgiving we were together we laughed and she told me to get out of the kitchen, can we have "Just Dessert"?

Feathering Your Nest

Dear Friends

Thank you for tuning in!  The holidays will be here soon.  I have been "Feathering My Nest"!  Finishing projects and preparing for the holidays.  So much to do and so little time and energy.  I spent this past weekend with my daughter for her birthday, we always have fun and went picin at Michael's 80% off flower bin. Can't wait to create with those faux flowers, for the winter!  I'm feathering my nest and finally created a beautiful needle point pillow from a Friday Goodwill  Find.  I'm working hard to get it all done, and if you don't accomplish everything you want to do, "After all...tomorrow is another day"!

Horses Tale

Dear Friends

Thank you for always tuning in and I love sharing my beautiful "Goodwill Finds"!  This find is a Shabby rocky horse all painted up with chalk paint and a horses tale!  I know, tail, but my Goodwill Finds are all about tales for me almost, Fairy Tale.  Creating and making something cheap and more beautiful.  Yes, I created a horses tail, what do you think?  My first Goodwill Find in the background of the rocky horse, my beautiful angel wings made out of wire coat hangers and a lace shower curtain.  One of my favorite Friday Goodwill Finds.  Can't wait to use this in my shabby Christmas decor, are you getting ready, that is for Christmas? Stay tune always more shabby beauty to come...

Fall In Love

Dear Friends

Thank you for tuning in are you ready to "Fall In Love"! I want to share a quote, "If you Love something, it will work, That's the only rule."  Bunny Williams, Interior Designer. You see I share Bunnies philosophy because sometimes cost can be a factor so most of my living room is "Shabby" or "Vintage" but "I have to Love It"! To me no matter how big the house or how small the cottage, or the budget,  if you love it, it will work.

Shabby Fairy Tale

Dear Friends

I wanted to share a story with you, I started my blog out of grief and life changes but before that I fell in love with "Shabby"!  I bought a book from an antique store and read and fell in love with Rachel, Shabby Chic!  I read her story about her and her mum! Her mum repaired dolls and her customers would come for miles to have their shabby doll parts repaired.  I also loved that Rachel shared her memories of antiquing with her parents.  I did not know at the time what the word "Shabby" meant but when I looked up the meaning I feel in love again, you know why?   I love making things beautiful again and I love pink, and I knew one day I would like to meet "Shabby Chic".

Serving Up Fall

Dear Friends

It seems every post lately there is something horrific going on in our world and its hard to stay focused on the positive. Don't you agree?  I made a promise to myself and my mother who I miss terribly, you see she was my friend, mentor and that person who gave me unconditional love.

Southern Ingredients

Dear Friends I wanted to share a recipe from my southern roots.  I was born in Alabama but was raised in NC and I call North Carolina home,  my father still lives there with two of my brothers and their families.  At work I talk to people all over the US and instantly they know I'm from the south, I wonder why?  I tell them, "You can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl.  A very true statement for me, I left a small country town on a greyhound bus from Hamlet, NC to Atlanta, GA.  No job, no car, just family who took me in at eighteen years old.  I'm very proud to be born and raised in the south and just cause I sound southern doesn't mean I don't love pink!

It's Fall Y'all

Dear Friends

It's Fall Y'all!  No cooler temps yet but I'm sure they will get here in Georgia soon enough.  I decided to use some of my dried flowers to make a Fall wreath.  Lots of dried flowers to sprinkle on my mantle with a few pumpkins, and a pumpkin with a rose stem.

Set Sail...

Dear Friends

I didn't post last week because I had company.  This is the second time my daughter and son-in-law have abandon ship because of hurricanes.  We are all fine and survived with minimal damage but my daughter and I always have a great time together! I try hard to keep our minds busy!  On our walks along the beach during our holiday we found beautiful drift wood.  I've always wanted to create pretty sail boats with drift wood and what better way to sail into Fall! Enjoy our creations...

Friday Goodwill Finds:Pretending

Dear Friends

Happy Labor Day soon and returning from a great end of the Summer holiday.  This year it was a different adventure a beautiful adventure that was a little less crowded and more remote.  I have never been to Gulf Shores before and I may be considering it again. I love new adventures, new people and places.  I have some beautiful vintage finds for you, Friday Goodwill Finds.

Friday Goodwill Finds & Bittersweet

I will be on holiday for a week with my family and my daughter, Jessica, shared these beautiful pics of her upstairs bathroom remodel and thought I would share with my friends.  The reason I'm calling this post "Bittersweet, you see, this is the last remodel to my daughter and son-in laws, Tim, house, their first (WE OWN) house.  They have remodeled the entire house, kitchen, bathroom, laundry, painting all inside walls and trim, I could go on forever, alot of love, sweat, blood, lol!  So much joy in remodeling and adventure in a beautiful place south by the water.  Bittersweet because the service tells them where they must go but one day they will find their forever home.

Summertime Soiree

Dear Friends

Thank you so much for stopping by.  Today I'm sharing my version of a "Summertime Soiree"!  An elegant gathering at Debby's house, my deck that looks onto a pasture we have enjoyed for many years and a pool that I enjoy that I bought for my 50'th birthday!

Beautiful Summertime Rack

Dear Friends

Thank you for visiting and I hope you are enjoying your summer.  This simple coat rack was my Mother's and she had it in her bedroom and hung her gowns and muumuu's.  The little black purse she carried,  I gave it to her as a gift,  I chalk painted it pink, I have a corner that needed "Beautiful Summertime"!

Use to...

Hi Friends

Well it's August and I love it!  Back to school, I use to!  New clothes, teachers, schedules, homework.  Report cards do they still call them, report cards?  For all parents, kids and teachers,  I use to.  I love watching and listening to kids and parents talking about their futures making plans that will shape young lives, it makes me smile and I use to.  Don't get me wrong, this is a happy post!

Ferris Wheel Life

Dear Friends

I might have mentioned that my husband started a new job and was on the night shift with only Saturday off.  Well, my loving man is on the day shift with weekends off!  Yay!  I'm not complaining but for the last 20 years he has never worked an eight hour shift with weekends off.  We both are getting older and we would like to spend some quality empty nesting time together.  This post is about the Ferris Wheel he bought me many years ago for our Anniversary, it sat around for a long time rusty and ugly.  I painted it and added flowers and included it in a celebration for day shift, Monday thru Friday.

Nature

Dear Friends

Thank you so much for your comments about retirement.  I guess it will be another Season of my life and will embrace it as it is better than the inevitable.  I wanted to share pictures of nature and some of these pictures I am most proud of.  The swallow tails which I hope I have named them correctly are my pride and joy they keep coming back year after year and I am so glad I get to be their lunch partner.  Bees, well we all know we need these in our lives and a picture of my cherry tree in my back yard, it was a seedling and now towers my house and provides shade year after year and a beautiful pink snow in the Spring.  The full double rainbow, well it was a long Friday and I was leaving my job "I Love To Hate" and it was magical standing right under the glow, I will never forget it.

She's Retired

Dear Friends

Some people would say, I'm at the age I should be thinking about retirement.  I looked up the meaning: the action or fact of leaving ones' job and ceasing to work.  Let me be the first to tell you, I will never cease to work.  If you cease to work, you die or die soon.  This life doesn't prepare you enough for the beginning of work or ceasing to work.  This is my opinion but if you have retired or intend to retire, I commend you, I also wish you a healthy and happy retirement.  Please let me know, I need input.

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Sweet Summertime

Hi Friends

I hope you are having a wonderful July 4th! So many fun times and memories for this holiday for me and my family.  Although we are not together I will assure you they are in my heart, my brother Michael a beautiful soul who loved children, but left this world giving and kind.  My mom was the heart of our family making sure her grandchildren had everything their hearts desired, my best freind, I miss you both.

Homer

Dear Friends

I hope this post finds you healthy and happy!  My Friday Goodwill Find is this pretty Homer Laughlin platter.  Today it's perfect for displaying some of my crystal salt shakers with pretty roses.

Lighten Bug

Dear Friends

Happy Summer!  Does being outside make you happy! As I mentioned, my husband started a new job, he is on night shift, ugh!!!  So, you are probably wondering why lighten bugs?  When I get off work at 7:00, I come home, change and usually walk thru my garden, sit in my rocking chair and wait for the lighten bugs to appear.  I do other things just leading up to the blog title, LOL!  I've been so fascinated, why, they take me back to my childhood, when kids played out side, remember, hide and seek, red light, green light, Mother May I, do you remember?  There is another bucket list for me to see the annual lighten bug appearance in TN!  It's so popular it's seen by lottery only, about 2000 people can attend and over 20,000 apply.  Not going to happen this year and if anyone has done this will you please let me know?

Limoges

Dear Friends

Happy June, which means summer.  I will be working on a few outside projects that I will share soon.  In the meantime,  My Friday Find is from the same shop I found my chest.  A Limoges piece for 99 cents.  I have a few pieces of Limoges and if you have never heard the word it means hard paste porcelain.

 

Be Still

Dear Friends

Sweet Summertime! My Friday Goodwill Find was the inspiration for my Summertime mantel.  I picked this shabby sign for two reasons, first my favorite Psalm and second it reminded me of beautiful paintings by some of my favorite artist.

Friday Goodwill Find:Pineapple Bowl Planter

Dear Friends

Happy Memorial Day weekend!  I can honestly say another year older and I hope I'm not in any more debt.  I spent some time with my son and he showed me the town.  The pic of the Bloody Mary is proof and the pic of me is from last year on my birthday on the beach my first IG pic!  I will keep you guessing on the age, OK.  My Friday Goodwill Find is a wooden Pineapple Bowl.

Love Story

Dear Friends

Happy Mothers Day!  I hope it will the best day ever for you and all "Mothers" in the world!  Today I am sharing a gift from my mother many years ago.  This was my first vintage find and a birthday gift from my mom.  I was about thirty something and had just moved into my brand new home.

Drying Tears

Dear Friends

Happy May!  It is a beautiful month, don't you agree?  My Friday Goodwill Find is late so please forgive me.  Are you looking for a sweet vintage gift for your mom?  I found these sweet hankies still in the box and added them to my collection.  It is a shame hankies are a thing of the past but I truly love them.  When you think about hankies what comes to mind?

Friday Goodwill Find: Beautiful Simple Things

Dear Friends

April is gone and May is on its way.  I have a few Friday Goodwill Finds!  To me they are "Beautiful Simple Things"!  China, Crystal and a vintage sewing drawer that belonged to my great aunt to help display.

Serendipity

Dear Friends

I hope your Easter was beautiful and you are enjoying the beautiful Spring weather.  I mentioned in my last blog post my daughter and I worked on a DIY.  The story is, I found a beautiful mirror, old and a few pieces broken off.  I love mirrors and this one is absolutely beautiful to me.  I found  the mirror at a second hand store and brought it home.  I have been wanting to update my bedroom for a while.  I've had a Mahogany set for over 30 years.  I thought about painting it but could never bring myself to do it.  The set is in good shape but I wanted something different.  I went a month later to the same shop and found the chest of drawers.  What sold me was the curves and the pulls, I new the mirror and the chest was "Serendipitous"!

Hippity Hoppity!

Dear Friends

Yes, Easter is on its way! My daughter came home home for a week and we worked hard on a DIY, I hope to share soon.  We baked, sharing our cake box cake!  The weather was awful and we spent some time in closets because of tornado's, along with my granddogs, never a dull moment!  My Chinese snow ball bush is pretty this year but did not have as many blooms as last year.  I've been sharing bouquets on IG and sharing with you today!   If you would like you can follow me on IG, "Shabbyqueen".

Friday Goodwill Find:Velveteen Rabbit

Dear Friends

Are you enjoying your Spring?  Do you remember the pink velvet blouse from Goodwill!  I've made puffy love hearts, shabby bracelet and now velveteen Easter eggs.  The children's book the Velveteen Rabbit inspired me and its beautiful story!

Friday Goodwill Find:Pouring Spring

Dear Friends

It's officially Spring!  Yay!  I have been enjoying all the Spring inspiration in blog land.  My Friday Goodwill Find is this "Blush" damask table cloth and eight napkins.  Can you believe someone owned this and never used it!  I couldn't wait to open it up, wash, iron, and impatiently dress my Spring table.  My Spring table with vintage, thirsty, have a beautiful Spring drink!

Vignette's

Dear Friends

Happy St. Patrick's Day,  I'm sharing a little green and wishing much love and blessings!   My post today is a word when I was young, I promise, I would not have known.  So, with wisdom, I've learned to Love "Vignette", the meaning is beautiful itself, a brief powerful scene; a good vignette leaves you wanting more!  A small impressionistic scene; a short, descriptive passage that's more about evoking meaning through "my pictures"!  I only hope so, my vignettes convey "Spring"!

Friday Goodwill Find: A Tisket A Tasket

Dear Friends

I hope you had a good week.  This weeks Friday Goodwill Finds are a couple of baskets.  I'm planning a Easter post full of inspiration for you and lots of fun.  I picked these baskets up for less than $2 and love transforming than into a cute nursery rhyme for now.

Spring Mantel Inspiration

Dear Friends

Do you need a little Spring inspiration?  I know I do, I find sometimes the things in my home need to be dusted and moved to be enjoyed. Refreshing and renewed, right?  My bird houses and sweet birds and nest were my inspiration for my mantle.

Friday Goodwill Find: New Beginning

Dear Friends

My Friday Goodwill Find is something simple and hand painted.  I love anything hand painted and the artist signed it.  I cut a few Iris last weekend and this weekend cut daffodils to fill this beautiful simple vase. Doesn't the simplicity of the painting say "New Beginning"!

Make Me Beautiful 2

Dear Friends

After the second repurpose  of the Armoire, I was left with the center piece that stared at me each day behind the front door.  It kept staring at me screaming "Make Me Beautiful 2!"  Yes, this is the second repurpose of this piece and I decided to make it multipurpose.

Testmonial

Dear Friends

This blog post is a Testimonial for my Fairy Blog Mother, Linda.  But honestly it's really two part. You see, I started my blog as you already know after my mom died, I lost my job and became an empty nester. I've decided to put that behind me and going forward my blog is going to be about the future and a soon to be 55 year old blogger making the world more beautiful.

Friday Goodwill Find:Galvanized Bucket

Dear Friends

My Friday Goodwill Find is a galvanized bucket which I will be gifting to my daughter. Something about galvanized just doesn't fit into my shabby decor but yes I know it's all the rage for "Farmhouse" which my daughter loves. 

Enchanted Moments

Dear Friends

Happy Valentines Day!  I signed up for a Love Is In The Air magazine challenge.  The challenge was to create a magazine cover as if it were one I would create.  I did this with the help of my daughter, Jessica.  She's always known one of my bucket list is to appear on a magazine cover.  Well, I must say this bucket list has been accomplished.  No, it's not on news stands or grocery store shelves but something I never knew I could do.  Thank you Katherine for the invitation and I'm sure this will be a beautiful blog tour.  The winner of my blog anniversary give away....NanaDiana!

 

Friday Goodwill Find:Shabby Cuff Bracelet

Dear Friends

Can you believe I'm still re-purposing from that velvet blouse.  Puffy hearts to a beautiful cuff bracelet, I will wear Valentines Day and through out the year.  Everything is re-purposed, the cuff, the lace from a ugly moo moo my loving man didn't like and a pearl bracelet with broken strands.

Love is in the air and Cupid and Saint Valentine have a special surprise Valentines Day, including my give away for my blog anniversary.  Please leave a comment if you like on my Saving Grace post! Stay tuned for my Valentines Day Post!

Chocolate Charms

Dear Friends

Yes, this is the month of romance!  Valentine's Day and I'm sharing my first chocolate charms.  I've been in the kitchen knowing the way to my Loving Mans heart.  Chocolate, it is the true food of Love!  A Little Chocolate history, in 1849 the Cadbury brothers created the first box of chocolate.  They also created the very first heart shaped box of chocolate.  My friend Claudia let me borrow these chocolate molds and these are my first chocolate charms.  I'm no Cadbury brother but every woman knows the way to her Loving Mans Heart!  I think they are so pretty and my Loving Man will enjoy one at a time during the month of Romance.  I also bought some ruffled pink carnations for myself and created a Valentines vignette for the kitchen.  I hope Cupid is abound at your abode!  You know he has arrows, right!

Friday Goodwill Find:Puffy Hearts

Dear Friends

I've had this velvet blouse I found at Goodwill for sometime, which unfortunately was to small but new I could repurpose it into something pretty.  I made these puffy hearts and painted and spelled LOVE.  How about some beautiful Valentine eye candy to go with the puffy heats.  I've included some of my favorite cherubs on my mantel with porcelain roses.  The blond cherub is my very favorite and included a picture of my mom and dad when they were young and in love.  The architectural piece I found at Hobby Lobby for a song and loved the heart cut out at the top.  Are you in love?  If not my Cupid is ready to shoot his bow and arrow and pierce your heart to stoke the flames of love!

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Dear Friends

Baby it's cold outside and I wanted to share a delicious soup recipe that will warm your heart!  My loving man found this recipe while streaming.  He says he wants to learn to cook but I always end up in the kitchen.  Don't get me wrong, I love to cook but I'm one of those who usually doesn't measure and never follows a recipe so teaching is hard for those who want to learn.  I do know this loaded potato soup was amazing!  I did substitute the cheese for white cheddar which I prefer to cook with  if the recipe calls for cheddar.  I love Cabot Vermont extra sharp, and I added more broth and did half milk and half & half.  I love Laura Vitale "Loaded Potato Soup", recipe.  I'm going to try her garlic bread and lasagna next and can't wait to share.

Here is the link for the soup.  

Loaded Potato Soup

Saving Grace & Anniversary

Dear Friends

Yes, four years ago I hit "Publish"... I love my blog and it has been my "Saving Grace"!  I hope my blog makes you smile and encourages you to make your world more beautiful.  If you have tuned in thank you!  To my family and blog friends thank you.  Today there is no Friday Goodwill Find but I found this print at Salvation Army.  If you love SHABBY you will love this beautiful cherub print and all you have to do is leave a comment and it could be yours!  The lucky winner will receive the print and a beautiful Debby Goes Shabby Valentine Gift!  The winner will be picked randomly by my loving man on Valentine's Day!  The frame is not included, it would cost a fortune to ship, very heavy!  The print is brand new still in the plastic and is pristine and beautiful!  Perfect for your shabby home!

Ladies, do not throw those roses out you receive for Valentines, dry them!    I find if you leave them upright they dry prettier.  I made this garland from my dried roses from Christmas with a light weight wire, all I did was wrap the roses around the wire.  Thank you again for tuning in!

Friday Goodwill Finds: A Shabby Girl Can Change...

Dear Friends

How is your new year going?  I am counting the days down until Spring!!!  With Old Man Winter comes the blues, so I am doing everything I can to stay warm and happy.  I decided to bring Lola out of the craft or sewing room and change her dress.  She so deserved a new dress and I found this one at Goodwill.  It's a beautiful cream and pearl and its beautiful in the candle light.  I added wings that I painted a pretty cream and added lots of pearls around her neck.  Lola has changed from my scissor holder to a shabby beautiful angel.  Next, I decided to change my lamp, I really didn't like the one previously posted so I found "Diana" and I love the way she looks on my harmony end table.  My goodwill finds are a few inexpensive beauties, a hull flower decanter, crystal salt and pepper shakers and a small ribbon milk glass bowl, to hold beautiful roses until I change my mind.  If you are looking for an inexpensive way to freshen up your home, just look around and add beautiful flowers to a few Friday Goodwill Finds to make it shabby beautiful!

Love At First Sight

Dear Friends

Happy New Year!  Is all your Christmas put away?  I always get a sad feeling when it's all boxed up.  My husband tells me he fell in love with me at first sight.  Do you believe in love at first sight?  Well, I have to admit, after 32 years of marriage, two beautiful happy and independent adult children I've had my spell on Robert for quite a while.  My anniversary Armoire I bought for him not so much love.  He disliked it so I was thrilled to transform or remodel this beauty into a smart TV holder we both could love.  This was hard, I had a vision and had a hard time communicating my vision to several people.  I insisted on keeping the integrity of the beautiful mirrored doors.  My daughter was the only one who understood my vision and with her help and my loving mans help, we did it. The armoire is decorated with silk lamp shades from goodwill and a faux rose vine.  Debby and loving man are not your everyday DIYers but with perseverance we widened these beautiful doors and kept the beautiful mirrors that I feel in love with at first sight, LOL!  The center piece of the Armoire is waiting to become shabby beautiful again. This anniversary gift has many layers (paint) similar to everything in life, don't give up on that beauty, it may just need a little love and inspiration or a little shabby beautiful.