Debbie of  Debbie Doos Blogging and Blabbing is having a fun linky party. The challenge is to duplicate a photo from any magazine of your choice. Sounds like fun right? There's only one problem...I have a plain ole point and shoot, nothing fancy, but I thought what the heck, it's a chance to practice  and improve my photography  skills, plus it's an excuse to play. So after looking through my collection of 9 skillion magazines I found something I wanted to try. The copy didn't have to be an exact duplicate so that made it even more fun. I found a picture that was simple but pretty in Jeanne d 'Arc Living. Here is the original:

Paint Party!

 Its a paint party  and I'm painting everything in sight, so I had to join in. I have a few projects that I want to share. The  first things are these mirrors, I have had them for a looong time. I'm tired of gold although I hear its making a comeback. I painted these mirrors silver. Here's where we started.

My Faux French Enamel Pitcher

 I know all you lovers of  Cottage, Farm House and Shabby Chic  design have drooled over those gorgeous chippy vintage enamel pitchers. Well I don't own any but I'd sure like to... the problem is my budget is tighter  than  a  Botoxed face. Getting a real Vintage one for a price I am willing to pay has not happened. However while getting my craft fix in  Michaels  a couple of days ago I saw a whole shelf of clearance faux enamel pitchers in all kinds of funky colors and they were 50% off. Yippee! for 4.99 I got a  Faux French enamel pitcher. It's not the real deal but its cute and its a new thing to play with, I skipped the multi colored  ones and  went right for the white.

An altered planet

I bought a globe from The Goodwill store. I really love the graphics on globes and think they're really beautiful. However I saw a few globes on various blogs that had been altered, some with chalkboard paint, which I love and some had been decoupaged with various graphics....all very pretty. Naturally I got the bug to alter mine. I decided that I wanted a kind of shabby look but not too frou frou shabby. I wanted to keep it simple. So, this is what I started with:

photo source

Decoupaged Table

I needed a  side table to sit beside my sofa.   I  moved  the one I was using to the other side of the of the room.  I wanted the new  table to be larger  so we could set drinks  or whatever on it comfortably. I knew I didn't want to buy a new table and then I remembered a table that I bought from a junk store 12 years ago. I thought it was a really cute table but I could never find the right space for it, so it sat in my shed all this time. I thought it could work but it was  very small.

Thrift Store Goods

 My daughter and I went thrifting last week, she for clothing and me for whatever vintage find  I couldn't live with out. I found a thirty piece set of vintage Homer Laughlin China for 7.00 bucks. Woo Hoo, I was so excited I scooped it up and ran to the checkout. I have a few other pieces that I paid 1.00 or more for each piece so this was a really good buy. The pattern is so delicate and pretty I was smitten. I had to get it  Right? What do you think?

A Graduation And A Shout Out

It has been a busy week at my home sweet cottage. My  sweet youngest daughter graduated from our local Community College with a 4.00 point average. She has been accepted to several top rated Colleges and has chosen one to attend in the fall. I am so proud of her I could just burst.She is a wonderful young woman, beautiful inside and out. A hard worker and extremely focused and disciplined. I know she will be successful in her chosen career as a Cultural Anthropologist. They grow up so fast but I'm so happy with the woman my girls have become.My oldest will be returning to college in the fall to become a Registered Nurse.  I'm a lucky mom. On another note, remember my ottoman makeover?