Inspired: Design for Friday, Celebration Recap, and Freeform Friday

via tallpoppygardens

Inspired:Design, Color Jump Off

I'm working on a new design that has some fantastic colors in it. It's not going quite as planned (the materials I'm using are quite working they're supposed to work), but hopefully it all works out because if it does it will be really striking. 

Here's some of the colors that I'm incorporating, and they sure look grand used in a multitude of ways.

1. fabulous living room via kelly werster

2. bold bedroom choices via young house love

3. super cute bunny ear cactus from TallPoppyGardens

4. wonderfully colorful painting (don't miss the pooch) by doylemaher

5. wow. what a coat from gogovintage

6. electric sappire blue drop earrings from Ear2There

7.vintage blue faucet handles from RAEvNsNest

8. colorful mod decor via apartment therapy

Bold, bright, beautiful. There's a color in the rainbow for everyone.

The Queen Celebrated

Sister di, aka Queen Di, celebrated her birthday last night at 10 Tobey Street (our parent's house). Complete with the celebratory big honkin' USA wild caught shrimp Dad gets for these occasions. Um........YUM.

Why yes Mom/Marge, I'd love a shrimp.

So would the birthday girl.

If she would put the shrimp down for a sec, she could open her present.

A signed Grow Love print by me, customized to go with her extra bedroom comforter. Well, I think the colors work, I was going by memory, so I may have been off a little.

Best friends, Di and Deb. We won't say for how long. Right girls?

Deb's an awesome photographer and is shaking her head right now saying, 'Pam, you had the camera on the wrong setting." I know, I know.

If you're part of our family, you have to take 'official' pictures for each occasion. Reason being........Marge makes us each a photo album each Christmas of the last year's events (and non events).

The Garman and his sister-in-law.

Ignore G-man's sweater. It's about 22 years old. He won't give it up. I obviously need to do more darning.  Can you tell he came straight from work?

Now the next picture doesn't really tell the story.  Here's Di with her son, our nephew Pat. Di is standing on the chair for a reason. Pat is tall. She was trying to get on his level.

Di is currently mortified that I posted this picture, because I know she will hate it. Trust me when I say to you Di, this was the best one. Why? Di and Pat were gafaw-ing in every picture because my mother was also trying to take a picture, but had the lens closed. This is not the first time that has happened.

Our nephew Jeff was there too, but I must have taken a picture of him with my parent's camera. Sorry Jeff.

All in all, a lovely gathering on the porch to celebrate life.

Freeform Friday

If you live in the states you probably know Regis Philbin. You probably love him or you hate him. I happen to love the guy. He's been making my mornings brighter since I was in college, and his show was just a local morning show. Reeg, as he is affectionately called, retired today. For Pete's sake, he should. He deserves it.  He turned 80 this year and has logged more hours on television than any other person anywhere. That doesn't mean I won't miss him. He's a real piece of work and honestly, Reeg cracks me right up. 

This week, he got to perform a duet with Tony Benett (ah......Tony.......love him too).  It was so nice to watch someone live a dream. Really. A dream. He did his best, but remember Tony is a jazzy singer and Reeg is an entertainer. It still gave me a big smile.  Those following via email can click here.

Thanks for the memories and the laughs Reeg.

Happy Friday to all of you. The sun is shining here and the wind is blowing. It's supposed to get warmer as the weekend wears on. I'll take low 60s in November.  What's happening in your world this weekend?

Have a good one,



Inspired:Design and Queenie

via bramblepie

Inspired: Design- In The Pink, Plum and Gray

In honor of the updated look of Mercantile Muse (which is still a work in progress by the way), an edition of Inspired:Design that focuses on color tones that I love, and that I love together. 

1. gray velvet tufted sofa (swoon) photo by joanna henderson 

2. simply gorgeous letterpress paper by smockpaper

3. violet raindrops by gollybard

4. fantastic dresser redo by twicelovely.blogspot.com

5. sweet peas  from bramble pie

6. sweet brooch and display from le Superflu cést necessaire via decor8blogspot

7. never heard of magnesite before, but I love these dagger beads of magnesite by PalomaAntigua

8. whimsical origami butterflies made from maps with pinks, blues and some yellows by laylalou studio

And from our own store, Bates Mercantile Co.

via batesmercantileco.

I've had my simple line drawing of this chair in the shop and the center pop-art pink version, but I'm working on adding more choices like the gray and the mauve. I've already done a custom color of this for a customer, so the more, the merrier. 

All three versions incorporate one of my digital paper designs from my Ceramica Set.

via batesmercantileco.

The most gorgeous linen Italian Ice ribbon yarn, made in Italy.  In fuchsia, light grape and mango ribbon yarn.

via BatesMercantileCo.

An elegant silver gray digital paper design from my 96 Steps set.

via BatesMercantileCo.

Am I the only one loving this color combo? What colors and combinations are you drawn to lately?

She Used To Be A Princess

It's my sister Dianne's birthday today. Happy Birthday fellow Scorpio. She used to be a princess, which she dubbed herself after Princess Diana. In recent years though, Di has elevated herself to the status of Queen.  I guess she figured, since Scorpio's rule, she might as well carry the proper title. 

Di also used to be the Kahlua Queen, but she is now known far and wide as the Cosmo Queen.  Though she still enjoys a Kahlua coffee, as she did at our friend's place TJ Byrne's in NYC, it's usually a Cosmo glass in her hand.

However you shake it, Queen Di is putting on the crown, picking up a Cosmo and doing a little celebrating at 10 Tobey Street later.

Have a fantastic Thursday in your little corner of the world, and rest assured I'll be working feverishly at whittling down today's to-do-list.

One the subject of lists, one more from Bates Mercantile Co., in honor of Queen Di.  A printable to-do-list, fit for royalty.

Same place, same time tomorrow

Weekend Roundup

She's Making a List, Checking it Twice....No It's Not Christmas

I thoroughly enjoyed my birthday weekend. We don't do just birth'days' round these parts. We milk it for as long as we can.

Friday was great all around, including the pretty new cosmo glasses sister Di gave me- love 'em. After we got home from my parents and the birthday celebration there, we cut a rug or two to some fun youtube selections including a little Cee Lo green and Tony Bennet.  We do enjoy a dance around the living room and kitchen, at some point during most weekends. 

The rest of the weekend went just as well. Here's some things that made for a good birthday weekend: 

• Gar built a table for my new printer. I will be painting is shortly. It's pretty basic, but that's all I need.

• Weather was nice so he got to work outside and I got to have the campfire I wanted on Saturday night.

• Neighborhoodlums Sandee and Gerry swung by the fire.

• Sandee made Stratford on a Crouton, one of my all time favorite appetizers, and brought me a gift. I'll share the Straford recipe the next time I make it.

• Neighborhoodlums Tom and Joanie had our neighbors-in-law Carol and Emile (Joanie's brother and his wife) over for dinner and they all popped by the campfire.  Not only that, but Joanie and Tom brought me a Carvel Ice Cream Cake for my bday. YUM.

• This was big for Carol and Emile, because they're about ready to head back to Florida for the Winter, and though I thought it was a perfect fall day, others thought it was freezing! So cold, they had to warm their tushes by the fire.

• I thought that it was a glorious night for a campfire with friends.  Lucan enjoyed too.

• When we went in, we caught the rest of the Bruins game. They took care of business and beat Toronto 7-0, and our 'kid' Tyler Sequin scored his first hat-trick. This made me very happy.

• Sunday morning we decided to go out for some breakfast and headed to Portsmouth.  When we got there it was such a beautiful day we decided to enjoy the day and take a walk, knowing our favorite little irish place would be open for lunch by the time we were done.

• We met the lovliest man, Adrienne, while were enjoying the views from the bridge. He'd grown up in Kittery, Maine, just on the other side of the river, but had been living in Texas for years. He'd just moved back to be closer to his family. The three of us must have talked about the Seacoast and traveling for nearly 30 minutes. 

• Our favorite table at RiRa was just waiting for us in the corner when we got there, and so was a our favorite server, Michael- a lovely Irish lad.  Check this link out for nice interior pictures of the fantastic dome at RiRa from a previous visit. Back to this weekend's visit.......Michael brought me a big pot of tea, and once I'd promptly finished that I went for the gusto. Look at those biggo honkin' olives! Briny and delicious and just what I wanted.

• I don't know who the guy is behind me, but he's not getting my bloody mary or my irish paper. Gar and I love sitting down at RiRa and reading the Irish paper. 

• We both ordered fish and chips........SO good. 

• As if the beer battered fish and chips weren't enough, they give you both tartar sauce and rose marie sauce. It's an Irish thing and it's good for dippin' your fries.

• Happy husband = happy wife. Don't come between a man and his pint of Guinness.

• After we finished lunch, we stopped at McKinnon's and talked to the Rick the Butcher.  It was Gar's first time to the store and he was impressed. We left with lots of good stuff, including the pork roast I cooked last night.  We followed up dinner with the aforementioned Carvel Ice Cream Cake- a very tasty ending.

As I said, a pretty darn good weekend all in all. Thanks to all who made it special, including my online pals and well wishers. 

Sunset Meadows

Just as we were starting the campfire Saturday evening, the sun was going down.  The focus is a little off, but the color makes it worth posting this picture anways.

I hope your weekends were just as good. Did you get to do anything special or out of the ordinary? Did you at least get to kick back and relax? Please say yes.

Have a fantastic Monday.  I'm going to do some painting.  Hopefully it dries quick so I can work on setting up the new printer a little later.

Just Up The Road on My Birthday And The Winner Is

Just Up The Road

Yesterday, the baby of the family (that would be me) turned 46.  How the heck did that happen? In honor of the occasion, I took the afternoon off and went wandering with my sister Dianne.  First stop was French Door Antiques, a lovely little shop I blogged about a couple of weeks ago. Only problem was, I'd forgotten to put my memory card back in the camera so I didn't get to take pictures.

This time I was prepared. Proprietors Dolly (who I haven't met  in person yet) and Debbie (who I met yesterday), and their assistant Kathryn, really pack a lot of wonderful things into the space that they have. Just the way I like an antique shop. So many things to look at, your eye doesn't know where to go first.

The beadwork on that bodice was spectacular.

Honestly, that french enamelware stacked lunch/picnic set was in fantastic condition. 

The ladies are having an open house next Saturday. In case you live nearby, or want to take a road trip, French Door Antiques is located at 780 Portsmouth Avenue in Greenland, NH.  It's chock full of great finds and well worth a visit.

After French Door, we headed to Target to return some lampshades Di had bought that didn't work with her lamps.

This is what we were greeted by in the parking lot, from last weekend's storm.

Really?

I feel bad for the people who are still without power, and there are plenty of them.  That storm brought so many trees down and really made a mess.

Onto the Celebration 

After the afternoon jaunt, we were off to 10 Tobey Street- my parent's house and where I grew up in Hampton (a mile from beach....so lucky).  I was really  hoping that Dad had gotten the big, honkin' USA caught shrimp he usually gets in for birthday celebrations.

I was not disappointed. They were truly colossal.

Can you say yum? You don't have to ask me twice if I'd like one.

Here's Mom/Marge enjoying her port wine and new chair.

The official birthday picture.

And, one of photographer Di (who is usually the flip video director, not the photographer) trying to pose like a model which is obviously amusing Mom.

Sorry Di, I had to include this one. Mom is cracking up.

It was a lovely birthday cocktail hour on the porch. My parent's make something out of everyone's birthday.  It's always nice to feel special. Life is good.

When we got home, the dog pretended that he'd been partying all day.

He was zonked.

Honestly, he hadn't been partying. He'd pretty much been in this position all day.

It's a tough life, but someone has got to do it.

Out Of The Hat

Points have been tallied, names have gone into the hat, and Gar has picked out the winner of our latest giveaway.....drum roll please.......

Sara from Royal Regards, come on down! 

Congratulations to Sara who has one this sweet little number.  I'll be in touch to get your address. 

Keep your eyes out this week for our next giveaway.

Moonrise Meadows

Missed the sunset last night, but caught a glimpse of the moon coming through the trees as I was heading to bed. It was big and bright yellow.

Fabulous.

Happy Saturday everyone. I think the b-day celebration will continue (we like to milk them in my family) tonight. At some point we're going to enjoy a nice meal at my friend's restaurant, but tonight we're thinking campfire.

Ciao for now



A Birthday Dinner and Blog Sharin' Love

I Knew He Was Coming So Baked a Cake

My dad celebrated his birthday on Saturday, and extended the celebration last night when he and Mom came over for a birthday dinner.  He chose pork roast, one of our all time favorite Sunday dinners, and I was happy to oblige.

I probably could have 'styled' the pork roast better, but it sure tasted good. Sides were those yummy pressed potatoes I told you about last week and a biggo salad.

That's me, Mom and Dad, having a quick toast before filling our plates.

Since it was Dad's birtday, I even baked a cake.........from scratch. I can say with confidence that I am a good cook, I think because I can put my twist on things. There is leeway. Baking is much more specific and not generally my forte, but I've baked this Italian Apple Butter Cake before and it did not disappoint last night.

It was a delicious end to the birthday evening, complete with tea light candle for Dad to blow out and make a wish. I'll share the recipe later this week.

Spreading Some Blog Love

There so many wonderful blogs out there, one could get lost. Here's a few that I think you should check out.  I read them and really enjoy them for many different reasons.

Lori is an illustrator and has a wonderful eye. Her blog automatism is a wonderful collection of design finds that tickle her fancy, and mine.  Lori has a wonderful weekly post of links that she shares and I always love exploring them.  While you're there, check out our ad!

Eleni is an architect working on the island of Crete. I just found her blog myparadissi last week and am already smitten. Like Lori, she shares wonderful designs finds. Bates Mercantile Co. may be advertising here soon.......let us know what you think!

Like Lori from automatism and myself, Fiona is also an illustrator. I can always count on her blog Cafe Cartolina to be colorful. That makes me happy. 

I thank Jaime at Crafty, Scrappy, Happy for introducing me to the talented Lucy and her blog Craftberry Bush.  She has the most wonderful projects! Check out today's wheat and wire pumpkin. I'm just in love with the wheat.

If you visit any of these blogging ladies, which I really think you should, mention that I sent you their way.  I know that once you take a look around, you'll be a fan too.

Happy Monday! The sun is shining, the air is crisp and the birds are chirpping. What more can a girl ask for?

I'm working on whittling down my to-do list today, and also need to make some time to move, whether a walk or hitting the yoga mat at the end of the day. I need to work 'movin' back into my daily routine, big time. What are your plans?