Happy 101

Coco gave me an award the other day.  Go visit her... you won't be sorry!  The girl is wacky!  And, as I lay around the house, I think I have narrowed it down to the top 10 things that make me happy.  Of course, I don't talk alot about it on my blog, but my faith definitely makes me happy.  And, it feeds the other things that make me happy.  I can't know happiness without it.

1. My family... especially the Mr. and Baby Hughes variety.  They are truly my heart and soul and I adore them.  
2. Houses and furniture and design. And all the shopping that goes along with it.  When I see a well designed space, my heart beats a little faster.  We seriously went trick or treating in an area where I wanted to peek at the houses.  Besides my family, design related stuff takes up most of the area of my brain.
3. Oranges.  I love them.  Tangerines and tangelos are lumped in with them too.  I thank God every time I eat one.  Sadly, they don't always taste good.  But, when they do... mmmm!!
4. Blogging.  I love finding new blogs and meeting new people who share this love.  My family and friends don't blog so they just don't get it... they are supportive, but it is nice to relate to so many of you who really get why I can't get ironstone and mercury glass off my brain.
5. Margaritas.  Good ones... but after a few, bad ones taste pretty good too.  And, sangria. 
6. Warm weather.  Right now it is 20 degrees in Tennessee... too cold for me.  I also love the beach.
7. Twilight.  Seriously, I love it.  Adore it.  Can't read another book.  I really thought I loved the Harry Potter series, but I had never met Edward.  And, of course, now I have a major crush on Robert Pattinson.  It is okay though... Mr. Hughes loves Zooey Deschanel and Giada De Laurentiis.  
8. Will Ferrell. I love a man that can make me laugh that hard.  
9. Spa treatments, especially pedis with my sister... the ultimate girl time.
10. Traveling and going to new places.  Even if it is just a short drive.  I love seeing a new place with all the buildings and history and houses.

Well there you go.... just a few of the things that make this girl happy.  And, now here is who I want to pass this on to....

• Anne from Fiona and Twig
• Gina from Shabby Chic Cottage
• Rachel from A Little Bit Vintage
• Kristen from Domestic Ease
• Susan from Peanut Petunia

Just a few of the great people I have met through this wonderful bloggy world!

New Year, #100, and a Giveaway!

2010... wow!  New Year,  New Decade.  And, this is my 100th post!  I can't believe that I have kept this up for this long.  I think it is just because I am constantly inspired by the whole bloggy-verse.  I have had such a great time getting to know many of you.  So, to celebrate my 100th post, I want to do a little giveaway.  And, to make me feel less guilty, I am going to giveaway 2 prizes.  I picked the 2 with the most character for you guys.  So here they are:

A Fulton Seamless Grain Sack pillow

A Cincinnati Seamless Grain Sack pillow

Here is the back of the Cincinnati... how is that for character?

So,  here is how I would like you to enter:

*leave me a comment and tell me that you want to win.  You don't have to be a follower, but if you become one (or are one already) just let me know and I will put your name in twice.  If you don't have a blog, no problem... just put your email in the comment so I can get in touch with you.

*If you blog about it or Tweet, I will put your name in 3 times... did I ever mention that I Tweet?  Only occasionally though.... I can't ever seem to remember to do it.

I will draw the winner next Wednesday to give everyone time to enter.

And, I will be back soon to discuss resolutions and projects and changes.

Happy New Year and thank you for reading!   I really, truly appreciate it!

A Few of My Newest Favorite Things

This whole week I feel like I have been on pause... or in slow motion.  I haven't really wanted to start any projects until after the New Year.  Why?  Not sure.  It could be the fact that we have all been sick for about 2 weeks... it is just lingering.  So, today, for my 99th post, I thought I would just share with you some of my latest finds.

About a month ago, I got it in my head that I needed a vintage display case.  It was one of those nagging things that just wouldn't leave me alone.  Then I found this one for a good price.  I will paint it.  After that, I really am not sure what I will do with it.  Maybe eventually I will get a store and I can display little treasures in it.  Until then, I will probably just display my jewelry in it.  Maybe like my bedroom is a cute  boutique.

Meet Sophia and Oscar.  This couple was passed up by Mr. Hughes and I several times.  The price was a little steep.  Then one day, one of us was pining for these plates, saying that we should've picked them up.  So, we went back and we couldn't find them.  Someone was quite disappointed.  Then, I spotted them in a cabinet.

Handsome isn't he?

She looks thrilled to be on her own plate.

I have never seen any like them, plus they are on ironstone... what took me so long to bring them home?

I picked up this little covered jar... it is some type of ironstone and is very apothecary-ish.  Looks like it had nitrous oxide in it.  Wouldn't be awesome to have a whole set of these for spices?

Then, would you look at what Mr. Hughes bought for me for Christmas?

So snuggly...

And Grey!  I love it.  Adore it. And, I was totally surprised.

So, my next post is my 100th post, complete with a giveaway to celebrate me keeping up with something journal like for this long.  I will post it on 01.01.10.  So, ladies and gents, have a wonderful, safe New Year's Eve and I hope you will stop by on the 1st to enter to win.

One Last Thing...

The presents are wrapped.  The cookies are baked.  We finally got a photo with Santa after a 1 1/2 hour wait.  The only thing left for me to do is to fiddle with our table setting for Christmas dinner.  It will be a small affair, just us three with my mom and sister.  So, I went simple.  I had Mr. Hughes make me some print outs of these Santas

 that I covered in glitter and added everyone's name to them and attached them to a ribbon and draped them over the chairs (they have since been removed, since someone can't keep his chubby little hands off of them.)

We have very plain, simple dishes and I just added some beaded chargers and the black and white plates (which I am not in love with here, but it needed some pattern.)  I will probably remove the green glasses too.  It will look better with wine glasses.  And, I will feel better with wine!

I know I didn't put out the flatware, but I decided that I didn't want to unload the dishwasher ;o

I put out these cute little plates for our rolls... love them!

Remember the rosemary tree that was sentenced to die?  Well, it didn't even make it to Christmas.  So, I stole the vintage light reflectors that surrounded it and turned them into napkin rings.

I added some of my mercury glass including these sweet little salt cellars that I got at Scarlett's.

So there it is.  No more creativity before Christmas.  We are spent!  We have all been sick all week and we are going to sleep in tomorrow and rest up for Santa!

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Vintage Charm Stockings

I am fickle when it comes to some things.  And, stockings are one of them.  We made some the 1st Christmas that we were together.  They were cute and had all kinds of felt appliques on them.  But, they were small... hard to fit anything inside.  Then, last year, on a whim,  I bought some 99 cent red felt ones with ricrac from Target.  Baby Hughes needed a stocking and I was having a hard time not putting up the matching one for our beloved doggie that passed away before Christmas last year.  So, this year, I wanted something cuter and more personal than the ones from last year.  So, I made these vintage inspired stockings.  Mr. Hughes made a pattern and cut them out while I was keeping the monster busy.  Then I glued (yes, glue, I did not lug out the sewing machine) the front and back sides together.  Then I embellished them with little trinkets.

Mr. Hughes' stocking has a vintage handkerchief for a cuff...

and some pocket watch faces sewn on.  I used some vintage bias tape and a big button to make the loop.

Baby Hughes' stocking has a cuff out of ticking that I had left over from reupholstering a chair.

His charms include a little vintage cowboy figure and a rodeo charm and small round button (it may be a bell, let's call it a bell.)  Then, I made his loop out of fat ricrac and a big button.  His button reminds me of the ones on snowmen.

My stocking's cuff is made out of a doily.

I added some rhinestone broaches.  The loop on this one is made out of some silky grey bias tape and sewn on with a grey button.  I was going for feminine and may have ended up with old lady....

I added our initial by using silver Rub and Buff over a set of tiny vintage stencils.  The paint we had was too transparent, but I like the look of the Rub and Buff on the linen like fabric.

I may continue to use these and just add on each year as I find different small treasures

I also made a little banner after Mr. Hughes ordered these really cool grey toe tags.

Right now, it is hanging on the mirror wall in our entry... not entirely sure I love it there, so it may move.

I used some old unmatched printer's blocks to stamp "Joyeux Noel" on the paper and metal round tag.  Then, I cut out some tiny, tiny snowflakes.  I traced the edge in glue and added some Martha Stewart glitter.  Then I put it all together with the same silvery, silky bias tape.  I then tied them all on a big fat grey grosgrain ribbon and hung it up.

And, even though this was entirely Mr. Hughes project (I just okayed the idea and chose grey as one of the colors) I thought I would show you what our Christmas cards look like this year.

When he puts up a tutorial on The Upcycler, I will link to it.  These are one sided cards that he made by making block cuts and stamping them on the paper.  It was a process and I am making it sound much easier than it was.  But, I think they are cute... don't know if they win Coco's Cutest Christmas Card Contest or not, but we like them.

Well, I am off to wrap some more presents!  Can you believe Christmas is next week?