I love journals

Just thought I would post a little something. I made this journal using authentic vintage lace and authentic vintage buttons (you can find these vintage items, or similar ones at Accessories of Old, online) with Eiffel Tower Tag and Eiffel Tower charm. Paper is by Cavallini.  Making journals is a great way to do a quick craft when you don't have a lot of time, but would like to create something....  kids love making them as well!  :)

Haven't posted in a bit due to viruses that ran through my household. We are happily better and enjoying the beautiful weather.  We weren't able to do crafty things for St. Patrick's Day this year. I am now brain storming ideas for Easter. I hope you all are enjoying the fact that Spring is finally here!!! Summer just around the corner, can't wait.

Sweetest Regards,

Christina Michelle

Much Ado about Doodling...

Tonight brought on an impromptu evening of Doodling. A mixture of  a little boredom, nothing on t.v., resting from the day and one kid finishing a meltdown....maybe it was a way for me to relax, focus and breathe..lol.  Upon doodling my youngest came over to see what I was doing. He was pretty cute with eyes wide open and lots of questions buzzing about...I could see it in his eyes. I asked if he needed help with something. His reply was, "yes, I need a pencil and a notebook too mom." He proceeded to get himself squared away just so besides me, checking the light surrounding him to make sure it was sufficient for the adventure he was about to partake in. He thought it was some grand adventure, I  was trying to relax for a few, but now was so intrigued by his curiosities. I put my pencil down to watch him. He quickly said, "No mom, keep doing what you are doing, I am learning here!"  So I picked up my pencil and kept doodling. I asked him, "So what are we learning about?" He wanted to know how I was shading the images, and how I could just doodle and it would turn into something. I said I was just drawing randomly to draw, no reason. Just wanted to try a few things out. He seemed a bit surprised that I was just randomly drawing and not methodically setting out a masterpiece. I just simply said, sometimes you just put a pencil to paper and don't think about what you're doing, you just let go and doodle. Sometimes that's where the magic lies. It doesn't have to be grandiose or make sense to anyone, it is just a little way to let a little magic out.... a bit of nonsense for no rhyme or reason.

The magic for me really was his astuteness and wanting to learn so much in a tiny captured moment of loveliness. It was heartwarming to watch him doodle and shade and hold up his fingers to show me how grey they had become from the pencil. To watch his brow furrow a bit and tongue slightly come out from his lip as he was working so hard to create his masterpiece. A magical moment for a mom. A simple shading lesson for him. Really it was much ado about nothing for me in the beginning...... but, in the end it was really much ado about doodling and a captured heartwarming moment that I will treasure. A pleasant way to the end the day to say the least.

Sweetest Regards,

Christina Michelle

Good Morning....

 Woke up to the nice warm sun shining down on my face and a  hug from my kiddo. Great way to start the day. We have been doing some spring cleaning and reorganizing in the house. It was nice to come out to the living room  and have the furniture moved around, the sun shining in and things organized.  Came across this beautiful card that my aunt made for us a couple weeks ago and wanted to share with you.

 She always makes such pretty cards.  I love the simplicity of this card with the details of the heart, and of course the colors. Thanks, Auntie. It is always fun to get pretties in the mail. Snail mail is becoming so obsolete. I miss the days gone by, where penmanship was an art form and people took care to write beautiful letters with stamped wax seals. I know there are still a few of us out there that do send cards and such, I just wish there were more. Even my son said to me the other day, why do we need to use the mail mom, we can just say hi in an e-mail?......uggghhhh that mindset totally drives me bonkers. And, completely not the point. There are actually kids who cannot even read cursive anymore because it is not widely used. Maybe it is just me, but I just think that is a bit sad.

So cheers to my Aunt for sending me a message in a beautiful card, in the good ole' snail mail fashion! xoxo

Wishing you all a wonderfully delightful day!

Sweetest Regards,

Christina Michelle

At the end of Chaos, a Crafty Idea is born....

Hello,

 Had a crazy day today with too many appointments. There was a light at the end of the chaos. I went to a local nursery to get some seeds with my children and started perusing around dreaming about a patio filled with lush beautiful flowers and sunshine.  When I got home, we had fun sharing in the delight of sowing our seeds in the little peat pots. The highlight for them was watering the peat pellets and watching them grow.
 My kiddos are still young enough that they are excited to do that, and haven't noticed yet that mommy doesn't have the proverbial "Green thumb". Every female in my family has it, except me. I instead have named mine "The Sparkly Thumb". I try really hard every year to garden and am always full of glitz and glitter, while doing it.

 We will see what sprouts in 4 weeks, I am not going to hold my breathe.  I will end up buying the plants already beautiful and grown from the nursery, when the weather is warmer.  It is fun to try with the kiddos,though. Who knows, maybe this year will be the year.  :)

 After I cleaned up our mess and had dinner, I was looking through some original vintage English lace I have, courtesy of Accessories of Old (check them out online), in perfect Spring Colors. I also found some charming little tags that I made last year but hadn't gotten around to doing anything with them yet, and voila, an idea was born!

 I decided to call these charming little tags, "Sweet Vintage Romance", aren't they pretty? I am still going to add a bit of glitter to them, just a touch, to make them pop. I really love how they turned out, simple and charming. Great to add to a present, give to a special someone or use in scrapbooking and the like.  I love when crazy days end on a good note, don't you?

Would love to hear what you are up to. Drop a line and say hello, leave a comment, whatever suits you.....

I am off to hunt for sparkles and glitter! :)

Sweetest Regards,

Christina Michelle

Spring Fever....

Good Afternoon! What a wonderful sunny day to wake up to. I woke up feeling so energized and awake. A glorious feeling. The sun is out and birdies are chirping. My children have been playing outside. I love to hear a mixture of the cool breeze making my wind chimes sing, along with giggles and the sweet melodies of the birds. I have even opened my slider to feel the soft breeze and smell that "Spring" is in the air. What a beautiful day. Still a bit cold, but so wonderful.  

All morning my head has been buzzing with ideas for planting and decorating.  I grabbed a few things from around my home and put together a little table decoration. Here are the pictures. Quaint, but pretty I think. I love all the colors. I need to go purchase a fresh bouquet of flowers, but for now I like the colors of the flowers there.  I bought the glass vase at a craft store a long time ago, along with the glass marbles. I tied some ribbon along with an Eiffel tower charm around the vase, then placed the bundle of flowers inside. I purchased the bird's nest and the items inside it at Tiara Day, a fabulous boutique in downtown Frederick, MD, along with the cute little vintage pretties hanging from the candles. I purchased the birds atop the candles from a craft store and clipped them to the candle wick. A quick way to dress up the table and bring a smile to one's face.  

I love the days like this where everything just comes together and you feel joy and warmth all around you. I hope all of you are having a wonderful Sunday. 

Sweetest Regards,

Christina Michelle

Get your Craft On.....

Some good reasons to "Get Your Craft On"!

Crafting promotes good health! Here are eight key benefits of crafting:

       1. Sense of Accomplishment
       2. Relaxation
       3. Memory Keeping
       4. Health
       5. Economy/Value
       6. Recommended by Friends or Family
       7. Enables Spending Time with Others
       8. Interaction with Children
      

Improve your life with a craft today and Happy National Crafts Month!
*from the CHA blog

 Lots of ideas and possibilities and a whole month dedicated to it! What are you waiting for. Pick a few things up here and there and create, then tell me all about it! Don't forget, St. Patrick's Day is almost here, would especially love to see those crafty ideas you come up with. Don't be shy....

                                            Aren't these Vintage cards so sweet? I just can't get enough of them. I always love to find vintage cards and postcards from all around. I love hidden little treasures everywhere!

Sweetest Regards,

Christina Michelle

Some Wit and Whimsy for a Saturday...

Found this quote with the lovely "Audrey Hepburn" in the background.  She is absolutely on of my favorites, of all times. I have loved her since I was a small child. So beautiful and ladylike, with a bit of quirkiness...My kind of lady!

Sweetest Regards,

Christina Michelle