TAGGED FOR 7 RANDOM THINGS!

I've been tagged for 7 Random things about me from Belinda from "What's Cooking in a Southern Kitchen" and Randi from "In my Mother's Name"

Here is how it works. Once tagged, you give 7 random things about yourself that no one knows and then you tag 7 more or less to continue the tag. Have fun and here are 7 things about me!

1. Been designing since I was 11 years old and was inspired by my 5Th grade teacher who told me to keep being creative. She had me enter the fair and I won 1st place for a floral mosaic that I designed at 11 years old.
2. Love shoes and purses and change my purses often. My great grandpa was a shoe designer in Italy and I think I got this from him. LOL!! Can't have too many shoes or purses!
3. I just love to paint in the studio during a thunder storm. It is so cozy!
4. For a late night snack, I love a PB&J with chips!
5. Do not like heights!
6. My sweet Mother went to school in Morgantown, W.V. with Don Knotts from the Andy Griffith show.
7. I was invited to the White House in Washington twice to add my ornaments to the Blue Room Tree.

From here I will tag~~ Amy from Bunny Rose Cottage, Connie from Rose Porch Designs, Vickie from Vickie's Visuals, Lorena from Rose Chic Friends, Melissa from The Cottage Rose, Karen from Second Hand Rose, Bertie from Aunt Mays Cottage~ if you all have not been tagged yet. Have fun.

PAST TREASURES AND STUDIES
I will be sharing a few past studies of paintings I have done over the years. The photo of the hummingbird and Hibiscus flowers are a painting on a fan box I did from a study and design by Barbara Baatz Hillman. I just love the water droplets on the flowers. This was a fun design to paint and I love the use of the sweet fan box. It slides to one side and perfect to hold a few jewels or special treasures.

WHAT'S NEW FROM THE STUDIO!

The studio has been busy and buzzing with painting and creating! After battling a bad cold for over a week, I am happy to say, I am busier then ever now. Finally have some new trays to offer in my eBay store La Rea Rose and something for the red collectors. Also new treasures in the pink department! Christmas designing and painting is surely underway here too and I will feature new items soon for decorating and collecting. October is decorative painting month, and those of us as members of the NSDP, are happily painting and getting ready for the crunch of season. The current pictures are still available. Thank you for stopping in and enjoy your visit.

LAST OF SUMMER BLOOMS

Summer still hangs on with the temps in the 90's and flowers holding on to the last of their beauty. These beautiful full blooms are called purslane and grow very hardy in our climate. I just had to take some pictures of these beauties to share with you. They are prettier in person, but this gives you an idea. The colors are yellow, corals, pinks and a bit of white thrown in here and there.

TEA FOR TWO

Welcome to my tea for two in a cozy master bedroom nook! This morning our tea is being served with a tea pot and cup collection by Thomas Kinkade. I love cottages and this set has a cottage on each piece including the saucers. The tea pot has "Home Is Where The Heart Is" painted and the cups and saucers have "Moonlight Cottage" Earl Grey is our tea for this morning along with a cinnamon roll ring fresh out of the oven.

How cozy it is to have tea and curl up to read wrapped in my handmade broomstick lace throw. Notice the bookmark. I collect bookmaker's and this one was cross stitched by my mother who stitched, LET GO, LET GOD! She added pretty pink ribbon to each end and it is truly my favorite made by her sweet and talented hands. Added to the table, a picture of my hubby and I on vacation last month. A yellow garden rose completes our cozy setting.

As this week winds down from all the wonderful tea parties, how relaxing it is to return to this spot, for what more, then a spot a tea. Thank you for stopping by today and have a wonderful day!

IRISH ROSE COTTAGE TEA PARTY~September 12, 2007

Welcome to my Irish Cottage tea. I am hosting this tea party in my Irish inspired guest room and all the treasures on the table are very special and each piece has a cherished meaning.

Starting with the 12 light pink antique roses that my dear hubby gave me for this tea party.

I am serving an assortment of fruit teas using a collection of tea pots that are displayed in this room. The one to the left with gold top is from my secret pal from church many years ago. The other side sits a pretty solid white topped with a little bird that was a special gift from a dear friend. The center tea pot is one I hand painted with a cottage rose. Behind my hand painted candle is an old vintage tray that I hand painted a ring of light pink roses that seem to reflect the real ones next to it. Served today are an assortment of tea cookies and dark chocolates served on a vintage glass plate I received from my mother's collection many years ago.

Towards the front of my Irish inspired table is a pair of sweet antique shamrock bells I received from my dear friend Randi when we went antiquing many years ago. I love them and they are just very special in that room.

The cups are special too and the light cream cup is an Irish blessing collectible that I got from my hubby one St. Patrick's Day. ( I am half Irish ) The pretty green pedestal style cup and saucer is an antique set that my god sister gave my mother in the 60's one Christmas. And last the sweet cup and saucer with the bird and hand painting was my first purchase on eBay in Sept. of 2005. It is just precious!

I have added these items to the table to give my guests a bit of interest and something to gaze at while they enjoy tea and cookies. The little round frame has shamrocks hand painted and inside I have painted a pink rose to accent the sweet frame.

In front near the floor are a few pots of pink roses, a sweet bunny that I know Amy from Bunny Rose Cottage will love and a couple books of Ireland to browse through while my party guests relax. Lastly, the pumpkin box I received so lovingly handmade by Connie from Living Beautifully sits a top the books and adds the final touch to my tea today. The sweet tea tags that Connie made, are placed on the table along with scattered rose petals for a bit of romance. Each quest will use a napkin that were my dad's vintage handkerchiefs held with a ring of pearls and lace.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit today as my guardian angel playing the harp, watches over our tea time together.

Thank you for your company and please return soon. Have a wonderful day.

GREAT TREASURES TO REDESIGN

Pictured is a collection of treasures yet to be hand painted and redesigned giving them a new life and use. I find many of these wonderful finds as I go on my regular treasure hunt. But many are found by my wonderful friend Ann from Ann's Finds. She has been finding treasures for me to paint for a long time and I appreciate her keen eye and great style. She has a fabulous resale business locally and keeps so many clients happy with her special assortment of unique and decorative accessories. It is always a joy when she finds these wonderful treasures just for me.

Ann what would I do without you? Your cherished friendship and loyal support means the world to me. Thank you also for honoring me by displaying some of my hand painted treasures in your home. You are not only a true friend, but a great inspiration.

"DREAM TAGS" FRIDAY!

Today found me creating new tags in the studio and I just wanted to share a bit of my "Dream Tags" with you. I hand painted and embellished this group to complete today's assortment. So many special friends have caught the tagging bug and it is so fun to see how many varieties and creativity is among the many designers. Made from matte papers, doubled for body and glittered here and there for a little bling. I hope you enjoy taking a peek at my new hang tags.

AFTERNOON TEA

Taking a break with a cup of tea is always a pleasant relaxing way for me to recharge during a long painting and designing day. Recently, Katie from my Pretty Romantic Homes group, sent me a special mix of dried mint from her herb garden. The aroma is delicious! She is a fabulous gardener and grows a variety of herbs. Amy from Bunny Rose Cottage is also a tea lover and nearly every night we chat over tea. She also was sent this special treat. Today, tea is so good and I wanted to share the setting with you before it is all gone. The sweet hand painted card is also from Katie as she is a beautiful artist along with being a talented gardener. Thank you Katie for the thoughtful gift. I am really enjoying it! By the way, I am serving tea from an antique set that was my mothers dating back to 1945.

TAG~YOU'RE IT!!

I have been tagged by Karen from Second Hand Rose to play the new "tag your it game". To play, you take your middle name, and with each letter, you describe yourself. My middle name is Marie.

M~is for being Muscial and using my love of music in my life every day.
A~ is for my deep Appreciation for all God's blessings in my life.
R~ is for the Richness I feel having a wonderful family and special friends.
I~ is for the Inspiration I get from the beauty in nature.
E~ is for the Excitement in my life when being creative.

From here I tag Miss Rhea if you haven't been tagged already.

The Great Pumpkin Swap

Fall is in the air and soon the pumpkins will be out. The girls in my Pretty Romantic Homes Group had a Great Pumpkin Swap and I exchanged with Connie from Rose Porch Designs. Here is the awesome pumpkin box that she made for me. It is just lovely in it's gorgeous fabric and adored with a paper rose that she handmade herself and colored to look just like a real rose. Inside the box was the most beautifully scented pumpkin sachet also handmade by Connie and scented with a glorious rose fragrance. Filled with lovely rose leaves, a rose ornament and many sweet tea and friendship hang tags to complete a very special gift. Connie I love it all and appreciate all the work you did in designing such a lovely treasure. Go to Connie's Rose Porch Designs to see what I sent to her.

ALL THINGS PINK

As you will see, I love to paint. I love pink and I really am a girly girl at heart. Here are a few pictures of treasures I have painted in that medium and sell in my store La Rea Rose on eBay.