CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT SWAP!

Look what the postal carrier brought today! Christmas ornaments from our PRH (Pretty Romantic Homes) Ornament Swap! I was partnered with prh sister, Dolly from My Cherry Heart and she sent me ornies she designed in the most treasured variety. I love each and everyone and they will have special spots of honor in my home, after their holiday display on my sweet shabby studio tree this season. I will enjoy these sweet treasures each day as I create and design. You can see from the pictures, the time and talent that went into these darling ornaments and I can't thank Dolly enough for her generosity and kindness. If you are reading this Dolly, a big thank you and hugs for my special keepsakes. I am truly blessed!

To view more of Dolly's unique treasures, click on her blog to the right and visit her etsy boutique!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Thanksgiving is here again. Where did the past year go? I am so thankful for so many blessings, too many to count. One, being the bounty of traditional Thanksgiving foods we will enjoy in a big dinner with family and friends. For good health, and happiness, wonderful family and friends, creating and painting, and the continued blessings God has provided each and everyday. For most of us, we roast our turkey, in the oven, early in the morning so the juicy golden brown bird is ready to enjoy early to late afternoon. Each year I do the cooking as it has become our family tradition. Each year the turkey takes on a personality of it's own. Each year is a little different, even with the same foods and each year another day to be thankful for. I was thinking of all the turkey dinners I have prepared and thought I would share a few pictures of roast turkey from a few of my treasured cookbooks that I collect. I also threw in a picture of sweet potato pie, one of my families favorite.

So now we kick off another holiday season with the start of Thanksgiving, the parades on television, gathering of family and friends, baking, Christmas card writing and of course, SHOPPING! So let the festivities begin and Happy Holidays!!

The above cake keeper is the newest addition to by eBay store La Rea Rose and can be seen by clicking on the link to the top left. This sweet piece is so yummy sweet in light pink roses with aqua filler flowers and teamed up with a clear glass dish for serving. Vintage from the 1950's and perfect for the collector or the shabby cottage home. I invite you to take a peek!

NEW STUDIO TREASURES

I've had these wonderful figure ice skates for some time and finally got them finished. They are so shabby pretty and remind me of my childhood days ice skating everyday in Michigan during the cold winter days. Coming home for hot chocolate to warm up long enough to go right back to our neighborhood rink. Oh what I would have done for a pair of pink skates. Well, I can now paint a set, even though these will never hit the ice, they can make a shabby statement in a rose cottage just the same! Hand painted entirely in pink inside and out with roses trailing along the outside and a few on the inside of the boot. Trimmed in a pretty glitter fluffy embellishment with lace and pink hearts at the top of the boot. Crisp white stripes on the heel and the blades are iced with crushed German Glass to look iced over. Oh they are yummy and these can be seen in my eBay shop La Rea Rose along with some other new treasures for the holiday and beyond. Click on the link to the right to visit the shop!

Also, I want to announce the opening today of my new etsy boutique with a few items in shabby cottage and holiday. It also is named La Rea Rose and the link is also to the right of this page.

Thank you for stopping by today and I invite you to visit again and I always enjoy your comments. Remember to check out the Gift Guide logo below. I am honored to be apart of this list of very accomplished artist this season.

Etsy Boutique treasures

MERRY MAKING CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

Christmas will be here before you know it and hopefully the shopping has begun, or will next Friday, the first official Christmas shopping day of the year! This season, I am proud to announce the first annual Christmas gift guide to shopping with some of the best artisans and creators around, presented by the lovely and very talented, Becky Schultea from Just Bee' n Me. She has featured, on her blog, wonderful talent for making your gift giving fun and unique this season. http://justbeenme.blogspot.com/2007/11/2007-merry-making-christmas-gift-guide.html Take a peek and enjoy browsing the gorgeous items sure to please the special people on your list. Have fun and thank you as always for stopping here today. I always enjoy your visit and wish for you the Merriest of Christmas seasons and every good wish for the New Year.

Blessings and Blue Skies to you always, Celestina

STUDIO ART NEWS!

Tis the season! Yes it is a busy time in the art studio and I am loving every minute of it. Today I have added some pictures to share with you of what I have been up to the last week. From cottage closet hangers, bowls, pitchers, candy jars and ornaments. This year I started a series of gourd ornaments in Santa's and snowmen. Below, I have a few for you to see. I also offer a few of my light bulb ornaments. These sweet treasures I have been painting for years and below are a few made from makeup bulbs ad regular standard bulbs. They are all recycled from burned out bulbs. I add a hanging wire, hand paint and embellish to hang on the Christmas tree. I have added glitter to give a little sparkle and holiday charm. All these treasures can be viewed by clicking on my eBay store to the right ~~La Rea Rose.

HARVEST APPLE MUFFINS!

One of the things I collect are cook books and this 1948 Watkins book was my mothers when she got married. She was a very accomplished cook and baker, so this book has been lovingly enjoyed over and over. The other day, I was looking for a muffin recipe and found this one for muffins that I changed a bit by adding little bits of apple. They turned out so yummy and I thought you might like to share in the recipe by seeing the ingredients from the original book and the variations you can make. Perfect for a cool fall day.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY " ANN

Today is Ann's birthday! She is my dear sweet friend and owner of Ann's Finds, a vintage and new resale shoppe, local in my area. She finds great treasures from all over our area to offer everything from chic and shabby to antiques and new.

We have a tradition, to spend our birthdays together for lunch, a great visit talking with lots of laughter, and sometimes even do a little shopping. Well today is her day, so we are heading off to lunch and spend a wonderful afternoon. I have hand painted her a special platter in her favorite home decor colors, to use for a candle display that I have included with her gift or she can serve holiday treats on it. This wonderful platter is a Terra cotta plate that she actually found for me to redesign and sell. I added a soft background to highlight holly, pine needles, berries and pinecones. She will be surprised when she sees I painted it for her. See the pictures below. Ann is such a special friend and through the years she has found me so many special pieces that I have redesigned and offered in my eBay store La Rea Rose. I want to honor her today and let her know how much she means to me and how much I value our friendship. SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANN~and may you be continually blessed with good health, happiness and much love.