China and Jewelry

"I couldn't live without 
something that touches
my heart. No one should."
             ~Donna Karan

   I have said before that I love to have something beautiful wherever I look. My style is definitely not minimalistic, but it is also not cluttered or over the top. If something doesn't touch me in some special way - bring elegance or femininity to its little corner - then I generally tend to grow tired of it. I like treasures that are timeless and reflect who I am. I have a jewelry box and yet I find that a lot of my jewelry sits out instead of tucked away in the box. I have brooches and pearls, jewelled hair clips, pendants, and beads sitting out where I can look at them on trays and in teacups. I like to hang necklaces on mirrors and doorknobs and cluster pearls in china bowls. It is more interesting! There are so many beautiful decorating ideas to try when it comes to storage and display. Teacups are a beautiful way to display jewelry. Imagine opening a drawer and the inside is covered with odd vintage cups filled with your baubles (I saw a picture of this on pinterest and I just thought it looked amazing!). Don't be afraid to try new things! Be creative! Here are a few pictures I took to inspire you... 

I am sharing with:

What's It Wednesday

Old-Fashioned Pretties

"Riches do not consist in
the possession of treasures,
but in the use made of them."
               ~Napoleon Bonaparte

   I have been busy, busy today sorting through treasures, taking pictures, and listing pretties in my store. I took my time with some of the photos and was very pleased with how some of them turned out. I thought I would share them with you in a post and if you want to see more you can visit these lovely things in my Etsy Shop! (And maybe take them home!) 

I am sharing with: 

Make It Pretty Monday

Projects

"Creativity takes courage"
              ~Henri Matisse

  I am forever in the middle of "projects". Something is being painted or I have artwork on the go, my room is strewn with bits of lace and ribbons while I'm making flowers, or furniture is moving here and there. It's fun to create something or reinvent it! I took a few snapshots this morning of some of the things that have changed in the last little while. My Mum is a master painter (she won't agree with me but I know she is) and I am always asking her to paint things for me - either for myself or for my store. She is a perfectionist and everything turns out just beautiful when she takes it on as a special 'project'. 

This mirror was gold if you remember and I just found it to be a little too dark and overpowering so I asked my Mum to give it a makeover... 

Before

After...

This other mirror had a very elaborate distressed finish with many different colours. My Mum and I both like things a little simpler and more pastel. 

Before

After...

This next piece is just a little preview (because I promised). If you will remember I traded my little French desk for a lovely dresser and I told you that my Mum did something special with it. Well... 

Before

After...

She had the desk professionally painted and added new knobs. It is so beautiful now that it hurts!! I will post more photos of it when she has found it a permanent home :) 

The next project was one that my Mum and I did together. My Mum's sister is getting married in August and asked us to find her candelabras to decorate with at the reception. We have been searching for months! They are very hard to find but eventually - after this little antiquing trip that we took - we found some! They are very lovely and I just had to take pictures of them before they leave town...

And last but not least I had some treasures spread out on the table this morning and they looked so pretty that I captured them on my camera too! 

Thanks for looking at my projects and pictures! There are new pretties in the Etsy Shop too so be sure to visit there. Here's a sneak peek!