Imperfectly Beautiful...In the Spotlight and a Giveaway!

I want to start off saying, "How wonderful blogging is!" I have found so much happiness in new friendships, inspired by creative ideas, moved from heartfelt stories and have many laughs from funny posts. I never knew this world existed until I myself decided to open up and become a part of it all...I am very glad I did. Thank you all for adding this joy in my life!

The Whimsy Spotlight this week has been one of those friendships that has brought me happiness. Every time I visit I am always in awe of her creativity, bargain finds (love that!), witty sense of humor, eye for design and she is Beautiful inside and out! What could be more perfect? Her blog name says it all...

How ironic that something that seems so perfect could be Imperfectly Beautiful! Meet Amanda the owner/designer behind this creative blog and Etsy shop.

She is a down to earth, funny, go getter,bargain shopper, mom of 4, wife to a great husband, Mississippi southern girl, did I say "Beautiful", and very talented women!

Amanda has stated on her blog, that she started blogging"in hopes to inspire other women to embrace their creativity". She is passionate about making her house a home, a safe haven, a place of beauty. Being a bit of a Perfectionist...(I relate to this) she didn't want those tendencies to hold her back from creating for fear of failure. This is where she made a change in her ways and realized that beauty has flaws and that she just wants to be her own kind of beautiful. I love that! This is just one more reason that I adore Amanda.

There is so much to see and read on her blog. She has a way of making you feel welcomed, like you have just stepped into her home and are a close friend. Amanda loves to decorate and enjoys having input from her readers. She recently posted on her style "Funky Traditional", which fit's her to a T! Her blog has great tutorials, bargain finds and fun projects to see. Here are just some of her great design and creative ideas she has shared...

Love her style!
Pops of color with some traditional elements.

How cute are these?! Fabric covered candles.

I am inspired by her lampshade makeovers.

Gorgeous fabric used to recover her piano bench.

A whimsical frame, monogram letter and
yard sale fabric makes for divine art!

A $3 ugly duckling~painting turned
into a beautiful swan~chalkboard!

As you can see many great posts! I love that Amanda loves playing with color and thinks outside the box. Amanda is not only creative in her home, but her Etsy shop is full of fun, whimsical colors and design...it really is "letter perfect' as I teased!

Imperfectly Beautiful Etsy shop opened in March of this year. Amanda loves to create and craft, so having the ability to make a little money doing something she loves has been a dream come true for her. These signs and letters can add a fun element to any room. Such beautiful colors and patterns!

Fun and bold colors stand out on this mantle.

Vintage Dress Form Notecards. So cute!

Custom order names.
A great way to personalize a child's bedroom.

These clipboards make a great gift for teachers!

These block letters are handcut, sanded and painted.
This set is done with Amy Butler paper.

Perfect for a little girls room!

Christmas will be here before we know it...so pretty!

That baby elephant is adorable!

As you know Whimsy Spotlights are so giving! Amanda is going to be giving away something very fun that will add some whimsy to your home! She is showing you all some love and having one of you win both of these fun and Imperfectly Beautiful items here...

This could be in your home or a great gift for a friend!

Look at this fun "Family" sign to match!

I know you all are ready to check out Amanda's Etsy and visit her blog. Now is a great time to shop for Christmas, especially if your looking for a personalized gift for someone. Amanda does custom orders for any of these items.
O.k. I am sure you want to know how to enter! It is "Easy Peasy Mac and Cheesy" as Amanda would say...

1. Go visit Amandas,Imperfectly Beautiful Etsy shop. Come back here and leave a comment on one or more of your favorite things.

By doing more than one entry makes your chances of winning all the more better!

2. I would love to have you Follow my blog, great to share my ideas with you all! (If you already are, please leave another comment as a entry),

3. Grabbing my cute button, makes me feel loved! (again if you already have this, let me know in a separate entry),

4. Blog, FB or tweet about this post. (separate entry for each thing)

5. Show Amanda some blog love and stop by Imperfectly Beautiful blog and leave a sweet comment...add another one for you!

Please make separate comments for each entry being that I am going to use random.org for the giveaway!

Make sure I have your info. if you win. You have until Sunday, August 2nd at midnight Pacific time to enter. Make sure to enter before Midnight! The winner will be announced on Monday, August 3rd.

This is opened to US residents only.

Good luck!

Hugs friends,

Whimsy diaper bag and winner...

I hope you all had a great and productive weekend! I know I have accomplished some of the things I wanted to. Trying to post as often as I can with all the different projects I am and will be working on. I will be showing some tutorials...my first. I did a lampshade makeover I will be sharing with you all, step by step. I am trying to remember to get as many pictures as I makeover my dresser, chair,and slipcovers. I am working with a client right now on some chairs I am upholstering for her. I will post on those in the next couple of week's as well. Lot's to see and do, would love to have you along for the journey! Feel very loved by all of my followers, thank you!

On to our Winner, but first I want to thank Roxie once again for being so generous in her Giveaway and for being such a fun Whimsy Spotlight! I enjoy, along with all of you seeing so many different and unique business's there are to shop from. Again, CandyLights is a website you will want to have bookmarked under your favorites. You can always use some fun and Candylicious lights for parties, gifts, weddings, showers, decorating...just about anything, except for eating...no matter how yummy they look! (laughing here)...I know a little cheesy.

Here is the Sweet Winner of 2 strands of CandyLights, and 1 nightlight with a 5 watt bulb (your choice of flavors)...

In This Small House!!!

Woo Hoo!! O.k. if Drama Queen saw this part of my post, she would roll her eyes at me and say "Mom your embarrassing me"! Good thing she is sleeping. Happy for you and can't wait to hear what you pick!!

For all those who entered and gave Roxie some blog love too, thank you! So many more Spotlights to see and giveaways to enter, here each week! A hint for this weeks Whimsy Spotlight...letter perfect....I love giving little teasers. Make sure to visit me on Wednesday.

I thought I would share one more thing in this post with you all.

I have a friend who I recently designed a diaper bag for. Well, she ordered it, but it was for her sister who was having a sweet baby girl. This was my first diaper bag. Of course I made sure it had my Whimsy signature on it. Some of the cute flowers I had popping off of the bag and added a center button. Side pockets that had pleats, so they would expand if a cup or bottle was put in. Lot's of pockets inside and out. Overall it was a fun design to create. I took some photos before it went on it's happy way, so here it is.

Dimensional flowers and cute buttons give a POP of Whimsy!

Love pairing stripes and florals together!

A cute pleat to expand with bottles or cups.

I sewed in some ribbon and made a
key fob with an easy release latch.

That way she wouldn't have to go digging in her bag or in a pocket when her hands were already full. I think it turned out very cute. I hope she enjoys it!

Well I am going to bed so I can get lots done this week. I can't believe we are already getting to the end of our summer and school is right around the corner again! Time really does fly! That just makes me want to get so much more done. Have a great day and I will have lots more for you this week!


Hugs to you,

Love My Goodwill Finds!

I thought I would join the party at Rhoda's for Today's Thrifty Treasures. As I mentioned in my last post I went to Goodwill last week and found a couple of bargains I had to buy. I am excited to make over these finds and then they truly will be my Thrifty Treasures! I already do love them...I see the vision of possibility in my head.

Here is the chair with caneing I told you about. Isn't it in great shape?! It does need some wood glue in some of the joints, but after thoroughly inspecting it...yes, I turned it upside down and every which way in Goodwill and even did the sit test...I knew it would be a sturdy chair.

So I really do love the caneing on this chair, I think it makes it unique. I first thought I would upholster a cushion for the seat, because I am a cushion-kind-of-girl...but, I don't want to ruin the chair by having to screw the top on. So I am thinking I need to make a cushion that just sits over it without damaging the frame. I think I will leave the back of the chair and show the caneing on it.

The stain is in pretty good shape as well, but because I am wanting to go more towards soft, painted and lots of white for my Whimsy French Cottage style, I think this will end up being too dark. I was thinking of spray painting this chair in the "Heirloom White", I keep hearing about. Painting wood doesn't scare me, because I know you can take the paint off and stain it again later if you want.

O.k. enough of my jabbering, here is my bargain chair I love...

Love the curve on the legs!
I thought it was a great deal for $7.

Thinking this fabric would be beautiful on it...

I might make a little skirt to hang over the edge.

This might look to be a fortune tellers ball,
but really it is made to put something inside...
not quite what I was thinking.

Ahh...much better. I am going to paint the base
white and make the engraving pop out by distressing it.



This will become a beautiful snow globe! A fun treasure at only $1.99.

I didn't know that I would come home with either of these finds, but I am excited to give them a fresh new look that fits into my home! That's what is fun about shopping Goodwill, garage sales, or any thrift store. You never know just what might be there, ready to come home and be a find that you love!

For more great thrifty treasures, head over to Rhoda's at Southern Hospitality.

Thanks for stopping by! Can't wait to see who wins the CandyLights Giveaway tomorrow!

Hugs to you all,

Creating My Whimsy French Cottage Style...

I thought I would share some more inspiration for what is to come in creating my Whimsy French Cottage style.

We have found out that it won't be until mid-October that we will be making our new move and instead of dwelling on waiting, I am getting busy and working on as many projects for creating the new look and feel I want in my next home. As I have shown you with several of my post's I have been adding new pieces here and there and will continue to find those "bargains' that I love!

In my post "I Believe" I was getting ready to go to Goodwill, I am happy to say I came back home with a couple of great finds. Next week, I will have to show some pictures of them.

I bought a big glass ball/with a lid that sits on a metal, carved base. I am envisioning a beautiful snow globe for Christmas. Only paid $1.99!

My other find was a very old,chair with caneing. I have never owned a chair like this, but I have a vision for it and am excited to see it come to life! I might want an opinion from you all on the idea I have. Oh, I paid $7...that's right $7 for this great chair! I know it is a good chair, for it has dovetail joints and not screws. The caneing is in great condition! So, enough about this until next week.

I plan on getting a lot accomplished this weekend and want to share in the coming weeks all the projects I have and am working on. Here is some dreaming and inspiration for creating my Whimsy French Cottage style...

*Via Google

Pretty pastel pink, green and blue on
mixed matched chairs...Whimsy Garden Party.

Sheer netting draping down, wallpaper panels and molding, beautiful

 bedding and the dainty chandelier....romantic, elegant french style.

Simplicity of crisp white against blue-grey paint.

Soft pink slipcovers, wainscoting and built in's...
feminine, sophisticated and fun.

Love the mix of wicker chairs, floral/striped slipcovers,
distressed woods with coastal feel.

Vintage dresser in turquoise...beautiful!

Gorgeous over sized mirror with scroll detailing.Elegant
furniture toned down with distressed white paint, gives this
room an airy, yet sophisticated feel.

A whimsy sofa with tufted buttons on a sky blue velvet fabric.Detailed molding, hard wood floors, and beautifulwallpaper makes this room easy to love!

Scalloped top, bead board, flower knobs,
and soft turquoise paint make this cabinet eye catching!

Wrought iron detailing on the windows, a sophisticated wooden bench with lots of pillows, stone tile, and ruffled gingham seat covers makes for a casual, yet beautiful room to eat in.

Photo~Better Homes and Garden

*sigh*...in love with this Chandelier...need I say more?

Distressed cream hutch and a cute stepping stool
with a ~POP~ of blue green paint.

Photo~Better Homes and Garden

That glass bowl sink is simply divine! Sea foam green in different shades makes this coastal bathroom very whimsical. Love the shutter doors on the cabinet.

Serene color on the vanity and armoire wardrobe
is very calming and elegant.

Photo~Better Homes and Gardens

I myself am a collector of colored pottery.
I like the mixed colors, shapes and adding
some coastal with the starfish.

Photo~Country Living Magazine

One of my favorite dining rooms. Love the painted harlequin pattern
on the floor. I will be creating something like this for my kitchen....

Photo~Better Homes and Gardens

This built in window seat is wonderful!

Finally a little more eye candy to finish...

Each photo has many of the elements I want to incorporate into my look, I feel inspired and ready to start working on my Whimsy French Cottage style.

I am definitely hooked on creating this style for my home! Make sure to stop by Hooked On Houses, and see what many other bloggers are hooked on! Have a creative and productive weekend!

Don't forget the last day to enter CandyLights giveaway is Sunday July 26th by 12 am Pacific time! Go enter now, if you haven't already...you don't want to miss out on the Bulb-elicious fun!!