August 26, 2011

Flirtatious...handbag and clutch

I'm still here...

really.

Sorry for my absence...
life has been really busy here the last month.

A sweet 16 birthday for our oldest, 
back to school with 5 kids, 
and an exciting event coming up...

I Finally get to share my design collection with you all next week!!

Can I just say how excited, relieved and happy I am that I can let you all 
see what I have been working so hard on?!

One thing I have learned over the last several months...
my studio and home have to be put together before I will do another collection!

Just too hard to balance a big family, life, remodeling and designing.
I am a person who functions on order and the last 2 years of my life have definitely not been that!

So, for now I am happy to be opening my Etsy next week and sharing my first design collection.
I have many dreams and thoughts about what is in the future...
 but for now I feel satisfied and happy to just have these designs out of my head!

I decided to share a new handbag design with you all today...
however it will not be available to buy until next week when my Etsy opens. 

I am so in love with how this turned out!
  I also have been blessed to have a great model to photograph it with...
my beautiful daughter Brittany!

Here is my new handbag and clutch design...

"Flirtatious"










So...

What do you think?!

I will give lots more detail on this bag when my Etsy opens next week!

Can't wait to share the rest...

Happy weekend to you all!!

August 1, 2011

Inspiring others...

Hi friends!   

I hope it has been a good Monday for you all.  

My sofa from "Her Beauty Revealed..."

A few weeks ago I received a very sweet e-mail from a reader who wanted to share with me some projects she had finished.  As I read her e-mail it brought a lot of joy to my heart. One of my posts that I shared with all of you a year ago on my sofa transformation, had given her inspiration and motivation for her to finish some projects as well.  Here is here sweet e-mail she shared with me...

" Hi Victoria,
I just wanted to tell you that I came across your blog some time ago and have really enjoyed it! I am older than you and have lost some of my motivation in repainting, re-papering and re-purposing... :) I have two chairs I bought at a resell shop and when I saw your BEAUTIFUL sofa, I got busy. I had some upholstery remnants I bought for $5 for 6 yards and I painted the chairs and distressed them and took them and an old rocker, that I bought many years ago at an auction, to be upholstered. The chairs are now white, upholstered in a latte quilted fabric. $5 covered both chairs. The rocker was upholstered, (for the 3rd time since I've had it.) in a damask cream and off white velvet. (see attached.)

 I just wrote to Thank You for your inspiring blog. Keep doing what you do so well."


Her words just really warmed my heart.  The one thing I hope to do here on my li'l blog is inspire others! I love when I have helped a friend or someone that I haven't even met in person to realize their own potential in being creative, needing a little motivation, or that they too can do a project that might seem too big. 

 As women taking on a project that might seem a little challenging or big, can feel very intimidating at times. We might worry that "what if we mess it up, how do I know I will like it when it's done, or maybe I can't do this" can all be real thoughts and feelings that can hinder us from really finding the potential of what we are capable of doing.  When we let go of these worries and put ourselves out there to try something new, it can be the most rewarding feeling to step back and say..."I did that!"  I can attest to how incredible that can feel even at moments when I wasn't really sure if I could do it.

When I saw the pictures that came attached with the e-mail I was smiling!  Her chairs and rocker turned out amazing!! Not only did they look great, but she found a great deal on gorgeous fabric too! You can't beat that!! :)  Here are her beautiful photos she sent me for her chairs and rocker...


Love the distressed white and latte quilted fabric...beautiful!
 I adore the style of these chairs too!!


Gorgeous wood and loving the damask cream and off white velvet fabric she used!!

I just want all you to know, it does bring me great joy in being able to inspire you, but when you share your projects and words with me, you inspire me as well!!  Thank you sweet friend for sharing this project with me and letting me share with my readers. :)  

Something else that put a smile on my face a few weeks ago...

I won a giveaway! Really!! I rarely win anything, so it was a very nice surprise!! I won this beautiful antiqued brass perfume compact from The Alchemist's Heart...

*Photo permission from The Alchemists Heart
The scent can change out and they are natural botanical scents.
I picked the vanilla bourbon...a very soft and sensual scent.

I have to find the perfect chain, but I can wear this as a necklace locket too.
Isn't it so pretty!?

Here is a little information about the owner Darlene of The Alchemists Heart...

I 'm an aromatic artist and photographer and have always loved anything that connects me to nature and all that God has created. I find peace in trying to live a natural, back- to -basics life style and receive great joy working with natural aromatic essences.

An alchemists at heart, I've been blending my own compositions for over 15 years. My greatest joy has been sharing it with others.

There are so many other beautiful things in this shop.  If you have not had a visit there, it's a must!  You can visit her Etsy here or show her some love and like The Alchemists Heart!  Tell her I sent you. ;)

One more thing before I go... I have the winner of my Anthropologie goodies giveaway!! I don't know about you, but when ever I put the number of entries into the Random Number Generator, I always feel butterflies to see what number is going to pop up when you click generate.  I get excited for the winner! The lucky winner of this giveaway is...#32!!!!  That is SueAnn@SueAnn's Journey!!!  So happy for you!!  I will be getting in touch with you to get your address so these goodies can be on their way!!

Thank you all who entered! I love reading your comments and appreciated your visit!  I do have lots more giveaways coming up...very soon again in fact...stay tuned!! ;)

Wishing you all a great start to your week!

Hugs,