Working Tuesday: Finding Good Silk Flowers

I had a friend who was getting married a couple months ago. She wanted a silk flower for her hair - a particular silk flower - and asked if I could make it for her. I told her I'd look for the flower (she had a picture she wanted to emulate).

I think it's very difficult to find good, milliner quality, silk flowers in the United States. I guess I say that because I've seen much better quality in Europe either in the land of hats, England, or the city of vintage finds, Paris. Occasionally I'll come across something I like in a home decorating shop and occasionally something will turn up in Pier 1, but for the most part I'm just not happy with the quality. I think it's because I love REAL flowers so much. If a silk flower can't capture a little of the movement of it's real sister, I'm not interested.

The other day, however, I was looking through my UK Wedding Flowers magazine and came across an article on silk flowers. Apparently, the economy has sparked a new push to use silks instead of real in weddings. They recommended a couple suppliers that I thought I'd pass on.

The first is a company called Bloom. They have some lovely arrangements, but they also sell bouquets and individual stems. For my purposes, I do actually like some of the arrangements, but I'd hate to cannibalize one to make a flower for one's hair! Debenhems is another of the choices the article mentioned. I had to search "Jane Packer" - the designer - to find the stems, but they did find the flower I was looking for (and wish I had found) back in August.

I'm going to continue my quest to find a U.S. supplier that beats these beauties. If you know of a good source, pass it along!

Weekend Wanderings: Shopping for Stained Glass Windows

Hubby and I were lucky enough to take a vacation earlier this fall. We took advantage of off-season rates and enjoyed a week of gazing at the ocean in the Outer Banks. We explored the length and breadth of the island chain and found some interesting places that I'm sure I'll share in Weekend Wanderings to come.

One place in particular - The Elegant Attic in Buxton - caught our eye. Perhaps it was the lovely Victorian cottage whose columns were painted green? Or perhaps it was the selection of stained glass windows hanging from a tree in the front yard? I'm going to go with the latter!

We made a point of going when we knew we had time to explore just by looking at the cottage and the windows hanging in the yard. As we walked in we were cheerily greeted by the owner, Shirley Weeks. A stained glass panel hung over the entry while little nooks to the right and left were a shabby chic lover's paradise - pink depression glass plates, paired with Homer Laughlin china on lace covered tables. The shop is PACKED with lovelies.

But the store is known for the stained glass windows, and you can find them everywhere. They hang from the ceiling, are tacked to the walls and are stacked in corners. Shirley has collected about 100 years worth of stained glass by traveling to England every year and picking up a new shipment. She told us that last year business was so good she sold a piece of property to bring back roughly 200,000 windows because she's seen the prices go up every time she goes. After all, they ain't making this stuff anymore - at least not this quality.

If you do get to Hatteras and get to check out the shop, ask Shirley if she'll show you her home. She often offers tours to those visiting to show how you can "live with stained glass." Her home is gorgeous - and full of windows. She proudly recounts that she has no curtains because she's covered all her windows with stained glass. If you're a stained glass lover, I'm sure you'll enjoy this stop. And she told us her son is helping her set up a website soon, so hopefully you'll be able to experience some of this beauty online some day soon!

Foodie Friday: A Good Cup of Tea

You've stuffed yourself with stuffing and have eaten half a turkey by yourself. You could have floated down a river of gravy. You've had visions of cranberry sauce dancing in your head. But Thanksgiving is over. It's time to sit down with a good cup of tea.

Sometimes when I travel for work, I end up in the Holiday Inn, which often has a lovely breakfast - a Holiday Inn can be lovely. But sometimes when I travel, I end up at a lovely local Inn. One such place is the Centennial Inn in Concord, NH. It's a lovely Victorian building that's been transformed into a hotel - with lovely, soft beds and semi-contemporary furnishings and artwork inside. It was there I came across this tea from Harney & Sons. The Centennial usually has a selection at the front desk to send you on your way... often in the snow in my experience.

I choose my tea carefully. I don't like green teas. I'll take a good Earl Grey any day, but my favorite is a good vanilla tea. When I chose my teabag from their selection, I chose it based on the name: Paris. I mean, who can resist a periwinkle blue and gold sachet labeled Paris?? I was delighted to find a pyramid shaped teabag inside that smelled glorious. And when I brewed my cup, I found the perfect vanilla notes. It's just a smooth, delicious cup of tea.

I pushed the opened sachet into my pocket so that when I got home from my meetings I could look up the company and order some of my own. It's easily ordered online directly from the company, but I've also found it on Amazon. The gorgeous tin is just a bonus!

Inspiration Thursday! Grace.

Grace. What a powerful word. A word full of meanings and derivatives. A word to describe a state of being. A word that can save a life. Grace.

Websters gives grace 8 separate definitions. It then goes on for half a column defining words derived from grace. You might have a grace period for a deadline. You might drink from a grace cup at the end of a meal or find a grace note in your musical score. You may have studied the "Graces" in Greek mythology. A governor may show grace by giving a pardon. A king may show grace by bestowing special favor on a courtier.

You might describe a person as gracious in opening their home or welcoming you in a social situations. Ballerinas dance with grace, while swans are graceful. If you're particularly clumsy, you might be called graceless.

Today, many of us will sit around a table with family or friends and say "grace" to show our thanks for the food we've been blessed to put on our tables. For Christians, it's the heart of our faith - the grace of God's love for us - the grace of His giving us salvation. As many of us celebrate a national day of Thanksgiving, I'm thinking about grace. And I'm thankful for the grace that's been shown to me.

Vintage Wednesday: Shopping for Stained Glass Windows

As I mentioned Monday, finding stained glass windows can be difficult - especially in the United States. It's all about knowing where to look. I'd say if you're in the market, you could keep your eyes open in antique stores. I've been in many stores that specialize in antique windows and have them hanging from the ceiling as you walk through the stores. I'd also look at stained glass shops as sometimes they have examples of old windows. The best places in the U.S., however, are probably architectural salvage yards.

If you search online for just the terms "salvage yards" you'll probably get a smattering of places to get auto parts. If, however, you put in the magic word "architectural" in from of salvage yards and then add the closest major city, you're more likely to find the right places.

For example, I found The Brass Knob when I searched the DC area. They've collected mostly from DC area properties. I also found Caravati's in the Richmond, VA area. And though I've not explored these myself, OldHouseJournal.com seems to have collected a pretty exhaustive list of architectural salvage stores across the U.S. I'd imagine any place that had an enclave of homes built around the turn of the last century will have stained glass somewhere in the community.

But if you're lucky enough to travel to England, I'd check out UK Architectural Heritage. I've spent quite a bit of time on their site just looking at the pretties. Since I won't be traveling to England anytime soon, I'm left to dream...

Working Tuesday: For Our Freedom.

Since this week is all about being thankful for our country, I thought I'd highlight one of my new card sets. It's called "For Our Freedom" and it's to honor the men and women who serve to protect our freedom.

The older I get, the better understand the sacrifices that at one time I took for granted. This particular set of photos came from a trip to the Mall (in Washington, DC) on Veteran's Day this year. We wanted to go down and honor the men and women who've given their lives for our country. And if you get a chance to do the same, it's a great way celebrate our freedom.

DIY Monday: Restoring Stained Glass Windows

Hubby and I have looked for a stained glass window since we were married. You see, there's a place in my house that's begging for a window. Begging. Trust me.

We've poked through antique stores pointing them out. We've stopped at random roadside shops touting stained glass while traveling. We've even sought out stained glass stores online and gone exploring.

Our problem - okay, so really MY problem - is that I wanted something particular. I wanted something I thought impossible to find. I wanted a window that was red, white and blue.

You see, my house is red, white and blue. And yes, there are flags. Not over the top flags, but for a girl who could recite the pledge of allegiance before she was two I'd say just enough flags. And stars. I love stars too.

But have you ever tried to find a red, white and blue ONLY stained glass window? The search ain't for sissies let me tell you. It's taken us 3 years, but we finally found one in our travels. But I'll tell you more about that in this week's Weekend Wanderings.

The window itself is fantastic-ly wonderful (yes, I made that word up). The color is amazing and when the light shines through the pressed glass it looks like crystal - it just lights up the room. But this is a real window, taken out of a real house. It's got layers of paint globbed on the glass and it's been dinged up.

I contacted an appraiser and asked if "restoring" the window would affect the value and he said as long as we do it carefully, it should be fine. So for the next several weeks, I'm going to walk through the process of how we restore the window. For now, I leave you with pictures of what we're working with... it's gonna take some work.

Inspiration Thursday! Christmas is coming...

Every year I look for environmentally friendly ways to wrap Christmas gifts - I'm the girl who goes around folding up the gift bags Christmas morning to use them again! One of the solutions I've found is to use storage boxes to wrap gifts. They're pretty on the outside, useful in the home and I usually get a wonderful reaction from the recipients!

Take, for example, these boxes I found from Punch Studio - the same company I talked about last week! They're beautiful and colorful, are just the right size and I can close them up with a pretty ribbon and be done. And Punch Studio makes gift bags as well.

I keep my eyes open for new designs every year and have found a lovely variety thus far!

Inspiration Thursday! Life.

There's so much going on in Swoonville this week - some of you know EXACTLY what I mean - that it's difficult to accomplish anything. My head has been spinning with things to do. Constant lists. Restlessness. I just need to DO something ...until I fall into bed and think about the million more things I want to do.

I went to Michael's the other day to pick up some last minute supplies to finish an order, and as usual I had the radio on in my car. (Insert word of thanks for XM/Sirius Radio) For some reason I flipped through to the Broadway channel and heard the opening lines of "Circle of Life." Now you and I both know this song has been done to death. I've heard this song thousands of times, but for some reason on this particular day, in this particular parking lot, watching this particular sunset, I started to cry. The line that did it? "There's more to be seen than can ever be seen, more to do than could ever be done."

Well folks, blame the hormones, but that was it for me. I was done. It exactly captured what I'd been feeling recently - this sometimes manic push to do more, see more, be more, create more. I want to go back to Paris and show my now husband the City of Light. I want to see baby elephants take their first steps in the wild. I want to watch waterfalls in Hawaii. And I want to explore a lot more of this United States - talking to people, hearing stories, understanding what unites us as a nation.

Now look, I'm a lot like many (who are blessed enough to have a job) in this recession. I've spent many, many days getting to work, putting one foot in front of the other, making payments on my bills and just trying to get through this difficult time. I've been re-learning how to count my blessings. But something in the past two weeks sparked me into this restlessness. And at some point I realized that just because things are this way now, they won't be this way forever.

In fact, the thing that keeps life from staying the same boils down to something relatively ethereal: dreaming. The thing that unites us as Americans is just that: The American Dream. And that's what keeps us looking up, looking forward and carrying through to that better moment. So instead of continuing to plod forward just making it through, I've decided to do something else instead. I've decided to look up instead of down. I've decided to live. And I've decided to dream. Because there are better days ahead. I can feel it. I hope you can too.

Foodie Friday: Acorn Squash

This Friday, another fall favorite for dinner - acorn squash. The acorn squash is a green, sometimes with orange patches, squash that's shaped like an acorn. It's usually about the size of a softball. There might be another way to cook this squash, but this is the way I was taught and now share with you!

Turn your oven on to 350 degrees and get that pre-heating. Grab a good knife and cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Prepare a casserole dish, spray some Pam cooking spray in the bottom of it and then pour in about 1/4 inch of water. Then place the halves inside down in the water and place the casserole into the oven. Let the squash cook for about 40 minutes - the squash will start to shrivel up.

When the squash is done, pull it out of the oven and allow it to cool for a couple minutes. I then take a clean dish towel and cradle the cooked squash in my hand as I scoop out the insides into a bowl. Then I sprinkle a bit of cinnamon and about 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar over the squash and mix it all up. Finally, dish it up in pretty bowls and serve! My husband likes this enough that he'll eat 1/2 a squash in a setting, but I'd imagine you could feed several children with 1/2 a squash as well.

Inspiration Thursday! Christmas is coming...

I know, I know, I don't want to hear it either. But it's coming. Whether you're ready or not, it's coming.

I'm one of those people who tries all year long to look for thoughtful Christmas gifts for friends and family. For some, I've been very successful. But as I started culling through my "Christmas gift box" the other day, I started to realize just how much I have left to do.

In an attempt to help myself AND give you some ideas, I'm going to occasionally highlight some of the pretties I find here on Inspiration Thursday.

This week, I'm going to start with and old favorite of mine, items from Punch Studio. Punch Studio is a fantastic resource for those of us who love the look of antique ephemera. It looks like they take images from old postcards, calling cards, maps and song sheets and integrate them into interesting note cards, memo books, purse pads, file folders and storage boxes. You can find Punch Studio products on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble, among other retailers.

I love the little mini notebooks. The insides have a beautiful illustration and you can close them with the attached elastic band. And for those of you with friends and relatives who still cherish the art of writing notes (see photos above), they make wonderful note card sets!

If you're looking for something special for someone special, this might be a good way to go!

Vintage Wednesday: What is it?

Long before the invention of lint brushes, there had to be a way to remove lint from clothing, right? Yes, there was! It was called a clothes brush. Clothes brushes come in all shapes and sizes. Some have handles, some are long and skinny. Some have silver backs, some wood, some plastic. Some have short, stiff bristles while others have longer, softer bristles.

Think about it. In the late 18th and 19th Centuries, there weren't washing machines - and certainly no dry cleaners. Clothes just didn't get washed as much as we wash them now. The way to keep them fresh was to give them a good brushing to dislodge all the stray dirt and lint. Brushing also kept the nap looking fresh. Nap, if you don't know, is the "pile" (think velvet or wool) of the fabric and often reflects light differently if brushed in different directions. Keeping nap brushed in the right direction helps keep clothes looking bright and new.

If you're looking for a more environmentally friendly way to keep your clothes looking fresh, go out and find a clothes brush! The technology still works...

Working Tuesday: Creating a new product line - the reveal!

I've finally gotten the new product line in the Etsy Shop! I've been working for weeks trying to find exactly the right company to print the photo cards I've been designing for the past few months. I tried printing them on both Shutterfly and Kodak Gallery. Although I usually recommend using Shutterfly for your photo products, I found that the photos printed better through Kodak Gallery - the quality was better, photos were crisper and the color is fantastic.

I've just started putting the note cards in the shop, but I have about 10 different sets to designs to get in before I'm finished with this first round of designs. Some of the first I put in are the scripture note cards shown above. I've found that most cards containing scriptures are either cheesy, contain bad photography or are of questionable quality, which is why quality was so important to me. I have striven to use scriptures that match the photo in some way - and to look for scriptures that would fit different occasions. I also love that you can frame the photo if you'd like!

Well, that's the latest from Swoon Studios. Other sets are coming soon. Hope you like the new line!

DIY Monday: Adding light and depth to a room

When I married I moved into my new husband's condo, which presented me with some design challenges. The condo is on the top floor of the building. That meant high ceilings and skylights in most of the rooms without windows. One of my main problems, however, was a dining room with 20+ foot ceilings, no skylight, a 30 year old light fixture and three very, very red walls. That made for a dark room.

I wasn't afraid of red walls. In fact, I'd painted a focal wall in my old house a deep, dark red (that took 9 coats of paint to get the right red). Of course, that house had tons of windows in that room to lighten up the effect. This wall was tall and the space was dark. Luckily, I had a solution.

My solution was to gather all the old mirrors we had between the two of us and use them to reflect the light from a wall of windows on the opposite side of the room thereby creating light in that space and lengthening the space visually. We were lucky, between the two of us, we had a wall full of mirrors. Jason had inherited several from his grandparents and I've always been an advocate of using mirrors to open up spaces. Additionally, we got a bright new chandelier for the space that, when reflecting off the mirrors, makes the room shine with light.

Now, I call my design style "eclectic" - I have friends, however, who call it "cluttered." In short, I like a lot of stuff on the walls. I say that because if you have a dark room problem and like a cleaner look, you'll have to adapt this solution to your own design aesthetic by, for example, using fewer mirrors than I've used. And you don't have to use old mirrors - you can go to the thrift store, find some frames, paint them black, white, gold or silver (whichever you prefer) and have the local glass store fit them with mirrors for you.

However you decide to adapt the idea, it certainly will add depth and light to your room.