Lorraine's Collage

A package came today in the mail!

It is the beautiful collage that Lorraine sent to me

for the Summer Delight Collage swap!

And a lot of extra goodies!

Amazing! Thank you, thank you!

I have to find the perfect place to hang it!

Summer Delight Collage Swap

On Artsymama, aka Kari Ramstrom's blog "Year of Color", we have just finished our latest swap, Summer Delight Collage Swap, and sent our collages to our partners this past week.

My partner, Lorraine, and I seem to like the same aesthetic. We both preferred to use muted tones of white, brown and black. She requested a little pink, and I, a little blue.

I sent my collage out this past week, so hopefully she has received it and is not seeing it for the first time on my blog! I found this sweet poem about summer and used it as inspiration for the collage.

All the ephemera is original, including this lovely chromolithograph of a young woman and her pink parasol. I also used beeswax for the first time, which was lots of fun!

I found inspiration on Lorraine's blog as well. Not to be missed is Lorraine's darling etsy shop, Sweet Pumpkins, where she sells her creations as well as supplies to create, including a fairy jar art kit and a blue bird art kit!

Have a delightful day!

More from the wedding...

St. James Chapel

My dapper cousin, the groom.

My son (jacket and tie already off) and my mom.

{This last photo that I included is of the mother of the groom (my aunt) wearing a stunning necklace and earrings that my mother made! I had planned to photograph it better and tell you all about it. Hopefully I will be able to get a picture of it for a future post.}

Happy 4th!

Flower Girl Power

My two girls and their cousins (also sisters) at my cousin David's wedding.

My youngest daughter. (Me and my baby sister in the background.)

My oldest daughter. She loved the bow.

The big brother couldn't wait to take

off his shirt and tie.

Texas Paradise

Wondering if I ever mentioned my DH is a Texan, and that I lived in Texas for 13 years? His extended clan all live there, in various locations around the state. We have been thinking about vacation property in Texas, while looking, I ran across this Hacienda Resort style home in the hill country for a mere 3.8 million. Did I mention it has 160 acres and 2 casitas?

Absolutely amazing! See the whole "compound" here.

New in my etsy shop!

something for everyone

see it here.

Heidi Loves...

This wallpaper from Rocket St. George (I think it might bump the previously coveted Anthro wallpaper from this post)

Pretty jewels from Emma Cassi

And Revival Jewelry

Vintage Goodness from Louise Loves...

Stay Cool!

Everyone loves a giveaway

Check out the amazingly lovely giveaway at Vintage Bella Studio .

A Glimpse...

Of my latest estate sale purchase, vintage wallpaper drawers!

Of the collage I made for the "Birdsong Collage Swap" hosted by Danielle.

Of the collage I made for Lorraine,

in Artsy Mama's "Summer Delight Collage Swap."

Of the new old paper lanterns that I hung all over both my girls' bedroom ceilings!

Feels like summer! What are you doing to stay cool?!

Money, so they say....

Bought a little baggie full of foreign money at an estate sale last weekend for $2 (US). This family must have had some great travels (judging by the many travel books there.) I know some of the currency has either been replaced with eurodollars, or is not worth very much, but I bought it because the designs and colors on the bills were so pretty and interesting!

When I showed my kids, my 15 year old sat right down at the computer to figure what it all was worth, my 7 year old didn't care about the value, but wanted to put it in her wallet to play with! (BTW - $20 Jamaican is only worth .23 US!)

"You have not lived a perfect day, even though you have earned your money, unless you have done something for someone who will never be able to repay you." - Ruth Smeltzer

I like that quote about money, but could not find who Ruth Smeltzer is/was?! Does anyone know (I gave up after 3-4 pages on google)?

Francs with "The Little Prince" on it.

"Money will buy you a fine dog, but only love can make it wag its tail." - Richard Friedman

Another quote I quite liked, but am not sure who the author is...google gave several possibilities.

"Don't tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money and I'll tell you what they are." - James W. Frick (don't know who he is either but this quote reminds me of the verse, "For where your treasure is..." from Matthew 6.)

This Lire is my favorite, an illustration of sweet children attending their studies.

Even the coins are interesting and pretty.

So what do you think? Is money the root of all evil? (This past decade surely speaks to that.) Or is it as Bo Derek says (now there's a name I know - how embarrassing!) "Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping."

Feel free to discuss!