It's Truly Summer with Gatherings Magazine!

 

Hello + Hello!
I'm so excited to stop in here after a more than adventurous trip across the United States to Atlanta, Georgia for a long buying trip to let you know that a special event occured whilst I was away....

Gatherings Magazine is now available, and ready for your viewing pleasure!

Some of you may have already had the chance to see the magazine....but while I was off taking care of business....all I could think of was: "Gosh, I wish I had a nice soft lounge chair by the side of a pool right now so I could sit down and enjoy a cool drink and a copy of Gatherings Magazine."

SO, I encourage you to hop on over to the Gatherings site and check out our Farwell Issue which is jam-packed with inspiration and beauty just for you this Summer!

Speaking of Summer, I hope yours is going well! Mine has been really great and I can't complain....other than it seems to be going too fast and I feel a little over busy....but hey...time flies when you're having fun right?!

Enjoy the magazine...and let me know what you think of my Market Report ok?

Cheers!
T.
xx

What Inspired My Spring Market Report in Gatherings Magazine?

 

Hello + Hello!

I am so excited to announce the release of

Gatherings Magazine Spring Issue!

This is by far the best issue yet!

 

 

The other contributors and I were all given creative license to be inspired by

whomever/whatever we wanted!

What great fun!

( Heather Spriggs Thompson is the best editor ever!)

 

Immediately I knew who I would be

inspired by...

my fellow contributor & friend

Annetta Bosokova of Inspired by Annetta Blog

 

 

I think it's easy to see how talented she is

from this sweet watercolor print that she blessed me with

upon completing a lovely photo shoot at my home.

(You can get your own copy too, just find it on her blog side bar.)

 

>>>>>--------------->

 

I'm guessing you'll be able to see the correlation

between Annetta's piece nestled in my story board

&

my final market report

(arranged by none other than the uber talented

Tracy Locke Castro of Fair Morning Blue )

 

So, if you are a big fan of beauty...

love flowers, enjoy creating an inspirational home

&

well...anything in between?

You

simply

MUST

head over to

Gatherings Magazine

now

and get your copy!

 

 P.S.

As a fun little perk for you my blog friends....

Simply enter code

BLOGFRIEND

at checkout

HERE

&

receive 10% off your issue!

YAY!

Happy Reading!

 

T.

xx

 



Calling Cards; Let's Keep In Touch!

 Hello + Hello!

How are you?

Are you buried in a foot of snow like me?

Or....

are you one of those lucky ducks

sunning yourself on vacation by a pool right now?

Well,

either way...

"Let's Keep in Touch!"

 What?? You ask.

Yes!

Let's Keep In Touch!

 

Remember when 

Laura Ingalls Wilder 

tells the story about getting

Victorian calling cards?

The kind you'd leave with a new friend you just met?

Picking out your card was a matter of personal taste...

the card itself would define you.

Can you identify with Laura's thrill of choosing &

exchanging name cards?

Me too!

 

>>>>>--------------->

 

It seems I'm often out and about at

vintage shows, shops or simply at the grocery store.

Someone will ask me a question about what I do etc...

a conversation begins & suddenly I'm handing out a business card.

I love that we have such pretty business cards at

Grandiflora Home and Garden

but sometimes...they are a bit impersonal if

the situation calls for a personal touch.

Although I am so proud of what I do at

Grandiflora...

it is not the sum of who I am.

So,

I've always wanted personal calling cards

for just such occasions.

 

>>>>>--------------->

 

Ever since being asked to host a giveaway on my blog

by the folks at Minted, 

I've been pondering on getting some

"calling cards".

Have you seen how many beautiful designs they have?

I wanted my cards to be

cheerful; a personal light hearted reflection of me.

Not too much to ask for....right?

(wink, wink)

 

I was lucky enough to find the perfect card!

The best part about Minted,

is that they allow you to take a pre-designed concept

&

personalize it to better fit your style.

I chose Jess Taich's sweet design called "21st Century Girl"

for the front.

On the other side I added one of my own photos

(a vintage flower stuffed mailbox)

dubbed with a simple saying:

"let's keep in touch"

I love how they turned out!

 

 

The cards came in the sweetest little slider box perfect for tucking into my purse!

I am thrilled with the results I found at

Minted

The whole process from design start,

to home delivery was just over a week!

Impressive right?!

 

>>>>>--------------->

 

Happily, now I'll be ready to connect with those around me

on a more personal level...

&

that,

my friends...

is a very good thing.

 

Cheers,

T.

xx

When Life Gets Tough...

My photography using Rhonna Designs App & Waterlogue App
 

Hello + Hello.

How has it been for you folks today?

Sincerely, I hope you are well.

 

>>>>>>--------------->

 

But, honestly?

Life's been a little bit frustrating for me lately...

...I find myself doing a lot of heavy sighing

 &

cranky "grrrr...." -ing.

I truly don't like to be a downer AT ALL.

But the reality of things is that some days you just don't

get to have things the way that you want them to be.

So,

rather than be a fakey-fakey

I'm simply being honest;

life can be tough.

Even still....

when life sends me murky waters,

shark infested waters,

swimmers itch,

red tide,

rapids,

stinging jelly fish

or worse...

PROBLEMS!!!

Welllll....

I choose to

JUST KEEP SWIMMING.

 

>>>>>--------------->

 

Want to know why?

Even though my son is battling a lot of medical issues right now, even though I am more than a

little bit frustrated with some things at work...

it is magical to know I can keep my head above water

&

SWIM

because Christ gives me strength to do so.

(Phillipians 4:13)

 

>>>>>-------------->

 

So,

if you are experiencing frustrating

shark infested murky waters right now in your life...

give Jesus a chance

&

SWIM!

xx

T.



Find Inspiration & Win $25.00 at Minted

 Hello + Hello

How are you my lovely friends?

Are your Valentines Day plans coming along beautifully?

I certainly hope so!

Speaking of

LOVE...

I have a happy little 

piece of information to share with you today.

Consider it a

pre-Valentines Day gift from me to you.

XOXO

 

>>>>>---------------->

 

Have you had the chance to visit the stunning blog

written by the folks at

Minted?

Oh....if not, you simply must!

It's filled with so much lovely content

that you'll be Pinning every picture to your favorites board!

 

by Rachael Smith

 

The blog is called

Julep.

The sweet folks at Mintd contacted me asking if I'd be willing

to share about their blog and site.

 

Well,

I can tell you that these sorts of requests happen fairly often....

but I rarely take the time to follow through.

Why...you ask?

Because simply this:

 I value you too much to

inundate you with a bunch of extra shtuff.

HOWEVER,

Minted???

Well, yes please!

It truly is a quality site; a site worth sharing about!

I thought you'd like a big fat chance to win

a $25.00 shop credit to their

amazing site!

 

by Alethea & Ruth

 

There are so many options of items you can purchase there:

Prints

Wall Decor

Stationary

Business Cards

Party Supplies

etc...

they carry just about anything paper you can think of!

I can't imagine not being able to find something

for $25.00

the problem might be trying to keep it to that??

 

>>>>>-------------->

 

Do you want to enter & win?

Just head on over to the

Minted Facebook Page

and give it a like!

Then make sure you leave a comment here about what you'd

like to buy from Minted.

Already "like" Minted on Facebook?

No worries,

just leave a comment here.

Maybe you could tell us about what you've purchased

recently from Minted.

 

*** PLEASE NOTE: ***

Contest runs through Wednesday February 19th, 6PM PST

at which time I will announce the winner soon thereafter.

You will need to watch for the winner announcement

here on the blog in order to claim the prize.

If you are the lucky winner who's chosen at random,

I will ask you to contact me via email to claim your prize.

 

by Kelli Hall

 

So,

head on over to

Julep

for amazing

DIY's

&

inspiration galore!

 

 

by Olivia Kanaley

 

Then,

head on over to

Minted

for a bit of

super fun shopping!

by sfgirlbybay; Victoria Smith

 

I think you will be very glad you did!

 

>>>>>--------------->

 

Remember,

to like Minted on Facebook

&

then leave your comment here to be entered to win!

 

See you back here next week to find out if

YOU'RE 

the lucky winner!

 

Cheers!

Trish

**Sorry, this contest is now closed, please check back often for more
contests and prizes.**

A Lovely Surprise... My "Get Well Soon" Blog Feature

Hello + Hello!

Just stopping in here to say a big

Hi!

(long time no speak....sorry about that)

Frankly January is always MY craziest month.

I wish I could have a slow peaceful month like most folks who actually complain

about being bored in January.

But, alas no. I be hoppin' busy!!

I've been off to market for a week in

Atlanta....then came home to be stuck in bed for a week with the flu.

Icky!

Next it's taxes, inventory & the one good thing...magazine/blog feature deadlines.

Eeeeep!

But, all in all it's truly necessary and ultimately..... good stuff in the end.

>>>>>---------------->

Well,

anyway....until I can have a bit of time to myself to formulate a

well written creative blog post for your enjoyment....

today I'm going to share a surprise blog post which was featured

by a sweet old friend

Claire of

Heart Handmade UK

What a happy day it was (after being so sick)

 to wake up and have such a sweet feature

on my home and studio.

Claire is always reporting on the charming-est

parts of home décor and crafting.

If you've never taken the time to slip over to her blog....

well....

you are in for a big treat!!

I love all that she features,

 and find myself pinning and re-pinning from

her Pinterest feed & her blog

on a regular basis to my own

Pinterest Account

I urge you to take a moment & refresh yourself

at Claire's

beautiful blog.

I know I did...

I bet you won't be sorry you did!

Cheers,

T.

xx

 

 



Gatherings... A Winter White Issue Available NOW!

Hello + Hello!

Well it's been a bit of time since I've been able to sit down and really enjoy creating a blog post!

With a busy holiday home life, a retail shop & our home on tour this past week

(more on that later)

it's been a little more than hectic around here.

BUT,

I'm not complaining.....it's been a fun ride!

A bit like a scary rollercoaster;

thrilling and frightening all at one time!

 

>>>>>--------------->

 

How fitting that my first relaxed blog post

would be about such a peaceful entry.

Winter Whites.....

who doesn't love a peaceful wintery white scene from time to time?

Even my color craving life can benefit from a monochromatic snowy

outlook from time to time.

So without further ado;

here is the link you've been waiting for.... you are invited to

peruse the prettiest issue yet of

Gatherings Magazine: The Winter White Issue!

It's time to steep some tea or whip up some cocoa....

you've got some dreaming to do,

&

it all starts with

Gatherings.

Enjoy!

T.

xx

Fall for Autumn on the Porch!

Hello + Hello!

I just wanted to stop in here and let you know about a fun blog post I did recently

about decorating your porch with thrifty finds.

Find it over on the wonderful blog

Gatherings Magazine

where I'm the contributing Market Editor.

It was a fun afternoon spent on the porch,

I hope you enjoy!!

Cheers & happy new week my friends!

T.

xx

 

 



Enter to Win a Free Copy of Gatherings Magazine!

Hello + Hello!

Just wanted to drop in and let you know that there is a wonderful

giveaway going on right now for a free printed copy of

Gatherings Magazine!

(One of my favorite E-Mags, which also comes in print delivered to your door.)

If you'd like to enter to win, you can head right over

HERE

to sign up.

Good Luck!

T.

xx

My New Playground: Project Decor

Hello + Hello!

Hi my name is Trisha, & I am a Project Decoraholic.

( "Hello Trisha" )

Nope,

just kidding...BUT...I can see how one could be!

Have you heard about

 

 

yet???

I was invited to join this really fun site just yesterday, and am more than a little

afraid for what I've gotten myself into?!

How fun it is to upload your own photos

(or photos from the web)

& design away!

As with every new thing,

it took a little while to get going, but now I'm starting to get the hang of it!

 



As if I needed one more thing to play with on the internet right?!

But,

when it's something this fun...well...I don't mind!

Come on over and check out 

my board over here

 and follow along!

Maybe set up your own board too?

>>>>------------->

Either way, let me know what you think of this board I made.

(above)

I was able to use my own photo taken locally up in the hills,

and build a little room story around it.

How fun!!

I've been working on some more too...but I'll save those for another blog post.

Let me know if you've dabbled with

Project Decor 

yet....I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Cheers,

T.

xx

Rummage Restyled: A Few New Flickr Favorites

Trisha Brink Design

 

Hello + Hello!

It's that time again folks....

another installment of my favorite picks from the

Flickr group I curate called

Rummage Restyled

I am always so blown away by the sheer talent of the

home decorators and designers

 who are so willing to share their hard work with the rest of us on the web.

I'm so thankful that they are!

Just take a look at these gorgeous room shots found in our ever growing group:

 

 Three Red Apples

 zimmerkuechekabinett

 Planet Fur

 confettigarden

 lakbdesign/fergusandme

 Jutta/kootutmurut

Art Goodies Home

lakbdesign/fergusandme

 

Each and every one of these lovely styled vignettes exude a sense of

cozy home.

I highly recommend you visit my friends over on

Rummage Restyled

where you will find many more shots just like these.

 I consider it such an honor to curate their 

amazing work.

Maybe you have some photos to add?

I'd love to see you over there!!

Cheers!

&

Happy Weekend!

T.

xx

 



Gatherings Magazine Now Available To Peruse!

Hello + Hello!

Just wanted to drop by to let you in on a little gem of a find today!

My good friend

Heather Spriggs

has put out yet another great publication for your viewing pleasure...

Gatherings Magazine

is now available for you peruse with a lovely cup of tea and a treat.

No matter where you are at in your life just now...

I believe there will be something for you to enjoy in this sweet publication.

Please head on over to support my wonderful friend Heather

&

I don't think you'll regret it one eensy-teensy bit!

Some of you may recall I was blessed to be able to share my home in the

Spring issue of Gatherings.

If you're interested,

you can find it over

HERE

I hope you can enjoy your day with a little treat of a view to yourself.

Happy Autumn!

T.

xx

Welcome New Friends!

Hello + Hello!

I'm so excited to welcome you from wherever you've come from throughout the web today!

I've been noticing a fair amount of traffic here from

Pinterest

lately which is always so flattering, thanks for stopping by and taking the time to

'click-through'.

xx

HOWEVER,

today

I'm excited to welcome my new friends from

Natasha's lovely blog

Candy Pop!

(ok, seriously...don't you love that name?)

Anyway...

I am honored to be a part of Natasha's Friday Photographers

series on her sweet blog.

A huge thanks to her for connecting you and I!

I hope you feel welcome here...

&

for those of you who are normal attenders...

I hope you head on over to her

Blog

to check it out!

She has a great eye & a super duper fun attitude towards color and design!

Cheers to you all

&

Happy Weekend my Dears!

T.

xx

Here it is...the Summer Issue of Souvenir!

As you all know, I've been looking forward to the big reveal of the new
Summer issue of Souvenir Lifestyle Magazine by Heather Bullard
( best known for her contributions to Country Living Magazine)
...
Well...guess what...today is the day to get your new copy!
You simply must head on over to this delightful preview!
How nice to be able to see a preview of a magazine before you decide
whether or not to purchase it.
Do you know what else makes this magazine so great?
Once you purchase your "pass" to the issue, you can view it
over and over again...you may even decide to spring for the
full glossy magazine which can be shipped directly to your door.
You can view it on your PC or Ipad for only $3.95.
For a completely ad free magazine that's 122 pages long....
I'd say it's a steal!
...
You won't want to miss this issue...
no....
not just because I have a home feature in the magazine...
because...
it is brilliant!
So many wonderful stories, recipes, photos and even crafts
await!
I just finished viewing the magzine myself...
(since I figured I couldn't stand behind it until it got my seal of approval)
and I can tell you honestly...
it is filled with all sorts of looks, styles & goodies just for your
summertime blues (wink, wink).
I plan to sit out on my sun dappled patio later today feet up,
cool drink in hand & savor every last photo, link and word.
I hope you will give this delightful homegrown magazine a try.
You won't be able to find a publication like it anywhere else, promise!
Cheers!
T.
xx

Contributing Editor to Souvenir Summer Issue Coming Soon

Hello + Hello!

Just wanted to drop in today and let you know I'm pretty excited to announce a little contribution I'll be doing for the upcomming

Summer Issue

of

Souvenir Magazine

It should debut in July

&

is put off by the ever talented

Heather Bullard

who just happens to be one of my favorite stylist/photographers.



I'll let you know when the next issue is available as I'm sure you'll not want to miss it!
But, for now...you can head on over and check out the Spring issue which is just as delicious
right over HERE.

Cheers my dears,
T.
xx

A Top Hat Celebration for my New Blog Design!

My Son Tristan was in "Top Hat" form this morning for Spirit Week's "Best Dressed Day"
How fitting for the unveiling of my new blog design!

It's official!

The blog is now finished....well mostly...I've got to add a few more buttons etc... but I am excited to announce the unveil of my new blog design. I have been toying around with it for a few days now, and am happy with how it's turned out.

My last blog "look" was jumbled together from various tidbits of this and that. I was just getting bored with it frankly...and wanted a change. (Have I mentioned that I get bored easily???)



Proud as a peacock in a top hat and tie....








































I'm pretty pleased with myself for getting the style of blog I wanted

( ie: fresh and clean)

with my own two hands! 

Oh I'm sure it would look ten thousand times better if a professional did it...but there was something in the learning and the doing that I garnered so much from.

 It is a joy to learn new things about something you love right?!

...oh....and by the way....Tristan had a fabulous day too; he was the ONLY boy with a Top Hat!

And so it goes....
We'll see how long I can live with this blog layout....
I would love to hear your comments....do you like simple blogs like this style of layout?
-OR-
Do you enjoy a blog with lots of little details?
I tend to like the simpler ones if photography is the primary content....
-But-
I like them a bit busier if it's mostly text & only a few photos.
I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Cheers my dears,
T.
xx

Designing My Own Blog...Hmmmmm......

Hello + Hello
Just wanted to let you know I'll be messing around with the blog for the next little while....
I was tiring of the old layout...wanting to hire a professional...but being too stubborn to.
Thinking it might be fun to try and figure it out for myself???
Fun???
Hmmmm......
We'll see about that.
Until I have it all figured out and lookin' just the way I want it....
.....hang in there ok?
Cheers my friends,
T.
xx
P. S.
Feedback (constructive) is always appreciated!

Joyriding to Spokane for Farm Chicks!!

OK...

....let's get just one thing straight.

I

 HEART

 the The Farm Chicks Show!

If you've been reading my blog at all....you would know this is an annual event of pure girly fun.

My mom, sisters, and friends all gather up together and drive 7 or 8 hours to go to

Spokane County Washington Fairgrounds to attend this 2 day event.

Truly....

it is our favorite find!

 What a fun joyride it is too....

We have SO much fun together laughing, telling good stories & generally making all kinds of trouble!

The part about the ride I like the most???

Flying down I-90 trying to pick out the rest of the Western Washingtonions who are also headed to the show.

We wave....we make handwritten signs that say:

"Honk if you love the Farm Chicks!"

&

the best part???

The group of ladies in the car/van next to us just rips into laughter and begins honking back!

:D

It's a chance to live like a little teeny-bopper again.

Giggling & Goofing off with like minded girlfriends.

We always have tall tales to tell when we talk to folks about Farm Chicks.

( My favorite is the one about the couch that ate my mother.....but that is hallowed ground....if I tell you the story I may lose my inheritance ;)

To whom do we owe this great adventure time???

Well....

Miss Serena Thompson

of course.

She is a sweet chick with all sorts of fun to share through her great show, blog, cookbooks & contributions to Country Living Magazine.

Speaking of Country Living Magazine...

I'm pretty excited to meet

Heather Bullard

who's a pretty inspirational chick herself!

She contributes to Country Living Magazine as well as producing her own magazine called

Souvenir

oh....it's so lovely!

Head on over to check it out!

So.....

to wrap this all up,

I hope you can join us at the show.

It will be great fun, and you won't want it to end....but when it does....

I hope you will have yourself some:

:)

T.

xx

My Buffet, a Show and Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

I'm sure you're still wondering what I've been up to this past month or so...

well,

one of the things I've been doing is getting my house all spruced up for

a photo shoot

( More on that one later..I know...the suspense is eating you up right? :)

But in that spruce up time,

I was using a LOT of

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

which we stock for

Chris Kenner of

Fleur de Lis Design

at

Our Shop Grandiflora

You'll be very excited to know that if you've been wanting to see what the buzz on

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

(not to be confused with chalk board paint)

then you can head on over to

 The Spring Lynden Craft & Antique Show

at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds here in Lynden, Washington

where Chris will be sampling the paint!

We love carrying the paint in the shop as it's such an asset for all of us to use.

I highly suggest going over to check it out...and if you aren't local,

head on over to your local stockist to find out more.

I am personally in love with this stuff!

Stay tuned for more info on the photoshoot of my home...

I can't wait to tell you all about it soon!

Have a great day everyone!

:D

T.

xoxo