Christmas In July- Vintage Christmas Card Pillow & Cowgirl Up Linky Party

COWGIRL UP! CHRISTMAS IN JULY PARTY AND WEEK 25 OF THE COWGIRL UP! LINK PARTY Woo hoo! There’s a whole lot of partying going on tonight! First, we are on Day Four of the Christmas in July Party and it’s my turn to host! This is Debbie at Confessions of a Plate Addict and I am so excited because I have a fun and easy Christmas project for you! And…it is also time for Week 25 of the Cowgirl Up! Link Party! That’s a whole lot of inspiration all in one place! First, I’d like to show you my Christmas project…a vintage Christmas card pillow! In case you are new to my blog, I should explain that I could almost rename it Confessions of a Pillow Addict! And this one is super easy and fun to make. I started with a vintage Christmas postcard and added a craft scissors border from Picmonkey. Next, I printed it on iron-on transfer paper and applied it to a scrap of linen, following the directions on the package. I have already flipped it for you to make it easy! (postcard credit Royce Bair/ The Stock Solution) I left the raveled edges of the linen to give it a more vintage look and stitched it to a burlap pillow cover that I made.  I used an envelope closure (tutorial here) for the back of the pillow because I have a storage problem for my many pillows and need to be able to change the covers! lol Finally, I used the glue gun to add a few felt holly leaves and red pom pom berries to finish it off and add some interest and texture. You can find a pattern for a holly leaf shape here. And here’s another look at the finished project! I really like the way it turned out! And it was practically free since I had almost everything on hand…including the down pillow form from Goodwill for under $3.00! Woo hoo! Behind it, there’s a pillow I made from a Goodwill sweater last winter topped by a burlap flower (flower tutorial here.) Sooo…now I am thinking…what will my theme be this Christmas? Last year I used some old drapery panels to create a French ticking, mercury glass and burlap themed Christmas. (Click here to have a closer look.) And the year before I used vintage sheet music, mercury glass and burlap in my Christmas decorations. (You can get a closer look at these decorations here.) Hmmm…are you seeing a pattern here? Our co-host Baby Kitty is pointing out that I seem to be using burlap every Christmas! And it looks like I’m already headed that way again! This year maybe holly, birds and...what else...burlap? lol What about you? Are you thinking about  Christmas yet? Do you have a theme in your decorations? Be sure to come back tomorrow as our Christmas in July Party continues to see more Christmas ideas and inspiration!

Feel free to check out all of the blogs!  Here are the links: Amanda @ The Ivy Cottage Blog Korrie @ Red Hen House Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch Debbie @ Confessions of a Plate Addict Samantha @ Crafty Texas Girls Missy @ Lookie What I Did Linsey @ The Farmhouse Porch Pamela @ From My Porch to Yours

And now...on to the Cowgirl Up! Link Party ! And…the party will have a little different twist this week!

Welcome to Week 25 of

Cowgirl Up! Link Party . . .

the party with a cowgirl can-do spirit!

1 Party, this week 8 Blogs

Because of the Christmas in July event this week, we won't be including any features from last week.  We hope you will join the fun as Cowgirl Up is on 8 blogs this week, woo hoo!!

And since we are all celebrating Christmas in July this week, we encourage you to link up your favorite Christmas projects as well…current or past!

Now about the party...

You link up on my blog and this week your link will show up on EIGHT blogs.

More exposure, less time.

We are looking for the latest and greatest projects, tutorials,

ideas, crafts, recipes, decor, and inspiring stories.

Anything that you are proud to show off.

Cowgirl Up! is the link party that saves you time and brings you inspiration.

Doesn't get any easier than that!

What blogs will your link appear on? Check us out below!

Linsey with The Farmhouse Porch

Anita with Cedar Hill Ranch

Amanda with The Ivy Cottage Blog

Samantha with Crafty Texas Girls

And this week, we also have 4 guest hosts:

Korrie @ Red Hen House

Debbie @ Confessions of a Plate Addict

Missy @ Lookie What I Did

Pamela @ From My Porch to Yours

The four of us are all Texas bloggers, but you don't have to be Texas, country, western, or own horses to participate in Cowgirl Up! You just need that "can-do", cowgirl spirit!

Cowgirl Up! Link Party Guidelines:

(Please read the guidelines before participating)

* When you link with Cowgirl Up!, your link will automatically show on four different blogs. Awesome!

* Please follow your host blog before linking up on GFC (and if you have a linkyfollow account, then please follow that way too.)

* You may link up decor, DIY, crafts, guest post, recipes, giveaways, sewing, inspiring stories, and anything that you feel related to the listed categories.

* You may link as many links as you want.

* Be sure to include the Cowgirl Up! Button or text link to Cowgirl Up in your linked post, (mine can be found on my sidebar.) Mandatory to be featured!!

* Be courteous and visit the two links before yours.  Several projects will be featured each week!

* By linking up you are agreeing that we may use your photos to feature your project in a blog post, on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter with a link back to your blog of course.

Treasure Hunt Thursday #66 & Highlights

Another week has just flown by! Thank you to all who came to the party last week! There were so many awesome links and well I kinda went crazy with highlights this week!;) Please please please take word verification of your comments! I visited several posts from last weeks party and I will be honest if I don't get it right the first time I don't try for a second.  

Kristal from The Collected Nest shared her beautiful buffet and her equally beautiful home with us. Kristal just started blogging so be sure to stop by and welcome her! 

My Creatively Vintage Life shared this awesome mason jar project! 

Etheral Plus shared these yummy smores snacks! I think they look like acorns so I am putting this idea in my fall folder!

Decorating Ideas Made Easy invited us into her updated master! I just love her headboard made from an old door!

Denise from Pink Postcard shared this fabulous dresser make over!

As always thank you to all who partied last week! I am so truly honored to have such talent partying at my place! If you were featured please feel free to grab the "I've Been Featured" button!:) I have the newly updated button with html code on my sidebar! 

 What would be a HUGE help and encourage more comments not just from me but others as well would be for everybody to take off their required verification codes for leaving a comment. This seems to take just a few seconds of time but when you have to do it on 30 or more blogs it takes up a TON of time. Last week most everybody had turned off their Word Verification which made it so much easier for me to stop by everybody's links! Thank you!
READ THE RULES PLEASE!:)
Now on to this weeks party! As with all parties there are the normal rules. You must link back to From My Front Porch To Yours in your THT POST. Just common courtesy. If ya don't link back ya don't get to party. Only link up to your Treasure Hunt Thursday post and NOT your blog homepage. Please No advertising and PLEASE NO MORE than 3 links from the SAME party goer. Also NO MORE linking up to your own link parties. I am seeing more and more link ups of just people promoting their own linky parties. I know it takes time to go back and make a separate post to join the party but it is just the polite thing to do. If you find your post deleted it is not because I am a meany, I just have to make sure the rules are being followed. You can save some of your posts for the following weeks party!Please only link up new posts and not posts that you linked up the week before.Also be sure to visit at least the link before you and after you to just say Hi! It makes partying all the more fun! If you are new around here I would love it if ya become a follower!:)

P.s. Next week there will be no THT because I am participating in Christmas In July! No worries though because you can stop by on Tuesday and link up to the  CowGirl Up party! I get to help host it next week so I am super excited! Your link will appear on 8 different blogs! 

Wishing for Fall

Whisper Wood Cottage is having a fall inspiration party so I thought that I would join in on the fun. With it being so hot out I am sure most of us are wishing for fall already!

I was honored when Porch Ideas & More asked to include me in an upcoming edition of their online front porch ideas magazine they publish every few weeks. I cant wait to see it!

This wreath I made with just odds and ends I had around the house from my fall stash.

I enjoyed decorating our fireplace last year with the new surround.

And of course I always have to throw in a little Halloween for the kiddos!:)

Don't forget to come back for Treausure Hunt Thursday tomorrow!

A New paint & A Reveal!

I was so excited last week when I got my hands on the new chalk based paint called La Craie by the Maison Blanche Paint Company! 

These colors are just fabulous ( color chart from their site) and when I saw them I thought that they looked familiar. I contacted Annie, yes another Annie, to get the low down. Annie H. teamed up with Autentico Paint Company over in the UK to bring La Craie here to us in the Us! I had seen Autentico paints back in the spring and was in love but at the time they were not here in the Us. 

I only purchased one quart and not in a fun color but in a color I needed. I know bummer!;)

I just love how pretty the cans are!

This color is called Le Bonne Terre and is so pretty. I would say it is a cross between AS Old White and Old Ochre. It looks more creamy than the color chart.

I did some samples to show y'all because I purchased a sample of Wrought Iron as well to see if it was a true black. The longer pieces are the colors with no wax and the shorter pieces are with clear wax. As you can see Wrought Iron is pretty much a true black!! I was excited to see that.

 I wanted to see just how this paint compared to my other beloved paints so I pulled out a project that has been patiently waiting in the garage.

Here is the full before. I decided to take the mirror apart instead of keeping it as one piece.

La Craie is thicker than the other chalk based paints out there which I like a lot. You can always thin it out if you need to by dipping the tip of your brush in some water. 

It went on as smooth as any other chalk based paint I have used and sanded out just as well too.

I decided to make a new mirror with the side mirrors. I just attached them together on the back with brackets. 
Yep, La Craie chalk based paint will be added to my paint supply for sure! The Maison Blanche Paint COmpany does not have the paint on their site yet to sell. They are still working on the site but if you go to their FB page you can find retailers where you can order it from. My local retailer has not even had a chance to get it on her site yet either. It runs $38.95 a quart.

And just in case anybody wants to know this is an UNSPONSORED post. Just my two cents about a fabulous new paint!:) I am working on teaming up with my local retailer for a giveaway because I liked it so much so stay tuned! I have to set up a give away page first though since that will be sponsored.

Linking up to the following Linky Parties:
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Wow Us Wednesday

A Proper Good Bye

July 3, 2012 I was in Ga visiting family when the sad news was announced that we lost a legend. Not just any legend but a legend who represented all that was good. We lost a man with great morals, integrity, and great faith. I remember watching Andy Griffith while growing up and then later on in Matlock. He was and is a true icon that will never be forgotten! I just wanted to share one of my favorite projects that Andy did. I believe it was one of his last tv appearances. I cried and cried when I first saw it but I love it none the less. Since I couldn't get to my computer to share it at the time I thought I would share it now from YouTube.  R.I.P Andy! You are truly missed! We need more Andy Griffiths in the world!!

Treasure Hunt Thursday #65 & Highlights

Welcome to Treasure Hunt Thursday! Thank you to all who came to party during such a busy week! Hope everybody had a wonderful 4th of July! Here are some highlights from last week!:)

Kristie over at Market Nine showed us how to make a really cool embellishment for a pillow.

Anna from Kiwi In Texas shared with us a yard sale makeover.

Sarah over at Alderberry Hill shared this adorable driftwood boat!

As always thank you to all who partied last week! I am so truly honored to have such talent partying at my place! If you were featured please feel free to grab the "I've Been Featured" button!:) I have the newly updated button with html code on my sidebar! 

 What would be a HUGE help and encourage more comments not just from me but others as well would be for everybody to take off their required verification codes for leaving a comment. This seems to take just a few seconds of time but when you have to do it on 30 or more blogs it takes up a TON of time. Last week most everybody had turned off their Word Verification which made it so much easier for me to stop by everybody's links! Thank you!
READ THE RULES PLEASE!:)
Now on to this weeks party! As with all parties there are the normal rules. You must link back to From My Front Porch To Yours in your THT POST. Just common courtesy. If ya don't link back ya don't get to party. Only link up to your Treasure Hunt Thursday post and NOT your blog homepage. Please No advertising and PLEASE NO MORE than 3 links from the SAME party goer. Also NO MORE linking up to your own link parties. I am seeing more and more link ups of just people promoting their own linky parties. I know it takes time to go back and make a separate post to join the party but it is just the polite thing to do. If you find your post deleted it is not because I am a meany, I just have to make sure the rules are being followed. You can save some of your posts for the following weeks party!Please only link up new posts and not posts that you linked up the week before.Also be sure to visit at least the link before you and after you to just say Hi! It makes partying all the more fun! If you are new around here I would love it if ya become a follower!:)

The Loot

So I promised y'all that I would share all my loot from our trip to Ga last week so this evening I started to unpack it all. I am not quite done but here are a few of the items. I apologize for the poor pic quality but it was just easier to use my phone as I went.

One of my all time favorites is this antique oil lantern!!

Look at the neat mirror on the back to enable the light to bounce thru the room.

My mom gave me this architectural piece. She enjoys treasure hunting as well and was willing to give this one up. Thanx Mom!

A beautiful French tea cup and saucer. The gold has been worn off the handle but I still adore it.

The pillow is from the Pottery Barn Outlet and was just $10!

I had to buy both of these charming little mirrors. Can you tell I am a little addicted to mirrors!?;)

I just loved the pantina on them and all the detail.

And I FINALLY found an antique scale! Well The Hubster found it for me and I am glad he spotted it. It was perfect. I realized the top had been replaced but that was okay with me. I can display more on it now. And yes, I brought home some AS paint. I was out and figured since it was there it would save me a trip across town after we  got back home.

The scale is dated 1912 and the face is wearing away a bit but to me that just adds to its charm.

Back to the paint. I am currently playing with a new chalk based paint that has recently hit the market here in the US. I can't wait to share it with y'all! So stay tuned!

Linking up to the following link parties:
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Cowgirl Up
Wow Us Wednesdays