Dreaming of a White & Gray Christmas

"click on photo to enlarge"
Artist signed "Dore Callaway" I am featuring my latest hand painted Christmas sign inspired by, rustic intriguing European villa cottages.
"O splendid season brightened white and gray" May Christmas bring you one very special moment.


Painting a season of joy! This is one of the two "Merry Christmas" signs I have painted. They are one-of-a-kind, painted with exterior laytex enamel paints. A matte hand-rubbed sealer finish is applied for heirloom quality. While I have enjoyed painting, I have to mention there will be perhaps one more in the works, and the last of this perfectly imperfect solid mahogany wood is retired. I will be on the hunt for more pieces of aged distressed wood as well as, unique finds that will allow me to paint peaceful art with words.

I would love to Thank "Kim" at http://whitewhisper2u.blogspot.com for the etsy purchase of 1 of my 2 "Merry Christmas" signs she found, and purchased from my peaceful etsy shop! Please go visit her for some holiday cheer, while adding some cheer to her holiday!

"Inspiring a Merry Christmas" this sign may be found over at my "peaceful etsy" It SOLD! as soon as it listed.

A Galvanized Crush & Announcing The WINNER!

"click photo to enlarge"

While I am excited to announce the "WINNER" Of the Eco-Natural Soap GiveAway! I want to show you some pictures of my latest crushes. Yes I am crushing on "galvanized" I am enamored with galvanized buckets, as well as wash tubs. Just about anything galvanized will catch my eye, like this back yard bathing tub. Can you just imagine soaking in a beautiful recycled galvanized tub with nature all around you. While also bathing with ECO-NATURAL SOAP products that are 100% natural, and healthy for you as well. You may visit eco-natural soap at http://econaturalsoap.com. I want to thank each, and everyone of you for your support, and beautiful comments. Eco natural soap feel so blessed that you showed so much excitement over a GiveAway featuring their product line. They would love for you to visit their site, and get aquainted with what they have to offer you with their skin renewal, with their natural skin care products.

A galvanized 8 on the side of a bucket oh my! Could number 8 be the winner! Having to calculate a winner is the tuff part, although their is only one, (1) winning number picked by the automatic calculator used. I find myself wishing I were Lady "O" yes Oprah from the Oprah show annoucing her big GiveAway!...Making you all the winning number, where is Oprah when we need her. No the winning number is not number #8

Do you not just love this rusted galvanized tub. As I posted in my older recycled holiday gifting post, this tub would be a great recycled gift to your cottage garden loved one, or dear friend. I can just see it filled with beautiful terry cloth bath towels, and soaps from eco-natural soap company. Can you not see it wrapped with clear gift wrapping, and a burlap bow tied to it tagged to a dear one. Giving a recycled gift like this will not be forgotten. Showing them their is euro chic-ness in recycled French flea market gifting. Best of all, we are doing our part in recycling a beautiful found piece with history.

I love how this bucket is displayed. It reminds us daily, that an old cast off can add a little European flea market charm to our recycled homes. Encouraging a recycled, and eco-natural soap HOLIDAY!

I hope you do visit "econaturalsoap.com" and try their eco-natural herbal beauty, and healing products. My daughter Hannah, and I were gifted some of their most important natural aids to the health, and beauty of your skin. We must say, in a few days of use we would like to announce results with rave reviews. Eco-Natural Soap company have created a natural, and a healthy beauty formula made for a healthier more beautiful you.

CONGRATULATIONS! to our beautiful WINNER!!"SANDY FOSTER"
"#75 calculated through... Random.org"
Please visit Sandy's beautiful site at http://myshabbystreamsidestudio.blogspot.com.
While also visiting eco-natural soap, 100% natural products "econaturalsoap.com" the beauty nature has to offer.

Inspiring a healthier you, in all of us!

Rescue, Re-Think And Reuse

Recycled found objects make for beautiful holiday gifting.

Every recycled piece has a class of its own. Giving these teacup candles and old saucers a new place in our hearts and homes by filling them with candle wax and wicks. Breathing new life into them, while scattering kindness when gifted to a special someone. I collected 38 of them from yard sales, thrift stores and where ever I could pick up an odd one here and there. I was room Mom one Christmas for my daughter Hannah's 4th grade class many years ago, where we made them for a class Christmas gift project for there Mom's. What a great gifting idea for those mismatched sets, making for beautiful candle light moments.

When thinking about recycling for gift giving, it is important to stay far away from memories of using garish crocheted object from craft fairs as possible. Stay away from mass produced pieces, items we have all had enough of seen over and over in one home to another. Choose items that fit each ones personality with simple aged beauty like these Italian flint, and wine bottles. You can cut off the bottoms with a bottle glass cutter then sanding the edges smooth turning them into vintage hurricanes for there garden, or home dinning. These hurricanes in a set of 3 wrapped up with candles would be a gift that shows how much you gave them great thought.


They’re gathered from estate sales, vintage markets and antique stores all over and European flea market chic in style. So what if the pieces don’t match? That’s half the fun! It’s a true celebration of life in gifting beautiful thoughtful collections of mismatched silver and plated flatware. You can find these charming pieces everywhere these days. Just take and polish them up, wrapping them with a sweet holiday note to as why you felt they were the perfect gift for there cottage home entertaining. You can never have to much silver, and silver plate with the charm of the history behind the settings. When they see that you did your part in recyling they too will be charmed and will wish they had thought of it first.

These Silver, and silver plated butler tray's are the new hot item in our cottage and euoropean flea market decor. We short list a beautiful cast off, not recognizing the buy and hunt for recycling a claim on a salvage piece. A rustic Christmas holiday shopping trip to a local thrift or a great salvage junk shop is not only fun, but rewarding knowing your doing your part in recycling and sharing your love of history in these beautiful treasures. To buy for a recycled holiday can be idyllic that proves recycled is beauty for your home and earth. Despite its piece or where it came from a treasured find of any kind is one that cannot be passed up. Best of all the savings are worth the creative effort. I love using these trays on a night stand with a lamp placed on top of it with beauitfully framed photographs placed just so. The tray will beckon you in to take a closer look at your bedside vintage charm.

A real bakers gift with these vintage rolling pins. They can be found at most all thrift stores, and make for farmhouse cottage charm to any country bakers kitchen. How about these recyled rolling pins wrapped up with your favorite pastry recipe book for a holiday gift. You can taged the rolling pin with your favorite pie crust recipe card, and a beautiful pie baking dish. This gift will let a love one know you remember, and miss her beautiful tasting pies.

These vintage silver flatware forks turned into cheese markers inspire all those odd mismatched forks, turning them into art. What a great way to recycle vintage found forks! and a perfect holiday gift for anyone who loves to entertain home parties with an assortment of cheese's and wines. I just know "Rita" at http://beachhouseliving.blogspot.com will love creating these. If you have not been over to see Rita lately, please do. Check out Rita's vintage flatware on her site, along with etsy shop. Rita will amaze you with her recycled silver flatware markers, a perfect recycled holiday gift buy.
INSPIRING RECYCLED HOLIDAY'S