Jennifer Michie

Tag: cute (page 2 of 7)

December 14, 2010 / 0 Comments

The Holly & The Ivy

 The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown

“The Holly & the Ivy” is one of my favorite Christmas Carols. Whether or not it is sung or simply instrumental.  I have kept my eyes peeled for ages to find a vintage Christmas brooch that I can wear on my Winter coat, but I haven’t found the right thing yet.

In the meantime, I think I just might make one of these felt holly brooches that I found on Martha Stewart. The colors they have used combined with the trim give them a vintage 1950’s air, with the peaches and golds and corals all beautifully on display.

I have some scraps of wool felt that would be just right and the perfect vintage icy blue velvet ribbon to use as a trim! This is going to be charming! Now, I just have to hunt down a few little baubles or berries or tinsel to tuck into it!

To make your own click here.

(Images copyright Martha Stewart)

November 28, 2010 / 1 Comment

The First Day of Advent

Where has the year gone? I cannot believe that as I woke up this morning, we entered into one of my most favorite times of the year; the season of Advent. The 24 day build-up to Christmas! It is time to get out my Christmas Pixie, Eglantine. Alas, we are going to be having some work done at the cottage and I won’t be able to decorate as normal.

I have looked and looked at old-fashioned paper and chocolate Advent calendars, but non were beautifully decorated and were not anything I wanted in my house for the next 24 days.  Since most things will have to be packed up for the moment, I wanted something small, maybe even transportable.

In looking at “One Pretty Thing”, I happened upon this:

What a fabulous idea I think this is! This is the perfect Advent calendar for grown-ups, or to mail to a college student or a friend. What a cute idea!

Read the whole post here. Happy First day of Advent!

(All images copyright My Little Mochi)

November 22, 2010 / 0 Comments

Matchboxes

I have been meaning to post about this little piece I saw on Youtube for ages! It is composed of 178 matchboxes, designed by Prague based designer Pavel Fuksa.  I think it is pretty neat! You can watch the video below:

November 4, 2010 / 2 Comments

A Farm Chicks Christmas

The lovely Serena of The Farm Chicks has published another beautiful book, this time a Christmas one. I love books, the feel of them, the delight in turning the page and feeling the paper on your fingertips, the smell of them; old and new.

This was a book that was delivered to my racing green door, now decorated with Indian Corn for Autumn, that I wasn’t sure I wanted to open. The vibrant colors were so charming set against my crisp white tablecloth, I wanted it to stay that way, but my fingers got the better of me and as I peeled back the covers I was not disappointed.

Each page holds a treasure of delights, from stories, to recipes, to decorating ideas.  It is filled with mouthwatering images so gorgeously displayed. There was, amongst it all, one section that caught my eye as I thumbed through the pages and that was an image of a tag poised over a page with the words, “It’s the Thought that Counts” held within its round frame.

When giving or receiving a gift, that is a statement that I truly believe in. Anything given with love and from the heart is a gift worth receiving and I’m telling you this book, which is beyond enchanting and filled with all the coziness of Christmas, could only be given with love.  If you don’t have it already, I hope you are lucky enough to have Santa leave this under the tree for you!

Serena is having a virtual book signing party tomorrow, Friday November 5th, so be sure to take a peek, it is a great opportunity to do a little Christmas shopping and give someone a gift there is no way they wouldn’t be smitten with that in their little mittens!

October 31, 2010 / 1 Comment

Happy Halloween

In the run-up to Halloween you had to make the toughest decisions you had made all year, it was like the practice test that got you ready to start working on your list for Santa that would become your focus not long after Thanksgiving. What was the toughest decision you made? It was: what would I be for Halloween?

I was so many things over the years, a pumpkin, a witch, a pink bunny, a little leopard. One year I was St. Lucia, I dressed up just like my American Girl Doll, Kirsten Larson, with my hair in braided loops and a wreath around my head that my Mom lit with battery operated candles. Knowing my love for all things Christmas, this was one of my favorite costumes.

As I was growing up, on the other side of the pond, so was Mr. Michie. Being British he never had the full American Halloween dressing-up, trick-or-treating experience. But, I know if he had and we had been friends when we were little, as I know we would have been, then knowing his love for all things Star Wars, he would have made us go out trick-or-treating like this:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

October 12, 2010 / 1 Comment

Oh My Word!

Last week, in all the craziness that it was and became, in the five minutes peace I had, I went to a blog I love, Oh My Word, by the very wonderful and kind Evelyn. We talk to each other on Twitter and she has the hootiest husband, who along side his brother has turned an old ambulance into a Ohio State University tailgating machine, which I just love.

In all that was happening last week between work and home, I went to read this very lovely blog and Oh My Word, you will never guess what happened? I looked over to her “fabulousness” column and there amongst other women I admire, sat my little button.

I could not believe it! Surrounded by other great bloggers, Jenny Wren’s was there in the “fabulousness” column, well Evelyn, I thank you; you more than made my day, you made my week and I think you are pretty fabulousness too!

If you don’t already read Oh My Word, please make sure you take a look, take my word, it is a blog worth reading!

September 9, 2010 / 0 Comments

What’s for Lunch?

In keeping with my Back-to-School theme and the oilcloth lunch bags I wrote about the other day, I thought I would do a post on the ever important lunch box! This was one of the most crucial decisions made at the beginning of the school year! Which one did you choose?

My sister lives near a wonderful hole-in-the-wall restaurant with sandwiches to die for and it is completely filled with treasures. One of the many is a collection of lunch boxes, one of my favorite being a vintage Mary Poppins tin lunch box, and I know I would have chosen that one if I had it as an option, the pinks and blues in it are so happy.

I used to have a She-Ra lunch box one year, she was just so cool, and I had a plaid tin one with a little matching thermos. Some of my husband’s favorites were his Transformers, Star Wars and the most important of all a He-Man Master of the Universe lunch box, even then we were meant to be together, me with She-Ra & him with He-Man.

I love the old tin boxes they are so much nicer than the plastic ones today, and so much more durable! I think your lunch just tasted better out of the box, especially if it included a smiley face note from your Mom, and an oatmeal cream pie like mine would!

I could have used one of my Mom’s notes today, it has been a long week, but I got something better; a wonderful Back-to-School package from her that was a treasure trove of delights! Did you have a favorite lunch box?

*The image of the 3 women is a Flickr picture found on dlundbech’s Flickr page, the woman in the middle is Ana Grimshaw and this photo was taken around 1900 in Vermont. I have no idea who Ana Grimshaw is, but she was beautiful, vivacious, and has breathtaking Anne of Green Gables Gibson Girl hair. She looks like a hell of a gal to have a picnic with!

(All images found on Flickr)

June 24, 2010 / 0 Comments

A Place to Be

It is warm here today, the sun is coming and going as giant puffs of cotton candy clouds pass by. It is the perfect day to find a cool place in the shade and just be. Just be with a book, with music, with yourself. This looks like a good place to just be, but looks can be deceiving. This place to be is actually inside here:

This is one of many adorable pieces created by The Rifle Paper Company. I discovered them a little while ago, while searching for something on Martha Stewart. I went to their website and followed that to their blog and I was enraptured! Look at this stationary:

If this doesn’t make you want to sit right down and write a letter to someone, I don’t know what would! I still believe in snail mail you see. For as much as I write online and e-mail, there is still a magic in sitting down and writing a good old-fashioned letter and posting it off into a shiny red postbox as it begins its journey to be popped into someone’s mailbox on the other side of the pond.

And, I look forward to them as well. Getting a letter from my Mom, my Sister or my Nana in the mail is like a mini Christmas. To touch what they have touched and see what they have written in their beautiful handwriting. Now, that to me, is worth more than gold!

To see this beautiful stationary for yourself, click on the link below:

(All images copyright: The Rifle Paper Company, embellished by: J. Michie, Polka Dot Frames: The Pugly Pixel)

June 15, 2010 / 4 Comments

Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to ME! Today is moi Birthday and my little feast of surprises have not stopped, since my venture out to the Quilt Exhibition on Saturday (more to come on that)! I am being very spoiled!

This morning I was awoken to chocolates, which I munched away on as I opened this beautiful wise ol’ owl card:

The postman delivered this to my door, and we all know how much I love gnomes!:

I must be a very deserving Birthday Girl, because I have been saving for something big for a little while now and cheerily wrapped in pink paper with polka dots was this:

So get ready, I am going to be going picture crazy! I already have plans to sew a fabric cover for the neck strap and I have the perfect scraps left to sew it with. I could just die from happiness! But, I won’t because I have more surprises to come today!

I was torn between making strawberry shortcake cake or banana pudding, but, after a Twitter conversation with the lovely Susan Branch the other evening, I have decided to make a banana cream pie, so I am off to start whipping up cream and slicing bananas and hopefully I will get to soak up a little sunshine before I have to go into work.

My windows are open and the most delicious breeze is making my curtains dance around, Mr. Blue Sky is out and it is a gorgeous day! Hope you are having a beautiful day wherever you are!

**Update: Thank you everyone for all your well wishes, I am off to eat some Birthday Banana Cream Pie…

(Birthday Children Party Image by: Dagmar Wilson, 1957)

June 1, 2010 / 0 Comments

Harry

I was asked a few days ago to make two bears, for a new little person named Harry and his big sister, Dora.  The bear design was picked over the bunnies, one pink and one blue, with their names embroidered on the back for them.

They are wrapped up with candy striped tissue paper to go into the post this morning (I should have dressed them in rain coats and wellies with the awful weather we are having!) and I hope they make their new little people very happy! Even though Harry is too teeny for a visit from the Tooth Fairy, I know it will come in handy one day!

Welcome to the World, Harry!

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