~SALE!!! $5 off any runner or pillow in my etsy store for Mother's Day - treat yourself~

that's right, a little mother's day treat just for you (or your mom)

because you're worth it!

$5 off any runner or pillow in my etsy store raggygirl

just mention "mother's day offer" in message to buyer, and I'll refund you $5

~pretty sweet~

valid until Sunday 8th May midnight

i'd love it if you'd share the news

click on the link here or visit my sidebar

~happy mother's day~

Tracey

~sweet and simple burlap and ticking~

today i thought i'd show you two of the runners i've made recently for etsy customers

i love being able to make a piece just perfect for each customer's needs

this one is smaller and perfect for the centre of a table, or coffee table

it has a low profile but still has the interest of the ticking ruffle on either side

i liked it so much i listed another one in my etsy store!

this customer wanted a narrower version of my runner with vintage white ruffles

and she chose to have it made in the ivory burlap

so that's what I've been up to, sewing up a storm!

Tracey

~great news - still time to sign up~

that's right, Tammy of Beatrice Banks has decided to extend THE GIVEAWAY till May 3rd

so you still have a chance to sign up for $125 in gift certificates from etsy sponsers and ebay

~including one from moi~

don't miss out on this one!

this weekend Tammy has featured Kelly from Til Death do us part, Kelly is another of the etsy sponsers in the giveaway. Be sure to check out her blog and etsy store

she makes cool things like this

and this

have a great weekend, we were promised sun but it's cloudy and threatening rain, again, sigh

...the yard work must go on!!

Tracey

~kind etsy comments make it all worthwhile~

Any etsy seller will tell you that receiving sweet comments is so encouraging. This is the kind of comment that makes it all worthwhile...

Subject: Love my Pitcher

Just wanted you to know that I love the rose decorated pitcher that my sister bought me for my birthday! It arrived in perfect condition. I had actually featured it in a treasury...and then she bought it as a surprise for me. Thanks also for the lovely sachet! You made my day extra special!

here are a couple more:

My table runner was made for me in the perfect size. It's as perfect as can be. Thank you so much for your fast and friendly service!

Absolutely GORGEOUS! Fast Shipping and Excellent Communication! Thank U for a PERFECT ETSY Experience!

~a little kindness goes a long way peeps~

Tracey

~q & a with the sweetest blogger ever~

over the past month, I have gotten to know a sweet blogger through a giveaway she asked me to be a part of

she is just the sweetest, most genuine person and I was thrilled when she agreed to answer some of my probing questions for a feature on my blog

So, let me introduce you to.....drumroll please........

~Tammy of Beatrice Banks~

What prompted you to first start blogging?

I first started a family type blog but it didn't take long to see that it was more about my house and hobbies than about my family. I was interacting mainly with home decorating style blogs which inspired me to move in that direction. After a few months of blogging, I started a new blog, Beatrice Banks, where I could combine everything I love and whatever strikes my fancy.

What inspires you on a daily basis?

Jesus Christ, my family, blogging and reading. I find if I keep it in that order, the inspiration flows.

 

Being a mom is evidently a huge priority in your life, how do you balance the demands of family, work, and life with your creative pursuits and blogging?

Blogging has been a good teacher of discipline. I had to learn how to balance my time all over again when I added blogging in the mix. There were days when blogging consumed me. So I finally set some rules for myself: 1. No blogging on the weekends. 2. Limit evening blogging to once or twice a week. 3. Plan my daily schedule the night before. If I know there are major chores to be done or I have to work, then I decide if or when, and how long I can blog the next day.

My biggest personal challenge is keeping up with exercising. My biggest blogging challenge is keeping up with posting and commenting. I tend to give 110% in everything I do. Blogging is one area where it's ok to give 50%, exercise is not. Still working on that.

I love that you post so many inspiring photos, be it pillows, sectionals, window seats! How would you describe your decorating style?

Most of the photos I post are the style(s) that I love. My house is probably a good mix. It's transitional, as in, transitioning into more of the style I desire. We move a lot and things don't always work at the next place. I only have 3 pieces of furniture that aren't second hand. I buy things first because I like it and second because it's cheap. I'm learning to hold out for things that I really love but... that takes time and I'm not the most patient person in the world when it comes to decorating.

 

What dreams do you have for your blog?

Some days I dream of having a mega blog with thousands of followers. Other days I don't even know if I want to blog. My time is more valuable than my blog. Time is a bigger investment than money. You can never get time back or make more of it. So you have to look at the return for your investment. Maybe I'm just slow but I could never keep a high pace of blogging everyday unless I viewed it as a job. This would defeat my purpose of blogging. If my blog took off in a big way, I'd have to rethink everything. As long as I'm having fun, I'll keep blogging.

 

What have you loved best about blogging?

It's a cliche, but meeting nice people. I've really made some solid friendships. And of course, I love the inspiration and ideas. Better than a magazine and a lot cheaper!

~Thanks Tammy~

Wow I made her work hard, didn't I!! Told you she is a sweetheart and I'm sure many of you can identify with much of what she said, I sure can!!

As part of Tammy's fabulous $125 giveaway she is featuring my etsy store this weekend over at her blog

~hop on over and take a look~

Tracey

photo credits as per Beatrice Banks blog

~feature over at Beatrice Banks and giveaway~

Tammy over at Beatrice Banks has written the cutest feature on my etsy stores here

 

thanks Tammy!

come back tomorrow when I have a chatty q&a with Tammy

 

 

 

you still have time to enter the fabulous giveaway -  gift certificates to 5 etsy stores and 1 ebay

 

for a grand total of $125 shopping fun!!

 

have a happy day:-)

 

Tracey

 

~chippy paint love~

yup, it was love at first sight

i wasn't even shopping, not really...

then i spotted this chippy old mirror

i walked away...

...and then i walked back

...and then i finally went inside

it was a wonderful chippy old window

several layers of paint

with the mirror pieces already fitted

how could i pass it up?

so home it came

and i gotta tell you

~i'm still in love~

and while we're at it, here are a few shots of my spring mantle in progress

old books tied with twine

an old canning jar with rusty zinc lid 

i found these number tiles in a thrift store, have no idea what they were meant for

but i do love them in this old jar

architectural what-not

wire crowns with sparklies

two sweet little birdies chatting about my chippy mirror

a little bit of easter - vintage easter shadow box with fuzzy bunny

and a vintage mirror behind

isn't this little guy sweet, even if his eye has rubbed off!

little bunny egg cup in robin's egg blue, made in Japan

i have a little more up there than i usually do, but it's interesting right!

of course it would all look so much nicer on a white mantle

right hon??

mr keeper always gets a little worried when he sees me starting to move things around...

you'd think he'd be used to it after all these years

a little fluffing keeps a gal happy after all!

~I'm linking up with Kathleen at White Wednesday~

she's got some great chippy paint going on this week too!

Tracey

~don't forget to check out the giveaway on my sidebar~