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Fabulous Fabrics and Textiles at Make Mine Pink Friday Event.

MMP Friday Shopping Event August 13th "Fabulous Fabrics and Textiles"

If you are a collector of fabrics and textiles, you know that there are some that not only never go out of style, but become even more coveted and collectible with time. I keep a basket of beautiful fabrics, so worn with age, they no longer serve as intended.  I’ve always been a fan of re-purposing vintage textiles, and am drawn to products that are created with them. An apron, trimmed with a tattered hankie, awaits a few finishing touches in my sewing room.

Vintage needlepoints, rescued, revived and trimmed with gorgeous new silks and trims. The marriage of old, rich in history, and new luxurious fabrics, exquisite!

I’m a fabric and textile collector at heart. I love old fabrics, new fabrics, vintage tablecloths that are bright and newly starched, faded linens and curtain panels that speak to my heart and grow more beautiful with time. Sure, the colors may fade, but each piece shines bright with the memory of the hands that created and cared for them. 

A beautiful antique quilt, casually draped over my chair in the sitting room, serves as a backdrop for my cozy decor. It also allows me to enjoy a part of my collection every day. One day I hope to have stacks and stacks of colorful antique quilts filling cupboards and armoires, waiting to be lovingly folded over the foot of a guests bed on a chilly winter night.

On my bed, a pale yellow, vintage chenille spread, still plush, soft and inviting. I’ve always been partial to vintage chenille bedspreads. They were so intertwined with my childhood memories of summers on Cape Cod. Chenille was the quintessential “cottage bedroom decor.”

Fabulous fabrics and textiles will work in almost any décor. Monogrammed pillow cases edged with a bit of tatting - perhaps bearing your own initials or a great-grandmother's - grace our beds. A hand embroidered dresser scarf, atop an antique bureau in its rightful glory.

Some of the textiles and fabrics that we collect are not old and rich in memories, but give a feel of yesteryear with a crisp new look. Kitchen curtains crafted from new vintage inspired fabrics hang on a window flooded with sunlight. Colorful hankies draped over lamp shades, add a little extra warmth to a cozy room. A new quilted wall hanging, hung in a place of honor, combining delicate hand and machine stitchery and destined to be a future heirloom.

Start your own collection of fabulous fabrics and textiles at the boutiques of Make Mine Pink.

Joyce Lucas, Founder,
Make Mine Pink

Photo Contribution 1: C'est Chouette | Photo Contribution 2: Joyce Lucas

Last Rose of Summer at Make Mine Pink

MMP Friday Shopping Event September 3rd "Last Rose of Summer"

As fall approaches, I love to take my mug of morning coffee outdoors and walk along the rose bushes. The same bushes that offered an abundance of roses during the summer are starting to show a little thinning, each needing their winter’s rest.  The enchanting blooms beg the question “Will these be the last roses of summer?”

It is no wonder roses are the favorite flowers of so many people, me included. Their delicate petals are stronger than they appear against the wind and sun, their scent intoxicating. Their beauty is unquestionable. Some need very little attention and yet grab all of our attention.

We seem to have a need to fill our homes with roses. Hand- painted roses pop up in pieces of furniture, framed as wall art, and even on our favorite wine goblets. We tuck antique tea cups featuring roses into unto what-not shelves. China cabinets are filled with our wedding sets, mine in blue roses, my sisters’ in pink roses. Curtains over our kitchen sinks have a delicate rose edging. Roses are woven into the damask linens we use to each day as we enjoy meals with our loved ones. A few roses pillows tucked here and there give a quick smile as we go about our fall nesting. A flickering candle fills the air with rose scents, and beautiful rose-shape soaps welcome out guests. Teas in rose flavors call us to sit by the fireplace and relax.

Roses lend themselves well to the fall decorating theme. The bright yellows will fit nicely into fall foliage bouquet. The wonderful black rose is perfect for the upcoming All Hallows’ Eve theme. Thanksgiving tables can be accented with fiery oranges. And when Christmas approaches, the red rose becomes the perfect flower for the season. The white rose welcomes the New Year.  February brings the pink roses of love.

But enough about that, for now I will walk among the bushes and enjoy today’s roses, knowing these may be the last roses of summer. But then again, maybe not, as the rose bushes love to offer a generous surprise and favor us with a few more blooms when we least expect it.

Sharon Wollman

Director of Community Relations at MakeMine Pink.com

and Owner/Designer at CestChouetteHome.com

Photo Contribution 1: Hydrangea Home Photo Contribution 2: The Roseberry Cottage

Birds of a feather at Make Mine Pink

MMP Friday Shopping Event August 27th "Birds of a feather"

Birds of a feather

It seems like just a few weeks ago that I was awakened to the sweet melody of a robin cheerily singing it’s good morning greeting outside of my bedroom window. I knew spring had arrived, and the first of many feathered friends had arrived with that message. Spring and all of it’s glorious wonders was finally within reach. A time for new beginnings and rebirths.

As spring made passage into summer, the bird feeder just outside the kitchen window has been aflutter with activity.  The trees that line the yard, a symphony of color and song. Brightly colored bluebirds and streaked song sparrows, flit between tree branches and perch carefully among the leaves. Serenading each other with love songs, others chirping loudly for attention from the lovely serenader.

Nests are built in every unclaimed corner. Under the eaves of neighboring homes and suspended from the tips of tree branches. Hanging baskets and old planters, a place that now becomes home.

No matter where we live, or what the season, our feathered friends inspire accessories and decor that create eternal springtime in our homes. 

Beautifully reclaimed needlepoints, lovingly brought back to life and boasting the most divine of our feathered friends, adorn your favorite seating area. Bird cages, once used to house the most majestic of our feathered friends, now repainted and holding favorite plants or candles. Birds nests tucked carefully upon our shelves, filled with tiny eggs so delicate, they could almost pass for the real thing.

Perhaps we invite into our homes the same birds we see each spring as a reminder of all that’s fresh and new.  A time for new beginnings, like the arrival of spring.

Please visit the boutiques at Make Mine Pink for ideas and inspiration about moving your feathered friends indoors, for a feeling of spring all year long.

Joyce Lucas, Founder

Make Mine Pink

Photo Contribution 1: C'est Chouette

Working around the house at Make Mine Pink

MMP Friday Shopping Event August 20th "Working around the house"

Working Around the House

With the arrival of summer, our lives take on a slower pace. As the lazy days of summer roll in, we take the time to enjoy picnics, and outdoor family gatherings. Strolls on the beach replace our fast paced schedules. Before we know it, we start to notice the evenings are a little cooler and a few leaves beginning to change and drop.

Our nesting instincts return. With the kids getting ready to go back to school, there will be more time to spruce up your home in preparation for the upcoming season. It's time to start thinking about creating a cozy fall home, cooler days, and more family time spent indoors.

Living spaces that were created outdoors over the summer, are stored away for another summer season.  Afternoon teas in the garden return to the kitchen, now fragrant with a spiced potpourri simmering on the stove.  A favorite fall tablecloth spattered with warm autumn flowers, replaces the bright colors of summer.  A favorite reading nook gets cozied up with a vintage chenille throw and a few new cushions and pillows, rich in the hues of autumn.

This is the traditionally the time of year we start fall cleaning, tucking away summer accents and decorations until next year. Candles rich with the spicy scents of cinnamon and apple pie, replace the  lighter florals of summer.

Lace curtains that carry the breeze gently through our homes, are stored away with a lavender sachet, for warmer seasons to come. Heavier curtains in warm fabrics and vibrant shades, adorn the windows. Keeping the warmth in and the outside world out.

The fragrances of fall, fill you with expectation.  The familiar scents reminiscent of feelings of peacefulness and contentment. You find yourself smiling at the memories of days gone by.

When the house is all cleaned and fall accents in place, we start thinking about fall projects awaiting us. The old frames and corner shelf that you picked up at summer flea market, become the next painted projects. The vintage fabrics you found at a favorite online boutique, spread out in all it’s glory for your inspiration.

There's much to do around the house when fall moves in, yet somehow, we never seem to mind. We settle back into our routines and enjoy the results of our work around the house.

For inspiration and ideas to create your own cozy fall retreat, come visit the boutiques at Make Mine Pink.

Joyce Lucas, Founder

Make Mine Pink

Photo Contribution 1: Grandma G's | Photo Contribution 2: Patricia Rose

The Colors of Summer at Make Mine Pink Friday Event.

MMP Friday Shopping Event July 30th  "Colors of Summer"

Summer rushes in with a burst of color that delights the senses. Where the colors of spring are subtle and soothing, the colors of summer are bold and energizing. The sun shines bright, the skies are an azure blue, and you can almost envision the sights and sounds of summer fun that awaits you on the horizon. The bright, clear colors, excite our senses and encourage us to relax and play. 

Colorful planters and dishes are brought out of storage and bright colored linens, freshened up for summer use.
It doesn’t matter what your year round decor is, the summer calls for colors that are bright and whimsical. Colors that say, come join us for some laughter and fun.

Chairs fill your living space, draped with colorful throws and cushions. Summer fruits and brightly colored birds and flowers, make their way into your summer decor. A simple corner, now ablaze with the colors of summer.

This is a season of vacations and celebrations that are meant to be shared with family and good friends. Dining tables are moved onto the patio or under the shade of a large oak tree in the garden. The brightest vintage tablecloths draped casually over mismatched tables, all reminiscent of another time, bursting with memories.

Mismatched dishes in bright summer colors are used to serve the summer fare. Fresh berries and bright yellow lemons, fill bowls and glass pitchers. Colorful vases are filled with fresh cut flowers is all shades of summer. Nothing needs to be coordinated, nothing looks out of place. The colors of popsicles and beach balls, strawberry shortcake and pink lemonade, bring us back to our childhood. Memories flood in and new memories are made.

Visit the boutiques at Make Mine Pink and capture your own special times, reminiscent of the colors of summer.

Joyce Lucas, Founder

Make Mine Pink

Photo Contribution 1: Magnolia Bay Designs - Photo Contribution 2: Coeur d'Alene 

Please join us Friday July 30th for a "Summer Porch."

MMP Friday Shopping Event July 30th  "Summer Porch"
www.makeminepink.com/pink-friday

I can’t think of anything more inviting than a summer porch. Starting your day with a cup of tea in a favorite antique tea cup or watching a sunset from a vintage wicker rocker, filled with plump cushions, inspired by days gone by.

 

A summer porch can be a place of solace, when you need a moment to unwind, or a place of shelter during a warm summer rain.

A welcoming porch creates a friendly entryway to your home. And with the right accessories, can become an extension of your home.

 

Our summer porch was always filled with pots and planters of brightly colored geraniums. It didn’t feel like summer without these welcoming blooms.

 

For entertaining guests, vintage chairs, painted in blues and whites, no two alike, made comfortable with pretty floral pillows propped against their backs.  An ornate table, painted white and adorned with layers of beautiful white linens. A welcoming site for all that come to visit.

 

For cozy evenings, cut glass cups, glow with the soft flicker of a candle within. An old mason jar, one saved from grandmother’s canning cellar, is filled with fresh cut daisies. A quilting project, tucked into a favorite basket, ready to be worked on at a moments notice.

 

As you relax and sip your iced tea, your eyes follow the simple, uncluttered decor of of your summer porch. The vintage lace curtains, stirring in the warm evening breeze, the gingerbread window boxes, filled with summer blooms, and just beyond the porch, a whimsical pink bicycle, it’s basket filled with blooms in shades of pink. You sigh with contentment as you welcome another summer evening.

Create your own special summer porch with the help of the boutiques at Make Mine Pink.

Joyce Lucas, Founder

Make Mine Pink

Photo Contribution 1: iStock Photo