Winner!

Hello there friends...hope you're weekend has been great! Just a very quick post to announce the winner of the Novica Giveaway.....
The winner is Mercedes Scott! 
Congratulations, please email me at abbysgarden2008@aol.com 
Thank you to all who entered.
Have a great week!
xo, Abby

Last day to enter Novica giveaway....and dare I say a quote of the day!

Hello there friends! Just a quick post to remind you it's your last chance to enter the Novica giveaway! I will announce the winner in a day or two, good luck to all:)

And before I go I just can't resist sharing a quote for today, I do truly miss sharing the daily quotes with all of you but will try as much as I can....

One is nearer to God's heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth.

Gurney

How can one not believe this when a chive can bloom into something so pretty, yes?

Have a wonderful Day!

Abby

what I'm doing...and what I should be doing

I should be weeding the garden, doing the laundry, and cleaning the house....

instead I am sitting out on the deck with a glass of wine and tucking blooming chives in a vase...

it's allowed though...right?

Celebrating motherhood simply and gratefully...

Happy Mama's Day to all of you!

xo,

Abby

joining:

White Wednesday

Novica review and giveaway!

Hello my dear, sweet friends! Have you heard of Novica? It's a FABULOUS site that, in association with National Geographic, helps artists and artisans from all over the world have a platform in which to sell their beautiful creations. Their mission is not only to create a bridge between us and the many talented artisans across the globe but to do it fairly so that they are able to make a true living.

 Novica was kind enough to offer me the chance to review their products and service and OMG it was soooooo hard to chose! What with pretties like pendant bracelets and gorgeous shawls from India to chose from...even the Alpaca wool gloves were calling my name in the middle of spring!

I finally decided on the prettiest, most feminine white cotton shirt that was perfect for this time of year along with a gorgeous bracelet made of gems and jute twine....and can I tell you I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them both! Aren't the sleeves with the dainty ruffles the sweetest! And the bracelet is adjustable...which is perfect for someone like me who has small wrists. Add a pair of comfy Gap jeans and I'm set for the weekend!

What makes this an even more wonderful experience is knowing that they arrived all the way from Bali and Thailand beautifully packaged and accompanied by post cards from the very artisans who created them!

look at the adorable faces on the post card....so cute!

I'd love for one of you to also experience the joy and excitement of buying a little something from Novica so I'm giving away $25 to one lucky winner! Nothing more than a comment on this post is required for a chance to win......by May 15th please:) And by the way, Novica ships to practically every corner of the world so please enter away dear friends from far and wide!

Good luck and have an amazing weekend!

xo, 

Abby

P.S. Check out some testimonials....which to me is the best way to really get to know a company.

for now....

Hello there friends, hope all is wonderful with you! So you may remember a little while ago I shared pictures of the beautiful lilacs that filled my home with the most heavenly of scents....well now the petals have since withered away....

and with no new blooms to take their place I searched within my home to refill these vessels

perhaps second best to some....dried blooms were soon to come...

so for now dried sprigs of lavender, mini roses, and peony will keep me company

and a bit of vintage sheet music, lace and buttons can never hurt...

I love how a simple little gathering of glass and flowers can add such cheer!

If you look closely at the sofa you'll notice a little furry guy taking a nap. It will soon be a year since Mr Patrick joined the family and he's added the perfect dose of craziness and happiness to our home....

And before I go I thought I'd share the reason the Little Miss encouraged me to be true to myself....

Normally I would have tucked this beautiful bust somewhere in my studio for fear of it being too quirky or eccentric, but lately I've wanted to inject a little bit of that side of me into the rest of our home. And the Little Miss inspired me to do just that...starting with this beautiful lady. I do love how she looks in the living room.

Happy, Happy week to you!

xo, 

Abby

a quick hello and a shabby apple coupon....

Hey there friends....happy new week to you! 

The studio has been abandoned for some time now...partly because I don't have much time...but truthfully it may be more because I'm just not so inspired right now.....does this happen to you sometimes? This time though I decided I would welcome this little wave of "un-creativeness" and patiently wait for my creative spirit to be reignited when the time is right....

In the meantime, how about a coupon to the fabulous shop Shabby Apple? I'm sure many of you know them well. It's an on-line store filled with the loveliest, most feminine wears for ladies. I personally would buy one of each and everything they have! So, if you'd like 10% off your next purchase just use this code- AbbysGarden10. 

Have a beautiful week!

xo,

Abby 

be true to yourself....

"Be true to yourself"...the words from my sweet little Miss today. 

It wasn't a complicated or life-altering issue...

just me questioning my own unique style, 

and if others may think I'm a bit weird because of my decorating style. 

You see....

I love old treasures, 

rusty treasures, 

and tattered treasures...

which in my personal life is not the norm.

But this wise little girl reminded me I should follow my heart....

oh how I love her so!

This weekend I didn't make it into the studio but I did get to enjoy sprinkling beautiful lilacs from my garden about my home...

a few inside a "make-shift" atrium sits at our petite kitchen table...

some are tucked inside vintage and new glass vessels that sit atop a vintage mirror

I love their reflection on the mirror

I had enough to also fill a miniature basin for the petite buffet in the dining room...

and with such in intoxicating scent just one baby lilac is all I need at my bedside...

They won't last long but I will treasure this little gift from nature for as long as I can.

Wishing you a beautiful week!

xo,

Abby

P.S. I'm sorry I don't have a quote for you today...perhaps you'll consider the little Miss' quote as one to remember for you as well....be true to yourself.

P.P.S. I'll be hosting a giveaway soon, hope to see you then:)

joining:

Show and Tell Friday

from me to you

xo,

Abby

I've missed you....

Hello my dear, beautiful friends! I've missed you so. Three weeks without blogging seems like an eternity but all is falling back into place in my world and hopefully I will be able to post more often in the near future. Thank you so much for your support, your emails, and comments....they mean the world to me. I know that you, my dear friends, understand more than anyone that family comes before everything and blogging must take a second seat when life beckons. I will try to return to the daily quotes though I'm not sure they will be daily anymore....will you hang in there with me? I do hope so....

While I'm here, I'd love to share the sweetest little garden blooms that have greeted me this week....

one of my very favorite flowers...grape hyacinths

After a few weeks without crafting it seems inspiration doesn't come so easily....but thankfully these spring blooms were just what I needed to stir my creative spirit.....

it's amazing how the tiniest of nature's gifts has the power to cheer the spirit

and inspire one's creative soul

I leave you with a quote dedicated to you my friends.....

I cannot count the number of times I have been strengthened by another's heartfelt hug, appreciative note, surprise gift, or caring questions. My friends are an oasis to me, encouraging me to go on. They are essential to my well-being.

Dee Brestin

wishing you a wonderful week, 

xo, Abby

Signing off for a little while....

Hello dear friends, I will be taking a break from blogging for a little while. I have personal matters that need my undivided care and attention right now. Please don't worry about me, I'm ok and I promise to post when I am able.

xo, 

Abby

Quote of the Day....and my latest find

I went to the flea market with my sweet mama a week or so ago...time with her is always treasured. 

Here's a peek at one of my finds....isn't she beautiful....

Today's quote:

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

Plato

Quote of the Day....

Happy Friday my friends!  

I love the simplicity of one fallen mini rose taking center stage.....

Today's quote:

Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines.

Satchel Paige

Hmm, I may be a little guilty of praying a lot more when it rains than when the sun shines....

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

xo,

Abby

Quote of the Day

Hello there friends, I had an amazing time at the flower show but can you believe I forgot my camera! It's ok though, the memories are tucked away in my mind:) Ill try and borrow some pictures from my friend who did remember her camera. So today it will be almost 70 degrees on my side of the world, what more can I ask for this week! 

Here's a little peek at the stationary I've been slowly working on for my little shop..... letters trimmed with beautiful paper, cabochon roses, filigree metal tags, and satin ribbon...

Today's quote:

Don't worry about anything; 

instead pray about everything; 

tell God your needs,

and don't forget to thank Him for His answers.

PHILLIPPIANS 4:6 TLB

I'm a bit of a worrier so to faithfully give my prayers and worries to God without worry is a difficult task for me, but I do try. How about you?

Quote of the Day....and the power of vintage doilies

Oh Happy Wednesday to you! Look at what I discovered....

four daffodils greeting me in the garden....the earth has surely awaken from its winter slumber...

they quickly made their way inside the warmth of my home and into petite vintage vessels...

Of course I had to first camouflage the dated mantel......and what better way than with layers and layers of vintage doilies....yes, I do believe doilies have the power to make it all better!

and a sweet birdie made of peat pots also joined in even though his eye has gone missing:)

I am playing hooky from work today and going to the Philadelphia Flower Show, yay! Hope whatever you do today brings you great joy and fond memories.

Today's quote:

I want to learn to live each moment and be grateful for what it brings, asking no more.

Gloria Gaither

Quote of the Day...some ramblings, thoughts and news....

Good day friends! Hope all is well with you today. I'm a bit of a mixed bag today so forgive me as I ramble along. So when I started the daily quotes I didn't account for this little thing called "life" to complicate the daily quotes venture. Things like long working hours, cooking dinner, doing laundry, attending school activities and about 20 more things seem to be a priority that I just can't ignore...darn those priorities:) Honestly though, I LOVE sharing the daily quotes with all of you but finding the perfect daily quote with the perfect photo is taking far more time and emotional energy than I expected. And posting separately about my creative journey is too much, so my plan is to continue sort of merging the daily quotes with snippets and glimpses of my latest happenings--some days you may see peeks of my latest inspirations and creations, while other times it may be a glimpse at what's on my work table or in my home at the moment, and yes...on days when my body and creative soul are weary there will only be the words of a beautiful and inspiring quote to greet you. So there you have it, my ever-winding creative journey taking another turn. Though the content has shifted a bit I do hope you'll still find yourself stopping by for the daily quotes...perhaps you'll get to know me a little more along the way....

So shall we kick off the new plan with some fabulous news...my humble little blog is featured in the current issue of Artful Blogging! When I first read the email from Jennifer Jackson I almost fell off my chair....me in Artful Blogging, really?!!! I'm still spinning with excitement and disbelief! In the article I share about my discovery of the blogging world, about my friendship with you my kindred spirits, and how blogging has influenced my life more than I ever thought possible. Thank you Jennifer and everyone at Stampington for this great honor.

Here are a few pictures of the article....please forgive the poor photo quality, I'm still learning how to use my new camera....

and I am also featured in the site seeing section of Romantic Homes! Ahhhh, how exciting!

Alright friends, enough chatter...today's quote is in honor of all of you:

Friends...they cherish one another's hopes. They are kind to one another's dreams.

Henry David Thoreau

xo,

Abby