Patricia Rose

Fourth of July

2011-07-04T10:48:00.006-04:00

Here we are, the Fourth of July. Hope eveyone is having a wonderful, safe holiday weekend. Take a minute to say a prayer for all the servicemen and women who have in the past and are now keeping us safe in this wonderful country of ours.
In trying to reclaim gardens after several years of neglect, I managed to grab a handful of poison ivy and am now nursing two hands that are very swollen, red and itchy. I have whipped up a concoction of jojoba oil, lavender, rosemary, tea tree and the itching is come under control! Of course, jewelweed is the best antidote for poison ivy but I am all out and cannot find any at the moment. It's not where I left it a few years ago! If you happen to have some in your area, it is a wonderful antidote for poison ivy. It's also very pretty and it's kind of fun the way the seeds shoot out of the pods--they shoot out over a few feet if you just barely touch them! Here's a picture in case you have need of this remedy!

You can take the leaves and rub on the rash or you can make a 'tea' of the leaves and stems by boiling in water, then freezing the tea in ice cube trays and storing in a plastic bag for later use. Isn't it amazing that something so simple works so well? Have a wonderful week,

Pat

May Flowers

2011-05-26T18:57:00.004-04:00

Please join me and the boutiques at Make Mine Pink for the last May Flowers Make Mine Pink Friday , www.makeminepink.com . Such a nice time of year to fill our homes with flowers, decorative and fresh! It's nice to keep a bowl of potpourri on your windowsill and let the breeze waft the fragrance into your room, just make sure to not overfill or you will have flower petals strewn about (I guess there could be worse things on the floor!). Take a peek at this well-loved spice tin I found at an estate sale, available Friday -

Have a fun but safe holiday weekend,

Hugs,

Pat

I hope life goes on

2010-10-14T16:42:00.002-04:00

This is a very difficult post for me to write. Just when I thought things were improving, my world crashed around me. Although it has been expected more than once over the past few years, my husband died on September 11, 2010. It has been a very long road through the illnesses he was suffering from and I can gain some peace in knowing his pain is finally over. To the nurses who have cared for him, thank you so much. I am just now starting to pick up the pieces of my life and see what I will make of it now. To those of you who have been sending condolences and support, thank you so very much. I find it tough to put two coherent thoughts together, but hope that this will clear sooner rather than later. I have hopes of getting my business back in order and thank all of you for your patience and understanding.

Well, Life Got In The Way

2010-09-05T13:05:00.004-04:00

I really was going to do the blog challenge, honest I was, but life got in the way. Hubs had a very bad time of it and has spent the last six days in the CCU at the local hospital. He is improving and is now on a regular floor as of yesterday. So between working and running to the hospital, writing was the last thing on my mind.

Yesterday, the weather was perfect, my mind was settled a bit knowing hubs was stable and I started a project. You mean any normal person wouldn't do that? Hmmmmmm..........

Well, I did it anyway and had a lot of fun! The essential oils are out, my house smells wonderful and I will have something new for everyone very soon! Watch out, world, I'm back ! (I hope)
Edited to add - there is a great contest going on at Mama's Pocketbook's blog. The chance to design your dream purse AND have it made up by Diane, purse maker extrordinaire! http://www.mamaspocketbook.blogspot.com
Pat
Patricia Rose-A Potpourri of Fabric, Fragrance and Findings

Taking Up A New Challenge

2010-08-23T20:13:00.003-04:00

I am taking part in an exercise to improve my blogging, 31 Days to Building A Better Blog. If you are feeling adventurous, come on over and join in, http://www.31daysblogchallenge.com/

Today's assignment is to come up with an 'elevator pitch' for my blog. I would love your feedback on this. Does it tell you about what I will be writing about? Do you think there's a better way to put it? Any and all suggestions will be appreciated (well, within reason I guess I should say).

So are you ready?

Patricia Rose-A Potpourri is all about taking what nature has given us and incorporating it into our daily lives to feel better, physically and emotionally, through aromatherapy. It doesn't have to be mysterious and scary, it can be as simple as putting a sachet in your purse to sniff when you are feeling stressed out. Easy, yes. Does it work? You bet. Come and take a fragrant fragrance journey with me.

Well, there's my elevator pitch. Does it tell you what I want to share? How can I say this better?

Pat

Patricia Rose-A Potpourri

Rainy days and Mondays make me cry

2010-08-23T09:50:00.003-04:00

Rainy days and Mondays make me cry - and today we have a double whammy! A rainy Monday morning, yuck. I am not looking forward to running around in this all day, sigh.
Hope you have been over to my friend Lisa's blog. An amazing give away - drawing is today, if you hurry you may make it. http://www.palepinkandroses.typepad.com
It is that magic time of year when the garden is producing like crazy and time is short to get everything picked and stored for the winter ahead. I like to take my fresh herbs, chop them up (not too fine) put a bit in each compartment of an ice cube tray and cover with water or oil and freeze. When they are frozen, pop them into a plastic container or freezer bag and store to use as needed. Fresh garden herbs all winter long!
Don't forget to take a few of your favorite tea herbs and dry them for some yummy tea all winter long. Chamomile, peppermint, lemon verbena are just a few. Just read some tea labels for inspiration!
And it is elderberry harvest time. You know I'm going to tell you to get those dried and ready for winter. You can tincture those or make a yummy syrup or jelly with these little gems. Wonderful for warding off the flu bug.
Has everyone been celebrating Leave a Zucchini on Your Neighbor's Porch and Run Week? Those squash sure are plentiful.
It is Team Week for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. My family and I are looking to have the biggest team yet. Justin's Jungle Joggers has grown each year to amazing heights. My daughter is quite the recruiter and fund raiser! Visit the JDRF website to read about all their good works.
Have a great week all,
Pat
Patricia Rose-A Potpourri of Fabric, Fragrance and Findings

Zucchini Blog Party

2010-07-28T06:14:00.002-04:00

I am participating in a Zucchini Blog Party! Any excuse for some blog time fun, right? So, here's the deal - I'm posting a zucchini recipe and will list the other participating bloggers so you can check out some more recipes for the abundance of zucchini that is hitting right about now. The freezer runneth over!

One of my favorite ways to serve zucchini (aside from bread and muffins, lol) is

Stuffed Zucchini

Take a few small zucchini and slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out a hollow, not too deep. There will be very few seeds in the small zucchini so not to worry. Coarsely chop what you have scooped out. Add some breadcrumbs (about a cup), I like them seasoned with Italian seasonings, and about a half cup of grated parmesan cheese. Set aside.

In a large skillet, saute a chopped onion and a clove or two of chopped garlic in a bit of olive oil. Add 5 or 6 large tomatoes, chopped (or a can of tomatoes), fresh oregano, fresh basil, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer about 5 minutes, then lay the scooped out zucchini cut side down on the simmering sauce and cover for 10-15 minutes or until the zucchini is fork tender. Flip cut side up, loosely fill the hollow with the zucchini/breadcrumb/cheese mixture, spoon some of the sauce on top of each. You can add some grated mozzarella cheese on top if you like, cover and simmer until heated through and, if you added mozzarella, the cheese has melted.

Nice served with pasta.

Here is a link to a wonderful Zucchini Fritter recipe (can't wait to try this one)

http://birdworms.com//2010/07/21/zucchini-fritters/

And here's one for zucchini bread recipes - even a chocolate zucchini bread, bet this is a great one too!

http://theessentialherbal.blogspot.com/2005/07/couple-zucchini-bread-recipes.html

Enjoy!

They're Back

2010-07-25T19:20:00.003-04:00

I was perusing my little corner of the woods through my back window while having my coffee the other morning and was wondering why I haven't see the wild turkeys in a while. Well, guess who showed up today?

Yes, indeed, there they were searching for bugs and whatever it is that wild turkeys look for and the male and female moved and, lo and behold, four little turkey croquettes! (I really don't know what you call a baby turkey). While I was trying to get a shot of everyone together, Super Chuck showed up. Guess he's a bit out of sorts being he hasn't been a feature here in a while. Everyone wants their 15 minutes of fame, I guess.

And last but not least, will you take a look at how big and healthy the fawns are getting. So cute, but so dopey. One hit his head on the fence board trying to get into the corral. He's a typical adolescent, spatial relationships are all off.

Wish I could figure out how to shoot through the screen without distorting things so. Sorry, but you can see what's there!

I have started a new job this week as a visiting nurse for Hospice, after one week of orientation, I think I am going to love this job! I'm looking forward to a new week.

Talk to you all soon,

Pat

Patricia Rose-A Potpourri of Fabric, Fragrance and Findings

All The News That's Fit To Print!

2010-07-14T20:02:00.010-04:00

I know, a bit unusual for me to post mid week, but there is just so much news to share that I deemed it a necessary post! So, are you ready......
The Annual Christmas in July Shop Hop begins Friday, July 16. Just go to the site and register. The shopping bags are hidden in each of the participating boutiques. You must be registered so they will be tallied and you will be eligible for some amazing prizes. Don't miss out on the fun! Register now! You can just click on the logo above to go register!

Also on Friday, July 16, is our regularly scheduled Make Pine Pink Friday~wow! This week's theme is Simply Pink. Well, hey, this should be one of the most participated in and most shopped Friday in a while! What a great theme, who knows what pink wonders will be showing up! You can click on the above logo to go to the Pink Friday page, but no items for sale there until Friday!And last but not least (yes I know how big that banner is but I don't want you to lose interest) is the monthly Pink Twilight Sale on Saturday, July 17. This is a fast paced sale with bargains galore. You just never now what will be showing up on the site, items are added throughout the night. If you don't move quickly, you may miss out on such a deal! (take it from one who has lost out on a few). This logo will take you there if you click on it, but again - these items won't be posted until 6PM Saturday evening (yup, we really do wait until twilight) when they magically appear.
Please join Patrica Rose and all the participating boutiques for these fun filled events. Can't wait to see you there. Good luck on the Shop Hop, hope your pink fantasies come true at Make Mine Pink Friday and you find the deal of the year at the Twilight Sale.
Also wanted to mention that the Pink Slipper Project has been featured on the Lion Brand Yarn newsletter - how cool is that?? If you would like to help promote this worthy cause, you can add the widget to your blog or website just by clicking on the Pink Slipper Link over on the right of this post! (Awww, go ahead, it only takes a minute to add and such a good cause).

Pat
Patricia Rose-A Potpourri of Fabric, Fragrance and Findings

Romantic Weekend

2010-07-12T13:30:00.006-04:00

It has been an absolutely gorgeous and romantic weekend of wedding festivities for my family and I. We traveled to Saratoga Springs, New York for the wedding of my youngest son. All the love and romance in the air was delightful. We stayed at a wonderful facility, Longfellows, that was so convenient and the staff was wonderful. If you are ever in the vicinity, I would recommend them. Saratoga Springs is a nice little town with lots of sightseeing and shops to occupy you. It was a great weekend!

My Four Children,

My Husband and I

The Happy Newlyweds

My Family

(we clean up pretty good!)

So that's what has had me running in circles for the past few weeks. So happy we were able to all be there, made for some special memories.

Pat

Patricia Rose-A Potpourri of Fabric, Fragrance and Findings

www.patriciarose-apotpourri.com

Countdown to the Wedding

2010-07-05T16:25:00.006-04:00

We are on the countdown to the wedding here at Patricia Rose. My youngest son is getting married on Friday, 7/9/10. This is not going on without a bit of drama, however. Son managed to require a trip to the emergency room this past week which stopped all of our hearts for a few hours. He appears to be fine now and we are watching him to be sure he behaves himself between now and Friday. At any rate, preparations are in high gear.

I was so pleased to have the kids ask me to paint their toasting glasses. I managed to find some gorgeous vintage crystal goblets and have put the bride's colors in the flowers. Hope they like them!

This week's Make Mine Pink Friday theme is Coastal and Casual Chic. Sounds like this could be fun. Due to the wedding, Patricia Rose will not be participating but please make sure to visit all the other boutiques that are. I will be participating the following Friday as usual.

Don't forget the Make Mine Pink Christmas in July Shop Hop is almost here-starts July 16. If you haven't registered, it is time to go do that now. Lots of boutiques participating and the prizes are amazing!

Don't forget to mark your calendars for the Make Mine Pink Pink Twilight Sale as well. This is held the third Saturday of every month. They keep getting better and better. The selection is huge and the pace is fast. There's not a lot of time to think about your purchases. I missed out on a few really amazing deals by waiting, darn! So, July 17 is the date for that. 6PM until midnight and new things are put up all night long!

There will be a few changes to the Patricia Rose website in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for some exciting news. There will also be a few contests going on that you won't want to miss.

So until next week, have a great 'short' week, stay cool -

Pat

Patricia Rose-A Potpourri of Fabric, Fragrance and Findings

Short and Sweet

2010-06-21T23:57:00.008-04:00

This is going to have to be a short and sweet blog tonight. It has been a particularly stressful week for some reason and I didn't accomplish half of what I set out to. I want to remind everyone about the Christmas in July Shop Hop, make sure you get registered so you will be ready to find those shopping bags first thing!

I put together a little summer fun kit that will be for sale on my website this week. Here's a great rainy day project for the kids. A charm kit with a ribbon necklace and a sweet little plastic heart trinket box. Have fun collecting tiny flowers and leaves and grasses and press them in a phone book. Then on a rainy day, you are all set to make a glamorous one of a kind charm. Each kit comes with two charm trays, two resin drops to seal your creation and two ribbon and cord 16inch necklaces with a lobster claw clasp, one pink and one white.

It's a fun project and choosing just the right flowers to have pressed and ready to go is another fun project in itself. I have pressed some rose petals and use them as the background for my flowers, I liked the muted velvety look. This is a floret of Queen Anne's Lace with a sprinkling of fairy dust. Oh, okay, it's German glass glitter but I like to pretend!

So that is it for this week, sweet friends. Wasn't as short as I thought! Once I get going it's hard to stop. Have a wonderful week.

Hugs,

Pat

Of 6 year olds and old dogs

2010-06-16T21:44:00.002-04:00

I got this via email today and just wanted to share it with everyone. Out of the mouths of babes!

A DOG'S PURPOSE (from a 6 year old)

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a 10 year old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners Ron, his wife, Lisa and their 6 year old son, Shane were very attached to the dog and were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family there was nothing we could do for Belker and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for their old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from this experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept the transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death and wondered about the sad fact that animal's lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why".

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said "People are born so they can learn how to live a good life--like loving everybody and being nice, right?"

The six year old continued, " Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

Live simply.

Live generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Remember, if the dog were the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, get up and run and greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and wind in your face be pure ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days,stop to lay on your back in the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lay under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

If you want what lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

And so to the the very wise 6year old who spoke these thought provoking words and the veterinarian who wrote the rest, thank you. I wish I could give you credit, I just love this essay.

If anyone knows who wrote this, please let me know so I can give credit.

May we all learn something from our little fur babies.

Hugs,

Pat

Memorial Day Weekend Is Here

2010-05-30T12:55:00.005-04:00

These weeks are just flying by and here we are-Memorial Day weekend, the official start of summer time fun. This is always a bit melancholy for me thinking about all the servicemen in the past and all the young men and women who are out there right this minute as we have our barbecues. Many of my family have served, many of my high school friends served and so many of my children's friends are in the service of our country right now, my prayers and gratitude for them and their comrades that they stay safe through whatever they are facing right now. To all of you here at home, please have a safe weekend with the driving and fun times.

This week at Patricia Rose, have a few frilly and fancy things coming out. This week's Make Mine Pink Friday theme is Girly Finds. Can you imagine what we will see in the boutiques this week? Should be pretty awesome. Here is what I'm working on, in various stages of undone. Will be all pulled together by Friday, make sure to stop back and see what femininity shows up here!

Plans are already afoot for the Christmas in July Shop Hop. You know how much fun these are and what amazing prizes are available to be won. Mark your calendars, don't forget, see the logo off to the right? Just click right on there and it will take you to the Shop Hop Page to see the doings.

I showed you a few weeks ago the large doe that was coming in for coffee every morning. She had disappeared for about a week, then came back again but was very cautious and stayed close to the woods line. Well, look who has finally made an appearance! The picture is not very good but this little one moves so fast, there's no time for a redo. The fawn pops out, Mama makes a strange sound, stamps a foot and baby scampers back into hiding.

Have a wonderful week. It's a short one anyway, makes the weekend that much closer.

Hugs,

Pat

A Tisket, A Tasket, Take a Look At This Basket!

2010-05-23T00:52:00.004-04:00

I went to my future daughter in laws wedding shower on Saturday. We had a lovely day to travel and the trip was beautiful but a bit long due to traffic. My daughter, daughter in law, two granddaughters and myself were at the event. Just wanted to show you what I did up for a gift.

Each glass is a different flower, I used small doilies which can be used as coasters to pad between the glasses and beneath them all is a really nice bottle of wine! With the glasses having different flowers on each, no need for wine glass charms. I have not had luck with those, they always break or get lost! The glasses were a hit. I even got several orders for them while at the shower. Good thing I never leave home without my business cards, lol! If you would like a basket of glasses as a gift, just let me know. I can't ship the wine though, there are regulations about shipping alcohol that I just don't know about. It was fun to be dabbling in my paints again. I haven't done much painting outside of walls for quite awhile. Hmmmm, maybe a few flowers at chair rail height in the kitchen. What do you think?

Sunday we are going to a Christening for the cutest little new neighbor. She is the sweetest, happiest baby and her parents are pretty special too. It is fun to see the younger generation coming into the neighborhood. Keeps everything lively and fun. Hope to be able to take this little bundle of sweetness for a walk now and then this summer.

Have a wonderful week all,

Pat

Some New Visitors to the Garden!

2010-05-16T07:48:00.004-04:00

Had a good chuckle this morning over coffee. Watching out the window by my new 'office' space (read nook) in the kitchen, there are two baby groundhogs cavorting around and being just silly little toddlers. I will probably not be so benevolent about them when they start eating the garden, but on this gorgeous Sunday morning, they make me smile. I have been trying to get a photo of them but they are very camera shy (or maybe people shy). So, I guess Super Chuck was actually Super Charlene! The other happy news from the back yard is I do believe I have a bluebird making her nest in one of our bluebird boxes! I love when they come back, they are the most amazing shade of blue. Will steer clear of that corner for a bit and let Mama bird relax and get her brood going. Wish I could let the ducks continue to have fun in the pool, but this is really going over the top and taking advantage of our hospitality, lol! They are just going to have to move across the street to the pond.

I know I keep saying this, but the kitchen is quite nearly done. This week for absolute sure! I am just loving the new look, and can see what it will be now. What a huge difference! Just what I needed. So in spite of all the work, I'm glad I tackled this project! I feel so competent that I pulled this off with just a bit of help from my taller than me son!

We had a wonder Pink Twilight Sale last night at Make Mine Pink. This is a sale held every third Saturday of the month. What great bargains, but, man, you have to move fast! I tried for two different batches of vintage buttons and they were gone before I could get them clicked! Watch for the announcements for June's sale. It is really fun and fast paced. New things are added from 6PM until midnight, you just never know what will show up next.

The theme for this coming week's Make Mine Pink Friday Sale is Teatime and Roses. There are sure some marvelous themes this year. I'm enjoying each and every one of them. Be sure to check in on Friday, 12AM to Midnight (Eastern Time).

I do believe that is the news for today. Have a wonderful week,

Pat

Progress is Being Made!

2010-05-04T17:24:00.007-04:00

Hi Friends,

I was overly optimistic when I thought I would be able to get my kitchen redone in a week. The wallpaper is coming off in confetti sized pieces - what a mess. Now at the two week mark, I think some major progress is being made. One of my son's has pitched in and is scraping the areas that I can't reach without a ladder, thank heavens. So here are a few pictures of what is happening here.......

back door with it's new coat of white enamel, see the window on the right with the old paint? That's the old wall paper on the walls. Loved it, but now it's just too dark. I need some light now.

Here's one of the windows with it's new white enamel finish, but still, the old wallpaper!!Here's the back door with the white woodwork and the first coat of my new yellow walls - love it!Here's my son, Mike, scraping the wall areas that are too high for me.

here's the mess on the floor that all the scraping is leaving!

Look at the size of the pieces--arghhh! Surely could use a cleaning crew here.

So this is my all consuming project, I cannot stand the chaos any longer. At least I can now see some light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully, by next week, I may have some after photos that show the finished room (cross your fingers for me).

Did everyone have fun at the Mother's Day Shop Hop? I have to run over and see if any of my customers have won, is it you???? It was a fun week, I really enjoy the Shop Hops. It was fun to see the excitement and see what all the boutiques had put on special for Mother's Day.

Don't miss this week's Make Mine Pink Friday. The theme is Color Me Pink. Well, do I have to tell you that this is going to be spectacular? I'll see you there in the race to get the best pink treasures.

Have a wonderful spring time week. I really need to get out to the gardens as soon as this kitchen is done, they are being terribly neglected. See you soon,

Pat

A Busy Week Ahead

2010-04-26T10:42:00.014-04:00

Well, the best laid plans go astray. The kitchen is not finished by a long shot. One thing after another kept cropping up during the week conspiring to keep me from my appointed rounds with the paint brush. Well, the kitchen is not going any where, so I will continue this project this week.

The annual Make Mine Pink Mother's Day Shop Hop has begun. Make sure you go register and start finding those shopping bags. Find the shopping bags to win some wonderful prizes while you do your shopping for Mother's Day. It's fun, it's easy and no purchase necessary. Always a good time! Just click on the above logo to go register.

This week's Make Mine Pink Friday theme is Blossoms and Blooms. The boutiques will be welcoming spring with a plethora of flowers! You don't want to miss this one!

Other fun news this week, there is a great give away going on over at My Hydrangea Home. An absolutely gorgeous hand crafted tassel of your choice to be given away in a few days, don't miss your chance at winning one of these.

I read a nifty trick this week over at the Essential Herbal site. You can pick some fresh lilacs. Remove the blossoms and add them to some sugar in a closed container overnight. The sugar will pick up the lilac fragrance and is a lovely addition to herbal tea. I tried it and it is really nice. A little sip of spring time.

As you do your planting this month, try a little catnip. Talk about your multipurpose herb. First off, ants are not terribly fond of this and it does an excellent job of repelling the little pesties. Second, catnip tea is wonderful. Dry your own, keep in an air tight container and you're all set to brew a cup when you want. Third, your cat will flip (literally) over this. Again, dry and put in little play things for your furbaby. Cats aren't picky about the way their catnip is delivered. Just tie some up in a muslin bag and watch the fun begin!

This week, I was spending a lot of time visiting with my hubby at the nursing home and had some time to get in some crocheting. Look at what I have come up with! They will go on the website today at some point and will be sold with a lovely jar of bath salts. Perfect pampering gift for Mom or yourself. These rose bath scrubbies are made of 100% cotton, hand crafted by moi and are nice for gentle exfoliation.

Well, I best be off for now to tackle the painting. Hope to have some kitchen photos for you next week (cross your fingers for me). Have a wonderful week,

Pat

Week of the Kitchen Redo

2010-04-20T12:31:00.011-04:00

Busy, busy week here in the ol' homestead and lots to share with you. As many of you know, I have had my hubby in the hospital since January and so have had to do daily hospital runs. I have been watching this tree from complete dormancy to glorious flowering. Look at the view out this window, not to bad to watch now! Just had to share this, it's so beautiful.

This past weekend, my youngest grandaughter made her First Communion. I was able to get a day pass for my hubs to come with us so I was pretty busy during the celebration but did manage to get this photo. My grandaughter is the first girl on the right with her back to us. (There is a reason I am not the family photographer! lol) She looked like an angel and fairy princess all rolled up into one. This is the infamous Bridget who has been known to come out with some pretty funny observations on life.

And then on Monday, for some unknown reason, I decided it would be a great idea to redo my kitchen. I started ripping things apart before I thought to take some before pictures. I took a photo of the first cupboard with it's brand new sparkly antique linen interior! Looks brighter already. The cabinets and woodwork are the bear of a job in this room. The walls will be a piece of cake! I'm still undecided whether to go with a golden yellow or a sagey green or a robin eggy blue. Please weigh in with opinions, I need some help here!!! (Great way to redecorate, color by vote, lol)

On the business side of things this week, there is the Mother's Day Shop Hop at Make Mine Pink beginning April 25th. Make sure to go to http://www.makeminepink.com/ to sign up and get registered so you are all set to find those shopping bags the boutique owners have hidden on our websites. Lots of great prizes, as usual, and no purchase necessary - but it is a great way to find your Mother's Day gifts while having fun and relaxing at home.

This week's Make Mine Pink Friday theme is Celebrating Mom. Are you seeing the trend here? Come and shop the new products for Mother's Day. I have a new gift item that will debut on Friday( http://www.patriciarose-apotpourri.com/ ) and many of the other participating boutiques have special gift items as well.

So back to my painting, will see you next week. Hope I have after pictures by then. I don't know how long my sanity will hold with this mess!

Hugs,

Pat

Moving My Work Room ----Again

2010-04-11T10:17:00.004-04:00

I will find the perfect place to set up my work room yet. Thought I had it all figured out and lo and behold, I need that room as a bedroom again. Sheesh! So, one more time and, I swear, this is the last time. So, this week will be a week of moving everything one room over.

I was fortunate enough to find some very old bobbins from a weaving mill that has closed down. We have a wonderful group here in the Hudson Valley, Hudson Valley Merchandise Exchange, that rescues many, many things from going to the landfill. You have to check frequently because things come and go fairly quickly, but it is like a treasure hunt and sometimes I get incredibly lucky. The prices are very reasonable and it's for a great cause! Here is what I've done with some of the bobbins - candle holders!

I have a pair sitting on my mantle as well. I think they are fun and different, with the added plus of being recycled!

This week I have to get some serious garden clean up started. With the unusual warm days we had last week, quite a few weeds have awakened. Will manage to get some dandelions picked and make some dandelion fritters--yum! Chickweed is full of vitamins

The chives are up nicely and I have started harvesting those already. The more you use, the more you get. Even a small bunch will give you plenty. A nice way to use chives is to make a white chive, sauce (1 Tbl. butter, 1Tbl. flour- melt butter in pan mix in flour-you have just made a roux, don't you feel like a French chef??-stir in a cup of milk. Keep stirring until thickened, add in a small handful of snipped chives, a bit of salt and pepper and pour over cooked veggies. Garnish with a little fresh snipped chives and you're done. Carrots are great this way, but also green beans or wax beans)

It seems some little woodland creature had been very busy moving my little hyacinths around during the autumn. I have them all throughout the gardens and lawn, just not where I planted them! Little devils! It looks pretty anyway and I have to admit, I kind of liked the surprise. My poor gardens have been so neglected the past few years, maybe the critters decided I needed some help.

I have some Jenny wrens checking out the birdhouses by the patio, hope they move in. Just love them. I think it may be time to put out the bluebird houses too. I hear a whole lot of bird song everyday now.

Hope everyone has a wonderful, productive week. Make sure to make time to check what is growing around you, so many miracles happening this time of year! Talk to you soon,

Pat

Keeping It Green, Redo's

2010-04-05T19:48:00.004-04:00

The last week's Make Mine Pink Friday and this week's are almost the same in my mind. Recycling is a part of the crafting movement. We all take items-scraps of fabric, bits of lace, a small broken bauble- and turn them into something else. We take old worn furniture, give it a paint face lift and it has a new life. Taking our turn caring for antiques until it is time to pass them on. It makes me feel good to keep even a meager amount from the landfill and turning it into something I, and I hope others, will treasure. It is with these thoughts mulling around in my head that I have started offering a line of potpourri sold in containers - not something I have gone off and bought new, these are containers that I am recycling and making beautiful and useful again. My first is a really useful glass mug that I have embellished with ribbon, lace and faux pearls. A few millinery flowers and leaves completed the look. Here is my newest redo -

I have put a few around my home and am offering some to you as well. Hope you enjoy them.

For those of you who have enjoyed our Make Mine Pink Shop Hops, mark your calendars! The Mother's Day Shop Hop is going to start April 25. Great prizes will be offered (as usual!) and no purchase is necessary to participate. For those of you who have never joined in, come on over and enjoy browsing through the participating boutiques as you search for the hidden shopping bag. The more shopping bags you find, the larger the prize you will be able to be entered in a drawing for. It's fun, great shopping for Mother's Day and maybe a super prize for you! Doesn't get much better than that, does it?

Have a terrific week,

Pat

Look Who Woke Up!

2010-03-29T13:11:00.008-04:00

While waiting for the dogs to finish chasing leaves, protecting me from songbirds flying overhead and being generally goofy, look what I found! Newly awakened and looking divine after the winter's beauty sleep.........hmmm, after three tries here, blogger has decided it didn't like my photo of my first daffodil. I will try again later. She is looking gorgeous though!

**Edited to say, here she is! Blogger is being friendlier tonight, lol. Also got the link to work, sheesh!

That sure put a smile on my face. The first daffodil to pop open this spring here at the ol' homestead. I guess we are really and truly coming out of the winter. I'm ready!

Time to start packing away the winter sweaters, coats, scarves and gloves. Don't forget to make sure that everything is super clean before packing up and a good idea is to pack in a fragrant herbal clothing protector sachet with each precious sweater! (click on the word sachet to be taken to Patricia Rose to see these, Blogger is just being a pain with this post) At Patricia Rose, these are the ones we make and use. They have a pleasing fragrance but the moths are just not fond of it at all.

Spring cleaning is upon us and if you are like me, the bookcases are a major chore. After getting all the books dusted and replaced on the shelves, a small packet of patchouli behind every six books or so will prevent silverfish from infesting the area and munching on the glue of the bindings. It's so much easier to prevent an infestation than to try and get rid of the little pesties one they have invaded!

Have a wonderful week all,

Pat

I Kept My Hands Busy

2010-03-08T00:52:00.004-05:00

As I mentioned last week, we have been through a horrific family emergency. My dear hubs has been in the hospital for the past 6 weeks, 4 of which were in the ICU. Now that I know he is coming home, I can talk about this a little.

To keep my sanity, I had my hand sewing with me to fill the rest of the 50 minutes of the hour when I couldn't be next to him. I spent many nights sleeping, or resting anyway, in a waiting room and depended on my handwork to keep me balanced. This week, I have started to get the embroideries done up into finished products. Here is a picture of the first three!

I did a heart because my husband had two heart attacks while in the hospital and then a quadruple bypass. Just seemed appropriate, don't ya think?? The precious pink pillowette is silk ribbon embroidery on dupioni silk with a scrumptious tassel fringe and filled with polyfil and lavender. Then two fabric postcards ready for the mail! You will find these on my website this coming week.

I am thankful that the surgery was successful and hubs will be home this week. My thanks for all the prayers and positive thoughts that were sent up for us.

Hugs,

Pat

I'm Back!

2010-02-28T15:53:00.003-05:00

After a month long absence due to a family emergency, I am finally back! Have missed all my computer friends. Have a whole lot of catching up to do, that's for sure. I sincerely hope that the crises are behind me now and life will take on a more normal pace.

How did everybody make out with the big blizzard of 2010 up here in the Northeast? We lost power for a few days, so a forced R & R break was enjoyed. We haven't had a storm like this is many years, felt like a kid with a snow day. Here's a photo of my back deck and Chloe (my head seamstress) to show what we dealt with.

It is just beautiful though and the full moon on the snow last night was awesome. Has anyone ever enjoyed Cracked Sugar? It's a fun thing to do when you have a big snow. Everyone in the house puts out a bowl to collect some fresh snow. Meanwhile, take some maple syrup (has to be the real deal) and simmer for a while on the stove top, minimum of 15-20 minutes. Bring in your bowl of snow and drizzle the hot syrup over the snow. The maple syrup hardens up and you have instant maple candy, yumm! Little ones love the magic of watching the syrup harden up instantly and particularly eating it! Okay, Here I was, all by myself in the house, and I have to admit that I couldn't resist and did it for myself this snow storm. It was fun! Try it the next time we have a good snow fall.

Have a wonderful week all,

Pat

When Inspiration Strikes!

2010-02-07T13:14:00.003-05:00

I hope this finds everyone dug out from the snow if you were in one of the areas that got so badly hit. It has been one strange winter for weather, that's for sure. We got very lucky this time around and didn't see a flake, well not the snow kind anyway. I am thankful for that because my husband is in the hospital and that would have been more stress! In the hours I have been sitting over there, I have been doing a lot of hand stitching. Want to show you my recent creation. It is a really fun new denim purse. Was never quite sure what to do with the top part of jeans after I had reused the denim from the legs. Well, the answer is just have some fun with it!

The Purse Close Up Front

Close Up Back

All the pockets have remained intact and there is a new zipper pocket where the fly is. These are a size 10 jeans and they made quite a roomy purse. If I use my own, I believe it will be a suitcase!

I have to run off to the hospital again so I will leave you with a household hint a girl friend sent to me:

Leave a few get well cards on the mantle. That way people will think you've been sick and were unable to clean!

Have good week all,

Pat

My Heart's All Aflutter.....

2010-01-11T07:27:00.004-05:00

My heart's all aflutter with new Valentine ideas. I have had such a nice week playing with fabric and trim and vintage images making Valentines for you. I felt like I was back in grade school with my scissors and glue finding the just perfect addition to my card. It has been so cold outside, this was the perfect way to spend the days. Come on over to Patricia Rose and see what I have created! Some pretty ruffly sachets and pillows make perfect gifts for Mom or Grandma.

Do you have any special traditions that you share with your Sweetie? I'd love to hear about them. Valentine's Day makes me remember a commercial from years ago, it must have been for an antacid. But it was a new bride who was so proud of her marshmallow filled heart-shaped meatloaf. Just remembering it still makes me laugh. I'm also dating myself!

While we are thinking of caring and love, please remember The Pink Slipper Project. Donations are being accepted continuously of slippers, supplies or monetary donations. The widget is just off to the right, just click on it and see what the recent challenges are.

Speaking of challenges, am I the only one who let this cold weather and dry heat indoors chap up my skin? Some soothing bath teas are the answer, along with some good for your skin oils. Jojoba is my choice, it facilitates essential oils being absorbed by your skin. A nice choice for some quick skin first aid.

Have a wonderful week. Stay safe and warm.

Pat

What do you mean, the year is over????

2009-12-31T07:46:00.002-05:00

Where the dickens did this year go? I am trying to believe it is New Year's eve. Why does one day turning to the next inspire such introspection in so many of us, I wonder. I know I have been doing a lot of physical and emotional cleaning recently. What do I want or need to change?

The last two weeks have been a blur, a few cases of the sniffles plus have run through the house. Have my Healthy Simmer going all day everyday right now. Got to get these germs under control! I long to open the windows but, baby, it's cold outside!

Did not want to let the New Year come in without sending you best wishes for 2010. I wish health, happiness and contentment to all of you.

Pat

Roses, Roses

2009-12-14T11:21:00.003-05:00

It has been so wicked cold up here in the Lower Hudson Valley, add to that several snow storms and some freezing rain, I find myself longing for some flowers. Some Rose Mist yarn from Lion Brand Yarn Company was just the answer! I did up a pair of Irish crochet roses and did up a scarf. 60 inches of Roses in the Mist. I love you, a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck. This is long enough to wrap in a warm hug around your neck or use as a sash. These roses don't smell as good as the garden roses but that can be easily remedied by storing with a beautiful rose fragranced sachet!

I am trying to get organized and get my Christmas decorations up over the next few days, so it will be busy, busy around the ol' homestead. Will definitely get some pictures when I finally accomplish this and share with you. I enjoy seeing how different families decorate and enjoy the holidays, hope you do too.Everyone stay safe and warm. See you in a few days.

Pat

17 More Days Until Christmas

2009-12-08T12:34:00.000-05:00

The time has just flown by. I am such a procrastinator, am not at all ready for Christmas. Uh oh! I sure hope everyone has been over to the Shop Hop and found lots and lots of those shopping bags. Can hardly wait to see who has won The Ultimate Gift Basket. Talk about a spectacular win! The other prizes are pretty awesome as well, I'm particularly fond of the snow globe.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of our first real

snowfall that gave us a few inches to enjoy. So beautiful, there is something so magical about seeing the world transformed into a quiet white wonderland.

A reminder for all my friends, Friday is the last Make Mine Pink Friday of the year. This week's theme is Last Minute Gifts - sounds like it was made for me. Come on over and visit me at Patricia Rose and the rest of the participating boutiques. We will be back with our specially themed Fridays in January.

Once the holidays are over it will be time to hunker down and get through the winter with dreams of gardens in our heads. If you are in need of some essential oils for simmering or therapeutic uses, visit my friend Andrea at Aromatics International. She has some great sales going on right now. Good time to stock up! She has therapeutic grade oils so you can use these without a second thought. A drop or two of an essential oil can lift your mood, relax you, help kill those pesky winter germs. Please remember, do not use fragrance oils for aromatherapy, you will not get the therapeutic benefits you are looking for and some of the synthetics can cause an allergic reaction. I will share with you over the next few months what I am using to give you some ideas. Right now, it's all about balsam. What can I say, I love it and it has the added benefit of being antiviral.

And so, off I go to try and get some holiday into this house. Hopefully, I'll have some pictures for you next week.

Pat

Have A Wonderful Thanksgiving

2009-11-22T19:35:00.000-05:00

This week is the kick off to the holiday season! Where in the world did this year go? Simply does not seem possible that we are looking at a new year just ahead. I hope you have all your shopping for the Thanksgiving feast all done, menu tacked to the cupboard and ready to start the preparations. Get the silver polished, tablecloth ironed, napkins folded just so, candles ready to be lit and doorstep swept, ready to welcome all to celebrate.

Are you looking for a new side dish? A friend on Twitter, @GailR, shared this recipe for

Carrots in Chive Cream

8-10 julienned carrots 2 Tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon sugar

Pinch each salt and nutmeg

1 cup water

Place all in heavy saucepan, cover tightly and simmer 20 minutes.

Uncover, raise heat slightly. Cook until liquid is gone. (8-10 minutes)

Stir in 1 Tablespoon lemon juice and bring to boil.

Stir in 1-1/2 Tablespoons heavy cream.

Boil 1 minute to glaze.

Sprinkle on 1 bunch chopped chives.

This will be very pretty and delish! The color will be a nice addition to the menu.

Is everyone planning on staying home safe and sound for Black Friday? I have never been one to love mall shopping and Black Friday is definitely not something I look forward to. You have the marvelous option of Make Mine Pink Friday with the theme "Dreaming of a White Christmas".

That is where you will find me! November 27 is not only MMP Friday it is the beginning of the Twelve Days of Christmas Shop Hop with the grand (and I do mean grand!) prize of the Ultimate Gift Basket. Limber up those fingers and find those shopping bags. The grand prize has a value of over $1000.00!

Have a wonderful week. Enjoy Thanksgiving. If you're traveling be safe, if you're shopping, keep some hand sanitizer in your purse. Keep hydrated and well rested. I am thankful for my family and friends to share this holiday with.

Hugs,

Pat

Wait Until You See This

2009-11-16T12:46:00.000-05:00

Over at Make Mine Pink, we have been busy coming up with the most fabulous prize for our Twelve Days of Christmas Shop Hop. So here it is, The Ultimate Gift Basket!

Many of the boutiques have put an item in this amazing basket. Make sure you sign up to participate in this Shop Hop! The widget to take you to Make Mine Pink and read all about it is over on the right of this post. This is the most extravagant prize we have ever had, truly a one of a kind and never to be duplicated prize. Don't miss out on your chance to have this arrive on your doorstep!

I managed to avoid coming down with a full fledged case of the yucks last week. Thank heavens for something so simple as an herbal simmer to avoid getting laid up for a few days. You can keep a few on hand, get it at Patricia Rose. Who has time for getting sick at this time of the year?? Getting ready for Thanksgiving. Have already started shopping for the feast. Can hardly believe the holidays are upon us. Make sure you don't get too stressed out with all the preparations. Take some time for yourself and have a nice herbal soak to relieve tension and muscle aches. Take a look at some of the bath salts available at Patricia Rose. Fifteen minutes can turn your day around! Remember the essential oils of orange and lemon are great for keeping a good mood and a sense of humor, lavender is the all time favorite for staying calm and rosemary is good to stay alert.

Have a great week,

Pat

Look at the Counter!

2009-11-09T08:08:00.000-05:00

I wanted to get into the spirit of the upcoming holidays and decided a counter like I've seen on some other sites would be a great idea. How great is the one I found? Even has pomanders on it! Was that banner made for me or what? Of course, the only problem with having a counter up is the terror it is striking in my heart. I cannot believe how fast the time is going by.

I've had to make a lot of use of my Healthy Simmer Potpourri this past week. Fighting off a cold, simply no time for being under the weather. I keep it going around the clock in a big ol' dutch oven on the woodstove. It surely does help. Keep the air clean so the germs don't get passed around the family.

So today I decided to give you some hints to keep these good for you essential oils around you all the time! With all the stress of shopping, do something good for yourself and stay healthy through it all.

Put a couple drops of essential oil in your shampoo bottle! Lavender, our old standby, is known for it's calming effect but it is also an antiviral! Rosemary is nice. It's good for your hair and, guess what--yes indeed, kills germs.

Have a nice soak in the tub if you feel something coming on. Add 4 or 5 drops of your favorite essential oil to relax. Sinuses clogged up, a drop or two of eucalyptus will make you feel better.

Make sure you are carrying a bottle of hand sanitizer with you. A few drops of essential oil will make it smell nicer and improve it's germ killing abilities! I like one of the mints for this, I like the fragrance and it also perks me up! You can make you own, you know. Check out my friend, Andrea's site for a recipe, http://www.aromaticsinternational.com/ .

Homemade cleaning products are so nice and so economical. See the same link above for recipes for this as well. Lemon or orange is such a happy and uplifting fragrance. By using the essential oils, you not only get the great aroma, it encourages alertness and a feeling of well being and, yes indeed, will fight some of those nasty microbes flying around. It's no matter of chance that the fragrance of pine is used is some commercial products, very strong protector!

I hope you try these ideas and stay healthy!

Following is a note from my daughter, Maegan, about our Walk For The Cure on October 18. To this I would like to add my thanks to all the wonderful people who contributed through my fund raising site. Researchers are so close to the cure, every single dollar is making a difference.
On October 18th Justin's Jungle Joggers participated in their 7th Annual JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. The team was formed in 2002 in honor of Justin Coss y Leon, now 12 years old, to help raise money for JDRF so that one day he and the millions of others living with Type 1 Diabetes could be cured of this medical monster.
In spite of the rain and bitter cold temperatures that day 82 of the 112 Justin's Jungle Joggers showed up to walk on Walk Day. The team managed to raise an astonishing $10,812.85 for JDRF even in this troubled economy!
Justin and all his Jungle Joggers would like to thank the generous sponsors who helped the team raise all those crucial dollars needed to fund the research to find a cure for Type one diabetes. Our 2009 sponsors are...
Louise Kyasky of the TK Memorial Fund
Joe Binetti, ABR,SRES Remax Realtor
Orange County Golf Carts
Pyramid Imprints, Bergenfield, NJ
Pangaia Partners
Dr. Carol Carberry, DVM
Kevin P. Kelly Counselor at Law
Patricia Rose
Anita DaSilva, State Farm Agent
Nicholas Apollo Painting,LLC.
M.Ingannamorte & Son General Contractors
Pictured below is Justin and Tyler Coss y Leon and friend Nicholas Gallo on Walk Day, a JJJ team photo from Walk Day, and Justin's Jungle Joggers from left to right Sarah Gihr, Patrick and James Kane, Bridget Coss y Leon, Kristen Kane, Kayley Coss y Leon, and Kaitlyn Carberry along with the NJ Nets Mascot.
Photos by Maegan Coss y Leon

Maegan Coss y Leon

I am trying valiantly to get the photos up but am ending up with thumbnails that are impossible to see with the naked eye! I'll keep trying and add them on if I can figure it out.

Have a wonderful week all,

Pat

Doot, doot,doot, doot, doot Out My Back Door

2009-10-26T10:56:00.000-04:00

Sorry, gotta love Credance Clearwater! So today I am showing you out my back door. It is so beautiful right now, just have to share with you all. In addition to across the road, which is equally lovely! Don't you just love the Colors of Autumn? And isn't this just the sneakiest little segway into telling you about this week's Make Mine Pink Friday? Just so happens, this week's theme is Colors of Autumn! Ta-da! Please join Patricia Rose and all the participating Little Pink Boutiques for this fun themed shopping event.

My sons have been busy at work getting wood ready for the coming cold weather. You know what they say about heating with wood. It warms you twice - once while you're cutting it and once when you burn it.

Glad I don't have to do that any more! But I will sure appreciate their hard work in December (not that I don't now). One son managed to get a case of poison ivy that put him out of work for a few days. Have I ever mentioned to you that the best way to avoid getting and/or spreading poison ivy is to take a warm shower with liquid Dawn after you've been exposed to that rascally vine? Cuts right through the oil from the plant. If you should develop the rash, jewelweed is a great antidote to the burning and itching. You can usually find jewelweed growing fairly close to where the poison ivy is. Jewelweed has a pretty orangy-yellow flower and when it is 'ripe' and you touch it, the seed just shoots right out. You'll have to try and find it and try that next year, it's kind of funny and kids just love shooting the seeds (so do I, guess I'm still a kid at heart). Isn't it amazing that the antidote for many things are found growing right next to the offending plant?

The cold and rainy days this past week had me working in the house. I want to share this easy way to clean your silver. As I was doing it, I made myself a note to share it with you. It's non-toxic so you don't have to worry about using it on flatware or serving dishes. In a large flat bottomed pan, take a piece of aluminum foil approximately the size of the pan, crinkle it up and then open it back up again. Lay this in the bottom of the pan. Then add some water so it will cover what you want to clean. For very large pieces, you can do half of the item at a time. Now, set this on the stove until simmering (not too hot, don't want to be melting the silver), sprinkle in a teaspoon or two of cream of tartar and stir around a little. Add your silver pieces and the tarnish magically falls off your silver onto the aluminum foil. It's a truly amazing little bit of chemistry!

Have an absolutely wonderful, wonder filled week,

Hugs,

Pat

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

2009-10-12T09:38:00.000-04:00

It is official, autumn has arrived in the Hudson Valley! I believe this was our first hard frost. The dogs went charging out the door this morning, as they usually do, and proceeded to slide across the deck. They turned around to take a look at me, as if to say, what the heck did you do? The sun was out bright and early and everything was sparkling, so beautiful! Must remember to keep my jacket by the back door though. Way too cold to be out there without a jacket!

There is a new event making its debut at Make Mine Pink, the Pink Twilight Sale. This will be a fast sale every third Saturday of the month from 6PM until Midnight only. There will be deeply discounted items offered from many of the boutiques.

The first Pink Twilight Sale will be October 17,2009. Come on over and visit, we just love company!

We have arrived at the time of year when we will be in closed up homes and offices for extended periods of time. To keep your house and/or office smelling sweet, and perhaps even healthier, you have to go no farther than your spice cupboard! It is suggested that some of these oils will kill household germs that cause the colds and flu that haunt us in the winter! So try keeping a simmer going (your crockpot is a great way to do this). Some great things to try are cloves, cinnamon, sage, lemon, rosemary, savory and thyme. You don't need all of them, just a few or all if you prefer, will give you the germ killing effect! You can also use essential oils for this but make sure you are only using therapeutic grade essential oils, not fragrance oils! A great source (not the only one, but I trust this one completely) for therapeutic grade oils is Aromatics International. What a pleasant way to stay healthy!

Have a wonderful week, stay warm and stay healthy,

Pat

Let Them Eat Apples....

2009-09-28T10:23:00.000-04:00

Would you believe how brazen this little guy is? He didn't seem the least bit fazed when I tried to get his picture. In fact, he kept turning for me until I got the shot I wanted. Guess he feels pretty safe around here. In spite of all the apples I am using, there are an awful lot of drops that I am leaving for the critters in the area to enjoy. This has been working out just fine. The deer come graze, the chipmunks, the squirrels, even some birds are partaking of the bounty. We had one tiny glitch with the guest list - SKUNKS! Imagine my surprise when letting the dogs out one night to come face to face with a huge black and white bandit. Before I could grab her, off ran Chloe to try and intimidate this giant 'cat' off her deck and preferably out of her yard. Do I have to tell you the outcome? Whewwwww! This was not a pleasant night. Even Buster couldn't stand being by Chloe and under the bed he went,

and here I thought he was hopeless! Bathing a dog at 2AM is just not a whole lot of fun, especially when they smell like skunk. Have to give a tout for Nature's Miracle Skunk Odor Remover. It did a pretty good job, with that and a rinse with some essential oils mixed in Chloe was at least tolerable. I sure hope she has learned something from this little escapade.

At Patricia Rose, still working hard to get some more donations for the JDRF (http://walk.jdrf.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=extranet.personalpage&confirmid=87421573). I will be Walking For The Cure on October 18. Thank you so much for all the donations so far! The Pink Slipper Project (http://www.pinkslipperproject.org) is growing by leaps and bounds. Lots of slippers have been sent to headquarters to send some warmth to women and children recovering from abuse and living in shelters. Please help in any way you can.

Patricia Rose is also participating in the Pink October Shop Hop, October 5th-11th. Don't miss out! Register and find those shopping bags. Wonderful prizes (as always) and no purchase necessary.

Have a wonderful week,

Pat

Weddings and Slippers and Apples and Cleaning (???)

2009-09-20T22:33:00.000-04:00

It has been busy, busy, busy around here lately. On the family front, we have an engagement! My son, Marc, has asked his best girl, Alissa, to marry him and she has accepted! We are looking at a July 2010 wedding. Romance and excitement shall reign over the next 10 months, for sure! When I knew he was going to ask, I got a hold of my friend, Tedi, at The Petite Book Store to make up one of her amazing treasures. Alissa is a big reader and loves books so a treasure from Tedi seemed like the perfect gift. Take a look at this presentation,

It included two books on planning a wedding, a wedding guest book and a Stampington magazine! Alissa loved it!

We have some ancient apple trees here on the property and they have been amazingly prolific this year. I have been drying apples like crazy for the Apple Harvest Potpourri, made several batches of apple butter, yum, and a couple rather outstanding pies, if I do say so myself. Here are some trays of the drying apples (the house smells heavenly).

And then there is the Pink Slipper Project. Made the slippers I pledged and will have them winging their way to Virginia this week. The One Seam Rag Slipper is fun to work with, the most time is spent on cutting it out! I think they come out adorable and am sure our recipients will love their toasty toes!

And then, the last thing I wanted to share with you is this wonderful recipe for an all-purpose cleaning spray from my friend, Andrea Butje, at Aromahead and Aromatics International. I gave it a try this week and think this will be my new cleaner. It smells great and works like a charm!

"Andrea's Cleaner"

16 ounces of water

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

40 drops white pine essential oil

40 drops lemon essential oil

20 drops grapefruit essential oil

40 drops Eucalyptus Globulus essential oil

Mix all in a spray bottle and use as you would any all-purpose cleaner. Spray and wipe!

This is all I have to share this week. Have a wonderful safe week and will see you all next Sunday night.

Pat

2009-09-07T14:49:00.000-04:00

Happy Labor Day everyone. Hope all traveling has been safe, time with family and friends has been fun and relaxation has been, well, relaxing. The best thing about a holiday weekend is that most everyone is looking at a shortened work week!

With our nights getting cool and the days getting shorter, I can tell Autumn is just about upon us, in spite of what the day time temperatures are saying. I found myself getting ready for work in the dark! It feels like that happened over night.

Time to get our homes all snuggled in for the cooler times ahead. Be prepared with lots of gorgeous potpourri to keep everything sweet smelling and inviting! Here is Apple Harvest Potpourri -

and here is Pumpkin and Spice -

I love these two! But you know what this means, the big holidays are just around the corner. Time to start planning! I had fun taking a step away from my usual crafting items and making these cute little ornaments. I don't usually play with glitter and glue but had a great time doing these.
Please, please, please do not forget about the ongoing fund raising for JDRF Walk For The Cure. The walk I am participating in will be held October 18, 2009, at Franklin Lakes, NJ at the beautiful MEDCO campus who have been gracious enough to host this for the last few years.

Also, keep in mind the Pink Slipper Project. If you would like to make some slippers for this event, feel free to download the pattern designed by Joyce Lucas at http://www.pinkslipperproject.org. The slippers do not have to be made of this pattern. If you knit or crochet or have your own favorite slipper pattern, that is wonderful as well. Just as long as they are warm.

Enjoy your week and will chat with you soon,

Pat

So Much News!

2009-08-28T22:42:00.000-04:00

I have been missing for a few weeks. Not that I didn't think about everyone, just wasn't able to pull together a block of time to get the blogging done. So, I am trying the draft feature and we will see if this works or not.

Everything is fine here, just my work schedule, hubby's doctor and dialysis appointments, usual day to day errands, studying for my aromatherapy course at www.aromahead.com just became overwhelming and I was paralyzed by it for a bit. Have a handle on everything again and hope to get back to normal starting today!

Do you notice the cute new widget off to the right? The Pink Slipper Project is an absolutely amazing new project the boutiques at Make Mine Pink are undertaking. Shabby Lane Boutiques and Nashville Boutiques have recently joined in. The brainchild of Joyce Lucas in cooperation with Enchanted Makeovers is to make slippers for the women and children who are forced to live in shelters to avoid abuse. In addition to the other pledges we have made to Enchanted Makeovers, we are now pledging over 100 pairs of slippers which will be needed in November. Joyce has been kind enough to draft a pattern for the most amazing slippers - only 1 seam per slipper. If you would like to be a part of this program, please contact Joyce through the Pink Slipper Project Blog. Fabric donations, batting donations, monetary donations or slippers will all be gratefully accepted. http://www.pinkslipperproject.org/

How cute are these slippers??

Speaking of feet, my family and I will be participating for the seventh year in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk For The Cure in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey on October 18, 2009. We started participating in the very next walk after my grandson was diagnosed with Type I diabetes (Juvenile Diabetes) several days before his first day of Kindergarten. He was rushed to the hospital with a blood sugar of 904 after playing outside. He missed his first day of Kindergarten but made the second day! Several weeks ago Justin made a comment that about broke all our hearts. He can't remember not having diabetes. For the first few years, this little guy had to be injected four times a day with insulin and have his blood sugar tested four or five times a day. He has been very lucky in that he was eligible for the insulin pump and the past year has been a bit easier for him. He still must test his sugar, but he has learned to program in the numbers and the pump just gives him the insulin he needs.

To put into perspective what these children go through, with 4 blood sugar tests a day for the past 7 years is 10,220 sticks, 6 years of 4 insulin shots a day is 8,760 injections. Another thing that threw me into a tail spin is the fact that the children are taught to take their blood samples from their forearms. The reasoning behind this is the not uncommon side effect of diabetes is blindness and they don't want the children to loose feeling in their fingers in case they need to learn to read Braille. Mind boggling, isn't it? He's only 12 years old right now. So, I am shamelessly begging you to donate even $1 for the cure. Visit my page at the JDRF Walk Site to hear from the pros and hopefully give a donation. http://walk.jdrf.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=extranet.personalpage&confirmid=87421573 Patricia Rose will again be donating 25% of all sales between now and then. Here's a picture of our team from last year--

And so dear friends, that is the news for today. I will try my hardest to be back on Mondays with the fun Show and Tell which the Make Mine Pink boutiques participate in. Hugs to all, I've missed chatting with you all.

Pat

Sunshine

2009-08-03T09:23:00.000-04:00

We have finally had a few warm (hot) days here in New York. The vegetables are finally coming in after all the rain we have had. As I was carting in a nice basket of tiny cucumbers, I remembered a fun recipe that I did with my kids and the 4H gang and want to share it with you. Children love this one,

SUNSHINE PICKLES

1 quart water

1 pint vinegar

1/2 cup coarse salt

2 sprigs fresh dill

2 cloves garlic, chopped

dash turmeric

small cucumbers

Heat everything except the dill and the cucumbers, do not boil. Pack a sterilized quart jar with the cucumbers and fresh dill, add the heated brine. Cover jar and set in sunny area for 3 weeks.

That's all there is to it. They are really yummy! I wish I could give credit for this, but it's one of those old recipes that has been passed from friend to friend and I have absolutely no idea where it originated!

As long as we are on a sunshine topic, how about this nice diffuser blend from http://www.aromahead.com/:

SUNNY DIFFUSER BLEND

5 drops grapefruit essential oil

5 drops orange essential oil

2 drops lime essential oil

Add to diffuser and soak up the sun!

Christmas in July is finished for this year. It was great fun. Many of you are now looking at back to school shopping. I can't say I miss those days too much! After a hard week of shopping, come on over to Make Mine Pink for Pink Friday this week. The theme is Tea for Two and Two for Tea. You may need the relaxing break!

I had a wonderful day and night down at "The Shore" with my daughter, her hubby and the grandkids. Takes an hour of watching the ocean for all the tension to just drain away! I just love the beach.

Have a wonderful week all,

Pat

Monday, Monday

2009-07-27T06:55:00.000-04:00

The beginning of a bright new week, and some friends and I from Make Mine Pink have declared this a week of happiness and good news. Too many of our friends and family have had some very serious issues over the past few weeks. So, with positive thinking we are hoping for a better stretch ahead!

I am off to spend a day at the beach with my grandkids, how much fun is that? I miss the ocean so much and cannot wait to stick my toes in the water!

Christmas in July at Nasvhville Boutiques and Victorian Heart Shoppes is winding down. The Shop Hop at Make Mine Pink is now officially over. Good luck to all who participated, I have my fingers crossed for you!

Keep an eye out for the national ads that will hit this week for Nashville Boutiques, yours truly is in there! Can't wait to see Patricia Rose in a popular magazine. Let me know what you think!

At Make Mine Pink, we are getting ready for this week's Pink Friday, Pillows and Purses. This should be an amazing week. If you've never seen the amazing tuffets made by Sharon over at C'est Chouette you will have to go take a gander. Amazing confections! Our other pillow queen is Janet of Janet's Creative Pillows. Creative is an understatement! You will not believe what this lady can do.

I have spent a busy week studying for my Certification in Aromatherapy at Aromahead Institute. I cannot believe how much I am learning. This is turning out to be more interesting than I had thought. For what I have taught myself over the years, I am now really understanding why these essential oils work! Go take a look, I have it linked. Tell them I sent you!

And before I dash off, I have a little helpful hint that I learned through Aromahead Institute, at the first signs of a throat infection (annoying tickle, aggravating cough) put 1 drop of Tea Tree Essential Oil in a glass of warm water. Swish it around and gargle with it. Don't worry if you swallow a bit but try to spit most of it out. Do this for 3 days. Easy, peasy and it really works - go figure! Tea Tree Essential Oil is very anti-infective so it's a goody. If you do this, please make sure you are using only organic essential oil, I'm not sure you want to be gargling with pesticides! Buy your oils from a reputable source. Aromatic International is a good source and reliable. You can mail order.

So have a wonderful week, all. I'm off to play in the sand and the water - ahhhhhhhhh!

Pat

Christmas in July,

2009-07-19T16:20:00.000-04:00

Hi all, sorry I missed you all last week. My schedule got a bit crazy and then I had Blogger issues. I blogged and Blogger didn't! Simply was no time to redo, so here I am, phew!

Midnight tonite, Christmas in July Shop Hop begins and will run through July 26 at Make Mine Pink. Now, people, we have had this discussion before. Get in there and register, find those bags, you can do it!!! I really, really, really want someone I know to win a prize this time. Limber up those fingers, the more bags you find the bigger the prize you are eligible to win. While searching for shopping bags check out all the wonderful boutiques. You know them all and how beautiful everything is. Ready? WUH, WUH, WUH--START CLICKING!

Christmas in July continues through the end of the month at Nashville Boutiques and Victorian Heart Shoppes. Stopping by at the Victorian Heart Shoppes and entering the $100 gift certificate drawing will be fun! Lots of great boutique and shoppes to browse through at both locations.

Here is a peek of this week's project-

As some of you know, Chloe and I were involved in a terrible glitter accident. It has been suggested I change Chloe's name to Sparkle. It was a fun project until the glitter and glue got the better of me!

One other tiny little catastrophe this week. While playing with my essential oils I knocked a bottle over. You have no idea how powerful these oils are until you get an overload! My word, the dining room still smells of clary sage! These old wood floors of mine just soaked that right up! As I am working on my studies at Aromahead Institute, I should be paying a bit more attention to the safety chapter, I guess. If you want to learn about essential oils and their uses and why they work in the first place, this is the place to go. I am finding that by looking at the class of an oil I am beginning to know what it is going to be good for. Love when you find that key to unlock a mystery.

With all the rains we have had, the plants (and weeds) have taken off like the rain forest. The weeds are winning at this point. UhOh! After a few dry days I have gotten arm fulls of plant material in and drying. Now if the weather will just cooperate so everything doesn't mold, it should be good. Lots of pesto in freezer (and in our tummies if you must know), think we may have some tomatoes this week. Here's a recipe for a really simple but delicious pasta salad -

Millie's (my sister-in-law) Bow Tie Pasta Salad

1-1pound box of bow tie pasta, cooked and drained

In a separate bowl, mix:

2 cloves minced fresh garlic

2 or 3 chopped tomatoes (can use canned if fresh not available)

6-10 leaves fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Add this mixture to pasta. Serve room temp or cold.

Have a wonderful week all. Don't forget to find those shopping bags,
Pat

That Yellow Thing In The Sky Is The Sun

2009-07-05T17:43:00.000-04:00

After the rainiest June on record, we have had two days of sun. It is just gorgeous outside! The blue skies, fluffy white clouds, temps in the 70's and the most gorgeous breeze have really improved my mood! Amazing how all that rain and gray can pull me down, not good.

Well, it is one very busy month here at Patricia Rose. Christmas in July is in full swing at Nashville Boutiques

and Victorian Heart Shoppes.

The Christmas in July Shop Hop at Make Mine Pink will kick off on July 20th. We have barely had a whisper of summer and I'm thinking about Christmas, geesh! Crazy business this retail! I have started a Christmas Shoppe on the website, http://www.patriciarose-apotpourri.com/shopping/the_christmas_shoppe/page_1.aspx, so go take a peek. Christmas items will be on sale for the month of July and these special events only. Then back to regular price.

This coming week's Pink Friday is The Summer Porch and Garden. At least it finally feels and looks like summer up here. I have started making Porch Pockets to help you get through the dog days of summer -

These are so handy to tuck your necessities in (let's face it, there are no pockets in bikinis!). Large enough to hold your phone, a book, a bottle of water, a bottle of sun screen and hang it on the arm of your chair or a hook on the porch railing.

You could also fill this with our all natural insect repelling potpourri to keep the pesky bugs at bay while you relax.

You can find these on the website as well.

http://www.patriciarose-apotpourri.com/shopping/findings-the_spice_of_life/page_1.aspx

I have had such an enjoyable week with my studying at http://www.aromahead.com/. This has been such a great thing to have embarked on. I can hardly wait to show you my first salves and ointments. I will be starting that this week, I am so excited. This course just takes everything and makes it so understandable but so thorough. I know I sound like a broken record, but if you have considered studying aromatherapy this is the place to go. Take a look and let me know what you think. If you should decide to take one of their courses, tell them I sent you!

Well, I think that is all the news for this week. Hope everyone is enjoying some of this gorgeous weather we have been blessed with.

Please leave a comment if you visit, I just love hearing from you. And just a little mini poll, if you don't mind. What fragrances would you like to see introduced at Patricia Rose? There may be a little sumpin', sumpin' for those who respond - just saying.

Have a terrific week,

Pat

Wow! Can You Believe This?

2009-06-23T22:34:00.000-04:00

I thought it would be back to the normal routine of things this week. Well, silly me! Lots of excitement for this gal! I got a lovely package from Make Mine Pink. I won a contest for guessing who was wrapped up in a towel on the beach! Well, a lovely bright tropical beach bag has arrived on my doorstep amidst the monsoons we're been experiencing here in the Hudson Valley.

It is the only bright thing around here at the moment. Isn't that fun! Thank you so much, Joyce, for the fun contest and the beautiful gift. It has certainly helped brighten my mood in these dreary days we've been experiencing!

Then, I not only won that contest, I won a contest at Ribbonsmyth, http://www.ribbonsmyth.com/, for leaving a blog comment! Well, heavens knows I never seem to be at a loss for words! I won some beautiful ribbon and embellishments and a 10% off coupon that have got my imagination running on overdrive at the moment. This photo really does not do these treasures justice! Thank you so much, Vicki, for this fun assortment to play with. Ribbons, fabric, buttons,, charms, lace, a card that can hold an insert, a silk bag, and on and on! Now I just need the time to implement all these ideas.

These rains have smooshed or drowned all my seedlings, sigh. Have saved my containers by moving them under a roof overhang. How have the rest of you on the Eastern seaboard fared with this weather? Our local news says we have had rain for 19 days out of 23 this month - yikes!

Have you noticed the neat new widget over to your right? Will you look at those quilt blocks in the Forget Me Not quilt. This is to be raffled off with the proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation supporting breast cancer research. You can click right on the widget to buy a chance to win this gorgeous quilt. I certainly don't have to tell everyone what a worthy cause this is. We all know someone who has been affected or have been personally affected by this hateful disease.

This week started my journey toward a Certification in Aromatherapy through Aromahead, http://www.aromahead.com/. With some trepidation, I started reading. Got a little anxious as some chemistry started getting bandied about but now I am finding it's feeling good to flex my brain a little! This course is laid out in such a way that I can digest small chunks of information at a time. Instead of laying out all the chemical make ups that will have to be understood, one or two are described and I can get a handle on it before moving on. Feels like building blocks.

I must say that my nursing background is probably making this a little easier for me because I am familiar with Latin (yeah, I know, I'm dating myself again. Had to have several years of Latin back in the day), already have a handle on anatomy and physiology and vaguely remember some chemistry. So at any rate, in the first couple chapters I have already started to understand dilutions and their uses and the authors have even snuck in a few oils and their uses without me realizing that I learned something cool. If you've ever had a desire to learn about aromatherapy, I would recommend this course. I'm loving the way it's laid out. I'll keep you posted as I keep going. I have to tell you, I forgot how much I enjoy learning. I love the whole process. Taking notes, memorizing different things (even though the author is calming you down telling you not to worry about memorizing it all), the aha moment when random information clicks into a whole concept! Life is good, I'm so happy to have this opportunity.

I am busy trying to come up with some fun ideas for the Make Mine Pink Christmas in July Shop Hop. Going to have some exciting offers for you. For right now, it's a secret! Don't forget to mark your calendars, July 20 is the 'hop off'. Now, people, I want you to get out there and find those shopping bags. I really, really want someone I know to win a prize this time. You can do this!!!

Have a wonderful week all,

Pat

I Believe in Miracles

2009-06-14T18:15:00.000-04:00

This has been such an amazing week! As most of you know I have been venturing into 'social media'. I have been busy Twittering and Facebooking promoting Patricia Rose. I enjoy sharing little bits and pieces of the herbal things I have learned. Well, out of all the Twitterers out there in this huge old internet one of my little twits was read by some one at Aromatics International. She direct messaged me to see if I might be interested in doing a guest blog about using essential oils . Well, although I have just dabbled in essential oils compared to what the people at the Institute deal with, I felt I could write a decent article about using essential oils in everyday life. If you would like to read that blog, it is at www.aromaticsinternational.com/blog. It is the June 4th blog.

So many of my friends (and some folks I don't know but hope will continue to follow my saga) left comments about my venture into 'literary greatness', it got the attention of the director of the institute. Well, to make a short story short, we emailed back and forth a few times with the result being that I will be taking the course to become a certified aromatherapist while twittering and blogging about this new journey I've embarked on. I am so excited to be starting this, it is something I have wanted to do for a while and I just find it a miracle that somehow the right people were brought together, against enormous odds, to accomplish something.

And I have to tell you, this is not the first time this has happened to me. About two years ago I read an article about this quirky little group called Make Mine Pink. Next thing I read is that Country Living Magazine is honoring Joyce Lucas, the founder of Make Mine Pink. I went to the site, http://www.makeminepink.com/, to look around and sent an email to Joyce, who was gracious enough to answer the week before leaving for the festivities in Chicago. (Think my timing might have been better?) Meeting Joyce and the other members on line gave me the nudge I needed to start an on line presence. With close to no computer experience, there I sat with my Little Pink Boutique AND a website! Definitely, not something I would ever had done without this group of women behind me! With me hanging back and feeling insecure most of the way, Joyce has pushed me and the other Pinkies into 'social media' and without the miracle of me finding Make Mine Pink, this second miracle would never have happened. I just find this all too coincidental to be simply chance.

I definitely believe in miracles! And give special thanks to the special angels who have delivered these miracles to me.

This is not to say that I haven't worked very hard to make this all work, but without my miracles I wouldn't have had the chance to start. I had no idea any of this was possible! The doors were put in front of me to chose whether to go through or not.

So, speaking of hard work. I tried so hard to get a pillow made by Friday and it was simply not in the cards! Here is a picture of the pillow top which will get attached to the rest of a pillow this week. It's just been rinsed out and is drying on a towel and not how I planned to debut it but I think you may find this as ironic as I do:

I guess working on this let my subconcious take off! The next pillow will be "Believe".

And further business, please join us for Pink Friday at Make Mine Pink. This week's theme is Favorite Finds. Hmmm, this one has me stumped. I think it's illegal to sell my husband on my website. I'll have to go rummaging through the closets, find some treasures--do you suppose that will count as favorite finds? We'll see!

Plans are also afoot to get Christmas in July all pulled together at Make Mine Pink. I am trying to believe that half of 2009 is gone already! (OMG, I sound like an old person!) Keep checking back for updates.

Have a terrific week everyone. My first course at Aromahead U is Introduction to Alternative Medicine. I'll let you know how it's going.

Pat

Show and Tell Monday, June 8, 2009

2009-06-07T10:12:00.000-04:00

My table at The Art Tour in Pine Bush, New York

Well, I fell off the face of the earth there for a bit. Life had gotten terribly busy and trying to fit in a bit of time to write was just not in the cards. I participated in the Pine Bush Art Tour on Saturday, June 6. The weather cooperated and the day was spectacular. Many artists came out and set up displays and it was the opening day of our Farmer's Market (I got the sweetest local strawberries which I kept munching on all day and the nicest fresh leaf lettuce, yum). I met a number of interesting artists and hope to be able to continue those relationships. The disappointing part of the day was the lack of foot traffic. Many, many drove through and glanced but very few parked to see what was there. Unfortunately, many of the artists will probably think twice about doing this again. It is all well and good to bemoan the fact that local Main Streets are going the way of the dinosaur but if we as the 'locals' don't support our own Main Street, there is very little room to complain. The Chamber of Commerce coordinated the entire Tour and advertised it in the papers and on line, posters were everywhere and yet relatively few turned out to support the local stores and artists who had put an incredible amount of effort into putting on a really special event. So much for my social commentary, just my observations of a day that was fun but a little disappointing at the same time. Here are a few photos of the booths that were at storefronts close to my spot.

So, out to the garden. The chive blossoms have been harvested and are busy infusing into vinegar. Should be a gorgeous color this year, looks nice already. Found some pretty bottles with corks that I am going to use to decant the vinegar into. I think I will dip the cork and top edge of the bottle into wax to seal well for storage. Think that will look pretty. maybe a little piece of lavender ribbon pressed onto the wax as a finishing touch.

I have got so many flowers pressing right now. Can't wait to start crafting with those. Have a few ideas that I want to try out. Make sure to make use of your edible flowers. A flower or two pressed onto cheese is so pretty, sugared flowers are so nice for cupcake decorations-just looks so exotic.

As your herbs are getting large enough to harvest, a nice easy dip is one part cream cheese to one part mayonnaise. Snip up small a nice mix of fresh herbs and mix them in, whichever ones are pleasing to you. A few crackers or pretzels and you have a gourmet snack!

Take a peek at the right side bar. You will notice a new member seal there for Nashville Boutiques. I am quite excited about this. I have been able to become a front page member of this brand new on-line shopping mall. The first ad will be in Cottage and Bungalow to hit the stands July 26. Keep your eyes out for it! Please take a look at this new site, I think you will really like it! www.nashvilleboutiques.com

Have a wonderful productive week all, talk to you soon,

Pat

Show and Tell Monday-May 25, 2009

2009-05-24T20:30:00.000-04:00

Happy Memorial Day everyone! It has been a wonderful weekend and I hate to see it end. The weather has cooperated more or less, pretty much on the Camelot schedule. Only raining in the late evening. Camelot must be a time zone or two to the east. This week, right on schedule, my tree peony bloomed. This is the oddest flower, it looks like it's made of crepe paper. If it has another purpose besides being gorgeous, I don't know what it is but it keeps up the gorgeous end just fine so I'm happy to have it in my garden.

Isn't that an amazing flower? Hard to believe they are real. And they do have a beautiful fragrance as well.

This is the last week of our drive to come up with some more Hope Chests for Vista Maria. See the blog below for all the information at Enchanted Makeovers. This is such a worthy cause, if you can donate anything, these young women can sure use the boost of having a nice place to stay even though under very stressful conditions in their lives. The CHIP IN button is still active to the right, think about it, okay?

Have a wonderful and productive week all.

Pat

Romantic Roses for Pink Friday, 5/15/09

2009-05-13T21:58:00.000-04:00

Pink Friday's theme of Romantic Roses has the Pink Boutiques all atwitter! Everyone loves roses. They touch a chord in every one's heart. The beautiful rose speaks of friendship, caring, romance. I think most every woman remembers the first time she received a bouquet of roses. Roses make the most mundane, special. The scent of roses can be musky and sensual, or spicy and invigorating. No matter which kind you like, there is always a rose or two in every household. The beautiful hankies from your Grandmother often were embellished with roses, the special vase from your wedding, a pretty little tray for your dresser - roses peek out and make us smile. Who has ever started a garden and not had the dream of a beautiful heirloom rose blooming in June? And, so I invite you to come visit us on Pink Friday to see where the Boutiques have added roses. There may be just that special touch you need in your bedroom, or the perfect gift that will say how much you care for a special relative or friend.

Now, speaking of caring, I have to mention again the Hope Chest Project we have undertaken at Make Mine Pink in cooperation with Enchanted Makeovers. We are trying very hard to get together enough to donate 20 hope chests to a women's shelter. The women who arrive there come nearly empty handed. It is our hope to have a chest at the foot of each of the 20 beds for these women to store their clothing and belongings. We have 7 more hope chests to come up with! If you could open your hearts and donate anything at all to this project, it will make such a huge difference in the lives of these women who need our help. There is a widget on the right side of this blog to make a donation. Every dollar counts, if you can afford a few dollars, that would be terrific. We have a deadline we are trying to meet in just 2 weeks, June 1. Please give us a hand with this worthy project. Go to http://www.enchantedmakeovers.org/ to read about this worthy organization.

Show and Tell Monday 5/4/09

2009-05-03T23:09:00.000-04:00

This is mostly a tell week. The camera has been sitting idle due to some family problems that have arisen. But at any rate, have I got a lot to tell you anyway. Today is the start of the Make Mine Pink Shop Hop and will run all week. Visit http://www.makeminepink.com/ for registration and then start finding those shopping bags. Wonderful prizes as always, and no purchase necessary for oodles of fun. Please do browse the shops as you go through, though. Even if you can't purchase now, bookmark your favorites for a latter shopping trip. Sorry, everyone- I have tried several times to get the Shop Hop Logo on here and Blogger is having issues again! Check out Make Mine Pink.

Spring is here and violet season is upon us. Found a nice recipe for Violet Jelly from my friends at Prarieland Herbs. Here is the link for the recipe, this looks like jars of amethysts -

http://prairielandherbs.com/violetjelly.htm. It's easy and people will think you are so clever!

You can also candy violets. This recipe comes from The Joy of Cooking. Dissolve and cook over low heat until clear 1/2 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Cool slightly and add 4 teaspoons gum arabic. Blend thoroughly and chill. Chill flowers as well. Dip each flower into solution. Run your fingers over each petal to make a smooth, thin coating. Make sure it is completely covered (any uncovered spots will turn brown). Place on a rack to dry. Turn the flowers over after 12 hours. When they are completely dry you can store them in air tight containers. Have fun! These are so pretty, decorate cupcakes with them.

Now all this talk of violets has me wanting some. May have to go pick some by moonlight. It's still May Day and the violets are full of magic today.

It has been suggested that I incorporate what my family has come to call Bridgie-isms into my blog periodically. This past week was a doozie! Bridgie is 6 years old and on the town track team. She had her very first race this past weekend. So there is this little pint of peanuts on the starting blocks, bang goes the gun, whooooosh go all the racers and then comes Bridgie, jogging along, smiling at the crowd, a wave here and there. After the race, her Mom congratulated her on such a good try even though she came in last. Then my daughter asked her if she was feeling okay being it appeared she was only jogging and we all know how much faster than that she can run. Well, calm as can be, Bridgie looks up at her Mom and says, "Well, yeah, but if I win they make me run another race." Can you just feel the love of this sport coming from this girl?

Show and Tell Monday on Sunday, April26, 2009

2009-04-26T17:15:00.000-04:00

Another week gone by, wish I knew where the time goes. As most of you know, my dear hubby has been in the hospital all week. Definite makes for a chaotic schedule. He seems to be improving and I am thankful for all your prayers.

With the schedule as it's been, I haven't gotten a whole lot accomplished. Today, I did end up with a few hours to call my own and finally started the tussy mussy out of those gorgeous dried roses I had shown you. So here is a dried flower tussy in progress -

The problem when working with dried flowers is they have their own bend to them and you just have to go with it. So it takes a lot of adjusting to get things to sit right where you want them to!Hope Debby enjoys her tussy.

There is lots of news to share from Make Mine Pink. The Mother's Day Shop Hop is almost upon us. For some reason, Blogger is having an issue uploading the logo but it is our cute little pink shopping bag. The shop hop will run April 4 through April 10, sign up and join in the fun. As usual, gorgeous prizes to be won depending on the number of shopping bags you find. Each participating boutique will have one hidden on their site. Enjoy browsing while looking for the Shopping Bags. You will find so many beautiful gifts for Mom in the shops.

This coming Pink Friday, May 1, is themed Romantic Delights-Gift Ideas for Mom. There are rumors of some amazing one of a kind creations, just like Mom, for this event, shop early, you don't want to miss out on something special!

Make Mine Pink and the boutiques have undertaken a really special project. We have teamed up with Enchanted Makeovers to rehab a women's shelter, Vista Marie. Make Mine Pink has committed to donating 20 hope chests for the center. So far, donations from the boutiques have covered 13 hope chests. If you can help out, we would really appreciate it. Go to www.makeminepink.com to read all about the details. What a worthy cause to participate in.

In addition to the hope chests, the boutiques have decided to also participate in making Traveling Sanctuary Bags for each woman and join in Pat Winter's Comfort Doll Project, http://www.comfortdolls.blogspot.com/, and make dolls for the women at Vista Marie.

So, that's the news for today. Everyone have a terrific week,

Pat

Showing and Telling Time Again, 4/20/09

2009-04-20T15:38:00.000-04:00

As most of you know, this has been an unbelievably crazy week for me. My husband has been hospitalized for the last few days and he is now improving. Phew! So today will have to be short and sweet.

Here are a few sachets I had worked on last week and will continue making them (easy to do at the hospital) and will have them on my website. The original batch was for a swap I was in over at The Essential Herbal.
Aren't they sweet? Just needle doodling from pictures in some of the books I enjoy leafing through. This batch is filled with my signature rose potpourri.

And the Winner is.........................

2009-04-13T16:39:00.000-04:00

We did our random draw this morning, and the winner is #18! This turns out to be Debbie from Cozy Cottage Gifts and Decor and Patchouli Rose. Congratulations Debbie! Please email me your snail mail address and your gift will be on the way next week.

As I explained in my 100th post, the prize is going to be a dried flower tussy mussy made from that treasure trove of flowers I received. They are quite nearly dried and ready to be fashioned into some fun items. I will most definitely post a picture as soon as it is done. These flowers can only be used for craft items because I don't know where they have been grown and whether or not they have had chemicals put on them. Come June, my own roses will be popping out and then I will have some for bath products as well.

Don't forget these are the last two days to play the Little Pink Slot Machine. Sure am going to miss that. It is so much fun. Just wanted to let you know, these prizes are all donations from the Boutiques. Our gift to you, our customers, to keep things fun and exciting when you come to visit us.

This week, however, we start Make Mine Pink Bingo. Go visit http://www.makeminepink.com/ for all the details. If you have already signed up for the Pink Slot Machine, you are already all signed up on the public forum to play Bingo. Head on over to pick your words, this is fun and all the Pinkies really take this Bingo seriously! This is another fun event at MMP, please join us. We like to keep things fun when you come over to shop!

Post Number 100

2009-04-05T13:51:00.000-04:00

I have had no trouble going on and on for the past year. Here I am at post 100 and feeling all nervous and my fingers don't want to type. What is this, I wonder? I have caught up on all the blogs I follow, found a few more to read and follow, got through all my emails and the filing of those from this past week. I've run out of ideas to put this off any longer. Maybe I need another cup of coffee. Be right back...................................

I had started this blog because I was starting my on line business. I had never even seen a blog 100 posts ago. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? So what started out as a way to get my name out there, has turned into me chatting with my friends a few times a week. This has been an avenue to meet so many wonderful new friends. Thank you all who come to see what's going on in my business and my life, and thanks for allowing me to share yours as well. So, I have to try to ignore the fact that this is BLOG 100 and go on as usual. Ahem......

Late yesterday afternoon, a very dear friend came and dropped off a huge box of roses that were to be tossed in the trash at her job. Good heavens, can you imagine?? Well, take a look at just some of this bounty which will be turned into treasures in the near future:

Can you imagine these gorgeous blossoms going into the trash?? These are some of the most beautiful roses I have ever seen. There is not a shelf in two rooms (and one of them has built in floor to ceiling bookcases) that doesn't have a line up of flowers drying. Two mantles are hung with these gorgeous roses drying and two big boxes of petals waiting to start their second life as potpourri. I have to giggle when I say I'm going to work, does life get any better than this?

So, are you ready for the big give away? Leave a comment on this post and your name will be entered into the drawing for a fabulous prize. As of yesterday, it was going to be some stitchery. But as of last evening and all of these gorgeous roses, I am going to create a one of a kind dried flower tussy mussy. The roses have to dry, so I will have to ask the winner for a little patience, but trust me when I tell you this will be gorgeous! Good luck to all who enter.

Now, forward we go, this week (actually, today) the Pink Slot Machine is up and running at Make Mine Pink for a whole week. This is a blast! The boutique owners have had two trial runs with this and we had grand time. So pop on over to www.makeminepink.com for all the details and to sign up to play. There is no purchase necessary but do take a few minutes after playing each day (did I mention you can play daily for a week?) to browse through the boutiques. It's a safe and friendly place to shop, to say nothing of the gorgeous one of a kind products. Prizes will be awarded daily, you don't want to miss out on this.

Has everyone been out puttering in the gardens yet? Well, not the Midwest I'm guessing. Heard about some snow happenings over there. The lilac buds look like they are ready to explode momentarily, daffodil and tulip greenery is up but no flowers yet, trees are starting to bud out and the world is waking up again. My chives are starting to pop up, cannot wait for the blossoms. Don't forget to pluck those blossoms and make some chive vinegar for those of you ahead of our growing season in the northeast. It is the prettiest lavender color, looks like liquid sapphires. I even have heard the peepers on a few of the warmer nights, guess they're looking for love!

Well, dear friends, have made it through my 100th post. It wasn't so bad once I finally got going. Back to normal later in the week, no more angst! Have a great week, enjoy the burgeoning of spring,

Pat

Patricia Rose-A Potpourri of Fabric, Fragrance and Findings

Pink Friday-April 3, 2009-Marie Antoinette

2009-04-01T23:22:00.000-04:00

The theme for this week's Pink Friday is Marie Antoinette. OooLaLa! When I think of Marie, she brings to mind the opulence of her lifestyle, roses which she adored, and, of course, that famous phrase "Let the eat cake". This theme has been chosen to coincide with the premier issue of Marie, I have heard it is simply gorgeous. I am anxious to take a peek! Please join Patrica Rose and all the Little Pink Boutiques this Friday to see what Marie and French inspired items are going to be offered.

Here is the Northeast, it is time to get the final spruce up done in the gardens before things really take off. Marie Antoinette was enamoured with roses and grew many at the palace in Versailles. You can grow many of the heirloom roses that were in those famous gardens right in your own maybe not so famous garden, but just as loved. For roses that are established, make sure to let them get a little air now, prune any canes that may have been damaged over the winter. Although we think of roses as purely ornamental, they have their place in herbalism. Rose water added to the bath is wonderfully soothing and softening for your skin. I remember my grandmother used glycerin and rose water as a hand lotion and she had beautiful hands. The pharmacist used to mix it for his customers. There is nothing as sensual as the scent of roses! Something to think about, hmmmmmmm?

Hope to see you on Friday, have a wonderful end of the week,

Pat

Show and Tell Monday, 3/23/09

2009-03-23T16:06:00.000-04:00

With all the talk of planting a garden, reusing and recycling, I wanted to share something with you. A friend of mine, Tina, publishes a magazine The Essential Herbal. Last year she published an entire issue about these very things. A woman ahead of her time, the issue has sold out.

If the White House can do it, I guess we should think about it as well. If you have never eaten a tomato sun warmed, right off the vine, you just don't know what summer tastes like. There are so many fun ways to do a garden. How about a pizza garden? Some tomatoes, some basil, some oregano--you can even grow your own garlic or garlic chives! How much fun to go outside and pick all the ingredients for your own freshly baked gourmet pizza! Plant lots of basil in this same grouping and it's your pesto garden. Feels downright decadent to open the freezer in the dead of January and have fresh pesto ready for pasta. So please, go have a visit with Tina and her family and enjoy all the articles she's offered. You can also subscribe to her magazine if it''s something you enjoy. This Friday at Make Mine Pink, our Pink Friday theme will be Easter Memories. Lots of springtime beauties are being stitched and stuffed and fluffed. Should be beautiful. Come join us for shopping with a twist.

Have a terrific week everyone.

Pink Friday 3/20/09

2009-03-19T12:57:00.000-04:00

This may well be the most exciting Pink Friday in a while - One of a Kind Treasures. Now, you know the Make Mine Pink Boutiques are going to be over the top on this one. You may want to grab a cup of coffee, tea or the beverage of your choice and settle in for a really wonderful time of browsing. I'm going to have to stay up until midnight to do a sneaky shop-a-thon, I have to work tomorrow and don't want to miss all the incredible items I just know are going to be there!

Next thing I wanted to share with you today was this adorable "Surprise Giveaway" from Sher Miller, aka Grinning Grandma. Please visit her blog at http://oldtimemeartist.blogspot.com/ This was such a fun package to open. There is a lovely Prayer Box prettily embellished with lace, flowers, a charm and a label; then there is the pink post-it notes with the flowery heart (right up my alley); there is a really pretty spring time looking edging in green and pastels (that's at the front of the picture), I think I see some edged pillowcases in my future; and then this silly bumblebee who made me laugh out loud when I unwrapped him. He is sitting beside my computer and I just have to smile each time I look over at him. Thank you so much, Sher. I really enjoy all these items.

Then I am way behind in Thank You's to some special people. I want to thank my good friend, Shell from Raspberry Rabbits. She sent me a virtual treasure box of fabric to play with. Some of my newer products are from this incredible stash! Also, have to congratulate Shell, she is the newest front page member at Make Mine Pink. Please visit her shop through her new front page site at the lower left corner of Make Mine Pink front page, www.makeminepink.com . Best of luck to you, Shell, you are a very special lady.

I want to thank another sweet friend, Dianne of Mama's Pocketbooks. I won a pattern for an Amy Butler cushion to spruce up my hubby's corner of the living room where he must sleep due to the stairs in our house. These cushions should perk up the blah hospital bed over in the corner. Please make sure you visit Diane at http://mamaspocketbook.com/index.html. Lots of things to browse through, her pocketbooks are amazing.

Thank you also to another pink friend, Lisa of Pale Pink and Roses for fabric that she sent me to play with as well. Can you tell how blessed I am with these amazing friends? Please visit Lisa at http://www.palepinkandroses.com/store/Default.asp.

I was also given an amazing surprise from Tedi of The Petite Book Store. Being I have never seen one of the Somerset magazines, she is sending me one of my choice - talk about tough choices! Please visit our sweet Tedi at http://www.petitebookstore.com/, great selection plus free shipping! Can you believe these wonderful friends?

Until next time....................

Almost Time to Hop Into Spring

2009-03-14T17:28:00.000-04:00

You're Invited!!Starting March 16th! The joyful march into spring begins, a cacophony of bird calls fills the blue skies, the trees show their fresh green buds, and the tulips start to poke their heads from the earth to face the sunshine. Colors are about to burst forth, and the earth will be new again. With fresh eyes, we are stocking our shelves with pretty greens, bright yellows, vibrant pinks, and beautiful blues.
For the Boutiques at Make Mine Pink, spring cleaning is over, and we would love to show off our fresh new colors and exciting spring merchandise. Please join us for our "March Into Spring" Shop Hop from March 16 through March 21, 2009. The shop hop is open to anyone that would like to participate (limit one registration per physical address). Please register if you would like to participate. To register, just click on the shopping bag logo to the right and you can register. You do not want to miss this Shop Hop. Fabulous prizes to be won. The more shopping bags you find in the boutiques, the more fabulous the prizes. Please join us for this fun event.

Blog Award

2009-03-11T05:19:00.000-04:00

I am so excited and happy to have been given this award from a new friend in blogland, Terri of Blooming Ideas. Please visit this altered art artist at http://www.terrisbloomingideas.blogspot.com/.

This award is accompanied by the following words:
"This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. "
Please give more attention to these 8 writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this clever-written text into the body of their award."

1. http://www.theessentialherbal.blogspot.com/
2. http://www.theraspberryrabbits.blogspot.com/
3. http://gatherings100.blogspot.com/
4. http://www.thedutchrose.blogspot.com/
5. http://www.caroleecrafts.blogspot.com/
6. http://www.renginscolors.blogspot.com/
7. http://www.alliesinstitches.blogspot.com/
8. http://www.oldtimemeartist.blogspot.com/

In the spirit of this award, I am passing this award on to people who have been reaching out to connect with people around the world and making blogland a wonderful place to make friends. Many of you are new found friends and I wanted you to know how much I value my new friendships as well as the old ones.

As another recipient of this award has said,
"With so many creative artists out there in blogland, it is an incredible honor to be
recognized as having a noteworthy blog!"

Show and Tell Monday, 3/09/09

2009-03-08T17:13:00.000-04:00

Here we are, Monday again. The older I get the faster these weeks fly by. It has been a fairly busy week. I have been able to get some sewing done which is always fun and I mixed up a new springtime potpourri. That will debut in a few weeks, it has to mellow. Guess what's coming up really quickly, the March Into Spring Shop Hop at Make Mine Pink. I will be participating. Those of you who have participated before know how much fun this is, for those of you who haven't 'hopped' with Make Mine Pink before, you have to register. It is really a lot of fun and there are amazing prizes to be won. Just click on the link above to get registered.
Here are a few sachets, just about ready to be posted on my website:

Here's something I've been having loads of fun with, Easter cards! (almost finished)

And Easter eggs! This has been a very good time.

Have a great week everyone. Don't forget to register for the Shop Hop and stop by Patricia Rose for a peek at all the Easter fun being posted this week.

Show and Tell Monday 3/1/09 on Sunday Night

2009-03-01T19:48:00.000-05:00

It has been a very busy and productive week. I just love marking things off my to do list and I got quite a few knocked off there. Life is good! Of course, come tomorrow morning, the list will have expanded again. A lot of what I accomplished is intangible but I will share the items that I can!

First on the hit parade this week, I felt like painting. Here is a set of spring time flowered mugs for your coffee, tea or hot cocoa. Can you tell I cannot wait to see something bloom around here? As I sit waiting for the blizzard of '09 to hit tonight, ugh!

Then I had some fun with an idea that my friend, Marie of Savon Marie had given me. It was supposed to be up on Friday but life got in the way again. Here is a cute little sachet doll all decked out in a linen skirt carrying her own tussy mussy. I think she's awfully cute and filled with lavender she smells delish too. She would be pretty on a night stand or bureau. I think being close to the bed would be terrific so you can get the aromatherapy benefits of all that lavender when trying to relax and go to sleep.

Bringing up the end of this parade is this poor deflated rabbit. He won't be deflated long, but I just didn't get him stuffed yet (and can't decide which scent to add to him, I don't make carrot potpourri). His linen brother will be up this week as well, check out the Holiday du jour category on my website.

For all you folks who are able to start planting in the very near future, don't forget to get a packet of pennyroyal seeds. Planted close to your house, it repels termites - and a packet of seeds is so much more reasonable than an exterminator! Mine comes back every year but, to be honest, I really don't know if it's supposed to. I'll just accept it as a gift.

So have a wonderful week everyone,

Pat

Show and Tell Sunday Night! 2/22/09

2009-02-22T20:43:00.000-05:00

After a few weeks of missing Show and Tell, I have an exciting new product to show off. I have become a distributor for AmuletLife. These are such pretty amulets made of natural semi-precious stones which have been carefully chosen for the health benefits they are believed to impart to the wearer. In addition to the benefit of the power of the stones, there is a tiny reservoir to place a few drops of essential oil into with a wick/stopper. This is your personal aromatherapy 24/7! Think of the possibilities. Have a business meeting you want to be very alert for, a few drops of clary sage essential oil will do the trick. High stress? Try a few drops of lavender essential oil in your amulet. Have a stuffy nose? How about a few drops of eucalyptus oil to keep your head clear. Need to get over that nasty late afternoon slump? Lemon essential oil will do the trick. Do you have a favorite blend of oils that just transports you to a tranquil place, put it in your amulet. These amulets are so unique there is a patent pending on them.

These have been put onto my website and I would love to have you come visit to see them http://www.patriciarose-apotpourri.com/shopping/amulets/page_1.aspx .

Each amulet comes with 3 wicks so you can change the oils as you wish. The oils will be available this coming week in small vials. Hope you enjoy these as much as I am.

French Country Farmhouse

2009-02-19T03:01:00.000-05:00

This week's Pink Friday at Make Mine Pink is themed French Country Farmhouse. At first it seemed like it would be such a stretch. But a little investigative work later, it seems that this is a timeless style that many of us follow without even knowing. This style is about bringing the outside in -now don't we all adore fresh flowers all throughout the house. Mixing our old treasured heirlooms with new, beautiful natural fabrics, wire baskets, baskets in general, lace toile - doesn't this sound like home or someplace we would feel at home? So come join us for some fun adventures through the French countryside as we explore French Country Farmhouse style the Make Mine Pink way! Please visit us on Pink Friday.

THEONE WORLD ONE HEART DRAWING IS CLOSED

2009-02-11T23:32:00.000-05:00

The One World One Heart Drawing is now over. Thank you all who participated. This was a lot of fun. I will be back again next year. Have found so many websites to go and explore. This will take the whole year, I am sure!

The winner of the potpourri and sachet is number 42, Jeri of Light My Torch. Congratulations, I hope you enjoy the potpourri.

Pink Friday, 2/13/09 - Shades of Rose

2009-02-11T10:03:00.000-05:00

Shades of Rose - Why does this title keep a song from the Little Rascals going through my head? Remember Alfalfa singing to Darla, "The object of my affections, turns my complexion from pink to rosy red.......". Such silliness pops into my thoughts some times. At any rate, the Shades of Rose is the theme for this weeks Pink Friday. Pink, roses - how gorgeous will the boutiques be this week? There are sure some wonderful themes this year, you're not going to want to miss these. Patricia Rose will be rolling out some new items for this weeks theme, how could I not? So that's the business news for the moment. Of, course, I have something tucked up my sleeve that will be coming along in a short time that I am super excited about, you're going to have to stay tuned.

Here it is, February, and I don't believe I have told you what the Herb of the Year is. Drum roll, please------Bay Laurel. Now here's an herb that not every one is familiar with or uses regularly. A bay leaf thrown into your pot roast, stew, or soup gives a really yummy flavor. Give it a try, you may find something new here that helps us all cut down on that demon, salt. Using herbs is a great way to add loads of flavor, some extra vitamins and reduce the need for salt to enhance flavor. Bay leaf is also a great crafting item, the beautiful leaves make terrific wreathes - I keep one in the kitchen. It looks pretty bedraggled after a while because I keep stealing the leaves for cooking, but easily replaced. Just take a wreath form and take these gorgeous leaves all going in one direction and either wire them on, if it's strictly ornamental, break out the glue gun. I keep mine on the tiny side and use a styrofoam plate. Cut a hole in the middle, cut the outside edge down to the size you want and the end of the leave just pokes into the styrofoam. Goes with any decor depending on what you tie on it. Raffia is very country, lace for the romantic home, ribbon for the cottage look. Make it your own, let your imagination go. I will have to make a new one to show you a picture. As I said, mine look a little moth eaten after a month or so - I use it a lot. I'll post some more about bay in the days to come.

PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU HAVE COME FOR THE ONE WORLD ONE HEART GIVEAWAY, PLEASE LEAVE YOUR COMMENT ON THE PREVIOUS POST TO BE INCLUDED IN TONIGHT'S DRAWING. WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED FRIDAY MORNING.

One World-One Heart

2009-01-25T15:00:00.000-05:00

Wanted to let everyone know about this amazing event, "One World-One Heart", that I am participating in. This event is run to encourage bloggers from all over the world to connect with one another. As of today, there are more than 400 participants! To participate in this event you must be a blogger, you must post it on your blog with the link and logo, and have a give-away. Come on and join the fun. The event will run through February 11, 2009, with winners to be announced and emailed on February 12, 2009. To enter the give-away contest, simply leave a comment on this page. The winner will be announced and emailed to on February 12. Oh, you want to know what the gift is? Hmmmm, should I keep you all in suspense? No, that would be too mean! Patricia Rose will be awarding a sampler pack of four of our potpourris with one of our beautiful hand embroidered sachets included. Good Luck, Can't wait to meet you all.

Below is an excerpt from the One World-One Heart website to explain this event far better than I ever can!

The whole idea behind doing this and trying to get as many as possible to join in, was and is to meet new and wonderful people. Bloggers come from all walks of life, all socioeconomic backgrounds, all areas of the world, female, male......some are artists exclusively, some dabble, some are professionals in various areas, some are stay at home parents, some are teachers, some are very young and some are up in years. The common denominator in blogging is that we all have stories to tell....be it through visual means or life stories or the day-to-day or art work or handwork of varying kinds or poetry and journaling. We can be inspired or inspire others by finding a blog and taking the time to read/see someones story. Often times a spark happens....this palpable spark of recognition through kindred understanding and shared passions in life. It is in those times when we take a moment to comment and comment again.......when those comments are reciprocated a discovery is made that we share commonalities which connect us sight unseen. Sometimes we may live on separate continents or at either end of the same country or even discover you hail from the same general area. By paying attention, by connecting with others, we are creating a circle of amazing individuals who can literally enhance our lives and we can enhance theirs.
The giveaway portion is like hosting an open house......as if we were all living in this gigantic neighborhood where once a year we visit homes to meet, reacquaint and get to know one another. At each home there are samplings of goodies that you have a chance to take home like a door prize. You leave your name and at some point each home chooses a winner or winners......and now you not only have met a new "neighbor" and you've seen where they live.....you have something that someone lovingly chose to give..... AND visa versa.

Click on the logo to join up and participate!

Pink Friday 1/23/09 Romantic Roses

2009-01-21T18:27:00.000-05:00

Romantic Roses
I've never seen a rose that I didn't love. From the first tender blossom of early spring, gently swaying in the breeze, to a beautifully and painstakingly stitched needlepoint, rich in history, I adore them all! Roses represent so many different things to each of us and are often used to celebrate special occasions such as weddings, births and anniversaries. Roses have also been used throughout the centuries in grand estate as well as small cottage gardens, many styles of home décor and of course fashion. Milliners used silk roses to embellish the finest hats, while seamstresses stitches the richest brocade drapes adorned with roses.Throughout the years, famous artists have studied and painted every aspect of the rose. Antique lithographs and modern impressionistic paintings inspired by the great rose artists from the 1800s, grace our homes today with their everlasting beauty. Roses continue to gracefully fit every lifestyle and décor.If you have a soft spot for roses as I do, won't you please join us for PINK FRIDAY at Make Mine Pink on Friday January 23rd as The boutiques at Make Mine Pink present "Romantic Roses."

What a perfect theme this week! I love Pink Fridays and this theme is always a favorite around Make Mine Pink! It will be nice thinking of flowers while it is so cold outside. And, my little kumquats, Valentine's Day is just around the corner! Although not a new item, there will be a special sale on the Patricia Rose Signature Potpourri, an amazing blend with the fragrance of a rose garden with a little mystery thrown in!

Snow and Tell

2009-01-19T12:40:00.000-05:00

For all my pals who are bemoaning the fact they have no snow, I am sharing my winter wonderland out my front and back doors. It has finally stopped snowing again, the sun is out and it is truly a wonderland. It takes my breath away to look out the doors. I guess that little girl part of me will never get over the wonder of the beauty of it all, thank goodness!

From my front porch

From the back deck

Off the other side of the deck, that's my Rockefeller Christmas Tree!

aka the Cardinal Condo

This was a Christmas tree about 15 years ago!

aka the Chickadee Condo

Was hoping the deer or the turkeys would cooperate and come through so I could show you how funny they are. Maybe another time they'll not be so camera shy!

Have a great week all and stay warm

Pink Friday-1/16/09

2009-01-15T01:08:00.000-05:00

(Don't you just love the new Pink Friday logo?)

I am so ready to get back in the routine of Pink Friday. This week's theme is "In With The New". Here at Patricia Rose, I will be giving a preview of a new line of sachets that will be a standard in the shop. They are so beautiful and the fragrances are super. I don't think anyone will be disappointed! You got a sneak peek on Monday, and they came out every bit as nice as I had hoped. Just love when the plan comes together.

So please join all the Boutiques at Make Mine Pink for this week's Pink Friday, the shopping with a twist that you've come to expect. There will be so many new products, make sure you plan on spending a bit of time with us! I can't wait until midnight to take a jaunt through all the boutiques. Hope to see you there.

We are expecting some unusually frigid weather here in the northeast, so stay warm with us at Patricia Rose and Make Mine Pink.

Show And Tell Monday, January 12, 2009

2009-01-12T01:13:00.000-05:00

I have been trying to be consistently productive this week. I'm getting better but not quite there yet, sigh. I am working to get my different pages filled up so this week I've been working on pillowettes/sachets. They are not completely finished, but here is one that is quite nearly there. You will at least get the general idea of what's coming for Friday.

This will be filled with rose potpourri and of course the lace will be sewn on, not just draped over it!

Everyone have a terrific week, keep your eye on the dream and keep moving towards it. See you Friday.

The Return of the Pink Friday, January 9, 2009

2009-01-08T12:04:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to be starting this new year. I am looking forward to an exciting 2009 at Patricia Rose. 2009 is a whole new clean slate to fill with wonderful happenings and memories. It was nice to have a little time off from the deadlines and now I feel energized and look forward to the deadlines again.

This week's Pink Friday's theme is Make Way for the New. All the boutiques are cleaning up workrooms and clearing shelves of the last few months designs and bringing on the new lines for spring. This does not mean we are clearing 'old' merchandise. Nothing stays on the shelves that long! You are not going to want to miss the incredible markdowns on the holiday lines and the lines that are being discontinued.

In the spirit of starting fresh, take a look at the brand new Pink Friday logo:

Isn't that adorable? I just love the purse/shopping bag! Joyce Lucas, founder of Make Mine Pink, designed it.

Now my website has been cleaned up and freshened up with new logos, time to look at my house and see what I would like to give a little different look to the living room. Join me is searching the boutiques. Maybe a new accent color on the sofa, is there a spot that could use a picture, how about some pretty new guest soaps, some fresh potpourri, a new knick knack or two, some new table linens to just freshen up the look of our surroundings. With Christmas all packed away, it looks a little bare to me. Think I may need something a little floral to get through the last couple months of winter! Can't wait to see what will be in the Pink Friday Clearances! You will not find lower prices on this merchandise, don't miss out--see you bright and early Friday morning.

Where Whimsy Reigns is the Place to Visit

2009-01-03T17:43:00.000-05:00

When it comes to eye candy, have I got a site for you to visit! I can't say I've ever seen a site quite like this. From the landing page on through, it is just the most magical place to explore. Get a cup of coffee or beverage of your choice and sit and peruse what my pal from Make Mink Pink, Cathy Scalise, has to offer at her new website, Elegance and Whimsy. Don't miss the opening page, it is truly amazing and hints at the surprises to be found within. I guarantee you have never seen such elaborate wreaths with such time taken to find just the right accent pieces. My favorite, though, is the French apothecary jars. I can just see several lined up across a mirror shelf (ironically enough, I have just the mirror shelf to do that on! Go Figure!)

Please do take a few minutes and welcome Cathy and her new website. You won't be disappointed.

Show and Tell Monday, 12/29/08

2008-12-29T10:44:00.000-05:00

New Years has always been a bittersweet holiday for me. Nostalgia for the year past, hopes and dreams for the year to come. I've never been much for making New Year resolutions, more of an attitude to try and carry with me for the coming year.

This year has been quite eventful for me. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." On reflection, the good has far outweighed the not so good. I have had dreams realized and dreams crushed, but have come through standing upright with a whole lot of help from my friends and family.

I found Make Mine Pink this year, started my Little Pink Boutique which quickly expanded to include a website and a blog. I never would have thought all this possible last January. It has become so much a part of my life, I cannot believe I have been in the Pinkdom for less than a year. Have made some of the most amazing friends along the way, women who truly are like sisters to me.

I've learned a lot about computers and finding my way around, become a social media maven when I had never heard of the word a year ago. Have joined several different networks to get my name out there -Victorian Heart Shoppes, The Raven and The Rose, The Twisted Sisterhood, Kitty Kitty at ning, Etsy, Twitter. I cannot believe it as I write this.

I blog regularly and have met some of the most talented women all over the world. New doors have certainly opened and I have had so much fun walking on through.
You all that have become a part of my life over this past year, thank you so much for allowing me to be part of yours as well. To all my family and friends who have been so supportive to me throughout my new adventure, and through everything else in my world, thank you as well. I love you all and my New Year outlook will be An Attitude of Gratitude.

The Meaning of That Silly Song!

2008-12-21T18:29:00.000-05:00

I received an email with the explanation of the Twelve Days of Christmas song. Sounds as plausible as any!

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled us. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, Swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?
From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.
-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now you know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish. 'Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone

Pink Friday-12/12/08

2008-12-12T00:19:00.000-05:00

It's Friday again! I'm not quite sure where this week went. It has flown by so fast, when my husband said it was Thursday at dinner time I assured him it was Wednesday. Ooops! So then, tomorrow is Pink Friday! (actually, today, just looked at the clock) We are not doing a theme like we normally do. There will be products to buy but Make Mine Pink Boutiques are going to share some decorating and gift wrapping tips!

Now you have seen the shops before, do I have to tell you that some of these ladies are just unbelievable in how they can wrap a gift (I do not claim to have this talent) and the peeks I have had of the decorating in their homes is beyond belief. (they sometimes put photos on our forums to share). In fact, one of our ladies, Cathy Scalise, is so talented that her home was featured in a national magazine, several page spread PLUS the cover. So please do go visit www.makeminepink.com and check out what the wonderful boutiques are offering as tips. This should be a fun day.

Pink Friday - 12/05/008

2008-12-04T15:46:00.000-05:00

We are coming down to the wire for shopping on the internet! Can you believe how fast time is flying? The crowds up here, even in my rural area, are horrific. You cannot get through the mall area for beans! Every time I have to go to that area to take my hubby to doctor or dialysis, there's an accident. I am so not a crowd person and traffic makes me shake. I like click and shop, thank you very much!

The theme for this week's Make Mine Pink Pink Friday is Last Minute Gifts. Don't miss out on the special sales, I have marked down selected items 15%, there are a few new items, and have I got the answer for that person who has everything! Check out our brand new Potpourri Club. Receive a generous portion of high quality Patricia Rose Potpourri every other month in a vintage or themed container. Check out the website for more details,

www.patriciarose-apotpourri.com.

Here is one of the new items, a fragranced silk covered 100 page journal, 5inches by 7 inches. The twist is the fragrance. There is beautiful lavender buds in between the batting to keep your journal fragranced for years. If the fragrance starts to fade, just squeeze a bit and the fragrance is refreshed. Lavender is the most amazing fragrant herb! (Edited to say, Blogger is acting up and will not let me load a picture, please check out the website, sorry)

Now, as promised, here is a cookie recipe from my family's repertoire. It is old fashioned, but buttery and yummy. It would simply not be Christmas for us if these cookies did not make an appearance. We call them, so aptly and imaginatively,

Christmas Cookies

1-1/2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 cup soft butter (unsalted)

1 cup sugar

4 egg yolks

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tbl. Cinnamon

3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

candied red cherries

a few extra tbl. sugar in a saucer

Sift together first three ingredients. Then mix butter with rest until fluffy. (this used to be done by hand, feel free to use mixer unless you want the workout!). Then add in flour mixture. Form dough into 1-inch balls (I use the large end of a melon baller to measure out the dough)

In a small dish, mix the Cinnamon and walnuts. Roll each ball in mixture to coat.

(Okay, here's the tricky part that the grandchildren love to do) Take a drinking glass, wrap a napkin or piece of muslin which has been moistened with water over bottom and up sides of glass. This can be held in place with an elastic band or just hold it in place while you use it. Place a few tablespoons of sugar in a saucer, dip bottom of fabric covered glass into the sugar and flatted the cookie dough balls to about a quarter to an eight of an inch thick. Take the candied cherries and cut in half, gently press one half a cherry into center of each cookie. Bake for 11 minutes ,or until edges just start to turn golden, at 350 degrees. Cool on rack.

Hope you enjoy our family recipe.

Show and Tell Monday, 12/1/08

2008-12-01T00:35:00.000-05:00

Today is going to be a tell, not a show. I have a lot of news I would like to share with everyone.

First, our dear friend, mentor, Mama Bear and founder of Make Mine Pink, Joyce Lucas is going through a really difficult time right now. Her dear husband, affectionately known as Papa Bear by us Pinkies, is in the hospital following a heart attack. Please will everyone keep them in your prayers. These are such good people, they need to be buoyed up by all right now. Heavens knows, they are always the cheerleaders for all at Make Mine Pink. More than that, they feel like family.

Second, I won a wonderful promotion contest over at The Twisted Sisterhood! I have been given nearly their whole home page. There's a slide show and a bio. How cool is this?? Please take a visit over to see these zany ladies at http://www.thetwistedsisterhood.com/
Third, my sons are volunteer firefighters in our town, Bullville. So of course, firemen being as crazy as they are, their monthly newsletter is The Bull Sheet. This month there is a story I would like to share, it's a bit long, but I think we should all know and pass this on--and I quote:
Subject: Sears and Christmas Shopping
Christmas shopping has already started. I know I needed this reminder since Sears isn't always my first choice. Amazing when you think of how long the war has lasted and they haven't withdrawn from their commitment. Could we each buy at least one thing at Sears this year?
How does Sears treat is employees who are called up for military duty? By law, they are required to hold their jobs open and available, but nothing more. Usually, people take a big pay cut and lose benefits as a result of being called up.
Sears is voluntarily paying the difference in salaries and maintaining all benefits, including medical insurance and bonus programs, for all called up reservist employees for up to two years.
I submit that Sears is an exemplary corporate citizen and should be recognized for its contribution. I suggest we all shop at Sears, and be sure to find a manager to tell them why we are there so the company gets the positive reinforcement it well deserves.
Pass it on.
Decided to check this before I sent it forward. So I sent the following email to the Sears Customer Service Department: I received this email and I would like to know if it is true. If it is, the Internet may have just become one very good source of advertisement for your company. I know I would go out of my way to buy products from Sears instead of another store for a like item, even if it's cheaper at that store.
This is their answer to my email: Dear Customer: Thank you for contacting Sears. The information is factual. We appreciate your positive feedback. Sears regards service to our country as one of the greatest sacrifices our young men and women can make. We are happy to do our part to lessen the burden they bear at this time. Bill Thorn, Sears Customer Care, webcenter@sears.com, 1-800-349-4358.
Please pass this on to all your friends. Sears needs to be recognized for this outstanding contribution and we need to show them as Americans we do appreciate what they are doing for our military!!!
**end quote**
We hear enough bad about the retail giants (albeit, well deserved), this is something really good that I think we should applaud (IMHO).

In celebration of my winning the promotion at The Twisted Sisterhood, I have developed a fabric (silk) covered journal with potpourri permanently in the covers. This will be introduced on my website on Wednesday, 12/3/08. Make sure you check it out. I finished tweaking the prototype and am very happy with the results. Wait until you see!

Don't forget to go shop through the Make Mine Pink Holiday Bazaar Catalog from the Boutiques at Make Mine Pink. This is so gorgeous, you just have to see it.

Sorry I was so long winded today, just one of those days with a lot to share.

Pink Friday, Christmas at Make Mine Pink 11/28/08

2008-11-27T23:36:00.000-05:00

Pink Friday tomorrow. I like pink a whole lot better than black, how about you? I am not fond of traffic or crowds so make a very serious effort to go nowhere near a mall, ever, but particularly at this time of the year. If you are anything like me, Pink Friday is the way to go. Themed for Christmas, it just doesn't get any easier. As Susie of The Polka Dot Rose says, shop from your seat not on your feet! Gotta love this lady. So just when you think it cannot get any easier, what does Make Mine Pink do? They come up with another idea that adds even more convenience to your internet shopping experience. Please also check out the Holiday Bazaar Catalog. Browse through, click on the item you want to purchase and you are linked directly to the page to order that item. Terrific new concept! Please, let me know what you think about this, I think it's the best thing since sliced bread.

The selected items at Patricia Rose for Pink Friday are 15% off regular low price. Free gift wrap still included for all items, including the sale items, just note in the comment section if you would like this service. I can also ship directly to recipient with a hand written card at no extra charge to you, just regular shipping charges.

Also wanted to remind everyone, I am subject to the foibles of the postal service and December 15 is the last day to order from Patricia Rose with guaranteed delivery by Christmas. I don't want anyone to be disappointed.

Have you seen some of the Christmas items in the Patricia Rose boutique? Here's just a sampling---

So please, come on by, let's have a cuppa together while you browse in the peace and quiet of your home. Next post, I'm going to start sharing some of my family's favorite recipes for the holidays. If you would like to share one of yours, please email me and I will post it here as well!

Show and Tell Monday, 11/24/08

2008-11-23T23:57:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving week has just snuck right up on us. Have a plethora of food in the cupboards ready for a feast. Most of my family will be here for Thanksgiving which is a wonderful thing. I love having everyone around the dining room table, that's the best part of my house.

Hubby and I have done a good job. I am very proud of my family. They are all adults now and have gone out into the world and are productive members of their respective communities. Here are two photos of all of us at the beach enjoying one another, plus one of my rent-a-kids who still joins in on some of the family fun when he can.

I am thankful for my extended family. Those who have just stepped right up and helped out without ever needing to be asked.
I am thankful for old friends and new. Thankful for those who have supported me through some of the darkest times of my life. Thankful for those who have barely known me, but reached out to help me because they are just that good.
This will be a wonderful Thanksgiving, I have been so blessed.
Thank you to all who are a part of my life and my heart, I cherish you all.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families,
Pat

Welcome to the Holiday Bazaar at Make Mine Pink

2008-11-21T14:42:00.001-05:00

Here it is! It has been so hard to not speak of this until now. Here is the 'Big Reveal'. Welcome to the Holiday Bazaar at Make Mine Pink Catalog. Participating boutiques at Make Mine Pink have submitted a product to be featured in this brand new catalog. If you are interested in the catalog, click on the product and it will take you directly to the item at the appropriate website for ordering. We at Make Mine Pink want to make your holiday shopping as easy and enjoyable as possible. This is, by far, the easiest way to shop the web. Please join us and try out this new concept. Click on this icon to start your shopping adventure--

Have fun - shop from your seat not your feet

Pat

Patricia Rose-A Potpourri of Fabric, Fragrance and Findings

http://www.patriciarose-apotpourri.com/

http://www.patriciarose-apotpourriof.blogspot.com/

Pink Friday, Christmas at Make Mine Pink 11/21/08

2008-11-21T02:25:00.000-05:00

Today is another Christmas at Make Mine Pink themed Pink Friday. All the boutiques are working hard to put together an amazing choice of gifts and holiday items for your shopping pleasure! Today at Patricia Rose, I have combined a hand painted coffee mug with some fabulously scented Bountiful Balsam potpourri in an inexpensive gift to have on hand for that unexpected someone we all see to forget. This will also be a nice gift for the teachers on your list. Pop on over and check it out at www.patriciarose-apotpourri.com and then head on over the www.makeminepink.com to visit all the other participating boutiques. This is turning out to be one of the biggest Pink Fridays yet. There will be an amazing announcement tomorrow, you surely don't want to miss this one! See you tomorrow for the 'Great Reveal'.

Work in Progress, 11/16/08

2008-11-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

I have had a nice peaceful weekend stitching on something new. It is one of my refound loves. Silk ribbon embroidery is one of my favorite things. I love looking at it and I love working with it. The silk gives everything such wonderful dimension. The technique is something you can spend a life time learning more about, but even us rank amatuers can enjoy it and end up with some really beautiful results. Combine the technique with some of the most beautiful patterns I have ever had the privilege of working on and this is what you get .........................

This is a pattern from Ribbonsmythe for Victorian letters. They are the most beautiful, in my opinion, ever. The story goes that Victoria Brown was inspired by a book from 1729 with a floral alphabet and came home to design this fabulous Victorian alphabet based on that early book.

I have a few more stitches to finish up on this and it will turn into a fabulous pillow for a lucky someone.

I have been busy looking over my wares and trying to decide which item to offer for the Holiday Bazaar Catalog at Make Mine Pink. Any ideas are welcome--the deadline is Tuesday at noon--yikes! Nothing like coming right down to the wire. Stay tuned for more information about the Holiday Bazaar. This is going to be like nothing you have seen on the internet before --this is huge I tell you, in the words of our fearless leader, Joyce Lucas, at Make Mine Pink. Gotta love her!

I put up a new product this week. Tangerine/Orange Spice Balls--these smell so good. It is a perfect kitchen fragrance, just be careful where you leave them. You will find them on my website under Herb and Posies Potpourri. I have had several people come in and take a bite out of one thinking it was a famous Mama Morello Meatball. The young men that come through my kitchen are like locusts at times. I had an adorable cupcake soap from Savon Marie that one of these chuckleheads tried to eat, guess that will teach him to ask first!

Have a wonderful week all, be back midweek with more news about the Bazaar.

Pink Friday is back

2008-11-13T00:42:00.001-05:00

This Friday, November 14, we pick up Pink Fridays again. Our themes for the next few weeks are Christmas at Make Mine Pink. We are going to come up with some wonderful gift items for you and your family, scrumptious decorations for home and tree, and we will be sharing some family recipes and traditions with you. Please join us for a Make Mine Pink holiday celebration!

I haven't been very productive this week. A case of the shingles has had me pretty well completely debilitated. I have done a bit of hand sewing but that's it. It was just too painful to do much else. Not a good time of year to have this happen!

My family will be coming up to join us for Thanksgiving and I am really looking forward to that. I even look forward to all the cooking. I love making the pies and all the other family favorites. Cleaning up afterwards isn't my favorite part of the day, but everyone lends a hand and it does go fast. Does my heart good to see all we have to be thankful for. And my precious family tops the list!

We usually do Christmas down at my daughters so that the grandchildren do not have to leave their toys. My husband and I get a kick out of seeing them so excited with all the new things and we are so very grateful that they are close enough we can do this. (Traveling is a problem due to my hubby's health issues). It's fun to see the new traditions evolve as our families grow older. Things keep getting added on, it sure makes the holidays fun.

Twelve Days of Christmas, Day 3

2008-11-04T15:55:00.000-05:00

It is up to day 3 of the Twelve Days of Christmas Shop Hop at Make Mine Pink. We have already had 3 lucky winners for the daily drawings. Now people who I know and or love, puhleeze, I want someone I know to win at least one prize during the Shop Hop. Once again, stealing from the lottery people, you have to be in it to win it! No purchase necessary (but we all would, of course, appreciate your shopping with us) to participate.
Go check out the items for sale in Patricia Rose, pretty Christmas stockings are up and my first gift basket. Keep an eye out, more on the way. For this Shop Hop, I am offering free gift wrap with your purchase and if you would like your gift shipped directly to the recipient, I will be more than happy to take care of that for you at no extra charge. Will send gift wrapped with a personalized handwritten card and will not ship until the date you specify.
Don't miss the offer for a free sachet for signing up for the Patricia Rose mailing list.
Hop on over to Make Mine Pink to get signed up.

The Twelve Days of Christmas, 11/01/08

2008-11-01T18:43:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow starts the Twelve Days of Christmas Shop Hop at Make Mine Pink. We are having great fun kicking off the holiday season. The fun began when we all decided to try and make the front pages of our shops reminiscent of charming old shoppes and the beautiful windows and displays. The hunt was on to find 'the perfect' window. It is really interesting to see all the different choices that have been made. Some of the ladies have been truly creative and the windows are fabulous - watch out Macy's, our displays may rival yours! And then there are those of us who are technically challenged - sigh. I found a charming little window but had a devil of a time getting my wares to fit into my frame. So, although I think my window is awfully cute, it really can't compare with some of our more artistic gals. Well, I won't spend a lot more time worrying about that, you're not going to buy the window anyway (are you?).

Once again, I've had a sneak preview of some of the incredible workmanship that is going on sale tomorrow. Just have to say WOW!

For those of you who have never joined us at Make Mine Pink for a Shop Hop, hang on to your bloomers! Each participating boutique has hidden a Christmas Tree Logo on their site which says You Found It which is linked back to Make Mine Pink. Click on the tree after you have finished your shopping at that particular boutique, sign up and start finding those trees. This Shop Hop is over the top. There are going to be daily drawings for prizes and then at the end of our Twelve Days, there will be drawings for those who found all the trees and some for those that found most of the trees. You can't win it if you're not in it (borrowed that from the lottery people). So don't forget to get signed up and start finding those trees while you are shopping. Now come on folks, I would really like one of my customers to win the big prize this time.

While you are at Patricia Rose, make sure you read the front page - there's a little giveaway there - (this is a hint!!) See you tomorrow Hopping around the Shops.

Pink Friday -10/31/08- In the Basket

2008-10-30T01:14:00.000-04:00

A Tisket, A Tasket, we're all making baskets! Make Mine Pink Pink Friday, shopping with a twist and themed event is "In The Basket". Don't miss out on this event. It's just in time to start shopping for those holiday gifts. If you would like shipping to be held off until closet to the holiday, just let me know - no problem. Patricia Rose will also be more than happy to gift wrap, put a signed personal card in and ship to the recipient if you would like. Just let me know by filling in the comment box on the order form.

Then, November 2 begins the Christmas Shop Hop. This is going to be a lot of fun. There will be daily drawing for prizes and, of course, the big prizes that will be drawn at the end of the Hop. The prize you will be eligible for depends on the number of Christmas trees you find in all the participating boutiques. Don't miss out on the fun and the fabulous shopping from the comfort of your own home!

Show and Tell Monday, 10/27/08

2008-10-26T19:40:00.000-04:00

Here comes Monday, again. These weeks seem to fly by faster and faster all the time. We have run the gamut with the weather this week. It was down into the 20's a few nights, 30's during a few days, rainy yesterday, incredible thunderstorms last night and today we were back into the 60's and a beautiful sunshiny day. Mother Nature is just a tad confused, I think.

I have been really busy this week with trying to get ready for the 12 days of Christmas Shop Hop coming up November 2. Here's a sneak preview of what I've been working on. These are rayon and silk velvet stockings trimmed with vintage laces and medallions.

We also have Pink Friday this week, In the Basket. Lots to do, I think those of us participating in all these events at Make Mine Pink can really rival Santa's elves.

As predicted, this past Friday was truly incredible. Make Mine Pink's Pink Friday's theme of Coming Up Roses is definitely a favorite all the way around, customers to shop owners. There were more participating boutiques this past week than I've ever seen. I believe there were 40. Every one of the shop owners out did themselves. What fabulous products! This was a fun one.

So, my friends, that is it until next Thursday when we celebrate another Pink Friday.

Pink Friday-10/24/08-Coming Up Roses

2008-10-23T13:42:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is the big day, Coming Up Roses. There has been such a buzz about this theme, so I don't think you will want to miss it. It is one of the MMP Boutique's favorites, as well as a favorite amongst our customers. There should be an amazing array to browse through. With the cold weather we've been having in the Northeast, it should warm us up a bit to look at everyone's favorite flower.

The venerable rose is an amazing thing. It speaks of romance and love, ahhh, don't you just feel all warm and fuzzy? But in addition to it's romantic history, the rose is an all around useful flower. What can be created with roses is truly awe inspiring.

The rose is edible and quite good. Rose jelly is a delicacy you have to try (I suggest on homemade scones), rose vinegar is just yummy, it can also be found in teas and sandwiches (now how elegant is that?).

A beautiful touch for your next gathering or shower is to place a rose petal in your ice cubes. Fill ice cube trays halfway with water and freeze. When frozen, place a single perfect rose petal -must be pesticide free-and fill the rest of the way with water. Freeze again. There you have it, the lowly ice cube has just hit new heights!

And who hasn't had perfumes or powders or cold creams or lotions or potions fragranced and enriched with rose oil? Even our grammies knew the value of this amazing rose. Glycerin and rose water was the standard hand treatment to keep hands soft and, supposedly, age spot free.

Where would Valentine Day be without the rose? Very few weddings are held where the venerable rose is not present. Any special occasion, bring roses, you simply can't go wrong!

And then, near and dear to my heart, what would potpourri be without roses? It is one of the mainstays of my craft. In colonial and Victorian times, every housewife worth her salt had a 'rose jar' in the parlor or best room. After the sweeping and cleaning were completed, the jar was opened and stirred to freshen up the air. Remember, this is when fresh air was thought to be harmful, the houses and rooms were not aired out as we do in modern day. This was quite an important item to have in the home. In addition, sachets and pomanders were used to help control odors in the household. I'm thinking I am so glad that deodorant has been invented-just saying. Love my potpourris and sachets, but that must have been some under note to the fragrance.

And then, last but not least, the rose is our national flower. So, it would be the patriotic thing to do to come visit us on Pink Friday! Keep smiling, see you tomorrow at Patricia Rose.

http://www.patriciarose-apotpourri.com/

Show and Tell Monday, 10/20/08

2008-10-19T20:50:00.000-04:00

Going to work a little in reverse today. Sunday, 10/19/08, was the JDRF Walk for the Cure. It was a record setter, 3500 walkers. It was so inspiring to see so many people out to support these children who have been diagnosed with Type I Diabetes (Juvenile Diabetes). Our team, Justin's Jungle Joggers, was 120 strong, all friends and family. How do you thank people enough for supporting Justin like this? It was a crystal clear Autumn morning with the bluest sky. It was a little cool and breezy, but nobody seemed to mind.

My grandchildren, once again, designed our team T-shirt. Black tie dye with neon yellow and pink lettering and a neon yellow Volkswagen type van on the front and on the back the sponsors in neon green. We were quite colorful and stood out in this sea of walkers. Think we may have a shot at the T-shirt award this year!

This walk was held at the Medco Corporations campus in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. This is so lovely, beautiful paths, lightly wooded in spots, a gorgeous pond where we always take a little detour to check on the swans (We're a little sad, there was only one swan this year. They are monogamous and we're afraid the one has lost its mate. It was the only sad note of the day.

There are gates that got locked at 10AM and the entrance was manned so the area is nice and safe. Plus, over the years we have gotten to know a lot of the families that participate and it is so much fun to see how the children grow from year to year. We won't see most of them until July 2009 at the awards dinner. At any rate, everyone is watching all the children.

There was pumpkin painting, face painting, spin painting, sandwiches and soda, those huge blow-up bouncy things for the kids. This is the only day of the year Justin is not unhappy to have diabetes. It was a wonderful day for all. Thank you to all who have supported us and pledged.

During the week, my youngest son (24) decided he needed a Halloween costume and came home Friday night for the weekend. Well, he was bound and determined he was going to be Beaker from the Muppets. This is the result,

We had an awful lot of fun with this. I think it came out pretty well! He's going to wear a white lab coat and he has a pair of Mickey Mouse white hands to wear. Wouldn't seeing this guy respond to your emergency instill a lot of confidence?

This is the NYC firefighter! He's planning on going out with his nieces and nephews for Halloween before the grown up stuff!

Make sure you check back soon. Lots of big news coming up. This week's Pink Friday is Coming Up Roses. I think this is just about everyone's favorite, both sellers and customers. And the next Shop Hop is just around the corner--it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas--is that a good enough hint? Everyone at Make Mine Pink is as busy as an elf. We are gearing up to get all the Christmas goodies ready so our customers can get a head start on things. It's awfully sparkly around here!

Have a wonderful Monday, come on back Wednesday or Thursday for the Pink Friday update. There just might be something about a new give away, as well!

In The Hope Chest, Pink Friday, 10/17/08

2008-10-16T14:54:00.000-04:00

This Friday, 10/17/08, the Make Mine Pink Pink Friday theme is "In The Hope Chest". That conjures up so many wonderful thoughts to me. There is something hopelessly romantic about a hope chest.
A young girl's hope chest is full of her dreams of the future. Putting away precious items for the day she has a place of her own. In days gone by, as girls were learning to sew and embroider, each project was tucked away in the hope chest to be used when she married. All the linens for a household were carefully hand made and took years to accumulate--no Target for them! Each hand towel and bed sheet were carefully stitched, a tiny bit of embroidery to make each item special.
Those of us who have reached the age when we have our households, the hope chest takes on the role of saving precious memories- The baby shoes, the christening dresses, the first lock of hair from each child, the prom pictures of our children, the diplomas, their wedding photos, the precious memories of our parents and grandparents.
No matter what role it is serving now, the hope chest is a wonderful tradition. Wouldn't it be fun to start hope chests for your own daughters, grandaughters, god children, nieces?
Please come visit at Make Mine Pink, www.makeminepink.com, to visit all the participating boutiques and share what we envision can be saved in the hope chest of today. Make the tradition of yesteryear relevant once again. We cannot have too much romance in our lives.

2008-10-13T10:14:00.000-04:00

I showed you the beginnings of this last week, and here is the finished product. This is sachet/pincushion is made of silk dupioni with a hand embroidered initial, precious silk ribbon embroidered rose and buds and leaves and a little charm or vintage button will be included all surrounded with vintage lace. I am using the Victorian alphabet from Ribbonsmyth. I've stuffed this with fiberfill and Lavender and Lace potpourri, yum! I will have to have a 2 week lead time on this item. It will probably be available quicker than that, but don't want anyone to be disappointed if I get a little behind.

Christmas items will start going up this week, as well. Busy, busy! I've had an ad out for an official Christmas elf, no responses. Guess Santa has that market all tied up!

Hope everyone has had a wonderful Columbus Day weekend, drive safely going home if you're traveling.

Pat

JDRF Walk for the Cure - October 19, 2008

2008-10-06T19:51:00.000-04:00

In my tiredness last night, I neglected to add the JDRF links, here you go:

URL: http://walk.jdrf.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=extranet.personalpage&confirmid=87017764

Remember, these kids have a life threatening disease. Here are just a few facts that make me want to work ever harder for this cause:

Do you realize that a child with Type 1 Diabetes will be stuck with a needle more than 4000 times a year? If they are fortunate enough to be able to get the new insulin pump (as my grandson is), the number drops to 'only' 1825 times a year (minimum).

Did you know why they encourage children to draw blood for testing their blood sugar from their arms? It's so they have feeling in their fingers in the event they go blind, a common complication with diabetes, so they will be able to read braille.

Did you know that Type 1 diabetes is thought to be an autoimmune disease? The pancreas is not making insulin which is why it is life threatening. They can start throwing ketones overnight and if not brought under immediate control will result in hospitalization. This is different from Type II in that, Type II diabetes is caused by worn out insulin receptors. The insulin is there but the body cannot use it effectively. It can be kept in control with diet and exercise, and usually an oral medication. It can progress to insulin dependence if sugars and carbohydrates are not kept under control.

Did you know that a stomach virus or the flu can be a life threatening disease to a Type 1 diabetic? More than 24 hours of vomiting and it's a hospitalization.

When you are looking at these precious kids being so responsible about what they eat and how they exercise, it breaks your heart (mine anyway) that this must always be on their minds. They will never get a day off, no drug free holidays for them.

So, once again, if you can find it in your heart to donate to the Walk for the Cure, follow the link above. My family and I and all the Justin's Jungle Joggers will be forever grateful.

Pat

Pink October Shop Hop, 10/6 -10/12/08

2008-10-06T00:51:00.000-04:00

This week there is a Pink October Shop Hop at Make Mine Pink. Those of you who have participated in the other shop hops will remember. Step one is to go to Make Mine Pink and register. There you will find a list of the participating boutiques. Go to each of the boutiques and find the pink ribbon that is hidden, it will say 'You Found It'. Click on it and it will register that you found the ribbon at that boutique, then continue on. The more ribbons you find, the bigger prize you will be eligible to win. There will be a drawing at the end of the Hop to see who has won the gorgeous gifts! Please join us, it costs nothing to enter but will give you the opportunity to see all the special items the boutiques are offering, help an extremely good cause - the Susan G. Komen For The Cure Breast Cancer Research Fund - and have a chance to win some great gifts.

Then, I have started a few new projects that I am anxious to share with you on my website. I have been working on the most amazing Victorian letters from Ribbonsmyth. I just love them and hope you will enjoy them as well. Here's a sample of the small 2" letter. Wait until I unveil the 6" letters--just gorgeous! More information over the next week or so.

And then the last thing I wanted to mention is the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) Walk for the Cure in Bergen County, New Jersey. It is coming up really quickly--October 19 is the day. This is such an amazing event for the children who have to live with this disease. They are the stars that day and we are all out there walking with and for them. Scientists are so close to finding a cure, may no child ever have to face a life time of injections ever again. My grandson's team is Justin's Jungle Joggers, we are over 150 strong, all family and friends, and have already raised more than 20% of our goal this year of $20,000. My daughter and her husband work tirelessly to make this a rousing success for their son and I am so very proud of them. If you can find it in your heart and wallet to donate to this worthy cause, please go to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's website and make your donation under the Justin's Jungle Joggers team to sponsor his Nana, me, Pat Morello. Thanks so much. I will post a picture of our team after the event.

Show and Tell Monday, 9/29/30

2008-09-29T16:48:00.000-04:00

My computer fizzled yesterday morning and nothing I did could revive my internet connection. After an hour or so with the techie, I'm finally up and running. Such a rainy and dreary weekend, I decided to attempt a new technique. Now, understand, I am not a quilter. I had seen a really nice book cover a while ago and thought I would attempt one. Step one was cut your fabric into various sized strips - deep breath. Okay, I did it. Now sew one strip at a time onto a base of batting. So, there I was zipping right along when I took a look at this new (?) fabric I was creating. I am here to tell you--just because you like a bunch of fabrics, doesn't mean they are going to look good together. I'm not exactly sure what it is I have created, a new dust cloth maybe. I've got it, a moving blanket for a doll house. So here for Show and Tell is one of my great ideas run amok! They can't all be brilliant.

A Stitch In Time

2008-09-25T11:54:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is Pink Friday at Make Mine Pink. This week's theme is "A Stitch In Time". This could mean a stitch that has some history behind it, antique linens and clothing, or something made brand new for tomorrow's shopping extravaganza. This might also me items with a stitching theme. I think it will be a fabulous mix with all the boutiques at Make Mine Pink.

Don't forget, Christmas is coming and most of these boutiques offer special pricing for the One Day Sale. Anyone who enjoys antique or vintage linens, unique craft items, home made journals, jewelry, will thoroughly enjoy a gift made by one of the talented artisans at Make Mine Pink.

Hope to see you there, bring coffee or tea and just relax with a wonderful group of ladies. Just go to Make Mine Pink and click on Pink Friday. The list of participating shops will be right there, just click on a shop name and it will take you directly to the Pink Friday offerings. Easy and enjoyable!

What a Marvelous Weekend

2008-09-23T23:35:00.000-04:00

Have arrived back home from the Make Mine Pink First Annual Retreat. I left with a bit of trepidation. Contrary to popular belief, I am a rather shy person. It was a huge step for me to leave my responsibilities behind and take the few days for just me.

My first stop on Thursday night was at the home of another 'Pinkie', Carolyn. We have only known each other for a few months of posting on the forum and, more recently, a few phone calls. She had already picked up another member, Gail, at the airport. This sweet lady opened her home to two virtual strangers. The most amazing thing happened, there was no awkwardness at all. The three of us had a lovely dinner with the three of us and Carolyn's Mom who is another sweetheart. We stayed up for a little while chatting and laughing before heading to bed so we would be bright-eyed and bushy tailed for our early start to Williamsburg, VA, Friday morning. We didn't get out quite as early as we had hoped, but off we set on our adventure.

We had many laughs because we were using a GPS. None of us had ever used one before so it was quite comical to have 'Lola' talking to us all along the route. Being she had such alot to say, my backup navigator decided to get her dressed in pink-a lovely pink floral paper hat and a huge ribbon of tulle and pink polka dotted ribbon. This was quite the dashboard ornament.

We arrived in Williamsburg and so began our whirlwind weekend.

We went up to the Make Mine Pink Hospitality Suite to meet any members who were up there. From the moment we saw each other, there was an amazing feeling of comraderie and, again, no awkwardness. Everyone I met was just as I expected them to be. There is no facades on our forums, these women are just the same in person as they are in print! We had a few hours before the official Meet and Greet so the three of us went to take in some of the sights of Colonial Williamsburg. What an awesome place! I just loved it. We had lunch at an authentic colonial tavern and then wandered the street and shops for a short while. The sense of history surrounding you is great. I could just move in to one of those colonial houses and be happy as a clam (if I could have indoor plumbing and central A/C). What a fun way to be able to live.

The Meet and Greet was so much fun. A buffet table of all types of pastries, puddings, cobblers, brownies--you name it! Then back to the Hospitality Suite for some more laughter and gabbing. Even the keynote speaker for Saturday's seminars joined in the fun (Lena West who was such a fun person. I am so glad I got to meet her).

We headed to bed later than we should have but found it hard to tear away from all these fun people. Saturday morning rolled around a bit quickly. Back to the Hospitality Suite at 7 AM for coffee and... We then went to the hotel's conference center for our day of information overload. The speakers were experts in their fields and I learned so much to help my business. I have pages and pages of notes that I will be poring over for the next few weeks. Every two hours, our fearless leader, Joyce, had planned a break with some scrumptious something to sustain us. Morning break was coffee and warm apple turnovers (my personal favorite), Lunch was a fun Pink (of course) Bag Lunch, delicious, afternoon break, chocolate brownies and ice cream.

As soon as the seminars were over, it was time to get the BRA entries out and set up (Business Recognition Award). I cannot believe the talent that was in that room. These displays were spectacular. As gorgeous as everyone's products look on line, it doesn't hold a candle to what we were treated to that night. I am so proud to be a member of this group. And then on to the Pink Gala. We had dinner, of course, then the Pink Bingo game, then the Pink t-shirt and tennis shoe competition. We had so many laughs over this. I believe the winner, Inka, must be several inches shorter after wearing her blinged up shirt-I believe someone said the shirt weighed 35 pounds!! She was done up as a flamingo just too funny.

The business Recognition Award was won by a very sweet lady, Eileen. What a chance of a lifetime the prize is. A ton of advertising, professional photos of her products and a consultation with a PR firm--WOW! Then came the daunting project of dismantling and packing the displays. This was one tired bunch of women, let me tell you!

Sunday morning, back to the Hospitality Suite for our last coffee chat together in person. Joyce, her husband, two of her darling daughters, the adorable granddaughter, Lily, Joyce's sister Wands were there to bid us farewell.

This was a truly life changing weekend. I have come back home so ready to take me business up to the next level

September 15 Show and Tell Monday

2008-09-15T12:58:00.000-04:00

Here we are, good ol' Show and Tell Monday at Make Mine Pink. I just love checking out what everyone has been up to for the week. Actually, I enjoy looking at everybody else's a whole lot more than I enjoy posting my own. That's what happens when you are surrounded by so many talented women.

My entire week has been either working at my daytime job or working here at home on my Business Recognition Award presentation. I have put so much time and energy into this presentation, I thought I would give you all a sneak preview!

Now how silly do you think I am?? You know I couldn't let the cat out of the bag yet! Have a great week all. I probably will not be back on the blog until after I return from the Make Mine Pink Retreat (September 19-21). I'm sure I will have lots of pictures and lots of stories to tell. Cannot wait to hear these speakers and then, fun, fun, fun! Could be a rowdy bunch with many of the Pink Sisters in one place!

9/11/08 - Tomorrow is Pink Friday

2008-09-11T19:43:00.000-04:00

Cannot not let today go past without mentioning that I remember. The number of people affected by 9/11 seven years ago is so large up here in our little corner of the world. We have become a little bedroom county of NYC. So many people commute from up here to the city everyday to work that I would venture to say no one in Orange County didn't know someone or of someone that was killed that day. My prayers to the families who are left without a loved one and must have this brought to the forefront annually, to those that were injured, both physically and emotionally, to those that helped and carry those memories of what they saw that day and the days following, to those who have been brave enough to go back there and carry on the routines of daily life, to the firefighters who have the courage to continue doing their job, to those who continue to thumb their nose at the terrorists and their backers by flying our flag proving that the United States can be hurt but we cannot be beaten.
There is no segway back to every day life after this,
just a reminder that tomorrow in Pink Friday, our theme this week is Harvest Home. Please come and check the shops who are participating. They are all listed and linked on the Make Mine Pink website for your convenience. Hope to see you there.

Show and Tell-A Day Early - 9/7/08

2008-09-07T19:17:00.000-04:00

Have lots of things to tell you about today. First off, we have been going through some difficult times up here. On a particularly bleak day, I opened up on the private Make Mine Pink forums that I had been really down. Well, aside from the usual support (which is the norm at Make Mine Pink) within the week, some beautiful angels began showing up in my mailbox. They have been coming a few a day every since. The return addresses are all from Angel of Hope and all over the country. One was so funny, from Angel in Training! To whoever the angel is who started this thank you, you have made a big difference in our lives. There is comfort to be had knowing complete strangers will take a bit of time from their own busy lives to send a prayer and a bit of hope. To all of you Angels of Hope, thank you. I sincerely hope some of you see this post and pass it on to all your sister angels.

On a less serious note, I have had some incredible luck with the 'Curbside Boutique', or my son has anyway. I have gotten 2 tables that are really cute. One is a little beat and needs some major TLC and a face lift. The other may be a good table. The wood looks like tiger maple and I think it might be fairly old. My antique friends (hmm, that didn't come out right, I, of course, mean those who deal in antiques) might be able to tell me a bit about it. I have several photos of that one to let you check out.This, of course, is the one in need of a major make over. but I think it may be cute when done. Next comes the one that seriously intrigues me. My son found this for me on a roadside up in Vermont. Makes me want to move up there just for trash day!

Table top

Table legs

table top tilted up-see the catch that holds it. So, what do you think? I'm thinking that little pedestal might be for a candle stick to sit upon. Good Vermont trash?

Pink Friday-Romantic Bed and Bath

2008-09-04T23:56:00.000-04:00

Well, it's Friday and as you all know by now, it's Pink Friday. This week's theme is Romantic Bed and Bath--sounds a tad risque, don't you think?? We have had a good time over at Make Mine Pink preparing for this one. It's truly amazing how many of us are geared in that direction, makes you wonder. This week I've added some mineral salts from the Dead Sea mixed with sweet almond oil--yumm. I read somewhere that sweet almond oil is what Jackie O used on her skin, heavens knows her skin was gorgeous. This is so good for your skin, just have to find the time to soak for 15 minutes or so (which always seems to be my problem).

Then there are some lovely herbal bath sachets, also incredibly good for your skin. Can you tell I've always had problems with my skin in the winter. I see fall heading our way and it's skin care, skin care, skin care. As always, the products are all natural, dry skin is sensitive.

Have a wonderful time shopping the Pink Boutiques at Make Mine Pink. Click on the Pink Friday icon and it will take you to all the participating boutiques. Sit back in your jammies, have a nice cuppa, and revel in all the luxuries being offered for Pink Friday.

Top Secret

2008-09-03T02:16:00.000-04:00

The holiday weekend is over and it marks the end of summer for most of us. My grandchildren start school today. Spoke with them last night to wish them all luck. Got to hear about the outfits everyone had chosen for the first day, they are just so much fun. I just love that they enjoy sharing their thoughts with me. I had to work Saturday and Sunday, so no barbecues or anything much fun for us, sigh. I was supposed to work on Monday, but there were extra nurses so I volunteered to be the one to go home. Came home and crawled back into bed! I cannot tell you how good that felt, ahhhhhhh.

I have been busy, busy, busy. So much to do and the clock is ticking down. The Make Mine Pink Retreat is in 2 more weeks, September 19-21. We are going to be having a pink T-shirt and pink sneaker contest. Each of the MMP members has to 'bling' up these items for a contest our fearless leader, Joyce Lucas, has dreamed up. When it comes to having fun, these Pinkies sure know how to get into it. So, part of this week's projects will be my blinging projects. The important project for the next two weeks is my entry for the Business Recognition Award. The prize is simpy phenomenal, (worth about $4000!). The winner will be in a feature ad in a major magazine, the winner's boutique will get 6 spotlight ads in major magazines, the winning display will be photographed by a professional photographer (wow) and then last but not least the winner will have an hour's consultation with a PR expert. This is some serious exposure for the lucky winner. So that's why I am feeling so much pressure to get this done well. Sure do wish I had some experience in this type of display work!This sure is a Launch to Remember. There is some major competition, many of the MMP ladies are exceptional at setting up displays and have had some experience at other shows and conferences. (Are my nerves showing???) So, to make up for no photos of my top secret projects, how about an idea to make a pomander for Christmas. This is a nice project to do with children, not too terribly messy, just messy enough to be great fun!

To make CITRUS POMANDER BALLS you will need about a quart of citrus peels. I just save them in a Ziploc in the freezer until I have enough. Get as much of the pith (the white stuff) off the rinds as you can. Put the rinds in a food processor and process until finely chopped. To this add about 1/2 cup of ground cinnamon, about 1/4 cup of ground cloves and pulse in processor until well blended. If this is too dry to hold its shape when rolled like a meatball add a few drops of glycerin at a time until it will hold its shape. You may also use 1/4 cup of ground orris root which is a fixative and will help retain the scent of the pomanders for a very long time. Roll approximately one tablespoon of this mixture between the palms of your hands to make a ball. Place formed balls on a waxed paper lined cookies sheet, not touching, and let them dry for at least a week and a half, two or three weeks is better. These are brown when finished (due to the spices). They smell heavenly. I have a bowl full in my kitchen all the time. Just be careful, these are not edible and I cannot tell you how many people have grabbed one to take a bite, thinking they are meatballs. Have fun! I like them just set in a bowl, but they are very pretty on the Christmas tree if you wrap them in a square of organza in the color of your choice and tie with a pretty ribbon. (If you don't want to do this yourself, they will be available on my website in a week or so.)

These Are a Few Of My Favorite Things

2008-08-28T23:03:00.000-04:00

Feel like I'm on the countdown for New Year's Eve, it's almost Pink Friday. Such a theme--These Are a Few Of My Favorite Things. This is an anything goes theme and should be alot of fun. I cannot wait, again, to see what is going to be out there. It is always so much fun.

I put up two of the favorite things of mine that I make. Herbal Bath Bags which are so wonderful to use in the bath to relax. The fragrance is just this side of heaven. Not the prettiest thing I make, but it sure is an indulgence!

The other item I put up is an herbal Hot Pad to protect your table from being marked by hot serving dishes or pans. They have an herbal (actually, spice) packet that releases its fragrance when the warmth of the serving dishes permeates the pad. It too smells YUMMY!

We have been having so many cool nights lately, I can hardly believe it is still August. This is an awfully strange summer. Hope this doesn't mean it's going to be a harsh and early winter. But, what I was going to tell you is that with these cool nights, those of us in a rural environment and a suburban environment have to be aware that those rascally rodents are going to start looking for a place to winter over. Remember, mice really hate the scent of peppermint. So sprinkle some peppermint leaves or peppermint essential oil where these little demons like to nest.

And, speaking of rascally rodents, don't mulch your plants for winter until we've had a good freeze. Mice and chipmunks and moles find that all your lovely mulch is an ideal place to nest and almost invariably will damage your beautiful perennials and roses. So the moral of this story, don't mulch too early!