I had a great weekend in Mount Dora!!! Richard and I drove there Friday night and we stayed at the Mission Inn Resort in this little town called Howey in the Hills, just a few miles from Mount Dora. If you don't know where this is, it's approx. 45 minutes north of Orlando. The weather was perfect, the hotel was fabulous, and the shopping experience was, well, a bit overwhelming to say the least! LOL! There was so much to see and there was a lot of walking, but we managed to see everything there was at the Renninger's Antique Extravaganza. They had about 1400 dealers set up in tents, makeshift buildings, outside and inside, from Utah, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, you name it (this event happens only two or three times a year; the next one is in November). I fell in love with quite a few pieces, but most things were beyond my self-imposed price limit and/or I just didn't have room in my house for it! Here are some photos of the things that caught my eye...

I just love this farmhouse table... wouldn't this look gorgeous in my dining room? But I already have a table... oh well! (Richard thought I wanted it to scrapbook... can you imagine? It's not a bad idea honey...)



Some budget-friendly and very cool bottles and window panes... oooh....aaahhh...



These drawers were so cool! Each one must have been at least 15x15 inches... But for $395? I don't think so!



I loved the wood cabinets, Indian statues and the bed at this one tent...



Richard browsing some cool metal work...



Um mm, yeah, this is actually a flashlight! Heeee!!!!



I love these oak trees!



After all that eye candy, can you believe that this is all I bought!? A tiny milk glass sugar and creamer set, some vintage lace, milk caps, a couple of frogs (to hold up my scrap pages), a replacement crystal for my chandelier, some children's blocks and this gorgeous yellow platter. We also bought a cool prayer bell (solid brass) for my sister-in-law as an early birthday present... But I forgot to photograph it! Oops.



And here are a couple of photos from our hotel...




I love Mount Dora. Richard first introduced me to this little town in 2003 when we were dating. We've been back once or twice since then, but I definitely want to keep coming back. Yes, it's small, in the middle of nowhere, and everything closes early... but it has this historic charm that keeps me wanting to go back for more...

Hope you enjoyed my photos!!! Peace and happy scrapping.

Vanessa

Be back soon

I am heading to Mt. Dora for the Antique Extravaganza this weekend. So exciting! I'll post photos when I come back. Hugs to all!

Vanessa

Happy Valentine's Day

I hope you have a beautiful weekend surrounded by loved ones. I will be having dinner with my honey and some friends tomorrow night. I even baked some Tahitian Coconut Bread tonight as my dinner party contribution. Yum! (Richard couldn't resist the smell so he already had some...)

Have you worked on Valentine's Day crafts or scrappy projects? I've had some fun this year creating a card, a little coupon book and one of my most favorite mini albums ever!

This is a little coupon book that I made for Richard. Cute and very simple. Just a little extra something that I think he will enjoy... (sorry for the really bad photos, but I was too tired to re-shoot these!)





I downloaded the free PDF from Shabby Chic Crafts to create the coupons, and the circle love accents were designed by Ali Edwards for Designer Digitals.

Have you ever visited The Black Apple blog? Such eye candy! I love her prints and other crafty creations. I found a download on her blog from 2008 with these cute little girl prints inside a heart... Love it! I printed it out, used spray adhesive to adhere it to one of my chartreuse square cards from Archiver's and voila! Easy and so cute.



I haven't taken photos of this year's mini album yet (made with cardboard covers!), so let me go ahead and share with you the album I created last year using a Melissa Frances heart album that I took apart and altered... I started with a dedication page and then I created a spread for every year we've been together (2003-2008).











Thanks for stopping by... Peace and happy scrapping...

xoxo,
Vanessa

Scrapbooking beach retreat, here I come!

Yesterday, I scrapped at Damaris' house and we had soooo much fun. I finished a Valentine's mini and a coupon book. Very cute! The only problem with spending the entire day scrapping is that the day flies by and the weekend is over way too quick. Oh well. Today, my hubby and I went walking in Key Biscayne and we climbed to the top of the Bill Baggs State Park lighthouse. What a view! It's the first time we've actually gone all the way up because it was always closed before when we visited.

And did you know that I am counting down the months, weeks, days to the much-anticipated Scrapbook Designs Beach Retreat in September? We are going to stay at Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa, a fabulous resort here in Florida, and we're going to spend the entire weekend with dear friends, eating some delicious food, laughing our butts off, and working on some awesome scrappy projects! I can't wait! If you haven't signed up yet, hurry before it sells out! Click here for more information.

Oh yeah, before I forget, let me tell you that I caved and I ordered the Jenny Bowlin February kit filled with goodies from her new line... I just love the vintage feel and all the cool details it contains.



I hope you all had a great weekend. I'll post some Valentine project pics this week...

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

A New Car and 16 Things About Me

It's been a busy few days. My lease was up on my 2005 Honda CR-V and, although I loved that car, it was time to move on. After all, it was my second CR-V in seven years! I've wanted to upgrade to a Honda Pilot for a long time and the opportunity finally came. I just love the feeling of being high up off the ground. I now have a 2008 Honda Pilot SE similar to this one (mine is metallic grey, which is darker)...

I love it!!! And we got a great deal so that makes it even sweeter. I paid much less for this almost-new Pilot with just 1100 miles on it than I did for my new CR-V in 2005! :-)

OK, now on to 16 Things About Me, which I have seen posted around the blogging world lately.

1. I work in the custom publishing industry and I love the feeling of seeing our printed magazines and books. It's so rewarding to have a final product in your hands that you know took a LOT of work to put together.
2. I have been married to my honey for 4 years and 4 months. He's a Republican, I am a Democrat. He's an Aries, I am a Libra. It's funny because we're so different yet we have a lot in common in terms of family values and goals.
3. I graduated high school with honors and ranked in the top 10% of my class. I also graduated from the University of Miami with honors (Cum Laude).
4. I never liked math. To this day, I do not enjoy math or science at all. And I actually loved essay exams.
5. My favorite color is GREEN. I also love red and yellow. You could see all three colors on the walls throughout my home.


6. I learned to drive sitting on my grandfather's lap, and by the time I was able to reach the pedals he began letting me take over. He owned a white Ford pick-up truck that I remember fondly.
7. I was an only child. My parents separated before I was born so I was raised by my grandparents for almost all of my young life (I lived with my mom for 2-3 years while I was in elementary school).
8. I love vintage trinkets and antique objects. They make me happy.
9. Vanessa is a Greek name that means butterfly... And I LOVE butterflies!!!

10. I met my BFF when I was 17 years old. Our ex-husbands grew up together in New Jersey and they introduced us. Our marriages didn't last forever, but our friendship withstood the test of time, highs, lows and everything in between! I love her like my sister and I couldn't imagine life without her.
11. I have always wanted to have a baby girl...
12. I don't like pickles, liver, mustard (unless it's on a knish), oysters, or anchovies.
13. I'd rather eat a strawberry shortcake or pineapple upside down cake instead of a chocolate cake or any other chocolate dessert.


14. Vanessa is my middle name. My first name is Myriam (but c'mon, do I look like a Myriam? I think not!)
15. I have traveled more during the past seven years than ever before and I love to go to new places and discover new cultures. I have a goal of visiting one new place every year (at least!).


16. We just bought a new mattress. Boy does it feel good. In fact, I think I am going to go try it out... Good night!

Wanna join in the fun? Go ahead! Share 16 Things About You...

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

Bienvenue to my Scrappy Space

Hi my friends!

Although a couple details are still pending, I couldn't wait any longer to share my scrap room/home office with you. I like to refer to it as my HAPPY ROOM because it really makes me smile every time I step into this room. It's just so ME! :-)

First, this is a photo of the room as you enter, with my gorgeous vintage chandelier from Perfectly Charming in Ohio that my BFF bought me for Christmas. I love it!



And here's an expanded view as you enter the room... the walls are painted Jalapeno Pepper from Benjamin Moore (I found this paint color in a Pottery Barn catalog). It's a bit darker than I anticipated, but I love the warm, cozy feeling I get when I walk into the room -- and green is my favorite color!



I really wanted to have some type of wall art collage in my room, so I created this using a mix of old and new frames and objects. The red vintage frame on top is from my visit to Ohio (Perfectly Charming again!), the middle row holds some framed prints I picked up a while back at an arts festival on Miami Beach, and the number card is from IKEA. The frame on the bottom left has a photo mat that everyone signed at my bridal shower and it holds a photo of my mom and me (taken just seven months before she passed away).



Here's a close up look at my awesome three tier wire basket from Sadie Olive. This was one of my fave birthday presents last year! I love the weathered look and how it holds lots of stuff. I mainly keep my inks and wood mounted stamps in it.



On the opposite side of the room, in front of my desk, I have my IKEA Expedit bookcase, which is the best! It not only looks nice, but it also holds a ton of stuff. I have all my albums on the bottom cubes, books, magazines, acrylic paints and glitter, cards, frames and more on it...



On top, I have another three tier wire basket from my dear friend, Damaris, as well as a little chalkboard I picked up in Ohio, apothecary jars (which I have yet to fill) from Target, and my beautiful milk glass lamp (also from Perfectly Charming in Ohio).



Here's a close up of my acrylic paints, Stickles, glitter and Mod Podge -- all housed in a tray I picked up at Ross for a few bucks.



This milk glass vase is from an antique shop in Naples... Richard and I came across a couple of great finds during our weekend trip last fall! I'd like to fill it with some fresh flowers from time to time just to liven it up a little.



And now I present to you my gorgeous Art Deco 1930's typewriter that works. It's in excellent condition and I love it. It was a Christmas gift from my honey. Look at this beauty...



In this little nook between my desk and the IKEA bookcase, I have a beautiful old red chair (one of two) that my mother-in-law gave me a few years ago. She had these in her garage for a long time and I fell in love with them! Above the chair, I have two 12x12 frames that I bought from Damaris to put a couple of my layouts. Below the chair, I have a basket (the first gift basket my honey ever gave me filled with Valentine's Day goodies!) filled with unfinished projects.



This is a photo of my desk with my wireless keyboard and mouse that are awesome! I also have my magnetic mat on my desktop for my scrapbooking projects. I keep my trimmers on the open shelves below my desk. The sugar and creamer set that I use for my pens and paintbrushes are some very cool finds from a trip to a Goodwill store in California.



Behind my desk, I have an old bookshelf from Linens 'n Things that holds some of my treasures, as well as my printer and organizers down below. The jars hold ribbons and buttons, more milk glass from Naples, a cute pedestal from Perfectly Charming, an antique amber glass container and old keys that belonged to my Mom, an Eiffel Tower clock that my friend Jeanie gave me a long time ago, and more.



This is a red letterpress photo mat from Sycamore Street Press that I fell in love with and just had to have! I love how the red stands out and the detail on it is pretty cool. It comes in a large size and you cut it down to fit your photo frame.



This is an Elsie Flannigan print I bought on Etsy back in 2007. I loved the green and the painting itself with the girl holding her camera.



This is just a close up of my other IKEA bookcase, with my fave litle Epson printer, mini album basket (another find at my mother-in-law's house), and my cute owl paper weight from Sadie Olive (a birthday gift from my friend Lou).



I wanted to display my clipboards, but didn't know where to put them, so I tied a ribbon around the top in order to hang them on the front of my closet doors.



Finally, behind my door, I have an inspiration board where I can keep layouts or projects I see in magazines that I like, as well as photos and cards that make me happy. My Tim Holtz apron hangs from an over-the-door hook for easy access.



That's all!!! I am still waiting for my Kellie Rae print, which will have a home on the wall next to my ladder bookcase. Also, I have two curtain valances that will go on the top of my windows.

Sometimes I still find myself moving things from one place to another (and back again) trying to decide what I like best, but overall I am very happy with my room. It reflects my design style, it holds many photos and other things that I hold dear to my heart, and it makes me happy! I know that I am very lucky to be able to have an entire room to myself and I am thankful to have this retreat where I can just relax and unwind after a long, stressful workday.

Please tell me what you think, share ideas or suggestions, ask questions, etc. I'd love to hear from you!

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

Creative inspiration

Hi there!

I've been quite busy cleaning and organizing and I am still not completely done!!! Will I ever be done? Maybe. In any case, I have actually made lots of progress and I just might be able to post pics of my newly reorganized and redecorated office/scrap room (AKA: my HAPPY room). I am so in LOVE with my space. I can't wait to share it with you.

In between all the reorganizing and purging, I made time to go on a dinner and movie date to Cinebistro with my honey. We watched Marley & Me. What a great movie! It's funny, entertaining and sad all at once. Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson have some really great chemistry. A while back, we also saw Australia with Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. What an incredible movie! It was long, but trust me, we didn't even realize it. It's a truly beautiful motion picture. Go see it!

Just before the holidays, I picked up this book and I've really enjoyed all the eye candy and creative techniques.



Kelly Rae Roberts is a gifted and highly talented mixed-media artist and I have fallen in love with her inspiring style and soulful artistic approach. I definitely recommend this book. You'll thank me later. It's called "Taking Flight: Inspiration And Techniques To Give Your Creative Spirit Wings." I even bought myself one of her cool 8x8 prints on Etsy. I can't wait till it gets here!

Oh, and guess what? I made my first-ever Designer Digitals purchase -- although I'll probably use it on a traditional paper project :-) I fell in love with Ali's new Valentine's circles and for only $3.99, it was well worth it! I plan to make a little Valentine's mini or tag book and a layout with these...



So, what's inspiring you lately? Please share!

I hope you find your creative wings and take flight, as Kelly would say!

Vanessa