Special News and Frenchy's Awesome Challenge!

Hi Everyone--

I have a happy announcement to make--I have just become an
"Artist in Residence" for Shabby Cottage Studio--very fun,
very exciting!

Shabby Cottage Studio is celebrating it’s 3rd Anniversary and is having
a sale from Oct. 2-8--so, if you’d like to shop for awesome altered art supplies and images, here’s your chance!



But, there’s more...Would you like to know how to make crinkly seam binding to use for gift tags?  My tutorial is at the Inspirational Gallery at Shabby Cottage Studio too. You can learn how to make your seam binding go from this...



to this! (Just push on the word "tutorial" up above.) Also, if you'd like to become a follower of the Inspirational Gallery, it is posted at the bottom of their page.



On Oct. 8, will be my Creative Spirit Challenge--Here is the altered purse I created for the prize drawing for those who participate--one person will win it!



Here is a Paris collage that I just completed for The French Obsession Challenge in mind! It contains numerous images of France--the Eiffel Tower, bicycles, a dress (because it is the fashion capitol of the world!) and more! The hanger tag says “Vie,” which means “life” in French.



Thank you to the Graphics Fairy, Shabby Cottage Studio,and Dezinaworld for the images...It also contains commercial papers and embellishments. The red rose was sent to me by friend Chris and of course, is reminiscent of “La Vie en Rose”--one of my favorite songs!


Wishing you a day that is “tres magnifique!!”

Dezinaworld and Dress Up 2010 Challenges

Here is my dress for October. To reach the Dress Up 2010 challenge, just
go to: http://aliceandcamilla.blogspot.com

But, this week, June at Dezinaworld is having a challenge in which she asked us to make something in fall colors--so I am entering my October dress for both challenges!


If you get a chance to visit, both challenges are so fun!
Everyone is SO talented!!!

Chris' Amazing Mega Birthday Blog Candy

You will just have to check out this blog candy for yourself.  It's amazing how generous Chris is being for her birthday.  She has two prizes she's giving away.  The first one is fantastic assortment of scrapping & card-marking goodies and the second is a personalized stamp with your name & blog addy on it.  Check out her post here about how to have a chance to win her candy.

 Here's a pic of the assortment of goodies she's giving away.  You can also see a pic in my sidebar.  If you click either picture it will take you to her blog post.

For Jolanda

Dear Friends,
I recently went to my friend Jolanda’s blog and discovered that her mother passed away last week...It made me so sad as we all know what our mothers mean to us--dear, each one. So, I have found Google Translate and have written a message in Dutch and made this digital picture. This is for you dear Yolanda, in memory of your mom.

De andere nacht, ging ik naar mijn vriendin Jolanda's blog en ontdekte dat haar moeder overleed deze week ... Het spijt me, inderdaad, en wens mijn teleurstelling willen uiten over dit nieuws. Weet dat Ik bid voor u en uw gezin.
Liefde,
Cindy

Nancy Pearl talks about Banned Books on Penguin Books' Classics On The Air

In recognition of Banned Book Week, Penguin Books is featuring a special edition of their  "Penguin Classics On The Air" with Nancy Pearl.





Nancy Pearl, librarian extraordinaire, is the author of the critically acclaimed BOOK LUST, BOOK CRUSH, and the just released BOOK LUST TO GO. In this episode of Penguin Classics On Air, Pearl focuses on several talking points—for example the difference between a banned and challenged book—and guides the listener through the process of how a book comes to be banned or challenged. Drawing from years of experience, Nancy also gives great insight to the invaluable relationship between a library and its community.



Also featured in this episode of Penguin Classics On Air is RICK WARTZMAN, author of OBSCENE IN THE EXTREME: the Burning and Banning of John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath. Throughout his fascinating interview, Wartzman describes the crucial impact politics and reader climate have on why some books turn into scandals, paying particular attention to the nationwide uproar surrounding GRAPES OF WRATH and Gretchen Knief, the lone librarian who stood up against its banning and burning in the 1930s.





 

Dear Lillian,

I just looked down and saw a perfect smudge of your peanut butter toast on my shirt. I've been wearing it proudly all day, as it shows the world that I am a Mother.

I will wear your peanut butter kisses any day!

I love you!!!

Love, Mommy

Hangman by Faye Kellerman - A fascinating mystery!

I have a confession to make -

I have not read any of Faye Kellerman's novels.  And now that I have read her latest book, "Hangman," this is one oversight in my reading that I fully intend to correct!

When an author has a series as prolific as Faye Kellerman’s “Decker/Lazarus” novels, it could be a little difficult for a first time reader to step into novel number nineteen and be able to pick up on the gist of the story, but with “Hangman,” I, as a first time reader, had no problem whatsoever in diving right into the family of Pete Decker and Rina Lazarus and know exactly who, when, where and what was going on! 

Now, to me, that’s the sign of a great writer!

L.A.P.D. Lieutenant Pete Decker is a busy man with two pressing cases on his hands. The first involves the strange death of Adrianna Blanc, a nurse who was found hanging at a building construction site. While questioning her family and friends, Decker picks up on a series of coincidences and unexplained murders that leads him and his crew on a merry chase to find a killer before another young woman loses her life.

Decker’s second case is a little closer to home. When long-time acquaintance Terry McLaughlin asks Decker to supervise a visit from her some-what volatile husband Chris Donatti, Decker helps her to negotiate what appears to be a peaceful separation. But when Terry’s 14 year old son, Gabriel calls to report his mother is missing and his father is not returning phone calls, Decker has a feeling all was not as it seemed. He invites Gabe to stay with his family while the search for his parents is on, and find the shy young

 music prodigy soon adapts to the rowdy, rambunctious Decker/Lazarus family’s ways. Good thing, since his stay seems to becoming more permanent by the day.

Fans of Kellerman’s family-oriented detective series will love catching up with the family, friends and colleagues of Pete Decker and his lovely wife, Rina Lazarus. Kellerman incorporates a lively and fascinating story of this family's life with a fast-paced, spellbinding police mystery that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat to the very last page.

Check out Faye Kellerman's website for more information on her books, and upcoming projects - http://www.fayekellerman.net/

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review. I was not compensated for my opinion.

I am an Amazon Associate, and may receive a small renumeration if a copy of this book is purchased using this link.

SL House & Garden SIm Grand Opening - Your Invite!

•★• SL House & Garden Sim Grand Opening! •★•

October 1st from 12pm - 2pm SLT

Tunes by Summer Deadlight! Come on by have some fun, do some fantastic shopping and grab some free gifts :)

If you would like any information or an invite inworld - please contact Jennaa Loire.

•★• WELCOME TO THE SL HOUSE AND GARDEN SIM  •★•

Visitors to the SL House & Garden Sim can expect to see a venue dedicated to everything home, furniture, garden and decor. There will be a fantastic array of shops featuring the very best home and decor creators from accross the grid. There is more 'showcase rooms' featuring home and decor creators each offering an exclusive item for visitors to the sim, as well as a room for interior designers and bloggers each demonstrating different ways of creating a look for your home. There is also a new texture trend showroom.....a first for SL! This showroom displays some amazing and unique textures and shows you how to work textures together. Visitors will also have a relaxing gallery and cafe to enjoy which features home decor and garden photography of group members. There is also a terrific display of the winners of the SL House & Garden Group monthly photography competition.  Not to mention, a spectacular and diverse sim built by pitsch Parx that is simply breathtaking. 

I can not thank pitsch Parx enough for creating this amazing sim with me. It has honestly been a humbling experience to work with such a talented person on this project. It has been an absolute pleasure my friend. XoXo

•★•ABOUT THE GROUP •★•

http://slhousegarden.blogspot.com/

Second Life furniture, garden, home and decor is a dynamic and ever growing industry that I am truly entusiastic and passionate about. I have tried to keep up to date with product releases and all the incredible changes within this field, but I found myself juggling over 20 groups and quite simply, failing to succeed.

I was motivated to create a group named SL House & Garden. My ambition was for this group to be used as a resource tool for anyone who has a vested interest in this awesome industry. 

Bloggers and shoppers alike, can be informed about latest released, updates, sale notices and great gifts from our favourite Home, Decor and Garden designers in SL.

Shop owners, designers and creators (textures, building components and builder's aids are more than welcome as well) can join the group to boost sales and to communicate your products and creations to the enthusiasts and GET NOTICED, there is no cost at all involved!

If I have raised an eyebrow, go to groups and search "SL House & Garden". 

•★• ABOUT THE SL HOUSE & GARDEN SIM •★•

I created this special location for group members and other guests as a place to come and relax, shop, blog, build their creations and to  generally be a helpful tool for all home, decor and garden lovers of SL.

There is a warm and inviting cafe and gallery where you are welcome to socialise with other enthusiasts or simply enjoy some 'down time'. This can be used as a resource room which is the perfect spot to sit down and relax while you blog.  You can check out the latest SL House & Garden photo contest winners in the gallery while you are there.

We are very fortunate to have many wonderful creators on the sim. Make sure to stop in and check out their amazing creations.

* Urbanized

* The Loft

* Organica

* Prime Furniture

* What Next

* LISP

*Awesome Blossom

* BLONDE

* Barcode

* Sacred Roses

* Made By Moo

* Sher's Cottage Garden

* Southern Bella

* C&D Designs

* Cheeky Pea

* North West

* Ambiance Interactive Furniture

* La Galleria

* Weather Or Not

*Croire

* Pixelpaperie

* Art Dummy!

* CLEO Design

* Abode

* Spry

* PHI

* HomeKraft

I also have an office on the sim where you can stop by and contact me in many different ways. There is also a suggestion/comments box where you can send me any ideas/comments you may have. 

Please treat this place as you would your home... please please be respectful of other visitors and if you have any issues please contact Jennaa Loire. 

•★• TEXTURE TREND FORECAST •★•

There is the "Textrure Trend Forecast" room just near the landing point. For the new SL House & Garden sim pitsch and I had the idea to showcase some of SL 's best textures artists around, and make a room only for textures, the "Texture Trend Forecast" room. Here you  can pick up free textures, see how to work them together and get inspiration for your next project. These will change every 6 weeks.  They will be themed and work from there. Jennaa Loire and Pitsch Parx will make themes and make textures groups within those themes. Make sure you stop there... have a look and pick up your free textures. 

•★• DISPLAY ROOMS •★•

Designers are often faced with the challenge of marketing their products without the big ticket expenses of owning and operating a store in SL. In an effort to help their dilemma and to display some terrific items to visitors of SL House & Garden Centre & group, I have created 3 display rooms.  There are 2 display rooms on this sim.

These display areas will be rotated through the designers in the group and changed every 4 weeks. This is a fantastic way for well-known and aspiring creators to generate interest in their designs, and for home and garden enthusiasts to access a variety of products in one place. 

If you are a creator (big or small) and you would like to use one of the showrooms for a period of time, please contact me in-world for a notecard explaining all about them.

If you an enthusiast, this is an opportunity to get to know some of the popular and lesser known designers within SL. The creators will also have an exclusive item available for purchase during their time at the SL House & Garden Centre. Make sure you head on over to their display rooms and pick their items up. 

•★• INTERIOR DECORATOR/BLOGGER ROOM •★•

Interior decorators and bloggers are often faced with the challenge of displaying their work inworld. SL stores generally feature creators, designers and retailers but there is no opportunity for decorators and bloggers to display their creativity. 

The SL Home & Garden Sim has created a showroom especially for interior decorators and bloggers to demonstarte their ability and imagination. Visitors of the centre can see their amazing work upclose and creators can browse the showroom and be inspired to send future review items to the tenants.

This showroom area will be rotated every 4 weeks through the interior decorators and bloggers in the group who wish to use it. This is a fantastic way for well-known and aspiring decorators/ bloggers to generate interest in their work and give their followers and real-life, 3 dimensional presentation of their conception.

•★•CONTACT INFO •★•

If we can help you at all.. please don not hesitate to contact us.

Jennaa Loire:

Email: jennaaloire@yahoo.com

Plurk: http://www.plurk.com/JennaaLoire

mainit Hellman:

Email: a_mainit@yahoo.com

Plurk: http://www.plurk.com/MainitHellman

peacemaker

What does a peacemaker look like?

• Not self-absorbed and insistent on one's own way;
• Generous and happy to share;
• Doesn't hold grudges;
• Not envious of others' success and blessings;
• Doesn't criticize harshly;
• More focused on solutions than problems;
• Self-confident—doesn't get feelings hurt easily;
• Sees the big picture of life, not petty quarrels.

When others see you—and when you look in the mirror—do you see a peacemaker?

Lord, help me to bring peace into all my relationships and all areas of my own life. Amen.

From: Inspired Faith today

CRUSH - Diane Von Furstenberg

I am smitten, crushing on, totally in love with these shoes from Diane Von Furstenberg!


DVF Cutout Guardian Suede Lace-Up Ankle Boots, In Black.




The first time I saw them was flipping through my September copy of Vogue Magazine, and I haven't stopped thinking about them since! Unfortunately, at $344.00, they are surly out of my price range, but a girl is allowed to dream about shoes, Right?

I am hoping to maybe find a very similar, slightly more affordable version, wish me luck! (Or point me in the right direction! :)

Here's the DVF Ad that grabbed my attention in the first place -


Check out the rest of the amazing DVF Collection Here.

What shoes or items are on your fall wishlist?

Coffee DAY?

I have been told, September 29th is National Coffee Day!!

A day specifically for celebrating COFFEE? How on earth did I not know about this before today?

I am so there! In honor of our star of the day, I wanted to share some photos I've taken of my favorite beverage-










How do you take your coffee? What's your favorite kind? Piping Hot, Espresso, Iced, Sweet, Black, Extra Cream, Latte, Cappucino? So many to choose from!

Cheers!

Tag Tuesday and Rednesday

Here is a famous picture of the moment in Times Square when the end of WWII was announced. I found a story about the actual couple in it and have the web address at the bottom of this post if you would like to read the amazing story.

The theme for “Tag Tuesday” was to create a tag that had a calendar on it...That little prompt sent me on an all-day excursion through cyberspace looking for images because I had dreamed of doing “Pin Up” Girls of WWII--the year, 1943.


On this tag is an image of a seed packet for a Victory garden, WWII soldiers trudging up a hill, and of course, the Pin Up Girls (with a calendar behind them.) Even though there was a war raging, it seemed like simpler times--times when love was expressed in songs like “I’ll Be Seeing You.”

This was a nostalgic day for me even though it did not encompass my own memories, but rather, collective national memories of times that held some together and tore others apart...”Thank you” to the brave soldiers who adored their pin up girls and also to the brave women who waited home for their men and couldn’t wait to be in their arms. And thank you to those who didn’t make it home--Without all of you, we would not have been able to defeat such a monstrous enemy.

And with that, I am also hopeful that those of you reading this blog will remember our soldiers in combat right now in the Gulf.

If you would like to read the story behind the "kiss" picture, just click the link below.

http://www.projo.com/news/content/KISSING_SAILOR_FLOAT_07-03-09_8AETJF6_v37.3b3fa97.html

Thank you to June of Dezinaworld for the center image on my tag.
This is being linked up to Tag Tuesday and Rednesday.

Waiting On Wednesday!

Is there anything better than anticipation???  Especially when it's anticipation of a new book coming out soon?

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine (http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com), that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Here's what I'm looking forward to!

The third book in the Southern Sewing Circle Mystery series by my good friend, Elizabeth Lynn Casey, comes out next Tuesday and I, for one, am all a'twitter with anticipation! 

And in celebration of her latest book, Elizabeth is hosting a "killer" contest - I'll let her explain the rules and the prizes!

**The ME, A FRIEND, and MY LIBRARY Contest**

PINNED FOR MURDER, the third installment in my Southern Sewing Circle Mystery Series, will hit store shelves on October 5th!

To celebrate, I’m launching a contest that gives a special nod to libraries (in honor of my main character, Tori Sinclair) AND the notion of friendship (in honor of the characters who have welcomed Tori with open arms).

Here’s what the lucky winner will win…

One copy each of SEW DEADLY (the first in my Southern Sewing Circle Mystery Series), DEATH THREADS (the second in the series), and my romances–Kayla’s Daddy, A Mom For Callie, and an early copy of Miracle Baby.

*** Additionally (and here’s where it gets good), I will send the exact same thing (all five books listed above) to a friend of your choice AND  your local library!!!

Sound good?

Now here’s what you need to do in order to have a chance at winning this prize (for you…and a friend…and your local library)…  Send an email (with the words “Pinned For Murder’s Coming” in the subject line and your snail mail address in the body of the email) to me at  ElizabethLCasey@aol.com

  **One entry per person please.

Then, one lucky winner will be randomly chosen from all entries received between now and 5 p.m. on October 1st. The winner will be notified by email on October 2nd.

Ready? Set? GO!!!!!!!

Check out Elizabeth's website for more information on her books and projects at http://www.elizabethlynncasey.com/



Happy Reading Ya'll!

I am an Amazon Associate, and may receive a small renumeration from any book ordered through this link.

Wordless Wednesday

Photos taken on Father's Day

June, 2008

Noerenberg Gardens

Orono, MN

Vintage Scarf from LifeInStages

I can't believe my luck with giveaways this month!

I won this Vintage scarf from Tracie, of Life In Stages. How exciting!



Beautiful bright colors, with a sweet paisley print. Perfect for fall! I can't wait to wear it out of the house, but I snapped a quick photo so you could see how cute it is!



What would you wear this with? Or how would you wear it? Help me style it!

Tracie has a great Etsy shop, LifeinStages! She also has a blog, so you can visit her here!

Thank you so much for the great scarf, Tracie!

Want your shop or blog featured here? It's easy! Email me at SmellyShoesVintage@gmail.com for more information!

Happiness

Hi there!  Did you know that Penny Black has a new and improved blog?  Yep, you can find it here.  They are having and inspiration challenge on the blog and I decided to play along.  You can find all of the details and the inspiration card in this post on the Penny Black blog.  I was inspired to use the basic layout of the inspiration card, I just turned it on its side to change it up a bit.  I stamped the Garden Poems image with Tuxedo Black Memento ink and colored it with Copic markers. (BV00, BV02, BV04, Y13, Y19,G40, G82 and G85) I added itty bitty droplets of pale yellow liquid pearls to the stamens on the flowers and some Stardust glitter glue to the blossoms and butterflies.  Lime Green Stickles was added to the leaves. The Happiness sentiment was also stamped in black and cut out with Petite Oval/Scallop Nesties.  I should have taken this photo a little earlier in the day when the sun was shining nice and bright so you could see the colors better.  The cardstocks used were white, lt blue and dark purple.  You still have a few days left to play......give it a shot.

What This Woman Will Do For Art!

This evening, my husband and I took a drive...We were on a quest for "rust" objects and a friend of his had a "treasure chest" of sorts waiting for me at his place where he fixes cars and trucks. So, we drove away from our suburban neighborhood and left for the country--"Lousiana" country, that is, filled with the nicest folks you'll ever hope to meet.


"Goodbye" to manicured lawns and flower beds.


"Hello" to open spaces and mature trees.


We were now in "Bud" country!


Evidence of it was everywhere.


A girl's gotta do whatta girl's gotta do...


Then, as if by magic, there it was--a whole box of rust items that my husband's friend saved for me....nuts, bolts--all of which had gone through Hurricane Katrina--Once again, I was in "rust" heaven!


I didn't even think about taking a camera with me, but I knew I couldn't leave you all behind on my quest, so I whipped out my camera phone--Yeah!!! Hope you enjoyed the journey! Oh, and hope you enjoyed the "mood" music too! (I have no idea what I will make with it all...I'm hoping that Zuzu from Alter It Monthly will give me some hints!