Category Archives: Beauty

Looking for Beauty at Aunt Bee’s House!

Good evening!

I am so very excited to share this post with you this evening, but before I get too ahead of myself, I wanted to tell you a little bit of back story on this post! Last week, I went to one of my FAVORITE shops here in town, Aunt Bee’s House! Aunt Bee’s House is a large marketplace for people to rent space to sell their home furnishings, decorative items, gifts, and other beautiful treasures!! When I find that I am needing to get some retail therapy, some inspiration for doing some decorating in my little condo, find a new color combination ideas for my next arting project, or if I am need of a unique and perfect gift for a friend or family member – Aunt Bee’s House is my go-to place of choice!!

Well, anyway I had gathered up the nerve to introduce myself to the staff, and ask if I could take some pictures so that I could post them on blog, This Artsy Life. That may not sound like a big deal, but me being eternally shy and having a tendency to want to remain invisible when I am out on the town by myself, I was pretty dang proud of myself!! Well, of course the staff of Aunt Bee’s House being SO AMAZING, welcoming and friendly, they said “yes” immediately, and off I went – snapping away!!! I was such a happy girl, and I think I came home with something like 200 pictures!!

Needless to say, it was a GREAT day!! 🙂

Well, long story short, I got home placed my camera card in my computer, and my computer essentially ate all of my pictures!! UGH!!

I would love to tell you that me being the new brave and outgoing Christina, I turned around went right back and started the process all over again, but alas that is not how it went down! 🙂 It literally took me another week to gather up my courage again to go back and ask if I might take those pictures again!! The FABULOUS staff so graciously said “yes” again, and again I spent a lovely afternoon just snapping away!! Finding all sorts of treasures and beautiful items to delight the senses. I can’t believe it had taken me so long to get back there!! I REALLY LOVE THIS PLACE!!! 😉

Soooo…

Tonight I am very happy to share with you some of the pictures that I took while at Aunt Bee’s House.

Here we go!! 🙂

This is what you see when you first walk in to the shop! The colors of these quilts are so happy and joyful, that I think that quilting may become my next hobby/passion!! Oh man, what is my sweetie going to think about that??? 😉

I am really loving teal painted furniture!! Hmmmm…I wonder how my sweetie would feel about having his dresser painted teal?

I love this little vignette! 🙂 The lamps, the bowl of green apples, the books, the horse, everything!! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!!

I love the juxtaposition of this stripped wooden vessel and the red vintage books.

and how about these two large gears??? Aren’t they just AMAZING???? I am SERIOUSLY thinking about going back and bringing these two manly studs home!!! 🙂

Who knew that oil can could be chic? Well, apparently they can be!!! 🙂

I am LOVING this headboard! The colors, the restic-ness of it, and maybe just the ingeniousness use of recycled fence posts!!

These are decorative storage boxes that looks like books with tapestry covers! VERY SPRINGY!! 😉

I love this vignette too! The books, plant pot, bird, and yes even the doily!! Who knew that I was going to have to start thinking about getting a doily?? My mama would be very proud!! 😉

I LOVE this LOVE sign!! 😉

Aren’t these just the cutest?? They are weighted pillows! I could see myself using these as a door stop for my front door!! SO SWEET!!

This is SUCH an INGENIOUS way to display simple ribbon roses!! I may have to give this project a try!! 😉

I am a SUCKER for colored glass vessels, and this BLUE is just STUNNING!!! 😉

I may need a whole slew of these to decorate all over our place!! I just LOVE rustic stars, and the glitter really adds a but of glam!!

This mannequin FASCINATES me!! Whoever gets to take this love figure home is my hero!! I LOVE THIS!!!

This little lady was kind of tucked in the back of this display, and as soon as I saw her, I knew she just needed to be brought forward and with a little bit of rearranging she is now the ROCK STAR of this vignette!! 😉

Here is another vignette that makes me happy to look at! I am really digging the message of this teal sign. “Thank God for blessing me much more than I deserve!” This has become my motto on almost a daily basis!! 😉

I am just CRAZY about this white chippy dresser!! TRES CHIC!!! 😉

I am so impressed by this paper wreath!! Someone has some SERIOUS patience!! 😉

I love this rack!! I could see this in my place being used as our mail rack…or maybe a medicine rack…or maybe a spice rack…or maybe as an organizer in my art studio…or maybe as a…or as a…!! I KNOW, IT IS A SICKNESS!!! 🙂

This is a message that I am going to try and apply to my life this week!! Enjoy the Little Things!! 🙂

Here is another one of those FABULOUS quilts!! See what I mean?? I love this design and the colors!! I would LOVE to have a new, homemade quilt for our bedroom!!! Sooooo cheery!!!

Well, there you have it!!! I hope you have enjoyed all of these pictures, as much as I had taking them!!! If you happen to be in the Salem area, I would highly recommend visiting Aunt Bee’s House!! I KNOW there will be THE PERFECT treasure waiting there JUST FOR YOU!!!

Thank you to the INCREDIBLE staff at Aunt Bee’s House for letting me share your lovely shop with my readers. I am greatly impressed by everything about your shop, there is such a welcoming, homey feeling that is evident as soon as you walk in the door!!!! I will most DEFINITELY be back in again!! 😉

To my readers, I want to make sure you know that I am in no way compensated by Aunt Bee’s House, and all of the opinions expressed are solely my own!! I hope you enjoyed all of these pictures!! 😉

Here is to a FABULOUS evening!! ;-)

If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!!

Finding Comfort in My Own Skin!

Good evening!

I don’t know if you know this about me, but I very rarely watch live tv, but my girlfriends have been ranting and raving about this television show called The Voice. I happened to stumble upon it this evening, and mamma, I am in love!!

Kim Yarbrough

Need I say more??

When she first came out, with her plus-sized-glamorous-sassy-self I said,

“HOLY CRAP!! DO I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL I AM IN MY 50’S BEFORE i FEEL THAT COMFORTABLE IN MY OWN SKIN???!”

She is my new hero, and I mean she is a diva with T-A-L-E-N-T!!!

You go, Kim!!!

I am going to have to take a lesson from this uber-talented-woman, and even if I have to fake it until I believe it to the very core of who I am, I am DETERMINED to feel comfortable in my own skin!!!

Here is to a FABULOUS evening!!

“If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!”

Loooong Day!

Good evening!

This is going to be a short post for a very looooong day!!! 😉 I am working extra hours at work for the next 3 days so that I am able to work only 1/2 a day on Thursday and get on the road to my spend the weekend with my family in Roseburg!! YEAH!!!

I can not even wait!!! 😉

I have been doing a lot of searching on Pinterest this evening, and the thing that I am mainly looking at is hair and makeup styles!! I know, kind of superficial, but for someone visual like me, I really can use some inspiration!!! 😉 I thought I would share some of my finds with you this evening!!!

Ok, so I might be a little obsessed, but it easy to see how that can happen, right???

Have a FABULOUS evening!

My Rough Day Cure!

Good evening!

I had an extremely rough day today, and instead of dwelling on that, I have decided that I needed to focus on some blessings tonight; things that I am thankful for!!

I’m God’s daughter
My husband
My dad
My sisters
My Aunties
My Nieces and Nephews
My friends
My family who have passed on
My puppies
My little condo
My well paying job
My lovely Christmas tree
My book collection
My mama’s dresser
My squishy bed
The wet and green Pacific Northwest
My piano
My music collection
My over-sized squishy couch
My creativity

Aaaah! Now, I feel much better!!

I need to just keep saying over and over again,

I am blessed!

Oh, and lest I forget – TOMORROW IS FRIDAY!!! YEAH!!! 😉

Have a FABULOUS evening! :-)

The Magic of Christmas!

Good evening!

This evening my sweetie gave me the best story. He was in the restroom at the store. There was a little boy and his father at the sink, and the little boy had decided he wasn’t going to wash his hands. The dad said to the little boy, either you wash your hands, or I do it for you, but if I have to do it for you then you will have to send one of your presents back to Santa. Well, Jason said the little boy started to wash his hands as if his very life depended on it. Very funny!! 😉

I am finally feeling better. I have a little bit of a raspy voice still, but I am feeling much better. Cough is to a minimum, and I only have a very minor sore throat! This is all a MAJOR improvement to what I had been feeling!! So, I made it through work today, whoo! hoo!! We had a pretty good day!! There was an ugly Christmas sweater contest that was so much fun to watch!! The winner of the contest was a surprise to us all because he is someone who is very quiet and seems to keep to himself, so we all had a pretty good laugh at that!!

This evening, I was even feeling good enough to get myself to the beauty salon and got my eyebrows waxed!! Yeah!! I now have two perfectly groomed eyebrows, instead of two bushy caterpillars!!! I also picked up some hair products, as I have been running out, but my favorite purchase of the night was two new OPI nail polishes. They have a line of Muppet inspired colors! I am soooo in love with them!!! I purchased Divine Swine, and Meep, Meep, Meep! Pictured below:

Pretty right? There is one or two more that I am thinking about stopping to pick up tomorrow; Warm and Fozzie, and Rainbow Connection:

Ok, so I may be a little obsessed, but can you blame me?? Anyway, that is my night! I am off to spend some quiet time with my sweetie!!

Have a FABULOUS evening! :-)

A Quiet Evening!

Good evening!

I am having a nice quiet evening at home, well that is except for the sneezing and the coughing – that is a little noisy, but seeing that I am the one doing it, I will excuse it!! 😉 My official plan for this evening is to continue spending this evening cuddled up on the couch with my girls while watching French movies!! I just LOVE doing that!!! 😉

This evening, for my blog posting I thought I would share some more Christmas Craft Fair pics from the Douglas County Christmas Craft Fair from last weekend! Most of the items I have purchased while there were used to decorate my drab cubicle at work, and I am just LOVING the change of scenery there!! The market has also really got me thinking about officially starting my own business where I can sell refinished home furnishings and one-of-a-kind home accessories, but that is another blog posting!! 😉

As I enjoy the rest of my quiet evening…

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! 😉

Treasure Hunting!

Good evening!
The other day, I had the opportunity to go treasure hunting, and I thought today that I would share two of my finds with you!

I found these two spectacular pieces at Aunt Bee’s here in town! I was absolutely flabbergasted when I first laid eyes on them, I just KNEW they had to come home with me! They were a little spendier than I am used to spending on a whim, but I knew that they would be a great investment and a great addition to my ever growing art collection. That sounds so cool to me! 😉

These pictures make me long to visit Europe. I dream of what it would be like if I could live there someday. Maybe live in the countryside of France, or the hustle and bustle of an Italian Villa, or maybe even live on a remote and isolated emerald isle of Ireland. DREAMY!

I can imagine myself walking endlessly, just enjoying the scenery, or holding hands with my sweetie as we enjoy the sights of Europe together. Reading on a blanket under a shady tree, or sloshing in puddles while wearing my wellies, and the rain is coming down pitter-patting on my umbrella, that of course I would have right on hand! I would love to see the magnificent architecture, and learn about the vast history, and I would be proficient in every language – ok that may be pushing it, but I think you get what I mean. I would love to be blend in with the locals, and live the culture the way that they really live it. Living life, loving life, enjoying my friends and family! That would be AMAZING!!!

Someday, you will see. I am not sure how, and I am not sure when, but it will happen!! And when it does maybe I will be able to see these actual scenes first hand. For now, I will settle with enjoying my European view through these small paintings that I will truly treasure! 😉

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! 😉

My Tree Is Done!!

Good evening!

It has taken me three days, but I have finally finished decorating my Christmas tree!! WHOO! HOO!!! I know it is early, but I really have needed a little Christmas spirit early this year! 😉

I wasn’t going to put up our tree this year, because I was thinking that it is an awful lot of work for just my sweetie and I, and we aren’t even going to be here at Christmas, however, when I expressed my thoughts to my sis, Alex she convinced me that even if it was just to enjoy the Christmas tree while I am reading on a quiet evening – it would be worth the work!!! 😉 She was absolutely right! AS SOON as I got the Christmas lights on the tree I was IMMEDIATELY put me in the Christmas spirit! It also helped that my sweetie helped my put the tree up this year, which I REALLY appreciated it!!

My theory on decorating my Christmas tree is to basically put EVERYTHING and ANYTHING that I LOVE on the tree!!! Which means that every single solitary inch of that tree has something on it!!

I love to tuck little treasures and momentos into our tree too. I especially LOVE pictures of my sweetie and from various different Christmas’!

We are such babies in this picture. This is one of our first Christmas’ with my sweetie’s family.

I also have lots of little signs, and this little red bird. One of my pastors, growing up, used to tell me that the little bird in her tree would wake up every evening and fly to the north pole to report to Santa whether or not we were behaving or not. Even though we don’t have children, I sometimes wonder if our little red bird flies to the north pole while we sleep and give a full report of our behavior to the man in the big red suit too!! 😉

Oh, and with my love of Santas, how could I not at least have one or 10 Santas on my tree??? 😉

Here is our Christmas star. Everyone always makes fun of me for this topper. Apparently it isn’t quite as flashy as the rest of our tree, however Jason and I bought this tree for our very first Christmas almost 17 years ago and every year I pull it out and PRAY that all of the lights in it still work. Every year, I am always amazed when they do!! WHOO! HOO!! 😉

When I describe our tree to anyone who has never seen it before, I always say that it looks like a jewelry box exploded ALL OVER our Christmas tree!! I still think that is pretty fitting!!!

Have a FABULOUS evening! ;-)

PS. Thank you, Alex, for cheering me on when I was having a moment of weekness!! I dedicate this blog posting, and my lovely Christmas tree, that has made me ABSOLUTELY SMILE to you!!!You were 100% right!!! I love you, Sissy!! 😉

Dreaming of Christmas!

Good evening!

I woke up this morning with a head cold that has made me move a little slower than normal, so I haven’t gotten as much stuff done around here as I was originally planning on. Namely, getting my Christmas tree up and decorated. It is up, but it is bare!

Anyway, I decided to spend a little time on Pinterest today, and wanted to share some dreamy Christmas pics with you! 😉

Don’t these just make visions of sugarplums dance in your head?? Oh, I know it is not yet Thanksgiving, but I am just soooo excited for Christmas to get here!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! 🙂

A Candlelit Evening At Home!

Good evening!

I am having a nice quiet evening at home. The house is clean, I have all the candles lit, and I am sitting on our sofa with the girls sleeping next to me. My sweetie is in the dining room with his friend, Don. They are trying to fix his laptop.

I am watching a documentary on the life of Frank Lloyd Wright. I have always been fascinated by his work and his architectural style. For those of you who may not know, Frank Lloyd Wright, was an innovative American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture. He had a very distinctive arts and craft style, but he combined that with great rooms, and open floor plan living styles, which really went away from what was happening at the time. He used a lot of horizontal lines, low ceilings, stained glass windows, cantilever rooflines and distinctive color schemes. He was quite a visionary! I dream about living in a house similar to one of his homes.

Anyway, this week is the week of the Breaking Dawn opening. My sweetie and I already have tickets to the midnight showing on Thursday evening. I know, we are a little insane, but we just really have so much fun making an event out of these movie openings. We agree that the movies may not be so fantastic, but we both really enjoyed the books, and the stories are really a lot of fun to fall into! We want to take the time this week to watch one of the movies each evening before Thursday night, and then we will be at the theatre, early, with our folding chairs, kindles, and a deck of cards so that we can entertain ourselves while we are waiting for the opening of this next movie!

What else? Well, maybe that is all for the evening! Don is just now getting ready to leave, and Jason is getting ready to have us watch Twilight this evening! While I enjoy some silly time with my sweetie…

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! ;-)

Beautiful Creatives

Empowering your juicy life!

Category Archives: Beauty

Looking for Beauty at Aunt Bee’s House!

Finding Comfort in My Own Skin!

Loooong Day!

My Rough Day Cure!

The Magic of Christmas!

A Quiet Evening!

Treasure Hunting!

My Tree Is Done!!

Dreaming of Christmas!

A Candlelit Evening At Home!