Make Mine Pink's Friday Shopping Event

MMP Friday Shopping Event June 25th "Along the Garden Path"

Taking a stroll along the path of a beautiful garden filled with spring and summer blossoms is one of my favorite things to do. The soft sweet smell of honeysuckle, the delightful scent of different roses, each unique and just as sweet as the last. The rainbow of color and fragrance sooth away even the most stressful day.

Some of my favorite flowers greet me as I stroll– purple coneflowers, multicolored morning glories, my favorite English roses and majestic angel trumpets. A young vine ever so gracefully winding its way up a Victorian trellis catches my eye. As the path leads me back to our front stoop, I’m greeted with overflowing vintage planters and baskets that have been filled with some of my very favorite flowers.

I don't often have time for a leisurely stroll like this, but the floral accents I’ve brought into my home awaken the same sense of calm. A handmade cushion sewn from floral fabric is tucked into the corner of my favorite rose-patterned chair. In the bedroom, I've brought out a light floral bedspread for the summer and set a heart-shaped pillow covered with pink blossoms. On the hall table, I've put a bouquet of freshly cut roses in a cut-glass vase and above it a beautiful wreath covered in silk hydrangeas. Whenever it catches my eye, I feel for a moment that I'm back walking through the garden.

Pretty floral-shaped soaps are piled into a rose-covered berry dish on the bathroom shelf. I told always tell myself that they are just for company, but I can't resist their luxurious fragrance for myself. In the kitchen, the tiny buds and leaves encircling my vintage china tea cups and plates remind me of the flowers waiting for me outdoors. When I sit down with a cup of my favorite tea on a busy day, it refreshes me almost as much as visiting the garden outside my door.

When you surround yourself with beautiful floral accessories, you can re-create the feeling of a stroll along your own garden path throughout your home. If you need some help creating this delightful garden space, you'll find all the inspiration you need at Make Mine Pink.

Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Photo Contribution 1: istock photo

Visit All the Boutiques Here!

Make Mine Pink Boutiques

MMP Friday Shopping Event June 18th "Shades of red, white and blue"

Please join us for shopping with a twist on

 Friday June 18th 2010

as we present "Shades of red, white and blue".

When I think of the colors red, white and blue, I'm reminded of Fourth of July parties, picnics and fireworks. Our annual Independence Day celebrations are always filled with family, friends, laughter and fun. My favorite summer foods are cooked on the barbecue, almost as delicious as the company I'm in. On that day, I feel like the whole world is celebrating with me.

Everywhere I look, I find so many beautiful combinations of red, white and blue. Whenever I come across them, they make me smile with fond memories of those celebrations and family times. There's the vintage apron hung on a hook and waiting to be used when company comes for dinner. Its cheery red roses are still bright against what used to be a vivid blue, but has faded with

time. When I open the linen closet, blue and white checked linens – once my mother’s finest picnic linens, still bearing traces of childhood Fourth of July picnics – always catch my eye. In the kitchen, white vintage china decorated with tiny red and blue rosebuds sits elegantly on a shelf I've painted white.

Even when I don't intentionally plan to decorate in those colors, red, white and blue find their way in, catching me by surprise. I've hung a white canvas with big red roses on a wall that's been freshly painted in a pale robins egg blue. It just seemed right to put it there. My red and blue glass sun catcher, floating in a window framed with white lace curtains, sparkles in the sunlight. On the table, my treasured velvet strawberries inside a vintage blue bowl. The tiny cracks in the glaze, giving away it’s age.

What is it about the shades of red, white and blue that tells us they belong together? Maybe it's the history behind them. Or maybe it's our own memories of the happy times. All I know is, when I'm surrounded by shades of red, white and blue, everyday is a celebration of life, freedom, and love.





Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink


Photo Contribution 1: The Quilt Shoppe | 2: Cameo Kids Boutique  | Photo Contribution 3: Esprit de Joie

TeaCup Stitches Blog GiveAway!

Meet Lynn owner of TeaCup Stitches. This is a lady I have admired for a long time. I first met her on eBay years ago. She makes the most beautiful handmade pretties I have ever seen! You'll find items like, embellished bottles dripping with pink florals, ribbons, and victorian lady labels, stunning embellished pillows, sweet pin cushion confections with each one always more beautiful than the next, lovely hanging sachets, delicious strawberry sachets, and when I first met her she made the most beautiful hand bags and totes. And every great great once in a while you would find a vintage Steiffs bear that was absolutely too precious.  Well I have now found her beautiful blog. I could stay looking at it all day if I had the time. You must take some time and visit her here: TeaCup Stitches. Her blog is  absolutely gorgeous but then again everything she touches is gorgeous! Anyway she is having another giveaway, seems she has these often, lucky for us! This is her latest giveaway. It's one of her beautiful embellished vanity bottles.

This giveaway ends on 6-30-2010. Go here to enter the Sweet Pink Roses Bottle GiveAway. Be sure to become a follower too! I'm sure you'll want to continue following the adventure of handmade pretties and to walk with her through this beautiful blog!  Have fun and enjoy!

You can also purchase her items here on eBay when she has items listed, and her sweet pretties are also here at Victoria Rose Cottage, but everything goes very fast!

MMP Friday Shopping Event June 4th "Girly Finds"

Please join Cameo Kids Boutique and the participating boutiques at Make Mine Pink for shopping with a twist on Friday June 4th, 2010 as we present "Girly Finds!"

I remember looking at decorating magazines from the 40s and 50s when I was a young girl and thinking that when I had a house of my own, it would look just like that. Carpets were sculpted with beautiful roses , dressing tables were layered in ruffles and tulle, bathrooms were tiled in pink and modern kitchens proudly displayed pink appliances and accessories. As I got closer and closer to setting up my own home, feminine and girly styles were pretty much a thing of the past. Not only were they a thing of the past, but suddenly we had to downplay our feminine side to be taken seriously. Thankfully things have changed and in a wonderfully positive way. Having a fun girly side is part of who I am, and I’m so glad to be able to express it in all aspects of my life.

These days, it's not only OK to show  your fun and feminine side, it’s easier and easier to do. Wherever we look, girly accessory are readily available. Soft pastels, shades of pink and all things white, have become a mainstay in many styles of decor. From large department stores to specialty boutiques, it’s easy to find fun and feminine pieces to add to your decor. Expressing your girly side has once again become more of the rule, rather than the exception. It’s become more and more of the norm to decorate in a girly and eclectic style. It's so much fun to add little touches here and there and watch everything around become more girly.

For instance, a length of vintage French velvet ribbon is such a simple, versatile way to make something seem more feminine. It might become a pretty hair tie or an elegant belt. You can use the same piece to tie around a special gift or to hang a favorite vintage frame. Pieces of vintage jewelry can make anything feel more feminine. Whether I've put a handful of mismatched pieces in a bowl on my vanity, or a special piece pinned to my summer purse, it adds just the right girly touch.

I've discovered that adding a single feminine touch is all it takes to change the ambiance of any room. A few fun and feminine pillows added to a sofa, makes a  room more inviting. When I pour tea from a pot painted with delicate roses, my simple tea for one becomes a relaxing getaway. A plain box covered with vintage wall paper and antique buttons becomes a treasure chest to hold old love letters and photographs.

Showing off your fun-loving girly side by adding feminine touches to your life and your home is easier than ever. You'll discover girly finds in all shapes and sizes at the boutiques of Make Mine Pink.



Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink



Photo Contribution 1: Esprit de Joie | Photo Contribution 2: Sweetheart's Nest | Photo Contribution 3: Celestina Marie Designs

Tea Time and Roses at Make Mine Pink

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday May 28th 2010 as we present "Tea Time and Roses"

Two of my favorite things have always been making time for tea and just about anything roses. When I enjoy them together, it feels like it just doesn’t get any better. Tea is used to celebrate so many special occasions – a chat with my daughter, to honor of a new bride, a visit with good friends, or just enjoying some quiet time by myself. It's always the right time for a cup of tea. And roses are always the perfect accessory.

Tea time and roses evoke so many memories for me. I don't know why, but the picture of a pink rose that I have hung in the entryway always reminds me of my grandmother pouring me tea from her favorite rose tea pot when I was a child. When I fill a vintage tea pot with the first roses of spring and sit in the middle of my dining table, the gentle fragrance always reminds me of the fresh cut roses my mother would bring in from her garden. I remember sharing a cup of tea with her as the scent of those roses filled the room.

It seems almost impossible to separate tea time and roses.  But who would want to? The tea cups, saucers and pots that I have displayed on a shelf, ready to bring down at a moment's notice, are decorated with hand painted roses and rosebuds. They give an aura of elegance and romance to any occasion. The mismatched set of tea cups that I found at the flea market is sprinkled with roses in red, orange, pink, and blue. They remind me that you don't have to look like everyone else to be beautiful. In fact, they're all the more interesting to me because each one is so unique.

Tea time and roses have captured my heart and my home as far back as I can remember. I've discovered that, together, they make everything more beautiful.

You'll find so many ideas for filling your own days with tea time and roses at Make Mine Pink.

Joyce Lucas, Founder

Make Mine Pink

Photo Contribution 1: Cottage Flair | Photo Contribution 2: Olivia Paige

MMP Friday Shopping Event May 21st "A Spring Garden"

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday May 21st 2010 as we present "A Spring Garden"

Every year I look forward to the first flowers of spring. A garden filled with spring flowers always makes my heart beat a little faster with delight. Those first flowers inspire me to fill every corner of my home and yard with signs of rebirth and new life.



To the garden growing outside my window, I add a vintage planter filled with cheerful spring daisies. Their smiling faces welcome friends, old and new. I hang a ceramic plaque engraved with a friendly message among the tulips and the daffodils. On a busy day, it reminds me to rest a while and enjoy the spring flowers. From early in the morning until sundown, spring birds fill my yard and heart with their songs. They flit from tree to tree, looking for the perfect spot to build their nests. I could spend hours watching them carefully perch on the dainty teacup bird feeders I've set out for them.

When the weather is warm enough, I love to host a tea party outdoors for my granddaughters. On cooler days, I sip my tea indoors by a window overlooking the garden. I love to breathe spring into my home by adding floral touches throughout. I cover my table with a cloth sprinkled with dainty spring flowers and leaves. A floral Victorian cake stand makes a perfect centerpiece for the grand occasion – the arrival of spring. I set the table with vintage teacups and saucers encircled with tiny rosebuds for drop in guests.

In my sitting room, a beautiful handmade pillow rests on the sofa, which I have slip-covered in spring colors. Another pillow covered in bright pink blossoms sits proudly on my bed, now made afresh with spring linens. On the hall console I fill a crystal bowl with spring-scented potpourri and enjoy the fragrance of the season as it fills the house. At my desk, I write notes to friends I haven’t heard from in a while on notepaper filled with butterflies and spring spring flowers.

A spring garden is nature's announcement that the world is coming back to life. With its arrival, I feel more vibrant and alive, making me want to bring spring into every corner of my life.


The boutiques at Make Mine Pink can help you create a spring garden in your life.


Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink


Photo Contribution 1: Mary's Cottage Treasures | Photo Contribution 2: Cameo Kids Boutique | Photo Contribution 3: C'est Chouette

A Stunning Wedding Journal

I would like to introduce you to a couple of friends of mine at Noelle Garrett Designs. I met these girls at Make Mine Pink where we both have Little Pink Boutiques. Their names are Carrie and Jean. They specialize in one of a kind embellished journals, unique paper creations, home accents, and unique gifts! The inspiration behind their creations comes from their love of vintage, Victorian, Parisian, and Cottage Style Living. I highly recommend you pay them a visit at Noelle Garrett Designs or their blog here.

This is the wedding journal I recently purchased to record my new hubby's and I's courtship and wedding. It's just beautiful and so vintage!

I also had purchased this beautiful vintage dress form "Lady Jane", that they altered. The shawl was another purchase from them too, and I thought it looked really good on Miss Lady Jane so that is where it stays.  Isn't she just beautiful!!??

The Cutest Bear

One of our new handmade soft stuffed animals is Buttons the Bear.  Buttons has movable arms and legs making play more fun. Buttons even comes with a stuffed patched heart.  The body is done in a raspberry, celery green, and white striped soft cotton fabric. The long arms and legs reminds me of a stuffed I had as a child way back in the 50's and 60's.  Just cute, cute!  You cand find Buttons at Cameo Kids Boutique along with his others handmade stuffed friends.