Make Mine Pink Friday Shopping Event July 2nd, 2010

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday July 2nd 2010 as we present "A Summer Retreat"

Once summer arrives, I know it's time to plan a visit to my favorite summer retreat. That's where I go to enjoy all the simple pleasures of summer in the ideal setting. Whether I stay for a few days or for a few weeks, I always feel like I've traveled back in time to my childhood, to carefree days that ask nothing of me except to be enjoyed.

Here I don't have to follow the rules of decorating. I can put all my favorite items together, in whatever fashion I wish. Old pieces of furniture and accessories that no longer fit into my décor at home combine perfectly here. Somehow they make everything look welcoming and homey. On lazy afternoons, I love to stretch out on an old couch, now slip-covered in white, surrounded by cushions that would be called "mismatched" anywhere else. Here they're the perfect accessory for long summer days with nothing on the schedule. A summer breeze coming through the open window makes the lace curtains sway and I take a deep breath of the fresh summer air.
 The shelves and tables are filled with my favorite summer things. Glass vases filled with flowers I picked on my morning walk. Vintage framed prints that remind me of a quieter, gentler time. My favorite books and magazines close at hand. Each carefully chosen because of the peace and comfort it adds to my summer sanctuary.

Mealtimes are always casual occasions, served on pieces of mismatched china. I don't even set a table when company comes. We carry our dishes - some vintage pieces with pink rosebuds and some more modern - out to the patio table. As the evening cools, we linger over tea and pleasant conversation.

A summer retreat should be an escape from your everyday cares and concerns, filled with all your favorite summer things. However you envision your summer retreat this year, you'll find everything you need to create one of your own at Make Mine Pink.

Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Photo Contribution 1: istock photo

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 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

Make Mine Pink "Cherished Memories" A Shopping Event!

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday May 14th 2010 as we present "Cherished Memories"

I love to surround myself with treasures from the past. They often remind me of my favorite people and some of my favorite moments in time. I hope to pass these memories down to my own children and grandchildren one day.

Like so many others, I've kept a family album of old photographs, yellowed with age. Some of the faces I remember from long ago. There are weddings and births, laughing voices and forever romances recorded in these images. They are moments that live on because I remember.

One of my favorite things is Dad's old pocket watch. The hands of time are still moving, although a little slower than before. I remember him pulling the watch from his pocket so many times. Then there is Grandma's unfinished needlepoint. It’s wrapped in tissue and sitting at the bottom of an old wooden chest. Her fingers now lie still, but I remember the long chats we had while I watched as she stitched her beautiful designs. Having these treasures nearby makes me feel as if they are still near.

Even the heirlooms and antiques I find at the flea market have special meaning for me. The old French perfume bottles that line my bedroom shelf were perhaps a gift to an elegant lady from a doting admirer or loving husband. A collection of antique silver spoons that I use on special occasions, were perhaps a gift to a young bride. A cozy quilt stitched from well-loved clothing inspires me to imagine the garments the squares of fabric came from, and the people who once wore them.

When my daughters and children come to dinner, I set the table with my mother's favorite tablecloth and china, and aways have something to tell them my favorite childhood anecdotes and stories that were once told to me. It seems fitting to share my cherished memories while creating new ones of our own. Memories that will mingle together, both old and new, and continue to be passed down for generations to come







Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink


Photo Contribution 1: Forget Me Not Dreams | Photo Contribution 2: Grandma G's | Photo Contribution 3: The Antique Boutique 

Pink Vintage Hanky Apron Baby Onesie

A Sweet Baby Gift for New Baby - Lucious Pinks! - Gorgeous Roses! 

Perfect for Spring - Summer - and Those Precious Baby Pictures!

Find it at Cameo Kids Boutique

MMP Friday Shopping event April 30th "Blossoms and Blooms"

Cameo Kids Boutique and MMP Cordially Invite You to Come Shop The Make Mine Pink Shopping Event On Friday, April 30th, 2010 "Blossoms and Blooms"

The beautiful blossoms and blooms of spring refresh my senses and feed my soul. They usher in warmer days of working in the garden, taking tea on the porch with friends, placing fresh cut flowers in vases throughout the house. Both indoors and out, I love to surround myself with blossoms and blooms and all the pleasures of spring.

Outside in the garden, my cheery plot of bright red tulips is among the first to bloom. In the middle of their friendly faces, I plant a ceramic plaque with the words "Welcome friends." Spring birds, attracted to the rainbow of colors blooming in my yard, inspire me to add pretty painted birdhouses and wrought iron birdbaths so they'll feel at home.

Blossoms and blooms are flourishing inside the house too. They grow along the edge of the vintage linen tablecloth I put on the table each spring, in carefully placed threads of pink, red and green. A garden of spring flowers decorates the notepaper and envelopes I keep handy on my writing table and floral shaped soaps rest on an antique dish at the edge of the bath. In my china cabinet,
dainty roses and buds encircle much treasured, heirloom teacups and plates.

In my bedroom, another spring garden comes to life. French ribbon roses adorn a favorite pillow. Hand built ceramic roses, replace tired and worn drawer pulls on a favorite vanity. A delicate floral pattern dances around the edge of the vintage handkerchief draped over a lamp shade close by the bed. On the bed, a needlepoint pillow displays pink stargazer lilies surrounded by burgundy roses. I'm almost certain the fragrance of spring hangs in the air as I fall asleep each night.

Blossoms and blooms, wherever they may be found, are the heralds of a new season – one filled with sunny days, dear friends, vibrant colors and rich musical sounds. In their presence, life seems more beautiful and my soul feels more alive.

Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Photo Contribution 1: Forget Me Not Dreams | Photo Contribution 2: Shabby Shan's Cottage | Photo Contribution 3: Angel Heart Designs

Part 3: Journey from Recycled Vintage to Heirloom Little Girls Dress

 The Final End to the "Journey from Recycled Vintage to Heirloom Little Girl's Dress"

Vintage Pillowcase Dress and Pink Vintage Chenille Pantaloons

It is Done!!!

It started with this:

Then we added a bit of pink and green color to the embroidery and hand embroidered the little girls name in:

Next the transformation to a dress:

Add the 2die4 pretty pink vintage squiggly chenille pantaloons:

AND......TADA!!!

The set is finished and on its last journey to its new owner!

Isn't it amazing how an old pillowcase can become such a sweet little girls dress, and it's pack full of vintage charm and history too! {cloudy day so picture didn't turn out so good :( }.

See Part 1 of the Journey Here
See Part 2 of the Journey Here

No matter how many dresses I've made, I'm always amazed with their unique beauty and charm, and how sweet they are as dresses. It thrills me to know that they have a new life where others can enjoy their beauty for another day and hopefully alot of tomorrows too.
THE END

Thanks for sharing in the journey!
TaTa for Now!
Debi 

"A Few of our Favorite Things"

Whenever I come across one of my favorite things, I feel a sudden flutter. Do you know the the feeling? It's a little thrill that tells me this is something special. Maybe it's a memory that the item brings to mind or perhaps it's just the way it catches the sunlight. Maybe you’re not really sure what it is about this particular item, you just recognize the pleasure it gives you when you see it.

Whimsical treasures always stir that feeling in me. Faux pastries iced with lace and trimmed with vintage laces, pink polkadots on cupcakes and tiaras on clocks, things I only imagined in places I never expected. Vintage china pieces hand painted with roses, just like the ones my grandmother used to set, create that same inexplicable feeling of delight. Table linens in particular, remind me of the special teas I shared with her so many years ago.
 
Almost anything with a pretty scent is on my list of favorite things. Beautifully wrapped scented soaps, displayed in a ceramic bathtub, covered in roses. Sometimes I'll tuck and extra fragrant bar into a drawer to add a bit of fragrance to my clothing.

In the bedroom, armfuls of flower-covered pillows are piled on the bed - the more the better. Dainty hankies draped over the shade of a favorite bedroom lamp, create just the right lighting for a summer night. A crystal vase placed on a table in the center of the room sparkles in the sunlight and makes me smile when it catches my eye.

Favorite things come in all shapes and sizes, colors and scents. Whatever stirs that little flutter in you, you're sure to discover it at




Make Mine Pink.
Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday April 16th 2010 as we present "A Few of our Favorite Things"

Photo Contribution 1: The Pink Rose Cottage| Photo Contribution 2: GaiL Friend Designs| Photo Contribution 3: Angel Heart Designs