Greetings friends and happy Friday !  I’m having one of those ‘there aren’t enough hours in the day’ weeks, ever feel like that ?   So I just keep repeating Ellen’s mantra in ‘Finding Nemo’, “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming. . . ”  It works for me.  :-) 

Anyway, I have the loveliest giveaway for you today !  We all love to feather our nest with attractive accessories, and accent pillows are the perfect way to spruce up your home.   Today’s giveaway is brought to you by Fabricadabra.  What I love about this company are the modern fabrics made with all natural fibers.  Fabricadabra’s pillows have been featured in Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, In Style, and Everyday with Rachael Ray magazines.  See all the buzz right here !

Fabricadabra is offering three winners their choice of one pillow cover from their beautiful collection.  Here’s just a few examples of the designer pillows available.

Three lucky winners get to make their choice of one decorative pillow cover from Fabricadabra, yep, three winners !  If you’d like to get your hands on one, here’s how.

Eligibility to win one of three decorative pillow covers from Fabricadabra:

1)  Hop on over to check out Fabricadabra’s pillow covers and pick your favorite!  Come back and tell us in a comment which one you’d choose if you won. 

2) For a second chance to win, link to this giveaway on Facebook, and come back and leave your profile link in another comment.

3) For an third chance to win, tweet this giveaway on Twitter, then come back and leave your Twitter name in a comment with the words “I Tweeted”. 

That’s all folks !  Giveaway ends Tuesday April 20th at 8 pm PST.  Three winners to be chosen by Random.org. 

Good luck !

I’ve got several projects I’m working on, and I’m hoping to show you soon.  Until then, have a fabulous weekend !

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There’s something about nature in bloom in April that gets everyone thinking and talking about color.  I confess, with spring in the air and summer on the horizon, I’m looking around my house for ways to inject pops of color here and there as well. 

So as you know from yesterday’s musings about thrift store hunting, like many of you, I have an addiction to fixing up furniture.  The other day I stumbled across a company called Somerset Bay that uses color on their pieces in the most incredible way and I was completely inspired.   Brace yourself, because these colors will have you wanting to run to the paint store to refinish one of your own in a similar fresh spring shade.       

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There’s really very little reason for me to stalk the furniture department at the local thrift store since my house is already full of pieces I’ve dragged home and refinished.  But I can’t stay away, much to the chagrin of my poor husband.  He can’t even park in our garage because of the half dozen pieces I have yet to turn my attention to.  I can’t help it !  I have some sort of addiction – a crazy soft spot in my heart for rejected objects.  

Today, I couldn’t drive past the parking lot, I just had to pull in.  Some people window shop high end boutiques.  Me?  I get my kicks exploring the furniture department at the thrift store, and dreaming of what things could become.   

Like this headboard.  I would pop out the four inside frames, they are a little too busy for me.  Then I’d do one of two things.  I’d add pretty appliqués to the four remaining sections and paint it distressed cream with a hint of the dark wood showing through in spots.  Or I’d skip the appliqués and go in a different, bolder direction.  Perhaps paint this baby in a semi gloss indigo shade, then attach nailhead trim to the outer framing and place it in a master bedroom up against a wallpapered accent wall and hang a bold metallic starburst mirror above.  So glam !

Or this little cabinet.  Someone emailed me the other day about making a wine cabinet, and this is the perfect little candidate.  I would retrofit the bottom with diagonal shelving to hold wine bottles, then attach chrome hanging glass racks to the top.  I’d repaint its damaged surface in black, replace the hardware with some blingy crystal knobs, then add a mirrored tray to the top.  Ready for entertaining !  Trés chic. 

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March and April give us their fair share of rain, and it seems this year we’ve had more than ever !  I get cabin fever when it rains, so whenever the sun peeks through, I love to take long drives down country roads and explore the rural terrain. 

Usually I make my way to downtown Sonoma for a stroll and a day in the park.  Whenever I take a drive, I always bring my camera !  Here’s a few of my favorite photos of a country drive to Sonoma.

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Ladies and gents, Mother’s Day is less than a month away, yes it’s true !  May 9th is quickly approaching, so it’s time to think about all the special moms in your life, and what better gift than a personalized piece of jewelry she will surely love from The Vintage Pearl ! 

There will be two lucky winners of today’s giveaway – each will receive a $50 dollar gift certificate to purchase something very special.  Take a peek at this small sampling of these hand stamped sterling silver pieces available. 

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