Hand-Painted Decoupage Clock for our Mother!

My sister, Andrea, and I made this hand-painted decoupage clock for our mother's Christmas gift...she is going to LOVE it! We took an inexpensive clock and painted it with our mother's favorite color "pink". Since we wanted to display photos of us with Andrea's baby boy Bobby (our mother's first grandchild), we figured that a lovely metallic blue was perfect! Andrea printed off some of our favorite pictures of all of us and I painted the clock and pasted everything on it (including number stickers and grandma-themed scrapbook sticker embellishments). After everything was completed a took a some glossy Mod Podge and painted over the entire outside part of the clock to make the pink very pretty and shiny!
This is the adorable picture of cute baby Bobby at the top of the clock. He is partaking in some "tummy time"...I love to join in on the fun with him!

Vintage Paper Ephemera Prints and How I Beautifully Store Them!

I am now selling vintage paper ephemera prints and ads! I will be adding more to my "Eco-Friendly Freckles" shop soon! Above is a vintage Christmas Coca-Cola ad and below is one of my prints from a sixties Barbie magazine!
I purchased this lovely floral box for safely storing my vintage prints...and I love it! I got it at Ross, but I bet you can find some similar on Etsy!
When I was going through some of my vintage sixties magazines, I found a lovely image of a woman in her bathroom amongst all of her elegant perfume bottles in a vintage Better Homes and Garden's magazine...I love the colors in this image and the lady's sixties hairstyle! I love it so much that I framed it and now it is on display in my bathroom!You can find all of my vintage paper ephemera prints here in my Etsy Shop:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ecofriendlyfreckles?section_id=7551986

Our Christmas Tree Houseplant

My husband, Joe, and I didn't have a Christmas tree so my darling grandmother "Nana" Sharee got us this beautiful, living pine tree/plant that thrives indoors with partial sunlight! We can keep this botanical beauty year round, and when Christmas time rolls around we can decorate it with festive Christmas lights and ornaments! Here is a picture of our angel on the top of our tree (it has been in our family since my sister, Andrea, and I were little girls).
...Even our girl kitty, Nozomi, likes our Christmas tree/houseplant!

The Nutcracker Suite and the Sugar Plum Fairies

My darling sister, Andrea, and I took a blessed baby boy Bobby (my nephew and Andrea's dearly loved son) to one of the historic and charming parts of Tulsa: Utica Square. We stopped here for lunch to meet our grandmother Sharee (Bobby's great-grandmother). Before our lunch engagement, we noticed some delightful Christmas motionettes in an adorable Nutcracker Suite themed display joyously dancing around. We just couldn't pass this up...we had to get some pictures with Bobby by this festive display: above is Momma with Bobby, and below is myself with Bobby...we love him so very much!
Ever since I was a little girl, my favorite characters from the Nutcracker Suite were the sugar plum fairies. I remember as young girls, Andrea and I went to see the ballet "The Nutcracker"; I was amazed by the beauty of the dancing sugar plum fairies. Let's take a moment to enjoy the warmth and comfort of our cozy atmosphere away from the cold winter air and admire the beauty of the Sugar Plum Fairies...here are my favorite picks that I found on Etsy. ;-)

"The Sugar Plum Fairy Gift Tags" by Mulberry Muse

"Sugar Plum - Pink Tulle Clip" by Which Goose

"Sugar Plum Fairy Tutu" by Little Dreamers Inc

"The Nutcracker Party Crown" by Glam Hatter

Celebrating My 300 Blog Follower Milestone!

The elegant image above is a "Vintage Print on an Antique Book Page 8.5 x 12.5 Champagne Toast" by Glass Lion Studio.

Woo hoo! I have reached another blogging milestone: 300 blog followers! In celebration of this grand achievement, let's have a toast of one of my favorite bubblies...that is actually very healthy for you!

Kombucha! Fermented, bubbly, healthy, and delicious...so spectacular it should be served in a champagne flute! I am now selling organic kombucha scobies with starter tea in my Etsy shop Eco-Friendly Freckles...these baby scobies come from my homebrewed-with-love batch of kombucha!

Vintage Cigar Boxes: Fun and Decorative Storage!

Need a place to store those loose odds and ends?! How about a classy, cool vintage cigar box?!
Cigar boxes are the perfect size for storing pens/pencils, matches, jewelry, etc. I am currently using two cigar boxes in my house; one for storing incense resins (pictured above) and the other for storing my husband's guitar accessories and harmonicas (pictured below). The vintage Muriel cigar box I have pictured above had some damage on the inside of the box so I covered it up nicely by draping a piece of black satin over the bottom.
Cigar boxes are also a unique and fun way to display hors d'oeuvres; great for a cocktail party...and even better for a Moulin Rouge themed party! Just place a piece of wax paper on the inside of the cigar box and you are good to go!Here is a swanky vintage cigar box that I have listed in my Etsy shop...

Vintage Bering Imperials Cigar Box

It's Read a New Book Month! My Pick: Organizing from the Inside Out

December is Read-A-New-Book Month! To celebrate this occasion, I would love to share with you all a book that I just can't put down..."Organizing from the Inside Out" by Julie Morgenstern. This book not only motivates me to organize my home and office but it also helps me take a look at my own personality, traits, and desires so I can figure out the most effective and personally pleasing way for me to organize my space and for me to want and enjoy keeping it that way! I encourage you all to purchase or check out this book at your local library so you can finally feel comfortable in your own space and instantly find what you are looking for with ease!

Hey there all of you crafty ladies and Etsy shop owners...I am talking to you! You all have got to check out this awesome book! ;-) Improving your organization skills may assist you in the success of your Etsy shop business as well as give you a more stress-free lifestyle...don't we all want that!

One of the organizing tips in this book that totally makes since to me it to use storage containers that fit your style, interest you, and make you smile...doing this will make organizing fun you and therefore easier to maintain. Here are some beautiful storage organizers that I found on Etsy that just might get some wheels turning in your head; but remember READ THIS BOOK before you start diving in so you will not make organizing mistakes that will take you off track...or you will end up back where you are now!

"Antique and Vintage Farm or Tool Crate - Wood Shelf" by Honey's Treasures

"Primitive Shelf, Coat Rack, Double Vase in Shabby Green - Home Organizer, Hat Rack, Coat Hooks, Key Holder" by TR Woodworks

"Antique Wood Magazine Rack" by Kizzyrayan123

"Vintage Coca-Cola Crate" by Riff Raff Review

"Hat Boxes - Stack of Four (4 boxes) Elegant Textured Leopard Pattern Miniature Millinery" by Petit Chapelier Emporium

...and lastly one of my own creations! A hand-painted upcycled decoupage canister makes a wonderful storage tin for your pens/pencils/paintbrushes, buttons/scissors/sewing supplies, spools of ribbons and lace, kitchen utensils, candle sticks, and many more uses...just use your organizing imagination!
"Paulie's Confession - Hand-Painted Upcycled Decoupage Decor Canister" by Eco-Friendly Freckles