All Dolled Up!

Nautical Inspirations

What is it about sail boats?  I LOVE sailboats!  I have terrible motion sickness and have never actually been on a sail boat so I am sure I am idealizing here but I find the sheer idea of them to be so romantic!  

I am smitten with this image from Country Living.  

I have 2 yards of fabric in the same sail boat print as the wallpaper.  I just can't wait to make a valance for our guest bathroom with it!  

And there is nothing nautical about this little dining room but it is so pretty I'm posting it anyways.  What can I say...I'm pooped.  Okay, back to work! 

Cece

Lazily perusing

After a long and arduous day, little makes me happier than strolling around the internet soaking up beauty and inspiration.  Whatever did we do before the internet?  I know I use to consume many more magazines, that's for sure.  But with such delightful images to be discovered online, I have a much harder time sacrificing trees for my entertainment.  

I've received a slow trickle of comments lately.  Shamefully, I have not been responding.  Please know, I sincerely and deeply appreciate each visitor and each kind sentiment!  I will be my sociable self again soon...

Now, for some eye candy in no order whatsoever; just a happy hodgepodge of images that have been residing on my desk top.  

(Laura Ashley) 

(bhg)

This dining room is so cozy and sweet!  I love the soft floral print.  I would think it would overwhelm such a small space but it is so soft it is just delightful.  I especially love the sunflower painting on the wall.  Make that love love love the sunflower painting! (bhg)

(bhg)

(bhg)

That lavender wall is just so pretty.  (bhg)

Lavender and buttercup yellow are such a pretty combination that you don't see very often.  Notice the hand painting on the vintage bed and the beautiful bird cage stand supporting the chandeleir.  (bhg)

Such a colorful and sweet glimpse of this cottage kitchen.  Lovely soft and cheerful colors.  Note the unframed painting of geraniums propped up in the shelves.  I want to add more paintings to my vignettes particularly in such a nonchalant manner.  (bhg) 

Not a clue where this image came from.  I really am on a unique kitchen kick! 

Such lovely unusual hues and color combinations.  A very evolved look with such cultivated style.  (Country Homes via Yvestown)

This makes me really want majolica.  I especially love the little yellow cups.  And that hand painted tile!

(bhg)

What a delightful vacation house spirit this little porch has!  I'm especially smitten with the paned window and flower box.  (coastalliving.com)

 (loveliette.com)

I could never have too many sweet floral prints! (countryliving.com)

(dena.com) I especially like the hand painted desk.

Speaking of hand painted; this bed is just the sweetest!  Painted by the spirited, lovely, and super talented Angela from angelahenrie.blogspot.com; a new blog I just happened upon today.  

I saved this image because I love the scalloped moulding.  I think it might be even sweeter if it was used as crown.  

Every cozy home should have a little wicker I think.  What is it about wicker?  I just love wicker!  I have a feeling my dear Hubby does not share this sentiment.  (bhg) 

This room is a bit dated but I like it anyways.  

Someday, somewhere, I will have floral wall paper.  I had delightful floral wall paper when I was little.  It was big yellow cabbage roses with cascading ribbons.  I love it to this day and wish I still had it!  This image came from angelahenrie.blogspot.com.  

(via hidden in france) 

(via hiddeninfrance)  Oh, France!  No need for me to wax poetic, photos of France speak for themselves! 

Ahhh...much better.  A little eye candy at the end of my day is just what I needed.  Now to bed.    

 

   

Big Puff Ball

That is what I am feeling like...a big puffy ball.  Some medical stuff I am working through is making me feel about as svelte as this...

Except, I am not cute and furry so that just leaves me to be puffy.  (Puffy is code word for fat.  Doesn't Puffy sound so much nicer!)  And, since that is not enough, I am an emotional basket case as well.  Oh, yes, the hormones are taking their toll.  On a lighter and more pleasant note, this has spurred me to learn how to meditate a bit.  Ahhhh...the art of zoning out!  I was a skeptic but am slowly becoming a convert.  Immensely helpful when you are stressed or just generally freaking out!  And, a little drama in ones personal life really forces you to prioritize don't you think?  Drama at work?  Whatever!  Not going to get involved!  Some family upsets?  Rolling with it, not going to take it on!  So, I am learning some healthy lessons and skills along this journey.  

Happy July 4th!  Have lots of fun wherever you are and whatever you may be up to! 

Cece 

Isn't it sweet?

This petite painting in it's petite oval frame makes me smile with it's sweetness.  

Takes me back to our honeymoon in France and the B&B we stayed at.  Why or why didn't I take photos of the interior of the B&B?!  I'm sure it was because I was (and am) so enamored with my new husband that France and all it's beauty played second fiddle.  Our quaint quarters delighted me with sweet little touches reminiscent of this painting.  

  

Cottage Cottage Cottage!

That is what my husband exclaims as he walks by me perusing the internet intently.  Oh, he knows me well.  Yes, I am a wee bit obsessed.  Daily I allocate a bit of time to peruse the internet in search of inspiring images.  As far as vices and hobbies go, this is not a bad one!  It is free, green, and thoroughly enjoyable!  

These are just some random but oh so lovely images I've recently happened upon.  

(home decor exchange)  So light and cozy!  

(home decor exchange)  I've always wanted a isle.  That one is lovely as is the yellow hutch.  

(home decor exchange)  I love everything about this room!  All of the colors, red, yellow, blue, touches of green, and all with pretty much the same color intensity so none outshines the others and your eyes just dance around.  

(home decor exchange)  Keeping to one color enables you to play with patterns.  I spot 5 fabrics just on that one little bench but it looks so cohesive because they are the same blue just in varying shades.  

(bhg)  Such a lovely un-designed bed!  Matchy matchy bedding is one of my biggest pet peeves.  This is lovely and cozy! 

(bhg) Often times, we forget about art in bathrooms.  Or at least that is what I have noticed about clients homes.  I find it so charming how this bathroom has a mixture of paintings/prints.  This highly functional space is so cozy and personal.  

And the random cute doggy photo.  This little pooch has had a proud place on my desktop for quite some time now.  I don't know where she came from but just looking at her on her little tuffet makes me so happy!  She reminds me of a more foofoo version of my little Ginger.  

I am off to get a much needed cup of joe.  I'm so spent it is just ridiculous!  I need a kick in the pants via caffeine I'm afraid to jump start my productivity!  

Have a great day!  

Cece

red white and cozy

Red and white is such a peppy combination for a kitchen.  Our kitchen is white with red accents and jadeite green walls.  I have carried this over into our family room which is turning out to be so colorful and cheerful and will make a wonderful play room for our future little ones.  (I plan ahead...alot.)  

The nostalgic idealist in me loves this. 

(via retro renovation)

These images from Country Living made me squeil with happiness! 

Dear Daisy Cottage (one of the greatest of all blogs!) found this sweet valance for $2!  It brings to mind a square dancing skirt! 

There is a lot of stuff in that little space but the hoosier is so sweet!  I love the tulip stencils! (jipsi from flickr) 

And no red and white kitchen would be complete without a Cece Marie red and white apron!  (I'm biased for sure about this!)

 

Off to my own red and white kitchen I go to prepare a little lunch.  

Ciao! 

Cute little websites

I miss my little business Cece Marie so so much.  It has been on the back burner so to speak for quite awhile now and my attention has been devoted to my regular job, home, and personal stuff.  

I have so many ideas though and know in my heart that when the time is right, I will get back to my little cottage business that I love so much.  

I've recently happened upon a couple of websites that I think are just darling and make me extra excited to get back to work on mine!  

The Baby Gardner is super cute.  Darling site and sweet goods.  

They have a darling assortment of accessories, stationary, and all sorts of goodies for baby.  

 Acorn and Will is another sweet little site that just makes me happy right now.  

Well, off to work I go.  Have a lovely day all!  

Just add green

I love green.  I guess it is just my favorite go to color.  It goes with everything, works for any season, is warm or cool but always evokes the earth in some way.  

These are some of my favorite recent cottage images and they all have green in some way or another.  They are all fresh and they make me happy.  

(Coastal Living) 

(hgtv) 

(Mackenzie Child's) 

(hgtv rate my space) 

Have a cozy cottage kind of day!  

Lovely and Romantic Bedrooms

Now that downstairs is coming together (with some minor hiccups!) I am diverting my design attention, make that obsession! to upstairs.  So far I have purchased fabrics for the windows and bed but have yet to get to work on sewing with them.  I am going for a classic french or delft blue and white theme with hopefully butter yellow walls.  Here are some images that have inspired me along the way.  

I love that bed!  What a headboard!  

I love the bedrooms above but will definitely be countering the coolness of the blue with some warm yellow in our room.  

I love the needlepoint pillows! 

(via google images, source?) 

The mix of soft florals and vintage quilting is so quaint and lovely! 

I think this room is so romantic.  I would recommend painting the prominent ceiling a richer shade of vanilla more in keeping with the background on the wallpaper; just my two cents.  

I find that green to be so soft and soothing.  I'm finding my palette evolving to being more cozy and restful. 

I love those butter cream walls above the wainscoting.  

What a wonderful collection of cottage pastorals!  I really like the simple pine (or maple?) furnishings.  And white matelasse is a perennial favorite of mine.  

Wow, so lady like.  This bedroom makes me think of a Southern Belle who likes to throw garden parties.  I just love it although I know it would be a bit too much for me to live with...well maybe not, I do love it!  No sense in pondering that though as I know it would be totally out of the question if I want to keep Richard's sanity! 

I am working so hard painting that I am just hobbling about exhausted!  I'm totally worn out!  I'm looking forward to going to work tomorrow since it entails less work than on my days off! 

Ciao for now! 

(last image is from Cote de Texas and the rest are from Country Living.)  

        

The sweetest of simple window treatments

Still obsessed with finding the perfectly unperfect window treatments.  Ideally, sweet and pretty while having a ease about them; not too fussy.  I love these images from Country Living. 

I need red pom poms; they are just too cute!