~ Birthday eye Candy ~

HI Ladies! I'll start this post with a *warning *, it's filled with super eye candy :) It's a collection of things that inspired me this week and all I could do was GASP at each one. I hope you enjoy it too! I respect we all have different tastes, and in that case, I'll just say you had to peel ME off the floor on some of them. :) My week was spent making miniatures of course, but I allowed myself some blog surfing too. My Birthday is this Friday and I'm trying to reward myself with as much inspiration searching as possible. Simply because that's what makes me smile..... and after 49 years ( well almost ) I think it was much needed :) My mind is now spinning with things I want to create in miniature and it's almost scary how much I love making them. I even wake up sometimes in the middle of the night to jot down an idea, so that's how I can tell I'm loving it :) Ok on with the post...

I adore Elyse from Tinkered Treasures and her friendship over the time we started emailing has meant so much to me, she really is the sweetest! I know most of you know her, but if you don't, you must :) I emailed her after buying some of her sweet boxes and asked if she could possibly do some cake and cookie boxes for me. I wanted to send off my Miniatures in style to whomever purchased them. So she said she'd whip some up for me and that's where my first * gasp * of the week began :)!! Above and below is what she sent me and they look like little Christmas gifts next to a bakers table I just finished making. O M G Elyse! You are amazing! You knew exactly what colors I love and you also gave them that quaint cottage bakery touch I love too!! Thank you Thank you! I'll be emailing you later to place my order, you are fabulous! It gives me a chance to give a little something extra too, and who doesn't love that? Thank you again sweetie!

More eye candy..... and my Birthday wish list :)

Mom if you're reading this, wouldn't Sunday dinners at my house be so much more festive if you bought me this apron below? Hmmm, the pearls too? I've always wanted a Jessie Steele apron ....and look, She is carrying a cake and it's not tiny either, lol ( That's a reference to the fact that every Sunday I have my Mom over for dinner and lately the kitchen table is covered in mini's and not table-settings ) Note: I promise I'll find a place for them :)

My inspiration searching also brought me back as always to Lidy's French Garden House, this bag below is perfect for a market day. Fall on Long Island is filled with weekend markets! Jams, pies, vegetables, honey, apples etc. So I need one of these too. :)

For some reason this week I've found sites I've never come across before and when I'm there, I'm so glad I found it! Do you know Meggy Moos? I didn't until now and the kitchen-ware is so sweet. They have such unique vintage items too. (As a side note, I'm bringing these sites to my blog only in a complimentary way, I haven't been paid to endorse them or advertise for them ). The funny thing is , I was actually searching Jam Jars as inspiration for my next miniature project when all these sites were found, I got distracted and trailed off lol.....You know how that happens :)

Soooo sweet!


Then another *gasp*! I have seen this before , ( below )but finally got to the original source. For me, this was the complete inspiration I was looking for , lined shelves with pretty papers, beautiful items and pies... Perfect :) I want everything here... In my big girl home and on my Mini project "to-do" list also! It's from a Summer wedding blog and the wedding company was Gloria Wong Designs. Boy can she design or what? Fabulous. The photo credit goes to Lisa Lefkowitz. Stunning!


This one below is where I fell off my chair :) So So pretty... It took my mind into over-drive on ideas and I can't wait to make one just like it!

I've also tried to find some time this week to work on my own dollhouse, but that didn't happen yet. I've picked out a spot in my family room where I'll move it. After I've got the lighting kit finished , I'll get a turntable for it and hopefully it will be done. Until then, I created a mood board to keep on file for the "look" I want it to have when it's finished. This would work for any home , big or small :)

Back to shopping.... I adore this chalkboard below. I found this picture on a site that is no longer in business, but if I get another day off soon, it will be to find this and bring it right into my kitchen....

and this .... such pretty sheets and down comforter!

( Vintage Home )

This mirror below is perfect for my bedroom, maybe one day :)

Now on to a little cooking and baking inspiration... This blog below is new to me, and the photography is gorgeous as are the recipes! Fall makes me want to cook and bake all day, and there's no shortage of blogs to suit that, but this one really seemed to make it easy and organized. I'll be back to visit it often! *Kitchen Musings*. I love the styling too!


I also made this bakery table below this week, and it was so much fun to create! I think for me , with Designing "real" homes, I was always at the mercy of what was out there to decorate a clients house with. And while there isn't much shortage on beautiful designs and furniture and accessory choices, I was still limited sometimes. I adored the custom end of Interior Design because it allowed me to draw up what I needed to be made. But that too was only for certain clients. So with miniatures, I've found a way to design and make whatever I want, and that pleases me to no end. I like it so much I actually "name" some of my projects : ) Ok you can tell me here to snap out of it, lol. But I don't think I'll listen :)

This one is appropriately named: " Sweet as Pie"


I loved lining the little drawers too...

Not everything that is sold in our big girl world is made in mini's, so I'm also designing some small versions of things for my collections. I took my butter dish that I love and tried my hand it at and I was pretty pleased with the results..

( My fav Butter dish ... real size )

( the 1" scale version I made )

With the holidays coming up next month, ( yikes! ) I'm going to do a few of these from below for my Etsy shop and ALSO for my dinners with big people. :) I heart the bakery sign, yummy sweet!


Now here is my last , but not least , *super uber gasp *! Maybe I am the last to know? I don't know, but whatever the case, I cannot say enough about this blog and website! Would it be stalker-ish to call her my hero? Ok maybe :) But I just swooned over every, and I mean EVERY inch of her website! It's a blog style website and honestly, you will be so happy you made the trip to England in the virtual sense. I promise.

I'm a very "wordy" person as most of you know or if you're new here, you'll find out soon enough. BUT I am actually speechless. Where do I begin? Ok I'll keep it as short as possible: Fabulous delicious recipes, country living to the prettiest extent, gorgeous eye candy and inspiration, real down to earth writing, great great ideas! I'll stop there and let you find out the rest for yourself. Cherry you are simply fabulous!

All pictures are from her site, so grab a cup of tea or a glass of wine and enjoy! You'll be there awhile I think :) Click this link: Cherry Menlove



I adore this idea above , wrapping my herbs and spices in pretty fabrics and labels? Love it! Be sure to stop by her blog, I'm sure you'll adore it. There's something there for everyone!

Well friends, I hope you enjoyed a little bit of your day being inspired too!

Hugs and love,

Cynthia xo

~ Miniature love ~

HI girls! It's been a busy week here, I've been up to my elbows baking all week. Baking mini's that is :) I've been designing homes (for big girls ) for almost 16+ years now and while I have loved almost every moment of that, it can also be stressful at times too, deadlines, project management, dealing with Contractors both good and bad, I've seen it all and yes, it's a wonderfully creative field and does have so many good sides to it. But after all these years, I think I've found something that I love even more. It all started when I had bought my daughter a beautiful dollhouse years ago and we furnished and designed it together. Making things for it in my spare time was so much fun. I never wanted the day to end. It was pure play for an adult like me :) Then after my daughter became a teenager and we put it up in the attic, I thought my obsession was done. Nope :) A trip recently into our locally famous dollhouse store re-sparked my obsession all over again. With Melanie or not, I was going to finish it. The cutest part of that day was when she walked in from school and saw it all laid out , boxes of goodies and the house itself ...she couldn't resist reminiscing over each piece. It tugged at my heart strings to know we all still have that little girl inside us, no matter what age. So with that thought in mind, I've set out on my Mini journey again. And as a side note, packing up and mailing little packages of treasures is far nicer than the fabric books that used to take up every inch of my house and car too ;)! I received an email last week from a sweet follower that said she designed her kitchen sink skirt after one I posted about from my dollhouse a couple of weeks ago, and I cannot tell you how happy that made me. I'm inspired by so many things, blogs, magazines, books, homes etc , and if I can do that for someone else? Then I'm over the top happy. Visiting people's kitchen's last week during the "Heart of the Home" party was inspirational to me too, I made the vignette above based on my love of Red in the kitchen and cozy cottage accessories. I hope you love my Mini's as much as I loved making them. Lets play house :)Here's a few new items I've made this week and some fun filled mini vignettes too.


I loved making the cupcakes above, they were from my favorite bakery and they had a sign under them: "Sweet Magnolia Pinks", I loved the name :) So I set out to make a few in Mini. Melanie asked if I could attempt them in a big girl edible version? Hmm, lol, I might give it a try, if I do, I'll put my favorite cupcake recipe here in a post. ( these have already sold in my Etsy, but I plan on making more )!

I think most every body knows how much I love decorating hutches, but in Mini, it's just as fun! Although, I'm learning to watch out with my shirt sleeves , you can't imagine how many things I make fall by trying to change things around. lol..

Cookie's anyone? I made them just for you!

My shabby chic dining room (below ) is a perfect spot for a little afternoon Tea ;)

I'd love to find a working fireplace insert for this fireplace below, I know I've seen one, but I can't remember where. ? If anyone knows, I'd be so grateful for a link! A mini electric glow or something that flickers?? A little glow from a fire and a tea sound perfect to me!

I've always loved these little glass cake stands and sweet trays, ( below ) they are so pretty in person and so well made.

The longest part of my week was spent designing ,baking and putting together this "Breakfast at Tiffany's" table below. I was inspired by a book I had on buffet settings, and the theme was a cross between Paris style and Shabby Chic. But to me, it was imagined that I was eating cake and sweet rolls for breakfast in a boutique hotel in NY ;) I love a little Elegance mixed in with a causal feel. Even in big girl design too ;)

Cake for breakfast? Of Course!



I designed the table similar to my own kitchen table. But in the miniature world you can have German glass glitter ( in soft gold ) adorning the blue stripes and not worry about eating it by accident, so I added some to give it a whimsical touch :)

I hope you enjoyed my little tour of vignettes and goodies..and I'll leave you with some yellow raspberry filled cake. I hope you enjoy! It's Perfect for my diet :)


Lotsa love and blessings to you!!

Hugs,

Cynthia xo

~ Heart of the Home Party ~

Hi Everyone! I'm joining in on Note Songs wonderful "Heart of the Home Party"! What fun! Since the kitchen has always been my favorite part of the house and even though I do blog about it often, this gave me a chance to go through pictures of mine and pull out my favorites! I just found out about it, so forgive me if they are a bit of "this and that", but that's what my kitchen is anyway: a bit of this and bit of that :) Grab a hot coco or some tea and come along! Click the link above or this announcement below to see all the other creative and fabulous kitchens and join in the fun! ( above is my kitchen island, made from my childhood desk )

This is my very functional and much needed kitchen island.... I just added a different paint color to the bottom part and left the top wood to create more of a kitchen island feel. I added a bottom and some caster wheels and it's been one of my favorite little transformations to the kitchen!

Fresh flowers by the sink are a must :)

And Vintage aprons near by...


Cooking is a passion of mine, so I've been collecting bowls and kitchen ware for long time. The vintage pieces add such nostalgia to even the most modern kitchens and I adore finding that unique piece to fit the bill. Sometimes I just steal them from my Mom lol and others I find in my travels. This below is a 1950's mixing bowl from the old Sunbeam mixer :)

Baking bread is another favorite of mine ....Oh the scent the entire house has fills my soul completely!


About a year ago, I decided to paint my kitchen table. I wanted a soft romantic shabby feel, so I taped up some stripes and out came a little cottage blue paint and away I went. Mind you , I'd never done a stripe before, but it's easy when you tape it up and don't mind the shabby imperfections :) Then I finished it with roses decoupaged in the corners and sealed it all and wah-lah! Just what I wanted...

I adore hutches and yes, lol, I blog about it often, but this find last summer is still a favorite of mine...

And roosters.....

A place to make Sunday Sauce, that's what my kitchen is all about....

A place to read cookbooks like novels...I really like cookbooks with stories attached!

And filled with yummy recipes that I can transfer all to one spot...When I want some "Zen", I grab a few cookbooks and find my favorites and transfer them to my box below. A rainy afternoon with something already in the oven is the perfect time to do this for me :)

Some warm fall Stew anyone? :) This vintage stove top below is just so special to me, it's seen a lot of food, good and bad lol. New and Old recipes. Thanksgivings, Christmas's, Easters, Sundays etc. Oh if it could talk! :)

Doing place settings is something I love to do for company and girls nights too!

Some more vintage pieces ...

An old pie safe filled with collectibles... The good thing about all my collectables in the kitchen is, I actually use them all! There's very little waste with a big family :)

Thank you so much for stepping into my Kitchen with me!

Head on over to Note Songs to see all the other pretties too!!

I hope you enjoyed your visit!!

Come back again real soon , I might even cook you something next time :) Honestly, I really wish I could!

Love and appreciation,

Cynthia xo