~ Getting Cozy ~

Hello sweet friends! If I did a little essay on how I spent "my summer vacation" it would certainly be the opposite of dull. First we had an earthquake, then a terrible hurricane. I'm sure you easterners know exactly what I mean. But I feel very lucky to be ok and have my electricity back too. My thoughts and prayers are with those still struggling to get out of this.

All the upheaval has me longing for a cozy change of seasons. The weather this week after hurricane Irene is just perfect, the cool mornings and sun warming us into the low 80's during the day is certainly welcome! I went back to working on minis as soon as I knew the lights would stay on, and that longing for comfort food and cozy feelings is probably evident in this weeks creations, I hope :) The bakery table above was inspired by the feelings and colors of the french bakery picture below.... French blues, warm tones, colorful linens, vintage styled accessories and of course fresh baked comfort food :)

I'd be happy going to this little bakery for coffee every morning ....


I put a tiny twist on the french country theme and added an Italian kitchen wall plaque. I have this in my home and just love it, so I thought it would be perfect for the mini table too..



I love blending different blues to come up with the soft french blue this table has, and I was so happy to again use my grandmothers handmade lace linens to add that vintage touch...



Playing with backdrops is always fun for me! I think that's the designer in me trying to see the items in a home setting :) I loved doing this table because one of my favorite things to do is bake bread and have loaves all around the kitchen , fresh butter and of course Apple pie. What could be cozier? ;)



I also worked on a tiny Shabby Chic wall shelf.... It was fun creating a shelf that I could include screening in, to me a screened door or screened cabinet just oozes charm. Plus an Aga stove?? Now that in big girl version would make me the happiest cook ever ;)



I'll leave you with a tiny pink cupcake and a fresh baked roll :) I have a busy week ahead re-stocking my Etsy shop and mini baking. And I'm soooooo looking forward to it!! I'm welcoming the calm and cozy back with open and grateful arms!

I hope this week ahead finds my East Coast friends back with power on, and safe! And for everyone else I wish you blessings, health , and happy smiles :)

Love,

Cynthia

{photo backdrops from the magazine Summer Cottage 2011, and pinterest}

~ Bed & Breakfast Kitchen Hutch ~

No, I'm not away at some Bed & Breakfast, I'm just pretending I am : ) And as a Miniaturist , I do that a lot :) This is a charming little kitchen hutch I just finished this weekend. We've had the most beautiful weather here this week , ranging from the mid 70's to the low 80's and it's almost like a warm fall day every day. So I'm feeling cozy and cottagey these days :) I've loved every part of making this sweet hutch so I wanted to share....

It started plain white and wound up after carefully layered paints as a pale french blue with antique gold accents and a few layers of wax for that perfect patina. I pretended the entire time I was making one in large size to fit into a Bed and Breakfast kitchen or dining room. Then I baked morning pastries, pancakes with blueberry's, and a few other delicious tasting treats to give it that lived in look. The shelves are lined with cottage prints and the drawers and cabinets are filled with vintage cottage styled kitchenware. Oh what fun! :)

I couldn't resist making a dish towel rack out of a vintage miniature shutter either :) {below left of the hutch}



Then I played with different backdrops (from the beautiful magazine "Summer Cottage--Style with Fresh Charm") and had even more fun :) It seemed to fit in well with any setting..... I love that :)



From cottage french, to shabby chic, and traditional too...I adored this one above and below, what a sweet little vintage tablecloth and what a fabulously warm and homey kitchen setting!





Little pastries for your morning sweet tooth :)



Warm biscuits fresh from the oven, cherry muffins and breakfast crackers, a great way to start the day :)



Sitting at a kitchen table with the sun streaming in and the aroma's of a beautiful day and sweets? I'm in heaven :)


A nice little spot for tea too :)

I just adored making this and now it's back to the drawing board and my "list" for the week. I hope you all enjoyed my tiny tour of the "Bed and Breakfast Cottage" hutch!



I'll leave you with some tasty pancakes and blueberries, and of course the syrup is warm and right from the maple tree out back :)

Don't-cha just love pretending?! :)



Wishing you all a gorgeous and blessed week ahead!

Ps: I've been so busy this summer but I'm looking forward to visiting you all this week and stopping in for some pretend coffee too! :) Thank you for always stopping by and leaving such sweet comments, they mean the world to me and so do YOU!

Hugs and love,

Cynthia xo

~ Coloring Minis ~

Happy August everyone! It's been such a busy summer, every time I feel caught up, there's a new list beginning, but I probably wouldn't have it any other way. It's a "good" kind of busy :) I wanted to share some new minis and a nice little bunch of pictures I used for inspiration. "Coloring" minis are right up there with making my own frosting's and textures as my favorite part of mini making. I spend hours flipping through pictures until something hits me and I say: "Yes, I love that color palette"... and then away I go, to the drawing board as they say :) So here are a few of my favorites this month.... Greengate for sure is a favorite of mine! {above} And the use of color with white as a background and clean lines, with a vintage feel, is another favorite {below}.


This mini tray below was inspired by the colors in the pictures above....pops of blue, red, yellow, and pastels mixed in. That's always been a favorite color combination for me.





I also like to use the sweet soft colors of roses... in pinks, fuchsia's and sage toned greenery. So this picture below spun off a couple different looks....



After seeing this color combination above, Pretty pinks and roses went right into this little creation below and the next one too...



Then another favorite color palette of mine (from the opposite spectrum) is inspired by the colors of Tuscany , using the deep warm colors of Country....

Golds, yellows, pale french blues, deep blues and reds...combined with old world patinas and rich wood tones...


And that sparked my desire to use them in the next miniature here...




Using color is so important to me, it was the biggest passion of mine to transform a room when I worked as a Designer. And now, it's just as important to me in my miniatures. I suppose it's like being a little girl and sitting for hours coloring :) I play with fabrics, papers, and textures to get that "just right" feeling and I hope that it shows in my minis!

In the last couple of weeks I've been filling custom orders, making new minis, spending time swimming with the kids, visiting friends, and just enjoying the summer for the most part. But I've also squeezed in some time to re-make a few of my miniatures for my own dollhouse Summer Rose. I made this table below and right after it sold in my Etsy shop , I started another, for me :) I finally crossed 2 things off my list of re-makes.

This one....


and the shabby chic vintage linen rack {below}. So now I feel a bit more caught up :)

I want one for my big girl house too :)



I hope you enjoyed my little tour of things that colored my world this week :)

I'll leave you with a peek of an inspiring picture that I'm using for a new mini coming up ... found at the adorable blog ..."Cozy Home Chronicles".



And this picture below is another favorite blog of mine for inspiration! I'm sure you all know it, but if not, it's a fabulous little gem!

{style me pretty}


Of course I love love love the little tag too :) "Fresh baked with Love" how perfect :)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and I hope you're enjoying the summer season with gusto!

Hugs!!,

Cynthia xo