Curiosity Swap Reveal:Part One

Earlier this month I took park in Speckled Egg's Curiosity Inspiration Box Swap. These matchbox swaps of Heather's are one of my favorites because they are small and you get lots of new goodies to create with. This edition had a Halloween theme which was just perfect for this time of the year. The box pictured above was what I sent to my swap partners, Kathy and Amy. I covered the boxes with black and white damask patterned paper topped with a big polka dot flower rosette, black vintage lace and spooky skeleton.

On the ends I added some Tim Holtz Halloween tissue tape

and a vintage black button.

I stuffed the inside with as many Halloween goodies as I could.

And before I sealed the packed I tucked in a

secret surprise treat for each of the girls as well.

Next time I'll share what Amy and Kathy sent me!

White on White

1. Handmade by me, 2. orchestral ledger 3, 3. Ivory Frangipani Wedding 1, 4. like whipped cream, 5. Greys Of Court, 6. blooms in white, 7. Cream Mirror, 8. Three shelves are filled with the many the tints and shades of white, 9. Vintage Apron Swap, 10. Farrow & Ball Paint: White, Cream, Pale and Mid-tone Neutral Colors

I adore the look of 'white on white' decorating. How about you? It's so simple. So fresh. Such a clean and restful look. None of the rooms in my home are decorated completely in this monochromatic color scheme. My family room is the closest to having this look with it's cream walls and white painted trim, but it's more of a white & black designed room. 

There are so many shades of white out there. I think that is the secret to using the color successfully. Using all the various shades of white creates the depth and texture that is needed to pull it off. Look at how Jennifer from The Old Painted Cottage did it here with her amazing cottage redo.  Another great place to see the use of  'white on white' is at Aina's Modern Country blog here.  Her Norwegian style decor is so refreshing. 

The photo above from Seasons For All shows how bright and elegant a 'white on white' decor can make a room.  

And the warmth that can be created by using a variety of creamy white vintage items like in the photo above from Country Living,  

Or maybe you prefer to punch up your white decor with a pop of color like in the photo shown above from Freshome.  Do you have a favorite photo of 'White on White'?  If so, leave a link to the photo in the comments section on this post. Your photo doesn't have to be limited to home decorating. It can be photos of food or fabric or artwork, etc. Use the mosaic at the top of this post for inspiration. We can all have some fun checking them out.

Another Treasury

Parfumerie :: Romantic, Elegant Inspiration

Another cool Etsy Cottage Style Treasury by Sadie Lou! She's THE BEST at jumping in and creating these! And she even included my little shop! Thanks so much Sadie!

Last Days of the Hippity Hop Swap

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter. We celebrated at our house with the entire family and after all the shopping, cleaning, cooking and eating I can say I am beat! The weather was great, the sun was shining and we hardly noticed the blanket of white snow at all! I got a little behind on posting my Hippity Hop Swap gifts. But of course I didn't get behind in OPENING them! This gift, wrapped in sparkly (the best kind) aqua tissue paper is from Heather. She made this amazing ethereal feather wreath for each of us. I told her it reminded me of the snowfall we had a few days ago.
Here is a close-up of the floral and birdy detail. . .don't you just love it? I DO!!! Thanks Heather!
And the 12th and final (boo-hoo) gift is from Cerri. I just knew it would be something special......
And by-golly, I WAS RIGHT! Isn't this the sweetest little teacup nest??? The whole thing is only 1-1/2" in diameter. As the saying goes, good things come in small packages. Love it, Cerri! What a wonderful way to end this fun swap. The gifts from everyone were simply spectacular!