White Wednesday...Shades of White

I've been so inspired by all of the neutral decorating I've been seeing lately. And I'm finding that I'm so drawn to the calm, serene feeling of Shades of White that I've decided to redecorate my home. We have lots of color in our home now but I'm feeling like it's just adding to the clutter. So, my goal is to Simplify and choose lots of neutral shades and lots of texture so it doesn't get boring. I will be sharing our progress right here on my blog. But don't hold your breath, we're a little slow in the project department......so... I've learned to be patient.

I just put together a few photos of some favorite white pieces in my boutique and I'm participating in White Wednesday over at Faded Charm.

Make sure you stop by for more White Inspiration!

I'm in Love!

How do I convince my husband I NEED these $250 Ugg boots? Help!

Doors of Welcome Party

I'm a little behind with my fall decorating, so here are a couple of pics (from last year) of my front door. I really just like harvest decorating but with 4 kids at home I was receiving some complaints about not enough "scary" decorations. So, we added the huge spider with webs and a little rat under the doorbell. I'm participating in the Doors of Welcome party at Some Days are Diamonds. Make sure you click on the graphic below to visit more Doors!

Server Problems

Edited 10/14/09 ~ My website is back up! Please let me know if you find any problems navigating my site. I've had to fix a few things to get it back to normal.

Aaaah computers.......

Just wanted to let you know that my web host is having server problems and my site has been down for 4 days now. I figured I should let you know that I'm still in business and hopefully it will be back up soon! Very frustrating on my end since there is nothing I can do about it but sit, wait and hope that my site is not effected in any way.

Kale Chips - So Addicting!

I saw this Kale chip recipe in a health magazine the other day and had to try it. Can I tell you - unbelievably good! My kids loved them and wished there were more. They are better than potato chips - I know you think I'm crazy, but you have to try these! I mean I could definitely eat a bowl of these while watching a movie.
Here is a little video I just found of someone making them. Let me know what you think - AFTER you've tasted them.

Oh, if you're going to play the video, just make sure you pause the music on my playlist (right sidebar).


And check out her website www.danispies.com for more great healthy recipes!

Pink October

Please join us for our annual Make Mine Pink October Shop Hop Monday October 5th. Pink October is always an exciting time for all of us at Make Mine Pink. It's the month that we try to give back even a little more than usual, while at the same time honoring our friends, family and customers that have had their lives touched by breast cancer. Please come and have some fun and take a chance at winning some fabulous prizes. Also check out the participating boutiques to see what they are doing in honor of Breast cancer awareness and PINK OCTOBER.

There is no purchase necessary to participate in the Make Mine Pink - Pink October Shop Hop. Just find the shopping bags on the participating MMP Boutique sites, and enter into a drawing to win the associated prize. The Shop Hop begins on October 5th and ends on October 11th. All winners will be chosen the week of October 11th and the names will be posted next to the corresponding prize.

Click HERE to register!

Breast Cancer awareness is so important to me. My mom is a survivor. I will donate 15% of all sales from my Pink October page HERE to the Susan G Komen Foundation.

Just Listed!

Click on the arrow to view a little clip of new products just added. I really just wanted to try out the iMovie program on my Mac.

Fall Cooking

I have to post about the yummy Butternut Squash ravioli we had for dinner last night. Now, I bought mine at Costco and we were all amazed by how good these were. Here is the link to the company that makes them: www.Nuovopasta.com. The cinnamon and nutmeg flavors were so good with the thyme brown butter sauce I made for them - my son said they taste like fall! If you want to make them from scratch (but using wonton wrappers), click HERE for a recipe. Enjoy!

Photo credits: www.AllRecipes.com

Office Chic at Make Mine Pink Friday

I don’t know when it happened, but office spaces for women have become so much more personalized and chic! Whether you spend your working hours in a casual home office or go out for the workday, work spaces are being all gussied up. Women are putting their own stamp on their office space making it more feminine and a lot more fun. Take a look around the next time you visit a friends office. It could be something as simple as an altered art tag dangling on a ribbon from a memo board. Or a fabric covered photo frame, boasting her favorite photos of friends and family. It’s not only acceptable to use a feminine eye when planning your office space, it’s become the norm. I don’t know about you, but I love it!

When looking for furniture, remember, it doesn’t have to be boring to be practical and comfortable. An old vanity or desk freshened up with a coat of paint becomes a work space that is not only comfortable but economical and pleasing to the eye. The worn work table you picked up at a flea market can be refinished to give you extra room to spread out your current project. Go ahead - cover that utilitarian black desk chair with a pretty slipcover in a floral or striped pattern. I did and it made a huge difference in how my office space looks and feels. Your office will never be ordinary again.

Don’t forget - everyday office accessories get a feminine makeover as well! Add a touch of feminine and whimsy by switching the document tray for a vintage wire basket. Adding magazine holders in fun patterns help you keep your office space organized and chic. Look for unusual items that can be used as mail or office caddies, again adding to the personalization of your work space. Adding a decorative mouse pad to further enhance your work space is an inexpensive way to add a little pizzazz to your desktop. Perhaps a favorite vintage creamer or coffee cup would be the perfect accessory to store your pens nearby in feminine style. Embellishments make everyday items fun while still being useful. A clipboard can be transformed with flowers, trims and appliquéd accents. Tie a stack of file folders together with lace and pretty trims. Even your stapler can be dressed up with ribbons and roses in colors to match the office décor.

Do you have a vision board in your office? Vision boards inspire you to reach for and achieve your dreams. Dream big with a board embellished with pretty fabrics, pearls, charms and crystal beads. Keeping it nearby will add style as well as keeping you focused on your goals and dreams.Working in a space that is pretty and calming is a great stress reliever. By adding a few embellishments and feminine touches, you can create a chic office space where your office hours will become more fun and less tedious.

Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Click HERE for some of my "Office Chic" products.
Click HERE to see more at Make Mine Pink.

Tent Sale Tuesday-Wire Votives

Aren't these cute? I just listed them under the Tent HERE.

What's Your Style?

According to the Stylescope quiz at Homegoods I'm....

COUNTRY ECLECTIC

You have wide-ranging interests and influences and therefore appreciate a mix of styles, periods, and objects. You would never use a matching suite of furniture or could stand a home that seemed cookie-cutter. But you love the breezy, layered look of wonderfully personal beach houses and the happy florals of English cottages. Bringing the outdoors in makes you happy: a little chintz or ruffle or weathered furniture, urns filled with tennis rackets, colored glasses filled with cut flowers, vintage-looking, mixed tea cups, and all things that give a sense of a happy, simple life.

You value comfort. Your home is a warm and open friendly place, and you feel happiest when everyone is cared for and relaxed in your space. Elements like pillows, throws, overstuffed furniture, and good lighting set the mood. You may also enjoy layering different fabrics or mixing patterns to create a cozy effect.

Click HERE to take the quiz and see what they say about your style.

Doors of Maine

Okay, I promise this is my last post about our trip to Maine. I have been wanting to paint my side door (the most used in our house) a fun color. After driving around Maine I am going to do it! I'm thinking a Robin's Egg Blue. I was so inspired by these pretty doors around Maine.

Do you have a pretty color on your door? If so, let us know!

This post is participating in Hooked on Fridays HERE.

Shopping in Maine

Wish I had time to do more! But the little bit I did was great. I found this shell mirror and starfish at this gorgeous cottage store - The Cherished Home in Belfast.  She had the largest selection of Dash and Albert rugs I have ever seen and 2 floors of themed rooms full of great cottage home decor!  Visit their website HERE.   After coming home from our trip I clicked on their About Us page and was not too surprised to see the owner was another LI, NY'er but I was shocked to see it was Genie Francis from General Hospital! We met quite a few that were originally from our area and relocated to beautiful Maine. I just know we'll end up there one day!

These amazing water views and chippy old chairs are what we found behind The Painted Lady in Lincolnville. She had the most amazing pieces and vignettes in her store. I absolutely LOVED everything she sells. I wish I had taken pics on the inside. But when you looked out the back of the store this is what you saw. So beautiful! Visit her website HERE.


Here is a little glimpse of Camden Village and the cute little shops there.
This was another great store right across the street from Lincolnville Beach. Couldn't find a website for this shop. But it's worth the visit if you're ever in the area.

Coming soon: The Doors of Maine...

"Working Round the House"

Please join us for shopping with a twist on Friday September 4, 2009 as we present "Working Round the House"

With the arrival of September, our nesting instincts return. With the kids back in school, there is more time for yourself and to care for your living spaces. It's time to create a cozy fall home in preparation for cooler days and more time spent indoors.

Living spaces that were moved outdoors over the summer will now come back into the house. Afternoon teas in the garden return to the kitchen or dining room.  A favorite vintage tablecloth spattered with hints of autumn flowers pulled from the linen closet and ironed to get ready for the first guests. Your reading nook on the patio will be returned to the living room or den. Favorite pillows ad cushions stitched in deeper shades of autumn, are fluffed to make the corner cozy again.

This is traditionally the time of year we start fall cleaning, tucking away summer accents and decorations until next year.  Summer curtains are put away and replaced with warm fabrics in vibrant shades. 

The fragrances of fall fill your home now too, coming in through the windows and wafting from the fall bouquet you placed in a vintage metal bucket on the table in the hall. The scents of a fresh apple pie in the oven, and apple cinnamon scented potpourri that fills bowls throughout your home and simmers on the stove. The familiar scents inspire feelings of comfort and home.

Fall is also a perfect time to begin a few of the projects you’ve been putting off.  The small pieces of furniture you picked up at summer flea markets now hold the promise of becoming your next painted projects. The vintage fabrics you found at neighborhood estate sales will likely become your next stitched masterpiece. The possibilities are endless as we happily work around our homes. Somehow, we never seem to mind. Instead, we settle back into our routines and enjoy the first hints of excitement of upcoming family gatherings and holidays not far off.


Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Click HERE for Hydrangea Home's "Working Round the House" picks.

Click HERE for the participating Boutiques at Make Mine Pink.

I'm looking forward to getting back into creating for my business and for my home this fall.

I don't accomplish too much of that over the summer with all of the kids home. And I am just dying to work on some great pieces of furniture that we've picked up recently. Here's a little list of some of the immediate projects I want to tackle.

1. My husband found a great hutch (for free!) on Craig's list a few weeks ago. It's a real 70's piece but that just means real simple lines to work with. I plan to change the legs, add some molding and paint it. 

2. I also have an old dresser that I plan on turning into a new bathroom vanity.

3. Stairwell art gallery for my kids projects.

4. Vacation picture wall.

What are your fall projects? 

I would love to hear all about them!

Beautiful sites around Maine

I understand why they call Maine "Vacationland".

And why they say Maine - "The way life should be".

These are just a few of the shots we took around Camden and the surrounding area. I could definitely get used to looking at these views everyday.

The view from the dock - can you hear the quiet?


Bella enjoying the view of the pond

Camden Harbor boats


I know they're just cliffs but we don't have those on LI


We don't have these either -Belted Galloway Cows - Don't they look like Oreo cookies?

Pretty Lincolnville Beach

Camden Harbor from the top of Mt. Battie



If you have visited Maine, I would love to hear all about it, what region, your favorite part.....

Visit Serendipity's post about Camden HERE.

Next post..shopping in Maine.

I'm participating in Southern Daydreamer's Outdoor Wednesday. Click on the graphic below to visit more participants.

I've been here...enjoying the end of summer

...in Maine.

So many pics to share.

The beautiful scenery in Camden and the rest of the Mid-Coast region, colorful doors of Maine, the shops, etc.

Have you been there? Such a gorgeous part of our country.

More pics coming soon.

Make Mine Pink Friday "Getting Organized"

Getting Organized has taken on a new look! From being strictly functional to being functional and stylish has become the latest and greatest way of getting and staying organized. Pretty and stylish organization means that you no longer have to hide everything away in back room closets and filing cabinets. Instead, old locker baskets painted pink and stylishly chic organizers help you get organized in creative ways.
By using decorative boxes, vintage baskets and embellished magazine organizers, you can carry your decorating theme throughout your home, office, and even your laundry room.

Storage boxes filled with odds and ends, office supplies or ribbons and trims can fit into the décor in any room. A repurposed basket or box can beautifully organize your odds and ends while keeping them out of the way. A vintage metal file box hand painted with pink roses keeps your papers safe while adding romantic charm. Elegant wooden boxes painted with flowers store photos, CDs and letters in plain view.A vintage china plate might hold a stack of favorite napkins on a table or open shelf. A pretty pink basket can store clean dishtowels by the kitchen sink. A white wicker basket keeps guest towels or magazines, or perhaps organizes your craft space. Vintage nursery jars can hold cotton balls and other necessities while a refinished side table can keep your address book and notepaper handy.

When you need to organize, forget about boring boxes and folders that will keep everything out of sight. Instead, look around you for creative ways to accent your décor and store everything you need within arm's reach.


Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Click HERE on Friday August 28th to see our choices for "Getting Organized"
And don't forget to visit the shops HERE at Make Mine Pink for more beautiful organization products.

Also, check out THIS post (DIY creative storage) and THIS post for more creative organization - (an old entertainment center turned craft studio storage cabinet).

Creative Studio...storage project

I've seen these done before and finally just found a way to have them for myself.  My kids wanted to earn some money and they're too young to get a job, so I put them to work....

I bought these unassembled, unfinished storage drawers at IKEA. 

My son got to work putting them together (way too many nails for my patience).

My daughter did the sanding, priming, painting and decoupaging. She used heavy stock scrapbook paper. 

I just love them!

My daughter enjoyed the project, however, thought the wages of $20 for all her hard work was unfair.....

I'm participating in Kimba's DIY day. Click on the graphic below to visit more projects.

Summer in Northport, LI

An early appointment in Northport Village was a good reason to spend some time there. I love this quaint little village in the summer. 

And so do my kids.  

We enjoyed the boats, the playground, the variety store and of course the candy shop and lunch at Sweet Mamas!

Some changes...

With much thought, I have decided to make some changes regarding Tent Sale Tuesday. I will continue the popular Tent Sale category on my website. I just won't be adding something to it each week. Instead it will be an occasional announcement. I feel the weekly sale announcement on my blog was a bit overkill and beginning to annoy me each week. Like last week when my computer wouldn't cooperate and it was TENT SALE TUESDAY!

Too much stress...

And that's not what I want...

If you become a follower you won't miss the next Tent Sale announcement!

Blogging For Bliss Party

Kari over at Artsy Mama is hosting a party for the release of Tara's new book Blogging For Bliss. I picked it up as soon as I heard it was in stores. I am taking my time reading it (usually while I'm sitting in the car alone at one of my kids sporting practices). It's a great book if you haven't read it yet - so many great tips for bloggers new and old!

I started my blog 3 years ago. I wanted to connect with my website customers. When I first began selling online, I thought it was all so amazing to be able to sell to customers all over the country. But, I was missing something and it was knowing who my customers were and them getting to know me. I was so used to selling in person, either at shows or my open house sales. So this was an obvious way for me to let them know a little more about the person behind Hydrangea Home.

Through my blog I also show some of the many trash to treasure projects my husband and I have worked on over the years. Decorating a home really can be done on a budget!

I also love to share recipes. Cooking healthy is really important to me. And it's not easy when you're always on the run - but it's possible and I hope to inspire my readers with quick and simple recipes that can also involve the kids.

You can also find simple how-to projects on my blog, maybe a centerpiece project or tablescape for entertaining. My guests know I love those tablescapes!

I also post about sales and new products at Hydrangea Home.

As a stay-at-home mom of 4 (it's been 13 years now!), I feel very lucky to be able to have my home business. It's my creative outlet and something for ME! It does get very hard to find time for "my work" (especially in the summer), but I wouldn't give it up for the world. I have met so many great women through my online business and blog.

Hopefully, my blog is a place that women can come for inspiration to create something, decorate something or maybe even to start their own business or blog.

That would be my dream!

Tent Sale Tuesday

I'm having some computer trouble but will get this week's tent sale up as soon as I can!