The Season of Love!!

The Season of Love! Did you know more people get engaged over the holidays? With all the engagements and Valentine's Day coming up,  it just seems that we are in the season of love. 

Literally Christmas afternoon, I received a request for Valentine / Love themed shirts, so while everyone else was watching tv on Christmas night, I started designing new graphics and the day after Christmas, we started making new shirts. With all the engagements that happen over the holidays, wedding planning season picks back up and we start working with brides-to-be who are planning their upcoming wedding. In fact, we are getting ready for a large local wedding next week.... definitely a season of love, flowers, and hearts! 

We've added two new graphic tees and several upcycled shirts with love trucks. One graphic has a red vintage truck with buffalo plaid and leopard print hearts, a burlap pennant banner on the tailgate has the word LOVE spelled out. 

Loads of Love - the pink truck has a load of flowers in the back and several hearts on a leopard print background. A fun pink chandelier hangs over the truck. I'll really have a big truck load of flowers, when I go set up the wedding next weekend! 

If you are indeed wedding planning, I would love to work with you to create custom fabric bouquets for your wedding! Stop by my etsy shop or visit our new website at www.rustandromance.com and we can discuss your ideas and needs or you can find the love shirts. Custom bouquets, boutonnieres, or corsages can always be made with your colors and numbers specific for your wedding party or you can pick from some ready made bouquets.

 Here's to hoping your year is full of love! Looking forward to helping you in 2020!

Chippy, Peely, Vintage...Be True to What You Love!

This time of year, we see all the post about trends for the new year. Such is the case with a podcast I recently listened to. All the painters interviewed said that distressed white was a trend of the past and 2018 would be a year of bold colors. I nearly caved into their thoughts. Should we start incorporating bold colors in our home, even though I'm not crazy about them? Maybe I should repaint my desk, the walls in our booth, yada, yada, yada??? While I love navy blue for clothes and wedding bouquets, I don't think I want it on my walls or furniture. Same for black or hot pink... I'll admit, some of the designer pieces are fabulous, but I they don't match me and my personal taste.

Then I saw this post on Facebook by Junkin Addict and reminded all over again that the vintage, shabby, chippy, linen and lace look is absolutely gorgeous!

I've even got a whole Pinterest board called Chippy Peely Vintage Love, devoted to all things chippy white, with a little color thrown in. It's the things that make my heart go pitter patter! I love this style and must remain true to myself, no matter what big time designers say the "trends" are. Our homes and style are suppose to be the things WE love, not what someone else says we should. If you can pull off the bold colors, do it. If you love distressed white, own it, keep it!

I've had white cabinets and furniture way before Fixer Upper Farmhouse Style was so popular. I went through a faze where I painted my kitchen cabinets deep green, because I saw it in a magazine and thought I liked it... A couple of years of that and I was so sick of it and went the peaceful vintage white look. I still love the look till this day, with no plans to change anytime soon. I have many of my grandparents and great grandparents kitchen gadgets displayed on my walls.

  I mean, vintage kitchen gadgets against a loud wall... I don't think so!

Last week, Angea and I rearranged our booth and took down the Christmas decorations. We went with the rustic, vintage romance, shabby look on the mantle this time. I had been dreaming of the big chunky frames on the mantle for a few months and it finally happened on this trip. Along with the frames, we added several heart themed items, wings, and vintage lace.

A few other new pieces in our booth include this vest / kimono / duster. The lace added to this denim vest was originally the skirt of a vintage wedding dress! The rosette brooch pin was also created from the lace and tulle skirting of the dress. 

 Old hankies, vintage lace, and linens were added to the pearl snap flannel to create a one-of-a-kind duster.

 Be one-of-a-kind and don't feel like you have to follow what everyone else is doing.

 This mantle makes me giddy... not bold paint colors or some trends, I'm told I should like. Granted, we are discussing painting our booth again, but I can tell you, it will be something Angea and I both love and will have that timeless feel to it!

We've got big plans for creating a new feature in our booth, so stay tuned to see if we are able to pull it off like we envision! 

So tell me, are you planning to paint or makeover your home this year? Will you be using new bold colors? 

Or are you planning to keep or paint white or lighter colors?

What ever you do, I hope you remain true to what you absolutely love! 

(The last five pictures above are from our Uniques and Antiques booth in Mineola, Texas. 

You can shop there Tuesday-Saturday 10:00 to 5:00. 

Some items are also available in my GypsyFarmGirl etsy shop, with worldwide shipping.)

Love is...

Love is... 

Old turquoise trucks and a free Valentine's card for you - save and print out for your love! 

When he picks you little tiny flowers in the cow pasture... 

And sweet baby calves...

And dogs and kitties snuggled up together - on the heat vent, I might add!

The first daffodils of the year...

And coming home with truck loads of junk...

Yes, Junk is Love!

We love our Uniques and Antiques booth (with Angea) and our "business meetings" to restock our booth.

And I Love helping create bouquets for your weddings and being a part of your special days! 

For me, it really is the simple things in life, that I love.

P.S. Local peeps, don't forget our Valentine's Day show at Sweet Bean Coffeehouse on Tuesday. Show your love with flowers and sweet treats! 

Have a Happy Valentine's Day with Flowers and Sweet Treats

We are excited to announce that we will be doing a pop up show, in collaboration with Angea Howell and Sweet Bean Coffeehouse on Valentines Day (February 14, 2016). Angea and I will have roses and fresh flower arrangements that are ready for you to pick up outside of Sweet Bean. 

We will have my glamper, parked near the drive thru restaurant and you can quickly pick out a bouquet for your sweetheart and take it with you. Sweet Bean will be offering their Sweetheart Frappé's, an assortment of their different coffees and drinks, chocolate covered strawberries, cake pops, along with more sweet treats. 

Celebrate a Happy Valentines Day by shopping with local, small businesses and express your Love with Flowers and Sweet Treats! 

See more info and my fresh flower portfolio on my new flower blog www.JaniceEastDesigns.com or find out more about Sweet Bean Coffeehouse on facebook. 

New Tumbler Wraps!

Fun new tumbler wraps are now available online. Show your Yeti some L-O-V-E with a new rustic sleeve, just in time for Valentine's Day. Of course, they can be used anytime and will fit other 30 ounce cups (mine is not the name brand)! I can't pick a favorite one. 

I mean pink Mason jars, leopard print arrows, heart with wings, lace, and jute - whats not to LOVE about all that?!?

Junk is Love, with fun furry fringe! And with some strange turn of events, I'm starting to like leopard print (but only in small batches.) 

 Gone Junkin' and Vintage trucks and glampers - see why I can't pick a favorite? Turquoise and now Hot Pink fringe options, after someone inquired about pink fringe on these.

 Fun and Flirty Vintage Cowgirls and Lace

 Or just a little rustic and shabby.

Seven new styles, seven days of the week...hmmm, maybe my tumbler needs a different outfit for everyday of the week! So tell me - which one do you LOVE the most???

Find all these and more in my etsy shop. 

Additional wraps and styles available in our Uniques and Antiques booth in Mineola, Texas

Breanne's Wedding Pictures

Breanne shared more pictures from her recent wedding with me! 

Breanne was great to work with and just a few weeks before the wedding, she decided to add the mason jar arrangements on shepherds hooks to line the aisle. I made her burlap bouquets to slip in her jars and I love how they turned out for her. Her family made the pergola that they are sitting under and she hung the burlap flower balls from it. 

Breanne carried a bridal bouquet with Bahama turquoise burlap roses, while the bridesmaids had medium size bouquets in tan, brown and white. 

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your beautiful wedding and sharing pictures with me! I send my best wishes for you and your husband! 

*All pictures in this post were provided by the bride and used with her permission. 

Today... Or Yesterday

Today, or by the time I finish this blog post, it'll be yesterday!

~ I worked from home, in my fuzzy pajama pants, listing lots of new items in my shop. This release has a very Rustic Romance / Love theme, since Valentine's Day is coming up and love is always in season. 

~ I boxed up orders to take to the post office.

~ Met a client for a consultation for a big event next week. By this time, I had showered and put on my "town clothes!" Heehee

~ Answered emails and convos from customers, checked Facebook a kazillion times, because all the glamper group was liking and commenting on my pictures. 

~ Stopped to eat a late lunch and use a gift card from my birthday last month. I'm not afraid to eat alone... 

~ I actually had a "business lunch", as I answered more messages, got my flower order ready for the event next week, and posted more pictures from the new items on Instagram and Facebook. 

~ Shipped out a dream catcher and wedding bouquet. 

~ Went shopping and found a dress for the event at a small new boutique in town. #shopsmallbusiness 

~ Went to feed my horses and cows and set in the old barn, answering more messages. 

~ Ordered a vest from a boutique on Instagram, that I can wear with my new dress and ordered more turquoise burlap for upcoming wedding orders.

~ Stopped at the feed store and gas station on the way home. Somewhere around this point, I thought I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my job and the ability to be flexible, to not be tied down to a job in a cubicle, to be able to communicate with customers from wherever I am, thankful for my phone and iPad that go everywhere with me, to be able to work at home or wherever I roam and hope I never have to go back to a regular 8-5 job! 

~ The sunset was pretty as I opened the gate at home. 

~ We fixed supper, watched Duck Dynasty,  boxed up orders to ship out tomorrow / today, checked Facebook a kazillion more times, watched the Blacklist and started making roses for the next wedding and now I blog and Jeff snores. It's been a busy day, but I love it!  

I'm so thankful I am able to have a creative business and you allow me to decorate your homes, events and weddings and be apart of your special days!