Be Inspired Features and Link Party #144

Happy Tuesday! Welcome back for features and party day!

Just two days until Christmas! After all the decorating, shopping, wrapping, baking, and checking everything off the list (or just deciding to cross things off the list), it's time to take a deep breath and enjoy! I actually feel really relaxed about the holidays this year and I'm looking forward to some quality down time with the people who melt my heart. I'm wishing you the very same. Have yourself a very Merry Christmas! ... I almost skipped this week's party, but there are just too many wonderful holiday features to share, so here you go .....

Mary from Orphans With MakeUp always puts so much time and attention into staging her furniture beautifully - sigh!

This mantel from Lovely Livings Blog is pretty amazing!

I love the vintage feel of this Christmas wreath from Cindy at DIY Beautify!

Kristi from Making It In The Mountains shared this really cool rustic Christmas card tree!

We have mini molds at our tag sales all the time. Celilia from My Thrift Store Addiction had the cutest idea for repurposing them!

I love the simplicity of this rustic centerpiece from Kathleen at Charm Bracelet Diva!

Have you checked out Laurel's holiday house tour over at The North End Loft? Her home is so warm and cozy with woodland touches and this tree is just perfection!

And just because you don't have a fireplace doesn't mean you have to skip the stockings!

Lauren from Bless'er House also has a really beautiful holiday house tour to share. And I just love her faux fireplace!

This antique vanity and matching bed from Re-tiqued by Rae Bond are painted in the most gorgeous shade of minty green!

This little dresser from Jennifer at Ardent Hands is just so sweet in yellow! 

And we should definitely end on a sweet note with these pretty Eggnog Cookies from Lou Lou Girls - yum!

Thanks so much to everyone who linked up and linked back!
If you've been featured, feel free to grab a cute little button from the sidebar!

Now on to this week's party...

*Link up your furniture makeovers, DIY projects, home decor, crafts, recipes, thrifty finds ... share whatever is inspiring you at the moment!

*A link back would be appreciated, especially if you'd like to be considered for a feature.

*And we'd love to have you follow along with us!

We'll be back next Tuesday with features and a brand new party!

Christmas Cookie Baking Vignette

Today I have the pleasure of doing a guest post for my friend Diane over at An Extraordinary Day!

Diane has been hosting a series on Christmas vignettes and invited me to share a vignette that holds a special memory. So today I'm sharing the little Christmas Cookie Baking Vignette that sits on my kitchen counter. 

It reminds me of one of my very favorite holiday traditions - baking rolled out sugar cookies with my family on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. The cookies are delicious, but it's the love and laughter that makes them extra special. And this year, we have a new little cookie decorator to join in the fun. I can hardly wait for Christmas Eve!

You can check out my guest post over at An Extraordinary Day!

If you haven't already met Diane, I hope you take some time and browse around her beautiful blog. And Diane is not only talented and creative, but one of the sweetest and most encouraging bloggers out there. Her positive energy always makes my day!

Be Inspired Features and Link Party #143

Happy Tuesday! Welcome back for features and party day!

What a treat to check out all the holiday inspiration and creativity out there right now! Here are a few fabulous links from last week's party that caught my eye ...

Denise from Pink Postcard shared her swoon-worthy Christmas House Tour. Head on over, you're going to love it!

Lauren from Bless'er House created this charming French Industrial Christmas Vignette and a great tip on how to use the items already in your home for holiday decor!

There is still time to get crafty this holiday season. You might want to make some pretty glittery Putz Houses with a little help from Laurel at The North End Loft!

And Chris from Red Gate Farm shared all the details on these sweet Peat Pot Ornaments!

Nicki from T-shirt & Jeans shared a lovely family holiday tradition with us!

This dresser from Mary Beth's Place has it all - great curvy details, a pretty color, a beautiful wood top and gorgeous copper hardware!

And Suzanne from The Painted Drawer describes this piece as the definition of vintage charm. I totally agree!

Thanks so much to everyone who linked up and linked back!
If you've been featured, feel free to grab a cute little button from the sidebar!

Now on to this week's party...

*Link up your furniture makeovers, DIY projects, home decor, crafts, recipes, thrifty finds ... share whatever is inspiring you at the moment!

*A link back would be appreciated, especially if you'd like to be considered for a feature.

*And we'd love to have you follow along with us!

We'll be back next Tuesday with features and a brand new party!

A Flash Holiday Tag Sale!

Yes it's true, we're having one more tag sale!

Surprised? So are we!!!

When we wrapped up our holiday open house a few weeks ago, we thought we were done for the year. But we heard you loud and clear, you wanted another opportunity to shop before Christmas. We offered shopping by appointment, but some of you said you didn't want to bother us. Really, it's no bother, we love our customers! 

And since we like to make people happy, we put our heads together and found that we're available this Saturday, so we're opening our doors from 9 AM to 3 PM for one more round of fun!

We've done some fluffing and restocking and even marked down prices to make way for new finds in the spring. It's the perfect time to buy that piece of furniture you've been pondering before it disappears!

We have everything you need for holiday decorating and entertaining. And for unique, one-of-a-kind gift ideas - think vintage!

Sorry, no big preview post this time, But we'll crank up the heat, get the Christmas music playing and bake some fresh cookies!

Hope to see you Saturday for a flash holiday tag sale!

Elizabeth & Co. Vintage

438 East Main Street

Westminster, MD 21157

Saturday, December 13th from 9 AM to 3 PM

Wishing you all a warm and wonderful holiday season!

Be Inspired Features and Link Party #142

Happy Tuesday! Welcome back for features and party day!

If you read yesterday's post, then you know I've been on an unexpected break due to a nasty computer virus. We haven't had a party in four weeks, so feel free to link up as many projects as you like and catch me up on what's been happening in your world. But first, here are some awesome features from our last party .....

 Penny's Vintage Home got an early start on holiday decorating. I love the sparkle of silver and gold on this beautiful ornament wreath!

This navy blue dresser from Jenni at Roots & Wings Furniture Blog is stunning!

Susan from Uniquely Yours or Mine added so much charm and personality to her upstairs hallway with a family photo wall!

This salad from Simply Suzanne's At Home looks beautiful and delicious!

Fairy Dust Bars from Lou Lou Girls look ready for a party!

And Cinnamon Rolls from Pink Recipe Box just might be the perfect breakfast for your holiday guests or a fun after-sledding treat!

Thanks so much to everyone who linked up and linked back!
If you've been featured, feel free to grab a cute little button from the sidebar!

Now on to this week's party...

*Link up your furniture makeovers, DIY projects, home decor, crafts, recipes, thrifty finds ... share whatever is inspiring you at the moment!

*A link back would be appreciated, especially if you'd like to be considered for a feature.

*And we'd love to have you follow along with us!


We'll be back next Tuesday with features and a brand new party!

Computer viruses stink, but blog breaks are good!

I can't think of a better way to say it, computer viruses stink!

And the people who create them, well they are just mean!

I'm still dealing with the consequences of a malicious virus that

encrypted EVERYTHING on my computer. It's pretty much the worst possible virus and sadly there is no easy fix. I now have my computer back with a new hard drive and my old hard drive has been shipped off to a data recovery center with the hope that my pictures can be restored. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Virus protection will not save you from this virus, so PLEASE be sure that you are backing up your computer regularly. I now have an external drive that is programmed to back up my files every night while I sleep. 

So, I've had an unexpected four week blog break. I used my phone to check in now and then, but that's about it. And guess what, I found it kind of refreshing and liberating to be unplugged. It wasn't life altering or profound, but it just felt good to catch my breath again. I highly recommend stepping away from the computer every now and then. You'll be surprised how good it feels!

So in a nutshell, here's what I've been up to the last few weeks .....

First I took out my frustration by cleaning the house and garage from top to bottom and that felt really good!

We took road trips three out of the last four weekends, cheered for our favorite team and played in the snow!

Sweet Clare celebrated her 1st birthday!

And discovered the joy of cupcakes!

I got my Christmas decorating done in three days flat, a new personal record!

And this past weekend, I celebrated my birthday with my favorite piano man!

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It's all about the people who make you smile!

Now I'm actually looking forward to getting back on schedule and seeing what you've been up to lately. Our Be Inspired Link Party will be back first thing tomorrow morning. I hope to see you there!

Computer Woes

Just checking in with a quick post to share my computer woes!

Last Monday morning I turned on my computer and found  that everything was encrypted. Couldn't read a thing. I was pretty sure that meant I had a virus, so I immediately turned the computer off and took it in for repairs. I've had a few viruses over the years and they've always been quickly resolved. And coming right on the heels of our Holiday Open House, a few days without a computer felt like a welcome break. I had lots to catch up on around here. I headed right out to the garage, gave it a thorough cleaning and actually parked my car inside. That felt good. I was on a roll!

Well it's been a week now and still no computer. On Saturday I got a call from my computer guy saying that a fix may not be possible and I may need to get new computer. What??? Apparently I have a nasty virus that usually results in an offer from a "computer expert" to "fix" your computer for a hefty sum of money. And of course these "experts" are the very same people who planted the virus in the first place and no, they will not fix your computer. Seriously??? What is wrong with people??? I could go on and on about how I feel about people who intentionally do things that hurt others, but I know you already get that, so I'll save you the drama and negativity. 

So at the moment, I am without a computer and my guy is still working on a fix. I'm not willing to accept that all kinds of data, contacts and pictures may be lost. My biggest concern is recovering my pictures. Oh, the pictures!

Lessons learned the hard way - be sure you have comprehensive virus protection and back up everything on your computer regularly!!!

I'm taking my nervous energy out on my house. It is getting so darn clean and organized! I would be tempted to break out the holiday decorations, but we're have a birthday party for someone small and sweet this coming weekend and Christmas décor doesn't quite fit the theme.

Hopefully I'll be back soon!

~Sharon