French Market

As most of you know I recently closed my brick and mortar shop to travel and do shows. There are many lines I carried in the shop that I am not able to sell at these venues so I will be offering them for sale here on the blog. If you are interested please email me to arrange to purchase something. I will answer any questions as well. I accept Paypal, personal checks and money orders. I will charge exact shipping and insurance is required on all items. All sales are final.


Large lotus flower candle holder>> $32 (candle not included--2 available)


Small lotus candle holder>>$17 (2 available)


Set of 3 tin pots in soft blue-green with pink roses (lg-9 1/4" tall) (med-8" tall) (sm-6 1/2" tall)
$52 for the set


Petite dress form (not old) 27 1/2" tall>>$135


Reproduction mercury glass vase (7 1/2" tall)>>$38


Set of three reproduction mercury glass candle holders (lg-8" med 5 1/2" sm 3")
$60 for set


Burlap messenger bag--4 available>>$34


Framed bird nest available in black or green wood>>$28 (2 black, 2 green available)


Resin finial from Aidan Gray 14" tall ( 2 available)>>$45 each

Individual indicted for animal cruelty for leaving dog in car

Planostar - August 16, 2008

Despite constant community awareness, the Plano Animal Services reported one death and cited 17 individuals for leaving their animals unattended in their vehicle this summer.

With the peak temperature this summer reaching a scorching 110 degrees, Jamey Cantrell, Plano’s Animal Services manager, said he does not understand why this problem continues to occur.

“This is something that happens more frequently than it should,” Cantrell said. “I don’t understand how people think. It is beyond me.”

Cantrell said in July alone, the one death and 10 of the 17 citations were issued.

“People will normally leave their windows cracked and think this is enough, but it’s not,” Cantrell said. “A dog cools themselves by panting. If it’s that hot and humid, they can’t cool down. Their temperature rises significantly. It’s sad people think their animal is going to be OK.”

According to reports, on July 4, a woman left her Scottish Terrier in her vehicle in direct sunlight for nearly three hours while inside the Denny’s located on U.S. 75.

When police arrived, the dog’s body registered at 115 degrees.


Full Story

Cheers For Caty

We all go about ours days wrapped up in our own little worlds and often take what we have for granted. I recently received an email from a reader who is trying to get the story of a young girl out there who recently learned that her world is about to change drastically. She's being very brave but we all need to keep her in our thoughts and prayers. Please check out her story at www.cheersforcaty.blogspot.com/.

Blessings,

Shelley

The Gardens At Sweet Pea

Well it's official~~the dog days of summer are here. We go from one extreme to the other. No rain, too much rain. I am actually quite surprised by the stamina of my gardens this year, as usually most of my plants are looking more than a bit tired by now. It isn't easy to garden in Florida. Early on I tried to achieve the cottage garden look, and I will admit that I wasted a lot of money on fussy perennials that never stood a chance even though Jackson and Perkins guaranteed they would. Those plants are but a memory now, and while I long for peonies, snapdragons and delphiniums I have learned to use what works in this brutal climate I call home. Here is a look inside the gardens at Sweet Pea...

Room 72

At the beginning of the year I posted about plans to finally redo the master bedroom in my home and then got totally sidetracked and never posted the finished room. So without further delay, here is the finished room. We used a deep rich chocolate brown by Ralph Lauren on the walls and bright white on the trim and ceiling. I have mixed primitive pieces with painted ones, as well as a chunky pine bed and a fab pine wardrobe from England. Hope you approve...

Fairview a fertile site for homebuilders

The Dallas Morning News - July 3, 2006

Fairview's motto is "Keeping it country."

But one look at a map shows why that's hard to do.

Wedged between Allen and McKinney on the east side of U.S. Highway 75, the Collin County town of 5,700 is next in line for a development boom.

Builders are already putting up new subdivisions lined with custom homes.

And starting next year work will begin on a 200-acre shopping center that's as big as some malls.

While the big city is knocking at Fairview's front door, city leaders say they want to keep the rural flavor for much of the town.

"We are trying to take advantage of the growth and protect ourselves at the same time," said Fairview City Manager John Godwin. "It looks like we are going to be able to do that."

Full Story

Collin's newcomers stretch dollars, legs

The Dallas Morning News - August 13, 2005

For many, a bigger home is better, and it's cheaper here than in many places

LOS GATOS, Calif. – Nestled on a wooded hillside in this tidy Silicon Valley community is a subdivision of newer tract homes with media rooms, breakfast nooks, granite countertops and other modern touches.

Like models on a Monopoly board, big new homes line the streets in the Twin Creeks subdivision in Allen. The homes are not unlike those you'd see in a similar high-income neighborhood in Allen, McKinney or Frisco – until you compare the price tags.

A $300,000 home in or near Collin County would cost about $1 million in Los Gatos.

When families move to North Texas from places like Silicon Valley, they are awestruck by the monster houses they can afford. They don't tend to hold back, said Jan Richey, a Realtor with Keller Williams in Frisco.

"Instead of buying the $300,000 house – which they should – they have so much more money from the equity in their previous house that they extend themselves as far as they can go," she said. "We have to protect them from themselves."


Full Story