Spring Has Sprung….

Although my calendar says the first day of spring is still weeks away, here in Florida, spring has already sprung.

Can you read this? The thermometer on the garage already says 80 degrees!

I’ll be sorry to see our cooler winter temperatures go.

I think it’s time to pack away my comfy sweat pants and snugly sweaters. I’ll miss them….

But the one bonus of our warmer weather is that the garden really comes into bloom much earlier.

Our azaleas have been in full bloom for over a month.

I finally grabbed my camera and ran outside this afternoon to snap a few photos.

Color is popping up all around!

I thought I would share these photos as encouragement for everyone who is still experiencing freezing weather.

Take hope, spring is right around the corner and when it does appear in your garden.....

Beauty By The Book….

On one of my flea market adventures, I came across this little booklet “Liberty’s Book of Youth and Beauty” published way back in 1926. I thought it was a hoot and would be fun to read for a giggle…and at 25 cents, the price was right!

Well, it turns out this little book is full of good old-fashioned advice. Things we read about in magazines and newspapers today, were written about during our grandmothers time.

In the chapter for “How to Reduce”, the advice is given that as a general rule “between the ages of 20-24, an excess of ten pounds is considered desirable. At 30, the approximate average weight is accepted as right and after 30, it is considered more favorable to health and longevity to be below the average weight.”

Although this may be good advice, I have to laugh at myself…if I weigh an extra ten pounds can I say that I am between 20-24 years of age??? That might be a good tradeoff!!!

One of my favorite chapters is “For the Youthful Neckline”. Yes, I would have to agree that a droopy, thickening neck and chin line does tend to give away our aging secrets. It’s noted in this chapter that "these are the first signs of departing youth". To ward off these tell-tale neck signals, you are advised to do neck exercises daily. Who knew? I’ve been focused on exercising hips, thighs and those chicken-cutlet wing flaps under my arms…..now on a daily basis, I am rolling my head around in circles to strengthen my chin and neck…..can’t help but think of the movie The Exorcist while doing this…..Be gone Demon double-chin……

Exercise in this book is called “Youth Preservers”. I think that sounds much better than what we typically say today...."working out". Who wants to WORK? I'd much rather say I am going to go "Preserve My Youth". Readers are advised to do "something daily to energize the muscles, stimulate the respiration and quicken the blood circulation". The exercise recommended? Not what Mr. Cupid would hope for ; ) ..... but it's Walking. It is described as “the greatest of all tonics to keep one physically and mentally fit. It is a nerve restorer, a sleeping potion, a beautifier and a fat reducer”.

The reader is further advised to “Walk until you are able to do five miles a day easily”….uuuhhmmm....Five Miles?......I guess people had to walk further to things back in the 1920s??? Maybe those stories our parents and grandparents told us as kids, you know, the one about having to walk “10 miles, each way, uphill, in the snow, to school…. may have been true after all?

If you don’t feel like walking, sample exercises are given and you are advised to get in the habit of giving ten minutes every morning to your “Youth Preservers”

The final chapter is called the “Rules of Hygiene”…

Among the golden advice for a beautiful and healthy life are, get plenty of fresh air, walk, sleep eight or nine hours, drink lots of water, chew your food slowly…and my favorite is listed last “let someone else do all your worrying for you”……now that sounds like good advice to me!

Inspiring New Friends

The world of blogging continues to open up and flood new friends my way. The inspiring and creative connections that can be made between our blogs is just thrilling for me!! I’d like to introduce a few talented artists I’ve met recently.

Meet Martha Brown and her blog Destination Unknown.

Martha is a talented mixed-media artist and we first met when she joined in the fun for my Marie Antoinette Birthday Soiree that I hosted last November. Martha’s beautiful submission is also included in my article that is in the new Artful Blogging magazine for Spring 2009. She sent me this beautiful piece of fabric artwork as a little thank you. It’s just beautiful in person and I am going to frame it in a shadow box for my studio. Please jump over to Martha’s wonderful blog and say hello!


Meet Ingrid Mida and her blog Fashion Is My Muse. Just look at some of her beautiful mixed media artwork!

Ingrid found her way to my blog while she says she was suffering from the Blogging Blues. She was feeling a bit down that her blog was not attracting many comments. Which is something that all bloggers can understand. Comments are like little love notes from friends so when comments aren’t showing, it’s easy to feel like you are blogging into a black hole.

Close Up Detail

She sent me an email to let me know that she stopped by a local bookstore looking for a little inspiration to help cheer her mood and she found the newest copy of Artful Blogging Magazine.

She came across my article for the Marie Antoinette Birthday Soiree and was inspired to visit my blog. Ingrid is a devoted fan of Marie and we made that instant connection that blogging can do.

Ingrid is such a talented writer too! And here is a fun example of one of those magical moments that can happen in the world of blogging that I just have to share with you…

Ever since I created my line of Marie Antoinette jewelry, I’ve dreamed of going to Paris and visiting the Palace of Versailles.






It is my fondest wish to glide through the Hall of Mirrors while wearing my Marie jewelry.

Months ago I even purchased a series of French language tapes to brush up on my French so I’ll be ready when the time comes. Well, Ingrid ordered my Marie Antoinette Charm Bracelet and guess what?




She has a trip planned for Paris in May and will be visiting Versailles. She has promised to wear my Marie Jewelry while touring the Palace and will have a photo taken of herself there in my jewels.

And to add icing to the cake, I recently worked with a sweet blog reader named Lorrie who has a blog Fabric, Paper, Thread, and she graciously translated a French document for me. As a thank you, I sent Lorrie several pieces of my Marie jewelry. Lorrie emailed me that she will be going to Versailles in June with her mom and sister and they will all wear my Marie jewelry while on their tour too!!! I am just tickled to pieces that if I can’t make it there yet, at least my jewelry will be there where Marie once walked.

I hope you’ll take a minute to go visit these beautiful blogs and share a comment with these sweet artists. We can all relate to enjoying reading our comments, so please share a little love with Martha , Ingrid and Lorrie: )

Baby Shoes

There are few things more precious than little baby shoes. Do you like them too? I can’t help but find them sweet and even romantic in a way. As I was organizing the studio a bit more this afternoon, I came across this pair of antique baby shoes I had put away for safekeeping.

Whenever I come across an abandoned pair of baby shoes at flea markets or antique stores, I have to stop in my tracks and just hold them. I always wonder about the little ones whose tiny toes filled these little treasures. And my next thought is always “why are these not with a family member somewhere”…they should be handed down through generations as some small reminder that they were once here….

I decided that I want to display these shoes in a special way, rather than packing them up again. While I was trying to figure out just where to put them, I remembered a pair of my own baby shoes that my mom gave me years ago, along with my baby book. Off I went to dig them out of storage…

I don’t know why I wore blue baby shoes…I guess I should ask my mom if they were expecting a boy? I think I’ll lace them with a vintage silk ribbon and hang them from a crystal drawer knob in my studio. My baby shoe was stuffed with tissue paper from long ago and I had never taken the stuffing out. In setting up the photo, I removed the tissue and had a good laugh. In that instant, I knew my baby shoe had become “blog worthy”

Take a peek inside…..can you read the little label????

Two things struck me.... #1 – The label that is proudly marked “Made in U.S.A.”, how often do you see that anymore? But my big laugh came from ”Size 0”….Whoooo Hooooo….I can now state for a fact that I have been a Size 0!!!! In today’s world, runway models and Hollywood starlets proudly proclaim they wear Size 0 and you can even walk into any department store in the nation and find grown women’s clothing on the rack in Size 0.

But there it is, in black and white, showing my age….yes, I was a Size 0, back in the day….. back in the day when Size 0 meant INFANT! LOL ... I hope my unexpected find gave those of you who can remember those days too, a good giggle :)

Studio Makeover – Sneak Peek!

In our ongoing room-by-room makeover projects, Mr. Cupid and I overhauled my studio space this weekend. Not the most romantic way to spend Valentines weekend…climbing ladders, loading boxes and wearing clothes splattered with paint. But, I managed to sneak in a few kisses as we passed each other in the hallway carrying boxes and more than once, I got little fresh with him when he was up on the ladder!

The room was completely unloaded and my old 1920s bead board walls received a fresh coat of paint. We also painted the old wood floor (which used to be the original back porch). We used a yummy shade of milk chocolate brown on the floor and it really looks sharp against the white walls and shabby chic-ish accessories. After hanging new blinds, everything was cleaned and then I focused on the fun part… rearranging furniture and putting things back in a more organized fashion. Don’t you just love to have things fresh and organized?

I am back in the studio today working on orders from my Valentines sale. Thank you to everyone who came by to visit and place an order. I am keeping my sale active until this Saturday, so click HERE if you’d like to shop. In the meantime, I’ll try to take a few more photos of my “new” space as I can between working on orders. Hope your Valentines weekend was filled with fun and romance…even if you were busy with projects like me.

Sharing the Love for Valentines Day!

As much as I love other holidays, I would have to say that Valentines Day is my FAVORITE. How can you not love a day that is dedicated to love and romance? Whether it’s shared with a partner, family, children…or even the fur children, it’s a great day to let someone know how much they mean to you.

Since I am such a big fan of Valentines Day and romance, it’s a big reason why I named my business, Cupids Charm. So to celebrate this official holiday, I thought I would share a few Valentine graphics with you. Feel free to right click any of the images you like. I’d also like to share a romantic idea with you….

Early in our marriage, I asked Mr. Cupid NOT to bring me roses for Valentines Day. I know that sounds silly, especially since I adore roses, but roses are soooo expensive this time of year. Rather than a dozen roses, I asked for a whole rose bush instead from our local garden center. It’s less expensive and I get to enjoy roses in our garden all year. And we are adding rose bushes to our landscape as the years go by, which makes the garden really sentimental.

Now anytime during the year when the roses are blooming, he likes to surprise me with a single rose that he clips and brings in the house to me. That’s always a sweet romantic moment!

And to share the love even further….. I am having a Valentines Sweet Treat Sale!!! Just visit my website and treat yourself to 20% off anything your little heart desires. I am also offering FREE shipping! The sale is good until next Saturday, Feb 21, so hurry before your favorites are gone. To receive your promotional discount, just enter “Cupid” in the coupon box at checkout (make sure you click “recalculate” to see your savings). Click HERE to shop.

Thank you for celebrating with me! I know that I have the most kind, romantic, sentimental, sweet-hearted customers in the world and I feel truly blessed to share my passion with you. I hope each and everyone of you will have a Valentines Day overflowing with love. xoxo ~ Joy

Happiness

One of the things I feel strongly about is that each of us is responsible for our own happiness. Yes, we all encounter tough times, situations and even negative people, but ultimately, I think it’s how we choose to look at life that determines how much enjoyment we get from it.

The quote above is one of my personal favorites, and I keep a copy of it in the studio on my inspiration board.

Today I received a lovely email from my dad and he shared this inspirational message that he had received, and I in turn, thought it was “blog worthy” and wanted to share it with all of you. I’ve added some sweet vintage photos to go along with the message. I hope these sentiments will be inspirational for you too.


As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn’t supposed to ever let you down, probably will.

You will have your heart broken, probably more than once and it’s harder every time. You’ll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken.

You’ll fight with your best friend.

You’ll blame a new love for things an old one did.

You’ll cry because time is passing too fast and you’ll eventually lose someone you love.

So, take too many pictures, laugh too much and love like you’ve never been hurt, because every sixty seconds you spend upset, is a minute of happiness you’ll never get back.

Don’t be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

Cabinet Project

Last night I put the finishing touches on our dining room cabinet makeover.

Our home was built in 1924 and this built-in cabinet is original to the house. Previous owners had replaced the glass doors with dark brown plastic doors. Yuck! We wanted to add glass doors back to the cabinet like what would have been there originally. Due to the size, this would have to be a custom job and the project got a little expensive. So on to Plan B - I thought the cabinet might look nice with just the open shelves.

We removed the plastic doors and then had to rebuild the back wall of the cabinet since it was in pretty bad shape. We also added lights inside to brighten things up a bit and with a fresh coat of paint, we were done.

When the doors were on, this cabinet was used for hidden storage. It was a great place to stash stuff and as a result, was always cluttered.

Now that the shelves are visible, I had fun digging through closets and cabinets looking for items to use for display. I found a few treasures I had forgotten I packed away. Don’t you just love it when you find something you forgot you owned???

Mr. Cupid must have liked it because he told me the cabinet was now “blog-worthy”. So I grabbed my camera and snapped away.

This was not a very big project, but I think it illustrates how little changes can make a lovely difference.

Gifts From Far Away.....

The wonderful thing about blogging is that you get to meet so many like-minded souls. There are so many talented and creative blogs out there in blogland, that sooner or later you are bound to stumble upon someone you connect with. That happened with me and my dear blog friend, Gabriela Delworth.

Gabriela makes the most incredible handmade paper crowns you’ve ever seen! Although Gabriela lives all the way up in Canada and I live all the way down in Florida, through email and our blogs, we are able to keep up with each other as often as if we just lived across the street.

Gabriela and I connected over our mutual admiration for Marie Antoinette and especially the historical aspects of her life. We both love art & history and we each create art that often incorporates elements from the past. Not too long ago, I sent Gabriela some of my jewelry….one of those little “just because” gifts. I sent her a Marie necklace because I knew she would appreciate this jewelry and would wear Marie close to her heart.

And yesterday, Gabriela surprised me with this gift in the mail ….my very own Marie Crown!!! Isn’t she GORGEOUS!!! Just look at the detail….scraps of lace, an abundance of glitter, feathers, tiny buttons, sequins, pearls, jewels and metallic trim. You just know this is going to have a place of honor in my studio where I can enjoy her everyday.

She also sent one of her darling Paper Dolls….another Marie Antoinette. I am going to call this my "MA Action Figure" because you can move her!

I think I am going to display her in my favorite cloche.

As you can see by my photos, Gabriela is SUPER creative. She can be easily described as being a dedicated teacher, instructor, crafter, graphic designer, illustrator, painter and writer. She wears as many crowns, as she creates! She is also a talented writer who is published in many craft magazines, appears on local TV and this March, she makes her grand debut on HGTV.

If you have not met Gabriela, please click HERE, to visit her delightful blog and introduce yourself. I am sure she will add a little sparkle to your day!