My visit with Kim!

Well...what can I say?

Kim and I were destined to meet.

I don't think I've ever laughed so much as I did in the nine days we spent together.

Kim is a wonderful, kind, generous and beautiful person.

We have so much in common...there were things in her house that I have in mine on the other side of the world.

Kim took me to so many beautiful bakeries and cafes.

When I saw those macarons in the pretty pink box I just had to buy them!

 

We did a lot of mini shopping together.
I've never seen so many miniatures to buy in one place!

This was at Peg's house...everything was for sale...we spent a lot of time...and some money here!

 That's Dena in the top left corner (and Peg in the bottom right).

Dena has a vast collection of miniatures...a lot of them made by Kim.

 It was a real treat to be able to meet Dena and see her amazing house and miniature collection.

And I'll never forget senior lunch at Star's with Dena, Peg and Kim, I don't remember what we ate I just remember laughing so much I was crying!

And never, ever in my life have I seen so many antique malls and vintage collectives.

So many beautiful things...

I bought quite a few things here...

then rang my husband and told him I'd be bringing an extra suitcase home!

 

Kim and I loved this booth!!!

Oh, if only I had more suitcases...and $$$$!!!!

Kim was baking miniature pies while I was there.

I found the 'Dolly Pie' book at an antiques mall and surprised her with it.

This shelf came home with me!

All those minis on the shelf came home with me too!

Most of them were gifts from Kim...we spent some time painting everything in pretty colours.

 

 

As you know I got to play in Kim's gorgeous craft room.

Someday I have to go back - we have a lot more collaborating to do!

We fell in love with these bambi's!

A lot of Christmas decorations came home with me too!

 

Just a few of the treasures that came home with me.

I searched everywhere for the pastel spatulas...pastel coloured kitchenware has become a bit of an obsession with me! I ordered the Miu spatulas on Amazon while I was at Kim's.

I love the vintage moulds and cookie cutters!

I liberated the sugar sachets from an Olive Garden restaurant...they're pastel coloured!!!

And we came across the vintage Tootsie Toy furniture at two different stores.

 The night before I returned home we had a spectacular dinner at Francis Ford Coppola's Winery.

There was a masquerade ball on that night and a ballerina was dancing under the stars in the courtyard as we left...it was like being in a movie.

 

 There was one place I had to go to on the day I left.

(Well, there were quite a few places we went to on the way to the airport!)

Kim and I went to the  'Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Couture' store in San Francisco.

It is a tiny shop filled with beautiful (very expensive!) shabby things!

 

The airline had attached these labels to my bags when I got home (Sylvia, I can hear you laughing!)

 

I can't wait to go back or (hopefully) have Kim visit me here in New Zealand one day.

Kim and her incredibly lovely family showed me the most fabulous time.

It was a wonderful trip and I feel like the luckiest girl alive to have met a true kindred spirit.

 

Mercedes

The Shabby Shed

 I found some time to finish the little shabby shed.

I realised that if I kept waiting for time it would never happen.

So I just took the time!

I spent a Saturday afternoon while Liberty was at a friends house adding the door, end window and finishing the exterior and roof.

 I must say I worked well into the night (hubby was out at a work function - so no need for me  to cook a proper dinner - woohooo!!)

 I didn't have the right bits of wood to make a door but I found an old window that fit the hole perfectly and I adapted it.

 I went to visit Anne (another thing I had been having trouble finding time to do) and she helped me hang the door, it was her brilliant idea to have a shelf going right across the room.

 

 I had thought I should make doors to go in the large opening at the end of the shed (I think it was possibly originally meant to be a garage). But the doors were going to take time...however when I was in California with Kim I bought this beautiful window at a dollhouse shop and would you believe it fit the door space perfectly. So I decided it was meant to go there!

I couldn't be happier with how my little $10 shed from the Op shop (Goodwill) has turned out!

Now the real fun part begins...filling it up...I have big plans!

 

Liberty has already asked me if she can have the shed!

She has a 'thing' for old buildings...can't imagine where she gets that from!

Mercedes

My Barn in Mini-ologie!

Well, I'm back home now in my real world...that was a trip to remember!

When I got to Kim's house the Fall issue of Mini-ologie was waiting for me.

 

 A few months ago Kim asked me if I'd like to be part of the Autumn issue of Mini-ologie.

A magazine dedicated to beautiful miniatures created by Kim and two of her like-minded friends.

 

Of course I jumped at the chance to be part of this beautiful publication.

 

Thank you Kim, Maritza and Cynthia for inviting me to be part of your wonderful magazine.

 

I'm not sure why but 2013 seems to have turned out to be the Year of the Publication for me!

More pics from my trip coming soon...I've been swamped with children's parties since I got home!

And of course the Nylon's went to America too...their story coming soon!
 

Mercedes

Having fun with Kim!!

I am having way too much fun here in California with Kim Saulter!

We fulfilled a dream and collaborated on a mini project together.

 We created this 1:12 scale vintage baking hutch together.
There are things on the hutch that have meaning to us:
the number 10 represents the month in which I came to visit Kim
I made the vintage New Zealand tin because that's where I come from...

The cupcakes and pies made by Kim are there because we both love them!

There's a pink spatula because I've been searching for one in the shops here.

And of course we both love to bake!

We've been hunting for vintage milk glass while I've been here.

We couldn't stop creating so we added a kitchen nook table and benches!

We also created a little kitchen baking table scene.

We saw a very beautiful doll we wanted to buy for Liberty so Kim decided we should list our creations on Etsy.

Here's a pic taken by Kim of us lunching together.

We had been laughing so much we were crying...that's been happening a lot!!

The Nylon's are here too!

Off on an American adventure...more to come!

Late nights, shopping, eating out and laughter with a wonderful friend! 

And still four more days of fun to go!

Mercedes

A Scrapbook of Surprises!

 Two years ago, before I went on my trip to Europe, I made a little scrapbook to leave as a surprise for Liberty.

Making little scrapbooks is something else I love to do!

 

I started with a kraft paper pre-made book in a box by Bella designs.

 Each page had a pocket with a tag (or two) in it.

 Each tag had a date on it.

Every morning I was away she would read the appropriate tag and it would tell her where to look in our house to find a little surprise present.

 Or some days there was an idea of somewhere she could go with her daddy.

 She loved the book and we still look at all the pages and she tells me what she did when I wasn't here.

 Two years later she still likes to remind me how sad she was when I was away!

 

When I told her I was going away this year she straight away asked if I would make her another book.

So I've spent the last few nights making a new book and I've had a great deal of fun finding little gifts to leave for her.

I'll show you this years book when I get back.

My mum used to leave little gifts for me whenever she went away and I loved that!

 

Just two more days and I'm off on my next exciting adventure to visit Kim!!

 

Mercedes

Working on the shed and travel plans!

I wallpapered the little shed weeks ago...

but I didn't want to show you until I'd made the windows.

Now...I was hoping to get to my friend Anne's house so she could help me (she's a master builder!) but real life has been getting in the way!

 I finally realised it was unlikely I'll ever have a child free day to spend with Anne so I told myself to

'just do it NOW'!

and yesterday at home with a few sticks of wood left over from other projects and my trusty craft knife I made the windows.

 

 I have big plans for this little shed!

 I've started making furniture.

 

And here's a pic from the outside...more coming soon...

BUT

in two weeks time I'm crossing the world to visit another friend I've made through this blog.

I'm so excited to be flying to California (that's 13 child free hours away from New Zealand on a plane!) to meet the incredibly talented Kim Saulter!!!

We're going to have 9 fun filled 'shabbylicious' days together, I can't wait!

 

Mercedes