A Remembrance of a Sweet Lady!

It is said when you marry, you also marry the family of your spouse. Well nothing made me happier than to be a part of the family of this lovely, sweet, lady we all called Grandma!

She was born:
Nettie Lee Reno
on July 14, 1895
in Enfield, White County, Illinois
and left us on
August 30, 1979

I still miss you a lot, Grandma! Sending you my love on your 115th birthday!

Please join Grandma G's.......

Make Mine Pink Friday ~ "Simply Pink" ~ July 16th

Everywhere you look these days, pink is popping up in home decor and fashion. The color once reserved for baby nurseries, and little girl's dresses is now being incorporated into the decor of homes everywhere. Sometimes in soft summer hues and at other times, bright and bold, making a statement that is impossible to ignore.

Some of us love "all things pink", and fill every corner and space with this fun color. Furniture, curtains, and pink accessories grace our homes and closets. Others' craving for pink is satisfied with just a bit of a favorite shade here and there. You may find a pale pink quilt draped across a white chair, an antique pink chair against a warm white backdrop, or perhaps a clear crystal vase filled with vibrant cut flowers in shades of pink.

Mixing shades of pink makes a room feminine and chic, but a single pink accent in an all white room, commands just as much attention. Even when subtle, pink catches the eye wherever it's used. It’s fun, it’s feminine and it’s flirty.

Pink is the color that fits in with any theme - from girly to chic, from romantic to modern. Store windows are filled with eye popping pink accessories and furnishings. Designers are using extravagant pink fabrics or creating just a few pink touches in their designs. Websites are popping up everywhere, offering pink accessories for home and fashion.

What is it about pink that makes us love it so much? It's the color of princesses and fairy tales, wedding bouquets and ballet slippers. It can be whimsical or soft and feminine. In brighter shades, it reflects a bold zest for life. It's a reminder of favorite childhood memories and future dreams.

Whether you surround yourself with pink or just like keep a special pink reminder nearby, Make Mine Pink makes it easy to add a touch of pink to your life.

Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Photo Contribution 1: istock Photo | Photo Contribution 2: Tres Belle Boutique | Photo Contribution 3: Gail Friend Designs

COASTAL & CASUAL CHIC AT MAKE MINE PINK!

Please join Grandma G's for

Make Mine Pink Friday ~ "Coastal And Casual Chic" ~ July 9th

Casual coastal decor often gives us the opportunity to re-purpose discarded furniture and decor that no longer fit into someone’s home decor. Items that have been well-loved because of the special memories they hold or just because of the way they catch your eye, will fit in perfectly in your casual coastal space. Pale blue and white chairs, placed throughout each room to add character and casual charm.

Coastal style often represents blues, greens and shades of white. White painted furniture topped with a robins egg blue vase and filled with white daisies, at home in the center of the dining table.

A side table placed beside a bed covered in all white linens, to hold your favorite books or magazines. A beautiful vintage sailboat print, framed in a white washed frame, adds to that casual coastal charm.

In the living room, you'll find casual blue and white pillows, tossed onto a white slip covered couch. Shells and pearl buttons fill glass vases and crystal cut bowls. Books filled with beautiful cottages and casual decor, gracing white wicker tables and bookshelves.

Well loved quilts and vintage chenille spreads in shades of white, grace the beds. None matching, yet in this casual space, all seeming to fit in together beautifully.

A soft breeze whispers through beautiful sheer curtains, and soothes us with this gentle space called home.

Having a casual coastal chic space is not just possible, but easy, when you visit the boutiques at Make Mine Pink.

Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Photo Contribution 1:| Pale Pink and Roses Photo Contribution 2: Rose Blossom Cottage

Happy shopping!!

HAPPY 234TH BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!

AS WE CELEBRATE THE BIRTHDAY OF OUR BLESSED COUNTRY,

DON'T FORGET TO GIVE THANKS TO THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED IN THE PAST AND
THOSE WHO SERVE TODAY TO PRESERVE OUR FREEDOM!

MANY HAVE MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE MAKING SURE WE
COULD HAVE THIS DAY OF CELEBRATION....
HONOR THEM!
MANY ARE FAR FROM HOME AND FAMILY NOW....
HONOR THEM!
ENJOY THIS DAY WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS HAVING
B B Q'S AND OTHER FUN!
AND
REMEMBER ALWAYS BE SAFE WITH
FIREWORKS AND WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD!

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

WISHING YOU ALL A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY!

It's Time to Shop the MMP Pink Friday Event!!

Please join Grandma G's & Make Mine Pink for shopping with a twist on Friday, July 2nd, 2010 as we present "A Summer Retreat"!

Once summer arrives, I know it's time to plan a visit to my favorite summer retreat. That's where I go to enjoy all the simple pleasures of summer in the ideal setting. Whether I stay for a few days or for a few weeks, I always feel like I've traveled back in time to my childhood, to carefree days that ask nothing of me except to be enjoyed.

Here I don't have to follow the rules of decorating. I can put all my favorite items together, in whatever fashion I wish. Old pieces of furniture and accessories that no longer fit into my décor at home combine perfectly here. Somehow they make everything look welcoming and homey. On lazy afternoons, I love to stretch out on an old couch, now slip-covered in white, surrounded by cushions that would be called "mismatched" anywhere else. Here they're the perfect accessory for long summer days with nothing on the schedule. A summer breeze coming through the open window makes the lace curtains sway and I take a deep breath of the fresh summer air.

The shelves and tables are filled with my favorite summer things. Glass vases filled with flowers I picked on my morning walk. Vintage framed prints that remind me of a quieter, gentler time. My favorite books and magazines close at hand. Each carefully chosen because of the peace and comfort it adds to my summer sanctuary.

Mealtimes are always casual occasions, served on pieces of mismatched china. I don't even set a table when company comes. We carry our dishes - some vintage pieces with pink rosebuds and some more modern - out to the patio table. As the evening cools, we linger over tea and pleasant conversation.

A summer retreat should be an escape from your everyday cares and concerns, filled with all your favorite summer things. However you envision your summer retreat this year, you'll find everything you need to create one of your own at Make Mine Pink.

Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Happy Shopping!

MAKE MINE PINK FRIDAY: SHADES OF RED, WHITE & BLUE!!

Please join GRANDMA G'S for shopping with a twist on Friday June 18th 2010 as we present "Shades of red, white and blue"

When I think of the colors red, white and blue, I'm reminded of Fourth of July parties, picnics and fireworks. Our annual Independence Day celebrations are always filled with family, friends, laughter and fun. My favorite summer foods are cooked on the barbecue, almost as delicious as the company I'm in. On that day, I feel like the whole world is celebrating with me.

Everywhere I look, I find so many beautiful combinations of red, white and blue. Whenever I come across them, they make me smile with fond memories of those celebrations and family times. There's the vintage apron hung on a hook and waiting to be used when company comes for dinner. Its cheery red roses are still bright against what used to be a vivid blue, but has faded with time. When I open the linen closet, blue and white checked linens – once my mother’s finest picnic linens, still bearing traces of childhood Fourth of July picnics – always catch my eye. In the kitchen, white vintage china decorated with tiny red and blue rosebuds sits elegantly on a shelf I've painted white.

Even when I don't intentionally plan to decorate in those colors, red, white and blue find their way in, catching me by surprise. I've hung a white canvas with big red roses on a wall that's been freshly painted in a pale robins egg blue. It just seemed right to put it there. My red and blue glass sun catcher, floating in a window framed with white lace curtains, sparkles in the sunlight. On the table, my treasured velvet strawberries inside a vintage blue bowl. The tiny cracks in the glaze, giving away it’s age.

What is it about the shades of red, white and blue that tells us they belong together? Maybe it's the history behind them. Or maybe it's our own memories of the happy times. All I know is, when I'm surrounded by shades of red, white and blue, everyday is a celebration of life, freedom, and love.

Joyce Lucas, Founder
Make Mine Pink

Photo Contribution 1: The Quilt Shoppe | Photo Contribution 2: Cameo Kids Boutique | Photo Contribution 3: Esprit de Joie

Happy Shopping!!