"Each Morning".....

Each morning I wake up between 6:00-6:30 am. No alarm,.....just my internal clock reminding me another day is about to take shape......Invariably I pull the covers a bit higher,.... slowly turn over,.... & decide that it is to far too early to begin the day.

The odd thing is I really never return to sleep, ...instead my mind is thinking about the day ahead. My eyes might be closed, but thoughts about the new day are "opening" one after the other.....

It is such a lovely,.... but somewhat odd beginning to the day...... How in such a lazy state, I can somehow put together the most marvelous of days.....

but I do.....

each morning somewhere between six & half past.

heidi
xo

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"So Ready!"......

I am so ready for Spring!

Ready to throw open the front door.....

Ready to decorate in neutrals, & lots of white!.....

Ready to surround myself with just the "necessities"..........
& of course bouquets of fresh flowers!

Ready to de-clutter, organize & arrange.

And ready to make up a bed as fresh & inviting as that first breath of Spring air!

I bet you might be feeling the same....

heidi
xo

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"The Charm of Painted Cabinets"......

Since a very young age, I have been attracted to "antique cabinets". They could be large impressive pieces of furniture,.... or small wall cabinets tucked in a corner of the room.
They could be dark polished wood, or primitive time worn pieces, but the cabinets I adore most are the "painted" ones!......

Of course my own taste sends me in the direction of "colonial blues & gray-greens", ...but lately I am considering some slightly unusual combinations as well!....."Leaf green with a raspberry interior", so perfect filled with a collection of pure white ironstone pitchers!....
Or possibly a cabinet painted "pussy-willow gray with a French vanilla interior"!....can you imagine how beautiful anything "silver" would be placed in such a piece!

The possibilities are simply endless!.....Choosing classic shades of whites, blacks or browns lend a clean, classic feel...always appropriate, always beautiful.

But throwing caution to the wind & making a painted cupboard "pop to attention" with a fabulous color is something we all should consider!,... especially at this time of year when we might need a little color inspiration!

So with this all in mind, I am wandering the house,.... looking at each piece I own, trying to imagine it dressed in a pretty new color!....

I invite you to do the same!.....

Would love to hear what you come up with for your "painted cupboard"!.....

Happy Decorating!

heidi
xo

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"Good Morning.....A Busy Day"

Good Morning Friends,
This so far has been one busy week!....And today is no different!.....The coffee is made, a quick chat with my girls, with my husband occasionally joining our "coffee clatch"!......Then bed making,..... a shower/make-up/hair.....& then off to a dear friend's house for a decorating appointment. Back home to work on lots of Etsy pillow orders this afternoon & then preparing meatloaf & Paula potatoes! ( simply divine!) A dinner I will serve buffet-style, from the stove top, everything piping hot, with a large stack of white plates & napkins placed close by.
Tonight we have different schedules,.... boyfriends joining us, &....my "open door" policy is in full swing!
*definintion of "open door policy": new idea I am trying to put into action here at the house; delicious food prepared, house fairly picked up, & ready for whoever & whenever friends & family happen to join us each evening.
***********************************

I will bet your day is fairly similar!.....

heidi
xo

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"New Designs" at Heidi Devlin Design!

I have been so busy designing & creating lots of new designs for my etsy shop,
"Heidi Devlin Design"!!....

Among them is my sweet "cozy winter" pillow......

my typographic "at" pillow,..... clean & classic!

& the perfect pillow for Valentines Day,...my "us" pillow!

All are available now!.....

& each would just love a "new home" at your house!
Enjoy your day!.......

heidi
XO

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"Inspired Aspirations"......

O.K. I'll admit it. I just finished taking down my Christmas tree.
Now most of my other decorations are put away....
let me clarify....
All my holiday things have been taken down & are now sitting on my big dining kitchen table....to be packed away sometime in the near future?
Can't say for sure it will be today.

So even though I still have "Christmas baubles & bobs" to attend to....my mind is thinking about new projects!... ideas for the garden & for a quilt!

Over the the last couple of weeks I have been thumbing through some of my beautiful books & have become so inspired!.....Inspired over quilt designs...& inspired to plant a winter garden!.....
I have purchased sweet pea seeds, 2 raspberry plants, winter lettuce, spinach & onions & shallots, & even a new pair of gardening gloves!....
I am ready!
On the quilting front, the same kind of enthusiasm is being put into color, pattern & fabric choices!

I believe it is good for the soul, for us each to take on a new project or two at the beginning of a new year.
It allows you to learn, to be challenged, to be frightened.....

It takes you out of your comfort zone & in turn allows growth.

So I am off now to finish putting away my holiday decorations of 2010,..... maybe.
And then it's all about a new quilt,.... a new garden.....& lots of of possibilities for 2011.

heidi
xo

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The Last Twelve Days.....

The last 12 days have been filled with very "thankful highs",... along with some very, very "worried-out-of-your-mind lows".

All is looking up this afternoon.....prayers are being answered.

It's interesting how "child-like" you become,... yet how very "grown-up" you need to be when your mother is sick, hurt or compromised in any way.

Our mother, tonight,.... is thankfully "on the mend",... & will be for some time....

however this evening a "calm" has come over my sister & I.

We can relax tonight.

God is taking care of us all.....

your friend,.....

heidi

xo

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"Truly Christmastime".......

Work is finished, I am completely caught up!.....I just sent out my last pillow order this afternoon. I love that it coincided with the busiest mailing day of the year?.....I was assured each package would arrive before Christmas....so both myself & my clients are happy.

With work behind me,.....it is now truly "Christmastime"!.....

The house is decorated, just like a cozy English cottage...very busy, with aqua mixed in with all the raspberry & soft green. Every surface boosts the most charming still-life arrangements & candy canes are within easy reach no matter what room you happen to be in.

Tomorrow cranberry breads will be competing with spritz for oven time,.... & wrapping paper & ribbon will be adorning all our presents.

It is the week before Christmas & happiness is all around us.
It is time to breathe in the moments that make these days so enchanting.... appreciate each & every one.

heidi
xo

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"Christmas in Old Poway".....

Just now my husband Ter & I returned from "Christmas in the Park".....which is a lovely celebration in Old Poway,... where we live in Southern California. Knowing that the tree lighting was scheduled for 5:20pm, we decided to walk over, just the two of us....to see what all the excitement was about?....
Well, we were incredibly impressed!!! Old Poway was utterly charming!...You would have thought we were on the set of the "Gilmore Girls"! Who knew!? All the turn-of-the-century buildings were dressed in little white lights,...with Mr. & Mrs. Claus arriving in the steam locomotive, which encircles the park!...
In the beautifully decorated gazebo, choirs of children sang carols, while people of all ages strolled around listening & sipping hot coffee!....
I am, so proud to be part of a community that takes such pride in it's history & the celebrations it hosts!
What a treat for us all!.....
Enjoy your weekend!
heidi
xo

* entry way- courtesy of Martha Stewart, "Turkey Hill".......I will always love that house! :)

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"In Search of Our Christmas Tree & Memories".....

So sorry to have been away from blogging for far too long! I have so missed chatting & sharing thoughts with all of you!....Here it is the most exciting time of year & I haven't been blogging at all?....Well, I am happy to say that I am back & so very ready to visit!
I am sure many of you have your "trees up & your cards sent", however here at our house that is not the case!....In fact, tonight we are going Christmas tree shopping!.....This year, we have had quite the debate....fresh tree or fake??....Growing up it was always a real tree. Going to tree lots & choosing a tree was one was one of the highlights of the holiday season!...
After marrying & moving to Southern California though, it seemed a fake tree was a smarter choice, so for years that's what we've done!....and happily!....there is something very nice about a pre-lit, tree with adjustable branches!
This year though, and maybe it has something to do with having a 6 year old grandson....Returning to the local tree lot to choose a Christmas tree, just seems to be the right thing to do!....I find myself wanting Andrew to experience how fun it is to wander a tree lot at night, with strings of tiny white lights & lots of stars guiding you. Row after row we would walk, pulling out one tree after another... deciding which was straight enough, full enough, tall enough.

And then after the chill of the air was beginning to help make our decision for us, we would choose our beautiful tree & take it home.
In the days that followed, our tree would be dressed with "glittery balls & thin strands of tinsel"...... I would sit & admire that tree night after night, curled up in a big wing-back after my evening bath...the enchantment of it all almost to overwhelming for one little girl.
Those are my memories.
So with these thoughts in mind, I am hoping that my grandson will grow up with similar remembrances.....& his grandson after that...& so on.
Happy tree hunting......

heidi
xo

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"Holiday Shop News"......

"Roses & Plaid" pillow

A little announcement......my shop, "Heidi Devlin Design" will be open through Thursday, December 2nd....but will be closed for the remainder of the holiday season. I will be busily working on all the orders that have come in the last couple of weeks!
I wanted to give myself enough time to finish all your lovely purchases, & be able to get them to you in plenty of time for Christmas!

"you & me" pillow

If by some chance you wish to purchase a pillow while my shop is closed,... please e-mail me at heididevlin@gmail.com & I'll consider orders on a "case by case" basis!.....
I so don't want to be unable to get you an item you are hoping to purchase, but also need to make sure I can deliver on what I have committed to.

"Laurel wreath/reindeer" pillow

Thank you so much to all of you for understanding!.....
& Merry Christmas to you all!
Your friend,
heidi
xo

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"Unhurried & Quiet"....

Hello Friends, How are you all?....I hope everyone had the loveliest of Thanksgivings!....And now before we blinked twice it is "Christmastime". It seems that everyone is putting up trees & decorations, ... shopping & hanging lights, yet it is still November?......
The media makes it sound like if you haven't given much thought to the upcoming holidays, that you indeed are already a few steps behind?....What's up with that?
I have to say, that through the years, I have approached preparing for the holidays from many angles.
I have been the "working girl" that was so busy with her job, that I waited to the last minute to get anything much done.
I have had years where I declared proudly that I was making all my gifts,... which also ended with many unfinished projects!...& last minute trips to the mall!
Then of course I felt doing everything super early was the way to go!...but like my husband pointed out,... I started out wonderfully organized, but just kept going!?.....I made presents & even wrapped them, tucking them away in late summer early fall...& went on to forget all about them, only to re-buy more gifts!?
So the other day, while contemplating about how my mother created our childhood Christmases....I began remembering. I remembered that my mother always reminded us that Christmas was a "holiday", not the entire month of December.
December was a month to quietly & calmly prepare for the most special of holidays....not one to spend stressed out & over-burdened. Mid-month we would put up our tree,...might possibly my most favorite holiday activity!.... decorated with ornaments we had for years tucked in a large department store box, each one wrapped in tissue.
Our Christmas decorating was sweet & charming,....nothing too planned or "style-ized" about it. Preparing for Christmas was "tradition", not decorating magazines dictating the newest fade.
What I remember most though, is that getting ready for Christmas was not hurried, it just happened a bit at a time.
The house, the lovely gifts & the cookies all came to be,...unfolding slowly those last couple of weeks before Christmas.
So with these memories in mind, I will be taking one step at a time,.... allowing Christmastime to calmly surround me...unhurried & quiet. I wish you the same.

Heidi
xo

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"Thanksgiving Day"....

Thanksgiving Day is almost here once again. For our family, like many of yours as well, it will be a cozy day at home with our immediate family. Not a houseful of guests, just those I hold most dear.
This year, my daughters & I are all cooking. Mallory is in charge of the stuffing, Holly the pies & potatoes & I will handle the turkey & fresh cranberries. I cannot tell you how much it means to me that our girls will be sharing the kitchen with me.
I also have plans for a lovely table. I am using my Spode "Thanksgiving Day" brown transfer- ware plates,... that years ago I found while antiquing. I remember them being $7 each, which at the time was crazy expensive. But with the encouraging words of my friend Angela, I did indeed purchase these gorgeous plates,....never ever regretting my decision.
I will also be adding small arrangements of"plum colored mums & deep pink peonies", which will look amazing with small chocolate turkeys running among them! The color-scheme of warm browns & deep plums is a bit unusual, but very Fall-ish non-the-less!
The family will of course be watching the Macy's Day Parade, which is a yearly tradition! I grew up watching it, with the excitement of seeing the "true" Santa" at the parade's end!....And as all traditions are, now my grandson is the "believer", sitting on the edge of the sofa as the sleigh & reindeer make their appearance....very wide-eyed & filled with wonder.
Thanksgiving is such an immensely personal day. Each of us have our own memories of Thanksgiving past,....mine being frosty, dark days, spent in a warm kitchen, with delicious scents wafting through the house & my mother cooking all day long, (which if you knew my mom was not the norm! :)....We ate early & then spent the afternoon relaxing in front of a fire, anticipating the upcoming weeks.
This year, even though we have been married 29 years, we are starting new traditions, since for many years we had Thanksgiving dinner at relative's homes. But now our celebrating is here at our own sweet home, with our girls & grandson. I love that we have three generations under one roof ( just like the Walton's, ....a family I so wanted to emulate!). I love that we are healthy & happy. I love that even though the last couple of years have brought a few challenges, we are all closer & more appreciative than ever.
I thank God for the blessings I have been given.
Wishing you a day of thanksgiving......
Your friend,
heidi
xo

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Lots of Pretty Pillows at Heidi Devlin Design!

Good Morning Friends, With the holidays approaching I had to let you all know that my shop is full of the most darling pillows!.....both for your own home & for fabulous gift-giving!
From hand-stenciled monograms, vintage-inspired fabrics & lots of "crown" pillows...(all very appropriate for the season!), .....Heidi Devlin Design is full of the most charming pillows!.....With my newest design being my "25" pillow"!.....A very clean & fresh design, as well as being a lovely reminder of the true reason for celebration!
And of course I have once again my "mica glittered candy canes & snow balls"!...All handmade & darling to fill an old crock of iron urn!......
I invite you to stop by soon for a little peek!
Enjoy your Sunday!
heidi
xo

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"Returning to Normal Life Once Again"......

It has been sometime since I have given my blog, the attention it deserves. For the last month, my life has revolved around preparing for the Queen Bee Market, which was held here in Southern California last weekend.
Each day you could find me stenciling & sewing pillows,... along with painting & glittering my "candy canes" &" rag-ball snowballs"!....Each time you prepare for a show of any kind you forget the time & commitment it takes.....The Market came & went, very successfully....but it will take some time for our home to be completely back to normal.
Yesterday afternoon, I was in the kitchen making stuffed shells & Caesar salad. How lovely to be able to prepare a home made dinner.....& I never thought I would actually enjoy catching up on laundry & picking up the house!.....
As nice as participating in the Queen Bee has been, I may have to think twice about signing up again.....just not sure it's all worth it for me?.....You see, no one is the "homebody" I am. I like a well run home & dinner on the table. I am a huge fan of the "everyday", & anything that interferes with that has to be considered carefully.
So for now, I will relish in my "returning to normal life".....thoughts of craft shows & Queen Bees can be debated another day. Right now I am home & very happy to be so.
Here's to everyday!.....
Heidi xo

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All Hallow's Eve.....

Tonight, on all Hallow's Eve, I will be stenciling pillows & watching episodes of "Ghost Adventures"! I have been taping the last few shows, so I would have a few to watch all at once....

Have you seen this show?....It is on the Travel Channel & I think it is fabulous!....The show consists of three friends,... Zak, Aaron & Nick, who are investigating paranormal activities at some of the most (supposedly) haunted places throughout the world. They travel to these places, spending the night in each location, looking for evidence of ghosts, spirits, etc.

Now I am about 99% sure these guys are for real, however my husband not so much! :).....But then again I was born on Halloween, & am fairly open-minded to the existence of ghosts.
All I can say is watch "Ghost Adventures" & make up your own mind. If nothing else it is one very entertaining hour of television!
Here's to a happy & a bit "spooky" evening!

Heidi
xo

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"Living Little with Heidi" is a Bit Spooky this Month!

The Halloween edition of "Living Little with Heidi" has just been sent out to all of you who have asked to receive it!.....It is a somewhat shorter newsletter than usual, but filled with lots of charming ideas, thoughts & recipes!.....I hope you enjoy it!
Your friend,
Heidi
xo

P.S. If you are not receiving my monthly free on-line newsletter, please contact me at heididevlin@gmail.com...& I'll send it right out to you!

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"Wishing & Dreaming"......

As many of you know we are renting a house at the moment....which I really don't mind a bit, possibly since our little house is so darn cute. Someday though I look forward to having a house of our own once again. Not sure if we will end up buying the house we're in or buying another, but for now I love the "wishing & dreaming" part of buying a house.
Lately whenever I see an idea that appeals to me, I am quick to save it!....Ripping a page from a magazine or copying a photo that I saw on-line, is something that is happening fairly often. And one of my favorite ideas at the moment is these amazing "barn doors"!.....I love the juxtaposition of these over-sized, primitive doors being brought into the interiors of a home!.....Not only decorative, but functional as well!....Just fabulous!

I am not sure that barn doors such as these will ever be in any house I own, but they certainly are more than comfortable in my "wishing & dreaming" folder!....Right alongside, plank floors, farmhouse sinks, wrap around porches, pea gravel courtyards & driveways, large garden spaces, picket fences, barn/greenhouses, etc. etc. etc.......
Here's to dreaming!....
Heidi
xo

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My shop is full of.... "Candy Canes & Snowballs"!.....

A little announcement to let everyone know that my
"Candy Canes" & "Snowballs"
have indeed once again arrived in my shop,....
Heidi Devlin Design!......
The candy canes are available in not only the traditional red/cream...but also in the monochromatic tan/white, which is so very pretty when using dusty pastels or planning an all "white" Christmas!
And the "snowballs"!...well what can I say....inspired from old-fashioned rag-balls, these darling vintage-inspired snowballs are wrapped in oatmeal-y cotton & then decoupaged & encrusted in mica flakes & diamond dust!.....
Arranged in an old urn or tucked throughout the branches of your Christmas tree, they are just the most charming decorations ever!

I invite you to come by for a quick peek soon & place your order!....They seem to disappear as quickly as my "glue-y/glittery" fingers can make them!

Here's to candy canes & snowballs!

Heidi
xo

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Enjoying "Autumn's Charms"....

O.K..... Enough is enough. All I have been doing these last few weeks is working.....stenciling, sewing & packing up, lots & lots of pillows!...... Now I am very, very thankful for the business & to have such lovely clients.....& tomorrow I am thrilled to report that I will be completely caught up!.....

With that said though, I am in desperate need of a bit of "Autumn Charm"!.....

You know,.....

*pumpkins & falling leaves......

*afternoons spent cooking delicious chowders & soups....

* front porches sporting big pots of golden mums....
I want to think....

* "Halloween", about costumes & candy corn.....

& *baking as many apple desserts as one family can handle!.....

And above all, I want this time of year to slow down.....just a little.

I want to savor each moment of Autumn.....

I am deliberately clearing my calendar, so this season doesn't slip by without me noticing.....And it feels incredible!....Like many of you I am a "pleaser", always taking on more than I can possibly do,...not wanting to say "no" or "disappoint" anyone...

but I have come to the conclusion that for a few weeks I will be a little selfish with my time,.... & do what I want,
& if that means sitting, sipping hot cider, reading magazines & watching the leaves fall.... then I'm doing it!

Before long the holidays will be upon us, & these days of Fall will be
"sweet memories"...

So for today & for the next few weeks, I will be celebrating Autumn in every way imaginable!.....
And I would love to share this Fall with you!.....

So stop by whenever you can! I might have a new "recipe or idea" to share!

.....or then again, I might just be wandering through
a "leaf-carpeted orchard", enjoying my Autumn afternoon.

Here's to enjoying each season......

Your friend,

heidi
xo

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