Random Thursday musings and a few updates and a giveaway!

Thank you Jennifer over at The Pink Pagoda for featuring me and her purchase from my store today! She bought my monogrammed linens and features them in her post. Pop over if you want to see......click here.
AND AS OF THIS MORNING.....THE CRYSTAL HURRICANE CANDLES HAVE FINALLY BEEN LISTED AS HAVE THE CHANDELIER SHADE (UNDER NEW ARRIVALS)....FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN ASKING!

Hi there......hope you are having a smooth week. Over here things are going well, busy but manageable. Definitely under control and not nearly as frantic as last week. Could not have handled a week like last week, would have put me over!  So first a few things happening with the house and then some news with my online store, a giveaway for one of my new scrumptious crystal hurricane candles  and then some odds and ends. Would love to hear whats happening over in your world.............

Over at the house.....since we decided to keep the dining rug which I have to say I absolutely love now, I have just started working on choosing fabrics for the dining chairs. We decided to go for an EJ Victor Newport Collection dining chair which is part of the same grouping as the table. It was hard to find a table as wide as we needed so we are keeping this EJ Victor table which looks good in the room. I am just about ready to start working on the chinoiserie and choosing the colors and the patterns. It was a gloomy and much cooler day on Sunday and a few of my planters were in need of fresh flowers and I decided to do some replanting with fresh spring flowers, want to share with you how pretty they came out!

Started making them outside........

And added them to my island......

Got the antique mirror done in my bathroom! I love it, haven't put in the rosettes yet because I am still deciding which ones I want and what I will do in the side panels, waiting till my sconces come, in, yes those sconces as in the ones I have been waiting on only for oh about 5 months and counting! I know they will be worth the wait and have yet to see anything that I know will work as perfectly as those will. Also ordered the linen fabric for the window treatments. It worked and I just wanted to do it, and be done with it. So hopefully within a few weeks I will have window treatments....yippee!

The fabric now am on the prowl for a pretty blue tassel fringe to dress it up a bit. 

So got in this enormous dough bowl for a customer. The dough bowls I sell are not replicas but the real McCoy which makes them so special...no two are alike! This customer requested a very large one, this I swear could double as a mini canoe! It measures about 19" wide and nearly 42" long..but its spectacular!!!!! I swear I wanted to kidnap it.

Then I decided to play for how my Easter breakfast table might look .......and you know it had to be blue and white..take a look! It is so unlike me to do this ahead of time but I was just having fun, and was home for the day it gave me a few fun ideas and when it comes to blue and white I get very inspired!

 Then repotted a planter in the family room that needed a little TLC...........

Thanks to you all for your wonderful and invaluable feedback on some of the more colorful pieces of porcelain and whether or not I should start carrying them. You spoke, I listened and as of this morning I have added a number of those pieces! I agree they are beautiful and are a great compliment to what is already offered.  And for those who asked about the birds, they are being added later today!

In addition, I will be adding another much requested item...... Chandelier/sconce lampshades! I know the frustration firsthand of finding great looking lampshades, they will be listed in the next day or two.

Also, really excited about a  line of candles I am over the moon to introduce, was hoping to get this line!!  I first discovered them while staying at the Ritz Carlton in New Orleans...if you have ever had the pleasure of visiting there, you were no doubt hit by the most delicious gardenia scent to hit mankind and its the scent of these heavenly candles, triple scented in the most beautiful crystal hurricanes. Well I tracked them down and here they are!! I am delighted to be carrying them. For any serious candle connoisseur I personally guarantee these candles, a single candle permeates several rooms and they smell as beautiful as they look! They are poured into GORGEOUS crystal hurricanes that are alone just beautiful pieces so you have a stunning piece even when the candle is gone. This company even offers to refill the candle for a nominal fee. A very very special line that I cannot recommend highly enough! Will be listed online in the next day.....Click here to visit my store.

The first one is huge sure to last many many months and this single one can permeate an entire house, 60 ounces poured into this huge 12' crystal hurricane perfect for any large room....

These smaller ones stand about 5-6" and are 10 ounces are perfect for a bedroom, guest room, powder room or bathroom.......

Now that giveaway I mentioned! To celebrate the launch of these candles...I am offering a giveaway for one of the smaller ones to one lucky winner. Just leave a comment here after visiting my store (click here) and tell  me your favorite item. If you want a second chance you can leave a a comment on The Enchanted Homes' Facebook page. That's it! I will announce a winner Sat. morning. The contest closes Friday night. Be sure to check back Saturday morning.

Got so many emails from happy customers this past week, it left a permanent smile on my face, I swear! It made even those hairy days worth it:) I even got a few pictures which was fun and satisfying for me to see people enjoying and loving their new purchases!! I got this picture in from one of my customers and she said it was fine if I shared it thought it came out so pretty! She took one of my beautiful silver bowls and planted an orchid in it....beautiful don't you think? Thanks for sharing and keep those pictures coming!

I have to share a special and moving story with you. We are inundated with stories of sadness, violence and doom. I cling onto stories of hope, redemption and second chances. We need to spread those as much as any other. A fellow blogger, someone who I have met through blogging, Sharon, a fashion blogger is one of those people who is just incredibly warm,vivacious and gregarious, her personality shines through loud and clear. Though I have never met her in real life, I feel like I know her personality through her blog and it translates well in how she writes. She made an announcement about a week ago that she was about to embark on something really big and would be out of commission for a bit. Admittedly the first thought that crossed my mind was cosmetic surgery (call me vain). Not that she needs it, she is really beautiful, but lets face it when a woman takes a "hiatus" that's as logical reason as any:) Well... a few days later we found out she had donated a kidney to someone who was in very dire condition. What a beautiful thing! She saved someones life and therefore that woman's family too! It is a beautiful and touching story to read. Because Sharon didn't even know this person and happened to read about this story on Facebook. She is truly a beautiful person inside and out and our world needs more people like Sharon. I was moved to tears reading her account of this experience and felt compelled to share it with you. If you care to pop on over just to say a quick hello and maybe drop a line of support or a well wish, I know she would be thrilled. Click here to visit. (This is part 1 of 2 and why she chose to donate her kidney)

Sharon post op.......can you believe she looks so glamorous!!!!!!! Hope you are feeling great Sharon!

Thanks for stopping in and letting me ramble.........wishing everyone a fabulous day!Thanks to the two Barbara's for my fun guest posts the last two days, I was honored to have been included in both of your lovely blogs!!