So Shabby Pink - I have to try it too!!

My step daughter, Kimberly - Miss My Pink Boutique girl, has been couragous enough to do something that most of us are hesitant to do --SHE USED HER SELF CLEANING OVEN FEATURE!! Ahhhhh!!! I have that feature on my oven too but have been chicken to use it for many years!!

I think the MOST courageous thing she did was post her dirty oven BEFORE picture! She was so brave to show the WHOLE WORLD her dirty oven! Her courage has inspired me though and I am going to take that step and push the clean button:

I might even let you see MY dirty oven!

So Shabby Pink - Meet Arlene

You know, this year has really been a difficult year for many. When we do not live in the areas that we read about or live in those places we see pictures of on the news, we tend to forget that hardships are coming on people that are just like you and me.

One very strong lady that has overcome quite an ordeal this year is Arlene. I met Arlene on Make Mine Pink. She is an avid collector of beautiful vintage goodies and a retailer of collectibles through her website, Lil Cottage Shoppe.

Now, I know what it is like to want to live on the water and be willing to take the risk of flooding and storms. I grew up in Virginia Beach, VA and there is just nothing like it! You just accept the risk and keep on going - and are so grateful for the opportunity to be where you love! When I later lived in northeastern North Carolina, my view from our backyard deck was very much like Arlene's. This is her backyard view. Gorgeous!

Living on Fox Lake, Illinois, however, she was a part of the flooded areas from this summer's rains.

This was the after......

When I first learned that she had been affected, I kept looking for posts from her on the Make Mine Pink Forum to see how she was doing. We were all much relieved to know she and her family (her dogs are family too) were safe but disappointed that much of her inventory for Lil Cottage Shoppe had been damaged or rendered useless. You can read about her experience on her blog.

In spite of all this hardship, she has now created two new businesses in addition to her current website:

Retro Boutiques

• Retro, Vintage and Antique Inspired Web Templates. Our GREAT web host, Merchant Moms, has accepted her as a template designer. Way to go, Arlene!!

Cottage Shop Estate Sales

• Estate Sale and Ebay Consignment Services. (I love estate sales).

I call that creative and resilient! This is a quality I love about some people. That "stick to it-ness" -- that, "I am strong and will find a way to be even better-ness." There are no limits for a person like that......

Arlene, YOU ROCK!!

Here are the places you can find Arlene:

RetroBoutiques
The Lil Cottage Shoppe
Cottage Shop Estate Sales
My Little Pink Boutique
Women Take Wing

So Shabby Pink - Make Mine Pink Tea Party Day 4

What fun all the tea parties in cyberspace have been this week. It's hard to put together a sweet little setting without using Kimberly's sweet faux pastries. SO, here they are again!

We arranged our settings together today - 300 miles apart. We just chatted and chatted and it was the next best thing to actually having her here. :-) I really do appreciate technology.

Remember those round sectional plates? The pink dishes are actually 3 separate curved pieces. I don't have the original dish that they sat on, but there is always a way to make them work. I really love that pink color.

The pot, cream and sugar pieces below are some of my wares but they are for decoration only. I don't recommend any of my products for food service. Just pretty decoration.

It's been fun! Hope you will visit us again.

So Shabby Pink - Tea Party No. 2

I hope you SCROLL DOWN and visit my PINK TEA PARTY No. 1 from Monday before you leave.

Even though I just LOVE pink, we do have some other colors in our home to warm up some favorite areas.



Today I decided to make a pretty party with Fire King's Peach Lustre. I love this setting as it reminds me of my grandmother. It's Kim's absolute favorite also (My Pink Boutique) so if you are searching for a gift for her, this is it! I believe she would like some plates! :-)




Hope you enjoy yourself!

Scroll down to see my Pink Tea Party from Monday.

So Shabby Pink - Special Offer by Robin's Soap Nest

Hello! Hope all is well today.

I posted yesterday on Robin's Soap Nest (see below). Robin has informed me that if anyone orders soap through her website or at her Oct. 13 show at Randolph Air Force Base and mentions that they saw her ad through "So Shabby Pink," they will receive a 10% discount on their purchase. Thank you, Robin!

So Shabby Pink - Never Forget Sept. 11

In memory of those who died on Sept. 11, 2001.

So Shabby Pink Introduces Robin's Soap Nest

I recently went into one of our local Mail Center retail stores to ship a package. Of all things sitting there on the counter was an adorable display of wonderful smelling handmade (cold process) soap!

The smell just permeated the room. Oh, boy! I know my eyes must have gotten as big as saucers when I saw them. I have never been able to resist handmad soap so I bought a handful. The truck smelled great by the time I got home too!

The maker of this soap is Robin of Robin's Soap Nest. She is a local girl and a member of the San Antonio Work at Home Moms of Texas. I found her contact information on the soap label and I have had some very nice email conversations with her. I would like to introduce you to her and welcome her to our very fine online community.

On her website, she has shown about 5 shows she has yet to do this year. That Randolph Air Force Base Officer's Wives Club Show is a humdinger!! It's one of the most popular local shows in our area. I hope to get there and meet her in person.

She also sells her soap wholesale.


I've tried a variety of her scents and so far, the LAVENDER is my favorite. It's really strong in the shower. I love Lavender and I am out.....I need a refill....

Her newest addition are these little cupcake soaps! Aren't they cute! They are all soap and she said that they float in the bathtub. I bet kids will love these! Just make sure they know to not eat them! You can order her soaps through her website, Robin's Soap Nest.

These are not food ~ These are soap!

These are not food ~ These are soap!

These are not food ~ These are soap!

I hope you will visit her website and try her soaps too! For those of you with websites, she does exchange banners.

Glad to have you here, Robin!

So Shabby Pink - Make Mine Pink Tea Party Day 1

Hello all! It's Tea Time! This is my first gathering this week and I hope to have more tea parties as the week goes on. Many Make Mine Pink members are participating this week and their tea parties can be viewed through the Make Mine Pink Blog.

Now, my tea time is a little different today in that I am displaying all my pretty faux desserts made by my step daughter, Kimberly of My Pink Boutique. I can never say enough nice things about her.

In contrast to the faux pastries, is the tea I am using, Long Life Organic Green Tea with Ginseng. No sugar in the pastries but a zing of energy in the tea~~~

The adorable little tea pot is one I purchased from one of my favorite sites, Laura's Pretties.

As you can see, all is ready. The tea cups are turned upward, the pillows are soft and inviting, the tea is steeping and the candle is lit. All we need is you! Come join us for tea.....

So Shabby Pink - It's Tea Party Week

Today is the start of Tea Party Week over at participating MMP Bloggers. Here is an example of the tea party from Janet of Janet's Creative Pillows .

I will also be having a tea party later. Check back frequently and join us!

You can see the participating Make Mine Pink bloggers sites here:
Make Mine Pink Blog

So Shabby Pink - MerchantMoms.com

For those of you out there with websites, you know how much work they are! There is always something to add, delete, edit, tweek or fix! I had three - yes - I think that's right - three different web hosts before coming to www.merchantmoms.com.

My stepdaughter, Kimberly, at My Pink Boutique, had started up with Merchant Moms and really liked it. After three disappointments, I finally went on over. Now, you could not pry me away!

You can compare monthly plans, read about the cart features and much more. You also do not have to have any knowledge of html - really! No! I really am not kidding. They have web designers available or you can create your own template.

The thing about Merchant Moms that impresses me most is the exceptional customer service. When Kimberly and I get on a roll about something, the support desk at Merchant Moms handles us two with ease. You actually email with a real person, often the owner, and they even have a phone number you can call if you must.

I like my web host! Can you tell?