The Best New Treasure!!!

As you know Fifi is my most favorite lady on the planet...there is no one like her... shall I list some of her best qualities...lets see now...these are just a few

best & kindest heart
the best style & taste
best editor on the Planet
best decorated nest located here in Florida
best decorated little guest house
and now the best new book!!!!
she really is just the best and she is also known as the the French Angel... the best French Angel


I am thrilled to announce & blog that Fifi has created her first book titled.. Romantic Prairie Style!!!! Look at the cover picture I can not wait to get my copy!!!! This will be the best new treasure to add to your collection... just like her!!!
Please be sure to preorder here

Change is in the air...

Verbena Girl here....do you feel it something is in the air.. it's starting to feel a bit like Autumn around here my favorite time of year. There is always something magical about this time of year.. and many changes usually happen to me at this time... and they are..... we are moving our nest (home) to the family farm and you know what that means... very busy packing my little element like a gypsy so each morning after I make the school runs I am getting my workout loading & moving stuff to the farm. I am trying to make this a time in my life to purge all my stuff & try to simplify. I have been trying to do this my entire life it seems. If you live in the area I will be planning a Hugh moving sale sometime in October. I will take lots of pictures & fill you in with my progress. I will be sad to leave my special tree house behind but I know it is time for a big change. I am blessed to have this beautiful empty house on the farm waiting for us.
I will also be updating our online boutique with some new changes please check back soon. xoox Verbena Girl

This is the beautiful view from my front porch...we have some great plans coming!

Displaying Sweet & Special Treasures

I wanted to share an idea I love & have in my home... well lately my home is upside down as I am getting ready to move to my family's empty farmhouse... That's another post... anyway as I was removing some of my pictures off the walls I though oh this might be an idea I can share. I love to cook & have many old recipes This is a sweet idea you can do with an old family recipe or make one look old. I love the idea of framing recipes, letters, old books cards etc...
Paper coking stains show a time when this yummy recipe maybe stuck to grandmas hand many times or maybe reminds me of the days I baked with my grandmother & licked the spoon from her cookie batch. Still do! If you have an old family recipe this is a nice way to display & share it on your kitchen wall. It makes a beautiful & thoughtful gift to a friend or family member.
adding pretty lace, old scrumpled old flowers & leaves are a favorite touch we love... or maybe you have another idea.
An old petite book of The Story Of Macbeth my mom had framed many years ago she gave it to me as a gift. This is something I have had for a long time & treasure.

Some ideas can be a child's favorite book growing up, an old poetry book or your tattered school book I love the idea of framing them. How about you. The End xoxoxo Laura

Painting the nest.

Well I finally cleaned up, scraped & got heat stroke removing the Pink Glitter Eiffel Tower & birdies I painted on my windows a while back. You know how it is.... you wake up one day & decide it's time for a change! Maybe it's the old age creeping in but I am into less clutter & a cleaner space around me. Using my new Verbena nested treasure logo I had it enlarged taped it on the inside of my window & with my craft paint went to work. I am in the process of making new pique assitte flower pots with a cool stain & will retake pictures when the front is complete. So for now to keep you posted here it is... it's not perfect but the price is right & my arms got a little work out.
Gone but not forgotten....Yes this is a Pink Eiffel Tower you are seeing...My ideas are endless & one day I though why not paint a pink Glitter Eiffel Tower on my left window.. a little wonky but it stopped a lot of traffic... and let me tell you there is NO traffic in Ocala.
second window I painted a birdie with pearl swags & birdie peace sign also added my version of whimsy sacred hearts... what got into me that day! Life of a hopless Retailer.
So this little birdies of happiness remain on the main doors of The Marion Block Building to greet you....see you soon we have many changes ahead & exciting news to come!!! xooxox Verbena Girl

Creative Wheels...

Lately my creative wheels are in high gear...you know how it is we wish our hands can go as fast as our minds.. but right now it's all... housework, kids, the shoppe & business... oh if we could only just play & create all day.. oh well..as soon as I get through this next week I will be posting & listing some exciting new designs & treasures I have been working on. xoxoo Laura
P.S. This pic is part of my lid collection. Has this girl flipped hers? Not yet!!!

That's an idea!!!

How do you like your eggs? Sunny side up, over easy, scrambled, poached, hard boiled, am I forgetting anything....well after making eggs in this house I save my cartons... and save...waiting to put them to good use...until recently I had an idea on what to do with them....
supplies needed... not much... scissor & egg carton

perfect fit for my "nested treasures" ring & things.

Now that's an idea!!!! Any other creative ideas on what else I can do with all the cartons I would love to hear. xooxxo laura

Girls Best Friend

Something that will never go out of style ... ROSES... a girls best friend.
French Cupboard is one of the prettiest blogs out there that features artisans & shops who create some of the most beautiful romantic wares... This Thursday come for a visit & see some all the dreamy rosettes created for this event. Here is one of my many rose creations...my Rosette Ribbon Belt I made for this event.. I wrote a love poem in French on this rosette added a silk ribbon, and some gems.... xoxo Late bloomer

Shell Of The Ball

Ok all you shell lovers... here is another shell creation & fun project you can do. I have several of these SEA GODDESS NYMPHS ( I call them) around my home. They look really pretty in the bathroom. My dear friend Kim gave me this statue & said do something with her.. so what does any girl with 500 pounds of shells around her home do.. glue gun the shells on that girl! By adding a touch of pearls, jewels, lavender flowers, ( she loves that) and making a pretty cross necklace out of old pearls is such a great way to alter a bust. Funny her shell hair she reminds me of me when I use to wear those spongy PINK rollers as a kid... remember those? What do you think.. Shell of the Ball? I am giving her to my friend Kim today...hope she loves her new look or locks I should say. xoxo Laura

Let's Get this Party Started!

I am participating in the talanted Karen Valentine of my desert cottage 2nd annual blog party "Where Bloggers Create" it's a big blog hop, where everyone shows off their creative working areas. Currently this is my studio.. I have some pictures posted as I am sure you have a lot of party hopping to do thanks for stopping by...Let's party!!!

Welcome to my creative nest. I am very fortunate to have such a grand space in my home. This is the upstairs of my house. I converted our upstairs sun room into the family/living space & made my old living room my studio. I have lots of sunlight, large windows and overlook lots of old mossy oak trees, sky oh my feathered friends are everywhere... it truly is Heaven here.. all I need is the ocean. To be honest I find myself creating most of the time on my old kitchen farm table even with all this space one table is enough for me ...this is where I find my inner peace. xoxoxo Laura
come on around the corner...lots to see
sometimes I bottle up all my feelings... here they are!
the lace wall I created using old lace panels, clips & wire.
somethings I do with my old dishes...
I use the top of my long mantel to hold some of my dishes before they get broken ( the other hundreds are in my garage)
using wire I clipped old lace to separate my reading area from the studio
nests are everywhere they store & hold all my ribbons, roses & cards
some of my handmade jewelry, mosaic bird bowls just hanging around a beautiful cage lady my mom gave me for my birthday years ago.
sit down relax I will make you a cup of tea.. take a look around some more..I will do all the talking... so what else is new.
I collect vintage birds, fabrics, nests, old vintage hats, dishes, bottles& lots of ribbons. Well just about everything old & romantic.
my sitting area with all my inspirational books I have collected over the years. I hope to write one one day.
what to do with those wood drying rack... drape doilies & lace of course!

my little antique green enamel table where I solder, make jewelery & make a mess.
one of my favorite finds are these incredible hand embroidered colorful umbrellas from India. I did not know where to put them.. what do you think?
one of my work areas.. that green cabinet is from England it use to store teas.. I love it.
made from an old window I have had this cabinet for about seventeen years. I have a thing for old cabinets. I store some of my favorite antique fabrics here & my old tins.
I love my very long cabinet I had made out of old windows from a farm house here in Ocala I use this to store ribbons, boxes, fabric, buttons .. lots & lots of goodies.
Well I guess it's time to take a seat & start another unfinished project..oh don't leave I love having you around.. have another cup of my tea or just stop back soon as I am redoing my studio this summer. Thank You for stopping by & seeing where my heart & soul will always be !!!! xoxo Laura
Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting.- Emerson

Gypsy Summer Soul Sistas

I'm excited.. I am finally getting the hang of all this uploading on Verbena's new on line Boutique. The reaction has been very positive . So please come visit & tell me what you think.. I love to hear from all of you Gypsy Summer Soul Sistas. xoxo Laura

Summertime Shopping on Line

MIDNIGHT TONIGHT WEBSITE COMPANY IS TURNING ME ON. IT'S A START.. I WILL BE UPLOADING ITEMS EVERY NIGHT SO PLEASE CHECK BACK AS WE HAVE MANY NEW ITEMS IN WORK. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE & PLEASE BE SURE TO CONTACT ME IF YOU NEED ANYTHING OR HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING MY LISTINGS. XOXO VERBENA GIRL



Verbena Nested Treasures Online boutique will open for you to view & shop on June 17,2010.
Being a old fashioned girl who comes from the old school of retail... greeting my customers in person, getting to know a little bit about them, and giving them a big hug when they walk out the door...so this will be a new experience for me along with continuing to keep my mortar & pestle shoppe open. I am very excited to finally get this end of my business going. I feel the Verbena look is special & little different. I create & buy only what I love & will always give you items of beauty, quality & excellent service. I cherish each & every one of my customers who support my little boutique & Artisan Women Helping Women. This is a new beginning of many exciting things to come for all of us! xoxoxo Verbena girl

Green Acres Is The Place For Me!!!

As the saying goes you can take the girl out of the city but can't take the city outta the girl... well as much as I do miss the city life I think I am a Country girl at heart. Is there a name for us city girls now planted in the middle of Farm Country? If you think of one let me know. When it rains I love the smell of dirt. When I see lots of green I feel at peace. When I hear the birds sing, I sing with them. I get excited when I drive to my step dads farm with the kids and gather fresh eggs. I seem to be drawn these days to planting lots of organic veggies, reading & trying to learn more ways to recycle my life, simplifying, decluttering my shabby mess & eating more like a rabbit? Well maybe it is the old age kicking in or maybe it's time for me & my family to live a simpler life. Working on it.
Is it me or are you also loving more magazines on these subjects and here is one on line magazine you should check out I have a mention too!!! Great info for all. xooxo Laura

Bigger is Better!

John Lennon once said " life is what happens while you are busy making other plans" and life has been busy here! As the school year is ending there are many parties, sleepovers & events, so please excuse me as I have been off the computer for a bit.. I am back to the swing of things & have been uploading jewelry & accessories to get the website going. I am hoping to have the paypal linked within the next few days so please check back for some beautiful jewelry & accessories for starters.
This pictured Clay Rosary is something I personally own & have been searching for quite some time & am so excited that it has found its way to us & will be available on Verbena's online boutique. This over sized special Rosary measures 72 inches around is handmade out of natural colored clay & strung together beautifully. I love to display mine on my Santos..You can hang it on your bed frame, mirror or just place it on top of a stack of old books. I know these will go fast they will be available under the Sacred Treasure section. Blessings xoxo Laura

Getting there...

Bonjour my blogging buddies..Finally after many long months of putting a site together, my vision & design is up on my first page for you to view..... there is a few more details to add but I wanted to show you what we have so far...now I have to figure out how to upload & get the rest of the pages up.... all I got was an email with directions.. this girl is not techie so I will work on it over the weekend unless someone out there wants to help!

Patience is a virtue!

xooxo Verbena Girl

Verbena Nested Treasures website boutique.

HAPPY RAINY MONDAY!

Verbena Bird here checking in from the Sunshine state... on this rainy Monday.. today I was supposed to meet up with a friend on the Saint Johns River.. but our date got canceled due to the stormy weather so I have been home making jewelry today & shipping out some new orders. Oh & I am thinking of all of you.. hope everyone is great!
The Ocala Organic Food & film festival was a lot of work but we had a terrific turnout & I got to meet so many new & interesting people. Some of the movies shown I highly recommend for you to check out.. you will see the food you eat in a whole new way... good luck.

Academy Award-nominated "Food Inc." will be shown at 11:00 a.m. "Food Inc." is an eye-opening documentary that exposes the underbelly of large-scale industrial farming, the source of 97% of our food. Rated PG. Preview: http://www.foodincmovie.com/ (Click on “Watch the Trailer” about halfway down the left side)
* "The Future of Food," at 1:00 p.m., is an excellent expose of genetically modified food. "The Future of Food" takes viewers inside the web of market and political forces that are causing our supermarkets to be stocked with Frankenfoods. The film also exposes how huge multinational corporations are seeking to control the world’s food system. Rated G. Preview: http://www.thefutureoffood.com/Trailer.html
* At 3:00, "What's Organic About Organic?" will take viewers on a heartening visual field-trip to organic, chemical-free farms. This uplifting, 60-minute film will be introduced by its co-producer, Marty Mesh, who is the director of Florida Organic Growers. FOG will be present at the Festival all day to educate attendees about organic food, farming and certification. Rated G. Preview: http://whatsorganicmovie.org/watch-the-trailer/

here is a peek of some of the "nested treasures" I had at my booth...

My personal favorite item.. hand embroidered tapestry style belts.. sized to fit. looks great with a tee & jeans one of my customers stopped by wearing one with an all white cotton shirt & tee loaded up with turquoise jewelry!!!! Love it!!!!
Tie one on... your wrist.. the prettiest & loveliest wrist bands made exclusively for us! We have a beautiful assortment of bracelets avail in the store.. so lightweight for summer and addiction to wear. Contact me for purchase as website gal is still MIA.

Vivian wearing some of my necklaces made for the show.

part of my little booth area.. a peek of some of my "nested treasures" wish you were here to visit.
The answer my friend... is blowing in the wind...windy day but the tape holding everything down keep it all together... we had a lot of fun.
Always saving the best for last... the Gorgeous Sally Sunshine .. an angel on this earth & always strolling along in Verbena Accessories! Thank you for stopping by Miss Sally we love you!
SO TAKE CARE & GOD BLESS FOR NOW. XOXO VERBENA BIRD.

A REMINDER...This Saturday..

OCALA'S ORGANIC FOOD & FILM FESTIVAL.. THIS SATURDAY OCALA CIVIC THEATER SILVER SPRINGS BLVD 9-5 IF YOU ARE COMING FROM OUT OF TOWN FEEL FREE TO CALL US FOR INFO & DIRECTIONS. 352-427-5642 THIS EVENT IS AMAZING PLEASE TREAT YOURSELF AND MAKE THE TRIP.. XOX ORGANIC CHICK