Keep calm.....

... and scrap on...

Yesterday, yesterday, what a wonderful day it was!

I was invited to an all-night crop night

(for those who don't speak scrap language, all night scrapbooking)

at my dear friend Ashley's new home.

This house is more than just a house, it is a showpiece,

magazine perfect and yet, Ash is just so humble.

I told her many times last night that this house

was "built" for her long before she was ever thought of.

So here goes, a whole blog dedicated to pics of 

the most fabulous home and then words to explain

just what last night meant to me,

going to be a long one, just warning you.

 The age of the home, Ash tells me is over 75 years old

but has only had three owners.

First the building couple then was passed on to their 

son and wife. Then the Burke's, Ashley and Shane.

I walk around gawk and take pictures.

These six first pictures are her attic space scrap room.

A crafters dream!

All walls are painted a crisp, clean white,

the floors are the subfloor with not flooring on top 

except for a good dose of white wash.

So inexpensive but so beautiful.

It is set up in a way that you feel like you are in 

Ashley's old scrapbook store.

Each of us having our own long folding table to 

set up on. There is Ash's most awesome desk,

facing all the other portable folding tables.

Seven of us scrappers can set up and still be very comfortable

with lots of space to spread out.

All Ash's wonderful old pieces of storage furniture

is eye candy to someone such as me who loves vintage.

 The rest of the photos are just different parts in 

the Burke home that I fell in love with.

 The home is so spacious, big rooms with so many closets,

not found in older homes often.

 AHHHH theater chairs, I love, love, love this!

and above, one of her many "love walls"

as I like to call them.

 Ash is not pleased with her huge kitchen deco at the moment.

I, on the other hand, aside from the ceramic small tiles

that make up her countertops, love it!

It is full of storage.

and fits with the style of the house.

 Their coffee table is huge,

made out of an old railroad cart.

There are actually still blessed with the old

railroad wheels that at one time actually ran on

tracts. Made me wonder, all what this cart has seen,

where it has been in it's life prior to being a coffee table

at Ashley and Shane's home.

 The ideas I was inspired with as I went through

this magazine house is still going through my mind.

 In their beautifully romantic master bedroom

I see something that I have wanted to do myself and haven't

found the right baby dress I desire.

I will lift this idea though.

 Such a spacious bedroom, then the smartes

idea I have ever seen in a home,

in which Ash gives the credit to her Daddy and brothers for.

 Off of the master bedroom was another room that

they converted into a closet room.

There also houses their washer and dryer.

Instead of having shoes and clothing, jewelry, hats

inside a closed closet, the Burke's have these things

on display. It feels more like you are in a boutique rather

than a closet. It is ultimately something more people should do.

 In the hall is this conversation chair with an old nonworking

phone. I have always wanted to own one of these chairs 

as growing up, my nannie had one and I always admired it.

Always wanted on even as a little girl.

When visiting my godmother, I would often sit

in that little seat and imagine myself grown up and

talking on the phone. There was a little shelf under

the phone that housed her phone books.

I want one and now know where I can put it! in my big hall.

 The dining room is not complete yet but Ash had

this old stove in her scrap store, Inspire.

Shane tried to get her to rid of it when the store closed

but today, I know she is sooooo happy she kept it.

It will have a wonderful place in this home.

 The foyer, the room you walk into when entering the front of

the home is an actual room. A den.

Even with all these beautiful things Ash owns and has 

displayed it is so open, so spacious.

I am trying not to drool....

Even with all these wonderful pictures,

all these tangible beauties, the very best thing I got there

last night?

Sisterhood with friends who share the same interests as myself.

Taylor, one of my "youngen" friends who I have lost touch with

is now the mommy to a beautiful two months old baby boy, Liam.

Vera, one of my very first scrap friends when I moved to Thibodaux.

She owned the first scrap store I shopped at.

We started a friendship then and her family has grown

to two beautiful little children.

A new friend tonight, Brandy, shared her scrap talent

as well as pictures and stories of her own sweet babies,

a boy and a girl.

Then there is my dear, dear Ash.

I am old enough to be her Mother and yet

our friendship is one we can speak of anything.

I have this gift which I take no credit for as I 

sincerely believe it was given to me by the Big Man.

Ash is one of those young friends.

We talk about so much, no topic closed and last night,

last night was good and cathartic for me as well as all 

my young friends.

Here is to many more date nights at the Burke home

with many awesome girlfriends.

thanks again, my dear Ash!

(if interested, Ash writes a blog called

www.thelovelyeveryday.blogspot.com)