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Mercedes Scott

Excelsior, Minnesota

Wife of 25 years to Steven, mother to three wonderful adult children, recent dog owner of a beautiful German Shepherd named Luna... lover of all things pretty.

Interests: gardening, salsa dancing, reading, antiquing (love junk shops!), romantic comedies, scrapbooking, collecting china (dishes!), all things pretty and feminine... my wonderful husband has been kind enough to let me "flowerize" just about every room in the house! Crafting, creating,making something beautiful with my hands keeps me sane... We've raised three wonderful children: ages 22, 26, 28.... but I hate the whole "empty nester" thing! I like having my kids around! I've been blogging since October 2009, but it wasn't until summer 2010 that I really got the "bug" --- have immensely enjoyed meeting all the creative people out there, sharing ideas, learning new things.... beautifying our lives.

Recent Activity

We are down to just 16 days before the end of the school year (yippee!)... I'm crazy busy getting ready for summer vacation and have not been very good about blogging. I miss it. I'll be back soon... in the meantime, I leave you with this gorgeous yellow rose from my Mother's Day bouquet.... Continue reading

Posted May 15, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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Spring hats & dresses...

I cannot believe we are already in May! Usually by now, the tulips have bloomed (or are in their final stages), the sweet scent of lilacs is permeating the air... just in time for Mother's Day. Not this year! This winter has been the longest one yet (for me, anyway)... 7 months of wearing coats is about 4 months too long! As I get older, each Minnesota winter feels longer and longer. We had temp in the 30's yesterday, and snow twice this week - what the heck?!? The weather experts have "promised" real Spring temperatures next week... in the... Continue reading

Posted May 5, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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Wishful thinking....

Just when we thought that Spring might actually be around the corner, we get hit with (not) one, but two snowstorms! I also hear that we are supposed to get even more snow this week... yuck. To cheer things up around the house, and my spirits, I went out and bought pretty pink and coral tulips. Is it my imagination, or did the price of the flowers go uphill as the weather went downhill? I could have sworn these tulip bunches were $2 less last week! It's a conspiracy, I tell you. I've also brought out more of my "flower"... Continue reading

Posted Apr 15, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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As I finish packing for my upcoming trip to Europe, I am just a tiny bit sad that I will be away for Easter Sunday.... I will miss the many hours of cooking and dish-washing (haha)... seriously, I will miss having Easter brunch with my children around me. Only a few of the bunnies made it out to play this year... Wishing you the loveliest of Easter... Continue reading

Posted Mar 28, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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Dainty and sweet...

Between the craziness of Spring fever at school (the kids-and staff-getting ready for Spring Break next week), getting ready for our own trip to Europe, and still fighting the flu/cold that won't quit, I managed to finish a few projects this week... and a bit of Spring organizing. Taking my extensive little collection of Limoges and dainty china out of storage, washing, and finding a place to display takes a few days. This year, I also decided to "wallpaper" the back of the 1970's built-in cabinet in my dining room. I have been meaning to paint it for year, but... Continue reading

Posted Mar 22, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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Celebrating the green...

Happy St. Patrick's weekend! Although I have no Irish ancestry (hmmm.... I don't think the Irish ever made it to Cuba), I enjoy joining friends in celebrating their heritage. Many of us in Blogland celebrate this day in a different way: by creating little bits of art! The ATC I made for partner, Wanda, for The Altered Paper's Wearin' of the Green swap. And this is the darling ATC I received from OmaSally... I also joined a pin swap at the Scrapinvintage group. For this swap, we had to make 3 sets of stickpins in St. Patty's colors, and showcase... Continue reading

Posted Mar 16, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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Projects on my desk...

My studio looks quite the mess at the moment. My desk is covered with mounds of lace, ribbons, millinery.... I've been busy making custom-ordered cufflets for a Spring wedding... The vintage-inspired wedding colors are soft blue and ivory. The bridesmaids will be wearing cufflets (the one above is only about 1/3 finished...lots of hand embellishments to add) and carrying a bouquet of soft blue lilacs. Doesn't it sound beautiful? .... Another work-in-process is this paper crown for a dear and very patient lady. I participated in a crown swap a while back and, due to health and some personal things... Continue reading

Posted Mar 10, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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The magic of Beatrix Potter...

My studio has been overflowing with bunnies, kittens, ducks and all sorts of other little critters... As you may know, these are the characters that are synonymous with Beatrix Potter. Her stories and characters are timeless.... we remember them from our childhood.... we've read them to our children; to the grandchildren.... The illustrations are whymsical - the colors are soft and muted. (look at the yummy colors on those books!) I have been wanting to create "something" using Beatrix Potter characters as inspiration and the opportunity recently presented itself. I'm delighted to be hosting a swap over at The Altered... Continue reading

Posted Mar 7, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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Salty, Peppy and friends...

I had Friday off (end of grading period) and decided that I would spend it doing something I love... hunting for treasures! My drive took me to Rogers, Minnesota and luckily for me, the antiques stores in town were all having a big sale this weekend... my timing couldn't have been better! The majority of my finds were purchased at 30%, 40% or 50% off their original price. I didn't even bother to look in booths that weren't offering at least a 30% discount; what was the point of wasting my time and money? I came home smiling and content.... Continue reading

Posted Mar 3, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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Ruffles and rosettes...

I've been verybusy the past couple of weeks... designing and creating my cufflets and scarflets for the Spring season. I love making pieces for special occasions; sometimes it's for prom, or a wedding, or simply to just display in the home. Such was the case with this piece. The client wanted a rosette in the "grunge" style to display her collection of vintage pins. She specifically requested "not too sweet, with a bit of grunge." My scarflets seem to be getting popular and I can't keep them stocked.... it's a good problem to have, right? I wish I was a... Continue reading

Posted Feb 25, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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Move over red....

Well, the Valentine's Day projects are done; the reds have made their way back into my "february" boxes, shelves and drawers (yes, I'm one of those crazy people that organizes their "stuff" by theme). The bunnys, chicks, ducks and other Spring critters have started to make an appearance.... Right now, they are just sittin' around.... waiting to be incorporated into some vignette in my home, or to be photographed and listed in my shop... or maybe, if they are really really lucky, they get to be part of a project or a swap. I love the colors of this season...... Continue reading

Posted Feb 19, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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Sunday flowers...

I recently discovered an easy and fun way to enhance silks so that they look a bit more realistic. Modern, expensive silks are so realistic that you sometimes need to touch them to check for authenticity. However, the inexpensive versions usually look "fake" and very unattractive. As I was doing a bit of early Spring cleaning today, I wished that I had purchased some fresh tulips or similar Spring-y flowers at my local grocer. After our gloomy, snowy week, some beautiful blooms would be most welcome. Being a girl who likes "instant gratification", meaning- I don't want to wait 'til... Continue reading

Posted Feb 17, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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Happy Valentine's Day... share the love today. Continue reading

Posted Feb 14, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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Art from bits and pieces...

If you are like me, you have a difficult time throwing out scraps of fabric, lace, tatting and other bits when you are done with a project. I tend to throw these bits and pieces in a box.... and every few months, I open it with the intent of cleaning it out (which means: discard some things, keep only the "good" stuff)... but most of the time I either (a) close the box back up without touching a thing, or more often (b) start pulling wee pieces out as inspiration takes root for yet another project. Such was the case... Continue reading

Posted Feb 12, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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Feeling the love...

My studio has been a flurry of pinks and reds lately... although I joined just two swaps this year (vs. 12+ around the same time last year!); I decided to make some tags, ATC's and wee gifts to send to some dear blogging friends.. Since most are still enroute, I'm not sharing who the recipients are - don't want to spoil the surprise! . I started out my projects thinking I would take a slight detour from the "traditional" Valentines looks... but my heart just wasn't it in... my fingers reached for the pink flowers and ribbons, the softest pink... Continue reading

Posted Feb 9, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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Dried roses and pretty plates...

I don't know why I have such a problem throwing out dried roses... Maybe it's because I find that they are almost as pretty when their petals get crinkly and their color changes. There seems to be an endless supply of them on my kitchen windowsill... especially in the middle of a harsh winter, when my soul is craving the splendor of Spring. When I gaze out the window, I like to see the contrast between the flowers and the blanket of snow covering my yard. it is the perfect place to create little still-life vignettes... ((smile)) ((sigh)) Here's hoping... Continue reading

Posted Feb 5, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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I love estate sales...my top 5 favorites

...there is no denying it... if you are patient, are willing to overlook/withstand the crazy people (that run you down to get to the merchandise), put up with the (sometimes) unfriendly sellers, the once-in-a-while musty smells of old 'stuff' and a few other minor inconveniences... estate sales are IT for finding fun and unique items and crafting supplies at very reasonable prices. If you are very VERY lucky, you can find true gems overlooked by everyone during the 2-day sale and go home with armfuls of "stuff" for dirt cheap. (large basket & silk flowers....$5) I NEVER arrive super early... Continue reading

Posted Feb 2, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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Pretty pink inspiration...

It has been so frigid here this past week that I am craving Spring... when temps are below zero, when your skin feels like it's going to peel off when it exposed to the cold air, when the wind takes the air out of your lungs when you first step outside.... that is when I miss my Florida sunshine. To cheer myself up, I played around with some pretty pinks - all recent acquisitions from an estate sale. There's nothing better than a dose of cuteness and pink to cheer things up! Enjoy your Saturday... I'm linking up to Beverly's... Continue reading

Posted Jan 26, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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Sunshine Room update...

The "new" Sunshine Room is still in process... although, from the way it's going, I think it's starting to look more like a "garden" room... flowers are everywhere! There is sooo much to do (still) - but I wanted to share some pics of what it looks like so far. An old tulle canopy which covered by daughter's bed for many years has been repurposed... the sheer white dresses up the windows a bit, without blocking the beautiful natural light (one of the room's main features). ... lots and lots of layers, draping, and white rosettes... ...the wall behind my... Continue reading

Posted Jan 23, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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Surrounded by reds...

My back hurts, my calves hurt, my arms hurt.... I am sore all over. Nope, not from a new exercise routine or workout; I spent most of the weekend moving my studio (aka "the sunshine room") from downstairs to the upstairs. It took 100's (well not really, but I'm sure it's close if I counted) of trips up and down those stairs to get all my "stuff" moved! And that doesn't even include the furnishings - my husband and son were kind enough to do that. My heavy "sunshine" desk, of solid wood, was the biggest challenge. They ended up... Continue reading

Posted Jan 21, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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Religion in the morning light...

More experimentation with lighting, camera settings, editing... Today's subject was "religious artifacts, icons" I have amassed quite a collection of old bibles; many of them in foreign languages. The spine of these old gems are just beautiful. ... it's been a long and tiring week thus far. I have Friday AND Monday off, so I'm looking forward to ending my work week tomorrow! Yay! I have a BIG project planned for the long weekend: moving my Sunshine Room up into my old master bedroom. Lots of packing and sorting to do.... hubby will move the big furniture pieces and I... Continue reading

Posted Jan 16, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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Playing with light...

We recently moved our master bedroom into my daughter's old room... it's not the largest bedroom in the house, but it does have the en suite bathroom and beautiful morning light. I experimented a bit with photography using only the natural light coming through the window sheers... ...my vintage thrift store lamps look lovely here... and so do the felt roses wreath in winter whites. Wishing you a wonderful Sunday! Related articles Cheap flowers and a candle... Pink roses on my mind... Continue reading

Posted Jan 13, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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Forgotten photos.... part II

We experienced our "January thaw" this week here in Minnesota.... temps went up into the upper 30's and even 41 degrees one day! This morning, however, I awakened to single-digit temps and a windchill of 0 degrees...along with some snow flurries. Brrrr! Even after living (..more like "surviving") 17 Minnesota winters, I still cannot appreciate those extreme temperatures. My body and soul yearn for sunshine and warmth. I thought the cold wouldn't hit me too hard this year, since I have my hot flashes to counter-act them... but they don't seem to help much, since they come and go so... Continue reading

Posted Jan 12, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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Cheap flowers and a candle...

The new year awakes the desire to de-clutter and re-decorate. As I moved thoughout my home today, taking down holiday decor and putting my "garden" look back together, I incorporated a couple of inexpensive, yet beautiful touches. The floral pillow was a special find at a local church's rummage sale two summers ago. I came home with a carload of these beauties (at $2 apiece!!!) . This candle is my latest favorite... the scent is delicious and romantic. I buy it at a local occasional sale in a gorgeous shop named The Bee Cottage. The darling little plate is one... Continue reading

Posted Jan 6, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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Forgotten photos... part I

When I first started blogging, I was always on the lookout for the perfect picture, that vignette that just beckoned to be photographed. Sometimes it was a storefront or store window, a booth in an antiques mall, a project or product displayed in a store, or even nature's beauty. Slowly and steadily, my blog changed ... Pretty pictures, sometimes beautiful pictures, gave way to tags, ATC's and other artistic projects created for swaps and blog friends. My blog became a "crafting" blog instead of what I originally intended it to convey - a place for me to share all things... Continue reading

Posted Jan 4, 2013 at All Things Pretty...

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