My day: a leopard coat and an oil painting

Today was a super fun day! 

I went to Nordstrom's for my first time ever, armed with a nice gift card.

Looky what I found on sale~

this fabulous boxy faux leopard jacket.

This was a no brainer~I'll take it!

A little background story:

Over 20 years ago I was at an antique auction and a fabulous leopard fur coat

 was on the auction block and no one wanted it...

and I was too embarrassed to make a bid as the audience was making fun of it..

Never again would that happen, 

but at least wearing this faux fur is politically correct. 

Next, I stopped at Marshalls with some coupons I get from using 

their TJX card for my purchases and I picked up this:

 A shabby ruffled rosette pillow by Cynthia Rowley.

I couldn't resist its charms. It looks like a big cabbage rose.

 When I arrived home my mailbox was stuffed with a big package!

Inside was an oil painting that a new bloggy friend sent me,

just for being a friend!

 This painting was painted by Cindy of Cindy's Fractured Fairy Tale.

She paints a lot of beautiful things, including this pretty vase of flowers by

a window in all the colors that look perfect in my home.

I was overwhelmed~*sniff*sniff*~

Her note said she hoped I would have a spot

to tuck this painting somewhere.

It only took me ten seconds....

I had a cookbook on the iron stand and it went right back on the bookshelf.

I put it next to the rose teapot set I got with my mom in

 Naples Florida over ten years ago,

and it is still one of my favorite things to this day.

Now, this painting makes this whole hall table complete!

I never take pictures of the hallway leading from the dining room

to the kitchen because it is a work in progress.

However, this little oil painting has inspired me to want to share.

Right above the oil painting is a numbered print I bought over 20 years ago.

It reminds me of Martha's Vineyard where all of the fences are covered in roses.

It was the first "real art" I ever owned.

I summered on MV as a kid and my parents live there now.

Art is supposed to have some meaning to the owner.

Now I have two pieces with special meaning.

Thanks Cindy for this amazing gift!

Check out her blog 

Cindy's Fractured Fairy Tale

to see how funny and talented she is.

She is also decorating her shabby dream home

and I have loved watching her in action.