Friday, February 28, 2014

Saturday Spotlight: Diane from Lavender Dreamer

Hi, everyone!  I and Kris from Junk Chic Cottage wanted to do a regular feature on our blogs, something unique that hasn't been done before.   So we came up with an idea to 'spotlight the real life behind the blogger' in a more personal way.
There is so much talent and inspiration in blogland, and we thought it would be fun to bring you a closer look at the person behind the blog.

Every week on Saturday we will spotlight a blogger and have them tell us a little bit about themselves and their blogs.  You will be able to see and read about each of the bloggers on both Kris's and my blog. 



Today I'm happy to introduce you to Diane from Lavender Dreams. Diane always has a positive, upbeat attitude that is infectious!  On her blog you will read her book reviews, see her adorable sewing creations, and admire her gorgeous photos from the hikes that she and her hubby often take. (I have to admit that I'm a tad bit jealous over the beautiful weather that she's enjoying right now!!)
Please sit back, relax, and enjoy getting to know Diane better!


Greetings from sunny Florida!
I’m Diane, the Lavender Dreamer.
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(taken on my birthday in January at Canaveral National Seashore, temperature in the 70s, photo untouched)
I started my blog, Lavender Dreams about 6 years ago as a ‘creative blog’. I love to sew and make things and also like to collect, so I thought this would be a fun way to share my interests. Like so many others, my blog has ‘grown up’ and changed over time and now I blog about a little bit of everything. I’m retired and love life and I call it ‘happy blogging’.
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(Ross Prairie State Forest, where we hike)
We retired and bought a home in North Central Florida about 8 years ago and are blessed to still have a nice home in the mountains of Western North Carolina, too. So we have the best of both worlds and enjoy spending time in both places.
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(and yes, I have a lighthouse painted on my wall!)
I blog from my lanai so, ‘come on in’!
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(my netbook on the sofa)
One of my goals in life is to take advantage of the beauty that surrounds me.
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(a walk at the park with my honey) 
So I share trips to the beach and day trips to state parks. One of our favorite parks to visit is Canaveral National Seashore and we try to go there at least once a month.
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I have a sweet husband that loves to drive and see new places so we are always on the go. I’m thrifty and usually pack a picnic and snacks to take with us.
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(Another favorite spot near our home, Rainbow Springs State Park.)
I love to decorate and I’m addicted to thrifting. Here in Florida we have a lot of wonderful big thrift stores. It seems like a lot of people come down here to ‘downsize’ and bring too much stuff with them, so there are lots of great items in the thrift stores. I love anything vintage and buy things that look ‘neat’ to me. They may not have the most value but I like to surround myself with things I love.
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(I love books, too!)
When I’m in the mood, I sew. And lately I’ve been making all kinds of cute ‘critters’. Bunnies have been multiplying around my house.
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(before that it was mice! lol)
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Thanks Susan and Kris for featuring me today. I had absolutely no idea what I should say…but you know us bloggers! We can always blog about something! And for me, it’s ‘happy blogging’!

Diane, thank you so much for sharing with us! I sure wish I was staying in your neck of the woods right now! :)  Please visit Diane at Lavender Dreams then head to Kris's blog to read about Cindy from Dwellings-The Heart Of Your Home.
Have a wonderful day!

50 comments:

  1. Diane,
    This was a really sweet feature on you. Love your cute critters you create. It was fun to learn about you and your hubby and your love of thrifting together. So sweet. Thanks for letting us learn a little more about you.
    Kris

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  2. It was fun to learn about Diane...the critters are so cute!

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  3. What a lovely LIFE you live!!

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  4. Diane- We have shared several things and I love reading even more about you. You forgot to put in there that you are a voracious reader! lol Love your home and your blog. We share a love of books and sewing. This was a wonderful feature. xo Diana

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  5. She is a very sweet lady. I love the lighthouse.

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  6. Always a treat following Diane on her adventures. Beautiful lady and beautiful blog!
    Thanks so much for sharing!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  7. Lovely intro to the Lavender Dreamer - thanks, Susan!

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  8. Thank you SO very much, Susan for featuring me today! What an honor my friend! And thanks for all of the sweet comments! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Sweet hugs, Diane....the Lavender Dreamer.

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  9. Diane is a Sweet heart and it is such a joy to visit her blog
    Brenda

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  10. Thanks for sharing Diane's blog with everyone today. I've been following her for a little while and she is such a sweet lady. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Happy March!

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  11. I have met Diane in person and she is just as sweet in real life....

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  12. Hi Diane so glad to know you better-I had just met you recently here in blogland. that is awesome-a home in the mountains and on the beach-I love thrift shops too-its always an adventure

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  13. Awwww...I really enjoyed reading this post. I think that Diane shared more about the process of blogging and how she feels about it than she has at Lavender Dreams. I love visiting Diane and have been for years now. She's a sweetheart with many fun interests. Thank you for featuring her!

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  14. Hi, Di! Very nice info and photos. Enjoyed it!

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  15. Miss Diane (I call her Miss Lavender Dreams) is truly a sweetheart. I have been writing to her for over a year and we just have so much fun. Her Wendy and I are best friends and I just love visiting the whole family.

    Happy Weekend.

    Prudence Clearwater (I am a teddy bear) ♥

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  16. Diane is truly one of the sweetest people I have met thru blogging. One of these days I hope to meet up with her and hike a section of the Appalachian Trail together. Thanks for having her over here. I'll stick around and check out your blog too!

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  17. lavender dreamer is a warm soul. :)

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  18. Diane is one of my best blog pals. She is just so sweet and genuine. I have always liked her photos of the walks she and her husband take together. She can sew out of this world !! Thanks for featuring her today. Blessings to all, xoxo,Susie

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  19. I read Diane's blog daily and love her joy of life. I did not know she had two homes so I learned something new today!

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  20. Oh, looking at those pictures so makes me "homesick"....as I spent most of my life in Florida before we moved to be close to our son and family....We used to live in North Central Florida too, so very familiar with all of the locations mentioned...Love her "True Love" picture!

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  21. Oh, Diane it was a great interview .
    Smiles, Dottie

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  22. Thanks for featuring Diane on your blog today! I have been following her for a while now and she is truly a sweetheart. Great post Diane!!

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  23. I have followed Diane for quite awhile.

    Thanks for featuring her so I got to know a little more about her.

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  24. Hey Diane - what a wonderful surprise to see you here !!!
    Love that lighthouse painted on the wall - where can I do that ? lol
    XOXO

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  25. Diane is such a sweetheart and I always enjoy reading about her adventures.

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  26. Diane is such a happy soul, spreading sunshine wherever she goes. I love that she is in such great shape and gets exercise to keep herself that way. (I'm jealous that you can walk that far!) I've known her for years, and she is a sweetheart.
    Brenda

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  27. I follow Diane's blog! I didn't know about the lighthouse!How lovely!AriadnefromGreece!

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  28. Diane is such a sweet gal; always positive and on the go, together with her hubby, hand in hand, they skip from one adventure to the next, and we get to tag along! Thanks for featuring her today!

    Poppy

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  29. Thanks so much for Diana's post. I already follow this lovely lady.
    Mary

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  30. I just adore Diane! Great feature today. :)

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  31. I've followed the lovely Diane for a while now and have always loved her bright and sunny blog, along with her comments when she comes to visit mine. Thank you for featuring her!

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  32. I enjoyed reading about Diane. I love all her travel pictures.

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  33. Thank you for this Spotlight. Diane is so creative and nice. I so enjoy reading her blog :)

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  34. Isn't she a gem? I'm always a bit green with envy when I see where she lives, especially now when we are getting ANOTHER snow storm! LOL. love your feature!

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  35. Hi girls! Thanks for the guest post. Enjoyed reading about Diane. I go to her blog often. Hope you all have a delightful weekend. Susan

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  36. Susan,
    I really enjoy Kris and your Saturday spotlight. I am headed over to Diane's blog to learn more about her adventurous fun lifestyle and her delightful home.
    XO,
    Vera

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  37. Congrats to Diane on being featured on your blog. I've been a blogging friend of hers for the 6 years that she has been blogging. She is so sweet and very creative!!
    ~Cindy

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  38. I love visiting Diane's blog and seeing all her projects and theft store collections.

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  39. How wonderful to feature Diane and her lovely home! She is a great little blogging friend.
    be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  40. Diane is one of my favorites! I enjoyed this feature!

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  41. Thanks so much for this feature of Diane...she is such a sweet and joyful lady.....
    and I want those cats. :))

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  42. So happy you spotlighted one of my favorite bloggers and a sweet friend. Diane is a fun and happy person and so full of JOY. One of her BFF's,
    Linda

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  43. What a wonderful spotlight on Diana! She is one of the sweetest bloggers ever! How nice to feature her and her awesome blog. She is one amazing, happy and fun lady and I'm so honored to be her friend!

    Nancy

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  44. I've been following Diane for a while, always look forward to her posts. Thanks so much for featuring her. I'm your newest follower!

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  45. Very nice pictures Diane. That telephone brings back memories as a child, and I remember having a little telephone nook in our bedroom hallway. Love your bunny too! I will have to go to your blog to see more!
    Judy

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  46. You picked one of my favorite blogging buddies. I just love Diane. Aren't she and her husband adorable. xo Laura

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  47. Such beautiful photos ~ and of a great couple! I so enjoyed learning about Diane ~ thanks to both of you for sharing.

    xo
    Pat

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  48. such a cute couple! love the critters, diane:) beautiful pics, too!

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  49. It's so nice to get to know Diane better. She is one lucky gal having two homes and such beauty (including her honey) around her.

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  50. Diane is the *sweetest* What a fun feature! I love how Diane is so energetic, fun, and kind!

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