Saturday Spotlight: Life Behind the Blogger.



Susan from Must Love Junk, and myself 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 Susan's and my blog. 
August 30th
Celestina Marie from Southern Day Dreams


This week for Spotlight it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to a very talented blogger.  Celestina has been recognized for her artist talents and has designed ornaments for the White House.  How awesome is that!!!!!  I think this is a wonderful honor and shows the talent of this special and sweet blogger.  So enjoy reading about Celeste and then go by and visit her blog and lovely treasures in her etsy shop.




Greetings Blog Friends
 Thank You Kris for having me here today to share my "Life Behind Blogging" in your Spotlight Series. It is an honor to be invited to participate.

My name is Celestina Marie and I am from the blog, Southern DayDreams where I share, decorating, artistic creations, hand painting and more.
  I was named after my grandmother who was from Italy and many of my friends call me Celeste, shortened by my mother when I started school. 
I live in North Texas and have been married for 41 years this month to my best friend. We have one son who is still single and has his own home, also in our town. 
Originally we are born and raised in Michigan 
and lived in several states over the years including Texas now for 25 years and love it.
This is our last family photo with my parents before they passed away.


I have been reading blogs since 2006 and opened my blog in 2007. It has been so much fun to share my journey and make so many wonderful friends along the way.

My shop on Etsy is named after my grandmother, who along with my parents, were great inspirations having much talent in the arts and passing those loves on to me. 

Along with art, I love music and have played the piano since I was 5 years old along with guitar,clarinet and auto harp.
My precious piano hand painted white.

Over the years I have worn many hats on my career path and far too many to go into
here now, however, my greatest joy has been working in interior/exterior design, display, home staging and teaching decorative painting.

 I studied Interior Design, Marketing and Business with Distributive Education in collage and those areas greatly help me today as I have designed in the arts for 30 plus years and enjoyed every minute. 


This path has taken me in many directions from brick and mortar shoppes and craft shows to selling on line since 2004 and designing ornaments for the White House at Christmas, twice.
The above pic is a portion of my shops in brick and mortar spaces before going on line in 2004.

Behind blogging I am a 25 year member of The National Society of Decorative Painters 
along with membership in  Embracing Cottage Style
and Shabby Cottage Shops.
Starting out, I was on Ebay with a store for 5 years, but over time learned that Etsy was a much better fit for designers, artists and collectors.  When closing  my shops in local antique malls after 10 years, I then enjoyed a new direction working from my home studio which is a converted third car garage, turned studio and office.

My hubby Larry, travels several times a month for his work and sometime I go along to treasure hunt. We love to go junk hunting off the beaten path when we travel and on weekends here at home searching for those perfect treasures to transform. As a decorative artist, I have specialized in many styles over the years from folk art to the cottage roses I paint today with lots of furniture painting too. 

The above pic is from THE PRAIRIE in Rachel's Shabby Chic Couture Shop



When I am not blogging or designing in my home studio, my best guy and I love to work on home improvement projects inside and out.

Recent Kitchen Redesign

 Here in Texas, you might find me in the garden, or maybe taking a dip in the pool if I'm not in the studio. I love to cook and entertain and enjoy lots of family and friends coming to visit and stay.


We also love to travel and have visited many interesting places in the U.S.
One being our recent trip to Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic Bed and Breakfast
called THE PRAIRIE in central Texas.

Last summer, 2013 at Coronado Island celebrating our 40th anniversary.


Along with my love of swinging a paint brush, I enjoy reading and have a home library filled with favorites along with my love of design books. 
Each and every day is an inspiration to create and I have been so blessed to have a job that gives me this opportunity. 
God has truly shown me through the years my place in life and to give in a way that brings a little joy to someone through something I might create.

 A lot goes on behind the scenes of my blogging making up our lives, but sharing some of it through blog posts and also sharing in the lives of the friends I've made, is very special.

Thanks for taking the time to share in my SpotLight.

 You are always welcome to visit me HERE on my blog
 and my Etsy shoppe doors are always open. 


Thank you Kris for the invitation.

With Love from Southern DayDreams,  
Celestina Marie

Thank you Celeste for sharing your personal side with all of us.  Please hop over to Susan's blog and meet another really wonderful blogger  Ann from Tarnished Royalty.  I actually met Ann last year at Junk Jubliee in Iowa that I attended.  She is so sweet to enjoy getting to know Ann.

CelestinaMarieDesign.com @ Southern DayDreams 
Restyled Home Décor and Staging with Hand Painted Vintage Charm Boutique Studio Blog 
Monthly Newsletter
 Linkedin


45 comments

  1. Kris...thank you so much for featuring Celeste...I just became blog friends with her this year and I am just in awe of her and her incredible talents. And now I hope many read her post here to see what a wonderfully warm and talented lady she is! I didn't know much of this. She is musically talented and has worn many hats! I love that! I absolutely love coming to her blog and she so kindly visits mine. I just adore her! Hello to you Celeste..thank you for sharing this part of your life! :)

    Jane xx

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  2. I have been following Celeset for some time and loved learning more about her. Thank you for sharing!

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  3. So glad you featured Celeste. I've been blogging friends with her for a while now. She is so talented...such a beautiful painter.
    ~Cindy

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  4. Celeste is one of the sweetest ladies in blogland. So fun to see her featured today. I enjoyed reading more about the multi-talented woman behind the blog.

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  5. So glad to read more about Celeste! Like Jane, I just really became familiar with her blog recently. I'm excited to see that she lives close to me. We'll have to get together. :)

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  6. Kris, so glad that you featured Celeste. She is the sweetest person and I have been following her ever since I started blogging. She is one talented lady and I so enjoyed reading more about her today. Thanks so much Kris.
    Mary

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  7. Celeste really is a star and I am happy that she got the opportunity to shine here! Valerie

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  8. Wonderful to meet you, Celeste! Thanks for sharing more about your interesting life! :)
    Susan

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  9. Celeste is a real doll!! She is such a beautiful and lovely lady who is extremely talented. I really enjoyed this post learning more about her.
    Mary Alice

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  10. Good Morning Celeste. So happy to have you featured today. It was an honor to showcase your talent and your sweet blog. So fun to learn more about you too. Thank you so much for doing Spotlight.
    Kris

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  11. Congrats Celeste! So nice to read more about you, should have know you were Italian, and grew up in Michigan!
    Always knew you were so talented, now I understand more! Great story and post!
    Celeste (at Victorian Tailor)

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  12. Celeste, I really enjoyed getting to know more about you through this post. I always enjoy reading your blog. You are such a talented, sweet lady and I'm blessed to have you as my blogging friend.
    ~ Lauren

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  13. Celeste...you never fail to amaze me, friend! Your talents go on and on! You're one amazing lady! In your brick and mortar shop, I love the 3 tiered table next to the chair. It's bottom shelf is closer to the floor than most I've seen - very unique! I love your "pretties", you know that. Many blessing to you...Jan ♥

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  14. WOW.Celeste, you are BEAUTIFUL, and your family and creativity as well. HOW FUN to see you here and to learn more about you! I too am part of a Bloggers' Writing Tour and just posted something similar, showing the writing process. How I love your style, what you enjoy, and the possibilities you share as you transform pieces. I have to say, you are one of the queens of Blogland who really knows how to take an ordinary piece and give it life. MUCH LOVE!

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  15. Thank you Kris for featuring one of my very favorite bloggers, who just happens to be a dear and sweet friend of mine! Celestina is as thoughtful and kind as she is talented. I am lucky to have some of her beautiful creations in my own home. I just love her gorgeous painted roses, and her home is so inviting. She is a real gem, and truly is beautiful on the inside and out!! I would have loved to shop at her space in the antique mall:)

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  16. i've only 'known' her for a short while, but celestina is a beauty, a talent and a very warm soul. :)

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  17. Happy Saturday Kris! Your spotlight pick is a wonderful choice! I adore Celeste and look forward to new post on her enjoyable blog. She is a very creative woman.

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  18. I love Celestina! Beautiful! Inside and out! So talented! One of my favorite bloggers for sure! I hope those that don't know her will go follow! Great feature Kris! Love you too!

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  19. How lovely to see Celeste featured here today, Kris! She is such a great blogging friend and has been so supportive to me. She is also a very talented artist. I am lucky enough to have a couple of her creations.

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  20. Wow! What a great artist! Loved her designs and will check out her online shop.

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  21. Oh dear Celeste, thank you for coming to visit my post! It is so fun to develop our art and purpose, isn't it! Wishing you a great weekend. We are here waiting for our builder to come to install some exposed beams to our two rooms. I hope he comes! Big hugs, Anita

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  22. I have been blessed with Celeste's friendship through our blogs for over five years now... you will never meet a more kind, caring, generous, talented and beautiful lady (inside and out) than Celeste... I am always in awe of her beautiful creations, and so fortunate to own many of them, some I purchased from her shop, many were generous gifts she has bestowed upon me over the years.... I admire this lady so much... and her love of family and her strong faith in God... I also love that she graciously shares her tips on how she created something, or her sources for buying supplies needed... and the recipes I have made from her posts have always been delish!... thanks Kris for featuring this lovely lady... when I think of Celeste, I think of a most charming Southern Belle... Love you Celeste!... xoxo Julie Marie

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  23. So happy to meet you, Celeste! I'm impressed by the diversity of your talents and truly enjoyed hearing about your journey in the arts. Your kitchen redesign is very warm and inviting. I will be following along now so as not to miss a thing that comes from your creative soul! Kris, thank you for introducing me to this lovely blogger! ~Ann
    Tarnished Royalty

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  24. Dear Friends, Thank you for your sweet comments here today. I will be around to visit each of you one by one and Kris many thanks again for having me in your spotlight. You and Susan are very special to have this feature in blogland. Susan thank you also for your visit and for introducing Ann in your spotlight. I visited her and she is an amazingly talented lady!!
    Wishing you a special last weekend of August!!
    Hugs to ya'll

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  25. What fun to see Celeste featured today. She is one of my best blog buddies and I am blessed to have some of her pretty creations in my home. She is so talented and gracious. It's fun to see her family photos and learn even more about her. I already know she has the most beautiful smile! Enjoy your weekend! Sweet hugs, Diane

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  26. Celeste is one beautiful and talented woman. I just adore her name and being named after her grandmother is so touching. What great story that was shared. Heading over to her Etsy. Thanks for another great spotlight Kris. Have a wonderful weekend.

    Cindy

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  27. I had stop back and say that you are SUPER TALENTED. I added your Etsy to my favorites and will showing up for a purchase or two soon!!! Following through email.

    Cindy

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  28. Celeste is one of the first bloggers I met when I started blogging. I was lucky enough to win one of her sweet give away's and still have her treasures in my shabby chic room upstairs.
    I stopped blogging for awhile to emotionally and physically heal. But when I came back, I was so glad to see Celeste again and started following her beautiful blog. Thanks for featuring this wonderful talented lady.

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  29. Celeste is such a talented and beautiful lady! Her Etsy shop is stunning! She has so many fabulous items! I adore her style in her home and garden; they are so serene! She is such a sweet blogger and friend- so genuine! Thanks for featuring her this weekend!

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  30. I loved learning more about Celeste whom I have followed for quite awhile now.

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  31. Celeste is such a creative lady, love her cottage roses she paints and just her over all shabby look. I have been a follower of hers for awhile, but it was so much fun to learn a little more about her here...thanks for sharing Kris! By the way... I finally got my first email of your posts again, so glad to see you on my list again!
    Hugs my sweet friend!

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  32. What a beautiful visit this was, Kris. You have a delightful place here.
    Celestine, you are such a beautiful lady both inside and out. You radiate Christ and His blessings upon you in the gifted abilities that you have to create just about anything. :) The work of your hands is beautiful indeed, and your spirit... so sweet.
    I enjoyed getting to know you better here today. Wonderful post!
    Bless you, Debbie

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  33. Your Recent Kitchen Redesign is beautiful. I'll be doing my own soon. Where did you get your cabinet nobs? Love the clear color.
    pink Kitchen

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  34. What a talented lady you are, Celeste! Kris, you have so many wonderful blog friends - thank you for introducing me to yet another.
    Rita

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  35. Celeste has a beautiful style indeed. Always nice to meet and greet someone I have never seen out here before. Thanks for sharing Kris. Have a great weekend.

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  36. What a talent Celeste has! Enjoyed learning more about her. What an amazing woman she is!
    hugs,
    Jann

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  37. Ohh...she' s a great artist! She's very talented and i love her romantic painting. Thnak you very much Kris for sharing this wonderful blogger.
    Kisses
    Alessandra

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  38. So nice to meet you Celeste and look forward to learning about you more....you have such wonderful designs! Thanks Kris for another great feature!!!

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  39. So wonderful to see Celeste featured here, she is one of the sweetest bloggers I know and Uber talented too! I must say each time I read about her I learn a little more as was today's article, I loved reading it and learning more about my wonderful friend Celeste. Big hugs, ~Diane

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  40. Nice to meet you Kris! I have just gotten to know Celeste over the past few months, and she is so talented! and so encouraging and supportive in her comments to me as a still newbie blogger. Celeste, I loved getting to know a little more about you, and am so inspired by your creativity, your commitment, and the light that shines through you!

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  41. celeste's pink roses just melt me heart! great feature on a very talented lady, kris!

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  42. Celeste is a special lady. So happy to see her featured here on your blog, Kris.
    Debbie
    xo

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  43. Celeste is a wonderful person. I thought I knew everything about her, but did not realize she had musical talents also. She's quite an inspiration! Thanks for sharing.
    Farmhouse hugs,
    Cindy

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  44. I'm so glad to see Celeste featured. Her talents amaze me. I don't think there are any limits to what she can accomplish. She is also one of the sweetest bloggers I've "met". Great feature. laurie

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