February Monthly Serve up



Little Bit of Country




Mix & Match




Roasters are noisy but not on a plate




I had to add my little bird




It all starts with BASICS


Time to change dishes out for the new month. February reminds me of Red Valentines and Love. So we must have dishes that are red. I love rosters with their vibrant colored feathers ...so lets do a little country.
I have open cupboards for my dishes in the kitchen and I really enjoy getting a new look with changing out dinner ware. If you don't want to change out dishes..maybe just change cups, or glasses or bowls. You'll be surprised how changing one little thing makes for a fresh new look. One dish at a time..........

Bird Condo



Birdie Condo




Family Cat Angel thinking about dinner!


Here is a fun..fast...projects. Head out to a garage sale. Some times you can find old ladders and when you see them... grab,grab,grab. There is a lot of great projects with old ladders and shovels. When your out looking for ladders..be on the look out for bird houses, or you could also make one.  I found this old ladder and bird house at a garage sale.  It caught my eye because it was red and I love red in the garden.
Take your ladder as is or paint it if you want. Put a bird house on the top and screw in place. As you can see I also added a pole attachment so I can add seasonal or US flag. All done and so cute in your garden. I took this picture last summer as I watched Angel our cat decide if she was going to visit condo up above.....she sat there for a long time and then decided it wasn't worth it..... Have fun with your project imagination .....One step at a time...... 

Little Friend



Say Hello to my little friend

 I have a pair of hand carved wood antique skis by the front door. I removed the Christmas Wreath from door and put it on skis a couple days ago. Coming home, I stepped up on porch and something caught my eye. Turning towards the wreath I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Perched on the top of wreath was a darling little bird taking it all in. I was afraid to move as to not scare it away. Little friend just turned his head enough to look at me and say...Hi..I'm just resting on your wonderful green wreath. I walked as if I was floating into the house to get my camera, I just knew he would be gone when I returned. Slowly I opened the door, camera ready, I peeked around the corner. He looked at me...hi again....Oh thank you...thank you, for staying long enough for me to take your picture for my friends. After a few seconds he was on his way. This must have been the week of the bird....Susan over at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/ was watching a Hawk in her yard earlier this week....check it out.......Say hi to my little friend....One bird at a time.

What is it Wednesday?

Oh let's have some fun......I was looking at a picture and I just couldn't figure out what it was....until I read the caption. I thought that would be fun (I think ) to do. Off with the camera I went........ So let's try it....Let me know what you think this is. No hints ..just plain ole brain creativity.  I asked every one in the house and no one could figure it out.  Better half said....you can't make it that hard.....It's not hard just a close-up of something all of us have or have had...Humor Me!.....One brain cell at a time.......

Week End Project



The grandkids love the new play houses...


Boy wazzzzz I busy this week-end. I found some plans for a couple tree houses. I looked at the material list and ordered product from local home improvement center, grabbed my tools and off I went.

I put in a couple hard days but I think the finished look was well worth it. I didn't realize until I was finished that I was reading instructions in a foreign language....no wonder some of the terms seemed foreign and I had to adlib.

Oh! okay I'm bored and lacking in creativity so I thought I would steal a picture from somewhere else and babble blog......The picture is from the works of a local interior design company from Seattle WA he also has a bog if you would like to check it out....I love some of his work...http://bpinteriors.blogspot.com/

Well I think I wasted enough of your time.... have a good day.....One babble at a time....

Easy as A B C

I have been so busy looking at all the wonderful blogs out there, I haven't been tending the hen house. Boy if you get a chance check out some of the blogs I have listed on my site...they have some very talented  ladies out there. Our bloggers do a lot of beautiful tablescapes.....I'm going to try one in February. Now back to my job.....I remember seeing this in Real Simple (I think) back in the fall. It was such an easy project and boy could you get creative with this. As you can see they took a hammer and some cookie cutters. Tap,Tap you now have a wonderful decorative piece for your house. How about for a gift....maybe find some childrens cookie cutters and do a candle for baby gift....wedding gift....birthday (16th) anything would work.
Give it a try.....not a lot of expense...candles on sale...go crazy....lets me know .....One candle at a time......

Soft Silence



Bird House in Yard




One more inch and my Birds can't get home




Even Old Glory looks great in the snow




Sunset Pond




There is such beauty when you look




United We Stand Sign




It looks like cotton




Another view of Sunset Pond




The Snow looks like Cotton Candy




Headed Home




Only in the Northwest - 7 miles North there isn't a snowflake on the ground


I lay quietly in my bed. I was awake but I didn't want to open my eyes yet. I knew without looking that we had a snow during the night and early morning hours. I can't explain the feeling. I don't know any other sound that compares to the loud quiet of a fresh fallen snow. I know I'm not the only one that feels this way because the first thing my better half said was " Isn't it quiet"?.......For my friends that live in the South and haven't experienced an overnight snow..I'm not sure how to explain it. The QUIET penetrates your body, much like the sun on a warm summer day....BUT...even with that you have birds, leaves have a sound of movement and there is noise off in the distance. The closest I can get...without really getting there...Is.....sitting in a church at night, alone, with only candle light to help reflex the moment. I felt the need to take a walk and try to capture the feeling of winter. By the time I had my coffee, got dressed and headed out with my camera, there was a full engaged snowball fight going on across the street. My quiet was gone.  Kids were laughing and yelling ....and I guess thats a childhood memory we should not forget.....One snowflake at a time.....

Campbell Soup




Bread-Apple-Soup-Cook Books-Bag of Flour

  Pick up on isle 3. Who says you have to purchase decorating items in an expensive shop. Think outside the box. I had a space above by cabinets that I just couldn't find what I wanted. Tired of what I had up there, thought I would change out a few things. I had found a couple faux bread at my favorite thrift shop and some old cook books. I headed to the grocery store for some kitchen products. Having the color red in mind I headed down the soup isle ....I spy....LARGE Tomato Soup Cans.....then I think, I need one more thing. Up and down the rows I go.....Woow... how about a Bag of flour...different texture, same color scheme, I think this might work. With out spending a lot of money I have a new look......oops I think I goofed...I could have bought groceries at the dollar store...oh well!.....Look around, are you tired of a certain area in your house? Go crazy...have some fun finding non traditional decorating props, it makes for great conversation....
One soup can at a time.......

January Monthly Serve Up






Winter is still here so I think these dishes work

   





I love the color and texture

   





Thrift Shop Find

    I love dishes..okay I love shoes, handbags, antiques, just about everything...but I seem to buy a lot of dishes. When I see something great in a thrift store, I just can't resist. I find dishes that are still in their boxes. I have a feeling some of them are wedding gifts that the bride didn't like or use. Everytime I find (too die for dishes) my stomach quivers.....I think there is something wrong with me. When I see something cool...I think to myself, that would be great for......... Since I started my blog last September ( boy that time went fast) which plays right into my the theory.. Reflecting on life in general, I find myself buying dishes, bring them home, wash and then put them on a shelf in the garage, waiting for the time I may use them. WHY?........New day, new leaf, new time. I've decided to change out my dishes every month. If you have a couple different sets you like..try changing them out Summer & Winter. What are we saving our (THINGS) for, if not to use and enjoy. Oh! maybe I'm just assuming everyone saves things like me. Anyway I don't have enough for a change every month (YET) but I'm going to start looking. Oh my...I guess I'll have to start shopping....When my better half says "Are those dishes new" I can honestly say....no! they've been in the garage for ages, hee hee.......One dish at a time.....

Football 2....Shopping 5 hours



Lenox Williamsburg Boxwood & Pine




Tiffany Fine China




Great Pinecone Candles



Wonderful 5' framed mirror




Hand Painted




Paid $12.00 for this fun gem




Sage color feather Noel Pillow




3' Tall Wire Form




Silver Wire His & Her Wire clothes on stand




June 15, 1913 Vogue Picture - Fashion for European Interest




Scribed Poppy  Made for Coldwater Creek




No markings but very cool




Tracy Porter  Farm Collection




Sweet soap dish with birds


Now we're going to talk about the day after Christmas....December 26th...the day of the continuing football games. After putting 2 games away in my brain and wondering why I wasted the cells, I decided to venture out into the retail world....maybe I should say the value world.  I very seldom pay retail anymore. The adventure is to find new stuff at a thrift store price. As I grabbed my keys I told my better half...."I shouldn't be very long, just want to look around "....Later on I made a call that said...dinner will be late tonight....snack all you want.  As I approach  my favorite thrift store I could hear choir of angels singing in my head, was I really seeing clear, I rubbed my eyes, focusing on the huge sign..... "EVERYTHING in store 50% off " and I mean everything.  I was trying at that moment to remember if I had my Wheaties for breakfast because I knew this was going to be a marathon. After all was said and done......the Thrift Store won...I had to go home before it closed due to pain in both knees... but.......boy did I make out like a bandit........One 1/2 price at a time.......

The Box 2011

I love my new little God Box

I will start the memories for my children

Let's see...how should we start the New Year. How about a diet...no...never keep them. How about being a better person...no...already working on that. How about a better wife, mother, grandmother....no....What you see is.. What you get.... I know!... I'm going to challenge everyone to make one resolution for the rest of your life. What is that? I thought you'd never ask. A few months ago I read an article in Real Simple about a daughter, that after the passing of her mother found what she called "The God Box". The story was written by Mary Lou Quinlan about her mom Mary Finlayson. Mary would take a piece of  paper towel, old recipe, grocery list or receipt and as the need presented itself, would write a note to God. Her mom would run the gamut of ("Please let the house sell today") to ("Please take care of little Jesse"). Many notes she would sign "Thank you God, Sincerely Mary". Mary would then believe God would take over. She would date her note, fold the paper and put it in a pretty box.  When the box was full she would put it into another box and place it in the back of her closet. So for 20 years Mary would have a personal conversation with God. Can you think of anything better then to find these boxes with your mothers hopes, dreams and prayers for her children, friends, neighbors even strangers. What a blessing!  After reading this story, I decided I would do the same. How about you?  You don't have to ask for help everyday....even God I think would get tired of that......but!.. when the urge hits you, jot it down. Do you know how happy God would be keeping
communications open on a regular basis.  What a wonderful memory you will create for your children when your gone. So off I go to my favorite thrift shop to find the perfect box.....My First prayer to God,...When I need the help, remind me to write it down and put it in my God Box......One piece of paper at a time......