HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!!!

THANK YOU to all American soldiers

Re-Used Coffee Filter Wreath

You don't need to buy new filters for this wreath! Just reuse your old ones. Dump the grounds in your garden. Your plants will love that. Then rinse out the filter and drape it over a bottle top to dry.

Cut leftover wood, attach a small piece of scrap chicken wire with staples onto the back. Give it a shabby paint job and insert your filters. Just twist and scrunch. You can tape the back of the filters to secure. You can also cut a piece of heavy cardboard into a wreath, Make it square, round, heart shaped or use your monogram.  Glue on the scrunched filters. 

Wood Pallet Wall Shelf

The back of the pallet has built-in shelves so all you need to do is paint.

Transform a rescued wood pallet into a shabby-chic-cottage wall shelf. Paint with leftover paint and attach large D rings to the back to hang. Add a couple of nails for plate supports, and use the shelves for display. You could also add cup hooks. It's on our patio wall. It would also look great on a porch. No cost decorating.

see another pallet idea here
linking to Tools Are For Women Too,
Bloggeritaville, The CSI Project,
Domestically Speaking, Coastal Charm, Funky Junk

Plant An Herb Garden

Find a little space in your garden, front or back yard to plant an herb garden. You can also use pots on the patio, window box, or by a sunny kitchen window. Buy the herbs in pots from your grocery store or garden center. Publix has nice large herb pots.
The ones I use:

Chives- baked potatoes, sauces, omelets, eggs, salads

Parsley-for everything

Oregano- all things Italian

Sage- chicken, sauces, pork,

Rosemary- chicken, potatoes, sauces, Italian, pork, beef, lamb

Thyme- chicken, beef, pork, potatoes, lamb

Cilantro- all things Mexican

Basil- tomatoes, Italian, sauces

Mint- garnish iced tea , lemonade and cocktails,

You'll use them all the time!

I found the pottery herb markers at our local art and craft fair. They are handmade by  Pots In America (potsinamerica@hotail.com)

use the herbs when you make
Perfect Roast Chicken (click on to see my recipe)

Lone Survivor

This is the last lone survivor of our rose garden. We had over 24 rose bushes, doing quite nicely, thank you very much, until Hurricane Wilma blew right over our house. It flooded the raised bed for weeks. They all drowned a sad death. All but one. Maybe we'll try again.

Meet The Doggies...Part 3

Meet Lucy. She's the baby and she's a real mama's girl! She follows me everywhere and even though she knows that Princess and Lucky are her doggie parents, her heart belongs to me. She's petite, a little shy and too cute! She has her favorite basket at the foot of our bed that's her nighttime bed. It's elevated so that she feels close by. She fit into the palm of my hand when she was born now she's almost 11.

Picket Fence Cup Rack

Add a little cottage charm to your kitchen with this very easy project. A shabby chic cottage cup rack made out of two leftover fence pickets. Just screw in cup hooks, brush on a little white paint, attach sawtooth hanger on the back and you have a cute place to hang your teacup collection. You can change the cups or mugs with the seasons.

linking to Tools Are For Women Too, The Shabby Chic Cottage, Somewhat Simple , House In The Roses, Fireflies and Jellybeans, CSI

Meet The Doggies...Part 2

Meet Lucky. He has foxy good looks. His favorite spot is to lie next to Dad on the couch. He's loyal and likes to please. He always likes to make guests feel like family. Exploring in the trash is a guilty pleasure. Long walks, long naps, a few treats and a belly rub make his day perfect.

Meet The Doggies...Part 1

Meet Princess. She likes long walks in the shade. Loves the wind in her face. Will always get out of bed for strawberries (leftover from pancakes). Enjoys the challenge of a closed gate. She's smart, confident and friendly. She knows by the shoes I put on, if she's going for a walk, then she gets very excited. If I'm putting on tennis shoes, she looks at my shoes and walks away. She reads minds. She's one of our three Yorkie babies and each one has their own personality.

Happy Mother's Day!

Remembering my mother, and missing her every day.

Our Beautiful Sunset!

WOW! We have the most beautiful sunsets right in our backyard. They reflects over our lake and take over the sky. Our evening ritual is to drop whatever we are doing and go outside and see the show, take a glass of wine and really appreciate the beauty.

Happy Cinco De Mayo

MargaRITAs

1 can frozen limeade (6 or 12 oz)

2 cans water

1 can tequila

1/3 can  triple sec 

Shake in large covered container, like
Tupperware.  Serve over ice and garnish with lime slices. If you want a frozen drink reduce the water to 1 can and add 2 C ice to a blender.

Make up a batch ahead and add the ice when you want to serve it. Rub the rim of your glass with some of the liquid and dip in equal mixture of salt and sugar in small plate.

OLE'

Fresh Baked Brownies

This whimsical piece of original art was custom created for me by Diane Duda of DudaDaze. It hangs in my kitchen. It shows me holding a plate of "Fresh Baked Brownies" and has my three Yorkies near me. That's my everyday pleasure. I eat brownies. Every day. Seriously.

Treasure Hunting

Picked up this old leaded glass window last week on bulk trash pickup. Can you see the cracks? Nope? Neither can I. I think it looks great on top of the antique pie safe with the Staffordshire dogs and blue willow plates. Love bulk trash day. I found more goodies I'll show you later.

Remember your R's, reuse, recycle, repurpose, reduce, repaint, redo.

I'm linking to My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday, and Southern Hospitality

Happy MAY DAY!

 I think that it's only appropriate that I start my first post on my new blog on May Day.

Hanging a container of May flowers on a friends door, or your door is a May Day tradition. Use an empty tin can and punch a hole in each side of the can to attach wire, twine or ribbon for hanging. You can also use a glass jar and wrap twine or ribbon around the top to hang. Decorate with a pretty ribbon and fill with water and a few flowers from your yard.