Tea Time

It's time for tea on a rainy afternoon.

This little hand painted tea plaque hangs under a kitchen cabinet. I bought it at our Town Center Arts and Crafts show. My herb markers are from the same crafter.

What's brewing in the teapot today? It's Constant Comment by Bigelow.

white teapot, vintage Corningware cups 

Blue and White

My favorite color combination, blue and white.

The vintage blue and white table cloth was a souvenir I bought on a road trip we took to the Hamptons in October 1995. I found it in a little antique shop in Sag Harbor, Long Island. Martha Stewart mentioned the shop on her show, as one of her favorites. The time we stopped in, the owner said that we had missed Martha by 10 minutes. 

I keep all the tags and receipts for antique purchases in a file in an antique library catalog wood file box. 

I use these file boxes for my recipe cards too.

I found the original tags. I bought two tablecloths that day. Better than a T shirt from Sag Harbor, don't you think? Look at how long I've enjoyed them!

Vintage Blue and White tablecloth, 48"sq

Sag Harbor, Long Island, October 1995 

Brought in one of my orchids. This one has been blooming for months!

Franciscan, English stoneware

Denmark pattern

Swan napkin rings, Long Grove, IL 

I can change the blue ribbon for other seasonal colors.

Sunday Pancakes! on heated plates, of course.

I'm linking to A Stroll Through Life,  Tablescape Thursday,  and My Romantic Home

When Life Gives You Lemons....Decorate!

I love lemons! I love lemons because of the flavor they bring to food and the cheery look they bring to decorating. Here are a  few of my lemony-fresh things:

A painted wood sign hangs under my kitchen cabinet.

Lemon glasses for -

Lemonade

A lemon night light, and a tea cup  (another obsession favorite)

lemon minute timer

sit next to dog cookies in a jar

Boards behind the cook top

Homemade Lemon Sugar Hand Scrub sits by the sink.

Kitchen towels. Something is baking in the oven. Could it be?

Lemon Bread

Lemon tea pot sits in a lemon wreath with matching sugar and creamer.

Lemons fill an apothecary jar

Lemon Tree dessert plates

Lemons in a vintage bowl

 One biscotte...

Two biscotti...

Three biscotti

Four

Decorative tile plaque on the patio.

But wait, there's more!

I saw this painting at an art open house and was gobsmacked! The lemons, the blue and white pottery, the palm trees, the orchids. It was if the artist ( Krysia D) had been in my house! I had to own it. It was a big splurge. Merry Christmas, Happy Anniversary, Birthday, Valentines Day, Groundhog Day. You get the idea. It hangs above my wall units in the family room. The other accessories were there already ...just waiting for this beauty.

Yes, I already had the lemons, pottery and orchid.

on the right

on the left. The windows came from son David's house in Denver. He rehabbed and saved them for us.

Yes, I love lemons!

I'm linking to My Romantic Home, Color Outside The Lines

Italian Night Tablescape

Italian ambiance.....

Red and ivory dishes, red pattern tablecloth and white napkins, tomato paste cans used for napkin rings,

A vintage metal colander (my Mother's) used for the bread, an old canning jar filled with pasta, a pot of herbs, rosemary, basil, and a wine basket.

 I saved two straw-covered Chianti bottles to use as candle holders, resplendent with multicolored melted wax drippings and two drippy red candles.

    Backyard Bandana 36"sq tablecloth by Longaberger.

I made wine charms for our wine glasses.

Everyone knows which wine glass is theirs.

.

Time to light the candles.

Time to turn on the Dean Martin CDs

Time to serve Mom's Meatballs and Spaghetti. It's eating at your favorite Italian restaurant right at home.

To get the recipe for Mom's Meatballs and Spaghetti link to:  Rita's Recipes  Buono Appetito!


I've linked to A Stroll Through Life and REDnesday and Tablescape Thursday

Pet Project - "Doggie Cottage"

The doggies sleep in their crate at night. They like to be in our room, close by.

But the accommodations left much to be desired.

The doggie crate before. Not very welcoming. Not very attractive.

It didn't go with the decor. Too much shabby and no chic.

So we cut an old piece of plywood for a top. Added trim to the edge. Painted it white and placed it on top. I added cafe curtains using wooden dowels attached to cup hooks under the top.

Much better!

Before

After.

Even the doggies like it better. They go in on their own at night and almost make it until morning when we let them up on the bed.

linking to My Romantic Home, House In The Roses, Shabby Chic Cottage,

Southern Hospitality, Lettered Cottage