Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Spring Sofa Table

I decided to use a few of my tea pots in my 
spring vignette on the sofa table.
I used a delicate table runner with applicated 
pastel spring flowers. I then picked out all 
 my floral tea pots and placed a few
 here and there.
This little pink rose set was found for just a 
few dollars at Goodwill years ago.
 It's sitting on a milk glass cake 
pedestal, also a thrifty find. 
The giant cloche is from Marshalls.
I filled this apothecary jar with china 
tea cups....thrifted again.
A Royal Albert Old Country Roses creamer
Villeroy & Boch set also found thrifting.
Another milk glass pedestal cake stand.
Yes...found thrifting too.

The pretty rose chintz teapot was found
in an Atlanta antiques shop. I scattered
a few of my decoupaged eggs around.

I filled the glass hurricane with jelly beans and
 a candle. I added an ivy grapevine wreath to 
the bottom and stuck in a few eggs.
That's my crazy orchid still blooming! 
Cheers!


Sunday, March 25, 2012

Spring Kitchen Cabinet

Another change in the kitchen cabinet. 
Blue, Green, Coral, and White floral 
dishes for Spring.
 The paper on the back of the cabinet stayed 
from the March cabinet makeover.
That made this easy.
The dishes are Villeroy & Boch in
the Amapola pattern. 
On the top shelf I've just used 4 of the 
very pretty double handled soup bowls 
with matching plates.
 Large blue and coral poppies and smaller 
purple ones on a winding vine are a 
great color combination for Easter.
I added a little bunny.
The solid cornflower blue pottery dishes
 and casseroles are Longaberger. 
They make the blue poppies...pop.
A few tall cobalt wine glasses.
 I love to rotate the dishes we use for 
everyday. I change them for the seasons
 or holidays, or just when my cabinets need 
a new 'outfit'
The Happy Spring bunnies sit on the microwave's ledge.
Happy Spring!



See more kitchen cabinet monthly makeovers;
Christmas (December) cabinet HERE
Winter (January) cabinet HERE
Valentine (February) cabinet  HERE
St. Patrick's Day (March) cabinet  HERE

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Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Spring Blue and Yellow

I gathered a few blue and yellow things
to see how they would give a Spring look to 
the dining room table.
 I just walked thru my house picking up 
things here and there.
 The table runner and a few of the pottery 
pieces were from my daughter Kim's house
 in Texas. Discards....because she was 
changing her color scheme. 
(See her house HERE.)
Three white china bunnies.
 My old silver three-tiered tea stand.
Lemon tree plates sometimes used in the 
family room or kitchen were found thrifting
years ago. They show up occasionally. 
 This Longaberger basket is from the
  guest room. The colors worked here
so I filled it with Easter grass.
It's topped with decoupaged eggs
I made last year using
blue and yellow cocktail napkins.
 A delicate bone china yellow bowl holds more
 eggs in blue and white.
 Tall yellow glads from the back hallway.
 I took all the leaves out of the table after 
our last family dinner on St. Patricks Day.
The big dish cupboard at the end of the room.
On top of the cupboard are: an antique
 leaded glass window, pussy willow in a 
brass umbrella stand, one of my mother's old 
coffee pots that she brought from Germany, 
a Longaberger basket, blue china bunny,
 and flowers in a hammered brass kettle.
 Next to that, on the floor are two
blue and white Chinese pots. 
The tall iron stand was a curb-side find. 
I just sprayed it black.
Something old, nothing new, all were 
gathered in yellow and blue.
Cheers!

(click on the blue highlighted words above to see more)
Links: Between Naps On The Porch,
Centsational Girl, My Romantic Home,
My 1929 Charmer, Funky Junk,


Monday, March 19, 2012

The Cornice Shelf

This is the cornice at the top of the
windows in the breakfast room.
 The wood cornice wraps all the way around
the top of the breakfast room windows
 and the door to the patio.
It continues into the family room.
Larry built it years ago. 
I'll do a 'before and after' post soon.
A pretty fireplace screen I found at Marshalls.
Ditto on the pottery rooster, and 
blue & white Chinese jars.
 I also added several Longaberger baskets.
 The watercolor paintings are colorful farm
scenes. I found these at a garage sale.
The antique cigar mold is from Germany.
It was a gift from my German house guests.
Biscotti and pasta jars in blue, yellow & white
sit at the other end. More cornice shelf
pictures of the family room.....coming soon!

Cheers!

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Rules For Life

A few simple things I've learned along 
the way that makes life easier. 
Always carry a $50 hidden in your wallet. 
Because you never know when you'll need
emergency cash (my father).
Always carry a hankie or tissue. 
Tucked in your purse, pocket or up your
 sleeve (my mother).
Here are a few from my mother's hankie collection.
When you see a bathroom stop and go. 
You never know when you'll see another one.
Never leave home without a 'roadie',
a container of water. God forbid you should 
get stranded or run off the road and need 
to survive a few days (see nightly news).
Plus you should stay hydrated.
Take a bite of the best thing 
on your plate first. 
Your enjoyment is at it's peak and diminishes 
more after several bites. 
(as in: never leave a bite of lobster 
on your plate because you are too full
 from eating the sides.) 
The law of diminishing returns.
Never save the best of anything for last.
 Because by then you are either; too full, 
too tired, too old, too sick, or too dead.
(our trip to Venice, Italy)
If you are in a morning rush and don't
 have time to make your bed, 
the police will not come. 
But do eat something. 
There's always time to eat!

Plan to leave 10 minutes early. 
That way you will leave on time.
Learn to cook for yourself. 
Start with grilled cheese or scrambled eggs 
and go from there. If you cook for others, they will come.
Don't be a picky eater and 
don't raise picky eaters.
Every few years give the foods you
 won't eat a second chance. 
That's why I now love to eat capers, cilantro
 and mangos. It took some convincing. 
This way everybody will happily feed you.
Every Day: have a good laugh, 
have a good meal,
have a good hug (dogs count).
Have a moment to appreciate a sunset,
or anything in nature.
Take time to smell the roses.


 Cheers!