Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Independence Day Tablescape










It's that red, white and blue time of year again!
Better get out the dishes!










An easy, simple table is exactly what we need this year.
Not too fussy - like the food will be.









Red, white & blue look REALLY great together, don't they?








Scrounged my Christmas stuff to find this votive holder & star garland.








My glass chargers are so large that my centerpiece had to be small!








Wow! That sunshine is sure streaming in - it's 100+ degrees today, soon as I am finished I am going to shut the shades and try to keep the house as cool as possible!









This is on the front porch entryway on the bench welcoming you!
Above this out of sight is the WELCOME sign (first pic of this post.)







Even the geraniums are feeling festive sharing their bright red!








Every item shown- except for the metal garland and the urn the geraniums are in- was either found thrifting or at fleas, at estate sales or on ebay. Not a single thing was purchased new or for full price.





Thank you for stopping by!

Happy Independence Day - Here's to our FREEDOM!!!!!


Linking:

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Thrifty Birdhouse!




Look what my eldest daughter found for me when she was out & about thriftin'!

A sweet little hand painted blue-roofed whimsical birdhouse!
With birdhouses painted on it, too!






My youngest was also over today helping me garden & surprised me with a nice cutting
of some of our wildflowers placed in my trusty, rusty watering can.





She never said a word, but when I went out to water my potted plants I found them
sitting prettily on my potting table. She is thoughtful like that...she KNEW I would find them!



 



As like my daughters, these two things are completely different, yet go together well.



 



They work nicely in this nice shady corner of our outdoor shady
 "Zen Room" that my DH built a few years ago!





Thank you for your visit today and giving me an opportunity to share my nest!




Linking:

Button


Outdoor Wednesday: Click on the picture below to learn more...
No Minimalist Here
A Delightsome Life
Cottage Garden Party - button (3)
happythumb

Show Off Friday

Monday, June 25, 2012

Battenburg Pillows





I adore the intricate beauty of Battenburg lace.







I love most lace, but this is my absolute favorite kind.

Maybe because it isn't TOO girlie - it's just simply beautiful.






This is a very "green" section of our garden - there is a huge Butterfly Bush (more like a tree, actually) behind this seat that hasn't bloomed yet. I know I really do need to plant more color in this section, but for now it is just a simple green backdrop to show off this pretty set on my metal garden chair.




Please join the fun!

 
it all started with paint



Also linking:


White Wednesday

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Cupcakes




Last week my middle niece came to spend the night.  She wanted to bake something, so we made cupcakes. I let her make whatever colors and decorate however she cared to decorate them.

We made a few dozen and gave many away, but she kept about a dozen to take home.

As they were drying before I had to take her home, we came to my blog and I showed her some of my posts, some of my favorite blogs and various linky parties I love to join.

When it was time to take her home and we went to the kitchen to pack her cupcakes to share with her brother and sisters...........and she exclaimed "Aunt Shell, wait, I have a great idea!"

She formed a circle with the cupcakes and shut out the light (later day lighting is always shadowy.)Apparently she saw this. and said "It would be perfect for a Shadow Sunday!"

And she is right. And it is SO NICE to know they really do pay attention.

This girl is a blogger waiting to happen for sure.









This is Delaney Eileen, my niece and God-daughter.  You met her little sister last week.

She's a cheerleader and really awesome kid - very outgoing and extremely likeable! She is a bit melodramatic, and just "threw" herself onto the table as I was snappin the pic. She''s SO much fun!








Linking:

Shadow Shot Sunday 2

Friday, June 22, 2012

Pink Tea Trivit



Today I'm sharing a closer look of one of my favorite hand painted teapot trivits....you have seen before - but this time it's getting it's due - being featured!    ♥






It sits upon an old doilie which is then on top of an applique embroidered tablecloth.

I like the way the greens play together.







The lower rim is painted the sweetest shade of light pink.








I sure wish I could paint, crochet and embroider! (No patience, not gonna happen.)

I simply drink my tea and admire this amazing handiwork talent of others, and feel so richly blessed to be surrounded by such beauty!







A Beauty Blessing

by J. O'Donohue

As stillness in stone to silence is wed
May your heart be somewhere a God might dwell.

As a river flows in ideal sequence
May your soul discover time in presence.

As the moon absolves the dark of resistance
May thought-light console your mind with brightness.

As the breath of light awakens colour
May the dawn anoint your eyes with wonder.

As spring rain softens the earth with surprise
May your winter places be kissed by light.

As the ocean dreams to the joy of dance
May the grace of change bring you elegance.

As clay anchors a tree in light and wind
May your outer life grow from peace within.

As twilight fills night with bright horizons
May beauty await you at home beyond.




Linking:




Rooted In Thyme



How Sweet the Sound












Thursday, June 21, 2012

JULY 4th TABLESCAPE



Last year we had our eldest daughter and her husband over for a BBQ on July 4th. But it was WAY too hot to dine outdoors, so we brought the feast indoors, once prepared.

This was before I blogged, so all I took were these photos -  none of the food, and not very varied pics, sorry! But I thought I would at least share.

I loved my scathingly brilliant idea of using boxes of sparklers as our favors! Much later when it was truly dark it was fun to watch the fireworks and use our sparklers!

I made a flat vanilla rectangle cake using strawberries and bluberries and decorated it like a flag for our dessert. I used those paper flag plates (sitting as a centerpiece in pic) for dessert. I was going to use simple white china plates but loved bringing the flag theme to the table - and it is silly to display them but not use!



My simple & unpretentious tablescape
proudly displaying Red, White & Blue!




 




This birdhouse was a lucky GW find!


 
















 
Blessed be the Stars and Stripes Forever!!!!



Linking:


Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Note Card Party - June


A Haven for Vee

Please join the fun!



1.) This post can be found here.





2.) This post can be found here.





3.) This post can be found here.




4.) This post can be found here.





Monday, June 18, 2012

Tea In Under an Hour




This is a long reading post but one I really think HOPE you enjoy. Thanks, in advance for your patience reading it (if you do, that is!) I shall reward you with pictures at the end, I promise!

On Saturday my sister called a bit stressed out and shared that she had just allowed her two eldest to go to the mall............but that her youngest was just too little to go and sis just wasn't up to dealing with the yucky ole mall - and who can blame her? BLECH!

WELL one can imagine how hurt and upset the baby of the family was at that time. This particular sister of mine was ALSO the baby of our family (with two older sisters) - so that is perhaps why she is extra sensitive to her youngest feeling left out. So she called me and asked if I would host a tea party for the two of them, that my niece had begged her to call me for a tea party. She said that's all she wanted, that tea with Aunt Shell would fix everything.

Ahem.

Was I not at the moment of said call knee deep in weeds and mud working in the garden?

I said to myself: "Ugh. NOW? Oh no! Dang. What do I reply? Ok, so I said to myself: "Michele, these kids have no grandparents alive! These kids only just have YOU around here to help on difficult days like this. Life is short. You know you love to have any reason for setting up a tea parties. Get over your objections and just do this. You will work it out. You always do. You are a smelly gardener with dirt under your nails! Clean up and help this little one feel better today!"

I say to my little sister: "Sure sis. um, happy to! Uh, well, your estimated time of arrival?!?"

Sis says to me: "Oh, say, in about a half hour to 45 minutes, is that ok?"

I say to sis: "OK, I will throw something together fast as I can, hon!"



I KNOW THIS IS LONG - SORRY - please bear with me!

I look at the clock and realize it really should be about the time I need to be preparing dinner for my hard working DH who is way out in the back garden, and thankfully he's no where close to being ready to eat yet. I have time for this.

I waste not a second more and actually TEXT the hubs to let him know what was up, and why he will see a fast driving bright red Mini Cooper making a mad dash past the back garden flying to her favorite local bakery to quickly remedy the fact that her pantry was too bare to have a tea party!

Whew. OK. Back from bakery. Where is the tablecloth I just used? OK - in dryer, haha, not even quite dry yet.  Run down to basement and find my fav mini 3 tier server perfect for a little tea.

OK, grab paper doilies and line the china plates on server. Cut up bakery goods into tiny tea-party sized bites, then place on doilies. Check tablecloth, dry now. Place on table. Grab china and glassware sitting on lowboy that haven't been put away yet. Set table. Fill kettle. Get out the tea.

Run and wash face and refreshen up. Throw on skirt, brush hair, put it up. Turn on fav tea party music. Clean up mess made in kitchen from cutting sweets.  Do finishing touches on table. Look at clock, they should be arriving here any minute.

But I get a text - she ran into rush hour and holy smokes she is in a deadlock, will be late.

Alrighty, since all is ready I now have time to make savories, too!  Which is good because it is after 4pm (actually our dinnertime) and they will be hungry, as was I! So I scurry to find something last minute in the fridge to make into finger savories.


**********************************************************


So YES you will so totally recognize the tablescape I just used in my last tea posting, except with a few changes! I used the beautiful finch napkins my sweet friend Sylvia recently gave to me. I blogged about that here . And I used those flowers from the garden which I posted about here. And instead of breakfast this time it is a simple afternoon tea, so the food is different on the table. Everything else is pretty much the same, or close.








Menu:
Ham & cheese with honey mustard on wheat
Herb & cream cheese sandwiches
Peanut butter & black currant jam triangles
Frosted brownie bites
Lemon sugar cookie squares
Zucchini & bluberry bread
White chocolate shortbread cookies
Bluberry tea



This tea was all ready within an hour and for only just a few dollars.
















My sweet niece entertained us afterward.
She was seriously concentrating on those keys!





What a sweet face she has!
Glad I could help turn her tears into smiles!

She is a sensitive, thoughtful and kind little girl, welcome for tea anytime!

Her name is Reagan Michele. <nice middle name!!!








Linking:


A Return to Loveliness

Teacup Tuesday