Blondie's Journal

HANDMADE HOLIDAYS: FRENCH COUNTRY FLAVOR

2009-11-16T15:11:00.006-06:00

I was reading the November issue of Country Living when I came across a DIY project that, yes...even Blondie could do. As you know from last week's post, Kathy of Kathy's Cottage is hosting an event called Handmade Holidays. I'm seriously not a crafty person, but I was able to participate last week and I was pleasantly surprised that everyone seemed to like it. (I say that humbly). So, feeling ambitious, I decided to try this project over the weekend. As you can see, it is a table runner. For those of you reading this that can sew, please know that I have had a brand new sewing machine for several weeks and I haven't yet figured out how to thread it.
Visit Kathy and see the list of all the ladies participating in this event. Find all sorts of ideas for thrifty holiday crafts. And if I can do something simple, anyone can.
This is a picture of the tablecloth in Country living. Unfortunately, I have a round dining table, so I decided to take the easy way out and make a runner. I think the 'easy' part of this would have flown right out the window if I had had to hem a round tablecloth by hand. As of yet I have not learned how to use my new sewing machine, but my sister~in~law has promised to help me. If you would like to enlarge the picture from Country Living, click it on and you can skip my directions below.
The project calls for a canvas drop cloth, grout tape and fabric paint. Off I went to our local hardware store and for some reason I asked the man for caulk tape. He searched and searched and had another man help him and I really had them scratching their heads for awhile. When they gave up the search and gave each other 'knowing' glances, I meekly grabbed a roll of masking tape and the drop cloth. I then went to Hobby Lobby for the red fabric paint. When I got home I realized the drop cloth was about 1000 yards long. My table is 46' in diameter. So I now have enough fabric to make curtains for the whole house and reupholster all the furniture. You must wash and dry the drop cloth about three times to soften the fabric. It came out gorgeous. I then measured according to a runner I already had and added 2 inches to all sides for the hem. I then taped where I wanted my stripes by measuring from the middle out. I just eyeballed the space between the stripes. The masking tape worked just fine but to be sure, I ran a warm iron over it so the paint wouldn't bleed under. Then I just dabbed the paint on lightly. After four hours I removed the tape (this is according to the directions on the fabric paint) and then I hemmed it with fusible webbing and pressed it with an iron. Voila!!
I even took a picture of it with the grapes like it is in the magazine picture!! I was really happy about the look of shock and pleasure on The Husband's face when I was finished. While I was working, he kept walking by and shaking his head. He asked me where I was getting these crazy ideas. He sounded like my mother! He was also surprised to learn the fabric was a drop cloth. Before the project started I said I might make some pillows because I had so much fabric and he said, "I'm not lying my head on drop cloth!" Well, we'll see about that!! Please visit Kathy after you leave a comment and have a happy week!! :-)

TABLESCAPE THURSDAY: LUNCH IN PARIS

2009-11-12T14:38:00.009-06:00

I am a worrier by nature. I bought a set of six salad/bread plates from an estate sale a while back. And they have sat for a long time. But I have not stopped thinking about them for one second. You see, I wanted to do a tablescape with them, but sometimes the creativity light bulb in my brain just remains unlit. I knew what I didn't want to do. Now, why is that so easy to figure out? Think about it. It is the figuring out exactly what we want to do that is the hard part. And that may be my problem in the world of tablescaping and why I do it so little. God knows I have enough dishes... So I was lamenting to Fidd (Future Interior Design Daughter, who's progress in school I am going to bring you up on later in this post) and she (also known as Emily) said, "Mom, let me do a tablescape with the stupid dishes." To myself, I was thinking, hee hee, that doesn't mean I am going to take pictures of it! So she began to assemble things.

I am joining Susan at Between Naps On the Porch for her event today, so you know that a successful table setting was laid. Fidd does have a lot of creativity. She needs that to make up for a bit of sloppiness, but that is where this blonde control freak person comes in. The problem was, the dishes were black and white and very French. I didn't want to do a black and white tablescape for reasons I don't even know... and due to the unlit light bulb, I didn't have a clue what sort of color combination or type of centerpiece would work. So she got to work. I sat drinking my coffee, averting my eyes every time she looked my way. When she left the room to gather up napkins or glasses, I ran over to the table and thought, oh no, what is she doing??

Another problem with the black and white dishes was making the table look fall~like. I mentioned that to her. "No problem." She replied. I told her not to mix two white plates on a cream color charger. A roll of the eyes. I didn't like the napkin rings. "Get out of the room!"

She came from the craft room/office with this floral arrangement before setting out the gold tinted wine glasses. By now I was ready to hide my camera and disassemble the laptop so I couldn't be forced to blog about this disaster. Then she finished things up and I sat looking, then nodding my head, and then I gave her a big hug. When she said, "I bet everyone is going to say this is your best tablescape ever," that's when the Kodak moment ended.

I admit I fiddled and tweaked. She is too impatient to learn how to fold a napkin or position the silverware correctly (or like perfect soldiers, the way I tend to do it). I switched out the napkin rings and lit a candle. By then she was in the shower, all was forgotten. So here we have it. She did a great job, didn't she? The black and white mixes in well with the white china and off white capiz shell chargers and napkins. She mixed in some gold fall colors with some silver serving dishes. And she tied the dessert/bread plates in with a whimsical touch, a small trifle glass filled with black and white buttons.

These are close-ups of the plates. They look like French combat scenes to me. For anyone that can speak or read French, click on the picture to enlarge, there is some dialogue going on and it could be meaty... The markings on the back are H.B. surrounded in a circle that reads: 1/2 Porcelaine De Choisy~Le~ROI.

One plate has a tiny chip on the edge that can be sanded, otherwise they are in excellent condition. I love them. I am making cabbage rolls for dinner tonight. Should I serve them here? Does cabbage go with black and white?

The chargers and wine glasses are from Pier I. The dinner plates are from HomeGoods. The napkins and rings are from Target. All of the silver is from my thrifting adventures and the faux flowers are from Michael's. The geraniums in the window are from this summer. They are still going strong so I brought them in. Aren't they pretty?

Emily is more than half through with interior design school and getting her degree. She just finished up a grueling semester in which she had two classes, each having her design a hotel lobby and a townhouse, respectively. It is so much more than floor plans. She has to design and plan everything down to the electrical and lighting system. The design school she goes to is year round with 2 week breaks between semesters, so she will complete her degree in less than 4 years. Next year she plans to take a real estate course and get her license and attempt to combine the two fields. I think this is a really smart decision. You go, Fidd!!

Hey...if you enlarge this picture you will see Nina, the parrot, in her white cage off to the right. Probably waiting for the cabbage rolls. You might also see the door to the china closet open wide also. So much for staging. I want to remind you all about the giveaway. Tell your friends! My blog button is on my sidebar if you want it. It's new and I am proud of it, of course. This weekend I am going to the lake after missing 2 weekends in a row. I am going nuts. And I have something big there that I am going to tell you all about when I get back!

Have a great weekend!! :-)

HANDMADE HOLIDAYS & A GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-11-10T10:41:00.011-06:00

Today is the first day of a new event, and a timely one, called Handmade Holidays, hosted by Kathleen of Kathy's Cottage. This is your chance to post about gifts and decorations that come from the HEART!! Things money (well, not a lot anyway) can't buy. And what a better time. Make this year THE year to spread 'handmade' joy!! Visit Kathleen to comment on her wonderful handcrafted and thrifty idea for the holidays. Spread the word around about this event that will take place every Tuesday. And remember, there are only 6 more weeks until Christmas!

This is a very simple craft that even Blondie can do. Okay, I underestimate myself...but I really didn't think I had it in me. Plus, I bore easily and I have to confess, I really enjoyed making these letters/words. I bought the unfinished letters at Hobby Lobby at $2.49 a piece. They are approximately 5 1/2 inches tall. Use a nail file to smooth out the rough edges. Trace the letter on to the back of scrap booking paper. Paint surface and sides of letters with white acrylic paint. When dry, coat with Mod Podge smoothly over the surface and sides of letter and adhere scrap booking paper to letter, smoothing out with fingers. Let dry and add 2nd coat of Mod Podge and sprinkle with silver glitter. I used Martha's super fine glitter. Voila!!

I had some bubbles, but keep working them out to the sides. And if you are using paper with lettering , words or a design, make sure it is right side up. My 'Happy Holidays' is upside down (it takes a brave soul to admit their mistakes!)

I have the letters propped up for now but I am going to attach ribbon to hang them somewhere...a mantel, balcony or from some garland. You may notice that I didn't use really bright colors. My home is on the pastel side so I kept the colors and patterns cohesive with my decor. But I saw so many sheets of scrap booking paper, I was going nuts. And a tip: stock up on the letters, the O's were almost depleted.

And that is my craft for this week. I am not very crafty ;-} but I hope to come up with something for next week. Visit Kathy and the girl's participating in this event and leave a nice comment. Think of all the ideas you will get and all the hours of fun!

This week I was given the Kreative Blogger award from both Linda at Coastal Charm, and Lou Cinda at Tattered Hydrangeas. Thank you to both of these sweet girls. The rule is that I am to name 7 things about myself that you may not know. That will be close to impossible if you are familiar with how much I can chatter. Then I am to pass the award on to 7 bloggers.

1) My favorite vacation was on Martha's Vineyard.

2) My cat had kitten's in one of my dresser drawers.

3) Both of my daughter's weighed 5 lbs. at birth.

4) I love chocolate and hate beets.

5) My mother's maiden name was Doll.

6) My husband is 8 years older than me.

7) I live on a lake but can't swim.

Now I need to pass the award on. I don't have the URL's but I will let you know. If you have received the award already, you can take a pass if you want. You can take a pass no matter what, but I am personally nosy by nature and like to know as much as I can about everyone.

1) BJ @ Sweet Nothings

2) Elaine @ Cafe Chatelaine

3) Cindy @ Applestone Cottage

4) Mary @ Across The Pond

5) Melissa @ Melissa's Heart And Home

6) Lori E @ Family Trees May Contain Nuts

7) Karen @ A Scrapbook Of Inspiration

FINALLY!! I am having a giveaway!!! Keeping with my Blonde roots, I missed my own 100th post and 100th follower! LOL!! I do have a one year anniversary coming up at the end of this month (can't remember the date~see what I mean?) so I thought I would have a giveaway. I had such a fun time with the Ugly Rooster Giveaway, I thought I would do something a bit more normal. One of the gifts is a package of note cards painted by Karen Harvey Cox. She so generously sent these to me specifically for the giveaway. All of you know how I love her work. If you haven't been to her blog, please visit. You will love it. The rest of the giveaway remains a secret and once I choose the winner, I will attempt to customize it just for you. The rules are the usual. Leave a comment for one entry, become a follower for two and blog about my giveaway with a link for three entries. I have a blog button on my sidebar. The deadline is Friday, November 20, 2009. Good luck ladies!!

Karen's Note cards

Have a great week!!

Should Have Gone To South Haven

2009-11-08T20:09:00.001-06:00

Today I am particiapting in Sunday Favorites with Chari at Happy to Design . This was one of the first posts I ever did. After you have left a comment, visit Chari to see the other partcipants today. Enjoy!!

In my last post I spoke of going up to our Lake house to check on the progress of our renovations and then drive up to South Haven, Michigan and stay overnite at the Old Harbor Inn. South Haven is a quaint little town with lots of antique and gift shops, an excellent kitchen store where I bought my first pasta roller (you had to see the long strands of pasta draped over the dining room chairs drying. Wish I had a camera for that!). Anyway, Saturday morning I awoke at 6:30 a.m. to the above. Yep, that's my car covered in snow. I was too busy Friday night eating popcorn and watching holiday movies to put it away. We called our resident carpenter (and I mean resident-he lives in the lake house while he does said renovations. He is currently putting in hardwood floors throughout the house with the exception of the kitchen, and that is the reason we were going to stay in South Haven, no floor.)and he said the snow was worse there. The husband and I threw a few logs on the fire and sipped our coffee while contemplating our alternatives now that we were fired up to get away. Hence, the following pic.

Downtown Chicago. Yeah, Christmas shopping!! We booked ourselves in the Whitehall Hotel which is quite a historic building in it's own right, but I was just thrilled to be a block from the Magnificent Mile, better known as Michigan Avenue. The Fifth Avenue of Chicago. The rival of Rodeo Drive. One of the GREATEST PLACES TO SHOP!! I was in Heaven. Until The Husband lost his credit card in Macy's which was having it's biggest SATURDAY SALE IN HISTORY. Granted, we have other credit cards, perhaps too many, which some of you can identify with. C'mon, admit it. The problem was, The Husband insisted on searching for said card in Macy's, all 11 floors. After being accused of losing said card (he supposedly handed it to me in a very uncommon moment of shyness) in the lingerie department. I was instructed not to leave, not to move from my spot in the lingerie department. So I did what any normal blonde would do, I purused the bras and sexy undies and (gasp) thongs (ouch). Apparently while I was purchasing a sensible pair of flannel jammies, he came looking for me and as a typical male, probably made a quick sweep through the place and left. After smoking a cigar out on the street he traced my imaginary steps back to said historic hotel. Not finding me in the room of course, he made full use of the facilities, read the paper and smoked another cigar. Upon returning to Macy's he finally found me riding the escalators, hot and mad as all get out. Two hours in the lingerie department with no desire to ever see a thong again in my life. No credit card was found, but The Husband did manage to find the bag of expensive candy we bought and his gloves. I'm glad I was wearing the parka I purchased earlier or he would have lost that too. So much for our big shopping trip, It was 6:00 p.m. it was 10 degrees and the wind had picked up off the lake. As I hunkered down in my new parka I managed to see some yummy shops: Jimmy Choo, Juicy Couture, Bebe, Cartier. Oh sigh of sighs. We went back to the historic hotel and ate cashews.
I wish you all warm weather, good shopping days and please avoid the lingerie departments as a favor to me.
Lots of love,
Jane

THREE OR MORE TUESDAY: MASTERING THE MASTER BEDROOM

2009-11-02T16:18:00.012-06:00

I have mentioned a few times that I have been working on the master and guest bedrooms at the lake. I didn't want to do a post because the work is slow going, especially since Non~Resident Carpenter jumped ship. But I won't go there. With the kitchen and both bathrooms left unfinished, the bedrooms are the least of our worries, but I will say that I am putting more effort into the master bedroom because I have to sleep there. And I have also read that when couple do work on a new home, the master bedroom is usually the last room they get to, which is supposed to be bad for the marriage. Hmmmmm... ;-)

Our room is not incredibly big. It is off the loft where we watch television and read, so I am content with not having a sitting area in it. Plus, I have a large balcony with an arbor over it that I am going to have fun fixing up next summer. That will be a wonderful area to sit and enjoy a sunny day or warm evening. I am thinking about a big chaise and rocker as well as a bistro table and chairs for some al fresco dining. But I digress . Above is my old rocker with a swan pillow in honor of our lake swans. I bought this pillow from a website called Cola's Cottage. Nicole makes some really pretty things and I love this pillow. Before I go further, let me say that nothing was staged on the night that I was running around taking pictures. So if you spot any undies lying around...

My husband picked this bed up at Marshall Field's in downtown Chicago before it so rudely turned in to Macy's (I could still cry). It was the first thing we bought for the Lakehouse so I guess our marriage is good. The duvet cover was mentioned in one of my recent posts. I was going for a beachy sort of look and then thought I ruined it with this duvet, but I fell in love with it. I found it at Macy's... lol!! The pillows and sheets also came from Macy's and the area rugs came from Orvis. The shell lamps came from HomeGoods and the little beachy dresser scarves were found on one of my little jaunts in Michigan. I bought the starfish at Michael's and painted them white and then added Martha's glitter with her glitter glue. Sort of hard to tell, but they are cute and add that nice sparkly look of excess glitter all over the night stands. If you look on the floor to the right of the bed, you will see Layla's hind end halfway under the bed. She must have spotted my camera. She is not the ham Milo is!

A better view of the night stand in one of my attempts at being artsy with my shot. Does this look bare? I am so used to clutter. I am afraid to put so much as a glass of water or a book on the nightstand!! I know soon I will make myself 'at home' and it will be a royal mess.

I didn't notice how smeared the mirror was until now. Okay, I probably knew for a long time and never bothered to clean it. I am rarely upstairs...scratch that, I am undeniably lazy at the lake. So this is my dresser that has almost the same finish as the bed, but belongs to Emily's old childhood bedroom set.

I bought this chair from Overstock.com. for an incredible price. Plus the $2.99 shipping. Try shipping furniture anywhere for that amount. I didn't realize it was almost the exact color of the walls. I really don't think that is such a good thing. I think I need some contrast. I have thought of bringing a third color in. This chair has a bit of lime green in it. Should I add some accents like that? Any suggestions??? I believe I am going to arrange Karen's paintings over the bed, so that will be some color... Don't mind my duffel bag, slippers and blow dryer along with everything else I dumped on the floor. I don't consider this clutter as it goes home with me.

Now we have moved into the 2nd guestroom, formerly Emily and Abigail's bedroom. Don't tell them this, they don't know it is now a 'guestroom'!! So far everything is as it was, except I bought white comforters to replace their girly one's. And I added new pillow shams. This is just a band aid for now. I want to paint the room a soft buttery yellow, and then paint the full size headboard white. I bought it at a garage sale on the lake for $15.00. The dresser is going and I have a nightstand to replace it. Oh, and we are putting hardwood floors in. Hopefully we will get to this over the winter.

Another artsy view. You know, I think you can do these angled sort of shots on small pieces or a vignette, but it is absolutely crazy to do it for a photo of a room. Now, everyone cock their heads to the right...lol! Emily, Future Interior Designer Daughter (FIDD) asked to 'do' her room when she was about 13. So this is her take. She bought the starfish and strung them up like this on fishing line. I thought that was so creative. I may steal the idea for my glitter starfish.

Now we are in Jeff and Kevin's old room, or the 2nd and most unwanted guestroom. The A frame makes the ceiling impossible to deal with. I have 2 entirely different headboards, one half in front of the window. The wallpaper drives me crazy and the carpet has really seen better days. So, out with all of that and then I have to really think about it. Because it has only twin beds, which I don't think we can or will change, this is a room that we generally do not want to have couples use (not conducive to the marriage). But I still want to make it...er, mature? Help!

This is the wretched wallpaper. If you click on larger you will see that the border is little village shops. This was the previous owners office, my friend Mary K. (not her real name), who I hope is not reading this. So girls, I need serious help. This room shall be considered a blank slate. I did put the generic white down comforters and blue pillow shams on to de~boy it.

So you can see I have my work cut out for me this winter. This and the loft...sigh. All suggestions will be considered and deeply appreciated.

I want to mention that Melissa from Melissa's Heart And Home is having a giveaway for her one year blogging anniversary. Pay her a visit and enter with your comments. I have mine coming up really shortly. I also want to mention that there was a really fun Arizona Blogger's luncheon last week that Marty from A Stroll Through Life organized. There were seventeen blogger's there and Marty has some very cool pictures of some ladies you may know!

Today I have joined Tam at The Gypsy's Corner for Three Or More Tuesday. I hope you enjoyed these three rooms and remember that I need your help!! Visit Tam and all of the other girls joining today. And have a great week!

ROADS TO MY HEART

2009-10-29T11:25:00.029-05:00

Today I want to introduce you to my friend Karen from A Scrapbook Of Inspiration, a fellow blogger that I have had the privilege of following for quite a long time. Perhaps you know her as well. I want to share some of her work with you. All of the prints and originals have been gifted to me by Karen, and this should be a good indication of how warm and generous this talented artist is.

The above original watercolor was sent to me several weeks ago. She wrote a post on flowers and asked what our favorites were. I answered "Daisies." I will always be a daisy girl as opposed to some of you who may be roses... ;-) Several days later I received this watercolor. Isn't it beautiful? (I am going to be asking this quite a bit in this post!)

This is how the painting arrived, in a beautiful handmade envelope of quality paper along with a card printed with one of her watercolors.

Another one of her works. I was reading one of her posts, which are often illustrated with her artwork. I commented that I loved this little blue bird and suggested she make it into a note card. She did!! And she sent me a little pack of eight. These cards are printed and then mounted on watercolor paper with a matching dusty rose envelope. Such quality.

Isn't this precious? Have you ever seen sweeter eyes on a bird?!

This is a watercolor print that Karen sells in her Etsy shop. It's a profusion of color. I love the picket fence and the sweet flowers. I had to have it.

Another print I fell in love with called 'Washday'. I love the simplicity of it and how it looks as if the sheets are actually blowing gently in the breeze. And of course it brings back sweet memories of my childhood when I would stand near the clothesline just to catch the fragrance of the freshly washed blankets and sheets from our beds. Heaven!

I am showing another print, as Karen had these printed on two types of paper to see which one I preferred. Both are perfect.

I was prepared to order these prints from Karen when I received an email from her. She wanted to send them as a gift. She didn't want me to ask questions or make a fuss. So I didn't. I am proud to own these pieces. And I am ready to have them framed.

This is the hand painted card that came with the prints. Again, mounted on heavy paper so creatively.

Quite awhile ago, Karen wrote a post about a difficult time in her life. It had to do with losing something very special. She believes that is the best time to give back. So she asked us to send her a favorite quote and she would paint a journal page for each of us with the quote. And that she did. Above is my journal card.

And this is the card that came with it. Need I say it is her artwork and isn't it beautiful?

Please visit Karen at her blog and have a look at her Etsy shop. You will be filled with wonder, as I always am. She is so very talented.

At the lake last weekend I was driving home from town on the road that goes around the lake. The fall colors were bursting out all over and I thought I would take a few pictures. Sorry about the hood of the car...the roads twist and turn and I didn't want to get whacked by a car coming up behind me!

Now this would be inspiration for a painting...

This is just a little cove with shore stations but I wanted you to see a tiny bit of the lake in the background. You can click larger. The next time I am there, I will take a walk along the lake and take some pictures. I can't believe I haven't done that already. Too busy spray painting everything in sight.

I thought I'd show you some of the little cottages along the lake. Okay, big cottages. Now, these are pictures from the road and at the lake the roadside of the homes are called the back and the lakeside is called the front. When I take you on a walk along the lake, you will see how magnificent the 'fronts' of these homes are. The gorgeous patios and decks, elaborate docks and beautiful landscaping.

I have always loved this house for the olive green color of the shakes. I think it's daring of people to choose these 'new' colors...you never really know what it is going to look like from a paint sample. This home is lovely.

This is what you do when you are building on a very narrow lot, which is about all that is left on the lake now. This home is just down the road from me. Again, I love the color and I am partial to black wrought iron fencing. So classic.

The next few pictures are really old homes. If you can't tell this is an A frame... I wonder how the people stand up straight in it.

Behind the rustic fence and trees is a log cabin. There are two more tucked away back there. I'm not sure if it is the same owner...

Can you spot the yellow house?

Aren't these pink chairs precious? I forget what they are called but I do know they get awfully hot in the summer!! Do you see how they match the flowers in the flower box? So cute...

And this house has a lawn that really needs to be raked. I am not sure of the name of the pretty red bush but I do know a maple when I see one. Love the front porch and balcony above it. Hey, this looks familiar! Oh yeah, I think I'm home!!

Thanks for coming by today. I wish everyone a spooky Halloween. We are going to a costume party tomorrow night that is also a birthday party for my friend Snow, as in Snow White. Yes, we have a lot of nicknames around here. If you guessed, she has black, black hair and alabaster skin. I promise some pictures. I will be the one not dressed up.

PUMPKINS, PANSIES & OLD CROWS

2009-10-23T15:13:00.012-05:00

I finally got out and bought my haystacks, pumpkins, mums and apples as well as an assortment of baby pumpkins, gourds and fall scented candles. I feel complete at last... Now I have to do the same for the lakehouse. Sigh. No, actually it is fun. These things are fun and that is why we do them. We anticipate the holidays and then we complain that we don't have time, that we are stressed out, that we are spread too thin. But it's what we anticipated. We start out loving it. And then the love slowly fades and the complaining starts. Bah Humbug! I refuse to let that happen. I may have been late with every holiday this year, but I will be on the ball with the rest of them (hopefully).

Now, how did I go off on this tangent? I don't know. About an hour ago I was outside arranging my little scarecrows on my huge haystacks and the wind was whipping and the leaves were flying and it is only about 60 degrees here in Chicago. I was enjoying every breath of rain sodden, leafy smelling air. And that is the way it should be. I want to live in the moment, even if I am late for the moment. And who determines what late is?? Me. ME!!!! Why am I always late? Because I simply follow my own clock.

I am not too much of a cute person. I really don't do cute well. But these are for all the little kids that walk by on their way to and from school, wearing my children's former uniforms. The littlest ones stop and point. I can see them out the window and it makes me smile. I have been making fires in the fireplace about 5:00 every evening, lighting my candles with scents like Spiced Cider and Clove Bud & Citrus. I do this before The Husband and Kevin come home just so I can have a little time to enjoy the quietness, the savory smells and the crackling of the fire. I'm peaceful inside.

After awhile it will feel like the weather is holding us hostage. A short trip out in the car looms in front of me because it means dressing up warm, maybe cleaning the snow off the car windows and waiting for it to warm up. Even my feet hitting the cold floor in the morning is a reason to mumble to myself. Curling up at night with a good book and a warm throw over my lap has remarkable qualities until I think of having to do it all again tomorrow. How to stay positive... How to live in the moment when the moment isn't so hot.

When I bought this threesome last year, it was supposed to be Me, Emily and Abby (we were going to use a black marker on Abby's hair!!). Abigail came home from school this weekend. I picked her up at the Greyhound station. Just the other day I remarked to Emily, "Doesn't it seem like it hasn't sunk in that Abby has gone away?" To which Emily replied happily, "Nope." And other than the first week, where I would sometimes think that she was home, I have been fine. I am remarkably fine. I hope it isn't my usual denial reflex kicking in, but everything just seems to keep going along at it's normal pace. Sitting up at the lake one weekend not too long ago, I realized all of this. And I thought of how one by one I had sort of lost a child to the lake. They reached an age where they didn't want to be up there and away from home, away from their friends. Green Acres just wasn't the place to be. So one by one they stopped coming. For the last two years or so, The Husband and I have been alone there on weekends, sometimes longer. And so I realized, I have said my goodbyes to all of them, including Abby. I may have been the one who left.

We used to refer to my mother as 'the old crow'. Don't be shocked...she got some sort of kick out of it. We'd be out shopping and we'd say "C'mon you old crow!" and she'd laugh. Yes, I come from a family with a quirky sense of humor. Well, I remember her sitting in her chair in the evening with her book and a cup of coffee, while I prepared to go out to some party or event. I felt sorry for her. That she was going to sit there alone. My father was usually quietly watching television or dozing on the couch. Of course there was absolutely no reason to feel sorry for her, just as there is no reason for my children to feel sorry for me. But I wonder if they do. I am usually sitting there at night, book in hand as I say, "Have a nice night. Be safe." I'm content. I am not yearning for more than what I have. My wants may be more simple now that I am older, and even that is enough to be happy about So I say to myself, "Hey, you old crow. Look at what I'm doing. I'm just like you. I hope you were happy..."

I bought yellow and white mums. I thought they would look good with my blue shutters. I also bought some pansies to switch out my pots of impatiens with. I've never done that before. Pansies can survive a frost. Here in Chicago, in the spring, after all the tulips and daffodils have died off, you see the pansies everywhere. The first flowers that will take us into summer. And we can't wait...we are done with spring. Bring on those hot, sunny days. Well then you know what comes after that...I do feel so bad for my friends in the South and in Arizona and California (did I miss anyone) who are still trying to cope with the incredible heat they have been having. We were so lucky here in the Midwest with perfect weather. But as with any season, one day starts to blend in with the next, punctuated by holidays, and while time marches on, it also flies by. Suddenly we are older and we want time to slow down. Yet we still push forward with our seasons.

Everything is looking a bit shabby here. I once confessed to my sister that about August, I began to tire of taking care of my garden and yard. I wasn't out pulling every little weed or fertilizing like I should. She admitted that she felt the same way and we laughed. I don't know if any of you feel that way. So you can see that I have not been out with the hedge trimmers lately. Hey, I like 'shabby chic', indoors and out!! How does the blue and yellow look?

My geraniums refuse to let go. And I can't toss out a live plant. To the right of the plant you can see a new pot of lavender I bought. What a deal I got and look at the size of it. When my geraniums finally succumb to the frosts. I will plant the lavender in the pot to winter over. Then I think I'll keep it on the patio where I can smell it. Mmmmm!

What a funny guy this is, on his swing. I think he loves fall. I think I do too. Soon I will be replacing these decorations with some balsam wreaths and Christmas lights. But the old crow says "Wait. What's the hurry? I'm having fun!" So that's the way it is. I'm slowing down. The days may be shorter but I still have 16 hours. And now I am going to throw another log on the fire and curl up with a good book.

Have a wonderful weekend! :-)

WHITE WEDNESDAY & THRIFTY THURSDAY: COTTAGE WHITES

2009-10-20T16:49:00.010-05:00

Today I am linking with Kathleen from Faded Charm Cottage and Leigh from Tales From Bloggaritaville for White Wednesday and Thrifty Thursday respectively. Have a seat!

Another perfect fall weekend at the lake. By now you know we spend every weekend there, so I probably don't need to say where I am at. But I am doing a lot of decorating and changing things around there that I don't do at home so I think I need to mention it. I got a lot of R & R in after being home from Las Vegas for only a day and then heading up to Michigan, which is nice. I was feeling the crunch of the time zones, but that's good. Keeps you on your toes. Or bum, as it were. While The Husband worked outdoors, putting away lawn and patio furniture and knocking down sand castles, I busied myself in the kitchen making a 15 Bean Soup with Chicken. Nothing special. You just purchase the bag of beans and use the little packet of flavoring inside. I added a fresh chicken breast cut in slivers for the last hour and it turned out quite good. If I were at home where my fridge is better stocked, I think some celery and green onion would have been great in it as well... So soup and some bread for sopping up all that juice was on the menu at Blondie's Diner and afterwards we sat by the fire...okay. Stop now, Jane. I sat by the fire. The Husband sat up in the loft in front of the Bears game. It sounded romantic for a second there, didn't it? My neighbor Susie came over and we had wine and some nice conversation. She picked the last of my tomatoes for me and most are the size of cherry tomatoes. I sliced them up and we had those on mozzarella cheese and crackers....oh, heaven! What ever variety I had that she picked, they were tart and sweet at the same time and so fresh!!!! The good old Husband was upstairs stomping and clapping and never knew what he missed!! ;-)

My favorite old pot bubbling away...The kitchen is not finished yet. I have no drawer pulls or knobs, thus no fingernails. I don't think Resident Carpenter is coming back now that he is no longer in residence. But let's not go there. I feel really at home with the way the house has turned out so far and somehow the details will be pulled together. I have so much more to show you and I think I will start taking pictures of the master bedroom which is just about finished other than some artwork I am framing. I will hint to you that a wonderful and generous artist/blogger has gifted me with an incredible amount of her work and I will be doing a post about it. In the meantime, please visit Karen at A Scrapbook Of Inspiration. Her work is fabulous and she sells quite a bit through her Etsy Shop.

I have been having a thing for chairs lately. A 'chair affair', if you will. Whether I am in a thrift store or antique shop, they beckon to me. And no matter what, like stray cats, I always have room for them. (Actually I have no cats, but I would if I weren't allergic). The chair with the basket on it you might remember from some of my summer photos. It sat under the oak tree on our patio with a pot of geraniums on it. It made it through the summer fine, but the paint had a yellow tinge from the iron in our water, so I painted it white again. I found the other chair with the rush seat at a little fleatique store in our lake town and I painted that white as well but left the seat natural. I have to touch up a few smears and I was running around the house like a madwoman trying to find my Mouse Sander to distress the paint a bit before I took the picture. Alas, my Merry Maid, Emily was at the house the weekend before and her idea of cleaning is to hide all my stuff. lol!! So I'm still stressing over the distressing... I have the chairs in the kitchen where my future Hoosier cabinet will go. What I like about chairs is how they can be used for little vignettes; holding a plant or something treasured, in a bedroom with a collection of pretty purses...well, maybe I just have weird ideas, But I do love these thrifty chairs that I paid no more than $20.00 for.

This is one of the pillows that Barb from French Elements made for me. Pay no attention to the lack of trim on the walls (and the crumbs for that matter).

I finally bought pumpkins!!!! Some are huge. Sue from the Farm Stand at the Lake had a neat assortment of all shades of oranges and yellows, in all sizes and shapes. I found a big one in the shape of a squash!! When I get my porch all arranged I will post it. I bought a few bunches of wheat from her. Isn't it nice how pretty something so natural and simple (not to mention wholesome) can look? I put the two bunches in a jar on the table.

Finally I have this wicker shelf thingie that the previous owners of the house left me. They literally left it hanging on the bathroom wall and I used it for soap and towels...nothing special. For 18 years!! It was thrown into a junk pile when the bath was gutted and for something that I just left hanging on a wall for 18 years, I scrambled to save it!!! It is in good shape, it just needed a bath and a good coat of white spray paint and now it is ready to go in to my freshly painted blue & white bedroom, which I will show you soon.

My bedroom has a combo beachy/garden theme if there is such a thing! lol!! Hey, maybe I have started a new style~Shabby Beach Garden Chic!! I wanted to do seashells and pretty sandy beach pictures and then I found a floral duvet cover that I had to have! Please do not read tropical. Just beachy and shabby flowers. So this is my shelf and on it I will have seashells and flowers and something old and something new...Shabby Beach Garden!

Visit Kathleen and Leigh and all the participants in these events by clicking on the links at the beginning of my post. I hope you enjoyed reading about my finds! Have a wonderful week! :-)

SIGHTESEEING SATURDAY: BLONDIE GOES TO VEGAS!!

2009-10-17T15:39:00.017-05:00

Happy Saturday!! Today I am linking up with Christine of Christine's Home & Travel Adventures for Sightseeing Saturday, of which she is our gracious hostess. If you have any pictures you would like to post of a vacation or trip, this is the event to to link up with! Today Christine is taking us to Stockholm, Sweden, and I am taking you to Sin City!! I have to admit first, that these are the worst pictures I have ever taken in my life and that is because I just bought a new camera and did not brush up on the manual before leaving, so everything came out terrible. Please bear with me.

I mentioned that we go to Las Vegas every October with a group of people that are related to my husband's business. We have been having this get together for about ten years straight. Every year we stay in a different hotel and this year it was Ballys. Below is a picture of our room from the 22nd floor. Ballys is nice enough, but I have stayed places I have enjoyed more (and some less). After so many years you have pretty much seen everything there is to see as far as shopping and sightseeing, so that leaves shows, gambling and eating, and we did our share of that. So here are some pictures:

The mountains were wonderful to wake up to every morning, as well as the leaning tower of Bellagio (!). I warned you these would be awful pictures... It is on my agenda to stay at the Bellagio because one of my all time favorite movies is Ocean's Eleven. Oh, how I love that movie, I must have seen it ten times!

The grounds of Ballys.

Next door is Paris, where we stayed last year. I loved it. On our first day we had lunch here at Mon Ami Gabi.

The Husband frowns on me for taking pictures of the food, so I take pictures of the menu...

All of the wives went to see Cher at Caesar's Palace. It was a very good show. I have never been a big fan of Cher musically, but I have loved her movies and I loved the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour from the Seventies, from which clips were shown. And true to form, she wore elaborate costumes and head pieces in almost all of her numbers. She isn't much of a dancer, but the scenery was fantastic, as were the backup dancers. She's quite cute too. She said, "People are always asking me why I keep making comebacks..." Pause. "WELL WHAT ELSE AM I GOING TO DO???". Again, my pics aren't great, but she is really pretty, even with the surgical enhancements.

The Husband and I went to the Venetian for dinner one night at a restaurant called Buschon. Last year we ate at Mario Batalli's restaurant in the Venetian and after my stay at the Bellagio, this is next on my list. Then I will be satisfied not having to go to Vegas again. There are other places to see (ask Christine)!! The entire hotel is one big work of art.

The Husband in the entrance.

A terrible picture of an outdoor walkway.

Now these pictures are even worse because they are pictures of pictures. They are instamatic since my camera was doing so poorly. These are group pictures at some of our joint dinners.

I would be the blonde.

And so we arrived back home a few days ago and I am $400.00 up. I probably blogged more when I was there than I do at home just to pass the time!! I saved money that way too!!

I plan to be in some events next week now that things have slowed down again. I want to thank everyone that responded so kindly to my last post about my mother in law. I am sure she is up in heaven smiling right now at all of you. And I also want to let you know that my dad is being evaluated medically before starting radiation and they think he will be finished with the treatment by the holidays. I am so happy. His doctor says that he is healthy and fit and so I am hoping and praying for the best. Thank you again so much!

WRITER'S CHALLENGE #1

2009-10-12T13:48:00.012-05:00

Today I am joining a new event created by Lori at Family Trees May Contain Nuts, which is a Writer's Challenge. Our topic for this first challenge is 'What is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you'. There is a growing list of ladies joining this event, so if you want to sign up, visit Lori for the details. The list is getting longer, and you can already read some of the very special posts that have been written, including Lori's, which just brought tears to my eyes.

Below you will see a picture of a young Blondie sitting on her little Toyota GT with two little boys. It is in the driveway of the home I now live in and have lived in for the past 24 years. You see, at the time this picture was taken, I did not live there and I had no clue that I would, or that these two precious little boys would soon become my sons.

I was dating my future husband who had been widowed the year before after ten years of marriage and was left with his two beautiful sons as a single dad. His wife had died after a three year battle with breast cancer. Jeffrey and Kevin were just two and three years old at that time. She was only thirty years old and although I never met her, I learned she was a spunky little Irish girl that loved life, motherhood and family. And what a wonderful family she had...

After dating my husband for awhile, we became engaged. Of course it was a delicate situation with Patty's family, especially her parents. My husband was extremely close to them. I hadn't met them yet and not only was their son~in~law getting married to this little blonde, this little blonde would become the mother of their grandchildren...

I met my husband's inlaws about 4 months before the wedding. They are a very tight knit, warm and loving 100% Irish family. Considering they had just lost their oldest daughter, it took time for our relationship to grow. But just to show you what a class act his mither in law was, she loaned me her pearls to wear on my wedding day...
I don't think I am showing off the pearls here. I think I am hiking up my stockings!

Our relationship grew as I struggled to become a wife and mother. I went from being a single working girl to a married mother of two little rambunctious boys overnight. And I continued to work full time. I think I earned my mother~ in~ law's respect with my juggling and hopefully, common sense. We began to visit longer when she watched the boys for us and family parties became easier and really a lot of fun. I nearly broke down and cried when she introduced me to some friends as her daughter~in~law. That was really the brass ring for me, and it seemed to open up a million doors. No longer did I feel the need to prove myself to her. We moved on to a closer, more meaningful relationship.

My husband and I had two daughters together over the next 3 years, Emily and Abigail. Nana had a special affinity with Emily, her first granddaughter, saying they were both 'old souls'. I think she was right. Emily pretty much gave everyone trouble except Nana, and not only did they play with toys together that Nana kept at her home, they had long conversations!! When we had Abigail, we gave her my mother in laws name as her middle one.

As I became a mother to her grandsons, , she became more like a mother to me. I never once, not once, had a moment where I had the need to complain about her, be put off, or feel anything but great love for her. I think she was proud of the way I raised the boys. She would ask me what to get them for birthdays and Christmas, what their baseball schedules were, how they were doing in school. She always treated me like I had been there mother since day one.

My mother in law passed a way a few years ago. She was bedridden for awhile. I would go over and sit by her bed and we'd talk until she got tired and then I would read her favorite magazine, Bon Appetite, while she dozed. Near the end I would gently lift her fragile body up into a sitting position next to me on the bed to help her circulation. She abhorred pain medication. In her last hours I repeated over and over how much I loved her and thanked her for all the wonderfully nice ways she had always been to me. This tiny little lady, one whom I was so afraid of twenty years ago, someone I wanted so badly to please and gain the respect of, I now held her hand, laid my head on her chest and cried. I never had to try to gain these things from her. Her heart had plenty of room in it for me.

xoxo
Jane

I was told by my good friend at Aunt Amelia's Attic, that a wonderful young girl named Nancy is sitting by the bedside of her husband who has been suffering from a terrible infection for over a month. This poor man can not even speak. Please visit Nancy at Cold Springs Studio with some words of encouragement and a few prayers. And visit my 'Aunt'. She is one fantastic lady! Thank you friends...

WHITE WEDNESDAY: AROUND THE HOUSE

2009-10-06T22:13:00.017-05:00

Today I have linked up with Faded Charm Cottage for White Wednesday. It has been a gray, blustery day here in Chicago and I spent it in my jammies; blogging, straightening up, blogging, a little nap, blogging, a shower. This really is a great way to do it without getting that numb feeling in your bum and wondering when you last spoke to a real person! It was so depressing outside, I decided to make a nice meal in the crock pot. This is another great thing to do while blogging~let the crock pot do the work. I cleared out the vegetable bin; potatoes, carrots, onion, squash and tomatoes. I threw in a few pork chops for protein and some curry, cumin and nutmeg for a sweet little twist. Oh, it smelled so good. I put the tomatoes in whole and they just sort of burst and went everywhere. It was a very good meal.

So I thought to myself this evening, as the wind was blowing like crazy, this is a good time to just walk around the house and take some pictures and do a post, and then I thought White Wednesday would be fun. The news said we are having 40 mph winds. Wow!! If my picture is not in the Weatherpixie icon, it means I was blown right out, along with that little Golden Retriever that is not mine. So here is what I have:

Above and below are pictures of some of the blingy jewelry I have on my dresser. There are some white pearls so I thought I would include this in my post. I hope I am not cheating! Christine from Christine's Home And Travel Adventures did a post on how she stores her jewelry. I had asked her because i know she has a lot of beautiful pieces and I am so disorganized when it comes to my jewelry. Plus, Emily & Abby mix theirs with mine, which is okay because we all have the same taste and there is more of a selection this way. So I bought one of these jewelry trees, which is so cute. It can hold anything; necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings... I love it. I also keep a little crystal dish to hold other items. I like how the light reflects off all of this.

It still looks messy, but it is an organized mess!

I have a thing for birds like most everyone. These are little white chippy birds that I keep on a chippy table in my living room. They are so cute!

This is a little pitcher and jar of shells that I made. Abby brought the shells home from Florida after this last Christmas. I noticed a bad odor coming from her room about 2 weeks after getting back home and discovered her shells in her half~unpacked suitcase. Ooooh...(nose wrinkling). I cleaned them up a bit in some bleach and water and decided to display them in a jar but instead of layering them with sand, I used strips of crinkled, recycled packing paper. I am not 'green' by any means and I need to work on that, but I was appalled that the bags of sand that they sell at Target are 'Made In China'. I'm not political and maybe I need to work on it. I guess I did. When it is 'Made In America', I will buy it!!!

This is a pretty little vignette on a cabinet in my living room. The pitcher needs to be changed out for fall (it is still doing it's spring thing!!), and I have St. Francis there, who I believe I am a true follower of. Someday I will do an animal stories post. I like this photo because of the reflection (I was on the floor). The lace curtains are white, I made them from a vintage tablecloth years ago and you can see one of my favorite pictures by the front door. It has white matting.

This is a pretty dove lamp on the upper level of the cabinet. I fell in love with this in Naples and had it shipped home.

My good china stacked in a glass cabinet.

These candles are actually vanilla and are a creamy color, but the lighting is making them yellow. Hope I'm not cheating! I bought these fleur de lis candle pillars last week at a local gift shop. They were marked down to $22.50 for the set. They are heavy silver plate. The candles should be pillar but I need to find a good drip less candle before I trust anything on these candlesticks.

A stone covered birdhouse which was a gift from my sister a long time ago. Isn't it pretty?

And finally a lamp with a green and white ticking stripe shade. One of my favorites.

I want to thank you for joining me on White Wednesday. Be sure to visit all of the other participants showing off all of their pretty whites. It is a nice reprieve from all of the bright fall colors we are seeing now. Have a wonderful day!

xoxo

Jane

VIVA LAS VEGAS, THE WIVES & BIG HINTS

2009-10-05T09:14:00.012-05:00

Well, here we go again. Off to Las Vegas, an annual trip with The Husband and group of people integral to his business. And The Wives. Do you feel the same way that I do about The Wives? You know, your husband has some friends and the next thing you know, you are all getting together and you get to meet The Wives. They are nice enough, you make small talk, sometimes you are even thrown into more er....intimate situations with them, such as having them as guests at your lakehouse. You are now in what was a familiar setting, only with The Wives running around in jammies and various attire, borrowing dental floss and asking for Spiced Chai Tea at breakfast... Well, sure, I would have to be a zombie, not to mention terribly ungracious not to make attempts to befriend these Wives, but when they leave, I have a hard time controlling the urge to do the happy dance. So off we go to Vegas. Over the years I have perfected the Blondie Code of Vacation Rules. Blondie does not like to have breakfast (true). Blondie likes to watch Oprah and takes an inordinate amount of time to get ready for the day (true, and if the hair will not straighten properly, I don't have lunch either). Blondie thinks that all trips require a 2 hour siesta from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. (True, I like to read, talk to the kids on the phone, order room service or hit the mini bar for one of those mini bottles of wine and a bag of M & M's). I like to emerge about 7:00 p.m. (like an nocturnal animal) for our group dinner where inevitably, The Wives are seated at one end of the table together. I get to hear all the gossip about their day at the pool or in the sauna or when they got their facials or massages in the salon. They try to include me in plans to shop and I graciously manage to get out of that because The Husband you know, has a black belt in shopping, and we have to do that together.

This is not so much the ordeal I am making it out to be. These are all very nice women. I am just sort of on the shy side and don't open up to people that well. But I have had one on one lunches with a few of the ladies here in Chicago, and if the food is good, I actually enjoy myself. Anyway, we leave Saturday for 5 days in Sin City. The Wives and I will be seeing Cher. Ooh la la. Hasn't she retired about six times already? I am excited to see her costumes and headdresses.

I take you from the bright lights of Vegas to a rainy day in Three Oaks, Michigan where The Husband and I stopped for breakfast Saturday morning on the way to the lake. This is one of those quaint little somewhat artsy towns in the middle of nowhere. We ate at Bailey's (horrible picture above. There was storefront seating so I just couldn't stand in front and take a picture with people eating right there and it never occurred to me to go across the street). The owner is French and there were some very cool things on the menu. I had Eggs Benedict over Crab Cakes. Imagine...Three Oaks, Michigan! I wish you could click on larger but somehow my computer ate up that option and I don't know how to fix it.

Two little toney shops across the street...

...and an art gallery

...and a butcher shop. Think you love the pig in the window??

Aren't these cute?? There is something that sort of makes my arm hairs stand on end when I see something adorable like this, all the while knowing they are selling the same thing inside in a much different form.

Now this is something that I have wanted to post about for the last few weeks. Blondie bought a sewing machine! I really didn't want to say those words. I want to say The Husband bought me a sewing machine and I will tell you why. A few years back I went through a time in my life when I was really down in the dumps. One day The Husband came home, dragging in an artist easel, a beautiful cherry box with a huge assortment of oils and acrylics and watercolors. Bags of pastel chalks and colored pencils, the finest brushes and canvas. He set it all up and said, "Paint!". I thought he had lost his mind. Years ago I used to draw and paint, but I sort of fell out of it. He was trying so hard to get me off my bum and do something. Well, sadly, I didn't do much but Emily whipped off a few oil paintings in no time at all. Okay, to speed this along, he bought me a new bike this summer so that we could ride together, and again, to get me off my bum. This is going pretty well, but I could be doing better. And then he surprised me with a fishing pole a few weeks ago and I am embarrassed to say that although I love to fish, I haven't tried it out yet (said very meekly...). But Emily tried it. Somehow this all reminds me of that saying 'A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle'. Hmmm...

So anyway, for the longest time I have been wanting to sew. On a machine. I could kick myself for not trying harder when we had sewing in Home Economics in high school. Threading the machine and following the pattern really boggled my mind. But now when I see the beautiful creations our blogger friends make, I really long to do the same. So I hinted to The Husband that I'd like a machine. I googled machines and showed him all of the ones on sale. No response. I bought the book Sewing For Dummies. He nodded and said, "Good idea". What I really wanted was for him to buy it for me! Why? Because if I failed, it was his idea!

It didn't happen. Last week I went out to Joann's and a lovely girl helped me pick out this beauty. See Martha on the front:

I have to think she would approve of my endeavor. Heck, she may have the same machine. I can see her whipping out pillows and curtains when she is not standing knee deep in a cranberry bog or collecting rare eggs from her ostrich coop. But here is the thing...I don't have a clue what to do with this bad boy. The only thing standing between me and 7 sets of curtains for the Summerhouse is the User Manual. And I am terrified. The Husband really hasn't said anything. A few days after I bought it, he said, "I see you took it out of the box." Last week he said, "Oh, you put the cover on it." (Have to keep dust from collecting). But I am going to do it!! I have a very adventurous To Do list that I am working on. Sewing is at the top followed by learning to ski and then para~sailing...I mean it. It's a new improved Blondie.

But first things first. I need to go shopping for some 'Cher' worthy outfits and then I am going tanning. Sewing can wait until after Vegas...

Have a happy week!!

xoxo

Jane

IT'S FALL Y'ALL!! AND A TABLESCAPE!!

2009-09-30T12:41:00.013-05:00

It's a fall party, hosted by Rhoda at Southern Hospitality!! This is a wonderful way to see every one's fall decorations at one time and get inspiration to create even more. My decorating started at Crackle Barrel, as you can see from the above photo. Yes, those are my bags. And the big red one is much lighter than when I went in! I wasn't planning on doing any harm to my wallet, and then I saw that some of the fall items were discounted to make room for Christmas decorations. Oh my! The funny part is, as I was looking at the dishes, promising The Husband that I wouldn't go overboard, he started to pick up matching pieces saying things like, "You have to have the matching salt and pepper shakers."!! Well knock me over with a feather!

And look at this sweet little squirrel holding his acorns, which are the salt and pepper shakers! How cute! No wonder hubby loved it!

We were on our way to the Lakehouse, so once we got there I got busy setting up a little tablescape with my new little dishes. Nothing like playing house at my age! I decided again to use some veggies since they went over so well in my last tablescape...

Aren't these eggplant beautiful? My friend Sue, who owns the lake farm stand told me to simply roast these right on the grill as they are, no foil whatsoever. They turned out gorgeous. I sliced them in half, warmed up a bit of salsa that I had made that morning with the tomatoes I grew out behind the Summerhouse. I spooned that over and then sprinkled them with some grated mozzarella cheese. Oh, delicious!

At Cracker Barrel ,I bought the brown salad or dessert plate that has little leaves and acorns textured on them and the sunflower bowls. I also bought cute little sunflower S & P shakers, but when I saw how cute Mr. Squirrel looked with his acorns, I used those in the tablescape. The white dishes are my everyday Gibson, the napkins are from Marshall's. The tablecloth is vintage (and in need of some TLC sewing repairs).

I love this little squirrel candle holder. He is bigger than he looks, about 6 inches high and he has a nice gold rubbed finish.

I haven't done much decorating outdoors at the lake as I spend so much time in my English garden, so I picked up a few pots of yellow mums from Sue and she gave me some small bushel barrels to put them in as I don't like the containers they come in. This is my front porch. I took this picture just as the sun was coming up Monday morning. The Husband and I now stay until then and he leaves for work once we get back to Chicago.

I bought this little metal envelope container at Michael's and filled it with silk flowers. This is also on my front porch at the lake (at sunrise...)!!

This is a little grouping of playful squirrels hanging out on a candy dish and two candle holders. I am trying to remember where I bought these... it was recently and it was at one of my regular haunts. Maybe someone else has seen them. I made a mistake in my last tablescape and said that the votive holders were from Dollar Tree and they were actually from Walgreens. I apologize to anyone who went to Dollar Tree looking for them. I received so many compliments on them. This is why I am not going to guess at where I bought these.

Another view...

And finally the wreath on my front door that says Hello and Goodbye!!

Thank you Rhoda for all of your hard work organizing this party. I had a lot of fun and I can't wait to go knocking on doors to see what all my friends have in store for fall decor!! And thank you Susan, at Between Naps On The Porch for being our gracious hostess of Tablescape Thursday!

Happy Fall, Y'All!!!

xoxo

Jane

PET PARADE!!

2009-09-29T17:34:00.007-05:00

Today is the big day of Design Gives Back Pet Parade Party hosted by Kelee at Katillac Shack. You know, awhile back I posted a picture of my Milo wearing a decorated scarf which earned $10.00 toward raising funds for displaced animals caused by housing foreclosures. What an incredible endeavor this turned out to be on behalf of all of the people involved with the Pet Parade. The $2,000.00 goal was reached when bloggers in 43 states decorated and submitted pic's of their favorite pet (including a ferret!!) to Kelee. Proceeds went to the Northland Pet Pantry. Each link to Kelee's blog will earn $3.00. In addition, all comments will earn $1.00.

Today you can go to Kelee's website and view a video, not only showcasing my little Milo, not even all of the other SWEETEST blogger's pets, but to hear the plight of these special, displaced pets and their families and to see the joyous response from the pantry to our donation. I am so proud to see Milo in this video...it was so well made. It made me honest to goodness have a BIG cry...the music alone is worth it. And when you see all these adorable pets wearing the yellow scarf, you will realize how special and fortunate our pets are and how other's aren't. The video is incredible...

Now that Milo is a rising star, I thought I would show all of you a picture of him back when he was just an 8 week old mutt!! Believe it or not, he turned 5 years old last week. I wish they were like elephants (not in size!!).

Enjoy the video and I will see you in time for Rhoda's party!!

xoxo
Jane

TABLESCAPE THURSDAY: END OF SUMMER SUPPER

2009-09-24T14:13:00.024-05:00

The days are getting so much shorter now. I feel as if I am trying to squeeze every bit of light out of each day. I love the way the sun moves over my house to the west, leaving my kitchen in long cool shadows. I fiddle on my laptop, glance at the evening news once in awhile and stop to daydream as I hear the children playing on the sidewalks and see dogs being walked on their leashes. Sometimes I feel a little melancholy over times like these when I would call the kids in to wash up for supper, and even the other day I sat wishing that Abigail were just down the hall in her room, listening to her Ipod and texting her friends. But I am in a good place, with new traditions unfolding, a little more time finding the things that I want to do, discovering new interests, maybe a new me!! So, before I look any further toward fall, I decided to a tablescape that represents the end of summer (though technically it ended Tuesday!). Please join me and Susan from Between Naps On The Porch for another Tablescape Thursday, that wonderful day of the week when a group of grown up ladies get to play with their dishes!! After you have left a comment. visit Susan and see the beautiful table she has in store for us and then visit all of the ladies who put off making meals for their own families to make a pretty table for us. ;-)

I have managed to sneak in those home grown tomatoes again in case you didn't get a good long look at them on Tuesday. I am a complete showoff!! It has just been so long since I planted a vegetable garden and I believe I will go back to doing that here in Chicago next spring. And tonight, I am making bruschetta to have with dinner and then salsa to bring to the lake. And then I should have more there and maybe I will start to freeze them.

In this tablescape I have a sunflower theme vaguely going on. I have had this runner and the decorative accents in the window of my family room for awhile as they match a big sunflower bowl (not pictured) and go with the neutral decor in there. I am using the same dried flower arrangement as last week... haven't given it to Megan as a housewarming gift yet as I have a cold and don't want to be near new baby Conor. So I am getting as much use out of it as I can. ;-) I added a raffia bow to change the look. The family room leads to the backyard and this table is for snacking and games and homework, none of which have ever occurred here. The Cleaver's would do these things, but the only time my children have used it, I suspect, is when they have had poker games on the occasion's The Husband and I were out late.

I have little votive holders from the Dollar Tree and vintage (and bent) salt & pepper shakers on the sunflower runner

Next to MY TOMATOES (!!!!!) you can see the fleur de lis glasses I bought at Pier I last winter on clearance for $1.96. They are very cool, a goldish/brown color...

The dinner and salad plates are from HomeGoods, although they are not a set, the flatware is Hampton from somewhere I can't remember, I have had it so long. The napkins and ring are also from Pier I.

A few close ups....

Last night for supper we had Corn Dog Casserole which was a recipe from Paula at Sweet Pea. It was incredibly easy, delicious and filling. Served with a small salad, it makes a great Indian Summer supper. Click here to visit Paula and get this recipe. She has also given suggestions on how to keep the calories and fat down. This is a wonderfully creative recipe that tastes like the real thing!

So I hope you have enjoyed my tablescape. I started very late but I do have time now to go visiting every one's tables, and there are a lot of new and different idea's pouring out with the change in the season. We are still in limbo here in the Midwest. The trees are not as vibrant as they once were, but the leaves aren't changing. Today is a little sticky and humid. Have a look at my Weather Pixie on my sidebar. It gives the time and temp and there is a little Blondie that changes outfits (not as much as I'd like to, but at least my hair is straightened, lol!!) and in the evening I have a little dog, whose, I don't know...it looks like a golden retriever that just wandered in my Weather Pixie icon like it was nobody's business. So, if you are ever lying in bed at night with that burning question, "What is the weather in Chicago?", look at my Weather Pixie.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend...

If the weather gets cool, serve Paula's Corn Dog Casserole and bring back those memories of the state fair!

xoxo

Jane

GOODBYE SUMMER

2009-09-22T08:27:00.020-05:00

I finally have tomatoes!! I had forgotten what a thrill it was to see something you plant turn into something you had always bought. What a pleasure. I picked these at the lake on Saturday and Monday morning as we readied to come home, I picked 4 more! How exciting! I really planted these on a wing and a prayer. There was a pile of dirt and debris behind the Summerhouse where Former Resident Carpenter had stacked up bricks and stones, etc, but the area was out of the way and got a lot of afternoon sun. I raked and neatened up the area, added a little black topsoil and made a little bed along the Summerhouse. I think I am a good gardener, or at least have been over the years, but it was July already and I thought, I'm just going to throw in some tomato and basil plants, a few marigolds to deter pests, and see what happens. Now I have to decide what I want to make with them!

Milo enjoyed lying in the dappled sunshine on the dock this last weekend of summer. It makes me feel a little bittersweet to think of all the good times we had in the sunshine over the summer, all the places we went and fun we had. How we woke up to it and how it stayed with us so very long each day. To wax poetic, I think I am finally saying goodbye to summer.

The Husband's clematis is blooming like crazy on his arbor (yes, we have his/her arbors!). Isn't it pretty? The lawn guy kept trimming it down before it had a chance to grow and I did the unthinkable, I told The Husband to mark it with a stake or post. But the rule on the his/hers stuff is that we cannot tell one another what to do with his/her stuff. That is why we have his/her stuff.

I'm envious of his stuff.

The acorns are everywhere. When I was little I loved to collect all things small. I loved the book The Borrower's and I longed to climb right inside it and become one of them. And acorns remind me of little houses with thatched roofs.

Ooooh! Look! I have a village!

Emily decided to try my new fishing pole which surprised me because she is not the daughter that loved to fish. Abby used to lie on the dock on her stomach and catch bluegills with her hands!! So The Husband gave her a few pointers...I think he was telling her not to hook that boat in our little marina....

He makes sure she is off to a good start...

"Look Dad!"

Well, here we have a little crappie! Not bad. Once Em realized she had to take it off the hook, she decided she didn't want to fish anymore. I told her she was giving women a bad name and to just tell him she didn't want to mess up her manicure. I do love fishing in the fall. The days are hazy and warm and the fish seem to be jumping. We don't keep them unless there is a big group of us fishing and someone is willing to do the cleaning and cooking. We have had some great fishing parties at the lake, but not so recently. Maybe I will make a deal with The Husband. He cleans, I cook. I think somehow he will leave an eyeball or two.

This summer I got an F. An F for failure. I failed to read one single book. I am beyond ashamed of myself. Reading has always been such a treat for me. Something I looked forward to to doing in my spare time. Of course I have so much more spare time now that I am pretty much an emptynester (Kevin leaves in November). Reading just seems to have a hypnotic effect on me. Reading in bed at night causes me to be drowsy within 15 minutes. If I sit in the family room and read during the day, I become distracted. Most of all, I miss my Book Buying Trips. Armed with all of my torn out pages of book reviews, off I go to Borders to spend an afternoon book hunting, reading snippets and treating myself to coffee and a scone. But how can I do that when I haven't finished or started the last bunch of books?? Woe to me.

I can browse (somewhat) safely at Amazon where I came upon this lovely book. Below is the inside jacket that will tell you what the book is about and I have a few photos of pages I like. I savor a bit of this book everyday, like a great bowl of ice cream that you want to last. I highly recommend it to everyone.

So it is goodbye to summer and hello to fall today!! It is rainy and dreary here in the Midwest. Guess I had better get used to it... Have a happy week!

xoxo

Jane

TABLESCAPE THURSDAY A WEE BIT OF AUTUMN

2009-09-16T21:51:00.015-05:00

Today is Tablescape Thursday and I wanted to share a few things I have been picking up here and there. I haven't started decorating for fall, but that doesn't mean I haven't started shopping!! So this table setting is all a result of searching for a basket...

I made this little crackled vessel, well you know, did the arrangement inside. My angel Jody must still be by my side because I am having so much fun doing this. I should have turned it so you can see the little raffia bow, maybe you will see it in another picture (or the 8 X 10 I blew up for the dining room). I used this in the tablescape but I am giving it to my sister in law, Megan, who just moved into her new home and had her baby 4 days later!! Little Conor joins sister's Maggie and Trisha and their father, Declan! Pictures to come. In the vase, I used wood wool which I found at Michael's. I was inspired to try this rather than moss after seeing a post by Coty Farquhar, where she had used it to make over 600 nests for candy as favors at a wedding. She was very sweet in telling me what this stuff is and how to find it.

The large plate and napkins are from my VERY FIRST visit to HomeGoods!! Oh, I had fun! If The Husband hadn't been with me I could have had more fun. He did leave me alone to go into Home Depot, but it wasn't enough time. Plus a little old lady stopped me and wanted help in how to fill a vase she had in her cart that was bigger than she was. I am usually quite polite and helpful with people, but I was on a mission. I suggested she fill it with large cattails and when she asked where they were, I answered, in a marsh, of course...She looked a bit more lost and left me alone.

As I said earlier, the tablescape started with me looking for a basket to make more of these floral arrangements that are starting to become a passion. I went into Pier I to look and of course, never did. They have TONS of new fall items and many dishes that are sort of transitional from fall to winter, as I think these dessert plates are. I bought these, the place mats and the wine goblets, and then my mind started to put these together with the items bought at HomeGoods.

I used my mix matched vintage silver plated flatware. I picked up more pieces in Michigan. I love this fork. Look at the pretty fleur de lis. It's in a rather odd spot, isn't it??

An out of order picture of my floral arrangement. Maybe I subliminally threw pics in here and there to keep showing off. Maybe I need the pictures because it will be living at Meg's house soon. Maybe not....

I waited until dusk to take the pictures because the sun goes over my house and the photos turn out better. Everything was set up so nice and then I found the camera battery needed to be charged. Grrrr... The Husband came home and asked, "What are WE having for dinner?" lol!! I bought the pumpkin at a drugstore and the candle holders are from a thrift shop.

After I bought the pumpkin a few days ago, Emily told me I already had one. I think I am losing it...

These two little guys are from Pier I also. Once I picked them up, a few ladies asked where I got them and soon there was a flurry over in that area!! They are pretty and they will be beautiful for the holidays and all winter long.

I can't wait to get pumpkins. The squirrels love me. I think this year I will keep a few in the garage to replace the eaten out, caved in messes they leave me. How do I still think they are cute?? I have even been bitten by one.

I hope you enjoyed the tablescape. Please visit Susan at Between Naps On The Porch for her beautiful table setting and then all of the other ladies joining in. I have one more thing...

This is a pillow I ordered from a very sweet lady named Barb at The French Elements. I know it is a rooster but it looks SO GOOD on a pillow!! Barb sews like a pro and she has a cute shop and blog. I have her button on my sidebar.

I also bought this little guy for my bedroom at the lake, which is blue. Aren't her pillows darling? And very reasonably priced. I bought some tea towels as well that she makes out of muslin. I wish I had taken a picture of a few of them with their embroidery. They are very large when unfolded and I used one to line a large basket that I keep all my pretty hardcover decorating books in by my bed. It has the Eiffel Tower on it. I should have taken a picture of that too, but I was so worried that darn battery was going to run out (I never fully charged it).

I wish everyone a happy remainder of the week and a gorgeous weekend.

xoxo

Jane

BLONDIE GOES NUTTY

2009-09-15T09:35:00.009-05:00

I'd like to thank everyone who came to my blog with such thoughtful comments and prayers so shortly after I heard the news from my father. I am so appreciative. A year ago, I don't think I would have known where to turn except for my immediate family. While I was not shouting out this news to the world, I did send it directly to a community of lady friends that I hold so close to my heart and cherish. So thank you again...

My father is of a very quiet and private nature, therefore I will not publish too many details as I think that would be unfair to him. But since the situation is one on which I will dwell, I do want your support and prayers so I will give you updates as I see fit. I hope you understand.

As of now I am doing well. My thoughts are consumed with what lies ahead and maybe selfishly, I keep reverting back to the memories of my loved ones who succumbed to this hateful disease. I feel powerless. But I will give it my all and I will continue to support Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center , because it is not only an organization that researches the cures for cancer, but also the causes and prevention. You can click on for more information.

Now for Outdoor Wednesday, I thought I would do a post about nuts. The ones running around my yard and the ones falling from my trees! Please join Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for more outdoor posts!

I apologize for the quality of my pictures. I just got a new camera (Whoo Hoo!) and I haven't quite figured out all the settings. But this is one of the thousands of squirrels running around my yard. It's that time of year for everyone, but for me, it's worse. My joy and my curse is that we have Black Walnut trees!

At this time of year they start to fall off the trees as they are starting to over ripen. If they were to be used for commercial purposes, they would be removed from the tree earlier. So, the squirrel's have a feast and they have stockpile hidden for the winter. I just wish they would stop trying to hide them in my potted plants. I have window boxes and I can be sitting here at my kitchen table, right next to the window and there I'll have a squirrel, staring at me smugly while his wee little paws are sending soil and flowers flying. Little varmints.

And here is one now. Just gnawing away at one of my walnuts. Not a care in the world...

These are walnuts I picked up off the ground. They are a bit larger than a golf ball, and have a little of texture to them. They smell a bit fruity and spicy. These outer coverings will leave a yellowish stain on your fingers, so wear gloves if you are handling them.

You can see the stem on this one to the right. Now I googled some information on Black Walnut trees and found some interesting facts through the University of Minnesota Extension Program. Hulling the walnuts is difficult and messy, as I found out because I wanted to show you the walnut inside. I used a chainsaw...er, a regular old hammer and pounded like all get out until I managed to make a small crack. Then I used the other side of the hammer (the side with the two pieces you use to remove nails from the wall after an overzealous and frenzied hanging of pictures that I have been known to do. I pried away this tough skin as you can see below...

According to the U.M. Extension program (and I think this article may have been written by a freshman with an ACT score 0f -11), "Take care when hulling walnuts. The practice of driving over nuts with an automobile can be a dangerous one. Nuts and shells can be thrown into the air by the tires, possibly causing bodily injury or property damage." I think he/she should be an insurance adjuster when they grow up. I just used my good old hammer which had never been used for anything so dangerous in it's life, although it does lie under my bed at night, waiting to do serous damage to the head of an intruder...

So here you have the walnut. It's sort of like finding the Tootsie Roll inside the Tootsie Roll Pop! But I withheld tasting it. It grosses me out. Plus, I was busy trying to wash my stained hands.

If you have not had your fill of nuts by this time, check out Sherri's blog. She did a post on harvesting almonds last week that was quite interesting.

I hope everyone is enjoying the weather we are having. It has been in the 70's here in the Midwest, going down to the 60's at night. I am getting ready to go for a bike ride, and when our trees start to change, I'll take some pictures. I know so many of you are putting up some very cool fall decorations, but I am holding out until at least October 1. My flower pots still look great and although the air has that sort of hazy quality, it still seems like summer. And...if I set out pumpkins now, my little outdoor pets will fore go the walnuts and start on another feast!

Wishing all of you a perfect week in every way! ;-)

xoxo

Jane

2009-09-13T16:37:00.000-05:00

My Dad has cancer.

CLOCHE PARTY & PINK SATURDAY!!!

2009-09-10T18:42:00.016-05:00

Oh happy day!! The Cloche Party has finally arrived!! I haven't been to this many parties since my wild twenties!! Oh, the fun I had with my girlfriends. We had a whole slew of bars we haunted; The Mug, Gonzo's and my favorite, P.O.E., which stood for Port Of Entry. It sat on the grand St. Charles River in Illinois, and we had the greatest times there. I once took a dare to do cartwheels down the dock, and oh did I!! Didn't land in the water, but should have. I sprained my ankle and now, 100 years later, it is weak, gives out and I have arthritis in it. Oh, the good 'ol days! But this is a cloche party and I believe I will behave myself!

Above is a gift from friends that came to visit us at the Lakehouse a few weeks ago. Thank you Carol & TJ!! It looks like a huge wineglass. Whoa...Partaaaay! No, it was empty and ironically, right on the bar that it is sitting on, I had a box of faux fruit from Target, just looking for a container. As our hostess Marty advised, we could use all types of vessels in this party, therefore I present, 'The Humongous Wineglass With Fruit'!!

I missed the last Cloche Party as I didn't have a clue what a cloche was. I caught on a bit after visiting some of the party goers. I loved all the pretty arrangements under glass and was determined I would make a darn good one!! On my trips to little resort towns in Michigan, with all sorts of shops and boutiques, I searched and searched for cloches. No one knew what I was talking about and I certainly wasn't articulating it well. Finally, I was in a little shop that sold gourmet food. And there it was. A beautiful white pedestal with a gorgeous dome. Inside was a jar of gourmet peach preserves. I talked the owner into selling me the whole set up. She thought I was nuts. I didn't dare explain the cloches or the party. She seemed glad to get rid of me.

Now, I thought I got the whole concept of the cloche and how you filled it with anything you wanted to your hearts content. But after that, I was lost. What do I fill it with?? Where do I get the stuff. I am up in Michigan with nothing but lakes and woods and corn fields...and then a light bulb went off in my blonde head and I hopped into my car and drove to our one horse downtown area and burst into Village Floral, where Jody stood behind the counter, her angel wings gently blowing in the breeze of the ceiling fan. She knew. Bring it in, she said. I ran back out to my car and zipped back in holding my Gourmet Peach Preserve Cloche close to my chest. I must have looked like a crazed woman. Jody gently took it from my sweaty hands and said, "I will take care of this.". Spoken like a true angel. I headed for the door and turned when I heard Jody ask, "But what is it?"

The following day, promptly at three 'o clock, I returned to Village Floral. And there Jody stood with my beautiful cloche and a bill for $20.00. My eyes lit up. It was magical, as you can see. Two little brown birds and all sorts of greenery and moss. Jody brushed her wings back with her manicured fingers that had delicately created this little domed wonderland. She patiently explained to me that she placed a piece of floral foam on a reversed piece of duct tape and attached it to the bottom of the cloche. This way, nothing is glued down and I can change out the cloche any way I want. Jody is one sharp angel. Then she said, "Shhh...come with me.", and she led me back through the aisles of silk floral arrangements, past the cool refrigerators filled with gorgeous roses, carnations and daisies. Back to where she opened a secret door. And in the dimness of the room, I saw shelves of faux silk flowers and grasses, tiny rose buds and dainty baby's breath. It was a fever dream of florals! She took a plastic bag and filled it with tiny flowers with stems. She added moss and to my astonishment, reindeer moss, which I had only heard of in a dream (or from a blogger). She added tiny birds and nests and some dried flowers. She gave me the bag and quietly said, "Do what you will with this. You are on your own. And please don't make a fool of yourself at the party." And then with a swoosh of her angel wings, she was gone.

I fiddled. I played. I laughed hysterically and ripped everything apart and started over. Many times. Finally...

Nope. This was a practice one! I found the vessel at our Farm market.

Cute bird though.

And finally. My finished cloche. Vessel also bought from the Farm Market. Inside is an avocado surrounded by different mosses and various faux and dried flowers. It sits on the hearth of the stone fireplace at the Lakehouse. Jody's cloche sits on my harvest table.

I think I did good.

Before I met my angel, Jody, I thought cloches and apothecary jars were just for the mundane. But I was touched by an angel. No, that's not original...I was touched by the ladies of Blogland who forced...er, inspired me to create, to learn to create, and to share. Thank you ladies. Thank you Jody!!! :-)

And in the spirit of Pink Saturday, I am going to lie down on my lounger with my pink pillow and then I am going to visit our hosts, respectively, Marty, who so selflessly planned this party, and Beverly, who has been the gracious hostess of Pink Saturday since forever. Visit these ladies and see the LONG list of participants. Visit these ladies and friends, who worked so hard to create a great post for us!!

xoxo

Jane

UGLY ROOSTER WINNER!!!!

2009-09-09T14:45:00.007-05:00

Today is the big day to announce the winner of the Ugly Rooster Giveaway. I will be so glad when this whole thing is over with and those rooster's are out of my house. I wrapped them up carefully and brought them home from the lake. Gee, I hope nothing broke...Who in the world would want these things?? Probably someone like me, who stood in the little dime store in South Haven, Michigan, ogling the price of said rooster's, thinking, "Wow! This is only $3.50!! They are practically giving this away!"

But before we get to the winner (Don't you hate when they do this on shows like American Idol and Dancing With The Stars? Make you wait through a commercial before you can get to the good stuff?). I won't be long. It's just that I forgot two things that were up at the Lakehouse that I wanted to include in that Rooster Party waaaaay back when. Above is a recipe I tore out of the newspaper when I first heard of the party and I thought it would be cute to have a signature drink the day of. I took the picture of the recipe but forgot about it. You will probably have to enlarge it. It sounds good, but I don't like vodka. Maybe I will have one just for the heck of it, now that the birds belong to someone else named...

Oops!! And then I was unpacking boxes at the lake that held all my wall art that we put away while we had the renovations going on. I found this beautiful plaque that my sister gave me years back. I love the chicken wire!! It's real! I felt so bad that it didn't make it to the party, so here it is. Gosh, I feel like I am having my own wee little Rooster Party all over again. I am never joining one of these things again. ;-D

Here is Layla, ready to announce the winner (If Debbie can have her cat's run the show, I can have my dogs. Except I think her staff can type. So, c'mon, Layla...

Oh yes, one other thing. I had many responses, both from ladies that wanted the rooster's and ladies that were downright blunt, and did NOT want these ugly rooster's. I consider the latter quite brave, verbose if you will. But who am I to judge? I decided these ladies needed to win a little something for being so smug. I mean brave. I mean honest. They didn't hurt my feelings. In fact, someone is getting a little 'runner up' prize of sorts. And that person would be anyone who blatantly refused to be in the giveaway or wisely said nothing.

So Layla, without further ado...

"What do I get for being cute??"

2nd Runner Up of the Ugly Rooster Giveaway: Brenda of Cozy Little House!!! Brenda, please email me your address and I will be sending you a little something for being so full of your...I mean sure of yourself. ;-)

Winner of Ugly Rooster Giveaway: Sue of Sullivan & Murphy!! Please email your address! I thank you for being so nearsighted.

And without further ado, Layla and I are calling it a day!!

xoxo

Jane

THE IRONIES OF OLD & NEW AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

2009-09-05T16:19:00.000-05:00

I am joining our friend, the beautiful Chari from Happy To Design,for the 1st time on Sunday Favorites. After you have finished reading my post, please visit our sweet friend and see her contribution and all of the other ladies who are posting oldies but goodies!! This is my first time joining and this is one of my favorite posts. I must warn you...it is LONG!!! Longer than the normal 'Blondie Long' , but I had so many reason to love what I was writing about. I hope it makes you smile!!

I really enjoy reading blogs with pictures of sweet little daffodils poking their yellow heads through the ground in West Virginia, the blue delphiniums waving in the breeze in Texas and the azaleas blooming in all their glory down in Florida. Well, the above picture is about the only sign of spring I have here in the cold midwest. I promise this is not going to be a post where I report and complain about the weather (although the temp is 4 degrees above zero and the wind is picking up...) but rather an uplifting post about looking forward and looking back and some of the small ironies in life that make a big impact.
I love seed catalogs. I began gardening almost as soon as I had my own first home (this one). Our home was sold as a "fixer-upper" and priced accordingly, so my husband jumped on it. He is not a fixer upper type of person but he knows a good deal when he sees one! Our home was also in a nice parish, just a few short blocks from the schools and church. Anyway, if the house was a mess, the yards were a disaster. The original owner surrounded the whole perimeter of the house with maple, oak and black walnut trees. All available space inside the yards was filled with evergreen trees. Hence, the house was absolutely shrouded and actually looked haunted. Not one bit of sunlight came through and nothing could grow, not even grass. I certainly had my work cut out for me. And "cut out " is what I did. Out with all the evergreens, out with some old maple trees with roots that were lifting and cracking the sidewalk and driveway, and after a lot of preening & pruning (and a lot of new sod) I finally had the groundwork to start planting my gardens.
I'm rather a bookish person so I probably spent the whole winter planning said gardens. I thumbed through the seed catalogs, checked books out of the library and made notes. I pretty much immersed myself in this whole gardening thing until The Husband warned me that if I didn't stop showing him diagrams and reciting the Latin names of my favorite flowers, he was going to plant rows of corn in the backyard and blacktop the front!
To make a long story short, I grew my flowers, my vegetables, my vines and ivy, and of course every year you switch things out or add something new, so it's an ever changing process and I love it. And that is why I love seed and plant catalogs. I can almost feel the cool soil in my hands and the warm sun on my back. Sitting back in the evening with a tall glass of iced tea watching the sprinkler flow back and forth, splattering the flowers and making them glisten. Oh, I am in heaven. And these sweet catalogs make it seem so much closer, even if it is frigid outside now!

Hooray!!! Look at this! This is my first piece of transferware! I am so psyched!! I don't even have a china cabinet!! Hee Hee! I bought this last week from the shop I photographed in my last Pink Saturday post. (I didn't include it because it is more red than pink). I am not really a collector of anything. My brain is spread way too far out to want any more than one of anything. (Does that makes sense?) But this transferware is definitely something I could get in to! Isn't it pretty? Next...a china cabinet???

Yesterday was a thoroughly enjoyable day. It was my birthday (yeah, yeah, yeah, another year older). But I am only telling you because the irony part of my post plays in to this, which I will get to sooner or later. I treated myself to another visit to an antique shop, yeah, two in one week!! I'm still sneezing!! This shop was listed on the last page of Romantic Home magazine and I went wow, this is really close by! So off I went. I have to say that this shop had more treasures than trash, and the prices were out of sight. I was actually looking over my shoulder to see if anybody was going to attempt to snatch up something I was drooling over!! I purchased the above porcelain pitcher and saucer. I would say it is about 32 oz. and in mint condition. See the detail on the saucer below.

I paid a whopping $12.00 for this. The bottom shows a little wear and there is nothing on it as far as origin, but I don't profess to know my antiques, I just know what I like. Maybe it's from K-Mart. Behind the pitcher on my quilt rack is a round tablecloth I also bought that needs a few stitches here and there but is going to look wonderful on my table. Can you feel me smiling? :-))

And this is what I was told is a very old chamber pot. Is that what I think it is?? If so, why is it so fancy? Why the delicate handle? Am I going to use it for anything other than a receptacle for flowers or the like? Nope!!! $10.00. Need I say more? By the way, it's big, the top is probably about 16 inches in diameter.

Finally, I saw four little plates hanging on the wall. They are about 5 inches in diameter. The artwork caught my eye. It's sort of whimsical. Quirky, if you will. Like me. Upon scrutiny I discovered the artist is none other than...Norman Rockwell! Who would have thought? The same guy that illustrated the Saturday Evening Post for 500 years. The guy with the museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The guy that did the pictures of the poor, frightened little kids in the doctor and dentist offices that used to hang in every doctor and dentist office I ever went to as a kid? Yep!!

These collector plates were limited editions of hand-colored private postcards that Norman sent to his friends when he traveled in Europe in 1927. You will see that when you get down to the photo of the back of one of the plates. He was 33 years old at the time.

There is one plate each from England, Germany, Rome and Paris. Since I really didn't associate this type of illustration with Norman Rockwell, I did a little research. I learned that when he traveled he liked to use watercolors and oils and went for an impressionistic and less detailed look. I so much prefer this to his later, more commercial work.

I also learned that sadly, when Norman was at the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain in 1927, the sketchbook that he always carried when he traveled was stolen. Thirty years later he said about the sketches, "I'd done them for my own pleasure...I still almost cry when I think about it. I've never lost anything I felt so bad about".

I can't help but think that I have a little bit of Norman's sketchbook here. I feel very badly that his private work, the work he shared with his friends is gone. But I have come to know a little more about this man and I think I like him.

And the irony is, I bought these plates yesterday, February 3, 2009, my birthday. The same day that Norman Rockwell was born in 1894. Priceless.

My birthday dinner last night (minus Kevin :-( ...). I came home and hung up my Norman plates.

xoxo

Janie

OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY: AUGUST LAKE PICTURES

2009-09-02T09:44:00.011-05:00

I love reflections on the water. It seems the closer we get to fall, the calmer the water is and I can get beautiful shots like this. Welcome to Outdoor Wednesday!!

Today I am going to share some pictures from the lake. We were on a little vacation that we take every year during the first two weeks in August. We do some work around the house and a little visiting of some small towns in Southwestern Michigan. So I have some pictures I took outdoors at the Lakehouse. I am saving pictures from our little jaunts into the other towns to share next Saturday on Sightseeing Saturday that Christine from Christine"s Travel And Home Adventures hosts. This is a great event to showcase your vacation pictures or even a day trip. You can click on this link or the button on my sidebar. But today's event is hosted by Susan at A Southern Daydreamer. After reading my post, visit Susan and all the participants in today's event. This is a great way to visit new blogs and make new friends!

We invested in a new dock this year. This is it in the picture above. The one we had was wood and it was in such bad shape I wouldn't walk on it. The dock is a great place to sit in a comfy yard chair with a good book and a cool drink, soaking in the sun and looking out at the tranquil water. We are fortunate that we face a bay because it is very calm here. The front of our house faces the lake, which can be quite noisy with all of the activity (boats, wave runners, screaming kids...). We have a channel that takes us out from our dock around to the lake. Anyway, the dock was rotting and I really wanted another wood dock, but The Husband explained that they only have about a thirty year life span which I thought was perfect timing for us. ;-) So we bought this instead, and it does look good. Next year I will have some pretty flowers on it.

I took this picture one evening while sitting on the porch of the Summerhouse. For some reason the air really had that fall feeling to it. Only when I decided to take a picture did I notice that the leaves have started to change. Has anyone noticed that taking so many pictures for our blogs makes us notice and see so much more around us? I really enjoy carrying my camera with me because I notice the little things more and it makes me feel I am living in the moment, which is the biggest hope I have. Our neighbor built this screened in gazebo a few years ago. It's a great place to get out of the sun and to avoid mosquitoes at night. It's pretty, isn't it?

This is a nice little place to have coffee in the morning on the patio. These are the palms that The Husband fusses over constantly. He won't even let me water them which makes me want to cry... ;-)

Here we are sitting on the porch of the Summerhouse. The Lakehouse is in the background. Being the devoted attorney that The Husband is, he mixes business with...

...pleasure!!

This is the cute little chair I found a few months ago at a resale shop. I like it under this oak tree on the patio. Have I mentioned that we have flying squirrels living in it? The tree, not the chair. I truly did not know they actually existed. I mean, I did watch Rocky and Bullwinkle when I was a child, so I thought they only existed in cartoons! But yeah, he pokes his little head out once in awhile and soon we will have acorns dropping and see him more. Flying squirrels have a thin piece of tissue that connects the front paws to the back paws and these serve as "wings". They don't fly like birds. They use their flying ability to avoid predators and generally glide from tree to tree. I will try to get pictures this fall.

This is a nice spot against the Summerhouse to sit and read or relax. It hardly gets any sun so it's nice and cool on 90 degree days, which we only had about a handful of here in the Midwest. That is Monster Fern that I kept here in Chicago over the winter. He looks sick. He didn't do well at all and a wonderful summer at the lake is not reviving him. Maybe a ski trip?? My bare English Garden is in the background. My tall perennials are around the parameters of the garden. I am working my way gradually toward the paths with shorter plants. Now is a great time to buy plants as they are all on sale. I have some work ahead of me!

So this is what I have for this Wednesday. The rest of my week is busy. We have a wedding to go to on Saturday and of course, Procrastinator Blondie has put off getting a dress until now. I am not looking forward to this ordeal. It's not like I am fussy about dresses, in fact, my taste in clothes is very wide ranged. It's just the Dressing Room Phobia I have. They really know me at Macy's here. I am in the little room where all the loud screaming and swearing is coming from.

Since I probably will not post again this week, this will be your last chance to leave a comment and be entered into the giveaway for The Ugly Roosters. This must be the first giveaway in the history of blogging where people are commenting that they don't want to be entered, that they don't want the free gift!! lol!!! Let me just say that this is going to have a bit of a surprise ending!! :-)

I hope everyone has a fun filled Labor Day weekend. Wherever you go, be safe. See you all next week!!

xoxo

Jane

ROOSTERS & RELAXATION

2009-08-31T13:40:00.014-05:00

We had the best time at the lake this weekend. I truly sat back and watched time pass without a care in the world. Abby left for college last week and I will post about that soon. Now I am in that strange but content state you might be in after a good cry. I have accepted that my nest is empty and I am okay with that. Luckily, it seems the summer work at the lake is over. Yes, now that fall is around the corner!! I forgot my little Mouse Power Sander, so I could not fiddle with any of the furniture I am painting (a headboard, two nightstands and an end table). I forgot to bring a book and I decided not to bring my bike or laptop. After visiting so many people in the Rooster Party Friday, I truly felt I was going blind. All those colors!! Did anyone have to pop some Tylenol??

I took some pictures of the outside of the Lakehouse for Fifi , who has finished the painting of the Summerhouse, the wee, blue building you can see on the left, and she is now going to paint the house. Not literally come out and paint the house, do a painting. How she is going to see through all those trees to do it, I don't know. But Fifi has quite an imagination. Maybe she can throw in a new roof. The weather was in the mid 60's after a week of rain. I thought for sure I would have ripe tomatoes by now, but I looked and they are still small and green. I can just imagine standing out there in October, popping them into freezer bags!

Remember these roosters from Barb's Rooster Party? The UGLY roosters? A lot of bloggers agreed with me that they were God awful, but many thought they were cute. And a lot of people tried to figure out what the heck the big black rooster was doing with his wings! Swatting flies? Dropping something on the wife's head? (I would too if she were that ugly! lol!!). Well this might answer the mystery questions.

Ugly Male Rooster is holding this little bowl that says, "Keep The Home Fires Burning".

And this is what it looks like with a tea light candle in it. Still, that woman looks crazed!! If I were him, I'd let her freeze her ugly claws off!! Soooooo...I am announcing a giveaway. You can win this piece of frightful art by leaving a comment on my posts up until Saturday. If you do not want this UGLY THING, just say so, and I won't include you (and I will admire your good taste forever). I just can't wait to be done with the thing. I'll throw in some tea lights too.

While standing in my kitchen, not cooking or cleaning on this relaxing weekend, I decided to take a few more pictures of the renovations. I know it seems that I am teasing all of you with bits and pieces of this job, but we have not seen Resident Carpenter since May. Maybe we never will. It's just so hard to get good work these days. Anyway, this is the new tin ceiling and these are the ceiling lights I chose. Aren't they cool? (There are two). The frosted glass lamp can be made to hang down a bit like this, or installed flush against the ceiling. I bought these at Home Depot and I am pretty sure they were under $50.00 each.

A closer view...

This is a close up of my counters. They are quartz and the pattern is Mont Blanc. Also from Home Depot.

The floor is porcelain, but I think it looks and feels like stone. I do love it. It is from a local floor shop.

On my relaxing Sunday, without books, laptop, sander and bike, I put a roast on the grill and sat on the dock to fish a bit. Along came these little cuties. Old enough to leave Mom and Pop, but still new at "testing the waters". The Husband bought me a new deluxeroo fishing pole (doesn't it seem like he has been buying me a lot of things lately? First the bike, then the fishing pole...I think he is trying to get me outdoors more!!). I did find it difficult and somewhat unsanitary to handle worms and then check the roast so I didn't test out the new pole and the lake was safe again.

Hi little guy! Soon we will know if you are a beautiful male or a plain female in need of mascara and botox...

Goofy Milo enjoyed lying in the cool grass...

rolling around a bit...

...and just not doing much of anything. Like me.

Don't forget the giveaway. Mention it in one of your posts with a link to me, and I will enter you twice. Have a wonderful and RELAXING week!! :-)

xoxo

Jane

THE ROOSTER PARTY!!

2009-08-27T17:21:00.013-05:00

Today I am going to a rooster party!! There are going to be over 150 ladies there with their roosters, and I have a few to show off myself. So here is a peek:

This is my very first rooster(s). I bought it at a Cracker Barrel while visiting my brother in southern Indiana. I had just remodeled my kitchen to a sort of French Country decor and thought this would be perfect on the counter.

This beautiful rooster picture was a gift from my sister shortly after the first rooster was bought. I love it and it is in the same spot I have always had it, near my cookbooks.

This is a close up. Sorry about the terrible quality of the pic. It almost looks like a mysterious Monet that has just turned up in France!!

This is a plate I picked up years ago from a dollar store to use as a platter. I like the simplicity, the "French" look.

It looks like it took about 40 brushstrokes to paint.

This is a plate I picked up at the lake. I think it was a dollar store find too.

Again, it has that "strutting down the streets of Provence" look.

I bought this little guy for my white kitchen. Love the crackle effect. And he is so simple...

And this is the ugliest thing I have ever seen in my life!! My word! Why would Blondie have this?? Well, I don't know about the rest of you girls, but once I heard Barb was having the Rooster Party, I went into a little panic over my "roosterlessness"! Admit it, Ladies. Some of you have to own up to buying a few more roosters for this party!!! ;-) I found this monstrosity at a markdown sort of store in South Haven, Michigan, when we were on vacation 2 weeks ago. It was only $3.00 and rightly so!! (Gawd, I hope no one collects these!!). I am thinking of using it in a giveaway. Just scare everybody away from my blog! lol!!

And I leave you with this cute little metal guy. My last rooster and my last rooster purchase. I will now confess, I do not like roosters. Or ducks. Or pineapples. Or Fleur de lis. Or crowns. I LOVE when others have collections of these. I guess I just haven't found anything I am passionate about. But I will. Until then, I'm just going to be a party crasher.

Visit our classic hostess, Barb at Bella Vista, by clicking on the rooster button on my sidebar. She has worked her little rooster tail off for this party and I thank her from the bottom of my heart. Now I'm off to visit as many participants as possible even though it may take days. it's worth it. It's a party!!

xoxo

Jane