MOTHER'S DAY TABLESCAPE AND A GARDEN PARTY

Hi everyone!   I am back from the lake just in time to join Kathleen at Cuisine Kathleen for Let's Dish.  I am also Joining Tracie for Cottage Garden Party.  Visit her blog, Fishtail Cottage to see all the beautiful blooms sprouting up!

I sort of knew what dishes I wanted to use for this tablescape, a Mother's Day theme suggested by Kathleen.  I've had these dishes by Wedgwood for a very long time.  I found them at an antique shop for $25.00 (service for 4).  Other than deciding on the dishes, I wasn't really sure what else I would use for this table.  While at the lakehouse this past weekend, I was rummaging through a cabinet where I keep my linens and came across this old tablecloth that I picked up somewhere!  I couldn't believe my eyes because the embroidery was the same shade of blue as the dishes I had planned to use!  So I brought it home and put this together this morning.

A little shabby table chandelier and some tea light holders complete the simple look.  White napkins, old silver and every day wine glasses were added.

I love the ruffly rims on these plates. 

So this pretty table setting is dedicated to my sweet mother, who passed away 11 years ago.  This picture was taken of her on Lake Michigan when she was just a teen.  She really was a beauty.  Thanks for being such a great Mom...I miss you everyday. 

Now, for Tracie's party.  Off we went to the lake on Saturday morning.  Actually it was more like afternoon and we didn't get much done other then giving the boxwood a good trimming.  Thankfully our lawn service started a few weeks ago so nothing looked too overgrown.  On Sunday, The Husband went out for some mulch and came home with 2 hibiscus plants and a rose tree.  He must have felt bad because Mrs. Hibiscus II did not make it over the winter.  In fact, she was the only thing I lost.  My ferns need a lot of water and sunshine but otherwise my jade plant and the palm trees survived thanks to my sweet neighbor, Susie, who came in and watered them. 

This is one hibiscus, I never had one in yellow...

...and this one looks just like the one that died so I'll call her Mrs. Hibiscus III.  You can see the rose tree in the background.

While I tended to the inside of the house, The Husband cleaned out all the flower beds and put in dark brown shredded bark.  I like this stuff because it doesn't look fussy.  This is his rock garden.  Note the two trellises on each side*

We can't remember what he planted between the stones but it's very pretty and does well.  We have also forgotten the names of the other plants we have in the bed, but when they bloom maybe it will jog our memories!

*This is one of the trellises I mentioned.  I found them last year at our floral shop in town.  It was too late in the season to plant anything but this year I am going to start sweet peas climbing.  Can't wait!

This is my flower bed which The Husband so kindly cleaned up.  These are daisies that haven't bloomed yet, you might remember them from last summer.  They are SO healthy!  And on the vintage trellis is my climbing rose that I worried all winter about.  It's doing lovely and has a ton of buds on it.

So while The Husband labored outside, I cleaned and scoured inside.  After a few hours the house smelled like Murphy's Oil Soap and Windex!  All I have left to do is one bathroom and the guest house...Yay!

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  I am back to housecleaning here and tons of laundry.  Yesterday after getting back from the lake, I just vegged out all day.  I'm making up for it today!  Have a good week! :-)

A QUICK PROJECT

I am not really a do it yourselfer sort of person, all of you must know that by now.  My blog is  about everything and nothing.  But this has been the most boring, most loneliest week of my life with Abby in Florida.  And yes, she had some sunny days and looks like a lobster from the photos she has been texting me.  So I decided to have an encounter with my creative side, I am, after all, left handed.  I've had this paint for some time, I picked it up from Home Depot and thought I might come across something fun to paint. 

It is textured in a way, as if it has some sort of granules in it.  You can use a brush or putty knife.

I found some old picture frames that I brought home from my Dad's house after he passed away.  Very old and dusty.  I cleaned them off and got to work.  Martha's paint was fun to work with, I used two coats to cover the littlest frame but if I had laid it on thicker, I wouldn't have had to do that.  I used a brush because I wanted to get some of the detail in the frames.

While the paint dried, Layla and I snuggled on my bed!

So, I did 3 frames.  The small one in the Martha Stewart textured paint, the largest in just one coat of a paint I had on hand called Driftwood Gray, and the middle one in the MS paint and once over with the gray paint. 

Can you see the nice texture?

I distressed them a little, too, with some sand paper.

Today I was at Walgreen's and saw this ugly little tray for $5.00 and my wheels started turning.  This IS addictive!  So...I have my next victim!

Our week here started with rain and cold and then yesterday the temps climbed to 85 degrees.  It was sweltering in my house.  Then we had a major thunderstorm and today was back in the 60's which I love.  With no one here to talk to {except the dogs...I am teaching them French}, I have been a cleaning fanatic!  I got to sorting my summer clothes and got most of them in the wash and to the cleaners and then I went through a stack of new clothes that I have been accumulating for our trip, hence the pretty PJ's...

some unmentionables...

and lots of flip flops.  My Go To comfort, free as a bird shoes.  You can't beat Old Navy at $3.87 a pair. 

And I know I will be doing a lot of walking!  I am getting so excited.  The Husband will spend one day doing his fly fishing, but I have promised that I will go up into the mountains to do some regular fishing.  I am quite a good fisherwoman!  Surprised?  You can't live on a lake and not fish!  Speaking of the lake, we are going bright and early tomorrow morning.  FINALLY!  I know I shouldn't be too excited because I have a lot of cleaning to do, but the sooner it is done, the better...then we can relax for the summer.  I'm excited!!

So, I am going to run now and start packing up my duffel bag and I hope to see you here next week! :-)

A COLORFUL TABLESCAPE

It has been a week since I last posted, I don't know where the time goes.  Just when I think all the spring cleaning and getting ready for summer is winding down...new projects pop up.  I spent a good amount of time cleaning out my dresser drawers and closet, packing away winter clothing but for some sweaters and jeans, and storing them until next fall.  You girls in the South just don't know how good you have it!  So, now I have room for all my warm weather clothing (if it were ever to warm up) and I can say bring it on!

But this post is about my tablescape that I put together last night.  The weather has been so dreary, a lot of rain and gloom, so I wanted something really bright and colorful. 

I have been so inspired by my trips to a a little Mexican grocery store that we pop into once in awhile.  Bins and bins of colorful fruit; mangoes, papaya, grapefruit and bananas...fresh herbs and spices and let's not forget all those hot peppers!  Last year I had a dinner to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.  I had so much fun preparing the food with Emily, who also set a festive table with bright linens and dishes.  This year I thought maybe I would have a party since it falls on a Saturday. 

My table is covered with a big piece of white burlap that I've had in my stash forever.  It's all rough edged and about as rustic as you can get.  Then I have some bright woven place mats from Marshall's.  I usually don't buy really colorful things, but I thought these would be fun for summer.  The carafe and glasses were found at my grocery store a few months ago, another find perfect for dining al fresco in the summer!  How I wish this table were outdoors!

The white capiz shell chargers are from Pier 1 a few years back, since my table is so small, I rarely use chargers and only have a few sets.  I used the same Anthropologie dinner plates as last week because I was a little too lazy to dig around for another set of white dishes I have.  White is white, right?!  I can't remember where I found the red and blue salad plates, I have had them for while.  

I made the cloche arrangement a few years ago and it really doesn't go with anything in my home so I keep it in my garden window.  Everything is glued down and I don't have the heart to take it apart!

So that is my tablescape this week I am joining Kathleen at  Cuisine Kathleen for Let's Dish and Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday.http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com

I was so happy to receive a gift in the mail from Monica of The White Bench.  It was wrapped beautifully and tied up with this gorgeous sand dollar!

Inside were the prettiest scented hearts that she made...

Thank you so much, Monica.  I have them hanging on a little hook above my bed where I can smell them as a I fall asleep.  Heaven!

A I write it is pouring rain and sadly it is also pouring in Ft. Lauderdale where daughter Abby is having a weeks vacation.  She and her girlfriends are completely bummed out that they can't sit at the pool or on the beach.  I feel so bad for her and wish I could make the rain go away!  So how is it by you...rainy, sunny?

I will see you in a few days! :-)

SPRING RANDOMNESS

Hello everyone!  I actually did a post yesterday but I ended up deleting it.  I am not getting used to the new Google format at all, but with a little practice, I will.  It's a beautiful day here in the Midwest, almost 60 degrees and sunny.  My yard and gardens are cleaned up and waiting for some flowers and herbs to be planted.  It gets cold at night though and who knows, we could have snow tomorrow!  These carnations are from last week's tablescape.  They are still looking so fresh!  That's what I love about carnations, all the pretty colors and they are so forgiving!

I had a quiet weekend for the most part.  The Husband has been working at home on weekends so we are at a standstill as far as going to the lake.  The work there is looming  ahead of me.  I think I have mentioned before that the lakehouse is bigger than this one in the city.  After sitting all winter without us, I know it is in for more than a good airing, but that is tops on my list.  I imagine that I really just have a lot of dust to deal with...ahh choo!

The Husband went out for his vitamins on Sunday and surprised me with the little food tent that you see here.  I have always wanted one since we have snacks sitting outside all the time at the lake.  This is so darling.  he even bought me some yummy lemon hand soap.  He loves to shop as I have mentioned before, we are a dangerous pair!

Our plans for Asheville have been all wrapped up for the most part...we are staying at the same place as last year, The Residences Of Biltmore.  I really enjoyed our room there, it had a small kitchenette {not that I was whipping up any meals} so we were always able to have a place to make our own coffee and snacks.  The Husband wanted to get a rustic place up in the mountains but that is so not me!  I suppose he will want me to go fly fishing again this year, but I hear shopping calling me! 

This weekend was rather slow.  We went out for dinner Friday, just to Chilie's because we felt like having some Mexican.  Saturday night I made a wonderful dinner from a recipe I found at Na Da Farm Life With Anne Marie.  It is chicken on a bed of fresh spinach with cream and grated Romano cheese.  This is what it looked like.  It was delicious and so easy to prepare!  I have not been baking as I am still not having any sugar.  Since I gave it up last month, I am down a pants size!  Woo Hoo!  My family is feeling a little neglected though so I think I will make something with fruit and have a few nibbles!  That sums up the philosophy of the book I just read, French Women Don't Get Fat.  I found another book by the same author called, French Women For All Seasons and I am loving this one, too.  A lot of great recipes.

This is all I have for today.  I hope everyone is having a great start to the week ahead.  I'm joining Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday!

AN APRIL TABLESCAPE

Hurray for tulips! They are everywhere {except my backyard} and I can't help but buy a little bouquet ever week when I do my grocery shopping. These yellow and pink ones were love at first sight. And they seem to last long, too.
Before I show you my tablescape, I want you to see the giveaway gift I won from Lynne at Dreams On 34th Street. It came in a little package jam packed with goodies! First, a set of very Frenchy notecards which I love...everyone loves to get old fashioned mail!
A little bar of shea butter soap called Sweet Pea. And though it is hard to see, a little friendship charm with a real crystal and seed pearl. I keep this on my glass vanity tray to remind me how important friendship is.
Lynne also included some stamped tags that I just love. What a thoughtful and generous gift. Pay Lynne a visit, she is the sweetest and her blog is so fun. Thanks, my friend!
And here is my tablescape for this week. I am joining Kathleen at Cuisine Kathleen for her party called Let's Dish! At her blog you can find all the ladies participating...it's fun to see what everyone comes up with each week and to get some inspiration.
I found these carnations at the grocery store yesterday...seems like I live there, and I knew I had some dishes that would compliment them perfectly.
It's a big mix here, the dinner plates are from Anthropologie. I bought them to display on a wall in my family room around an old window I found. It's still waiting to happen as the window is up at the lake. So, I decided to use them in the tablescape in the meantime. The salad or dessert plates are from Pier 1 going back a few years. The pale green and pink just shouts "Spring" to me!
The white plates have a raised fleur de lis on them that I love. The glass candle cubes were a present from my sister in law and the runner was found on Etsy. My water glasses are from the Lenox Butterfly Meadow dishes that I have. One of these days I will do a tablescape with them.
I have coordinating dinner plates for the salad plates but I think I did a tablescape a few years back with those. I love to mix my dishes up.
So there you have it! I had fun playing around with this on another of what I call my "Me" days. Tuesday is the only day that I have 3 hours to myself with no one home. I have a stack of magazines and catalogs that I need to read before they get too old and some paperwork. Yesterday it was shopping and an early dinner for Abby and me at a Japanese restaurant. Which reminds me that I had the family over for dinner again last week. Son Kevin and Mary Clare bought a house and finally moved in last Thursday. They had to give up their apartment early so they were sort of scattered about prior to moving in. I found a recipe at Funky Junk Interiors called Japanese Chicken Wings and it was a quick and simple dinner that fed a lot of people! My wings were some big flappers at one time and definitely made a meal rather then an appetizer. We had a good time. Once they are settled in their new home, I will see if they will let me take some pictures.

I am hoping {as usual} that we get up to the lake soon. The Husband went on a shopping spree at Costco and bought some inflatable lounging chairs and an "island", a floating sort of thing that holds four people. Did I ever tell you that he LOVES to shop! We make quite a pair!

I hope all of you are having a good week. We finally have sunshine today and the rain over the weekend really greened up the grass. I love the buzzing of lawn mowers floating in my windows and seeing my neighbor prune her climbing roses. My favorite time of year is almost here! :-)

I LOVE APRIL!

We are officially over holidays until Mother's Day, and although I will leave my bunnies out to celebrate spring, I'm sort of tired of looking at them. I do love April though, even though it's only 40 degrees today, I'm letting some fresh air in right now and it smells SO good. April is also my daughter Abby's birthday month and we have been celebrating that for days it seems

She and I were off to the burbs to do some retail therapy on Friday. This is a big outdoor mall and I posted a little about it last summer, it's where I found my dress for son Kevin's wedding. The flower beds were filled with tulips of every color and I even saw a bunny crouched down in one of the beds. Abby gifted herself with a lot of cute clothes and jewelry and I popped in to Williams Sonoma and Pottery Barn, but as usual, the prices just irritate me. It's fun to look though. I splurged on some body mists at Bath And Body Works, I love those in the summer to spray on when the weather is hot, I keep them in the fridge. Ooh, heaven!
We had lunch at a cool place called The Reel Club, and if you guessed seafood, you're correct. It was delicious. Abby had sushi and I had shrimp with a wonderful remoulade sauce. I mentioned to the waiter that it was her 21st birthday (sniff, sniff...she's my baby)and he surprised us with the most decadent chocolate cupcake. In the picture above it looks like Wildfire, another great restaurant, but The Reel Club is just in front of it. I'd love to drag The Husband off there one day.
This is Abby on the right, my little French girl. She looks so much like her father. We celebrated again Saturday night at my nephew's pub, Blackthorn. The Husband and I left at about 10:30 so she could hit the trail of Irish bars with her friends for her first legal night of getting in them! Fun, fun, fun!
I'm almost finished reading the book I told all of you about in my last post. I SO recommend it. It's funny and wise and filled with stories of the writer growing up in France.
I've gleaned some great tips and advice and the book is highlighted with my neon marker on almost every page. I am drinking my usual coffee, but I keep a glass of ice water with lemon next to me at all times. I'm also eating more fruit and my dinner consists of mostly vegetables. There is no deprivation in this book, just moderation. And it's quite entertaining. Once again I thank my blogger friend, Julie Marie, for sending this to me. She is such a sweetheart!
A little more retail therapy last week netted me these cute shoes. Gosh, I love shoes, even though I live mostly in flip flops during the summer. Wedges are my favorite since I am getting a little wobbly in my old age!
On my last trip to TJ Maxx I found these little candle holders...well, not so little, for the patio at the lake. I have dreams about being at the lake but it seems every weekend is filled with things we have to do here. This weekend is a wedding shower that the girls and I have on Sunday. I do love showers and parties, but I would love to be sitting on the dock looking out at the water about now.
Here's another one. Looks like I am getting into straw lately!

I hope all of you had a good Easter. We really had the nicest weather and my dinner turned out great. There is something so wonderfully satisfying about popping a ham in the oven, mashing some potatoes, roasting some veggies and having dinner on the table in two hours. My very favorite part is making soup with the bone. Yum!

Well, that's it for me this last week. We had our lawn care service do a spring clean up and my meadow now looks like a lawn. We have SO many trees. They cut, rake, fertilize and prune. I love it. I'm still a good month away from planting flowers and how I envy all of you in the South that have beautiful blooms already! I have nothing to take pictures of except some baby grass where we put seed down in some bare spots!

Wishing all of you a wonderful week! :-)