This & That

Hello, all!!

I know, I know, I have not been around in a while - I have been soooo busy!!

Still, being fairly new at this bloggin' thing - I always feel like I need lotz of pics and at least something semi-interesting to blog about....but I think I need to do this more for me and quit stressing about it!!

Miss BJ over at Sweet Nothings is having a Kitchen Parade - you need to go on over and see all the great pics she has. But be warned....you will be wanting to tear your kitchen apart and start over.

Which is about what I have been doin', except to the WHOLE HOUSE!!

My friend, Paula (you remember, the Sweetie, that did my back porch for me) and I went to a thrift store this past Monday on a quest for plates (will get to that later), but I found some light globes (4 for $.99) and my living room ceiling fan really needed new ones.....these are the old ones.....

Yes, the really ugly, frosted, looks like a square dancing dress globes!!!

These are the new ones - clear and simple......

I really like then, however, as I stand here and look at them from this view - I thinkt hey are too little....the bulbs stick out too much....so, I guess it's back to the drawing board on this one.

While we were at the thrift store - I ran into these (I got two) with the stickers still on them - never been used (love that) - I LOVE coffee mugs and I loved the shape and especially the color of these. They are a muted turquoise.....

...and they are a match to my cute little lamp out on the patio....

...and my turquoise chaise - so I had to have them!!!

And right next to the cups....I found this perfect valance for my kitchen window - I have had the same boring white little cotton valance up there since I moved in that house 4 years ago - in fact, it was there when I moved in...anyway, I saw this and Paula said it would be perfect - I wasn't sure, but she was right (as always!!) and it looks great.

After looking at soooo many wonderful kitchen pics, trying to find ones to send to Miss BJ - I caught the fever.....and that is never good.....and starting working on mine. One of the nicest pieces of furniture I have is a baker's rack in my kitchen...but I have never been very good at decorating it....but after looking at all of your wonderful decorating ideas....I think I may be learning something. I went through every drawer, closet and under beds and drug out everything I could find to decorate with....here are some of my ideas....if you have any, please let me know...Paula and I are still working on a lot of this....

This is a fleur-de-lis (remember I am in Louisiana) candle holder that I had stuck in a closet and an old bowl that came from my grandmother.

These are some very old cookbooks - the one in the middle my aunt gave me...she got it at a garage sale....she had been gone now for about 10 years and she was very special to me....so this is a treasure. The other two I got at garage sales or at our local college book sale (another post altogether!!!) ....and a fleur-de-lis book end - that weighs about 20 lbs.

This is a tray that I got a couple of years ago and has been on a antique piece in my living room - I moved it to here for now....I'm sure I'll move it somewhere else before this is all over with...
This is what it looks like now...the picture above it was in my dining room and I moved it over the baker's rack....that is my favorite thing I did to this whole area...is the picture - I love it over the rack!!!

...not quite sure what to do with the bottom shelf - don't know if I want to leave my bread bowl there on put it in the middle of my table....I will have to think on that....that cream loaf dish - I got at another thrift store a couple of weeks ago..I think I am going to start looking for that color....I really like it.

...this is a closer view of it...

see these fruit plates...I have had these for a couple of years...they have been in a vertical plate rack under the fruit picture (now over my baker's rack) in my dining room...we took them out of the rack and put them in plate hangers and put them here...

...I promise, my kitchen is not purple...but it sure looks like it in these pictures - the color of my walls are Brickpath Red (Paula picked it out when I moved in...I think this should really be her house!!!!)...see my table there...it has been in my dining room (which is just an extra room where the back door is...and I haven't know what to do to it (until now...another post!!!) - I have always wanted my table in the kitchen but it was just too small - well, it's in there now...and I LOVE it!!!!!! ...it's very cozy!!!!




...how do I get rid of that phone thingy!!!!

I was at a garage sale a couple of years ago and I saw these two red toile pictures in these wonderful black frames....I thought they would be expensive...the lady said, "Oh, $2", I almost choked, I very calmly said, "OK" - gave her my $2 and ran to the car and sped away as fast as I could go....they are my treasures!!!

...and this is what Paula did with them on my dining room wall where the fruit picture and fruit plates used to be. I had the white plate on top and the red and white platter on bottom...the other two or what we found at the thrift store....the reason we went...to find plates to match this grouping...can you believe the perfect plates we found....I really like this....
...and here is the progress on Brandi's house - it's getting there!!!!

Whew!!!! I am tired - see, I told ya, I've been busy!!!! I'll have more tomorrow!!!!

An Incredible Surprise....

I had to go to a graduation party Saturday evening and while I was gone, my very dear friend, Paula, (we've known each other for 40 years now) told me she would be coming by, to leave my house unlocked - she had an idea for my birthday present and needed to see if it would work in my house.

Paula is an incredible docorator - I have always told people, "She can take what is in your house and $50 and make your house look totally different". And that is the gospel truth - she is very talented.

Well, when I got home, I was looking around the house and I noticed my back porch light was on - I opened the back door and this is what I saw:

Now, not only is this just gorgeous and an oasis for me, but you can't really appreciate it unless you had seen my back porch before - thank God -there are NO photos of that. It was crammed with a bunch of junk - wheel barrow - boxes of books, a really long very heavy table - like in school cafeterias - very, very ugly and she moved ALL that by herself - swept and cleaned it up so nice and then added this!!!!

I know the picture is a little dark - it was about 9 PM, the little lamp on the table was lit and the white lights on the tree behind the chair and it was the most peaceful, serene setting.

Is that chaise lounge not the most wonderful piece of wicker!!

Here is a close up of the table!! She brought some things and took some things from my house and made this "little piece of heaven" just for me!! I had mentioned that I really wanted to do something with my patio this summer - she is one of those friends that listens and does something for you that you really wanted.

(We are going to take the plastic off the lamp - just wanted to make sure everything was going to work!!)

These are pictures I took the next morning.

This is a closer veiw of the table - I just love it!!!!

I had this white iron dish - and she put these stones in it!!

This lamp is probably my favorite thing (beside the chair!!) - I love the color - you won't believe where she got it!!!!!!!

She put these flowers on the floor beside the chair, Youngest Daughter made this for me for Mother's Day - painted the pot and everything - she is the creative one in the family.

In the little frame on the table I will either put this picture of me and Paula...or

...this one of all of us from high school.. not sure yet!!

Paula said she is not through, she has a dresser she is going to re-finish and hang some curtains to kinda "screen in" the porch - just half of it - where the chaise is.....anyway - I don't know many people who have a friend like I do...she is ALWAYS doing things like this for all of her friends...she is truly one in a million.....

Paula, thank you so much - you couldn't have done anything that I would have liked more.. YOU ARE THE GREATEST!!!!!!!

Happy 50th, Harriett!!!!

Wow - what a weekend!!!! A friend that I have known since elementary school had a surprise 50th birthday party this weekend in Houston. Her husband (who I also went to school with) and daughters pulled off the most incredible feat!!!

Not only did they keep the party a surprise - but the decorations and picture slide show of her life was absolutely incredible!!!

Four of us from Shreveport - three of us have known each other since elementary and the other we met in high school - traveled to Houston Saturday for the big event.

Needless to say, we hadn't gone down the highway 30 miles and we had to take care of the first order of business - STOP AND EAT!!!!!!

This is the place we picked - the BBQ was great

Again - the (non-blogging) friends - "Are you going to take pictures of everything we do!" "YES"!

Harriett (the birthday girl), her husband put us up in this great hotel!! Hiding us away until the big surprise!!!!

Here we are....all gussied up for the party!! (from the left - Paula, Patti, Me and Kathy)
Her party was at a very nice Italian restuarant - we had a private room. This is the cake - it was beautiful!!
....Ta Da....and this is the birthday girl!!!! She was so surprised - this is after she came into the room and they dressed her all up in her birthday finery!!!!!

Harriett and Paula
She sure doesn't look 50!!!!
This is all of us outside the resaurant - in front of the water fountain!!!

We had the most incredible time - my camera's battery died and I forgot to bring my charger - we went by her house the next morning before our trip home. I wanted to take some pictures of her patio and pool - she has the most gorgeous house. Oh well, next trip.

Have a wonderful Day!!!

Donna

Good Morning, Monday!!

Had a very busy weekend - feel like I have to come back to work to get some rest!!

Saturday, Brandi (oldest daughter) and I had a shower to go to and errands to run - she took me to her new house - this is what it looks like now - why do they always look so small when they are like this - we were walking through the rooms - thinking is everything going to fit!!!! Remember, I am the one with no vision!!!

We had a Ladies' Night at church last night - gorgeous tables - great music - wonderful speakers - just a lot of fun - here are a few pictures. Each table captain had to decorate their own table - this was the table I sat at - two of my oldest (as far in how long we have know each other!!) did our table and what a great job they did!!!!! It was very dark and I don't know how to take pictures - so use your imagination!!!!

This is Joyce and June - the two friends with Brandi.
I tried to take pictures of several of the tables - there was some breath-taking ones - but they didn't come out because of the light - here is one.
Me and Brandi - I always critize photos of myself - all I am going to say is "it was a hectic weekend"!

We also had a great style show - this is Judy - not only do we go to church together, but we also work together and she has been a "god-sent" to me!!! Doesn't she look gorgeous!!

We were supposed to bring cupcakes, or a fruit tray - I didn't cheat - I made homemade cupcakes with homemade icing!!! Brandi decorated them. They look kinda cute!!!

Have a blessed day!!!!

Donna

Laundry Rooms.....

I found some gorgeous laundry rooms on the net - most of these came from Better Homes and Gardens.

My laundry room is the first thing anyone sees when they come into my house from the carport - which is where everyone comes in - my front door is NEVER used.

My hot water heater - washer-dryer and (very small) pantry are in this room (really, nothing more than a small hallway).

So....I dream of beautiful roomy laundry rooms like these!!

I love the doors on this....

and the shelf with the baskets .....
this is really what I would love to have - something that totally covers up the washer and dryer......

isn't this neat - you would never know there is a washer and dryer under there - but you have to have just the right kind for this....and I don't!

I love how bright and cheery this one is......

Great idea!

Now this one is probably bigger than my house.....

Love these cabinets......

I went to church with oldest daughter last night to hear Ergun Caner. Had never heard of him before - he is a Turkish Muslim who converted to Christianity.

I don't think I have ever laughed so hard in my life!!

This guy is incredible - and his sermon was one of the best I have ever heard.

Have a wonderful day!!!!

Donna