Tablescape Thursday Extravaganza!

Welcome to my Tablescape Thursday post! Today I have a virtual tablescape extravaganza! This past Saturday, I was invited to attend my hometown's church women's united annual luncheon. There were 40 tables, each with a hostess and decorated by their choice of themes! Oh, I wish I could have taken a picture of each and every wonderful table there, but I took pics of only my very favorites. Even so, this is going to be a picture intensive post!

This was the first thing I noticed at the table I was invited to sit at!


Here is the whole pretty table, decorated in a snowman theme.


I was invited by my dear friend Sandy. We have been friends for going on 30 years now! Our daughters were best friends growing up, and since we were best friends too, that worked out great! We haven't seen each other as much over the years since we were both working and I moved to a different town, but she has a very special place in my heart.


Her theme for the table was "All My Friends Are Flakes." Well I sure qualify!


Here is a close up of the place setting. She planned her theme well in advance, and bought the plates and napkins and other snowman items on clearance after Christmas. She also used to be a Home and Garden dealer, so had lots of the stoneware in the snowman pattern.


She made the most adorable cupcakes! She said they weren't as easy to assemble as the instructions led her to believe, but I thought they turned out awesome!


Those of us at Sandy's table had a great time visiting and talking. Sandy served tea and coffee for something to drink, and she made the cupcakes for our dessert. Those were duties of the table hostess as well as creating the table. The event provided the rest of the lunch: fruit cups, vegetable soup, and chicken salad croissants. After lunch, we heard a men's quartet sing for us!

This was a table near us in a woodland theme. I thought it was quite beautiful. I just love that they took actual ends of logs as chargers. What a creative idea!



I just loved this table in purple. The sign on the centerpiece says, "Order my steps in Your word so that I will not be overcome by evil."


In keeping with the theme, the hostess had little feet cupcakes for dessert! I love the purple toenails. So very cute!


This daisy themed table was so adorable! I loved the denim tablecloth and the flowers.

She had great contrasting colors for the table accessories. I wonder where she got the sweet daisy plates?

At each table, the guests also received a gift from the hostess. I thought these daisy bags that the hostess made are sweet!


This tropical tablescape was so fun. I love the little tiki hit in the center! It contains knitted dish cloths as her gift.



This flamingo themed tablescape was also really fun!

I loved those flamingo cookies. I think that the guests wore the sunglasses during lunch.


I loved everything about this tablescape from the lavender colored gingham tablecloth to the adorable bandanas, and those floral plates. I wanted so bad to get a taste of the lemon cake!



This pizza themed tablescape was so creative! Her gifts were oven mitts stuffed with pizza dough mix!

Her dessert was this cake decorated like a pizza. This would be fun for a children's party.


Though I didn't think this table had a remarkable tablescape, I did think that the place setting was really pretty, especially with the pretty flower picture on an easel.


This was from another table where I only managed to get a pic of the place setting. I love those teapots with the flower cookies! Someone told me that the teapots were purchased at Dollar General. I thought they were a great idea, and they were the gifts for the guests too.


Here is a Pepsi themed table. The hostess must be a collector! I didn't know there were so many things with the Pepsi brand!



This place setting made me think of Shelia from Note Songs. It was a rock and roll theme, but it had the little notes all over the table!


I was just amazed at the creativity of the hostesses! Makes me wonder how many of them are bloggers, hmmm? I have one more tablescape to show off, but am saving that for Pink Saturday. Next Thursday I will post one of my own tablescapes.

To see more incredible tablescapes, go visit the blog of the master of tablescaping herself, Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. She has links to the posts of all participants. I promise, you will love what you see!

Happy Tablescape Thursday!

Blue Monday/ Jewelry Box

I haven't been online much lately due to having to use an excruciatingly slow computer! But I had some pics downloaded from a while ago so am able to put up a Blue Monday post. Be sure to come back on Thursday for Tablescape Thursday, because, boy oh boy, do I have a treat for you! Not just one tablescape, but several, one more awesome and creative than the next! I was lucky enough to go to an event where they had several wonderfully decorated theme tables. Anyhow, on to Blue Monday!

My brother lives in our childhood home, and it still contains a great deal of my late parents' possessions. A few months ago, he gave me my mother's old jewelry box. It's beat up and water stained, but I just love it! It's still full of some of her jewelry, and some of mine is in there too.

See the pretty blue satiny lining?


Here is the whole box. I had a heck of a time untangling a mess of those necklaces!


Here is one of her very unique necklaces. She ordered a lot of jewelry from the Shopping International catalog. I wish they still had that catalog. My mom and I just loved it! I think this might have been from India. I am trying to figure out an outfit to wear with this pretty necklace.


I just had to show you this necklace too. I think she actually bought this one at a museum in Detroit after we went there together to view a special African art exhibit. She used to wear this to work (as an elementary school art teacher) until someone pointed out that this was a little boy figure, and that they could tell because it showed his little symbolic bits and pieces! It just cracks me up that she wore this!


I sure do miss my Mom. She has been gone for almost 27 years now. It makes me so happy to have her jewelry box finally!

To find links to more pretty blue posts, visit the other Blue Monday participants at Smiling Sally's blog.

Computer Problems

Last Saturday, I was thrilled to get my computer back! I had been without it for five weeks, and without my files, and my ability to insert my SD Card into it so that I could download pics off my camera.

My joy was short lived.



I am again having computer problems and can't even get logged online. UGH!!!


I am calling my friend tomorrow and see if her husband can work on it again. This last time, the computer was down because the power source went out. I am not sure if he checked it for viruses and such. He fixed my computer free of charge so I can't complain.

So for now, no Pink Saturday. I was going to post for Tablescape Thursday as I put together an adorable tablescape that I love, but NOOOO! Wednesday is when my computer decided to sprout devil horns and refuse to cooperate with me.

In the meantime, I am using my son's ancient laptop and I can only download pics by a CD disc, This costs me $2.50 every time I take my SD Card to Walmart, so I am not a happy camper, and this limits me. Anyhow, I am going to a fun event tomorrow where I plan to take a LOT of pics (if the camera cooperates, but that's another story), and hopefully will put those on disc and post on it in the next few days.

Computers...can't live with them and can't live without them!

Blue Monday/ A great blue find!

Welcome to this week's Blue Monday! Blue Monday is brought to us by our gracious hostess Smiling Sally.

About three weeks ago, I saw this chair and another just like it but with a black seat at the local Goodwill store. At that time I thought that I had no room for another chair, and how could I justify spending any money right now? They were still there the following week. I could feel myself weakening. I decided that if they were still there this weekend, they were coming home with me!


Only one was left however, the one with the blue needlepoint seat. And baby, let me tell you, the price was right! See this tag? Yes, $5! I am sure that this is an antique.


Here is a closer view of the needlepoint. It will definitely need some cleaning.

I was thinking about trying to clean the chair up and leave it unpainted, but the more I looked at the chair, it was crying out for some creamy white paint. When I tried to pull that awful pink tag off, the thick sticky tape the Goodwill employees had put it on with came off with some of the wood! That decided it for me. This will be an upcoming project.

Thought I would get some input from you all: I found these cool white boxes in the shed at the house on Bonnie Lane, left there by the previous owners. I don't think the man who made the shed his woodworking shop wants them as he passed away last week. That saddens me very much as I had met him and his wife and they were very sweet.

Anyhow, what would you do with these white boxes? I had thought of using them to hold photos, but I think I could do something better with them. Any suggestions?


Have a great Blue Monday and be sure to check out the other blue posts on other blogs.

Pink Saturday/Bedroom Pinks

Once again, I am VERY late for Pink Saturday! This is because I didn't get my pictures to Walmart in time last night, so I had to wait until today to pick up the disc so I could download it onto this antique laptop. Some of this is my own fault for sleeping too late this morning!

Anyhow, here are some pinks in my new bedroom.

Here are pictures above my bed. At my last home, only the bottom picture was above my bed. In my house before Bonnie Lane, the above picture lived above my couch, but I didn't get around to hanging it at the Bonnie Lane house.


While going through boxes, I finally found my pink wallpockets! Well, I found one. I am still searching for the second one. You would think that I would have packed them together in the same box. Apparently not.


I added these beautiful faux flowers that I have had for several years. This now hangs to the side of the lower picture. Only flowers hang to the other side, until I find my other wall pocket!


I also found this beautiful pink mosaic candle jar that had been sitting in a box for the last couple years. It was one of my favorites and I am happy to have it out again! I think I bought it at Bath and Body a few years ago. Money from the profits was going to benefit breast cancer research. The candle inside smells like roses!


I also found this pretty clock. I got it a few years ago at Dollar General. It was already marked down to $10, but I pointed out that it had some paint chipped off the top, and asked for more of a discount. They sold it to me for $7. It never hurts to ask! Besides, they didn't have to know that I love chippy paint!


I am not posting a pic of this, but my face and chest is a little pink too because we finally had a warm sunny day, and I sat out on the patio to read my newspaper! I wasn't out there long, but that was all it took. Guess I better find my sunblock!

To find links to other Pink Saturday posters, go visit our gracious hostess Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Good news! I got my monitor back today, so I should have my computer all hooked up again tonight! Yay!

Tablescape Thursday, Freecycle, and Justine's Giveaway

I've finally decided to join Tablescape Thursday, but probably won't be doing it again for a while, because I really just don't have a lot of dishes!



Anyhow, in case anyone missed it yesterday, Justine is having a 200th post giveaway! Click on her name to get to her blog.

I just can't wait for it to get warm enough to go outside and have dinner on my patio table.

Sorry for the quality of the photos. I STILL don't have my computer back and I don't have the program to fix the pictures. Anyhow, I recently got some new plates. I'll tell you more about that in a minute. My old table runner doesn't go with my current kitchen, but it would be just fine on the patio table. I added my apple dish, a green placemat, a bowl with a juicy green apple, a $.50 blue spongeware cup from Goodwill, and an apple shaped teapot.


Here is a closer view of the things in the back. Get this, the apples are fake! I bought a bunch of them from Pier 1 a few years ago when I wanted to fill a pretty bowl with apples. The stoneware apple sugar bowl is a now retired pattern from Home and Garden Parties.


The wooden bird is actually a Christmas ornament, but I keep him out all year long. I thought he looked cute perched on the napkin. You can tell I am no good at decorative napkin folding!


Here is a closeup of my new plate. Well, it isn't exactly new, just new to me. I get the plates and the matching bowls from Freecycle! Never heard of Freecycle? Well it is just the best! It's a Yahoo group. You join a group in your town, and emails go out to the whole group when someone has something to offer. You can write if you like it, and you might be the lucky person who gets the offer! If you have a need for something, you can also post. I think Freecycle is great. Recently before the move, I had bags of clothes that I needed to get rid of. I offered them on Freecycle, and people came to my home to pick them up!


The apple teapot was part of what she had to give away. Oh yeah, not sure I mentioned that this is all free! You cannot sell anything on Freecycle or accept money for things you give to others. I love the little teapot!


She included some apple decorations too. I thought that the hutch with my spongeware could use a little extra color, so wrapped this garland of mini apples around a shallow bowl.


I thought these sprays of apples and strawberries would accent my spongeware pitcher and add some warmth.


Do you remember my rattan chair that I painted? That was a Freecycle item that I was given. This summer I was given a sack full of DVDs and VHSs and the boys were thrilled to have some new movies! Just this week, I was given 3 pairs of slacks and one pair of shorts in excellent condition for my youngest son, and they added a pair of shoes that had only been worn once!

Freecycle is just great and a wonderful way to help out others, and to get rid of things you no longer need. It's also a great way to keep things out of the landfill when they still have some life in them. Say for example you have an old couch in decent condition, and you don't want it, but don't want to have to bother hauling it out of the house. Offer it up on Freecycle, and someone will want it and will come to get it! To join, just go to Yahoo Groups and do a search for Freecycle. Click on your state, then on your town.

If I get any more free plates, I just may be able to aspire to dishaholicism!

Happy Tablescape Tuesday! To see more tablescapes, go visit our hostess Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. You'll be glad you did!

Britain's Got Talent, and Look what I won!

Wow, I have just watched the most amazing video on YouTube and I wanted to share it all with you. I don't watch Britains Got Talent, and I don't even watch American Idol, but I happened across this today. You'll see a dowdy, somewhat unattractive and prim unemployed middle age woman get up on stage and sing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables, and before the song is over, what you see on that stage seems to become an angel! Her performance brought tears to my eyes and sent chills up my spine. You have to watch the judges' reactions to her performance, especially Simon's. I still don't know how to download YouTube videos onto my blog, and embedding was disabled for this one anyhow. Click on the link if you want to be totally blown away!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY&feature=related

Last Tuesday I went to the Business and Industry Show in the county where I used to live. Area businesses set up booths and have free gifts and samples, and many of them have drawings for prizes. I have been to these before and never won anything, but have walked away with all kinds of pencils and pens, magnets, candy, and brochures.

Well this year I actually won something! I had my choice of several baskets of spa products: gels, lotions, soaps, a loofah; or I could choose the basket full of coffee and teas. I imagine I am like most women and have beauty products sitting around in boxes that I still haven't got around to using, but I knew for sure that I would drink the tea and coffee! Also, I thought the basket was prettier. It was all tied up so pretty in cellophane!

Here it is without the wrapping. I love tea and the peach tea is awesome. I also love Millstone coffee and let me tell you, the cinnamon hazelnut is great!

I just love winning thing! This brings me to my next news, Justine at Justine's Froggy Bloggy is having a giveaway in honor of her 200th post. Justine has the funniest blog, and her sister started blogging a few months ago too. Be sure to check it out and enter her giveaway!

That's all for today, except that I am remaining ever vigilant to my dog's whereabouts. He seems to be having a lower digestive system "problem" which lingers from yesterday. I am having to carefully watch every step as my carpet is dark brown. UGH! I have slippers and a pair of jeans in the washer right now due to a particularly gross misstep. Ewww! He has been funny about going out because it was cold and pouring rain yesterday and it's still wet today.

I can tell that the rest of the day is going to be fun! NOT! lol