Wednesday, February 29, 2012

A Winter Picnic

It's my motto!
I learned it from my mom!
My Aunt Judy, see her wonderful blog here,
gave me this little plate...
isn't it the "sweetest"?
Under the sky blue sky...
we gather ....
With the warm winter sun....
casting it's glow all around.
China cups and
 a silver pot with steaming hot tea.
A "room" with a view.
My Mom Mom's candlewick dishes...
add the sparkle I love!
Mom Mom's Sheridan silver reflects the world around!


China cups are marked
3541- Georgiana
M Japan.

I found the sugar container at a local thrift store.
My mom uses one like this for my grandma's powder creamer....
It makes me smile each morning to get my sugar
out of something so pretty!
The candlesticks and candles 
were all gathered from different
thrift stores over the past few months.
Home Made Auntie Annes
(thanks to Wayne and the kids!)



My friend, Elyce, surprised me last year
with this wonderful handmade picnic blanket!
The pink edging is simply
the icing on the cake!

Thank you for joining me today on my Winter Picnic!

I am linking to 
at Between Naps On the Porch!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

It's a small, small world

My family has always enjoyed a good
music show.... and now
with the onset of reality TV there is plenty to choose from!

The X Factor
The Sing Off
America's Got Talent
and our favorites...
The Voice
and 
American Idol.

Last week
 American Idol announced
their top 24!

How cool that out of the top 24
we have connections with two!

Eben Franckewitz
lives locally and goes to my church!
We saw him in the lead roll of
Tom Sawyer, this past fall!
Sing
Act
This 15 year old can do it all!

Phillip Phillips
is my friend Amanda's cousin!
Phillip is ultra talented too.
His voice and personality
shine every time he sings!

What a small world!

Both photos are from the American Idol website!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Sunday, February 26, 2012

My Three Chairs

Wayne and I have been on a quest for
new side chairs for our dining room table.
We finally found what we were looking for...
of all places...
in our shed!
These mismatched chairs belonged to my
Pop Pop and Mom Mom.
Some sanding...
and a few coats of White Satin spray paint
and
some material to match our "blue print blue"!
And we ended up with...
this!


Each chair has it's own personality!



We are looking for one more chair
to complete our set!

I am linking to the following parties:

Between Naps On the Porch 

at Savvy Southern Style

at DYI by Design

I  finally got my Linky Followers up and running!
I would love if you followed either by
Linky Followers or traditional GFC!
Thank you!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Downsized

I never would have thought just little over a year ago,
that we would have
downsized.

Downsized our house
 from this to
this.

Our old house had
6 bedrooms
4 full baths
2 laundry rooms
2 kitchens
you get the point
bigger than these

4 people and 2 dogs needed.
(Wayne was taking the photo!)

Funny when we started to evaluate
what rooms we lived in, I mean really spent time in,
we narrowed it down to
the family room
the kitchen
the breakfast room
and of course the
 bedrooms.

We were blessed to have been able to design and
build our old home!  And it served us well for 7 years.
But two years ago I started
hearing God speaking to my heart...
downsize.
So we started looking for where
He would lead us to go.

In His wisdom and grace
He led us here

Our 3 bedroom
2 1/2 bath
HOME!

We have been richly blessed!
In keeping with a recent blog trend of
"keeping it real"
the journey hasn't been all rainbows and unicorns!
If you regularly follow my blog,
you know that we spent most of last year
gutting and rebuilding the new house.

We encountered...
termites
asbestos scares
exploding grinder blades,
rust in the eyes... not once but twice,
fatigue like I've never known before,
misordered doors and windows,
kids who lived on Ramen because
the parents were "at the house",
the 6 of us "practiced" downsizing
by cramming into a 
small 2 bedroom apartment
for 5 months,
multiple leaky ceilings
to name a few.
Just keeping it real!

Through it all God provided!
His strengtht, His love, His healing
and in the end
we were better for it.
Stronger
Wiser
 I might even add 
Happier!

Now, on any given night of the week
you can find us here
watching reruns of NCIS.
Or here
whipping up dinner, cupcakes
even an art project or two!
or here
 at the table eating together!

Life is an adventure and whether
we were in the big house,
tiny apartment
or
 our new "just right" home
we are a family.

And
We are Blessed.