Fine Artist

Isn't it so much fun to stumble upon amazing talent? I found this wonderful blog while searching for beach decor. No she doesn't have anything to do with it, but as you know while surfing the net you click on one thing and then another and that leads you somewhere else. It's like being ADD. Seriously, sometimes I get on for one thing and end up somewhere else entirely, only to realize an hour has flow by. See here I am to tell you about her giveaway and blah blah blah I go. Anyway, this painter is amazing! Her work is just gorgeous and she is offering a giveaway on her blog right now. Wanting good karma and all I decided to share it with all of you lovelies out there. So please stop by and have a look for yourselves. Her name is Lara Harris . She will paint something you treasure.




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2 great etsy finds!

Look at this ADORABLE little cottage pin keep. I love it! I just love unique items like these. It is a charming little necklace. I bought it and these 20 yards of fibers. Aren't the scrumptious?!
The etsy shop is: NeedleTraditions . What a neat find. I just love etsy and the artists behind the wonderful stuff! Whenever I have money go into my Paypa, I usually try to find something to craft with. Love it! Love it! Love it! It's more fun to shop on etsy and know that another artist is benefitting the sale. Plus you get something great in return.

Quick and Delicious Meal

Ingredients
1 bag salad mix
1 roasted chicken
1 c fancy shredded cheddar
1 sm pkg grape tomatoes
Italian dressing
loaf of bread
butter

This meal couldn't be any easier to prepare and it's perfect for a summers evening or for a lunch. Simply harvest lettuce from the garden or buy the prewashed salad , make a circular pattern on the plate with the leaves, then top with chunks of roasted chicken from the prepared foods section of your grocery store. Top that off with some grape tomatoes and a sprinkling of fancy shredded cheese. We love Robusto Italian dressing and I buy fresh artisan bread to go with it and a glass of your favorite beverage. Voila! It looks elegant and yet it's light and cool for a hot evening. Enjoy!


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Charleston, Here we come!

The historic homes in Charleston, SC are huge. I absolutely love the porches, don't you?
Most of them have fans and pale blue ceilings to emulate the sky. So pretty.
Hmmm...dahling which veranda shall we have tea on? Cocktails?
The craftsmanship is exquisite. The details are extraordinary and the setting is sublime.
Look at this baby out on the water. Think of the parties you could throw in a place that large. James...would you bring up the boat please. lol We leave for Charleston next week. I can't wait. They have excellent seafood and beaches and the plantations are quite interesting with lovely gardens. There will be spanish moss draped in the trees and street lined with big shade trees. So romantic.

Busy Bee

This past weekend I got busy outside doing some weeding and painting.

Okay, so I do know how to sew but let me just begin with my sewing machine in it's case is buried in my craft room and I didn't feel like dealing with it so instead I used this cool tape you can buy at any sewing center/Joanns/ Walmart, etc. and all you have to do is crease the fabric at the hem and then put the rough side up inside the crease and press. Voila! I made a guick no sew tablecloth for my front porch table, as I could not find one that I liked in my color scheme. So there you have it. Two ends hemmed with the tape and the sides were already finished so it can't get much more simple than that folks. Maybe took me 10 minutes total.

Here we have 8 window boxes that were looking like they needed a little pick me up so I painted them with exterior paint in Java Brown. Yum! Makes me want some coffee now.

Here they are in all their glory. Yes, the pots were simply sat in there for the tme being so I could snap the photo for you all. I just bought 10 more pots of flowers to add to them. Well mom bought me 8 and I bought 2 more. She's so sweet! Came to visit me for 2 days.

Okay so I love Craigs List for buying and selling furniture. I know kind of a scarey place right now but I got this desk for $15. Woohoo! I know it's very loud. Trust me though, it's going to be great.
So, I painted the legs, sides and the drawer black and now I need my DH to help me lift the new top onto it. The one on it is in perfect condition but it is a tad small for my daughter to spread all of her homework out on so we will be screwing the larger top onto it and then I will paint it, also. I was thinking of doing some fun border on it or writing in cursive in french or something on it like I've seen in Ballard Designs. I love them! They have such wonderful decor but a tad pricey with the shipping.
By the end of the day, I came in got a shower, and went out to the garden to cut some lettuce for a salad and we had steaks on the grill, baked potatoes and salad. Oh and I enjoyed a glass of wine while I was preparing our meal. The perfect ending to a very busy day.

Hope you are having a lovely week. I am lookng forward to tomorrow. TGIF! I love weekends!

New bath on the way

Do you see what I see? Our new jacuzzi tub is in. Well, sort of. Our contractor is working pretty fast. Day 1 was demo and today, day 2 he put in a new ceiling, the tub, moisture resistant walls and hardibacker board on the floor. The tiles for the walls are 8" x 10" and they will be layed out in a brick pattern than the bronze border and the small chair rail will run through the middle and all the way around the bathroom. The floor tiles are 13" x 13" and will lay in a diamond shape pattern. I love this bronze border. It looks so elegant in person. I'll have more photos as we progress. Day 3 is electrical and plumbing. No need for pics.

Ahhh...the front porch

I love to spend time on the front porch in the warmer months. Now is the perfect time as it is in the hi 60's and 70's. This little gem was found on clearance at Targette. Okay, Target for $12. These gorgeous impatiens were given to me by a lovely little lady by the name of Judy. She spoils me every year with a huge pot of flowers for my porch. A hummingbird just visited.

This is the lounging corner of the porch. See I am writing you from that big comfy chair. There is an adult softball game going on in that park across the street right now. The park is wonderful. Always hosting barbecues, basketball, soccer, softball and baseball games in the spring and summer months.

Chance is curled up on the settee right next to me. I swear we should have named him Shadow, as he is mine. Such a loving little fella. He looks like a powdered donut when he is all curled up.

Some fun things going on around here. One is my bathroom is being renovated. Yep, gonna have a jacuzzi tub and all. Woohoo! I have been picking out tiles and paint and accessories. I will show them to you in my next post.