Living With Thanksgiving

It's hard to believe it is already January 18, 2018! I've been putting up Christmas, purging and organizing and I still have a long way to go but I am making progress. I get so involved with life that I don't blog consistently which I'm sure you have noticed. I have so many good intentions and make pictures and don't use them. Today, is a catch up day with a little of this and that.

Do you watch the make over segments on the Today Show? Our hometown had a winner in December! In fact, Kay is a part of my lunch group that I blogged about here at Eddie's barn! Doesn't she look fabulous? Since Kay's son-in-law is in Iraq she took her daughter and two granddaughters to New York City as an early Christmas gift. She knew they didn't want to be at home trying to have a normal Christmas without dad at home so she told them she wanted to treat them to a trip to NYC. As soon as they got to New York City the girls told her they were taking her to The Today Show in hopes to be chosen for an ambush makeover. They told her to show up with no make up, messy hair and looking rough. They were standing outside in the freezing cold at 5:45 a.m. so Kay said it was not hard to look rough at that hour. Kay has been quite a celebrity in our hometown. Her picture was on the front page of both our local newspapers. In fact, I am quoting here from The Southeast Sun article by Michelle Mann. Would you believe I googled and got the entire article? The girls held up two signs. One said,"Three generation girls trip." The other sign said, "This lady is an Army wife, retired; an Army mom, Army mother-in-law; Army aunt; and, Air Force aunt. She's been supporting troops for 49 years. Please make her over." Kay's son is currently in Saudi Arabia and son-in-law is in Iraq so please remember this military family's service to our country.

Do you recognize anyone in this picture? My husband and I enjoyed having dinner with Pam and Butch Richardson from Everyday Living back in November in Birmingham, Alabama. We have so much in common and easily spent a number of hours over dinner at Bottega.

Pam and I met for the first time in July of 2016 where we enjoyed a long lunch talking blogging at Chez Fonfon in Birmingham.

S Speaking of bloggers, Eilis from My Heart Lives Here, Kitty from Kitty's Kozy Kitchen, and I met for lunch at Rise, in Dallas, Texas. I was sorry other Texas bloggers missed a fabulous lunch and couldn't come that particular day. Some were sick and others had appointments. I was in Dallas visiting my son and family only a few days. I hope to get together another time with the others. It has been fun to meet bloggers in person. I've met Emily @The French Hutch, Ricki @ The Sketchy Reader, and Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch but I don't have pictures. We were so busy talking we all forgot! I also met a number of southern Alabama bloggers when I was able to attend one of their meetings. There I met Jenna @ The Painted Apron, Leslie Ann Tarabella , Hope @ Crafty Hope and Kim @Cozinest which is now inactive. I recently read a blog post from Carol @Blue Sky At Home about finding your why in blogging. One of my primary reasons in "Why do I Blog" is that I enjoy the relationships. Seriously, I would like to meet each and every blogger I have known through blogging since Thanksgiving of 2009. I have learned something from each one of you and feel a special kinship.

In another this and that category, My husband and I were in Whole Foods in Montgomery, Alabama, recently and we were randomly picked to win a $50 gift certificate and this nice book. We redeemed the certificate that very day. I was told they are randomly choosing winners each day in January!

On the way home from Montgomery we had an unexpected encounter with a deer. The deer came out of no where in broad daylight. It happened so fast and neither of us saw it. After the impact my husband looked in the rear view mirror and saw the deer spinning round and round before stopping. It went under the car. He pulled the car over and we accessed the damage thankful we were unharmed. It was a very cold day and it would be dangerous to walk back to see the dead deer so we did not. My husband called the sheriff's office to report the deer in the road. A nice couple traveling behind us that saw the incident stopped to see if we were hurt.

Remember I told you I had been cleaning out and organizing. I ran across my John Meyer outfit from college! I had wool knee socks the same color as the sweater, an off white blouse with a pleated front and Peter Pan collar and I wore saddle oxford shoes! I wish I had saved the shoes, blouse and socks! I loved this outfit!

And would you believe my Barbie doll!!!!! The clothes are in pretty good shape from all these years. I have several catalogs, too. Remember how one came with each outfit? Oh, how I loved my Barbie things.

My children will have to be the ones to throw or give these away!

This is the original box my Barbie came in. Notice the price was $2.98. The little catalogs show some of the outfits shown in the earlier picture. I had the pink negligee set, the Golden Girl sheath dress and the Peachy-Feecy coat.

And do you remember these lovely hair curlers? Now, I might part with these! The treasure box is very old because I had it in elementary school! I have an autograph book from elementary school, also. I am a hopeless sentimentalist!

This alligator belt with a monogrammed buckle was a birthday gift when my husband and I were dating. He said he remembered it was the first gift he had ever given a girl! I can still buckle it but it is rather tight. It was fun to share a little of this and that from my life today. Hope you all have a wonderful week.

Joining: Gardens Galore, Metamorphosis Monday Botanic Bleu Show and Share The Scoop Celebrate and Decorate Inspire Me Tuesday Wow Us Wednesday Tablescape Thursday Share Your Style Party ,Share Your Cup, Full Plate Thursday,Thoughts of Home Foodie Friday Feathered Nest Friday Dishing It & Digging It Calypso in the Country, Sunday's At Home

Monday, January 15, 2018

Shades of Blue Tablescape

January 15, 2018 15 comments Kitchen Bar tablescape

Today, I'm featuring my kitchen bar with a tablescape for three people. Purple alstroemeria in mason jars flank a blue and white bowl of apples for a centerpiece.

I enjoyed mixing all the shades of blue and several textures.

Table top includes aqua Paula Deen plates, various patterns of World Market bowls, Williams Sonoma flatware and napkins, glasses and placemats are so old I don't remember where I bought them.

I'm still enjoying my daughter's art work. She custom painted the abstract landscape over the sink for me. I am so proud of her. She took one year of art in junior high and one in high school. Otherwise, she is self taught. You can view more of her art on Instagram@amschnorrenberg_art. I like her chic business name, Vert et Bleu.

Fresh flowers and fresh fruit are cheerful and I need to eat an apple every day to keep the doctor away during this flu season. And totally off the subject I saw blue birds and robins in my yard this morning. That really made me happy! It is so cold here in south Alabama! Stay warm and well. The flu is everywhere!

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Girlfriend Brunch at Eddie's Barn

December 27, 2017 21 comments Farmhouse Christmas brunch

This is my weekly lunch bunch, gathered at the "barn" of my longtime friend, Eddie, for a delicious Christmas brunch in the weeks before Christmas.

Visiting Eddie's barn is always a treat and her barn all decorated for Christmas was especially fun.

Close up of sculpture on the fireplace.

Centerpiece on the bar.

Additional round table with a cute cloche centerpiece. I loved the vintage bottles in the cloche as a vase.

Her bottle collection in the kitchen window catches your eye. All the different colors are attractive. All these photos were taken with my iPhone in a hurry. You know, I didn't want to miss out on any conversation.

This round table with a floor length quilt was lovely set for drinks and dessert plates. I wish I had taken a full view. The vintage blue plates were so pretty.

Everyone loves coming to Eddie's. She has a special knack for displaying her collections and serves fabulous food.

Notice the turkey feathers on the top of the tree. Her husband is a big turkey hunter.

The wooden boxes under the tree are antique egg boxes. Eddie has chickens and always has a good supply of fresh eggs.

Blades from a windmill make a interesting wall hanging.

I love her McCoy pottery, majolica and cute bottle trees.

Eddie is an amazing cook and we all know the food will be wonderful!

Wow, can you believe Eggs Benedict casserole and we also had baked oatmeal topped with pomegranate seeds, and individual congealed salads!

The long farm table seated fifteen people.

This was a hurried snapshot of my plate. Sorry, I didn't get a picture of our dessert which was a scrumptious lemon torte. Truly, Southern Living magazine should do an article about Eddie's barn. Do you remember the last post I did about Eddie's barn? You can view it here.

P.S. There was a glitch when I published this post. I have no idea why the words wrapped on the side of one picture about the bottle collection above the sink!! Joining: Gardens Galore, Metamorphosis Monday Botanic Bleu Show and Share The Scoop Celebrate and Decorate Inspire Me Tuesday Wow Us Wednesday Tablescape Thursday Share Your Style Party ,Share Your Cup, Full Plate Thursday,Thoughts of Home Foodie Friday Feathered Nest Friday Dishing It & Digging It Calypso in the Country, Sunday's At Home

Sunday, December 24, 2017

Wishing you a very merry Christmas!

December 24, 2017 10 comments

Merry Christmas from our family to yours. Thank you for friendship over the years. Celebrating Christ's birth.

Thursday, November 30, 2017

Christmas at my house

November 30, 2017 37 comments Christmas Holiday Home Tour

Merry Christmas from our house to yours. May the glow of lights and decorations welcome you and warm your hearts as we celebrate the joy of Christmas.

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting father, Prince of Peace." Isaith 9:6

Please join me and sixteen other bloggers as they share in a Holiday Home Tour sponsored by Chloe Crabtree@Celebrate and Decorate. Schedule is at the end of this post.

My mother painted this ceramic Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus. I didn't realize it but she wrote her name and the date on the bottom of each piece. They are dated 1970.

Lladró Nativity

I even decorate the bathrooms.

Our tree is filled with 46 years of memories!

Giving is a joy and isn't it awesome when you know the person receiving your gift really liked it!

My granddaughters like having their own little Eiffel Towers.

The vintage Christmas Carol songbook was my mothers and is very meaningful to me. I love it's beautiful illustrations. The caroler music box plays Silent Night. It was purchased many years ago in Columbus, Georgia, while my husband was stationed at Fort Benning.

The Flight to Egypt Goebel figurine grouping was a surprise gift from my husband. He found it on Ebay for me. It says 1961 on the bottom. I love them.