Lori Lynn's Cottage

{ yes it is! }

2012-02-23T10:50:00.001-08:00

{ Thank you... }

2012-02-17T08:54:00.000-08:00

A million thanks for all of the prayers for my mom. She is stable and at home, but it will be touch and go for awhile. She is old and frail but certainly a fighter! Much love to you all who sent well wishes!

{ My mom... }

2012-02-13T23:03:00.000-08:00

Please pray for my dear mother. She is scheduled for heart surgery tomorrow morning. She is in a very weakened state, and chances are high that she won't make it through. She's in Arizona and I'm in Oregon....I haven't seen her in two years. Not sure if I can deal with this alone.

{ I LOVE this }

2012-02-08T12:59:00.002-08:00

For sale on Etsy..HERE.

{ Thriftin' fun... }

2012-01-25T15:07:00.000-08:00

Not much in the stores these days, but we go anyway. Thought I would share a couple treasures I found recently.

Sweet white chenille bed jacket for nighttime reading sessions in bed.....

Pretty plate and candle stick that I made a cookie plate out of......

A really pretty cotton sheet that's destined for a quilt backing.

This is so pretty..reminds me of Greengate.

This BEAUTIFUL hand painted tray for $2.99!

And speaking of thrifted sheets, here's valance I made from a sheet for our dining room window....

Lovin' it!!!

What treasures have you found lately?????

{ Not to be outdone }

2012-01-13T09:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning I took a photo of my craft room. It is my New Year project, because right now it looks like a hurricane aftermath. It's a small room, and things just get 'shoved' in there and not properly put away. I planned to post said photo for all the world to see to motivate me to 'git 'er done'. Then I got called in to work an extra shift. When I got home at 10'ish last night I decided to blog hop for awhile before turning in. Visited my good friend Deb at Garage Sale Gal and what did I find?? SHE is working on her craft room and hers looks about the same as mine!! LOL!

Here's my pic......

Heinous, isn't it? I'm embarrassed. It's got to be totally rearranged 'cuz I'm out of room. Taking out the table because I really don't 'do' anything in there. I drag my projects out to the kitchen or dining room table, so it's basically going to be just for storage. Doesn't help that it's also our home office. I need to put all of my fabric back in totes and off shelves 'cuz I'm tired of kitties using it for napping places.

Anyway, that's my closet skeleton. Hop on over to Deb's blog 'cuz she's giving away some of her 'stuff' that she's culling from her craft room. I just might do that as well, but don't hold your breath! It's going to be awhile!!!

{ To all my blog buddies... }

2011-12-31T20:37:00.000-08:00

Get picture Scraps @ orkutscrap4u.com

{ I'm speechless... }

2011-12-29T12:57:00.000-08:00

{ Our Christmas }

2011-12-28T12:27:00.000-08:00

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Ours was very nice. Had a special Christmas Eve dinner at my nephews home. Turkey, Prime Rib...the works! They have a very lovely home and it was nice to have the family together.

My sweet Grandnieces

Christmas day was spent in my jammies! Hubby slept til noon, as he works a graveyard shift 7 days a week. The puppers knew it was Christmas and Bailey couldn't wait so he stole a present and took it under the bed to unwrap and gut the stuffing out. Silly little boy!

This may be Violet's last Christmas with us so I got LOT"S of photos of her with her pressies!

Violet

Bailey

Hope the New Year brings you all you want...
and be Safe!!

{ My Christmas Card To You... }

2011-12-25T09:11:00.000-08:00

{ A Shelter Dog's Christmas }

2011-12-21T11:47:00.000-08:00

'Tis the night before Christmas and all through the town,

Every shelter is full. We are lost but not found.

Our numbers are hung on our kennels so bare.

We hope every minute that someone will care.

They'll come to adopt us and give us the call,

"Come here, Max and Sparkie. Come fetch your new ball!!"

But now we sit here and think of the days

We were treated so fondly. We had cute, baby ways.

Once we were little, then we grew and we grew -

Now we're no longer young and we're no longer new.

So out the back door we were thrown like the trash.

They reacted so quickly. Why were they so rash?

We "jump on the children," "don't come when they call,"

We "bark when they leave us," "climb over the wall."

We should have been neutered. We should have been spayed.

Now we suffer the consequence of the errors THEY made.

If only they'd trained us. If only we knew...

We'd have done what they asked us and worshiped them, too.

We were left in the backyard, or worse - left to roam.

Now we're tired and lonely and out of a home.

They dropped us off here and they kissed us good-bye...

"Maybe someone else will give you a try."

So now here we are, all confused and alone

In a shelter with others who long for a home.

The kind workers come through with a meal and a pat.

With so many to care for, they can't stay to chat.

They move to the next kennel, giving each of us cheer.

We know they wonder how long we'll be here.

We lay down to sleep and sweet dreams fill our heads

Of a home filled with love and our own cozy beds.

Then we wake to see sad eyes, brimming with tears -

Our friends filled with emptiness, worry, and fear.

If you can't adopt us and there's no room at the inn,

Could you help with the bills and fill our food bin?

We count on your kindness each day of the year.

Can you give more than hope to everyone here?

Please make a donation to pay for the heat

And help get us something special to eat.

The shelter that cares for us wants us to live

And more of us will, if more people will give.

PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHELTER!

~ author unknown ~

{ I am PO'd }

2011-12-19T13:35:00.000-08:00

I am so mad. Made a double batch of sugar cookie dough. Same recipe I've used for years. It's dry and crumbly and a fight to get rolled out. Didn't really notice the bad texture till it was out of the mixer. I have four 'slabs' in plastic wrap waiting in the fridge to be rolled and baked. Any suggestions as to what I can do to help it out?

GRRRRRRR.........

{ Christmas Dishes )

2011-11-30T23:07:00.000-08:00

Been wanting some pretty Christmas dishes and finally found what I want. Could only afford two dinner plates and two salad plates right now, but I can always add a few at a time.

Been doing a little decorating. Still need to by a few craft items to finish a couple of projects. Will share pics when it's complete! AND we're hitting all the thrift stores on Friday, so I'll be sure to share my goodie finds...if any. Pickin's have been slim lately.

More anon...

PS: Still have some Hollyhock seeds...a little bit of springtime! Email me if you want some!

{ Have a happy, hoppin'... }

2011-11-23T19:05:00.000-08:00

TURKEY DAY everyone!!

{ Harvesting Hollyhock Seeds }

2011-09-20T13:09:00.000-07:00

Who wants some????

Email me with your name and addy and I'll stick some in the mail for you!!!

Please put 'hollyhocks' in the subject line!!!!

{ Sneaking back in... }

2011-08-18T14:23:00.000-07:00

...to Blogland with pictures of the Hollyhocks I grew from seed. The ONLY thing I've ever been able to grow from seed!

AND, to everyone who worried about me and sent help, we made it through. A million thank yous.

~big sigh of relief and gratitude~

{ Wishin' and Hopin' }

2011-03-11T11:53:00.000-08:00

... for some warmth and color to show up soon!!! I'm so down in the dumps these days!! Last week was a killer! Spent Tues, Wed and Thurs passing a kidney stone. I know! Yikes! My third go-around with those demons and this was the worst!! Went to work Friday and ended up with a migraine. Good grief! Came home Monday and all of our cable was off. Couldn't pay our bill. Got it turned back on yesterday, and now I have a killer head cold!! When will it end????

Took a little walk outside to get some fresh air, and LO! and Behold! Found some greenies!!!

Sweet bulbs peeking out!!

All of my roses are budding out!!

And the pretty little violas, of which I have thousands it seems, are showing their darling little faces! Won't be long now! Can't wait to get my hands dirty!!! How about you????

{ How often do you see this? }

2011-03-02T11:25:00.000-08:00

(Click to enlarge)

This little girl brought her pet chicken in to shop with her at the Rite-Aid where I work. It was so cute that I thought I would share. Bock Bock Bock!!!

[ Dreary, snowy day off... }

2011-02-24T11:54:00.000-08:00

...so I have decided to sit and read today! My most favorite books in my collection are my vintage books. I collect Victoria Holt, Phillipa Car, Norah Lofts, Phyllis A. Whitney..among countless others. Recently I finished Rose Cottage by Mary Stewart.

From Amazon.com : Mary Stewart launched a world full of romance readers, and she invented romantic suspense. In this beautifully written gothic, Kate Herrick, a young widow in war-torn London, returns to her family home of Rose Cottage to retrieve family mementos for her Gran. When Kate arrives, she finds that the mementos have mysteriously disappeared. While looking for answers to age-old family mysteries (her single mother supposedly ran off with gypsies) Kate rekindles friendships with neighbors, kinsman, and old childhood companions. The bittersweet memories that Kate examines help her to redefine herself as a widow and as a young woman with a great need for family ties.

I enjoyed Rose Cottage very much, so I decided I'd give another of her books a go. I have decided on Thornyhold.

Also from Amazon.com: This old-fashioned gothic romance is as good as they get. When Gilly's witch aunt leaves Thornyhold to her, a house in the middle of the woods, Gilly finds that she has inherited far more than she realized. Along with the house comes a cat, a still room filled with herbs (and a missing recipe book), an attic chamber with carrier pigeons (who have secret messages), and an attractive neighbor whose young son offers the sacred and unique blessing of friendship. But Thornyhold possesses far more than even these simple offerings. The place itself seems to convoke otherworldly gifts as well: Gilly cultivates the abilities to heal and to foresee the future once she makes Thornyhold her home.

Sounds like the perfect book for a dreary, snowy day :-) What are you reading these days???

[ I just could NOT wait! }

2011-02-22T11:44:00.000-08:00

I absolutely had to change my banner. Maybe now Old Man Winter will take the hint and GO AWAY!!! His time is over!! LOL!

Yer outta here Mister!!

{ I'd almost given up... }

2011-02-17T10:37:00.000-08:00

... on Goodwill. My last three trips garnered NOTHING. Maybe I'm just getting more selective..I don't know. BUT, I decided to give it one more try yesterday. I have been looking for two specific things, and I found them both!! Yay! We've been in this house for a year now, and I haven't been able to find a valance that I liked for my big dining room window. Eureka! Check out this sheet I found at GW!! It will make the PERFECT valance, and there will be enough left to make a nightie or a sun dress!

Isn't it scrumptious???? I've also been looking for a round lace tablecloth...here it is! Not EXACTLY what I wanted, but it'll do for now.

These days I'm all about blankies and throws ,cuz it's been so cold. I don't like to turn up the heat, so we bundle up. I love it when I find pretty ones. Basil likes this one, too.

AND, I'm always on the lookout for orphaned creamers or sugar bowls. This one was 99 cents. Another piece for my collection.

Guess I learned my lesson..never give up on Goodwill!

Linking to Thrifty Thursday at Tales from Bloggeritaville!

[ OH WOE IS ME! }

2011-02-15T08:03:00.000-08:00

Just when I thought our nice 50-60 degree sunny days heralded a possible SPRING, I woke to this.....

This is the view out our front door. Dumped 7 inches since midnight and it's STILL coming down!!! Guess I will curl up with my coffee and make more of these....

Thank heavens I don't have to work today!!!!

{ Valentine's Day kisses... }

2011-02-14T06:39:00.000-08:00

...for you!

Hope you get lot's of sweet kisses today!!!

{ Nothing says SPRING like... }

2011-02-08T11:07:00.000-08:00

BUNNIES!!!

Here's a few from around my house....

Spring can't come too soon for me! How about you?

{ It's official...I'm a HOOKER! }

2011-02-04T09:55:00.000-08:00

Those of you who follow my blog will remember that I'm trying to re-teach my self crochet, and that I promised to show you my first effort. Well, after MUCH grumbling, much tearing out..stitches AND hair and lot's of internet searching...I finished a Granny Square!! Yay me! It's a little rough, but a good first. Took awhile to get the rhythm and the tension right. I finally settled on this website for instructions. Clear and concise! I plan to make a throw for the sofa, so...one down 98 to go!!

Tell me what you think... and be nice :-)

{ Goodies in the mail... }

2011-02-03T08:43:00.000-08:00

Got home from work after dark yesterday, and when I walked to the door I thought "hmm...someone left me a box of cereal. How odd."

Upon closer inspection, I discovered it to be my giveaway win from Rachel at Chippy Cottage Charm! What a novel way to ship a package!! Inside was this darling Vera Bradley bag...how she knew that I adore Vera Bradley is a mystery!

Inside the bag was a tissue wrapped bundle tied with pretty pink ribbon and a rose pin......

Oh what a pretty bunch of goodies was inside! This darling little altered slip....

And these little bits and bobs...Lace, buttons,glitter, rick rack, lovely little vintage towel..and my favorite, a sweet brooch made out of what looks to be a white hankie with a little white bob in the center.

(please excuse the poor quality of photos this morning)

THANK YOU THANK YOU RACHEL!
I LOVE IT ALL!!!

{ Romantic Homes magazine... }

2011-02-01T13:21:00.000-08:00

Anyone else have trouble with them? They have lost issues, sent several late. They keep blaming my mail carrier. I have FIVE magazine subs and they are the only ones who can't get my magazine to me in a timely manner. The February issue is out in the stores over a week now. I do not have mine. I'm really ticked off right now. Grrrrr.

{ Random tips... }

2011-01-26T09:06:00.000-08:00

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of Spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream; then beat them.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

Heat leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove; set heat to med-low aAnd heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza.

Easy Deviled Eggs :Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal; mash till they are all broken up Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy; squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done - easy clean up.

To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in the microwave next to a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and ... Ta DA! ... Static is gone.

Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, Just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.

{ Winner Winner }

2011-01-21T22:10:00.000-08:00

Well, it's nearly 10 pm and I just got home from work and decided that I really should pick a giveaway winner! So here they all are just waiting for someone's name to be plucked out!

Once again, I had MDH use his big paw to pick one....

And the winner is............................

TETE from Beyond the Garden Gate!!!!!

´*•.¸(´*•.¸♥¸.•*´)¸.•*´
♥•.*CONGRATS*.•♥
¸.•*´(¸.•*´♥´*•.¸)´*•.¸

Thank you to all who entered!

There were tons of you this time, and I wish I could send you ALL something!!!
Toodles!

{ Spring is just around the corner... }

2011-01-20T16:56:00.000-08:00

....how do I know? This came in the mail today :-)

WOO HOO!!!

{ Crass Commercial Announcement }

2011-01-19T17:09:00.000-08:00

I love pretty china. Just like most of you. I have collected a LOT of it, and now I need a new cabinet for it. BUT..in order to fit a new cabinet, I have to get rid of a bookcase. You see, I collect books, too. I have more books than I will ever ever have time to read, and more still keep sneaking their way in. So, I got brutal. I just finished loading a BOATLOAD of books on Ebay. Take them off my hands please. ~grin~. They're really cheap, and if you want to bid on some let me know that you're a bloggy friend and I'll discount them even more for you!!!

Here's my Ebay page.

{ Cute pics to brighten this dreary day... }

2011-01-18T13:21:00.000-08:00

I save SO many cute animal pics on my computer, and I thought I'd share some with you today just for fun.

SWEET BUNNIES

BIRDIES

SWEET KITTY

DARLING CORGI PUPPY

BABY MEERKATS

and this poor silly looking Hedgehog...awww!

Hope these brightened your day :-)

PS: There's still time to enter my 400th post giveaway!!!

{ 400th Post Giveaway }

2011-01-12T09:08:00.000-08:00

Wow! 400! Whoulda thunk it!!! That's quite a milestone, so I have gathered a few bits and bobs to send to one lucky commenter on this post! As always, it will be a SURPRISE giveaway!! For a SECOND chance to win, either blog about this giveaway or post my giveaway button on your sidebar. I'm going to let this run awhile, so will be picking a winner on January 20th. Lot's of time to spread the word!!!

Post edit: This giveaway is open to ALL! I will be happy to ship internationally!!!

{ Just checking in... }

2011-01-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

Checking in to see how all my blog buddies are doing! My work week is over, so on to some much needed down time. I thought our store would cease being so busy after the holidays, but that hasn't happened yet. Good for business...but not my FEET! LOL! Not much happening on the home front. Laundry and cleaning today so the rest of my days off can be lazy ~grin~.Trying to re-teach myself crochet. My grandmother taught me a LONG time ago, but it's not really like riding a bike! I totally forgot how to do it :-( I really love Granny Squares, but lately I have been enamored by Granny Circles... like this...

Doesn't look too difficult. I can do that! Once I get my crochet mojo back, I want to do this pattern....

Aren't these squares to die for??? And the colors! Oh, my! I love it!

I will be sure to show you my progress once I get "hooking" again!!! LOL!

Love to you all,

{ 2010 Retrospective }

2011-01-04T09:43:00.000-08:00

Last year at this time MDH and I BOTH lost our jobs. He worked for a solar energy company. He made good money. I was Administrative Assistant to the Academic Director at a private girls school. I made good money. We both went on unemployment to the tune of 1/3 of our former wage. Things didn't look good. We had lived in our house for 13 years. Had great landlords, loved the place, so never got around to buying a home. Just stayed put. The next hammer fell. Just when we were at our lowest in a very long time, our landlords gave us 30 days to move. The economy hit them hard and they needed to dump their home and move into ours. I nearly lost it. But fortune smiled on us and we were able to find a sweet little house that was $200 per month LESS than what we had been paying. No first and last, just a modest cleaning deposit and NO PET DEPOSITS!!! Whew! No way I would give up my babies, but most wanted 200-250 PER PET.

So now MDH delivers newspapers and I work part-time at Rite-Aid. We make it, but it's not easy. There's a lot of month left and the end of the money!!! We have down-sized considerably, and make a little extra on Ebay, but we have realized that we don't need much, so we don't need much money. We buy everything at thrift stores and yard sales.

We are enjoying our little cottage, but there's still so much to do to make it 'ours'!!! I'm not big on New Year's Resolutions, but I did make a list of what I need to accomplish this year.

INSIDE

Paint master bedroom white and make new curtains and duvet

Paint guest room pale pink and make new curtains

Paint both bathrooms white

(guest bath is lavender and yellow..ugh, and master is dark, ugly pink..good grief!)

New coat of paint in laundry room

New coat of paint on baseboards of entire house

(yes, it pretty much ALL needs painted)

OUTSIDE

Stain the back deck

Put up lattice privacy wall on the street-facing side of deck

Lay sod in back yard

Build a small potting shed

Re-do planting beds in front yard

Re-seed entire front lawn

I'm sure this list will be added to as time goes on, but right now this is about all I can wrap my head around! LOL!

Hope you all are having happy times so far this year. This is my first day off since last Thursday. Worked straight through the holiday...9 hour days. I am beat. Don't go back til Friday afternoon. WOO HOO! Maybe I can, oh, I don't know.. maybe read a book??? I forgot what that's like! LOL!!!

Happy days to all!!!

[ Have a Safe and Happy New Year My Friends! }

2010-12-31T17:01:00.000-08:00

{ Spencer's Win }

2010-12-30T09:22:00.000-08:00

Now that Spencer from Bellamere Cottage has rec'd her Holiday Happiness Giveaway package, I thought I would share what I sent her.

2 Holiday-inspired books by Nora Roberts...

2 Pretty Victorian Santa ornaments...

And a sweet little Whitman's tin of chocolates :-)

She was pleased with her goodies, and I am pleased that she's pleased :-)

Our weather is frightfully cold right now...nights are in the single digits. I'm sure most of you are experiencing the same cold snap. Ugh. Try to stay warm my friends! Hope the New Year will bring everyone their heart's desire.

Looking forward to Spring,

{ Whew! It's Over! }

2010-12-28T10:45:00.000-08:00

Wow! This was one hectic Christmas for me! I ended up having to work most of the week before the big day. Got off at 3 pm Christmas Eve and went right to my sister's house. She does an awesome Christmas Eve every year. I wish I had taken photos of her decorations. Her entire house is Country Blue and white and all of her decos are blue, white and silver. Simply breathtaking. They have a WII, and even though I was bone-tired from working, she managed to coerce me into joining her for a go at Madonna's "Holiday" on Dance Blast (I think it's called). Anyway...what fun...and what a work-out!!!

Christmas morning was quiet, except for my favorite part of the morning. That's when the puppers open their gifts. They know it's Christmas, and I can't put their gifts under the tree anymore because Bailey steals them ,takes them under the bed and unwraps them. Too funny.

Here are some photos of the fun....

This is Bailey nomming on Santa...

Violet gets a new Hedgie every year and goes straight for the nose!

Needless to say, the living room was full of stuffing in short order! Fun was had by all :-) And how was YOUR holiday???

{ My Christmas Card To You }

2010-12-25T08:57:00.000-08:00

{ A Little Something I Made }

2010-12-22T09:06:00.000-08:00

Couldn't sleep last night. so I got out my box of random Christmas cards, the scissors, the Elmer's and some glitter. Voila!!!

Probably shouldn't have used the cheap Elmer's...I forgot how it wrinkles up paper when it dries...but, oh well! It's still pretty dang cute!!!

{ Makin' stuff... }

2010-12-21T11:52:00.000-08:00

Wow! Have you all been as busy as me??? I'm sure you have :-) Not only have I had to work the last couple of days...long hours to boot, but I had to cram in my holiday goodie making as well!!! Whew!!! This year I only made sugar cookies, browned butter cookies and vanilla fudge. The sugar cookies I will skip, but here are my other recipes.

VANILLA FUDGE

* 3 Cups sugar

* 1/2 Cup corn syrup

* 1 1/4 Sweetened condensed milk (1 14 oz. can)

* 1 tsp. vanilla

* 1/2 - 1 Cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

1. In HEAVY saucepan combine sugar, syrup , sc milk and butter.

2. Cook over med - med low heat until it reaches firm ball stage.

3. Remove from heat, beat in vanilla and nuts.

4. Turn out into buttered, wax paper-lined baking dish.

5. Cool and cut into squares.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BROWNED BUTTER COOKIES

* 1 cup butter

* 2/3 cup sugar

* 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar

(I used 1 tablespoon fine sugar with 1 teaspoon pure Madagascar vanilla extract added)

* 2 1/3 cups flour

* 1 teaspoon baking powder

* Caramelized sweetened condensed milk

1. In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt butter on low heat, stirring occasionally, until browned. Stir in sugar and vanilla sugar and remove from heat. Let cool.

2. Combine flour and baking powder and beat in cooled butter mixture to form a smooth dough.

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Roll small balls of dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter.

4. Place dough balls about an inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make a 'well' in the center of cookie and place in it a small amount of the caramelized sweetened condensed milk.

5. Bake at 325 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until edges just start to turn golden.

6. Remove from baking sheet after 1 minutes and let cool on wire racks.

AND don't forget the clean-up crew!!!!

{ Winner Winner }

2010-12-16T09:59:00.000-08:00

Time to announce the winner of my

I put all the entries into a box...........

My original plan was to have MDH pick the winner...BUT.....

someone else decided that HE wanted to do it!!!

He tentatively tapped them all.....

Then said " I know the right one is in here somewhere"...(dig dig)

Then he flipped one over.....and it said.....

Congrats SPENCER from Bellamere Cottage !!!!!!!

I'll be mailing out her goodies as soon as I hear from her :-)

Thank you to all of you sweet souls who entered.
I'm coming up on my 400th post soon, so..... another giveaway!!! LOL!!!
I just LOVE to do this!!!

{ A few decos... }

2010-12-07T11:25:00.000-08:00

I have been very impressed by all you bloggers out there who have finished decorating for the holidays! And, OH, what decorations you have! I'm in awe :-) I can't seem to get in the swing of things yet. I work retail...(yeah, I know...what a time of year to have THAT job! LOL!)...and I'm pooped out most days. I have managed to get a few things done, and I'm not sure how much more I really want to do. I think I'd rather pour what little energy I have left into some BAKING! But here a re a few pics of what's been done....

Made this centerpiece from an old wooden bullet box....

Found this cute little ceramic sleigh at Goodwill and just added some pretty picks...

These are my favorite wooden candles..I've had them for years!

I may re-paint them eventually and add some glitter!

Here is our humble little tree....

Complete with cat!!!

{ Pink Saturday }

2010-12-03T22:11:00.000-08:00

I haven't participated in Pink Saturday for a LONG while! My last contribution was way back when my blog had a different name and theme! I really missed it!

I jus have a couple of things to share...

My sister found some PINK vintage ornaments for me at Goodwill yesterday. I've been looking everywhere for some, but pink ones tend to be a little spendy. These were 99 cents!

I was visiting blogs this AM and happened upon these....

I want some SOOO bad! Unfortunately the web site where they come from is all out of this design. I'm going to continue to look other places.

Hop on over to Beverly's blog...How Sweet the Sound to join in the pink festivities!

Don't forget to enter my Holiday Happiness Giveaway! You have til December 15th!

{ A Shelter Dog's Christmas }

2010-12-01T10:27:00.000-08:00

I post this poem every year during this time because I believe in the importance of taking care of our less fortunate fur-folk. My husband and I don't buy each other too many gifts, preferring to spend that little bit of extra cash on bags of dog and cat food for the local shelters. I tear up every time I read this.

A Shelter Dog's Christmas

'Tis the night before Christmas and all through the town,

Every shelter is full. We are lost but not found.

Our numbers are hung on our kennels so bare.

We hope every minute that someone will care.

They'll come to adopt us and give us the call,

"Come here, Max and Sparkie. Come fetch your new ball!!"

But now we sit here and think of the days

We were treated so fondly. We had cute, baby ways.

Once we were little, then we grew and we grew -

Now we're no longer young and we're no longer new.

So out the back door we were thrown like the trash.

They reacted so quickly. Why were they so rash?

We "jump on the children," "don't come when they call,"

We "bark when they leave us," "climb over the wall."

We should have been neutered. We should have been spayed.

Now we suffer the consequence of the errors THEY made.

If only they'd trained us. If only we knew...

We'd have done what they asked us and worshiped them, too.

We were left in the backyard, or worse - left to roam.

Now we're tired and lonely and out of a home.

They dropped us off here and they kissed us good-bye...

"Maybe someone else will give you a try."

So now here we are, all confused and alone

In a shelter with others who long for a home.

The kind workers come through with a meal and a pat.

With so many to care for, they can't stay to chat.

They move to the next kennel, giving each of us cheer.

We know they wonder how long we'll be here.

We lay down to sleep and sweet dreams fill our heads

Of a home filled with love and our own cozy beds.

Then we wake to see sad eyes, brimming with tears -

Our friends filled with emptiness, worry, and fear.

If you can't adopt us and there's no room at the inn,

Could you help with the bills and fill our food bin?

We count on your kindness each day of the year.

Can you give more than hope to everyone here?

Please make a donation to pay for the heat

And help get us something special to eat.

The shelter that cares for us wants us to live

And more of us will, if more people will give.

~ author unknown ~

PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHELTER!

{ ENJOY! }

2010-11-28T07:05:00.000-08:00

{ Holiday decos around blogland }

2010-11-27T12:08:00.000-08:00

In my travels around this awesome little virtual world of ours known as Blogland, I often come across decorating ideas that I want to incorporate into my home. Well, I thought that if I like them others will too who may not come across them! I'm all for sweet and easy,

so I thought I'd share some of my finds with you all.

Snowflake Garland

tutorial at

A Pumpkin and a Princess

Cute Chrismas decos made with CD's

tutorial at

A Recovering Craft Hoarder

Printable Paint Stick Ornaments

tutorial at

Today's Fabulous Finds

Simple Bell Garland

tutorial at

Cozy.Cottage.Cute.

That's all for today! I'll post some more as I find them, and don't forget to enter my

Holiday Happiness Giveaway!!

You have til December 15th!

{ Holiday Happiness Giveaway }

2010-11-26T09:53:00.000-08:00

Whew! Thanksgiving is over and now I can concentrate on Christmas! I refuse to even THINK about until after Turkey Day, lol.

Today is the day that MDH starts hauling in all the totes of Christmas decorations, and I know that I'll be purging a lot of them. This house is so much tinier than our former home, and I know that there is NO WAY I can use it all. Some will go to Goodwill, some will probably go on Ebay,
and a select few of my very favorites items will go to the lucky winner of my

Holiday Happiness Giveaway!!!

Yep, I'm doing it again! This one will also be a surprise giveaway. Having it be a surprise was so much fun!!!

You can enter THREE times!

1st entry: Leave me a comment letting me know what your favorite holiday decoration is.
2nd entry: Write a blog post about my giveaway and leave me a comment to let me know!
3rd entry: Put my giveaway button on your sidebar and leave me a comment to let me know!

Please make each entry a separate comment!!!

Deadline is midnight DECEMBER 15th!

Happy Holidays!!!

{ Today... }

2010-11-25T19:24:00.000-08:00

Before we sat down to dinner...
(Yes, we had turkey, too! It's on the island )

Before the clean-up. Yikes! We're messy!
Must be the champagne ~wink~

I'll leave you with a sweet photo taken early this morning.
I LOVE Flickers!

Hope your day was fun! Ours was!

2010-11-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Hope you all are enjoying your Turkey Day...and don't eat too much!!!

{Awesome Holiday Magazine - ENJOY! }

2010-11-20T10:25:00.000-08:00

You have to see this beautiful magazine! It's an on-line Holiday mag with 172 pages of luscious decorating ideas!!! Absolutely stunning!!!

((click on the picture))

Be sure to check out the archives for MORE lovely issues of the magazine!

{ Giveaways in Blogland }

2010-11-19T10:34:00.000-08:00

Good morning all! I thought I would list for you some of the great giveaways taking place in Blogland!!! You can find the buttons for these on my sidebar as well.

SHABBY CATS AND ROSES

is giving away a lovely Victorian Christmas stocking. So sweet!!!

Deadline is November 20.

WINNER! AMY of BUNNY ROSE COTTAGE

COTTAGE INSTINCTS

is having a 1000 follower giveaway of a tote bag and various other awesome items.

Deadline is 'sometime next week'

HEATHER BULLARD

is having a Christmas Spirit Giveaway.
Lots of great items, including some sweet things from

The Farm Chicks!

Deadline is November22.

A GATHERING PLACE

is giving away a beautiful Romantic Cottage Sachet Pillow.

Deadline is November 30.

TEACUP STITCHES

is also giving away a sweet pink Christmas stocking!

Deadline is November 23.

ASH TREE COTTAGE
is giving away a precious mini upholstered chair! Too sweet!

Please take a few minutes to visit these generously wonderful ladies and enter their drawings! And don't forget to stay tuned for MY next giveaway! It will start soon after Thanksgiving!

Smooches to all,

{ It's the little things... }

2010-11-18T11:42:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's always the smallest things that make me the happiest. MDH and I were out doing our Thanksgiving dinner shopping yesterday and I found the sweetest thing! I LOVE Whitman's Sampler tins...the TINY ones... I use them for everything...pins, buttons whatever. They haven't put out a new pattern for a long while...until now.

The most PERFECT shade of aqua! I am in love!
(wish I could find this design in the BIG one!)

(remember..clicking on my pics will make them bigger!)

My "Just Because" giveaway

2010-11-17T09:09:00.000-08:00

As you all know, Jody of Home and Heart won my "Just Because" giveaway on November 1st. I totally forgot to take a photo of the items to share with you! She has posted one, so hop on over and visit and see the pretties that she won!!!

Edited: Here's Jody's photo,,,,,,,,, but hop on over and visit her anyway!!

{ Soup }

2010-11-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

We didn't have a lot of money when I was a youngster. One of our go-to meals was potato soup. I loved it...still do. Since the weather has changed I have been in soup cooking mode, so the other day we decided on potato soup. I starting thinking of ways to jazz it up a bit, as the soup we usually had was just boiled potatoes and milk. Pretty boring. So I came up with this 'recipe'.

Potato Chowder with Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms and Ham

Peel and chop one medium onion. Place in skillet with one T. olive oil and 1 T. butter.

Cook on med-low till onions are golden brown and caramelized.

Add 1/2 lb. sliced and diced mushrooms.

Saute on med-low till mushrooms have cooked through. They will release their one liquid. Then add cubed, cooked ham. I use a packaged ham steak, as I always have one or two in the freezer.

Continue sauteing until you end up with this...

(This is so yummy just by itself. I couldn't keep my spoon out of it. this mixture, I discovered could be used with many things..beans, rice, whatever, but I decided to go ahead with my original potato plan.)

Peel and dice two to threes potatoes (depending on size), cover with water and boil till fork tender. Drain and put back in pot.

Add the onion-mushroom-ham mixture and cover with milk.

Heat through and serve with crusty rolls and butter. I was so pleased with the flavors that I know I will make it again and again. I might try navy beans next time.

Enjoy!!!

{ We have a winner... }

2010-11-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

Yep, we've chosen my "Just Because" Giveaway winner!!! I had originally planned to use a random number generator, but..what fun is that??? So, I printed out all of the comments, and over my morning coffee I cut them apart, folded them nicely and put them in my favorite dish.
(please forgive the quality of photos. It's rather dark in here today)

MDH was still sleeping, as he's up all night filling newspaper racks for the local paper. So I got myself dressed and went down to apply for a part-time position at Goodwill ~smile~. Just where I need to work. I'm trying to retire, but it's not working. I need to get out of the house occasionally :-)

OH YEAH! The giveaway! When I got back, I had MDH use his big paw to draw a winner.....

drum roll.......

drum roll......

Congratulations JODY at Home and Heart!!!

Yay!!! Rah Rah!! Ole!

I will send you an email toot sweet so I can get your mailing address!

MANY MANY thanks to all of you sweeties who entered my giveaway. Not to worry, I'll be gathering things for ANOTHER one for the Holidays! I rather like the surprise element..what do you think???

{ Punkin make-over }

2010-10-30T12:33:00.000-07:00

Here's the little terracotta punkin I got the other day on our thrift store run....

BEFORE

AFTER

She's so sweet!!!

{ A sad day in Blogland... }

2010-10-29T14:40:00.000-07:00

or at least here at Lori Lynn's Cottage. My beautiful GREEN PUMPKIN is already rotten. ~weeping copious tears~

Rest in peace, oh lovely one. You brought me much joy during your short sweet life :-(

With tongue firmly in cheek,

{ Thriftin' fun yesterday }

2010-10-28T12:17:00.000-07:00

Feeling a little cabin-feverish, MDH and I decided to go thriftin'. Lot's of folks were out and about with the same idea, as all the TS's were crowded. There was a holiday mood in the air, probably due to the change in the weather. I managed to snag some sweeties....

a couple cute mirrors...one to leave as is and one to paint white....

terra cotta punkin to paint white, of course, and a sweet Russian nesting doll. Unfortunately, all the little inside dolls are missing, but she's still cute :-)

three transfer ware salad plate...

three Fire King mugs...

sweet little cross stitch teacup and a little ceramic candle holder with roses...

a bunch of these to make some of THESE....

two Homer Laughlin plates in my favorite patterns....

a great Christmas topiary...needs a little work, but it's in the cutest shabby, chippy metal pot.

and lastly, my favorite find of the day. I've been needing a new reading lamp for some time. Here it is. The lamp is nothing to write home about, but, OH, the shade is to die for!!!!

It's not round...more of an 8 panel oval with the front and back middle panels being wider then the rest. I love it SO much!

Got a couple more cute things, but I'm not going to show you 'cuz they're going in MY GIVEAWAY!!!
Don't forget to sign-up!

{ A cat for White Wednesday? }

2010-10-27T00:56:00.000-07:00

The past week just shot by, and I didn't have anything prepared for WW, so I thought I'd share photos of my silly white cat. Some cats are what I call 'container kitties', some are not. This one has the CK gene in spades! He'll curl up in anything! Enjoy!

Linking up with Kathleen at FADED CHARM for White Wednesday!

{ It's brrrr cold today! }

2010-10-26T12:14:00.000-07:00

There's been a drastic turn in our weather. We went from sunny upper to 60's to dreary lower 50's in the blink of an eye...but that is typical for Central Oregon! We even got a skiff of snow last night. I wanted to go out and do a Goodwill run, but decided to cozy down in the house.

I would love to be sitting here............

reading this....

but, instead, I have decided to do this......

You see, all of my doilies and dresser scarves have somehow picked up black kitty hairs from this....

So...time for a little spruce-up!!!

What's on YOUR agenda today???

PS: There's still time to sign up for my GIVEAWAY!!!

{ A sweet giveaway }

2010-10-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

Rebecca at A GATHERING PLACE is having the sweetest giveaway!!!

You have til midnight on Oct. 29th to enter. Hop on over and see the sweet pink Christmas goodies that she's offering for one lucky entrant!

PS You still have time to enter MY giveaway as well!!!

{ That old feeling }

2010-10-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

Halloween isn't even over yet and I'm already starting to feel that old feeling of sadness that I won't be with my 'kids' for the holidays. It's a tough time of year for me. I have one dear daughter who moved her family to the east coast about 6 years ago. When they left I had three sweet grand-babies. Since they've been there, they have added two more. Two sweet little girls that I have never seen. Pictures just don't replace the feel of their soft little bodies and the smell of their hair and skin. It's difficult to feel attached to one's that you have never had any physical contact with. Our schedules and finances aren't conducive to cross-country visits, and it breaks my heart.

Well, enough of the 'poor me' drivel. I really just wanted to share the most recent photos of my kids. Taken in May of this year.

Hug your babies if they're near!!

{ Air Your Laundry Friday }

2010-10-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

Thought I would link up with Jami at Freckled Laundry for
Air Your Laundry Friday link party!

Here is the plastic bag holder that I made out of a vintage tea towel! EZPZ, and I hand stitched it while watching TV!

Thank for stopping by, and don't forget to sign-up for my

"JUST BECAUSE"

Giveaway!!!

Hop on over to Jami's blog to see all the other textile projects!

{ A little bummed }

2010-10-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

I needed some curtains for my craft room, and also needed a place to hang my vintage aprons. I came up with this cute idea....

It's pretty cute, BUT..the window is east facing and after 10 or 11 am, I get no light! The aprons make it too dark in the room, so they have to come down. ~big sad face~.

{ White Wednesday }

2010-10-19T17:22:00.000-07:00

Happy White Wednesday everyone!!!

One of my dreams is to have a white farmhouse someday, so I thought I'd share a few white farmhouse pics gathered around the interwebs :-)

My farmhouse MUST have a wraparound porch...

and I really want a sleeping porch...

lot's of trees around...

just general farmhousy-ness...

and then.....wait for it....

I see this....

WHO could resist the house from Practical Magic!?!?!

What a dream!!!!!

Thank for stopping by, and don't forget to sign-up for my

"JUST BECAUSE"

Giveaway!!!

Linking to Kathleen at Faded Charm for White Wednesday #70!!!

{ I'm having a giveaway! }

2010-10-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

I've been blogging for several years, and in the past, I have had a few giveaways for certain milestones...100, 200 posts, blog-o-versaries, etc.When we moved, back in March, I took a nearly 6 month hiatus from my blog. When I came back, I changed the name of my blog, changed the entire 'theme' of my blog, and was pleasantly surprised when I was welcomed back with open arms and enthusiasm!! Well, I missed my 300th post, AND my 2 year blog-o-versary.....SOOO, I have decided to have a "Just Because" giveaway as a huge Thank You to all of my new followers and all of the bloggers who have left such sweet comments on my posts day in - day out.

To make this giveaway special, I have decided that it is going to be a SURPRISE giveaway. I'm not going to tell you what's in it. Suffice it to say, I have been collecting pretty much daily...there are now 11 items set aside for the lucky winner, and I'm not through adding yet!!

All you have to do is leave me a comment on this post telling me how you found my blog (if you remember, that is. I know how easy it is to get 'lost' blog hopping!!) You don't need to become a 'follower', but you can if you want :-) If you post about the giveaway the get a second entry, and if you put my giveaway button on your sidebar, you get another one. Each entry MUST be a separate comment in order for the random number generator to work effectively!

This giveaway is open to ALL bloggers, regardless of which continent you live on! I'll ship anywhere :-)

You have until Halloween night, October 31st at midnight to sign-up. Please do! And tell all of your friends about it!!! I will pick a winner November 1st. I'm so excited to be doing this for all my old and new friends!

You can find my giveaway button on my sidebar complete with html for you to copy!

Lovies to you all!!!

{ Heart of the Home Party }

2010-10-12T17:14:00.000-07:00

It's time! Party on! I present to you the heart of MY home :-)

(click on any piccie for bigger view)

Nity-nite!

Linkin to NOTE SONGS "Heart of the Home" Party :-)

{ Pretties in the mail }

2010-10-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

Received a pretty package in the mail today from Jessica at Such Pretty Things. She has a new blog shop and she is selling the prettiest things you have aver seen! All pinks and pastels, florals and fun!! The packaging was just as pretty as the items I bought! Please visit her shop (and blog)

SUCH PRETTY THINGS - THE SHOP

{ Two more days... }

2010-10-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

You've only got two more days to fluff and polish your kitchens for
Sheila's Heart of the Home Party over at Notes Songs!!

Don't be square...be there! I can't wait to see everyone's kitchens.
It's my favorite room!!!

{ Having a lazy Sunday }

2010-10-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

Not much going on here today. Worked a really long shift yesterday so I'm bushed. Just been donig a little painting, a little fluffing around the house. Thought I'd share a couple piccies of some of my favorite things around the house.

Two of my vintage planters. I am addicted to hens and chicks. Have them planted in EVERYTHING!

All three of these came from Goodwill. My favorite thrifty finds.

(the photo on the left that you see in the background is me and my little sister circa 1961. The one on the right is my lovely grandmother circa 1920-ish. I treasure these photos)

You can click on all of my photos to make them larger!

Have an excellent Sunday!!

{Lazy fall afternoon...}

2010-10-08T14:25:00.000-07:00

{An outing...}

2010-10-06T15:30:00.000-07:00

The little town we live in boasts 3 antique malls and 5 individual antique stores, all within walking distance from each other. We were feeling a bit 'cabin-feverish', so we decided to take a day off and see what we could see. Driving through an old residential neighborhood I spotted the biggest birdhouse I have ever seen!!!

LOVE IT! Mind you, that fence is at least 4 feet tall to give you some perspective.

I wasn't too impressed with ANYTHING in the stores. I think it's because the prices are so high. I'm a thrift store garage sale junk shop sorta girl, and I love the thrill of the hunt. Finding an unloved TREASURE for a mere pittance is much more fun than having everything out on a silver platter with platinum price sticker to boot! SOOO, I bought nothing. Did get some ideas, tho, about what to add to my 'search list when out junkin'.

I did fall in love with something TOTALLY out of my pocket-book reach, and it was already sold anyway.

Don't you just adore it??? There are ringers in the center, and your clothes wash on the left, go trough the ringers and rinse on the right. It's actually electric and has agitators.

But, this would be more my speed...

LOL!

On the way home we passed a fruit stand and I had MDH stop so I could get a white pumpkin. I don't want to be the only one in blogland that doesn't have a white pumpkin, darn it! I found a sweet one.....

...and then I turned around and my heart went pitter-pat!!! I swooned...and "he" went into my basket....

Isn't he the most delicious shade of green???

I couldn't resist his allure, so he is now at home on my coffee table.

The weather was beautiful, we had a nice lunch out...all in all it was a pleasant day :-)

Toodle-ooooo

{White Wednesday}

2010-10-05T19:19:00.000-07:00

This week I wanted to show of how I covered my computer chair. It is simply two white cotton and battenberg lace pillow shams! I was able to gently tug one over the seat, and the other fit perfectly over the back. I used a pretty rose pin to pin down the little 'wings' that stuck out on the sides of the top. I think it looks fantastic!

Linking up with a lot of other white lovers over at Kathleen's FADED CHARM.

{frumpy rumples}

2010-10-05T09:45:00.000-07:00

No, that's not the title of a children's book...but, hey! maybe I'll write one! The story of an eccentric old village granny or some such. LOL.

Actually it's how I describe my decorating style. Don't get me wrong, I love looking at magazines and blogs showing a polished, everything-staged-nothing out of place kind of look Gorgeous. But when it comes to my own home I prefer my frumpy rumples.

My bedclothes are never perfectly straight.............

Things are hung in a slap-dash way...........

My dresser is messy...

And I bet you'd never see THIS picture in a magazine!!!!

So how do you describe YOUR style?????

Toodles!

[went thriftin' today}

2010-10-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

MDH and I took a short thrift hop to a couple stores. Found some sweet things!

Here's the lot.....

Love this frame. It's perfect as is, no need for any paint! The chair is going in the garden, and as suggested by MDH, I'm going to train a plant to grow up through it. Smart man!

Here's a really cute pink carry-all f craft supplies, a couple of darling vintage cookbooks, a couple great shelves, and some knick-knacks!

Close-up!

This is a beautiful cotton throw for the couch! Love it!!!

All in all I was satisfied with my haul today!!

Tata!

{Awesome giveaway}

2010-10-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

Deb at A Fine Feathered Nest is having a lovely giveaway. You have to see it to believe it! Beautiful! (I won her last one :-)) Here's a sneak peak...

{Eye Candy}

2010-10-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

While blog hopping I came upon this gorgeous blog. Every photo on every page is a visual delight. I urge you to spend some time there. You won't be sorry.

Blomsterverkstad

(Swedish for 'flowershop')

{Snapshot}

2010-10-01T18:41:00.000-07:00

For those of you wondering, I googled it. It's an advertising gimmick/gizmo that you add to your blog. When you click on a link within a blog it pops-up with product advertising. It's HERE if you want to check it out. This is what it says in a nutshell:

Snap Shots is the world's most popular way to give your users a more fun and interactive experience on your site or blog. It's a complete system designed to help you get more from your site.

Snap Shots uses your links to bring the most appropriate information about the sites you're pointing to. Your audience doesn't even have to leave your site to get the best of other sites.
Snap Shares gives you a portion of the ads that appear in Snap Shots and lets you do what you wish — market yourself or share them with charity.

I've nearly quit reading blogs that have it. Chaps my hide. At least with ads on sidebars I can CHOOSE to look at them.

{I hate...}

2010-10-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

"Snapshot" or whatever that box is that pops-up on links on some blogs. Very annoying.

{Cath Kidston USA}

2010-09-30T12:26:00.000-07:00

I'm sure I'm the last to know, but Cath Kidston now has a US shipping website!!! I spent quite sometime there this morning drooling over all of the lovelies!! Items still ship from the UK, but at least it's easier to shop now!

Here are my favorites... just a couple little things I put in my basket to satisfy my Cath cravings!

Gotta have it for my rooster kitchen! I'll use it every morning!!!

I am SOOO in love with this pattern!!! Provence rose. This is a sweet little pocket mirror for my purse.

I have been needing a new key fob!! Delicious!

Love this mug, but it's out of stock. ~pout~

And nothing says 'british' like an EGG COZY! How cute is that???

What are YOUR favorite Cath items????

{White Bird}

2010-09-28T21:53:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks back I showed you a picture of a sweet plaster bird found in a junk store.

Here is his 'before'...

Here is his 'after'!

Be sure to visit Kathleen at FADED CHARM for this weeks White Wednesday Blog Party!!!

{Can someone help me?}

2010-09-27T17:28:00.000-07:00

I am looking for someone who can make me a simple background...and also INSTALL it on my blog. I know exactly what I want, I don't know the first thing about making a background, and even if I did I'm scared to try to install it. I am majorly html challenged. I will love you forever!!!!!

{Today's thrifties}

2010-09-26T17:03:00.000-07:00

Not much today. Just a teeny pink McCoy planter pot and a sweet little pig planter! Love them both!!

{How do collections start?}

2010-09-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

It starts with one.....

I fell in love with this vintage swan planter. It is the perfect color of aqua. He lives outside with some sweet sedum planted in him.

Then I found a little pink one. Then I found a sweet cream Lenox swan.

I found this pretty blue one on Ebay.

Next came this lovely flowered one.....

Two more were found at Goodwill yesterday.

VOILA! A vintage collection is born!!! I remember my grandmothers back patio and all of her old planters. She grew a lot of cactus in them, but the pots were always eye candy to me.
Don't know why I chose swans :-)

Today I am linking to

{A finished project}

2010-09-24T12:41:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love to say "It's done!"? Doesn't happen often around here. I usually have tons of projects in various stages of 'undone-ness', but I finally finished something!!!

Remember this mirror from a few posts ago?

FINIS!!!!!

It hangs in the laundry room now. Really brightens up the room!

I wasn't really sure whether to paint the hooks white, too. What do you think???

{I'm in love}

2010-09-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

Isn't she lovely??? (Too bad her little foot is broken off..but what do you want for 99 cents?)

{Thriftin' Again}

2010-09-16T11:26:00.000-07:00

Tuesday MDH and I had to go into the 'city' to do some errands. We live in a little country town with not a lot of good thriftin' opportunities, so we thought we'd kill two birds with one stone (hmm..I really don't like that analogy, being a bird lover and all) and hit the Thrift Store's there ( or Charity Shops, if you're British ~grin~). I did find some pretty niftie thrifties!

This DARLING little chippy kids chair and iron planter thingie. The chair is perfect as is...it will go in the garden with a planter on it next spring. The iron planter will, of course, get a coat of white paint and hang on the shed wall near my potting bench...next spring.

MDH found this neat thingie...he thought the box was cute and interesting.

A small Gooseberry pattern Pyrex bowl in BLACK. Not easy to find. And a sweet little refrigerator dish.

A sweet little vase. I collect all manner of items in this pattern, as do a lot of folks

whose blogs I read. I just love it!

A lovely Moss Rose pattern bowl.....

A sweet blue satin dresser box. I have never seen one like this before with all of the small compartments.

Last but not least, this precious Rosina teacup and saucer. Yum.

What treasures did YOU uncover this week???

{A Sad Fall Day}

2010-09-14T23:45:00.000-07:00

I'm always a little sad when the day comes to wash and put away the hummingbird feeders.

Farewell little jewels until next year! Safe trip south!

{This Weeks Thrifties}

2010-09-13T01:50:00.000-07:00

Just a few cuties...

I love the little blue dish, even with it's little chip. Gives it charm.

{A Perfect Sunday Morning}

2010-09-12T11:19:00.001-07:00

2010-09-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

{It's A Beautiful Day}

2010-09-10T11:13:00.000-07:00

off with the old, and on with the new....

'cuz the sun is shining and there's a sweet breeze!!! Fresh!!!

(White Wednesday again}

2010-09-07T22:21:00.000-07:00

Went to our favorite nursery last Saturday because they were having an end-of-season sale. (You can see pictures of this awesome place in this post) Bought several perennials, including this sweet double Shasta Daisy. I love how it looks like a fuzzy pompom!

I also found the mock orange I've been hunting for...a Minnesota Snowflake!

It looks like this now...

..and I'm hoping that next year it will look like this!

Be sure to visit Kathleen at FADED CHARM for this weeks White Wednesday Blog Party!!!

{Ticking Love}

2010-09-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love pillow ticking?? All of the pillows in my home

boast a sweet ticking cover underneath their cotton pillowcases.

(Even my vanity stool has it!)

Sweet Puck likes his ticking pillow on his favorite nite-nite spot!!!

{A couple thrifties}

2010-09-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

Not much at Goodwill this week :-( Pickin's have been pretty slim lately. Did find a couple cuties...

Love this storage box! The print reminds me of old feed sack fabrics.

Love the pink birdie on these Christmas picks!!

I usually don't buy sheets unless they are 100% cotton, but I love the print on this one. May be destined for curtains in my little guest room!

LOVE this book!

What great thrifty goodies did YOU find this week???

{White Wednesday}

2010-08-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Garden Phlox in vintage milk bottles...yum!

Hop on over to FADED CHARM and see all the beautiful WHITES for this week!!!

Happy White Wednesday to all!

{Beatrix Potter}

2010-08-31T10:48:00.000-07:00

It has always been my dream to live in the British countryside, preferably Wales, but the article on Beatrix Potter in the current issue of Victoria, has me longing to visit the Lake District of Northern England. I have never seen anything so lush and green. It is a beautiful article..one to not be missed.

Beatrix Potter has always been a favorite of mine...sweet and timeless. Who doesn't love Peter Rabbit, Miss Tabitha Twitchet and the myriad of other sweet creatures she wrote about?

And I so loved the movie Miss Potter with Renee Zellweger!
A sweet portrayal!

I recently discovered that Susan Albert Wittig, who wrote the China Bayles herbal-based mysteries, also has written a series called The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter. Gads! Where have I been??!! I recently purchased the first one.......

...and with the first few pages, I was smitten :-) Today is my day off from work...the dishes need done, the bedsheets need changing...and all I want to do is sit and read this lovely little book!!!

More anon,

{Some thrifty finds}

2010-08-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

Out and about yesterday to pick up a picnic table found on Craigslist (of course it will be painted white), had to stop at a junk store that I rarely get to. Found this excellent mirror with hooks.....

...will be painting it white, and it's going in the laundry room.

Also found this sweet plaster bird. It's actually quite large, about 13" tail to nose. Guess what color it's going to be???? Yea, you guessed it...WHITE! I''ll be back with pictures once they're done!!!

Talk at ya later!

{Roses for White Wednesday}

2010-08-25T09:45:00.000-07:00

I am participating in my first White Wednesday! It is my hope that some of you may

be able to ID this sweet little white rose I have in my front yard.

I t is a diminutive 18" tall, and the flowers are doubles! They are so sweet, and I'd love to know the plants ID!

Hop on over to FADED CHARM and see all the beautiful WHITES for this week!!!

See ya!