Relaxation....

Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labour by taking up another.
~Anatole France

Did you have a chance to relax this weekend? I did a little treasure hunting and went to the fruit stand. We spent a little time at the book store and had a cookie with coffee. The cookie was so good I decided to go home and bake some! I added some dates in with the raisins. They were so YUMMY!

It rained on and off most of the weekend. But, my flower gardens need it so bad; I didn't mind much. It made the weeds easy to pull!

Have a great week!

Make Mine Pink Friday

This Friday, we are decorating the Beach Cottage.



Welcome your friends with this sign.

These collector plates will be a great addition to your beach decor.

Along with this colorful lamp.

The details on this ship's wheel clock are fantastic!

Leaping dolphins in brilliant shades of blue provide the perfect aquatic accent to your bathroom! There are two sets to choose from!

A beautiful patchwork design sends happy dolphins leaping across your bathroom on high quality, ceramic tissue box, soap dispenser, toothbrush cup and bar soap holder.

I hope that you have a fantastic Friday!

The Beach Cottage

"One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach; one can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few"

~Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I love the beach! Growing up on the Gulf Coast was fantastic. Spending summers at the beach with family and friends, I have such fond memories.

This Make Mine Pink Friday, we are going to celebrate the beach! Please come back and see what delightful things we have to offer!

Blessings

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love. ~ Marcus Aurelius

I try and take a little time every day and show some gratitute for the blessings in my life. And, right now, I'm blessed with a mess! I'm working on getting organized! It seems to be a work in progress, though! I am always trying to find something that doesn't seem to be where I thought I'd put it! Like the extra rechargeable batteries for the digital camera! Can't find them!

How do you do it? I really do need all this stuff! I have taken more trips to the Goodwill this year than I care to count! Maybe those batteries were in one of the purses that I donated? Hmmm......I just don't know.

I thought that this week I would feature an item that is pretty and functional! I can put all kindsof stuff in here! Fabric, books, jars of buttons......

And, another blessing in my life...

The zinnia's and cosmo's have started to bloom! Those seeds have just taken forever! We planted them at the same time that we planted the sunflowers and they have been blooming since May!

I guess the good thing is that the flowers just keep coming! Hope you have a great week. ~Shelly

Welcome to Make Mine Pink Friday

This weeks theme is teatime! I just love tea parties! Don't you? You can find these pretties, here! This sweet cherub makes a beautiful keepsake set! Today, I've posted some pieces that you can add to your collection.

This set of 3 teacups and saucers come with the stands for display. You can group them all together of spread them out!

This charming set is decorated with flowers and a sweet fairy!

If you love subtle charm, this blue and white set is for you!

This pink and white set with pretty flowers would make a perfect gift!

And, for us big girls....we all need one of these! This is so beautiful, it makes a great plant stand when you're not using it to hold teacups and saucers! Hope you have a great Pink Friday!

Thinking and Creating

We think and live in our thoughts. That is what and where creating springs from.
~Alfred Muma

I had a great weekend. I was able to read a little, knit a little, bake a little. We found an Estate Sale (for another post) and even shopped a little! Then we visited one of the big box stores and found a wine tasting! We brought this bottle home to enjoy.

I have been thinking a lot about the kind of life that I am living and what's most important to me. It's the simple things. I enjoy finding an old piece of furniture and giving it a new life. Growing flowers in my garden. And, I would like to try veggies, too. I am going to build a square foot garden soon. Hopefully next weekend; the weather is just crazy! Let's see how little effort it takes to live a simple life!

Don't forget to check out our Featured Item of the Week! It's one of our most popular items and has been discounted for this sale! Also, shipping is only $10 no matter how many items you order.

Kitschy Kitchen Ideas

Yummy homemade chocolate cake! The kitchen is almost my favorite room in the house! It can have so much personality. Today our Make Mine Pink Friday features kitchen ideas. Welcome your guests with a bold statement! Does your kitchen decor reflect a collection of some sort? Maybe a fun whimsical environment is your choice? I just love the personalities of these guys!

Don't you just love functional and stylish? And elegant? Chic and Shabby? A chandelier will set the right tone inside or out! You can browse our kitchen accents, here.

Hope you get some ideas for your Chic and Shabby Home! ~S

Happy Moments

This week has gone by so super fast! I just can't believe it's already Thursday!

I was hanging out with my son, yesterday. He’s 22 and doesn't live at home any more. He comes by often, though; so when I get to spend time with him it's a pleasure. I just can’t believe how fast these years have gone by...

I met him to look at a truck he was interested in buying. I'm so proud of him. He works for a plumbing company and is going to school. I enjoy talking to him about his job; the projects that he works on are primarily new construction, so it's interesting to me, too!

He needed something newer than his '91 Honda wagon! (Not anyone's hand-me-down, he wanted a wagon; something about the trunk space and speakers. He looked long and hard and lucked up with one that belonged to an older couple; imagine that :~) who had taken meticulous care of it.) Well the speaker thing didn't last. I think he outgrew that phase faster than even he expected. The wagon has been a good car for a couple years, but he's ready to take on some responsibility, now.

So, he bought this truck! And bonus; Molly can ride in the back seat! She's gonna love that!

Cherish all your happy moments; they make a fine cushion for old age.
~Booth Tarkington

Don't forget to join me and my pink sisters tomorrow as we celebrate Pink Friday. Our theme this week is "Kitschy Kitchen Ideas". When you click the link you will see a list of the participants. You don't want to miss it!

Enchanted Places

There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.

~Elizabeth Lawrence

I look forward to playing in my flower garden. We've had very little rain here and have had to water frequently! When the sprinklers are on all the birds come to play at our house! I have had the most fun watching them. They splash and drink and call their friends to join them! I would like to add a birdbath and a fountain or two! I think that it'll be fun to have them in the garden and hope that the birds like them too! I have some great prices on the fountains in my store now, if you want to take a look, too! Happy Gardening!

Rule breaker?

"It was a style of beauty, of which elegance was the reigning character."
~Jane Austen

Do you love to mix different styles? I do and I think it's so much fun! I was looking for something in my stash; and instead found these!

"If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun."

~Katharine Hepburn

Hope you have a great day! ~S

Weekends are for...

Whether you come to visit or just to rest, when you enter our door may your heart be blessed.

~Anonymous

Don't you just love summer and the fruits that she brings? I could not wait for this weekend and specifically peaches! I was planning to make a peach cobbler, but instead found a recipe that my grandmother gave me when I was just a girl. I had the most fun making her Fruit Pudding Cake. Maw-maw just wrote the recipe on a piece of paper when I visited during a summer. I have no idea how I have been able to hold on to it all of these years!

The paper is a little worn and can you believe that I got non-stick cooking spray on it, when I sprayed my pan?! geez, I guess that's what happens when you use these things! I am going to find one of those protective sheet covers and slip it in; soon!

I peeled about half a dozen or so peaches. Mixed my batter...she said that it should look like pancake batter, hmmm...

Pour the batter in the pan and then put your fruit on top. Yes, on top!

I baked my pudding cake at 350 degrees for what seemed like, forever! But, probably only 45 minutes or so. I waited until it browned and pulled away from the sides of the pan and then relied on the very technical toothpick tester! It came out clean!!! It's really dense and moist.

What do you eat with your homemade pudding cake? Here, we have yummy homemade vanilla ice cream!

I used the Cuisinart recipe. It's pretty good.

Your container should be frozen at least overnight. I keep mine in the freezer just in case!

now you gotta wait, wait, wait....

Just couldn't stand it any longer! Had to sample! Yummy! So worth the wait.

Now can I spend a little time with my summer read? Just a few minutes.....well, what's going on the kitchen, now?

The man is getting out all the spices. He's got a gift, the man can COOK!

Looks like a grillin' day! Whoohoo!

What's in the foil?? Hungh? Hungh????

Fresh salmon with rosemary from the garden! Oh, it's gonna be good!

Will you look at the rewards! We made a run to the produce stand and stopped on the side of the road where a farmer was selling corn on the cob! The Man puts them on the grill with their shucks still in tact. Oh so sweet and tender! He stuffed the pablano peppers with cheese and the zucchini is so fresh and crisp, sweet red peppers grill so good. And, the garlic he seasoned and wrapped in foil; it's just like butter in the pods! Melt in your mouth good!

The salmon was the best!

Dessert anyone? It was so good! What a perfect end to a meal. Hope you had a great weekend too!

Now, maybe I can get to my book!

Make Mine Pink Friday

This week's theme is Father Favorites. What are some favorites of the men in your life?

We boiled crawfish this week. It's a "man thang" so I don't know exactly what all goes into our pot! I'm sure this recipe will get you started, though!

Back to Favorites...Mine likes to take a nap! Then grill something yummy to eat! These will come in handy or you might like these. Maybe sit outside and enjoy the summer afternoon.If the breeze is blowing you may hear sweet sounds. Or feed the feathered critters and watch them have a father's day feast!

When I asked The Man what he wanted to do next weekend for Father's Day. He brought up fishing! It was 93 degrees today!He thinks he may want to wait until it gets a little cooler! Thanks! We usually go to Grand Isle. He likes to fish and I like crabbing! I'll let you know how it works out!

In the meantime, this weekend, I am going to look for my grandmothers cobbler recipe. Peaches are everywhere and it's time for a peach cobbler with homemade vanilla ice cream! Yummy!

Hope you have a great weekend! ~S

Passionate Collections of....

Each item in a collection has its own story, its own memory - the search, the day you bought it, who you were with, the vacation....

~Tricia Guild and Elizabeth Wilhide

What do you collect? Do you have favorite things that you have accumulated that you now lovingly display in special spots around your home? Did you shop with a goal in mind of a specific treasure? Or, did you just have that desire to browse and then.......all of a sudden you see it- over there- it's so beautiful, your heart begins to race, you don't even realize that you are moving closer to it! You almost let out a gasp when you turn it over and learn that you are definately going to get to take this one home!!! You casually embrace it as you make your way to the register. The shopkeeper has no idea what a treasure she gave away; but you do! You don't want to give away your secret, but it's hard not to just strut like a peacock! (we were raised that it is not appropriate to gloat, so we would never do that, but we would surely be excited about our good fortune!)

Are you a fussy collector too? I do not wish to diminish the value of the important pieces by simply aquiring more!

"One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach. One can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few."

~Ann Morrow Lindbergh

The Fun of Foraging

Can you feel it? It's that time, again. Yard sales, garage sales and weekend flea markets have geared up! I love it! Do you spend time treasure hunting on weekends, too? I also have a couple of antique shops that I love to visit. This one happend to be on my route when I ran an errand Saturday! Lucky me!

Appropriately named: Finders Keepers! Hmmm.....see anything you like? Me too! My grandmother had yellow chairs like the green metal one in front! Loved those chairs!

Is white wicker a weakness for you, too? Can't you just see a pretty floral cushon in this chair?

Vintage sheet music, anyone? I simply couldn't leave it behind! I think it may have come from a teacher's collection!

Pretty wooden spools. I believe that I am going to put my embroidery thread on them to keep it from getting tangled. What do you think? Maybe I'll just look at them for a while.

Sweet linens......and vintage Vogart embroidery patterns! I was so excited to find these! I started a pillow case last summer. Now, I'm inspired to get it completed so that I can embroider something else! What should I do first?

The whole thrill of junking is that you just know the next table will have what you've been looking for all of your life.

~Mary Randolph Carter