Dinner at an American Cafe...

So much has been going on at our house! My dear husband after 8 months, got a job in West Virginia. We are thrilled! We have never been there but heard it is beautiful. If any of you live in the Charleston area please write me a note. I would love to know where to look for houses! I am so looking forward to decorating a new house!
We took the job on Saturday and by Sunday our house was on the market! We have an open house this coming Sunday and are moving along with our things to do list. I am overwhelmed but happy! PRAISE GOD who is always sooo good!

With all that said.....

WELCOME it's Tablescape Thursday!!!!!!!!
Hosted by Susan from BNOTP. Thank you so much for Hosting!

A little background....
my neighbor, Shelly, knowing I do tablescapes and have only a few sets of dishes gave, Yes, GAVE  me these pretty American Cafe dishes!  Her house is very  modern and me....Early Attic Late Cellar, so this was quite a challenge.This is very simple.  I still am not 100% pleased...but until I can hunt for new things...it will have to do!

We are in my family room on my round oak table, looking outside towards our pond.

The red and gold vase is from Kirkland's. I should have taken a closer picture of the vase..it is very pretty! The gold charger is from Wegman's a grocery store here in Western New York.

                                    The dishes say "SANGO Cafe Americana 98" on the back.

                                     I used my everyday utensils...Paul Revere.
                                    The glasses I bought at Tuesday morning. They have a gold rim and a cut
                                  glass design. I love the red tablecloth..it picks up the red in the dishes.

This is a wine bottle that my cousin, Lela made for me. My daughter made them for her friends for Christmas. She used battery operated lights! I will share how to make this in another post.

I changed the centerpiece....I like this one better! I bought the hurricane candle at The Christmas Tree Shop, years ago. The red charger is from Hobby Lobby. The wine colored string of dazzle is from Vidler's Five & Dime in East Aurora, NY.

 

I wanted you to see how it would look at night so I closed the blinds. We will eat our dinner here tonight!

I decided since I do all these pretty tablescapes...we better use them!

I hope you enjoyed my tablescape today! I love to hear from you so please leave me a comment...Be well my friends! Remember to visit Susan at Between Naps On The Porch and see all the beautiful tablescapes!

I will keep you posted on our move! Thanks for stopping by...Come Again...You are always welcome!

Blessings my dear friends,

Laced With Grace

I saw this post today and couldn't figure out how to share it with you so I copied it....I just thought it was great! I have to thank Tracey at Thirsty For Him. You should visit her. She also writes Laced with Grace.


This is the July 15th post from her blog Laced with Grace.....

I have been been in a war the past few weeks, and at times, I must admit, I have felt DEFEATED!


With whom am I battling, you ask?


Who is this enemy?


It is the dreaded Japanese Beetle!

When we returned from our wonderful Chicago vacation, I went out to inspect my beloved flowers. I was pleased with how they looked from afar. The colors were breathtaking. The scents lovely. The plants were exploding with blooms. I cherish and enjoy God’s amazing creation and beauty~ roses, lilies, petunias, impatiens…. But, with closer inspection, I could see they were being attacked by a dreaded enemy- the Japanese Beetle! Oh, I was already familiar with this wicked insect. They had destroyed my petunias last summer and had killed a plum bush. I knew the destruction and the havoc they reek.

 These beetles ravage the plant, chewing out tissue between the veins, giving the leaf a “characteristic skeletonized appearance.” One morning when I looked out my kitchen window, I saw at least 25 beetles on ONE rose bud, devouring the beautiful petals until they were devastated…broken…unrecognizable…beauty destroyed…

It made me think of the battle each one of us faces as a child of God. We, too, have an enemy who wants to devastate us, break us, until our beauty in the Savior is unrecognizable, and our faith is destroyed.


He wants to eat away at us- our passions, our dreams, our confidence, our worth- until we resemble those gnawed away leaves with only a skeleton remaining. The green, healthy, foliage, or fruit is missing. We remain just a shadow of who God created us to be.


Battling the Japanese Beetles becomes weary at times. Just when I think I have them “licked,” I look out my window to see a new squadron has flown in and is eating away at the precious blooms and leaves.

And so it goes with the enemy of my soul. He wears me down. I become weary at times. And, sometimes, just when I think I have a temptation or deception “licked,” he comes in again with a whole host of help. And, like the beetles who come in large numbers, it is often NOT just one I battle, but Satan throws all he has at me. The dishwasher breaks the same week Brian is traveling AND the kids (all five of them) come down with the flu. I then realize I have forgotten to pay some pressing bill….on and on~ you get the idea.

“I will restore (repay) you for the years the locusts have eaten…” -Joel 2:25


Isn’t it amazing that our loving Father, our Savior, our Lord will take the devastation that the enemy causes and restore what has been lost? He prunes away the damaged leaves, the eaten blooms, and brings new buds, even more beautiful than the previous ones. The Lord restores whatever the enemy has tried to devour- hope, dreams, relationships, finances, our faith….


In my battle against the beetles, I have come to rely on some very important tools and habits. I need to check and recheck the flowers all throughout the day. First thing in the morning I need to make sure all the plants are healthy and beetle free.


In my spiritual battles, I need to also use important tools and habits.


The greatest tool against the enemy is the Word of God. I need to KNOW the Word and USE it by quoting it OUT LOUD when the battle comes. I MUST spend time in the Word.


So, in our battles against bugs or the enemy of our soul, we must remember we have a God who is BIG, who loves us, who is ALL powerful, who desires to rush in to defend us, to save us and to restore what the enemy has stolen. He loves when, broken, we cry out to Him to be our defender, our Shield, our Fortress. Jesus is the Armor of God.

I first wrote this devotion last year, but decided to repost it because I am BATTLING these horrible insects again this year. I remembered the devotion as I was outside plucking off beetles and spraying my flowers. It was a reminder that the “battle” is constant and I have to be ever-diligent. I can’t “let my guard down.” I must remain alert as both Paul and Peter remind us. One new fact that I learned about the beetle from last year is that they burrow in the lawn all through the winter and hatch as grubs. So, not only do I need to be watchful in the summer for beetles, I must treat my lawn in the fall for grubs to totally be victorious over these horrible pests. This applies spiritually as well. Even if I can’t see what the enemy is doing, he is in “my lawn”, growing while I may not even be aware. Even when he is not reaping destruction by eating my flowers- my fruit- I must be alert and aware and get rid of him when he is a “grub.”


Father, I come before Your throne, boldly, praising You, thanking You for Your power and grace and love. I thank You that You are an ever present help in trouble. I thank You that You have equipped me with everything I need for battle. I thank You for Your armor. I thank You for Your protection. Lord, remind me of Your Word, Your Truth when the enemy comes against me with his lies. Help me to replace every lie with Your Truth. I love You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

 Tracey

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When I read this post and it reminded me that I  have to put on the Armor of God everyday (Ephesians 6:10).
That I have greastest tool in my hands the Word of God. It reminds me that "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms".(vs. 12) I am in a battle with the enemy everyday even if I can't see him, he is waiting to grab hold of me and tear me away from God. I need to stand strong  with  my Father who is bigger and strong than the devil!



I wonder how many of us let our guards down and forget how great our Father is to us. I wonder how many of us are too busy to pray and spend time with Him everyday? I wonder how many don't care except when times are rough. I wonder how many make excuses? I wonder how many don't know Him?


I wonder how many???????


If I were you...I wouldn't wait to long before I started praying for His forgiveness....this world is not too pretty...our children....need hope!!! Jesus did not promise us a rose garden on earth but eternal life.....when we die....Are you sure you are going to heaven????....Most people think they are going to heaven...they aren't....do you want to be sure????.......Find HIM before it's too late.....


I hope this post makes you think......


                                       Blessings My friends,

A Glimpse of Our Backyard

Hi!!
 It's a beautiful day in Western New York and I thought I'd share a piece of our backyard.

You have seen it in the background of my tablescapes so I thought I'd give you an up close and personal view.

It's our favorite place to watch...it is ever changing...

We sit on our patio and watch the fish.......

We have lilies....

We have Mr. Frog.......

Can you see Mr. Frog hiding?????

Its just a nice to sit and bask in God's presence! The silence is wonderful! Morning coffee tastes so much better!

My husband built this pond a few days after we moved in five years ago. He dug the hole and lined it with black plastic. The rest is history! It has evolved over the years...This is when it was first built in 2005.

We love to hear the water ....it has such a claming effect!

You can see how it has evolved...it has grown!!!!!!! My husband has changed a few things.

Sometimes we have visitors for a few weeks........

if you look closely you can see a bunch of grass.

In the grass you can see....

 baby bunnies!!

Yup!!!! babies...what do our dogs think....nothing!!!!

Babies are born on our pond alot!

That is part of the reason it looks overgrown....we didn't want to disrupt Mrs. Rabbit!

It's a beautiful place to see and hear the sounds God created!

Some Thursday morning you'll have to stop by and have coffee with me at Tablescape Thursday!

We can listen to the sounds together!

Thanks for stopping by...

I appreciate all your lovely comments.

Blessings my friends!!!!!

Elaine

Tablescape Thursday......

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I love when people give me things! I hold them close to me and remember the people that gave me the items fondly whenever I use them. I use everything.... unlike my mother who saves things for special occasions. We should use all our beautiful things and pamper ourselves! We deserve it!
SO...Today I share a memory....

My mom always tells me to make memories as I go through life and I do.
Here is one I remember with LOVE!
My brother's Godparents, Buddy and Marie lived up the street from us. As children I remember visiting them and eating off these dishes when we had dinner. When Marie died, her daughter Maureen asked me if I wanted them! I was so excited to have these dishes..... but not for the reason you think...

                          
                                 I didn't own china at that time and was elated to have a good set of dishes.


                                            

                                                  These were Marie's everyday dishes!

                                                Fancy??????   For everyday.....

                                       I have a placesetting for 12 and don't use them nearly enough!

They came from a supermarket called Loblaws. You could buy a certain one every week! They are made by Johann Haviland in Bavaria, Germany. I don't know the pattern but I love them.

I remember the grown ups having coffee in these cups and thinking they were so beautiful ! I thought we were a big deal because we were allowed to use them. At our house we used restaurant ware for our everyday dishes! My mom saved the china for special occasions!

 

I love this picture!

The napkin rings were my mother-in-law's. The silver bread dish and butter dish were wedding presents. The wine glasses I bought in Tuesday Morning. The blue bird of happiness was a present from my daughter. The pedestal crystal cake stand (has a dome)  is sitting on top of a beaded edged crystal platter, I found at Goodwill. The center runner is a rug that I have used for years! I have two of them but for some reason only used one!

Well dear friends, I hope you enjoyed visiting my tablescape as much as I enjoyed creating it! Please stop by Between Naps on the Porch and visit all the other ladies for Tablescape Thursday!

A BIG THANK YOU...


I want to thank all of you for reading, posting comments and following me. I have learned so much from all of you in this short time! I am so happy that I have started my own blog and hopefully you will learn something from me in due time.




                     Blessings my friends,

Tablescape Thursday...What's for Dinner????

For the last few days I have been thinking about what to do for a Tablescape. I look at other tablescapes and they always are so beautiful. I wanted mine to be pretty too! So I went to my favorite stores and hunted to see what I could come up with to make my everyday dishes stand out!

I think the polka dot placemats are adorable!

Don't you???

I have had my Yorktowne dishes since 1977. I absolutely love them and never, ever get tired of them. In fact, I had a placesetting for 24 and just gave my daughter half of them.

Of course....I was afraid when my husband sat down he would frown because it was pink....but he was ok with it.
The glasses are Yorktowne made by Pfalzgraff. I have pretty much everything there is to have in that pattern. The flatware is Paul Revere made by Oneida. The vases I have had a long time. The flowers are from my neighbors porch. I watched her dogs today and decided they would look great in those vases, so I picked them! LOL!

Let's talk about dinner....

Can you guess what's for dinner?????

                                                      

                                                                                  Pasta

Broccoli

Alfredo Sauce

Did you guess???????????

I love broccoli chicken alfredo!!!!!!

I should tell you this is not what I was plannning for dinner!

This tablescape just seemed perfect for this dish.

                                                  

Thank you, Between Naps on the Porch for hosting Tablescape Thursday! Please make sure you visit as many tablescapes as you can. I love seeing all the new ideas! 

I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday...stop by again!

       BLESSINGS MY FRIEND!            

A few thoughts for the days ahead....

My husband has been out of work for 7 months. I have to admit I do have my days when I feel overwhelmed. I'm not sure what I should be doing during this time... I only know to pray...so I pray. Mostly, I pray for my husband out of the "Power of a Praying Wife" book by Stormie Omartian. I often ask God to show me what I need to do. I know He hears me. I have faith in Him.

If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, "Move from here to there," and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. ( Matthew 17:20)

I'm sharing this because I feel like there maybe someone in blogland in the same boat! We don't always want everyone to know our hearts, but God knows. I am hoping this post may help someone else. You need to give all your problems to our CREATOR. He is the only one that can help. No one else can do what He can.

I was given this prayer awhile ago and just started praying it. I say this prayer at least six times during the day....it reminds me of who is in control of my life!

"God brought me here. It is by His will I am in this place; in that I will rest. He will keep me here in His love, and give me the grace in this trial to behave as His child. He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me the grace He means to bestow. In His good time He can bring me out again. How and when He knows. I am here: by God's appointment, in His keeping, under His training, for His time.  (Andrew Murray)


This prayer reminds me that...God is in control....and this too shall pass....I can go through it happy or stay in it miserable! It is my choice...I choose HAPPY!!! 

 When I ask Jesus for answers He often leads me to scripture or like a few days ago, He lead me to my book shelf. As I glanced over my books, I began reading magazines and articles I haven't read before. I picked up a little book called "Deeper than Tears, Promises of Comfort and Hope".  A very dear friend gave it to me after we finished a Bible study together. As I began reading parts...I came across something I want you to read.

                                                                           "Jesus Heard You..."
                                             
                                  Jesus heard you when you prayed last night.
                                       He talked with God about you.
                                  Jesus was there when you fought your fight,
                                       he is going to bring you through.
                                  Jesus knew when you shed those tears,
                                        you did not weep alone.
                                  The burdens you thought too heavy
                                                     to bear,
                                       he made them his very own.
                                  Jesus himself was touched by that trial,
                                      you could not understand.
                                 Jesus stood by you as you almost fell
                                   and lovingly clasped your hand.
                                 Jesus cared when your bore that pain,
                                            indeed, he bore it too.
                                       He felt each pain, each ache in
                                                   your heart,
                                       because of his love for you.
                                                 
                        Corrie Ten Boom
                     He Cares, He Comforts


This just touched my heart! The author endured so much more pain and she had to remind me that God was near. We all need reminders....so I ask you.....to call on God if you are going through a trial. He hears...you. Sometimes I wonder if we don't want to hear HIM calling on us. Reminding us we are not doing the right thing. Let me tell you something... God has done great things in my life....even though life is NOT a bowl of cherries...He never said it would be...but I know that I know... HE loves me unconditionally.....I know that I know..no matter what my situation, I will be ok. He promised! I am a Christian,  following Jesus the best way that I can. I make mistakes and ask for His forgiveness, I am not perfect only HE is. But I keep walking a straight line to win the prize.... ETERNITY WITH HIM!!!!

I hope if you read this page, you will leave me a comment....or a prayer request....I will definately pray for you. I am a prayer warrior! I pray without ceasing.

     BLESSINGS MY FRIENDS, 
                         Ladyelaine

Scripture for you to chew on:

I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)


I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)


I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. (Psalm 34:4)