Hi,

Did you see that I was featured at The Dedicated House for Make it Pretty Monday!

I was so excited and honored!

A big THANK YOU to Kathryn Ferguson!

 

Has your week flown by like mine? I just can't seem to catch up with everything! I feel like I have been going around and around. Mr. Sweetladyelaine has just finished painting my office this past weekend. I think the laundry room is the only room left. I will be glad when it's all finished!

Pictures will be coming this week! 

 

My inspiration for this table came from my friend Cindy Jones Miller who lives in  Belleville, IL.

She messaged me and asked me if I would like two sets of placemats and napkins.

Of course I couldn't say NO! I didn't even ask what they looked like or anything!

 I just said YES!  I am using one of the sets she mailed me!

Thank you Cindy! 

They are so colorful! I love them!

Notice this is the first time I am not using a charger!

To tell you the truth I didn't even think to use chargers!
 I used two different china patterns today.
I love the fact that you can mix them.  It gives me lots of options for my tables.
The big bonus is that you can do it on a shoe string!

These dishes are made by United Utilities Corp. and the pattern is Sovereign.

 

These are my beloved, Blue Garland by Haviland. I have a place setting for 12, given to me by 

Maureen who lives in Schenectady, NY. They were her mom's everyday china.  Her mom bought them through a market, Loblaw's, near our house. It is no longer there, but remembered!

 

 

The bowls were purchased at a thrift store and made by Gibson. 

You can't go wrong with buying anything white. It always looks wonderful! 

 I bought these glasses at a Thrift Store. I have no idea of the brand or pattern.

                             
                                         I love roses......

I love candles......

                             Each of the four candle holders are crystal and different.
                              All bought at Goodwill, Salvation Army or stores like that.

                                          I love china.......

 

 I took so many pictures and just couldn't capture the right shot. You can tell because in some pictures my candles are lit and in some they are not! lol My camera is new and I know it will take practice to get my pictures the way I want them. Plus, I can't remember the program I use to crop and fix them. What do you use to crop your pictures?  I bought a Cannon Power Shot. Great camera! I just need to get my act together.......not this week.........maybe next!

Thanks for stopping by..........
Please leave me a comment! I live for them.

I will be joining:

Tablescape Thursday, Between Naps On The Porch
http://betweennapsontheporch.net/alice-in-wonderland-birthday-table-setting-with-cheshire-cat-pinata/
Anything Blue Friday, The Dedicated House

Make It Pretty Monday, The Dedicated House

 

 

 

 

Blessings My Friend,

"We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works".    Ephesians 2:10

A beachy vignette

I am loving summer in Texas!

I have to admit the hot weather and humidity is wonderful!

Maybe because I'm from Schenectady, New York!

I have to admit I did a lot of  snow shoveling!

We had a lot of fun in the winter too!

Now we have fun in the pool!

I guess a different kind of fun!

 

Today I want to share my kitchen vignette before I change it.  

 

This is in on my childhood dresser.

 It holds all my placemats and tea towels!

        I bought this large shell at a thrift store.  I just love the colors.
     I think macaroni salad would look great in this container or even flowers!

 I have tons of seashells.......
I collected them on every vacation whether it was Maine, New Hampshire or Cape Cod.

 

 

 

         This vase and votives were purchased at Garden Ridge.

                                                  The vase was half off! I felt like I got a steal.
                                                              I love the color too!

 

                                 The total look........simple but I love looking at the colors.

           I try to set my dinner table to match the beachy theme every night. Nothing fancy for us during the week.  Just simple!
                                           
Thanks for stopping by.....................please leave a comment so I know you were here!
I do enjoy visiting you too! It makes my day!


Blessings My Friend,

Good Morning!
I couldn't wait to show you these pretty dishes!
 I bought them a while back at a thrift store in Houston.
I have a place setting for four. I decided not to mix and match this week.
To show them off!

I love my red roses tablecloth so here it is again! A bargain from a Belleville, IL monthly sale.

 
                                     My dishes are Fitz and Floyd, Allegro in glaze blue.
                                     I could not pass them by.......plus I love blue. lol

                             
                                     I used my red placemats with my Pier1 blue chargers.
                                     My flatware is by Oneida, Paul Revere.
                                     I have had it forever, at lease 35 years!
                                     I use it everyday!

                                         I did a little more layering this time out.
                                        A white heirloom tablecloth with matching napkins.
                                        It belonged to my ex husbands grandmother.
                                        Someday when I am finished using them,
                                         I will give them to my daughter.
                                         I loved her and I am not ready to part with them.

                                                       A simple center piece

 

                    There were only two cups with the set, but four saucers.
                    I will be on the look out for more cups.
                    Doesn't seem like cup & saucers always break!
                    I always hate to buy incomplete sets but if I love them ...........
                    I can't resist!

                          My blue teapot set I love. I bought it years ago at a garage sale for $5.00
                          It is one of my favorites!
                         Do you have favorites or do you love them all?
                         I love them all, even if I say they are my favorite! lol
                         I will have a hard time parting with any of them when they time comes!

 

 

 

Thank you for stopping by. Please leave a comment, it keeps me going!

 

 

 

I will be joining:

 

BNOTP for Tablescape Thursday

http://betweennapsontheporch.net/inside-the-kitchen-of-a-christmas-story-movie-house/ 

 

The Dedicated House Make it Pretty Monday

 http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2014/07/sunday-showcase-from-make-it-pretty_20.html

 

 

 

Have a great weekend!

 

Blessings My Friend,

 

 

 

 

 

Blue Suede Begone!

This weekend was a fun weekend for me!
 Mr. Sweetladyelaine painted our living and dining rooms!
I was so excited to get rid of that blue suede look. I love blue but it just didn't go with our furniture.
Since we move a lot, our interior colors have to be neutral.
 A little hint for potential movers, the previous sellers left paint chips!
 It is so nice for touch ups or repainting.
 I just went to Lowes and matched the chip the best I could.
They used a different brand, Sherwin -Williams Kilim Beige.
I bought the new Valspar Reserve in Desert Fortress. Let me tell you about this new paint that has been advertised on TV etc. It is fabulous! One coat for that blue to be gone!
 It went on thick and smooth! Mr. Sweetladyelaine was impressed!

                             The mess of painting and Miss SweetPea in her favorite window.

I think this picture captures the old color better than all the rest.

 

 

 

Living Room is done!

One wall in the dining room is done!

Clean up

                                                    SweetPea looking out her window!
                                    She is too funny she rests her bones on the window sill too!

The finished dining room!

                                                  
                                                          The finished living room!

What do I like most about painting! Not the mess.......
But the way I get to totally clean the room!
I washed blinds, sills, floors and waxed all the furniture and lamps. I also like the idea that I can change whatever I want to change. I can put up new curtains or blinds, change my decorations or add some or change the furniture! It's up to me!
I haven't hung any pictures and that will come soon. I know my walls are all ready when I decide what I am hanging where.

What do you like about painting your rooms? Do you paint your rooms your favorite colors or do you go neutral?

I sure had a lot of fun sharing this weekend with you. Thanks for stopping by. Please leave a comment. It keeps me going!

I will be joining:

 Rustic & Refined
http://www.rustic-refined.com/



Blessings My Friend,

Chayote??????

I never heard of chayote, and this is really a shame, because I live in Texas where it is available all the time at the markets. It's called Agrocosco  and comes from Mexico.
 It's a pale green little squash, not much bigger than your hand, and it's usually smooth-skinned with large folds and puckers that look like a mouth pursed up.
It's from the same family as most gourds and squash, as well as cucumbers.

I am familiar with the chayote from my neighbor, Yvette.
She invited us to dinner Memorial weekend.
 I am  always excited to see what Yvette cooks.
 Mr. Sweetladyelaine not so much!

How do you cook chayote?
It's used in curries, raw in salads, boiled, mashed, stuffed and fried.
 It excretes a sticky residue when it's peeled, so recipes sometimes call for gloves.
 
 

Yvette & her husband Wallace come from Grenada.
She is making us goat, lamb, kale salad, and chayote.
We have never eaten any of the above before.
 We were a little nervous but willing to try.

Have you ever gone to someone's house and not sure if you will like what they were cooking?                            

                        
  You can see Yvette and her Mamma cooking lots of food.

                                        Mr. Sweetladyelaine watching...... lol
                                        He is not a big one on trying new foods!

                                           Yvette is washing kale for a salad.
                                     She told me to clean & soak kale in vinegar for a few minutes.
                               The vinegar is a cleaning agent and also softens the sometimes bitter kale.

                                  Add a little olive oil, juice of a lemon & a lime, salt & pepper!
                                                                That's it!

                                         The boys doing what they do best!

                                        This is a delicious Hibiscus tea!

                                         
                  Put in boiling water: hibiscus flowers, a bay leaf and a cinnamon stick.
                                          Let it steep until the water gets really red.
                                                           add agave to taste.

 

                                     

                                        I think you can add any sweetener you want!
                                     Pour half of the tea mixture in a glass with ice and
                                     add your favorite sparkling water to fill the glass

 

  

It was delicious!

Yvette gave me a packet to take home. I have not tried to make it on my own.

You can buy the flowers at a health food store too!

In Texas, I can buy them in the market!

 

                                                    
                          Yvette stuffed the chayote with ground lamb like you make a meat loaf!

                                                    When dinner was served we had soup.
                                                          I forgot what kind.

 

 

Curried lamb and goat

 

                                                 
                                                          Kale salad and stuffed chayote

                                                                       
                                                                       Spinach salad

 

Our happy faces!

We are always happy when we are eating!

 

                       It was so much fun trying new foods! I just was in my glory!
                       Maybe its because they cooked and I got to sit back and drink my hibiscus tea.
                       It's always a treat when someone else does the cooking!

I did try and cook chayote........I sliced it thin and  put it on an oiled cookie sheet. I put salt, pepper and garlic powder on the slices.  I cooked it in the oven on 350 degrees about 15 minutes or until soft.
It was delicious!  You need to try it if you can find it in your markets. Use it instead of potatoes.
Something new to cook and introduce to your family.

Thanks for stopping by.....I had fun reliving this weekend! Hope you have a great week!

I am joining

 Tablescape Thursday
http://betweennapsontheporch.net/rosedown-plantations-butlers-pantry/

Foodie Friday
http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/2014/07/foodie-friday-july-18th.html



Blessings My Friend,