A Special Table for a Special Guy

 

 

 

 

In my previous post, I showed the beautiful flowers Mr. Sweetladyelaine brought home to me after an extremely hard week.

So I set a sweetheart table just for him!

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These happen to be my favorite dishes......so I used them.

I can't remember the name but they are made by Haviland China.

 

                              A checkered table cloth is underneath with a layer of lace over the top.

The bowl is Bella Lux and the pattern is Alexandra Gold! I love how it sparkles in the sun light.

                                                         Some Zinfandel.............his favorite!

                                              Seafood salad & crackers

                                                                        A toast to us!

                 
                                                       and a simple "Thank you"!

 

 

This was a fun night....we never did eat dinner! lol

 

Have a great week!

 

Blessings My Friend,

 

Now I'll have to set a table!

            
                           I love the fact Mr. Sweetladyelaine cares that I have had a hard week! He came home yesterday with these and a huge carrot cake! I just felt so special.......

Nice to know someone noticed! We all need to feel appreciated and loved. I hope you are remembering to do something special for your husband or even a friend. If you haven't lately, do something this week. It doesn't have to be large. Something little just for them, that says "I care".   We should tell people all year long that we love and value them. I can't wait for you to let me know what you have done.

I hope you have a great weekend. Come back and visit............. I hope to keep writing!

Blessings My Friend,


Whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men. (Colossians 3:23)

Happy Faces

Hi Everyone!
Texas is cold like the rest of the good old USA! I am fine with it after all, I am a New Yorker transplanted a few times over.......
I decided today would be a good day to start blogging again. At least I'm going to try. I just have so many things going on here that I can hardly breathe ....really! I can hardly breathe my allergies have been terrible! Not to mention everything else but I wont go there.
I set a table for you today. Not the one with the dishes I had planned to use, this one sort of came about. Did I tell you have lots of new dishes that I have not shown you. Would you believe even though I was moving, I bought! Yes, yes, I am a true dishaholic! LOL I just can't pass them up.
The ones I am using today are not new.......just fitting!

Oh, this is my kitchen in my new, old house..........The dresser was mine as a child.
I painted it Annie Sloan Country White. That's another post.

I collected snowmen for years.
I have stopped collecting because I move a lot and I don't always have a place for them.
I am tired of  having to hide them in a closet! I love their little happy faces. They make me smile.

My friend Judy and I decided to take a trip to another town in IL for the afternoon and we ended up at a consignment shop. To our surprise, she was having a yard sale. I bought four of  these glass chargers for $1.00 a piece. We had a fun time. Do you just take off with a friend for a road trip?
If not, you should!

 

The snowmen dinner plate and bowls I have used before. I bought them in Buffalo, NY at Goodwill.
The salad plate was bought in Old Time Pottery in Illinois for fifty cents each. I went looking for dishes in Texas but again Goodwill & Salvation Army are a little expensive. If you can believe that!

 

These sweet little happy faces were given to me by my daughter, Jennifer. I have a set of four.

A couple of salt & pepper shakers all dressed in hats and mittens trying to keep warm by the fire.

My centerpiece, I took off my stairway for this table. I put it together with others for Christmas.

Of course what would my table be without my smiling friends........She is one of my favorites.

 

 

Another favorite! I just love her..................

Do you have favorites?

 

I just can't help loving some things better than others. I have lots of favorites. That gives me an idea for a post! Here they are two years ago in my tablescape in my Houston house sitting on my window sill. Darling aren't they?

 Last but not least, I want to show you my stairway to a  new home owners nightmare....more boxes!
 I am still not done unpacking.......I will get to it........... just not too soon.

I have a lot on my plate right now. I have been trying to get doctors for humans and animals lined up and visited.
What a hassle.......plus unpacking, taking down Christmas, groceries and dare I say clothes washed, meals cooked and all that other fun stuff!

I think I'll just go and make myself some hot chocolate in a snowmen cup and put my feet up..............

I will be joining:

Tablescape Thursday at BNOTP
http://betweennapsontheporch.net/new-years-dinner-party-tablescape-with-a-winter-theme/

Have a great day!

Blessings My Friend,

Hello From Texas

Wow! It has been a long time since I have posted. I did have good intentions but they went down the toilet so to speak. It has been busy around here since we moved in on November 20th! I am still not all unpacked. My dishes are put away for the most part but it still looks like this......

 

 

 

 

 

 There is a lot to do. Plus I got sick for a week and now I am having back spasms that started yesterday. I just can't seem to catch a break!

But in the midst of chaos I praise God for His faithfulness!!!!

I have some God moments to share with you in a later post.

 

In between unpacking I had to put up Christmas lights.......

 

 

 

 

This is a new look for our tree this year! The picture doesn't do it justice. The mesh is white and gold. My daughter thought the top of the tree was a birds nest. lol  It sort of looks that way but it is made of gold picks from Hobby Lobby.

Our front stairway.....

 

 

I have to admit it is all a bit overwhelming. I haven't baked a thing and I guess I will the last minute. I was hoping to set a table for Thursday but I am in no condition to even write this.

Just wanted to check in and let you all know I am alive and well.

 

 

Blessings My Friend,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Revisit

On Saturday we took a ride down to Galveston. The last time we were there I was a little disappointed. Hurricane Ike in 2008, had hit about five years earlier and it didn't seem to be bouncing back. I know it was hit hard but I thought it should have been rebuilt in five years! So I was anxious to go back after two years to see the progress if any.
 Welcome Back, Galveston! We were impressed at the beautiful coastline, houses and businesses.  We drove up and down the coastline and saw a big improvement! I was so happy. Galveston had beautiful houses! They are back.
You still can see devastation but it looks like a resort town........ finally!
Here is a little peek.........

 

The Bishop Palace 

 

                                    As I look at these show pieces of history

                                          I can just imagine

                                                How beautiful

                                        They must have been

                       
                                                  back in the day

 

I would love to see the insides!

Wouldn't you? 

 

Overlooking the ocean are condo's

                                                                 
                                 Most of the houses and condo's are all painted in pastel colors!

                                                               On the edge of town ...

 

                              

                                            Lots of places to eat

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                           This is Pleasure Pier...all new.
                          When we came here two years ago this was a pier that was devastated by Ike.

 

A great way to spend the afternoon surfing 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed a peek of Galveston. I really do think you should come and visit!

I would love to see you. 

We could go sightseeing or shopping!

A fun day with a friend.

Think about it.

 

Blessings My Friend,

Thanks for stopping by. We have moved in pictures soon!

 

 

 

 

A Little Touch of Houston

I thought I would write a little sooner but......
I got hit with a stomach bug last weekend! Needless to say, not much was seen that weekend.
I have taken pictures here and there when we first arrived, so I thought I'd share them with you. Our first week here has been pleasant. So I am hopeful..... with one more week to go. We hope!


                                                            Minute Maid Park

                            
                              A lawyers Office with neat art outside

 Mr. Sweetladyelaine & I went to subway. Got out of the car turned around this building was staring at us. As we lend back to look at the total building, we almost fell backwards. It is the AIG Building.

 

 

 

Downtown Houston

                                 
                                  Another Downtown picture

 

                                     We took a tour of the Downtown HEB- a grocery store.
                                     I thought these were the  best looking items in the store.
                                                       Of course, I love sweets!

Yesterday, I went to my favorite store.....The Half Priced Book Store! I spent three hours in there.
 I had so much fun......I ended up talking to a woman who went to Lakewood Church (Joel Olsteen).
I shared my house stories with her and guess what she works for Exxon! Perfect!
To catch you up just a little......Exxon is moving here from Irving and the sellers here, are doubling & tripling their house prices. Which has caused everyone, a lot of problems!
She had heard that through the old grapevine....Women, I love us! If it wasn't for the old grapevine I would be dead or maybe worse. Thank God, for that grapevine! lol
We chatted about everything and before we knew it, lots of people were chiming in. I called it a great Monday Meetin' Day! We even called the aisle that we were in, our house! "Come on in to our house and talk awhile! The clerk even joined in while he put away books. A great time talking and meeting new people! I had so much fun.
Downtown is wonderful and I am glad I have had the pleasure to experience it, at least a little!

News about our house: The appraisal is done. Now, we are waiting for mortgage papers to get finished. Pray that as a date for closing is being decided on and movers are contacted and I pack up this hotel suite that it all goes smoothly and with the attitude of our Creator.

"When we can no longer change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves". Viktor Frankl

Be the change you wish to see in the world!

Blessings My Friend,

A Buyers Nightmare

WOW has this been a trip! I am not sure where to begin.......

Our house was packed and half of it was loaded on the truck. We were leaving for Houston in two days.......We were leaving on Saturday, November 2nd!
Thursday evening before closing on Friday morning, we backed out of our house deal. Yikes!!! The appraisal was so much lower than the price we had agreed on. YIKES! The appraiser would not go up and the sellers would not go down! 
Panic set in....Praying went on......lots of praying......and tears!

Later Friday night we got a call from our realtor saying the sellers realtor was cursing her out and that we were costing her sellers anguish! (What about us!) Our realtor told her we all needed to sleep on it and talk about it in the morning. She is such a sweetheart!
Long story short.... ....Saturday mid-morning we got a call from our realtor while we were driving to Houston.
The sellers had a change of heart. We agreed that the sellers would pay for another appraisal and we would buy the house at whatever the appraisal amount turned out to be!
Praise God!
We are now living in an ExecuStay in Houston for a few weeks until all the paperwork is complete and a date for our closing is set.
Am I writing this much too early? I hope not!

The reason I am telling you all this??????

This has definitely has been a learning experience for me. I am looking back and asking why did this happen.....

Maybe, God's plan wasn't all in place? Did people have to get angry before the problem was solved? Did hearts have to be softened? Did we have to trust more? Maybe this isn't the right job for us? Where are we going to live until we find a house? Where would all our furniture be stored? What will happen to us?
The questions kept coming.......and then it hit me!

I am homeless!

My answer to all this?  
To pray and depend on God, leaving everything to Him. I have to admit it was not easy.  I was not prepared to live somewhere else for a few months. I had a weekend worth of clothes,a few days of food for dogs & bird and we had only until the 9th in the apartment. It was overwhelming! My flesh was screaming and my heart held on tight to God. "Help us" was the most I could pray. I realized I had to die to self and let God carry us through. I had to listen for the Holy Spirits quiet voice to calm my nerves.
Once again God is faithful! I'm not sure if you believe or not. 
My hope is that you will seek His face in times of trouble so you can feel His presence in your heart. He has carried me through a lot of turmoil in my life. I know He will do the same for you. You just have to accept Jesus as your Lord & Savior and read your bible.


I just wanted to let you know what has happened to me since I am not setting a table this week. See you soon. 
                 
Blessings My Friend,