Catching Up

Hi everyone, Happy New Year! I know I’m a little late with my New Year wishes. I've had a lazy and laid back holiday. It’s been great. The kids all came home for Christmas. It was great having a little guy here. He got much more excited than the big guys. And I have to say, it warmed my heart to hear him call me Nana. :)

Let me play catch up for a minute. I never showed you our Thanksgiving feast. 

And I want to make sure they’re in my blog before we get too far into the new year!

We had dinner inside again this year because it was too cold and windy.

You can see years past here, here and here.

My sister found these planters that looked like bark. I brought some potted mums which we cut up and put them in oasis. Then we mixed in some other cut flowers and greens from the yard.   

I think they turned out beautiful.

 

The manly men and their manly tools cut some large logs into discs about 3 inches thick. 

They made a great base for the candles and hurricane globes.

Remember the little place card holders I made? Okay, so I had help. 

They went together with the planters so well.

And last was the abundance of desserts! Oh my, it was all so good.

But it’s time to say good by to all those sweets.

New Years Eve was quiet around here. And now that #3 son is back at college and the house is once again quiet I need to start working on a few things.

I won’t call them resolutions. Too much pressure. But definitely I have things I want to accomplish.

Those are just some of the things that come to mind at the moment.

• sew curtains for the kitchen
• post my kitchen reveal (I did not forget)
• paint the upstairs bathroom
• restock my etsy shop
• redo my cane chairs
• paint some furniture
• redo #3’s bedroom
• tend to my garden (have I told you about the stinkhorns I have? ICK!)
• paint the front door and all interior doors
• shop for a new chair for the living room
• lose weight (see above dessert table)

How about you? What’s on your list?

Hope you are having a great start to your new year.

Feasting Like The Pilgrims

It's November and we are well on our way towards Thanksgiving. I thought I'd share with you our Thanksgiving from last year. Our family celebrated at my sister's house. I have shown you her house before. It sits on the St. Johns river in Jacksonville. We decided to try to have our feast outside. You know, like the pilgrims. Fingers were crossed for the weather and were absolutely blessed with a glorious day.

We are a large bunch. A large and crazy bunch. I have lost count but you can try to count the chairs. We put two very long tables together out on the patio. Draped them both in white cloths and then I cut two burlap runners for the middle of the table. We fringed the ends.

The center pieces were 3 rectangular galvanized planters that were filled with potted mums, croton leaves and wheat. It was cheaper to just buy potted plants then to buy cut flowers. I think I paid .99 for each small mum and 1.99 for the large ones. The small pots fit right in there. The large mums were cut and put in jars of water and then inserted in the planters. The leaves were free and the wheat I had. The leaves really help fill them out and give them added color. It really isn't that hard to put together a large decorative table with a small budget. Just look to nature to lend a hand.

The silverware was wrapped in the napkin very casually and tied with a jute ribbon with a silk leaf tucked behind. We used some plaid ribbon when we ran out of jute. The kids wrote all the names on the tags, trimmed the tags with some skinny self adhesive ribbon and tied them all up for us. They had to earn their food.

My sister found this garland at Home Goods. It's all sorts of nuts, twigs and small pine cones. They are a little hard to see in this shot but I wanted to show them. See those bamboo folding chairs? One of my sisters found them at an estate sale for a ridiculous price of like $5.

The we sat under this huge old oak tree. The food was under the tent so that nothing fell on it. The dishes were stacked there with the food so you just load up your dish under the tent. It was a lot easier then trying to pass the food around the table. That would have taken forever. The drinks were set on the smaller tables you see off to the side.

The dessert table was inside. Dessert is just craziness. Everyone brings something different so there was quite the variety. To decorate this table we had two large cake stands and each one had a tall glass hurricane on it with small pumpkins, leaves and pine cones around it. We just tied some pretty plaid ribbon on the tops. We had so many mums we put some in the center. The pitcher is filled with some spiced cider punch which was very good.

my lousy picture above but I wanted to show the whole table

Thanks Justin for getting these shots to me with only three hours of sleep. Such a good kid. If you are in the Atlanta area and need any photographic services then you can contact him at JustinHadleyPhotograhy.com.

I also forgot to put my answers to our Halloween costumes. I'm sure you all are on the edge of yours seats wondering. Erin from LikeGrandmas was the first to answer correctly with Deviled Eggs and Pigs in a Blanket. Yes, we were the appetizers for the party :)

Joining up with the CSI project to share Thanksgiving ideas.

Also with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch

Linda @ Coastal Charm

see you later,

I'm Moving...

....into this little bungalow. I just need to figure out how to get the owners to move out. A girl can dream can't she? We were out on the boat today and came across this beauty. Not sure if you can get the feel for the size of it. The design it genius as it is spread wide. It's sits up high so that ground level is most likely storage for cars or what not. It even has a dock and a boat.

The deck goes all the way around the house. All. the. way. You need to click on the picture and make it bigger and then you can see it better. Go ahead, click. I will wait. See it now? Look, it has a cupola. I want a cupola. Can you imagine the views from that thing?

I want to go inside. I wonder what it looks like. All perfect and beachy. It has a metal roof and the sun was shining on it making it hard to take pictures. Look at all those windows. I'm not sure if I would have had all the panes on the windows but hey, I won't complain. But they do block the view a bit. Still, it was gorgeous.

Well, I need to pack. I am leaving tomorrow. I'm not going to Atlanta. Just half way and doing a drop off. I could just leave #3's friend at a truck stop until his mom comes and gets him. That might not go over well. It does make for an easier trip for me. I would not have had enough time to shop in Atlanta anyway. I will leave that for another trip.

Don't forget to keep notes!

Inspriation For A Kitchen Redo

I want to thank everyone for all their kind words and concerns about my wobbly neck. It's is better now. I just need to be careful. I think being on the computer so much has a lot to do with it. Along with evil Jillian and painting all that trim. I tend so sit oddly at my desk and lean to the left. I catch myself doing it and then I notice the tension in my neck. Not good. 

I will be on a bit of a road trip the next few days. Taking a drive up to Atlanta to return #3 son's friend and visit with son #2. Then we go south to my sister's condo near St. Augustine. We will meet up with son #1 and lots of other family member. Spend some time with my new great nephew and all my other great nieces and nephews. Wish I had more time to hang around Atlanta and shop but I want to get to visit with everyone. Shopping will have to wait for another time. Can you believe I just said that? 

I will leave you with some kitchen inspiration. Well, it's inspiration for me actually but I thought I'd share the lovely photos. I hope to get to work on painting the cabinets soon after I get back. My new half bath seems to be going no where as we haven't found a contractor that has his....stuff together. I find when I'm looking for inspiration for a project that you really must take bits and pieces of photos and form your own style. I like the bead board and lighting of some of these kitchens and glass doors and hardware in others. Aren't those blue check pendants cute? I may not even like the overall style of a kitchen but then there will be that one element that sticks out that I love. Did you notice the brass hardware? Just as everyone got rid of it! 

I will look at pictures in a magazine or online several times looking at different elements. Sometimes I will be focused on the cabinets and then look at them again and be focused on the lighting. This is why I have a hard time getting rid of magazines!

Photos above: BHG.com

Coastal Living

Cottage Living

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer. I will see you all next week. I'm sure my reader will be bursting with posts from you all. I'm not sure what to do when I get back as this is my first trip away since starting my blog. Do I dare hit 'mark all as read'? What if I miss something? Can someone keep notes for me?

Wabi Sabi....no, not the spicy stuff in Japanese foods

While sitting in a waiting room the other day I was reading a Woman's Day magaizne and came across an article titled Wabi Sabi: Making Peace With Imperfection. Right up my alley I thought. I'm so good at imperfection. I wish I had snatched the magazine but I'm a good girl and don't steal from the doctor's office. But now that I think about it, they do get a lot of our money. Oh well, I found a shorter version of it online here if you want to read it. It's pretty funny too.

Wabi Sabi is a concept that originated in Japan with their tea ceremonies. It is simply, learning to accept and find beauty in the imperfections of people and things.

Here is a quote from the book Wabi Sabi: The Art of Everyday Life. “Through the centuries, wabi sabi came to mean an approach to life and art that is in harmony with nature, one that values the handmade and rustic, and recognizes the impermanence of life. It encourages us to be respectful of age, both in things and in ourselves, and it counsels us to be content with what we have rather than always striving for more. Wabi sabi has a hint of wistfulness about it.”

There is also a book called The Wabi-Sabi House. It offers tips for decorating with salvaged materials and vintage furnishings, advice on how to rediscover the joy of crafting and simple solutions for clearing clutter and blocking noise.

I have been practicing Wabi Sabi and I didn't even know it! Or at least I've been trying to. There is so much beauty in the old, worn and imperfect. It is not to be discarded. It is meant to be displayed and admired.

The article in the magazine listed 8 things we can do to incorporate Wabi Sabi into our lives. 1) Use what you have, 2) Make wabi-sabi friends, 3) Do your best at work--within reason, 4) Cook recipes from your childhood, 5) Relax your housekeeping standards, 6) Practice the art of hanging out, 7) When you drink tea, drink tea, and 8) Remember that life doesn't go on forever.

Some of these things I have down pat. Number 5 might be one of them. But number 7 is something I need work with as I'm sure many of you out there try to multi task. But try to slow down and concentrate on the one things you are trying to accomplish. Even if it's as simple as drinking a cup of tea. Harder to do when you have little ones at home I know. Number 8 is something we are so abruptly reminded of when we lose someone we love but I try to always remember it and then life becomes that much sweeter.

So go forth my thrifty shoppers. Find something old, cracked and full of patina. Bring it home and show it a little love. Or dig something you already have out of the back of the closet. Look in the mirror and smile when you see a wrinkle. Or laugh if your arm waves back when you wave at someone. Dishes in the sink? That's okay. Pour yourself a cup of tea or open a Corona and breathe. It's all good. It's Wabi Sabi.

Down By the River

I took a quick trip to Jacksonville to visit my mom for Mother's Day. We had a wonderful brunch at my sister's house. She lives in the oldest home on the St. John's River. It was a beautiful day and I thought I'd share some pictures I took of the house and yard.

This is the side of the house. The right side of the picture is all the original house and could not be changed. The part with the large peak. To the left was either changed or expanded but made to match the original style. The porch wraps all the way around.

This is actually the front of the house. The side that faces the river.The building in the back is the detached garage.



The view from the front porch. Can you see the double swing hanging from the oak?

This tree is huge!

This is the other side of the house facing the river.

Sorry they are so ginormous! I tried to get them a little bit bigger and they went to this. I just don't think Picasa likes me much.