Nothing New Under the Sun

Spring is very slowly popping out in the house. Keeping Tucker slows me down on the "bring out the box and put it all out at once" I suppose is my excuse. The more likely truth is I don't enjoy bringing out the seasonal decor as much as I did a couple of years ago. There is nothing wrong with me or the decor. I am just in a phase of liking stuff to stay the same!

My foyer remains decorated the same except from October to December. It gets some fall for two months and then Christmas for one month. The remainder of the year it is the same regardless of the season.

Do you see my neighbors pretty azaleas in the mirror?

The book stack has orange in the fall and red at Christmas, but otherwise it has the blues stacked there. The day lilies and butterfly piece were from my mother-in-law and I love it so much that I literally have a hard time putting it away in fall and can't wait for January to put it out again. I have said it many times here since winter is semi mild here I just can't decorate with snowmen. IT might be more than I am just simply not a SNOW person. That is most likely the truer story there. Those of you who are---don't hate me.

My Christmas cactus did this last year as well. I got a second bloom. I think it has more to do with the lighting in the foyer and the winter season rather than anything I might be doing to it. I also added the little goose in the foyer. It was given to me by my mother-in-law way back in the 1980s. The little hanging hearts have mine and Jeff's names on them. It was tucked away in a closet and in my January clean out I decided to let it sit out again.

Inside the foyer in my front door hallway stands a bunny who is out year round. It got a pink checked bow. It gets a red bow at Christmas, but otherwise no bows. The church pew got her Spring pillow out a little early. I did NOT make the Springer Spaniel pillow.

I do enjoy decorating the kitchen table with linens and candles according to the seasons.

The flowers have a cute and sweet story with them. On Sundays, Jeff gets up earlier than me (no surprise there) and heads to church to do his serving chores. He sets up things in the parking lot, gets the golf carts out of storage for driving families right up to the door from our long parking lot. Stuff like that. 

I sleep in a bit and then get dressed. He arrives home and we attend a service along with Mom and kids. Then I stay to teach my girls (4th and 5th grade) while he usually comes on home and starts lunch for me. Yep, the man is a definite keeper!!! 

We had talked Saturday evening about upcoming meals for the week and I made a grocery list. I usually shop on Sunday evenings or Monday mornings. I had written flowers on it because with the new month I thought I would get some grocery store flowers. They have $3 bunches and I usually snip some greenery from outside and do a once a month arrangement. He told me as he was leaving church he would go ahead and get groceries. I always say yes to that as I don't particularly like to grocery shop.

I arrived home from church to my lunch and flowers on tulips on the table in a stainless steel tumbler from the glasses cabinet. He had chosen some for me:) I have since cut them down as they are not wanting to open. 

The kitchen table picture was taken this morning with another cloudy day. Florida or at least north Florida has forgotten we are known as the "Sunshine State."

And most times the cloth napkins are in one pile rather than out because real life happens at the kitchen table multiple times a day.

When the flowers have expired, I will add a bunny to the table rather than flowers for April. I have a cute bunny and some adorable bunny dessert plates. I will share again because why not?!

Almost always, I put out something seasonal on the kitchen counter. The bunny came early there.

Up close view.

I will share the dining room when I add some bunnies in there later and maybe the living room and sewing room as I add some spring with stitching there.

Speaking of STITCHING!

I have steadily working on my blue jays.

I am also working on Redbird by Heart in Hand. Bluebird is due out soon and I decided that would be a new purchase when it is released, so I needed to get the redbird done. I hope to finish both sometime this spring with a pillow finish.

We have had some very warm weather hence storms too. None bad here, but we are back to cloudy weather. I got two days of sunshine and it was GLORIOUS!

Other than that nothing new under the sun much. I kind of like that!
I rather like being home, just walking down the neighborhood street, playing with Tucker, checking on Mom, cooking supper, laundry, etc.
Looking forward to the time change this weekend,
Sandy

And...most of the time this is what is happening. Tucker!

Oh and one more thing.... It seems as if we all had a basket story. I felt better about it just telling y'all and knowing we had all been there. I came up with a solution for my failed impulse purchase. I will share it one day. Life is just full of fun lessons!

A Stitching Finish and Some Random Things

I finished my first stitch of 2018 on Monday just before the Auburn game which ended horribly. Oh well, no more college football until next August.

I actually tried to finish this in 2017, but I just couldn't stay up long enough. I decided to open the door and let 2017 out and 2018 in with the Eastern time midnight. Have any of you heard that superstition before? I called it quits at 11:00 our time and fell asleep the minute my head hit the pillow.

I am not sure how I am going to frame it yet. It is just enough of an odd size that I may have to take it in to be done, but I do want it framed. I am going to display it in my sewing room where I spend a lot of time. I think this will be a good reminder of what is important.

I started my next project last night. It is Betsy's Tart by Plum Street Samplers. Arlene @ Nanaland gifted this to me. I spent some time trying to decide if I could actually see the holes on 36 count and then whether to use 1 or 2 strands. I opted on 1. If I don't go blind, it should be a cutie.

Hubby and I spent a few days out of town after Christmas. It is always nice to get away for some quiet time with him. 

We headed to the cabin and our friends from Huntsville came down to their place in Auburn. We attended a girl's basketball game, a boy's basketball game, an antique sale, and ate out at my most favorite place. It was a good few days before Hubby returned to work. 

The antique sale was held in Pine Mountain, Georgia. I have visited the store, Sweet Home Antiques many times, but they have a tent sale each year after they visit England and buy a shipping cart full of stuff. I have wanted to go many times even though I was sure nothing would be in my price range. It was very cool indeed.

I made four purchases which I will show you three of today. 

First up is a table that I plan to put in my bedroom. I have a nook that I have not been happy with for some time. For many years we had a desk in the corner and it was nice. We sold the desk and replaced it with an armoire that I have never really liked. That was buyer's remorse. We had gotten it at a good price as it was a floor model. I piled it up with clothes like sweaters, gym clothes, etc. 

I am finally getting my wish. It will be picked up next week.

I am going to keep it simple with the chair and table I purchased. I got a lamp yesterday at Goodwill. Mother has a shade that I may cover with cloth. We will see.

This will slide right where the cabinet is behind it.

Next up is the church pew. I sweated over this one. In fact, my friend bought it and was really looking for a bench. After she purchased it, the owner told her he had more in town at the store. She liked one in the store more, so I bought this one from her. I wasn't sure if I had a place for it, but we decided to go for it. (I have another idea for it if I end up not liking it here.)

I have placed it in my foyer for now. I have given you several views. I haven't put anything on it for now, because I think anything would be a Gus magnet right now.

Speaking of Gus, he is wandering around in the next two. He is growing. New pictures of him coming soon.

I think I really like the church pew and won't be sorry I bought it. 

The piece I really fell in love with may be the one I shouldn't have purchased. It is called a Canterbury, I think. It was designed to hold sheet music. I could see magazines!

I love it right now! I like magazines and they are a weakness for me, but have y'all noticed that so many of them have the same houses in them every few years. Has it always been that way? I guess if I just stuck to a couple I wouldn't notice. I really thought Southern Living was making a comeback after this past year. I really enjoyed it, but the January issue is so small. It isn't a bad issue, but it makes me wonder if is going to make it. There is so much competition these days and it really went through a bad spell there for awhile. IT was once the premier magazine for us southern ladies.

It does seem that this purchase could be the one I wouldn't want in a few years, especially if magazines go completely out of vogue and all become digital. What would I use it for then? Time will tell.

Oh well, Hubby is back to work and I have tons to do today...first up going to the gym. I normally go early, but the cold is holding me until 9:00 AM. I will probably be there when all the ladies in the cute gym clothes show up and I am not that lady! Oh well...at least, I am going,

Have a great day and stay warm,

Sandy

Adding a Little Green

I have been adding some green for the month of March.

I have this thing for bunnies and ducks. Ducks are a long time passion. Our previous home was probably a testament to that because I had duck wallpaper in both bathrooms. I toned it down with my move to our current home, but I still like them.

My first duck. He was a gift from my hubby when we were engaged. December 1983.

The bunny thing is all new. I find myself stopping to look at bunnies regardless of the season. I am trying not to over load with bunnies, but they are great for adding ribbon.

Here is my bunny that welcomes people into our home if I could get anyone to come to the front door.  He is just outside the foyer.

Speaking of my foyer, no bunnies, but some cute green ribbon added to the candles for March.

Kelly @Talk of the House inspired to love ribbon and colorful books. Of course, mine never looks as good as hers. She is quite talented.

Then, there is my bunny in the pool table room. He is just a Hobby Lobby piece I got on the clearance rack, but oh how I love him.

I haven't touched the dining room yet, but it will get some added touches soon. Bunnies and green ribbon or spring ribbon.

You see I kind of decided a few months ago, that my new purchases would be carefully thought out and that I would really really try to abstain from impulse purchases. When I was refreshing the living room, I decided to start thinking of more timeless pieces. I have been eyeing a pair of bunnies I spied several years ago on Buttercup Bliss. They are McCarty bunnies, handmade from clay in the Mississippi Delta. I finally ordered a pair. They only have one of the ones I want right now, but think they will have another like what I want in their next shipment, so I have to wait until the middle of March. I think they will be worth the wait.

Go check out Buttercup Bliss in my blogroll and give her some love. Maybe we can get her to blog again. Cutest house.

I also decided a few months ago, that other than Christmas that I would decorate only the foyer, dining room, and kitchen with seasonal decorations. I decided that I like the more calm uncluttered look of my living room, bedroom, etc. and that I would just keep it like that.

I will share my new bunnies and spring kitchen soon.
Sandy

Update on Lucy,
I had this post in the hopper, so I decided to post it because I am still a bit distressed over my sweet Lucy, the Springer. She stayed overnight with the vet because she was so manic from the seizure round that he had to sedate her. He will examine her this morning and see where we go from there.

Christmas: My So Called Formal Areas

I call this my so called formal areas, because the design of the house was that there be a formal living room. My mother-in-law had the most spectacular Victorian furniture in this area. That is not us. We are a casual family and at the move in time there were two teenagers. Since there is a big room with seating downstairs and a living room on the back with the water, we knew we would never ever walk in the so called front sitting room. Thus, we have a pool table. That is us to a T!

Without further adieu, the foyer.

Into the home on the right you will see our pool room.

Mr. Bunny got a red ribbon.

In the entrance hallway leading all the way to the living room, we have our Auburn tree. Last year was the first year I actually went with a separate Auburn tree, but we had so many ornaments, I decided to devote them to one tree. With the help of my daughter, I used one of my slender green trees and did orange and blue lights mixed. I really wasn't satisfied, so this year I used the tree I used to use in my daughter's bedroom. I plan to make an awesome tree skirt by next year.

You see that front door in the background. Next time you see it, it will be a different color. I have not been set on it since I put the darker blue around the glass. My son was adamant that it looked awful. I fear he was right. I went in search of a new color and decided to take into account the stain glass that is in the foyer. I have a lighter blue. I will be painting it soon.

The new color will match the blue in the oval of the stained glass.

Back to the Auburn tree.

 Now, into the dining room. My Willowtree Nativity  is displayed here. I went simple with nothing else there with it. I have asked for one more set of things to go with it and that is the camel set of animals. I don't particularly like the barn that goes with the set.

I added a little ribbon to the sconces this year. I really like that.

While I was busy setting up on Saturday, I set the table to give you an idea of what it will look like on Christmas Eve. We really do eat on the china. I think at least one day a year should be special and certainly celebrating our Lord and Savior should bring out the best. This is what we consider our Christmas china. I used to do more of those meals, and I am really trying to get back into that groove.

The only difference on Christmas Eve is that there will be a table cloth and more place settings squeezed in around the table. We squeeze in and sit close, but we love it. I have all the food in the kitchen, so only eating in here.

A close up of the awesome candle sticks. I found them last year at a wonderful store in Dadeville, Alabama called The Plantation House. 

View from the landing.

View to the landing

Tomorrow, I will share the kitchen and sewing room. That will wrap up the inside. I went very small this year. No bedrooms or downstairs. Maybe I will capture a bit of the front yard.

As I look around at the craziness of the world, these moments we capture with family around a dinner table are all the more important.

Sandy

Fall Decorations 2015 Part 1

Last year was my first year really decorating for fall. When I was teaching I simply just didn't have the time. When it got closer to Halloween, I would put out a few things and of course the jack-o-lantern on the front porch.

I absolutely love fall, so last year I embraced the idea of decorating for the season. I fell in love with it. I grew tired of it just before Christmas, but of course I was thinking of Christmas. The other thing I noticed about it was that I loved clearing out everything for January. I am sort of a no nonsense, no clutter kind of person, BUT... I am NOT a minimalist. I love how the things you display in a home tell your story. I love color and mementos on display. 

Now, that I have cleared that up I am going to share in two parts my fall decorations this year. I love pictures, so the posts will be picture heavy.

Without further adieu, you my blogger friend may enter the front door. I would rather you enter here than in my back garage door BECAUSE that is always messy. 

The foyer table got a few pieces. 

 A close up.

I painted the front door a couple of weeks ago. I am still not sure about the blue accent. My son said an emphatic no to it. Does anyone else have children that share their opinions of what you do so freely? Not that I pay too much attention to it, if I like it:)

Below is a picture of the stained glass in the entry. The colors in it are blue and green. There are blue pieces all around, so the blue is not just a random color. I am still trying to justify the color.

Moving on to the "billiards room" is the desk that is out of place, so I thought I would help it out.

A close up.

The desk was in my old sewing room and matches the dining room table. I just love it and don't want to get rid of it. I had no where to put it, so it ended up by the pool table. I may move it downstairs now that my son has moved out. I guess I will be slow to do that and see how that move really goes.

The small table has the cutest squirrels that I found at Tuesday Morning the other day. I just fell in love with them. I found the globe and pumpkins in the foyer and desk there as well.

The dining room has an added pumpkin to the centerpiece. I am not sure about that pumpkin yet. A real one may replace it later. It was a Walmart find.

I added the brown flower to the shells. Those flowers are scattered around in several places. I found those at Pier 1 last year. They are napkin rings.

The guest bathroom got a small touch with the candles.

I will share the living room and kitchen tomorrow.

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