Sunday, February 24, 2019

Setting the table with Susan Branch and MacKenzie-Childs....

As you might know, I am a fan of Susan Branch's artwork and books.  You might also remember when I "stalked" her (HERE) and my favorite summer cocktail of hers (HERE).  

Well, I am also a fan of her calendars - and I save them (Marie Kondo help me!)

I use them as placemats!  Why toss away such pretty prints?


All of the watercolor prints coordinate well with my MacKenzie-Childs dishes....


...and they are a way to brighten up a plain table...


...I thought about laminating them, but then I would just be saving 12 a year and I certainly don't need that many....


...my guests enjoy reading what's on their placemat...


...and it often leads into a discussion about her life and the books she has written...


...I love introducing her to my friends!


The "placemats" show up more so during dessert...


...after I clear away the dinner dishes.


The Mackenzie-Childs berry bowls are perfect for sherbet and ice cream....


...and fruit and side salads.


I just never seem to get photos when the food is served!


I have used the smaller calendar pages for desserts:


They are the perfect size for mini bites or appetizers, too...


...and again, fun to read...





A great idea to "pretty up" a table!


If you are unfamiliar with Susan Branch, go here 


and if you are unfamiliar with MacKenzie-Childs, get out from under that rock and go here!



Do you save pretty calendars from year to year?





Friday, February 22, 2019

While on vacation I read a few good books.....

I decided to remove myself from Social Media and TV while on vacation in Grand Cayman last week.  It was a nice break and I was able to read 4 books while enjoying the beach and pool!



The first book I read was The Last Mrs Parrish....proof positive that you never know what goes on in another's marriage - I was engrossed and couldn't put it down!  The thrilling twist was a great surprise!


I immediately opened this book, The Couple Next Door and couldn't wait to read "The end".  It was a bit stretched out and the story could have been told in less pages!!  The new parents are at a dinner party at their neighbors home when a crime is committed.  It had a surprising twist, but took forever to get to it!!


I enjoyed Driving Lessons  - Sarah and her husband leave NYC jobs and move to the country.  She is challenged living in a quaint southern town and hasn't driven a car in years!!  Cute story!


I ended my vacation by finishing this book just as the plane landed and we arrived home!  I "lived in" Now That You Mention It .  This was a fast moving read and I actually laughed out loud a few times!  Nora's life is falling apart so she returns home, a place she doesn't feel welcomed.



 I still have one more to read.....I have read all of Hilderbrand's novels and just need to find some quiet time to sink into this one:



Have you read a good one lately?


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Monday, February 18, 2019

What a difference a day makes.....

We left the snow last week.....


....to enjoy the sun and sand....


...in Grand Cayman....


We happily left the snow behind and enjoyed 85' weather daily!

What a difference 24 hours can make!  

It was a great getaway and very relaxing, I hope you will come back at the end of the week to read all about it!


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Friday, February 15, 2019

"The best laid plans....."

There are only two of us living here, so when I want to bake I try to divide the mix in 2, making cupcakes and a cake.  That way I can freeze the cake for a later date - if I don't, I know we will eat it all quickly and we are trying to cut back on sweets.


I made 12 cupcakes and decided to bake the rest in a MacKenzie-Childs storage container:

(stock photo)

 It was a perfect size and easy to store in the freezer....


...where it didn't stay long!!



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Sunday, February 10, 2019

Ten on the 10th....Thrift Shop Challenge

Here are some great deals I have found at our local "Thrifty Shopper".  

As I stroll though the store, my "wheels are always turning",  thinking "what can I do with this?" or ""what can I turn that into?"

I bought this $5 stool and thought " I can decoupage this with all the shopping bags I have been saving for years and prove to my husband there was a reason I was saving them!"


So, I cut off the store logos.....


...and decoupaged them on the top:


It was an inexpensive project - IF - you don't count everything I purchased in the shopping bags!

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I also found this little $7 table at the same store:


And AGAIN, I could prove to my husband that there was a really good reason why I had been collecting yardsticks:


and with a bit of spray paint and a little measuring and cutting, I attached them on the top of the table:


Again, so smug with the satisfaction that I could prove why I "needed" to be saving them for a few years!!


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How could I ever resist buying a  little $.69 cent coffee pot?


A little bit of paint turned it into a great vase:


I need to remind hubby that he needs to fill this with daisies!!

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These little glass globes are only $.79 at our thrift shop.  I ran it thru the dishwasher and painted it with some enamel paints - perfect to hold a tea light or a few fresh flowers!


A perfect little hostess gift!

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Visit these other blogs to see what they found for under $10 while out "thrifting":







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