I recently asked you HERE to look at this picture ... really look ... and tell me what you saw. Thanks to all of you who responded. If you haven't already done it, take a minute to look now ... please ... then I'll tell you about these girls. When I wrote HERE about my "new" husband, I told you that Renaissance Man is president of the international non-profit ministry Hope Unlimited for Children, offering hope and transformation to children at mortal risk in Brazil. Although he is responsible for the U.S. side of the organization (budgeting, fundraising, speaking to churches/civic groups, etc.) he also makes multiple trips to Brazil each year; sometimes I go with him. Before he left on a recent trip, I asked him to take ... Keep Reading...
Search Results for: very best tablescape
10 FAVORITE TABLESCAPES: In honor of the 500th Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch
My foray into blogging began in July 2010 when I joined the 100th Tablescape Thursday celebration at Between Naps on the Porch. Today marks the 500th celebration! Congratulations, Susan, on ten amazing years of playing in the dishes! Although my tablescaping is limited these days (as our living-in-300-square-feet saga continues), I couldn't pass up the opportunity to join Tablescape Thursday's party and link up 10 of my favorite tablescapes. They're not necessarily my all-time favs. Tablescapes are a bit like children: you love them all for different reasons! So here they are . . . in no particular order. Click on the titles to see the original posts. TABLESCAPE DEBUT KEY TO MY HEART . . . ... Keep Reading...
The Secret All Seasoned Tablescapers Know…
Seasoned tablescapers know: All-white dishes are power players in the dish pantry. They can be "dressy" – as I recently experienced them at The Cliffs Preserve in Chile... ...or "casual" – as I enjoyed them at the girls' residential care home while sitting around another "table with heart". White dishes are the perfect foundation for any meal. BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER DESSERT Do NOT try to tell me you've never made a meal of dessert... Even a SNACK is tastier when served on an all-white plate. If you’re just starting your collection, I hope I've convinced you: Invest in a set of all-white dishes and you'll be "set" for a lifetime of versatile ... Keep Reading...
Tablescapes
Sparkle! That's what I called my debut tablescape here in Blogland. It was July 2010 ... nearly 200 tablescape posts ago. Tablescaping for family, friends, and fundraising has been part of "me" for a long time. I love playing in the dishes, thrifting for one-of-a-kind focal pieces, and participating in tablescape events; some of those events are called a Festival of Tables. I especially love theme tables, even if the theme is a "mood." When I combine my love of dishes with my "thing" for vintage linens, well, it's nothing less than a marriage made in heaven. Tablescape Heaven! If Tablescape Heaven sounds like a place you'd like to visit, then make yourself at home. Just hover over the Tablescapes tab, and you'll see two more ... Keep Reading...
How to Set the EASIEST Tablescape Ever!
My Favorite Fatigue Wearer doesn't "get" my love of tablescaping. In fact, we have a good-natured, running conversation that goes something like this ... He: I prefer a "plain" table. Just a wood table with a plate, knife and fork. Me: ... and a napkin. You need a napkin. He: Nooooo (with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes and a slow swipe of his arm across his face from his elbow to his wrist) Me: (laughing and shaking my head at the "boy") Yes, you need a napkin! The last time we had this conversation, I was issued a challenge: Set a "plain" table ... and make it look good. I'm sure he didn't mean something like this. Source After giving it some thought, I remembered a "minimalist" table I once set ... Keep Reading...
2011 Favorite Tablescapes: Playing in the Dishes
Welcome to My Place to Yours and a brand new year of playing in the dishes. If you're a new visitor, I hope you'll feel very welcome ... and come again often! If you're a longtime friend, I'm very glad you're back. If you're like me, different blogs evoke different emotions in you. Some make me laugh; some make me cry; some inspire my creativity; some challenge me. There's one blog that causes me to relax and slow down every.single.time. It's Cabin & Cottage. While it's true I was already working on this post when I saw Jacqueline's The Year in Tablescapes, I guess "borrowing" her idea still makes me a copycat blogger. I told her immediately. Other than the "year in tablescapes" idea, however, our posts have very ... Keep Reading...
Two Hopeful Tablescapes
I'm still traveling cross-country, returning home from The Big Event, but I want to share two quick tablescapes with you this week. You may remember when I showed you how I decided on the color scheme for Hope Unlimited's 20th anniversary event. This was my plan ... but as you can see in the picture below, there was a slight miscommunication, and the navy blue cloths I received were the really dark indigo blue -- so the colors didn't "pop" quite like I'd hoped, but no one was any the wiser. Overall, the mix of small cocktail and tall kiosk tables was a good choice, and the fabulous floral print pulled everything together as I'd hoped. I had forgotten all about the huge "must stay" painting on one end ... Keep Reading...
UP, UP AND AWAY… Made it to Brazil!
Finally . . . Familiar sights (Some nicer than others.) After a smooth (though delayed) overnight flight, we arrived in São Paulo, Brazil and rode almost two hours to the city of Campinas—and straight to the City of Youth where we were welcomed by children, staff, and board members of Hope Unlimited for Children. It's been two years since I was last here, and it's been a nice day of seeing campus improvements, familiar faces, and new faces of children who now have life-transforming hope. The U.S. board and the Brazilian board met together this evening; joint efforts on behalf of children once abused, abandoned and neglected, often by the very ones who should have cared for them: their ... Keep Reading...
Field Trip Friday #6: Downtown Aquarium (Denver, Colorado)
Friday again already? I don't know about you, but at My Place, the Summer is flying by! Kids in our neighborhood go back to school in only 2 1/2 more weeks... Hopefully you've made time for some Summer outings. If not, these brief Field Trip Friday posts are especially for you! We really have to get out of our own little worlds every now and then, don't we? On my most recent visit to Colorado to see Daughter the Older, Renaissance Man and I joined her for a day at Denver's Downtown Aquarium. There was some interesting architecture that required looking at the fish from below—as if the viewer were at the bottom of the ocean looking up toward the ... Keep Reading...
Do you like sushi? Thank Hugo!
There he was in his blue jeans, red shirt, and knee-high rubber boots... walking along the beach. Walking out to sea. His name is Hugo. He's a seaweed harvester. So are these men and women... If you like sushi, you can thank Hugo and his friends. They work hard to gather the various kinds of seaweed that make sushi so beautiful and tasty. Sorry, Hugo. I only like the beauty of sushi! Theirs are lives of much uncertainty... When the weather cooperates and they can gather and dry the seaweed, they have a good day. But when it rains, the fresh water renders their already-gathered seaweed "ruined". Obviously, timing is critical... Although Hugo's life is one of subsistence living, Renaissance Man and I were blessed to see ... Keep Reading...
What Color is Life?
Life Lesson #20: Life is not all black and white I used to think Life was black and white. Actions were simply right or wrong. Period. (Some are.) People either "got it"–or they were doing something to stifle their intelligence because my the answer was sooooo obvious. I thought the young mother in the grocery store screaming at her children needed to be more patient–and teach those kids some manners. And the preacher who bribed his little girl with a new bike so she'd go to church–and everyone would think his was the "perfect Christian family"? Well, he needed to be a better father–and he really needed to get over himself. I thought the overweight, cigarette-smoking ... Keep Reading...
Start Here
Welcome to My Place to Yours This is the house many of you have come to associate with me . . . and this thrift store shopper knew it was perfect the minute I saw it on a painting at Goodwill! Unfortunately, it isn't signed, and there's no way to attribute its happy whimsy to the artist, so I'll just have to say, "Nice job -- I love it!" . . . Years ago when I moved my site from Blogger to WordPress, this little house was the one thing I insisted make the move with me. How about a tour? This site has two navigation bars: The one in the top right corner tells About me ... and what you can expect to find when you visit here. It also gives you a way to Contact Me ... and some reasons why you might want to. Finally, there's ... Keep Reading...
The Table With Heart …
Whew! Are you rested up after our trip to Brazil? I'm not quite up-to-speed yet, but I'm getting there. Hopefully you are, too. Those of you who have "traveled" with me in the past will probably remember the table with heart. I told you about it in The Very BEST Tablescape Ever. If you missed the story, stop and read it now so this post will make more sense. Go ahead. I'll wait ... Last week, while traveling on behalf of Hope Unlimited for Children, I had a chance to see several more tables with heart ... and got to share a meal (and smiles!) around most of them. The Nave Mae Preschool located in the Rosalina favela (slum) in Campinas, Brazil 430 little ones whose tummies get filled with nourishing ... Keep Reading...
Life-Changing Valentines …
If you visit here often, you may remember that my word for 2013 is shelter. Simply hearing the word brings to mind thoughts of safety ... stability ... home. I suppose it's because I'm one of the fortunate ones. Many (most?) of you are, too. While I've had my share of challenges in life ... some I pray none of you will ever experience ... there's never been a time when I wondered if I was loved or a time I questioned my long-term safety or whether I would have a roof over my head. In the grand scheme of things, I suppose I've been "sheltered" in more ways than one. I'll be forever grateful. I realize not everyone is so fortunate. I once shared a tablescape with you that I said was the Very BEST Tablescape Ever. ... Keep Reading...
Pins and Needles …
Click pic to see source "to be on pins and needles" (American & Australian) to be anxiously waiting to see what is going to happen It's Day Nine and counting since Grandson #2 was due, and we're still waiting. We sure are anxious for him to get here. Of course, Renaissance Man and I are thoroughly enjoying our time with Little Man and his parents, and the thought of two little guys to love on is a blessing almost beyond what we can imagine -- and certainly more than we could ever deserve! But ironically, tonight, even while I'm surrounded by all things "boy," my mind is being tugged at by girls. Some of you will remember when I told you about the Very BEST Tablescape Ever. If not, I hope ... Keep Reading...
Declaring Independence
Welcome to My Place to Yours! It's 11pm in Brazil, and I'm just starting to write this post. Renaissance Man and I arrived in Campinas this morning after a crazy-busy week in the U.S. which left me with no time to do a tablescape. As I left town, I prayed, "Lord, this is the first week I won't have done a tablescape post, and I've really enjoyed doing them. But if a post is going to be done this week, you're going to have to give it to me because I'm getting on a plane and leaving my dishes behind..." Well, as always, the Lord doth provide, and I'm sharing with you a table I experienced today at lunchtime -- a very few short hours after landing in Brazil. Any day that includes cheerful handmade linens ... Keep Reading...
