They have names like Pyracantha, Privet and Possumhaw. They come in a wide variety of colors. Click post pics to enlarge them. They slip quietly (but quite noticeably) into our decor in late Summer ... and stay there throughout the holidays ... and into the Winter. I especially love the red ones! They're a favorite holiday motif that's been showing up on our Christmas cards for many years ... ... and gracing the pages of our magazines. Southern Living They have no problem jumping right in the middle of our Christmas decorations ... both inside and out. They dress up our mantels ... And at our house, they even show up on our stockings. Little Man's train is the most recent one I've made ... ... Keep Reading...
The Love Letters
The conversation began several months ago when Renaissance Man's mother was here for a visit. I learned that my 91-year-old mother-in-law has a collection of love letters written by her grandparents ... in 1888. Actually, the first letter was written December 16, 1887 – 124 years ago this week. Frances asked if I would help her divide up the letters between her three children. I told her NO. I couldn't stand to think of treasures like those getting separated! However, I said I would make a nice set of copies for the boys -- and her daughter could have the originals. She liked that idea and said she would mail the letters to me. NO again! Let's keep them where they're safe until I can come get them in ... Keep Reading...
Ho Ho Ho … A Vintage Christmas Tablescape
This week I've been in a Vintage Christmas mood, and today we're going with the fun, kitschy side of vintage Christmas. My inspiration came from these little flocked Santas. You either love 'em ... or not! (Little Man's Mommy thinks they're "creepy." Personally, I think they're fun, and I've played with them for years, but I've decided that this is the year to start cleaning out a few things. This post will serve as my "scrapbook" for memory's sake... This tablescape was the perfect time to pull out "all things vintage" ... Dishes ... and linens ... ... including this handmade tablecloth. It's very large! Think of the work that went into making ... Keep Reading...
Sally’s Been Traveling …
So how's your Sally List going? Yes, this is the accountability I promised! It keeps me focused, too ... If you're wondering, "What's a Sally List?" go ahead and click HERE to find out. We'll wait for you. At My Place, Sally's been getting into the spirit of the season. Isn't she cute? She's also been helping me make plans to deliver some Christmas cheer around our community. The recipes are being selected and shopping lists compiled ... and next week the baking will start. Sally's also been traveling. This morning I found her visiting Kelley in the Philippines! It seems that my Sally List inspired Debbie to write hers ... which inspired Kelley to write hers. I ... Keep Reading...
Reindeer Winter
I'm playing this week! Little Man came for an unexpected visit -- without Mommy and Daddy! -- and we're having far too much fun doing 2-year-old things to even think about tablescaping. Well, obviously that's not true because I'm going to share a tablescape with you ... but it's one I did last winter that never got posted. Lucky me! I'm not coming to the party this week empty-handed. I am, however, just dropping by to be sociable (and because I'd really miss our time together), and then I'm off to see what else we can get into before we have to take the little guy home tomorrow. I hope you ... Keep Reading...
YOU JUST NEVER KNOW … Secrets of an Old House
Welcome to My Place to Yours! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration with family and friends ... and I'm honored that you stopped by for a visit here at the beginning of the Christmas season. If you've visited here before, you know how much I love old houses. One of the things I find most fascinating about them is that you just never know. You never know when the weight of the second story is going to become unbearable. You never know when the old heat/air unit will decide to quit. You never know when an elderly man will ring your doorbell then hold out an old skeleton key and ask if you think it might fit any of the doors in your 100-year-old house ... and you've heard that the original owners have a ... Keep Reading...
Happy Thanksgiving – 2011
Happy Thanksgiving to all! Most of us are busy this week ... cooking, traveling, relaxing for a change ... so this post will be very short. I put together a quick Traditional Thanksgiving inspiration board for you. My inspiration was the vintage Carnation Milk ad that hangs year-round in our mud room. I've had it for years, and I still LOVE that procession of little feet! Click on pic to enlarge. The pictures down the side came from last year's tablescapes ... (Top and Middle) Watching the Leaves Turn (Bottom) Happy Thanksgiving - 2010 * * * * * I also want to share with you a "thanks giving" note I received a couple of weeks ago from one of the staff members of Hope Unlimited for Children in ... Keep Reading...
Transferware Heaven: Old House Love
Hello all! Before I say another thing, I have a confession to make ... A few weeks ago, my friend Debbie at Words on Wheels yakked a bit (her word, not mine!) about "early birds" ... people who arrive really early to events like thrift sales so they can get "the good stuff" for themselves. Debbie said that's rude, and Yours Truly agreed -- and left a comment saying so. "Early birds are r-u-d-e!" Um, Debbie, I hate to tell you, but last weekend I was an Early Bird, albeit an ignorant one. I'll explain, but will you please just go ahead and forgive me since I was really an Early Bird didn't-mean-to-be ... and since I just linked to your blog? (BIG smile!) After getting up really early and taking Renaissance Man to the ... Keep Reading...
Sometimes It’s Hard to Be Thankful …
It was the week before Thanksgiving in 1986 or 7, and I was a young mother standing in a slow line at the post office. My two preschool-age daughters were happily weaving their way follow-the-leader style down the long velvet divider rope, twirling when they got to the stanchion at the end. They were being polite (and it was really kinda cute), but I was afraid not everyone in line would feel the same, so I motioned for them to come back and stand beside me. It was then that an elderly lady (who in hindsight I realize was probably only in her early 60s ... yikes!) said to me, "Oh, they're fine; let them play. They're just beautiful. Such life and energy!" I smiled and made come comment about how they definitely had energy! And ... Keep Reading...
Owning Provenance …
One week and counting until Thanksgiving 2011. Do you have big plans or will yours be a quiet celebration this year? Whatever it is you're planning, I hope you'll choose to enjoy this week leading up to it. You know ... take time to smell the roses chrysanthemums. I thought I knew what I was going to share with you on this Tablescape Thursday, but sometimes a gal's just gotta change her mind. You'll be glad I did when I share with you the nice surprise I received yesterday. As best I recall, it began in October 2010. I hadn't been blogging very long, and my Etsy shop was pretty new when one of my blog readers saw these glasses in my shop. They're vintage, and they have the prettiest etched pinecone ... Keep Reading...
Old House Master Bathroom Renovation: DIAMONDS AND SWIRLS
Welcome to the beginning of another week. I'm so glad you've stopped by for a visit From time to time some of you ask me to post more pictures of the renovation of my old house. I haven't done that in quite awhile, so I've decided today to put some together for you. This week, I'll show you what our Master Bath looked like BEFORE. Warning: I should have posted this a couple of weeks ago at Halloween. It's really scary! For starters, you should know that sometime probably in the 1930s or '40s our 1907 house's original back porch was enclosed and a small "wing" added on one side. At the time of the addition, the room on the left was a tiny bathroom, and the room on the right was a small kitchen. It seems that the ... Keep Reading...
The Gift Everyone Wants to Receive … but Seldom Wants to Give
Are you working on your Sally List? (Don't know what a Sally List is? Click HERE to read about it.) I've been working on mine, and my offer to do a meal for our local women's shelter ... complete with tablescape, of course ... was accepted with great excitement. We're working towards a Feb. 13 Valentines Eve candlelight dinner, and I plan to use these beautiful Theodore Haviland plates I won from Cherry Kay's fantastic giveaway at Entertaining Women. Won't they be perfect for a soft, feminine Valentine-theme table? Click HERE to see entire tablescape. As I've read some of your Sally List comments and emails, there's been one topic that keeps getting mentioned, and I can't get it off my mind. You see, ... Keep Reading...
The Final Salute
I have a 90-year-old friend who was a member of the Army Nurse Corps in World War II. On impulse, I did a Google search for her -- and was shocked to see a 2003 interview she did for the Veteran's Oral History Project at The University of Tennessee. You see, she speaks very little of those days ... and there in front of me was a 112-page transcript. Needless to say, I spent the next couple of hours reading ... trying to absorb what my friend had experienced. Helen was 21 years old and fresh out of nursing school when she enlisted. She thought she would be working in a hospital wearing a crisp white uniform and caring for patients. She couldn't have been more mistaken. That was March 1943. Right off the bat she was inoculated ... Keep Reading...
There are Dishes I DON’T Like … Gasp!
Hello all! I'm so glad you stopped by to play in the dishes with me this week, but I'm sure you had no idea you'd be following me down Memory Lane ... Several weeks ago my younger sister was out thrifting and sent me a text ... with this picture. We had a good LOL (laugh out loud)! The pattern is Honey Gold by Taylor, Smith & Taylor ... and it graced our table when we were growing up in the '70s. See what I mean about Memory Lane? A few weeks later, I sent this picture to Little Sis with the text: Should I? What would Mom think? We had another good LOL -- then I bought the dishes. Funny thing is, I didn't really like them back in the '70s (still don't particularly!), but seriously ... Don't you think $4.99 ... Keep Reading...
Sally List Link-up Available
Hi, Friends! I hope you're having a great week so far. I continue to be amazed at how my Sally List post is resonating with a lot of you. I've already seen a couple of your Sally List blog posts out there, and others of you have told me you're working on one.I've added the posts I know about to a new link-up at the bottom of the original Sally List post. I hope you'll add yours, too, if/when you post about The Sally List Challenge ... so we can all stop by and read it! Just click Sally's picture ... scroll down to the bottom of the post ... and Add Your Link! Easy as pie. Have a nice day tomorrow -- then stop by tomorrow night if you get a chance. We'll play ... Keep Reading...
HITTING CLOSE TO HOME: Responses to The Sally List
Oh, my goodness, what a whirlwind of comments and emails I've received since posting about The Sally List last Friday! If you're wondering what a Sally List is, now's a good time to click the link and read about it -- then come back here. I'll wait. Welcome back! I was honored and thrilled to see that Heather and Vanessa of At The Picket Fence joined in the Sally List challenge by sharing their own Sally Lists on their blog today. They are very brave indeed -- AND they're asking us to help hold them accountable. After all, that's part of the purpose of the Sally List. Vanessa made a distinction that's very important to me: The Sally List is NOT a "bucket list" or a common "to do list." It's so much more ... Keep Reading...
