A Night Out for Dinner

I'm joining in with Claudia's A Favorite Thing linky party tonight and will use this post but put in a favorite thing now to join her at 8 pm EST.

It's hard for me to have just one favorite thing as I could keep this party going well into the 22nd century with my favorite things. Actually, I'll probably depart this earth before I could possibly get through my "favorite things." But today my favorite thing will be this little bucket I painted to match the new decor that I'm striving to get: Romantic/French/Traditional/Connie. ;-) It was purchased at Joanns fabrics and kind of a verdigris color and not very good one at that. I painted it pink and yellow stripes. Turned out even better than I thought it would!

Closer to better see it is yellow. Anyway, while it looks lime-color in these photos, I can assure you it's yellow and I truly do love the colors.

This was taken inside with indoor lighting, but I assure you this is truly pink and yellow, not limey green.

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At a doctor's office recently I was reading an old Reader's Digest. There was an article in it by a podiatrist. She said unequivocally that the best lotion for feet was Amlactin. My own podiatrist recommended it also. It's a bit pricey at about $15.00 for an 8 oz. bottle but it is so true. Even Love Bunny noticed how soft my feet were. And if that man notices anything, it's worthy of note, trust me!

He and I don't see eye-to-eye on portions. Food portions. He'll ask for peas for dinner and would put a half a bag of frozen peas in the pot to cook. That's ridiculous. He says it's the right amount. I put about a third of the bag in the pot to cook. He just has no sense of portion. We argue about this all the time.

Recently, he took me to Sizzler. Now, I'm not that fond of Sizzler but that night the steak was really good. Hotter than blazes though. No child could have eaten it that hot. I mean the platter was smoking and did so for the entire time it took me to eat the steak and potato. If a parent let a child eat it that hot, it would burn their mouths for sure and then we all know what would happen—they'd sue Sizzler. It took me 6-7 minutes before I could even put a forkful of it in my mouth. Truly! He likes his food HOT—from the skillet to his mouth. Our son is the same way. Me? I have to let it cool before I can put it in my mouth. I don't want my mouth burned and it has been. Once scalded; twice cautious...or something like that.

Anyway, I had a small salad bar, the entree and dessert. He had a bigger steak, salad bar heaping on his plate, then went back for cottage cheese, then went back for a PLATE of fruit and then had an ice cream sundae. We're not talking small portions; we're talking big portions. I was sick just eating what I did, but he said he didn't feel full or think he ate too much and defended it. Sigh...as I said, we have totally different views of "portions." But we both agreed that's our last time at Sizzler.
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Is this a cute little cottage or what? No driveway, just a patch of grass with wheel paths leading to the back. But it looks like it's at the end of a road. Charming, no matter where or what it is.

This looks to be in Britain to me. Not many homes in the U.S. are that close together and so charmingly old.

The other day I gathered all my wrapping papers—such as they are—from the hallway coat closet and put them in my office here. They were getting in the way of the coats and vacuum I have in that closet and I didn't want them to get too frayed. So I brought them into this office and am now trying to find a cute bucket, preferably of the tin/metal variety, to put them in and store them "in plain sight" somewhere in the house. Just adding more eye candy for visitors to see. ;-)

Isn't this a gorgeous dreamy coat? I'd love to have it but I'd look like a polar bear in it.

A stunning balcony window with lace curtains. Oooooh, how gorgeous.

A beautiful bathroom, probably done over in rustic vintage decor. The colors are beautiful and serene.

You probably remember when we would have thrown out something that looks this bedraggled. Now we pay dear for such a vintage "ornament."

Just for the gorgeous deep colors have I posted this for you.

I love this little cuff done so fancifully. While I'm more fond of colors, I'd still make a cute little one like this to wear.

While this doesn't look like a particularly popular or sought-after street to live on, I thought the home was worthy of note. It looks huge even before you have the side protuberances. Cute, but too big for this gal.

This is such a place I'd love to have near me to enjoy. Absolutely adorable!

A rustic bench. Very desirable.

This looks like a bunch of fabric before it is ruffled just put together to make a curtain of sorts. Clever.

An Italian doorway looking like a jewel. Notice the mailbox is the same color as the door and the archway.

Darling picnic table cover. Now, this is my next project! LOL

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Creating Your Own Style

First of all, I need to apologize to all the regular bloggers I visit for not commenting. I looooove commenting, but the posts got to over 250 and I could just not catch up, sweet thangs! I was negligent and I don't mean to be or even like doing it but passing these stones and being on pain killers for over a week kinda "dulled" my senses and I was truly "loopy"or sleepy for the better part of 10 days. Combine this with not getting a shower or worst...WASHING MY HAIR!!!!....and I was heading toward grouchy, chicks! It warn't purdy I tell ya....... So please accept my apologies and I'll be trying to catch up in the next few days.
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I've been thinking about style a lot lately as I redo my rooms and thought I'd share a few things with you. I may have said this before in some fashion but it bears repeating I think.

Create your own style! Yes, you do have one. Maybe you haven't "connected" with it yet but each person has a style. Define your style and then refine it. This can take years, chickees, years!! When the wealthy redo a home it takes them 3-5 years to get it all done and sometimes more. It's a long process even if you do it yourself. So don't be too eager to get it done in a week because it ain't happening - usually.

It makes me feel free to select my own style and not be matchy-matchy with my furniture. Again, I want the look that says I've collected these wonderful things you see in this room over a lifetime. That's my style: romantic collector. Nothing truly matches except for a pair of Baker chairs I've had recovered twice. They are "lifetime" chairs because I paid good money for them 20+ years ago and they take to recovering really well. Somehow it all seems to fit together beautifully - for me anyway. I just "play" with it. I have fun with it. I make things work. If I love it, it works. Simple as that. You can do it also, just PLAY with it and have fun doing it because there truly are no rules when it comes to decorating. If you love it then it works. I'm absolutely not afraid to try new things or combine things that most people don't think go together. If I like it that's all that matters. I don't give a whit or fig about other people's opinions. Mine is what counts in this house! Love Bunny accepts anything I do. He would have to come up with a real dislike for something for me to change something in this house.

I "shop" in my own home.......and my daughter's home. That means I go into the garage attic, other rooms and look at the fluff on the walls and "redistribute" it to other rooms. It makes the whole space look different. When we go back to California to visit the kids I also "shop" in my daughter's house because she'll get it back when I'm dead and I give her stuff now so she doesn't have to wait until I'm dead! She's always telling me to get rid of what I've got because she doesn't want to have to do the job for me and that she's going to put all my "stuff" on ebay for 99¢ with free shipping! Can you imagine?!?! I think I'm cutting her out of the will and just giving it to my granddaughter! At least she'll put it on Craigs List and get a few bucks outta the' deal!! No matter.

I rarely spend a lot of money to redo the look of a room. So change things around in the home for a different look, add a fresh coat of your favorite color of paint if so desired and voilà - a whole new look. Puhhhhleeeze, do NOT tell me hubby would cringe or say no. Men rarely care about how you decorate your home. YOU are the one in it most of the day and if you can't stand that ugly wall color then just change it. If he then threatens to divorce you then you can change it back, but do one wall and see how he reacts. He will, of course, react viscerally and not intellectually so tell him to adjust and see how it goes from there. ;-)

I've included some photos of what I consider beautiful creative rooms of truly divergent styles, but ooooooh sooooo beautiful. I love them all.

Okay, this has to be my favorite since it has PINK (!), roses, RED (!), and vintage fabrics and just all around romantic shabby style. I love this above all others in this group. It's a room to create or craft or sewing room.

How could you not love this bold and bright room to sit in and dream or read or whatever???? I don't know who owns this room but she was bold. Now, you need to be bold. Bold doesn't mean bright vivacious colors; it means taking a risk, being courageous and confident in what you are doing. I'm a bold person but I don't necessarily use "jonquil yellow" or "flamboyant pink" in a room. I'm just bold in what I do because if it turns out less than perfect I can change it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained and I plan on "gaining" a lot in this life, my sweet cherubs. Go for the gusto or you'll never know what you are capable of. Make yourself happy and others will be happy to just be around you.

Even the outdoors can be beautiful. Just hang a collection of your favorite things on the back side of your home, flaky vintage bench and voilà - instant "fabulous"!!

This room also spoke to my heart. I'm not really into the rustic style but I do love this room. It shows that the owner put a lot of thought into it. She mixed all elements of comfy in this room: a beat up old leather chair, the texture of the rock fireplace, books (!), roses and florals and a comfy plaid chair that looks like it might be a favorite of someone who lives in that house, a favorite old cabinet and pieces of furniture that are used in diverse ways. The ottoman is a coffee table on which to put up your feet. It just looks like an all around "collected over time" place to relax. Yep, I love this room. Oooh, and about books....even if you don't read, put some books around the room. On shelves or the floor or table. They're a really great decorating statement and cheap! Of course, if you love to read like I do it's all the better. ;-) Plus it gives instant personality to a room. Plus it'll make people think you're an intellectual! ;-)

Here the rustic is combined with vintage barkcloth fabrics in florals. Another outstanding room! This is a feminine, masculine room. What man wouldn't like having the florals on the sofas if he could hang pictures of animals on the wall and have it look this stunning?! Sort of Hawaii Lodge look. I love this room also. Uhhhh, notice the open book? Yep, just keep a book opened on a table so a visitor can peruse it also. Yep, I do that. I even stack lamps and faux plants on books. Makes me look smart. ;-)

Ooooh my, another fabulous room where the owner combined the french provincial country with the vintage look. Different textures with the peeling paint of the chairs, the tattered, upholstered bench and the burlap looking table runner with that fabulous arrangement of food. Ooohooo. Gorgeous with that green cupboard and salmon colored settee.

Who would think a simple inexpensive thing such as a canopy could do so much for a space – whether inside or outside? It gives "intimacy" to this tiny little "room" in the garden. I plan on trying this but it is a bit more difficult in this hot desert in the summer. We don't spend much time out in July and August, just too hot. I want to do it for the visual effect though so I will. It will have to be a while though. It's down the road because of all the other projects I have in mind. This will be hubby's job. I tell him what I want. He'll give me a bit of static about how it can't be done and I just tell him to make it happen and that I trust him to make it happen. He then figures it out. Men love a challenge!!! ;-) I don't think he can make that lemon tree happen in this cold winter climate however.

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