My Answer To Hubby's Questions

Even though my hubby is wonderful, there are a few things that irritate me to no end. One of them is this: When he's away from home during the day, sometimes teaching a class and sometimes volunteering for something, he'll call me when he's on his way home. He's very good about keeping in contact so when he occasionally forgets, I get worried, but that's not common. Anyway, it's gotten to the point of this discussion verbatim.

He: I'm on my way home.
Me: Good. Drive carefully.
He: What's for dinner? (Can you hear my teeth grinding here now?)
Me: Not sure. But be prepared to travel. (Dine out, get it?)


Another thing is when we eat out he never, ever leaves enough food on his plate to bring home. For me, most dinners out at a restaurant are at least two dinners, not for th' hubs. He eats it all. Incomprehensible to me how someone can eat all that food on the plate.

Another thing is dessert. Usually I don't order dessert, but when I do, I don't share. I tell this to hubs beforehand. Invariably, he'll try to take a bite of my Black Tie Mousse Cake at Olive Garden. The last time he tried that I snatched it away so fast it almost flew over my shoulder into the wall! I said I don't share dessert. Of course, there have been times when we're trying to lost a bit of weight that we order dessert and eat it together but the waitress cuts it in half for us so there's no fight. (This one waitress at Olive Garden knows us well. ;-) ) When I'm as hungry as a painted cannibal coming off a fast, you do NOT want to mess with my food.

He graciously helps me make our bed now that he's retired. I never really asked him to do it but with the things I've gone through this past year he just does it or helps me. So, here's the conversation:
Me: Make sure you have enough blanket on your side.
He: I do.
Me: I think the quilted bedspread needs to come over to my side a bit. Get the 3rd ruffle even with the edge.
He: No, it's perfect.
Me: I'll tell you when it's perfect. ;-)


I think I'd better stop while I'm ahead here on this discussion. ;-)
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I was on the treadmill the other day and had the radio on out in the garage while walking. I couldn't believe it but I heard a commercial for borrowing money. It was pretty much the ones you hear with low or no interest if repaid by a certain time. It had a few more creative things, which I can't remember now. But when it gave out the name and phone number, I was stunned. It was an Indian Casino! Since Indian reservations are sovereign nations they don't pay taxes and can do pretty much what they want, but that was a new one for me.
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If you are ever in London, this is the place you want to visit for yummy cakes.

Clever idea using vintage wallpaper.

Beautiful vignette using perfume bottles.

I used this photo to do one of my own. I had all the basics and didn't have to buy a thing. I love mine! You can do this also.

A gorgeous living room. Love just about everything about it. I'd put in pink of course.

Stunning winter display.

Vintage tins.

A magnetic tray.

Old doors set up in a garden. Lovin' it!

Pretty office in an old loft.

Beautiful ranunculaceous.

Pretty pink clock.

I fashioned the chandelier in my dining room after this one. A few differences but I couldn't find the chandelier shades like this one has. Had to adjust my thinking!

Darling, darling home office out of a closet.

Love these old trailers but don't want one or Love Bunny would insist I go camping and we all know how I feel about camping!

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Tidbit:
Walter Anderson's two claims to fame: inventing the hamburger bun and co-founding White Castle.
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Feathers in my Food!

It all started with wanting different shades for my dining room chandelier. I saw 2 styles that really mesmerized me.

This one:

and this one:

One has pink roses all around the bottom of the shades and the other one has a pretty ribbon on it.  I had some pretty paper roses but not enough to go all the way around 5 shades, plus they were a bit big for the tiny shades. I especially loved the shapes of the 2 above. I couldn't find the exact shades—at a cost that wouldn't hurt my bank account. But all I could find at our Lowes and Home Depot were the usual ones, nothing fancy, just a sort of flare at the bottom. So I let everything sit for a while until I felt inspiration since I had bought 5 of them and painted them pink. After painting them, I realized they would not cast much light so it was back to Lowes for 5 more shades. Those were left unpainted. Then after about three weeks, it hit me—feathers. I had bought 3 feather boas a few months ago, just in case I'd need them at some point. I also had a pretty trim but only enough for one, so I was off to hunt for more of that particular trim. I finally found it after much looking at Joanns. I mean I really looked hard for about 20 minutes through all their trim and was just about to give up when on a bottom shelf I saw it. There were only 3 yards of it left and I bought it all! I put the jeweled trim around the top part and feathers on the bottom and then I put 3 little paper roses along the top, Then I finished it with a pink bow. While I love the shade with the sassy ribbon and how the ribbon goes around it, without that straight-sided shade, doing it the way it is in the photo just wouldn't work, so I had to improvise. Plus, I loved that ribbon but couldn't find it anywhere.

All of MY photos can be clicked to enlarge, not the ones starting with the stone cottage. Y'all KNOW how I hate small photos!

This is the jeweled trim.

Yep, I used a pink ribbon and trust me, it wasn't easy getting them to come out right. I had to make 3 of them before I got the dimensions correct.

They add a whole new look to the dining chandelier.

And I love them.

See how the light comes through now. With the pink-painted ones it was much darker.

Love the look now. When Love Bunny came home and I showed him the chandelier—he'd never notice on his own, trust me—the only response was, 'Oh, great, feathers in my food.' I assured him I shook them out 3 times and vacuumed up all the feathers to put that risk at minimum. You should see my Dyson vacuum cleaner!

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A little stone cottage by the sea.

A little country stone cottage with tiled roof. They've set the table outside for dining.

Another cute way to display craft items.

I love how this homeowner made a magazine holder out of a beautiful old bucket next to her chair.

Some old beach chairs decorated in the french fashion with those pillows.

I'm truly thinking of some way I could copy and incorporate this into my kitchen. Only problem is I have cathedral ceilings in there, but I'm thinkin', I'm thinkin'!

And a scrumptious periwinkle blue living room. I think the whole room is gorgeous.

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Linking up with WOW and Open House Party and Favorite Things Thursday 

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It's Alright, Really It is...

First of all, to the woman, Melody, who asked me a question about that poem Their Last Touch, you didn't have a return address OR a blog so I could answer you privately, but the answer is: No, I have no clue who wrote the poem. I didn't even know it was a song. Sorry. So, gals, please remember if you want me to answer something for you, I'll need an email address or at least a blog so I can answer. I prefer an email.
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Okay, more confessions here and trust me, it is NOT pretty. The older I get the less I feel like housekeeping. Yep, trust me on this one because it is definitely true. To prove my words true I'm going to show you some pix of the house lately with, of course, explanations. Bear with me on this.

These old magazines have been in this corner behind hubby's chair for months and months, maybe even a couple of years. I just can't find a place for them now and thought of selling some on eBay since there are some very, very old ones.

This coffee table between our chairs in the family room??? I have been neglecting it for several months. Why? I've been lazy and just didn't want to touch it. I'd rather sit and read a book while recuperating since I can't sit on any chair in the craft room and chairs I can sit on wouldn't be conducive to working in the craft room. See that blue binder? That has a lot of material on PhotoShop from a class I took very early this year. Been sittin' there that long. Maybe I could just dust its cover? Nah, too much trouble.

Dictionary, fingernail files, phone and scriptures are always near. Then of course, hubs has to keep his periodicals near him, cluttering the table up even more.

The corner opposite hubby's corner is filled with pictures I have no place to hang. I might give them to Goodwill, just don't know yet.

Okay, so what's behind my chair? Two rolls of batting to make quilts for my church ward, a small folding/slanted table to put my laptop on when using it in here, some frames I got a heck of a deal on and haven't decided what to do with them, the bag for my laptop when traveling and my refurbished umbrella that I've yet to put up somewhere.

Told ya so...

And then there's the craft table. I don't even know where to begin on this table. Truly, I don't.

I truly lost a pair of up-close glasses somewhere in this mess and haven't found them yet after just flicking a quick glance every once in a while and hoping they gravitate to the top of the pile.

The chandelier hubs brought down from the garage attic weeks ago so I could prime and paint it is still sitting on the floor in here. I haven't a clue when I'll get to it, but since it requires standing up, it might be sooner than later. Can you picture this in the small entry way? I can; Love Bunny can't. You know who's going to win this battle, right?! Plus that desk I put on Craigslist and no takers so far. I sure wish one of you shabby romantic bloggers lived near here because I only want $75.00 for that vintage school desk.

Do you see that cardboard tube under there? It's full of posters Love Bunny doesn't know I've taken out of the garage. After next summer if he doesn't mention them, I'm throwing them out. He's a hoarder!!!! I doubt he'll miss them.

Recently, I was changing this wall around a bit—taking down a little dark brown shelf I got from Bombay & Co. years ago and painted it white and have yet to find a place for it—and added these little pictures instead to fill a void on this wall.

While in that corner I dusted. Yep, actually dusted. BUT I haven't put the dust rag away yet or rearranged that end table. Ooooh, I've been going to do it, just haven't got around to it yet. Can we say lazy again? Maybe recuperate is a more appropriate word, hmmmmm?

As I've said, I had to give my office chair to Love Bunny because I could NOT sit on it. So I took his, but my beautiful chair cover won't fit this one, plus he doesn't particularly want to sit on roses chair covers so I'm going to have to get rid of it, but it's been hanging there for a couple of weeks.

See these curtains and the duvet cover? They've also been waiting for me to ask hubby to find a box to pack them in so I can put them in the garage attic until I decide what to do with them. I just may keep them and change things out somewhere along the line. Never sorry I keep something, always sorry I toss them out or get rid of them

Notice my exercise pad sitting there for about a week and I've had no incentive to put it away. Also just to the right of it sitting on the top of some boxes is a little box full of hanging lanterns I was going to take over to my neighbor in July. Yep, still sitting there. That's how pathetic I've been. Sigh......

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I Finished the Chandelier

I received a delightful email from a blogger the other day that made me chuckle and truly just made my day.

She said that she'd seen my name and picture/logo around the blogs on comments but didn't think we'd have anything in common. Finally, she got up the nerve to come over and see what I did and was like. WOW! She then told me she loves how I write and loves my blog and photos of my home. I chuckled all the way through it because I've always said people don't know how to take me. While she was having issues with my calling others honey, sweets, chick, sweetpea, she finally decided to take a look after those sobriquets threw her off thinking I was something of a new wave beatnik. Nuuuuuu, not at all. What a sweetheart to confess she judged me wrong. I have definitely done this. I'm very opinionated, you know! I have also done the exact same thing. (As a matter of fact, one of the best friends I ever had was at first my nemesis.) She said she'll be back and that she loves my stuff and felt ashamed for judging. How generous and sweet of her to admit it even though we'll probably never meet. I think I'd found a new friend and I want to thank her profusely for giving me a glance and chance! :-)
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Time gets away from me sometimes when I'm reading a good mystery. Ever happen to any of you? Well, it definitely does for me.

But anyway, while taking a break from a book recently I finally got to finish the froufrou-ing up of the white painted wrought iron chandelier.

You can still see the hot glue strands I neglected to pick off.

I used 3 different kinds of ribbon, then glued paper roses to each candle holder arm.

I have a plethora of tiny pink roses so I glued one to each candlestick. Okay, let's be realistic here—I probably won't ever light these candles. ;-)

I then put a candle wreath in the center with a rose. I may put another one or two on there also and I wrapped the top with white garland. A pink ribbon is attached to hang it from the ceiling.

It was really windy when I photographed this just as the sun was over the peak and before it set for the evening.

And this is the final result.

I really do like to get photos of it in different locations with different lighting so here are a few more. I beg forgiveness. ;-)


Okay, I added a tiny rose to each of the strands of hanging pearls and also a larger one to the wreath in the middle.


And as the saying goes: The rest is history. I looked all over this place for a spot to put it. I first thought I would hang it in the guest bathroom but that just wasn't going to work out. No matter how high I put it, it was still too low and the beads would have grazed and graced the heads of visitors. :-)

And, yes, I did bring the fancy prom dress in from the office to our bedroom. I thought it would look nice in here for a change.

And while it looks a bit crooked, it probably is. But I haven't adjusted the candles in it while up on the bed. I got off the bed backwards, and since it is so high, promptly almost fell on my bum while attempting this and it was NOT a pretty sight seeing an old lady totter backwards so to keep my balance! Trust me. I have no clue how I managed to maintain my dignity. So I'm not adjusting for a while, but it is also handmade so there's a good possibility it isn't perfect. It only adds to its charm for me that way.

And, yes again, those are my purple socks on the floor next to my side of the bed. And, yes, Love Bunny asked if it would stay here (the chandy, not my socks). I said, "Yes!". . . for a while anyway. ;-)
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