The Copycat

I'm sure many of you know Debbie of Debbiedoos. Well, I'm sure many of you also know that she's having a Magazine Copycat party. So, I had to try my hand at it. After all, Debbie makes it look so easy.

Can I just say? Not so easy. I definitely won't be quitting my day job to photograph magazine layouts any time soon ever.

I started with this rather pretty spread from Flea Market Style.



Of course, I wanted to switch it up a bit. Make it my own...copy, but not copy, if you will.



I don't think it turned out too well. I can see lots of things I should have done differently. Which gets me thinking...remember when Debbie had that party of all the "oops" moments? You know, the crafts & such that didn't turn out too well? Maybe she needs to have another one of those parties so I can enter my magazine copycat attempt. Just sayin'. ;D

I'm sure that there have been many more successful attempts than mine so you should probably head over to Debbie's Copycat party & check 'em out.



As always, thank you for visiting me despite my fruitless attempts at magazine photography!

My day in cartoon

Here we are, 3 days into summer vacation & I feel like that's all I've done is this:



I also feel a little like the snowman in this Dora the Explorer cartoon:



Yesterday, it's 85 degrees, today it's 59! I actually had to put the heat on in the car on the way home from the last taxi service run. Can someone please bring Summer back to me?

I've been searching & searching for something to hang on the wall in my bathroom. I've been to every store within a 50 mile radius.



I've searched online til my head spun & eyes watered:



What did I find? Nothing. Now I feel like this:



Looks like I could use a little of this:



Followed by some of that:



Good night!

Uncle Sam on Display

Here we are in our first full week of summer vacation (finally!) and I thought it time to put together a little something for my dining room hutch in honor of the old red, white & blue.

I don't believe I have ever decorated for the 4th of July (indoors) before. Limited though my patriotic decor may be, I managed to put something decent together.





I bought Uncle Sam when Bayberry Cove was having a 50% off sale. Isn't he cute? The bottle brush trees also came from Bayberry Cove.



The red, white & blue stars are from Pier 1. White pail from Michaels.





The big white star is from Joanns, as are the hat votives.



I made this paper pennant from stuff out of my scrap stash. I love when all the money spent on scrap crap is actually put to use elsewhere.





I'm linking up to Tabletop Tuesday at Marty's blog, A Stroll Thru Life.



I am so happy you came to visit me today. Wishing all of you a very happy week.

(By the way, I'll be sharing my bathroom as soon as I've put the finishing touches on it.)

The pool deck

I don't believe I have ever shared my pool deck with you before.



So as Mr.Gnome says, "Welcome."



I still have lots to do to make this deck as pleasing as I would like for it to be.



I spotted this umbrella last year at Kohls but for some reason never bought it. This year in my search for the perfect umbrella, I could not find one I liked. As a last resort, I checked Kohls and lo and behold, the umbrella I wanted last year was available again this year. This time I scooped it right up!







Kim of Savvy Southern Style is hosting today's Summer Blockg Party, so I decided to link up.



Have a wonderful summer day & thanks for visiting me today.

Paint does the trick

I hope I'm not being lame with what I've got to share today, but being that we're still in school with baseball still in full swing (no pun intended), I just haven't been able to play as much as I would like. Believe me, there is quite a list of projects to work on around here.



Anyway, delightful Debbie of Debbiedoos, is part of the Blog Party sponsored by At the Picket Fence. Because I love all things Debbie, I just had to join her party.

Let's see, shall we?



I had this white bucket for a few years now. It was worn & slightly rusty which is in tune with my style, but I heard it tell me loud & clear that it wanted a vibrant new color, like this:



I love it filled with yellow, blue & green flowers.



Now it's something pretty & colorful to go against my front door. Anything to make that ugly blue door look better. Ahem. Moving on.

I had this cute little bird as part of my pool deck decor last year. As you can see the sun was not kind to him at all.



Again, I heard him tell me loud & clear that he wanted a vibrant new color, like this:



I mean, come on now, who wouldn't want to be painted fire engine red with touches of apricot, right?

So that's all I have to share today. Thanks for stopping by. Head over to Debbie's to check out what I'm sure will be some amazing paint projects.

Tortellini Salad

We have a local Italian eatery that makes a delicious Tortellini Salad. I love it & since it didn't seem complicated to recreate, I went ahead & made my own.



Truthfully, I think I came pretty darn close to the original.
I obviously don't have an actual recipe, but I'll tell you what I did.


Tortellini Salad

1 package tricolor tortellini, the refrigerated kind, I used a family size package
1 can of black olives
1 12 oz. jar of roasted red peppers
1 16 oz. piece of mozzarella
1 packet of Good Seasons dressing mix, prepared with EVOO & balsamic vinegar

I cooked the tortellini. You want it to be less than al dente. The package said to cook for 8-11 minutes, I cooked it for 6 minutes.

Drain the tortellini & let cool. I then cut the mozzarella & the roasted red peppers into bite sized pieces. Drain the olives, add them to a bowl with the mozzarella & peppers. Once the tortellini are cool, add them to the bowl as well. Pour the salad dressing over top. Mix it all up. Let marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours. Now eat & enjoy!

Pretty simple really. I would imagine you could add whatever you wanted to this to switch it up to suit your tastes, but I love it as is like the original.

The *Magical* Gown

Today, I am joining Stephanie at Angelic Accents for her Wedding Blog Party.



It was 1992. Like so many other ladies engaged to be married, I brought a full cavalcade of opinionated people with me when I went gown shopping (in the form of my mom, my sisters & sisters-in-law.) I had the much talked about *magical* moment when you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have found the one gown of your dreams.

It was a beauty, a Fink Original by Robert Work. It was made of ivory Italian satin, with lace appliques & tiny pearls galore. The attention to detail was exquisite. It fell slightly off the shoulders & was sheer in back with lots of little buttons. It had a long train. It was expensive, but I didn't care because I loved it. Enough of the talk, here it is:



Yes, it sure was a beauty.

Our photographer was thrilled to see the long train. It made for beautiful photo taking--like this one, one of my favorites, with my niece & Godchild, Nicole.



That all being said, would it be ok if I forward to 2011 & keep it real people?

It may have been beautiful, but honestly, I don't think I would choose this gown again if I could go back in time.

That long train? It had to be bustled up in back for the reception & I can still feel the pearls crunching under my feet as I danced, stepping on it. Not to mention, why would anyone want to add layers upon layers of fabric to their back side?

It's no secret (and in my effort to keep it real), I'm well endowed. I had to wear a strapless and backless bra with this gown. No easy feat for me. That bra was like a corset from the 1800s. It had so many wires & stays in it to hold me up, I had welts by the time the night was over.

As much as I hate to admit it, I just would not pick this *magical* gown again. No matter how beautiful.

So tell me, because inquiring minds want to know and I hope I'm not the only one....would you still want to wear your wedding gown today?

And just in case you were wondering, I would definitely pick this *magical one* again and again:


All photos by DeNicola Photography.

Head on over to Angelic Accents & check out the Wedding Blog Party. I think this will be one wedding party you won't want to miss!

Whose Idea Was This Anyway?

I posted several months ago about a big Spring project we would be undergoing.

Well, the project is officially underway. The contractors arrived yesterday morning.

To quote one of my favorites, Willy Wonka (& Shakespeare), "Adieu, adieu, parting is such sweet sorrow." This, I say, to that lavender tile.



Our bathroom has gone from the Art Deco era...



...to demolition...



...to nothing but a shell:



Actually I think it's gone farther back in time now...it looks like an outhouse at this point, don't you think, Laura Ingalls?

In all the places we've lived, we've only ever made cosmetic changes...paint, floors, lighting, countertops. Nothing major. This is the first room that has ever been gutted clean.



Who's idea was this anyway? :-D