Three Cheers for the Red, White & Blue Tablescape

I'm always so surprised with how quickly the 4th of July arrives each year.  It probably has something to do with the fact that we get out of school so late in June, that we're barely out & it's already July 4th!

I just had to play with my dishes, I couldn't resist.  So here comes my tablescape...Three Cheers for the Red, White & Blue!



I found the cute bowls at Target in their Dollar Spot.

I have had the tablecloth & placemats for many, many years.  Blue napkins, red plates and wicker stars are all from Pier 1.  Luncheon plate is Corelle.  Dotted Glasses are from Target. 

And then there is my star spangled flatware!  I purchased this on ebay last Fall.    I got such a great deal on it, the cost of the shipping was more than my winning bid for the actual flatware!  I think I danced around the computer that day because I was so happy that I got a deal for once.  lol   

Simple white hydrangeas in a patriotic bowl.  I added star picks for a little sparkle.  

I just had to take this last picture because I thought it was funny how my Meyda Tiffany light matched the whole red, white & blue theme.

What is it about red, white & blue that I love so much? 

Linking to:

Let's Dish at Cuisine Kathleen

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

Potpourri Friday at 2805

No Cost Curtain Tie Backs (in the Spotlight)

Newbie Spotlight time again!

This week, I have chosen to feature

Theresa

at

Shoestring Elegance!

Theresa shared a no cost curtain tie back solution for

Debbiedoo's Newbie Party. 

It's a clothespin that she painted & embellished! 

I think her blog name, Shoestring Elegance, fits the bill on this one,
don't you think?

In all honesty, I have used a clothespin to tie my curtains back before.

I wanted to get them out of the way of the window air conditioner.

I was just not as clever as Theresa to make them look pretty like this though.

So there you have it my friends, another super Newbie blogger to check out!

Congratulations Theresa!!

Here is a button for you to display:

<br><a border="0" href="http://randomthoughtsfromanincoherentmind.blogspot.com/"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u87/auntdoi/newbie_spotlight.png"; /></a><br>

For more fantastic Newbies in the Spotlight, please visit my girls:

Debbie at Debbiedoos

Shannon at Fox Hollow Cottage

Debbie at Refresh Restyle

 

Waving the Flag (4th of July Decor)

I can't believe it has taken me this long to decorate for the 4th of July!  I think I had my decor up in early June last year.  I guess I've just been too busy to think about it until today.

I  don't have much to share, but I thought I'd show you my (newly painted) hutch all decked out for the holiday.

I've love the way a bunch of flags look "planted" in an urn.  Of course, I just had to include my favorite little bicycle too.

I bought the blue shutter at a garage sale on Saturday for $4.00.  It's actually a phone stand, but my head shouted  patriotic decor  from the minute I saw it.

This is actually a serving bowl that I bought a few years ago at Kohls.  It normally houses my pasta salad on the 4th, but this year it's housing my wicker stars from Pier 1.

I have to admit, I do love red, white & blue decor.  Will you be decorating for the 4th of July (or Canada Day) this year?

Linking to:
Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Inspiration Friday at At the Picket Fence

At the Seashore Tablescape

School is officially out for Summer!  To say that my children & I are ready to

dance in the streets, scream from the mountaintops, and

 just run amok in general is a huge understatement! 

Kathleen at Cuisine Kathleen came up with a beach theme

for her Let's Dish party this week. 

Her timing couldn't be any better. 

After all, it's been 95 degrees and crazy humid for the past 2 days.  

A beach trip sounds great right about now. 

(well at least the water part does)

I give you my themed tablescape: 

Placemats from Home Goods

Aqua dinner plates from TJ Maxx

My everyday Corelle white luncheon plates

Shell plates from CTS

I found these napkin rings at TJ Maxx late last Summer.

They were on clearance, 4 for $1.50!

Bubble glasses from CTS

Aqua polka dotted flatware from Home Goods

Beige flatware from CTS

I added several items to my Waverly tablerunner for a

centerpiece display.

The bowl in the center came from CTS.

All items here are from Michaels.

  The blue glittered starfish was an Etsy

purchase a few years back. 

If you read my blog from time to time, you often see that

I have unexpected guests...

Yeah, those pesky wrestlers showed up just as I was ready

 to start taking photos! 

Linking to:

Let's Dish at Cuisine Kathleen

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

Happy Summer, my friends! 

Pesto Tortellini Salad (in the Spotlight)

It's about that time.

Time for another Newbie Spotlight of the Week!

This week, the Spotlight shines on:

Katie's Cucina!

Katie shared this delicious looking Pesto Tortellini Salad

 at Debbiedoo's Newbie Party.

Doesn't that look mouth watering?

And just because I wasn't drooling enough,

I started looking around Katie's blog.

That's were I found this:

Mexican Roast Chicken with Carrots

Oh yeah and this:

Puff Pastry with Strawberries & Cream

I don't know about you, but I'm kind of wishing

for an invite to Katie's house for dinner!  lol

So go on over and visit this culinary Newbie

and bring a napkin with you just in case!

Katie, here is a button for you:

 <br><a border="0" href="http://randomthoughtsfromanincoherentmind.blogspot.com/"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u87/auntdoi/newbie_spotlight.png"; /></a><br>

To see the other Spotlights of the Week, check out:

Debbiedoos

Fox Hollow Cottage

Refresh Restyle

Many thanks for your visit!

The Call of the Pool Noodle Wreath

When you hear the call, and it's shouted loudly enough,

you must answer that call.

When my bloggy girls said there would be a noodle wreath party,

I just knew, without a doubt,

it was time to get my noodle on!

Because after all, who am I not to follow the pack &

wave my noodle around in pride?

(Oh dear, this is sounding a bit off-color.)

I have to admit, I did try a different noodle approach at first. 

I wanted to attempt to go where no noodle had gone before.

I thought, I actually have a pool, so why not leave my

noodle naked

and adorn it with assorted pool related accents?

Yeah that plan did not work at all!

I quickly found that a layer of clothing, if you will, was the way to go. 

That took me in a "predictable direction",

which was not really what I was going for, but nevertheless
acceptable in the end.

My fair noodle awaits, so let's go on with it!

My clothing of choice was an

itsy bitsy teenie weenie

yellow polka dot bikini fabric.

I made some felt hydrangeas.  Well, if

hydrangeas came in summer brights anyway!

I think I'm going to hang this wreath on my back door.

She is kinda cute, after all.

So tell me,

are you joining in on noodle madness? 

Linking to the

Pool Noodle Blog Hop Party.

Pretty as a Picture

We are getting ready to wrap up our final few days of school, but I wanted to share a quick post of my daughter, Olivia, all ready for her first Semiformal Dance!

When we went to the salon to have her hair done, we decided on something simple, age appropriate, and also something that would stand up in the heat.    I loved it, and what's even better, so did Olivia!

I have to show you the shoes I "made".  We had a crazy time finding shoes for her.  She's not exactly a shoe lover like me, and she really struggled to walk in any kind of heel.  Again, age appropriate had to factor in here as well.




Who knew I would one day embellish shoes with pom pom flowers?  (For my Pom Pom Flower Tutorial, see here.)  It's been crazy....I've been painting furniture, making wreaths and now I'm a cobbler too! lol 

Let me preface the following pictures to say:

There was a ridiculous amount of  "girl drama" surrounding this event, and if Olivia looks a little upset in the pictures, she is.  Believe me, she is not one for "girl drama" of any kind, so she had just about had it at this point. 

Here's a closer shot:

Luckily she was able to put all the nonsense behind her and enjoy herself.  She really had a blast and I thank God for that!

8th grade graduation is coming up this Thursday.  It will be another big day for our girl!

If you've noticed,  I used the words "age appropriate" several times in this post.  You cannot even imagine what some of these 14 years old girls looked like!  Yikes!  Let me tell you,  I consider myself to be a fairly hip & modern parent, I'm with the times, and I can't even fathom how some of the parents could send their daughters out the door looking as they did.   Really, really bad.   

And.....just because I would not want to leave out any other happiness from the weekend....my son Johnny and his team won their Little League Championship on Saturday!  Hurray, A's!  I wanted to post the team's  picture, but without having asked all the parents, I think it's best I don't post it.

It'll be another busy week for us, but I will do my best to come around & visit all of you soon. 

Thank you for visiting me! 

From Black to Old White

Sometimes I get an idea in my head.

Sometimes that idea scares me.

I just know you can relate to this.

I decided that I hated  strongly disliked the black hutch and chairs

in my dining room.

Somehow, and I'm not really sure how,

I managed to convince my husband that I needed

 all that black to just go away.   

Enter my new chairs.

Now the crazy part. 

I refused to get rid of the black chairs because

suppose, just suppose, I wanted them back?

Yeah, my poor husband,

I don't know how he tolerates me sometimes.

I now have 6 black chairs, just sitting in the basement

for the day that my fickleness decides

it wants the black again.

Anyhoo, geez this is getting long,

I was also going to buy a new hutch and store

the old black one in the basement.

However,  I knew all these extra pieces

in the basement would surely send my husband over the edge.

Six chairs are bad enough. 

Not to mention all the other crap I have down there.

So, I painted it.

I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in

Old White.

Surprising I know, because I have a love/hate

relationship with chalk paint.

Once she was all painted and it was time for sanding/distressing, I started

to panic.  How I wished I could snap my fingers and make a few of you

furniture painting divas appear to lend me a hand!

The piece had the worn & distressed look to begin with,

so I just followed what was already there.

 I suffered through and now I have to say,

I'm thrilled with the result.  I love seeing this hutch in white.

The black was just not my thing.  

Time to cue Martha Stewart now:

Paint.

It's a good thing.

Wishing you a wonderful, sun-shined filled weekend!

Linking to:

Swing into Spring at DIY by Design
Make It Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch