Last Days of August

Reading and Organizing….and Cleaning 

Hello Everyone, no, I haven’t dropped off the earth but I have been busy. The storm passed us by but did create wind gusts that made a bit of a mess of the back yard. We live on a lake and the winds can really build up across it before they land in your yard. No complaining, though. We were really blessed. I continue to send prayers for those of you who had to bear the brunt of this storm…..they are awful. Believe me, I could write a book on them since I have lived in Florida all my life.

I finally started back on my ‘job’ of redoing my studio. This has been a long and hard process for me as I still can’t bring myself…..but I will…..to realize that I no longer craft or want to. There are seasons in our lives for everything and I just don’t have a passion for it anymore. I once loved it more than eating, I think. :-) Seriously, things change, don’t they? Sometimes….it is hard to move on but I do know that I am always happier once I have made a decision….it seems I can, at last, rest about it. 

During my cleaning out process, I ordered some decorating books from Amazon. com and I am having a wonderful time reading them. I love so many different styles of decorating and it seems I can never get enough.

I also found, in my cleaning out, a stack of Romantic Homes magazines from 1996 to 2000. I was overjoyed. They look completely new and are chock full of the most delicious ideas. If you are a Romantic Homes reader, you know what a thrill this was!

Well back to the work….it is coming along nicely. Just had to take a minute and check in…..I hope you are doing well and enjoying these last days of summer. Can you believe it?

Thanks for stopping by.

Barb

Taking a Few Days Off

Trying to Prepare and Get Ready

I’m going to take a couple of days off and do some work to get ready for Hurricane Irene….she is supposed to come our way although I am staying in prayer that she won’t.

 

Aren’t these roses lovely? They are the most delicate shade of peachy pink. I took the picture during the late evening hours and the color doesn’t show as well. So far, they are my most fragrant roses this summer.

Take good care and I’ll see you soon.

Barb

Paint Cans are Ready to Go

A Whiter Shade of Pale

No, I am not decorating for fall….yet. I am laying the groundwork for a new fall decorating scheme, though. Excuse me, I can get excited over the silliest things…..!

See the cute little squirrel and acorns in the pictures. I am painting all of it and a LOT more things in a creamy white and then glazing them. I want my mantels in the living and family rooms to be done in whites, creams, and light beige colors this year. I just want to ‘lighten up’ the whole feel of Autumn in the house this time around.

My sweet husband is shaking his head and rolling his eyes…but you know he will help me. Painting is much less expensive than buying….right?  Ha.

I will always love color and never intend on giving it up…..but my mood is much lighter these days. The less color I am surrounded with….the calmer I become. I actually have heard others say this….so I don’t think I am alone.

Hope I have enough paint. I have so many fall things, I am sure I will be covered with paint from head to toe. Did I ever tell you that I always end up with more paint on myself than the object? Shhhhh.

Happy Sunday.

Barb

The Keys to Life

Having a Prayer Partner

On most Sundays I post lessons learned from a wonderful and dear friend for over thirty years, Faye. She is gone now but the lessons she taught by the words of her mouth and ‘the way she lived her life’ remain in my heart until this day.

One of the most valuable keys Faye gave to me was the knowledge and complete importance of having a prayer partner in our lives. There is power in numbers….’where two or more are gathered.’

A prayer partner is generally in agreement with you. They understand you and your needs…they want what is best for you and in so many circumstances, you can get to the heart of the matter far more quickly because you have already built a relationship with this person.

I miss my times of prayer with Faye but am blessed enough to have other dear ones to turn to. One of the best things about having a prayer partner is they hold you accountable. We all need this….no matter how young or old we are. We are human and it is all too easy to let things slide.

I hope you have someone you can turn to today to join in prayer. If not, ask God to send you someone.

This is the last Keys to Life Sunday I will do. This past week marked the one year anniversary of Faye’s passing. I know she has a special place in Heaven for the years she was an angel to me and so many, many others. Love you, darling, and miss you more than words can say.

Wishing you a blessed Sunday.

Barb

Weekend Ventures

Filled with Possibilities

 

Hi Bloggy Friends, can you believe that it is time for the weekend again? I thought it was Monday. Ha.

Our weekend is jammed….once more. Ron progresses with work on the dock. It will be a beauty, when finished, but that will be some time yet as he only works when time permits and his job is very demanding.

I am pouring over decorating books and magazines as I feel a ‘slight shift’ going on within myself. For years, our home was done in the most feminine of colors with lots of delicate touches and tons and tons of accessories…then one day, I decided I had had enough of that and out most of it went! My design became minimalist to a degree….good grief, did I say that? My friends passed out when they visited.

Now, I am turning back to the feminine side of things again….but in a totally different way. I love, love clean design and I can feel the wheels turning inside my head. I have visited a couple of blogs that will be such inspiration to me in my new venture…..ONE of the reasons I love blogging.

Also, let me add, that I am blessed to be married to a wonderful man who understands (and always has) the need inside me for change in some things.

I hope your weekend is filled with things that will inspire you. Thanks so much for your visit today.

Barb

Roses and Shells

Remembering This Summer

Hello Friends, I have been daydreaming this morning and creating a few new vignettes throughout the house to celebrate the last days of summer. The light was so beautiful and intense in the dining room this morning that I had to shoot some pictures. I find that I love taking pictures.  My husband thinks this is a hoot since he has been trying to get me interested in photography since we were married…years ago. His dad was and his brother is a professional photographer. Yikes….I never realized what hard work it is. ;-)

I have a passion for roses and shells and they are everywhere in our cottage. Roses are one of the few flowers that don’t make me sneeze…isn’t that funny? The white roses, above, are my all time favorite color. They melt my heart.

It is hot in Florida but not nearly as bad as many places….we are blessed to have a steady breeze most of the time. I have spent a ton of time outside this summer training my Yorkie puppy, Mikey. He has been very difficult to train but I love him dearly….he is so tiny and cute!

Anyway, just bits and bobs of my day and thoughts. I do hope you are enjoying what is left of summer. I am seeing fall posts popping up everywhere in Blogland. It will be upon us before you know it.

Have a wonderful day.

I am linking to the Home Sweet Home

Barb

A Little Touch of Color

Sunflowers…Beautiful Sunflowers

Hello Bloggy Friends, I just had to do it. I had to put a little touch of late summer  in the house. I made  an arrangement of sunflowers.

I always smile about sunflowers as I used to detest them….truly. Now, I absolutely adore them; they never fail to make me grin from ear to ear. Isn’t it funny how we change? ;-)

 

I found this great scarf when shopping last week in the accessories department. I instantly knew I would use it on a mantel. It has fringe on the ends and gives me the perfect vintage look I am after.

I’m excited to think about decorating for fall but won’t start until mid-September; I did last year and it worked out perfectly.

I hope you are having a great day!

Barb

The Keys to Life

Having a Grateful Spirit

On Most Sundays, I post lessons taught to me by a longtime and dear friend, Faye. Even though Faye and I became friends when I was just into my thirties, I was still ‘teachable.’ Thank God….because the keys she gave to me changed my life.

She spoke often of having a grateful spirit and how ultra important doing this is for a happy life. It is all too easy to look at what we don’t have, instead of what we do have. We do it without thinking a lot of the time. All of us think about what we want next, what we want to feel, what we want to possess. There is nothing wrong with that as long as we have a grateful spirit about what we already have.

Not looking at the present and what we have and being content brings such a restless spirit to us and downright hurt many times. No, this is NOT easy but practicing this will change our lives. We all possess so much….far more than we know.

Thank you, dear Faye, for teaching me this. I have to relearn it on a regular basis but that is okay. As long as we are moving forward, I believe God is more than happy.

Wishing you a blessed Sunday filled with a grateful heart.

Barb

My Mind is Drifting…

Into Autumn…..Just a Tiny Bit

The picture above is from a tablescape I created last fall….click Fall Table to see the whole table, if you wish.

I simply cannot help myself…my mind is shifting into Fall. It is way too early for that but I have to laugh because I have seen three of my favorite blogs hinting about the same thing! I am not alone…….:-)

Is your weather cooling down a bit? Not ours….yikes. It will come….it will come.

Hope your day is wonderful….now, back to my dreaming and planning.

Barb

Rooster Tea

They Still Rule the Roost in Bella Vista

Hello Friends, welcome to my Rooster Tea Table and a little showing of my critters.

I will admit, right off the bat, I had a much harder time pulling this post together since I have removed about 75% of the red from our home. It is amazing how many roosters have red in them. I never noticed that before. Ha.

This is my favorite Rooster teapot from Fitz and Floyd. I have a number of their pieces and they always bring a smile to my face. I love the simplicity of this particular one.

 

I am crazy for roses and almost never go a week without them. These yellow ones took my breath.

I love, love raspberries….they are my favorite fruit.

 

 

I hope you enjoyed my pictures. I might be a little slower getting around to everyone than usual. I think I got way too much sun yesterday and I’m not feeling really well. Yikes!

Thanks so much for your visit….I do appreciate it.

I am joining Sandi for Tea Time Tuesday

Shelia for Heart of the Home

Marty for Table Top Tuesday

Barb

Ice Cream ~ Perfect for Summer

A Little Treat for Everyone

We are working on the dock today. It is hot, hot but there is a wonderful breeze…thank you, Lord. Thought I would surprise Ron and the workers with a little treat.

I had to stop and photograph one….yikes! They are waiting on me and I am in trouble. Melting….melting. Ha.

Okay, I am pooped…think I will rest now. Happy Sunday!

PS….I had a bite….tooooooo  yummy!

Barb

The Keys to Life

Looking for the Good in Others

On Sundays, I post life-changing keys given to me by my longtime friend, Faye.

The things she taught me literally changed the way I viewed life. Faye was one of the finest persons I have ever known and I was completely blessed to have had her in my life.

From the very beginning of our friendship, Faye challenged me to be a better Christian without preaching to me. She had a way of ‘slipping’ these lessons into the conversation. Amazing!

Try and look for the good in others. She taught this and followed it to the letter. I was always in admiration of her because she seemed to possess the ability to ‘find’ the good in people and situations when the ‘pickings were slim’ to put it mildly.

I still struggle with this lesson…but I am much better than I used to be and hope to continue to improve with time. Sometimes finding the ‘good’ is downright hard but it is usually  there…if we dig deeply enough.

Doing this will give you hope…I can promise you that and no, it is not easy. Some lessons in life are harder than others but the payoff is greater, too.

I hope you are having a wonderful Sunday.

Barb

Wishing You a Happy Weekend

Try to Stay Cool

Wishing you a happy weekend filled with joy. Try and stay cool. Ours is jam-packed with work on the dock (ouch in this heat! BUT the new dock design includes a screened in area that I intend on making into a little haven overlooking the water….I truly cannot wait) and a little fun. A little antique hunting, too. Yes!

Barb

Lavender Roses

Such a Stunningly Beautiful Color

I love roses. They are my birth month flower and one of my all time favorites to display in our home. Roses always bring a smile to my face and they make everything around them more elegant and beautiful….more refined.

When I see this color of lavender, I cannot resist them. This particular color is much harder to find than red, pink, yellow or white and they work perfectly in our home. The color is so romantic and timeless.

Lavender is one of my all time favorite colors. It is always cool and soothing.

I try and treat myself to fresh cut flowers at least once a week. I take really good care of them…changing them out everyday and can make most roses last at least six to seven days. Flowers give me something….let’s say they touch my spirit on a level that I cannot explain.  I don’t consider them a waste at all and I know some people do but they truly make me ‘more aware’ of my surroundings.

Thanks so much for your visit today.

I am joining:

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Barb

Being Sentimental

A Big Ole Softie….I Am

Hello Friends, I haven’t posted in a couple of days….unusual for me. ;-) I’m working on some projects and pushing things around again. Mercy, I can’t help myself. I do notice that our furniture is getting heavier and heavier as time goes on…..wonder why?

The picture above is my husband (on the right) and his brother when they were little things. Isn’t it adorable? He always asks me why I want ‘that thing out on display?’ I love it and wouldn’t part with it for the world. I am a sentimental soul.

I’m in a reflective mood, right now. Do you ever get that way? Anyway, working hard to give our living room a more cottage look. I am determined that we need to use this room more. We hardly ever touch it and it is such a wonderful room. I’m thinking if I remove some of the formal things…it will be more inviting….what do you think? The chest above is my first try in redoing this room. I want it full of pillows, candles, pictures and flowers. Yes!

I do hope you are having a wonderful day.

Barb

Cookies and Tea

Won’t You Join Me

Hello Everyone, I set a tea table in my Studio. Won’t you join me for some tea and cookies?

Now, I am not about to eat all those cookies by myself. I allow myself two and that is it. So you are certainly welcome to some of them. :-)

This is my Fitz and Floyd fairy teapot and creamer that I have had for many years. I couldn’t find the sugar bowl anywhere, which made me nuts. I am getting too many dishes. Do NOT tell my husband I said that. Ha.

How about a little summer reading….A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The book is antique and the print is teeny tiny. Where are my glasses?

 

I do love these little books and this one generally stays on my night table.

I hope you are having a wonderful Tuesday. Many thanks for stopping by. I will save you a cookie. Promise!

I am linking to Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage.

Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday

Barb