The Weather Outside Is Frightful

The weather outside is frightful. It is 17 now with a low of 6 and snowing lightly.

But the fire is so delightful.

It shows no signs of stopping.

The lights are turned way down low and the fire is slowly dying.

And since I've no place to go.

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow.

Sweet Hearts

Since it is almost Valentine's Day I thought I would sprinkle a few hearts around to sweeten up the cold winter days.

Started with the mantle but should have taken the photo at night as I have some really cute lights that brighten it up nicely. I know the doily is crooked but I thought it might be more photographic that way but it just looks crooked. Oh Well!

Love this crocheted heart. It has a front and back and is stiffened with starch.

See how romantic the little lights make it at night. Perfect place to sit and have a glass of wine with my honey.

Vintage red heart with a small cupid tucked into the bow.

This vintage tin box is featured on my header but I like him so much I thought he should get double billing.

Small beaded hearts sit atop an antique sheet music holder.

Three sweet hearts nestle in a silver box.

An old cedar box holds sweetheart roses and a picture of my hubby's Mom and Dad. The picture on the books is my father in his uniform from World War II.

That's as sweet as it's going to get today. Thanks for dropping by to visit. I hope you have a sweetheart of a week.

It Was A Great Week

You know how some weeks never seem to end. Then along will come a week that just seems to go well. I finally had a week that on Friday I thought what a great week this was. I didn't do any thing special or exciting. Just did the ordinary everyday things .

I belong to a Bible Study Group that meets every Wed. in some one's home. The hostess provides the main dish and everyone else brings the side dishes. This is a coed group and consists of married couples and single women who are divorced or widowed. At this time we have no single men in the group.

This Wed. we ended up with a small group that was all women. So we just had a girl's night in. We had some great conversation and lots of laughter. You know us ladies can discuss many things when the men aren't there.

I served chicken and dumplings, seafood chowder, and corn bread. Two of the ladies brought dessert and can you believe they both decided on ice cream.

I spent one evening playing with all the treasures from my previous post.

It was finally warm enough that I could take a walk. About 45 and most of the snow has melted. It has been so foggy all week I thought I was living in Seattle again. Fog is so unusual here in the Midwest in winter. I noticed this little tree on my walk. See all the little catkin buds that have sprouted. Can spring far behind.

I think this is a Magnolia tree I was photographing but maybe some of you who are more familiar with trees will know for sure.

See nothing special but so much fun. Hope you had a good week.

Thrifting

Look at what I found. All this pretty red and a round mirror too. It's all my friend's fault.

I haven't made time to go seriously thrifting for a long time. So Sunday I called my friend M. We have been friends and best thrifters for over 40 years.

Hey M, turn around so my friends can see you.

She gets so involved in her search you know.

You may be hearing more from her soon I think we may have a new blogger here. She has been reading my blog and spent an entire evening blog hopping. Sound familiar. AND THEN, she said I think I have an idea for a blog name. I'll let you know as soon as she makes the leap.

So anyway, back to the subject. I found so many great things. First this silver bowl/candlestick? It is very heavy silver and has such lovely detail on the handles. I need some ideas about what to put in the bowl after I get candles in it. Flowers maybe or candy hearts for Valentine's Day?

Found this red and white doily I thought would look great with my Valentine decorations. It has little curly piggy tails now but once I starch and iron it I think it will lay nicely.

Remember the red votives that Home Interiors had back in the what 70's or 80's. I decided to start hunting for some as at Christmas some of my candles dripped on my tablecloth and one even on to the carpet. OK, I should have been paying attention. But thought these votives would do the trick. Now I can sit and yak and not worry about the candles.

Also found 6 ruby red sherbert dishes. I thought they would be fun for ice cream or putting candy and nuts out for guests.

Take a look at the two set of old drawers I found. I am going to put them in my sewing room to hold all the little things and maybe some of my thread which is now in a big pickle jar. They are kind of an ugly brown with green paint showing thru. Don't know if I will leave them as they are or perhaps paint them cream and put on glass knobs. What do you think?

Have to run now and clean up my treasurers so I can play with them. Hope you have fun hunting too.

Sunshine Award

Eileen @ Stick Close To Home has sent me my first ever blog award. The Sunshine Award is given to bloggers whose creativity and positivity inspire other bloggers.

The rules for accepting this award are:

Put the logo on your blog.

Pass the award to twelve bloggers.

Link the nominees to you post.

Let the nominees know they have received the award by commenting on their blog.

Share the love and link to the person from whom you received the award.

Eileen, thank you so much for the award I am very honored. As I have never tried linking before I hope it will work. If not I am posting the blog names and if the links don't work I hope you will still visit these blogs. And if any can tell me an easy way to link I would be most appreciative.

I haven't blogged for very long but I am so grateful for those who stop by and leave such nice comments and encouraging words. I am listing blogs below who have always been so generous with their comments and time. If any of you don't participate in this type of award I will understand.

Myrna @ My Enchanted Home

Jean@ A Romantic Country Home
Sandie @ Chatty Crone

Donna @ Mamma Mia Days

Coralie @ A Vintage Cottage Home

Mimi @ Mimi's Corner

Shelia @ Note Songs

Marydon @ Blushing Rose Too

Alaura@ Cottage Rose

Rachel@ A Romantic Porch

Lucy@ English Cottage in Georgia

Maria Cecilia@ Casa Dulce Hogar

Visitors

With the heavy snow on the ground we have had many visitors looking for something to eat. This young squirrel perches on a wrens house waiting for his turn.

This large red-headed woodpecker tried desperately to hoard both suet feeders but finally gave in and let the starling eat from one.

I always enjoy all the critters that congregate outside my living room as I sit and enjoy my morning coffee. What a pleasant way to start my day.

Looks Like New

Very few of the furnishing or decorative items in my house are new. I love old furniture, vintage accessories, and almost anything other people might view as junk. I delight in curb shopping and have picked up many orphans item others have left on the curb. One of my greatest pleasure is seeing if I can make it useful again. So I thought as long as I was sharing one of my finds I would join Met Monday just for fun. You can join the fun as well by clicking the Met Monday logo on my sidebar.


This is one of five dining room chairs I rescued from the curb.
If you look closely at the picture you can see the seat covers and even the wood is covered with mildew.

















After I brought them home I scrubbed the wood down with Murphy's soap and stripped off the seat covers. My dear hubby made several new wood seats for those that were in need of a new foundation.





Then I sanded the wood lightly and applied a gel stain. Stapled new fabric to the seats and I have a new set of chairs. No expense as I already had the fabric waiting for just the right project.

I Am Not Whining!

I'm really not whining but I was wondering. Does anyone else go grocery shopping and after they have carried all the bags in the house look at the huge pile on the counter and think I just don't like putting all this stuff away. Don't get me wrong I am thankful that I have transportation to go get the groceries, money to pay for them, and am fortunate enough to have a place to store them.

I gladly do other chores in the house and don't mind at all. But, somehow putting groceries away seems to be on my list of things I would rather not do.

Does anyone else feel like this or am I just a little more off beat than usual?

And Still It Snows

If I were a little younger I would be able to use

this sled and the skates today.

Kansas City is frigid with windchill way below zero and wind gusts of up to 40 MPH. We

also were treated to another 4 inches of snow thru the night.

As you can see the little girl who lives in my birdbath is up to her chin in fluffy white stuff.

The view out my kitchen window is a winter wonderland. The snow on my patio table measures 12 inches.

If you read one of my earlier posts you will know we had a fire. What we didn't think about was all of our snow shovels and snow removal equipment was in the shed. When we went to buy replacements most of the stores were already sold out. So we have one snow shovel. We do have a nice Son-in-law who has come and used his snow blower on the drive for us.

Today I am thinking of those who live in warmer climes and are sitting on your porch and admiring your flowers that are in bloom. I know spring is not far away.

Let It Snow

For the first time in many years we experienced a white Christmas here in K.C. The snow started to drift down on Christmas Eve and by the time we left church it was a scary trip home. It continued to snow all through the night and by Christmas evening we had about 10 inches of snow.




















The birds arrived early on Christmas morning looking for their breakfast. Mr. Red Cardinal keeps a lookout to make sure he doesn't miss the lady with the food.

A red-headed woodpecker waits patiently in the tree for me to fill the suet cages. Meanwhile he is busy checking for any insects that might be hiding in the bark.

Mrs. Cardinal greedily plucks the choicest morsels from her perch on the porch rail while the heated water dish steams in the background.

Come one, come all, be ye cardinal, dove, sparrow, or blue jay. Everyone is welcome here.

OK, where did everyone go? They were here just a minute ago.

All the foods gone. Who ate it all? Maybe the nice lady will bring out some more. How can I resist. Off to the store to buy more bird food.

In the front of the house the Christmas lights glow through a veil of pure white bringing a fairy like magic to the entrance.

The snow in our parking lots is piled nearly as high as an elephants eye. While the rest of the world shovels snow and hunt for food my dogs lay content in front of the warm fire.

Mac, says Mom I know you think I'm cute but you want me to hold still for another photo shoot.

While Annie just continues her nap dreaming perhaps of a squirrel to chase.

We had two mores inches of snow yesterday so we are still living in a winter wonderland. Our streets are clear and easy to drive on so the snow is a thing of beauty. I think I will make a cup of hot tea and curl up by the window to do a little bird watching and catch a few chapters of a good book.

Hope you have a good week.