A New Decorating Project

When KC got her new job offer she said, "just think mom, you will have a new blog project", and today is the day.

I filled a basket (who can't use a wicker basket?) with little items I have picked up since we got the news that KC is coming to town.

KC arrives tonight about 10:30 p.m. and as soon as all the boxes are put away, a frantic week of decorating begins.

The moving truck arrived on Friday and I have slowly been unpacking so she can sleep at her own house tonight.

Her linens have been washed and the bed is made.

 I tried to get a place for her to sit to look around her little house.

The yard is in great need of help.

I planted fortnight lilies from my yard and added some chairs,  but I am waiting to see what her plans are for the yard.

I have actually held off with some changes I want to make at our house because I know that there will be some swapping of furniture.

I wouldn't mind getting back this little green night stand and I know she has no room for my grandmother's rocker.

I was so excited when I was unwrapping dishes and came across my old blue glass plates. 

I thought JP's ex wife had ended up with the blue dishes and the red Anthropologie bowls definitely don't match KC's orange and turquoise color scheme.

A blue and orange color palette . . . 1 week . . .  what will it look like next Sunday?

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I am joining these parties

Little Red House - Mosaic Monday

The Dedicated House - Make It Pretty Monday

Boogieboard Cottage - Masterpiece Monday

Happy Days

I have been following Ricki at Art @ Home for quite awhile and I love reading her Tuesday Feature.

I count my blessings daily and have much to be happy about, but I have never written a Happy List post.

For the month of September, I was waiting for a particular event to happen that would make me very happy and it finally did so today I am sharing what has made me happy recently.

These chrysanthemums have been covered with buds ready to burst for weeks and finally each plant is popping with colorful flowers.

I love to swim, but I have been LAZY and blamed Lulu for not getting to the pool to swim, but yesterday I changed that and it felt wonderful to glide through the water and use those swim muscles.

I promise myself that I will swim at least 3 days a week to keep my mind and body happy.

Steve and I are both happy that Little Lulu is okay.

 Our naughty little puppy, with such an innocent face, made a visit to the emergency room last night after swallowing one of my socks.

And this neglected house and yard are making me really happy.

Steve and I are over the top happy because our daughter KC, who has told us for years that she will never return to her hometown to live, is coming home.

KC is leaving San Francisco to take a position with a world wide company headquartered in Ventura.

We pick up the keys today to this little duplex where KC will be living and I will be creating an outdoor garden room for her to enjoy.

And the best part - she will be living on our lane.

Just like in this painting Steve did of KC years ago, she will be surfing along with cycling, running, and playing tennis with me.

We have both been pinning things to her New House Pinterest board and can't wait to be shopping to decorate her duplex.

I am one happy camper now that my daughter will be 4 houses away.

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Head over to Art @ Home to read Ricki's Happy List and more.

Dinner Games

We are blessed to live in a wonderful neighborhood, on a great little lane, with amazing neighbors.

The people who live on the ocean front host parties on New Year's Eve (the dessert house on the Progressive Dinner), St. Patrick's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day.

Steve and I invited the two couples over to our house to say Thank You for graciously opening their homes to everyone so many times each year.

Steve, the super chef took care of the main dish while I was in charge of appetizers, desserts and the table.

I wanted to use red dishes on a natural linen tablecloth, but Steve wanted to use the large white bowls and I didn't want to cross the cook.

I like to mix and match my favorite colors so I alternated red checks and solid yellow napkins around the table.

You will notice that our table is TINY and that is because our entire cottage is TINY.

We do have an extension for the table, but no white tablecloth large enough for the extension so we kept the meal cozy.

A spatterware pitcher form my mother filled with yellow flowers sat in the center of the table, but was removed when we ate to make room for wine glasses.

I chose little red candles to keep the height low for conversation.

Steve made one of his specialities- paella.

I on the other hand had to cheat a little after discovering that my volleyball team had a Sunday afternoon tournament.

 I made individual caprese salads on toasted French bread for appetizers.

We all stood around the kitchen munching and watching Steve work his wonders.

Due to lack of time, I ended up buying desserts for a pastry tray with chocolate eclairs, a lemon tart, an apple tart and a mini cheesecake.

I didn't take any photos because we were all engaged in conversation from the minute our friends arrived.

We all know each other well from attending concerts, vacationing on ski trips, street parties, and numerous sunsets enjoyed together.

I thought it would be fun to create conversations on topics we don't normally discuss so I made a set of 6 questions and put one at each place setting.

Each person shared their question and we rotated around the table with everyone giving their answer to each question.

The answers were interesting to hear, but the discussions stemming from the questions were even more intriguing.

This question

was by far the funniest question because not only did everyone have a quick response to their favorite childhood meal, but they also remembered their least favorite meal too.

I had extra questions on hand, but everyone else had to work Monday morning so we saved them for another party.

A tiny cottage . . . a tiny table . . . great friends . . . great food . . .

added up to a lovely evening.

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I am sharing at

The Dedicated House - Make It Pretty Monday

Boogieboard Cottage - Masterpiece Monday

Little Red House - Mosaic Monday

Not Just A Housewife - Show Me What Ya Got

Dwellings the Heart of Your Home - Amaze Me Monday

Happy Accidents

We are having a dinner party on Sunday night and I was at Cost Plus World Market this morning looking for some items for the party.

In the kitchen section, I came across this  towel with a French grain sack look and knew immediately where I could use it.

There will be 6 of us for dinner on Sunday, but with my chairs and window seat there is only seating for 5.

This chair will be drafted for duty on Sunday night and I do not like the yellow polka dot seat cushion.

Before I blogged or had ever heard of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, I found the chair seatless on the side of the street.

I don't even know what type of red paint I used and the seat cover was just some yellow polka dot - yes, it is that bright - that was left over from a quilt project.

I removed the seat cover and did a little sanding - oh how I wish I had used ASCP!

I stapled the fabric to the existing chair seat on 3 sides.

Once the fabric was in place I stuffed the seat cushion with batting I had on hand and finished stapling.

Steve was out on a run and I tried to screw the seat cushion back onto the chair, but I didn't have the strength so I had to wait for him.

For $3.99 (+ tax) and 30 minutes of my time, I have a totally different look that I really like.

I tried the chair in several places and with different items on the seat.

I would like for the chair to be sitting in the entryway right now, but Lulu's crate takes precedence.

The found chair with great legs and scalloped edges is sitting in a corner of the guest room ( a total disaster at present) waiting to be used on Sunday night.

It was total serendipity that I happened to notice the towel at Cost Plus and that I had the time to redo the seat cover.

I just love happy accidents.

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French Country Cottage - Feathered Nest

My Romantic Home - Show and Tell Friday

Rooted in Thyme - Simple and Sweet Fridays

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson - Share Your Cup Thursday

Thrifty Things Friday

Home Sweet Home - The Charm of Home

A small collection of glass

 I have been noticing people decorating with vintage bottles.

I only have a few vintage bottles, but I decided that shouldn't stop me from decorating with bottles.

I headed to the attic to find the bottles I decorated a decade ago and gathered other empty bottles from various cupboards.

Metal, twine, wire and ribbon - among other things - were added to bottles to "dress" them up.

Tiny shells, bits of sea glass and a ribbon weren't quite enough for the "beach" bottle, but a quote glued onto a wooden tag finishes it off.

A hand quote finishes off the bottle with the India theme.

The first bottle is new, but I made the other two bottles years ago.

A bit of ribbon was the inspiration for the number bottle.

I finished dressing the bottles yesterday so today's task was to find a home for each bottle.

I can't believe how many hours I spent at the task.

First up was a vintage ball jar from my grandmother which now holds straws on the kitchen shelf.

A glass canister sporting a strip of buttons from Anthropologie holds ribbon.

This bottle was the impetus for a vignette on my favorite green and yellow table,

but my grandfather's bottle capper and a display of hands overshadow the bottle.

3 bottle vases from Ikea dress up the dining room table

and a lone rose from the garden sits on a dining room shelf.

Bottles sitting in a box with books decorate a side table in the living room.

The hallway got a new vignette with a birdcage full of bottles.

Last week I moved the ladder from the front yard to the garden.

A wire garland of bottles was strung onto the ladder and filled with flowers.

It will probably be a lot of work to keep the flowers fresh so I might change the flowers to Halloween items later in the week.

I didn't realize I had so many different glass pieces - definitely a collection.

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I am joining these parties

Shabby Art Boutique - Shabbilicious Friday

Lavender Garden Cottage - Cottage Style Party

Elizabeth and Co.  - Be Inspired

Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays

Rose Chintz Cottage - Home

Ella Claire - Inspiration Exchange

Ivy and Elephants - What's It Wednesday

Tilly's Nest - Down Home Blog Hop

Fluster Buster - Creative Muster Party