Grow Your Blog Giveaway

I had a great time participating in Vicki's Grow Your Blog party this year, meeting new people and was finding great blogs.

My giveaway, wire baskets full of quotation cards, were won by

CatieAn

 of Catie An Company 

and Linda 

of White Weathered Hutch.

I will be contacting the winners to get mailing information and the choice of color palette for the quotation cards.

Thanks to Vicki 

for organizing this year's party with nearly 600 participants.

Flowers Everywhere . . . is it really February?

While eating breakfast this morning, I was looking at blogs and I saw gorgeous pink flower displays on Peeking Thru The Sunflowers.

source                                      source

From my spot on the window seat,  I looked into the living room where Steve had thrown open the windows to greet the day.

I had no plans because Steve had shoulder surgery yesterday and that view of the garden just called to me.

I made a quick run to the nursery, brought home a bunch of plants and spent the rest of the day finding homes for the everything - off the ground so Lulu can't dig them up.

Containers were gathered, from wherever I could find them, to hold the plants.

A variety of plants and containers decorate an old ladder.

Old blue boxes nailed to one of Steve's old easels got some fresh plants.

A striped bucket holding yellow primrose hangs from another old easel.

With everything planted and Steve feeling pretty good, we decided to take some time outside with Lulu.

On our walk we passed a tree full of flowers that look like little lanterns - I would love to find a place in my garden for this tree.

I know I do not have space for this amazing tree, but the clusters of bright yellow flowers are gorgeous.

I need to find the name of this drought tolerant bush with sweet pink flowers that look like they are made of tissue paper.

Everywhere I looked today, I was surrounded by colorful flowers - is it really February?

..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  

I am joining in at

The Dedicated House - Anything Blue Friday

My Romantic Home - Show and Tell Friday

French Country Cottage - Feathered Nest Friday

Rooted in Thyme - Simple & Sweet Fridays

My Little Home and Garden - Sunlit Sunday 

..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..

Just a reminder that my giveaway 

for the Grow Your Blog party through 2 Bags Full ends on February 15.

Aqua . . . at my house?

Last night we had a little dinner party and I had two requirements that made setting the table a challenge.

I could not use a tablecloth because the purpose of the dinner was to thank our neighbor, Mike, for helping Steve build our new dining room table and also to show the table to friends.

When Steve decided to make beef stroganoff for dinner, I was limited to these bowls for the main course.

KC and I drove to Home Goods on Saturday to find small plates, napkins and place
mats and you will notice there is nothing in my usual primary colors.

Red and yellow was my original plan.

With KC's influence and her aqua/mint green/ turquoise palette, our table ended up looking quite different.

The first step was to tear the tablecloth up to make 6 napkins and 6 place mats - I still have enough fabric left to make a table runner if I decide to go with an aqua table setting again.

I have used primary colors for so long, it was kind fun to branch out from my comfort zone.

Hand stamped Valentine bags were filled with Dove's chocolate hearts and questions were added to the back of each place card.

Hands down, the funniest answers were to the question asking what we got in trouble for when we were young.

I love the preparation for a dinner party - especially when Steve does the cooking.

I also love the day after a dinner party when the house is clean, filled with flowers and I can relax.

As I look around the house,  I noticed various shades of green that were already party of my February decor.

So, I guess aqua in my house isn't such a surprise.

..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..

Hop on over to join me at 

Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays

Green Willow Pond - What We Accomplished Wednesday

Lavender Garden Cottage - Cottage Style Party

Cozy Little House -  Tweak It Tuesday

A Stroll Thru Life - Inspire Me Tuesday

Hearts . . . Hearts . . . Hearts

We won't be doing much for Valentine's Day this year since Steve will be recuperating from shoulder surgery - last year this time it was his right shoulder and this year it is his left.

But, we are having a dinner party on Monday night so I am going with a Valentine theme.

I have been making hearts for weeks.

I sent off a simple heart garland to Holly of Cutie Pie Cottage

and received a fun package with this cute garland in exchange.

I mailed a package full of hearts to Melanie of Comfy House.

Some of the hearts will be used in the table setting Monday night.

I stamped muslin bags with hearts and hands and will fill them with candy for our guests.

The bags will go home with our guest and the rustic hearts will end up in my creative space to be used on projects throughout the year.

As I wrote in my posts, Home Is Where The Heart Is and Looking For Love, I love hearts.

Be it Valentine's Day, summer, or the 4th of July, there will always be hearts in our house.

I am joining Laurie for her Valentine Party so head over to Bargain Decorating With Laurie to see some great Valentine ideas.

February . . . a month of paint

In my first post of 2014, Looking Back & Moving Forward, I said that 2014 was going to be "The Year of the House".

We had 3 major projects for the year.

I had no expectations of completing all 3 of the projects in the first month, but I think putting the goals in writing helped with our motivation.

By January 8, Steve had created a new tabletop from reclaimed wood for our existing table.

By January 14, our guest room was gone and in its place is the perfect creative space for me.

The biggest change, completed on January 31, was to have our cobblestone patio relaid.

February is shaping up to be a "month of paint".

I bought the cabinet a few weeks ago at my favorite local antique shop, American Home and Garden.

I like the lines, but the color is not right for my color palette and I also want to replace the handles.

This tall cabinet is going to get a couple of coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint - Old White -followed by lots of sanding to bring out the different colors of each drawer.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep this old dresser in my workspace, but so many people commented that a new paint job and hardware will work wonders - I am leaning toward a minty green shade.

This little rocker has been loved by 4 generations (starting with my grandfather) of children and soon it will get a new coat of red paint.

February is a short month and 5 days have already passed so I had better get busy if I want to finish everything by the end of the month.

. . . . . . . . . . . 

Join me at

French Country Cottage - Feathered Nest Friday

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