The Bradford Pears and the cherry trees are blooming. The grass is getting greener and small shoots of flowers are starting to emerge from the ground. The weather has been so nice. Spring is definitely on the way. I know that February is a short month but my goodness it passed by so quickly. We had very mild weather and luckily no snow!!!!
I decided over the weekend to put out some Easter decorations. It’s not that I am not a fan of St Patrick’s Day but I just don’t usually decorate for it. I am on to Easter. We had a fairly slow and quiet weekend. I didn’t really cook a lot. I made a cake. I have been wanting a chocolate cake not that I need one but who ever really needs a chocolate cake?
Several years ago I made decoupaged Easter eggs with two ply napkins, plastic eggs and Mod Podge I bring them out every year. Here is the how to on making them if you are interested. Making Decoupaged Easter Eggs.
Another oldie but goodie. I made this wreath several years ago. It has held up pretty well but I may do another one this year and put this on the back door.
Several years ago I bought these huge eggs at Dollar Tree. They were in a wooden crate and I never really knew what to do with them. The crate sort of fell apart so I took them out and put them in this bowl. I love them!!! I don’t know why I never thought of doing this.
I added this picture of me below because I am curious if you are anything like this. I got up on Monday morning and went through my closet thinking to myself, I have nothing to wear. We all know this is not true but I tend to reach for the same old clothes over and over again. I decided NOT TODAY!!!! I pulled this green sweater out, and put it with these pants and added the black shoes, that I have never worn before, and some necklaces and I felt like I had made an effort. It felt great too and that feeling stayed with me all day. Sometimes I forget to make an effort. I think that can be a habit and it is one I want to change. Please excuse my messy bedroom.
I am looking forward to March. I like new beginnings, new weeks, months, years. It always seems like a fresh start.
Happy Monday!! How was your weekend? I had a fun weekend. Lots of TV watching which is really unusual for me. And I did a bit of cooking. And I worked on the temperature blanket. I have to get that thing finished!!!!
So on Saturday morning I decided that I was going to go into the grocery store and get my groceries. I usually do an online grocery pickup for most things and then just pick up any extras I need throughout the week. Our Walmart has the tiniest isles and it is so hard to get through it without losing my religion, sanity and no police record. I went into the store at around 10:00 AM . I had just been to an estate sale and spent a little time browsing there so I wasn’t as early getting to the grocery store as I would have liked. It wasn’t too bad except that I usually spend twice as much money when I go into the store. And I did this time too.
But back to the estate sale it was fantastic. I didn’t buy anything but I had a great time looking around let me show you some of the things that were there. This estate sale is run by the same group that I used to go to last year. They buy estates or conduct estate sales for people. They have moved to a larger building that holds all of the stuff. The first day on Thursday everything is full price and then on Friday it is 25% off and then on Saturday some or most of the items are 50% off and on Sunday 50-75% off. I went on Saturday. So everything was 50% off except the furniture it was still at 25% off.
Look at this bed frame. I overheard the main guy who runs the estate sale tell another man that many people would have these figures on their bed frames to help ward off evil spirits and bad dreams. I think if this thing were on my bed I would have nightmares.
This is an interesting shelf it would definitely take up a lot of room.
This couch is very interesting but I can’t imagine that it would be comfortable to sit on.
This couch was beautiful. Look how white it is!! There was a sign asking people to please not sit on it but how did it stay so pristine to start with???
O.K. this piece almost went home with me. A darling little bowl with a beautiful design and only $15.00 after the 50% off discount. But I did not buy it. I kept thinking about all the things in my house that I have no room for. However if I go back one day and it is still there it will probably come home with me. Just saying.
This oil painting was so beautiful. Such talent.
I could just imagine serving lemonade or mint juleps from these little glasses. Again I wanted them but I know I have nowhere to put them.
Be still my heart, look at this tea set. Again I can imagine serving tea or coffee from this instead of my random chipped mugs. But alas I am comfortable with my mugs that’s just how I roll.
Another couch that people were going crazy over. I know someone will find a home for this. I can just imagine what it would look like after the kitties have had a run at it.
Again, isn’t this little serving set gorgeous. I think it is a dessert bowl and smaller serving bowls. I seriously almost bought this but I was afraid that if I served anything from it the gold etching could come off off the side. But it was still beautiful. What else could I have used it for???
Look at this table!!!! I am sure it would fit in someone’s home.
This little dresser set was very nice but a bit pricey.
I am not sure what this thing is. It looks like a clock without the inside. Definitely an interesting piece.
A few books that were really old.
A beautiful vintage wedding dress.
Some other vintage dresses. I love vintage clothing but have never been able to fit in the tiny sizes. Well maybe when I was in the fifth or sixth grade.
The next two pictures are from the same artist. They are two out of a set of three. I didn’t get a picture of the third one it was turned at a really strange angle.
After I got home from grocery shopping and the estate sale I worked on the temperature blanket. Ya’ll I am really over this blanket. I have to finish because I am so close. I know it will be beautiful. I got behind at the end of last year and still have all of December to do. It is a different row of crochet corresponding with the temperature that particular day. Yes I recorded the temperature every day last year. After I finish the blanket I then have to add a border around it. It is huge!!!! Gus loves it and as soon as I put it on the bed to measure it he jumped right on it.
As I mentioned I watched four movies this weekend. That is a lot for me. Especially since my attention span has been nothing lately. The weather was bad Saturday night and Sunday and it was a good day to cozy in and watch movies.
This first movie had one of my favorite actors, Lou, starring Allison Janney. Oh my goodness this is a thriller. If you are like me you will be screaming and yelling throughout the movie. Several times Mark yelled up the stairs to see if I was ok.
A precious romcom starring Ashton Kutcher and Reese Witherspoon. Your Place or Mine, It is sweet and was good to watch after the screaming and shouting that went with watching Lou.
Meryl Streep is one of my all time favorite actors. She did an amazing job in this movie, August: Osage County. The movie also starts Julia Roberts and Juliette Lewis and a host of other actors. If you have ever thought your family might be dysfunctional watch this movie and you will see they probably are not. Still a great movie with incredible acting.
Another sweet and great movie again about a somewhat estranged crazy family. But as most movies do it all worked out in the end. The People We Hate At The Wedding starred Allison Janney, she is so amazing. Also starring Kristen Bell and a wonderful group of actors. You have to watch it. It is hysterical.
So my weekend was fun and full of things I love to do. I also did some cooking. I made lasagna for Saturday night and baby back ribs on Sunday. I don’t get to cook a lot for my husband so when I have a chance I like to cook for us.
So how was your weekend?? Did you do something fun?
Hello and how was your weekend? On Saturday I went to Athens with my friend Kathy. We went to Dollar Tree and to our favorite Chinese restaurant. I was looking for a few things for Valentine’s Day crafts that I am working on. I also went over to see my sister and picked up some groceries for her. She is doing great!!! She has another treatment on Friday but she is much stronger than she was going into the first treatment.
On Sunday I did laundry and put out a few Valentine’s Day decorations. I don’t decorate a lot but I do like to add a few. After that it was a lazy day. I did laundry and watched a couple of movies and then went for a short walk and played with the outside kitties. It was a nice sunny day and it felt great outside. The kitties thought so too.
Shady Sadie she is always on the go.
Allie Cat aka the mama kitty. She is mama to Sadie and Izzy
Sweet Izzy.
Gus, living his best life. He loves to be spoiled.
And Kitty Kitty the one who first made me a kitty mama.
So a fairly uneventful and quiet weekend and that is just fine with me. How was your weekend?
You know it seems like December comes along and all of a sudden there is a flurry of special things to do and places to go and spectacular Christmasy things to see and then, all of a sudden Christmas is upon us. It is a special time of year that goes by so incredibly fast. I say this because we are in the middle of this precious time. Don’t forget to enjoy it and spend time with loved ones and take a deep breath and just have fun.
Last Thursday we celebrated my nephew Tyler’s 21st Birthday. He wanted to go to his favorite Mexican restaurant in town so that is where we went. It was a terrible rainy foggy night. I made the cake and it was a disaster. Tyler requested a chocolaty pudding type cake. I had a recipe but I hadn’t made one in years. I don’t know what happened but we had to spoon it onto the plates. It was terrible. My sweet husband insisted on eating a big plate full and assured me that is the kind of cake he wanted for his next Birthday. I think I better stick to what I am familiar with. Tyler got the traditional whipped cream in the face while we sang Happy Birthday. We had so much fun.
The night of the party made me remember the night Tyler was born. He actually is my great nephew, his mom Michelle is my niece. The night he was born it was rainy and foggy. Michelle and her mom went to the hospital as soon as she went into labor and I followed about an hour or so later. It was a Friday night. Tyler was born early the next morning. My sister, Michelle’s mom, and I were there to be the delivery coaches. Michelle had told me that I could cut the umbilical cord so I was beyond excited. Just before Tyler made his appearance I took one look at his head and I felt my knees giving out and down on the floor I went. The nurses said it was probably because I had been standing with my knees locked for so long or emotions or just me being me. I recovered in time to cut the umbilical cord. Tyler likes to tell people that he had popped out in time to ask if I was ok. He had a flattened nose and a cone head. I crocheted that little blue cap he is wearing. Such memories. I think the holidays makes us remember and reflect more than ever.
All grown up now. He sent me this picture last week when he went fishing.
Saturday morning I made a blueberry cobbler. I love to make these for breakfast and have it to eat on all week. I went into Athens to Hobby Lobby and bought the yarn I needed for the temperature blanket. I thought I would have enough of this orange color that I am using for fall but because of all the warm days I ran out and couldn’t continue until I bought this one color. Unfortunately the nearest Hobby Lobby or yarn store where they sell it is about 30-40 minutes away. I also had to return some boots I had bought a couple of weeks ago. I will show you those on Friday Favorites.
Every year around Christmas time I buy a box of these Russell Stover chocolates. I love them. It is a treat that I will only buy once a year and I will savor them.
On Saturday afternoon I added a few more decorations to the inside of the house. Several months ago when we were cleaning out some of the closets in my mother in law’s house I came across a ceramic Christmas tree in a large shopping bag. I decided to bring it home. It was very yellowed with dust. It has a base with a long bulb and then the ceramic tree fits over it. There are holes in the tree that small glass ornaments fit into. I couldn’t believe how nice it looked after I scrubbed it up and put the ornaments back on. My husband said he remembered getting that tree when he was about five years old. He said he and his mom and brother drove to someone’s house and bought it. After a few years his mom stopped putting it out. He was so excited to see it again. He had no idea what had happened to it. It’s about 2 feet tall and I put it on the entry table beside the front door. We love it. More bittersweet memories.
You can see how white the snow is now. You should have seen it when I first started cleaning it. It is pretty in the daytime but look how magical it looks at night with all the different colors of lights.
Kitty Kitty and Gus were so excited about the new decorations in the house. They ran and sniffed and pretended to be scared of some of them. Crazy kitties. It looks like Gus is saying “mom what the heck is this thing?”
I put this snowman throw on the back of the couch and Kitty Kitty jumped up on it and went right to sleep. This is where she has spent almost every day since I put it on the couch.
On Sunday I took it easy and watched some Christmas movies. Join me here on Thursday where I will share my top 10 Christmas movies of all time. I’ll be you’ve seen some of them already.
Last night we had our work Christmas party in Knoxville. It was a lot of fun but about an hour drive for most of us and the traffic was a nightmare. I didn’t get home until almost 11:00 PM and that is late for me. Early bedtime for me tonight.
So that is what has been going on over here how about you? Are you ready for Christmas? Have some fun, share some memories and make some new memories.
Southern Patches 