Red...White...and Blue...2!

One of the reasons I find Christmas to be such a fun holiday besides the food...shopping...presents ...food...music...family...and food (did I mention the food)...is the decorating that takes place both inside and outside of our home...plus the homes of our family and friends. There is nothing that says..."Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat"...MORE than a home filled with Christmas decorations. I also think it is fun to decorate for the 4th. Red...white...and blue is a terrific color combination. It speaks of summer fun...festivities...and feels so relaxing! See what I mean with these...

Looking at these makes me want to put up some red...white...and blue lights(I have some)...hang out our flag...buy 2 white rockers for the front porch and fill some huge pots with lots of red geraniums. Hummmm...I am off to the nursery and Wal-mart!

Red...White...and Blue!

A week from now we will be celebrating Independence Day all across the country. I just love the 4th of July...especially here in our small town. We go all out with a parades...picnics...and fireworks. It's still very much an old-fashioned celebration with lots of family coming home just for the festivities. So...for the next week...in honor of the good ole' red...white...and blue...I'll be posting some fun accessories you might want for your house as you celebrate the 4th!

What about some darling red and white dishes...I love how these casual dishes are paired with fancy silverware and simple table linens. Check your local $1.00 store for a good buy on patriotic dishes! I can just imagine French toast...strawberries...whipped cream... served on these on the morning of the 4th! What a great way to start a great day!

Blog Swap...Hoo-ray!

Thanks to Ashley for putting together the "favorite things" blog swap. It was so fun...first to receive this from cute Chantri...


and second to send some of my favorite things to Jill. What a great idea...thanks Ash! I love making new blogging friends!

TIPS-N-TRENDS...It ain't all good!

I've discovered a disturbing trend of late...it actually keeps me up at night. I lay awake wondering if someone I love will get caught in it's deceptive web or succumb to peer pressure. I worry that once they start they won't be able to stop! I worry that it will become a habit...an expensive habit. I worry that they might eventually have to lie...steal...and deceive to support it. I see celebrities getting caught up in it and worry that my loved ones will be reading a People Magazine and think, "Hey, that looks fun and exciting...maybe I will try it just once!" It's tough to resist...especially when worn by Gwyneth...

Yes...that disturbing trend is...Gladiator shoes! A fad gone bad...and the bane of my existence...(at least for right now). I have only one question..."Gwyneth honey...What in $*## were you thinking?" Now...every where I look...this is what I see...

Women of America...and other parts of the free world...Avoid this pit-fall at all costs...it is the work of the devil...it will bring you down!

Mid-Week Inspiration...Dishes on Display

I own dishes...a lot of dishes...more than I will ever need...it's an obsession...as in...I could feed a small army...but only if they ate with their fingers...because I don't particularly care about silverware...but I do have a large supply of plastic forks...so...I guess I could still feed a small army and they would even appear to have some manners. When you have a lot of dishes like me...you have to put them all somewhere...they don't all fit in the kitchen cupboards...so...I store some of my dishes in my entryway in this...


I also store some of my dishes downstairs with my food storage...because I am of the mind set that food and dishes go together...right?...my husband does not have that mind set. And there will be no picture of my storage room!

What I really want...is open shelves...in my kitchen and maybe elsewhere in my home...so my dishes can be a real part of our family...out where the whole world can bask in their...dishy-ness. Open shelves like these...

I want that yellow bowl on the left...

Love that the dish racks are hung over the windows...

Check out those purple cabinets...

And my personal favorite...these scalloped shelves are to die for...A...door...a...bull!

I Have a New Fabric Crush...

Just took a look at Heather Bailey's blog and...Golly Miss Molly...was I in fabric heaven or what! If you haven't seen her new fabric lines...quick click and take a look. Unbelievable!!!! And she's having a giveaway...hoo-ray! That's all I have to say!!!!

Mid-week Inspiration...Flower Power...

I've been out of town for the past 9 days helping a daughter move from Utah to Colorado...even though it was a working vacation it was still alot of fun!

Here in Idaho...as well as in many places in the west...we are experiencing extreme...record breaking...cold. Yesterday set a record for temperatures...a bone-chilling 33 degrees...with some snow in the morning hours! Flowers are freezing and gardens are literally rotting in the ground. Things are looking up though...with a projected high in the 80's on Saturday! Whoo-hoo! Today's Mid-week Inspiration is especially for those of us who are NOT enjoying summer weather but hope to soon.

I was never much interested in flowers and gardening until recent years. Yard work was always just that...work! But I have really grown to love being out in the yard...digging in dark soil...planting seeds and flowers...dead heading...fertilizing...water and weeding...just everything that goes with gardening. I absolutely love going to a nursery and just enjoying the sights and smells that surround me. Hope the following pictures inspire you in a "flowery" kind of way!