Last years Sales..

Hello Friends!  I just could not wait any longer!  No not  full blown Christmas Decorating, but it was time to let this new treasure out of the basement.  Last year for four weeks I looked at this so cute, fully, girly decorated tree.  I wanted it. Bad. But, it has pink and purple.  Not good when I am the only girl in the house, but it also had this...

Yes, that shows half price, and this was days before Christmas.  OK, so I was not that in love.  Here is a picture of the whole tree.

So cute and girly. 

See told you it was cute!  Pink and purple...so not the colors I have used for Christmas before, but this year it will be in a corner of the kitchen.  Want to know what I paid?

Yes I saved $225 by waiting till after Christmas!  So what did you buy after Christmas that was a super bargin?


I will be joining:
Linda for NTT
Maureen for Sundays with Santa

Forcing Bulbs for Christmas

Hello everyone!  I am getting so excited to start my Christmas Decorations, but I will wait till after Thanksgiving.  In the mean time I have been "drawing" up my plans for this years decoration.  I have not forced bulbs in a few years, so I have made that part of my plan.  Back in September I bought both Paper Whites and Red Tulips to use this year.  The tulips have been in the fridge as they must chill or they will not bloom.  The Paper Whites do not require "chill" time.  Here is what I used to plant the Paper Whites.

A couple of glass containers, a couple bags of rocks and dyed moss, a open metal vase and of course the bag of Paper Whites.  This little project is also thrifty.  A bag of seven bulbs was $4.88, the rocks and moss where a couple of dollars each, the metal vase, a GW find, was a dollar as was the glass containers. I also used a couple of plastic grocery bags for the open vase. Very inexpensive for the "wow" factor they will deliver. Plus, the  price at the florist for forced bulbs being around $20 a bloom, this is a big bang for the buck!

As you can see my bulbs have already started to sprout.  For the glass containers I just put in about 3-4 inches of rocks the pushed a bulb a couple of inches into the rock then added water to just below this level.  Here is how they looked when I was done.

They already look pretty!  I will most likely add ribbon to dress it up later on. Planting in the open metal vase was a little messy, but still easy and will really be beautiful on the buffet in the dining room.

Here I just spread my red moss around the sides,  added two plastic bags to the middle then placed the bulbs close together.  They do like to be crowded.

Next I just added moss to the top and watered.

So easy!  One thing I learned from an elderly neighbor years ago was to water your bulbs with a mix of 7 parts water to 1 part white (rum, vodaka) alcohol.  This will stunt the growth of the stem, but not the flowers.  You will not have to worry about the Paper Whites falling over.  This does not effect the blooms.

If you have never forced blooms before I hope this makes you want  to give it a try - the will not disappoint!

I will be joining these fun parties:
 Susan for Met Monday
Erin for HomeMade Monday
Kristen for Tuesdays Treasures
Linda for Nifty Thrify Tuesday
Sherry for Open House

Guest Room

Hello all.  I thought I would share one of my guest rooms.  When we moved in I let my Mom design it as I expected her to visit more often.  After six years I am ready for a change.  For the last month or so I have been gathering things to give it an updated look.  I hope to have it completed in the next couple of weeks.  In the mean time, here is how it looks now.

This good is good size, about 15 X 13 with the bathroom in the room,  it has some interesting angles, as you can here.  This is looking in from the hallway.  Full morning sun streaming in.

The hardest part about redoing this room is the bedding.  I love four poster beds, but the mattress sits so high that bed skirts have to be made custom for it.  The skirt on this bed has to have a 22" drop, standard is 15".  This bedding my Mom picked out from JCP, then she altered the skirt.  Once again I  regret not letting her teach me to sew.  She is 75 now, and probably would alter another for me,  but I know it would be a hardship for her.

Next to the bed is this little glass top table.  I love the bling lamp, it is so cute.  I found the fan and kimono at Cost Plus, along with the large fan over the bed.

On the wall across from the bed and next to the bathroom I have the dresser.  On top is a Asia doll/figure that my Mom found. In a old humidor  I arranged some poppy's and artichokes, I thought it had a Asian feel.

The above picture is looking straight into the bathroom.  I really love the shower curtain with all the beading. It also was found at JCP.  On the back of the toilet I have a candle wrapped in bamboo stalks.

On the wall across from the tolet, I have these little plaques with Chinesse symbols for love, happines, harmony and family.  Underneath is the towel rack, love the fringe on these towels.

On the side of the room with the toilet is the vanity.

Here are a couple more shots showing some of the art work.

These two prints I found for a dollar each at Walmart, then picked up the frames for $2 each - very thrify and still fits the theme.

  Since starting this blog I have learned you need to take a picture to see how something really looks.  Looking over this post the room seems kinda empty, which looking at it in real life it does not.

Well I hope you enjoyed the tour of our main guest room. I love all your comments, thanks for taking the time to leave them.

You will find me at these fun parties:

Susan for Met Monday
Kim for Wow us Wednesday

What is under the cloche?

Hello all!   It's another cool day here in Georgia. It should be a fun night for all the Tricker Treaters.  We never get many kids, so this year I did not buy any candy.  Now I am second guessing myself and thinking I may run out and get at least a couple of bags. We will see.

 I am joining Marty's Cloche Party, you know she has the most fun parties. I  can't wait to visit each of you to see what  is under your cloche.

 In the dinning room I have two, one on the buffet and the other on the chocolate table. On the buffet you  will find mama squirrel with her two babies as they enjoy all the acorns they can eat or hide!

Then over on the chocolate table is a mini cloche with a mini pumpkin.

It looks so cute sitting on a fall leaf.

In the kitchen I have this jar full of gourds with a piece of twine with metal oak leaf.

And lastly another jar, this one in the walkway from the power room to the kitchen. It is full of dollar store pumpkins. The height helps to balance the two pictutes on the wall.

Hope you enjoyed the mini tour...

Marty for TTT/Cloche Party

Toni

Fall leaves, versatile blogger...I'm back

Happy Sunday!  I did not mean to be gone so long.  I have missed visiting and seeing what each of you has been up to.  I may have mentioned that I have a broken femur (thigh), I had surgery almost eight months ago, and it has not healed.  I found out that I am having a bone graft and plate this coming Wednesday, so I have been very upset and just having myself a pity party. No more, pulled myself up and can't wait to visit with you. Anywhoo,  here in GA it is a beautiful fall day.  The leaves are all my favorite fall colors - red, orange, yellow - just stunning!  Here is a few pictures from my back deck.



I see while I was gone the Versatile Blogger award was given to me by several great bloggers.



The recipient of this award is asked to thank the blogger who bestowed this award upon them and to include a link back to their blog. Then to pass the award onto fifteen other bloggers, include a link to each of their blogs and to reveal seven things about yourself that others may not know.

Here, in no particular order, are seven things you might not know about me. I'll try not to bore you too much!

1. I am addicted to Diet Mt. Dew, I drink 3-4  24 oz bottles per day.

2. I love cold food.  I have been known to order a pizza, not eat it, put it in the fridge and eat it cold out the box in the morning. Yummy!

3. I am most likely the only person in the world who does not enjoy Disney. Umm, no thanks.

4. I do love Sea World and always sit in any splash zone.

5. My favorite vacation is sitting on the tide line with my husband - from sun up to sun down.

6. In 2007 I saw Kenny Chesney 4 times - Jacksonville, Las Vegas and twice in Atlanta. Yes, I know I'm a little old to be following a country star around - but, I had a blast!!

7. I met my husband, who was in the Navy at the time at a dance club, and come to find out he lived on the next street over.

Thanks ladies for giving me this award:

Suzy at Worthing Court

Kathe at Kathe with a E

Helen at Helen's Decore

If you have not already visited these great blogs be sure you do.  I  am not going to pick any blogs, but it you would like grab the award and tell me something new about you!

 

I hope to be back later for Debbies Magazine Copy Cat Challenge.

Toni

Using those thrifty finds

Hello!  You may remember me finding these fabulous iron candle sconces.  One was rusty, one not.  I ended up putting the not rusty one outside to let nature take its course.  After a month it was ready to find its place in my dinning room.  You can see here the sconces I replaced.

I added the teardrop crystals to give it a little glamour. I think it looks so pretty with the light casting showdows off the crystals.  Here is a close up.

Now a picture of  the other one.  Swoon...love, love them!  I normally do not go for a rusty look, so this is totally different then anything I have done in  my home.

Just another view.  I don't know why the chair rail looks so wonky. Maybe it is my lack of skill at picture taking.

I have at least six projects to work on right now.  The really bad thing is none would take over an hour to complete!  Off to work on a quick project! 

I will be joining these fun parties:

Stephanie for Showcase Monday

Erin for HomeMade Monday

Susans Met Monday

Carrie for Amaze Me Monday

Linda for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Angie for Knick of Time
Kim for Wow us Wednesday
Honey for Potpourri Party

Foyer changes

Hello everyone.  Hope your weekend has been fun.  I did a little shopping, which is always fun.  But, you know what happens when you bring something new home - something else has got to move.  I found this beautiful fall arrangement at Michaels, and well it just had to come home with me.

I did have a harvest plate where the arrangement is now, the plate moved to the bottom shelf and I moved  the owl  from the dinning room to the foyer.  Here is a shot of the table top.

I also moved the white pumpkin to the foyer, left this clock and moved another to the dinning room.  Heres a picture of the bottom shelf.

I moved the little cloche with the pumpkin to the bottom shelf and the key to wind the clock I just left out.  I added this beautiful basket of fall colored flowers next to the table.

I really like the little changes I made, you know it is always fun to play!  One final look.

I will be joining these fun parties:

Marty for Table Top Tuesday

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays

Cielos Show off your cottage

Debbie's Newbie Party

Susan for Met Monday

Thrifty Finds

Hello everyone!  I can't wait to show you my most recent finds.  I stopped by GW, nothing there that inspired me.  I have not seen anything "good" there since I found my two soup tureens.  So I decided to head over to my favorite consignment shop,  Fun Finds.  And yes it was fun today. The first thing I found was a beautiful red and gold table runner.  I have been looking for a narrow one for my buffet.  This one is just perfect.   And only $8.00, no way could I buy the material, lining and fringe for that price.

Now for something a little more fun.  I am not sure where I am going to put it yet, but it was so pretty I just had to have it.  I think I am going  to paint it white and then decide how to highlight all the beautiful flowers. I am not sure what it is made of , but it is fairly heavy for it's size. It maybe some kind of plaster, not resin or plastic.  I only paid $12.50 - score!

Here's a close up of the flowers.

And my final, and favorite find is this beautiful plaster medilan.  It has such great detail and is so heavy.  I can not wait to paint it, this is going to be so fun to bring out all the wonderful texture and detail  - ok, I will show you.

It was hard to get a good picture of it, it is very bright white. Here are a few detail shots.

So for less then $50, I feel I got some great deals.  So what have you found lately?

Linda at Coastal Charm is celebrating her second year of blogging with a give away - go check it out.

Toni

I will be joining these fabulous parties:

Linda for Nifty Thrify Tuesday

Diann for Thrifty Things Friday

Kate for Flaunt it Friday

Fall Porch Love

Hello everyone.  I hope ya'll have been enjoying this beautiful weekend. It was cold  this morning, around 39, but it has turned into a beautiful GA fall day.  I was finally able to get my front porch finished.  I had been looking for pumpkins and they finally arrived at Home Depot.  Here is a picture of the whole porch, then I  will show you some of the details.  I really love the way it turned out.

My favorite part is the corner by the front door with all the pumpkins, wheat straw, a small red mum and the very "special" flowers  behind the pumpkins.  Some people may call them weeds, as I am sure the Mister will once he seems them.  I think they look really pretty and the yellow contrasts nicely with the orange of the pumpkins.

The lantern is filled with WalMart pumpkins that I sprayed white and silver a few weeks ago.  My
hands had paint all over them and J asked if I was going to be the Tin Man for Halloween! I really need to start wearing gloves when doing messy stuff.  The flowers in the big pot are still blooming from summer, with lots of buds on them.  They are just too pretty to pull out. Plus, I think they look really pretty with the ghost pumpkin. I did not do a wreath this year, but instead used a Southern Living wall pocket I found at GW back in the summer.  In the wall pocket I placed these beautiful faux leaves in  reds, yellows and orange. Under the wall pocket is a little iron and glass table with a copper watering can full of red sunflowers.  In front of that I placed a extra large mum in a orange-yellow color.

On the other end of the porch is my black rockers with the monogram pillows I made here. Between the rockers I have my tea cart with a wire pumpkin candle holder, a little basket of pine cones and a vase with some pretty flowers.  On the ground I have a couple of small laterns with tea lights.

I am not super happy with the tea cart, just could not seem to get it right. I am sure I will be changing it around once inspiration hits. One last look at the pumpkin end.

Here is a close up of the "flowers" behind the pumpkins.

Well that ends the porch tour, I hope ya'll all found it as inviting as I do.  And please stop by, maybe we can rock and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate.

I wanted to thank Diann at The Thrifty Groove for featuring my Simple No Sew Pillows, and Debbie at  Debbiedoo's Blogging and Blabbing for featuring my  kitchen tour  .  Thanks to both of you for having such great parties.

Toni

I will be joining these faboulous parties:

Debbies Newbie Party
Rhonda at Southern Hospitality Door Decor
Julia at Hooked on Houses
Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper
Cielos Show off your cottage
Susan's Met Monday
Honey for Potpourri Party