Just a quick update via my phone to let you know, I still do not have power. The first day without electricity, I just stayed inside, thinking surely the power would be restored soon. For lunch that day I had canned tuna fish mixed with a little mayonnaise and chopped onion, eaten on a few celery sticks. The mayo was still trustworthy at that point. Supper was a can of beans. I haven't been that hungry … [Read more...]

Thanks so, so much for all your great suggestions in the comments yesterday! If you missed yesterday's post, be sure and check out the comments on that post here: Planning Ahead for Christmas. In that post, I mentioned how I am extremely prone to catching every cold virus that comes along, even though I try to eat well and take a daily multi-vitamin. There were so many great recommendations in the … [Read more...]

Labor Day weekend always means lots of Labor Day Sales. I've been shopping my favorite online stores today to see what's on sale that I can't live without. Below you'll find all my faves, some I already own, others I would love to add to my home or wardrobe. Rather than list everything separately which would make this post way too long, I've gathered them together in picture links to make it easier to … [Read more...]

Welcome to the 583rd Tablescape Thursday! I'm super excited to share that the Better Homes and Gardens dishware is back again this year! I was in my local Wally World recently and they had a huge display. I've had heard from a few of you that they have a train plate this year, so I was dying to see it!   These are the ones I picked up this year. I love the sweet deer plates and couldn't … [Read more...]

I wish I could say my drive back home from Ohio on Monday was uneventful, but unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. About 2-1/2 hours from home, as I was passing a red and green 18-wheeler truck on my right, suddenly one or more of its tires blew apart. With A LOT of tire tread headed straight for my windshield at interstate speeds, I braked hard and swerved to avoid it as much as I could while still … [Read more...]

I just returned late yesterday from a week of visiting with family in Ohio. It was a gorgeous day as the plane took off from the Dayton airport. The pilot banked hard to the left and I found myself staring up at the gorgeous blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds.   I'm always amazed by how different the area surrounding the Dayton airport looks as compared to the Atlanta … [Read more...]

Imagine traveling to the northern part of England and staying in this 16th-century storybook home! This is The Bastle, a farmhouse built during the time Elizabeth I was Queen. Can you imagine?!   A nighttime view... This storybook stone cottage reminds me so much of the home in the movie, The Holiday. (Take a tour of that movie house here: Tour the Home in the Movie the … [Read more...]

Welcome to the 485th Metamorphosis Monday! I've been visiting with family the last few weeks so don't have a typical Before and After to share, but I do have an amazing event to share that is a stunning Before and After. It only happens during the spring each year and draws visitors from everywhere. It makes me want to travel to Zambia so I can see it in person. Thanks goes to Winnie for sharing this … [Read more...]

Thanks for all the great suggestions for desk chairs. I think some of the recommendations may have been a bit more expensive than what I had in mind, but I will definitely look into the ones you suggested in the comments on yesterday's post. Thank you for that! When I returned the chair I had purchased back to Staples today, I asked the guy who rang up the return what chair was their best seller and the … [Read more...]

Welcome to the 472nd Metamorphosis Monday! Last September I shared some information I had gathered regarding the process of having VHS and 8mm Tapes transferred over to DVD. If you have the right equipment, you could probably do it yourself, but since the tapes I wanted to have converted over contained irreplaceable, precious memories of my son and other family members, some who are no longer here, I … [Read more...]

How are your Thanksgiving preparations going? I'm not hosting Thanksgiving at my house this year, so I've been busy working on other things, including getting the wreaths up on the windows.   Hanging the wreaths is usually the first bit of Christmas decorating I do each year since it's pretty much my favorite Christmas decoration of all.   One of the best parts about hanging … [Read more...]

A month or so ago, I was in Marshalls and came across these lanterns. I love shopping in there this time of year because they always get in the cutest holiday goodies and you literally never know what you'll stumble upon. I'm not sure if these will end up in a table setting or on one of the porches for a little Christmas decorating. They may just show up in both.   These lanterns came with … [Read more...]

Do you have a drawer somewhere in your home filled with these? These were all in two small drawers in my family room. They date all the way back to the 80's and contain so many memories like birthdays, baseball games, ski trips, beach trips, scouting award ceremonies, swim meets, Christmases, trips to Disney World and Epcot, and a lot of "firsts" like the first time my son rode his bike without training … [Read more...]

It's so beautiful outside today!   Grab that glass of iced tea and let's head out to the porch!   I had several ideas about things I could share with you today, but then I had a better idea. I'm always a little worried that I've missed a question you may have left in a comment. It would be easy to do because if I'm away from my home on an errand during the day, I'll often pull … [Read more...]

I'm not going to say I'm unscammable, because no one is, but I try to do everything I possibly can to avoid being hacked or scammed. I never click on links I don't recognize in emails. I have my phone number listed on the National Do Not Call list and I don't answer telephone calls from unknown numbers. I have long and complicated passwords for everything, as well as two-step verification for everything … [Read more...]

If there's one thing I've learned during this process of having my DNA analyzed with AncestryDNA, it's the more you learn, the more you realize how complicated and involved this whole tracing your DNA heritage can be. The more you learn, the more questions you have. This stuff is intense, but every day the process is getting better and better. So here's how this process went for me: I ordered the kit … [Read more...]

Yesterday I had plans to post taking you on a  fun antiquing trip to A Classy Flea, followed by a historic home tour or two, but fate had other plans. The last couple of days my friend, Linda, has been visiting along with her aunt, Diane. You may remember Linda from when I shared the week we spent together touring over 13 historic homes across Louisiana and Mississippi. (See some of the tours I've posted … [Read more...]

I haven't been shopping for tablescaping goodies in a long time. Today is the first day I have felt like getting out since I became sick with whatever it was I had. On my first trip out into the real world, I treated myself to a visit to Marshalls. It felt so good to get out of the house and just be normal again...well, as normal as I ever get. ;) I found some cute things for summer entertaining and I … [Read more...]

I'm working on a little project at my son's house, I'll be sharing it real soon. Today it involved putting together a table.   I love the city where they live. I need to take some photos of some of the houses I saw today. They were wonderful! The streets in this area are wide, tree-lined avenues with sidewalks on both sides. As I drive down the streets, I feel like I'm in another world, … [Read more...]

On Monday evening I drove into Atlanta to visit a store inside Phipps Plaza.   I purposely drove in late to avoid the end-of-day, going home traffic. I finished my shopping just before the store closed at 8:00 PM.   As I was leaving, something caught my eye.   We get a finite number of sunsets in our lifetime. So much beauty and it's completely free. Stop and … [Read more...]

I listen to a lot of books on Audible...around 8-10 each month. If I'm driving on an errand, sitting in traffic or on a long trip, a book is playing. If I'm sorting through the way-too-many pictures I've taken for a post and cropping or editing them, a book is playing. If I'm washing dishes, folding laundry, staining the deck, planting shrubs, spreading pine straw or cleaning out the garage, a book is … [Read more...]

We've had the mildest winter so far here in Georgia. As I type this, it's 67 degrees outside. That's one of the things I've always loved about living here, winters are usually a mix of cold temps with surprise weeks thrown in when you would swear spring had arrived. Georgia weather always keeps you guessing. Despite this beautiful sunny day, I know the cold temps are coming back. The last few years I've … [Read more...]

Each January for the last two years, I've put together a winter survival list with my top 10 favorites for surviving winter. Instead of waiting until we're deep into winter, I thought I'd share my faves now as the cold weather and winter looms ahead. I think what got me in the mood for this is the drizzly, cold overcast day I awoke to today. I'm actually kind of enjoying it, though...makes this heater … [Read more...]

Sunday, time to sit back and relax a little. You've worked hard alllll week.   A good book...   ...and a "Rustic Retreat" candle, I'm totally addicted to the scent.  They can be found in Walmart but don't buy them all because I'm going back for a few more. ;)   Then there's this: Loved it so much...   I went back for more. I also bought the Caramel … [Read more...]

Each week when I take Max to Georgia Veterinary Specialist, we wait in the "cat" waiting room until it's time for him to go back for his chemo treatment.  The walls in that area are decorated with some great kitty cat art.  Yesterday, I snapped some pics with my cell phone to share it with you.  I saved my favorite for last. Pete the Cat looked vaguely familiar to me, but I wasn't sure why.  It turns out … [Read more...]

Over two years ago I created a post and asked the simple question, "What would you do if you knew you could not fail?"  The comments/answers were wonderful, insightful and inspiring.  I know we all use that word "inspiring" a lot these days, but the comments truly were inspiring.  If you didn't get a chance to read that post and the comments, you'll find it here:  What Would You Do If You Knew You Could Not … [Read more...]