If you could live in any place in the world, where would that be and why? A few months back I mentioned how I'd love to live in the mountains. I've been giving that a lot of thought over the past year and I think I'd love to live so high up that when I looked out the windows or stood on my deck, I would find myself surrounded by clouds. Okay, maybe not all the time since it would be nice to have beautiful, … [Read more...]

I'm just starting to scope out some of the Black Friday deals and wanted to share a few that I thought were noteworthy. I've mentioned before how much I adore my DeWalt drill. They have an amazing deal on the drill set that comes with a battery and the charger plus, the drill bit set. I just recently purchased the drill bit set and I used it last night to hang my Dyson Cordless Vacuum on the wall in my … [Read more...]

Welcome to the 713th Metamorphosis Monday! The painter finally finished with the painting here in the garage. Repainting the shutters was the last thing to be done.   I don't know why, but during the time he was here painting, it suddenly hit me that I didn't like seeing all the lanterns atop the cabinets across the back wall of the garage.   Not sure why but I just suddenly … [Read more...]

A few months back I shared an experiment I was trying. I've been having issues off and on with my sinuses/nasal passages blocking up during the night and keeping me from getting a good night's rest. For a while, I wondered if it was the mint in the toothpaste I normally use and I switched to a different toothpaste that didn't contain mint for nighttime/bedtime brushing.  (Toothpaste available here: Citrus … [Read more...]

A few weeks ago, I took my first trip to Ohio to see my son, DIL, and grandchildren since selling my 14-year-old SUV to purchase a new one. It was my first road trip in the new car and I was looking forward to it for many reasons. Obviously, I couldn't wait to see family, but for once I didn't have to load up my glove box with multiple, freshly-charged blue-tooth speakers to last me during the 9-hour drive … [Read more...]

When I was visiting friends in Texas recently, we stopped by their local Costco and look what I saw!   When I've shared my friend, Marie's Christmas decorations in the past, I always get a lot of questions about her huge lawn ornaments.   I think Marie purchased her ornaments from Frontgate or Grandin Road. When I've looked at those sites, the large lawn ornaments were always … [Read more...]

Last night as I was getting ready for bed, I had this idea for a fun post.   Below you'll find 10 questions that I came up with (and answered) but the main reason I thought of these questions is because I really want to hear your answers! (I've relisted the questions at the bottom of this post so you can share your answers in the comments.) I really struggled with a few of these, they … [Read more...]

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...]

From time to time my daughter-in-love, Nancy shares recipes with me. Nancy often finds recipes online that sound interesting, then adds or subtracts depending on what she has available or on hand. Recently she made this yummy black bean salad and shared the recipe with me. I noticed it has an ingredient I've never tried: Trader Joe's Island Salsa. Have you ever tried it?  If you don't live near a Trader … [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...]

Last week I mentioned that Lilly Pulitzer had come out with a line of dresses that was figure-flattering for all body types and surprisingly budget-friendly. I'm not sure if this is the first year these have been available or just the first year I've noticed. I think it's the first year they've had them available because I'm obsessed with their fun summer prints and often check their site during the … [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 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...]

Welcome to the 509th Metamorphosis Monday! Good Morning! I had hoped to post a lot more while traveling across Egypt. Unfortunately, fast WiFi has been sadly lacking in many of the hotels. It reminds me of the days of dial-up--remember those? Ugh. I wish I could fast-forward technology right now so every hotel in the world would have high-speed internet. Dreaming! Fortunately, I was finally able to … [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...]

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...]