I Have My Winner!

     With all that is going on at my house, I almost forgot about my Giveaway. I just used the random number generator and the winner of the Boos Cutting Board is...Jenny Matlock. If you haven't visited with her, you must! She is funny, kind and an excellent writer. I have received several things in the mail from Jenny, so it is fun for me that I now get to send her something!

Rest In Peace...Once Again

  

     My father-in-law died this afternoon. My husband got the call to come around 12:30 and he drove the 75 miles and got there just in time. It has only been 5 weeks since my mother-in-law died and my husband is really just numb. We knew his father wasn't eating since his mom died and we knew that he had lost the will to live. The fact that he died today was still a shock. It is also really hard on my kids. They have lost 3 grandparents in a year and it doesn't matter that they are in their twenties, it still hurts. I will be around, but the next days will be busy. My dad is here (and healthy, thankfully) and we are having the little grands for the weekend. The services for my father-in-law will be next week. I appreciate all the good thoughts and prayers you have extended our family over the past months. It has certainly been a roller coaster and I hope that maybe the ride can stop for a while now.

Name That Rose-Commenting Issues-Weather

     Yesterday I read many of your blogs but I was unable to log in to comment. I would select "Google account" and it would ask for my information and send me right back to do it again. It was really frustrating and I have no idea if it will be any better today. Is anyone else having issues? Any suggestions?

     I notice that many of you seem to know the names of your roses...I don't. Maybe I could just make up some names, you'd never really know...would you? How about "Peach Fuzz" for the above blossoms?

Lipstick?

Lemon Bar?

Look closely and you will see my "Cotton Candy" rose bush has hundreds of buds!

     I took these last pictures just a few minutes ago from my backyard. So far, we just have a tornado watch. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous after all watching all the storm coverage this week. Stay safe out there!

Only a couple more days to register to win my Boos Cutting Board!

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I'm joining Susan @ A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday.

Please take a moment to visit her and all the participants!

Beach and Brown

Today is the day Marty @ A Stroll Thru Life hosts Table Top Tuesday.

 I'm about to run out of tables to show you around here!

     The library table behind my loveseat has to have at least one "beachy" item, so I added a pottery vase from an art show in Florida to a vintage vase that was my mother's. The iron piece you see often and was purchased in Charleston, SC.

The large vase is a recent purchase at an area florist.

I just fell in love with the texture of it when I saw it.

     My dining table is looking a bit bare today. I actually had a cream runner with a shell on each end, but my vase of Iris dripped and created a water-colored mess of blues and purples on it. I have it in the washer now and I don't know if I can save it. Who knew they would do that? I actually like the look of bare wood for a change, but I'm sure I'll add something in the next few days.

Don't forget I have a great GIVEAWAY going on right now!

You can win a Boos Block of your very own.

Click Here to sign up!

Please stop by to say hello to Marty!

The Kitchen Backsplash

     Once again as I put this post together, there is devastation from deadly tornadoes. I watched on Facebook last night as a friend who has a mother and other family members in Joplin, MO was posting as she waited for news. Her mother is fine, her house isn't. Most of her other family members have been found, they are still waiting on news of a few others. I saw another friend offer to drive the 2 hour trip to help our friend's family, take supplies, take in pets or offer housing. Tragedy may be the worst, but it brings out the best in people. I pray that all of our blog friends who live in that area have survived and that we have seen the last of these "power storms" that have been hitting this spring.

     My post today is the last part of our kitchen redo. My dad is here visiting and he spent several days last week putting in our tile backsplash. We opted to keep the colors neutral because we know we will sell this house in a few years. We did want to add a little touch of something special, so we added a tumbled stone mosaic which is extra work but I really am happy with the look.

     Please remember to sign up for my

 Boos Cutting Board Giveaway.

You still have a few days left.

 Click Here to sign up.

You may remember the beginning of our project...

This is how it looks now!

Click on pictures to enlarge.

We will still need to seal the grout in a few weeks.

We keep finding spots that still need a little "scrubbing".

We also have to get the baseboard on

the bar area and then we are done!

     I am joining Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday. Make sure you stop to see her and all of this week's projects.

Welcome to The Hill-Italy in Missouri

     When my daughter was here the first week of May, we took a road trip to St. Louis. It had been many years since we had been to The Hill area of town and my daughter had no memory of being there. The Hill is a wonderful living photograph of history. If you click here you can read all about it. To sum it up, The Hill, a heavily Democratic enclave of Italian immigrants and their descendants, is the premier destination for Italian food in St. Louis. While The Hill abounds in Italian restaurants, pizza parlors, bakeries, delicatessens and specialty shops, food is only part of its allure. A buoyant urban community in southwest St. Louis, The Hill has flourished over the last century and somehow managed to repel the decay, neglect and suburban flight that have wracked other neighborhoods.

We had lunch at Zia's.

The food was fabulous and the atomosphere very dark and cozy.

Olive oil, herbs and crusty bread.

I had Chicken Dijon with mushrooms and it was delicious.

It came with a side of pasta.

My daughter had a combination of Ravioli and Canneloni. 

My husband had the lasagne, it was the best I have ever tasted!

The bar at Zia's.

An authentic Italian market.

See the buckets of olives?

  

     Of course we had to have real Italian cookies for dessert. This bakery had pastries, cakes and cookies that made us crazy! It was very crowded and I certainly understand why. Yummy! It was such a fun day and we enjoyed every minute on The Hill. If you are anywhere near St. Louis, it is worth a trip.

Please sign up for my Boos Block Giveaway!

Click Here!

I am joining Michael @ Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday!

A Little Late With the Tablescape! Giveaway!

     I know it is a little late in the day to be posting my tablescape, but things have been a bit of a mess at our house. The above picture might give you a hint as to what has been going on in my kitchen all week. So, until this afternoon...all my kitchen stuff was sitting on my table. You can see the finished project on Monday.

I brought in some flowers from my yard and

 the table just screamed for a tablescape to go with them.

     This is a no muss, no fuss tablescape. The table runner is a HomeGoods purchase and was busy enough that I didn't feel as if it needed anything else for a simple dinner with family.

     You've seen all the dishes before. White American Atilier square plates, topped with a lush floral dinner plate marked simply "Fine China" and 10 Strawberry Street salad plates.

The flatware was purchased at the same

time as the floral plates, on sale at Ross.

The napkins have the same shades of pink as the plates.

 

The star of the table is a simple white pitcher

 filled with fresh flowers from my yard.

Iris, roses, honeysuckle and peonies.

The antique goblets in pale pink were

 found in a cabinet at my in-law's home.

Please Sign Up For My

Boos Cutting Board

GIVEAWAY!

I am joining Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch

for Tablescape Thursday!