Easy Polka Dot Porch Art

     Many months ago I found this plaque at TJ Maxx for $2.50. It was painted with pink flowers and a baby name. I knew I would eventually use it for something. I painted it white when I got it and tucked it away to wait for a project.

     Saturday I was thinking about what I would put out on my porch for spring/summer this year. My wreath is different colors than I use most years, so I needed some frugal touches to add to pull it all together. I dug out the white painted board and penciled circles all over it.

     A trip to Walmart produced a wooden letter. I actually intended to put Happy Easter or Happy Spring, but decided I wouldn't be able to leave it out all summer if I did that. I painted the letter a springy green and let it dry. In the meantime, I painted the circles in colors to coordinate with my wreath ribbon. They aren't perfect circles...my crafting skills are easily that of a second grader. My daughter asked why I didn't cut a potato in half and stamp the polka dots on...didn't think of it, good idea. When the polka dots were dry, I used the glue gun to attach the letter.

     The finished project looks as if it could go in a little girl's room, but it will also be cute sitting on my chair on the front porch and will pull out the ribbon color very well. Besides, it was fun. Craft projects don't have to be perfect (like so many I see in Blogland) because some of us just don't have the skills...but, they can be relaxing and fun anyway.

I am joining Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday and

Mary @ Little Red House for Mosaic Monday

Linda @ Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Please join our hostesses for their weekly parties!

Sometimes, You Just "Go With the Flow"

     This was one of those weekends where we had every moment planned. We were picking up our grandsons on Saturday morning, they were spending the night and we would celebrate Christmas with them. Sunday, we planned to drive them a little over an hour away to celebrate Christmas with my in-laws before returning them to their mother. We also were meeting up with my sister to do some "gift dropping off" and we had tickets for the University of Illinois basketball game, they were a Christmas gift from my son to his dad. Well, nature stepped in.

     Illinois weather yesterday was some of the worst I can remember. The interstates were closed in various places, people were stranded for hours in dropping temperatures and they finally called the road crews in because it was too dangerous for them to be on the roads. The grandsons are still here, we have watched Mickey Mouse (the current fav) videos to the point of insanity, my son is staying here when he isn't working so he can spend time with his boys, the house is a total wreck and we have loved every minute! The plan is to take them home this afternoon, see the in-laws, meet with my sister and get back home before dark. Of course there will have to be a lot of road clearing before that is possible and our temperatures are below zero. Ugh.

     There is nothing quite like having a 2-year-old and an almost 4-year-old in the house to remind us of what Christmas is all about. Grandpa playing trains on the floor while Grandma is baking cookies, the excitement when they saw "their tree" with all of the Mickey Mouse wrapped gifts underneath it, the living room a mess of new toys and wrapping paper and sleepy little kisses goodnight. I do believe that the Blizzard of 2010 is one of the best gifts I could have had this Christmas!

I am joining Mary @ Little Red House for Mosaic Monday

A Little Bit of Winter Sparkle

     I'm not actually working on any major projects this time of year. I think many of us are just trying to keep up and get things done in time for the holiday. Any little "tweeks" I'm doing are simply taking down one season and putting up the next. Our house doesn't have a fireplace...therefore no mantel. We've had fireplaces in our homes since the late 70's, so we not only miss the cozy fire, I miss the mantel to decorate. I tend to use the top of my china cabinet and my library tables to display seasonal things.

Hand-carved wooden trees from a little shop in Nashville, TN.

A Crate and Barrel moose that my

husband just "had to have" a few years ago.

Surprise! What I thought were white lights on

the little brush trees...aren't!

A silly little snow angel.

A sparkly sea urchin.

A snowy white church.

Much loved Christmas stories.

All tucked among fresh greens.

Welcome to my Winter Wonderland!

Please don't forget to enter my Tate's Bakeshop

Cookbook and Cookies Giveaway.

Click Here!

I am joining Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Deck The Halls

If you have never visited her blog, you are really missing something!

I'm also joining Mary @ Little Red House for Mosaic Monday

Oh no! It is beginning!

     Yesterday my husband took on the task of painting my dish room, which you may remember is a bedroom we weren't using in the basement. What had started out neatly organized had become chaos and I decided if I was going to organize the room and hang some shelves, it should be painted first. Makes sense...right? Anyway, he made such a mess in the basement by moving out all my dishes into the family room that I wanted an equal mess upstairs in the living room. I decided to bring up all of our Christmas boxes out of our storage room, empty them and organize, condense and sort the contents. Needless to say, we both hurt to move today. I did come up with a few thoughts about Christmas decorations.

1. If you love decorations, you will have way too many after 35 years of marriage. You should get rid of old things as you bring in new ones.

2. You should never get rid of any Christmas decorations because they can often be reused years later in another form.

3. Red and green really are the colors of Christmas...my favorite.

4. I really like my teal, purple, blue, pink, black, bronze, silver and gold ornaments better than traditional red and green.

5. I love the 2 tubs of family ornaments from when the kids were little best of all.

6. I don't want those old ornaments on my tree unless the kids are coming for Christmas...I like a "pretty" tree better.

7. If you make a beautiful tree topper, you should keep it for another year.

8. Saving a tree topper takes up too much space, break it down...you will want to remake it if you use those colors again anyway.

9. I have no idea why I kept those old Christmas glasses...I would never buy them now.

10. I wonder how I can do a tablescape using those old Christmas glasses?

Seriously, is it any wonder that we all go a little crazy this time of year?

What color will this Christmas be? Stay tuned.

I am joining Mary @ Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

Please stop in to say hello to her!

Met, Blue and Mosaic Monday and a Winner!

     A couple of weeks ago my husband did his early Saturday morning neighborhood garage sale walk. He didn't do this until I started blogging and now he enjoys trying to find me little surprises. I'm not willing to get up that early on a Saturday morning. He came home with this decorative birdhouse (complete with fake bird). It was 50 cents and he was so proud of his purchase. I immediately had visions of it in white filled with...something. I'm not sure what yet.

The bird had to go. Some white spray paint

and a little dark stain and it looks so much better.

     Now for a bit of the unusual. Early in the summer we planted a very tiny Morning Glory vine on a decorative piece of iron that we purchased a few years ago in Charleston, SC. It was a single stem about  2 1/2 feet tall. All summer long it grew...and grew...and grew. It completely swallowed the artwork under it. It took over the entire corner of our rock garden area and it is still growing and spreading. But, it never had a bloom. Not a single Mornng Glory on the most healthy plant we have ever had...until last week. It is starting to bloom, in October. We have had our first frost and we didn't cover the plant...and it is starting to bloom.

The monster plant.

     Interestingly enough, as the leaves are falling off the trees, our hibiscus are still blooming too. The plants are covered with buds and blooms. I think Illinois was so hot this summer that it thinks it is in the tropics now!

And now the WINNER of a $55 CSN Gift Code...

"My Name Means Wisdom" from Opening Lines

Thanks to all who entered. I have another sponsored giveaway coming up soon!

I am linking today with:

Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday

Smiling Sally for Blue Monday

Mary @ Little Red House

Linda @ Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Weekend At "I Need Mom"

     I took a blogging break over the weekend. It wasn't intentional, I just couldn't fit it in with my real life. Saturday night I had a small dinner party. It was a relaxed, fun evening with friends. Our Illinois weather was perfect for drinks on the deck before dinner, I managed to get all the food on the table without burning anything and I think we all really enjoyed just having time to spend together. I will post a few recipes later in the week.

The Menu

Cheese Board

Crab Bites

Swiss and Bacon Toasts

Baby Greens with Dried Cranberries and Walnuts

Baked Potato Bar

Roasted Pork Loin

Fresh Green Beans

Rolls

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Caramel Apple Cobbler Cake with Ice Cream

I also wanted to share a very simple project that was completed this week. Using an inexpensive Wal-Mart lamp, white spray paint, brown stain and beaded trim...my lamp went from the above look to...

...something that matched my desk redo much better. The beaded trim actually has an aqua bead in it to go with the knobs on the desk. It is trim that has a sticky side and you are supposed to be able to just apply it by peeling off the backing. I did that and it looked great, for about an hour and then it all fell off. I used a glue gun to attach it the second time.

I am joining Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday and Mary @  Little Red House for Mosiac Monday today. Please take a moment to visit our wonderful hostesses.

Don't forget to sign up for my

GIVEAWAY!

Click Here!



A Little Comfort Food, A Little Bargain Hunting and A Blogging Friend's Success

     I wish I could tell you that these beautiful blue flowers are in my yard. They aren't. They were actually at my local grocery store in huge pots. I didn't buy them because they don't match anything I have on my porch or deck, but I fell in love with the color and just had to share them.

     I finally found a desk at a neighborhood garage sale. I want to replace my one drawer desk and my dad loves having a project to work on while he is here. It was $15 and it came with the hutch top which I won't use with the desk because I don't want to block my window view.

I am going to use the hutch in my dish room once it is painted.

I'll keep you posted with the progress.

     I cook more when my dad is here. I also had the grandsons overnight on Saturday night. I decided to try a new recipe of an old favorite, Mac and Cheese. I got the recipe from the book Roast Mortem by Cleo Coyle. Her Coffee House Mystery series is a favorite of mine.

Penne Mac & Cheese

1 pound dry penne pasta (cook according to package for al dente)

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup grated Monterey jack cheese

1 cup grated mild cheddar cheese

5 1/3 T. butter

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 cups whole milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees-grease 3 qt. casserole. Cook pasta, drain and put in casserole dish.

In separate bowl mix the three cheeses together. Set aside.

     Melt butter in saucepan. Remove from heat. Add salt, pepper, flour, Worcestershire sauce and stir until smooth. Gradually add milk. Return pan to stove and stir constantly over medium heat until mixture boils. Reduce heat and stir until sauce thickens.

     Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Stir until smooth and pour over the pasta. Do not stir the pasta and sauce. I did have to press on the pasta a little bit to force a little of the sauce down into the casserole dish so it would overflow.

Top with the remaining cheese.

Bake 20-25 minutes until brown and bubbly.

Enjoy...it is yummy.

One of my favorite blog friends is Kat @ Low Tide High Style.

Kat not only loves the water the way I do, she has been a

very supportive friend to me and I'm sure to many others.

The current issue of Romantic Country is available right now.

I got mine at Wal-Mart.

See that...Kat's name in the magazine. She has a featured article...a must read!

Way to go Kat! How exciting!

I am joining today with:

 Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday

Sally @ Smiling Sally for Blue Monday

 Mary @ Little Red House for Mosaic Monday

Linda @ Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Please visit all of these lovely ladies and enjoy their blog events.