The Bicycle

For some time I had been wanting to find a pillow with a bicycle in it.   I found this one at Walmart!   

I love it!!!!    

The colors are exactly right for the accent colors I use, especially in the summer.  

To me, bicycles are just one of the things that scream summer!!!   It's probably because I rode one so much when I was a young girl.  

I lived in a wonderful place where it was safe to ride bicycles all over our community!   

Oh the memories just seeing a bicycle makes me think of!!  

It certainly evokes memories of care free, safe, fun times and places and people!   

Mini Christmas Tour 2015

A few pictures of Christmas decorations in 2015. 

Anyone who is visiting......welcome!   I hope you enjoy!   I love to decorate for Christmas and have people in.   

I got a great new camera a few weeks ago, but it is very complicated.  I seriously need to take a class.  

These pictures are taken by my iPhone.  

I'll try to do better next time!  

Merry Christmas everyone!

How to Use Fruit for Decorating on a Budget for a Wedding

A sweet couple in our church had a beautiful wedding on Saturday. It was on a farm with the reception held in a barn. 

 

I had the privilege of helping with the decorating. It was definitely a privilege because both families are such dear friends and the brides mother is battling cancer.   

Because not all of the usual sources were available being it was on a farm, there had to be some improvising.  

This fruit decorated spool was one of those things.  

It started out as a cable spool.  Three larger spools were used as the actual serving tables. (This was such a cool idea; especially for a wedding reception held in a barn.)  This smaller spool was placed on top of the middle larger spool.  Then it was wrapped with a plastic table cloth in one of the colors used in the  wedding.  Then, we used some leftover aisle runner paper and wrapped around it.  

Since the plastic tablecloth was not exactly the color used in the wedding, the paper softened it and made it closer to the color.  Someone else had done this to the cake table (I didn't get a picture), so this idea is copied from that. 

I knew I wanted to use the smaller spool stacked on the larger one to give some height, and I knew I wanted to decorate it, but didn't know exactly what to do.  Then I heard that the bride's mother wanted to do a "fruit fall". We were running very late in the game at this point and had a lot to do.  I had actually helped put one of these "fruit falls" together , and knew that it took a long time to do, so I suggested just decorating the top of this small spool with fruit.  

This is how it looked.  (Sorry for the quality of the picture.  It had started getting dark and I had forgotten to take a picture).  

The bottom layer is fresh greens (you can use kale or spinach or some other greens), then we grouped together apricots, mangos, bananas, oranges, apples, etc.  We let grapes cascade over the edges, and placed the pineapple in the center.  

At the back of the arrangement, we placed fake fruit!  Don't tell anyone, ok!! It's what you do on a tight budget!  

This is a quick, really simple way to spruce up a buffet table at an event. Fruit kabobs were placed directly below this.  

Hope this cheap, quick, little idea might be a help to someone.  I enjoyed doing it ; especially since it was for a very dear friend at a very special event!

Over the fireplace mantle project

Trying to "summerfview ew it a little around here.  Whactually better way to do that than with flowers (hydrangeas, my fAnother update ), and the color green!

Actually I use green all year.  It'spoo d probably my favorite color.  I think of it as a neutral, but also as a pop of color.  The good thing is, it goes with any color.  Different shades of green also go well together.

Anyway, I've been wanting to do something over this mantle for a long time.  So, this is what I did.  While it's very summery looking, it will probably stay there permanently.

  Of course I'll change out the flowers (seasonally), and maybe the big platter in the middle, but the little plates will stay.  The picture on them is actually the inspiration for the theme of my decorating.  It is a farming or pastoral scene.  They are Homer Laughlin and, yes I've been collecting them for sometime.  The pattern is called "Pastoral".  They remind me of my roots.....living on a farm.

The second picture is showing another little update...the area rug in front of the fireplace.  I think it helps it to look a little more ,.... ugh....updated!

   

From My Kitchen Window

Every morning when I look out my kitchen window, I am so thankful for the view!

This particular view was not here a year ago.   It is our new auditorium, and our new auditorium has a STEEPLE!  The old auditorium did not have a steeple.

It blesses my heart so much to see.  How much does it bless me?  Glad you asked!  So much that my mind has changed about wanting to sell and relocate out in the country!   Because,  even though I know there would be beautiful views in the country,  I know there wouod not be one that would bless and inspire me like this one does!

To me, the steeple is such a beautiful symbol of what our church stands for and what it's purpose is.   That is to direct and show the souls of men the WAY to heaven;  to point heavenward!   To show that there is HOPE and a much better place than this sinful world.  Heaven is a wonderful,  glorious, beautiful,  perfect and ETERNAL place that awaits those who put their trust in the WAY, the  TRUTH, and the LIFE,  Jesus Christ the Son of God.  I'm so personally thankful that I'm going there someday!

On this first day of November,  I am thankful for my view and for what it reminds me of! 

More Free Fall for Ya'll

Today turned out to be a most beautiful fall day.   We probably won't have many more of those in our neck of the woods.   The sunshine was gorgeous!   That's what gave me the idea to snap a few more pictures of my fall decorations. 

I don't go overboard in decorating for fall, but I do like for the house to be warm, cozy and inviting in the fall.

As you can see in the pictures below,  I like to use natural things and things that I dont have to store away come the last of November and the first of December.  It makes getting ready for Christmas so much easier.   Most of all I like to decorate with free stuff;  things I already have or, like I said, natural elements from the yard.

Anyway, here's a few fall vignettes I hope you enjoy.

These green things grow in abundance on some trees that line our church driveway.  I ddon't know what they're called.  I think I heard someone actually call them some kind of an orange???  I don't know?   

My husband is not too fond of them because of the mess they make when 

cars drive over them and smash them.  I only like them because they're cool to decorate with and, you got it, they're free!

 

This wowonderful plaid tote was given to me for speaking at a ladies retreat last

weekend.  What a nice gift!  I love it!  I just tied a animal print scarf around the handle.  I read of ths trend (plaid and animal print together) for fashion, so I thought it would work in decorating as well!

 

A plaque given to me by my daughter A few years ago that I like to use in the

fall and some gourds.  This is in the hutch.

Faves From Instagram

Sometimes I do ok at taking pics and posting on Instagram, and sometimes, well,  I'm just not in the mood!  

This week was a good week!   I think I put up 4 pics.  I only have three here, because I couldn't find the last one I took.   Oh well,  guess three's  better than none!

   I really can't believe that I'm actually doing a blog post!  

Who knows,  maybe I'll start doing more of those too!

Some special sweets arrived in the mail from sweet friends in PA

It's Fall ya'll!/

My morning visitor