A Little Break

Sometimes real life gets in the way of blogging. Don't you hate it when that happens? ;)

My son is coming home for a few days, and we are all going to my nephew's graduation party this weekend. So I think I'm going to take a few days off, to enjoy my family and maybe get something done around the house. I've got flower pots to fill, and a garage to clean out, and our bedroom to finish decorating, and... well, you get the idea.

And I just need a break from the computer. So have a wonderful weekend, dear bloggers, and I'll catch you sometime next week. :)

Tablescape Thursday: Green and Cream Lunch

Welcome! We're lunching on the deck today. We have to be quick, though, because it's getting a little cloudy and I think it may rain.

Just soup and a salad this afternoon. I have used my white Atelier at Home dinner plates as chargers, and topped them with salad plates by April Cornell and soup bowls by Kate Williams at Global Design Connections. The water goblets and tablecloth are both from Waterford. Soft green napkins are paired with silver napkin rings from Bed, Bath & Beyond. I've tucked a few daisies into the rings.

By now you know that I can't set a table without some thrift store flatware. Aren't these pretty?

We have two tables on our deck -- one with an umbrella in the center, and this one which belonged to my mother. The iron chairs are surprisingly comfortable, even without cushions.

Potted mint is nestled into a Carnival glass bowl. Little glass baskets -- salt cellars? -- hold a single daisy at each place setting.

The soup tureen is by a company called Mannerisms. It usually sits on my kitchen counter as part of a creamware collection. Do you recognize my new wire bird cage? I filled it with some greenery in a milk glass goblet. I've also used a piece of garden statuary here -- a concrete basket of flowers.

The urn-shaped planter holds cleome. The basketweave pot has some greenery but needs some more color. I've been neglecting my pots this year, because of all the rain. I see a trip to the garden center later on this week. The small concrete bird was found at an estate sale for $5.

Many thanks to our lovely Tablescape Thursday hostess, Susan, of Between Naps on the Porch. Please visit her for more wonderful tablescapes.

A Summer's Day

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass
on a summer day listening to the murmur of water,
or watching the clouds float across the sky,
is hardly a waste of time.
- John Lubbock

Happy summer, dear bloggers!

Pressed Flowers

As I was looking around our Little Red House for something to show you, I spied the wall of pressed flowers in our tiny den.

I began collecting these a few years ago when I bought the two little framed pieces above at my favorite thrift store. I have since found them in antiques stores and at rummage sales, too.

I seem to have found a lot of pairs, which really helps when you are trying to create a balanced grouping on the wall.

I love it that they all have gold frames, which makes them perfect for my den or my library. And the pretty frame shapes are quite pleasing, too.

After two or three years of collecting, I now have enough to fill a small wall above the wing chair in our tiny den. There is really no room for any more, but I still have to stop myself from bringing home more when I find them.

Once a collector, always a collector. Or in other words, two is a pair, three is a collection. After that, beware. ;)

I'm linking this post to Three or more Tuesday, hosted by the lovely Tam, of

The Gypsy's Corner.

Mosaic Monday: Happy Father's Day

Welcome to another Mosaic Monday. This is my stab at a masculine mosaic for Father's Day. Yes, I know. But when you take mostly flower photos, it's hard to find something in the files that's not pink, or frilly. :)

I do like to take landscape photos, though, and since my husband loves the countryside, I thought I would put his photo in the center (with my son, Liam) and surround him with the sorts of scenes he loves.

So Happy Father's Day to the best father in the world!

Now let's have some mosaic fun! Here are the instructions:

1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline.net. I can't wait to see your mosaics! Here is Mr. Linky:

A Sneak Peek

Just a sneak peek at the master bedroom. We had it painted earlier this spring, but haven't gotten around to hanging art or buying lamps or rugs or a headboard... I chose a pretty toile fabric to make a duvet and other soft furnishings, but have not gotten around to that either... And I also want to paint that hideous dresser on the right ...

So, more to come here in dribs and drabs throughout the summer... :)

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In the meantime, please consider joining the fun at Mosaic Monday. Mr. Linky will be up by 8:30PM Sunday. Enjoy your weekend, dear bloggers!

Rainy Day, Gone Shopping

Wendy Whiner Alert: this post may contain complaints about the weather.

It's been raining so much this month that we've begun to feel as though we are caged inside the house. It's June, for God's sake. Is it too much to ask that we are able to take a walk once in awhile, or work in the garden?

OK, I've got the complaints out of the way right up front. ;)

So what do you do when you feel as though you are a bird in a cage?

You fly away for a little retail therapy, of course.

We had to do a Best Buy run to pick up my daughter's new camera, so we popped into TJMaxx for a little browse.

A little birdie suggested that this sweet chippy wire bird cage and metal lantern might want to come home with us.

I think they look kind of nice in my kitchen, but I'm sure I'll have plenty of fun playing with them on the deck as well.

OK, this picture is in here just because... well, I don't really know. Actually, this is illustrative of what happens when I'm stuck in the house. I paint the pantry doors. ;)

So I'm going to have some fun playing with these babies. A centerpiece of lanterns? A small potted plant inside the birdcage?

Yep, going out shopping is way better than staying in the kitchen eating the rainy day away. Although I did some of that, too... ;)

What do you do on rainy days?

Tablescape Thursday: Rose Lunch

Well, we finally had a bit of sun yesterday, so I set the table on the deck for a light lunch with my friend, Toni Anne.

Linen placemats with a rose motif are topped by woven rattan chargers. The dinner plates are Baroque, by American Atelier at Home, and the salad plates are Homer Laughlin.

This small lantern was a TJMaxx purchase a few years ago. It has glass sides, which helps when it's a little windy.

There are two small milk glass hobnail vases, filled with roses and lady's mantle. I always find it difficult to create a centerpiece around the umbrella pole.

Linen napkins with mother of pearl napkin rings from Target.

Vintage silver salt and peppers -- 50 cents at a rummage sale.

My everyday flatware, which needs a bit of rubbing up. Waterford goblet, Donegal pattern.

Many thanks to the beautiful Susan, our hostess for Tablescape Thursday. Please visit Susan's blog, Between Naps on the Porch, for more lovely tablescapes.

Writer's Block Wednesday

I'm suffering from severe writer's block today.

Just can't think of a single thing to say.

Maybe I've hit the wall at 500 posts.

Or maybe it's just all this rain. ;)

Happy Writer's Block Wednesday!

Three or More Tuesday: Silver Sauce Boats

It all started with this small piece of hotel silver that I found at the thrift store a few years ago. Isn't this the cutest thing? Suddenly, I was greatly enamored of silver sauce boats.

I think maybe I found this one at an antique shop, although to be perfectly honest, I can't quite remember. I think this one has such a beautiful shape! And, as everyone knows, once you have two of something, you are perilously close to starting a collection. ;)

Number three came from a dealer who housed his antiques in a very cold and drafty barn. You can read all about that story here.

Well, two is a couple; three is a collection, right? So tell me, what has been tugging at your heart strings recently?

I am linking this post to Three or More Tuesday at Tam's beautiful blog, The Gypsy's Corner. Go visit, you'll be so glad you did. :)

Mosaic Monday: Daisies

Welcome to another Mosaic Monday. I was leaving a comment on Karen's blog, A Scrapbook of Inspiration, last week, and she asked the question "What is your favorite flower?"

For me, that is something of a difficult question. ;)

Now you all know that I take way too many flower photos, and it's really hard for me to choose just one favorite. But I have to say that the daisy is one of my favorites for very sentimental reasons. As many of you already know, our Little Red House is my childhood home. When I was little, it was surrounded on three sides by meadows, which were filled with daisies in late spring. One of my fondest memories is of picking armloads of daisies with my mother, to fill her many pitchers around the house. So they really speak to me of warm spring days, filled with sunlight and laughter.

What favorites fill your mosaic this week?

So, let's have some mosaic fun! Here are the instructions:

1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline.net. I can't wait to see your mosaics! Here is Mr. Linky:

And the Winner Is...

Well, today's the big day. We find out who won my 500th post giveaway. I used the random number generator at Random.org, and the winning number is... drum roll, please... 5!

The fifth comment was left by Patty, of My Chaotic Life. Congratulations, Patty! And thanks to everyone who entered and helped to celebrate my 500th. :)

Please join me for Mosaic Monday. Mr. Linky will be up by 8:30PM Sunday night. We have had some wonderful mosaics, ranging in subject from flowers, to food, to family and friends. I'd love to have you join the fun. :)

Keeping Our Fingers Crossed

Rain, rain, rain, rain. Have I mentioned it's been raining a lot here? Tuesday morning we had a thunder storm extraordinaire. At 7:30AM it got so dark that you could barely see. Next came peals of thunder so loud that they set off car alarms. Then came the drenching rain.

And it's pretty much been raining all week.

We're keeping our fingers crossed for a nice weekend. And hopefully, you are all keeping your fingers crossed if you've entered my 500th post giveaway.

What, you haven't entered yet? Click here for the 411. And good luck! Winner to be announced Saturday morning. :)

Tablescape Thursday: A Tray in the Garden

We've had tons of rain this spring, so when the skies momentarily cleared yesterday afternoon, I set a quick tray for lunch in the garden.

Milk glass seems bright and cheerful, and especially suited to outdoor trays. And any tray in the garden cries out to take advantage of some cut flowers. Here are a few stems from a pink spirea, set in a tiny milk glass vase.

The spirea echoes the painted flowers on the milk glass plate, with reticulated edges.

A lace-edged cotton napkin nestles in a milk glass goblet. (Ten cents at a rummage sale -- don't you love a good bargain?)

The yellow wooden tray is lined with a brightly embroidered vintage linen bureau scarf -- perfect for the garden setting.

All ready for a light lunch on the garden bench.

Many thanks to our beautiful Tablescape hostess, Susan. For more wonderful tablescapes, please visit Susan's blog, Between Naps on the Porch.

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Don't forget to enter my 500th Post Giveaway! :)