This Little Piggy Went To Market...

This little piggy went to market; this little piggy stayed home.

This little piggy had roast beef; this little piggy had none.

And this little piggy cried "Wee, wee, wee, wee" all the way home.

Look what I found at the thrift store last week -- little piggy salt and pepper shakers! I just couldn't resist. (Yes, I know -- I almost never can resist!) LOL But aren't they just too cute?

It's break week for my daughter's school, so we have been sleeping in. Sorry for the late posts.
Have a wonderful week, dear bloggers!

An Irish Greeting

Wishing you always...

Walls for the wind,

A roof for the rain

And tea beside the fire.

Laughter to cheer you,

Those you love near you,

and all that your heart may desire.

Irish greeting from http://www.islandireland.com/

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Black and White

Just a few pictures I've taken at a nearby park called Natirar. It is a 400-acre nature preserve that was a part of the estate of Walter and Kate Macy Ladd, and later acquired by King Mohammed VI of Morocco. There is a wonderful two-mile walking loop through gently rolling hills. A branch of the Raritan River flows through the park. (Note: Natirar is Raritan spelled backwards.) Follow this link to read more about the park, and see a few pictures of the Ladd home.

Table Manners

OK, so we all try to teach our kids table manners.

Don't play with your food.

Sit up straight.

Don't talk with your mouth full.

And of course, the cardinal rule if you are the parent of teenagers -- no cellphones at the table. Sorry, I just couldn't come up with an illustration for that one. :)

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Has anyone else been having trouble with Blogger? Loading pictures has been a crapshoot, and last night I couldn't even get the New Post window to come up. Aaargh! Aahh well, it's almost the weekend. Happy Thursday, dear bloggers!

I Love White

I love white. The sort of white you see in shabby chic rooms, or wildly romantic ones, or even very minimal ones. (Bet you didn't see that coming, eh?)

But I am a child of my parents, and from my mother I got a love of pattern and china. From my father I got the frugal, never-throw-anything-out gene. So unfortunately, I could never pull off the minimal look.

But I still love white. So here are some white touches in my otherwise red dining room. Just think of them as my nod to shabby/romantic dreams.

Spring in the Kitchen

I tried to join Kari & Kijsa's Spring Blessings party yesterday, but Blogger just wasn't cooperating. So I just thought I'd show you a little corner of my kitchen today where we are anticipating spring. I'd love to have some real flowers here, but these silk are the next best thing. I love the basket of eggs, and the green tin painted with pansies. They just make me smile. The crocks and the small milk glass Easter plate belonged to my mom.

Lately this little fellow has been joining the fun. I can't believe it's almost Easter.

How do you decorate for spring?

Artsy Fartsy

Here is what I do when I should be cleaning my house. I take some of my photos and play around with Photoshop until I get something approximating art.

Or maybe not.

Anyway, I really should be cleaning.

Really.

Happy Monday!