How do the days go by so quickly????

A week has passed since I last posted??? How can that be? I guess I've just been busy, and I have a little problem with procrastination as well. I need some inspiration......
And now I need to make decisions for some minor remodeling of my kitchen, thanks to Ike. New countertops--holey moley, where do I start? I know I've seen so many that I love, but what do I really want in MY kitchen? The cabinets will stay and sadly, the tile floor will stay for now, so whatever I pick needs to go along with those remaining elements. And a wall color......we'll be taking down the wallpaper that's served us well......but how do I decide? I'm thinking a green, kinda sagey, but appley......? It needs to blend into my family room decor, too. Gee, it would be much easier to just start all over and do EVERYTHING new. But who am I kidding? A child in college, with one more to go in two years......we weren't planning any remodeling until they are finished with college! So I get a little jump on it now......I'd love any suggestions on how one goes about deciding on countertops and backsplashes........and suggestions are welcome!
And just to let you know about our progress--the tree is removed from the roof, and the adjuster has been here and was very assuring that we won't have any trouble getting things fixed up......now our contractor can't be here until Oct. 10th. As long as it doesn't rain, we're okay. If it does, the trash can goes back in the kitchen to catch the rain water!!!!!!

An Ode to Blogs

Oh I do love you

Oh blogs of the 'net

Your creators are artsy

and lest I forget,

They are crafty, inspiring,

and lots of fun, too!

But I'm left with dilemna

-- choosing what to do.

There is laundry you see

and my fam wants to eat

Don't they know how inspiring

you are and how sweet?

It's like a new magazine

Day after day

With treat upon treat

to inspire us to play!

I discover a new one

-- must read what I've missed!

Great ideas to be found

to add to my list!

They are thrifty and classy

and known to recycle

And inspire me to run to

Goodwill or to Michael's!

So blogs I do love you,

You inspire me to beauty

But I also am limited

to time sitting on my booty.

The computer it draws me

to find blogs to read

I need to get up though

And do some good deeds.

Like laundry and errands

and mealtime and chores...

Blogs even inspire me to

do those and more.

Inspirational and challenging

Wise and discerning

This community I've found

Has me doing some learning

Of all the neat people

Out there on the 'net

That seem to be kindred

But may not have met.

Thanks to the bloggers

Of the interweb and 'net

For inspiring this blogger

Even those I've not met!

AAAAAAhhhhhhh, Fall, do join us!

Sept. 22, first day of fall. Thankfully last week, a touch of fall teased us to remember what fantastic weather that fall brings. After a hot, Houston summer, we all long for the days when it's actually comfortable to wear a long sleeve shirt, and there's a coolness in the air! There's an excitement that draws us to be thankful for all that we have.......even though the temps are back in the 90's this week,& I pray that a cool front will come quickly for those still without power, we are reminded of what is to come! Fall, come on in and join us. I love the falling leaves, even though they require a lot of upkeep, the crispness in the air, the smell of all things fall, like spices and teas, and soups and stews. I love the excitement of football games and outdoor meals, and being able to open the windows and let the crisp air inside! The promise of several great holidays that are just around the corner makes me want to experiment in the kitchen and cook things that we didn't dare do in the summer! Ahhh, fall, how sweet and welcome you are! Enjoy! We are truly blessed.

Benefits of Ike............

As much havoc as Ike has played on our area, and still is......I have to say that there are many benefits I've seen. As we saw in 9-11, people really do come together and help one another out. It's good to see that we really can be a good neighbor, really can share from whatever benefits others. Whether it's providing a warm shower, a cooked meal, a listening ear, or the expertise of someone else that c an help you handle a problem, it's good to be helpful and forget about the bad situations we find ourselves in. It's good to see the community come together for the good of its people, and it's good to feel like someone else cares. It's so nice to hear a knock on the door, or a ring of the cell, or even a text message to say, "just wanted to check to make sure you're okay!". It's good to reach out with the love of Christ to say "I care about you"....and if there's a way I can help you, please let me know. We are not islands and we really do need one another. It's also good to rely on REAL communication and not rely on all the technological wizardry of our modern day that often leads us to LESS communication. It's horrible to see how people are suffering, and to think/see all the destruction that Ike left in his path. But the result is seeing people come together and actually work together and help one another out. That's inspiring to me. So thanks to all you who have helped me..and I hope I can return the favor. These pictures are part of the pecan tree debris that friends and neighbors helped us remove from our yard and pile in the front so the county trucks can come by and haul away. It would have taken us days to do it ourselves and yet with the help of others, our yard is cleaner than it was before Ike. Thanks friends!!!!

Good riddence, Ike!!!!!!!

He was not a friendly visitor, that Ike. While he was only a Cat.2 (?) hurricane, he left a mark that will long be remembered. The winds roared ferociously, but thankfully we did not have the flooding that many Houstonians and Galveston residents and other surrounding areas are facing. We lost power for less than 24 hours, which was amazing in itself. Many are presently still without power and will be without it for so long. We just had a crew of six men from our church come and completely remove all the debris from the back yard.....well, everything except my tree in the roof of the kitchen! Yes, the top of a tree crashed thru the roof of my breakfast room. Some remodeling may be in my future! I must say that when fears reared, I was calmed by my Maker, and comforted with the fact that although a log came thru the roof, it was in a place that hurt no one, over tile flooring, and could not have happened with so little damage in any other area. So while it is a tiny bit inconvenient to have an OPEN air kitchen, it could have been so much worse. Since we were here, we were able to contain so much of the water that came through, and dump it out the front door, even in the midst of the hurricane. Since we were here, we were able to get all the trash laying on the floor out and it won't stink up the place by rotting there on the tile.....so I have LOT to be thankful for today! Here's a picture of our new skylight....ha. And all those boards we put up on the back of our house? They prevented broken glass that would have come flying in because when we finally got around to the back of the house the next morning, there was debris piled up against the back door and a large window next to the door, that we felt like would have ended up in the den if not for the trusty plywood! Thanks be to the Heavenly Father who protected us! So here's my kitchen. And for those of you who follow the Nester, and were part of her "POOPIE " party, I wanted you to know that while I really do despise fake ivy, I've found a type of faux-lidge I dislike even more!! This kind of faux-lidge is real, but much less desirable!

Ike's hospitality package

We hope Ike gets the message from the boards that we are not open to hospitality. We'd like him to leave promptly without knocking any big objects into our home, thankyouverymuch. We have six pecan trees and two oaks, along with all the neighbors pecan trees (this neighborhood used to be a pecan orchard!). We hope that Ike's posse (the 80 mile an hour winds--those bullies) will cruise through our neighborhood and find it boring and no place to hang around. We wouldn't even mind a drive by...as long as they leave the premises as quickly as possible. We'd love him to also take any rains, and tornadoes along with him, and just go dry up somewhere. Until the storm is over, I'm hoping you can find some inspiration to pray for the entire Gulf Coast of La. and Texas. There's a lot of damage from Ike already and it hasn't even hit land yet. Take care and God bless. He is, after all, much bigger than Ike and HE can calm the storm, whether it's the physical storm we face or the emotional one we experience by having to make it thru the next 12 hours.

Fall decor, remembering 9/11, and preparing for Ike

Well, as promised, I have a few pics of my fall decor, but I must be brief, as today is a day during which other preparation must be done and with which other things must be dealt. Not only do we look back at the devastation that 9/11 brought, we now have a pending visit from Hurricane Ike. They are saying it will be a Category 3 or 4 and it is at the present time, coming right toward us, as in right over my town! We will not be evacuating, as I am sure the roads will get very congested from those evacuating from the south of us. The main concern for us is not the flooding, but the winds and our beautiful pecan trees that lose limbs easily anyway. We will board up some windows,move any loose items from the yard, and continue to watch the storm. Please pray for those along the Texas/La. coastline.

So here are a couple of pics of my fall decor; yesterday and the day before were more carefree and I could think of brighter, cooler days ahead. Today is not quite as carefree, but is rooted and grounded in the fact that God is sovereign and will watch over us through the storm. Remember he calmed the storm? Well, He is the one who calms us through the storm, whether the storm is calmed or not.....that must be the paramount thought for this day.

Oh, I do love the blogging world....

which is exactly WHY I don't have my fall decorations completed and exactly WHY I haven't blogged about it. It's the same reason I don't do well at scrapbooking events....because I am easily distracted by the beauty of other's creativity and I get so involved in looking at what others are doing, well, that I get distracted from what I should be doing. And so, my fall decor is still in the bins, except for the one centerpiece I got made for the coffee table. You will see that one when I do get to posting my fall decor. I promise it will be this week. Now I'm to be held accountable, so I must get it done.....especially so I can remove all the bins (four is my limit, which seems like a lot to me, but some of them do contain pretty large pumpkins.......(end of justification of said bins!) See I am easily distracted...... this little lady just reminds me that I have been on a discovery mission and have found the most pleasant blogs in the blogging world. There are some of the nicest folks who blog, and I love seeing into the windows of their lives. It is very fun, but can be very distracting. So alas, keep coming back for the fall decor (promised) pics. I hope to get them complete tomorrow. Today I'm off to see those cutie pie quints I told you about. Toodles..............

It's not unusual that I am late to the game.....but it does, however, depend on your own perspective. Perhaps one could say I just march to the beat of my own drummer! hmmmm.....anyway, I hope to get out all my fall/harvest/autumn decor this weekend, so I will be back next week with some pics of my own decor. I am so, so ready for the cooler days of fall. This morning is a bit of a teaser with lower humidity and a brief breath of oh so slightly cooler temps. But back to the 90's by this afternoon. So I am headed out to do some errands, maybe stopping by a few of my favorite thrift stores....what will I find? Treasures, I hope!
Happy Friday!

Some REAL creativity here.....

Can we doubt the creativity of God when you look at this picture??? These are the quintuplets of some dear friends who recently got back home from Phoenix, where they were born. Are they not the cutest, most precious thing you've ever seen? I've been privileged to be able to go and help care for them a couple of times and I'm now smitten. They are each so precious and you can already see their personalities coming out. I know that this blog has been about decorating and creativity, BUT I just had to post about them and the miracle that they are.

God is good and has provided for this family already and we all look on and look forward to seeing how HE will continue to do the same for them. We have all been blessed to be a small part of their journey...and we give thanks for the miracle of these babies and for their Mommy and Daddy and extended family.
So this is my post on the most amazing kind of creativity there has ever been! The miracle of a child, the miracle of FIVE children. Pretty neat, huh?

More creativity.....

Well, friends, I thought I"d show you what can be done with the Patina Wall Tiles, another very versatile Southern Living at HOME product. These come in a trio, so they can be hung in various designs on the wall, horizontally, vertically, on the diagonal, etc. Also, here in these pictures, I've got more ideas for you. As you can see in the headboard of the gorgeous bed, they can be used inset into molding to make such a fabulous looking headboard. If you look closely, you'll see a lamp on the bedside table fashioned from our Fairmont Urn. Also, on the mantle you'll spot two of the Renaissance Trio finials. And when you look at the picture on the top, you'll see the same two products; however, they are altered a bit. The coffee table has been made by making a metal frame in which the Patina Wall Tiles are placed and topped with glass. But take a look at the legs of the table. Those are none other than the tallest of the Renaissance Trio finials, turned upside down! How clever an idea that I would NEVER have thought of ! So, so creative, and again an idea from the oh.so.creative girl designers at SLaHOME! A great, big round of applause for those talented girls! And it's all FYInspiration....take that idea and go with it! Let me know what you come up with!

Take care! I'm off to help my friend care for her quintuplets!!! Yep, five precious little babies.....you can read about here. Her blog hasn't been updated since they have all returned home, as she's been just a tad bit busy with them! They are growing and doing well, and it's an amazing thing to see the whole operation of them being cared for. She is doing an amazing job! And I get the blessing of helping sometimes!

The Elegant Stone Serving Stand

Another great SLaHOME product for your consideration. Space is often a hot commodity, isn't it? I LOVE to be efficient at using space wisely, but it's gotta be stylish, right? Well, here's a perfect example of doubling the "real estate" bee-u-tif-ally! This stand has fabulous qualities. It has a ceramic surface, so that when you pull a piping, hot casserole out of the oven, you can place it right on top. And we all know that a "flat" table is a boring table, so we want to have several heights on our table or buffet; this accomplishes that little item. CHECK! You've doubled your space AND added interest. Also, as pictured, you can multiply your bathroom counter space, which is OH. SO. HANDY! Take this little baby to the kitchen and place it next to the stove top to hold your oils, spices, cooking items......and everything is at arm's length for your gourmet delights you will create at home! And for the gardener, you've got a small shelf to place plants on top and on the bottom! The serving stand will also fold up and flatten if for some reason one needed to put it away. But don't do that, just move it to another room, and employ it there! After all, it is the Elegant stand, and it just may become your best friend!!!

Fall is just around the corner, isn't it?

That's what I tell myself each hot August day that we face......."it won't be much longer (and an inner voice devilishly taunts with disbelief)! I long for the cooler days of fall, like October and November when you don't sweat buckets just for wearing a long sleeve shirt. Those are MY kind of days. Of course I love the fall decorations, too! I love pumpkins, scarecrows, bales of hay, gourds, mums, and such. I thought I'd show you a couple of pics for FYInspiration......maybe you will be inspired to do something different this year with your front door, front porch, or your living spaces. Here's a wonderfully decorated front door, with the pumpkin topiaries on either side of the door, and just looks fantastic!

And of course, just as I showed with the Jamestown Centerpiece, just by collecting a grouping that shouts "FALL" in a great container, one can add a harvest theme to any room. This Renaissance Hurricane filled with fun gourds and pumpkins looks great, and the one filled with candy corn and other harvest time confections looks very tempting! You could fill it with Indian Corn, with acorns, nuts & a candle, or pinecones. Again, add whatever inspires you! Hope this gives you, too, some hope that FALL is right around the corner! I'd love to hear what YOU do for fall!

Decorate your door.......

Well, Paula suggested that I post some ideas for decorating, especially using SLaHOME products....won't she be surprised that I will show you one of HER ideas??? She is a talented girl, that Paula. I will show you what she designed for her front door, using the SLaHOME Flower Market Door Bucket. Here's a picture of her arrangement:

Then I will show you mine, not nearly as elegant, but patriotic, nonetheless!

I look forward to fall weather, because that is my favorite time to decorate the door. Nothing says Welcome like a porch decorated for fall weather! Pumpkins, mums, and a door display with those gorgeuos fall flowers and colors! Bring it on! One more for inspiration.....

Moving in....

It's moving in day here at Southerninspiration. I used to blog over at Xanga; but I wasn't very consistent with it....
So I'll give a good college try to a new home and a newly decorated space. I love to decorate, then re-decorate, and sometimes even re-decorate what I've already re-decorated. That's just to say, sometimes it takes a while to get things JUST right.
What about you? Do you like to decorate or do you loathe any change in your life? Would you rather do your decorating yourself or have Extreme Home Makeover come in and rock your world????
I'd love to have a designer come in and give me ideas, but I must admit, the challenge of getting things just the way I like them is invigorating to me. Of course there is always the challenge of having enough money to do those decorating projects!!! I am oh so inspired by those girls who go out thrifting, come home with a "shabbier- than- chic" piece and within hours, maybe even moments, have re-designed that piece into a masterpiece! I have to think a while, procrastinate a little (for fear of not getting it perfect the first time), then maybe in a week, or month, take on the project. I'd really rather live fearlessly, and throw caution to the wind by adding that coat of paint or whatever and see what comes of it! So, I've got a little progress to make.
Well, hopefully we can inspire one another......join me on my little journey, would you?
See you soon.

Suzanne