A baby shower idea to share....

A friend recently asked me about some ideas for a baby shower. I did this one last year, and thought it turned out so cute. I thought I'd share in case some of you out there need a good idea for a baby shower theme. This is my Rubber Duckie shower theme.....and it came together SO easily. First of all I made a diaper cake for the centerpiece. While I didn't make a tutorial for putting it together, let me just assure you that it was pretty simple. I took the tiniest little diapers and rolled them, then tied them with a little curling ribbon. I could have taped them, but I didn't because I wanted them to be usable. I just started making them into a large circle....and tied the first layer with another large amount of curling ribbon. Then I made another layer, just a smaller diameter, to place on top. For the third layer, you can always put a bottle or some baby item in the center and put the diapers around it. Then I just stuck in a few other baby items in between the diapers and "Voila" my centerpiece was done, and the new mommy had a pack of diapers to take home, along with some really cute rubber duckies and toys.

Next I made the Sugar Cookies. I actually had the duckie cookie cutter already. So I made them and iced them with blue and yellow icing. She wasn't sharing what gender the baby was if she actually knew, so we went with bright colors.My sugar cookie recipe is a Wilton recipe, and it works well because you don't have to chill the dough. I guess I'm pretty impatient, but chilling the dough is never my favorite part! You can find the recipe. And the icing is such that it dries shiny and hard and you can stack the cookies without messing them up! LOVE that

At this particular shower, women from my church brought the food, and it is always very delicious! There are some great cooks at my church! We had breakfast casseroles, some coffee cakes or breads, and fruit. The little sugar cookies were served also. It was a very fun party!

It's Friday!!!

I am planning to share a Baby Shower Idea with you today, in case you need some inspiration for one this spring.....however, I am having technical difficulties and can't get the pictures to post. It is crucial to the sharing that I am able to share the pics with you, too, for this post. So I am holding off on this until I can get the pics to post.
I'm off to grocery shop. We found out that my teen daughter is anemic, so I am being much more intentional about nutrition so that we can get her back to full speed ahead. She does not want to miss track season, so I'm hoping the doctor will clear her to participate as long as she feels the strength to do so. So grocery store for fresh, nutritional items. I will share what I've learned in another post. I am also going to go by Goodwill and see if I can find any great treasures. I am always inspired by all the Goodwill finds my blog friends come up with. I think they are limited around here, but I will say I have found some good books that way. That is a great source of saving right there!
So I'll be back later and try to get Blogger to be friendlier about posting my pics. TGIF!!!

The joy of blogging.......

Ah, yes, the joys of blogging come in many forms......
On Tuesday came in the form of a box from JenJen at TatertotsandJello, because you see I won a giveaway from her! The giveaway ingredients came from Hawaii!! I've never been to Hawaii, but it sure looked like she had a great time! So it's now on my list of things I want to do before I die. Well, yes, it's still a long list. But it's on there! Would you just look at the Hawaiian goodness that that box contained??? oh my word! Nani, u'i, maika'i, and 'Ono and Manawale'a...in other words.....beautiful and tasty and generous....(thank you google translator)!!!

I am nothing if not resoureful!!! LOL.....Thanks so much, Jen....the sweets are so enjoyable, the necklace is such a gorgeous brown and it's a good thing they are strung on a gorgeous ribbon, because they look just like they could be a chocolate covered macadamia nut.....such a rich, brown glossy color!! Oh my! And the little Hawaiian decal will MAKE people think I've just come back from the islands!!! :)


Onto other things for Thursday--other joys from blogging come from reading posts that convey a message much more elogquently than I can.....but nonetheless are there to encourage women in their roles, whether it be as homemaker, mom, wife, friend, etc. One such post is there today by Kimba, over at A Soft Place to Land. She is doing a series on making your home a sanctuary. Today's post is just right on, and a message that young (and old, for that matter) wives and moms desperately need to hear, and heed. What you do does indeed matter! Go check it out!

And Nester today has some fabulous ideas for making your master bedroom a haven for you and your spouse......she always has terrific ideas and gets that not everyone has $1000 for a master makeover!!! She's always inspiring, isn't she???

And Tracey, over at A Cottage Industry reminds us that what really matters when worry creeps in over the economy or the future or whatever unknown concerns you. We know that God is in control and worrying ages us....so we don't want to be looking any older, do we???? No ma'am, thankyouverymuch!!
So these are some of my favorite blogs for inspiration, along with the nearly 50 other ones I have on my blogroll!!! Um, I kind of like blogs...I may give up magazines, because blogs give me so much inspiration!
This Thursday, take a long, deep breath and maybe five or ten minutes to contemplate what joys you have. Be thankful for them, put on a big smile....after all, you're not really dressed until you have one on, right?
Take some time for you and be inspired!!

Wednesday brought to you by the letter H........

Christy at Between Here and Home was participating in an Alphabet Tag game and offered to keep it going.......she gave me the letter H. I am to write ten things I like that begin with the letter H. So I thought I'd give it a whirl on this Wednesday, February 4th!
H is for the home I am blessed with.....I love my home and I love decorating and changing things around all the time.
H is for my honey. God blessed me with a godly man to marry and have a family with. God is so good!
H is for harmony. I love to sing, and especially if it's with some good musicians who do harmony well!!
H is for happy......I am happy I started blogging and have met so many dear, precious new friends here in Bloggerville!!!
H is for helping....I feel like my spiritual gift is one of helps...I love to help others, especially when I help with my friend Ellen's quintuplets. They are a bundle of joy!
H is for home cooking....I like to cook, and usually will be found just making some good old Southern home cooking!
H is for Heels....I can wear any size heels I want since I'm short, but because of comfort, I usually only wear about 2 to 3 inch heels.....but they need to be cute!
H is for the hope I have in Jesus Christ. Without that hope, I would surely sink into depression!! What a gift!!!!
H is for haven....I want my home to be a haven for my family and my friends.
H is for hugs....I love to share them with family and friends, so here's a virtual hug for you, my blogger friend!!!

chocolate anyone????

One of my favorite things......
and a few more recipes to share! This pie recipe comes together in about ten minutes....oh.so.good!
No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie--
1 (15 or 18 oz.) package chocolate chip cookies (such as Nabisco chunky chips ahoy)
1 cup milk
1 (9 oz.) graham cracker pie crust
1 (8 oz.) container of Cool Whip

Dip 8 cookies in milk, and place them in a single layer in the graham cracker crust. Top with one-third of the Cool Whip. Dip 8 more cookies in the milk, place on top and spread with one-third of the Cool Whip. Repeat layers with 8 more cookies dipped in milk, and spread remaining Cool Whip on top. Crumble 2 chocolate chip cookies and sprinkle over pie. Cover and chill for 8 hours before serving. Enjoy!

The cookies absorb the moisture and make a yummy filling in this pie! So easy that even the kids can make it!!!


and I'll be trying these very soon....

Strawberry Fudge Balls

1 (8 oz.) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate morsels, melted
3/4 c. vanilla wafer crumbs
1/4 c. strawberry preserves
Coatings: 1 c. almonds, toasted and finely chopped OR powdered sugar OR unsweetened cocoa

Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add melted chocolate, beating until smooth. Stir in vanilla wafer crumbs and preserves; cover and chill for 1 hour. Shape mixture into 1 inch balls, and roll in almonds, powdered sugar or cocoa. Store in airtight container in refrigerator up to one week, or freeze up to 1 month.

Don't these sound scrumptious?????? Enjoy!!

Happy Groundhog Day!!!!

Is Spring REALLY just around the corner? I know ya'll that have suffered through the ice storms and just a few too many inches of snow lately are sure hoping so! In Texas, we have had a fairly mild winter, but a dry one......so raise your glass to Phil, and let's toast to a joy-filled spring.....whenever it comes! Cheers!!!

Need some Valentine's Day gift inspiration???? Head over to TipJunkie for some really neat ideas, along with a "sweet" little idea for a heart day hair-do!!!

A few quick and easy recipes.....

Since you may or may not be having a Super Bowl party (we are actually having a chili cook-off at church so that's where we will be!) I thought I'd share a few recipes that go together VERY quickly for those of you who have waited until now to be looking for recipes to make for tomorrow! That would totally be me, so don't feel badly. I'm a procrastinator at heart and am so glad that I have recipes like this that come together with basic pantry/kitchen items that I usually have around. They go together quickly, taste good, and others like them. Isn't that the mark of a successful recipe? I will share a cookie recipe and an appetizer kind of recipe......For the cookies, this is a bar cookie called Mr. Goodbars. I have changed it up from time to time, so feel free to change the type of chips you use, use other nuts or no nuts at all. It's all good.

Mr. Goodbars

2 c. flour

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. white sugar

1 c. oatmeal

1 c. choc. chips

1 c. chopped nuts

1 t. salt

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

3 eggs

1 c. oil

Mix together first nine ingredients, then add eggs and oil in a well of the dry ingredients. Mix together and spread in a jelly roll pan. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool and enjoy.

and for a great appetizer!!!

Pepper Jelly Dip

1 c. sharp cheddar, grated finely

1 c. chopped pecans

1/2 c. chopped green onions, green tops included

Stir in enough mayonaisse to hold together ingredients and make a mound. Spread hot pepper jelly over the mound. Serve with Club crackers or wheat thins. Enjoy!

A random winner!!!! and no more gnarly necklaces!

Well, I had all my little pieces of paper written out and then I thought I'd try this Random Generator I keep reading about in blogland.....so I forgot about the papers and went to Random.org......it worked! SO, the winner of my 100th blogpost blogaversary celebration gift package is going to be lucky number 9.....hey that's Jill at AtHomeintheCountry!!!! Oh, I get to send the package to the lovely new Hickory Hollow mansion!!! How fun...now when she's resting up from doing all that unpacking and decorating, maybe she can enjoy some treats from me!! Yippee...and do go on over and visit her, because in the chaos of trying to get it all done, she accidentally deleted her delightful blog and she is kind of starting from scratch. We all know how painful that would be, so go on over and show her some bloggy love, see the brand spankin' new Hickory Hollow beaut, and give her some comment love! She's a sweetie! And she is SO. Stinking. Talented!!!!

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

9 ----HEY this is Jill!!!
22
16
16
9
7
6
20
15
2
2
21
3
5
6
17
6
9
13

And on to other business, remember I promised a little helpful suggestion for having no more gnarly necklaces!! Say that 10 times fast!!! Well, here I want to show you the SLaHOME Estate Towel Stand......a towel stand, you ask....well yes, here it is in its unadorned fashion....

and then with a cute little Valentine's Day towel, as it used for in my kitchen!

NOW to tame the big chunky necklaces that get all gnarly when they are stuffed in the drawer...I give you some organization...which is a BIG bonus at my house!! Repurposed and looking great! It doesn't stay in my kitchen, however! It does live in my bedroom on the dresser, as it should be! ;)

O-fficial 100th post!!!

Gee, it does feel pretty good to do something so consistently that you've managed to actually do it one hundred times, doesn't it? What else have you done one hundred times??? Ok, blogging is pretty easy to do consistently, but notice I didn't say every day.......there are just times when life happens and blogging doesn't make the cut of priorities for the day. Truthfully my family would rather EAT than read my latest blog post for the day.....(can you imagine?? eye roll, here! LOL!)

Anyway, it is very fun to post pictures, discuss decorating, homemaking,crafts and re-dos, daily challenges, etc., and have oh. so. gracious internets comment with encouragement and compliments. Who DOESN"T love that???? So please keep those comments coming! That's what drives me to the next post!

So Yes, I am going to host a giveaway.......to celebrate. By the way, this image was found here from a teacher with lots of good ideas for marking a 100th day of something.
To celebrate this blogaversary, I am going to give away 100 pieces of something delectable.....if you prefer chocolate, then it will be something chocolate; if you prefer Jelly bellies or starbursts then that's what your 100 will be....because I'm flexible like that and I want my followers to LOVE me!! haha. What would be your choice?? Tell me in your comment!

So post a comment, tell everyone about it, and you'll get a chance to win your 100! Ok, it might be pennies but it won't be dollars, because you know we are in a downturned economy!! Just didn't want you getting your hopes up!!! Thanks for coming by and leaving blogging encouragement, and for sticking around....

Tomorrow I plan to post an idea for organizing necklaces.......don't you hate it when they get all tangled up????? I'd rather not spend my time untangling them...oh, and you'll be happy to know I re-organized my pantry too, and I'm oh.so.happy with it. It just needs so much help, that pantry! Till tomorrow! Don't forget to leave your comments to sign up for the 100th celebration giveaway!

two posts in one day??? YES!!!

I so wanted to join in on Barb's fun WALL fashion show!! She is over at Grits and Glamour and does she have some eye candy for you! She is hosting a party today for "what's on your wall"....a fabulous idea, and I wanted to join in. I have been thinking about this for some time, so let me share a few things you will find on the wall in my home......



These are beach pictures we had taken a few summers ago, when we were all together as a family. I framed them in frames that have a resemblance to driftwood to keep the beach theme throughout. I love this grouping!
This grouping is when my son graduated from high school. We hired a photographer to come to our back yard since we had some little ones that might make a photo shoot somewhere else a little more challenging. Plus it was a whole lot easier and took lots less time!

This was my red Hobby Lobby shelf that I "mis-treated", because I knew the look I wanted but couldn't find it anywhere. I sprayed it with cream colored paint, then rubbed over the surface with Rub n Buff! Love it now! and you can see I like transferware!!!

Lastly, this is in my foyer; these prints my hubby brought back from Paris.....he spent only a few dollars on them (or euros, I should say) but it cost a pretty penny to frame them the way I wanted!! They are VERY valuable to me now! lol!!!

Twenty seven years ago.......

in a Southern city, a son was born. And today, we celebrate his 27th birthday! Wow, does the time fly. He was the newborn, who suffered through his inexperienced parents, and had to be taken for a ride in the rumbly car in the wee hours of the first night we had brought him home. His inexperienced mommy was a little nervous about nursing and when a mommy can't relax, it's difficult for a wee one to actually EAT. Needless to say after hours of crying from both the baby and the mamma....the ride in the car helped the wee one get some sleep. Obviously we got those issues worked out, and he grew up to be such a handsome young man, and found a lovely wife! He was also the little boy who got hit in the face when he looked up to catch the baseball Dad had thrown--unfortunately the glove wasn't positioned properly and he caught the ball with his face.....resulting in one heck of a shiner! Poor little guy...but he lived thru it and managed to come out ok....he got two degrees in Aerospace Engineering, so I think he wasn't too damaged!
And this same little boy learned to play a French Horn, played a few seasons of baseball, then went on to be a responsible teen who managed a part time job and a high school diploma with really good grades!
What is most impressive now to me though is the young man he has become, the man that God is fashioning. He is compassionate and tender hearted, wise and kind, and lots neater/cleaner than he was as a teen!! LOL! I love to have phone conversations with him and learn what's going on in their lives, and I am so thankful to God for all the blessings He has given us as a family! Happy Birthday, Russell, we love you!!! Russell and our daughter in law, Heather

Monday, monday..........

Donna over at "47th street designs" tagged me to do the picture post tag....you know, find the fourth pic in the fourth folder and describe it......so let's see what we get. Oh, this is the head of the household here at SI's Casa......my dear, sweet, diy-er hubby. Here, he is painting the faccia boards and such so we can have a new gutter installed along the back of the house. The old one was wrecked when Ike blew the tree over on our house!!!
Oh, and I'm supposed to tag four other bloggers to play along.......will you join in the fun?
I'll pick:

My friend Lorri at
http://chocojavaeuromom.blogspot.com (she's got GREAT Europe pics!)

Paula at
http://virginiasweetpea.blogspot.com (she is very creative in lots of ways and has a gorgeous garden!)

Serah at

http://honeysuckleandcupcakes.blogspot.com (has an adorable little guy!)
and my fourth:
my new friend at New Day, NewSeason......
http://newdaynewseason.blogspot.com (a new blogger who can use some bloggy traffic and love!)

Onto other pleasant things, I visited the Pottery Barn last week and while scoping out the bargains, found some oh so nice goodies to bring home from their 75% off area! Wahoo! I love Pottery Barn at 75% off!! So here's what I got. It wall all in the holiday clearance section, but being the practical SI that I am, I scored the bargains that will work for other things than just the Christmas holidays....my favorite is a red/cream polka dotted runner. It was called a snowflake tablerunner, but much like the snow here in our area, the snow is NON-Existent.....I'd rather have polka dots anyway! I also got some mercury glass chubby candlesticks, some silver STAR plates, three pink tinted mercury glass votive holders, and some green/white striped grograin ribbon! Jill, you know how we love our ribbon!
So just take a peek at what I got!! You might want to take a little blogging break and run over to see what's left for you!

The potter.......

Isaiah 64:8

But now, O Lord, Thou art our Father
We are the clay, and Thou our potter;
And all of us are the work of Thy hand.

What about you? Do you feel God molding you, making you into a vessel for His glory?

Usually I am the last to know....

Emails have a way of making treks around the world, lying dormant for a while and then re-surfacing again to begin another trip around the world. You know the kind, those that get forwarded a gazillion times, and you wonder how in the world you ever got on this loop of forwards!! And it seems like by the time I see it, it's on it's second or third trek around the web.

Well, a friend shared this YouTube video with me yesterday....it is so touching. But I began to think typically....am I the last woman in the universe to get this one? If I share it, will it be "the millionth forward" to all those that come across my blog? Well, perhaps you have seen this one. But like the Dash movie, this one bears repeating. It is a reminder to me who I am, who WE are, what things are valuable to us, what makes us tick, and why we need one another. It is, in a sense, a slight inkling of the measure of worth we are in our circles. So if you haven't seen Transcending, take the five minutes or so to watch it. I want to know more about this woman, who obviously GETS IT........Kelly has reason to get it, I guess, as so many of us have life experience that are windows with a view into what makes life so valuable. She writes, and speaks of things of which she has experienced. That's what makes blogs so fun, so valuable, so timely. We connect with others and learn from others, and relate to others who seem to get the things we get. We get inspiration....and I'm all about that! So take a minute and be inspired. You'll be glad you did. Happy Friday.

***Edited to add that I went out and bought the book, I was so taken with this.....I could not get it off my mind. I will let you all know about it when I get finished. If I don't blog tomorrow, you'll know it's because her book is so captivating!

sharing the crock pot love.....

Many of you asked how I did my turkey breast in the crock pot......well, very carefully. Ha...I think that's not what you meant! I will reveal the secret to my crock pot turkey here in this very blog post. First I have to tell you......I do love my crock pot. I've been working with the same crock pot for nearly thirty years.......um, YES thirty years. Oh, of course it seems I must have started cooking in my crock pot at the tender age of nine.....

I got this crock pot for a wedding gift.

It has been a faithful friend, and one I will not get rid of.......but she's now going to be able to divide her crockery responsibilities with a new one. She will be glad for the semi-retirement stage. She'll have a few days off now!

Here's the new one I purchased night before last at Target...on sale this week for $24.97!

Oh, isn't it white???? I started to go with stainless, but not for another $15, thanks. White is good in my kitchen. So all this is to say, that my turkey breast cookery in the crockpot just moved up a notch. Since this one is more appropriately sized for a turkey breast, the lid will actually close fully now, rendering an EVEN MORE moist turkey breast than before. It's going to be GREAT! Yes, the other crock pot worked overtime to cook a turkey breast because it was a little bit crowded......and the lid wouldn't close all the way. We are in business NOW!

So these lovely ladies will be working together now.......sharing the crock pot responsibilities at the SI Casa....both are quite happy with this new arrangement!

If you, too, would like to add a new crock pot, or a first one, check out this week's Target flier......a black or a white one for only $24.95. The stainless one will set you back $39.95. Both are a steal really for the job that they do! Nothing like coming home from church with dinner smells wafting through the house, and a hot meal "table- ready"! Wahoo!

So to make my turkey breast in the crock pot, you take a turkey breast, defrosted or nearly completely defrosted, and sit her carefully into the crockpot. Slather her skin with olive oil.....a great moisturing treatment! Then sprinkle her with seasoning of your choice. I use a lot! I use salt, pepper, Tony Chachere's (that's CAJUN spices!) some garlic powder, and whatever else spills out of the spice cabinet. Oh, and I also put a piece of onion, or maybe a whole one in the turkey cavity. Be sure and remove that gravy packet if there is one.....not good in the crock pot! Ok, so she's moisturized with olive oil, sprinkled with herbs and spices, and then I turn the crock pot on for a few hours. Now what I have to say here, is that from this point, it is experimental. In my old crock pot, I would cook it for a few hours on a medium setting, about 350 degrees. In my new one, I'm thinking maybe six hours on low or four on high, but I'll have to report back on that to see if it's accurate. I've cooked it long enough that it was falling off the breast bone, so you don't have to cook it that long....but it was NEVER dried out. It is the moistest way to cook a turkey breast. And I do not add water or broth to the bottom, but if it makes you nervous to do so, go ahead and add a quarter cup or so in the bottom. It will make it's own juice, trust me. So feel free to ask any questions in the comments if I've left out any pertinent details......

oh, and I really DIDN'T start using my crock pot at the tender age of nine...that part IS JUST a bunch of crock!!! ;)

A fresh new look for the entry table....

I wanted something new in my foyer, but not something artificial, and I was tired of what I had had there. So I ventured out to the big box garden center and began to look around. I thought I'd enjoy some new life there........and I found the perfect houseplants, (well two to be exact) bromeliads , mostly because I loved the colors in them, and the fact that they just looked kind of hearty. I LOVE hearty! It goes well with the other things I have in that area, too. BONUS!

So I took out my SLaHOME Acanthus basket, and filled it with green moss (well that's what it's called, but parts of it are actually brown), and just stuck the plants in there. I was in a hurry for Bunco, you see. So while I may go back and put the plants in another pot, that didn't happen last Tuesday. The moss was just a cover up......but it adds an element that I like. So here she is....I placed two small ferns in the back for some greenery and height, and color.

Bunko.....

We have a neighborhood Bunko group that I attend, once a month. We have supper together, which the host fixes, and drink wine to go with it. It is the one night a month I see some of these neighbors and catch up with what's going on with them. It has changed over time as people may have moved out of our neighborhood, but many of them continue to make the trek back for Bunco night, just to stay in touch. It is lots of fun. But clearly, the Bunco game is not what drives us back together. It's the fun of keeping up with one another. Just last week, it was my night to host, which comes around once a year. We had a neighbor who is finally retiring back to Canada. She won't be able to come back to neighborhood Bunco, at least as a regular! We will miss you, Marg. Anyway, we had a fun time together. We had a sampling of wines, and I made the BEST Sangria....it was good! I cooked Turkey Breast (in the crock pot--the BEST way to cook it!), some Sunshine carrots, green beans and Caesar Salad. Cardini's is the BEST Caesar salad dressing in a bottle, by the way! And Sister Schubert rolls, which are the best in the South. Since my oven wasn't working, it was a little challenging, but at the eleventh hour my knight in shining armor came riding in to save the day. Thanks, dear hubby, but I really thought I was about to get a new oven, a double one at that! It was all planned out in my head....sigh. Gotta love a hubby who can fix everything.....anyway, back to Bunko. You can google Bunko and find the rules, but it takes very little strategy or wit to play...that 's a good thing because there are a couple of girls who play, whose husbands lovingly refer to our night as Drunko rather than Bunko......hmmm. Oh, and there are prizes for the games, like Most Wins, Most Losses, Most Buncos, etc. That in itself makes it worth the playing. I, of course, am the neighborhood Bunko player that has Southern Living at HOME items for my prizes. Not surprising, right? So we said goodbye to our friend, and we gave her a gift of a lovely afhgan woven with sites of our town into it, so she will long remember us and our town. And she will really "use" it in Canada....to stay warm. Here it is really a more ornamental gift.......it just doesn't stay cold for very long. So we bid farewell to our friend and enjoyed a fun girl's night out
What about you.....do you play Bunko?

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
His mercies never come to an end;
They are new every morning,
GREAT is your faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion", says my soul
Therefore I will hope in HIM.
Lamentations 3:22-24

Have a blessed day, dear friends!

Wednesday and Thursday flew by......

I guess because I was with my favorite quint friends! They are adorable and I love my volunteering time with them! They are getting more and more interactive, and can really make you laugh. They are cooing, and have lots of smiles. They keep us busy!

One day soon, I'll highlight the story of this family, and the miracles that these babies are.

Love is......

"Love at first sight is easy to understand; it's when two people have been looking at each other for a lifetime that it becomes a miracle." Author Amy Bloom

I heard that sigh of contentedness....

coming from the top of my fridge!!! You know those canisters and platter I showed you two days ago, sporting their brand new embellishments? You know those that were crying out? Well, their neighbors got wind of their dress-ups and wanted some of their own! I can't say I blame them. Well, not that I'm going to go get a fleur-de-lis tatoo or anything, but I can understand wanting a little bling, can't you??? So the big cream bowl and the Cathedral Luminary wanted a new dress, too. So I give you, and thanks to so many of you for your suggestions......their new dress! Let me know what you think, and do you think the candle in the luminary should be green? I thought the cream colored one showed up better, but you tell me what you think! Thanks, o blogger friends!! If you didn't see the before, check two posts down and you can see it there.

Psalm 16:11

Thou wilt make known to me the path of life;

In Thy presence is fulness of joy;

In Thy right hand there are pleasures forever!

Do canisters and platters cry out????

I tried to join Rhoda's party of Before and Afters the other day and blogger wouldn't let me post photos......so this is one of my little tiny b&a's......the other is my major kitchen re-do after Hurricane Ike. Anyway,

Back when I was re-doing my kitchen, I was looking for cream ware.....I found some cute things in Home Goods, Marshalls, and in WalMart. In Home Goods, I got a couple of little cream colored pitchers and a fabulous large bowl with a beaded edge. I also found two little canisters to match,shown above. Later in WalMart, I found this wonderful cream colored platter, with the same beaded edge for about $3, as I remember!! What a deal. The canisters were only about $4 or $5 each, and the bowl about $10. All really good deals.

So I brought them to the Southern Inspiration Casa, and they began to cry out to me.....(stay with me here, before you send the Looney Bin workers after me...)! They wanted embellishment, they cried out for some rub-ons of some sort. Yes, you've all seen these scrapbooking embellishments.....and they look so nice on so many things. Well, my cream ware items wanted some in the worst kind of way. So of course, I acquiesed.....if that's not spelled correctly, just know that I gave in to them. And here's what they look like now, on top of my fridge, sitting pretty with my Cathedral Luminary, a Southern Living at HOME piece that I just love!

Notice you cannot see the front of the fridge...it's a little cluttered right now, and needs a little help. So what do you think, does the Luminary need something inside it, or should I leave it as is? I am thinking the big bowl needs something in it, like red apples or green apples, what do you think????

Now my canisters and my platter are very happy, don't you think????

I actually won something!! And you can, too!

Jenjen over at Tatertots&Jello has a great idea. She was inspired by someone else to have a Pay it Forward giveaway........she said her first three commenters would win a handmade treat from her....well, hard to believe, but I was commenter #3!!! How cool is that? So while I'll be anxiously waiting to see what I get from her, I'll be planning my own Pay it Forward giveaway. She challenged us, as she had been challenged to hold a giveaway of something handmade.....yea, I can do that! I have several ideas in mind already.

So here's how it works:


Be one of the first three bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me. (I promise, it will be good.)

–Winners must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift for the first three bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

–The gift that you send to your Three Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!

–When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love!

If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along. Please take the button and post it on your blog; start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same!

Ok, the giveaway.... starts..... now!!!! And go on over to Jen's and show her some bloggy love!! We all love comments, don't we?

Make a list of things that are totally possible to do....

and it will sure make you feel like you are making lists and checking them off in a HUGE moment of success!! I was reading the publication REAL SIMPLE the other day, and it was filled with all manner of lists and organizing tips to help get your 2009 off to a great start. I don't know about you, but I need all the help I can get in the organization department. I would be the Queen of Organizationally Challenged if there were a caste of such individuals......perhaps I should get Mary Engelbreit to make me a sign or a pin to proclaim my accomplishments, but I then might decide that I need to hide behind it as I'm not sure this is the thing in which my mamma would claim the deepest pride. It truly is something I struggle with. I hope we have cubbies in heaven, is all I'm saying. A place to keep my wings, my harp, my music, my sandals, etc.
Anyway, back to Real Simple.......lots of great lists to get you off to a great start. However, the most clever of the lists was the one on the very back page of the magazine. "the to-do list you can actually do"...........I'm thinking I need a list like this. If I take their list and personalize it for myself it would look like this:


Hit the snooze button at least once.
Put a pair of socks on if it's cold. Take them off if you get hot.
Eat chocolate.
Shampoo, rinse, condition, rinse.
Forget to floss.
Blog a little bit, or a lot.
Forget to put clothes in the dryer.
Screen phone calls.
Skip the exercise routine today.
Read a paragraph in a book and reread it to get the meaning. Put the book down.
Get sucked into watching Oprah while folding clothes.
Order out for dinner.
Lights out.

I will feel so successful when I finish this list, because I found the paper, thought through the list, made the list, kept up with the list, checked off items on the list and actually finished a day's worth of my list! WooHoo.....wanna join me????

I'm feeling a little under the weather today so my goals are not real lofty as you can tell......and also wanted to let you know that this is just a stock photo, and not the cover of the current Jan 09 Real Simple Magazine. It has some pencils, a notepad and a cup of hot chocolate on the front of it. And it obviously has January 2009 on it, too! It includes 20 essential lists to organize your life. If I get thru the whole magazine, ya'll just might not recognize me in my successfully organized self.

Yes, I'll accept this award....thanks so much!

Awwww, sweet S from Self Confessed Lamp Tramp dubbed me with this fresh New YEAR award today! I've never, ever gotten a blog award and I am so thankful to her for recognizing my blog. She and I do have a few things in common....one is that we've lived thru a hurricane, and two, that we love to decorate. She, however, is splendid at decorating, and I can't wait to see her new projects for 2009!
I hope I am doing this correctly, and to make sure I've posted the rules that came along with this award.......

This award comes with a few rules:

Put the logo on your blog or post. (check)

Nominate at least 10 blogs which show GREAT ATTITUDE and/or GRATITUDE! (making my list and checking it twice!)

Be sure to link to your nominees within your post. (this is ONE of the many things I've learned from other bloggers!! I can link!!)

Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

I graciously bestow this award to the following great ladies:

Domestic Bliss--Cathy, a great friend who is talented and oh so sweet

Sweet Pea--Paula, another good friend who is a teacher, an athlete, and a talented decorator

Designs on 47th Street--Donna, the Queen of gorgeous Faux Flowers!

Southern Somedays--Belle Ah, a true Southern Belle!

Add More Chocolate--Renee, a great friend who loves to cook and teach

Athomeinthecountryjill--Jill, who could use the blog love as she lost her blog and is rebuilding!

Controlling My Chaos--Jill, too! My northern neighbor who will tickle your funny bone daily!

Rue's Peanut Butter and Jelly Life--Rue, who is very talented in making a house a home.

Mabel's House--Liz, who is a very talented writer who writes from the heart!

Between Naps on the Porch--Susan, who is revealing her gorgeous porch and a big fat secret!
So this will help us get to know one another by visiting blogs that you might not have visited before! So go meet some of my friends! Thanks, and have a great day!!!

Sunday meditation......

As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. Psalm 42:1

Fifteen minutes later.....and ON THE GO......

There's a saying in TX, especially in the Houston area....."if you don't like the weather here, just wait 15 minutes. Well, here it is the 3rd of January, and it's 75+ degrees. By Monday, the high will be in the 50's......hence the fifteen minutes later comment......ok, so a little bit longer than fifteen minutes this time.
Today my son and I ran some errands together. List in hand, we started out, and my tasks are about 50% complete....at 2:25. I love having my son home for the holidays...he's a freshman at Texas A&M. We miss him, but he is having a great time and doing so well. We are so proud of you, son!
Anyway, we got the car cleaned, ran by the bank and the post office, exchanged something at the Gap and made a stop by Wal-Mart. I still have to run out to Whole Foods and to Target. What errands do you run in your town? When I grocery stop, I shop at Kroger or HEB, which is a Texas chain. For a quick neighborhood stop, I'll go to Randall's, which is owned by Safeway. I really don't like to shop there often. For other things, I like WalMart or Target, which is my favorite of the two. We have a couple of Hobby Lobby and Michael's stores for crafting, and just got Home Goods in the last year. That's a fun errand! There's always TJ Maxx or Marshall's or Ross. For thrift stores, there are a couple of Goodwill stores and some smaller community thrift stores. I never seem to be quite as lucky, though, as some of my blog friends who find amazing buys at the thrift store! I really don't do a whole lot of shopping, but the options are pretty good around here. We have a large mall, and there are a couple of "outlet" malls if I want to drive about 25 or 30 minutes. I can't say that we lack for anything, except maybe a Trader Joe's....and some other really good stores I've heard you all talk about. All in all, we have most things within driving distance. I live outside of Houston, so I can always drive in if we don't have it out here.
So what's on your list of "to dos" today......I still have some home projects to complete as well. So I'll finish up here and go tackle the rest! Have a good day, ya'll!

Christmas out.....new year in....

And I'm trying to replace Christmas decor with lovely new year decor, both in my house and on my blog.....what do you think? Do you like a cute blog header or picture or do you like a cute background? Of course all these changes are DIY......I haven't yet paid to have someone design my blog. Should I go for that? I like to change a lot, so that is my hesitation. However, I don't want to change so much that I lose my identity as SouthernInspiration.....
So give me your thoughts in the comment section....should I have a signature header and blog look (like my ten readers are not going to recognize me if I change it?! ;)

Should I change it with the seasons? What do you do with your blog? I changed it with the templates found at The Cutest Blog on the Block, and you can, too....it is simple, especially considering that I did it in just a few minutes. Shall we have a "new dress" party????

It's hard to believe that I only started this blog this year....it feels comfortable like I've had it going for a longer period of time. And some of you also mentioned that you only started this year. Gee, time flies when we are having so much fun, doesn't it?
Anyway, Happy New Year and "say yes to the dress" by getting a new non-holidayish look! Join me, won't you?