THE ROOST

Having A Ball With Shells

When Mr. Prefect's mom was here last she and my youngest daughter did a little craft that I thought you might enjoy doing or at least seeing.  First I must say that they did not learn the love of crafting from me.  Their Grandma Lois did crafts with them at her house when they were little.  I am so thankful she did too because they have made some really cool things from the inspiration she instilled in them years ago.

OK you know all the shells you get from your multiple visits to the beach......well here is something you can do with them besides putting them in a bag and doing nothing with them  a bowl or jar to display.

You just purchase a Styrofoam ball at Hobby Lobby or a craft store.....hot glue your favorite shells all over it.  Then go back with sand and shell chips and fill in the gaps.  

Simple, but it makes a great accessory piece while displaying your lovely shells!

If you don't have a place for a large shell ball do several small ones and put them in a bowl.

We saw a big one like this at a store in town and it was $60.00!  I am not kidding you!

This is something that even a non-crafter like me could pull off.....but since they made me one, I won't even try! ;)

Pitcher This

The Charm House is hosting a fun tour in blog land today....

She ask us to post the treasures & trinkets that we like to collect.

I really thought I would have to pass on this fun tour because I don't really collect anything in particular.  But when a sweet friend brought this darling little creamer by for me this weekend it hit me....

That is what I collect.... little pitchers and creamers that I can put flowers in to brighten up my home.

Sometimes the container is so cute it can just stand alone....

Many of them are new...

Some are antiques....

And very, very special....

A few are rather plain...

Others kind of fussy..

 And they are all my favorite!

Head on over to The Charm House and join the tour.  You will enjoy seeing all the treasures and you might even want to post your own.

Creating a Retreat in Your Own Home

With all the craziness in life it is nice to have a private quiet place to retreat.  Even in our own homes that can be a challenge at times.  We underestimate the value of quiet, calm, lovely places where we can recharge.

The master bedroom is the perfect place to create just that kind of spot. 

I like using different fabrics that are calm and cozy.  That way I can add a seasonal pillow at anytime to change the look.  

Right now the clean look appeals to me.

Having a place to sit and read adds to the allurement of the room.

Using a mix of furniture is always more interesting to me.  A painted piece in each room brightens up the entire space.

No room would be complete without a place to display photos, books and meaningful items....

And a little art work that makes you smile...

• Beauty
• Order 
• Comfort 
• Meaningful Items 

Are all the elements that go into creating your own personal retreat. 

Getting my house in the mood!

I have never really decorated for Valentine's Day but after seeing many of your lovely decorations I decided to do a little here and there myself.

The first thing I did was check in with the very talented Cherry to see what her little creative mind had whipped up.  As usual she had made some really cool stuff like these vintage hearts and I had to order one.

She also sent me this really cute Valentine tag!

Along with a sweet Valentine card....

It was so cute I am going to leave it out on my desk for everyone to see!

I decided to hang the Vintage Heart on the concrete angel in my hallway....

I thought it added just the right festive touch.

A dear friend made this cute puffy heart for me last year.

And my "hazel" heart pillow stays out year round.

It all came together to create this welcoming little spot.

I put a few black and white photos of family members in this silver heart dish my oldest daughter gave me the year she got married.  It is very special to me.

This puff heart was a wedding gift to me a billion years ago!

The tag Cherry sent ended up on this chest.

And of course fresh roses just seem to say...

Happy Valentine's Day!

When It's over it's over...

Chicks I couldn't take it any longer........this

now looks like this.....

 And these two boys.....

are back in their home for the winter.

Do they look sad to you or is it just me?

It amazes me how when Christmas is over I can't stand having my decorations up!  I blame it on my mom who always had our home pulled together on the 26th each year without fail!  Thanks mom I have been working my buns off trying to get mine put up! 

Right when I think I have it all put away........

I find one more trinket that I have forgotten to pack up.....

Once it is all boxed up..... I just have to remember how it was in the beginning.....hummm.....Maybe I will change it up a bit this year.....After all change can be a good thing..... right?

I might have to crack open one of my new decor books I got for Christmas to get some fresh ideas....

I'll let you know what I come up with!  ;)

Gardening with Ladies

I belong to a Ladies Garden Club and we had our November meeting at my house this past week.

Not only do I enjoy learning about gardening but I love being around these older ladies.   Most of the women in my group are 20 years my senior..... at least.  

I have learned so much from these sweet women & not just about gardening but also about being a lady in a day when it can be hard to find one. 

If you observe them for only a few moments you will see something very different & refreshing in their manner.

Most of them come dressed as if they were going to a meeting at church and they are always on time if not a tad bit early!

Their conversation is very gracious & sincere.... they are careful not to talk on top of anyone and they listen very attentively but never withholding a compliment when it is appropriate.  

You would never catch one of them bringing something store bought to one of our meetings...... only home baked goods, and oooh are they good!   And we would never eat on paper.  You don't have to have fine china but just not paper.  It doesn't even matter if it matches as long as it is not paper.....I think you get the point.

Soooooo I worked my big butt little fanny off this past week knowing that the ladies deserved the very best I could give at my house.  I was determined to use the last of the fall foliage that was in my yard and not spend millions on fresh arrangements.  

Here is what I came up with....

This pitcher turned vase holds forsythia that has turned a beautiful burgundy.

I added a tad in this little vase too.

I had one dogwood that was late in shedding its leaves and a small clipping worked great for the centerpiece.

I can't resist hanging a wreath on a mirror.

The table was full of home made dessert.....brought by some of the members.

They were not served on paper....:)

And they were wonderful!

This bowl held artificial greens with a variety of artificial fruit.

I tucked in a couple of fall picks on the mantle...

  And placed a large pine cone ornament on the antique book of Wild Flowers on my

coffee table.

Having 30 Gardner's in my home at one time was hard work.......but I loved every moment of it.

It was well worth all the effort to enjoy the company of these sweet little ladies.

Remnants of Fall

When October is over I start getting a little tired of some of my fall decorations but I am not quiet ready for the Christmas ones yet.....Although I have purchased a few new ones and I can't wait to get them out!  Remember the ones I got when I went to the Corvette show?

What I didn't show you was the incredible dishes that I passed on.

I am a sucker for dishes, especially festive ones like these.

Anyway.....back to Fall, ya'll.....

I wanted to have a few different things out to finish up the season without breaking the bank.

Sooooooo, on my walk today I collected some leaves and filled a little pitcher I had with them after adding cold water.

Doesn't  it looked nice on my coffee table?

I also gathered some hedge apples from a neighbors yard for the dinning room.

Then I hung a wreath I had on the antique piece in my living room that can go from fall to winter....I usually leave it up until spring.

These small acorn ornaments in this iron dish look fall-ish and carry over nicely for Christmas.

 A  few vegetables at the super market filled up this punch bowl on my kitchen table........

Aren't the colors vibrant?

Last but not least I put out a bowl of apples in the kitchen to snack on since I 'am trying to shed a ton of flab few pounds.....

right by the fall cookbook with my favorite dessert in it! ;)

Settings

Tonight the chicks I am in bible study with are coming to my house for our study.

We have been meeting every other week throughout the summer in one of our homes, eating dinner together and discussing our lesson from the book No Other Gods.

It has truly been one of the high-lights of my summer!

Although it is a very casual time I thought I would make the table look pretty. A nice looking table makes any meal taste better.

Remember how huge my impatience had grown?

I cut a few out of the mounds and put them in a small clear vase on the table.

Then I put small bouquets in the glass baskets that hang from these candle sticks I found.

The vibrant color of the impatience really popped against the glass.

I think it is visually interesting if you can have more than one item in a center piece & at different heights.

Our menu for the evening is slow cooked pot roast and vegetables, iced tea & muffins.

Doesn't that sound yummy?

And the best part of all is the great sharing and insight we get from God's word and time with each other.

If you aren't apart of a small group with other chicks you are really missing out.

Pray about starting your own group even with just 2 other women...... Pick a book to go through together and maybe even take turns fixing dinner or dessert.

I have been involved in some kind of small group of chicks for almost 30 years now and it has made a huge difference in my life in every way.....

Flowers, Food & Fellowship..........Doesn't it sound FUN?

Showing Off

Soon after the spring Garden Party Tour my Pansies started looking over grown and leggy in the warm weather.

This picture is the Pansies before they started the down hill slide.

So I decide to replace them with Impatience in a variety of colors & they have grown to the size of small shrubs!

Each morning when I open the front door to get the paper it is as if they scream "look at us, aren't we beautiful"!

If a flower could show off then they are doing it very well and I thought you might enjoy seeing them too.

Wouldn't you agree that flowers are one of the nicest gifts God has given to us?

For The Birds

Have you noticed the bird theme that seems to be popular in decorating right now?

Most recently I went to a chicks house and she built her luncheon decor around birds.

Here are a few of the neat things she did.....

The large nest under the glass cake plate center piece was neat.

Fresh bouquets flanked each end with a small nest and iron birds.

These napkins were passed down to her from her mother in-law. Aren't they beautiful.....

This table greeted you as you entered her home.

I too have added a few bird touches to different areas through out my home.

I found this neat box for my coffee table.

I like the color of this nest plate against the dark wood on this side table.

This nest looked pretty cool under the glass dome.

The antique dish looks like it was made to hold this nest of eggs.

This iron bird is resting on a stack of books.

Fresh greenery adds to this bird pot.

Guest are greeted by this hand towel in the bath room.

I hope you don't think these suggestions are for the birds.... they are really meant to inspire you to bring elements of nature into your home. Enjoy feathering your nest!