Top 5 for January

Today I thought I would share my top 5 posts for the month of January.  I can't believe we are at the end of this month already.  It seems like the older I get the faster it goes. 

Coming in at number 5 is Fun in the foyer

at number 4 is Changes in the kitchen are complete

number 3 is French country tablescape

for number 2 is Getting organized update

at finally at number 1 is Little changes in the kitchen

My funny Valentine

This year I thought I would try a fun tablescape in the kitchen for Valentine's Day.  I will still do a romantic one by the fireplace but I thought this would look nice in the kitchen.  The last few years we have been staying home and doing a fondue by the fireplace. I will be working on that tablescape next week.

I got this little dog for my hubby on Valentine's Day a few years ago and I thought he would work perfect with the setting.

 The plates say "you are one in a million".   I found them at our local grocery store.  It's amazing what you can find there.

The last Valentine's Day we went out it was anything but romantic.  When we used to go out we would go somewhere with a romantic atmosphere. One of our customers suggested it to my hubby and he made the reservations.  The place was called The Fort. Does that sound romantic?  Yes it looks like a fort and it was not romantic to me at all.  Here are some photos I found on the internet.

This is the room that we were seated in.  The chairs were like sitting on rocks.  The place was packed but I am sorry this was not my idea of romance.  The food was alright but it was a bit pricey.  I would rather stay home where it is more comfortable.

Linking with
Imparting Grace, Anderson & Grant, Posed Perfection,Katherines Corner, All Things With Purpose,Embracing Change, Live Laugh Rowe, Rooted In Thyme, Between Naps on the Porch, The Charm of Home, Shabby Art Boutique, French Country Cottage, Life With Lorelai, Chic on a Shoestring, The Shabby Nest, My Romantic Home, Craftberry Bush, I'm Not a Trophy Wife, Nancherrow, Serenity Now, Just us Four, Simple Nature Decor, DIY Vintage Chic, A Tray of Bliss, Be Different Act Normal, Scrapality, How Sweet the Sound, 3 Little Greenwoods, Pieced Pastimes,Classy Clutter , Pink When, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Thoughts From Alice, Dwellings The Heart of Your Home, DIY Show Off, Finding Silver Pennies, I Should be Mopping the Floor, It's Overflowing, Rustic & Refined, Huckleberry Love, Le Chateau des Fleurs,  Elizabeth Joan Designs, By Stephanie Lynn, Coastal Charm, Cozy Little House, A Stroll Thru Life, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Our Home Away From Home, StoneGable, The Dedicated House, The Winthrop Chronicles, Cornerstone Confessions, Elizabeth and Co, Home Remedies,Green Willow Pond 
Savvy Southern Style, Oh My Heartsie Girl, Beyond the Picket Fence, A Simple Pantry, DIY by Design, Ivy and Elephants, The Happy Housie, The Style Sisters, Have a Daily Cup of Mrs Olson
A Delightsome Life, From My Front Porch To Yours, The Bajan Texan, Simple Details

My latest Goodwill finds

I went shopping at Goodwill the other day to use my 25% for my birthday.  Isn't funny how you just can't seem to find anything to buy when you can get extra off your purchase.  It took me a week but I finally found a few items.  I was wanting to score big on a piece of furniture but of course they had nothing useable.  I found some little items though.

Not a lot to shout about but I did get all of this for $22.00 not bad.  I will be painting the candle holders and the shadow box.  Not sure where I will put the shadow box yet.  The egg plate has a little bunny on it so that will be used for Easter.  The cup with the lid was a great find as last year my husband got me flowers for mother's day and they came in a teapot that matches this cup.  It was only .99 cents and with the 25% off that made it .75 cents.  Here is a picture of the teapot.  It has the same lid as the cup but it is hard to see as it is nestled in the flowers.

My best piece is this small iron stone tureen.  It is missing the lid and the spoon but I couldn't pass it up.

 
I didn't look at it very well in the store but when I started to take pictures I looked on the bottom and it turned out to be Red cliff iron stone.  As you can see it was marked 1.99 and that day green tags were half off so that made it .99 and with the extra 25% off it came to .75 cents.  Now that's what I call a great deal.  It would have been nice if it had the other pieces but I am going to use it to put flowers in.

Linking with
Life With Lorelai

Too much Tuscan?

Can you ever have too much Tuscan in a room?  My answer is no.   My dining room is exploding with the Tuscan look.  Since we put this mural up I can't decorate any different way which is alright with me.  Today I got a lot more accomplished that I thought I would in the dining room.  I got most of it done except for the east wall.   I also managed to wash and iron about a hundred napkins.  Yes I ironed my napkins which is surprising to me since I don't like to iron clothes.  Most of them turned out wrinkled and some the fold marks didn't even come out by washing them so I had no other choice.  My new solution is the roll them up instead of folding but now they don't fit in the drawers in the hutch.  But I have an idea where I can store them from now on.  I will be doing a post on my storage of the napkins, tableclothes and napkin rings later on.   For now here is the dining room.

Now for the new item in the room.  I bought this at Homegoods today as a birthday present for myself.

I have always wanted to have a barrel.  This could be a table but it also holds wine.

Right now it is in the corner on the east wall that I haven't finished decorating yet.  I still haven't decided how I want this wall to look.  Well that will be for another day.  Right now I need to finish washing the tableclothes.

Linking with
Dwellings The Heart of Your Home, I Should be Mopping the Floor, Huckleberry Love, Between Naps on the Porch, Le Chateau ded Fleurs, Elizabeth Joan Designs, Coastal Charm, Stone Gable
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Cozy Little House, Our Home Away From Home, A Stroll Thru Life, The Dedicated House, The Winthrop Chronicles, Elizabeth and Co, Home Remedies, Savvy Southern Style, DIY by Design, Ivy and Elephants, The Style Sisters, The Happy Housie, A Delightsome Life, Have a Daily Cup of Mrs Olson, From My Front Porch To Yours, Imparting Grace, Anderson & Grant,  Posed Perfection, Katherines Corner, All Things With Purpose, Embracing Change, Live Laugh Rowe, Rooted In Thyme, The Charm of Home, Life With Lorelai, Chic on a Shoestring, The Shabby Nest, My Romantic Home, Craftberry Bush, I'm Not a Trophy Wife, Nancherrow, Serenity Now, Just us Four, Simple Nature Decor, DIY Vintage Chic, Be Different Act Normal, Scrapality, 3 Little Greenwoods, Pieced Pastimes, Pink When, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Thoughts From Alice, Rustic & Refined, DIY Show Off

I am ready for flowers

Just look at the flowers my hubby got me for my birthday yesterday.  He did a great job at picking out what I like.  Carnations are my favorite and I love oranges and yellows together.  I would like to know exactly what the little orange balls are.  They aren't fake.  They have a twig like stem that gets larger toward the end where it was cut.  I am ready to see flowers in my yard again.  It snowed here a few days ago and of course my back yard faces north so it stays white until Spring.  We had a few days of warmer weather so the front yard melted but it didn't make a difference in the back.

My birthday

Today is my 49th birthday.  I can't believe that I said that.  You know how at a certain age you don't like to celebrate your birthday anymore.  Well mine was at 31.  You see my dad and I shared the same birthday.  The last birthday we shared was my 30th and his 73rd.  I can't believe that 19 birthdays have gone by already without him.  Somehow my birthday just isn't the same without him here.  I still love and miss my dad very much.  So today I want to wish my dad Happy Birthday in heaven.

New Spring plates

I just couldn't help myself.  What do you do with a 25% off coupon from Pier 1 that you get for your birthday?  Why you get new dishes.  I love all these stores that give you something off for your birthday (which is tomorrow).  I just couldn't resist these cute plates for Spring/Easter.

I bought four of these.

And four of these. Isn't these an adorable bunny.

I bought six of these since I will be using them in the dining room. I think that these colors will work well with my Tuscan mural.   The rest of the plates will be used in the kitchen.

Now I also couldn't resist these cute bunny plates.  They came in a set of four.  They also will be used in the kitchen.

I can't wait to use these new plates.  I better get the rest of the house done first before I start a new project. I plan to get the dining room done this weekend and maybe tackle the living room.

Changes in kitchen are complete

The changes I made in the kitchen are now complete (except for redoing above the cabinets).  I was able to get the foyer table done and I almost got the dining room done today also.  I am excited to show the results of my kitchen.

Now for the close up of the island shelves.

And of course the pot rack.

The upper cabinets will get revamped later on but for now I am going to enjoy the slight changes that I made.

On to the next room!

Linking with

Savvy Southern Style, The Style Sisters, Ivy and Elephants, DIY by Design, The Happy Housie
Have a Daily Cup of Mrs Olson, A Delightsome Life, From My Front Porch To Yours, Posed Perfection, Live Laugh Rowe, Katherines Corner, Anderson & Grant, Embracing Change, Rooted In Thyme, Between Naps on the Porch, Imparting Grace, The Charm of Home, Shabby Art Boutique
French Country Cottage, All Things With Purpose, My Romantic Home, The Shabby Nest
Nancherrow, Serenity Now, DIY Vintage Chic, Just Us Four, Pieced Pastimes, 3 Little Greenwoods
Scrapality , Life With Lorelai, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Thoughts From Alice, Homestories A to Z
2 Bees in a Pod, Common Ground