It's Take A LOOK Tuesday!

What exactly does take a look Tuesday mean?  Well, in short...lots of photos!  LOL!  I have been very busy around the house spiffying it up for my first "launch" party and want to give you a preview of what my guests will see.

First, I cleaned off the porch outside because it was dirrrrrty! Take a look at it now!

Much better!  I still have some tweaking to do to the right of the front door but let's see what I've done so far.

Nothing new really, I just added my faux yellow daffodils for a pop of color.

I'm thinking this little ivy pot needs a bow instead of Mr. Roo.

Wow!  My old spring wreath really looks great now, on the "black" door.  This was new for me!

Not a bad start, huh?

Then, I got to looking at my pots around the front entry.

I pulled out all the dead stuff and decided they looked just too bare like this. 

Soooo....I made a little trip to the local greenhouse and...

This is what I came up with.  Again, much better!

I chose mostly succulents for these pots this year.

I liked the colorings of the leaves and hope they will do well in our hot sunny summers.  I spotted a few spring flowers in the yard and thought you might like to see them too.

Very pretty! My Iris's haven't started to bloom yet, but I bet it won't be long.

I filled these pots with Geraniums and have two more for the back porch.  I had to bring them inside last night because it got so cold again and I didn't want to take any chances.  LOL!

Much better right?

Inside my mantle has a bit of green and spring!

I had to switch the chairs here by the fireplace again and put my club chairs back.  I could not rest my laptop comfortably on the arms of my other chairs that I had here.  Oh, the joys of blogging!

I ended up moving them over here where I had put my butterfly bamboo chairs.  Those went back upstairs but they may end up in the dining room again later by the mirror where I used to have them last year.  What goes around comes around right?

 

Right now I have the end chairs to the table here to make room at the party.  I just love having moved this mirror and marble table back to where I had it.  It looks so much better in this spot and the china cabinet fits better then I had thought it would on the side wall.

This is what I have been preparing for.  I am quite nervous!  Please say a prayer things will turn out well if you are so inclined, I could really use it!  I found this fabric I have been saving to make something with and realized it was the perfect size for a tablecloth.

I finally finished redoing the tray that was the duck tray.  I repainted it and added burlap to the bottom. 

I even gave it a nice warn finish.  I really like how soft my display looks.  What do you think?

Now I am off to finish spiffying up everything you didn't get to see.  Shew!  Thanks for stopping by and

taking a look!

I hope you enjoyed your visit!

Mary

Are you a list maker?

Photo courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

How do you like the image above?  I like it quite a bit and that is why I have chosen to use it for my

 Mary's Meditating Mind

posts on Mondays. 

I imagine these Monday posts are going to encompass quite a broad spectrum of topics as my mind is always thinking about things, often too much, sometimes not nearly enough.  LOL!

I had actually prepared a different post for today on the subject of increasing "apathy" in America.  However, I have decided to delay that for another time.

1.) I am not convinced anyone really cares about reading about apathy..no pun intended.

2.)  I have decided it may a bit too heavy for a Monday morning read.

3.) I really need to refocus on collecting my thoughts (tasks) for the week ahead.

Which brings me to my question.  Are you a list maker?  I am or was!  It seems lately I have flying by the seat of my pants and let me tell you, things do not get done in our household that way.

So today I plan to take a moment to jot down my To do list.  See where I am so far!

 I have been on my husband for weeks now about the virtues of list making.  Perhaps I need a reminder myself of why lists are so good. So here's my list of why to make a list.  Ha ha!

1.) It gives you the big picture of all you have to do.

2.) It helps you to prioritize the importance of each task by deciding which to do first.

3.) Having a sense of priority can calm you when facing increasing pressure.

4.) It can help you to stay on track (or on task)

5.) It can give you a huge sense of accomplishment when you scratch something off your list!

I could go on an on about the virtues of list making but instead really need to meditate a bit more about my list for this week.  I  really don't mind those daily lists so much, it's those project lists that get to me.   The main issue I have about that is having the list laying around.  Where to keep it?

This is currently the notebook I am using for my household lists.  I think I will keep my project lists in here too.  I've tried having a separate book for projects before but would forget about it.  LOL!

This is the notebook I am using for my business, they highly recommended keeping one of these in addition to the large binder style notebook.  Shew!

I was thinking, wouldn't it be cool to keep a project list handy on your blog?  I wonder if there is a widget for that?  Then, I thought better as I would likely have quite a few unfinished projects sitting out there for all the world to see!

Well it's been fun letting you into my mind for today.  What's up with you?  Anything?

Any ideas on where to store your ongoing lists?

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a great Monday!

Mary

  

Who is your Rock?

"See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."  - Romans 10:33

"See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed." - Isaiah 28:16

 

I thought I might start with these verses as a "building" point to begin sharing the love of Jesus.  I felt like it would be good to start here to point out and remind us about the importance of trusting in Jesus.

  We are shown here in both the old and new testaments that Jesus is to be the rock of our foundation as Christians, he is the cornerstone.  We are also assured in both of these verses that when we put our trust in Jesus we will not stumble or be dismayed. 

 Knowing that Jesus is the precious cornerstone given for us to build our faith upon, wouldn't you like to know more about who he is? 

 I often use the term "He is my rock!" to describe my husband because that is how strongly I feel about him and our relationship.  I am reminded today that I already have a rock provided by God that is the first and foremost.  It is upon this rock that all other stones can rest securely and build upon.  Do I convey that message often to others?  Do you?  Who is your rock? 

Thanks for "Sharing Jesus" with me today, I do appreciate your visit and hope you have a very blessed afternoon!

Mary

Winner! Winner! Winner! Announcement!

It's time to announce the winner of my giveaway!  Actually it's past time but I am sure most of you will understand that I have had quite a bit going on earlier this week.

Anyway,  I am so excited for this winner because I know how much she loves pretty jewelry!  I have seen some of her jewelry style in her posts before and know she will really appreciate a great statement piece.  So what is she getting?  Well, that has yet to be determined, because I am going to allow her to choose.  I am giving her $30.00 to spend in my Initial Outfitters store.  So dear, you have some shopping to do!  I cannot wait to see what you select!

I used the random generator to choose and the winning number was...

Number "8" !!!  Congrats!!!

So who is number 8?  Let me show you what she said...

Congratulations Liz of Savvy Seasons!  I hope you will enjoy the prize!  Please email me your choice as soon as you decide.  You may go to my online website to browse our selections.  It is..

www.initialoutfitters.net/marykeels

Thank you to each of you that entered and posted my giveaway on your side bar!  I really appreciate it!  I had mentioned having a giveaway from CSN Stores coming up but have decided to delay that for another time.  I do apologize but am very busy lately and did not feel I could give them the exposure that would do them justice right now as I am trying to stay focused on my own business adventures.

I also want to send a special thank you to Pam at DIY Design Fanatic for helping me figure out how to post the random generator on my screen.  She so generously gave me step by step instructions that I will be able to use for other applications as well.  I am so grateful for her and all the other wonderful and supportive bloggers out there!  You are the best!

As always, I do appreciate your continued support and a special thanks again for all the prayers and condolences sent our way this past week! 

May God bless you all!

Mary

Game On Tablescapers!

I've included  a little fun at the table tonight.

Because sometimes you need a laugh to lighten things up at the end of the day.

So are we playing games or eating dinner?

How about a little bit of both!

Let's see who all were expecting.

The Marlboro men showed up and have invited a few of their friends...

...like the Queen of Diamonds...

... and the King of Hearts...

...and the Ace of Spades.  I am sure they are all going to show up.

The Joker has decided to join us in spirit only tonight, hopefully!

The table is set and ready for the games to begin.

Nope, this wasn't a trick, there will be no utensils at this table tonight.

Only a few serving pieces to be used with other dishes to be set out.

Can you guess what were having tonight?

Or what were playing?

Well it's not, "What's for Supper" that would be too easy!  It's called, "What's on the Table?"  One of our favorite games from when the kids were little. 

The first player only gets to name the first letter of something on the table and then each person takes turns guessing what it is, and continues around the table until someone gets it right.  The person who guess's correctly get to go next.

Because sometimes the King of Hearts needs to remember why he is such a great playa!

I am joining Tablescape Thursday today for a little R&R.

Hope you enjoyed the fun!

Mary

Eleven Super Foods for Wellness Wednesday

I want to thank each of you for such kind words of condolences about the loss of my father in law.  He was a wonderful man and we will miss him so much.  The last few weeks of his life were very hard for us because the effects of the cancer were rapidly taking over.  It was very difficult to see this healthy vigorous man in his 80's change so quickly, but that is the reality of cancer.  Cancer is a thief and can steal everything!

Today is Wellness Wednesday here at The Decorative Dreamer but I don't want to make this post about Cancer.  I do not want to honor or glorify or pay any tribute to Cancer whatsoever quite frankly! I want to talk about good health.  My FIL was always doing things to keep him in good health, like eating healthy and exercising regularly.  It was a part of his daily routine.  Sadly, they are not mine yet, but I really want to work on that more.

I woke up early again, unable to sleep through the night and began watching TV.   Those late night infommercials were calling my name.  I saw one that really was very convincing.  If I were a wealthy woman I would most likely try this product.  It was for Nopalea by Trivita.  It's basically a juice drink made from the Nopal Cactus fruit.

photo courtesy of the Daily Talk Forum

  The juice is supposed to be a super drink to help heal the body of quite a bit of toxins.  They talked about how these toxins build up in the body and over time can cause all sorts of problems. 

 According to this infommercial , one of the main problems that these bad toxins are creating is chronic inflammation problems throughout the body.  This is when I really started to tune in.

photo courtesy of inflamation-information.com

At 45, I already wake up everyday with soreness and pain from what I presume to be arthritis.  I take Tylenol everyday, sometimes even twice a day. Even still, I have a lot of muscle stiffness that is even worse after I do anything strenuous.  Sore in much of these areas shown here.

photo courtesy of chronic inflammation.com

  Anyway, back to the infommercial, when they started talking about chronic inflammatory issues really wreaking havoc on people I decided I just might have some of this so what could I do about it?  Well I could order up this product and raise our debt levels even higher then they already are or I could google "chronic inflammation" which I did.  I saw there was tons of info regarding this health problem and from there began to google anti-inflammatory diets. 

I found a great site that listed 11 super foods to include in your diet to help fight chronic inflammation.  So, I will be off the grocery store today to pick up some of these foods.  I found the following list with additional info on each food at www.dlife.com.  It is a diabetes website, my mother would be so proud of me!  LOL!

1. Salmon

2. Grass fed Beef or other animal foods

3. Olive Oil

4. Salads

5. Cruciferous Vegetables

6. Cherries

7. Blueberries

8. Turmeric

9. Ginger

10. Garlic

11. Green Tea

All of these sound easily doable to me except the grass fed beef might be a little tricky to find.  I have long ago decided that trying to use natural products to help heal and protect the body is a great approach to start off with.  These everyday foods certainly fit in great with my outlook.  I still may look for some type of cactus additives too, IDK.  I read online that someone living in Mexico said they use those quite regularly in their foods and and have always heard them to be healthy but they are not these super expensive products we are being sold.  So, hmmm???

Before I leave, I also want to share one other anti inflammatory recipe I found here at;

www.drannwellness.com

Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie

(serves 2-4)

1 cup of frozen blueberries or mixed berries
1 banana
2 diced kiwi
8 oz. of plain or vanilla low-fat yogurt with live cultures
1 cup of ice
2 TBS wheat germ or flax seed
¾ cup Pomegranate juice or 100% fruit juice of choice

Blend until smooth (kids love smoothies and they are a convenient way to get lots of super healthy fruits in them).

This sounds delicious doesn't it?  I think so! 

What about you?  What do you think about chronic inflammation or are you already tackling this?  Do you regulary eat any of these foods above?   I would love to hear any of your thoughts and for you to share what you are doing to combat this health issue. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  

 I hope you have a very Happy and Healthy Day!

Mary