Dreaming of Soup and Crackers

When you are on an ever changing schedule as I am, you have to be flexible.  Luckily for me, I am married to someone who is also very flexible.  He's not only flexible ladies, he is pretty darn helpful around the kitchen as well.  He will make several meals each week and have everything ready for me when I come home from work.   As wonderful as this is, and it really, really, is, no kidding!  There are times when you just have to leave a few hints around for our guys, right?

Hints like this!

What do you think?  Is this a clear, out and out hint or what?

Can you tell that I really want soup here?  I thought so!

I am sure he will get it, just not so sure he will play along with my shenanigans.  

You see, I love soup!  I really do!  The Mr. not so much.  He's okay with it, but he doesn't like it the way I do.  It would certainly not be his first choice for a meal.  It's not that he only like's homemade soup or anything like that either. It's just that he kinda thinks of soup as "only" a cold weather meal.  It has to be really, really cold for him to agree that soup sounds good for supper.  Unfortunately for me, it has been anything but cold here lately.

I added this little cloche on here to see if maybe that will help set the mood for him.  Kinda looks like snowballs, right?  Sure it does!

Okay, I know it's a stretch but let's just see what happens.  Have you ever tried these to bag soups from Bear Creek?  They are wonderful!

Meanwhile, I'd like to show you my tablescape because I have been wanting to share these bowls with you for some time now in a setting.  I bought these from GW last year or maybe it was 2 years ago.  Anyway, I can't believe it's taken me this long to do a setting with them.

Aren't they pretty neat?  I just love how they have an extra little area on the side for crackers.

They are made of pottery and have a white cast with brown specks that vary on each piece.

Here is what is imprinted on the back.  I looked this up when I first brought them home and was pleased to see that Robert Weiss does have some pieces that are collectibles.  I don't know if these are worth much or not but I do know they are worth more then I paid.  I consider them quite a find not just because of the signature but because I just love how unique they are.

 I added these small brown recycled product dishes underneath to catch any spills.

Then I tied my napkin together with what I thought looked like a soup spoon from my silver collection.  I inherited several of this size spoons along with the rest of the set from my inlaws.  I have never been sure of what they are and am hoping some of you will be able to fill me in.  I wonder if maybe they are serving spoons but look too short to be serving spoons though I have used them for dips and sauce serving spoons before.  The roundness of them though makes me wonder if they are really soup spoons though. Please, please,please comment if you know!

My grandmothers glasses with the gold trim are some of my favorite drinkware.

As luck would have it, that old groundhog saw his shadow today.  Maybe I will get to eat my soup and crackers pretty soon after all.  I hope you enjoyed my simple winter setting, and I am hoping I will get to enjoy it too!  (Wink-Wink)

If you enjoyed this post, be sure and check out all the other beautiful and stunning settings over at

Tablescape Thursday.

Thanks for visiting today.  Hope you have a wonderful day!

My New Everyday Mantle Decor

Yay! I finally finished up a little project I've been working on.  It's just an itty bitty thing, but it's one of those things that I've been wanting to complete since taking down all the Christmas decor from my mantle.

Here's how my mantle has looked for the past several weeks.  Leaves a lot to be desired, doesn't it?  I just haven't really felt like doing much holiday mantle decorating this year.   But I have been very interested in finding an everyday look for the mantle.  

The first thing I knew I wanted was to replace a wreath back on the mirror.  I like the way the one I had there during Christmas looked and so I decided to replace it.  I was very excited when I found this faux Moss wreath at Carolina Pottery.

I knew it would make the perfect starting point for the wreath I wanted to make.

I have wanted a Boxwood wreath for sometime but have not wanted to pay what they cost premade.  So last week when I found these branches on sale at Hobby Lobby for half off I was thrilled.

 I got out my hot glue gun and a few wire tacks and I was good to go.

It was a bit of a challenge as my hot glue was so hot it would melt the stems I was trying to glue down.

Finally after using more of my metal floral picks I was almost done.  Oh, and there's the cute little harlequin napkin holder I picked up on sale last week from my shopping trip to Hobby Lobby.  

 Then it was time to hang it on the mirror.

I am sure it could use alot more greenery but it's enough for me.   For now, I'd like to show you the rest of the mantle decor.

 Did you figure out what this item to the left is yet?

 Yep!  It's a mantle clock I found at Hobby Lobby too.  Isn't it cute?  I just loved how it had that shabby look and best of all was on the clearance isle.  They have the best markdown deals, don't they!

I still need to add a battery to the little clock, so for now it's perpetually 10:05.  LOL!

And the green ceramic pieces I showed you bits of were vases.

 I found two of them also on the clearance isle at Hobby Lobby.

Then I filled them with this simple grass greenery that was also on sale when I was there.

I almost didn't buy them because I realized when I got to the counter they were not actually the same size.  I was so bummed out but decided to try them anyway.

I am glad I did because I have been able to successfully use vintage books to balance out the height of each of them.

Are you ready to see a full reveal of the mantle?

Here it is!  I am pretty pleased with it so far.  I am sure the lanterns and plates will most likely disappear in the summer to lighten things up but I am loving them here for now.

 Please ignore the little white dots on the wall behind my floral arrangements.  I still need to repaint the walls from where I had the sconces hung and patched.  Ooops!

 It sure feels good to have a look I can live with for awhile on here again instead of a big empty space.

Thanks for visiting my living room today and for taking a peek at my new everyday fireplace mantle decor.  

I am joining BNOTP for Metamorphosis Monday today.

Sometimes change is good!

Have a great week everyone!

Thank You!!!

I want to sincerely thank each of you for your wonderful words of wisdom and compassion!  My time online is so limited these days, so I am sending a great big group "HUG" and "Thank You" to all of you right here on my blog.

(from eons.com)

  I really appreciate the encouragement and the camaraderie from you who so clearly could also relate.  I am glad you also enjoyed the analogy I used.  I am sure there are die hard sailors out there who are probably gawking in disgust at my feeble attempt in using sailing terms, but hey, I try!  Whateva right?

Speaking of Whateva!  That's how I'm feeling right about now.  I've somewhat recouped from having the wind stolen out of my sails, but am still feeling like I'm hanging out over the edge about this situation.  The good news is, I've got a whole crew that also feels the same way, and we are not about to throw off the race as of yet!  

It's very comforting to know there are others who also are feeling the same as me in my personal/professional life about this situation.  It's even nicer knowing there are beautiful people like you out there in cyber world whom I've never met who also share in the trials and tribulations of this often very competitive race.  God bless you!!! 

As for finding comfort, I did call my Mom.  She knew exactly what to say, as always.  I love her!  I also finally pulled it together and headed straight for two of my favorite stores, Carolina Pottery and Hobby Lobby.  Thankfully it was a successful retail therapy adventure as I really did'nt need to strike out that day.   Here's a sneak peek at a few things I picked up for something I am working on.

Pretty interesting close ups, huh?  Heh heh!

Sorry to be such a tease but you'll have to come back for the reveal.  I am hoping I can put it all together soon.

My deepest thanks again Yall!

Hope you each have a beautiful Friday!

The Wind is Stolen from my Sails

Would you all please pardon me for this brief interruption of blog world blissfulness for a touch of reality here?   I am off of work today and sitting here trying to get motivated to GO and DO and BE yet I just cannot find the motivation.  You see, I have been hit with a big case of feeling like "the wind has been stolen out of my sails."  What to do?

This photo somewhat depicts a nautical vision of what happens when the wind is taken from your sails.

First let me clarify what I'm talking about here.   To have the wind "taken" or "stolen" from your sails happens when someone comes along side of you and literally steals (or blocks) your wind.  I'm not talking about loosing the wind in your sails from a shift in the wind, (or circumstances) or from something you have or have not done.  I am talking about loosing your wind from a direct result of someone else who has crossed your path and quite literally stolen your wind.  They have blocked you from moving ahead.  It slows you down and leaves you sitting still, drifting along until you can once again recapture the wind.

Now, let's look at this photo again more closely.  Do you see the first boat that is surging ahead in the background?  Look at what the crew is doing in this picture.  They appear to be hanging over the edge, don't they?

That's how I am feeling right now, hanging over the edge.  Without going into too much detail here, it's not about one issue in particular.  It's about the culmination of several (people and situations in my case) who have come along side of me and stolen the wind from my sails.  Normally, I am quite fine with drifting and waiting on the wind to return of it's own course.  However, there are times in life like this when the wind has been "taken" out of your sails when one must hang out over the edge.  Leaning out over the edge can rock the boat ever so gently but this is what helps you to surge ahead.  The real trick is learning how to hang out over the edge without falling face first in the water, don't you think?  I sure do!

So here I sit, contemplating my strategy's in life.   Do not worry, I am not as desperate or depressed as this may sound.  I am just thinking out loud on my blog, it's kinda therapeutic you know.  I am sure a day off will do me a world of good today once I get up and going!  I think I'll call my mom today and maybe do a little retail therapy.  Who knows?

  I also continue to pray for guidance in this race we call life because I trust that Jesus will lead the way for me in all situations.  He never promised us an easy life but he did promise to be right there with us, even hanging out over the edge.   

Anyway, this is Wednesday and I have a self imposed Wellness Wednesday theme that I sometimes like to hit upon here at The Decorative Dreamer.  So that's why I am sharing this, to let it go, and to hear from you.  What do you do when someone has knocked the wind out of your sails and you feel like you are hanging over the edge.  I'd really like to know!

Looks like the sun is trying to come out so hey, maybe it's going to be a brighter day soon.

Thanks for stopping by!