"IF" Mom came to lunch

It would look something like this.    I say "if" because it would be a very rare or special occasion to have my Mom over for lunch.  Most of the time I would go to her house, although that has been really difficult now that I am working again.  

I would go to her house because she has reached the privileged age of retirement that has allowed her to decline most all invitations prior to 1:00pm.  I guess after many, many years of getting up to drive 30 minutes to work everyday to arrive at the hospital in the wee AM hours of the morning she has decided to no longer do mornings.  Seriously!

So lunch would generally be out of the question unless it was of course a special occasion such as a holiday.  I know you are thinking well it is a holiday, this is for Mothers Day.  But let's be quite honest here, if I do NOT have to work this Sunday I do plan to be with my mother, only it will be in a delicious restaurant somewhere.  After all, I am a mother too!  It will not be a fancy schmancy restaurant either because that is not what my mother prefers.   She is more comfortable in a casual setting with her family.  She loves places like the Olive Garden, Cracker Barrel, Steak Houses and BBQ style restaurants.  She is not the fru,fru kind.  So with that in mind this is how I would set the table for her.

It would be a casual setting filled with just a few things that I think she would take pleasure in seeing.

I would have wanted to bring in some fresh flowers from outside because I know how much she would love them.

The only thing I have blooming abundantly right now are my Oakleaf hydrangeas though.

And I know my mother would stop me from cutting these.  Why? Perhaps because they are so large and the arrangement would be too large for a table set for two.    Naw, that's what I was thinking.  She would want me to leave them on the bush because they are so beautiful there and would have a longer life on the bush and I can still enjoy them out there.  Yes, she would think that way!  I know this because  my mother a very in depth thinker.  You see, she is a retired psychologist.   

She would be tickled to see these flowers just as well.  I know this because she has asked me several times where did I find these?    Were she really coming I might be seriously prompted to go and buy a sweet little bushel of fresh flowers from the grocery store and she would love that as well.

One thing is for sure, she would surely notice and comment on the flowers on the table whether they are fresh or faux.  In fact she would notice every little detail on my table.  That is after I got her to finally sit down.  

She would most definitely use the salt and pepper so I've pulled out the nicer ones that coordinate with my dinner plates.  Besides, I am sure she would notice if I left them off the table.  She would think that a table without salt and pepper is not properly set.  I think that's more of a generational thing though!

I would hope she would notice that I've set her place setting with an extra cup just for her.

 My mother enjoys coffee any time of the day.  So this very large mug of coffee would be here just for her.

I'd have to set out some cream (milk) and sugar too.

Okay, so it's not really sugar either.  But I assure you she would want this.  She is the one who got me started on Sweet N Low years and years ago.  My mother is diabetic and now prefers Equal but she will take the Sweet n Low all the same.

I think she would recognize the trivet I pulled out for her coffee mug to sit on also.  This was from a client of hers that was an artist.  She bought me a set of these along with a painted cutting board too.  She was always buying things from her clients who were artisans.  She really treasures handmade things.

She would find this quite charming.  I'm not sure what she'd think about the nest in here because it would have disturbed nature.  I may or may not hear about that thought but it would most likely have been there.  LOL!  All in all though, she would find this cloche quite cute and creative.

Creative because, she would recognize one of her mothers silver chalice/dessert cups that she gave me several years ago.  I don't think she would find the tarnish quite as charming as I do, but she might.  I remember spending many a years cleaning silver and brass with her.  Whew!

I know she would love the place settings! She likes color and patterns as much as I do.  She does not use it as abundantly as I do in her home but she loves that I do.  She says that to me all the time, that she knows how much I love color.

She would definitely recognize the tea glasses as well.  They were also her mothers!  This would make her smile and I could tell from the look on her face that she would be reminiscing about her own sweet mother, Grandma Millie.

I think she would recognize my wedding stainless but might ask if this was it.  Then she would get that reminiscent look about my wedding.  She and her friends did all the catering themselves for my wedding (it was their tradition among friends) and so my wedding was a very wonderful and happy memory for her.

She would chat on about how much she likes my new dishes.  She would probably even turn them over and inspect then as she has done every time she see's them.  She was thrilled when I won them!  She had even purchased a few for me that same year for Christmas since I had already started collecting them before I won more.  She has a huge set of the white Pfalzcraft that she absolutely adores.   So my love for white dishes has come partly from her.  I am sure she knows this and so treasures this small connection.

I bet she would also adore my newest yellow checked plates.  I used them during Easter and she commented on how cute they were too.

She would notice the napkin rings and comment on how pretty.  But, I would have to tell her why I chose those.  Because they remind me of you Mom, just like you they are full of pearls of wisdom.

So this is how lunch might look if we were to plan a specific date at my house, or if I were able to arrange everything perfectly and make it all work out.  But life is busy and I don't dwell on the what if's.   I have learned so much from my mother constantly and one very important thing I know is to accommodate and appreciate those whom you love the most.  We may not have time for lovely luncheons and weekly visits but we always make time to show our love and appreciation somehow.

So, I hope to be dining with Mom on Sunday somewhere!

How about you?

I am joining two fun filled tablescaping parties this week at

Tablescape Thursday

and

Let's Dish

Have a beautiful day everyone and wishing you in advance a ....

Very Happy Mother's Day!

Dreaming Under The Sea!

So last week amid all the craziness that has become my life, I received an email from one of our local garden centers.  It was one of those wonderful emails, that alerts you to their newest arrivals. Only these newest arrivals actually reeled me in like a big fish on a hook.  You could say, I literally fell for this email alert hook line and sinker!

What was it all about you ask?  Well, let me show you!

It was all about Coleus.  But wait...not just any type of Coleus plants, mind you.

Oh no!  These are the newest cultivar's of the Coleus world.

Quite interesting aren't they?

Isn't there anything about these Coleus that is catching your attention just a bit more then usual?

Yeah!  I thought so!

Maybe it's the shape and color of the leaves on this "Gold Anemone" plant that got your attention.

Amazingly beautiful, right?  But wait, let's take a closer look.

Do they look a bit more like something you would find under the sea?

Something more like... "Red Coral" perhaps?

I thought so too!  And that is exactly why I just had to rush out and purchase a few of these for myself.

I also had to find just the right pot to put them in as well.  I think I did pretty good.  Gotta love TJ Maxx!

I loved the name of this one so much that when I saw they had sample sizes of this plant I bought several.  Who could resist something like..."Lime Shrimp", certainly not me!

or pass up on an offering of...Bone Fish...could you?  Really?

I cannot wait to see how they grow! These newest cultivar's of Coleus are among the most unique introductions this past year from Hort Couture.  They are supposed to be more sun tolerant then the regular varieties of coleus and I certainly hope so!  I love how they are real stunners resembling sea creatures and corals from under the sea. They offer quite an assortment listed under names more familiar in the ocean.  I purchased only four different varieties.  

I love finding something new in gardening, especially since it complements our newest addition perfectly this year.  If your looking for something a little extra special and unusual for your outdoor area, I can't recommend these enough.  If I could have found a bigger pot that I liked I would have gotten even more!  Just sharing a little something new today! 

What do you think? 

Pretty cool huh?

Joining a new to me linky party today at

Cottage Garden Party

Have a great day!

I was Hacked by association!

Hey Friends!

I am not sure if any of you got a message from Google yesterday regarding my blog being blocked but if so I do apologize.  It said my blog was unsecure and possibly infected with a malware virus because I had linked to Shabby Blogs.  Here's the low down just in case you want to know.

I used them for my background and for a few quotes on my sidebar.  I googled all I could yesterday to see what was going on and how to fix it.  I found several other bloggers who had also been infected.  It appears someone must have hacked Shabby Blogs and therefore anyone using their codes was also infected.  I feel so bad for them!  I read if I got rid of everything from them I would be okay.  I did this and still had the block.  So then I read everything I could about how to get rid of the block.  I read about going to Webmaster tools, then diagnostics, then malware and checking for any virus's.  It showed my blog was clean according to that but for some reason the block was still there for me.

At this point I decided to run my own virus scan on my computer.  I have McAfee so it was time for a complete scan.  It takes several hours so you can plan on not using your computer for awhile.  It detected 2 virus's and deleted them.  They were listed as trojans, whatever that is.  After this test was completed I checked my blog again.  The block was still there!  Mercy!

I had one friend comment on my post yesterday (God Bless you Rondell!) and I emailed her to ask her if  she was seeing the block.  This morning I read her email and she had not seen a block and had even gone back to check again.  Well, this morning it, the warning block, was still there! 

Yall, I was about to give up when I decided to go back one more time through my layouts and see was there anything still on my blog from Shabby Blogs.  Low and behold there was!  Apparently, I had missed deleting a cute little quote on my sidebar that I had got from them.  It's not so cute anymore!  After deleting it and thoroughly checking out the rest of my blog I was able to view my blog without the warning.

So rest assured I do believe my blog to be secure again and you can come visit anytime.  Please excuse the funny background look but I decided to grab one from blogger for now.  I may customize things more later but am leaving it be for a bit.  I am feeling very wary about linking up to anyone now.  Mercy!

Have a beautiful day!

Decorating Doldrums..what to do? Advice Please!

Hey Ladies! I can't believe it's almost 11:30am and I am still sitting here in my PJ's blogging on my day off.  Have you been here before?  I am sure some of you have.  LOL!

Anyway, Instead of participating in some of my usual tablescaping parties I wanted to pick your brains a bit if you will today.  I just don't have enough creativity today to pull anything together on my own, not even a simple tablescape.   Sometimes things in life just get in the way and sap your energy you know!

So what's up?  Well for starters work,work,work.  I love working and I love my job it's just that sometimes changes are hard, especially when it's unsettled as to how things will turn out.   These changes made me wake up at 1:30am last night and unable to sleep until 5:30am.  Luckily, I didn't have to work today and was able to return to bed and snooze a bit more.

Funny how God seems to show up even when you aren't expecting him too.  I know that he will, just usually not when he does.  I always seem to expect something more obvious, as if I were the only person out there. More often then not though, it seems he usually appears very subtly to me at times.  I have been praying about things for several days now but still feel very anxious.  I logged on to facebook this morning after my second awakening and saw two of my friends, male and female who do not know each other who both had status updates quoting Phillipians 4:6.  How timely is that?

Philippians 4:6

New International Version (NIV)

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

It seems this was also the devotion on Our Daily Bread website this morning. I am sure they may have both seen this and decided to share it.  I am glad they did!  I do visit this site often but not often enough.   Here's a link to Our Daily Bread if you've never been.  Check it out and be inspired daily from our Greatest Creator through his scriptures.

Anywho, with all that goes on with work and worry (that I need to get rid of) and my daily home life it seems my creativity is not flowing as abundantly this year as it has in the past.  I am sure some of you who have followed me have noticed.  It's OK, I see it too!  After creating all day at work pulling things together I get home and am exhausted on fresh ideas.  That is until I open up blogger and see all of your pretty crafts and decor.

  Just this morning I found a new blogger from Pinterest.  Have you seen the decor over at Dimples and Tangles.  I mean, OMG!  I love her style.  Check her out if you haven't already!  After seeing so much creativity out there this morning I decided to ask for a little help on a few decorating doldrums that I am stuck on.

Area No.1

Here is my den.  I am so over the two pictures above the couch and really want something new but just don't have a clue as to what to put there.  I do not want to move any of the furniture here so please don't go there.  I would love to paint the cabinet but it's the Mr.s and you know men and their wood tones.  So that's not happening either.  I am rather fond of my bamboo mirror and think it goes well with the tropical look of the lamp and pillow.  So now, that's your guidelines.

This is a close up of the area you need to make your suggestion about.  I had wanted to change the color of my den but have been pulling back on that one.  The color I like just doesn't go well with the rest of my decor and I really don't have time for a new paint job right now.  So please keep that in mind too.

Area No.2

My coffee table.  I know it's kinda odd in pictures but the size of it really is great with the way I have the furniture arranged in our large den.  We have lot's of furniture in this one room and I think a larger coffee table would be too much.  I like open spaces!  I do need more decor on this coffee table though and it's always been a struggle for me.  I go between not nearly enough to too much so often.  I like having a candle here that I can occasionally burn and have done some great vignettes in the past with those.  So what is the struggle then?

I want to create a vignette using a jar candle, more specifically this jar candle and this tray.  I don't like the color of the tray but do like the size.  Then I am struggling with what I want to use around it.  Help!  I would love all ideas for this one!

Just yesterday I received the latest issue of the new Ballard Designs catalog.  Everything in here is my preferred style just not my budget.  So there's your second guideline for suggestions.  Quite demanding aren't I?  LOL!

Before you go I'd love to show you a little sursee I picked up for myself yesterday on my lunch hour.  Yes, I still spend my lunch hour shopping other stores.  Crazy I know!

Look at this adorable swimsuit!  I really don't need another swim suit but I just couldn't resist this one when I saw it at Marshall's.  I love swimsuits with skirts and so does my blogger bottom.  I have several skirted two piece suits, but not a lot that have the matching bikini style tops.  Those are very hard to find.  I get so hot on the boat in a suit that covers my belly so when I find one of these I like, I grab it up right away.

I love the busy floral print and the sweet little ruffles on this one!  It's made by Kenneth Cole.  I own a few from him already that I really like.  They hold up really well too!

I must confess though, I think what sold me on this suit the most was the leopard trim.  How fabulous is that?  I think it's just adorable!  Now if I can only make the time to get in the sun wearing it.

Well if you've stopped by and read all this.  Thank you!  I've figured out part of the reason my blog most likely is not so popular is because I talk/type too much.  I think most bloggers just want to see pictures and move on.  But hey, it's who I am and I am okay with where I am in blogland. 

 Oh, I almost forgot.  I changed the name of my blog roll on my side bar again.  I am simply calling it "More Blogs", genius huh? I was calling it blogs that follow me so I could help promote those who follow me and to get to know them better.  I still plan to do that but have recently realized it is also a great way to keep up with other bloggers who are not on google friend connect.  I don't know why I didn't think of this before but I just didn't.  Duh!  I usually use my blogger feed to read blogs first but think I will try using my blog roll on my own page more now.  I am all about keeping things simple lately.

So there you have it.  Any suggestions on anything you've read here today would be greatly appreciated and well accepted.  Hope I hear from someone!

Thanks a bunch!

As always, 

have a great day too!

The Front Yard

Since things have greened up pretty well around here I thought you might like to see a few images from around the yard again.  I've so little time for maintenance that things are looking kinda wild this year.  I like to think of it as kinda cottagey though.  Heh he!  You know, cottage garden style. I'll start in the front yard this time.

You have to enter my home from these steps that are right off of the driveway.  The creeping fig is growing well this year on the wall.

Still haven't put that sprinkler system in yet.  It's going to happen but just not ready quite yet.  We need a plan since the Mr. wants to do it himself. 

This bedding area by the walkway is filled with vinca vine.

The other side is begging to show lot's of new growth too.

The Iris are looking good but still not much blooming going on this year.

Well, there's a peek at the front of the house.  I took photos from the backyard but really need to scoot.  Maybe next week I'll share those with you too.

Thanks for stopping by and joining me for

Outdoor Wednesday.

Have a great day everyone!