Take a Look at Spring!

Spring is in the air and I am loving it!  I have been looking for ways to add in a few things here and there that reflect this fresh new season.  Here's a few goodies I've come across and added to my decor that I think you will enjoy for Take A Look Tuesday.

 

First up, this cute little basket I found last year at a one of my favorite resale stores.  I added a small bunch of flowers and a pick from the dollar tree and hung it on my china cabinet.  Thanks so much to Pat over at Back Porch Musings for that idea!  Love it!

Next, look what I found!  Woohoo!  One of those gorgeous lettuce plates from Portugal for less then $5.00 at another of my favorite resale stores.  I was very excited about this deal.

Now, I know you wouldn't have passed up these.  I found them at an antique store downtown though they aren't antique and they were a fantastic buy.  At first I only bought the one in the middle then turned the car around and went back for the other two as well.  I always do that! 

This is how they came when I purchased them.  I cannot wait to figure out how I am going to display them for Easter but I am also planning on using them for my next Initial Outfitters party coming up soon.  Don't you think they will be so cute with the necklaces hanging from them?  I do!

Not sure if I've showed you this or not but look at these frames I've found.  I may have shown you some but I've found more.  I keep coming across more cute smaller "nice" frames.

I've got projects in mind for these just need the time.

No plastic on any of these, only gorgeous carved wood, all for a buck or less! 

How do you like my new $3.00 lamp?  It didn't come with the shade and I do want to get another one for it but I had this one on hand sooo....

It is porcelain and a perfect golden basket color.  I just love baskets, so you knew I had to get this right?

This cute black and white polka dot purse is so fresh!  It was only $2.00, and clean as a whistle.

Sorry, I already put this up in storage before I remembered I forgot to show you.  I bought this for my launch party.  It looks like a beehive!  It was from TJ Maxx.  I am going to pull out my old punch bowl and cups now and say goodbye!  This is much more efficient!

 

Here's an idea I am kicking around for the kitchen.  I bought two sets of these hand towels to possibly make place mats with.  I was thinking of using a checked black and white trim or black and white polka dot ruffle on the ends. They are for my kitchen table.  They are a Raymond Waites fabric and were rather pricey so I am really thinking this through first.

 

I just adore this fabric and think it will bring the color I am craving into my kitchen.  I went to the fabric store and could not find anything even close to this.  I love it because it has such great vibrant colors and just enough black to coordinate with the black chairs in my kitchen.  What do you think?

 

My first order came in yesterday and I was thrilled because I added a few new pieces.  I combined one of the newer pieces with my some older pieces to create this look!  I just love scrolls and ruffles, especially for spring!

I already had the scroll cuff bracelet with my starter kit.  It is so light too y'all!

And the scroll earrings were also part of my original set.  I have worn these so many times and I think they look great with my newest items.

 

I added this sterling silver ruffled pendant and the sterling rolo chain.  I really wanted my customers to be able to see some of the silver I have available too.

This pendant is a great size as it is not huge.  It is a little over an inch and quarter long when you include the clasp at the top.  It's going to be great as a simple statement on it's own or to layer with other pieces.  If you would like one of these, let me know!  Pendant is sold separately from the chain.

I'll show you more jewelry later, but since I am showing spring things,  I wanted to show you this because the ruffle around the pendant reminds me of a flower.

Speaking of flowers...

I've been adding a few here and there around outside but am still not finding the variety I am usually use to seeing out already by this time of year.  Oh my, please pardon the pollen!

Hopefully it won't be much longer and more will arrive and I can really plan what to put around in my pots.

The pollen is coming down heavier every day now too!  It's definitely spring here!

How about at your house?  I sure hope so!

Thanks for taking a look!  Hope you enjoyed the visit!

Have a great day!

Mary

Getting Reorganized

What a wonderful weekend!  I cannot tell you how enjoyable it was to get away from the computer more and enjoy life! Yes, yes, I did do a post yesterday and I did make the rounds visiting some yesterday evening but that was about it.  Sorry, but I am being very stingy with my computer time lately, and enjoying it!

My youngest son was off from school Friday along with my husband who was off from work, and to top it off my oldest who was on spring break last week came home with his new girlfriend to stay with us for the weekend.  We dined out two nights in a row, enjoyed each others company, made some head way on a few projects around the house and cruised around in the sail boat some on Saturday.  It was one of those weekends where we all kept feeling like we were on a holiday for some reason!

Let me show you one of the projects we made some headway on. 

My husband recently inherited his fathers desk after he passed away and he and my son picked it up on Friday.  By late Sunday afternoon, it is now sitting comfortably in it's new home here in the office off of our kitchen.  The Mr. still has some tweaking to do with getting everything reorganized.  It is killing me because I want to get in here and fix it all up but this space is off limits to me for now as he needs time to adjust and sort through some things on his own, understandably!   

Besides, I had my own office to rearrange again!

Because our big old corner desk unit had to go somewhere!  The Mr. wanted to just get rid of it, but I really wanted to use it to help me get a little more organized too.

I moved my pretty green desk over on this side wall where the sewing desk used to be.  It really works here for me as an extra space for crafts and etc. 

 Currently I am using it as a space to store my samples products.  This will work out great for me to keep my items all together and be a great place for staging photo shoots for new pieces.

I kept my green shelf nearby for storing all my paints, projects, and craft books.

The sewing machine desk moved over here in this dormer nook.  It just barely fit!  Whew!  I love the lighting over here too!

Check out my new sewing chair.  This was my FIL's office chair but the Mr. didn't want to use it and I was thrilled to get it because it is comfy and doesn't have any arms which makes it perfect to use while sewing.

Not much changed over here in this corner.

Other then I got things a bit more organized.  Yep, I still have all these glass containers that belong to my friend.  Should I remind her I still have them yet again?  LOL!

Now let's look at my new work area.

Yes, that is a little TV there where a computer should go.  I like having this here much better.  Got to have that HGTV on you know!

And this is what I am soooo thrilled about.  I have a place to organize the paper work and paper products of my business with Initial Outfitters.  It feels so much better to get this organized. Especially, since I have a big party coming up April 1st that I really want to have all my ducks in a row for.

And on this side of the desk I have placed my laptop.  I am going to work really hard on keeping my laptop up here.  I think it will help me limit my time on the computer more if it is not sitting there always open smack in the middle of my den.   Also, having it up here in the office now will help me stay focused more on business rather then pleasure all the time too.  Haha!

Well, that's what I am thinking anyway!

Thanks for visiting and

Wishing you the happiest 1st official day of spring!

Mary

have a great Monday!

--When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more then these?  “Yes Lord”, he said, “you now that I love you.”  Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”  - John 21:15

In this verse we are shown how important Love is to Jesus.  We are shown here that not only is Jesus concerned with our Love for him but also how we should show our Love for others. 

If you have been following my Sharing Jesus Sunday posts, you may have started to notice that I am currently concentrating on Love.    I will probably stay focused on this for some time as I believe this to be one of the most important characteristics we need to share about Jesus with others.  We live in a world that has so many different definitions and understandings of Love.  I want to continously share that we don't need to look any further then Jesus to truly understand Love. 

 This verse and the ones that follow bring me much comfort and hope.  I have often wondered how many times would Jesus have asked me if I truly Loved him?  How many times would he have rephrased the question asking if I Love him more then this or that or they?  It is comforting to know that he asked Peter 3 times, thus demostrating how important the issue of Love is to him. 

 Furthermore, Jesus shows us how important Love is to him by his simple command to; "feed his lambs."  By telling us to "feed" the lambs, we are instructed to nuture and care for something or someone.  It is an action word.  Do I feed his sheep?  Do I demonstrate my Love for Jesus by sharing his Love for others?   Do I truly share my Love with others? 

 Have you ever wondered who are his lambs?  Can we ever really know who the lambs are, should we even ask?   I like how we are not given this information only the action we are to take, to "feed the lambs."

 Yes, we are shown here in this verse that Jesus is very concerned with Love, real Love!  Are you?

Please continue to pray for those in Japan who are suffering in ways we cannot imagine.  Pray for those who are able to go and help and pray for support for those who are able to help here at home.  Pray for a world to be concerned with showing Love for each other!

Thank you for visiting again today!

Have a blessed Sunday!

Mary

I wanna be Irish!

Yay!  It's St. Patricks Day!  No, I'm not Irish but I sure would like to be!  Like a lot of people, there's just something about the beautiful land of Ireland that holds such special appeal to me, especially this time of year!

DUNGUAIRE IRISH CASTLE

Photo By: Karolos Trivizas

  Combine the allure of all that mystic beauty with the legends and lore then throw in some green beer and I'm in!   Albeit, my green beer of choice lately is Bud Light Lime, though. LOL!  Stay with me here now,ehh!  Still, who hasn't wanted to be Irish for a day, especially on St. Patty's Day?    Soooo...I set a little table scape for the Irish dreamer in me.

I sure do wish I had some of those gorgeous shamrock dishes I have been seeing out here in blog land, but I do not, so alas, what's an Irish girl wanna be to do?

Well, she creates her own there laddie!

Just add a few gel shamrocks to some green apple plates, along with Fransican Ivy and Butlers Pantry and I'd say your looking rather festive there. 

Don't forget the dark green Libby glassware...

....and some gold chocolate coins to entice the wee little leprechauns to come out of hiding! 

And with a bit o' Luck....

...you might enjoy the mystique...

...of being...

...Irish for a day! 

 Care to join me, ehh?

Special thanks to Kathleen of Cuisine Kathleen for inspiring me to use the gold coins.  I just loved this idea from one of her previous year tablescapes. Thank you so much for the inspiration!  Be sure and stop by Tablescape Thursday for more inspiring and memorable tablescapes.

  I hope each of you have a wonderful and happy

St. Patricks Day! 

Mary