Tablescape Thursday - Happy Birthday table for my daughter!

Greetings Sweet Friends,

Hope you are having a good day......

it is clear and beautiful here right now!

Told you I would share Dee's birthday

table this week,  so here it is..........

I was trying to incorporate some things

that we had included in her initial wedding 

reception so she could still enjoy them, since

 they have decided to just go away, and do a

destination wedding.

So here is the birthday girl.........I finally remembered to take

some pics once they got here,  I usually get to caught

up in the festivities!!  lol

Here is her special spot at the table!

She had her own personal lil bouquet,

and she was planning to have chocolate

covered strawberries at the reception.

and her colors were going to be red, black and

white and possibly some plum.

These pics are not in the order I wanted them to be,

 but was having some difficulty losing them once they were

 uploaded for some reason. 

It was going to be red roses tho,  but at the time I needed them,

  I could not find them, so decided the red carnations would have 

to work, cause I wasn't going to spend a fortune at the florist.

Notice the black and white print on the bottom of the

vases,  those are cupcake papers in a black and white

print my daughter just loves, I purchased them to put

the strawberries in and then decided to try it at the

bottom of the vases.......and liked how it looked.

I found the lil round vases on sale at walmart for $1.49 each

 cause I wanted them to look like lil bouquets like you would carry!

  So they were perfect!  

This is a look down the center of the table.

She was the only one with a placecard!

and this is the napkin fold she had chosen,

it is called the tuxedo fold I think.  I turned

it upside down tho.

Here is a look from the side, and of course, she would
have had candles as well.

This is another look from the side.  You might notice that

some of the pics don't have the carnations in the bowl yet.

That is because I pretty much just did her placesetting, when I 

started taking pics cause I didn't know how long the carnations

 would last out of water.  So I waited till when she got here to put

them in place, so this was taken once she arrived.

Just for you information,  the carnations last well,  out of the

water for about 3-4 hours,  in case, you might like to try

using them sometimes,  then later I just floated them in a

bowl,  since the stems were already cut off. 

Here is a picture without the carnations in the
separate bowls, make a big difference .

With my fav photoshop affect - posterized

Another posterized affect

This is done with a lens flare affect,
Love the soft romantic quality it gives the photo!

This is with a paint daubs simple affect!

This is with a gradient map noise affect.
Love the colors!!

This is with a paint daubs sparkle affect!

This is with a different lens flair affect.

This is with a paint daubs dark rough affect.

Another lens flair affect!
It was perfect for filling in that bare spot!

This is another gradient map affect!

Another gradient map affect, special affects,  I think it is!!

This is a photo filter affect -  warm with Luminoscity
I loved how it looks,  with the light seemingly coming
thru the napkin, how cool is that!!

She took the vases of carnations home afterwards
and put them on her black dining room set.
Haven't seen it but she says it was very pretty,
which I thought it would be..............

 Isn't this just the perfectly heart shaped strawberry??

After dipped in chocolate it was the perfect heart shaped
chocolate covered strawberry for the birthday girl!!  lol

And since I had chocoate leftover,  hmmm,
what else could I used it for...........so decided on these
wonder German made butter cookies I buy,  they are
wonderful,  and I do a number of things with them.
First time to try them with chocolate.........but have
to say they were delcious!! 
In fact, I  have already made more...........
just for me and hubby!!  lol   

Strawberries posterized!  So whimsical!

This was the main dish,  Tilapia,  baked potatoes,  nice tossed
salad and great wholegrain bread.  This Tilapia recipe is very
easy and very delcious...............I always let them pick their
 favorite and this was my daughter's choice.  What you see
on the potatoes that is white,  it is kosher salt.  My son puts
olive oil  on them,  and then rolls them in kosher salt,  after
the taters (lol) have been cleaned well.  He learned that
 working at "Outback" Steakhouse years ago,
 when he was in college.


Maybe I will post the recipe soon on one of  my 
Heart Tips Tuesday's.


I am linking up to Susan
over at between naps on the porch
Click Here
to see more lovely tablescapes.


*********
Decided to link up to Sue too,
over at it's a very cherry world 
for Rednesday
Click Here
to see more neat red things!


Hope you enjoyed your visit,  
love having you come by.


Want to see what I did with the carnations that were
 embellishing the bowls...........come back next
week for Tabletop Tuesday and I will show you!!


Have a Terrific Thursday, and I will
 be posting Thankful Thursday as well, 
 just later on tonight!!


Pretty Table Blessings, 
Nellie

Please.. if you are a follower and haven't been
by in awhile check out the Drawing I am
having on September 1st and let me know
if you want to participate!
Click Here!!

The Irresistibly Sweet blog Award

Hello Sweet Folks,

So how are you this fine Tuesday!

I am honored and excited..........

just found out over the weekend that Patti from over at 

"They don't make them like they used to"

gave me this Sweet Blog Award, and I do mean sweet

cause that is what it is called "The Irrestibly Sweet

Blog Award".  How Cute!!
Thank You so Very Much Patti,  it was very
Special to me that you thought of me, and it was
appreciated very much.

I so appreciate Patti cause she is truly a Sweetie
herself.............we have kindled a friendship thru
blogging but sort of knew each other years before
because we attended the same church so we did
know each other just not really well,  but Patti
took a trip to Florida recently and we got to spend
 some time together and it was really lovely to
see her again,  and get to know her a lil better!
If you would like to check out her blog,
They don't make them like the used to
Click Here

Anywho,  I am suppose to tell you 7 things about

myself that none of you know about me!

#1

I worked as what they would now call, a pharmacy

tech at one time.

#2

I have never had any medical surgeries,  thank

the Lord!!

#3

I am really a natural brunette, but became a blond
by mistake, but liked it, so I kept it!!  lol

#4

I love the town of Savannah, Ga. and have only

visited once in the summer, but hope to go back

some time when it is cool weather.  Way too

hot in the summer for me!!  lol

#5

I used to be very good at art when I was in Jr. High,

 and my specialty was mixed media collages.  That are

 made from torn colored paper, like magazines. 

#6

I won first place in an Art Show with a starving dog

collage I made. My Art teacher was the inspiration,
she suggested it and gave me a picture to go by.
It made me proud but think she was even
prouder!!  lol
She used to work with my grandmother years
before she had me in her class,  so guess I was
a lil special to her cause of that.

#7

I only have half and step brothers and sisters,
and one of my half brothers (the one I lived with
most of the time) and one of my step sisters has
 gone on to glory already! My brother had Lou
Gehrigs disease,  and my sister cancer.  Yall might
remember hearing about my sister as that was just
 last year

************

Now I am suppose to choose 12 people to bestow
 this award on..................

I will just tell you... that I feel like you should be

able to do whatever you want with this award.

So if you want to give it to no one, or to one

other person, or twentyfive people,  that is 
entirely your call!  Some of you may be award
 or tag free, so hopefully,  this will relieve
 your worries about dealing with it.  I totally
understand why you are, as it does take
some work!!  So just enjoy it!!

So here goes, these are my blog choices;

I have included their blog addresses so you can
visit and Congratulate them if you would like!!

1. Rebecca over at Life and Godliness

Click Here

2. Cass over at an Oasis in the dessert

Click Here

3. Poetic Soul over at I love this poetry

Click Here

4.  Sue over at I need Mom

click Here

5.  Joanna over at Joanna's Journey

Click here

6.  Jo over at lazy on loblolly

Click here

7.  Diane over at Pittypat paperie

Click Here

8.  Caroline over at shop cinderella moments

Click Here

9.  Ginger over at we three bears
Click Here

10.  Jessica over at Mother Daughter Tango
Click Here

11. Rachel over at Inspired house of Wright
Click Here

Know I am suppose to do 1 more but don't know
if they would know who I am or not since I follow
 but haven't left any comments lately since they never
 leave comments either,  so am gonna stop here!

So if you aren't on this list, please don't feel bad,
because I love reading your blog as well, but  I'm
pretty sure you were probably on the list of one
of the two other blog awards I gave away within
 the last 2 years........... I like to try and get
 everyone that I correspond with,  if possible.
I like to be a fair and balanced Awarder! lol

Thanks for stopping by, always 
love to hear from you..............


Have a Blessed day!


Hugs, Nellie

Please make sure to 

check below:

*********************

If you are one of my followers, and a U.S.

 resident, but haven't been by since Wed.

August 10th, be sure and check out this post.
Click Here

because I don't want you to miss out on

a chance to win my drawing.

 I want to Gift one of you sweet bloggy friends. 

Read about it and let me know if you

 want to participate.

I have decided to extend the Drawing until

September 1, 201l, since many have been 

busy getting children ready to go back to

 school and enjoying their last weeks of

summer and haven't had time to visit

 around and I wouldn't want them to 

miss out..................

I will announce the winner on my 

Thankful Thursday post that evening!

Thanks

Monday Manna - Retelling a story from Beth Moore

Happy Monday to you Sweet Friends,


Hope you had a most enjoyable weekend.

The highlight of our weekend was celebrating my
daughter's Dee's birthday on Saturday, cause we all had
 such a great time!  Food was good, but the fellowship
was even better................
  Will probably post her birthday table on Tabletop
Tuesday or Tablescape Thursday this week,
So come back......if you would like to see it!!

I got the scare of my life this morning.............
I took our lil Chijuajua Grandaughter dog,  Rosie out to go
 potty this morning, and as soon as I opened the door she
took off running towards the side of the house so I started
running after her and scolding her to come back,  and all
of the sudden this huge and I mean huge Rottweiler ran out
of the woods by our shed barking, and surprised me so,
 I  sort of screamed from the shock, and he started
 barking in an even more threatening way.  He was just
 4-5 feet away from us, Rosie was a lil ways away from me
out in the open, I at least was by the grill, so I was terrified
the big dog was going to attack Rosie cause she is such a
peanut, then she runs at him, and as she did, I quickly
 scooped her up, ran as quickly as I could to the screened
 porch, and the dog ran back into the woods, so I ran in
on into the house. Then once we got in the house, I was
looking out the window to see where he went, and then
 here comes a big German Shepherd out of the woods
 in the same place and then the Rottweiler came right
 behind him.  I am so thankful they did not both run
out barking at us, at the same time!!

I have to say it took about 10 mins. to calm down,
but I soooo praise the Lord for his protection, and
making that dog run away from us.  Cause it was truly
 scary.................certainly got my adrenalin pumping is
all I can say,  and took my breathe away as well,
 but not in the nice way I usually mean that!!  lol

So anyway,  on with the Beth Moore Story......

*******************
I wanted to retell a story that Beth Moore told on the

 "Life Today Show" on Thursday, 8-18-11 while it is fresh

 in my mind.  It was such a poignant story and was so

 touched by it myself,  just thought everyone might like to

 hear it,  just hoping I can do it justice! 

 Cause I am not going to give all the previous details that

 she did,  but the major gist of it.

Beth and her husband Keith were in Angola, Africa, 

on a mission trip,  and they were staying in what she 

described and I would call,

 A NO FRILLS MOTEL,

 just your very basic necessities,  and a bathroom

with a swinging door, and no privacy.

For a number of reasons she decided to go down to

 the front desk, one of which was to use the restroom, so

 she could have some privacy.  As soon as she got into

 the restroom and thought "Oh, Praise the Lord, some

 privacy",  they had a Black Out, and it was pitch dark,
can't even see your hand in front of your face, dark.

  She said that happens all the time in rural Africa, and you

 just have to wait it out,  and you never know how long it 

will take for the power to come back on.  So she begins

 to feel her way around in the bathroom,  runs into the sink,

  then feels her way over to the light switch and tried it just in 

case, it might just be that room,  but No go,  then she feels

 her way over to the door and thinks as soon as she is

 out of there she will have some light.

Much to her chagrin as she open the door to go out

 it is the same utter darkness.....................now she is in  the

 hallway,  but can still see nothing,  but she can hear whispering,

 but since she was in Africa she did not understand the language,

 and was beginning to feel fearful as to why they were whispering,

 then she hears heavy footsteps that sounded like a man coming 

her way...................she is now terrified and shaking as the steps

keep coming closer and closer,  so she is thinking I need to say

something, so she says something like I 'm here, I 'm here and

kept repeating it a few times,  and as the footsteps kept getting

closer and closer and she was getting more panicked, out of

the darkness, she heard her husband say, "Babe, it's me, I'm
coming to get you, just stay right there, I'm coming to get you!!
 and she said that was the Sweetest voice I had ever heard,
and I could not wait to get my hands on my man,  so I was
 stretching out my arms hoping to feel him in the darkness,
 and then he came and she said I clung onto him like there
 was no tomorrow, and then she said....................

That is what we need to do when we are in a dark place
spiritually, we should say to the Lord in our desperation........
 I'm here, I'm here..... please come and get me,

Then......we would feel His comforting presence because

if we look for other ways to comfort ourselves we will

miss out on the comfort of Christ!  I was so struck by

 that last sentence..............................

Makes you wonder how many times we miss out on
His comfort just because we don't think to cry out to HIM.

This of course, was my paraphrase of what I heard

on TV and don't know if it will carry the same impact 

as when I heard it, Beth is so descriptive and always

 better hearing about something, than reading it too.

  There is a possiblility you might be able to hear it too, 

 if you go to "Life Today Show" and click on watch 

Beth Moore,  and look for the August 17, 20ll show.

  I was gonna post it on my blog last week,  but could 

not get it to play the last part for some reason, which
is where this story was.....

 and I tried it a number of times, but no go,

 so just decided to write about it.

It could have something to do with the streaming on
our computer possibly.

Anyway,  Hope you have a
 Monday full of Manna.

Thanks for stopping by.............

and to all you Mom's who sent your Chickies back

to School today......put your feet up,  have a nice cup

of coffee or tea,  and read a magazine or book you enjoy

and

enjoy your day of silence.................

and if you were like me.........it is a bitter/sweet day,

you might shed a few tears cause you hate to see them

 go back school, yet you are looking forward to having

 a schedule again!!

Hope all the Chickies have a 
Wonderful New School Year!!

Blessings to All...................

Nellie

Also make sure to check below:

*********************

If you are one of my followers, and a U.S.

 resident, but haven't been by since Wed.

August 10th, be sure and check out this post.

Click Here

because I don't want you to miss out on

a chance to win my drawing.

 I want to Gift one of you sweet bloggy friends. 

Read about it and let me know if you

 want to participate.

I have decided to extend the Gifting until

September 1, 201l, since many have been 

busy getting children ready to go back to

 school and enjoying your last weeks of

summer...........................

Thanks

Welcome to Thankful Thursday - August 18, 2011

Greetings Sweet Friends,

My my my.....Can't believe it is Thursday

again already!!  lol  These weeks are just

truly clicking off in the blink of an eye.

Trust this find you doing well,  and

getting ready for another weekend.

It's been a good week around here.... a little bit of busy fun,

preparing for DeeAnna's birthday which leads me to my

first thankful.

#1

I am thankful

for this lovely young woman we call our daughter.

DeeAnna is truly a delight and blessing from our Lord.

She is all girl........a girly girl for sure,  which this Mom

has always loved,  and she is very smart as well, and

getting sweeter and sweeter all the time.

#2

I am thankful 

for my camera, and especially the new digital cameras,

cause you can take all the pics you want and then just

delete those you don't want,  what a wonder!!

They are so wonderful,  they can make anybody become
 a better photographer cause you can practice all you want

without it costing you a dime. Certainly works for me!!

( I've been playing with photoshop again,  this is a colored pencil affect).

#3

I am thankful

for Photoshop.............it is just fun.............love playing with the

affects,  yet have soooo much to learn,  but it is a hoot,  and

you can do a lot of things with it besides putting affects on.

#4

I am thankful

that God made beautiful and assorted flowers for us

to feast our eyes on and enjoy so much.

All these pics came from a bouquet Jerry gave DeeAnna.

I thought they were so beautiful!!

#5

I am thankful

for all the variety and colors that God surrounds us with
 on a daily basis.  His creative hand is just overwhelmingly
amazing!  and to think he paints a new sunrise and sunset
 daily,  and no two are ever the same!
  I call that Awesome!!

Same pic with a paint daubs affect

#6

I am thankful

for time,  and that God gives us times to rest,  like

bedtime,  and Sundays,  or just a lil nap every so

often...........what a pleasure.

#7

I am thankful

for my bed,  it is one of my most favorite places to be......
when I am tired!!

 Equalized and posterized affect

#8
I am thankful

we finally got our yard done, even tho, we did have to do some
 of it in the sprinkling rain.  lol
Actually, it was kind of fun,  makes you feel like a kid again!!
Had to wash my hair anyway,  so it was perfect timing.   lol
 It has been pouring every night before now.

#9

I am thankful

for a wonderful Christian lady named Beth Moore.  She is like
a dynamo for Jesus!!  She is a wonderful teacher and I just
heard her this morning, telling this wonderful story about some
thing that happened to her,  and she used it to illustrate a
wonderful point about how God is always ready to
comfort us in our times of need.

I decided to do a post on it for next Monday 8-22-11.
So come on by .............

 equalized posterized affect

#
10
I am thankful
that I got to spend some time talking with a long time
friend who has been feeling so bad she hasn't felt like
talking......still has the problem..... just having a better day.

#11

I am thankful

a cute new purse I got a couple of weeks ago, and

am gonna finally use it for the first time.  It has 

ruffles on it,  so cute!  It was nice to finally find

the right color too,  it is a cream color,  and 

haven't seen to many casual purses that color!!

 Inverted affect

#12
I am  sooo thankful
for God's leading and his protection. I was going to meet
 hubby after work, and I didn't get too far from home and it
started raining really hard, so I called him and asked him if it
 was raining where he was and he said yes, and looked pretty
bad, so we decided not to go out,  and I headed back home.
It was raining very hard, and about a 1/2 mile from our house
 my windshield wipers just stopped, but then I realized they
were like stuck together, and I was having a very hard time
seeing because the rain was coming down so hard and right
into the front of the car, so I hit the wiper gadget in the car,
 and they moved but then just got stuck worse, now I can
not see in front of me at all,  fortunately there were no cars
 on the road, and I was just praying Lord please just get me
 to the next street, which is the street before ours, then once
I turned I could see cause the rain wasn't coming directly
at me,  but as I was driving home I realized if we had not
decided to come home, I would have been on I-4 which
could have really been bad!!  Cause I could not see a thing!!
So Very Happy to be Home!!
Praise His Name........................

That wraps up my Thankfuls for the week,

Hope you share some of yours too!

Thanks as always, for your visit and

comments,  they bring joy to my heart!

Love, Hugs,  and

End of  School Vacation Blessings,

Nellie

Hope you have a great end of Summer

weekend!!

Also make sure to check below:

*********************

If you are one of my followers, and a U.S.

 resident, but haven't been by since Wed.

August 10th, be sure and check out this post.
Click Here

because I don't want you to miss out on

a chance to win my drawing.

 I want to Gift one of you sweet bloggy friends. 

Read about it and let me know if you

 want to participate.

Thanks,  Nellie

Happy Birthday Miss Dee

(Roses for you, special delivery from Life Beautiful magazine)

Hello Sweet Friends,


Hope you are doing well.


Today I wanted to dedicate my
post to saying

Happy Birthday to Our 

Sweet Daughter, DeeAnna

Here are a few recent pics of her.

We were actually trying to get pics

of the bows on Rosie's ears,  but

captured these shots of her as well.

I love this shot!!  you need to click
on it to get the best affect,
but 
these below are much better!!
and the include her other side
 kick, better known as her
 fiancee, Jerry

they were both good, so couldn't
just pick one!!  lol

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl,


We love you...........
 and are very proud of you !!


May your day be Special in
every way,  just like You!


Daddy and I wish you
 a Beautiful Life
Full of God's Amazing Grace!


See Ya Saturday............
Love and Blessings,
Mom