Tablescape Thursday - a casual pre birthday table for my daughter.

Greetings Sweet Friends,

How are you this fine day????

I just came back from mailing Bonnie's package,

(the winner of my drawing last Thursday).  Can't believe

it takes a week to get from Florida to California.  So

she will have a long week of anticapation, which hopefully

will make it even more fun when it gets there.

Told yall before that I had done a casual pre birthday

table for my daughter too,  just cause they happened to

be coming over that evening anyway,  So here it is......

I decided to use purple only because I have these napkins

 that depending on how you fold them you can use different

 colors,  so have never used them with purple or lavendar, 

 so decided to raid the house to see what I could find 

that was lavendar or purple.

  So.....I  found this lovely large glass,  think it is a

 margarita glass maybe,  that we had been given from the

 Wedding of my son's best friend.  He was also like a 2nd 

son, cause he used to be at our house so much when they 

were younger. So.... when he and his wife got married

 these were the centerpieces at their reception,  and they

 had candles floating in them.  Also, her aunt did all

the lovely hand painting on them that you see!

I think they are just beautiful!!

Found a lilac swag in the closet from some years back,  when I was making

floral arrangements to sell,  and it had yellow and several shades of purple

or lavendar.

You can now see the napkins,  and as you can see they have some green,

gold and brownish colors as well, so decided to use a tan tablecloth.

and thought I would use my white basket weave plates,

cause they seem summery and flowery to me!

This looks like it has white in it,  but it is really pale yellow.

Thought my smokey green wedding crystal would go nicely

as well......

Thought this just looked interesting............

a shot looking down thru the glass of water,

hadn't added the candles yet!!

I like that the napkins have petunias and grapes 

in the purple tones.

This is a swag,  but I just tied it together with pipe cleans to make it

a large candle ring, and at first I was going to use crystal candleholders

but then decided.................

on the birds since it matched the white dishes!

Loved these unexpected shots looking up thru the

glass.....it looks like writing on the walls,  but it is

really the writing on the glass that you are seeing,

It says "Count your blessings" on one side

and on the other "one by one".

This was suppose to be a blue hour photo,

but doesn't really look all that blue..................lol

A lil look down the table....guess you can

see where the birthday girl sat!

and here is a similar picture with a photoshop affect,
Gradient map.......love the colors!

Now with the candles lit!!

This is with a  posterized affect!

This has a  lens flare affect!!

I get a kick out of these affects,  don't you???

Birdie thru the looking glass!  lol

More  pics of the great painting she did and also with

the candles burning!

I cut out some flowers and the dragon fly from some
 pretty lilac wrapping paper I had and taped it on
the gift bag,  and made her a card with lilacs on it
as well.  This pic has a posterized affect too!

I love seeing candles or flowers floating in water,

Just so pretty!

This last one has a posterized affect!

I am linking up to Susan over at
 "Between Naps on the Porch"
for Tablescape Thursday,  so if  you 
would like to see more creative tablescapes,
Just click here.


Thanks for visiting with me, hope you
enjoyed your visit and I always
 so appreciate your sweet comments.


Hope you have a wonderful evening
 with your family,  friends 
and/or furry friends!!  


Love,  Hugs and Lilac Blessings.
Nellie

Heart Tips Tuesday "Simple Pleasure" - Healthy Individual Fruit Pizza anyone???

Morning Sweet Friends,

and

How are you????

Hope you all had a lovely 

Labor Day weekend!!

We started ours out on Friday night shopping for

some short sleeved tops for me,  found two but they

had the long sleeves that you can roll up with the

lil tabby thing you button to hold them in place, wasn't

 totally sure about them but have learned to get them anyway, 

and if they don't work take em back......................

Think at least one is going back...........it didn't really

go well with the pants I had bought it to go with......

Oh well.................I really do NOT like shopping for

clothes,  and if I could send someone to shop for me,

I would just adore that!  Buying things for my home,

Now...........that is a totally different story,
I simply  love that.......................

Then we went to dinner at Olive Garden,  and had

just the loveliest gal as our server,  isn't it amazing

how a server can make or break your dining experience.

Well, she was a jewel.....................and the food was

wonderful,  as always!!

Then we went over to see Jerry's and soon to be Dee's

 new apt. It is very nice, a 2 bedroom, 2 bath. It is very 

unique, with wood floors in central living areas and carpeting

in the bedrooms, a loft with a metal spiral staircase, high 

ceilings and 3 stories up, I might add............I was winded

 by the time we got up there!!  Just teasing, sort of!!  lol

It is gonna really look great once they get it all guzzied

 up with all their new goodies.  Can't wait to see the

finished product.

Saturday  and Sunday were our typical, quiet and
relaxing, did get a few things accomplished around
here,  one being hubby got my windshield wipers
fixed finally..........took a while to find the part!!

Yesterday, we slept in and hung out for part of
the day then went to Home Goods to look around,
we both enjoy that store,  they have a lot of
unusual things,  didn't see anything calling my
 name tho..................and later we went to
Cracker Barrel to eat and look around their
gift shop,  they have the cutest things there.
Then we came home and watched a really
wonderful movie called "The last brickmaker
in America, with Sydney Poitier, exercised
on the gazelle and had dessert.
So it was a fun day !!
In fact,  we enjoyed the whole weekend!
and
We highly recommend the movie,  it really
was a great movie!

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

Now on to Heart Healthy Simple Pleasure.

Have you ever had a fun dessert called "Fruit Pizza"???

I have......... and I simply adore it,  but it is just not a heart
 healthy dish, unfortunately, at least the ones I have had in
 the past..............soooo, I came up with a nice alternative,

and even better it is made in individual servings, cause 

typically it is made like a whole pizza, and has fresh fruit

on top,  so if you don't eat it within a day or so,  it isn't

quite as good cause the fruit turns brown and yada yada!

Any who,  I discovered these......................

(Click on picture to enlarge if you want)

Great German Butter cookies named "Liebniz" Butter Biscuits"

 and they are delightful all by themselves............

  but they are even more delightful when you spread laughing cow

light creamy swiss cheese on top, (I lil wedge make about 5 cookies)

and the swiss cheese taste very much like cream cheese, then add some

 fresh sliced strawberries, peaches or bananas on top,  then sprinkle

 with just a lil sugar to taste, or sweet and low, if you prefer!

They are truly a lovely yet simple delight  that goes great with a 

cup of coffee.........................

or for a nice afternoon treat, or evening dessert,  ah......

I have even had them for breakfast a few times!!  lol

As for me, I really love fruit pizza,  but I would be the only 

one who could eat it in my household anyway, so these are

 a wonderful Heart Healthy alternative to a beloved dessert

 that is of a much richer variety; full of fat, sugar and

 hydrogenated oils. The neat thing is....  you can make

 them any ol time you want.... without much work,

  JUST FOR YOU!!
and you can even include your family or friends,
if you want..................lol

Surely a "Simple Pleasure" for this woman

Note:  my hubby never really liked fruit pizza before,

but has grown to love these lil babies,  and enjoys

them as much as I do.................

So............don't be surprised if you are making

them for the whole family soon..................and

it will be great to be giving them a treat that you

know is heart healthy.....................

Give em a try,  you'll love them!

Thanks for stopping in.....................
Love hearing from you!


I am linking up to Dayle over at
a little of this and that too, to
share my simple pleasure,  if you
would like to read about more
simple pleasures 
Just click here.


Hope you have a lovely lovely day!

Love,  Hugs and 

Heart Healthy Fruit Pizza Blessings,

Nellie

Welcome to Thankful Thursday - September 1, 2011 and the WINNER IS!!!

Praise the Lord.

How good it is to sing praises to our God,

how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

Psalm 147:1

Greetings Sweet Folks,

Hope you have had a very good week!

Oh my Heavens..........Can you believe it is September 1st???

I really can't............I am amazed,  but I am also happy to

know Fall is coming...................

and it is probably coming to my house next week,  at least

indoors............in Florida we have to fake ourselves out

and make it feel like Fall inside or Fall will  almost pass

 us by altogether............lol

Well, today is finally the big day and we get to see who

my "Fall Gifting" Winner is...................

I am waiting on hubby to get home to do the drawing, 

it is all ready for him,  but, he had to make a lil detour to

 get a part for the car,  but he want be too long......... I hope.

The rest of my post is ready, just have to wait

for the Winner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  lol

#1

I am thankful 

and happy to announce the winner of my  Fall Gifting,

and

the Winner is.............................

BONNIE......... over at One Designing Woman

Jim and I are laughing because we can't believe it........
I just won her give away some months back............
and it really isn't rigged,  I mixed them all up,
Jim drew and it was her.  Really wish I could send
you all something,  cause you are all such sweeties.

Bonnie is just the lovliest and sweetest lady and
has become a great blogging friend, and has been
 a tremendous blessing to me over the 2 + years I
have been blogging.  Bonnie is a lover of God,
 Family,  and beauty........She is living the retired
life with her hubby now,  and traveling and takes
us to some neat places.  Congratulations Bonnie,
Love you Girl,  and hope you enjoy your
goodies..............................

Send me your address by my Gmail acct.
so I can get your package in the mail.
Think you already have the address, if not check
my right sidebar..

Be sure to go over and check out Bonnie's blog,
and Congratulate her on her win.
Click Here

#2

I am thankful

for a lovely day with a sweet friend last Friday,  

we spent the day together, and it was just great!

Just the blessing I needed.

#3

I am thankful

for these lovely flowers she brought me that you

will see interspered throughout this post.

So enjoyed them all week,  and they are still going strong!

#4

I am thankful

that some spots, that looked like black grease splatters,

 that appeared on our family room rug, that we have

no idea where or how they came there,

We Were Able To Get Out!!   PTL

#5

I am thankful

for great products like Resolve carpet cleaner which

takes out just about any spot there is.............

A wonderful product!

#6

I am thankful 

for my carpet cleaner that also helped get

the spots out, and our shop vac which we had to

employ as well.  All huge blessings.

#7

I am thankful

for a fun afternoon out yesterday.  Had to go
to the chiropracter for a routine visit,  so did
some shopping by myself afterwards,  I was
shopping for items for children that are in a
 Haitian orphanage, and what fun that was,
and what a blessing to be able to do that!

Posterized of course!!

#8
I am thankful
that I decided to go wash a load of clothes this afternoon,
because between this morning and this afternoon sometime,
 my Era container sprung a leak and made a huge mess on
 top of the washer.  That happened before with our old
washer and it took the paint off the washer because
 it went unnoticed for a few days. Era is a very good
product as well,  it can get out those grass, blood and
tomato based stains.

#9
I am thankful
for the sweet time we had with Scott and Megan
on Sunday,  and the sweet time we had with
Dee and Jerry on Tuesday.

#10
I am thankful
I finally got a card off to someone today, that I have been
meaning to get to for a few weeks now.  I have been
thinking and pondering about what to say in it,  so guess
that helped with my procrastination.

#11
I am thankful
that Scott and Megan are getting to take a trip
away together for Labor Day.  Will tell you where
they went when they return.  May even have some
pics to show you!!  lol

 Another posterized shot!!  lol

#12

I am thankful

that sometime this weekend we get to go see the new apt.
where Dee and Jerry will be living when they get married.
 He is already living there, but they aren't really decorating
until after they get married,  but it will be fun to see it.

Well,  Sweet Friends................
Hope you have oodles of things
 to be thankful for, and that you share 
some of those blessings with us!!


Have a truly delightful Friday
 and Weekend!


Thanks for coming round,  and
thanks for all those sweet comments
you leave..................


Love,  Hugs, and
Rose Scented Blessings to you!

Table Top Tuesday - What to do with carnations with no stems

Good Morning Sweet Friends,

Hope you had a lovely weekend

and a good Monday!

Ours was very good,  we got some much needed

yard work done,  watched a really cute and sweet

 movie called "Ramona and Beezus",  went to a 

going away get together for our Music Minister,

which was really neat..... but sad,  went to church, 

 as usual,  on Sunday, then spent the late afternoon

and evening visiting at Scott and Megan's place.

It was our kind of weekend.

Well,  told you last week I would show you what

I did with the non stemmed carntions I had left

over after DeeAnnna's birthday dinner.  

If you missed that post and would like to see it,

 just click Here!

I am linking up to Marty over at a stroll thru life,

so if you would like to see other creative

table tops ideas just click here.

Color of the carnations was a  bit off here as you will see!! lol

Initially, I just decided to float them in this round bowl

and had them just sitting on the counter,  but it was

sort of in the way,  so thought............

really need to find something else to do with these

that would look nicer and not be in the way ......

but wasn't quite sure what I could put them in

so I did a lil scavenger hunt of the kitchen and 

came up with this...............

My french corning ware bowl,  but then it wasn't high

enough so I turned another one upside down and

place the one with the carnations on top,  that gave

it the height it needed,  so then continued to

make my vignette.

Used a teacup and pitcher, then I always love for things on

 the table to have a lil candlelight, so added some candles 

but needed more red so added some red fruit since there is

 fruit in the wallpaper. 

It certainly brightened up the kitchen.

Here it is with the candles lit!  Love to burn my candles

cause it just looks so pretty.

The middle carnation was looking sorta bad,  so took it out

and replaced it with a candle holder.

Here it is with the candleholder in the middle again,

Do not know how these pics got out of sequence.

Now only one carnation left,  so had to redo the

vignette a little!  So still enjoying it..........probably

will enjoy it until I redo things for the Fall.!

You know I  had to have at least one posterized pic in here!

Have to say I enjoyed the change of the red since

I have been using pastel colors all spring and summer.

I typically use red in the Winter Months,  So it was

a fun change.

Just 2 days left for you to sign up for my drawing,

if you are a follower and a U.S. resident.

Click Here to see the details about it.

I extended it until Thursday, Sept. 1, 20ll,  so.....

 make sure to stop over that evening to find out

 who the winner is......................

Cause it just might be you!!!  lol

Thanks for stopping in.... always glad 

to have you visit anytime.............

Have a Terrific Tuesday,

Love,  Hugs and 

Red Carnation Blessings to ya!!

Nellie

Welcome to Thankful Thursday - August 25, 2011

(Pics compliments of Better Homes and Garden magazines) 

Praise the Lord, O my soul.

I will praise the Lord all my life,

I will sing praise to my God as

long as I live.

Psalm 46:2

Greetings Sweet Peas,

So how has your week been???

Bright and Cheery, I hope!

Here it is again.........Thursday,

Really can't get over how quickly

these weeks go..............

It has been a rather uneventful week around here

but it has been a good week.  The highlight of our

week was Dee's birthday celebration, cause as you

know by now, we always love getting the family together!

Which makes me think of a thankful for my list

#1

I am thankful

for the great birthday week she had...............

and the great time we had celebrating before and

after her birthday.  There is still one more tablescape

to come..................much more casual tho!

Will share it next week probably.

 #2

I am thankful

we were able to get a red throw for her, that she has on her

wedding registry,  but was discontinued.  She was disappointed

that they didn't carry it anymore,  but they had some left so

we were able to get it,  which wound up being a very nice

surprise for her.  

#3

I am thankful

for this lovely young lady at Bed, Bath and Beyond,

that was such a help to me, when I was shopping for Dee's gifts.

She was the one who clued me in about the throw and she had 

such a servant heart and just went above and beyond!

She really blessed my day!!

#4

I am thankful

I was finally able to get all my pics posted for 

Tablescape Thursday since I had already invested

a lot of time,  even if it was later than usual.

#5

I am thankful

we got some much need yard work done that

was beyond the norm.  Not as much as I would

have liked but it is a good start.............

#6

I am thankful

that it looks like hurricane Irene is going to

pass us by here in Florida,  will be even more

thankful once she has passed us,  but are sure

praying for those that have been in her path

already, and praying that she just goes out to

sea and doesn't strike anywhere else..

#7

I am thankful

it is so nice and breezy here today,  don't know

if that is because of hurricane Irene or not,

but it is most pleasant!

(update:  just heard on the news this breeziness

and wind gust are due to the hurricane,  sorta

thought so......................)

#8

I am thankful

for a full 8 hours of sleep last night,  cause that

is beginning to be a rare happening for me 

these days.

#9

I am thankful

that my hubby went to talk with our neighbor

about the dog incident I told you about earlier

in the week,  and even tho, the neighbor appeared 

to be rather inebriated, he was very sorry, apolgetic

 and nice about it all,  and even showed my husband

 where he had put in a zip line run in, so he can keep the

 dog tied up to keep the dog in, because he keeps jumping

 the fence which is a 6 ft. wood fence. He said the german

 shepherd only does it when the Rottweilers does so......  I

 haven't seen hide nor hair of them since.  The neighbor also

 said if this doesn't work he might have to get rid of the dog.

Felt bad to hear that,  so sure hope the zipline works

#10

I am thankful

to hear that a sweet lady that passed out in our worship

service Sunday morning, and who was taken to the

 hospital is fine and home resting.

#11

I am thankful

that my hubby is enjoying his new job so much.

He is really enjoying the work atmosphere and the

things he is working on and is having good success.

He had several trying weeks in the beginning! 

 #12

I am thankful

that all of you that got the "Sweetest blog" 

award seemed so tickled and happy with it.

and thanks to all of you for your very kind

comments back to me.

Well,  that's a wrap!!  lol

Thanks for the your visit, and

love your sweet comments

Hope you have a 

Wonderous Weekend!

Love, Hugs and

No Hurricane 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!!