Got The Blues

Hello, Dear Ones! Well, it was time to play around in my little kitchen hutch. I still call this little area The Breakfast Room even though it's just on the other side of the kitchen! Old habits die hard.

 First, I've pulled back the sheers on my middle bay window because we wanted to see the snow! I still love my little kitchen hutch and it's a soft green color. The soft green acts like a neutral and seems to go with any color. So it was time to fiddle with it.

 This house just seems to scream BLUE! I know I've said that before but the siding is a light blue, I've started adding some blue to the living room, my bedroom is evolving into some blue colors, my sewing room has soft blue walls and the kitchen island has a dark blue corian counter top. SO...I pulled out my blue and white Currier and Ives dishes (well, some of them) and poked them into my little kitchen hutch. I love how the blue and white looks.

 See?

 A peep of all of my pretties on each shelf.

 Here I wanted to show you my casserole dish that I filled with greens and an artichoke. Artichokes go with anything. I just love the sweet scenes on these dishes.

 More peeps...

I know the oil and vinegar containers aren't Currier and Ives but they are blue and white and I love them.

 The teapot! I love my teapot!

 I'm enjoying my new look for a while. The brightness shining through the window from the snow is so beautiful! I really am enjoying this winter. I don't get out in it much but I love to look at it. Hope you're all nice and toasty warm today.

I'm joining Balm To My Soul for Snickerdoodle Sunday 
Dwellings for Amaze Me Monday

Be a bunch of sweeties,
Shelai ;)

I'll leave you with a little Note Song~

Love Is Blue

Blue, blue, my world is blue
Blue is my world since I'm without you
Gray, gray, my life is gray
Cold is my heart since you went away
Red, red, my eyes are red
Crying for you alone in my bed
Green, green, my jealous heart
I doubted you and now we're apart
When we met how the bright sun shone
Then love died, now the rainbow is gone
Black, black, the nights I've known
Longing for you so lost and alone
Gone, gone, the love we knew
Blue is my world now I'm without you. 
~ sung by Andy Williams

Balloon Valances

Hello, Dear Ones! I have something new to show you today. Guess what it is?

Did you guess it?

I made a little balloon valance for the window by my piano. It's been nekked since we moved it.

I'm a little cheat and will fess up to you, because I love you! :)

 

When I bought these curtains back in September I combined a couple of pairs to fit the width of my front window.  I also lined them because it helps them hang better and I think just looks better. I'm so talented like this you know! :)

At that time I also bought another pair because I knew I wanted to do something to the back window of my living room. It's taken me all this time just to get down and do it! You don't procrastinate do you? Naw, neither do I.

I had to combine two sets together again because the window is 72 inches across, well it's actually 2 windows. Then I lined these too because the afternoon sun comes in here and I knew it would fade the color of the curtains pretty fast. I then zigzagged over some crochet string at the seams, in the very center of the curtain and on each end. I know that's a crazy way to make my gathers but I've been doing this for centuries! :) THEN...I pulled up the string very tightly and made large knots at the top and the bottom and I was done. I know there's a strip with little holes that you can buy and pull through to do this but I don't think it pulls up tight enough. So, my silly cheating way. Works for me! You're probably saying, "What?"

When I finished the curtain I remembered that I had some trim. I loved that I had plenty for the bottom of my curtain and the colors matched! Woo hoo! Now here I go cheating again. I didn't sew this trim down, I hot glued it down. If you use a little straight line of hot glue and carefully add your trim it works just fine and is so much easier and takes so much less time than sewing it down. Whew!

So now my living room windows are covered - no more nekked windows! Now don't think I'm crazy. I know that my window treatments are different from each other. I thought this would work since the room is so long and each area is it's own. Do you think they work? Well, whether or not, they're stayin'! :)

I'm joining Cozy Little House for Tweak It Tuesday

A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday 
Our Home Away From Home for Tuesdays At Home 
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday 
No Minimalist for Share Your Style Thursday
A Delightsome Life for Home and Garden Thursday

Be a bunch of sweeties,
Shelia ;)

I'll leave you with a little Note Song ~

Without You (love me some Harry)

No, I can't forget this evening
Or your face as you were leaving
But I guess that's just the way the story goes
You always smile but in your eyes your sorrow shows
Yes, it shows
No, I can't forget tomorrow
When I think of all my sorrow
When I had you there, but then I let you go
And now it's only fair that I should let you know
What you should know
I can't live if living is without you
I can't live, I can't give anymore
I can't live if living is without you
I can't give, I can't give anymore
I can't live if living is without you
I can't live, I can't give anymore
I can't live if living is without you
I can't live, I can't give anymore
If living is without you 
~ sung by Harry Nilsson

Crocheted Topsy Turvey Doll

Hello, Dear Ones. Well, I've been keeping my crochet hooks pretty hot and wanted to show you what resulted after they cooled down!
Ta dah!!

 I made Carter a little Cinderella Topsy Turvey doll! Isn't she sweet? I remembered the topsy turvey rag dolls when I was a little girl. I had one where one side was a little girl crying then you lifted up her skirt and there she was again but this time she was smiling. I just don't know what happened to her.

 Here is the Princess side. Oh, she is all decked out in her bippity boppity boo gown with jewels on the skirt.

 Here you'll see she has on jeweled earrings and a tiara on her head. Carter says it's a crown. Well, crown it is then! :) Granddaughters rule! Her long blond hair has been done up in a very Princessy style just for the ball.

Oh, what a time Cinderella has had at the ball. She danced every dance with Prince Charming but she almost forgot! The clock is about to strike twelve and you know what that means!

 Yes, so sad, so sad! You know what happened. Cinderella's ball gown turned back into her poor poor pitiful little dress with patches, complete with apron and head scarf. He beautiful Princessy hairdo became her poor little raggedy hair again, with strands escaping out from under her head scarf.

 What a sad experience but...

 as she went back to doing all of the housework for her wicked stepmother and mean ole stepsisters, she cherished the memories of the night she had spent dancing with Prince Charming. We do know the rest of the story and it's a happily ever after ending. I just love those, don't you?

 Okay, just once more for your viewing pleasure - underneath the Princessy blue skirt is the raggedy little Cinderella.

Underneath the raggedy skirt is the Princess Cinderella. How fun this is - going from rags to riches.

Needless to say, Carter loves her little topsy turvey doll. I am patting myself on the back on this one because it did turn out so adorable. It really wasn't very hard and if you want to please a little girl in your life just grab your crochet hook and some yarn and then GO TO TOWN!

If you're interested in the free pattern just click HERE as it's on the Ravelry site.

I'm joining Silver Pennies for  Silver Pennies Sunday Link Party
Sew Many Ways for Sew Darn Crafty Linky Party 
Dwellings for Amaze Me Monday 
Smiling Sally for Blue Monday
Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday 
Cozy Little House for Tweak It Tuesday 
Our Home Away From Home for Tuesdays At Our Home

A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday

Be a bunch of sweeties,

Shelia ;)

I'll leave you with a little Note Song ~ 

Rags To Riches

I know I'd go from rags to riches
If you would only say you cared
And though my pockets may be empty
I'd be a millionaire
My clothes may still be torn and tattered
But in my heart I'd be a king
Your love is all that ever mattered
It's everything
So open your arms and you'll open the door
To all the treasure that I'm living for
Hold me and kiss me and tell me you're mine evermore
Must I forever stay a beggar
Whose golden dreams will not come true
Or will I go from rags to riches
My fate is up to you
~ sung by Tony Bennett

Transferware in the Dining Room

Hello, Dear Ones! Come on into my dining room and let me show you what I set up on my olden buffet.

 I love dishes and I love to poke them on the wall too. I had a similar arrangement in my old Texas house but in this new/old house I actually added more plates to my wall in the dining room. I love them. Red and white or pink and white transferware! I'm smilin' here!

 I just love this look! Sigh...

 I thought I would carry on with the transferware groove and started poking down some Red Willow on my olden buffer (whom is nameless!)  Red Willow is the sister transferware to Blue Willow. Same sweet story, same sweet images but just a different color. I have seen purple too.

 Here you go...all transferwared out!

 Love the dainty shape of my little tea pot. Blue/Red Willow was considered 'the poor man's china' many years ago because it was so affordable and yet such a beautiful pattern. I have mentioned this in a past post, but when you're watching old westerns, most of the time at the family dinner table they will be eating off Blue Willow dishes! Don't you just love that? Rich or poor, I love it and most of my pieces are by Churchill.

I totally fell in love with the salt and pepper set when I found them and so guess what I did? I bought two sets! I poked one set of the sweet little couples under a little cloche.

 This little tiny precious darling piece is not from the Willow set but I've had it a long time, love it and it's similar in color so...it looked perfect to sit here. I'm so talented like that! :)

You can see the other pieces I have added to complete my little vignette. Now if you'd like to sit down I will brew us some tea and I'm sure I can come up with a cookie or two! :)

I'm Joining Northern Nesting for Share Your Style 
Imparting Grace for Grace At Home 
Rattlebridge Farm For Foodie Friday and Everything Else Party

Be a sweetie,

Shelia ;)

I'll leave you with a little Note Song ~ 

Strange Magic (love me some ELO)  ;)

You're sailing softly through the sun
in a broken stone age dawn.
You fly so high.
I get a strange magic,
oh, what a strange magic,
oh, it's a strange magic.
Got a strange magic,
got a strange magic.
You're walking meadows in my mind,
making waves across my time,
oh no, oh no.
I get a strange magic,
oh, what a strange magic,
oh, it's a strange magic.
Got a strange magic,
got a strange magic.
Oh, I'm never gonna be the same again,
now I've seen the way it's got to end,
sweet dream, sweet dream.
Strange magic,
oh, what a strange magic,
oh, it's a strange magic.
Got a strange magic,
got a strange magic.
It's magic, it's magic, it's magic.
Strange magic,
oh, what a strange magic,
oh, it's a strange magic.
Got a strange magic.
Strange magic STRANGE MAGIC
oh, what a strange magic STRANGE MAGIC
oh, it's a strange magic.
Got a strange magic.
Strange magic STRANGE MAGIC
oh, what a strange magic STRANGE MAGIC
oh, it's a strange magic.
Got a strange magic,
got a strange magic,
you know I got a strange magic,
yeah, I got a strange magic,
oo-o-o-oo, strange magic.

~ sung by Electric Light Orchestra

Poking Stuff on the Dining Room Table

Hello, Dear Ones! We're covered in snow and more seems to be coming but we're excited about it all. So...I had a little time on my hands and since my dining room table was nekked (that's Texan for naked but since I live in New York now, I guess it's transplanted Texan) I decided to fiddle with it.

 I grabbed my olden glass punch bowl. I didn't have to travel far to get it since it was just on the buffet but I did grab it gingerly. :)

 I grabbed my faux fruit which I love. Can you love faux fruit, you might ask? Well, you bet your apple seeds you can! I started filling up the punch bowl with apples, pears, oranges and all the other little fruits that make your mouth water. I did poke in a few artichokes so they wouldn't feel left out.

 Grapes are cascading down the side and I left a few fallen pieces on the tray. I love that.

 Do you like this? I love this olden punch bowl and underplate and it was given to me by my Aunt Alma and was made by Heisey glass. I have the punch cups too.

 I folded and pleated up both ends of my olden crocheted runner. Now I wish I could tell you I crocheted this but I can't. I found it at a thrift shop a few years ago.

 The sun is shining bright through the windows and smiles down on my little dining table vignette.

 Here you can see this side of my dining room. Now PLEASE ignore that disco ball chandy. One day we'll get another one. Still on the lookout for a rug to go under the table and chairs and then will I be done? Probably not! Are we ever done with decorating our homes? ;)

Do you like my new header? Well, I can't leave well enough alone but thought this one looked more like 'me' than the one I had before! :)

I'm joining Dwellings for Amaze Me Monday 
Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday 
Cozy Little House for Tweak It Tuesday
A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday

Our Home Away From Home for Tuesdays At Our Home

Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

I'll leave you with a little Note Song ~

You Needed Me


I cried a tear, you wiped it dry

I was confused, you cleared my mind
I sold my soul, you bought it back for me
And held me up and gave me dignity
Somehow you needed me

You gave me strength to stand alone again
To face the world out on my own again
You put me high upon a pedestal
So high that I could almost see eternity
You needed me, you needed me

And I can't believe it's you I can't believe it's true
I needed you and you were there
And I'll never leave, why should I leave, I'd be a fool
'Cause I finally found someone who really cares

You held my hand when it was cold
When I was lost, you took me home
You gave me hope when I was at the end
And turned my lies back into truth again
You even called me friend

You gave me strength to stand alone again
To face the world out on my own again
You put me high upon a pedestal
So high that I could almost see eternity
You needed me, you needed me
You needed me, you needed me

sung by Anne Murray