If you like paintings check out this giveaway at Cottage Hill!

Lindy at Cottage Hill has a fabulous giveaway going on until September 3rd. Click on the Cottage Hill button on the right side of my blog and you will be there instantly. Here are the painting previews:







Aren't they just wonderful! Hurry on over to Cottage Hill and leave your comments, etc. to win one of these wonderful paintings!

I love Coastal Living Magazine!

I got an e-mail from Coastal Living today. They always have such beautiful pictures on their website. Here are a few I'm going to share with you:


How would you love to have an Al Fresco Living Room like this one! I am so there!


Or maybe an outdoor dining room like this one!


I would hardly ever have to go on vacation if I looked at this everyday!!

I could look at these pictures all day! Enjoy!

Autumn Front Door Wreaths

Our autumn front door wreath needs to be replaced this year. I am going to make one and I've been looking on line for some ideas. Here are a few I found that I really like:











I may just take a little idea from one wreath and a little idea from another. Our front door is black, so some of the above pictures are really perfect selections for our black door. I'm looking forward to creating this wreath and when I do y'all will be the first to see it!

The Baby Blanket I have been working on

I have been working on this baby blanket as most of you know. I have been having major problems with it, but now it is going along just fine. I am a little more than half way done and I thought I would show it to you.


The pattern is the basket weave pattern.



I will be taking a sock knitting class for 3 Saturdays in September, so I guess you will see socks on here in the future!

Nice dinner and visit last night!

Last night Jenny and Kevin had us over for dinner. John drove me to work and picked me up so we would only have one car and so that we could ride together. Jenny made a wonderful spinach dip and a Rachael Ray dish with macaroni, chicken and a little wine. She is really blossoming in her cooking talents :)! For dessert she made really great cupcakes (they were lemon, which was wonderful) with chocolate frosting. She really put alot of thought into that because she knows I love lemon and her father is a chocolate-aholic!! We all chatted about movies, books, their house, etc. and just had a wonderful time! We will have to do it again soon! Thanks Jenny and Kevin-we love you both!!

Wordless Wednesday AKA Is that me at work-LOL!!!!

Nothing much going on

Nothing much going on so far this week to blog on. Work has been busy, but not crazy. I had knitting group last night and that was great! I missed last week so it was good to see everyone. One of the girls are going to college and we had a little party for her. I signed up for a sock class, which starts the first Sat. in Sept. and will go until the 3rd Sat. in Sept. Tonight John and I are going to Jenny and Kevin's for dinner-that should be really nice.

That is about it so far! Everyone have a lovely day!

Sunday Musings

This morning John and I slept in and then went to our favorite diner called BigView Diner. There is always a crowd there and today was no different. We had a 30 min. wait but that just gives John and I time to catch up with each other and plan the rest of the day! After we got home I decided to add some paint to the ironwork piece I painted a few weeks ago. It was rusting pretty badly and I didn't want it to get ruined (even though I like some pieces rusty). I painted the whole thing with cream Rustoleum. Today I took brown and green and rubbed it over the little birds, leaves and stems on the piece. Here are the before and after pics:

Before:


After:



It looks so much better now. It stands out from the brick more.

Then I had to take some pictures of what was going on in my garden. There really isn't a whole lot going on right at the moment but here are some pics of what is:


I love the color of this Dianthus!


This is a Rose of Sharon blossom. My Dad gave me this Rose of Sharon and it was only a seedling about 12" tall and now it is 4 feet tall and it has these wonderful raspberry sherbert colored flowers on it! Thanks Dad!!


This is my one hosta's flower. I thought the picture turned out really great with the sun coming behind it! Love it!


This is another hosta flower that is in bud. I thought it looked really fantastic so I thought I would snap a picture of it. I love the way it turned out!


Here is another view from the side.


This is the last of the phlox blossoms with a hosta nearby.

Two of my favorite ivy plants:





So all I have to do today is download the last of my BOCD from the library and read. What a great weekend! I wish they were all like these! Enjoy your day!!

Thoughts of Autumn and Knitting

I know my header conjures up wonderful summer moments but I have noticed Fall is starting to creep into the scene lately. The leaves are started to turn on some of the bushes around here and some of the flowers are just getting plain exhausted from their wonderful summer show of brilliant color. While it has been very hot here in the Southeast I am sure a little cooler weather will be making its appearance shortly. Not only does it seem Mother Nature is getting into the Autumn mode I have been entertaining thoughts of Autumn! The other day I made an apple crisp for work and that seemed to start the ball rolling towards thinking differently. That smell of apples and cinnamon were just enough to push me gently toward the next season! I love candles with Autumn scents, apples, pumpkins, Indian corn, beautiful wreaths,the smell of woodsmoke from peoples wood burning fireplaces, beautiful colored leaves, etc. Autumn colors are so rich and glorious! I know some of you (especially people who live in Northern climes) are saying, "is she crazy with Autumn coming that means old man Winter is just around the corner!!" I can't help it-I really love that time of year!

I have rediscovered knitting, which works well for this time of year too! I go every Tuesday to a little knitting shop in Mint Hill, NC called Cottage Yarn. We bring all of our projects that we want to work on. It is very therapeutic for me after a long day at work! I looked online for some pictures to share with all of you that represent this lovely hobby of mine and here is what I found:


The wonderful art of Knitting!

I just love the colors in this yarn! Just gorgeous! I might have to contact the person on etsy.com and buy some of this gorgeous yarn!







Aren't these little black and white lambs adorable! I just love all the lovely wool yarns that are available today!


You just have to love the alpaca! They have such cute little faces. I love their yarn because some wools are scratchy and I react to the rough texture, but alpaca is very smooth and luxurious feeling! If you are allergic to wool try alpaca-it is wonderful!

I would love any of these 3 afghans keeping me warm on a chilly day or night! Sitting in my reading chair with a cup of tea and one of these beauties would be a perfect time for me!








This lovely ivory lace knitted shawl is just gorgeous! Someday I really want to learn how to knit lace. It is so gorgeous! I think this shawl is so delicate it is just gorgeous and reminds me of the weight of a spiders web.

So in conclusion, I am getting myself ready for Autumn and will probably be knitting alot more this year! Enjoy whatever season you are in at the moment! Off to have some hot tea!!

Roast Mortem by Cleo Coyle

This book tour and review wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for Crazy Blog Tour (http://crazybooktours.blogspotcom) I love Cleo Coyle's Coffee House Mysteries and this one does not fail the reader! I really think this is her best coffee house mystery yet.

Here is a review from amazon.com:

After local firefighters pull Clare out of a blazing café, she happily comes to their rescue by teaching them the finer points of operating their newly donated espresso machine. But matters really heat up when somebody is torching cafes around the city and firefighters begin to die in suspicious ways...

Believing the two events are related, Clare investigates, staking out a five-borough bake sale and sniffing out clues in the pizza ovens of Brooklyn. When her detective boyfriend, Mike Quinn, is pulled into the fire of a false accusation, Clare is desperate to put out the flames. But will she be able to come to Mike's rescue before someone tries to extinguish her?
About the Author
Cleo Coyle is the pen name for a multi-published author who collaborates with her husband to write the national bestselling series of Coffeehouse Mysteries. They also write the bestselling Haunted Bookshop Mysteries under the pen name Alice Kimberly. They live in Queens, New York.

My review:

There was a lot of action in this book, something happening all the time. Clare Cosi still feels the need to solve crimes and she also finds time to cook and the recipes are shared with us in the back of the book. If you love coffee, coffee shops, mystery and intrigue pick up this book at your local book shop! Enjoy!

Whine about the weather!

I am sorry to say but I am jumping on the bandwagon of whining about the weather! Yesterday we had some wonderful thunder, lightning and rain storms here in Charlotte. I thought it would be good because that would eliminate the humidity and the extemely hot temps-well was I wrong!! It is now like a tropical rainforest here! We really needed the rain here, even the trees were starting to droop and I'm all for a rainy day to relax and read, but the humidity is really horrendous!! It affects everything. Doors don't seem to close as good, your hair is out of control, nothing seems to fit right because it is sticking to you body, etc., etc.

Can you tell I am so ready for Fall to arrive it isn't even funny! Hope everyone has a great Friday!!

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

The Uncommon Reader is a novella, which is good for me right now because I have so many books to read right now. Here is a review from amazon:

Publisher's Weekly: Briskly original and subversively funny, this novella from popular British writer Bennett (Untold Stories; Tony-winning play The History Boys) sends Queen Elizabeth II into a mobile library van in pursuit of her runaway corgis and into the reflective, observant life of an avid reader. Guided by Norman, a former kitchen boy and enthusiast of gay authors, the queen gradually loses interest in her endless succession of official duties and learns the pleasure of such a common activity. With the dawn of her sensibility... mistaken for the onset of senility, plots are hatched by the prime minister and the queen's staff to dispatch Norman and discourage the queen's preoccupation with books. Ultimately, it is her own growing self-awareness that leads her away from reading and toward writing, with astonishing results. Bennett has fun with the proper behavior and protocol at the palace, and the few instances of mild coarseness seem almost scandalous. There are lessons packed in here, but Bennett doesn't wallop readers with them. It's a fun little book.

That is just what I thought about this book it is a fun little book! It was a quick read too! I can just picture the Queen reading every minute she can, while looking like she is waving to her subjects, etc.! It is a great summer read!

Eat Pray Love Movie

Last night a few members of The Charlotte Weekly Bookclub and myself went to see Eat Pray Love. I thought the movie was wonderful! I really want to go to Bali and Italy now! Here is a review of the movie from amazon.com:

Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir of enlightenment gets the deluxe treatment at the hands of Glee creator Ryan Murphy, who bathes every scene in a golden glow. Unaccustomed to being alone, Liz (Julia Roberts) exits her marriage to Stephen (Billy Crudup, quite good) only to enter into an affair with an actor (James Franco, curiously uncomfortable), who introduces her to meditation. Just as her editor, Delia (Doubt's Viola Davis, making the most of a small role), longed to have a baby, Liz has longed to see the world. Delia persuades her to seize the day (plus, money presents no obstacle). First, she travels to Italy, where she noshes from Rome to Naples, making new friends along the way. Then, she heads to an ashram in India, where she meets a bride-to-be and a remorseful man (Richard Jenkins, heartbreaking), who nurture her altruistic side. Her sojourn ends in Bali, where she reunites with Ketut (Hadi Subiyanto, hilarious), the healer who first encouraged her to reassess her situation. While there, she befriends a single mother and a single father (No Country for Old Men's Javier Bardem) who falls for her charms. In an improvement over his version of Running with Scissors, Murphy combines two Oscar winners, two Oscar nominees, and four countries to follow one woman's path to fulfillment. Like Julie and Julia and How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Liz's story becomes more involving as she lets go of the superficial, but Murphy's movie still represents a triumph of escapism over spirituality. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Wordless Wednesday

Under the Weather Today

I'm off work today because I don't feel good. I'm sipping tea, sleeping and reading. Hopefully I'll be my old self tomorrow!

It's Monday again!

Why is it that the weekends go flying by and it's Monday again!! I really think the whole country should work a 4-day work week and have a 3-day weekend. Works for me-LOL!! This weekend was really nice and relaxing with John. We also saw Ken and Megan yesterday. They went to Church with us and then we had lunch at Red Robin. We are having computer problems again so Ken looked at it and for the first time since we have known him he couldn't figure it out! John will be taking the tower over to his friends at Best Buy and see if they know what happened. We did find out that my laptop is the only computer in the house that is 100% all right and works great!! Thank goodness we have that.

Tomorrow night my bookclub, Jenny, my youngest daughter and I are going to see Eat Pray Love. It is always a great time with the bookclub group, so it should be lots of fun! I have heard alot of hype about this book and now the movie, I hope it lives up to everyone's expectations!

Everyone have a lovely day!

Here is the updated picture of John and I on our Anniversary that I promised!

I showed all of you last week what John and I looked like on our wedding day, in December of 2004 and now I'll show you today's version.


I'm afraid this is a little dark. John and I are at the Blue Basil Thai Restaurant having our anniversary dinner.

John had also bought me a dozen beautiful long stemmed roses the color of the roses in my wedding bouquet and here are the pictures of those:





We had a wonderful dinner and evening! I hope we have another 31 or more years together!

Wishful thinking....

This has been a long, busy week! I thought I would wrap up the week with some wonderful pictures of swimming pools at resorts. I wish I was at either one of these lovely pools for the weekend. I can dream and imagine myself there!





TGIF my friends!

Blue Basil Thai Food last night!

John and I celebrated our anniversary at the Blue Basil Thai Restaurant in the Blakeney section of Charlotte. We had a wonderful meal and the company was spectacular-LOL!! I had Pad Thai and John had Ginger Talapia. Both were very good! I had a red raspberry martini and John tried some Thai beer, which he said was also very good. The atmosphere at the Blue Basil is very relaxed and the service is wonderful. Here is a picture of some of the food they serve there:


The dish on the lower left of the picture is the Pad Thai and the picture on the lower right with the orchid is the Ginger Talapia. The presentation of all the food there is so beautiful too!

We then went all American for dessert and drove over to Carvel for a sundae! We are both dieting but we allowed ourselves to have a "cheat" day. When we got home John had a huge bouquet of roses for me the color of the roses I carried in my wedding bouquet 31 yrs. ago! What a sweetheart!!

Today is our 31st Wedding Anniversary!

31 years ago today John and I were married. We were married in John's hometown of Oradell, NJ. We planned the whole wedding and paid for it all by ourselves. Our best man knew I loved horses and had horses in the past so he hired a horse and carriage from Central Park to take my sister and I to the church and then John, myself, my sister and him to the reception. We got married at 11:00 a.m. on a beautiful, sunny August Saturday morning. As soon as we said our vows the wind started blowing and then right after we took pictures at the renovated train station and pulled into the parking lot for the reception the sky just opened up and it rained all the rest of the afternoon! My mother-in-law said it is Irish good luck when it rains on a wedding. I guess she was right because here were are 31 yrs. later!!

John and I were introduced to each other at a Christmas Party. My boss, Mary actually introduced us. We were both dating other people at the time, but that changed after we met each other. We actually had a date for the day after the party for Brunch and we told each other we were going home to break up with the people we were dating. I know that is cruel a few weeks before Christmas but we just couldn't help that we had fallen in love with each other! We were engaged by April and married by August-whirlwind but wonderful.

Here we are on our wedding day:



Don't you just love my hat and John's baby blue tux-LOL!!! Our girls just can't stop laughing when they see our wedding picture! What do you want it was 1979!!

I loved my dress though, it was simple but it was mine. Our daughter, Jenny surprised me and asked if she could wear my dress when she got married 2 years ago! It fit her like a glove, just like when I got married.

Here is a picture of John and I taken in 2004 at another Christmas Party:


I think tonight I'm going to ask the waiter/waitress to take our picture. It is about time we update our picture!

John and I have had 2 wonderful daughters, many memories with each other and our girls, wonderful homes, wonderful vacations, our health, laughs, tears, joys but most importantly of all we have each other! I hope I have another 31 or more years with my sweetie! That's what I call him all the time-the girls giggle at me when I call him that, but he is my sweetie!

Love you always John and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you!!

P.S. My header today is the Oradell Train Station where we had our wedding photos taken.

Wordless Wednesday

Tonight is Knitting Group!

Tonight is knitting group! I had to end up ripping out the baby blanket I was working on. I found out I forgot to knit 10 rows to start the blanket. I really don't know how I missed that. I put it down to more practice! I have quite a bit done and it is looking really good. When I get a few more rows done, I will post it on here. I will definitely post it when it is completed too.

I'm bringing along the knitting book I won too. I want all the girls to see Diane's (Bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com) daughters (along with her co-authors) talent. I have already shown this book to my friend on Saturday and she is going to make one of the sweaters!

The ladies in this group are very special to me-they make me laugh, look at the positive things in the world, we pray for each other, chat and just about anything can be talked about and shared!

I hope all you knitter's check out Diane's daughters book-it is really worth a peek and purchase!

Flowers, Flowers Everywhere!

If you have ever read my blog you know my favorite things are flowers, gardening, reading, knitting and making jewelry. I got up early this morning and I was surfing the web and found a picture of some flowers at the NYC Flower Market. I decided to google NYC Flower Market and I found some beautiful pictures that I'll share with you in a little bit. I used to live in northwestern NJ until 6 yrs. ago when John and I moved to Charlotte, NC. We used to go into the City quite frequently but I cannot say I ever got to the Flower Market. I have heard about it and read about it and always wanted to go there. Some day I will go there! Here are some beautiful pictures I found that I would like to share with you! Enjoy!


Here's a small section of the Flower Market-look at all the gorgeous, beautiful flowers!


More flowers waiting to be purchased.


Look at all the gorgeous, rich blue flowers! I would be in heaven if I was there!!


Hydrangeas are one of my all time favorite flowers. When I saw this picture I just wanted to reach in and grab a bouquet for my table!!



This picture was actually from the Martha Stewart website. Martha said these Juliet roses are her favorite. They could be my favorite too!

Hope you enjoyed your little tour through the Flower Market. If you live in NYC or anywhere there is a flower market I would go there and see all these beautiful treasures. It is like looking at a jewel box! Everyone have a great weekend!