Tonight should be fun!

3 of my mystery book club friends and I are going to DelFrisco's Restaurant here in Charlotte. It is Charlotte Restaurant Week. That means for $30.00 you get an appetizer, meal and dessert (beverages are extra). People usually love restaurant week because you can go to all the restaurants that are so expensive normally for $30.00. The steaks and lobster are to die for I hear-can't wait to sample the steak myself! This should be a really fun time!

Victorian Tea

I am a huge tea drinker (not so much lately with all the hot weather we have been having!). I love victorian or vintage tea pots, strainers, silver spoons, plates, tea cups, tea cozies and just about anything tea related. Sometimes our lives are so hectic it would just be nice if we could take more time to enjoy the lovely pass time of "taking tea". Vanilla tea is an all time favorite of mine. When I lived in northwestern NJ there used to be a shop that sold loose tea (along with other lovely things) and they had a vanilla tea from a supplier in Maine that I just loved! There is a tea shop in Fredon, NJ called The Tea Hive and they have a lovely assortment of teas also. There is one that is a spice tea and it is so good, I brought some home to NC with me the last time I went there. Not only is tea a wonderful thing but you have all the goodies that go along with it like scones, tea sandwiches, little petit fours, etc. So the next time you need to de-stress, relax just pour yourself some tea and enjoy!


Isn't this a beautiful tea set!


These are cream scones-I'll take one of those!


Here is a Victorian Silver tea strainer. I have 2 strainers, one is similar in style to this one (I received this in a swap from my dear swap partner, Angie at Just Simply Live-thanks again Angie!!)and the other I bought in New England in an antique shop. Just wonderful items!


I love the handle on this silver teapot-such beautiful art!


This little tea cup has a tussie mussie in it-how cute is that!


I love linens and tea linens are gorgeous! I've collected some real beauties over the years. I love my tea cozy I bought when I was in Ireland, it is linen with a toile scene on it.


What would a tea party be without a beautiful tea party hat! Isn't this a beauty!

Take time to enjoy life-I think I'll go an make my favorite cup of tea right now!

Mourning Doves and a Little Iron Twin Bed

For the last few days we have had two pairs of mourning doves walking down our garage roof, hopping onto the gutter on the garage and swooping into the courtyard bird feeder. We never really saw them here until the other day. They are such graceful birds and they always seem so polite! Here are some pictures of them making the garage roof decent:







Yesterday I told you John and I moved the lateral filing cabinet out of the second floor guest bedroom (which was formerly his office) and down to the garage it went. We then brought up the iron twin bed we had in the garage up to the guest room and set that up. Well I left out that this was Megan (our oldest daughters) bed for most of her little girl life. I bought it at an antique store for $25.00. I brought it home gave it a coat of white paint and then stenciled the headboard and footboard with the stencil I used in her room. Just having it back in the house reminds me of when she was little. Megan is now 29 and all grown up but she will remain a little girl sometimes in our mind, especially when we look at her little girl bed!



Here is the iron twin bed we put in the Guest Room.


Stenciling on the headboard.


Stenciling on the Footboard


I put this country pine nightstand up against the wall at the head of the bed. I'm not done decorating the nightstand but I thought I would include it anyway for now.

Saturday Adventures and a Wonderful Dinner!

Hi Everyone! John and I were busy all day-whew am I tired! First we ran errands after breakfast. Then we came home and moved a really heavy lateral filing cabinet down to the garage from the second floor. That was no small fete! Then we brought up the iron twin bed, mattress and boxspring that was stored in the garage. We put it together. I cleaned up my stained glass table, glass, equipment, etc. That wasn't easy either! I cleaned up and reorganized my jewelry creating table. Moved some chairs around upstairs. Then I went downstairs and marinated some beef cubes so I could make kebabs! They were marvelous!! I mixed yellow squash, zucchini, red and green peppers, onions, mushrooms and tomatoes with the beef cubes. I also steamed corn on the cob, which was just the best yet this summer! I love butter and sugar corn, it is my favorite. We also had some crusty bread from Trader Joes (that was were we got the corn too). It was all right, not much flavor. Now that is my perfect summer dinner! Here are some pictures of the kebabs, corn and while the kebabs were cooking on the grill I snapped some pictures of things growing in my garden in the courtyard. Everyone have a fantastic weekend!



Here are the beef kebabs cooking on the grill! They were so good and I have 4 more left for tomorrow too! Yummy!


This is butter and sugar corn, which my all time favorite corn on the cob! We bought this fresh this a.m. at Trader Joe's.


Here is the crusty bread we bought at Trader Joe's. It was good but not outstanding! Not much flavor.


Snapdragons always make me smile! These cheerful little plants are just so cute by my back door.


One of my all time favorite plants is Heliotrope! The scent they give off is heavenly. I have two pots of this lovely plant and I wish I had room for more!


More of my fav plant!


I couldn't resist taking this picture of the hosta blossom. I have another hosta getting ready to bloom too. These hostas this year have gorgeous, slightly scented blossoms. Just so graceful and beautiful.


This year I got a deep, rich red hanging geranium plant. I had John put up a hanger on the fence in the courtyard. The red coloring of the blossoms have attracted my little hummingbird friends.


Our one neighbor has trumpet vine growing up on his side of the fence. It started to bloom a week or so ago, but none were blooming on our side of the fence. Today one is in full bloom. Doesn't it look pretty!


Here are some trumpet vine buds that slipped through the fence. I thought this would be a good picture.

Hope you enjoyed all the pics and everyone have a wonderful weeekend! Enjoy!

TGIF Oasis!

How would you like to have a pool like this beauty in your backyard!! Very tranquil and beautiful! TGIF everyone!

Watermelon is awesome!!

The other day I went to Harris Teeter on my way home from work. What was at the door, well my old friend watermelon!! Now I have always loved watermelon, but I have to say this is some of the best watermelon I have ever tasted!! I think I'll stop back there tonight and get some more. I also picked up my other favorite fruit, cherries! I wanted the Ranier Cherries from Washington state but they wanted $5.59/lb!!! Cherries are not light so that would have been one hefty price tag at the checkout. I also bought some red seedless grapes. They are always so good when you come inside from being out in the heat-they are so nice and cool and snappy! I have been trying to eat better lately and these wonderful fruits really hit the spot!

Rain, Rain Everywhere and Peach Pie

Today started out cloudy and then as the day went on it got darker and darker. I had to go to an Architect's Office for work to pick up some Closeout Binders. While I was there a few big drops of rain splattered my windshield and I thought I could get back to the office before it started raining really hard. The Architect carried the big box of binders out to my car for me-that was very nice! Then I started the drive back to the office. Well all heck let loose and the rain pelted down on my car, then the thunder and lightning started. The wind was blowing the rain on my car so hard I could hardly see. I had to stop for a red light and the thunder was so loud it rocked my car. I turned on the radio and what were they telling me, "Mecklenburg County (that is the county I live and work in) was under a tornado watch!!" Yikes, I drove back to the office very carefully looking around as I drove for a funnel cloud-luckily I never saw any. When I got back to the office one of the guys held the door of the office while I struggled with the huge box and my purse. I was soaked through by the time I went the 20 steps from the car to the office. Chivalry is dead I guess, but atleast he held the door open for me. My shoes were soaked and my over shirt was too. I took my sandals off and put the over shirt over a chair to dry. I made myself a cup of hot tea and proceeded to work until 5. By that time the rain had stopped and my clothes had dried. What an ordeal!! I told John since I had such a horrible afternoon I need this:



LIFE IS GOOD- YUMMY!