Tea, Anyone?

We went to the big city this weekend.

Chicago!!
Our main reason for the trip was to visit with my husbands mother.
She had surgery and was at Northwestern hospital.
She is doing great and we were happy to sit and visit!

We stayed at The W Hotel on Lakeshore Drive.
The hotel is a very contemporary hotel.
Not really my favorite decor but it was actually fun
to check out all the funky furnishings.

The next 3 photos are the lobby of the hotel.
Comfy seating?...... Not!

This was The Wave restaurant.
The restaurant over looks Lake Michigan.
The food was excellent.

And here are a few shots of the rooms.
I've decided that modern is not always about comfort.

For me, the best part of the hotel stay was my morning tea!
I am not a coffee drinker. So tea is my caffeine of choice.
I had the most amazing Earl Grey tea in the morning
and a wonderful green tea before bedtime.

"Tea Forte" is the brand and the hotel served it in these
really cool clear glass cups and saucers.
The cups, saucers and teapots are also made by Tea Forte.

I felt pretty cool sipping my tea!
And the flavor of the tea is so wonderful.
I love, love, Loved it!

And...get a load of these pyramid shaped tea bags with the little leaf on top.

And the best part of all is I found it online HERE.
The prices are higher than what I buy at the supermarket
but less expensive than at Starbucks.

I think I will save my new tea for times when I need to pamper myself.
Or...I'm thinking it would make a great gift for someone
who loves tea as much as I do.

So relax and have a "spot of tea" today.

Jackpot!

Ever heard of April Cornell?
Over the years I had come across her things.
They are very colorful! Very French!
She designs fabrics for home furnishings and clothing.
She is from Montreal Canada. That's why the French influence.

Click HERE to check her out.

About a years ago I came across these great kitchen towels.
A set included one striped and one floral towel. I bought 2 sets.
They became my inspiration
for my kitchen/gathering room area of the home we just moved in to.
Loved Them!
(Did I mention that I found them at TJMaxx for a great price!)

And the search began.
I wanted more of this floral pattern.
So I looked every where I went.
I looked on line, only to find a short apron.
It looked like this pattern was discontinued:-(

But... after a year of keeping my eyes peeled.
I hit the jackpot!!

I found a whole slue of April Cornell in my pattern, at TJMaxx, ten minutes from my house. I did a happy dance, right there in the store.

Napkins, place mats, a round tablecloth,
pot holders, oven mitts and even a totebag!
I probably over did it, but I find other uses for napkins and pot holders!
(A napkin to line my onion basket or to put on the bottom of a tray,
a potholder looks great under a Yankee Candle and so on.)
And after all the price was right!

Oh Happy Day!

Growing old gracefully

Do you remember a very old commercial that talked about
growing old gracefully?
As I get older I think about trying to "grow old gracefully."

There is dignity in being able to grow old without
kicking and screaming!

Especially in this day and age when looking younger is just a phone call and a doctors visit away.

One women that I personally look to to help me stay grounded is
Diane Keaton.
To me, she is who I aspire to be.
I love her style and her natural beauty.
She has made the 50's & 60's look sophisticated!

And then there are are those women who just say screw gracefully!

Did you really look at this photo?!!

OMG!!



Love to hear what YOU think!

I think I'll stick with Diane Keaton as my role model.
How bout you?

Hope I made you chuckle!

What's a Vanity Tray?

Have you ever heard of a Vanity Tray?
I hadn't.
But I thought I needed something to put perfumes and colognes on.
They just sat there on my dresser and I didn't like the look.
So....I started looking. And I found a perfect one online.
It was very French looking but.... it was out of stock!

Here's a very small photo of it. Sorry!

This is what our dresser looks like.

Do you recognize the picture above our dresser?
I took a picture of my picture and used it as my blog header!
Ha!

So off to look. I found this tray at Hobby Lobby on clearance for about $4.00.
It's upside down, so I could show you how dark it was.
It was a very dark bronze color.
Not what I was looking for.

So...I bought this stuff. It's leafing. (about $5.00 & I had the brush)
Which I had only seen in thin sheets, that you brush on.
But this was like a paint.
I was a little nervous but I didn't have much invested so I gave it a try.

I followed the directions on the jar and brushed it on.
It was easy to do but it dries fast so I had to hurry.
It's also water base so I cleaned my brush with water. Cool!!

I also bought a glass disc in the candle section of hobby lobby.
(1/2 price, about $3.50)
You could use a mirror disc also.
But for me the glass was the look I wanted.

The bottles reflect off the glass and I love the look!

Sometimes when I get these great ideas they don't always turn out.
But this one I loved!
(I'm not sure I am ready to show you things I do that I don't love!)

Now...... for those sconces that I hate the color of!
I like the fixture just not crazy about the color of the metal with the rest of my decor.
I am thinking I might use the bronze or antique gold liquid leafing on them.

If I get up the nerve, I'll take a photo for you to see.

Happy Tuesday to You!

He's a Redneck Dog!

That's right I have a redneck dog!
Along with Lulu our English bulldog I also have Leo,
our crazy redneck dog.
He looks a little rough around the edges and he never sits still.
As you can see it took several shots to get a decent picture of him.

My kids nick-named him "the redneck dog"
because he has crooked teeth,
he's a little crazy and his fur sticks out all over the place.

I got him for a huge discount. Leo was a clearance dog!
He was at the pet shop so long
that they had to keep dropping his price.
He was hard to potty train, chases deer all over our property,
and even sits right in front of cars as they try to drive down the driveway.

But.........

I just love him!!

I think we all have a little redneck in us!
We all have a bad hair day, can be a little stubborn and act a little crazy!

So... have a redneck kinda day!

Snow, Snow go away!!

As I look out the windows of my house all I can think is ugh!
More snow!

It just makes me tired.
Know wonder people in warm climates are healthier.

A couple of months ago when I looked out my window
all I could think was how pretty the snow looked.

Maybe a soft comfy chair and a good book?
What do you think?

Have a good weekend!
And if you live some where warm and sunny..... you make me jealous!

I Love Movies!

T0day was a great Day!
For a short time I forgot how much I wished this winter was over!
I went to lunch and a movie with my oldest and dearest friend, Gina.
We talked ourselves silly and then went to see a chic flick.

"Dear John"
It was a sweet, sappy movie and we enjoyed it!

Sometimes I miss the plot of the movie because my eye starts to wonder.
I find my self looking past the characters and checking out the decor.
My new favorite movie for great looking decor is

"It's Complicated"

I laughed out loud during certain scenes and
Meryl Streeps' house in the movie was wonderful!
The movie was set in Santa Barbara California. And the house is a Spanish Style Ranch.
The movie is directed by Nancy Meyers.
And she pays attention to the details.

The Kitchen!
Love the big window, the marble topped island and the open shelving!

Check out the pot rack!

Love the warm colors in the family room.
How about the blue pillows, do they catch your eye?

The Bedroom!

I love the two pictures above the bed.
I really like how close together they are.

The window and the tub catch my eye in the bathroom.

And I couldn't resists the garden.
Oh how I wish I could plant a garden like this!

My other favorite movie house is in "Somethings Gotta Give"
This movie is also directed by Nancy Meyers.
Along with "The Holiday" which has a English cottage that I love.

Oh how I love the movies!


So go see a chic flick with your bff, it's good for your soul!

Oops!

It was brought to my attention that people couldn't post a comment.
So..... I checked it out and I think I have the problem fixed!
Sorry!
As I said, I'm new at this stuff!