White is All Around Me

I love color. I really do. But something about this chippy Christmas ornament drew me. So much, that I display it year round in my kitchen.




This ornament, same story as above. I got them for Mister for Christmas, but, well... it worked out this way, instead. This one has a great coiled spring design to hang it by.




I'm not sure where we got this little Christmas tree, but it is so darling, that I must keep it out all year, as well.




Milk glass is so lovely. This vase belonged to my maternal grandmother.




Not strictly white, but white is the background color. I still remember Chickie in this dress. She was crawling by then. It was so comfy and cute for her. She got a lot of wear out of this one!




The edging on this doily/dresser scarf is so beautiful. And so wonderfully white and old.




Okay, so you have to look a little harder to find the white here, but it's here! Look under kitten Clarence's chin. See it?

Have a wonderful, chippy, White Wednesday!

Carol

Joining with Faded Charm (fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com/) for White Wednesday!

Met Monday

My favorite hydrangea of all. Beautifully white, romantic, old fashioned.




I waited all summer for it. It blooms later than the snowball hydrangeas.




I'm so glad I didn't pick any. The blooms lasted so long on the bush.




And then......




...wait for it....




Now they're Pink!




Just sayin'......

Have a wonderful Monday, metamorphosis or not!
Carol

Joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch (betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/) for Met Monday! Make sure to link back to her to learn about A Story of Hope and Healing...

"Colette Gauthier was given a 5-15% chance of survival by her doctor. She had moved into a dismal rental house and was out of hope. Kelee from The Katillac Shack went to Michigan and with the help of Guideposts Magazine where she is their Inspired Home Expert, she created a beautiful makeover to change Colette's "sick" room to a healing space."

God in My Garden

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses




And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.




And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;




And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.




He speaks, and the sound of His voice,
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,





And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

C. Austin Miles



Reliving a bit of the 2010 Summer.....
Carol




Linking with The Tablescaper (thetablescaper.blogspot.com/) for Seasonal Sundays!!

Another Mantel

Our house has no original fireplaces. It was heated with steam radiators. Still is, except for the addition.




So, this is a mantel. Attached to the dining room wall. When we moved in, it was painted brown. I painted it white. I also painted the wall inside the mantel a flat black. I like it. Chickie helped me paint the walls.




We like color on our walls. All the walls had been antique white, with colors on the trim work. Now it's the other way around.




The detail on the mantel is lovely. The previous owner was an antiques dealer, so the mantel was picked up somewhere on her travels.




It's great to decorate the top of the mantel for different seasons. In a few weeks, I'll be bringing out my winter garland to lay along the top.
We hang Christmas stockings from it during the holidays.

Have a fabulous Friday and wonderful weekend!

Carol


Today I join Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday. (myromantichome.blogspot.com/)

Lovely Stay

Just back from dropping Chickie off at college. She's a freshman, so it was a new experience for all of us! We got her moved in, and then hung around town and found a place to stay for the night.



We got the last room here, at The Priory.




Here's the view of the city from the front entrance.




The Priory was built in 1888 to house the Benedictine priests and brothers that served St. Mary's Parish.




There was attention to every detail. The finishes were perfect.




That's the door to our room, there on the right. It was right near the front desk, and the 3 windows overlooked a lovely courtyard.




Public area to relax,




another parlor for enjoying oneself.




All the windows were arched.




The courtyard was lovely. We breakfasted here. Mister insisted.




Here are the 3 windows to our room that overlooked the courtyard.

Checked out, said one last good bye to dear Chickie and headed home.

Have a wonderfully Vintage Thursday!

Carol
Linking to Suzanne for Vintage Things Thursday at http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/

Empty nest

As I become an empty nester, there are different emotions. An emptiness, a sadness and sense of ending. But there is also hope, a release, a looking forward. Yes, this is my Chickie....as graffiti...




My pot of purple coneflowers bloomed incessantly and profusely all summer. Yesterday I glanced at the pot and saw this:




Not much to look at today....but there is a promise of hope. Black-eyed Susans. Lots of them just starting out. At the end of August?!




Mister gave this hibiscus to me for Mother's Day a year ago. It barely survived the winter indoors, as Someone was using it for a climbing tree. It looked pathetic but kept blooming. This summer I trimmed most of the growth off, and it is now a much taller "tree", thriving at the new height it's reached which is hopefully higher than a young kitten will climb this winter. New life. Hope.




"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11




Find rest, O my soul, in God alone:
my HOPE comes from Him.
He alone is my Rock and my salvation;
He is my Fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God;
He is my mighty Rock, my Refuge.
Trust in Him at all times, O people'
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our Refuge.

Ps 62:5-8



In the 40-some years that I have been a Christian I have seen His faithfulness again and again, even when I am not faithful. He is always present, even when I do not sense Him. He knows every detail of every situation and has it under control, and can be trusted with all of it.
I can trust Chickie to Him. After all, she is His, not mine.

Have a Hope-filled Sunday!
Carol

I am linking with Weekly Words to Live By with http://acottageindustry.typepad.com/a_cottage_industry/2010/08/words-to-live-by-week-180.html today!

Favorites

Here are my very favorite parents. Their college pictures, and then me in the middle years later. Today is Mom and Dad's 55th Wedding Anniversary! Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! You're the greatest!
(Now, I don't know if you noticed the quilt in the background. The workmanship is amazing. My maternal great grandmother made it and someday it'll be featured on a post.)




Cats, pictures of cats, statues of cats, whatever, with a cat on it, if it has to do with cats, I love it. This little one is so happy. He comes running and chirping to see me. Wherever I am at home, I turn around, and there he is! I tell him, "Cute and friendly will get you pretty far in this world!"




I love the pattern of the sun through the trees. This is what I see, right now, as I type. The pattern of sun and shadow and green leaves is so wonderful.




Old books. Looking at them, smelling them, touching them, and, of course, reading them! Right now I am re-reading for the umteenth time the top book, ".....And Ladies of The Club", by Helen Hooven Santmyer. Great book and nice and long. It's nice when you have an enjoyable book that goes on and on and on. I first read it many years ago, but picked up this copy for $1 a couple of weeks ago.




Look at these Glorious Gerbera daisies! They are absolutely over the top with blooms!




Yellow is my favorite color.




But red sures runs a close second. A double bloom!


Another favorite thing that I can't photograph is the sounds of summer. I hear birdsong, locusts, crickets. In the evenings the katydids start up, and something I call the "clicking beetle" because I have never seen it, only heard it's clicking sound.

Have a wonderful, lovely weekend!

Carol





Today I am linking with Laurie at Bargain Hunting with Laurie http://bargainhuntingwithlaurie.blogspot.com/