~ Nifty AND Nautical ~

I joining the party at Coastal Charm! (See my very charming button to your right ... sort of.) She wants us to show off our nifty, thrifty finds.

 

These charming nautical coasters came from the Dollar Bin from Michaels. I believe a stack of 5 of them cost $2.50. That discrepancy is irrelevant. They are still nifty ... and thrifty.

... and totally handy. Not only are they great coasters, but for some reasons the little ones seem to find a myriad of uses for them as playthings.

I am a big supporter (and major forager) of the Dollar Bin. Michael's ... JoAnn's ... and Target. Oooooh ... especially Target!

Thank you for letting me join this party, however late I may be.

Enjoy!

~ Red & Turquoise have a Party ~

I happen to have some very talented daughters. (And yes, one very talented son.) Daughter # 2 has a particular eye for detail. And color. And ... delicious food.

Last weekend she put together this party ... for a one year old ... creating a veritable feast for the eyes and for the tastebuds. All of the lucky guests got to have a cake pop -- and eat it too.

Everything was color-coordinated and yes ... everything was labeled. Even the condiments stood up and saluted.

The water was more like H2 ... ooooh! It was almost hard to break up their little team of cold and colorful unity.

In spite of all that beauty and color, the guest of honor still stood in the spotlight.

Perfectly dressed in the appropriate colors, of course.

~ Just Dotty ~

My love of dots dates back to my childhood ... and that is a lot of dating, if you get my drift. I saw this picture in Better Homes & Gardens and immediately added it to the "file". I love the contrast of the different colors ... and different sizes ... amid the dottiness. The fact that some checks and toile are thrown in the mix, just makes my heart skip a beat.

I love these blue dot pillows that breathe happiness into my guest room. Again ... the contrast with the calico is actually what pulls the formula together: Dots + PrettyMuchAnything = Happy.

And then there is "the stash". Percentage-wise, I have so many dots that I am pretty much obligated to put some in (almost) every quilt that I sew.

I try to live up to my obligations as an upstanding citizen.

How about you? What pattern consistently makes you sigh?

~ Oh Lighten Up ~

I have only lived in my home for about 7 and a half months, but the bedroom has been an evolving issue that I am happy to say I finally resolved. While still in AZ and planning for my new home, it was all about ... nautical. I figured that I was close to the beach and I wanted to show off my seafaring ways.

Except that try as I might, I could not warm up to the cool colors. And the masculinity. And the lack of femininity.

So a couple of months ago, I found some new sheets. No more nautical stripes ... I wanted rich florals to put some girly into my room.

Except ... that was right either. It wasn't until a couple of weeks later (having slept on the sheets and washed them and rendered them "unreturnable") that I realized the problem lay with the dark colors of the sheets and the dark blue pictures/plates over the bed. Not willing to run right out and purchase yet another set of sheets, I just pulled my mattelasse cover up (instead of folding it down), found a new accent pillow in the pile o' pillows in my closet and (ok, I admit it)  purchased the two rectangular plates, combining them with others I already owned.

I am in love with my new room. I swear to you I sleep better. I know that I breathe better.

The new plates were purchased at HomeGoods. The others are old enough that I haven't a clue.

It's enough to make a girl sigh.

~ Designing Woman ~

This is what my design wall is sporting right now. My new project is just sailing right along.

And what about you? What are you working on?

linking to Inspiration Friday

~ The Off Season ~

This little corner of my bathroom gets the most attention when I stand in my bathtub to adjust the shutters. Let's face it ... I'm a shower kind of gal. However I still thought it was the perfect place to display these beautiful ... unusually turquoise ... mercury glass candle holders.

I would like to say that I bought them in some cute, out-of-the-way antique shop or boutique. Oh no. I bought them at Target and I bought them just a few days before Christmas at a whopping discount. I'm sorry ... I did not hear "ho ho ho" when I saw them, it was more like "splish splash, I am takin' a bath."

So, let's vote: Bath or Shower? Which floats your boat?

~ September Splendor ~

For the record -- I have not lived in a 4-season climate since 1980. And for 30 of the 31 years since then, I lived in Arizona which basically has two seasons, "really hot" and "not as hot". There were subtle variations that a long-timer became more intimately aware of as the years progressed. I have always loved fall (having grown up in a 4-season climate) and after several years in AZ, I did notice that the leaves did start to change colors and drop from the trees. The problem was that this was generally happening sometime between the second and third week in ... December. I am sorry to say that I was otherwise preoccupied with the decking of halls and could not stop to smell the autumn air. That always made me sad.

I still do not live in an official 4-season climate, but to my absolute delight I have begun to notice the hints of fall ... in September ... just as it should be. The top pictures were all taken from my front porch -- as were the other two pictures. After my front door was repainted the same burnt red, I bought her a present. When I saw this wreath at Target, I could hear it begging me to place it on my front door. What's a girl to do?

I hope you are enjoying the sights and smells of autumn.

I also hope that your front door can be as happy (and satisfied) as mine. Let me know if you have some pictures of fall, because I am going to want to see them.