Showing posts with label Splendid Sass. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Splendid Sass. Show all posts

Monday, June 30, 2014

I Was Tagged!

Sometimes during these summer months when everyone is on vacation it's hard to get people to stop by and take the time to read your blog posts…I get it! I really do! I'm guilty of that myself especially these days when time seems to be of the essence! However…when Shelley of Calypso In The Country tagged me in this post I had the best time really getting to know her! Sometimes in blogland we consider ourselves friends with so many people…when in reality we are truly friends with only a few! 
Shelley has ALWAYS been there for me with sweet comments and really takes my love of country music to heart! LOL! Shelley is amazing and we seemed to have become friends right from the start! Therefore, when she tagged me in this post I was more than excited to participate! I hope you will be as well! 

HERE WE GO!

1. ARE YOU NAMED AFTER SOMEONE?
No, I think my mom just liked the name Carolyn. Her second choice was Shara which is so odd being that my best friend once I was grown up was named Sharon, born in the same hospital in Memphis, ( we lived in Birmingham at this point) and our moms had the same OBGYN! Our birthdays are March 6, 1964 and April 6, 1964…we didn't meet until 1983 and now our sons are best friends and roommates at college.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
 I would say to that…when was the last time I DIDN'T cry? I cry at everything these days! My oldest son and his wife and my granddaughter have been in Europe for the past week and half…and they are having fun but the trip is leading up to my granddaughter's major surgery for her bilateral cleft lip and pallete…her surgery is in Italy this Wednesday! I would love your prayers! Her doctor is amazing…it's just hard to think of her going through something so hard without all of us there.

3. DO YOU HAVE KIDDOS?
Yes, I have LOTS of Kiddos! I thought I had 3 until they grew up! Now I have at least 5! My oldest son is married and his wife is my other daughter…her name is Britney and she was the one I used to beg my son to ask out in high school! He was too nervous to ask her out! They started dating their freshman year at Auburn! I will never forget that phone call in the fall of their freshman year when Mitch said to me on the phone, "You will never guess who I'm dating!"  Their daughter is amazing! She is 7 now! My only grandchild and I love her more than life itself! My daughter married her high school sweetheart so he is also my son! I love him to pieces! He fit right in our family as did Britney. Our youngest son is still in school at Auburn and is dating our dream girl for him! Her mom and I have been  friends since Jr. High! Go figure! God has blessed us tremendously with wonderful spouses for our children and a wonderful girlfriend for our youngest son….I will keep you posted! 

4. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE A FRIEND TO YOURSELF?
At first I thought this was such a weird question until I really thought about it! And Shelley answered it perfectly! Of Course! If I said no I would have some serious issues!

5. DO YOU HAVE A GUILTY PLEASURE?
I really can't think of one except that I sincerely love time alone…and I mean ALONE!!! I love being with my husband and my children and my family and friends but I LOVE BEING ALONE!

6. DO YOU LIKE HANDWRITING?
I know the answer to this is a hand written thank you note which I have always done and will always do…my kids grew up doing this and I think I've instilled that in MOST of them! However…I hate BAD handwriting! So…to that I say…if you don't know how to really write a great note…a sincere thank you note that is truly from YOU…don't write one! You will still be on my hit list…but at least you didn't write a bad note! ( obviously, we've just received several notes that weren't all that!)

7. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
I know I should be a cereal kind of gal….but in reality…I'm a protein kind of gal for breakfast! However…I love my oatmeal in the winter…HAS to be cold weather for me to eat oatmeal and I also love Basic Four or my new found fave…Whole Foods Blueberry Granola on top of yogurt!

8. WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
In all honesty? I notice if I like you or not! By that I mean…are you likable? Are you real? Are you pretending to be something you aren't? After that…I guess I notice if I like your outfit! LOL! But seriously, the outfit is last on my list!

9. WHAT'S THE COLOR OF YOUR EYES?
Blue…oh wait…green…oh wait…blue?

10. SCARY MOVIE OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Really, Kevin? I gave up on scary movies in the early 1980's with Halloween! I only watch Happy Endings! After all…isn't that what life is about?

11. Favorite TV SHOWS
Truthfully, we really don't watch tv anymore! Maybe that's because there isn't anything worth watching these days! I used to love Seinfeld, Friends, etc…now we buy series on Netflix like Castle…that's what we watch…my mom got us onto that and we are hooked! Yes, we are late in the game but that is par for the course with us for tv! We love watching 3 episodes of Castle almost every night!


12. SUMMER OR WINTER?
If you know me even in the tiniest bit you would know….SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!

13. HUGS OR KISSES?
I've always been just a hugs kind of gal…much to my husbands dismay! LOL! But I do give him the majority of my kisses! The rest are planted right on Layton's cheeks!!

14. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I would say not really….but, I love, love, love to write! you name it..poetry, short stories, cook books, etc…that is my love! I will have to agree with Shelley in the fact that I've always been known for my ability to read people as well! I really like that fact because it saves a lot of time and heartache on my part!

15. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
I was born in Memphis, Tennessee and I wish a lot of my close relative were still alive for me to spend time with in Memphis. Seems we only go back for funerals or milestone birthdays now.

16. WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?
I have a lot of hobbies…hence the reason for my shop…born out of my hobby of loving antiques. Besides that I LOVE to blog, cook, entertain, workout, and spend time with my family!

17. DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS?




I have two wonderful dogs! My Cavalier King Charles Spaniel whose name is Rosie and my sweet little 'Morkie' whose name is Zoie! Zoie actually saved me from an "intruder" this past Tuesday! I may do a post on that before too long….

18. FAVORITE MOVIE?
Well that is SO EASY! I have several that I watch over and over and over….they are Sweet Home Alabama, Hope Floats and Somethings Got To Give…I could survive on those three if I had to!

19. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR CAR?
My car is gold…or taupe? it's in-between and I love it. It holds the record for the longest time I've ever had or loved the same car!

20. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
This may sound selfish or weird…but a better version of me. I love what I do, I love who I am and I certainly love my family and all that God has blessed me with. But if I could do any of it over…I would only want to do it better…but then I might not be the person I am today. I cannot hold regrets…although there are definitely things I would get rid of….God used those things in my life to get me where I am today. I can only hope and pray that I get to see where He takes me with the things that are in my life now. 

I hope you will participate in "Being Tagged!" I sure loved getting to know Shelley even better and I really loved sharing myself with you! I would love to know your answers to some of these same questions! 
I hope you all have a wonderful Fourth of July as well! 
Now THAT is a reason to celebrate! 
Happy Independance Day!


I am tagging:


Elisabeth at Pretty Pink Tulips
Karolyn of The Relished Root
Teresa of Splendid Sass
Stacy of South Shore Decorating Blog
Tina of The Enchanted Home
Julie and Danni from TG Interiors



Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Wednesday's What If Post…"What If I Couldn't Decide What To Do?"

Well then, if you were Pattie or Ellen…or let's say even Brenda or Sharon…you would laugh and say, "She can NEVER decide what to do when it comes to this annual Christmas Party!" And I'm sure in the back of their minds they are thinking to themselves….when will she ever learn?



Each year we have the exact same Christmas Party with pretty much the exact same guest list…and I love it that way! What I don't love is trying to decide what to do…should I have a seated dinner party or a buffet style party? Just ask Brenda and she will tell you that the ONE year I had it buffet style I swore I would never do it again! Why? I'm not quite sure...


 I thought I had learned exactly what kind of party I liked to have at my house…that is, until I attended my own Grandfather's 90th birthday celebration at my Aunt Jayne's house! You can see my blog post that I did on my personal blog right HERE  if you want to! It was such a lovely affair…and it was buffet style and seemed so 'effortless' on her part! I bet you $100.00 she would hit me right now if she heard me say that! Because, the truth of the matter is…she worked her "can" off! And it showed! We had the best time! But it got me to thinking…"Why do I always do a seated dinner?" It's hard to set up tables in my house and seat 30 or so people…and yet, I like to be organized and in control! So, if I do it buffet style, will they stick around and linger and talk and laugh like we always do, or will they eat and run? 
That, my friends is the "What If" question for today! HELP!!!


Just look at these pretty 'seated' dinner party tables! 




Some are so elegant and then some are so traditional and welcoming and let you know that you are indeed in someone's home! We Southerner's tend to want to do that, you know! We WANT you to feel at home!





Just like you can see HERE at Sweet Something Design Blog!



I mean really….who wouldn't want to be seated at any of these lovely tables for a Christmas Dinner Party?


I'm in love with this pine farm table!! What a gorgeous setting! After this post was done I also saw it on Tina's blog…you know, my sweet friend Tina of The Enchanted Home! Check out her fabulous idea of the perfect winter day! You won't be sorry!



And then I also love the "elegant but understated" feeling you get when seated in someone's dining room! What to do?




Wouldn't you feel so very special if you were seated in any of these spectacular dining rooms?





And yet, you get to these beautiful buffet pictures and you think to yourself, this is good! 
Maybe I should do this!


You can find these great buffet tips here!









And then, just when I think I have my mind made up…I get to some more of these beautiful dinner party pics that show both ideas and I'm even more confused!



Thank you Barbara, for these fabulous pictures of both a buffet style dinner party as well as a beautiful seated dinner party! You are the Hampton Hostess, I might add! Now I know why you are the hostess we all desire to be! You can check out Barbara's beautiful blog HERE!

What would you do? Formal… seated... stand around…buffet?


It's the biggest decision I face all year, every year!
 So, after that being said….I guess we will have fun NO MATTER what we do! If that's my biggest decision of the year... then we are definitely good to go... I'll keep you posted!
Love you all dearly!


Also, if you missed the very sweet blog post that Teresa of Splendid Sass did yesterday for my shop, please take a look at it right HERE!!!!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Still Life!


That's what I need right now!
After cleaning out several closets yesterday, moving all of my winter clothes upstairs AND color co-ordinating my own closet…I'm exhausted!( my mother would be so proud!) My youngest child is leaving this fall for college and he decided to clean out his closet as well! Needless to say we will make a trip to our church's Thrift Store first thing this morning!
 So now you will find me staring at wonderful images of still life as they are so calming! Loi, from Tone on Tone referred to still life paintings recently on Teresa's blog from Splendid Sass and I was so glad to find someone that loved them as much as I do!

 I for  one have always found them incredibly beautiful when done correctly!
 I used to feel old before my time because I liked them so much! Silly, I know…but I did! No matter…They have a quality all their own and I guess it just takes the right person ( or persons ) to know what that is!
Just look at these beautiful figs! My love for figs is ridiculous!! I think they are exquisite and I'm anxiously awaiting the day when I can pick mine this season! My trees are practically falling over this summer with figs! Finally! It's only taken about 4 years! Maybe this summer I can make Fig Preserves! I sure hope so!

Also, starting today we are also completely re-doing my shop from top to bottom! I can't wait to see the end results!
So even though life may be topsy-turvy the moment… hopefully I will have a beautifully clean closet and a shop to die for when all is said and done!
And then I can focus….on
 Still Life!


Nothing but calming Still Life!



Even if I sometimes feel like this "wayward" peach!!!





Looking at these beautiful photos of still life will always be something to treasure!


And it sure looks like this picture above is not only a still life of pears…it's a McCarty bowl! My favorite!! My everyday dinner ware! My favorite thing in the world to collect! hmmm…do I feel another post coming on here?…..no, I will just enjoy it's beauty!





Just as these cherries in this beautiful glass dish make me smile…


So do these incredible eggs and this beautiful white flower…


 And you know it goes without saying that this picture of the starfish, shell and sandollar simply make me who I am…they make me happy and they remind me of my family and my life…Maybe I need a still-life painting of this in my house!


Be it fruit, vegetable or flower…or even a sea shell…still-life is definitely for me! And I'm looking very forward to the first moment I truly feel….



STILL….





Did it first start when Emily brought us her Still Life paintings?




No, my love for still life paintings started eon's ago!! But I sure do love Emily's and I can't wait for her arrival!



We've only had 2 still life fruit paintings from Emily…I'm hoping for some more…she arrives in two weeks with more paintings before baby # 6 arrives! Oh my!! Can you imagine! She is truly amazing!


Hopefully we can schedule another fabulous Open House like the one we had last summer for Emily either right before or right after this baby joins their family! Check it out..you just might want to make the trip! It's worth it!


For now….I'm going to enjoy a "Still Life" of my own….with my
 own glass, my own flowers and my own incredible husband…


 at our very favorite restaurant…



It truly doesn't get much better than this!


But before I go…I must show you my own still life picture I took of my tomatoes last summer…I'm definitely proud of it and my new batch of tomatoes looks to be as good if not better this summer!



I hope you have a fabulous weekend…and I hope you get a chance to be STILL for a minute or so! I, for one am longing for it!