Just a Quick Update

I am sad to report that my father's health is in decline. The antibiotics are no longer working.  I was given the news today that it is just a matter of days. My prayer is that is he goes peacefully and is finally free of his pain. I thank you for all of your prayers during this most difficult time.  Bless you!
Kathe

25 Fun Facts To Get You Through The Day

Okay, maybe I overdid it with the use of the word, fun.
This post is all because of Shaunna at Perfectly Imperfect. Shaunna has done some pretty funny 25 Things posts on her blog and I think they are a terrific way to get to know the Wizard behind the curtain...errr...the person behind the blog better. In hopes this funny lady doesn't mind me riding on her creative shirt tail, I present to you,

1. No, the spelling of my name is not a shout out to Anne of Green Gables.
2. I had not heard of Anne of Green Gables until I started blogging.
3. I remember, vividly, learning to write my name and my father telling me how to spell it.
4. It is a German variation of the spelling.
5. Mr. B and I met nearly 20 years ago.
6. I was his boss.
7. We were friends long before we became romantical.
8. I just made that word up. 
9. I am hoping it goes viral.
10. We will be married 7 years in June.
11. My bestest friend and I have been besties for nearly a half century.
12. I am only 29.
13. Drat! No, I am way older than that. I just feel 29.
14. I used to hate my birth date since it is the day after Valentine's Day.
15. The choice seemed to be either a Valentine's Day card or a birthday card. Never both.
16. Mr. B makes sure both days are special for me.
17. Due to some events in my past I have trust issues.
18. Because of this, it is hard for me to make friends.
19. But, once you are my friend, it is for life sister!
20. I am the worst kind of morning person.
21. The kind that greets you with a song.
22. I can't sing.
23. This is way harder than I thought it would be.
24. Mr. B is pretty much as perfect as he seems. 
25. I am a lucky woman ♥ ♥ ♥

Thrifty Morning

I hadn't been out 

hitting the thrift stores in a bit

and figured that stopping by a few

was in order.

As my luck would have it, Goodwill

accommodated my thrifty mood

by having another of their

50% off most items sales 

on Saturday.

I only hit two Goodwills but was able to

score some thrifty deals.

The first item to make me stop in my tracks

were these lovely plate chargers

They are wood but look like embossed leather.

I was very pleased, when I turned one over, to see these tags

Yes, I paid $1.50 each for Pier 1 chargers!

I wandered a couple more aisles and then spied this box marked at $4.99, so on sale for $2.50

I am always on the lookout for storage items for all of my tablescaping "tools"

and was tickled pink to place this into my cart.

It's a silverware chest! The top lifts open and, added bonus, 

it has another drawer for even more flatware storage!

This $2.50 beauty is going to free up some cupboard space 

down in my storage area in the basement!

Now, if you are a regular thrifter you know, when looking at items,

you sometimes have to use your imagination.

As I have said before, it's not what it is but, what it can be!

That brings me to the next two finds

A large ribbed glass globe that could have been removed from someones hallway light.

And a candle stand that probably held a glass piece 

for the candle to go in.

$1.00 each.

Apart, not much (unless you need a replacement globe for your hallway, which I don't)

But together,

I now have a sweet piece of art to be placed in my garden this spring!

I am not sure if I will leave the globe as is

or

swirl a couple of shades of nail polish in it for color.

What do you think I should do?

By this time my cart was pretty full

and it was getting crowded 

(this is a very popular Goodwill on sale days)

So I decided to pay up and move on to another Goodwill closer to home.

The shelves were pretty bare at this

Goodwill.

Of course, that doesn't mean I didn't find

anything.

I was able to find a couple of things to re-home!

Luckily, I had these in my hand when I did

as a gentleman came up to me

and said it was a good thing I grabbed them as he

was going to take them himself.

To take to scrap!!

GASP!! 

Nuh uh!  Not on my watch buddy!

I held on to them even tighter!

Four tarnishy brass goblets at $1.00 each!

The tarnish didn't bother me.  

I know the power of the internet

and found an easy, at home, remedy.

I made a paste of vinegar, salt and flour and covered one of the

goblets with it to test.

After sitting for 10 minutes I rinsed it and got this

Lesson learned!  

Don't pass something up just because it isn't as pretty as it could be!

It's not always destined for scap!

I was also able to find some seasonal decor at this Goodwill.

This bunny couple just make me smile

Such sweet faces!

$1.50 each.

My last find will be put to use very soon!

A pair of cherub candle sticks for .49 each.

I hope to get my Valentine's Day decor

up this next week and these will 

be used on a tablescape.

I had such a fun time shopping.

It was a nice day and people

were so friendly (even Scrap Man).

Sometimes I wonder, is it the thrill of the hunt I love

or, being out with others that

enjoy finding great deals like I do?

What about you? 

What is it about thrifting

that draws you in?

When Life Gives You Lemons

You make lemontinis!

It has been such a week!

As you may know, if you read here,

my father has been ill and is in the hospital.

The good news is he is recovering very well.

Rumor has it, he is giving the staff a hard time.

Which means he is getting back to his old ornery self

and that makes me happy.

In the midst of the drama I decided to put together

a tablescape

to lift my spirits somewhat.
I wanted something bright and cheerful
so I used yellow as my theme.

Since I don't have a yellow tablecloth
I used a plain white tablecloth and
added yellow ribbon I purchased,

using a coupon of course,

from Hobby Lobby.
I cut the ribbon to length and then
pinned it to each side of the table.

A simple silver charger, crisp white linen napkins,
our Gibson everyday dinnerware,
vintage silverplate flatware,
crystal goblets and
yellow sugar rimmed martini glasses
all highlighted by a
single yellow lemon.

A large chrome martini shaker,
borrowed from Mr. B,
holds a frosty adult beverage of
Lemontinis.

 An apothecary jar
is centered between
two vintage crystal compotes,
all filled with cheery lemons.

 A vintage crystal pitcher
is full of lemon slices and icy water.

Additional lemons are
scattered around votive candles
and candlesticks with bright yellow candles.

Setting this table helped to lift my spirits
and to realize that, no matter
 how stormy life may be some days,
we must look forward to the sunshine.

MIA

Just a quick note to let you know that I will resume regular posting in the next day or so.

My elderly father has been experiencing some health issues that

required hospitalization and surgery.

I am happy to report that 

he is on the road to recovery 

and is almost back to his usual, ornery self!

We hope he will be released from the hospital 

by the end of this week.

I thank you for your understanding and prayers.

Express Scripts and Walgreens

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Not sure if you are aware of this but, for the past year, Walgreens has negotiated with Express Scripts for a new contract to continue as part of its pharmacy provider network.  The negotiations between  Walgreens and Express Scripts  were unsuccessful and the contract expired on Dec. 31, 2011. As a result, Walgreens is no longer part of Express Scripts' pharmacy provider network. This includes all Walgreens nationwide and the Duane Reed pharmacies in the New York City area.

I believe that this situation of forcing pharmacy patients to go elsewhere to use their in-network pharmacy benefits was totally unnecessary! Express Scripts' actions are causing disruption with no benefit to patients or their health plans!

Many patients, including myself, have formed a bond and a personal relationship with our local Walgreens pharmacy.  The Walgreens I get my prescriptions filled at is within walking distance of our home, making it quick and convenient when either Mr. B or I is ill. When you are sick and in need of medicine, you want to go where you know you can have any questions answered by a real person, am I right?

Beyond the contract issues, this issue between Express Scripts and Walgreens is really about the value of your local pharmacy. Express Scripts wants customers to use their mail order pharmacy business instead of your community drugstore whenever possible!  All I know, if I am sick and it's the middle of the night and my doctor prescribes a prescription, I need to be able to go to the pharmacy NOW, not get on the computer and place an order and hope I receive the correct medicine.

Walgreens is taking action and is offering a Prescription Savings Club at Walgreens at a discounted rate, for a limited time, to make this transition easier. You can enroll your family for only $10 a year, and an individual for $5 a year, at the current discounted rate.  The family plan includes you, your spouse, dependents 22 years of age and under, and even your pets!  By joining the Prescription Savings Club at Walgreens you will receive discount pricing on your prescriptions. Other savings include, discounts on over 8,000 brand-name and generic medications, flu shots, pet prescriptions, nebulizers, and diabetic supplies.  You will also receive bonuses when you purchase Walgreens brand products and photo finishing services. 

As always Walgreens is determined to continue to provide affordable reliable service to their customers. Among the steps Walgreens is taking to minimize the disruption is offering a special discount on annual membership for its Prescription Savings Club. An individual can join, during the month of January, for only $5.00, or $10.00 for a family membership, and receive savings on more than 8,000 brand name and generic medications. More than 400 generic medications are available with a three month supply for less than $1.00 a week. Regular annual membership is $20.00 for an individual and $35.00 for a family.

 To stay updated on this issue and support Walgreens, you can read more at Walgreens and Express Scripts or follow Walgreens on Twitter or Walgreens on Facebook

I Found "It"!

Remember this post from a week or so ago?

I was on a mission to find the 

perfect "thing" for a vignette 

I had in my head for 

the top of the china hutch

in the kitchen eating area.

Welllll....luck was on my side

when I was shopping at

Hobby Lobby this past weekend.

They were having one of their

in-between seasons 

66% off sales.

And I found "IT"!

This sweet vintage looking 

plaque with chicken wire

only set me back

a little over $5.00!

It is the perfect piece!

It is exactly what I had imagined there.

Here is a view of the top of

the hutch.

The right side

And the left side.

The printers drawer is one of my favorite Goodwill finds from last summer!

It was, of course, 50% off that day

so I got it for $7.99.

More than I have ever paid for anything, 

other than furniture,

at a thrift store but,

I had to have it, right?

The aluminum stock pot

was actually in the "to be donated" pile

but has found a new life without ever leaving our

home.

I would like to find an enameled stock pot at some point

but for now, the shiny one is okay.

Another Goodwill find is

the sweet, off white, pitcher 

with the handpainted flowers.

It used to sit on top of the fridge

but I like that I can see it better in 

its new home.

Since I was going with a homey theme

I changed up the

decor in the main part of the hutch too.

You may have seen the salad plates

when I used them on this tablescape.

I started with some silver plate and chrome chargers in the back, 

then my Johnson Bros. white dishes 

and the farm fresh plates 

layered over some bandanas that were a suggestion from Mr. B.

The next shelf holds just a 

small sampling 

of my glassware collection.

And finally Mr. Rooster

alone on the bottom shelf.

I am so pleased with how 

the cabinet looks.

It feels so warm and cozy

which is the perfect way to feel

this time of year.

Of course, Valentine's Day is not

to far away

so, I will be changing this all out again before then!

Oh poor Mr. B!

He just can't understand why I can't just

leave things be.

My answer?  

Where's the fun in that???

Time For A Tour

It's Semi-Official. 

I began this blog nearly six months ago!

Gasp! 

Man, it seems like just yesterday I hit the publish button on my very first post here.
Blogging was not something I thought I could do.
Mr. B, well, he KNEW blogging was something I could do and would actually love doing!
The man was sooo right! I have enjoyed every flippin' minute of it!

(Image Source)
I have learned so much since then!

I believe I have stayed true to what I wanted my blog to be.

A place for me to share tablescapes, thrifting and, every now and then,

a recipe we enjoy.

It has been so fun to make new friends 

and to find kindred spirits from all over the world.

(Image Source) 

Let's face it, some of my choices of hobbies are not widely known
outside of the blogging world!

It has also been humbling to hear from others how I have inspired them.

C'mon!  Really?  Me? Wow!  That just blows me away!

I thank you for finding me and for leaving such sweet comments.

Each one brings a smile to my heart.

Now, it's high time I was a good hostess and showed you around the place!

Well, at least the upper level anyway.

Look up.  What do you see?

No, not my header.  Not that I 'm not proud of it! 

Mr. B is my own personal Head Header Designer!

I just tell him what I want and he makes it happen.

Sorry girls, step back, he's taken :)

I do have to thank Keren over at
Free Pretty Things For You
for the current banner surround!

She provided it for...FREE!
Seriously!
What a sweetie she is!
Go visit her and tell her how much you love it!

Now, look just below that.

Let's skip the home button shall we? 

It's kinda like the coat closet of a blog.

We know it's there and we know what it's used for.

Now, we come to the fun stuff!

First you will see

My Daily Blog Reads.

these are truly blogs I have to check in with everyday.

From Krista at 

Army Wife Style

who tells it like it really is to be a young wife and mother 

(like I used to be)
To June at
Bye Bye Pie
who, I swear, is the long lost sister of my good buddy Ms. K!

to Rob at

Rob's World

who inspires me to be a better

servant of our planet
to Deanna at
A Little Junk in My Trunk
who reminds me what it was like to be a mom to two sons
as well as all that there is to love about Goodwill thrift stores.

Seriously, my day doesn't start until I have read them all.
They are the donut to my morning coffee!
I can't have one without the other!

I encourage you to check each of them out

for motivation or a good laugh.

Next up is
the link parties I join each week.

I have them listed by the day of their party.

Here's a hint for you (or you may already know this).

The parties usually (not always) start the evening

before the day stated.

So if you want to get in early, say at Susan's

Metamorphosis Monday party,

you will want to link up Sunday night around 7:00 pm.

Some of the parties are just for thrift finds or for recipes

but most are for linking up your post(s) of the week.
Linking up to these parties is the best way
to get your blog out there for all the world to see!
Not to mention, finding some other pretty freakin' awesome blogs!

Each of the party hosts are so sweet and gracious 

and I appreciate all it takes to set up these link parties each week.

Now we come to the
I've Been Featured page.

Nothing validates what we do like having one of our posts featured

on another blog!

Don't let anyone kid you, blogging takes time.

From staging, to photos to the actual writing of a post,

it can take hours, even days, to have a post ready to go live.

To have another blogger notice this and spotlight it on their blog,
well that's the buttercream frosting on my cake!

(Image Source)
Our last stop on the tour is my
Advertise page.

Honestly, I didn't start this blog to make money.

I didn't even know there was money to be made!
As time has passed I noticed that

other bloggers solicit for sponsors.

Until now I really haven't announced the fact that

I would be happy to promote

your etsy shop, your blog or whatever relevant enterprise

you may have.
I am also open to sponsored giveaways.

I would like to eventually host my own weekly link party

but to do it right, it will cost money.

So, stated simply, I'd like to explore the possibility of growing our businesses together.

There you have it. 

A quick little tour of my blog.

I hope you enjoyed it.

I'm pretty proud of it.

This blog has helped me to grow and to stretch my wings a ton!

But really, you are what makes my day!

Getting to visit with you is such a pleasure and
I look forward to it the minute I get up each morning!

*I'd also love it if you would like to leave a comment with any constructive feedback you may have to offer.
I am always open to learning and testing new things!

Winter Gray

The holidays are over.  All of the festive decorations have been put away for another year. The house is clean and organized, sort of. I am already counting the days until I can be out working in my gardens.  Only one thing is in my way. Winter!  Old.Man.Winter. Even though Denver claims over 360 days of sunshine we can still expect bitter cold temperatures and gray days for the next few months. We won't see our front lawn until late March or April.

It was knowing this that led me to set this table. 

I had purchased this set of china on the last day of an estate sale. It was marked $85.00 but, as everything was half off,  I wound up only paying $42.50.!  It is a service for 12 and also includes various serving bowls. Of course, I didn't set the table for 12!  The most I have ever seated at our table is six.  Today it is set for four.

I started with a black charger then a dinner plate and a bowl from the set. The flatware is a gift from Mr. B.  I also used the coffee cup and saucer and salad plate from the set.  The stemware is my go-to Godinger Shannon crystal. The napkins were purchased online from Boscovs.  Their clearance section is awesome!! The napkins rings were a stocking stuffer from Santa.

The crocheted runner is a gift from Mr. B's mother.  She picked it out for me when Grandma passed away last summer.  It always sat on Grandma's magazine stand.  I cherish it greatly! It truly is a precious gift.

The candles are a bit of me being crafty.  I have seen sweater candles all over blogland and decided to try my hand at it.  I had a sweater that I really liked the look of but it was one of those that shed like crazy!  

I simple cut the sleeves off and hot glued them over vases from Dollar Tree.  The gray worked perfectly with the wispy flowers on the plates.

The wooden basket was a thrift store find from last spring.  I believe I paid a dollar for it.  I filled it with some pine cones and moss, again from Dollar Tree.  The pop of red is unexpected and lends just a touch of color to the table.

 The covered butter dishes are from Ross.

 I thought my Candlewick cream and sugar looked nice with this table.

 You can tell how drab it is outside.  Gray skies. Gray table.

And now, the Candy shot

I've had people ask how this particular shot is achieved.  I will now reveal my secret weapon:

 

Six foot tall Mr. B stands on a chair and leans above the table and takes the candy shot for me. No ladder, no zip lines.  Just a tall Mr. B on a chair! Now you know :)

For now, I will enjoy this table as it is a reminder to me that gray skies make me slow down a bit.  Snuggle up on the couch with Max and Mr. B. Rest up for the upcoming Spring season when all things bright emerge and lighten our spirits.