Just Jabberin' Today 11/19/2013

This is my laundry room just above the washer and dryer. For years I used a large box of Tide with a handle on top and one on the side to pull it down to use when I'm doing laundry. Well, I've had to tape it with very strong duct tape to hold it together as it's getting a bit flimsy. So I tried a pretty box that was strong to put my detergent in. After a while I thought it might break the small metal handle. So I looked around the internet and found this metal one at Pottery Barn for $29 and hubs said to go ahead and get it since I just couldn't make up my mind. So here it is and it may get painted white and decals put on it. We'll see. But it fits there perfectly at 8" X 8" square, very strong and not so tall that it wouldn't fit in there. Score!!! I love it; however, I didn't throw away the old Tide box. Why do they change styles on things that we love and worked for us? I don't think a mother/woman/executive would design like men are doing now. No, I am not a feminist but women do have a different view as to what works for woman who are homemakers. I absolutely love being home all the time.


Okay, this is my very first foray into buying Cath Kidston. Squeeeeallll!!! I've always loved her style but especially her dishes. So recently with a coupon and free shipping I bought these 4 gorgeous little bowls...


and these 3 cups. Hubby has his own favorite mug to drink hot chocolate out of so I just got three for me. I'm telling you they are simply gorgeous in person. These are called Stanley mugs and are much bigger than one of our "regular" mugs here in the U.S. They had a Crush mug but it was a bit smaller I think and a bit different in its shape. But I chose these Stanley mugs and love displaying them in my kitchen.


I really do like the look of some French things around my house, but I'm not one to go all-white. I love pink and that's what color my home is. I just couldn't have all white as I'd find it too boring. I love color! So after making over those little foot stools with drop cloth fabric (see that post here), I'm also going to make a pillow or two for some chairs. I have so many beautiful pillows I've bought over the years and hate to get rid of them but it might just have to happen. Granddaughter will have first choice when she's here for Thanksgiving and then the rest might go on eBay. Many are feather-filled pillows. Some are beautiful European prints. All are gorgeous. If any of you are interested, send me an email and I'll take pictures of all of them and you can make your choice. I'm not going to bother putting them all on here. I'll just take some pictures and keep them for any inquiries, but I doubt you'll be disappointed in any of them.


I actually love the look of things like this out in the open. I don't have a large kitchen, in fact, it's small, just the size for senior citizens (that's old people to some of you) and people who don't like cooking everyday and love eating out (that's ME!). I don't have enough space in my kitchen to do this, but I have vases and beautiful pitchers holding kitchen utensils in my kitchen.


What a delightfully colored chandelier.


I like the look of this mosaic table but I'd paint it white. I do love white furniture.


Another squeeeeeallll! Isn't this adorable? I saw it on the internet and have no idea who did it but I'd love to have one to hang on my porch.


See what you can do with a plain ol' chest! Jazz it up with stencils. I find it darling.


Now this? Ooooohmygosh. Of course, I love Christie Repasy's art but she outdid herself with this little gem. I'd love to have it but I'm not willing to pay high prices this probably got. My hubby would probably faint if I spent money on something that looks like it's falling apart. He just doesn't get it and never will. ;-)


I'm going to make one of these to hold...something, just haven't figured out what. But if it turns out cute then I'll make one for a giveaway. Wouldn't you like something this cute to hang in your laundry room? I already have 3 darling ones I made hanging in mine but there's always room for a few others. :-)


Yes, I also like these little baskets but I don't have room for a lot of "fluff" around here. I would dearly love to have one though as I'm very visual and just looking at gorgeous things makes my heart flutter and my eyes glaze over.


I'm old enough to remember these drying frames and love seeing my whites hanging on a line drying. The sun actually bleaches them naturally for you and just seeing them out there brings back memories to me. I recently found some indoor drying racks on a pulley system in the UK but they were several hundred dollars and that ain't gonna fly with this chick! They were really nice looking and would be great to have for winter time and if you didn't have a dryer.


I'm not this organized but I love looking at it. I rarely give gifts so I don't wrap a lot of things. But when I do wrap it's on the kitchen table. I hate wrapping packages. I really do.


And I love looking at white linens. That reminds me that I need some new sheets. I have some Lily Pulitzer pink patterned ones and I love them but apparently she isn't selling sheets anymore as I cannot find any. I also love very high thread count sheets and will only sleep on great sheets. I feel the difference actually. My daughter bought 600 count sheets just for her spare bedroom for when we visit. She was taught well by her mother! That would be ME!
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Summer and Winter

Summer is approaching rapidly in our state. Beautiful warm, 60s, for us. We'll be getting the hot weather soon enough but the 60s are my favorite temperature.

I love summer with all the roses, peonies, gardenias and hydrangeas. The garden looks so forlorn now but Love Bunny will be out there this week sprucing it up and pruning the rose bushes. He does grow the most beautiful roses. Summer? I do love the new growth and lush green lawn but I'd rather bleed than sweat, friends. Truly! I love the fresh salads from our garden and my air-conditioning. But most of all I love the summer fruits: watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries. We are so lucky that we can get most of those fruits all year round except for watermelon and that's my favorite thing to eat.

But I also love winter. For one thing, I hate being hot. I love being cool. Another thing about winter is that our garage serves us well as a place to keep potatoes and they won't sprout. Also, I can keep cartons of Pepsi out there instead of in the pantry and it'll be cold enough when I bring it in. I love the butter being soft also. What are your favorite things about each season?
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A beautiful window treatment in a lovely bedroom.


I remember when we had mailboxes like this. Actually, when my parents moved to Salt Lake City in the early 1960s, we had a door with a mail slot. When I would visit them, I could always tell when the mailman had come with the rattle of the mail slot. I love that because I didn't have to go outside and walk to the mailbox in the snow like I do here in Idaho. Just very nostalgic for me.


Another gorgeous vignette in a living room.


This is another darling laundry room. See what you can do with almost nothing!


I'll have to tell you the story of when we lived in a house that was attached to another house similar to this but not the elegance of this, of course.


What a delightful gift shop.


I've wanted one of these for a couple of years but when I think about it, it seems a bit frivolous and can't bring myself to buy one. One of those things I can "live without." Definitely.


Another photo of laundry drying on a clothesline. Love it!


If this doesn't make you yearn for spring, then there ain't much hope for ya, chicks. ;-)


I'd still like a door on my pantry even though this is a lovely kitchen.


A cute way to hold children's things from school. I can see those trays done in chalk paint also.


A simply beautiful photo of roses in a dining room.


Ruffled lampshade, done very easily.


Exquisite china in pink and gold. Gorgeous!!!!!


A cute shower I'd love to have. I don't think you'd even need a shower curtain if the whole floor was tiled.
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Tidbit:
Theaters during Elizabethan times did not have toilets, nor did the plays have intermissions.

Also, Queen Elizabeth I outlawed wife-beating after 10 p.m.

Our state is #1!
Continuing with the "O", "P", "R" and "S" states and what each one is #1 in.

Ohio:
Library visits
Traffic tickets issued

Oklahoma:
Per capita use of electric and hybrid cars
Women in prison

Oregon:
Solar panels
Homeless population

Pennsylvania:
Covered bridges
UFO sightings

Rhode Island:
Drive-in movie theaters
Per capita illegal drug use

South Carolina:
Lowest gas prices
Strokes

South Dakota:
Lowest personal income tax rate
Per capita Facebook use
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I Love Bookstores

I thought I'd share the ottoman I've refurbished since I've ironed it. Looks great to me. I am very pleased with it now.
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A sweet fellow blogger, Claudia, did a post on bookstores recently. She and I are avid readers. I'd bet I read more than she reads though. But I read so much and am rarely without a book to read. Once I get down to 2 books left, I start visiting the local used bookstores or order on Amazon. Claudia was extolling the virtues of small or individually owned bookstores as opposed to the giants that dot our cities now. Frankly, I'll buy a book wherever I can find it, but I do love the 3 we have in our town that I visit. But since I may have read all the ones I'm interested in here in town I have to order online. But I love perusing bookstores and getting recommendations from the knowledgeable owners. It has opened my mind to a lot of books I may never have read had it not been for their recommendations. For instance, Janet Evanovich.

I had never read or heard of her until a man at Bent Corners Used Books mentioned her. The first book had me hooked. I went back and bought every single book of hers he had in stock. She is one of the funniest writers I've ever read. I laughed myself silly reading about Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, and her sidekick, a former...uh...woman of the night. Hilarious!

I love Jeffrey Archer and have read every single book he's written so far. To me, he is the best writer alive who writes about different things. Most authors stick to one subject. Not him. He is a fantastic author.

Then there's David Baldacci, Lee Child, Michael Connelly, Harlan Coben, James Patterson, Daniel Silva and a few more. But these are my favorites and I buy everything they write. But I digress.

There is nothing like going in to the one downtown here called Yesteryear Book Store. It looks like it may have been an old department store at one time because there are 2 levels. Actually, it's more of a mezzanine but it has books all over the place. There must be hundreds of thousands of books in there. So many that there are stacks on the floor even. I love going in there and the books are pretty cheap also. But I'll always read books I can hold in my hand to feel the paper. I doubt I'll ever succumb to e-books; I just love holding the book too much.

My go-to bookstore. Not very big but I can usually find 10 or 12 books in there to buy.


This one is in the basement of an old church but the books cost a bit more and it's hard to navigate around in there as you can see. I have a friend that works in there a few days a week and she helps me locate books, but I'd spend more money in that one than Bent Corners, which is very, very cheap.


This truly is the biggest supply of books I've ever seen. Our local library doesn't even come close to it in size or number of books. Actually, our town library is rather pathetic and there is parking for a very few cars only, just not worth the time going there.
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Now on to the beautiful photos.

 Apparently, a lot of people, me included, loved this fabric enough to make tea towels out of it.


It's pink, what can I say?!


Roses and laundry hanging on the line. My favorites. ;-)


Beautifully photographed close-up of a flower.


Pretty pin.


One of the most beautiful entry staircases I've ever seen.


Mexican foliage. Beautiful.


They're even doing these craft folded roses on haute couture now. Lovin' it!


Benches with pillows instead of chairs.


Prettily made up vignette.


Nice night for a picnic. :-)


And your favorite: French chateaux.
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Tidbit:
The Cullinan Diamond is the largest gem-quality diamond ever discovered. Found in 1905, the original 3,100 carats were cut to make jewels for the British Crown Jewels and the British Royal Family's collection.
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I've Done It For 52 Years!

I've added even more photos to my Pinterest page. Go visit it and see them. I know you'll love all the images.
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A few weeks ago at church, hubby invited some friends over for dinner before he told me he was going to do it. He's such an entertainer and social animal; I'm not. That wasn't a problem really, but he drove me crazy that afternoon.

The friends were invited over for leftovers from Christmas—ham. It was a beautiful and huge ham and although, I love ham I didn't particularly want it for 4 or 5 meals. Hence, we invited them to help us eat it. He fretted like a little ol' lady about dinner. Remember, I've been cooking his meals for almost 52 years.

Hubs: What about potatoes?
Me: I'll mash a big pot so you'll have some leftovers for next week.
Hubs: Great! Sounds good.

Hubs: What about salad?
Me: What about it?
Hubs: Could we have some coleslaw?
Me: What if I just make a fruit salad?
Hubs: OK! Good, good.

Hubs: What vegetable should we have?
Me: I'll make my famous fried corn.
Hubs: Ooooh, yeah, that sounds good.

Hubs: I think we should use some good china.
Me: Uh-huh. (Sighing at this point.)

Hubs: How about those leftover caramelized yams?
Me: Uh-huh, fine.

Hubs: I'm cutting up some pickles and putting some olives on a plate.
Me: Uh-huh, fine.

Hubs: I'm making a pitcher of sassafras tea.
Me: Okay, but not everyone likes the taste of it so why don't we have juice or something.

Hubs made a pitcher of the sassafras tea and had to explain what it was and how he loved it growing up. I knew the drink would necessitate a history of his childhood! It did. Sigh.

She and I had water. I think hubs was disappointed she didn't try the sassafras tea. (Snicker)

After dinner and after they left, I cut the rest of the ham off the bone and wrapped it up and threw away the bone. I told him cleanup was up to him and left the kitchen.

Let's see how long it is before he asks anyone over to dinner again. ;-) I love this man to no end. :-)
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A yellow laundry room is quite cheerful.


Ireland. Love that country.


Painted cookies? Adorable.


Sweet tweet hangers. ;-)


Darling cups and bowls.


Aren't these the most adorable hatboxes you've ever seen?! I love them.


Old world walkway with pretty tubs of colorful flowers to brighten up the drab stone homes.


More beautiful perfume bottles.


Darling kitchen with plenty of work space.


I really, really, REALLY like this room!


A profusion of pink flowers on a balcony.


Cute ol' French tubs.


Pretty vintage green tri-fold doors.


Cute vignette in a vintage room.


Just some eye candy to leave with you.
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Tidbit:
Only U.S. town where mail arrives by mule: Supai, AZ (at the floor of the Grand Canyon).
~*~
Linking up with NMH Open House party.
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