Literary Friday ‘Holiday Decorating’!

The first thing I do to start decorating is put my Christmas music books on the piano!

(and it wouldn’t hurt to practice a bit! haha)

I don’t have many things from my childhood but I do still have my Golden Book hymnals!

If they look old…they are! heehee!

They bring back so many happy memories!

I have my Christmas music books on the piano now.

My most favorite Christmas carol is Silver Bells

but I enjoy playing them all at this time of year!

I’m joining Ricki Jill for Literary Friday .

(are these literary, Ricki Jill?)

What is your favorite Christmas carol?

(and can you play the piano or sing?)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Blessings to all of my blog buddies on this special holiday.

It’s truly an honor and a privilege to blog with all of you…those in the US and around the world.

I’m adding a link to a new blog I am following, Forgotten Bookmarks. He is sharing some vintage Thanksgiving postcards and they are beautiful.

 

Visit the site HERE to see more.

Enjoy your day and

God bless us all!

Where did all the Books GO? The BIG REVEAL!

I never considered myself a patient person but I must be.

This PROVES it! I lived with my books in boxes for YEARS! lol

Before photo…

And NOW…

We consider this our library and love having a library table and leather chairs to play card games…oh, and read books!

We also lined the wall next to the TV with bookcases.

Now I have room for collectibles and seasonal decorating, too.

I am so thrilled to finally have the living room the way I want it. I’ll keep working on the decorating part of course.

We put our musical instruments on top of these shelves.

And if I had to pick a favorite shelf or two….it would be these.

I won this bear ornament from Brady Bears Studio awhile back and it fit in perfectly in this special spot. I love it, Karen! Thank you!

(I’ve already changed them a bit)

I love this old telephone that my husband has had forever. And the old duck call was my Daddy’s.

I’m joining Coastal Charm ,

Brenda at the Cozy Little House,

Make it Pretty Monday

and Inspire me Tuesday.

Also Katherine’s Corner,

and Ivy and Elephants.

I can’t wait to decorate for Christmas.

Have you put holiday pretties out yet?

Do you see a book you would like to ‘check out’?

Have a fabulous day!

“Art in the Park”

We enjoyed spending the afternoon at Rainbow Springs State Park and attending the Annual Art Show.

It was fabulous weather, too

We saw amazing works of art as always and visited with artists that we’ve gotten to know over the years of attending.

It was fun to see Barbara Jones again. She was sweet to give me a gift card to use toward a special handmade piece of her jewelry.

I chose these beautiful earrings. I’ll enjoy wearing them! Thanks Barbara!

Her website is HERE !

I’m joining Beautiful Sunday,

Seasonal Sundays,

Sundays in my City,

Mosaic Monday,

and Amaze me Monday!

Did you do something fun this weekend?

Literary Friday and a Book and a Blanket UPDATED at the end!!!

I’m enjoying my new lap quilt in the lanai. So far it hasn’t been cool enough to wrap up but cooler temps are on the way. And I’m reading the BEST book that I want to share.

Did you ever read an author that can paint a picture? Describe something so that you can picture it in your mind? Beth Hoffman is that kind of author. Her books are always delightful. I like to rate my books 1 to 10 and I gave Saving CeeCee Honeycutt a 10! It really was THAT good!

 Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman is wonderful so far!

I don’t usually do reviews but I thought I would just quote a little part of what I read today in chapter 2. (I just started the book today)

“…the deep chug chug of Daddy’s tractor sounded. Puffs of gray smoke lifted into the air from its tall exhaust stack and Roxy was hunkered down for the ride.

Earlier that summer, Daddy had taught Roxy to do something amazing. After folding an old blanket and setting it on the front of the tractor, he tied it down with twine…and whistled for Roxy. She was big and beautiful and loved my dad something awful. Roxy was a Brahma chicken, fluffy white with feather pantaloons that went all the way down to her toes.

Daddy lifted Roxy onto the blanket and taught her how to ride on the front of the tractor. Roxy sat up there like a feathery pom pom, all plump and proud. I thought it was the cutest thing I’d ever seen…. Mama said Daddy spent more time talking to that chicken than he did talking to her.”

(a new bookmark from the library, made by a young artist)

I’m joining Ricki Jill for Literary Friday .

And Marfi with a Book and a Blanket HERE .

Are you reading a good book today?

UPDATE ~ I was SO thrilled to receive a comment from the author!

Beth Hoffman wrote,

“What a surprise. I'm delighted that you're reading my new novel and have featured it on your blog along with your quilt!
I hope you'll continue to enjoy Teddi's story and I thank you for your kind words.”

Thank you SO much for visiting me today! I am honored and delighted! And thanks to all of you that take time to visit my blog and comment. Sweet hugs to you ALL!

This Tops them ALL! My BEST Thrift Find!

I find a lot of fun things at the thrift stores here in Florida. And every once in awhile I hit the jackpot.

Which to me, means I find something on my ‘wish list’!

I love quilts and always search Etsy for redwork embroidery quilts. 

My eyes lit up when I found this crib quilt at Hospice Thrift Store.

But what could be better than a redwork crib quilt?

Another one the size of a lap quilt.

I almost felt like…that’s it….it won’t get any better than this!

 

But of course I’ll keep ‘hunting for treasures’.

I’m joining Thrifty Things Friday!

Also Katherine’s Corner,

Ivy and Elephants and

Jann for Share Your Cup

and Home Sweet Home.

Do you have something that stays on your wish list, something you always look for?

Nov Note Card Party at Vee’s!

November is a wonderful time to count our blessings and be thankful for everything God has blessed us with.

Thanks Vee for the fun party!

To take part, join us HERE !

And enjoy your week!

Do you have special plans this week?

‘Box Cover’

Frosty Florida??? Just KIDDING!!!

I hate it when you’re hiking through the Florida forest and things get all ‘frosty’. (I’m kidding!!! I put snow on these photos using Picmonkey!)

 

And you’re wearing shorts! heehee!

(earlier hiking post HERE)

I saw the biggest pine cones I’ve ever seen in the Ross Prairie Forest.

About a men’s size 12 I think…

or at least a ladies size 7! haha!

And they are ‘FROSTY’ with a little help from Picmonkey!

We saw a Gopher Tortoise and got close enough for some amazing photos. He scurried off right after his photo shoot. Maybe he thought I would take him to Picmonkey and ‘frost’ him!

I’m joining Beautiful Sunday,

Seasonal Sundays,

Sundays in my City,

and Amaze me Monday!

No animals or people were harmed while taking these photos.

(or even got cold!)

It’s NOT COLD here!!!

I was just kidding with this post!

It will be 80 degrees here today!

A Book and a Blanket ‘HGTV Updated’

Time to get the blankets out for the winter time weather! Even here in Florida! It’s what we consider COLD here today! Only in the high 50s with a HIGH wind!

My girlfriend, Marfi came up with this idea to do posts every week in November with a book and a blanket. Her blog is HERE and she’s even having a giveaway this week.

I bought this Bob Timberlake ‘Cardinal’ throw at a consignment shop a couple of years ago and it’s perfect to snuggle up with.

I got the book at a thrift store awhile back and I’m going to start reading it this week. I love this author so I know I’ll enjoy it.

And recently I found another Matt and Shari book. I was thrilled! Their show Room by Room was my very favorite program when I first started watching HGTV. I wish they had more decorating and craft shows now, don’t you?

This looks like a cute project. So many of their ideas are still popular and in style.

I’m joining Thrifty Things Friday!

Also Katherine’s Corner,

Ivy and Elephants and

Jann for Share Your Cup

and Home Sweet Home.

Do you have a favorite throw

or lap quilt for the winter time season?

UPDATE:

I don’t know if anyone will come back to look at this update but I really wanted to add some of the names of the HGTV shows that were mentioned in the comments. It seems like we ALL miss the decorating and craft shows that made HGTV so popular in the beginning. It would be great if they brought these back…shows like Room by Room, Carol Duval, Kitty Bartholomew, Decorating Cents with Joan Steffend, Peter Walsh, and ' Aleene's creative living'.

Dorothy’s comment I so agree with, “I miss Carole Duval and her Christmas Specials!”

And one more that I just thought of, Christopher Lowell. I learned a lot from his show!

And I liked Lynette Jennings, too, Becky! She was such a beautiful lady with style.

Any others that you can think of?

Wouldn’t it be great if HGTV heard us?