Easter Tablescape for the Kitchen

Susan at Between Naps on the Porch is hosting her weekly Tablescape Thursday.  She always has such beautiful tablescapes.  Please go by and visit her and other participants.  It is always fun to see other tables especially at Easter.

This Easter is going to be very simple for us this year. Jennifer has to work... she is a pharmacist and work goes on as usual.  So many of my family members have been sick so I think my husband and I may just go eat somewhere.

So instead of decorating the dining room table I thought I would put together a simple Easter tablescape for the kitchen table.

I found these Easter egg plates at Pottery Barn a few years ago after Easter at 50% off.  These is the first time I have used them! 

Each plate is a different color.  I used my Butler's Pantry dinner plates ... I love these plates ... they are so versatile.

I used yellow tulips from HL in a pitcher I normally use on the kitchen table with other flowers.  I change them out for the seasons.  I wish those eggs were real ... I would eat them!

I love the shade of green on this egg plate.  I used dishclothes as napkins I purchased from TJ Maxx and the napkin rings I ordered from The Style Sisters.  The napkin rings are so dainty and cute!

I love this blue plate! 

I found the green placemats after Christmas on sale ... this color is so popular at Christmas now.  I decided they look so spring like to me I would use them for Spring!

 The little chicks holding the egg with the tealight is so cute!

These are my flirty little chicks!

These faux chocolate bunnies I found at Hobby Lobby last year.  They look so real I could eat them :)

This was very simple and I hope you enjoyed seeing just a little bit of my Easter decor.  I didn't even set the table with glasses or the cutlery .... I forgot!

Thanks for visiting and God Bless,

Donna

Spring & Wedding Details

Spring is arriving here!  My forsythia is finally blooming.  I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see the beautiful yellow blooms this year.  Spring has been very slow arriving here this year. 

I always love the dainty little yellow flowers on my forsythia bush in the Spring.

I took this picture looking up at a huge Bradford pear tree we have in the front yard.  These trees are always so lovely in the Spring.  I have often wondered why they call them Bradford pear trees when they don't have any pears! 

And the wedding plans are just about complete.  It's just the small details we have to check off the list.  The bride-to-be has stressed over her dress!  Imagine that!  :)  Alterations have taken longer than expected and bridal protraits should be next week.  The dress should have the hem completed this week.  One more thing to mark off the list. 

It's just the little things that seem to take so much time!  I have been so busy this past week.  We have shopped for bridal shower dresses and shoes and finally I think Jennifer has decided on which one she will wear to each occasion.  Then there's the after-rehearsal dinner and the bridesmaid's luncheon and she had to find the "perfect" dress for each event.  Oh ... I have never helped someone try on so many dresses in my life!

We did meet with the florist this week and the flowers are going to be beautiful!  Jennifer is going to have green apples in clear vases at the reception with flowers spilling out of the vases. Decisions on the final menu for the reception has to be decided on soon.  There are so many decisions!  When my husband and I were married 33 years ago it was very simple.  These days weddings take months to plan.  My husband told her she should have just gone to the courthouse! LOL  She didn't like that idea!   

I also picked up the unity candles this week that she had engraved with their initials ... they are beautiful.  She wants to have a candle for Amber with her initials as well that will be lit for the ceremony.  Jennfier always remembers her sister.  She is using purple (iris) for the bridesmaids dresses ... Amber's favorite color. 

Although it has been stressful with wedding plans it has kept my mind busy ...which is good.  I miss Amber so much!  I decorated her gravesite this week with Easter colors.  I found a purple Easter egg and put it with beautiful spring flowers with bunnies on her headstone. 

I seem to have so many moods lately.  One minute I am thinking about wedding plans and the next minute I am crying because I miss Amber's sweet smile so much!  I do know she is watching us from Heaven with a huge smile on her face!

Thanks for visiting and God Bless,

Donna

A Carrot from Scraps

I made this carrot a couple of years from fabrics in my scrap stash.

I saw the pattern in Quilts and More magazine and knew immediately it would be perfect for Easter.

It went together quicky and it was quilted with each strip I sewed.

Here it is with Williard the Wabbit!

If you sew or a quilter it is easily made and I have a carrot that cost me nothing but time.  It was really fun to sew.

Finally I found these last week at Hobby Lobby for $3 for the large one and $2 for the smaller ones.  They will go perfect in my bedroom.  They were regularly priced at $10 and $8.  Everyone loves a pretty tassel!

Sweet Bee Cottage is having a giveaway over at her blog celebrating her 122nd post.

She has the cutest blog.  Please go by and tell her I sent you! 

I would love to win these containers from Gooseberry Patch.

Thank you all for the comments on my last post.  I hope to get my sewing machine back this week.  In the meantime I am using another sewing machine I have and making other things.  I will show you later.

Thanks for visiting and God Bless!

Donna

Frustration ...

This is how I have felt the past two days!  Frustrated! 

There has been too many things going on which is a good thing at times ... it keeps my mind busy!  I was determined to finish Jennifer's wedding quilt this weekend.  I was in my sewing room busy as a bee and my husband came in to talk to me a minute when just out of the blue my sewing machine went OUT.  Nothing!  No warning at all!  Just a blank screen!   I turned it off for a while and retried it several times with nothing happening.  So I couldn't sleep last night for being so frustrated.  I stayed up and "farmed" Amber's farm on Facebook!  What has my life come too?

When I got up this morning I called the sewing machine dealer and had to drive an hour to Birmingham to carry my machine to let the serviceman look at it.  Good news and bad news!  The bad news is it is a computer part that sends power to the rest of the machine ... thus no screen last night!  The good news it is still under warranty!  Thank goodness!  My husband bought me the machine 5 years ago on June 30 ... so if it was going to "go out" I am glad it is now rather than July 1st.

So now I am without my regular machine for a week and the quilt is on hold unless I want to use my other machine.  When I began a quilt top I like to use the same machine so I have the exact 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Hey I may resort to my Singer Featherweight I purchased last Fall.  I haven't sewn on it much so I may be going to use it tomorrow :) 

Sometimes our computerized "things" are so nice but at times they are a pain!  Hopefully I will keep what sanity I have left! LOL

Oh well gotta go and decide what to do or I may "farm" tonight!

Thanks for visiting and maybe my next update will be more upbeat!

God Bless,

Donna

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

My husband and I were going to look for me some shoes for the wedding last Saturday at the local mall and we had gotten back on the interstate heading home and looked in the rearview mirror at the clouds and there was this beautiful rainbow!  It had been raining and suddenly this beauty appeared.

I had not seen a rainbow like this in years.  It was beautiful and very large.  My husband got off the next exit on the interstate and we turned facing it so I could get some photos.   Thank goodness I always have my camera in my purse with a million other things!

I feel like Amber sent this to us to brighten our day! 

She had completed a questionaire on Facebook a few months before about what her job in Heaven would be one day.  She was excited to know her job would be making the shapes of clouds.  After she went to Heaven we always look up at the skies to see what forms we can see.  This day we saw this beautiful rainbow.  We were so happy to see this gorgeous rainbow appear in the skies.  We know Amber is looking down on us and making us smile again :)

I wish I could find a  pot of gold at the end of it!

&

Here is a picture of the bride-to-be ... dressed for St. Patrick's Day!

I know Amber was laughing at Jennifer too with her "ears" on! 

They were such close sisters!

I need to get busy with wedding "stuff".

Thanks for visiting and God Bless,

Donna

Spring ...Tabletop Tuesday

Marty at A Stroll Thru Life is hosting the 4th Table Top Tuesday and this is my first time to participate. 

I am so ready for Spring so I brought out some of my Easter decorations to share with you.

I like lots of color in the Spring and especially at Easter.  I purchased the topiaries last year after Easter so this is the first time I have really looked at them.  I brought them home and packed them away last year.  It is always fun to bring out things you purchased at a great price the year before :)

I kept changing the Bordallo bunny plates.  I will probably change them again! 

My husband purchased this Mark Roberts fairy for me while in Tennessee a few weeks ago.  He is adorable!  He has bunnies in his hat and another one in his basket.

A closeup of the topiary.  I love all the colors.

My little chicks look as if they are flirting with each other :)

I love these eggs I found for half price at Hobby Lobby today. 

 I wish they were real and I would eat one!

The little bunny popping out of his hat!

Look at his clothes ... he is one brightly dressed fairy!

He has Easter eggs hanging from his clothes.

And bows on his pants! 

I moved him to another room to try to get better pictures of him. 

Now he is back on the table to greet people for Easter.

Please go by and visit Marty and all the other participants for Table Top Tuesday.  You will get some great ideas that are so inspiring!

Thanks for visiting and God Bless,

Donna

Wedding Plans ... so stressful!

Planning a wedding is exciting but so stressful!  I never dreamed last year at this time I would be planning a wedding this year.  We have been very busy this week ... picking out invitations, having dresses altered, helping Jennifer with her bridal registry ... she may be a wonderful pharmacist but she doesn't know much about cooking : )  She wants help with what she will need for her kitchen.  She has lived in her house for 3 years in June and I think maybe she has cooked two actual meals.  I have supplied her with the necessities for cooking but she needs other things as well.  She bought a Kitchen Aid mixer last year in apple green that is on her kitchen counter ... never used!  She would be happy to just receive china and set the table pretty and order take-out!  Actually sounds good to me too!  I do love to cook ... I just don't like cleaning up after cooking.  My Kitchen Aid is used at least once a week to bake something.  Oh well maybe one day she will turn into her mother! LOL  I gave her a pillow one time that says "Mirror, mirror on the wall, I have become my mother after all!  She did not like that gift!!  I thought it was funny.  She however did not!  Actually as she gets older she is more like me although she doesn't like to admit it!

Yesterday was a bad day here ... it rained all day. We had sunshine today with more rain tomorrow.  I can't wait for Spring!  Some of my tulip bulbs are trying to peek through the soil.  That makes me happy.  I planted purple tulips last fall for Amber... she loved the color purple.  I hope they all bloom and will be gorgeous. 

I have been working on Jennifer's wedding quilt but I can't show it until after she receives it.  I will be so glad when it is completed.  I need to clean my house and make new curtains for my bedroom and new pillow shams too.  So much to do!

Thanks for listening to my rambling!  Maybe on my next post I will have photos of some things I have been working on!

Thanks for visting and I hope you all have a good weekend!

Blessings,
Donna

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Linda at Coastal Charm is hosting her second Nifty Thrifty Tuesday.

Who doesn't like a bargan?  I know I do!

Please visit Linda and see what she is sharing this week along with the other participants.

I found this "Glad Tidings" plate by the Bradford Exchange at a local thrift store for $5.  I love angels and it is a beautiful plate.  The colors in this Christmas plate are gorgeous.  It may be part of a collection ... I haven't had time to check it out on the internet.  If anyone has any idea please let me know.

I love Homegoods and the last time I was in the store they had their Valentine's merchandise at 70% off.  I saw these tablecloths and purchased each one for $3 a piece.  One is round for my kitchen table and the other two are large.  I can use one of the large ones for my dining room table and I may cut the other one into squares and hem for napkins.  I love red and white and especially with hearts :)

Finally I found these at Walmart last fall for $1.00 a pack!  I bought 12 napkins for $12 ... each pack contains 4 napkins.  They are a beautiful shade of green and I thought I could machine embroider these for spring ... maybe something Easter.

These are my bargains for this week.

The weather has been beautiful here today with sunshine and a high near 70 degrees.  I can't wait for Spring!

Thank you for visiting and God Bless,

Donna

Christmas All Year Long...

This past weekend when we went to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee we stayed at the Christmas Inn in Pigeon Forge.  This is where we always stayed when we took Amber with us once it opened a couple of years ago.
 It is Christmas all year long!

The main entrance to the inn.  The lobby doors have wreaths etched into the glass with soldiers ready to greet you on either side.

A huge fireplace as you enter the main lobby doors.

A huge tree looking out into the courtyard. You can tell from the chairs how tall it stands.  A huge cuckoo clock is on the opposite side.

Every floor has a table that welcomes you as you exit the elevator.  I love these elves!  Even the lamps are decked out with holly.

A huge cuckoo clock that plays music every hour.  I took this picture looking down from the second floor lobby.  Santa pops out of the doors at the top.  Children and adults gather to see the clock every hour.  

A gorgeous nativity scene above the check-in desk.

The real "reason for the season".

Another view of the clock looking up.  I was actually sitting in one of the chairs by the huge Christmas tree in the picture above.  I could have sat there all night long. 

On Saturday night Santa Claus sang songs with milk and cookies being served.

I loved this display ... A Christmas Story with Ralphie! Love the leg lamp and the Red Ryder BB gun in the wreath.  So cute!  This was outside our hotel door. 

The displays have always been different each time we stay there.

This is an elf sitting on the huge clock.  He greets everyone as they enter :) 

Just one of the lovely wreaths they have hanging in the hotel.

This adorable display was in the dining room where breakfast is served.  These are Mark Roberts elves.

An outside view of the front of the Inn at night.  It was soo cold and had been snowing. 

We tried to enjoy our weekend remembering times we had spent there with Amber ... at times it was very hard and emotional.  In my memory I can see her sitting looking up at the huge cuckoo clock waiting for it to ring and play Christmas music. 

I hope you enjoyed a little tour of the Christmas Inn.  If you love Christmas decorations you might want to visit it if your in the area.

Thanks for visiting and God Bless,

Donna

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Linda at Coastal Charm  is hosting her first Nifty Thrifty Tuesday. 

I love to find great buys especially on items for around the house.

I found this cute little dish at a thrift store for 50 cents.  I love the green ... it looks so Spring-like.

I use it in my kitchen.

I purchased this candle holder last week at Hobby Lobby for $3.00. It was in the 80% off section.  It matches two picture frames I purchased back in the fall.  It has the oil rubbed bronze look to it and it goes great in our bedroom. 

Who doesn't love a good buy!

Please go visit Linda and take a look at her thrift finds and visit other bloggers linking up for the party.

Thanks for visiting and God Bless,

Donna