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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My Perspective On Some Things

I was reading recently on the internet, the only place we can get news since we don't have or want a television. I rarely if ever have the radio on either, even in the car. I usually listen to my CDs of old music from the 60s, 70s and 80s. I try to live a quiet life centered around God. Trust me, I need a lot of work! But I live in the world and try not to be of the world. But this article just floored me.

A "civilized" European country is seeking euthanasia for minors and Alzheimers patients. This is what they are seeking: the law to be extended to minors if they are capable of discernment or affected by an incurable illness or suffering that we cannot alleviate. What child could make this decision?! Have we sunk this low that we would kill our children and older citizens? I'm astounded. I know of a professor at a leading university that advocates killing of children who are Downs even after they're born and have reached a certain age. What a sad commentary. I also shouldn't want to be standing near him when our Savior comes. I'll sometimes find myself weeping for what goes on in the world. That's why I try to not read much about it, keeping my life centered on good instead of evil.
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One of the little girls killed in Connecticut recently was a member of our Church. Her bishop in her ward is the son of a member of my ward. He—our ward member— called my hubby, a leader in our ward, to say he couldn't help with putting together our yearly widows and single ladies Christmas baskets because the little girl's family wants her buried in Utah and their bishop to travel with them to conduct the service. So the bishop called his dad (our ward member) and asked him to come help him get through the service. I imagine it's going to be a very tough day for everyone. Life is so fragile sometimes and we've cried over the tragedy but we have an eternal perspective that we'll all be reunited once again. Sometimes, that's all that can keep some of us going. Me? I'll just let the Lord decide when it's my time to leave this world. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I've heard people ask the eternal question: How come there's so much evil in the world? Well, we believe the Lord allows it to test us. How would we know what was good if we don't know evil? They're complete opposites! Now, don't get me wrong; I hate evil. But it's what we do in life that defines us, not the clothes, the cars, the big homes or celebrity. It's how we live our lives and the good we do. Again, don't get me wrong; I have a lot of repenting and work to do, but I'm trying my best to be a merciful, good person. It's my daily trial in life Trust. me. ;-)
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This is a hotel. Wouldn't you love to stay there?

Sweet and cozy kitchen.

A lovely large bedroom with old wood floors and the most gorgeous lace spread I've ever seen.

I have enough lamps in this house but if I could have one more, it would be like this one. Maybe I'll redo a shade on one. Hmmmm......

This has given me an idea. You can make little crowns with lace by using decoupage and paint and fit them to your kids' heads or add a piece of elastic at the back. I think I'll do one for Caroline and Juliette.

How would you like to have an exquisite bedroom such as this one? Fantastic!

Another quaint cottage with a turret.

This hydrangea is one hundred years old. My hubby saw this and said, "WOW!!"

Cute container for when clipping your roses.

Gorgeous decorated bottles with their very own holder.

Beautiful rose soaps.

Beautiful way to store your laces. I wish I had saved my old spools from laces now.

Talk about isolated! Your own house on your own teensy, tiny island. Going out for a loaf of bread or quart of milk takes on a whole new meaning. ;-)

These have the look of MacKenzie-Childs. I doubt they are as there are so many duplications being made now of their items, but these are still gorgeous.

A Mary Francis designer handbag. It's my favorite one and I'd buy it if it didn't cost almost $300. I think it's absolutely, gorgeously stunning!!!

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Tidbit:
Washington's Mount Rainier was named for a British soldier who fought against the Americans in the Revolutionary War.
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Drumsticks Ice Cream Story

Remember this post where I talked about shopping with th' Love Bunny? Well, he did it again! But this time with Drumsticks.

Until a couple of months ago, I hadn't had any Drumsticks ice cream for years. But during the surgery recuperation when my appetite was dulled from the painkillers, I tried enticing my appetite with any comfort food I could think of—Eggo waffles, Big Macs, just anything. Not much appealed to me then. But when he brought home Drumsticks ice cream I couldn't get enough of them. (Heaven forbid the weight should fall off! Sigh... But actually several pounds did disappear but I was diligent in getting them back on! Smirk) Then one night we ran out. I mean I was eating 2 or 3 a day! That's a lot for me. So I had him make an emergency run to our local market to buy some. He came home with some that had mint as the ice cream. Didn't read th' labels again!!! I was frosted because they didn't have the nuts on them either. What's a Drumstick without the peanuts? So I swore he wouldn't ever go shopping without me again. He's still trying to prevent me from killing every shopper in the check out line! It's not like I haven't done the shopping for 51+ years for us. I promise you I've never run over or crunched the heels of any man or woman in the aisles yet. Okay, okay, maybe once, but that was an accident. And he's forever holding on to the cart so I don't kill anyone. Drives me crazy.

But as fate would have it, the nuts dropped on the floor and since I go barefoot all the time, I was forever stepping on peanuts no matter how careful I was to inhale every single little smidgen of nut. So then, I very subtly admitted that we may have to buy the nut-less kind because my feet were getting tired of stepping on sharp little peanuts. I looked at him with a "don't even think of saying it" look on my face. He didn't.
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A sweet, small and purely white room for a getaway. Could it be a cabin or cottage in the woods perhaps?

Very ornate gold entry table.

Fairy dust in a lovely bottle. ;-)

Cute way to serve lemonade drinks.

Lace and handmade ribbon roses on an article of clothing. Yummy!

Who could resist this darling apron slathered with beautiful roses. I'd love to have some of that fabric.

Cute way to display some plants.

Just a sweet window in some other country from the looks of the building and pots.

A froufrou hat along side a chair.

I thought you'd like some more ideas on what you can do to jazz up your lamps.

I have no idea what country this lovely duplex is in but from the looks of the architecture, I'd guess the northern parts of Europe. One is the reverse of the other, and the pink and white go adorably together.

See what you can do with a basket of greenery? A delightful way to add lighting to outside or inside. Just take a basket, fill it with greenery and add some miniature lights. Lots of pizzazz.

The ever-present roses on this blog. ;-)

Another cute idea for outside, as well as inside, to add punch to an area.

Cherry blossoms abloom within a secret netting room. Pillows, food, and a secret place. Sigh.

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A VERY Few Thoughts on Homes

First of all, let me say one other thing since you know I'm always saying: First of all...

I have so many photos that I have caught myself not only posting them twice but actually posting in draft form the same template/photos just waiting for me to add a story or the text to the photos. Being human, I'll probably do this and not catch it at some point. If so, be sure and tell me. I always want to know how demented I am. Just rub it in. I'll probably laugh right along with you. I'm saying this because just today I found two drafts of the same template/photos. Sigh.

I'm not really into showing off gorgeous homes on my blog; although, I do occasionally. I know you want to see the celebrities homes, but they're truly not the norm in our country. There are more average-looking homes than multi-million dollar ones. I'll do it for you once in a while but not often. I prefer homes with rooms like those below. That's what the majority of homeowners have. And I'll admit to looking inside windows at night when walking by. I'm just as curious as most people wondering how women decorate their homes. ;-) Doors and entrances have also fascinated me for a long time, ever since I  heard and understood the term "curb appeal." I sure hope you all enjoy seeing the photos I post. I simply do not lead that interesting a life to be able to post photos of my own life or home or adventures all the time. Hubs would definitely disagree with you, as would all my acquaintances and friends, but they're wrong. Okay, okay, for the most part I don't lead a terribly exciting life. I'm an old lady, ya know!
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I love rooms like this. Cozy, lots of color and fabric and very inviting.

Another sweet room.

A beautiful bedroom. Love the shelf behind the bed.

Beautiful laces.

Probably one of the most beautiful ports you'll ever see with that wysteria

And roses for you!

Gorgeous embroidered pillow.

An old compartment on a train. I absolutely love traveling on trains. How would you like to take your supper in this little spot? :-)

Favorite color combo.

Isn't this adorable?

Try this with a thrift store lamp shade.

A delightful and colorful living room.

A darling little cupboard vignette

A lovely bed.

Try these colors of blue. Gorgeous.

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