Flaunt Your Red

Good morning! Today is the first day of Flaunt Your Red Party and I wanted to join in b/c I have soooooo much red in my house! In fact, I just took a few photos and there is no real theme. Next time, I will be more organized. :D Thank you Nancy our special Southern Lady for hosting!

First, I want you to show you Zoey's cage. Just because she is a parrot does not mean she does not need style and glam!

I made this. DH's idea, my design. Looks much nicer than the store bought parrot cage covers. And very functional for cages with playtops. The colors go with the decor in my house and I think I have enough fabric left over for a pillow...

Zoey Girl needs a pedicure and her pedicure perch

just happens to be red and matches her cage cover... :-)

I found this tassel (I have a bunch of them, most of them... deep rich red... :D)
It is hanging on my china cabinet door.

The drapes in my Living/Great room and Dinning room are also a deep rich burgundy red. I love this color. If I told you how old these drapes are, y'all would laugh. But, when I go looking for fabric, new drapes, what ever, I do not see anything I like any better and what I have is in fine shape. I found them on clearance at JC Penny's about 15 or 16 years ago. I got the tie back thingys at the same time. When I like something, I usually keep it a loooonnnnngggg time.

I have 2 of these chairs. And more of this fabric. My mom made the striped pillow years ago. The gloved pillow I bought at Civil-la-Tea in Gettysburg, PA about 12 years ago. It would be easy to make for gifts.

Now I have to include a tea pot. I think I found this at TJ Maxx (Love that place!) and the reds in this are perfect for my home.

I hope that you enjoyed my reds. I sure enjoyed sharing them with you. It is a warm cozy, soothing color. Romantic and beautiful.

For more Red posts make sure to stop by Nancy's blog~ Southern Lady.

Have a blessed weekend everyone and thanks for stopping by!
Hugs,
Melissa

~Southern Lady~: ~Are You Ready To Flaunt~

~Southern Lady~: ~Are You Ready To Flaunt~

Remember-Southern Lady's Flaunt Your Red is tomorrow. I plan to participate. Get your photos ready and loaded!

Dishaholic Award

I thought that I had seen somewhere on one of my blog surfing expeditions a "Dishaholic Award". I did not snag it. Today, I have spent most of the day looking for it because there are several ladies I want to "award" it to. After hours and hours of searching, I decided I think I dreamed about the "Dishaholic Award". I did find the "Tablescape Award" and the "Dish Addict" award (and I snagged them for just in case...), but no "Dishaholic Award". Soooooo I decided to make up my own "Dishaholic Award" to pass out. :D

I have never made a 'Tag' or an 'Award' before, so I had to think about it for a minute. Then I had an idea. I pulled a few things from the cabinets, sideboards and china cabinet, set it on the table and shot them. Loaded the photos onto my trusty lappy and into lightroomII (love LightroomII) then made my final selection and into photoshop it went. (Hate photoshop though lightroom is also photoshop. Adobe just wants to get all of photographers money... well what nikon and canon doesn't get...)

You know, I never thought of myself as having many dishes, but I guess I do! And I find myself lusting after more. Especially after looking at so many blogs and all the lovely table settings. I hope that is not sinning! I am content with what I have and if I never get another thing, that is OK with me. I suppose I am a "Dishaholic!"

I put a few things together...

I pulled out a few stems as well... then thought about the replacement value. I am fortunate to have my complete set of crystal. And they are no longer stock. There are a few antique pieces thrown in there as well.

I thought this photo would look nice as well...

But I decided on this one!

I guess since I came up with the award, I get to come up with the rules? OK, fun, but simple. :D

1. Post on Blog with link back to awarder.
2. Award to 5 deserving Dishaholics (they can recieve this award a million times and if you think they are a closet dishaholic, give it to them!) Name them for their inspiring taste and display of dishes. The dishes can be displayed anywhere in or around their home.
3. Name your favorite set of dishes/pattern that you own.
4. Name a set of dishes/pattern that you DO NOT own, but would like to own.
5. List a favorite accessory (stems, silver, flatware, etc.)

I am going to stop the list at 5. If anyone wants to list more they certainly can.

Now, there are many many deserving ladies out in Bloggerville who deserve this award and I am not going to pass it out to all of them in this first Christening post of this Award! I have to save some for others to pass it out to.

I have seen and admired (I am trying not to use the words 'lust' and 'envy' here...) the tables, dishes and displays of these wonderful ladies with the most exquisite taste in dishes. I will go back over and over to their blogs just to look at the photos of the table settings. They have beautiful dishes and hundreds of them. In fact the first one could have provided the photo for the award!

1.Precious Shelia @ Note Songs Oh she has such beautiful dishes and a confessing Dishaholic. Just go read her post for today!

2. Sweet Jan @ Rose Haven And what a collection she has. Go see her tablescape for Valentines. Beautiful!

3. Lovely Deb @ Deb's Country Kisses She has been taking a bloggy break, but I bet she has been playing with all those dishes she bought at Marshells a few weeks ago (the one near me closed and she went over there and bought them out @ 60% off) and is taking pictures to post on her blog.

4. Creative Wendy @ Ivory Spring a confessed Dishaholic! Quilt designer, sewer, etc.

5. Extraordinary Linda @ Blue Gate Blog all the dishes she has and what she does with them, well you will just have to go see!

Please feel free to snag this award to pass along to that special friend who is a 'Dishaholic'.

A smaller tag.

Outdoor Wednesday

Today is Outdoor Wednesday hosted by Susan at A Southern Daydreamer. Thank you Susan for hosting!

Here, I happened to be at the right place at the right time. I call it my 'Farside' photo. This photo was taken on one of the jungle treks at WDW in Animal Kingdom.

To enjoy or to participate in Outdoor Wednesday, please go to Susan's blog A Southern Daydreamer to see all the beautiful posts!

Monticello

The beautiful home of Thomas Jefferson. 3rd President of the United States of America. Author of the Declaration of Independence, one of our Founding Fathers.

Photo looking out the window of the Ticket House.

It was a foggy morning. A tad cool. I had just bought a new camera for work and was trying it out on this trip. DH said that he remembered me reading the manual in the car while we were waiting for Monticello to open. So, I guess these are the first photos taken with this camera....

Indoor photos were not allowed. Something about the ownership of all the antiques and furnishings in the house and contracts to include no images being taken, etc etc... But we were allowed to take all the photos we wanted of the outside. Lovely Bowling Greens.

There was a painter and a ladder on this porch. They were trying to get through before the crowds started coming around to take.... pictures! DD, DH and I all took photos and did an excellent joy shooting around the ladder and painter. Those columns are pretty big!

The flower gardens are so beautiful. Jefferson grew many many varieties of flowers and plants. (I think this is Joe-Pye Weed in the foreground in this photo.) In some areas, the lighting was bad, so I chose not to take photos. But it was fun to get photos with fog.

The pond looks like a looking glass. Very pretty.

One of Jefferson's vegetable gardens. The building to the left was one of his offices. He was very 'hands on' with all of his work. He would spend hours with his work in that room. And who could blame him? Look at that view!

Jefferson's favorite food was peas. He grew 28 different varities on his farm.

This is where his body lays at rest. And I have no idea why I took this photo in Black and White except I had a new camera and was experimenting. LOL! And was at a graveyard.

Monticello, a beautiful place to tour, visit and spend a day. Learn about our history and about one of our Founding Fathers. A great leader of our nation.

They have a great gift shop, garden shop, hiking trails, etc. We have always planned 1/2 day there. To enjoy it fully, you need to plan on 3/4 to a full day.

Thank you Kelli for Hosting Friday Show and Tell every week. To participate or to see more Friday Show and Tell posts, go to Kelli's blog-There's No Place Like Home.

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!

An Award!

I feel like I have been a terrible blogger as of late. Life is getting in the way and I have several projects that are coming up and they will make me even busier! But that is part of life. I miss you all! I am going to take some time to do more than lurk and will be posting to everyone's blog in the next few days.

Also, a month ago, I started Kay Arthur's Isaiah Part I. This is a wonderful Bible Study. If you ever get a chance to take it, do so. You can also take it online. Since I will not be able to go to class tomorrow, I am going to see if I can view the video online. (technology... too kewl!!!)

Speaking of technology & terrific bloggers.... Meet Sweet Susan - A Southern Daydreamer (go check out her blog! it is awesome and she knows how to use a computer! She has decorative thingys in her sidebar that match her blog! And she has been blogging less than 2 months!). Susan just bestowed the Premios Daro Award to me. *Blush* I did look up the meaning of this award.... “The Dardos Award is given for recognition of cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing. These stamps were created with the intention of promoting fraternization between bloggers, a way of showing affection and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web.” *Blush*

Now, I am supposed to pass this along to 5 other bloggers....

Sweet Kitty Scraps-A bit of Fluff, Quite Messy Really

Smiling Sally-Smiling Sally's Blog-Susan may have given her this award, but Sally deserves it! She is a faithful blogging friend. :D

Lovely Anya-Hills Creek Quilter

Beautiful Nina-Portugal Bound (She follows my Health and Fitness Blog and is my new email buddy. She is helping my with my girls mission goup - GA's- You Baptists will know what GA's are.)

Beautiful Sharon-Keeper of the Home Sharon encouraged me to start posting to my Health and Fitness Blog again after a time of letting it go almost dormant.

Please go by and visit these ladies blogs. Unlike me, they really fit the discription of this award.

God bless you all today.
Love,
Melissa

Sunday Video

Steven Curtis Chapman "How do I Love a Woman". To better enjoy, please turn off the music that is on my playlist on the sidebar to the right.

Blue Monday

Welcome to my addition to Blue Monday. Blue Monday is hosted by Sally @ Smiling Sally's Blog. Thank you Sally for hosting every week. We all really appreciate it.

This week I wanted to show you a set of salt and pepper shakers that I purchased at Monticello (Home of Thomas Jefferson) several years ago. I love them and use them next to my stove. And now that I look at the photo (I used one of my work cameras for this photo) I see all the grains of sugar that should have been cleaned off the hutch! LOL!

To see more Blue Monday posts or to participate in Blue Monday, go to Smiling Sally's Blog.

Happy Blue Monday! And thanks for stopping by.