Sequined Tank

Recently, I found this great post on Pinterest of a sequined tank worn under a jacket.  So, I did a search and found even more.  It’s a great look!

Finding the sequined tank, though, proved not to be so easy.  Earlier this week, I headed out to do some Christmas shopping and while out I determined to find a tank.  I looked at Kohl’s which is closest, but they didn’t have any.  I then drove on to the mall which has a Sear’s, Penney’s, and a Dillard’s.  Oh, and other various ladies’ clothing stores.  Several of the stores had tops with sequins on them, but nothing like what was in any of the pictures.  I finally found one at Dillard’s that I thought would suffice and purchased it.  It was on sale for $23.

Here is how it looks. I layered it with a white blouse and black jacket, adding pearl accessories.  Well, it doesn’t quite look as great as I’d hoped.  I’m starting to think that Pinterest is just a place of dreams that we can’t measure up to.  But, I’m not giving up just yet!

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Ready for Christmas

Well, I finally got my Christmas decorations displayed!  Still no tree, however.  We haven’t put up our tree since 2007 when we hosted Christmas for our extended family.  With our children spread around the states, we have just been going to visit them for Christmas and not doing much here.  You don’t really need a tree to decorate your home.  I have plenty of decorations that are independent of a tree.  The mantle, entertainment center, and entryway bookshelf are now decked out in style.

  

Here’s the entertainment center sporting some of my Christmas dishes and my music CD’s ready to play.

Fireballs anyone?  I recently read another blog where the woman was short on decorations.  She said she just started putting ornaments inside anything that would contain them.  So, that’s what I did!  It was a great idea.  And Santa has been holding our cards since I was a small girl.  My mother bought this Santa at a bazaar at our church in the 50’s.   Somewhere along the way, I acquired it and my kids have grown up with it.  We don’t really celebrate Santa, but I use it for nostalgic reasons.

And finally, the mantle with deer and poinsettias.  I put small antique ornaments in the lanterns and I think it looks nice.  My mother and I were alone for about 8 years before she married my step-dad in 1968.  That Christmas, she decided to get all new decorations and she boxed up all of our old ones.  I’m sure glad that she stored them for years, because they became mine when I married later.  I love vintage!

These are two of my very favorite of the ornaments.  They are two glass teapots.  This shot was handheld and taken at ISO 1600 f/ 3.8 1/13s.

Many thanks to the Nester for hosting this link party.  This is my first participation in any link up.  I hope I do it right.  🙂

Thanks for stopping by.  You can also chat with me on Facebook or Twitter and follow me on Pinterest.

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A Change in Scenery

In our living room we have a large fireplace that was built in some time after the house was built.  It takes up a LOT of space.  Someday we plan to remove it for more room.  But until that day, I have become tired of looking at this large, red object.  So, I got the brilliant idea to paint it.  I looked online for ideas and found lots of pictures in great colors.  Deciding on white to brighten up the room, I headed out to Home Depot for some paint.

In the morning,  I began my work of painting the bricks.  Starting out with a brush, I soon discovered this would take hours, if not days, to complete.  I ran downstairs and dug out the tray and roller.  My husband keeps a good supply of roller covers and I found one for rough surfaces.  It proved just the thing for the bricks.  I was even able to press it into the cracks to get the mortar painted.

I know that many of you readers will like the way it looked originally better than how it looks painted white.  I am not even sure how I will like it over time, but it definitely brightens up the room. It was a lot of work to paint it, so I have no plans of changing it anytime soon.  :~:

Thanks for stopping by.  You can also chat with me on Facebook or Twitter and follow me on Pinterest.

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About the ads that follow: They are not placed by me  and are not associated with this post.  They are placed by WordPress on blogs that are free.  Thank you for your understanding.

Starbucks

As I have stated before, I am a fan of Starbucks’ Frappuccinos. If you use a gift card to purchase your drinks, you can receive bonuses. You need to go online and register your Starbucks Gift Card.  After you register it, they keep track of the number of transactions you make.  When you have made 30 transactions within 12 months from signing up, you will be eligible for a GOLD card!

During our seven week road trip this summer I purchased quite a few coffees which put me at the 30 transaction, or stars,  mark this year!  So I am now the proud owner of a GOLD card! Today started a new holiday promotion for those who have Gold Cards.  Purchase seven drinks from Dec. 17th – 25th and be rewarded with a $5.00 Starbucks e-gift card.  This is in addition to the one free drink rewarded after each 12 stars acquired.

Combine that with my earnings on Swagbucks and I keep my card charged up!  Don’t know about Swagbucks?  It’s a website that awards points as you search the internet.  You can save up points (swagbucks) and use them to make purchases.

Thanks for stopping by.  You can also chat with me on Facebook or Twitter and follow me on Pinterest.

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About the ads that follow: They are not placed by me  and are not associated with this post.  They are placed by WordPress on blogs that are free.  Thank you for your understanding.

White As Snow

How beautiful it was when I looked outside this morning. Snow everywhere! No, it’s not a lot of snow as in the northern states or at higher elevations. But, just the right amount to enjoy without being inconvenienced. The wind has died down and there is a quiet calm outdoors with the white snow blanketing the earth. I think that must be why people enjoy snow, because it is quiet. Peaceful. Reflective. Though our sins be as scarlet, He has washed us white as snow.

Coffee Cozy

Someone asked me about the coffee sleeve in the photo from yesterday’s post.  It’s a crocheted coffee cozy designed and made by me.  I have quite a few cozies of different materials and styles.  I guess I sort of collect them.  After all, my coffee has to look pretty right? 

You can visit my Etsy Shop to see several that I have listed for sale.  Crocheting is another of my hobbies.  It’s a convenient hobby, in that you can take it with you anyplace you go and work on the project.  My favorite hobby being watercolor painting is not quite so portable.

Thanks for stopping by.  You can also chat with me on Facebook or Twitter and follow me on Pinterest.

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Iced Blended

Coffee Iced Blended

Are you a coffee lover? I do not consider myself a coffee lover, because I don’t drink hot coffee. I do enjoy the flavor of coffee cold like in ice cream and iced coffee drinks. My coffee drink of choice is a Starbucks Coffee Frappuccino. Since they carry a hefty price tag, I rarely have them. So, I have developed my own home recipes for blended coffees. If I have my coffee in the morning, I make it using Starbucks Via instant coffee. If I have it in the afternoon, I make it using Folger’s decaf instant coffee. Here is the basic recipe that I came up with:

• 1 cup nonfat milk or whatever milk you prefer
• 1 kitchen teaspoon of instant coffee (not a measuring teaspoon, but the spoon you eat cereal with.)
• 1 teaspoon Nesquik (optional)
• 1 kitchen teaspoon of sugar or whatever sweetener you prefer. I mix it up using turbinado, white sugar, or even molasses occasionally.
• 12 ice cubes if you have an automatic ice cube maker, or 6 cubes if you have trays in your freezer. The photo shows the size of my ice cubes.

Place all ingredients into your blender and mix until you no longer hear little ticks of ice grinding. My blender is a Bosch. It is amazing. The ice blended is thoroughly mixed in about 20-30 seconds with a Bosch.

You might also try adding other flavors like mint or caramel.  My daughter uses Hershey’s in the brown bottle.  I can’t use it because I cannot have corn and it is sweetened with corn syrup.  Find a mix you like and you’ll be enjoying iced coffees from home anytime you like!

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Zebra

I spent the morning painting on my notebook.  And I finished it!   Zebras are a beautiful creation and I am glad I made that choice.

When I painted the under coat for the larger zebra stripes, I gradated the color to make it more interesting.  What do you think?  Do you like the subject and color choices?

Yup the new looks much greater than the old!

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Progress

Today, I spent a few hours working on the design for my notebook project.  I thought awhile about what to paint on it.  Deciding on a zebra profile, I got out my Sharpie marker and sketched in a basic design.  I applied two coats of blue for the background allowing it to dry in between coats.  I am using Daler Rowney Titanium White, and Winsor & Newton Ultramarine Blue, with Delta Ceramcoat Textile Medium added. The medium keeps the paint flexible on fabric  after it dries.

Thanks for stopping by.  You can also chat with me on Facebook or Twitter and follow me on Pinterest.

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About the ads that follow: They are not placed by me  and are not associated with this post.  They are placed by WordPress on blogs that are free.  Thank you for your understanding.