Tortuga...

I love turtles.

Land turtles, sea turtles...it doesn't matter.

I'm not sure why, I guess it's their eyes. 

They're so big and seem to be "all knowing"...

and then it's their gently way.

I think it all started when I first met this lady,

http://www.theturtleladylegacy.org/

Ida...the Turtle Lady of S. Padre Island, Texas.

She rehabilitated turtles and gave little demonstrations at her lab.

She was kind and passionate about these creatures,

 and they seamed to be as fond of her 

as she was of them.

Many years later, my family and I saw a release just like this.

http://www.seaturtle.org/imagelib/?cat=500&page=2&si=hatchlings&thumb=1&sort=1&perpage=12&user=&stype=1

They are so tiny, just little miracles.

If you ever see a nesting site, please don't disturb it. 

It's most likely being watched by a scientific crew, 

and if not, 

report it so they can watch it!

FYI...you might have noticed that hotels along nesting beaches will turn off their lights at predawn because when the hatchlings hatch, they instinctively go towards light - the sun rising over the sea (hopefully not inland due to artificial light.)

Okay, okay...now to a tablescape.

Guess what my theme is this week?

Yep,

turtles!

I'm joining Susan from Between Naps on the Porch for her Tablescape Thursday.

and

Cuisine Kathleen for Let's Dish

Please drop by for loads of inspiration!

Since you've already had an earful (haha),

please sit back, relax, and enjoy this table!

Thanks for stopping by!

In case you're interested:

Chargers - Target

Napkins - World Market

Dishes - Big Lots (plastic)

Glasses - Mexico via Goodwill (ha!)

Centerpiece - Burke's Outlet

Silver - antique shop

Seashells - Sanibel

Coasters - Tuesday Morning

Tassel - home made

Special Cards...

I love receiving handwritten notes and cards...I think they are truly special.

With that in mind, I decided to send a few to make others feel special too.

One was for a wedding...

I took the original invitation and tweaked it a bit and turned it into my wedding card back to them.

Here's the before:

 And here is the after:

  

Using blank note cards/envelopes as the base, the sky is really the limit.

I cut out their graphics and made them "pop" with a cut piece of mounting board glued underneath.

The yellow strips were also trimmed from their original invitation.

Adding one of my favorite verses, it's perfect for weddings.

The other cards were birthday greetings.

My sister-in-law loves all things nautical.

This one is for her.

I had nautical stickers, so those were a must. 

Adding a bit of jute and ribbon, it was "smooth sailing!"

haha

My niece loves all things blooming.

This one is for her.

I wanted a bit of whimsy...she's young and very cute...

I thought the free-handed flowers would be a sweet touch.

My other niece is an aspiring actress.

 Stars are her personal theme.

It's fun to personalize cards for friends and family...

I'm hoping these cards make them feel very special too!

I'm joining Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch for her Metamorphosis Monday. Be sure to drop by for amazing transformations!

Home Tour...Front Entry

I think I'm ready for my "official" home tour.

Things are still in their "unofficial" places...until I can bear to put nails in my walls.

(Apparently I have issues.)

And I think I'm going to make this series part of my weekly posts, what do you think?

It's partly for you as readers to see the "finished" product after many months of rough edges,

and

partly to help me see things from a different perspective as to what needs to go, 

what needs to be changed, 

and what needs to be nailed down (haha)!!

So without further delay...

 ...today is the front entrance.

Come on in!

The landscaping was added a few weeks ago...can you see the grass beginning to sprout?

We're wondering how long it's going to take to cover the entire yard.

Does anyone know?

I'm hoping to get seating soon on both sides of the porch...the mornings and evenings are so nice.

Do you remember the planked foyer?

I'm really enjoying the texture...however, that egret print...not hung yet.

Yep, issues.

And my grandfather's cabinet fit perfectly on that wall...pure luck.

(you can read about that project here)

I had other plans but I like the cabinet there better.

This shot shows the entrances to the living room and den.

I'm still loving the transom...so glad we decided to add it! 

Can you see those pocket doors?

Here's a better shot.

They can close off the front windows from the rest of the house in case I get scared when needed. 

And here's a shot from the den to the front.

The light is really nice and so is the view.

This shot also shows an entrance to the dining room.

I'm so glad that you've been following along on our adventure. 

It's been a labor of love,

but,

boy, I'm glad we're finished!

(Well, kinda finished.)

Stay tuned for the Living Room and a few questions.

(like... should that mat be under the first or second door? both? or just get a long mat?)

(and what about those urns...they need to be larger, right?)

Oh...so many questions...PLEASE stay tuned!!

Cute little Cockatiels!

I fell for this little guy as soon as I saw him.

I mean, who wouldn't just love that cute little beak?

And he had portraits made of himself...

...yes...

...I know...

too cute.

But wait,

there's more...

...what about this profile?

I know...

who can decide?

And then there are his little cousins...

posing as salt and pepper shakers.

Will the cuteness end?

Well, 

I didn't want it to...

so, I just looked...

...and looked...

...and looked.

But then there is the issue of cockatiels and coral.

Well, I'm just going to pretend that my little friends stopped over at the ocean side and were resting.

It could happen, right?

I'm thinking yes...

Anything can happen here on Tablescape Wonderland.

;)

In case you're interested:

Cockatiel pitcher, plates, salt/pepper shaker: Fitz and Floyd

White Plates: Lenox

Chargers: Pier 1

Cloth Napkins: World Market

Glassware: Dollar Store

Flatware: Tuesday Morning

Centerpiece: Waterford crystal, Sanibel seashells, Oregon air plant, plastic aquarium coral

I'm joining Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch for her Tablescape Thursday.

and

Cuisine Kathleen for Let's Dish

Please drop by for loads of inspiration!

Lincoln City, OR...part 2

Our stay in Lincoln City, Oregon was quite impressive. We had the beach to the front, but behind our rental was a planned community.

The houses ranged in sizes...

There was a common park...

...a green space.

There was personality everywhere.

I think I could live here...in this quaint, quiet, little town.