loyality...

I've written about her before, but I just wanted to document once more what a great dog she is. I just love her and her undying love for our family.

She listens to every word we say...

...and loves sitting with her dad.

Guess who sneaks her a bite from the table?

Yep, it's her dad.

She doesn't normally eat with us, but we had a vacant chair and she let us know that she would be on her best behavior IF we'd let her!

Thank you SO much!

A big thank you to Julio over at Beaux Mondes Designs  for his generous give~away!

This was my first give~away win...and WOW, this was the jackpot!

 Two twenty~four issues of my favorite magazines!!

 The first magazine appeared today, what a wonderful treat after a long day at work!

I can't wait to dive into all the glossy pictures and soak up all the inspiration.

Here are a few pictures that caught my eye right away:

Thanks again Julio!

What a lovely way to spend a few spare minutes this evening.

Be sure to drop by his blog, it's full of inspiration as well!

Rowdy and His Buds

I snapped a few pictures while visiting a ranch this weekend in Llano, Texas.

Rowdy is on the right.

The owner of the ranch told us that these longhorns are only about 2 years old! They weigh about 1000 lbs now and can easily reach 1500 lbs or more! They love coming up to the fence for a treat, I think they were waiting for me to feed them, instead of taking their picture.

Sorry guys.

Thanks so much for visiting, enjoy your day!

I'm linking to Outdoor Wednesday at a Southern Daydreamer. Be sure to drop by for amazing shots.
I'm also linking to Happier Than a Pig in Mud's Barnyard Bash. Sounds like a great time!

For the Birds...

This past weekend I found some sweet friends while visiting an antique shop.

I wasn't familar with their maker, Norleans {from Japan}, so I did a little research. Turns out they were made in the 50's from lightweight porcelain.

One I found on line was about $25 with shipping...I paid around $6.00.

Yea.

At a thrift store, I found these guys...they were in pristine condition. The aluminum tray was another find.

I'm always on the lookout for pretty glass pieces.

I was in luck, found these salt and pepper shakers and decanter.

The top of the decanter can be filled...my mother has gotten me hooked on them.

The tea cup was a loner...no saucer...but very pretty.

I'm going to turn him into a tassel.

My sister and I were able to spend the entire day shopping in Llano, Texas while our husbands went dove hunting. I'm not a hunter and don't know too much about the "ranch life", but sure enjoyed the slower pace. People were so very friendly, helpful, and just plain nice.

Thanks for stopping by to visit, enjoy your day!

I'm linking to several parties, be sure to click on their links below for loads of inspiration!

Today's Thrifty Treasures at Southern Hospitality

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Second Time Around at A Picture is Worth 1000 Words

Thrifty Thursday at Tales from Bloggeritaville

My Lovely Bookshelves.

My last post was about bookshelves and my love-hate relationship with them. I've come to accept the fact that I just love all things with a story, a history. Because of this, I have collected a lot of stuff things.

I wanted to repost a quote from Mary Carol Garrity:

"Bookshelves are made for more than books and that’s where I stage our family’s narrative. The narrative describes the people who live in the house and it is the charm of the home. I try to tell the story of the family by showing our taste, passions, experiences, preferences and outlook in the objects we love." {Nell Hill's}

So here they are, my "lovely bookshelves" holding my story, my family's story.

For instance, this shelf holds seashells my maternal grandmother and I have collected along with favorite books, and a tray from my paternal grandmother.

And this shelf holds a favorite little bottle from my grandfather, a thrifty cup, and more of my favorite books.

Other shelves hold special pictures and projects that my children made when they were young.

A true "narrative" of my family.

Thanks so much for visiting, enjoy your day!

Bookshelves...

I have a love-hate relationship with bookshelves.

I love their storage capability but find them difficult to decorate.

Then there is the age old issue: are they to be functional or decorative or both?

ugh... 

For me, filling them is NO problem, but making them look good is a different story.

I've gone through different phases...sometimes I like them monochromatic...sometimes whatever goes...sometimes sparse or jammed packed.

double ugh...

Then there is the book issue...facing front, facing back. Sort by color, size, topic...wrap them, bookjackets on, off...

My head just spins.

What's a girl to do?

Look for inspiration online.

Houzz is a great start.

That's where these images are from.

You can read the entire article here.

Then I found this picture on Nell Hill's Facebook page:

Mary Carol Garrity wrote:

"Bookshelves are made for more than books and that’s where I stage our family’s narrative. The narrative describes the people who live in the house and it is the charm of the home. I try to tell the story of the family by showing our taste, passions, experiences, preferences and outlook in the objects we love."

{Nell Hill's}

After I read her words, I knew what I was going to do:

 love.my.bookshelves.

Next post...My Lovely Bookshelves.

Taking a short break...

I'm taking a short break...my classroom and incoming students need my undivided attention!

I'll be back soon, I promise!