Thursday, November 25, 2010

Counting My Blessings

Today I’ll be counting my blessings, naming them one by one.  Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

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Christmas 2008 at Papas

 

 

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Have a wonderful day with your family

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Thursday, November 18, 2010

Thanksgiving

Preparations for Thanksgiving are in full swing around here. I have made lists, lists, and more lists and I am checking them twice. I can’t wait to taste the fruits of my labor next week. I have a set of Thanksgiving plates that we use during the fall season and I decided to do a mini tablescape to create a more festive Thanksgiving atmosphere while we prepare for other family members to come.
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I purchased the plates on Ebay and have added to them over the last few years so that I now have about 24 in order to have enough for the whole family.thanksgiving table 040 I chose these because they have some fall color with pinks, mauves and greens instead of yellows and oranges. I sometimes use the rimmed soup bowls as small vegetable bowls.thanksgiving table 006  The wicker chargers are from Nell Hills. As you can see in the photo above, I used three here to create somewhat of a runner and put the centerpiece on the one in the middle. The larger pumpkin is actually a fragrance burner resting on a small square pedestal that I recently picked up for $3 in the clearance section of TJ Maxx. thanksgiving table 043  thanksgiving table 045 The silk roses and hypericum berries are some that I’ve had several years. On our large dining room table, I use them in small bouquets in silver mint julep cups.  The cranberry glasses were purchased a few years ago from a local shop and pick up the pinks in the plates. thanksgiving table 010 The flatware is Remembrance silver plate by Rogers Brothers. I initially purchased 8 place settings at an antique store and have added to it through Ebay and now have about 30 place settings. thanksgiving table 011 It is very reasonably priced and worth every dime to use when I am hosting a large group since I am not at all a fan of plastic flatware. thanksgiving table 012 Often when we are in a restaurant, one of my kids will ask if the flatware is up to my standards. Flatware is a small detail that makes a BIG difference.thanksgiving table 022 The glass pumpkin place card holders were purchased at Williams Sonoma several years ago.thanksgiving table 007 I hope that this has inspired you to get busy and get ready for Thanksgiving.  I will be linking to Tabletop Thursday at Between Naps on the Porchthanksgiving table 036
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Sunday, November 7, 2010

My New Friend Rub “n Buff

I’m finally back from being on the road for most of the last month. Over the last month, I spent a week in Gatlinburg, Tn working at a convention; most of a week in California attending a convention with the hubby; and 10 days in China visiting the daughter. All of it was exhausting but very fun. I hope to eventually post some photos from the trips.

Today, I want you to meet my new friend  Rub ‘n Buff that I met in blogland.

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I purchased this tube at Hobby Lobby for $3.99.  I had a little difficulty locating it but was finally successful. When I asked an employee for assistance, I was told that they didn’t carry anything like that. I knew that they did because I had seen it in another Hobby Lobby store before. I found it near the acrylic paints and other foil leaf products.   I have had these three crosses on the mantle in the den for quite some time but it bothered me a little that the finishes were all different.IMG_1585Let’s get a closer look. IMG_1586 The gold one stood out but the dark ones seemed to fade into the brick background. So I put    Rub ‘n Buff to the rescue. I simply put a tiny drop on my finger and rubbed it where I wanted the gold accent. IMG_1589  This shot shows one done. It already looks better. And here is the finished product. IMG_1592  I think it’s just what they needed. I’ll be linking to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch.

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