It's already New Year's Eve and 2015 is coming to an end.
This seems like the fastest year ever, it has flown by!

I want to say that I so appreciate your friendship, encouragement, comments and for sharing in my life and home...you're the BEST.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

It's always fun at year end to look back and reminisce,
so today I'm sharing the 10 top posts that were viewed by YOU!
Each will have a snippet and a link to the post.

Hoot! Hoot! He's So Cute in the Keeping Room

My Hydrangea Morning was productive and the cuttings are drying nicely.

I was so glad to have the hydrangea cut and in containers of water for the drying process

but I also wanted to place some around the house to enjoy while they are drying.

I found the perfect vase for just that
and
hoot-hoot...he's so cute!

Easy-Peasy No Cost Centerpiece

I've been trying to keep my spring decorating simple,

easy-peasy,

with little to no cost.

So I wanted to share another quick centerpiece I came up with for the keeping room table.

Decorating with Collections ~ One Thing Leads to Another

It is true.
We decorate our homes with pieces that speak to us.

It was a bit of a surprise, discovering a collection of pups while straightening up some cupboards.
A fun surprise while doing early spring cleaning,
finding one here and another there,
to realize I had a collection of pups of many different types and styles.

Pieces found over time,
not intentional,
they had spoken to me and is how this collection came to be.

With my new found collection, I decided to use some of them.

The Staffordshire pitcher was added to the table by the couch here.

One thing always leads to another.
I brought this pothos plant in from the kitchen, moving it to the marble top table in the great room.
I love the vivid green in this blue and white transferware pitcher,
something bright and cheerful on these dreary days of winter.

The Den ~ Saying Goodbye...

We are saying goodbye to the den

and with mixed emotions...

DO YOU LIKE ROO'S?

Hi Sweet Friends!

So tell me, do you like Roo's?

I've been doing some spring cleaning and I need to spruce up my old cupboard full of hens and roosters...

This is just a peek cause I've got more sprucing to do, but this got me to thinking about how to tell the difference between a chicken and a rooster.  Do you know how to tell the difference?

I went online to look for the answer and it seems that even the professionals have a hard time telling the difference, so here's an article if you'd like to check it out...How to tell a chicken from a rooster!  

In the end, if you really want to know if your bird is a chicken or a rooster you need to do as one commenter suggested, take it to an Avian vet and have a DNA Test done.

LOL...just a bit of fun if you need something to read over the weekend!

A HUGE THANK YOU  to ALL who have served and are currently serving to defend our FREEDOM!

God Bless You!

source

Hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Blessings,

Cindy

Hope you'll come join the party every Monday at Amaze Me Monday!

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Little Lamps to Light the Way

It's all about Lamps...

These little lamps are always kept on for a bit of light along the way,
which is especially nice at night...

This little silver lamp sits on top of our television in the den.  I found it at an antique store and thought it was a deal for only $13...

There is a little brass candlelight which is tucked behind the Rooster which lights up this part of the kitchen.

On a little desk in one of the downstairs hallways is a little blue & white lamp.

This lamp adds a nice touch to the counter in the downstairs guest bathroom.

A candle light adds a warm glow on this bookshelf.

The 6 watt bulb adds just the right amount of light to brighten this spot.

On the hall tree in the front foyer sits this lamp

so anytime we head downstairs there is a soft glow to light our way.

Thanks so much for visiting, hope you'll leave a comment so I'll know you did!

Blessings,

Cindy

Hop over every Monday for…AMAZE ME MONDAY!

Oil Paintings by Marjorie H. Francis Zaman ~ A Lady I Never Knew

Marjorie H. Francis Zaman, or Marnie as she liked to be known, was a lady I never knew but I think I would have liked her. 

About a week ago, on a warm and sunny day, I drove into the parking lot of one of my favorite antique shops.  Before choosing my parking spot I was already intrigued. I parked, opened my door, and my eyes began a journey, as displayed across the shops brick front was oil painting after oil painting.  I was captivated.  There were ships sailing across blue seas, flowers, churches, and hillsides.  Marnie’s paintings were beautiful.

The story goes that Marnie was born in NY in 1924 and settled in our home town some 25 years ago.  She discovered painting later in life.  Her favorite scenes were landscapes, ships sailing and hometown scenes.  She also painted a pet or two, her own living room and a self-portrait too.  Marnie’s family sold most of her estate and paintings to the antique shop upon her passing.  Oil paintings are usually out of my pocketbooks reach, but we struck a deal and three came home with me.

You may remember this antique mirror from my recent post Clutter Solutions. 

The antique mirror has been replaced with this painting…

A couple has walked through the woods, down the pathway, and into an open meadow heading to a church in the distance.

Just a little to the left is another painting…

A sweet stone church nestled beside blue waters…

In the den where the theme is equine...

There is just something special about these paintings.  They are beautiful and Marnie put her heart into each one of them.  She is no longer here and surely she would want them to be treasured by someone, and these will be!

This is Marnie in her self-portrait…

Hope you enjoyed!

Join us each week for AMAZE ME MONDAY!

Love WHITES ~ COLOR too!

WHITES …Bright ~ Crisp ~ Fresh

White rooms are beautiful and have a serene flair all their own.
What’s not to love about a room full of whites…

 

I LOVE this chair!  Really, really would love to have this chair…

As I make plans for a guest bedroom, great room and den, I sometimes ponder an all white room.  Or maybe a white room with pops of color…

I do LOVE color.  So maybe a room with warm, creamy tones…

And before I know it, I’m back to rich, vibrant colors and my love for the color RED…

Hmmm, maybe it’s time for my traditional style and love of color to rub elbows with a little contemporary…

Hope you've enjoyed the inspiration!

With so much inspiration and ideas galore do you sometimes need help on which direction you should go?  I do!  So, how about a little help from friends...

What's your favorite color scheme?
All White, white with pops of color, creamy tones, or vibrant colors and maybe a touch of red?

And your style?  Vintage, traditional or do you like some contemporary flair?

Can't wait to hear...

Blessings,

Cindy

(Most of these pictures have been in a picture file with no references.  Please let me know if you should be referenced in a link and I will gladly add it.)

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