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March 28, 2012

Adopted Birthday Party!

Yep, that's what I said... 
Adopted Birthday Party!

Posted a very colorful and cheerful tablescape and I adopted it as my 
Birthday Party table!
She cordially included me in the post!  
 I've been swamped at home with some decorating updates and I haven't 
had the time or creative energy to share 
for a new tablescape so I adopted one!

I just celebrated my 55th Birthday last Saturday and there is a big kid in me yet, so when I saw this bright and colorful 
tablescape I "adopted" it as my 
Birthday Party table! 
 I love lemon cake and pie- perhaps the bright yellow urns are what drew 
me in or the carousel horse- I know the cute plates surely did!  
Either way I enjoyed it and I hope you do to!

You might say Alycia and I have adopted each other!  I won't mention her age, but we're not far apart (wink, wink)!We've become great pen pals and seem to have a like sense of humor!  One thing's for certain, she is a sweet, generous and talented lady!

So stop on over to Alycia's 
and check out my 
"Adopted Birthday Party"
Pretty sneaky of me don't you think!!
Join me at Between Naps on the Porch 
for

Raw...Guest bedroom makeover....

I've started my next project which is 
the guest bedroom.  
It's pretty much in the "raw" state but 
I figured you could handle it!! 

We just painted the room two years ago 
in a light yellow called "Italian Straw" 
by Pratt & Lambert, so I didn't want to 
paint it again, but had to find a way to 
work with it.  Of course I wanted
a new look so my brain went into
seek...ponder...and oh darn watch 
the budget mode!
This is the room after I got it together in 
2009.  It's approx. 13.5 ft. by 9.5 ft
I grew tired of the dark drapes quickly 
and I had them mounted too close to the 
edges of the window so it ate up a lot
of the available daylight.
At the time the bedding fit the budget 
and with some added pillows I was able 
to pull the colors of the room together.  
I put the dresser in front of the window 
but I've hated it ever since.  The heater 
vent is behind there and it also made it 
hard to work with the window shade.  
The fabric also seemed to collect every 
piece of cat hair like a magnet and I really 
got tired of trying to keep it looking clean!
Last Sunday I suggested we move the 
furniture around in the room, so I plotted 
it with the room planner at Lazy Boy's
web site.  
We bought this bedroom outfit for our 
daughter about 8 years ago.  It's a nice 
solid cherry set by Stanley called 
Louis Louis.  The bed is a nickle plated 
piece that we never actually put together.  
We had it in the smaller bedroom and we 
didn't have room to give up for the 
footboard.  I had a moderately priced 
(cheap) frame connected to it but the real 
frame and footboard remained in storage.
We were pleased to see the nice hardware 
package it came with which included this 
thick silicone rubber piece to help with 
mounting the pieces together.  
The frame has lots of support and we were
 so happy to actually see it put together.  
If you haven't followed me- I recently took 
over her old bedroom and made it into 
my office.  All of her bedroom furniture is 
still here. She lives in an apartment in
a city about 150 miles away.  When she 
settles in someday we will move this to 
her new home.  In the meantime I 
claim it for the guest room!
(Possession is 9/10ths right?)
I love the sweet shape of the headboard 
and footboard.  The mirror reflects the 
same shape.  This is just a quick shot after 
we got the mattress set back on.
It's tight in here as you can see!   The tall 
armoire used to be behind me and we 
used some of those sliding discs to move 
it over.  Those are a handy thing to have!
The dresser is over where the armoire 
used to be and these are new lamps I 
got at Pier 1 Imports.  I was drawn to
their unusual shape and thought they
might be a nice design element!
I love how they glow!
These pillows are my inspiration for the 
new accent colors in the room.  I'm 
waiting for them to come from 
Pottery Barn.
I found three matching frames at  
T.J. Maxx.  I thought I was going to use 
them in the office, but it didn't work out.  
They have that new popular "chalk" paint 
look and I couldn't resist them!  
I need to find pictures for them yet, but I'm 
pleased with them and they coordinate 
with the color in the pillows beautifully!
I also found some curtain panels that had 
the same coloring!  
I think this was meant to be!
Next on the check list....I have the curtains 
going up and the new picture frames are 
being hung above the bed.  
Waiting on the bedding and I still need to 
find pictures to put in these frames! 

Thanks for visiting and I hope
your week is going great!

March 23, 2012

55.....

Happy  Birthday to me....
55
55
55
55
Yep that's my new number... 
and I am proud of it!  
I stopped worrying about turning older 
some years ago!  
I figure it this way, it's a blessing to be 
alive and life is a gift so enjoy it!
 I adore lemon flavored cakes...
 or Lemon Meringue Pie
(as a child my Mom gave me the choice of either a 
birthday cake or lemon meringue pie- I often chose the pie!)
I'm floating thinking about
this one (no wait, that's a sugar high)
Lemon Meringue Cake!!
  55 years ago... 
 My actual birthday is Saturday and I think a nice relaxing day is in order!  We'll see what comes of the day! I'll get my "lemon" Birthday treat from my sister when I see the family for Easter!
 Happy Birthday to all of you 
March babies and those turning 
55 (or already have) like me! 
 Spring has sprung and I think that's one of the best reasons I always enjoyed having been born in March!
Easter is right around the corner and life is bursting out everywhere once again!
I Love it!
Hope your weekend is great! 
I know I'm going to enjoy mine!
 I'd like you all to welcome my friend Betty- She's started a blog this week...please check out her link and welcome her aboard!
Betty Marie's

March 21, 2012

Spring has sprung!

Living in northern Michigan which is a naturally beautiful area, but it sure has it's ups and downs!
As you saw in last post we got slammed with what ended up to be 22" of snow in about 16 hrs.  Not two weeks later we were all melted down and enjoying 70 degree weather and have been breaking records for many days.  Today is anticipated to reach 84... as much as I love this warm up I know it's too soon and I fear for our plants.  Next week we resume more normal temps in the 50's for a while and then we'll graduate upward.  That should slow things down, but my magnolia may not like it at all!  I saw forsythias blooming in town yesterday.  It's about 3 weeks early for even them!
If you stare through my window at the edge of the woods you will notice the greening going on with the trees...this is way too early!
I am delighted that my Christmas Cactus has started to bloom again! I'm going to transplant it to a larger pot.  I've know women that have grown these for 20 years....
I think that's pretty impressive!  I hope I can keep mine going for a long time too!  The cyclamen started blooming a few weeks ago...I am enjoying how long the flowers have been lasting on it!
Old "Hairy" here...has had 3 hair cuts since last fall (a baby tears plant).  I saved it from last years outside garden plants.  I think I'll split it up when I'm ready to put it outdoors and see how it does.


At Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania they had Cyclamen plants around the base of Christmas Trees...they said it used to be the favored plant before the Poinsettia took off in popularity.   
 I nearly lost this plant after Christmas. It really got sickly looking, so I cut off all the sick looking parts of the plant and hoped for the best!  Eventually it started coming back and I am grateful to see it blooming again!
 I've enjoyed having these plants through the winter.  It gives me something to look after and I feel a great reward when they continue to grow and flower!
Thanks for stopping by!  I hope your spring has been going along as nicely as ours!
I'm going to venture out with the camera and see what I can catch growing already! I know there are some crocuses blooming!
Liz

March 20, 2012

Welcoming spring!

This tablecloth with it's bright green seemed like a great way to brighten up my kitchen and to welcome spring in!  
The sun was beaming in and I rushed to capture some pictures.  I had already put my terrarium on the table just to be different and then I decided to set up a couple of place settings for breakfast.  While Dan was getting ready for the day I scurried about to put this together!  I didn't elaborate too much!
I used the Bordallo Pinheiro dishes again because I like their garden colors.  
My pink Fleur-de-Lis glassware seemed like a good pairing and the ivory flatware was an easy fit with this arrangement. I kept it simple with a basic white napkin.
These white dishes have a grape vine pattern and the cabbage leaf plates look so good on top! The coffee cup has a textured vine pattern built along the handle with raspberries decorating the center of the cup. I thought these all made for a nice garden theme and a good mix with my terrarium
"Cathe" the name I've given to my garden angel is sleeping again and this bunny is up to no good!  He's after the flowers! 
Wake up Cathe!
I think one way or another I will be using bunnies in my tablescapes through Easter!
One last picture before we ate.  Admittedly I'm not really this formal for breakfast but we've been so thrilled with this early warm up to spring around here that I seemed like a nice idea to welcome spring in with a garden theme!  I made a batch of french toast, some sausage links (which is Dan's favorite) scrambled eggs and hash browns.  
We had some O.J. and coffee.  
Later on Dan worked on my dish closet making me some racks for the stemware.  I'm only showing a quickie picture because I need to organize it, but I will show it again in the near future! He's going to create some coffee cup holders too so I don't have 
to stack them.
My oh my how did this grow to so much!
I'd like you all to welcome my friend Betty- She's started a blog this week...please check out her link and welcome her aboard!
Betty Marie's
I'm linking to Between Naps on the Porch
for Tablescape Thursdays


White grapevine dishes by Bordallo Pinheiro
Green cabbage leaf dishes by Bordallo Pinheiro
Raspberry coffee cups from One Kings Lane (no brand on them)
Flatware from Horchow called Sophia (very reasonable)
Fleur-de-lis glassware from Horchow, listed as handmade in Portugal
Faux Terrarium from Kohls (plants from various places, my design)
Bunnies from a garden center
White napkins from Wisteria (I hid the large Fleur-de-lis emblem on them because they seemed to formal with them showing)
Tablecloth by April Cornell

As always thank-you for joining me 
and I always love to hear your comments!
Liz

March 18, 2012

Catching some rays...

What a great Sunday we're already 
having!  We had a nice relaxing 
morning and I decided to play
with my terrarium and set it
up on the kitchen table. 
 The sun was beaming in so I thought
I'd catch some rays....
 This little bunny is trying to sneak
in and enjoy some fresh greens!
 Looks like my Angel Cathe is asleep
and not noticing!
  Hmm.... I wonder if I can reach
that nice yellow flower....It's sure
to taste the best!
 I thought it would be nice to
have the table dressed up a 
bit.  We are experiencing such
nice weather it's rather unreal!
I know everybody is talking about it
but our normal temperature range is
40 for this time of year and the last 
record was set in 1966 at 74 degrees...
yesterday we broke it at 82 degrees!

I always feel better when the sun is out
and it seems to have a way of bringing 
out a smile in everyone!  

Stop by and visit
I usually post under my Garden blog for
Sunlit Sundays (for those of you
who don't know me  under this blog name)
I am also joining

March 17, 2012

Irish Blessings

Hello everyone!  
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
 I am reposting a St. Patrick's Day
post from last year.  At that time
I said I had no Irish in me.  I've 
since learned from an Aunt that
I do!  It's a wee bit, but it's there!
(I've posted some music, but if you don't wish to hear it
just push the pause/stop button)
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
May brooks and trees and singing hills
join in the chorus too, 
and every gentle wind that blows 
send happiness to you. 
 May God give you...
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet son,
 And an answer for each prayer. 
  May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!
  May the good saints protect you
And bless you today And may troubles ignore you Each step of the way
Happy St. Patrick's Day everybody!

ABOUT ME



Welcome to Home and Gardening With Liz. I have combined my previous blogs “Infuse With Liz” and “Sit With Me In My Garden” into this new blog. I love interior decorating and gardening. I enjoy redefining interior spaces by moving things around and reusing decorative items already found in the home. I also enjoy creating tablescapes and an occasional crafting project. I'm so pleased you've stopped by. I invite you to follow me and I do hope you will keep coming back! Liz
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