Have Courage . . .

Have courage for the great sorrows of life, and patience for the small ones; and when you have accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake.~Victor Hugo

Pretty in Pink!!! Another fun Pink Saturday!!!

Welcome, friends, to another "Pink Saturday". A special thank you to Beverly from "How Sweet the Sound" for hosting this fun event each week. In my first picture, you see one of my favorite wall hangings. It is rather large, about 15 inches I think, and it hangs in my bedroom. I love the soft colors in this piece, and of course, the beautiful roses. It is a Limoges piece and dates back to the later 1800's. The second picture is of my cute pink hen. She is all glittery and sparkly with her rhinestones and pink roses. I purchased her from a seller called: "A Rose without a Thorn". She sits in my sunroom where I can enjoy her when I drink my morning coffee. The third picture is a vintage-like sign, La Belle Petite Maison, that I have hanging in my dining room. Rebecca from "A Gathering of Thoughts" painted this. Isn't it beautiful? She has a special touch when painting her roses, they are very soft and delicate. Please visit Rebecca at "A Gathering of Thoughts". She has listings on e-bay and etsy. You will love her work! Thank you for taking the time to drop by for a visit. Be sure to visit the other "Pink Saturday" participants at: http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Hummingbirds Welcome!!!

I have always been fascinated with hummingbirds so when I have one in my garden I am thrilled! I had always thought they were very shy and would fly away when someone came near them. However, the one I have in my garden is just the opposite. On more than one occasion, I have been out watering my flowers and have looked up to see my hummer watching me not more than two feet away. Of course, I become very still when I see it so I won't scare it away. We look each other over for a minute and then he is off in search of nectar. But, I always look forward to our next visit ; )
Hope you find some beauty in nature today. Wishing you the very best. Vicki

A visit to the Land of Enchantment

My sister and I recently took a trip to NM where we visited my youngest son. He is interning for a law firm in Roswell this summer. No, we didn't see any aliens!!! We did have the opportunity to drive up to Santa Fe and spend one night there. We stayed at the Hotel Santa Fe and did a little sightseeing. The morning before we left, we dined at the hotel on their patio. It was so cool outside and butterflies were flitting everywhere. We had a delicious breakfast of blue corn, pinon nuts and blueberry pancakes. We also visited our cousin and her husband in Carlsbad before returning home. My sister and I are both native Texans, but we spent a large part of our lives growing up in New Mexico. We get homesick for NM from time to time so it is always wonderful to go back and see those beautiful blue skies and sunsets that you can only see in NM.

My sister and niece, my garden and my favorite lamp

My family is very important to me. They have stood by me through thick and through thin. In the photo above you see my sister, Myra, and my niece, Robin. I am there on the left. We are at a wonderful restaurant in Austin, Texas called "Green Pastures". This restaurant is in a beautiful old Victorian home. We have a tradition of going there for Christmas brunch. Their specialty is a drink called "milk punch". It is yummy. It is not egg-nog. I am not a real fan of egg-nog. This is more along the line of a vanilla milkshake with a little something "extra" ; ) If you google "milk punch", I think you can get the recipe on line. Myra is retired, and she teaches crafts each week to the ladies in the retirement village where she lives. Robin is a speech therapist for our local school district and does a wonderful job. She loves shoes!!! In a later post I will introduce you to my sons and daughter-in-laws.

The second picture is of my cottage garden. I have lived in my home for six years, and I have worked on my garden as well. I always say, "Who needs grass when you can plant flowers!" Most of my roses are of the antique or old garden variety.

The last picture is of my favorite lamp. I have had it for many years. I had looked for one like it for many months but just never found the one I really wanted. Then I saw this one in an antique store in Fairfield, Texas. It was love at first sight! The man who I purchased it from said it was painted by a lady in California, and that she had been an artist at one time for Walt Disney Studios. The signature looks like: "Eames" to me. Anyway, it is my favorite.

I am wishing you all a wonderful week and many blessings.
Vicki

Grandchildren, now I know why they are called "grand"

Meet Jake holding baby Henna, Ally and Maggie in the foreground, Luke standing behind them, and Grace. Not only are they beautiful, they have sweet, caring hearts!

Decorating with vintage plates. . .

I love to decorate with vintage plates, don't you? This is an area in my sunroom that I decorated with plates, china and handpainted items. I hang plates in my home, place them on plate stands around the house, and even hang them on the wooden fence in my backyard garden. I also use them as borders in my garden and place them in garden pots. Another cute way I have seen them used is to glue a plate with a hot glue gun on top of a crystal candle stick for an instant pastry stand. Covered with a clear glass cloche is pretty, too. I had a lot of fun at "Pink Saturday" yesterday. I am already looking forward to next week and some pretty pinks to post. Have a blessed Sunday. Vicki