"Personal Collection"

Did you have or do you still have one of these? Mine was brown with "Personal Collection" written across the top piece. I also had a printers box with my treasures in it. I had this shelf under the couch (!!!!) for so long! I would mop under and hit it and tell myself to either get rid of it or do something! So, after rearranging the furniture-again-(do you do that? I am always trying new looks) I pulled it out, taped up the doors and hit it with the black spray paint. I figured I would hang it above the black desk and try to get that room in order! Then, I found all the little treasures that I had in it from my childhood and my daughters! This is why I can not throw anything out!

Recognize the little "tea" animals? Did anyone collect the little china animals? The crystal deer is from the Corning Glass Factory in upstate NY from the 1960's! Sorry the photo is fuzzy....really have to learn how to use this camera! Little cornstalk dolls! The little dishes on the plate rack are from Sturbridge Village in the late 60's and cradle is in the 1980's with our daughter. I even liked wooden eggs then, too!

Look at this beautiful flower that the storm broke! I was so sad to see it broken, but I brought it in and have enjoyed it's beauty and incredible scent inside for a week and a half!!!

Works For Me- Blueberry Sauce

Someone is stopping by and there aren't any goodies in the house! I always try to keep a pound cake in the freezer, but it is not so easy to have fresh fruit hanging around. I try to make this easy blueberry sauce and freeze it, too.

Blueberry Sauce

1 cup water
1 cup bluberries-divided in 2
1/3 cup sugar- ( I actually use a bit less)
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 tablespoons lemon juice ( I've made it without,too)
1/8 teaspoon salt


Bring water and half of the blueberries to a boil. -3 minutes. Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt, then stir into into berries. Cook and stir until thickened and clear. (Not cornstarchy) Add in remaining berries and simmer a few more minutes. Stir in butter and lemon juice. Serve warm (melty ice creammmm) or cool in refrigerator.

Put this over cake or ice cream or both! Freeze a batch to keep on hand.

A New Blue

Last week I bought a little insurance. I actually got it free by going to the website. Here's the insurance:

A sample of Benjamin Moore Phillipsburg Blue for the bedroom. My insurance is that if I put that noticeable a splotch on the wall, I'm pretty sure it will get painted sooner than later!




















Well, lucky me. I had the $10 Sherwin Williams coupon posted by..? a while back and I went and color matched the BM and got the Duration matte. Great finish and washable, too. So, with the splotch on the wall and the gallon under his nose, my sweet husband said , "Why don't I paint the bedroom?" Yay! The original color was Zenful by Benjamin Moore but after painting the living room recently Aura 400- a really GREAT green-gray, we were tired of the light green. The Aura was beautiful but a really tricky paint to work with-even though we were die-hard Moore users for YEARS.
Saturday, my happy sight was

The paint went on beautifully and here is the finished room.

I love how the blue makes the white POP!!

The comforter still matches, but hmmmmm -thinking I want a new look?? I also have the patchwork form the first pic. The latest Pottery Barn catalog is full of patchwork quilts, too. I tacked up the curtains temporarily with thumbtacks (I actually like how it looks!) because I want to do different window treatments. It will take me a while to commit to what I really want anyway. I feel at this point in my life, I should have a decorated room. I know our furniture is matchy -matchy, but that is what the look was 27 years ago (and in Georgian colonial times,too, I guess!). The make is Statton Olde Towne-still beautiful...expensive then, but a wedding gift from the parents.
Our anniversary just passed and the thought was -a new mattress-finally, but no, we have not looked yet. Big decision....And I definitely want to put up ceiling moulding. Ours was removed when we built up our house and the rain from the tarp on the second floor
burst through our ceiling -yep. So-a new ceiling later-who didn't notice that the moulding was not put back up? Us... So, there are still things to be done and pictures to be hung, even though I hate to put anything on those walls!!! I will show progress...there's a little vanity chair that needs
a new look, too.....

Marshalls,etc. Goodies

I am actually writing this post in response to Nicole at http://bugabooscreations.blogspot.com/. She has a terrific blog and wonderful products, too. Way back (June)she wrote about some goodies she had found at TJ Maxx and I was about to respond when my computer "malfunctioned". It didn't crash but I couldn't do a thing that required more than one page being open! So finally I can access some pics!

I am a lover of TJ Maxx, Homegoods, and Marshalls. Usually in that order, but, lately it has been Marshalls and TJ Maxx. Homegoods has not been good to me!Perhaps because everyone is catching on to going there very frequently. I used to go there when no one else I knew was aware of it. I think the whole yard decor really took off there, because there is nothing left. A new one is opening this weekend nearby...hmmm.
I went a few times in the past month for present ideas...yeah that did not happen-right to the home department! So, here are a few of the great things that I have gotten lately. I saw this beauty :

...I waited from $12 to 10 to 7 to $5! It took restraint, but I like it so much more when I have gotten the deal! I found these pretty white dishes with a crown at Marshalls- the bowl- $2.99 and the plate $3.99. It seemed worth it! The sticker on the plate says Annabelle ~so cute I don't want to remove it!

Then for the garden, I found a sweet bunny for $5.99 and it is very heavy! I will take some garden shots-now that the garden is finally getting sun!

I also found a sleeping puppy, which I had searched for when our 2 year old lab died last year (another story-another time). I did find one on ebay and sent for it to find it was not real "sandicast', but plastic. I liked it but.... Unfortunately, our present lab thinks it is funny to run around the yard with it and not respect poor Buster. The new sleeping pup is very heavy and will not travel around the yard. It is placed under the "dogwood" tree that we planted -and has silly wire fence around it, too!

But, the best find was this pair of bird prints that I found at Marshalls. They were $19.99 each. I wanted to wait, but I got panicky when I left them behind. I told myself that I would go back the next day and if they were there-it was meant to be. Joy, joy! They were there and now they hang in my living room. I will post pics of my rooms soon. College son is home and everything gets dropped!

So, now on the lookout for more bargains to love.

Lost in Technology

How many times can I complain about not writing?! I am not on my computer...again because mine is constantly "not responding" or "internet cannot open this page..." arrrrggghhh. I am on the old PC -no pics on this one! I feel that I have been so neglectful! Like I need to stress about that-ha! You are all so much more understanding! I have been reading with my mouth hanging open, all of the wonderful things you are doing and crafts and decorating! If I tell you how late I sit up reading-you would not believe it! I love this http://hopestudios.blogspot.com/2009/07/tutorial-tuesday-rosette-t-shirt.html and can't wait to try it! I also saw this http://granvillehouse.blogspot.com/2009/07/anthropotogie.html and had seen these same pots at anthropologie and had started to think-but now I don't have to! It's been done! I love the staircase at Rhoda's bloghttp://southernhospitality-rhoda.blogspot.com/2009/07/staining-oak-banister.html. My staircase is oak and my furniture near it is cherry.....so, I am thinking!!!

I am hoping to get on my computer later, so I will post this without pictures...

Two Out of Three!

7/11 is a big day here. Yeah, we should have gotten our free Slurpees, but we didn't. Today is a big birthday in our house. It is our daughter's 25th AND our older son's 21st! Just as I was married in July because I was a teacher, it just "happened" that my 2 firstborn were due in July. My daughter's due date was 7/11 which I thought was sooo lucky! Well, we were lucky to have a beautiful baby girl on that date after 24 hours! For my son, I was given 7/11 again, which was funny to me- but I figured the 2nd would arrive sooner....no, I went into labor as my daughter was blowing out her 4 candles after dinner. She was not thrilled that we were leaving. We stalled and got to the hospital at around 9. I told them that I might be ready...and I was right- the baby was really ready to come into the world. At 11ish, I asked if we could push this off until the 12th so each would have their own birthday. My OB said I could push until tomorrow, but this baby wants out! So, Bryan was born on his sister's birthday at 11:29 pm-which she claims was the best present she could ever have. It kind of makes it feels like Christmas in July! When they were little, it meant 2 friend parties, 2 school cupcakes and the family party. All wonderful memories! I wish I had a scanner for the old pics, but maybe in the future.

So, my daughter just moved to the city but came home after having dinner with my son and his girl in the city. They got home by midnight so they could be home for "the day"! I had cakes waiting! Tonight, our son is having a party here -friends from here and college-and Leanne is having dinner with the girls in the city and out after. Then, all back here tomorrow for more birthday. Some things never change!

I did borrow some delicious recipes from some of you lovely ladies. From "We are that Family" (recipe) and "There is No Place Like Home" Boston cream Pie- a non-traditional b'day cake, a yellow cake with chocolate frosting, a blueberry cobbler -inspired by Sew Gracious and Simple Mom and one more that I can't find again! and the Friendly's Watamelon Roll- a favorite since they were tiny!

Now my camera is giving me uploading problems, so pictures soon-all technical difficulties to be ironed out!

Happy Birthday Leanne and Bryan!!!

Our Anniversary

I have not written a post in ages because I was having so much computer trouble and as it turns out it was the Internet that was the issue. Finally I am back on I was reading all your posts between getting bounced all the time!!! It was more important that I keep up than try to write!!! Other distractions-college son is home and starts his summer job on Monday. It is so nice that he wanted to do a lot of things before work started- with his brother and me! My other son just finished finals and the dreaded NY Regents exams! I love NY, but... So we have tried to get to the beach and day trips and do projects all while we have had rain every day!! Crazy!! I will post a few outings later.

But today is our 27th (!!!!) anniversary! I hoped to have gotten some pictures up, but my camera is also not uploading. This picture was sadly taken with my phone from our wedding picture!!

So, tonight we will go to dinner somewhere by the water on the South Shore -Freeport has many restaurants on the Nautical Mile-with our 3. Our daughter is one of the few who has to work today so we will wait for her and all be together! So happy day to anyone else who was a July bride (as a teacher-it was most convenient!! Isn't that how teachers think?) and a very Happy 4th to all!