before and after wooden planter

I discovered part of the problem with why I couldn't post photos on my blog, nor leave comments on other's blogs. You see, my main email address is on AOL and I have the AOL program downloaded. I go into this downloaded program to not only read my email, but do everything else online (browse, access my Yahoo email, read blogs, etc.)

I just tried going in through IE instead of AOL - and here I am.

Anyway...

I had this cute wooden planter that I bought several years ago at a craft fair, but it was looking so worn and dated.

So, I bought a can of spray paint (spray paint is my newest friend...almost anything that isn't nailed down gets painted in my house) and painted the planter PURPLE.

I wasn't too sure of this color, but my neighbors told me they love it. They said it looks great with the greenery in the background.

And with that, I'm now off to yoga class. Have a lovely summer day!

so frustrated with blogger

I've really been having problems with Blogger the past few days. I've been reading my favorite blogs and wanting to comment, but when asked to sign in and I do so - I come up as "anonymous" and my comment won't post! I've tried clearing my cache and cookies and still - no luck.

Then, I've been trying to create a new post and it won't let me upload any pictures. I click on the "insert image" icon like I've always done, and nothing happens. No error message, nothing. In fact, when I click on ANY of the blogger icons (font, bold, link, etc.), nothing happens.

I've tried the "help" button at the top of the screen and even googled these problems, all to no avail.

Is anyone else out there having problems?

I'm obviously not a Blogger expert like a lot of you are. Any help would certainly be appreciated!

weekend thrift finds - and china cabinet

How us girls love to go on our weekend treaure jaunts! This past Saturday, me, my mom, and aunt headed out to a few shops in my area. Here's me (frizzy hair with "wings"; the humidity was awful!) and my mom...

We were talking about how my teenage niece now poses in her photos...hand on her hip and all. So we had to be silly and do that kind of pose.

Uh oh...it's yet another BIRD to add to my collection! Couldn't believe it when I saw the marking on the bottom though - Goebel! And, only $5! My mom and aunt bought one, too. The man who owns the store said he bought the collection (there were quite a few) from an estate sale. Look at the color and luster of this sweet little birdie.

I'm tempted to go back and buy another bird or two in other colors...but do I REALLY need more? I COULD get rid of a couple of my other, "cheaper" (cheeper! ha ha) birds though.

 It's a thought.

At another store, I found this pretty milk glass pitcher ($6). I have a few milk glass pieces - several pedestal-type dishes, a big, round bowl, and candleholders. 

I decided to take my rooster collection out of my china cabinet and start putting some milk glasses pieces in there instead. Here's the start on the bottom shelf...still playing with the entire china cabinet arrangement.

A little vintage egg cup with a rooster (made in Japan) for $3.

Even though I took the rooster items out of my china cabinet for now, I liked how this little cup just seemed to "fit" in front of the shelf and how the red in the rooster came in to play with the red of the pitcher and on the bowls.

And...lastly, I found a vintage red rose tray for $4.99. I have a lot of red accents in my kitchen, so I'm still playing around with placement of the tray, but for now it's on the top shelf in the china cabinet.

Thanks for visiting!

little pretties

Hello, friends!

 First of all, let me apologize for not currently having a blog header photo. I removed my old one and was up quite late last night trying to place a new one, to no avail. I am having a hard time getting any photos to fit properly into the header space. I ran out of patience!

In the meantime, won't you take a look at some "little pretties" around my house?

Flowers in glass - or under glass - make lovely displays.

Found this matching hand-painted, made-in-Italy tray and pitcher at Goodwill. Red crackled glass pitcher (love crackled glass - wish I had wide windowsills to display a collection!) found at the antique mall by my house.

 

This vintage stool came home with me last weekend. Didn't want to pay the asking price, and then I found out it was 50% off - score! I don't like the red velvet cushion, so I plan on recovering it (umm...soon).

I have a small collection of James Whitcomb Riley books, as our last name is Riley. So I think it's cool to have books sitting around that say things such as, "Riley Love Lyrics", or "The Riley Reader."

I had a vignette of small glass pieces on the secretary desk in my living room (desk belonged to my grandmother). I liked it well enough, but I get tired of the same decor and love to play around with things, sooo...

I changed it!

 I had been looking for an inexpensive wooden tray, and found this one at Tuesday Morning.

The corner of my living room where the secretary desk is placed...

the beige sofa is on an angle.

weekend fun

So much fun to get together with your loved ones, especially on a

 beautiful summer day.

Here's my Aunt Bunny (her real name is Yvonne - and she's only 3-1/2 years older than me!), my mom, and me - with squinty eyes from the sunshine.

My cousin called Bunny and I, "Blonde Peppermint Patty bookends"!

The three of us went out to lunch at: www.luckyplatter.com. Check out the clever sculptures made from recyled material above the restaurant door.

The inside of the restaurant is funky, too. Foil balls on the ceiling and chandeliers made from colanders!

Saturday evening, we attended a surprise 40th birthday party for my cousin, David...

You know, you gotta be careful around cousins. Some of them are SUCH trouble makers! My cousin, Janice is a bad influence on me.

Not all is fun and games, however. Yard work still needs to be done. So thankful my son, Tim willingly helps out with the mowing.

Hard-working hubby doing the trimming.

We finished off the weekend by enjoying dinner, fresh raspberry iced tea, and Backgammon (I'm a geek!) on the patio.