~BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR...~

...because you could lose what you already have...and then where would you be?


This is on my refrigerator...words to live by?


My gosh...I think I am being punished! :) Have you ever felt like you've brought something on yourself...by wishing for something you simply cannot have..and then..what you do have is suddenly taken away?? Ok...well..I won't go into that too deeply...but let's just start with my camera...

Yes...my camera. I have been not so appreciative of the one I have..and longing for a new one like Di's at SNAPPY FINGER...and now it won't work. Sweetie Pie is in Maine and won't be home until next week..so...NO CAMERA. I should have appreciated what I had!!

In the meantime..I'll start sanding those stools. Lots of wonderful advice from Lucy @ ENGLISH COTTAGE IN GEORGIA and others who were kind enough to help me. It's getting on with the task that is the problem! I am a procrastinator!

What would I do without my can of red spray paint! It's the little things..isn't it? :)



I collect red Mosser glass... The deep red and the cherries always catch my eye. I should save this for Ruby Tuesday...shouldn't I..ah well..

I buy usually from our blogging artists and seamstresses...and this little pillow with the wheel barrow was made by Becky at Sweet Cottage Dreams. The other items were from other artists on ebay.

This canaster set is very old. I bought it at Sears probably 30 years ago..packed it away, thought I had sold it at a garage sale...and found it later in a box. I was DELIGHTED! When you think you have lost something ..and find you still have it...ANOTHER good feeling! :)

I keep seeing new canister sets...cute ones with Roosters! You KNOW how I love Roosters...but...I have decided to be grateful for this set. It is, after all, RED!
I need to learn to be grateful for all my blessings and not always reaching for the better this or better that.

I will go paint now and stop wishing for more STUFF! I am already a lucky woman. I MEAN I DO HAVE ALL OF YOU AFTER ALL! ~smile~ And my camera WILL get fixed!

Hugs and love,
Mona

~TABLESCAPE AND ....BREAKFAST~

Thanks, Susan @ BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH for hosting our Tablescape Thursday! It's always fun...especially when you get to eat dinner..um..breakfast for dinner! :)

I'm using part of my Rooster dishes by Horchow. My girlfriend and I decided to do breakfast for dinner. Do you ever do that?
The large Fall leaves place mats and table runner are from CVS Pharmacy and were very inexpensive. The little pumpkin men are from Pier1 Imports.

YUMMA!! Wha'd I do with the napkins???


This is International Delight's Pumpkin Pie Spice! It says limited edition on the container. What do you suppose that mean? Good only until ..Thanksgiving??

OPEN the door Mom!!

Love and hugs,
Mona

~I HEAR IT'S RUBY RED TUESDAY...~

WORK OF THE POET is hosting this fun day! Take time to go visit all the gorgeous RED that is being flaunted today! I am!


Yes, I'm late, but I thought I would rush around and jump in! Is that alright?
Too late... :)

My retro coffee maker? I had another one but Kitchen Aid wrote and told me it had been recalled...and then generously sent me this one. :) Well... needless to say, I was delighted!


Potholders...ok..not such a big deal...but..they do have red in them...so..in they went!

My little white junk store shelf. I painted it white (I loved the beadboard backing) and hung it over my kitchen sink. Great place for my old red and white enamelware.


I used to collect red and white crocheted pot holders. Who am I kidding?? I still do!!
(I really AM trying to kick the habit though. Honest!)

Love and hugs...and here's to lots of "red" in your life!
Mona

~HAVE A CHOCOLATE..PLEASE..

What to post...what to post???

Ah...chocolate is always good...in my Fall candy dish! Yes?


... and my new Welcome pumpkin I bought yesterday in a fit of ...Fall fury!

New Williams Sonoma tablecloth..deep red and luscious! See the Roosters?


And a (sort of) close up! LOVE it! My bud pj is getting it in GOLD...wait til you see it!!


See these stools?? Well..the next time you see them..they will be black. Tomorrow morning...the paint comes out...


And yesterday after lunch with my sweet daughter, Mary, we went shopping and I bought these cabbage leaves for some texture. I saw them on one of our tablescapes..but for the life of me I cannot recall which one. But to whoever it was...THANK YOU for the inspiration!


OMG!! In broad daylight one cannot hide! I nearly fainted when I saw the mass of wrinkles! But..hey..no walker or cane yet...so I'm ahead of the game! 73 is closing in for this old October babe! YIKES!

Love and hugs,
Mona

~IT'S HOME..TO ME~

~Thanks to Susan of A SOUTHERN DAYDREAMER for hosting our day in the outdoors.



I didn't wander far today...just out onto the patio...but next year I hope to have a garden and more flowers to show off through the Spring and Summer and into the Fall!

This patio is becoming dear to me as I watch it evolve into a place we can enjoy and relax...
A large braided outdoor rug helps warm up this large space.... though it certainly didn't need warming up today...soon though...I hope.



And this is my favorite bird house. Yep...I think I could live there if I were a Mama bird...with seven eggs? :)



And this is the rug I found this Saturday at a garage sale for $8.00! Brand new! Did you hear me? BRAND NEW! The woman said her son bought it and then moved away and left it.
Makes me smile just to think of it!!
It's got the black...and the deep reds... see me smile? :):):)
And did I tell you it was BRAND NEW?

I love old windows.
My first attempt to paint roses..so..please do NOT enlarge! Wait! Do NOT ENLARGE!



My pumpkin bird house..its been rained on for years and has survived.


My favorite old wood bench. (OH NO! My box of kleenex is down there! Oh well. :)
I used to keep the bench inside..but since the patio is covered I thought I would leave it out.
I'm still working on this area. Who am I kidding..I am always working on everything!
~The End~

I hope your Wednesday is wonderful. Howard is off to Maine in the early A.M. and I will miss him!

Love and hugs,
Mona

~A THING OF BEAUTY...

...is something you have searched for and fits a purpose in your life, no matter how small.


Thanks to Susan @ BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH for hosting this fun event! Go by and peek at the amazing difference a bit of change makes.



I have been looking a while for a good candelabra. Something heavy and solid that I could paint...and Saturday I found it! A bit smaller than I had envisioned..but I love it!






The candles are pumpkin colored instead of Halloween orange and I really like them.
The large pumpkin tureen is a bit large...but..I'm still working on things..just wanted you to see how cute it turned out.

So.. :) do you like it? Too "gothic?" Oh please don't say that! That thought just passed through my mind. Yikes! Do you think so? I really liked it. It's just that your opinion is important. :) No...honest...it is!!!

So..happy Morph Day! :)

Love and hugs,
Mona

~SEPTEMBER SONG ~

September... and unpacking my Autumn pretties...signals shorter and shorter day..

Autumn is my favorite time of the year. I am not even sure why. My birthday is in the Fall? October. It turned very sad for me..but at the same time I love it so much. The rich colors...deep reds and golds..something... and my favorite song is "September Song." It was very last song my husband, Patrick and I ever danced to.


This is one of the things I love getting out each Autumn. An old Fitz and Floyd that most of you have probably already seen. The little quail salt and peppers are so sweet. Have you ever seen baby quail? The are no bigger than your thumb..adorable and SO fast!


This is an old wine barrel that I used to make a water feature on our patio. The rack the pump sits on was carefully built and bolted into place. See the little iron birds sitting nearby? The black eyed Susan vines will be beautiful next year. They are a new addition. Nothing fancy..but those old wine barrels are getting more and more difficult to find.


And the iron gate was purchased from a garage sale this past Saturday. I did have another shorter one there..but this works much better for what I am planning. The blinds will be changed out next Spring for white ones...lots of plans.. :) Lots!

We still have 17 days of Summer and look at us. We are still burning here in California...it is still miserably hot..although today it was degrees cooler..
and here we are at Labor Day weekend. We noticed today that it was beginning to get dark earlier. :)

Enjoy this beautiful Saturday. I am off early in the morning to hit the garage sales!
Be safe!
Love and hugs..
Mona

~THRILLING POST~

I misled you. It's not thrilling at all. It's just stuff.


~Fall leaves in a pitcher~


~Black kitty on my bookshelf~


~Old hooty owl on my piano~


~Mailbox all dressed for Fall~

~Handmade pumpkins~


~Coffee table stuff~


~My fireplace~

I hope you still love me. I didn't have anything cooked..or a tablesetting..or any flowers to show..and I didn't feel much like writing anything and couldn't think of anything to say.

Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend. Drive CAREFULLY!

*My friend Balisha is wonderful! She came through with flying colors.

Love and hugs to you!
Mona

~YOU DON'T IRON ANY MORE?~

Now my laundry area is in the garage and the floor is concrete. :) Yep. I was pressing something..who knows what...and suddenly the iron simply jerked out of my hand. The cord caught. It FLEW..I GRABBED...but it was too late! It hit the concrete, there were sparks and smoke ...and it was all over! No more iron!

So...iron shopping began. I iron still...no not like I used to, but I do press things, pillow cases, and I touch things up. Come on! Everyone does a "bit" of ironing. But...it's been some since I have bought one.

Big deal, you say? Hey! I was on a quest here! This is possibly the last iron I will ever own on this earth. Think about that! It suddenly ...meant something!


See? I told you it was dust! Would you believe my love wanted to tape....never mind! He is frugal to a fault!!

MY BRAND NEW IRON! Would you LOOK AT THIS? A little button on top...and you can SEE the temp you are setting!



...and STEAM in a BURST..like I have never seen! BLAM! Wrinkles gone! :)

Large easy button to push for mist and steam! Lovely!

A Shark? Hmmmm...I had never heard of it...and I usually buy a brand I am familiar with.
Well...it's time for a change. Change is good!

I'm a movin' on!

Hugs and love to all of you fantastic people out there!
I cannot begin to tell you what you mean to me!

Mona

P.S. Please hold Balisha from "Never Enough Time" in your loving thoughts today..Please...She is undergoing brain surgery to remove a tumor...surround her in a warm God light!

~UNTITLED~

First I want to thank those of you who wrote offering support. Perhaps some of you are right and this tiny health issue played a part..but mostly it was this:

My husbands family was not pleased with his decision to marry after being alone just a year. Actually 14 months. There was a lot of anger with a bit of violence thrown in. We seemed to have worked it through..but on Sunday evening it became very clear to me that the problem has just been swept under the rug and that I remain the enemy and that the words of apology that were spoken to me were insincere.

It is useless to try and explain but I am going to try. Suffice to say I am in a family that I simply do not belong in...and it hurts. My husband is a dear and sweet man. We are trying so hard to be happy. WE are getting old. Time is of the essence here. Yes, he and I are very different, but it works for us for the most part. I am dealing with anger here in this family.

Now..between family matters which have about broken my heart...to coming on and visiting blogs I love and women I have grown to care for...to find anger...and controversy and side taking...I was just disheartened. I will try and stay away from controversy! I will not deal with life and then come on here and watch or read hatred and anger! I cannot. I won't. As they say..if you do not like what I say on my blog...don't come back. So I won't.
I am so sad..so sad. I liked these people from what I knew of them. Funny, intelligent and appeared so kind. We can all write what we want...that is so true...but I feel right now as though I have lost something.
A bit of the joy of blogging has lost it's charm for now. Can you all understand that? Perhaps my eyes are just opened. Perhaps it was all just too good to be true!
I admit to thinking that at times.
So..in closing this..I just want to say ...I do not care what your religion is...or your political agenda or your sexual preferences or if you are married or single or talented or not talented, short, tall, thin fat...blah blah...I care only if you are kind. A good person. Not hurtful. Not full of anger.
At this late stage of the game I want peace. I've seen a President shot, his brother shot, dirty politics, lost two precious husbands, had a brother who I adore so badly injured in an accident that he is a quad, etc. etc. and there are those with lots more on their plates than I have. I DO NOT want to come here and read anger and hatred for a young President who is just getting off the ground without giving him a chance. That is just my choice. I love my country but I am not blind to her faults. I am hurting here and I am tired. A dear bloggy friend is suffering from a brain tumor and facing surgery. THAT is what interests me. Trying in some ...way to comfort her. There are truly tragic things in this world...without making problems when none need exist. We are Americans FIRST. Aren't we? I am so ...discouraged at this time.

I will leave you with this message. IF YOU CANNOT SAY SOMETHING NICE...DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL. I care about all of you..very much. I am exercising my freedom of speech, not my freedom to hate and cause unrest and divide.

It will hurt if I lose followers...but if I do..I will survive.

Hugs and love to all.
Mona

So...wanna see my new iron! :)