The Nutcracker Suite or Sweet

Hello everyone,

Wow~I have been on a blogging break, and I didn't even plan it.

I posted my Thanksgiving tea and then our Holiday Bazaar at

Church was the following Saturday. The next Thursday was 

Thanksgiving and sweetheart, and I traveled to our son's

home to enjoy a wonderful holiday with our 

granddaughters and family. We had a sleepover, and 

I didn't have to cook. Yay!!! 

Before we went on our little holiday, I invited my two granddaughters

that live near us to help decorate this little tree in the kitchen. 

One granddaughter worked on the nutcracker tree, and
 the other granddaughter worked on the mantel and banner
in the living room.  It was incredible to have assistance with the
 decorations, and they gave me a jump start to decorating for the holidays. 

When we came home from our trip, I began to work on 

the big tree in the living room, and I will share that tree and

mantel next week.

My Tartan tea cup and saucer is 

Tartan by Royal Doulton

I have collected Nutcrackers for years.  I wanted to feature my

Tartan tea cup and saucer with my collection of nutcrackers.

We have a fireplace in the center of our home. The fireplace is

in the living room, but the brick back is in the dining room.

I have a large storage chest against the back side and it 

is filled with table linens.  The storage unit is a great place
to display many collections during the year.

On the other wall in the dining room is a buffet. More nutcrackers are

displayed on the top.  I have a rooster collection and the menu

on the wall is from the 'French Laundry' in Napa Valley.

I saved the clothes pin they use as a napkin ring.

This buffet is where I have fresh fruit and covered cake plates

displayed during the year. 

When I travel, I usually find a tea towel to bring home.

I found this Nutcracker tea towel and I knew I would 

display this towel during the holiday.

I found the small nutcrackers at the Dollar Tree.

A mosaic to pin

So glad you came for a visit.
Joyously,
Betty

Linking to:
Rustic and Refined for Dishing It and Dishing It
NormandyLife for Mosaic Monday

 The Dedicated House for Make it Pretty Monday 

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home
Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday
Tuesday Cuppa at Antiques and Tea Cups

Friends Sharing Tea at Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse 

Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at our Home

A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday 

The Dedicated House for Before and After Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday 

Katherines Corner for Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop

Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life 

Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday
Thoughts of Home at Poofing the Pillows

The Essence of Home for  Show Your Style Thursday

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday and Everything Else 
 The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday

Ms. Toody Goo Shoes for Best of the Weekend

How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday~Anything Goes

Love of Home for Sundays at Home

Thanksgiving Tea Time

Hello everyone,

Next Thursday we will be reunited with our family

and I will especially grateful.

This Tea Time today is the November photo in

my 2017 calendar.  I have ordered some for 

Christmas gifts for my special friends and family.
I will give you a look when I have my Tea Time review
at the end of this year.

Royal Albert 'Old Country Roses' is a timeless china pattern.

I must admit I was blessed to find the dishes in this post.

I had one cup I found at the thrift store a few years ago.

But this summer while I was yard-sale shopping on a 

Saturday morning I found these dishes and the candle holder.

I bought all the dishes for $5.00. Yes! 

I did have the napkin rings I bought at my 

favorite thrift store.

The white teapot caught my eye at T.J.Maxx, and I 

knew it was going to be a delicious addition to my

Tea Time tablescape.

I am so in love with this dish pattern. 

The best-selling dinnerware pattern in the world, the Old Country Roses pattern is practically synonymous with the name Royal Albert and a long-standing testament to timeless style and elegant craftsmanship. 

Old Country Roses' signature motif of burgundy, pink and yellow roses, accented with lustrous gold banding. 

What is more appropriate to have on my tea table

but Country Roses freshly picked from

my garden.  A variety of colors and the

scent of the roses in the house is incredible.  

A mosaic to pin

Thank you for visiting, and I would like to 

wish you a safe and Happy Thanksgiving holiday.

Joyously,

Betty 

Linking to:

Rustic and Refined for Dishing It and Dishing It

 The Dedicated House for Make it Pretty Monday 

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home
Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday
Tuesday Cuppa at Antiques and Tea Cups

Friends Sharing Tea at Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse 

Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at our Home

A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday 

The Dedicated House for Before and After Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday 

Katherines Corner for Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop

Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life 

Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday
Thoughts of Home at Poofing the Pillows

The Essence of Home for  Show Your Style Thursday

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday and Everything Else 
 The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday

Ms. Toody Goo Shoes for Best of the Weekend

How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday~Anything Goes

LITTLE Things Matter #12

Hello everyone,

Oh, I love my life. Today I went to Church, and

our Altar Guild cleaned the church for the 

upcoming Bazaar, Thanksgiving and the

Christmas season. 

This garden is where I am supposed to be working. 

But, instead, I am baking banana, cranberry, walnut bread 

and making fudge for the Bazaar.

I found a pre-printed pattern of a Christmas apron at the thrift store.

I will be wearing the apron at the Bazaar serving Turkey Chili.

The leaves are falling everywhere. Our BIG tree

in the front yard has changed from the green

to a beautiful golden fall bouquet.

My hubby rides his mower over the lawn and picks up the

fallen leaves every other day for weeks.

It's a BIG tree.

Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or

duties, but of little things, in which smiles and

kindness and small obligations, given habitually,

are what win and preserve the heart and

secure comfort.

Sir Humphrey Davy

We have some fresh canned tomatoes canned for winter enjoyment.

Thank you for visiting today.

Joyously, 

Betty 

Linking to:

Rustic and Refined for Dishing It and Dishing It

 The Dedicated House for Make it Pretty Monday 

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home
Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday
Tuesday Cuppa at Antiques and Tea Cups

Friends Sharing Tea at Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse 

Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at our Home

A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday 

The Dedicated House for Before and After Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday 

Katherines Corner for Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop

Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life 

Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday
Thoughts of Home at Poofing the Pillows

The Essence of Home for  Show Your Style Thursday

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday and Everything Else 
 The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday

Ms. Toody Goo Shoes for Best of the Weekend

How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday~Anything Goes

Fall Patio Tour

Hello everyone,

Are you tired of looking at my Fall Patio?
The Fall Patio will be changing into its winter protective

mode in a few weeks. I move all tender plants over 

next to the big television to keep them from the

frosty mornings. 

Each morning I walk out the back door,

this is the view of the patio I see.  I love

the shadows of the morning light reflecting

on the plaid blanket table cover. With 

the accents of orange and the green fern

grotto makes a beautiful setting for my 

morning coffee.  

The mums in the pots on the plant stand need watering 

every couple of days.

The bistro table on the steps has a beautiful mum bouquet

I received from my sister as a gift when

she visited last month. 

I love to add a seasonal wreath to the patio. 

The patio is on the South side of our house and

it stays very toasty during the day, even if

the weather is crispy in the shady parts of

of our yard.

I added my galvanized tray and the 

beautiful pumpkin to the vignette on my bistro table. 

I hope you have enjoyed your Fall Patio Tour

for November 2016.

I am ready to hop into decorating the house for the holidays
in December.  I have discovered as my body ages  I need more time
to do the amount of decorating I love to do.
Thank you for visiting.
Joyously,
Betty
Linking to:

Rustic and Refined for Dishing It and Dishing It

 The Dedicated House for Make it Pretty Monday 

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home
Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday
Tuesday Cuppa at Antiques and Tea Cups

Friends Sharing Tea at Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse 

Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at our Home

A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday 

The Dedicated House for Before and After Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday 

Katherines Corner for Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop

Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life 

Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday
Thoughts of Home at Poofing the Pillows

The Essence of Home for  Show Your Style Thursday

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday and Everything Else 
 The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday

Ms. Toody Goo Shoes for Best of the Weekend

How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday~Anything Goes

Pumpkin Pillow Love

Hello everyone, 

November is gratitude month.  The entire month I
acknowledge what I am grateful for each morning. 

This week I've been busy watching the World Series 

and cleaning my craft(crap) room. I am finishing up

scrapbooks for 2010 and 2011. When I started to blog

in 2010, I began to record our vacations and family activities on

 My Cozy Corner Blog eliminating the reason to scrapbook. 

Last week I finished decorating our farmhouse patio and
  I want to share my serious love os seasonal pillows.

  

I  purchased a piece of 9' by 12' drop cloth used to cover surfaces when painting at Walmart in the hardware department.   I made this pumpkin pillow cover from part of one drop cloth.
  

Last year I purchased the two gray flannel throws. GO HERE

This September at Walmart I found two blue and black plaid

throws $2.50 each. 

I covered the top of the swing with one blue and black throw and

made two pillow covers for the swing and one pillow

cover for the chaise lounge with the other throw.

Total redo $5.00.

I love to work with iron-on-transfers for pillow designs.

http://thegraphicsfairy.com/

I chose the pumpkin seed package for my pillow because 

my hubby brought the big beautiful multi-colored pumpkin on the table
home from the grocery store one day and it was

my inspiration.
The pumpkin seed package is the iron-on-transfer
 I chose for my farmhouse Patio Pumpkin pillow.

PPP...just a little humor.

Before I iron the transfer on the front of 

my pillow cover, I need to flip it. 

Or mirror the image.

Instructions for flipping the image are on

the back of the transfer paper I buy 

from the office supply store. 

Ta-Da a new pillow cover.

Golden  Mums brighten up the Patio during the month of November. 

A mosaic to pin

Thanks for visiting today.

Joyously,

Betty 

Linking to:

Rustic and Refined for Dishing It and Dishing It

 The Dedicated House for Make it Pretty Monday 

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home
Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday
Tuesday Cuppa at Antiques and Tea Cups

Friends Sharing Tea at Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse 

Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at our Home

A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday 

The Dedicated House for Before and After Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday 

Katherines Corner for Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop

Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life 

Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday
Thoughts of Home at Poofing the Pillows

The Essence of Home for  Show Your Style Thursday

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday and Everything Else 
 The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday

Ms. Toody Goo Shoes for Best of the Weekend

How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday~Anything Goes