Happy New Year

If there is anything that I have learned as one year goes by and another one begins is that I don't control it. I can write my list of goals, dreams, plans but there is only One who knows what the year will bring. As we lift our glasses, ring those bells, set off the fireworks let us also release our plans to Him, asking that He shape them in to His own and then watch the fireworks begin.

Happy New Year everybody.

God Bless the works of your hands and hearts.

May your Christmas Be Sweet!!

Merry Christmas
Stir up some sweetness

And then dive in!
Merry Christmas!

Hugs

Becky

California Whites on Wednesday

To people who blog we understand that there are certain days in blogland. We have Pink Saturday, Metamorphis Monday, Thrifty Thursdays, Tablescape Tuesdays, Waterside Wednesday and White Wednesday and the list goes on and on. We get it right? It is like a magazine that you actually get to meet and speak with the authors. You see whatever your hobby or passion a blog is a great place to meet people with like interests. It is also an incredible link to wonderful ideas on homemaking and travel, and many points of interest. It is fun making friends here. I said all that to say this. I felt the need to explain my blog because I recently invited my Facebook friends to take a peek at my blogs. This is who I am and these are the things I like. Today is White Wednesday and so I am sharing my favorite whites from my vacation.

Above is the kind of shop I am drawn to because this is what I do for a living. I buy, paint and sell furniture in a shop in Tampa called Summer House. So when I go on trips I like to find shops that do the same thing and gather new ideas for the shop I am in. This shop is Ivy's Porch in Scotts Valley CA.

These are the white roses that bordered the drive to the Ledson Winery that we visited.

These are the white roses that graced the gardens of Chateau St Jean winery.

Everyones castle needs roses!!

Here is another great shop in San Jose, called Not Too Shabby.

I had no idea that hubby would allow for me to spend a day in search of these shops. He likes to see what others are doing too. He helps me in the shop by painting and building when he isn't traveling on business.

This was just one of many beautiful white Victorian style houses that we saw.

This is the San Francisco Mission that is in Sonoma.

We spent the day in Yosemite and as you can see White is an Amazing Wonder there too.

These are the clouds that were rolling in as we drove to the airport.

They brought the rain that my California friends are enjoying.

There you have my White Wednesday post.

As I was reading the Vintage Patina blog today the blog author gave this quote.

White is not a mere absence of colour: it is a shining and affirmative thing as fierce as red, as definate as black....God paints in many colours but He never paints so gorgeously as when He paints in White.

Gilbert Keith Chesterson British author 1874-1936

Here is my quote...

"and.. OH Honey, Can HE Paint!"

A Cure for Sauvignon "Blah"

Being a blogger certainly held it's perks for hubby and I this last week. When I found out that I could join him on a business trip to California I started asking fellow bloggers where to go and what to see. I always wanted to visit Wine Country. I was told that it was a little like going to France with over 13,000 acres of vineyards and more than 40 wineries. The valley boasts of castles and garden chateaus all sharing a love of the grape. When I asked Tracie from My Petite Maison just where she would go if she were to spend a few days in Wine country she gave me wonderful advise. Upon her recommendation we set off to Sonoma Valley with our first stop at, The girl & the fig, a mouth watering resturant that delights visitors and residents of the town of Sonoma.

This resturant filled up quickly. We were seated in the patio with it's firepits and places and water fountains as well as beautiful potted flowers. It was certainly a glorious cool fall day and we dined among several pleased patrons.


Has anyone ever wished they could have a taste of what everybody around you is having? Everything was presented beautifully and our lunch was exceptionally good.



After lunch we walked around this beautiful town and I was smitten with all of the roses that were in bloom. In fact we saw so many glorious rose gardens this week it has made me long for one of my own.

The town of Sonoma is charming with it's Spanish architecture and you could almost feel the blessing of Jose Altimira the Padre who started Mission San Francisco which was located in the plaza.

Our next stop and recommendation by Tracie was the Ledson Winery. This modern day castle was built as a retirement home. However so many people were stopping to ask to do a wine tasting that the owner decided to do just that and they redesigned the home to host wine tastings of over 70 wines that are available.

Imagine having a vineyard purchased and named after you so that you could blend and play and create your very own wine. That is just what Steven Ledson did for his wife Anna.
I think that the Castle would have been enough for me. What about you?

Our next stop was Chateau St Jean.

I loved the surrounding gardens. Roses were blooming everywhere and it was a perfect blend of wine and roses as we sat and enjoyed the scenery of grapevines and roses and mountainside splendor.
We only visited 2 wineries among the 57 award winning wineries listed.

Why can't I get my landscape to look like this??????

So this was our day in Sonoma Valley.

It was as beautiful as I could have ever imagined.

And Tracie.....we raised a glass to you my friend.

And as they say in France, it was

En valeur le voyage

WORTH THE TRIP!

Making Music with Old Frames

Somebody spent hours making these pretty doilies. At one time it was very popular to frame your handiwork.
Although the doilies are very pretty what caused me to buy these were the beautiful picture frames. And paying just a few dollars made it even better. Home they came.

I pulled the doilies off the board they had been tacked to and then ran to the piano bench. I had hit the mother load of vintage sheet music a few months ago and picked these little pretties to place in the frames.

I can't wait to take them up to the Shabby Old House.
I think they will look perfect there.

Missing my Daddy

I am missing my daddy tonight.

Each year as people start to talk about Sept. 11th and the horrors of that day I am reminded once again of how that day kept me from my Father's funeral. I was afraid to travel. I didn't want to leave my home. I was afraid to travel by car or by plane . I didn't feel safe. Nobody did.I knew what safe felt like because of my dad. I felt safe in his arms.
I rested in them often. I snuggled often in his embrace. I was my daddy's girl and
He was my super hero.


I'm missing my daddy tonight.

A Special Day

Remembering the day we brought you home

And just how "Cool" that was.

Happy Birthday to my Cool Kid

24 years have flown by too fast and we have loved every minute of them.

We love you

MOM and DAD

Kickin' Up Some Heels for White Wednesday

Hey Ya All !! I wanted to post on something fun and youthful for White Wednesday and I think I found the place that can do just that.

It's Key's Country. It is a shop filled with great boots, and hats and darling dresses. Oh, to be 2o something again, boot scootin' across the dance floor. Doesn't that sound like fun?

This is the shop owner's sister, Courtney.

Wasn't she a doll for modeling for me?


I fell in love with this dress and am now on a serious diet and have an appointment to be spray tanned on Friday.



I don't know about you but I think every Cowgirl should dress in lace!

There were plenty of white fabulous dresses and tops as well as one of the best selection of clothing and boots and hats that that you will find in Tampa.

But don't take my word for it. You can visit her website at

http://www.keyscountry.com/

I hope you all enjoyed my Cowgirl Version of White Wednesday.
Now head on over to http://www.fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com/ and see all the other versions of White Wednesday.

Ya all come back!

It's All Very Black and White

Before we built our home I use to go through model homes and take pictures.

I was going through boxes of photos yesterday and I ran across some of those pictures.

I fell in love with this bedroom.

Don't you just love the wall paper and the curtains.

Ooo la la

But this was the picture that stirred up this "Longing to be a Grandmother,"
I could almost smell baby lotion and powder.
So what do you think....Natalie, or Brittany.
Can we at least start on a room?
So the Black and White of it is.....
Tick tick tick...Grandma's have clocks too ya know!!
Love you girls
MOM

Where Bloggers Create

I decided to join Karen party, "WHERE BLOGGERS CREATE"

http://www.mydesertcottage.blogspot.com/

I MUST WARN YOU IT WILL NOT BE ALL GLITTER AND GLAM AT FIRST!!

Only because I knew that it was the motivation I needed to get my rear in gear and get my garage organized. I really try to keep it clean but recently I left an antique booth and all of the tubs and furniture ended up in my garage. Yesterday I spent the entire day getting organized. I didn't think I could get it together and I am still working but here is what I did accomplish.

Yesterday you couldn't even find my work table and projects were all over the place. Now at least I can find my hammer! I painted the garage blue because I heard that spiders think it is the sky and they won't build webs. That's a crock! .
My plans are to use my garage one day to host a large once a month event.
So you can see by the post below what it can look like.

http://laceandlures.blogspot.com/2008/07/been-messing-in-my-garage.html

But back to reality........

I had chandeliers to paint and put the crystals on.

Windows to go through and figure out which ones would make great cabinets.

A couple of sinks awaiting the right piece of furniture to drop them in to.

And project after project were placed on the shelves so that I can FIND THEM and create.

That's half of my battle. How about you other gals?

I like to pull things off the shelf and play at staging them before they go into the shop.
It's a dream job, working from home.

I work hard at it and in the summer I so often work up a sweat in this garage of mine.

Sooooooo......

I take pool breaks.

Works for me!

But then it is back to work.

Here is what I have been working on this week.

The table had been painted all green. So I stripped it down and painted the base.

But the only bad thing about my job is that I have a tendancy to fall in love with whatever I am working on and then I want to keep it.

Hmmmm. I think it looks kind of nice there.

I wonder if I can convince my boss??

Looks like I may just have to spray my chairs and make new cushions.

You can see my craft room here...

http://laceandlures.blogspot.com/2009/06/from-pool-room-to-craft-room.html

Enjoy your day browsing around blog land.

There are some beautiful rooms out there.

Hugs

Becky