YAPPING CAT STUDIO

Hurry up and go no where.

Do you ever have so many ideas and so many new projects in your mind, that your head fairly swims with it all?  So much work on your desk that you are practically silly with?  And so many balls in the air, that you are practically on tippy toes trying to keep them all up in the air?  That's the way I feel on this warm, summer morning.  So much to do and yet a slight fever and very sore throat.  I hate summer colds.  They dampen my enthusiasm greatly.

No real reason for these pics other than I hate a post without a pic.  To me, it's like strawberries without whipped cream.  It just ain't right. 

This is my little "summer scape" in my entryway.  I thought it felt kinda cool and green.  Hoping it will make me not think about the 90 something degree's on the otherside of the front door. 

And no, I never did paint the mirror.  I got the can of RED though.  That's one of the five jillion things I hope to accomplish this week.  Lots of goodies in the garage that needs spray paint.  That will make Sweet Hub happy indeed.  Specially if said items are then REMOVED from the garage.  Yes.  I live to make that man happy.  Insert your own eye roll here.   

Oh for those that are interested, we have a date for our "Paper Cowgirl" Texas Art Retreat.  September 26th, in Waxahachie, TX.  Tina Wright and I are still hammering out the details and lining up creative chics to teach.  I think it will be a weekend of fun, food and creativity.  Feel free to email if questions or more details. 

Happy Monday.

 

 

"I went to a Garden Party...

...to reminisce with my old friends."  Isn't that they way the old song went?  I guess I'm showing my age eh?  Rick Nelson right?  And while the song was not really what I had in my head when I decided to have a couple of gal pals over for lunch, I thought it would make a cute theme.  And these dear friends needed a little TLC and some fussing over.

Actually what did inspire me was the Dollar Spot at Target.  The garden gloves, children's garden tools and garden markers (which I used as place markers) all came from Dollar  Spot.  IKEA .49 cent dish towles - cool napkins.  Just fold em and go.  I had originally intended to use the garden tools as salad tongs, but ended up doing veggie soup, rather than salad. 

Mostly everything else I just had around the house.  The paper lanterns were a close out at Hobby Lobby. 

I just used one of my potted ivys.  Fresh berries.  Pansies from the garden and seed packets.  Sweet Hub intends to plant those anyway.  And my chalk board.  Are chalk boards a Southern Girl thing?  I love my chalk boards.  LOL.

I also have a plate stash.  I just seem to pick em up when I find em on clearance or close-out.  I thought these were kind of fun to mix together. 

I tucked a fake fern under the glass plate stand, just to give it some more color.

On the bar I had another chalk board with the menu.  And Sis's groovy bday tray corrals the bread and dip.  The empty bowl is waiting for baby carrots to be placed into.  Which I forgot.  I called and asked the girls to bring me a bag.  Gah.  Eye roll here. 

I had intended to line the little bucket (also Dollar Spot) with lettuce or cabbage leaves and then dump my dip in, but I didn't have any.  Forgot those too.   Duh.  LOL. 

See?  It needed pretty cabbage or lettuce leaves.  LOL.  What is it, the devil is in the details?  Well, sometimes I forget some of the details.  LOL.  But no one, but me knows.  Except, now, well, you do.   

My other chalk board. 

And last but not least.  The cake.  Now, I'm not a good baker.  At all.  I can cook, but the science of baking eludes me.  As you can see...it burnt a little.  And I don't know why.  I did the correct temp, oil/floured the Bundt pan, so I don't understand.  And it's all from scratch.  I just wanted to stomp my foot and pout.  Oh Well.  Anyway, I digress.  It is a Potato Chocolate Spice Cake and even with the wee bit of burn, it tasted pretty good.  Nice and moist inside. 

Well there you have it.  Garden Decor for a party on the cheap.  I think I spent $6.00 at the Dollar Spot.  I grab a bunch of those IKEA .49 cent towels every time we are up that way and the rest...just around the house. 

Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.  Have a safe Memorial Day.  And thank you to those who fought. so that the rest of us can celebrate in freedom.  We owe you many, many thanks and much gratitude.

 

Loving my Kitchen

Marina over at Only Cute Things is hosting a party today.  She is hosting the, "What do you love about your Decor?" Party. 

So. Come on in.  Can I get ya a glass of tea?  How 'bout some chocolate cake?  Let me show you around. 

One of the things I love most about my kitchen decor is the color.  And especially Red.  It's my fav.  And the warmest, coziest room in the house with lots of red is my kitchen.  And it's hard to get an all white kitchen cozy.  When we bought this house, it was white walls, white tile, and a white counters.  Ugh.  Some great Martha paint warmed up the walls.  And lots of color helps too.

I have a large, open style kitchen and as the old saying goes, yes, it's the room people love best.  Anytime we have friends over, everyone seems to pile into the kitchen.

I was into blue and white.  Course now you see it everywhere (eye roll).  So, of curse, I'm now into something else.  Trend-starter or always behind?  LOL.  Who knows.  I've recently switched to yellow's, blacks, reds and white.  I've just recently changed the things on this wall.

This is a huge wall.  So I wanted something large to fill the space.  I found a great basket at Pier One and filled it with little tomato plants and then hung my fav plates over the top.

This is a really long, tall wall that is over a built in kitchen desk.  I had never thought about having a desk in the kitchen, but it is quite handy.

I keep my keys and cell phone handy here.  A chalk board, which sometimes gets updated and sometimes not.  Still have last weeks anniversary message on it.  And a new frame from Hob Lob..needs to find that perfect picture to go into.  And my fav wire basket, holding dishes and my fav creamer.

Love my Emma Bridgewater creamer.  And that cute little dish holding my keys?  Great garage sale find.  Thanks missy Sandra.  Sandra hosts THE best gs's.  She rocks! 

Next on the long wall.  My pine hutch.   I want a new kitchen table and chairs in the worst way.  LOL. 

Found these on my last trip to Canton with my "What the Junk?" bud, Shawna..  I thought they were so cool.  Old metal pieces.  Loved the lone yellow bee.  Cause in real life, I'm really afraid of bee's. 

A shameless plug for my job.  LOL.  Not really.  I love our cookbook and bought it ages and ages ago, before I ever knew that I would be fortunate enough to work there. 

Like most everyone else, I find my favorite things at Canton (a huge flea market here) and Home Goods and garage sales. 

Love this great window.  Not only does it let in lots of wonderful light (especially in the morning), but the kitteh's love to watch the birds, squirrels, and bunnies that eventually wander past at various times during the day.  The ledge is large enough for them to comfortably sit and watch and even sleep. 

This is probably one of the oldest things in my kitchen.  The little maroon pitcher.  It was my Gram's.  Dad says he remembers drinking lemonade from it (well, hopefully not directly from it), as a kid.  It's one of the few things of Gram's that I have.  And the basket it all sits in?  Cool bday prezzie from Sis. 

This is also one of my fav prezzies.  Sweet Hub bought this for me ages ago in a great little shop in Fredericksburg.  As an Anniversary present btw.  I know they are not popular anymore, but I sitll love this.  Maybe cause it's a tray.  LOL.

I love to "corral" things.  Seems to be either in a basket.  Or on a tray.  Somehow someway it seems to be "contained".  LOL. 

See?  Another basket, keeping everything safely intact.  LOL. 

Love this plate.  And my red tea kettle.  And the oil and vinegar bottles are from way back when.  I used to do a lot of painted glass.  There were a few pieces that I kept for myself.

And the space above the cabinets is always tricky.  And don't look too closely, cause probably INCREDIBLY dusty.  yuck.  LOL. 

Well, there you have it.  Hope you enjoyed my little kitchen tour.  Certainly one of my favorite rooms in my home.  Thanks for stopping by.

Come on in

I enjoyed making the litle bird collage so much and since I rarely ever keep anything for me, I decided I would keep this one.  I embellished a little stand for it and now it is sitting in my teeny, tiny entryway. 

This entry is bitsy.  As in itsy bitsy.  But, it lets in lots of light and the furries love to look out the two windows.  One for each. 

Here, I'll give you a quick tour.  Really quick.  As in, don't even blink or you will miss it.   

I usually change the scape on this shabby little chest to reflect the seasons.

I had originally intended to repaint this little chest o drawers black.  But when I slid it into this space to see if it fit,, well, I kinda liked it the way it was.  And thus it has stayed.  I love shabby, I just tend to gravitate towards the darker colors.  I'm toying with the idea of painting the mirror frame a solid color, like a red.  I dunno.  What do you think?  I have a lot of red in the kitchen and living room (which are all open and can be seen from the entry way).  Now look down.

Here's my rug.  I LOVE this rug.  I love the quirky colors.  Sages, and golds and blacks and oranges and red.   And the scalloped edges.  Best Home Goods store find yet.  Now look up and to the left. 

Bird picture...second best Home Goods find.  Love that.  My little weird bench is perfect for guests to throw purses and coats on.  The color in the entry is a soft, faded gold. Martha Stewart paint.  Can't remember the name.  Can't decide if the bench needs a cushion or not.  Now look to the right again.

And here we are back where we started.  Told ya it was mini. 

So, what do you think on mirror frame color?  Red or solid yellow gold?  I can't decide.  The brown transfer ware plate is a new flea find.  Getting so hard to find brown t ware cheap.  This one was, but its in pretty bad shape, but that's OK.   I like it anyway.

I embellished the little stand with some old millinery and old seam binding and some torn raw silk.  May do some more.  If you would be interested in one, drop me an email.

Well, hope you enjoyed the mini tour.  Happy Monday.