It All Started With Fashion Dolls

 Playing With Fashion Dolls

Hello everyone. I had so much fun doing this post and I hope you find it as enjoyable. I'm talking today about fashion dolls and the role they played in my life with helping me to develop a love of fashion. 

How cool is the little pink storage shelf for her headband and sunglasses?!

I must have been around eight or nine years old when I was gifted my first fashion doll. I can't remember if it was a Barbie or another type fashion doll. I seem to recall there was a Misty fashion doll that came with markers that you could use to change the color of her hair. That was lots of fun! I did have a Barbie, though, as well. She had brown hair and I loved dressing all of my fashion dolls in different outfits and doing their hair. 

Image courtesy Pinterest
This looks similar to my Misty fashion doll

Anyway, I had a bout of nostalgia today when I was shopping at Dollar Tree and saw this fashion doll that reminded me of my fashion doll from long ago. This doll is not a Barbie brand doll. Although she came with an outfit and a few accessories, I had to purchase a ball gown for her (well of course!!) as well as a few other accessories. I came home and began playing, I mean doing serious blogger styling, with her. She needs another color shoe with her ball gown but I didn't purchase extra shoes. Maybe on the next trip to Dollar Tree? I did, however, give her a bouquet to hold!

This doll came with her hair in a pony tail but I couldn't wait to take her hair down and mess with it! One of her accessories is a little comb, so I combed her hair and then I just had to give her an updo to wear with her ball gown! She came with several headbands so I used the purple headband as a tiara style with her updo. Like I said, I was having SO MUCH FUN! By the way, does anyone else look at this doll's face and see Katy Perry? For some reason, she reminds me of her. 

I truly loved my fashion dolls when I was a little girl and took them everywhere we me in a little cloth suitcase. That way, I was able to play with them wherever I went. I have to admit that kids have it pretty good nowadays with Dollar Tree stores. When I was little it was a big deal to get a new outfit for my dolls. Sometimes, my mom or one of my sisters made fashion doll clothes for me. That was really cool. Today, kids just can go to Dollar Tree and buy a new outfit for $1 (now $1.25--inflation you know!) I loved the whole kit and kaboodle when it came to the doll's fashion. Shoes, dresses, jewelry, hats, coats, you name it. I felt like a grown-up when I dressed my dolls and pretended they were having "groovy" adventures. (Sixties and seventies lingo, hah!) As I got older my interest began to wain a bit because I was getting into my own early teenage fashion. My last fashion doll was a Crissy doll. Remember her? Her hair was red and when you pushed a button on her belly her hair would grow and then she had a knob on her back to wind the hair back up to be short. Oh how I loved messing with her hair! I think I still have my Crissy doll stored away along with some of the doll clothes my mom made for her.  

Image courtesy Wikipedia

So, did playing with fashion dolls when I was little contribute to my love for and enjoyment of fashion today? While I don't think it was the only thing that contributed, I certainly think it had a lot to do with it. I feel that, as an adult, when I put outfits together and find just the right jewelry or shoes to wear I am becoming a bit of a life size fashion doll having the same fun and enjoyment that I had when I was nine years old! (Dare I say groovy fun and enjoyment???)

I have to admit that I got kind of excited playing with my fashion doll this evening and getting her all prettied up for this photo shoot. Is 63 too old to play with dolls? Nah....especially since I wasn't REALLY playing. I was doing serious fashion doll research for this post. I may need to do more serious research in the future.....so there may be another trip to Dollar Tree for a few new outfits. And shoes. After all, my fashion doll can't wear pink shoes with everything!!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Red and Yellow Valentine Table Setting and More

 

Hi everyone!  One of the things I enjoy about creating tablescapes is discovering colors that I think look fabulous together. I opened the cabinet where I keep placemats and pulled out these well used yellow ones and started building on them as a base. The red, white and yellow just all seemed to blend beautifully together!

In years past I used this Valentine glass/vase as a holder for straws. This year it is a vase holding flowers, heart picks and pearls. I wadded up a couple red napkins in the bottom to act as "filler" and also to cover up the bottoms of the flowers. 

The red tones carry through on the saucers, napkins and small heart dishes. And do you notice that something is missing? I only discovered it after I had taken the pics and loaded them up on the computer but, if you notice, let me know in the comments. 

You know, this is a very simple table setting that anyone can mimic if you wish. Look through your cabinets and see what you have that you would enjoy using to create a fun tablescape for Valentine's, or any day! 

Now, for something a bit different. I spent some time crafting last evening and got around to creating more of a "winter type" wreath for our front door. This wreath wouldn't look like much without the crystal snowflakes which add such a nice sparkle! It matches the other sparkly items in the foyer and is so cheerful to see when we walk by, especially at night when the foyer looks like ice is sparkling. 

And, finally, here is some yummy soup I made for dinner last night. It was a simple vegetable soup with a tomato sauce and chicken broth base topped with a special couscous. I sauteed onions, mushrooms and spinach and added to the couscous before topping the soup to add some heartiness to the meal. It was SO good!

Let me know what you have been eating, crafting and enjoying in your world. And enjoy a lovely Valentine's Day. Be kind to yourself!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Valentine's Day On A Tray Blog Tour

 

Hello everyone!  I'm excited today to be joining in on a blog tour hosted by the lovely Katherine of katherinescorner.com. Today's tour features many ways to style a tray for Valentine's Day and I know you will love all of the creativity. Be sure to visit each of the blogs to see all of the goodness. And if you are hopping over from The Painted Apron then Welcome!

I actually ended up styling two trays but this one is the "main" one. I used a metal oval tray decorated with flowers to build on. The Dollar Tree had a lot of cute items for Valentine's Day so I took advantage of purchasing a mini Be My Valentine mailbox topped with some Valentine heart beads, a couple cute stuffed animals in pink and white and some glittery Valentine heart flowers. I already owned the pink/purple snowgirl which fit in well with the color scheme. 

I've had some fun moving my tray around to different locations in the dining room to see where it looks best. And that's the beauty of Valentine's on a Tray. It's moveable! 

I decided to continue with the Valentine Tray inspiration by styling a second tray. This is a two tier tray that is thin and doesn't take up much space. If you visited the Christmas on a Tray blog tour, you will remember this fun little tray! I topped each tier with some red and white scrapbook paper and then added some fun wintery/Valentine items such as clear snowflakes, a red cardinal, some little animals, a little cottage and of course my stuffed snow lady wearing purple and red! 

Both of these trays add a touch of Valentine's Day to the corner of our dining room. 

I hope you got some fun ideas for decorating a Valentine tray of your own!  

You won't want to miss any of the blogs on this tour. Be sure to head on over to Everyday Edits next and thanks so much for stopping by!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

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What Do You Love About Your Home?

 

Hello everyone! Today, as we continue in this month of all things love, I'm contemplating what I love about our home. My mind is doing a visual inspection room by room as I think about this and I can honestly say there is a lot to love about our home. If I focus on a favorite room to love, it would have to be our kitchen.

 

I can honestly say that our kitchen is truly the heart of our home and I love that! We spend a lot of time here. Of course, we prepare meals in this space. But, we also sit and talk as we have a comfy bear chair in here in addition to comfortable ladder back bar stools. Sometimes we watch tv or The Mr. sits at the counter and talks to me while I cook dinner or I sit and talk to him while he cooks. The counter is also my craft space when I need to lay things out.

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, it took a long time to renovate our kitchen. A total of about fourteen months. So when we finally got it finished we truly were ready to appreciate it! And we really do "live" in this space a lot and find it to be very enjoyable. 

The bear chair didn't start out in the kitchen but, somehow, over time it migrated here and it is sat in each and every day by someone in our family (including fur members). I love this chair and looked at it in a store for several months before "suggesting" to The Mr. that it would be the perfect retirement gift for me. I'm so glad I made that suggestion! It has a matching footstool that we use in our living room. We tried using the footstool in the kitchen but felt it was a tripping hazard so it lives happily in our living room for now. 

While I love many rooms in our home, the kitchen is certainly dear to my heart. What room is most loved in your home? 

Be sure to stop by the blog on Saturday, February 12th, when I will be participating in another blog hop. This one is for Valentines Day and I think you will really enjoy it. I know I am running posts close together but, oh well. That's the way I roll sometimes. 

I would also appreciate your prayers. We lost a family member last week and it has been a bit rough as my whole family mourns our loss. Blessings to all of you dear readers. 

Until Next Time,

Debbie

A Little Bit of This and That

 So Long January

Here we are already at the end of January and it's time for a little bit of this and that where I share random bits of what's been happening around my world with you. We had more snow Friday night into Saturday and although the main roads in Asheville are now clear, our road continues to have snowy and icy patches. I truly don't like driving when there is ANY snow or ice but I did get out for a little bit this afternoon with The Mr. driving our trusty Subaru. I still didn't like our road, though. 

Every time it snows I seem to feel like I need to make soup. Saturday was no exception as you can see here. I combined zucchini, onion, celery, potato, chicken broth and orzo together and let it all simmer until tender and delicious. 

And, of course, since I made soup, I had to make a cake of cornbread to go with it! I can never get my first piece to come out cleanly though!

And as the British would say, it all went down a treat together especially with some added carrots! Soup is always so comforting on a snowy and cold day. 

Last week, before the snow flew again, The Mr. and I took some hike/walks together. This pic was taken next to UNC-Asheville next to the stream. This was the most rugged part of our walk for sure. We strolled on the Reed Creek Greenway prior to this and enjoyed experiencing a new walk on sidewalks the whole way. This pic was next to the Botanical Gardens at UNCA and feels more like a trail. 

We also hiked a few days later to the dam at Lake Powhatan near the NC Arboretum. 

There was still some snow on the ground from the previous weekend's snow, although it was mostly avoidable. This was a pretty little bridge along the trail.

And Lake Powhatan was really pretty. Parts of it had thin ice on top. It was a nice hour long hike which was definitely Debbie approved!

And, finally, these two goofballs have been keeping me on my toes with their crazy antics. They love to watch the birds, chipmunks and squirrels out the back door. They sleep most of the day and then decide to go racing through the house around 9:30 at night chasing each other! (Cassie would like for me to amend that last statement and let you know that she most certainly does not sleep most of the day, however Garden does!) And both girls are excited that there is a cat in the White House now and are anxious to see what Willow will accomplish during her time there! 

What's going on in your part of the world? 

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Layering Gray on Black

 Favorite Colors Layered Together

Hello everyone!  Don't you love it when you put two colors you love together and the outfit just works? Me too. And that's what happened today when I layered various shades of gray with black. 

I find that I wear these dark gray jeans quite frequently. The black and white animal print zippered fleece is so cozy and warm over a black turtleneck. And since I was still just a little cold, I added my loose and slouchy gray sweater that I purchased last winter. The final touch were my gray booties over black socks. I'm as cozy as can be for the day and so very comfortable, as well. This is the time of year for layering. Pick colors you love and see how you can layer them together for a cozy and warm look. I'll bet the colors will work well together!

I was reading that the color gray can represent neutrality and balance, intellect and compromise. Gray is definitely a neutral color and can look great with so many colors and hues. What I read cautioned against wearing too much gray in the same outfit. But, I love wearing ALL gray to achieve a wonderful monochromatic style. 

What colors do you like to layer? Be sure to let me know in the comments. 

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Matters of the Heart

 What Warms Your Heart?

Above all else, guard your heart

for everything you do flows from it. 

Proverbs 4:23

Hello everyone!  We're getting close to the time where we think about hearts, love, friendship, Valentines and even heart health.  So, today I'm thinking about what warms our hearts. Those things that make our hearts happy, nourish us and cause us to smile. Of course when we mention our "heart" it can have all sorts of meanings including our soul, our thinking, the love we feel and our actual biological heart. I thought I would share some things that warm my heart and I hope you will share as well in the comments. And I'll say up front that The Mr. my fur babies and family warm my heart, but I'm focusing on other things in this post.

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Tea

I'm an avid tea drinker and look forward to that first cup of the day as my time to wake up, have devotions and greet the new day. I continue to drink iced or cold tea throughout the day, Over the years, I have made the change to drinking mostly decaf tea as cold tea but my hot tea in the morning is definitely caff! I have read that tea is healthy for the heart. If so, I should have a very healthy heart!

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Reading

I was thinking the other day about the number of times each day I am involved in reading. And it's a lot! Whether I am reading a book, blogs I follow, emails, texts or some type of directions, I am an avid reader. I have a habit of re-reading favorite books over and over again and I will continue to do that, I'm sure. But, I am pleased that since Christmas I have read three totally new books and enjoyed them very much. I fell in love with books as a baby, memorizing nursery rhymes. And from the time I encountered Dick, Jane and Sally in first grade I have been a reader and hope to always be. My sweet mother was also an avid reader and even when she was suffering from dementia and really couldn't read anymore, she kept a "favorite" book in the bed with her. The pages were all crumpled and worn but it was her book. I wish my sisters and I had kept that book. Readers keep a good book by their side no matter what!

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Scriptures

For as long as I can remember, the Holy Scriptures have been a part of my life. As a small child, I learned about scriptures through stories of Jesus at my mother's knee, as well as in Sunday School. When I was in third grade, and considered able to read the scriptures on my own, my church presented me and the other third graders with a Bible. I still have that Bible. I try to read the Bible on a daily basis although I sometimes fail. But the scriptures always warm my heart, help me to grow as a Christian and keep me steady in my faith. And for that I am always grateful.

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Music

I am told that, as a baby, there were certain songs that I loved and would sing along with. As a youngster, I enjoyed singing hymns in church and can remember trying to learn how to sing harmony with the hymns. In third grade, I began taking violin lessons and continued lessons and playing all through public school and into college. After college, I taught music and played in a symphony here in Asheville. As a retiree, I began directing handbells at my church and also began taking flute lessons, something I have always wanted to do. I married a trumpet player and have supported him throughout our marriage as he has continuously played solos and in various brass groups and, along the way, I have become quite the lover of brass music. Throughout the day, I enjoy music playing on the radio. How could I ever not be a lover of music? It warms my heart. 

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Sweets

I had to chuckle just typing this. To say that I have a "sweet tooth" is putting it mildly. And in some ways that is really too bad. I lived all the way through my forties being able to eat pretty much whatever I wanted without gaining weight. And sweets figured prominently in what I wanted! But, oh my, when the fifties came along how times changed my friends! I had to rein in my love for sweets and that is just not fair at all! I love chocolate and that's a health food, right?! I typically have a little something every day. I try not to, but it's really hard. Sigh. 

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Shopping

Are you surprised by this? I have always enjoyed shopping and getting something new, or at least new-to-me, in terms of clothing and items for the house. It's always fun to think about how to style a new article of clothing or an accessory or what vignette I would like to create in what room of the house. Learning how to be a thifter has helped with the budget in terms of being a shopper. Years ago I had a friend, who has since moved away, and we would go to the mall most Tuesday evenings while our husbands were at band practice and eat pie (there's that sweet tooth again) and then go shopping. I didn't buy something every Tuesday, but it was fun to window shop. And eat pie. Sigh.

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Creating

One of the things I wanted to do in retirement was find new ways to be creative. And I think, for the most part, I have. I have tried a lot of ways of being creative and I don't think I am the typical creative person meaning that I'm not an artist or a quilter or someone who crochets or knits. I do things like writing my blog, journaling in various ways, decorating cards, making music and doing other little crafts from time to time. And, yes, coming up with vignettes is being creative. Styling outfits is creative. Just trying to do things in a "Debbie Way" is being creative. 

And warms my heart.

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Blogging

Well, you knew I had to add this to the list of what warms my heart, right?! It's funny. I go through phases with blogging where I just don't feel like I have a thing to say or I feel like I don't know what direction I'm going in with the blog or I feel like I look silly styling outfits. And then, I catch a second wind and start blogging away and it's just like new! And here I am still at it six years into this blogging adventure. This blog is something that is All Mine. I love being able to decide what goes into it. My dear friend, Sharon, noticed that I had changed the header and the background color recently. I like being in charge of making those changes. It keeps the blog fresh and helps me to feel that there is that "something new" to the blog. This has been the only time in my life that I have gotten to be the CEO of my own organization!

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And now it's your turn!

What warms your hearts?

Until Next Time,

❤Debbie❤

*Thank you to Carol at comfortspringstation.com for the use of the heart with tree inside.