Spring Flowers, Delicious Salads and A Troublesome Top

 A Little Bit of This and That For Spring

Hello everyone! Today, in true "this and that" fashion I have a little something for everyone. Really just some items from daily living. Hope you enjoy. Our azaleas have finally decided to bloom so I took a walk on our driveway the other day snapping some photos along the way. I just love the pretty spring colors. I only wish they lasted longer than they do!

I captured this close-up of the white azalea. They are both delicate and intricate in their details aren't they? 

The azaleas along our waterfall are also in bloom, though not very full. The recent heavy rains we had caused our waterfall to be running steadily. It sounds so pretty. I love the sound of running water and find it to be quite relaxing. 

This purple azalea was blooming in the yard of my flute teacher. I took a moment to take a picture on my way out after my lesson. I'm finding my flute study to be a combination of fun and frustration! I want to automatically play beautifully without having embouchure issues and dropping my right arm too much. I realize that I am "ahem" a little older than I was when I started taking violin as a kid so there can't be a comparison between music lessons then and now, right?! After all, 60 isn't the new 10, LOL!! But, I keep on persevering. Flute is a lovely instrument. 

On another note (no pun intended), I've been enjoying some delicious salads here lately and thought I would share some pics on the blog. I love a tasty salad with layers of many flavors. Here, I created a spinach salad covered with carrots, sliced boiled egg, and almond slivers with cranberries. My go-to homemade salad dressing is a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar mixed to taste with approximately two tablespoons of olive oil, onion powder and no salt garlic spices. I mix the dressing vigorously and spoon it onto the salad. 

On another day I created a salad of spinach with mixed bagged salad topped with boiled egg slices and ham that I browned in a skillet. The dressing is the same. Salads are so yummy and can be a great go to for lunch or a light dinner meal. Although I didn't use it in these salads, I sometimes add Durkee's Onions as a topping for some flavorful crunch. And the slivered almonds and cranberries I used in the first salad are from one of those salad topping bags you can get in the salad dressing aisle at the grocery store. I also use the nuts/cranberries as toppings for oatmeal in the morning. So delicious!

 Hope I didn't make you too hungry with all of the salad and topping descriptions! I'll finish this post with a picture of a "troublesome top" that I purchased recently. It's actually a dressy cardigan that I thrifted and brought home and dutifully washed. 

I happily discovered that the cardigan matched a dress that I already own perfectly and decided to wear the pair to the symphony concert I attended a week ago. Imagine my dismay when I discovered glitter everywhere the next day! There was glitter on my dress, on the car seat and I even kept finding glitter on me! I did some research online and found an article about using hairspray on tops with glitter. Which could be a possible solution. But, if anyone out there in blog land has had this same problem and can share a better solution I'm all ears! (And those ears are probably covered in glitter).

Be sure to leave a comment before you go. I love hearing from you. And, once again, many comments are coming in as "anonymous" and I'm trying to guess as to whom is leaving them. It would be helpful if at the end of your comment you leave your first name. Thanks so much. 

Until Next Time,

Debbie (This and That)

Flowery Thrifted Skirt and A Neat Trick for Giving Your Tops Oomph

 Goodwill Thrifting and Styling My Top

Hello everyone! I haven't done a style post in quite awhile but I got inspired today after doing some Goodwill thrifting. I thrifted a pretty new skirt for Spring/Summer with lovely pink flowers and a blue background. It fits perfectly and as I tried on different tops with it from my closet I suddenly remembered a neat trick which I have seen online but never tried. See how my top is gathered on the front?

You can create this look by pulling together some material underneath the shirt and securing it with a hair rubber band. When you pull the shirt down it creates that lovely gather. 

I like how my top is gathered in such a way that I have a waistline and it also shortens the top a bit which looks good with the skirt. 

Look at the difference if I just wear the top without the gather on the front. The neat thing is you can choose where you place the gather. I did mine just a little off center, but you could do it closer to the side or in the middle or even do two gathers one on each side. This trick also works to shorten a dress if you have a maxi that's too long. This isn't my original idea but it certainly is a good idea! It's the perfect way to add a little extra oomph to an outfit!

I went with blue jewelry adding a blue tear-drop necklace and my blue sapphire ring. Remember when I told the story of finding the sapphire stone in this ring? 

My sandals are thrifted also, either from Poshmark or Thredup. I really can't remember now. I enjoy thrifting clothing when I find something that is in good shape, is of good quality and is something I know I will wear. Buying pre-loved clothing is also good for our environment as it cuts down on the use of dyes and other materials that harm the environment plus it promotes the use of less water for making clothing which is also important to our world. These are things I really never paid that much attention to until recently. Everything I wear is not thrifted but much of it is and I feel good about my choices. Plus, I always enjoy a good bargain! Try finding a skirt on Amazon or in a store for $4.99! 

How about you? Do you like to thrift? Have you tried the trick for adding a pleated front to your tops or dresses? Have any other tricks for adding oomph to an outfit? Doing any reading on how the fashion industry affects the environment? Be sure to share in the comments. I always enjoy hearing from my readers. 

And, I didn't do a specific Easter post but I pray that each of you enjoyed a blessed and happy Easter Day. He is risen indeed!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Flowers, Books and Hair

 A Little Bit of This and That

Hi everyone!  In true "this and that" fashion, today's post is a little bit of something for everyone. I'm sharing books, flower arrangements and hair so sit back and enjoy the read! Let's get started with books first. You know I'm a great hand for re-reading books I own and lately I have been binge reading the "Cat Who" series by Lillian Jackson Braun. Oh, how I love this series and I sure wish that the author was still alive and could write more of the escapades of James Qwilleran and his siamese cats Koko and Yum Yum! The funny thing about this series is that if I let time go by and then re-read one of the books it's like I'm reading it for the first time. I may remember bits and pieces but not the whole thing. Some people don't like re-reading books they have already read but I'm not one of those people! I just finished reading the last book in the series, "The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers," and I must say that this is my least favorite book in the series. It was written, I believe, at a time when Ms. Braun was older and ill and I don't know if she had a ghost writer helping her or what but parts of the story just don't seem to fit the James Qwilleran and other characters I know from all of the other books. However, I read it to finish out the series and did enjoy it somewhat. Just not as much as the other books. 

When I walk into the room I redid, my wall book shelf is one of the first things I see. And nothing makes me happier than to see the colorful covers on my books, including the Cat Who Series which is front and center. I feel like my books are my friends and I so enjoy reading them! 

I also love fresh flowers! I bought a grocery store bundle and decided to use the bundle to create three different arrangements. It's fun to arrange flowers using different types of holders. As you can see here I used a short glass vase, a teapot and a tall slender vase for the arrangements. All it takes is cutting the stems to the right length and then creating the colors you want for each vase. 

I placed the teapot of flowers on the side table in the living room. 

And the other two arrangements are on the bookcase in "my room." I love the lavender and purple colors against the white of the carnations. So very pretty. 

And, finally, I had my hair cut and styled today so shout out to Teresa Case at One Step A Head salon! 

I asked her for long layers in the back and I just love how it looks! 

So that's it for today. I hope you are enjoying a day full of sunshine and a day that has pretty flowers, good books and happy hair! Let me know in the comments how your day is going, okay? 

Until Next Time,

Debbie (This and That😉)

Spare Room Redo and They're Back!

 My Room Is Finished

My room now reflects peace and tranquility

Hello everyone!  Remember I told you that I was redoing our spare room? The one I call, "my room?" Well, it's finished and I couldn't be more pleased. 

This is the room before we made the changes. It was really looking overcrowded. I decided that I wanted the room to reflect peace and tranquility and so I set about doing just that. The sofa bed couch was given to Goodwill as we just weren't using it anymore. If guests come we have other options. The Mr. painted the walls and I switched out the rug and the valances.

I almost got rid of this bookcase but changed my mind and kept it and I'm glad I did. It really is necessary for storage. This is another "before" pic. The bulletin board was moved to the other side of the room and I changed out the covering on it to match the other decor. 

This is the bookcase now. Much neater and holding useful items. I moved the ocean picture to be above the bookcase where I can gaze at it from my new blue chair. I tried to stick to a blue theme throughout the room. The new valances have stripes of blue against a light tan background which The Mr. and I both really like. They also allow light to shine in which I wanted. 

And the star of the show is my new blue swivel chair which I absolutely love! It is so pleasant to sit and swivel while reading or just "soonering" as my Mom used to say. She meant "thinking." Not sure where she came up with that word but it's what I do sometimes...just sit and sooner (think) about whatever! The round rug is one we were using in another part of our house. I decided it was perfect for my room with the blue/rose colors against a light beige background. It's smaller than the previous rug but I like it that way. I enjoy seeing the pretty wood floors. If you want to read more about how I picked out my chair you can read that post here. 

I'm just so pleased with how everything turned out. I feel accomplished with my choices for redoing and with the items I kept and the items I didn't keep. It took a lot of going through things and making decisions. That part was hard and I still have some items to go through and make decisions about. But I find that is a continual state as we go through life. The things I use are much more organized now and I can locate things more easily. I had some sticker shock with buying new items like the chair, paint and supplies, valances and a rug to replace the one I'm now using in the room. But, I got pretty good bargains along the way so that was good. And I had The Mr. to do the painting and move heavy pieces around for me! Thanks so much to him! Good friends also helped move the sofa bed couch to Goodwill which I truly appreciate!

I used light gray shelf paper to recover the bulletin board. It goes well with the blue throughout the room plus I have a couple baskets in the room that have gray tones in them. My pseudo quilt that I sewed is hanging from the board. It has a sand dollar charm hanging in the middle that my Mom bought for me when I was in college and we were at the beach for the very first time. 

 I framed the Serenity Prayer and I Corinthians 13 pictures that I have had forever and put them on the wall along with some other favorite items. Sharon, I hope you are okay with me hanging the snack mat on the wall. It's just too pretty to eat off of it!

This "R" is one of those cardboard letters you can buy at any craft store. I covered it with pretty blue scrapbook paper to hang on the wall. I thought the blue would blend well with the other blues in the room. 

And this is a zendoodle that I did several years ago and like to display. I really enjoyed creating this and it makes me feel "artistic" when I look at it!

This is a cute new sign I bought at Michael's to display in the room. At first I thought I would hang it on the wall but then I decided to place it in the window. The colors are a sort of blue/gray which matches the decor. And the bees are a reference to my name. "Deborah" means bee in Hebrew. 

Everything in "my room" is a reflection in some way of me and of the things that make me happy and have meaning in my life. I was quite specific when I told The Mr. that I wanted to redo the room that I wanted to make the choices for the decor myself. It pleases me that The Mr. really likes the outcome and it has inspired him to want to redo his study in ways that he likes. We laughingly called this room my "she shed room" so I guess his room can be his "man cave room." Of course, Cassie thinks this room is her "fur room." She steals my chair to sit in every chance she gets!

And look who's back! We are so relieved to see Mrs. Bear and her three cubs back in our yard. We had worried about not seeing any bears as of yet due to the new laws that allow bear hunting in bear sanctuaries. But, here they are!

These cubs are now yearlings and have grown so much since last summer! It really makes me feel like Spring is here when I see the bears arrive. 

How are you doing? Enjoying Spring? Seeing any bears? Redoing any rooms? Be sure to share in the comments. I would love to hear your comments on my room redo also!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Decor for Spring and Easter

 Changing Decor for Spring and Easter

Hello friends! Now that March has arrived I'm beginning to think about Spring and Easter decor. So I started doing a little changing up of decor around the house. As you can see, my tiered tray is filled with colorful eggs and bunnies. 

My large wooden bunny is resting on the side chair while the snow ladies are holding up plants ready for Spring planting. I have owned the large and small wooden bunnies for many, many years. One of my former teaching assistants created them and added the blue flowers around their necks. They are just so pretty and I'm still enjoying them after all these years. 

I've exchanged snowmen for bunnies and a clear glass deer on the round living room table. The faux flowers add a pop of color to the vignette. 

I look forward to displaying this bunny every year. Another piece I have owned for years but can't remember where I got it. The flowers on the side of the bunny and the blue bow around the neck are just so cheerful. 

I can't say that we have had a really bad winter this year but we have had a lot of dreary dull days. The pastel colors of my Spring decor are just what is needed to help me look forward to welcoming Spring officially and also looking forward to Easter! 

Are you looking forward to Spring? Doing any decorating? Be sure to let me know in the comments. I look forward to hearing from you!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Sneak Peeks, Good Eats and A Striped Jacket

 A Little Bit of This and That

Hello friends!  I promised you another post towards the end of the week so I want to make sure I have something for you. Today's post is a little bit of this and that. I don't have the before/after pics of my room yet because it's just not ready for that yet. But, I can give you a few "sneak peeks" into some things. I'm sitting in my new chair in the above picture. This was the day I brought it home but before I emptied everything out for The Mr. to start painting. It's interesting that after looking at chairs in soooo many places, I went back to the very first chair I had looked at and bought it! Guess I had to prove to myself it was the right choice! It's a lovely blue color and is very comfortable for sitting. I'm happy with my choice.

I also wanted to update the rug in this room and have been keeping my eye out for a possibility. Well, as it turns out, we already had a round rug that we were using between our living room and dining room that I think fits what I am looking for just perfectly! So, we bought another rug to replace this round one and now this one is in my room. I don't dislike the oval braided rug you see here but I just want a "fresh" look for my room. And yes, the round rug is smaller than the oval rug but that's okay by me. I enjoy seeing the wood floors more. I really like the calm colors on this round rug. I've been working on restacking books on the bookshelves this week and arranging things. I told a friend yesterday that I am in no hurry to finish as I am "enjoying the process" so very much. She reminded me that I am being creative with the process, something I had not really considered. It's so important to find creativity in our lives!

Have you done any good thrifting lately? I bought this striped jacket before Christmas at a local thrift store and have found that I am enjoying it a lot. Blazers give definition to your style in a way that just a top and sweater look doesn't. Now, I'm usually wearing tops and sweaters/cardigans, so I'm only talking about my own style here. Sometimes, though, I like to notch up a look just a bit and so I have bought two or three blazers after having gotten rid of most of what I owned and used for work. This particular blazer is made of soft material, not stiff or uncomfortable material. If you would like to try out a blazer, thrift stores are great places to try one without investing lots of money. 

And, finally, how about some really yummy food that we have enjoyed recently? This was my plate filled with almond crusted flounder, mashed potatoes and carrots. So delicious!

And The Mr. enjoyed salmon with his veggie choices. Allow me to share a secret that assists me with easy meal prep. I buy Libby's Microwaveable Vegetables in individual portions. You microwave them for 23 seconds each and voila, you have your dinner vegetables ready! We like them and although I don't use them for every meal, they make meal prep so easy and healthy. I have eaten carrots, peas, corn and green beans and like them all. I'm not being paid to write about these portion sized veggies. I just like them and use them! 

So, that's it for now. I'll be back next week with another post and I look forward to hearing from you in the comments!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Long Time No See, Gold Top and House Projects

 Long Time No See!

Hello friends! So sorry it has been such a long time since you heard from me. There just hasn't been a whole lot of blogging going on around here! I have good excuses, though. We started on some house projects which have taken up a lot of our time and, along with that, I have been suffering from a spell of "writer's block." Sometimes, I just can't think of anything to write about that I feel would be of interest to any of you! As you can see, Cassie has been assisting with the house projects. But, unfortunately, not with writing blog posts! Guess she has had writer's block too!

And Garden has been assisting with house projects, as well. What would we do without the help of these two furry assistants!

As you can see, "my room" has been emptied out. A few weeks ago I decided to update the room a bit. That led to The Mr. asking me if I would like for him to repaint the room for me. I decided that would be a good idea. Then, The Mr. decided that the whole room should be emptied for easier painting. Oh my goodness, how is it that a "small project" turns into a BIG project all of a sudden!! So, after emptying everything out, I have been going through "stuff" trying to decide what to keep, what to give away, what to throw away....you get the picture. And that takes so much time and energy! We also decided to get rid of the green sleeper sofa which was in this room and I picked out a new chair! I can't wait to do "before" and "after" pictures for the blog. That will be just a little while though as I am still working on putting things back in the room. I also want to pick out a new rug and get curtain toppers back up. It's exciting to do a room redo but also hard work! Thank goodness for the help of two cats 😉!!

In the meantime, I thought I would share this pretty gold peasant style top with you. I'm not sharing it with you to brag about a new top but, rather, to talk about the color. Gold is not considered one of "my colors" as I am supposedly a "muted summer" for clothing colors. So colors like pinks, purples and blues look best next to my face. However, when I saw this top I really liked it and when I bought it and tried it on I liked it even better! The style and flowers just lifted my spirits. I like the ruffles on the shoulders, also. Very feminine.

So, here's my point in sharing this top. Sometimes, we just need to break the rules when we find an article of clothing we like. It doesn't matter if it isn't on our color pallette or our usual style or whatever. If you like it and enjoy wearing it then, for goodness sakes, just wear it and enjoy it! There are too many rules with fashion and trends and I am looking through my closet for clothing and colors I like. We truly know ourselves best, don't we?

I hope that each of you is doing well and that you have enjoyed February as much as possible! I promise to be back later this week with another new post for you!

Until Next Time,

Debbie