Greetings from Florida

We're having a great week in Sanibel Florida. It's my first trip to Florida and the weather couldn't be more perfect! We've had sunshine and 90 degrees with low humidity every day. I have always loved the beach and am awestruck by the beauty and power of the ocean.

This is a view of the water from the condo where we're staying.

Here's the view of the pool from our condo.

We've been getting excellent seafood here and this is in front of McT's Shrimp House. One thing that I've noticed here when we've gone out to eat is that both times I've ordered iced tea that it's been served unsweetened. So I don't know exactly where the southern sweet tea line stops, but it's not here! Most of the places we've ordered tea in the south have always been served sweet. Luckily I can drink it either way.

My sister-in-law and her husband who were so wonderful to invite us along for this adventure!

Hubby and me just hanging out at the condo.

This is a photo looking towards Naples.

The beach is full of shells. I've collected a nice sized bag of shells I'll use for decorating and tablescaping this summer. I've gotten some really pretty ones - this is a great beach for beachcombing - but they do make it hard for a barefoot walk on the beach!

A look at the condo coming back from the beach.

Love the palm trees!


Flowers blooming here.

Some more Florida foleige. Can't believe that we're leaving soon - but we'll be leaving with some wonderful memories of a fun and relaxing week.
See ya - and "wish you were here!"

Well hush my mouth...we're headed down south! Where the sweet tea flows and the key lime grows -- and the shrimp you eat tonight were just caught today! Oh Baby! I can't wait! We're leaving on a jet plane tomorrow early and I'll be on the beach tomorrow afternoon! woo! hoo!

Please forgive me for not getting around to as many of your blogs as I usually try to - but you know how getting ready is. Cleaning for the house/dog sitter coming in and washing and packing.

I'll be back oh so soon -- and hopefully with lots of pictures and vacation "funness" to share. You know I just wish I could take you with me...really I do!

Til then....
See ya!

It's time once again for "Foodie Friday" hosted by our favorite Southern Women's Writer - Gollum at "Designs by Gollum" - She even has her own line of dishware sold at Big Lots! Now that's dishaholic extraordinaire!

When Mr. Rooster asked me how I wanted my eggs for breakfast - I replied, "Oh Mr. Rooster, do you suppose the breakfast chef could make me my favorite breakfast - just like Mama used to make? And I whispered in his ear just what that was.....


Mama used to call this "an egg in a nest". I still love it and it's so simple it almost seems silly to tell you, but here it goes... melt some butter in a frying pan. Cut a round circle out of a firm slice of bread (I like sourdough). Place bread in pan and crack an egg into the middle. Once the egg starts cooking up firmly, you can flip it over. You may need to melt a little more butter to get both sides golden and crispy. It's your choice if you like the yoke runny (good for dipping the little round toasty piece so I'm told) or over hard. That's the way I prefer mine. I always saved the little fried circle for last. My kids love for me to make this for them as well --- must just something about the way your Mama cooks you "an egg in a nest!" Now that we've shared breakfast -- be sure to check out the other dishes prepared for "Foodie Friday" - bet you'll find lunch, dinner, a snack and dessert too!
See ya!

Wake Up Tablescape!

It's time for another Tablescape Thursday with our hostess Susan at Between Naps On The Porch. Today I've set the table for a red wake up breakfast!

I'm sure it was about 18 years ago when my friend found these two ?-whats-? at an antique store. She gave them to me since my last name begins with H. However at the time, I had nothing in my home that was red or even any room that would coordinate with red well. So they just sort of got put away in a drawer. Now, I'm thinking that they're pillow covers - but for today, they're serving as place mats. I'm all about using what you've got even if it's not for it's intended purpose!

You can see that one side is open. They're obviously handmade, muslin material with a red print on the edge and embroidered in red. They've got some wear and age on them, but they're still pretty and I can appreciate the work that someone put into these.

They don't lay perfectly flat - maybe they would if I took them apart - or perhaps there's a way to block them. I'm open to suggestions. I've started my tablescape with a red dinner sized plate from Marshall's (right after Christmas) - they were $3 each. They're from the Hobnail Collection by Roscher - I've seen them in several different colors at Marshall's - black - green and blue.

Next I've got a white salad (breakfast) sized plate that I bought a year or so ago at Tuesday Morning. These are from American Aletier called Waverly Shell.

Here's the full tablesetting with flatwear, My JCPenney's white ironstone coffee cups, juice glasses, red napkins with white trim (My parents always used these at Christmas) and white ceramic napkin rings. For our table decoration we have a rooster and a footed small plate with eggs. My white thermos style pitcher to hold hot coffee and a white butter dish.

Mr. Rooster is here to take your breakfast order - How would you like your eggs today? May I pour you a cup of coffee?

This is a close up of my new butter dish - it was $3 at Marshalls last week. When I had my Easter dinner and birthday celebration at two tables, I realized that I only had one butter dish. Now that problem has been solved! I love the lacy edge to the butter dish...now I wonder if I'll still love it when those little holes have gotten butter smeared and caked in them? ... Yes! I believe I'll still love the little butter dish!


Here's an overview of our breakfast table - tomorrow on "Foodie Friday" I'll share my favorite breakfast from my childhood and it's what my son and daughter-in-law love for me to make when I visit their house. It's so easy - I'll bet you've made it too! Be sure to check out the other tablescapes at Between Naps On The Porch -- I'll bet there's a place set for you!
See ya!

Friday night with the girls - playing with make-up.

I think I've always enjoyed "playing with make-up" from getting into my mothers lipstick as a little girl - and now as a not so little girl. So a Friday night Mary Kay party with the girls was a lot of fun for me. Thought I would post this on "Pink Saturday" (if I can still link this late - husband needed the computer today) Most of us know the pink of Mary Kay cosmetics - so I set my table with pink gerber daisies and accessories.
Here's a look from the other side of the table. Pink tablecloth, black and white polka dotted ribbons, framed black and white paper, cake plate with pink shred and flowers in my grandmother's antique white pitcher, surrounded by white bunnies, a sitting angel with birds and a pink teacup with a bird's nest, and a small nest as well. I also tucked a few flowers into some tea light holders and tucked them here and there.

A cute little bunny is guarding a crystal basket filled with black and white napkins.

Have a strawberry cupcake bite. I took this picture before the party started. I hadn't set the rest of the food out yet, but you do see a box of crackers waiting to be put out.

I had a little trouble getting pictures of the food because I didn't put it out until after our presentation and "playing" in the make-up. So these pictures were after we had fixed some of the plates. This is my "signature" shrimp cheese ball.

Strawberries and powdered sugar.

A "raspberry sorbet" cheese ball topped with fresh raspberries and served with graham crackers.

This was a plate of cantaloupe wrapped in ham. Do you see a pink food theme? We also served pink lemonaide, mango margaritas and blush wine.


This is a picture of our happy Mary Kay consultant my daughter Katy, this was her consultant training party. We had lots of fun and we all looked beautiful at the end of the evening! Well, I didn't make it for Pink Saturday this week - but we had a fun pink friday night!

Target Birdies on Holiday!

And the word went out all across bloggy land that the Target Birdies had worked so hard all Spring -- that it was time for a Holiday! YES -- those birdies were going on Spring Break!!!! Now Bill and Beulah over at Mid-Atlantic Martha's decided that they would delay their break for just a bit because they had something very important going on Sunday. Being the devout little birdies they are, they just knew that they couldn't miss......

Easter Sunrise services at the Church Of Tweet! So they got all fluffed and Beulah put on her new Easter bonnet! Oh she looked so pretty -- and Bill was so proud!

Also, Beulah had a solo and she sang so sweetly hitting every note with her clear soprano tweet. But as soon as the services were over they were on their way to sunny Florida to visit Bill's cousins.....

Fred and Felicia Flamingo. The couples were so happy to see each other and had lots of catching up to do.

Being good hosts, Fred and Felicia treated Bill and Beulah to dinner and drinks at their favorite watering hole "The Flamingo Lounge".

Now they were having just a grand old time, until Beulah got a bit tipsey and fell into the Margarita. But all was well, the other's fished her right out and took her home for a good night's sleep.

The next morning, feeling no worse for wear, Bill and Beulah took an early morning walk on the beach, collecting shells.

Then they spent most of the day swimming and playing in the waves.

By the time they came back to shore, they realized that they may have stayed out in the sun a little too long.

"Oh My!" exclaimed Beulah. "I do believe that I'm getting sunburned."

"I think perhaps we'd better get out of this Florida sun." said Bill. "This is pretty intense! No wonder Fred and Felicia are so pink all the time!"

Later that evening, Bill had a romantic surprise for Beulah. They took a moonlight boat ride in a crystal boat pulled along the silken lake by a beautiful swan. Oh it was so romantic! They even kissed and kissed in the tunnel of Love! But then all too soon, it was time to say good-bye and fly back home to Mid-Atlantic Martha's blog.

That night as Bill and Beulah kissed goodnight in their little nest, Beulah said it was a most wonderful holiday but it's alway good to be back home and sleeping in your own nest. They cuddled close and drifted off into blissful sleep.

The next morning when Bill returned from gathering worms for breakfast. Beulah said, "Oh Bill, I have a surprise for you! You're going to be a daddy bird!" And they gazed at the little eggs and wondering if they would be salts or peppers...or both!

And far away, the little swan remembered the sweet love birds who had taken a moonlight ride in her crystal boat through the tunnel of love.... and smiled.

Now for more Birdie Holiday adventures, be sure to visit Susan at "Between Naps On The Porch" to see what fun has been going on all week across bloggyland!

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Easter weekend! On Saturday, as I was preparing our Birthday and Easter celebration - a package arrived!

I had participated in "Pay It Forward" and this was my package from kbeau at "Life In The Slow Lane" -- when I opened it -- I was so excited! A cookbook! Now how did she know.....

That I read cookbooks sort of like some women read romance novels! I love cook books! And Kathy, THANK YOU so much! I see some "Foodie Friday" dishes coming up. These look like some really tasty treats.

Now in a previous post, I told you that the girls were too little to sit at the table (but I had set them a place. Little did I know, that Katy would have to feed them on the floor!) But anyway, it seemed that they didn't mind --- they both drank their bottles right down. Now our menu was a little different. We started out with a choice of salads - The Green Jacket Salad (courtesy of Miss Janice) it was really good and a great hit! Thank you Miss Janice! or a Spinach salad with strawberries, red onion, slivered almonds and poppy seed dressing. This was served with yeast rolls. Then we had the choice of country ham (salty) or city ham (sweet) - now my husband much prefers the sweet ham and that's the more traditional ham for Easter - so I picked up a rather large Smithfield spiral sliced ham. As almost an after thought, I got some country ham as well - much less - thinking that only Katy and I would want that - now guess which one more people wanted? Go figure! With this we had potato salad, deviled eggs, sunset salad that my sister-in-law brought, fresh steamed asparagus and a Paula Dean recipe for marinated tomatoes (this is a really good recipe for when the fresh tomatoes aren't in season yet!) It was a feast! Now on to dessert...

This is a picture of my cupcake stand with a choice of cupcakes

Thanks to Debbie at "Ribbonwood Cottage" we had Easter bunny cupcakes - and jelly bean cupcakes and...

Carrot cupcakes (carrot cake, of course!)

This is my Dad blowing out the candle of his birthday cupcake. Happy Birthday Dad!

This is my father-in-law blowing out the candle of his birthday cupcake. Happy Birthday Pop!

This is my husbands step-mother blowing out the candle of her birthday cupcake. Happy Birthday Sunny! Of course there was ice cream as well!

Today after Easter services at our church we took pictures of Katy with the girls in front of the traditional flower cross.

Here are the girls at the foot of the cross

And what was in my Easter basket? Look at the pictures of these beautiful babies!


My Easter just couldn't have been any sweeter! Hope you and your family have had a great weekend and wonderful family gatherings! Happy Easter!
See ya!