Iwanna Wednesday

I can't believe I almost forgot about Iwanna Wednesday! It threw me off as Monday was a holiday. Now I feel like today is Tuesday since this is only the second day I've worked this week!

But luckily I remembered just in time. I am your hostess...Iwanna.

Iwanna is a name given to me by my sister because it doesn't matter what store we go into there is always something "I Want" the second we walk in...hence the name Iwanna.

And just because Iwanna things doesn't mean I get them, although I have to admit there have been a few times that I do get them, thanks to my loved ones, especially my daughter. Thank you April.

Ok, so let's get to it shall we?

As you know, Rhoda at Southern Hospitality hosts a Monday Thrifty Treasures party where you can link up to her to show what thrifty treasures you've found. I've participated quite a few times. Now my Iwanna Wednesday would not be necessary if Rhoda just moved out of her house and let me live in it, cause Iwanna everything she has in there! It's gorgeous!

Alas, even Iwanna can't have that, but Rhoda did give me a great shopping idea. She has a special giveaway to Southern Living that she is doing. You just need to go visit Southern Living and post a comment on Rhoda's blog to be entered. Eazy Peazy!

So I went...cause who doesn't love a giveaway right? And I entered...and I fell in love, with Southern Living. Iwanna stuff bad! Just check out their catalog.

I picked out a few of my favorite things. JUST LOOK!

*sigh* Iwanna this lovely little serving bowl. Just in time for fall and the holidays. It's called a Christmas Memories Serving Bowl and it's set into an Ornate Iron Bowl Stand...dreamy no?

Iwanna this lovely trifle bowl. This is called the Devonshire Lidded Trifle, and it has so many uses!

I really Iwanna this one. It's just so perfect. I would love two of them please. One to display on either side of the painting over my couch. This is the Damask Wall Accent with a metal finish.

What Iwanna from this next one is the serving tray. The colors just catch my eye and make me smile. I can imagine placing it on the table filled with home made cookies or muffins (anyone wanna come over and bake them?) The bowl is pretty too...but I'm drooling over the tray. This is from the Gail Pittman Veranda Collection.

This is my next to the last favorite! If I can't have the green wall accent above, then Iwanna this one. The vase is removal from the sleeve. This is called the Juniper Vase with the multi-layer reactive glaze with a removal curling metal sleeve.

And now, the Grand Finale...the Pièce de résistance. This is four Filigree Iron Wall Sconces displayed in a way that makes it look like one whole piece. Of course Iwanna the Cordova Candle Sconces on either side as well. And as long as this is Iwanna Wednesday, just go ahead and throw in the whole display on the mantle as well...and the fall leaf garland. I've been looking for some of that anyway.

Well that's it for Iwanna Wednesday. Now what Iwanna is for you to tell me which one of these lovelies is your favorite?

Cousins ~ Different beautiful flowers from the same garden

"A cousin is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost."

Author: Marion C. Garretty

I received a lovely little surprise in the mail today from my cousin Stella, and I wanted to share it with you.

Stella took a road trip this summer for about a month. She first started this annual tradition with her husband Ron who sadly passed away a few years ago. She and Ron had great adventures, stopping at different little antique shops and always on the lookout for Carl's Jrs or Hardees for Stella's huge addiction to Dr. Pepper or Coke. Not sure which and whether it was regular or diet, but I know it was the caffeine!

This year Stella found this cute little sign that is perfect for my wine/grape themed kitchen. Don't you love it?

I found a nice little spot for it already right next to my kitchen hutch. Right now I have a garland of daisies but I've been looking for a garland of grapes and grapes leaves. Most of the ones I find are too sparse and unnatural looking...but this is not Iwanna Wednesday, so let me get on with the thanking of my wonderful cousin Stella!

Thank you so much Stella! I love it and it gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling to know that you thought of me on your trip! We don't always tell people what we think about them until we eulogize them at their funeral and whats the point then right?

I want you to know that you are the first person that ever put makeup on me when you lived in that house in Poston on the ranch. I felt so grown up when you put eyeshadow and mascara on me and I think that is where my love of makeup first began.

You also took me to my first high school basket ball game where I got to see Oscar Soliz play and I have to admit I had a huge crush on him during my whole high school years.

You also are the reason for my love of country music. I can remember you driving back from that game and singing country music and that song Proud Mary. I can't ever hear Proud Mary and not think of you.

I know that most of the time we go through our lives never realizing how our lives touched others. You touched my life and my heart; my beautiful cousin and I love you dearly.

Sweets and Things

“So long as the sugar is on the tongue, you feel the sweetness in taste. Similarly, so long as the heart has love, peace and devotion, you feel the bliss.” ~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba (Indian Spiritual Leader)

Yesterday's post was about sugar. While I was trying to find an easier way to do that post by finding a website I could just link to I found a lot of really great stuff about sugar and sweets that I wanted to share.

I didn't put it in yesterday's post because after scaring you (and me) to death about how much sugar we eat, I didn't want to tempt you by showing you creative and beautiful ways to use sugar.

But today is another day, so onward and upward!

First, some pictures from Home Sweet Home, Expressions in Confectionery Art.

They even have ebooks you can purchase to learn how to create your own Confectionery Art. Sounds like a lot of fun, but just imagine if you had to eat all your mistakes?

Then I found this beautiful picture and I had to read more about it! And you can too at Prima Donna Bride.

She shows you how to make these beautiful little sugar cubes here. They are so super simple that I think even I could make them! Wouldn't they look beautiful on cupcakes, wedding cakes, as decorations on tablesscapes for weddings and showers?

And for those of you that don't want to eat sugar cubes, how about bathing in them?

You can find these lovely little effervescent cubes at L'Occitane En Provence. These little guys are individually packaged squares containing essential oils (mint, pine and rosemary) blended with sugars and stimulating centella asiatica to 'fizz' upon release into water.

Thrift Shop Treasures

Hi Everyone!

If you're visiting from Rhoda's, Welcome!

Please leave a comment so I may visit your site. Also please add yourself to my followers. I only have three :-( Please, please, pretty please? And no...I'm not too proud to beg :-)

This weekend was a lazy weekend and I didn't even leave the house on Saturday. Hey, that laundry doesn't do itself and those kitchen floors can only be so dirty before your flip flops start sticking to the floor! Actually, floor wasn't that dirty, just spilled Kool-Aid that didn't get mopped up well enough.

Luckily I did have a chance to hit the American Cancer Society Discovery Store after work on Friday and I discovered these pretty little hand towels with embroidered butterflies! Perfect for my butterfly themed bathroom. They were only $2.00 for the set and the money goes to such a good cause.

And I found this book for $2.00 which I've already started reading. Anyone else read this one?I'll let you know how I like it.

I also managed to sneak over to a Goodwill Store that I very seldom go to as it's out of my way.
There I found two really pretty charms. One was a gold medallion about the size of an Oreo cookie and it was engraved with some inspiring words such as Hope, Love, Peace, Tranquility etc. The other was a red stone set in gold. They were in the jewelry case and I asked the lady to hold them for me. She gave me a number so I could come back and claim them and I continued shopping. I didn't find anything else and know what I did then? I forgot that I had set those charms aside :-( Yes people, I left without purchasing them!

And they were only $2.00 each! I'm going back Monday on my lunch hour and I hope they still have them! Silly me!


But don't despair, even if I don't find them I still received as a gift from my wonderful, thoughtful daughter these wonderful charms that she purchased during her weekend getaway to the beach.



I already strung one on the black cord so you could see how pretty they are going to look. I can't wait to wear that green one! She's too good to me!

Now I'm just waiting for my sister to get home as she left for the beach on Thursday and they always bring me a present! Happy, happy, joy, joy!

Now I'm off to Rhoda's to see what everyone else found. Have a wonderful week!