Mixing Herend for a Garden Table Setting: Welcome to the 158th Tablescape Thursday!

A few years ago I attended an historic home tour that was by far, the very best home tour I've ever been on.  It was in Newnan, Georgia and was sponsored by The Georgia Trust.  If you ever have an opportunity to go on one of their home tours, be sure to go.  They are well organized and the homes are always absolutely amazing!

On this particular Newnan tour, we visited a home where a china pattern completely stole my heart. The homeowner remembered the maker was Herend, but she couldn't remember the pattern.  After a little research, I discovered it was, Rothschild Bird-Green Border.  Unfortunately, the Rothschild Bird Green Border is a bit too expensive for my china budget.  A place setting is over $1,300!  But I was able to find a few salad plates on eBay of the regular Rothschild Bird (no border)  at a reasonable price.  (You can view that tablescape, HERE.)

Recently, my friend Cornelia, shared a gorgeous tablescape she created using beautiful Herend china.  She even mixed in a bit of my favorite Rothschild Bird...be still my heart!

Cornelia dined in her garden this day.

Come a little closer...

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Billy Bookcase, Easy to Assemble

Billy, where have you been all my life?  I'm a latecomer to Billy bookcases but it turns out they have been around for 30+ years.   The factory that produces the Billy bookshelf makes 15 Billys a minute.  That's 3.1 million a year!  Wow!  After buying three of my own, I can see why they are so popular.   They are sturdy, easy to assemble and reasonably priced.

I shared my small (but growing) office library for Met Monday, HERE.

Before my Billy bookcases looked like this...

They looked like this.

As I shopped IKEA on the day I purchased the Billy shelves, I was not really looking forward to putting them together.  I won't go so far as to say I dreaded it...but I was just a tad apprehensive.
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A Library for the Office: Welcome to the 136th Metamorphosis Monday!

If you've been reading BNOTP for a while, you're very familiar with this view of my  Office.

I've shared this side of the room in previous posts, too.

But, I've rarely shared this side because...well, there's just nothing to see.  Pretty boring, right?  Well, that's about to change!
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Bottle Tree Dreams in Abundance

When I last shared a few pics of my bottle tree, it was looking pretty puny.   (If you're wondering what in tarnation a bottle tree is, click HERE. )   I've been waiting for Hobby Lobby to have another "glass" sale.  In the meantime, I've collected 3-4 more, via consumption.  Plus, my BFF, Jan, dropped a couple by recently, too.  I think she took pity on me after I posted about her amazing bottle tree.

Guess what!   Hobby Lobby has all their glassware on sale right now...50% off.  If ya got a bottle tree, now's the time to head to HL.  I think the sale ends tomorrow.  If you miss it, it will be back in a few weeks...they run their glassware on sale pretty often.

So here's how the bottle tree is looking now!  Much improved!
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Napkin Folding Tutorial: The Butterfly

Recently, I created a table setting with a butterfly napkin fold. (You can view this tablescape in detail, HERE.)

I used this same napkin fold again for this table setting which can be viewed in full, HERE.

This fold is super easy to create.  I think it looks especially nice when created with a napkin that has a scalloped edge. Hope you enjoy this butterfly napkin fold tutorial.  (The lens cap is just there to give the camera something to focus on.)

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Tablescaping Déjà Vu & the Blue Hour: Welcome to the 157th Tablescape Thursday!

You may feel like Bill Murray in the movie, Groundhog Day as you view the following tablescape.  In last week's Tablescape Thursday post, I mentioned I had created a tablescape on the porch and it somehow mysteriously moved itself right out on to the deck, turning into this romantic table setting.

Since the original table on the porch was still set, I decided to share it for this week...a little tablescaping  déjà vu .

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Painting the Closets and Office Trim

IKEA:
How's your week going? I've had so much fun reading the comments you left about your past excursions to IKEA. One tip I wanted to share about the best times to visit IKEA to avoid crowds:  try to go on a week day, if possible.  If you do need to go on a Saturday, get there early, as soon as they open, or late in the day like around 5:00 PM.  I noticed it was a lot less crowded come evening/dinner time.

Even though it was busy during the time we were there on Saturday, the crowds were not horrible. We never had to stand in a line to get in...just walked right in. It was busy, but you could maneuver easily, shopping cart and all. By 5:00-6:00 PM, the crowds had really thinned out a lot.  Even on Saturday, it was amazing how quickly we were able to check out the day(s) I was there. It runs very efficiently...at least the one here in Atlanta seems to.

Tablescape Thursday:
Tonight is Tablescape Thursday, so I'll be back later this evening with a tablescape. I hope to get the butterfly napkin fold tutorial up for either Friday or Saturday.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share what I've been up to.

Painting Closets:
I finally caulked and painted the new crown molding and baseboard trim in the office/sewing/craft room.

The closet off of the office hasn't been painted in 21 years...lots of scuff marks on the walls from an active, sweet little boy dragging toys and "stuff" in and out for many years.  Miss that little boy and wish he was still here scuffing up those walls.  Okay, I know he had to grow up and move out...but that still doesn't keep this Mother's heart from missing him.
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Hooked on IKEA

Ikea isn't a store, it's an adventure!  Recently, I mentioned on the BNOTP Facebook page that a friend and I were going shopping at the IKEA store in Atlanta the following day.  I had never been before, despite living only 20 minutes away.  I knew from the comments on Facebook, this was definitely not just another store.

To start with it's GIGANTIC...like stacking two big box stores on top of each other...only bigger. Way bigger. You need a compass, hiking boots and a sack lunch. A cell phone might be in order too, for when you get lost and need to be rescued.

I have to be honest, I wasn't prepared to really like IKEA. I knew almost nothing about this store other than the furniture I had seen on other sites just wasn't quite my cup of tea. But there's just so much more in IKEA than furniture. And the prices are good. I mean, really good.

I got a little carried away and forgot to take pics of a lot of the things I most liked...like all the baskets and kitchen storage stuff.  But I do have quite a few to share today.

Throughout much of the store they have "rooms" set up to show you how you can live in a small space and live well.  Their current catalog says, "A home doesn't need to be big, just smart."  Not sure if that's their motto, but the whole store seems to be a study on how to live efficiently, as well as comfortably.  If you live in New York City or any large city where apartments are tiny and expensive, IKEA is probably a place you love to shop.  Though I don't live in a small space, I'm an organization freak, so I was reveling in the way they pack so much living into such a small space.

This picture looks like a collage of three pics, doesn't it?  It's not, though.  This is just the way the "room" was designed and sectioned off.

This is one of their most popular light fixtures.  I've seen it on quite a few blogs.  It's called the Maskros Pendant Lamp.  It creates beautiful designs on the ceiling and is amazing to see in person.

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Beautiful Lake House Kitchen Renovation: Welcome to the 135th Metamorphosis Monday!

Whew!  What a weekend.  It's been a painting marathon around here...but it's done.   How was your weekend?  Do anything fun or was it a weekend for working around the house?

Lake House Kitchen Renovation:
I'm exited to share a wonderful kitchen renovation for this Metamorphosis Monday.  Wendy, a reader of BNOTP, recently shared some pics of a kitchen renovation in her vacation lake home located on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia.

When Wendy and her husband first bought their vacation home, they were planning on making a few modest changes in the kitchen.  But once they took a closer look at the kitchen cabinets, the counters, and the sink, the more they realized a full kitchen renovation was in order.

Wendy said, "Since we were trying to furnish a second home, we didn't plan on redoing the kitchen but I couldn't tolerate the mold in the grout and the general yuck of the sticky cabinets. We thought we'd paint the cabinet frames, and buy new doors and laminate counters as a low cost make-it-work-for-now alternative.

In obtaining estimates, we met with a local kitchen designer who said she could get us a whole new kitchen with granite for what we had budgeted. REALLY? Well, yeah, but once we went to her showroom, my husband fell in love with the better cabinets and before we knew it, we were getting THIS kitchen. I'm sure ultimately we saved money since we no longer were going to have to remodel twice. The "better" kitchen was maybe half again what we budgeted originally."

Wendy said, "The kitchen was old with laminate cabinets with oak finger pulls, and the tile countertops were probably a DIY project with ceramic tile applied to the original laminate countertops."

BEFORE:

Here's a shot of that tile Wendy was talking about.  Definitely time for a change...goodbye moldy tile.
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Chaos, Progress and Mario Buatta

Today my house is completely topsy turvy. If you rang my door bell and I invited you in, you'd be here for about 30 seconds before you would suddenly remember you had a pressing engagement elsewhere.  And I wouldn't blame you, I'd run, too.  But I live here.

You know how something prays on your mind...something you've been putting off.  The weekends are filled with friends and activities, places to go and things to do.  But then a weekend arrives, and you know.  You know there are no more excuses...time to get down to it.

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Easy Sew Pillow with Piping

There are so many ways to make a pillow...just about as many ways as you can possibly dream up.  You can make them from napkins, decorate them with cute buttons, applique them...the possibilities are endless.  When I decided to make two pillows for the swing, as part of my 4th of July makeover of the porch, I wanted to use the same pillow inserts that were already in the existing pillows.  That way, I wouldn't have to buy new inserts and store extra pillows.  At the time, I was thinking the existing covers zipped up.  I really didn't want to deal with zippers when I made the new covers so I had visions of Velcro dancing in my head.

 I was in for a big surprise when I took a closer look at the existing pillows on the swing.  I was wrong...they did not zip up.

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Dinner for Two: Welcome to the 156th Tablescape Thursday!

Tomorrow, August 18th, Between Naps on the Porch turns 3 years old.  The last three years have flown by so very quickly.  Thank you for visiting and being here every day.  I love you and appreciate you!

Let's have dinner on the deck tonight.  It feels so nice out.

I'll pour the wine...you just sit and enjoy.

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How To Make Piping for a Pillow, Cushion or Slip Cover

Recently, when I decorated the porch for the 4th of July, I decided to recover the pillows on the swing.  The others were pretty faded and not in keeping with the red, white and blue color scheme I wanted for my patriotic porch shown HERE.

I made the two large, red pillows you see on the swing in the pic below:

In an earlier post HERE this morning, I shared pics of my son and I in Halloween costumes I made for a Halloween party when he was just 5 months old.  I also shared a costume I made for him when he was 5 years old.  That was the last time I did any real sewing...hemming pants and sewing torn seams do not count. lol

Back to the pillows...I love piping on a pillow.  It just adds so much and gives a pillow a real custom look.  If you aren't familiar with piping, it's the decorative trim you see around so many pillows and cushions. You can buy piping ready-made but you may find the selection in the stores a bit meager...at least I did when I went shopping.   When you have a particular look in mind and can't find the piping you need, or if you just want to save a bit on the cost of piping, you can make your own.

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Learning to Sew

When I was in eighth grade, I took a class called, Home Economics.  Do they still have those in high school? We learned to cook and sew...and actually sewed two projects during that class:  an apron and something else that could be of our choosing.  I chose to make a pair of navy pants.  We were not shown how to install a zipper so my navy pants had elastic in the waist.  Yuck.  I'm not a big fan of the elastic waist band. lol

Fast forward to 1983 and I'm 26 years old.  It was the first Halloween after the birth of our son, Chip and we decided to have a little Halloween party for all our friends.   My husband was in the JAG Corp and we were stationed at Ft. McClellan in Anniston, Alabama.

If you've been reading BNOTP for a while, you may remember the "Tablescaping Story" story from THIS post that mentions this "Dip and Drape" witch.   She was put to work as part of the table centerpiece for the Halloween party that year.

We were not able to find a place to rent or buy Halloween costumes, so with my very limited sewing skills, I made these clown costumes.

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A Miracle Makeover for Charlie Grady: Welcome to the 134th Metamorphosis Monday!

Hi Everyone! I have a special "Before and After" to share for this week's Met Monday so I'm posting much earlier than normal.  Please share this makeover with as many friends and family as you can.  It's for a wonderful cause and your COMMENTS raise $ for the next Miracle Makeover!

Last year, Kelee Katillac put together a very special makeover, actually it was a "Miracle Makeover" for Colette Gauthier.  You can read all about that beautiful makeover and her story of hope and healing,  HERE.

I'm so happy to report Colette is doing great and is actually back participating with this year's Miracle Makeover as a blogger, herself. :)


Meet Charlie, This Year's Recipient of a Miracle Makeover

Charlie Grady is a wonderful little boy with a huge heart.  Despite fighting his own serious health issues, he enjoys leading a Christmas toy drive each year to bring gifts and happiness to children who are going through chemotherapy.  What a remarkable young man!

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Savannah Georgia: A Home Tour

When I visited Savannah earlier in the Spring, I was with a friend who loves gawking at beautiful homes as much as I do.  We pulled onto a side street and despite the humid, hot temps, we hopped out of our air conditioned car and strolled a few blocks admiring the beautiful old homes.  Now, that's house love!

One of the first things we came across was this wonderful gate.   I'm loving those pineapple finials.

A pretty home with beautiful window boxes...

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Cottage In the Movie, It's Complicated

Seventy-eight beautiful tablescapes were posted for yesterday's Tablescape Thursday!  Wow!  Be sure to check them all out...so much beauty and inspiration in one happy day around the Blogosphere!

Little Announcement: Non-Holiday Tablescapes are now grouped by season/event.

Last night, I worked into the wee hours sorting and grouping the "non-holiday" tablescapes under the Tablescapes♦NapkinFolds♦Recipes category header here at BNOTP.   The "Holiday" tablescapes were already sorted and grouped according to the holiday.  I had been putting off dividing out all the "non-holiday" tablescapes into categories since I wasn't quite sure how I was going to organize them...and there were A LOT of them.

If you have a sec, make a girl happy and click on the Tablescapes♦NapkinFolds♦Recipes header category at the top of this blog and check out my "wee hours of the night" work. :)  There's a little bit of overlap with a few of the categories.  For example a "Floral" tablescape may also have a "Nature" theme or a "Romantic" feel, so it may be found in all three categories.  Surprisingly, I didn't have that much overlap.  I think by placing them in the different categories, you'll be able to more quickly find a past tablescape...at least, that's the plan. :)

Even though this system isn't perfect, I think it's a whole lot better than one big pile of tablescapes grouped under a "non-holiday" heading.  If you see one you would like to refer back to later, now you'll just need to remember what category it was in, instead of having to dig through a huge group.

The "Holiday" tablescapes are still located toward the bottom, as before.  There can also be found under the category heading "Holiday Decorating" at the top of this blog.


Lauren and Harley's Cottage Home in the movie, It's Complicated
A few weeks ago, I took you on a tour of the house/set featured in the Nancy Meyer's movie, It's Complicated, starring Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin.  (If you missed that tour, you'll find it HERE, or just click on the category header, Movie House Tours.)

We all pretty much fell in love with Jane's home in the movie, but there was a second home that also caught my eye when I watched this funny movie.  During the course of the movie, Jane (Meryl Streep) takes her new friend, Adam (Steve Martin) to a graduation party being held for her son, Luke.  The party takes place at Lauren and Harley's home.  Lauren is Jane's daughter (Luke's sister) and Harley is Jane's soon-to-be, son-in-law.

When we first see the home, it's the evening of the party and it looks like this...all lit up.

These scenes do appear to have been shot in a real home.  What do you think?  You can tell it's an older home by all the heavy moldings, and the wainscoting/wood paneled walls all throughout the home.  Though the home feels really traditional for the most part, you'll catch glimpses of lamps and decorative pieces with a more modern style.

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Bridal Shower & Tea Table Setting: Welcome to the 155th Tablescape Thursday!

I love it when you share your beautiful tablescapes with me!  I was so excited when Sue, a reader of BNOTP, emailed a few pics of a bridal shower she recently gave for a friend.  Sue loves growing lavender in her own garden and prior to the shower, she visited a lavender farm, Yule Love It Lavender Farm in Michigan.  She was so inspired by her visit to the farm, she decided to make it a big part of the theme for the shower.

Sue sent out invites and each invite included pressed lavender from her own garden.  Sue said, "Lavender symbolizes love and happiness and the bridesmaids are wearing a deep purple color.  I thought it would fit perfectly."

Sue only had eight napkins and nine were scheduled to attend the shower.  She solved this little hiccup by arranging the bride's place setting a bit differently.  Instead of a regular napkin, the bride had a pretty dish towel tied with a mirrored bow.  Don't you love it when a problem is turned into a positive? :)

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Roosters and Chickens Party

(If you left a comment on this post and don't see it, a boo boo happened.  Somehow Blogger published this post twice and I had to delete one of them, which unfortunately had 3 comments.  So sorry...don't know how/why that happened.)

Scavenger Hunt Update:
I've received 24 entries so far for the fun Scavenger Hunt posted this morning. You guys are awesome detectives! Question #13 has proved a teensy tricky for a few folks, so read that one carefully.

Roosters and Chickens Party:

Shelia at Note Songs is hosting a Heart of the Home Party and the theme is "Roosters and Chickens."   I never like to miss a good hen party so I'm joining in with a tablescape I put together a while back that runneth over with our fine feathered friends. As Shelia says, gather those yard birds together and come join in!

Hope you enjoy this fun table setting. If you are still yearning for more rooster inspiration, I've also added a link at the end of this post to another rooster tablescape I put together a while back.

So, without further cock-a-doodle-do, I present to you a Rooster themed tablescape. :)




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Screen In Your Deck Easily and Inexpensively: Welcome to the 133rd Metamorphosis Monday!

How was your weekend? Did you spend any time outdoors grilling or just sitting on your porch, patio or deck? Would you spend more time outside if you didn't have to cope with the bugs and that hot summer sun?

I'm so excited about the metamorphosis I'll be sharing today.  Recently, Terry who blogs at  La Bella Vie, shared a few pics of her answer to enjoying more outdoor time, minus the hot sun and bugs. I loved her low-cost answer to beating the heat and mosquitoes and I'm so happy to share this wonderful space with you for this week's Metamorphosis Monday.

Before:
Terry's deck used to look like this.  Typical deck, right?

Take a look at it now! A lovely screened oasis!
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Weekend in Blogland

Laura will show you how to make a Mason Jar Soap Dispenser at Monogram Boutique.  Clever, practical and easy to make with her great directions.

Been thinking about starting a home business? Already have a home business and could use some help in spreading the word? Simple Mom has a great article with 6 Ideas for promoting a home business.

Back Splash and Counter Update: Kate at Centsational Girl, just completed a beautiful renovation of her Butler's Pantry/Nook in her dining room. The Jeffery Court glass tile she chose is beautiful!

Love the color Katie at Wildwood Creek painted this chest. She painted the mirror above the same color. Great looking before and after!
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July 2011: A Look in the Rear-View Mirror

I've been seeing quite a few "Month in Review" posts around blogland, and it seemed like a great idea. If you missed a post during the month of July, or maybe there was one you wanted to revisit to bookmark for later, this will provide a quick review, complete with links.  Just click on the link to view that post in its entirety.

I posted 30 times during the month of July...here's a little look back in the ole rear-view mirror.

I shared a fun, easy to make Patriotic Napkin Ring Tutorial:

We took a wonderful home tour down Main Street America, with each home proudly flying the colors for Independence Day:

I shared a complete transformation of the porch for the 4th of July:

In a post titled, "Party on the Titanic," I gave you a peak into my messy kitchen and laundry room the day after a 4th of July party on the porch.  Yikes!
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A Film for Foodies

Have you seen this 1 minute video? Three guys (Rick Mereki, Tim White and Andrew Lees) traveled around the world for 44 days...and they filmed the food they ate. I don't recognize most of it...but it looks pretty yummy.  Different, but yummy. Well, all except that fried grasshopper looking thing. Yuck.

Click on the tiny 4 arrows in the right hand corner to view the film full screen, then hit escape on your keyboard to exit when done.


EAT from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

How many types of food did you recognize?  Wouldn't this be the life...traveling and eating.  I could do this! Sign me up!  :)

Linking this to Foodie Friday at Design by Gollum.

Displaying and Decorating with China: Welcome to the 154th Tablescape Thursday!

Recently, while making visits for Tablescape Thursday, I visited Jeanne's blog, Selep Imaging.  Jeanne has a wonderful hutch she changes out with each holiday or season.   I was so impressed with her lovely china collection and the creative way she displays it, I couldn't resist sharing it for Tablescape Thursday.

As you scroll down, notice how Jeanne mixes so many different patterns beautifully.  There's a wonderful balance of colors and pattern.  She also layers in other pieces like salt and pepper shakers, hearts, bunnies, etc... mixing different heights and shapes.  Each hutch display is completely charming!  Enjoy!

Valentine's Day Hutch:  What a beautiful mix of patterns.  This display shows how wonderful it is to mix different patterns together, be it on a hutch or in a table setting.  The look is magical!

Easter/Spring Hutch:  Notice how Jeanne has mixed in decorative birds and bunnies in this hutch display.  They are perfect for her springtime/Easter theme.
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Near Abductions: My Story

Sometimes you see something on TV and it hits home. A couple of weeks ago, I caught part of the show, 60 Minutes.  They were interviewing two young ladies who had been kidnapped as children but were miraculously able to escape a few days after their abduction. That virtually never happens...escaping.

The abuse they suffered permanently altered their lives in very negative ways.  They still struggle today to overcome the memories of what they endured at the hands of their kidnappers.  As I watched the show, memories came flooding back from my childhood.  I was almost abducted.  Twice.  They were failed attempts but they definitely left an impression that's stayed with me all of my life.

The First Time
Forsyth Street, Macon, Georgia

I was only 7 years old and I had walked the block to the corner gas station to buy a drink and some candy.  With a small, brown paper bag of candy and a cold bottled drink clutched tightly against my chest, I started the walk back home.  I was about half way home, when on one of the busiest streets in Macon, Georgia (Forsyth Street) a man pulled up to the curb in a really big car.  He stopped his car just on the other side of a giant tree that was growing right up out of the sidewalk.  To this day when I see a big tree growing up out of the sidewalk, my mind goes back and I'm 7 years old again...for just a moment.

Suddenly, I found my path blocked by a very tall, thin man.  At first he played being nice.  Looming over me, he told me to get in his car and he would take me to the store and buy me some candy.  Something inside of me said, he's the one...the bad guy you've been told about.
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The "Up" Movie House is Real!

The Movie House in Up is Real!

Wow! 221 Amazing "Before and Afters" have been linked so far for yesterday's Metamorphosis Monday! I've been having so much fun clicking on all the links.  So many creative, talented souls inhabit this land of Blog!

A Most Unusual Home
Recently, my friend, Gloria, alerted me to a another very creative individual.  It seems a rather unique home has come on the market. You know I'm always talking about how I'd love to live in a fairytale house?  Well, this home takes that idea to a whole new level!

If you have young children, or if you're just a big kid at heart, you may have seen the Pixar animated movie, "Up" when it was released a couple of years back.

The movie was a big success, receiving lots of favorable reviews.   As you can see in this image from the movie below, the house in this movie was absolutely adorable.  It was colorful, homey and magical, capable of flying through the air via balloon power like a house-shaped "hot air balloon" of sorts.

The cute house in "Up" caught the eye of a a home builder, Bangerter Homes, in Herriman, Utah.  With the permission of Disney, they scaled out a floor plan for the house and built their own "Up" house!  Isn't it wonderful?!
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