Wedding Superstitions: Burying the Bourbon

Since my son, Chip and his sweetheart, Nancy will be marrying in less than 2 months :) a day doesn't go buy that something wedding doesn't enter my mind.  Yep, I have all things wedding on the brain these days.

In the pic below, Chip had just popped the question after dinner while they vacationed in Cancun.

On their wedding site the moment is recorded:

"Well, those of us who know Chip knows he does not always play by the rules, and this time was no different. Somehow sneaking the most beautiful engagement ring through customs didn’t make him nervous but the first evening at dinner, Nancy knew something was up! After thanking her for the journey they had been on over the last few years, Chip told Nancy he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, then got down on one knee, and ask for her to continue to be by his side forever and marry him. Nancy’s enthusiastic “ABSOLUTELY!” was followed by tears, kisses, hugs, and kind wishes from those surrounding them."

A nice couple across from them grabbed their camera and snapped this pic.  You can see the ring box there on the table.  This photo always gets me.  ♥

 Recently, Southern Living sent this lovely issue of Weddings my way.

Inside I found this fun story:  "Burying an unopened bottle of bourbon one month before the wedding, at the exact time of the wedding, at the site of the wedding, ensures good weather on the day of the event."

Don't you love this photo of the dutiful groom digging the hole?
Click HERE to continue reading...

Spring Easter Table Setting with Daffodil and Moss Centerpiece: Welcome to the 187th Tablescape Thursday!

Greetings!  Hope it's as beautiful where you are as it is here in Georgia.  This has been such a wonderful spring!

As I looked through the photos for this post, I noticed the background is changing with each week's table setting here on the porch.  It's getting green and wooly out there...love this time of year!
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Colorful Heart-Shaped Sugar Cubes for Parties: A Tutorial

Recently while reading a magazine (I think it was Country Living) I came across the cutest heart-shaped sugar cubes.  The magazine shared where they could be ordered but I decided to try making my own.  I thought they would be fun for parties, especially tea parties or to offer guests with coffee after dinner.

Instead of white cubes as shown in the article, I decided to color mine.  Since it's so close to Easter, I settled on pink and lavender.
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Hand-Crafting Beauty: A Wonderful Giveaway from Saffron Marigold

Update:  Chosen by the InLinkz Random Number Generator, the winner of the giveaway from Saffron Marigold is #112, Krysten.  Congrats, Krysten!  Please email me at betweennapsontheporchatgmaildotcom and I'll forward your email on to Saffron Marigold.  They will be in touch real soon.

I'm so excited today to share a wonderful giveaway today from Saffron Marigold!  Saffron Marigold carries luxury bedding, curtains, table cloths and runners, all hand-made from fabric created through the centuries old process of hand-block printing.

I was amazed to find each beautiful fabric begins when an intricate design is carved into a block of wood.  That block is then used to create the detailed pattern of the beautiful fabrics that ultimately become wonderful linens for the home.

At Saffron Marigold you can follow this fascinating process from the carving of the wood, the washing, dying, hand-printing and sewing of the fabric, to the product arriving at market via camel drawn carts  Scrolling through the photo album truly gives you an appreciation for the pride and workmanship that goes into each piece.  I can't help but see these beautiful treasures as little works of art, but instead of just hanging on the wall gathering dust, you get to actually use and enjoy them each and every day.

Click HERE to continue reading...

Beautiful Curbside Transformations on a Budget: Welcome to the 166th Metamorphosis Monday!

Greetings!  Hope you had a fabulous weekend!  I spent most of mine indoors with brief forays onto the porch.  The pollen has been crazy here but we got a little rain two days in a row which seems to have helped calm down the attack of the yellow stuff.

This week, for Metamorphosis Monday, I'm sharing three amazing exterior transformations.  If you are living in a home that's great on the inside but a bit ho-hum on the outside, take heart!  Your run-of-the-mill exterior can achieve car-stopping curb appeal with a few basic changes and a little landscaping.  All it takes is a little vision and a modest budget to get these awesome looks.  Check out these stunning transformations.

Imagine driving by this home...you probably wouldn't give it a second glance, right?
Before:

After:  Take a look at her now!  Wow!  The new additions having the biggest impact are the porch and landscaping.  On closer inspections you'll also notice new shutters, window boxes, an added door from the attic area with a small balcony and deeper eaves with corbels.  I love the new curved stone pathway and white picket fence.  I'd love a look inside to see what they did with the attic space?  I'm guessing it was transformed into either a guest room, a new master suite or perhaps a home office.

Brick ranch homes have so much potential.  This one didn't look bad before but it was pretty nondescript.
Before:

 After: Check her out now!  The biggest change, other than the painted brick, is the addition of a beautiful deck, complete with pergola.  It really transformed the entrance to this home, didn't it?  What an inviting area to welcome friends and family.  The landscaping is pretty awesome, too.
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Southern Living Weddings: 25 Real Southern Weddings

Recently I received an issue of Southern Living Weddings in the mail for review from Southern Living. Wow! So much inspiration packed inside 128 beautiful pages.

I just opened the magazine again to get the exact number of pages, and as I sat it back down, I noticed these words printed across the back: "128 pages of our best ideas for saying "I Do!" in classic southern style." So true!  Don't you absolutely love the back cover?

I sort of have weddings on the brain since my son, Chip and his sweetheart, Nancy will be tying the knot in a couple of months.  I found myself tearing up as I read the wonderful stories of the 25 brides/weddings featured in this issue.

Weddings today are as different as the couples planning them.  Some weddings are still quite large, with as many as a dozen or more bridesmaids. and some are smaller celebrations with just family and a few close friends.

In Southern Living Weddings you'll view weddings in many different locales, some exotic and some held in private homes.  The ones held in historic buildings/homes were definitely my favorite.
Click HERE to continue reading...

Window Shopping for Spring: Eye-Candy Galore!

Once a month I have the pleasure of sharing the wonderful Sponsors here at Between Naps on the Porch.   I had so much fun creating this post because visiting each store, shop and site was pure eye candy.  I'm more excited about spring now than ever!

Thanks for visiting and shopping these wonderful sponsors who continue to make BNOTP possible!

Click any picture or text link to see more.  Happy Spring Shopping!

♦A Teeny Bit of Trouble:  Pre-orders are being taken now for A Teeny Bit of Trouble, the hilarious follow-up to Gone with a Handsomer Man.  Release date is April 10, 2012!

♦French Bleu Vintage:  The inventory at French Bleu Vintage is always changing...it's a new store every time I visit.  Prices are amazing so things never stick around long.  Lots of beautiful treasures for your spring decorating!

♦Suzy's Artsy-Craftsy Sitcom:   Suzy always has wonderful tutorials for great craft ideas.  I love the recent faux porcelain frame she created.  You would swear it was expensive porcelain!  While you're visiting, check out her free quilt patterns and her quilling and paper crafts, too.  Don't miss the photo challenge!  Looks like fun!

♦European Tableware:   Love setting a beautiful table?  Wait until you see all the cute things European Tableware has in stock for spring and summer.  The Teddy Bear china about did me in.  Soooo dang cute!  Ya gotta stop by and see it.  Love!



♦ Saffron Marigold:  Gorgeous Duvet Covers, Curtains, Table Linens, Bedspreads await your visit.  The patterns and designs are beautiful and each piece is crafted carefully by hand.

♦ Noritake:   Check out all the beautiful spring patterns available at Noritake.  I love "Country Diary."  It's so perfect for a spring table setting!  It would also be beautiful for a bridal shower or a luncheon for your garden club.  As always, BNOTP readers get 10% off any purchase by entering BNOTP10 at checkout!

♦Fish Foam:   Need a little help with your Spring cleaning?  Click HERE to see how Fish Foam worked on my windows.  BNOTP readers get a $3 discount on shipping when ordering a 3 pack of Fish Foam.

♦Elvie's Essentials:  What better time to get organized than Springtime.   Elvie is a professional organizing coach which means she knows all the tricks to declutter and get organized in the shortest amount of time and without the usual stress.  Check out her free tips!



♦The Charmed Life:   If you're still looking for china for your Easter table setting, you'll love the J. Willfred Bunny Toile china I spied at The Charmed Life.   Two of my fave things...toile and china combined in one!  You'll love the darling starfish plates by Dana Wittman.  Sooo cute for those summer get togethers with friends and family.

♦Santos Cage Doll.com:   Santos dolls, beautiful hearts, heart charms and delicate, jewel-studded crowns are just some of the lovelies you'll find on your visit to Santos Cage Doll.com.  The image above is the beautiful face of their most popular Santos.  Isn't she lovely...such a sweet countenance!

♦Chic Provence Design Tour:  Kit is booking the last few spots for the Chic Provence Design Tour to the south of France.  If you've been thinking of treating yourself to a wonderful trip this spring, stop by and sign up now.  Registration ends very soon!  Bon voyage!

♦Old Time Pottery:   Old Time Pottery has been listening to your requests and they are opening up some new stores!  Check out their site to see if one is opening near you.  If not, take a day trip like Rett did HERE and stock up.  The savings will pay for your gas.  Seriously!

Spring Easter Table Setting: Welcome to the 186th Tablescape Thursday!

Greetings!  Hope your week is going great.  Spring is in full swing here; everything is blooming up a storm!

For this week's Tablescape Thursday, I did something I've always wanted to do in a table setting.
Click HERE to continue reading...

Porch Fever

Springtime = Porch Fever, and I have the cure.

Just one question...screened-in or open today?  You decide.  Oh, and could you pass me a lemon for my sweet tea?  Just feel those breezes!

Source

This is one of my very favorite houses in Grant Park in Atlanta.  It has multiple porches...as in porches on ALL. FOUR. SIDES!  Love!  There are three porches just on the front of the home...enough to make this porch-crazy woman faint!

I had the opportunity to tour this house once and it's gorgeous inside, too.  My favorite porch is on the right side, protected by that big, beautiful tree you see on the right side of the house.

Click HERE to continue reading...

Scents: Do You Have a Favorite?

A few weeks ago I posted about "20+ Things I Can't Live Without"  I've gotten so many great emails (and comments) about that post, I think they'll be a "Part II" coming up in the future.  At the end of that post I asked for your favorite "can't-live-without" products.  The comments were awesome!  I'm still going back periodically to reread them, trying out the fab ideas/products you mentioned, as well as those mentioned by the Bloggers who linked up for the impromptu linky party that day.

In the comments several folks mentioned a perfume called, Amazing Grace by Philosophy.   I've been searching for a new fragrance, having grown tired of the one I've been wearing for the last few years.  I wanted something with a light, fresh scent.  Since more than one person mentioned it, I knew I needed to check it out.

I found a store close by that carried Amazing Grace and it was love at first smell!  I also bought a bottle of Daisy by Marc Jacobs.  I've really enjoyed wearing both of these the last few weeks.  I often put them on just to wear around the house because they put me in a great mood. I've always heard scents can effect your mood, but I hadn't really thought about it that much until I purchased these two perfumes.

In doing a little research, I found an interesting article from Scientific American.  It states how we react to scents is often based on experiences we had in childhood.  We connect scents to those past experiences and memories.  Have you ever smelled something and you were instantly transported back to another place or time?  I definitely have.  I also do that with songs.  There are some songs I can't listen to without hearing the sounds of roller skates whirling along on wooden floors on a Friday night.  They are there in my memory, playing right along with the music.  Do you ever experience that?
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You Made That from What? Welcome to the 165th Metamorphosis Monday!

For this Metamorphosis Monday, I'm sharing some neat little transformations you can make right at home.   I was inspired by this wood tray I saw in a local Ballard Designs Outlet recently on THIS shopping trip.

Come a bit closer and take a look.  Not the greatest pics since they were taken with my camera phone and it's dark inside Ballard Designs...but I think you'll get the idea.)

Collect some vintage yard sticks and rulers and make a fabulous one-of-a-kind tray or table top.  Don't forget to apply a few coats of polyurethane or wax to protect the surface from drink spills and rings.  I've been keeping my eye out while antiquing but haven't been able to find any neat old yardsticks.  They seem to be pretty scarce these days.  You could also take new yardsticks, beat them up a bit and age them with stain or paint to get a vintage look without the cost of vintage yardsticks.

Pinterest Inspired Yardstick Ideas:
Here are come more things you can do with yardsticks.  All these are from Pinterest.  Click HERE to visit my "Yardstick" inspiration Pin Board, then click on any photo on the board to follow the pins back to the original source.

You can make a backdrop for wall hooks.  Really, all you would need to do is nail or use a liquid nails wood glue to attach old yardsticks to a board.  Then just attach your coat hooks through the yardsticks into the board.
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My Image Inspiration: What Inspires You?

A few weeks ago I shared My Colortopia, a fun site created by Glidden Paint to help take the scary guesswork out of choosing a paint color.  Using the tool, My Life, My Colors, you answered 7 fun questions to reveal colors you would enjoy having in your home.

Often when we freshen up a space in our home with new paint, we'll have an item that's serving as our inspiration.  It could be a particular fabric, a treasured vase or a beautiful painting.  It really does help when we have an inspiration piece since it gives us a great starting point for our room design.

Even with an inspiration piece, it can still be a little tricky choosing the right paint color.  But what if there was a tool that could help with that—something that would offer paint options based on what most inspired you?  Glidden thought of the same thing and came up with a niffy tool called My Image Inspiration to help.  Here's how it works.

You just upload a photo of your inspiration piece and My Image Inspiration will go to work finding a pallet of color choices based on the colors found in your inspiration item/photo!

I decided to test out this neat tool with a doggy painting I have in my family room...the one there just to the right of the tree.  I promise my Christmas tree isn't still up.  This pic was taken back in late December when I posted about "reforming my faux ways" in THIS post.

Now, I'm not planning on painting the paneling in my family room, but I LOVE the colors in this painting, so I was eager to see what paint color(s) My Image Inspiration would select based on this inspiration piece.

Once you upload your photo, a box will appear over the photo.  Just drag/stretch the box to cover the area depicting the colors you most like.

At first I chose a really broad section of the painting...see the outlined area below.  I got the results you see here.  I do like those colors, but I was more interested in more specific color sections of the painting.  That meant I needed to narrow down the focus a bit more.

So I pulled the edges of the box in and covered a much more specific area of the painting...focusing on the beautiful colors in one of the dogs.  Here were the choices My Image Inspiration provided.  Aren't those just the yummiest colors!

There's one final step.  Once My Image Inspiration provided a selection of possible colors, I clicked on the color that was my favorite in the grouping.  I chose "Extra Virgin Olive Oil" and the palette you see on the right popped up.  EVOO (as Rachel Ray would say) is my "main" color, since that's the one I clicked on, and the other two colors are colors I could consider for trim or accents in the room.  Interesting, huh?

I decided to run the program again, selecting another section of the painting with colors I love.  Do you see the area I chose below?  The colors you see to the right popped up this time.  How perfect are those colors for a room with a nature/hunt theme!  Since there's a leather chair in the family room, I chose "Leather Brown" as the main color.

I clicked on "Leather Brown: and My Image Inspiration produced the following color palette, choosing Leather Brown as the main color and the other options as possible coordinating colors.  I do like the golden yellow a lot.  I think it also picked up on the light blue in the sky that is right at the top of the box since it suggested some soft blues, too.  If I had run the program again, I think I would have moved my box down just a little to get away from the sky since I'm not really interested in blue for the room.

See how it works?  My Image Inspiration works off the section of the painting you highlight, so be sure to place your box over just the area you wish to focus on for your color choices.

Once you have your color palette, you can print it out or share it with your friends on Facebook.  Pretty cool!

Your Turn:
Try it out and let me know how it works for you.  To get the best results, be sure to be specific about the area where you place the box on your inspiration photo.  Selecting too large an area with too many colors won't work as well as narrowing down to a specific area on your photo.

To give it whirl, go to My Image Inspiration and upload a picture you have saved on your computer.  OR, find something online that you like, save the image to your computer and upload it to try.  It's a lot of fun to move the box around to see all the possible color combinations the program chooses for you.
Have fun and let me know what cha think.   Did you like the color choices you got?


I have been sponsored by Glidden brand paint to write this post but the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

A St. Patrick's Day Table Setting: Welcome to the 185th Tablescape Thursday!

Spring officially arrives on March 20th, but it's already here in Georgia.  The temps have been in the upper 70's; they even went above 80° today.

It was so beautiful out the day I captured these pics.  I'm looking forward to seeing green leaves filling out the trees real soon.  I don't think it will be long now.

The sheers were dancing in the spring breezes.

Since St. Patrick's Day is this Saturday, it's time to celebrate with a St. Patrick's Day themed tablescape.
Click HERE to continue reading...

Shopping IKEA and Ballard Designs

Recently I took a shopping trip to IKEA in Atlanta and to the Ballard Design Outlet in Alpharetta.  Today, I'm taking you along with me.  These stores are very different.  It's hard to believe IKEA was here for several years before I ever visited.  I had this idea in my head that it was all super modern furniture...far from the truth.  IKEA carries a lot more than just furniture.

I can see why folks plan day trips and drive hours to get here.  The prices are great, the store is gigantic and there's so much to see.  It's an experience for sure.  Even if you don't buy anything, it's so much fun to just look.  I guess you can tell I'm hooked on this place now.

You can click on any photo to enlarge it.  Or, click twice to REALLY enlarge.  Don't forget to click on the back arrow to return to the original post.

Let's start our shopping in IKEA.  IKEA has a lot of areas set up as "rooms" so you can sort of see how a room might look with their furnishings.  This would be great for a super compact apartment.

This light always grabs my attention when I'm shopping in IKEA.
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Dingbats and Wingdings: Part 3 of Fun Things You Never Knew You Could Do With Your Computer

Today I'm sharing 3 different posts, each highlighting some "Fun Thing You Can Do With Your Computer."  Instead of putting them all together in one post, I've posted each one separately so if you wish to refer back to any of these later, you won't have to scroll through lots of info to get to what you need.

This is Part 3.  (You'll find Part 1 HERE and Part 2 HERE.)

I'm adding each one of these posts to a category called Blogging Tips and Tutorials.  You'll find all the Blogging posts (as well as past tutorials) linked at the bottom of the BNOTP home page.  You'll also find them under the category heading "Renovations/Tuts" at the top of this blog.

Have fun!

Character Maps:  Dingbats and Wingdings:  

Have you ever heard of Dingbats and Wingdings.  They are little symbols, shapes, and fonts you may wish to use occasionally in your writing.  You can read more about what they are  HERE and HERE.  

Windows has a FAQ about character maps HERE.  It explains all about how to use them and how to search for particular characters.  I think these may only be available on computers with the Windows operating system.  Not positive about that.

Here's the definition of what a character and character map is from the Windows site:

What is a special character?

A special character is a character that cannot be found on your keyboard. You can insert special characters by using Character Map or by pressing a combination of keys on your keyboard.

What is Character Map?

Character Map enables you to view the characters that are available in a selected font. Using Character Map, you can copy individual characters or a group of characters to the Clipboard and paste them into any program that can display them.

If you have a computer with a Windows operating system, character maps are already available on your computer.  

Here's a tiny example of just some of the fun dingbat/wingding symbols you'll find.  There are zillions!

Click HERE to continue reading...

Create Your Own Color Values and Hex Codes: Part 2 of Fun Things You Never Knew You Could Do With Your Computer

Today I'll be sharing 3 different posts, each highlighting a "Fun Thing You Can Do With Your Computer."  Instead of putting them all together in one post, I'll be posting each one separately so if you wish to refer back to any of these, you won't have to scroll through lots of info to get to what you need.

This is Part 2.  (Part 1 posted this morning and you'll find it, HERE.  Part 3 can be found HERE.)

I'm adding each one of these posts to a category called Blogging Tips and Tutorials.  You'll find all the Blogging posts (as well as past tutorials) linked at the bottom of the BNOTP home page.  You'll also find them under the category heading "Renovations/Tuts" at the top of this blog.  

Have fun!

Create your own color values:


Did you know that colors have their own hex code?  Yup.  For example, the hex code for the color black is #000000.  When I was using Pixlr recently to make labels for some tutorial posts, I didn't see the color red I wanted to use for my font color.  I was making a label for this picture below...a Christmas tutorial showing how to make garland (Pottery Barn Garland Hack.)  I looked up red hex codes and typed in the one I liked for my font. (Note the hex code showing in photo below.)

Click HERE to continue reading...

Accent Marks, Currency & Math Symbols, Unique Punctuation: Part 1 of Fun Things You Never Knew You Could Do With Your Computer

Today I'll be sharing 3 different posts, each highlighting a "Fun Thing You Can Do With Your Computer" that you may not already know about.  Instead of putting them all together in one post, I'll be posting each one separately so if you wish to refer back to any of these, you won't have to scroll through lots of info to get to what you need.

I'm adding each of these posts to a category called Blogging Tips and Tutorials.  You'll find links to all the Blogging posts (as well as past tutorials) at the bottom of the BNOTP home page.  You'll also find them under the category heading "Renovations/Tuts" at the top of this blog.  

Hope you enjoy!  

How to Type Accent Marks, Currency Symbols and other Fun Stuff:

Do you sometimes find you need to type a word with an accent mark?  What about the occasional currency mark or degree symbol?  I discovered a while back that the "alt" key has a lot of hidden capabilities, so I thought I'd share this info with you today in case you weren't aware.  The way I discovered it was Googling "how to type an accent mark on a keyboard."  I was amazed at all the things you can type/create with the "alt" key.

Here's a brief list of some of the accent marks you can type.  To type any of these shown below, you simply hold down the "alt" key, type the numbers you see beneath the letter, then release the alt key.

For example, if you wish to type the word "macramé" in the correct form with the accent showing over the e, you would type the letters macram, and when you get to the é, hold the alt key on your keyboard, and with the alt key depressed, type the number 0233 on the numeric keypad.  Then release the alt key and the e with an accent mark above it should miraculously appear.   It's like magic!

Don't try to use the numeric keys at the top of your keyboard—that won't work.  You will need to type the numbers on the numeric keypad that's built into your keyboard.   
Update:  If you have a laptop that doesn't have a separate numeric keypad, try pressing the "Num Lock" down and then try typing these symbols (following the directions above) using the numbers across the top.  You'll find more info for typing symbols on laptops HERE.

Have fun holding down the alt key and pressing numbers to see what you can get.  (Don't forget to release the alt key after you type the number to see what appears.)  Numbers 3, 4, 5 and 6 will give you each of the 4 suits you find in a deck of cards: 3 = ♥, 4 = ♦, 5 = ♣, and 6 = ♠.    Numbers 13 and 14 will give you musical notes: 13 = ♪ and 14 = ♫.  Cute!

Below you'll find some charts showing some of the symbols/accents you can type using the alt key.   These work for computers with the Windows operating system.   Have a Mac or Apple computer?  I found THIS article and THIS article showing how to make symbols on a Mac.

Be sure to click on "click to continue reading" to see all the charts.

Alt Code for Currency Symbols:

Click HERE to continue reading...

IKEA PJÄS Closet Additions: Welcome to the 164th Metamorphosis Monday!

Greetings!  Hope you had a fabulous weekend!  Last Friday I met a friend for lunch in Atlanta.  We lunched in a restaurant by the name of Osteria del Figo.  I think most folks just call it, Figo Pasta.

We each had a yummy salad and a dish from the "Figo Favorites" called Zucca.  It was delicious!

Pic from Figo Pasta

After lunch I headed over to IKEA.  You may remember after my last visit to IKEA, the closet went from looking like this...
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The Mystery of the Closet Expedit

Kind of sounds like a Nancy Drew Mystery Book, doesn't it? ;)   A few days ago I pulled a Houdini in the renovation of the office closet.

Here's a view of the "Before" and "After" below.  You can view this closet renovation project, HERE.

The Houdini part was getting an IKEA Expedit shelving unit, which measures 58 5/8 inches wide, into in a closet that is only about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wider than the Expedit itself.  The closet only measures around 59 1/4 inches wide with the baseboard removed.

I didn't buy the Expedit on my first trip down to IKEA but after I realized the side panel of the Expedit fit inside the unit itself once it was assembled giving me a teeny bit of wiggle room with which to work, I was embolden to give it a try.  I considered the worse thing that could happen:  I'd have to take it all apart and haul it back downstairs to either the garage or basement where it would become storage shelving for one of those areas.  Not really what I wanted, but I could live with that if it came down to it.

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A St. Patrick's Day Tablescape: Welcome to the 184th Tablescape Thursday!

Happy Tablescape Thursday!  Well, things don't always go according to plans.  I had a tablescape all ready for this week.  When I went to bed on Tuesday night, the table on the porch was set and ready to be photographed.  Unfortunately, I awoke really sick Wednesday morning and as the day progressed, it got much worse.  Have you ever had a kidney stone?  I think that's what it was because around 6:30 PM, the horrible pain ended suddenly, like someone flipped a switch.

Your comments on yesterday's post were so much fun to read when I wasn't in bed.  Don't worry, I'm totally back to my old feisty self today.  Tired but much, much better!

Since I wasn't able to take pics of the tablescape I had set for this week, I'm sharing an "oldie but goody."  This St. Patrick's Day tea was first posted on March 12, 2009.  Hope you enjoy this tea 'scape!


St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner...let's celebrate with some tea out on the porch!

And of course, we must have green tea, since we are celebrating St. Paddy's Day.

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Could You Live in a Home This Small?

Imagine living in a house that costs less than a lot of cars.  Forbes showcased some of these tiny homes on their website and I was amazed to see just how small they truly were.  They almost look like fancy utility or garden sheds, but they're not.  They are real homes that are actually for sale.

You can make this tiny Craftsman Bungalow yours for just $24,000.  It's listed for sale with The Tiny Smart House Company.  It features double French doors, a skylight...

...cathedral ceilings...

complete with a sleeping loft overhead that's large enough for a king size bed.

Click HERE to continue reading...

IKEA Expedit Closet Makeover: Welcome to the 163rd Metamorphosis Monday!

A while back I wrote about how on a recent visit to the Atlanta IKEA with a friend, I repeatedly decided and un-decided to buy an Expedit shelving unit.  I really wanted to buy one for my office closet but there was one big problem.

The Expedit measures 58 5/8 inches wide and my closet measures 57 1/2 inches wide and 47 1/2 inches deep.  With the baseboard molding removed, the closet measures 59 1/4 inches wide.  So, my office closet was barely wide enough to fit an Expedit across the back wall if I removed the baseboard molding.  But the real problem would be getting it through the closet door and then rotating it to go against the back wall.  The Expedit was just too wide to make the turn once inside the closet.  I knew this because I created/cut a fake foam-board shelf the width of the Expedit and tested pushing it into the closet and turning it.  No go!
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Labeling Photos for Pinterest

Back in December of last year, I stopped by Nesting Place and found a fascinating post Nester had written about Pinterest.  If you aren't familiar with Pinterest, you'll definitely want to check it out.
Pinterest is a virtual "pin board," a place to pin anything you see online that inspires you or that you love and think you'll want to remember for a future project or just for fun.  You can read more about what Pinterest is in this PINTEREST post I created a few months ago.

How do you join Pinterest?  There are 2 ways to join:
1. One way to join is to request an invite from Pinterst. Apparently, they are way behind in sending those out because folks never seem to get their invite after waiting for months.

2. The other way you can join is by being invited by someone who is already a member.  If you wish to join, drop me an email at betweennapsontheporchatgmaildotcom with the subject line "Pinterest" and be sure to include your email address.  If you don't get your invite within 24 hours, check your spam file to see if it got caught there.  I'm happy to send one your way so you can become addicted have fun pinning, too.


Labeling a Picture for Pinning:
Okay, back to Nester's post.  I loved one of the suggestions Nester made in her Pinterest post.  She suggested bloggers include a photo in their tutorial posts that's labeled with what that post is about.  That way, when the photo is pinned, the Pinner will have a way to remember later why they saved the pin.  Brilliant!

I loved this idea but never got around to following through until recently when Kate at Centsational Girl gave a brief tutorial on how to add wording to a photo with Pixlr, without totally blocking out the photo.  I followed her great directions and it was super easy to do.  I didn't include a tutorial here below...just click over to the link above to read Kate's tutorial.

So here's how my first try at labeling pics turned out using Pixlr.  (Click any link title below for the tutorial.)  I won't be labeling every photo in a post.  I'll only label one photo in each post just in case someone does prefer pinning a photo with a description of what the post is about.
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What's Your Color Personality? Take the Quiz!

Paint.  Beautiful, inspiring, magical paint.  Nothing can transform a room from drab to fab faster than a fresh coat of paint.

Got a room in your home that needs a makeover but the budget is a bit tight?  Think paint.  A gallon of paint and a few hours this weekend listening to your favorite tunes with paint brush in hand...you'll have a whole new space that feels a lot more like you.

So, what's standing between you and the room of your dreams?  If you're like most folks (me included) it could be that perplexing, anxiety-producing exercise known as "choosing the right paint color."  You stand before that big wall in the paint store that's filled with a gazillion little-bitty paint chips and your first thought is, "Maybe I'll just clean out my sock drawer this weekend, instead."  Yup, been there.

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Academy Awards Table Setting: Welcome to 183rd Tablescape Thursday!

Each year my friend, Bonnie creates the most wonderful table setting for the evening of the Academy Awards.  I can hardly wait to see what she is going to do each year!

This year Bonnie placed her tablescape where the action was...on the front row.  You don't mind rubbing elbows with Meryl and George, do you?

I love the "theater lighting."   Such a great atmosphere for this star-studded night.
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