Here It Is...Your List!

Happy Friday!  Hope your week has been awesome!

Post "Time" Change for Tablescape Thursday and Metamorphosis Monday:
I have a little announcement regarding the time the two blog parties Metamorphosis Monday and Tablescape Thursday post each week.    Instead of posting our Tablescape Thursday party late Wednesday evening, it will now post on Thursday mornings between 8 AM and 10 AM.

Same thing will apply for our Metamorphosis Monday party.   Instead of our Met Monday party posting late Sunday evening, it will now go up on Monday mornings between 8 AM and 10 AM.    These changes will start this Monday with our Met Monday party.

Why the change?
When I first kicked off these parties over three years ago, I was working outside the home full time 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.  So, posting a party the evening before the actual day of the party was necessary to make sure the post went up okay.   It seems to make more sense now to have the parties go up the actual day of the party, instead of the evening before.  This will also help even out my posting schedule, as well.

It is my sincere hope this change will not inconvenience anyone.  I'm hoping it will actually make it easier and more convenient for most folks because it will no longer be necessary to interrupt your Sunday evening time with family to go sign up for Met Monday.  Same thing for Tablescape Thursday...no rushing to sign up late Wednesday evening.

What do you think?  Let me know if you love the idea or not so much.  I am really hoping this will be a good change for the majority of folks, both Bloggers and Readers.  I apologize if this creates an inconvenience for anyone...that is definitely not my intention.

Update:  I just noticed InLinkz, my fave party linking tool, will allow a party to be set up two different ways:  1. The normal way with each added link appearing at the bottom of the list OR  2.  Reverse order with the most recently added links appearing at the top of the list.  Maybe we'll alternate these two systems from week to week so everyone has a chance to be near the top of the list some weeks.  What do you think about that?


YOUR Must Haves for Winter Survival:

On Tuesday, I created a post HERE listing my "10 Must-Haves" for surviving those cold, cold months of winter.  In that post I asked what your must-haves were and the responses were great!  Thank you for sharing what gets you through the long winter months in comfort, style, and grace.

As the awesome suggestions kept pouring in, I wanted to make a list so I could add a few of your faves to my winter arsenal.  Then it hit me, why not make a complete list of all YOUR favorite winter survival gear to share here at BNOTP...much easier than ferreting it out of all the comments. :)

This evening I went through all the comments left on Tuesday's post and I made a list of the products, techniques and ideas you recommended for cruising through winter.  I tried  to not duplicate items on the list, but some items (socks, slippers, etc..) were mentioned in different styles or brands.  When that happened, I added them both/all to the list.

If you love all these great suggestions as much as I did, you may wish to bookmark this post or copy and paste this list to your computer for reference.  I'm definitely going to be adding some of these ideas to my winter survival plan.

Here's what you recommended:

Chick films
Gingerbread cake
Padded bleacher seats for games
Rhodes cinnamon rolls
Flannel sheets
Hand work (Crochet, embroidery)

Pinterest

Click HERE to continue reading...

10 Must-Haves on My Winter Survival List

I love, love, love hot weather.  When I used to work in an office environment, when my fellow office mates thought the temperature was just right, I was cold.  If it felt just right to me in the office, everyone else was roasting.   Cold weather is not my friend.

Over the years I've found ways to deal with Old Man Winter.  Today I thought I'd share a few things that are high on the "Susan's Winter Survival Gear" list.    Be sure to share what's on your cold weather survival list...I would love to hear what gets you through these cold, dreary days of winter.

Flannel Sheets:
I love me some flannel sheets.  In fact, I have to fight myself to keep from putting them on the bed too early in the fall season.  It's so nice to crawl into bed and have it feeling snugly warm when you get in.  Remember the days of electric blankets?  Wonder if they still make those?  

Source

Vaseline:
I put this on my lips every night before I turn in.  It's also a handy size for your purse.  You wake up with soft, conditioned lips, ready for another winter's day.
Click HERE to continue reading...

Autumn Comes to the Porch

I've been playing outside today, bringing a little fall to the porch.  During the summer it looks something like this. (View this tablescape summer table setting HERE)

Because the porch is all white (for the most part) it's a blank slate for anything you can dream up.  For the 4th of July, it looked like this. (4th of July porch, HERE)

It was time to add a little fall  to the porch.
Click HERE to continue reading...

Spring Sprucing on the Porch: Welcome to the 113th Metamorphosis Monday!

Hi Everyone! Hope your weekend was fabulous! I had plans to start working on the walls in the office, sanding and patching, sanding and more patching. But Mr. Max had other plans. I couldn't get him to abandon his perch on the desk and I don't think sanding while he's in the room would be such a great idea. Tomorrow, I'll try again and I may have to just lock him out of the room, which he isn't going to like.




So I spent the day doing a little spring fluffing on the porch. It was time to say goodbye to the fall pillows on the swing.




Time to bring out the spring pillows. These are beginning to look a little faded after three summers on the porch but I sort of like their faded, "I've-been-loved-and-used-for-years" look.




The next thing that caught my eye was the fall basket on the door.




Yep, definitely time to do something different on the door. The hutch was spruced up a few weeks ago, HERE.




This was the fall look...




And here's the spring look.





These are my daisies from last year. I may do something different this year, but they will do for now.




I never took the sheers down from last summer.

So they are up and ready for those much anticipated summer breezes.




I've been asked how the sheers are hung here on the porch. (Tablescape can be viewed HERE.)




It was super easy. I just purchased the sheers and wood rods from Walmart. I didn't use metal because I was worried they might rust in the humidity. The rods just rest down into the brackets that came with the rods. I pre-drilled the holes into the wood before mounting the brackets for the curtains. That made installation of the brackets very easy.




Here's how the porch looks without the sheers...just isn't quite the same, is it? (Tablescape can be viewed, HERE.)




And here's the porch with sheers. Much better, I think.

If you have a screened-in porch, a lanai or any kind or porch, consider hanging some sheers. The cost for all the sheers and rods for all 5 windows on the porch was right at $100. Three years later, they still look as nice as the day I bought them, so they have really held up well. I never have any problems with mildew or mold appearing on the sheers because they are polyester and dry within minutes after it rains. (Tablescape can be viewed HERE.)




I've only had to take them down to wash them once in three years and that was just because I figured they needed it after their 2nd year on the porch. They add so much to the enjoyment of the porch. It is wonderfully soothing to sit out here on the porch and watch them swaying in and out from either natural breezes or the breezes created by the fans overhead.

Are you starting to do a little spring sprucing around your home? I'm looking forward to viewing your Before and Afters for this Met Monday!



Metamorphosis Monday:
If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday: Please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top, into the "url" box for the picture linky. You'll also need to put your e-mail address in, but don't worry, it will not be visible to anyone.

If you'd like to include the MM button in your post, just copy and paste the Met Monday button to your computer or grab the html code from underneath the MM logo under the "Join a Blog Party" header at the top of this blog.

Please include a link in your MM post back to the host blog, Between Naps on the Porch. Why is this important? When you include a link back to BNOTP, it ensures your regular readers/visitors will find the other awesome "Before and Afters" linked for this Metamorphosis Monday. If everyone links back, this maximizes the visits for all participants.

Please DO NOT type in all caps...it spreads the links way out. Thanks!

Let's try something fun today! Please visit the person who linked before you and after you...that way everyone will get some visits. Hope you'll visit more, of course. 


Little Reminder: Thank-you for linking back to this post so the regular visitors to your blog will find all your fellow Blogger's posts linked here for this Met Monday.

Spring Fluffing...Just Getting Started...

Rhoda at Southern Hospitality is having a Spring Fluffing party! If you've never visited her blog, you are in for a wonderful treat! I haven't done a lot of fluffing for spring just yet, but I did change the basket of flowers on my front door for a bit of fun!


Come on up on the porch for a little closer view...

Some spring time silliness!

Found this wreath at Pier 1 right around Easter, two years ago...

I'm getting sooo excited...you can really see spring popping out all over here in Georgia!

Happy Spring Fluffing! Click HERE to stop by Southern Hospitality for links to more spring frivolity!
Thursday is Tablescape Thursday! Mr. Linky will be up and ready for your link tomorrow (Wednesday) evening by 9:00 PM...see you then!

Winter Blues

A little birdie told me you had the winter blues...


So I was thinking...since Old Man Winter is here to stay for while, instead of fighting those winter blues, why don't we just embrace them.


Come on over here; I have the perfect spot for you...a comfy blue chair...


And a nice, hot cup of tea, served from a Blue Willow teapot...


How about a fluffy, soft pillow...


With a pretty, blue wreath design...


And of course, you'll need a great, blue book to go with your hot tea. Here's one of my favorites, Winter House by Charlotte Moss. Amazon says, "a Winter House is a place to recharge your body and your spirit....the perfect reference for creating your own winter sanctuary."


Winter House is full of beautiful pictures that will warm your soul...like this one. ~~SIGH~~


So, here you are...relaxing with your Winter House book...in your cozy, blue chair...


In the warm glow of a blue candle...tucked into a little blue candle holder...


With a little, blue birdie resting sweetly on some lovely, blue doilies...crocheted many years ago by my Mom :-)


I'll just tip-toe out now...enjoy those winter blues! :-)

A Purr-fect View from the Porch...

Does anyone remember this? It was the main pic for my screened-in porch posting when I posted it on Rate My Space. This is the summer view. {{{BIG SIGH}}}


When I stretched out on the settee this past summer and looked up, this was the view...

For the past few weeks, the view has been changing with each passing day. The green has given way to yellows, reds, browns and golds....and before long, it will look like this.


I will miss the lush green, but it's kind of nice to see the bones of the trees....they really are beautiful against that gorgeous blue sky, aren't they.

And then it will happen...one of those rare, warm Georgia days...right in the midst of winter. I will venture onto the porch and stretch out on the settee and look up.


This is the view I usually see next. :-) I'm not the only one in this house who misses sun-filled days...out on the porch.