500th Tablescape Thursday Celebration!

Shortly after I started blogging, I learned about the fabulous Between Naps

on the Porch blog written by another Susan, and also her Tablescape Thursday.

As I recall, it was Brenda from Cozy Little House, who told me to check it out.

Well, I instantly fell in love with BNOTP, and was completely smitten with

all of Susan's wonderful tablescapes.  

Every Thursday, Susan brings us her own stunning tablescapes,  as well as

providing a platform where others can share their own creations.  It is all so

inspiring and so much fun too.  Today, Between Naps on the Porch is 

celebrating it's 500th Tablescape Thursday!  Wow!!!  Congratulations to

Susan and a big thank you too for so many happy Thursdays.  

In honor of this special occasion, I went through my own archives to

share photos from posts I shared with this party.  I hope you enjoy them 

as much as I have enjoyed creating these scenes.

One thing that is so much fun about tablescapes , is that they allow you to 

change with the seasons and holidays.  

This setting was so cozy for Fall.

I carved out a pie pumpkin and used it as a bowl to serve a squash soup.

The table was set outside in the beautiful Idaho Autumn.

More Fall decor.

Here is a Springtime table on the patio.

Tea on the veranda.

Appetizer Saturday night on the kitchen counter.  This has become a

tradition in our house because it allows us to snack while watching

movies.

Tea and a good book in the family room.

Tea in the kitchen.

Eggs and soldiers in the English fashion.

Celebrating the 4th of July ~ Texas style!

Breakfast in bed.

Or breakfast in the kitchen.

Easter table

Cocktails on the veranda.

Dinner on the patio.  You can almost hear the cicadas in the background.

I decorate in miniature too, as you can see in the photo below.

Once again, thank you Susan for pushing me to be creative and for

giving us all so many helpful hints and so much inspiration.

Please join me in visiting Between Naps on the Porch today and

honoring 10 years and 500 Tablescape Thursdays!!!

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

News About My Garden

I know that many of you are still covered in snow, and have cabin

fever.  I feel a bit guilty that I have moaned about our cold weather

when it is not at all as bad as what y'all have endured.  I suppose it's

just that when you make the commitment to live in South Texas,

you are expecting it to be warm in March and April.  

The weather here has been a bit warmer, but the winds have been

terrible.  It's been as though Hurricane Harvey had been hiding behind

a bush and decided to come out and lash at us once again!  Speaking of

Harvey, I have weeds in my yard that I never had before and I swear it

is all Harvey's fault ;-)  There is some hope though.  Our magnificent

and huge Magnolia tree out in the front yard was battered so hard by

Harvey that I was afraid we would loose it.  Recently, it's leaves were

turning yellow and falling to the ground.  This is not uncommon in the

spring, as magnolia's are not like deciduous trees that drop their leaves

in the fall.  Magnolias stay green and just replace some leaves.  Ours

was dropping yellow leaves like crazy.  My husband even started to

worry.  I assured him that this was a normal event for a Southern

Magnolia and that I had faith that our beloved tree would return to

it's former glory.

The other evening as Bentley and I were returning home from

our walk, I looked at the tree closely.  The bottom third of the tree was

covered with more magnolia buds than I have ever seen on it before.

Each branch was glorified in these buds, but the most encouraging 

sign was a few tiny buds way up at the top of the tree and some new

tiny green leaves.  The top third of the tree's branches had their leaves

stripped off by the hurricane, but miraculous new growth is appearing.

I ran inside to deliver the good news to David.  Nature in all it's glory

had once again returned with the hope of spring.  I'm so happy!

I purchased a hibiscus at my favorite local nursery.  I put it in a big

pot next to the chaise lounge.  Looking at this beautiful flower makes

me long to mix up a tropical drink of some sort!

I tend to put a lot of colorful vincas in pots around the patio.  They 

seem to be one of the few flowers that not only can stand the hot

and oppressive heat that will soon arrive, but also seem to thrive in it.

That's all for now.  For those of you who have not yet seen spring,

please feel free to enjoy the few photos I have so far.  It will happen

for you too.

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

An English Cottage Kitchen in the Making

I am very excited about a new project I am working on right now.  I am

building a little cottage and tucked away inside will be an English style

cottage kitchen.  I have been collecting things for it for a while now, and

will soon be making my vision a reality.

Soon the walls, floor, doors and windows will be fitting all together and

once that is done, the fun will begin when the decorative pieces move

in to give the space character, and hopefully, lots of charm.

This little kitchen will be much more than just a miniature room.  It will

also become the setting for a book, a mystery novel.  This is a project

that I have been dreaming about for quite a while and if I seem a bit

distracted, you will understand why.

I wanted everything to come together in the perfect way, and I just

could not rest until I had the whole idea firmly developed in my 

mind.

Now that the ground work is being laid, the plots and story lines 

I have been storing away can become a reality too.  I hope you will

follow along to see what develops!

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

Plans For A Busy Monday

I am out in the garden for as long as I can be today.  Late Friday night

and into the wee hours of Saturday morning, we had a big storm.  

Leaves and branches and all sort of pollen residue is everywhere.

The yard, patio and veranda were all cleaned up on Thursday, but

you would never know it.  The weather has been so crazy here.

It went down to 45 on Saturday night, which for South Texas in

mid April is cold.  The high winds and lightning took out the cable

for several hours, so there was no internet or cell service for the 

first time since Hurricane Harvey hit last August.  Today, however,

is lovely and I really need to take advantage of this window of

opportunity.  

I know that so many of you are still coping with snow.  I'm so

sorry and know that it is no longer welcome.  Stay snug and

cozy and try to keep a positive outlook.  Love y'all lots!

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

Hey Y'All ~ What's for Dinner?

In a few hours, my hubby will walk through the kitchen door and ask ....

What's for dinner???

Sometimes I will say we are ordering a pizza or picking up some

take-out, but most nights I cook.  I used to be one of those girls who

would plan a weekly menu and shop in advance for everything that I

needed for that menu.  Now I tend to just wing it.  I feel more confident

in my cooking skills than I once did, and can generally come up with

something fairly quickly.  Tonight is leftover pasta night.  I made

large macaroni and meat sauce the other night.  Tonight I will layer it

in a baking dish with a little extra sauce and grated cheese, then pop

it in the oven to heat up and melt the cheese.  So easy and David

loves it this way.  Actually, so does Bentley, and I will mix a little bit

in with his ground turkey.   I will serve a tossed salad too, but not

for Bentley.  He doesn't like salad :-)

Last Saturday I made these ham and cheese roll ups for our usual 

Appetizer Saturday Night.  I had left over ham that I wanted to use up,

and found this recipe on the internet that seemed perfect.  All you do is

open up a roll of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls.  Lay it out flat in one piece and

smooth out the perforations.  Place sliced ham on top and then the cheese.

Roll up jelly roll fashion and then slice one inch thick.  I think we came

out with eight slices.  Bake in 375 degree oven for about 15 -17 minutes,

or until golden.  Drizzle honey on top of each slice.  Quite yummy!

The Pillsbury recipe is here.

I must tell you something about me that seems quite silly now.  Years

ago I was afraid to open one of those refrigerated biscuit dough cans.

I thought it just might explode in my face!  One day I gathered every

ounce of courage I had and opened one.  It didn't explode and I was

so very proud of myself that I had conquered my fear.  Pretty silly of

me to have such a foolish fear ;-)

Have a great evening and let me know what y'all are cooking tonight!

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

English Cottage Mystery

It's dark, gray, and rainy out today, and the inside of my cottage looks

like it could be the scene of an English Cottage Mystery.  Actually,

nothing is happening around here but the laundry.  

Just imagine the only sound is that of the grandfather clock ticking in

the front hall, and wondering if any evidence will be found in the

lighted hallway to our right.

We may need to start collecting clues....

but I have an over active imagination.  You already know that

don't you?

In between folding clothes, I am reading my first mystery novel by

Simone St. James, titled The Other Side of Midnight.  

This mystery is so good!  I began reading it a couple of weeks ago and

put it down because too much was going on.  Now that I have returned to

it, I cannot put it down!

The one giveaway that we are not really in an English cottage, is that

western boot bottle opener on the cocktail tray.  Other than this, my

cottage looks like it's straight out of a British mystery novel today, 

cloaked in fog, dark clouds and rain.  Sherlock could be at the front 

door any minute now ;-)

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

The Calla Lily That Could

Last year I had a lovely Calla Lily in a pot on my patio.  It's flowers 

were stunning and it was so photogenic.  After it stopped blooming

and went into dormancy, it remained on the patio in it's pot.  

Then last August, Hurricane Harvey was predicted to take a close

hit to our city, so we quickly moved all of the patio furniture and

plants to the back porch where they were secured.  After months of

clean up, things started to return to normal, but the potted Calla Lily

was forgotten.  It was forgotten until just recently that is, when I 

found a pot stuck in a corner. I was about to empty the soil and

recycle the plastic pot, when I noticed sprigs of green poking up

through the soil.  It was the forgotten Calla Lily coming to life

once again! 

The dear Calla Lily braved the big bad hurricane and decided to come

back this spring with new growth.  I removed it from the confines of it's

nursery pot, and added some new soil, and gave it a new home befitting

it's stature.  

It is now resting in the center of the patio dining table where it will

receive adequate sunlight and some tender loving care.  I will be

happily sharing photos when it comes into it's full glory again.

Something tells me that it will be even lovelier this year because it 

is the Calla Lily That Could.

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley