Vintage Botanical Prints

It's time for Vintage Thingy Thursday again! This week I am showing you some of my favorite botanical prints I have collected from various antique shops over the years.

None of these were very expensive, but I just love the charm of the floral prints and the vintage frames.

This oval framed print is a favorite of mine. It has a Victorian flare.

The tiny ones with the round frames are so sweet. I love to group them with other prints.

Here is another one I just could not resist! The one just below is from my Grandmother.

Thank you for visiting me today for VTT. Don't forget to stop by and visit Suzanne's blog The Colorado Lady for more Vintage Thingies! It's a great way to spend a Thursday!! Right Bentley?? Bentley agrees, particularly since he can stay curled up in his little bed while I browse the fabulous sites in Blog Land!

Love,

Susan and Bentley

xxoo

Retro Rednesday!

Let's go Retro this Rednesday!! Let's go "back in the day" when teens were filling up their red Pony Tail scrapbooks and dancing in their saddle shoes.

When kids listened to their favorite tunes on their red transistor radios.

When all the girls had poodles on their skirts, maybe in red perhaps!

Teenagers were constantly falling in and out of love and their were lots of songs about it. Well, some things never change. Another thing that doesn't change is my favorite day of the week ... Rednesday held each week at Sue's It's a Very Cherry World! Be sure to stop by her fun and cheerful blog!! You're sure to have a cool visit!!

I'm sorry Bentley, but girls didn't wear Yorkies on their skirts back in the day. Maybe we need to start a new trend!

Love,

Susan and Bentley

xxoo

Tea and a Murder, Oh My!

Sit down and make yourself comfy. Have a cup of tea and some pecan coffee cake. I want to tell you about a terrific mystery I just finished reading. Imagine a charming tea shop in historic Charleston, South Carolina. The owner, beautiful Theodosia Browning has just locked up her Indigo Tea Shop for the night after a busy evening serving tea and goodies to long time customers and tourists. She is walking down a dimly lit alley when to her horror, she witnesses a murder! The victim is fellow merchant, Daria Shand, owner of the Antiquarian Map Shop! The stage has been set for New York Time's Best Selling author, Laura Childs' latest ... The Teaberry Strangler!!

I have read several of Laura Child's Tea Shop Mysteries and am never disappointed. Theodosia Browning and her lovely Indigo Tea Shop in Historic Charleston provides the backdrop for tea and mystery. She contemplates suspects while sitting in a cozy apartment above her shop. It is filled with the items we cottage girls love, cozy chintz covered chairs, antique tea cups, a prized Staffordshire dog. She is aided in her detective work by her employees and friends. The elegant southern gentleman, Drayton, tea connoisseur extraordinaire. The talented chef Miss Haley. Theodosia's ever faithful and loving dog Earl Grey. Who could have wanted to murder dear Daria? Did someone want to take over her Antiquarian Map Shop? Was someone else interested in the location to expand an existing shop? No butlers are suspects, but Daria's recently hired employee may be, or perhaps another shop owner? Maybe it is someone after a specific antique map. Perhaps someone confused Daria for Theodosia and Miss Browning may be the next victim!

To find out the answer to these questions, just go out and get a copy of The Teaberry Strangler. You will be glad you did. Check out the Laura Childs site for a complete list of all her Tea Shop Mysteries and her other series as well. When you are done with that, sit back and enjoy another cup of tea and visit Terri's Tea Cup Tuesday at her blog Artful Affirmations, Marty's Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life, and lovely Lady Katherine's Tea Time Tuesday at Lady Katherine Tea Parlor.

I'm ready for another cup of tea, how about you? What's that Bentley? How did Earl Grey get his name? Well you see, Theodosia found this cute little pup and he was homeless and sad ... I'll whisper the rest of the story to you and our blogging friends will just have to read the book to find the answer. Now say goodbye to all our friends!

Bentley says woof!!

Love,

Susan and Bentley

xxoo

Pink Bicycle and Breast Cancer Awareness

Here is my pink bicycle. It's a powder puff pink with streamers, a bell, a cup holder, a wicker basket and a sheepskin seat that is really comfy. It's an "in town" bike. I won't be going on any mountain trails with this. So for this Pink Saturday at Beverly's blog How Sweet the Sound and A Few of My Favorite Things Saturday, at Laurie's sweet blog Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie, I am showing off my pink bike.

Of course Bentley fits just perfectly in the basket and there is even room for his very long dog, in pink of course, with the pink breast cancer awareness ribbon!

Hey Mom, when are you going to stop taking pictures and start peddling?? While Bentley and I are off for an early evening ride, be sure to visit the other participants at Beverly and Laurie's sites. Bentley, what happened to your pink pig? Don't you want to bring him along too???

Love,

Susan and Bentley

xxoo

PS: May is National Bike Month! "Okay, okay Mom, quit chatting and let's go!!" Okay Bentley, whatever you say!!

My MBT's

This is a departure from my usual post about vintage thingies, Bentley, decorating, Bentley, recipes, or Bentley. A few months ago my sweet husband David, came home with a surprise for me. This is my Show and Tell Friday story for our friend Cindy's blog My Romantic Home. I am also joining The Girl Creative for New Friend Friday.

I am a walker. I walk everywhere. I walk to the store, to work, for fun and for exercise. I also love aerobics and ballet, but mostly I like to walk. These are my MBT's. They were a surprise from my sweet husband who decided I might like them. They are designed to add an extra work out for you thighs and calves and your butt. Do they work??? Both women AND men stop me on the street to ask me that question. I will say it took a day or two to get used to them. I mean you have to balance and stand up straight to keep from rocking. So, you improve your posture. My calves are tight and so are my thighs. My tushie has firmed up. I'm pretty happy.

So dear Bentley, while you are not the focus of this post would you like to go walkies?? Bentley says yes!!!

Love,

Susan and Bentley

xxoo