To Polish or Not to Polish Silver ???

While I was up at Marburger Farm in Round Top a couple of weeks ago,

I could not help but notice all the unpolished silver.  While I have never

been a big fan of highly polished silver and like a bit of patina and depth

that tarnish can provide, these pieces are very heavily tarnished.  They 

are so tarnished that they have more the appearance of old pewter.

What is your opinion?  Polish or never polish?

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

Easter Week Traditions From My Past

When I was a young girl, holidays were always big events at our house.

Mom was both a planner and a decorator and while Christmas was her

 big decorating holiday, Easter was too.  She would spend days on her

Easter centerpiece for the dining room table.   I remember her encouraging

branches to bloom in vases around the house.  Tulips and daffodils were

everywhere.  She planned her menu weeks in advance.  Although Easter

Sunday dinner was always roast leg of lamb and asparagus and new potatoes,

she hunted through all her favorite magazines for the latest appetizer craze

and fabulous dessert.  We were always sure to have the perfect dinner

after church.

Daddy was in charge of hiding the colored Easter eggs.  He was so good

at hiding eggs that we practically had to turn the house upside down to

discover them all.  He never repeated himself though.  After an egg was

carefully slipped into the hem of a drape one year, he never used that

idea again, yet we continued to laugh about it for years.

Since the weather along the shores of Lake Michigan in the suburbs

of Chicago was so unpredictable in spring, Mom always made sure 

that we had our spring coats.  Shopping for a new coat for me each

spring was a yearly event.  Of course, that was back in the day when

there was still a Marshall Fields and a Best & Co. and shopping for

just the right coat was a special event.  One year when I was still

quite young, about four or five, my Mom made me a navy blue coat

with white trim and buttons and the same coat to match for my doll.

On Easter morning, we were all dressed and ready to go to church a

bit early so that Daddy could take pictures.  Daddy was an amateur

photographer and he had a pricey camera with all sorts of settings.

In many of the family photos, no one was smiling because it took him

so long to get all the settings just perfect.  The Easter Sunday I wore

the navy blue coat, I looked quite serious in my close up shot.  I think

I was exhausted from posing so long ;-)

Good Friday was a solemn day at our house.  For my Mom it was a day

of reflection on the sacrifice Christ made for us.  No meat, no television,

no parties.  Mom's rules.  I don't see many adhering to that policy now,

but that's how it was when I was growing up.

What were the traditions of your family and have they changed today?

Inspire Me

The Scoop

Show and Share

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

Sometimes I Get So Angry

I held off from writing this post.  I read something this morning that

made me angry.   I wanted to immediately say something in response,

but I decided to wait a while and see if the anger persisted.  It's now

nearly 5:00 PM, and I am still aggravated, so I decided that perhaps

now is the time for me to vent.

First of all I must tell you that I will not shame anyone personally.

I won't be putting names on the behavior, but will only say that I

abhor the behavior that I am about to discuss.  

There are some in this world who are hypocrites.  I'm sure you

have met some.  Most of the time I just brush them off.  I know they

exist and I just can't be bothered to acknowledge them.  Once and

a while the hypocritical behavior hits a bit too close to home and

thats when I have trouble letting it go.  

Several years ago something was done that personally effected someone

I love.  It was a nasty act that was meant to cause separation and revenge.

In my opinion, it was perhaps one of the cruelest and most insensitive of

acts that one could do to another.  The results of this act were permanent 

and forever irreversible.  While I have forgiven these individuals in my

heart, because as a Christian I must, I have not forgotten the action and

will forever keep these individuals at arms length.  To this date, no 

apology has ever been offered.

So why am I disturbed about this now?  The reason is simple.  Several

of these people who either knew about, or were responsible for this 

nasty deed, find it perfectly fine to go on to social media and repeatedly

complain about others.  They finger point and get all incensed and I 

keep thinking that perhaps they need to take a good look in the mirror.

They are so quick to find fault and blab about the perceived errors

of others in a very public way.

None of us are perfect, and I certainly am not.  I do believe however that

actions speak louder than words.  I hope that perhaps I have shed a bit

of light on the fact that we all have hearts that can be broken by

actions that cannot be undone.  We all need to think before we act and

to look into our own hearts before we criticize others.  If you have

taken the time to finish reading this post, I thank you for letting me

vent.

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

Easter in the Miniature Dollhouse

Easter has hopped its way into the miniature dollhouse.  It's on the

island in the kitchen.

It's on the fireplace mantel.

It's next to the cozy reading chair.

It's in the nursery.

And it comes with Happy Easter wishes to all of you!

Tablescape Thursday

Home Sweet Home

Share Your Cup

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

Pillows Add Personality And Punch

It's no secret that I love pillows.  I think they add personality to a room

and can reflect who you are.  We are dog lovers.  Y'all have met Bentley

and he is an important member of the family.  Over the past 29 years, I

have lived with three different Yorkies and each of them 

heart stealers.  So when I saw this petit point pillow I just knew it

belonged in our home.  It's sitting in one of the leather chairs by the

bookshelves in our family room.  And why not?  After all, our 

Yorkies have always been comfy on our furniture :-)

Sweetness and sass.  That's a Yorkie personality.

I also love horses and I think the colors of this pillow are just

perfect with the crewel fabric on this chair.

This thoroughbred is framed with the names of famous race tracks in

Europe.

My very first dog as a child was a Scottie named Bonnie, so here is a

pillow in her memory.  Once again, this pillow is a perfect reflection of

our personalities because we always travel with our dogs.

Chintz, gingham and Paris.  My three loves.

Toile and checks.  The two should never be far apart.

Here come the dogs again.

Florals and plaids go together like checks and toile, at least for

me they do.  I love pillows and although I think they can add a

punch of color or pattern in a room, I think it's also a girl thing ;-)

Unless it's a pillow that David can rest his head on, I don't

think he really cares what they look like ;-)

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley