Personalized Touches for Your Home

Those of you who have read my blog for a long time know that I march to

my own drum beat and don't follow trends.  If I like something, if it

resonates with me, that's what I gravitate to, and that is what I do.

My home reflects my personality.  You won't find any signs that say

"Gather", etc.  There is nothing wrong with them, but they just don't 

appeal to me.  When I see something I truly love, I have a little chat

with myself.  Do I need it (most likely no).  Does it have a practical

function (probably not).  Is everyone in the "hood" doing this or using 

this?  Well the answer to that one is NO!  I don't do anything that others

are doing just to fit in.  

Here is a little stool I recently purchased from Nancy and her fabuous

transferware shop.   Here is a link if you would like to browse:

LINK

When I saw it I ran through my usual check list.  The one overriding

response was "I love it!"  The needlepoint top is so attractive and in 

excellent condition.  The wicker base really adds to it's charm.  In

other words it was screaming "Order Me Please!"

So, here it is in our family room and of course I loved it right away.

The final affirmation came from my hubby who liked it and thought

it was a perfect addition.  I didn't really need his approval, but it sure

was great to receive!

Here we have another expression of my personality.  At the far end of our

family area, rests a cozy seating area we lovingly refer to as our "library".

You will often find me in the evening lounging in one of the leather 

chairs, reading a book, and seeing Bentley cuddled up next to me.  Well one

day I decided it would be magical to have a miniature "library" within the 

big one.  I wanted it to have the same look as the big one, and I wanted it

to look like a "little person" could be enjoying the space.  I already had the

globe and the lamp and phone.  Now I just needed to find the perfect chair.

This is a Reutter "leather" wing back chair.  It's detailing is perfect.  I ordered

 three vintage looking books from a woman in Lithuania, and the whole

spot just came alive. 

My style suits me and reflects the little girl soul who lives within the adult

I have become.  I believe our homes can be far more than just for shelter and

efficiency.  They can remind us of who we are and shows others just

how unique and special we can be.

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

Mini Tips for Staying Cool During a Scorcher

Down here in South Texas, we are used to hot and humid days.

Down here, it's a typical July, but for the rest of you who live in

more temperate climes, it's called a "Scorcher".

So for all of you suffering from a heat wave right now, here are a 

few "mini" tips to help you stay cool.  First one, stay inside and enjoy

a cupcake!

Tip #2 ~ relax with a good decorating book.

Tip #3 ~ lose yourself in a good mystery, like a vintage Nancy Drew!

Tip # 4 ~ Give into the urge to take a nap!

When you awake from your nap, have a nice tall glass of sweet tea.

That's what we do down South.  Stay cool y'all!

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

Rediscovering My Authentic Self

What happens to us as we pass through the years?  Are we still the

child with hopes and dreams and great plans for the future?  

The passage of time has not been quite the way I expected.  I have

stepped back recently to take a hard look at my past and how it has

shaped my present.  When we are young, the days and the seasons

move by at a much slower pace.  I'm not sure at what age the days

began to speed up, but they did.  I suppose I was so busy being busy 

that I did not even notice the change.  I didn't realize that the laser 

like focus for my passions was slipping through my fingers.

I was always creative, yet somehow that creativity began to wain.

Once again, not sure exactly when it happened, but it did.  Slowly

my perspective became less about what I liked, and more about

what others liked.  Being a people pleaser began to cloud my

vision and my self confidence.  That spark for life, that passion I

once had was being stripped away, and I was doing little to

stop it.  

Not long ago, I shouted STOP!   It doesn't matter what others

think.  It matters what I think.  I started to eliminate what was no

longer benefitting me, and that included some people too.  Why

should I fill a minute of my time trying to get along with others

who were not putting any effort to get along with me?   I 

decided to let them go.  I wish them well, but I can no longer 

afford to waste my time trying to fit in with others who have

little interest with me.  Almost immediately, I felt a weight

lifted off my shoulders.   The next thing I did was to stop telling

myself I must do this or that.  We all have obligations that we 

can't avoid, but if you look closely at your life, you will soon

realize that many of these "obligations" are created in our

own minds and that nothing bad will happen if we let them go.

Don't procrastinate.  Get done what needs to be done and then

immediately begin focusing on what you want to do.  

Once you clean out the cobwebs in your mind, you will have

the space you need to focus on goals.  Start a plan to fulfill

the dreams you once had, but were shoved aside.  There is no

more "one day", that day is now!  Take hold of it!  It doesn't matter

what others think, in actuality it only matters what you think.

I'm on my way to rediscovering my authentic self, and it's a

long overdue journey.  

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

Too Hot for Spending Time in the She Shed

I would love to work on the inside and outside of Sweet Tea Cottage.  Two things are

holding me back though.  One, it is now so very hot and humid outside.   Oppressive is how to

describe it, extremely oppressive!

The next thing that is keeping me inside is aggressive bees.  Two men have been

killed by swarms of bees.  One man in Inez, another in Yokum.  Towns not too

far from here.  This past Sunday, a man was mowing his yard when a swarm of bees

came and attacked him.  He was screaming for help and his entire face and head

were. covered in bees.  Two men stopped to try to help him and were attacked too.

So three have been attacked and two have died from from bee stings.  

The last one was in Victoria!!!

David installed these two new arched windows.  I love them!  I am thinking

about adding a mantle surround to highlight the electric stove. We'll see

how that would look,

Here is the view of the exterior.  I have decided to order some shutters

and two more window boxes too.  It's a work in progress.  Thanks for stopping

by, and stay safe!

Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley

Fun Fashion for Summer

Now that summer is in full swing, it's time to start planning some

outfits to wear for parties and date night.  My hubby and I still like to

dress up when we go out for dinner.  I think that dressing up for any

occasion makes it special, and frankly since I love to wear cute clothes, 

it gives me an excuse.

The outfit above is dressy casual (casual because I am wearing it with

white skinny jeans).  The black top is crepe, which gives it a more

flowy look ( and cooler too).  The addition of the little white collar gives

it a dressier look.  Aside from white skinny jeans, I have added patent 

flats in a Mary Jane style with pearl closures, a three strand pearl

bracelet, and a faux alligator black bag.

I love Lilly Pulitzer for summer fun too.  The bright prints are always

memorable, and she changes them often.  This is an off the shoulder

top, with those skinny white jeans again, Jack Rogers gold sandals, a 

Lilly starfish choker, and Lilly clutch in gold.  

I'm planning the rest of my outfits for the long upcoming weekend, and

will share more later.  I also have more new windows added to the

She Shed, so I will be updating you on that as well.

Have a great day!

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley