Happy July 4th- Our Dinner For 2 Tablescape

Happy July 4th

We are having a quiet peaceful relaxing day just the two of us.

 

Ribs prepped and ready for smoker.  That's the Cowboys job.

So

 I've set the table for just two

Please forgive my photo's aren't pretty or fancy.  My computer won't support editing programs.  Just pretend they are all fancy and pretty!

Looking into the dining area from the living space.  The area is too tiny to have all 4 chairs so one sits in the corner.  Notice the sides of the table are down.  It's normally pushed to the left against the shelve so I can walk past into the kitchen.

I had to share a close up of the lone Zinnia from my garden. 

I picked it a few days ago.  It's pink but it's pretty and I love it.

Yep that's me!  Ignore that part please.  I was trying to show you the plates.  I think I got them at Kohl's back in the day.  I love them.

A better shot of me. HeHe.

A close up of the shelf at the end.  I wanted to share the flowers that my DIL brought me when the visited in early June.  She knows I love to decorate seasonally so she shops with me in mind.  The tiny chair is for a fairy garden she expects me to plant.  Hmmm.

A close up of the glasses I saw at Big Lots on clearance last  year.  I loved them it's hard to see but there are stars in the glass!

Oh poo...yes that is a sticker showing on the pot.  Here is my excuse I have to take photo's on my phone upload to a closed board on pinterest and then copy and paste.  The only way I can get it to work.  No real way to crop or edit and it takes a long time to upload because our inter net so slow.   

On last shot to share with you one of my patriotic quilts.  I made in the late 90's  I love this little quilt.  It fits nicely on the back of the couch.   

Well that's the table.  

And the menu is . . . 

Jalapeno Poppers  and Shrimp Martini's for appetizers

and pickles I made from my cucumbers!

Main Course - Ribs, Deviled Eggs, Coleslaw and Fries

Dessert hmmm oh doesn't chocolate sound good.

I must bake!

Linking at all my favorite places

Our Holiday Journey,  The Art of Homemaking,  Dagmar's House,

Motivate Me Monday,  Create With Joy, Share Your Cup,

Grammy's Grid,  Share It One More Time, Saturday Sparks

Cozy Office Space June Edition

Welcome Friends

I hope you are all having a wonderful Saturday

Today I am sharing again my cozy office space

Back in April I showed you how it looked here

I loved the sweetness of the space and the look but it was time for a change.

And because I find to keep it from looking like this . . . 

I have to regularly move everything to dust so why not start over with a fresh new pallet.

 

Everything gone but the essentials.

The computer and pencil box

I love my free leather pencil box from The Container Store.

Yes.

I said 'Free'. 

Back in the day when The Cowboy worked in the corporate world we used American Express for all our purchases.  For a time they offered gift cards as rebates.  I got some really nice things from Pottery Barn and The Container Store that I would not have normally bought. 

I did keep a few bunnies out because they make me smile and they are functional.  Doesn't everyone need a pot hanger bunny keeps my pens and pencils from running away.  The rock bunny holds down all my pieces of paper and notes to myself. 

I did tidy up alot before inviting you in.  I will show you at the end a little of what a normal day looks like!

I ran across the below picture and decided it was the perfect time to put on my desk to admire . . . 

Then and now.  Look how much hair he had and how skinny he was.  He wore 29" waist pants when I met him in 1974.  

 The perfect time to share?  Our anniversary is this month.

It's been a long time

I surround myself with special treasures, things and people I love.

One more photo before I show you what my desk looks like before my weekly dusting and organizing. 

The Cowboy took this one in 77 I think when he was in college

I was skinny back then!

Here's the desk on a normal day . . . 

My calendar filled with book reviews.  My highlighters I use to mark read, reviewed, written, posted and submitted.  It's a process.

See the little bunny card on the left.  It's written and ready to mailed to my new penpal.  I joined Sarah for her penpal project. 

Her blog is over here. 

And way over to the left you'll see a small stack of books.  I keep the pending ones on top.  There's always 4-5 on the book case next to my desk.  It doesn't get that weekly dusting.  

Just for fun I want to share one more shot just because m silly. . . . 

The ceiling and window.  A blank pallet.  But there's a plan!

Someday I'll hang a shabby chic chandy.  And get some white 

breezy curtains.  

Curtains/lighting on my to Dream To Do List

So do you have a Dream List?

Thanks for visiting my office space today. 

I hope your weekend is wonderfully Blessed.

Just in case your posting Patriotic themed posts 

Check out the party

It's over here

And at Our Holiday Journey you can join 

The Fabulous Party

Our Holiday Journey

I'm linking with some great parties

The short list . . . 

Share It One More Time, Make My Saturday Sweet,
Make It Pretty Monday

Share Your Cup, Saturday Sparks, The Art Of Homemaking,

Create With Joy 

and a bunch more listed on my parties page

A Little This/That And A Couple Parties

Good Morning Dear Friends

I do hope this day finds you happy and well.

And maybe getting ready for a wonderful Easter weekend! 

I've been a busy girl.  

Working and keeping our Cabin Cozy. 

Today I am working on making over the mantle

I have a few elements in place. 

It's a work in progress...

The foundation elements are in place.  I have the primitive chippy mirror in the center

A group of silver painted wooden candles anchor the left end

This work in progress looks a little silly right now

I guess your wondering why the Santa photo!

I was just auditioning frames and choosing which ones I'll use

Then I will dig through photo's and switch them out. 

Just in time to link for the end of ...

Have you visited and linked at the party?

The party goes on all month every month. 

There is a monthly theme with barely any rules.  

 

I would love for you to come over and link.  

And plan ahead for the month of May.

It should be tons of fun sharing Copy Cat Posts.

I wanted to give you a 'heads up' so you could plan some posts.

Have you tried any Copy Cat Recipes?

Or maybe saw a magazine layout and you can't wait  to Copy?

Maybe you saw a  pin that strikes your fancy. 

All posts are welcome!  

You have all of April to think about 

Being a . . . 

Come over and join the parties at

Our Holiday Journeys

Click Here

And for June

Happy Easter

My Husband Doesn't Like Cats--Yah Right!

This is a repost that warmed my heart.  Enjoy!

Today I am doing this . . .

Actually these aren't my boots but aren't they totally cute. I wish I had a pair of red rain boots! But I am tromping through the rain to take care of the animals outside and when I come in this is what my boots and floor look like. 

Actually no these aren't my boots either nor is this my floor. My floor is actually dirty but we can pretend right?












And this is not a photo of my cat but isn't it interesting? 

I was looking for a photo of a rainbow and I saw this one and thought it was neat and well it does actually look like my cat. And I thought it would work for the story I want to tell you about our cats.


In 1988 we bought our first house. The kids were in kindergarten and 2nd grade and we decided we needed animals so we got cats for them. They were really sweet kittens. Our son had a grey striped which he named Stripes (like the one in the photo) and our daughter had a solid black kitten which she named Boo because we got them around Halloween. (we are very creative in our animal names)

Our house was a two story. My husband traveled and so we got a burglar alarm with motion detectors.

We started having problems with the alarm going off when we weren't home or in the middle of the night. We found out it was because the cats would go up and down the stairs and set the motion detectors off. So we started locking the cats in the laundry room at night and while we were gone so they wouldn't roam the house.

My husband is not a cat lover. (so he says)I don't think I mentioned that the kids and I had to beg for the kittens. He is a dog person and just basically tolerated the kittens (he hates a litter box) but he is a good father and of course all kids need animals.

My husband had a habit(still does actually) of staying up late and watching t.v. The kids and I had gone to bed one evening. I went down a little later and found my husband asleep on the couch with our sons kitten Stripes. He had gone into the kitchen for a snack and the kitten was sticking his little paw out from under the door. So my husband took him out. This became his almost nightly ritual he would let the cats out for a while before he went to bed.

As I type this my husband is laying on the couch with the current cat asleep on his stomach.

My husband doesn't like cats. Does yours?    

Linking this repost at The Fabulous Warm Heart Party

 

Linking at some of my favorite parties too . . . 

The Art Of Homemaking
Dagmar's Home Link Party

Dream Create Inspire

Cuppa Tea

Share Your Cup

Talk It Up Thursday

Thoughts of Home