I Love Rocks, But I'm no Stoner...

Happy Friday everyone!!!

So if you have been reading my blog at all, you probably know how much I love texture in my design. I love to use natural elements in every single room. This includes pinecones, sticks, branches, nuts, pods, shells, and MOST of all ROCKS!! I double heart rocks! I can't stop myself from stooping to pick up and interesting rock. I take a bucket to the beach, and while I like shells, I find that I can fill my bucket with interesting rocks.

I have bowls of them, stacks of them, and piles of them in every room. It's one of my many sicknesses. So I thought I would show you some of the ways I have them displayed throughout the house.

 Hall cabinet vignette.

 Stacked in the master bath.

 This is one of my favorites. I love the tan and gray combo. Nature is so amazing.

 Guest room. Scattered pile.

 My son's bath. That airplane soap, btw, is L'Occitane. It is actually made to represent the Orbis DC-10 that my father -in law volunteers his time to fly to foreign countries. The plane converts to a hospital when on the ground where doctors volunteer their time to teach and preform sight saving surgeries to doctors and patients in third world counties. Pretty cool to have a soap made by such a great company to keep in my son's bathroom. Sorry. I get sidetracked easily.

Dinning room side table.

And some acorns too! 

There are sooo many more little vignettes with rocks scattered about in my home, but I'll spare you.

My parents are in town, so I think we are going to head out to lunch while my son is still in school.

Have a fantastic weekend! Tomorrow is my birthday, so I think we are going to do something fun. I'll share it in a post later next week! 

See you tomorrow!

xo

-Lisa

A Green Monster, a Strange Dog, and Boots that Don't Walk.

Hello all! Happy Wednesday!

Yesterday was such a fabulous day, after hearing that I was given the Liebster, I also found out that I won the $50 Kirkland's gift card from the giveaway over at Savvy Southern Style! (She has a really fun blog, go check her out, I'll wait!) I told you! Fantastic blog, right?

Anyhoo... today I am starting the day with a Green Monster, 

 It's non-fat greek unsweetened yogurt, organic pomegranate juice, 2 fist fulls of organic baby spinach, a cup or so of frozen organic blueberries, and 3 or 4 slices of organic frozen peaches. Oh, and a squeeze of local honey, just to sweeten a bit.

 It's really delicious, and trust me, you CAN NOT taste the spinach!

Now, about that strange dog... we had to say goodbye to our beloved 10 year old golden retriever Libby a few months ago (R.I.P. , sweet girl), and it has been a huge adjustment not to have a dog in the house!

I was out at Home Goods not long ago, and saw the quirkiest dog statue, and for some reason, I wanted it to come home with me and sit on the staircase. Mind you, I have never bought a statue before. EVER.

But here is our new dog, and so far, she has not shed at all! ;-)

 See? I told you she was strange! I have NO earthly idea why I was determined to bring her home!

 Maybe for the whimsy? She has really weird ears. They look almost human. Hehe.

 But still, there she sits. In Libby's old spot. Maybe it just made me sad to have to look at the empty space that Libby used to like to occupy. Or, maybe a strange looking dog statue just makes me smile... 

This was our sweet Liberty Bell just a few days before she passed away. See? She's much prettier. (No offense, quirky statue dog.) 

 And finally, my boots that don't walk. I spotted these in one of my local antique stores, and fell in love with them. I plan for them to hold vintage umbrellas, but for now, I filled them with a few sticks.

I am on the lookout for some vintage umbrellas, and a fun little bench to fill the empty spot to the left, that I purposely cut out of the pic. ;-)

Hope you are all having a fabulous day! I am getting ready for my parents to fly in from Nashville for a visit tomorrow! So excited! Better go get those chores done!

xo

-Lisa

Me? My Blog? An Award?....I've Been Liebstered!

~ Well hello friends! ~

This morning while having a cup of coffee and reading last night's comments on my blog, I discovered that Kerry from The Woman at the Well, has given me the Liebster Award!

 What? Really? (Quickly Google Liebster...)

Holy Cow! It's an award for new bloggers, bestowed by another blogger who enjoys your blog, and sees potential! Really? Woo-hoo! I am completely blown away, and over the moon excited!!!

Thank you Kerry! 

Liebster is a German word which means "dearest" or "beloved". It can also mean favorite. The idea behind the Liebster Blog Award is that it is given to upcoming bloggers (with fewer than 200 followers) in order to create new connections and bring attention to wonderful growing blogs.

Now it is my turn to pass on the award, with these simple rules:

• Add the award to your blog.
• Thank the giver with a link back to them.
• List your top five picks and let them know they've been given the award by leaving a comment on their blog.
• Encourage your followers to "spread the love" to the blogs that you've spotlighted.

It isn't easy to pick 5 bloggers to give this award to, but please enjoy visiting these wonderful blogs:

1. Heidi at Decor & More Wife, mother, step-mother, teacher by day, Willow House consultant and decor blogger in her "spare"time. She likes rooms that feel collected over time and inspire peace and happiness.

2. Stacey at Flickerwhips she has the heart of a picker, and loves to find old things to re-pourpose. She loves antique and vintage finds, is also quite crafty, and like me, she knows how to save a buck or two!

3. Sherry at Among Other Things Her blog is chock full of her thoughts on family, faith, gardening, home decor and DIY projects, as well as tips on organizing, and her awesome thrift store finds.

4. Elena at A'Casarella She has such a clever writing style! She shares her thoughts on food, home decor, thrifting, DIY projects and more.

5. Adele at The Dutch Door Kitchen She is a stay at home, homeschooling mom of two who lost the love of her life to leukemia. She started her blog to share her wonderful recipes and creations. Cooking and feeding her loved ones has become her therapy and passion, and luckily for us, she blogs about it!   

So PLEASE go check out these wonderful new bloggers, and let them know how great they are!

I am now going to float (on my own personal cloud nine) over to the coffee pot for a refill, and then daydream my way through my household chores today, imagining all of the wonderful things I want my blog to be. 

Have a fantastic day everyone!

xo

-Lisa 

Table Scape with my New BFF...Burlap.

Well here we are at Monday again! How did another week fly by so quickly? It always amazes me that I can blink, and find myself in a new week!

Yesterday was a rainy Sunday, and I didn't do much, but I did find a stash of burlap (my new decorating BFF) and I decided to add some to my dining room tablescape. Now, I am NOT one to change my table top with every new month, season, or holiday. To be honest, it usually only gets a new look for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The rest of the year, I try to keep it simple and neutral. Although, now that I am blogging, that could change. It IS fun to set up a new or seasonal table, I just have not been in the habit in the past.

So, I just added my burlap to the generic all year round look that my dining room table is usually sporting.

 I wanted the willow placemats to show beneath the burlap, so I made the burlap mat smaller. It was so not a professional job, just a quick hack job with scissors, and then I pulled at the sides until I achieved a little bit of fringe all the way around.

 I as cut strips of burlap for to wrap around the napkins like a napkin ring.

 I used my thrifty find chargers that I found a few weeks ago at the GW, and some of my ironstone dishes.

 The ikat napkins were a Pottery Barn purchase.

 The little grass containers were a Pier 1 find.

It's far from perfect, but it freshens up the table a bit, and it only took me 20 minutes. I'm all about the fast projects, people!

Hope you have a great week! See you tomorrow!

xo

-Lisa

Linking to the following...

Between Naps on the Porch: Metamorphosis Monday

 

Bring the Rain.

~ Happy Sunday everybody! ~

It's been raining here all day today. I am blogging in my jammies, and I have no plans to get out of them anytime soon. :-) I think I may download the Hunger Games to my Kindle and see what all the fuss is about. I am also planning on making a big pot of Loaded Baked Potato Soup, (I use the Cooking Light Recipe, with Nitrate free applewood smoked bacon from Trader Joes.) It is one of my favorite soups ever!

I was looking out the window at the rain and realized that I forgot to take the outdoor cushions in. Oh well. :-(  We have been looking for new patio furniture for the last couple of years now, with not much luck. When we do find something we like, it's HUGELY expensive. Mr W has some requirements that are hard to fill. He wants chairs that rock, swivel, and have a high enough back to lean his head against. UGH...I have seen some sets I really like, without such a high back. I told him that he may have to compromise. Do you wanna swivel, or lean back with your head supported? I think I should just buy what I like, and then make him a nice strong margarita! Hehe.

Here is the view outside my window today... 

 My poor dilapidated patio set. We bought it almost 11 years ago. Time for an update. P.S. I will NEVER buy a glass top table again. We have a trail through the mountains behind our house, and the wind blows dust onto that table almost daily. Fun. :p~

 I am planning to get a dwarf lemon tree for the empty pot.

 I have lots of yard work to do. I used to have irish moss planted between these stones, but it dies off in the extreme heat of the summer. I think I may do regular grass or pea gravel in between, but I need to decide and get a move on.

 This is looking out my front side window.

And directly out the front door. I love watching the rain...

Hope you are all having a nice lazy Sunday too!

See you tomorrow!

xo

-Lisa