It is going to be a looooong post!

        It never ceased to amazed me how much our likes and dislikes change over time. This days I find myself loving just a very monochromatic palette. Yes, I'm a pink girl,  old shabby chic kind of girl, will forever love roses, but...white is just beautiful. Then you incorporate the different patinas, rust, stainless, tea stain, sepia, burlap, etc and you just wake up everyday in heaven.  I think you will  see this in the before and after of my screened porch. You can click on the picture to enlarge.
                             Today, after 2 days of fuffling. (Is that a word?)

The way we were. Pretty yet something was missing.

Layering DOES make a huge difference in your decor. My costumers always ask me if my house looks like my shop. I tell them yes and no. Yes, because I love to decorate, to nest. No, because I do have a husband and the home must be a place to live in, not a display window. There is nothing like coming home and lay down in a comfy couch, to use and enjoy what you have. This house is the first house we have that have a family room. It is my favorite room in the house. If I'm not expecting guests my tv trays are out, house shoes are in the floor everywhere and my blue flannel throw is laying in the fainting couch. There are toys everywhere. Juju is not a tidy dog but I can't believe I love to see his toys and his food tray in the kitchen. He gets to lay down with me in the couch and he lays on my pretty Ikea throw, and yes, is white. I just throw linen in the laundry every other day and I don't mind at all.

Last night I just didn't want to come inside. It was warm and breezy and so nice outside in my porch.

 I have been reading thru my collection of magazines. It is so interesting to see the changes, many of them so outdated. Remember country crafts, geese, cows, chickens, mushrooms, bamboo furniture, formica, borders, even some of the victorian in the hunter green and burgundy. Is peach a color? I have not seen peach for about 10 years. Remember the Southwest decor, thank you God, I never owned a Pepe Siesta.

                                      To this, ahh...so much better.

             Have you seen cuter bunnies? Got them years ago at Hobby Lobby.

          I keep bunnies, eggs and birds as year round decorations.

                        The watering cans are German and the little stainless drawer I found last week. The machinist tool box got the most amazing trays inside. It was too shinny for me when I bought it. A little patience and Texas weather gave its patina.

 I bought this little wicker set from Ms. Ann last Friday. When my brother stopped by on Sunday it was still sitting in the back of my truck. He asked me if I needed him to take it to the local landfill. WHAT? So sacrilegious. See, a lot of people just don't get it. I jumped of joy when Ms. Ann told me I can have it for very little money. What do you think, trash or treasure? TREASURE TO ME!.
             I see a lot of sewing in my future. Have to saw cushions and some more pillows.

                                                                       Yummy

                                                                       Yummy

                                I'm in love with succulents. They are such carefree plants and I don't have a green thumb. That did not stopped me today from buying a whole lot of plants. I hope they survived the heat.

                                  Rust, rust and more rust, give me more!

 I hope that my White Wednesday friends and everybody else that stop by enjoyed the tour.  I love to hear from you. What do you think? I simply have the best time setting up this little porch. Blessings, Marta.

                                                                     THE END

Just a teaser!

                                               More later tonight,  blessings, Marta.

A re-post for Memorial Day

This is something that I shared with you last year. I still feel the same way in every way. God Bless America, our troops and their families, today and always. THANK YOU...

Freedom is not free.

Today as I meditate on the celebration of Memorial day I can only think about the fact that this freedom we enjoy in our country is not free. Today I think about the mothers and fathers, son and daughters, brothers and sisters, all gone so we can live the life we so privileged live. I think about the missed births and graduations, the weddings and birthdays, the Christmas days and the growing spurs. All missed because they choose to serve, to go and fight for us, to die for us. Some are coming back with broken bodies, some come back with a battered spirit, some change for the better, some come back in presence, their mind is still there.

It is our duty to remember, not only today, but everyday. For our children, for the families left behind, for our nation. We are to be proactive. I can be proactive by lending a hand. Yards need to be mowed, some need to be relocated, some need a shoulder to cry, some need to talk, some need space. I can be  there when needed. I can be proactive with my prayers; maybe I can criticize less and pray more. I believe that God listens, I believed that God cares. So my prayer today is that God will show His mercy and grace over our country, that He will protect our troops, that his angels will camp around those that serve Him, that we get to keep our freedom but not at the cost of the blood of our sons and daughters. I pray that the fathers and mothers get to come back home safe to their kids, that freedom will not only be an american commodity but the standard established by example. I pray that we get to have dreams just like MLK, that our government will be one compose and preside by God fearing men, that our children learn from history and hopefully will not make the same mistakes.
To you all serving our country, to the millions of veterans from any war,  let it be known that you are loved and appreciated for all you have done so we can enjoy our freedom. To all the military wives, mothers and fathers, THANK YOU for all your sacrifices, for every life lost, for every tear, THANK YOU and God bless you all...Marta.

A good time with a great friend.

Last Friday I visited with a friend of mine and I new that I was in for a great time. Ms. Ann is a retired artist that lives in the most precious cottage. She loves decorating, painting, gardening and have her own company hosting tea parties.

Her curtains, lamp shade, star fish and awnings are just examples of her home decor. She painted seagulls and sea birds in her master room, so so beautiful and all handmade by her.

             Just more examples of her decor. Her garden though is my favorite place to visit.

There is so much beauty there. I know she had worked hard for many years to get the garden as it stands today. She has tons of statuary and whimsical pieces of decor.

      The lady herself, isn't she photogenic? She always takes good pictures and you should see her shirt. It says "tea shirt" and have a pot that she painted. Just too cute.

Thank you Ms. Ann for welcoming into your home and for been such a  good friend to me, blessings, Marta.

My pink archives and a happy third year for Pink Saturday

I thought I go ahead and go back in memory lane. I have been a participant on and off (not by choice) for over a year. This days some of my pink stuff have given way to a more monochromatic decor in white. One thing I know for sure, I will always be a pink kind of girl and roses, I just can't think of anything prettier. Next week I will show you my master bedroom. I started to do only white, cream and brown and I decided I did not like it. So, pink won the battle, back to my roots.  

               I love her face. She is in a box somewhere in the house.

                                             Pink  Easter around the old shop last year.

                                         My favorite dishes in the whole world.

                         At one point I got a cabinet full of this kind of flowers.

                    I still have all this stuff.

                       All this pink resides in what I called the princess room. My friends bring their girls to see it since is full of the stuff a little princess would like.

 .

         Beautiful millinery hat and one of my favorite pin cushion doll.

                                        Daisy kingdom pretties and a Bunny By the Bay bear.

 Of course I have to include my Juju, 1 month old. He is 10 months old now.

  Pink pillows, I love a bed full of them.

This pretty slippers I bling up for the masters bedroom, I will show you more next week.

Pinketts, that is all I got. I will be linking to Ms. Beverly @http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/for her third year celebration. We are all more than appreciative of her for all this years of hosting for us. Blessings, Marta.