MY "CHARMED" LIFE

After reading some of the more recent posts at Fiona & Twig (love that blog), I'm realizing that I'm not the only one out there who doesn't have a seemingly "CHARMED" life...with that in mind...I decided to show you all the outside of my house...Until now I guess I have been a little too EMBARRASSED to let you all see it...




This and the following pics were taken from real estate listing
before purchase in September 2010

 ...I really have been too embarrassed to show much of my house...not because it's not a great house with great bones but....WELL.....because it's not the beautiful modern MANSION as so many of you have...

It doesn't boast a beautiful painted or brick facade and loads of curb appeal...as a matter of fact, in the above picture you can't tell where the yard ends and the driveway begins...yes, there IS a driveway...just no curb appeal...

...this old house doesn't have the fabulous modern aminities many of you are accustomed to...and there's no GIANT three car garage or workshop...just a tiny one car garage (well one car MIGHT fit) with the cutest carriage house doors...I would love to turn this jewel into a little "shop" of my own someday....but that's SOMEDAY...

...for now it stores the lawn mowers, various tools and a few unpacked boxes...

...no, my little screened porch is not big enough to fit a dining area and living area all in one...and right now it needs rescreened, repainted....re-everything!

....no my house doesn't have any fancy gardens...as a matter of fact there are NO gardens at all...AND...the existing flower beds pretty much remain empty...though I have managed to plant a few knock-out roses...

....Yes, there's WAY too much to do here....and there's so LITTLE time...but you know, I wouldn't trade my little old house...with her sweet character and charm for the biggest, modernist (is that a word?)mansion in the world...why?...because I love her...that's why I bought her....and I intend to give her all of the tender loving care she deserves...it's just gonna have to be one project at a time...one room at a time...and it's gonna take A LOT of time...but I'm okay with that!!!

I'm PROUDLY sharing this on:

Show & Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home
Open House Thursday @ No Minimalist Here

A PATRIOTIC LUNCH FOR ONE

Howdy everybody....hope you all had a fabulous holiday weekend...I had a great 4th...although I had planned on getting some much needed work done around the house...TACKLING more of that bathroom remodel...I must admit we (the hubby and I) changed our plans every so SLIGHTLY and decided to spend the weekend doing absolutely NOTHING....yes that's right, we were downright LAZY...we spent our days swimming, eating, fishing and eating some more...barbeque of course...the point is we just spent some time RELAXING....how about you folks...how'd you spend your weekend?..

Saturday while hubby and little bubs were out doing daddy and son stuff, I stayed at home and did a little FUN stuff of my own....I CELEBRATED...with lunch for one on my little screened in porch...in INDEPENDENCE DAY/SHABBY CHIC style...let's have a look shall we....

...our fabulous country is rich in history and steeped in tradition so I added a little Rodgers family history and tradition to this little PATRIOTIC setting...with this beautiful red, white & blue AFGHAN...

...more important than the Pottery Barn dinnerware....and as my husband would say, more important than our national flag...you see this beautiful handmade afghan is very valuable....sentimental value that is...my husband's mother made it for him shortly before she passed away from cancer in 1988...needless to say it is a very cherished family heirloom....since this afghan boasts the colors of our country's flag, I felt it appropriate to use it here to honor her memory and to honor our country...

...I have set my lunch for one on another little piece of family history...this very shabby chic, very OLD wooden folding table...which my father-in-law gave to MOI several years ago...of all the furniture I own...this piece is my absolute favorite...weathered and worn...I bet it has graced a many of 4th of July celebrations...and I am so blessed to have it grace my humble little screened in porch...

Of course no table is complete without flowers...and for this table what could be more AMERICAN than flowers in a white picket fence box and adorned with OL' GLORY herself...

...now all through this post, I have told you that this was lunch for ONE, but I really was not alone...joining me at this table is a very old FRIEND of mine...once she graced the ROSE garden at our old house, now she spends her days under the shelter of this screened porch as she is just too fragile to face the elements of garden weather anymore...and today she stands ever so proudly over this little PATRIOTIC table much as LADY LIBERTY stands in New York's Harbor over Ellis Island wishing God's blessings on all who enters...

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord;

and the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.

Psalm 33:12

Have a beautiful, blessed day!

Joining...Tabletop Tuesday
Tablescape Thursday
Open House Thursday

POP, BOOM, BANG....WOW!

Yes, yes I know it's JULY 1st and I should be posting a RED, WHITE and BLUE post in honor of our wonderful country's INDEPENDENCE Day... and though I have to admit Independence Day is probably my all time favorite holiday, today's post has virtually no red, white and blue, no FLAGS or sparklers...but it definitely has some "FIREWORKS"...with a beautiful POP of color to put me in the summertime mood...

My absolute FAVORITE flower in the whole world grows WILD here in Missouri along the roadside...

...to me these beautiful wild LILIES are God's summer fireworks show...little POPS of color bursting open everywhere along these old country roads...I just can't resist to stop and pick a few each year along with some wild black-eyed susan...this year I made a little bouquet for my desk at work....you know to kind of CHEER the place up a little...

...so today I am joining Fresh Cut Friday...with a little "FIREWORKS" show of my very own to celebrate Independence Day...ENJOY and have a wonderful holiday weekend!!!

HAVE A WONDERFUL SUMMER!