BLOGGING PARTY..FLAUNT YOUR REDS AND FOODIE FRIDAY...

OOO, I HAD TO BE A BUSY, BUSY GIRL TO GET THIS ALL INTO ONE POST.....

but it was such fun and....that's what it's all about......right !!

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May I say that this is a LONG post today...there's so much going on in Blogland and it is all so much fun...

I am in THREE today so please bear with me..

*CUPIDS CHARM is having a party for bloggers to tell

WHY

we love blogging !

I love all the really FABULOUS ideas I get on decorating.... like this adorable BAKING CENTER that AMY came up with...If you've not been over to her cottage, please do...she has some great ideas!
There's hundreds...maybe thousands, of other great ideas on how to make our cottages the very best they can be... I LOVE THAT ABOUT BLOGGING...



I ADORE all the wonderful friends I have made thru blogging...
It is just simply amazing to learn that you CAN be such good good friends with people that you don't know and chances are, you will NEVER meet. ....I LOVE THAT ABOUT BLOGGING

Some of these wonderful friends will stay in my heart forever and ever... I LOVE THAT ABOUT BLOGGING.

Since I love cooking and baking.... OOOOO, the recipes I have added to my recipe files.....
Chocolate Fudge Pie
German Pamcakes
Yummy and different Salads
oh so many that I can't list them all...
I LOVE THAT ABOUT BLOGGING....
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Most of all, I LOVE writing and telling and bragging and showing
photos of my beloved family.
I love leaving THEM a little history of their families and letting
them all learn a little about who I really am...
I LOVE THAT ABOUT BLOGGING.....
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Don't forget to swing by CUPID'S CHARM
and pay a visit to all the other reasons
about loving to BLOG !
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NANCY of SOUTHERN LADY is having this fabulous
FLAUNT YOUR REDS....
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As most of you know, I LOVE RED and my whole entire house
is dripping with REDS... (there was even a lot of RED in the above Blogging Party..hmmm.)
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I also love SIGNS...of all kinds...
old...new...funny...not too serious...
I found this adorable vintage sign on EBAY a few years ago...
It is a fairly large sign and, of course, it was the RED letters
that caught my eye...
WELL, I also liked that it was old and had the word ANTIQUES on it...:O)
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There's lots of bloggers that are wanting to
FLAUNT THEIR REDS....so be sure to go by and leave sweet words for all..
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"iii-yiiii-yi-yi"

...HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO

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Thank you, GOLLUM, for this wonderful FOODIE FRIDAY

She and a long list of bloggers have some fabulous foods waiting for you !

THANK YOU

for stopping by my place....

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Well, I'm pretty sure just about everyone in the whole world loves

NACHOS...

just about everyone in WEST TEXAS does, anyway..

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We just put those tortilla chips on our plate....

and start heaping all the good things on...

beans..

cheese...

peppers..

avocados..

seasoned hamburger meat...

onions...

black olives..

tomatoes.

salsa....

and anything else that looks or sounds delicious.....

UMMMM, BABY !
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* In the United States, the "Batalla de Puebla" came to be known as simply "5 de Mayo" and unfortunately, many people wrongly equate it with Mexican Independence which was on September 16, 1810,
nearly a fifty year difference.
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Over, the years Cinco de Mayo has become very commercialized and many people see this holiday as a time for fun and dance. Oddly enough, Cinco de Mayo has become more of Chicano holiday than a Mexican one. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on a much larger scale here in the United States than it is in Mexico. People of Mexican descent in the United States celebrate this significant day by having parades, mariachi music, folklorico dancing and other types of festive activities.
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OUESADILLAS are one of my VERY FAVORITE MEXICAN FOODS....

They are so delicious with sour creme, avocado salad, even dipped in RANCH DRESSING...

Spread a little SALSA on them and you will be in

CINCO DE MAYO HEAVEN....

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There's really no RECIPE for Quesadillas...

a large flour tortilla, grilled with butter,

spread grated CHEDDAR, MONTREY, MEXICAN BLEND ...whatever

cheese you like the best...We like the Sharp Cheddar and Mexican blend together...

you can add anything your heart desires at this point..chilis, hot sauce, anything..

We generally just use the cheese and then
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DIP...DIP...DIP
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i am so hungry for one right this minute, i am

about to pitch a hissy fit !!

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I'm not sure if these are a REAL Mexican food or if it's TEX-MEX..

but who cares !!!

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NOW, I am here to tell you that I dearly love

SOPAPILLAS .....don't you?

GOOD GRIEF, THEY ARE GOOD...

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MEXICAN SOPAPILLAS
2 c. flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. shortening

Oil for deep frying (the only bad part is that they are FRIED!!)

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Sift dry ingredients together in bowl. Cut in shortening until crumbly. Add 1/2 cup warm water gradually, stirring with fork. Dough will be crumbly. Turn onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth. Divide in half. Let stand for 10 minutes. Cut into 3" squares. Fry, several at a time, in deep fat at 400 degrees for 30 seconds on each side. Yield: 40 sopapillas
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**I have found that if you hold the dough beneath the hot oil, with a fork, for a few seconds,

they will puff even more....

*another version of this wonder food is below...;O)

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* *

THE MEXICAN HAT DANCE

is such fun to watch...

so jazzy and colorful...

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The sombrero hat is absolutely synonymous with Mexico, where it originated. It is a curiously strange looking hat, looking like a cross between a UFO and the hand piece from an air hockey game, or a giant Chinese wok with a high mound in the middle. Sombreros come in many splendid straw woven designs with great coloring, also they have a chin string to hold the hat in place. They were designed so wide to provide a big shade from the very sunny climate of Mexico, the super wide hat is big enough to cast a shadow over the head, neck and shoulders of the wearer.

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I made these last night, using store bought FLOUR TORTILLAS..just cut in fourths, drop into hot oil... with a fork, hold the tortilla beneath the hot oil and it will PUFF. ..... While these don't puff as much as the homemade SOPAPILLAS, they DO puff and they are SO SO good with honey and butter, cinnamon sugar or just served plain....
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JOIN ME IN A TOAST TO A VERY

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO......

blessings, bj

ANOTHER VINTAGE THINGY THURSDAY...

VINTAGE THINGY THURSDAY is such a fun event...

Hosted each Thursday by SUZANNE at COLORADO LADY, it gives each of us a chance

to talk about some of the vintage things we love.

She has a list of others so be sure to stop by....

and THANK YOU for coming by to see me today.

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A LARGE lumber company went out of business here in our West Texas town years ago

and they were selling EVERY THING...stock, fixtures and all..

I saw this little metal display rack at the back of the store

and instantly could see that it would make a darling baker's rack of sorts.

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They sold it to me for $5.00 and I drug it all the way to our pickup...
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I spray painted it a delightful, garden GREEN, put a few

large ceramic tiles on it, hung my vintage large brass ladles from it...and, walla....
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There it is...over there in that far, right corner...
It has served me well and I change the flavor of it often.
Sometimes, it's like a wine rack with bottles of good BLACKBERRY wines,
pretty thrifted wine glasses...faux grape vines and grapes...
It holds a lot of plates and other goodies on the lower
racks and ......well....I just love it.
and another thing I love about it....I don't know a single soul
that has one just like it....:O)
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Isn't this a pretty wine bottle necklace !

There's a name for them but can't remember just what it is..

I bought this one several years ago at a little boutique here....
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I have enjoyed my little vintage, metal treasure...

I am getting the urge to go COSTAL in some of my decorating...

Wouldn't some pretty large glass containers filled with lovely shells

and maybe a couple of those FISH vases I've been seeing ALL OVER BLOGLAND

and .....whatever else is associated with the WATER...

It might look a little strange, tho...out here on the PLAINS OF WEST TEXAS.!!

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HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAY.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY GIRL....

He took her to NEW ORLEANS for her 40th birthday....

She had never been there and always wanted to go...

Touring old plantations...

Paddle boat ride on the old Mississippi river...

heavenly foods....

a hotel suite that you only DREAM about...

and their very best friends in the whole, wide world

are with them.....!!!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO STACY LEIGH
OUR daughter and my best friend !


with her brother, DAVID, on our fabulous cruise !

with her daddy....

and her momma....

and her precious family.....
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I hope this is the happiest birthday

you've ever had.....

we all love you so much!!!!!!

2ND TIME AROUND TUESDAY.

DIANE is hosting this great event once again...

Be sure to go over to see her and her list of others

that want to share their 2ND TIME AROUND'S.....

Thanks so much for coming by to see me...

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THIS HONEY from POTTERY BARN is what I WANT

for my dining room....
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BUT, THIS is what I HAVE....
and, please don't get me wrong...
I love this piece...
not only does it look nice...it has tons of storage and I love that..
I keep my plastic and paper goods here..plates, cups, etc... GASP..... ooo, yes..we do use paper and plastic at times....;O)
It holds ALL my cook books and they are handy to get to...
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I learned a long time ago that we don't always get what we WANT
and have to work with WHAT WE'VE GOT....
and....
we have to work with the MISTERS that really don't want us to PAINT something
that we are REALLY WANTING to paint....
Now..MY MISTER has never, once, told me NO to something
I want to do...BUT...being a M.A.N., he DOES love natural woods...
and, of course, we want them HAPPY....
HE MADE THIS CABINET with his own two hands and doesn't
own any furniture making tools...
THE MAN IS GOOD !!
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He made this cabinet to go beneath another tv cabinet, making
it all one unit and it looked great..then we were blessed to getting a BIG screen
and used the TOP part of the set for it...
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NOW...I have something that will work as a buffet in my dining room
beneath the pass-thru from the kitchen....
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I can't use anything really tall here, as you can see because I need the space on top for STUFF !!
* OOO, I do love my stuff, ya'll
*

I buy everyone of these rattan wrapped bottles in thrift stores

that I can get ! They add a lot of texture and interest and...

I just plain like their looks...isn't it funny the things that we like...

rattan wrapped bottles, little wooden boxes, old OLD books...big, old keys...

anything graphic...

I think it might be the texture they add that makes us happy...?

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"OK, MR. SWEET...even tho I think this would look FABULOUS

dressed in BLACK..

I must admit it adds some warmth to our dining room....

and it DOES match the table and chairs..

which would also look FABULOUS dressed in BLACK...shhhhh....

he would have a HUGH heart attack if he ever heard me say that...

*

but, you know what ? He wouldn't say NO...it's

just that I know he likes the natural wood of it...
Sooooo....

this 2ND TIME AROUND chest is going to stay it's natural

honey pine color because

honoring MR. SWEET'S

preference is more important than

ANY OLD BLACK PAINT...

MET MONDAY...BLUE MONDAY....FUN MONDAY...

Thanks to SUSAN at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH

for hosting such a fun event...

I LOVE seeing the changes brought about by our love of creating !

Be sure to stop by THE PORCH to see her changes and check out the list she has of others

ready to show their creativity....

THANK YOU for stopping by my cottage today !

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This photo is NOT my table but I had one JUST LIKE IT, many years ago....

I have always loved a drop leaf harvest table and Mr. Sweet and I purchased one

38 years ago....

We continued to use it right up until a few years ago when we added our dining room...

THEN...YIPEE....we bought a NEW...THRIFTED....dining room table and chairs...

just love it to pieces...

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NOW, I am needing a pretty HUTCH for this dining room but SOCIAL SECURITY

said NO WAY ! bwaaaaaaa

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but wait....that HARVEST TABLE....

Mr. Sweet said he could make a hutch top and maybe...

just maybe we could use THAT table for the bottom of the hutch !

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That sweet and very talented man DID build the prettiest

and best hutch top you ever saw...made it to fix just

perfect over that old, but still in great condition, harvest table...

I painted the whole thing in the most luscious

COLONIAL RED

and fell head over heels in love with it all forever and ever, amen !
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It is just perfect

for our dining room...

What a transformation it went thru after all those years...

I loved it when we bought it so many years ago

and now I am still lovin' it.....
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Thanks to our SMILING SALLY for hosting this

BLUE MONDAY .

It gives us the chance to FLAUNT our BLUES....

THERE'S lots of Blue around so be sure to check it out at Sweet Sally's...
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My BLUES today, you have met before...

MIZZ DEEDS

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"take me out to the ball game......"
older brother, DREW
Deeds
this is her first year to play softball...
TINY TIGERS

well, OF COURSE she is NUMBER ONE....

THANK YOU, THERESA....

THERESA of TAKE A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY

remembered a statement I made months...MONTHS, ago....

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You know how your heart races and your palms get sweaty and

you are just about to have a run-away when the

postman or UPS person leaves a

PACKAGE on your porch swing ??

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When I opened the package, out came this

adorable, handpainted sign....

from THERESA to ME !

I couldn't believe it....!!
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Just take a look at those beautiful roses...
She wrote the sweetest note....

"Hi, bj,

I remembered that you showed a sign you wanted..I hope you like this one.

I am sorry it took me so long to get it to you. Hope you didn't buy

the other one already!! :O)

Love your blog and love you. I love your witt. You make my day when

I visit you, dear!

This is the first time in ten years that I have picked up a brush."

Love ya, friend"

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Well, I don't need to tell you that I cried my eyes out....

Mr. Sweet came into the room and couldn't imagine why I was

holding this cute little sign and crying like a baby....

and I fell totally in love with MY SIGN.

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My heartfelt thanks to you, dear one...

I cried because YOU REMEMBERED and

YOU MADE IT for me.

You know, don't you, that I will think of you every time

I look at my little

"KINDLY CLOSE THE GATE"

and that I love you!!