I'm IN THE PINK with a new friend....

Thanks to our BEVERLY for such a sweet PINK SATURDAY...

"FRIENDSHIP, FRIENDSHIP.....it's the perfect BLENDSHIP......"

Do you remember that old song ?

***

I had the pleasure of meeting a blogging buddy for lunch and a bit of shopping this week

and we had the most delightful time.
*

We met at the GRANNY KATZ TEA ROOM

in a local craft mall.....

I was so excited to meet her that I arrived about 15 minutes early...

"Would I recognize her from her picture on her blog?"
***

I KNEW HER IMMEDIATELY !!

Do you?

JANERA from MY GARDEN HAT !!

My brand new friend !!

Isn't she just precious....and that smile just melts your heart.
***

She was so sweet to bring me the best smelling, wonderful candle.......

PAPAYA PASSION .......

and I love it !!

Thanks so much, Janera.

***

My friend, MARTHA, joined us for the day..

so glad she and JANERA could meet...

We had the best lunch...

Chicken Salad with nuts and cranberries on a homemade roll,

seasoned crackers and fruit on a bed of lettuce...

and .....I didn't even THINK about taking a photo of the food until my very last bite.

*

*

Shopping in the craft mall ....

These little handmade baby dolls are the most realistic little things you've ever seen.

They are even fairly heavy to resemble a real baby....
**

Thanks, JANERA, for wearing a top with a bit of PINK.....;o)

***

A mock toast, ending a perfect day with a perfect new friend.

****

We never ran out of anything to say....

Blogging is so great in bringing people together that have never met and can

start right off as if they had been friends for a hundred years...

I love that about blogging !!

We plan to do this kind of day many times in the future !!

*************

Don't forget to go by BEVERLY'S

HOW SWEET THE SOUND

and leave sweet words for her and the players....

Thank you for stopping by here today.

FRIENDS and FOODIE FRIDAY...

MICHAEL LEE aka GOLLUM

is our gracious host for this fun and delicious day.....

Go by for some delicious photos, foods, recipes and a long

list of others waiting to welcome you to their cottage.

and

THANK YOU for coming by Sweet Nothings today....

*

Two of my life-long friends, ALICE and MARTHA,

spent the day with me and we had a nice lunch

and then......shopping !

As my dining table seats 10/12 people and there were only THREE...

I made my centerpiece at the end of the long table..

very simple, indeed....
*

The fare consisted of sandwiches on Hogie buns...

chicken salad with

pecans, grapes and cranberries...

potato salad and a few more cranberries, scattered over a crisp lettuce leaf, on the side...

*

*just a can of WHITE chicken

a handful of pecans

a handful of grapes

a handful of dried cranberries or fresh, if in season

salt, pepper to taste

Helmans mayo (never, EVER use Miracle Whip !! ) no sir-ree !!

(well, unless you really LOVE it and then it's ok .."O)
*

Everyone that dines at SWEET NOTHINGS COTTAGE
has homemade dessert.... (ok..well...some of the time..:)
and since I have all these fresh pecans........
*


Pecan pie with coffee ice creme....
Now, this was SWEET.... !!!!
*
*
but not nearly as sweet as these two...
O..I do love my friends.....

**
When you can, call a couple of your best ever friends and have lunch, go shopping,
talk, laugh, share...and love each other.
You'll be SO glad you did !

Tablescape Blues

I really don't have TABLESCAPE BLUES so much as I have BLUES on the TABLESCAPE....

I have used these blue and white beauties in several posts and will use them MANY more times, I am sure.

They are RIDGWAY, STAFFORDHIRE, ENGLAND and the pattern is OLD ENGLISH BOUQUET.
Mr. Sweet bought them for me at a flea market for less that $50.00 for the set, service for 8.
Altho they are no longer in production, I have been able to find a few pieces on Ebay and the Replacement place.
I would really like to add more serving dishes to the set...sure would be great to pass along to one of the granddaughters at some point.

The beautiful silver tray that I am using as a charger at this setting was given to me by BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER. She brought it to me from one of her trips to Mexico.
The flatware is by ONIDEA but I have had it so long, I don't remember the pattern name.
The stemware is from GOODWILL.



The large and small tureens came from GOODWILL and I could not believe that anyone would give them away.
They are in excellent condition and the markings on the bottom: a crown with LILY above it, W. ADAMS & SON, England and semi-porcelain.
The large one cost $4.95 and the small was $3.95. AMAZING !! I was thrilled to pieces that the blues of the tureens matched so well with my dishes.



Almost everyone on the planet knows that these little white, ceramic, salt and pepper birds flew here from TARGET. Some might remember that mine are named BONNIE and CLYDE....:>) What I have really enjoyed about having these little cuties is the fact that they look fabulous with ANY type table setting.

These glass sugar and creamer belonged to my mom...She bought them in the 40's in Dallas. I don't know anything about glass so I don't know if these are pressed or cut glass...??

PLEASE...take an after-dinner mint....

O, WAIT...We haven't even had supper....uh...dinner yet, have we ? ;o)

*****

HAVE A BLESSED DAY...

Please visit SUSAN at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH and be sure to leave her a comment. See all the other beautiful tables being offered for your viewing. You will just love them all.

OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY on the patio.....

My thanks to SUSAN for hosting this beautiful meme...and thanks to the long list of players just waiting to show us their wonderful spot of the OUTDOORS....

Please continue to join me in prayer for Susan, her mother*in*law, and her family.
***

Many thanks for coming by to see me today....My day started out on the INSIDE...

INSIDE, in my RED kitchen...

*

We have always loved stuffed JALAPENO peppers....
*

BUT...I have been wanting to try stuffing the beautiful, green, crisp ANAHEIM peppers

for a long time now...

so I fried hamburger meat, onions, lots of spices (enuf to make the meat have a little "bite" to it..... and stuffed them with the meat mixture, tamping with the end of a wooden spoon into the pepper, then a layer of cheese, another little layer of meat, then cheese again..

Once stuffed, I wrapped the tops with bacon and secured with toothpicks... and I baked them in a 400 degree ovenfor 45 minutes and......it was just right !

SOME of you may have done this before but we just discovered it and may I just say....

O HONEY....!!

We wanted to eat on the patio...no bugs around...a lot cooler today....seemed like the perfect time...just as I got our patio table set...look what was right above my cottage...Gotta hurry hurry hurry.....


We had a great salad served on the cutest little red and white heart plates that I bought at Hobby Lobby, 50 percent off around Valentines Day....I have used these little jewels so SO many times...
***

*

*

Out here in West Texas, we call these RED BEANS...

I know they are called other things in other parts of the world...

They sure were good, sharp cheddar cheese sprinkled on top and they were the perfect side for our stuffed peppers and salad.
*

*

Burning a citrus candle just in case the mosquitoes decided to join us....

the wind is barely blowing...the clouds are still hanging low....but no rain...just a wonderful scent in the air..

*note...it DID rain early the next morning...so sweet....
*

These are little tiny miniature SNOW BALLS and they are just about the best tasting

little treats around....100 calories per little snowball....

especially if you like coconut..
*

.....and, they are ESPECIALLY good with a little fruit AMBROSIA...

this one is made with the sweetest and juicy cantaloupe...

sprinkled with coconut and, yep.....PECANS...

now, I think ANYTHING...ANY KIND of fruit is delicious with coconut and pecans....:)

*******

TREASURES for a fun TUESDAY

Thanks to MARY at WORKS OF THE POET for hosting...

Thanks to TAM at THE GYPSY CORNER


and Thanks to DIANE at A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS.
Please visit them and their list of players..
and
THANK YOU for visiting SWEET NOTHINGS COTTAGE
***
I am offering up today, THREE OR MORE, 2ND TIME AROUND
and enough little RED spots to be able to play in the Ruby Tuesday...
*
Right now, my long entry way is painted white
and I have white, vintage mirrors on the wall..
I've had this set-up for a few years now and I am ready for...
a makeover...!!
O....I love makeovers !

I am thinking that I want to put up chair molding and do the
picture frame effect there..
then, I'd like more of a cream color above the chair molding and creamy white beneath...
Not sure at all what to do with the mirrors.....
I actually love them all white against the white wall...hmmmm*
*

This hall way is very long and so narrow that I can't use a table here...
Mr. Sweet made a shelf to use as a table, which has worked really well....
I just need some killer corbels to add to it and I'd be happy...
I prefer some old, fancy ones but haven't located those as yet..
Lowe's and Home Depot have corbels but they aren't really what I want....

I would LOVE to have your ideas on what I could do in this long, narrow hall...

would a much larger and longer shelf, with heavy corbels look good ?

If YOU had a long, narrow hall, how would YOU decorate it ???
*

A great garage sale netted this lovely, OLDEN, and somewhat worn, but, o, so soft and

very large area rug...for $15.00

The color of the RED is perfect for the room and, altho it has a tiny bit of fringe missing

(on the other end), I jumped at it for that price...
*

My third offering is another tole tray...
This is the one that appeared BLACK in color from the picture on Ebay...
Being the goofus that I am, I didn't read the description close enough
to see that it is a dark green...
My silly self was surprised when I got it but I still liked it a lot..well, not a LOT but.....
I will, however, be slower in reading the info before jumping off into the bidding !!!
The great thing....I get to search for that perfect BLACK one....again.... and THAT will be fun...
*

OOPS...I DO have 3 OR MORE treasures today...
I forgot I had added this photo until I was typing...
O, I am so in love with these wonderful iced tea spoons....
very old....very silver...very in need of polishing.
I like polished, shiny silver more than tarnished...just me...
**
A very dear friend gave these to me the other day...
they belonged to her great grandmother..and she has 2 daughters !
I said, "O, no way. These belong to your girls." But VIV said
"We have so much left to all of us that no one even wants to mess
with those spoons ..and I knew you would love them...so...here!!"
I smiled and said a gracious THANK YOU, but her girls know where the spoons are.....
and if they ever want them back........

P.S. I GET TO HAVE LUNCH WITH A FELLOW BLOGGER TOMORROW

AND I AM JUST BESIDE MYSELF.....DON'T YOU WISH YOU KNEW WHO????