FYI

My NEW blog address is
bj-sweetnothings.blogspot.com

and I have a link to where you can receive
SWEET NOTHINGS posts in your EMAIL ACCOUNT.

Please go to the NEW BLOG.
thanks, bj

Thursday, March 17, 2011

WHY DO I DO IT?

My dining room mantel was beginning to look pretty pitiful...
Why do I let things just ......BE ?
Is it because I see it everyday and don't realize how BLAH...
and pretty much UGLY it really looks?
Wonder why I wait until I know someone is coming before
I REALLY take a look at things around Sweet Nothings Cottage
?
I wonder if anyone else does this?
I found these AWESOME iron work pieces years and years ago
at a junque store....for free !
I used them for a couple of years and grew tired of them.
They've been in a back closet for about 3 years....
and then I remembered them.
I decided to try them again and
I love them more now than I did when I found them.
Could it be because they remind me now of
NEW O'LEANS and the FRENCH QUARTERS....
Ooh La La...
I THINK SO !
They are actually a tad too long to hang over the mantel
so I have them just leaning.
Now, some of you might call these CHRISTMAS lights
but those of us that BELIEVE, call them FAIRY lights....
and we use them all year long....:))
The ideal thing would be to have
FRESH FLOWERS
every day to go on the mantel...
but alas...
I heard OPRAH say once that there was absolutely NO reason
to ever have faux flowers...that you should have fresh flowers EVERY DAY.
That pretty much shows you that she can't possibly relate to
us ole workin' folks. !
A darling .........hmmmm......what DO you call this pretty  thing, covered in fruit, full of whiteness.?
It has a slot for a spoon...
perhaps for jams and jellies?...altho it's pretty large for that.
Well, whatever it may be, I bought it at
♫♪♪ GOODWILL ♪♫♫
for $1.29.
O....AIN'T LIFE GRAND
I need to plant more cutting flowers in our tiny garden...
then, I could at least have a few blooms during the growing season..
come wintertime, however,
it's
F.A.K.E.S.
Sorry, Oprah....

I put a few of these sugar bowls full of white sweetness
on the mantel for a little change...
It's ok to have sugar bowls and such in a dining room.......
heck, I use these little beauties all over the cottage.
Isn't it wonderful and full of grace to have material things that
bring you a lot of joy?
I love little fairy lights...
I love sugar bowls with little arms and a little lid.
Some of my little strays have the handles and no lid
or the lid and no handles....and I love them anyway.
French Hollyhocks I planted last summer
and the dry, hot wind whipped them to pieces.
I doubt they come back this year...BUT...
if they DO, they will be pretty, long stemed and in pure white vases..or pitchers..
or a huge Ball canning jar....
all of which will look pretty on my
dining room mantel.
Let's have a glass of wine, a little tart, a few grapes,
served in the SOUTH OF FRANCE...
(ok, by the grapevines in my back yard, last summer)
and talk about it.
hugs and kisses,
 bj

27 comments:

Kathleen Grace said...

Oooh, I love all the bright whiteness on your mantel BJ! I let things slide horribly around here. I know my little cottage is in desperate need of a little freshening up. Wish my bloggy friends could all come over and help me. Wouldn't we all have fun?

Anonymous said...

Hi BJness! Oh, yes, I do believe! Fairy lights, I love 'em! Now your mantle is gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous! You're so good at making pretty!
Be a sweetie but where's my food? :)
Shelia ;)

Linda said...

I love everything about this post! I use 'fairy' lights year round, too! Simply beautiful!

Lynn said...

Lovin' the fairy lights BJ! I'm about to add some to my Easter tree! Your mantle looks great and as for the big O, when we all have her money, we all can have fresh flowers 365-till then, we'll love what we have:@)

Julie Harward said...

I have fairy lights too..love them! I love your mantle..so fresh and new! Very pretty. Amazing how we can have some oil thing and then get new inspiration for it..fun! :D

Brenda Pruitt said...

A most beautiful and fetching mantel, BJ! The detail in the white pieces: so ornate.
Brenda

From the Kitchen said...

Beautiful, B.J.! My mantle problem is that it is 14 feet long!!!!! What on earth do I put on a mantle that long? At Christmas, I set up my entire 27-piece Christmas In The City Village and it's people, trees and parks. The rest of the year, the mantle looks like a vast wasteland!

Best,
Bonnie

Rita said...

Your wine is really what I needd right now; so Merci. Love all your displays and I hope there is nothing wrong with faux flowers seeing where I come from we have fresh flowers growing only 4 months.
Rita

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

BJ, your mantel looks fabulous and I see nothing wrong with faux flowers. We don't have a gazillion dollars like Oprah!

janis said...

Hello! I hopped over from Julie @ The Harwards. LOVE LOVE LOVE your Blog! I love the mantel. The white mix is divine! What Christmas lights? I only saw fairy lights. Could that fruit bowl be a gravy bowl, I wonder?
Look forward to reading more♥

Susan said...

Your mantel is gorgeous!! I have been looking for some fairy lights to display in my home. For some reason I can't find them anywhere!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

Flowers are the answer! How pretty! ♥♥♥

Vee said...

I heard her say that, too. That was a long time ago. ☺

The mantel looks wonderful! What nice things you have tucked in the back of your closet. I just cleaned out a closet and the most interesting thing I found was a potato gone to rooting.

Oh, and I used silk flowers for my project today and din't think twice. Wish that I hadn't put my fairy lights away. Between you and Aunt Amelia, I'm thinking I really need some.

Mimi said...

BJ, I have that same clock in my sewing room ~ I feel stylish now because your home always looks sooooo pretty!! (also, my initials are bj, too)

Sue said...

I really love white things these days. I keep looking for white dishes and white bedding...I think it just brightens up the house after a long winter. As for fresh flowers...I really do find that during the cold months I can buy a bouquet at Walmart for $5 and it will last a week. I find it to be a great investment in my sanity!

Glimpse of My World said...

Stopping by to say hello my dear.. you still want to come to First Monday?? Better come before it gets too hot!! The Kerby Cottage is open to you if you want to come!!

Anonymous said...

It looks beautiful,
I love your new layout on your blog and love how you have decorated your mantle with fairy lights,too pretty,
Love Kristina xxx

Shortbread and Ginger said...

Your mantle is lovely. I don't get inspiration very often, but try my best. Takes me ages to change things!
Liz

Theresa said...

Gorgeous mantel! Love all of the white and the iron pieces are perfect leaning!

Enjoy your weekend dear BJ, HUGS!

Marigene said...

Your mantel looks so fresh, BJ. I have a thing for little white pitchers!

Pink Roses and Teacups said...

Hello dear BJ,

I thought you were showing us a picture in a magazine!! Oh, I just love it!! Great job!! Love it all!

Hugs,
Debbie

Becky said...

BJ, I love your white mantle. How could anyone not want to be reminded of NOLA? One of my favourite places in the world!

Becky

Beverly said...

BJ, you've worked your magic again. It all looks so fresh and so very pretty.

Do you think Oprah wants to supply us all with fresh flowers for our homes? I would get in that line.

Madeline's Album said...

The mantel looks real nice. I like
the changes you have made. I use fairy lights at different times of the year. Have a blessed day. Madeline

LindyLouMac said...

Fresh flowers make an amazing difference :0

Shug said...

Your mantel looks great. Love all the white! I think white speaks for itself...You can mix and match anything with it and WOW, you end up with an outstanding look..
Way to go!
shug

Marnie said...

Love the whites. So fresh.
x Marnie {3pickles}