Melamine Dinnerware

Melamine...it's not fine china that's for sure but it can look really good!  I really love my melamine shell bowls pictured above!  If you need some melamine dinnerware for all those upcoming summer BBQs check out my product review page for yet another great giveaway!  I just love it when companies want to give you things!!!

My Friend's Garden

Aren't these foxgloves gorgeous? This is a photo of my friend Claudia's garden.  I recently gave her lots of products to use in her garden...you'll have to pop over to my product review page to see. I'm also going to give one of you the same product....just click here!

Blueberry Peach Cobbler

Saturday night one of my supper clubs I belong to got together for summer themed dinner.  I made a Blueberry Peach Cobbler from the current issue of Cooking Light magazine! It was recommended by one of my blog readers, Karen, who I've actually met in person a few times while I've been out and about shopping!  This cobbler was really good and they have the recipe printed on their website. Click

Vote for Debbie!

Fellow blogger, Debbie of Debbiedoos, submitted a video for Oprah's search for the next TV Star!  Check out her audition video and if you like what you see, VOTE FOR DEBBIE!  Click here to go see it!

Show and Tell Friday

This week for Show and Tell I'm sharing all the different ways I've decorated with shells. I have some shells I collected from the beach but most of these I've bought here and there over the years. There's not a lot of shells to be found on the beaches by apartment but when I went to Martha's Vineyard on vacation in 2006, I was amazed at how many there were!  I brought a big plastic Ziploc bag

My Blue China Cabinet

 One of the questions I get asked the most is what color I used on my blue china cabinet so I've decided to do another post on it since it was way back in 2008 when I painted it. 
I had originally painted this white but wasn't happy with it so I got brave and decided to try blue. I knew if I didn't like it I could repaint it white again!
For the first step I used Behr Interior House Paint in

Nothing to do with decorating but so cool!

I spotted this car outside of my office yesterday and I just had to go outside to get a better look!  I have a thing for cars...in case you haven't noticed! haha!  The owner of this car drove it here to show his son at work.  He was so nice and told me to go ahead and sit in it! OMG...Wow, unbelievable!  This car cost more that my first house, and every car I've ever owned...combined!  It was so

Summer Whites

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Summer Whites, originally uploaded by Romantic Home.Happy first day of summer my dear friends!

Happy Father's Day!

(Click on photo to enlarge)
Happy Father's Day to two of the best fathers I know, my dad and my brother!  
The photo above was taken by my brother last summer at "Woodies on the Wharf" car show in Santa Cruz.  For any of you out there in Northern California it will be held again next Saturday! It's held on the Santa Cruz Wharf and that's the Santa Cruz Boardwalk in the background!  

Show and Tell Friday!

It's time for Show and Tell Friday once again!  This week I'm sharing a new project.  My wonderful dad did the hard part of this project, he built it. I just need to sand it and paint it and I hope to get that done this weekend! 
It's a bed crown which will be hung on the wall over my bed close to the ceiling.  It will have long fabric panels attached inside and draped to the sides.I'm planning

A Garden Bouquet

A little garden bouquet...
looks so much prettier in a silver pitcher.

 I mentioned a few days ago that I got a huge crack in my windshield of my Jaguar that I've only had for about a month.  Thankfully, Janet from Housepeepers left a comment about having windshield replacement coverage on her car insurance so I called my insurance company and I was thrilled to find out that I also have it and

I'm hooked on decorating books!

I have so many decorating books but I don't have one bookcase in my apartment!  I just like to stack them up in different rooms. The make great risers to display things!and they are pretty to look at!  My favorite book is An Affair with a House by Bunny Williams!  What a gorgeous place and such a wonderful story of her affair with this grand home!

Back to Napa Valley

Last Saturday, my friend Natasha and I drove up to the wine country.  Two months ago when we were there we became St. Supery  wine club members so we had to go pick up our wine. We could have had it shipped to us but with the wine country so close  we decided that we would drive up every other month.  It's a good excuse to get up there!  The photo above is from the Beringer Winery. Isn't that

Show and Tell Friday

Once again it's time for Show and Tell Friday and once again the week got away from me so I'm going to share something I shared here a couple years ago.  This is my heart-shaped rock collection.  I had more than these but I think that some got lost when I moved about about 6 years ago.  I've found these here and there and I'm always on the lookout for new ones to add! Every time I see a pile of

Positive Thinking

I've mentioned here before that I've read and follow The Secret.  I don't think of myself as a "New Age" type of person at all, but I'm all about positive thinking, the law of attraction, but at the same time having gratitude for everything wonderful in my life. I think one of best things about this way of thinking is that I've retrained my mind , I don't have to think about being positive, it's

Bathroom Dreaming

My upstairs bathroom is the only room in my apartment that I haven't done anything with. You would probably be shocked at how bad it looks...too bad to even share here. I would be embarrassed! Actually I hope to someday show you but not until I can post the "after" pictures along with it.  The reason I haven't touched it is that I don't have a clue which color I should paint it.  It's now a yucky

I've been shopping for you!

I've been out shopping for my Vintage Etsy Shop and I'll be stocking it with more things soon! I have two of these beautiful covered vegetable serving dishes.  The little pink roses are so dainty! 

I also found this cute little creamer.  I think it would make a wonderful vase for a little bouquet!

I'll be adding more things to my shop in the next couple of days.  Click on "Shop" at the top of

Lighting and a giveaway!

In my opinion lighting can make a room!  Don't you agree?Do you need more lighting in your home?  If so head on over to my product review page for a lighting giveaway! Just click here.

Show and Tell Friday

Pink floral china....oh-so-romantic, don't you agree?  Even though I love my blue decor I can't resist pretty pink dishes and I think they add a nice touch to all the blue I have in my home.  I've never really been a "pink person" but I do like touches of it here and there.  This week for Show and Tell, I'm sharing just a small portion of some of the pink dishes I've collected over the last few

Amazing!

When I was taking photos of the vine-covered homes for yesterday's post I had to snap a photo of this beautiful Victorian to share with you! It's also in the Willow Glen area of San Jose, California.  I've seen this home through the years (actually decades) but it is more beautiful now than ever! I love these soft colors and how they make the red roses pop! This photo was actually taken through

Vine-Covered Charm

I've always been attracted to vine-covered homes!  They just draw me in and take my breath away!  This home above is in the Willow Glen area of San Jose, California.  It's a huge home that wraps around a large corner lot. It's so large that I can't even fit the whole home in the picture.  Here's the view as you drive up the street towards it...Oh-so-charming!
Here is another charming one with

Cheesy Crab Bread

On Sunday I went to my brother David's home for a BBQ.  David is an amazing cook and his food is always great but this time he made a Cheesy Crab Bread that was to die for!!!  I'm sure when I weigh in at Weight Watchers this week I'll be cursing this stuff but really it was so worth it!  I was so tempted to make it again when I came home but I resisted the urge.  
Cheesy Crab Bread1 Cup of