Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  This week has been busy and I'm not even working! The good news is that I had a 3rd and final job interview yesterday!  Now I'm just waiting to hear if I got it.  They said they will be making a decision in the next 2 weeks! Fingers crossed!

This week since I don't have anything new to share I decided to do a year in review type of post.  The yummy muffins

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas friends!!  I hope you are having a wonderful day!  

Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  This year I tried to save money since I'm unemployed and use my fake skinny Christmas tree that I usually put in my dining room instead of buying a real tree.  You may remember that this is the tree that I hung with blue and white china in previous years. Remember this?...




Christmas 2009



Well, it made a much nicer tree in my dining room than it does

Put a ring on it!

This morning I saw my daughter's ring sitting on the kitchen counter. It's one of those rings that has the stretchy band.  I got an idea!  It would look great on an old bottle! 







Hmmm....now I'm going to be on the lookout for more of these rings! They can do double-duty! On your finger or on a bottle!

I Love Baking!

 
It's time for our holiday cookie exchange at work and I seriously thought about not joining in this year. It's my last week of work...I was laid off on November 1st and I'm still not happy about that, but the truth is I LOVE to bake! I try not to bake too often because I also love to EAT baked goods!

 
This year I made some snowflake sugar cookies with royal icing.  I think I'm getting better

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  Last week we had a record number of bloggers join in!!!  I could hardly believe it when I saw 527 links!!  Thanks to all of you that join in and thanks also to all of those that just visit! 
This week I'm sharing my new hummingbird feeder.   I've had so many hummingbirds in my yard lately! One even came right up to me and hovered almost nose to nose beak with me

Christmas in White!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas (finally!) in my apartment!  I moved my birdhouse table under the stairs to make room for my Christmas tree.  I had a lot of fun decorating this table top in all white!
I even decked out my dining room chandelier (above) with some faux pine branches.  It looks so pretty with the crystals hanging below the greens.  

I filled this large apothecary jar

The last of my garden roses of 2011

Here it is, December 12th and I still have roses blooming in my garden!  I think this will be my last full bouquet although I still have quite a few buds on my Climbing Eden Rose but I'm not sure if they will even open because it's been getting cold here at night! We've even had some frost but the roses didn't seem to care!  

We had a record number of people joining in for Show and Tell last

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!
Honestly, I don't remember a time in my life when I've been busier than I am right now! Between job searching and still working (my last day is December 23rd) there is just not enough hours in the day!  
I started decorating for Christmas Tuesday night! I really wasn't in the mood at all! I had just received a rejection notice from Google, after only two phone

Happy Birthday to my wonderful daughter!

Happy Birthday Lauren!  I can't believe you are 19 years old already!!!  Nothing makes me prouder than when your managers tell me what a hard worker you are and that you always have a smile on your face! I love you honey!  I hope you have a wonderful birthday and a wonderful last year of being a teenager!

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! 
I have a tradition of buying my daughter a Christmas ornament every year. I've been doing this since she was really little and I try to find one that is meaningful for that year.  A couple weeks ago I walked into a little shop in and saw this nail polish ornament and knew it would be perfect for this year!  Why?  Not because she is always polishing her nails...

Have you started Christmas decorating?

I haven't even started decorating for Christmas yet! I usually have everything up by the Sunday after Thanksgiving!  This photo is from last year...or was it the year before that?  I hope to at least start this weekend!  Have you started yet?
I've been so busy job searching. I've had one great phone interview with HP today and tomorrow I have a phone interview with Google!!!!  Google!!! Yes

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday and Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone had a great one!!!
I made Weight Watcher's lemon pie so that's what I decided to share today!  I thought it was really good.  My daughter, Lauren, wasn't so fond of it. She said it was a little "too mushy"...maybe I've been dieting too long...I could have eaten the whole thing!  Just don't make the same mistake I made and

Happy Wednesday!

Hi everyone!  As you can see I still have roses growing in my garden!  Even my Eden rose has buds! I'm hoping they bloom before the weather gets too cold. 
I thought I would give you an update on my job search.  I've sent out over 30 resumes and I've only received two responses.  One was from a temp agency which I don't want to do yet. I will consider temping if I don't have a job by February.  

Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday
It's sort of a sad day for me today.  It's my mom's birthday (Nov. 17th)...the first birthday without her! I think about her every day but today even more than usual.  I was so lucky to have such a wonderful mother!
This week I'm sharing my Thanksgiving table from a few years ago.  I love my little turkey candy dishes that I use to serve soup in.  I learned to do

Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!

This week I'm sharing a new book I just bought!  For those of you that watch the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills you may recognize Lisa Vanderpump.  The Real Housewives shows on Bravo are a guilty pleasure of mine!  My favorites are the California shows (Beverly Hills and Orange Country).  Lisa is my absolute favorite housewife on all the shows!  I love her

A Visit to The Ritz Carlton - Half Moon Bay

Photo courtesy of The Ritz Carlton website
 A couple weekends ago, my guy and I were on our way to spend an afternoon in San Francisco but half way there we decided to go to Half Moon Bay.  It was one of those spur of the moment decisions that led to a wonderful and oh-so-memorable afternoon!

After having lunch and walking around Half Moon Bay, we were headed home when I asked my guy if he

Show and Tell Friday!

 Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  This has been an emotionally exhausting week for me.  In between the tears and feeling sorry for myself, I've been fine-tuning my resume and looking through job postings! 
I submitted my first resume...and guess where I sent it? Google!!!  I actually used to work in one of the Google buildings before Google moved in there! I still have a lot more resumes to send

A sad day!

My company had a re-org today and unfortunately my job was eliminated.

It's a very scary place to be with the economy the way it is. I found this job almost 10 years ago after being laid off during the dot-com bust in 2001.  I'm hoping I have the same good luck finding a job this time!

If anyone in Silicon Valley (San Francisco Bay Area) knows of an open Executive Assistant or Administrative

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! Today I'm sharing some Halloween things my dad has made for me!  Love this old crow with the cherry! Too cute!!!
...and my black cats! Thanks Dad!!!!

I hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween!!!If you are joining in on Show and Tell Friday, please remember that your Show and Tell needs to be something from your home or garden.  If you would like to

The Cemetery at Yosemite

 I know some people think cemeteries are creepy, scary places but I love strolling through the old ones! So much history!!!  I still remember when I was a little girl my mom telling me that she loved old cemeteries and I think that's probably why I like them now.

When my guy and I were at Yosemite a couple weeks ago, we were riding our bikes and came upon this cemetery! I've been to Yosemite a

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  This week I'm sharing my roses from my garden! They are blooming like crazy right now! These are my "Nancy Reagan" roses and they are a beautiful salmon color. They are one of the healthiest roses I've grown!  The leaves are dark green and lush and it blooms profusely!

Please excuse the bad photo quality on this post. I was taking these photos with no natural

My Weekend Getaway to Yosemite

Last weekend, my guy and I went to Yosemite! It was sort of a spur of the moment trip! We both took Friday off of work and headed up there! It's a little less than a 4 hour drive. 

I've spent a lot of time in Yosemite as a child. For many years my family would go up every Thanksgiving in our motorhome.  I remember that almost every year we would be there for the first snowfall! As a California

Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!!!  I hope everyone had a great week!  I'm a little late getting this post up tonight!  I came home to take photos and my camera battery was dead. I used my iphone for these which is why the quality isn't as good.  Then I went to upload them and my laptop was acting up and running really S L O W! Ugh!  Oh well!  
This week I'm sharing some of my fall decor!

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  It's really starting to feel like Fall here in Northern California!  The weather doesn't usually change like this until much later in the year. It's really gotten me in the mood for comfort foods this week!  I made my favorite homemade Sausage and Kale soup and also homemade Split Pea Soup!  Now I'm craving one of my favorite things...Rosemary Focaccia   (click

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  Wow, time is flying!  I've been trying to find time to get these photos from the Goat Hill Fair up for awhile now!  It's been almost 2 weeks since I took these! 

As you can see, there where lots of beautiful things there! I would have loved to spend more time looking around but it was hot and I was wearing a black top polyester type top...pair that with hot

Show and Tell Friday!

I've shared my heart-shaped rock collection here before but I recently found some new ones so thought I would share those today!  I found all these on my Saturday morning hikes.  For those that don't know, I hike about 10 miles every Saturday morning.  The morning I found the two above I also found a huge one...about the size of a dinner plate!  I actually thought about throwing it in my

Goat Hill Fair Part 1

 
Last Sunday, my guy and I went to the Goat Hill Fair! It was amazing, there were so many beautiful things there!  I took a lot of photos but I haven't had a chance to go through them yet. I thought I could at least share one of my favorite things there...THIS BIRDCAGE!  It was amazing! It was way out of my budget though.  It was from a shop in San Jose, California called "Not Too Shabby".   

Show and Tell Friday!

 This week I'm pulling something out from an old post to share again.  This was a fruit tart that I made awhile back. It was really good!
 
It's a Paula Deen recipe and it can be found here.
 
I also found this old photo of a fruit bouquet I made years ago!  This was really fun to do..I just used some cookie cutters to shape the melon flowers and then used bamboo skewers to put it together! It

Reminder: Goat Hill Fair is this weekend!

This is for all my friends in Northern California! An antique and artisian fair called Goat Hill Fair will be held on September 17-18, 2011 in the Santa Cruz Mountains!


GOAT HILL FAIR
Saturday, September 17 th 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday , September 18th 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: 24915 Soquel/Old San Jose Highway Los Gatos, CA 95033
For more information please visit their website: Goat Hill

Pinterest, the next best thing to blogging!

Source: hgtv.com via Cindy on Pinterest

I'm sure you are all aware of Pinterest by now...it's the next best thing to blogging!!!
Source: bhg.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Just in case you don't know about Pinterest, it's a place where you can save every beautiful image you see on the internet in one place.  You can make different boards (like inspiration boards) with your pins...think of it like

Show and Tell Friday!

 
Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  
The other night I was looking at the large silver tray I have on my coffee table...it's loaded with shells and candles. I tried to remember the last time I even lit those candles...it's been way too long.   Now that it's September and I know that the cooler weather is right around the corner (although it really doesn't start to cool down here until the end of

My Jag is Purring thanks to OnStar FMV!

I was thrilled to be chosen by BlogHer and OnStar to try out the new OnStar FMV in my Jaguar!  (and you get a chance to get something too...there is a giveaway at the bottom of this post)

Everyone that knows me knows I love cars and I really love my Jaguar! It's even better now that I have OnStar in it!
OnStar FMV (FMV = For My Car) is an aftermarket rear view mirror that you can buy at

Show and Tell Friday!

 
Happy Show and Tell Friday! Can you believe it's September already????  Where has this year gone? In just a blink it will be time for the holidays!  My mom was right when she told me that the older you get the faster your life goes by! I get it now! Whew!
So for this week I'm sharing just a very small portion of some of my linen and lace...or should I say "my addiction". I'm actually

Life over 50!

 
I have to say that turning 50 has been a really good thing for me! I'm so much happier now...I've lost weight (still 25lbs more lbs to go though) and I have a wonderful man in my life (he took this photo above). Life is good!
I find it so wonderful to see so many women in their fifties looking fabulous. It's so inspiring!  Which is the reason I started my new Fit and Fabulous Over Fifty blog!

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! It's all about you again...I really don't have anything new to share but I know you all do!!!  I hope you are all enjoying the end of summer!!!
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If you are joining in on Show and Tell Friday, please remember that your Show and Tell needs to be something from your home or garden. Please read the Show and Tell Guidelines for

Show and Tell Friday!

  Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  Today I'm breaking my own rule...I'm not sharing something from my home and garden...  Today, I'm helping my extremely-talented friend Jo-Anne Coletti of Vintage Rose Collection get the word out about her beautiful magazine, The Feminine Home which is on sale now!
 

These are some photos...doesn't it look wonderful?

I didn't think you would mind me breaking

Lots of nice things to share!

 I have three new sponsors to introduce you to!  You can visit my product review page to see them all and there are even some giveaways going on over there!
To see beautiful home decor and more (as in the photo above), go visit my product review here.
 For a chance to win these earrings, please go here.
Or if you love flowers as much as I do, you can enter here:My product review page:  Cindy's

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  First off...my dad asked me to thank everyone for the wonderful birthday wishes you left for him! He really enjoyed reading them, as did I! Thank you all so much!
This week I'm sharing some of my pretty pink dishes all put together in a mosaic! 
In case you missed it, I started a new blog...just scroll down below to read all about it!
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If

Announcing...Fit and Fabulous Over Fifty!

 
As many of you may have noticed...my passion has changed lately.  Although I still love my home and decorating I'm also more involved in getting myself in better shape and getting out and enjoying life more!  
I've lost weight and I've been working out. Along with that I've really been motivated to become the best that I can be at 50! It was a milestone birthday last year that made me realize

Happy Birthday Dad!

me and dad in the 1970s
Today is my dad's birthday!  My dad is such a great person...really, there isn't another person alive that I trust more than him! He's the most honest, hardworking, and just generally wonderful person I've ever met!  
Not only is he a great person but he's also very talented...here are a couple things he's made for me over the years...
This beautiful cabinet that I

Show and Tell Friday!

 Welcome to Show and Tell!  This week I really don't have anything to share...I'm totally unprepared so you guys will have to carry me and I know you will! There are always so many amazing things each week! You are the greatest!!! 
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If you are joining in on Show and Tell Friday, please remember that your Show and Tell needs to be something from your home or garden. Please

Tables Settings Through the Seasons

I was going through some old photos and thought I would put together some collages of some of the different table settings I've done in the past. 
I think Spring tables are stunning with fresh vibrant flowers against my white dining room!
 
I love the beach-cottage look so this table was really fun to put together!  You can click on the photos to enlarge them.
 

Summer on the patio...I need to

Happy Tuesday!

 
I hope you all are having a wonderful summer (or winter depending on where you live)!  The mosaic above is just a random one I made on Big Huge Labs - Mosaic Maker.  That's my 18 year old daughter, Lauren, when she was a toddler in the middle photo. My mom and I dressed her up in vintage clothes and did a photo shoot...ahhh..memories!
A couple weeks ago I spent the weekend in Lake Tahoe with my

Mikey's Exciting News!

I'm sure many of you already know Mikey from Shabby French Cottage.  He remodeled his kitchen on a budget last March and it came out so beautiful!  Mikey has some exciting news about it on his blog! Hop on over to the Shabby French Cottage to read all about it!  I'm so happy for you Mikey!!!

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell.  I'm sharing one of my favorite table clothes this week.  This was given to me by my mom, she was the ultimate linen and lace collector.  All through my childhood she was buying vintage linens at flea markets and thrift stores and she passed so many of them down to me.  This one is by far my favorite!

The photos really don't do it justice!  It reminds me of a beautiful

The Painted Furniture Party!

 I never imagined when I did my tutorial on How to Paint Furniture four years ago that it would draw so many new visitors to my blog! It's been wonderful!
I know many of you have painted your own furniture using my instructions and I thought it would be fun to have a Painted Furniture Party to see them!  Even if you didn't use my tutorial you are welcome to join the party!  I know this will be a

Reminder!

My Painted Furniture Party is tomorrow! You can link up after midnight (Pacific Time) tonight!

Show and Tell Friday!

This week for Show and Tell I would like to announce a Painted Furniture Party that I have planned!  I invite everyone that has painted their own furniture, either with my "How to Paint Furniture" instructions or some other method to join in on this party!  I think it will be really inspiring to see everyone's creations!  So come back on Tuesday morning and link up to the party!
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Show and Tell Friday!

My friend Kim and I at the winery. This picture is deceiving, we really weren't that close to each other!


I have nothing to share for Show and Tell Friday because I've been out enjoying summer too much! The weather here has been very mild..sorry to those of you that have been dealing with those extreme high temps! I feel for you! I hate the heat and it's even worse when it goes on and on for

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! 
Once again, I'm showing off my dog, Beau!  He turned 7 years old on the 4th of July!  He was premature...his poor mom was so afraid of the fireworks that she went into labor early!  I'm not sure if I ever shared the story on how we got Beau. Lauren was in 5th grade and wanted a little Chihuahua. This was the during the time when Paris Hilton was caring hers

Goat Hill Fair ~ Coming Soon!

This is for all my friends in Northern California! An antique and artisian fair called Goat Hill Fair will be held on September 17-18, 2011 in the Santa Cruz Mountains!

I first met the organizer of this event, Cyndi Garofalo, when she had a cute, little shop in downtown Campbell.  Unfortuately I found her just before she shut her doors for good! I was happy to hear that she is now organzing

Happy 4th of July!

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe 4th of July!!!  

Show and Tell Friday!

Hi everyone!  I have something exciting to share this week for Show and Tell! I mentioned this before but now the magazine is out (or should be soon)!  In the August 2011 issue of Woman's Day magazine you will find a tutorial for my seashell wreath I did on my blog a few years ago! 
I can't tell you how exciting it is to see my name and blog mentioned in such a widely published magazine!
I

A Day in Santa Cruz

Last Saturday was the annual "Woodies on the Wharf" in Santa Cruz, California.  I live close by so I've gone to this a couple of times in the past.  Santa Cruz is the perfect spot for this car show!  Santa Cruz and Woodies are the perfect pair...Woodies were big with the surfers in the 50s and 60s and Santa Cruz is a big surfing town!
"My Guy" and I met my dad, my brother & his girlfriend, and

Belle Inspiration!

Have you heard of Belle Inspiration? It's a beautiful bi-monthly online magazine.
They are based in Paris so there are many beautiful inspiring photos from Europe!
The photography is outstanding!!  So much eye-candy!

I need to copy this idea, blue and white M & Ms would be perfect in my home!

Reading Bella Inspiration is like taking a vacation...

...you will be transported away to some

I Love Summer!!!

My hydrangeas are in full bloom right now!



They are my favorite flower! If I had room in my garden I would plant a lot more of these! I  love cutting them for bouquets!   

 Hydrangeas and shells....that's the ultimate beach cottage look to me!




I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I went to Santa Cruz and I'll have some pics of that later in the week to share with you! Pics of old

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! 
Wow! I took a vacation day today to do some things around my home and I figured I would get this post together some time today and then I got so busy I completely forgot about it! Sorry I'm late getting this up...I usually try to get my Show and Tell posts up by Thursday evening at 6:30 but here it is after 8pm and I just thought about it!!! So sorry to those of

Happy Father's Day

I'm late getting this post up but I had to say Happy Father's Day to my dad on my blog...after all he is  my biggest fan! 
I drove up to visit him yesterday (he lives 2 1/2 hours away from me) and he gave me a stack of old photos and this one of the two of us in our backyard was in there. I think I must have been about 12-14 years old here which means it was taken around 1972-74.  Usually I can

Show and Tell Friday!

I really think the weeks go by faster since I took over Show and Tell Fridays!  It sort of feels like my life is on fast-forward these days!  I remember my mom always saying that time goes faster the older you get and I believe her now! I wish I could slow it down a bit. The positive thing (and there always is a positive) is that the weekends come quickly! I love the weekends!!!
It's getting

I've Lost My Followers

Through the years ~ My Romantic Home
Like so many other bloggers, I've lost all my Followers on my sidebar due to a problem with Blogger! It's a little scary to think that what took me years to build is now gone but I have faith that Blogger will find the problem and all my Followers will be returned to my sidebar! I like looking at your pretty faces over there...peeking at me through my

Show and Tell Friday

 Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  This week I'm sharing my new orchids!  The white one was a gift from "a certain someone"... he bought it for me one morning while we were strolling through the Los Gatos Farmer's Market.  Then the next weekend I bought the one below.  They are only about $8 each which makes me want to buy a new one every weekend!  If you are joining in on Show and Tell Friday,

Some new dinnerware!

I got some new dishes!  I love them! You have to visit my Product Review Page to see!
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Exciting news! I'm about to hit 3 MILLION visitors to my blog! I think it may happen sometime today! I have a counter on the bottom of my right sidebar in case you want to see if you are my 3 millionth visitor!!!!
******Also...This month is my 6 year anniversary blogging and I plan on doing a great

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  
First I would like to thank those of you that let me know that Woman's Day was on The Today Show this morning and they showed my seashell wreath!  I had no idea they were doing that so unfortunately I didn't see it.  My name wasn't mentioned but they did say that the instructions are on their website and my name and a link to my blog is there so I'm thrilled!!!

Exciting News!!!

Photo credit: Woman's Day Magazine

I'm so happy I can finally share some exciting news with you!  My seashell wreath tutorial is going to be in the August issue of Woman's Day Magazine!!!  Somehow they found my tutorial on my blog and contacted me about putting it the magazine! 
 They made their own version of it (which is so beautiful) and I got credit and also got my blog mentioned in the

Memorial Day Fun!

I had an amazing Memorial Day yesterday! The "New Guy" (okay...I need to think of a better name for him....that sounds too much like the  flavor of the month and he's so not that!) and I  had an great day biking in San Francisco. It was like taking a mini vacation in our own backyard!  We packed our bikes up and drove 50 minutes north to the "City by the Bay"! 

I walked half-way across the

Show and Tell Friday!

  Welcome once again to Show and Tell Friday!  It's always great to see so many of you joining in each week! 
This week I'm sharing my reorganized dining room.  I sold my white hutch that I had against this wall and I moved my blue china cabinet over to this space! (Sorry for the poor lighting...I took this photo in the early morning)
I love the way it looks here and it makes the room look so

More on Eden Roses

I've had a lot of people ask where they can buy a Climbing Eden Rose bush.  


This was my very first bloom, the blooms are much larger than this now.

I bought mine at Regan Nursery in Fremont, California. I highly recommend them!  They also sell them online, as do other nurseries.  It's pretty much too late in the season to buy bare-root roses now but I thought I would list some

How I spent my weekend!

Life has changed a lot for me lately! Last year I used to spend so much of my weekends puttering around my apartment but not so much anymore!  Once I made the decision to lose weight, I also decided that I was going to get fit too!  So now, this is my life...hiking and biking. Next winter I hope to start skiing again. And then there's dancing too!  Years ago if someone would have told me I would

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  I finally have photos of my climbing Eden rose to share today!  Eden is also known as "Pierre de Ronsard".  I know I've said this a million times...I LOVE LOVE LOVE this rose! It's my all-time, hands-down, favorite rose!!!  It takes my breath away every time I see it!  I planted this about 3 years ago and it just gets better and better each year!
My neighbors

I'm riding the Tour de Cure!

I have some exciting news!   I'm riding in the Tour de Cure this year!  
It's a bike ride to raise money for the American Diabetes Association.  I bet each and every one of you know someone with diabetes! 
I've never mentioned on my blog where I work before but I figure now is a good time to do that. I work for LifeScan which is a Johnson and Johnson Company.  We manufacture the OneTouch blood

White Eden Roses

I just had to share this....  This is my friend's beautiful garden.  A few years ago we went together to buy roses together on our lunch hour. We had so much fun walking around a huge rose nursery called Regan's Nursery in Fremont, California.  I bought my favorite rose...Pink Eden and Claudia bought a White Eden. It's not totally white though, it has a very soft blush pink center! Gorgeous!!!

Bloggers making a difference!

 I have a guest blogger today. I hope you enjoy reading about this beautiful blogger that wants to make a difference... ************************
Just so we're a little more aquainted, my name is Ashley,
and I want to inspire the WORLD.

Raise your hand if you've ever had a dream,
and you didn't reach it.
Don't be shy, no one can actually see you raising your hand at your computer,
unless your in

Show and Tell Friday!

I'm so sorry for the delay in getting Show and Tell Friday up this week!  Blogger has been having issues since yesterday and I wasn't able to get on at all! 
Now that's it's up I didn't have the photos that I had planned on sharing so I'm resharing cupcakes that I made a long time ago!  I guess that's the good thing about blogging so long (since 2005)...I have so many old photos that I can 

White Picket Fence Love!

I have a thing for white picket fences with roses growing on them and I especially love the white on white look!  You may remember the beach house post I did awhile back. 
Last night after work I was going to a friend's home (he's actually more than just a friend but I'll leave it at that for now; wink-wink) and I parked my car on his street in front of this home...I didn't have my camera so I

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful mothers!!!  
I'm trying to not get too down today since I just lost my wonderful mother last month but I must say it is harder than I thought it would be.  I sure miss talking to her...    

Show and Tell Friday!

Mirrors around my Home

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  I had planned to share my beautiful pink Eden Roses that are blooming right now but I'm having issues with my camera!  I need to get a new memory card for it...I think I must have worn the old one out! It's saying that it is "write protected" but I didn't do anything to it. I've tried taking the thing out, turning the camera on and off,

A trip to Vintage and Vogue!

Last month I made a stop into my favorite neighborhood shop, Vintage and Vogue, which is located in downtown Campbell, California
Every time I walk through that front door I'm amazed at all the new things they have! Want to take a peek?....
Check out that beautiful lampshade ain the photo above!  I loved that!!


This chandelier on the right below makes me want to decorate a room in black and

Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! This week I'm sharing my hutch...I know you've all seen this before but I've decided I need some change around my place so I'm selling it. If anyone local is interested. I'm asking $300. Just send me an email to cindy95131@yahoo.com
I'm also going to sell my blue cabinet below. I'm also asking $300. 
It must be Spring because I always feel like decluttering

Happy Administrative Professionals Day!

Since I'm an Administrative Assistant, I have to wish all of you who also share my profession a Happy Administrative Professionals Day today!


If you know an Admin, a Secretary, a Clerical Worker or a Executive Assistant, wish them a happy day today too!!  Sometimes this can be a thankless job so it's nice to be recognized on this day!
This morining I got up and picked this beautiful bouquet of

Show and Tell Friday!

Happy Show and Tell Day!  Well, I had planned to get all my Easter decor out but with all that's been going on in my life I just didn't feel like doing it so I'm sharing what I did in previous years.  Looking at these photos makes me wish that I had decorated this year though!
I bought those faux chocolate bunnies at Marshalls a couple years ago! I love them!

  Zero calorie chocolate eggs are

A Note from my Dad!

Life is the flower for which love is the honey.  ~Victor Hugo
My dad wanted me to let you all know that he appreciates all the wonderful messages you left here on my blog about the loss of my mom.  He has been so very touched by them.  He told me last night that he has read them all 3 times!  Thank you all so much! 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I haven't forgotten...I still have more photos from Vintage

Show and Tell Friday!

I want to thank you all so much for the heart-felt comments you left me yesterday! I read every single one of them and so did my dad! We appreciate your kindness so very much at this difficult time in our lives!!!

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

This week for Show and Tell I decided to share some of my favorite things my mom has given me over the years.  Most of you have probably already seen these

Mom, you'll be forever in my heart!!!

I've been trying to write this post for days and could not bring myself to do it.
The pain is still too great. 
My wonderful mom passed away last week.  If you've been reading my blog awhile you probably have seen that so much of my style and love of vintage things has come from my mom.  I really would love to tell you more about how wonderful she was but I'm not ready to just yet...the pain is

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  I'm breaking one of my own rules. Today I'm sharing something that is not from my home or garden. I promised more pictures from Vintage and Vogue earlier this week and never got around to posting them so I'm sharing them today!


Love this sofa....






I hope you enjoyed this little visit through Vintage and Vogue in Campbell, California.  I'll have more from

Spring has Sprung at Vintage & Vogue!

I stopped in my favorite little store, Vintage & Vogue in Historic Downtown Campbell.  Our little downtown area is such a nice place to go now. There are some nice shops, and lots of restaurants with outdoor seating! I love hanging out down there!Vintage & Vogue looks especially nice with all the Easter and Spring items....


More Vintage & Vogue pics later this week so come back!***************

Show and Tell Friday!

It's Show and Tell Friday time once again!  This has been a crazy week, as you can probably tell from my lack of blog posts!  I can't believe it's Thursday already!   
Last weekend I cut my lilacs and then got so busy that I never even got a photo of the beautiful bouquet. It's now sitting on my coffee table all dried up and dead!  So, I'm using my photo from last year...it looked exactly the

Show and Tell Friday!

 
It's the first Show and Tell Friday since Spring has sprung!  It feels more like Winter here in Northern California though! Cold, wet and very windy!!!  I'm so ready for warmer weather!

In honor of Spring, I'm sharing some nests that I've decorated with over the years! 
I had planned on sharing my huge bouquet of lilacs I cut from my garden but I haven't had a chance to take a photo of them

I'm a Rat!

Yep, it's a little obvious that I'm a pack-rat but that's not what I'm talking about! 

I'm back to doing online dating again and I saw a guy on there that was looking for women that were certain animals in the Chinese Zodiac.  I think he was looking for a Dog or a Pig...or was it a Cow?  Pretty funny stuff to see on a dating site!  Anyway, I'm not one to judge! 

I was born in 1960 so I'm a

Have a pet?

I'm having a great giveaway on my product review page!!!  Click here to see!

Show and Tell Friday!

Happy Show and Tell Friday!  We had another record week last week! 363 bloggers linking in!  Wow! Let's go for 400 now!!!
 I worked in my garden last weekend and started planting some annuals for color!  I love pansies!


 
I also planted some impatiens...
Grow babies, GROW!!!





If you are joining in on Show and Tell Friday, please remember that your Show and Tell needs to be something from

Etsy Love!

I'm going to start highlighting some great Etsy finds on my blog once in awhile.  These are not paid advertisements, just simply things that I like and think that you may like too! 


This week, I bring you The Daily Dream

The Daily Dream offers downloadable graphics that you can use on bags, pillows, t-shirts, or anything else you can think of!
Her prices are great...just $3.99 each or 3 for $

Romantic Clothes!

Last weekend Lauren wanted to go to the mall.  I wasn't planning on buying a thing but I followed her into Charlotte Russe which is not a store I usually shop in.  Next thing I know I see a rack with lace so I head straight over there!  Well...I fell in love with this lace vest!  It is adorable with a white tank top and jeans! I can hardly wait for the weather to warm up a little so I  can wear

Show and Tell Friday!

 It's Show and Tell Friday time again!  Last week we had a record  - 346 bloggers linking in!! Wow! That is just amazing!!!  Thank you all!  
************ Spring doesn't officially start for about another week and a half but it sure is beginning to look like Spring in my backyard!  The lilacs and roses are beginning to bloom!  I never even had a chance to prune my roses this year...oh well, they

Selling California...to Californians?

I'm sitting here watching TV tonight and this ad comes on about California.  Don't get me wrong...I love it, it's a great ad and I think it would sell me on visiting California but I already live here!  Why would they run this ad in California?  What a waste of money! My mind just goes to how this money could be spent on something more important....

A Beautiful New Blog about Carmel!

I've blogged many times about Carmel, California, which is one of my favorite places on earth! It's only a little over an hour away from me but I don't get there nearly enough! Now when I need a Carmel fix I can just go visit Linda's beautiful blog ~ Once upon a time..Tales from Carmel by the Sea! 
Linda has a second home in this charming little town!  LUCKY, LUCKY Linda!!!

To see more

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  Every week it's getting harder and harder for me to come up with something for Show and Tell! I think I've shared just about everything in my home unless you want to see inside my drawers, closets and under my sink...trust me you don't! I'm only a neat with things that aren't behind closed doors!  I decided to share some table settings that I've shared before.

My New Hiking Blog!

I've mentioned here that I have a new passion! HIKING! I've gone hiking every weekend for the past 8 weeks now. I'm officially hooked so I started a hiking blog!  I'll still be blogging here but I hope you come over and visit me at my new blog, Liking Hiking! (click on that to visit).

Show and Tell Friday!

First off I have to say that this week I feel like a kid!  I'm absolutely giddy over the fact that we may get snow Friday night!  I know many of you are probably sick and tired of snow at this point but we haven't had snow here in 35 years! I'm going to be really disappointed if the weatherman is wrong!
Okay...on to Show and Tell Friday!  This week I'm sharing "BLUE"! haha!  People always tell

Brrrr it's cold outside!

It's been really cold here in Northern California this past week! I know some of you will laugh at what we call cold but there have been days where it doesn't get out of the 40s and that is COLD for us! 
There is snow in the hills all around us and it's so pretty!  They say the snow level will get really low, down to 500 ft elevation Friday night/Saturday morning! I'm so hopping we get snow in

Show and Tell Friday

It's Show and Tell Friday time again! Last week we had a record number of participants...over 300!! Whoohoo!  Thank you all so much for joining in! 
Can you believe I'm sharing something that is not blue, pink or white today?

This is a new (to me) plate that a coworker gave me!  You may remember she gave me some gorgeous pink dishes a last month! 

This beautiful plate was made in Germany. 

More Pumpkin Muffins

A couple weeks ago I showed you the Brownie Muffins I made just using Devil's Food cake mix with a can of pumpkin.  Jodi left a comment on that post and said she makes the same muffins with Spice Cake mix! I knew I had to try that because Pumpkin Spice Muffins just sounded so good!


Everyone loves these better than the chocolate muffins! I know...unbelievable!

They are so easy to make too! 

Still Feeling Pink!

So...yesterday for Valentine's Day, almost every woman at work came in with a red sweater or blouse and black pants!  I either never really noticed that the majority of women do this or maybe this is a new trend. This will never work for me....I don't own ANYTHING red!  Pink I love, red not so much!  

I could be wrong but it seems like you are either a PINK person or a RED person...am I wrong?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!!! I hope you all have a wonderful day filled with romance and love! Me?  I'm saying "next"!   All is well though! :)

Show and Tell Friday!

  Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! This week I'm sharing a business card holder I bought at Vintage and Vogue in downtown Campbell, California.  Isn't it pretty? I just love it!  I bought it to hold my blog business cards. Does anyone else have cards for their blog? I found so many times when I was out and about I would talk about my blog and someone would ask for the web address. It's so much

Hiking around Northern California

 I have a new passion! It's hiking!  I joined a hiking group about a month ago through www.meetup.com.  Through that first hike I met John and Miriam who have their own hiking group and they invited me to join them on one of their hikes. I've been hiking with them for the past 3 weeks now and loving it!!!
We hike at different locations in the San Francisco Bay Area.  There are so many hiking

I Love Slipcovered Sofas!

I'm still loving my Ikea sofa that I've had for almost 2 years now!  Although I  love the white slipcovers I can now change it out to blue once in awhile! As you can see, they match my shutters perfectly!  Click here to go over to my product review page to hear (and see) more about these amazing slipcovers that were sent to me!

Show and Tell Friday!

It's time for another Show and Tell Friday once again!  This week I'm sharing my love of my favorite flower, hydrangeas (although pink roses are also a favorite)!!!  Above are some dried hydrangeas that my former Mother-in-Law, Judy, brought me a couple years ago!  They were from her garden and they were huge!!!This one above was just from the grocery store!

My hydrangeas turn this pretty shade

Diet-Friendly Muffins

I'm always on the search for foods that will satisfy my sweet tooth but still allow me to lose weight.  I think I found this recipe on someone's blog last week but I can't remember where exactly but the original recipe came from Hungry Girl.

 These delicious brownie muffins taste like regular fattening muffins but they aren't!

  You just mix a can of pumpkin (yes pumpkin!) with a box of

I'm not here today

I'm not here today but I am doing a guest post over on Debbie's blog for her Coffee Talk Tuesday series!  Click on over there to see my thoughts on blogging!

Show and Tell Friday!

 Welcome to another week of Show and Tell Friday!  Since Valentine's Day is just around the corner I thought I would reshare (is that even a word?) my Valentine hearts I made a couple years ago. The one hanging from the chandelier is from a piece of wood my dad cut for me that I covered with a beautiful toile scrapbook paper.  I think I have a few more of these left and if I do, I'll be selling

An Amazing Master Bedroom Makeover - Vintage Style!

When I saw this master bedroom makeover I knew I had to share it with you! This bedroom belongs to Jennifer of Memento Designs and was made over by Emily of A Well Dressed Home.  I thought the room looked nice in the before photo but I was blown away when I saw the after photos!




You can read more about this beautiful makeover on Emily's blog and on Jennifer's blog. There are more beautiful

Online Garage Sale!

For Sale:  Dessert Tray "Antique Reflections" by J. Goldinger & Co.   Plate is 9x9 inches rim to rim with 1" handles on each side. $12.00 eachMore garage sale items for sale below!
Sold

Online Garage Sale!

For Sale: Small white wood shabby caddy with rose applique. 9" x 6" and 7.5" tall.  $12 plus shipping
Sold*************************

Here's a round up of some other items available on my online garage sale:

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Online Garage Sale!

Here's another item in my online garage sale (scroll down for many more items).  This is a cute duck pate and cracker server. It comes with a small knife.  These can also be used with cheese/dip and crackers. 

Very cute! $8 plus shipping



Scroll down for more garage sale items!

Online Garage Sale!

For Sale:  White bunny tureen.  This tureen is approx. 8 x 5.5 inches.  $12 plus shipping

Online Garage Sale!

Next up on my online garage sale is a sugar and creamer set. This was part of a dish set I bought at Macy's about 18 years ago. $8.00 plus shipping (click the "Buy Now" button below)
I have many more items for sale on my Online Garage Sale, keep scrolling down.  The vintage items can be found on my etsy shop, just click on "Shop" at the top of my blog!

New in my Etsy shop

I have new items listed in my etsy shop! Click on "Shop" at the top of my blog!
I also have an online garage sale going on. Keep scrolling down to see everything!  

Online Garage Sale!

Cute little cow creamer. I have two of these so I've decided to sell one.  Approx. 7 inches long $8.00 plus shipping





There are a lot more garage sale items listed below so keep scrolling down...

Online Garage Sale!

This creamer/small pitcher matches the teapot I have listed below.   It's "Antique Reflections" by J. Goldinger & Co. approx. 6 inches high  $9 plus shipping


Sold

Lots more garage sale items listed below, keep scrolling down...

New items listed in my etsy shop!

I've added new items to my etsy shop!


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Scroll down below to see my online garage sale going on now!

Online Garage Sale!

This wire stand hold a postcard or you can write a special message to display! Chippy black paint gives it a vintage look! $8 plus shipping
Sold
My online garage sale continues below....

Online Garage Sale!

I'm decluttering and realized I have too many cake stands so I'm selling this white one.  This is a very large cake stand, it's about 12.5 inches across and 6 inches high.  $22 plus shipping
Large cake stand


I have more garage sale items listed below so keep scrolling down!

Online Garage Sale Here!

Faux lemons and limes are a perfect thing to decorate with.  Just fill a large apothocary jar or bowl with them!  These faux lemon and limes look really real!  18 lemons and 4 limes for $12.00 plus shipping. Click "Buy Now" below. Only 1 set available.
Faux Lemons



scroll down for more garage sale items




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I also have some faux pears for sale!  These also are

My Romantic Home Blogging Garage Sale

I've decided that I need to declutter my apartment so I am going to be listing some new vintage items in my etsy shop (just click on "Shop" at the top of my blog) and the items that aren't vintage I will be selling here on my blog this week!  
First is this beautiful teapot that I'm selling for $12.  It's called "Antique Reflections" by J. Goldinger & Co.  I'll have more items in this pattern

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  These weekend it's supposed to be beautiful here in Northern California...about 70 degrees!  So, I plan on working in my tiny back yard.  One of the things I have planned is to clean out my fountain that I bought a year ago last January at a flea market.  These photos are from when I first bought it. Right now it's filled with decaying leaves and algae.

A Panini Party!




Roast Beef Paninis

Last weekend one of my supper clubs (I'm in two supper clubs) got together to make Paninis.  We each brought ingredients to make a different kind. I made Roast Beef and Blue Cheese Paninis.  You can see all the others on my Supper Club's Blog, just click here.  (the recipes will be added by the others soon).  They were all amazing!

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  A couple weeks ago one of my coworkers brought me this beautiful English teacup that she no longer wanted.  She thought it looked like something I would like and she was right!
Then this week she came in with 10 beautiful dessert bowls for me...lucky me!!
I love the sweet little roses...They were made in Bavaria...Thank you Jill, I really love them!As you can

Show and Tell Friday!

This time of year, right after the holidays, my mind is on Spring!  Luckily for me, it starts looking a little like Spring around here in Northern California by the end of February! That's when the daffodils start blooming!  For now, the anticipation of Spring is all I have!  My garden now, in the dead of winter, does not look anything like these photos from previous years but I'm thinking about