A Single Rose

I wanted to introduce you to my newest member of my flower family. It's called the Peggy Martin Rose, also know as the rose that survived Hurricane Katrina. Anyone who can survive 10 feet of salt water for 2 weeks has a special place in my garden.

My little antique rose bush is very special to me because we both survived that horrid storm. Today I saw the first little bud about to bloom, it made my heart happy, it reminded me to always be hopeful. I can not wait to post beautiful pictures of my own like the ones below.

"What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise" -Oscar Wilde

Image via Southern Living click here to read the entire story.

And thanks Carolyn - truly the perfect gift!!!

Deviled Eggos

I made a trip to the antique store on my way home yesterday and pickup an old milk glass devil egg tray. My man loves deviled eggs so last night we put my $10 purchase to good use right away. I wanted to share my recipe with you guys. It's from Tyler Florence but I like to add a little relish and substitute a little paprika for the salmon caviar for garnish.

Curried Deviled Eggs

6 eggs

3 tablespoon mayo

1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon relish

salt and pepper to taste

Paprika and chives for garnish

Boil eggs, let sit in hot water for 15 minutes then run under cold water. Peal egg shells and cut eggs in half lengthwise. Take out egg yolks and mix in a processor with mayo, mustard, curry, lemon juice, and relish. Salt and pepper to taste and fill the eggs with mixture. Garnish with paprika and chives.

Easy peasy and a favorite around my house!!!! We went to the farmers market on Saturday and I got two dozen fresh organic eggs. I love how yellow the egg yolks are!!!

Fuzzy Wuzzy

I love this pillow from Zoeppritz (it's made of Lamb's fur). We had a parade of homes in our area and I fell in love with one of the homes they decorated. In the master bedroom they had a chocolate brown version of the fuzzy pillow below. After my search to find the pillow ended with its outrageous price, I was happy to find a copy cat version at Pier One and West Elm.

Zoeppritz - Explode Pillow $230

West Elm - Mongolian Lamb Pillow Cover $59.00

Pier One - Cream Monogolian Wool Pillow $39.95

Lamb's fur or wool - big difference I know but just as cute!!!! Don't you agree??

One Kings Lane

The many faces of One King Lane!!! I love all the emails I get with the latest home decor on sale, but I also love the sweet little doggies and outdoor pictures that have graced the login pages.

I grew up with a yellow lab, and she was a real part of the family. My dad let me name her "Candy" I would paint her toenails and put bows in her ears. She would sit at the front porch every afternoon just like this and wait for me to get off the school bus. I miss that dog!!

Cool Find

For the most part try to stay clear of Walmart, nothing personal I just rarely have a nice experience shopping in the store. But these $16.00 beach towels were well worth my trip today!!! I love geometric shapes, I love baby blue, and I love big towels. They are made of 100% cotton and measure 40 in x 72" - that's a nice size. My only complaint is that I wish they were a little thicker, but they are great for wrapping around your body.

You would never guess these came from Wally World. They are not yet available online so check out your local Walmart. I came home with the aqua quatrefoil design but might need to make a trip for another one.

Peonies on a Monday

I bought some fresh flowers at the grocery store today, they are my all time favorite - Pink Peonies!!!!

They are making my Monday a little more bearable.

I finally got my shelf up on the wall this weekend. I found an old 60" wooden board in the garage, had it cut right down the middle, and slapped some leftover white paint on the wood. I found these iron brackets at Hobby Lobby at 50% off, and for a grand total of $17.22 we have two new shelves in the kitchen.

Dear Old Dad

Sunday was the annual Acadiana Hibiscus Chapter plant show and sale. The chapter was created in 1999 by my father and after his death the name was changed to honor him. It is a non-profit organization of individuals sharing a common interest in cultivating and growing varieties of Hibiscus.

They had around 500 incredible blooms on display, and I can only imagine the smile on my dad's face. He was what you would call a hibiscus expert, and an avid grower. He had a huge greenhouse and would graft and crossbreed the flowers. It was quite amazing, and quite a passion my dad enjoyed in his spare time. It was good to see his old friends and to be surrounded by the blooms he found so entertaining.

This is the beauty I came home with, her name is Moonlight Madness!!!!

Let's hope I can keep her alive.

These beautiful flowers make me miss my father. It broke my heart the day he died, he was only 51 years old. He was my pillar, my biggest fan, the first man I ever loved, and the man I measured all men against. I miss calling him with questions and concerns. I miss sharing in our latest projects or obsessions. I miss his wisdom and advise. I miss the way he smelled after smoking his pipe. I miss the sound of his voice. I just miss him. I will always miss him.

The flower he created

Image of the Day

Relaxed.

(via Anita Clark Design)

Around the House

Just some randomness around our house!!!

Living room windows

Dresser I found in the garage and re-painted

Old Westinghouse fan

New faucet (that I installed myself)!!

Antique wire basket for magazines

Bella Bride

Well it all started when I ordered some samples of some expensive letterpress invitations and I have fallen in love and have to have them. They are so beautiful words really do not do them justice, and nothing else I have looked at compares. I love and adore all things Bella Figura. A bold statement I know but they are first class all the way.

Here is your history lesson for the day:

Letterpress printing is a term for the relief printing of text and image using a press with a "type-high bed" printing press and movable type, in which a reversed, raised surface is inked and then pressed into a sheet of paper to obtain a positive reight-reading image. It was the normal form of printing text in the west from its invention by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-15th centry until the 19th century and remained in wide use for books and other uses until the second half of the 20th century (found on wikipedia).

Calligraphy is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of fancy lettering. A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner" (found on wikipedia).

Calligraphy first appeared around 600 BC in Rome, and I won't bore you with all the juicy details of the history and preservation of this fascinating art form.

Our beautiful, lovely, amazing wedding invitations have arrived. We only have two months left till the big day and I can not wait to drop these little babies in the mail.

RIAD

I have coveted this fabric for way longer than I would ever admit. I ordered one yard to make pillows for the sofa and it literally took months to come in. Finally it now lives on my sofa, in my house, in my life.

Some girls have all the luck!!!!!

More pictures to come soon, I am making some white linen pillows to go behind these little babies, but I really could not wait to get this picture on my blog.

It's from Kravet's Windsor Smith collection and I love the simplistic Moroccan geometric design. It gets my vote for fabric or the year.

Happy Weekend!!

Project Progress Update

We are making lots of progress in our courtyard. We planted a few plants and they are thriving, it is a huge source of relaxation for me to come home from work, pour my glass of wine, water the plants, and just sit.

Still have a long list of things to do but it is starting to look nice. I bought some outdoor fabric to make cushions for the chairs, we need an umbrella to shield the table from the sun, move my BBQ pit, power wash the cement, tackle the space around the AC unit, and most importantly watch the plant grow and grow and grow.

I love before and after pictures so here you go:

Before.......

During......

After.....

Here are a few of my favorite little babies growing strong in the courtyard. We also planted a Persian Lime Tree, lots of Herbs, Jasmine to cover the electrical junk, a Peggy Martin Antique Rose, Sweet Olive Bush, and a few Camellias.

Passion Flower.....

Hydrangea.....

Roma Tomatoes.....

New light fixtures.....

Create Myrtles......

Zebra Plant.....

Itsy Bitsy

What is it about newborns hands and feet that just melt your heart? My friend sent me these pictures of her beautiful new baby girl. They are straight out of her camera (not mine), no editing, no fixing, just sweet innocent perfection!!!

Look at those little bitty finger nails!! Her name is Elizabeth Grace and she is the lucky lady who gets to grow up in this cute little room!!

A perfect 10