Birthday Dining Table Ideas

This is the dining room in my last house.
There's a glare because of my 'fine picture taking abilities' but if you look closely, you can see how I took out the wooden shelves and replaced  them with  glass.
The back wall was already mirrored and had lights that showed off the glasses.
We always include decorating our antique sideboard to incorporate it into the theme.

This table setting is for PBC's birthday dinner. The plates are some of my favorite TJ Maxx finds! They are in the shape of fish and if memory serves me, I believe I paid about 8 bucks a piece.
 PBC and I decorated her table together and used hot pink taffeta as a runner.
Next, we cruised Ross Dress for Less to buy some bags full of sea shells to sprinkle on top and around the flowers.

The container centerpiece is actually a crystal punch bowl filled with
blue oasis. Pink, purple and blue hydrangeas from the garden are stuffed in and amongest Calla Lillies.

French Country Kitchen

I've re modeled 7 houses and found some pictures I thought you might like to get some ideas from. I'm all about Gilding The Lillies with as much punch..... as my pocket purse will allow. In other words, I will spurge on some things, cut wayyyyy back on others. Below, above the sink, there was an ugly window leading into an even uglier glass room. My carpenter cut the window completely out and made me a pass through. The room became my children's playroom. This worked perfectly for us because I could be cooking in the kitchen and keeping an eye on them at all times.

When I bought my my last house, the cabinets were old, wooden and very outdated.  The kitchen was so big, I hated to rip all the existing cabinets out, so I hired a carpenter to take each top door off the hinges and cut a hole in the middle.  Instead of using glass, I put chicken wire in the middle to display all my china.
With the money I saved with not ripping out the cabinets, I put beautiful Salmon colored Thibaut wallpaper on the walls.

Then I hired painters to come in and paint the inside of the cabinets a moss green.  On the cabinets that didn't have the chicken wire, we painted a cream color and put a wash over them to give them that warm feeling. 

Next, I hired an artist to come in and paint different animals on my cabinet doors.  Grape vines, pigs, peacocks, roosters, rabbits, birds, monkeys, a fox and even a bee hive decorated my cabinets.
Later, I had her come back and put a darker mustard color on the island to add some UMF!

I kept the double stove and tile flooring (which I didn't love but it ended up going with the french country theme and I kept it shiny and waxed at all times!!!!
I bought a trash compacter, new frig, put in a double sink and had enough money left over to put granite on the counter tops. 

This Lil Piggy Stays In Da House!

This is Truffles.
Last year Truffles stayed outside. I brought him in  this year...on account of some other jealous 'night varmit' yanking off one of his eyes.
Now he sits on our pass through, waving his lil star wand and flapping those angel wings for all the guests who sit at our table to eat.
PBC is mortified.
I say life is short and if you want a pink flying angel pig floating through your dining room,    
by golly, do it!
STAL just shakes his head in Bewilderment.
What else can I say?
Truffles matches the pink and purple Flibbertigibbet themed Christmas we've got going on around here.
My children do not live a boring life.
I hope yours don't.

Some More Decor!

Red Amaryllis, Paper Whites, Cranberries and Red Pears

Nativity Scene I bought from Sam's years ago. Baby Jesus's head is detached due to somebody in our crowd playing with the lil baby too much. When I first got this home years ago, I could tell all the figures were dark skinned. From the other room, I heard PBC ask STAL "Why is baby Jesus brown?"
 STAL looks at PBC like she's an idiot.
"Because they were always out in the sun.  DUH, PBC."
Hmmmmm. I don't know about those two.

Tree trimmings, ribbon and ornaments that are extra cute that I was afraid Bear (big dog) would knock off the tree with his mighty tail.

Told ya Bear was big

Christmas Cardeling

                                      
PBC and I made these Christmas cards one scorching July day.  It was just me, PBC, and Barbara Streisand...
who sang Christmas Carols while we cut, glued and pasted Christmas cards.
Great Girl Time!!!!

Need card instruction? Check out my "Thankful Cards" blog post!

Christmas Wrapping Fit For A Queen!

These presents are a lot easier to wrap than they look.  The magic key is to get ribbon that has wire in it.  I usually tie a piece to both sides of the box, making a T shape. Then, I just keep adding different colors of ribbon.  The butterfly (shove above) is actually a clip on Christmas ornament.  It will hide any ugly knots that all that are sitting on top of the box. I take the longest piece of ribbon tie it in a bow and roll the ribbon up.  EASY! EASY!
TIPS:
1. keep pieces of ribbons from previous presents in a bin.  You can see mine on the "Thankful Cards." post.
 2. Use Christmas ornaments that are small and nothing special to you, they really make a punch to your gift.
3. Think outside the box. Literally. Wrapping in it's self is so time consuming. Just put a bow around your gift and go with it.
4. If you feel like you need a box, head to Sam's, Costco, Wallmart, Target etc and buy a package of Christmas boxes. Add your bow and skip the paper!
5. Use all different sizes of ribbon. Add candy canes, lolly pops, or curly ribbon to hide knots. 
6.This project can be time consuming, I admit.  But do what I do.....turn on a Christmas movie with the peeps and roll ribbon to your hearts content!

NOTE: If there are no Christmas movies available, I would not advice letting STAL make your movie choice. PBC and I caved last night and watched several The Twilight Zone original shows.

I've been a Nervous Nelly ever since....

Grinch is a better choice :)

A Lil Gift From Me.....

To Me.................

Hobby Lobby half price sale....... can't beat it!