The Season of Lent...

Today I begin my annual Blogger break... in observance of the Lenten Season...

Blessings to each of you.

Hope to see you soon, down here in French Lique...

Breakfast of Pseudo-Champions... A Mini-Post...

Just letting you know, I'm still alive and kickin'... er... baking... Double Dark Chocolate Walnut Brownies... and a steaming hot cup of Folgers Coffee...

proof positive! Chocolate IS it's own food group... and healthy... a full serving of walnuts in each brownie... Breakfast of Pseudo-Champions... hey... at least it's Breakfast...

Enjoying the break down here in French Lique...

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday...

Celebrating the Gift of Our Lord... down here in French Lique...

A Tweet and A Glass Box...

I'm joining Diane for Second Time Around Tuesday... Drop by and see who else is playing!

I can't resist stopping by my favorite Salvation Army Store when I'm on the South Side of San Antonio... and there... last week... I found these...

two little Tweets... 49-cents each... couldn't pass that one up...

When Sweet Sister was here a few weeks ago... we thrifted Goodwill and I found this... missing one of it's ball feet and the ball on top.. didn't bother me any... 99-cents... Sweet Sister said... "what will you do with that broken thing?"

so can you guess where I'm going here?

yep... a perfect combination... now this is just a tease... you'll have to come back later to see the finished product...

Then yesterday at a meeting, one of my co-workers slipped and commented about something I'd said on my blog... huuummmmm... a co-worker lurker... I didn't tell her I KNEW she'd been lurking... Won't she be surprised when she sees this!

Love ya Margie!

Wondering who else is lurking out there in French Lique???????

A Valentine's Day Treat for My Valentine...

What do you give the man who has everything... for Valentine's Day?

FOOD...

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH BUTTERCREAM FROSTING... DIED PINK FOR VALENTINE'S DAY... of course!

A whole DOZEN of them... just for him...

and for my father-in-law who'll be 85 years old next month...

a ONE LAYER CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH BUTTERCREAM FROSTING AND CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES ON TOP!

and for sweet hubby who makes my world go round...

A DOZEN CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES.. MADE WITH MY OWN TWO LITTLE HANDS JUST FOR HIM...

Happy St. Valentine's Day to my Sweetheart...
Down Here in French Lique...

Hey Grandma! It's Snowing... again...

My Grandkiddos had a wonderful time with the Dallas area snow today...
Little Einstein had a serious snowball fight...

Sweet Panda cheered him on... and got in a few shots of her own!

They decided there was enough snow...

to build a snow fort...
while across town their cousin... Romeo...

had a snow ball fight of his own going on...
and Romeo decided to build a snowperson...

for his mom...

Happy PINK SATURDAY Valentine's from Texas...

and from down here in French Lique...

Baby Girl in Dallas wakes up to SNOW!

Baby Girl woke up this morning to this! Her mama... (that's me...) called to check on her about 9am (she goes to work at 10am)... She was still snug in the bed and hadn't looked out the window just yet... "Sweetheart... it's snowing up there... Fort Worth already has 3-inches"... she jumped out of bed and looked out the window... "holy cow Mom...! I've got to get moving!" Mom, in her infinate wisdom, told Baby Girl... "take a change of clothes, your pillow and blankie... just in case you get stuck at work!" She did.

Now you northern gals might think this is nothin'... but in Dallas...

This is a lot of snow!

She called from the road... "Mom! I hope I can find work... I don't recognize anything!"

Mom (that's me) said... "Get off the phone and be careful... call me AFTER you get to work safely!"... she did.. and she did...

Dog-Gone Global Warming! HAPPY PINK VALENTINE SATURDAY EVERYBODY!

wonder if we'll get some snow today down here in French Lique?...

ps... Baby Girl supplied photos via her phone.. ain't the 21st Century just the bomb!

Blue Monday... Photos I've Been Saving for Sally...

I don't have a whole lot of blue in my house... so every time I go thrifting or junking (is it the same thing? I'm not sure?)... anyway... every time I go, I'm always taking photo of blue things... and I always think... I'll post this one for Sally's Blue Monday...

today... I've picked just a few of my favorite blue finds... these photos I've been saving just for you Sally...

This vintage blue thingy... a frosted blue candle holder... It was quite expensive... neither junk nor thrift.. thus it was left for another lover of blue...

I just love this Fenton Blue Crested vase... Pretty milkglass vase trimmed in clear blue glass... just beautiful... you might also notice a bit of blue transferware in the background... not by accident I might add...

This wonderful blue rooster cookie jar was one of my favorite finds... the price was right, but alas... his pretty blue tail had broken off and then poorly repaired... I'm not one that refuses to buy an item repaired... I'm just a little picky about the quality of the repair job...

I really love the pretty blue and white bell in the photo too... so delicate and pretty... Just for you Sally...

So Sally... when you're ready to come visit Texas... us Texas gals will take you out for one of our favorite margaritas... at our favorite TexMex food spot... with plenty of blue... just for you...

and that's a promise from Down Here in French Lique...

Metamorphosis Monday... Lifecycle of a Vintage Garden Chair...

I paid a little more for this rusty garden set than I normally would. The set of 2-chairs and a glass top table just spoke to me... it said... "there's beauty here... just take us home and find it.." and so, I did. I love the curvy swirls of metal on the chair backs and the base of the table...

I kept the set sitting outside in the back yard for several months... Ricky frequently asked... "are you going to do anything with that?" and then one day it just came to me. My inspiration... napkins I purchased for a song at Marshall's ... Spring 2009... Lilly Pulitzer Napkins... set of 4 - oversize - $7.00... too good to pass up... I knew I'd do something special with them...

Off to the Home Depot I went... fabric in hand... to look for green paint... and I found...Painter's Touch Green Apple by Rust-Oleum... Perfect! I cleaned off all the rust... and then painted both chairs green... Green Apple green... and then... Ricky cut new plywood seats.. needed that! With new foam pad and batting in place... I used two of the Lilly Pulitzer napkins for seat covers... next step... Sweet Sister and her fabulous sewing machine... Pillows... pretty lumbar pillows from the two remaining Lilly napkins... and with a set of bright green napkins I had purchased long ago, Sweet Sister created two 12-inch throw pillows... The perfect match for the chairs and their pretty new seats...

The pretty garden chairs and their table have come full circle now... beautiful once again, they sit in my booth at Geronimo awaiting their new mistress... to come and spirit them away to their new life. If she doesn't come by springtime... their new home might just be... down here in French Lique...

Metamorphosis Monday is hosted by one of my favorite decorating bloggers, Susan at Between Naps on the Porch... If you'd like to see more of Metamorphosis Monday participants, link here to visit Between Naps on the Porch...

Silver Sunday... Thrifty Finds and Simple Pleasures...

My thrifty silver find (thank you Goodwill) is this pretty carafe... I just love the elegance of the pretty glass and silver combination...

She was in pretty good shape.. just a little tarnished and dirty...

but what beautiful bones..

and fabulous design...

So of course... I made her sparkling clean...

and shiny...

and put her for sale in my booth...

Then there are these... tarnished with age...

Baby cups... one with an embossed duck.. the other engraved with the initial "D"... for Dixie? Maybe Debbie or David... or even Dexter... So right now... I've decided to leave them as found... tarnished but loved...

and then there were this sweet pair... I'm also leaving tarnished for the time being... I think it brings out the detail... A Santa and A Christmas Tree... S&P... I'm already dreaming of Christmas Tablescapes 2010... aren't they just the sweetest pair?

I'm joining sweet Beth for Silver Sunday again this week... If you love silver and want to see more... visit Beth at Gypsy Fish Journal... the participants are on her sidebar... you'll love what you see...

we'll be missing you Silver Sundays... down here in French Lique...

It's Springtime at French Lique in Blue Hills...

Saturday was spent in my booth... adding... straightening... hanging... making ready for Spring! I'm exhausted! So now, before I go Pink Saturday Visiting... I promised #2 & #3 daughters... and Sweet Sister, that I'd post a few photos of my work... ! Blue Hills was alive with lots of booth vendors getting things ready for Spring just like me... and lots and lots of customers... hope they all found a little treasure today!

This is the view entering my booth... my favorite inanimate gal... Matilda... awaits your arrival and beckons you in...

This is one of those giant birdcages... this one is very rusty and rustic... so I filled it with a grapevine wreath, a large birds nest and lots of silk flowers and Easter eggs... Now it's not just shabby... It's Cottage Shabby Chic!

Here's one of my little green garden chairs with it's Lilly Pulitzer napkin seat... and Sweet Sister made cute little pillows with ball fringe... I just love them. This morning I added vintage pink buttons to the center of the green throw pillows... after looking at them all week... I just thought they needed a little something...

The booth is so small... I loaded the table up with vintage china and glassware..


One adorable little lady came into my both today while I was setting up and asked.. "is it time for tea?"
But of course Cherie!

This is Sweet Sister's corner... Those are little fabric yo-yo refrigerator magnets that Sis makes with scraps left over from her apron creations... they're so cute... all hand stitched...

A broader view of Sweet Sis's corner... She has some pretty Fenton glassware for sale too...

Here's Matilda again... Beckoning you in... saying "Come on down here to French Lique"...