Blogger Burnout...

Hi All! I come to you with a heavy heart. I have given this a lot of thought, and have decided that for the time being - I am just unable to carry on with my blog for a little while. I do not know how long. I know that I am extremely busy with work. I have just entered into an agreement to purchase a local real estate company. So, my little ole' business will soon quadruple in size. I am a bit overwhelmed.

I am not saying I won't be back - nor am I saying I will not post something occassionally, but for the next few months I have so much to concentrate on that I feel that I would be doing a disservice to my business if I did not focus 100% on it. We all know how much time blogging can take. I will miss it, and I will miss you most of all. I will still be visiting you and following your lives and escapades....

I know I will be back in full force after the summer selling season settles down a bit, but for now....I need to step back and realign my life - and focus.

Thank you for understanding. Its been a hard decision to make. But I know all of you will understand. Please stay in touch with me....as I will think of you often.

Much Love to each of you...and thank you so much for following my blog.

Hugs and Blessings, Barb

Tablescape Thursday...It's a Boy!

Welcome to Tablescape Thursday, hosted by our friend

Susan at Between Naps on the Porch.

Please stop by Susan's beautiful blog to see her amazing weekly tablescape, and

also to get your fill of tablescapes galore.

I am immensely enjoying my visit to Colorado Springs with my son and

daughter-in-law and my grandson, Cole. I leave Saturday and tomorrow

will be bittersweet. (I have missed Mr. Grits and my furry babies, too)

But, while I was here - I was able to go to their ultrasound appointment....

It's a Boy!

"Operation Baby Boy Shower!"

We will welcome Garrett Blake Russell into our family the first of November.

If you know nothing about me, I will share with you that when I plan a

party, my "Marine Wife"

attitude and background comes out of me in full force. No battle has ever

been waged with as much precision planning as I put into an event. LOL

Don't you just love these cakes? I found so many beautiful cake ideas online.

Look at these precious cookies. Wouldn't these make beautiful placecards on an all

blue and white tablescape?

I love this idea. A watermelon "Baby Carriage" fruit basket.

(the wheel is falling off. lol)

My problem is going to be that I will be flying in for the shower. So I will be shipping

the party favors, etc. I will hopefully have some ideas from Amanda before

I leave, as to what "theme" or feel she wants.

So, as you can imagine I am excited.

Sorry this wasn't a "tablescape" in the traditional sense...but I will have some

tablescape ideas I will be sharing with you soon. Stay tuned......!

Hugs and Best Wishes....Barb

Tea Time Tuesday!

Welcome to Tea Time Tuesday!

I know many of you have been anxiously awaiting this event. I can't wait to sit down with you a share a spot of tea.

I am having a wonderful time visiting with my son and daughter-in-law and grandson, Cole, in Colorado Springs.

The weather is absolutely beautiful and we have been outside all day today.

So, since I am out-of-town - we are going to have a Virtual Tea Party instead.

(*all pictures courtesy of Google pics.)

So, donn your prettiest tea dress and come and visit for a spell...

While I am pouring your tea...

...head on over to the tea table which I have set up especially for you.

Its filled with a variety of sweet and savory goodies....

Let's start with some tea cakes...

These charming petit fours are a good place to start. Don't you just love

these sweet, little "packages?"

More package petit fours. Don't forget to select a few decorated sugar cubes

for your tea.

Banana Cream Cakes with Buttercream Frosting and chocolate shavings.

Oh, go ahead and take two!

Lemon Cakes w/ Lemon Meringue. Look at those perfect little peaks.

Small vanilla cakes covered in fondant and roses. I heart the vintage silver tea cake server.

So, I hope you have enjoyed my Virtual Tea Party. I will announce next week when

the next tea party will be held. I have a special treat ... I will do a demonstration of

how to decorate the sugar cubes with frosting roses, and I will also show you how to

make roses and leaves. I have been experimenting with making some videos -

so we will see. :-)

If you are participating in Tea Time Tuesday, I ask that you please use the

small or large logo - and also, please refer back to the host blog, Grits and Glamour -

so others may come back here to get a full list of all Tea Party attendees.

Happy Tea Time Tuesday!

Cloche Party!

It's finally here! The Cloche Party!

Last Thursday, I was a whole week early when I joined the Cloche Party. Imagine my embarrassment at showing up at the Party in my party dress and everyone else was wearing shorts and flip-flops. Oy! Were my cheeks ever red. :-D

Then today, I had one of my horrendous migraines and had to go get a shot. So if this post is kinda loopey-sounding - its the drugs.

Please join my dear friend Marty over at A Stroll Thru Life to see all the wonderful party-goer's who have attended with their prettiest cloches. If you have not been to this sweet ladies blog, make sure you spend some time getting to know her.

I am going to start by posting some pics from my Inspiration files. But first, I did a quick study on cloches and found that they were developed by the French in the 1800's, and were used as mini greenhouses, of sorts, to protect young seedlings from the frost and also to encourage growth until the plants were heartier. Also known as glass bell jars, the English and Dutch expanded the idea and developed different shapes and sizes. (those clever Europeans!!!) :-)

In this first pic, my first thought was "no fair!" I only have two cloches, and he has a whole row of them. I think he planted cloche seeds.

Small plantings love the greenhouse effect of the cloche. I love the footed, glass tray the larger bell jar is resting on.

I especially love cloches during the holidays. This one has been filled with a variety of Christmas ornaments and placed on a vintage, silver tray.

This is one of my favorite inspiration pics in my files. I love the juxtaposition between the vintage, chippy-paint urn, the shiny ornaments and the glass cloches.

Even something as simple as seashells look extra special when displayed under a series of cloches.

Like I said, I only have two cloches. I call them my "traveling jars" because they seem to have feet and and move all around my home. For example....

My large jar was featured on my front porch with a bird's nest and eggs on displayed on a side table...

Remember these ham biscuits I featured during Easter? Read here if you wanna see the recipe and more pics.

I served these biscuits with my Drunken Peach Tea on my Dining Room buffet. I used one of my green Bordallo plates, and added a multi-ribbon topper to the cloche for a bit of Easter color.

... here's a close-up...

Prior to Easter Sunday, I had arranged a small Spring-time vignette - again with the cloche and my set of marble bunnies. (see lower right corner)

You've heard of "Pheasant Under Glass?" This is "Bunnies Under Glass." :-D

During Christmas, I placed my cloche over my Waterford crystal clock. Mr Grits and I purchased this at the Waterford Crystal Factory in Ireland.

... and once again, I used my small dessert stand (which is "kinda" cloche-like) on my tablescape this week. It showcases a small chocolate cake and keeps Baby Lily from licking it. (she loves frosting!)

I can't wait to see what everyone is sharing for the Cloche party. Also, if you would like to see more of these parties, please go over to Marty's blog and vote in her poll. I voted yes, yes, yes! :-)

Thanks Marty for thinking of and hosting this fab event!

Just a note:

I leave on Sunday to go to Colorado Springs to visit with my babies for a whole week, so my blogging may be a little sporadic at best. I will be hosting Tea Time Tuesday, and Mr Linky will be up by 8pm Monday night. I look forward to seeing all of your "Tea-rrific" posts.

Have a Great Weekend Everyone....Hugs, Barb

Tablescape Thursday!

Welcome to Tablescape Thursday! One of the most celebrated events in Blogland. This meme is graciously hosted each week by Susan - a revered Tablescaper, at Between Naps on the Porch.

I need to say that I have great respect for Susan, who week after week both hosts this event and creates a new tablescape, to boot. I am not sure how she does it. My point being, its hard to create something original each week. That said, I am hoping that you do not remember that my last tablescape, also, featured roosters. (oops, maybe you would not have remembered if I had kept my mouth closed!) :-D

In my haste to put together a table this morning before I went to work (because I knew there would be no time when I got back home) - I looked around to see what plates I could use. A-ha! Rooster plates! D'oh! (said in my best Homer Simpson voice). I did Roosters last time. Oh well.....ya' work with what ya' got...and I got more rooster plates. LOL

These plates are a set of four salad plates that are usually hanging on my kitchen wall. (hence the dust if you look really close)

These plates are my newest impulse buy purchase at Marshall's. These red lovelies have been calling out to me for several weeks now. Alas - I could resist no further.

Here is one of the plates...

.. and the second. (don't you just love the harlequin edging?)

... the third design...

... and finally the fourth.

Look what a beautiful placesetting this creates when the red plate and the rooster plate is paired together. I used a gold square charger - not to bring in any formality, but to pull in some of the gold tones from the Provencal tablecloth. (Marshal's)

I heart the embossed detail on the edge's of the red plates.

But, man cannot create a tablescape with plates alone....oh no, no, no...

...So bring on the accoutrements!

Simple black, painted wood candleholders with Goodwill candles. These candles are the battery operated kind and I was tickled pink to find them for 50 cents each. Until I got home, popped in some brand-new batteries and realized they didn't work.

So, a tuft of moss and a tealight later...and I love the look of my new candles.

I grabbed my two-tiered metal basket from the top of my hutch, and plopped in some geraniums, eucalyptus, euchenacia and black polka-dotted ribbon loops.

We interrupt this broadcast to bring you the following public service announcement:

Marty at A Stroll Thru Life is having a Cloche Party on Friday....

Here is a small sampling of my post.... this mini-cloche-topped dessert stand.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming....

Look who's on top of the tiered basket.....Monsieur Le Coq!

A crockery wine jug is draped with a black and white "spill rag." When we used to live in Brussels, we loved to go downtown to the Grand Place and have dinner. The waiters would wrap all the wine and water jugs with pretty napkins. I always thought it was a very practical, and pretty, idea.

This is some of my recently acquired "crystal" stemware. Love the red edging.

Oh - did I say "crystal?" I'm sorry, I meant to say "acrylic." $2 ea at Wally World.

Lookie here! The second cousins of the Roosters and Hens (twice removed) stopped in for a little visit - the little Target birdies.

So - please forgive me for doing another Rooster and Hen themed tablescape. I promise I will try to let a few weeks go by before I repeat this theme again. :-)

Please make sure you go by Susan's blog at Between Naps on the Porch so you can visit all the other Tablescaper's posts. It is truly a day filled with awe-inspiring eye candy.

Happy Tablescaping....Barb