Blue Monday Marjolica Fish Platter

Finally I get to participate in the lovely Sally's Blue Monday over at http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/

Sally just recently moved over to my side of Florida(West Coast) Tampa area. Maybe one day I will get to meet her, if she is anything like what she puts forth on her blog...then she is a winner!

This may be hard to believe,but this is the only blue item in my home besides the 3 small votive candles sitting on my patio table. Oh I almost forgot, I do own one pair of blue panties. Sorry people I refuse to share them .

Anyway here she is my beautiful blue fish platter. It is blue and measures 14" x 26" .It was made in Spain.

I found this when I lived on the East coast of Florida(where Miss Sally just moved from!) I was out at my favorite TJMaxx store one afternoon and came across this. It had a sticker price of $29.99 .I liked it and I bought it.

There were two on the shelf. When I got home I decided that I would go back the next day and get the other one, if still available. So the next day...there it was, along with a soup tureen! OMG I was in heaven. I snatched them both up and took off to the front to pay for them.

I get up there and they totaled the 2 items up; the cashier said $178.99... I almost fell over.

Come to find out,the platter I had purchased the day before had been mis-priced (LUCKY ME) I hated to tell the cashier that I would not be taking the items after all.But I did and put my spending money towards something I could really use.

A few more plates.

Dish Madness

Just a few of the girls...

Gabrielle ,222Fifth what my daughter Holly requested from my collection

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Above are some of the plates in my collection ( addiction.) Last night I was too lazy and tired to go into the garage and open plastic storage boxes. There are more.

Why do I want all of this? I am not a hoarder of anything else. My home is clutter free and neat. But I absolutely love china and all the pretties that sit on the table with it.

I believe it goes way back to my dear grandmother. She was worse than I am. She had it all and flaunted it. On the table that is. And when I sat down at her table I felt so special. Because she cared about her presentation,the meal and her guests. She really knew how to entertain(I did not inherit that.)

More importantly last week when my daughter mentioned that she now needed a set of my china for her new house, I was so proud! I went to work...which set would I part with? She wanted something to display that was not formal, something chic she said. She picked out a simple set by 222Fifth called Gabrielle. So she got all the pretties that went with it! She was in shock. She only wanted the dishes,I told her-"you get it all!"

One day she will inherit all my pretties she better be ready when the time comes. She knows the rules! I have been teaching her since she was very young.

What Was I Thinking?

This morning after breakfast I got this crazy idea ...I asked Harvey if he wanted to go see what the IKEA store was all about. So off we went to the shopping mecca of the brainless and uninspired.

I know that I will insult someone by saying that and I wish that I could say sorry. But life is not always fair.

This place is huge and goes on longer than the movie Titanic. The people are walking around in trances as though they really love this stuff. I actually was sickened. I have found better quality at dumpsters when I have done my dumpster dives for treasures. Now that is fun!

Maybe I am just old school and I do not like disposables.I like an old piece of real wood that has a few time worn scratches. If anyone ever gets the chance to check the store out, do it. But leave your wallet at home.

Afterwards we stopped off at the Junk Store and I picked up a beautiful crystal candle holder ,a pattern for slipcovers and 9 red chintz paisley napkins all for $2.35. I will share at a later date.

My Heart Is In The Right Place

Wednesday morning at 5:30am I had to check in at Pepin Heart Hospital for an Cardiac Catherization with possible stents to be placed in my left and right ventricle. This was due to my thallium stress test performed weeks earlier that showed me having an enlarged heart!

Here I am going to the cath room. Notice how happy my caregivers look? Jack & Jill were charmers. They took great care of me and made sure that I was comfortable and relaxed.

After the procedure looking much happier! BECAUSE after three weeks of fear ;I finally find out that my heart is not enlarged .That I do not have cardiomyopathy/or heart failure. That my nuclear tests were false. It happens. But in reality They found that my heart is a bit larger than the norm. Just not "enlarged." I always knew that I had a BIG heart!!!

Harvey looked so happy when my cardiologist gave him the news as they were wheeling me back to my room.

Later my nurse decided we needed a silly picture. Actually she was pulling IV's out and it really did hurt!

Normally I would not post something this private .

I guess this is my Public Service Announcement for why you should never ignore the signs of heart trouble. I had many symptoms and my internist insisted I get checked out. Yet in the end I found that I have a sound heart,no blocked arteries... I am glad that I had the procedure .

So now it is back to the drawing board. But at least it is not my heart!

Look at this hair!! I was up at 4am doing my best to do hair and makeup. It wasn't easy.

Foodie Friday Coconut Macaroons

This is my addition to Michael's "Foodie Friday" over at Designs By Gollum

http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/

The most wonderful blog in the world. I was starstruck from the first time I witnessed her magic over at Rate My Space.

And she cooks too!

Just a few items are needed to make this simple treat!

Just mix it all together and drop onto a greased sheet pan

I then drizzle with some chocolate

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Recipe

1 pkg Bakers angel flaked coconut

2/3 cup sugar

6 tbsp flour

4 egg whites

1 tbsp almond extract

1/4 tsp salt

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Mix together until well blended,drop by tablespoons onto greased,floured cookie sheet

Bake for 20 minutes at 325 or until edges are golden brown

Drizzle with chocolate ,if desired

Bill This One's For You

Bill over at http://affordableaccoutrements.blogspot.com/ inspired me by his pretties that he had displayed .So this is my "Show & Tell" for Bill. I always get excited when I see someone that has real talent in the table scape arena. I have it in my head lol. I just can't seem to put it out there anymore.

Well ,here is the little devil that started it all! I found him at my favorite shopping mecca at the Goodwill when I was living in Deerfield Beach ,Florida.

Notice I prefer to them in the masculine way? It is because I look at bar glasses as manly items. No matter how delicate I see them that way.

And by doing this, I get to say to Harvey " look what I found to add to your collection!" And then he somehow believes that he is in on the hoopla too.

So then he feels like I am not just blowing money on myself.(Our little secret)

I have managed to find 10 of these little boys...

I am not sure of the pattern, maybe you are better acquainted ?

Here are my sherbets.I have only 6 of them.I am patient in my search. I will get lucky one day when I least expect it.That is how it usually goes for me. I also have 2 champayne glasses.

Here I have them scattered inside my big china cabinet. I also have 8 tiny Cordials. I used them for Grand Marnier last Christmas.They worked just find. I figured they really need a strong man drink that only requires maybe one shot?

I tend to get comments about all my crystal and china that at times are not really genuine. I did not grow up wealthy , but my mother set a nice table everyday. And my grandmother's table was a sight to behold. What happened to people? Sometimes I almost feel guilty when I set a table for guests. They look really uncomfortable.

Anyway after seeing your pretties,I just wanted to share.

Grandmother Ann's Cabinet Makeover

Before I added her "Make-up" this is what she looked like. Old and tired.

Finally I have a post so that I can participate in Susan's Met Monday!! I love her monday show and her thursday show too! I wonder when she sleeps?

Here we have this lovely old cabinet here that belonged to Harvey's paternal grandmother Ann, it is mahogany and it is in bad shape; because of how it was stored for so many years .

I have wanted to paint it for sooo long . But he was always against it, well I finally beat him down. I am not the type of person that usually does this.But it was necessary this time. So I will live with my guilt. The end result was well worth it! Now she has energy and looks so alive. She just needed a little moisturizer and color.

From what I understand his grandmother Ann liked to collect pretties . I feel that she would be OK with what I have done to her lovely cabinet. She was a teacher in Atlantic City for many years. And a wife of a very prominent Presbyterian minister. I have a few other of her heirloom pieces that Harvey's mother passed down to me.I painted it Vineyard Green from the Biltmore Collection from Lowe's. I originally had planned to paint it the same as the wall color . I am glad that I went with the green.

The cabinet had long legs and they were so wobbly.I did not want to put my pretties inside. So I had Harvey saw the legs off and I added the small bun feet. I think that it looks much better.

I would like to get rid of the Oriental style trim on the front door. But every time I try-I fear breaking the glass. so I will live with it.

This wood is so hard that his heavy duty drill was about to burn up. He was not happy breaking a sweat on this bad boy. But when he watched me playing Dish Diva tonight...I am sure that he felt that it was well worth it.

Besides it gave him 3 hours of man television time...Mecums Auto Auctions, Nascar Auto Racing (his man won)and more auto crapola.

I am so tired from painting all day yesterday. I still need to do some tweaking. If anyone has some suggestions...send them my way. I love suggestions.

I know that I do not post daily like all of you wonderful women.Wish that I could. I love reading as much as I can when I can. And I do try to comment... My neck fusion is getting better But it still wears me out to sit for long at my desk.