Friday, August 19, 2011

Fried veggies

It's not every day you can have fresh corn, okra, and tomatoes. I love fresh fried corn, fried okra, red, ripe, tomatoes...and, of course, fried peach pies. YUMMY
Us southern folks have to have our fried foods. I also love fried squash, fried green tomatoes, and fried potatoes.
I'll eat healthy some day...but for now, give me my fried veggies.




Mama's Chocolate Pie

Chocolate pie happens to be my all-time favorite dessert. It's also my son's. I make it often and it's gone in a snap. I dedicate this post to my mother who made it for us when we were growing up. She didn't have a recipe...she had made it so many times she just started putting it all together and came up with the best chocolate pie known to man. After I married, I was learning to cook and asked her for the recipe. She just laughed and told me she had never measured anything. So, we set out to create an official chocolate pie recipe. She started out as usual and when she thought she had enough of any one ingredient, I would measure it and write it down. We finally came up with Mama's Chocolate Pie. I've had that little index card for 40 years now. A few years ago my son emailed me one day and asked for the recipe. I shared it with him thinking I might have a surprise waiting for me soon.  NOT!!!!
LOL
So, I'm still making chocolate pies for my family and friends...thanks to my mother and her special recipe. I hope she's making chocolate pies in heaven.
 Thanks mama

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

History of the Oakview Cottage

We never know what God has planned for us. Several years ago, hubby and I decided to move back to our hometown. We had left a few years before to live closer to work. We found out that the long drive came in second to being close to family. So, one day we decided to look around for land for a modular home. We soon found out how difficult the process is and didn't want to spend that much time on it. We went to a local real estate office and while looking over their listings one of the agents walked by and said there had been a new listing, just that day, of a cute little house in the downtown area. She asked us if we wanted to look at it. However, she couldn't let us go inside because the owners were planning an estate sale and didn't want it shown until after the sale. We decided to check it out. We found the address, walked around the yard, looked in the one and only window we could see in and I fell in love. I wanted that house. I had to have that house. We made an offer that day and after a couple of phone calls we had the house!!  Can you believe it? Buying a house practically unseen.  We wouldn't be able to see inside for another month....after the estate sale. (What a crazy rule)  We were 3rd in line waiting for the estate sale to start on a rainy Saturday morning. The moment I walked in I knew I was home. I didn't want to leave. I wanted everybody out of my house...don't  touch anything.......
Someone asked..."Are they going to sell the house?"  I yelled, "Yes, we bought it."
I love my little Oakview Cottage. It's small..just the way I like it. After we moved in, we painted every room, removed old carpet, replaced the kitchen floor, removed old wallpaper, painted the kitchen
cabinets...you name it...I've shabby chic'd it.   God didn't want us in a modular home..He wanted us in our Oakview Cottage.....Thank You Lord

Little bronze shoes

Does anyone do this anymore?  I never see bronze shoes advertised these days. These are my son's first shoes.  Aren't they adorable?  Of course, I thought everything he had was adorable.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Recent centerpiece

I am forever changing the centerpieces on my dining room table. I never can decide what I like best. This is my current one.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011


My china cabinet sits in a corner of the dining room and holds many of my prize possessions. During one chapter of my life I had a complete set of beautiful china.  However, it was never used. I think that's the case with a lot of people.  I now use my cabinet for special "one of a kind" dishes, glasses, and candles. The cabinet was once a cherry color until I got my faithful paint can and brush out and spent two weekends turning it into shabby chic.               

A few of my favs




Thursday, June 9, 2011

Here comes the bride......

This silk magnolia arrangement was actually my wedding bouquet. I had it specially made at a local florist and hand carried it from Alabama to Las Vegas on our flight. We married in Vegas at Little Church of the West. http://www.littlechurchlv.com/  No....it was not an Elvis wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony in a rustic church outside of town. This arrangement has many miles on it. It's held up well.
Love this serving dish. The color is a pale mint green with gold trim. I found it at an estate sale. The colors are perfect.

The Princess will have tea

I bought this teapot and plate at a local home store. I fell in love with it. It reminded me of my granddaughter. She's our princess and she loves to drink tea

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Happy Tuesday

One of those days that I just want to say...Thank You Lord for my many blessings!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Tea Cup Collection

Small, but lovely tea cup collection. Tea cups in my favorite colors of pink and lavender

Monday, May 16, 2011

My Grandchildren


My grandchildren...Noah & Mattison
All grandmothers think they have the most beautiful grandchildren anywhere on earth. Well, so do I.
They are the greatest. Can you tell I'm proud?
They have captured my heart, inspired me to be a better person, and given me more joy than I could ever have imagined.

Cozy Corner

My favorite little reading and knitting nook. Where would I be without my paint sprayer and white paint? This chair was once dark green and tan. The foot stool was originally cherry wood with a dark burgundy and green tapestry covering.  Why didn't I take before and after pictures?
The side table was from my parent's house. I stripped and stained it several years ago. I couldn't bring myself to spray paint it.  The pillow is an original "Sandy" pillow. One side is rose floral with a pink background, the other side is pink polka dots. The cushion is rose floral with a green background.

HAZEL

I have a special relationship with my cousin, Brenda. Our birthdays are the same year, one week apart.
We love to go to yard sales and estate sales. We have found so many great things. I'll be sharing pictures of a lot of those things in upcoming posts.
Brenda is always on the lookout for shabby chic items that she thinks I'll like.  One day I got a call from her while she was at a sale and said she had found some plates that she was pretty sure I would like. She took a picture on her phone, sent it to me, and......WOW!  it was the same pattern that I had recently started collecting because I already had several handed down to me from my grandmother. They are dishes that my grandmother used as her everyday dishes when I was a kid growing up. The pattern is called - Hazel.  She bought them for me and now I have them displayed proudly in my dining room.

My Special Mantle

This is my special mantle. The background mirror was there when we bought the house. I bought the "picture" at a local home decor store. It was a dark brown/copper color. I spray painted and distressed it. It looks like a part of the mirror. The candleholders on the left were brown...sprayed white and distressed, as well. I found the pink vase at a local yard sale for $1.00. I've added several doilies found on my estate sale outings. Hope you like it!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

A Very Special Day

Today is a very special day in my life. It is the day I gave birth to my only son 38 years ago. I am filled with memories this morning....good memories...ones that have seen me through some hard times, ones  that cheer me up and make me laugh, ones that make me sad because he grew up way too fast.
I am so proud of my son. He has become a wonderful husband and father of two, a man who loves the Lord with all his heart and walks with Him every day. This guy is special in every way and I'm a very blessed mama today.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SON...I LOVE YOU