Tablescape Thursday

Hello, Dear Ones! Welcome again to Tablescape Thursday, hosted by our Most Darling Diva of Dishes, Susan, at Between Naps on the Porch. Pop on over to see her and you'll marvel at the many talented Tablescapers!


Okay, I'm taking you into the breakfast room today for my tiny table! My overly simplistic table from last week left me shaking my tiny head. I know I must have been ill. So today I'm in my "more is more" mood!

I'll pulled out my little toile pillows so you can rest your tiny backs in comfort.

I'm so excited to share with you today my new olden dishes! Yes, I did it again. Or is it 'Oops I did it again'? ;) Anyway, last week I was on one of my little expeditions and found these lovely dishes in a thrift shop! Well, being the Dishaholic I am ~ I packed these up and they came home with me!

There were eight dinner plates...

only three salad/dessert plates :( ...

Look at the design. I just think it's so frilly and pretty. Don't you? The pattern is called Golden Rose by Lynmore and has a little gold trim. Some of the gold is gone in a few spots and some of the plates have chips. But does that bother me? No no Nannette! Not in the slightest!

So I married my new olden Golden Rose with my pink Depression glass. I'm using the bowls from a berry set I have. I don't know what this pattern is called, do you? But they are just the sweetest little pink bowls you'll ever see.

Here are my favorite pink Depression glass glasses! Married with my tablescape. I love them! Can you love pink Depression glass glasses? Why, you bet your pink wedding punch you can! :)

Speaking of marrying my pieces...these are some very olden Oneida Community Tudor Plate and the pattern is called Bridal Wreath. They were made in 1950 ~ one year before I was born. Yes, yes, I'm very olden, Dear Ones, but I'm very young at heart! I think that matters most, don't you? Anyway, here's a little story and you know how I love to tell you little stories:

My uncle worked at the Oneida factory when I was a little bitty girl and he got this set of Oneida just for me. He told my mother to put it up and give it to me when I married! I married, she gave! So it's always so special to me when I bring it out! Now if you'll look very closely you can see the photographer's reflection in the knife handle! :)

Okay, here is the precious little sugar bowl. There is a little cracked popped off piece, but I don't care. I still love it! Can you love little cracked popped off pieces of a sugar bowl? You bet your tiny sugar cubes you can! :) We must save the sugar til last! Kiss kiss!

On to the ever so lovely gravy boat with attached plate! Oh, I'm in love again!

Look at the lovely golden rose at the bottom of the gravy bowl! Isn't this wonderful? When you're all out of gravy you can gaze upon the beauty of the rose and just smile away! I love this!

Now my Bridal Wreath Oneida doesn't have a little ladle, but my Exquisite 1957 silver plate by Rogers and Brothers does! So I married the little ladle with the gravy bowl. This pattern has a little daffodil growing up the side. I love it! Can you love...you know you can! :)

For my centerpiece, I've cheated just a bit. I've used this milk glass bowl on a stand filled with roses before, but before I pulled out all of my roses (faux, you know ~ I love my fauxs and they love me) I thought I would use it one more time. How appropriate ~ roses marrying roses! I love this stuff! Could this be the Bridal bouquet?

Now below my milk glass bowl you'll see the platter than came with my olden dishes. Oh, it's so lovely. Milk glass bowl and platter - marrying again!

A couple of scattered roses. Ever so romantic. Could these be left by the tiny little flower girl? I think so.

My table is draped with a very soft sage green tablecloth that has married with my white Battenburg Lace Napkins. Also using my tiny little salt cellars and they're married with my teeny weeny little bitty spoons!

Here's a little Royal Doulton china bouquet we bought many years ago while in jolly old England. This must be the Maid of Honor's bouquet! :)

Oh, and my cut butterfly votive candle holders ~ I'm going to get lots of use from these little darlings! Isn't she the sweetest? Did you see the candle lighter?

Hope you've enjoyed seeing my tablescape with my new olden dishes. Oh, before you leave I must tell you something. This set had two serving bowls, one little bowl and one saucer with it. I went to Replacements.com, or some site like that and priced all the pieces I had bought and it added up to $320! Yes, it really did! I was thrilled! Do you know how much I gave for my pieces? $25! I got a bargain, didn't I? Not bad for a wedding, huh?

Now sit down, Dear Ones and your tiny backs can marry with the toile pillow! Awww...

Be a bunch of sweeties,
Shelia ;)

I'll leave you with a little Note Song~

Goin' to the chapel and we're gonna get married.
Goin' to the chapel and we're gonna get married.
Gee, I really love you and we're, gonna get married.
Goin' to the chapel of love.
Spring is here, theeee sky is blue.
Whooooa! the birds all sing as if they knew.
Today's the day, we'll say, "I do"
And we'll never be lonely anymore.
Because we're going to the chapel
And we're, gonna get married.
Goin' to the chapel and we're, gonna get married.
Gee, I really love you and we're, gonna get married.
Goin' to the chapel of love.
Bells will ring, the-e-e sun will shine.
Whooooa,
I'll be his and he'll be mine.
We'll love until, the end of time
And we'll never be lonely anymore.
Because we're goin' to the chapel
And we're, gonna get married.
Goin' to the chapel and we're gonna get married.
Gee, I really love you and we're gonna get married.
Goin' to the chapel of love.
(yeah yeah yeah yeah)
Goin' to the chapel of love.
(yeah yeah yeah yeah)
Goin' to the chapel of love...
~sung by The Dixie Cups

Happy-Ness ;)

Hello, Dear Ones! It's so wonderful that you allow me to come into your lovely homes and your kitchens! Today I'm thinking about my kitchen! I've seen yours and honeys, you have some wonderful kitchens! Some are huge with lots of space, lovely counter tops, lots of light streaming in the windows...oh, I try my best not to covet, but it's a little hard sometimes!

You see, my kitchen is tiny. It's little and it's olden! 1970s olden.

But I do the best I can with my tiny, olden kitchen.

There's not been a real update in here for many years. Probably not since the house was built! Now when we moved in, I did paint the cabinets white. They were a dirty cream color and I just couldn't live with that. So I painted.

We did put in a new sink and faucets a few years back. I know, I know, it could be cleaner and I've got dirty pots and pans soaking in the sink!

Yes, I let some of my dishes just air dry! My mother hates that I do this! She always would wash her tiny dishes and then she would dry them and put them away! She always had the wettest dish towels ever! :)

I've tried to put out things I love in my kitchen. Now you all know how I love my Roosters! Yes, that's with a capital "R"! And I do have one little window in here that gives me some nice morning light!


But Dear Ones, do you see my counter tops? They are not stone, or granite or even laminate! No, no Nannette! They are the real thing ~ Formica! Yep. And if you're a young one, you probably have never even heard of Formica! Well, let me tell you, for counter tops put in almost 40 years ago, they're still holding up! I hate that! I don't think you can wear these puppies out! Really! I chop on them, cut bread on them, set hot pots on them and they always look the same!
I guess they don't look so bad because they're mainly white with teeny tiny little line drawings of green flowers. You have to get up pretty close to see the green.

We were making plans to remodel our little tiny olden kitchen last year! We were not going to knock out any walls or change the shape of it, just new counter tops and resurface the cabinet doors and things like that. Well, Hurricane Ike hit, Mother had to move in with us, Mother fell and broke her arm and we didn't feel she could live by herself anymore so we moved her into a retirement home. Expenses, expenses, expenses!

Needless to say, we haven't been able to do the things to my little tiny olden kitchen that we'd planned. Maybe some day! I know this is a little bit of a different post for me, but you're all my friends and I just needed to whine a bit! I'm okay now and I do thank you for hearing me out!


So, I'll clean up my little tiny olden kitchen, scrub the sink and get it shiny clean, dry my dishes and put them away and have the wettest dish towel (Mother will love this), look at my little treasures all around me, go to Kroger and buy some flowers for myself, place them in a crystal vase and set them on a lace doily that is sitting on top of my Boos Block. Why is my big ole Boos Block always sitting in this exact spot you may ask? Well, Dear Ones, the big ole Boos Block is covering up a big old hole in the top of the Formica! Yep! There was an olden Jenn Air grill in here that didn't work and we had it taken out - hole made!

So please forgive me for acting a bit childish and please forgive me for whining! I'm going to thank my lucky stars I have a little tiny olden kitchen with one little window and Formica counter tops and be thankful! Yes I am!

Be a bunch of sweeties,
Shelia ;)

I'll leave you with a little Note Song~

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Here is a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry be happy
In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy......

Ain't got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don't worry, be happy
The land lord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don't worry, be happy
Look at me I am happy
Don't worry, be happy
Here I give you my phone number
When you worry call me
I make you happy
Don't worry, be happy
Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style
Ain't got no girl to make you smile
But don't worry be happy
Cause when you worry
Your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down
So don't worry, be happy (now).....

There is this little song I wrote
I hope you learn it note for note
Like good little children
Don't worry, be happy
Listen to what I say
In your life expect some trouble
But when you worry
You make it double
Don't worry, be happy......
Don't worry don't do it, be happy
Put a smile on your face
Don't bring everybody down like this
Don't worry, it will soon past
Whatever it is
Don't worry, be happy
~sung by Bobby McFerrin

Blue Monday and The Winner Is...

Hello, Dear Ones and welcome to Blue Monday! Our hostess for this very Blue event is Dear Sally at Smiling Sally! Pop on over to see her to fill your day with much Blueness!

I have a very special group of teeny little small elegant ones to introduce to you today! My collection of little figurines. I do have more, but these are the prettiest ones! Last week I thought I would take them out of the drawer and let them see the daylight for a little while. So I have some of them sitting under a cloche on my coffee table.

See? They're all dressed in their finest of clothes.

This is a very special little couple. They've been in love for a very long time! He is so thoughtful to let his lady sit down and rest. He always brings her a little red rose! This little couple, I believe, is called Dresden Lace, because that is real lace on their tiny clothes all stiffened with something!

Here we have a very beautiful couple who have also been together a long long time! They're in love and they are also musicians! She with her lovely little white cello. He with his little white flute! Oh they make the most beautiful music together. Oh, shoot! We've just missed it! They're taking their bows!

This young gentleman is also a musician and plays the mandolin. He really does think very highly of himself! Look at that smug little look! He is always trying to impress the ladies!

Which one will fall for him? This most gorgeous classy lady dressed to the T in all of her finery?

Or will it be this young maiden who is very timid. Really I think she's scared to death! Look at her eyes! :) It's okay honey, you're among friends!

Last, but certainly not the least, I will introduce you to this fine couple! They are the largest pair of my figurines! They have been in love forever and enjoy each others company so much. You've heard the old saying, when couples are in love and are around each other for a long time they actually began to look like each other! I think these two look alike, don't you? She reads her beau love poems all day long and he cuddles her and tells her how beautiful she is. Their love is endless!

Most of my tiny figurines have this stamped on them. This stamp, "Made in Occupied Japan" was printed on pottery, porcelain, toys, and other goods made during the American occupation of Japan after World War II, from 1945 to 1952. Collectors now search for these pieces. The items were made for export. Many of these kinds of figurines are stamped "Japan" or "Made in Japan", but the ones with "Made in Occupied Japan" are worth a little more if you're a collector. I'm not a collector, just love the ones I have! :)

I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of this, but I turned on some music for my little group and they danced and danced. They all love to waltz and oh, my goodness, they're very good! I got so wrapped up in the watching, I forgot the snapping! :) It was a glorious sight, believe me!


Okay, they're now all posed for a group picture! You can see all the different hues of Blueness in their costumes, Most Smiling One! Oh, as I'm looking at my group I may have left out a couple of figurines for introduction! Can you believe I have not named any of these little ones? No no, Nannette! I haven't!

Okay, tiny ones...SMILE! "Snap"! Great! I have the group picture now. I hoped you've enjoyed my tiny little ones today! Oh, excuse me one moment...

Are you ready? 1...2...3 okay take a big ole deep breath now, tiny ones before I put the glass dome back over you all! Good job! Those big breaths seem to last them a long time! There's not a lot of oxygen under that cloche! :P I want you to know, no tiny figurines were harmed nor suffocated in the making of this post!

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Okay! Have I teased you long enough? Are you ready to know who has won my little bird pillow?

I used this Random Number Generator/Picker thingy.

I poked in my tiny numbers, clicked enter and up popped number 29! I wrote down each name and the blog as each person commented! Who could number 29 be?
There were 107 of you lovely ones who entered! I was so thrilled at the turn out and I have said it over and over again ~ I really do wish I could give you all a pillow! But I will give you my thanks and lots of Blogland (((hugs))) for entering! :)

Now who in the world is number 29?

Oh, it's my dear friend Nancy at Southern Lady! Congratulations Nancy! I hope you will enjoy the little pillow I have made with my very own tiny hands! Now I will poke some little surprises in with the pillow! Congratulations, Nancy! Please e-mail me with your address info!

Thanks again to all of you Dear Ones for entering my giveaway!

Be a bunch of sweeties,
Shelia :)

I'll leave you with a little Note Song~

Tennessee Waltz

I was dancin' with my darlin to the Tennessee Waltz
When an old friend I happened to see.
I introduced him to my darlin' and while they were dancin'
My friend stole my sweetheart from me.

I remember the night and the Tennessee Waltz
Now I know just how much I have lost
Yes, I lost my little darlin' the night they were playin'
That beautiful Tennessee Waltz

Now I wonder how a dance like the Tennessee Waltz
Could have broken my heart so complete
Well I couldn't blame my darlin', and who could help fallin'
In love with my darlin' so sweet

Well it must be the fault of the Tennessee Waltz
Wish I'd known just how much it would cost
But I didn't see it comin', it's all over but the cryin'
Blame it all on the Tennessee Waltz

She goes dancin' with the darkness to the Tennessee Waltz
And I feel like I'm falling apart
And it's stronger than drink and it's deeper than sorrow
This darkness she left in my heart

I remember the night and the Tennessee Waltz
Cause I know just how much I have lost
Yes I lost my little darlin' the night they were playin'
That beautiful Tennessee Waltz
~sung by my little figurines

Last Day To Sign Up For My Giveaway!

Hello, Dear Ones! Today is the last day to enter your tiny name in my giveaway! I'll cut off the comments tonight at 6:00 pm and will announce the winner on my post for tomorrow! Good luck to you all. This has been a lot of fun for me! I've even met a few new friends!


Here is my giveaway pillow just for one of you! The fabrics are black and a light cream color.


There is a coordinating fabric ruffle on both sides...

I have machine applicaed a little bird for you on the front in the same fabric as the ruffle and added a little touch of black ric rac .

I wanted to make something special for you. I hope that when you look at this little pillow, you'll know how much love I have put into it and when you see the little bird ~ you'll hear a little Note Song from me. I wish you all the best on entering my giveaway.

Remember to leave me a comment on this post, if you haven't already! I'll turn off the comments at 6:00pm and tomorrow we'll have a winner!

Good luck and know I love you all!! Wish I could make you all a little pillow!

You are a bunch of sweeties,
Shelia :)

I'll leave you with a little Note Song~

Forever Friends

All around us things are changing
Seasons come and seasons go
Very few things last forever
Deep inside our hearts we know

We're forever friends
Bond by love that time can't take away
Forever friends caring in a special kind of way
Heart to heart and hand in hand
We'll stand until the end
Loves forever when your forever friends

We're all children of the father
In His keeping and His care
And the spirit that He gives us
Is the love we're meant to share

And though we know it's time to say goodbye
We will always be together
And here's the reason why
We're forever friends!
~sung by Sandi Patti

Foodie Friday - Marinated Tomatoes

Hello, Dear Ones and welcome to another Foodie Friday. Pop over to see our most gracious hostess, Dear Gollum at Designs by Gollum for more fab food.

Mr. Precious and I eat rather simply at Note Songs. We love tomatoes and especially the summer tomatoes. So I'd like to tell you how we like them best!

Get your tiny ingredients together: Balsamic Vinegar, Garlic Powder, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and salt and pepper.

Since I'm using Olive Oil, I wanted to show you my pretty little dispenser we bought many years ago in Italy! It's the color of sunflowers!

Now look up close and see how pretty this little cute thing is! Well, there I go getting off the subject.


Oh, I almost forgot, I left out one key ingredient ~ Basil! Gotta have the Basil!

Now I don't use any measurements for this marinade so you could adjust it to how you like it! I add as much olive oil as I want and then a little less balsamic vinegar. Add some sprinkles of garlic powder, sprinkles of basil and some salt and pepper. I have the teensiest little wire whisk I use and I just whisk away to try and blend the oil and vinegar. You know how hard that is!

Have your tomatoes sliced as thin or as thick as you like and place them on a platter.


Then after whisking one more time, just because I love my tiny wire whisk, drizzle the marinade over your tomatoes. Let them soak in the marinade while you prepare the rest of your tiny dinner.

Now you can go to town eating...this night we had pork chops, shoe peg white corn, wheat rolls and TOMATOES! I know, there's no green stuff on the plate! Well, let's just pretend we started out with a salad, okay! :)

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Before you leave, if you haven't entered your tiny name in my one year bloggaversay giveaway for the pillow below, just click here and leave me a comment that you'd like the chance to win this pillow. I'll announce the winner on Monday, June 13! Good luck!


Be a bunch of sweeties,
Shelia ;)

I'll leave you with a little Note Song~

Home Grown Tomatoes

Ain't nothin' in the world that I like better
Than bacon & lettuce & homegrown tomatoes
Up in the mornin' out in the garden

Get you a ripe one don't get a hard one
Plant `em in the spring eat `em in the summer
All winter with out `em's a culinary bummer
I forget all about the sweatin' & diggin'
Everytime I go out & pick me a big one

Homegrown tomatoes homegrown tomatoes
What'd life be without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can't buy
That's true love & homegrown tomatoes

You can go out to eat & that's for sure
But it's nothin' a homegrown tomato won't cure
Put `em in a salad, put `em in a stew
You can make your very own tomato juice
Eat `em with egss, eat `em with gravy
Eat `em with beans, pinto or navy
Put `em on the site put `em in the middle
Put a homegrown tomato on a hotcake griddle

If I's to change this life I lead
I'd be Johnny Tomato Seed
`Cause I know what this country needs
Homegrown tomatoes in every yard you see
When I die don't bury me
In a box in a cemetary
Out in the garden would be much better
I could be pushin' up homegrown tomatoes
~sung by Guy Clark

Tablescape Thursday - Easy Does It!

Hello, Dear Ones and welcome again to Tablescape Thursday hosted by our Diva of Dishes, Dear Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. Please pop over to Dear Susan's blog to visit more beautiful tablescapes.

If you know me, you know I'm all about "lots of stuff"...just the way I am. I can't even help it! :) And usually I just pile the stuff on my tables for tablescapeing. But I can set a simple table and that's what I did for today! You're not shocked are you? Hope not! :)

This is a little table just for Mr. Precious and myself!

The salad plates are from Marshalls and have little seahorses on them. Too precious, don't you think? :)

My dinner and salad plates are very simple. The pattern is called "Blue Line" by Royal Copenhagen. I've had these dishes for a long time! I'm using my every day Pfaltzgraff flatware. Notice I said flatware and not silverware. I'm trying to train myself with the proper verbage! ;) Got our steak knives all ready to slice up some steak! Mr. Precious grilled for us! Yummy! I didn't take the time to get a picture though! We just sat right down and started to munch! :)

I found a set of these glasses at ~ where else ~ Marshalls! I just love them! Can you love glasses? Well, you bet your crushed ice you can! Each glass is a different color and I liked them so much I bought two sets ~ 4 glasses in each set. But when I got them home, one was broken. I cried for a couple of days and then I just got over it! You know I'm kidding! ;) Here I'm using the blue ones.

My place mats are really dish towels. The coraly red colored one for me and the aqua colored one for Mr. Precious! My napkins are also tiny dish towels and very soft and thin. I think they're mainly just to look at and be pretty in the kitchen! My "napkin" is blue with white dots and a flowered ruffle and Mr. Precious napkin is the reverse of mine! Too cute, I think! The tablecloth is a summery looking little thing with stripes of coraly red, yellow and aqua blue on a soft blue background!

Can you believe how simple my tiny certerpiece is? Just a little small white pitcher with carnations in it. Oh, I can't leave out my aqua colored salt and peppers sitting on each side!

I sat out a couple of little votives with a red tea light candle in it! Always love me some little flame going on, don't you? Mr. Precious and the candle! :)

Well, there you have it, Dear Ones! Probably my most simple tablescape ever! Do you think I may be getting sick or have a fever? Oh, I'll be back to my "more is more" ways very soon, I'm sure. Now please pop over to see our Dear Susan. I'm sure there's lots of "more is more" tables out there for you to see!

Before you leave, if you haven't entered your tiny name in my one year bloggaversay giveaway for the pillow below, just click here and leave me a comment that you'd like the chance to win this pillow. I'll announce the winner on Monday, June 13! Good luck!

Be a bunch of sweeties,
Shelia ;)

I'll leave you with a little Note Song~

Easy

Know it sounds funny, But I just can't stand the pain
Girl I'm leaving you tomorrow
Seems to me girl, You know I've done all I can
You see I begged, stole, And I borrowed

Ooh, that's why I'm easy
I'm easy like Sunday morning
That's why I'm easy
I'm easy like Sunday morning
Why in the world, Would anybody put chains on me?
I've paid my dues to make it
Everybody wants me to be, What they want me to be
I'm not happy when I try to fake it!

No! Ooh, that's why I'm easy
I'm easy like Sunday morning
That's why I'm easy
I'm easy like Sunday morning

I wanna be high, so high
I wanna be free to know
The things I do are right
I wanna be free
Just me, babe!

That's why I'm easy
I'm easy like Sunday morning
That's why I'm easy
I'm easy like Sunday morning
Because I'm easy
Easy like Sunday morning
Because I'm easy
Easy like Sunday morning

~sung by Lionel Richie

My One Year Bloggaversary Giveaway!

Hello, Dearest Ones! On June 26, I celebrated my one year anniversary in the Land of Blog! I can hardly believe it! You have all been so kind to me, encouraged me, made me laugh, made me cry, gave me recipes to make me fatter, gave me inspirations for decorating my home, allowed me to copy cat you, and even helped me to become a better photographer (at times) ! I just love you all so much and thank you for being a part of my life and visiting my tiny blog! I know I come across as a real silly, and I guess I am, but I care deeply and appreciate each and every one of you who take the time to comment here. I really do try to comment back to every one of you! I know how it feels to visit blogs and comment and comment and the person doesn't return the courtesy. I believe in manners and feel there are manners to be had in Blogland, don't you? I don't want to be that way. If for some reason I don't get back to you, it's just a mistake because I really really do try.

The tradition in Blogland is to give back to others when you're celebrating yourself! I wanted to make you something special with my tiny hands. I know I'm a few weeks behind, but LIFE, you know! ;) So...I've made you a pillow! I love to make pillows and wish I could make a hundred of them, one for each of you and a few to spare! But alas, there's only one!

Here is my giveaway pillow just for one of you! The fabrics are black and a light cream color.


There is a coordinating fabric ruffle on both sides...

I have machine applicaed a little bird for you on the front in the same fabric as the ruffle and added a little touch of black ric rac .

I wanted to make something special for you. I hope that when you look at this little pillow, you'll know how much love I have put into it and when you see the little bird ~ you'll hear a little Note Song from me. I wish you all the best on entering my giveaway.

Please leave me a comment on this post and next Monday, July 13th, I will reveal the winner.

Good luck and know I love you all!!

You are a bunch of sweeties,
Shelia :)

I'll leave you with a little Note Song~

Forever Friends

All around us things are changing
Seasons come and seasons go
Very few things last forever
Deep inside our hearts we know

We're forever friends
Bond by love that time can't take away
Forever friends caring in a special kind of way
Heart to heart and hand in hand
We'll stand until the end
Loves forever when your forever friends

We're all children of the father
In His keeping and His care
And the spirit that He gives us
Is the love we're meant to share

And though we know it's time to say goodbye
We will always be together
And here's the reason why
We're forever friends!
~sung by Sandi Patti