It’s time for another Thursday Tablescape with Susan our hostess at Between Naps on the Porch. Hope you will join in the activities and I look forward to seeing your posts.

Having traveled to Paris twice now, I can tell you I am in love with the city of romance and would go back in a heartbeat. Bistro table settings looking upon the Eiffel tower can be found throughout the city.

The Paris plates I bought at Hobby Lobby 50% off.  I wanted two of each type so I could mix and match. Sometimes it’s just me and Robert and I only need two, but if I have company and need to set the table for 4 they all go together beautifully and all have the French bistro look to them.

The white plates were from Mary, my mother-in-law.  When she passed away a few years ago I was blessed to receive many of her dishes and these white plates  were a basic set of dishes she used for everyday but ones I find dress up and show off special plates nicely.

I made the napkins specifically to go with this table setting…aren’t they gorgeous!

I used my black beaded place mats to begin the setting.

Added Mary’s beautiful white plate, doesn’t it look gorgeous on the black!

I used my two Paris plates with the Eiffel tower on two settings and the fleur de lis on the two other settings to complete my table of four.

Nest came the white salad bowl and I am ready for the final touches.

I gathered up candles, greenery, ceramic birds, more candles, silver, glassware and the table was ready for my napkins and guests.

Bon appetit

If you would like a set of the Eiffel Tower napkins you can purchase them at   www.creativechics.etsy.com

While in JoAnn’s I became enamoured with this sewing book (Making Children’s Clothes available on Amazon) on children’s clothing.

Now mind you my youngest is 16 and the smallest child I have happening around here is my 5 year old granddaughter. But so many ideas are in this book, oh and the patterns are included!

So my granddaughter just turned 5 and I made her up a few dresses as gifts, including one similar to the cover of the book. Ok, mine isn’t quite as cute.

I had a remnant just sitting around, kind of  a seersucker pink with white daisies. And yes, I love pom-pom fringe.

I also whipped up this one that is a bit more detailed and frilly with lace and princesses and castles and all things Aria loves!

I am giddy to share this article with you today. People will ask me what I do and it is so hard to explain. “Oh I doodle, then color the doodles on the computer, rearrange them, and viola…it comes out as a design for paper products.” So when I ran across this article written by Jan DiCintio, I thought, oh my God this is exactly what I do to create my artwork for paper companies (oh how I would LOVE to be creating fabric designs). Jan articulated and demonstrated it so well. Yes, this kind of stuff excites me.

From Doodling…..

To This! Go read her write-up and you’ll see what it is I do when I create too.

Her new collections are smashing and wish I could afford to buy them.

The whole collection side by side. Amazing how color changes can make each into a whole new collection. Just yummy fabric! You can purchase them here if you are interested.

You should also check out the anatomy of drawing art at Jessica Swift’s blog

This past summer Robert and I went on a weekend trip to the Lake of the Ozarks with friends for some boating fun. We took our pillows with us. And silly me completely forgot to bring the pillows with us. So the motel got a much needed set of very nice pillows….along with my really nice pillowcases!

So this weekend I finally got around to just making me up a set of new ones. I don’t know about you but nice bed linens are really expensive.  Pretty easy and fast to throw together. Used contrasting fabric that has been sitting on my shelf since last spring. The white cotton muslin I also had on hand.

Do you have some spare fabric laying around that is collecting dust? There are great tutorials out there on making pillowcases. Lazy Girl has written a basic pillowcase tutorial that is very similar to the one I made. Lazy Girl Pillowcase Tutorial

And for the more advanced seamstress, here is a fancy, cuter than ever shabby chic pillowcase: The Lazy Organizer Pillowcase Tutorial. I think these are more for looking pretty than sleeping on

Reaching back into my photo archives, I ran across this project that me and my daughter did together. It was a “Love Notes” book project courtesy of Ali Edwards. You can find the project instructions and free downloadables HERE.

It required a little printing, a little cutting, a little sewing, a little gluing and a dose of patience too.

But we had so much fun working on this craft project together. Robert must have liked receiving it too. He has it placed in his box of “special keepsakes” that consists of mostly lovey dovey things I’ve made or written to him. It’s not too late to do this project yourself. You probably have the materials already needed on hand

Tablescape Thursday hosted by Susan at Between Naps on the Porch.  Many of you may be aware Deb and I have an online store at CreativeChics.com. Recently she had finished up several new napkins patterns and brought them over for a photo shoot utilizing some of my dinnerware that would help pick up the colors of the napkin fabrics.

So today I don’t have a tablescape for a meal but thought you might feel a touch of spring from some of these beautiful new designs and photos.

The beautiful flower pot in these photos is another story…take an old clay pot glue some moss to the outside of the pot for a beautiful old aged look…fill it with flowers, in this case pink anemone’s and you have a marvelous arrangement that just keeps getting prettier with age.

Surely these are giving you spring fever, they sure did me….

Here are just a few others, she did a super job of getting wonderful spring colors and I can’t wait to use some of them, after all they match my dishes:)

Orange the new “hot” color…is too retro for me…. but these are beautiful.

Spring Fever, yes I have it.

How about you?

Check out all of the beautiful tablescapes at Susan’s it is time well spent.  If you like Deb’s napkins there are more at CreativeChics.com.

Oh yes, it is obvious Valentine’s Day is around the corner. I know it’s a sappy holiday where lots of people (especially men) feel pressured into being romantic. I for one love this holiday because it gives me a chance to tell the people  in my life how much I love them, because sometimes in this hectic day to day life we live we forget to convey that little message to the people we love the most.

So here’s just sharing some of the eye candy I’ve seen around

Twig and Thistle has a free printable download that you can create your own Valentine gift bags. Super cute, super easy too.

Then there is Jack’s Daughter with this 1950’s style Rockabilly Candy Heart dress (I just learned what rockabilly was this weekend when my daughter asked if I’d make her one of these type of dresses. I was like rock-a-what??? I’m feeling so old when it is obvious I don’t know the younger generation’s language.

Or how about this craft project from Kaboose that you could do with the kids. Click on the link to get the step by step directions.

Handmade hair bows for little girls have come a LONG way from what I used to put in my daughter’s hair to keep it out of her face. Now they are a major fashion statement for these little fashionistas.

And one last one because I do find the artwork on this card A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E….from Kindred Knits.

Do any of you have something special you are doing for Valentine’s this year? Robert will be in Phoenix with Kevin this Valentine’s Day (playing golf no less) so I’ll spend this lovey dovey holiday all by lonesome myself, probably with a good chick flick and a bowl of popcorn and M&Ms. I think of it as me giving myself a little love

Welcome to Tablescape Thursday, hosted by the ever talented and delightful hostess, Susan at Between Naps on the Porch.

This week I finally had the opportunity to use my two place setting dishes of GORGEOUS chocolate brown, cream and greens. I picked them up at Marshall’s Home Goods a few months ago and haven’t had a chance to use them yet.

At one point I thought it would soon just be me and Robert at home in the evenings. No need to have tons of place settings when there is just the two of us. Ironically it has been a rare occasion that we’ve actually had the evening to ourselves of late! That’s a long story for another time.

See the small leaf bread plates? Too cute!

What to fix when it is just us two? Oh something healthy like a nice garden salad and fish of some sort since Kevin is not so fond of it. We always eat it when he is gone So grilled salmon with balsamic glaze and a side of grilled asparagus. Mmmmm good! Sorry, no leftovers to share.

Thanks for joining us this week. Have a fabulous weekend!!!!

The 96″ tie I turned and told you about yesterday….  Today you are in for a treat of treats…  Please hold the applause until the end

The apron is finished and I cannot resist showing you pictures, not because the apron is so swell….but the model…she is super, fantastic, fun, beautiful, and I am so glad I can call her my daughter.

Now you have to admit she is absolutely gorgeous!!!!  Not because of her attire but inside and out.

Get a load of this one I took while she was trying to give me instructions…

Now that was a shot we laughed about and loved…. We had so much fun.  She came prepared with white clothing knowing it would show well with any of the aprons she was modeling for me and get a load of those heels….I think my comments were, “where did you get those gorgeous shoes”, her answer to those kinds of questions is always a beautiful smile, and “I don’t remember.”

Check these out…

Now who could resist a cookie from that girl?

Then she really got domestic on me and wanted the swiffer, not like she is really cleaning folks, just having fun with me…I have to admit she definitely entertained me…  And you want to see the model’s shoes for this outfit..

It didn’t matter what we put on her, she looked great in everything…beautiful little girls are like that..

A wife and Mother to the nth degree with four beautiful children, a grandmother to one, a retired Sprint Director, former Hallmark computer wizard, a tech savvy lifesaver to the whole family, loves family, friends, home and garden, and most of all a special friend to her Mother….

I know all of you who have girls no doubt think they are the most beautiful but my three girls….they are so gorgeous, so special and I am so proud of all of them…  Thanks for letting me boast a little…

I’ll start off by first apologizing for my lack of makeup and that unsmiling face. Taking your own impromptu picture is trickier than it looks.

Why was I taking my photo? I wanted to show you the neck wrap my Mom made me for Christmas this year. It keeps you so warm and right now we need warmth here.

It is hand crocheted with buttons sewn on. Warm and cozy and something very special about a handmade gift that I love.

Happy Sunday!