Wildcard Wednesday: Signs of Spring......in Review {Part 1}

Can you believe that spring is coming to an end & summer is here?  I sure can't!  Where does the time go?

But since it is, I thought it might be fun to do a little recap of all of the "Signs of Spring" from my home.  {Next week I'll review our garden.}

In the entry {click here for full post}, a few nests & eggs, & a little greenery added a little spring......

.......while in the living room {click here for full post}, some nests & a few pops of turquoise brightened things up.

 

The kitchen got a little spring decor, too. {Click here & here for full posts.)

 

Even the bathroom & hallway got in on the action. {Click here for full post.}

And of course, you can't have spring without a few fresh blooms scattered here & there {click here for full post}.

So I brought a little of the outdoors in {click here for full post}.........

And of course, there were lots of spring tablescapes, too.

{Click here to see the full posts! Be sure to keep scrolling & click "older posts" if you want to see them all.}

Thanks for stopping by.  Join me again next week for a review of the many signs of spring in the garden.

I'll be joining these parties:

Mosaic Monday @ Little Red House

Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Seasonal Sundays @ The Tablescaper

Tutorial Tuesday: Easy Dry Erase Board

You might remember back in March, when I included this "Menu Board" on my "All About the Effiel Tablescape"?

Did you think that I wrote the menu on a piece of paper & then inserted it? 
Well, actually, I wrote right on the glass, using a dry erase marker!

And it gave me an idea!

If you're like me, you're always jotting down little notes, reminders, & ideas.  So instead of all those little pieces of paper, why not make a fun, decorative dry erase board to capture some of those thoughts?

All you need is a picture frame of your choice, some scrapbook paper (or fabric), & any other embellishments you might want to add.

Simply cut the paper to fit the frame.  (If you want to use fabric, cut a piece of cardboard, tightly wrap the fabric around the cardboard, & hot glue the edges to the back.)

You could add ribbon or other embellishments to the frame, as well.

I used a 8X10 picture frame I had in my craft room for these examples, but obviously if you wanted a hanging dry erase board, you could use a much larger frame.  And it could double as a piece of art!

One of the fun things about these "dry erase boards" is that they are so versatile & only limited by your imagination.

Set one in the kitchen to jot down grocery items, a recipe, or a weekly menu.

Simply change the paper, & use it for a party or other special occasion.

A quick change of paper can take you from season to season, too!

In fact, you could even have a photo as the background!

The possibilities are endless!  About $.50 & a minute is all it takes to give it a whole other look!

Be sure to use dry-erase markers on the glass. A quick swipe with a damp paper towel & you're ready for a new message.

Have fun!

I'll be joining the following parties:
Amaze Me Monday @ Dittle Dattle
Blue Monday @ Smiling Sally
Craft-O-Maniac Monday @ Craftomaniac
Market Yourself Monday @ Sumo’s Sweet Stuff
Masterpiece Monday @ Boogie Board Cottage
Organizing Mission Monday @ Organize with Sandy
Hoo’s Got Talent @ Night Owl Crafting
Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts
What I Made Wednesday @ Sweet Peas & Bumblebees
Thrilling Thursday @ Paisley Passions

Scripture Sunday: Forgiveness

....he said to the steward of his house, "Take these men to my house, slaughter and animal and prepare dinner; they are to eat with me at noon."

Genesis 43:16 (NIV)

Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me."  When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!  And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.......So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.

Genesis 45:4-5, 8 (NIV)

If you remember, the last few weeks I've shared how Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers & was thrown into prison after being wrongfully accused, but through it all, he sought to honor & obey God.  In return, God blessed & honored him, making him a ruler in Egypt!  Well, a time came when there was a severe famine, but because God had revealed to Joseph that there would be a terrible famine, Joseph was able to help Egypt prepare for the famine.  Eventually, surrounding countries began coming to Joseph to get some food.  And guess who was included in those who came?  Joseph's brothers!

Now Joseph could have held a grudge against them for their terrible treatment of him.  In fact, he could have even kept them from receiving food.  But instead, he was quick to forgive..........blessing them with food & even returning their payment.  He soon invited them for lunch, & when he told them who he was, he encouraged them to forgive themselves as well.  Wow!  What an example of forgiveness!  You see, Joseph knew that God had a plan & had worked good out of their evil.  He also knew that God had given him this opportunity to see his brothers & father again.  So he took full advantage of it by continuing to honor God......by completely forgiving them.  And because of that, history was changed!  If Joseph had chosen to hold a grudge & had not lovingly invited his family back into his life, the story might have been much different.

May we all remember that not only does NOT forgiving alienate others from our life, but it also hurts ourselves.  After all, we're the ones holding those feelings in our heart. 

After God has so mercifully forgiven us, how can we not choose to forgive those around us?

Forgive, & watch God work out His wonderful plan!

{By the way, as I was referring to my calendar this week, I discovered that this Friday is "National Forgiveness Day." What perfect timing!  But I would like to suggest that every day be "forgiveness day"!} 

Tablescape Thursday: Pink Picnic in the Park

....There'll be foodstands along all the roads, picnics on all the hills - nobody hungry, nobody thirsty, shade from the sun, shelter from the wind....

Isaiah 48: 9, 10 (The Message)

I might have briefly mentioned last month that my birthday was the day after Mother's Day.
Instead of working on my birthday, I decided to take the day off & spend it with Mr. Dishaholic.  We started the day by sleeping in a little (something I rarely do these days).  After visiting the 15,000 square foot OKC Philharmonic Symphony Designer Show House {We LOVE going to show houses!}, we enjoyed a late lunch/early dinner at On The Border.....Mexican is my favorite!  And then I ended the day with a much-needed massage......a rare treat!

So, let's see.....time with my hubby, a showhouse, Mexican food, a massage.....what could make this day any better? 

Why, tablescaping & dessert, of course!

As evening began, I put together a little pink picnic for us.........make that a pink DESSERT picnic!

It was very hot & humid, so thankfully we didn't have to go far for this picnic, just our backyard, under the shade trees.

Keeping it light, airy, & shabby chic, I layered the small table for two with a sheer tablecloth with little pink rosebuds, folding it to add some layers & dimension.  It was so soft & sweet flowing in the breeze.

Two chippy pink chairs flank the table.  Don't you just love these?  They once belonged to my husband's grandparents, & I LOVE their true, old look, not to mention that they're PINK.

A dessert picnic, consisting of strawberry cupcakes {left over from our Mother's Day lunch}, vanilla ice cream, & ice cold milk, awaits us.

As you might have noticed, the heat & humidity didn't take long to start taking its toll on the icing & ice cream!

One of my new loves is mason jars!  They can be used in so many ways, and their tight lids make them perfect for transporting food & liquids for a picnic.

To dress them up a bit, I printed some labels on pink cardstock & simply cut them to fit the lid.

A stack of plates sits ready & waiting......

.....a couple of pink glass saucers, the perfect size for a cupcake.....

.....and a couple of salad plates with pink roses just for fun.

Do you remember a couple weeks ago when I told you about my grandma's china that is stored in my bathroom?!  Well, this is it!  Isn't it sweet?

A shabby green caddy, convenient for transporting many items at once, corrals the rest of our necessities.

Matching pink tumblers with straws are ready for milk.




Sweet eyelet napkins & antiqued silver flatware are grouped together.



Coordinating bowls will soon be filled with ice cream.





Left-over Mother's Day roses spill over the top of  a crystal goblet {also once belonging to my grandmother}.

And remember those peonies that I rescued from outside?  Well, they were so pretty that I had to include them on the table, too!

Resting casually, they add a bit of romance, not to mention their sweet fragrance!

As the wind blew, their soft petals scattered on the table & the ground below.....just georgeous!

Okay, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret.  By the time I took my pictures {which was only about 10 minutes because I was hurrying!}, the icing & ice cream were beginning to melt so much that we actually had to take it inside to enjoy. 

Oh well! At least it made for some pretty pictures!

And in case you're wondering why I waited 'til now to share this table, well, next week has two very important holidays.....National Pink Day & Great American Picnic Day.  Combine the two, & you have a Pink Picnic in the Park!



 Thanks for stopping by again!  I treasure each & every visitor, follower, & comment!

Rosebud Tablecloth - Ebay {click here & here to see other tablescapes I've used it in}

China Plates & Bowls - Eggshell Nautilus Calarose by Homer Laughlin/belonged to my Grandmother

Pink Saucers & Tumblers - Tuesday Morning

Green Caddy - TJ Maxx

Eyelet Napkins - Pier 1

Antiqued Silver Flatware - Pottery Barn

Crystal Goblet - belonged to my Grandmother

Mason Jars (also used here) & Glass Pedastal - Hobby Lobby

{Click on any of the links above to see other tablescapes using the same items}

I'll be linking with the following parties:

Amaze Me Monday @ Dittle Dattle

Market Yourself Monday @ Sumo’s Sweet Stuff

Masterpiece Monday @ Boogie Board Cottage

Newbie Party @ DebbieDoos

Show Off Your Cottage Monday @ The House in the Roses

Tabletop Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Outdoor Wednesdays @ A Southern Daydreamer

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Friday Favorites @ Simply Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound

Seasonal Sundays @ The Tablescaper