Thanksgivings Past

Hey y'all....

I was looking through my posts to get the table from last year for y'all to see again and oh my goodness...I have not posted the Thanksgiving tables for the past two years.  I somehow lost some of my confidence about blogging because I am still a simple blogger.  Not a money making or professionally done blog.  That is the way I will keep it.  I really liked blogging a lot better when everybody just did it for the social aspect.  But I digress.

Learning to blog pushes me to learn tablescaping and also photography.  I love to see great photos on a blog..

So, without further ado.  

Here is my table from last year.  I had a hard time with wanting to really do anything because my beloved Aussie Bonnie had died in late September so I was just happy to have pulled it off at all..  My husband was so impressed with the floral arrangement.  I wish I had better pictures but at least there are a few..

Here is the Thanksgiving from 2015 that we did on our newly built porch.  I really enjoyed this one.  I hope you like it.  I will see if I can find a few more pictures to show you..

 
this is my favorite..I have diligently prayed over all these children and grandchildren for years and to have them all in one room as I pray for them in person...well, it means everything to me..

I can't believe I never posted these pictures before today.  I hope you enjoyed a look into our Thanksgivings of past years..  I don't even have a picture of the dessert tables from either year.  What was I thinking??  LOL

Thank you for stopping by..and Happy Thanksgiving prep..

Love, 

Mona

February Fotos

Since it is the LAST day in February, I thought I would catch up with all of the pictures that I never posted...

So, bear with me..it is a random ride this morning....hedges, dogs, and grandchildren

First an updated picture of the decimated hedge row from last fall...Here is what it looks like today...so happy that it survived and seems to be thriving..even though we have had extreme temps this winter...

Hang on...first up...... some of our grandchildren spent the night with us earlier in the month..

Some played in the bathtub while big brother watched football with Poppy..

Next morning posing..

Now for some Tula action.....

Just a few more weeks of weather suitable for afternoon coffee with whipped cream...

Then we are on to the greener pastures of spring planting and warmer temperatures... I have loved seeing our green garden area all winter..over planted with rye...

I feel better now that I halfway cleaned out my unshared pictures and got them out here for you to see..

Next month is my BIG 4 year anniversary since I wrote my first blog....so I have a lot to say then...

Thank you for stopping by..

Love,
Mona

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

The house is almost finished with decorations...Only the outside remains and the weather is supposed to be nice enough on Wednesday to do that..

This weather is PERFECT for sewing..and I have been doing a lot of that..well, I feel like it is playing because I love it so much..I am learning a monogramming program and surely needed some practice..wink, wink...and since Applique Corner had a great sale, I got some applique patterns with  Christmas designs...
But I am an extreme novice so it is taking me F.O.R.E.V.E.R to do even one design....I think I will have to put this away until after Christmas...but got a few things done for the youngest 3 grandchildren....

These are my very first attempts at applique and monogram combined.  I loved doing it..had way more fun than I had imagined...

I noticed when I added these pictures that some of the lights in them are blinking..LOL  I have no idea why!!  Oh the mysteries of the internet....

I just wanted to pop in and say hello and share a little love...and Merry Christmas spirit....

I have been thinking while I was sewing...serious stuff. LOL  I wonder what you all use to keep up with other blogs.  I use Bloglovin and am not really in love with it.  I feel like I am missing a lot of blogs since the Reader went away this summer.  I never have gotten the hang of this new way...Can y'all give me some suggestions?  What do you use to keep up with everybody?  please help me with this....

Thank you for stopping by...
Love, Mona

I will share this with Inspire Me Tuesday

First Day of School....

All I can think about this morning is my oldest grandson Will...it is his first day of first grade...and I know it is an important step in his little life..excited and nervous, he forges ahead.  I know he will do great but does he know that??  I hope so.  I pray that his teachers will see the potential in him and encourage him to be all that he is meant to be.  and to help him succeed along his path in life...

Looking back, I simply cannot believe that the years have passed so quickly..

What a joy to be the grandmother to this wonderful little boy that made me a grandparent for the first time..forever changed..and in love .....

Will, I love you and I am so proud of you!    Love, Honey

Our MOST Important Guests

Several weeks ago, when my daughter and her 4 children came to visit, I had an  aha moment... I never do a tablescape for them unless it is a special occasion.. I had just finished this one and photographed it when they came to spend the night last week.....Usually, I clear the table and we use child proof dishes, etc..and linens that can't be hurt...you know the drill..there are 3 boys...6,4, and 3 and a 9 month old girl..
But, this time I had a change of heart..and I left the table just like it was...just like this...

I truly believe that our most important guests are our families..that we need to show them how much they mean to us by our actions..not just our words..and set these beautiful tables even when there is no company coming over..

So, here is how I set the table for 3 little boys under 7 and their Mama..and us, of course....it was FUN!  it meant a lot to me..and to them....

All of the questions and comments about these brass napkin rings were precious.....

and the chargers were a huge hit..they even wanted to know if we could use them the next morning too....
I did change out the silverware for them.  the forks were a bit too pointed to use with them.....good sense on my part....

I used a simple piece of unbleached muslin for a tablecloth.....the plates are Naturewood by Pfaltzgraff.  I bought a large set at Goodwill lately..for such a low price and we have used it a lot....

Lighting the candles was a real treat and talk of who would blow them out started as soon as I lit them...you know, boys will be boys....

One thing I talk about a lot on my blog is family..heritage..purpose and carrying on what we are put on this earth to do...this bud vase and another like it, just a darker brown, are by Weller...I have loved it as long as I can remember. the darker one belonged to my Grandmother Lewis and the other I traded for when I was closing down my antiques booth...I really love these two pieces.and there they were ..on this table with all these children..a piece from their great, great grandmother on their own grandmother's table...surely, she was smiling about that...

I was so glad that it dawned on me that I should have the table set beautifully for these grandchildren and not just for grownups or for blog pictures..I like to be authentic and real about what I write about here..no pretend life for me...

It felt good for these boys to dine at their tablescaping grandmother's table....and they were perfect guests to have around my table.....can't wait until they come again...and I can set another table for them to enjoy..already planning.....hmmm.the napkin rings with numbers....ah, yes.....

The only thing I forgot was to take pictures while we were eating......well, maybe next time...

This week I am joining  Let's Dish

                                 

Tablescapes Thursday

Y'all come visit....