A VERY PINK 4TH OF JULY & BLUE MONDAY

Hello, Happy Blue Monday, I've linked up with Sally today for Blue Monday because my 4th of July/Pink Saturday post has alot of blue that I would love to share with you.
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!!!!!!



Welcome to Pink Saturday hosted by Beverly of How Sweet the Sound. If you go to visit her you can get a list of all the other pink participants. Thank you Beverly for hosting this fun event.



It's been a very busy week around here at the Cottage. My son Bob is home on a two week leave from Afghanistan, and my oldest grandson Joey is getting ready to leave for his basic training with the Navy. My lifelong friend Joan and her husband Doug (also my grandson's Godparents) are here from NJ to see them both off. We have been having such a great visit. My daughter Jen, her husband and my three grandsons have also been spending alot of time with us.



My son has been stopping by for coffee in the morning and of course I fix his favorite breakfasts for him! I'm so glad to have the summer off and I'm able to be here for him. I will treasure these moments after he goes back. Hopefully he will be done and back home in Jan.




Here's my two handsome boys. Love you both!



Next I have some pinkie 4th of July pics from around the cottage.

My husband and my son bought me these vintage wicker chairs a few years ago. They are the softest shade of green. I just love them.

Blue love in a mist.

A cute wreath that I made a few years ago using a Brandywine Cottage.

Of course some cross stitch.

A yummy cake with some of my altered art on top.

My under construction foyer decorated for the occasion.

Some closeups of ornaments I made for the occasion.

My old green chair.

I wish you all a wonderful 4th of July. Thank you so much for stopping by, I enjoyed our visit.

Blessings to ya, Shirl

PORCH PARTY & BLUE MONDAY

Hello and welcome to my Southern Belle Porch Party hosted by Rhondi of Rose Colored Glasses. A big Happy Birthday to Rhondi! Thank you so much Rhondi for hosting this fun event!
I'm so glad you joined me today. We are having some rain but hopefully the sun will be out soon. If not we have a nice sheltered porch to relax on. I'll let you stroll through the garden on the way to the porch.

The porch sticking out to the left of this pic, is in the old pre-civil war side of the house, we are in the process of turning that porch into a Florida room. It will have steps, brick walk and a door leading into this picket fenced side of the house.

My beloved peonies are in bloom now and the wild roses in the hills are all in bloom so the scent is heavenly!

Clemetis is also in bloom now and my David Austin roses are just starting to open.

Some flowers just waiting to be planted.

Lets go up on the porch and have some tea or lemonade.

A little Vintage Southern Belle pillow to greet us.

You may sit at the little ice cream palor table if you'd like~~~~~~~

Some sweet little faux pastery party favors made by my daughter Jen of Jen's Petal Palace.

More of Jen's faux pasteries here.

This china pattern I recently found at a Flea Market. I remember my Mother buying this very china pattern when we lived in Newfoundland. I always loved when she used it and don’t know what ever happened to hers. When I saw these plates they just had to come home with me. Now I’m going to have to search the Flea Markets to find other pieces to go with it.

Or you could set at the larger table~~~~~~~~~

We have some tea, pink lemonade, fresh cherries from the market, buttercream frosted cake, pinapple~orange cake (recipe below), Ferrero Rocher chocolate.

These pretty plates I purchased last year on vacation in the Outer Banks. They just had the two plates for sale but just perfect when having my daughter or a friend for lunch.

A pretty Southern Belle joined us at each place setting. These pretty little gals are made by Lenox.

Some pretty party favors.

The pretty peonies are from my garden. They are one of my favorite flowers. Just glimpsing the showy petal is sure to make you smile! The scent is heavenly, kind of like a Ragusa rose.

This pretty tattered and tarnished Vintage Gorham Sterling Silver was recently given to me by husbands Uncle. He found it while cleaning out his cousins estate. Since I love all things vintage, he thought I would like to have it and he was right, so they were spared from the Goodwill Box and have a good home now. LOL The initials are M C and there are some pieces missing but I love them just the same.

A pretty old millinery hat.

Some cozy places to set and relax with a cup of tea.

It looks like the sun is trying to peek through those clouds!

A cozy place to sit and read this wonderful book by illustrated by Susan Rios, my favorite artist. I strive to make my home look like one of her paintings!

Here is my favorite spot to sit and relax with a good book or some needlework. All I need here now is a crystal chandelier for cloudy days and I'm good to go!

The pretty little floral ice cream soda my daughter Jen made for me back in 1983 when she was in floral design school.

A pretty little market bag that I made to take to the market and pic up a few things and of couse flowers!

Speaking of reading a good book, today I’m going to read the last two chapters in this wonderful book, “The Shack” by Wm. Paul Young. If you have not read this book treat yourself to it. The Shack is a beautiful story that is like being on a fellowship with God. It answers the lifelong question of how God comes to find us in the midst of our sorrows, trapped by disappointments, betrayed by our own presumptions. He never leaves us where he finds us, unless we insist!

When I finish reading that wonderful book, (which I hate for it to end) I'm going to get back to this needlework project designed by another great artist Paula Vaughan.

I'll let you stroll around the porch, and do make yourself at home.

Spring is a busy time for me, I still have some flowers waiting to be planted.

A few more books to sit and look at. Sentimental Living from the Porch is just the most beautiful book, a porch for every season.

Another one titled Relaxing on the Porch.

This sign "Cat Nap Inn" does describe our home. Although there were no cats around for these pictures there are nine of them living here. There is a chill in the air so they are inside the cozy cottage! We have a big problem of people tossing cats out in the country and I won't turn away a hungry cat. I feed, bath, take for a check up, have them spayed and nutered, then just love them! There's a little cat door on the porch so they come and go as they please.

As I promised earlier in this post here it the recipe for the yummy Pinapple~Orange Cake. I found this in one of my husbands diabetic magazines. It it light~ not sugar free~ but you can lighten it even more with some of the new Splenda products available today. I now use the Splenda cake mix.

PINEAPPLE ORANGE CAKE
1 Pkg Yellow Cake Mix (I use Splenda cake mix)
1 Can 11 ounce Mandarin Oranges, undrained
4 egg whites
½ cup unsweetened applesauce

TOPPINGS:
1 can 20 ounces crushed pineapple, undrained
1 Pkg. 1 oz/ sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
1 carton 8 oz. reduced fat or sugar free whipped topping
In large bowl, beat cake mix, oranges, egg whites and applesauce on low speed
For 2 minutes. Pour into a 13-in. x 9 in. x 2 in. baking dish greased.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 min. Cool on a wire rack.
In a bowl combine pineapple and pudding mix.
Fold in whipped topping just until blended. Spread over cake.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

So that's it for my Southern Belle Tea Party! I hope you enjoyed youself, it was so nice to have you stop by! Your welcome anytime!

BLUE MONDAY

Hello and welcome to my Blue Monday post hosted by Sally of Smiling Sally. Thank you Sally for hosting this fun event!

Today I have my handsome grandson dressed for his High School Graduation. Since he's dressed in blue he's just perfect for Blue Monday. He graduated Friday evening, he's my first born grandson and we are so proud of him. He plans a career in physical therapy. His graduation was beautiful, I was so happy to see that they still had prayers at his gradutaion. I really hate that they are taking prayer of out our everyday life! (My opinion) I showed his prom pics a few weeks back if you'd like to see them just scroll down a few posts.

Thank you so much for stopping by, it has been fun! Have a great week! Now I'm going to sit on my porch and look at some Porch Parties and Blue Monday's.

Bless you, Shirl