Blue Hydrangea

Guilty Pleasures

2012-02-03T07:30:00.000-05:00

The first step towards recovery is admitting you have a problem...
Hi, my name is Sissy and I am addicted to Hollywood reality shows..
The sun, the stars, the clothes...hours of enjoyment.

Love, love, love Tori and Dean
(And Liam, Stella and baby Hattie)

And I can't forget Joan & Melissa
What about you? Anything you want to confess?

Found it!

2012-02-02T07:55:00.000-05:00

OK. Saw this, loved it but couldn't remember where I had seen the whole fab article on Ashley Longshore. Recently I was rereading Matchbook and there it was...

In all it's giant glory. Need to see more? Here (page 83)
There is also a new issue out that is bright and happy and really good.

DIY and Drugs...

2012-01-30T08:20:00.000-05:00

I have a chandelier almost identical to this except it is brown. I know, sad, sad color. I am thinking about giving it some bling and spraying it gold like this fab light...thoughts?

In other lighting news I think I could do this...with a lot of patience and maybe one of Clay's left over ADHD patches. Don't judge, DIY is not always pretty.

pictures here

And the Winner is...

2012-01-25T07:50:00.000-05:00

Houndstooth and Nail!!

Ingrid has won the adorable gingham checked Overboard dress from
Shabby Apple!! I know you are going to love it!!

Thanks to everyone who entered!!
Sissy

Hey Little Boy

2012-01-19T07:50:00.000-05:00

Is it wrong to dress like your 11 year old son?

I got Clay this super cute checked shirt at Target. I know, it looks just like Crewcuts. I liked it so much I went back a few days later and got one for myself. We are very happy together. Doesn't it remind you of the Shabby Apple dress from my giveaway?

I might have also gotten myself a boys flannel shirt.

Next time you are in Target stop by the boy's department. I will probably be there checking out new items for my spring wardrobe.

Love and Not So Much

2012-01-18T07:30:00.000-05:00

Thoughts on the Golden Globes

Love, love, love Reece's hair. Just perfect!!

This? Not so much.
Am I the only person in America who did NOT like this dress?

It's all sharp and pointy and pale.

Gingham for You

2012-01-17T07:45:00.000-05:00

Shabby Apple.

Are you familiar? If not you are in for a treat!! They have clothing, jewelry, gifts and more. But today we are all about women's dresses. Here are couple I am loving!!

Walk the Plank

Freshwater Pearl

I was lucky enough to be able to pick out my favorite dress for a giveaway for my fabulous readers. And I picked...

Overboard
Just in time for spring. Can you stand it? Does it get any better than blue and white gingham?

You have 3 chances to win:
1. Follow Shabby Apple on Facebook: Here
2. Follow this blog.
3. Leave a comment and tell me which dress is your favorite.
That's it, easy!
(leave a separate comment for each entry. Contest is for the gingham Overbaord dress only)

And Shabby Apple is offering Blue Hydrangea readers 10% off!!
Enter: bluehydrangea10off" at check out!!
Winner announced Monday January 23

Wicked Good...

2012-01-13T07:30:00.000-05:00

I like big checks and I can not lie
(You other brothers can't deny...)

Atlantic-Pacific
And I hope you do to because I have a killer giveaway next week!!

And my helpful hint of the day: it is cold here today...really cold. May I suggest, Wicked Good Slippers from LL Bean? My favorite Christmas gift this year (keep in mind they were competing with a frying pan). If you are like me, afraid of the cold, this pair of slippers will become your new best friend. They are like a warm hug for your feet.

Happy Weekend!!

Around here...

2012-01-12T07:30:00.000-05:00

Things are a little messy around here. There was a light I didn't like in our kitchen. Truthfully, there is not much I do like in my 1980's kitchen, but the lights are particularly bad. I told Bill we needed to change the fixtures or at least get a plan. He didn't want to talk about it. 30 minutes later he decided to rip the giant fluorescent fixture out of the ceiling.

Then he started to try and fix it. The hole just got bigger and bigger.

We have now called in professionals. Sigh...

On another note...

I saw this fabulous painting by Ashley Longshore recently and I can't remember where. Have you seen it? It might have been a feature on her home or work, but I have got to find it!! It could have been on a blog or in a magazine. Got any ideas? Do share.

P.S. Cricket wanted me to tell you that Anna Katherine and Davis were the first ones to make duct tape shoes.

Duck Tape DIY

2012-01-09T07:30:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year. Trying to get back in the swing...I am taking baby steps. So what's next? How about another DIY? Clay is not the only crafty one around here.

Cricket, and her friend Finch, got hold of some colored duck tape and created...

Shoes!! Aren't they fabulous??!!

Cricket actually wore them yesterday.

I love the colors and the orange and purple shoe laces. Now I want to use them as an accessory on my bookshelf.

Why didn't I think of colored and patterned duct tape?

Merry & Bright

2011-12-27T07:30:00.000-05:00

I survived Christmas...

If you think this is funny, wait until you see...

This! Jack Nicholson + Elf = Bill
(Yrrem Samtsirhc)

This was our Christmas card picture. I know Locke looks pissed, but someone gets sacrificed every year. Guess who's year it was?

Hope your Christmas was merry and bright!

Ours was.

Well, merry and bright and very messy!

My kids favorite tradition is the poppers we have every year at Christmas lunch. Who knew paper crowns and cheap toys could bring so much joy?

I am looking forward to another year with all of you!! Thanks for being the best readers ever!!! xo Sissy

Crafty Boy Clay

2011-12-21T10:30:00.001-05:00

My boy Peanut, not Butterball, did a fabulous craft during his class holiday party....

Sequin heaven.
Aren't you so impressed an 11 year old boy made this? I know I am.

Here it is hanging on the tree.
We are off to buy more supplies today. One just isn't enough.
If you want to make one or one hundred, just buy Styrofoam balls, sequins and short pins. the key is to make sure they overlap. Your kids will be kept busy for hours!!!

A big thank you to Ms. Wiggins and Ann Richardson.

Update: Just got back from Michael's, they come in a kit and are half price. Be sure to buy an extra bag of multi colored sequins.

P.S. Have you seen a picture of a giant sequin ball hanging in a dining room or breakfast nook? If so let me know. I thought I saved the picture, but I can't find it anywhere!!

Blue Christmas

2011-12-20T07:30:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine, Ivey B., sent me some fun pictures last week that she thought I would love.

And she was right!! Those are my blue goblets looking all fancy and festive.

I need to remember to actually use them instead of just admiring them.
(But I might cry if one got broken. I would get over it fast, but I just want to warn you that you might see real tears)

The rest of the house is pretty fabulous as well. Love the tree....over stuffed and perfect. Check out more pictures here.

See Jane's Mom

2011-12-19T07:30:00.000-05:00

Do you read Sea of Shoes? Do you love it? Did you know Jane's mom has a blog? OMG!! Are you in for a treat!! Thanks to Kathy from My Interior Life I spent 2 hours on Saturday stalking her blog. And just for the record, it wasn't 2 hours straight. I did have to feed my kids, answer the phone and get some snacks.

Judy Aldridge has some serious style and she shares it all on her blog
Atlantis Home.

These are a few of my favorite looks. These necklaces are calling my name....well, especially that squash blossom, since I have one similar. Of course I never thought about layering it....now I need a big chunky cross.

Stylish and casual..does it get any better than this?
This woman can rock some blue jeans.

Now I know the fact that she is the same size as my 11 year old son helps, but still, she's good.

Am I the last one on board this style wagon?
If you want to see more, head over to Atlantis Home. I'll probably see you there. But first I have to squeeze into some teeny, tiny jeans. Wonder what size Clay wears?

The F Word

2011-12-14T07:30:00.000-05:00

Not a nice word but I am going to have to say it. I hope I don't offend anyone, but sometimes you just have to let it rip...fake, fake, fake!! There! I said it. And you know what? It kind of feels good!! I know it is a dirty, dirty, word, but I have been sick since we brought our Christmas tree home. Either I have the world's longest lasting cold or I am allergic to our tree (or the mold on the tree...whatever). I may have to go fake...

Thankfully fake/artificial trees have come a long way...this one's not so bad is it?

Here are the the three little pigs on the way back from getting our virus spreading tree. I'll miss that. Running through the rows of trees, yelling, screaming, chasing down the little one.

And here's the culprit, looking all innocent. I would say I would miss the smell, but I haven't been able to smell anything for two weeks!!
Does anyone else have this problem? Will you still love me if I go fake?

A Christmas Miracle

2011-12-12T07:35:00.000-05:00

Do you want to hear about a Christmas miracle? Not the one in the manger, the one in my laundry room. Do you remember my laundry room? I started to spruce up the concrete floor in there almost exactly a year ago today. Things didn't go well and it has been on hold for a year. Yes, one stinking year!! But this weekend I got a bee in my bonnet and got to work..

I had made several attempts during the year to pick a design for the floor, but nothing seemed right until I hit on a modified chevron pattern. Let the taping begin...

Thank goodness Bill was willing to help and I didn't even have to cry or beg!! We got it taped off and painted in the same day. Can you stand it?

Almost there!!

It's finished!! It is a Christmas miracle!!!

And I LOVE it!!! I almost hate to move the washer and dryer and other junk back in. Of course, they are sitting in my breakfast nook which is just not working for me.

Today I am tired and sore but happy. I think it was worth the wait. What do you think?

I Spy...

2011-12-09T07:30:00.001-05:00

Did you see Angela's guest room makeover?
You'll love it. Here
Does anything in this picture look familiar?

I'll give you a hint...it's sitting on the orange bedside table.

My lamps from a few months back!! Can you believe Angela has the same ones??!! Hers look much better and now I am so motivated to finish the makeover. Mine are painted and now I just need the perfect shades.
Be sure to stop by The Painted House and see the rest of Angela's makeover.

That's all for now. Have a great weekend!!

Green Zebra

2011-12-07T07:30:00.000-05:00

Right now I am loving green and zebra together. Truthfully I like zebra with anything, but yesterday when I went to do errands, I was wearing my favorite moccasins, but they just weren't bringing me any joy. I got home, changed into my zebra flats and...

Bam! Joy, joy happy all over.
If the picture looks funny it is because I have my legs crossed. What? Oh yes, I am wearing a summer skirt. Did you know it was in the 70's here yesterday? December and we still have beach weather...gotta love it.
So are you a fan of green and zebra?

Does this help you make up your mind?
pic here

Happy Cake

2011-12-06T07:30:00.000-05:00

I want to add more brights to my life and I think I may start with...

The world's happiest cake.
All details here. I don't even think I would frost it. I would leave it just as it is. Maybe pass out some bowls of icing for dipping, but I love the way it looks too much to cover it up. It won't be so bad turning another year older if I have this happy cake to to fill me up. Don't you love it?
picture here

Happy Birthday to Me

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Don't panic. You haven't missed my birthday. You still have time to get those cards and gifts in the mail. The big day isn't until December 16th, but I got an early gift and I couldn't wait to show you.

Ta Da!! My new artwork by Sally King Benedict. Do you love it? I do. I got it from the sale Chassity had at Look, Longer Love. I just propped it up here to get a photo. Now sure where it will live permanently. I do think it will look best if we paint the living room and reupholster all the furniture. Bill totally agrees!!

Birds on the Loose

2011-12-02T09:15:00.000-05:00

Hooper and Ann are going to be hard to live with. First they started hanging out with Genevieve now they are off to London for a four day shopping-decorating trip. Was I invited on any of these fun excursions? No. I was left behind to work. I am over at their blog today, Birds of a Feather, while they are living it up. Come on over and cheer me up. Here

And by the way, I am fun too. I would be a good addition to any trip. I am particularly fun in warm climates. Just saying.

Christmas Card Wreath

2011-11-30T07:30:00.001-05:00

What do you do with your Christmas cards? Throw them in a bowl like I used to do? A few years ago I came up with an easy DIY to display and enjoy my Christmas cards.

A cork wreath.
So simple and easy. Well, easy for Bill. He cut the shape out of some wood and then I glued down cork and added a bow. Done.
(I still need to take down my artwork and hang it up)

I know it is not all that pretty right now, but slap a few cards up there and it is happy holiday time. Maybe I should paint it green...
And what do I see in that cute little bowl...

They're back!! Hershey Candy Cane Kisses.
That's how I know it is Christmas. A sugar headache is a sure sign of the holidays.

So how do you display your holiday cards?
Should I paint my wreath green?
Wouldn't it look better with blue zebra wallpaper?

Turquoise Christmas

2011-11-29T07:30:00.000-05:00

pic here
A little over the top maybe, but I still love this happy room.

It reminds me of these two new rolls of wrapping paper. Picked them up while shopping for Lighting McQueen, so my trip to Party City wasn't totally without style. Wouldn't it be fun to have a turquoise and lime Christmas? Or are you a totally traditional girl?

A Girl Can Dream

2011-11-23T07:30:00.000-05:00

I think Bill is getting ready to buy me my dream house. I can just feel it. Want proof? Last night when he was returning some e-mails I asked him if he was going to put in an offer and he said "Sure hon, whatever you say". Doesn't that sound like a definite yes?

With that settled I need to come up with paint colors, fabric choices, furniture plans. I mean this could happen any time between now and November 2025. A girl needs to be prepared, right?

For the dining room, I am thinking something like this from the latest Southern Living. I love just about everything about it. I would swap out the green velvet for blue and I would be good to go. And add some chairs and a bigger table, but other than that...perfect!!

That wallpaper just kills me. Love it!!! I might actually have people over for dinner if my dining room looked like this.
Thanksgiving at my house next year, want to come?

Yes Virginia,

2011-11-21T08:00:00.001-05:00

You can plan a party in a day. And Lighting McQueen wasn't all that hard to work with.

This boy had a ball!!

And because I love you... go to Look Linger Love for a big treat!!
What kind of treat?

Sally King Benedict artwork for sale...yippee!! Here