My Sweet Girl

This picture was taken of my daughter when she was about five.  Isn't she adorable?  (Please note that she's wearing a red plaid dress.  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.) She's the sweetest girl in the world.  No, really…she is.  I'm not just saying it.  Although it's true that she's my only daughter, she really is the best that there is to offer.  


Here's an example of why I think that she's so wonderful.  The other day she gently touched my arm, looked at me earnestly with her big, blue eyes, and said, "Mom, I just want you to know one thing:  I will NEVER put you in a nursing home!"  


Okay, it was a little random and a tad disturbing.  I'm not quite old enough to start worrying about where I will spend my golden years.  But still, it's kind of comforting to know that she's not planning to ship me off to the old folks' home assisted living as soon as I get lost driving to the grocery store.  Of course, we'll see how her future husband feels when the time comes.  


Okay, enough morbid thoughts.  On to more cheerful things.

This is a picture taken of me when I was in the first grade.  It's been sitting around the house for years, stuck in an old glass paperweight.  Honestly, were paperweights ever really needed?  I guess that when windows were left open because there was no air conditioning, papers tended to fly around the room, and so paperweights were useful.  Now that most of us have air conditioning, they are more decorative.  They make good Girl Scout projects.  But I digress…..

Much to my husband's delight, this is what my sweet daughter gave him for Christmas.  She had stayed up practically all night on Christmas Eve to paint this picture of me from the paperweight picture.  It's similar to a water color, but it's called "gouache." 

'Gouache, which means "water paint" or "splash" in Italian, is a type of paint  in which the pigment is suspended in water. Gouache is different from  watercolor in that the particles are larger, there is much more pigment,  and a white pigment such as chalk is also present, which is how  gouache retains its amazing velvety, opaque, reflective qualities.'                                       Source Isn't it amazing?  I just love it.  Now all I have to do is find a frame for it.

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I like this frame, but it would have to be a different color.  Maybe pink?

Pretty, but WAY too fancy

Like the moss, but so not suitable.  Too funky.

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Oh dear.  When I googled "frames," these came up.  I love them, though. Tortoiseshell glasses are my favorite.

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I think I found it….the perfect frame. I love MacKenzie-Childs.  This frame comes in other background colors besides blue; it also comes in white, green and black. It's called the "Flower Market Enamel Frame."  So pretty.

So this is the end of my story about my sweet girl.  Although she has graduated from college and has flown the coop, she will always be my little girl.  I'm so lucky to have her.  


BTW, if you're interested in commissioning her for artwork, email me for more info.  


Hope y'all have a great day!

I Heart Valentine's Day

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Valentine's Day has always been one of my favorite holidays.  We've gotten through the worst of the winter (at least in Dallas), and we're ready for warmer days.   Along with primroses (see my last post HERE), paper white narcissus, tulip trees, flowering quince and Carolina Jessamine, Valentine's Day is a harbinger of spring; it promises that we're on the cusp of the loveliest time of the year.  

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Having finally gotten all of my Christmas decorations put away, I see that it's time to get down the Valentines.  But that's okay…..it's one of my favorite holidays, right?

I always start by flying my Valentine flag and hanging my tole wreath on the front door.

My cloche is the perfect place for this so-ugly-that-it's-cute cupid. (My husband totally does not get this.) 

This is my mother when she was about three.  (Wasn't she adorable?)  My grandmother never threw anything of my mother's away.  (And no, my grandmother wasn't a hoarder…she was just very sentimental.)  I found all of my mother's old Valentine's cards up in the attic of my grandmother's house.  What a treasure! There are literally hundreds of them, along with old birthday and Christmas cards. 

My Sweet Mother

Hope that y'all have a lovely day!

The Lovely Primrose

I love primroses because they hint that spring is just around the corner. With their bright and colorful flowers, they can brighten even the dreariest of winter days.

I Can't Live Without...

Susan at Between Naps on the Porch is having an impromptu linky party this weekend entitled "20+ Products I Can't Live Without."  She's invited all of us to share what we can't live without also. 

Little Four-Legged Monsters

Today Alison at The Polohouse is having her Favorites on the 1st Linky Party here .  This month's subject is on the pets that enrich our lives (but can also drive us crazy, at least in my case).  Here are my lovable little monsters.

This is Buster, who rules the roost at Tartan Terrace.  No one messes with Buster.  Love his green eyes. 

SNOW!!!

While sitting on my patio today, sipping coffee and enjoying the balmy weather, I found it hard to believe that just two weeks ago, I was with my family in Colorado. It definitely wasn't balmy there.

Estate Sales, Vol. II

Highland Park Estate Sale in Dallas

As promised in my last post, I want to share some of the junk fabulous finds I came across on my estate sale excursion.   You just never know what you'll see at these things.