Author Archives: Ellen

Road Trip, Overnight Guests, and Reunions Oh My!

Today I’m doing all the last minute things I need to do for our trip back to the Condo in Southern California. Our daughter Katie and her boyfriend Ben are road tripping with us and then staying in Southern California with us for a week. My brother Leonard and his wife Mandy and their daughter Miss Hope arrive in Southern California on Tuesday. We have extended family events planned for the week. I do not know how much blogging will occur.

I wanted to share some fun events coming up in blog land with you before I disappear for a while.

On Tuesday August 18th I’m pleased to announce I’ll be guest posting on Sandy’s blog ~4 Reluctant Entertainers. If you’ve never visited her blog you should. She really is a gifted lady and has great ideas on incorporating hospitality in your home. You’ll also enjoy her recipes and photographs.

On Saturday August 22nd the next Round Robin Photo Challenge is Birds! Don’t let this one fly by! You can sign up for this challenge by following the simple directions here.

On Tuesday August 25th there’s a Let there be White Party hosted by Kathleen at Cuisine Kathleen. Click on over to get the details…

On August 28th there’s a Show Us Your Roosters party hosted at Bella Vista by Barb.

Then on September 11th there’s a 2nd Cloche Party hosted by Marty at A Stroll Thru Life.

Hope to see you all soon.

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Friday’s Fave Five ~ The Great Northwest…

Thank you to Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for starting this weekly event where we consider the last week and share some of our favorite things.

My favorites this week are the things I love about being home in The Northwest. On Sunday we leave the Seattle area bright and early and drive 1200 miles back to Southern California where Dear and I have been living the last 3 years.

 

One of my favorite things about the Northwest are the trees. I really enjoy big trees. When I look out the windows of my house I can see sky and trees. I can see the sun setting from my bed in my upper story. Early for bed you think? Maybe, but remember in the summer the sun sets later in the great Northwest!

I enjoy pampering my kids and feeding them when I’m here even though they are adults and can fend for themselves. I probably run the dishwasher once maybe twice a week at our little condo in Southern California. When I’m home in Washington I run it once sometimes twice in one day! It’s also fun to see the kids spend one on one time with their dad. Each of our kids is so unique and it’s fun to see this come out in what kind of things they do with their dad…

 

I love my hairdresser here in Seattle and Friday I’ll get my hair cut and roots taken care of  before I head back South.

 

This is Sherri cutting my daughter Katie’s hair…

Some of my favorite places to shop are Goodwill in Washington and the Fred Meyer stores. I know there are Goodwill stores in every state but the ones in Washington just seem to be cleaner and better organized.

I really enjoy the space I have around my home in Washington. It’s not huge just about 1/3 acre but that affords privacy and quiet that I don’t get in Southern California.

 

Now just to be fair to Southern California I will post my favorite things about Southern California and my little condo soon!!

Click on over to Susanne’s on Friday to see more favorites or to join in the fun!

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

ABC’s of the Word ~ Y

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

To participate in ABC’s of the Word visit Pam at Grey Like Snuffie.

It’s hard to believe we’ve almost made it through the alphabet twice already. Thank you Pam for being our hostess for this weekly event.

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Tablescape Thursday ~ Rose Colored Garden

When I’m at my home in Washington I usually change the tablecloth on our only dining table every couple weeks. Because our stay here is winding down and we have no more big events I took out a couple leaves from the table and found a shorter tablecloth. Having my new inspiration for Tablescape Thursday it was time to search high and low for what to add to the tablecloth.

 

I started with the hydrangea in one of my depression glass containers and candlesticks.

 

Some fun layering of plates. The smaller salad/dessert plate is Royal Swan, Blossomtime, Staffordshire, England. The larger floral edged plate is Nikko tableware.

 

The tea cups and saucers are Churchill. The gold tassel napkin rings were Target Christmas clearance. The tablecloth and napkins are from Goodwill.

 

 

For more Tablescapes please visit Susan at Between Naps on the Porch!

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Window Views ~ Washington State Ferry

My Window Views this week were all taken on a Washington State Ferry from Anacortes, through the San Juan Islands to Sidney on Vancouver Island, Canada.

 

Our ride was mostly misty, moisty, foggy…

 

 

 

Another Ferry through the mist…

 

As we approached Vancouver Island things got brighter.

 

For more Window Views or to join in the fun click here. Thank you Mary for hosting this event…

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

WFW ~ Psalm 33: 6-12

 

Psalm 33:6-12 (New American Standard Bible)

6By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
And by the breath of His mouth all their host.
7He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;
He lays up the deeps in storehouses.
8Let all the earth fear the LORD;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
9For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
10The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
The plans of His heart from generation to generation.
12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.

For more WFW please visit Amy at the 160 Acre Woods or not because her computer crashed and I don’t know if there will be links…

More from Butchart!

Welcome to my Outdoor Wednesday brought to you from the land of our lovely neighbors to the North…Canada!!  Please visit Susan at A Southern Daydreamer to see more outdoor posts…

I’m thinking this post will also be my Outdoor Wednesday Post but I’m going ahead and posting it now. There are so many wonderful things to see at Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. Warning: This post has several photos!! I caught some flack for not having any photos of me on this post so I’m adding this one of Dear and I…

If you ever get a chance I would highly recommend a trip to Butchart Gardens!

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Blue at Butchart Gardens

OK..I admit it…I’m a postaholic so please scroll down to get to Mosaic Monday or Thrifty Monday if you aren’t using the direct links!

It’s time for Blue Monday!

 

A little blue from Butchart Gardens. It always makes me smile to see blue flowers. The stained glass window was from the Blue Poppy Restaurant in the gardens.

Visit Smiling Sally to see more Blue!

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Mosaic Monday ~ Our Beauty Amongst the Flowers…

Please Scroll Down for Thrifty Monday…

 

All these photos were taken at Butchart Gardens this past week. The beauty in the center is our daughter Katie! :0)

To see more mosaics visit Mary at Little Red House.

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Thrifty Monday ~ Target Clearance

Rhoda at Southern Hospitality is the hostess for this enabling fun weekly exercise of posting the treasures we find at thrift stores, yard sales, garage sales, clearance sales or on the street for free.

 

I bought this outdoor screen at Target in California over 2 years ago. It was marked down from $99.99 to $12.54! My first thought was to use it at our condo when people had to spend the night so we could give them a little privacy since our guest room ends up being the living room. Well after sitting in the box for over 2 years, I shoved it in my Camry and drove it up with me to Washington and am using it on my patio for the first time.

It’s fun to string lights on it and we move it around depending on where we want to block the sun. I’m considering spray painting it a darker color…

For more Thrifty finds visit Rhoda here.

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.