HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO PINK SATURDAY!

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Congratulations to Beverly on the 2nd birthday of Pink Saturday. This meme has become such a popular feature of our blogging community. It's a fun, up-lifting and pretty pink ending to each week.

And, now, let's celebrate!

Would you like a piece of cake? I had the world-famous cake-maker,Sylvia Weinstock make it special for this festive occasion.

How about a scoop of pink ice cream to go with it?

Let's blow out the candles and make a wish for Beverly to hostess us for another year of fun.

Oh, I hope somebody remembers to take pictures!

Happy 2nd birthday to Pink Saturday!

"GIFT FROM THE SEA" FOR PINK SATURDAY

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Thank you to Beverly for hosting this very popular weekly event.











If you've never read this book, you're missing a real treat. Anne Morrow Lindbergh wrote this during a vacation on Captiva Island, Florida. For 14 summers in a row, my family vacationed on Captiva. That I first read this book in the same place that it was written, was very meaningful to me. I was a mother with young children, at the time, just as Anne Lindbergh was when she wrote it. Sitting on the beach today, I knew it was time to re-read it. Since my now-grown daughter has my copy, I'll be heading for my favorite local book store, Page and Palette, tomorrow to pick up another copy.





"Gift from the Sea is like a shell itself in its small and perfect form . . . It tells of light and life and love and the security that lies at the heart."--New York Times Book Review.



In this inimitable classic, graceful, lucid, and lyrical, Anne Morrow Lindbergh shares her meditations on youth and age, love and marriage, peace, and contentment as she set them down during a brief vacation by the sea. -- Amazon.com review

"I mean to lead a simple life, to choose a simple shell I can carry easily – like a hermit crab. But I do not. I find that my frame of life does not foster simplicity."

"Patience and faith. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach – waiting for a gift from the sea."







"I too have run away, I realize, I have shed the shell of my life, for these few weeks of vacation."



Anne Morrow Lindbergh's lyrical words are still relevant and presage so many of the themes of today's most popular books: simplicity, peaceful solitude, caring for the soul, a woman finding her place in society and life.-- Amazon.com review

TABLESCAPE THURSDAY

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Summer table settings are so much fun! They can be casual, without a lot of fuss, which is what I'm interested in the summertime. And, whether indoors or out, bright and colorful rules!
I love this combination of the white eyelet runner and the bandanna china. So fresh and just a bit different!


Blue and yellow is a favorite color combination for spring and summer. Using a fresh lemon for a place card is such a clever idea. Love the yellow bandanna napkins, too! A tiny pot of fresh herbs at each place is a fun touch.


I think red or blue checks are a "must" for picnics, don't you?


A cupcake party with mismatched china! What a charming idea! Notice the tablecloth with even more china patterns printed on it. So cute!

SCENES FROM THE GULF COAST

Today, I'm linking to Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer and Wednesday Gratitude at Heart and Home. Thank you to Susan and Heidi for hosting today's events.











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Good morning! I'm back at the Bay, and currently we have no problem with the oil spill, here in our area. For that, I have tremendous gratitude to Mother Nature!

MISSING Y'ALL !

OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY BY THE POOL

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As silly as it sounds, one of my earliest memories is that of wanting a swimming pool in my backyard. A age 45, my husband made that dream come true for me. I started out saying that I would be perfectly happy with just an ordinary pool. But, then we stayed at a resort in Cabo San Lucas with an infinity-edge pool, where the water appeared to flow over into the ocean. Now, all we had behind our house was woods, but I was not deterred. The pool could look as if it was pouring into the woods below! I was ecstatic at how well it turned out.



While we were in the process of having it designed, I thought it would be fun to have a waterfall, too. Since the infinity edge pool recirculates the water, it was determined that it could flow up to a spring on the back porch, down a waterfall and into the pool. Not only do we enjoy it, but our dogs do too!

We also added an outdoor fireplace. The day the pool was filled with water was a warm and sunny day in early Spring. By evening, however, the temperature had dropped. But, we couldn't wait another minute to try it out. So with a roaring fire in the outdoor fireplace, we jumped in the pool, just long enough to get wet and then huddled by the fire, wrapped in big towels. A night I'll always remember!

PINK SATURDAY FOR MOTHER'S DAY

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Thanks to Beverly for hosting another fun Pink Saturday.
It's extra-special today for those of us who are celebrating
Mother's Day tomorrow, as well.

HAPPY PINK SATURDAY!

AND

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Before you were conceived I knew you.

Before you were born I loved you.

Before you were one hour old I would die for you.

That is the miracle of love.

-Maureen Hawkins

WHITE WEDNESDAY

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WHITE WEDNESDAY AT MY IMAGINARY HOUSE

Every year, when the weather gets warm, I begin to fantasize about an all-white house.

Wouldn't this be divine? White slipcovers and white throw pillows everywhere...
I might add sea grass a la Joni at Cote de Texas---love that look with the white slips!

I can imagine having all these beautiful glass-front cabinets to display my fabulous collections of white pottery, porcelain and cream ware.

I've always wanted a house with open beams,



Love the large white tiles and slip covered chairs

These light fixtures are to-die-for!

Love this pristine white bathroom, with the bamboo roll-up shades and fluffy white towels...

Maybe just a pop of color here and there to greet me first thing in the morning.

I can imagine having breakfast with the French doors thrown open to the beautiful WHITE! flowers outside. Another cute chandelier!

And, the bed...oh what a bed... all those fluffy white pillows and coverlets, with ruffles and lace and embroidery.

Well, a girl can DREAM....

But, here's my reality!

Imagine this group living in a white house---HAH!

Never the less, I adore them. So having said that, I guess I'll link up to Gratitude Wednesday, as well!

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