Adopting foster children

 I wanted to write about something very close to my heart, my children. We have two biological grown children and two adopted children. I just wanted to say that if you have room in your heart and home for children contact your local foster care agency. We were foster parents and then adopted our boys last September at the ages of 9 and 13. There are some misconceptions about older children in the system. These older children need loving homes and parents to love them just as the younger children but are usually overlooked by people wanting to adopt children. It has been a huge adjustment in our lives but the blessings that these boys have brought to our family have been ten fold. Children are so precious and deserve a home with a loving family know matter if they are a year old or seventeen.

Just look at my wonderful bunch of kids. Bottom left to right. My youngest son Kameron, Me, my fantastic husband John, our grand daughter Kali. Top left, our son Kaleb, daughter in law Misty, our oldest Cody, our daughter Cassie.

                                                                      Blessings,
                                                                                    Missy

Thrifty finds

I wanted to share with you some of the treasures I have found recently. If you have never been shopping at Goodwill and Salvation Army than you do not know what you are missing. Shopping at these stores also helps others. Thrifting is like treasure hunting in my book. My boys love thrifting and rummaging.

See what I am saying? All this came from one Goodwill and one Salvation Army store.

This was my favorite find of the day. I paid $1.00 for this darling needlepoint pillow.

This Christmas needlepoint pillow was a great deal also at $1.99 I will buy needlepoint pillows at this price all day long.

I raked in on table linens,  the pumpkin tablecloth and the fall plaid was $1.00 each. I also found a stack of napkins at .25 cents each most still had new tags. The baskets at my local Goodwill are priced .25 cents. I also also scored 9 napkin rings for $1.25 I think I had a pretty good day.  I hope you will give it a try and let me know what treasures you find.

                                                               Blessings,
                                                                             Missy

St Patricks tablescape

The weather here in central IL. is cold and snowy. So I stayed in today and worked on setting the tables for St Patty's day. This one is the kitchen breakfast table.

I started off with a cute green plaid with shamrocks tablecloth. Next I found the shiny green place mats at Tuesday Mornings a couple weeks ago on clearance in the Christmas decorations. I used Bordallo Pinheiro Cabbage Chop plates. I think of Corned Beef and Cabbage for St Patty's Day so that's where the Cabbage plates come in. Next is Longaberger classic green pottery plates topped off with Longaberger shamrock ramekins. I think the design on the plate edge looks like a shamrock, perfect for my table. The green napkins I found last week at Goodwill $2.00 for 8 brand new with tags. The juice glass and tumbler is fifth avenue crystal.

Next is the dining room buffet. I pulled out some of my vintage green Moon and Stars pieces. I used to be able to find these at thrift stores and rummage sales but these days it's rare.

I used another Bordallo Cabbage plate on a cake stand.

The dining table is set with Longaberger and Fifth Avenue crystal.

I used Longaberger shamrock place mats but I only have six and have lost several battles on EBay for the other two that I need. Remember the shiny green place mats from the breakfast table? I improvised and use one on each end of the table. Maybe I can get the elusive shamrock ones for next year.

Here is what the end place settings look like. I offset the solid green place mat with a Longaberger napkin. I then used more of the solid green Goodwill napkins on the rest of the place settings.

I had planned on setting Kali's table today as well but the table cloth that I ordered still has not made it so that will be another day.  Pop back tomorrow to see some things that I have found on my thrift store shopping trips.

                                                             Blessings,
                                                                           Missy

Luck of the Irish

Welcome back for another day of St Patricks Day decorating. Today I decorated the coffee table, tiny powder room and the coffee bar.

I wanted to keep the coffee table simple. I found the book at GW for $1.00 last week.

The basket is Longaberger and filled with chocolate gold coins.

I found this planter at a local shop last year, I thought it looked like a Leprechaun boot. I added some Dollar Store silk flowers.

This is my coffee bar, it is inside the butlers pantry. I found the mugs at Hobby Lobby on sale. I added a shamrock towel and Longaberger basket. Can you tell I love my K cup coffee?

This is my tiny powder room all decked out for St Patty's Day.

I found the two wooden shamrocks at Gordmans and could not pass them up. Another Lefton Leprechaun and pot of gold on the shelf.

I love the little sign, sounds like something my ten year old would say. Thats all I have for today. Pop in tomorrow to see the last of the St Patty's decorations, my tablescapes. The dining room table will be set and the breakfast table as well. I will also have an extra special little table all set for my grand daughter Kali.

                                                  Blessings,
                                                               Missy

Luck of the Irish

I am so happy you stopped by today to see more St Patrick's Day decorations. I love to use thrifted and crafted items in my decor don't you? Did you notice the gold bricks on the mantel in yesterdays Mantel Monday? All you need is a solid brick and a can of shiny gold paint. The horseshoes I found at a Flea Market a while back. I had know idea what I would do with them at the time. While painting the bricks it hit me, I can spray those old rusty horseshoes and use them in my St Patrick's decorating. I also spray painted a bunch of small pebbles to look like gold nuggets and put them in little cast iron cauldrons that I used in my Halloween decorating. Instant pot of gold.  Here is my entry table with one of the gold horseshoes.

The planter is Lefton, I found it at a thrift store quite some time ago. The basket is Longaberger scored on ebay for $15.00 I also pull out the moon and stars green glass that I have collected over the years. I filled it with chocolate coins and left over chocolate lips from Valentines day (kiss me i'm Irish) The scarf is actually a Longaberger napkin in the classic green pattern. The horseshoes I paid $1.00 each.

I found this vintage Irish blessing on ebay last year and I just love it. The pipe is another ebay find and it is hand carved in Ireland, it has shamrocks on each side and a harp on the end.

Thank you for stopping by and come back tomorrow for more St Patrick decorations.

Mantel Monday

Thank you for stopping by for the first Mantel Monday. Todays mantel is decorated for one of my favorite holidays, St Patricks Day. I hope you enjoy visiting my mantel and come back tomorrow for more St Patricks decorations.

Blessings, Missy

Luck of the Irish

I just love St Patricks Day. My grandfather was Irish, he passed away when I was 8 but his memory is very clear. He was a short fellow and the little bit of hair he had shined in the sun like a copper penny. My grandmother had said the same thing about my hair when I was a little girl playing in the sunshine. So today I started decorating for St Patricks Day. I hope to finish tomorrow, I can't wait to share my beloved St Patricks Day with you. For now I want to introduce you to my tricky little leprechaun, he reminds me of my Popal with his crooked little smile and his sleepy eye.

                 

Please stop back tomorrow for the first Mantel Monday.