There's A Time For Everything

I made some peanut butter cookies for you.  Come and have a cup of tea  with me.

I wrote my first blog post  in November 2007, knowing nothing about blogging (I didn't even know how to add a photo in that first post).  I had no idea of how it would enrich my life.  It challenged my creativity in so many areas and helped me learn computer skills that I might never have learned.  But most of all it has enriched my life because I got to know YOU!

You are the most creative, caring, understanding, encouraging, acccepting, beautiful, and just basically amazing bunch of women I have ever had the privilege to know!!

I opened my home and you stole my heart.  I have played "show and tell" with all my projects and you have been so sweet to comment on them.  I have made you drink endless cups of tea even though I know many of you would have preferred coffee!

Since I have been back working full time I have tried to post occasionally, but I just can't do it the way I like to. There is a time for everything and so I think it's time to hang up the "Closed" sign on Rose Colored Glasses.  Perhaps one day there will be a "Back in Business" sign, but for now it's time to say good bye.

I feel very sad and am going to miss your visits. I am surprised to find tears welling up in my eyes as I write this!  You have been a VERY important part of my life these past 4 years.  Thanks for your friendship.

Rhondi xo

PS. I have started a blog for my real estate business.  It's called At Home In Charlotte Today, so if any of you are in the Charlotte area you might want to follow it. And if you know of anyone who is moving here make sure you contact me.

Not a DIY Diva

Do you want to be inspired? 

Melissa Michael's new ebook, NOT A DIY DIVA is a must read.  You will love her ideas on living an "authentic life": having your home suit yours and your family's needs instead of someone else's idea of home. 

Are you frustrated trying to live a magazine cover life with a house full of kids an dogs, or on a limited budget.  Then you'll enjoy this book.

This little book is  full of great ideas, encouraging words and inspiring quotes.  Melissa's friendly style of writing makes you feel like you are sitting in her living room having a lovely chat with your best friend.

Click here to find out how to get your own copy. 

I know after you've read it you will want to visit Melissa at  The Inspired Room and let her know how much you liked it.  You can also find out more about the book by visiting her there too.

Rhondi xo

Good Morning

Thinking of you this morning and picked some flowers for you.

Do you know Melissa from The Inspired Room?  If you don't you'll want to visit her. I just love her attitude about decorating your home because it resonates with how I think too.  Melissa  has put together all her wonderful ideas and written an ebook which comes out tomorrow. 

I was able to get an advanced copy to review so come back tomorrow and I'll tell you all about it.  You're going to want to get a copy!

Rhondi xo

Fall Flowers

What is your opinion of fake flowers? I'm not a big fan, but sometimes when there are no flowers in my garden I have this bouquet of fake daisies on the table.

But this time of year I have beautiful daisy type mums and a yellow helianthus in my garden so I can have real flowers!  From a distance they look almost identical.

But up close...

...you can tell they are real because you can see part of a little ant hiding behind one of the yellow petals!  When I shook the flowers lots of ants fell off but I guess this one was extra strong.

One of the nicest places to put fresh flowers is on the kitchen windowsill.  Then as I am scrubbing pots and pans or peeling potatoes I have something pretty to look at.   I have these blue bottles,which I've had forever, but you could use anything. It will cheer you up!

When you have fresh flowers in your house it's like having sunshine inside.    I am lucky today because the sun is shining outside too!

Try bringing some sunshine inside today!

Rhondi xo

Pumpkins

I'm so happy to see you! 
Do you get Country Living Magazine?  When I saw the cover this month I wanted to make some pumpkins like these on the cover.  The instuctions said to photocopy fabric , then cut the paper into  1" strips and use mod podge to adhere it to the surface of the craft store pumpkin.  Easy enough, right?   Wrong!

If you want to make some I have an easier way to do it.  Don't bother making photocopies of the fabric.  Paper is stiff and when I tried to glue it on the round surface of the pumpkin, the edges puckered and it didn't lie smooth.  As I was trying to make it work I thought why not just use the fabric?  Fabric stretches and will go over a round surface much easier.  So that is what I did.  I followed the instructions in the magazine but used fabric instead of paper. 

I made 2 of them.

Here is a close up of how the fabric overlaps

 I placed this little blue one on the stack of books on the mantle and it looked okay there.

But it was much happier on the table with the other pumpkins.

Yesterday I promised you a cup of tea, so I've brought out my Dainty Blue tea set which I save for very special friends, like you!  Do you like milk and sugar in your tea?

 I hope you can stay for awhile and visit.  I'd love to find out what you've been up to.  Any projects going on around the house?  Have you read any good books or seen any good movies lately?

 Thanks for stopping by.

Rhondi xo

Feeling Like Fall

One of the first signs of fall here are the berries and leaves on our dogwood trees beginning to turn red and the cardinals feasting on them everyday.

 The berries on the nandina bushes turn from green to this  beautiful burgundy color and eventually to bright red.  My Mr Rabbit vase is the perfect container for them.

 Oops, you can't see his little face... there it is!

 You can see here how the berries are changing color.

 If you've followed me for very long you will know that I love blue and white and yellow.  I don't know what got into me the other day but I had an urge to make an orange and white quilt!  Orange is definitely a color I seldom use in my house.  I often don't even have an orange pumpkin for Halloween.  Maybe it was because I covered a little pumpkin in orange and white polka dots ( I'll tell you about that project tomorrow).
Maybe it was because we go to Elevation church and our logo is orange and white.  Whatever possessed me, I made a little quilt, just big enough to cover a small table or drape over the arm of a chair.

 I haven't actually finished the quilting but put it on the table anyway until I can get time to finish it!

Orange and blue are complimentary colors so they go together very well.  The Goodwill pumpkin that I painted white with blue leaves can be all purpose fall, or ........

 turn him around and he's all ready for Halloween!

 I took down my blue and white quilt and hung this one.  The warmer colors are cosier for fall and the orange color of the tablecloth  picks up the orange  colors in the quilt. 

I have to go to work now but could you come back tomorrow and have a cup of tea with me?  I'd love to have a longer visit with you. 
Hope to see you tomorrow
Rhondi xo

Where Has The Time Gone?

My goodness, I can't believe it's been two months since I last posted!  It has been a busy summer!  The best thing that happened is that we have a  precious new grandbaby, Sophie Elizabeth, born in July.  We did lots of driving too: trips to Cape Cod  and Texas to spend time with our kids and grandkids.

It has been such a hot summer here, day after day above 90 degrees.  I am so ready to be done with the heat! This morning it was finally a little cooler and I could open the windows for a little while.  What a relief!

Do you remember when I showed you these chairs I got at a yard sale? 

Well I FINALLY finished making the slipcovers!

I need to get a bigger table to go between them. 

Did you notice I put a tray out for tea?  Hope you have time to stay for a visit.  We have so much catching up to do!

Another thing we did this summer is put our house up for sale.   We have decided we'd like to get something smaller with less yard to keep up with .  There's just the two of us and we don't need so much house anymore.  It is a charming home but doesn't have all the granite and upgrades that everyone wants these days, so it may not sell at the price we want. Some of you will notice we painted the dining room yellow.  I miss the red , but thought it was better for resale.  Here is the virtual tour.

If you know anyone in Charlotte who wants to buy a home, let me know. 

Glad to be back!

Rhondi xo