Monday, September 29, 2008

Sitting~ HA, Ha, HA, At a B&B

I am back from 9 days of Inn Sitting. That is a joke...there was very little sitting. Can you even imagine washing, drying and folding towels, bath rugs, sheets and bedding for 12 guest? The washer and dryer ran non stop all day long! Thank goodness a maid came in to go upstairs and change out the beds and bring down the laundry, trash and freshen up the rooms. My friend Glenda and I have always hated to leave a Bed and Breakfast after a visit. Well, Sunday night, we couldn't get away fast enough! LOL. We loved, loved, loved meeting the guest and talking to everyone, as well as the 2 tea parties we set up. Cooking breakfast wasn't all that bad either. But the best story of all involves the Innkeepers pets, Barney the cat and Amelia the beautiful blue parolett. Barney is a orange tabby cat that is a big hunter. He proudly presented us with a little chipmunk, that we rescued and released, as well as two moles...DOA! BUT, let me tell you about Sunday's breakfast and Barney. We had a house full of Auburn football guest as well as two couples down to play golf at Stillwater. They were all coming down about 8:30 for their breakfast of ham, biscuits, fluffy eggs, fried pears and banana bread. The weather was so wonderful outside that we opened the two sets of french doors off of the breakfast dining room. Some guest had wandered out to the deck with their breakfast and on one lady remained upstairs still in bed. Barney decided to slip into the house through the French doors. I hear guest saying, "No Barney, go back out." I went back into the owner's quarters for a minute when suddenly Glenda came in just screaming."Where is Amelia?" "She's in her cage, why?" I said. Barney has a squirrel caught under the buffet of the formal dining room, and I was so afraid that it was Amelia out. OMG! I went straight to the formal dining room only to hear cat and squirrel just a going at it! The guest were excited as well! The ladies were running, screaming, jumping in chairs as well as the men on the HUNT! Some guest were grabbing their cameras. The men were wanting a flashlight so I ran and got a couple. The squirrel was moving from room to room so I closed all doors leading to all parts of the house in an attempt to persuade the squirrel to go out the front door. The husband of the lady still in bed ran upstairs and told her he thought a squirrel had ran up the stairs and I mean she got up quicker than greased lightening! She came down those stairs all wild eyed and ready for a cup of strong coffee! Well, I continued to try to round up the squirrel by closing the massive pocket doors to the gentlemen and ladies parlors. Finally, Glenda got Barney and took him to the screened in porch. All guest were convinced that the squirrel had exited the front door. Of course, breakfast was stone cold at this point. After we checked the guest out, we went to the owner's quarters and sat down in the recliners to eat our breakfast. We were exhausted and beginning to dose off. All of a sudden we heard the squirrel in the gentleman's parlor that is back to back of the owner's quarters. I went in there and opened the parlor pocket doors, but no squirrel. So, our answer to is the house haunted is now...NO, only a squirrel in the gentleman's parlor. Now, if you have ever heard Ray Stevens' take off on the squirrel at church, this is even more funnier. All in all, we loved Inn Sitting and would do it again. However, Barney will need to stay at a kennel next time. Oh, P.S...you should read the comments in the journals! AND, A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL!

Friday, September 19, 2008

PINK SATURDAY. September 20th~ Poodles

This is my guest bathroom. It is a pink lovers delight! The pink metal laundry pail and tissue holder were bought at different times but they are a set.

As you can see, I will never run out of Pink Items for Pink Saturday. Thanks ,BEVERLY
for hosting another fun Pink Day.

I collect poodles and have a LOT!


Notice the vintage poodle towels..You better not use them!


They still have the original tag on them. I rag rolled the walls of this bathroom with the same pink paint used in the bedroom.

This wall is above the potty. It has several Plaster of Paris poodles on it. The one on top is a temperature gauge and it turns colors as the humidity changes in the bathroom. Some of my poodles have"spaghetti hair." Some have white rabbit fur on them too! One of my first poodles was the powder container. I like it a lot. It's the squatty pink one.

Not shown are Poodle banks,
poodle bubble bath containers,

and other plaster poodle items.



Do you recognize the Avon bottles? I have a pair of them.

Of course I have salt and pepper poodles...but that's another post.


Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Inn Sitter for Mistletoe Bough Bed and Breakfast

I told you about Mistletoe Bough about a month ago. I didn't tell you about the wonderful opportunity Glenda and I were offered. While we were talking to the Inn Keeper, I told her my girlfriend and I are so in love with B&B's that we took a course and became certified Inn Sitters. The Inn Keeper immediately asked if we would consider sitting with Mistletoe Bough the week of 21st-27th! She and her husband are going on their first vacation since they purchased the Inn 3 years ago. We answered without hesitation "YES!" We didn't even care how much they offered to pay us! SO-o-o-o I will be gone next week living a fantasy dream. We will have 12 guest Saturday night and feed them breakfast Sunday morning. They had rented the house for 2 days for their daughter's wedding. On Tuesday, we will host a little tea party for 12 older ladies. They will meet in the ladies parlor. Then on Friday and Saturday, we will check in guest for the weekend. These guest will be attending the Auburn-Tennessee game. We will feed them breakfast both mornings. There is a maid that comes in daily to change the beds and clean rooms. Then mid week, another lady comes in a does "deep cleaning." We will book reservations, run the credit card machine and be available for any needs. We will stay in the inn keepers apartment downstairs and also take care of Amelia, their parakeet and Barney, the mouser that lives outside. Glenda (my friend) and I plan to do a whole lot of porch sitting, rocking and coffee drinking. We'll smoke cigars in the gents parlor (NOT) and have afternoon tea and scones in the ladies parlor. Come by and join us. You're always welcome at Mistletoe Bough! Click on the link and take a tour.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Blog Designers Baby Girl

My Blog Designer has a brand new baby girl. She is so cute. Go over and visit Teale and welcome them home!


Friday, September 12, 2008

Pink Saturday~ Droopy Drawers & Vintage Cabinet

New Kitchen Cabinet
Hold on, this is a new post for pink Saturday! I have a new child's pink kitchen cabinet to go with my two appliances. Plus, there are cute little boxes of groceries to go with it. Thanks to my Arizona friend Carol for thinking of me. She gave this to me while my sister and I were out for her wedding. You know, Carol must think I'm Houdini. She loves to give me things to try to get through security at the airport! Of course, I had packed only one weekender piece of luggage for her wedding! I stuffed my underwear, bathing suit and God knows what else in that cabinet! It was stuff you would never see in a kitchen cabinet for sure! Would you believe that she gave me a pink handled knife right after 9-ll to bring back on the plane. CAROL!!what were you thinking! The three now fit beautifully in front of my real kitchen refrigerator, on a throw rug.

Droopy Drawers

These cute "Droopy Drawers" are an easily made craft from "away back yonder," as Granny would say. They are made with two dish cloths, ribbon or yarn and a little card attached that reads:
Now don't get excited,

and don't be misled.

These are not for you,

but your dishes instead.

Just pull out the ribbon

and rip out the stitches.

You now have two dish cloths,

but you sure lost your BRITCHES!
The two matching dish cloths were hand or machine basted in a contrasting thread to make it easy to tell where to rip the stitches. The ribbon or yarn was interlaced on the waist and bloomer bottom. They were folded lengthwise then stitched like normal pants would be.
Enlarge picture for better details. My friend, Glenda Rose gave me these cuties!

Sebastian my grandog

Let me introduce you to Sebastian. He is my granddog. He gets really scared during storms and doesn't like to stay alone. His human used to bring him to my house every morning to stay with my sweet Sugar so he wouldn't be scared and bored. I was at work too, so basically , Sugar babysat him during the day. His human, my daughter, would pick him up after work and take him back home....get the picture. Yea, it was like having a grandchild that stays with Nana during the day. Well, my daughter got married and moved into a new house and Sebastian's living arrangements changed. My daughter decided that they needed to be more responsible pet owners and started putting Sebastian in her daylight basement just during the day while they were at work. The basement had her old sofa for him to still lay around on and a window to look out. He had everything he needed...at least it appeared he did. My daughter came home one evening and Sebastian had blood on his front paws and fur. He was missing 3 teeth and had another loose. When she arrived at the top of the stairs, the door was bloody as well as the door jam. He had scratched his paws raw on the metal door and irritated his claws as well. "What had happened?," was our question. There had not been any bad weather that day. However, that was the day our community sounds off the practice of the weather siren. Maybe that scared him. Maybe he is a creature of habit, and needed his routine back. I went over the next morning and brought Sebastian back to his Sugar and Nana's house. He now resides with me. After Sugar died, Sebastian grieved for her just as I did. He still looks at the door or sits on the back of the sofa and looks for her. Me too! He gets her old toys and shakes them. He comforts me when I need a friend too. He sleeps with me at night so... he must go be groomed every 5 weeks. I'm not sleeping with a scratching, snoring, stinky man! He struts around after his appointment because he knows that he is too cute for words!

Sebastian is a Shitzu. He does look like a little Chinese man. He will be 12 years old next month. I am his third owner. He still likes to visit my daughter, but he's ready to come home when I leave. My daughter takes care of him when I'm gone on trips. But the rule is...he must spend the day at Nana's House! :)

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Angel Trumpet Plant

I'm so glad you liked the rick rack cactus post. I guess I am on a "Plant Posting" pattern. When you get the spit cleaned off your screen from saying that, I would like to tell you about these heavenly angel trumpets. This one grows in front of the License Office here in my small town. It also grows in Pink and white. They all smell very sweet. The shame is, they only bloom in late summer, then the frost kills them .




Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Rick Rack ~ This and That

Rick Rack Cactus are easily rooted, just look at all of those little roots ready to cling to something.
This one shoot just took off towards the sky! It will eventually lie down.


One of my favorite blogs is Reminisce...this and that. Linda talks about rick rack and her love of notions. Make sure you check out her older posts too. I have a Rick Rack Cactus that I really enjoy. It reminds me of the rick rack that was on my little dresses that mother made. It also reminds me of selling rick rack in our store. It was displayed so neatly in a rack provided by the company. If you remember, when I was a little girl, there were no Wal-Marts! I also want to sound off about the Wal-Marts discontinuing their domestic departments. That hurts us ladies that still like to piddle with sewing and quilting.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Pink Saturday, Sept. 6 BlogLift

I guess my favorite Pink Post today would be...guess what?? MY Blog Lift! Thanks to Teal!

Pink Saturday, Sept. 6



Happy Pink Saturday, and I have a couple of cute pink things to share with you. Now, Don't get any ideas about trying to steal my butler away. I've waited a long time to have my own personal butler. He's a handsome dude, isn't he! LOL He has to stand near my Shabby Chic pink metal lawn chair. The chair has seven coats of paint on it. I found it at a Flea Market. I move it all over the place because it is so versatile.

AND, just in time for Pink Saturday, Patricia sent me my blog surprise from theunfinishedflower.typepad.com/ I love it Patricia! The pink polka dotted bookmark ribbon with a PINK SQUARE button put the gift right over the top! The mixed media canvas will look so great on top of my antique piano. I loved getting the mail today.



Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Devil's Horses, Lubber Grasshoppers


I have an enemy that I hate. Old Timmers called this creature a "Devils Horse." These unsightly grasshoppers are a nuisance at my house. Back in the spring, when the nymph first appeared, there were thousands of them in the yard. Now, the mature adults are just plain disgusting! Nothing, I mean NOTHING, kills them but stomping the mess out of them! And, mess it is! My sister hates them too and she stomped one in my yard then had to clean her shoes off! They are commonly called Northeastern Lubber Grasshoppers. They are very destructive. They are poisonous to birds and even small animals that try to eat them. They hop away faster than you can stomp them. The have a shell like a darn armadillo. If you would like some, just email me and I'll send them to you dead or alive!