Bienvenidos a Mexico!

Aren't ya'll impressed by my Spanish? I don't really speak it but I thought I'd try out a little Spanish on everyone and say "Welcome to Mexico" in Spanish!


Here's the car loaded up with all the suitcases and stuff you just can't live without for a week. Everytime we go somewhere, I find that I pack W-A-Y more than I need. I'm getting better but there's still room for improvement. My theory is you just never know what shoes you'll need for what outfit, right?

First stop was Beau Rivage in Biloxi. Hubby says we can stay overnight here and not have to drive as far the next day (????).....doesn't make sense to me either but I love the atmosphere and food

Sunset on the Mississippi River leaving port on Monday afternoon

In my haste to get photos loaded, this one got out of order, but you can still enjoy the sunset on the Carribean Sea

Here's my BIL, sister, me and hubby (left to right)....Randy is over 6' and Betsy is 4"! I call them Mutt and Jeff

Here we are on the grand staircase on captain's night

We played this funny game with a hula hoop where you have to pass it over your head, around your body, and to the next person while music is playing. When the music stops and the hula hoop is around you, you're out! I got out the first round but here's Betsy still hanging in there

This was the "hairy chest man" contest. This little guy was so funny...as you can see, he is very thin, not much chest hair, wore glasses and was really pale. He got a real charge out of dancing for the ladies but unfortunately he didn't win! I would have given him the trophy just for the effort he put into his dancing!

These burgers are the some of the best I've ever had

Creme' Brulee

Ice Creme "Sandwich"

Lobster tail (I didn't eat all these but they all put their tails on my plate when I started taking pictures)

Grand staircase in the atrium

Standing on the deck at Margaritaville in Cozumel

(oops, another picture out of order) Looking down at the bar in the atrium

Our home away from home for 5 days

Overlooking downtown Cozumel

This boat was docked next to ours....it looked like a floating city!

We usually go to Fat Tuesdays in Cozumel as we've found it to have good food and ice cold Cokes!

Jalepeno poppers

I love this store, it has lots of black and white clothes which I wear a lot of. They even have a web site

Margaritaville was not in Cozumel two years ago so we spent an hour or so here. Great atmosphere!

Strawberry daquari (it really is 5:00 somewhere)!

My sister (short one) and me in Yucatan, Mexico

We are probably the only ones in Mexico that went in Carlos 'n Charlies to use the bathroom and get a Coke

I've always loved this type pottery but I never buy it

Ahh, foot massage in Cozumel (hubby was massaging my neck and shoulders - it was heaven)!

Here we are at Fat Tuesdays (it is VERY HOT in Mexico in February)

I took many pictures but I just wanted to put some on so ya'll could enjoy a little trip to Mexico with me here in the middle of winter. We always try and go somewhere warm during February....it's such a nice break from the cold weather (well, cold to me).

Today, my mom and I are going to take a nostalgic trip to Lowndes County, Alabama where my grandparents lived and where my family lived for several years. I'm planning on taking lots of pictures to share. We are going to the old homeplace where my grandparents lived and where my mama and daddy got married many years ago. I have great memories of that home and all the good times our family had there.

Also, a large part of the civil rights movement took place right before my eyes in Lowndes County and Selma, Alabama. I'll tell a little history on all of that when I post about our trip.

Have a great Friday!

Cremeware and Tureens

Since my kitchen and bedroom makeovers are more or less complete (no room is ever finished!) I've been pondering on what color to paint my dining room and foyer. Since those are the first two areas of my home you see upon entering, I wanted them to flow together plus tie into my kitchen and den. The kitchen wall color is Latte but I really didn't want to use that in the dining room and foyer. Then when I saw my wonderful friend Rhoda's post on her "classic dining room" this week, I knew which direction I would go. I just happen to have the hardwood floors, sisal rug, and mahogany table and sideboard, plus a few pieces of cremeware. I just need to paint and add molding under my chair rail. Since I'm not as handy as Rhoda, I don't know whether or not I could do the molding myself, so we are having a handyman friend install it.

I have been collecting cremeware for sometime now but I don't have as many pieces as I'd like to have. I wanted a real "statement piece" to go on my dining room table and I lucked up Monday in one of my favorite flea markets and found a wonderful soup tureen. It's huge! While it's not the "real deal" I fell in love with it and since it had been marked down quite a bit, I went ahead and got it. While out shopping, I found two 36" mahagony shelves at Ross for $10.99 each! I will use those on a big wall to display some of my cremeware. Well, now, since I have those shelves, I gotta have some "stuff" to put on them, right? Today I went around to some of those great places like Marshalls, T.J. Maxx and Ross (again) and loaded up. I don't have pictures of those yet cause I put them in my closet for later (I know some of ya'll do this too)!


All of the photos below are of the plates and other items I have just stacked on my sideboard for now....not necessarily "decorated" but just put out so I could see what I have.

I got these pretty little oval dishes at Old Time Pottery for a song...I love the edges. They are just placed on one of my cake plates

When I took the crystal candle holders and candles off the dining room table, I put the candles in this urn for the time being but I kinda like the way they look there

The plates on the bottom match one of my cake plates

Here's a view of the sideboard and cremeware

Here's my big "statement piece" on the table! I just love it

I would love to start painting the dining room by this weekend but it all depends on the "molding guy". Keep your fingers crossed he can get to my project soon.

I promise to post some pictures of our cruise to Mexico soon. We were so tired when we got home Saturday that we just crashed. Then Sunday I spent with my mom and then the grandkids and their parents came by for a little while. Pictures soon..............

Live from the Gulf of Mexico

Well, here we are on our last day at sea somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico! What a great time we've had for the past 5 days and I can't wait to share LOTS of photos. The boat is really rocking, piano music is playing beautiful music, I've just had ANOTHER turkey sandwich on country roll, an ice cream cone, been to the spa for some pampering and a manicure and I just had to check out all my blogging friends. Do you think I have the "blogging bug"? I'd say I do!

We'll be back in port in New Orleans in the morning and then heading home. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed and take a long, hot bubble bath.

Check ya'll later!

Bon Voyage!

Just a quick little post to show you where you can find me during the coming week. We're leaving Sunday to stay at the Beau Rivage so we can be good and rested before heading to N'Orleans and Mexico for five (count 'em) five sundrenched, taco-eating, shopping, lazy days!

I can see my swimsuit clad hiney sitting in one of those gorgeous lounge chairs sipping on a cold drink and reading a good book!!

Ya'll be good now....


P.S. I've just found out that I'm in the article that the Atlanta Journal wrote about Eddie Ross's trip to Scott's Antique Market. Sweet Rhoda is saving me a copy and my sister in Peachtree City is going to try and get me some extra ones!

P.P.S. Big News! My sister (above) who is married to the pilot asked me and my other sister if we wanted to go on a "girl's only" trip to London in November!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hubby is fine with it, he probably won't even miss me! More later...........


JUDY

Metamorphosis Monday

Don't forget to check out Susan's blog for all the great Metamorphosis Monday posts!

Here's a little switch-a-roo I've just done. Back in October my friend Linda and I were at our favorite flea market (the same one Layla posted about last week) and she spied this little dresser without drawers or doors. Ya'll remember Linda, don't you? The one with the fab-u-lous cottage house. If you missed her pretty home, check it out here. Anyway, she thought this would look great in my bathroom filled with pretty white towels and other "stuff" (we all like stuff, right?). All this time, I've been thinking about that little run-down dresser and did I really want/need it. The chest I've had in my bathroom was a real "before and after" that turned out pretty good. You can see for yourself here. While I really liked that black chest, it really took up too much room and I filled it up with things that needed to be put somewhere else or thrown out. So, I decided to move that black chest to the guest room that is done in cream and black toile, and move this little dresser in, not so much for function as for form. A lot of inspiration pictures I've gravitated toward are featuring some dark woods mixed in with the all white scheme so for $45 (the cost of the dresser), I figured I couldn't go wrong. If it didn't work, I wouldn't be out of much money.

Here it is at the flea market (sorry for the blurry picture)

And here's what it looks like in my bathroom

I'm going to put some baskets in where the drawers are missing.

I've also been looking around for a little scale. I saw this one at the same flea market for just $15 so I grabbed it too.

I want to put some artichokes on the scales but I didn't have any for the "photo op" so I just used some faux pears. Some bananas, apples or other fruit will look pretty there too

I won't be joining in for Metamorphosis Monday next week (the 16th) as I'll be sailing off to Mexico!

Full As A Tick!

Oh My Lord! If I eat one more thing this weekend, I'm going to explode! I've done really good on my "diet" for the past few weeks, saving up to "pig out" on the cruise to Mexico, but this weekend I blew it! Saturday hubby and I went shopping for clothes for him (big mistake - he walks in and walks out of a store faster than anyone I know). When we walked by the Cinnabon counter, I knew I just had to indulge in one little bitty bite. Well, as it turned out, we each had one mini-bon apiece! Then Saturday night we went out for Mexican! (I might have had one little margarita too)

Something this ooey-gooey and delish should be sinful!

Sunday we went to Birmingham to see my son and his family before our trip. On the way up, I said I would love to go to P.F. Chang's for lettace wraps but that I was going to let them decide where to eat. We met them close to their neighborhood and they wanted to go to P.F. Chang's!!! After eating lunch, the fellas took baby girl home for a nap and my mom, DIL and me went for a little retail therapy. Guess where we stopped on the way home? Dairy Queen!!!! Can we say "Waffle Cone Turtle Sundae?"

Of course, the sweetest part was a little granddaughter love!

Daddy holding the "Hello Kitty" purse while she gives me a sweet smile

Sweetness!

New Year - New Look!

Back in December I was lucky enough to come across a blogger who was offering for a brief time blog make-overs. I think I had to leave a comment by a certain date which I did. She then contacted me and we briefly discussed what I would be interested in her doing for my blog make-over. I had always wanted a 3 column blog, some special fonts for categories, etc. I did not want a permanent header because I like changing that out myself. Due to both of our schedules, we really didn't get back together much until just recently. She then directed me to one of her blogs so I could choose a background and from there we started working on the fonts and colors, plus other little extras I wanted. Today you can see the final result that we've come up with and I couldn't be happier!

Let me just say that if anyone is looking to make some changes to your blog, either big or small, please check out Joanna's blog at http://www.southerngirlblogdesigns.blogspot.com/. She is an absolute joy to work with and let me tell ya'll, she had to have a lot of patience with me! I had so many questions and she very graciously answered them all. In fact, she even gave me some extra help in getting my header picture fixed and a few other little helpful hints.

I am so happy with the way my make-over turned out! Joanna, I can't thank you enough!

CAUTION: WORK ZONE - UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Can you tell my blog is getting a "make-over"? Back in December I was lucky enough to win a blog upgrade! I've been wanting to have a 3 column blog and some fancy fonts, etc. and now my wish is coming true! Please be patient as my "make-over artist" is working out a few kinks!

My Second Outdoor Wednesday

It's time for another Outdoor Wednesday hosted by Susan at A Southern Daydreamer. I think it does all of us good to see some signs of spring right about now, I know for me it does! Fortuntately, here in the deep South, it's not as far away for us as it is for some of ya'll. While we ususally have what I consider "cold snaps" through March, by April the weather is getting just perfect! April and May here are gorgeous!

Please be sure to check out Susan's blog to see some wonderful pictures of spring at my house last year!

EDITED TO ADD: APPARENTLY WHEN I LINKED UP TO MY 2ND OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY POST ON SUSAN'S BLOG, I DID SOMETHING WRONG (BUT AT 6:30 A.M. I'M NOT THINKING CLEARLY!). IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO VIEW THE FIRST LINK I PUT ON SUSAN'S BLOG, PLEASE CHECK OUT THE CORRECTED ONE WHICH IS #38 (IT SHOWS UP AS "CHRISTMAS IN THE DEN 2008"). DON'T KNOW IF IT'S ME OR BLOGGER BUT YOU SHOULD SEE THE CORRECT POST AND NOT THE CHRISTMAS POST!