RED WHITE AND BLUE & DELISH FOOD TOO!

Today I'm getting ready for the 4th of July!!  

Of course we have to start with the flowers! There's something so beautiful about a bouquet

with red roses, white baby's breath, and white hydrangeas with blue tips. I also stuck a little Dollar Store star flag in for a little pizazz!

There are a million tablecapes to be found for this patriotic holiday, so I'm using my red, white and blue salad plates with a cute little lobster on them this year. I love
red and white check tablecloths because they scream traditional picnic....which is traditional for us on the 4th. I had these blue stripped kitchen towels that seemed
perfect to use as napkins.

Here's another tablescape I've done with the addition of some Dollar Store decor. (tumblers, grapevine stars, placemats, and flags) I changed up the centerpiece and used golden Black Eyed Susan's in Mason jars that I spray painted a frosted look. I finished with a blue polka dot ribbon loosely tied. The runner is red stripe ticking that I just hem stitched.

It's always fun to add a bit of Red, White and Blue inside too! You can find died daisies in grocery stores! These little vases are something I've had for years from a mail order catalog.

We have to have a little dessert on this special day.....why not serve a RED cookie? Red Velvet Cheescake yummies with a cheesecake filling and white chocolate drizzle?

https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/red-velvet-cheesecake-cookies/

It's the beginning of cold salad season. Veggies are fresh and bountiful and make such a beautiful presentation! One of my favorites is Ina Garten's Corn and Avocado Salad below.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/corn-and-avocado-salad-2303526

If you're like me I wait for Summer! It's grill time and all the mess is out of the kitchen!

However, you spend your 4th of July holiday, I hope that you take time to reflect on just how fortunate we are to live in a nation where our forefathers fought for the Independence we now enjoy!

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

                          Kathleen

OH JOY AN EASY DINNER!

Welcome to Wednesday TLB friends,

Are you tired of struggling with what to make for dinner every night? Sometimes I feel like I want something easy, because I frankly don't want to be in the kitchen in Florida for long periods of time!

Some might say that soup is out of the question, but I don't feel that way. Soup prep is easy and in air conditioning a pot simmering on the stove is not an issue. Besides it's a great way to have a nutritious meal without alot of fuss.

So today's blog is just that.....Cauliflower Chowder is a favorite in my house. Simple ingredients make this a "go to favorite" of mine and it's low-carb!

The recipe may be found at: 

https://damndelicious.net/2014/03/22/cauliflower-chowder/

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my hubby does!

Have a fantastic week!

                          Kathleen

CHARLESTON WEDDING DETAILS

It's all about the details today as I take you through the planning stages of my daughter's wedding in Charleston, SC--

EXTERIOR FLORIDA HOUSE UPDATE

Busy, busy, busy,

Our Florida house has been a haven for our family for 14 years. We are very thankful, and hold many family memories from our days spent here together. It's provided a haven of solitude and enjoyment for not only our family, but our extended family as well. But "she" needed a little a "TLC." Since God has given us this time to spend here, we decided to take advantage it. 

Our first quotes were for the exterior including the roof and patios, to be pressure washed. Then we solicited quotes for the exterior to be painted to include the patios as well. We hit
the jackpot with our chosen painting company, Ryan Hammond Painters, from Fort Myers who did it all for us! Now we had to choose our color palette.

We drove to Naples and spent a complete day touring Model homes. We not only were looking for our future home ideas, we were also scoping out exterior colors. We found the colors we loved, however, they wouldn't give us their names. So hubby said, "why don't we grab the Sherwin Williams paint deck, and match up the colors ourselves! They also used SW paint, so it was such a great idea. Brilliant!! 

After our selected color palette was approved by our HOA, we waited nearly 2.5 months
because of the lengthy schedule our painting company had ahead of us. I guess that alone was a clue as to their integrity!

Our painter uses Sherwin Williams paint so we chose:

*SW 7065-Argos for the walls
*SW 7571-Casa Blanca for the trim, and eaves
*SW 9178-Old Navy- for the front door

HERE ARE THE FINAL RESULTS!

I'm still working on the patios. One patio had to be ground down a bit, and then both were painted. They turned out beautifully, but now it's time to decorate them. That's for another blog!!

Stay tuned.........
                           Kathleen

CREATE A MEMORIAL DAY TABLESCAPE

It's that time again when we take out the red, white and blue to celebrate Memorial Day! 

Today's blog is an easy tablescape for anyone to make! I combined decorative items from the Dollar Store with my own plates and napkins. Used mason jars as vases and grabbed beautiful golden color  daisies from the grocery. Easy and inexpensive decor!

                             HAVE A GREAT MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND!

                         Kathleen

FRIZZ BE GONE!

Welcome to Wednesday TLB friends-

Things are getting pretty warm in Florida these days---high 80's and low 90's! As a former northern girl Spring was my favorite time of year. I do miss those sweet Spring days!

Unfortunately, the extremely warm days here bring many "frizzy" hair days for me! My hair is great after shampooing and blowing dry, then I step into the elements and the frizz takes over! YUCK! I loved my Dad a bunch, but I can thank him for the type of fine frizz that appears during these HOT days. My sister got the nice thick beautiful hair from my Mom---lucky girl!!

I've been using Living Proof shampoo and Conditioner for quite some time. (Thank you Jennifer Aniston!) But I recently was introduced, via a sample, to their Frizz Humidity Shield hairspray. 

What a difference a little Frizz Humidity Shield makes....and it comes in travel size for those warm climate vacations too!

If you have issues with "frizz" like I used to, give it a try? 

See you next Wednesday!

                           Kathleen

DON'T MISS THIS MOTHER'S DAY GIFT IDEA

It's that time of year again, Mother's Day is just around the corner. In today's blog I've got a little creative gift to share with you. It's easy, fun and a contains a little "unexpected surprise" for Mom. You're not going to want to miss this one......

Anyone who knows Southwest Florida is aware of Norman Love Chocolates! And if you aren't.....check them out!  https://www.normanloveconfections.com/

Each piece is a work of art, and the taste just melts in your mouth.