Ouch...the Truth Hurts

or..."if all else fails, read the instructions." A favorite quote from my dad.

OK, now put on your readers,

or sit the appropriate distance from your computer screen.

No, you are not seeing the same pictures twice.

I'm being brutally honest here and admitting one of my biggest faults

...not taking time to read instructions.

I picked out my little Kodak Easy Share camera a year ago for my birthday. Notice the name, "Easy Share". That should be an indicator of my level of expertise in the area of photography, well, I should say anything to do with electronics. (we've had a DVD player for upteen years and only recently have I learned how to turn it on).

The thought of starting a blog was HUGELY intimidating, because of said expertise in all things electronic. I do the minimum to get by, then complain that I'm not good at "it", and then tell my husband he needs to take care of it.

A few weeks ago I asked my husband if he would help me get started with the blog. He took me to "Blogger", showed me the tutorials, and then said ,"You do it. You can learn how to do it."

Well, panic sat in and I fumbled around for a few days, then I realized if it was ever going to get done I would just have to learn how to do it...by myself.

Now, fast forward till 2 nights ago. I have been complaining about my camera, saying it wasn't very good, because, well, look at that lamb close-up of a few days ago. Then, asking how much a new camera would cost.

Guess what my husband said?????

"Why would you want a new camera, you wouldn't know how to use it. Have you read your instruction book for the one you have?"

Oh, the shame of it.

He was right. I had not read the instruction book.

So now, see the before and afters. OR, I should say, the "afters", then the "befores".

My little camera is not professional grade, but then neither am I. Now at least, I can take a close up that does not look as if you are viewing it through the bottom of a coke bottle.

Congratulations " self".

Life lesson learned.

Isn't it amazing that it can take so long sometimes to learn the basics of life.
I have many more that I am currently learning.

All for now, more later.

Debra

Summer "time" Fun

Seems like I always have a "plan" and feel the need to accomplish things.

I have what I call an "A-" personality.

I'm not a perfectionist in the slightest,

but I do like to stay busy.

I've learned that I need to take time to just relax and enjoy my life... and family.

Aly and Chris love to swim on the weekends.

Here they are on Father's Day, ready to jump in.

Chris is our "grill master" and doesn't mind the heat,

so he was our chef for the day.

You may be wondering why the paver barrier (?)

We have tons of chipmunks, and to keep them out of the pool

(they don't swim well),

we had to get a little creative.

Enjoy your family today,

Debra

The Spring Creek Tearoom

My favorite lunch place is Spring Creek Tearoom in Ozark, Missouri. That's about 10 miles south of Springfield, and 20 miles north of Branson. Tearooms seem to come and go, but not Spring Creek. Their food is exceptional and the atmosphere is comfortable and filled with vintage decor.

The outside of the building is just as quaint as the inside. It was an old storefront located on 3rd Street, which is right off the square, in historic Ozark. Actually, 3rd Street is the main street in Ozark, so it's easy to locate.

Easy to see, it's not your average cafe or restaurant.

Come on in.

Usually, it's just my beautiful mom, sister and I, but today, Becky's son Spencer, joined us.


Have I mentioned how wonderful the food is? It' s wonderful! I usually get the chef salad, but Becky and Mom go for the chicken salad on marbled bread.

OK, we're eating, so you can go ahead and check out all the great shopping.

Primitive and cottage

An old rattan bike

Romantic

Ready for the 4th of July.

Stunning

Funky

Eclectic

Traditional

Sophisticated Old World

Sorry, no picture of the Milky Way Cake we had for dessert. It disappeared!

Have a great weekend.

Blessings, Debra

Inspired by White

I recently purchased a copy of the Spring "Jeanne d' Arc Living" Magazine, and I am captivated by their homes, gardens, and living spaces. Typically, I need a little color in my surroundings, but I found that on my deck I seemed to have been in sync with their outlook.

An old sewing machine base with a white painted furnace grate attached,

in front of my old white garden gate.

An old wooden carrier filled with tiny pink buds, a birdhouse,

a birdcage and a concrete rabbit all vie for a spot.

These white concrete urns filled with white bacopa are just like the ones that my grandmother had on her front porch many years ago (when I was just a very little girl) I have another larger set on my lower patio that is shaded, filled with impatiens.

You can put me in any antique or vintage shop or warehouse, and I will immediately be drawn to the white, distressed, rusted, chipped items. Tables, boxes, iron fencing, statuary, ironstone, cabinets...whatever...I want it.

The interior of my home is another matter, as you will see. The pieces I use frequently are painted black. I know we furniture painters have all discussed it. The dilemma, WHITE or BLACK? Which should it be? I've asked myself that question many times and sometimes I just have to wait until I have a "feel" for it and where the particular piece should go.

But for my deck I found a few pieces that were of the rusted white variety and they have landed there. This area is right out the door of my sunroom, and underneath my kitchen window.
The very old "wicker on metal" chair and the table set for tea from the last post, are part of this "white" group.

I love my little camera, BUT, my husband already sees the writing on the wall, so to speak.

Have a wonderful relaxing day.

Blessings, Debra

Tea for Two

I started collecting china tea and coffee pots before I was married. I've sold a few over the years that I have since regretted. I don't have anything fancy, just odds and ends pieces, which is pretty much the way most of my "collections" are. Sometimes a certain object just says it needs to come home with me. I guess that's why I have a lot of little random "things" in my house (and life). So today, I thought I would set a tiny table for two out on my deck.

So I'll grab a chair and we can take our time.

The little plant shown here is called "angel vine". I started seeing it used on a lot of the Scandinavian blogs, but I had never found any before here. I finally tracked down a greenhouse that sells it. It likes shade, but will tolerate some sun. The key is to keep it moist at all times, as it dries out quickly.

"one lump or two?"

Have a wonderful day, Debra

Spring Creek

Most people in our area know about Spring Creek Tea Room and Antiques in Ozark, Missouri. It's best known for it's wonderful TeaRoom, where the food is prepared fresh daily, and the yummy desserts are made by Brenda, the owner. The line starts at 10:00am and goes till 2:00. It's always worth the wait, because that gives you time to browse all the great booths in the store.
I really gravitate toward the feminine, cottage, garden-y look, as you can see. Recently, after some more health upsets, I had to scale down, so right now I'm trying to concentrate on smaller items that don't require a lot of heavy lifting.

Here are the recent pictures from my little booth.

Thanks for coming along, we'll have lunch there soon. Then I'll show you the tea room side and all their great decor.
Have a great day!

Blessings, Debra