Preparing for House Guests
on Nov 19, 2009 in family guests This week has been a bit of a blur...not as much blogging as I would have prefered. We've had another run of illness here, and we've got renovations under foot that need to come to an end by Monday. No pressure. One bedding delivery yesterday, a new...

Cake Decorating Party
on Nov 13, 2009 in Kitchen birthday parties shopping antiques Conscientious Creativity china Views from The Covered Porch Yesterday I worked at the antique market, and we had a customer come in with her 7-year-old daughter. They were hunting cake stands. The little girl was having a cake decorating birthday party, and each guest was to have a cake stand, presumably with...

Topiaries
on Nov 12, 2009 in DIY thrifty finds books Design Views from The Covered Porch I love topiaries. Can I say that again? I love topiaries. I really do. I do practice restraint, as I do in all my decor choices, but I am a fan. I see tutorials where smart people show how simple it is to make one, but I just can't do it. I received...

The Listening Walk...Sights and Sounds of Fall
on Nov 10, 2009 in books family the garden Views from The Covered Porch Have you ever gone on a listening walk? My daughter received this book years ago, and we still go on listening walks. It's amazing what you might hear if you just stop talking and listen...dogs, birds, footsteps, the wind, a homemade bracelet jinglin...

Dish towels, blogs and awards, oh my!
on Nov 9, 2009 in Kreativ Blogger Award DIY Conscientious Creativity Design Views from The Covered Porch tables Hang with me...this is going to be a long one. First of all, a HUGE thank you to Leah at Who Moved My Cheese Straw for sending me the Kreativ Blogger Award! Wow! I was shocked and it completely made my day! If you haven't read WMMCS yet, please che...

Love for Linen
on Nov 7, 2009 in Fabrics furniture Conscientious Creativity Design Views from The Covered Porch Views from The Covered Porch: Nov. 7 As I meandered all the information on how to live a green life, I realized that I really could step past the basics of recycling plastics and cleaning with vinegar and essential oils. All commonplace these days. I...

What do you sense in a good read?
on Nov 6, 2009 in books family Views from The Covered Porch Views from The Covered Porch: The Cottage Nest Today I checked in with The Cottage Nest, and her post about books and their smell hit me like, well, walking into comfort. I just smiled at her reference to the smell of books. We read a lot around he...

Tablescaping...what does it mean to you?
on Nov 5, 2009 in family furniture Design Views from The Covered Porch tables Today I'm participating in Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch. The weather yesterday was so amazing here, that a nap on the porch would have been just the thing! But of course the hammocks were still wet from all the rain. Sigh. But I d...

Searching for the perfect card...
on Nov 4, 2009 in family Conscientious Creativity Views from The Covered Porch Today's link-up supports my idea of Conscientious Creativity. I'm really excited about this. It's such a fabulous idea! Today is my sister's birthday. Some of you may remember that she's also my next-door neighbor. Her day is shaping up nicely so...

The Domestic Engineer
on Nov 3, 2009 in Views from The Covered Porch We have a friend (and former co-worker of my husband's)...Ivy League educated, multiple degrees, athletic, funny, stylish southern wife, three cute kids...and this brilliant guy was smart enough to realize that his wife's roll is that of the domesti...