Liberace, Eat Your Heart Out!

Yes, yes, I know, another pre-wedding post, but really it is quite consuming, especially when a lot of the decorations are sitting around your house.

While Sammy and The Writer were here over last weekend they met with their wedding planner at the wedding and reception sites.  It was at the reception site they learned that they may not be able to use the candelabras we've been collecting to enhance the atmosphere.

What?!? Seems no open flames are allowed by the city's Fire Ordinance.  No problem for the candles in all those Ball jars I've been collecting, but what about the tapers we were going to use in the candelabras? We scouted around to see if they made flameless tapers, but couldn't find any.  Maybe online they are available, but I think we hit on a solution that actually makes these candelabras look stunning.  

Tell me what you think!

I personally think they look even better than the tapers and we won't have to worry about them blowing out from the fans or AC.

Can you see the mirror in the background?

Well, Mr. Tennis still hasn't noticed it even though he eats his dinner there every night!  Sammy picked it up at the Thrift while they were here for $28.  It has a beautifully carved frame.

I am going to clean it up and "enhance" it a bit so that lovely carving stands out more and then she is going to use it at the reception for her seating chart for her guests.  Dry erase markers will be put to the mirror and lay out the seating.

Day Six now, Mr. T...... but you will soon see it now that you have read this post :-)

Nake! Nake!

Look who the dogs brought out of hiding yesterday in the backyard - a small black slider.  Of course, I say that calmly now because I looked it up after scrambling to get them into the house and away from the "nake". He is a non-venomous "nake" who feeds on insects and small rodents so we let him be and hope he will eat some mosquitos and any rodentia slinking about.

So, I know you are asking, "what is this woman's problem.  That is obviously a snake.  What's with the "nake" business".

It's the first thing that flew into my head when I saw him.  When my daughter, The Maven, was about 3 or 4 she couldn't pronounce "s" in combination with another letter.

One day at the park she yelled out "Nake, Nake". I had no idea what she was trying say until I saw the snake she had spotted.  I started noticing other words after that.  

When her brother would bother her she would say "top, top".  Or "Tay away from me".  

I guess I could have an endless list, but be assured that now at 22 she is saying those words properly.  

Now I just have to get my 26 year old son to explain to me why he called bicycles "gawgwees"....

Dessert Please!

We have had a busy weekend with the future bride and groom in town. 

 Bridal Shower. "Meet the Nearlyweds" at a get together at my house.  Lots of fun, food and idea spinning!

About a month ago an idea was sprung by Suebee,  that it would be special to have the wedding cake served on a mix of vintage dessert plates.  She had some to lend us.

.  Her business partner, Kathy had some - no "some" is not the word. Sixty-one plates she's lent us from her own collections! 

Along with the 25 Suebee is lending us and the measly few I've collected on various excurions with CG and Country Mouse we have a total of 112.

I can rest on my laurels for awhile until we get a final head count for the wedding reception and I have about 15 more here in my cabinets that could come out in a pinch.

And the Bridal shower?  This sweet banner made by one of the bridesmaids says it all:

Several lovely days have been had by all.

Thanks to all my friends that have been helping me gather and lending me treasures for this very special wedding!  You are all so appreciated! I'm glad Sammy, my FDIL got to meet all of you!

ZEKE!

We had a special tiny guest visiting at the Boston house while his mom is on vacation.

Meet Zeke. Five weeks old.

Rescued at three weeks during a Florida rainstorm.  He was quite sick at first.

But he is doing very well now thanks to the vet and his mom's quick and attentive care.

Not all of us were happy to see Zeke in our territory.  Miss Darcy was VERY insulted.  She looks scared in this picture.

But this is really how she looked at Zeke. (like an owl)

Bumby was surprisingly blase.

The dogs were affectionate and took great care not to overwhelm little Zeke. Even rough and tough Panda toned it down for Zeke.

Blurry, but you can see that Panda is giving Zeke a bath and he looks quite content.

Zeke is the only feline that doesn't intimidate Sadie.

In fact they bonded one afternoon on my bed.  Watch this video and I dare you not to smile a little bit.

Zeke went home Friday night and we are all going to miss him a lot.

  Except for you-know-who.

I Always Wanted to Ride in a Bentley!

And I finally did!  Okay, so technically it wasn't "A" Bentley.  As in "the car", but nonetheless, I rode in a Bentley over the weekend.

And don't you know I had my hideous toes up for the occasion?!

Hey girl!  Time for a pedicure please! Ugh.

We took our show on the road, or should I say the high seas this last weekend when we finally were able to schedule Mr. Tennis' father's day boat ride on the intercoastal waterway between New Smyrna Beach and Ponce Inlet, FL.

As you can see he looks right at home behind the controls.

And he even had a first mate!  Sadie.

The Maven and Orlando Grandma were there too.

And of course the Bostons came along.  It was their first boat ride and you would have thought they were grizzled Sea Dogs watching them work the boat deck.

Tongues out - we're very happy!

This made me nervous... but no overboard tragedy occured.

We had overcast weather, which is not bad when it's July in Florida.  We still saw some beautiful sights along the way.

Pelican hanging out under bridge pass-through.

Nice homes on the shore.

The Ponce Inlet Lighthouse!  A beautiful landmark!

We sneaked ashore and had lunch.  Shhhhhhhh. Only quiet dogs are tolerated.

We stopped at the "disappearing island" which is a sandbar that is either there or not depending on the tide.  The dogs loved it!  And we met the ultimate "chick magnet" this Great Dane who had many a bikinied girl draped over him.  His owner sheepishly admitted that he has brought him out to this spot for the last 8 years because he always gets "attention".  Hmmmmmm.  Forget it Mr. T!

A good day was had by all and we had two crusty, tired dogs for the drive home.  Reward? No tennis ball throwing in the backyard necessary.

Hope to link to Angela's Tuesday Show and Tail! Thanks Angela!

Ralph Macchio, Please Stop Dancing With The Stars and Show Me this Wax On, Wax Off Stuff - Or - I Finally Painted My Hutch After 30 Years.

Hey! I needed a catchy title.  You stopped by didn't you?  So this is the story....

I have this hutch I bought soon after Mr. T and I got married 30 years ago.  It's been through a lot. It had been through a lot before I bought it.

It's very rustic.  I wasn't sure how to utilitze it or "re-purpose" it.  Until..... I entered Blogland and realized perhaps I could redo this piece of my early-married history.

AND, there is nothing like a looming pre-wedding/friends - will - be - coming -into - house - event to spark one on to one's task of making things look a little better.

I was also worried about all those Ball jars and many hands and feet and elbows in our small home.

So.... I started.  In spite of the humidity.  This is what one wakes up to in Central Florida in the summer if you have old windows.  It is the outside humidity indicator in this household and a good excuse to put off painting.  Not this time.  Not with a "meet the bride and groom" event looming.  Drastic measures must be taken. 

Cover the dining room table and start prepping Boston Lady.  You are on a schedule now.

It actually went very well.  I mixed my own paints.  Why not?  I had white. I had green.  Too white.  Too green.  So I tinted the white with the green. And, yes, you guessed it - I tinted the green with the white.

Always wanted white shelves to show off the items displayed - in this case, all those Ball jars and pitchers for the wedding.

After the initial coat - which of course the paint said "no need to prime - a primer and paint in one!" No, that wasn't true.  But it allowed me to play around with it all.

I had planned to paint just the shelves at this point.  Thought they would look fine atop the rustic, unpainted base.

Nope.

Start painting that base.  White or Green? Did that base coat white (you know the one that also primed the surface) and decided it need a green base. Did it.

Of course, it cannot be left "perfect", must distress. So I did.

In several areas.

I think it works since this is not a refined piece.

After paint was dry and distressing was done, that's where the Ralph Macchio part came in. Applied finishing paste - I had never used it before - where have I been????  A thin coat is put on, dries for 15 minutes and then enter Ralph, the Karate Kid, and buff that wax to a shine. It requires a lot of elbow grease, but the protection and sheen are worth it.

Started filling it with Ball jars and other wedding and family treasures.  Basket on top contains some of the things that my friend, Suebee, is lending us for the wedding and reception (more Ball jars!).

I'm liking what I see.  The Ball jars are safe and also highlighted by the white background.

Put a few family treasures such as Mr. Tennis' baby toy - Fisher Price Pelican - into the mix as well as The Writer's beloved Pluto from an early visit to Disney. Third shelf down on the right is a pottery rose The Maven made in high school.  Found the Williamsburg pitcher on the left same shelf at a garage sale for $2. Can you see the vintage plate-keepers on the top next to the basket?  Suebee is lending me those to hold dessert plates we are collecting.

Lower area has more of our family photos, along with my plastic teddy that my dad brought to me in the hospital when I was born.  My baby-self chewed the nose and ears - and tail, but he still is here! (oops - realized cat feeder is in shot - oh well)

And that orange bottle!  Found it this week at a garage sale while I was out with CG.  It is a milk bottle, not sure if it is authentic, but I like the color and the raised design on it.

Today I found this pretty peice of driftwood while boating (future post on blog) along the intercoastal waterway.

So, I think my old hutch has some new life in it now and the job is not perfect, but it's those imperfections that make us and everything else more interesting.