Freshening Up the Décor

I've been taking a much-needed rest from work, blogging and other tasks over the past several weeks.  The cooler weather has kept me indoors, so I couldn't help but notice some of the décor in our home is starting to look a bit tired.   Spring is almost here, so I thought it would be a good time to do a little updating. 


In our breakfast room, the toile Roman shades have been hanging in the windows for several years. Although I thoroughly enjoyed making them, I definitely think it's time for a change. Likewise, the drapes and heavy wood rods could use some updating.

drape fabric

 I found some embroidered trellis drapes at jcpenney.com for $18.00 a panel.  I thought they'd look great on some bronze curtain rods with bamboo Roman shades underneath.   


I priced the bronze rods and bamboo shades on several home décor websites.  The best deals I could find were $17.00 apiece for the rods, and $27.00 for each shade.  However, before ordering them online, I decided to check my local Christmas Tree Shop. I was excited when I found the bamboo shades for $14.99 each, and the curtain rods for $5.99 each.  I bought them all and ordered the drapes from jcpenney.com.

In addition to changing out the window treatments, I also want to tone down the French Country rooster theme going on in the room a bit.  The rooster rug on the floor (in the above photo) has definitely seen better days.  I think a round rug would look better under the table, maybe something that would add a pop of color and some pattern.  After several days of searching, I found this great  transitional rug on eBay for $79.00, with free shipping, which I ordered.


The new drapes and rug should arrive this week.  I'll be putting everything together in the breakfast room next weekend, so check back next week for the after photos.


I've also been making some changes in the family and dining rooms, which I'll be posting as time permits.


Thanks for stopping by!

Fight Now: Eat and Live Proactively Against Breast Cancer

I downloaded a free book for my Kindle that I thought you might find very informative and perhaps even lifesaving. It's called Fight Now: Eat and Live Proactively Against Breast Cancer and is written by Aaron Tabor, MD, with Lillie Shockney, RN.  What drew me to this book in the first place was that I have a cousin who has been battling breast cancer for quite a while and I also have a student who was recently diagnosed with the disease for the second time. Both are doing pretty well at the moment, but it's still a very frightening thing.

I learned so much from this little book! Dr. Tabor talks in depth about what research has shown regarding risk factors and who can get the disease (anyone--even men!), and he also discusses what we can do to try to prevent breast cancer from striking.  You wouldn't believe the simple changes you can make in your life that can make a difference. His statements are backed by studies and research by well-known medical authorities.

Did you know that people who develop breast cancer usually have low levels of vitamin D3? A deficiency of Vitamin D3 can actually increase your breast cancer risk by as much as 70%! I knew it helped the body absorb calcium much more efficiently, but I had no idea that D3 was so powerful.  Now I know why my own doctor insisted I take a Vitamin D3 supplement after a simple blood test indicated my D3 levels were low.  I'm definitely less likely to fuss over regular testing now! 

Other dietary changes can make a big difference, too. Everyone knows that healthy eating habits lead to a healthier life, right? But were you aware that certain foods tend to protect the body from breast cancer? Apples, walnuts, carrots, green tea, flaxseeds, broccoli, pomegranates,  and foods containing Omega-3s are extremely beneficial. Avoiding foods with a high-glycemic index--sugary, starchy foods--can go a long way toward reducing your chances of developing the disease. Maintaining an active lifestyle, losing excess pounds, and moderate use of alcohol helps. This is all research-based, but if you think about it, there's a lot of common sense involved, too.  

There is so much more to this book than I've mentioned here. I've just shown you the "tip of the iceberg", so to speak. Dr. Tabor has a website dedicated to the latest news and discoveries. Go to http://www.fightBCnow.com. However, you can download Fight Now: Eat and Live Proactively Against Breast Cancer directly from Amazon right now. If you don't have a Kindle, I believe you can download directly to your computer.  You may need to make a free Amazon account, but that takes only moments and is well worth the effort. Click here to download your free book.

By the way, sorry I've been away for so long. I do hope to be able to pop back in and see you all again often. I've missed you!!

Sherry

Many Blessings

I haven't had much time to blog lately.  In addition to the busyness of the holidays, life has been so full over the last few weeks.  Our family has been rejoicing over many blessings.  Here are two of the most exciting ones:


Our son, Rob, and his girlfriend, Sarah, became engaged the week before Christmas. Sarah is a lovely girl, and we couldn't be more thrilled about their engagement! 


Rob actually designed Sarah's engagement ring himself.  He also secretly made plans to meet her whole family at a restaurant at the Gaylord Opryland Resort after he proposed, as they were already in town to attend Sarah's  graduation from nursing school.  He proposed to Sarah in front of one of the ice sculptures--how romantic!  Rob is a  2nd lieutenant in the Army National Guard, and Sarah is a 2nd lieutenant in the Army.  They are both waiting to receive their military orders before they set a wedding date.  


In other exciting news,  last week, I was chosen to be a contestant on LIVE with Kelly's Travel Trivia.  I received a call from Laura, a representative from LIVE at 7:55 AM last Wednesday.  How it works is potential Travel Trivia contestants are typically called early to let them know they are a contestant, then they call back when the show starts.  Although I hadn't seen the show from the day before, fortunately I had recorded it on DVR.  The hour between the first call and the second one gave me enough time to watch the show and take notes.  I was ready when the second call came in.  However, unfortunately, the host chat went a bit longer than usual, and they didn't have enough time to play Travel Trivia.  I was told it was possible I could get a call back the next day.  


On Thursday morning, I waited by the phone.  I was thrilled when the call came in. I had been unable to participate via Skype the previous day, as the webcam on my laptop doesn't work well using Skype.  However, I had remembered my son downloaded the Skype app on the ipad my family bought me for Christmas.  I figured it would be fun to participate as a contestant via Skype using my ipad.


One of the show producers called me back about a half hour later to check the Skype connection.  I set my ipad up on the table in our breakfast nook.  I figured it would be a good idea to be close as possible to the wireless router, so that I didn't lose my connection during Travel Trivia.  


While I was waiting for the show to begin, I got a firsthand, behind-the-scenes look at how the show is produced.  I watched as executive producer Michael Gelman warmed up the audience before the show.  It was just like being there in person and was fascinating!  


As far as my appearance on LIVE, the video below tells the rest of the story.  (Before you hit play, scroll down to my playlist at the bottom of the blog and stop it, so you can hear the audio on the Travel Trivia video.)

If you watched the video, you know I won the trip to Antigua, but there's more to the story.  The reason why I was so excited when the wheel landed on the trip to Antigua was because that was where we really wanted to go for our 20th anniversary vacation.  I had been entering every day and praying I would win.  After several weeks of entering and waiting, I received an e-mail from Groupon for an all-inclusive deal at a resort in Antigua.  The price was right, so I ended up booking it.  However, the Groupon resort wasn't quite as posh as the St. James's Club.  


After winning the trip on LIVE, I called Groupon.  I explained the situation and was told they normally don't give refunds, but they would make an exception in my case.  I appreciate their understanding and will forever be a Groupon fan!  


The moral of the story?  It's always best to wait on God's timing, because His blessings are far better than anything we can ever do on our own!


Thanks for stopping by!

Happy New Year!

My husband and I rang in the new year in our favorite way, with a quiet dinner at home. I set a romantic table for two in the dining room, complete with candles and soft music.

  

I draped the table with a plum damask tablecloth from The Christmas Tree Shop, $5.99.  I reused the centerpiece from Christmas dinner, along with gold metallic candles from The Christmas Tree Shop.

I layered gold basketweave chargers with ivory and gold thrift shop plates.  I used our everyday flatware and plum napkins with gold napkin rings I found on eBay a couple of years ago.  The champagne flutes were a HomeGoods find a few years ago.

I also spreaded a few gold stars around the table for some New Year's Eve sparkle.

The dinner menu included shrimp ceviche, seafood casserole, rice pilaf, Italian green beans, with chocolate cream pie for dessert.

The shrimp ceviche was a refreshing change from our usual shrimp cocktail.  It would be wonderful as a cool appetizer served with Sangria punch on a hot summer day. Here is the recipe:


Ingredients:

• 1 pound medium cooked shrimp
• 3/4 cup lime juice (juice from 4-6 limes)
• 3/4 cup lemon juice (juice from 2-3 lemons)
• 1 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1  chile pepper, ribs and seeds removed, minced (optional)
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 cucumber, peeled diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 avocado, peeled, seed removed, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Squeeze the juice from the limes and lemons in a glass or ceramic bowl using a strainer to remove the seeds.  
2. Remove tails from shrimp and add to the lime/lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for a half hour.  
3. Mix in the chopped red onion, chile pepper, chopped cilantro, cucumber, and avocado.  Refrigerate for an additional half hour; add salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Happy New Year!

Linking up with
 

Christmas Tablescape 2011

I like to set my Christmas table a couple of days ahead of time.  

I started with a gold acanthus tablecloth ($5.99)  from The Christmas Tree Shop.

I layered a favorite Christmas tablerunner I bought a few years back on eBay.  I love the sparkle the gold sequins on the runner and the candle rings  ($2.99 each) from Michael's add to the table.

For the centerpiece, I filled a gold sleigh from The Christmas Tree Shop ($4.99) with a poinsettia plant from the grocery store and greens from the backyard.  I wired together three ornaments and added them to the center.  

A large loopy bow made from the same ribbon as the garland on the Christmas tree finishes my frugal table centerpiece.  

 I alternated plum and gold chargers, layering them with white and gold holiday china and plum napkins.  Small gold boxes filled with homemade holiday candy top each napkin.  Grandma's silverware and Irish crystal goblets complete each place setting.

Merry Christmas!