A Fellow Blogger Came Through My Back Door

Good morning, come on in and have a cup of coffee. Back to DD today. It is right pleasant this morning Through My Back Door and I am so glad you came. Lets go sit here and drink our coffee and I'll tell you about my visitor.

A few weeks ago, Sue Beck had on her blog she was coming to Pigeon Forge for a vacation and did any body know any good shopping areas. Of course I was right on that! I sent her a link to the Clinton stores. If you haven't been to Clinton antiquing, you have missed an experience. Somewhere in the e-mails we decided to meet for lunch. We met at Cheddars on Monday. What a good time we had. It was like we had known each other forever! We chatted non stop.(Imagine that, two prim bloggers having so much to talk about). This is us after lunch at Cheddars.

After lunch I took them to Clinton. We went to my most favorite prim shop, The Speckled Hen.

 Sue is smiling because she found the curtains she had been looking for. If it is prim, its here. We then went into Clinton to my favorite antique store, Corner Antiques. It is an antique lovers haven. They have everything and their prices are wonderful. I went home and left them to themselves. Sue brought me some wonderful goodies from Florida.

She actually made the towel. I love it all. Can't wait to put the pillow out for fall. I didn't have a little journal and I love it. (However, I have a confession. I am afraid of anything with feathers, yes I admit it. So no quills at my house). Here is where I put everything.

This is a close up of the journal. Here is where I put it.

I will put the pillow out as soon as I can, probably the first of September.
On Saturday, they went back to Clinton for the Christmas in July sale. Since they were so close to me I invited them to stop by, which they did. Again it was like two old friends just catching up. I did enjoy them so much. Let me say this about her husband. He never rushed us or acted like he was being put out by our chatter. They are wonderful people, you just can tell that, and I am so thankful God let our paths cross. They will again, because they will be back and when they do, they will come Through My Back Door where life is good.
betty
ps Sue doesn't particularly enjoy big dogs, but she and Dasko were fine! BTW Her blog, if you don't know, is Primsues Heart and Home. If you visit it, you'll be inspired.

Dinner Bell

Come on in and have a glass of plain old sweet tea. Sometimes it is just the best. It has been so hot the last several days, but again I won't complain. I'll just stay in under the air and drink my tea. I am glad you dropped by today. There is a lot I want to share, but some will just have to wait until another day. I'll give you a hint. I have got to spend some time with a favorite blogging friend. More about that next time, and some pictures.
Anyway I am so happy today. Many years ago my daddy bought me a dinner bell. When he brought it home,my grandfather, his dad, was there. He said it was just what they needed so my grandmother could ring it if they needed help. Of course I was disappointed, but what kind of granddaughter would I have been to be selfish. My grandmother couldn't read nor write, so she couldn't dial a phone. Well it hung there for many years. It was in the back yard of this house.

This is a picture my cousin painted and hangs on my wall of love. After they died we brought it home and it hung for years. Well until the pole rotted. For some reason it never got put back up. Until today. Dodd came and set it and honestly when he rang it, it brought tears to my eyes. It just sounded so good.

This fellow had to oversee the job. Nothing escapes him.

Dasko and I thank your for coming Through My Back Door where life is good.
betty
ps Next post you'll find out who came Through My Back Door

Candles

Hi everybody, come on in Through My Back Door. We are having a glass of limeade today. It is hot and the limeade is just tart enough to be refreshing. I like to put a maraschino cherry in it. I know I just posted yesterday, but I wanted to share these melted candles with you. I came home from cards last night about 9:00.(I play cards with a group of women. We have played together for 28 years) Any way when I came in I had no electricity. I sat on the porch for a little while, then came in and lit candles. We have had this discussion before, I LOVE candles. Well they burned a long time and this is what they looked like when I snuffed them out.

It was pitch dark in here except for these candles. I took the pictures of the ones below today.

Look at how the wax has run down the side.

Isn't this different? It just fascinates me.

I just love the way this is dripping down the side of the candle.

Well I just wanted to share this with you. I thought is was so neat.
Tomorrow I am hosting my domino group. We host it every five weeks. That means you do lunch every five weeks. Well, I love those gals but let me share this. Their food issues leave a lot to be desired!lol(They know I feel this way)One doesn't like chicken, tuna, nor eggs. One can't eat shell fish, one is a diabetic, get my drift? It gets to be oh my what can I fix! It was this way for me this week, sooo, we are having broccoli soup, pasta salad, iced tea,and orange cream cake for dessert. Nah,I cheated. I didn't make the cake. It is a bought one.

 Here we are at Dotties wedding. She is the one wearing the corsage.
Well that does it Through My Back Door today. Thanks for looking at my candles and see you later.
betty

With A Wandering Mind and Remember When

Good Monday afternoon and welcome Through My Back Door, where the coffee is on and just waiting for you to pop in. Remember one time I said I loved drop in company and just never get it anymore? Well I am tickled to have you. Lets sit in here though today, it is so hot outside. I will NOT complain, because remember when it was so cold and I had been snowed in for days? Man did I ever complain to anyone who would listen! I love summer. I love being out on the porch or patio drinking coffee, reading a book, or just being. I love jumping out of bed and throwing on a pair of shorts and a tee shirt. I love eating fresh tomatoes and other produce and I love peaches! Yum! I love not worrying about the house and how it looks, and THAT my friends is a problem. I just need to stop my mind from wandering and get busy. But my mind has a mind of its own, and it has been wandering. When I was in Destin last month with my family, I told you about a wonderful place we eat. It is on the water and this is what you see as you are eating.

Doesn't that look inviting? If you are more into fancy or ambiance, its not going to suit you. If you are into the BEST seafood available there, it will.

This is the other view. If you go to Destin you must find Deweys.
Remember when I said I want to declutter. Well I have. I am selling a couple pieces of furniture to have a less cluttered look.
Today my mind was wandering and I just let it. Heck, I just went along for the ride. lol I was thinking about the Primitive Pantry is going to have a gathering this summer and several people are  going. How much fun to meet your prim friends that you have gotten know to through blogland. I am sure a lot of you have met and formed long time friendships, but I have only met a few. Today I had lunch with a prim friend I hadn't met before. More about that later. But it was fun and I really liked her.I have met Carla and Kathy and just loved them, so I am looking forward to seeing them again as well as several more. I will post about that after we get back. I  will post lots of pictures too. It is a ways off.
Remember when I showed you the birdhouse I got from Deb and Michael for my birthday? Here it is put up.

What do you think? It is going to have a "Not for rent" sign on it.lol
Dodd is putting my dinner bell and pump up this week. Pictures
will follow. Things are getting spruced up a little bit. It is time.
I guess you think this blog really is wandering! Remember when I told you I was addicted to Deb Petersons pinkeeps. Well I just never seem to display them right. Here is where they are now. I don't particularly like them here.

They just don't look right to me. I have a collection of wick trimmers and I don't display them well either. Sandi over at Daybreak Place is trying to help critique this display. I can't keep my wandering mind from wondering is there a better way!
Thanks for coming Through My Back Door where life is good.
betty
ps A few weeks ago, Tamera, over at Country at Heart did a give away. She not only did the prize she did some runner ups. My name was drawn and this is what she sent.

Two crocheted doilies that say mom and dad, a nice napkin, a candle holder and candle, along with a cup in my favorite color.It has a lid and is perfect for the porch. No bugs! Plus it keeps it hot! Thank you Tamera. Wasn't she generous? check out her blog.

Prim/Colonial Lighting

Hi everybody and welcome Through My Back Door this afternoon. I have a pitcher of ice tea with pineapple ready and the glasses are right next to the cups. I am becoming addicted to this. I make a pitcher of regular tea and add pineapple nectar. Not juice,but nectar.It is so good and refreshing. I love it.
When we decorate our homes we always have to consider the lighting. Not just accent lights but the overhead as well. I thought I would share the ceiling lights Through My Back Door as well as some others. we'll start with my house. Okay.I have had my ceiling lights for years except in one bedroom. Deb and Michael bought me one for there just as a sweet gift.I really like it.

This is Michael doing the Ta Da dance after installing it. Andrew always does this after he helps his granddaddy do something. So now we all do it.

This is over my workspace in the kitchen.

This is over the dining table. I would love to have new ones, but we don't discard perfectly good items to get something new here. So I guess I'll be using these a long time.lol Aw shucks

These are in the living room. Let me say here and now I totally dislike my ceilings! Can't do anything about that right now.

This is in the end of the great room I call my reading nook.

This is in the guest bedroom.
 These are all the ceiling lights here. Now I am going to take you on a field trip and show you some more fabulous lights. These are in the home of my friend Sharon who owns the Speckled Hen, in Clinton Tn. You are going to see pictures of her private living room and dining room as well as some wonderful lights she has in the Hen. All of these lights of course are from the Hen.

Here is the entrance to the best little prim shop ever.lol

This hangs in her private entrance hall.

This is in the living room. Don't you love this room. I'll show you another side of it.

Don't you like those sconce?

This is her dining room and this picture is dark, but it is my favorite room in her house.

This is her Whaler lamp over her dinning room table and another view of the dining room. I really do love this room.
I hope you enjoyed seeing all the lights. I am going to show you some for sale in the shop.

This is actually in the shop bathroom.lol

I hope you liked the field trip and the peek into Sharons' house.
Thanks for coming Through My Back Door where life is good.
betty

Decorating Trends, Are They Trends

Hi everybody. I am so glad you came by this evening. It is time for a coffee break, so I love your stopping in. A cup of coffee is good anytime of the day, but a little pick me up in the late afternoon or early evening is just special. We're having French Vanilla today. I don't use it often, but thought this was a good day for it. We have just had a thunderstorm and it smells so good outside. With the coffee it smells good inside too. Anyway I have to admit to being a blog hopper. I love reading blogs and seeing how other people decorate. You never let me down. I get so inspired when I see the little vignettes you assemble. Your porches and gardens, as well as just your over all decorating. I hear people more often than not painting everything black. I didn't think I had much black, but found a piece or two. I also hear people asking is stenciling out of style. It is my opinion stenciling will never go out. I have none in my house, but hopefully one day Deb will decide she is going to do a room or two for me. She doesn't stencil, she does free hand.I'll show you some of hers in her house, in another post. My decorating philosophy, oh my I didn't even know I had one,lol, is do what you like and love. It is your house do what you want. If you want to paint it purple do it! What ever makes you happy. There is so much turmoil in the world, our homes are our sanctuaries. Make your home yours.
I will share the few black pieces I have with you. I don't have many.

A black candle stand.

My black heart, on my wall of love.

A black German Pub chair

 Black chairs in the dining room. A craigs list find by Deb. Six chairs, two with arms for are you ready? $120.00! I couldn't believe it. I love how they sit, but man they show dust! I had mid 1800 chairs before and they sure were pretty, but not too comfortable to sit on! These are really comfortable.

Black patio set. As I said I don't have much black.

This is my favorite black thing.Dasko.
Well, I hope you enjoyed our little visit half as much as I did. I will be visiting you to see what you are doing too.
Thanks for coming Through My Back Door where life is good.
betty
ps I want to thank all of my friends for allowing me to use their wonderful flag displays for my last blog. Thanks so much, you are what makes blogging fun.