Valentine Bakers Rack

I don't decorate much  for Valentines Day.   In fact I don't have any Valentine decorations.  But my bakers rack needed to be redone so I thought I would redo it with red and white.  I got out my red and white dishes (I did find 3 heart shaped ones I had forgotten about).  Here is the simple display I came up with.

This is more like the true color of the walls.  It's called Old Canal by Benjamin Moore

 

I think this will do until I start decorating for Spring.  I have an old hutch that I'm planning to paint white to use here instead of the bakers rack.

I hope you all have a fantastic week.  I am linking to these great parties.  Stop on over and see what creative ideas are going on there.

The Newbie Party at DebbieDoo's

Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Open House Party at No Minimalist Here

Potpourri Friday at 2805

Thanks for stopping by.  See you next time.

Barb

Read More

Winter Sunshine

There's nothing better on a cold winter day than bright sunshine and clear blue skies.  We are having that kind of a day here in Minnesota.  I thought I would show you what it looks like when you put an old red barn with it.  This barn belongs to Susan, my daughter's friend.  I love her old barn and I have photographed it from every angle and in every season. 

I hope you are having a sunshiny day!  It really does boost your spirits, doesn't it.

This week I'm linking to

Sunlit Sunday at My Little Home and Garden

Barn Charm at Bluff Area Daily

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.  I love hearing from you

Barb

Read More

Minnesota Barns

Here are a couple of barns near Owatonna, MN.  They were taken on a rainy, drizzly, spring day a few years ago while out for a drive.

 

I am linking to Barn Charm at Bluff Area Daily

Thanks to all of you who left comments last week. I really appreciated them.  I  had a nasty cold so if I didn't reply to your comments, or comment on your post, that is why.

Thanks for stopping by.  See you next time.

Barb

Read More

Wine Anyone

I have this little wicker table in my kitchen at the end of the counter that I have had a plant on for the last few months.  Well it decided to die so I thought I would do a little vignette.  How about a Valentine Wine theme.

I already had every thing.  So there was no cost.

 

The Fieldstone Vineyards and the Parley Lake Winery are both in Minnesota and they have excellent wine.

Notice the little lighthouse wine charms on the glasses.  They were a gift from a friend.

I got the pineapple wine cork holder when I visited a couple of wineries in New Hampshire last fall.

 

 

Playing around with Picnik since it's going to be gone soon.  I gave the wine holder a Sepia tone.

The picture you see of the wine glasse and peaches is one that I painted in oils years ago.
I don't paint in oils anymore but am trying to learn water color.  It's a lot harder for me.

Playing around in Picnik again and put a frame around it.

  Maybe I'll have to try painting this in water color and see what a mess I can do with it.

I've been kind of sick this past week with a nasty cold. So if I haven't responded to your comments or posted a comment on your blog, you will know why.  I appreciate all your comments and the new followers.  You make my day!

Off I go now to Miss Marty's 100th Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Please join me over there for some very impressive table tops and vignettes.

Until Next Time
Barb

Read More

Sunshine and Barns

I have always like taking pictures of old barns and other old buildings.  I found this blog today called Bluff Area Daily  that features barns on Tuesday.

Since I have so many picture of old barns I thought I would do a post of some I saw in Wyoming a couple of years ago.  They are situated at the foot of the Teton Mountains near Jackson Hole.  I was traveling with a couple of cousins and we were told the best time to photograph them is at dawn just as the sun is coming up.
So we got up before 6 am and headed out there.  It was a cold morning and we thought maybe we were crazy getting up  so early on such a cold day.   Well we were surprised when we got there and here were so many people  with the big cameras and tripods.  We laughed as all we had were point and shoot cameras.  Here are the pictures I got with my little camera.

 Everyone waiting with their high quality cameras for the sun to come up.  The barn is known as the Moulton Barn and  is on Morman Row 13 miles north of Jackson Hole.  It is one of the most photographed barns.

The sun starting to hit the mountain tops.

 The sun a little higher  up

Now the sun is shining on the whole barn

Here are 3 more old barns that were in the area

 

Places I'm linking to this week

Barn Charm Tuesday at Bluff Area Daily

Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer

Sunlit Sunday at My Little Home and Garden

I hope you are all having a good week!  Until next time.

Barb

Read More

Sunlight on my Collection

This morning I had my tape all set up to do my yoga and I noticed the sun shining on the TV and my collection of vintage cameras.  They were given to me by my friend who gave me the table in my last post.  I did a little vignette with them next to the TV.  Not sure they will stay there but they are there for now.

A vintage Revere 8 Movie Camera & Tripod

2 Kodak Instamatic Cameras and an electronic flash unit

I love photography but had no thoughts of collecting anything related.  But now that I have these, I think I might have to look for an old Brownie Box Camera to go with this collection.

Wishing you a day full of sunshine.

Barb

I am linking up with:

My Little Home and Garden for  Sunlit Sunday

DebbieDoos for the Newbie Party

Read More

In my last post I showed you this picture of an antique table and said I would tell you about it in my next post.

I have always loved these antique tables and wished I had one.  A couple of months ago I was helping my friend move to an assisted living apartment.  He didn't have room for all his things and his family asked me if I would like it.  Like it!  I would love it!  So after I took down my Christmas tree I place it in front of the window.  For now I put a lighted winter bouquette on it.  It will be so fun to decorate it with seasonal vignettes.

Just look at those beautiful legs!

It fits right in with my antique chair and desk.

 

 

I'm loving the looks of my living room.  It feels so warm and comfortable both in the sunlight and with the soft glow of evening lights.

I was fortune to receive more antiques from my friend and will show those in a later post.

This week I will be partying at:

A Stroll Thru Life

Return to Loveliness

Open House Party  at No Minimalist Here

2805 for Potpourri Friday

Miss Mustard Seed for Furniture Feature Friday

Read More

Sunshine and New Thrift Store Find

Karen over at My Little Home and Garden is having a new Sunday Linky Party called Sunlit Sunday.  When I walked into my living room this afternoon the sun was shining on my newest thrift store find.  So I thought I would join the party and show off my newest treasure.  

I told myself I was not going to the Thrift Store until I got rid of a few things.   Well I just couldn't help myself as I was driving by the other day.  And here is what I found.  This beautiful glass vase for $5.00.  They had just brought it out in a cart and hadn't even set it on the shelf yet and it jumped right into my cart.
I love the way the light is shining off it and making little sparkles on the floor.
The stuff in the vase came with it and I haven't decided yet what I'm going to put in it.


Here are a couple more pictures.

I also like the way the sun is shining on the floor and the magazine rack.  The table in front of the window is a new treasure too and I will tell you about it in my next post.

For now I am joining Karen at My Little Home and Garden here for Sunlit Sunday 
and 
Debbiedoos Newbie Party

I hope you all have a great week!

Until next time,
Barb

Read More

Looking Ahead and Saying Goodby

No, I'm not going anywhere, but I am saying goodby to Dell.  I'm sad that she hasn't been able to share her talents, humor, and photography here on this blog.  She has decided that she is just too busy to do any blogging.  I have a feeling when she retires she will start her own blog.

So I am looking at a new name for my blog that will represent more of who I am.  I think the new name will be 
Grandma Barb's This and That.  My grandkids all call me Grandma Barb and this blog is a little of this and that.  I would like to keep the same url. When I read about that it says that I can do that and keep my followers but the feed will go by the blog name not the url.  It suggests setting up a sub blog.  Anyway I am technically impaired and can't figure it out.  Can anyone explain to me what I need to do?

So in saying good by to Dell I decided to show a few of the lighthouses we've seen on our trips.  I got the idea  when I saw that Pat, at Back Porch Musings has a beautiful picture of Split Rock Lighthouse in Minnesota on her mantel.  Dell and I have been there several times.  In fact the picture of us on our profile was taken there and that is the lighthouse in the background.  Here is the picture of us from a few quite a few years ago.  I am  the one with the big sun glasses.

Other lighthouses from Minnesota

This lighthouse is in Two Harbors and is a bed and breakfast.  We have stayed in it several times.

 

The next 3 lighthouses are in the Harbor at Duluth
I don't know that they have names

The following lighthouses are in Maine

Portland Head

Bass Harbor

Marshall Point

The rest of the Lighthouses are in Michigan

In the harbor of Macinac Island

White Shoals

Old Macinac Lighthouse with bridge in background

These are just a handful of the lighthouses we have visited.  Sometime I will show more of our lighthouse tours.

If anyone can give me some advice on how to proceed with the name change I would really appreciate it.  I don't want to have to start a whole new blog.

Another technical question I have is why, when I sign up to follow someone, I don't receive notices of their posts.  This has happened to me 2 or 3 times.

I am linking this to Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer

I hope you are all having a great week.

Barb

Read More