This and that.

Whew...we finally got our taxes done, and sent in.

I hate that feeling...knowing you have to do them.

We usually have them done right away. For some reason, Mr. L waited until now to call for an appointment with our accountant to get things done.

Anyway....that's a load off my mind.

We received some new jewelry for the gift shop at the pharmacy.

This pin caught my eye right away.

I was drawn to the colors, the needlework, and the soft fur around the outside.

It reminded me of something an old gypsy would wear!

At first I was planning on putting it on a lampshade. When I got home,however, I went right to the column, and added it to the draped lace, and crinkled ribbons.

My supervisor also makes jewelry, and sells it in the gift shop.

I LOVE this red bracelet!

Needless to say, this also came home with me.

Remember when I shared all of the pillows that I ordered for the bed?

I also ordered this Shabby Chic Romance slipcover for one of the dining room chairs from Shabbyfufu.

I wanted to see if it would work with my chairs.

It works better with the flat back chair, than it does with the curved backs...but it will work okay until I can replace the curved backs.

So....I ordered more slipcovers over the weekend...Yay!

It takes a few weeks to get the covers. When they do get here, I will show you how the table and chairs look all gussied up together.
The dogs think I bought the slipcover for them to play under...kind of like their own little camp...NOT!!!
I hope you are enjoying the weekend. It's still cold and snowy here at the Lakehouse...but the winds of March will soon be here to dry up the last of winter.
Warm hugs!

Romantic clocks

It's a beautiful Friday morning here at the Lakehouse.

There's a fresh blanket of snow on the ground,and the sun is shining.

Since it's mid-February, I know Spring is closer, and that gives my heart hope.

                                                While going through some magazines a few weeks ago, I happened upon
        these pretty French clocks. They are quite heavy, metal, and a gorgeous color!

I knew exactly where they would be going once they arrived.

Since re-phloofing our bedroom, I've wanted just the right clock for the side table.

This one worked perfectly.

It adds that touch of romance, that I love, to the room.

Enjoy your Friday!
I'm joining My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday.
Also French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday.

Getting it right.

Do you have a corner in your home that you just can't "get right"?

I've had a corner of the dining room that has always been one of "those" spots.

I tried cupboards, small tables, chairs, etc.

Nothing worked for me.

Until now.

I went shopping in my booth, "Seashells and Lavender", and brought home two wedding veils.  

I slid the shabby column into the corner...next to the chair that was recently dressed with the runner, and enamel pitcher full of lavender.

Then I stepped back, and was really pleased with what I saw.

Shabby, chipped, and worn.

A mix of textures.

Just the right colors.

Finally....

I'm loving the freedom I feel in decorating this old Lakehouse.

No one else has to like it, but me.

Mr. L has his own "Mans Town" to do with as he wishes.

He hangs dead deer heads on the walls, has knotty pine walls, and floors. I don't care...I just close the door!

After living here for eleven years, the dining room corner is finally done.

If the house sells this Spring....great!
If not....At least I'll like this corner.
xxoo

EEEEKKK!!!! A bat!!!

I've been going through the Lakehouse, sorting a few things.

Deciding what to take to my booth, what goes to St. Vinney's, and what gets trashed.

One thing in particular I decided NOT to keep was the bat I found hanging on the sheer panel  in the spare bedroom.

He evidently moved there after we moved the beds around last weekend.

When we lifted our box springs in our bedroom, I noticed droppings from what looked like a VERY large mouse!

Of course I was mortified!

When I walked into the spare bedroom the next morning, I noticed a mouse the size of a guinea pig on the curtain panel!!!

Upon closer inspection, I realized that giant mouse was a BAT!!!!

As I stifled a scream....EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!

I closed the door, and shoved towels under the door, so the bat could not escape the room, and attack me.

When Mr. L finally returned home from the gym, we finally captured the rodent with wings.

It creeps me out to think that thing was hanging under our bed for who knows how long this winter??!!  Oh the horror!!!
I've been cleaning every nook, and cranny making sure that flying rat didn't lay any eggs anywhere! It would be just my luck that some night while watching TV a whole herd of bats will come flying through the living room looking for their mother!
Until then, I'm wearing a necklace of garlic to bed!!!
Have a nice day.

Romantic ruffles.

The postman delivered  the things I ordered for the bedroom today.

We have those awful slanted ceilings! 

It' makes it difficult to arrange furniture upstairs here at the Lakehouse.

I ordered two white ruffled Euro shams to go with the Rachel Ashwell pink rose quilt I use in our bedroom.

I also ordered some pillow cases with two rows of ruffles on them...love them!

We switched the iron beds.

We took the one from the sun room, and brought it upstairs. 

I found this one at my favorite cottage shop located on the other side of the lake. It was sitting outside of the shop, getting rusty.

After getting it home, we sanded it down, painted it, and distressed it a bit.

We put the other bed in the sun room.

I also bought a different bed ruffle....I'm loving that too!

I brought the insert up earlier in the season, and put it inside the little mantle.

It's so cozy when we climb into bed.

Even tho I don't like the slanted ceilings here at the Lakehouse, if I work at it, I think the room can still look nice.

When we bought this house, we thought it was worth the goofy ceilings to be on the water.

After eleven years....I would not do it again.

So....there are some of the new things I've received so far.
I do love the look of the iron bed with all of the romantic ruffles.
Have a great weekend!!!

In the meantime.....

I ordered some things for the house.

This house, or the house we will buy if this place sells.

I've made up my mind, that I will bloom where I'm planted.

As much as I long to live closer to my girls, and their families...if God decides to keep us here, then here is where we will stay.

So......I ordered some things that I was going to wait until we moved to purchase.

Then I realized that we might be here for quite a while, and maybe longer than we had ever planned.

So why not enjoy where I am, while I am here? How ever long that may be.

Besides, I will take my things with me if I move!

I will just be taking a few more ruffled pillows, bed skirts, another shower curtain, and some ruffled chair covers for the dining room chairs.

No big deal.

In the meantime, I plan to keep decorating this Lakehouse with more white, shabby, vintage, romantic, ruffles, and roses.
I haven't joined a party in quite a while, so I think I will join Kathleen over at Faded Charm.
xxoo

The Cross In Prayer

"In that day you will ask in My name..."

We too often think of the Cross of Christ as something we have to get through, yet we get through for the purpose of getting into it.

The Cross represents only one thing for us-complete, entire, absolute identification with the Lord Jesus Christ-and there is nothing in which this identification is more real to us than in prayer.

"Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him" (Matthew 6:8).  Then why should we ask?  The point of prayer is not to get answers from God, but to have perfect and complete oneness with Him.  If we pray only because we want answers, we will become irritated and angry with God.  We receive an answer every time we pray, but it does not always come in the way we expect, and our spiritual irritation shows our refusal to identify ourselves truly with our Lord in prayer.  We are not here to prove that God answers prayer, but to be living trophies of God's grace.

"...I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you..." (John 16:26-27). Have you reached such a level of intimacy with God that the only thing that can account for your prayer life is that it has become one with the prayer life of Jesus Christ? Has our Lord exchanged your life with His vital life?  If so, then "in that day" you will be so closely identified with Jesus that there will be no distinction.

When prayer seems to be unanswered, beware of trying to place the blame on someone else.  That is always a trap of Satan.  When you seem to have no answer, there is always a reason-God uses these times to give you a deep personal instruction, and it is not for anyone else but you.

My Utmost For His Highest

Oswald Chambers

Remember I said I had some changing to do?
I'm still working on it.
I'm no longer a practicing Catholic, but respect some of the disciplines I learned growing up. I try not to think of "religions, and traditions"....I consider believers in Jesus Christ to be "Christians".