Just Jabberin' Today 11/19/2013

This is my laundry room just above the washer and dryer. For years I used a large box of Tide with a handle on top and one on the side to pull it down to use when I'm doing laundry. Well, I've had to tape it with very strong duct tape to hold it together as it's getting a bit flimsy. So I tried a pretty box that was strong to put my detergent in. After a while I thought it might break the small metal handle. So I looked around the internet and found this metal one at Pottery Barn for $29 and hubs said to go ahead and get it since I just couldn't make up my mind. So here it is and it may get painted white and decals put on it. We'll see. But it fits there perfectly at 8" X 8" square, very strong and not so tall that it wouldn't fit in there. Score!!! I love it; however, I didn't throw away the old Tide box. Why do they change styles on things that we love and worked for us? I don't think a mother/woman/executive would design like men are doing now. No, I am not a feminist but women do have a different view as to what works for woman who are homemakers. I absolutely love being home all the time.

Okay, this is my very first foray into buying Cath Kidston. Squeeeeallll!!! I've always loved her style but especially her dishes. So recently with a coupon and free shipping I bought these 4 gorgeous little bowls...

and these 3 cups. Hubby has his own favorite mug to drink hot chocolate out of so I just got three for me. I'm telling you they are simply gorgeous in person. These are called Stanley mugs and are much bigger than one of our "regular" mugs here in the U.S. They had a Crush mug but it was a bit smaller I think and a bit different in its shape. But I chose these Stanley mugs and love displaying them in my kitchen.

I really do like the look of some French things around my house, but I'm not one to go all-white. I love pink and that's what color my home is. I just couldn't have all white as I'd find it too boring. I love color! So after making over those little foot stools with drop cloth fabric (see that post here), I'm also going to make a pillow or two for some chairs. I have so many beautiful pillows I've bought over the years and hate to get rid of them but it might just have to happen. Granddaughter will have first choice when she's here for Thanksgiving and then the rest might go on eBay. Many are feather-filled pillows. Some are beautiful European prints. All are gorgeous. If any of you are interested, send me an email and I'll take pictures of all of them and you can make your choice. I'm not going to bother putting them all on here. I'll just take some pictures and keep them for any inquiries, but I doubt you'll be disappointed in any of them.

I actually love the look of things like this out in the open. I don't have a large kitchen, in fact, it's small, just the size for senior citizens (that's old people to some of you) and people who don't like cooking everyday and love eating out (that's ME!). I don't have enough space in my kitchen to do this, but I have vases and beautiful pitchers holding kitchen utensils in my kitchen.

What a delightfully colored chandelier.

I like the look of this mosaic table but I'd paint it white. I do love white furniture.

Another squeeeeeallll! Isn't this adorable? I saw it on the internet and have no idea who did it but I'd love to have one to hang on my porch.

See what you can do with a plain ol' chest! Jazz it up with stencils. I find it darling.

Now this? Ooooohmygosh. Of course, I love Christie Repasy's art but she outdid herself with this little gem. I'd love to have it but I'm not willing to pay high prices this probably got. My hubby would probably faint if I spent money on something that looks like it's falling apart. He just doesn't get it and never will. ;-)

I'm going to make one of these to hold...something, just haven't figured out what. But if it turns out cute then I'll make one for a giveaway. Wouldn't you like something this cute to hang in your laundry room? I already have 3 darling ones I made hanging in mine but there's always room for a few others. :-)

Yes, I also like these little baskets but I don't have room for a lot of "fluff" around here. I would dearly love to have one though as I'm very visual and just looking at gorgeous things makes my heart flutter and my eyes glaze over.

I'm old enough to remember these drying frames and love seeing my whites hanging on a line drying. The sun actually bleaches them naturally for you and just seeing them out there brings back memories to me. I recently found some indoor drying racks on a pulley system in the UK but they were several hundred dollars and that ain't gonna fly with this chick! They were really nice looking and would be great to have for winter time and if you didn't have a dryer.

I'm not this organized but I love looking at it. I rarely give gifts so I don't wrap a lot of things. But when I do wrap it's on the kitchen table. I hate wrapping packages. I really do.

And I love looking at white linens. That reminds me that I need some new sheets. I have some Lily Pulitzer pink patterned ones and I love them but apparently she isn't selling sheets anymore as I cannot find any. I also love very high thread count sheets and will only sleep on great sheets. I feel the difference actually. My daughter bought 600 count sheets just for her spare bedroom for when we visit. She was taught well by her mother! That would be ME!

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Laundry Rooms 4

I read recently about New York hospitals locking up the baby formula from new moms. What?! Both of my kids were raised on baby formula as I couldn't breast feed. What a crazy world it's turning into.
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I got an email from a blogger recently about the quote I had at the bottom of one of my blog posts asking if it was my quote or someone else's. I told her I paraphrased it somewhat but that is truly how I live my life: By creating beauty and order where you live and work, you will be controlling the private hours of your life. It is what I believe, how I live my life and my philosophy about life. Yes, I certainly do live my life beautifully and wish others would do the same. I cannot control some of my thoughts but I can control how long they stay in my head. I can definitely control how I live in my home and how I think about living.
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Whatever happened to watermelon plugs? I know some of you will remember them. When we would go to a grocery store or buy a watermelon at a roadside stand, the seller would cut a triangular plug into it so we could taste it. Not anymore. Ya take yer chances now. I always wondered what they did with those melons we didn't select to buy.
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We eat at Jack In The Box every Monday night. It's our salad night there. When we walk in they know exactly what to make. But recently we walked in and had to tell them we were having their Bonus Jacks at two for a dollar. Threw them all off! Funny to watch them. So the next week they looked up and asked if it was back to the usual—salads. It's pretty bad when the local JITB knows us so well they don't normally have to ask what we want.
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Hubs had to help with a funeral today. Setting up chairs and tables for the bereaved family to have a luncheon. It reminded me of some of the catch phrases to friends who've lost family members. The polite response should be: I'm sorry for your loss. You should never say Bummer; at least he's out of his misery; or I had a brother-in-law that had the same disease. Show some class, people.
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Small, elegant and red!

Love everything about this laundry. Containers, folding table, high stool to sit while folding clothes, enough storage space and trinkets to make it lovely and homey.

This vintage ironing board is so cute with its flowered cover.

Drying rack for towers and socks. Small wire basket to hold dry clothes.

Something simple like old clothes pins in a wire basket along with linen fabrics to cheer up a small space.

Got everything in a very small space here needed for wash day.

Cute storage area for sewing and washing. Lots of cabinets and light.

I like this one a lot.

And it does sparkle! Chandelier, gorgeous blue color and tiles reminiscent of french decor.

This one kind of reminds me of being in the garden with the green color and lattice doors on the upper cabinets.

Small closet just big enough for this homeowner's laundry room. NO wasted space for her.

Another laundry reminiscent of a garden with flowers, pretty paint the color of outdoors, pretty arches in the doorways and flowers on the bench and countertop.

I would love something like this. I need extra folding space other than the top of the washer and dryer. I could probably put a table top on let on the other side of my laundry room.

Eye candy for the laundry room.

Pretty fabrics stuffed into cigar boxes. Not a laundry item but I thought you'd like it.

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Linking up with Mosaic Monday
and WOW.