Where's the Red?

Do you see the red?  

These are shots of the bookcases on either side of our television armoire in the living room.  Can you tell I love red?  

These were unfinished bookshelves we bought that we painted white several years ago.  As I was painting them I thought, I don't want just boring old white backs on these so I decided to paint them a Laura Ashley red called ________.  No luck on the name of the color!  Worker Bee just went out to the garage to check on the name - none left I guess. 

The backs of our library bookshelves are painted a Laura Ashley green called verdant green that I still love!

Like the milkglass urns?  I actually have 3 of them on that shelf.  I was at a sale in Atascadero this past May and I kept walking by these and then walking away.  Finally I bought one of them.  Then I thought I have to have a pair, so I bought a second.  Then we were in the car and I told my mom, Sewing Bee, that I had to go back for the third one if it was still there.  Yeah!  It was. 

Did you notice the brown apple on top of the books?  One of my students made that for me about 13 years ago when I taught sixth grade.  It has always meant a great deal to me so I keep it at home and I have it on display all the time. That kid is about 25 years old now!  Yikes!  

Below that is another one of Amy Jo's paintings.  I like having the tray/bowl of faux pears in front of the painting of a pear.  

Then I have a small collection of green pottery.  I just love red and green even if it's not Christmas.

And finally, I have part of Worker Bee's globe collection sitting on the cutest gingham suitcase I picked up at the Susan Branch store when it was still open.  That was just the BEST place to go shopping and get inspired.  I only went there a few times, but I loved it and miss it.  Maybe she'll open it up again sometime.

Whew!  That was a lot of talking!  I better take a sip of my iced latte.  Would you like one or maybe you'd prefer a nice hot one with whipped cream?  Come on over any time and I'd love to treat you to one.  

Thank you Sue for hostessing the reddest party in Blogland!

Please stop by and admire some more reds at It's a Very Cherry World.

Oh, and if you want more reds for yourself, be sure to enter my giveaway!  Just click on the photo on the sidebar to go to my giveaway post.

Happy Rednesday!

It's 122 Posts and Counting Giveaway! Mini Transformation Bonus!

How did I miss this milestone?  I've posted over 100 times.  This is my 122nd post!  My how time flies!

In honor of writing 122 posts, I'm having a little giveaway.  (That I meant to do at 100 posts!)

I purchased this set of boxes from Gooseberry Patch and they have been in storage ever since.  

To enter, please leave a comment on this post.  To get a second opportunity mention this giveaway in your blog and let me know.  You don't have to be a follower.  Please feel free to become a follower if you like what you see, but don't feel you have to.   You can enter until midnight, PDT on Sunday, March 28 and I'll announce the winner Monday, March 29.

So sorry, but this is only open to U.S. and Canada due to shipping costs.

Also I didn't have time to do a lot this weekend, but I did perform a mini transformation . . . 

Started the morning shiny chrome - 

Now much more fitting with the future direction of Sweet Bee Cottage's kitchen.  Just took about 3 coats of Krylon's Oil Rubbed Bronze paint.  

Thank you so much for stopping by.  Plans are coming along for our new kitchen garden and the transformation of the kitchen (don't see that getting done over Spring Break, but maybe we can get started) to my new love.  I'm so glad you took a little time out of your day to stop by.

Don't forget to leave a comment if you want to enter my giveaway!

Happy Spring!

What Are You Reading?

After Carey's book party over at Chicory Nits I thought it might be fun to share what I'm reading right now.  I'm hoping you'll share what you are enjoying.

I don't read as much as I used to.  I still read, but it's spread out now between blogs, magazines, newspapers, books, etc.  I also know myself far too well.  If I start a book that I am really captivated by then nothing else gets done.  There will be no dinner, there will be no papers graded, no laundry will get done, and worst of all (especially as I get older) there will be no sleep.  So I hold myself back.  (Too bad I can't seem to do that with chocolate.) I don't read much during the school year.  (Summer vacation is a whole other story though!)

I recently read about this book on someone's blog - sure do wish I knew whose it was - and I suggested it to my mom (the Sewing Bee).  She checked it out at the library and enjoyed it and loaned it to me to read.  

I haven't finished it yet, but I'm well on my way.  If nothing else, doesn't the title just grab you?

It's the story of Henry who is Chinese and grew up during World War II.  He has just recently lost his wife after a long illness.  He flashes back to his student days when he met a young Japanese American student, Keiko.  She was swept up in the internments of Japanese Americans during World War II.  He is trying to find a way to connect - with his son and with the world.

I just know somehow he will find a way . . . . 

I'm all set now to find out.  Got the comfy reading chair.  Got my reading glasses.  Got an iced latte.

So, this brings us back to my original question . . . . 

What are you reading?

It's That Time of Year . . . .

Second trimester report cards go home on Friday.

Must finish them . . . . Must not blog . . . .

Bee back soon!

Totally Random Reds

But aren't those the best?

Red heart from Amy at Into Vintage.  She always included a little bonus in with her pillows.  Too bad you can't smell this.  I've had it for a few years and it still smells like heavenly lavender.  This little cutie lives on a lamp I have in my kitchen.

This is GINORMOUS red ricrac that I glued onto this lampshade I covered with yellow gingham.  I actually made two of these lampshades to go with a pair of matching floor lamps I have.  These statuesque beauties both live in my living room - one next to each denim loveseat. 

(Don't you just love that ginormous can now be found in the Merriam-Webster dictionary? New words are so fun!)

And last, but not least, a truly random shot of red - the potatoes we had for dinner Sunday night along with some pretty yummy pancetta wrapped pork tenderloin.  

(I had good intentions of posting about our first barbecue of the season and only got pictures of potatoes.  Isn't that how it goes......)

Well I hope you go have some fun over at Sue's Irish Rednesday at It's a Very Cherry World.

Whew!  My potatoes might qualify as Irish, right?

Happy St. Patty's Day to you and I wish you that from the bottom of my one-sixteenth Irish heart!

(Thanks for that wee bit o' Irish Great Great Granny O'Toole.)

Goodbye Mr. and Mrs. Liquidambar

It was quite bittersweet at Sweet Bee Cottage this weekend.

We had to say goodbye to a couple who has been at our house since we bought it in 1997.  Sad times.

But sadly this couple had really overstayed their welcome.  They drank all the water and then broke the pipes.  They dropped their babies on the driveway and never picked up after themselves.  They were even interfering in the very foundation of our dear sweet home.  Really they were a nuisance!  

But oh did they provide sweet shade during our blistering summers.  They were so pretty during the autumn leaf season.  They even provided craft projects from those afore mentioned babies.  And did I mention that they were the shadiest trees on the block?  Did I mention that our front yard is at least 15 degrees cooler than the rest of the street?  Did I mention how much I am going to miss that glorious cooling shade?

But this could lead to some exciting times for the Sweet Bees.  We've always wanted a vegetable garden but our yard is entirely too shady (front and back) to get any sort of crop.  Our plan is to put raised beds along our driveway on the eastern side of our house and attempt to grow some yummy veggies (not candy corn and jelly beans as Worker Bee has suggested).  

Now here's the dilemma.  

How do we have this vegetable garden and still have curb appeal?

Do you have any ideas?  Please share!  I'd love to hear what you have to say and I will listen to your sage advice.  

What vegetables should we plant?  My dear Worker Bee is advocating for something called "square foot gardening."  Have you any experience with this?  

Do you know of any blogs that might be able to help with this?  

Again, I thank you for any and all suggestions.

I Wanna' Dance with Somebody!

I have a special guest blogger today.  

Please welcome my 9 year old daughter, Baby Bee!

When my mom bought this at the consignment store it was just plain pink and it didn't look too magical.  So we thought we would put some pizazz into it.

We talked about how to make it have some magic in it. What we first did was paint it white. 

Next I took a picture of my mom mod podging it. I'm glad that she trusts me with the camera. 

We glittered the letters different colors.  The D is turquoise, the A is hot pink, the N is lapis, the C is peridot, and the E is aquamarine. I'm sorry we don't have pictures of me glittering all the letters.    

Well this is how it turned out. I hope you like it.

Love, Baby Bee

Thank you so much for stopping by and posting Baby Bee.  It's always a delight to see what a good writer you are becoming.

And thank you all of you who take a little time out of your busy days to stop by for a visit.  It always does my heart good.