Holiday Hutch

I redecorate my little informal hutch (that I also use as a small writing desk) each season just by switching out my favorite plates.  I add a few other accessories as well and it transforms the area by my kitchen into a festive little place.    

I clear out everything from my hutch and give it a complete dusting top to bottom.  This year I purchased a new lamp at Kirklands to add a little more light to this area especially at night, since my hutch is not lighted.

 My Christmas plates were purchased at Target several years ago and are some of my favorites.  I love using these plates for Christmas dinner.  

The salad/desert plates with the snowmen are so cute and I love the candy cane border.  I've added my red bubble goblets to the shelves as well and love using them during the holidays.  I
found them
 in a little store in
Grapevine, Texas on a shopping trip.  

I decorated the top of the hutch with a garland I purchased half price at Hobby Lobby last year.  I always add a few more embellishments..this year I saved my lime green hydrangeas from my garden and added them for a more full look and a pop of lime green.  

As you can tell, I have a thing for topiaries!  I seem to collect them without even realizing.  Whenever I shop it seems they have magnets on them that led me straight to them.  I use mine all year and especially at Christmas time. 

My family of snowmen were gifts from different friends and I grouped them together.  The larger one (mamma snowman) holds a votive candle and the smaller ones (babies) are
 salt and peppers.

Of course no vignette would be complete without a cloche.  (Especially since I'm participating in Marty's Tabletop Tuesdays)   I tucked in a sweet little bird with a nest  inside and just added a Christmas bow.

While shopping a few months ago in Tulsa with a friend, I found this Christmas mouse teapot and couldn't resist.  The teapot, cream and sugar were under $10 and too cute for me to pass up. 

I am a tea drinker and collect teapots. 

I will tweak my hutch over the next couple weeks until I get it "just right".   I'll start working on my tree next ...usually I put it up the Friday after Thanksgiving while my guys are all here.


I'm linking with
 Marty's Tabletop Tuesday
Seasonal Sundays
and
Susan's Metamorphosis Monday

Fall Foliage in the Ozarks

When I first moved to Oklahoma I had previously lived in states with much warmer climates and never had the experience of  four distinct seasons.   Growing up in Florida, Hawaii, Texas, California and the Philippines,  I enjoyed fall but I really didn't notice leaves changing colors.  Now getting to experience all the seasons and sometimes their fury,  it is a real treat watching the fall foliage deepen in color almost daily!   We have some great areas of color here in Oklahoma,  especially near the Arkansas border.  The Ozarks and Ouachita Mountains are just stunning in the fall.

We travelled northwest through Tulsa and then across the state line and up to Rogers, Arkansas.  We spent the night in  Bentonville (home of Wal-Mart) which is approximately a three and half hour drive from Oklahoma City. 

(Historical home near Fayetteville, AR)

Just north of Rogers is Beaver Lake and a  favorite stop at War Eagle Mills farm.  This historical farm is just beautiful and was a resting place for the troops in the Civil War.  The red grist mill looks like it should be included in a pictorial calendar.  

The old wooden bridge only allows one car to pass at a time.  The river below is calm, clear and
 full of wildlife.

In mid-October it is host to a wonderful arts and craft fair which I have attended in the past but I prefer to visit when it is quieter and more serene just to enjoy the scenery.   

Just outside Rogers on the road to Eureka Springs we came across a herd of buffalo.  It was dusk so the pictures are a little dark but I thought how beautiful are these amazing creatures.    I never considered buffalo being beautiful but truly they were as they were grazing in their green pasture.   They even noticed me taking their picture!  
    

The following morning we awakened to perfect sunshiny weather and were greeted outside our hotel by glorious red sugar maples!  Can anything be more beautiful? 

Even the fresh fallen leaves on the ground were gorgeous to me!  

We headed south down to Mena, Arkansas in order to travel the Talimena Scenic Byway which starts in Mena and ends in Talihina, Oklahoma.  This is a favorite scenic drive to many especially motorcycle enthusiasts.  We travel by car but I can see why this is such a big attraction for those Harley lovers! 

Krebs is tiny little town is just past the end of the scenic drive and is well known for it's wonderful Italian restaurants...there's not really even a main street but there are some wonderful eateries.  It was the perfect place to stop and we enjoyed a wonderful meal before heading home.

Hope you are enjoying the changing foliage in your neck of the woods.  I'll be linking with Susan's Outdoor Wednesdays this week. 

I'm also linking with The Tablescaper for
Seasonal Sunday! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Peachy Pink Halloween

I am fortunate to work as a registered nurse with a great group of women at

Lakeside Women's Hospital.

One of the highlights of our year is the Halloween competition between different areas in the hospital.

We always try to come up with something really special for our patients and to outdo the competition!   This year we decided to be the Rockford Peaches from A League of Their Own complete with the authentic peachy pink uniforms! 

The opposing team-the Lakeside Babes also had pink uniforms.  Our uniforms were definitely more pink than peach and we had such great fun dressed up like our favorite players.

Some of our decorations had to be made and took some time to complete.  

 We served peanuts, popcorn and hot dogs along with cracker jacks.

We also had snow cones for our patients!

We all had a blast and are already thinking about next year's theme!

( One of the Lakeside Babes)

Dottie and Jimmy Dugan

Hope you have a wonderful Pink Saturday and visit as many pink posts as you can!  I'll be on a foliage tour so will have to squeeze in some blog time at night! 

Fall Dining Buffet Table

Fall is my favorite time of year and can be so busy.  I took a bloggie break to give attention to things around my home and our huge Halloween blowout at work I'll be sharing for Pink Saturday this week.   I did want to share my dining room side table I gussied up (if that's  a word) for fall.

I have collected pumpkins, gourds and silks for several years and each year I use them in different rooms and in different arrangemnets.  This year I layered a centerpiece of silks,  pumpkins and berries on top of the burlap runner I made last spring.  Don't you just love burlap, it's so easy to use.   I washed mine to make it soft and easier to arrange.

My scarecrow bargain from Hobby Lobby for 80% off  was placed the end of my table and a grouping of votive candles on the other side for some soft lighting.

This is my favorite scarecrow...I bought her almost 20 years ago and she's too pretty to put outside!  I love that she is bendable like a big rag doll.

My dining room table looks rather bare and still needs a centerpiece so I'll need to make something this week.  I love fresh flowers on the table at Thanksgiving with greenery down the center of the table, but I'll need something until then.

My china hutch (which originally belonged to my mother-in-law) houses my favorite fall china.  The china was my mother's and she gave me this beautiful set several years ago.  I use it every Thanksgiving and even though it is very Asian inspired  the colors are 
beautiful for fall. 

The pattern is Momoyama from Kyoto Japan.  My mother purchased a service for 12 while she and my father lived in Okinawa.  I love that there are so many serving and extra pieces which makes this set  perfect for holidays and family gatherings.   

I'll be linking with Marty's Tabletop Tuesdays this week.  Can't wait to see what everyone shares!