Happy Thanksgiving from Buttercup Bliss!

 Are you ready for Thanksgiving?  Seth is out of school so we are ready for a fun-filled week.  We will not be home for Thanksgiving this year because we are going to the mountains.  Yippee!! We are so excited!!  I have not planned a Thanksgiving tablescape this year since we will be enjoying the holiday in a wonderful chalet; however, I thought I would share a few of my Thanksgiving tables from previous years.  

 

 We were in our "old, old" house this year.  We have moved twice since then, hence as Seth says, the "old, old" house. I loved this formal dining room.We no longer have a formal dining room, and while we didn't eat there very often, I loved having a special room in which to eat on holidays.

This was the year I discovered Plush Pumpkins.   I love them and have quite a collection now.

This was the year we moved to our smaller house.  We had only one dining area so we kept our large round table that had previously been in our breakfast room.  It is still perfect for our family. I loved this simple centerpiece. I prefer tablescapes that aren't too fussy. 

 My everyday Longaberger dishes in various colors work perfectly with the accent salad plate and charger that I found at Walmart.  The fall colored placemats and napkin rings were from Dillards.  I love the rich, warm colors.  

This was two years ago.   I used my Wedgefood Strawberry and Vine as the main dishes.  I added the Spode Woodland salad plate.  I love any occasion to pull out my silver.  I know it is silly, but my mom started my collection of Gorham Buttercup, so I love using it.  They remind me of her so much!

Finally, this was last year.  Very simple.  I have added to my collection of Spode Woodland plates.  I love the elk.  I also have a quail, and a hunting dog, in addition to the turkeys. I don't want an entire set, but the salad plates are just the perfect touch for Thanksgiving.

I hope each of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I am always so thankful for my blessings, but this year has been so wonderful for our family.  I am blessed to be back 'home".  God is so good!!! 

 Thank you for visiting Buttercup Bliss,

Lisa

Our New Home Tour Begins ~ Welcome to our Home Office

 I am so excited to begin sharing our new home with you.  Welcome to my home office.  It is the first room that you see when you enter our really tiny, small foyer.  Since I now work from home, it was important to me that the office be a warm, cozy space.  I think is just that - I love working here each day!  The commute is non-existent and make up is optional.  Can you say perfect?  The former owner used this a small den for her teenage daughters.  It is the only room that I don't have a "before" picture of to share with you.  We painted it a warm "browny-green" by Sherwin-Williams.  I will share the exact name as soon as possible.

  

We looked and looked for the perfect desk.  I think this one fits the room just perfectly!  The rug from the breakfast room in our previous home looks right at home here!  While redoing the house, we had all of the concrete floors cleaned, buffed and resealed.  (That was not something we took on ourselves.  Since the expense of adding hardwood throughout the house was not in the budget, we wanted the concrete to be done by a professional.)

  

These bookshelves were used in the den in our old home.  In our new home we have one great room so these were put to use in my office.  I love displaying some of my favorite books.  Two baskets keep needed binders handy. 

 

We used the chair from our former sitting room.  It is so comfortable!  The sunny spot by the front window is a wonderful place to read.  My treasured dog painting looks so at home here.  I fell in love with him last winter when I saw him at Antiques at the Loop.  He was a Valentine surprise from my husband.  He makes me so happy!  My diplomas have always hung in my office at work. I was excited to hang them in my new office.

I really love him!  He is so beautiful!  

 

I loved being able to reuse items I have had for years.  The lamp and the large candlesticks (in one of the pictures above) were used in the foyer in our previous home.  The McCarty bunnies used to grace our mantle.  When we moved, we chose our home for its perfect location; however, the home is smaller.  We don't have a formal dining room or a large foyer.  Thankfully,  most of my cherished pieces have found new homes in our "forever" home. 

This is the view from my kitchen.  It is not a huge space, but everything fits perfectly!  The wooden shutters were a splurge for us.  The previous owner had  blinds in all of the windows.  It really bugged my husband and me that the arch wasn't covered in the blinds.  We had these wonderful shutters installed in all of the rooms on the front of the house.  I would love to have them in every window, but that is a long term goal.  

 

I have to admit, as much as I love this office, it is hard to work with these two cuties sitting by me all day! 

So there you have it, our home office. I look forward to sharing the rest of our home with you.  

Thank you for visiting Buttercup Bliss!

Lisa

This week I am joining the following parties:

Show and Share @ Coastal Charm 

Tweak it Tuesday @ Cozy Little House 

Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style

A New Look and a New Fur Baby!

Such a happy day!

Tada!  My blog has a new look! I am so excited that it has been updated!  I am thrilled with the new look!!  Since I retired I really hope to be able to blog more.  And since we have completed the house renovations I will have a lot to share.  It seemed that my blog should be refreshed as well.  I had no idea where to turn.  I googled blog designs and found a few sites that I thought would be helpful.  I wasn't sure if I needed a total custom blog design. Although I liked the idea of something custom, I didn't feel like I could justify the expense of that since I am not a full time blogger.  I wanted a simple design that had some of the features of some of my favorite blogs.  Lucky for me, I found Blogaholic Designs.  They offer free templates, templates in a variety of price points, and custom designs.  Most of the options are "downloadable"; however, they do offer some pre-made templates that they will install for you.  You can also purchase "add-ons".  I decided to go with a pre-made template. I knew I would be frustrated trying to complete the process myself.  I had it installed and modified a bit so it is what I wanted.  I highly recommend Emily at Blogaholic Designs. She has been a delight to work with. We emailed back and forth quite a bit and my "goofy" questions never bothered her at all!!  I really love the finished product. You can visit their website here: Blogaholic Designs. 

And.... introducing Oliver - aka Ollie!  Our sweet male Cavalier, Bentley, passed away in May.  We were heartbroken.  Once we were in our new home, I wanted to get a new furry friend for Clarabel.  Jon wasn't sure about taking on a puppy since we had just had all of the floors refinished.  While looking (Seth says I stalk her FB page :-) at a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breeder's website one day, I saw this precious boy who was looking for a forever home.  He is a retired show dog and stud.  I called her and we talked a couple of time and decided we were a fit for each other.  We traveled to Birmingham this past weekend to meet our new friend.  He is such a joy!!! We are completely smitten with him.   His personality is so precious.  He is a blenheim Cavalier, just like Bentley; however, their personalities are so different.  Bentley was an "old soul" even as a young dog. We always called him our little old man.  Ollie is six years old, but he is so playful and "puppyish".  Clarabel loves him too!!  Cavaliers are truly a wonderful breed. 

 

Sweet Ollie

Come back soon to see pictures from our new home!  

As always, thanks for visiting Buttercup Bliss. 

Lisa