Silver Sunday..."I Love Silver"!!!

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It's Time for Silver Sunday!

Today I am joining Beth over at Gypsy Fish Journal for her Silver Sunday party!

* I have been having so much fun with this new Silver Sunday party! I love silver!!! If you haven't ever been over to see Beth at Gypsy Fish Journal...you are really missing out on a treat! Please go by and see Beth's beautiful silver today! You will find a list of all the other Silver Sunday participants at Beth's...go and check that silver out!!!

Thank you, Beth...for hosting Silver Sunday for us!!!
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"These are a Few of My Favorite Things..."

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"Shiny silver teapots...silver creamers and sugars...
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splendid silver tea sets...
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sitting atop ornate trays...
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...these are a few of my favorite things!"
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"White lacy linens...with pretty teapot rings...
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mercury glass hearts...
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with swirly white ribbons...
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...these are a few of my favorite things!"
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"When the day's dark...
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When the winds cold...
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When I'm feeling sad...
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I can enjoy a few of my favorite things...
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and know...that life's not so bad!!!
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(Hehe...okay, could you hear Julie Andrews singing my song?)
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Well my friends...thank you so much for coming by today and taking a peek at a few of my favorite things! Please leave me a comment and let me know that you were here...I'd love to visit with you!!!
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I hope that you are having a super Sunday...and enjoying a few of your favorite things!!!

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Welcome to the 41st "Sunday Favorites"

"Sunday Favorites" is a Sunday meme designed to give bloggers a chance to share a favorite post from the past!!! For more information on how to republish a past post just click on the "Sunday Favorites" info photo in the sidebar of my blog.

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Hello my friends!

Welcome to the 41st run of "Sunday Favorites"!!!

** I hope that you're having a wonderful weekend!

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Ohhh boy...I don't know about you...but by this time of the year I sure could use a break from the cold and bleak winter scene! So today for Sunday Favorites, I am rerunning a post about my family's 2009 summer vacation to Corpus Christi, Texas...where it's always warm and sunny! If you are one of those bloggers that live in cold country...this one is for you!!!

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I am also joining the "Silver Sunday" party today! Silver Sunday is a new Sunday meme hosted by Beth over at Gypsy Fish Journal.

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"A Few of my Favorite Things"

**If you would like to visit my "Silver Sunday" post...just click HERE.

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Instructions for Participating in Sunday Favorites

*

If you are participating in Sunday Favorites, please be sure to add your permalink to Mr.Linky and not your general blog address.

*

Please copy and paste the Sunday Favorites logo button to your Sunday Favorites post or your sidebar so your visitors will know that you are participating. Also...please link back to the host blog, Happy To Design. This is important because it helps those who are visiting your blog, find the other wonderful blogs that are participating.

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Please do not add your link below, until your Sunday Favorites post is actually published to your blog.

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Thank you so much for your participation!!! I am going to really enjoy going through your "Sunday Favorites" posts!!!

Love ya'll,

Chari

Sunday Favorites

My favorite post from: July 13, 2009

It's Mosaic Monday!!!

Hello my friends!

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Mary over at Little Red House is hosting Mosaic Monday! I have been wanting to join in for awhile now...since I have recently learned how to do mosaics and have had such fun doing them! I just made these mosaics last week after returning from our Texas family vacation. Just thought I would reshare them and join in with Mary's Mosaic Monday! You'll have to go by and see Mary's fabulous summer mosaics and while you're there you can check out all of the other participant's mosaics!

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Thank you, Mary...for hosting such a fun filled mosaic party!!!

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You can just click HERE to get over to Mary's place!

I made these mosaics with photos that I found on the internet of Corpus Christi, Texas. Corpus Christi really is a magical place with all of its southern charm and beautiful island views!!!

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Well my friends...I'm so happy that you stopped by today! I know that many of you have already seen these mosaics but it was a quick and easy post for me! I'm still trying to recuperate from our Texas trip and we also had a very busy "car show" weekend!!! I'm just exhausted!!! Hopefully I can get in the "grind" of things soon...and get some new posts up and going!

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Have a marvelous Mosaic Monday!!!

A Thrifty Treasure Find

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It's Time for Thrifty Thursday!
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Hello my friends...I hope that you're having a fabulous week!
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Today, I am joining Leigh over at Tales from Bloggeritaville for Thrifty Thursday. If you haven't ever been over to Leigh's place...you are missing out on a real treat! Please go by and see what thrifty bargain she is showcasing today and while you're there you can check out all of the other Thrifty Thursday participants. Thank you, Leigh...for hosting this fun filled Thursday thrifting event!!!
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and....

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I am joining in with Show & Tell Friday.
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Show & Tell Friday is hosted by Cindy over at My Romantic Home. Please go by and see what Cindy is showing and telling about today! You will find a list of all the other participants over there. Thank you, Cindy...for hosting this fabulous event and giving us an outlet to "show & tell" about our goodies!
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My Latest Thrifty Treasure Find

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"Brookshire" by Johnson Bros. England 1883.
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Ohhh yea...more new dishes!
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Some of you may remember about a sleepless night that I was having a few weeks ago. Since I couldn't sleep I started checking out the online "after Christmas" sales. Dillards was having a fabulous sale...a real dish lovers dream!!! I purchased two sets of these "Brookshire" dishes manufactured by Johnson Bros. for....are you ready???
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...for just $12 a set!!!

They were originally $99.99. Yes...you heard me right...just $12!!! And...there was free shipping! Ohhh boy...was I doin' my "happy dance"! Hehe!
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Each set has a 7 piece place setting for four!

For just $12 (or a total 0f $24 for 2 sets) this is what I got:
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8 - dinner plates
8 - salad/dessert plates
8 - appetizer plates
8 - fruit/cereal bowls
8 - lg. rimmed soup bowls
8 - cups
8 - saucers
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Ohhh my gosh, that's a seven piece place setting for eight people! I just couldn't believe my good fortune!!!
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Just playing around...I thought they would like nice with my rattan mats.
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These dishes are really pretty and are of a very good quality...of course, they are made my Johnson Bros.! They are dishwasher safe, microwavable, and freezer proof...can't beat that!
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A place setting using the dinner plate, salad/dessert plate, appetizer plate, and the rimmed soup bowl.
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This set of dishes have a beautiful cream colored background with a dark hunter green band around the scalloped edges.
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and...just look at all of those beautiful birds!!!
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There are several different types of birds! There are pheasants, ducks, geese, grouse, chickens, and feathers! Ohhh...I just love them!!!
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A few of the beautiful birds. My favorite is the pheasant!
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I think that the "Brookshire" dishes will make a fabulous Autumn table or maybe even a "hunt" table! I'm anxious to play with them...that's for sure! Hehe!
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SALE ALERT!!!
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I just went to Dillards online earlier today and found that these dishes are still on sale. When I found them, Dillards was doing a 50% off of the sale price so I got them for $12/set. However, they are still marked down to just $20.99 a set...great deal!
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Here is the link if you're interested...
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http://www.dillards.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=301&langId=-1&storeId=301&productId=501439742&splashlink=012710_main&Ntk=all&N=1632442+5000027&Nty=1&searchUrl=%2Fendeca%2FEndecaStartServlet%3Fsplashlink%3D012710_main%26Ntk%3Dall%26N%3D1632442%2B5000027%26Nty%3D1&R=02527519
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By the way...Dillards has some great things on sale right now!
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Well my friends, I'm so glad that you came by today for a visit!!! Thank you for indulging my "dish fetish"! Hehe! Please leave me a comment and let me know that you were here...I'd love to visit with you!!!

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Living Room...A Changed Room!

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It's Metamorphosis Monday!

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Hello my friends...I'm so happy that you came by today!

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It's time for Metamorphosis Monday...hosted by our very
own Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch.

Please go pay Susan a visit and see what she has for all of us today and while
 you are there you can check out all of the other Met Monday participants.

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There is alot of metamorphosis going on in Blogland today...you won't want to miss it! Thank you,

 Susan for hosting Metamorphosis Monday for us!

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*My Living Room...A Changed Room!

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A metamorphosis has taken place in my living room and it's been

 a long time coming!

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 This past fall, we added a faux fireplace to our living room! I was so excited because

 it brought about the change that I had envisioned for our living room for many years!

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You see, my living room is a very odd shaped room...it's very long and narrow.
 This has always presented a problem when it came to a floor plan for furniture placement.
 Really the room is too long for just a singular seating arrangement...so I broke this
 long, narrow living room into two separate seating arrangements.

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Here is the "BEFORE"...
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*This photo was taken at the entrance to my living room. As you can see...it is

 a very long and narrow room and I have two separate seating areas.

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Seating Arrangement #1
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Informal Living Area
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On this end of the living room, we have the "informal" living area.
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 This is where honey and I spend most of our time while in the living room.
 There are two overstuffed leather chairs...very comfy for TV viewing! The TV
 entertainment center sits directly across from these chairs.
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*Seating Arrangement #2
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Formal Living Room...

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On the far end of the living room, you will find a more formal seating area.
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 We use this area very rarely...except when we have visitors or need the
 extra seating. I have a sofa with a matching love seat here.
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The problem...these two pieces of furniture are really too large for this area.
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 It's just too narrow for both of these pieces, however this is what I have
 lived with for several years! There is only one other furniture arrangement possible
 for this end of the room and I do change it once in awhile, nevertheless,
 it's still too crowded!
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A closer view of the two sofas. Not much room between the two!
 Hmmm...what's a gal to do?
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*My Grand Solution...A Faux Fireplace
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*I have always wanted a fireplace in our living room!

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A real fireplace, at the present time, just isn't feasible...so the next

 best thing...a faux fireplace!

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Even though my long time dream was coming true, I did stress a little
 because we would have to remove my "beloved" moulding from this wall to
 make room for the fireplace! As you can see in the photo above...it was looking
 a little rough! I wasn't sure at this point if I had made the right decision or not...
but I forged ahead. Painting the wall one solid color again really helped
 ease my fears!

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If you would like to read about the faux fireplace project...just click HERE.
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The faux fireplace finished...in all of it's glory!

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*New Furniture for a New Seating Area...

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I found two of these beauties on Craigslist for $80! I had been

 looking for two chairs just like this!

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New and Improved Formal Seating Area...

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My idea was to remove the larger sofa and keep the love seat. We
 moved the larger sofa upstairs to our guest room. Now...with just the love
 seat and these two chairs, I could make a proper seating area...one that fit
 more comfortably in this narrow part of the living room!
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Here is the "AFTER"...
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...and I love it!
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 The "informal" area is the same but just look at the "formal" side of the
 living room! I am so happy with this metamorphosis!!!
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Here is the metamorphosis again...
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*"BEFORE"

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"AFTER"

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So what do you think?
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 Between adding the faux fireplace and the new and improved seating
 arrangement for a "formal" living room...I think it's quite a metamorphosis!
 Stayed tuned...I'm sure that there will be more changes from time to time! I
 did find the prettiest yellow/gold fabric that I may cover those two
 chairs with!
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Well my friends, I'm so happy that you came by today and took a peek
at my living room metamorphosis! Thank you for coming!  Please leave me
 a comment and let me know that you were here. I'd love to visit with you!
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Welcome to the 40th "Sunday Favorites"

"Sunday Favorites" is a Sunday meme designed to give bloggers a chance to share a favorite post from the past!!! For more information on how to republish a past post just click on the "Sunday Favorites" info photo in the sidebar of my blog.

~~~~~~

Hello my friends!

Welcome to the 40th run of "Sunday Favorites"!!!

** I hope that you're having a wonderful weekend! Ohhh my goodness...can you believe that we are on our 40th run of Sunday Favorites? How time flies when you're having fun!!! Hehe!

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I would just like to take this time to say a big, hearty thank you to all of my Sunday Favorite viewers and participants!!! To the viewers of Sunday Favorites...thank you for taking the time to come by every Sunday for a visit and for visiting the past posts of all the Sunday Favorite participants!!! To the participants of Sunday Favorites...thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for all of your love and support! I appreciate you all sooo very much!!! You make Sunday Favorites all that it is...without you...there would be no Sunday Favorites meme!!! I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your favorite posts from the past! You are all the most amazing, creative, and talented people in Blogland!!!

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Today for Sunday Favorites, I am revisiting a post from March 12, 2009...where I shared a few of my silver pieces, primarily my mercury glass goblets. So I am joining in with "Silver Sunday"...a brand new Sunday meme hosted by Beth over at Gypsy Fish Journal.

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Please go by and visit Beth's "Silver Sunday" party...you won't want to miss what she has for us today and you will find a list of all the other Silver Sunday participants over there! Thank you, Beth...for hosting such a fabulous party! I DO LOVE MY SILVER!!!

Well my friends...have a super Sunday! I am having to go out of town Sunday...so please be patient with me, I will be by to visit all of your fabulous Sunday Favorites posts just as soon as I can...I don't want to miss a one!!! Thank you so much for coming by today!

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Instructions for Participating in Sunday Favorites

*

If you are participating in Sunday Favorites, please be sure to add your permalink to Mr.Linky and not your general blog address.

*

Please copy and paste the Sunday Favorites logo button to your Sunday Favorites post or your sidebar so your visitors will know that you are participating. Also...please link back to the host blog, Happy To Design. This is important because it helps those who are visiting your blog, find the other wonderful blogs that are participating.

*

Please do not add your link below, until your Sunday Favorites post is actually published to your blog.

*

Thank you so much for your participation!!! I am going to really enjoy going through your "Sunday Favorites" posts!!!

Love ya'll,

Chari

Sunday Favorites

My favorite post from: March 12, 2009


The Beauty of Mercury Glass....
My Newest Treasure Find!!!

Hello my friends!

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Last week while shopping at Hobby Lobby and I came upon the prettiest Mercury glass goblets! Of course, you know me...I very rarely buy anything at full price...these little beauties were marked down to just $4 each (they were originally marked $20 ea.) What a deal!!!
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I did a little research on Mercury glass, I was curious about it's origin and how it was made. According to Wikipedia, Mercury glass is the common term for silvered glass, which describes glass that was blown double walled, then silvered between the layers with a liquid silvering solution, and sealed. Although mercury was originally used to provide the reflective coating for mirrors, elemental mercury was never used to create tableware. Silvered glass was free-blown, then silvered with a solution containing silver nitrate and grape sugar in solution, heated, then closed. Hmmm...very interesting! I would love to see how they do this!!!

"Mercury" silvered glass was produced originally from around 1840 until at least 1930 in Bohemia, now the Czech Republic, Germany, and was also manufactured in England from 1849-55. Companies in the United States, including the Boston and Sandwich Glass Co., New England Glass Co. and the Boston Silver Glass Company, made silvered glass from about 1852-80. Vases, goblets and all form of tableware were decorated with a variety of techniques including painting, enameling, etching, and engraving. Silvered "mercury" glass is considered one of the first true "art glass" types, that is, glass that was made for display and for its inherent artistic value, rather than for utilitarian use.

Now looking at these goblets, I wonder which process of "silvering" that they used? I'm not sure if they were etched, enameled, or painted...I'm pretty sure that they aren't engraved! Nevertheless, I just love the beauty of "silvered glass"!!!

These newest little "treasure finds" found a home on my dining room buffet. I already had four silver candleholders displayed there and thought that the pretty mercury glass goblets would look nice added to the vignette! Voila!!! Here is my dining room buffet.
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My little country french girl also resides here. I found her at Hobby Lobby last year on sale for only $6 (if I remember correctly...old age, hehe!). She was sitting on the shelf...all by herself...marked down 90% in the garden dept. at the end of the season! I had been shopping for a french bust and when I found this little beauty...and for only $6...I let out a hoop and holler and did the happy dance...hehe!!!

I made the floral arrangement sitting behind french girl. It's a little hard to see but I found this decorative pedestal bowl with fleur de lis on it...also on the 90% off rack at Hobby Lobby...for only $4!

My silver teapot, sugar, and creamer...hmmm, they're needing another polish! Honestly, I like them a bit on the tarnished side!

See my buffet lamps? I got them from my dear friend Vanna from "Delusions of Grandeur". Thank you, Vanna...I just adore my lamps!!!

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Close-up of the mercury glass goblets!

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Well there you have it...an up-close and personal look at my newest "treasure find"! I'm really lovin' these pretty mercury glass goblets...hmmm, I feel the beginnings of a collection...wink!

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Thank you for stopping by today...please leave me a comment and let me know that you were here! I love hearing from you!!!

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Have a terrific Thursday, my friends!

Friday Mantel Party

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It's Time for Friday's Mantel Party!

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Hello my friends! I hope that you're having a fabulous Friday! I'm so glad that you came by today for a visit!

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It's time for Friday's Mantel Party...hosted by Beth over at The Stories of A to Z. I am really enjoying this new Friday meme! There have been some really beautiful mantels showcased for this Mantel Party and I'm always looking for great mantel decor ideas! Please go over and see what Beth has for us today and while you're there you can check out all of the other fabulous mantels!!!

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Thank you, Beth...for hosting this fabulous, fun, Friday Mantel Party!!!
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A Winter's Fireplace With a Little Hope for Spring

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Well...the Christmas is finally put away and I have redecorated my faux fireplace mantel!

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This fireplace is in our living room and the result of my most recent building project. I have always wanted a fireplace in this room...and secretly, I have envied everyone that has a beautiful mantel that they can decorate...so with a little planning and a brand new mantel, we now have a faux fireplace!!!

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If you would like to read about the faux fireplace project...just click HERE.
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Ohhh...I am having soooo much fun having a mantel to decorate!!!
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My living room is done in shades of olive green and dark red...with accents of gold. I love the look of the dark cherry wood mantel against the olive green wall color...it just feels so rich to me! Ohhh...and I love, love, LOVE the ornate detailing on the fireplace mantel...very frenchy! All of the detailing is highlighted with gold so I decided to use gold accessories to decorate the mantel! They really accentuate the gold highlights on the mantel...don't you think?
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Mantel Wall Art...
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The large piece of art hanging above the mantel is a giclee print called, "Southern Beauties" by artist Fran Di Giacomo. It's a gorgeous print and it really ties in all of the colors that I have used in my living room! I found the giclee print online and the beautiful gold frame was purchased during a 50% off sale at Hobby Lobby!
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On the left hand side of the mantel, I have place three ornate gold candleholders with ivory pillar candles. I have had these candleholders for ages...purchased from Hobby Lobby during one of their 90% off sale. If I remember correctly, I only paid around $3 for the candleholders! I tied a gold tassel around one of the ivory candles for a little extra pizzazz!
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A Little Hope for Spring...Songbirds
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We are still deep in the "throes of winter" here in Colorado...so it's nice to add a little hope of Spring into the winter decor! I found this pretty bird finial at...yep, you guessed it...Hobby Lobby! Hehe! I love Hobby Lobby! He was marked 80% off...only $2.60! Yay!!!
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Love my new little songbird finial!
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On the right hand side of the mantel, I placed an "egg shaped" frenchy gold finial. I also tied a gold tassel around the finial. I oftentimes use tassels on my candles and accessories...just a little extra "pretty"!
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More...more...MORE Songbirds!
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I found this cute little block with the prettiest pictures of birds on it...and two bird figurines at Hobby Lobby. Once again, they were all marked 80% off! They bring a little color to the mantel decor!
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Ahhh...someday soon...winter will give way to spring!
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Up front and center of the mantel, I placed an old, distressed, french table tray. A couple of old books and a beautiful french decorative box sit in the tray.
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Oooh...I just adore my little french treasure box!
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And Voila...there you have it...a winter mantel with hopes of Spring!!!
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Well my friends, I'm so happy that you came by today! I hope that you enjoyed my mantel decor! Don't forget to go by and see Beth as well as all the other mantel party participants!

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Please leave me a comment and let me know that you were here...I'd love to visit with you!!!

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