White Spray Paint: April 2016

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Thoughts of Home on Thursday #12

Has it really and truly been three months since we began our little Thursday party?

Well, it surely doesn't seem that long to all of us.

It might just be because you have all been sharing so much amazing inspiration that you

have gotten us all through those transition months from Winter to Spring.

We are all in awe of what you are sharing at the garden party too!

Truly, your creativity is over the top gorgeous.

The garden party is open for your garden pretties all the way to Mother's Day, so

please continue to share as your garden's bloom and thrive.

~ Thank you for joining us, now on to this week's features~

~ Decorating ~

Maggie Overby made a dramatic change in her master bedroom during the

One Room Challenge, how did she do it you may ask? With Rit dye!

~ Recipes~

Joan always creates magic in her kitchen and shares step-by-step tutorials too.

Wouldn't these cookies be perfect for a shower or Mother's Day.

~ Gardening ~

Ron shares his love of gardening that graces his charming Southern home.

~ DIY ~

Robin transforms new bargain buckets from the dollar section at Target.

Great tutorial included for this project.

~ Inspiration ~

Linda has shared a sunshine yellow tablescape with roosters and sunflowers that would

inspire any occasion.

We ask that you please:

1. Link back to this post and follow any one of the four hostesses at these blogs.

Laura of Decor To Adore

Stacey of Poofing The Pillows

Jemma of At Home With Jemma

Laura of White Spray Paint

2. Share any of your favorite posts remembering not to link to advertising or shops.

We like to think of this as a very special gathering where thoughtfulness reigns.

We ask that you take a moment to visit two or three other participants

Thanks!

An InLinkz Link-up

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Tuesday, April 26, 2016

First of the Season

First zinnia blooms of 2016

In 1963, a young man of 37 took his harvested cotton

to the Kleberg County Farmers Co-op gin in Ricardo, Texas.

I wonder if he knew that morning that his cotton would produce the first bale of the season?

The newspaper clipping I found recently said ,

“The bale weighing 540 pounds was grown by Jim Mills, whose farm is located between Ricardo and Riviera.”

That young man was my father.

I so enjoy knowing deep down in my heart that I am a farmer’s daughter.

I too have some of my own season firsts happening right now in my yard.

These are my first zinnia blooms of the season , and these are my tomatoes.

And If the two tomatoes I spotted today that are slightly pink ripen this weekend,

I am going to have my first one of these for the season.

Best Sandwich Ever

*Spread Hellman’s Mayonnaise on a slice of bread

*Add a slice of cheddar cheese

*Top with slices of vine ripened tomatoes

* Sprinkle with sea salt

Enjoy!

**********

Linking to:

Share Your Cup Thursday

Monday, April 25, 2016

Garden Party 2016 : My Esperanza Garden

Welcome to my Esperanza Garden, one of my favorite places in our backyard.

Let’s have a glass of iced tea with lime South Texas style, a few empanaditas de cajeta, and some fruit and talk about our love of gardening.

Esperanza means hope, and gardeners are certainly full of hope:

hope that it will rain, hope that everything we have planted can withstand the hot South Texas sun, and hope that our plants will grow.

My Esperanza Garden is a place I can go and sit and listen to my new fountain trickle,

after a hard but satisfying day of gardening. Its design is what I like to call

rancho landscaping.

It’s also a place where I can display some of my favorite pieces of talavera pottery.
Long ago I decided that I would treat outdoor garden rooms as indoor rooms, and then it all made sense.

There are places to sit everywhere and things to see.

And now it’s time to hear your gardening story.

We are so glad you are here!

Just click on the link below and your posts will be shared on all of our blogs until

May 8th.

An InLinkz Link-up

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Thoughts of Home on Thursday #11

Welcome to Thoughts of Home on Thursday #11.

We are so glad you are here.

Our hostess this week is Laura of White Spray Paint.

In special news, you are cordially invited to a

Garden Linky Party

Monday, April 25th,

hosted by the ladies of Thoughts of Home on Thursday and Share your Cup Thursday.

We can’t wait to see what is happening in your garden this spring!

And now to this week’s features.

Decorating

Of Mollie’s Mom wows with her One Room Challenge design board.

I want EVERYTHING on her board, and may I say that the ORC participants are

all so good.

Recipes

Alexis of Chemistry Cachet shares a recipe for amazing Soft, Fudgy Brownie Cookies

and gives chemist tips about the recipe as well.

Gardening

Rita of Panoply tackled her garden chores and transformed areas of her beautiful yard.

DIY

Altered Artworks completes a vintage poolside chair makeover that gives it an all new look.

Inspiration

I am inspired by laughter and you will be too when you

read Katie of Preppy Empty Nester’s description of a family tour of Hahvahd!

We ask that you please:

1. Link back to this post and follow any of the four hostesses at these blogs.

Laura at Decor to Adore

Stacey of Poofing the Pillows

Jemma of At Home with Jemma

Laura of White Spray Paint

2. Share any of your favorite posts, remembering not to link to advertising or shops.

An InLinkz Link-up

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Sisterhood of the Traveling Zinnia Seeds

My father’s zinnia seeds I saved and planted in February 2016 are growing!

This band of zinnia planting sisters came to my side last fall when my father passed away.

And just a few months later, when I was gathering the dried zinnia seeds from his zinnia garden,

I shared them with these wonderful women.

Papa's Seed

And when I could, I gave away packets of zinnia seeds, and I talked about zinnias whenever anyone would

listen, and I encouraged starting a zinnia garden.

It was all because of him.

And now for the update.

I have 3 raised beds and things have taken a great growth spurt.

And these are my friend Debbie’s from seed packets I gave her-

And these are Anna’s from Papa’s seeds,

And Mary Jo’s from Papa’s seeds,

And Fran’s from Papa’s seeds,

And Mary Kay’s from Papa’s seeds,

And my sweet cousin Susan’s beautiful zinnias she is growing this spring,

And finally, my friend JB’s zinnias, sprouting from last year’s seeds- just like Papa’s did year after year.

All women need a sisterhood and gardening is the best common ground for that.

I am so grateful for mine.

Monday, April 18, 2016

Spring in the Dining Room

My love of blue and white, which is obvious in just about every post I write,

started out as something else.

It began because my mother had blue and white pieces throughout her home

and because I live in South Texas.

Why does living in South Texas have anything to do with anything?

Because I also love cobalt blue and cobalt blue is a key color in Mexican glassware

and pottery which is predominant where I live.

I will show you what I mean someday soon .

And so this table setting for a recent birthday dinner I hosted

made perfect sense to me. Spring in the Dining Room 2

These colors working together , as I shared here, are old friends.

In fact, so were the guests!

Our covered dish menu?

Wild Rice and Chicken Casserole

Fresh Brussel Sprouts

Green Bean Casserole

Fruit Salad

Strawberry Congealed Salad

Garlic Knot Rolls

Chocolate Sheet Cake for Dessert

*****

Linking to:

Our Southern Home, Inspiration Monday

Love of Home, Sundays at Home party

Dwellings, the Heart of Your Home

Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Share Your Cup Thursday

Home Sweet Home

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Dear Daughters: Where the Lesson Lives

Dear Daughters,

Warning: This is a thought teaser.

After a long week of extra gardening tasks for a special occasion,

it is easy to forget that it is about the relationship I have with my garden rather than the appearance of it to

others.

You may experience this in life.

It might occur on the day you wear your new outfit, or you did especially well

on a work project, or you made special plans.

It may seem to you on that special day that no one noticed what you had done.

What made you feel that way? Maybe no one commented .

And that is where the lesson lives.

It is not about what others say .

So if that is the lesson, what is the moral?

The moral is that it is about the special work we have done and how we make others feel rather than how we

feel.

Ponder that sweet girls.

Phew.

I know.

This may not make sense.

I promise it does… (to me…)

I love you, Mom

*****

Linking to:

Saturday Sparks Link Party

Dishing it and Digging It

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Thoughts of Home On Thursday #10

Good morning and welcome friends to Thoughts of Home on Thursday #10.

We have had ten weeks of you sharing your amazing creativity and inspiring us more than you could know.

Stacey of Poofing the Pillows is our hostess this week.

She's busy working outside getting ready for a garden party.

We hope you'll mark your calendars and join us.

Decorating

Marty at A Stroll Thru Life showed her front porch all spiffed up for spring. Her decorative touches are definitely welcoming.

Recipes

Carol at The Red Painted Cottage shared a Bow-Tie Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli that could probably be on regular rotation all summer.

Gardening

Susan at Ash Tree Cottage shared Garden Niches that beckon you to grab a glass of iced tea and stroll the yard.

DIY
Joan at Scavenger Chic completely transformed a set of wooden drawers from Ikea into an antique looking storage cabinet.

Inspire

Mimi at 247 Mulberry Lane took us on a drive with her to see the sights where she lives. Even if you aren't a road trip family, these pictures might make you grab a map and plot out a trip!