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Debbie @ Debbiedoos is hosting a fun linky party.  It is a Magazine Copycat Challenge, and I decided to try and copy one of the lovely images from Summer with Matthew Mead Magazine.

Please, Mr. Mead, do not sue me because I am a follower of your blog, I buy your magazines, I blog about them, and I had your summertime button on my sidebar for many weeks.  Plus, I just pre-ordered your Autumn magazine!


This is the image I chose for the copycat challenge:

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This is my take on the photo from Summer with Matthew Mead:

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Please click here for the Magazine Copycat Challenge!

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

Magazine Copycat Challenge

Thursday, June 30, 2011

I love Crepe Myrtles.  Most Southern gardens have one or two of them, but some folks don't care for them and call the "Crap" Myrtles.

I like all the colors, except the purplish ones.

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We recently planted three in our front garden.  Here are two of them.  They are budding right now, and I can't wait until they bloom.  They are the Natchez Crepe Myrtles (white blossoms).

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Do you have Crepe Myrtles in your garden?

Linking to Tracie's Cottage Flora Thursday @ Fishtail Cottage.

Until next time...

Blessings!

Ricki Jill

Crepe Myrtles: A Southern Garden Staple

Mr. Art @ Home found a great find at Tuesday Morning.  He brought home this lovely patio tablecloth with a hole in it for the umbrella.  I have seen them before with velcro, but this one has a zipper and I like it better.

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I found this two-piece umbrella vase on Amazon.  It was not expensive at all!

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I was so excited because I thought that {finally} we would be able to enjoy our deck, but foiled again!  It is coming a severe thunderstorm again, so I am bringing everything back inside.  I did not even have time to completely set my table!

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*sadface*  Look at all this rain!!!

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Have you found some great stuff for your deck?

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

Great Finds for Your Deck or Patio

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

I enjoy seeing the Benjamin Moore paint trends every year.  One of the trends that has caught my eye this year is Escape. The quest for hope and escape from harsh realities prompted the paint maker to turn to more dreamlike frosted, opalescent colors as its Escape theme. Metallic finishes and soft textures are featured as part of this kinder, gentler look. Here are some examples:

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I love the dream-like quality of this kitchen.  But I wonder if cooking a large pot of spaghetti sauce would break the spell?



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The bedroom is pretty, but I think the colors are a bit masculine and earthy for my tastes.



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I love the faux tin paint treatment on the ceiling in this kitchen.  Perfection!


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Pink, gray, and cream look lovely together, and I like the bit of shimmer on the walls of this dining room.

I really like this trend, so I wanted to share how we translated the look in our family room.  I liked the way the sun was hitting our feature wall in our great room, and thought it looked neat. I painted it with Benjamin Moore's Golden Straw with Benjamin Moore's metallic glaze in gold sponged over it.

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What are your thoughts about this trend?  Would it work in your home?

Linking to Nita's Mod Mix Monday @ Mod Vintage Life.

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Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

Shiny!

Monday, June 27, 2011

The rain and thundershowers we have had for the past several days is preventing us from enjoying our deck.  Believe me, I am not complaining about the rain.  I am so thankful for it!  It looks like I will not be able to participate in the Summer Entertaining Linky Party like I wanted to, so I thought I would share photos of our succulents instead.  I know I have posted about them before, but look closely.  They are doing so well, and I took these pictures in between storms.

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I did not realize that some of them bloom!  You'll notice in the pictures that I have put away our cushions.  It has been raining that much lately!  In two of the pictures you can see the pretty sunlight.  It only lasted for about ten minutes.

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

Rain and Thundershowers

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Yay!  It's Saturday, and it's time for My Happy List @ Dandelion Wishes.




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I have much to be happy about this week.  :D

My Happy List


1.   I had so much fun at my art class this week.  My art class makes me happy!  Dori Decamillis is my teacher, and her art is phenomenal.  Find out more about her art at Red Dot Gallery's website.

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Dori painted this paining on an aluminum panel.

2.   I bought a stupidly expensive paintbrush (Kolinsky) for under $15.00 *squee*.  I saved about 50% and I did not have to pay for shipping!  Bargain-priced art supplies make me very happy, especially new paintbrushes!


3.   Melissa @ Kensington Cottage is such a sweet, sweet bloggy friend.  I helped her with some html coding, and she sent me the sweetest card and flower pin.  Thoughtful friends make me happy! Visit Melissa at her blog here.   

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4.   I found a wonderful interior design book for under $15 (originally it sold for $34.95) at Anthropologie.  It is entitled Vintage French Interiors, and it is a fantastic source for inspiration. Book bargains make me extremely happy!


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5.   My girls are growing into responsible young ladies.  I could not be prouder of them. Responsible children make me very, very happy!   


6.   I am finally getting my blog back to normal after all the Blogger issues.  I never recovered one of my old buttons, but I did make a new one all by myself.  Learning new blogging skills makes me happy!  Please feel free to grab my new button!  *pretty please*









What is making you happy this week?  Please join Mamarazzi, and share your *happy* :D

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill



My Happy List #18

Saturday, June 25, 2011

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This week I read My American Unhappiness by Dean Bakopoulos.  It is about Zeke Pappas, a thirty-three year old liberal scholar living in Madison, Wisconsin, perhaps the most liberal of all American college towns. Zeke heads the Great Midwestern Humanities Initiative, a federally-funded program meant to "foster a greater sense of community, increase public literacy, and strengthen levels of civic engagements in the American heartland."  His pet project is An Inventory of American Unhappiness, an attempt to document, study, and analyze why Americans are unhappy.  He even strives to hold a Midwestern Unhappiness Festival with future grant money.  Poor Zeke! Someone should have told him that liberals do not care about the flyover states, regardless of how blue Madison is! Zeke's assistant, Lara, understands that the program's money has run out, and prospects for future grants and earmarks are nonexistent.

Funding for the Great Midwestern Humanities Initiative is just one of many problems poor Zeke is facing:  he is a widower whose wife disappeared shortly after their college marriage; his mother is terminally ill; he is caring for his orphaned seven year old twin nieces; and he needs to get married if he wants to maintain custody of the twins after his mother's death. Zeke's mother gives him an article from Simply You magazine that will aid him in finding a wife.  So what if it was written for women: Zeke will use the article's step-by-step method and adapt it for a man.  The first step is to make a list of four prospects, one can be a long shot.  Zeke places these women on his list: his recently divorced neighbor, a barrista from Starbucks, his assistant Lara, and Sofia Coppola (the long shot).

Each chapter in My American Unhappiness begins with Zeke *this* or Zeke Pappas *that*....for example: "Zeke Pappas needs a triple shot of gusto" and "Zeke is coming to dinner."  So I thought I would give Zeke Pappas a bit of wisdom since the poor guy needs my help.  Desperately.

Zeke Papps is a clairvoyant.

Zeke can guess strangers' drink and snack orders at Starbucks with amazing accuracy. Zeke, honey, you need to harness that power for good rather than evil.  You could negotiate for your own reality TV show and become rich: then you would not need to depend on the government for your scholarly pursuits. The private sector always provides more with much less waste.

Zeke Pappas need to grab a clue.

Like many liberals, Zeke is intelligent, but he lacks wisdom.  His rationale for his An Inventory of American Unhappiness project is that Americans are "fundamentally unhappy because they suffer from institutional addiction." Zeke goes on to explain how we are educated with a targeted skill in order to get a job to buy a house and pay a mortgage.  So universities, big business, and financial institutions are to blame.  Zeke, honey, you left out the federal government who wants to take our money and waste it on administrative costs and bureaucracy while truly providing very few services for the money.

Zeke Pappas does not know how to get his flirt on.

Uh-uh, no way did you say/do/ask that to/of a lady.  I refuse to give spoilers here, but either Zeke is the most inept womanizer or he is a sociopath.  The jury is still out...I can't quite decide.  Zeke, you are truly charming until you open your mouth.  Don't.

Zeke Pappas gets some advice.


Zeke, let me quote an American to whom you can probably relate, one who was a liberal and a progressive:

Someone once asked me what I regarded as the three most important requirements for happiness. My answer was: "A feeling that you have been honest with yourself and those around you; a feeling that you have done the best you could both in your personal life and in your work; and the ability to love others."
- Eleanor Roosevelt   


A conservative could not have said it better!  Now you know what to do.

Disclaimer:  I hope my liberal friends will still speak to me after reading this. You know that I love you! Also, Dean Bakopoulos can write.  My American Unhappiness is a fantastic book despite Zeke's liberal rants.  I would love to ask Zeke how hope and change is working out for him ;P....  But seriously,  I would love for my daughter (an aspiring writer) to have the opportunity to take one of Dean Bakopoulos's classes.  That is very high praise coming from a mother.

Until next time...

Happy reading!
Ricki Jill


Literary Friday: My American Unhappiness

Friday, June 24, 2011

I love vincas.  They are superstars during our long hot summers here in Alabama.  This is one of my pots filled with them.

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They are tough little guys!

How is your garden growing?  My hydrangeas are still angry, but everything else is looking nice.  I need to deadhead them, but do you see the sunshine in this picture?  It lasted for about ten minutes, and then we got yet another round of showers and thunderstorms.  Our lawn is even looking nice and green again thanks to all the rain!

If anyone has any helpful tips on deadheading hydrangeas, I would appreciate your sharing them with me!  

I will be joining Tracie at Fishtail Cottage for Cottage Flora Thursdays.

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill


The Mighty Vinca

Thursday, June 23, 2011







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It is time for We Want to Know Wednesday @ Dandelion Wishes.

Today's questions are provided by Seriously Shawn.


{1} What is the best or worst pick up line you have ever been given?

It really wasn't a line, but it was an action.  The first time I met Mr. Art @ Home at a fraternity/sorority swap, he bought me a virgin strawberry daiquiri with whipped cream on it. The whipped cream was three times higher than the cup it was in, and I could see Mr. Art @ Home navigating through the crowd without spilling the whipped topping on the drink.  He looked like something out of a Dr. Seuss cartoon.  It really was funny, and obviously, he got my attention!

{2} What is your most and least favorite day of the week?

Favorite: Sundays.  I love our little outdoor church at Lake Martin.  It sets the tone for the rest of my week which is always positive!

Least Favorite: Mondays.  It is always difficult to get back into a routine after the weekend!

{3} How many hours of sleep do you require each night?

Eight, but I rarely get it.  I usually only get about seven hours of sleep.

{4} Is there a song that takes you back in time? What song is it & what's the memory attached?

There are many songs that take me back in time.  It would be very hard to pick just one, but I can remember that my sorority sisters and I really liked listening to Modern English and Squeeze, and we drove to Atlanta for a Squeeze concert once.  I guess every time I hear "Tempted" I think of college, road trips, and my sorority sisters.

Watch the video here.


{5} What is your biggest guilty pleasure?

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Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

We Want to Know Wednesday #2

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

I have been helping my daughter design her dorm room for months.  We have been working on projects, ordering one of a kind vintage items from Etsy, and searching the internet for sales. Shanley wanted some small shelves to place on her chest of drawers to hold small treasures and picture frames.  We were inspired by Selina Lake's Romantic Style.  I love this book, and I also own a copy of her Bazaar Style, too.  If you have not checked out either of these books, please do yourself a favor and read them.  You can read my review of Romantic Style and the other three Best Home Decorating Books of 2010 here.  This is the image that sparked our imagination:


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This is our project:


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We wanted to use black and white paper to make Shanley's colorful treasures pop.

Would you like a patchwork wallpaper wall in your home?  I admit that I am tempted.

Linking to White Wednesday at Faded Charm Cottage.

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

Patchwork Inspiration

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

My oldest daughter loves shopping at Modcloth.  I have been shopping at Mod Apartment for her dorm room, and I bought some goodies for our home, too.

Although I have already posted about these canisters, I must say that I am still loving them. The seal is tight, and the patterns are retro and cheerful.

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My most recent purchase includes this fun cutlery set.  Each set of four is comprised of a different pattern, and I think they make for a fun informal meal on the deck or even in the kitchen.  I found the cutlery caddy at AtHome in Homewood, Alabama.

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I set our breakfast table this morning for muesli and tea.  It was fun not matching anything. I hope the girls will like it when they wake-up, and it will start their week off right.  We had a long, fun, exhausting weekend!

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Do you like to mix it up, or are you a matchy-matchy girl?  I think I am a little of both!


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Please join Nita at Mod Vintage Life for her Mod Mix Monday Linky Party.

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Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill


{Mod Apartment} *love*

Monday, June 20, 2011





What We're Reading


It is the twentieth of the month, which means it's time for our What We're Reading Linky Party. Bonnie @ The Boatwright Family is my co-host.  Please post about your summer reading, what you have read and/or are planning to read.  We would love to add to our TBR (to be read) pile!

Over the weekend, I read:

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Let me clarify by saying that I am not a Twilight mom.  Nope, not me...nuh-uh, no way! I would *never* buy a "This Bella Married Her Edward" t-shirt from Cafe Press....just sayin'.....

All kidding aside, I have read the entire Twilight series and The Host (loved it).  I read many YA series because I have two teenage daughters, and I like to know what they are reading or wanting to read.  I almost did not read The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner because I already knew the ending: she is given the death sentence by Jane at the end of Eclipse. Bree is only in the book briefly, and we only get Bella's point of view concerning Bree.  So you are probably asking: why did you read it?

Let me explain why I am happy I read it and why you should read it, too.  This novella is told from Bree's point of view, and I found it interesting to learn what it is like for the newborn vampires.  We learn about how and why Riley and Victoria made their army meant to destroy the Cullen coven and Bella.  I also gleaned a better understanding for Jasper and what he endured as a newborn because his and Bree's circumstances were similar: many of the vampires were violent and there was a lot of infighting.  This point is emphasized through Jasper's interaction with Bree at the end of the story.

Bree is a runaway when Riley finds her and takes her to an unknown female (of course the reader knows she is Victoria) who maliciously converts Bree into a vampire.  Riley's coven is composed of very violent vampires who are untrained and uninformed about their abilities. Their rampage through Seattle draws the attention of the Volturi who immediately leave Italy to confront Riley and Victoria. Bree and her "secret friend", Diego, learn about Victoria's plan to use the coven as an army to do her bidding while spying on Riley and the Volturi.  Bree also befriends Freaky Fred, an older, college-aged vampire who has the very rare and special ability to repulse vampires. He can also distort space around him so it is hard for vampires to look at him.  Fred protects Bree by allowing her to stay close to him. He lets his guard down for Bree, and she is shocked to see how handsome he is.  I really hope that Stephenie Meyer writes a book for Fred because he is a very intriguing character. He has a quiet strength about him that I want to read more about.  His need and ability to remain in the background and not be noticed must be connected to his humanity and I want to know why.  I believe there is an interesting story there.

Although the ending of The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is poignant, the novella is also worth reading because we discover that Edward is keeping a secret!

Until next time...

Happy reading!
Ricki Jill



What We're Reading #5

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{Nature table from Country Living Magazine, UK edition}


Do you remember the nature table in your elementary school classroom?  I do, and when the UK edition of Country Living Magazine started a campaign a few years ago to bring back the nature table, it warmed my heart.

When my daughters were younger, they would bring natural treasures from the beach and woods inside to share and examine.  We enjoyed using guidebooks and the internet to learn more about their finds.

Nature tables are a great summertime activity for children.  During the cooler times of the day, they can explore and collect.  When it is too hot or rainy to play outside, they can identify and learn more about their treasures.

Nature tables need the following:

Jars
Pens or pencils
Place cards for identifying items
Guidebooks
Small bowls and plates for display

My daughters are too old for nature tables, but we do keep Alabama bird guide books handy in the kitchen to help identify birds at our feeder and birdbath.

Do you have a nature table in your home?

Linking to At the Picket Fence's Summer Blog Party.

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill


Nature Table

Sunday, June 19, 2011




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It is Saturday, so that means it's time to join Mamarazzi @ Dandelion Wishes for My Happy List.

*squee*

My Happy List

1.   We had a great visit to the library this week.  Shelley and I both registered for the Summer Reading Program, and I found all the books on my list. None of them were checked out!  I am particularly looking forward to reading Kathryn Ireland's new book, Summers in France.  I usually check out home decorating books and preview them before purchasing them.  This one looks fantastic!  Successful library visits make me happy!

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2.   I won Simone and Bella's lovely giveaway @ Doberman's by the Sea.  I love this blog, and if you have not visited it, please click on this link.  I love sea glass (the necklace is so pretty), and it always thrills me when I find it on the beach. I also won a seashell, t-shirt flower pin, and soothing aromatherapy eye mask.  Getting lovely prizes in the mail makes me very happy!  


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3.   It has been raining the past two days.  We got almost three inches yesterday!  Summertime rain showers always make me happy. 


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4.   It is Father's Day Weekend!  Mr. Art @ Home deserves a fantastic celebration.  We are cooking some of his favorite meals, and making him some Father's Day cards.  I also have been told he is getting something fun for his Wii.  *shhhhhhhh.....it's  a secret*  Celebrating the best daddy in the world makes me very, very happy!


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5.   We went to see The Green Lantern last night.  Mr. Art @ Home does not go to many movies.  He prefers Apple TV at home, but he loves DC comics, so he wanted to see this one in the theaters.  I love going to movies; they make me happy!  I liked it, although it has gotten bad reviews.


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6.   Encouraging friends make me happy!  I have been blessed this week with encouraging words from both "real" friends and "virtual" friends.   Y'all make me want to strive to be a balcony person (lifting people up) rather than a basement person (dragging people down).  Thank-you.


What's on your Happy List this week?  Blog about it and link to My Happy List @ Dandelion Wishes. Share your happy!

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill



My Happy List #17

Saturday, June 18, 2011


Hello!

I'm Ricki Jill. Welcome! I'm honored that you're reading my blog. I enjoy sharing my creative lifestyle @ The Bookish Dilettante. For more information about my blog, please read the Start Here page. Thank-you for stopping by, and I hope you'll consider following me via email.

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