Feminine Friday: Table Manners

Happy Friday my lovely lady readers (and gentlemen if you're reading this too :) )! Today I wanted to talk about table manners! Table manners are a must for any lady and I'm sure all of you are familiar with many of them. Things like don't chew with your mouth open, put your napkin in your lap and keep your elbows off the table are common knowledge. But I bet you didn't know some of these table manners! :)

- Bread and rolls are broken off into bite-size pieces and butter is spread on each bite as you eat it.  Never use a knife to cut the bread, nor butter a whole slice at once!
- Once silverware is picked up from the table it never touches the table again.  Place it on the outer rim of the plate between bites, but never rest silver gangplank fashion, half on the table and half on the plate.
- Dishes are passed from left to right.
- Set any passed item, whether it's the salt and pepper shakers, a bread basket, or a butter plate, directly on the table instead of passing hand-to-hand.
- Never intercept a pass. Snagging a roll out of the breadbasket or taking a shake of salt when it is en route to someone else is a no-no.
- When your host or hostess picks up their fork to eat, then you may eat.
- Always scoop food, using the proper utensil, away from you.
- Do not use a toothpick or apply makeup at the table.
- Do not push your dishes away from you or stack them for the waiter when you are finished. Leave plates and glasses where they are.

Interesting huh! I admit I didn't know most of these and now that I do, I always notice when I or someone else does them. Good thing I live with normal people and not fancy snobs who would require these manners! :)


Enjoy your Friday and keep your smiles on! Until next time!

"Good manners are made up of petty sacrifices." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson



"Etiquette is the fine tunning of education" ~ Nadine Daher

Wishlist Thursday: Dishes

Happy Thursday my dear readers! My weekend starts tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it because several big things are happening! Maybe I'll even be kind enough to update you sometime then. :)


Today's wishlist items are not really specific but more the idea in general. I've been seeing lots of pretty serving dishes that have little spots for specific things. Like these:

I used to wonder at the usefulness of dishes like these but now that I'm contemplating having a home of my own, I've found that I'd really like to have some! I plan on entertaining many friends of Dearest Carl and I at our home and I'd love to have these for parties and such.... gosh, even just for everyday use! :)

Well, I'd best be off to my lunch. Keep those smiles on my lovely readers! Until next time!

“Eating, and hospitality in general, is a communion, and any meal worth attending by yourself is improved by the multiples of those with whom it is shared.” ~ Jesse Browner

“In Ireland, you go to someone's house, and she asks you if you want a cup of tea. You say no, thank you, you're really just fine. She asks if you're sure. You say of course you're sure, really, you don't need a thing. Except they pronounce it ting. You don't need a ting. Well, she says then, I was going to get myself some anyway, so it would be no trouble. Ah, you say, well, if you were going to get yourself some, I wouldn't mind a spot of tea, at that, so long as it's no trouble and I can give you a hand in the kitchen. Then you go through the whole thing all over again until you both end up in the kitchen drinking tea and chatting. In America, someone asks you if you want a cup of tea, you say no, and then you don't get any damned tea. I liked the Irish way better.” ~ C.E. Murphy

“Be it not in thy care. Go, I charge thee, invite them all; let in the tide Of knaves once more; my cook and I'll provide.” ~ William Shakespeare

Homemaker Wednesday: Organization

Happy Wednesday my dear readers! Today's post is about organization! I am big on organization. I don't like clutter and the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants attitude. And in 107 days, I shall have a whole house to care for! This being the case, I've been trying to drum up some different ways of organization for the different areas of a home. 


First, I've found a planner which I quite like!

For my personal needs, I think I want to recreate this! I can keep all my To Dos in order and my plans organized. However I'll still probably keep a large family calendar on the refrigerator for the benefit of those looking to make other plans. 

Second, I've found the most adorable menu planner!

I just love this idea! However I'm not sure I'll actually make it. What is more likely is a piece of paper with a weekly calendar printed on it, framed so I can write on the glass with a dry-erase marker. But we shall see. 

I think those two planners should cover what I need right now. If I need anything else, well... Pinterest has loads of ideas. :) What about you dear reader? Do you have any interesting planning ideas?

Here is your song. :)

Keep those smiles on! Mine sure is. :) Until next time!

"He who fails to plan, plans to fail." ~ A Proverb

"Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning." ~ Winston Churchill

"Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up." ~ A.A. Milne

Monday Favorites: Flowers

Sooooo as you know, pink has been growing on me. And now, there are all kinds of lovely flowers blooming! Honestly, my loyalty to my pretty daffodils will never waver BUT.... peonies are definitely up there!

Soft, romantic, just simply lovely! What I would do for a beautiful pastel pink and cream bouquet of them in my room! *sigh* Ah well. Here's your song for today.

Keep your smiles on! Until next time!

"Earth laughs in flowers." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson


"To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers is a delectable form of defeat." ~ Beverly Nichols


"Flowers really do intoxicate me." ~ Vita Sackville-West

Feminine Friday: Mother's Day

Happy Friday all my dear lovely readers! As we all know, the wonderful holiday known as Mother's Day is just around the corner! Only two days away actually. :) Now I just love Mother's Day! Why? Because mothers are so very special gifts from God! They have impacted our lives, biological or adopted, and have blessed us in so many ways, they deserve to have a day of pampering! Now as you may or may not know, I'm a big gift-giver. I just love coming up with the perfect gift for someone and watching their face as they open it and see them enjoy it. Being a big gift-giver, I've come up with a few Mother's Day gift ideas for those of you who may not be big gift-givers! Why not take a little time today or tomorrow and whip up one of these ideas? :)

The Mother's Day Gift Guide

A hand-painted flower pot

A picture of her and you when you were little, to remind her of the good ol' days. 

A pretty mug with her favorite tea (or cream and sugar if she's a coffee drinker)

A bouquet of peonies

A handwritten letter

A Barnes & Noble gift card, so she can purchase a new good read

Take her on a lunch date to Panera or another soup and sandwich place

Maybe you already have an awesome idea for your mom and if so, I applaud you! But whatever you choose, just make sure you let your mom know how thankful you are for her and how special she is! And don't forget to tell her you love her. :)

Enjoy your weekend and keep your smiles on! Until next time!

"A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie." ~ Tenneva Jordan

"Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs... since the payment is pure love." ~ Mildred B. Vermont

"Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible." ~ Marion C. Garretty

Wishlist Thursday: Vacation

Okay so you know that I have this thing about travel. I do love where I live buuuuuut after so many cornfields and familiarity, I do long for an adventure someplace new. Earlier this week, we had one really hot day and Baby Bird wanted to go outside and play in the water. I don't know what it is but the smell of the sunscreen and the sound of water put together has me longing for the beach!!!

Boy do I have some wonderful memories of vacations on the beach with my family. Morning sandcastles, shell hunting, reading for pleasure, afternoon naps, card games, dinner on the patio, evening walks, sand, sunsets, salt water and of course the always present smell of sunscreen. Oh! And the stars over the ocean are incredible! *sigh* Yeah, that would be nice right about now.

Well, I suppose I'll just have to make do with my own sunshine. Oh well. Enjoy your day dear reader and keep those smiles on! Until next time!



“I have always loved the beach. The smell of the salty water, the wind in my face, the gentle roar of the waves all combine to create a sense of peace and calm.” ~ Anon.



“I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.” ~ T. S. Eliot



“One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach; one can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few” ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh



“Play in the sand; splash in the water; get dirty; get wet. The beach is the only place my mom doesn’t get mad about me doing that stuff. Of course I love the beach!” ~ Dixie Dykens (age 5)

Homemaking Wednesdays: Summer Goals

Good morning my fair readers! Today I wanted to share my summer goals with you! I have a lot so I'll categorize them for you. Yes I'm that nice. ;) Heeeeere we go!

With Baby Bird
- Have morning devotions with her every morning
- Pray before meals
- Teach her Bible songs (He's Got The Whole World, Jesus Loves Me, etc.)
- Do more crafts
- Get schedule to afternoon naps
- Read more books
- Have picnics in the yard
- Teach her colors and start shapes
- Cook treats with her

Wedding Planning
- Nail down decorations
- Keep my mom and grandmas updated
- Keep things organized
- Make the playlist

Personal Goals
- Finish reading the books on my shelf
- Do some of the hundreds of projects liked on Pinterest
- Make some of the food favorited on foodgawker
- Get more regular with my own morning devotions
- Figure out some breakfast food besides scones
- Get a library card
- Save money

So, there you have it. Goals for the summer. Optimistically, I'l get them all done. Buuuut we'll see. :) Here's your song!

Well I hope you enjoy your day and keep those smiles on! Until next time!

"If you don't know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else." ~ Lawrence J. Peter


"Goals are dreams with deadlines." ~ Diana Scharf Hunt


"What is not started today is never finished tomorrow." ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Monday Favorites: An Actress

Happy Monday my dear readers! Today is gray with some impending rain but nothing could possibly ruin my mood today! I look great, I feel great.... I AM great! :D


But enough about me. I have someone else to talk about today! Today's favorite is my favorite actress! This, ladies and gentlemen, would be none other than the lovely Audrey Hepburn! :)

Isn't she just wonderful?! She's elegant and sophisticated and just plan classy! Yeah, if someone asked me for the definition of "classy", I would say "Audrey Hepburn". None can compare! 

Favorite movies starring Audrey: When Paris Sizzles, Breakfast at Tiffany's, How to Steal a Million, My Fair Lady, Charade.... and probably everything else she's in too. ;)

What is your favorite Hepburn flick?

Ahh me. Good stuff. Well, enjoy your day my dear readers and keep your smiles on! Until next time!

“I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!” ~ AH

“The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It's the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows & the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years.” ~ AH

Wonderful Newness!

Hello my lovely readers! How I've missed you! And oh the changes I have to acquaint you with!


So, first, the subject on everyone's mind.... yes, I am going to graduate! I gotta tell you, math class was awful close! I didn't do well on the first test a few weeks ago so I spend the major part of this week studying for my Thursday morning math test. With much prayer with me and behind me, I went in to take it.... and came out with a 69.3% in the class. I needed .7% to pass. So I came straight home and emailed my professor about it. And after even more prayer.... yesterday he replied. After he did the updates on grades, I would pass!!! Which meant I don't have to take that math class again this summer and I will indeed graduate this Spring! :D :D


Really, math class was such a great tangible example of my inadequacies and His grace! No matter how hard I try, no matter what I do in life, I will always fall short. Always. But He is a good God and if I ask Him for the grace and strength, He'll get me through that .7%! We serve a WONDERFUL GOD!!!!!!!! So that's my big news!


Now, I'm ready for the summer to start! The past few weeks, with graduation in sight, my creative mind has found new life. I thought all that studying had killed it! But oh no! I've been coming up with all sorts of crafty things to do with Hannah, crafty things to keep myself busy, stories to write, apartment decorating ideas, blog post topics.... the list is endless! It's going to be the best summer of my life so far. :)


As for smaller, more trivial news... I got my new phone Thursday! :D My current contract ends tomorrow so I can finally get on a new phone and a cheaper plan! Also, I got my hair cut this morning! It was very long, almost to the middle of my back, and to a point where it wouldn't do anything. And with the humidity the past few days (a warning of this summer), it would do even less than nothing! So what did I do? I got it chopped off! It is now swinging curly and happily above my shoulders! :D Yes yes I know, you're probably thinking "Casey! You're getting married in three months! What are you thinking?!?" Buuuut it will grow right? And it will make it very easy to manage this summer! So I'm pleased with it. :)


Well I think that's all my updates for you! Here's your song! :)

And now we return to your regular scheduled programming. :) Keep those smiles on and enjoy your Saturday! Until next time!



Pleasure is spread through the earth
In stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find.
~ William Wordsworth


Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt


There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness. ~ Lady Blessington