The Delightful Eclectic Abode: July 2012

We celebrate Independence Day today. There will be parades, fireworks, and backyard BBQ's. How did your day begin?

My day started at 6:00 AM. I booted-up my computer and decided I needed a refresher course on the history of the Declaration of Independence.

I also read this interesting article. July 4th: What Does Independence Day Mean In a Divided Era?

It was time to get out of my serious mood and enjoy a cup of Java and the latest issue of Country Living.

With camera in hand, I walked around my garden snapping photos. This always lightens my mood.

Do you ever wake-up in a funk for no particular reason?

Being in the garden early this morning lifted my mood. It's supposed to be near 100 degrees today! This heat wave has been going on for over a week and I'm tired of being indoors. I am so grateful for electrical power and air-conditioning!

It's time to walk my dogs before the fireworks begin. They will be going off most of the day. My little pups are terrified of fireworks and thunderstorms.

It's only 1:00 PM and it's over 90 degrees with almost 75 percent humidity!!!

Will we be barbecuing today? Heck no!

We're taking our mother and father-in-law to Famous Dave's! It's one of their favorite places for ribs. They also have pretty decent salads too.

Source: Royal Free Stock Photos, photographer Jo Ann Snover

Hope you're in a great mood, staying cool and having a wonderful day!!

What are you doing to celebrate this national holiday?

There is so much to be grateful for! This heat is nothing compared to what our soldiers and the early founders of our country had to go through to preserve our freedoms!!

Thank you to all of our service men and women!

Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die.

~Dwight D. Eisenhower

Hi there!

I'm back from my 2 week blogging vacation! My 3 grandchildren visited from Delaware and they kept us mighty busy. I've also been busy the past week with some DIY projects and of course, a little thrifting. Stay with me, I'll get to that part in just a minute. Here is a peek!

Are you staying cool? Half the country is experiencing a heat wave. If you have air conditioning, I know you are grateful. As a 50 + women, I still get hot flashes so the additional hot weather makes it unbearable! Thank god for cooling stations across the country for those who can't escape the heat.

Source: http://www.weather.com/news/week-ahead-in-weather-20120701

Michigan is on the cusp of a drought. Some local counties are already instituting watering restrictions for lawns and gardens.

Source: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/drought/

Many areas in the U.S. are experiencing extreme drought conditions. I pray that things get better really soon. For us gardeners, lack of water isn't good.

Okay, back to the reason that you stopped by. THRIFTING!!

Today I'm linking to Rhoda's Thrifty Treasures Party at Southern Hospitality It's a great party and sure to spark some inspiration so head on over and take a look.

See that mirror in the upper left-hand corner? I bought this yesterday at a local consignment store. It's wrought iron and seems to be very sturdy.

I spotted this a couple weeks ago and thought about getting it but found something else instead. If you regulary visit consignment stores, you know that the price goes down the longer it remains in the store.

Mr. Delightful and I were driving around looking for garage sales on Saturday. We decided to drive to one our favorite local towns. We stopped at the Home Again Consignment store and I found just what I was looking for! The mirror was still there and it was marked down to $11.00. The original price was $23.00. I decided this time that I was going to take it home with me.

I love using mirrors. If you've stopped by before, you have probably seen a few mirrors on my deck and in the garden. Mirrors reflect light and add such a nice element to the garden or patio.

I love that I can keep the shutters opened or closed. The mirror creates the illusion of a window.

Notice all the photos from different angles? Believe me, the photos don't do this mirror justice. It looks fantastic from the street view!

See that little wicker chair? Free!

I made the little pillow for it a couple weeks ago with some indoor/outdoor material that was on sale at Jo-Anne's Fabric.

The afternoon heat was so bad that this is where I sat and edited my photos today.

See that big round mirror? It reflects the garden so I can see my arborvitates from my kitchen table (they are in the far right corner of my yard)

Can you tell I'm just a little bit obsessed with mirrors? I have a few more stored in my garden shed because I don't have any place to put them. I never pass up a good thrifty mirror deal. You should see the one I got at a garage sale for $10.00 (regular price $200.00)

Hubby says I'm going to need a barn soon to store everything. I THINK NOT. I don't want to become a hoarder so now I have to ask myself the following questions:

Do I NEED it? Well, of course! You know us thrifty shoppers can always find a place for something new.
Do I have a place for this? Yes! I can give something away or rotate my collections to make room for this item!

The kitchen doorwall opens to the back porch/deck. I'm showing you these pictures because I want to give you a feel for the view that I have from my kitchen dining area.