Where Bloggers Live 02.2020

Galentines 💗, welcome to the monthly edition of Where Bloggers Live. It’s kind of like HGTV’s “Celebrities at Home,” but…bloggers! Who doesn’t like to peek behind the scenes and see inside people’s homes and areas? Over the next few months, a group of 7 bloggers will be sharing their work spaces, their homes, towns and more!

In January, I reached out to Bettye, the creative genius behind the Where Bloggers Live series, and asked to join her posse.  I had so enjoyed the groups’ posts that month and hoped they would be willing to make room for one more blogger.  Was already acquainted with several of the gals, Daenel, Em and Jodie but have enjoyed getting to know the other bloggers as well.  So glad Bettye said ‘yes’.

Just a reminder:  Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After occasionally uses affiliate links. This means that if you click or make a purchase from a link provided I may receive a very small commission at no cost to you.  Thank you for your support.

Where Bloggers Live 02.2020

The theme for February is 💗Valentine’s decorations💗 OR “who you love,” OR for some of us…a complete surprise!  I originally planned to write about ‘who I love’ but kind of did in my 10 on the 10th post earlier this week.  So, as I sat down to write this, I decided to share my Valentine’s decorations with you.  Which makes this post kind of a complete surprise to me as it wasn’t what I thought I would do at all.

💗Valentine’s Decorations💗

I tend to go all out in the decorating department for fall and winter, and then again in spring.  But for Valentine’s Day I don’t tear the bone out, as my Missourian mother would say.

In the Den

For most holidays and all the seasons, I put decorations above my kitchen cabinets and mantel.  Then I sprinkle little bits around elsewhere.  I have made some of the items, but much of my holiday stuff is a Duke’s mixture from Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Etsy, Target and Dollar Tree.  Even eBay.  I’m eclectic that way.  An equal opportunity shopper!

Above the fireplace, I have a metal and fabric garland, some festive pom-poms and a Lizzie High doll.  When my daughters were little, we collected these dolls.  Now that Lauren is a mommy, she has begun collecting them with her baby girls.

On my sofa table that doesn’t sit behind the sofa at all, I have the only professional photo we have ever had taken together.  It is several years old from a Valentine’s dinner and dance hosted by our church.  I was so miserable that night!  As PC would say, I ‘squoze’ myself into a too-tight pair of Spanx, and could hardly move, much less breathe.

Another Lizzie High.  A cross that my BFF Sharon gave me.  And a little wooden sign that reads, “love you to the move and back.”

When the girls were little, Lauren used to say, “I love you from one mountain to the other one mountain.”  Because here in El Paso, there were mountains as far as she could see in every direction.

In the Kitchen

Here the little things I have set out above my cabinets.

The little red chair on the left was my chair as a child.  The crock holding the flowers is a very piece from my great grandparents, as well as the basket.

I took a Dollar Tree blackboard and wrote “Leslie & Paul sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G” on it with a chalk marker.  Remember how scandalous it used to be to sing that at school?

The little chair on the right and the 2 bicycle planters in this picture the first one above were given to me by a teaching colleague right before I retired.  They remain above my cabinets even in between holidays and seasons.

I really like these cute Valentine campers.  They remind me of the Dog House we stayed in this same time several years ago, when PC was playing baseball at the Cincinnati Reds’ fantasy camp.  It was so much fun!!  All of the comforts of home in the tiniest little space.  Even wrote a post about it here, for Lauren’s Glossies Made Me Do It series.

Wish my Prince C. shared my same passion for tiny houses and camping.

One last bit on my kitchen counter.  A little wooden wagon filled with yarn balls I made last year.  You can see some of the others in the collage at the top of the post.  I have put them into my Panamanian wooden bowl with pine cones and interesting bits of twigs.

I like the sentiment on that little wooden sign.  “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”  What a much better world this would be if everyone practiced that most of the time.  It reminds me of a favorite children’s book, Wonder by RJ Palacio.  If you have elementary or even middle school-aged children, this would be a wonder-ful book to read with them.

Two Tiered Tray

Bought my two tiered tray (similar, similar) in time for Valentine’s last year.  Have enjoyed decorating it so much.  There have been times when I’ve been tempted to just decorate it and not get everything else out.  But once I pull the decorations out of their plastic tubs, and set everything about, I am glad I did.

My tray has a very vintage/farmhouse feel with its peeling paint and wooden handle.

The Valentine angels were a gift from Sharon.  The bead garland was a gift from Carrie at Curly, Crafty Mom.  It’s so hard for me to photograph in the kitchen because of the light streaming in from the back doors.  And yet our house is still so dark!

The little red and white checked place mats are from Dollar Tree this year.  They are plastic so I can just wipe them down after we slurp soup all over them.  The doily is one made by my great grandmother.

With all the birds and bird houses I have on here, you’d think I was a bird-lover.  But that couldn’t be further from the truth.  I know you feel the same way, Daenel!!  Over the years, I’ve mellowed enough to tolerate a fake holiday bird or two from Target but that’s as far as it goes.

Who I Love

You hear me mention my family in every post.  So if we’ve been friends any length of time at all, you could probably name who I love just about as well as I can.  Almost afraid to start listing people because I would never want to forget anyone.  But going to stick to strictly family and that should keep me safe…I hope.

My Fam

Here in my home, I love my Prince Charming = Paul Clingan, Purrsnickitty = Snick and Purrsimmony = Simmie.  My youngest daughter Lauren = Buffy lives across the mountain with her husband Francisco = Boo, and 2 daughters, Lucia = Cia and Camila = Cami.

My oldest daughter, Brennyn = NeeNee lives in Ft. Worth with her husband Mustafa = JackDaddy (instead of step-daddy) and my granddaughter Cadence = Cady Coo or sometimes just The Coo.

My sister Valerie = Val lives in Houston with her husband Roby and their son Trey.  Trey is currently stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri.

My brother Kevin = Kev lives in Lexington, his girlfriend LeeAnn lives there, too.  As does my mom = mom.  Kev has 2 children, Shelby = Shel and Jacob = Jake.  Their mom Metra lives outside of Nashville with her husband Mark.

And I have cousins scattered all over but never see any of them much.  We all are too far apart and too caught up in our own lives.

The In-Laws

My in-laws live in Ohio and California.  Wally and May, are Paul’s parents.  May’s second court date was today.  We are sitting on pins and needles waiting to hear something.  You can read more about that, here.

P. Charming has 2 brothers.  John and his wife Greta live in Ohio and Dan and his wife Catherine and 2 sons Jacob and Seth live in California.

And those are the folks I love.

Your Turn

If you were writing for this prompt, would you have chosen to write about who you love or would you have shared your Valentine’s decorations?  That was tough one for me, and I truly didn’t know what I was going to do til I started writing!

Hope you will make sure to visit everyone to see which prompt they chose and to check out where their magic happens!

Bettye at Fashion Schlub
Daenel at Living Outside the Stacks
Em at Dust and Doghair
Iris at Iris’ Original Ramblings
Jodie at Jodie’s Touch of Style
Julia at When the Girls Rule
Leslie at Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After

Thank you for spending a bit of your day here with me.  It probably sounds kind of crazy but there are bloggers and readers I’ve never met who I feel very friendly toward.  Might even go as far as to say I love them, too!!  Those who always leave a kind word of encouragement or a virtual hug for me here.

Wishing all of you a love-filled💗weekend.

Hugs and kisses,