Here are some pix of my house.......living room specifically. This is "my" room and is my favorite room. I have such fond childhood memories of being together with family in this very room......laying on the floor watching home movies while grandpa controlled the film projector from his big chair.......family Christmas being celebrated and not being able to wait through dinner to unwrap presents.............sitting on the 'davenport' with Grandma and watching our favorite soap opera (Young and the Restless) together and on and on...................

My computer is in the armoire.......................

The wallpaper is the same paper that Grandma had put up years ago. I totally love it and who knows how many more years it will remain. I would like to get new curtains someday though. They have probably been up since the wallpaper and are showing some wear.

I especially love the fireplace. It sits in the corner, which is sometimes a challenge for furniture arranging. Anyone else have a corner fireplace?

All the shells in the hurricanes on the mantel and also glued to the mirror were miracle beach finds. We happened to be vacationing in a condo in Orange Beach, Alabama when hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. We had to evacuate and when we were finally able to return the beach was just covered in beautiful, perfect shells. I have given so many away and still have a grocery sack full!!!!!!!!!!!

New Look................

Do you like the new look of my blog? I have been wanting to play around with it and this is what I came up with. All the Thanksgiving food is ready (except for the turkey, ham, noodles, mashed potatoes and rolls!) so my booty can finally sit down for awhile. Tomorrow this time we will all be miserably stuffed............................ can't wait!!!!!
No new pix this time so stay tuned since my house is finally clean. If I had the energy I would take some now. Instead I will visit some of my favorite blogs.
Herbal Blessings to all...............

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Sending Happy Thanksgiving blessings to everyone!!!

We all need to take more time to be thankful for all that is beautiful in our lives...................not just this one day.

Sunday, Sunday

Grayson say's "sit down and take a break, Ma!!!"



I'm getting ready for Thanksgiving and needing to take a short sit-down break so I will share some photos of Calendula Court home and gardens. Then it will be back to preparing for my favorite holiday.........................


I promise to take more inside pics after getting the cleaning done!

Herbal Regards, Mandy

Decorating Lallapalooza

One evening this past week I attended an on-line decorating class. What a blast! I learned about furniture placement, 'out of the box' decorating ideas, and some things to know to start your own business. The best thing about it was.......it was FREE!!!!!! The link to the website is http://www.onedaydecorating.com/ They plan to offer more classes as the response was enormous so take one if you get the chance.

It is a dream of mine to start an interior rearranging business. When visiting another home I visually rearrange the furniture in my head!!!!! The most common decorating mistakes are placing all the furniture against the walls and hanging art too high. People that come to my home often tell me how cozy it feels and that is exactly the feel I want them to have...........cozy Calendula Court.



Here is the front porch dressed for autumn.........................................

Wednesday.............YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!

My day off again....................Slept in and getting ready to do lunch with my mom and 2 aunts. Hopefully my cousin will make it too. We meet once a month for lunch and chat, chat, chat. I really enjoy it. Then I need to start cleaning and getting ready for Thanksgiving. Tonight I will be ready to relax so I will cut out seed packets (made on the computer) and pack with seeds from my garden. This year I saved garlic chives seeds, purple coneflower seeds, and Liatris (also known as gayfeather) seeds.



There is also dried basil to package and stick labels on.

I want to share info about an on-line decorating class I attended last evening and will do so very soon. It was a blast!!!!

I must go and get ready for lunch...............................

.......................Herbal Regards to all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Faux Fur

This past weekend, while browsing an antique mall in Muncie, I noticed a faux leopard fur stole. Didn't buy it at the time and could not stop thinking about it..........so Monday during my lunch hour I went back and got it. Only $5 bucks and some pillow stuffing and I will have a neck-roll for my bed. It kinda has that antique aroma to it so tomorrow I will let it air out on the clothesline then start stitching up the sides. What a deal and it's gonna be so cute!!!! Completed pic to come soon......................................

Lazy Sunday

What a lazy, rainy Sunday!!! Today I will share some pix from inside my home, Calendula Court. How did it get that name and what does it mean you ask? I was very fortunate to visit England and Wales in 2000. My traveling friend and I enjoyed how all the residences had names, from the huge castles to the cozy cottages........every address a different name. Of course, we had to name our American homes. Calendula is one of my favorite herbs and it is also the herb for October, which is my birth month. That is how Calendula Court was so named.

This is from my bathroom. The dried roses were cut from my rambling rose bush and dried. The dried Lavender is also from my garden. Here is a close-up.............................................

Here is a shelf that my dad made. It is above my stove with dried herbs, herbal vinegars, and herb infused olive oil.

This is a corner of the window above the kitchen sink. I love old bottles and they line the window sill. Notice the hanging lavender and pink roses drying for a wreath and also a mint julep cup that I have wanted for a long time and found this one in the gift shop at The Waldorf-Astoria in NYC.