For the Love of Checks

 I have always loved check fabrics…Buffalo check or gingham check, I love them both.  I have checked linens all over my house (red and white, blue and white, green and white, and sometimes yellow and white. I have placed all the pink and white to my riff raff closet for storage). So yes. I’m a bit obsessed with check!

I have purchased a lot of checked linens from TheFoxDecor.com in the past and when I saw this cute bath rug with the red gingham ruffle, I knew I had to have it and the matching shower curtain.

Here’s a few photos of my guest bath decorated with red and white gingham and some blue and white pieces.

I’m just getting a head start in my Christmas decor!! I’ll share more of my gingham/buffalo check decor later. 

Valentine’s Day

I don’t use a lot of red in my decor except during the Christmas holidays and until Valentine’s Day.  So, I’ve had some fun with the red but tomorrow all the red will be replaced with my favorite—pink.  We are not going out for dinner tonight because I’m sitting with mama.  I’m perfectly okay with my husband doing takeout and I’ll just add a salad.  Here’s our table set for dinner.

The ivory chargers are from Neiman Marcus, the red check plates and flatware are from Pottery Barn Kids, and the red bowls are from Dillard’s.  The red linen napkins are from Pier One and the cute Valentine linen cloths are from the Dollar Spot at Target.

The scale (which I painted antique white) is from Kirkland’s as are the Valentine heart signs.  The red gingham runner was custom made by Kristy, owner of The Sew Savvy—she has a store on Etsy.  Kristy makes my gingham runners, table napkins, and pillows.

The cheese cutter plate and appetizer plates are by Rae Dunn.

My husband’s response to my card display was “Why do we have an old ladder inside the house?”

I treated myself to a new Lilly Pulitzer candle in the ‘Tons of Fun’ print.  I love collecting the Lilly candles!

I wore this cute Collyn Raye gingham top on Sunday and, shhhhh, I wore it again today.  Collyn also has an Etsy store.

Of course, being matchy-matchy, I carried a red Kate Spade purse to go with my outfit.  I am a Kate Spade purse lover and will do a post later on my collection.

Happy Valentine’s Day and thank you for visiting my blog tonight.

Valentine Treats

OOTN...last night.  I'm wore my red gingham Jessie Steele apron in the kitchen...baking red velvet cookies.

The *recipe is very easy...Normally I add a cream cheese frosting, but left it off this time because my packaging would mess up the frosting.  They are still delicious without the frosting!

I placed them inside the heart-motif cups I bought on sale last year after Valentine's Day.

*Recipe for the red velvet cookies:~1 pouch (1-lb. 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
~1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
~1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
~1/4 cup sour cream
~1 tblsp red food coloring
~1 egg

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Stir cookie mix, cocoa, butter, sour cream, food coloring, and egg until soft dough forms.  Roll dough into 1-inch balls.  Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 8-9 minutes or until set.  Cool 2 minutes.  Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack and cool completely, about 15 minutes.  Makes 36

Cream cheese frosting may be added after the cookies are cool, if desired.