Rhondi's Porch Party: Color My World!

Each June, Rhondi of Rose Colored Glasses has a porch party, and I enjoyed it so much last year, I thought I'd participate again! :-)

This year, I decided to take a cue from Rhondi's blog which is always bright and colorful. As my inspiration, I looked to this pink oleander bush in the yard at our St. Augustine retreat...



And I used the blue color of the house, itself...



I was excited to find these pillows at Pier One. I like the fabric a lot...



And so does my little helper Stella, who being from The Cross Stitch House in England, is an expert on fabrics and such...



She tested the pillow out to see if it was comfy and deemed it so...



The design has the pinks of the oleander, the blues of the house, but even more important, it has the color of our porch decking which is a tad bright right now after a recent paint job or two or three. Don't ask! ;-)



I loved all the detail on these pillows, and since Rhondi is an artist and an award-winning quilter, I thought the hand work (crewel, embroidery, etc.) here would be a nice touch for her party...



And the design had a bit of a contemporary look to me...



I also thought they worked well with the sling chairs I found at Pier One...



You should have seen the struggle that ensued when I put the slings on these backwards! ;-)



And I took the liberty of using some leftover fabric from a rattan sofa to slipcover the sling. Don't look too closely. It's "Nesterized," but in a very, very staged way ...



I added a palm tree pillow for fun. I bought this years ago because I loved the tiny pieces of rattan sewn to the edges...



And in honor of my English guest, I added a Laura Ashley sun hat to the mix...



Then out came a tray of goodies...



Beginning with a seahorse pitcher filled with icy lemonade. Pretend, of course... (the lemonade, not the seahorse!) ;-)



And here are some more of those starfish "cookies" I served last year...



They are a companion to the lemonade, so please don't ask for the recipe. ;-)




What's that I spy on the tray? Stella, how about hopping up there and checking it out for us...




Yes, right there. I see some letters...




It says, "Keep," but let's move some of the stuff out of way because there might be more...




Oh, I see it now! It says, "Keep Calm and Snack On!" ;-)



This is the latest play on words for the famous English war poster from the crown that said, "Keep Calm and Carry On!" Only this is the American version produced by Target. Shhhh... want to know a secret??? I'm glad the tray finally came out because Stella didn't want to leave America without it (not that I want her to go!). See she's taking it home to her mother in England as a surprise. Don't tell, Lindsay, but I think she's going to need this reminder with a daughter like Stella around the house. ;-)



I guess I'll have to find another one just like it for my porch. So excuse me as I run to Target to do just that! Feel free to sit in my chair, and be sure to help yourself to some lemonade and cookies. Then you will understand why I'm better known to my family and friends as the Auto Chef! ;-)



Next, you might want to hop on over to Rhondi's and visit her and her friends to see their wonderful porches. AND if you're very, very good, they might even serve you some REAL refreshments. LOL! ;-) You can get there by clicking right HERE. I can't wait!



I'm also joining my sweet friend Smiling Sally for Blue Monday HERE!




Thank you for visiting me today, and I look forward to visiting you and seeing what capers are going on in your world! :-)

Warmly,


Mrs. Magpie (Sheila)



P.S. Mr. Magpie, please know I only put a little scratch (or two) on the new floor! XO