Cane River, Natchitoches, LA House Tour

House tour on Cane River!

Natchitoches, (pronounced Nackatish)

The next five pictures, up to the weeping willow are all one property, they even built their own beach.

Natchitoches, Louisiana

Lynn graduated from Northwestern State in Natchitoches, LA .  So this past weekend we went for a fun visit with some of his old buds and all the wives.   It was a couples weekend, but mainly, lots of guys visiting and retelling old stories.

Just a few wonderful pictures from the great little town.  If you are a Steel Magnolia lover you will recognize downtown.  We stayed at a fraternity brother's home.  This was our view every morning.  Marge the barge took us anywhere we needed to go.  Cane River!  Like glass if you like to water ski.

View from inside the home out.

We had fresh eggs for breakfast every morning.  Thanks ladies.

Wish I had a book to read like this guy.  Downtown the Easter Egg hunt hill from Steel Magnolias.

We went shopping, lots of boutiques and this wonderful hardware, everything store.  Check out the coke   freezer when we walked in.  Trustworthy little town.

Put your dollar in the tube and take a cold coke!

Coffee on the porch each morning.

Fun in the pool during the day.

Beautiful views.  

This is one of the 50 year old Kappa Sigs, still running the river and filling his boat with these, I mean friends.  (Oh did I mention she is my youngest daughters age.)  We all were practicing holding in our stomachs like she did after she left of course.  Oh Jack!!  Ask me sometime about the name of his signature drink he keeps gallons of on his boat. 

Was really a fun weekend!

I love big b... and I cannot lie....

Come on sing it with me... I love big BASKETS and I cannot lie!!

I heart baskets, all shapes and sizes.  

Today, while running around town I had a chance to stop at our CCA store. Christian Community Action resales store.

Didn't have to rush. 

Red tags 75% off, green tags 50% off.  I will use this information later.

Found this first...  perfect for the chalkboard I have been wanting to create for my kitchen.

Green tagged at $3.49  my price ($1.74)

Then I found this little plate, would be great for dips...

Red tagged at $1.49 my price (.37 cents)

As I headed down the basket aisle I was very depressed, sad, sad looking baskets.  You know the kind used, painted, chipped, broken.

Then one aisle over on the glass aisle, someone must have had second thoughts and dropped this baby off on the bottom shelf. 

Angels sing... see the original tag...  $23.95.  Don't you just love original tags, especially when the for sale now tag says.....  tadaaaaaaaa    $1.49.  Yellow tag.  Gee not on sale, sold anyway!!

Total at check out, yes I had to blink too, try not and act too excited or the check out girl might think she did something wrong, nope.....$3.90 total, that's it, hurry give the girl $4.00 fast.

Oh where to stash the basket and what to stash in it?

Then I had time to swing by Marshall's for a quick look at the clearance areas.  Great plate to add to my white/off white collection.  Check out the detail.  Heck paid as much for this one piece as my whole check out at CCA.

Love the detail.  Love the thrill of the hunt!  Happy Hunting to you to.

See other great deals..
Coastal Charm - Thrifty Tuesday
It's so Very Cheri
White Wednesday
Tales from Bloggeritaville
debbie's garage salen partay!

Before/After - Wooden chairs

Simple Changes

Pillow change - from old, faded and dirty to Voila...

First let me say to type or say the word for these wooden type chairs makes my head hurt.  It makes my mouth muscles have a little work out.  So, I am just going to call them wooden chairs.  Of course by now I could have typed the word 20 times.  But you know what kind I am talking about...starts with an A.

World Market had an ad with a great deal on pillows.  Their hook, they show the two styles, thinking you can buy one or the other.  When you get there they are a set of two, tied together in a bundle and they won't break them up.  I asked, so did a bunch of other people.  So instead of matching pillows we have a variety.  

If you have ever sat in these adarondak , wooden chairs, you know that you need a pillow to support your back.  I'm sure these will be faded and dirty by next summer, but someone will have another deal or Ballard will put their indoor/outdoor ones on sale.  I'm watching for that.

BEFORE

Dirty, faded... threw them in the trash.

After

This was the pillow I wanted two of.  But the variety ended up nice.  Actually now that I see the stripe in pictures, it is pretty fun.

Easy pick me up for the back yard.

Joining the fun at
Debbiedo's before and after

100 year old Kees family table

The story of the table....

I call it a library table.  It was made over one hundred years ago by my husband's fraternal Grand-father.

Built by Lemmie Hamilton Kees early 1900's

Lemmie was married to Ida Alice Burke

Ray A. Kees remembers using the table to do his homework at age 5 in 1920.

Mrs. Ida was known to always keep a vase of fresh flowers on the table.

The table was passed to Leonard Nichols (Lynn's Uncle) in 1968,

He used the table as an end table in his living room beside his couch and recliner.

The table was passed to Lori (Diefenderfer) and Lynn Kees in 1986.

Used as a computer table and decorative table over the years.

The table had become too warn to show off the beauty of the table.

I have kept it covered with linens for the last eight years.

Time for some tender lovin' care.  I sanded lightly,

It now has some of my DNA in it.  It was over 100 degrees in the garage this day.  Sweat droplets kept dripping on the table.

and restained with provencial colored stain to match the original, light wax finish and Voila!!

I can't  believe how well I matched the stain.  I did not refinish the original knob. And even though I have fun funky knobs, I am sticking with the original for it's beautiful simplicity.

Now I can display it in all its glory, thanks Lemmie for such a wonderful gift of your handiwork and love, I'm sure many more generations will use and love this table.  I never knew you but you are still a part of our home.

I keep an index card with the history of the table in the drawer.

The first thing I put on it were fresh flowers in honor of Mrs. Ida.  Some southern crepe myrtles in a silver mint julep vase.

Lynn had these in a box and said they were Ida's glasses.

You can tell we don't have any little ones at the house anymore, wine glasses and tray on the bottom shelf.  Oops I forgot to close the drawer too.  I always notice things once I post the picture.

No more linens covering this pretty little lady.



Sharing with
Marty at Tabletop Tuesday
Between Naps on the Porch
Toot your horn Tuesday
Heart and Home - Gratitude Wednesday
My Backyard Eden
My Romantic Home

Around my town - Part Two

Finishing up the tour of my home town.  We have lived here going on twenty years.  I still do tend to call Louisiana home.  How long do you have to be gone from somewhere to not call it home?  Or is home where your Mom and Dad are?  

Onto the wonderful schools.  Which was a big draw for us with three in elementary school when we moved her.  We got lucky and were zoned for Pinkerton, which was one of the original schools in Coppell.  So it remained small. 350 kids.  All the other elementary schools had around 500.

And the high school.  My girls all graduated with over 600 in their Senior class.  With only one high school in town the enrollment is huge.  And did I say Texas football!  We loved Friday nights.  Our stadium holds about 18,000 I think, home side was always full.  The Dallas Cowboys even used our indoor practice field a few times.  You can see it at the end of the field.

Oh the hours spent in booster club meetings for Soccer, Cross Country, Volleyball, Cheerleading.  And then attending every activity.  Kept our days full.  Glad blogging wasn't around then.

Parks galore.  The month we moved to Coppell the city was building a new kid's playground.  Now I say city, but the residents volunteered to build it, they had huge lights to work through the night and volunteers to bring food.  Wonderful community spirit.  It still has been kept up and looks wonderful today.  Actually even better because the trees have matured and it is mostly in the shade now.

Kid Country

What kid wouldn't want this for an afternoon.

Duck pond park was within walking distance from our first home and had my daughter's favorite swing set. Lynley could wing for hours... "wing me Mommy, wing me!"

Our church, again was small when we moved here, but built the new Spanish Style building about 8 years ago.

Back to our neighborhood

And then when I pulled around back to park the car, the back gate was open and this was my view.

Ignore the flower bed trimmings.  But, I can say without a doubt this is home!

Hope you enjoyed the tour!