We were craving fresh strawberry shortcake and I was in the mood for baking so I got busy and perused all my go-to's for recipes and found this outstanding  Strawberry Poke Cake Recipe . I made a few minor modifications, (recipe is below and it is printable) we were super pleased with the flavor, consistency and appearance. This is a great white cake/pound cake recipe if you are in the need of one.  It is a dense cake and I needed to adjust the baking time. There was no way that my cake was done in the 30 minute time frame from the online recipe, it took a full 40 minutes. So, maybe my oven thermostat is off, I am not sure, so  I bumped up the time and made the revision in the recipe which I have provided in this post. The flavor of this heavenly cake reminds be of sugar cookies...yummy. I think the red polka dots mingled in with the white cake are so fun, festive and well, Spring like. I brought out my  Butterfly Meadow Dessert Plates ,  they seem perfect for this dessert, as they

I am O-b-s-e-s-s-e-d with Spring and I will tell you why. You see, this is one of the best Season's of the year in North Texas. Our flowers bloom brightly, the greens are the greenest of the Season and our Texas Blue Sky weather is truly, truly marvelous. By July it is hot , firecracker hot, hot enough to cook an egg on the sidewalk hot, and all of my beautiful flowers will rapidly begin to fade.                                                                        Puppy Via Since I am obsessed with the essence of Spring, you might just find that I will be posting quite a bit on this topic. Yesterday on the blog we had a Garden party  , today we are dressing up for the occasion. Puppies who are as cute as a button are welcome to attend (semi-formal wear please) wink... Whether you are going to a bridal shower or a baby shower- An afternoon luncheon with your favorite gals, You can never go wrong with a classic floral design for a garden party. Perhaps a dinner party on the patio

Red Tips are in full bloom~ Songbirds share their merry tunes-it's an ideal setting for a garden party! Make your outdoor blooming vistas the backdrop for your celebrations. Mother's Day, Graduations, Showers or Birthdays. Dress up the table using vintage fabric or a white tablecloth makes the day feel even more special. Bring out the favorites, stemware, plates, dishes and utensils. ( my very favorite stemware hand painted by my daughter.) Most of the decorating is already in place, thanks to Mother Nature. Bouquets of your very favorite Spring flowers arranged in creative containers or vases. Daisies and miniature carnations make this posey, but just imagine Peonies, Lenten roses and Lilacs...oh..the fragrance... Chippy plant stands in assorted shapes and colors. Short on Chair covers use tablecloths secured with tulle. A Simply Splendid Day. For more floral inspiration you may enjoy this  Passion To Decorate With Flowers xoxox Please Join Me~ Our Home Away From Home Stylemin

I love nature, anytime~ But truly there is something gloriously wonderful about nature in early Spring! Sweet delicate petals of soft angelic blooms that nearly seem to be sent straight from heaven. The human soul and dreary moods seem to lighten in the early breath of Nature's perfect plan. First songs ring in the new season with blended notes. Azaleas spread their colorful glory. Budding twigs raise their branches in applause, so thankful that Early Spring is here! The breathe of Early Spring floats through the breezy air. Happy Spring, Happy Day! xoxoox Please Join Me~ The View From Right Here

As you know by now wreaths are my thing, along with gardening and of course my family! Wreaths are so versatile, they can be hung on armories, hutches, desks,  mantles, doors and even on the backs of chairs-(someday I am going to do that) I have not made quite as many wreaths as I did in the previous years, I think I wore my fingers out or had too many hot glue burns...and I have also changed up my style some... I have made three wreaths these past few weeks for my three daughters. This is the last one, which I will be taking with me when I leave for Chickasha Oklahoma this afternoon to celebrate Good Friday with Rebecca and Molly and then off to an Easter Egg hunt! All three of my girls were looking for natural wreaths- They did not want deco-mesh, sunshine yellow, rosy red flowers or large bows. So I began to look through numerous magazines, various websites and had them send me links to wreaths they were really smitten with. To make this wreath I used a natural 14 inch grapevine wre

I had such a lovely visit with my daughter, her husband and my grandson a couple of weeks ago. The days sped by with glorious adventures, time well spent savoring precious moments and before I knew it I was on that plane heading home to the blue skies of Texas. I have so many tales to share with you, but I am going to begin in a chronological order, so this post will be focused on Amanda's and Preston's Mid-Century Home. I find their home to be so cozy and welcoming and well, actually familiar because this home was built the year I was born. I enjoyed all of the wonderful details that Amanda has taken to showcase the beauty of her own treasures as well as keep the integrity of the home shining. She even made this jute lampshade and pillow. Entry way with antiques and special treasures. Stunning Vignette Mid-Century Homes are between the years of 1930-1965, these years reflect the rise of the middle class as they thrived and became wealthier. Ornamentation returned, as you can s