Wednesday, June 28, 2017

What Makes Me Happy {My Kentucky Living}

Welcome to my weekly series, What Makes Me Happy! Take it away, Sheila.

Entertaining on the back porch makes me happy!
I am so flattered that Ron asked me to participate in his series, What Makes Me Happy. I am joining some great company. Thank you Ron. 

My name is Sheila, and I blog at My Kentucky Living where I chat about traditional decorating, entertaining, and southern living. My husband and I downsized after leaving our farm and large home where we reared our family. 
  
Being a woman d'une certaine age, many things that have made me happy over the years. 
Some happiness is momentary while some forms of happiness are lifelong. The kind of happiness that makes one's soul "happy" for longer than fifteen minutes. 

Momentary happiness for me can come from so many things!!!  eating ice cream, (praline is preferable) binging on hubby's chocolate brownies, (a minute on the lips forever on my hips) snuggling with furry golden retrievers (my pup of choice), finding a new dress that makes me look extra slim and trim, (yes, yes, yes) finding a great new lipstick color, (in a pink, rose, or berry) receiving tight hugs from people I love and who love me, listening to music from the sixties, (my music) dancing with hubby to slow tunes, (from the sixties) making new friends, (I love my blog buddies) getting an unexpected kind word, (especially during a stressful time) having a clean house, (always) having dinner ready and the table set before my family gets home, (when my kids were still in the nest) viewing beautiful home interiors, touring great southern architecture, (I LOVE old houses) traveling to historic parts of the south, (Charleston is my fav city) reading great books, (Pat Conroy, I still love Beach Music) viewing original French impressionist art, (my art history favorite) thinking about my life in southern France, (what a time of my life!) thinking about my children, (they have been good kids and are beginning their own families) having pretty porches in the spring and summer makes me happy, (Southerners love their porches!) making pretty tablescapes makes me happy, entertaining makes me happy, and blogging makes me happy!

Welcome to my home where you will see that I use lots of color to make our home a happy place. 



I love mixing old and new. My old wedding china with some new spotted placemats. It makes me happy to play with dishes!

Yes, color makes me happy!

Our home is traditional and colorful no matter the season.





And sunflowers, 
don't they make everyone happy!


And ironstone and pottery...
yes they make me happy!


I love porching! (Yes, it is a verb.)
Sitting and entertaining on the porch makes me happy. We have a front and a back porch that are fun to decorate.
  

You have to have rocking chairs if you have a southern porch! Rocking and relaxing on the back porch makes me happy. 


Fluffy pups make me happy! They give love and happiness that stay in your heart. 

Going to the beach makes me happy! Our beach house....my happy place! (We sold it though!) But we still go to the beach as often as we can.

Porching and entertaining make me happy! I love celebrating the 4th of July.

I love to create pretty tables for entertaining. It makes me happy!

Blogging makes me happy! :-) Yes it does!

Fresh flowers make me happy! Hubby brought these tulips to me.

I collect ironstone and china. (Wedgwood and Spode) Finding special pieces makes me very happy!


These two pieces make me especially happy. The creamer belonged to hubby's grandmother when she began housekeeping. The antique ironstone pitcher reminds me of the friend who gave it to me.

Fun, fashionable clothes make me happy! I am in the process of losing some weight, and that makes me very happy!
Looking at the wider scope of happiness is different. This brings out my philosophical thoughts.  So...what are the really big things that make me happy... in no particular order: Having a roof over my head makes me happy...as many do not have a place to call home. Having food for nourishment makes me happy, as many do not have enough to sustain them. Having a loving family who is there through thick and thin makes me happy, as so many are alone in this world, with no one to care or love them. I am so fortunate to still have my parents...and they are just down the road. Getting a good education! (I went to some great schools.) Some are not as fortunate. Teaching and sharing my education makes me happy. I love to teach people French even if they don't think they need to know it. (ask my former French class students. :-) Running into former high school students who tell me that they remember me and that they learned something in my class. And...that they liked having me as a teacher. I love that. It makes me think that I helped someone! :-) That my friends makes me very happy! Having a husband of almost 44 years who still adores and loves me, makes me  happy. He has my high school picture in his phone as a screen saver,...not in his wallet, but in his phone. ha ha. Cute. That makes me happy. Having a daughter and a son who love their mother, and father. So many families are fractured and having troubles...and I appreciate that my kids still think that mom and dad are great people. (We probably drive them nutty on occasion, but they did that to us as babies. ha ha.) Living in a country that offers us so many freedoms...makes me happy. I have been around the world, and in and out of the USA. I usually want to get down and kiss the ground upon my return home. I love to travel, but I love to get home. Being at the beach is really my happy place. For years and years we took the kids to Hilton Head every summer...then we built a second home there. The sea air and sandy beaches seemed to always clear my head and cleanse my soul. Yes...the beach is my happy place. Being at home makes me very happy! I am a home body to some extent. True to my astrological sign, Cancer. Going out to parties sounds wonderful, but the older I get, the happier I am to stay home and be comfortable. I guess that is why I love for our home to be well decorated and comfortable. It is our nest! I love to welcome friends and family to our home...that makes me very happy! I hope you can come to visit me on the blog sometime. ☺  mykentuckylivingblog.com


I hope I did not talk your ear off. :-)  Ron, I bet you did not know I was such a talker!...and so happy!
Happy Video...


Until the next time....


What Makes {My Kentucky Living} Happy, y'all!

30 comments:

  1. Thanks so much Ron for including me in your Happy series!

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  2. Loved hearing about what makes Sheila happy. She's got quite the list. We should all be so thankful and happy.

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    1. I think I have been around for ages...maybe that is why my list is so long. ha! :-)

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    2. We all need "happies"!!!!

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  3. Sheila, I LOVE that you are so happy in every aspect of your life. I enjoy your blog sooooooooooo much. We are both happy about the same things. TFS.

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    1. Thank you sooooooo much! :-) Glad you visit me on the blog too.

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  4. Ron, thanks for featuring Sheila. She is one happy person! I have long enjoyed her blog, the beautiful tables she shares, and her friendship.
    Happy 4th of July to you!

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    1. Thank you Sarah. I cherish your friendship too.

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    2. I love her blog too! She is always so positive.

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  5. Shelia, I share many of the things that make you happy. Love your pictures especially the one of your outfit.
    You can teach me some french anytime. It might be more challenging than your students! LOL!

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    1. Bonnie...I used to include French lessons on the blog once a week, back in the beginning. Not many were that interested at the time. ha ha. I could try it again. :-) Thanks.

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  6. Ron, you chose a great blogger to add to the What Makes Me Happy series! I love Sheila's home and her style...most of all her sweet personality. xoxo

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  7. Thanks all for so many kind comments about me...you all are the best!

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  8. I loved finding out a bit more about you. Your prior home was gorgeous! Was it an old house?

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    1. We built the Georgian and moved Feb of 1984. We tried to build it as an old home. Wider wood floor strips, poplar wainscotting, tall ceilings. It was featured in Southern living in 1982 or 83. But we had the architect make modifications since we had no width restrictions. One thing I loved was the full old fashioned attic. I miss it. But we live "smaller" these days. 😊

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  9. Ron, we love Sheila and her blog. Thanks for inviting her to share her rich life, but we already knew she was blessed and shares her happiness with all of us.
    Sheila, I just know we are related. That quote was by Lola Granola, girlfriend of Opus of cartoon fame. "A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips" One of my other favorite quotes is: "Someone else would be happy to have what you have" I try to remember that when I have a pity party.
    A happy 4th of July to all.
    Myrna
    Myrna

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    1. My lost sister...😊 And i keep telling my mother that we have requests for a home tour of her new house. One day i hope she gives in. Ha ha.

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  10. I enjoy visiting My Kentucy Living blog. Sheila shows how to live elegantly in the traditional style which speaks to me.

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    1. I am so hsppy you like visiting MLK! I am thinking of what to do for fall around the 🏡 With trad vibes. 😊 Love that you visit me!

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  11. Great read Sheila! Wow that home was fantastic as well as the beach front home. I value many of the same things that make you happy so I can relate!

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    1. And you did not say anything about our mutulal love of dishes and table settings! Ha ha.

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  12. Love this! It was fun to learn more about you, Sheila.

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  13. Good morning, Ron! I'm continuing to love your "What Makes Me Happy" series, and I truly enjoyed Sheila's post. It's always fun to see what bloggers love and what makes them happy. Popping over to Sheila's blog right now! Have a great day! xoxo

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  14. I so loved reading what makes you happy Sheila!....I can relate to many of your "happies" We love the same things both material, emotional, and above all family. I think I shall wish you an early congrats on your upcoming 45th Anniversary..my hubby and I just celebrated our 47th...and must say that I love your wedding china...I spy a pineapple in the design! Great post!

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    1. Thank you sweet Shirley! We are of the same vintage. 😊 And yes, a pineapple!!!

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  15. This is such a lovely post. Thank you for sharing.

    Barbara
    fairmeadowplace.blogspot.ca

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