Leftovers, and the Parlor -- Both Transformed

It's not nice to tease, is it?

So today, a couple of yesterday's teases are revealed.

Step into my parlor . . . .

and join me for a big and beautiful batch of Tuesday linky parties.
The list is at the end of the post; you can click and be transported.

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On Sunday, as Howard and I sat in our Parlor, chatting, near the end of the day,
I realized that it still had a wintry, almost holiday look about it.

And it was 90 degrees outside.

Time for a warm weather makeover.

Down came the red swags at the windows, away went the few winter-themed tchotchkes still out,
and in came sunshine and green and white and flowers for tea,
and even an angel to watch over us this summer.

Biggest new thing: a rug.

That Old House has gone chic and au courant, wearing seagrass for the summer.

I've been searching for an old Oriental rug for this room; I have found many, but none I can afford. So for the warm months, we bought a small seagrass rug at Lowe's for $60. Much cheaper than Pottery Barn or any of the other online sources -- it looks the same and feels just as horrible on bare feet.

Whoever had the bright idea to make rugs out of something as flesh-unfriendly as seagrass must have been bonkers, or just enjoyed a cruel joke at the expense of the gullible public.

I do like the way the seagrass smells, but that is fast fading.

But, it looks nice, and as my Mother used to tell us when she was brushing tangles out of our hair,
"You have to suffer to be beautiful."

The mantel needed something.
After Christmas was over, it's been pretty much bare.
So, today, I gussied it up.

Confession: look into the convex mirror and you can see the red swags
from the windows, folded over the end of the sofa.

Yes, this was a hasty makeover, and I hadn't put them away yet!

More mantel shots, including taking away the angel and replacing it with a white china bird.

Lots of pictures:

Among the things on the mantel are:
A white bird, from dear Tam of The Gypsy's Corner.
An angel, a recent gift from my very good friend Betsy.
Brass and cloisonne candlesticks, bought by me many, many moons ago.
Pothos, an orchid (Howard's Valentine's gift to me, and still blooming!), and majolica-style plates and teapot, plus an old green lustreware teapot.

Those tea pots are making me thirsty.
How about joining me for a cuppa?

More pictures!

On the tea table in front of the sofa are:
A big pottery sunflower teapot, a gift years ago from my daughters.
A crocheted doily from my mother-in-law.
Century old silverplate flatware, and one spoon has my monogram.
Wedgwood Patrician style tea cups and plates, in the handpainted Bognor pattern. My mother-in-law got me hooked on these; she gave me a starter set, and I've been filling in on eBay.

And dark green cotton fringed napkins, sewn by my mother in the 1960s. My mother's hands were the last ones to launder and iron these, some years back now. This is the first they've been used in probably 6 or 7 years.

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And speaking of mothers, my husband's mom clearly did an excellent job with him. As I was putting this post together . . . what should appear next to the keyboard but my lunch!

Last night, with "nothing" in the house to cook, I did a quick pasta dish: sauteed onions with some zucchini, spinach, garlic, a hint of rosemary, in olive oil, and tossed that mix with a bit of some really delicious but ridiculously expensive pasta we've been hoarding, and some crumbled Feta cheese.

I planned on transforming the leftovers into tonight's dinner.
But tonight, we are going to be on the road to Pennsylvania to pick up
our latest Craigslist monster bargain, so . . . Howard to the rescue.
Lunch.

What he did:

He sprayed a Pyrex pie dish with cooking spray, beat 4 eggs with 3/4 cup milk, added in some S & P, and then mixed that with the leftover spinach-and-feta pasta. Into the pie plate it went, with a dusting of Parmesan on top, and then into a 350-degree oven for about 40 minutes. You'll know when it's done.

No crust -- more like a frittata with an identity crisis.
It was delicious.
And there's plenty left for tomorrow's lunch.

Find more recipes or food inspirations at Tasty Tuesday,
at the Balancing Beauty and Bedlam blog.

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For tea pots, tea cups, tea vignettes, and all your other teatime longings,
you can visit the following blog parties; just click on the logos or highlighted words.

Martha of Martha's Favorites and Terri of Artful Affirmations
jointly sponsor Tea Cup Tuesday.

At Rose Chintz Cottage, it is Tea Time Tuesday!

And then Lady Katherine is sponsoring her Tea Time Tuesday party.
You must see her post today -- there are real live chickens at her door!
I am so jealous; I love chickens.

Wanda Lee at The Plumed Pen is hosting Tuesday Tea For Two,
and Wednesday Tea For Me And Thee!

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To leave the tea parties, and see some gorgeous and inspiring vignettes -- tabletops, mantels, shelves, even maybe the top of a refrigerator! -- go visit Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday. Always fun.

And for a blog party where you never know what you will find (which is why I love it!),
visit Three or More, at The Gypsy's Corner.
The lovely white bird on my mantel was part of a giveaway from Tam last year; I adore it!

And last but certainly NOT least, Diane at A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words hosts 2nd Time Around Tuesday, and believe me nearly everything in this post is on its second life. Oh, except the rug!

Now I am going to wake Howard; he's snoring on the couch, exhausted from his culinary endeavors, but we've got things to do! Daughter Alida is coming tomorrow night to stay for about a month, and I still don't have those danged privacy liners in the matchstick blinds in the Pink Room. If my kid's going to put on a show for the neighborhood, I should at least charge admission! -- Cass