My RED Kitchen

Years ago, I found the cutest lil' creamer in a thrift store. It was covered in tiny strawberries with lime green dots. Upon turning the piece over, I found the name of the pattern printed on the bottom to be called "Strawberry Swiss Dot".


And with that lil' ole' find, two obsessions were born...

Ebay and a ridiculously RED kitchen.

After the acquisition of the strawberry creamer, I diligently searched and found, piece by piece, the rest of the entire Strawberry Swiss Dot set. I have four dessert plates, four coffee mugs, the cake plate, the sugar bowl, and the teapot.





I added lots of strawberry items to my kitchen.













Upon noting my love of all things strawberry, my Mom gave me a beautiful set of embroidered strawberry place mats with matching napkins.



When I couldn't find anymore strawberry items, I focused in on cherry items.









My Mom painted this picnic basket with cherries and ladybugs. She also added the sweet cherries fabric liner. I love it!




I started collecting vintage cake carriers, tablecloths, aprons, colanders, trays, ice buckets, granite ware / enamelware, thermo serve items, and condiment holders.















This beautiful tablecloth was my grandmothers. My Mom tells me that grandma used to put it out on the fold away card table every time her friends would come over to play pinochle.



I then took a liking to anything that was red gingham.







And things that had to do with old time diner images, like burgers, popcorn & hot dogs.









I started looking for nifty things that had to do with Elvis and Vegas... as long as they had some red in them.









The buffet hutch drawers are full of wonderful textiles.







I honestly do not have room for another thing, but you know if I find something special... I'll make it "fit" somewhere.

The $285 T-Shirt

My husband has a favorite T-Shirt.

Wait a minute…

My husband has MANY favorite T-Shirts. He has a bunch of IT (Information Technologies) shirts that he gets through the work he does. He’s got a bunch of Detroit sports T-Shirts. He has two large dresser drawers devoted to nothing but T-Shirts, but I digress.

One of the T-shirts he wears a lot is the $285.00 T-shirt.

A couple of summers ago a group of our friends and family flew out to Las Vegas to vacation together. Although we enjoy staying at the Treasure Island, we often find ourselves down at a little joint called O’Shea’s. It’s this Irish themed casino right in the heart of strip, located somewhere between The Flamingo and Bally’s. They always have drink specials and you can play Black Jack there for $5.00 a hand.

This particular summer, O’Shea’s was running a promotion for Black Jack players. If you got a same suit Black Jack, you got a really cool O’Shea’s T-shirt. The shirt says “I got lucky at O’Shea’s” pictured with this cute rockin leprechaun on it.

Well… don’t you know, I won “my” T-shirt within an hour of playing on the first day we were there. My husband and I stayed to play Black Jack for hours that day, hoping that he could win a T-Shirt too. He didn’t. So we went back the next day. My husband had plenty of Black Jack’s… just no same suited Black Jack hands.

He wanted a T-Shirt in the worst way. You couldn’t buy them. They weren’t for sale. You had to win one. I offered to give him mine. (I don’t really wear T-Shirts anyway) Nope… he wasn’t having that. It’s not the same as winning one. He was becoming obsessed. Would somebody please get this guy a damn shirt already!

Jesus H. Christ… $285.00 later, he won his T-Shirt.

Thank God!

He wears his shirt to death. The other day, he wanted to wear it to a friends house for dinner, but when he went to put it on, I noticed a stain on the front.

“Sorry, honey… you can’t wear that shirt today. I can get the stain out with a bleach stick, but not before we have to leave.”

Oh my Gosh… poor guy. He was bumming.

I let him wear mine ; )

What Happens in Vegas

What Happens in Vegas...

Gets Blogged about!

Sorry I've been away for so long. Between a busy business, catching up after vacation and some kind of horrible cold working it's way through my family, I was unable to do get to my Blogsterville home.

I'm feeling better, but my husband and son are sick. Hopefully everyone will be healthy and well for Christmas.

So... On to the Vegas trip!

We left early Thanksgiving morning... like 4:30am EARLY, lol! But this was to our advantage as we found a parking spot in the covered garage close to the shuttle pick up and since I checked in and printed our boarding passes from my home computer, we just breezed through security, grabbed a Starbucks and waited to board the plane.

I usually choose to sit in the middle seat on the way out so that I can enjoy the window seat on the way home. An oversized gentleman took the aisle seat next to me and inevitable "took" part of my "space" as well, lol. Oh well.... small price to pay I suppose.

Upon arrival in Vegas, we were able to check it right away as we were "invited" guests. Woo hoo... I didn't even realize we were "invited" guests, but because we got a postcard 3 days before leaving with a comped winter invitation, we received 3 free nights, some free play and 2 buffet comps.... COOL!!

After unpacking and freshening up, we met my parents and Aunt & Uncle in the Mirage poker room for a fabulous Thanksgiving spread. My (step) Dad has been playing poker there for about 20 years now. They treat my Dad and his family very well. After dinner, I was wiped out and decided to go to be early.

My husband and I spent the next day hanging out with my Aunt and Uncle. We walked up to one end of the strip and down the other. We checked out the conservatory at the Bellagio which was decorated beautifully for the fall season. My husband won a rubber duck at the new Hooter's resort and casino, lol and he won a keychain at the new Planet Hollywood casino in a slot tournament.

So all in all, we ate terrific food, cashed out here and there will enough money to only have to spend 1/2 of our budget that we brought with us for playing.

The weather was decent. In the 60's during the day and sunny. (I haven't seen the sun here in Michigan in days now!)

On the last day that we were all in Vegas together, we had a nice dinner at The Outback. I really love spending time with my family and I miss them already.

Speaking of Elvis

I am a HUGE Elvis fan! Everyone who knows me knows this about me. I'm not the kind of fan that would have thrown myself at him. It's not love or lust. I just have this tremendous empathy for his struggles near the end of his short life. I have cried watching his last concert performance. My heart breaks because he's no longer here.

And so of course ...

I have most, if not all of his music. I have seen many of his movies.

I have an Elvis overnight tote bag that I get many compliments on from older folks down to the girls on my daughter's volleyball team.

I have an Elvis figure that hangs from the rear view mirror of my car. The hips are attached to the torso by a spring and so with every movement of the car... so goes Elvis.

I have an Elvis clock in my kitchen.


I have an Elvis purse complete with sequins that I take with me every year when I go to Las Vegas.

I've been getting Elvis Christmas ornaments from my kids and/or husband for years now.

Elvis is popular in my house and with my children. We listen to his music all the time. My kids sing along. They know all the words to his songs. And they like to introduce the music of Elvis to their friends. It was the popular CD of choice when I would chaperon their elementary school field trips in my car. My favorite song is Suspicious Minds followed closely by Blue Christmas. The kids like Jailhouse Rock and Hound Dog.

Whenever we are out at a restaurant, or shopping, etc and I hear an Elvis song come on, I'll say "Who's that on the radio?!" And whoever is with us at the time, be it kids, friends, parents, family .... they will simultaneously shout out "ELVIS!" I love it!

When I'm gone from this earth, (hanging out with Elvis) ... I hope that whenever my kids are together and they hear an Elvis song, they will turn to each other and simply smile.

Awkward Moments

I was over at The Erin Experiment the other day and she requested awkward moment comments, so I thought I'd repost my comment here too.

So my Mom is in Las Vegas at one of the casinos and she has to use the restroom located on the opposite side from where she is sitting. She walks all the way over there. Mind you, she has a legitimate balance problem and often looks like a drunk while walking. She uses the ladies room, walks all the way back to the machine she was playing at and proceeds to continue (throwing my inheritance away) playing. After a few minutes, she feels as if something is just not feeling right about the waistband of her pants. She reaches behind her back to adjust whatever the heck is annoying her and discovers not ONE, but TWO toilette seat covers hanging out of her waistband, flapping in the wind. My Mother is not anything if she isn't a lady so she discreetly pulls them from her pants (as one would do in this situation), daintily crumbles them into a ball and heads to the nearest trash can, followed by a FAST exit outta there!

I can only wonder what the security surveillance camera operators thought. I'm sure they've seen thousands of victims with the dreaded toilette paper stuck to their shoes, but this? How does one get a toilette seat cover stuck in their pants? But more importantly, why did she need two?