My niece, Lauren, is a lawyer by day, but I think secretly she’d rather be doing some crafty, like monogramming. Litigation, oh that’s all well and good, but she also has a creative side that she recently decided to pursue by buying a honkin’ sewing/monogram machine off Ebay (a Viking Husqvarna Designer SE) and she has been monogramming up a storm ever since. Which is fine by me, cause I get nifty items like monogrammed napkins for my dining room. 
When I was home at Christmas, I witnessed the magic of the monogram machine and saw it in action. She also had bought up some items that she found deals on with thoughts of using them for personalized gifts. I spotted these pretty beige linen napkins with black borders in her stash and asked begged her to do them for my dining room for Christmas and she agreed. 
She was backlogged with a few other things, so they just arrived in the mail this week and I was overjoyed with how they came out. Aren’t they pretty? 
Thank you, Lauren dear, I just love them. They really go perfectly in my dining room. They are so pretty, I almost hate to use them.
Speaking of my dining room, I think this year will be the year for a few changes in there. I’m planning to add some molding below my chair rail and I have officially decided to lighten up in there and paint over the red! I know, it’s a pretty color, but I feel the need for a brighter dining room and I think I’ll enjoy the change. So that’s another DIY project on my list, one I haven’t done before, but I keep seeing so many girls in blogland doing moldings, I figure I can do it too. Not sure yet on the paint color, but it will probably be a creamy beige color. I tossed around the idea of light blue last year, but I got my blue fix in my downstairs guestroom, so the dining room will be a good spot for neutral. I really think my dark wood table, china cabinet, and sideboard will really show off much better against lighter walls. The toile drapes will stay, as will the seagrass rug. Changes, changes! 
Look what’s blooming in my window! One of my neighbors gave me a small amaryllis plant from her big one last summer and I’ve faithfully watered it and now it’s bursting with 2 blooms. How fun to have blooms in the winter. I will move this one outside during the summer months and back in for Winter.
It has been a few years since I did that framed mirror in my old house, so I had to refresh myself again on the best process for it. You will get to learn from MY mistakes! They are both up, so I’ll share those next week. I ran into a few problems with the first and I’ll tell you all about what NOT to do with yours. So, if you think my projects always go perfect, I can tell you they don’t. When you’re doing a project, you have to allow for snags that happen along the way, but I think I’ve fine-tuned the process now. And I’ll just tell you, I’ve changed my method of hanging them. Forget the Liquid Nails. Too messy and slow to dry. It seems that the hot glue gun is the best way after all! Stay tuned for details on Monday.
I have a berry colored dining room and I too have been considering changing the color. It is the color of my grandmother’s dining room and that is why I am having troubles deciding to change it. I was thinking a Laura Ashley gold, though. I have crown molding at the top and have been considering a chair rail and molding under that.
Thanks for the tip about the framing of the mirrors, that is on my mind as well!
Being from the De-licious South, like you Rhoda, I appreciate anything monogrammed. I must have blogged at least two or three times in ht elist month about monograms : )
There are just so many unique items to embroider & the make the perfect gift!
Lately, I've been in the market for a chocolate brown, square, linen pillow with a fabulous W embroidered right in the center. It's going to be the cherry on top of my masterbedroom bedding!
Those are beautiful Rhoda! Lauren did a wonderful job!
Rhoda,
Last fall I painted over my cranberry dining room and it is now a bone ivory color. I love the peacefulness. I need to plan a future blog post about it. I say go for it! The napkins are gorgeous!
Vanessa
Yes; life is better with a blue gun, isn’t it? Sounds like you’re well on your way to your Best of 2009 post!
Your napkins came out great! I love the mental picture I’ve created of your talented niece getting so wrapped up in her monogram machine (as I would!) that she starts monogramming her legal briefs or something. 😉
Love those monogrammed napkins!! Great job and wonderful gift, Lauren!
We’re going to be doing over the red powder room soon. Not sure of color, but believe it will be one of the colors leftover from the condo redo. The direction of the living room/dining/foyer has been evolving over the last year…now it’s time to bring the powder room up to date.
Looking forward to your dining room redo.
Love the napkins. I am also monogramming anything I can get my hands on. Isn’t it funny that we are all thinking about going lighter. Must be the winter, or the recession? Hmmm. I am sure your dining room will turn out beautiful.
Ohhhhh,those napkins are gorgeous! I am all about anything monogrammed. Is that a southern thing? My friends from out west just don’t get it!
I recently painted my living room Universal Khaki by Sherwin Williams. It is the PERFECT neutral color. Let me fill you in on my painting history: Every time I paint a room, I always wish I had chosen another color – and usually end up painting twice! This time, no re-repainting! It’s that perfect!
LOVE the napkins…..they are perfect!
Suzanne
I dont know how to sew a stitch but I lust for those computer driven monogramming machines. So many fun uses.
PS: I saw your post on my blog. The box rooms paint color is Benjamin Moore “Silver Martin” which is really a pale green with a little blue gray in it.
Your napkins are lovely your neice did a great job. Love seeing the blooms as it is so gloomly outdoors.
Love those napkins and anything
monogramed. I made some 30×30 pillows for my bed, act like a
headboard,put trim and then had
them monogrammed and they look
wonderful.
My diningroom is painted Sherwin
Williams “antilical grey” (sp?)
and I love it, really is neutral.
I think it’s time for me to lighten up my red dining room too. However, when I mention this to people they say, “Oh it’s so pretty.” I’m just wishing for some of the lighter more serene colors I’m seeing these days. Lead the way Rhoda!
THESE ARE SOOOO ELEGANT! HUGS FROM MAINE http://sophie4me.blogspot.com/
Hi Rhoda,
I am officially green over those napkins! I’m considering buying a Janome embroidery machine just not sure if I can wrap my head around spending that much $$$. But I really want it……
Hey, we think alike! Painting the DR is on my list this year too and I’m considering something like your MBR and den colors. The dark red has been there for several years. Time for a change.
Hugs, DebraK
The napkins are just gorgeous. She really does a great job and you’re so lucky to receive such a perfect gift. I do know what you mean about the red walls, I did that in the last house, pretty but really wanted a change. Now everything is too bland so I’m on the bandwagon to add some white to give some of the neutrals a crisp look. I can’t wait to see what you do. Hugs, Marty
Rhoda……..those have my initial
on them ! Care to share? They are beautiful !
Wow, she did a great job! I just love monograms too-they make everything seem more special.
The napkins are beautiful. What a wonderful gift.
Kathleen