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 love the napkins. I have an embroidery machine and I LOVE it! I have owned it for about 10 years and I am always finding something new to do with it.
LOVE those napkins — they are beautiful! 🙂
xoxo,
Mary
The napkins are lovely and really compliment your decor. I’ve had your blog on my Google Reader list for some time and always enjoy your makeovers and enthusiasm. However, I’m really finding the new font awkward and have found myself skipping recent posts. I hate to say anything because, hey – your space, your rules! But I might not be the only one so I just wanted to mention it.
Thanks for all the great tips.
Sounds like we are all ready to change out some red in our homes!
Deborah, thanks for mentioning the font. I didn’t think it was hard to read, but maybe others do. Anyone else have a hard time with the font? I can just as easily change it back to a normal one.
That is great that you have a niece to bless you with nice personalized gifts! I bought an embroidery machine over the summer & got so frustrated with it that I returned it. Decided it wasn't for me…neither is sewing! LOL
Hi Rhoda,
I too have the requisite red dining room. Can’t wait to see your pictures when you paint yours. I’ve been thinking about making some changes, but can’t seem to get the energy for that right now. Shocker I know, I am a self proclaimed Lazy Mom after all!
I so want one of those machines! Love the napkins! I haven’t notice a font change so it has bothered me.
Manuela
You know I’m drooling over those napkins, I love anything monogrammed!
I’ll keep my eye out for a cabinet for your kitchen but you’ll probably find one before I do. Also, I will really give some serious consideration to the B’ham flea market trip in March, maybe you could do a little “Eddie Ross” kind of thing! Has anyone up that way expressed any interest? If not, you and I will have a grand time anyway!
Hugs!
Judy
Beautiful napkins!! Great blog by the way.
Sherwin Williams paints are the best! I just painted a bedroom in a shade called ‘bagel.’ I noticed it’s the same shade they used in one of the HGTV Dream Home rooms!
Great monograms!!!!!
My motto is — if it ain’t movin’, monogram it! Love the napkins!
Ooooh, I love the monogrammed napkins! So goodlooking, Rhoda!
And your pretty plants look like they’re waiting for the weather to warm up as we all are.
Can’t wait to see your projects!
XO,
Sheila 🙂
I love the napkins!
These are so pretty:)
Rhoda, those are very pretty napkins. I have an embroidery machine and I am ashamed to say, I have not used it in at least 2 years. I used to embroider/monogram anything that stayed still long enough. LOL! DD used to call it ‘Mama’s machine that made pictures. When Mama is deb an gone, it will be mine!’ LOL! When I would catch her playing with my ‘stuff’, I would tell her it wasn’t hers to play with until I was dead and gone…
They are very lovely! I need one of those machines so bad!
Those napkins are so pretty Rhoda, do you have any more project for Lauren to monogram?
I think your DR will be great in the lighter color, I can’t wait to see what you do, and I know you will be able to do the molding, if you are brave enough to do electric work the molding will be a cinch. Have you told your hubby how lucky he is to have you lately?
That “M” is gorgeous! It is the perfect font (what is it?). I have begged for monogrammed linen napkins for about 3 years now for Christmas. Maybe one day…I will just adore yours!
Rhoda,
Love the napkins! And have been thinking of changing my dining room color and adding molding too!! How funny…..
Great Post,
Suzy
Really like your napkins. My daughter has a machine that monograms and I keep thinking I will get her to do some for me, but she is so busy with work, children, school, etc., I don’t have the heart to ask. The amaryllis is pretty.
Glenda