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.
Hey – Great Blog here! I just wanted to stop and thank you for your comment on my guest post at Nesting Place! I’m glad to hear you liked it!
I can give you a whole shopping list for power tools!
Remodeling Guy
What wonderful napkins. She did a lovely job, didn’t she.
Hey Rhoda; I really love the napkins, they are so pretty. She did a wonderful job on them.
Hugs;
Alaura
I LOVE the napkins!!! She could sell tons of those on ESTY I bet! 🙂
Hey Rhoda~
That’s what I should have asked Santa for…. a niece with a big sewing machine! LOL
Love those.
Donna
Rhoda, tell Lauren we love her napkins!! Monograming like a fun thing to do and everyone will want a one-of-kind work of art!!
Love the idea for the dining room. Red is a very popular color for dining rooms and I think it will be fun to change it up a bit.
Beautiful amaryllis!! 🙂
xoxo
Jane
They are beautiful!!!!
They look almost identical to some monogramed bath towels I got for Christmas.
The napkins are lovely Rhoda, I wish I had someone (or a machine) to do such beautiful monograms for me, I do love anything letters and numbers 🙂
And by the way, I have no problem at all with your font.
Wishing you a lovely day!
Greetings from Sweden,
Susanne
Those napkins are totally gorgeous, Rhoda. I’ve always wanted to do monogramming…something to add to the someday list!
Kathy
Lucky you! Love those napkins. Perfect in your DR! Cant wait to see what changes you make. Now Im off to catch up on the blue room.
Oh my…I’m trying not to covet those beautiful, gorgeous monogrammed napkins….the initial even works for my maiden name! 🙂 Please let me know if your niece decides to do an etsy shop and sell her fine work.
Ut Oh…I just decided to paint my walls in the dining room cajun red! eek!
Please tell Lauren that she did an awesome job on the napkins!!! I love those Rhoda! Hmm.. wonder if she could put “daisy cottage” on something?? I’d love to pay her to do so!
Can’t wait to see your redos that you have planned..I’m still a red and yellow girl but love seeing everyone’s different hues and styles! Since our bedroom went yellow, I’m thinking the “travel” room is going to go that blue that you and I discussed when you were here (almost a year ago.. can you believe that!)
Have a great day sweet friend!
xo,
Kim
Hi Rhoda,I never met a monogram I didn’t like!!! The napkins are perfectly YOU!It is a gorgeous design and the touch of black is oh so sophisticated.I am glad to hear of the upcoming change in the Dining Room.I think you white dishes are going to just shine in there.Can’t wait to see what you come up with.Remember my motto,”Enjoy the Process”.Thankyou for taking the time to stop by at my space on Micasa it was so neat to see you there.Kathysue
love visiting your blog.