Sharing

 

My husband was the shopper last week. He gave $25 for this never before used area rug.

 

ampersand from Hobby Lobby

 

a favorite quote

 

Sweet Lucas

 

Lucas and Nicolas enjoying a Tomy play computer that Ryan and Lauren once used. It still works and teaches letters of the alphabet, colors, and numbers plus spells a few words with corresponding pictures.

 

Limoges Mist Green plate from Goodwill

for $0.79. I bought six of them...such pretty dessert plates. 

 

 

 

See you here next month. Thanks for visiting.

Christmas in July

Recently when I was with my friend Mary, she began to tell another friend about the Christmas banner we had created together. Because she liked the MERRY one I had made, I gave it to her along with some extra letters I had on hand. Mary added CHRISTMAS and embellished the whole thing. She hung it in her dining room window during the holidays and sent me a photo in her Christmas card.

 

Hearing Mary talk
about the banner made me start thinking about creating one to use this Christmas at my house. Maybe between now and Christmas I can find a few more embellishments to complete mine. Here's what I have put together so far -

Planning on using this post card to fit between the words Merry Christmas. I used some of Mary's ideas to help me with letters, like the "I" with the corner buttons. So glad I bought that cute little jar of buttons back earlier in the summer because it had the two larger buttons I placed on the tag. 

Wonder where Mary will hang hers this Christmas as she has moved into a different house...wonder where I will hang mine...

A Nostalgic Treat

Different kitchens, different times, but same delightful treat. My maternal grandmother,aka Granny Barnes, introduced my brother and me to frozen Kool-aid ice cubes. On summer visits we loved this special refreshment.

I decided to make some cubes for the grandsons. Yesterday they had plain cherry ones. Today they added cookies and ended up with chocolate cherry slushes.

 

Just as I hoped they love this simple and refreshing treat.

Witnessing Tender Moments

Sunday was my daughter-in-law Olga's birthday. Two of her little boys slipped off quietly to an extra bedroom. Before too long they emerged requesting that that mother come with them. But first she had to close her eyes. They then took Olga's hand and led her to the bedroom.

    

 

 

Surprise!!!

Gunner and Nicolas had created a special message.

 

The boys love their mom!

What a lovely birthday greeting for a beautiful mother! 

 

Inspiration

A magazine clipping that I had pasted on a simple journaling page

inspired my smaller version.

 

 

 

 

A Different Kind of Inspiration 

 

I met three high school friends on Wednesday for a luncheon reunion.

 

Knowing them back then was inspiring. Knowing them now is even more inspiring. We have experienced a lot over the years, making us stronger and wiser. Mary, Marg, Nancy, and I came together for chatter, laughter, and memories as we sat inside Rafferty's and later Starbucks.

 

The pictures below show us as young girls. Our journeys were just beginning. This was a going away party for me. Right after graduation my family moved to another town. Our paths would separate,  but communication did not stop. And now this week we gladly celebrated our friendship for another year. 

 

 

Myra, Nancy, Mary, Linda, and me

 

Mary, Margaret, and Peggy 

 



 

 

 



This and That

 

I am trying to follow the advice I modgepodged onto these rocks. 

 



 

Don't you love how pictures capture moments? I don't remember when my dad held me for this picture, but I'm happy to have this photo of us.

 

A new baby girl will arrive soon. Les, Pennee, and Kiera are excited, and so are we. Today I mailed a gift package for Chloe. Picking out the contents was a delight! Instead of buying wrapping paper I decorated the plain white box with watercolors, pens, stamped letters, and paper strips.

 

 

As always I've been puttering around the house. I've regained an interest in small bottles. The two amber bottles were packed away in a trunk. Believe it or not, they were part of my first apartment decor back in the early 1970's.

 

 

I'm always on the lookout for unusual frames and stands. This little goldtone stand caught my eye. Later it will probably hold an old photo. Something else caught my eye while I was browsing through the booths. Someone had done a picture of a girl out of paper bits. You just never know what interesting things you will see.

 

 

Studio Time

I wanted to share a few recent pictures over in the studio. This is such a favorite spot of mine.



I added that small table(made by my father years ago) to hold a paper cutter.

I'm really enjoying the Cavallini set of rubber stamps.

 

 

So glad I saved that quote and glued it to the picture cutout of an old worn chair.

 

 abstract art piece

 

The circles are representative of Ryan, Lauren,

Corkey and me, and Jo, Jason, Les, and Chance.

 

Fourteen Views

 

These fourteen photos were captured yesterday.

 

I enjoy my camera for it helps me to see everyday beauty.  

 

 

 

 

 

Bird nests show up in the oddest places.

 

 

Love that my mom shared her daylilies.