3/31/17

Friday Foto Friends


I got out the spring tablecloth last night and added some Easter stuff to the center of the little table in the kitchen. I'm pleased with it.


Speaking of Easter, I'm trying to decide what to wear this year. I have a few things to choose from, but I'm not sure they are going to fit so I have been looking online just in case. So far no luck. But I did find a bracelet online at Charming Charlie's that I would love to have for my Thirty-One Conference this year. I love anything pink.


This isn't for Easter, although it might work with a cute white skirt or pants. But I do love this top. It's at Walmart for $12.84. Not bad.


While I was on Charming Charlie's site, I had to check out their purses. I love my Thirty-One bags, but sometimes I want something a little different to carry for a purse. I really like the looks of this one.


But I love the shape of this one. But not loving the pattern after looking at it a few times.


I did love this cute little pink billfold though.


But my favorite of all and it may just have to go on my wish list is this purse. I am loving it.


Hope you have a great Friday and be sure to check out all the great pics at Friday Foto Friends.






3/30/17

Spring Cleaning


Today is dedicated to spring cleaning. I am getting ready to have my annual yard sale in a few weeks so it it time to start going through everything. Last year I had several when I downsized, but there was a lot of things of Allen's that I didn't go through because I wasn't sure what to keep. I didn't want to make a rash decision. So today I'm working on going through everything again. I've got about six or seven tubs not to count his tall dresser and the kitchen items I kept that I haven't used in over a year. Time to get rid of some things. I'm going to do two tubs at a time then tackle the rest.


I wish I had never gotten rid of my milk cartons. I loved when I had my craft closet like this. I make have to look for a few again. I did love having all this stackable storage in my old house. I contacted the local place where I got all these and asked them to hold me some more. I think I'll try to recreate this in my spare closet.


I also need to restock some of the pockets on the organizer on the back of my craft room door. I'm low on ribbon, jute, glue sticks and much more. Time for a Hobby Lobby visit in the near future.


Now that we are having beautiful weather just about everyday, it's time to visit my flip flop organizer. I was appalled that I only have 17 pairs of flip flops. It turns out there are three empty slots. Guess it's time to start looking for some new ones. In reality, some of these are really in need of being tossed. But they are old faves that I hate to part with so I use them for just around the yard.


I have been checking at Kohl's and they have some I love. These were just a few that caught my fancy.


I saw a neat thing on Pinterest yesterday. It is a cute way to put baking soda in your fridge to keep the odors out. I may just do this. 

Well, that's it for today. Have a great Thursday.







3/29/17

Tea time....


Yesterday was a horrible day. I got some kind of tummy bug and spent most of the day on the couch feeling awful. It must have been something I ate or a 24 hour bug. I feel fine today except my back and tummy area feel like I was beat with a ball bat. One person suggested I drink some warm tea. The only problem is I am one of the few people in the south who cannot stand tea...in any form. Ironically, one of my favorite things I collect are tea pots, tea sets, tea for one's, tea cups and miniature tea sets. I especially love the ones that have flowers on them. I thought I would share some of mine today. This isn't all of them, but it will show you what I mean about loving tea sets.

This is my favorite one. It's the Royal Dalton Country Roses. It was the first one I ever got and Allen bought it for me in 1989 for Valentine's Day. That started my love of all things tea related.


This is my first and only complete real size tea set with the cups, saucers, sugar and cream pitcher. Allen got it for me for our anniversary one year. He took me to pick it out and we decided together that we liked this one the best. 


I love this one. I have it on a shelf with pictures of me and my sister and some other things that bring back memories of trips we have taken together.


This is my favorite one ever that I got from my son and daughter-in-law. She knows I love dogwood trees and cardinals. I got it in 2001 and it is one of my most cherished. When I moved, nobody would even pack it up or haul it to the new place. They didn't want blamed if it broke. They all know how much this one means to me.


This is the top of my shelving unit in my office/craft room. The solid pink, blue and yellow came from yard sales for .50 cents each. The others came from various gifts from my family. The one on the far left is getting ready to move to the kitchen. When I turn the top around there is an Easter Bunny so it will show up in another blog in my Easter decorations pretty soon.


These are three Allen bought me at various times over the years for Easter or anniversary.


We found this tea cup at an antique store and I fell in love with it. We didn't pay much for it, but it is one of my favorites.


I found this at an antique store recently. I paid $10 for it because it has shamrocks. My first grandchild was born on St. Patrick's day so I just had to have this.


A little tea cup I found at a yard sale years ago for $1.00.


This is one of my very favorite tea for ones. I love the flowers on this one. I got it at Toby's World of Gifts in Myrtle Beach many years back on one of our vacations.


This is another favorite. It came from the gift shop at Boone Hall Plantation on a trip to Charleston with me, Allen, my sister and her husband. That was the best trip. I love Charleston.


One of the many mini's that I've been given over the years. This one came from my son's family. It's my favorite of all my minis.


I actually was given two exactly like this. This one came from my niece Amy one year when she came to visit. I will always cherish it since she gave it to me. The other one came from a lady I worked with who drew my name at Christmas. I sold the other set and kept the one from Amy.


I am not sure where this one came from. Whether I bought it or if my daughter-in-law got it. She has gotten me a lot of minis over the years and I love them all. But wherever this did come from, I love it because it has cardinals.


A couple of tea for one's I picked up over the years just not sure where or when. The top one I am pretty sure was another one from Toby's World of Gifts. 


 This was given to me by my secret sister at church one year. She knew I loved tea sets and she knew I loved the beach so this was perfect for a mini set. It's adorable.


Well, there you have it. A wonderful selection of tea sets from a Southern gal with ancestors from England who never drinks tea.





3/28/17

Weekend wrap up


I had a blast this past Saturday with the three youngest grandchildren. The day started with just me and Alexis. We went to watch Colby play ball on the travel team that picked him up. He's a little pro already. He lives and breathes baseball. Not to mention the fact he's really good. He made some awesome plays and got a hit every time at bat. We watched the two Saturday games and he played two more on Sunday but I had to work. They one the 2 day conference championship. 


After leaving the ballgame and bringing Colby with us, we went home so he could change and then picked up Shelby to go into Pigeon Forge and play tourist for the day. We had lunch at Wendy's (as usual for the four of us). Then headed to Fantasy Golf for some Putt Putt.


When I was little, putt putt golf was called "goofy golf". Which if you ever played golf with these three you would probably see why some people call it goofy. I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard.


One hold had a giant bear you had to hit around and Colby yells "Mamaw I'm being eaten by a bear." And I look and see this.


Taking a five minute rest after he golf game.


Next stop was Wonder Works or they call it, the upside down house. We did a lot of fun stuff in there. Alexis discovered this huge telescope that inside the lens was the entire galaxy. If you turned it around the room you were gazing at different portions of the sky. We saw a lot of the constellations. Here she is teaching Shelby how to look through it.


Colby loved riding this motorcycle on a virtual realistic course.


Shelby loved climbing in the mock Apollo capsule.


And Alexis really enjoyed pulling the huge bubbles up and putting herself inside the bubble.


But for me, the best and neatest thing was the Infrared thermography. It detects infrared energy emitted from object, converts it to temperature, and displays image with temperature distribution. You were in a room with the infrared heat generated movement and whatever you did moved around and was displayed on the screen. This simply the three of them dancing around the floor and it would display the infrared thermography image of their movements. Super, super cool. We spent more time in there than in any of the other rooms in the upside down house. This is one moment I captured them dancing. Alexis on the left, Colby in the middle and Shelby on the right. 


It was an awesome day. 

3/27/17

Happy anniversary to my Sweetheart




My dearest sweetheart,

As I sit here and reflect on the past 36th years, I can't thank you enough for loving me the way you did. You were my #1 fan and my biggest supporter no matter what I wanted to do. You took me places I had never been and showed me a love I had never known. You showered me daily with your love and spoiled me in so many ways. 

I don't know why God took you home so soon. I wasn't done loving you. I saw a t-shirt once that said "I'm still a wife. My husband just lives in heaven." That's exactly how I feel. You will forever be my one and only, my soul mate, my true love. Someone asked me one day why I wore my wedding ring since I'm single. My answer was simple. I'm not single. I will be with my husband again one day. He loved me with every beat of his heart. I will not become "single" because when there is no breath left in this old body of mine, I will be reunited with the love of my life." That is why I still  wear my ring.

I miss you so much. I miss being spoiled. I miss the way you loved to cook but didn't like me in the kitchen because I had a tendency to get in your way. I love how you would fix me a Pepsi and a little bowl of malted milk balls for a snack when I got home from work. Then you would send me to the tub to have a hot soak in a deep bubble bath while you cooked dinner for us. I love how you shared every household chore. If you got home before me, you put the laundry on. If you got off work before I did, you would do the grocery shopping. You were so good to me. You even made sure the toilet seat was always put down. Men just don't normally do things like that. 

But most of all you told me you loved me. You showed me and you told me every single day of our life together. You made me feel so special. I loved how you always called me Sweetheart. I rarely heard you use my name. You called me Sweetheart so much that I actually asked you one time if you even knew my name. We had a good laugh about it. 

There are so many memories that I think about today and I know as I remember the laughter and the fun times that you are remembering them with me. There were several of our favorite stories that we loved to "remember when...." with. Like the first time in the log home when both kids were out at the same time so we fixed a giant plate of french fries and snuggled on the couch with the plate of fries and watched the 101 Dalmations movie and thought it was the most romantic night of our life because we shared fries and a movie. We talked about that all the time. Or the time we went to the beach and I checked the house and said we got all the luggage and we got to the beach and I had left the entire garment bag of all your shirts at home. And we were staying seven days. I was thrilled because I finally got to force you to get some new shirts. You had your good old favorites and that is all you ever wanted me to pack. But you had on your favorite because you had driven down in it. You made me promise to bury you in that favorite shirt and I did as you asked. You wore it so much that you would say "I think I'll wear my shirt." and I would know what one you meant. 

I could go on and on about our memories but you know them as good as I do. I just wanted to tell you I love you and miss you with every beat of my heart. But I am doing good considering I don't have you here with me. I even learned to make gravy...which you thought would never happen. You always said "You could make it if you tried. And I would replied "Yes, but if I learn, you might make me cook." And we would have a good laugh. 

I love you, sweetheart and hope you are having a wonderful anniversary. 



Forever yours,

Your sweetheart

3/26/17

Sunday's Songs


I love music. I'll listen to just about any kind of music if it fits my mood. But my favorite music is Southern Gospel. I love the truth in the words and the way the lyrics to my favorite songs makes me feel. They bring me joy, peace and comfort. Sometimes I listen to them because they just make me happy. One of the ones I really like listening to is Jason Crabb and the Crabb Family. Today I am featuring some of my favorites by Jason and The Crabb family as my Sunday songs. May they bring you as much joy as they bring me.





3/25/17

An interesting Friday...


I picked up my sweet Alexis after school yesterday so she could stay all night. We are heading out early this morning to watch Colby place baseball. 


She wanted to go out to eat at KFC. We normally just do the local one, but I was telling her about one in a neighboring city that had all you can eat buffet. Since the child could eat her weight in KFC mashed potatoes, she wanted to go to it. She is still 12 so it was just $5.25 for hers and I am a senior so mine was $7.25. That included our drinks. Afterwards, we went up the road and stopped at Walmart to pick up some things. When going through the grocery aisle, this caught my eye. Krispy Kreme discontinued their chocolate iced cake donuts. But bless Betty Crocker's heart for buying the rights to create it in a cake mix. These have always been my favorite Krispy Kreme.


I'm going to make this in mini bundt pans. They should be delicious.


After we got home a friend send me a picture of some items she saw for sell. I hooked up with the seller because I was interested in the tea pot since I collect them and this would be gorgeous in my beach bathroom (yes, I have teapots in every room in my house just about.


She had several items in her picture and I asked how much for just the tea pot. I was willing to go up to $10 because I know how much a tea pot can cost of this size. Normally, $39.95 and up. She came back with a price of $10....for everything in her picture. So I said YES. Now mind you, it was a small picture on Facebook so I thought it was a smaller version, but when I met her and got it all, I was overwhelmed by the size of the two other matching pieces as well as the teapot.


And that wasn't all. She had these two pieces in it as well. Not a big fan of the soap dispenser, but for these to come with the other, I was fine with getting them all for $10. I will probably put these two in my yard sale next month and get about $7 or $8 out of them total, which would make my three pieces cost just $2 or $3 dollars total. We will see what happens.


I would normally not meet someone at Food City after dark, but I already knew the lady.  And me and Alexis were craving chocolate ice cream so I met her and picked them up since today was going to be crazy. She is going through stuff she put in storage when her mother-in-law passed away three years ago. She said she was ready to get rid of things now and has a lot of vintage glassware. She's going to call me when she gets ready to have her yard sale. I can't wait to see what else she has. We got our ice cream and came home and ate ice cream.




3/24/17

Friday Foto Friends


Hope everyone is having a great week. I have had a busy week. Not only have I been training hard for the new part of my job, but I've been feeling in where needed. Including blowing up balloons and decorating a large cubicle for a birthday party.


I was going through some old files to clean my computer this week and found some things I thought I would share today. These were from old blog posts when I had two different blogs. I did this for my planters a few years ago. Used coffee cans so they had room to grow. It was so neat. I'm going to do it again this year. 


I want to find some more of these photo props and get some pics at VBS again this year. I did this four years ago and it was a great hit.


Even Ms. Gladys joined in the fun. 


There was a lady at a craft fair one time who had taken old watches and put a stone or jewel on hold watch band faces to make cute bracelets. I had forgotten how cute they were.


 I had a lace tablecloth one time that was actually a very soft, pliable vinyl. It was so pretty and so easy to keep clean. But after using it for so long, the lace ripped some and I had to throw it away. I need to look for another one. They are only $5.00.


I made this bag many, many years ago and not sure whatever happened to it. I want to make me another one. I always loved it.


One of my favorite Pyrex pieces that I had and ended up trading it. I wanted to collect the whole set but never could find the others to go with it so I traded for something to complete another set I had. Wish I could find another one like this.


When I saw this, it made me hungry. Alexis is staying all night tonight and she loves gravy and biscuits and bacon. I may see if she wants breakfast for supper. I need to stop at the Apple Barn today to get some apple butter anyway.


Well, that's it for the day. Have a great weekend! Be sure to visit Ms. Debbie at Friday Foto Friends!