Jackpot!

Well, we got out early today and hit the jackpot! Last week's yard sales were a bust. But today's were great! Check out our bargains:

Eddie Bauer carseat - $5

This is for Houdini (aka Alexander) who can get out of his current seat. Not excited by this? Read on...

Boppy pillow and baby tub w/ attached shower - $10
For our preggo daughter Lauren.
Still not impressed? Okay...

Glass jars - $.25 each
I found a third at a different sale. These will go on my desk when I redo the office and will hold paper clips, rubber bands, etc. Better?

Hardback copies of Trixie Belden, The Bobbsey Twins, and The Tuckers - $.25 each
I wish I could have bought all she had! Do you think the seller would think I am too awfully strange if I show up on her doorstep one day and ask if she sold the rest?

Desk (soon to be a vanity) - $7
I've been looking for a small desk like this for a while. This one's solid wood and the drawers work wonderfully. I plan on painting it black and using it in my bedroom. Already have a mirror that was purchased at a yard sale several years ago for $5 and currently waits patiently behind my office door for a proper home.

Chair - $1
To replace the typical office chair I currently use. This ugly old one weighs a TON! I can barely lift it off the floor. It will be painted white and recovered (of course).

Tile topped table (soon to be a desk) - $5

This will replace the awful desk in the kitchen. I'll have to come up with some clever storage ideas (or steal them from other blogs). This is gonna get a black paint job, too. I heart black furniture!

And Darrell's prize - almost new Coleman canoe - $260

My husband is a brave soul. The first time I was ever in a canoe was with him. I managed to flip the stupid thing and about killed him in the process! And he still wants to go canoeing with me. Go figure. Maybe he's planning some payback...

I can't tell you what a great day I've had! The yard saleing was amazing! The weather was gorgeous. We got a ton of work done at our rent house and should have it ready next week. Went to dinner at O'Charley's and had their Pecan Chicken Salad--chicken, mixed greens, mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, and candied pecans. Scrumptious! Now I'm off to slip into jammies, ready tomorrow's Sunday school lesson, then relax in the hot tub. Hope your day was just as good!

Here Ya Go, Sharon

Here is Sharon's prize for being my tenth follower. I love hearts--in just about any way, shape, and form. I have heart-shaped jewelry, wreaths, glassware, you name it. These three items are some of my favorites and I'm passing them along to Sharon--seems appropriate since she's my little sister and thus has a piece of my heart.

The blue plate I bought just a couple of weeks ago. It was made in Italy, which also has a special place in my heart. The small white heart is actually an ornament, but I displayed it all year hanging on a beautiful shelf. The pink one is made from an old quilt and until today hung from the closet knob in our guest room (aka Shana's room). I smile thinking about each of these pieces. Sharon, I hope you will love them as much as I do and that you'll think of me when you look at them.

Thankful Thursday

It's that time again and I hope more of you will share the things you're thankful for today.

First, I want to thank all those who read and comment on my blog. It's hard to put yourself out there and get no response. I appreciate the friendship that has come my way through this little ole blog. I've gotten closer to those I know in real life and gotten to know some great, funny women I would otherwise never have known.

I'm grateful for sweet grandchildren. I've been fortunate to have three of them nearby for most of their lives. In just a few weeks, they will be living several hundred miles away and I won't get to see them like I've been used to. What will I do on Sunday afternoons now?

I'm thankful Lauren is doing well in her pregnancy. We've all been holding our breath to get past this point and it looks like everything should go smoothly now. Her last baby was three months premature and weighed only 2.5 lbs. Grant is about 25 lbs now, walking, climbing, and just a joy in general. We call him the Bubba-nator.



I'm thankful it has finally stopped raining and I could get some flowers in the ground. The yard is looking so much better for that. Even though a certain someone put fertilizer on the back yard and with all the rain it needs mowing every other day. And then complains about having to mow. We won't mention any names.

I'm grateful the little female problem I have is--according to the doctor--nothing to worry about and something "women my age" have to deal with. Nuff said. (Don't ask, cuz you don't want to know, believe me.)

I also am thankful I didn't break my kneecap when I fell in the garage earlier this evening.

Your turn...Don't leave me hanging!

Ladies & Gentlemen: We Have a Winner!

Many thanks to my little sister Sharon for signing up as my tenth follower! And I didn't have to pay her off or threaten her or anything! Thanks, Sharon!!

Your prize will be on the way as soon as I know what it is!

Uncle!

Okay, seems I can't even bribe anyone to be my tenth follower. Guess you're all waiting to see what you'll get--besides more information about me and mine than you ever wanted to know. The goodies will be revealed tomorrow--probably in the afternoon because I've got rat killing* and doctor appts earlier.

*rat killing: my mother-in-law's term for errand running

Birdie Condos

Every year I hang two ferns on our front porch. And every year these little birds build a nest in one or the other. Apparently, they are spreading the word about the deluxe accommodations. We've already had one nest built, the eggs have hatched and babies departed. Now that same fern sports a second nest--and there is a nest in the other fern as well! Makes it a little hard to keep the plants watered, so ignore the brown leaves. You would get a kick out of watching me try to water--constantly on the lookout for dive bombers like in the Hitchcock movie!

And this is a robin's nest, build on the light fixture outside the back door. Every time we open that door, the poor mom flies off. I feel sorry for her, but this wasn't the best choice for a home--especially with all the trees we have around!

Grrrr

A few months ago, I saw a post where the blogger was tagged to get some things off her chest. Basically, she had to put down ten things she wanted to say to people, but knew she couldn't or shouldn't. This may come back to bite me in the butt, but I'm gonna do it anyway.

1. I'm not coming. You don't want me there any more than I want to be there. You're inviting me out of obligation and if I attended it would be out of obligation. So thanks but no thanks.

2. Get off your rear and do the things you know you need to do. I know you were taught better than that!

3. I hope I don't have to kick your ___ when this is all over!

4. I don't tell you how to deal with your family, don't presume to tell me how to deal with mine. You don't know the whole story, so back off.

5. Why do you even continue to be friends with me? It appears I don't do anything right as far as you're concerned, so why are you bothering? And if you roll your eyes at me one more time, I swear....

Okay, I'll shut up now. This will probably get me in enough trouble. Lest you think I am speaking to you, please know that the majority of these statements are geared to people who don't read my blog.

Giveaways Galore--well, two anyway

After months of blogging, I now have nine--count 'em, nine--followers!! So what if others have hundreds or even thousands? It's quality, not quantity, right! I haven't hosted a giveaway since my 100th post and decided now is a good time for another one. My tenth follower will receive an awesome amazing prize--don't know what it is yet, but believe me, it'll be great!

Also, my one year anniversary of beginning this blog will be the end of next month--I'll have to check on the actual date. I'm planning a giveaway at that time as well. Details to follow as soon as I know what they are.

Good luck and thanks for playing!

Weekend at the Lake

Darrell and I were lucky enough to get away for the weekend. We desperately needed a vacation--even a short one. And even though we didn't stay away as long as we planned--rain got in the way--we still enjoyed ourselves and our time together.

Some very good friends have a lake house and gave us a key to use any time we want. This weekend we wanted--and so we did. There's no phone in the house and cell phones don't work, so no interruptions. Heaven! We pretty much did nothing. We spent a couple of hours just sitting on the back porch. These pictures below are of the view.








This Martin house is near the porch. We spent a couple of hours watching this couple--obviously a male and female. They would come to these holes, look inside, twitter about a bit, then fly off to a nearby electrical line. They'd sit on the line for a while, then come back to the house. The male watched at the hole more than the female. Something was going on inside, but the couple wasn't agitated, so it didn't seem to be anything bad. I think the eggs were hatching and mom and pop were keeping tabs on their babies. I took several videos and tried to download one here, but it wouldn't cooperate, so you'll have to settle for these pictures. If someone had told me I'd spend two hours watching a couple of birds and taking their pics, I would never have believed it. Funny what slowing down can do for you...

Dr. Grandpa

What happens when you drop a full unopened can of soda on your toe? This:

Poor little Alexander did this on Saturday. You may know that about the only way to relieve the pressure is to drill a hole through the nail. Not a fun thing to have to do to a two-year-old.

A doctor friend of ours suggested heating a needle till it was red hot, then poking it through the nail. The heated needle virtually melts the nail and it only takes a second. Again, two-year-olds do not appreciate these efforts. But our mission was accomplished and his toe is much better now.

Sorry for the blurry pics--this was the best I could do holding a crying toddler.

Go Read This

If you do nothing else today, go to We Are THAT Family and read her wonderful post. Thanks!

She Who Hesitates...

....loses! For over a year, I have been looking for a small desk with drawers on each side like the one below. Finally found one at ReStore, but hesitated in buying it. I don't know why I hesitated--I just did. Made up my mind and went back today and it was not there anymore!!! Can I just say CRAP!!! I hate when I do this, but I keep doing it. Maybe this time I've learned my lesson.

This desk redo can be seen at Centsational Girl. This is the only picture I could find that
resembled the desk I regretfully passed up.

Thankful Thursday

Good morning, ladies! What a glorious day this is promising to be! To quote Travis Tritt "it's a great day to be alive". Time to stop and smell the roses and count our blessings.

I know I've said it before, but I just have to say how much I love spring. I am so thankful for this time of year. After the dreariness of winter, it's so uplifting to see the beautiful blue skies and green on the trees. Colorful happy flowers are everywhere. I love the smell of freshly mown (mowed?) grass--not to mention the high I get from seeing the results of a couple of hours of hard work. This is the time of year that motivates me to make resolutions and to renew my efforts in bettering myself and my life.

I am so very grateful for my family. They love and support me even when I try their patience. Especially my dear sweet husband. I will forever thank the Lord for sending him my way.




This coming Monday is Memorial Day--when we honor those who have fought and died for our country. I am proud to say I love the United States of America. I am very thankful to live in this wonderful country. The freedoms we enjoy are priceless. My father served 22 years in the army, Darrell's dad served 24, and Darrell himself served eight. We live in a small city near an army post and have many friends who are military. I personally have watched mothers cope with raising a family while their spouses are deployed. My gratitude for the service of our men and women in uniform is boundless--as is my thankfulness for the sacrifices of the families left behind.

And, last but not least for today, can I just put a plug in for comments? I heart comments and am so thankful for them! To know that someone has read my feeble attempts and commiserates (or disagrees--that's okay, too) and takes the time to let me know really lifts my spirits. (How subtle was that hint?)

What are YOU thankful for today?

It's Second Time Around Tuesday & Reinvented Tuesday!

Today is a most wonderful day! The sky is cloudless and blue. The humidity is low. The temp is 70. The birds are singing and bees are humming. But best of all it's Tuesday!

Be sure to visit Reinvented and A Picture is Worth 1000 Words for ideas and inspiration on how to reuse and revamp what some might not think of as treasure.

When we recently redid our kitchen, I decided I wanted a buffet or sideboard for extra storage and preparation. Everything I looked at was way over my price range. Searching craigslist brought a place called ReStore to my attention. They take building surplus and furniture donations and resell them to benefit Habitat for Humanity. Darrell and I made a trip and found this entertainment center (?) for $50.

We brought it home, sanded it down, applied primer and a couple coats of glossy black paint. Then Darrell tiled the top with tile we also bought at ReStore. The one foot square tiles were 50 cents each--we may have used eight. Then he trimmed out the edge of the top.

Here's the finished product. We bought baskets to fill the cubbies and use them to hold snacks, etc. The bottom holds small appliances that aren't used very often. I figure we have maybe $75 in this (we already had the primer and paint). I will admit I'm not crazy about the glossy paint and plan to redo it in matte this summer. I also want to get different handles. But like Nester says--it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful!
(Notice the lovely trash can? Go here to read about it.)

T-Mobile Mom to Mom Quiz

Over at We Are THAT Family, I came across this little quiz. Imagine my surprise to discover that I'm a Quick Wit...and all this time I thought I was considered a smart mouth. Who woulda thunk it? Quick Wit sounds so much nicer. I can live with that!


T-Mobile Mom to Mom Quiz: "

Take the fun, Mom to Mom quiz and discover your parenting style.

"

Blue Skies Smiling At Me--Blue Monday

Thanks to Smiling Sally for hosting Blue Monday. After finding her blog, I was motivated to stop this morning and look for something blue around me. I found that I don't have much blue in the house (unless you count clothes). Then I looked out the window and saw what I posted below. This month has been the second wettest May in our area since they started keeping records. I was beginning to think I'd been transported to the Northwest! For the most part this month, skies have been cloudy, overcast, and gray. We've had more than our share of rain and storms. But today this is what the sky looks like from my backyard! What a glorious day! Thanks, Sally, for helping me slow down and appreciate it!

Make sure you visit Sally and the other links for more blue....

Good Help Not So Hard To Find

How do you entertain a 2 1/2 year old while you're on the computer? How about a sink of water and soap, a scrubby pad, and a few plastic dishes? As long as you don't mind the floor getting washed as well!

SUWYL/Kelly's Korner

This week Kelly at Kelly's Korner is hosting another Show Us Where You Live Friday. This week's feature is guest rooms. This is probably the only room in the house that I am 99.9% satisfied with. Most everything in it belonged to my oldest daughter Shana or was given to us when she died. I think it's a very serene place.

The view from the door. This is the smallest bedroom. While we like guests, we don't want them to be too comfortable and forget to leave! I have always wanted an all white room and this is my compromise for Darrell. My youngest daughter Lauren made this quilt for me. The headboard was a $10 yard sale buy. The paint job was done by the previous owner and works for now.

I had looked long and hard for a wreath like this. Lauren picked this one out.

One of three cedar chests I own. This one will go to Cassidy when I'm gone--with strict instructions to her parents that they cannot strip and refinish it! Hear me, Cam? (He thinks painted furniture is sacrilege.) When we have company, I remove the church and plant and replace them with a wicker tray full of magazines, small toiletries, bottles of water, and snacks like cereal bars and fruit.

This was my chair when I was growing up and was old then. I love this little chair and spent many hours curled up in it--reading, talking on the phone, dealing with cramps....It was covered then in an aqua colored vinylly type fabric. Darrell had it recovered for my 50th birthday last year.

Doilies handmade by Darrell's great-aunt. They are close to 100 years old. Try not to notice that the middle one has slipped. The little table was also hers and holds gifts collected over the years from loved ones.

My yard sale find. This little shelf was only $1.

My small collection of angels on the bedside table--two of them were given to us when Shana passed. The one on the right I bought in Gatlinburg. The "table" is actually several cases of food storage topped with a round piece of wood. We have a couple of these around the house.

Like I said before, this is a small room, but cozy. And ready for YOU, anytime you want to stop by!

Updates

Did not win the pool. Oh, well. I've never won anything in my life--except Darrell's heart. All together now: ahhhhhhh......

I decided to dye the yard sale curtains, rather than tea stain them. They turned out beautifully and I got them hung up this morning. They look fab!

Watched part of a Braves game with Darrell--well, I was sitting in the kitchen at the computer, but I could see the TV. Braves were losing, so he turned it. Yea!! I mean, oh, too bad, maybe they'll come back and win. Yeah, that's it. I love baseball!

Oh. My. Gosh!

Two dates in a row! Can you believe it? I already posted about Riverdance. That was fabulous! Last night Darrell and I went with some friends to see the new Star Trek movie. Now we all know I'm not much of a movie goer. I prefer old movies on the telly at home. And I'm not much on science fiction. However....

Excuse me while I digress a moment. I may have mentioned once or twice about what a wonderful husband I have. He took up gardening because I like to work out in the yard. He took up yard saleing because I love the thrill of the hunt. He is talking about selling his boat and motorcycle, because I don't care for either of those things. He gives 100% to our relationship. So I've got to do something in return. I can do the Braves and the Vols for a time, but those games just go on and on and on. If they lasted an hour or two, I think I could make it. But extra innings and overtime send me over the edge!! I decided I could at least see a movie that he wanted to go to. (I know--don't you wish you were as good as wife as I am? So selfless and giving.)

Back to the subject of this post: We went to see Star Trek and it was soooo good! If you haven't seen it yet, run don't walk! Especially if you are of an age. If you watched the original TV series, you will really appreciate this movie. It explains a lot. And it was so much funnier than I anticipated.

Okay, there's my unpaid endorsement. Now I'm off to a local pool and spa store to try to win an above ground pool--me and 24 others. Wish me luck....

The One That Started It All

I never thought I would grow roses. My mother had climbing roses when I was growing up and I hated having to mow around them. Invariably I would get scratched. There were many times I accidentally on purpose ran over the limbs laying on the ground. And don't get me started on the bees!

Fast forward to just a few years ago. A friend asked me to teach--me, teach??--a class about roses. She had an answer for every argument I could come up with why I was not the best choice for this job. Number one being that I knew nothing about roses! I finally just said no.

Then Shana died. A good friend of hers gave us this rose bush with the name Angel Face. It's a tea rose in a beautiful mauve color. This rose requires a little more maintenance than the others I have--pruning, deadheading, etc. I kept it in the original pot until we moved to this new house, then finally planted it. I was a little apprehensive, since I remembered all my mother went through to grow her roses. This rose had a special significance for me and I didn't want to lose it.

Since Angel Face did pretty well the first couple of months, we started buying the knockout roses. Then Angel Face had to move. She was getting crowded out. Now she happily sits at the corner of the house. And evidently loves her new home. I had been watching these buds, but hadn't gotten out in the yard the past couple of days. This is what I found when I took a little walkabout today.

We now have 8 or so knockout roses (including 2 new yellow ones), Angel Face, and I even have climbing roses in red and yellow--but they're where they won't have to be mowed around and have something to climb up!