Happy Birthday to MY BABY!

Wishing a Happy Birthday to my youngest son

who will be turning 22 today, May 10.



You were the best Birthday present any Mother could ask for!

 

Yes, he was born on my Birthday.

We won't mention how many I will be turning!!

 

Since our Birthday's and Mother's Day are so close together we celebrate the 3 of them here and there making it a 5 day celebration!

So far I've been surprised with

YUMMY DONUTS!!!!

 

and a new solar flower!

  I had one on my dashboard but after a few years it died. I've been on the look out since. This one has Bees that wave instead of the leaves like my other one!!!
I L♥VE IT ALL!!

Do I have the best kids or what!!??

Another Window

Yes, another window :)

What is it about old windows that just grabs you

and says "you have to have me!!" ?

This one I picked up for a song.

I've had a vision circling in my mind for years now.

Since my hall bath has a beach theme

and this idea was beach themed, it was a no brainer

 where it would end up.

I could see a mermaid, sand and shells along the bottom.

 Blank paper "frames", here and there with vintage 

 photos inside of Bathing Beauties of relatives past.

Netting, Starfish, a run aground boat, little things 

to represent found items from beach combing ~ 

string, seaweed, bottles. 

Well, you know me. 

Sometimes I get so excited and start right away,

 not thinking about taking photos and....

forget :(

I did manage to get one or two during the process

I mixed Modge Podge and sand, kind of molding it along the bottom of the frame for beachy area.

Ordered the mermaid stencil and wording "A day at the beach" off line. While waiting for those to show up, I dug in my fabric tote for a piece of netting I knew I had, draped it over the left top corner and stapled to the back. Went in the backyard and gathered up some sticks to place on the left side. Some were tucked through the netting, a boat from my Treasure Pile was added in front which helped hold them in place. I tied a couple of glass vials by thin jute here and there and, of course, a wonderful Starfish  in the center of the net.

The stencils arrived!

Once painted on, 

I could place my paper with little jute ties.

The jute is just for decoration, 

but I'm sure you already figured that out.

Love my Mermaid!

I finally could place my other family photos ♥ 

I found one of my Grandmother at the beach.

Not sure when this was taken,

either before I was born or when I was a baby.

She lived with us and I don't ever remember going to the beach when I was little, so who knows.

I came up short on old beach photos, of course.

Farmers don't make it to the beach very often.

But I found one of my sister and

 I in our backyard "pool".

Probably from the early to mid '60's.

(That's me in the floaty) oh joy

Then I came across this photo of me at

 "The Plunge" in Calistoga Ca.

My Grandmother would go to Calistoga

for a week every Summer.

My sister and I are 10 years apart,

 so she was always allowed to stay,

but I was too little. 

I kept waiting to get bigger,

but by that time

Grandma was getting older, 

and quit going   :(

Now this one is a hoot!

I found it in my Dad's old photo album

and replaced the one that I originally had up .

I assume they are relatives but who knows?

All that is written on the back was 1929.

I love it!

I do wish I could have found older photos 

that didn't include me,

but hey, you've got to work 

with what you have, right?

Here it is completed and hung over the

left side of the bathroom mirror.

I am satisfied with it...

OK I Love IT!

but still on the lookout for 

old beach photos of my family.

Total love!

Better than paper towels



COFFEE FILTERS

Who knew! And you can buy 1,000 at the Dollar Tree for $1.00, even the large ones. 1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.

2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.

3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.

4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.

5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.

7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.

8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.

9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.

11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.

12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters..

13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them.. It soaks out all the grease.

14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers.."

15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliquéing soft fabrics.

16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.

17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.

18 Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car..

19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.

20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.

21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.

22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.

23. Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a zip-lock plastic bag until they sprout.

24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book.

25. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.

26. Great in the tool room when separating nails and screws then use in to bottom of containers to remove moisture and prevent rust.

OH YEAH THEY ARE GREAT TO USE

IN YOUR COFFEE MAKERS TOO!



WHOSE HANDIWORK IS THIS?

I don't know who originated this, but it is beautiful!

 

 

 

 

Today is a gift of grace; let's have a good day, today



Every Little Birdie Give Away!

Be sure to check out Every Little Birdie's

 great give away going on now!

 Three sweet tweet prizes that'll

have you flapping your wings for joy!

Good Luck!



Flowers Flowers Everywhere!

Sorry I've been MIA the last week or so.

Still reeling over Cyndar's unexpected passing.

We received this gorgeous bouquet from our

vet the following day.

So lucky to have such caring vets and staff. 

Love the cute birdie holding the ribbon in it's mouth.

My Daughter-in-law made this pretty bouquet for Easter.

 The Roses were just gorgeous.

The Lantana is crawling like crazy

and the blooms draw a lot of action.



 The Trailing Rosemary is getting

 real friendly with The Pinks ;)

Love Violas

The Scented Geranium has finally filled

 in from a bad frost we had 2 years ago.

The Bees LOVE the Lavender.

All you can hear is bzzz as you get close.

 Left side of the front arbor against the garage.

Once this Red Rose, from my Mom's garden,

 is done with it's show, the Jasmine will start.

Sweet pink Geranium,

and these Red ones, both from Mom's garden.

Under the front arbor

Love these bells ♥

Glass bowls and vases make "Mushrooms"

 

Wishing everyone a great gardening weekend.

Go get your hands dirty!!