The gang's all here.....

If you're here, we know a little about each other, perhaps.....but I'd love to get to know you better! I thought for Forging Friendships Friday , we could talk about ourselves for a little bit! So.......................

I'll tell you a little bit about myself, and then, I'm turning it over so you can introduce yourselves to me. Take the stage and leave a comment. Fill me in on anything and everything from name, age, blog/web address, hobbies, how you found me, etc. I'll start the party!!

I'm Suzanne, and you'll remember I've recently reached a half a century......wow, that's amazing, huh? If you are here, you know my blog/web address, thankfully and my hobbies are decorating, crafts, gardening, some sewing, cooking, most things domestic, ahem, except cleaning really. I do THAT only out of necessity, not because it's a favorite pastime!! I began blogging last year after a brief trial run with a blog over on Xanga....some friends talked me into it. It wasn't as much fun over there, and I think that's because I didn't know YOU!!! I have enjoyed it so much more even though I don't blog every single day....just whenever I am able. I used to think no one would really want to follow my days, my words, my ideas.....but then I just decided to be myself and go for it......a blog doesn't have to be perfect to be enjoyable. I learned that life application from the Nester!!!! :) who swears by the principle, (come on, you know you can say it along with me!) It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful!

I have three children, one of which is married, so i am a mother-in-law as well. The married son is out of college and it gainfully employed (YAY!), one is in college and my daughter is a junior in high school....yep, the nest is quickly getting emptier! We have a dachsund named Aggie, who is 10 years old. He'd LOVE to be a king!
I've lived in this house for ten years, nearly eleven and still have things I want to do, or to change in this house. It may not be our house forever, so we are sort of biding our time for now. We did re-do our kitchen right after Hurricane Ike threw a tree through our roof. You can read about that here and here! While a little scary and a lot inconvenient, it sure was nice to get a new kitchen out of the deal!
So tell me a little about yourself...

OH, and one thing I wanted to tell ya'll regarding being unable to comment on some of my fav. blogs.......it does seem to have to do with my new laptop, but in looking around on the settings of my own blog, I discovered that you can go to Settings, then to comments, then look at the line item "Comment Form Placement".... I changed mine today to Pop UP page, the middle item, and lo and behold, my friend So Blessed over at New Day, New Season, was able to comment for the first time in a long time. So I would recommend that you all check that item on your blog and change it if you aren't already using that feature. You may even get more comments that way!!! We all love comment love, do we not??????
so go on down and take the stage, tell me a little about yourself. I was surprised how my gardening simple tips were appreciated, so maybe next week, I'll offer a few more. Have a totally terrific day, friends!!!

The gang's all here.....

If you're here, we know a little about each other, perhaps.....but I'd love to get to know you better! I thought for Forging Friendships Friday , we could talk about ourselves for a little bit! So.......................

I'll tell you a little bit about myself, and then, I'm turning it over so you can introduce yourselves to me. Take the stage and leave a comment. Fill me in on anything and everything from name, age, blog/web address, hobbies, how you found me, etc. I'll start the party!!

I'm Suzanne, and you'll remember I've recently reached a half a century......wow, that's amazing, huh? If you are here, you know my blog/web address, thankfully and my hobbies are decorating, crafts, gardening, some sewing, cooking, most things domestic, ahem, except cleaning really. I do THAT only out of necessity, not because it's a favorite pastime!! I began blogging last year after a brief trial run with a blog over on Xanga....some friends talked me into it. It wasn't as much fun over there, and I think that's because I didn't know YOU!!! I have enjoyed it so much more even though I don't blog every single day....just whenever I am able. I used to think no one would really want to follow my days, my words, my ideas.....but then I just decided to be myself and go for it......a blog doesn't have to be perfect to be enjoyable. I learned that life application from the Nester!!!! :) who swears by the principle, (come on, you know you can say it along with me!) It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful!

I have three children, one of which is married, so i am a mother-in-law as well. The married son is out of college and it gainfully employed (YAY!), one is in college and my daughter is a junior in high school....yep, the nest is quickly getting emptier! We have a dachsund named Aggie, who is 10 years old. He'd LOVE to be a king!
I've lived in this house for ten years, nearly eleven and still have things I want to do, or to change in this house. It may not be our house forever, so we are sort of biding our time for now. We did re-do our kitchen right after Hurricane Ike threw a tree through our roof. You can read about that here and here! While a little scary and a lot inconvenient, it sure was nice to get a new kitchen out of the deal!
So tell me a little about yourself...

OH, and one thing I wanted to tell ya'll regarding being unable to comment on some of my fav. blogs.......it does seem to have to do with my new laptop, but in looking around on the settings of my own blog, I discovered that you can go to Settings, then to comments, then look at the line item "Comment Form Placement".... I changed mine today to Pop UP page, the middle item, and lo and behold, my friend So Blessed over at New Day, New Season, was able to comment for the first time in a long time. So I would recommend that you all check that item on your blog and change it if you aren't already using that feature. You may even get more comments that way!!! We all love comment love, do we not??????
so go on down and take the stage, tell me a little about yourself. I was surprised how my gardening simple tips were appreciated, so maybe next week, I'll offer a few more. Have a totally terrific day, friends!!!

Simple gardening things I never learned in kindergarten

It's taken me years of trial and error to get some things right in the garden.....
I didn't grow up in a family that gardened....although my step-father now has a HUGE garden. He would sometimes have a small plot of vegetables in our backyard, but was never interested in flower gardening. I have very fond memories of my Granny's yard, and walking thru it as she described what was blooming....now SHE had a green thumb. But I was too young to pay too much attention to it...by the time I would have truly been interested in learning from her, she was gone to heaven. So as a young adult, it was a trial and error process. I remember pulling up a yard full of nut grass that someone had used like monkey grass and it had spread to cover almost the entire yard.....ewww..... I remember buying a home and eagerly waiting to see what spring would bring, and then deciding it was time to weed the flower beds, only to find out that I had been pulling out Louisiana phlox, mistaking it for weeds! A lone plant slipped thru and when I saw the pretty blue flowers and further examined the leaves, I discovered it was the same "weed" that I had cleared the bed of already.......sigh. Louisiana phlox is the most beautiful color blue flower, and one of my favorites now.
Anyway, I've learned a few things that I thought I'd pass on to any newbies that might need/want a little guidance. For any experienced gardeners, you'll find this blog post full of elementary gardening thoughts, that I'm certain you'll think are just "givens" in the world of gardening. But since I know from experience what it feels like to be a beginner, I thought I'd share.
First off, I'll say the gardening books, brochures and the internet are your best friends in learning how to garden. But take it a few steps at a time. I'm writing this post with the assumption that you have the foundational plants already in place as I have had done when it came to flower gardening in the homes I've lived in. That is a post in itself if you have no landscaping whatsoever already in place. Foundational landscaping is essential, not only for the beauty of your home, but in maintaining the soil levels around your foundation of your home. They keep the soil from washing away and causing foundation damage.
What I want to concentrate on is just placing a few perennials and annuals around the yard for beautification purposes.
So in trying to decide what to plant to make your yard look OH.SO. PRETTY.......it's called curb appeal. You want your house to look from the street like it's well cared for, like it's an inviting place to come, especially if you are trying to sell. If you don't have your home on the market, my guess is that someone on your street does, and having your yard look nice reflects pride of ownership and WILL affect the kind of neighbors that you want to have living near you!
I will give you three steps to finding out what to plant in your yard for maximum curb appeal.
1) Take a drive.......which yards catch your attention? What do they have planted in their yards? Which colors draw your eye to the yard? Take some pics if you want and when you come home, you'll be able to remember what you saw that you liked, which flowerbed shapes you liked, what elements of design were used that you liked, etc. Chances are that if you see the same kinds of flowers flourishing over and over again, they may be a good choice for you. This means that they must be fairly hearty to your area and a good choice.
2) What kinds of light does the area you want to plant in get? Is it mostly in the shade or does it get full sun all day? There are differing needs for plants and you don't want to plant a shade loving plant in an area that gets full sun....it won't last long! Some different textures are good, too, like having some spikey plants and some larger leaf plants to contrast. Taller plants are good for the back border and shorter mounds of flowers are good for the front.
3) Plant for punch.......it's better to have a large area of one kind/color of plant than to have five different types/colors of one plant all grouped together.....as you drove around, my guess is the places that were most appealing had large mounds of flowers that caught your attention. You can see that from the street, whereas having five different flowers/colors probably can't be seen from the street as well.
Well, I hope I haven't overwhelmed you....planting flowers does take some thought out planning. Without planning, you might be disappointed and lose a few dollars. But as I did, sometimes the trial and error of planting is an educational investment. I've spent a few dollars in my lifetime finding that something doesn't work well in my area, or is too high maintenance for me.....feel free to ask any questions if you want further help. These are just some very basic considerations to take into account when starting out gardening. It is a fun and beautiful hobby!

Simple gardening things I never learned in kindergarten

It's taken me years of trial and error to get some things right in the garden.....
I didn't grow up in a family that gardened....although my step-father now has a HUGE garden. He would sometimes have a small plot of vegetables in our backyard, but was never interested in flower gardening. I have very fond memories of my Granny's yard, and walking thru it as she described what was blooming....now SHE had a green thumb. But I was too young to pay too much attention to it...by the time I would have truly been interested in learning from her, she was gone to heaven. So as a young adult, it was a trial and error process. I remember pulling up a yard full of nut grass that someone had used like monkey grass and it had spread to cover almost the entire yard.....ewww..... I remember buying a home and eagerly waiting to see what spring would bring, and then deciding it was time to weed the flower beds, only to find out that I had been pulling out Louisiana phlox, mistaking it for weeds! A lone plant slipped thru and when I saw the pretty blue flowers and further examined the leaves, I discovered it was the same "weed" that I had cleared the bed of already.......sigh. Louisiana phlox is the most beautiful color blue flower, and one of my favorites now.
Anyway, I've learned a few things that I thought I'd pass on to any newbies that might need/want a little guidance. For any experienced gardeners, you'll find this blog post full of elementary gardening thoughts, that I'm certain you'll think are just "givens" in the world of gardening. But since I know from experience what it feels like to be a beginner, I thought I'd share.
First off, I'll say the gardening books, brochures and the internet are your best friends in learning how to garden. But take it a few steps at a time. I'm writing this post with the assumption that you have the foundational plants already in place as I have had done when it came to flower gardening in the homes I've lived in. That is a post in itself if you have no landscaping whatsoever already in place. Foundational landscaping is essential, not only for the beauty of your home, but in maintaining the soil levels around your foundation of your home. They keep the soil from washing away and causing foundation damage.
What I want to concentrate on is just placing a few perennials and annuals around the yard for beautification purposes.
So in trying to decide what to plant to make your yard look OH.SO. PRETTY.......it's called curb appeal. You want your house to look from the street like it's well cared for, like it's an inviting place to come, especially if you are trying to sell. If you don't have your home on the market, my guess is that someone on your street does, and having your yard look nice reflects pride of ownership and WILL affect the kind of neighbors that you want to have living near you!
I will give you three steps to finding out what to plant in your yard for maximum curb appeal.
1) Take a drive.......which yards catch your attention? What do they have planted in their yards? Which colors draw your eye to the yard? Take some pics if you want and when you come home, you'll be able to remember what you saw that you liked, which flowerbed shapes you liked, what elements of design were used that you liked, etc. Chances are that if you see the same kinds of flowers flourishing over and over again, they may be a good choice for you. This means that they must be fairly hearty to your area and a good choice.
2) What kinds of light does the area you want to plant in get? Is it mostly in the shade or does it get full sun all day? There are differing needs for plants and you don't want to plant a shade loving plant in an area that gets full sun....it won't last long! Some different textures are good, too, like having some spikey plants and some larger leaf plants to contrast. Taller plants are good for the back border and shorter mounds of flowers are good for the front.
3) Plant for punch.......it's better to have a large area of one kind/color of plant than to have five different types/colors of one plant all grouped together.....as you drove around, my guess is the places that were most appealing had large mounds of flowers that caught your attention. You can see that from the street, whereas having five different flowers/colors probably can't be seen from the street as well.
Well, I hope I haven't overwhelmed you....planting flowers does take some thought out planning. Without planning, you might be disappointed and lose a few dollars. But as I did, sometimes the trial and error of planting is an educational investment. I've spent a few dollars in my lifetime finding that something doesn't work well in my area, or is too high maintenance for me.....feel free to ask any questions if you want further help. These are just some very basic considerations to take into account when starting out gardening. It is a fun and beautiful hobby!

I tried uploading some new pics of my gardening efforts with my daughter's camera and my new laptop......um, I need technical support. Not only did ALL THE RAIN threaten to wash away my newly laid mulch and threaten to drown my newly placed baby begonias, but now my techno skillz are showing themselves to be insufficient!!! imagine that......

I've been catching up with all my blogger friends and it seems everyone has projects going on, many of them having to do with weeds and mulch! Hello, spring! So I'll be doing a post tomorrow, perhaps, about some basic gardening things......like how to choose which flowers to go where, how many, etc. I'm timely if nothing else makes me relevant! LOL.

Today I am spending time with a friend who is battling cancer. She is taking some radiation treatments downtown, so I will drive her down there, hoping all the WATER has cleared by now, and hoping that the gray skies don't dump more before we return. There are so many people in the Houston area with water in their homes, roads totally flooded out, etc. After her treatment, she and I plan a little stop at my fav....Hobby Lobby. She asked me to help her decorate the tops of her kitchen cabinets.......so that will be fun.

I'll be back with the results! Ya'll have a wonderful Wednesday!

Suzanne

I tried uploading some new pics of my gardening efforts with my daughter's camera and my new laptop......um, I need technical support. Not only did ALL THE RAIN threaten to wash away my newly laid mulch and threaten to drown my newly placed baby begonias, but now my techno skillz are showing themselves to be insufficient!!! imagine that......

I've been catching up with all my blogger friends and it seems everyone has projects going on, many of them having to do with weeds and mulch! Hello, spring! So I'll be doing a post tomorrow, perhaps, about some basic gardening things......like how to choose which flowers to go where, how many, etc. I'm timely if nothing else makes me relevant! LOL.

Today I am spending time with a friend who is battling cancer. She is taking some radiation treatments downtown, so I will drive her down there, hoping all the WATER has cleared by now, and hoping that the gray skies don't dump more before we return. There are so many people in the Houston area with water in their homes, roads totally flooded out, etc. After her treatment, she and I plan a little stop at my fav....Hobby Lobby. She asked me to help her decorate the tops of her kitchen cabinets.......so that will be fun.

I'll be back with the results! Ya'll have a wonderful Wednesday!

Suzanne

A new day, a new week..........

If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you'll recognize these adorable faces. In fact, you can read more about them at The Howell Quints. It's an amazing story.......I go and see them every Monday......I am one of many volunteers (maybe the only one who blogs about my blessing!) who have seen these amazing babies grow from 2 and 3 lbs. each to currently crawling and pulling up and learning to eat solid food, etc. To think that some doctors encouraged them to "selectively reduce" the number of babies in Ellen's womb....hmm, which one would NOT make this picture complete???? I shudder at the thought!! I admire all that she went thru to honor the sanctity of life, to put her own health at risk, to honor the gift given them by God. What brave, brave parents! And it's such a blessing to be able to help care for these little people.

Some other news for this Monday I wanted to mention in case anyone else is having this problem, which I'd like to get to the bottom of.......in the case of blogs (some dear blog friends!) whose comment box is listed right underneath the content of the blog, rather than having a link to a different page.....well, I am unable to post a comment on these blogs. It's a relatively new problem, and I wonder if anyone else is experiencing this? They are all blogger blogs, I think, but they don't seem to recognize my blogger account when I try to post a comment. Other blogs that have a "Post a Comment" link to another page, I have no problem with. Some of the blogs I normally read and comment on that I now am unable to are: Lisa at Hospitable Pursuits, Jill at Controlling My Chaos, and New Day, New Season blog....these are just a couple I've noticed. If you have any insight into this, please, please leave a comment......and if I've not been leaving comments on your blogs, it's because I've been prevented. I am still a reader!

I was able last week to get the front yard all into beautiful shape, with no more weeds, some fresh annuals, and some brand spanking new mulch. I'll show pics in a few days. It's so nice to pull into the driveway with a refreshed front yard! Now this week, I hope to tackle the back.......it's a little more intense work. I started last week, and there were actually brambles in some of the flower beds!!! Egads!!! Our property at one time was a large pecan orchard, so it can revert to it's natural overgrown state pretty quickly if left untended.......what can I use to prevent them from coming back, my gardening friends??? So I'll be taming the back yard most of this week. It's a jungle out there! :)
Hope you have a fabulous Monday...I know mine will be filled with happy babies!

Suzanne
.

A new day, a new week..........

If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you'll recognize these adorable faces. In fact, you can read more about them at The Howell Quints. It's an amazing story.......I go and see them every Monday......I am one of many volunteers (maybe the only one who blogs about my blessing!) who have seen these amazing babies grow from 2 and 3 lbs. each to currently crawling and pulling up and learning to eat solid food, etc. To think that some doctors encouraged them to "selectively reduce" the number of babies in Ellen's womb....hmm, which one would NOT make this picture complete???? I shudder at the thought!! I admire all that she went thru to honor the sanctity of life, to put her own health at risk, to honor the gift given them by God. What brave, brave parents! And it's such a blessing to be able to help care for these little people.

Some other news for this Monday I wanted to mention in case anyone else is having this problem, which I'd like to get to the bottom of.......in the case of blogs (some dear blog friends!) whose comment box is listed right underneath the content of the blog, rather than having a link to a different page.....well, I am unable to post a comment on these blogs. It's a relatively new problem, and I wonder if anyone else is experiencing this? They are all blogger blogs, I think, but they don't seem to recognize my blogger account when I try to post a comment. Other blogs that have a "Post a Comment" link to another page, I have no problem with. Some of the blogs I normally read and comment on that I now am unable to are: Lisa at Hospitable Pursuits, Jill at Controlling My Chaos, and New Day, New Season blog....these are just a couple I've noticed. If you have any insight into this, please, please leave a comment......and if I've not been leaving comments on your blogs, it's because I've been prevented. I am still a reader!

I was able last week to get the front yard all into beautiful shape, with no more weeds, some fresh annuals, and some brand spanking new mulch. I'll show pics in a few days. It's so nice to pull into the driveway with a refreshed front yard! Now this week, I hope to tackle the back.......it's a little more intense work. I started last week, and there were actually brambles in some of the flower beds!!! Egads!!! Our property at one time was a large pecan orchard, so it can revert to it's natural overgrown state pretty quickly if left untended.......what can I use to prevent them from coming back, my gardening friends??? So I'll be taming the back yard most of this week. It's a jungle out there! :)
Hope you have a fabulous Monday...I know mine will be filled with happy babies!

Suzanne
.

If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation.......

Don't you love spring, and the blossoming of creation??? Have a blessed day, my friends.

If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation.......

Don't you love spring, and the blossoming of creation??? Have a blessed day, my friends.

up to my knees in mulch, but oh so thankful......

I've been so busy at the SI Casa, cleaning out flowerbeds and getting mulch in them......and now I'm working on getting some flowers in there........it rained cats and dogs last night, so as long as the rain didn't wash all my mulch away, I'll be outside this morning putting in the flowers......some begonias, some white impatiens, some sage, and some moss rose. As the Mister said, it's beginning to look like someone lives here again! Somebody actually cares and such. This one's for you, honey!
Oh, and look at the sweet award Lisa from Hospitable Pursuits gave me! She's a real sweetie and has a precious heart. I tried to comment on her blog to leave a not of thanks, but for some reason, I couldn't post a comment. I'll try again later, but Lisa, please know that I am thankful for such an award. And I'm supposed to nominate ten of my fav. blogs.....well, considering that I have several more than ten on my own bloglist, that can't be hard! Or it could because ya'll are all my favorite. But I will attempt to name some of the lesser known blogs so that ya'll can find out some other great blogs that I enjoy!
Donna from Designs on 47th Street ( a Southern belle up north!)
Paula from Sweet Pea (cutie pie athlete)
Amanda from Serenity Now (great writer!)
Cathy from CathysOut JunkinAgain (beautiful ideas!)
Robin from AlabamaSlacker Mom (she's out being racey????)
Bella from Southern Somedays ( a true southern belle!)
Renee from Add More Chocolate (my IRL friend, who is oh so smart!)
Melinda from Tales from an Empty Nest ( a real sweetheart I am thankful to know)

Darlene from Darlene's Days (a girl on the go, with a good blog!)
Jill from Controlling My Chaos (sarcastic wit that keeps me rolling....)
Miz Designer from Domestic Designer (oh, so fancy home domestic engineer!)
New Day, New Season, because I'm old and can't remember her name but she is precious and you need to go on over and check her out!!!! :)

Now since you haven't anything else to do, go check these girls out, and tell them I sent you, and get to work on your nominations.....that's how the blog world rolls, and how we find out about all those great blogs that you may know about but I haven't yet found!!! Take care and I'll be back with pics of my mulch and flowers!!!

Suzanne

And OH MY!! I went over ten, but I love these blogs, and I can do what I want since it's my own blog, right??? I don't like to skimp...:)
to those of you who I couldn't comment on, I'll keep trying. It seems that Melinda's and Jill's blog won't let me leave a comment, so go on over and tell them I can't and to come by and grab the button, will you please???? Thanks ever so much!

up to my knees in mulch, but oh so thankful......

I've been so busy at the SI Casa, cleaning out flowerbeds and getting mulch in them......and now I'm working on getting some flowers in there........it rained cats and dogs last night, so as long as the rain didn't wash all my mulch away, I'll be outside this morning putting in the flowers......some begonias, some white impatiens, some sage, and some moss rose. As the Mister said, it's beginning to look like someone lives here again! Somebody actually cares and such. This one's for you, honey!
Oh, and look at the sweet award Lisa from Hospitable Pursuits gave me! She's a real sweetie and has a precious heart. I tried to comment on her blog to leave a not of thanks, but for some reason, I couldn't post a comment. I'll try again later, but Lisa, please know that I am thankful for such an award. And I'm supposed to nominate ten of my fav. blogs.....well, considering that I have several more than ten on my own bloglist, that can't be hard! Or it could because ya'll are all my favorite. But I will attempt to name some of the lesser known blogs so that ya'll can find out some other great blogs that I enjoy!
Donna from Designs on 47th Street ( a Southern belle up north!)
Paula from Sweet Pea (cutie pie athlete)
Amanda from Serenity Now (great writer!)
Cathy from CathysOut JunkinAgain (beautiful ideas!)
Robin from AlabamaSlacker Mom (she's out being racey????)
Bella from Southern Somedays ( a true southern belle!)
Renee from Add More Chocolate (my IRL friend, who is oh so smart!)
Melinda from Tales from an Empty Nest ( a real sweetheart I am thankful to know)

Darlene from Darlene's Days (a girl on the go, with a good blog!)
Jill from Controlling My Chaos (sarcastic wit that keeps me rolling....)
Miz Designer from Domestic Designer (oh, so fancy home domestic engineer!)
New Day, New Season, because I'm old and can't remember her name but she is precious and you need to go on over and check her out!!!! :)

Now since you haven't anything else to do, go check these girls out, and tell them I sent you, and get to work on your nominations.....that's how the blog world rolls, and how we find out about all those great blogs that you may know about but I haven't yet found!!! Take care and I'll be back with pics of my mulch and flowers!!!

Suzanne

And OH MY!! I went over ten, but I love these blogs, and I can do what I want since it's my own blog, right??? I don't like to skimp...:)
to those of you who I couldn't comment on, I'll keep trying. It seems that Melinda's and Jill's blog won't let me leave a comment, so go on over and tell them I can't and to come by and grab the button, will you please???? Thanks ever so much!

slight attention deficit problem......

I must be the spaciest girl alive....ok, probably not..I can think of a few that are stalked by the papparazi that could win the race if there was one....not that I would even make the cut on that one!
So, I have about fifteen or forty five projects going on. And yes, ahem, cleaning qualifies for a project in my world. I did work on the front flower beds yesterday and two out of three of them (even if they are the smaller ones) are done.......and ready for some spring, or yep, summer plants and a round of mulch. I know, I probably should have mulched already, but I always wait for the oak leaves to fall before I mulch so that they don't land all over my fresh mulch. I hate that. I will however, have to bite my tongue when the pecan doodads start falling on my newly installed mulch. I love pristine mulch.....what, you think I'm a little ocd, too??? Could be. No, that's too much work! Anyhoo, I'll be getting a few new plants to put out, too......BUT I did see that my mandevilla that I bought last year and truly thought had suffered its overdose of neglect.....is BLOOMING! It's a beaut.......cherry red flowers, all four of them!! And my daylilies in front are budding and blooming, too.....again, a nice shade of red. Plus there is the lone hibiscus that looks so,so pretty when it sports a bloom. So now, the bed full of weeds and overgrown fern are hardly noticeable because everyone's looking at my five red flowers and one pink one! um-hum, THAT Stunning, folks.

Other news....the office/guest room. I'm just getting around to it. It really needs a total overhaul. It's not calm and peaceful like I desire. It's full of STUFF......sigh. and nothing matches...I'd love it to look like a Pottery Barn page; I'd love it to look kind of girly, kind of cottagey, kind of clean and peaceful. BUT I work in here, and have lots of stuff for said work. I need an intervention, an extreme makeover of sorts. What's a lazy, fun-loving girl to do????
And I don't even want to show pics, too embarrassing.....so I'll paint one for you with words.....the room is blue, courtesy of when my daughter actually lived in here. Suffice it to say, the blue is not quite the color I 'd like it to be, but I've lived with it. AND there is a Cargo single bunk bed in here. I've been dying to paint that....it could be cute. OR I've thought of making a slipcover for the headboard. Then there's the large desk that hubby has had forever!!! and I'd love to get rid of......hmmm....but it holds a lot of stuff that would otherwise be homeless. And lastly there's a blue file cabinet....old one, that we painted blue when blue was in. So, you can see my dilemna.......I would love to just start over. I need an armoire I think to house things, like business catalogs, extra products, brochures, etc. I might even put my craft goodies in there......oh, dear...I feel that overwhelming sense of frustration coming over me.....that flings me right into the state of procrastination....anyone joining me there in that state????
All this leads me to the decision that the flower bed is my next project to tackle......at least I know it's doable in a few hours and will leave me with a sense of accomplishment, even though it may accompany a back ache......
If you are still reading at this point, I must confess that I was feeling a lack of blogging inspiration today...so this is what you got.....a lot of babble. It's where I talked myself into tackling the front flower bed, and that in itself may lead to a blog post about the flower beds, so that can't be a bad thing. If you are still reading, please accept my apologies for rambling......geez, I at least need a good picture to leave you feeling inspired. I think that's what I intended to .....can't remember. see you later, and have a great day.

slight attention deficit problem......

I must be the spaciest girl alive....ok, probably not..I can think of a few that are stalked by the papparazi that could win the race if there was one....not that I would even make the cut on that one!
So, I have about fifteen or forty five projects going on. And yes, ahem, cleaning qualifies for a project in my world. I did work on the front flower beds yesterday and two out of three of them (even if they are the smaller ones) are done.......and ready for some spring, or yep, summer plants and a round of mulch. I know, I probably should have mulched already, but I always wait for the oak leaves to fall before I mulch so that they don't land all over my fresh mulch. I hate that. I will however, have to bite my tongue when the pecan doodads start falling on my newly installed mulch. I love pristine mulch.....what, you think I'm a little ocd, too??? Could be. No, that's too much work! Anyhoo, I'll be getting a few new plants to put out, too......BUT I did see that my mandevilla that I bought last year and truly thought had suffered its overdose of neglect.....is BLOOMING! It's a beaut.......cherry red flowers, all four of them!! And my daylilies in front are budding and blooming, too.....again, a nice shade of red. Plus there is the lone hibiscus that looks so,so pretty when it sports a bloom. So now, the bed full of weeds and overgrown fern are hardly noticeable because everyone's looking at my five red flowers and one pink one! um-hum, THAT Stunning, folks.

Other news....the office/guest room. I'm just getting around to it. It really needs a total overhaul. It's not calm and peaceful like I desire. It's full of STUFF......sigh. and nothing matches...I'd love it to look like a Pottery Barn page; I'd love it to look kind of girly, kind of cottagey, kind of clean and peaceful. BUT I work in here, and have lots of stuff for said work. I need an intervention, an extreme makeover of sorts. What's a lazy, fun-loving girl to do????
And I don't even want to show pics, too embarrassing.....so I'll paint one for you with words.....the room is blue, courtesy of when my daughter actually lived in here. Suffice it to say, the blue is not quite the color I 'd like it to be, but I've lived with it. AND there is a Cargo single bunk bed in here. I've been dying to paint that....it could be cute. OR I've thought of making a slipcover for the headboard. Then there's the large desk that hubby has had forever!!! and I'd love to get rid of......hmmm....but it holds a lot of stuff that would otherwise be homeless. And lastly there's a blue file cabinet....old one, that we painted blue when blue was in. So, you can see my dilemna.......I would love to just start over. I need an armoire I think to house things, like business catalogs, extra products, brochures, etc. I might even put my craft goodies in there......oh, dear...I feel that overwhelming sense of frustration coming over me.....that flings me right into the state of procrastination....anyone joining me there in that state????
All this leads me to the decision that the flower bed is my next project to tackle......at least I know it's doable in a few hours and will leave me with a sense of accomplishment, even though it may accompany a back ache......
If you are still reading at this point, I must confess that I was feeling a lack of blogging inspiration today...so this is what you got.....a lot of babble. It's where I talked myself into tackling the front flower bed, and that in itself may lead to a blog post about the flower beds, so that can't be a bad thing. If you are still reading, please accept my apologies for rambling......geez, I at least need a good picture to leave you feeling inspired. I think that's what I intended to .....can't remember. see you later, and have a great day.

Tuesday's totally terrific and tasty topics......unwrapping the day!

Love recipes? Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam is hosting Tasty Tuesday today. Ya'll remember my penchant for alliteration, yes? smile.......I'll be posting a recipe to link to her Tasty Tuesday post, for your tasting enjoyment. ***** See Recipe for Mr. Goodbars below******

Some totally terrific Tuesday giveaways........check these out!

April at Straight from the Heart......featuring a giveaway of a design from Noelle Orozco Designs......a really cute necklace that she is going to pick me to win!! again, smile.......

Then there's a giveaway on Mrs. G's blog, Life at Home, some BEE-U-TEE-FUL wine glasses!

Another two-hundreth post Tuesday terrific giveaway is over at Shabby Nest.........win yourself a numbered pillow. CUTE!!! Go by and see Wendy and enter right now.....

Another totally cool Tuesday topic is at Chatting at the Sky.....she's hosting Tuesdays unwrapped. What gift of celebrating the small things will you unwrap for yourself today? Check out what others have to say about this topic! It's Tuesday ya'll, so celebrate! I'll be posting more about this later, as I share with ya'll how I spend my Mondays......it's a celebration every week for me, visiting these guys: The Howell Quintuplets!

So here's a tasty recipe that I just whipped up yesterday afternoon when my daughter wanted to take something to FCA with her. Yep, it was last minute, but I didn't mind because it is SO easy.

****Mr. Goodbars*****

2 c. flour
1 c. oatmeal
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. chopped nuts
1 c. choc. chips
1 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 c. oil
3 eggs

Mix all dry ingredients together. Mix eggs and oil, then add to the dry ingredients. Mix well. Spread in jelly roll pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Enjoy!!!


And lastly wear orange today and pray for Stellan. If you haven't been following this little guy's story, you'll be enthralled at the journey and want to spend the day catching up on it. He's having surgery this morning and it's wear orange day in honor of him and to remember to pray for him........





check back often for updates on Stellan's condition! Keep praying!!!

Tuesday's totally terrific and tasty topics......unwrapping the day!

Love recipes? Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam is hosting Tasty Tuesday today. Ya'll remember my penchant for alliteration, yes? smile.......I'll be posting a recipe to link to her Tasty Tuesday post, for your tasting enjoyment. ***** See Recipe for Mr. Goodbars below******

Some totally terrific Tuesday giveaways........check these out!

April at Straight from the Heart......featuring a giveaway of a design from Noelle Orozco Designs......a really cute necklace that she is going to pick me to win!! again, smile.......

Then there's a giveaway on Mrs. G's blog, Life at Home, some BEE-U-TEE-FUL wine glasses!

Another two-hundreth post Tuesday terrific giveaway is over at Shabby Nest.........win yourself a numbered pillow. CUTE!!! Go by and see Wendy and enter right now.....

Another totally cool Tuesday topic is at Chatting at the Sky.....she's hosting Tuesdays unwrapped. What gift of celebrating the small things will you unwrap for yourself today? Check out what others have to say about this topic! It's Tuesday ya'll, so celebrate! I'll be posting more about this later, as I share with ya'll how I spend my Mondays......it's a celebration every week for me, visiting these guys: The Howell Quintuplets!

So here's a tasty recipe that I just whipped up yesterday afternoon when my daughter wanted to take something to FCA with her. Yep, it was last minute, but I didn't mind because it is SO easy.

****Mr. Goodbars*****

2 c. flour
1 c. oatmeal
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. chopped nuts
1 c. choc. chips
1 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 c. oil
3 eggs

Mix all dry ingredients together. Mix eggs and oil, then add to the dry ingredients. Mix well. Spread in jelly roll pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Enjoy!!!


And lastly wear orange today and pray for Stellan. If you haven't been following this little guy's story, you'll be enthralled at the journey and want to spend the day catching up on it. He's having surgery this morning and it's wear orange day in honor of him and to remember to pray for him........





check back often for updates on Stellan's condition! Keep praying!!!

Saturday report....

Hey look, no piles......ok, this is NOT my house, and these are NOT my floors, but it is a fabulous illustration of the removal of piles, is it not??? LOL.....
my efforts were somewhat successful, although a few of you bemoaned the fact that I made you feel guilty in my zealous efforts!!! I tackled everything but my office (next week!) and the tile floors. I need to scrub the kitchen floor but I have delayed it because I may have to
build one of these instead.....

it is raining folks.....I mean really raining. And we are going on a road trip....It is parent's weekend at my son's college and we are going for the afternoon. We may need this to make our return! So have a great day and enjoy whatever you are doing. At this rate the one good thing all this rain will do for me is to make the ground soft so that all the weeds I need to pull out of my flowerbeds this coming week....will be a cinch. Yes, that's a positive spin, wouldn't you say???

Saturday report....

Hey look, no piles......ok, this is NOT my house, and these are NOT my floors, but it is a fabulous illustration of the removal of piles, is it not??? LOL.....
my efforts were somewhat successful, although a few of you bemoaned the fact that I made you feel guilty in my zealous efforts!!! I tackled everything but my office (next week!) and the tile floors. I need to scrub the kitchen floor but I have delayed it because I may have to
build one of these instead.....

it is raining folks.....I mean really raining. And we are going on a road trip....It is parent's weekend at my son's college and we are going for the afternoon. We may need this to make our return! So have a great day and enjoy whatever you are doing. At this rate the one good thing all this rain will do for me is to make the ground soft so that all the weeds I need to pull out of my flowerbeds this coming week....will be a cinch. Yes, that's a positive spin, wouldn't you say???

Still at work.....

So how is YOUR unpiling going??? I'm still at work on mine, making progress and celebrating the small victories!!!

So far, I've cleaned out the refrigerator and the freezer, made a diaper cake for a baby shower tonight, cleaned out my closet and tackled all the piles in the master bedroom......oh, and dusted! So today I need to muck out the master bathroom (yep, it's that bad! LOL.....) and vacuum. Then I have to make a dessert for tonight (fruit pizza anyone?) and start on the office.....ugh. So, come on girls, say it with me:

Let me know how YOUR progress is going! Take care and have a fully inspirational day full of progress!!!

Still at work.....

So how is YOUR unpiling going??? I'm still at work on mine, making progress and celebrating the small victories!!!

So far, I've cleaned out the refrigerator and the freezer, made a diaper cake for a baby shower tonight, cleaned out my closet and tackled all the piles in the master bedroom......oh, and dusted! So today I need to muck out the master bathroom (yep, it's that bad! LOL.....) and vacuum. Then I have to make a dessert for tonight (fruit pizza anyone?) and start on the office.....ugh. So, come on girls, say it with me:

Let me know how YOUR progress is going! Take care and have a fully inspirational day full of progress!!!

Needs some attention!!!!!

Remember recently I had put out my own personal APB for a fairy???? Well, oh, dear I think I've managed to find the WRONG one!!!! She apparantly snuck in while I wasn't watching and has been at work, enabling piles to accumulate in several areas.......and remember that I said yesterday that I cannot find my camera cable so that I can use my newly enabled old camera to snag some oh.so.inspirational photos of things going on in the SI Casa......well, I think she has hidden it under one of the PILES!!!

So my mission is at hand....I cannot but choose to take it, if I want to continue in my mission to be a blogger. I've felt a small, um, (ever growing) blog block coming on and I think it is growing in proportion to the number of growing piles in my living space. Yep, so gotta run take care of that....because I know that under one of those piles is 1) said camera cable and 2) some blogger inspiration! In case you didn't know, blog inspiration HIDES...yep, in places unknown such as piles of clutter laying around your home and mine. Cluttered life + cluttered thoughts = less than or equal to no bloggy inspiration!! What does that inspire you to do other than move on to another blog???? :)



So, now it's clear how this applies to me....gotta find that camera cable, gotta find that bloggy inspiration. I think I may find it under the piles. I am a good detective, no? So I'm going to don my cute little apron like June Cleaver and go tackle a few piles, clean out the refrigerator, maybe uncover a few science experiments in there! egads....and come back tomorrow with my camera cable and my newly inspired inspiration......are you in??? DO join me...and come back and tell me what piles YOU uncovered! Are you up to the challenge??? Should we make this a TRUE blogging par-tay?????
Let me know in the comments.

Needs some attention!!!!!

Remember recently I had put out my own personal APB for a fairy???? Well, oh, dear I think I've managed to find the WRONG one!!!! She apparantly snuck in while I wasn't watching and has been at work, enabling piles to accumulate in several areas.......and remember that I said yesterday that I cannot find my camera cable so that I can use my newly enabled old camera to snag some oh.so.inspirational photos of things going on in the SI Casa......well, I think she has hidden it under one of the PILES!!!

So my mission is at hand....I cannot but choose to take it, if I want to continue in my mission to be a blogger. I've felt a small, um, (ever growing) blog block coming on and I think it is growing in proportion to the number of growing piles in my living space. Yep, so gotta run take care of that....because I know that under one of those piles is 1) said camera cable and 2) some blogger inspiration! In case you didn't know, blog inspiration HIDES...yep, in places unknown such as piles of clutter laying around your home and mine. Cluttered life + cluttered thoughts = less than or equal to no bloggy inspiration!! What does that inspire you to do other than move on to another blog???? :)



So, now it's clear how this applies to me....gotta find that camera cable, gotta find that bloggy inspiration. I think I may find it under the piles. I am a good detective, no? So I'm going to don my cute little apron like June Cleaver and go tackle a few piles, clean out the refrigerator, maybe uncover a few science experiments in there! egads....and come back tomorrow with my camera cable and my newly inspired inspiration......are you in??? DO join me...and come back and tell me what piles YOU uncovered! Are you up to the challenge??? Should we make this a TRUE blogging par-tay?????
Let me know in the comments.

Tuesday is tasty and full of good intentions....

Even though I am (ahem) dieting today, I couldn't resist chiming in on Jen's Tasty Tuesday treats for tossing out temptation.......don't you love a little bit of alliteration???? :) Oh, she's over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.....
I thought today I was going to blog about my family room, and a sofa table I put to use, because today the Nester is talking about sofa tables and lamps.....BUT I am hampered by the fact that my camera cable is nowhere to be found. The Camera cable has collapsed my capers. ok, enough with the continuous consonants.....
The recipe I thought I'd share is my GO-TO recipe when I need to make a dessert in a flash....or two. It is even a no-bake recipe for those summer days when you dare NOT turn the oven on and challenge even the best of the best a/c units. So I give you No Bake Chocolate chip Cookie pie! It is from a Southern Living Cookbook, Easy Weeknight Favorites....and it is simple, even the kids can make it, if you trust them!

Prep time:7 minutes or so...
Chill: 8 hours

1 (15oz. or 18 oz.) pkg of chocolate chip cookies (I use Chips Ahoy)
1 c. milk
1 (9oz) commercial graham cracker crust (extra serving size or deep dish)
1 (8oz) container of frozen whipped topping, thawed

Dip 8 cookies in milk, and place in a single layer in graham cracker crust. Top with one third of the whipped topping. Dip 8 more cookies in milk, and place on top; spread with one-third of whipped topping. Repeat with 8 more cookies, milk and remaining whipped topping. Crumble 2 or 3 cookies and sprinkle over surface of pie. cover and chill for 8 hours before serving. Serves 8.
For cookies, we used Nabisco Chunky chips Ahoy. You'll need 26 cookies for this recipe (you may have a couple leftover cookies from the package. What will YOU do with them?)

Tuesday is tasty and full of good intentions....

Even though I am (ahem) dieting today, I couldn't resist chiming in on Jen's Tasty Tuesday treats for tossing out temptation.......don't you love a little bit of alliteration???? :) Oh, she's over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.....
I thought today I was going to blog about my family room, and a sofa table I put to use, because today the Nester is talking about sofa tables and lamps.....BUT I am hampered by the fact that my camera cable is nowhere to be found. The Camera cable has collapsed my capers. ok, enough with the continuous consonants.....
The recipe I thought I'd share is my GO-TO recipe when I need to make a dessert in a flash....or two. It is even a no-bake recipe for those summer days when you dare NOT turn the oven on and challenge even the best of the best a/c units. So I give you No Bake Chocolate chip Cookie pie! It is from a Southern Living Cookbook, Easy Weeknight Favorites....and it is simple, even the kids can make it, if you trust them!

Prep time:7 minutes or so...
Chill: 8 hours

1 (15oz. or 18 oz.) pkg of chocolate chip cookies (I use Chips Ahoy)
1 c. milk
1 (9oz) commercial graham cracker crust (extra serving size or deep dish)
1 (8oz) container of frozen whipped topping, thawed

Dip 8 cookies in milk, and place in a single layer in graham cracker crust. Top with one third of the whipped topping. Dip 8 more cookies in milk, and place on top; spread with one-third of whipped topping. Repeat with 8 more cookies, milk and remaining whipped topping. Crumble 2 or 3 cookies and sprinkle over surface of pie. cover and chill for 8 hours before serving. Serves 8.
For cookies, we used Nabisco Chunky chips Ahoy. You'll need 26 cookies for this recipe (you may have a couple leftover cookies from the package. What will YOU do with them?)

I hope you and your family have a blessed Easter, resting in the fact that HE is risen and paid the penalty for your sins. As a result there is a mansion that HE has prepared for you waiting upon your arrival in heaven. You are secure in Him if you trust in Him as your Savior! Have a fabulous Sunday!
Suzanne

I hope you and your family have a blessed Easter, resting in the fact that HE is risen and paid the penalty for your sins. As a result there is a mansion that HE has prepared for you waiting upon your arrival in heaven. You are secure in Him if you trust in Him as your Savior! Have a fabulous Sunday!
Suzanne