Where did the day go?

I started to do a blog on Top 10 Tuesday around 7:30 this morning. Got sidetracked. Tried again. Strayed. Bottom line is I have 13 minutes to write this for it to be a Tuesday post. So guess what? It is going to be short and sweet about getting distracted. 

I wanted to post this because it is cute and that is how I am. Mention "going...." and my car can be packed in 15 minutes. 

I am going on a beach trip pretty soon with a friend and can't wake. It's a big joke around work that when we have a rough day somebody is always ready to go to the beach. There's about four of us that would probably actually do a trip together if just one of us picked a date and said we are going. 

Well, I did manage to get a post in today....despite the fact that I have had a hectic, crazy day. Now it is late. I'm cold. I'm hungry. Guess I'll try to post earlier tomorrow. Hope you had a great Tuesday.

Happy birthday, Shelby

My youngest granddaughter has a birthday today. She is turning double digits. Happy 10th birthday to our wild child, Shelby Rayne. 

With a head full of curls and a mind full of mischief, we never know what to expect from her.

She can be sweet and kind with a smile that will melt your heart.

She can be a little movie star which she has said she is since she was about 3 years old.

She can give you the evil look which makes you worry about what she is plotting.

She has always been a fashionista and wanted to dress herself. Sometimes her Mom just goes with the flow. She says with a child like Shelby, you have to pick your battles. Her Mom refers to this as the "Peg Bundy" days.

When she gets in character, she gets in character.

She is one of a kind and you never know what to expect with her. But I wouldn't want her any other way.

Happy 10th birthday, baby girl. I hope you have a great day as you kiss 9 goodbye.

Sunday Scripture

These are just a few of my absolute favorite bible versus. The first one is probably my favorite and it is the one I answer with when people ask me how I can be so happy and optimistic all the time. My opinion is that God didn't put us here to be miserable. He didn't tell us to wait for the other shoe to drop. He tells us He is there with us and He will carry us through. Yes, I go through hard times. Bad things happen to me just like they do everybody else. But this one verse says it all. Learn to be content. I guess the old saying is true, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. I have tried that philosophy all my life and it is true. Be happy with what you are given. Yes, there are people who may be better off than you but there are people who would give anything to live the life you have. Keep that in mind.

Super excited

Oh my goodness y'all. I have a 3 day weekend!! This rarely happens. I am up early straightening up the house. I did my laundry last night because I want the next three days to be all FUN! Don't want to spend it armed with cleaning supplies.

Today, I am going to Turkey Creek Shopping Complex with my daughter. My granddaughter's birthday is coming up so there are party supplies and decorations to pick up. She has asked me to tag along and I am not about to say no. It is rare we get our mother-daughter time any more with the way my schedule is at work. I super excited. She is also wanting to stop in Michael's to look at fall decor. I'm going to take a peak at what Happy Planner's they are getting in for 2019 so I can put it on my Christmas wish list. 

When The Grands go back to school, I'm going to have some empty days ahead on my days off. I am going to do what I swear every year I'm going to do. I am going to make some crafts for the fall and some for Christmas. I need easy and fast items so I will stick to them. I also want to experiment on some simple things for my Children's Church craft time. While we are at Hobby Lobby today, I'm going to get some felt, pipe cleaners and beads to make a few things. I love working with felt. Me and Mommy used to make a lot of magnets and stuff out of felt when I was little. And it is so easy to sew. I'm going on vacation soon and like to take some small sewing craft projects for the evenings after we settle in our room. I pre-cut things and take them with me to work on at night. It relaxes me. This is just too stinkin' cute. I definitely want to try to make one of these. 

I need to have the church order a lot of stock on pipe cleaners and beads for the kids. They will love making these. One little girl is allergic to pipe cleaners, so I will find a soft wire of some sort for her to use.

These would be super simple and super cute for Christmas ornaments. I think we will put a small tree up in our Children's church class room and make some of these and some nativity crafts to decorate it with.

But first, I need to make some felt doilies and runners for fall. I have a chair that sets in the corner in my dining room. I want to do this for it. I love the idea. 

This was on my wish list for last year and I just didn't get around to it. I am going to this year. 

I guess you know I can't wait to go to the craft stores at Turkey Creek today. My daughter can get lost in the fall decor and I'll be lost in the felt.

It's going to be a fun today. Then tomorrow will be the Shelby's birthday party and Monday, I'm taking the three youngest Grands to Dollywood. Makes for an awesome 3 day weekend!

F.Y.I.

I love Pyrex. Every once in awhile I check eBay to see what the highest auction is at on vintage Pyrex bowls. Currently it is this pattern called Green Tree which I have never seen or heard of. The auction still has a couple of days left and it is already at $810. For just one bowl and a lid. And I think if somebody has a bowl priced at $20 that is expensive. I cannot imagine in my wildest dreams paying $810 for an old Bowl even as much as I love Pyrex.

The most I ever saw one go for on eBay was this one for $4,315.00. it's sold this past April with only four people bidding on it. That's just not crazy that is totally insane. Way too much money for one bowl.

Don't get me wrong, I think it is crazy for somebody to pay that kind of money for a kitchen bowl. but believe me if somebody wanted to pay me that kind of money for a bowl I sure would take it in a heartbeat. 

In a cookie mood...

I want some cookies. Some good homemade cookies. Something warm out of the oven, chewy and delicious. With a glass of ice cold milk. I don't want chocolate chip or peanut butter that is just a bag mix from the store. I want something home made. 

I love these orange cookies I make from my mother-in-law's recipe. But that makes 80 cookies and then you have to icing 80 cookies. It's an all day job. That's probably why I only make them at Christmas.

I had a recipe for ginger cookies. This was the first and only time I made them and they were so good, especially for fall and winter. But I have lost the recipe. So forget that idea.

These molasses cookies were good for something different, but after just a few of them I was over molasses cookies.

I could just make another lemon 7-up pound cake. This was the first and only bundt cake I ever made. It turned out magazine perfect in looks and was out of this world in taste but it was so perfect that I was afraid to ever try it again because I modified a pound cake and for the first and only time in my life I did the "little of this" and "little of that" with the lemon juice and Sprite and have no idea how I made it because I didn't write it down. But oh, was it good.

I may end up with just a mix and some good brownie cookies and chocolate chip oatmeal. We will just have to see what I decide. 

But whatever I do, I am making cookies this weekend.

Till the cows come home....

I live in a little subdivision of mobile homes. It is situated in a weird way. On the back of side of the subdivision is woods and a big field in front of my house. On the front side is a shopping complex with a Food City, Pizza Hut and Family Dollar. Add to that the fact that my entrance into it is angled across from a small garden and cow pasture. All at one house. So it is amusing what I see in the 360° around my house. 

The cornstalks in the little garden is starting to dry up some.

There are just a few cows in the yard. But this one always seems to enjoy laying under the tree. I call her Daisy. She was laying there when I went to the store the other day. You can see where the storms the day before blew some of the cornstalks into the yard. I don't call it a pasture because it is just a yard with a few cows and corn & tomato garden.

As I came back from the store, the one that is always with her (I call him Duke) was out there enjoying an unexpected delightful meal of cornstalks. 

Daisy was so content she never left her spot. But Duke sure was chowing down.

It was apparent these cows weren't going home any time soon. 

Things to look forward to....

August - December is my favorite time of year because there is so much to look forward to...

August is the launch of the new Thirty-One Fall Catalog which always makes me happy. I am starting to get some sneak peaks of a few of the new items. I am really loving the plaid.

I'm not normally an olive green person but I do love the bag with the striped flap.

I expect my daughter will buy herself something in the leopard print. She has loved that print forever. 

Sometime in August or September I always try to go to the beach. Since fall and winter is our busiest time at work, I need the late in the year vacation before the craziness starts. There is nothing more relaxing than sitting on the beach watching the waves come in and feeling the sand on your feet while you enjoy a good book.

I also love to start making crafts in September for all the fall holidays. I need something cute and different to make this year. I found this on Pinterest. Talk about super easy and super adorable. I don't believe I would put unwrapped candy in a spray painted ceramic flower pot, but that's just me. I just want to make them for decor purposes.

I think it would be cute to make some of these jack-o-lantern tin cans. Another easy to do craft. Though I can't figure why they painted them blue. I would do orange.

I am absolutely in love with this idea for mums. I would turn the non-face painted side around for fall and said these on my front porch steps. Then turn the face out closer to Halloween. I love these. 

This pretty wreath would be easy and fun. I would use it from fall through Thanksgiving. 

Simple and elegant Christmas wreath for my front door. I could do this. Plus it would be "flat" enough for my storm door not to hit it.

I have always wanted to do homemade Christmas gift tags. I love these. And lands knows I have enough buttons to do it.

And it's never too early to start a Christmas wish list. I had so much fun getting a new Happy Planner last year and I am still using it and loving it. I am starting to look at the 2019 ones. Last year I got the full size (8 x 11) I have loved it but it is so big and thick that carrying it with me is not feasible. So I want a smaller one this year. They make a 5 x 7 and that is going on my wish list, but haven't seen the pattern I want yet. But I did see a carrying case that will hold the planner, the sticker, and markers. I may just have to add this to my wish list. 

Well, I guess you can tell I am looking forward to the rest of the year. Have a great day.

Make me smile....

I love blues and pinks together. I love Pyrex. I love Pioneer Woman and I love place mats. And when I have all those things together in one spot and it equals fresh hot cinnamon rolls with ice cold milk, well....you just gotta smile. 

Sunday Peace

My sister, Rachel, caught the perfect picture of peace. This is her husband, Dale, and grandson, Cody. They were taking their kayaks out on the Ohio river. This picture speaks love between a grandparent and grandchild. It speaks peace to the soul with the calm waters in what is normally a rapidly flowing river. It speaks happiness because of the beautiful day they were blessed with. It speaks contentment because they cast their cares aside for this moment in time. It speaks of hope because they are excited about spending time together. It speaks of goodness because not everybody will take the one on one time to spend with someone they love. And it speaks of joy. How could you not believe that a pictures worth a thousand words when you look at this picture. 

My busy life....

My normal week consists of a 40+ work week. Thirty minutes drive time each way, shopping with friends, spending time with the grandchildren, working my Thirty-One business, preparing for my Children's Church class, shopping for supplies for children's church, searching for craft ideas on Pinterest, organizing my closets, cabinets or rooms whenever or wherever it is needed, working on my plastic canvas projects, grocery shopping, household supply shopping, antique shopping, laundry, cooking, cleaning, dishes, blogging, checking my Facebook and making my posts. Should I go on? I'm tired. And the storms keeping me up all night are not going to help me make it through the day. But I try to look for the good in things. So my "good" from all the loss of sleep last night was that I found some neat things to share on my blog today.

A great idea for centerpieces. However, how far can you stretch the balloon for it to slide easily up the bottle?? And thought the bow is pretty, I find it aggravating trying to tie a bow on a bottle much less one that has a lot of loops. But you know I am going to have to try this. LOL. 

Loving this. So simple. Even I could do this.

Oh my. I love tall skinny figurines. Always have. I have a couple of cats already and several Santa's. But these are vintage so I need to start watching. 

I love anything with old trucks because it brings back memories of my Uncle Charlie and of the time my hubby bought a 1968 Dodge back in 1982 or 83 that had been painted a deep orange with a paint brush. We paid $25.00 for it. Put a battery in, changed the oil and filled up with antifreeze. It ran perfectly for many years. It was his work truck.

Okay, this is so me. Even if you don't know me that well, you can probably figure out that yes this is so me.

My newest obsession is Little Debbie Birthday Cake lunch cakes. They grow great with chocolate ice cream (my before bed snack last night).

Be still my heart. Look at the cute little beehive salt & pepper shakers I got yesterday from my friend Amber.