Weekend wrap up

I love three day weekends. On my way to work Friday, I went by a friends yard sale and scored this adorable coffee cup with a rooster for just .25 cents.

On my way home from work, I stopped at my mailbox and realized that it was a beautiful view of the mountains so I stopped to capture the moment. A good sign that it would be a pretty weekend. 

When I checked the mail box, I found some Happy Mail. 

The Thirty-One package was an order for one of my friends, but the priority boxes were two Pyrex trades I made. I scored the spice casserole dish (a pattern I just found out even existed) and my 401 Colonial Mist mixing bowl. Just need the 404 to complete the mixing bowl set. But I need the white with blue version and I hear that is extremely hard to find.

Saturday,  I decided to try some Lemon Pound Cake Mini Muffins with Glaze. If you want the recipe, let me know and I'll post it later this week. Super simple but absolutely delicious. I took them to Sunday School the next morning for our brunch.

It made 96 mini muffins so I did keep some at home for me and hubby. I put a glaze on them using a spout bottle so the glaze was just drizzled on and went where it wanted.

That evening, I cut up the red, white, blue strips and punched out the little stars to make the sample and get things ready for our craft for Children's Church on Sunday. 

I got up Sunday and did myself a little patriotic manicure. It isn't perfect, but it turned out okay. I have a scrapbook heart hole punch so I punched out a heart on washi tape, taped it over the dry blue nail and painted white nail polish on the tape, covering the heart. When it dried, I gently peeled it off and wah-lah, a little white heart.

VBS decorating starts this week at church. Somehow I got myself talked in to designing and helping with the decorating of the sanctuary and main stage. Oh what have I gotten into. We do have some great ideas. I got started on a few things Sunday afternoon that need hand made. Like covering paper towel rolls with brown construction paper to make a "ladder" to the "tree house". I'll have to show you pics after all is said and done. We are doing a rock mountain, a water fall, clouds, a swinging bridge and lots of flowers and greenery. Our theme is Journey Off the Map.

Later Sunday afternoon, I decided I wanted to make a Swiss Chocolate Cinnamon cake with chocolate frosting. It was delicious. After that, I went to church and after church we moved the choir chairs off the stage and I was able to walk around to get a feel for where we would put the decorations for VBS. 

My friend Sherrie and I go shopping every Memorial Day if my hubby has to work, which he did this year. So we went to Turkey Creek in Knoxville. We had lunch at Steak and Shake, one of my favorite places to eat.

We went to the Dollar Tree and I got 8 plungers. Yes, that's right. I got EIGHT plungers. No I don't have a plumbing problem, but I did have a problem trying to figure out how to make pool noodles and relish trays stand upright. You'll understand better when we get the VBS decor done.

My favorite find of the day was the sitting hen that I have been looking for. I found her at Hobby Lobby. She was $29.99 and was repriced to $10.80. The cashier guy said he was confused on the sticker. He couldn't get it off to scan the bar code so he entered in manually and then let me use my 40% off coupon, because it didn't register as a sale item in the system. So I got the $29.99 hen for $6.48. SCORE!

After Hubby got home from work, we had a light supper and vegged out together to watch some TV. It was a great weekend.

Happy Memorial Day!

In loving memory of all those who have gone on before.

Sunday Song

My upside down life

When I was a little girl about 10 years old, I got an autograph book for Christmas. I remember Daddy writing in it something that I still think was funny today. He wrote "You must have been born upside down. Your nose runs and your feet smell." 

Over the years I have been such a contrast. I have been a tom boy, yet I have been the daintiest of little girls. I love running and playing while at the same time, I love frills and bubble baths. I love beautiful high heels and gorgeous dresses but I am just as happy in raggedy jean shorts, tank tops and barefoot.

When I was younger, I loved playing dolls and Barbies with my sister. We would build our "playhouse" and play with our dishes and mini appliances hours on end. But at the same time, some of my other fondest memories were me and Jack playing marbles, racing Matchbox cars or riding our invisible ponies all over the yard and hills at our house.

I loved make mud pies and playing baseball. I loved being outdoors. Whether we were running and playing, chasing lightning bugs, or simply laying on a blanket under the old oak tree reading a book.

I rarely remember wearing shoes when we were outside playing in the summertime. I remember walking up and down that old dirt road barefoot or in flip flops. I remember playing outside late at night. We lived out in the country where there were no street lights. Daddy had a couple of outside lights on the house, but we mostly played with just the sun going down and the moonlight coming out. I remember coming in the the blackest grungiest feet because I hadn't worn my shoes most of the day.

I remember being country before it was cool to be that way. Barefeet was just a way of life. Running around the hillsides was just a way of life. The "gang" from the ridge would always gather at somebodies house and there was always a mixture of boys and girls and we all got along great. No lines were drawn and nobody was left out because of their gender. We were all just "one of the gang." 

It's the big 40.

Wow. Forty years ago today the world of The Garretson family changed. My sister had a beautiful baby girl and became a Mom for the first time. My mom became a grandmother for the first time. And I became an Aunt for the first time.

Today, my precious niece, Christy Dawn turns the big 40. I can't believe it's been 40 years. She was our first baby in the family. I would "steal" her every chance I got and take her places or bring her home to stay all night. Here are some of my favorite pics of her growing up.

From the "no hair" days

Through the "baby fine" hair days....

...to the "finally has hair" days

...to the big hair days.

To the long hair beautiful hair days.

She is a true beauty in and out and I love her with all my heart. I hope you have a very happy birthday Christy. You still hold a piece of my heart and forever will. You were our first baby in the family and I love the fact that even after 40 years, you still remember to call and text me. 

Happy birthday, we love you.

A quick update....

Thank you everyone for the prayers for my friend with Cystic Fybrosis. It was touch and go for a couple of days, but with all the prayers across 7 states (that we know of), she had a quick turnaround and her levels started dropping back to a range the doctors felt safe with. She was returned to a regular room and after a couple of days she got to come home. Now to regain her strength and continue to improve. You can tell Momma and daughter are happy to be back together again.

Too cute for words

Check out these primitive free style embroidery applique wall hanging. talk about easy to do. I may have to just try some of these.

This is my favorite. My sister and I need to make one of these.