Some random thoughts today....

I have been looking at some of my idea folders from the past several years. That's where I keep all the wonderful things that I hope to see, find or do someday. Here's some that I found that I still want to put on my to do list. I have been planning on making brownies for over a week now but the mix is still in the cabinet. I may pick up some walnuts today and make them with walnuts. I haven't done that in year and years. Just make them plain most of the time. 

I have still not been able to find the recipe for the skillet chocolate cake and buttercream frosting. It could be because I keep forgetting to look for it.

I love doing red, white and blue for Memorial Day and Fourth of July. This would be a cute idea and I may pull it off this year.

I have some patriotic fabric already in my stash. I just need to buy some burlap and I could do this. I love it.

Since I have decided to stick with my pink and blue room theme in my craft room, I also want to put some pops of red in it. This is really cute. I love red and turquoise together.

I post this several years ago and really loved the idea. I was thrilled when I found the hob nail planter but I stuck pencils in it for a pencil holder and had completely forgotten what I wanted to do. Going to change it out and get a new pencil holder and then fix my plant like this.

You know I am becoming interested in projects with small clear bottles and vases. This is cute and would be super simple to make.

This was one of my very first Thirty-One sets I bought and other than the little billfold on the left (which was too small for me) I still have this set plus a weekend travel bag to match it.

I love the Rubbermaid drawer storage items they make, but hate when you can see everything stored in them. I had one many years ago and cut scrapbook paper and glued it in the drawers to make a decorative storage piece.

I want to grow some beautiful flowers this year and then pick some to keep fresh flowers in my house at all times. I love the idea of putting a few cups around the house. Just always need to check them before I bring them in to make sure there are no bugs on them. Yuck.

I love whimsical birds and these refrigerator magnets are just adorable.

I saw a beautiful flower arrangement grown in a Pyrex bowl. But with the winds we get through here sometime I am scared to death to put plants outside in something breakable unless I were to put it in the very corner of the porch and hope for the best.

If we didn't share cubicles at work, I would definitely decorate mine like this. I just love this. All those wonderful Thirty-One products.

Well, that's my thoughts for today. Have a great Saturday.

A very special birthday....

I sit here and look of pictures at a smiling little boy who turns 18 today. My first grandson, Garret. I will never ever forget the feeling I felt holding him in arms that very first time. 

Like any little child, he liked to look in the mirror and watch himself make faces. I did catch a great one of him looking at his smile. I remember this picture so well. He had had a bath and had his jammies on. But it was summer and warm and we went out to sit with Papaw on the back patio and his feet got so dirty that I had to stick them in the sink to wash them when we came back in.

He always loved smiling for the camera when he was smaller.

One year we went to my mom's around his birthday and we had him a birthday party up there as well so he ended up with TWO parties that year.

He loved helping out in the kitchen. This was my first time making home made biscuits. Come to think of it, that was the only time I ever tried them. He helped by rolling out the dough. We got a little crazy with the flour. 

Those eyes and that smile of his could always bring great joy to me. 

This was his dinosaur stage which lasted a very long time. The child was the most knowledgeable person about dinosaurs I ever met. He's chipping away at a rock that was supposed to have fossils in it.

One of his many outings with me and his Aunt Di. This one was at Dollywood.

One of our outings to Rain Forest Adventure. He volunteered to hold a snake. Which made me want to freak out but he had no fear whatsoever. Of course, this is the same child on another visit who volunteered to hold a tarantula as well. Fearless.

Family gatherings at our house were always so much funny because you had no idea what he would say or do next. Of course, that's still true today.

One of his many funny photo faces. 

Sometimes it would take many tries to get a good smiling photo and sometimes, you just took what you got and were happy he even let you take the photo.

He's an outdoorsman for sure. Today, he loves to hunt and fish. That's his favorite past time.

One thing you can always guarantee is that there will be laughter when he's around. I don't remember him ever being a difficult or moody child. He enjoys life and lives in the moment.

Although the teen years was when he started his serious "don't take my picture and I'm not smiling if you do" stage. That's when you sneak in to a room, snap and run and be happy with what you get.

Fortunately, that stage didn't last long. 

Of course, I can't promise he was smiling for the camera every time I got that smile. It just meant I got better at catching the right moment when he wasn't looking.

It's easy to get him to smile nowadays and I think that's because his girlfriend Hannah makes him smile. It's hard to believe he's dating and heading off to college this year. But one thing I do believe and that is that no matter how old he gets, he will always be Mamaw's little buddy. Happy birthday, Garret. I hope you have an amazing 18th birthday and wish you the very best as you journey through the next stage of your life. 

What a great day!

Didn't get to post this morning. I had to be at work at 8:00 this morning for the first time in a long time. I was training on some new things I will be helping with. The day flew by and I'm super excited. And I actually got off work while it was still daylight for a change. We had some snow on the mountains the past few days. I love working in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Candy dish maniac

I mentioned yesterday that I apparently like to collect candy dishes. For years, I have been picking up little vintage candy dishes, glass bowls, relish dishes, etc. As I go on my antique/thrift store trips I find many more I like but I don't buy them just to buy them. They need to hit my fancy or match a room or something. And they have to have an amazing price. Here are some I saw online that I find are very beautiful in my opinion. If I could find just one or two of these this year, I would be so happy.

I love the cut glass effect in this one. It's not your usual sandwich glass pattern, but I love it.

This little pale yellow one reminds me of a carousel top.

I love the blue/green carnival glass.

Be still my heart! PINK! And I just love the pedestal legs.

I have seen this one before. And while I do like it in the blue, I'm not sure I would love it enough to buy it. Unless the price was unreal.

I don't normally go for the amber glass, but oh my gosh it has bees and beehives on it.

This is a unique yellow color.

This is pretty. I like the reddish pink with the clear.

Of course I love milk glass and have many pieces of milk glass so it's only natural that I like milk glass candy dishes.

 

Now this is just too cute for words. I'm not sure it is a candy dish or a sorbet bowl, but it is adorable.

And another pretty pink. I see this a lot in the amber and the dark green, but never have I seen a pink one.

But the one I want the most and I have been looking for it for four years now. Is the carnival glass color in this thumbprint candy dish. It was made by Indiana Glass I believe. I find it EVERYWHERE in EVERY color.....except the color like this. But I will keep searching and someday find this. I will definitely do a happy dance on that day!

What I did yesterday...

Despite being so tired, I did get a few little things accomplished yesterday. I love to read. It is my favorite thing to do for relaxation. I wanted some little something to put on my book shelf. I found this subway art about reading. I printing it out on card stock, put it in an acrylic easel frame I had and decorated the top and bottom with some washi tape I had. Love having stuff on hand when I want to throw something together.

I put it in front of my books on my bookshelf. I never get rid of my hardback books because they are my all time faves that I can read again and again. But the paperbacks are always changing when I head over to McKay's Book Exchange.

I also gathered some of my candy dishes and put them on a shelf together (the ones I don't keep candy in). Turns out I apparently collect candy dishes now. Who knew.

I picked up this little sorbet vintage piece awhile back for just $2.00.

I put it in the living room with some butterscotch disks in it.

I stuck my Shamrocks in a milk glass vase and tied a St. Patrick's Day ribbon around it.

Then I temporarily brought my shamrock teapot into the living room from my bedroom. A cute little display for St. Patrick's Day.

I found two of my bunnies in the storage of my coffee table last night. I just sat them here for now, but I may change that up later. We'll see.

My grandson, Garret, and his girlfriend, Hannah, came by to see me last night. We had a great visit. Lots of fun. Lots of stories told. And lots of laughter shared. I am blessed that my soon-to-be 18 year old grandson still wants to come visit his Mamaw.

That's it from Mamaw's Place. Have a great day.

My life in humor today....

Just finished up three exhausting days at work. It's hard when we go from one show a day with just one or two groups to a 3 day show with tons of groups and then a two day show following that. I am worn out. Even my fingernails are tired. So I am envisioning how my day is going to go and this is pretty much what I expect it to be.........