Sunday Song

Life is what you make it. I woke up this morning thinking about how tired I am and how much I have on my to do list. I just don't feel like being an adult today. So I went looking for some "feel good" music. Now, I'm ready to face the world.....as soon as I have a big piece of white cake with chocolate icing for breakfast!

Friday Foto Friends

I love the morning skies in East Tennessee where I live. You never know what you will find when you step out on your front porch. Earlier this week, I was able to step out at the perfect time to get some good pictures. Check out the amazing clouds as the sun was starting to break through.

It comes up over that ridge of trees and when there aren't as many clouds it is breathtaking. But I happen to love clouds so I was really happy with these pictures. 

And in another direction, I have a small view of the Great Smoky Mountains. It is not grand but I can see it and that makes my heart smile.

And from the back porch, I see the city water tower. Now that is not amazing and this picture was not taking that morning, it was taking later in the day. But I took it to show you something fun.

Here is the exact view that very morning when the sun broke through the clouds and was shining directly on the water tower. Isn't it amazing how it and the tops of some of the trees turned yellow when the sun was shining on it. It was pretty awesome to watch. 

I have the day off so I'm heading out in a little bit to have some "me" time today. Hope you have a great day. Be sure and stop by Jeremiah.2911 for some more Friday Foto Friends. 

It arrived today!

If you recall, on my New Year's post I mentioned my word for the year was Dare. Well, I am also staying very organized this year. I have my new Happy Planner, a journal, a new notebook and my new pencil case. 

I wanted a bag to carry them in so I ordered one from Thirty-One's new line of statement canvas bags. All my stuff fits in it for work each day.

And I did use my favorite phrase from the motivational poster my friend Jonnie made me.....Dare to be MORE! 

I am loving it.

The beach is my happy place......

My friend and I made our beach reservation for later this year. I can't wait to go. I get beach fever so bad every January. Having 70 degree weather and wearing flip flops the other day in the middle of January didn't make my yearning any easier to handle. I am always up for a trip to the beach.

When I get in a beach mood I look at the pictures I took the year before. These are from last year. I can almost hear the waves crashing on the shore.  

I got to watch some beautiful sunrises, which is my favorite thing to do.

I will sit on the balcony from the minute it starts coming up until it breaks through above the clouds. 

And I love a good book to read on the beach. Of course, I get so mesmerized by watching the ocean and the waves that I don't get much reading done.

Plus, I have already lost 12 pounds since the first of November, just 20 more to go to reach my goal weight. Then I will have a "beach body" and get me a new bathing suit. 

I can hear the waves calling me now. 

It's been great so far.....

I am on Day 3 of my days off this week. It's been a great week so far. I started out on my last day of work by stopping at Staples. I need a new notebook and some labels and tabs for a project. I went straight to the clearance section and found what I needed for about $5 total. Original prices it would have been $13 so I did good.

Then I got to work and a good friend had brought me a Pandora Rope bracelet she didn't want. Now to get some charms. 

At church Sunday morning, another friend brought me a gift bag that had something she got at Target for me. Check out the pitcher! I am loving it. I needed something to put my daisies in so this was perfect. She also got me the little hanging towel with directions and recipe on it to make home made hot chocolate. 

So obviously I changed out my winter Pyrex to Valentine's on the main shelf of my Baker's rack.

I am so late getting all the Christmas put away and my living room back to normal. I am glad my recliner is easy to move by myself. Have my nice comfy reading area back. Time for some relaxation. I am currently reading Happy Endings by Katherine Stone, one of my favorite ever authors. 

The mailman brought me a goodie package from Georgia. I am thinking about taking a two day trip to Helen, GA this spring with a couple of the girls from work. When you open up info on Georgia and Jason Aldean is on the front of the travel guide, it makes you definitely want to go to Georgia.

I show you some salt & pepper shakers last week that Cracker Barrel has. I stopped and got a pic and a cow. They are only .99 cents each. But a friend of mine had the roosters and didn't want them. So I got her a rooster dishtowel like mine and we traded. I am so happy with my little farm. 

I went to Hobby Lobby Saturday before work and got this cute little "house" with the saying on it. I fell in love with it. I also got the charger plate that was only $1.99 and looks like milk glass only it's plastic. 

Most importantly I got a white pitcher I have been wanting for the dining room. It was $20 marked down to $9. I need to get a different color table cloth, but this was already on the table and I just wanted to see what the table was going to look like with my new centerpiece. 

I am going to order this tablecloth from Bed, Bath & Beyond. I want blue and white because my border will match it.

And last but not least, I am going to a work dinner and needed some dressy shoes. I found some wedge heels that I fell in love with. They looked so cute on my feet if I do say so myself and they were at a great sale price. So for the first time in over 20 years, I actually own a pair of dressy heels again. 

Well, I have to catch up on the rest of the house work today and do my nails for tonight. I hope you all have a blessed day. 

Sunday's Songs

I had to check it out....

I just live a couple of miles from Douglas Dam. Yesterday morning when I woke up, I could hear the giant turbine engines running. That usually means that they have opened the flood gates to release water into the French Broad River to control the risk of flooding. They can release it at the bottom small flood gates which just causing a swift flow in the river and a little extra turbulence. Of if it is really high, they will release the top flood gates and water will flow down from the top of the dam to the river. Me being me, I got in my car and drove over to see what it was hoping for it to be the top gates. It wasn't. But it was still cool to see how swift the water was flowing and to hear the large turbine's running. Between the roar of the river and the rumbling of the turbines, I was still glad I went. Here are a few pics I took.

Just to show you what it is like when they open the top gates, I snagged a photo from Wikipedia of one time when they were running wide open. The aerial view is fabulous.

It's breathtaking.