She's doing it again...

michelle my belle is doing another giveaway!
Beware...cuteness overload....

Allen Designs Goody Giveaway
Enter to Win some of our Favorite Designs:
Party Animal Cat Box, Sunshine Smile Print or 2 sets of (3) Art Blox.
4 Chances to WIN. (we'll draw a different winner for each item)
Here's 3 ways to Enter:
1. Leave a comment on this post telling me one special thing you're doing this summer. If you're at a loss for summer ideas check out Meg's list.
2. Sign up for our Newsletter on the top right hand side of her blog. Not to worry, we don't send many and the ones we do send include some amazing close-outs and giveaways.
3. Promote our giveaway on your blog and get 3 entries! Feel free to pull this image to use on your blog. And don't forget to leave me a comment so I know you did.
contest will end friday, july 3rd
Go, don't tarry to enter....

Thankful Thursday

1.Fitting into 'too small' jeans
2. Being able to breathe while in said jeans
3. Finishing projects
4. Visiting friends
5. Fun TV shows
6. Flowers blooming
7. Thankful children
8. Happy husband
9. Thrift store bargains
10. Pounds of organic hamburger given to us

Presto...chango...

This is the great big house they built next to our cute little one....

Now you see it....


Now you don't...

They did actually put up a wood fence, but because their land is higher than ours we still would have no privacy for our porch. This are a thrifty find that Gary bolted to the rafters...

Just didn't want people watching us eat dinner!

The one about pillows

Some people like pillows, some don't. We are pillow people, since we sit on a couch-one of us at each end we have separate pillow needs. I like a soft pillow in my lap to rest a book or magazine on and also a pillow to my side opposite the couch arm. DH likes a pillow between couch arm and self and one down towards his lower back for support. Now the problem...I do like the pillows to look like they haven't been through a war. So to solve that dilemma, I have two very firm pillows-shown here in green and tan. I also have to "show" pillows which I covered in cute Amy Butler fabric-the stripe and floral. These pillows are supposed to be put aside when people want to sit on the couch. Not to be used. What you don't see are the two soft pillows which we keep close to the couch. Now the problem, DH wants to use the pillows however he wants to, thinks I am silly for wanting "show" pillows. What do you think? Am I crazy? I won't hold it against you if you do but please let me know in a sort of unscientific study....

thanks....

Monday Memories

This edition is in honor of my mom...whose album of photos I just finished. I worked hard to make this look different than the rest of the history albums I have done. I used a lot of layouts that I have seen and admired from various magazines. I think it turned out beautiful. Like the other history albums, I stuck mainly to green and purple.

Yep, they saved their unused rations books...The note from the teacher says: " Virginia's attention is easily diverted and she finds it difficult to concentrate on the task at hand. Her assignments are neatly and carefully don but the amount of time she takes is not resonable. Item #8 is due to the fact that she 'putters' too much. If Virginia were to use her abilities she would be in the top group."

Now I ask you...couldn't this describe most 5th graders??!! I've said it befor...I certainly didn't look like this at 14, 15 or 16!!

This is just some of the pages....

See you soonish!

Goodwill jackpot!

Normally I like Value Village best because the prices are better. However, I found myself up on 192nd to pick up a Father's Day gift and so I stopped at the Goodwill off 164th. I didn't grab a cart but should have!!

I found 2 blouses, a new purse (Amy is going to laugh), brand new pastels-what do I do with them?, an 8x8 album and the biggest find...

the one I couldn't believe...

these things cost anywhere from $12-$20 at the stores....

punches for crafting...

at just $3.99 and only $2.99 for the small ones...

oh, the blue circle replaces one I had but the lever doesn't work on and the pink square I already had...I guess the girls will get my overstock!!


All this for only $40-I was a happy shopper!!!

Thankful Thursday

These two are worth a million bucks! Which is what they are holding here...


Today's Thankful Thursday is brought to you by the men who have made me who I am today...

1. My heavenly Father-who brought me up out of the pit and continues to guide my path each moment.
2. Rod-my birth father, though I don't see him often I know he cares about me and those I love.
3. Grandpa- he passed when I was just 10 but I remember a loving, caring, fun man who filled a vacant spot in my life.
4. Gene- he has been around since I was five and became my dad when I was 12. Though he is a fairly silent, gruff guy I know he adores me.
5. Rodney- my first boyfriend whose family lived a godly life and brought me to church with them. I was baptized in their little church and have never regretted the moment.
6.Jim- I met him in high school and was mesmerized with his zest for life and for God. He showed me what is was like to have integrity and to stand up for the things I believe in. I cherish the fact that we are still in each others lives.
7. Gary - the man of my dreams, the provider of my home. I can not imagine a life without him and hope never to know one.
8. Nick- my little boy who has grown up to be a godly man with so many talents.
9. Werner - this man fathered the boy who my daughter would grow up to love. He taught him so much about so many things and the man adores his family.
10. Ken - this guy is the daddy to the beautiful young lady who has captured my son's heart. I love that though he has to work far away from his family, he is always close in spirit.

karin
May you all have a blessed weekend!

What you have missed...

My garden has been blooming-if you haven't stopped by you might have missed this pretty hanger....
My grandma's pickle crock with some annuals....

This scene from the porch...

The volunteer clematis blooming...and spreading over everything near it!

The snowball tree bloomed and drooped...

The spirea in full bloom...

The row of my grandma's peonies in bloom...

and me...come for a visit soon and see what new things are in bloom!!

Really...call me...email me...visit...

I love visitors!!!!

Monday memories

Since I hope to start working on another memory album today I am posting photos of the subject...my mom.
This beautiful baby was born on Nov. 26, 1937.
I love how they hand tinted the photos, such a softness it added.

Here she is at 11 with mom and dad....

and at 14 !!!! I sure didn't look that good at 14...

just 3 short years later she would get married

and

7 years later be coming home with 2 little ones and another on the way-

but that is another story...

Thankful Thursday

1. Stay at home days
2. Got another history scrapbook done
3. Another booking for work
4. Blooming roses
5. Slug bait
6. Being real with friends
7. Good books
8. Comments left on my blogs
9. Sugar free coffee syrups especially caramel
10. Fake fingernails-I love how they make me feel

Monday memories

I have been sorting more photos to put into one of my heritage albums and ran across these.

This first photo is of my grandparents around the time of their marriage in the early '30s.

I love how he is leaning in to hear what she has to say.

I found a few photos of their parties. They must have frequently had friends over to their basement for get togethers. I love this because they are dancing-guys in suits and women in heels. Would this happen today??!! Grandpa is the bartender- I also love seeing the decor for then. I think this would be more like the 50's. That lace tablecloth...I still have it!

The next picture...

I never heard the story for...

have no idea if this was a dare...

or if she had one to many...

but this is not the size she was...

I vaguely remember hearing something

about balloons...

Must have been a ggggooooddddd party!!

Poor Amy...

As if she didn't have to pose for her husband when he needs samples...see here (5/2).
Her dad made her do some stuff for him today. Sure she started out nice....

But then something happened...I wasn't there to witness so I found these really funny when I actually saw them. Some inner animal came out or she was just tired of smiling pretty??!!

Oh, she is okay here....

then a silly...

So much fun on Sunday afternoon!!

Thankful Thursday

1. De-stress days
2. Trip to plan for
3. Air conditioners
4. Cute stuff on the internet (http://www.redshoeshomegoods.com/vintage.cfm & http://thefarmchicks.typepad.com/)
5. Friends to encourage me
6. Taking too-big clothes to the thrift store
7. A whole day with my sweetie tomorrow
8. Blogs that make me smile (http://thepioneerwoman.com/confessions/ & http://www.karenrussell.typepad.com/)
9. my blooming climbing hydrangea
10. these lists that remind me to look at my life in new ways

A whole day

i have a whole day-

all to myself-

gary will go out after work-

what should i do?

no, what do i want to do?

read a book?

take a nap?

scrapbook?

clean?

weed?

i think

for right

now I will

go get a passion tea

at starbucks

and then this spot

looks good...

Chronicle about painting a house

This spring we got a quote for painting the house. It was a good price but Gary has a little fix up work to do before we get it done and we need to pick a color.
Color choice one, color matched to a piece of scrapping paper we liked....

Was met with; "oh yuck", "oooh", "really?" so we both ended up deciding it was just a little...too out there...

Color choice two: was just too boring, predictable a color. Not exciting enough for me...

Color choice three: Amy and I mixed the first two colors and some white and came up with this color which Gary and I both agree on. A bit unpredictable but not too wacky. We have lived with this color painted on our back porch for a few weeks now.

And then when we were out on Sunday with Amy she said; "what about yellow for your house?"

So maybe we are still trying to figure out a color?! We haven't talked much about it to tell you the truth. We did drive around and look at yellow houses with shingles...lots of variations of yellow out there!! And then...what color do we paint the doors???....

Monday memories

This is a story my DD wrote a long while ago.(maybe she will add a comment about when) (her comment...I'm thinking 4th grade -- 1993-1994ish) Anyway, she had an imagination that is for sure...
She still does some writing-
A play she wrote is being presented this coming Friday during Vancouver's Art Walk!
It will be at Magenta's new site on Main Street-look for the balloons.

This one she took the words of William Shakespeare and put them together in a novel way.

I hope you will pop in and see it and say Hi! to Amy too...