Give- Aways

Hey All,

Dawn over at The Feathered Nest is doing a great give away!! Hop over there and check it out. Leave a comment and be entered to win this Valentine's Day....

(graphic from Graphics Fairy)

I Had An Adventure Today!

Want to know how to get inspired?? Visit Miss Susie (of vintagesusieandwings blog fame) at her cute-as-pie store, Lambs and Ivy. It is in Crestline, Calif. I went today to drop off some bottles to sell in her store. It is always, ALWAYS a shot in the arm to see Susie. Did I mention fun as well?

Did I mention how brave I was to drive up today? In the rain? In the FOG?? And that is was SOOO worth it?

Would you like a guided tour?? I knew you would!!

Here we go!

Susie has a fantabulous knack for gathering things and putting them in the sweetest settings.

Her shop items include one-of-a-kind baby items, vintage wares and handmade fun by Susie herself.

Love these:

And these:

Couldn't you see them snuggled in a nursery?

Can you stand it?? Look at these sweet ducky soaps

All of her baby items are the softest soft and the sweetest colors.

Now the vintage wares:

This is one of Susie's favorite corners-

I love this chandelier-it needs to come and live in my kitchen!

This DID end up coming home with me!

Here are some of my favorite vingettes in the store-

I'm telling you, everywhere you look, there is sweetness and love!!

This is Susie's personal spot, behind the register. Brenna loves it back there!

Sigh....I think that about wraps it up. I'm going back next Saturday, if any of you care to join me!! 

Thanks to my sweet friend, Susie for providing the best eye candy for my blog and for turning my blah day to one filled with fun and inspiration. 

Valentine Tags

Oh, my, I know I have nothing to complain about weather-wise, but even I feel BLAH. Must be the tediousness of the weekdays. You know. People wanting dinner every night. Laundry needing to be done. Phone calls to make. I think this week is hard because we were able to go see Lauren last weekend and I just wasn't ready to come back to reality!!! I vote for frozen yogurt for dinner and just go to Target to get clean clothes. The phone calls? Call a friend instead!

I did manage to get my Valentine Tags off for the Red Lead swap. It was fun making them and I can't wait to see what I get back!

Love this little guy. He kinda looks sneaky.

Why, I think I would rather be on a beach with my sweetie-pie!

How sweet is this?

Huh. I am SO not sending my dogs a Valentine. Especially after I found that Ace peed on the tile floor. What is it going to take for this dog??????

Take care, and have a great day!

Simple Things

I went to visit my friend Pam at her blog and found this amazing blog called soul aperture.  The writer's name is Christina and she is challenging her readers and friends to list 27 of The Simple Things in life that bring them pleasure. 

 Christina and her family are going to donate $1.00 for each of the lists {up to $250.00} to Doctors Without Borders for Haiti relief. So, I left a little comment saying I thought it was a fabulous way to end my day. Here goes:

Laughing, talking, crying, connecting with Friends.

Creating.

Strong, hot Coffee.

Quotes.

Worshipping when I could care less if anyone is around.

Snuggling with my girls.

Holding hands with Doug.  

Anything at all to do with the beach.

When my dogs are asleep.

Lavender in full bloom.

A really good book.

Quietness in the midst of chaos.

Sometimes even the chaos.

My nickname that my Dad gave me, 'cause it's just mine.

New leaves on a tree.

My pillow at the end of a long day.

Hearing Brenna tell a joke.

Doug making me laugh.

Lauren's laughter.

Old things that are new to me.

Shiny, clean glass that sparkles in the sun.

The color blue.

The feel of warm sun.

Cooking something that feeds and nurtures my family.

Naps.

Digging through treasures and gathering.

God's unmeasurable,unending grace.

What would your 27 be? Have a great day and many thanks to Christina and her family!

After The Storm

We survived. No flooding here. (We thought my sister's house up North was doomed, but she's o.k. She almost bought a raft.) No mudslides. Our neighboring communities got snow and closed school on Friday. Here are some pictures from Saturday. It was just spectacular.

I looked out my bedroom window to this:

Then went for a drive along the wash and saw this:

San Bernardino National Mountains

Looking out toward Yucaipa:

This is the road I was on:

If you look closely, on the left side there is a water tower. We live about 2 miles down from that:

I hope I'm not boring you, like when your cousin shows you their trip to Yellowstone. But this was one of the most spectacular days anyone can recall in a long, long time!

O.K. Just a couple more. I grabbed the dogs and took them for a run at the dog park. (Such happy dogs.) This is the view from the dog park. Don't you love the orange grove with the snow?

Happy dogs:

Well, just one more picture. I played with this one a little, I thought it was cool:

Oh, I think I showed this one already. Time to quit!! Have a great day-

More Cuteness and Rain

Does anyone recall the Sunday school song that goes something like this: "God told Noah to build Him an arky, arky. Oh, God told Noah to build Him an arky arky. The animals, the animals they came in by twosies, twosies.."  Well, that is how it feels out here in Southern California. I was driving Brenna home from school and the rain was coming down so hard, all our neighborhood streets were overflowing past the drains, over the curbs and even spouting up through the manhole covers. Nice. Makes one wonder if one will get swept down the street in one's car. Brenna thought it was great fun. Especially when we couldn't see out of the windshield due to a particularly nasty spot of water in the road that went up and over the car. As she was happily singing at the top of her lungs, "the wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish.." (why do kids sing so loud when you are most stressed??) I was fervently praying for our sight to be returned and to get through the water!

Now for the fun part. Since I have not been inclined to venture out so much this rainy week, I have been fairly productive. However, I am  not sure how I will get these bottles of cuteness to vintagesusie&wings shop up in Crestline. Susie reports the local mountains have been snowing, raining, sleeting, and just about every type of "ing". I so do not drive in the snow. I did for four years in Tulsa, OK. and I tell you what, it ain't for us southerners!!!

ANYway....bottles:

The watch part was from the goodies my mom gave me a while back. The tag, "Be Mine" was an added goodie from Miss Cindy over at Yapping Cat Studio. ( I bought the most beautiful vintage paper weight from her. She has the best stuff!)

I added the "til the end of time" part. Then I kept humming a song from Dan Fogelberg about time. Maybe it was Dan. Could have been another group. Who knows with my rain-addled brain?

Just looked up the lyrics to the song. It wasn't Dan, it was the group, Restless Heart. Restless Heart? Uh, o.k. Lord have mercy. I really need to see blue sky.

I got this cutie-patootie ballerina from Karen over at the graphics fairy. I think she is waiting for someone to sing a song to her. Maybe a song about being hers until the end of time. I know one I could suggest.

Then I came up with an idea to decorate these cute little mailboxes. (still in progress.) Who knows? If it keeps raining, I'll finish them and then I can clean up my ETSY shop and put them in there for Valentine's!!

Stay warm and dry wherever you are!!

Too Cute

Lauren and I found a new way to make flowers, thanks to our friend, Debbie. They are super easy and led to many wonderful ideas! One is this bottle I re-did from Christmas. O.k., are you ready? Oh, man I love this:

I love it so much, I don't know if I can put it up for sale...

Between the vintage glass glitter, the tulle, flowers and this sweet ballerina's face, well....

I'm not a pink girl, either. Really. The only pink I can see right now in my house is the YMCA exercise schedule.

The ballerina came from Karen, over at GraphicsFairy.

I love the ballerina's impish face. Don't you think she has a lot of fun??

Yep. I'm gonna have to make more.

p.s. such a happy day-couldn't you just die for this sweet bluebird? Well. My fantabulous new friend, Susie made this up for me. I'm going to have to give him a name. Yes, most definitely. I'm so easily pleased!!!!!!

Have a good day!