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!

Looky-Looky!!!!

LOOK what my new friend, Susie did for me!!!! I contacted her at vintagesusieandwings.blogspot.com and (shyly) asked if she would do a new blog look for me. Some emails and a phone call later...

TA DAAAA!!!!!

Susie is just the best. She has the best personality ever, and really, REALLY listens to all your thoughts and ideas for your blog. Susie doesn't miss a beat-she gets right back to you, and I can't even begin to tell you how she does all this. Well. Miss Susie is just uber-talented, that's how!!

The best part is that she lives only a short drive from where I live and I get to -are you ready for this- I GET TO GO VISIT HER AT HER STORE!!!!! ( 'Lambs & Ivy Boutique') I'm so stinking excited that I think the girls and I will take a little drive over tomorrow!! YEE HAAW!


So, Miss Susie, my new friend, thank you for all your kindness and fabulous creativity. I enjoyed working with you so very much and look forward to more fun adventures together.


Have a great day, friends!
~Lynn

I Haven't Fallen of the Face of the Earth!

Hey, All!!
Good grief, I had no idea so much time had flown by since my last post. Well. What's new with all of you? I'm hoping your New Year has gotten off to a fabulous start.
I love January. For the beginnings it represents and the cleaning out it inspires me to do...on top of that, I have spent the last week doing as much as humanly possible with Lauren! We have enjoyed shopping, going my my favorite scrapbook store, (www.scrappinglounge.com), watching movies, (500 Days of Summer-yuck. The Proposal-pretty cute.) and generally hanging out. I love every minute of it.  Unfortunately (for Lauren), she has come down with the flu and is walking like an old woman, battling a sore throat and a fever and feeling like crud. Thank goodness it happened before we took her to school.
Brenna had her first horse lesson....

She would barely touch the horse to groom it, or give it a carrot.

But had NO problem getting up into the saddle!!

I found a killer deal on some chairs I have wanted for FORever:

Which, by the way, I haven't finished putting them together yet, which is why the dining room looks like an explosion:

The Christmas decorations are all put away, though. The house was clean for about 3 hours, which was nice. I do have a question for you, though. What would you do with this cutie:

I used to have dried hydrangeas filling it. At Christmas, I trashed them, as the poor flowers had seen better days. I filled it with silver and gold pine cones for the holidays. That was fun. Now, I can't figure out what the heck to fill it with.

I do love this piece. Anyone have any suggestions?

It just looks lonely and needs some ideas!!

I found this adorable silver vase (?) not sure what it is:

There's no engraving on it. I found it for $2.00 at a thrift store.

Well, I think we are about all caught up! There is so much to look forward to on this blog-a whole year to see what will be discovered, learned, and done. OOOH- and more people to meet as well!!

I have about a million ideas running through my head for dominoes, soldered Mah Jong tiles, VALENTINE'S day....can't wait to show you what comes from the ideas!

Have a great day!

~Lynn

Happy New Year!

I am writing this in hopes that your New Year was ushered in with fun or quiet, but mostly hoping this year is a good one for all of you.


As promised, here is our last fun adventure. We were able to borrow an R.V. from some sweet friends, and met up with another family at Newport Dunes for some camping over the holiday. It was one of the best New Year's I can recall. We walked the pier at Balboa during the sunset on New Year's Eve, and then made dinner together and played games until 11:00 and decided we just couldn't stay up any more!!


It was a great time for quiet walks, reflection, bike rides, ice cream and lots of laughter.

It was even fun with the dogs. Especially when Ace broke off his collar and flung himself into the bay after some birds. Then I just thought, oh, what the heck and let both dogs run and run and play. Ace wouldn't let me put him back on the leash, but he did follow me back to the R.V. without any trouble!

We were able to take a ride on an electric boat around Balboa island. What a treat!

This bird followed us for a while. Probably thought we would toss him some food. Not.

Some beautiful homes around the bay.

This house won the decorating contest. Are you surprised??!

And all this was just the rooftop!!

This was once John Wayne's house.

Lots of grandiose homes, lots of money. Lots of sad stories behind the big houses... kind of a Peyton Place sorta thing. But it's fun to look and relax along the water. We like to ride our bikes or walk to the ferry and go across to the beach side. You know, where the regular folk are.

Love the ferry, love the beach side.

Love our friends, love our family!!

Have a great day!

~Lynn