How Does Your Garden Grow?

Hey everyone!  I know some of you are just starting to have some Spring weather and beginning to think about planting your gardens.  Well, we were able to plant our garden at the end of March, so I thought I would show you the progress so far.

Presto Chango!

Hey everyone!  Whew, I think I've made it back to the land of the living after my bout with food poisoning.  I hope never to have that ever again.  Anyway, before I delve into today's post, I just wanted to give a "Thank You" shoot-out to Richella @ Imparting Grace for featuring our little front porch bench, see it HERE, on her Grace at Home Party.  If you don't know Richella, you should make it a point to go over and say "Hi."  She is such a genuinely nice person -- very down-to-earth and authentic.  Thanks again, Richella!

Food Poisoning?

Hey everyone!  I think I've had food poisoning!  The Man and I went out to dinner Wednesday, shared a prime rib, but had separate salads.  I started getting sick a couple of hours later -- really bad stomach ache that totally went "south," and then things started happening in the "northern" direction.   I almost passed out in an unsightly position on the "thrown" with my head in a bucket from sheer exhaustion.   I have never been that sick in my entire life.  I was still sick most of Thursday, but kept trying to force fluids, but even water was making me sick.  The Man has not gotten sick, thank goodness.  He has been my "Knight," trying to find things that I might be able to eat.  Finally on Friday I was able to eat a piece of toast and drink a little gingerale.  I have just felt drained, no pun intended, but was having so much trouble eating anything that might give me some energy.  I added plain rice to my diet today, and I hope that I'm passed the worst of it.  Have any of you ever had food poisoning before?  I never have, but I'm quite sure it wasn't a stomach bug or sweet hubby would be sick by now, too.  

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know why I haven't been around much.  I've been slowing making my rounds trying to visit, but not always leaving comments.  I couldn't even look at my computer for a few days, so I have a bit of catching up to do.  First I have to catch up on my strength.  Being older and sick is definitely not for sissies!

Prettying Up Our Front Entry

Hey everyone!  I hope y'all have had a wonderful weekend!  We did some fun-things yesterday, and I will share about our adventures some other time this week.  For today, though, I wanted to share how The Man and I added some "prettiness" to our front entry.  Now I just have to preface this with the fact that I have one of the best hubbies in the world.  He is multi-talented and can make or repair just about anything.  He is so loving and caring, and extremely tolerant to have put up with me for almost forty-four years now.  It seems that anytime I just casually whine mention something I'd like to do or have, The Man runs with it until he figures out a way to make that happen -- did I mention how spoiled I am?  Anyway, I had been whining talking about our "tunnel-like" front entry needing something to soften that long, covered walkway up to the front door.  I was really wanting a bench, but everything I was seeing would have crowded the space; so my "Knight in Shining Armor" (well, more like "Knight with Hammer and Saw") came to the rescue and built exactly what I wanted.  Let me show you!

How cute is that, right?  I want to show you how it was transformed from......

Retail Therapy on the Cheap!

Hey everyone!  I hope this has been a terrific week and that your upcoming weekend will be awesome!    We are going to a Polish Festival on Saturday to enjoy some brats and such, and then we are going up to Lake Pleasant just to see how that area has changed in the last twenty years since we last visited!  The weather should be perfect, but I will be keeping a watchful eye open at the lake for the sound of rattles, since this is peak time for our slithery rattlesnakes -- did you know they don't mind the water?  Eeek, I'm creeping myself out!

Anyway on to happier things like my "retail therapy."  I think I must be one of World Market's very best customers -- well, The Man thinks so anyway!  I signed up for their Customer Rewards Program, and I'm telling you, there are some real perks.  All you have to do is enter your telephone number whenever you make a purchase, and wonderful things happen.  For every $100 you spend, they send you a $10 reward coupon to use however you wish to in the store.  I absolutely love, love, love their coffee and for every 6 bags you purchase, you get a reward coupon for a Free one; but that's not all.  If you purchase coffee on Wednesdays, you get double points, and they always have their "Coffee Specials" on Wednesdays!  How cool is that!  Oh, and last but not least, you get a $10 reward coupon on your birthday!  Now, maybe you understand why I like this store so much!  I get their email alerts, and last week (on Wednesday) they were having a BOGO Free promo going on their coffee!  Yippee, I was off to buy a supply of my favorites.

Well, I got my coffee but then had to do some looking around and guess what I discovered?  

I found their "Clearance" section!  I'm not talking about the seasonal stuff that they keep right up front where you can't miss it -- I'm talking about a couple of racks of table linens, kitchen towels, aprons, baskets, and much more, all tucked back in the far back corner of the store!  

Everything was at least 50% or more off.  These kitchen towels were so darn cute, and turquoise is my current "color crush!"

Turquoise and red - yes, yes, yes!  Now why would they have all this wonderfulness hidden away?

I'm always on the lookout for table linens that can go with the many colors of my Fiesta dishes, and these certainly do just that.  I wanted a set of 6 but only found 4.  I may check out the other WM that's close by.

The napkins are nice and big, and the fabric is a soft linen.

And the placemats are reversible -- BONUS!

I also found these napkins rings, and they jumped right into my basket!

Whew, after all that shopping and saving so much money (wink! wink!), all I could think about doing was making The Pioneer Woman's Perfect Iced Coffee (you can get the low-down HERE).  This is my favorite caffeinated beverage when the weather starts to warm up.  I always blend these specialty coffees with my regular Costco brew (half & half) -- there is still great flavor and is much more economical than using them straight!

So, there you have it -- retail therapy on the cheap!  And you know what?  I had just as much or more fun than if I had an endless supply of "$" to buy anything I wanted.  Yep, it's the "thrill of the hunt!"  Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful weekend!

More Teddy Bears!

Hey everyone!  Before our big family get-together a couple of weeks ago, I decided I wanted to make Teddy Bears for our two little nieces we had not met yet.  I dug through my fabric stash and came up with four pieces of  fabric that I thought would work.  

I much prefer using at least two different fabrics, if possible, or even more sometimes.

                                   

This one I thought would be sweet for our cutie-pie niece, Avey E (not to be confused with Avey Q or Littlest Miss aka: Busy)!  I had this cute piece of flannel that just made it so cuddly.  See the little heart?  That is one of my first efforts in learning to crochet -- I was so excited!

Just a reminder of what Avey Q's bear looked like!
I have to get more little crocheted hearts made so I can add

them to some previous bears I've made for our "Grands."

 

Greta (she didn't want anyone messing with her cookies that she was saving for dessert.....lol) got this one with the soft blue ticking fabric and sweet little cowgirl print.  Yep, this one has "heart," too!  It's always fun to dig through my button jar for just the right eyes, also!  Sweet little Greta has gorgeous blue eyes -- lots of blue eyes going on around here!

It was so cute when I gave them each their bears, they didn't get them mixed up after that.  My sil said that back at the condo, they were very possessive about "their" bears.  

I guess I haven't met a child yet who doesn't like a Teddy Bear -- no matter how old they are!  

As Martha would say, "Bears are a good thing!"  

On that note, I hope you all have a day filled with "good things!"  Thanks for stopping by!

                

I love to party here:
The Tablescaper at The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays
Karen at Sew Many Ways for Sew Darn Crafty
Cindy at Dwellings--The Heart of Your Home for Amaze Me Monday

Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

Dawn at Creative Cain Cabin for Budget Decorating Party
Kathryn at The Dedicated House for Make It Pretty Mondays
Maria Elena at Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at Our Home

Marty at A Stroll Thru Life  for Table Top Tuesdays

Leslie at House on the Way for Twirl & Take a Bow

Mary Beth at Cupcakes and Crinoline for Project Inspired

Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays

Karin at The Style Sisters for Centerpiece Wednesday

Richella at Imparting Grace for Grace at Home

Pamela at From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday

Jody & Stan at Rooted in Thyme for Simple and Sweet Fridays 

Amanda at Serenity Now for Weekend Bloggy Reading

Just a little "Shout-Out" to some lovely Bloggers!

Hey everyone!  I hope this has been a wonderful week for all of you.  It has been for us, and I very much appreciate the awesome life that I am allowed to live with a family that I truly treasure, wonderful friends, and sweet lovely "Blog Friends" who have over-flowing hearts filled with kindness that make each and every day so much fun and very entertaining!  Over the last couple of months, I have felt so honored & humbled to have been featured by several of these lovely people.  I have had their "Featured" buttons on my sidebar, but that just didn't seem like enough recognition for them and all the work that they put into hosting these parties.  So...I wanted to "thank them" front and center.  If you haven't already met these sweet ladies and joined in the great parties they host each week, I would strongly encourage you to do so.  You won't regret it!

So, a BIG "Thank You" to:

Pamela at From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday

Maria Elena at Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at Our Home

Kathryn at The Dedicated House for Make It Pretty Mondays

Jody & Stan at Rooted in Thyme for Simple and Sweet Fridays 

Dawn at Creative Cain Cabin for Budget Decorating Party

 

Richella at Imparting Grace for Grace at Home

I truly appreciate ALL of the sweet bloggers who host the myriad of parties that so many of us participate in each week.   You all have big hearts and are very deserving of wonderful accolades for your hard work.  

THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!