I am featuring the Baby Girl @ Dog Days of Single Life, on my blog today because this is a project we did together.  I loved the finished product and it was F-R-E-E!!!  "My favorite quote during the project was, "I have a stinkin' Bachelor's degree but I can't operate a sewing machine."


Here it is, enjoy:


"So, my mom has reeled me into her addiction of "crafty blogging." Today as i was "creeping" some other bloggers, i came across this crafty project that i couldn't pass up by @crafty texas girls. I had a plain lamp on my bedside table that i thought could be spiced up...soooo i stole the idea and went to town...after a little lesson on the sewing machine lol




I improvised and cut up a couple old pillow cases into 3" strips, instead of buying muslin as the orginal crafter did...and i mastered the ruffles...(sew a seam down the middle of the 3" pieces, then begin scrunching carefully so the thread doesn't break) 

 Before...

Can't exclude the helpers...

Then I used a hot glue gun to attach them to plain 'ol lamp shade..




 Alllll done :)"





Proud Mama....
This is the baby's birthday week!!!!  Can NOT believe she is all grown up...:/

(Wo) Mans Best Friend

Since this is MY blog... can I just say (yes, I may)... that I love my little four-legged-child?!

I am not a dog lover.  Never have been.  Didn't want the dog hair, odor etc. in MY house.  When my kids were babes I never wanted them touching all over a dog.  Oh, the germs!

I was never a dog person........UNTIL......I spotted Reagan!!!  

When the "baby girl" was a freshman in college and the "baby boy" was a junior in high school I started to feel like no one "needed" me.  Ya, know..... didn't have anyone to "mother" or take care of.  Well, hubs would have loved  hated this whole "mothering" thing!!!!  We were strolling through a mall one Labor Day weekend on a Friday (our standing date day/night) and casually popped into a pet store.  We have done this routine a hundred times.  I'M NOT A DOG PERSON!!  No worries!!

I spotted this little 6 wk old Brussels Griffon (straight from the puppy mills, I'm sure) that just stole my heart  <3  <3  <3.  

I asked to hold him.  (I think I heard my hubs gasp, at this point)  "What!!", "Why?"  "Umm, I'm not sure... I just want to get him out and hold him."

That was IT!!!  Done!!  

Hubs said, "Umm, I think we need to take a walk and talk this over."  

"I don't know what has come over me.  I just love him and I wanna take him home."

So, the rest is history.....

Reagan has been my baby boy for the last four years.  I think I'm pretty safe in saying he loves ME just as much as I  love HIM!!!

I AM a dog person...........and, just like kids, I only like my own.  ;)

A day in the life....

I am on vacay in beeeee-u-tiful Isla Muejeres, in Cancun, Mexico! Hola, Como esta...
Today hubs and I started our day with pedicures at the resort spa. Sounds relaxing, huh?? A "free service" was offered in addition to this treatment. You should have seen the excitement on our faces when we learned of this opportunity. (mostly hubs, not me so much). This treatment, they so innocently titled "HYDROtherapy". Sounds relaxing.....hmmmm? Weeeelllllll, let me just give you all a run down of this experience. Starts with "10 meeeeen-it's in the steam room". Okay, I can do this! And then a plunge pool you must immerse yourself in....head and all. Down one set of steps and up the opposite in nice warm bath water. The next experience you must immerse yourself, head and all, in a twin pool of water that is about the temperature of my refrigerator. Ahh, so &$&!$&) "relaxing"!! I feel so rejuvenated at this point in the process! The next series of "therapy" include so much giggling and laughing on the part of hubs and myself that it could have been dubbed "urination" therapy. Regardless of the absurdity...we are mostly good sports, so we carried on with the routine. This process is done as a group along with all the other prisoners of war that have seen fit to sign up for this torturous activity. A series of extremely high pressured jets and bubbles might have caused someone in our group to have a swimsuit malfunction on the largest scale! :/. But, hey...we ARE in Mexico! After about a dozen "therapy" chambers we wind down our "relaxation" by getting scrubbed head to toe with ice pellets! Ahhhh, I am SOOO relaxed! And to top it off the final chamber consists of six different showers that you move through alternating warmth and ice-like temperatures. In the final chamber of torture the therapist (aka torture guard)has the victim stand in a chamber and pulls a chain that releases a bucket of ice water over your super-relaxed body!
"And, Teacher, that is what I did on MY summer vacation!"
I will be passing this teeny little bit of info on to our military because.....if they could just change the term "water boarding" to a fluffy little term like "hydrotherapy".....I'm sure it would be more acceptable to society!
Gracias!

Transformation Tuesday!!!

I have transformed so many things over the past weeks it is hard to go with just one.  Here is a project I have been working on for the stage at our church for a new sermon series.

I used plastic bowls instead of 10" styrofoam balls to cut costs.  The styro was a little pricey at $18.99 at Hob. Lob.  The bowls were super inexpensive.

The M&M's were an incentive to me and my "helpers" to continue working.

I used coffee filters, hot-glued to the bowl to imitate a flower.

 Here is a finished "flower".

I spray painted the "flowers" in a variety of spring colors

Here are a few of the six flowers.  I couldn't have done this in a day without the help of girlfriends!!!  A MUST!!

Here are the flowers on the stage with a VERY poor quality photo.  :(  Best I could do...

I transformed my empty, dull planters with new flowers!!  Since it has reached the "above freezing" temps. here I felt safe with this decision.  Don't ya just wanna say "awww" to the cute puppies in the window?  Note to self:  wash off the bird poop before photographing.

HAPPY TUESDAY!!!

Derby Party and Mothers Day Weekend...WHEW!! I'm Exhausted!!

Me and my "Boo's" had a great time watching the most exciting 2 minutes in sports.  

Just in case you are sitting on the edge of your seat just waiting to know what my weekend plans were.... here's the scoop:

LOTS of work and LITTLE relaxation!!!  

I'm just going to assume you don't want to hear all the boring details...................

1. Both kids were home for Mother's Day and, can I say, I luv, luv, luv THAT!!  
2. Major guilt for NOT seeing my own mother on Mother's Day.
3. Spilled a gallon of Mint Juleps (aka lemonade with mint..sans alcohol) on my family room carpet.
4. Reality has just set in that I'm gonna need a swimsuit... in like... 4 days!! And a tan.... and lose 10+lbs....
5. Major guilt for NOT texting my son the very second I received the flowers he sent me.
6. Will be celebrating my ** birthday in the Caribbean with the hubs.

I really don't expect you to remember the meaningless information I just spewed.  It's therapeutic for me....;)

And, can I add # 7............Sight-unseen-bought-on-a-whim at a charity auction .................an AFRICAN *friggin* SAFARI!!!  

I can't E-V-E-N believe I did THATTTTT!!!!!  As I'm typing this sentence is the first time this reality has hit me.  Hmmm?!!  I hate to fly, but do it often.  I really don't like to be on a plane more than 4 hours!  All I gotta say about that is the fact that I will need pharmaceuticals and so will the BFF's that will be traveling alongside.

Signing off to immerse myself in Real Housewives drama.  Somebody stop me!!  And, another randomness... What has Bethany Frankel done to her face?????  Nose?  Eyes??  I'm stumped.

It's Derby Eve

It is the eve of the Kentucky Derby and I am beeeeeeeeeside myself!!!!!

This makes my heart race..............

I will be watching ALLL of the pre-race coverage that will probably start at 10a.m.

I have loved watching the Derby since I was 9.  (fyi.... that was eeee-on's ago).

The hubs and I went in 2008.  Trust me on this one even though the picture is of horrible quality.

I will be hosting a Derby Viewing Party for a few of my friends.

I will be making this little treat:  Kentucky Bourbon Pie.  This pie is similar to the local "Derby Pie".

I will let you know how the pie-making goes.............but, for now I gotta go brush up on the words to "My Ole Kentucky Home"!!  Gives me chills!!!
YeeeHaw!

In Tha Muthahood

Don't you just love Anita Renfroe's take on "the hood"?
Yes, I really feel like we have our own gang with our own secret handshake!  Umm, what would THAT look like?  I pretend to be cool enough to pull something like that off!!!  But, really...........every ounce of "cool-ness" was taught to me by my precious homies!!
Have a day filled with AWESOMENESS!!!!!  Wat Up????