I'm still here!

All is well with me. Just been really busy! I promise to post real soon. I have lots of things to write about. Just need to find the time.

Sharing our courtyard with you....

I am sharing pictures of our beautiful courtyard with you because I am feeling a little bit nostalgic tonight! This was in a house that we previously lived in for 16 years! I don't believe that I have ever loved a house more than this one! Before we started on this makeover, the courtyard was covered in ground cover for years! We couldn't even use it, just walk past it every single day. From the day we moved in, I had plans to do this. Have you ever put off doing a project for years because of finances? We did for 13 years!

This picture is of the waterfall next to the front deck. It ran under the deck and you had to walk across it. The 'leaning flowerpots' are made with a rod that runs through the hole in the bottom of the pots. I picked it up in Canton, Texas.

This pic is of the side of the courtyard. There were three gates that went into it. My Mother bought me that sundial at Sam's Club for my birthday. It was exactly what I wanted. Over the years it had turned sort of verdegris patina. I love it!

This is a shot farther back showing one of our side entrances. It used to have a narrow deck going up to the door. I like it so much better now!

This is the right side of the pond and deck leading up to the front door. My copper flamingo came from Target.

My wrought iron plantstand came from Target. Several people commented that they would have bought it if they had seen it first! The concrete planter came from Wal-Mart. I fell in love with it so my husband bought it for me for Mother's Day.

I had been collecting furniture and things for years. I had this future courtyard in mind everytime I would buy something.

This waterfall gave off the most lovely sounds! It was almost like music listening to it! The little fisherman, my husband bought off the side of the road one day coming home from the First Monday in Canton, Texas! I gave him the hat and fishing pole. I used to put an American flag in his hands during the patriotic holidays.

A view of some of our goldfish. They would come right up to us to feed~

Well, every now and then I like to look back and appreciate what we had and what we worked so hard for. I still have all that furniture and accessories but I can never make it look that good again!

I posted this on Rate My Space tonight also. I guess I just wanted to share it with others. I was so proud of it! It gave us many happy memories.

Rhoda, at Southern Hospitality, is having a Garden Party so I joined in it today. Go over there to see some awesome gardens and flowers!

I've become a Blogaholic!!!

I'm not kidding!! I LOVE BLOGS!!! I honestly think I'm a better person because of reading blogs. In fact, I read them so often that I forget to post! I'm also a copykat. I copy things that I see all the time from other blogs. The first thing I ever made was this ragamuffin garland for my grandbabies room. I hung some of her little shoes on it. Lots of comments from people when they see it! I copied this idea from Nesting Place.




I made this picture frame and a silhouette also after seeing it posted on another blog. I also bought the frame from Dollar Tree, used my scrapbook paper and a cheap pearl necklace that I found. See, I'm also learning to be frugal!

Another time, I also fell in love with a sign I saw. It just spoke to me so I decided to make my own. It sits on my mantle and I get lots of comments on it.


Forgive me if I don't give credit from where I copied these ideas. I read so many blogs that I can't possibly remember where I saw it. If you notice one of your ideas on here, let me know and I'll be glad to give you credit. Imitation is the nicest form of flattery, you know!


The picture below is when I was making it. I'll have to take another pic of it on the mantle.

I got really enthused when I spotted this chalkboard plate. I made one that very day! It turned out fabulous and I use it daily. I love it!!! This idea came from Blogeritaville.

I'm telling ya, you blogging girls are special! You are so smart! I love reading about how other people live, about their lives, how they decorate, their families, how they cook, about their crafts. I have learned so much! I have copied so many pictures that my computer picture file is about to explode! I have bought things for so many new projects. Right now, I have projects to make a tassel, paper flowers, drop cloth curtains, paint a room with a decorative treatment on it, do a monogram, etc. I'll eventually get around to all of it because I am really pumped! I love doing these things! I have learned to shop more frugally. I have discovered the Goodwill and that we have three thrift stores right here in my town! I have made so many new recipes that my husband is in heaven!

I can't sing the praises of bloggers enough. I wish I had discovered this when I was a lot younger. I'm too old now to ever catch up with everything. Everyday it's like a new treat, getting online and reading new blogs. There are several I read daily but I always discover some new ones. I have hundreds saved in my favorites places. I'm hooked, pure and simple.

Just want to say thank you to everyone out there who blogs. When I am down, you lift me up. When I am bored, you give me something to do. When I am hungry, there's always a new recipe to try. In fact, my Christmas dinner was a complete hit because of all the recipes I tried. I got rave reviews! I am like an addict! I can't read enough! I am trying to wean myself however because my husband likes to get on the computer too! I usually spend a couple of hours a night on it when everyone is in bed. Round about midnight, I look at the clock and regretfully drag myself away from the computer. But, you can rest assured that I'll be back early the next morning. Like I said I'm an addict and a died in the wool Blogaholic!

I joined the party!

I am so excited! I just joined the party at Five Minutes for Mom! I am a really new blogger and this way I can meet lots of new people. I lurk now more than I blog. I am just amazed at how many blogs there are! I can't keep up with all of them! So many about cooking, children, decorating, etc. It's amazing!

I am a wife, mother, grandmother, new great-grandmother and now raising a baby again! I'm loving it, though. It keeps me young! I love to craft, decorate, cook, scrapbook, read, garden, watch hgtv, food network, etc. There's not enough time in the day to do everything I want to do. I love to shop and decorate my home. I wish it were bigger so I could put everything I want to in it!

I'm hoping to meet lots of new people and explore new blogs. This is so exciting! I encourage everyone to go to Five Minutes for Mom and join.

If I win, my number one gift would be #89 a $100 gift certificate to Homegoods. #2, a $50 giftcard from Target, #21 a $50 giftcard from Target and anything else would be fine with me!

Accessorizing my master bedroom

You just wouldn't believe how busy my life has been here lately - with taking care of a one-year old and helping my Mother, who just turned 89, I've hardly had time to lurk, much less blog. I wanted to share with you pictures of the accessories in my master bedroom. I have just redone them and I think they turned out nice looking! I don't have pics of the befores - forgot to take them. I shopped my home and used what I had already bought!

This is my chest in my master bedroom. I put the mirrors on the floor beside it because I didn't want to store them in the garage with all my husbands things. I was afraid they wouldn't get the tlc that I would give them. Can anyone relate?

This iron basket with white hydrangea hangs over my bed. After I took the pic I discovered that one of the flowers was hanging down and needed fixing! Funny I didn't notice it before!

Two lovely pics that I paid more than I should have. I think I bought them at Ross but they were still pricey! I love the sepia tones in them.

This is my little vignette on top of my chest. We recently moved and I found myself with tons of mirrors so I just stacked them together and displayed them!

I bought this flower pot several years ago from Target. I went to Wal-Mart and found these white roses and just made a little arrangement in it. I thought it tuned out sort of "Martha-ish"!

This is a flower arrangement that I couldn't find anywhere else to put except in here. It really does look pretty reflected in these large floor mirrors.

Found these creamware (look alikes) from Marshalls. I thought they looked pretty all grouped together. I put pheasant feathers in the vase to match the color of my mirror.







I also have other things in there that I am still working on. I have the room done in beige and brown tones now but I'm hoping to change all that to beige and pale blue with white accessories. I'm looking for sheets, a dust ruffle, pillows, etc. now. I'll share more when I find them. I also have a large rug stored in the garage that I'd like to put under the bed but can't talk hubby into taking the bed apart yet to do that.







Well, that's what I've been up to. Suggestions would be welcome. I wish y'all could see all the beautiful pear trees blooming and the daffodills coming up. Spring is right around the corner and I'm already planning on which plants I want to purchase. Things are getting so high, I just hope I have enough money to get them all!

Learning to deal when life throws you curves!

This is McKayla, my sweet little great-grandaughter.




She and her Mother before they put the helmet on.




McKayla and the doctor during the fitting.





She was so in awe of what they were doing. She's never been this still!






Playing in her playpen yesterday.

I haven't blogged in awhile. Been busy with my great-grandaughter. We are her guardians right now and have had some health issues with her.

A few months ago, during a routine doctors visit, our great-grandaughter, McKayla was told that her head was deformed and would have to go visit a cranial doctor to see about care. They say that it is a result of the way she sleeps and she was also born with some of it. We were so upset! After several visits, they finally decided to put her in a helmet to help reshape her head. She will wear it from 4-6 months before it does it's job.

It's a booger to get on and take off because she's a little wiggle-worm and doesn't want to sit still. It's made of some sort of heavy-duty styrofoam and must be stretched to get on. She must be still or it will hurt her when we put it on. I can't do it without help from my husband. Someone must hold her while it gets put on.

She's such a little trooper! She hardly notices that she's wearing it. It is sort of light-weight. We haven't taken her out in public wearing it yet but I imagine that at church in the morning, we'll be surrounded by people wanting to know ' why and what for'. She only had it on for a few minutes when she reached up and unlached it from her head. The doctor had to attach a long strap to it so she couldn't release it. She's pretty smart! She'll have her first birthday in Feb. I imagine we'll be taking it off for pictures on that day.

Right now, we're on a "break-in" schedule. First day, she wears it for 1/2 hour on and one hour off, second day 1 hour on and 1 off, third day 2 hours on and one off. It doubles everyday tills he is wearing it for 23 hours daily! She even has to nap and sleep in it. It only comes off for baths! It is pretty tight on her head. I'd probably be complaining all over the place if I had to wear one but she's doing really well so far. I'm proud of her.

Being an old softie, I have cried when I see her wearing it. It hides most of her face. I miss patting that little head and rubbing noses with her! I miss her head on my pillow and brushing her hair. I know it could be so much worse but this is a lot to deal with here too!

The doctor warned us that she could damage us while wearing it! If she slams it into our heads, or 'head-butts' us, we could get hurt so we have to learn to carry her below our head line. She also loves to sit and rock hard while in our lap. He said she could damage our chest bones if she hits us hard so now we have to hold her sideways. It's a lot to learn and all but I'm sure we'll get used to it all.

Love on your kids and grandkids and enjoy them. There are so many who have sicknessses. Thank the Lord if you don't have any. She's truly the joy of our life. She has brought us so many blessings. I thank the Lord daily for bringing her into our lives.

Christmas, as I remember it, as a child......

Christmas was always like magic to me. I loved the bright lights and all the twinkles and music and oh! the cooking! It seemed like an awful lot of time was being spent in the kitchen!

I grew up in Dallas and I remember the year that animations became popular. We would drive all the way into downtown to look in the Neiman Marcus window at the lifesize Santa Claus sitting in the rocking chair rocking! We thought it was amazing! It was a huge deal at that time. People came from far away to view it! We never had much when I was a child. My daddy was very sick and in the hospital a lot. It never seemed to matter though because we always had gifts of some sort.

Our preparation for the great day began way in advance and had an almost ritualistic quality to it. Nothing about christmas was ever just thrown together in a hurry!
I remember my Mother making fruit cakes, cutting up the sticky fruits and shelling pecans. I can still see her cutting marshmallows in fourths for her 'Heavenly Hash', hard-boiling eggs for the giblet gravy, trying to make the perfect baked (not dried out) turkey, making mince pies (that only she ate!), savory sage dressing (that always looked sort of green to me ) and sweet potatoes with marshmallow topping. By the time Christmas Eve came, all was in readiness for the arrival of the magic!!

I remember one year we had a tree with all fragile glass ornaments, strings of colored lights and the famous "silver icicles"! We were told to hang them up individually, not in clumps. We would stand back and meticulously place a single strand so it would "hang natural" when it was placed. I remember with a smile when my Mother wasn't looking, my Daddy would secretely sling a handful at the top of the tree while we all screamed in horror that Mother might see it and think we did it! I still remember my Daddy laughing at that!

I'll never forget the year we had our first aluminum tree. It had no decoration because it had a four-color revolving light underneath that when shown on the tree, turned it different colors: red (which always looked pink to me), green, blue and yellow. That was the most beautiful tree I thought I'd ever seen! I always hated it when it had to come down.

One year my Daddy and next-door neighbor, Shorty Wilson, decided to make holly wreaths in order to earn some extra money that year. They ordered an entire pickup load of real, freshly cut holly. Daddy stayed up late making a wreath with a coat-hanger wire. The next day his fingers were sore from the holly thorns but he sent us kids out door-to-door to take orders. I only remember getting one order but by the time we got it to the recipient, the holly had all shriveled up! So much for entreprenurship!

I will always feel my Mother's hand on every Christmas. The rituals she had then had a lasting impression on me because I still think of Christmas as a magical time of year and I still hold true to her traditions and menus.

My favorite childhood memory of Christmas is on Christmas Eve. Mother would have all three of us kids put on our pajamas and we would beg endlessly to open one gift before bedtime. She always 'gave in' and let us open 'just one'. It usually ended up being something like pajamas to sleep in because they saved the really good gifts for Christmas morning. I still recall the excitement of going to bed on Christmas Eve. My Brother and I would call out to one another from our bedrooms the memorized "Night Before Christmas" and sing choruses of "Jingle Bells" and "Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer" until Daddy would yell at us to "get to sleep or Santa Claus won't be coming at all this year!"

One year I vowed to stay awake because I secretely suspected that my parents were really "Santa". I remember seeing my Mother scatter quickly down the hall toward the tree with packages in hand. That's the year I knew "for sure". It never really made sense to me how Santa could be all over the world in one single evening!
Every Christmas morning, my Brother would wake up the entire household at 6:00 a.m. hollering, "Hurry, get up! Santa Claus came last night!" You've never seen 3 kids get up so quickly! It was such fun on Christmas morning at our house!

The word, "Christmas" itself shows great expectation and excitement because of the Christ Child. It's all about the love of a Savior.

I remember Santa always came, no matter how bad the circumstances. My long, long list from the Sears catalog with every page and catalog item number printed alongside was never completely filled but it never kept me from writing one or altering my behavior a few days before the great day arrived! I recall my stocking having walnuts and tangerines in it and what a treat that was! Christmas will probably never be exactly the way it was then but we still have our memories of it. We are also making our own memories now with our children and grandchildren.

So, I can still hardly wait for the magic of that day. It's the day we have been looking forward to all year. Remember to tell your kids and grandkids the real meaning of that night. Keep the magic in Christmas but remember that Jesus is the Reason.

My Christmas Open House

Good Morning and Merry Christmas to all!

We have freezing rain and snow flakes here today and it is sooo cold! It's a good day to stay bundled up with a warm cup of hot chocolate with a peppermint stick in it and some gooey baby marshmallows! Yum!

I'd like to take you on a tour of my Christmas House today. It's still not all put out because we moved and I still can't find everything. I'd say about 1/2 is out. My husband says we have enough but I like to get out there and "Deck those Halls"!!!

Just a cute little Christmas pillow from Wal-mart.

Some of my snowmen people

This is a centerpiece on my kitchen table.

All the grandchildren like the snowball candles!



I found these little mini lights at Target a few years back. I like to scatter them about.

Yes, you saw right! It really is a BLACK TREE! But, it was an accident! My grandaughter and her friend said they were bringing me a Christmas tree and when we unpacked it, we found out that it was Black! I decided to keep it because it is so unusual. After a little research on the internet, I found out that they are in great demand this year!

This is just a little vignette in my kitchen.

Our decorative Christmas pillows. You wouldn't believe how many people untie that little bow pillow. It says "Merry Christmas " on the ribbons.

A part of my mantle garland. I forgot to turn the light on when I took the picture.

My old world Santa

My cut glass colored bavarian glasses and candles. I love them!

This is also a part of my coffee table decorations.

This is also on our coffee table. That little sequined house was given to me by my grandaughter and I love it!

Well, that is part of what's in the living room and kitchen. I may post some more from the rest of the house later. Right now, I'm heading to get a sweater on and a warm throw to wrap around me. I am sooo cold!

My little grandaughter, McKayla just loves to look at the lights. She makes little funny sounds when she looks at them. She's such a joy!

Hope everyone stays warm today!

Remember, Jesus is the reason for the season!

Love wears pearls and a pink hat!

Just thought I would share some pictures of my great-grandbaby, McKayla , with you. She is currently living with us and words can't even describe how much love we have for her. What is about having a baby around that makes you feel younger? She brings so many smiles to our home. She's definitely a bundle of joy! She'll be 10 months old on Monday so I want to wish her

a happy early 10 month birthday!! We love you, McKayla!

Oh! The wonderful things you find at Marshalls!

I picked up this adorabe little christmas tree dish from Marshalls. You may not be able to see from the picture but it is an off-white, sort of cream color with gold decorations on it. I couldn't decide where to put it and finally decided to put some decorative soaps in it and use it on the side of my bathtub. I think it looks really cute there. What do you think? Does anyone have any other good ideas of how I could use it?