Rainy Days & Mondays.....

I'm BACK! Did ya miss me?

I am participating in my first Double Monday meme's: Blue Monday and Metamorphosis Monday.

Several months ago I picked up a ton of wooden frames at the local junk store. Most were just empty picture frames that I spray painted white to go in my studio. One was a wide wood frame with a very drab picture in it. I saw potential in the frame itself. It sat for a while. Then one day while cleaning out my closet I found a watercolor painting of a local round barn. I've had this small painting for years. Like pre-children! Never had it framed. No clue why with my love of blue and old barns! I took my junk frame and the picture to Hobby Lobby; picked out a mat and here she is:
I love how the old wood looks as if it came from that very barn. A barn that I saw each day on my bus ride to high school.

Here is the before photo:

I've placed it on top of the entertainment center in my living room. I didn't snap a full photo, because I really wanted to just highlight the beautiful painting finally out of the closet.

There is so much joy to be found in the smallest things in life. A revived old picture frame with a new beginning. Days of rain, which we greatly needed. Memories of yesterday....today.



Be sure to stop by both Sally's Blue Monday postings to see all the other blue blogs! And Susan's Met Monday's for all the metamorphosis blogs!

Homemade Napkins & Rings

Last month, I was the winner of a SWEET give-away by Beth at ModernJax. My package of beautiful goodies has long since arrived in the mail. I waited until I had an item made to post highlighting the gift. Since I haven't learned to sew, I had to call on mom.

My mom is one talented lady. Wonder woman actually. How else would you describe a beautician that still works at almost 74 years of living on this earth? She is the baby of eleven children, the mother to three and grandmother of eight, and can work circles around me! She has sewn for as long as I can remember. Mostly dresses for us three girls growing up. She quilts, like my fellow blogger Beth, who sent me the fabric. She is a wonderful cook.

She grew up in harder times. Wore flour sack dresses and swept the yard with broom sage. They had no grass to cut. Picked cotton. Grew most of their own food. No wonder she is one tough cookie!

I'm sure learning to sew was a treat back in her growing up years. I wish I had paid more attention when I took Home Economics back in High School. Even then, I got mom to help me with my sewing project for class!

Mom made two cute napkins out of one of the fabric pieces. I pulled out some of my old lace and made up a couple of quick napkin rings from lace and ....are you ready for this?
An empty toilet paper roll! I cut the roll at about one inch then used my double stick tape runner to attach the lace. I really like the 'old' look and feel to this on my white dishes.

Thanks again to Beth for the sweet giveaway prize! I have another project idea brewing for another piece of the fabric. Hopefully I can get to it soon. Too many projects, too little time!

Speaking of time. My eyes were larger than my stomach ...regarding my kitchen makeover. Not to mention my unhired free help has the flu! I have been a busy bee at work and just decided to give my not so Wonder Woman self a 'break'. I am having pizza and a movie night tonight with old friends and kids! Fun stuff. Plus I took a break from the bloggin train rides this week and am enjoying the Spring temps. I will be back in full swing with lots of new things to share next week! I plan to pre-schedule a few posts on Sunday: A small Met Monday, which will be my first! And it's BLUE! Ha! Along with a junk 'treasure' find for Tuesday and a 3'fer. So don't touch that dial! Good things are just around the bend.

Tickled Pink

Happy Pink Saturday!

A warm beautiful day in Georgia. Gardens will soon be springing to life. My friendship garden is full of lovely blooms (the photo is the calendar in my studio). This week has been a week full of friends. I met many new blogging friends on Monday. I have had friends over to help me paint, strip wallpaper and work on my kitchen. Giving of their time, talents and friendship. Friends call to laugh with me about my 'graceful' fall while painting and to check to make sure I was still in one piece. Friends who have stopped by my blog to leave comments. I am thankful for all of my friends, virtual and in real life.; for they truly are the most beautiful flowers in my life's garden.

Last Saturday, I dropped by The Checker Blossom store in Bowdon, Georgia. A little town down the road. My new found friend, Crystal had said I would enjoy the tour. I did. I also took a photo of a PINK booth to share with all the pink lovers. Check out the adorable pink frames! Click the photo to enlarge.

For more PINKness, check out all the ladies over at Beverly's How Sweet The Sound Pink Saturday.

I have the windows open, the birds are singing and I am going to do some more work on my kitchen. I hope to be back for another crafty post later. I made a quick and easy little project last night that I want to share!

Southern Blogging Ladies Luncheon

Yes, I am a tad slow with putting out the 411 (hip teen term, you learn these things as the mom of a teenager) to blogland.

Monday was bitterly cold, but I braved the day after a winter blizzard. Ok, just a few inches of snow, but that IS a storm in Georgia. Drove a bit over an hour to the big city to meet up with 11 other wonderful Southern bloggers, most living in and around the metro Atlanta area. Some were transplant Southern ladies (ya know, really Yankees...but living here now) and some were home grown originals. Couldn't tell the difference because they were all just as sweet as molasses!

We met at La Madeleine. I was thrilled to be greeted by Crystal, a local gal and instant friend that I met last week. Here is a photo of us, courtesy of Sue (Rue Mouffetard).

The food was delish! I had a fancy french named chicken pot pie (sort of) with a creamy mushroom sauce and of course, sweet iced tea. Photo of my plate, at the top, is thanks to Crystal.

We all laughed, ate, shared tid bits about our lives and our blogs. Reminding me of the words in my Inspire me Pink post. The words typed on our blogs about our lives, our photos shared, projects, crafts, thrifty finds and more reach out touching others. We come together via blogs during our morning coffee, the kids nap time or late night hours to share with each other a little piece of ourselves and a peek into our lives. Meeting these ladies was such a special treat! The time was brief, but the memories will last along with the sharing and inspiration found each day as they write their blogs.

Please be sure to drop by each of their amazing and beautiful blogs for more photos of the day and tons of wonderful inspiration. I can't wait for our paths to cross again!

From left going around:

Our hostess with the mostess! Susan of Between Naps on the Porch
Next, the lady that can drive circles around all of us! Debbie of Confessions of a Plate Addict
A Rosebud and giving mentor to young girls, Cheryl of JoJo's Joys
The talented and smiling, CC Catherine of Catherine de the Cups (she made us all a beautifully done card with a personal note and chocolate! So very sweet!).
A fellow scrapbooker and sweetie, Deb of Drivin' 55
My new local thrift hunting bud and lost sister, Crystal of Olive Rue
Cupcake baker extraordinaire, Sue of Rue Mouffetard (she brought us all YUMMY cupcakes!)
Simply me
Sweet Grandma babysitter, Linda at Nina's Nest
Soon-to-be blogger and another great baker, Joyce (who provided us with delicious brownies)
And one more soon-to-be excited blogger, Denise
Not in the photo was camera shy but just as lovely as her name, Rose, of
A Santamaker's Journey

Just call me 'Grace'

Ever heard that saying? When someone trips up walking or has a mis-step? "Just call me 'Grace." For being ever so graceful and all. Yesterday, I'm right in the thick of my remodeling, rolling paint onto the kitchen walls, using my step stool type ladder to reach the top. Step down, missed the last one completely. There goes my body soaring through the air! Not.so.gracefully. My knee met with the floor, my head barely missed the kitchen table and I said a few not so sweet words. Let me just say, it was not a pretty sight.

Today I have a horribly sore shoulder. Ouch! The knee is barely bruised.

Of course, what is a girl to do but call her mother and tell her the story. I should tell you that I dropped in on mom Monday after my bloggers luncheon. (Yes, I need to post those photos, I remember!) She was standing in a chair to reach something on top of her cabinets. I told her that a 73 year old woman should be careful. Well, she got a huge hoot and hollar today about my fall and said, "What am I going to do with you OLD people?" Uh huh, thanks mom. Did I mention my shoulder hurts like I participated in a bad episode of a WWF wrestling match? Not pretend ...the real thing. I'm the one that got tossed out of the ring! More like tossed off the ladder.

Did I mention I must be color blind also? I never end up with the color I envision. EVER.

Here is the reason I am a bloggin' slacker this week. I took this photo last night. The yellow is a TAD more golden, but not much. My vision was more golden. My daughter says she likes it. Of course, it could be the ugly blue wallpaper (not shown) that is still on the bottom half awaiting the bead board; that is causing my delusion with the color. Or it could just be I gone and bumped my head! ;-)

Maybe I should have picked green instead like many of the comments guessed. However, I have green planned for another very special room in the house. My kitchen will be bright and shiny. WAY shiny. I mean the walls. Cause if company showed up right now, I would hide and pretend I wasn't home!

So while I've not been keeping up the blog. I have been working on the house so I can have more posts and photos to show. At a later date. Right now, I hear a long hot soaking bath calling to my aching bones.

Crafty Wordless Wednesday

Jumping in for the first time on Wordless Wednesday hosted by Dixie over at French Lique . This weeks theme is crafts! My offering is a clipboard made over with a tad of scrapbook paper, blackboard paint, ribbon and glue. It hangs by the door in my kitchen for notes. My daughter's boyfriend left Leah a 'note' and she replied. Teenage puppy love!

The message board is a 'leftover' from a few years ago, when I was in a local Arts & Crafts Show. When my mom made me the new door curtain, I remembered having it. Thought it would go great in the wall space between my carport door and laundry room door. My kitchen will soon be one of the pretty colors in both of these items. Can you guess which one?



Guess I was actually wordy on this Wordless Wednesday. Be sure to check out all the crafty photos posted over at Dixie's blog!

My sink talks

Sometimes things just do not go as you envision them. A wrench gets tossed in the plans for a day. The day all but slips away, leaving you to wonder what happened to the hours between the time you rolled out of bed with scary hair and now. Sorry no photos of the scary Sherri hair!

But I am sharing another frightful photo. My sink, with the evidence of what happened during the passing hours of my Tuesday vacation day. Did you know a dirty sink can tell a story? Well, my dirty sink does! It talks, kinda like the walls do.


- Coffee first thing and a bit of blog reading. See my favorite green 'Life is Good' coffee cup?

- Cleaned out laundry room; which included wiping down the icky baseboards and hand dipping water out of the washer with the aqua half gallon pitcher.

- Quick shower and makeup, so as to not frighten the repairman.

- Repairman is running later than said time ~ finally arrives to doctor the sick washing machine; left with $139 of my rainy day fund. Washing machine is now spinning, sucking water out and doing all the things it is made to do. It had a broken lid thing-a-ma-jig. I told Mr. Repairman that I bet he makes a LOT of women happy! I think he turned a shade of pink, but I failed to take a photo to use in the upcoming Pink Saturday post. Darn! I mean seriously, I was thrilled I won't be making a trip to the laundry mat.

- Sink says lunch was leftover spaghetti on everyday kid proof Corelle plate.

There are a few secrets the sink can't reveal, like when you sneak away from the house! So after lunch, I left the sink in disarray for a run into town. First stop was the Post Office, then Home Depot.

- The sink tells the tale of some work that went on today, from the small paint bucket, stir stick, brush and roller. Prep for the kitchen makeover project. We had a stripper party....oh my not THOSE kinda strippers! I mean pulling off the ugly wallpaper party this weekend. Only to find pink behind it. Won't mix well with the lovely shade of yellow I plan to paint the kitchen. So I had to apply a bit, more like three coats of wall makeup. If you look past the Kilz can you can see the said horrid antique wallpaper and the evidence of my 'work' today.

That is about all the sink knows of today. Although, I did ponder shining my sink, as the Flylady rules state, sink cleaning should be done to make you feel all happy in the mornings. I have found that my sink can be so shiny it scares the living daylights out of me in the morning when I see my scary hair reflection! Instead I settled into my recliner and popped in 'Nights in Rodanthe'. I've been wanting to see it. My daughter recommended it after viewing it with her boyfriend's mom. Gracious southern lady is she, cause she sent over her rented copy for me to watch before the return date. What I want to know is WHERE was the tissue alert warning on the packaging?!?!?! ALL movies with the possibility of making you shed a tear should come with a tissue warning label! Yes I cried and yes, it is a good movie.

I had planned to try and get in my 2nd time around Tuesday and my 3 or more Tuesday post. I had photos to use for both. Another trendy item score from the junk store and photos from the bloggin ladies luncheon (because I met more than 3 wonderful women!); but it just didn't happen. I will share the junk store score soon, cause I know you ladies like those great thrifty finds! In the spirit of Gone with the Wind (much like my Tuesday) and the words of Scarlett, "Tomorrow is another day".

What's in your sink? I think I better go clean mine before my mom visits or heaven forbid, the neighbor!

Blue Monday and Vacation....

I am on vacation this week!!! No I am not at the beach. I sure wish I was! This photo was taken by my daughter last year on her vacation with her father. Oh how nice on this very COLD March morn to be sitting right there! This vacation is from my job, however it will include several projects planned at home. The major one being a kitchen makeover. So it is a 'working' vacation. I have had the same tired old wallpaper chair rail in my kitchen since I purchased this house almost 14 years ago! Now that the kids are finally older, I am finally rearranging the house, painting and updating a bit ...all of course on a budget!

A bit of FUN will be included as I am traveling to the big city in a bit to meet a bunch of Georgia bloggers for lunch! As a 'renewed' blogger, this is such a treat to come face to face with these ladies. Nothing like food, sweet tea and lots of conversation!

A quick Blue Monday photo for today. This is a house in a tiny town just ten miles down the road from me. I was out Saturday to visit an antique store Olive Rue had told me about at coffee Thursday night. This house sets across the street from the line of store fronts. I have a love of blue houses and this old one with it's yellow and blue is adorable. Love the large porch!
If you would like to see more Blues then check out Sally's blog , the hostess of Blue Monday and all the wonderful blues from around blog land. Or you can click my side bar on the Blue Monday icon.

One last side note .... you know the saying; If it can happen it will happen. Remember when my washing machine acted up earlier in the week? Well last night I put in three of my sweaters to wash, so I would have something warm to wear at today's luncheon. When I checked back later to hang them...there they sat in water. Ugh! The washer will not spin, will not pump, will not move. I am so not handy when it comes to machinery. Hopefully I can find a repairman to stop by and tell me if it can be fixed or if I will be shopping for a new one. NOT in the budget! But thankfully there is a little rainy day fund. (or was it just a snowy day fund?).

Snowy Sunday in Georgia

I was surfing blogs this morning and saw morning posts from Mississippi and Alabama gals where they had snow. About 30 minutes later beautiful white flakes began falling here! Here is a view from my carport looking up my front yard and into the neighborhood.

What do southern folks do when it snows? COOK, of course. So I made up a country breakfast of scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy! Just tossed a few old items on the table to make a photo, my grandmothers butter mold and apron. See the steam coming off the eggs? Yummy! Oh and yes I used my 'new to me' Goodwill find plates.
My daughter wanted to ride up town and make a few photos. So here are her pictures:

A view in town at the University.

A bench at the University.Snow on trees in town. The roads are just WET, so far.

The weatherman is saying it will be 25 degrees tonight. So I will be watching the news later and in the morning. It is all the top story major news because we rarely see snow in these parts.

I have plans to meet a group of Georgia bloggers for lunch tomorrow in the big city. So I am a bit concerned over the road conditions. Just a half inch of snow puts all southerners in a frenzy! A little bit of white stuff falling and southerners lose all sense for operating their vehicles on the roadways. For some reason, never understood to me; you MUST have a supply of milk and bread for any snow 'storm'. Thankfully I already had both items on hand and did not have to rush out in the madness to elbow my way down the bread isle only to find the highest priced loaves still there.

A beautiful cold snowy Sunday and a reminder from winter that she hasn't yet turned the season over to spring. Here's to snuggling up, staying warm, enjoying the pretty white stuff, but hoping this is winter's last blast!