Better Late than Never!

   I promised a giveaway awhile back to celebrate my 200th post.  Well, a lot of time has passed, but I am finally getting to it!  Don't you love giveaways??!!  I know that I do.  In fact, I won my first one a few weeks ago from Joy at joy-full-ness.blogspot.com.  She makes the most beautiful joxlettes, which are like fabric flowers.  They are perfect for accenting hats, straw bags, dresses, etc.  Gorgeous!  I can't wait to get mine so I can show it off!!  Thanks Joy!

   But back to my giveaway!!  I had such fun making the button necklace for Julie, that I made one for myself.  Now my Mom has asked me to make one for her- with all white buttons.  So I thought, why should we be the only ones to have all the fun?!  For my giveaway, I will custom make a button necklace (with your choice of colors and length) for one fabulous and lucky lady!!!  Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win.  I will draw a name next Sunday, June 8th.  Good Luck!

Desert Island Deadline!

Ladies, it's almost time to mail your Desert Island package to your partner!  Please mail your goodies on or before June 5th!  I mailed my partner (and new friend!), Julie, (from Joy's Hope) her package last weekend, but I don't think she has received it yet.  Julie, if you are reading this please stop right here!!  

For Julie's desert island adventure I thought she would need a parasol, battery operated fan, a great book, fun magazine, chocolate fondue, a journal for writing down her hopes and dreams, and a new necklace, because even if you are stranded on an island, you still want to look good!:-)  I also included some goodies for her two little cutie pies, Halley and Lucy.  Take a look:

Enchanted Evening

We had so much fun the other night!  My friend, Sue, invited us to her house for dinner and strawberry margaritas- I mean "slushies".;-)  Sue and her husband have the most wonderful home on 54 acres.  The strawberries were grown in their garden and they were absolutely divine- yummmm!  They also made the most INCREDIBLE chicken kabobs with grilled veggies.  Sue told me she would share the recipes and, believe me, I will be posting them!  

Our girls had the best time playing together on the trampoline (Katie and Teagan did wipe out, but c'est la vie), in the playhouse (so cute- even had a loft!), by the pond, in the playroom, etc.  We saw peacocks, bluebirds, chickens (they raise them) and even a snake!  In fact, as we were leaving, Mandy said, "No offense Mom, but I like their house better than ours."  I have to say that I agree with her.:-)  Thanks again, Sue, for the fabulous evening!

Marshmallow Fishing

The girls went fishing for the first time today- with marshmallows as bait!  The little fish gobbled the marshmallows up, we took a few pictures and then let them go.  Everyone was happy!

Hey there, Lonely Girl

All is quiet tonight while I sit here and miss my oldest daughter.  We dropped her off today to spend a week with her grandparents.  I know she will have a fabulous time, but my heart still aches to put my arms around her.  What am I going to do when my girls grow up??

As you can see from the pictures,  the girls got to camp out last night and ride the paddle boat.  Mandy even started the campfire!  Grandpa John and Grandma Patty have the most beautiful home on 10 acres with tons of trees and wildlife.  It's almost like going to camp.:-)

I plan on sending Mandy a care package or two and lots of cards.  Her package will include a disposable camera, color pencils for her nature notebook, some snacks, etc.  Please help me think of some other things to send her.... 

I've been tagged!

  Julie from Joy's Hope tagged me so here I go!

What I was doing 10 years ago:

Wow!  I really had to think about this.  10 years ago we were living in a VERY small town in Arkansas and I was busy with my 6 month old baby girl, Mandy.  I was completely wrapped up in her and my life revolved around her schedule.  She was the best little sleeper and I didn't want to mess that up.  Such a little angel.:-)

5 Things I had to do Today:

1) Finish a necklace for a swap I am doing.

2) Pack for a trip to Kansas City.  On the road again!

3) Start making my items for Tangee's Pinkalicious Swap  

4) Start planning our school schedule for summer.  (Yes, we home school through the summer, but that's so we can take breaks whenever we want.:-))

5) Get some sleep as we have to wake up early- ugh.

Snacks I Enjoy:

I love salty things, such as margaritas and chips and salsa.  Chili's has the best chips and salsa.  You should research this.;-)  I also love warm salted pretzels and mustard- Mmmmm...  Movie popcorn!

If I were a Millionaire:

If I were a millionaire I would buy a house on the beach and home school my girls there.  I would also spend more time crafting and open an etsy shop.  I would encourage my husband and girls to do more things that they loved, too.  Perhaps Jeff could quit his job and we could open a photography studio for family beach pictures....

Places I have lived:

I have lived most of my life in Virginia- Clifton, Herndon, Virginia Beach, and Chesapeake.  After we first got married we lived in Connecticut for about 6 months.  Then we moved to Arkansas and here we are still.:-)

Now I will tag Roxanne (dragovich5.blogspot.com), Jessica (barefootinthebackyard.blogspot.com), Allison (sewmanygirls.blogspot.com), and Kim (mrsmorrisart.blogspot.com) 

Matinees and Ice Cream

My friend, Roxanne, and I took our kids to go see "Nim's Island" yesterday.  We had the theater all to ourselves!  We all really enjoyed the book and wanted to see what the movie had to offer.  I have to say that it was pretty cute.  The books are always better, but the movie was enjoyable and fun, too, which is not always the case.  Abigail Breslin is adorable, the animals are entertaining and the island is beautiful.  Jodie Foster was wonderful, as always.  If you need a break from the heat (we turned on our air conditioning today) take your family to see "Nim's Island."  Of course, you should really read the book first- it was excellent!

Buttercups and Ticked Off Heifers

   Buttercups are popping up all over the place right now.  It makes the fields come alive with color!  I asked Jeff to pull over so I could snap a few pictures of the cows among the flowers.  Well, they (the cows) were not too thrilled with me.  One by one, they slowly walked away.  They were in no hurry, mind you.  I think they were just ticked off with the lady and her camera.  Oh well, the Mommy and her babies were the sweetest of the bunch.:-)

Mermaid Swap Goodies

Look what my lovely partner, Peggi, sent me for the mermaid swap!  She is such a sweetheart and sent my package so it would be at my house when I got back from the beach.:-)  She made me a lovely mermaid card and a GORGEOUS framed mermaid accented with paint, beads and everything nice!  She also gave me beading accessories in colors of the ocean, stickers, and all the items I need to give ATC's (artist trading cards) a try!  I had never heard of ATC's before and she gave me quite an education!  Peggi also made me a sweet mermaid crown, but my girls have decided to "adopt" it so it is MIA- lol!  It was made with mother of pearl shells and so pretty!  We oohed and aahed at everything as I opened all my beautiful treasures.  Thanks so much,Peggi, I feel so spoiled!  Take a peek at her blog- Desert Photography (under Blogs That Inspire Me)- it is a treat for the eyes and ears!

Bonfire on the Beach!

   On our last night at the beach we had a fabulous bonfire!  There was a full moon and we had the beach to ourselves (besides a friendly group of crab "explorers" hunting with their nets:-) ).  All week the girls had been collecting firewood found on the beach and that night we (actually, Jeff) were able to make quite a wonderful fire.  (We could not have done it without my Mom remembering the matches, though!)  We enjoyed the most delicious hotdogs (Nathan's- the BEST) and, everyone's favorite, s'mores!  I have to tell you that my husband makes the perfect toasted marshmallow.  Lightly brown and amazingly gooey on the inside- plus, no burn!  Who needs chocolate when they are that good??  The girls were sporting their cool head lights that my parents gave them (Mommy did not have to hold anything!) and Jeff got to use his new lantern.  Perfect!  Katie even found my camera lens cap that I had lost earlier that day.  It could not have been better!

Beach Pictures

There is nothing like family pictures on the beach.  The breeze coming off the ocean and the way the light reflects off the sand seems to create the perfect canvas.  Here are some of my favorite pictures from this year:

Homemade Oatmeal

I thought we were spoiled.  We eat instant Quaker oatmeal, my favorite being Cinnamon and Spice, quite frequently for breakfast.  Well, while on vacation I discovered the creamy, rich goodness of homemade oatmeal.  I don't know if I can ever go back.  I ate it every chance I had, adding brown sugar and raisins.  Mmmmm- yummy.  While reading Prevention magazine (it always gets me motivated to get my act together) I found a recipe that I think I will try tomorrow morning:

Fruity-Nutty Oatmeal

1 cup water

2 1/2 c fat free milk, divided

1 1/4 c old-fashioned rolled oats

pinch of salt (optional)

1 lg pear or med Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into 1/4 in pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries

1/4 cup dark or golden raisins

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 tsp brown sugar

Bring water and 1 1/2 cups of the milk to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan over high heat.  Stir in oats and salt.  Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 3 min., stirring often, until oats start to soften.

Stir in pear.  Cover and simmer about 3 min. more or until it is tender but still a bit crisp.  Stir in cranberries and raisins.  Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 1 min. to soften.

Divide evenly among 4 warm bowls.  Sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons of the walnuts and 1/2 tsp. of the sugar.  Top each bowl with 1/4 cup of the remaining milk.

What do you think?  I know the weather is getting warmer, but what a way to start the day!:-)

Shopping at Bungalows

   We discovered a darling new shopping area at the beach that I wanted to tell you about.  It's called "The Wharf" and it has a number of nice restaurants, a gorgeous movie theater (we went to see Prince Caspian there), an outdoor ampitheater (Rick Springfield is coming in 2 weeks!  I saw him in concert last year and he STILL has it!), and the largest ferris wheel in the south.  But the store I fell in love with is called Bungalows!  Here is some eye candy I captured just for YOU!  I wanted to take all these beach signs (yes- there were more of them!) home with me...

Happiness Is...

Happiness is...

A brightly colored bag filled with magazines, snacks, sunscreen and a fluffy beach towel.

Having the pool all to yourself!

A nap in the shade.

New Crocs with lots of places to explore (starting with the pool).


But most of all, happiness is time spent with the ones you love.

Unexpected Plans

    This is my sister, Amy, and me after our second day of tennis.  We were wiped out and sore!  So much fun, but I think we pushed ourselves a bit too hard...  The ladies at the welcome desk told us we were going to kill ourselves!  They didn't know how much fun we were having, though.:-)  Today we are going to take the day off and ride the ferry to an estuarium (kind of like an aquarium) on Dauphin Island.  Then we will round out the day with some shopping.  Funny how that always helps me feel better...

Later that day....

We headed for the ferry when bad weather hit.  So, off we went to the outlets.  (We found out later that there was a tornado warning by the ferry- right where we were sitting!  Unreal.)  Anyway, picked up a darling little dress at Strasburg for Katie.  How I wish Mandy would still wear those...  It's a beautiful pink slip dress and perfect for pictures on the beach.  I also fell in love with a Coach purse at the Coach outlet and Jeff told me I should get it.  What a sweetheart.  We'll see...  I even tried on a tennis outfit.  So cute, but will look so much better after a couple more hours of the sport.:-)  Roxanne- I will be giving you a call!

Tennis, Anyone?

   My sister and I played tennis today and it was FAN-TAS-TIC!  I have not played in about 7 years but it didn't matter at all.  We did not keep score (what's the fun in that??) and attempted to hit every ball (can you say tennis bowling?) but this only managed to give us more exercise.:-)  In case anyone is interested, I am putting a tennis racket on my wish list and, Alicia, when I get back we are hitting the courts, my friend!

   We also went shopping and my parents bought the girls some new Crocs shoes and then took them for a ride on the ferris wheel (the largest one in the South- no thank you).  Jeff bought my Dad a "Life is Good" T-shirt that says "Tough Guy" on the front.  What a joker- You should have seen the looks he got when he wore it!  Jeff also bought me a shirt that says "Good Mom."  I'm wearing it right now- such an ego boost!

     Tonight for dinner we had fresh steamed shrimp, corn on the cob, my Mom's homemade potato salad, freshly cut pineapple and decadent cookies my sister made for dessert.  So much for losing weight!

Lulu's and the Wii

Just some pictures from Mother's Day dinner at Lulu's restaurant.  I want a bumper sticker that says, "I'd rather be at Lulu's"!  The restaurant is owned by Jimmy Buffet's sister and it's a blast!  We dined by the water and enjoyed fried green tomatoes, (I had never tried them before- yum!) hamburgers, fried shrimp and iced tea.  There is a man-made beach there with buckets and toys for the kids, volleyball nets, Adirondack chairs, and a gift shop.  The wait for a table is usually a few hours so they come in handy.:-)

The last picture is of my Dad and Jeff playing the Wii.  My Mom is laughing- see her?  They raced cars, boxed, and bowled.  My favorite game is "Smarty Pants" and after numerous games I am still the current "Smarty Pants.":-)