"I'LL FLY AWAY".........

I don't know if you remember seeing this little bird hook thingy, hanging on my large book case in my living room or not......

I've had it for a few years and have enjoyed it...have had LOTS of different things hanging on it at one time or another......

The other day, I found ANOTHER one and decided that I want YOU to have it........

SOOOOOO, IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER

"JUST BECAUSE" GIVEAWAY

If you would like to have a chance at receiving this IRON BIRD HOOK (plus some little tiny SURPRISES included) ALL you have to do is leave a comment on THIS post, telling me that you would like to have it.........Be sure to mention if you WANT it or not as sometimes, ladies leave a note but would rather not be in the drawing.....

Let's see...........I will have the drawing on Thursday of NEXT week !

If you would be so kind as to MENTION THE DRAWING ON YOUR BLOG, I would thank you deeply......

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OH, and speaking of BIRDIES......

THIS IS THAT LITTLE TINY BIRD YOU HAD TO ENLARGE THE PICTURE, JUST TO BE ABLE TO SEE IT ONLY A FEW DAYS AGO......

THE STARTING OF ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL

MOURNING DOVE

Isn't she so sweet....I think her mom must have flown off to find food....she will surely be back!!

PLEASE LET HER COME BACK !!

I don't know how to take care of a BABY BIRD !!

So, ya'll say it with me....

"PLEASE COME BACK TO YOUR BABY, MOMMA BIRD"

NOTE:

The momma bird did come back to her little baby !

Have a beautiful day !

~ WORK ....and ....DREAMS ~

I am like anybody else....I don't mind work when it produces something THIS pretty....

in fact, I LOVE working in this sort of environment.....I dream of it a LOT...

the beauty.....

the lovely fragrance.......


"One's heart is nearer to God in a garden
than any place else on Earth"................I believe that !

I WANT to be working in a place like this...........*sigh

And, ESPECIALLY in a place like this ! ..............

....Isn't this just the neatest way to garden you've EVER seen ?

I am so excited about doing something like this. We had already decided to try some patio container gardening this season but THIS.....

Oh, I REALLY want to do something like THIS !! *sigh and double sigh

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BUT, IT IS NOT TO BE BECAUSE OF THIS...................

If there is anyone left on the planet that doesn't know what this lovely, little yellow beauty is...it's a DANDELION.....a weed....an undesirable !

And, THIS is a Dandelion PICKER ! You push it in, right beside the dreaded WEED, push, tilt, and it pulls that weed out, roots and all........

This year, for reasons unknown, we have a LOT of these little, mean, hard*to*get*rid*of boogers and we HAVE to dig them or else spray. Since I'm not a big fan of weed killers, we (did I say WE?) will dig them out............

*sigh and starting to sob just a bit here

I dug a LOT of them out yesterday and still have some to do but....it's getting there.

We also worked on our winter wood pile for our fabulous wood burning stove....

It was all stacked on the patio, up next to the fence on a home-made log holder...

Logs covered in dead leaves.....BIG MESS ! BIG !

So, we put together the new log holder BILL got for Christmas, cleaned the leaves off the logs, positioned the holder beneath the porch overhang, right beside our doors, and filled it up to the brim.....what a fabulous place for the logs !

Now, the logs will stay dry and will be handy from the door to bring inside during the winter for a nice, roaring fire.....

But....I sure was tired and, all the while, was STILL dreaming of my lovely gardens that I would rather be working in.....*SIGH and downright cryin' now

We ALSO cleaned out our outdoor fun fireplace....the one where we roast marshmallows and hot dogs with the grand kids....

Cleaned and scrubbed, inside and out....all ready for another round of cooking when the kids are hungry for another weenie roast.
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Yep, there's lots of yard work to be done and cleaning of THE PLACE before I can devote time to other projects like.....

GARDENS......

Remember...we are OLD and we work awhile, rest awhile, play awhile...It takes us twice or three times longer to get a job done now that even 5 years ago....And......

....speaking of playing, I finally.....

after a long, LONG work day, decided we needed

REST, RELAXATION AND................

REFRESHMENT !!!!!!!!

The good thing.....there's still time to start a garden of sorts...and if we continue to work as we did yesterday, we'll have the clean-up done in nothing flat and then......DREAMS CAN COME TRUE !

Have a relaxing day, if you possibly can...WORK tomorrow!! :)



Oh, and did I remember to give thanks for being ABLE to still work ? Let me do that this very minute!


Hugs, bj

FROM DECORATING IDEAS MAGAZINE, Feb.'06

Good morning....have a Cinnamon Biscuit and a cup of coffee and let's look at some great ideas in this old magazine....




I just LOVE these pretty flowers planted in an iron hanger, covered in moss....

SPRING IS IN THE WINGS

OH...and look how adorable THIS is....and so easy to achieve....

Find an old dresser or desk...repaint it a glorious color..

3 shelves of different lengths (I get lumber pieces at Home Depot or Lowes and hubby just
routes the edges for me...or you can have it done right there for
a small fee....cheaper than buying pre-made shelving!

and.........6 pretty corbels or heavy shelf brackets.....adding a pretty molding of sorts to the top..


PAINT IT ALL the same color and, WALLA.......You have an OUTSTANDING piece !!

And the great thing is that probably no one else will have one like it !!

How's this for dressing up just a plain, ole corner of your room.........


3 shelves, faced with old molding (this looks like tin)....and you can buy NEW tin, distress it and do the same thing.......

A really cute corner of the room.....

Now this one is too cute !! She just took a cool looking chair and added all sorts of things to it....

a hook on the back to hang a shirt..

screwed a cool soap dish to the upper front to hold her watch, rings, bracelets......

little wooden knobs on the sides to hold her necklaces, scarf or a pretty belt.....

painted flowers on the seat that can hold a book, a dish of candy, a glass of water...even an alarm clock...

I think one of these cute babies would be so neat in a guest room, beside their bed, for their belongings....

Oh, and look at all her roosters on top of the FABULOUS hutch that HER HUBBY BUILT.....

The article in DECORATING IDEAS, where most of these pictures came from, says that when she started collecting roosters, she decided they all had to be LIFE SIZE to avoid a clutter effect....

And, don't you love the softness of the fabric in the lower doors of the hutch ? I think I might like this idea beneath my kitchen sink....just remove the doors and make some really cute curtains to match my kitchen.....something different and for a change...I could always put my doors back on if I got tired of the fabric...

This talented lady blocked off and painted these amazing squares on her wooden floors....

Talk about STRIKING....

I don't have WOODEN floors but ...if I did...........................!!

I love the colors of this awesome chest...so FRENCH !

When the wife wanted to sit it in front of a large window, the hubby removed the backing and left it open so the light could come thru....now, how smart is that!! How do people think up such NEAT ideas such as this ?

OHHH and this is so IMPRESSIVE to me....

Two stock bookcases, screwed to the walls for stability.....

A shelf across the upper back wall, supported by the bookcases....

Another larger shelf, acting as a desk, also supported by the bookcases....

Curtain rod attached, once again, to the awesome bookcases......

Beautiful curtains, held back by beautiful brackets.....attached, YEP....to the bookcases!

Fill it all up with baskets, plants, lamp, waste basket, comfy chair and talk about a GREAT little office space that looks like a million dollars!!! WOW

OK...see that little French gold, white and red, drop leaf table by the chair....

I saw this and GOT INSPIRED !

IMPORTANT NOTE HERE......

PLEASE remember that I have NO talents !

I am TOTALLY TALENTLESS !!! So don't expect much here............

BUT...I just HAD to try my hand at stenciling and I had this old dining table of my mother's....and the table isn't as sweet as the little oblong one in the magazine but.....I wanted to TRY anyway !

This is a HUGH table and I only am showing one side up....

The design makes it look like a "cloth" on top when the table is folded out which is pretty cool....

If I had a pretty enclosed porch like SOME people I know, I would use this table out there !! :)

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If you have some neat ideas, be sure to show us all. It's fun to see how you use your talents, especially for those of us that HAVE NONE !! :)

HAPPY DAY...

bj

OUR SWEET ROSE LADY.......

MOST of you may be aware of our beautiful CIELO of THE HOUSE IN THE ROSES..

SHE has the loveliest blog you've ever seen, with ROSES just EVERYWHERE...

because............. she LOVES ROSES........................

AND, now she is hosting the most fabulous DESSERT CARNIVAL..... WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30TH AT 8:00 AM

Doesn't just the words DESSERT CARNIVAL make your MOUTH WATER, your TASTE BUDS STAND AT ATTENTION and your heart just SING !?!!

Hurry over to her site and find out all the particulars on this amazing event....

THEN.....make something MOUTH WATERING and send the photo to her...

A hint as to what I sent her......

My BFF calls it "DAMN GOOD" Dessert

It does, however, have a MUCH nicer name to it !!

I've a feeling we are all in for SUCH a taste treat, with all the fabulous recipes sure to follow......not to mention the luscious photos....

Tis sure to be a wonderful experience.....

THANKS, CIELO....this is going to be such a FUN thing!!

SMILE MAKERS

I happen to love coke IN A GLASS BOTTLE....

I buy those tiny bottles every now and then...especially if I know g-kids are going to be around.....

They LOVE to use this old, wall bottle opener, so, OF COURSE, this opener makes me SMILE......

OUR TWINS...and one of their big sisters.....

The expressions on these little faces make me LAUGH OUT LOUD....
They were, oh,

so serious that day !

I was keeping the three and decided to get their pictures made to surprise HANDSOME SON and LOVELY DAUGHTER IN LAW....

We were all glad that the pictures turned out so cute...even if the babies DIDN'T smile !

"My, my, little girls....what big eyes you have!"

I LOVE YOU, GIRLS !

HANDSOME SON, riding in a college rodeo....

PLEASE NOTE:

NONE OF THE 6 FEET INVOLVED HERE WERE TOUCHING THE GROUND!

I do have to mention here that, AT THE TIME, I was NOT smiling NOR laughing!! :O(

This precious picture makes me laugh out loud every time I glance at it......

....her long hair, sticking straight UP and such a serious expression.....

Isn't it funny how a silly little photo can make your heart smile with every glance?

BUT.....it does ! Yes..... it does!!

Cute little coasters Beautiful Daughter made for me at Christmas.....

Each time I use them, they bring a HEART SMILE.........

My mother's bible, hymnal and prayer book, all tied up with a satin ribbon ~

Another true HEART SMILE maker............

A grandson's silhouette and a "thank you, Memaw" note ......

....a SMILE .....AND a hugh LUMP in the throat !

Stacks of softness and cuddles and love are definitely SMILE MAKERS.....

My old TREASURE CHEST..... aka as a TRUNK.....:)

THIS makes me smile because of all I have in it......

....chock full of TREASURES....family pictures !

BOXES to hold other family pictures.....

An apple a day................... maybe it's the color of RED that makes me smile here...

Decided to leave the little ones empty ..... the different colors and shapes make me happy.....PLUS....a BIG plus, they belonged to my mother.....

Yep...you were right, ANITA...the old clothes pins DO look cute here...

.......and all of these old jars make me smile.

I know you all have SMILE MAKERS around your cottages.....we sure would like to see them, if you please!

Hugs

bj

EDITED to tell you that last night, I made the BAKED EGGS that KIM told us about on her blog and, LET ME TELL YOU, they are just DELICIOUS !!!

Be sure to go over, get the recipe and try these easy*to*fix*in*a*hurry eggs..... the sour creme makes them sooo smooth!

YUMMY .....and please tell her I said HELLO !

A WONDERFUL WELCOME..............

MARY at Mary's Treasured Memories is a brand new blogger and she has started right off with a BEAUTIFUL spot....it is such a pleasure to look at photos of her family and her vintage dishes handed down from past generations......
not to mention the lovely, soothing music she plays.

Please go over and give her a big Blogger Hug and let her know how glad we are to have her with us. And, please tell her I said "HEY" !

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SOME WORDS OF WISDOM TO PONDER

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.

Love the people who treat you right.

Forgive the ones who don't.

Believe everything happens for a reason.

If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.

If it changes your life, let it.

God never said life would be easy.

He just promised He would see you through it.

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HE IS AWESOME

Have a blessed and wonderful Sunday ~

Blessings and love, bj