Eyeballs! and Pay Attention!

Anyone who has ever taught knows that if your student's eyes are not on you, then they probably aren't listening. Yet a pair of peepers could be staring right at you while the brain behind it is only thinking about a cheeseburger.  Such are the ways of learning.  It takes a great deal of hard work and discipline from the teacher AND the listener.  I always hated saying to my students, "Pay attention!" or "Listen while I'm talking."  I began to tell them, "Eyes on me" which eventually evolved to, "Eyeballs!"  I always get a smile or laugh from my piano students when I say this, but they definitely know that it's time to LISTEN UP.

I'm going to do a little confessing here.  I found myself guilty of the pair-of-peepers-but-cheeseburgers-in-the-brain kind of listening the other night at church.  Now that I think of it, I'm not even sure if I was looking at Pastor or not.  My mind was wandering...I mean REALLY wandering.  I was actually worrying and fretting over something that hadn't even happened yet.  I'm very talented in the area of borrowing trouble from tomorrow. I had just finished with, "What's going to happen?" and I was moving on to, "What are we going to do about it?" when I realized I had no clue what Pastor was talking about. "Eyeballs, Jane! Pay attention!"

When I think of how often I let my mind slip into another dimension when I should really be listening and learning, I'm reminded of Romans 10:17. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."  If I had approached that church service with the attitude of gleaning all that I possibly could from God's Word that night, just maybe God would have given me the exact answer I needed for my problem.

God doesn't like to fight for our attention.  He doesn't want to have to keep saying, "Eyeballs, eyeballs!"  The only way our faith will increase is by hearing God's Word.  How can we hear his Word if we are not paying attention?

Leaf Wrapped Mason Jars

Ahhhh! The fall season brings out the homebody in us all.  Were there ever such things as bathing suits and sunblock? If there were, I don't remember them.  Around this time of year, all I want to do is relax, sip a cup of hot tea and enjoy the glow of our fireplace and the smell of pumpkin spice candles.  Bringing warmth and ambiance into a home is easy and inexpensive with these leaf wrapped mason jars.  I bought the mason jars and leaves at Hobby Lobby, and the twine I found lying around in our garage. Yippy. I bought leaves that had a little bit of bend to them so they wrapped around the mason jars easily, but you can use any type of leaves you find.  I formed the leaves around the jars, tied the twine around them and made a bow.  I didn't want to melt votive candle inside, so I bought the small jar candles from Wal-mart and placed them inside.  No mess at the end of the candle.  When the candles are lit, a beautiful glow shines through the leaves.  It really is like having little fireplaces all over your house.

Silly Bands are the most appropriately named items in history

    If you don't know what Silly Bands are then you are either never around kids, teenager, or adults who think they are kids or teenagers, or you never leave your house.  Silly Bands are bracelets that take the shape of a particular item until they are on your wrist, then they just look like messed-up rubber bands.
    During a piano lesson last week, one of my students came in with both arms full to about mid-forearm of these silly bands. After the initial "You have got to be kidding me!" I winced at the very thought of wanting to cover my arms with tight plastic bands that did little for the support of healthy blood circulation.
     I had to comment.  "So that's a lot of Silly Bands you've got there." He was proud, very proud of his collection.
    "I have three hundred at home but only around forty on right now!" he beamed.  So proud.
     He then began to take them off.  What a process!! After a few minutes, he was free of his bands, and in their place were thick purple indentions.  Eeek! It looked like it hurt, and he said that, yes, sometimes it did, especially when he slept in them.  Um....no comment.
     So we untangled the mess, and he showed me some of his pride and joys: the football, the sun, the milkshake.  He even had a few to give me. (I hate to admit that they were actually really cute.)  He gave me a fairy, a mermaid, and a unicorn that glow in the dark.  We set them aside because I wasn't going to waste time waiting for him to put all five hundred of them back on his wrists (exaggeration).  During our entire lesson, there they sat in a jumbled mess.
      I don't quite understand the attraction to covering your arms from wrist to elbow with rubber bands, but every time I see one of these bands on one of my student's wrists, I have the intense urge to ask them, "Hey, what shape is THAT Silly Band?"  So silly, right? And thus, so appropriately named.

  He gave me these silly bands.  They glow in the dark!

Free-Style Handmade Skirt

     I picked up this great book from Barnes and Noble this past summer entitled Free-Style Handmade Bags and Skirts.  I was trying to find simple patterns that I could use repeatedly and that didn't cost me $6 a piece.  I also wanted to have the ability to play around with the patterns a bit and "do my own thing".  When I found this book, I saw that it contained dozens of simple but adorable skirt patterns as well as patterns for purses and bags.  They were easy to follow and basic enough that I could make multiple skirts from each pattern without it looking like I had gone out and bought one skirt in every color the store supplied (I hate that).   The skirts are not so simple that they are boring, however.  There are so many different styles. Some more complex than others, but all are very doable if you are familiar with sewing basics.

     For my first try, I started with the A-line with pleats. So, so, SOOOOO simple! It called for an invisible zipper, which I love, and it could be altered to my hearts content.  I added a lining because the material was rather thin. I'm not exactly sure why I did this, but I also only put pleats in the front instead of in the front and back. 

    I love the final result and can't wait for my next skirt.  (I already have the fabric!) This was definitely money well spent.  I am constatly trying to find cute skirts that are simple, and now I can just make them. 

Steal of a Deal

I snagged these amazing vintage-style boxes from a discount store in our area last weekend.  If you've been following my blog (or just visited it once), you might have seen the huge steamer trunks that I'm crazy about.  Well, I've settled for a couple of little brothers that are considerably less expensive but have just the same look.  I found them at Ollie's, our local discount store that sells overstock from other stores.  Although it's not a place at which I make a habit of shopping, I sometimes find great deals there on things I really love.  These boxes being a couple of those things I LOVE, I just had to show them off a little.  Here they are!

My Memories of 9/11

    

    It's amazing to me that when I talk to some of my younger students about 9/11, they have almost no memory of it.  They were too young to remember the fear and uncertainty of that day.  Although I wish that it had never happened, I am thankful that I can remember when it did. 

     It was the week of our school's annual school camp, and we were up in the mountains enjoying ourselves and having a great time.  Early on the morning of the eleventh, we were making our way to the chow hall when I kept overhearing talk of something terrible happening in New York.  The adults were talking in hushed tones and being the carefree, unconcerned eleventh grader that I was, I just figured that they were talking about some incident that happened decades ago.  Then that horrible loudspeaker above the chow hall enterance began to pump out media headlines of a plane crashing into the World Trade Center.  None of us could believe what we were hearing. Immediately, we all began to panic.  The first thing that came to my mind was that America was under attack.  Were they coming for us way up here in the mountains?!! As much as they could, our teachers and counselors began to try to calm us down, but there was little they could do.  Several of the men that were volunteering at the camp were in the military and had to rush to report to base. What was going to happen?  What were we going to do?  Are we safe?  We were all just a bunch of kids stuck up in the mountains of Washington with no contact with the outside world and no mom or dad to tell us that everything was going to be okay.
    
     We were somewhat successful with our attempt to enjoy the rest of the week.  Our teachers did their best to create a positive atmosphere within the camp, but I think all of us just wanted to go home.  I know I did.  I wanted to see my dad, and I wanted to be in my own house with my own things surrounded by what was familiar to me. With so much uncertainty, I longed for the things of which I WAS sure.

     The weeks end eventually came, and we all went home to find out how things had progressed.  What we found was not encouraging.  Our nation was at war.  Our loved ones who were serving in the military would have to leave us to fight.  The enemy had attacked us in our own Land.  What we never thought possible had become a realitiy. 

     Here we are, almost a decade later, and still we are fighting the same fight.  I never want to forget how I felt on that day when the Twin Towers fell.  I want to rememer the sacrifice that so many have made and the liberty that we must all fight to keep. GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Picture Perfect?

The walls in my house laugh at me....  No, I'm not going crazy, but I do have just about the most obnoxiously large and defiant walls ever to be built by man.  Painted a beautfiul, relaxing neutral tan, they should be inspiring me with their warmth and clean palette. Instead, all I see is how tall (two story walls in my living room) and how extremely long they all are. They are waiting for me to muster enough courage to attmept to hang something upon them.  Whether it be a mirror or a framed picture or a sconce, they know that even after the fourteenth time I've hammered and pulled out the same nail, what I've hung will still be about 1/4" too low.  And that's when they laugh. I stand, I stare, and I suffer through idea after idea, hoping that I won't have to spend hours on HGTV's website to deal with the dilemma.  Needless to say, I am more than a little relieved and very excited when I come up with something I absolutely love! When it's not a collage of plates or a wall art transfer, I know I've hit the jackpot. 

My living room has been the project that I've most wanted to tackle in our gorgeous home.  It's the first room you enter when coming through the door, and I wanted it to draw you in and say, "relax!" It's getting there. I knew I needed some great artwork and an amazing color palette to set the mood.  I loved the idea of a turn-of-the-century feel with warm reds, yellows, rusty oranges, and deep greens.  Very comfy and very vintage. All this in the attempt to beat my walls at their own game.

I found these vintage travel posters online and fell in love with the colors.  The pictures make you feel like you're on your way to some exotic location.

I'm happy with how the mantle turned out.  It makes me smile. My parents bought us this poster during out last trip to Seattle.  Love, love, love!  Thanks, Dad and Mom!!!

Postcard pictures from IKEA.  I thought they were fun and colorful.  The frames really make them pop.

A cleaning schedule I can stick to

I've been "keeping house" for a little over four years now and all that time had searched in vain for a thorough yet doable house cleaning routine.  I would make charts and lists and check off each completed task as I made my way through my week.  But inevitably, I would get behind or have a busy day or get sick or have company and my schedule went straight our the window.  Then I would play catch up the next week with little success and feel like a total failure.  How could I be a good wife if I couldn't even keep my house clean?

I think the worst part of it all was the clutter that would pile up around the house.  My husband and I are the total opposite of pack-rats.  We actually throw away or give away more things than we probably should.  There have been many occasions when I've thought of something that I really needed or wanted but realized we had gotten rid of it.  Because of this, I'm was always surprised and frustrated when we had CLUTTER everywhere.  Where did all of this stuff come from?  I finally discovered it was just our everyday, normal things that weren't getting put away on a regular basis. 

While googleing "cleaning routine, cleaning schedules, how can I keep my house clean?, etc, etc", I came across a website called  http://www.flylady.com/.   Not exactly sure where the name came from, but it has an amazing cleaning routine.  The creator of the site separates the house into zones and you only work on a detailed cleaning list of one zone per week.  Then there is one hour of "blessing your home" that you choose to do one time a week that involves basic sprucing up around the house.  There are small tasks to do before you go to bed and small tasks to do after you get ready in the morning, all helping to keep your house clean without spending hours doing it. Very simple!!!  Very easy to follow!!!!  I've actually been using this cleaning schedule for about three months now and it works.  I used to feel like I had to clean my house from top to bottom every week.  With a 2700 sq ft house and ONE person to clean it, it's not going to happen.  This schedule keeps me sane, and I always feel like my home is in decent order.  Maybe not always spotless but definitely presentable. 

Are you feeling overwhelmed with your cleaning routine? Do you even have one?  Please, please, please check out this site!  It will change your life.  It's definitely changed mine for the better.

Flylady   http://www.flylady.com/

Thrifted Treasures (Part Two)

Stop #2 on my last minute thrift store outing was Morris Thrift Shop.  It was rather small and dusty and seemed to be crammed full of...well...junk.  But don't judge a thrift store by your first impression.  I dug a little deeper and found two Laura Ingalls Wilder books to add to my book collection.  My mother-in-law bought me my first Laura Ingallls Wilder book and I've been searching for the rest to complete the set.  The paper-back was $.25 and the hard-back was $.75.

I rummaged some more and found a 1965 Webster's Dictionary for....drum roll please....$.75!!!  I'm teaching English at our Christian School this year and dictionaries are NOT cheep.  Needless to say, I was more than a little excited to find this hidden treasure. 

And lastly, I found these two antique tin treys.  I thought the colors were so fresh and fun.  Not sure where I'm going to use them yet, but I'm thinking of using them in my craft room to hold odds and ends.  We'll see.

Thrifted Treasures

At the very last minute today, I decided to go up to Dunn and hit some thrift stores that I had never been to before.  First stop, Beacon Thrift Store.  I was immedietely drawn to a large shelf full of sewing patterns.  One look and I spotted this:

an old vintage-style Simplicity skirt pattern. Circa 1960's?  Not sure of the pattern's date but I LOVE it!  I want to try!!  It reminded me of a Louis Vuitton line from Fashion Week that I just about went crazy over when I saw it in Elle magazine. 

I love the bowed shoes.  Classic vintage.  I wonder if I could pull this off?  I was afraid the pattern would be very worn and hard to read, but it's in great condition.  It almost looks like it hasn't been used.  For 25cents, I have a great inspiration and project on my hands.  Added it to my list of Pastime Projects.

My second find at Beacon thrift store was a beautiful coffee table.  It needs a little TLC but I'm so excited about it!  I'm picking it up tomorrow so I'll add pictures this weekend.  Another project!

The Power of a Post-It

Summer! All year long, I've been looking forward to these few short months when I would finally have more than enough time to dive into and enjoy conquering my ever growing list of hobbies and projects.  More than enough time?  Is it a law of human nature that the amount of free time one has is directly proportionate to the amount of time wasted? Maybe that's just in my case. I've been on vacation for....let's see...almost two months now and my list's surface has not been scratched.  Why does tomorrow or next week always seem so much more opportune than today or NOW?

The solution?  I don't think there is a solution, but a plan of action would be a good start.  I've divided my list into three categories:

1. Pressing Projects
2. Pastime Projects
3. Permanent Projects

One thing I've learned about myself through the years is that I am a "lists" person.  I think I get that from my Mom.  : )  I'm the type of person that writes something on a list after I've done it just so that I can cross it off.  My house is full of lists for everything!   As crazy as it may sound, it really does help me stay organized.  Now everyone is different, but the above three categories might just help you narrow down what you would like to accomplish in the time you have. 

#1 PRESSING PROJECTS:  Just as it sound, these projects are urgent.  Maybe not as urgent as cleaning up the glass of milk you just spilled on the carpet, but they are projects that you definitely want to get done SOON.  In my Pressing Projects category was planting our two baby pine trees in the back yard.  They were planted in large planters but kept getting blown over during storms.  They would have died if I hadn't transplanted them (they still might but, I tried to give them a starting chance!).  This was a project that I wouldn't normally have on my cleaning or to-do lists so I needed this to be in the Pressing Projects list.

#2 PASTIME PROJECTS:  The word Pastime is used because this category should be filled with things you LOVE to do.  It should consist of all those hobby-type projects you never seem to have time to do but wish you did.  Right now, on the top of my Pastime Projects is to sew our living room curtains.  I've already bought the material (which I got 50% off at JoAnns) and only need to find an accent material, then I'll hit the sewing machine.  Now I understand that if you have a husband and children, it may be difficult to find time to work on projects like this, but you'd be surprised how much you can get done by scheduling it into your weekly routine.  Even just a few mintues a day.  You may only get one project done for the whole summer, but, hey, you got ONE project done and hopefully had fun doing it. 

#3 PERMANENT PROJECTS:  Once again, like it sounds, this category would consist of those projects you would like to work on over the long run.  Maybe you want to learn another language, write a children's book or learn an instrument.  Those projects definitely need to go on this list.  At the top of my list is drawing.  I love to draw, but I have a lot I still need to learn.  My husband has bought me several sketching tutorial books that I've been working through, and I need to practice, practice, practice.  Obviously, this isn't something I'm going to do and then check off my list.  I will be working on this PERMANENTLY.

After you've identified your categories, you can get to work on scheduling them into your routine.  The Pressing Projects need to go first, but the other two categories or interchangeable as far as importance is concerned.  My advice would be to allot a certain amount of time per week to work on a project and then just pick a category. 

If you don't have any real interests or hobbies yet, adopt one! There are so many interesting things to do.  You could set a goal like reading 10 classics or learning the spelling and definition of 30 new words. The  opportunities are endless, but find something you enjoy.  I've also discovered that sometimes my mind gets carried away and I THINK I'm going to be really interested in something when it turns out I'm not.  Don't be ashamed to cross that off your list.  You don't want to do something just for the sake of doing it.  You'll get bored and frustrated. 

So what do Post-It's have to do with all of this.  Nothing except to encourage you to "POST-IT"!   Post everything you want to accomplish.  If you right it down, it's always before you reminding you to get it done. By the way, post-its ARE very handy in this instance.  I have this great feature on our computer called "sticky notes".  I have four sticky-notes on my computer right now, each one containing a list!


PS: I'll let you know at the end of my summer how my list are looking.  : )

Go Ahead and Add It To My Wish List

Have you ever created the perfect idea of something in your mind that anything short of that PERFECT something just wouldn't cut it?  Well, that's what I've done.  I think I've doomed myself to disappointment from the moment I laid eyes on THIS:

B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L Mayfair Steamer Brushed Steel Trunk by Restoration Hardware - $1695

My husband and I both agree it's gorgeous (well, he may not have used that word) but a little out of our price range.  It might also be just a tad too large for our space, but I'd settle for his slightly smaller and less expensive little brother. : )

The runner up in this love affair would be this guy:

Mayfair Steamer Leather Trunk by Restoration Hardware - $1695

Once again, out of budget and a little large, but he too has a little brother.  As a side note, don't you just adore that lamp?!!

Close third and fourth:

Raffia Trunk by Pottery Barn - $799

Expedition Trunk by Pottery Barn - $1299

I'm hooked on these 19th-century traveler's companions. Talk about bringing character and a conversation piece to a room!  As my wish list grows, these guys are staying pretty close to the top.

Smile When It Rains

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

As I sat on my couch this week, trying to force-feed myself teaspoon sized sips of grape flavored pedialyte, while each tiny gulp felt like little, nasty, razorblade-fingered elves were rock climbing down my throat, I was a far cry from, "This is the day the Lord has made, I think I'll rejoice!"  Instead, I felt VERY sorry for myself, complained a good bit and wanted a cheeseburger.  If I had stopped to realize that this really WAS a day that the Lord had made, just maybe I would have discovered, or rather been reminded, of some things. 

I might have first remembered that there are many in this world who live day to day with pain, poor health, or who are uncomfortable is some way.  Who am I to complain about three days with a soar throat?
 Psalm 118:29 "O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever." If I had thought of this, I might have also thought to stop and pray for those I knew who are sick or have loved ones who are ill. 

If I had canceled my pity party, I just maybe would have been reminded of the other 360ish days throughout the past year that I've been in PERFECT health! What about those days?  I very much took them for granted.  Thank you, Lord, for all of those healthy days!! Psalm 34:1 "I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth."   I'll say one thing, the day my throat began to feel better, I felt like a new woman.  I wanted to go do things, and finish projects, and drive downtown, and.....I was all smiles.  Yet, how many days (healthy days) have I sat around the house in a stupor just waiting to be inspired to get something done?  Shame on me!

Did I pray for the Lord to make me well?....You better believe it!! I was praying that prayer about a dozen times an hour.  "Lord, just please, please heal me!!"  It should have been  at those moments when I remembered how LITTLE I prayed for good health when I was welll.  Pray for rain even when it's raining.  Philippians 4:6 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

And lastly, If I would have stopped to think between cups of applesauce, I would and SHOULD have remembered Jesus Christ.  He had no home on this earth, He had no country, He had no family. My sore throat now seems.....hmmm....like a lame excuse to complain.  Matthew 8:20 "And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath no where to lay his head."   2 Corinthians 8:9 "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."

Among the many other things that should have probably crossed my mind during this interesting week, these last four thoughts DID NOT cross it.  But as a result, I've learned some valuable lessons.  Let's rejoice!

Parting is such sweet sorrow

My husband and I just got back from a wonderful trip visiting family and friends in Washington State.  Here are some things I love most about going to Washington:  Getting to stay in the most comfy, cozy, they-left-the-light-on-for-you house in all the world (Mom and Dad's); going to church at Bethel and seeing all the familiar faces; experiencing Pike Place Market for the umpteenth time; sipping a hot drink from the original Starbucks; watching the Flying Fish; seeing the Seattle skyline; HOPEFULLY seeing Mt. Rainier (when it's not covered by clouds); going shopping with Mom (there's no shopping partner quite like her); seeing all the green trees; catching up with old friends; eating Salmon - really, really FRESH salmon; eating at Chevy's; Chicken Teriyaki (although we past on that this trip).  Of course, these are just to name a few. 

What would life be like if you couldn't visit home and feel like a kid again?  It's funny to see things so differently through adult eyes.  For instance, we drove by the house we lived in when I was three.  It was soooo small and I remember it being soooo big! 

At the end of our week's stay, it was bitter-sweet to get on a plane and come home.  I think I would have enjoyed staying a few more days, but I was really missing my house and all that was familiar to me.  Getting back into a normal routine sounded pretty good, but saying goodbye to my Mom and Dad was no fun at all.  Luckily, our plane was scheduled to leave at 10:00PM and all I could think about was getting on that flight and get some sleep. 

It's always a lot of fun to go back home and visit for awhile, but what a feeling to step through the door of your own house and smell the familiar smells and see all your favorite things and just collapse onto your bed, tired and ready for a nap. Ahhh.....

A Beautiful Set

My WONDERFUL husband bought me a brand new set of dishes that I had been coveting for the past few months.  For some reason, we always agonize over purchases like this because we want to still be in love with what we bought twenty years down the road.  I had been wanting to get a set of dishes for company and when we saw these for the first time, both of us thought they were perfect.  We still waited awhile to buy and we're glad we did.  They are beautiful!!  The best part about our purchase was the 20% off coupon we had.  GREAT deal!

We set them up when we got home this evening because, guess what?, we are having company tomorrow!!!  Yea, we get to break those dishes in and see how yummy they make my cooking taste. : )

Gotta love a chance to be creative!

My friend, Amber, and I just finished a VBS bulletin board for our church.  Aside from seeing the end result, the best part was our trip to the DOLLAR TREE.  We spent $18.00 and got almost everything we needed.  You really have to be creative when you are getting everything from the DOLLAR TREE.  Don't you just love that place?!!!

Yesterday was spent tracing and painting characters for the board.  Then today, we spent three hours putting it together.  We fell in love with it more and more after each item we put up.  All the hard work paid off because the final look was just perfect.  So MUCH FUN!!

The treasure chest was the most difficult to figure out.  It started out as a box with a separate lid and we cut it down until it had just two sides.

We used styrofoam for bubbles

Precious memories; how they linger.

I took a walk down that beautiful but sometimes tear-jerking path we call memory lane TWICE today.  I played the piano for our high school graduation this evening and couldn't help but think back to the time when I stood on a similar platform amongst my peers and turned the proverbial page to the next chapter in my life. Only thinking about how excited I was to be done with school, I didn't realize how precious the memories I was making at that moment would be to me years down the road.  Graduating and leaving home was leaving one life behind and entering a completely new one where there would be no turning back time.  It's a vapor, this life and there is only one chance at any given moment to make a memory.  I'm glad I have a whole host of amazing ones to look back on and laugh, or sometimes cry, over.

Trip two down memory lane was a short but sweet one.  I was talking on the phone to my mom tonight.  We talked about everything and nothing.  Somewhere in between, we talked about Grandma.  The worries and emotions that always accompany having a loved one who is getting up in years seemed to weigh heavily on Mom's heart tonight.  Immediately, I thought of last summer.  Grandma was able to make one last trip out to Washington for Mom's birthday.  We had a wonderful time just Grandma, Mom, and me going to Mt. St. Helens.  Grandma bought me a little Mt. St. Helens Eruption flip book that I still have.  I love it! We took all kinds of pictures....including about a dozen where the camera was set on video instead of snapshot, so each video is about 5 seconds of us just staring at the camera smiling.  I'm laughing and crying just thinking of it now!! I'm so glad thankful for those precious memories.  I don't know how many more I'll be able to make with my Grandma, but those I will never forget.

We do not remember days; we remember moments.
 ~Cesare Pavese, The Burning Brand

Let The Sunshine In

My husband and I just moved into our new home a couple of weeks ago and everyday I find another reason why I absolutely LOVE living out here in what I like to call the "semi-country".   It's just far enough outside the city limits to feel like you should own a tractor or build a barn and raise farm animals.  I always enjoy a little "awww!" moment when I drive past the pasture about a minute from our house full of mommy sheep taking care of their little lambs. Rustic and cute!! 

With spring around the corner, I'm eagerly searching out every fresh bloom I can get my eyes on.  The Dogwoods are beginning to awaken and little buds everywhere are starting to blossom.  Imagine my surprise when one morning I walked outside our home and saw dozens of gorgeous yellow, WILD daffodils scattered all across the right side of our yard.  One of the few areas that wasn't excavated when they cleared the land to build our home, this part of the yard is covered in bushes, briars and trees, but those little bits of sunshine are so colorful and beautfiul they make me smile.  I've always dreamed of being able to cute fresh flowers from my yard and bring them inside.  Here are my first ever!....and I didn't even have to plant them.