Thanks, Mary!

Look at this adorable hand crafted credit card holder I got in 

the mail today from Mary at Corners of My Life.

Now, how perfect is this?

Gray...birds.....and the inside has a

feather pattern on the coordinating fabric.

Thank you, Mary!

I love it and it was so sweet of you to think of me!

If you want to know how she makes them, she has

instructions on her blog!

♥

This and That

I got my herbs all moved outside for the warm seasons!

11 herbs in all.  Some from seed and some are plantings from

the garden center.  My rosemary is big and in it's own pot

and has thrived over the winter in my garden window

so it might stay there for the time being.

This old planter is holding thyme, basil, dill, parsley, 

cilantro, sage, chocolate mint, sweet mint, oregano and chives.

Some of these are new to my little garden, so it will be fun to

experiment with a nice big variety!

The Easter decor has been replaced with what's not exactly

 spring-ish but definitely eclectic.  The jelly beans are in an

 antique humidor I found at an estate sale recently.  

Similar ones are selling on ebay for $150 and I paid $5!

 It just belongs on this table with it's black lid with tiny red 

 and gold flowers.  The little hornet's nest under the dome was 

found in our yard with the boys were young.  I think they

took it to school for show-n-tell one time.

I got a wonderful surprise box in the mail from Dianna on Saturday!

How very sweet and totally unexpected!  I was touched with her 

attention to detail and how she picked up on things that I like

and gathered them up to make a very nice gift.

We're new to each other here in blog land but she's

a keeper for sure! If you've been a reader here very long 

you know how much I believe in little acts of kindness!

Thanks, friend!  I've been nibbling on yummy things

ever since I opened it! haha. 

Look who has been back a few times!

What kitty can resist rotisserie chicken, right?

He will come into the kitchen and eat cat food and get

a drink of water, too!  But....he did a little exploring around

the house and I caught him 'marking' our laundry hamper.

I raised my voice and clapped my hands and that cat tore through

the house and out the door and clear out of the yard in 5 seconds flat!

haha...He hasn't been back but when he does come back eventually,

I'm going to have to add to that the original list of rules about

behaving oneself and that means being a gentlemen at all times!

But look at that face!  He has a regal look about him!  He's sooo dirty

and his fur feels awful...lots of burs and scratches.

We're still enjoying some beautiful spring weather.....

warm sun, balmy breezes, sleeping with the windows open....

and some thunderstorms scattered here and there.

If only spring would last until fall....  

♥

Treats From Belgium

My online friend Jitka sent me some fun treats!

We were talking about lavender back when I picked bouquets

of it in my yard and hung them to dry in my studio.

She sent me edible lavender for making tea and a

lavender milk chocolate bar!  

The chocolate got a little soft somewhere along it's journey.

It is summer after all!  But not too bad and it was nice and solid

again by the time it got to Ohio.  I must say that this is delicious!

We all know how lavender is good for relaxing and I actually did

feel that as I ate it.  I'm trying to ration out the little squares.

haha....have a few more to go before it's all gone!

I made tea with the edible buds.  The smell was wonderful!

My first cup was a little too strong but I got it right after that.

It is a great thing to drink before bedtime!

You get carried off to sweet dreamland! 

And I'm thinking it could be steeped in milk and used to

make ice cream.  Wouldn't that be delicious?

I'll have to put that on my To Do List.  Yum!

Thank you so much, Jitka!

This was a fun treat!  You'll have to tell me something 

from America that you would like to try. 

I saved your address!

♥

Random Act Of Kindness Challenge 2016 #1

For the month of February, I'm joining in a 

Random Act of Kindness Challenge, hosted by

the lovely Manu!  The idea is that you do something

 kind for someone else....a stranger or someone you know.
It can be a gift of time, money or some kind of pay-it-forward.
Some of the best RAK's don't cost a thing....just look for 
an opportunity to encourage someone else.

Then, each Friday post about it and link to her blog.
Hopefully by posting about it, we encourage each other
to think past ourselves and spread a little love.  

Yesterday, I baked cookies to give away.

I made up a new recipe, Orange White Chocolate,

and they turned out very tasty!

I sent half  of them to work with The Mister and I took the

other have with me to an auction to pass out to people.

If you want to join in the challenge, click HERE

to go to Manu's blog!

♥

Random Thoughts

1. This window planter has become 'the penthouse' since we started our rescue cat project.  They use it as a lookout perch, a safe elevated place to nap, and a good way to look into the window.
2. My arthritis has knocked my flat on my butt the last three days! And along with it I had a 2 day migraine.  Incredible. lol...today I feel good and am back to my normal crazy, over-achieving self.  I'm also trying some new pain management ideas such as the Relief Factor.  I'm still in the trial phase of it, so we'll see if it makes a difference.  I'm too young for this! haha.  Geesh.
3. I went to my first auction last week as a customer instead of an employee.  All the fun and none of the work. haha.  One of the reasons I quit was because the registration counter was constructed way too low and I had terrible neck and back pain on auction day and the day after.  It was an ergonomic nightmare! Even after many requests (and not just be me) over 6 months to have it raised to a proper height, it was made clear that it wasn't going to be changed. So... I'm the one that had to make the change! Not my only reason for leaving, but it wasn't helping my situation.  You have to take care of yourself, right?  Anyway, the bidding was fun and I filled my Jeep with pretty things.  It's slowly being added to the shop!
4. Am I the only one that is bothered by all the advertisements on so many blogs these days?  I understand the desire to make some money on a site but the ads that pop over the photographs or follow your cursor are very annoying,...not to mention the videos that start unsolicited.  It seems that these bloggers are loosing readers instead of gaining 'clicks' on the ads.
5. Manu is taking over my RAK challenge this year!  I wasn't going to host one.  Some people were wonderful last year and some left me completely at a loss for words on how selfish some can be even when trying to do a kindness challenge!  haha...but Manu was great and she wants to host this year.  One act of kindness each week and a post about it on each Friday this month.  Her blog is here if you want to join in!  I will be!
6. I did my seasonal stocking of my glove box last week.  For winter I have a bottle of water, 2 granola bars, advil, lip balm, tissues, hand sanitizer, along with a few bandaids and antibiotic ointment.  The first day I had it filled, I used the advil and lip balm, so it's a good thing to do!
7. It's Iowa Caucus night.  You know I find politics fascinating, so I'll have the news on the tv while I do some other things tonight, just to see what happens!
8. We have brilliant blue skies today.  Lovely!

♥

My First Gift of the Season

Getting a gift is always a fun thing...especially when

it is totally unexpected!  I was pleasantly surprised

when a box from the UK was left on my front porch this

afternoon!  The lovely Georgina had sent me a little package!

You may remember her sending me a variety of European

potato chips a while back, and recently I returned the

favor and sent her some American favorites.

This sweet package had a beautiful tin of little French

cakes called Nonnettes.  And since it was 4:00 PM here,

I figured it was the perfect tea time (although, much to my

constant disappointment, we don't do tea time here!).

So I pretended to be British and ate a French Nonnette. ha.

My tea was green, though....probably very American.

I've never had a Nonnette before!  This little spiced

cake had a sugar glaze on the top and orange flavored jelly in 

the center..... all very European and perfect with tea!

Thank you so much, Georgina...what a fun

surprise.  I actually got a little teary....

What a sweet friend you are!

♥

Squirrel

For Jitka.

See...he's still alive and well even after

playing tag and chase with the cats.

Smart little thing!  And fast, too!

♥

Favorites, Part 1 ~ Beauty

I saw a post idea from Marian at 

Miss Mustard Seed that I thought was great.

She listed out her some of her favorite products

from beauty, cleaning, health, etc.

I thought it would be fun to do ~ besides, who

doesn't want to be like Miss Mustard Seed?  I love her!

I decided to break up the topic into categories as to

not have a mile long post.  So here is the Beauty category!

I got quite a few facebook messages and emails asking me

what I use on my face over the last couple of weeks, so

this will answer those questions, too.

We all have our favorites, right?  Feel free to share 

yours, too...I'd love to know what products you

can't live without!

And I apologize to the guys that chat here...this might be

incredibly boring to you, unless you're looking for a nice

gift for your wife.  I'd recommend any of these!

#1 Natural Aqua Gel CURE.  

I use this every morning. It's the best selling

exfoliator in Japan.  I buy if off of Amazon.com.

One use and you'll see why it's so special! 

And it's addicting..haha....I've used it on my 

back, arms, hands, legs...well, you get the idea.

#2. Olay Regenerist Face Lotion.

I've used this for years.  Love it.

I use it morning and night, every day.

Walmart's copy cat is exactly the same,

and less expensive.  

#3.  Makeup by Cara of Maskcara.com

I follow her blog and she is full of lots of great tips.

Check out her Monday Makeovers ~ they are insane!

This is her own makeup line and she's the real deal ~

she's been behind the scenes with the Victoria Secret

models, etc.  She has lots of great tutorial videos, too.

As soon as I started wearing her makeup, I started 

getting questions and comments from strangers on

what I used on my face because my skin was beautiful

and I had a glow.  The skin is from the exfoliators and

the glow is from this makeup!

#4.  Tyme Curling Iron.

I have only had this for two weeks and it's a keeper!

A little pricey but definitely worth saving up for.

It isn't anything like any other curling iron you've ever used

and I actually had to watch some tutorials to learn

how to use it properly.  Amazing, really.  

#5.  Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser.

I've used this for years!  I'm past the age of breakouts

but I still use it because I love the way it removes makeup!

#6  Olay Regenerist Micro-dermabrasion Treatment.

I use this two step treatment every night.

One is an exfoliant scrub and the other a serum.

I've used this for years and it is probably

my very favorite.  It totally changed the skin

on my face...smooth, even, and fresh.

Your skin looks better with every use.

So, there you have it!

Do you use any of these products?

Or if you have your own favorites, I'd love

for you to copy the post idea or share here!

Next part will be Health!

♥

Fall Foyer Table

The leaves are just starting to change here in Ohio!

Little bits of color here and there.  In a couple of weeks

we should be immersed in reds and golds...can't wait!

I changed up my foyer table to welcome in the new season.

Everything is dark, gold and old. haha.

I also wanted to show you my new old lamp.

The base is bronze and very heavy!  

The shade is made of shell, I think. (like Capiz?)

 It is leaded and the details are inlaid.

Maybe my old-lamp-loving-buddy Keith

(old lamps, not old Keith ha.)

or anyone else for that matter, might

be able to tell me something about it!

I've searched on the internet but no luck!

I was clerking at auction just before my birthday a couple

of weeks ago and this lamp was sitting on a table.

I kept looking at it, thinking how unusual it was and how

much I loved it!  But I didn't have a place for it so for a

minute I dismissed the thought of bidding on it.

But I couldn't stop staring at it...so pretty!

When I thought how great it would look on my foyer

table, and that I had a cheap lamp from Walmart on that

table that could easily be upgraded, I went ahead and bid.

The cord was original and very worn, so The Mister replaced

it for me and it works great!  And since it was a little

pricey, I told him I picked out my own birthday present.

(that's how you get what you really wanted, you know!)

♥

For Lynne

We miss you stopping by, Lynne!

Hope you are well!

♥

Thanks, Don!

I got this jar of homemade peach salsa from

Don today!  Isn't it beautiful?

I worked an auction and arrived home today to find it waiting 

for me on the front porch.  Of course I had to dive right into 

it with some tortilla chips!  Oh my!  So yummy.

One of the best salsas I have ever tasted!

Hot and spicy, just like I prefer it, too!  

Mexican food is my all time favorite!

 Don was almost solely responsible for encouraging me to take my

photography to the next level.  I didn't even know him a few years

ago and he sent me an email saying he enjoyed my blog and

photography and just encouraged me to keep at it.  So, I did!

 I thought I would have some fun and thank him

 by giving his salsa a proper photo shoot. ha.

So, thanks for the encouragement, Don, and for your friendship...

and of course for the delicious jar of salsa!

It photographs very well!

Since it came from Georgia, it just had to have peaches in it, right?

If you haven't visited Don's blog, you really should!

He has an unbelievable garden and since Georgia is like summer

for three quarters of the year, he's eating the fruits of his

labor while Ohio still has snow on the ground. haha.

Thanks, Don!

Do I have to share with the men?

I might let them have a little taste, I guess.

♥

Random Thoughts

1. I was sitting at my desk answering some emails when this ad popped up.  Pat who?  haha....Hey, I know that guy...I know that book!  I edited that book! Usually the ads lately are "Join Hilary Clinton's Team by clicking here!" Um, no...no thank you. lol.    
2. I lost my temper last night.  I know it doesn't sound like a big deal but I never do that.  In fact, I had to stop and think when the last time was, and it was when Taylor was a junior in high school...so it's been 7 years! haha.  My moods are even keeled, and I'm pretty good at biting my tongue, keeping my composure and acting appropriately even if I'm angry.  I remember with Taylor it was a parent vs. teenager moment and I threw a plastic bottle across a bedroom.  lol...It sounds hilarious now.  Last night Harry was the irritant.  And I'll just leave it at that.  Looking back on it now, my emotions were spent and my patience completely gone.  Sigh! Maybe it won't happen for another 7 years.  Let's hope not.  Mark your calendars now everyone, and stay away!
3. Still no sign of Peach.  My heart is broken.  He only came once, last Tuesday, since his vet trip.  I never really got to see him in a better state.  I hope he's healing well and feeling healthy.
4. I bought myself new panties this month....or 'unders' as the men call them around here...(theirs, not mine. ha.)  If you need new ones, ladies, check out this site.  They are not only the prettiest ones I've ever had, (lace and rhinestones?  sure...why not?) but they are most comfortable. Their matching sets are really nice, too....I have a few of them!  And...they are having a sale right now!
5. Our neighbors had a dead tree cut down and removed last week and today a few men and a neat piece of machinery came and took out the big stump.  They knocked on our door and asked me if I would like our stumps removed (we have 3 in the front yard) and of course I said yes.  It total cost was $50.  Isn't that incredibly cheap?  I sent The Mister a text saying, "So, I hope you don't mind I'm removing those stumps in the yard today."  haha...I haven't heard from him yet but I'm sure he has the mental image of me out there swinging an ax.  I have been known to do crazy things like that spur of the moment! :)

Alright, enough rambling.

I know you're used to many photos and few words.

We'll return to that format tomorrow. ha.

♥

Potato Chip Tasting Party

One of our fellow bloggers, Georgina, sent me a

package from Great Britain full of all kinds of

potato chips, or 'crisps' as she would call them!

While I had the whole family here for dinner

last night, we had a chip tasting party!  

The triplets love potato chips, but interestingly enough,

since they didn't recognize the packaging or names,

they didn't want to try any!

But that was ok with the rest of us, because if they

had wanted to, they could have scarfed down the whole

bunch before we had a chance to taste any! ha.

We don't have any chips flavored with Langoustines (European lobster) lemon and dill! 

 And we'd never had Scottish chips flavored

with haggis and cracked black pepper!

We did recognize the Lays brand, of course, but

we don't have any Lays flavored like Bolognaise!

There were Swiss Cheese flavored sticks, kind of like

Crunchy Cheetos and Snacketti which were

puffy "lovely salted hearts".

And how about puffed kangaroo shaped Chio Jumpys seasoned with sunny paprika....

or Fritelle Bacon potato sticks?

Surprisingly, the overall favorite was the 

Guinness Burts Thick Cut Chips.

I was the only one that liked the Langoustine and Lauren was the only

one that liked the Haggis flavored chips.

The men seemed to like the spicy and bacon flavors.

We all agreed that it was very fun and entertaining to

see what kind of chips there are across the pond!

Who would have thought they would be so different 

from all of the brands we have here!

Here's all the flavors with their complete names...

1. Benenuts Fritelle, Gout Bacon
2. Chio Jumpys, Sunny Paprika
3. Burts Thick Cut Hand Cooked Guinness Potato Chips
4. M & S Scottish Langoustines with Dill & Lemon Hand Cooked Crisps
5. Zweifel Snacketti Hearts, Lovely Salted
6. Mackie's of Scotland Haggis & Cracked Black Pepper Potato Crisps
7. Berlin Croustilles, Gout Emmental
8. Levi Roots Reggae Reggae Groove Cut Crisps
9. Lays Saveur Bolognaise
10. Benenuts 3-D Bugles Gout Fromage

So, thank you so much Georgina!

Hey, did you know that Georgina has an entire blog

dedicated to critiquing potato chips?

You should give her a little visit!

Cheeseburger Crisps & Other Stories

And Georgina, we all thought it would be a lot of fun

to return the favor and send you a box of American

potato chips!  So if you're game, email me your

shipping address!  And if you've ever heard of a

kind of crisp you'd like to try, let me know and

I'll be sure to add it to the box!

Fun, fun!

♥

Don't Take Life Too Seriously...

...Nobody gets out alive."

In light of that Elbert Hubbard quote, I played with my food today.

A little raspberry forest.

And some other things that made me smile lately....

1. A little snake watching.
2. The sunrise this morning.
3. Last night looking outside and seeing Peaches sunning himself.  He came running as soon as he heard my voice!
4. Spring sky.
5. Spencer, so excited to receive a railway magazine from Keith.
6. Clean and organized jewelry.  Now I can find what I'm looking for!
7. This little surprise.  A lost dog at my back door.  She must have heard we'd help her get home, which we did.  But not before I endured 20 minutes of incessant barking, guarded the cat flap (she saw Nugget through the glass!), kept Slate from going out the flap, and wished The Mister would get home to help since I couldn't leave the flap, had Harry in the tub, Socks and Velvet up in the tree, dinner on the stove, and wasn't having any luck reading the middle tag on that collar while she kept jumping as high as I am tall. Whew!
8. Groceries, making a pretty still life.

♥

Random Acts Of Kindness Adventure 2015 Week 2

First of all, thanks to everyone who thought to send prayers and

good wishes for Spencer today!  He had to go to the hospital

and under general anesthesia for a teeth cleaning.

He had some tarter build up that was under some of his

gums and he wasn't about to let anyone clean it out

at the dentist's office.  So off he and I went this morning.

It was -6F (-21C) when we left the house!

And a strong wind made it feel much colder than that!

Since the boys had a school cancellation, The Mister didn't get to

 go with me like we had planned (he works at this hospital in

executive administration) so he stayed home with Alex and Harry.

Here he is just arriving, waiting for his IV, and in recovery.

Thank goodness we brought that iPad.  It made waiting so much better!

I told The Mister when I got home, that there's nothing that makes 

your child seem so small and vulnerable as seeing them in a hospital

bed hooked up with monitors, tubes and needles.

He fought the IV and had to have some oral sedation before trying

again but ended up doing well.  He was brave and for the most

part very cooperative.  He came out with a bloody nose from

 the breathing tube and some sore gums, but sparkling clean teeth!

All of the staff that cared for Spencer was just great.

Super kind, not rushed, very helpful and so sweet to Spence.

Brian, I found another twin of yours, too.

A male RN who was with Spencer ...looked exactly like you!

He wore a black leather skull cap with his scrubs so I 

couldn't tell if he had a hawk, but I'd bet money that he did!

Spencer liked his fist bump in place of a hand shake.  He was big

and stern looking but you could just tell he had a big heart.

I was looking for someone for my RAK adventure!  I've 

 been home with the boys this week with school cancellations

and haven't been out and on my own to work on it!

Well, I found her in post-op.  Nora, Spencer's nurse in Recovery.  

She didn't just do her job well, she went above and beyond

 and chatted while we waited for Spencer to wake up. 

 She inquired about his autism, the rest of my family,

 and told me about her grown kids

that have some issues of their own.  She recommended a doctor

that we might want to see and wrote down his name and website.

She had concerns of her own but cared enough to do more

than her job with us.  I typed her name into my phone so I

wouldn't forget and I'm sending a little treat to her tomorrow

through The Mister.  I hope she's touched by a loaf of my

 Sugar Glazed Poppy Seed Bread and a note.

  She certainly deserves a special thanks!

******

If you did a RAK this week and want to share, just post about

it on your blog and link up here!

Don't forget to visit the others who participate!

And thanks for spreading a little love where you live!

Link will be open until Saturday, Feb 21st 5:00 PM EST

♥

An InLinkz Link-up