T is for Tuesday... Trivia... Table Runners... and Target Trials...

It is Tuesday! July is here and the temperatures are giving us a BREAK!!! Here in Cedar Rapids the highs and lows will be upper 80's and low 60's... ZippaDeeDooDah!!! Hurray!

Here is a Trivia question for you Today...What controversial but HIGHLY loved Disney movie does this picture represent???



The character above is Uncle Remus and his little bluebird friends were always hovering around him. What a singing voice he had!! and WHAT a storyteller he was. I LOVED this movie. :-)

**If you guessed SONG OF THE SOUTH, You are RIGHT!

I especially loved the little bluebirds happily chirping and singing with him. Those of you who have visited my blog know that I love all things "bird" and "nesting", and have seen one of my favorite prints over my nook of sweet Bluebell Cow and her little friend perched on her ear!



Speaking of little birds...I found a sweet hand-made Table Runner in a Good Will and was tickled pink! I put it with other hand stitched and embroidered works I have gotten over the years from thrifting moments.



It has the sweetest pair of blue birds on each end.



Someone worked hard making a lot of little stitches in this treasure, even the tatted lace edging is hand stitched on...



It now accompanies the runner with the BIG HOOPED "Belle of the South", and I love it!



Again, I wonder why this beautiful work of talent and love landed in a bin, balled up and wrinkled in a Thrift Shop for ALL of $1.38!!...maybe it was there for me??? :-)

About a week or so ago....my stomach was all balled up...as I watched another driver coming out of a parking space right towards my Marine Mom Van!!! YIKES!!

A BIG ol Suburban backed into my tiny little Grand Caravan...(lol...she said she didn't see me or hear my LOUD horn blaring) ...

**maybe she was listening to Willie Nelson...oh no..that's another story!!!




ANYWAY...a long scratch and one dent is estimated by the adjuster to cost $1484.95 to repair!! OH MY!!


WHAT YOU TALKIN' 'BOUT????

I will just say I am GLAD GLAD that I am not the one at fault!!! What a huge price for such a small looking Boo Boo!!! Can we say OUCH!!!??? Poor lady....Just to set your hearts at ease...she was super friendly and didn't seem to be upset at all, and said she told her husband that was why she had insurance...(that made MY hubby comment that she may be used to these incidents???!!!) lol

Okay...let me end this unravelling blogpost with a pretty that has a BIG message behind it for this blog posting sister...



These are some of the flowers trampled down by the fence because of the visitors next door, and YES...they are still here...week THREE... sigh... I decided to go out and make lemonade from my lemons... cut the flowers - bring them inside - enjoy their beauty, (if only for one day!) and pledge to QUIT complaining and whining about the challenges of dealing with the current circumstances. FOR THE SAKE OF MY HUSBAND AND SON!!!

LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT .

nuff said.

Hugs to all my bloggy sisters. Hoping you have a Terrific Tuesday wherever you are nesting...



Stand Out in a crowd...Smile Big in this heat and surprise those around you!!! **this lilly just makes me think of a 4th of July Firework! :-)


We LOVE YOU JUSTIN!!!!!!! We Miss you...God BLESS you...Stay Strong in those sand storms! xoxo

MERRY MONDAY!...a phone call...and think SNOW???

Summertime is flying...Where did June go???!!

July is moving right along!! oh YES! ....

Here to remind you it is a MERRY MONDAY, so put your smiles on!



It is HOT HOT HOT!!!! OH yes...So get out there and have yourself a splash...SOMEWHERE!!! ENJOY....and if you can't get a smile out of someone, put on your silliest face and let them know that they need to SPLASH AROUND every once in a while too...DON'T LET THE HEAT MELT YOUR HAPPY MOODS....HAVE SOME FUN!!!

JULY is National ICE CREAM month!!!! And...Just because.... I am offering a cool and colorful bouquet to all my bloggy sisters and visitors dropping by... Go ahead...Have one!!



And for those of you who are seriously counting calories and so dedicated...I salute you, and offer you a slice of cold watermelon!! Help yourself! :-)



I HOPE and yes, am even saying prayers!!... that everyone will get some much needed rain this week, if you are one of the ones who are so dry and in drought like conditions...




And if you have almost forgotten what RAIN looks like, as one of my bloggy sisters said....then get on outside...when it comes, and go ahead and DANCE in it!! ;-) Enjoy and Relish the long awaited moment of the raindrops of July 2012...We will ALL be there with you in spirit.



And for my precious Marine...


It Was SO AWESOME to hear your voice this week....first time since March....!!!!!rah!
I see that the highs this week where you are range from 114 - 120 degrees. I hope the base where you are staying has some cool spots for relief... MANY MANY hugs to you...and your share of ice cream and watermelon...sent from Mom's heart....


For all of you who are SOOO hot that you need something to focus on....remember these days will be coming around the bend sooner than you think... {:-o I think Gideon dreams of these days...



Have a wonderful day! SMILE!!


We LOVE You Justin...God Bless YOU! RAH 1/2 Stay Strong...

Pop!.... Punch! .... Splash! ...Bang!....Friday Favorites

Did you think I would be doing a comic book review today???!! :-)



Words for Sound Effects! *Very effective.* I remember we used to go around saying them when we were playing. ;-)

Well...NO...today is not about Batman, although I DO have a picture of him to squeeze into this post today...


Do you SEE him??? third seat back on the right!!! Yep, that's my Bubba Batman...(Jonny) :-) This is a photo taken during the church's epic Seek The City week-long mission. (thanks to Alex Dworek for the photo) Jonny once again helped head up a team for the Camp Boomerang ministry/daycamp to Autistic Kids...partnering with the YMCA of Charlotte. LOVE him.

TODAY'S post is about WORDS that make you visualize! And I am using them for my Friday Favorites this week to describe an infusion of  COLOR!!

I did a post about GREEN not too long ago. But this summer there is SOO much color to be seen and enjoyed.

ARE YOU REACHING OUT AND PICKING OUT SOME PIECES OF THE RAINBOW TO ADD SOME OOOMPH TO YOUR DAYS???

POP!!




WHAM!!




SPLASH!!




PUNCH!




WOW!!




SPLOOF!!




BANG!!




SIZZLE!!






BAM!!





WHOOSH!!




SNAP!!




BIF!!




OOPH!!



:-) :-)

**(do you choose a sponge color that goes with your kitchen colors, too?)


That's my Friday Favorites post...a COLORFUL burst of joy and energy that gives you some wham, splash, bang in your daily routine...whether it's in the garden, on YOU!, in your lunch menu, or in the nest...

Thanks for "popping" by and giving my blog some ZING! today with your visit. Hope that you have a fantastic weekend, and some cooldown temperatures, wherever you are in this HOT HOT summertime.



Have FUN coloring....


We LOVE you Justin!!! God BLESS you!!

Thought Provoking Thursday...

Any of my visitors who have been popping in to this blog over time KNOW that I am a thrifter...




NOT just because of it's frugal merits.

NOT just because of our despondent economy.

NOT just because it has become a popular "green" mindset to recycle.

NOT just because I don't want to pay the exhorbitant uber-marked-up RETAIL prices...



My grandmother was an AVID yard/garage saler, and she loved flea markets too.

My mother loved to do the same, and also became a fan of Goodwill later in life.

My sister has also made good income out of buying, fixing up and selling/ebaying many finds from thrift shopping.

I have been Thrift shopping for over 20 years, and am married to a man who has no qualms about pulling over to the side of the road for a curbside find or going behind new developments being built and finding AWESOME building materials in large trash dumpsters...

Can we say it Runs In The Family??? :-)

I could write a book titled...THE NEST THAT THRIFT BUILT, and I know many other sisters out there could put their own chapter right into the Table of Contents.

Every once in a while, I will run across an item that ((to me)) seems very very sentimental, and I call it a "thought provoking" purchase.

Why was this item tossed?

Did it not hold special meaning to the one who held it?

Did something happen between the giver and the receiver that it "lost" its precious message of love??


SEE that shell on the tabletop? It was one of those purchases...


It is a nice size conch shell, definitely a natural find...and not a purchased shell, you can tell from it's weathered and sea-worn appearance.

Was it found on a special walk along the coastal shore...on a vacation retreat with family?



A special lady hand-painted a shore scene on this conch...Can you see the gulls and the blue skies, and the sea oats??



Then there are the little tide pools gathering in what seems to be an inlet or cavelike opening ... **(maybe it was meant to represent a private haven, a secret place...to go and dream)



The amazing part to me is that she took her brush and painted another little scene ALL THE WAY back in the inner crevices of the shell...another scene of sand and water and oats...

NOW...YOU MAY BE SAYING...Oh Julie, that is thought provoking!..but wait...this is the part that makes my heart start running...


On the back underside...HOW PRECIOUS...HOW SPECIAL!!!

Somewhere in this world, a grandma loved her little princess granddaughter SO much and wanted to give her a very RICH dose of wisdom...filled with love and hope from her heart. Grandma wanted her little one to know that she BELIEVED in her...

Oh my.... WHERE are my tissues??? I HAVE TO PUT A BOX IN MY NOOK!!! Just posting to share this with my bloggy sisters makes my eyes and nose start running...

Well, this girl found THIS treasure, and the message was NOT lost on her.

Grandmamas are a Special Heritage.

Granddaughters are Cherished People.

Encouragement and Blessing and Hope and LOVE shared within family generations are the GLUE that keep families tight, strong, and together.

Sometimes things happen that we don't have control over...but that's okay. Keep on LOVING!!! USE whatever is necessary...

WORDS...

TALENTS...

SHELLS...

SPEAK from your heart, and HUG with your arms, and GIVE with your Hands...

It works. Maybe you can't see the immediate results...but don't give up.

And as for the story behind this THRIFTING Treasure Find...I hope that the Grandma and the Granddaughter are still very very close, and the shell was just meant to travel on to another one's life...(mine) :-) to remind me that GENERATIONAL LOVE and STRENGTH and RELATIONSHIPS are a WONDERFUL thing...

KEEP the TIDES of LOVE flowing...wherever you are.



I LOVE THRIFTING...Have a Beautiful day, my bloggy sisters. YOU are special. YOU can do or BE whatever you DREAM...NEVER stop dreaming...and By ALL Means...BELIEVE in yourself... :-)
God's richest blessings to you....


WE LOVE YOU JUSTIN!!! GOD BLESS YOU!!! xoxoxo

Wee Ones on a White Wednesday...

When I posted about my recent PIN board treasure find, I shared that it had a shelf with a plate groove. I am very pleased to have that ledge.

Today's post is simply to share about two little cutie-pies who have moved in to reside there!

They are "wee" vintage figurines. I am happy to have them join me in my little computer nook. *Such sweet company.



Now little pup is the WISE one. He gives out advice and answers to questions that I may have...



He lives in his little shoe with the sweet rose on it. If he hears me talking to myself about something totally baffling me with this machine...he pops up with his cute face and I can just see those wheels turning in his head to help me figure it out! ;-)



He is so matter of fact, like WHY couldn't you think this through?...it is so simple, really! What a sweet terrier filled with sage words.



Now, little lamb ...on the other hand, is very innocent and can get worried when she thinks I am frustrated with this computer. Her eyes get big, and she says...It will be okay. Don't be upset!!



She is the SWEETEST! And she wears a little rose on her neck.

Little Lamb and Little Pup are the best of friends and stay close together. They always give me a smile.

Do YOU have a little friend that shares your special space or kitchen window ledge, or back porch with you? :-)

Wee White Treasures on this Wednesday....the Fourth of July!

Thank you to any popping in to visit today...Have a wonderful day celebrating this special day for our home, America...and please whisper a prayer for all of those whose feet will not be on homeland soil today, as they continue to do their duty and carry out their calling to protect and defend our Freedoms back home in these United States...



**At 5:30 this morning Kam was out with another Senior from the Class of 2013 setting up FLAGS in CR residents' yards. The Optimist Club organizes and sponsors the activity that allows flags to be displayed in your yard for all the Major Flag-Flying Holidays. (They are pulled up at dusk.) It is a fundraising project for the Senior Trip @ Cedar Valley Christian. **RAH KAM!!



We LOVE you Justin. God BLESS you!! And THANK YOU!! Stay Strong 1/2.