painting daze

 

 

 

It would be kinda awesome if paint brushes had "hour meters!" I logged approximately 27 hours on mine in the past two weeks! The Purdy XL Dale is the brush that makes it happen for me!! I love the fine bristles, angled tip, and even splay you can get using this brush. Purdies are pricey, averaging around $20 a brush, but they are so worth it! There's no need to spend endless time taping if you choose to use this brush as you can cut in a precise line with no problem. Your end results will be "Purdy Awesome!"

Gratitude Journal

On July 16 I started a "Gratitude Journal" to foster feeling of thankfulness instead of my too normal grumps and gripes about everything! I do think its working, not that I don't ever complain! But it is getting easier to count my blessing instead of my bummers! Here's a few entries from various days...

 ~ I'm thankful that I can choose to make each day magical!

 ~ I'm thankful that it doesn't take long to clean our small trailer house.

~ I'm that Bailey fixed my dryer and front porch light!

~ So grateful that I am surrounded by beauty...

~ I'm thankful that Danl notices and cares about how I feel, my moods etc. Even if he doesn't understand why I feel the way I do, he tries to make me feel better!

~ I'm thankful that life forces me to step outside my comfort zone.

~ I'm thankful for peace and quiet and a cuppa tea.

~ I'm thankful for days without deadlines and just enough $ in the checking account!

~ I'm thankful that I can think, and dream, and plan!

~ I'm thankful for Saturdays when we can cook and hang out together...

~ I'm thankful that I can go to church and be saturated with God's love and the love of the people that love me...

~ I am so thankful that CHA wants to help me! :)

~ I am extremely grateful to have my "sparkle" back again...to be thrilled and excited about life!

~ What would I do without my sisters and true friends?!

~ So grateful that we don't live in New Orleans! ( today's entry! :)

pumpkin party

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Time is drawing near,

No more Summer is my fear!

But cheer up my friends...

Fun we shall have when Summer ends!

 

Bring a pumpkin large or small,

Bring a lot or none at all!

We shall paint, or glitter, or glue

Whatever you like, it's up to you!

 

I'll set a date when the time is near,

Please let me know when your schedule is clear!

If you want to be part of this posh pumpkin day

Please comment at once, do not delay!

verse for the day

The following verse spoke the words of my heart!

Psalm 39:7
"And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in Thee."

Trusting God with everything; with each day, the known, the unknown, the future, and the past, is harder than it should be. But with my hope in God, I will put my small hand in His strong large one, and walk with confidence!

P & P

 

 

 

 

 

I am currently absorbed with reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen on my Nook. It was my New Year's resolution to read more classics. (It was also part of my resolution to deep-clean the house, but reading is much more fascinating!) Although a bit tedious to get into at first, I have been delighted once further into the stories! So far, I've completed The Scarlet Pimpernel, Wuthering Heights, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and Alice in Wonderland. :) Do any of you have a favorite classic to recommend for my next read?

cRaAAazy days...

This week has not at all been like last week! Which is a good thing; t'wouldn't be good for all weeks to be alike! Last week it seemed I had just enough time at home each day to complete the daily pressing duties and stay on top of clutter and cleaning! But this week has been hectically different. Monday, I went to school to decorate Miss Smith's classroom. She choose "Mother West Wind - Smiling Pool" for her theme. It was fun to be surrounded by frogs, birds, squirrels, skunks, and various other pond and woodland animals. Melanie helped for awhile too, which was tremendously advantageous. Miss Smith served us tacos with homemade corn tortillas for lunch! What a treat! Also "Peanut Butter Panic" ice cream! Swoon.... A crazy evening followed; I ripped around town getting an insurance paper delivered for Daniel, getting my car tires rotated, and discovering that I couldn't get my allergy shots because the doc happened to be out of town for the day! Groan..... Uncle Kevin blessed us with fresh mullet fillets in the evening, so after yet another run to town for grease and fish-fri, we had a late supper of fried fish 'n cheese grits. Yum.... Mom was in MS, so Dad, Tony, and Mel dined with us too. She stayed night. I love my lil sis! :) Tuesday, she and I stopped by school to finish up the classroom decor, before heading down to P'cola to shop and go to my doc appointment. We hit Tarjay, Taste of India for lunch (this could be a whole 'nother post!! was superb!), Everman's, doc, and Cordova Mall. A delightful day! Other than the 1.5 wait at the dr. office... Today, I met Rhonda around 8 this morn to catch a ride to Century to spend the day painting at an old house Wade is working on. The hours passed swiftly as we began transforming the house from dingy to delightful, yakking all the while! I love my big sis! :) We painted til 5. Once home, I cooked supper, cleaned up the kitchen, did some laundry, and straightened up. Now I am zapped of all energy; zonked out on the couch. I am utterly, totally, completely, hopelessly exhausted!! My sleep bank is dangerously low, verging on depletion. To bed I shall head. G'nite y'all! The Princess with the Paintbrush must get her rest to be able to wave the brush and wag the tongue tomorrow! :)

head over heels for sprinkles!

Confetti Cake Pop-tarts!!!!

I am in love...

pretending to be abroad.....

Sometimes a mini-vaca is as good as the real thing....but it's still fun

to dream!

the most important feature of my car

Yesterday was a rainy day like most of the days here have been lately. This would not have been a problem had I not proceeded to lock my keys in my car once I was at the doc's getting my allergy shots. Of course, I only realized I had done this once it had started pouring!! Needless to say, it did NOT subside, and I was forced to dash out in the rain (my umbrella was in the trunk of all helpful places!) to make use of my car's most useful feature found way up in under the back bumper - a beautiful, little dust-covered black magnetic box containing a most precious key! So I stood there in the downpour, getting completely drenched while I struggled to open the grit-and-grime-coated box! Finally I got it open, unlocked the door, and turned on the heater in a pitiful attempt to warm and dry myself! But on the bright side, I was profoundly thankful that Dr. McIntyre had not witnessed me FORGETTING my key, and that I had not had to call Daniel or Novus to unlock my car! :) I told Daniel that he didn't even want to know how many times I had made use of that beautiful little black box and he agreed! If you are sanguine or forgetful, I highly recommend getting this important feature installed on your vehicle immediately!

a little brag

I'm gonna brag just a tiny bit, because I was so proud of myself yesterday! Danl's alarm began chirping merrily at 5:00 much to my disgust!! I forcefully dragged myself out of bed at 5:30 with full intention that I would go back to bed once he was out the door! But a strange thing happened, and I morphed into a different person!! One with ambition and energy! So I launched into the day with vigor and began doing some midweek cleaning! First I attacked the bathrooms, then vacuumed and mopped the floors while I had a couple loads of wash going. Even the dishwasher got emptied and the trash taken out! All that was done by 7:30 when I plopped down into my chair to read my Bible and eat breakfast. (kinda felt like reading Proverbs 31 and patting myself on the back for a change!) Renewed in mind and spirit, I struck out and took a 30 minute power walk before showering and getting dressed for the day. Jacob arrived around 9:30 to stay with me while Rhonda was in Pensacola, so I had to brag a bit to her too. :) Normally I would still be in pjs for at 9:30 without a thing done except maybe breakfast eaten! Jacob ended up getting invited to go along with Levi to corn harvest, so I'll have to have my day with him a different day soon since he was with me only an hour. Then I proceeded to sew awhile on Mel's dress, made a chicken potpie each for Kristen and Katia, and flopped a batch of cookies. (Sure wish I would just make the recipe I know is good instead of always wanting to try a new one!!) The new babies are so sweet...was fun to cuddle them both a bit! Liam was fresh home from the hospital only a few hours so I felt really on the ball there! But I hadn't even seen Trevan yet, and he's 3 weeks old! So can't do any bragging about that one!
I'll end this post with a question! "Do you think my strange amount of energy could be the result of having gone to bed the evening before at 9:30, and having eaten a healthy supper of sauteed kale and grilled chicken?!!"

47 questions

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
I was named after Sharon Stone. (duh, because I was born after her! lol)

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
I think I got misty-eyed last night when Danl showed me something sad on the computer.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
No, because I can't always read what I have written!!

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MEAT?
sashimi from Stix

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Do two spoiled bulldogs count?! :)

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Maybe, but I know I would get exasperated with myself!

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
I don't know.....do I?

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
(swab finger in back of throat...) YEPPERS! They're still in there!

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
YES! Definitely!! But my palms are kinda tingling as I type this....

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CEREAL?
I don't really like cereal, but if I have to eat it, I'd choose Cracklin Oat Bran. It looks like dogfood and makes me feel frisky! :)

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Untie shoes?? You mean they have laces? I only like "easy shoes." My sketchers are the only pair I own that have laces, and NO I don't bother tying and untying.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
in muscles or spirit? very wimpy when it comes to muscles!

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ICE CREAM?
"Birthday Party" by Blue Bunny (at least that's my fave today! Tomorrow it might be homemade dark chocolate....)

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT A PERSON?
their teeth

15. RED OR PINK?
Red, red, and more red!!

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVOURITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My lack of efficiency, and that I don't accept correction cheerfully!

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Whewwww this is too hard to answer! I have so many friends and fam that I miss all the time...

 18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
No, because I'm blogging my answers instead of emailing. But feel free to copy and paste your answers in a comment! :)

19. WHAT COLOUR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
my feet are naked at this point, but I'll soon slip into silver flip-flops.

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
 Two scrambled eggs with cheese...ugh! Why can't cobbler and ice cream have enough protein to be a good breakfast?!

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
The clock ticking faster than I am getting around this morning...

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOUR WOULD YOU BE?
lime green, or maybe red.

23. FAVOURITE SMELLS?
True Religion Hippie Chic perfume, men's "Tommy", tea bags, the smell of all that wonderful leather in the Coach store....

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Pel Mel :)

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Like?! I LOVE her! :)

26. FAVOURITE SPORTS TO PLAY?
volleyball!! and I loved street hockey as a kid, wish I could play again!

27. HAIR COLOR?
strawberry blond

28. EYE COLOR?
blue, grey, green....depends on what I'm wearing!

29. SHOE SIZE?
9-10! I have a "good understanding" as my dad would say!

30. FAVOURITE FOOD?
This is probably the hardest question in the world for me to answer!!
Maybe PIE? :)

31. SCARY BOOKS OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
scary with a happy ending!

32. LAST BOOK YOU READ or ARE READING?
Epilogue - a strange memoir written by a widow

33. WHAT COLOR OF DRESS ARE YOU WEARING?
Dress?! this early in the morning? It's still pj time for me...soft, blue, VS bottoms and a Hostess cupcakes t-shirt that says, "cupcakes make me happy!"

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
hard choice....Love always being warm in summer, but I love the coats, hats, boots, and scarves of wintertime!!

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
LOTS of both!! :)

36. FAVOURITE DESSERT?                   
see answer to question #30

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
hummmm

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
hummmm

WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Don't own one.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
What's a TV? :) lol

42. FAVOURITE SONG?
today it's "Sunshine in My Soul"

43. MUSIC OR TV?
Music!!

 44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME???
Banff, Alberta, CANADA

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
making up my own words :)

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
pensacola, florida

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
I want a comment from every reader!! :) lol

Red Velvet Berry Cobbler with Cream Cheese Ice Cream!

Yesterday, Daniel grilled the most awesome chicken sandwiches you could ever imagine! He used a recipe that was in the grilling cookbook Alisha gave him for his birthday. "Thanks, Alisha!" The sandwich consisted of a savory grilled chicken thigh topped with melted cheese over a pile of sauteed peppers in a soft bakery bun with crunchy tortilla chips! Wades came and enjoyed them with us. For dessert, I made Southern Living's Red Velvet Berry Cobbler with Cream Cheese Ice Cream that Rhonda and I had been salivating after.

 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 1/4 cups sugar, divided

6 cups assorted fresh berries (We used 2 cups each blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.)

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons red liquid food coloring

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together cornstarch and 1/2 cup sugar. Toss berries with cornstarch mixture, and spoon into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. ( I used a 13x9 in)
2. 2. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add remaining 3/4 cup sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Stir in red food coloring and vanilla until blended.
3. 3. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt. Stir together buttermilk, vinegar, and baking soda in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. (Mixture will bubble.) Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Spoon batter over berry mixture.
4. 4. Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 (I baked it 30 min but in a 13x9 in pan) minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake topping comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes.

Cream Cheese Ice Cream

3 cups half-and-half  (I used 1 cup cream, 2 cups milk)

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

2 egg yolks ( I used 1 whole egg)

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, cubed and softened

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

1. 1. Whisk together first 3 ingredients in a large heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 8 to 10 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat, and whisk in cream cheese and vanilla bean paste until cheese is melted. Cool completely (about 1 hour), stirring occasionally. Place plastic wrap directly on mixture (to prevent a film from forming), and chill 8 to 24 hours.
2. 2. Pour mixture into freezer container of a 1 1/2-qt. electric ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. (Instructions and times may vary.) Transfer ice cream to an airtight container. Freeze 4 hours before serving.

Note:

Total time does not include freezing.

the first pricks of the needle!

I've now been stuck in each arm with a mean mixture of deadly (not quite!) serum! It is so interesting to me how this all works! You get injected with the stuff that your body fights tooth and nail against, and it's supposed to cure you! Pretty cool, eh? :) It didn't hurt; twas only the tiniest of pricks, but the entrance points did turn kinda red and itchy which is normal. She bagged up the remaining serum like a McDonald's to-go order which I will take to Dr. McIntyre, and I spent the rest of the day shopping with Rhonda, Neil, and Marnita. We were pleased to find pretty much everything we need to complete the bedroom/bathroom makeover we are implementing at the teachers' house. I can't wait to see it all in its finished splendor! The luxurious charcoal grey rugs need to be put down, the black and white striped hand towel put up, the black and white striped shower curtain hung, the pop-of-fuchsia throw pillow plopped on the bed, and some vibrant green plants added for the maximum "freshness" effect! Now we just hope that Mel will be as pleased as we are! I must needs get going here as I have a somewhat complicated "over the hill" Novus cake to get baked and decorated for Cameron Boeckner's surprise 40th birthday party tonight! Wish me luck! (I definitely need it on this one!)

an onslaught of pre-alzheimers

I will share a typical, yet embarrassing moment that occurred yesterday! I had an appointment with my new family doctor in Atmore who will be giving me the majority of my allergy shots. This appointment was primarily to establish patient history, and to enable Dr. McIntyre to have an updated medical file on me. So he was asking me questions pertaining to everything under the sun, not quite, and asked, "Have you had any surgeries?" I answered, "Yes, I've had my ACL repaired with a donor tendon." And he says, "What doctor performed the surgery?" My mind went COMPLETELY blank and I could NOT recall his name!! I could picture him in acute detail, but could not bring his name to mind! I could remember other doctors' names, such as Melanie's orthopedic and Dad's nose doc, but not the doctor that labored on my knee for 2 1/2 hours! So, Dr. McIntyre moved on and asked, "Who is your female doctor?" Then my mind went totally blank AGAIN, much to my mortification! Finally I told the doc he might as well add Alzheimer's to my portfolio at this rate! As usual, I could've said Rhonda's and Mom's doctors' names, but NOT my own! I told him I knew she was with the Baptist Medical Group, and he said, "Is it Dr. Doyle?" And I gratefully replied, "Yes, that's it!" I never could recall my orthopedic surgeon until later in the day it finally hit me that it was Dr. Sellers! So much for a good first impression! Dr. McIntyre will probably tell the nurses to call me several times to remind me of my first appointment!

trip report

I am tired, and feel quite grey with a touch of fuchsia since Rhonda, Marnita, and I painted at the teachers' house all day today! (the fuchsia accent wall in the bathroom is gorgeous!) But I do want to give you a bit of a trip report! We left out Saturday morning around 8:00 and arrived in Brooksville around 1:00 after taking Aunt Sue to Kerry and Carol's. Mel and I grabbed a sandwich and a half dozen donuts to go from the Old Country Bakery for lunch before we got to Gramps. Was so awesome to visit them again~ we hadn't been there since January! We just chatted and the afternoon away. Pizza and sauteed okra made for a delicious supper. Our friends Barry and Heather and their two kids stopped by. It was so good to see and cuddle their fat baby boy! Micah is 7 months old and the spittin' image of a miniature Barry! Sunday morning found us up purty early I thought for a 7:30 breakfast. (Most of the time I'm still sleeping at 8:30 on Sundays!) But Grandma's breakfasts are worth getting up for! :) We had a lively Sunday School discussion at the "main home." Their elderly bodies may be giving out, but their minds are still lively! Macon's sermon was piped in, then we settled down for a satisfying Sunday dinner of turkey 'n gravy, masted potatoes, creamed green beans, peach jello salad, butterhorns, cinnamon bread, wheat bread, and ice cream dessert with your choice of cherry or blueberry topping!!! and coffee! Can't forget that! We visited awhile, then Mel and I went with Arlene (lady in charge at the home) to see her adorable little golden retriever puppies she and her husband have raised to sell! They were so precious and so fat!! I wanted to bring one home! (not really, but they were CUTE!) We stayed at Gramps' cottage in the evening, and listened to Faunsdale Church's volunteer service while stuffing our faces with popcorn, cheese, and Grandma's famous peppernuts. Monday morning we roused ourselves up for another fabulous breakfast! Grandma said, "It's nothing much!" as she packed us with pancakes and cinnamon rolls until we almost popped! After one more visit with Aunt Pauline over at the main home, we sadly told Grandpa and Grandma good-bye till next time! Aunt Sue was back with us, and we were ready to do some shopping! Magnolia Market was the first stop, then Busy Bee Nursery where I purchased a tiny, blue glass shoe fit for a midget Cinderella! Next we were privileged to eat lunch with Angela Dalrymple at the local Mexican restaurant before hitting the road. It poured awhile much to my dismay as I dislike driving in the rain....but it had almost stopped by the time we hit the bakery in Livingston, where we encountered overwhelming grief because they were completely sold out of every single donut!!! :(  Not even a teeny tiny donut hole could be found anywhere!! We consoled ourselves with a slice of pie each and some other frosted thingys with fruit in the middle. Next time we will somehow arrange things to pass through Livingston at an earlier hour! The rest of the way home passed by quite quickly as one uneventful mile rolled on after the other. A wonderful trip was had by all!

home

HOME

One of the best four-letter words in the world! There is nothing like being HOME with the one you love! No matter where you go, how much you love the ones you went to see, or how much fun you had, it still is always so good to get back HOME.

lucky stars

Are some things just luck? Does everything happen for a reason? Or is everything a result of specific choices we make? I don't know the answers to these profound questions, but I do know that it seemed as if my lucky stars were aligned today! About a week and a half ago, I had spied an outdoor patio bench originally from Target at Dirt Cheap. It was the perfect solution for porch seating, and was terrifically priced at 60% off $175 which made it only $70! But, sad to say, the stingy manager proclaimed that it was mis-marked; that the correct price was $250! I walked away benchless. But, as the days passed, I kept checking back to make sure that it was still there buried amidst the other furniture and debris, and hoping to see that the price had fallen to 70% off. Today I dashed in as usual to check, and lo and behold if it wasn't STILL there and WAS finally 70% off! I gleefully paid $75 and then faced the obstacle of getting it home. Daniel had all 3 mowers with him so it couldn't fit in the trailer. Mel and I were in Mom's car and it couldn't possibly be scrunched in the trunk. So thank my lucky stars that Kevin Mininger happened to be in Dirt Cheap at precisely the right time! He saved the day by generously offering to take the bench to the house for me on his way home! I love the classy look of the dark wicker accented with the green throw pillows I nabbed from the couch. (Which means I have to soon sew some of the lovely, crafty pillows I have been pinning on pinterest to replace them!) I sat on it for awhile this evening, and even managed to get Daniel to sit with me for half a second! I think it will be a lovely addition to our lives.....I may even sleep out on it tonight! Just kidding, I love my own bed too dearly!
(Check out the pic below. My bench is just like the one pictured, but doesn't have the back cushions. Who knows where in the world they are?! It's very comfortable without them, so I'm not stressing. This set is $799 at Target!)

Melanie and I are striking out for Brooksville tomorrow to visit our grandparents! Aunt Sue is going with us to visit some friends of hers. So we are all excited to take a short vaca! I'm leaving the laptop, and won't be blogging until Monday.

Adios mi amigos and familia! Have a superb weekend!

quote for the day

i love this quote.

i want to be a 'tea bag woman.'

halelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The sun is shining! The birds are singing!
I feel like shouting! I feel like screaming!
I am filled with wonder, with magical delight!
Zest, enthusiasm, and sparkle with no end in sight!

OK, OK, maybe this is a bit exaggerated, but I am so excited to proclaim the marvelous news that

"CHA IS COVERING THE COST OF MY ALLERGY SHOTS!!!!"

Thank you for celebrating with me! :) The next 4 year phase of my life begins next week with a shot in each arm, twice a week, for the next 5 months! Then it will gradually decrease as my allergies improve. Just think, maybe this will cure me into a new person! And my sinuses won't hurt, clog, drain, and pain! My throat won't tickle; my ears will be emptied of Rice Krispies! My eyes won't itch, my nose won't explode! Life will be blissful!

Enough on that note before this post becomes completely "incondite." ( this is the dictionary.com 'word for the day' for august 1.) Any of you know the definition? I wasn't familiar with it. If any one you can post what "incondite" means without using the dictionary or Internet, I will clap 3 claps for you!!!

I should be gettin' around to go meet Rhonda and Marnita at the teachers' house. We are aspiring to paint a bedroom and bathroom pro bono before school starts. Our intentions are to paint light grey with a dark grey accent wall in the bedroom, and turquoise/teal with orange in the bathroom! Wish us luck and speed!