Happy Times!!

This past month has been full of happy moments in our family. Thanksgiving, Stephanie's 30th birthday, Christmas and just being together has made this momma happy. (dad,too!) Below are some pics of our happy times together.....hope you enjoy! Celebrating Stephanie's 30th birthday with 30 gifts!
Josh and Emily's Christmas card with the newest member of their family - Abby

Abby and Lolly (that's me!)


Christmas Dinner

Steph and Abby

One happy little family!

The kids and dogs after opening Christmas gifts

Bear With Me!....

Trying to revamp my blog and looks like I am messing up more than I am designing!! Kind of rusty since I have not blogged in a while!! Just be patient....Thanks!!

A Must to See!

Last weekend, Mark and I stumbled onto one of the most incredible movies we have ever seen: "Temple Grandin". It was a movie made for HBO and we found it at BLOCKBUSTER. It's the true story of a woman who is autistic.I have a little bit of knowledge regarding autism, but seeing this movie opened my eyes in a whole new way. I truly believe everyone (especially teachers) needs to see this movie in order to peek inside the brain of an autistic person. Unbelieveably fascinating. Temple is played by Claire Danes and she does an outstanding job of capturing Temple's personality and autistic behavior. Rent it today and be blessed!

Today's Treasure!

My good friend, Carol Casey, and her daughter-in-law,Krissy, and I went to garage sales this morning from 7:30 to noon. We had a blast and found some great "treasures". I was going to take a picture of the inside of her car after our shopping, but was a bit embarrassed to let the world know much we had stuffed into her vehicle. Trust me, not another thing could have fit!! My favorite find was these old, metal chairs. I just kept thinking they looked like crayolas with their bright primary colors. I also found a turquoise pair of Justin boots (for me) but they will have to be sold in my booth because my instep was too high to fit in them. They are a size 7 1/2 B. My next most loved item was a large wooden piece full of cubby holes. Needs a little "shoring up" in the back and then to my booth it will go!! Carol had some great finds, too, and you can see them at her booth at Palazzo Reale on Butternut. Just look for the cutest booth and that's hers!! I am still at Classic Collections and have 2 booths. One is full of color and the other one is basically white and cream. Come on over for a peak!! Have a great weekend!!

My New Motto!

If you have kids and have ever eaten outside with them at McDonalds or any other burger place, you have a visual of what this sign is about. When I saw this cute, painted sign at It's About Time, I had to have it! It now hangs in a prime spot in my kitchen for all to enjoy! Hope you like it, too!!!!

So Refreshing!!

Just wanted to take a minute and share one of our favorite summertime drinks. Maybe you have heard of it....an Arnold Palmer! Guess it was one of his favorite drinks,too!! All you need is lemonade and tea. We love the Arizona Rx Herbal Iced Tea....no caffeine,too.

Poor about a third of the lemonade in the glass..

and fill to the top with the tea. Stir a little bit and enjoy! It really is a refreshing drink and everyone seems to love it. Let me know if you like it!!

Seaside: Part 2

Our last few days were full of more time on the beach,meeting new friends, reconnecting with old friends, riding our cruiser bikes .and just hanging out. One of our favorite places to eat and walk around is Rosemary Beach. (about 6 miles from Seaside) Below you will see some pics I took when we drove over there for lunch.We had the treat of hooking up with longtime friends, Steve and Carol Boykin, and their son, Brad, and his little boy, Jack. Josh and Steve played golf one morning and then we had lunch at the wharf. It was one of the highlights of our trip. We love you guys!!!

Afternoon shower is coming

Driving into Rosemary Beach


The quaint shops at Rosemary Beach

Home owned by the Hilton family (as in Paris Hilton)

Another beautiful home near Rosemary.

View from condo balcony

Getting ready to go out to eat on our last night of vacation. Yep, I know, I have a little bit too much sun, don't I??







Emily and Josh




Until next year...."May you always have a shell in your pocket and sand in your shoes!"

Seaside, Florida

We just returned from a week of vacation at Seaside, Florida and it was just great!! We are definitely having withdrawal pains on our first day back home.The only downside was that Stephanie was not able to join us as planned!! We missed you Steph. Unlike our airplane fiasco last year, everything went very smoothly and we arrived right on time. Below are pics of the first half of the week and some of the things that we did. Mostly, we just layed on the beach, ate lots of good food and played games or rode our bikes into Seaside at night. Hope you enjoy these pics (excuse the fuzzy ones - my lens kept fogging up). I will write about the second half of our week on my next post. On the way to the airport


Our little neighbors that greeted us when we got to our condo!



Yipppeeee!! What we have been waiting for!!




Mark arranged to have these chairs set up for us everyday while we were there!! Priceless!

Walking to Church on Sunday

The Seaside Interfaith Chapel

Words can't describe the beauty, yet simplicity of the inside of the building. When we walked inside, little children (vacationers) were handing out bulletins. The front of the bulletin read, "Our purpose and mission is to provide an environment for a meaningful, spiritual encounter with our Heavenly Father, sing a few songs and go to the beach!" Isn't that great???

During Praise and Worship, this darling little girl went to the front and just stood like a little statue next to the leader during all of the songs. It was priceless and reminded us of Jesus' words to "become like little children".

Kayaking in the Gulf

Hunting for seashells

The fruits of our labor!

Eating great food at one of our favorite places on Highway 30-A...Wild Olives

Seeing the beauty of the clouds.

Playing in the water!

P.S.

Before I leave on vacation, I must tell y'all to please click on the button to the right that says "High Cotton Art Camp". Some of my most creative friends in the whole wide world are heading this up and it is going to be SPECTACULAR!!! (no, they did not pay me to say this!) It will be right here in Abilene and you can find out all the details when you click on the cute button. Let me know what ya think! I'm planning on being there..how about you?????

I Win!!!

I Win for being the greatest "slacker" in blogworld this summer!! I have had so much to share yet somehow it has not gotten from my brain to the computer keys. As I speak, we are getting packed and ready to leave for Seaside, Florida in the morning with Josh and Emily. Much to our dismay, Stephanie had to cancel going with us due to her heavy workload at her job. It just won't be the same without her, but I guess things like that just have to happen sometimes. She will be greatly missed!! We are so looking forward to the white sand, the sound of waves, and a good book. I PROMISE I will have lots to share when I return and I will start posting again!! If the volume is not turned up on your computer, turn it up now and listen to what is awaiting us. Wish you could go along, too! Love and hugs till I return!

It's That Time of Year....

when I need to do some SPRING cleaning in my booth, so
I am having a BIG sale!! Yep, everything in the booth is a whopping 20% off thru Labor Day!
Lots of goodies from which to choose


a gift or treasure...just for you! Furniture, shabby treasures and more...




will be waiting for you when you walk thru the door!!!!
Happy Shopping!!
By the way, a BIG announcement is coming soon.........
Stay tuned to my blog and you will see
Just exactly what it may be!!!!!

Sugar and Spice...

and everything nice!!! That's what my new little friend is all about. Meet Carter, my friend Roxanne's precious granddaughter. What a sweetheart!! I had so much fun getting to visit with her while she was in town staying with her "Roxie". She came to our paint class and was so cute painting and entertaining herself while Roxanne taught our class. The day she and Roxanne were leaving to go out of town, I dropped by to tell her goodbye and got to take a few pics of her with Roxanne's dogs. Isn't she darling? I can't wait till she comes back to Abilene!! Look at that smile!!
So cute!

My favorite!

Relics

This past week I visited Relics to check out a headboard and nightstand for Josh and Emily. It had been awhile since I had been in the store and WOW, was I ever in for a treat when I entered the doors. I have always loved Relics but they are definitely taking a "turn" in their decorating style. There were a few moments I felt like I was visiting "Anthropologie", a fabulous clothing and home decor store and my personal all time favorite. After looking around, I decided I would come back with my camera in order to get some good pics for Josh and Emily, as well as share with you. So, here they are!!

Heavy, pine headboards they will paint and distress to suit your taste. Lots of colors to choose from and the finishes are wonderful!

Nightstand


Cute red sofa



Rugs,rugs,rugs!! Lots of styles and patterns to select from!!

Painted chest..... Love it!

So pretty!! The pic does not do it justice!

They even carry a fabulous line of bedding, pillows, etc. The best part is that the prices are very reasonable!

Trust me, do yourself a favor and visit Relics when you have chance. Ask for Abby...She was so helpful and full of creative energy. I can't wait to go back!