~A Dear Friend Has Returned~

One of my dear blogging friends, Kerin, decided to close her blog, Cottage On Main, a while back making it available to only family.  I thought she had left us for good.  How pleased I was to hear from her the other day and learned that she had started a new blog!  Her new blog is called Always Fixin Never Sittin' and I'm sure that it's going to be just as good, or even better, as her first. :)  If you followed Kerin in the past, you might want to start following her again.  If she is new to you, I encourage you to stop by and say hey!

Going through my to-do list.  Spring banner finished and posted on the blog...check.  Spring dresses for my granddaughters...in the making.  Fabric-covered notebooks for my giveaway...in the making.  Having my grandsons clean my flower beds...in progress.

It's a beautiful weekend.  A little too warm for my liking but things need to be done outside!

Have a glorious day~

~Can You Identify This Flower?~

We have a large grassy area between our house and the road that has had nothing done with it other than mowing.  The other day, when coming up the drive, I noticed a couple of patches of blue flowers and thought I had better check them out to see if they were truly flowers or not.

Please ignore the beautiful weeds growing in the background. :)

They were too pretty to ignore so, this afternoon, I went out with my trusty little spade and a container to do some investigating and to be ready just in case.  Lo and behold, these are bulb flowers of some type!

So, dig them up I did, and brought them to my lovely flower bed overgrown with early spring weeds.  The grandsons were supposed to come over this week to help clean it out, but they went on an unexpected trip with their parents (more about that later) and so it will have to wait until next weekend.

I know that these are fairly new as I had never noticed them before and, goodness knows, I didn't plant them!! Not out there anyway.  Thank you, birds or bees or whatever brought them my way!!

There are a couple of larger bulbs but most are pretty small.  So I separated them and planted them in between my new hydrangea plants.

I have no idea what they are but I love the delicate blossoms and hope that they thrive well on the north side of the house.  They should as they were just out in the open before being transplanted.  As much as I love flowers, I am very lax in knowing the different varieties.  The question is, can anyone identify this flower for me?  I'd love to know more about it.  Thanks for your help in this little mystery.

It's beautiful and green here in Oklahoma after the abundance of rain this week.  I pray you have a beautiful weekend!!

Hugs~

~Helloooo Spring!~

Lately, it's been so crazy around my house and with me personally.   I've been in and out reading posts and sending replies but haven't had the chance to do much of anything else it seems!!  I finally slowed down some to take pictures to share with you about how Spring is showing up here at the home place. 

We've been experiencing the warmer than normal temps like so many places around the country but have been holding our breaths when things started blooming because we've been known to get late, hard freezes as late as the first week in April.  So far, so good.
'

Last year, I planted four Carolina Jessamine plants (from the jasmine family) at the base of the four beams of my pergola.  All but three are thriving fairly well after the horrendous heat  we had last summer.  Hubby got one when he was spraying for weeds last year...drat it!!  But I think I can get another one at Lowes, where I got the other plants.

The flowers are supposed to be fragrant, but the scent is so subtle that you have to stick your nose right into them.  I am hoping that as there are more blossoms, the scent will be more noticeable.  I am so pleased with how they are turning out.

While you enjoy these beautiful pictures, which by the way, I was taking while it was pretty darn windy outside so I am amazed that any of my photos turned out. :).  Anyway, while you enjoy the photos, I'll ramble on a bit about why I've been missing in action for a while.  Or you can ignore the rambling and just enjoy the photos.  You're here and that all that really matters in my book.  :)

I have mentioned before that I suffer from fibromyalgia; best described as flu-like symptoms, without the fever, or feeling like I've been run over by a steam roller on a daily basis.  It's not life threatening but it sure is life debilitating.  And then I suffer from chronic fatigue, too.  Some days, I don't get much of anything accomplished because of the pain and, lately, I have been battling insomnia; one of the side effects of this disorder.  Some nights I get only four or five hours of sleep...not good either.  This is just an FYI.  I am definitely not looking for sympathy as I know there are many of you out there, or know of someone, who suffer from much worse health issues than I do!

My house suffers terribly because of it but I had to get some major housecleaning done recently as my daughter was having a jewelry party and her home is not big enough for large groups of people, so I always allow her to have events like these, even birthday parties and family gatherings, in our home.   What normally takes one person a day or so to do a good cleaning, took me about a week!

 So the other night, the jewelry party took place.  Thankfully, I remembered to grab my camera and take some pics of some of the happenings.  Snacks on the island and jewelry galore on the breakfast table.  Who could ask for anything more?

 Tater Tot was so excited that she got to come to a party with her Mama.  Darn cups....should have moved them out of the way!

 While we were in the living room for the demonstrations, Tater Tot got to play dress up with everything and that girl loves her some bling!  When things started winding down, she decided that Mama needed some dressing up and proceeded to make her look her best.

Several necklaces, bracelets, rings and even two watches!!  Mom is all decked out and has no place to go. :( Yes, she is the daughter who is pregnant and expecting in September.

She even dressed herself up with all the pieces that seemed to be her favorites.  I told you that girl loved her some bling.  She's very good about knowing when things don't belong to her and doesn't whine or cry about keeping things that need to be given back.  She sure had some fun though.

Back to the flowers for a bit.  This is a bush on the north side of my house.  I'm not good at remembering the names of my plants, but I do remember this one.  It is called a Pink Flowering Almond Bush.

I love this bush!  There are so many blossoms on this little baby that it almost makes you dizzy!  Unfortunately, there is no fragrance with this beautiful plant.

I ordered it online and it was so small that I almost pulled it up a time or two as I thought it was a stray weed!!  Thankfully, I didn't.  It has grown leaps and bounds.  Look at all those small, delicate blossoms!!  Too bad they don't stay around all summer long.  Even so, I think I will order another one another side of the house.  I don't have to do anything other than enjoy the short flowering season and the ease of care.

Okay, where was I?  Oh yes, why I've been missing in action.  Anyway, I had to take it easy for a day or so to recover from all the work I did to get the house ready.  My house is clean... for now.  And the party was alot of fun.

Then there was my monthly doctor's appointment and then shopping all in the big city, which takes a good chunk out of my day.  Then the following day, I had the joy of watching my grandbabies.  Unfortunately, events like these take their toll on me and I have to rest up and get basically nothing accomplished. :/  Shopping I can "almost" do without but the grandbabies...never!!

I've also been working on the Easter swap that I decided to take part in.  It is being hosted It's A Very Cherry World.  I got my package from Erica, my swap partner, the other day and I am beyond ecstatic with what she sent me.  Thank you, Erica!  Obviously, I'm a bit behind with my project but I'll share that with you and all the wonderful little pretties that Erica sent me.

I've also been working on a new business venture that is keeping me fairly busy as I learn about it and getting things off the ground floor.  I am excited about being able to do this and will be sharing that with you next week.

I've also got some Spring dresses to make that I promised my granddaughters.  And then there's the fabric-covered notebooks that I need to get finished for my giveaway!  Oh, and I guess I'd better get busy and change my banner...Winter is officially over now, isn't it?  Can you say B.U.S.Y.???  Whew!!

So, that's what's been going on in my little world as I enjoy this beautiful Spring weather and all that it brings.  What's going on in your world these days?

Take a deep breath and smell the freshness that Spring brings~

   

~Getting Organized With My Shopping~

I have admitted that organization and being organized is not one of my best qualities.  I'm pretty much a spur of the moment, fly by the seat of my pants type person and it really shows when I go shopping,  Whether while I'm shopping or after it's all said and done.  I've forgotten my shopping list, coupons, gift cards, receipts for returned items, etc.  OR my purse ends up looking like a trash can with shopping lists, snippets of shopping lists and receipts that I really need to keep and end up slipping in my purse in hopes of retrieving them later.

So....I've decided to try to become more organized in that area.  I need something that has a place for everything and everything will be in its place....hopefully.  At least it's a start and they say you CAN teach an old dog new tricks.  Right?

 This is it!  Some time ago, I came across a pattern for a notepad cover from The Cottage Mama and knew this was what I needed.

 I did a little bit of revamping making something practical and functional into something pretty and fun to carry around and use.

 See?  A place for everything and everything in its place!  Different sized pockets for my receipts, coupons and gift cards that can be stored on one side...

 and a removable notepad for my shopping list and/or notations for different stops on the other side!  There's also another pocket under the notepad that can be used for more storage.

I even included a tag from my Etsy store name on the back!!

So here you have it!  A tool to help my shopping excursions to be a bit more organized.  I loved how it turned out and guess what?  Pssst....I'll let you in on a little secret.  I'm going to get busy making several more of these babies...

 Maybe using fabric like this....

 and like this....

 and like this....

 and like this...

 and like this....

 and like this.....

and maybe some like this!!

And you know why??  Because I am going to have my first giveaway!!  Yep, I am so blown away by all of you who choose to follow my blog and by the wonderful friendships that have developed as a result, that I am going to make up several of these fabric-covered organizers and give one away to one of my dear blogging friends!  So, just for conversation sake, not knowing the look of the finished product, which fabric combination would you be most likely to choose?  I'd be curious to know.

Well, I've got to get busy at the ol' sewing machine as I hope to have the giveaway ready by the first part of next week.  Keep your eyes and ears open.  You'll be the first to know, I promise. ;)

Love ya!!

           

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