Tasha Tuesday

Hello, Tasha.  What do you have cookin' this morning?
















Looks like Tasha is not in the kitchen, but doing some office work.  Well, at least she is standing in an office.  And she is looking like a college gal in her cute denim skirt and graphic tee.


















As usual she is topping the style charts with her over sized hoop earrings.  I don't know how she wears those things without feeling like there is a bird on her shoulder.   But then, maybe Tasha is used to birds singing in her ears.  She certainly likes butterflies flapping their wings next to her.

 
More hoops can be found dangling from her wrist.  And not just one will do.  It is a fashion statement to wear as many bangles as one dares.  Today Tasha is keeping it simple with three silver rings.





And of course, it would be against Tasha's fashion will to dawn anything else but a pair of flip flops mirroring the colors in her attire.  Wish you could see her toes better, but a painted branch adorns her big toe nails only.  How artsy!

 

Now is it just me or do you think Tasha's locks have lengthened since last week?  You never know with this girl... her hair can be long, short, red, blonde or black all in one week.  Isn't she something?!

Speaking of something.... I met the dearest lady this week at Clarehouse.  Her name is Bernice.  She is eighty three years young. She accompanied her husband to Clarehouse where he will live while Bernice, his only care-taker, recuperates from surgery.  We spent about thirty minutes together while touring the facility.  In that short time I knew I was in the company of an angel.  I have lived long enough to spot them easier now.  As she was leaving to run some errands I told her good by as I would most likely be gone by the time she returned.  Bernice came to the reception desk and leaned close into me and said, "Now what was your name?"  I told her my name and that being with her had blessed my day.  Bernice said, "Oh I'm gonna be doing more than that, young lady, cause when I get home I'm gonna write your name on my list.  Every mornin' I speak every name on my list.  Done it for fifty years and will do it for fifty more or until I return to the dust from which I was formed."

Wow!  I started my shift off with Tasha and ended it with Bernice.  How lucky am I?!!!!

I hope you are blessed by the company of another.  I hope you are fortunate enough to be in a fun and friendly work environment.  And if you are not, send me your name.  I will pass it on to Bernice.

The Gift Behind The Gift

I received a surprise via UPS the other day.  I love surprises, especially when they are from someone who knows me well.

My Sugarland Sister sent me a Coach purse..... well, actually her daughter, Wisdom, gave me the purse, but my sister gave it to her first.

The story goes like this.... While visiting in Texas in early July, Wisdom told me that she liked my purse, although she was not really a purse kind of gal herself.  She spotted me right away as a woman who likes, purses, shoes, the latest fashion trend and jewelry.  While we were exchanging our likes and dislikes her mom, who was nearby, told us that she had given Wisdom a Coach purse for Christmas, but didn't think she had ever used. it.  Wisdom affirmed her mom's hunch and mentioned something about how I would probably use it every day if I owned it.  We chatted about our personal styles for a while longer and really that is all I remember.

So when the hunky brown uniformed delivery man rang our bell the other morning, I was REALLY surprised. I not only got to exchange my Target bag for a a Coach purse, I got to be reminded of how giving my sis is.
 
The real delight for me was that my niece knew me well enough to know that I would like having it and that my sister took the effort to package it and send it to Oklahoma.  That was way more meaningful than the purse itself.
  
When ever I sling my new purse over my shoulder I will think of my Sugarland Sister and Wisdom.  I will feel their generosity and hear their voices and smile because we are shopping together. (which is funny because neither Wisdom nor Sugarland like to shop)  I guess Texas and Oklahoma aren't really that far apart after all.

I hope you are delighted with an unexpected surprise. I hope their is someone in your life who knows you well and makes you smile.  I hope you sling a bit of happiness over your shoulder today.

Yard Sail!

TJ called to tell me of her Saturday morning.  Seems that the girls, Cautious. Sparky and Muffin decided to have a garage sale.  They rose early... 6:30 a.m. early... got dressed and began making signs and deciding what items they would sale.  They attached labels with prices clearly marked, like, $2.17 for an old toy, $1.99 for a shoe, and $4.00 for an old t-shirt they pulled out of mom and dad's rag bag.

Muffin was dressed in a tutu and cowboy boots.  She carried her fisher price cash register in her arms as she walked up and down the sidewalk announcing the sale.  Her cash register had a feature that amplified her voice, which she used to her advantage as she paraded in front of her house, hoping to bring in some high-paying customers. (you gotta be a high-payer if you'll give 4 bucks for an old rag)


Since I was not there to take pictures, I have to wonder....



was this the tutu

and these the cowboy boots?

Cautious had convinced her sisters that they needed a DSI (a hand held digital game player).  Cautious had little money, but Sparky had about $40.00 saved.  I'm not sure what Muffin's contribution amounted to, but all three girls pooled their loot and it added up to about $50.00 which was not enough for the coveted DSI.  Cautious knew of a great way to make money. You guessed it.... a garage sale!

Mom woke the next morning to find the girls uncombed, unsupervised and in full selling force.  

Sparky had a toy microphone that she was using to inform the passerby to stop and browse.  

 

Cautious and Sparky had posted signs in hand written letters, "Yard Sail",  to direct any neighborhood traffic to their driveway.  They had placed a variety of items on the drive.  Each item had a hand made price tag secured with tape. 

Wow, these girls had already put in a days work before breakfast!

 

 

And Muffin was using her best marketing-strategies (like tutus, smiles and big brown eyes) to secure the sale. 

After about an hour or so, they all got tired and decided it was time to close up shop.  Tomorrow would be a good day to sale lemonade.  (I don't know if they read the forecast, but Laramie, Wyoming's high for tomorrow is going to be 70...maybe)

Their Saturday morning efforts did net them four dollars and six cents.  I can't wait to hear what money making venture will be next.  In the meantime, mom, better unload the hamper in case they decide on another early bird sail.

I hope your Sunday greets you with something that tickles your heart.  I hope your hard work nets a profit.  I hope sunny skies are in your forecast and I hope your imagination never dies.

Where We Live

JD and his wife, Pleasure, moved to a new home in January.  They had been nestled in a adorable, tiny house in the downtown district, but quickly outgrew it with the addition of Tornado and then Little Miss Boo.

Their front porch beckons you to come and sit a spell in the comfort of it's shade as you take in the view of flowers and greenery.




 

Inside you are greeted by a wall of family faces.  The light on the hall table is always on, welcoming frequent visitors and family returning home.

To the right of the staircase is the Game Room, where Sunshine and Dreamer pair off in a dog race, obstacle course, sing fest or any other virtual game.





They create art, throw a few punches at the bag in the corner or play with their dog, Copper.


Messages of gratitude, kindness, and encouragement are hung as art throughout their home - large or small they are constant reminders of lessons JD and Pleasure want their children to learn.

 

The first thing you see when you enter their living room is a large brick fireplace next to a window where two chairs, one for papa bear and one for mama bear, rock all the little baby bears.

A large comfy sofa and a bookshelf for favorite reads and more family photos borders the room.












And a child proof (not Tornado proof, however) gate keeps curious little bodies out of the bathroom and medicine closet, most of the time.

In sight of the living room is the dining and kitchen.  This is where Tornado feeds his growing body and Dreamer fills, or at least tries to fill, his empty stomach.  Little Miss Boo doesn't claim a seat at the table yet, but her chair regularly sits on the counter while mom prepares meals.

JD constructed the shelves that hang on their dining wall in his new garage, now large enough to house a workshop as well as the family van.

Like his father, he enjoys wood working.










Another message of encouragement rests on the shelf next to dreamer's picture.

The master bedroom is on the main floor, directly off of the living room.  JD, Pleasure and Boo try to sleep through the night in this room, but sometimes JD gets a tire call and off her rolls, or Boo gets a tummy ache and away she cries.  Usually Pleasure is out when her head hits those pretty blue pillows.

Dreamer sleeps in the room at the top of the stairs.  Bunk beds, made by JD, allow boys to imagine they could be towers, caves, forts and anything else but a bed.

 A shelf filled with baskets, made by he-man, holds all of Dreamer's clothes and special keepsakes.











Dreamer is a huge Longhorn fan and proudly boasts an bright orange hand painted Longhorn on his bedroom wall.











Like his sister, Sunshine, Dreamer loves animals, especially bears.  I bought him this book for his birthday nearly two years ago and he reads it most every night.  It is always available for reference whenever Dreamer needs it.

Like most homeowners, JD and Pleasure have signed their personal autograph on their new home...painting away the previous owners signature, rearranging furniture and hanging art.

The upstairs bath they left basically untouched however.  Pleasure added pops of color and a bright shower curtain to make it a bit more kid-friendly.

They are very happy to have two baths now, especially after their "other-home" experiences of squeezing five people into one small bath for the morning readiness rush.

The Nursery for Tornado and Little Miss Boo is nestled between Dreamer's and Sunshine's bedrooms on the second floor.  Seems very appropriate since Tornado idolizes his older brother and sister and mimics every move they make.

At the far end of the hall is where the Sunshine pours in.  Her room is normally neat as a pin and in perfect order.  It is filled with bright colors, comfy pillows and mementos of special experiences with friends and family. 







However, this is how I found it today.  Well, don't you think everyone needs to break away from the norm and let it all hang out sometimes?


The blur on the right of the picture is a Tornado on the move.



That's our tour for today.  Thanks for visiting JD, Pleasure, Sunshine, Dreamer, Tornado and Little Miss Boo's abode.

I hope somewhere in your day today you are beckoned to seat in the shade and ponder the beauty around you.  I hope there is someone to encourage you to be wise, kind and true.  I hope you are blessed with family faces, sunshine and dreams.

"A" Little Change is Good

If you have been reading my blog, you probably know how I like to change it up around the house.  I am CRAZY about interior decorating but since I am my only my only client, our house gets to be the practice zone.

The other day it was the fireplace mantel.  Our home has a lovely cast stone fireplace that screams old world traditional... but I like to dress it in other styles from time to time.

 

Years ago our fireplace was attired in flowers and ivy.  That was also the time that we housed the television in the fireplace box itself.  I liked how designers were mounting TVs above fireplaces, allowing options for furniture placement.  I have always disliked the television being a focal point in our living room, especially when you have a beautiful window or fireplace that desires attention.  But with our television inside the fireplace, we couldn't enjoy the ambiance of a real flame.  We did have one of those virtual fireplace images we would use from time to time.... but there is nothing like the real thing.  I honestly can't believe I even went for the faux fire. Yuck!

 Not too long ago I found letters representing the directions in a compass that he-man had made for a ceiling we had painted in a Colorado apartment.   We mounted the letters at the end of each of the four points and then decided that they added nothing to the painted ceiling.  They actually cheapened the effect.  So off they came and went into my "something-to-use-latter" box.




I pulled those letter out of their box some months ago and mounted them to the recessed stone panel above our mantel. That's when the redo began......  and continued on.


First there were books, birds and pottery,  but, West kept going South.


 





Second, same birds, no books, pottery gone  --glass containers filled with coffee beans and raffia balls take their place.












Third, same flowers, same birds, gone are the glass containers, in come the candle sticks.






 






Fourth, same birds and flowers once again, but different candle sticks... a bit chunkier and taller.













And today we have no birds, no books, no cherry blossoms.  Pottery and copper hold winding branches and tiny buds.  A grouping of "As", symbolizing the varied characters of our family replaced the candle sticks. 

The large wooden A was made from children's building blocks and old hardware.  The turquoise A, which was once gold, was painted and distressed.  The ruler A is a block paper mache form with rulers glued on top.  The small black A is old bolts wired together.  The lower case a was purchased from Hobby Lobby and painted a bright red.  The green A is an enlarged font printed on card stock from my home computer.

This is how our mantel looks for now. But "A" little change is good.... so who knows what it will hold next month or next year.

I hope your day is good to you.  I hope it gives you birds to hear, books to read and flowers to smell.  I hope you enjoy all the characters in your family and have "A" wonderful day!

Next Door Muffins

Our dear neighbors moved away four years ago, leaving their lovely home vacant.  We have missed walking between our homes for a chat on either of our patios, or pulling up a small root to be planted in the other's garden, or exchanging recipes or picking up each other's mail when one of us was out of town.

A few weeks ago a red pick up truck loaded with mattresses and boxes pulled into the driveway next door.  He-man and I were like Mrs. Gravitz on Bewitched, pulling the drapes aside to see what was happening in the neighborhood.  The next day more trucks and more boxes were loaded into the house.  The next day came the refrigerator and piano.  It was official.  We had new neighbors and the lonely dark house now had light.

We waited a day or two and then made ourselves known to our neighbors.  Two adorable, browned eyed girls quickly accepted us as their new best friends and made their way to our house to play with Bluebird and Sci-guy.  They spied yaya's candy canisters and could not believe it when I told them to help themselves.


They quickly learned where puzzles and barbie dolls were stored and easily made themselves at home.

I loved having them so comfortable with us, but their mother was a bit more cautious.  And why not, she didn't know us and her first responsibility was to keep her children safe.  Sounds like a good mom to me.

The other day I was in the kitchen stirring batter for Clone's birthday cake when I heard the door bell.  I went to the front door and opened it to find the lovely brown-eyed girl next door holding a plate of fresh carrot-raisin muffins.





 She told me that her mother did not have to work that day and that she and her mom had spent the day together cleaning, baking and talking.  She told me that her family called her, "Little Miss Homemaker."  She told me all kinds of things that I think would be best kept between us.  Kids give you all the juice, even when you don't ask for it.  And Brown-eyed-girl was eager to share all she knew.

She walked around our house and read the titles of our books, fluffed up pillows and studied the many pictures resting on shelves and hanging on walls.






While we were in Wyoming she was given charge over our sprinkler system and making sure that the azaleas were adequately watered.  She took her job quite seriously.  When we returned home she came to the house and asked me if I was watering the gardens because she had noticed that some of my plants were drooping.

When she pops in for a visit I make sure I have a few plants that are in need of a drink.




She not only likes to visit she likes to help wherever I might need it.  The day she brought the muffins, I was not only baking Clone's cake, I was making dinner as well.  She watched me for a while and then she said, "You don't like to "real" cook, do you,"  I said, "Oh but I do.  I like to cook, especially when I have the time."  She responded with, "Well!  Meat in the crock pot and baked potatoes in the microwave?  I was just thinkin'..."  It was then that I told her he-man and I were going to eat and that it was time she went on home.

Seriously she is a delightful child and I am happy every morning that I stand at my sink, filling my coffee pot and look out the window to see a light shining in the window of the house next door.  No more empty darkness.  

And this morning I enjoyed my coffee with a carrot raisin muffin.

I hope this day someone brings you an unexpected gift.  I hope there is someone next to you who is not afraid to give you all the juice without hesitation.  I hope that when you look up from a task you will be blessed with light.