FLOWERS AND A BIKE AND A SMILE---OH MY!!!

I have been going through 

my old photos and sorting and

organizing them.

So, I thought I would share a few 

of them with you.

This beautiful floral came from my oldest daughter

for letting the girls stay at my house 

for a few days.

It sat on the glass-topped cherub "shelf"

 under the living room windows

that overlook the front porch.

It sat next to an old Eastlake wicker rocker.

Across from the chair is a swing that the kids
spent a lot of time on 

when they were at the house.

I see I took this before 

I had the bench pad on...
oh well...it is what it is!

If you looked towards the road from the swing
this is what you would see.

This was right in front of the porch.
Those pillows did not stay!
I tossed them there and forgot to remove them for the photo.

Not sure why some of these pictures are so washed out looking...
Hey- Never said I was a PHOTOGRAPHER,
 did I? No. No. I didn't!

This one is a bit better!

This hung between the tree and porch.
The birdhouse is all wonky because it had
a nest in it and I didn't want to disturb it
by "straightening" it.
The bird flew out in my face and
scared the devil out of me
well, not really! The devil was still
lurking there somewhere...
I think he was downstairs reading
his Bible and praying 

that I will be a good girl...

This looked  towards the garage
which is an ell to the right
(you can't see it-sorry)
taken by the base of the front steps.

Next to the front garage doors
 (there are back ones, too)
is this huge clematis.
I must have done something 

right with this one..
neglect maybe?

Okay---this is the true color...

It's a beaut, isn't it?

Here's another BEAUT for you...
Courtesy of Walmart!
Ready?  SALUTE!!!!!

Bet THAT made you

SMILE!

PLAYING HOUSE

When I was a little girl

I loved playing house.

I never had a

REAL playhouse,

but I laid out floor plans

with stones to outline rooms.

Growing up on a farm,

in a rather isolated area,

meant playing alone much

of the time.

I had a brother that was

four years younger,

 but when you are kids

that is a significant

age difference
and he sure didn't want to
"play house".

When we moved to our house

on the bay,

I begged for a

REAL PLAYHOUSE.
My wonderful brother-in law,
and son
made my dream a reality.
For several summers the
playhouse was open
for business.

 Summers were always busy ones

and I loved

cleaning up the playhouse

for Summer

 Dreamdays and Parties.

The little garden

and window boxes

whispered sweet childhood

songs..

This flag outside the door

welcomed everyone..

And the front door,

complete with hat,

offered a sweet invitation

to enter.

You could sit a spell in the

newly painted wicker

furniture.  A rare find

for $2.99 per piece

at a thrift store.

They used to be natural

wicker but looked so much

fresher in white.

Pillows and baby dolls

were the perfect accessories.

The little rose mirror

was a real original and a

$4,00 find and the little
rose picture
is from my friend, Donna,
over at
My Shabby Chateau.

The "hutch" was another

$4.00 find

And the sweet picture above

the settee was $2.50.

I found a close out miniature

chandelier, complete with flowers

and crystals for a few dollars.

It hung over the little

wicker table covered with a

little tablecloth that my mother

hand embroidered when she was young.

Look! Real leaded glass windows

from the salesmen's samples

left over when we sold

our home improvement company.

A playhouse to love.

Built with love,

for the kids we love...

the ones that sat on the grass

in front of the playhouse

and dreamt their childhood dreams..

Then, hearing the call of fairy voices

beckoning them to play,

 they were off and running.

SweetCheeks

ran too far, too fast,

I wanted her to

stay little just a little while

longer...

I loved that she

believed in magic and fairies

and a Nana that could make

any wrong right.

The house is sold to another

and the playhouse is 

NO LONGER A PLAYHOUSE

it serves another purpose,

but-

just for a moment in time

it was a mine.

It was a

dream-come-true 

for me.

I lived a childhood

through the eyes of 

grandchildren that I love.

Can't get any better than that!

Hope you have something

that special in your life

that makes you smile

everytime you remember 

something about it.

HAPPY 14TH ANNIVERSARY TO MY SON & HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE~

We are so blessed to have a son

who married a girl that is like

A DAUGHTER 

to us

14 years ago today~

(which was also my mom's birthday)

They are so happy together-

and that makes US happy!

If you have a moment

please wish then a

Happy Happy Anniversary!

Here is the by-product

of their union!

What a match made in Heaven!

Today, the munchkin looks 

more like this-

and-

Dad looks more like this~

What a blessing!

Mom opted to hide

from the camera-lol-

so no pictures here of her

pretty face!

Happy, Happy Anniversary-

Love you all to the

moon and back!

LIFE & LINDA-LINK PARTY ANNOUNCEMENT

Hi everyone!

I am doing this as a favor for

Sweet Linda.

She has helped me out 

COUNTLESS times with blog issues,

thus the title she holds,

The Fairy Blogmother~

(and you know I am all about fairies).

Anyway,

She quite suddenly found out Christine who started Dishing It & Digging It link Party has closed it down. Linda was a host on it as well.

Linda has decided to host a new link party every Sunday, the same time, called "Love your Creativity".

You are welcome to share recipes, crafts, tablescapes, wood working, diy, tutorials and more. The party is every Sunday at 1:00 Pacific time.

Please pop over and lend her

some support.

Better than that sign up for

her link party.

If you DON'T know her,

you have missed one of the 

Sweetest People in Blogland.

She has been a blogger,

a designer, a caretaker,

a cook and bottle washer,

survived at least 4 bouts of cancer,

and you can't keep the gal down!

Please pop over and visit her at

Life And Linda

and I know you will find 

something special there.

Thanks, Linda,

for all your help and I hope

you get some new visitors

and lots of links!

ALSO~
Please pray for Linda.
On top of everything else she just
had some surgery and is in for a
painful recovery. 
The surgery was much more than
she thought it was going to be
so I know it is disheartening 
as she now has a longer,
more painful healing process.

BOOKS & BOXES AND HAPPY BITS & PIECES

I was thinking about what makes me happy.
Obviously the first thing on the list is

family-MyHero, children & spouses,

and grandchildren.

But there are other little things

that I don't think much about

in the day-to-day act of living.

And yet..they are a part of my life

and bring me a bit of joy.

Years ago when my Mother 

came to live with me

I brought quite a bit of her "stuff" from

Pennsylvania.

I think I thought having "stuff" from the farm

would help me remember

the farm and family as it was....

because in her state of mind

she was no longer the mother I knew.

When she passed away,

and I gave some of the "stuff"

back to my brother.

My kids, too, have some of the things

and I finally gave my youngest daughter

this treasure.

It is a little cedar "chest".
It is only about 8"x12"x4" high.

Mother told me once that she gave a man

a ride to Elmira, NY and he gave her

the little carved box as payment.

If you open it you will find

some little treasures....

hankies and an embroidered piece or two.

What else makes me smile when I see it?

These fairy books that my daughter, Mimi,

gave me.

When you open them you will find that....
They are kind of "naughty" fairy books

not the kind I can read to the grandkids.

Whoever knew fairies had boobies?

Well...they do...trust me!

And in front of the books that are

tucked into this little niche

is a rock that my son painted

GOLD

when he was just a child.
He gave it to me for Christmas one year.

That was the year he had $20.

and spent $2.00 on lei's for everyone

(except me-I got the rock)

and the rest on himself.

Yep-He was THAT kid!

Then, Mimi went to a garage sale

and picked up this pearl necklace & earrings

still in their original box.

They have aged to a beautiful cream color.I researched them online.
They were QUITE the item in their day

and a favorite of Liz Taylor.

Below is another special "box".
This one was given to me by

MamasBoy & TheSecretAgent

on my 60th birthday.

If you open the box

you will find 60 "memory slips"

tucked inside.

that I got for my 60th birthday.

Do you think they fear I am losing my mind

and hope these act as gentle reminders

of a time when I knew who I was?

Huh?

Is that what this present is all about?

A random one reads:And, last but not least..

I received this special little box

from 3 very special little girls.

It is a Fairy Catching Kit.

We had many sightings at my house

but never did actually capture one.

They had hoped to outwit them

with this kit.

Just look at all the tools inside!And to wrap up this little presentation of Joy..

I wore this...

because a special little Miss

wrapped it up in a piece of Kleenex

(which I am hoping wasn't used)

and said it was....

"The bestest present eveah"!

And, indeed...I think it might be!

How about you?

What little things make you happy?

What little joys put a song in your heart?
I hope that your days 

are filled with little joys, too,

because I am finding that..

the older I get..

the more happiness I find 

in the little things.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

FROM PRINCESS TO BARISTA~

Life is 

NOT A FAIRY TALE.

No, indeedy!

My beautiful princess,

ALANA (aka Lulu)

went from
THIS

to
THIS!

I think she is the 

cutest barista ever!
She knows that hard work pays off!
She is a 2nd generation barista-
following in her Auntie Mimi's footsteps.

She could have gone 
for the
glass slippers

source
Instead of the 
TENNIS SHOES WITH RHINESTONES~

But this girl knows that there is 
more to life than being pretty.
She's a grand girl with a kind heart
and as pretty inside as outside.

Can you BELIEVE she is working at

Neither can I!!!
Maybe I will get a free drink...
ummm--probably not!

Have a wonderful week
and upcoming
FOURTH OF JULY!!!!