Bubbles of Joy

The Ice Man Cometh

2012-01-19T14:59:00.005-05:00

I grew up in the rolling hills of Ohio, where dairy farms were quite prevalent. The area had been settled in the early 1800's by many immigrants from Germany and Switzerland because it reminded them of their homeland. These immigrants took up the occupations they knew best, dairy farming and cheese making. When the industrial revolution took a foothold, producing and distributing fresh dairy products to city dwellers became a prosperous and growing industry. We were lucky enough to have one such locally owned dairy in my hometown. The Goshen Dairy was founded in 1920 and continued to grow and expand until 2002 when it was bought by a large dairy conglomerate.
Some of my fondest childhood memories involve the Goshen Dairy from eating the best Ice cream in the world, to the little individual bottles of milk we received each day in elementary school as an afternoon snack. But my fondest memories were of the horse drawn wagons that delivered dairy products to our home as late as 1972. You heard that right, milk, butter, Ice cream and other dairy items were delivered right to our door by a horse drawn wagon, chilled by large blocks of Ice, in the 70's!

Our milk man's name was Dan and the horse who visited our house everyday, spring through fall was Dewey. The two of them are pictured above. I knew what time Dewey would arrive at our home and waited impatiently on the front porch to hear the clip clop of his hooves coming down the street. Dewey was a beautiful Belgium Draft Horse and I thought the smartest horse ever! Dan would stop in front of a house, leave the products on the front steps and as he walked back towards the wagon, Dewey would automatically move on to the next house without being told to do so. Oh the conversations I had with Dewey as he waited to move on to the next house. As luck would have it, our house was one of the last stops before Dan and Dewey would make their way downtown to the barn. To lighten the load for Dewey on his trip back to the barn, Dan would toss the large blocks of Ice on to the street where the neighborhood kids would grab them and slide back and forth across the street as we sat on them. What fun on a hot summer day! I always hated when Winter arrived and Dan had to make his rounds in a truck and I wouldn't get to see Dewey for months. The horse drawn delivery ended in March of 1972 when the barn was destroyed by lightening and the big Belgium draft horses were moved to the country.
A few years ago as the last dairy store was closed, they held an auction of all the dairy's belongings. The four horse drawn wagons used on the different routes were sold and brought between $8,200 and $11,000 dollars each. My sister attended the auction and bought a number of items and surprised me just this past Christmas with two of the items she bought!
This little replica of the horse drawn wagons is actually a bank. I'm not sure of it's exact age but I think they might have been made in the 70's to commemorate the end of the horse drawn era.

This next item is a cardboard megaphone that once held milk or some other beverage. They always sold these during football season so that customers could consume the contents, remove the top and the bottom and have a megaphone to take with them to the local high school games.

What a clever advertising stunt! I can't believe this thing actually survived all these years. Thanks for sharing one of my fondest childhood memories. xxoo Nan
I'll be linking this to:
Vintage Thingie Thursday at Colorado Lady
and
Alphabe Thursday for the Letter I at Jenny Matlocks

Uregent Request!

2012-01-15T13:27:00.001-05:00

UPDATE!!!!!

I have wonderful news to share! Charley has been found! They thought at first he had been hit by a car but now as I understand it, the Vet believes he was attacked by another animal. They took him into surgery to suture his wounds and should be ok. I will keep y'all posted when I have more info. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers! xxoo Nan
As many of you know, last summer we adopted a sweet little Havanese that was rescued from a puppy mill. Our little girl is doing great but a little male that was rescued and adopted by a family in Florida, has managed to get loose and the rescue group has launched a frantic search to find this poor terrified little pup. Please, if you are in this area or know someone who is, could you share this info and keep an eye open for him? Thank you so very much!

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2012-01-14T23:34:00.001-05:00

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sharper image,

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Please visit Charlotte at Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts!

A Happy Vintage New Year!

2012-01-10T23:07:00.005-05:00

Happy, Happy New Year Everyone!

I know, I know, I'm about a week and a half late but that's how my life seems to be going these days. In fact, before I go any farther, I have to say a HUGE congratulations to my amazing, beautiful daughter Rachel who graduated from The Ohio State University in December!

She is such a smartie, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Molecular Plant Cell Biology with a minor in Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology. I can barely say it! Now we're keeping our fingers crossed that she can find a grown-up job and maybe even one that will pay for her to get her Masters.

Now back to the Happy New Year! Do you have any goals or aspirations for the New Year? When I reflect back on the two words I chose for last year "DO" and "Believe", I have to admit, I did not do a very good job of following through. In fact, on a scale of 1 to 10, I would give myself a 3 for "DO" and about a 5 for "Believe"!

I think the most positive step I took towards believing in MY art, was that I started attending a Bible Study group at Church, just for artists. It has been the most amazing experience and I can't wait for it to resume after the Holiday break! We are reading a book titled "The Creative Call" and it is filled with lots of hands on exercises.

It is such a valuable experience to share with other artists, your fears, your hopes, disappointments and receive words of encouragement each week and most importantly, to reaffirm that God wants you to use your talents and to share in his creation!
So.... my goals for this year are to have Faith, that God has a plan for my art and to free myself from self doubt and distractions. Gee, I guess my two words from last year, "DO" and "Beleive" work for this year too!

So Happy Belated New Year everyone! Please enjoy these vintage New Years Images and let me know what your plans are for the New Year!
I'll be linking this to:
Alphabe Thursday and the Letter H for Happy at Jenny Matlocks
and
Vintage Thingie Thursday at Colorado Lady

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2012-01-07T22:48:00.002-05:00

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Please stop by Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts and have a wonderful week! Nan

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-11-06T00:23:00.001-04:00

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Please stop by Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts. Have a wonderful Sunday everyone!

Once Upon a PINKterest Day!

2011-11-04T14:09:00.003-04:00

Happy PINK Saturday Everyone!
If I lived in a very PINK world, I would wake up in this sweet PINK house!

source: http://kawaiishiorkor.tumblr.com/post/10033107311

Then I would go down to my very PINK kitchen to make a cozy warm cup of tea.

(source:http://hookedonhouses.net/2011/09/16/kirstie-alleys-oceanfront-cottage-for-sale-on-maine-island/#more-32403 )

Then I would do some laundry in my very PINK laundry room.

(source:http://inspirationfordecoration.blogspot.com/ )

While my laundry is doing it's swirlin and twirlin, I would go to my studio and craft some sweet PINK crafts like this beautiful PINK chalkboard frame

(source: http://img2.etsystatic.com/il_fullxfull.246269206.jpg)

and these adorable PINK Christmas trees.

(source:http://daisypinkcupcake.blogspot.com/2010/12/crepe-paper-christmas-tree.html )

After the chores were done and my PINK crafts completed, I would hop into my very PINK VW bus,

(source:http://cn1.kaboodle.com/hi/img/c/0/0/de/3/AAAADFp_0p8AAAAAAN487g.jpg?v=1279846639000 )

head to the beach and my very PINK beach cottage

(source:http://seacottage.blogspot.com/2011/02/cottages-and-cupcakes.html )

where I would kick back with a glass of PINK bubbly

(source:http://moderndaymoms.com/barefoot-wine-pink-moscato-bubbly/ )

and watch the sunset over the horizon!
All these images and more can be found on my PINK Pinterest board!
Please stop by How Sweet the Sound where Beverly has more PINK inspiration waiting for you! Have a wonderful Weekend,

filled with Bubbles of JOY, xxoo Nan

REDnesday

2011-11-01T23:36:00.004-04:00

Happy REDnesday everyone!
WOW, I can't believe it is the first of November already! Do you remember the excitement you felt as a child when the Christmas catalogs would arrive about this time of year. I can remember looking at it over and over, carefully marking the pages with the items on my Christmas wish list. Oh it seemed like Christmas would never arrive!
Last week I was skimming Pinterest and found this sweet page from the 1963 Sears Christmas Catalog.

It brought back such a flood of memories because not only do I remember this ad but I remember having a cowgirl outfit almost identical to the red and black one in the ad. What is really amazing, is that a few days after seeing this ad, a small package arrived from my Aunt containing a number of old family pictures including this one!

That's me, front and center along with my two older sisters behind me and my cousins on either side. I couldn't believe the uncanny timing of this package's arrival. The weird thing is, I have no idea where this picture was taken and I don't ever remember seeing this picture before but I am so happy to have it.
I'm linking this post to
REDnesday at It's a Very Cherry World
and
Vintage Thingy Thursday at Colorado Lady

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-10-15T22:44:00.002-04:00

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Please stop by "Spiritual Sundays" for more inspiring posts!

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-10-08T22:15:00.001-04:00

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Please stop by Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts and have a wonderful Sunday!
xxoo Nan

Vintage, Yellow Roseville!

2011-10-06T11:20:00.005-04:00

I love vintage pottery, especially the brands produced in Ohio. Roseville, Weller and Hull are some of my favorites. This pair of Vintage, Yellow vases were a gift from my parents and I've had them for at least twenty years.

The vases were known as Cornucopias. I've always wondered just exactly how they arranged flowers in them because of the angle of the throat. I really should experiment and see for myself.

This pattern is known as Bittersweet. Maybe I'll see if I can find some branches of real Bittersweet and arrange them in the vases and incorporate them into my Fall decorating! Doing a little research, I discovered the Bittersweet pattern was also manufactured in a pretty Minty Green and Rose, which was actually a combination of blue and pink.

Here is a shot of the bottom of the vase with the Roseville mark and serial number. I'm guessing the black marks identified the craftsman who actually painted the vases.

I also wanted to share these really cool arrangements I spotted yesterday in a gift shop.

I think these would be so easy to make! They are just bundles of sticks wrapped in ribbon and adorned with little pinecones, leaves and flowers. They were probably about 2-1/2' to 3' tall and had a hefty price of $65!
Thanks for stopping by today, I'll be linking this to:
Vintage Thingie Thursday at Colorado Lady
and
Alphabe Thursday at Jenny Matlocks for the letter Y

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-10-01T18:42:00.000-04:00

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Please stop by Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts!
Have a wonderful Sunday everyone! xxoo Nan

Pinterest ... the new Xanadu!

2011-09-29T12:01:00.004-04:00

X is for Xanadu

Xanadu, Noun : a place of great beauty, luxury, and contentment.
Well, that about sums up my feelings about Pinterest!
Have YOU discovered Pinterest? It is an amazing place to discover the desires of your heart and awaken your senses and dream about all the things you want to make, places you want to go and homes you want to build and decorate! But it is also a place where, if you are not careful, you will be sucked in and have your brain replaced with mush and when you emerge, will walk around like a zombie constantly repeating "must have PINS, must have PINS".

I have spent so much free time on Pinterest lately that I have completely neglected my blog and the blogs of my friends. So here's the 411 on Pinterest, basically it is a virtual bulletin board where you can save (PIN) all the amazing things you find on the internet. You decide the categories for your pin boards and name them whatever you want. For example, I have a pin board titled "Food for thought" where I save yummy recipes I find while surfing.

I have another pin board titled "Deck the Halls" where I save all the really cute ideas I find for Christmas.

When I first started Pinning, I thought to myself "ok, this is cool but I am NOT going to get sucked into this. I'll just set up a couple of boards to save things I REALLY want to do". HA! Famous last words! I now have 46 separate PIN Boards and 2,942 Pins (things I've saved) and I have 67 followers on Pinterest. I have Pin boards for pictures of cute little animals, pictures of farms and country roads and fall decorating.

My Nephew is getting married next year so I've set up a Pin board just for them to collect all things wedding. His adorable fiance' has started Pinning as a result.

So now that I've piqued your interest, here's a link to MY PIN BOARDS!
I've actually contemplated starting a new feature on my blog titled
My Favorite PINS of the Week so I can at least tie the two together. Anyone else up for a meme of this type?
So yes, Pinterest is a place of great beauty, luxury, and contentment and a lot of fun ... a virtual Xanadu! Just make sure if you go, you book a round trip ticket!
I'm linking this to Jenny Matlock and Alphabe Thursday for the letter X!

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-09-24T21:39:00.001-04:00

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Please visit Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts.
Have a wonderful week everyone! xxoo Nan

PINK Angel's Trumpets!

2011-09-16T14:47:00.001-04:00

Happy PINK Saturday everyone!
A few weeks ago I was inspecting a client's yard, a very boring landscape with not much to look at until I spied this spectacular beauty glowing from it's little forgotten corner of the yard.

This amazing plant is Brugmansia, commonly known as Angel's trumpets and closely related to Datura, both plants are in the family Solanaceae.

Brugmansia is a small to mid-size tree with large, strongly scented trumpet-shaped flowers. These flowers hang downward on the Brugmansia but grow erect on the Datura.

Angel's Trumpets is native to Central and South America and are listed as a perennial. They are very easy to grow but will not tolerate cold weather. However; Brugmansia is quite content growing in a large pot so those of you in colder climates could bring it indoors for the winter!

I love the delicate look of the PINK flowers but don't let that sweet persona fool you! All parts of this plant are extremely poisonous and could be fatal if ingested by humans or animals.

The flower color of Angel's Trumpets ranges from white to pale pink, yellow, peach, pale orange and bright pink.
If you would like to see more pictures of Brugmansia or read more about this amazing plant I suggest you check out the website BGI Brugmansia Growers International.
Please stop by How Sweet the Sound and say HI to Beverly, our host each week for PINK Saturday!

V is for Veggies ... Fall Veggies!

2011-09-15T11:03:00.003-04:00

While most of you in other parts of the country are watching the leaves turn to beautiful shades of Red and Yellow and anticipating the first nip of cool air, I am hanging on to warmer weather as long as I can! This past weekend I pulled out the tired tomato plants that so faithfully supplied us with a bumper crop throughout the summer and cleaned up my small garden patch of weeds and dead plants in preparation for our Fall garden.

The Pepper plants I planted back in March are still going strong so I left those in place.

The Birdhouse gourds I had such BIG plans for, were a disappointment, only producing three gourds. Well, that's not actually true, they produced many more small gourds but they all rotted on the vine when they were just a few inches long. But, I still left the vines in place just in case they get a second wind.

I planted three new tomato plants, knowing I will probably only harvest a few tomatoes before the first frost takes them out. I'm keeping my fingers crossed we don't get a frost before the end of November!

Mr. Bubble loves salad but it's just too darn hot here in the summer to grow lettuce so our Fall garden includes quite a few lettuce plants, four different varieties to be exact. I'm really looking forward to having our own fresh lettuce and hope it does well.

Cucumbers usually do really well here in the Summer but for some reason they were a total bust this past Summer so I'm going to give them a second chance in my Fall garden. I swear these things double in size every night!

I also planted a new Basil plant (I LOVE fresh basil in recipes) and I planted one more Blackberry plant which won't produce till next summer. If you plant a Fall garden I would love to hear what you plant too.

I'm linking the post to Alphabe Thursday and the Letter V at Jenny Matlocks!
and Fall in Love Linky Party at Decor to Adore

Vintage, RED Rooster mug

2011-09-13T16:08:00.001-04:00

My Aunt gave me this RED Rooster mug about thirty years ago. I don't know how it came into her possession, how old it is, or where it was made but I love it's quirkiness!

I love the shape of the mug, I think it is a little on the feminine side. Even the handle is more feminine!

but if you come closer and look inside......

You see, it is not for a woman at all, it is a mustache mug!
I could be wrong but I don't think it is very old, probably made in the 60's or 70's.

This is the mark found on the bottom of the mug, it says "Royal Crown". If anyone has any more info on this mug I would love to hear it!
I'll be linking this post to:
REDnesday at It's a Very Cherry World
and
Vintage Thingy Thursday at Colorado Lady.

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-09-10T21:20:00.001-04:00

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Please stop by Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts!

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-09-03T21:50:00.002-04:00

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Please stop by Spiritual Sundays and say HI to Charlotte and Ginger, our hosts for Spiritual Sunday!

Watching the Tropics

2011-08-22T11:45:00.000-04:00

I've been watching "Irene" since before she was Irene and now it looks like she "could" be heading our way. Here is the five day forecast, bringing her right to Charleston as a category 3 hurricane Saturday morning.

If there is one thing I have learned since moving to Charleston thirty years ago, no one knows for sure where they are going until maybe 10 hours before making landfall. A lot can happen between now and Saturday, so we'll keep watching and in a few days, decide what we need to do if anything!

scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-08-20T19:48:00.002-04:00

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Please visit Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts and have a wonderful Sunday everyone!

R is for RED, Vintage Book!

2011-08-16T22:49:00.006-04:00

It's been sooooo long since I participated in any memes, I decided I needed to jump back into things! I've had this very old RED book for many years, probably thirty years or more. I found it in a stack of stuff a teacher was throwing out.

Here's a shot of the inside cover with the publishing information.

And here's a shot of the introduction.

I'm guessing given the date in the intro, that this book is approximately 84 years old. Wow, I never thought about how old this book was until I typed it just now! As you can see from the intro, this book was intended to be a hands on manual for children in elementary school or junior high.

This page shows a variety of birds and how they can be painted.

And this is the pattern for cutting one of the birds from wood, using a coping saw. Oh by the way, a coping saw is a small hand saw consisting of a handle, a thin blade and a "C" shaped piece of metal that holds the blade. I love the simplicity of the drawings and the writing.

This next project is more complicated and includes moving parts.

I'm sure little kids in the twenties and thirties were quite proud of their finished projects and played with these for hours on end. How sad that most of our children today would find these boring.

This is the pattern for making this cute little project. Hopefully once I load the drivers for my scanner on to my NEW laptop, (did I tell y'all I bought a new laptop?) I will scan the pages and post them for you in case anyone wants to try their hand at coping saw work!

I'll be sharing this post for:

REDnesday at It's a Very Cherry World

Vintage Thingey Thursday at Colorado Lady

and Alphabe Thursday for the Letter R at Jenny Metlocks

scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-08-06T20:52:00.000-04:00

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then right click and save.

Please visit Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts!
Have a wonderful week, xxoo Nan

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-07-30T23:19:00.001-04:00

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Please stop by Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts!
Have a wonderful Sunday, xxoo Nan

Look what I found!

2011-07-29T11:05:00.005-04:00

Hi everyone! I know, I know, I've been AWOL for sooooo long! I just haven't felt like I've had anything to share. So, I needed a little jump start and I thought what better way to do that than with a little edition of Friday FREEbies! And since there are a few days left in July, what better than a Christmas In July version! Make sure and leave some sweet words for these bloggers
if you find something you can use!

Is there a little girl on your Christmas list? Why not make this sweet little Mermaid Doll from The Crafting Friend, so cute!

Next, get a jump start on the Holidays with this very cute printable set of tags, check and gift card holders from
How Does She!

This FREE vintage banner from Smitten Blog Designs is so cute and there are tags to match!

And also from Smitten Blog Designs, this really nice Subway Art piece
in two colors! This would be so pretty framed.

I don't quilt but if I did, I would love to make this quilt from Quilt Soup, just for the Holidays! You can find the FREE pattern HERE.

Find the pattern and TUT for this sweet little PINK Ballet Slipper Bookmark at
Wee Folks!

And how about a sweet little PINK Hobo bag to match! Simply Modern Mom has the TUT and the FREE pattern!

This litle Christmas Elf from Picklesticks is so darn cute! I can see a bunch of these guys hangin around the mantle or on a tree!

I LOVE this little Reindeer from Eat, Drink, Chic and can think of a lot of uses for him!

I think this Deer paper cutting pattern from Akit Digital Design would look so pretty cut from sparkly scrapbook paper and framed for the Holidays!

That's it for this edition of Friday FREEbies, I hope you found something you can use or inspiration to get you moving on your crafting. And since I've shown several PINK FREEbies, I'm going to link this post to PINK Saturday at How Sweet the Sound! Have a wonderful weekend everyone, filled with Bubbles of JOY!

xxoo Nan

Where Bloggers Create III

2011-07-14T22:33:00.011-04:00

Let's get this party started!
Welcome to Where Bloggers Create III and to my humble studio!

Thank you to the uber talented Karen at My Desert Cottage for hosting Where Bloggers Create again this year!
I participated last year and since I've made a number of changes to my studio, I decided to participate again this year, besides, it provided the motivation to get my room cleaned up! Let me start first with this little sketch of my studio to help you visualize the layout.

My studio was my daughters' bedroom before they left for college. It's not a huge room, it measures 10' x 14' but it suits my needs just fine. One of the reasons I picked this room was for the amount of light that comes in through the windows. But the main reason was for the view out one of the windows,
I have a perfect view of the pond when I am sitting at my large table or at my easel.

As you come through the main door, immediately to the left
is my vintage red shelf.

This shelf holds my vintage children's books, magazines, vintage and reproduction toys and other things dear to me. My drafting table sits right beside this shelf and is where I do my technical drawing.
I also set my laptop on this table.

Along the adjacent wall to my drafting table, is paper storage central! The bins on the shelves contain 12x12 scrapbook paper and the bins on the floor contain 8-1/2 x 11 scrapbook paper and my art papers. The turquoise and yellow bins on the top shelf hold rolls of crape paper, feather boas and rolls of all types of trim. The small jars below hold vials of glitter. The giant pencil was once a clothes tree for my girls. I added lots of hooks to it and hung the little red pails on the hooks to hold my colored pencils.

Right behind the giant pencil, I mounted a curtain rod to the wall to hold a large roll of drafting paper. Just past this roll of paper is a former VCR tape rack that now holds Mason jars filled with ribbon and just past that is my easel. The small white stand holds my painting supplies.

My large project table is just two - 2' x 4' folding tables with a large sheet of white mason board on top. The mason board is very inexpensive and Lowes will cut it to whatever size you need. My little red vintage sewing cabinet sits at the end and the cabinet in the corner holds a TV, stereo/DVD player and behind the curtain, more crafting supplies and tools.

The final wall contains two more Iris carts that hold more supplies, little drawers for my Copic markers and a large bulletin board. I bought the double sided, multi pocket Jewelry holder at Stein Mart and it is perfect for holding punches.

One little thing that I'm kind of anal about, everything, and I mean everything, has to be arranged in ROYGBIV order:
(red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet),
paper, pencils, markers, ribbon and paint, all in order!
Ribbon is wound on craft sticks and placed into Jars by color.

Colored pencils arranged by colors in their own little pail!

A little shelf with lots of PINK goodness and pocket tags from a swap.

I still need to de-clutter the closet and Iris carts and get rid of a lot of junk that has accumulated so it's not so hard to find the things I "actually" use. I also need to hang some pictures on the walls in the empty spots.
So that's my tour of my little studio, I hoped you enjoyed it and found a little inspiration for your studio too!
I'll also be linking this to PINK Saturday at How Sweet the Sound.

Happy 4th of JULY!!!

2011-07-04T08:25:00.002-04:00

Happy Fourth Of July everyone!

What is your favorite patriotic song, the one that gives you goosebumps or brings a little tear to your eye?

The Star Spangled Banner

God Bless America

My Country Tis of Thee

America the Beautiful

Battle Hymn of the Republic

This Land is Your Land

God Bless the USA

When I was a little girl, we learned the words to all the Patriotic songs, even those that referred to GOD. How sad that many children today will never learn these songs in school, because someone finds the word GOD offensive. How sad that our Pledge is no longer recited in schools because GOD IS a part of our pledge!

In case you have never seen this video of Red Skelton reciting the pledge, or if you would like to see it again here's a little refresher!

(to turn off my playlist, just scroll to the top and click on the round button that looks like this: ll )

GOD has blessed this great country of ours and continues to bless us, in spite of the fact that so many no longer want GOD to be a part of our country.

Have a Happy and Safe Fourth and... GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-07-03T10:02:00.001-04:00

You may click on the picture to bring up a larger, sharper image,

Then right click and save.

Please stop by and say HI to Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sunday's where you will find many more inspiring posts!
Have a happy and safe 4th of July everyone! xxoo Nan

Honeeeeey I'm Hooome!

2011-06-24T20:22:00.002-04:00

Happy PINK Saturday everyone!

I know I'm reaching a little bit on the PINK theme but I've been gone so long and I have lots to share, so I hope you'll cut me a little slack this one time!

We left two weeks ago to attend my youngest dd's college graduation in Ohio. It was a wonderful day and we are so proud of her!

She graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Arts in Music. This Fall she will begin a two year program to be certified as a translator in American Sign Language then she plans to pursue a Masters in Music Therapy.

Oh to be so young and have your whole future ahead of you!

And while we were in Ohio,

we picked up the newest addition to our family.

Meet Bella! Isn't that the cutest little PINK tongue!

Poor little Bella has been through the mill, literally and figuratively.

She was born in a puppy mill in New York where she spent the first eleven months of her life. She was then taken to a horrible dog auction.

This chain was welded around her neck for the auction and shows her auction number and USDA tag.

If it weren't for the wonderful rescue group HALO, she would have been sold to another puppy mill where she would have spent the rest of her life in a wire cage forced to continuously breed.

There's that cute PINK tongue again!

Bella is a purebred Havanese and turned one year old in April. After she was rescued from the auction, she spent the next two months at her foster Mom's, learning how to be a pup and how to trust humans. I have wanted a Havanese for a long time so when Chipper passed away in April, I decided to see if there was a Havanese rescue and thus discovered HALO. She is the sweetest little thing and is learning so fast.

When she was rescued her beautiful coat had been shaved down almost to the skin and she only weighed 10 pounds, as you can see in the pictures HALO took of her.

But she has already gained two pounds and her hair is starting to grow in. She has quickly learned how to walk on a leash and has only had two "accidents" in the house.

Everyday she makes me laugh as she grabs my slippers and adds them to her collection of stuffed animals on the couch.

You can read more about HALO at their website!
And please stop by How Sweet the Sound for more inspiring PINK posts!

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-06-05T07:54:00.001-04:00

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Please stop by Spiritual Sundays where Ginger and Charlotte have more inspiring posts waiting for you!

Vintage Pink Seashell Bowls!

2011-06-03T13:52:00.003-04:00

Happy PINK Saturday everyone!
Today I want to share one of my favorite treasures that I inherited from my Mom,
this set of six vintage seashell bowls!
I love the soft PINK, yellow and turquoise borders on these bowls!

The gold rim is such an elegant touch.

The hand painted shells and corals are exquisite!

I don't think my Mom ever used these and I have never used them either!

A number of them also have splashes of Lavender.

The bowls are not very deep but would be perfect for the soup course.
They are approximately seven inches in diameter.

My Daddy bought these for my Mom at an auction many years ago. I don't know anything about these bowls but they do have this gold mark on the bottom.

There is also a teeny blue stamp on the bottom of each but they are impossible to read even with a magnifying glass. If anyone has any information about these
I would love to know!

Please stop by and visit with Beverly at How Sweet The Sound where you will find more inspiring PINK posts!

And Tasha at Frugalicious Me for even more PINKNESS!

Have a wonderful weekend, xxoo Nan

Great Gunnera!

2011-06-01T16:28:00.004-04:00

Welcome to Alphabe Thursday and the Letter G!
Holy cow, Great Gunnera! No... this is not something your High School Health teacher was embarrassed to discuss!

Great Gunnera is a very unique and uncommon plant.

(Honeysome Aquatic Nursery)

Often called Giant Rhubarb and sometimes called The Dinosaur Plant, it is a native of the tropical forests of Costa Rica, Columbia and Brazil. The plant itself can grow to be ten feet high and just as wide, with single leaves reaching 4 to 6 feet across!

(photo found on Flickr)

Gunnera prefers wet, boggy soil and so it is a perfect plant to use beside a pond. It also prefers some shade, especially in hotter climates. I'm told it does not like cold weather nor does it like hot humid weather. I've also read that is very finicky and difficult to grow. Despite all this, I decided the unmatched drama of the foliage was worth a try! I located a nursery in Oregon, Forest Farm, that carries tuber plants at a very reasonable price. I ordered three and was very pleased with my purchase. Not only was the service fast, but the tubers were a really nice size with a great root structure and at least 3 new leaves on each plant. When the tubers arrived, I removed them from the small pots they arrived in and transplanted them into large pots for a few weeks so they could become acclimated to our climate. This past weekend I decided to plant them in the ground. I planted one at the edge of the pond near the waterfall, one towards the back of our yard in a very "natural" area and the third I planted in the shade garden off the side screen porch.

This is a shot of the one I planted near the pond. The other plant in the picture, the one in the far right, is Alocasia Portora, another giant, tropical plant!
I can't wait to see how these guys perform and I'm hoping I'll have some spectacular pictures to share with you over the summer!
Please visit Jenny at Jenny Matlocks for more inspiring Big G posts!

Happy Memorial Day!

2011-05-30T00:55:00.005-04:00

Happy Memorial Day
Dear Blogger Buddies!
When I was a little girl, Memorial Day was one of my favorite holidays. The anticipation and excitement of the end of school, the start of Summer and the opening of pools and parks was almost more than a young child could stand! No matter how excited we were to start the festivities, we always knew that more important matters would take priority.

My Daddy was one of the most patriotic people I have ever known and instilled in us the importance of honoring those who served our country. Every year we participated in the memorial day parade. As very young children we marched, carrying a bouquet of flowers from my mom's garden in one hand and a United States flag in the other. As we got older, we decorated our bikes in red, white and blue crepe paper streamers, still carrying the flowers and flag as we rode.

The parade would wind it's way through downtown, past the Five and Dime stores, past the diners, past the banks and offices, all decorated with flags and buntings. The streets would be lined with people waving flags to the patriotic tunes played by the marching bands. Our final destination, the cemetery where the graves of every veteran were decorated with a star. Upon entering the cemetery, the children would all make a mad dash to find a grave marked with a star and once finding such a grave, would insert the little flag they had so carefully carried throughout the parade, into to the star and then lay the flowers on the grave. This ritual would then be followed by speeches by dignitaries and veterans. As children we found this part extremely boring and couldn't wait to get home and change into our swimming suits but my Daddy, being the true Patriot, would make us wait till the very end. In hindsight; I'm glad he did even though I don't remember a single word from one of those speeches but I'm glad he did because I will never forget how important it is to take the time to remember and thank those who sacrificed so much for our freedom. How sad that most of the children today will never get to experience a Memorial Day parade or even know how very important this day is. If there is a Veteran in your family, please thank them for me!

I thought a would share a few pictures of some of the men in my family who have so bravely served this great country through the years.

This is a picture of my Great Grandfather Frank during the Spanish American War, taken in 1898!

And this is a picture of my Great Uncle Tommy home from furlough in 1943.

And this is my Great Uncle Tony. This is an amazing picture because he served directly under General Bradley (the other man in the picture) during World War II. I believe this was taken in 1947.

And this, well... this is my own dear Daddy! How sad, I don't have a picture of him in Uniform! He was in the Navy during World War II. He never talked about the war so I know very little about his service. This picture was taken in 1953.

So, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU, to all the Veterans both living and passed on to greater glory!

So where have I been? A work in progress!

2011-05-27T13:52:00.006-04:00

Happy THIRD Birthday Pink Saturday!!!!

Congratulations Beverly on THREE years of PINK inspiration!

If you are a regular reader to my blog, you know I've been a little AWOL for the last couple of weeks. So where have I been? I've fallen prey to that nasty slump bug that gets most of us sooner or later. I've been on the internet but I couldn't tell you what I've been reading because it certainly hasn't been any of your wonderful blogs. And Lord knows I've neglected my own blog, I even missed my own

FIRST blog-a-versary! I have had zippo motivation to do anything except watch the season finales of my favorite TV shows, oh, and work in my yard.

But two weeks ago I stumbled on a wonderful blog. This blog made my heart sing. This blog reached deep into my soul and pulled out a flood of childhood memories. Memories of holding my first real art materials in my little hands and the power to CREATE that I felt at such a young age! And for the first time in almost 6 months, I picked up my sketch pad and pencil and started sketching away and I have my first WIP (work in progress).

I will share my WIP with you in a second but first I wanted to introduce you to the blogger who has caused all this inspiration!

Please say hello to Joni at

Pop Art Minis!

I think I identified with Joni so much because my first creations were big eyed children and animals made with chalk pastels. If you visit Joni's site you will find lots of lots of color, including PINK!

Copyright Pop Art Minis

And now my own WIP, granted, the only PINK is the oil pastel and pencil laying near the sketch pad! Please be gentle as I know she has a loooong way to go and I don't usually have enough courage to show something as unfinished as this! I hope I can show the finished drawing next week!

Have a wonderful, safe Memorial Day weekend everyone! xxoo Nan

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-05-15T09:05:00.002-04:00

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Please stop by Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts. Thank you Charlotte and Ginger for hosting each week!

A PINK Bunny and some little books!

2011-05-13T22:00:00.002-04:00

Happy PINK Saturday everyone!

I'm so excited to show you this Bunny ornament I received from Cyndi at Holiday Sparkle.

Can you believe she makes these?! The pictures don't do them justice because they are even cuter in person.

Just look at the detail on the sweet PINK crape paper ruffled collar. If you have never visited Cyndi's blog, you are in for a treat! Thank you Cyndi, I will treasure him forever!

The Catholic Church is having their annual $1.00 used book sale this weekend, so I decided to stop in an see what they had. I found these sweet little Golden Books, filled with lots of PINK.

The A to Z book is illustrated by Vivienne Blake and the prayer book is illustrated by Rachel Taft Dixon.
Both books are so cute but the Prayer book is definitely my favorite.

The illustrations have such a tender innocence about them. I hope I will be able to scan a few of them in the near future.
Please stop by How Sweet the Sound and say hi to Beverly our host each week for PINK Saturday!

Alphabe Thursday: D is for Swimming with Dolphins!

2011-05-11T19:59:00.000-04:00

Two years ago Mr Bubble (giggle) and I celebrated our twenty fifth anniversary by taking a week long cruise to the Western Caribbean. We made a list of "must do" excursions and made arrangements for them in advance of the cruise. Our list included snorkeling, swimming with Sting Rays and swimming with Dolphins. Hubby also wanted to play a round of golf and I wanted to ride horses in the Ocean. If you ever take a cruise, I highly recommend setting up your excursions before you leave home. Once you are on board, the lines to sign up for excursions become quite long and fill up fast. We had an amazing cruise and swimming with the Dolphins was definitely one of the highlights! Since our assignment this week is the letter "D", I want to share this incredible experience with you.

When you arrive at the Dolphin Encounter, they divide you into groups of about ten, give you a life vest and send you off to the showers and then a short wait for your group to be called. Once your group is called, you are assigned an instructor who is highly skilled and trained in working with Dolphins. What a fun job! Our instructor had us enter the large pool and sit on a wall where she gave us a few basic instructions and then brought in two Dolphins, introduced them to us and had them do a few tricks. At this point she had us slide into the water and form a large circle. She brought the Dolphins into the circle and had them swim slowly around the perimeter right in front of us. We were able to reach out and pet the dolphins as they passed by. Next she told us the dolphins would flip over on their backs and swim past us again. She cautioned us that we could pat their bellies as they passed by but be careful not to touch their genitals because the dolphins would become quite agitated if you did. Um, yeah, I'm glad she cleared that up because touching a dolphins private parts was definitely something I thought about doing, lol!

(two of the sweet Dolphins at Dolphin Encounter)

After this initial meet and greet it was time to have a little one on one time with the dolphins, unless of course you didn't pay attention to the last bit of advice and are now being whisked away in an ambulance, minus the roving hand, ha ha! One at a time we were invited out into the center of the circle, asked to cross our arms over our chest and one of the dolphins would approach us and give us a little peck on the cheek.

(me, getting a little kiss)

Next, we were able to hold the dolphins front fins and dance with her. I'm still amazed at how gentle and friendly these animals were, not once did I feel I was in any danger.

(here I am cutting a rug, or maybe I should say the water, with my dolphin partner)

Finally, we would get to experience the ride of a lifetime! One at a time, we were asked to swim to the far side of the pool, turn around and face the side we had just left. A dolphin would then swim up behind us and as it passed by our side, we were to grab on to its fins and let her take us for a ride, all the way to the other side.

(Mr. Bubble going for a ride)

I can't begin to tell you how exhilarating this was. Even though we have all seen how fast they move through the water, to actually feel the power and speed is unbelievable. The only bad thing about the whole experience... there is no getting around the amount of water that goes down your nose during the ride. If you are ever given the opportunity to swim with the Dolphins, do NOT pass on the experience, it is a memory you will never forget!

I'm joining Jenny at Jenny Matlocks for Alphabe Thursday and the letter D.

Alphabe Thursday: C is for Chipper

2011-05-05T00:01:00.005-04:00

Note: Timing is a funny thing. Last Thursday our assignment was the letter "B" and I had intended to discuss Border Collies. But early that morning, I had to have my beloved Chipper put to sleep. I didn't feel like talking about anything, much less Border Collies. How perfect that this week we would have the letter "C", which gives me the perfect opportunity to write about Chipper. I realize this is a very long post and you might not read all the way to the end, and that's OK, I'm writing this because I know it will be good therapy for me.

Chipper Dec.6,1994 -April 28, 2011

Which words would you use to describe your dog?

Intelligent...Funny...Courageous...

Sweet...Loyal...Playful...

Protective...Talented...Lovable...

Athletic...Energetic...Ornery

Chipper was all these things and more! Our Vet would often remark that he couldn't look Chipper in the eyes because he was smarter than half the people that came into his office. We were so lucky to have Chipper for sixteen wonderful years, not bad for a pup that was never supposed to live. I can't tell Chipper's story without telling about his very cruel and sad beginnings.

Chipper's story begins one rainy, winter night in 1995. My boss' wife was heading home on what was then a fairly rural road. Her headlights caught something moving in the road up ahead. She slowed and came to a complete stop. There, in the middle of the road was a box that had puppies crawling out of it and dangling from the sides. She put her flashers on and walked over to the box. As she was putting the puppies in the box another car approached from the opposite direction. The car came to a stop and a woman exited the car and came over to help collect the puppies. Just as they had all the puppies rounded up, a third car approached but this time a very angry women came over to the duo and said "I'll take those puppies". She snatched up the box and sped off in her car. My boss' wife and the other women were left looking at each other and wondering what had just happened. They were convinced the third women must have known who dumped the puppies. I have wondered many times what fate awaited those poor puppies. As they said their goodbyes and headed off to their cars, they spotted something moving at the side of the road. Much to their amazement, two puppies had managed to escape. My boss' wife went after and caught one of the puppies but the other gal was not able to catch the other pup before he slipped off into the woods.

I worked in the basement of my boss' home and the next day when I arrived at work, his wife met me at the door. She said "I have something to show you". I opened the door and immediately noticed a shoe box sitting in the middle of my desk. I put my purse down and walked over and peered into the box. There in the box was a tiny black and white ball of fur. The little pup was not moving and was barely breathing. His eyes were completely matted shut and there were patches of fur missing. My boss' wife looked at me bewildered and said "what am I going to do with it?". I told her I would take him to my vet and they would just take care of it. So off I headed to my vet with the shoe box holding the tiny pup. When I arrived at my Vet, I retold the little pup's story. They said they would check him out and take care of what needed to be done. I left, assuming they would euthanize him and that would be the end of the story.

The next morning I arrived at work and got busy working on a project. I hadn't been at work long when the phone rang, it was my Vet's office calling. The voice on the other end said "you can come get your puppy!" I didn't know what to say at first, then I blurted out "MY puppy, I wasn't going to keep him!". There was dead silence on the other end and finally the girl at the Vets said, "well, I guess we could do something with him". I thought for a second and told her I would come get him, my sister had been thinking about getting a new dog and this little guy would be perfect. When I arrived at the vet, they told me there was really nothing wrong with him. He was a little malnourished, weighing only 2 pounds and 4 oz.. They treated him for an eye infection and worms and he was actually in pretty good shape considering what he had been through. They also told me they thought he definitely had Border Collie in him, if not 100% pretty close to it.

Of course when I brought him home my girls fell in love with him. He was so tiny, they would put him in their Barbie car and push him around the house. But hubby said NO MORE DOGS!

I called my sister that evening and she said she would "think" about taking him. She finally decided about a week later that she was not ready to get a new dog, that meant we would now have to start looking for a new home for him. In the meantime, he was starting to put on some weight and his eyes were starting to clear up. Several weeks passed and we still didn't have a home for him and by this time we were getting totally attached to him. We had been calling him "Puppy" when one day Hubby was eating some potato chips and "Puppy" kept begging. Hubby looked down at him and said "Your name should be Chip because you are always begging for chips! And so it stuck and once he had a name, how could we possibly find him a new home?! Well this post has gone far longer than I thought so in my next post I will share some of Chippers antics and some of the amazing things he did. But I'll leave you with one last picture, Chipper sleeping with one of his new Christmas presents.

Please stop by Jenny Matlocks for Alphabe Thursday! for the Letter C!

Scripture in Pictures Sunday, All Dogs go to Heaven

2011-05-01T08:47:00.001-04:00

As I work through my grief over the loss of my beloved Chipper
(see last Thursday's post), I have found peace in the Scriptures. Many of my friends, devout Christians, reaffirmed my faith, that ALL of God's creatures will be in heaven. Many Christians and Jews alike say NO, they don't have a soul but I found numerous passages to the contrary. Here is one of those passages.

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Please visit Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts.
Peace and blessings for a wonderful new week! Nan

A little TUT for PINK Saturday

2011-04-29T15:10:00.001-04:00

Happy PINK Saturday everyone!

First, I want to say THANK YOU for your comments on Thursday's post and my loss of my beloved Chipper. Your thoughts and prayers touched my heart and though I ~~cried~~ sobbed as I read each of your comments, they meant the world to me!

Today I am guest hosting at Aimee Asher and have written a little TUT. I'll give you a little hint: it's PINK, so sweet and involves little peat pots and vintage images! Actually, there are three projects included in the TUT.

Please feel free to leave comments here or at Aimee Asher.

And don't forget to stop by and say HI to Beverly
at How Sweet The Sound, our host for PINK Saturday each week!

My heart is breaking, Prayers, again! Update...

2011-04-28T08:48:00.006-04:00

My heart is breaking! My old boy Chipper has taken a turn for the worse and I will be taking him in this morning to have him put to sleep. I know it is the right thing to do, I don't want him to suffer but it is just so darn hard. If you could say a little prayer for our family. My girls grew up with him and he was hubby's companion on all of his long walks. He has been the best dog EVER! He's lived a good, long life 16+ years. I will write more about him next week but I just can't bring myself to do it right now. Here's a picture of him from this past Christmas, holding one of his gifts.

Well done my faithful companion, well done.

Update: Well it is done. We took him this morning. Hubby could not stay in the room while they put him to sleep but I felt it was something I needed to do. I made the right decision as I know he passed peacefully, painlessly and quickly. Before the vet began, Chipper lifted his head and gave my nose a little lick, I swear it was his good bye kiss. I stroked his head, he closed his eyes, the Vet said to him "Chipper, you've been a good boy and I know you are tired buddy and ready to go to heaven." And with that he drew his last breath and was gone in seconds. I'm going to miss him so much and all of his antics.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T00:29:00.003-04:00

Alleluia!
The Lord is risen!

He is risen indeed,

Alleluia!
Peace and Blessings this JOYous Easter Day!

Please visit Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts!

Easter Tag Swap!

2011-04-23T17:13:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone, Happy Easter!

I participated in the Easter Tag Swap
Hosted by Sandy at 521 Lake Street.

It was a lot of fun and I met a new bloggy sister too! My swap partner was Ros, from Ros Wistful. Would you look at all the wonderful treats she sent my way!

The tag she made is absolutely gorgeous.

Look at the layers and layers of detail!

Then there was this tag wrapped with lots of extra scrumptious trim and these sweet ME cupcake wrappers.

Ros also sent a stack of really cool vintage ephemera! Love these old pages!

Thank you Ros for everything, it's been fun getting to know you and thank you Sandy for hosting this fun swap! I'd say you did pretty darn good for your first time!

I also wanted to share a picture of this sweet creation!

I was blessed to be the winner of Viv's give-away and she sent me this precious little chick!

Isn't she a cutie! Can you believe she makes these!

And a few more pics to share! First, let me say a HUGE thank you to everyone who said a prayer for Little Hippy. She is recuperating amazingly fast and today I took her to have her stitches removed and finally remove the Cone of Shame (a little "UP" humor, har, har). Here's a pic of her when I brought her home from her surgery.

She has to stay on her leash when we go for walks for a few more days and we will be finished with all of her Meds by then too. We are still waiting on the pathology reports but saying my prayers for good news soon. Oh, one little unexpected side effect, she is having another false pregnancy, hopefully her last! Here she is getting ready to nurse one of her pups.

It's a rubber chicken but don't try and tell her that!, LOL!

I wish each of you a happy, safe Easter filled with more blessings than your home can hold! xxoo Nan

Good Friday

2011-04-22T13:39:00.000-04:00

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Most pictures depicting Good Friday and the Crucifixion, portray Jesus on the Cross. This picture however; is fascinating because it portrays what Jesus might have seen from The Cross, thus the title "As Seen From the Cross" by James Tissot. I think it is the perfect picture to use with this particular Scripture. May each of you have a blessed Good Friday as we await the resurrection and the promise of Easter. Nan

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-04-16T18:51:00.003-04:00

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Please visit Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts!

Urgent Prayer Request! UPDATE!!!!

2011-04-13T10:22:00.003-04:00

Two weeks ago I took Little Hippy our Jack Russell into the Vet because she was acting funny. They determined she had a bad urinary tract infection and put her on an antibiotic. After 2 days on the Rx she was almost back to normal and by the time she finished it, she was doing great. Well Monday morning she was acting strange again so DH took her in this morning and they discovered a mass in her abdomen. He called me and told me they were taking her in for emergency surgery. I drove to the Vet so I could see her before they take her in. They are thinking it is one of two things, an infection in her uterus or cancer. If it's cancer and bad, she probably won't come out of the surgery. I am so scared and heartbroken. She is the sweetest little thing. If you could say a little prayer for her (and us).

UPDATE! Little Hippy just came out of surgery and is doing really well. They removed her uterus which was full of infection but NO Cancer!!!!! However, they also removed one of her mammary glands and are sending it off to pathology. It will take 3-5 days to get the results back. Thank you for all your prayers! They will keep her overnight and I can bring her home sometime tomorrow. In case you are wondering why she was never spayed, well... she has a really good blood line and we were going to breed her. Before we could find a suitable male, she was injured chasing a squirrel and was paralyzed. She had surgery on her spine and 6 months later she was walking again but we realized we could never breed her. We wanted to give her time to recover and heal before we put her under the knife again and we just kept putting it off.

Summer Cottage LOVE!

2011-04-12T15:53:00.004-04:00

Happy REDnesday everyone!

I am in LOVE with this new publication, Summer Cottage!

Have you seen it on your newsstands yet? The only place I have been able to find it so far, is Publix's grocery stores. It is published by Hoffman Media, the same people who publish Southern Lady. It was a little pricey at $10.99 but I can see it is one magazine I will keep and devour every little detail over and over.

Look at that sweet little RED table and

the gorgeous RED vase on the shelf above!

It's so nice to see a magazine show rooms filled with color instead of the usual "All White Parisian" cottage look. Don't get me wrong, I swoon over those rooms too but they are not for me. First, I don't know how anyone keeps white furniture, white rugs etc. etc clean! And second, I just have to have color. I love my Reds, Yellows, Turquoises and Pinks too much.

Oh be still my heart! Would you look at those punches of RED and all those luscious colors!

Another shot of the same house.

Look at this sweet cottage.

Who wouldn't want to come home to this, so sweet! And notice the orange box in the corner, the magazine is filled with lots of
"Style Ideas" just like this!

Love this Blue and Yellow kitchen!

This might be my favorite house in the magazine.

Cabin + Cottage = Love at first sight!

If you love pretty cottage decorating this magazine is a must have!

Please visit Sue at It's a Very Cherry World for more great RED inspiration!

XXOO Nan

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-04-09T22:52:00.002-04:00

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Thank you Carolyn at Adrift on the Lake for providing me with the inspiration for today's post. Carolyn is a fairly new blogger who lives on a lake in Iowa. AND be still my heart, she owns a Havanese! What's a Havanese you ask? Just the cutest breed of dog on this Earth! I have wanted one for years but Mr. Bubble (giggle) says no more dogs, so I'm living my puppy dreams through Carolyn, LOL. Please stop by and say hello!
I would also like to ask for prayers for a very sweet bloggy sister, Joyce at Scrap for Joy, she has not been feeling well and is scheduled for surgery tomorrow.
Thank you Charlotte and Ginger for hosting Spiritual Sundays every week!

My PINK Easter Tree

2011-04-08T23:21:00.002-04:00

Happy PINK Saturday Everyone!
Today I want to share my PINK Easter tree.

When my oldest daughter was just a baby, I decided to start an Easter tree for her. Back then I took some bare tree branches and spray painted them white and stuck them in a clay pot. I found lots of cute Easter ornaments to decorate the tree with and they are still put on the tree each year.

When dd #2 came along, I started buying two of each ornament and the collection of little Easter ornaments grew quickly!

A few years ago I purchased this little PINK tree and decided it was time to replace the well worn branch tree. Here are a few more of the sweet little Easter ornaments.

A couple of sweet little bunnies!

A little Bird tweeting away!

This Bunny Family stands watch over the foyer, beside the PINK Easter tree.

And next week I will show you how I made the cute frou frou Tutu tree skirt.

Please stop by How Sweet The Sound and say HI to Beverly, our host each week for PINK Saturday! Have a great weekend! xxoo Nan

Z is for ZOOpendous!

2011-04-06T23:17:00.006-04:00

Z is for

I love to visit zoos! Seriously, where else can you get some great exercise while walking around taking in beautiful flora and fauna and the chance to observe some of God's most amazing creatures up close and personal? Today I want to share my two most favorite zoos which are half a world apart, the amazing zoo in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and the equally impressive Columbus Zoo in Columbus, Ohio.

Back in 2001, Mr Bubble (giggle) was working in The Netherlands and the girls and I were lucky enough to go over for the entire month of July. He worked during the day, so he would drop us off at the local train station where we could hop on a train to Rotterdam or Amsterdam and be back by dinner. The Rotterdam Zoo is within walking distance from the train station so it was definitely a must see on our list. It is a very clean and well maintained zoo with lots of places to sit and relax in the shade.

There were also some very unusual animals that I have never seen before, like this guy!

I don't remember what this guy was called but I distinctly remember that it was quite ferocious. He was down in a pit habitat along with a female and a baby. There were warning signs all around as to how dangerous this animal was.

There were lots of great places to take pictures.

Here are my girls acting silly.

I can't believe how young they look!

The animals were kept in large open areas and appeared to be well cared for.

The big cats had a really cool habitat that had the feel of an ancient ruin. This is a huge zoo and took us an entire day to cover the whole thing. If you are ever in The Netherlands, this is a must see stop!

This past summer we took our girls to the Columbus Zoo. The last time I was at this zoo, I was about 12 years old and it was nothing like I remember. Jack Hanna is the Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and I was blown away with what he has done to and for this zoo.
Again, this is a very large zoo and it took us an entire day to see everything!

Most the animals were kept in large, open spaces and it was very easy to see the animals. The spaces were very clean and it did not have that typical "zoo smell".

And here are my girls once again, so grown up!

If you would like more information on either of

these zoos, here are their websites:
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

The Rotterdam Zoo

I'll be linking this to Alphabe Thursday for the letter Z at Jenny Matlocks.

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-04-03T13:16:00.001-04:00

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then right click and save if you like.

A big Thank You to Kerrie who did some research last week and discovered the translation of the verse I was looking for, comes from the Revised Common Lectionary. AND, she provided this link for more info!
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/109399_79330_ENG_HTM.htm
Please visit Ginger and Charlotte at Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts!

A question and Scripture in PIctures Sunday

2011-03-27T07:06:00.004-04:00

Before I get to today's Scripture in Picture, I have a question. I visited an Anglican Church on Ash Wednesday and they had Psalm 51 printed in the bulletin. I really liked the wording but when I decided to use Psalm 51 for my Lent passage, I could not find this exact wording in any of the versions I researched at Bible Gateway online. I'm hoping that one of you who are much more knowledgeable about the Bible can help me identify this translation because I really like the way it is worded.

Here is Psalm 51:1-2 according to The New International Version:

¹ Have mercy on me, O God,
   according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
   blot out my transgressions.
² Wash away all my iniquity
   and cleanse me from my sin.

and here is how it was worded in the Church bulletin:

1 Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your loving-kindness;

in your great compassion

blot out my offenses.

2 Wash me through and through from my wickedness

and cleanse me from my sin.

Does this version look familiar to anyone?

And now the last part of Psalm 51:

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then right click and save if you like.

Please stop by Spiritual Sunday and visit with Charlotte and Ginger, our hosts each week. Have a blessed Sunday, Nan

Springy Pinkness!

2011-03-25T16:53:00.041-04:00

Happy PINK Saturday everyone!
I know that some of you are still under the influence of cold, dank weather but here in Charleston, Spring is busting out all over! We've had several sunny days in the 80's already. My oldest "Tiny Bubble" is home for Spring break so today we took a stroll downtown and did some shopping, had a yummy lunch then went for a walk along the harbor. It was a perfect day!
I thought I would share some of the Springy PINKness happening around our house. First, this was my Easter decoration splurge for the year.

I saw it at Pier One and I just had to have it, I couldn't resist. Every time I looked at it, it made me smile and then it got to the point where I couldn't take my eyes off of it!

It is fairly tall, right at 2 feet and I haven't decided yet where I am going to display it. It's a toss up between the Sunroom and my kitchen garden window.

I love all the little characters and how they are all balancing on each other.

Next up, the large pots on our front porch.

I usually choose soft pinks and lavenders but this year I decided to change it up and go with hot PINK, Orange and Yellow. I'm loving this color combo!

Each pot contains a Topiary Hot PINK Hibiscus,

a hot PINK Geranium, and an Orange Geranium,

Yellow Marigolds, Swiss Chard, and Yellow Nemesia.

Please stop by How Sweet the Sound and say hi to Beverly, our host each week for PINK Saturday!
Have a great weekend, xxoo Nan

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-03-19T21:34:00.004-04:00

Continuing this week with Psalm 51. If you missed the first part, just look for last week's post!

As always, you may click on the picture to bring up a larger, sharper image,

then right click and save.

Please visit Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts.

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-03-12T21:31:00.002-05:00

During the next few weeks of Lent, my focus will be on Psalm 51.

As always, you may click on the picture to bring up a larger, sharper image,

Then right click and save.

Please visit Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts!

W is or Window, My St. Patty's Day Window!

2011-03-11T14:42:00.006-05:00

Happy Saint Patrick's Day everyone!
I am having so much fun decorating my kitchen window for the Holidays, I can't believe I never thought of doing it before. Here are some pics of my latest Holiday installment,
Saint Patrick's Day.

I wanted to create a somewhat "Earthy" feel this time around, so first I laid down a thick layer of Spanish Moss that was dyed green. It almost gives it the feel of a forest floor.

The little ceramic Leprechaun and 'Pot of Gold" are vintage from the late 70's. My Mom painted the Leprechaun and I "think" she painted the pot of gold too. I used my Sizzix to cut the Shamrocks out of felt that are hanging on the tree.

The little mice are new Annalees that I bought at Marshalls for a fraction of what they normally cost.

And do you see that sweet little lass sitting on the spigot of the birdhouse? She was made by the uber talented Elizabeth at Bluebird Papercrafts and I won her in a giveaway! But, I must say, I think E sent me the orneriest one of the clan because that little lass would not stay put and every time I came in the kitchen, she had jumped down and was playing in the green with the mice!

Here's a shot of the window at night.

I also threw together a little centerpiece for the kitchen table.

The Irish Santa was a gift from Mr. Bubbles and my Tiny Bubbles (giggle) a few years ago. The sparkly lantern also came from Marshalls.

I just put some more moss on a glass plate and added the little garland and coins for accents. Now please stop by
How Sweet the Sound for more PINK (or GREEN) inspiration!
I'm also linking this to:
Someday Crafts St. Patricks Day Party
Vintage Thingie Thursday at Coloradolady
and Alphabe Thursday for the letter W at Jenny Matlocks

V is for Veggies and Violet!

2011-03-09T22:11:00.003-05:00

We had a wonderful garden at our old house but when we moved, we just never seemed to find the time to start a new one. Then two years we decided to take the plunge and get down and dirty, lol.

We had several requirements:
1) The garden would have to be raised because we have such terrible soil.
2) The entire garden would have to be fenced in because the deer eat everything.
3) The garden would need to be large enough to grow the things we wanted but small enough to take care of without a lot of trouble.
We decided on a garden that was basically 8'x10' and a "C" shape.

Last week I decided to get a jump start and prep the soil but when I went to Lowes, I discovered they already had their veggie plants out so I decided I might as well and get started with the planting too. I planted Romaine Lettuce, Nappa Cabbage, Radishes, onions, four kinds of Tomatoes, 2 bell peppers, Cucumbers, purple potatoes and Birdhouse Gourds.

The Tomatoes, Peppers, Cucumbers and Gourds will go on though to the Fall but the rest will be done by the time the Summer heat arrives.

And here's a picture of my new red-Violet hose and nozzle. I love the color!

Having your own garden is very rewarding and with grocery prices rising every day, it's a good way to save a little cash too.
I mentioned prepping the soil and I can't stress how important this step is! Unless you are blessed with rich, loamy soil, you will want to amend it. Here is the "recipe" I use:
1- 3 cubic foot bag peat moss
2 - 2 cubic foot bags Jungle Growth Garden Soil or other rich garden soil
2 - 2 cubic foot bags Mushroom Compost.
Depending on the size of your garden, you may need larger quantities of each ingredient.
Mix together thoroughly, if you are planting right into the ground, mix well with your existing soil. I'll try and post pictures as my little garden begins to grow. I'm linking this post to Alphabe Thursday for the letter V at Jenny Matlocks.

Lent

2011-03-09T01:00:00.005-05:00

As always, you may click on the picture to bring up a larger, sharper image,

then right click and save.

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-02-26T21:53:00.002-05:00

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Then right click and save.

Please visit Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts.

A fluffy PINK post!

2011-02-25T18:36:00.002-05:00

Happy PINK Saturday Everyone!
Today I'm guest posting at Aimee Asher and here is a little sneak peek at what I will be discussing!

Hint: it's PINK, Fluffy and involves chicks!
Just click on this link and it will take you right to the site.

Aimee Asher

If you'd like, you can leave a comment here or at Aimee Asher. And don't forget to visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for more PINKalicious posts!

T is for Turtle

2011-02-23T23:12:00.003-05:00

T is for Turtle!
Meet Rose

Rose is an Eastern Box turtle and she has been a part of our family for nearly 19 years. The Summer before my oldest daughter turned 5, she became obsessed with turtles and that is all she wanted for her Birthday. We were going to get her a water turtle but then decided on a Box Turtle because they are much easier to care for.

Rose eats turtle pellets but she also enjoys Earth worms, fruits and veggies, her favorites are Blackberries and she loves cottage cheese. During the Winter months, she hangs out in the Sunroom under the plants but once the weather warms up, she will take up residence on the screen porch. Rose loves to have the underside of her neck rubbed and enjoys a soak in a warm bath. And here are some sweet vintage turtles!

I'll be linking this post to:

Vintage Thingie Thursday at Colorado Lady

and Alphabe Thursday at Jenny Matlocks.

S is for Vintage Shoes

2011-02-16T19:37:00.003-05:00

We interrupt our regularly scheduled program to bring you this special announcement!
S is for Stinkin, lousy Sinuses!

Mr Bubble (giggle) calls me indestructo because I am never sick. However; for the last nearly three weeks I have been battling sinus problems: thumping ears, throbbing head, stuffed up nose, sore throat and so hoarse I could barely talk, which my co-workers would say was NOT a bad thing, lol! I finally broke down and went to the Doctor today. She looked in my ears and said ooooooh! Then she looked down my throat and up my nose and said "boy, you are really sick!". I looked at her and said "really?". She said every sinus cavity that could be blocked up was and she gave me two prescriptions, one for an antibiotic and one for a nasal spray plus she wants me to take Claritin twice a day and use a saline wash in my nose twice a day. Ugh, I would hope with all that I should feel better pretty quick!
Now back to our regularly scheduled program.
S is for Vintage Shoes!
These sweet little shoes belonged to my Mom. She was born in 1931 and I'm guessing they were probably her first pair of shoes judging from the size.

Wasn't she a cutie! I can't tell if she is wearing the same Shoes but the ones in the picture look lighter in color.

Look at those sweet rosey cheeks and notice those little lace up Shoes. I wonder what ever happened to that baby doll she is holding on to so tightly?

And check out these Shoes!

I don't know about you but when my girls were toddlers I had a hard enough time getting them to sit still while I fastened the velcro straps on their tennis shoes, imagine trying to lace up and tie those things! I love the baggy, thick tights she is wearing! My Mom grew up to be a true Shoe-aholic, I guess she was making up for having to wear all those ugly Shoes as a little girl!
I'm linking this post to Vintage Thingie Thursday at Colorado Lady
and
Alphabe Thursday for the Letter S at Jenny Metlocks

I'm a lucky blogger!

2011-02-16T11:00:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone, Happy REDnesday!
I have recently been the lucky recipient of several "give-aways" and I wanted to share with you what I have received!
The first giveaway is from Jill at Bucks County Folk Art. If you have never visited Jill's blog, she makes the most wonderful vintage and folk art inspired creations. She created this really cute ATC card and she even sent me some blanks and extra paper so I could try it myself!

Thank you Jill, I love it and I promise I will try it myself!

The second giveaway I received was from Melissa at Pretty Little Studio. If you love vintage then you have to visit Melissa. I'm not getting paid by Melissa but when I find products and services that are wonderful, I like to spread the word. Here is a link to her BLOG and to her SHOP. Would you look at this haul! Melissa sent me all this sweet paper.

And then there were tags, and flags and cut outs, all of it wonderful quality.

She has a line of bunny paper coming out soon and I can't wait to get my hands on it!

Finally, not a giveaway but I exchanged Valentines with the uber creative Elizabeth at Bluebird Papercrafts! This Valentine was exquistie! Look at the roses on the skirt and the little pearls on the heart!

Elizabeth and I must have been on the same wavelength because the Valentine I sent her also had kittens on it.
I'm linking this to REDnesday at It's a Very Cherry World. Please stop by and leave Sue some bloggy love for hosting REDnesday every week.

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-02-12T21:36:00.002-05:00

You may click on the image to bring up a larger, sharper image

then right click and save!

I'm joining Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays. Please stop by for more wonderful inspiration.

My PINK Valentine Tree

2011-02-11T16:00:00.003-05:00

Happy PINK Saturday everyone!
The other day I showed you my white Valentine tree, if you missed it, you can see it HERE. Today I want to show you my PINK Valentine tree. I know, I'm a little Valentine crazy this year but seriously, can a girl have too many Valentine trees? This tree sits on an antique dresser in my foyer.

It's decorated with red hearts, white polka dotted red glass balls, stings of white pearls and red beads. A sparkly cupid traced from a vintage cardboard cupid adorns the top.

Please stop by How Sweet the Sound and say Hi to Beverly, our host every week for PINK Saturday! Have a wonderful weekend, filled with Bubbles of JOY! xxoo Nan

What's Red and White and Vintage All Over?

2011-02-08T23:08:00.003-05:00

What's RED and White and VINTAGE all over?
My kitchen window, all dressed up for Valentines day!
After I took all the Christmas decorations down, my kitchen window looked so bare, I decided to decorate it for Valentines Day.

I bought the little white tree and the cupcake and pink bird ornaments at Wal Mart before Christmas. I cut the little hearts out of felt with my Sizzix and added some cute little buttons. I added a few vintage Valentines to an old heart shaped candy box. For the Cupids at the top of the window, I used a vintage poster board Cupid and traced it onto some sparkly scrapbook paper.

I added the same little hearts to the "LAUGH" that I bought in the dollar section at Target and added a string of them to the little snowgirl. I suspended some vintage Valentines from the top of the window and tucked one under the arm of the little skiing snowman.

The window makes me smile every time I walk in the kitchen and now I'm already planning a St. Patrick's Day theme and a theme for Easter.
I'll be linking this post to:
REDnesday at It's a Very Cherry World
Vintage Thingie Thursday at Colorado Lady
And Alphabe Thursday for the Letter R at Jenny Matlocks

Winner, Winner!

2011-02-01T22:40:00.004-05:00

And the winner of my first ever Birthday Blog-a-palooza is..........
<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; The numbers generated by this widget come from RANDOM.ORG's true random number generator.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>
Comment # 11..... Claudia from Mockingbird Hill Cottage! Yeah! Email me your address and I will get your package out this weekend.

(ok, I don't know why it is not showing the result, but obviously I did something wrong!)

Now for the rest of you, I have not emailed the image to any of you because I came down with a terrible sinus infection, and as a result, vertigo has just been playing havoc with my head. I need to clean up the image before I email it but I'm afraid if I attempted it now, it would look like a drunken sailor did it, lol! Hopefully this weekend I can work on it and get it emailed out to all of you. Thanks for your patience! xxoo Nan

Scripture in Pictures Sunday, Candlemas

2011-01-29T21:19:00.004-05:00

Candlemas: The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple

(You may click on the picture to bring up a larger sharper image,

then right click and save)

A little more about Candlemas: According to Jewish Law, forty days after a woman gave birth, she would take her newborn to the temple to be presented to the Lord. And so, the Holy family took the newborn Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem. While they were at the temple, a prophet named Simeon saw the baby Jesus and proclaimed him to be the light of the world. And so Candlemas, which falls on February 2nd, became the day the Churches would bless all the Candles to be used in the Church throughout the year. During Victorian times, Candlemas also signaled the end of the Christmas season and was the day that all Holiday decorations should be removed. Many Churches today celebrate Candlemas on the Sunday that falls between January 28th and February 2nd.
Please visit Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts.

Birthday Blog-a-palooza!

2011-01-28T00:17:00.008-05:00

Welcome to my first ever, stupendous, ginormous,
BIRTHDAY BLOG-A-PALOOZA!

....................................

(insert sound of crickets here)

......................................
OK, well maybe it's not THAT ginormous but it IS my Birthday and that is as good an excuse as any for a party!

(A sweet PINK image!)

What's a party without cake? When I was a child, our local bakery made the most wonderful cakes but my Mom never had to ask me what kind of Birthday Cake I wanted because it was always the same, marble cake with chocolate and white cake swirled together, white buttercream icing with a marshmallow cream snowman on top! I always thought I was so lucky to have a birthday in the Winter, because I could have that marshmallow cream snowman on top!

(one of my Birthday gifts this year was a Brownie Scout doll

which my sister is holding).

And how about gifts? Well, it's my party so I get to make the rules! Everyone who leaves a comment on this post will receive a high resolution download of this little picture I painted a few years ago.

( the poem around the outside says: May no gift be too small to give

nor too simple to receive which is wrapped in thoughtfulness and tied in love *L.O. Baird*)

Make sure you tell me in your comment that you would like a copy and make sure you include your email address if it is not visible in your profile.
AND...... there will be one grand prize winner! I will choose one name randomly, using the random generator thingie, from everyone who leaves a comment on this post and the winner will receive a print of this picture, to which I have added some enhanced coloring by hand and signed.

AND they will receive this cute little felt party goodie bag filled with some cute little treats! I will pick the winner next Tuesday night at 10:00PM.

So let the party begin! Have a wonderful weekend, filled with Bubbles of JOY! xxoo Nan
I'll be linking this plan to PINK Saturday
at How Sweet The Sound.
(now a little disclaimer: I have to protect my artwork so if you download, I have a few little terms of use! Please don't use it on your blog or website as others don't always play nice. You may use it to make cards and other craft items for personal use or for sale but you must give credit to me as the artist. You may not resale the artwork by itself ie: as a print or download, that's it, have fun with it and I'd love to see if you make something with it!)

Vintage Planters

2011-01-25T22:06:00.003-05:00

I adore vintage Planters but I only have four, something I would really like to change in the near future. I've already shown you the first two but since I have new readers, I thought I would show them again.
First up this little RED Vintage Santa Planter. I found him at a local thrift store a few months ago.

I love the little fur trim! Here's a view from the side.

Next, this little pink squirrel Planter. I found him at an antique store over the Summer.

I love this next Planter! Two years ago I went home to Ohio for a visit. My sister and I were playing tourist in Amish country when we stumbled on this amazing junk store. They had the coolest vintage things from printer trays to Planters and really good prices on everything! I picked up this little cow for around $8.00.

Last year we made our annual trip back to Amish Country and this store was tops on our list of stops but much to our disappointment, it was closed for the day. Now I could kick myself for not buying more when I had the chance. Most of the planters ranged in price from $6 - $15.
This next Planter is very special to me because my Dad gave it to me. I think he picked it up at an auction in a box of junk. I love the sweet, innocent look on the deer's face.

Well that's my entire vintage Planter collection, small but hopefully growing.
Be sure and stop by on Friday for my Birthday Blog-a-palooza where everyone will get a gift!
I'm linking this post to:
REDnesday at It's a Very Cherry World
Alphabe Thursday for the letter P at Jenny Matlock's
and Vintage Thingie Thursday at Colorado Lady

A few random thoughts for Monday

2011-01-24T21:41:00.003-05:00

First I have to tell you, I was blown away by all the comments on my post from last week "It's All About Me". Second, I have to confess, I've been a bad bloggy sister the last couple of weeks. So many of you have left such sweet comments and I have not been able to get caught up with replying. Please know that I have read each and every comment and will try my darnedest to get by and visit you this week!

Next, I have to thank Joyce at Scrap for Joy, because I am the lucky winner of her most wonderful Birthday Giveaway! If you have never visited Joyce's blog, she creates the most wonderful banners. Stop by and tell Joyce HI!
Youngest DD informed me last week that she, along with 5 of her roommates are planning on coming to Charleston for Spring Break! They are all looking to go "cheap" this year and figured they could save a lot of $$$ staying at our house.

Of course I said yes and then pulled out the calender to figure out when they have Spring break. As I was looking at the calender, I noticed that Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday) is not until March 8th this year!

If Mardi Gras is that late, Easter must really be late!

So I flipped the calender over to April, sure enough, Easter is not until April 24th! You know what that means?

Lots of extra time to create all those cute Easter and Spring crafts! So those of you like me, that are tired of dreary, cold weather, just think of all the cuteness that will soon start appearing on blogs and in stores!
xxoo Nan

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-01-23T08:22:00.000-05:00

Good morning readers!
First I would like to give you a little update on my neighbor's Granddaughter, Rachel. She had her surgery on Tuesday and they discovered the mass was quite invasive. They ended up removing the lower lobe of her left lung and "peeled" away more of the growth in another area. The doctors were pretty certain it was Cancer however; I have not heard if the pathology reports have come back yet. She was still in the hospital as of Thursday. I will call my neighbor today to get an update. Please continue to pray for this child.

As always, you can click on the picture to bring up a larger, sharper image,

then right click and save.

I posted a companion print to this back on August 8th if you would like to have a matching set. Please note, if you saved this earlier, I have changed the font so that it is easier to read.
Please Stop by and visit with Charlotte and Ginger our hosts for Spiritual Sundays where you will find many more inspiring posts.

PINK Shrimp for a PINK Saturday!

2011-01-22T09:16:00.000-05:00

Happy PINK Saturday everyone!
Today I want to share a recipe that is a staple in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, Shrimp and Grits. There are as many variations of this recipe as there are Bullfrogs on a hot summer night but they all have two things in common, Shrimp and Grits.

You will find it on the menus of the swankiest restaurants and hand written on the chalkboards of the lowliest diners. You will find it served at lunch and dinner but it is also a very popular breakfast and brunch item as well. This week I tried a new recipe and I have to tell you, it was FABULOUS! I found the original recipe HERE and it is the recipe of Mike Lata who is the head chef at one of Charleston's wonderful restaurants, FIG. Shrimp and Grits is not hard to make but it is a little time consuming because it takes awhile to cook the grits. At the end of the recipe, I will share a few of my own tips, so make sure you check those out!

Mike Lata’s Shrimp and Grits

GRITS:
2 cups milk
1 cup fresh white grits
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
SHRIMP:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons finely diced onion
3 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper
2 ounces diced country ham
½ cup shrimp stock or milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
6 dashes of hot sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the grits: Bring the milk just up to a tiny boil around the edge of a heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. Add the grits and stir for 1 minute. Turn the heat to low. If there are any hulls, skim and remove them now using a slotted spoon. Add the butter, and stir frequently for the first 10 minutes, then stir every 10 minutes to grits are done, about 1 to 1 ½ hrs. Add more liquid if the grits are absorbing the milk. Cover between stirrings. When cream, add salt and pepper to taste.

For the shrimp: Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottom fry pan or enamel skillet. Add the onion and red pepper, cooking till translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ham and sauté briefly. Stir in the milk or stock, scraping the sides and bottom of the skillet to deglaze the pan. Bring to a boil, and cook till the liquid is reduced by half. Add the cream, bring to a boil, and reduce the liquid making a loose sauce. Add the shrimp, stir, and cook till the shrimp turn pink. Add the chives and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide the grits among four plates, top with the shrimp and some of the sauce. Serve immediately. If you are cooking for less than two, this dish reheats well the next day, just use separate dishes to reheat separately.
Here is a picture of MY Shrimp and Grits

Now here are my personal notes. I prefer a little more sauce, so I would add a little more heavy cream, maybe 1/2 cup and a little more hot sauce. Also, I prefer my sauce a little thicker, so I would cook the sauce a little longer before adding the shrimp. I like serving Shrimp and Grits in a bowl so you can get every last drop of that yummy sauce. I know, it's not as elegant as serving it on a plate but who cares! Now for my tip on cooking the grits. You can make the grits a day ahead and when they are finished cooking, pour them into lined cupcake pans, allow to cool and then refrigerate over night. The next day as`you are cooking the shrimp, remove the grits "cakes", peel off the paper liner, add a little butter to a skillet, add the grits cakes and brown on both sides. Place the cakes on a plate (or bowl) and top with the shrimp. YUMMO! Please stop by How Sweet The Sound for more PINK inspiration and have a wonderful weekend, filled with Bubbles of JOY! xxoo Nan

Vintage Red Oil Paintings

2011-01-18T20:55:00.003-05:00

Back in August I shared this Oil painting I painted when I was about 12.

You can read the story of these OIL paintings and the original post HERE.
Well I thought I would finally show the other two OIL paintings in the set. First, this little Scottie, which is my least favorite of the three.

And then there is this little Boston Terrier.

I'm linking this post to REDnesday at It's A Very Cherry World
Vintage Thingie Thursday at Colorado Lady
and Alphabe Thursday for the letter O at Jenny Matlock's

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-01-15T23:25:00.001-05:00

I have a special Prayer request this week. My neighbor called this morning and I could tell from the sound of her voice that something was wrong. Her Grand Daughter has been battling cancer for what seems like the majority of her young life. Every time they think she is in remission, the cancer shows up somewhere else, this time they found a mass in her lung. She goes in for surgery this Tuesday. Please keep Rachel and her family in your prayers, they have been through so much.
Please visit Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts!

TA DA! I have my words!

2011-01-15T11:08:00.002-05:00

Happy PINK Saturday everyone! This is my first PINK Saturday in several weeks, the Holidays just got so busy. Anywho, I've been trying to think of MY word for this year, a word that would say exactly what I want to strive for. Well, I couldn't come up with one word so I came up with two! One word that applies to everyday life: home, work, family etc.. You see, I am the World's worst procrastinator. I can come up with more excuses for NOT DOING the things I need to DO! Have you guessed what my word is?

Yep, DO, simple, uncomplicated, JUST DO!

The second word is for my art. Many times I see another artist's work and think "Gee, I can do that!". But I have to tell you, there are just as many times that I look at an artist work and think "gosh, I wish I could paint like that!". I realize, I HAVE to BELIEVE in myself, BELIEVE that I can DO anything if I set my mind to it and work at it. Is it obvious enough?

My second word is BELIEVE!

So there you have it, my two words for this year! I'm going to print these out and hang up one set at work, one set in my studio and one set in my sun room. I almost forgot to mention, the adorable tags (minus the words) are from the fabulous blog Free Pretty Things For You. She has the sweetest vintage tags and images! Now go check out all the other PINK inspiration at How Sweet the Sound and have a wonderful weekend filled with Bubbles of JOY!

It's all about ME!

2011-01-12T22:45:00.000-05:00

N is for Nan!
Well, since we are on the letter N and since this IS my Birthday month, I thought I would use the opportunity to share some fabulous, fun facts about ME! LOL!

(don't we look happy, lol!)

I'm the youngest of three girls and yes, I was always the one acting goofy and doing silly things!

(I don't know why, but I have always loved this picture!)

Everyone always assumes Nan is short for Nancy but actually, my real name is Nanette. I shortened it to Nan some time in Junior High because I thought it was so much cooler.

My screen name NanE, is actually a little play on words, so to speak. My last initial is E and Mr Bubble (giggle) calls me Nannie, so I combined the two and came up with NanE.

(That's me, standing up!)

I am ambidextrous. There are some things I only do with my Right hand: cut with scissors, throw a ball. There are some things I only do with my Left hand: draw, color with markers. And there are many things I do with both hands: eat, although not at the same time, lol, brush my teeth, paint. I can write with both hands, I can even write with both hands at the same time but I use my Left hand most of the time.

(love the bangs, WHY did my mom always cut them so short?)

I have two degrees, one in Architectural Drafting and a Bachelor of Science.
I was once the lead singer in a band but I really don't sing anymore.

(here I am with the truck and horse trailer

I received that Christmas)

I have always wanted to live on a farm and I've always wanted a miniature goat. One year for Christmas, Santa brought me this little stuffed goat. I named him Jingle Bell and I STILL have him! Sigh, maybe one day!

(here I am with Jingle Bell)

Thanks for indulging me and now that you are all thoroughly ~~bored~~ enlightened, I will send you off to Jenny Matlocks and Alphabe Thursday for the Letter N. And since I posted all these great vintage pictures, I'm going to join Colorado Lady for Vintage Thingie Thursday!

Mirror, Mirror

2011-01-06T15:07:00.002-05:00

M is for Mirror
This Mirror once belonged to my Great Grandmother and then was given to my Mother. When my Mom passed away, my sisters and I took turns choosing the items we wanted to keep. When my turn came, both of my girls begged me to take this old Mirror. They were 8 and 10 at the time and I have no idea why they wanted me to choose the Mirror but I did.

I love how the metal has taken on this beautiful patina.
There are a few spots where the silvering is missing and a small place where the graphic is scratched but other than that, it's in pretty good condition.

In this closeup, you can see the sweet PINK roses and little blue Forget Me Nots.

I don't have any idea how old this Mirror is or any details about the manufacturer but I'm happy to have it.
I'll be linking this post to Alphabe Thursday for the Letter M
at Jenny Matlocks
and
Vintage Thingie Thursdays at Colorado Lady.

A Few Random Thoughts

2011-01-04T13:01:00.007-05:00

Hi Bloggy Friends! I'm still trying to play catch-up from the Holidays so I have just a few random thoughts for today.
First, I've redecorated my Blog for the Winter. Well, at least the month of January. I hate cold weather but I love looking at snow and snowmen and snowflakes. In fact, as soon as I get all the Christmas decorations put away, I'll be putting out a few flakey friends. I've even added a new playlist with Wintry songs! I had so much fun decorating my kitchen window with the vintage store theme, I'm thinking about creating a wintry scene. I'll post pictures when I'm finished. I have a set of dishes with snowflakes and snowmen that I bought a few years ago on clearance and this year I added these cute bowls and cups I bought at Kohls for 60% off.

(few RED accents: tablecloth, hats, buttons and scarves)

I love these bowls because they are BIG and are perfect for soup and salads!
I have this little thing I do to Mr Bubble (giggle) every couple of years for Christmas. LOL, ok, remove your brain from the gutter,
he he. No, I hide his Christmas gift! This year I bought him this little green house.

Obviously it was too big to hide at home, so I hid it at our neighbor's house and he had to find it. To start the hunt, I wrote a little clue and attached it to the caboose of the train under the tree in the sunroom.

Christmas morning I started the train up and when it came around I said "oh look, there's a note for you!"
Here's what the clue said:

Engine, engine #9, coming down Chicago line

If it's gifts you had in mind

then this present you must find!

Engine, engine #9, coming down Chicago line

John and Cile good friends of mine

Have kept your gift safe all this time!

I actually did this long after the gifts had all been opened and he was kind of pouting because he didn't get his greenhouse. I'm so bad, lol!

I've noticed that many of you are choosing a special word for the year. I really like this idea but the problem is, I can't think of a word. I know what I would like to do.... stop procrastinating about my artwork but what is a positive word that means the opposite of procrastinate? I have been plagued by this my entire life. Here's a painting I started about 4 years ago.

(Some RED Flowers)

I showed y'all this back when I participated in Where Bloggers Create and guess what? She's still sitting there, staring back at me unfinished! Yesterday I received my new catalog of classes for the
John C Campbell Folk School. Every year I say "THIS year, I'm going to take one of these classes!" but I always procrastinate and run out of time or money.

Look at the classes, everything from Gourd art, to doll making, felting, painting, everything you can imagine! Sigh .... maybe THIS will be the year! If anyone has any ideas for MY word for the year, I would love to hear. That's it for my random thoughts today, have a wonderful day, filled with Bubbles of JOY! xxoo Nan
I know I'm stretching it a little BUT ... I'll be linking this post to REDnesday at It's a Very Cherry World!

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

2011-01-01T22:06:00.003-05:00

The Epiphany, January 6

The Manifestation of Christ to the World

Click on the picture to bring up a larger, sharper image,

then right click and save.

Happy New Year Everyone!
I'll be linking this post to Spiritual Sundays

"N" for Nativity

2010-12-30T10:56:00.002-05:00

When my girls were babies, my Grandmother sent me a small amount of cash to buy each of my girls a Christmas gift. They had plenty of toys, books and clothes so I decided to buy them some type of keepsake. After looking at what collectibles were available for very little money, I decided to start each of them a Fontanini Nativity Set. That first year I bought each of them Mary, Joseph and Jesus and the following year I bought them each the manager.

Each year I bought a new piece to add to their Nativity.

My grandmother passed away about six years after I started the set but I continued to add new pieces each year. Animals and Angels, Shepherds and Wisemen all joined the scene.

Children playing instruments....

And women bearing gifts for the newborn babe.

The Nativity grew and grew and today they each have well over forty pieces.

The Baby Jesus never appears in the manger until Christmas Morning and the Wisemen are set aside and slowly make their way, finally ending up in front of the Manger on January 6th, the Epiphany. Because every piece is unbreakable, my girls have always been allowed to "play" with their set, reenacting the Holy Birth and talking about the real importance of Christmas.
I also have another Nativity. When my Grandmother passed away the only thing I wanted was the Nativity set that belonged to my Grandparents. I never actually thought I would get it because there were other children and grandchildren whom I thought would surely end up with it. But I did end up with it. I have no clue how old it is but my Grandparents always displayed this as far back as I can remember, so I know it was manufactured in the early sixties at the very least.

The Baby Jesus has suffered serious abuse and is unrecognizable, it looks as if a dog chewed on it but my Grandparents never owned a pet.

I also thought there were more pieces, Angels etc. but I don't know whatever happened to them. I would like to see if I can find more pieces on ebay to add to my set because eventually, my girls will leave home and take their Nativities with them.
I'm linking this post to Alphabe Thursday for the Letter N at Jenny Matlocks.

My Heirloom Tree

2010-12-29T08:47:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! I took the last week off from work, blogging and the internet to spend time with my girls. Today is their last day home and I can already feel the sadness creeping in on me. I LOVE having my girls home and spending time with them. I probably won't see them again till May, so my heart is heavy.
I hope you don't mind, since I took this time off, I have a few more pictures of Christmas to show you. This is my heirloom Christmas Tree. She has the place of honor in the Living Room and stands nine foot tall. Every year I try to re-create the Christmas tree of my childhood, that means colored lights, lots of ornaments and lots of tinsel.

Can you believe I forgot to take picture Christmas morning with all the presents underneath?! The train is usually not under this tree. It is usually under my white tree in the sunroom but I moved it here for my little Nephew Monday night.
My parents gave each of us an ornament for Christmas long before it was popular and so I have been collecting ornaments for over 45 years. They also gave each of my girls an ornament from the time they were born. A few years before they passed away, my parents blessed me with a number of the vintage ornaments that were on their first trees, some of them are over 60 years old. Here are a few of my favorite vintage ornaments from my parents.

I've also given each of my girls an ornament every year, usually representing a special event in their life that has happened over the past year.
To commemorate Rachel's first year at college,

A new ornament this year to commemorate Emily's trip to china,

Tiny Wooden shoes to commemorate our trip to Holland in 2001,

I have three large plastic storage boxes filled with nothing but ornaments and every nook and cranny of this tree has an ornament. I have a few Christopher Radkos which are very special to me, here are two. I had to get this Border Collie because it reminded me so much of my sweet Chipper when he was a puppy. He always had one ear up, one ear down,

And this elf was a gift from my sister,

Every year the last ornament to be placed on the tree is this small framed picture of my Mom and Dad.

The first Christmas after they passed away, we put the tree up and everyone went to bed except me. I turned off all the lights and turned on the tree, held a picture of my mom and dad and sat there in the dark and cried my eyes out remembering how they made every Christmas so, so special and I wished they could be there to see this tree, decorated with all of the ornaments they gave us. Something came over me and I walked over to the tree and nestled the frame among the branches, to me, it was as if they were a part of our Christmas. A few years later I decided to make a real ornament to replace the framed picture and this is what I came up with.Thanks for reading about my special tree today. I'll be linking this post to
REDnesday at It's a Very Cherry World
and
Vintage Thingie Thursday at Colorado Lady

Fireplace, Mantle and Banister dressed up for Christmas!

2010-12-22T09:34:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!
Today I want to show you my RED, Vintage Mantle, fireplace and Banister all dressed up for Christmas. Actually, I'm kinda cheating on the vintage part because the only thing that is really vintage is the oil painting hanging above the fireplace. I painted it in 1971 at the ripe old age of 15 and it is probably my most favorite painting.

Anywho, back to the Christmas part. I know the fireplace is a little over the top and kind of a mish mash but I love it just the same. My Daddy bought my girls the Nutcrackers when they were babies, so they are probably about 20 years old now.

They were very inexpensive, I think he bought them at Big Lots.
I bought the fireplace screen at Costco about 10 years ago and I adore it!

The pine garland on the Mantle is decorated with small nutcrackers and lots of RED, Gold and Green ribbon.
Our stockings are HUGE because we do stocking stuffers big time at our house, a tradition my parents started.

Those babies will be overflowing Christmas morning and opening the stockings has it's own ritual. After all the gifts under the tree are opened, we have breakfast then return to the Living Room where everyone then gets to peek in their stockings.
The Banister matches the Mantle, small nutcrackers, gold beads and lots of ribbon!

I thought I was pretty clever when we built our house because I knew I would want to put lights on the Mantle and banister at Christmas so I had the electrician install wall sockets at each location, he thought I was nuts!

I want to take this opportunity to wish each of you a Blessed Christmas, filled with Peace, Love and JOY! xxoo Nan
I will be linking this post to:
REDnesday at It's a Very Cherry World
Vintage Thingie Thursday at Colorado Lady
Alphabe Thursday for the Letter M at Jenny Matlocks

Some random thoughts for Monday!

2010-12-20T14:36:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone, hope you had a great weekend! Well Friday night was Mr Bubble's (giggle) big company party. We had a great time but it was a little sad too as two thirds of the employees will not have a job after the first of the year. We are so thankful that dh is not one of them. I showed you a picture of my dress HERE, but I didn't show you my shoes or jewelry.
This is the bracelet and earrings I wore, I thought they were a pretty good match.

And here are the shoes I bought. I always have a hard time with shoes because I have always had really ~~fat~~ wide feet. I usually go in a store and ask if they have the box in a size 9, LOL!

Oh, and I decided to let my hair go curly. I had my hairdresser show me how to do a simple up-do and here is a shot of the back, I'm usually all thumbs when it comes to things like this so I'm pretty happy with the results!

And here's a shot of Mr Bubble and I enjoying the night.

Now one more random thought for today. My poor white tree! You are probably asking WHAT is going on with that tree skirt?!

Well.... Little Hippy is having a false pregnancy and she has decided to make a nest under the tree and snuggle her babies under the tree skirts!

UGH, gotta love her! Have a great week everyone, xxoo Nan