Happy Memorial Day

Party Time!

Lots to share, not much time, so this post is all over the place with random stuff.    

Last weekend was the twins’ 7th birthday!   It’s hard for me to believe how quickly the time has passed, it seems like just yesterday Shannon announced she was pregnant and then the next month we found out it was twins!    Fast forward 7 years and they have just hosted their first “separate” parties.    Taylor had 7 (or was it 8?) of her little friends spend the night Friday night….according to Shannon there were some not-to-be named girls running up and down the hallway at 3:00 A.M.!       My big contribution to the festivities was making some cute tissue paper pom poms.    

 

One…

 

Two…

 

Three…

 

Four!   

Easy as pie, just take tissue paper and fold like an accordian,  secure in the middle with some wire, then fan out until you have a big fluffy pom pom.   Lots of good tutorials on line, you can find some here and here.

Mine turned out pretty good, might order some from good ol’ Martha next time.

Taylor had a cupcake party….Shannon had all the fixin’s set up and pre-baked cupcakes so that each girl could have at it decorating their cupcake.   

 

 

The table runner and dish towels were picked up at Kohl’s (love that store!) after Valentine’s Day for about 75% off.    Most everything else was from the Dollar Tree.

 

The “favors” were simple Dollar Tree spatulas that had each girl’s named on a personalized card and tied on with pink and white ribbon.

(and here they are in Taylor’s homemade Easter bucket….that’s what she put them in)….just keepin’ it real folks!

 

 

Saturday was Jackson’s day and he had a swim party at his great grandmother’s pool.    Shannon rented a water slide thingy and the kids (of all ages) loved it.   

 

 

Grandson Cade with DIL Jennifer

 

I think Jackson was  wore out by the end of the day

 

birthday girl Taylor enjoying some cookie cake

 

The next day we went to my sister’s lake house.    My son brought over his new boat and we had a great time hanging out  

 

Taylor and her friend get pulled on the big tube

 

No more room for another boat!

 

My sweet granddaughters – Taylor & Mckinley

 

My baby boy - so proud of his new boat

 

Just a short boat ride from the lake house you can see where the tornado left destruction here in Alabama on April 27th.   This is part of Lake Martin that was in the path of the tornado.

 

Cade helping daddy drive the boat!

 

We’re spending the weekend at the lake Memorial Day weekend.    My sister and I plan to spend lots of time on the deck soaking up the sun.   She had a great idea for us to get together with our daughters and go for a spa day….you don’t have to ask me twice…..just tell me when and where!

 

And I just had to share this last pic of my handsome son and sweet granddaughter……

 

 

Please keep all the folks affected by the latest storms in Joplin, MO in your prayers.

Sweet Tea with Lemon Please!

….a simple request right?    I pulled up at the drive thru at  McDonald’s this afternoon on my way to daughter’s (more on that later) to “help” get ready for Taylor’s first spend the night party.     Here’s how my simple order went down:

Me:    I’d like the $1.00 sweet tea with extra lemon please.

Them:   Would you like to try our frozen strawberry lemonade?

Me:   No thank you, just the sweet tea with lemon.

The screen showed my total to be $7.19!    I pulled around to pay for my order and the worker said “how did you want that tea?”!!     (I’m thinking to myself, WTH is wrong with you people?)

Me:    Sweet tea with extra lemon.

I also pointed out the total on the screen was wrong….after which I ponied up $1.10 for my tea.

When I pulled forward to the next window to get my tea she handed me a cup so full the lid would not stay on and one puny lemon!     I handed it back to her, asked her to pour out some of the tea, add more ice and two more lemons (please!)

When I got my tea back, it had two lids and no straw!

Geez!

 

Later on I’ll be sharing about Taylor’s first ever spend the night party tonight.    This weekend is the twin’s 7th birthday(!) and tomorrow will be Jackson’s turn….a swimming party!     Here’s a little preview of one of the decorations I worked on for Taylor:

 

 

Tissue paper pom poms!    So easy and so cute….don’t they look like big roses or peonies?

I’ll share how I made these and more on the birthday party.    I hope Shannon survives tonight…..8 girls spending the night, all under 7 years old!

A Few Of My Favorite Things

First, let me say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for all the compliments and encouragement about the ottoman slipcover I shared recently.     Ya’ll are so sweet!    

 

Now for a few of my favorite things……some very special people in my life.

My favorite (and only) son never ceases to amaze me.     We certainly had some trying times in his growing up years but I recently told him I didn’t know how I got so lucky to be his mom.    He has worked hard to get to where he is with his career and it is really paying off.      To me, he is perfect!     Today he was able to obtain one of his long-time dreams….buying a boat!     He dreams big and usually reaches his goals.    For his birthday a few years ago, he bought himself an H2 (Hummer)!     I was a little stumped how I could compete with that so we just gave him a check for a tank of gas!     

 

My son and daughter at The Summit in Birmingham

 

This afternoon my precious little granddaughter Taylor called me.    She is an advanced reader in her 1st grade class.    That girl reads all the time!     From what I could understand, her AR score was so high she was asked if she wanted to invite a “mystery guest” to read to her class this Friday.      She wants me to come read to her class!!!!    I am so humbled and honored to do this.     I don’t know if I’m supposed to pick a book or if her teacher will provide one so I’ll have to find out.     I would love to read “Love You Forever” but I can never read that book without crying.    If you’ve never read that book, please get your hands on one and read it…..you’ll cry, I promise.

Daughter Shannon & Taylor

After I finish at Taylor’s school, I’m going to my best friend’s house for the weekend.    We haven’t spent any time together since last October.    My best friend’s name is Judy (just like mine) and we’ve been best friends for about 30 years.     We are so much alike it’s scary.

 

 

Here we are at the beach a couple of years ago….Judy is in white and I’m in black & white.

 

I think you can see why these are some of my “Favorite Things”…..what are yours?

My First Slipcover

Well, here it is, not the best slipcover in the world but I’m happy I made it because I’ve learned some things along the way.     At some point, I will probably re-do it because there are a couple of glaring mistakes but I can live with it for now. 

   

 

One thing I know for sure….ruffles are not your friend!     I don’t have a ruffle attachment for my sewing machine so I just folded and ironed.    Then I hot glued on the seam binding trim.     

 

 

I might order a white slipcover for my loveseat.     The walls will be painted a neutral color and I’ll finish making the drop cloth/white sheet drapes.    

 

 

Don’t look too closely….you’ll see all my boo-boos!

But you know what?   I’m glad I made it, despite it’s imperfections.    I was so afraid I’d royally screw it up and while it’s not perfect, that’s okay too.     In the words of Ms. Nester, “It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful” and I’m embracing that for my motto.

Mother’s Day Weekend

How was your weekend?    I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother’s Day spent with everyone you love best.    We had a full weekend of fun starting Friday night when mama was honored as the oldest “Pearl” at the annual Mother’s Day banquet at her church.    This year was the first time in 2 years all four of her kiddies were able to attend.     My brother from Kentucky drove in as well as his twin sister from Peachtree City, my other sister from Talladega and myself.    

 

Here’s my mama looking all spiffy in the new outfit I got her.    Doesn’t she look happy and content?    Can you believe she’ll be 91 in June?    Yeah, me either!

 

My darling daughter and sweet granddaughter Taylor with my baby brother.    Haven’t seen him in almost 2 years!

 

Taylor and my niece from Peachtree City….sweet girls

 

Taylor was such a big “helper” with my sister’s granddaughter Erica

 

Mama and her 4 younguns’ (from left to right Kim in black print dress, brother Kelly, me in white & gray and my sister Betsy in front)

I know my mom was over the moon happy that all her babies were back together even for such a short time.

Saturday morning I picked up mama from her assisted living home and we went to my sister Betsy’s place on Lake Martin.    (Husband was working a ball tournament this weekend).    Most of you know what  destruction was caused by the tornados that ripped through our state recently.     Fortunately my sister’s lake house was spared.     Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day to spend at the lake.

 

You couldn’t have asked for better weather

 

 

Sitting on the deck looking down the side of the house

 

 

Cousins Jackson, Mason & Erica love playing in the sandbox

 

 

Jackson & Mason fought over this boat all day!   

Taylor was so good with her little cousins

 

Jackson had the honor of being the first one in the lake this summer

 

This boy loves to swim!

 

Taylor quickly followed Jackson into the water (brrrr!)

 

The kids had a ball jumping in and swimming all afternoon.   

 

Also, I’ve been busy working on some sewing projects.    A few weeks ago I made a slipcover for an ottoman in the sunroom and this past week I started working on FINALLY putting together some things for the master bedroom.     Here’s a hint:    slipcovered headboard and pillows…..

 

I hope to work on finishing the headboard this week.     Then I’m going to my best, best, best friend’s house Friday to spend the weekend with her!   

 

Happy Monday everyone!

No Words

Due to the massive tornado outbreaks in my beloved state of Alabama last week, my plans to spend last weekend at my sister’s lake place on Lake Martin for our annual girl’s weekend were cancelled.   Instead she came to Montgomery to stay with us and we had a great time shopping.    She was able to get to her lake house on her way to Montgomery and fortunately it was spared.    But so many others have lost literally everything, including lives, many still unaccounted for.

Sunday afternoon my husband and I drove up to Lake Martin.    While the images you see on television and the ones I’m sharing below are disturbing, it does not adequately capture the actual horror of what has taken place.

Traveling on Highway 9 toward Santuck, the first significant damage I saw was a nursery leveled.    We have stopped at this nursery and bought plants from time to time on our way home from the lake.    

 

You could see the path the tornado took by the effected areas.    Some places were utterly destroyed yet their neighbor was spared.    I’m going to just share some pictures and let them do the talking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of the above photos were taking on Mount Hebron Road.    Some of the debris had been cleared off the road but both sides of the highway were just unbelievable.   Many utility trucks were already replacing power lines.     You could hear chain saws and see neighbors helping the neighbors dig out….if there was anything to salvage.

 

Next we came to Mount Hebron Baptist Church.    It was totally leveled to the ground.    The story is a table was the only thing left of the church with a Bible on it….the Bible was opened and one word jumped out….BELIEVE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another church destroyed

 

 

My husband always called this the “Leave It To Beaver” house….now destroyed

 

Turning onto Co. Rd. 399 you could see the path the tornado continued on

 

 

 

 

Just past these homes (and not a mile from my sister’s lake house) here’s what we saw….

….like nothing had happened!

 

We headed over to Children’s Harbor which we heard had been destroyed.   My daughter’s wedding reception was held at the lighthouse there and she got married at The Church in the Pines so I was really worried when I heard this.    Thankfully the Church and lighthouse were not touched but many of the cabins located on the property that are used for special needs children were in bad shape.

It is going to take quite some time to rebuild and some places may never recover.    The loss of life is staggering.     Thank you to everyone who has expressed concern and offered prayers and help.    Please keep us in your prayers….we are grateful to all of you.