Self-Restraint

Okay, I've been itching to show some updated pictures of the kittens, but have held back in order to avoid boring everyone into fur ball oblivion. I backtracked and realized I've been sufficiently patient...at least according to my standards :-) I can also justify that two of the four babies will have a new home in 2 weeks. We are keeping Gray and Grunt (my daughter couldn't remember the name for the "runt" of the litter, so she called him/ her Grunt. He/she is no longer the little one in the family, but the name has taken hold). I was fortunate enough to have a good friend tell me that she's been wanted TWO black kittens for a long time, so the siblings will all have some familiar faces to grow up with! We escaped near catastrophe two nights ago when we couldn't find Gray anywhere. We turned the house upside down for two hours. I searched outside, in the dark, fearing that he/she had slipped out somehow. My concern mounted to astronomical heights when I heard hawks screeching nearby. With all the pet trauma my kids (my daughter especially) have endured lately, I thought I would sacrifice myself to the winged carnivores before I would try to explain that one of our kittens got carried away by a hawk! Still trying to maintain optimistic for my now hysterical daughter, I pulled the kittens' blanket out from under my bed...which I had checked no less than 25 times...and there was Gray, wrapped up all comfy cozy. PHEW! Catastrophe averted!

Mortification!

I'd love to blame this gigantic faux-pas on the Blogger poltergeist, but this time I have to fess up and own my mortifying blunder. A few weeks ago, I was THRILLED when LuLu (Coastal Sisters) contacted me about winning her Pomander Ball give-away. I am a HUGE admirer of LuLu's creations, so this was an extra special treat. When the pomander arrived, it far surpassed my wildest expectations (the pictures didn't begin to do it justice) and it matches the colors, in my bedroom, perfectly. I meant to (and seriously thought I had) post about it immediately. As I was just "window shopping" on LuLu's website, I came across a lovely magenta pomander she is selling and had that sinking "Ohhhhh Nooooo" feeling, in the pit of my stomach. I poured through my older postings and realized that I had, in fact, written a post about LuLu's beautiful gift....in my own head! I had to make a public confession and am now off to chomp on a massive slice of humble pie, in a private email to sweet LuLu.

Mother's Day Continues

My "baby" girl forgot to give me the Mother's Day gift she made in school. Like many moms, these handmade gifts are my absolute favorite and I cherish every treasure my children has created for me! To back up...last year, my daughter was very reluctant to hand over the gift she'd made in school. When I had sufficiently assured her that I would love whatever she'd made, she gave me the wrapped present. As soon as I opened it, I understood the reason for her hesitancy. There, in a carefully painted terra cotta pot, was....a bunch of dirt. Evidently, Caroline's were the only seeds that failed to grow. The teacher tried to convince my stubborn offspring to swap plants for one that was showing signs of life. Caroline, apparently, refused and stood her ground. The teacher (who was a beastly woman on a good day) told my daughter that it was "stupid" to give someone a container of dirt for a gift and she should be "embarrassed" to do so. That was all my will-of-steel girl needed to dig her heels in harder and deeper. Those were the seeds she had planted for me and those were the seeds I was going to get...end of discussion! It took a few weeks, but the seeds did start to grow and, by the end of the summer, we had mutant sunflowers and marigolds the size of cauliflower heads taking over my side garden! I, of course, took several pictures, mounted them on poster board and marched them in (myself) to my daughter's classroom. I had stencilled, in huge black letters, "HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL!". I insisted that the teacher hang the poster in the front of the class and my baby was vindicated.
No such drama surrounding this year's gift. Caroline used beautiful, vibrant fabric scraps to decoupage the container of pretty yellow marigolds. She made me a precious "My Mom..." book and all is right in our world!

Mother's Day Bliss

Still in my Pooh jammies as I write this...at NOON! Today has just been full of wonderful surprises, which is not always the case on holidays. I'll say it "outloud" with hopes that 1.) it doesn't make me sound like a selfish shrew and 2.) there may be other ladies who have similar experiences. As a mom (and when I was a wife), I have always believed in making a big deal out of holidays. Perhaps it is because I am a "let's celebrate" kind of girl, but I scarcely need an excuse to make a fuss over the people I love. When I married my daughter's father, I instantly inherited 5 step-children, a step-daughter-in-law, a step-grandson & his two ex-wives. Yes, the ex-wives were part of the package :-). With such a large family, I shopped (Ohhhh, the hardship of it all) year-round for birthday and Christmas gifts. Whenever I came across something that would suit one of the kids, I'd pick it up and toss it in my gift closet. The result: I was overly prepared when the special occasion came around. It actually wasn't as haphazard as that sounds. I put a great deal of thought into each gift, while trying to stick within the parameters of our budget. Took time and creativity, but I thoroughly enjoyed the outcome when gift giving time arrived!
'Tis better to give than to receive...absolutely...and that's what I tried to keep in mind when I was the gift recipient. Because I was never the sort to make a wish list, that left the decision making up to my kids and ex-husband. I probably should have done some steering in the right direction, but I love surprises. At the risk of seeming ungrateful, suffice it to say: there are good surprises and there are not-so-good surprises. This Mother's Day, my ex-husband outdid himself beyond measure. He took the kids shopping for cards and a lovely rose scented candle (my favorite) and brought fresh out of the oven bagels & bream cheese over for breakfast. That would have been sufficient to put a lasting smile on this Mom's face. Inside the gift bag was a dvd/ cd (I wasn't sure which, at first) that he insisted we pop in the dvd player right away (that answered the dvd/ cd question). He had compiled a 10 minute slideshow of pictures that chronicled the lives of both of my children...many taken with me. The slideshow was set to music that he composed and recorded digitally. From the first picture, I was reduced to a quivering puddle of tears. My daughter quickly followed suit and my teenage son swiftly exited the room, but not before I caught a glimpse of a bit of suspicious moisture in his handsome brown eyes. My ex-husband kept his sunglasses on, throughout the viewing, but I'm fairly certain he wasn't immune to the reaction of my daughter and myself. This was, far and away, the best Mother's Day gift I have ever received. I so wish I could share it with all of you! I did ask him to make copies that I will send to my siblings and parents. I'm blessed and incredibly grateful...more tears, so I'll end with that. The picture, for this post, was taken several years ago. My daughter and I were on a ride, at an amusement park. I just love the expression on her face.

Happy Mother's Day

I feel a little guilty that this post isn't going to focus on the joys of motherhood...or be chock full of amusing anecdotes...or sage advice from a Mom whose been round the block a few times. Sorry folks...perhaps at the end of the day. I woke up early this morning, per usual, and saw telltale signs of a sunshiny day. After, what feels like, months of off and on rain, this was truly a sight for sore eyes. I grabbed my camera and (literally) ran outside to see what I could photograph. In spite of the rain, my garden hasn't produced any new subject matter, so I trotted down the driveway...in my jammies...to take a look at the azaleas. They are in full bloom...perfect! As I was snapping pictures of my smiling bushes, I noticed that my lilacs are starting to come out. I love lilacs, which is a bit odd because purple/ lavender is not at the top of my favorite color(s) list. The fragrance of lilacs is quite another matter. That is at the top of my list of favorite scents!
After taking, what I deemed to be, a sufficient number of pictures (and realizing how silly I looked running around my driveway in Winnie-the-Pooh pj's), I found my clippers to make a Mother's Day bouquet to share with all of you. "What?", those of you who are familiar with my cut flowers issue, may be asking. There is a caveat to that: cut flowers, from trees or bushes, are just fine.
Happy Mother's Day to all of you...moms who have birthed children, moms who have adopted children, "moms" who have no children of their own...but have, nonetheless touched the life of a young person in some way!

Jello Melon Wedges

I found this recipe in Woman's Day magazine and was dying to share it. Of course, when it came time to post the recipe, I couldn't find my magazine. I did find the recipe on the Kraft foods website. The only difference between the two recipes is the Kraft one mixes fruit into the jello. I actually like the presentation without the fruit mixed into the jello...the magazine picture looked so crisp and clean...perfect for a summer picnic...but it's up to you.

CUT 1 melon (about 3-1/2 lb., either cantaloupe or honeydew) in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds. Scoop out melon, leaving each half with a 1-inch-thick shell. Chop removed melon; drain well. Cut thin slice off bottom of each melon shell to allow it to stand upright.

STIR 3/4 cup boiling water into 1 pkg. (4-serving size) Jell-O Brand Gelatin in large bowl at least 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in 1/2 cup cold water. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved chopped melon and 1/2 cup fruit to each melon shell.

POUR gelatin evenly into melon shells. Pour any remaining gelatin into small bowl to enjoy later. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Cut each half melon into four wedges to serve.

Chandelier Help!

Okay, I got sidetracked trying to find a solution to an in-progress, chandelier makeover. I'm just stuck, so here's my official S.O.S. I've had this chandelier for years and was never crazy about the pewter color. I attacked it with spray paint last night and am loving its new black, matte finish. I've also had these adorable toile lampshades and thought I could somehow make them work with the chandelier. Because the lights point down, however, the shades look strange...at least I think they do. I've tried turning them both ways, but something still looks odd. I'm being rather stubborn (surprise, surprise!) about making these "work", but am beginning to have my doubts. Any suggestions/ comments? I could just scrap the idea of pairing the two and look for more appropriate shades or glass covers. Seems such a shame, though, since I have 5 shades already. What to do, what to do?

Projects Nearly Forgotten

This morning I realized that the majority of my recent posts have been about flowers, kids and/ or kittens. Lest ye think my creative juices have dried up, I will share some projects I've been working on the last few weeks. An aside: for me, creating is something I must do, in order to maintain a semblance of serenity, in my life. If I am feeling "off", it is most likely that one (or both) of two things have been put on the back burner: 1.) spending time with God and 2.) spending time crafting. As soon as I remedy those missing pieces, my topsy turvy life rights itself. Now, if I could remember that lesson before I get all turned inside out, it'd be smooth sailing!
Okay, projects...
I've been really into making tags and collages. Both feed my need for immediate gratification. I work on several, at a time, and am able to move freely, from one to another, as I complete specific steps. Idle hands just don't work for me...and waiting for pesky, but necessary, things (drying times, etc.) drives me batty! My pictures are not up to par today...sorry. It's gray & gruesome out, so I had to use the flash. Oh NOOOO, the dreaded flash!
I'm thinking this is going to be a multiple post day. I'll attend to mundane chores, then reward myself with some blog time. A good plan, I think. I'll share my vintage sewing/ knitting stand revamp after I put the laundry away.

Beating the Monday Morning Blues

My (nearly) 8 year old daughter doesn't exactly wake up like Little Suzy Sunshine...especially on Monday mornings. I have tried every trick, in the book, to make the process more pleasant: gentle cuddles, cajoling/ begging/ pleading, sticker charts, removal of privileges...I have even resorted to bribery ($1/ day if she gets up & gets dressed, without arguing). Each of my best attempts might work for a few days, before she goes back to her Grumpy Gertrude routine. Fortunately, my 14 year old son is up & out of bed as soon as I open his door. This morning, I tried something new with Caroline. I gently put the kittens in bed with her, then I woke Sleeping Beauty. The result: immediate giggles and a few minutes of happy playtime. It's a good day and can only get better!

Kittens!

I don't know what makes me think that I have the "right" to bore y'all, to tears, with my silly kitten pictures. I wasn't this bad with pictures of my own kids, when they were babies. Maybe it's because I realize that 1/2 of the "batch" will be moving on, to new homes, in a matter of weeks. That works as a plausible justification. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it! Gretel, by the way, is none too pleased now that the kittens are mobile and in her face. She might be more receptive if they didn't see her as another potential milk source. That was one picture I was unable to capture...and would have given anything to have!

Pink Saturday Perplexity

I went out to my garden, this morning, in search of something pink to take pictures of for Beverly's Pink Saturday. I was semi-shocked ("shocked" being too strong of a word, perhaps) to find that my white tulips had turned pink overnight! These are the same tulips pictured in my post on April 29! Now, I'm fairly certain there is some horticulturally sound explanation for this phenomenon, although I choose to believe that even the flowers wanted in on today's pink celebration! I realized, as I went to add the collage to this post, that the tulips look more lavender than pink. They are pink, pink, pink when you see them up close & personal!
Thank you, Beverly, for hosting another Pink Saturday Party. To find out what other blog friends are participating, this week, hop over to Beverly's blog (How Sweet The Sound)!

Sorry Gentlemen!

Okay, I've gotta do it...my son, James and my nephew, Ben, were born 8 days apart. James turned 14 last week and Ben's birthday is today. Happy Birthday, Ben...don't hate me for this :-) Although Ben is a bit younger than James, he was always so much bigger...and far more "advanced". I remember being so proud, when James was 2 or so, and he had just started putting together two word phrases: "big ball", "want juice", etc. Right around that time, James' dad and I took a trip down to Tupelo, MS to visit my sister and her family. Shortly after our arrival, we were watching the kids play in the driveway, and "Macarena" came on the radio. I started bopping around and Ben (remember: he is 8 days younger than my boy) looks at me and says, with perfect articulation: "You really like that song, huh, Aunt Kim?" So much for stringing two words together! Stop by my sister's blog, Savannah Gourmet...Ben is now a solid 8" taller than James and, I'm sure, has a vocabulary that would put him/ me to shame :-)

Pink & Green Goodies

Earlier this month, I joined Sarah's (Blue Castle) Pink & Green swap and was paired up with Katie (Katie Crocker). Katie and I exchanged emails and I was so excited to find that we appear to enjoy many of the same things...makes gathering goodies, for a swap, much more fun! Katie's package just arrived and I am "tickled pink"...and green! The box, itself, was beautifully wrapped in vivid pink & green paper. Inside were some lovely "shabby chic" cloth napkins and dish towels, a Yankee Candle "Cottage Breeze" votive candle and an adorable bunny cheese/ butter knife. Katie added a decorative jar with FUN ribbons, which will probably never get used because it is so cute on display! Inside of the jar, I also uncovered a hidden treasure: a pair of funky green earrings (good thing I opened the jar). My favorite part of Katie's package was a beautiful teacup & saucer with pink roses, which I have already added to the collection in my china cabinet. I really do love swaps and a big thank you to Katie for picking out such thoughtful gifts...as if she doesn't have enough going on right now (she is expecting a bundle of joy on May 6th) :-) A special thank you to Sarah, for organizing this swap!

Why Didn't I Think of That?

While I don't harbor any resentments against folks who make a gazillion $ inventing/ creating something ingenious, these shoes have me a little irked. Given my love of fashion and my outside-the-box thinking, I'm fairly certain I would have thought of something like this.....if some other early bird didn't already snatch my worm. That analogy didn't quite work, did it? Ah well...stick with me friends...I'll try to get back on track.
The concept behind this shoe design is simply brilliant. They're called "Onesole: Many Mates". The shoes I have are a wedge (the only heels I can walk safely in), but they come in various styles. You can buy different tops that are interchangeable. They have a huge selection of tops and they just snap on/ off. I bought these toward the end of last summer and wore them all the time...so comfortable and absolutely adorable! Why didn't I think of that???

Flowers, Flowers Everywhere

Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE spring??? Aside from the reasons I've already mentioned, in previous posts, I, personally, am just more acutely aware of things. Today, as I was kicking some pesky weeds out of my front garden, I happened to glance at the of the inside of my white tulips. I don't know if my pictures captured it, but the insides were so cool! My senses all seem to be in overdrive and I pay closer attention to details like that. I suppose it falls into the "take time to smell the flowers" suggestion, which I heed willingly. Every morning, as I walk my daughter to the bus, we take a few minutes to study our gardens: in search of new signs of life. We do the same thing in the afternoon and are rarely without a new discovery, during these warmer months. I was never what one would consider a nature girl, so this Pop-a-bonnet-on-my-head and let me tiptoe-through-the-tulips feeling is very new & exciting to me :-) Okay, I know my sister is reading this...you can stop laughing now!

Fairy Garden

I hope you all are having the same beautiful weather as we are, here in SUNNY CT! Seems, once again, we catapulted from winter right into the dog days of summer. You won't catch me complaining. A few of you left comments/ questions about my fairy doors (two posts back). The store, at which they were purchased, closed...broke my heart! I just did a search on GOOGLE and came across a fabulous website for fairy garden doo-dads, Enchanted Gardens. WARNING***this site could be hazardous to your wallets! The prices are reasonable, but they have SO many cute things. I browsed their selection of doors very quickly and the ones they carry are significantly smaller than mine...FYI. The ones I have are approximately 6"H x 4"W and theirs are about 1/2 that size. Happy fairy hunting :-)

Heart Smiles

Thank you SO much to Sue (Gossamer Creations) who named mine as one of the blogs that makes her heart smile! Hers was one of the first blogs I started following and when I saw her amazingly adorable creations (shadow boxes, block fairies) I was a dead duck! Almost as quickly as Sue makes them, I race to complete snatch them up. ALMOST makes me feel guilty for not giving others the opportunity to start their own collection...almost :-)
Now here are the suggestions (I changed "rules" to suggestions because I, for one, am the biggest rule-breaker going) to accepting and sharing this award:
1. The winner may put the logo on their blog.
2. Put a link to the person who sent you the award.
3. Nominate 10 blogs.
4. Put links to their 10 blogs.
5. Leave a comment for the nominees.
Here goes:
1.) Cindy @ My Romantic Home
2.) Kelly @ A Girl Named Kelly Kelly
3.) Louise @ Whispering Poppies
4.) Kim @ Savannah Gourmet
5.) Monica :-)
6.) Sarah @ Blue Castle
7.) Heather @ Pretty Petals
8.) Isabel @ Maison Douce
9.) Amy @ Keep'n The Sunny Side
10.) Stephenie @ Just A Little Bit Pink
I know many of you feel uncomfortable receiving awards and I absolutely respect your position. If I happen to mention one of you humble sorts amongst my 10, PLEASE forgive me...feel absolutely free to keep it to yourself...and just consider it a "thank you" for being part of my blog life :-) Some of the blogs I mentioned are ones I have never even left a comment on, but have followed quietly. Don't you think it's extra special when you get an out-of-the-blue compliment?

On a Roll!

It was a splendiforous day in CT...finally...and we're in for more glorious sunshine this weekend. WOOHOO! I love how there is a palpable shift in the energy level when spring arrives in full force: people are more patient with other drivers on the road, smiling faces are more abundant and simple greetings are friendlier & more genuine. In short, most of the "Eeyores" go into hibernation and the world is abound with "Tiggers". Although I had a "to do" list chock full of indoor chores, I just couldn't keep myself confined by four walls. I did a bit of gardening, cleaning up the garage, had a picnic lunch with a friend and practiced my photography skills. Did the spring & winter clothes get switched around? Nope! Did I sort through clothes the kids have outgrown? Nope! Did I organize the basement, in anticipation of my landlord bringing me dumpsters for a massive purging? Nope...nope...nope! I joined the rest of the springy Tiggers and worked on refining my bounce. Still lacks finesse, so I just may practice again tomorrow :-)
Ohhh....pictures: the flowers are self-explanatory (simple collages of my miniature daffodils & my one, red tulip). The little doors are "fairy" doors that I have scattered around my gardens. I also happened to catch a shadow, from the "GROW" sign I have in my side garden. I thought it went well with my tiny fairy doors when I was doing that collage. Yes? No?

Kittens Galore

It must have something to do with celebrating my son's birthday today...I have been fixated on where time goes. In the blink of an eye, my baby boy goes from weighing in at a whopping 5 pounds, 11 ounces to....well, a bit more than that :-) I realized, too, that the kittens will be 2 weeks old tomorrow and I haven't updated on them since they looked like a small pile of mice! That is hardly the case now. They are up and about, eyes wide opened and have very distinct, individual personalities. Cute as can be they are! We are definitely keeping the gray kitten...aptly named "Gray" (although, "Shadow" and "Bagheera" were considerations). The other 3 are fairly identical looking, so we'll see which, of those, my son takes a liking to.

My Baby Turns 14

Days turn into weeks. Weeks turn into months. Months turn into....well, you get the idea. One day you're holding this miraculous creation in your arms, wondering if you can do it "right"; IT being this whole parenting thing. The most important job you'll ever have, yet the one there is no real training for, other than trial & error and a whole lot of prayer. Before you know it, you're staring eyeball to eyeball with a wonderfully independent, ferociously moody teenager who is the first to let you know that there is very little you (Mom) can do "right" :-) It is during those moments that I need to turn a deaf ear to what he is saying and listen, with my heart, to the echoes of his footsteps while he continues on his own journey. He is respectful to others. He doesn't get in trouble at school. He is (mostly) kind & tolerant of his little sister. His grades are decent. AND, he still hugs and kisses me every night before bed and every morning before he heads off to school! When I listen carefully and look closely, I know that I am, in fact, doing more right than I could have imagined. So, as my baby turns 14 today, I will count my blessings and pray that the foundation has been set strongly enough for my James to become a man of honor & integrity. That's really the best we can hope for, isn't it?
***The baby picture was taken the day after I found out that there was a BIG mistake with a MISdiagnosis of a rare, cancerous tumor they thought they had found in my uterine wall. Although the picture quality is not top notch, my expression reflects the relief in my heart!