Scavenger Hunt Sunday ~ The May 5, 2012 Edition

Where oh where do the days go by, oh where oh where can they be??  I am stumped this week.  Starting this post, I have one of the prompts....I am gonna to have to do some quick thinking...

Since I am babysitting my grand-dog today, the romping, playing, running, jumping has barely stopped between Mac and Toby.  They are just beginning to tire (yeah!!!) but I did manage a shot or two before they collapsed....

These are the challenges for Ashley's Scavenger Hunt Sunday

• Smile
• Shadow
• Keys
• Fish
• SOOC

SMILE - OK, we are smiling, so take the damn shot already.  (I know that doesn't look like smiles, but they were really having fun, honest)

SHADOW - I am really stretching here....

KEYS - Really boring

FISH - I know you can't see a fish, but trust me this seagull dove into the water and came up with a fish...

SOOC - another shot of the kids playing, check the tongues

Not my finest work, but it was all I could come up with....
Hope your week is filled with all smiles....

Until next time......

Crossing off the To-Do-List

One thing I am really, really good at is spending money.  I have started crossing things off of my to-to list but in doing so I have spent money in the process.  I may have mentioned earlier that I am having all three bathrooms stripped of wallpaper and re-painted.  One bathroom is just being re-painted, the vanity, etc stays as is (still in good shape), the 2nd bathroom (tub) is stripping the wall-paper and re-painting with a new vanity top & new faucets and new over-head lighting, new show-curtain and new window curtains.  Today I purchased the new sink top, new hardware, new towel racks, picked up my order from Country Curtains for the shower and window curtains.  Here is the before.....

This wallpaper and curtains have been up since 1989, when we went to England and while in London I had to go to the Laura Ashley store.  I fell in love with this print, bought the wall-paper and yards of fabric and then proceeded to lug them all over England.  Pretty stupid, but I have loved this yellow and blue bathroom for well over 20 years.  The wall-paper is beginning to peel and it is faded in spots, so I definitely need an update.   Will show you the after when it is after...

The 2nd on my list of projects is changing the pretty blue bedroom that became a pretty blue TV room back to a pretty blue bedroom.  When my Mother moved in with us I sold my white iron bed (still sobbing about that sale) and made it a comfortable TV room for her.  Today I went to IKEA and bought another white iron bed, not as pretty as the first one, but it will do.....

You should have seen Marti and me trying and failing to pick this up...thank goodness they have nice young, strong men that work at IKEA to help us crazy ladies.   And thank goodness I have 3 strong young men that live across the street from me to help take this out of Marti's car.  Every time I go to IKEA I see many, many things I would like to buy.  Another trip back is definitely in order.  Now I have to purchase a mattress and receive my special order from Country Curtains where I ordered a new quilt, new shams, new bed skirt and new curtains....oh my you would think I have an endless supply of money.  But I have planned on doing this for quite a while, I just couldn't get movin....Will show you "after" pics when completed.

So while I would get irritated at myself for not moving on these projects, the good news was that I wasn't spending money.  Now that I am movin' the money is movin' too.  If there is anything you need or think you need or have no idea that you may need it....go to IKEA they will fill your every need.  It is like an adult candy store only there isn't any penny candy.

And on another note, I bought this cute little vase at Hobby Lobby,  placed a flower in it last night and when I looked this morning the vase was sitting in a puddle of water.  Ooops a leaking vase, how does that happen??

The lilacs on the side of the garage are in full bloom....they are not the deep purple lilacs but the aroma is outstanding.  I picked a few and brought them in to just enjoy the smell.

Hope your weekend is going well...tomorrow I dog-sit for my daughter's puppy Huskie, Mac.  I wonder how much he has grown since I last saw him about 2 weeks ago.  Toby will be exhausted tomorrow evening after all the romping and playing with his cousin (?)...

"You cannot advance when you concentrate on retreat."  ~  Sue Sikking

Until next time....

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails or Bugs and Birds.....

I love that title "Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails", but this post has none of those.  Instead it has mostly bugs and a bird with a few floral shots thrown in because it's spring and so many flowers are beginning to bloom and I can't help but take their shots and then show them to you.  Ok, enough said....

Mr. Robin just climbing out of his bath, ready to shake and dry off....

This beauty blooms across the fence in my neighbor's yard....but each Spring they pose right nicely for me.  Added a Kim Klassen texture...and joining with Leanne at

It's funny how many times I don't see these little bugs or insects until I download my pics and voila there they are, just ready to surprise me.

This was not a surprise, I saw these little rose bud eaters and decided this would be my green shot for Alicia's Leap Into Spring challenge.

Another surprise...this looks like it's glowing from within.  Sharing with Misty at Shoot, Edit, Submit..

But no surprise here, these ants hang out all over the peonies, they must be in heaven crawling up and down and all around....

We were blessed with much needed rain last night and the leaves were glistening like diamonds this morning...

Last night after meeting with my girls at church I was on my way to Hobby Lobby and decided to stop at a forest preserve.  I tend to forget that we are only about 25 miles from Lake Michigan, so it always surprises me when I see a sea gull flying above.  The sky was filled with wonderful clouds last night prior to the thunderstorms we had in the middle of the night.

And now after you have seen all these pretty flowers, bugs, birds and green things would you please stop over at my collaborative blog where I am sharing a difficult time in my life at Focusing On Life.   
Hope you have a marvelous weekend planned.

"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."  ~  Dolly Parton

Until next time.....