Hello Again

It has been so long since I blogged that I forgot my sign-in information. My Mom says that she still checks my blog everyday, but is disappointed to find that I haven't posted anything. "When are you going to blog again?". That is what I hear from her. I had one friend send me a facebook message that just said July 24, 2009. I didn't know what she was talking about, but had to chuckle when I found out that it was the last time that I had blogged. She checks everyday too. Who knows if I have anyone else who ever checks in on me anymore? I apologize. I have missed blogging, but I have had some issues that have just prevented me from doing so. Here they are:



1) I have been positively OVERWHELMED. It is better now, but I have decided to start a second blog to talk about it. I think I have some important things to say, and I have been feeling this tug to write it all down and get it out there. I am not looking for anyone to feel sorry for me. I just think that writing about everything that I have been through will be therapeutic for me, and maybe I can help someone else out along the way. A second blog you say?? Why would I start a second blog when I haven't blogged on my original blog since last July? Well, I want to keep this separate from my original blog. Some people might not be interested in reading this second blog, so I want to start it so that only the interested can read it and the others can enjoy my original blog.

2) I have struggled with the direction that I wanted this blog to go. My personal favorite blogs are home decor blogs, DIY blogs and creative-type blogs. When I started this blog, we were building our home and I thought it would be a great way to keep our family and friends up to date on the progress of our home being built. After the house was finished, I just kinda blogged about whatever was going on in our lives. No real direction to the blog. That is fine, but I want to get back to the original intention of this blog...our home.



3) I started this blog on September 12, 2007. I can't believe that it will be three years this Fall. Wow!! In these three years, I have met so many new, amazing women through the blogging world. Some I have only "met" online, but some I have actually met in person. I can't believe how connected you can feel to someone by reading a blog. I have watched their blogs grow, change and evolve. I started reading some bloggers when they first started their blogs, and now they are some of the most popular bloggers in the blogosphere. I could have been there with them, but my blog didn't grow, change and evolve because I just haven't had the energy to put into growing, changing and evolving this blog. I want to change that. I have some ideas that I am working on putting into motion...photography classes to showcase better pictures, a blog design makeover and hundreds of ideas stored in my head ready to show you what I have been up to around my home. Think: The Nester, Thrifty Decor Chick, A Soft Place to Land, Southern Hospitality, The Lettered Cottage, etc. I hope to offer something similar to their blogs, on a much smaller scale to start with. I would like to see how I can grow it, though, and hopefully make a little extra money from it.

4) Facebook came into my life. It was so much quicker than writing out a blog post, and playing with the pictures to tell a story. Cropping, proofreading...it takes a long time to blog. Facebook is instant gratification, and it has been fun to reconnect with many people. It is not blogging, though.

So those are the basic four reasons why I stopped blogging these last 9 months. I hope you will re-join me on one or both of my blogs over the next few months as I try to grow my original blog and tell the story that I need to tell on my second blog that I will be starting. You can expect to see lots of changes around here, so I hope you will be back. Hello again, my long lost blog-reading friends!!

Frugal Friday

So I have found a new little hobby. Quite by accident, really. I have a friend who likes to thrift shop, and I had been telling her for a long time that I was looking for 2 bedside tables that I could paint black for my guest bedroom. I told her to look for me when she was out and about thrifting. I have never been much of a thrift shopper. I started reading lots of decorating blogs with thrifty makeovers, though, and I thought "I could do that". Pair that with the fact that a new thrift store opened down the road from the house and it is a brand new building, it is super clean, not smelly and it is close to a bunch of rich neighborhoods. All of those things make a difference, trust me. I have gone into some other thrift stores...skeeved me out... sensitive nose. I have been periodically going in to check out the furniture and housewares for things that I could makeover. I had been looking for some kind of little table that I could put beside my jacuzzi tub to hold my drink, book and bathing supplies. I found this cute little two tiered table for $7.00...I will be spray painting it white. Notice how I staged it with a candle, bath salts, bottle of wine, wine glass and a beautiful book. I feel sure that I will not be reading "The Pleasure of your Company" hardback coffee table book in the bath, but the colors of the book looked pretty. When not in use next to the tub, I will store this little table in my closet as a shelf for some pocketbooks or some other girly neccessity.

In other thrify news, I found this great little fruit and veggie stand by the side of the road on my way home from work today. I got all of this beautiful, South Carolina grown produce for $15.00. Score!! What a rip-off grocery store produce is!!

Frugal Friday

I've done so much since my last Frugal Friday post, but telling you about all of that is just gonna have to wait. Here we are at Frugal Friday once again. I made another trip back to "The Target Graveyard", so I thought that you would want to see what I scored on this trip.

1) America license plate picture- I paid $2.50 In the store for $39.99
2) Boppy baby sling carrier- I paid $16.00 In the store for $39.99
3) Large glass canister- I paid $2.50 Had a tag on it for $24.90
4) Seagrass basket- I paid $2.50 Something like it in the store for $24.99
5) Making memories scrapbook paper set of 40 sheets- I paid $4.50 Something like it in the store for $14.99 and $19.99
6) Black birdcage- I paid $8.60 In the store for $24.99 (I think)
7) 5 piece drawer storage kit- I paid $3.50 In the store for $12.99 (I think)
8) Disney Princess and Cars dry erase activity boards- I paid $4.00 each Something like it in the store for $12.99
9) XOXO pewter letters- I paid $6.00
10) Cream bird plate stand- I paid $6.00
11) 5 air freshners- I paid $2.50 for all 5
12) Lint roller refill- I paid $2.00

Hope ya'll have a Happy 4th of July!! Be safe!!

Frugal Friday

A friend introduced me to this fabulous place that I have affectionately named "The Target Graveyard". If you like organized, non-digging shopping, then this is not the place for you. It's a bit like a thrift store, but the products are new. They buy stuff at pennies on the dollar and sell it in a warehouse setting. Most of what I have bought is Tar-jay stuff. They have it marked with the orange tags. If the item is under $10, then it is 50% off the tag. If the item is over $10, then it is 60% off the tag. Here's what I scored on my first visit:

1) Sandalwood potpourri with wicker balls I paid: $3.50 Currently in the store for $16.99
2) Eiffel Tower sculpture I paid: $2.50 Currently in the store for $39.99
3) Set of 2 Navy sailcloth window panels I paid: $2.50 Currently in the store for $29.99
4) Embroidered white window panel I paid: $2.50 Currently in the store for $19.99
5) Brown wrought iron branch candle holder I paid: $2.50 Currently in the store for $17.19
6) Leaves removable wall art I paid: $2.50 Something like it currently in the store for $24.99
7) Black wrought iron plant stand I paid: $5.00 Currently in the store for $15.99
8) Smooth away I paid: $5.00 (don't waste your money) Currently in the store for $9.99
9) Memory framed shadow box I paid: $2.50
10) Decorative bundle of sticks I paid: $2.50
11) Printer paper I paid: $1.60
12) Doggie tennis ball toy I paid: $2.44
13) Set of 18 bronze glittered bird ornaments (I will be making a bird's nest mini tree for Christmas) I paid: $2.16
14) Bamboo candle holder I paid: $5.00

These kind of bargains get me excited!! I have a use for each thing~ I didn't just buy things because they were inexpensive. I'll do a post later where I show you how I used each item. Have a good weekend!!

Doggie Surgery

My baby Ali had a cornea problem that was causing her lots of pain. Our vet thought she had been poked in the eye and scratched her cornea. After a month of treating her with drops, ointments and pain meds, our regular vet referred us to an opthamologist in Charlotte. As soon as the eye doc looked in her eye, he told us that she had an indolent ulcer and we had no choice but to operate~ the sooner the better since she could lose her sight. They took her into surgery right then.

Ashleigh didn't take her eyes off of the door where they took her sister.

She eventually laid down, but still had her eyes peeled on that door.

When they brought Ali out after surgery, she was so "drunk" that she sat down on top of my purse.

Check out her little catheter in her leg.

Daddy held Ali while she got bandaged up where the catheter had been. Like Father, like Daughter. He has a bandage too.

She was OUT on the drive home.

She started feeling better in a couple of days, and felt well enough to go on a car ride to Petsmart to get food and treats.

Look at that cute little thing riding in the buggy.

We just got home from her two week follow up appointment. The doctor thought she was doing great, and her vision is going to return to 100%. Hallelujah!!

Today was a better day!!

Thanks for all of the kind words that you wrote me after yesterday's post. Life goes on, and I appreciate your thoughts and prayers. Today was a better day. I was over at www.chic-critique.com today talking about Tweezerman...you can really tweeze some hair, man!! Go check it out and leave me a comment to let me know you were there!!

I also thought I'd share something that makes me happy~ our plants and flowers.

These pillows for our front porch were pretty plain...you know that plain pillows don't really work for me.

Adding a little ric-rac makes them so much more fun!!

Cool bottlebrush tree...it's not doing so well though.

These are some of the different colors of hostas that we planted under our back porch.

I love a hanging basket.

See what I mean

I bought another firecracker bush~ ours thrived last year and the hummingbirds loved it.

Our dwarf Japanese maple filled out overnight.

The dwarf gardenias have been beautiful.

I can't believe how fast our sweet potato vine is growing.

We will be planting these daylilies in front of the garage.

The wave petunias are growing like crazy.

How can you not love a Kimberly Queen fern?

I decided to get another diplandia because the one we had last year was absolutely beautiful and vined around the porch. Supposed they will last through the winter if you bring them in. I will try to put it in my basement this year {before it gets too cold}, and let you know how it makes it.

Plants + Flowers = Happiness for me

I'm mad today...it doesn't seem fair.

I told you a couple of weeks ago that I had a lot on my mind, and you told me that it was okay to share it. I might regret pushing publish post after I finish what I have to say, but I can't seem to move along with my day, concentrate on work or post about any of the fun things that we have been doing. So here you go...

My husband and I have been trying to start a family for the last 3 1/2 years. I suffer from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome {PCOS}, have miscarried, had an ectopic pregnancy {where I lost a tube} and have been seeing a reproductive endocrinologist {fertility specialist}. We have been keeping it quiet because I didn't want to have to explain anything, talk about it, or be disappointed when it didn't work out. What???? Like not talking about it was really going to keep me from being disappointed? I have prayed hard about this, but by talking about this maybe I can get other people to pray for us too? I don't know, maybe writing about it will make me feel better or maybe it will help someone else who is going through this? I might just be a mess because of all of the hormones they have pumped into my body. Another month with the big 'ole negative sign. I detest that negative sign. It is my nemesis.

Here's what I'm mad about. I went to get a PG test at CVS this morning because I thought that the ones that I took Friday night and Saturday morning just had to be wrong. In line in front of me were a young couple buying a box of PG tests who looked to be unmarried and unfit to be parents. Now, I know that I should not judge who should be parents, but they did not look like they had any business with a child. You just know that they went home and THEIR test was positive. I ,unfortunately, went home to a negative test. Bitter. Why does it seem that the people who have no business having children are the ones who can reproduce over and over again without any problems? It doesn't seem fair.

When I was talking to a friend about it this afternoon, she said that it seems like I'm always waiting for the other shoe to drop. And it does. She's right. I have a lot of things that have happened to me through the years. Way too many things for one post, but maybe my therapy is going to be to get it all off my chest. Right now, though, "I'm mad today...it doesn't seem fair" is all I have to say.