don't shoot me..................

i forgot to post thursday for my own show and tell! lol good grief! so here goes. i want to make a tree like this!! i just love it!!! it is a barbed wire tree!!! i think it would be so cool to have on a porch. i can't remember who it actually belongs to so if you know, let me know!! i want to give them credit.

yesterday was a very busy day. spent some time in the yard and took some folks to go grocery shopping. they are people from an apt. complex down the road and they don't have a car. my dad has given me a passenger van, so i offered to give them a ride. i can't afford to do it all the time but the closest place to pick up groceries within walking distance is at the bottom of our hill and its a convenience store/gas station. this is where i seen them at and they were complaining about the prices. i about fell over- $5.01 ( including tax) for a gallon of milk!! thats just crazy!! i had already called out city auditors office on them a while ago. we were only getting 7/10's of a gallon for the price of a gallon of gas. totally ridiculous!!

anyways, we didnt get back till late in the evening and i was so tired.

so, what are you doing today?

i am going to get the house cleaned up and head to the thrift store. maybe i will find some cool goodies.

hugs, kim

tuesday..............

peggy at http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/2008/06/simple-woman-summer-swap.html
is having a summer swap. hop on over and check it out!!


woo-hoo! i received an award from leslie at http://sweets-mycountryhome.blogspot.com/

thank you leslie! i am so glad to have met you !! hhmmm. i need a speech....

thank you to all my new and old friends who have been there throughout my life and experiences. you are my inspiration, each and everyone of you. :)

The rules that apply to this award is as follows:

1. You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also contribute to the blogging community, no matter what language.2. Each award has to have the name of the author and a link to his/her blog to be visited by everyone.3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that presented her/him with the award.4.The award winner and one who has given the prize have to show the link of "Arte y Pico" blog so everyone will know the origin of this award.5. To show these rules.

i award this to...

heather at http://heathersheartfeltstitches.blogspot.com/

mary at http://gettysburghomestead.blogspot.com/

pam at http://beehindthymeprimitives.blogspot.com/

elizabeth at http://thelastdoordownthehall.blogspot.com/

peggy at http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/2008/06/simple-woman-summer-swap.html

yesterday was my birthday!!!

i had such a lovely day. we headed out in the morning for our favorite recycling yard and dropped off some scrap metal, (yes, i am a trash to treasure girl), then to a lunch of chinese, and finally, we spent the afternoon getting plant cuttings at my friend dee's house. i posted a slideshow link of her yard in another post. i came home with plenty of new cuttings.last stop of the day was to my dad's. we didnt leave there until after 11pm. now thats late for me!! he gave me 2 coupons for free chicken sandwiches from mcdonald's and some money. my dad is very practical and he knows that one for they are very much appreciated and two, that big girls gotta eat!! ;) lol

i promise to get some new pics on here soon ................

bye for now, kim

sunday evening.........

woo-hoo!! i have been tagged again!! i will work on it tomorrow evening and then post my list.:)
we have been very busy this weekend. i got more plants in the ground. not that i needed to add more, lol. but i did ! i neeed to do some surfing and find more shade plants. my shade list is limited to bleeding heart, hosta, and fern..... oh, and a few impatiens here and there.
the sunny south side is so much easier to do!
my cannas are about 10 inches out of the ground.
i planted some more daylilies.... i picked them up saturday at walmart.
walmart has the bulbs and roots of the lilies, hostas, strawberry plants and gladiolas for $1.00 a bag.. the lilies have 5 bulbs to a bag. the rest have 3-4 to a bag.

tomorrow is my birthday. i will try to pass through it gracefully. i am going to a friends tomorrow evening to get a few more plants.
this is a link to her photos.
http://community.webshots.com/slideshow/563461277PZUZyi


good night all.

another post............

i have been tagged!!
rondell at http://rondell-tomatoecreekprims.blogspot.com/ has tagged me.
i was asked a few simple questions, so here goes....

1. name 5 things that I do for myself:
-i buy myself flavored coffee creamers; if i dont have them to start my day, it all seems off kilter.
-i treat myself to small goodies at yard sales or thrift stores. not alot of money but something to lift my spirits. sometimes its a book for altered art, an old frame or a vintage scarf, it doesnt matter what as long as it makes ME feel good.
-polishing my toes. i love pinks and reds! wiggling them when they are all polished makes me smile.
- buying jif peanut butter. lol i dont think there is any better. i love, love , love peanut butter. its a simple luxury, but oh so good.
- sewing- lately i have felt more stress free sewing for ME then to sell. i have just been in that mood. it makes me happy to make me something. :)

2.Name 5 kind things I do for friends, my children or partner:
- cook as much as i can. i love baking!
- babysit. my girls are both older so it is nice to have a little one around once in a while.
- listen. everyone needs an ear.
-garden. i spend quite a bit of time helping friends and family with gardening as well as my own.
-remember them. whether it be birthdays, anniversaries, a story they have told, or anything else that i know is important.

3.Name 5 kind things I've done for a strangers:

- money. when i was working full time i donated regularly to community agencies.
- furniture. we had some new folks move into the neighborhood a few years ago. no furniture, no tv, etc. we gave them enough to get them started and to keep the kids from sleeping on the floor.
- offer assistance. just this afternoon a guy lost several pieces of plywood and 2x4's right on the road. i pulled over , and directed traffic while my daughter, storm, helped him get it back in the truck.
- be courteous to others. i always think of that song lyric that goes, "what if God was one of us?"
- tip. i worked in a restaurant while in high school. i know what its like trying to please others. i know that those people rely on their tips, not wages to get by. if they deserve a tip, they are getting it from me.

4. Name 5 hobbies I enjoy:

- sewing
- altered art
-gardening
- playing cards
-reading

5.Tag 5 people to do the same but only if you want to:)

NJT at http://tomboyaroundtown.blogspot.com/
sandra at http://gollywobbles.blogspot.com/
robin at http://bittersweetpunkin.blogspot.com/
wendy at http://thecozyyellowhouse.blogspot.com/
raggedy angel at http://ragggedyangel.blogspot.com/


thanks rondell!! this was fun!!!

kim

thursday- show and tell

i decided to do a "show and tell". do you remember how you used to have that at school?? everyone always tried to have the best goodies to show the class. well, i am posting some goodies to show you all and tell you about them.. lol
first , this is my group of trash diving finds, yes, i said trash diving finds. my neighbor a few houses up was putting out a bunch of boxes for the friday trash route. i was chatting with her and seen the enamelware pans!! i asked her if i could please have them!! she was going to throw them away!! eek!! there are 4 enamelware pans shown, the white one is very heavy. i have never had one that is as heavy as this. the blue one says "made in poland" on the bottom and the 2 green ones with black trim are unfamiliar to me. i have the yellow with green trim but none like this. i am going to have to check and see if they are worth anything . i also scored the rest of the stuff shown. woo-hoo!! do you know whats in the plastic container?? well, its the paints that we used to used to do pillowcases and t shirts when i was younger. did you notice i didnt say "young", i said "younger". there is also a pack of raffia, a roll of cheesecloth and the pattern to make those yard goose clothes and flags. the pattern i will more than likely send to my aunt. she still has a yard goose, and sews. the cat was not a find, she is just nosey.

and here is our latest edition to the family. please welcome, "tater tot".


please feel free to join me in doing a thursday show and tell!!!
be back soon, kim

garden tours....

deena at http://deenasstory.blogspot.com/2008/05/garden-tour-event.html
is hosting an online garden walk.
donations can be made to the Komen Foundation
deena is also requesting votes for the favorite garden & the winning Garden gets a hand made journal with a lovely garden theme.
i joined the tour. my garden slideshow link is below the pic.

http://good-times.webshots.com/slideshow/563780400uuXEOB

monday, monday........

hi all,
just thought i would post a couple things this evening.
first , i want to let you know that my friend leslie, at
http://sweets-mycountryhome.blogspot.com/

is having a giveaway for her 100th post!! yippee!! skippee!!
leslie is an awesome blogger, she is such a natural and has a wonderful personality that really shines through in her blog. i am so glad i got to meet her. please stop on over and tell her hi!

i fixed something new this evening.
i had picked up a box of the potato gnocchi a while ago and hadnt used it. i had already thawed out a 1lb package of sausage. so i made some small sausage balls with egg and cracker crumbs and fried them. i added butter, a little garlic oil and 1/4 tsp. sage to the pan. as soon as the butter was melted i added a 1/2 cup of milk and let it simmer while i cooked the gnocchi. as soon as they were done i then put them in the sausage ball pan. let it all simmer for about 3 minutes. we had this little dinner with sourdough bread. what an awesome supper!! i dont know what to call it but it tasted good!!

oh, i also had made up a snack that i remember from my childhood. i picked up a box of cinnamon graham crackers and a tub of vanilla icing. take the crackers out, spread one with icing and put another on top. you can break them into smaller pieces since the graham crackers are scored. i like them either as soon as you make it or let them sit for a while and they get soft. you can use other kinds of icing too. one of my faves is lemon.
bye for now, kim

i hope everyone had a great weekend!
we went to my dad's and did some odd jobs that have been needing completed for a long time. there is still some to finish; so there is another weekend get together being planned.
i came home and did some cleaning around my own house. saturday, i was taking out the trash and while pushing it into the can, i cut my wrist. no, i am not depressed. geez, that was the look i kinda got when i got to the hospital. anyways, i have 7 stitches on top and 4 inside. gotta leave them in for 10 days. what a way to start the weekend. so, yesterday while everyone was power washing the house and painting inside. i started doing some food prep.we had baked potatoes, grilled asparagus, salad, grilled chicken, bratwurst, marinated steak, corn on the cob, and watermelon. my dad said it was the best father's day ever!!


here is a pic of my kitchen tree.


hugs, kim

i am setting my own record

i am setting a record today.lol this is my 3rd post! i took a bunch of pics and am trying to get them on here. i had to edit a few times , so if i deleted something that you looked at and reposted it. i am soo sorry!!

this was a thrift store find yesterday. $1.99!! well worth it , i think!
now where can i put it??


fresh green onions from our little garden.

last night we took off and went swimming. i thought we deserved it after all the painting, gardening and other household jobs. we stopped at "circle k" and picked up a couple 59 cent polar pops. for those of you who dont have a circle k store, every summer they run a special to get a huge cup (of your choice) of fountain drinks for 59 cents. it equals out to about 48 ounces. so its well worth the change. this is a pic of a small, secluded swimming spot we go to on seneca lake. i wish i could see this view evey morning over coffee. thanks to God for cool water, a warm sun and a beautiful view.


hugs, kim

garden goodies

i just love using this old bike in my yard! i have tried many different types of flowers in the planters. no matter what, they always seem to do well.

clematis in bloom

peppers are growing


oh, i see little green tomatoes already!! we put these plants in about april 25th. my dad said it was way too soon!! well, guess what??!! they are growing and his( that just went in 2 days ago) are only 6 inches tall!! teehee

painting and lights completed

whew! new paint is on and new lantern lights are up. we bought these at lowes. price was good;less than 25.00 each. i think they look better than the standard porch light.



my friend leslie had asked if maybe the paint color change would make a difference in cooling. well, i have got to say yes, and its only been a few days. the previous color was a dark wine, almost black. i think lightening it up has made a difference in the inside temperature AND blending in with the area.

side view


i need to get some pics of my first tomatoes and other garden goodies on here too!!

be back soon, kim

happy tuesday....................

i want to show you pics of the paper bag craft swap goodies that i received from emily at
http://rozells.blogspot.com/
i received a paper bag album, a wonderful little cloth bag with recipe cards , a bookmark and handmade note cards. i am loving it all!!! thank you so much emily!!! the swap had been posted on
http://swapdex.blogspot.com/.
i will definitely join another swap from there. this has been so much fun and i have met some awesome new friends.




here is a couple pics of the new paint job. it was so needing it. we have to finish up a few little things on the outside. porch lights still need to be installed and a little touch up painting done. i will post more pics later. we are also working on some new saltbox houses to put in between the hostas. got to work on painting them tomorrow.






anyone read or get HALLMARK magazine?? i received a free subscription to it and its wonderful!! there are so many great recipes, craft projects, decorating ideas and other goodies.
if you havent checked it out , do so. its really great.

oh, before i go............
what is your favorite "on the grill" food?


hugs, kim

what a weekend!!!

my baby has graduated! it was an exciting and sad day at the same time.
when they are in diapers you can't wait till they are potty trained, when in school, you can't wait till they can drive to practices and activities, and then you are waiting on graduation. but when those days come and go they are gone forever! enjoy those babies!!



cake from kennedy cakes

receiving diploma


a very happy girl


storm and nick...... look out world!!!


i remember holding her in my lap........ i love you storm and i am so proud!!!

what do you want to be when you grow up?
( a tribute to the graduates of 2008)
What do you want to be
When you grow up?

A hundred times over the question was posed:
Batman, Superman, super-heroes saving the world
Tarzan, wild and free, swinging from tree to tree
A wild west Indian or jousting knight

In time, I became more realistic
A cop or farmer like my folks
A nurse to cure grandma; a vet to heal my beloved pets;
An Olympic equestrian at one with my horse

Somehow, somewhere, folks have failed to ask
A much more pertinent question to the youth of our world:
Who do you want to be, when you are grown?
How will the measure of you stand up?

The WHO is so entrenched within the what
The desire to make a difference is wrapped up in all the fantasies
That the superhero within us all
must never be forgotten , nor ever made small.

graduation day

today is storm's graduation!! woohoo!!
i have so much to get done!!!
still need to stop at the grocery and pick up buns and pop. bakery said cake will be ready for pick up at 10am. commencement is at 2pm.
its supposed to be in the 90's today. omg!
i have so many pics to share and will have more after today.
we have one new porch light up, but not caulked, still dont have 2 sets of shutters on but those will definitely have to wait till after the party. i know, i know , i wanted it all done but it can't be helped. maybe no one will notice. lol
be back soon,
kim

closer to the weekend.

omg!! we got some more painting done. i am so glad that this is not a yearly project.
new mulch is down around the pond, walkways and planting beds. it was so hot and humid out today. i felt like a wilted flower.
i wanted to let you all know to check out the porch party over at
http://rhondisrosecoloredglasses.blogspot.com/

there is soooo many porches to look at!! what an awesome treat!!

toodles, kim

whew!! what a week!!!

first of all, i want to share my good news!! i won the giveaway on
Home Again-Vintage Treasures
( http://gardenjunk.blogspot.com/ )
i am so excited!!! oh wait, thats not all, i also received my paper bag craft swap from emily at
( http://rozells.blogspot.com/ )
should i post the pics of my paper bag swap goodies?? or should i wait?? i think i will make you wait. lol

this has been such a busy, busy week!!
we have been trying to paint on the exterior for days. the rain keeps interfering. grrr!!
all the plants that i needed to plant are in the ground and preparations are on for storm's graduation on june 8th. keep your fingers crossed that the weather holds to finish the painting, put up the new porch lights, get the mulch down and set up the tables. all by saturday.
did i tell you that we just picked up another five gallons of paint, yesterday?? yes, thats right, yesterday..... and it rained today. do you see why i am getting stressed??

we rented 2 movies tonight. anyone watch "cloverfield" or "no country for old men" ? not that i have time to watch them tonight. lol its 10:14 pm and i am so tired and ready to get a shower. keeping my fingers crossed that i can watch them in the next few evenings.
oh, what is your favorite bubble bath, shower gel and body lotion??
i seem stuck on bath & body works. cinnamon bun heaven was my winter favorite but now i am using creamy coconut (since its summer and the smell reminds me of suntan lotion).

we made a big batch of taco salad for supper tonight. a plate of that and a large iced tea was wonderful!!


i need to do some new decorating. anyone have any ideas of americana themed ornie trees??
i have gardening items on mine and am ready to change for june and july. i need some inspiration!

i will post again soon.. i love blogging and all the new friends i have made..........
hugs, kim