Can You Relate...?

Anyone else feel like this?

A Kitchen Project...

I thought I would try and be productive today, with a project I have been thinking about for  many years... My oldest daughter, Lindsey, will be graduating from college this December. So of course, we have to have a party, to let her know how very proud we are of her! This party will be in our home, and that means for the next few weeks I will be tackling some way over due projects...   

OMG... Do I Look 55?!

I have many fabulous thrift stores near me, but this one particular store always has great items! There are four things I don't like about the store, but still so worth going to... 

1. They are a cash ONLY business.
2. You have to wait a bit for a MUST have shopping cart.
3. NO fitting rooms.
4. You so NEED a shower after leaving!

Let me tell you what happened the last time I was there. I don't know whether to be sad and cry or just be thrilled with the money I saved! They have a senior discount day, and what that means is...Anyone 55 and over, gets 50% off their entire purchase! So... Guess who received that discount?! ME! I did not ask for said discount and the cashier did not ask for ID, she just gave me the 50% off! I'm going to go with the idea... she was doing me a sweet favor and saving me money. NOT holy shut the front door... I look 55!

Insta Friday...

Linking up this week with Life Rearranged! If your on instagram, I'm KatiekFoss...

Looking for sea shells is in my top 5 favorite things to do...

My new Kate Spade iphone cover...

My oldest daughter, Lindsey Nicole, when she was 3 yrs. old. With her sweet friend Marina. Lindsey is on the right...

A beautiful Florida sunset...

Lauren Olivia getting ready for school...

Just a few buttons...

This is what you would call a tangled mess..

What I'm Reading Now...

For those of you that know me... I'm more of a magazine girl because I love all the photos! I love getting inspired to decorate, sew, paint, bake and/or garden from all of those very fun and enticing pictures...

With that being said, I have decided to expand my horizons and actually start reading real books. Hhmmm... "Real Books?" Is there such a thing as a "Not Real Book?"

When I went away last month on "My Girl's Trip," one of our many conversations was about a book called, Tiny Beautiful Things written by Cheryl Strayed.

This is a book giving advice on love and life from someone called, Dear Sugar (which is actually Cheryl Strayed). She has an advice column on a literary website called, The Rumpus. 

Just a little warning though...when she writes back to her "Sweet Peas," she does not sugarcoat one thing! She tells it like it is, sometimes giving examples from her not so "Story Book Life."  

In Preparation For Girl Time...

So I'm off again with the same lovely girls I went to Aspen with, but this trip is with sand, bikinis tankinis, sandals and pina colodas.  Not snow, snowsuits, snow boots and hot chocolate...

I'm bringing lots of magazines to catch up on, and will try very hard to throw away when finished (wink wink). I also, bought a Nook Tablet this week. Hoping to cut down on my books, magazines and movies around the house. This is my first step in decluttering my life. I'm still wondering if I should have just spent the money for an IPad2. Ugh! My receipt says I have 14 days to change my mind...

Oh...I forgot to tell you where I'm going. Useppa, it's a little private island off the west coast of Florida. It's rated one of the top 25 true island retreats in the world...

Mornings Are My Favorite...

Mornings really are my favorite part of the day. There's something about the soft lighting, the quietness and the anticipation of what's to come...

Easy Blueberry Cobbler...

I just ate this for breakfast and totally had to share with you! Not with ice cream silly, that would be too crazy! I'm looking at it from this angle, blueberries are loaded with lots of antioxidants. So that makes this cobbler a nutritious and healthy choice. Right?! 

Ingredients...
 2 cups fresh and washed blueberries
 3/4 cup sugar
 2 tablespoons butter, melted
 2/3 cup all~purpose flour
 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
 1/4 teaspoon salt
 2/3 cup milk

Directions...
Sprinkle the blueberries into a well~greased 8"x8" baking dish. In a small bowl, combine sugar and butter with a fork, until mixture is crumbly. In another small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt, mix well. Now add this mixture to the sugar alternating with the milk. Pour over the blueberries.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until you can see some golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or maybe a little whipped cream.

Have a fun Day...

 It's Saturday and I'm off for 3 days! I am very excited to be working on my Honey List . Sounds boring/crazy I know, but I love crossing off when a project is completed. Of course in a pretty colored pen...

 Now don't go thinking I'm this very organized/get it done kinda girl, because I am far from that! I have projects that I have been working on for years! Shhh... don't tell anyone but I am the queen of procrastination...

Hope you have a fun day, and here are a few links from around the web...

A song for your weekend

Now this is a Subway Station

My mom's Etsy Shoppe

So many chandeliers

Love Ulta

 

Snap~Shot Sunday...

 For a very long time now or really for as long as I can remember... I have wanted to learn how to take really fabulous photos. I have a notebook filled with "How to Techniques," nothing fancy or really organized. Just clippings of what I think I need to know. Such as... accessories that I must have, editing tips, lighting tips, posing tips,how to use Photoshop tips, and even a pattern on how to sew a pretty camera strap.

 Complete chaos is going on inside this notebook and now to add to that chaos I have a Pinterest board labeled "Photography" with waaay more tips, directions, and must haves...

So this is what I'm thinking in this crazy head of mine... Throughout the week I will be trying to teach myself something to do with fabulous photo taking. Then on Sundays. Hence the title ~ I will post some photos and tell you what I have learned or the mistakes I have made.

This is my new favorite perfume called Chance by Chanel. The pink one...

This would be me craving chocolate, but using Olivia as my excuse to make. I knew I had children for a reason... 

This is a Bouganvilla Tree that I almost got arrested for, while trying to take it's picture. Hhmmm...maybe trespassing is against the law. I want a tree like this for my yard, so I had to have a photo to show the garden centers. Right?!

I am now totally obsessed with Instagram...

The Outside Won...

My big decision today was... "Should I do some cleaning inside the house or maybe the outside could use a little loving." The outside won...

I bought this basil about 2 weeks ago. Figured I better put it in the ground, where I want it to live before it takes root elsewhere.

Love my clumping bamboo mixed with a very fragrant jasmine vine. They are hiding a very ugly chain link fence...

Gardenia's that also need a home, other than the pot they came in...

Trying to hide the chain link fence once again with a pink alamanda vine...

Todd looking for lizards to terrorize play with...

This is a frangipani tree. They are very easy to grow! Their flowers come in lots of colors. Pinks, reds, yellows, whites, and I have even seen 2 different colors on one tree! It's a slow growing tree, but well worth the wait. They also are very easy to start on your own. By just breaking off a branch, and putting in the ground. Some say you must let the branch dry out for a few days first, but I have done both ways, with the same great results. I probably have 6 of these trees around my yard, and haven't had to buy one yet...

Just an air plant that I found walking on a sidewalk in Delray Beach. It gets a pretty red and yellow flower from time to time...

Can you see the very green baby iguana looking down from the avocado tree? He seems to have taken up residence there. I told him if he starts eating my avocados he will definitely be evicted...

My little red fox! Not really... He is Olivia's very very naughty dog. His name is "Mogley" from the Disney movie Jungle Book. We also call him "Bigels", "So Handsome" and an assortment of other names. I'm not really sure why he has so many names, but the little guy knows and comes to all of them...

A Cute Little Bedside Lamp...

A sweet find from Home Goods.  I  definitely could not just walk by without picking up this adorable lamp and looking at the cute birds in the birdbath. Then... right in the shopping cart they went. That was my only choice! Right?!

Have a great day...

A Little Get Away...

Well hello there... How is everyone doing? I seem to have taken a blogshere vacation for a few weeks. So I thought I would just do a little check in to say hello and to say, yes I'm still alive...

I did go on a little vacation to Captiva/Sanibel Island for a few days with "My Special Someone." We had a really nice time and I can't wait to go again very soon! Hint hint wink wink...

The shelling is always fabulous and the sunsets are breathtaking on the island...

The drink on the left was called a Pink Flamingo, and all I can say is YUM! The pretty blue one was a margarita.

That would be me after two pink flamingos...

One of our days on the island we went exploring via moped. We found lots of pretty houses, beautiful yards, exotic plants, inviting beaches, cottages to stay in the next time we are there, shoppes, places that make pretty umbrella drinks, restaurants that serve very fresh grouper and dolphin sandwiches, and a very old lighthouse...

Hope you have a good week and I'll be back soon...