It's funny how something so small can trigger such a vivid memory. Today someone left a box of Beechies Chewing Gum on my desk from a salesman, the same kind my grandaddy used to get from the Farm Bureau in Thomaston. As soon as I put the first piece in my mouth, I was back in my grandparents' dining room...I could almost smell the lingering Marlboro Red smoke mixed with Virginia Slims Menthol, spearmint gum, and vanilla candles. I could feel the worn yellow linoleum and braided rug under my feet. I closed my eyes and could see the chunky wood mantel on the brick wall, the hurricane lamps, and feel the heat from the gas log fireplace.
I spent days at a time with my grandparents when I was growing up. My grandaddy was just a phone call away, no matter what was going on he would hop in the truck and come pick me up. We went to pay bills around town, to visit family that lived close by, to the fire station, police station, courthouse, archives, city hall, Red Cross, grocery store, Dairy Queen, feed store (baby chicks!), hospital, library, cemetery, Burger King, Piggie Park...you name it, we went there. He took me to every animated Disney movie that came to the Ritz. We played catch and kickball. We cut the grass, trimmed the hedge, picked snap beans, and picked up sticks. We made things in his workshop - with lots of nails. I was his Sunshine, Troublemaker, and, best of all, The Boss ;-)
It's bittersweet to go visit them now, things have changed so much since I was a child running around their house. Sometimes it helps just to take a moment to remember the good times...
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Five Things Friday
Hmm...What should I choose this week...the new haircut is still pretty high on the list
1) Finishing projects
2) Making things myself!
3) Hanging out with the girls :-)
4) M&M sugar cookies (there has to be at least one food thing on the list!)
5) My sugar scrub (see #2!) It was super easy, I just mixed granulated sugar, baby oil (the recipe I got the idea from said sunflower oil, but I couldn't find any and baby oil won't go rancid and already smells pretty good), and a few drops of lemon verbena scent from Hobby Lobby in a pretty jar with a lid and rubber seal (also from HL). I have no idea how much, I'm not a measurer...I just dumped and poured until it was a consistency I liked. It's like what I used at the nail salon (when I could afford to go to there...).
I plan on trying it with the different kinds of scented baby oil, and I had also seen a recipe with half brown sugar, half white sugar, vanilla, and oil (sunflower supposedly) that I want to try. I'm really happy with how it turned out, my hands were very soft and smelled sooooo good! I wish I had thought to make this when I was doing so much painting, my hands got really dry from all the paint peeling and frequent washing.
1) Finishing projects
2) Making things myself!
3) Hanging out with the girls :-)
4) M&M sugar cookies (there has to be at least one food thing on the list!)
5) My sugar scrub (see #2!) It was super easy, I just mixed granulated sugar, baby oil (the recipe I got the idea from said sunflower oil, but I couldn't find any and baby oil won't go rancid and already smells pretty good), and a few drops of lemon verbena scent from Hobby Lobby in a pretty jar with a lid and rubber seal (also from HL). I have no idea how much, I'm not a measurer...I just dumped and poured until it was a consistency I liked. It's like what I used at the nail salon (when I could afford to go to there...).
I plan on trying it with the different kinds of scented baby oil, and I had also seen a recipe with half brown sugar, half white sugar, vanilla, and oil (sunflower supposedly) that I want to try. I'm really happy with how it turned out, my hands were very soft and smelled sooooo good! I wish I had thought to make this when I was doing so much painting, my hands got really dry from all the paint peeling and frequent washing.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Five Things Friday
Five things that make me happy today:
1) My new haircut! I had it all chopped off yesterday and barely recognized myself in the mirror this morning at 6:30 (of course the smudged mascara that I forgot to take off last night probably didn't help!!)
2) Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla coffee...mmmmm...
3) My newly painted pink claw foot tub :-)
4) Finding the frame kits I needed on clearance for $2.00 apiece at Michaels...4 frames for $16.00!!
5) Peanut butter and honey sandwiches and chocolate milk (and getting up in time to pack them for lunch and still be at work by 8:30!)
Remember my FB status last week about rompers? I emailed Melanie at Big Mama and she feels the same way! Check out her Fashion Friday post today for some summer cuteness NOT involving bad 80's-90's fashion...
1) My new haircut! I had it all chopped off yesterday and barely recognized myself in the mirror this morning at 6:30 (of course the smudged mascara that I forgot to take off last night probably didn't help!!)
2) Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla coffee...mmmmm...
3) My newly painted pink claw foot tub :-)
4) Finding the frame kits I needed on clearance for $2.00 apiece at Michaels...4 frames for $16.00!!
5) Peanut butter and honey sandwiches and chocolate milk (and getting up in time to pack them for lunch and still be at work by 8:30!)
Remember my FB status last week about rompers? I emailed Melanie at Big Mama and she feels the same way! Check out her Fashion Friday post today for some summer cuteness NOT involving bad 80's-90's fashion...
Monday, May 24, 2010
Kitchen Floor Progress
Before:
During:
After!!
This is the last "big" project for the house, at least for now. After this it's just more painting and some bookcase construction, maybe refinishing floors in a couple rooms. We're on the downhill slide, folks :-) I'll post pictures of my super cute bathroom closet doors later too! I can't find a before picture of them, which is slightly annoying, but I have one more folder to look in before I set up the post. It's nice to have gotten to the fun, decorating part now. I like accessorizing and accenting!
During:
After!!
This is the last "big" project for the house, at least for now. After this it's just more painting and some bookcase construction, maybe refinishing floors in a couple rooms. We're on the downhill slide, folks :-) I'll post pictures of my super cute bathroom closet doors later too! I can't find a before picture of them, which is slightly annoying, but I have one more folder to look in before I set up the post. It's nice to have gotten to the fun, decorating part now. I like accessorizing and accenting!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Five Things Friday
1) Gilmore Girls....as in the complete set of dvd's. I have missed Lorelai and Rori (and Luke) since I haven't had cable to watch reruns. Now I can watch any episode I want whenever I want :-)
2) Having a dining room to eat in - I love having friends over and actually talking at dinner instead of being in front of the TV because there's nowhere else to sit and eat.
3) Getting things in the mail! Especially boxes of stuff. Not so much with the bills...but at least those are something in the mailbox. It makes me sad when the mailbox is empty.
4) Peanut butter and brown sugar sandwiches. Just try it, you'll see!
5) My little brown teapot stuffed with hot pink roses from my yard. I don't want them to stop blooming, they're so pretty!
2) Having a dining room to eat in - I love having friends over and actually talking at dinner instead of being in front of the TV because there's nowhere else to sit and eat.
3) Getting things in the mail! Especially boxes of stuff. Not so much with the bills...but at least those are something in the mailbox. It makes me sad when the mailbox is empty.
4) Peanut butter and brown sugar sandwiches. Just try it, you'll see!
5) My little brown teapot stuffed with hot pink roses from my yard. I don't want them to stop blooming, they're so pretty!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Photoshop is My Friend
HA! I can't wait to print this and frame it for my room :-) I love me some photoshop, is that font not perfect for a 50-60's movie star!?
Friday, May 7, 2010
Five Things Friday: Garden Edition
I promise I will replace these pictures with the ones of the actual plants in my yard. That just involves getting home from work in time to catch daylight, which hasn't happened in a few days. That, and my hydrangeas haven't actually bloomed out yet but they're covered up in buds!! I can't wait :-)
1) Peachy yellow roses - this is sort of what mine look like. I was super excited when two of the bushes in my yard bloomed out to be my FAVORITE kind!!
2) Red Geraniums. McDonough is the geranium city, so these are everywhere. I like them anyway and both of my grandmothers always had pots of these on their front porches, so now I do too! Family tradition :-)
3) LOVE Impatiens. I got pink and white, but I think the place where I stuck some may be too sunny, we'll see...I can always move them up under the ginormous bush with big rose-like flowers that I keep forgetting the name of. Seriously...I'm losing it. I think it starts with a C? or a G?
4) I can't wait for my big hydrangea bushes to bloom...they're old and established and should be absolutely covered in blooms. I want to dry some, does anyone know if there's a way to help them hold their color?
5) I love funky flowers, I got a hanging basket of Fuschia like this for the porch. I need to find some more odd things to mix in with my traditional shrubs. Fortunately hanging baskets go on sale right after Mother's Day, I want to get some hot pink Bougainvillea too ;-)
1) Peachy yellow roses - this is sort of what mine look like. I was super excited when two of the bushes in my yard bloomed out to be my FAVORITE kind!!
2) Red Geraniums. McDonough is the geranium city, so these are everywhere. I like them anyway and both of my grandmothers always had pots of these on their front porches, so now I do too! Family tradition :-)
3) LOVE Impatiens. I got pink and white, but I think the place where I stuck some may be too sunny, we'll see...I can always move them up under the ginormous bush with big rose-like flowers that I keep forgetting the name of. Seriously...I'm losing it. I think it starts with a C? or a G?
4) I can't wait for my big hydrangea bushes to bloom...they're old and established and should be absolutely covered in blooms. I want to dry some, does anyone know if there's a way to help them hold their color?
5) I love funky flowers, I got a hanging basket of Fuschia like this for the porch. I need to find some more odd things to mix in with my traditional shrubs. Fortunately hanging baskets go on sale right after Mother's Day, I want to get some hot pink Bougainvillea too ;-)
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