And Then He Turned 5..... WHAT?!!!!

Yes you read that right.....

Sir Cuteness turns 5 TODAY!!!

This boy is just the sweetest thing going.
He makes this world a better place.
He makes me a better person.
He is goodness wrapped up in a beautiful 5 year old package.

Last night we had his birthday party,
and what a party it was.
Here are some of the festivities in action....
well as much action as you can pack in a picture =)

Our wee babe and his daddy.

They are just the best!!

We had all Sir Cuteness's favorites.
Raspberry Punch.....
(Seriously this stuff is too good for words).
Thank you Pinterest =)

Homemade Cheese Pizza, Homemade Pepperoni Pizza (for the big boys =)
Canteloupe and grapes.....
Baby Carrots and Ranch.....
Oh yes, it was quite the spread.
At one point in the afternoon, Sir Cuteness pours me some punch
and says, "Here Grandma, you been working hard all day." =)
I tell you, this child is the sweetest thing.  He is so thoughtful
and loves full on!!

There were presents.....
Ya know, torpedo blasters and web slingers.....

And cake!!
Oh this cake!!!
Thank you again Pinterest.
You seriously know how to rock a 5 year olds world =)

I took the pic on my phone to Price Cutter and the lady said no
problem.  She'd fix us up and boy did she ever!
And this only costs $8.99.  WHAT?!!  BOOM!!!!!

And candles.....
oh yes we had candles.
Six to be exact.
Yes I know, he's 5,
but one of those candles was a very special Spidey candle,
so we had to have it and the five regular candles.
Its the way we roll.

Blow out those candles little man!!

And celebrate being 5!!!
You are the best thing!!!!
I love you so!!!!!

And with this post, marks the returning of my blog.

Yes after much consideration and really an urging from the Lord,

I am back.

I have started posts and deleted them.

I have two currently drafted but not finished.

I miss this blog, and know it is time to get it going again.

So howdy!!!

Can we be friends?  =)

Love y'all ~~  Let the posts begin.....

Days of Beauty..... Simple Beauty

So today I wanted to show you a couple of simple things I'm doing to add beauty to our Autumn days around here.

First of all, please visit Monica's blog to see more beautiful ways to put beauty into your every day.

*****

Now onto the easiest way I know to add simple beauty:

a Grandbabe =)

Here is Sir Cuteness all wrapped up in my prayer shawl that RJ made me for CHRISTmas last year.

This prayer shawl is such a Blessing to me and SO warm and cozy.

When I am feeling down, I will go grab it and wrap around my shoulders,

knowing that I am wrapping myself in prayers.

What a precious gift!!!

 And a G-babe wrapped in my Prayer Shawl:

Blissful.



 I received a comment yesterday on my blog from Abbi. 

She is also participating in "Days of Beauty" and she has a beautiful blog.

She posted yesterday a heart wreath she made for their door and I thought, Ya know I need to change mine.

I've had the same thing on my front door for MANY seasons now. 

So I decided to change it and start doing seasonal crafts for my front door again.

So a few months ago I went to our local Dollar General and they had this cute little metal sunflower (my favorite flower) calendar.  It was so pretty and was on clearance for only $1.  So I snatched it up.

When I got it home, I realized the calendar was messed up and you couldn't really use it for a calendar,

so I wasn't sure what I would do with it, but decided I'd figure out something.

So today I repurposed it and now it is a lovely addition to our front door =)

I left the top half alone and.... 

I added some Tim Holtz craft resist paper with a little Orange Marmalade Distressing Ink to the bottom half, where the messed up calendar part was.

I added some yellow polka dotted ribbon and added "Welcome" in some beautiful K & Company letters.

 I glimmer misted a paper doily with yellow glimmer mist and added a beautiful large yellow flower to the top of it and added a little more yellow polka dotted ribbon and orange bow.

I really like the way it turned out ~ ~ really cute.

 I also made a couple cards last night while the boys watched "Transformers".

I was not interested so I retreated into my craft room =)

 I made this one for a certain hazel eyed, tall drink of water, college boy =)



 I made a pocket for the inside to possibly slip maybe a card of some sort in there =)

He might have mentioned his Star Bucks card was empty =)

I may have to remedy this problem today =)

So I know these are just simple things, but they haved added a little simple beauty to our surroundings.

Let me know if you have something lying around that you think might be able to be turned into something crafty for your cozy cottage space and I'll see if I can give you some ideas.

Have a Super Blessed Day ~~

I love you ~~

Days of Beauty....

So yesterday, I sat in my doctor's office for my yearly exam. I love my doctor and love the atmosphere that is created in her office. It is one of beauty and rest.

Weird. But true. I feel peaceful there. Like all is well. It is the doctor's office.

Weird. Iknow.

Anyway.....

My appt was moved from 9:00 AM to 12:45, because she had to do a C-section. I didn't mind. I never do, because my doctor is worth it. She treats me like I'm her only patient. Seriously. She sits and talks, not just chit chat but talk. I love her.

It is beauty. For a doctor to not just listen, but to hear you, there's beauty in that. And my doctor is beauty personified.

She did my exam all was well, but she did feel a ridge on the left side, up top, ya know what I mean :). But she said nothing to worry about.

Beauty.

So today, I went in for a routine mammogram.

The blanket hanging from the wall: Beautiful.

The smile on the ladies face that greeted me: beautiful.

I fill out paper work, start to read my new Kindle book, "Beautiful in His Eyes" by my dear sister in Christ Lisa Shaw; beauty.

They call my name. I go back to finish paper work. Lady: Beautiful. Conversation: Lovely.

Then..... They wouldn't do the mammogram today, because of the ridge the doctor felt yesterday. There is beauty.

They rescheduled for a diagnostic next week. There is beauty.

God is so faithful. And no matter what this life holds there is beauty in that; always in that.

So I came to the coffee shop to read, think, drink in beauty.

Yes, these are days of beauty; no matter the outcome.

Father,
Thank You for the beauty of a life well-lived day to day in You. There is nothing like it and nothing I would trade for it. You are my All-in-All no matter what this life holds for me. You hold my hand and You hold my heart. I love You so. In Jesus Name, Amen

May you find Beauty in him, no matter your circumstance today.

I love you ~~

Days of Beauty.....

Well hello there ~~

Monica over at The Homespun Heart, is having a "Making Your Home a Haven" week, part of her "Days of Beauty" month over at her blog.

I so love this idea and wanted to join in.

I don't know if I will be able to post every day this week (I'm even late getting todays up),

but I want to do what I can.

As I thought about "Days of Beauty", my mind went back to the day when I went out of my way to make sure that my house was truly a beautiful haven.  Now with the knee surgeries and such over the last three years or so, it has been difficult to have my house the way that I used to, but I have learned so much over these last three years and how to breathe into the season I am and let some things go.

I am very happy to say that my heart has been rekindled with all things home and hearth and I'm so happy that Monica is doing this in this week.  Perfect timing. 

God's timing.

So in honor of days of beauty, I wanted to share with you outside and beauty and inside beauty that we have been enjoying lately.

Last week Sir Cuteness and I hit the trail, literally. 

We went to our local Nature Center and had LOADS of fun!!!

 He is the sweetest thing.

We talked about the animals and how God created the trees and the sky and he and I.

It was so wonderful!! 

He is so cute!!

 Look at these beautiful logs.

Beautiful.

Sir Cuteness LOVED them!!

 He looked all day for moose.

Sadly we didn't see any.....

oh wait, we don't have moose in this area.....

oh well, we still looked.....

and he still asked a senior citizen gentleman if they'd seen any moose.....

So funny!!!

I love this kid SO!!!!!

 Me and my sweet G-Babe!!

 I LOVE the way he is hugging me in this picture.....

He loves his gamma so.....and I'd have it no other way =)

The feeling is OH SO MUTUAL!!!!!

 Then on Friday, Papa surprised us and stayed home from work for our anniversary.

So what did we do?

Yep headed back to the Nature Center to find moose.

Sadly, no moose.

But we did see deer this time and Sir Cuteness was OVER THE MOON EXCITED

about that .....

 Days of Beauty indeed.....

 So I wanted to share with you are table today.

My Mr. Winslow cleaned the kitchen for me this weekend.

He is so wonderful.....  SO WONDERFUL!!!

He does this a lot..... He knows I hurt sometimes .....

and even though he works A LOT, he still pitches in and helps me with the house work.

I LOVE HIM SO!!!!!

So I got some apples at our local orchard a couple of weeks ago,

and have so enjoyed displaying them on our table.

And they are handy, so we can choose fruit more readily =)

 And there has been some of this going on recently too.....

Yep, Peanut Butter Brownies for my man.

He loves them.....oh and so does Chase and Sir Cuteness and Legs and Dak =)

So good!!!

 And just to keep it real.....

this is the desk in my craft room.....

Yep lots of crafty goodness going on in there,

but that also makes a BIG mess!!!!!

 Cleaning this mess is on my to-do list this week =)

Does anybody recognize that canvas?

Yep it is coming a long nicely =)

So I hope that you are cultivating Beauty in your surroundings too.

Even if it is a little pumpkin at your desk tied with a little rafia or string.....

Or maybe a ceramic dish with candy corn or M & M's.....

something that is a little extra sparkle to your world this week.

I'd like to leave you with a verse that is on Monica's blog that is speaking volumes to my heart right now.....

"In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength." ~ Isaiah 30:15

Have a Blessed and Beautiful Day ~~