wishing for window boxes

I'd love for S to build us some simple window boxes to bring a little pizzazz and color to the ol' cape.   Nothing frou frou.  Just an extra bit of interest.  Sorta like these....

traditional exterior design by minneapolis architect Charlie Simmons - Charlie & Co. Design

traditional exterior design by other metros Witt Construction

traditional kids design

What are you dreaming about these days?

1-3, 4 , 5-6, 7-9

If there's a smile on my face...

it's only there trying to fool the public. 

A few of you have been asking about my dad...so here's where we are.

I've been feeling sad lately.  The rain hasn't been helping, either.  I went to the store to pick up some birthday cards and father's day cards.  This was the first time i cried in the dollar store.  What sort of father's day card is sufficient to tell my dad how much i love him and that i'm scared?  I'm scared.  What if we don't have any more father's days together?  My co worker's mother just passed away, and i found this perfectly worded, most sincere card for her.  Do you know there were many more sympathy cards to choose from for mothers and only one card for fathers?  Why is that? 

My father was supposed to start his third cycle of chemo.  Each cycle is 3 weeks on, 1 week off.  This was his first "on" since returning from vacation.  He lost 11 pounds since the last time they saw him, 3 weeks ago.  The latest scans show the cancer on the pancreas has not gotten any smaller, and the cancer on the liver have gotten larger.  This is not liver cancer, most liver cancer is not actually liver cancer, but like this it migrates there from somewhere else.  This is pancreatic cancer in the liver.  1 in 8 men have pancreatic cancer, and there are few treatments.  The doctors feel this chemo isn't working since the liver masses have gotten larger, and we will be reconvening with them today.  Hopefully he will get today's dose, for i don't know what it means if he doesn't.  I have a list of questions and hopefully there are other options to explore. 

I am not a praying person, but many of you are.  I am a wisher, a pleader, a hoper, even a beggar.  If you could pray or wish or plead or hope for us today, I'm sure we'd feel your supportive vibes.

Why does it always rain on me?

Dear rain,
Whilst i appreciate your recent appearance-thus ensuring i don't have to come home from a long day of work and water my flowers when all i want to do is snuggle with the cat-i think we're good now.

Dear rain,
How exciting that my foray into zucchinihood is fruitful-growth!  hurrah!-but i can't get close enough to inspect the specimen without standing in mud and getting drenched.

 

Dear rain,
It won't be long before the windows need to be kept shut and the air conditioner turned on-90 degrees this week?-so could you let up so i can sleep with a lovely breeze blowing?

Dear rain,
You know i do a lot of public speaking, right?  So let's not even talk about my hair.

In the past week, we've had 1 nice day...and this week is already starting off to look the same.  Thankfully the one nice day was Saturday since we had a yard sale.  I'm 177 dollars richer and slightly tanner, too!  Anyone go to any good sales or have their own this weekend?

 images via here

2 features+2 wins=4 reals

Yup, just what it sounds like.  I need to give a "holla" to Gnee @ Singing with Birds for featuring the "No more mudpit" brick makeover, and i am proudly sporting a sidebar button to prove it.  And Jenna @ Involving Color added my bedroom makeover to her inspiration gallery (which you should check out for ideas and colors).  My many thanks, ladies!

On top of all that, i won a sweet giveaway from Myra @ My Blessed Life  to the shop below, and i chose two snazzy flower pins. 

See, snazzy and will match anything. Love them!

Then there's this sweet pillow (and hunky card) from my friend Devonay that has been living in the sunroom since i got it.  Makes me smile every time i walk by...the pillow, not the guy.  That would be odd if i kept that card out.  And one thing i am definitely not is odd.  (Sarcasm...you got that, right?  Yes, i knew you would.)

 
So i have a delicate question about giveaways and winnings...i feel it is only right to thank the hosts and the shops who offer up the items.  It's like a big blog circle-the shop gets written about by the giveawayer, the giveawayer gets written about by the winner...but what about when you win something but don't receive it?  Or hear anything from the shop owner? 
 
It's kinking the circle, since the shop was written about by the giveawayer, but said giveawayer didn't get their due of thanks since the shop didn't send on the items won.  Follow that?  And then, is it rude to be like "yo, where's my business you were supposed to send me...that i won so you aren't making any money on them but i'm totally claiming them so please don't sell them to someone else...that i wanted to take on my trip to Spain but that already happened now..." but in a much nicer way, of course.  Do i contact the giveawayer and say that i talked with the seller, but never received the items even though she said she was going to ship them?  Has this ever happened to you?  What did you do? 

those furry little...

Well wtf is up with blogger?  This post was published and had comments, and then all of a sudden it unposts itself?  Please explain to me how this happens, and let's hope the second time's the charm. 

Those vermin otherwise known as squirrels are done.  D.O.N.E.  They have dug up their last bulb, they have unearthed their last plant.  Let's not forget how they destroyed my pumpkins last fall, either.  I have a plan of attack now so i don't return after work to find this upsetting image again. 

Poor, poor little pepper plant.  Luckily, he was able to be saved and now i have the solution.

Oh yes. That's right.  Irish Spring and a cheese grater.  Apparently squirrels hate the smell of the soap, so they'll stay out of your garden.  Precisely what i'm after.

Not sure if the "hydrobeads" will be quite as effective, and seems a shame to waste them on these vermin instead of my sweet darling's face, so i grabbed the regular bar from the shower.  With my weapons drawn, i circled the perimeter of my home, scrambling into the flowerbeds, and grating like a maniac.

So now i have the cleanest smelling garden and perhaps the most sudsiest-for what happens when it rains?

Hopefully i am not poisoning the squirrels-as much as i detest them, i don't want to come home to a lawn littered with dead vermin, either!  Has anyone ever heard of this remedy?  Anyone ever try it?

I'll let you guys know how it goes!

Linking to weekend bloggy reading and outdoor weds

Lucky number 7

It's 11 am-the paper's been read, the coffee's been drank (drunk? i never get that right) so it's time to announce the winner of the Freschetta pizza and cutting board.

Lucky number 7-Lisa said... I keep seeing these commercials on tv and I really want to try one. That's my kind of pizza!

Congrats to you, my friend!  I'll be emailing you for your address and having the boyfriend ship it out this week!

Thank you Freschetta for providing the giveaway goodies, too!

So Freschetta, So Clean

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of FRESCHETTA® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Sometimes i like it cheap and easy.  I'm talking about food, of course.  And sometimes cheap and easy food, well, sorta tastes like it.  So when an opportunity to try something easy that was supposed to taste fresh came my way, you know i had to give that a go.

 

 FRESCHETTA® Simply…Inspired™ has 8 different flavor varieties, including Farmers Market Veggie (that my store did not carry, boo) and Southern BBQ Recipe Chicken (yum!).  I chose the item below-Harvest Supreme- because it was "farmers markety" to me.   Even though black olives and i are not friends, there were four letters that made me overlook them: F.E.T A. 

 

 

 

Before i talk about taste, i have to tell you about that seal.  Seriously, that FRESCH-TASTE SEAL™ Packing (while locking in the yummy flavors and being better for the environment since it uses 30% less material) is the best thing ever.  It opened like a breeze, unlike other frozen pizzas where i have to jab at the packing with something sharp and all the toppings fly everywhere. 

 

 

 

So let's talk taste-remember those black olives?  I don't.  Everything just sort of jived together well and enhanced the flavor, instead of one item overtaking the whole thing. Deelish. The thin and crispy crust was just that, and very good, but when they say thin, they mean thin.  The boyfriend's man appetite was not satisfied with half of this pizza and a salad, so be sure to have some ice cream on hand for dessert. 

 

In addition to my pizza coupon, i also received this FRESCHETTA® bamboo cutting board. Can i just tell you how ecstatic i am over this?  I know, it's just a cutting board, but look at those cheese knives!  We don't have anything like this, and i'm always thisclose to buying one.

 

 

And what's this?  Well, this is a  FRESCHETTA® bamboo cutting board for one of you fabulous readers!  Look at your cute cheese knives hiding under there!  You will also receive a coupon for FRESCHETTA® Simply Inspired pizza.  Cheap, easy, fresh, and delicious!

 

Here's how to win:

1.  Leave me a comment telling me your favorite pizza toppings (other feta fans out there?)

2.  “Like” Freschetta Simply Inspired on facebook, and be sure to grab a $2.00 off coupon while you're there.  Then let me know in a comment.

 

Giveway will be open until Saturday May 7th whenever i roll out of bed, read the paper, and finish my coffee.  G  

She's a brick...

trash can storage area.  Yeah...doesn't have the same ring as "brick house," does it?   Don't think that stopped me from singing "shake it down, shake it down now," either.  Because it most certainly did not.

We were super excited to take advantage of this glorious weekend outside, so while i got all my plants into pots, S conquered the mud pit where we store the trashcans.  Initially we were going to put down stone, because nobody wants a mud pit.  Well.  Maybe mud wrestlers.  Not being mud wrestlers or people who turn down free materials, we were happy when a coworker offered up brick pavers that he was getting rid of.  Using them for the mud pit was the perfect budget friendly solution.

What becomes a mud pit when it rains.

Put sand down first, then lay your brick. 

Not only is it incredibly loud, but it also kicks up a nice red dust on your neighbor's white fence.  Sorry, neighbors!  No worries, we just hosed it off easily.

Loving the no more mud pit! 

Doesn't it look purty! How's that for a quick (and free) afternoon project?!

Anybody else work outside this weekend? Tackle your own mud pit?  Ready to "shake it down, shake it down now?"

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