February 2018 – Loving My New Simple Life

23
Feb
2018

Scolding My Sister!

categories: Random Thoughts

We just returned from spending a couple days away with my sweet sister and brother-in-law, love them so!

Noticed once again that my sister doesn’t know just how special she is!

Although she is the older sister, I had to step up and do some scolding.

She just doesn’t realize her value.

Sister, you are beautiful, good, kind, loving, and so special to your family and friends.

So this video is for you!

Please watch it, no more negative talk about yourself, you are awesome!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpaOjMXyJGk

We all love you!

Remember this video as you start your day, and the rest of your life.

Love and kisses.

16
Feb
2018

A Very Special Day!

categories: Celebrate

Today is my son’s birthday!

I thank God for the gift of my dear son, for his life.

I remember the day he was born, the first time I held him, as if it were today.

That morning, so many years ago, I whispered to myself, “I will always have a special someone to love”.

He has been, and continues to be, my life.

A son who makes me smile.

What a joy he is to me, unconditional love, support, and not too “manly” to say, “I love you” to his Mom, everyday.

Jim is a sweet soul, simple, hard working, strong, a construction worker, never wanting anything expensive or fancy.

A simple celebration today, his favorite cake, white, with white icing, and our famous hometown, Greater’s chocolate chip ice cream.

So, Happy Birthday my son, just know you are loved so very much, and always know that I am so very proud of the wonderful human being you are!

God bless you always,

Mom

XO

14
Feb
2018

Our Valentine’s Day Breakfast

categories: Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I hope your day is filled with love, and lots, and lots, of hugs!

As I posted a couple days back, I surprised my husband with a cute, simple, kitchen table, set up with love, Valentine’s Day breakfast.

Step by step I set up the table early while he was still sleeping.

The Target mugs worked great as the focal point of my table setting.

Oh my gosh, they are so sweet!

No flowers for the table, so I used these black and white floral bowls for the berries and yogurt, and decided on the mini gold frames for our wedding photo.

Scattered a few paper hearts to finish up.

The table looked amazing.

No bacon, eggs, and all of that, just his usual simple breakfast, something sweet, fruit, yogurt, juice and coffee.

We enjoyed our bit of quiet time together, not even the usual TV noise in the background.

We have not had a perfect marriage, but we know that we are in this together, to the end.

My husband is a good person who struggles with horrible physical issues, I love him so!

Love that has grown over the years.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Hope your day is filled with so much love!

XO XO

12
Feb
2018

“Sweets” on a Cold Gloomy Day

categories: Celebrate, Valentine's Day

Oh my gosh, yesterday was a really cold, rainy day!

So, I made cookies to warm our home.

I am not a good cook, that is why you do not see many recipes on my blog.

I am not a good baker either, but I do love to make simple heart shaped sugar cookies for Valentine’s Day.

They are not perfect, my icing sometimes is a bit drippy, and maybe a bit too hot pink!

But I found that if you wrap them in a cellophane bag, with a colorful ribbon, they look almost perfect!

Wrapped up they become a sweet treat for anyone you love.

Bakery heart cookies are over $1 each, and sometimes just not so fresh.

On Valentine’s Day, I like to put one on each plate at supper.

So cute!

Just an inexpensive way to say, “I Love You”!

Today I am going to try to catch my “mail lady” as she delivers on our street. She has been off sick for a bit, and maybe a cookie will cheer her, get her through a long day.

We have become friendly over the years, just chit chatting at my mailbox. Love her, she is so sweet, down to earth, and a very hard working person.

I love to put a cookie in my son’s work lunchbox as a surprise! I know he will smile when he sees it!

A great treat with coffee, on his mid morning break.

We eat too many cookies in our house, but isn’t that what cookies are for?

Hope you are warming your home on these cold days, with love, and making heart cookies!

Hugs and kisses!

09
Feb
2018

Planning a Valentine’s Day Breakfast

categories: Celebrate

I love to do something out of the ordinary every once in awhile!

So I decided to plan a simple Valentine’s Day breakfast surprise for my husband.

Staying home is what we do these days, it is difficult for him to get out with his physical issues, home feels safe to him.

These surprises don’t necessarily have to be fancy or expensive, even the smallest change in our ordinary routine can be delightful.

My husband gets up much later than I do, so I thought breakfast would be the best time for our little celebration, giving me time to set the simple table.

Menu will be his usual breakfast favorites, muffins, yogurt, fruit, juice, and coffee.

Gathered up all the red and pink items I have on hand, those things I thought I could use on my table, dishes, napkins, serving pieces, and such.

I will definitely be using these cute mugs I found at Target.

Thought about framing some old photos of us for the table. I’ve tried a few small frames I have on hand.

Scattered paper hearts, here and there, on the table, might be a whimsy, colorful touch!

As we get older love changes.

It is different, a simple love, where a hug means so much more than a passionate kiss, a smile, just because, brightens us, a different kind of closeness develops.

I will let you all see how my breakfast surprise turns out!

Have you made plans for your sweeties on Valentine’s Day, a day to show love to those folks, you just love so much!

Plan to be silly and giggle a bit, it feels so good!

XO

Oh, Happy Birthday to my dear brother-in-law!

07
Feb
2018

“Love” Filled Sunday Project

categories: Celebrate, Crafts

Sunday afternoon I went back years, experiencing one of the joys I remembered as a little girl.

Enjoyed those little girl feelings, felt from so long ago!

I loved paperdolls, always taking pride in cutting them out, as best I could. Carefully turning my scissors, trying to be perfect with every cut.

With Valentine’s Day upon us, I worked on a sweet “love” filled project, making a wreath from vintage valentines.

Some years back, I saw this idea at Williams-Sonoma, loved it, but too pricey for my budget.

Never forgot how cute it was, so I searched Pinterest, found some adorable old valentines, printed them out, and started to make my own wreath.

Used a styrofoam ring as my base, a cutout cardboard base would work too!

I glued some red paper heart doilies all around the base, placing them here and there.

What fun I had selecting from my valentine collection, deciding which ones to place around the heart filled base.

I used glue dots to attach the valentines to the doilies. These dots have glue on both sides, and also helped raise the valentines up a bit.

Added red ribbon to hang, that was all needed to complete.

Some craft folks use glitter and other embellishments, but I love simple, just the old valentines.

“Love” it!

Oh my gosh, it is so cute!

Loved looking at all the old sweet valentines!

A simple fun project with such a memory. You all know I love memories!

After Valentine’s Day has passed, I will carefully pack up my wreath for next year, just as I packed up my precious paperdolls, in a shoebox, as a child.

Love, XO

02
Feb
2018

The Old Desk Drawer

categories: Flea Market Finds/Thrifting

Don’t mean to bore you all with something I have mentioned many times before, but I love school things, especially vintage ones.

Did not necessarily like school, but loved all the things that go with school, paper, crayons, pencils, and such.

I always wanted to be an elementary art school teacher. I know, I have mentioned that before too!

God must have had other plans for my life, since it did not happen. Maybe I just didn’t try to make it happen! We all need to help ourselves with dreams, I think I gave up on mine!

I knew the first time I saw this old desk drawer, on the floor at the flea market, that it would come to life again, as a chalkboard!

It did!

The wood is quite nice, I loved the warm color. It reminded me of the large wood framed chalkboards in classrooms when growing up, I can close my eyes and see them!