Bridal Shower Decor & a New Fur Baby!

Happy Monday friends! Today was pretty good for a Monday two weeks before school lets out for summer! Only 12 student contact day left! Can I get a Woo Hoo! The students are as ready for summer break as we teachers are...:) Funny thing is, I love my break, but spend half of it working on school stuff and after a month or so, I start itching to get back to it. I guess that's a good thing though....it means I love my job...:) Anywho, I thought I would share what I spent part of my weekend working on. Thursday night, I am helping hostess a bridal shower for my niece's sweet friend and I was in charge of decorations. So, since the bride to be didn't have a preference in theme or colors, I starting browsing Pinterest for ideas. I was inspired by the cake you see below. 

Source

Isn't it just adorable? Well, I decided to go with this cake and use purple in place of the pink. My niece told me that purple is her friend's favorite color. I later found out that purple and green are her favorite colors, so I think she will love it! The cake we are having made will have a top hat on the groom pear and a veil on the bride pear...cute huh? I can't wait to see it...:)

I made the decorations. You can see the buntings and pom poms I made in the photo below. 

The next couple photos are just some of the items I am using to decorate with. I am using my milk glass vases & silver trays, as well as a few other items from my home. 

The next two photos are the centerpieces. You might remember the green flowers from Friday's post. They look very pretty wrapped in burlap! I found the sweet purple votive holders at Ross Saturday.....3 in a pack for $2.99! 

You can see the burlap and paper layered under the silver tray in the photo below. Some have purple prints and some green. 

I found this sweet little heart frame at Michael's Saturday for just $1. It was unfinished and I painted it white, added some pearls, made some yo-yo flowers and a couple other flowers and some burlap leaves and trim and voila! A pretty frame to display a black and white photo of the sweet couple  at the shower...:)

I still have another banner to make....using sheet music! I'll share that one later. I can't wait to get it all put together! I sure hope she likes it...:)

Now.....I also got a new kitten Sunday! My mother-in-law had a stray have kittens under her porch and this was the one that didn't have a home yet, so she came home with me...:) My daughter wanted so badly to take her home, but it didn't work out with her living in an apartment and having roommates, so I brought her home and she can see her when she comes home. She wanted to name it Sheldon after Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, but, it's a girl, so we named her Farrah after Amy Farrah Fowler from Big Bang. My family loves that show...they are too funny! She has been running across my laptop while I am trying to type and I can't count the times I have had to redo parts of this post...LOL! She's a feisty little thing but she already has my heart! I love kittens and cats...:) I tried and tried to get a good picture of her today, but alas, it wasn't in the cards! She is far too hyper. This one is from yesterday at my mother-in-laws before we came home with her. She's  a cross between tabby and calico....a very strange mix! She is a cutie though...:)

Well, I'm off to cook supper before my evening walk. Have a blessed, restful evening my friends and thanks so much for visiting!

Until next time......

 

 

Walking With God!

Those of you who are regular followers, know that I walk at least 2 miles almost daily. Granted, there are days that I just can't walk due to rain, or an obligation to be somewhere else during the time I normally walk, but for the most part, I walk pretty much every day. I always walk with my mama and sometimes my Aunt Loretta joins us as well. We almost always take the same route, but occasionally change it up a bit. It never ceases to amaze me that I can spot so many new things almost every day! Every single day I notice God's beauty! I am sharing some of my walking photos from the past week...:) I hope you enjoy them.

Looking at the photo below, you may find yourself wondering if I live in the jungle! It amazes me how fast the vines have grown this spring! A lot of this is wild grape vine....it has taken over like Kudzu!

This huge leaf caught my eye....the one in the center of the photo. It was massive...at least 12 inches at it's widest point! Amazing...:)

 

The moon was oh so pretty on one of our walks this week. It was a half moon!

I spotted this honeysuckle growing in the wild. We couldn't figure out how it got there unless the seed got carried by the wind or an animal. Honeysuckle smells heavenly! I broke this piece off and mama is trying to root it!

The sunset was just beautiful here. The sun rays were coming up through a cloud over the trees, but you can't see it in this photo. It's still pretty enough to share though!

I love dandelions! In the words of Phil Robertson, they make me happy, happy, happy!

 Isn't this a pretty photo?

And...I love the rusty fence wire in this photo!

The dandelions were growing along this fence row. Look at the pretty wild vine growing along the fence...:)

Mama spotted this pretty caterpillar. His coloring was perfect for spring!

She also spotted this one on a different day! She's good at spotting crawling critters...:)

I love the fresh green color of the new growth on these pines. 

Look at mama's beautiful gardenia....these smell heavenly as well!

And...look at the new growth in her sago palm. I love to watch them grow. It seems like they grow an inch a day! When they start to unfurl, they are so pretty!

Have you ever heard of milkweed? Ever wonder where it gets it's name? This is just a weed that grown here in Florida. The leaves are very pretty, both in color and their veining. Look carefully and you can see where this weed gets its name. See the puddle of "milk" dripping from the broken leaf?

Here's a closer shot of it.....you can see it dripping from the vein. Pretty cool isn't it?

Ok....so I have a couple more to share that were not from my walks! My mom and I went to watch my nephew, Jacob, play Lacrosse on Saturday and then went shopping. The ditches on the way were just full of Black-eyed Susan's and Phlox. They are gorgeous! I had to pull over and take a quick photo to share!

And lastly, I wanted to share the cute little pitcher I bought while shopping Saturday to add to my white pitcher collection. This one is new, I bought it at Michael's while shopping for the bridal shower. It was normally $10, but it was half price and I had a 25% off my order coupon, so that made it $3.75. I just had to have this little cutie! She fits in nicely with all my others, although they are a little jealous of her sweet little leaf  and vine design! LOL!

Well, I hope you enjoyed walking with me and seeing some of God's handiwork! Try to take time this week to notice the little things in the big picture of life. You just might be amazed!

Until next time......

Thrifty Thrills!

Can I just say......hallelujah, the weekend is here!!! My sweet 5th graders have turned into middle school monsters....lol! I think they are sick of each other because someone is constantly bickering! It kills me how one minute they are best friends and the next, they are angry at each other....oh the DRAMA! 

 Have I mentioned I'm so ready for summer break...:)

Today I have a few thrifty finds to share! I was able to stop by my favorite consignment & yard sale today after work and get my fix! I haven't been in a couple weeks...:)

First thing I spotted when I walked in was this pretty obelisk shaped topiary thingie. It has pretty moss covered grapevine spheres, forsythia, and a variety of greenery inside. I don't know if I will use it as is, or change the decor inside. It was a bargain for $2. It's pretty good size too, about 18-20 inches high. 

 I found this gorgeous, sheer Ann Taylor Loft blouse for $3. I just love it..:)

I also fell in love with this gorgeous little pitcher. It has some damage to the rim, a chip and a crack, but it was too pretty to pass up for $1.25!

These gorgeous Crooksville China plates were also too pretty to leave behind! The set of 6 was $3. There are a couple chips and a little crazing, but overall they are is great shape for the price!

These 6 little ribbon handled baskets will come in handy at a bridal shower I'm decorating next week. I can't wait to show you the decor I am making and the theme I chose! It is simply adorable!

Last thing from consignment was this tabletop ironing board in like new condition for $2. I have plans to use her in my laundry room as a decorative element..:) I see a chalk paint job in her near future. I'll share soon! 

On the way home, I stopped at my favorite yard sale. There's a lady just up the road that goes to estate sales and purchases things to resell. She has a little house devoted tot this hobby and I love visiting her! I got this sweet birdcage for $2. I may use it at the shower next week, but I bought it for vignettes!

And, I bought these two little daisy topiaries for $2 each. The color of the flowers is perfect for the bridal shower. The pots are hideous in the shade of green they are in now, but I plan to either decoupage them with sheet music, or wrap them in burlap. I am quite sure the burlap option is the one I'm going with though! They will be cute decorating a table or two!

You might remember me mentioning my son's prom and looking at a photo I had put on a few weeks ago. Well,  got his prom pictures in the other day and they are so good! I had to share...:) He actually has a little smile on his face. He is usually very serious looking in his photos, even though he is typically the class clown! He is a total nut and keeps me laughing!

Also, I changed the graduation invitation from the one I shared a few weeks ago. Here is the one I ended up designing and ordering. They have been sent and he has already received three graduation cards. It's coming up too fast....May 31st! I still find it hard to believe my baby is graduating high school. Sorry about the glare of the photo! I really like the way it turned out. His school colors are red, black, and white. I'll be using these colors for all his grad party decor as well. I will be sharing that in the next week or two....after I finish up the bridal shower decor. I'll be crafting most of the weekend....making pennant banners, tissue paper flowers and poofs, as well as several other things for the shower and party. 

I hope each of you have a blessed weekend. Enjoy and get some rest! I plan to rest a little in between sewing and crafting! Until next time....

 

 

Simple Pleasures...:)

Some days, I just don't have anything specific to write about, but I still just want to share something! Today is one of those days. I am sharing just a few photos from the past couple days. First, take a look at the beautiful hibiscus my mother-in-law gave me for Mother's Day. She gets me something (usually a plant) every year. She says it's for being a good wife to her son and a good mother to her grandchildren. She is such a wonderful person and I am blessed to have her in my life!

While walking yesterday, I snapped this photo with my iPhone. I don't know what these sweet little wildflowers are called....maybe they are just weeds, but I have always thought they were so very pretty. Look at the lovely shade of lavender and the sweet, fuzzy little bloom! 

I also snapped this one of the wild grape vines growing along Willie Mae Lane. See the little pods of grapes? 

On the way home from work today, I stopped behind a school bus and happened to read this church sign. It reminded me to slow down and enjoy these last days of my sons high school career and all the upcoming events instead of just wishing they were all over so I can go on my cruise and rest. It will be here too soon and over before I know it, so I am going to try not to rush it too much!

I get to see this beautiful corn field every day on my way home. It is just up the road from my house. It is always so pretty and green and the sweet little phlox growing in the ditch make it even more special. 

Last photo is the first bloom on my hydrangea. This one is very small, but very pretty. I can't wait for the big, blue blooms to come on...:) I love hydrangeas....this one has been in my yard for over 20 years!

Today was short and sweet, but I hope you enjoyed...:) 

Take time to smell the roses and enjoy each day for the gift it is! 

Thanks for visiting my friends and until next time......