Let's Pick Up Where We Left Off..

Where has the time gone?  I cannot believe that the last time I posted was on May 18th!!  And to think, I had such high expectations on that date, that I was jumping back into the blogging that I love so much.

Well..here we are some 3 months later....so let's just pick up where we left off.  When I last posted, I was just beginning my new "position" at my part-time job in the restaurant where I had previously been working as a Hostess. To say that I was a little fearful and apprehensive about the prospect of waiting tables for the first time in my life, would have been an understatement!  I think that most people have waited tables at some time in their lives, but I never had.  I began working part-time in a dental office when I was 15 years old and never had the opportunity to wait tables.  So...at age 54 (Yikes!)...I waited on my first guests in a fine dining restaurant!  And, I am here to tell you that I absolutely LOVE it!

I have known for some time that my "love language" is "Acts of Service", so this is "right up my alley".  There are so many things to remember and I am still learning how to think ahead and know what my guests are going to need before they even need it, but I truly love taking care of them. I love seeing people have a wonderful dining experience, and I really take pride in offering them the best time service I possibly can. I am currently averaging about 23% in tips, so I am thankful to God for providing me with this opportunity and helping me to learn all that I have to learn. I can do ALL things through Christ!

On another happy note, we have a new addition to our family.  For some time now, I have wanted a little "lap dog"...in a house filled with 2 big dogs and a 13 pound Ragdoll cat!

So, without further ado...

I am pleased to introduce to you, Isabella, who we affectionately call, "Izzie".

"Izzie" is a Bolognese puppy and currently weighs about 7 1/2 lbs.  The vet expects that she will probably weigh about 10 lbs. when full grown, so she is the perfect addition to our pet family. When I found her through a friend on FaceBook, I knew absolutely nothing about this breed, but only that she was a "lap dog" as I had wanted for sometime AND she was adorable!  I drove 4 hrs. (round trip) on the Friday before Memorial Day in a terrible storm, and as soon as I saw her, I knew she was mine!

Bolognese are of the Bichon type and have a single coat which flows in loose ringlets; sort of woolly, rather than silky.  They are not to be trimmed or clipped.  They are very intelligent and have a very keen sense of hearing. (The girl can hear a pin drop in the house next door, but thankfully, she is NOT a "yapper"!

After researching more about this breed, I learned that they were bred in Italy to be companion dogs --- and companion dog she is!  They are known for forming a close bond with their owners.  She is in the middle of everything and is clearly the boss of EVERYONE in the house.

Thus, the name "Izzy-Busy-Body" that we have nicknamed her!

Another reason for wanting a new puppy was that my Boxer, Champ, is now almost 11 years old and is starting to "slow down" a little.  The vet said that it would be good for Champ to have another dog around - that it would help to keep him young.

I think she was exactly right, but I'll let you decide for yourself....

"Girls DAY Out!

Several days ago I sent both of my daughters a text and asked them if they would like to join me Friday after work for a quick lunch and then on to the nail salon for a manicure and pedicure.  I had been blessed with 2 Gift Certificates to the same salon and I decided to share them with my 2 sweet girls!

We all got off from work around 1:00 p.m., so we decided to meet up at M@es for some Naked Burritos and  Taco Salads before our 1:45 p.m. appointments. After lunch, we walked a few doors down to the nail salon where I had previously made our appointments.

Since Grace was scheduled for a manicure AND a pedicure, she was the first one to be taken back for her appointment.

Faith was still busy trying to make her final decision on the perfect nail color before it was her turn to be seen. She only wanted a manicure since she had just gotten a pedicure last week and the nail tech had CUT her toe and it still had not healed! OUCH!!

Finally, I got to join Grace for an awesome hot foot bath, scrub and pedicure. I had forgotten just how good a pedicure feels! I could get used to THIS!

As an added bonus, the massage chairs were awesome in this salon.  It was massaging up and down my entire body.  I felt like I had to be  college graduate to operate the remote control, though!  Every time I thought I had the power off...it would start back up with all sorts of gyrations! LOL

Faith got a hand and arm massage prior to her nails getting polished.  I must say that I LOVE this part of a manicure service, but for some strange reason...I have an allergic response to something they use and it causes my skin on my hands to peel off and be very painful for a few days following my massage, so I decided to just stick with the pedicure only this time.

By this time Grace had moved on to the drying cycle....

And very soon she was joined by her sister, Faith...

I had SO much fun spending time with my two sweet girls...we laughed so much and it was just fun to get a little pampering to start the weekend off right!

After the "Mani and Pedi" appointment, Grace and I headed to our next appointment....

Grace had her first fitting for her wedding gown.  We looked at shoes, jewelry, etc., but still have not made any final decisions.  Hopefully, she will make a decision about which shoes within the next month so that she can have her dress hemmed at the next fitting appointment.  April is going to be here BEFORE WE KNOW IT!  Her dress is so beautiful and just "looks like her"!  I know that she is going to be such a beautiful bride!

There are so many details yet to be decided....I'm starting to "panic" just a little as it's been a LONG time since I planned a wedding, but I know that very soon everything will start falling into place.

After we were done there, we headed to Jos. A. Banks to look at suits for the men in the wedding and finally home after a LONG, but fun day!

I spent the rest of the evening in my "jammies" with my hubby and this handsome fella"! ( :

How Sweet Is This?

Last evening, I was in the house paying bills and my husband was outside pressure-washing the driveway.

 

After a few minutes he opened up the back door and said, "Honey, look out the dining room window." 

This is what I saw......

After 31 years of marriage, how sweet is that?

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Poppa's Making Meals !!

I had the nicest surprise this evening! 

After a stressful couple of days at work, the last thing that I wanted to do was come home this afternoon and cook dinner. My hubby texted (is that even a word?) me about 4:30 p.m. today to ask me what I had planned for the pound of ground sirloin that I had thawed out. I told him that I had been having a craving for Stuffed Pepper Soup and I also needed to make it because I had a couple of green peppers that I needed to use. He offered to go ahead and brown the ground meat for me and I was thankful for the help. I half jokingly sent him a text asking him did he want me to send him a link to MiMi's Making Meals --and he quickly wrote back, "No!".

A little while later,  he called me and asked me to go ahead and email him the link, which I quickly proceeded to do. When I walked in from work today about 6:00 p.m., I walked in to the smell of this loveliness! YUMMO!!!!!


He was sooooo proud of himself and even did a little horn blowin' to boot!  "I think mine might even be better than MiMi's!!", he said.  And.....don't tell HIM, but I think he was right!! Or could it be that old "anything is good if someone else fixes it for you" principle! Either way, I am lovin' that Poppa now knows how to access MiMi's Making Meals.

I asked him if was he going to leave MiMi a comment and let her know that he tried her recipe and how much he liked it. He said he thought he'd just tell her in person! (-;

It's The Simple Things

I took the day off on Friday and one of my main goals was to clean out the closets in my house. I can't remember the last time that I took a day off, and when I do, I always plan something exciting and fun--like organizing closets--because that's just how I roll!

I slept in on Friday morning (until 6:30 a.m.), and after having one cup of coffee, I decided to tackle my closet first  -- you know, get the worst out of the way first. My closet has a slide-out rod on each side of the closet which I think was designed to hold a select outfit for the current day.  I, on the other hand, try to see exactly how many outfits I can cram onto each rod, thereby causing anyone that tries to enter my closet to have to turn sideways and slide through. I'm not sure why they call them "walk-in" closets?!?!?

Unfortunately, or fortunately for you, I failed to get a picture of the shoe racks in the closet, but you can probably imagine what they must have looked like, based on the clothing areas of the closet.

After several hours, 3 sacks to carry to Goodwill, and a dumpster load of hangers, I am pleased to show you the final product.  Shoes arranged by color and style......

And..... a closet that I can actually walk into now!  Oh, I get it..... a "walk-in" closet!

Since I was on this "organizational roll", after I looked in my jewelry drawer, I decided that I needed some help in this area, too. (I can't imagine what led me to that conclusion, can you?)

So, I looked online and found a hanging jewelry organizer in one of the major home stores. It was like a miniature shoe bag for jewelry! It would be perfect! The hubby and I headed out to a nearby town and proceeded to hunt for the jewelry bag.  After locating a store clerk for assistance, she told me that they did not carry this item in the store, that I would have to order it online. Uugghhhh!  I was so disappointed because, remember, I am on this "roll" -- and I know from past experience that these said "rolls" do not typically last very long.  Before heading back to the car, I walked over to look at a plastic dress bag to put my winter coats in, and what should I see, but....... the jewelry organizer's dream come true!

It has 19 pockets on the front side.....

And, if that weren't awesome enough, it has 18 more on the back side -- for a total of 36 individual pockets and it hangs right on the clothes rod in my closet---that I can NOW walk into!

What a sense of accomplishment I feel! It's the simple things that make us so happy, isn't it? 

What big organizational project have you tackled lately?

What project have you been NEEDING to tackle for some time now and you keep procrastinating?

Have you found any neat organizational items to help you get more organized?

I'm just asking in case I ever get another burst of energy like this one.

Chillin' In The Chaise

Last night while we were eating dinner, I glanced out the window in the Breakfast Room and I had to do a "double-take".

This is what I saw.......

I can't help but wonder....

Is this what Champ does all day while I'm at work?!?!?!  No wonder he always has such an awesome TAN!

Hope ya'll have a great weekend!

This Post Brought To You By The Letter....

As many of you have probably noticed, I have been in desperate need of some blogging inspiration recently. I have seen this fun little letter tag on a few of my favorite blogs and I decided to participate.

My daughter, Faith, gave me the letter "B", so .....here are just a few things that I love that begin with the letter "B":

1. Bible

I love God's Word. I love writing notes in my Bible and marking in my Bible with highlighters, but more importantly, I love how my Bible has "marked" me. I am far from being the person that I need to be, but Praise the Lord, as a result of Him applying His Word to my heart, I am not the person that I used to be!

This is the actual Bible that I have and I have used this particular one for many years. Over the years I have participated in several Kay Arthur Precept Bible studies with this Bible, but I have never had the privilege of hearing Kay speak in person.  I am so excited that in June of this year I am going to have an opportunity to see and hear her in person at the Deeper Still Conference!

2. Boots

I LOVE cowboy boots!  They are without a doubt the most comfortable "shoes" that I own. I can stand in them all day and my feet will never hurt.  I wish I could wear them to work everyday! And besides that...they're just plain cute, don't you think??

3. Big Sexy Hairspray
Any of you that have been reading my blog for awhile already know about the great "love affair" that I have with this hairspray!  I don't even bother trying others, cause this is the only one for me.  I am so excited because I found out yesterday that a local store has it on sale for $5.99 a can!  Yippee!!

4. Banana Pepper Rings

I heart Banana Pepper Rings!  I think I originally got my start with loving these at Jenna's favorite eating establishment and it has just deepened over the years.  If I have banana pepper rings on my salad, I don't even have to have salad dressing on it!  YUM!

5. Beth Moore Bible Studies

No one can lead a Ladies Bible Study like Beth Moore!  I am in my third week of her new "Esther: It's Tough Being A Woman" Bible Study and let me tell you--it DOES NOT disappoint!  The insight that she brings to the scriptures is just amazing!  I love her and I am so excited that I have an opportunity to see her tonight in Atlanta and then again in June at the Deeper Still Conference!

6. Bears

I have a huge collection of "Cherished Teddies" that I collected for many years. I even had the privilege of meeting the artist, Priscilla Hillman, many years ago and having her "sign" a few of my special pieces. Some of them are very sentimental because of where I found them or because of their names.  I have ones named with each of my kid's names -- Faith, Joshua and Grace!

7. Baths

There is NOTHING like a good hot bath at the end of the day. I love taking an Epsom Salt Bath. The Epsom Salts are good for relaxing muscles and drawing toxins out. When absorbed through your skin the salts are supposed to sedate the nervous system, relax muscles and reduce swelling.  The salts are also a natural emollient and exfoliator. My husband and I both agree that we always sleep better after taking a bath in Epsom Salt. This usually leads me directly to number 8.....

8. Bed

I  LOVE my Tempur-P@dic mattress!  There is nothing like climbing in my bed, with soft organic cotton sheets, after a long hard day. It sometimes makes it very difficult to stay up to see THIS guy...

9. Bauer!

I am a SERIOUS Jack Bauer fan! I have loved "24" since the beginning so you can imagine my excitement a few weeks ago to learn that JACK IS BACK!  Most people would need months to recover from 20 months of Chinese interrogation, but Jack Bauer only needs a shower, a shave and a change of clothes!

10.Boxers

Champ  is seriously the sweetest boy ever! Before I ever got a Boxer, people used to tell me that once you own one you would never want any other kind of dog. Now I know what they meant!  Not only is he man (and woman's) best friend, but he is Ragdoll cat's best friend, too!

This post would not be complete without one final "B" that I love and that would be all of my Blogging Friends! When I started blogging, (about 8 months ago this week) I had no idea what a wonderful network of friends that I would be joining. I have met so many wonderful ladies through this blogging world  and I look forward to meeting many more of you.  

Eight months ago I would never have dreamed that I would be on the way to Atlanta today to meet someone that I had met on the internet. A fellow blogger who I have already grown to love, even though we have never met in person!  I'll be sharing some pictures of this fun trip after my return!

Have a Blessed Sunday!

One Word Meme

I am embarrassed to say that my friend Melissa"tagged" me last Tuesday and I am just now responding!  Better late than never, huh?  (I have had my Dad and his wife visiting for the last few days and have not had a lot of time for blogging.) But, here goes....

The challenge of this meme is that all the answers have to be just one word. Do you have any idea how hard that is for me?

where is your cell phone? bedroom

your significant other? loyal

your hair? short

your mother? funny

your father? interesting

your favorite thing? kids

your dream last night? none

your favorite drink? Starbucks

your dream/goal? retirement

the room you’re in? den

your hobby? cooking

your fear? loss

where do you want to be in 6 years? home

what you’re not? lazy

muffins? cinnamon

one of your wish list items? devotional

where you grew up? Columbus

last thing you did? cooked

favorite gadget? IPod

your pets? precious

your computer? Mac

your mood? upbeat

missing someone? yes

your car? reliable

favorite store? chicos

like someone? yes

your favorite color? green

last time you laughed? today

last time you cried? Sunday

Thanks for thinking of me Melissa!

Oh, It Was Ladies Night!!!!

My daughter, Faith , invited me to attend a "What Not To Wear" ladies class last night at our church (I don't know if she was trying to tell me something or what?!?!) by Shari Braendel . Shari came to our church to teach a group of ladies about our different body shapes and sizes.  We learned how to determine what body type we were and what clothing styles flatter our particular body type the most.  We learned which colors were good for us and which ones were....uh...well...not so good! We also learned some fashion tips that make us look slimmer! Whew Hew!!!!

When we first got there we had to go "under the lights" to determine our skin tones, hair color, eye color, etc.  I was a little nervous about this as I came straight from a full day at work, having done my make-up and hair at about 5:30 a.m....never mind that I was definitely the "matriarch" of the group!

Faith was also there.....

As well as Melissa.....

And Jennifer .

Shari had so much helpful information to share with us. We learned everything from what size purse we should carry, to what size accessories we should wear --- for our particular body type.

The main question that Faith was there to get answered, though, (she had stressed about it ALL day!) was...... Is the Yellow Shirt OK for her and..........drum roll.......

YES!  Yellow is a great color for her!

 

 
Thank you, Melissa , for helping to plan the event and for the awesome refreshments!  The Upside Down Pineapple Cherry cake was delish!

Thank you so much, Faith, for inviting me to go.  I enjoyed just spending time with you and all of your precious friends and I also learned some really good tips to hopefully help me look better and feel better about myself--and NOT be an embarrassment to my kids! LOL

The main thing we hopefully came away with from the night is that we are ALL fearfully and wonderfully made! God made us all different --if we were all the same, how boring would that be! It was an awesome time of ladies fellowship and I wish you all could have been here!

"I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well"(Psalm 139:14).