Please Read... this is serious.

To my blogging friends and family...
I haven't posted in awhile because I am freaked out about what is happening in our community...
There have been a couple of attempted child abductions in surrounding towns, and it has happened in our town tonight.
I have decided to remove some posts and pics on my blog.
There are warnings out there about what we are publishing on the internet, and frankly---- I'm a little freaked out.
The attempted abductions haven't been linked to blogs, or anything (yet) but more of random children outside alone.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep a close eye on your children. Have the 'Stranger Danger' talk with them.
For awhile, I'm going to keep this blog to my junking finds, creations, etc.
Family--- I'll possibly start another personal blog that will be locked.
~Amy

Have you done this?

Hello!!!
I’m back.


I’ve been sooooo busy.
Projects?
No.
Vacation?
No.


I’ve been busy with…
a box of Kleenex
a bottle of cough syrup
lots of water…
and my bed.


I had a nifty little summer cold that knocked me down for several days…
…but I’m back!


Today for Outdoor Wednesday I am going to show a few pics of gladiolas in my garden.
I think they are so beautiful, especially when bunched together.

The colors are always so bright.
Now, only if I could find all the glads in my gardens…
Oh, here’s a few...

...and I LOVE this pink one.
Where are all of my glads? I plant hundreds of them...
I space them out, and plant them every two weeks...
for constant blooms.



Where are they???????

WHAT is that growing out of the Pepsi crate?

Over there, under the bench...

do you see it?

It can't be...

It is...

Here are my glads...

don't they look lovely?

How in the heck did I NOT plant all of my glads?

How did I NOT notice they weren't growing in the gardens?

Please tell me I'm not the only one that has done this!?!?!

For more Outdoor Wednesday, head over to Susan's

blog, A Southern Daydreamer.

What is wrong with him???

It is so hot and humid today. Heat index of 110 degrees…
…who on Earth would be out playing softball in this heat?

Oh, that’s right…
…Hubby And The Morons

They say its for a charity.
…which it is.
I say, just give money.
…clearly, I don’t understand the ‘rules’.

Apparently, Hubby has forgotten about the surgeon saying, “No more softball.”.
…but I remember.

I remember clearly.

…sitting in the waiting room during his surgery, a nervous wreck…
sitting with him in recovery…
and the doctor going over the pictures of the surgery,
and saying, “No more softball”…

Hubby can claim that he was medicated,.
…but I have witnesses.

So, while Hubby played softball…
… I did this.

It is ‘tax free’ shopping this weekend in Iowa… I mean, what’s a girl to do?

I’m sure Hubby will be treating himself to ice packs and heating pads when he gets home.
…so I treated myself to these.

I know what you're thinking.

...Amy, you don't run.

True.

...but maybe I would consider it with these hot little kicks.

One of my dearest friends, Emily, is visiting from Texas.

...she was my partner in crime today.

And so was her little girl...

The Fabulous Miss K

...don't you love her jewels?

She spotted the bling in every store...

...girl after my own heart.

Emily and I did pretty good...

...we didn't even go into the Coach store.

I know!

Hubby is home.

...I guess he survived.

And now there is talk.

...about the 'old gang' getting a team back together for the fall league.

...looks like I'll be hitting up the Coach store, afterall.

Hooked on Heirlooms

It's an Heirloom Party!

Many of us have beautiful treasures passed down by family and friends...

Our house is full of wonderful items given to us by my family

and Hubby's family...

I think as I continue this wonderful blog journey,

you will be introduced to many of the heirlooms around my house...

...so, instead of showing those today,

I thought I would show you a few that are still at my parents house.

None of them hold any real monetary value,

but they hold priceless memories...

These are two bowls that my Mom uses every Sunday evening for Family Dinner.

They belonged to her Mom... who used them in the same way...

...some day I will use them when I take over Sunday Night Family Dinner.

This is a pie plate that belonged to my Great Grandmother.

It is in my Mom's kitchen, carefully guarded!

It's so strange, on my Mom's side, several of the women collect floral dishes...

not a specific type, or a particular dish...

...just pretty plates with a rose, or a darling bowl with pansies...

This next item is the one that holds the most childhood memories for me...

...it is a big book of nursery rhymes, and fairytales that belongs to my Dad.

He has had it since he was a boy...

when I was growing up, he spent many hours reading

to me from this book.

As I learned to read, I then spent many hours reading from it...

...you can tell that it has been read over and over again...

My Dad now reads to my son from this wonderful book...

...some things never go out of fashion!

The last item to show you is a small vase that belonged to my Grandma.

It was given to her by my Dad...

...when he was a small boy, he found this at....

are you ready---- a garage sale!

I KNOW!

(it's in my blood!)

I love the top of this...

...it has its own flower frog!

I hope you enjoyed my heirlooms...
...if you noticed, I didn't even take them inside my house to photograph.
...my Mom threatened (with love) that if anything happened to them...
...so I unpacked them, photographed them, wrapped them back up...
and Hubby placed back in the car, ready to be returned to the MOM
tomorrow morning!

To see more heirlooms go visit Marie at
Emma Calls Me Mama

http://emmacallsmemama.com/2009/07/heirloom-party-2/

and to see what else people are 'hooked on' - visit

http://hookedonhouses.net/

~Amy

Thrifty Treasures...Seeing RED

A few thrifty treasures... Head over to Kimm's at http://reinventedkb.com/ to veiw other great posts for Thrifty Treasures!

And forgive me for not having any 'after' photos... its raining... laundry is piling up...

but, next week.... I promise... I will have some made over trash...

I had a great garage sale day on Friday... the weather was perfect, there were several sales... so Monkey and I got our change and headed out.

This first picture is of a cute RED headboard we got for $1.00

...this won't be its final resting place... but I stuck it here for now.

Then we came across this RED beauty... again for $1.00

...Monkey test drove it, deemed it to be a winner... and here it sits... stop looking at the weeds in the flower bed.... you know I've been on vacation... it just can't be helped.

Found this little pair of metal wall candle holders for .25

Super cute!

And I LOVE this little pot... complete with faux moss... 25 cents!

We came across another sale that had jeans for $1/pair... found 3 pairs of Levis for Hubby to wear to work. That man will get a rip or hole in his work jeans within the first 2 hours of wearing them..... ugh! I would show you a picture of the jeans, but they are hanging on the line... in the rain. Yes, in the rain.... oh, I didn't tell you that the dryer.... my beloved Harvest Gold Maytag dryer from '73, stopped working? I loved that dryer... and now I'm sure his partner (the washer) will be sad and decide to leave me too... I tell ya, all my friends have new fancy washers and dryers... and laundry centers....

not me..... I NEVER talked bad about my Harvest Gold babies... I never cheated on them and daydreamed of the new fancier versions. R.I.P to my Harvest Gold baby... yes, you are going to be replaced w/ a fancy... shiny... new... updated... computerized model.... but you won't be forgotton. And remember- you went on your terms. I stayed loyal to you.

Have you ever had one of these?

I finally tackled a few little projects that needed to get done! And I'm thrilled to be participating in my very first Monday Metamorphosis!

My first little project is for my darling niece, Jenna. She is having her very important 10th birthday next weekend....

I picked this little message center up at a garage sale.... ever had one of these?

Yep, very 80's posh! I transformed it for Miss Jenna... complete with chalkboard paint.... as if!

Of course... you aren't seeing the whole gift.... this will be adorned with lots of new jewelry for her big birthday! (and maybe a gift card pinned to it too!) Hope she likes it!!

My 2nd quickie project was this little bread pan I plucked out of a 'free box' from a garage sale.

Little rusty... I'm not baking any banana bread in it anytime soon...

instead, I thought it needed a little paint...

Do you like? Just a fair warning now--- I have a 'black and white thing'.... it goes WAAAY back to when I was a little girl. I heart all things black and white! Remember the perfume, Exclamation! In the glorious black and white bottle ??? Well... I sprayed and sprayed that stuff... just so I could get a new bottle.... 6th grade was a very big year for me... 3 bottles alone... (and a cute little boyfriend!)

This bread pan is now going to hold...... well, I'm not sure, but something.... I'm working on a new 'wall' display at the bottom of my stairs... you can bet this will be worked into the new display!

My third quick project for the day is this lovely lady... I found her at a garage sale for $1.00... and while she is a beauty... I really brought her home for the frame...

BECAUSE.... while in Portland last week, Hubby and I were walking in the Nob Hill District when this glorious Black and White VELVET paper jumped out and PULLED us into the store..... I used restraint and only bought one sheet... and here it is in its new frame....

(I warned you about my love of b&w)

NOW you see the inspiration for the new b&w wall..... I could look at it allllllll day!

Hope you all have a wonderful Monday!

~Amy

Watering the garden with a football

I WILL get something accomplished today…
The weather is so beautiful here. Not at all like the regular July hot and humid weather we normally have in Iowa. Because it is a mild 73 degrees today, I have NO excuse to not weed the garden! The Hubby and Monkey are outside watering everything…. which somehow includes tossing a football around… hmmm???
I better get out there!