I am looking forward to February, the month of love! I think the whole world can all use a little more of that. I know I can for sure. I have been working on some new vignettes around my home. I always thought, that was my gift. Not feeling the gift so much right now. However, as a wise old friend once told me, "you are your chooses not your feelings". So making good chooses is what I want to do for the month of love. I have taken a few pictures of things I am working on. The Valentine Banner, was made by yours truly as were the lamp shade. I think I am going to take the brave step of letting family know I have a blog. I feel like I want to hear from them. Some are so far away and I miss them so. I also need to add a picture of my treasures. My heart gets full when I see them!

A FEW OF MY FAVORITES PINK THINGS!

I have been in the process of changing my home to a more of the pinks and reds for Valentine's Day! I guess I am trying to get January behind me. I have had better months. I am still working on taking better pictures. I have done some hand made things, however, for some reason, the pictures are not coming out good. I am going to keep trying. Here are a few new things to look at.

WHAT EVER PILL THEY TAKE, I WANT ONE!

Since I have entered "blog land", I have found some beautiful blogs. They are literally buffet for the eyes! Is it a pill they take? How do they do it? How can you pick favorites? I always read these blogs with my mouth open and a tissue to wipe the drool. Feeling like an under achiever today, here are a few of my favorites things! Have mercy please!

IN WITH THE OLD AND OUT WITH THE OLDER?

Kept my promise so far of trimming roses daily and listing old vintage things on EBay to make way for new vintage. Make sense to me anyway! I feel like anything that is not nailed down is available for sale. There is so much new old things out there I must have. My husband just notice something new the other day, I told him we have had it for years! It always works! My rose trimming is still on schedule, if a rose has a bloom it gets spared until the bloom dies, those are the rules and so far, I am not changing them! I have at least 100 roses so I am pretty busy now. Thrift store Tuesday, found some pretty linens today. You can never have enough. I also discovered the Artful Blogging Magazine today. Wow! Wow! I have to get better at this. Here are some fun pictures of the barren yard!

LOVE THE BABY AND THE BLING!

The most wonderful thing happened to me yesterday evening. I was trying to figure out something on the computer and I joined Esty Cottage Style. What a treat! I have been blogging for almost a month and only 1 person has even looked at my blog. I signed up yesterday to the Esty Cottage and I have 4 friends from all parts of the country and Canada. Wow! Very clever women in this group, I hope I can fit in. I find beauty in the oddest things.

I got this candid picture of Noah yesterday, he looked like a little man. His daddy looked handsome too. Of course, I cannot blog with out a picture of a little bling! I am helping my friend remodel her kitchen so I spent the day with them picking tile. So much fun! I have redone 3 homes and I loved every minute of it! I am also making wreaths for Valentine's Day! I love wreaths all over my home. So I better get to work!

BIG SCORE AT THRIFT STORE!

Love the feeling of a big score at the thrift store, there is nothing like it. I found this great tea pot, which I needed soooo much! I can serve a high tea for 50 people without blinking! You never know when you will have such an emergency! There was lace and jewelry, what more could a girl ask for? Best of all I got to have lunch with Noah and kiss that cute little face!

Feeling so much better today. I can begin to see some progress in the front yard, at last! I am changing bathroom decorations to pink. I will post pictures tomorrow of the changes. I do one room at a time. I will start small! Took a picture of Noah's feet, so cute and of a few more little places around the house. I am the original Recycle Mama, 90% of all my home is decorated in estate sales, thrift stores and yard sales! So much fun to do!

SO MUCH TO DO, SO LITTLE ENERGY!

Do you ever just feel like the work you need to do is over whelming? That's what I am feeling lately. I am having my scrapbook group over tonight and I want to change some things around in our living room. Not so sure I can get it all done. I still need to get outside to my roses. I have kept my promise so far of trimming 7 to 10 a day. I feel like I have not even made a dent there. I am putting some vintage jewelry up on Ebay today. I should stick to one collection and finish what I want to sell with each group. But, no, that would be to smart! The truth is, I just start feeling like, maybe I should kept them. Bad, Martha! Today is also my thrift store day. Can't miss that! I get a discount today! I trying to learn to take better pictures of my home. So here are some new ones. By the way, all the flower designs in my home are by yours truly!

MY FAMILY!

Spent the day with my family on Sunday. Why does a mother love that so much? No matter how old they get, they are still my children, my treasures. Both sisters came to come along side their brother as he goes through this change in his life. I hope he will always remember how precious it is to have two sisters that love him so much. His brother in laws are just a wonderful. We went to the park with the dogs and had dinner at home. Still every reflective, even the Thrift store finds could not help me this weekend. When your children are suffering, it is like it is happening to you. Here are some pictures of my family and a few of my home.

I WALK THRU THE GARDEN ALONE!

Isn't funny how God can talk to us through the very simple things, like your garden. I had every intention of raking up the endless leaves in my yard today. However, along came the Santa Ana winds. They are blowing pretty hard today. I love the wind, hate the mess. All I accomplished was trimming 7 rose bushes. I have decided that I would prune 7 to 10 roses a day until I am done. It should take me until the end of January. Just the perfect timing! We have to cut something lovely back so it will grow stronger. God does that to us every day, sometimes it hurts! I also and going to work on my goal of thinning things out here. So, I going to list new items on Ebay today, three if I am lucky.

PLATES, PLATES AND MORE PLATES!

Over the years I have collected hundreds of plates. Some I truly treasure and others I have sold on Ebay as part of phase that has long since pasted. The two I have pictures of are still in my home. They are far prettier than the pictures seem to show. I wish life was a picture some times, that beautiful things could always stay the same. Instead some times they just break. I have added a link to my Ebay at the bottom of my blog. Maybe you might find something you like along the way. I list new things every day. I hope to make my home a little more simple. I want to have time for the important things. Sometimes, things just get in the way!

NEW YEAR BRINGS SOME CHANGES!

I hate changes. I like things to stay the same. It seems changes are always happening around me. The year started with one big change for my son. It is good to have friends you can always count on. Deby is a true, and faithful friend. Our Tuesday nights are Scrapbook nights. I have ladies come and we share, laugh sometimes cry, but always enjoy one another. If we are really lucky, we get some scrap booking done too! I guess God just wants us to take one day at a time, even when it is hard.

TWO FIRST'S!

Yesterday, Noah crawled on his hands and knees. He as so proud of him self, so was his mom! The second, first was I posted a layout I made as part of a January Challenge. The challenge came from a Mind Wide Open! It took great bravery on my part. I was proud of myself too!

ROSES IN JANUARY!

I still have roses in my garden. It is hard not to look at these beauties and not see the Hand of God. I have so much to do to get my garden ready for spring. The thing I hate the most, is pruning my roses. It is about that time to! They give me so much pleasure! Here is a picture of a couple of the many beauties I have in my garden!

LEARNING TO DRIVE!

My son, Kyle, is learning to drive. Normally others have the pleasure of teaching him. He has been bugging me for a few days to let him drive with me. I get a little fearful of things like this, however, it was so important to him that I just decided to do it! We got in the car, we prayed and he drove. Not as difficult for me as I thought it would be. I had been to church this morning and just felt full of faith I guess. He was so happy, I glad I trusted the Lord and did it. This is a picture of Kyle and Noah. Both are gifts from God!

A NEW BEGINNING!

I am having trouble saying good bye to Christmas. My Grandson, Noah, loved to look at the tree. I would leave it up all year for him, however, being a serial collector, I just might get the urge to get a bigger forest! (If you know what I mean!) So Noah and I are kissing Christmas good bye and Grandma has to make January look just as bright and happy! Grandchildren are so much of a joy! I would have never guessed in a million years. I have started to take of few pictures of what I am doing. More to come!