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Thursday, July 31, 2008

When I Said "I Do"

Twenty six years ago today, I said "I do" at the age of 18 (well I was turning 19 in just a few weeks). Jason was 21. I prayed for the man I would marry and I definitely got him! (He had been praying for the girl he'd marry too). The love we had in the beginning was great but it doesn't even compare to the love that unfolds as we live our lives from day to day!



We've had our share of bumps in the road, happy days, disappointments and crazy adventures....and all of these with God's guidance got us where we are today!

We were married for 7 years before the Lord blessed us with Colt, then another almost 10 years before he blessed us with Joy. I love being a wife and mother and count it an honor to be both.



My dad knew Jason would take care of his little girl and he always has. My mom has been his mom since he lost his a year after we were married. We've lived next door to my parents since 2 years after we were married and it has worked out beautifully!

Jason and I actually met at church with a few of our "adult friends" playing match makers! They just knew we were right for each other. We were engaged at the same church and then married there almost two years after we met.



We spent our honey moon in the Ozarks and that's where we'll be spending this anniversary too (well the weekend).

So if I could do it all over again, would I do it? Yep, definitely. I look forward to growing old together and beginning each new chapter in our lives with my best friend and soul mate.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Max PJ

Max PJ is our "home tree". "What's a home tree?", you ask. Well, it's a tree that declares you're home, of course!

Our home tree is a strudy oak that towers along beside the road on which we live. It's the place we turn a little over a mile from our house. Our home tree makes it easy for me to give directions to our house too. Well..you just turn beside Max PJ, the big tree, I say and we're about a mile and a quarter down on the right.

Have you figured out where that name came from yet? Have you ever seen A Goofy Movie? Well we have (lots and lots of times, I might add), thanks to our son, Colt. He loved that movie! Remember the character's names? There was Max, who was Goofy's son, and then there was PJ, who was Pete's son. (Recognize the theme song in the background?....sorry if the beginning of it scared you...it scared me to death when I came back here with the beginning drum sound...forgive me..but I had to put it on here!) :)

When Colt was only two years old, he named the tree, Max PJ. When we would make that turn, he knew we were getting close to being home. So one day as we passed by it, he said, "That's our home tree!" "See it's got it's arms reaching out saying....Welcome Home!" "It's giving us a big hug...It's our home tree!" He thought a minute and added, "His name is Max PJ." It didn't take me long to figure out where that came from!

So that day, that huge oak tree because OUR home tree, our Max PJ. To this day, that is how we refer to being home, or to tell others where to turn. I found this picture of Colt when he was about 7...May of 1996....taken beside Max PJ.



That was so far away...here's a little closer of him...I guess I was trying to make sure I got Max PJ and Colt kind of looks like a munchkin'...well he was! :)



Then here he is (at age 19) the other day beside Max PJ. I stopped the car and pulled out my camera and he posed for me! (He doesn't look very happy here...but he really didn't mind...I think he was asking where he should stand and turning different ways and I snapped the picture).



Now if I had really been thinking...we would have yearly pictures of Colt beside Max PJ. Actually I did think of it later on (after the 7 year old picture), but it seemed to always have tall grass growing around it and we were always afraid of what was lurking in there! Plus you know how life gets....one day passes...then the next...then you turn around and they're 19 years old! Sigh!

Max PJ is special to us and I hope he stands for many years to come...because I hope to introduce my grandkids one day to our home tree, our friend, Max PJ.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Smiles for my Day!

Mandie, and her blog, Life in the Craft Lane with Mandie, is definitely no stranger to most of us bloggers! She is most generous in offering so many of her graphics absolutely free for all to just click and save and enjoy! I've always thought she was almost too-good-to-be-true......you just don't always find folks like that these days! And on top of that, she sometimes just creates special websets for random people just out of the kindess of her heart...what she refers to as R.A.K. (Random Act of Kindness). Now I didn't know about her R.A.K.'s until a few weeks ago when she did one for Beth of Raggedy Angel and then I saw it on Mandie's blog. I was really impressed with her then!

But I was very pleasantly surprised when she contacted me telling me she had something for ME! I could hardly contain myself watching my email to see what it was...like a little kid! Well the surprise came yesterday morning! Mandie created an Etsy banner, avatar and the blog title that you see above for me! I think I grinned from ear to ear all day yesterday....I'm still smiling! I'be been so excited over it! Isn't she just the sweetest person? Thank you again, Mandie, from the bottom of this country girl's heart....I'm so grateful (and excited) over my customized graphics! I'm amazed at what you can do with a computer and I just love everything about the graphics you designed for me! I hope you're blessed twice over for your R.A.K.s! :)


And then to add another smile to my yesterday....I walked outside and found Liberty looking like this:



And on top of that...she loved it! She never tried to get it off! Joy dressed her in pearls and a tutu. She is supposedly getting her trained and ready for the "purdy puppy" contest that our church has during our Harvest Festival. Actually, Liberty kind of strutted around like she was proud of her outfit! :)



And later that afternoon, Joy had her friend Molly Grace over again. When Jason came home from work, they asked him to take them 4-wheeler riding. He took them out in the fields behind the house and evidently, Liberty starting chasing them and was so hot and tired that they felt sorry for her! They didn't think she would want to ride and that she might be scared to be riding...but they tried it anyway...hanging onto her tightly!



And look at her...she loved that too! She sat up there just as content as ever and enjoyed her ride!



See, I had lots of reasons to smile yesterday!

Monday, July 28, 2008

Our "Turning" Staircase

Have any of you ever sacrificed living or storage space for the sake of decorating? I did when we built our home in 1989/1990.

In my mind's eye, my dream home...the home where we'd raise our family...should be a two-story and have a "turning" staircase. It was important (to me) that there be enough bedrooms on one floor (bottom floor) for the master bedroom and both kids. Now mind you, we only had one child then...but my faith assured me that there WOULD be another! Finding a floor plan that suited both Jason and me that fit the bill in all these areas wasn't easy to find. We wanted three bedrooms downstairs and one upstairs.....most had either all upstairs or the master down and the others upstairs. And a few had all of them upstairs.

Well long story short...we found a one story house plan that had the layout we liked..but remember I wanted TWO stories...so with the help of our contractor, we designed an upstairs to our liking. However, there was a dilemma about the staircase. It would go straight up (no turning) in the foyer. Now that wasn't the way I envisioned our staircase, so after some re-evaluating, it was determined that if we wanted to trade some living and closet space in one of the bedrooms downstairs, I could have a "turning" staircase.

Why you ask, was a "turning" staircase that important? Well..it's because I could have a landing to decorate! I know you decorators understand that, right? So..Joy now has a smaller bedroom (than average) and an even smaller closet than most. Now she doesn't always appreciate that trade..she's just now to that age where she cares, and she has plans for Colt's bigger room when he moves out one day (hopefully a LONG time away). But, I think she loves to decorate that staircase too...she had it all decked out with her own crafted goodies including a giant paper chain for her birthday sleepover! :)

All of that said on the "history" of my staircase...I'd like to share the staircase landing decor with you. It has pretty much had an Americana decor to different degrees. It's especially fun at Christmas with a little tree there. I love my staircase still...I love the character and atmosphere that it adds to our home. I like the way it looks down onto our living room. NOW my mind's eye is seeing carpet gone and beautiful wood stairs with barn red in between each step! Well I figure I can dream for now...because that's where it starts!




The quilt (hanging over the railing) is an antique and my very favorite of all my quilts. It's from the 1890's.



I just noticed that Joy added the country blocks to this picture. They used to be in my kitchen (on my refrigerator) and when we got our new refrigerator, I took them down "looking" for another place for them. She went around trying places and it looks like she found one! lol! She just sat the stuff I had on the shelf directly on the blocks making it sit higher! Oh well! (I think she might be into decorating more than I thought!)


I found these I took this past Christmas:





Sometimes trading living space/closet space for decorating space/character/atmosphere is just worth it!

Saturday, July 26, 2008

A Giveaway, ABC MeMe, & Reunion Pics

If you haven't seen it yet, make sure you go over to visit Jo-Anne for her wonderful giveaway....I really want to win this! She'll tell you what you have to do to sign up! Don't miss it...She's drawing a name out on July 30th! She has a great blog, The Carter Clan that I love to visit!



Also a few days ago, I was tagged by Stephanie and Kate to do this ABC MeMe, so I thought I'd give it a try. Here goes:

A. Attached or single? Attached...happily married to Jason for nearly 26 years.
B. Best friend? Jason
C. Cake or Pie? Depends. Love wedding cake & banana cake, but Pie probably wins.
D. Day of choice? Saturday
E. Essential item? Bible
F. Favorite color? Red (all the way!)
G. Gummy bears or worms? Neither, but if I have to choose...gummy bears.
H. Home town? A little southern town :)
I. Favorite indulgence? Decorating my home & blogging
J. January or July? I like both for different reasons, but July for the 4th.
K. Kids? 2 (son & a daughter)
L. Life isn't complete without? God.
M. Marriage date? July 31, 1982
N. Number of brothers and sisters? 1 brother. (2 twin sisters in heaven)
O. Oranges or apples? Apples (green ones)
P. Phobias? Heights and snakes.
Q. Quotes? Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own
understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will
direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Don't tell God how big your storm is, tell the storm how big
your God is.
R. Reasons to smile? Being a Christian....my family...my home...our health..
S. Season of choice? Fall
T. Tag 5 People? Anyone that hasn't done this and wants to...you're tagged!
U. Unknown fact about me? I went to Nursing School for 2 semesters after high
school, and although I did very well, I didn't like it
and I quit, then got married!
V. Vegetable? Potato
W. Worst habit? Biting my lip.
X. Xray or Ultrasound? Ultrasound...love those baby pictures
Y. Your favorite food? Definitely Mexican!
Z. Zodiac sign? I don't do that stuff but my birthday falls into Virgo.

And finally I want to leave you with a few more pictures from the reunion:

Cousins, cousins and more cousins!



That's Tanner (my cousin's son) in the middle...I love his look...surrounded by girls!



Can you tell they're related? I think they all favor some. That's Sydney (my cousin's daughter), Laci (my neice), and Joy (with green gum in the corner of her mouth)!

Friday, July 25, 2008

Big City on Tour

Big City on Tour. That's the name of the Kids Ministry that lead our four day Kids Crusade at church this week. Usually we have VBS, but this year we went a different route, and although I do love VBS, this was so much fun and different! Plus all the adults (that are usually teaching in VBS) were able to sit back and enjoy it all too! It was SO much fun....even for the adults (or maybe I'm just really a kid at heart)! They definitely had a way though of reaching kids! Their show had comedy, great characters, puppets, praise and worship songs, interactive games with the kids, puzzles and object lessons and the message presented in the simplest manner! There was an ongoing contest....boys against girls....all week! If the girls won, our pastor got a pie in his face....if the boys won...our pastor's wife got a pie in her face.

Each night two of the characters came out in the foyer to meet the kids and sign autographs. Joy loved this and got her picture with some of them. We didn't have our camera the first night, so we missed having her picture with my personal favorite, Professor P.P. (He was the old professor that was always trying to invent something to solve people's problems...and it usually ended up disastrous!), and Gilbo (the giant blue monkey that talked gibberish). However we did manage to get her picture with the others.

This picture is Reba McIntired. All she wanted was to be a big star...she loved to act and sing...and she was looking for a "handsome man" all week! :)



This is Ding E. Clutz. She was the director that wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, but she tried so hard to help poor Reba McIntired fulfill her dreams!



This is Stella. She was always into trouble...Can you tell? She was a bad influence on the boys and girls and she is handcuffed in this picture to the wheelchair (by granny).



This is Granny. Don't make granny mad! She had to keep Stella in line, even if it meant handcuffing her to the wheelchair. Granny "preached" to Stella all week and even got after her with her cane down the aisles!



And I didn't mention Bro. Chris but he's the guy in the picture here. He was the children's pastor and "emcee" that brought the message and presented the object lessons. He often had to "keep peace" between some of the crazy characters! He had a heart for kids and he was a kid at heart! This is a picture of the stage set.



And so now are you wondering who got the pie in the face??????.....who won??....girls or boys?.......

Well.....unfortunately......the boys won.

Na-Na-Na-Na!! Na-Na-Na-Na! Hey-Hey-Hey! Chocolate Pie!



Poor Tonya! She was a great sport though!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Out with the Old....In with the New

I know I'm sentimental. I've always known that, but little did I know that as excited as I was about getting new appliances, that I would have a hard time letting the old ones go! How would I be if I was selling my home?

My kids don't know any other house than this one or these appliances! I mean our old dishwasher has all kinds of dings and dents made from Colt and my nephew, Trey, as babies in their walkers and then toddlers with their toys! Then along came Joy and added her own touches to it as well! Same thing with the refrigerator! And the dryer...well that'a story in it's self...it's REALLY been around!

Almost 2 weeks ago, the trouble began with our dryer. I mean it's ONLY 40 years old...how dare it give us trouble, right? It's a Kenmore 700 oversized dryer that you can stuff lots of clothes inside! My Aunt Jo and Uncle Wayne gave us that dryer when we got married in 1982. They already had the dryer for about 14 years when they gave it to us! Through the years, we've replaced a couple of belts. Well...this time, we tried a new belt and new heating element. We ended up spending $80 on a 40 year old dryer! We really tried! This time we really had to let it go though...we needed a seal (so we were told) and well...they just don't make them for this dryer anymore. Isn't that sad? So we went shopping for a new dryer..........And ended up buying a new dryer, a new dishwasher, and a new refrigerator.


The old dryer


Our dishwasher and refrigerator were both as old as our house. We built and moved in our home in the winter of 1990. So they were both 18 years old. The dishwasher rack has been "rigged" to work by Jason putting a rod under the rack to hold it up! It still worked though, so we had just been procrastinating spending that money for a new one!

The old "embarrassing" dishwasher:


As far as the refrigerator goes, our old one was a white one with the top freezer. I've wanted a black side by side with the ice and water option in the door for some time! For a few months, our ice maker has had a mind of it's own...it will work, work, work...giving us an over abudance of ice, then it will go a week with no ice at all. It's been worked on...and still the same thing. Of course though, on the day we bought a new one, it started making ice again!

The old Refrigerator: I was thinking of not putting pictures or at least not many on the new referigerator, but Joy is telling me it wouldn't be our home if I didn't...so we'll see!


When we went to look at the dryers, Sears was having a 15% off Anniversary Sale. On top of that, a sales clerk had a 5% off coupon that someone didn't use and she let us have it. So we really did get a good deal on those 3 appliances. However, we didn't go for appliances with lots of "bells and whistles" because my Uncle Jesse, a Sears repairman, advised against it. But I feel like it's Christmas at my house today! I feel so spoiled getting my water from the door of the refrigerator! lol! (I know simple pleasures, right?) I've never had that luxury before though! Okay, remember, I told you that you wouldn't be as excited as I was!

New Refrigerator (I'm really loving this!)


The new dishwasher (there's a few fingerprints from where they just put it in):


And since Colt is the official laundry guy in our home (he takes care of our laundry), he is VERY EXCITED about the new dryer. It actually dries the clothes in less than one cycle! Imagine that! He was so used to turning it on at least 2 times to get them dry! I should think we'll be able to tell a difference in our utility bill too!

And Colt's favorite...the new dryer:


So as sentimental as I am, it's time to move on to new appliances...out with the old...and in with the new......and I think I'm going to be just fine. :) (Except I think this is definitely reason for a kitchen redo...don't you think?)

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Drum Roll Please......

Are ya'll ready for this? Well...I counted the entries and we had a total of 117 actual entries! Wow!



And the excitement was mounting for me...So at 10:00 sharp last night, I picked up the basket and shook it well, but that wasn't good enough for Joy. She picked it up and shook it up and down, side to side, then reached in with anticipation...



Now Joy knows so many of you by name so she was very excited about being the one to get to draw! When she pulled out the name, her mouth dropped open and I had to ask several times to please tell me or show me! She broke out into this big grin (you see here) when she turned it around to show me (and I'm so sorry that there is a glare on it that I discovered after I get it loaded on the computer)....Can you read it?



There really is a name on there...it says:



Lynn/OKC from the Country Sampler Forum (my friend). You see Lynn's son, Daniel is also serving our country over in Iraq (at a different base than Richie) and Joy has personally written him a couple of letters, as well as us sending him a care package....so she was both shocked and happy at the same time! I guess it was just meant to be...and I happen to know from the discussions on the Country Sampler forum that Lynn and her hubby are in the process (or may even have finished it by now) of painting their dining room table black. So hopefully, there will be a perfect place in her home for these shutters! Lynn...maybe you could send me a photo so I could share it with everyone when you find a place for them! Congratulations, Lynn! I'll email you Lynn to get your mailing address so I can send them on their way!



Thanks everyone for entering the contest, for announcing my giveaway on your blogs and for the very helpful comments, suggestions and input. This was really fun...and I look forward to doing another one in the future! We are definitely going to be doing custom sizes and choices of certain colors on the shutters as well as adding other items to our Etsy shop as time goes on. If you have something in mind, contact me through Etsy (until I figure out how to get my email link on here) and tell me what's on your mind!

Have a great Wednesday everyone!

Tomorrow I've got something to show you...a little something new that I'm excited about....I promise you won't be nearly as excited as I am...but I'm going to show you anyway!

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

This and That

Well that's what today's post is.....a little of this and that!

First of all, I want to say thanks to all who have entered the giveaway so far! I've got all the names thus far waiting in my Americana basket, ready for Joy to pick the lucky winner tomorrow evening at 10:00 p.m. (Central time). I'm so excited.....I can't wait to see who it is! There's still time to sign up, if you haven't done so....just scroll down to the post below and leave your comment under that post and I'll get your name in the basket!

And I did a little dreaming today...After seeing Linda of Behind My Red Door publish her first magazine....I've been wanting to do the same...(Except now Linda is having her home published in Country Sampler for real....it's THE REAL THING!) I'm so excited for her! And I believe that Linda of Primp Your Pad started this whole thing (she is also going to be featured in Country Sampler). They are both very talented ladies and have wonderful primitive homes! But back to my dreaming...mine is not in Country Sampler for real....so I made my own copy! It sure was fun and there's something exciting about seeing your home on the cover of a magazine! If you want to give it a try, click here.



Also, I wanted to also thank Angie of Sugar Plum Patch because she also gave me an award! Thanks, Angie! I'm very honored that you thought of me!



And last but not least, I'm going to leave you with a picture of my dad and his mom (my grandma) from the reunion that we went to a week or so ago. She is 90 years young! I love this photo because she's sitting on my dad's lap! It was certainly a moment I was glad to have my camera!



I just love this picture! Isn't it sweet?

Friday, July 18, 2008

Our First Giveaway and Etsy Shop Opening

I started my blog back in the middle of May this year and it has been so much fun! I've "met" so many nice people through my blog and I look forward to even more! I love writing, creating, and photography. I love my family life, decorating our home, and working with my hubby on home improvement projects. To love all these things and be able to combine them all and share it with kind folks who are supportive, encouraging and actually enjoy reading it almost seems to be too good to be true sometimes! So I want to thank all of you that take the time visit my blog...to my fellow bloggers, my friends on the Country Sampler forum, my family and friends near and far and everyone else that stops by to visit....I'm both grateful and honored from the bottom of this country girl's heart!

Today I want to announce our very first giveaway in conjunction with the opening of yet another new venture for us, our Etsy Shop. I say "our" because Jason (my hubby) has a big part in it! People that have known me for some time know about all the wonderful things he's built for my mom and me. People often tell him that he really should sell his items. We've always talked about it and I've encouraged him, but we've never taken that next step...but we decided to "just do it". We'll be adding more as time goes on....maybe even bigger pieces of furniture, but for now, it's smaller wooden decorative items. Jason is always the woodworking expert around here (And I'm just fine with that and ever so glad). He builds and then I step in to help with the painting and distressing of the items and in running the shop. And one of these items that we will have for sale in the shop, we are offering in our giveaway today........a set of two prim shutters.









These shutters are black distressed with barn red with a prim star cutout in each one. (That's just homespun fabric on the back of my chair that you see behind the star in the picture...it's just a regular star cutout). They measure 7" x 24" x 3/4". They'll come ready to hang in that special place in your home. All you need to do to enter is check out our Etsy shop (by the same name) and take a look around. Then come back and leave a comment. We'd really like to know your favorite color and sizes or if you would like to see another size or color offered in the shutters or pegboards. Also, since being "hearted" on Etsy is a good thing....if you would like to "heart" me ...I'd really appreciate that too! Then finally, if you would be kind enough to announce my giveaway on your blog, we would be very grateful and would add your name to the drawing two more times. The drawing will take place on Tuesday night, July 22nd, at 10:00 P.M. I will post the winner the next day on Wednesday, the 23rd. Now if you're not a blogger, I still want you to be able to enter if you'd like. If you leave a comment, please make sure you leave your name and email address so I can contact you if you win! My comment section is now set to where the anonymous comment option can be used....but remember to tell me who you are and your email address so I'll know! You just might be the winner!

I'd also like to thank Kindra of 3 Guys, a Girl, and a Prim Place. I've really learned alot from her example. She actually discovered my "surprise" on Etsy before I announced it today and she's been very kind and helpful to me. She opened her Etsy shop back in May and has been a blessing and blessed by it. Thanks so much, Kindra! I think you're very deserving of your success!

Again, thanks to every one of you and good luck!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Tagged and a Few Thrift Finds

Cathy, of Cobblestone Farms tagged me for a few fun questions a few days ago. Cathy is one creative gal! I love her decorating and visiting her blog! Thank you Cathy for tagging me...that was fun....challenging...but fun!

So here goes:

8 Things I Say Alot:
1) I love you.
2) Huh? (A bad habit)
3) Be careful (I have a 19 year old son...need I say more?)
4) 10! (Secret Code in place of words for Joy & me)
5) Hurry up! (We're always on the go!)
6) Pick up! (Keeps everyone cleaning up after themselves...well sometimes)
7) I gotta tell you something! (that rolls out when an idea pops in or I
remember to tell something)
8) You hear me? (Another bad habit)


8 Books I've Read Lately:
1) Bible
2) Country Sampler Magazine
3) Mercantile Gatherings Magazine
4) A Charlotte Mason Companion (always a reread every summer)
5) Homeschooling: A Patchwork of Days (reread)
6) 90 Minutes in Heaven
7) On the Banks of Plum Creek (Read Aloud with Joy)
8) The Relaxed Homeschool (another reread)

8 Movies I've Seen 8 Times:
1) Prancer
2) It's a Wonderful Life
3) A Holiday for Love (Very favorite)
4) Holiday Affair
5) While You Were Sleeping
6) Friendship's Field
7) Sleeping with the Enemy
8) Rocky 3 (Jason reminded me that I've watched this 8 times....with him)

Can you tell I'm a Christmas movie fanatic?

8 Things I'm Working On:
1) A Surprise
2) My Flag
3) Planning our School Term
4) Selling some books online
5) My blog
6) Trying to do some organizing
7) Trying to clean house (somewhat)
8) A Fundraiser

8 People to Invite to Do This:
Since I just awarded several people yesterday...how about if you find this fun and would like to participate...please join in....I'd love to hear your answers!


Now for the thrift finds...

Tuesday, Joy & I dropped my mom off for a Dr.'s appointment and while we waited, we stopped in Goodwill. Now, I rarely find anything there really because their prices are normally just more than I'm willing to pay. But this time, I did come out with four things....two for me and two for Joy.



These are the "for me" items. Of course, I plan to prim them up. The flag is quilted. I plan to coffee stain it. The (supposed to be) birdhouse is probably going to get a makeover as a prim wall candle holder...distressed. I'll share the finished product when I'm done. I paid $3.99 for these two.



These two books were for Joy. She spotted them right away! She loves this series of Great Illustrated Classics and I love that she loves to read them! We have several of the series, but we found these two that we didn't have and she hadn't read yet. We picked these up for 99 cents a piece. She's already about finished with David Copperfield.

After the trip to Goodwill, we had more time to spare, so we went by the Antique Gallery/Flea Market close by. I ended up only leaving with this wooden bucket for $8.



It has fruit on one side. It, too, will be painted and primmed...just not sure what color yet. I could have found more there....but my mom called ready for us to pick her up so we had to head to check out.

I really enjoy thrift shopping and especially the antique gallery, but with the cost of gas these days, I usually only go if we're in that area for something else. But it always gives me something to look forward to......and that's a good thing.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Watcha Workin' on Wednesday

Today for Watcha Workin' on Wednesday sponsored by Leslie from My Country Home, I wanted to show you a little something I've been working on for the last couple of days. It's definitely not a major redo or home improvement project like some of you are working on right now, but I've done well to work on it between dental appointments! I've had a root canal with complications (as in pain) and I'm going back in this morning for yet another appointment.

I still need to add the distressing primitive touches to it...but this is what it looks like for now. Well you know how I feel about Americana, so can you guess?



Yep, an Americana Flag....with all the cute ones floating around, I had to give it a try! I'm learning as I go! I'll like it much better once I get it primmed up!

Also I have a little suprise coming up by the end of the week that we're working on, so be sure and check back! I am really excited to share it with you!

I was also given a blog award by 3 different sweet ladies! I'm very honored that you chose me and you made me feel very special! Thank you so much for the award! You truly made my day! Thanks Lisa of Black Sheep Prims, Beth of Raggedy Angel and Mary of Gettysburg Homestead.



The rules for receiving this award are:

1) Put the logo on your blog.
2) Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4) Add links to those blogs on yours.
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

I honestly love reading everyone's blogs. I love visiting you everyday! And I know several of you could have gotten this award already and I'm trying to think of some that I know haven't yet but are well deserving, but if you get it again, just know that you're special and loved!

So for my 7....

And in no particular order either:
1) Julie of Gingerbread Pumpkin
2) Julie of Country Girl at Heart
3) Angie of Sandals and Daisies
4) Stephanie of The Hearts of Hartmann
5) Colleen of And Baby Makes Five
6) Tammy of Family Doins
7) Katy of The Country Blossom

And my list of deserving blogs could go on and on...but the rules say 7, so I'll stop there.

I hope you all have a great day! Be sure and come back so I can tell you about our little surprise!

~ Tammy ~