Pumpkins are "Pink"...

Happy Halloween and Happy Pink Saturday!
Hope you get lots of treats and NO tricks:-)
Now why didn't I think of pink pumpkins myself...so perfect for the hot tropical Halloween we are having down south!
Please visit Beverly at How Sweet The Sound for more Pink Saturday












(pink painted pumpkins courtesy of Holly from Holly's Haven)
(sweater pumpkin idea courtesy of Debi)

Today I will...

~do my devotions. I have a new book called Daily Steps for God Chicks. Sounds kind of silly but it is really good.




~exercise...if I must...and I must:-)



~treat myself to a Starbucks. It has been banned from my diet but I'm desperate for a Pumpkin Spice latte! (But not right after exercise. hahaha) Does anyone else prefer a Starbucks in the evening? It seems like such a treat that way and not just an everyday morning habit. (And this sign is for me...I never get on a plane without my Starbucks. Love it!!!) Are we crazy, or what???



~try to learn something in our French lesson...but so far I think I am tres stupide!!!!!



~make Taylor's costume for her Halloween party at ballet...she is a hula girl and I need to work on the Hawaiian tutu:-) Thank goodness I have this to do as I am feeling kind of sappy that we are moving out of the little kid halloween age and all of that excitement.

~watch my new dog training video. I have been so bad about this but the "season" is coming and so are visitors. It's just a bad combination...my dogs are so darn cute and I am so darn lazy:-)



~have at least one melt-down since they seem to be popping up daily.

~go on a date with my husband. We're thinking of seeing The Informant. Any thoughts/suggestions?

~take a nap since I am up at 2:30 a.m:-) I wish, but not likely!

~waste time on the computer doing things like these online puzzles. Click on the puzzle if you want to join me. My time was 2 min, 10 sec. Go ahead...you know you want to beat me!

~what about you...what's on your to-do list?
Inspire me, please!!!

Random Wednesday Questions...

(Swiped from Kellie @ La Vida Dulce , because I am at a total loss of something to say! I even swiped this comment:-)

1.. What's the last state you visited other than your own? Alabama...Tuscaloosa, to be exact. Go Bama:-)

2. What's your middle name? Elizabeth...after my great-grandmother. I love it. My oldest daughter has it as her middle name and I wish I had given it to my younger daughter, too.

3. What is something you don't like...even though everyone else seems to? Hmmm...where to start:-) A few days ago I would have said FB but I have happily moved on. Okay, I have a hard time cooking meat. Seriously. I do it, but it creeps me out. Last night I opened a small box of steaks we received as a gift and I was going to make this for my husband for dinner but they were so bloody, I couldn't do it. We had pasta instead:-)

4. What's the first costume you remember dressing up in for Halloween? Okay, believe it or not I was a tomboy from the get-go. I remember being a football player once and I think I was a race car driver. We bought one of those costumes with a plastic mask and the costume is like a jumpsuit.

5. Have you ever played a sport? Yes...I played volleyball in high school. Played a little tennis. As a kid, I played football and...I was very good at it, if I say so myself:-)

6. What is a talent you have that people might not know about? Hmmm....that's a good one. I can tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue...and do so every time I eat a cherry. hahaha

7. What's the last thing that made you laugh out loud? My daughter is a ballet dancer and the other night while she was at rehearsal, my younger daughter and I put the Nutcracker CD on and did our own version of ballet. We are NOT ballerinas so yes, it did crack us up:-)

8. Are you an oldest, middle, or youngest child? I'm the youngest.

9. What's the best thing you've had someone say to you lately? After reading my last blog post, my mom sent me an email saying she loved it, loved my writing and she was proud of me. (She is my biggest fan. No wait, she is probably my only fan:-)

10. What are you wearing right now? What else...my pj's. It's only 10 a.m and like the commercial says...we do school in our pajamas. Unfortunately that also means I walked the dogs in them, too.

What I Learned This Week...

I haven't done one of these in awhile and since I I've learned some things recently, thought I'd give it a try. This is what I've learned this week...

~I learned that sometimes you have to step away from the computer once in awhile to take care of life...be a mom, help someone who needs it...and just recharge in general. I did that this week (as all of you know who left me comments and emails and I have yet to answer...so sorry:-) And to take this a step further...it felt good. It felt really good...and I highly recommend it if you need a break:-) I read a long book (for me) from start to finish, fit in some exercise, reworked my eating habits, helped my girls with school and had some nice talks with my husband at night when I am usually too tired or on this thing.

~I learned that I consume waaaaayyy too much sugar in the course of a day. Carbs too, but who doesn't! No wonder I am tired and struggle to even lose 2 lbs. I cut back on calories, exercise...nothing. But when I started tracking my carbs and sugar and limiting them to good carbs and only 15 grams of sugar, I realised that I take in over 50 grams of sugar with my coffee and breakfast alone. Yikes!!!! After one week of cutting back and eating healthier, I feel better already...and lost 4 lbs. I doubt I will ever stick to anything forever but it is good to be aware of this so after having too much sugar for whatever reason (Holidays...) I know how to get back on track. (And we all know about the good carb/bad carb stuff, right?)

~I learned that sometimes adults are thoughtless and do stupid things to kids. That always surprises me. I see this all the time, from the competitive moms who put other kids down to make their kids look good to insensitive ones who just don't think...but it still surprises me. This happened to one of my daughters recently and as we talked about it, I found myself saying what I say all too often... "Sometimes the only thing you can do is learn from their behavior and don't act like them when you are an adult." But you know what...I teach them not to act like that as a kid so maybe some adults still need to grow up:-)

~Which brings me to the next topic which will probably also bring me hate mail. Is there anybody else out there who thinks facebook is not the great communicator people claim it to be but a weird way to relive highschool...AT BEST? I suppose there are those who use FB and Twitter in a good way but it seems like there is so much "look at me, look at my kid, this is where we went on vacation, this is where we ate dinner"...every day. I love my friends and family as much as the next person but it seems kind of competitive, or something. I know we do some of that on our blogs but it is not every second of our day and every thought that crosses our mind. (Some of the status updates are just plain stupid...who cares if you are at a red light and trying to decide between Taco Bell and Wendy's?????????) And then there are the status updates which have the subtlety of a 100lb brick sometimes. And I won't even touch the amount of snooping into other peoples lives and gossiping about it...yep, high school to me. I have concluded, along with a few others in my life, that FB does not in any way make me a better person so to quote "The Sharks" (my favorite new show:-)...Count me out!

And now for a few quickies...
~I learned that Truvia is the most amazing sweetener. (Other than good ol sugar but we already went there:-)
~I learned that it is hard to find a pair of jeans. Wait...I'm sure I've learned that MANY times:-)
~I learned that there is nothing like a new set of sheets and a fluffy comforter. Now if only I could get my dog off the bed to let me enjoy it:-)
~I learned, or maybe I was reminded, how much I love to read.
~I learned that my old house, the one I loved and it broke my heart to leave...is going up for sale. Hmmm...better not touch that one...but you know it's killing me:-) Can you ever go back? I'd sure be willing to try!
~I learned that Mondays are not so bad if you do a little planning on Sunday.
And speaking of Sunday, I'll leave you with a thought our pastor said at church yesterday. I've thought about it a lot and it is so true...

"The worst day of your life is still better than the best day in the life of most people in the world". Think about it... I know where my next meal wil come from, don't live in a war zone and do not fear being physically abused today, just to name a few horrible scenarios. So I am wishing you a wonderful day and a prayer for those whose days are likely to be much worse than mine, no matter what.
XOXOX SUZANNE

The Old Red Barn...

So my daughter had to read a book for school called Animal Farm and she then had a bunch of projects to do for her grade. One was to find a picture of a farm that resembled (to her) the one in the book. She had a hard time finding the right one until we quit searching for "farms" and started searching for "barn." Bingo! The pictures started rolling in then.




Then it got me thinking about how much I love driving along and seeing barns...especially old red ones.






I especially love the old weathered barns with the chippy red paint...



A light came on in my head and I realized that THIS is where I want to live when I grow up...and I want an old red barn:-) If I believed in a "next life", I would say that this is where it would take place.

Since I don't, I can only think that maybe this is my "mansion" in heaven since I would love an old farmhouse more than a shiny new mansion anyway. Seems like a simple request, huh?:-)


Well, maybe with not so much snow...but I would like a few flurries on Christmas, thank you very much!


And if I were lucky enough to have a sweet cow too, then I would be very lucky indeed:-)



And I can tell you this, she might give us milk but I could never send her off to be a cheeseburger...no way, no how!!!





Of course, we would definitely need a few of these cuties to play with.

Notice how I already have names picked out? hahaha



And I know I am meant to go to a pretty little church like this...



My husband knows this is my dream. (well, one of them:-) He once looked at a job in horse country and to get me interested, he told me we could buy a small horse farm. I was so excited, until he told me we were NOT getting horses but at least I would have fields to run around with my dogs. Hmmm...nice, but not quite there.

Did you know there are companies that will convert an old barn into a magnificent farmhouse?

How's this for a place to enjoy your morning coffee...




Even I wouldn't mind cooking in this kitchen...




And Thanksgiving dinner around this table...

Heck, it might even get me to eat a bite of turkey...but then again, probably not:-)

Well, there you go...another of my many daydreams.

I know what you're thinking...enough with the barns already, right?
Not so fast. Check back for Part II of The Old Red Barn...or What I Want to do When I Grow Up!

Have a wonderful week...
Suzanne

A Visit to Vintage Charm..

I was strolling down a side street in our quiet beachside town the other morning and as I turned the corner, I almost passed out. Before I tell you what I saw, I should say that this is an old town full of old...and new money, with all of the fancy couture shops and 5 star restaurants to show for it. That's okay, unless you would rather be in a sweet shabby little shop looking for some pretty vintage things. I was told that "stores like that" are across the road, meaning not in the chic part of town. Hmmmph!!!!! Well...that was before Ms. Carol arived from California and opened Vintage Charm! Finally, a store full of beautiful things that have personality, character and vintage charm, of course! So here we go...I walked around the corner and saw this bicycle calling my name...



that was outside of a cute little store called Vintage Charm. I waited over an hour for it to open, walked in for the first time, saw the owner, whom I just knew I would hit it off with and said..."Honey, I'm home":-) We both started laughing and she gave me a big hug. Seriously, she has the little shop I would open if I could but since I can't, I'll stop by and see what she has every now and then. Did you notice that parasol in the window???

Anyway, I love this chair and am seriously thinking of getting it.

Even if I can't use it at this minute, I MUST know someone who can, right?


Isn't this little dish so pretty? And in it is a charm bracelet and brooch I found, too.



I can't show you the rest of my treasures because they are Christmas gifts, but I can show you the adorable way she packages an everyday purchase.

So pretty!

This lovely lady is crazy about cherubs, crowns, charms, pretty brooches and all things shabby. She makes jewelry and embellishes all kinds of things in between customers...a woman after my own heart. (And...she wants to see some of my tutus:-)

I also found this...




Oh wait...I already had him. But since he waited so patiently for me to take these pictures and just sat there gazing at me, I snapped one of him because I just couldn't resist!:-) My sweet Maui!

Happy Pink Saturday Everyone!
A blog I have found recently that is always a pleasure to visit is Miz Mollye...Shezadoozey. You can tell by the name you're in for a treat every time you visit her!
Be sure to visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound to see the complete list of pink ladies to visit!

Fun Mail...

Don't you just love "fun mail"? You know what that is don't you...any mail that is not a bill, junk or contains bad news. The rest is fun mail! Today I got some really, really fun mail when Mary from Mary's Meanderings sent me some of her adorable sweater pumpkins. Oh. My. Gosh!!!




These are the cutest thing ever and I would love a whole houseful of them. Thank you so much Mary!!!! And you should all check out Mary's blog for tons of inspiring ideas:-)

Happy Friday Everyone and don't forget to check back tomorrow to see what I found for Pink Saturday!
Au revoir, Suzanne

The Power of Words...

...My best friend once walked into my home and told me she loved being there because everywhere she looked, there were inspiring words and sayings. She said "If you guys aren't inspired every single day, there's something wrong with you"! Well Deborah, that's what I'm going for. But I'm worried it's a little like living within view of the mountains or ocean...because you see it every day, you no longer notice:-) Hope not though!!! Anyway, you never know what life is going to throw at you (or if you ask my girls, what kind of mood mom is going to be in) so while you're in my home, hopefully you smile and feel just a little bit more encouraged and inspired.

Most of the signs are self-explanatory but I will explain a few...



The "smile" sign is hanging in Taylor's room. People who meet her say she is "always smiling". Good...I taught her well:-)




Well, it is, isn't it? This was a little thingambob that came as part of the gift wrapping on a present. Don't you just love things like that? Kind of like an extra little gift. SAVE THESE!!!! You can do one of 3 things... use them around the house like I do, pass on to another friend as part of their gift wrap or use it as a decoration on a Christmas tree. Seriously, sweet little things like this make the best ornaments and have a ready-made memory attached!




Hey...it beats crying:-)




What can I say... I LOVE chalk boards! The one above is hanging on the wall between my daughters' bedrooms. Just in case they tune me out when I say this over and over...it's in writing, too!



This chalkboard is in my foyer and the message changes weekly.




Probably the first thing you see when you walk in my front door is this "Believe" sign...because I want you to know right off the get-go that we believe:-)




"Live a good life"...This is hanging above my front door so when you walk through on your way to the outside world, you are reminded to live a good life:-)




My best friend gave me this when we moved. On the bottom she wished us well in our new home with a very special note. So sweet...I will keep it always!




"Wish" is a cool sign that is hanging above the windows in my dining room. Why the dining room??? I have no idea. Maybe because I WISH i could eat whatever I want and not gain weight:-)




Another little thing tied to a gift that has found a home in my kitchen on a cupboard knob. "Celebrate life"...enough said!

Mish-Mash Monday

Happy Monday Everyone!

Nothing much on my mind today, just some random thoughts flying around. Mish-mash Monday...get it? Maybe I should have said "mush" since that's what my brain is like lately. Here goes nothin...

~It's supposed to be 94 degrees today. That is WAY TOO HOT for mid-October. And we have had weeks of it...well, except for the cool front that came through when it only got to 88. Uggghhh...I am so over this heat. (This is the time of year we get to complain about the weather in Florida.) It is so un-Fall like! No wonder I would rather just skip to Christmas. IF I were dumb enough to put a pumpkin on the porch, it would be rotten within a week.:-) But I love looking at all of your cool photos of Fall so keep posting them, please!

~Apparently the swine flu has arrived at our house. It isn't earth-shakingly different, it just makes you feel bad for a little longer than other flus, if you ask me.

~My girls are having a second go at their blog with the focus being mainly cooking, which they love to do. I will probably not be posting recipes on my blog unless it is one they hate because a. they do most of the cooking and b. they should be able to post the recipes. So take a peek if you feel like it at Peace, Love and Cupcakes and check back as they are going to be posting some pretty good recipes, if I say so myself.
P.S. They are also having a giveaway for something "Juicy" very soon ;-)

~I have 2 dogs...didn't know that, right? lol Anyway, Freddy is 10lb and Maui is 60lb...but Freddy thinks and acts like he is 60lbs and Maui thinks and acts like he is a 10lb lap dog. Freddy goes to daycare with the BIG dogs and takes over...they all laugh about how he immediately becomes the pack leader when he arrives. When Maui goes to daycare, he is scared to get out of the car, they have to drag him back there and then he sits with his head propped against the door waiting for me to come back. Why is he going to daycare? To get used to other dogs since he is scared of every living thing...big or small:-) Poor baby...

~I know some people are upset that the stores are putting out Christmas decorations but not this girl. (You know , the one who is roasting in the heat down here:-) I confess...I love it and am totally ready for all of the decor and the music to start. (It already is in this house.) Seriously...it doesn't take anything away from Thanksgiving. We can still put out pumpkins and stuff ourselves on Thanksgiving day, all while being thankful for what we should be thankful for ALL year, right? But I promise not to put Christmas music on my blog...yet;-)

~Hmmm...let's see...do I dare bring up nobel prize on my blog??? Nah...probably not...except to say apparently there's still hope for me:-)

~Don't you love when you come across some neat blogs? I have found so many that one day this week I'm going to post links for each of them.

~My daughter was complaining about her lack of the extras in life. I sweetly pointed out that she has a beautiful home with a newly decorated room, she takes French lessons, tennis lessons and has a sketching class...which she requested...so she doesn't sound deprived to me. But apparently that wasn't what she meant:-) Can you say "mall"?

Guess I'll leave it at that for today. I know I could go on and on...but off to doggy daycare and then the grocery store. Oh, what's for dinner??? Chili...just what everyone needs in 94 degree weather. hahaha But if we wait for chili weather, we would never have it.

See ya!
Suzanne

I'm a Vanilla Cupcake...

Since I don't like to spend a lot of time on the computer on Sundays (I do that enough during the week), I thought I would post a quiz I took. If you're like me and need a quick post, take it yourself...and be sure to let me know what flavor cupcake you are, too.

You Are a Vanilla Cupcake

You are very sweet and mellow. You are easy going and easy to like. You are drawn to those stronger personalities. You get along with powerful people. You are like a cupcake because you appeal to almost every type of person. You are friendly and accepting. You bring out other people's best qualities.

What Flavor Cupcake Are You?

Have a beautiful Sunday!
Suzanne

Babies + Pink = ...

...an adorable Pink Saturday.
Halloween is coming and I don't know about you, but I could never dress a cute baby up in something creepy. I hope these bring a smile to your face!

Thank you to Beverly at How Sweet The Sound for her work bringing us all together on these Saturdays. I look forward to visiting your Pink Saturday, too!

Suzanne