WOW...

What a weekend!

Pink Saturday was so much fun...

and I LOVED meeting everyone who stopped by for a visit

or to enter to win my

PINK PICNIC GIVEAWAY.

Okay, time for me to announce the winner...

The lovely lady who won and will be having her very own

pink picnic is...

Dolly, who blogs at From my cherry heart.

Please stop by and get to know her. I recently did and she is so special!

Dolly, I hope you can enjoy a few picnics this summer with that love of your life you speak about, as well as some of those adorable grandchildren.

Funny thing about a giveaway though...

only one person can win.

Oh my gosh...that makes me so sad.

When I read your sweet comments,

I wish I had 40 gifts to offer.

Visitors came from all over...

Texas, California, Oklahoma, Michigan, Florida,

Ohio, Minnesota, North Carolina, Georgia and Germany, to name a few.

(Yes, Germany. How cool is that!)

So I want to thank all of you for taking the time to

visit my blog.

And if it makes you feel any better

I have NEVER won a giveaway...

but look out because one of these days...

LOL

Well, I finished my last tutu so I am off to bed.

But not before wishing you...

XOXOXOXO

Suzanne

Tickled Pink...

Yep, I'm TICKLED PINK at the great response to my
Pink Picnic Giveaway for Pink Saturday!
Better than that, I've "met" so many new and wonderful people.
And I am so grateful for my loyal buddies, too!:-)

HOWEVER...
I am PINK WITH EMBARRASSMENT that I have not been by to see YOUR blogs this weekend...
But I will!!!
PROMISE!!!
Before I post anything else on my blog.
(Except for the winner, which I will post later today:-)
THEN, I will take a day...or two...
to catch up on comments and visit my new followers.
I CAN'T WAIT FOR THAT!!!!!

Okay, this is why I got sidetracked this weekend...
At the last minute, I got a rush order for some of my Hawaiian tutu's.
Just like this...



I probably should have said no...
but I couldn't!!!
Not when the Mom requests so sweetly for her little girl's 2nd birthday
party...a LUAU!
So, I spent the weekend cutting tulle and sewing on the flowers.
These MUST be in the mail first thing Tuesday morning.
So that's what I've been up to.


Like I said...
I'll be by to wish each of you a belated Happy Pink Saturday,
to say HEY to old friends...
and get to know some new ones!



I hope you're all enjoying this Memorial DAY Weekend!

Pink Picnic Party...

It's Saturday so that means it must be ...

PINK Saturday!

And not just any old pink Saturday...
a 2nd birthday celebration


for PINK Saturday and our lovely host,
Beverly from How Sweet the Sound.


Hmmm...

Last time I checked, Birthdays = Presents, right?

And I have one for YOU!!!
(If you're lucky:-)

Okay, let's see if you can figure this one out...

What do you get when you take a vintage pink and white tablecloth, with a vintage heart shaped cookie cutter, 2 polka dot plates...pink and aqua... pink napkins, A genuine Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic hot or cold thermos, an issue of Victoria from Januray 2003. strawberry/pink lemonade mix and a bag of white chocolate chip macadamia cookies from the FAMOUS TATES Bake Shop in Southampton NY...(buttery, crispy AND chewy...can't beat that!:-)

Well, I'll tell you what you get...
You get a Pink Saturday picnic...



or at least the very start of one.




The only things missing are a pretty pink umbrella...



Pretty pink balloons...


and OF COURSE,
a pretty pink puppy:-)


Awwwww...

You see, in my world there is ALWAYS pink...
and ALWAYS puppies:-)

These pink picnic goodies could be YOURS!!!

So go ahead and
leave a comment to win.
Follow to get a second chance.
and keep your little pink fingers crossed!;-)

Drawing by Random generator at 2 p.m on Memorial Day!

And be sure to stop by How Sweet The Sound to get a list of the others going to the Pink Saturday Birthday party!!!

XOXOXOXOX
Suzanne

HAPPY...

LOVING, AFFECTIONATE, LOYAL, FUNNY, FRIENDLY, CUDDLY, GENTLE, PLAYFUL, EXCITED, CURIOUS, JOYFUL, SILLY, KIND, SWEET, FORGIVING.

So...
How many people do you know that have ALL of these qualities...
every day...
all at the same time?????

I don't have them all...
at least not all at the same time.

And personally, I don't know of anyone else who does either.

But MAUI does...
which is why we are celebrating my sweet boy's 2nd birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAUI!!!!

Thank you for bringing joy, companionship and laughter into our lives every single day!!!

I wish you a day filled with bones, car rides, open windows, playing fetch, napping on the couch, chew toys and lots of hugs and kisses!
Oh...and lots of fun things to bark at...
like the pool guy, the lawn guys...and bunnies.
XOXOXOXOX

Sis...

Happy Birthday to my sister...

who shares my love of all things shabby...

and understands that this is the ONLY way to decorate!!!:-)

...and she also shares my love of pink!
(Actually, she loved it first so I stole that from her:-)

Hope all of your birthday WISHES come true...


especially the one about a cottage in Pentwater. hahaha

So how about some calorie free cake...

I know...but we are wishing here!:-)

XOXOXOX

Sleeping Beauty, Strep Throat, Birthdays and OREOS!!!

I know, you want me to jump straight to the part about OREOS right?
But you have to wait just a little bit.

First, you know last weekend was
Sleeping Beauty.
Miss Taylor did an amazing job, if I do say so myself.
But as I told her Dad, what made me the proudest were all of the parents who came up to me after the show, telling me they loved watching her dance, she did great...
and by the way, "your daughter is just the kindest, sweetest girl, always nice to the younger kids and always smiling."
Now THAT, I really love to hear:-)

Oh yeah...and she had a fever of almost 102 for the 2 performances Sat.
Apparently she caught strep throat from her sister Jordan who was sooooo sick.
Wow...I forgot how horrible a throat could look.


But Jordie was a trooper too. Before we knew it was strep,
she insisted on being there for her big sis!


It's birthday week in our family.
Tomorrow my sister Kathy...
and on Thursday Maui will be 2!!!
Terrible Twos.
Yippeeeeeee!!!!!
But how terrible can this sweetie be, anyway?

Hmmm...must mean there will be
CAKE!!!!!

Speaking of birthdays,
this Saturday is a realllllllly special Pink Saturday...
Birthday edition!
A lot of lovely pinkies will be having giveaways, including me
(I hope)
so be sure to check back!

Okay, have I bored you enough?
Is anyone still with me???

How about an OREO???
Not just any old oreo...
a chocolate covered oreo.
But not just any old chocolate covered oreo...
chocolate covered with SPRINKLES on top!!!!!

Yes, I confess...I had one.
Actually, I gobbled one...or maybe two:-)
Jordie and I found them at Kilwins and they are sooooo good.
She had dark chocolate and I had milk chocolate.
They were amazing!

Anyway, I started looking and saw some that were really cute.
Kind of like these...


so this week we are going to try and make some ourselves.
IF I can think of enough people to give them to!!!:-)
And ours will be cookie pops!:-)
Because cookies taste better on a stick:-)
And they look cute!

I'll be posting the method and pics when we're done.
If you're thinking you've had them already in the box from the store...these are waaaaaay better!
Promise!
And I would know because I've had them too.
And besides, SPRINKLES make everything better!!!!!
And what a cute idea for summer, end of school parties, birthdays, graduations...

XOXOXOXOX
Suzanne
P.S. The pic of me is because I had a few people email and say I always post photos of my girls...
and dogs...
but never me.
Well, trust me when I say it won't become a habit!!!!!
LOL

Thinking about...

...ballet recitals.

Yes, it's that time of year and Taylor's dance school is performing
the 3rd act from Sleeping Beauty.


She has 3 parts...
The White Cat (with Puss in Boots)
Diamond Jewel
Violente Fairy

Can't wait!!!
More to come after the show.


Thinking about...
Summer Trips
As in...
a Summer visit to
Kennebunkport Maine!

Since ballet girl will be studying with the
Bossov Ballet in Maine this summer,
why not stop in Kennebunkport?

Is that fun to say or what...
Ken-ne-bunk-port.
Makes me smile.
Ever since the first President Bush was in the White House
and we heard of their place in Kennebunkport,
I've wanted to visit.

(Kennebunkport Inn)


And while I know this is an artists rendering of Christmas at the Village Cove
in Kennebunkport,
if it even remotely resembles this,
I'm living there someday!!!



Well, we have to dream, right?:-)

I want to sit in these rocking chairs...


and look out at the rocky coastline.

Time to go and get something done.
Have a great Thursday!!!

5 Words...

Sometimes I have no idea what I want to blog about.

Sometimes I have way too many ideas swirling around in my head.

Either way, I usually just say forget it, maybe post a pic and get on with it.

But today, my friend Mollye reminded me about a fun blog meme called
"5 Words"

She gives us 5 words and we write what comes to mind with each word.

It's funny how sometimes we come up with similar thoughts and other times,
we all think of something different.

The 5 words are:
SKIN...BURGUNDY...CROSSROADS...FURRY...SANDWICH

Go ahead...visit Miz Mollye and tell her you're in.

You'll make a great friend in Mollye and have fun with the 5 words.

Okay, first up...

SKIN...
when I was growing up, sunscreen was a fairly new concept.
At least when I was a kid.
I literally remember when Coppertone was the only one.



And unfortunately, I remember when Hawaiian Tropic...with NO sunscreen,
just pure oil,
came on the market.
I loved it!!
The tan of the Islands...that's me!
An Island Girl living in Michigan.



Oh yes...
I was born to be a Hawaiian Tropic girl.
And my Grandma had fits about this.
Oh Grandma, not everyone has your lovely skin that tans to a beautiful brown.
Some of us have to burn and peel...
and burn and peel again...
to get a tan.

"I've never heard of skin cancer", I said.
And "what about all those people working in the fields in the old days?"

Well, I've heard of it now.
I will no doubt battle it down the road, sooner rather than later,
thanks to all of those years where I "burned and peeled" to get a tan.
Which is why my girls and I are friendly with dermatologists.
And self-tanners.
Just in case.
It is also why I sound like my Grandmother these days.
How on earth do I raise blonde girls in Florida???
By preaching sunscreen.
Since day 1...
they knew about sunscreen.

Today, I have a ballerina who hates to be tan.
Whew...
But I have a tennis player who loves to have golden skin
to go with that long blonde hair.
She's just like me...
only smarter:-)
Because we have a deal...
If she somehow manages to get a pretty golden color
while wearing a hat and her 50+ sunscreen,
I let her keep it.
My golden girl.

Burgundy...
Hmmm...tough one.
I guess I think of the color.
I like it...but i don't use it, don't wear it.
Taylor knitted a friend a beautiful burgundy scarf for Christmas.
It was gorgeous.
The color was so rich...
maybe I need to wear burgundy this Fall.

Crossroads...
def...a. A place where two or more roads meet.
My girls are at an age where there will be many crossroads.
And many forks in the road.
I hope when they stop at the Crossroads Cafe, they stop to think...
and pray...



and they choose the right road.
Because it is far too easy to get lost traveling along the wrong road.
And I hope they remember that all roads
...lead home!



FURRY...
Okay...did you honestly think I could write about "furry"...
and not write about my own furballs?
If so, you do not know me AT ALL:-)
Today, I want you to meet one of my guys...
the sweet, handsome goldendoodle named
Maui.
I know you want him but he's all mine! lol



SANDWICH...
Three letters...
PBJ
This is the BEST. SANDWICH. EVER!!!!!


And my mom made the best PB&J's ever!
Today I like strawberry and raspberry jam but back then...
grape jelly all the way.
And please cut the sandwich on the diagonal like my mom always did:-)
And make sure there is just enough jelly to make it ooze out a bit.

But mom...you were wrong about one thing.
Wonder bread IS better than the store brand.


Oh how I begged for Wonder bread.
My mom said it was too expensive and didn't taste any better.
But when I grew up and finally bought my own...it was so soft and...
WHITE!
Yes, I confess...
I love white bread.
Seriously, if you're honest, isn't soft, fresh white bread with PB & J the BEST???
I know we're not supposed to eat it and I don't...
but can't we get our whole grains somewhere else?
Just think...this generation is growing up with PBJ and whole grain bread.
Very sad... :-)

But Mom, you were right about one thing...
this stuff is not nearly as good as it looks.


Yes, it was a waste of money.
But I had to find that out for myself!

We don't eat many these days as Taylor is allergic to peanut butter.
She has literally saved me from one of the best treats ever...
grilled pb&j sandwiches.
If you've never had one...you are missing out!!!

Second favorite sandwich...
Fried Egg Sandwich.
And nobody makes these like my Dad.
When my mom wasn't home, we had fried egg sandwiches...
I think it was because this was all he knew how to cook at the time.
But it didn't matter because they are AMAZING.
I just know McDonalds got the idea for an egg mcmuffin from my dad.
But his is WAY better, trust me!

Guess that's it for the 5 word game.
Remember to stop by Mollye's to let her know you're playing along.

XOXOXO
Suzanne

Chasing Rainbows...

How is it...
that something so beautiful in our world
can get attached to some things not so beautiful?

I don't know how this happens.

But...

I love rainbows!




The other day, we were driving home from tennis and ballet
and saw a beautiful huge rainbow in the sky.
We were so excited!

It's such a good day when you get to see a rainbow.
Since my girls were little I've told them to
Never miss an opportunity to stop and look up at the rainbow.
Sure enough, they were scrambling for their phones to
snap some photos.
I'm happy my girls like rainbows too:-)

One of the pastors at our old church was John Maxwell.
While speaking of Noah, he said
"Whenever you see a rainbow,
remember that one person can make a difference."
I wrote that one in my Bible immediately.
What a way to look at rainbows.





Some people see rainbows as hope...
and they should.
I imagine this is where the phrase "chasing rainbows" comes from.

Hope...
Remember that God loves you and even through the bad storms,
there will always come a bright new day.

Promise!
Pinkie Promise:-)

So next time you see a rainbow...
feel free to stop what you're doing and gaze up at that beautiful promise in the sky.


And for a bit of rainbow silliness and fun...



"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain." Dolly Parton




How about a stack of HAPPY for breakfast???





No WONDER my all-time favorite cereal is Fruity Pebbles:-)





:-) :-) :-)




I'll have a slice of this!




...Or one of these!



Oh my gosh...

...real live PEEPS!





Okay, I promise to never do this...
and I always keep my promises! ;-)




What do you see?
Colors...
or possibilities?
I remember when I was little,
nothing made me happier than getting one of those big boxes of crayons.
I was so happy when we got the box with LOTS of colors!!!
Oh...the possibilities:-)




"And when it rains on your parade,
look up rather than down.
Without the rain,
there would be no RAINBOW."
Chesterton


XOXOXOXO