Happy Birthday to my Country Girl...

so, my Country Girl, Surfer Girl, Cowgirl is 

15 years old today

today!

Happy Birthday Girlfriend!!!!

i didn't think you could get any sweeter and more lovable than you

were in this picture...but

YOU HAVE.

my world is brighter and more beautiful every single day, 

because YOU are in it:)

both you and your sister probably sound

too good to be true to readers of my blog...

but the truth is, you're priceless gifts from God...

and like any priceless gift,

i will always TREASURE you...

and i will always LOVE you!

my wish for you is a year...and a life filled with all the WONDER

i can see in your eyes when i look at this picture of you as a child,

it was take at the most wonderful place on earth...

Disney World...Magic Kingdom...

and sweetheart,  i truly wish a wonderful, BLESSED

life where all your WISHES and DREAMS come true!

(and never give up on the fairytale:)

here is a little online "gift" i made just for you...

hope you like it!

just a girl... by shabbychicks

this just TRULY describes my girl.

she is what she is...

my beautiful BIRTHDAY girl.

I Love You!

XOXOXOXO

Mama

all about STUFF...

wow...that would almost be a good name for a blog like mine...

since i seem to just ramble and it's not about anything

special.

it's just about STUFF.

well, not this time.

i DID change the name

(same web address...can't change that. DARN:)

so while the blog address is still shabby chicks,

the NAME is

land of sugarplum fairies, southern girls and sandy toes...

courtesy of my sis Deb.

she wrote me over the Holidays and ended her email with

"i hope things are good in the land of 

sugarplum fairies, southern girls and sandy toes".

NO WAY!!!!!

the proverbial lightbulb EXPLODED in my head:)

i was amazed at how that covered the fun stuff we love...

ballet, southern/country life, the BEACH...

all of it.

except our love of junky stuff...but i still have "shabby chicks" to cover that:)

COOL, huh?

thanks Deb!!!!

so, to launch my newly-named blog, which "they" say you should never do

(change the name of your blog.)

  who cares...life is short...make it fun, i say:)

anyway, to celebrate...i'm having a week full of 

STUFF i LOVE.

i know, i know...what DO i know.

hey...i ask myself that every day:)

but maybe someone out there will like SOMETHING i mention.

at least i know my mom will! (thanks mom)

first up for Monday...

STUFF i LOVE 

BEAUTY products.

i might even show a before and after photo.

might.

maybe.

but probably not.

STILL...you never know:)

before i go, here's something i REALLY love.

 inspirational messages.

sometimes they're deep...and sometimes they're a short, simple reminder.

like this...

have a beautiful day!

Suzanne

lessons in decorating from a country girl/surfer girl/cowgirl....

a new year...

time to take a look around the old house and see what others see.

i've always wondered if a stranger could walk in our home and

learn who we were....what we like....stuff like that.

i think they could.

but nothing like when you walk into my 14 year old's bedroom!

now she REALLY knows how to bring her 

personality into a room.

see for yourself...

come on in and meet my 

Country Girl/Surfer Girl/Cowgirl!

first of all, her room is painted mermaid blue/green.

and all mermaids are welcome:)

this is the first thing you see when you walk in...

her MUCH LOVED surfboard,  guitar, cowboy hat and

FAVORITE new sign from the Junk Gypsies...

Cowgirls are Forever.

 

take a closer look at the guitar case and you'll find out she is also a

huge Florida Gator fan, loves to watch Swamp People (me and Taylor like it too:)

and also, like her mama...LOVES the Junk Gypsies!

moving on...

she has a little VINTAGE vanity/writing desk where she does school,

while looking at her art gallery wall and especially at her favorite

country singer, Luke Bryan:)

 

every good beach lover/surfer girl has this poster, right?:)

next up, her own little pinboard...

with everything from tickets to her sister's ballet performances,

to a painting she bought in Paris.

to a photo card of her grandparents.

in the corner of her room sits a VERY important part of her life...

her tennis gear!

okay, so she doesn't have a huge room.

but she managed to get her dream bed in it...

a cream iron bed with twinkle lights on it...

and the coziest BOHO comforter from Anthropology!

by the bed, a lamp from World Market that she picked out,

as well as her iphone and a little statue of Jesus 

that she bought with her very own

dollar at the dollar tree when she was 4!

so what do we learn there...she is a young lady of FAITH...

and likes a variety of styles...

from vintage to shabby chic to surfer style to boho.

even her bed pillows say something...

that she loves dogs and

that she is still only 14 and not afraid to show that part of her childhood.

just a few more things that tell you a bit about my girl....

she's not afraid to show what she believes.

she LOVES anything Union Jack...

 she loves inspirational quotes...

 and last but not least...

she'll always be my little girl:)

so there you have it...a lesson in decorating from a 14 year old girl.

she shows that it isn't about walking into a furniture store

and buying what they put together...

but putting together your OWN style from the things you love.

and then when someone walks in they look around and like i do, they say

a really COOL person lives here!

 someone who knows what they like and isn't afraid to show it!

if only we all could decorate like that.

but HEY...it is a new year...

so give it a try:)

XOXOXOXOXO

Suzanne...Country Girl/Surfer Girl/Cowgirl's mama:)

HEY YA'LL...You're invited to a FALL open house with the Shabby Chicks

okay now,

don't say you weren't invited because here is your

official invitation ;)

no RSVP necessary...

just pop on over whenever you get a few minutes.

FYI...throughout the week i might even have a few little giveaways...

check back every day because you never know if it will be the day...

and i'll make sure to give you a peek at what's up for grabs.

so pull on your boots, 

get your favorite blue jeans on...

and come on by for some COUNTRY, SOUTHERN, FALL fun!

(cowboy hats optional:)

YEE HAW!

Cowgirls, Country and Caramel Corn...

so it's FRIDAY...

and we need to have some fun around here!

TRUST ME when i say...we need fun and happy this weekend.

but before i get started, thank you for the care and concern

and many prayers for my dad...

who is still fighting it out in the hospital.

3 weeks now and counting.

he has a long road and we are confident he will make it...

but keep praying, please!

one other thing...

i recently found out i had comments that i was not aware of.

they are not coming to my email for some reason

so i have to work that out.

i know i'm not always the best at this but i truly 

didn't mean to ignore everyone!!!

and i put on comment moderation hoping that helps.

okay...on to some fun stuff.

COWGIRL...

 growing up, i always went through "phases".

thankfully, i STILL go through them...

and now my girls do too.

makes life interesting, you know!

this summer was our COWGIRL/COUNTRY/CARAMEL CORN phase.

let me explain...

we've always had a fascination with the 

cowgirl/west/country girl thing.

but this summer, we REALLY got into it...

and we're having so much fun!

did you know there's a whole culture out there for this?

everything from mild to down home rodeo stuff.

the Picker Sisters have a cowgirl/antique feel to their show.

two of my current favorite online stores

are Junk Gypsy

 (where else can you get a funky shower cap and a crown shower curtain:)

 and i wanted these mugs so bad but they sold out.

 ...hopefully they'll be back

and Island Cowgirl...

  their jewelry pretty much makes up our wish list these days!

we have hats but are really wanting some cool BOOTS.

i think our next summer vacation will be to a dude ranch (cool, huh?)

and on my 50 things before i'm 50 list i'm making,

it includes a visit to the Roundtop Texas Marburger Farms antique fair

 ...and a stay at Rachel Ashwell's Prarie B&B and

horseback riding on the beach.

 three of our favorite shows recently are/have been

Sweet Home Alabama

Hart of Dixie

and Donna Decorates Dallas.

and of course, don't forget Cowgirl Cookies...

 check out Bakerella for the recipe:)

yep, we're having fun with this lil ol "phase" of ours.

Pssst...i don't think it's just a phase but we'll see.

now on to COUNTRY...

i wish i could get back the days my dad drove me to piano lessons

in his brown pick-up truck, playing country music.

 (okay...not his truck but it's pretty, huh?)

anyway, i made SUCH a big deal of it...

how uncool it was...

but NO MORE!!!

we've always liked the occasional country song...

but now we are full-fledged country fans.

shoot...a few of our favorite songs are 

Big Green Tractor and

Hillbilly Bones!

 hahahaha...don't knock it till you've tried it:)

AND the music playing on my blog...

(scroll down to turn off if you don't like it, okay...although
it's playing God Gave Me You...great song:))

but i'll tell you how this really got going.

i got TOTALLY fed up with "pop" (stupid name for it) music today.

i mean, the stuff they "sing" about...if you call it that...is gross and indecent half the time.

and the language...half the song gets bleeped out.

and i don't mind saying i listened to the songs that were

"popular" before my girls to check them out...
UGGGHH!!!

it breaks my heart to be out and hear little girls repeating lyrics innocently to

Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and pretty much

all rap.  and this isn't the whole list.

anyway, we went off the radio cold-turkey...

and fell in love with the music of Nashville!

i know...not always perfect.

but it most often is catchy and tells a story...that makes some sort of sense.

like "Just Fishin"...about enjoying those special times with your kids.

in case you're wondering, my girls don't feel forced into this...

they LOVE it.
we had a BLAST at the Rascall Flatts concert

it's so nice to not have to switch the channel all the time

because a song is "inappropriate".

Here are some of our favorites...

 yep...we're COUNTRY!!!

(and yes, even my husband is walking around singing 

Hillbilly Bones and Crazy Town:)

CARAMEL CORN...

well, this is the reason half my clothes don't fit, i swear!

we managed to find a reason to celebrate with homemade

caramel corn all summer.

oh my gosh...we pass around that bowl

 and practically lick it when we're done...

it's that good!

but our version is a quickie, 2 step recipe...

so if anyone out there has a real, true recipe that doesn't have to be eaten immediately,

i'd love to get it. 

not for us but to give away...of course:)

I see some online but just want to know it's good before making it.

we tried some that was...ummm... downright yucky! 

we can't have peanuts in it due to an allergy,

but anything else goes.

okay...that's where i'm at these days.

trying to enjoy little things, have fun...

and work off this caramel corn:)

Happy Friday!!!
Suzanne