Great Space-Saving Idea

I am always on the lookout for great, stylish ways for extra storage. While I was looking at Southern Living online, I came across this great idea. See if you can figure out where the great new storage is, and it's not under the bed!!

Have you figured it out?? Well, here it is:
What a great idea! Many people use a fabric covered end table such as this, but I had never thought to use a trash can and a plywood round to make one. Now you can use this to store seasonal items, like big, bulky sweaters to keep them out of your way until you need them again during the winter! Not to mention you get a great looking end table! Happy storing, ya'll!!

Doing my part for Earth Day

Not really, but it sounded good. My husband should learn by now that he should not send me to Espositos. I absolutely love that place. I could just walk around outside looking at all the plants and flowers for hours. So what started out as a simple task of getting something for Joseph turned out to be a free for all for me. Sixty bucks later, I had what Joseph needed and what I wanted! My main purpose for going was to buy a vine to replace the one that we killed this past season. We have one of those metal vine-climber-uppers (I don't feel good and I can't think of the real name, sorry, but you get the jest.) in front of our air-conditioner unit outside to try and hide it. For the past two years we haven't been able to keep the vine alive (I think it is a boulvevilla vine, I know that is spelled wrong. Whatever.) so we have had to replace every spring. So he sent me to Espositos hoping that I could find something better to replace it with. No such luck. I had a hard time trying to find something. I finally came out with some other kind of vine. Don't know the name. It was too hot to look for a good one anyways. What I did find was a nice strawberry plant to grow on the back patio and I got the plants to start my herb garden. I bought Italian parsley, basil, sage, rosemary, and chives. I'm thinking about going back and grabbing some more stuff to do another one. I think I will grow cilantro, thyme, more parsley, and whatever catches my fancy that day. Joseph was able to go pick fresh strawberries this morning to put in his Cheerios. Now if only those blueberries would ripen, I might never have to buy his fruit for his cereal again. I wonder if I can grow a banana tree......kidding! It's such pretty weather outside, so get out there and start growing something. And if you don't have a yard, like me, it's no excuse. Containers provide an excellent way to add a little bit of color inside or out!!

Just a day at the beach!

There is one thing that I love and it is a quick little weekend get-away to the beach. That is one thing that I miss since moving to Georgia and that is not being able to run down to Mexico Beach on a whim and go spend the day sitting on the beach. Now there has to be planning and a good 2+ hour drive one way. This weekend, Joseph and I went with some friends to St. George Island for a little R&R and a little fishing. Since we couldn't purchase a fishing license on the island, my sister-in-law and I decided to just relax on the boat and watch the guys do all the work. I got to catch up on some reading (book club book!! Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins if anyone needs a good, quick read) and catch a few rays. Thankfully the men-folk pulled their weight and caught us some fish so that we could have a nice dinner. We all had a great time and this was the perfect little taste of what is to come this summer! Can't wait! Not to mention that St. George is one of the most beautiful beaches in Florida. Too bad most beaches are way over-developed and you can't enjoy the true beauty of an untouched beach!

Ripe for the pickin'!

Spring is finally here!! So as a little project, (and a little idea help from Southern Living) I decided to get some blueberry bushes and plant them in some planters. If you are like me, you are probably shocked every time you go to the grocery store and have to pay almost $5.00 for a little pint of blueberries. Now that Joseph loves to put them in his Cheerios every morning, I needed to take action. So I went down to our local garden store and picked out two pitiful looking blueberry bushes. I have no idea if the kind that I picked out will be good or not. I also had no idea that you had to get two so that they will pollinate and that way you can have berries every year, not just one! So I got a little agriculture lesson along the way. Take a look at one of my new bushes. Please, no laughter. It is pretty skanky looking. I guess I was wrong, yet again to think that I could purchase a 3 foot blueberry bush.So after I got those two planted and secured in their new homes, I needed to replant my geranium. I had a red one last year and it survived all year long until about February when my hubby had the brilliant idea that it was time to prune it back. Evidently, that was the wrong idea because it died. So this year I got a nice pink one. And I couldn't mention flowers and gardening without mentioning my garden out back. I wish I had pictures of it from last year because it was definitely a wild, hot mess. I thought everything had died, but then again, I was wrong! Just about everything has come back, to my surprise. The one thing I am the most happy about is my hydrangea plant. You have no idea the stress that this one little plant has caused me. I love hydrangeas and so I bought one last year and planted it. It was so sad from the start. Bugs were eating it, it only bloomed out about three flowers and it was totally lopsided with all of its leaves on one side of the bush. So in anger, I cut it down all the way down to the dirt around December or January. I had no idea when a good time to prune them and I didn't really care because I thought it was going to die a slow death anyways. But with some nice weather and lots of rain, look at how full and beautiful it is now. Now it is a waiting game to see if it will put out blooms. I'm still happy that it is still kicking! My next outdoor project...a herb garden, so stay tuned!! And if you notice in the garden that I have some Easter lilies in the back. Easter has come and gone, and still no lilies. What's up with that?

All that and a bag of chips!

I have a new addiction. My cousin gave me some enamelware for Christmas and I fell in love. If you have never tried enamelware, I encourage you to do so. It comes in a variety of colors. I have the yellow and white speckled, as seen below.

I am still amazed at how well this stuff bakes and even more amazed at how easily it comes clean. I can have the worst baked on food in my roasting pan and all it takes is a little bit of water and soap and a gentle sweep of the sponge and it's clean. I think that is my favorite thing about these. Stacey got my pan in a little shop in Walnut Hill, FL, but since I know this isn't a shopping mecca, here is the website for you to check out. It is http://www.crowcanyonhome.com/ . If you love kitchen gadgets and love to cook, these pans are for you. Not to mention that they are more festive than your everyday, run-of-the-mill cookie sheets and muffin tins!

Easter

I have to admit that Easter is probably one of my most favorite holidays. You get to gather with your family without all of the stress that Christmas brings. Not to mention that it usually is beautiful weather outside and you can finally get away with wearing white again. (haha) Back to the subject....as a Christian, Easter should be the most important holiday. Easter reminds us that Jesus sacrificed his life for us. And for that, I am truly grateful.

This Easter, Joseph and I spent it with my family. We went to my old church and I was glad because I got to see so many wonderful friends there. I was upset because I realized too late that we didn't take any pictures of us dressed in our Easter finest. Joseph is probably glad because I made him wear a purple shirt. I thought he looked good and festive. He should be thankful that I didn't get him a sweater vest to wear. That might have pushed him right over the edge! After church, we all went home to get our grub on. I know that my friend Becki will be disappointed that we didn't have roast (an ongoing joke about mom fixing roast every Sunday) we did have ham, which was very yummy. Then we all went outside so that my nephew, Barrett could hunt Easter eggs. He wasn't really caring for that. The funny thing was that he did like getting them this way. He got in his wagon and had people pull him around. He then would proceed to point out the eggs and have that person pick them up and put them in his basket that he had in the wagon. It was very adorable. Especially when my mom was pulling him and he thought it was funny to throw them out when she wasn't looking and she had to pick them up again. All in all, it was a wonderful day. My dad's dog, Jack had a fit because he thought that the eggs were balls for him to play with, so we had a time keeping him away from them. He did get lucky and get one egg. I looked over and he had it open eating the candy that was inside. He really is something else!! Hope everyone had a great Easter themselves!!

As you can see, Jack wanted to get in the basket, Joseph was enjoying his job as camera man and Brad had the task of pulling Barrett in his Egg Hunting Wagon.

Vacation

Well...I finally made it back after a nice, week long vacation to Myrtle Beach, SC. We had a wonderful stay and saw lots. The only bad thing was that it was freezing and I only went down to walk on the beach twice. The funny thing is that there were lots of people out there laying out in their bikinis and swimming in the freezing ocean. I guess that I am a true Floridian and believe that the only good beach weather is 85+ degrees and you are sitting on a gorgeous northwest Florida beach. I was not impressed with the beaches of South Carolina, but then again, I am a little bit partial to my neck of the woods! But anyways, I thought I would share a few pictures from our trip. I went with my mother, Aunt Susan, and cousin Stacey. We saw three great shows while we were there and did some great shopping at the two (yes two!!) outlet malls there nearby.
Oh yes. I forgot. Stacey got to celebrate her birthday while we were there. Don't worry, Stace, I won't broadcast what number we were celebrating!!! Happy Birthday!!

MIA

Hey everyone! Just wanted to say that you won't be getting a blog from me for about a week. I am taking a vacation to South Carolina and I am leaving tomorrow. I will be sure to post lots of pics of the trip! Hope everyone has a great week!