Pretty Peonies from Papa!

Look at this beautiful bouquet of Peonies (I think that's what they're called) that my father-in-law (better known as "Papa"), picked for me. 

He has a bush in his yard that is ENORMOUS!  He knows how much I love these flowers, and so that's why he picked them.  Isn't that sweet!

and that's not all......

He said that I deserved them!  I thought that was so swee!

They smell wonderful!  We actually have some of these flowers in our yard as well, but I was still thankful for the thoughtfulness of my "papa"-in-law!

Does anyone else have a Peony bush or bouquet?

I'm linking to Missy's Thursdays, Trinkets and Treasures.  She isn't feeling well, so I want to share this bouquet with her in hopes that it will make her feel better!

The Garden and Eden

This little "Cabbage Patch" Baby Doll that I have baby sat since August of last year, happens to be my baby granddaughter, Eden.

We decided  on the spur of the moment to do a photo shoot!  Grannas and grandbabies can do that, you know!

Hope you enjoy it as much as Granna did!  (Smile!)




Consider the Lillies......

 


Teaching me to take time to smell ......beauty!

 


Little Rose Bud!

 


She is as precious as a Peony!

 


As darling as the Day Lillies

 


Growing like the flowers.......fast!

 


Meeing outside friends!

 


Peek a Boo,  Cabbage Patch Baby!

 




Back to the Bones!

The original plans for the "formal"  living room and dining room was to be in the same room (front of house to the right of foyer).  Of course, through the years, it has changed many times.  Below is a picture of when just the dining room was here.  It makes for a really big dining room which is great when all the gang is here.  I decided to change it back, though, because of having to do something with a sofa that I bought for $50.00 a few years ago.  (a story in itself !)  It was stored in the garage and my husband wanted to clear out the garage.  I didn't want to get rid of it so ..........

I didcided to move it back upstairs and do the dining/living room thing again!  I like it better.  It's much more cozy!  What do you think?

Someday, the plans are to recover this sofa.  : )  Hopefully it will look something like Julie's redo!  Thanks, Juilie.  I love it!

I'm linking up to Traci's Best DIY project for April

Art I Heart!

Ladies, I wanted to share with you one of the neatest things I have seen in blogland decorations!  It is

an easy, inexpensive, cute way to have art on your walls.  It's the kind of project I can do!

Here's the materials you will need:

Picture Frame

Whatever Art that you want to hang.

String

Craft clothes pins (I call them baby clothes pins)  I think they're so cute!

Tiny nails and hammer

Scissors

and, ah,  probably a ruler.  I'm so bad about not measuring.  But if you're a perfectionist, you will probably want a ruler or some way to measure.

Here's what you do! 

First, get your picture frame.

Wait! Before you do, let me tell you about the deal I got on the frames for my art project at

Hobby Lobby's 90 percent off sale.  They were originally $39.00.  Can you see what I got them for?  Yes, you're seeing it right....$3.99.  My daughter Rebecca, at Plesant Lines,  brought them to my attention. I think she bought a doz. of them( JK).   I grabbed a couple.  Thanks, Bec!

So, first, you turn the frame over and remove the back.

Then remove the glass (unless you want to leave it in there).  I removed it.

Then you cut the string to the desired length (I placed the picture inside the frame at this point just to see how long to cut the string.)

Then with the tiny nails and hammer, nail the string to the frame in the corners of the frame. You could use tacks to do this or even tape if your picture is not very heavy.

Then you remove the picture from the mat.  The first one came off easy for me, but....

  with the second one, I had to get my husband's help.  It was stubborn and didn't want to come off.    He has patience with things like this and I knew he wouldn't tear it.  I might!



My next step would have been the finishing step - to hang the picture on the string with the  clothes pins, but then I discovered the writing at the bottom of the pictures.   Now why would they go and do that?!

So, my next step is to cut the "wordy" stuff off.  I had two pictures (don't know if I mentioned that), so, guess what I did!  I put 'em together, and cut them both at once. (actually "eyeballed" them, shhhh, don't tell)  Now if one is crooked,  so is the other one! Surprisingly, they turned out ok.  You'll see later, that with the look I'm going for it really doesn't matter!

OK!  Now, we're ready to hang the picture on the string with the little clothes pins.  I couldn't wait to do this part. 

Actually, I forgot to take a picture of this step!  Ha! Ha! Well, have you ever hung clothes on a line to dry?  I sure have.  When I was a young girl growing up that's the ONLY way we dryed clothes!    It's the same thing.

So now I will give you  what I'm sure you've been waiting for; the final step.  The art... on the string... in the frame.... even hanging on the wall!  See it doesn't have to be perfect!  There is enough perfectionist in me, though, that I do see something that I will have to "fix" with this picture.  It is the staples at the bottom of the frame.  Do you see them?   They will have to go....someday!

                                                              Here's the one on this side:

Here's the one on the other side:

 I like the look, because it serves several decorating purposes, I think.  The black frames make it a little modern.  The string and clothes pins make it a little country for sure.  It is,  I guess, what would be called an element of surprise.  Who would expect to see art hanging up on a string unless it is has just been painted and is drying.  Ha ha!  Do you think I will be able to fool anyone with this?  Probably not! 

 The main reason I like it is this;  look at how easy it would be to change the art.  Oh yes, my friend,.....with the seasons!   If you come to visit me in the future, don't be surprised it it's changed!  Hey, seriously,  at Chirstmas it would be a great place to hang Chirstmas cards!

Well, there you have it for my "Art I Heart" project.  Yep, I "heart" it because it was cheap, easy and quick and I guess it looks ok!

I'm linking this to Traci's at Beneath My Heart's DIY Project of the month Party.  Thanks Traci! 

Great Giveaway

Jennifer at Dear Lily is having a great giveaway.  Head on over and visit!

http://dearlillieblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/giveaway-time-and-big-sale.html BLOG30

Eden's Wash Day! or Should I Say Dry Day?!

Oh the things we get to do at Granna's House!



Squeaky clean and Dry!!!!!!



Just Call Me "Mrs. Prudence!"

What is this mess? 

  Glad you asked! 

What you are seeing on the table is a "coupon organizing party"!  Well, I'm the only one at this party, but that's OK!

Ladies, it works!

I know, I know all the excuses!  Believe me!  "It's not worth the time and effort",  "I don't feel like it",  "It's too complicated",  "But I don't use any of that stuff" on and on we cold go.

Now,

I know that I don't do it the "right" way,

 but

I do feel like if I don't take advantage of it to the best of my ability, I am not being the best steward of God's money that I could be.

There are so many helps out there.  Blogs that tell you exactly what's on sale (that's when you do the best using the coupons, btw,) the stores that have the best deals all over town, even scenarios that will allow you to get items free, or in some cases, where they (the manufacturers or stores) will actually GIVE YOU money!

 It's CRAZY!

I'm not that "into"it, but it can be done!  I know, because my daughter has actually been able to achieve that, and a lady in our church brings things and gives them away; things she has gotten absolutely FREE!

What I am trying to do right now, is buy up non- perishable items that I can store, as I see them on sale.  This is our year to have Christmas at our house, and I usually start stocking up a month or so before Christmas.  Why not do it 8 or nine months before?  Also I've heard that people maybe should stock up on groceries because of the economy and world situations, so since I have the place to store them, I decided I would do this.  Won't hurt anything I guess.  I will use my coupons as much as I can while doing this.  It really gives you such a feeling of accomplishment.

It also makes me feel like I am portraying the Proverbs 31 lady; the lady we are to pattern our lives after.  In Proverbs 31:16.  it says of her that: "She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.  Then verse 18 says, " She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night."  I want the merchandise I buy to be good, don't you?  Look at verse 11 ,"The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil."  Wouldn't this make husband so happy?  I especially like this verse, Pr 31:15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.  She always has food in her house to feed her family and others.  This was so much like my grandmother and my mother as well.  I want to be this way.  I have no excuse when all I have to do is go a couple of miles down the road and purchase it;  saving money with coupons as I do so.

Now it does take a little bit of planning and organizing, but it will be worth in when you see the amount you have saved on your grocery receipt!  It is helpful to just sit down for an hour, maybe 45 min. each week and organize your coupons.  You'll be glad you did!

One other helpful thing that I will throw out, and this is so simple and takes very little time to do.  Sign up at your local grocery (Kroger) for me, for their digital coupons.  You just log in and add their digital coupons to your loyalty card (get one if your grocery offers one), and it will be automatically deducted from your grocery order.  This is something you might want to do on a weekly basis.  It works good for me to do on Monday.  That way, if I buy something that week, and it's on the card, it will be deducted. 

Oh, btw, Sunday's newspaper is the place, as we know, to get the coupons.  We have a guy in our church who delivers the paper, and usually brings us some freebies (left overs!)  Isn't that great!  Also, I love getting the coupons in the mail from Kroger.  It seems the more you spend and shop with them, the more coupons they send you.  Can't beat that!

This is the bag I use in the Summer to "hide" the ugly coupon holder.  It's big enough to even throw my purse or anything else in there. 




There I go, Mrs. Prudence herself!


How about you?  What are your thoughts on couponing?  Or, how are you being frugal?

So, this is my "gleanings" for today.  Hope it's something that will help someone!

I'm linking to this party today.