A Giveaway Announcement!

I was just visiting with Donna at An Enchanted Cottage and she is having a great giveaway! She is giving a book entitled "Sensible Chic". This book is based on the HGTV show by the same name. It is the softcover, 191 page version. The deadline is next Wednesday, Nov 12, around noon time. That's when she'll be drawing the name of the lucky winner. To be entered you just need to go to her blog and leave a comment. Easy? YES! If you mention this giveaway in your blog, go to her blog and leave a comment saying that you did, she will enter your name in the drawing twice! She also has an extra surprise that she will announce when she chooses the big winner. So, HURRY, go over there and enter! She is choosing a new look for "Patience" and wants our opinions. Who is "Patience"? You need to go and find out! 'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Photo Tag!

Donna at An Enchanted Cottage, tagged me for a game of Photo Tag. The rules are, I have to go to my computer photo folders, open the 4th folder and post about the 4th photo-- This is an ice storm that we had on February 2, 2002 (02-02-02, how weird is that!) Anyway, it looked as if the Ice Meister just waved his magic wand and froze everything with a layer of granular ice. It was truly breathtaking and I remember thinking that the pictures could never show how beautiful it really was!

So, now it is my turn to pass this on to four other people: They are:
M at Tales from an O.C. Cottage
Kim at Camp Whimsy
Michelle at Back Through Time
Sandyt at Just a little bit shabby

This was a lot of fun and I hope others will participate in the game.

'Til next time, Jean

Our Dusty.....

This is our dog, Dusty. He came to us as an inheritance in March. He has very quickly worked his way into our hearts. He is 3 years old and lively with lots of energy. He has an understanding of how to manipulate us to get his way. He just has to look at us with those big eyes and he is sure to melt our hearts. It is hard for me to leave him when I have to go to work. I see him sitting by the front window and he is watching me go. I always wave bye to him and he looks so sad. Now I have this poem that a friend wrote. I wanted to share it and it goes like this:

Is He Home? by Glenn Anderson

Is he home?

Grab the bone, grab the bone.

At the door, ears up, tails wag,

Wondering will the day still drag.

Feels like he's been gone a year,

Stand there and stare.

Been waiting all day,

Just want to play.

Turn knob, turn!

Been bored all day.

He knows we want to play,

So why does he go?

Frisbee in the hall,

Just throw it, throw!

He pats our head,

He rubs our belly.

He shows us love,

Even when wet and smelly.

We go for walks,

And have meaningless talks.

We love the woods where we can race,

And we love to lick his face.

But we don't like to be alone,

So please come home.

I will be retiring soon and then we can have great times together, every day, and we'll both be very happy.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

It's getting closer.....

Halloween is almost here! The night where all the little (and big) goblins, ghosts, pirates, Spongebobs, angels and devils are out! I can't wait. I love seeing the little ones having so much fun. They are so cute. I made this spell book last year and it has a prominent place in the living room, right next to the Halloween Spice Rack.

Creepy Spiders crawl on these pages:

Skulls and witches broom:

He's a dandy fellow:

So much fun!

The center of the book:

Love Spells (not for the faint of heart).......

My grand kids love looking at the book and reading the spells and looking at the pictures. I had fun making this and I want to do more in other subjects. I had never done this before and didn't know quite how to go about it, but it turned out OK. I have lots more Reader's Digest books!

More Halloween

I wanted to show some more of my Halloween decorations. This is outside (the front door area): A farther out shot:Cute little door mat:My garage door windows:The graveyard in my front yard:

More:

And still more:
Again:
I love putting these out and the kids love to come by and see them. The pumpkin and white ghost light up and I put the battery operated candle lights in the pumpkins and one in the flower pot light and it looks really spooky. On Halloween night I put a spotlight on the whole yard and it looks really cool. It also helps the kids to see where everything is. Love Halloween, so much fun!

Miss Rhea's 100th Post

Hi Everyone, This post is to let you know that Miss Rhea is having her 100th post Giveaway. The prizes are the most luscious looking faux cupcakes, cookies, and petit fours you have ever seen. They are so beautiful and realistic looking, that it's hard to believe they are not. Take a trip over there and I think you will agree that these are the yummiest, guilt free goodies that anyone could want. She also has a shop where she sells these pretties. Go to her website now, the drawing is Oct. 25! All you need to do is leave a comment to be eligible for the drawing.

My Beachy Living Room

The painting was a gift to me from my niece and the inspiration for the beach theme of my living room. I had all of the other stuff, and the painting prompted me to bring everything out. I really love her original painting. It is called "8th Avenue Jetty-Ocean City, NJ" and it will stay where it is, even if I change everything else. On the mantel is my collection of sea shell boxes and tropical birds.
These heads are carved from coconuts:

My little lighthouse: The little slate picture says: Life is a Beach. I love it.
A closeup of the little wooden box in the middle and a plaque with sea shells and tiny little pearls:

Another beach picture:

Some of my favorite summer reading:

Susan Isaacs--Almost Paradise

Judy Blume--Summer Sisters

Christine Lazier--Seashore Life

Jan Brett--Comet's Nine Lives

Mason Jars filled with shells,
A Teacup filled with Shells, sitting on a grass mat.
More collected shells:
And more........
I love all this, it looks so refreshing to me and brings back sweet memories of Atlantic City, NJ many, many years ago.