Duck and a Win!

Yesterday when I got home from work, I walked into the garage and saw a little ball of fluff hop off our garage steps and behind a big box. No idea what it was, but I had a hunch it was a bird because of the nature of his little hop.

Of course, I call Gregory outside. We investigate the hopping little visitor, and guess what we find- A baby DUCK! How a duck got into our garage is a mystery. Our house backs up to a creek, but I have never seen a duck in the creek. I had the garage door open for about 10 mins. when I came home for lunch b/c I was watering the plants and treating some of my roses for black spot- boo. That is my only guess of how he happened into our garage. We searched around and found no other ducks. He must have got left behind- poor little thing!

We grab a shoe box and try to catch him. Greg eventually put on some gloves and grabs him. He was a nervous little guy! We put him in the shoebox, and we decide to call our vet. With 5 animals, we have a very close relationship with our vet's office. They are great! Wendy, our favorite helper, tells us to bring him in and she will take him to her farm. For 2 seconds, I wanted to keep him, but what on earth do I know about baby ducks?!?Anyways, I am excited to get updates on our little ducky from the vet. I hope he lives a long happy life!

In other news, congrats to Kris Allen! I am excited he won. Adam was good too, but Kris was more my style. I recommend you download his version of Heartless on itunes. Magical!

Sing and Dance!

Okay, so I am not normally into Dancing with the Stars. I can't stand some of the "celebrities" they use on the show, but about half way through this season I started to watch. I loved it! I especially liked the final 4. I was so excited to see Shawn Johnson win last night. I liked all 3 of the final couples, but Shawn's freestyle last dance was awesome! Hooray for her!
I am also excited about tonight's American Idol finale. I watched most of this season. I tend to skip the early stages until they have it down to like the top 8. I voted for Kris. I like him, and would buy something of his more than Adam's style of music, which is a little heavy for me. Anyways, it should be a fun tv night!Ugly Betty season finale is tomorrow too... what will I watch next week? Maybe I will actually get some painting done!!!

Whirl of a Weekend: Dallas and Demons

Scary title ehh!? My weekend was NOT scary, but awesome!

Friday night was spent at home. We are always beat on Fridays! I went and had a massage Friday after work because my back was KILLING me. The spot between my right shoulder blade and spine is not happy with me. I think it is my overly large purse obsession, 3 puppies in my back when I sleep, sitting on my foot at my desk and sitting Indian-style when I paint. I need to make some changes! Anyways, my massage was great! Becca at Salon Kalea did a great job! Very deep tissue- my favorite! If my back isn't sore the next day, then I didn't get a very good massage! Then I picked up some dinner for me and the husband. It was a nice end to the day.

On Saturday I woke up early and picked up my mom to head to Dallas for a haircut, lunch with friends and a movie. Well, on the way to Dallas I got stuck in some SERIOUS traffic on Interstate 20- so I missed my hair appointment. Don was sweet and let me reschedule for next Saturday. Then mom and I went and did a little shopping. We then met Courtney, Alli and Alli's boyfriend Justin at Abundance off of the Tollway and Haverwood. YUM! It was no nice to see them! Court, my mom and I then went to see Angels and Demons- AWESOME MOVIE! I loved it. I still love Tom Hanks. Always have, and always will! Ron Howard is a great director too! The movie was really good, a little gruesome, but I loved the combination of art, history, religion and a little mystery. So good! I like to learn while I am entertained! I recommend! See the Da Vinci Code too if you haven't yet!

Then we three went to Whole Foods. YUM. I got some goodies and then mom and I headed back east.

On Sunday Greg had to work in the morning, and my back was really bugging me again so I stayed home from church. When Greg got home we went to lunch and we drove around in the country outside of Tyler a bit- I love when we do this. Then I decided to get my butt out and run some errands. I went to Lowes, Target and Wal-Mart. Greg suggested I get my oil changed at Wal-Mart while I pick up some groceries. Worst idea of the weekend. 2 hours at Wal-Mart- not my idea of fun on a Sunday night! In my boredom I purchased the super awesome Kinoki Detox Foot Pads at Walmart for $9.00. I used them last night, and actually felt better this morning! The dirty pads were nasty! Not sure if it really works, but I will keep trying them. My back hurt less, and I am much perkier today!

I hope you all have a wonderful week!!

Happy Colorful Dots

Look what my sweet Greg finally let me get today. I am so excited! I have drooled over this for months! I got the 5x8. WOO HOO!

God's Splendor

I was up a little early this morning and decided to go hang out with the puppies outside. I was taken back by the beauty and peace of the surroundings. I have never been so thankful to live in East Texas. We live on about an acre of property, and I love that when I am outside I can't really see anyone else. Sure we have neighbors, but they are not right next to us. I see lots and lots of big beautiful trees when I walk outside. Here is a bit of what I am talking about. I had to take some photos this morning to try and capture the beauty.

Take a moment over the weekend to appreciate God's beautiful creation and be thankful.


Oh yeah...Oscar REALLY likes his yard. He also likes that the yard guys showed up this morning to give it a trim :)

I've Been Bad

I'm sorry I have been a bad blogger this week! I have been super busy at work. I am excited to say the scholarships will be close to over after next week! HOORAY!

I am dreaming of this...Whose with me? Let's go!!!!

Whirl of a Weekend: Moms and Lost Fish

I had a super fun Mother's Day weekend! I missed my husband an awful lot, he had to work, work, work, but I had fun with my family and girlfriends!

On Friday Greg and I stayed in and ordered a little pizza. It was nice just to relax! Saturday morning he got up WAY to early and went to work. I headed to my favorite garden store, Hughes in Bullard, and got some plants for gifts for Mother's Day. Then my friend Tracy picked me up for a movie with Jessica and Jill. We saw Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. Now, I love Matthew Mc., but his character was a little over the top. It was fun to get out with some girls though! Greg got home when I did, and then we got ready for a nice little date night. I love date nights!

On Sunday, Greg once again had to go to work. BOO! But, Christie came over with Nathan and we drove to Canton to attend my parent's church. They are in the church choir, so we sat with my Nana and brother James. It was a great sermon, and my parent's choir was lovely!
(Me and the BEST Mom ever)

(Me and Christie- also one of the BEST moms ever!)

(My Nana ((The BEST Nana ever)) and the newest addition to our family, Alison Renee- my niece.)

Then we headed to my parents house for a little bbq, Mother's Day parting and oh yes- Wii Fit.

I had purchased the Wii Fit for my mother for Christmas. She had liked mine and made a request. After having Christie's mom purchase it in MISSOURI because I couldn't find it in Texas, I made her dream come true- Wii Fit for Christmas.

And what do I find out on Sunday? They had YET to take it out of the box! So after a little griping and help from my dad we got it set up. It was SO MUCH FUN! Watching everyone try to hula hoop was the best. I now know that my mom is the one who gave my my dysfunctional hula hoop hips! Here is a funny picture of Christie and Nathan hula hooping together!


It was a really fun weekend. One sad thing did happen though. Sometime on Saturday, my super cool carved fish garnet fell out of my ring. I have NO idea where it is. I am sad, but it is just an object, and I will recover. Greg let me get these to with the recovery. I love Bianca Gomez! I am excited to have the series!!! If we ever have kids, I want to use this color pallet and prints in the nursery.

TGIF and HUMMs

Wow. I am GLAD it is Friday!!! I took these pictures when I was at home for lunch on my iPhone. Sorry they are not the best quality, but I think you can pick out the hummingbirds. Our house is hummingbird central! Buying more feeders is on my weekend to do list! I hope you all enjoy your Mother's Day with your mothers!

Escaped

I've escaped for the rest of the day to play with my mom! Hooray!!



-- Post From

My Mom Started a Blog

That was an easy sell! My mom is hooked. She started Gardening with Beth. Check it out! Seriously, she is the Queen of Texas gardening, which means I am the Princess right?! I am excited to start getting produce from her garden. My grocery bill will be happy too!

My dad working on their new veggie garden...

Guest Blogger: How to Start a Herb Garden by Beth Thornton (my mom)

I made my mother guest blog. She is thinking of starting her own, and I think she should! I'll keep you posted. Anyways, here are her thoughts on all things herb gardens. Enjoy!

Insect pests generally have pretty poor eyesight and as a result they seek out their dinner by scent rather than sight. In your own garden or patio, you can easily confuse those bugs by mixing up the scents that waft their way on the breeze. There is something about herbs that is repellent to most insect pests. They don't like to eat herbs, and they don't like to smell them. You can take advantage of this by inter-planting all your gardens with herb plants. Almost all herbs are good for discouraging insect pests, because almost all herbs have strong scents. Some are particularly repellent to particular insects. Of course, most of these little pest controllers are also good for cooking gourmet meals. With a little knowledge you can enjoy both benefits of herb gardening.

Did you ever admire window boxes in pictures of cottages from days past? They were charming, but the real reason people had them in their windows was to deter flies, mosquitoes, and other bugs. The people in the past did not have air conditioners or usually even screens for their open windows in the summer. Flowers that come to mind for this use are geraniums and marigolds. If you think about it, these don’t smell sweet like some. The bugs don’t think so either, so they move on. Planting these around your back door will work for you too.

Basil – Speaking of flying insects, another herb that deters flies and mosquitoes is Sweet Basil. Basil also discourages tomato worm so it needs a place in your veggie garden as well as near the back door. Best of all, fresh basil makes lovely pesto and other culinary delights. Basil plants come in a purple as well as green varieties. It is easy to grow from seed in gardens or pots, and transplants are available at garden centers. It prefers a part sun, part shade setting, but it is really not too particular. Basil is an annual, but you can bring a pot indoors in the winter.

Garlic – Garlic is another herb we cannot do without, cooking or gardening. It also discourages pests by its odor. It even deters fungi, as well as aphids, beetles and spider mites. Plant garlic around everything except beans. Garlic grows from a bulb. If you examine it, you see that it will break down into several small bulbets. Some say it helps to refrigerate the bulbs first, if not planting in winter. When you are ready to plant, break the large bulb into small pieces. Save the small ones for eating and plant the bigger ones for best results. For more information, go to www.garlicfarm.ca/.

Mint – Another must have in herbs is mint. You can find many varieties of mint such as spearmint and peppermint. All kinds of mint are great in drinks in summer, and they also deter insects. A pot or two of mint on the patio will delight you as well as deter pests. Be wary, however of putting mint in a garden setting. They tend to take over an area. They are best in a pot all their own. Mint can be grown from seed, from dividing with a friend who has a large plant, or from a transplant from a nursery. Mint needs part sun, and are easy to grow. Mint does like lots of water. It may be your first plant to show wilt from needing water, especially as it gets hot.

Rosemary – Rosemary is one of those must haves in the herb category. It is even evergreen, so you have it all winter. I have a large stand of rosemary in the back of one of my rose beds near a back door. It helps with the bugs in the roses, as well as bugs going into the house. It deters flies, mosquitoes, other flying bugs such as moths, and beetles. It is good to have in the vegetable garden too for pest control, especially around carrots and cabbage family veggies. Also I have even used it for greenery around Christmas. It looks like little pine branches when cut. Sometimes you find it cut into the shape of a little Christmas tree. Beware taking a large amount of rosemary indoors though, because the odor can be very strong. You will probably like the scent if you use it in small doses. It makes wonderful chicken dishes too. Plant rosemary from a transplant or a division from somewhere such as my house. I have an abundance of rosemary.

Sage – Sage is a beautiful and tasty herb to include in your plantings. Sage is one of the stars in Italian cooking. It also deters insects in general. Sage is hard to grow from seed, so the easiest way to grow it is with a small transplant. It usually comes with a gray green foliage which contrasts nicely with other herbs planted in a group. A great idea is to have one of several herbs and plant them together in a big pot, a washtub (punch holes in the bottom for drainage) or an old wheel barrel. I have my late father’s old wheelbarrow planted with herbs. It came complete with holes already in it. It sits near my back door, but if a storm comes up, or it gets too hot later in the summer, it is easy to move to a different location.

Tansy – Please note that we do not eat tansy. It is a beautiful fern-like plant that works wonders in the bug deterrent department, but it is toxic to pets and small children. Think carefully where you would put tansy to be sure that it would not be mistaken for an edible herb. I have one near a back door, but I plan to put in a hanging basket for safety. It is great to deter flying insects, beetles, ants, and even squash bugs. It has a strong odor. If you have a pesky fly or mosquito, just pinch the tansy leaf which releases the scent. Problem solved.

Thyme – Thyme is one of my favorite herbs. I especially like lemon-scented thyme, and there are other flavors available that are very suited for Italian cooking. Thyme is a small ground cover-type plant which spreads as it grows. It has leaves smaller than clover. It is great as flavoring for chicken and other dishes. It fits in beautifully in a mixed herb bed too. Thyme also makes a great edging along a bed or a walkway. If you step on it, the wonderful subtle scent is released. Some people plant thyme in between rocks on a rock walkway for that very reason. It can be grown from seed or transplants. Sometimes it comes back the next year. As an insect deterrent, it discourages cabbage worms and cutworms in the garden.

Cilantro –No Mexican meal is complete without this herb. The leaves are called Cilantro, and the seeds are used as a spice called Coriander. It is in the parsley family and looks very much like flat parsley. The aroma is definitely different. To use Cilantro, just snip the leaves off the plant, wash, and chop. In the garden cilantro repels aphids, Colorado potato beetles and spider mites. More good news, cilantro attracts ladybugs who love to dine on aphids.

Oregano -- Oregano (sometimes called Pot Marjoram) is a chief spicing ingredient in Italian and Greek dishes. It also works well as a general insect repellant. Oregano is perennial and gets to be 2-3 feet. It is best to prune oregano plants to keep them compact. It prefers dry warm weather, but is easy to grow almost anywhere. Grow with transplants from a nursery or from divisions from a friend. (Marjoram is a type of oregano.)

For more information on growing different herbs in your garden see http://herbgardening.com/.

To make your own organic pest control: Grind 3 large onions, 1 bunch of garlic and 3 hot peppers. Mix with water and leave overnight in a covered container. In the morning, strain through fine strainer or cheesecloth and add sufficient water to produce approximately one gallon (16 cups) of pesticide.

- Beth Thornton

Whirl of a Weekend: Growing a Green Thumb and Antique Shopping

I had a wonderful and relaxing weekend! Friday night we didn't do much. The hubby was exhausted, so we just chilled at home. I think we had pizza? Don't remember...

Saturday my sweet Greg went to work. I slept in, and then had a massage at 11:00pm. My massage therapist got an awful migraine and started getting nauseous while she was working on me and had to stop about 30 mins into my massage! I felt so bad for her. I did get my little massage for free though, so that was nice. I hope she is okay though! Need to reschedule!

After that, I met my friend Tracy for some lunch at the awesome Don Juan's and then we did a little antique shopping. She had NEVER been!? I think she loved it. I am excited to know I have a new antique shopping friend. I could seriously go every weekend if my budget allowed. She got a really cute white mini drop leaf table for her living room, and I got a white plant stand. (Pictured below) I'll get Tracy to send me a photo of her table (Tracy, send me a photo of your table...)
Saturday night my Greg was tired again, and had sports to watch on TV, so I went to dinner with Christie and Nathan. So much fun! Nathan is such a boy! It is amazing to see how much he changes every time I see him!

Sunday we were heathens. Greg went into work, I know... seriously?!?, and I slept in a bit and then went to the grocery store. He met me for an early lunch and we hung out. I have missed him so much!!! I worked in the yard the rest of the day, and ran some errands. I got the cute patio table, pictured below, at Marshall's for $39! Awesome deal!

(I got a really cute new pink camera, obviously I didn't know the date stamp was on. BOO!)

My mom is teaching me how to have a green thumb. She is an EXCELLENT gardener, and she learned it from her mom. I am trying my best to learn. My front yard is looking great, and this weekend I started an herb garden. I have had several people ask me about how to do it, and so I asked my mom to guest blog about starting an herb garden. She could seriously write a book!

Anyways, that was my weekend. I have a crazy week ahead of me!

Ebay Love

As most of my regular readers might now, I have a serious love and addiction to antique jewelry. The majority of my jewelry that is worth anything is old, old, old. I love it! I love that most of it was made by hand, and that no one else has one just like it.

I've been kind of stressed, bored and blah-ed out about a few things this past month, and my sweet husband told me to purchase something that might cheer me up. Yes, I know things can't buy happiness, but they can sure cheer you up! And to get my husband's blessing to go shopping makes me so excited! Yes, I know I don't really need (and don't usually get) his blessing to shop, but when he gives it to me it makes me think much harder about what I want to purchase. It also makes it that much more special.

So, he told me to get something to cheer me up. Of course, I turn to my favorite... EBAY. That is my place to go for funky antique/vintage jewelry. There is also an antique jewelry dealer I like, but I'll save that for later.

This is what I purchased.Seriously, have you ever seen anything like it before? Not I! It is made of white gold and diamonds, set with a 2ct garnet that has been carved to look like a fish. Also, a STEAL for $86.99! Kind of crazy, yes, but I think it will be my summer wardrobe staple along with my mermaid ring carved out of turquoise that I got for Christmas last year. (Terrible Christmas morning picture below, but only one I could find avec the mermaid ring.)Every time I see my new fish or mermaid ring I think it will remind me of Dori's (Ellen in Finding Nemo's) motto to "Just Keep Swimming." It will encourage me all day long!

Another kind of random puchase... a silver vintage JENNIFER ring. Not the best looking item on the market, but for $7, including shipping, I couldn't leave my name on a ring unsold! It is a size 10, won't fit anything but my thumb, and that might be a stretch, but I had to save it from unsold-ness.

So, long story short (right Tracy), I love Ebay, but I love my husband more for letting me shop on Ebay!