Lazy Daisies

After a record stretch of 52 days over 90 degrees and a new high record of 105 degrees, Denver has finally cooled off and has been receiving some much needed rain!

Tonight however, the weather is supposed to turn even cooler and tomorrow the high is 42 degrees! There is even a chance of snow for the higher elevations (above 10K ft.)!

My last set of annuals (white shasta daisies) bloomed last week, Whitley has 4 days of summer break left, the first school meeting was tonight and tomorrow I take Whit to middle school to meet her advisor and to arrange her locker. I start back to school on the 25th and from there, I would say we are off and running for another action packed 9 months.

It's hard to believe that there are only 4 more "lazy daisies" of summer.

Putting the ZZZZZZZ's in ZEBRA

Well, our case of the missing zebra has been solved! Today, it magically arrived by UPS along with the beaded curtain we purchased to finish Whitley's closet. The zebra has been caught, the project is done and we can all catch some ZZZZZ's!!!!

Pray for our Military

The war in Iraq had raged for many years now. At the start of the conflict, I must admit that I did not know of anyone personally, who was serving in the war. The closet person I could connect with was my cousin Morris Blakey (my Dad's nephew/A. Joyce & U. Pork/wife Amy and 3 precious children), who served in the first Desert Storm in 1990, as a Special Force Marine.

In this war, over 4,100 US military have lost their lives and the armed forces are scrambling to fill those vacancies.

Another "Blakey", Nick (my Cousin Grant's son) will soon be deployed to the desert. We have also learned that my cousin Randy Joe Nichols (my late great A. Ruth's and U. Nick's son/wife Heather and kids), who has been with the National Guard for over 20 years, is being deployed to Afghanistan.

I pray for all the people who have caught in the middle of this awful conflict and specifically today for Nick, Randy and their families.

I also pray for those who are wounded, who are grieving the loss of loved ones, and for those who deal with the mental anguish and post traumatic stress of war. May God wrap His loving arms around each one of these souls and may all be comforted, healed and protected.

God bless each one of you, including your families, for your sacrifice!

2008 Miss World Festival Queen

There are some things that stay in a family; Granny's cookie jar, Aunt Ruth's recipe for snickerdoodles, old photos, a quilt and the like.

Another part of the legacy I find interesting, is that we have another "queen" in the family tree. In 1988, I was crowned Miss Stark County Queen and here, 20 years later, a new family member takes reign! My cousin, Jordan Milroy (my step-mom's niece) was crowned the 2008 World Festival Queen.

The picture shows her calling her friend on her cell phone. Her friend was the person who encouraged her to do the pageant in the first place.

Jordan is 16 years old and will be a Senior this year year. She is President of her class and part of the National Honor Society. Her parents are Shane & Jill Milroy.

Congratulations Jordan!

The Case of the Missing Zebra

This is Whitley's new room (minus the zebra bedding). We had a lot of fun recycling items from our house to give her a new look. The night stand belonged to John & I's bedroom set; we painted it white and the hardware silver. The lamp she had from before, but I used fabric paint to paint the lamp shade black. The bed frame we used for guests and I simply made a bed skirt and tacked it around the perimeter. The headboard we made for $50. We cut down wafer board to size, I used the memory foam from her old twin bed and then covered in white faux leather and accented it with 8 buttons. The little mirrors I used on my 10th anniversary under candles, so I used some double stick tape to attach them.

This is what we call "Fish Art". For $4o we purchased a board, three fish bowls, 3 betas, black rock, plants and then made the shelves for them to sit on. The wicker chair in the background I had for 12 year so we painted it white and dyed the cushion black. We still need a hot pink accent pillow. Not pictured is her desk we got FREE off of Craigslist last year, and we changed the paint from antique white to pure white and painted the handles silver too.

Calling all detectives and mystery sleuths! This is as close as it gets to being a Nancy Drew or Sherlock Holmes. It seems that our zebra bedding is MISSING!

I called the company today in California and they have no clue what has happened. There is no tracking number, yet our order is still in the system...., and has been for two weeks.

The customer service representatives said at best she could reorder and they would arrive sometime after the 18th. (sigh)

So, in the meantime, all you clue-searching-sleuths can be on the look-out for a zebra striped, queen sized duvet cover and two pillow shams!

This could be your opportunity to convince your spouse that you need that trip to South Africa or exotic vacation you been dreaming of, while being a vital part in.....,

THE CASE OF THE MISSING ZEBRA!!!

Tutti Frutti Wall meets Cool Quirky Closet

After three days, Whitley's room is now painted: three crisp white walls accented by an accent wall with a paint color called "Tutti Frutti" and one cool, quirky closet! The closet is finally so organized that we are wondering if we should put the door back on?

Tomorrow, the frame of her bed goes in, while we still wait for the zany zebra striped duvet cover and shams to arrive via UPS. The to-do list still includes painting an old night stand white, making a white faux-leather upholstered headboard, sewing a bed skirt and valance and spray painting these metal do-thingys (that she hangs pictures on w/ magnets), black!

It has been interesting watching her sort through 12 years of "stuff" that she arranged into four distinct piles titled: 1- Baby-ish-stuff-going-to-Goodwill 2-Things-to-keep-in-the-new-room 3- Memory-things-to-put-away-in-a-safe-spot and of course, 4-Garbage! It was fun looking at special tiny baby outfits that we saved, an old lullaby CD, vacation souvenirs, special items grandparents have given her and even a collection of rocks (yes, as in geological fragments).

I still am feeling great, although I feel a little worn out as I post this blog entry so I will probably take tomorrow off and get back to doing my part on Tuesday before I turn into a Tutti Frutti patient who has overdone it! Ta-ta for now!

The Good Patient and the 102 Degree Temperature

This is Whit & the closet that needs finished in the background This is the drywall patch John has put in place and now they are priming the walls for white paint



THE STORY OF THE GOOD PATIENT AND THE 102 DEGREE TEMP.:

Are you joking???

Well yes...,

and no.

I am being a very good patient, but my thermometer reads 102 degrees today. However, I am not talking about the thermometer you put in my ear, but rather, the thermometer outside.

So here we are at home, ceiling fans swirling on high and the sounds of an old Amy Grant CD floating through the hot, balmy air.

I have spent the day writing thank you and e-mailing and John and Whit have started the project in Whitley's room.

You are probably thinking we never sit still, and in truth, your thinking is correct. We do enjoy putting around the house and we especially enjoy the projects that are low budget and only last a day or two. This project started because Whitley has never had a finished closet so it high time, (now that she is wearing a size 2/3 women's pants), to do so! We sold her twin beds as she has been wanting a queen sized and we were wanting a matress upgrade. We also needed to patch a whole in the wall where John installed a ceiling fan/overhead light earlier this summer and so she lucks out and gets new paint as well. I'm planning to make her an upholstered button pleated headboard as soon as I get to lift a little more than my present restriction allows. She plans to get a black and white zebra stripped comforter that will accent her one hot pink wall color entitled "Tutti Frutti" and the rest of the walls are white. It seems like a fitting choice for a girl who loves animals and modern decor!

I truly feel this is the last project for quite some time. It is hard to believe that we are beyond sunshine yellow walls, picket fences and flowers and we have now reached a mature bedroom. I so enjoyed that time doing her room for her but it is just as nice to see her personality shine through as well. When it is all done, and I am all healed, it will be just what the doctor ordered!