Monograms

I love, love, love monograms ...

I was in high school and college in the 1980's era and

I had more monogrammed sweaters, shirts, headbands and bermuda bag covers than

I knew what to do with (wish I had held on to those, darn).

As soon as I see an item of interest, I check to see if monogramming is an option through the company. If not, I take it to my favorite local place.

In our home I have my monogram (maiden name), my married monogram, and my husband and mine combined monogram.

I've even monogrammed my SUV.

The large monogram for our master bathroom shower door is on

its way ~ won't my husband be surprised.

If my husband would allow me, I'd monogram my child : }

I've been asked about the project I last posted

It could not be easier!

I used a monogram that can be adhered to just about anything.

They come in different colors and sizes.

The one in my frame is actually a car decal.

To order your own,

contact:

monogramsbysopretty.com

They are very friendly and do a fantastic job!

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Simplistic Sunday

We had a quiet Sunday ~

~worked in the yard with my husband

~organized my week ahead

~planned our dinners for the week

~made the weekly grocery list

~chatted with a friend from home {Michigan}

~finished my project {seen below}

~had dinner on the patio

~watched the closing ceremonies of the Olympics

with my husband

It was a lovely day

My Project

I love monograms ~ the more the better!

I had a few odds and ends laying around so, I made this yesterday afternoon.

It's rather hard to see compliments of my antique camera {we are currently "researching" camera options, being married to an engineer can be a little daunting at times. I would have just bought one by now, OK, back to the project}.

I had a mirror that I didn't really use, paper that I love, a monogram, and beautiful ribbon just itching to be used.

Put it all together, and this is what you get!

I have it hanging on the wall in our master bedroom by my

reading nook.

It fits just perfectly, I love it!

Another fabulous Simplistic Sunday!

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A Woman Should Have ...

I had the pleasure of hearing Maya Angelou speak several years ago. She is an amazing women with fascinating insight. At times, it's so simplistic that it speaks volumes.

 It is such a life long lesson.

MAYA ANGELOU'S

A Woman Should Have

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

enough

money within her control to move out

and rent a place of her own,

even if she never wants to or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

something perfect to wear if the employer,

or date of her dreams

wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

a youth she's content to leave behind....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

a past juicy enough

that she's looking forward

to retelling it in her old age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill,

and... a black lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

one friend who always makes her laugh..

and one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

a good piece of furniture

not previously owned by

anyone else in her family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

eight matching plates,

wine glasses with stems,

and a recipe for a meal,

that will make her guests feel honored...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...

a feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

how to fall in love without losing herself...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

how to quit a job,

break up with a lover,

and confront a friend,

without ruining the friendship...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

when to try harder...

and when to walk away...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

that she can't change the length of her calves,

the width of her hips,

or the nature of her parents...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

that her childhood may not have been perfect...

but it's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

what she would and wouldn't do...

for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

how to live alone...

even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

whom she can trust,

whom she can't,

and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

where to go...

be it to her best friend's kitchen table...

or a charming Inn in the woods...

when her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

What she can and can't accomplish in a day...

a month...

and a year...

AND REMEMBER:

Be yourself...everyone else is already taken

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Suggestions please ...

Typically, we don't usually exchange gifts for our anniversary.
This year however, my husband surprised me with gift certificate, that he created, for a new camera.

Now for the hard part ~ which one?
I don't want to buy one that has too many options at the same time I want something to grow into ~ does that make sense?

If you have a minute, please share what you own and what you most enjoy about your camera feature wise.

Thanks!

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Anniversary

Today is my anniversary.

It's been a busy summer and my husband has been gone for most of the season.

Tonight he is spending it with me at Stonecroft.

This is a lovely B&B not far from our home. The grounds are breath taking, the staff is wonderful and the chef is amazing!

It's quiet and quaint,
and I can't wait to spend the evening with my
Naval Officer.

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Swap partner

The names have been drawn and my Preppy Fall Swap partner is Angela Harris

I can't wait to meet you!

Let the shopping begin! : )

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Simplistic Sunday

I love lazy laid back Sundays. We don't get the opportunity to enjoy such days often but when we do, it's a real treat.

My Naval Officer is home for a few days. He has been working hard so when I looked out in the backyard and saw this .....

I just couldn't get upset. He and Bozely were (and I quote) testing the endurance of the new hammock. Only an engineer would come up with that one. I guess the testing qualifications went well because they were out there for a long time!

After their strenuous testing, they took a walk, played ball, and cleaned out the garage.

Not a bad day all in all.

I don't think sleeping through the night will be a problem!

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Amazing Woman!

We had a quiet Saturday evening at home with dinner on the patio with our neighbors followed by watching the Olympics.

This woman just amazes me!

I love her grace and charm. I am always touched when she congratulates those around her for their successes. Her grace continues to shine through when she speaks of the other swimmers ~ they are the competition in the water, but friends out of the water.

What a wonderful representation for the USA!

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Jonathan Edwards

This is where I spent Thursday evening, Jonathan Edwards Winery. It is absolutely gorgeous! Each Thursday in July and August they feature a band at the winery. The selection is varied and always enjoyable.

We pack a picnic dinner, buy a bottle of their wine, sit back in our beach chairs and relax!

The setting is perfect! Many years ago it was a dairy farm so it sits up on the land and looks out over it's fields which are now planted with vines. When the sun sets it hits the barn and is breath taking.

Time just seems to stop for a short time when we are here and I can catch my breath.

I love coming here for date nights with my Naval officer, but unfortunately, he isn't home right now, so we made it a girls night out and had a fabulous time!

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Going into town!

I'm sure I've already shared (whined, complained) that we live in a small town with other small towns surrounding us. It wasn't my choice to move here, the Navy decided for us!

I grew up in a large city in Michigan and enjoyed having everything at my finger tips ~ great shopping, wonderful food stores, fabulous restaurants, cultural events, theater, and so on ... you get the picture, it had a heart beat.

My husband gets this odd twisted look on his face each time I tell him "I'm going into town, do you need anything?" He often replies by saying .... "OK Laura, this is not Little House On the Prairie."

Oh, I beg to differ!

On Thursday I hitched up the wagon and drove to town ~ a REAL town. This town (aka city) has everything I miss and it only takes me 45 minutes to get there. So yes, darling husband, I do think we live on the prairie if it takes me 45 minutes to get to civilization!

I hit my favorite food stores (they call it food shopping, not grocery shopping around here) and bought all my favorite items.

I love Trader Joe's! They have so many wonderful products, they are so friendly and best of all ... they are cheap!

My second favorite it Whole Foods ... great produce, fresh meats and seafood, huge cheese selections, fresh baked breads and pastries, love their organic selection, not to mention their bulk rices, pastas, dried fruits and nuts. I always treat myself to one of their amazing bouquet of flowers.

It's just a shame that they won't let me move in!

I also found time to hit JCrew, Pottery Barn, REI, and a few other shops on my "to do list." I even knocked off a few Christmas gifts!

This is the result of my trip to town

(this doesn't include the loaded back seat or the middle seats.)

It was a very productive trip!

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Sea shells

I found this print along with two others when I was in Seattle (last summer). Since we live the near ocean, I thought it was appropriate to have a couple "beach" theme pictures. These are hanging in my master bathroom. I framed them in sweet simple frames. I found the sea star hooks while shopping in Mystic. They were a funny blueish green color so I painted them. The ribbon they are hanging from is a beautiful green silk, but my not so wonderful camera, doesn't do justice to colors.

Bottom line is that I finally got them finished and all three look so sweet in the bath.

hmmm .... what to do tomorrow?

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CAbi show

Great time with invited guests ...

Last night I hosted the first of the season, CAbi show. It is a wonderful line of women's clothing.

I am SO excited about some of the pieces. I want to show you pictures but I can't get them ~ darn! My first favorite is the Manhattan blazer. It is fabulous! I'm wearing it the day it arrives even if it's 90 degrees out! It is double breasted and plaid ~ life doesn't get much better than that! My second favorite is so Jackie O. It's the Carriage Cape. It is in a beautiful green and the lining is black with white polka dots ~ another must!

All my great girl friends came to see the new line. We had lots of yummy food, wine and of course, talking non~stop.

The best part of this shopping adventure is trying the pieces on and getting "contructive critizism" from those who are near and dear to you. Or, the honest to goodness truth like it or not, they are not holding back! No, I won't be getting the Jett Jean, thank you Rebecca!

Not a great time with UN~invited guest ...

I should begin by explaining that a wren has decided that my flower display on my front door is the absolute best place to build a nest and lay her eggs ~ ummm, we sorta use that door every day. I tried to discourage her in the beginning by taking away the nest as it was being build but she got sneaky on me and built it one night when I wasn't on guard.

For the past several days I open the door and make a lot of noise so she will fly away. Due to the fact that I have a new puppy who is potty training, I am in and out non~stop. One day I didn't see her and she flew into my head ~ yes, the neighbors heard my favorite word when I get scared and I shared it with them at the top of my lungs since I was expecting a good morning peck!

As I was saying good~nite to one of my friends that had to leave early, the front door was slightly ajar. I thought the wren had left her nest .... nope, she heard a noise and flew out ... or in as "in" my house. She flew up the stairs and into my room. Rebecca who is a Librarian by day and bird hunter by night was first on the scene. She opened the windows and tried to encourage the bird to fly out ... nope, not working as planned. The bird flew out of my room and into our hallway ... now what do we do? We need a net ... I just happen to have one in my dramatic play crate in the garage. My friend Kelly apparently keeps one in her truck (I'm not asking why) so now we are armed and still have no idea what to do! However, we are women and can handle this crisis!

(armed and dangerous?)

(I think Mrs. Wren is laughing at us) Or so we thought!

The bird flew back and forth in my hallway for at least 20 minutes. When she was done playing with us, she flew back down the stairs and out the front door, just as she had arrived.

I'll tell you about my brand new double wall oven catching on fire earlier in the evening another time since you are probably going cross eyed after reading this long winded post.

I think it's safe to say that my girlfriends won't be forgetting this evening any time soon!

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Rainy day project

I actually did this yesterday but couldn't get a bright enough picture due to the fact that it looked like mid~night at 3:00 in the afternoon.

I painted the frame (very ugly color before), bought wood at the hardware store and had it cut to fit the frame, then painted the board with chalk board paint.

Yes, that is a Longaberger basket that I painted. It is old and already had a few marks on it from various moves so I gave it a new life with a coat of paint and them stamped a fleur de lis on the front. It will hold the chalk and eraser.

I thought it would be nice for quick messages to each other as we are running out the door. Or perhaps love notes from my husband (yes, I'm dreaming).

My daughter has different thoughts. She thinks I should put our dinner menu on it in the morning before I leave for school .... Ummm, do you have a brain injury that I am not aware of? Menu? As in choices? You will eat what I serve and if you don't like it, breakfast is in a few short hours. Maybe in your next life you'll be so lucky to have a short order cook for a mother.

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Introducing ...

the newest member of our family, Bozely.

He is an adorable, sweet natured 10 week old english bulldog. He is just so cute! Yes, we have all been sucked in by his wagging tail and sad little face.

His current past times include nibbling on toes, playing with toys, eating, enjoying the great outdoors and sleeping. Most of his sleeping is done during the day. This offers the opportunity to stay up most of the night and play with ... me! Yes, he has his days and nights a little mixed up.

So while my husband is sleeping soundly on the boat, I am entertaining till the wee hours. It's a good thing he is so cute!

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Shhhh ....

Can you keep a secret? I went to look at baby bullies today and my husband doesn't know about it since he is out to sea. So I guess I'm not really breaking too many rules ~ sorta kinda.

We lost our faithful friend Max in May. He has heat stroke and passed away. I received one of the worst phone calls ever while at school. It was my son on the other end of the line telling me that Max has just passed away. I ran into my principals office and told her I needed to leave right away. A good friend who is the Reading Specialist said that she would cover my class for the last 45minutes of the day. Thank Goodness for such wonderful friends! I flew home in tears. My husband had gotten the same call and we were one car away from each other heading home. I will never forget the sight of my 17 year old, 6'2" son sobbing. Max was his best buddy and they had a special bond.

Max and I shared many top secret confidential conversations. At times, they were a little one sided but he didn't seem to mind. He was always interested when a package arrived, such an intent listener when I had a bad day at school, sympathetic when I was down and did all this for a mere scratch behind the ears and a treat or two. His services were much cheaper than therapy!

Our home has been much too quiet since Max has been gone. My husband has no one to watch TV with, and my retail therapy has gotten a bit pricey. Hey, I need someone to pay attention to me and those sale clerks to a bang up job!, our daughter has no one to walk past the "cute new guy" that just moved in the neighborhood, and my son needs a bud(dy).

Well, out of the blue, our breeder called to let us know that she had heard about Max from our Vet. We talked for a while and then went on with our days. Last week I called her back and casually asked if she would be having a litter any time soon. Guess what .... she has 10week old bullies! I'm in my truck and on my way!

Can you say SUCKER?

Yep, that's what I am! I've sent pictures off to the boat with an attached note stating all the reasons he needs us and we need him!

How cute is he? We look pretty darn cute together if I must say!

This little guy isn't ours yet but I'm trying to come up with a plan.

I'm thinking of passing him off as a "welcome home" gift ~ think my husband will fall for it?

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