Happy Birthday Winner is Carole.... Yea

Thanks everyone for your birthday well wishes.  I've had an okay day, but definitely feeling better than yesterday.  My Son didn't bring over my Grandson, so I had 7 comments and asked my Husband to pick a number between 1 and 7.  He picked...........#5.

So my friend, Carole, you made the fifth comment and are therefore the winner of my birthday present!  This was fun to do on the spur of the moment!  Just let me know what you would like from my Etsy Shop and I'll send it out next week!

Off to bed now...I'm tired,
Blessings,
Susie

I Have A Birthday Present From Me to You!

I''ve always enjoyed giving presents, and so on my own birthday, it's no exception.  Yep...I'm 56 today!  It's certainly not going to be a momumental day....still feeling exhausted from the chemo and not bouncing back as I had hoped.
So I dediced that I'm going to give away a $50 gift certificate for any item in my Etsy Shop.  I actually just went in and reactivated a lot of stuff.

Just leave a comment or just say "hey"and this evening when my Grandson comes over, we'll put names in a basket, and let him draw one!  Just check back tonight or tomorrow am and email me your address and we'll get 'er done!

So, Happy Birthday To Me, and Good Luck and Best Wishes To You!

Blessings,
Susie

So Glad To Be Home

Just a quick update on my week.  I was able to come home from the hospital last night after my fifth day of chemotherapy.  I had NO side effects and tolerated all well...thank GOD!  I am thankful for my family and friends who have been supporting me so graciously!

It feels GREAT to be home....the best!  Now I just have to pace myself this week and try not to do too much....but there's pillows to be be made and stuff to fluff!

Blessings to all and thanks for your well wishes and prayers.....it works!

Susie

When Live Throws You Curves....Ya Gotta Learn To Swerve

So I guess today, I'm swerving.  Well at least my head is spinning.  Two weeks ago I had a hysterectomy, where I had a 15 lb. tumor removed from my right ovary.  We met with my Doctor today, and she is definitely recommending 3 rounds of chemo as there were definitely signs of stage 1 cancer.  The chemo will be done in the hospital for 4 days every 21 days.  They will install a port to administer the three types of chemo.  Bummer!

I don't want to bring anyone down and please don't feel sorry for me.  I have faith and know that God will bring me through this time.....it's just that right now I'm kinda numb, ya know?

They say the hospital has Wi-Fi so at least I can have ny laptop with me, and maybe even finish my rug hooking project that I started years ago.....That's a good thing.

Blessings,
Susie

Falling For White Wednesday

Quick Decorating

"Putting stuff together that you have available really fast"

 

I had purchased the bittersweet vine on Etsy a couple'a weeks ago.  This is the only 'orange' that will be in my Fall decor this year.  The crow is vintage paper mache'...my fav!

Check out the size of the sunflower head on the left! (Also an Etsy find).

I love this Audubon print of the crow.  I don't do 'halloween', but I do love crows!

"What is it?"

My collection of pumpkin stems under an old glass dome.  The base is a neat piece of hypertufa.

Just gotta get me some more white pumpkins....hope I can find 'em easily this year!

I'm linking up with Kathleen at Faded Charm for WW. 

Our prayers are with her son as he heals from a broken leg.....so sad.

Blessings,

Susie



We Will Remember

We shall never forget

We shall keep this day,

We shall keep the events and the tears

In our minds, our memory and our hearts

and take them with us as we carry on.

God Bless America! 

May we never take our freedom for granted.

"As The Crow Flies"

  ~ The most direct route between two places~

I always wondered what that phrase meant...so today I googled it..

Just gearing up for Fall, Ya'll...

Zinc

I love zinc...it catches my eye and makes me happy!  So....I was trying to figure out how to incorporate zinc into White Wednesday, googled it and here's what I found:

Definitions of zinc (n)
Bluish metallic element: a bluish white metallic element....Good enough for me!

Zinc'n  Linkin' up with Faded Charm for another Wonderful White Wednesday!

Susie's Composting 101 - Project Genesis

I'm hooking up with Suzan at Old Grey Mare for Project Genesis.  If you haven't already, head on over and take some time to read about it.  Suzan is an amazing advocate for keeping our planet healthy, has a wealth of information and if she doesn't inspire you....nothing will!  I know I have a long way to go to live as 'Green' as I would like....it's a process.  It makes us do things we aren't 'used' to.  Change is good, and there's so many 'simple and easy' things we can all do.

One thing that I am totally sold on is "Composting". I can remember searching for information about composting.  There's entire books about the subject:

Check out this book....all 1007 pages!

If I have one gardening book, I have 25 and most of them have information about composting.

I have a folder with magazine articles about composting, and how to build a 'fancy' way to keep it intact!

"Composting:  Make It or Buy It?"

"How to Bake Compost"

"Layering Green and Brown"

"Ratios"

"Build Your Perfect Compost Bin"

Well, I say "phooey" on all that....it's just way to complicated for my simple little country mind!

So, here's "Composting Susie's Way": 

1.  Know what to compost (now you may want to read up on this a bit, but here's the condensed version)

 ~Brown materials:  leaves, branches, wood chips, straw  - These add carbon

 ~Green materials:  grass clippings, discarded plants, well rotted manure (personally I don't have any of this laying around), kitchen scraps (no meat or bones)  - These add nitrogen

2.  Now don't get me wrong, I would love to have a fancy bin.....but I just find an outta the way place (easily accessible and not too far from the kitchen) and get started:

    Here's My Compost Pile (not so pretty, but effective)

2.  The books will give you complicated measurements for  layering.  Here's what I say:

~Start out with some brown stuff, add some green
~Throw on kitchen scraps, brown and green whenever you have 'em

3.  Get ya a good pitch fork and turn it when you feel like it (if I throw in a lotta kitchen scraps, I usually dig 'em in a bit).

4.   Water it now and then

5.   Wait a little bit, and before you know it, you'll have the most wonderful 'dark, garden gold' and it doesn't cost a penny!

Could it be any easier?

I don't know about you, but composting makes me feel good!

Now go dig them salad scraps outta the garbage and feed your compost pile!

Keep it Green,

Susie

White Wednesday ~ My Favorite White Things

 I'm linking up today with Faded Charm for White Wednesday. I thought today I would show some of my favorite white things.

 This is one of my latest finds....wonderful old dough bowl with original white paint.  Check out the repair...love it!

Have a Wonderful White Wednesday

Saturday Nite Special Featuring Old Chairs

I'm  linking up with Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for SNS featuring old chairs.  My post is about old chairs that have seen better days and how I repurposed them:

The chair was similar to this one:

Here's another old chair that I have in the garden as a trellis.

I have white cypress vine growing on it now.

This one's been set out to the lower 40...just waiting for inspiration...

This old metal one is a favorite.  It's just hanging out in the side yard that needs to be cleaned up "natural garden'

Moral of the story.........old chairs don't die, they just become repurposed!

Have a wonderful weekend,

Blessings ~ Susie

Lizard

Just had to show this picture....it came out pretty good!

My Favorite Antique Sign

Several years back, my husband and I were antiquing in Tennessee and stopped by our favorite shop in Bell Buckle, Phillips General Store.  If you ever have the opportunity to go there, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.  Anyway, the first thing I saw when I entered was this sign.  I think my heart skipped a beat or two.  I gotta have it, I thought.  You see,   I collect antique signs,  love gardening and all things floral....and....my Grandfather's name was 'Winfield'.  We also gave our son the middle name of Winfield to honor my Grandfather!

I'm joining French Cupboard for Vintage Black Friday.  This is the first time I've linked here, but I wanted to show off share my wonderful sign!

Happy Friday!

Susie

Legs or No Legs?

I've decided to bring my latest CL find in to house the television.  It's not often that you find an old cupboard that will fit a large tv.

The current tv cupboard is great (I got it from Shelley, Sweet Pea Home), but an enclosed cupboard will be the best thing.  And, I already have a new place in mind for the current one..

So here's my question.....The 'legs' on the cupboard are in pretty bad shape and completely uneven.  So should I just try to 'even' out the legs or just cut them off completely?  Is there any advantage to having legs if height is not an issue?  It would be one less place for those dreaded 'dust balls' to hide without legs!

For example, this cupboard has about 2" legs......

See the dust?

These are both Southern pieces, and my guess would be that they had legs to protect the cupboard from water damage.  Back in the day, women would just toss a bucket of water on the floor and mop it up.  You'll see water marks on a lot of old farm tables!

So now, if I bring in this cupboard.......

I'll have to move this hanging cupboard (also from Shelley)......

which I just redecorated last night........

Because.......

 I had to display my new letters, found in an Etsy shop here

Now what to do with the stuff I took out?

Keep it?  Sell? 

Some of it did go here:

(some of this stuff isn't in the above pic...I change it around often)

I'm already exhausted just thinking about it all!

I'll definitely have to 'make nice' to my husband this weekend!

Did I happen to mention that the cupboard was $50.00?

I'm linking up with Faded Charm  for White Wednesday.