It's Too Hot To Do Anything!

Remember I told you when I started this blog that it was my job to complain about the weather when it got to be over 110 degrees? Well, it's time! Phoenix has never been known to be balmy and  mild, but 112 degrees and climbing? Naw, it's just not my kind of weather. It just saps my strength and energy, so I tend to do nothing but think, plan and connive! Hahahahaha................boy someone's going to get it!  I have had my Grandson, Joshua, for several visits during his school vacation and we have had some wonderful visits. He's feeling much better these days, so I wanted to thank you for your prayers. I'll admit I have been discouraged about my blog undertaking as of late, because it requires good photography, downloading, linking, linking back, installing a button to a side bar, etc, and I always have a hard time getting those to work, so today I thought I would just blog, without any of the fancy stuff, and just have a good time.
My brother Steve and sil Becky will be here in July for a visit and I'm really excited about that! They will spend most of their time in Sedona and then before they leave AZ they will make a visit to Phoenix. No, they're not crazy, they just love me.  I met a gracious, sweet, and wonderful lady by the name of Susie, who has a blog and Etsy shop with some awesome vintage items in her store. She blessed me in a way I never expected, but I will have to save this wonderful story for later, since it would ruin a surprise I am putting together for my Mom. You can find this sweet lady, Susie, at lemonverbena1 on Etsy and on her blog with the same name. Thank you again, Susie, for your gracious gesture! I can't wait to tell the whole story!

I'm Having GW withdrawals!

I haven't had a trip to GW for 2 weeks and I'm freaking out, as my grands would say. It's payday tomorrow and I've just about made it, but boy, am I having withdrawals! My best friend Randy had to go without me (absolutely unheard of, we always go together) this last week,  but I've found that I'm in more misery if I go, then I see something I can't buy, and then...well, it's not pretty! Sooo, here I am with nothing to post. BUT, then I came up with an idea, and this is long over due.  I am going to make this a tribute to the amazing Ms Karen Valentine who designed this beautiful space for me to have fun with. Her business is called Valentine Designs and her book is called Building Beautiful Blogs (see below). I purchased this book and I highly recommend it for each and every blogger, newbies and experienced alike, because it has so much new information and it has wonderful reference material (.http://buildingbeautifulblogs.com/) .

Thomas Kinkade

I feel very fortunate, especially after the recent sad event, that I have a Thomas Kinkade  picture hanging in my home. I've always admired his great talent and I agree he is indeed "the purveyor of light" that shows so wonderfully in his paintings. My brother Steve and Becky started collecting his works over ten years ago, and one visit to Phoenix they took me to a Kinkade Gallery and asked me to pic the picture that I loved. So I choose this old victorian home, which is now a B&B in Placerville, CA. The lights show so beautifully inside this home in the painting, and I loved that warm feeling I got from looking at it, so they bought it for me and my Mom and Dad had it framed. It is one of my most prized possessions and I thank them for it. Sorry about the glare and the bad photography. I am not a photographer so it is what it is!

This is a picture of my Kinkade on my table in the living room.

This is a lamp I got from Goodwill earlier this year for $12.50 on half off day. They had a matching pair, but I only had  enough for one. I felt very fortunate anyway. It's a beautiful crystal lamp. The little book next to the lamp is a Thomas Kinkade of scripture verses next to some of his paintings. The little birds are some that my mother gave to me.

This little table under the Kinkade is an old  La Galerie by Thomasville tea cart the was my MIL. It has wheels and little leaves on both side that you can pull out and the top is made of slate.

Better view of the birds and the little book. Do any of you remember the Decor Store in Phoenix area? That's where I bought this beautiful box, greens and spire. I miss that place terribly!

This is the same table after I added my French plate that my daughter bought me.

This is my Joshie Bear with his vampire teeth. No really, his teeth are gone in the upper front and the lower adult teeth have already grown in so when he smile, his bottom teeth fill in the empty space and look like vampire teeth! Here, he is showing you that he got a trophy for the season of soccer that he just finished for Boys and Girls Club and his new glasses that he just got this past week. 2 new things for him, and for some reason he wanted to pose with the birds, too. Hummmm....This  is what 7 looks like! He's very sick right now, and we would appreciate prayers.