Wall of Mirrors....It's for the Bird!

Can I say that having a bird is a little annoying. He is currently sitting on my hat while I type this and if he poops, I swear he might accidentally fly away!

Oops, did I just say that out loud?

He can really start squawking if he isn't held or entertained on a routine basis. I don't have time to entertain the real children, so how am I going to find the time to entertain one with wings?

I think I found the solution to my problems. I decided to give Gus someone to look at. Well lets just say he hasn't caught on that he is really looking at himself. I'm hoping he never catches on. I love it. It means less poop on my shirt and hat.

Here's the happy fellow!

And here is his wall of mirrors! Many of these mirrors are Good Will purchases and garage sale finds. The large silver one happened to be a $20.00 clearanced one at Hobby Lobby, but hey it was originally $80.00. I'd say that was a steal. The little round one at the bottom was also clearanced at Hobby Lobby. I'm thinking it was about $7.00. I added some black to the star burst ones to tone down the gold!

I hung the small round one down at the bottom, so that when Gus is on his ladder he can talk to himself! Then he walks up and hops up on his branch and talks to himself again in the large mirror!

I'm hoping to find other mirrors and finish my wall soon!

For now, I'm thinking this is a win, win for the both of us!

What do you think?

An Award for Me, You Shouldn't Have!

School is officially out and the hellions are home for 79 days, ouch! I've already started my countdown for back to school in my laundry room. So, you think they've noticed?

I was so surprised to receive an award this past week which definitely made my last days of freedom bearable!

Lucy Adams from IfMama.com sent me this awesome award!

This is just oh so cool! I think when you blog you wonder if anyone even reads it! Is anybody out there? Thankfully, in receiving this award, I can say, "You like me, you really like me!"

Did you know there is an official definition as to what a Versatile Blogger is. I did not know that, but here it is.

A Versatile Blogger is one who.........

1) Provides variety in his or her posts

2) Entertains, informs, inspires and intrigues readers

3) Continues to grow as a blogger

So the rules are simple in receiving this award.

Rule 1) Thank the Blogger who awarded you this great honor and make sure others can get to his or her site!

Rule 2) List 7 to 10 secrets about yourself

Rule 3) Award this to 10 - 15 worthy bloggers!

Thank you again Miss Lucy from IfMama.com for this wonderful award! I hope you can get over to her blog and get to know this cool gal. She has written not 1 but 2 books that I can't wait to read! Check out the titles of her books.

If Mama Don't Laugh, It Ain't Funny and

Tuck Your Skirt in Your Panties and Run

Head on over and get to know Lucy now!

On to my many secrets!

Ok, do I really have any secrets? You all know me to be an open book, am I right?

1. My first secret is that I have recently lost 23lbs with Weight Watchers! I haven't done a post on this because I wanted there to be a significant amount lost before I bragged about it! I'm entitled right?

Weight Watchers is a gift from above and I cannot imagine doing anything other than this. It is truly a way of living and not a diet at all. I've never enjoyed fruits and veggies as much as now. And I really feel great.

2. I have said many times before that I hate cooking. That I in fact would rather clean a toilet than cook. Yes, I really did say that. Well, now that I am on Weight Watchers I'm starting to like cooking and finding new recipes that fit within my points. My family is getting use to "Mom's" cooking and we are all eating healthier!

3. I hate summer. No, not because the kids are home and constantly yelling, "Mom, mom" or every neighborhood kid would rather be at our house than their own. Ok, maybe a little bit. No, I pretty much hate to sweat! I also hate shorts, I rarely wear them. And I detest seeing people wear teeny tiny clothes, that oh dear Lord they should never have bought in the first place! Scary with a capital S!

4. Mice freak me out! My brain shuts off if I see one and I start to panic. We have had some in the garage just recently. When my husband told me, I'm pretty sure I started to hyperventilate. I called the pest guy and he has since sealed up any spots that looked suspicious. So far so good!

5. I get car sick riding in the front passenger seat. Maybe its a control thing but just let me drive! It's so much easier on us all if I do.

6. When the kids are gone for the day I enjoy my silence. I rarely work around the house with music on, it just makes me nervous. My friend says its because, I have too much going on in my head for even one more thing! She might be right.

7. How much poop should one person deal with in a day? I'm really sick of cleaning up after the dogs, the bunny and this dam bird! I wish he'd learn how to control himself. Is it too much to ask for a little signal before he poops right on you! How many shirts do I have to change in a day? Do you think that we could establish a code system here buddy? How about 1 squawk if you are hungry, 2 squawks if you need to poop and 3 squawks when you want to go night night! That seems like a plan, OK Gus?

I'm going to leave you now with those 7 tidbits about myself and move on to the task of picking the award recipients. This is always a hard job since there are so many deserving people out there. So, in no particular order, here are 13 that I have just recently started following and can't get enough of ......

Ashli from Maillardville Manor

Kimberly from All Work and No Play

Amanda from Fond of the Silliness

Anne from Annechovie

Taylor from MaryJanes and Galoshes

Cat from brideblu

Geninne from Genine's Art Blog

Myra from The Casabella Project

Ashley from Lilblueboo

Jennifer from Hip As I Wanna Be

Erin from Richmond Thrifter

Deanna from It's Just Me

Camila from Effortless Style

If you haven't had the opportunity to visit many of these women, please don't hesitate to do so. They are some of the very creative, witty, and talented ladies in our blogisphere!

Hope you are all enjoying your Memorial Weekend!

Last Day of Freedom!

Sorry for being a little MIA this week. It has been crazy with this being our last week of school and last minute searches for lost library books and school assignments that needed to be handed in before today. So today is my last day of freedom for a couple months. I'm not sure I'm ready for the hoodlums to be here 24/7!

Remember I don't just have mine every day but all the neighbor kids!

How on earth is today the last day of school? How did it just creep up on me? OMGosh today is really it! The last day to sit and veg on the computer with my cup of joe and eat my Bon Bons while catching up with all your lovely blogs!

Can I just say I need to order me one of these!

I figure if I remember to take one of these everyday then I'll be good to go!

Well I'm off to Field Day with my 1st grader and a million screaming rugrats!

Give me strength!

I made curtains, well sort of!

I'm pretty sure if my Home Economics teacher could see me now, she would be horrified at my sewing or lack there of! Good ole Mrs. Cunningham, (well I think that was her name). I wonder what ever happened to her!

Hey, give me a break! I haven't had Home Economics since I was 16 and I'm almost 40, so you do the math!

Can you even imagine sitting in a class like this? They truly look interested and ready to start sewing!

I was never very good at this thing called sewing anyway. I remember I passed the class but barely. We had a final project that counted for like 95% of our grade! We were to make an outfit that we could actually wear! So basically a skirt and a shirt. Mine was heinous! I don't even think I would have been caught dead in that thing! I know I screwed the buttons up and one collar was a little longer then the other. Not to mention the fabric was stiff and blue with thin white stripes.

In no way shape or form did my skirt look as cute as this one!

Do you remember being a kid and getting your very own sewing machine for Christmas? The idea of sewing a pot holder was the greatest thing ever. Ok, that and collecting Lisa Frank stickers but I digress!

The kids have one week left of school so I knew I couldn't wait any longer to get these done. I decided yesterday I would give the old, well rather brand spanking new sewing machine for a ride and sew me some curtains. Ok, not really the whole set but rather add a band of color at the bottom.

Proof that I really did in fact use a machine!

Here they are!

How do people do this thing called sewing? I think I must be going blind or in desperate need of bifocals. I can't sew a straight line to save my life! And I'm almost positive Gus our bird will be spitting out some not so pretty words soon. I wasn't about to hold my tongue since the kids were gone.

I need to order me a copy of this and quick!

Whatever you do, if you happen to stop by for a visit, do not, I repeat, "Do not turn my curtains over and check my stitching!" I swear there will be serious consequences!

I had my husband move the rod up higher so they could kind of puddle the floor!

I purchased curtains from Target and decided to go to Hobby Lobby and purchase black burlap to add the band at the bottom. What do you think?

I think I need to bring the Cheers down a little because now it looks too high!

I'm not ready for any requests at the moment but give me a couple more tries at it and anythings possible!

Off to my nephew's high school graduation this weekend!

Hope you all have a pleasant one!

I'm Being Featured Today!

What a huge surprise to wake up this morning and see that I am being featured as the #3 guest host for Terrific Thursday Blog Hop ~ Week 15!

How cool is that? Well, I'm thinking pretty cool!

Blog Hops are a wonderful way to grow your blog and meet some amazing new bloggers! If you haven't yet joined then please head on over to Rondi from WAHM Rewsource Site and/or Crystal from My Life as Mom and Wife and get hopping!

Look who's having a fun Giveaway!

My friend M.L. over at The House of Whimsy is having a fun giveaway this week! In honor of her Etsy shop re-opening she is giving one lucky person one of these darling headbands!

I think I want one in every color!

If you haven't stopped over to The House of Whimsy before then you are in for a real treat!

She is so "Whimsical" with her decor and projects, hence the title of her blog, that you might never leave!

She will take things that are broken and heading for the trash bin and make them look beautiful again. Read her post to see how she took this candle stick

to look like this! When I saw the end result, I was blown away!

And look at these little love birds! She makes them! Can you believe it? If I were getting married I would so want these on my wedding table!

Now what are you all still hanging around here for? Get on over to The House of Whimsy and start drooling!

She will pick the winner of the headband this weekend, so hurry and enter!

I think I want to live at the Goodwill!

I swear, I'd even work there except I know you can't buy anything when you are on the clock!

I asked!

I seriously go twice a week and have even been known to go twice in one day! If you want to find the best stuff you need to do the work.

So without further ado my awesome find from the other day was............

A huge Tanner and Kenzie lamp shade for only $4.99! Brand new in the plastic even!

Ahhhhh, I screamed as I spotted it! Ok, only in my mind, I didn't want to scare anyone!

Double click on the image for a closer look at it's beauty!

As you can see from the size of my coffee table the shade is quite large!

Inside is a neat shiny silver, ooooooh!

I'm still trying to convince my hubby to switch out the chandelier in the dining room for this lovely creature! What do you think?

Countdown to the end of the school year has started! I can't believe it, next week my kiddos are out of school, help!

Lots to do before they start driving me crazy for the summer! Off to do some purging of their crap. Its so much easier when they aren't here to say, "But that's my favorite, you can't get rid of that!"

Uh, sure I can, I just did! Muwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!

Marilyn ~ She wasn't just a pretty face!

Marilyn Monroe is known for many of her quotes and some we've seen throughout blogland. I came across this one today that just spoke to me!

Hope you all have a marvelous weekend!

Travel Through Thursday Blog Hop!

Its time for another Blog Hop bloggers! Head on over to Cedar Hill Ranch where Anita is co-hosting with Centsational Saver for this weeks Travel Through Thursday! This is a great opportunity to meet new bloggers and see what makes this Bloggy World so wonderful!

Happy Thursday!

New Lamps for Summer!

Most of you know my obsession with lamps. I love them more than most women love shoes. In fact when I see a good lamp, I practically run towards them, so don't even think about getting in my way.

I was in the wonderful TJ Maxx store the other day and spied this lovely from across the store.

I almost knocked myself out trying to get to the dam thing! I was able to find another one and snagged them both right up!

I decided to test them out in the entry way first to see if I liked them and I think I'm quite happy with them there. Here is the before picture of my entry with my black and white shades and dark bases.

And here is the entry now!

The shades are a linen type and the creamy color works well with the wall color!

As you can see in the mirror I still have my Easter Tree up! I think it might be time to dig out the summer stuff and get thoe eggs off of there!

I would love to know what you think of my new lamps!

Enjoy the day!

My Husband....he is so Thoughtful!

I am so lucky to have a husband that knew exactly what to get me for Mother's Day!

This is the perfect place to put the kiddos when they are driving me crazy, don't you think?

Jealous, aren't you? Muhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, I'll try not to put the kiddos in there, but seriously folks, the bird is smaller than my hand and my husband feels he needs a palace!

Help me, I never signed on for this one!