Tagged and Fresco Pictures and a HTML question!

First, I've been tagged by my blogging buddy Dawn at Dawn's Daybreak to name 6 unspectacular things about myself.

Here they are:
1. I love peanut butter...probably too much.
2. I hate coconut...don't know why...just don't like it!
3. I'm scared of dogs...especially ones that bark.
4. I drink coffee in the morning and get a headache if I don't have one cup. Then I drink a cup again in the afternoon.
5. I was once escorted off the military base when I went to buy groceries for 3 violations. They were:

• Talking on the cell phone while driving,(It didn't matter to the officer that my daughter was pregnant and I just HAD to answer the phone )
  


• not having a current insurance card in the vehicle, (didn't matter that I had insurance...I didn't have PROOF)
  


• speeding ( I was going 30 miles per hour in a 20 mile per hour zone).

There are no monetary fines to any of the above...they just won't let you buy groceries. But I can assure you I'm more careful now! LOL

6. And I know this one is going to be a shocker....I spend too much time on the computer. LOL I would like to pass this challenge on to:

Kelli at Sassy Southern Mom

Angel at Keeping up with John and Angel

Dot at Picket's Place

Janie at Southern Lagniappe

Brenda at Thebrendablog

Pat at Milli Fiori Favoriti

That was fun Dawn, thanks for tagging me!



Second, I wanted to thank Dot at Picket's Place for posting the directions on how to achieve the Fresco effect with your pictures. The three in my header are ones I took outside my home....I really love that effect. I then put them in a scrapbook layout and cropped it to be not so tall.

Now for the question: Does anyone have an idea how I can get rid of the pink lines on the edges of my blog? I don't want to change my layout again...since I seem to lose everything when I do. I am going to just change the banner every now and then!
Thanks in advance!

Another Pink Guessing Game

Who do you think the M stands for on this cup with the tiny pink flower?

• Martha Washington
• Mama
• Marie Antoinette
• Madonna
  

Scroll down for another hint.......

This is her bed......

And this is her jewelry chest!

I bet you know now! Did you guess Marie Antionette? Apparently, she liked pink roses ...and gold!
I made these pictures when I visited Versailles in November of 2005. I have always been fascintated with the story of this teenage queen and her famous "Let them eat cake" comment. If you are intersted in reading more on her, click here.

The little mug is one of the few souvieners that I bought while in Paris. We were too busy sightseeing to do much shopping. So....that means that one day I'll have to go back! LOL

Thanks Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for hosting Pink Saturday! Hope everyone has a wonderful Pink Saturday.

Katrina Anniversary: Show and Tell Friday

Even though we are about 2 and 1/2 hours from the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we felt the effects of Katrina. We had many trees down, and 100 mile per hour winds at times plus LOTS of rain.

Since the anniversary of Katrina is today, I want to show you the damage we had to our home. We were adding on the screened porch at the time, and the roof material was in the backyard waiting for the roofers. The night before the storm, our contractor was here until about 10 pm trying to lay tarps and secure the roof to prevent leaking. The winds and rain from Katrina were too intense and his efforts didn't do any good.

During the storm, which lasted all day and into the night, we discovered the roof leaking in the dining area which was right next to the new porch addition. These pictures show our dining room after the ceiling in the dining room just couldn't take any more of the rain.


You can see the garbage cans scattered throughout the room...we tried most of the night to contain the water...but finally gave up around midnight. We had no power and we could tell that we were fighting a losing battle! Our hardwood floors were only a few months old when Katrina came through. They still bear some scars from Katrina, but after cleaning them up we decided to postpone replacing them. Our total damage throughout our home was around $13,000 which our insurance paid within days! I know we were so blessed after hearing the stories many people went through with their insurance companies.

There were so many people effected by this storm. My cousin lost her home, and found out about it on CNN while watching a news broadcast that surveyed the damage from her mom's home in Jackson.

At first, we were not aware of the magnitude of the storm and the damage it had caused because we had no electricity for 6 days. When we finally did get power, the pictures on TV of the devastation were heartbreaking!

On another note, not all of our memories of the storm are terrible. These little orange crocs of Connor's remind me of a funny story. I have searched my computer files for a picture of Connor wearing the orange crocs, but can't find one...so you'll just have to use your imagination!

I had bought him a pair of orange crocs a few weeks before the storm and he was so proud of them. Actually, the pair in the picture is his second pair- the first ones were much smaller. He stayed with me in the days after the storm since we were out of school and his nursery was closed. He was only 3 at the time, and each day we would go to the mall since the power was off and it was so hot. We would eat lunch and he played on the playground at the mall. One day I looked up and Connor was crying and having a fit trying to take orange crocs off this little boy who was on the playground. He thought the little guy was wearing his shoes! I had his pair in my purse since he flung them off when we got there. I love to tell him this story and wish I had taken pictures of it. I won't get rid of these orange crocs-they remind me of the story!

I know this has been long and rambling...but I hope we don't have to go through another Katrina for a long time! I don't know if the Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans can make it through that much devastation again! If you want to check on Gustav, which may be headed this way, click here. It looks as if the people of New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast will be evacuating instead of attending services to remember those that died in Katrina.
For other Show and Tell posts be sure to visit Kelli at There's No Place Like Home.
Thanks Kelli for hosting this!
Diane

More Thrift Shop Finds

One of the things I miss most about not working is going to the Hope Village Thrift Shop several times a week. They take donations every day except Tues. andThurs. The workers get there at 8:30 and start pricing and putting stuff out, and the doors open at 10am.

The donations go out a little at a time, so you never know when something that would be just what you want will show up. Most of their prices are higher than garage sales, so often really good stuff sits there awhile waiting for the right buyer. Recently a local furniture store that carries really nice furniture and accessories brought in a bunch of stuff. These are pictures of some things I bought, all on different days ...all brand new with the price tags still on them!

A $30 iron candelholder for $8.oo..do you think it should be black???

Another $20 iron candleholder for $5.00

A piece of framed iron, priced at $60 for $15.00

A pineapple for $4.00

A $15.00 greenish urn for $3.00

I haven't decided where to hang the framed iron piece or whether to spray paint it all one color or not. I'm taking my time with these decisions these days. Most of the other pieces have a home on my screened porch or on my daughter's screened porch. I think when I retire 'again' I may try to get on the volunteer list at the Hope Village Thrift store. LOL

A Perfect Little Table to Paint!

Susan at Between Naps on the Porch is hosting Metamorphis Monday. Please visit her for lots of inspirational posts!

I have been looking for a piece of furniture to paint black since I first read the post that Rhoda on Southern Hospitality did giving detailed directions. You can see her post here.

This weekend I found the perfect little table! It was only $5.00 at a garage sale. The table was still on the flatbed trailer when we drove up, so I was the first one to spot it. I couldn't believe the lady only wanted $5.00 for it! I couldn't get over there fast enough to claim it! It had even been prepped for painting and was sanded as smooth as a babies behind! Here is the before picture. I love the legs on the table, and the height of it.
Since it rained the entire weekend, I couldn't get out and spray paint...so I bought a can of satin black by Krylon and painted it with a brush. It now has a new home at the end of my sofa. I don't have much space, so it was a perfect fit!
This project is another one of the many benefits I've gotten from blogging. Before, I probably wouldn't have thought of painting furniture black! There are lots of other bloggers that have painted projects too, and all of them have been an inspiration to me! I love the way the 'new to me' table looks in our living room.

s ahead of time? I love the scheduling feature!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great day.
Diane

Decorator's Challenge

Sometimes when I go to a garage sale, I wish I had some of you creative blogging ladies with me to give advice! I bought this frame Saturday at a sale for a dollar. I have a few ideas of where to use it and what to do with it, but thought I would see if any of you had some suggestions. I don't know if I'll use it on the porch or inside somewhere.

It is about 2 feet by 2 feet. At one time a mirror was in the middle. It looks heavy but is actually very light weight. Any ideas?? Please feel free to post them!





Please visit again tommorrow and look at my first piece of furniture painted black!
Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day.

Out of the Black Box Party

I love reading Joy's blog at Joys of Home. She takes stuff from thrift shops or garage sales and creates the most wonderful treasures out of someone's trash. She uses lots of black spray paint in her transformations...and you can blame her or thank her for many of my black spray paint projects I've posted recently. She has inpired me to see the potential is stuff!
She is hosting a blogging event today. The idea is to post something we've spray painted but not black! I have lots of projects I wanted to do, but it has rained all weekend, so spray painting outside hasn't been possible.
So, I'm going to show you some pics of the wicker on my screened porch. I have sprayed a total of 6 pieces. The color is Willow by American Accents. The wicker was all different...some from flea markets, some given to me, and some bought at yard sales.

This is the couch and coffee table The couch was white, and the table natural before painting. The little green tool box was bought at a flea market and was already this color.

Here's a former white rocker and in the background a former natural wicker plant stand.

And this piece was brown at one time. I bought the little table at a thrift store, and it was already this color.

It's fun decorating and reviving something with spray paint...I get lots of compliments on my wicker...some people think I bought it that color! And if I get tired of it...I'll just change the color..with spray paint of course!

Please come back by tomorrow....I'm going to post a Decorator's Challenge. I have a frame that orginally had a mirror in it that I got for $1.00 at a garage sale this weekend. I would love to have some input on what to do with it! I'm sure you talented bloggers will have lots of ideas.
Thanks for coming by. Have a great day.

Fay who???

All the rain we are getting this weekend and the weather reports on Hurricane Fay have brought back lots of memories of Katrina...the storm that changed the Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans forever. Who can ever forget the pictures we all saw in the weeks following the storm? Here are some that I had saved on my computer and used with a weather unit when I taught 2nd grade: (some are of New Orleans but most are on the Mississippi Gulf Coast)



Even though we are about 2 and 1/2 hours inland from the coast and 3 and 1/2 hours from New Orleans, we remember Katrina as the worst hurricane we have experienced. On Friday which will be the anniversary, I'll post some pictures of the damage we had to our home.....which was so small compared to so many other people. And I'll write about a couple of our personal experiences.
I'm thankful that Fay has been downgraded and is no longer a hurricane. Fay won't be remembered the way Katrina has been, but she is still making a name for herself around these parts...at least for this weekend.

It rained all day yesterday the power blinked more than once and finally was off for a couple of hours. The wind has been a little gusty and has blown over a couple of plant stands on the porch. And the weatherman is predicting rain all day today. I think it may be a good day to read a good book, and do a little blogging!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Pinky Classroom for Pink Saturday

If you visit me on a regular basis, you might know that I am working this semester. I am filling in as a long term substitue for a young teacher that is expecting twins. She is not due til December, so I will probably be there until then at least.

Actually, the intervention teacher was moved to her kindergarten class, and I'm doing the interventions which is what I did the last two years that I worked.

I have always had to go in and set up a classroom, but this time it was already done! And it is so cute...with lots of PINK!

In the first picture, you can see the pink dots along with the other colors. She had decorated the room with these bright dots near the ceiling all the way around the room.



There are lots of rugs over carpet in the room, and most of them have pink in them. Here is a corner of a cute little rug under a table.

I just love this reading corner with the funky pink light! I made a picture with the lights on, but the pink shows up better in the picture with the switch off. Note the bright pink tablecloth with the books displayed on easels.
This cute little pink light is right behind the teachers desk in the corner. I love the style of the pink lampshade.
Here's another pink fish rug with pink plastic tubs full of supplies.
I just wanted you to see how cute the room is! I can't take any credit for it...I walked in the first day and there it was...all decorated for me!
Some of you have asked me how things are going. It has been hard getting back into the swing of things and giving up my freedom. I have to run errands after school now, and lots of my projects here at home are going to be on hold for awhile. And of course not being able to check on my blog and others during the day has been hard. The school system has all the blogs blocked! Which is probably a good thing. LOL
Other than that, I like it. It has been fun being around teachers and kids again.
I spent most of the week testing, and some of the children asked me about the room. One little boy asked "Are you going to be teaching mostly girls?" Another asked if I shopped at the Spotted Pony which is a cute boutique here in town. He said the stuff in the room looked like the stuff there!

I know this has been long, and if you're still reading...let me close with one more thing from my new room:

I know it's not pink....but it pretty well sums up what teachers do each day! LOL
Have a great Pink Saturday. Visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for other Pink Saturday posts!

Kelli's Birthday Surprise- Friday Foto

Sometimes I can really be a little bit of an airhead!


This picture shows Kelli's reaction to a birthday present I bought for her a few years ago. She is looking a little exasperated because I gave her a frame just like one she already had.

To make it worse, I think I was with her when she got the first one! I love the expression on her face and the way Chad is sitting there smiling. He knows her and knows she was a little 'put out' over the gift.

I usually give her money and buy her a little happy to go with it. This year guess I had too much on my mind!

Hope everyone has a great day! Thanks for stopping by and looking at my Friday Foto. Deborah at Pictures Pots and Pens has other Friday Foto links. Be sure to stop by and see her.
Also, Kelli, my daughter, has posted some baby pics of Connor and Cooper at Sassy Southern Mom. Check it out if you have a chance!

Where Bloggers Create

Brenda at thebrendablog is hosting a Where Bloggers Create Party this week. Visit her for peeks at spots where bloggers create.
This is my computer desk in my breakfast room. This is one of the few new pieces of furniture I have bought new. It has lots of storage and a built in file drawer.

It's not that I don't like it, but if I had it to do over again I wouldn't get this large of a piece of furniture for my desk. Actually we bought it to go in a room in the house we were in before here. I think it's too big for the room, but I know I would never be able to sell it for anything near what we paid for it. Thanks for stopping by and peeking at my blogging area!

New Awards

I had a pleasant surprise when I got in from work on Monday...my first day back at work. I had gotten two awards! The first one is a Friendship Award from Pat at Milli Fiori Favoriti. Pat writes such interesting posts about her life in New York City. I visit her blog every time she has a new post. When I finally make it to NYC, I think I'll enjoy my trip so much more cause of the background Pat's given me.
Thanks so much Pat! I'm honored to be one of your blogging friends!



I would like to pass this award on to some of the bloggers that I've known the longest:
Janie at Southern Lagniappe
Dawn at Dawn's Daybreak
Jeanne at Backyard Neighbor
Picket at Picket's Place
and to my daughter Kelli at Sassy Southern Mom


This next award is from Nola at Alamo North. The recipient of this award is supposed to tell 6 things that make them happy and pass the award on.
Here's my six things:
1. Spending time with my family-my husband, children, grandchildren, mother and all the others.
2. Spending time with my friends.
3. Reading good books.
4. Working in my garden.
5. Volunteering at the Riley Center.
6 Getting involved in a really good Bible study.
I would like to pass this Creative Blogger Award to:
Jan at Jan and Tom's Place
Pat at Backporch Musings
Brandee at Berry's Patch
Mya at Creative Musings with Mya
And Nancy at Southern Lady

Thanks so much Nola!
Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a wonderful day. Diane

Growing Ferns

For the first time in years I have had some really good luck with ferns. I bought 6 of these at Lowes at the beginning of the season. They were much smaller than this picture shows. I didn't take before pictures because I wasn't blogging then. That won't happen again! I think the price of the ferns was something like $8.49. They have really grown and filled out.
One thing that has been different this year is the amount of water I've given them. We have had lots of rain here this summer, and always try to put them out so they can get some rain water. I've really tried to water them at least every other day if it didn't rain, or every day whenever possible.
Also, I've put Miracle Gro plant food sticks in each of the hanging ferns. This is a great product...just stick it down in the plant and forget about it. Every time you water the plant, it gets fed!
Have you got any tips to share?
Thanks for stopping by!