Birthday Wishes for Connor

Today is Connor's 6th birthday. Here is a letter to him from me!

Dear Connor,

I couldn't let today go by without wishing you Happy Birthday on my blog! I am choosing a few photos of you that I don't think I've posted before...you know Mimi has thousands and I love them all!

You have brought so much pleasure into our lives! I can't believe that you are 6 years old today. 6 years ago, I had no idea how much I would love being a grandmother. You have been a wonderful little grandson, and I love every minute I get to spend with you!

I hope you have a very happy day! I love you little angel baby!
Mimi

Here you are in your Superman Pajamas when you spent the night with us

At the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science..we had so much fun that day with Beth and her grandaughters!

Photo made at Sam's Club...we bought them all. LOL

You with a little hat! Your mom loved to dress you up! LOL

At a petting zoo

In your high chair...you always took everything in with those big blue eyes!

At swimming lessons

Posing on Mimi's stairs

Your first time in a tux

I could go on and on posting pictures of Connor....I really do have thousands of them! If you really want to see more, click on his name on the right sidebar. LOL

Please leave him a birthday wish...I know he will love to hear one of us read them to him!
Thanks for stopping by today!

Blue Eyed Pumpkin

For Blue Monday, I want to show you all my little blue- eyed pumpkin. I made these pictures early in the morning after Cooper spent the night with us.

He is wearing a pumpkin suit that I bought for a dollar at a yard sale.
Even if he wears it only this one time, I think I got my money's worth with these cute pictures!



For more Blue Monday posts, visit Sally at Smiling Sally.
Hope everyone has a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

Noah Today

Here's a link worth peeking at.
Hope you have a wonderful, restful Sunday!
diane

http://home.att.net/~hideaway_today/t133/noah.htm

Pink in the garden!

I bet you thought this post would be a flower! Not this time....here's a pink flamingo.

One of my favorite Southern gardeners is Felder Rushing. This pink flamingo pic is from his website. He has lots of flamingos in his pictures of his gardens.


Here is a garden complete with flamingos that he grows in the back of his pick up truck!
His website is Welcome to Felder Rushing,net

If you have time, his radio shows are lots of fun to listen to. They are available on the Mississippi Public Broadcasting Site. Even if you can't listen to the broadcasts, you will enjoy the pictures that go with each broadcast if you love gardening! He has some very unique garden art!

Thanks to Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for hosting Pink Saturday. Please click on her link for more pink posts.

Amateur Photographer

Here is a picture made recently of Connor with my old digital camera. I bought it when he was a baby and finally replaced it when Cooper was born. I've told Connor that he could have the camera, but he has to keep it at my house and use it with an adult. It is pretty big and bulky. The camera holds those little CD's. I don't think they make those anymore!

Here are some of the things he photographed one day when he stayed with me. We talked about 'interesting' things to photograph...and it was fun to see what he thought was 'interesting!'

This first one is the ripple in the water after I threw a rock in the lake. Of course he had to throw several rocks. That activity interested him for a while!
Here are some wild flowers in a vacant lot. I think he did a good job, and the camera still makes wonderful pictures.

And finally this one...his favorite...an armadillo headed for cover after he tiptoed outside to photograph it!
Please visit Deborah at Pictures, Pots and Pens for more Favorite Fotos on Friday.
Thanks for stopping by!

And stop by my daughter's blog Sassy Southern Mom for some older family pics she posted this week.

Happy Birthday Jonathan!

Today is my son Jonathan's birthday. I can't believe how fast the years have gone. It just seems like yesterday that I took a semester off from teaching to stay home with him while he was an infant. I well remember how much I enjoyed that time with him. He was such a happy baby!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures...they bring back lots of memories!

Jonathan was just a few weeks old in this one. My dad is holding him with Kelli looking on.
He is 3 in this picture. His grandparents got him this little firetruck for Christmas. I think Connor looks a whole lot like Jonathan. Lots of others think that too!
He was 7 in this picture. We had a local vet dress up like Santa and bring this puppy. I love the expression on his face...but hate my hairdo. LOL I can see Cooper in him in this pic...I think it is the smile!
Jonathan with Lucy, our beloved pet. He picked her out from a litter in Pearl, MS. Jonathan once won a look-a-like contest with Lucy at an event called 'Bark in the Park' ...the color of the hair I guess!
Jonathan enjoying a laugh with Connor....
And Jonathan at his graduation from Mississippi State. Sorry this one is a little blurry!
We are so proud of him. He is a graduate student in New Orleans working on his master's degree in Arts Administration.
Please leave a comment wishing him a happy birthday!
Thanks for stopping by!

Backing up important files: Works for me Wed.

After reading Janie's at Southern Lagniappe's post about what she would save in case of a fire, and the one she posted the other day about getting a new computer, I made sure my picture and other important files were backed up! It had been a few weeks since I did this. I think I'll start backing them up the first of the month, so it will be done on a regular schedule.
I bought this My Passport Essential by Western Digital to use to back up files. It is so easy to use, and plugs into the USB port in front of the computer. It is so easy to transport files and it holds quite a bit! It holds 320 GB...so there is plenty of room! It's like having 320 thumb drives all in one compact case.

I have literally thousands of pictures. I can't even bring myself to delete the ones that are not so wonderful. I am in the process of scanning my favorite old photos and backing them up digitally with this product. It has made it easy to transfer pictures both old and new to my daughter's computer and pictures she takes to mine.

How do you back up your files? Do you do it on a regular schedule? Share your tips with us!

For other Works for Me Wednesday posts visit Rocks in my Dryer.

My Bargain Clothes!

This weekend I hit the 75% off sales at 2 local department stores and got 16 pieces of summery clothing for $72.00 dollars! That is an average price of $4.50 per item. This isn't garage sale prices, but the stuff is all brand new! Besides, I usually don't have much luck at garage sales on clothing.

The highest original price on one of the tops was $59.00 and the lowest original price on some shorts was $13.00. You may be wondering why on earth I'm buying so many summer clothes when it will turn cool really soon.

Next summer, we are going on a trip! When I work extra like I'm doing this semester, we try to use the money for extras and not rely on it for day to day expenses. So one of our 'extras' will be to travel! Can you guess from these pictures where we will be going?


Did you guess Greece? If you did, you are right! We will travel to Venice for two days, cruise around the Greek islands for 7 days, and then spend 2 nights in Paris before coming home!
Half of the fun of a trip is the planning...and I'm going to enjoy planning for this trip!
Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by.

20 Things to Love about Autumn

Melissa at The Inspired Room is challenging us to list 20 things we love about fall! Since today is the first day of fall, here's my list-

1. Trips to the Pumpkin Patch. I can't wait to take Cooper this year and see his reaction!
2. Hay rides
3. Cooler Temperatures
4. Planting pansies
   
5. Planting daffodils
   
6. Buying summer clothes for next year on sale
   
7. New television season
8. Mums in flowerpots
9. Pumpkins from the dollar store and everywhere else
10. Fall birthdays...my son, both grandsons, my son-in-law, and mother-in-law all in the next few weeks
11. Changing color of the leaves
12. Grass stops growing so fast!
13. Candy corn
14. Brisk walks with husband or friends
    
15. Anticipation of all the holidays
16. Hay bales
17. Scarecrows
18. New season at the Riley Center
19. Arts and Craft Shows
20. Hot chocolate and apple cider

In Southern Lady magazine, I found this quote:
" Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting, and autumn a mosaic of them all." -Stanley Horowitz
Please visit Melissa for other lists!

3 special awards from 3 special blogging buddies & a Giveaway!

I won these candlesticks from Jan at Jan and Tom's Place. Thanks so much Jan! I haven't decided where I'll use these yet, but I'll be sure to post a picture and let you know. Jan also sent a very sweet note, and some herbal tea!

Now for the awards:

The first one is from Jan. She is such a sweet lady and always posts prayer requests for other bloggers. Be sure to stop in and give her a visit!

The next one is from Angel at Keeping up with John and Angel. I enjoy 'keeping up' with them through their blog. I really can't remember how I found her blog, but have enjoyed getting to know her. She is a kindergarten teacher, so we have some common interest! Please stop in and give her a visit!
The third award is from Bella at Bella Casa~Beautiful Home. I love to check Bella's Blog and am hooked on it too! She loves to bargain shop like I do and it is always fun to see her latest find!

I would like to pass all three of these awards on to everyone on my blogroll!
Please take one or all three!

I had done a rather long post the other day following all the rules and linking blogs to the awards....but blogger didn't play by the rules, and ate my post! So....hope all of you ladies will understand if I do it this way!

Thanks again Jan, Angel and Bell! You are great blogging buddies!
Please forgive me for taking so long to properly thank you for these awards and the giveaway.
Diane

Something to Think about

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piuoGb-Nhfw


My cousin posted this video on Facebook, and I wanted to share it with all of my blogging friends. It is worth your time!

I am a little behind in my blogging these days, and in visiting other blogs.
If I have won a giveaway of yours, an award, or if you have tagged me, please don't give up on me. I'll get around to posting it and giving you a proper thank you!
Blogger ate about 3 of my posts that I had spent some time on, and I haven't had time to redo them.

Connor spent 2 nights with us this weekend, and Cooper was here Friday night...so, I have been otherwise occupied!

Thanks for stopping by! Hope your Sunday is restful and peaceful!
Diane

Pink Victorian House

One of my favorite styles in a home is Victorian. This pink Victorian beauty was for sale for quite awhile in our town. Then one day when I drove past the house, the for sale sign was gone! So far, I haven't noticed anything going on at the home, and it still looks overgrown. Wouldn't it be a beautiful bed and breakfast? I always enjoy staying at bed and breakfast establishments whenever possible.

For more pink Saturday posts, visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound. Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful pink Saturday! Diane

Thrift Store Decor 5 Ways: Show and Tell Friday

Recently I found these two little pumpkin people at the Hope Village Thrift Store for $2.00 each. I didn't buy them the first day I saw them, and noticed that they were still there the next couple of times I went by. Since I've started blogging, I have started thinking of new ways to use thrift store finds. I guess no one but me saw any potential here!

Here are 5 ways that I've come up with to use the little pumpkin people.

First, here they are as I bought them displayed on both sides of the clock on the mantel.
Here is a close up of one of them. They are in 2 pieces-like a jar with a lid. The little smiling faces have really begin to grow on me!
Here's another way-with fall flowers. The ones in the pic are faux, but I'll use the real thing. LOLOne of my favorite ways is to use them is as a pedestal for a votive.
Here is the base as a little lift for a pumpkin serving plate.
And finally, here is the base as a silverware container. Please excuse the spots on the forks. It's funny how the camera picks up these little details when you don't want it to!
Which way would you use them? Can you think of any other ways?

Thanks to Kelli at There's No Place Like Home for hosting Show and Tell Friday.

A Lazy Way to Decorate

Last week when I added the few little fall decorations that I put out, I knew that the sideboard in the dining room was going to need a little more. I've been seeing so many cute ideas on blogs, and I wish I had time to do some of these projects, but to be honest, I'm doing good to do the necessities around here!
So I'm taking the lazy way out...adding to the sideboard decor with a plate I found at TJ Maxx! All I did was take it out of the car, and display it on my Southern Living Plate stand. It still has the sticker on the back. LOL Can't get much easier than that can you?? It did add a lot to the sideboard and looks great with the Jamestown tray and candles. Click here if you want to view it again.

In case you are wondering why I'm suddenly so obsessed with the fall decor, I'm having a Southern Living at Home party in a couple of weeks! I booked the party from my daughter's and I know I'll be glad I did this decorating when the guest finally arrive! Diane