Unboxing of ProFlowers

Aprofessional florist got to wondering about ProFlowers a company that ships the flowers directly to the recipient. They give you the impression that your loved one will receive a beautiful arrangement of flowers fresh from the grower and shipped directly to your door. Cut out the middle man. Sounds good right? The real deal is quite different.
You can go HERE and HERE to read what happened. But, just to give you an idea... watch this video.

Flowers

Katie worked on the arch

While Shanon and I supervised

The Bride loves them!!!

Rehearsal

Bride and Minister

Trivia: How many people does it take to iron a wedding dress?

The Wedding

Sisters

Happy Bride

Cutting the Cake

I haven't posted much this week, I know. Whether from a lack of inspiration or the sudden and unexpected battle of sickness I encountered, I don't know.

This is certainly "Janu-weary" It's the time of year when it seems as if nothing is happening, nothing is growing, nothing is moving at all, just sort of creeping along at the slowest possible snail's pace. February can't come too soon.

Depression inevitably accompanies this sort of time, even if we deny it. We've had freezing cold temps here, highs in the 0 degree range, colds in the -40s. Even the idyllic image of curling under a blanket with a good book and a cup of cocoa, can get old. Trust me, I've done it plenty this winter.

So, I've read my books, brewed my coffee, seen my movies, shoveled my snow, and shoveled, and SHOVELED, worn my slippers out, stayed indoors more days than I can count.... I'm done.

Bring on the Spring!!!!!!!!! please?

Peter Pan

Well, it's finally happened. I'm sick. I've been fighting it for weeks, but today I give in. I'm home from work and I've been lying miserably in bed all morning, sleeping. I only got up to let mom into the house. You know, when you're sick, no matter how old you are, you just need your mother.

I have stacks of books to read, of course, but nothing really perked my interest until the mailman came. He dropped Peter Pan in my mailbox. I was hooked after the first paragraph.

All children, except one, grow up. They soon know that they will grow up, and the way Wendy knew was this. One day when she was two years old she was playing in a garden, and she plucked another flower and ran with it to her mother. I suppose she must have looked rather delightful, for Mrs. Darling put her hand to her heart and cried, "Oh, why can't you remain like this for ever!" This was all that passed between them on the subject, but henceforth Wendy knew that she must grow up. You always know after you are two. Two is the beginning of the end.

Dear Mr. President

I bought a copy of this book when we were in Washington D.C. last summer from the National Archives gift shop. The shop itself was incredible. I could have happily spent the entire day paging through the books and admiring the civil war chess sets, elephant and donkey plush, etc.

My budget being limited and pretty much non-existent, I only splurged on one item.

I'm glad I picked this book. I've enjoyed picking it up on occasion and seeing what ordinary citizens had to say to their presidents. I thought I would share a couple of my favorites with you.


Jackie Ann Lucas to President Nixon:
Dear Mr. President,
I like your courage to pardon former President Nixon. Athough, I don't like to hear your speeches. You know I'am only 10 years old. I wish you would write me back.
Thank You,
Jackie Ann
Lucas
Head of
President Ford
Commity
(P.S. I'am a Republacan)
(sorry I don't know how to spell Republucan)
(P.S. please send me your autograph)
(I'am from Wright School!!!)

Telegram J.B. Manual to President Roosevelt:

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT
WHITE HOUSE
JUST HEARD YOUR SPEECH IT CHEERED ME UP RECEIVED NOTICE TODAY THAT MY SON WAS KILLED IN SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES AT PEARL HARBOR DECEMBER 7TH.
J.B. MANUAL.

Annie Davis to President Lincoln:

Mr. President
It is my desire to be free to got o see my people on the eastern shore. My mistress wont let me you will please let me know if we are free. and what I can do. I write you for advice. please send me word this week or as soon as possible and oblidge.
Annie Davis, Belair Hartford County, MD

You are Good - Nichole Nordeman

Letters From War

This song makes me think of something I saw in an airport last month. A man in army fatigues, a little boy leaping into his arms. They held each other like there was no tomorrow. The soldiers uniform probably has wrinkles from the little boy's grip to this day...

My names...

This is a little goofy, but hilariously funny all the same!

1. YOUR REAL NAME: Rebecca Joy
2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME (first 3 letters of real name plus -izzle): Rebizzle

3. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME (favorite color and favorite animal): Red Horse
4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, and current street): Joy Ellen
5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 3 letters of Mom's maiden name): Sigrecar

6. YOUR SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color, favorite drink): Green Coffee

7. YOUR WITNESS PROTECTION NAME (Mother's middle name and fathers middle name): Marie Gereld

8. YOUR GOTH NAME (black, and the name of one your pets): Black Bella

My Ficus

I know I'm a florist and so, therefore, I must have a green thumb. Well, I have a confession to make. I don't. I do know a lot about plants. I can usually troubleshoot basic houseplant problems. I have books to look in if I don't know the answer. But, that's at work. At home, I often forget when I last watered my plants...


But, this plant is special. It's my braided ficus.
I love it. I gave it to myself for
Christmas a couple of years ago.
It's actually grown considerably since I bought it.
I water it faithfully.
Someday, I'm hoping it will be a tree.

Reading List

Right now I reading:
Dorothy Sayer's Busman's Honeymoon
I've never read anything by Dorothy Sayers before. She was recommended by my friend Maureen so far, I really like it!
My Turn at the Bully Pulpit by Greta Van Susteren. I picked this up at a book sale. I like her show on Fox News, so I thought I'd take a look. She has some interesting things to say. And finally: How to Write a Children's Book and Get it Published by Barbara Seuling.
The title is self-explanatory. :-)

Realistically...

You can't have everything... where would you put it all?

It's my Friday morning off....

So, I'm planning to:

• do some scribbling
• take Bella to the vet
• have two cups of coffee
• work on my baby blanket
• read some more of my Dorothy Sayers mystery!!!
• virtual book shopping!
  

The Shops

Remember the sketches I told you about that my sister did?

Here they are:

My shop

Our Other Shop, 15 miles away. I never work there but my boss owns both, and we trade projects, flowers and phone calls all the time.

Susie did a fantastic job, my boss and everyone else LOVED them!!!

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

Have you seen it yet???

Trailer

I have. Twice.

Riley Poole: We have thirty seconds to disable the alarm.
Ben Gates: Go.
[Ben and Riley break into a house and Riley disables the alarm]
Ben Gates: You did that in twenty-five seconds.
Riley Poole: That's why I tell people to get a dog.


Abigail: Okay, I've been doing the math here, and...
Ben: I know. One of us is going to have to stay behind.
Riley: Just promise you'll come back for me.... I can do the math too.
Ben: Okay, Abigail, that makes you first.
Riley: (imitates Ben) 'No, Riley, we'll figure somethin' out!'
(imitates Abigail) 'No, Riley, we need you up there!'

Sadusky: There is a book and it has the information you need. The President's Book of Secrets. A collection of documents for President's eyes only. The truth behind the JFK conspiracy. The missing minutes from the Watergate tapes. And of course, Area 51.
Ben Gates: It contains all of our nation's secrets. I need to see that book.
Sadusky: The only way you'll ever see that book is if you get elected President.

---

Ben Gates: I'm gonna kidnap him. I'm gonna kidnap the President of the United States.
Ben's Dad: Why would I overreact to that?

Fabric Wall Art

What you need:

An appropriate size wooden frame. You can make your own or buy a pre-made one. I got these frames with cheap paper stapled on in a clearance aisle for $6/ea. Mine are 16"x20"

Scissors

Fabric of your choice
Hammer and Nails

Staple Gun
Lay the fabric fashion side down on the ground and position your frame over top of it, making sure everything lines up and the design on your fabric isn't crooked. Trim off excess fabric, leaving enough to pull over side of frame and turn under to leave a finished edge. Staple the fabric onto the frame upholstery style, starting in the center of one side, stapling, and then pulling taut on the other side and stapling directly opposite your first staple. Turn it over to check that there is no puckering and that everything lines up. Keep doing this until all the sides are stapled.

• Note: Get a friend to help. 4 hands work best, and 6 come in handy sometimes, too!

For the corners, you can really do it any way that you are comfortable with. This is what I did.
I hope the picture makes sense. I folded the triangle part of the fabric in towards the center so that the triangle pointed directly to the center of the frame. I stapled that down, cut off the excess fabric and folded in the sides, nice and tight and stapled them down too.

I decided to embellish one of my frames with some ribbon

I chose some ribbon and decided how I wanted them to look on the frame

Measured

Pinned them down
Stretched tight and folded the ends under and stapled down

Finished Product!!! It's just my kind of project: simple and different, you can pick whatever colors you want, and I did all three in about 2 hours start to finish (including shopping) and for less than $8/ea.Special Thanks to Steph, who was my extra 2 hands, went shopping with me and just generally is really handy to have around since she knows how to use a staple gun, and can hang things on the wall straight the first time.

And Katie, for jumping up in the middle of your important computer work to play with the camera and take pictures!

New Chairs

We found these fabulous used chairs at a store on Main St. that is going out of business. Steph and I saw them and planned to ask the owner if she would sell them... depending on the price :-) we were thinking about buying them.

What we didn't know was Dad saw the same chairs and asked the owner if she'd sell them. She sold them to him and later that day we found them at Mom and Dad's house. :-)

When Dad found out we were planning to buy them he said we could have them. So, here they are... $20/ea!!!!!!!Our house looks less "College Dorm-ish" already and we finally have some decent seating.
And for a bonus... they match our living room perfectly!

Friday

I walked out of work with my coat unbuttoned, scarf over my arm, no gloves. It was almost balmy. High near freezing.

Sad Sight

Believe it or not, this pile of wreckage was once a beautiful restaurant.

Frank Lloyd Wright-type architecture, beautiful timbers in the ceilings, good food. Not to mention loads of history. Everyone in town has a story about something that happened at the restaurant in the "good ole days." Someone got a marriage proposal there. Someone used to play the piano there. Someone used to eat there every Saturday night. Someone had a red carpet event there. Everyone loved the food.

So, why is this boatload of history in a pile?
I don't know. It makes me really sad.

I have one thing to say:
"Support your communities people!!! Small town America is a beautiful thing, don't let it die!"

all right, that's my soapbox today.

Post #200!

It's hard to believe I've been blogging for almost a year. I wanna say thanks to my readers that have stuck around even when my blog got boring. Thanks!

Happy New Year

2008 has lots of promise. As Anne Shirley would say: "Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it. Yet." So far, 2008 looks pretty good...