Looking for great ideas for my party..ooooh I'm excited!!! This is a goodie right? Loving Fall...Thanks for stopping by love ya mean it! Stephanie

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Falling in love again..

You know I love fall! And I'm gonna be trying to get into the groove of posting for that reason!! It's been awhile hasn't it? Life has been a bit strange and unusual..but for me things always get a bit better when the leaves turn colors and I'm inspired again..isn't that how it goes? I am working up ideas in my head for my harvest party and hope to share that with you..if there is anybody still reading this ol' blog of mine..oh, I do hope so!! Thanks for stopping by! love ya mean it! Stephanie

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Goodbye Summer
Hello Fall!
What is your favorite season?

a sad day..

It was a sad day here this last weekend for our cat- loving daughter Camalee..her sweet kitten Pumpkin met her tragic end while the kids were playing in the barn..older brothers where tossing a plastic pipe to each other when one of the brothers was unable to catch the pipe and it hit little Pumpkin..Pumpkin number#2 for our family, as we gave the Pumpkin #1 to my sister Janel to finish raising..all was calm when we heard Camalee screaming somethings wrong! somethings wrong! Cradling her beloved kitten, one look told me it wasn't good..after watching my little girl hold her dying kitten my heart was breaking.... her brothers grew quiet and little sister was quietly whispering "You can have my kitty Camalee"..I was filled with love for all my children as they came together over this little kitten who had given them so many laughs in her short little life..its really something watching how this all unfolded and I was pleased that my kids reached out to each other to comfort and show love at such a trying time..explaining death wasn't easy but necessary..we had a good talk and as the sun went down Camalee let her dad take Pumpkin away..
before the sun was even up Camalee had already shown tribute to her precious kitty..
and took these pictures to remember..I'm in awe of my children..it feels like we might be doing ok..thanks for stopping by! love ya mean it! Stephanie

Darling...your stunning!
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Something to do...

We have been enjoying one of these in the evenings around here..the kids ask each night..can we? and almost before its out of their mouth... we know it's a campfire..the chairs are left out in hopes of the next nights entertainment and we love it! When the day is done and the wind dies down, it's time to head out and build a fire. Grab the marshmallows, gram crackers, peanut butter and chocolate bars..maybe even some hot dogs if someone is a little hungry still..coffee in hand we settle in and start little chit chats among ourselves about the day..start bantering about who did what or what not's and off we go.. stories and giggles, talks about the Lord come to the surface..things are tough our there in the big ol' world and there is something pure about sitting and sharing what one thinks about things together..I love getting to know my kids..even though we have only had the youngest ones with us some of the times.. it is wonderful so share this part of the day together..its a relaxed and loving place to be and I can't wait for the next one..even though my black hair beckons the most smoke to come live in it and I have to wash it and look a little frizzier that usual... its is a joy! So, if your looking for something to do..you don't have to leave home..just build a nice little campfire and relax..you will love it! hugs and thanks for stopping by! love ya mean it! Stephanie

Land of the Free! Home of the Brave!

National Anthem

of the
United States of America

Lyrics by Francis Scott Key :

First Verse

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Second Verse

On the shore, dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream;
'Tis the Star-Spangled Banner, O long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Third Verse

Oh, thus be it ever when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto, "In God is our trust"
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

---

graphicfairy and patrioticsongsand hymns

pretty little garden gift

Easy peezee kids craft..cant figure out where I found this...I think a "green" blog..but anyway thought it is a great way to share gardening with the kids..its looking like another year of dreaming about a real one..hmmmm oh well..a pot, a plant and an old plastic bottle or glass if you can get one cut..great gift too..cute right?...thanks for stopping by! love ya mean it! Stephanie
p.s. if you know where i found this let me know i wanna give credit where credit is do..Thanks Debra! go here to see more!

paper doily craft..summer is here!

Country living presents..

Turn paper doilies into drink umbrellas

To re-create these adorable accents by blogger Olivia Kanaley (afieldjournal.blogspot.com), cut a two-inch- diameter circle out of card stock.

Using a glue stick, paste the circle to the solid center of a four-inch doily (for similar, $3.39 for 12; www.sugarcraft.com). Cut the doily from one edge to the center and bend it into a cone, with the card stock circle on the underside; secure the cut ends with a glue stick. Hot-glue a wooden skewer (75 cents for 100; amazon.com) to the umbrella’s underside, then hot-glue a 1⁄4-inch button plug (15 cents each; widgetco.com) on top.

Read more: Easy Crafts Ideas- Summer Activties - Country Living

GENIUS!!!! Summer is here!! Thanks for stopping by!! Stephanie

AAAAACHOOOOO!

Allergies..gonna go lay my swollen head down...ugh... hope your Friday is better than mine! love ya mean it! Stephanie

Please pray!

Praying for our Pastor Ron's son... Denton, who is only 16..he has been diagnosed with acute leukemia and has been taken directly in for chemo..will you join us as we lift him up in prayer to the ultimate healer, our Heavenly Father, who knows all things! May His hand be on this family during such a difficult time! Thank you my friends! love you! mean it! Stephanie

happy friday!

Looking for adventure..don't know if they would take a youngster like me but if I could I would!




sisters on the fly

worn and useful...

There is something about this that I love..the colors are so attractive to me..the worn finish and the usefulness of the things we see...its weird that a photo like this gets my heart to pitter patter..
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This with coffee...would be perfect! Dont ya think?

One of my favorite mags is Beautiful Life..I think I have talked about this awhile ago..but truly it has the classiest pictures and ideas...


This place mat is gorgeous to me... the simple flower and ribbon..in Christ we are woven together..beautiful..
the photos, along with scripture, give me such a visual..the meaning is clear...

Now, I just have to get it sent to my house...ahh...maybe someday..Thanks for stopping by! love ya! mean it! Stephanie

RSVP and the Economy

RSVP's have been something that has been debated and debated..what is it and why should I or you do it? I have been thinking about how important this topic is right now with the economy in the shape that it is..and now more than ever I truly respect this form of communication..I have hosted parties, seminars and events and have tried this form of communication with my guest as a way of being able to serve my guests better..you see when I have a party or event and invite you..I really want to take as good of care of you as I can...so by answering my RSVP..you make that possible for me..I want you to feel acknowledge and seen..that you are valued and loved..and by using the RSVP system it really allows for that care.. regarding the economy and being good stewards, I can see this as another befit to the hostess..we all know that throwing a party can be costly..and by being responsible and responding whether you will attend or not can really be helpful in keeping cost down and even allowing another guest to be invited if you cannot make it..some parties and event are dictated by how many guests will be invited and with that knowledge a budget is given and the party planned..in these times...a budget is very important ..I think of weddings, showers, and parties that are getting out of control with budgets limits and I cringe to think how much money could have been saved with just a simple yes or no to the attendance of that event..if we each do our part and RSVP we can be good stewards and make planning for the host a joy instead of a headache..below I looked up the meaning of RSVP and thought... wow..that's easy enough..

This tip should help hosts and guests alike, because there seems to be a lot of confusion about the meaning of the term RSVP.

Lack of RSVPs - A Growing Problem

I hear more and more often, and have found in my personal experience, that hosts often do not receive receive responses to invitation that tell them whether guests plan to attend their parties, even if an RSVP is clearly requested. This could mean either one of two things. First it could mean that rudeness is a growing trend in our society. Or, as I would prefer to believe, people no longer understand what the term means. Assuming the best, and that the reason guests don't RSVP to an invitation is a case of ignorance, not rudeness, I will clarify this for the record.

What RSVP Means

The term RSVP comes from the French expression "répondez s'il vous plaît", meaning "please respond". If RSVP is written on an invitation it means the invited guest must tell the host whether or not they plan to attend the party. It does not mean to respond only if you're coming, and it does not mean respond only if you're not coming (the expression "regrets only" is reserved for that instance). It means the host needs a definite head count for the planned event, and needs it by the date specified on the invitation.

Why It's Inconsiderate to Not RSVP

An incomplete list of respondents can cause numerous problems for a host including difficulty in planning food quantities, issues relating to minimum guarantees with catering halls, uncertainty over the number of party favors and difficulties in planning appropriate seating, among other things.

So the next time you see RSVP on an invitation you receive, please call your host and respond promptly. (About.com)

So what do you think about this topic? I would love to hear! thanks for stopping by! love ya mean it! Stephanie

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Party outside!

Happy Friday Friends!!! I am soooo excited about this weekend! It's gonna be so sunny and nice outside and we are throwing ourselves into the yard with clean up, mowing and all kinds of good things!!! I want to have the best summer ever this year at our humble little home so I have lots of plans and I'm hoping to figure out my new camera and start posting some of my own photos again..this photo is from Country Living... I'm in love with this ideas! I picked up a free wheelbarrow last year that had holes in the bottom..I was gonna use it for plants and I may still but now, I'm thinking about pulling it out for this cute little party idea! Hope you all have a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by! love ya mean it! Stephanie

Introducing.. Shoppe on the Corner

Introducing....

My beautiful, stunning, cousin Donna (on the right) with her wonderful business partner Sabrina!! They opened the Shoppe on the Corner in Watertown, SD .....a whimsical boutique that features darling little girls clothing, vintage pieces of chippy treasures and furniture pieces...

Congratulations to these creative and talented ladies! And may God bless you!!! Please hit their website and tell them I set ya! Thanks for stopping by! love ya mean it! Stephanie

What is home birdy?

Spring showers and birdhouses..I love birdhouses..can you imagine what a bird even thinks when they enter into something so fancy as this?The mod bird= so sophisticated and posh

The simple and no fuss birdy

The oh- so- natural bird

Down home and traditional

And my favorite=on the go birdy

Have a good one love ya mean it Stephanie
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cleaning..

Happy Friday friends! I have plans of getting dirty in the barn this weekend..figure if I say it and put it out there... I will have to do it! Lots of things to go through and hopefully I'm going to get some garage sale items figured out..that sounds so overwhelming... but it is necessary... so off I will go..what will be your plans this fine weekend? Hope you have a great time no matter what you end up doing!! love ya mean it! Stephanie
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When your feet hit the floor...

Be the kind of woman that

when your feet hit the floor each morning,

the Devil says "Oh crap, she's up!"

I heard this quote and laugh so hard..yes! Put on God's whole armor that you may be able successfully to stand up against all the strategies and the deceits of the devil. Eph. 6:11

I need this reminder that with God all things are possible! I am not alone! He will not give up 'til my feet land in glory! Be strong and carry on even in the face of struggles, addictions, trials, injustice! And thank Him ....for each new day that you can begin again! I love ya! I mean it! Stephanie
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Inspired!

The day after Mother's day....I did this..for my family..it smells good in here..my kids are gonna love it..Danny already had some...and he LOVES me..funny what flowers and cards inspire..am I right? Love ya mean it! Stephanie

Happy Mother's Day weekend!

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Fostering closeness in your family..

Happy Friday!! What are some activities you do with your family to foster cooperation and appreciation in your home? I find it encouraging and even hopeful (lol) to hear how others come up with ideas to bring the families closer..In this day and age we sure need to be vigilant in this area ..am I right? I hope you have a glorious weekend! thanks for stopping by! love ya mean it! Stephanie
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Reckless fun for "perfect" people!

Is this white stuff getting to ya? Have you gotten beyond the "romance" of it? Are the kids off school and you are wondering why? Has your day been interrupted by it? Do you have wet boots and more laundry than usual? Are you out of ideas for kids crafts and making forts in the living room and need a break? Well. IF you are..I have a nice little "big girl" adventure for you! A little black book that can take anything you give it..because it wants you to..

I found this book awhile ago and I LOVE IT!!!! Do you feel guilt when you fold the corner of a book page to mark where you are reading? Well, if so, your gonna be sooo naughty.. library rules are out and librarian's are catching their breaths everywhere..you are gonna WRECK this book!

your gonna scrub pages off..

write a word over and over..

drag this book on the ground mind you!..

And become secretive ..and creative...

And on top of that you get to make coffee spills and it's ok!!! Yes, I know!!! My hearts- a- fluttering right now!!! Is yours?

I challenge you to grab this book and really find out how "perfect" you have tried to be..isn't that interesting and reckless at the same time? This is a creative experience for ANYONE!!!!! You don't have to be an artist to do it!..I would love to start a series where we do this book together and share our thoughts on what we discovered..would you be interested? Lets open this for discussion..anyone who is interested..please leave a comment and we can see if its is something we can do together! Thanks for stopping by! love ya mean it! Stephanie

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Spring in your mouth!!

Fresh basil is AMAZING!! It's like spring in your mouth! And since its snowing or raining somewhere today.. I think I will share my absolute favorite snack ....that I could live on..... if needed!! So here goes..

Fresh, grape tomatoes, cut in half..

Fresh basil...

Fresh mozzarella..

and cracked pepper Triscuits crackers..

So.... I take a cracker, layer a sliver of fresh mozzarella on top and gingerly add a beautiful piece of fresh basil across it and top off with a grape tomato sliced in half and take a deep breath people.... spring it here!!! At least for today.... Happy Monday!!

Thanks for stopping by! love ya mean it! Stephanie

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