...staaaaart your engines!!

...HELLO

anyone out there????

I've been away for two weeks and feel like I've missed a whole year in blog land!!

I so miss reading all of your inspiring posts

...

and just as soon as I unpack our bags from our whirlwind Ohio visit

(I'm thinking that I'll leave the actual house unpacking for later...

much later!!

unless of course, I need to find something)

ha!!

and

 dear readers,

I have so many things to share with you...

sooooo many cottage farmhouse pretty pictures to show you

but for today,

I wanted to show you just a very small clip of the

NHRA RACE!!!

now, I must warn you ~

this isn't like one of my regular posts,

full of pretties

nope...

notta` one pretty!!

but instead I would like to share ~

thrill and excitement!!

well...

just look for yourselves!!

and see if it just doesn't bring a twinge of excitement

if only for a moment!!

...ladies...

start your engines!!

no,

this isn't "my love" ~

but one of my favorite NHRA racers!!

Anton Brown

and I actually got to meet him

yah,  ~ I know right?!!

wow-we-wow-wow-wow!!!

(and yes, it WAS a thrill!!) 

here is Jim and I with

Tim Wilkerson (in the middle)

(which by the way, he won!! and when he jumped out of the car, he actually hugged and thanked Jim and called Jim his good luck charm!!!)

 How awesome was that?!!

pretty darn awesome, I say!!

The weekend was abuzz with excitement, high octane energy

and  f-i-l-l-e-d with meeting these NHRA racers

and, 

hold on dear ones ~

we got to go down onto the track

yep ~

I swear!! right

ONTO THE TRACK!!

I could hardly believe it myself  ~ but we got to stand

 right smack down the center starting line

and

watch these mighty machines from a viewpoint that only the pit crew usually sees!

 

smell the burn?!

one super-de-duper fast car

and let me tell you

this is a complete out of body experience

that blows you off your feet!!!

literally

no joke!!!

The energy and force behind these machines is mighty indeed!!

see all these people?

notice how they are holding their ears ~

with earplugs in??!!!

Well...

that is because when these cars take off the will blow your eyebrows clean off!!!!!!!!!

and you will walk away weak kneed

covered in rubber

smiling ear to ear

and changed forever!! 

and if you don't believe me

just ask any one of these fans!!

I truely don't think Jim and I will forget this rush for as long as we live

It blows your soul out and just as your soul floats back down to you, it does it again!!

...like the beautiful mighty sea and her powerful beckoning waves

or a breeze blowing through clean sheets on a clothes line...

it was nothing short of pure energy!

pure enegry I tell ya`!

I get why they call it full throttle now!!!

Jim with the top fuel winners of the day :)

smiles on everyone!!!

well, that's my life ~

 for today

thanks for visiting

~

stay tuned for the farm cottage romance pictures 

missed you all :)

and in closing ~

 it was fun to be VIP's and live this exciting adventure

but

it's soooooo good to be home!!

hug,hug!!!

... where this blogger creates

...welcome to my studio dear readers

~

this is where

this blogger creates!!

won't you come in and take a peek around?!

an inspiration cabinet

where a pretty ballerina

is ready to greet you

~ in whimsy style...

 

perfectly tarnished silver trays

...ahhh

such bliss!!

cabinets and shelves

containing such lovely supplies

~

just waiting to be woven into beautiful things...

...won't you come closer?!

...i spy with my little eye

well ~

more whimsy of course!!

my desk...

where alot of my inspirations are sketched into a notebook for future creating ~

and I don't know about you

but

I could ALWAYS use an extra hand...

(teehee!!!!)

an ever changing, seasonal ribbon cabinet 

as a girl can just NEVER have too many luscious ribbon!!!

can she???

the resident cheshire cat floating above

and of course,

 there is Alice along side of him!!

looks like she was late for tea

err ahhh

well...

 lunch!!

a reminder

 to dance as though no one is looking...

a sparkling pink pear carriage awaits

~

just in case you are in need of a new pair of fairy shoes...

~ oh look! ~

there is a pair of pink sparkley fairy shoes

and...

 a beribboned waste basket

...oh

and just one

 more

oh-so-lovely

vintage slip

wouldn't hurt...

I'm sure I could find a place for it!!!

...my sewing table

cleared off and ready for more!!!

whew!!

that doesn't happen to often

~

but I did it for you!!!

:)

...hhhmmmm

I wonder what could be behind those ruffley covered shelves

more supplies maybe?!

and last

but not least

...my always ready lovely mannequin

~

bella

this now concludes the tour

...I do hope you enjoyed your visit to my studio!!

...thank you so much for stopping by!!

I will be home soon

to show you what I've been doing at the farm cottage!!

~

but until then

stop by all the other fascinating studio spaces of

Where Bloggers Create II

and give a very special shout out

~ THANK YOU ~

to

Karen who brought us all together to share our happy studio spaces!

Thank you Karen!!!

I can't wait to see where it is that YOU create!!

...I'm leaving

...on a jet plane!!

gotcha!!

but seriously

~

I

have

a fresh

 french pedi

and now...

I will travel!

one of my fav summertime treats,

I'm not really sure what it is about a fresh, french pedicure that makes me feel like I can take on

just

about

anything!!!

but

none the less ~

I adore french painted kitties!!

(that's what I called my childrens toes when they were tiny ones...)

....aaahhhh...soft little pink baby toes : )

must...

find...

sweet litte baby toes

 to kiss

quick!!!

~oh dear~

are you thinking what I'm thinking??

nnnnnnoooooo waaaayyyyyy

nnoooooo hoooooowwwww

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

moving on!!

as I was saying,

when I look down

my kitties (toes) just look so darn

happy to me

I mean come on

who could not be happy with ten little white smiley face tips

smiling back at you???

add a rhinestone toe ring or a crystal foot adornment and

all is right with the world

and I am ready:

less than 50 pound bags x 4 packed and weighed-

~check~

house timers on-

~check~

house sitter lined up-

mail/newspaper on hold-

trash out, dishes done...

~check, check, check~

whew!

(I need a vactation!!!HA!!!!!)

and just why is it

that I always feel as if I am forgetting something

when we go off on holiday?

it will be just a short little visit to Ohio this time around

the reason for this adventure is because

Jim will be the trophy presenter at the 

Summit Racing NHRA Norwalk Race

on June 24th-27th

So

now you see why I needed

pretty pink kitties!!

A major bonus as far as I am concerned,

is that we will be staying at my moms adorable

 farmhouse cottage

it is truely like a doll house!!!

(plugging back in to your roots is like an energy charge for your soul)

and I am soooo looking forward to this break!

I think it will be just what I needed!!

She built a "chicken chapel"

 for her two silkies

~ pitch and lily ~

(one has beautiful black feathers

 and the other has fabulous white feathers

can you guess who is who?!!)

this is them last summer

as baby chicks

I know!!

tooooo cute!

... I can't wait to sit in the rose garden with them and watch the mahem that ensues!!

I have other wonderful things planned for these few little days

a fairy picnic,

a rose garden tour,

and lots and lots of  hugs and kisses...

I always get extra squeezes for a rainy day

: ) 

 I will be taking lots of pictures of our adventure to share with you!!

...but for now

I leave you with the view from our new living room:

...blue skies

nothin` but blue skies

~ do I see...

nothing` but blue skies

smilin` at me

( as performed by: Ella Fitzgerald)

isn't the view just magnificent???!!!

many smiles to you dear ones!!!!

...ruffled beauty

...happiest friday dear ones!!

~

today

I'll be sharing with you

a most fabulous giveaway dear Debbie is hosting!!

and because I adore you all so!! 

...really!!!

~ Breathing beside Us ~

She creates some of the most fantastic lovelies I have ever seen!

Pretties to adorn your romantic selves with

featuring something close to my heart

ruffles

lots of ruffles!!

aaahhhhhhhhhh!!!

~

pause....

~

~

...swoon

~

...a wonderous ruffley bag

...a most whimsical wrist adornment

ssssshhhhhhh

promise not to tell?!

this cuff is my personal most favorite...

Her brand new Etsy Shop ~ Ruffles and Linen 

and a Web Shop ~ Breathing Beside Us

sooooooo perfect I tell ya`!!

~

Her lovely giveaway

~

Yes

it IS this Beautiful

RUFFLEY

scarf!!!

Now,

I realize that this greatly narrows my chances of seeing my name posted on her blog as the winner

...but

when something is this lovely ~

it simply demands to be shared!!

so

 whisper your name on this beauty here:

http://breathingbesideus.blogspot.com/2010/06/its-time-for-another-giveaway.html

and on June 1st soooo sorry/ August 1st!!(ruffles on the brain!!)

what will be

...will be!!

~  see...

who loves ya`??!

...gratefulness

...gratefulness wednesday

Today was the last day of school for my two peeps

and I'm saying

~ WWWWHHHHHOOOOO~HOOOOOOO! ~

~

(I am grateful we have been given another, very successful school year!)

~

No

I didn't fall and hit my head

there's too many boxes everywhere for that!!

and stuff

lots o` stuff!

lost

looking for somewhere to be ~

(another days post)

~

( I am grateful that subject can be another post!)

~

but seriously

I'm the kind of mom that

simply

loves having them around!

~

(I am grateful that I love being their mom!)

~

I

 HATE

(pause)

(such a strong, negative word that I only use it when necessary!)

that being said, let me say it again

I Hate

 the song "The cat's in the cradle"

because

EVERYTIME

i hear it

... I bawl

I didn't say cry

I said bawl!!

(that gut wrenching fetive holiday song "Christmas Shoes" does that to me too!)

(I swear I have have the little match stick girl complex!)

~

(I am gratefull I have a sensitive heart)

~

Time is soooo quick

it seems as if it was just yesterday that I was adoringly rocking them in my arms

now

Nathan can pick me up in his!

LOL!!

~

(I am grateful they are STRONG, healthy, happy young adults)

~

As they get older, our summers get busier

as in 

that cool breeze that just went by was a ~ f.b.s.!!

(f.b.s. = fly by summer!!!)

We no sooner get to the beach

slather on the spf

 stick our feet in the sand

and target has college ruled paper and mechanical pencils on their shelves!!

(sniff, sniff...gone, baby gone are the days of crayola crayons!)

(love the smell and feel of a fresh box of crayons!)

and I'm thinking

HEY,

 where'd the summer go?!

~

so I am grateful for each and every precious moment .

~

especially now,

seriously

two teenagers = lots o' friends 

and I hear things like:

 we love ya` mom...

but can I have the keys to the car

and

oh by the way, some $ for a movie too?!

or how about can I have a friend over for dinner

and 4 show up

 I think it's my cooking ~ HA!!HA!!

~

(I am gratefull I can, do & enjoy cooking!)

~

 but

I know very soon they will be off to college and on down the road

and I'll be at the kitchen sink

 doing just a few little dishes

humming

...the cat's in the cradle

~

gratefully yours,

...it was a beautiful day!!

...cue music

~Beautiful Day~
 by U2
(but sung in my voice)

~

You're on the road ~

seeking your destination... 

You're full of hope ~

In a maze of imagination...

Your heart is a bloom ~

a garden of endless possibilities
 

...see all the beautiful colors

~

it's all right here in front of you

...just waiting to unfold

~ remember dear ones

to lend a hand...

and know that it will be
returned in grace
by HIS hand!!
~
What a beautiful day!


...happy day dear readers!

these are my lovely ones ~
Sunday was "dress up day" at church.
As we live in the west,
Everyone is, shall we say
sport-ee
and the attire is less than semi-formal
ahhhhh...
as in jeans and t-shirts

yah
wayyyyyy less!!

which is such a shame
that these beautiful young people
(all the young adults, not just "mines"!)
are not fluffed up on a regular basis...

Everywhere we went,
people would say
"OK...I just have to ask~
what's the special occassion?!"
...wedding?...graduation?

It got to the point that I just wanted to say
OH, we're from out of town and this is how we always dress!!!
Well...we really are from the east coast!!
HA!!!

It's amazing to see what a crisp white shirt, a pretty little dress
and
 a SMILE can do...
maybe I'll start a random family dress up day!!!!
hhhmmmmmm....
yes!
I think I shall!!!

OH ~ what a beautiful day!