Frugal Friday

It's June and I've been done with school for about a week. Nolan graduated from Lancaster Catholic and the Lancaster Career and Technology Center. The parties are over. I deep cleaned the kitchen floor. The new school I'm starting (more on this later) is set up and the paperwork sent to the state.  What does all this mean? I'm a little bored. So yesterday it occurred to me that I used to love to blog. I think one of the reasons I stopped blogging was that I no longer had the time to do it. Well, this new found boredom has given me time to blog again!  So I went back to my blog and found this post that never got posted. I think it's a good one so I'm sharing it with you today. It is over a year old but still relevant. Enjoy this one and look for more this summer.

We're still eating the sauce we made from these tomatoes.

Here it is (from 2015. And, no, it's not Friday. Please don't expect me to post a Frugal Friday post each week this summer. This was the 2015 me, not the new and improved 2016 me who knows better.):

This is the first in what I hope will be a weekly Friday posting. Hope being the operative word here.

I've been contemplating voluntary poverty for the last few weeks. I'm not going to get into that topic right now because it would require more time than I want to give to my computer at the moment. We all know that there are people who live in terrible poverty all over the world, including the town you live in. 

I'm prone to a guilty conscience and so I have to be careful about my motives. I don't want to do something because it seems romantic at the time but is unsustainable.

What I have felt convicted about for a long time is to live more simply. To honor the beauty of the natural world that has been entrusted to us by our creator. What does this mean exactly?

Well, first off: waste not.

I guess that is my basic definition of frugality. So on this and (I hope) subsequent Fridays I'll post something about being frugal. We all know that when one can make a posting alliterative it has universal appeal. Right???

So, my first Frugal Friday post topic is PATIENCE. "Patience,"you may ask? What does that have to do with being frugal and eliminating waste?

1. Impulse buying. It is so easy, isn't it? Let me give you a current example. Yesterday a friend recommended the book 7:An experimental mutiny against excess. I was cleaning out my closet and lamenting the number of skirts in there that almost never get worn. My gut instinct after looking at the book was, "Hey, this is right up my alley. I'll buy it right now. I'm just one click away on Amazon!" Fortunately, the angel sitting on my other shoulder reminded me that purchasing a book immediately because I REALLY wanted to read it was just as bad as those 13 skirts sitting in my closet. Worse, actually, because I still had the option of NOT buying it. So, my friend offered to loan me the book when she was finished with it and my dilemma was over. I'll still get to read the book and glean the knowledge written inside while saving some cash and possibly having a moment to chat with a friend during the exchange. 

2. Savings. I think we all know the cost of buying on credit or buying more than we have income to sustain. Just take a look at the housing crisis in America. How many people were approved for loans that they could not sustain. My parents taught us that if you want something, save for it first. Chances are you may not even want the item you were saving for once you have the money in hand. Being patient about fixing up the house, upgrading the computer, or even that new pair of shoes pays off in the end.

3. Eat real food and cook it yourself. Yup. Cooking takes time. Cooking real food takes extra time. It takes patience to learn to make something from scratch, to use the oven instead of the microwave. No, dinner isn't usually ready in 10 minutes or less. To be honest, the cost of real food isn't always less than processed. Unless you look at the big picture. Most commercially available foods are subsidized by the government along the path from giant farm to your table. Where do the subsidy monies come from? Yup, taxpayer pocketbooks. How about your health? What is the cost in medicine, doctor visits and hospital stays that are directly linked to the poor quality of food that we eat? High. The cost isn't just in money but in time and quality of life. 

4. You. We are all human. We all have our faults. We all need to strive to improve our lives in some way. Be patient with yourself. Nothing changes overnight except the date on the calendar. Every experience in your life is forming you and often those around you. Waste not. Examen yourself but be patient with yourself. If you find you have blessings then give thanks! If you find you have faults, make a plan. If you have faulted your husband, your children, your friend, your coworker: ask forgiveness. Take the time to improve yourself. Give thanks for the many blessings you have in your life and find one area that you can improve upon. Continue practicing patience with it all.

I'm sure there are more areas where patience and frugality meet. If you've got an idea, comment or facebook or post! Send me your links. Have a great weekend, everyone.

He Gives Us Help

I am often awake in the middle of the night. Something or other wakes me and I lay in bed and, well, often worry. I've worried about the boys, money, work, school, etc. Everything is always worse at 2 a.m. when there is little you can do about it. One of my remedies for this late night worrying-insomnia is the Rosary. If I am to be completely honest (which I tend to be) I'll have to admit that I still don't have the Apostles creed memorized. So, at 2 a.m. I either skip it or say what I remember. And then, to be really, totally, completely honest (which, if you know me well, you already know I am sort of compelled to be) I can't always remember all of the mysteries. So, sometimes I make up new ones! If you know your Bible it isn't too hard. My memory has never been my strong suit. 


But.....I'm digressing.


So the other night I was awake and decided to say the Joyful mysteries (which are my favorites). I was thinking about the hardships in my life and how I've been really trying to make amends with them. I got to thinking about Mary and how hard it must have been for her (that was during the 1st Joyful mystery....the Annunciation). To be young and pregnant and unmarried and then, on top of that, to tell you fiance' it was God's child! Yup, that's got to be difficult. But I knew that Mary was a faith filled woman. She trusted in her Lord. 


On about that time I moved on to the 2nd Joyful mystery, the Visitation. During that decade I was thinking about Mary and Elizabeth. Usually we think about Mary going to help her cousin and we focus on Elizabeth's exclamation and the baby leaping in her womb. What occurred to me on that late, late night was that 


God provided Mary with someone who completely understood His plan for her life and was supportive of her 


at a time when she surely must have needed it most. I have always loved the visitation. To think of the older and younger women, glowing with pregnancy and joy and sharing their hopes for the future. What never occurred to me before was that Mary must have needed Elizabeth just as much as Elizabeth needed Mary.


Isn't this what we all need? And surely, if God provided it for Mary, this was His template for all of us. That when we are facing hardships we need to reach out to those people who understand us, who support us, who love us.


I am thankful for the several friends in my life who I can count on in this way. I hope you know who you are. I'm meeting one of you on Saturday. So, thank you, from the bottom of my heart for doing the will of God. For me.

Pal Toy-ds by a Gal Pal

 So my very talented husband teaches piano to the above very talented girl from church. It's nice because her mom is a friend of mine and so I get in a little socialization while her daughter is getting a lesson. If you look closely, you can see the little pouch she is holding.

She was inspired by my Pal Toy-ds and decided to make one of her own. This is the marble bag. Isn't it divine!!!! I can't wait to see the finished product.

Friendship Mosaic

This is a diamond ring that was created by an elderly lady that Connie worked with at a hospital day program. Isn't it wonderful?

My dear friend, Connie, had a great idea. She loves to create tile mosaics and has saved broken dishes, mugs, mirrors, etc. for years. She recently put all of her mosaic tools into her basement in the hopes that it would inspire her to be creative. Last week, she sent out an email inviting a slew of friends to come and help her use her supplies. She thought it would inspire her to actually work on her projects and also start eliminating much of the accumulated tiles. Isn't that sweet?

Connie is showing one of the many handles she's collected. She wants to work them into something but she's still thinking of ideas.

 So on Thursday night three of us gathered in Connie's basement to check things out. Connie, Sue and I all work full time but also want to continue to be creative and spend time with our friends. This was a great way to accomplish all three! We spent most of the evening just seeing what was there, checking out books for ideas and chatting.

This is just one area of about 5 areas of supplies that Connie has collected through the years.

 Connie has been such an inspiration to me over the years. She is so creative and thoughtful. I want to do a post about her house sometime. She and her husband bought a big old beautiful house in the city and have done an amazing job of fixing it up. It is still a work in progress but what they have accomplished is astonishing. Her decorating style is just pure eye candy. You've got to see it (guess I should get over there with my camera sometime.....right Connie?)

Here's my first attempt. I got to smash this plate shard into smaller pieces. I definitely like smashing things.

It is Connie's hope that we can spend many Thursdays together over the summer creating mosaics. I'm going to start by making a stepping stone for the garden. I'm not generally very artistic so I'm not sure mosaics will be my "thing" but I love trying something new, spending time with friends and in doing so, helping others accomplish something, too.

A pot that Sue made in the past. Isn't it sweet? Just so you know, Sue is incredibly sweet, too!

Thanks, Connie! You're the best.

First Communion Gifting

 I've got my first communion gifts down pat. They always come from Alice Cantrell. For girls, I gift Tea and Cakes with the Saints. For boys, Tin Cups and Tinder. You just can't go wrong with those two lovely, lovely books. People rave and want to know where they can buy more. So, what to do when the boy receiving his First Communion already has Tin Cups and Tinder? You go to plan B.

Plan B took me a little while to formulate. I think working at a job away from the house has slowed my brain function a bit. Just a bit. I was able to remember a little etsy shop I discovered one day when perusing Catholic Icing. The shop is called St. Luke's Brush.

I asked about a favorite saint and was told St. Michael the Archangel. A few clicks of my mouse and a little emailing with the shop owner and I was the happy recipient of a beautiful wooden St. Michael. I wasn't satisfied, however. I just felt that I should MAKE something too. I flipped through my copy of Tin Cups and saw a reference to pocket saints. Apparently, during the first half of the 20th century, men carried little metal statues of Jesus, Mary or a saint in their pocket when they were away from home. I loved this idea for my little St. Michael. So I whipped up a little leather pouch that hooks around a belt loop. St. Michael fits inside, but so would a million other little odds and ends that boys tend to pick up on their journeys.

Happy First Communion!

Here's the picture I promised of the baptismal outfit I made for a friend's little boy who was baptized on Pentecost. He was baptized during Mass which I just love as it involves the whole church community. Matthew was a little older for his baptism and his mom couldn't find anything to fit and so asked if I would make something for him. I was honored to give him this gift. He looked wonderful with a little button down shirt and cross embroidered bib.

In other news, we attended the graduation party of my friend Amy's son last night. He is an amazing young man who has a bright future. It was odd to be around all those teenagers but I guess I'd better get used to it. It was good to be with friends. Amy and I got together last week for a little coffee. I was able to spend time with her girls as well. She has such a lovely family. It has been wonderful to sit and relax with good people. I'm looking forward to more of that soon.

Three more days of school until summer vacation. Not that I'm counting or anything.

What I've been needing...

I've mentioned before that this was a terrifically difficult year for me. I don't like to focus on myself but I've been doing quite a bit of soul searching over the last few weeks. As summer is fast approaching (can't wait....can't wait.....can't wait) I've been pondering whether or not to continue my life as is or whether some things need to change. We need change.

This year was too busy.

Too busy for things that REALLY matter to me. One big thing is time to spend with those I love. I have really missed my friends this year. I don't want to lose them over lack of time. I'm bound and determined to MAKE time.

I spent a short amount of time today with my good friend Val and her lovely children because I needed to measure her son's baptismal outfit (pictures to come...I PROMISE). I had the loveliest time building Lincoln logs with the kids and talking with my friend. What a simple joy. One I must repeat over and over. Thanks, Val. I needed that.

Charity and Thanksgiving

I'm feeling a little guilty about this charity. Really, I'm cleaning house. I checked off another item from my list by picking up my sewing from Cafe on Main. The following items will be donated to our Parish Carnival. Ok, NOT the table runner they are sitting on but everything else. So if you see something you like, truck on down to the St. Mary's Carnival in September. Don't live in the area? Stay tuned for some mailable giveaways in the upcoming posts. I really mean it....I'm cleaning house. Well, mostly I'm cleaning my stash.Now for the thanksgiving part. I went to the most wonderful family learning conference yesterday. I'm not going to call it a homeschooling conference because that will make you think my children are not going to school. They are. I have the school supplies to prove it. However, my children will ALWAYS be home educated. Just because they are in school doesn't mean we no longer learn at home! I hope my boys will learn all the most important lessons here, with Mom and Dad. They learn to get along with each other in a not-too-big-house. To become independent by helping maintain the house through cooking, laundry and cleaning. They visit with their Nana in the Rehab center. And most importantly, they learn to live by following the teachings of Christ. So I'll always consider my boys "homeschooled" no matter where they are attending school.

I am so thankful for the wonderful speakers yesterday. They really made me think about what I am doing with my family and where I need to be more purposeful. My boys will both be training to be altar servers in September and so I wanted to give them some extra knowledge prior to the training. Some of the books and materials I bought are below. I love books and love to learn and have a hard time staying away from those vendor tables! The adult books were all 1/2 price so I got them all for $16. A bargain. We are going to attempt to write our own Bible School this year and I want to be prepared.

Finally, I was thankful for the time spent with some lovely women who I am so grateful to call my friends. It was much needed time for me. So thank you Michele for putting this on and for all who helped you make this day happen.

Red Love

Look what came in the mail for me!!! Wow it felt like Christmas. AmandaJean and I agreed to a fabric trade. I told her that I love red and look at all the red goodness she sent me! Big pieces, too. The card is hand made and also delicious. Makes me think of fruit at market. AmandaJean I am IN LOVE (appropriate that the fabric is red, isn't it???). Thank you, thank you. I have been keeping it on the dining room table so that I can just look at it every time I walk by. Your package is in the mail. I hope you don't mind some scrappy pieces but there are some larger ones too.Today my friend Paulette took me to LadyFingers Sewing Studio. It was fun and there was so much goodness to look at. They have the cutest Eric Carle Very Hungry Caterpillar Fabric. I stuck to my plan and only spent $3.71. Paulette always takes me to great fabric stores. I found these fun blacks to go with the reds from AmandaJean. Now I just have to think about what to make with them...In other news, I keep working down my to-do list. That little list has really motivated me. I have the boys curtains hung so I can measure for the hemming. I really like the way they turned out. The material feels like a sheet to me. I've not had any cotton quite like it. The down side is that it wrinkles fairly easily. The wrinkled look definitely "goes" with their room decor (early modern destruction). Hopefully I'll have pictures by Monday.

Quilt finished (almost) in time

Well, here it is. I finished it this morning at 6am. Not quite before Matthew was born but pretty darn close. I just got home from visiting the new baby. He is a doll, all blonde peach fuzz and sleeping like crazy. His big sister Angela thinks he's something special as do his parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents and all manner of friends and neighbors. I am always amazed at how small babies are. You'd think I didn't have any of my own. My boys are so big now that I just can't believe they started out that small. They really did, though. Let's keep praying that all the details of Matthew's adoption are smooth sailing. Thanks for all those of you who have prayed. He is a miracle.

Happy Cowboy Birthday

A very dear friend of mine had a birthday recently. There was a surprise party for him last night but I was unable to attend due to a previously scheduled camp-out with The Webelos and Boy Scouts. I wanted to make something that could be used and enjoyed so I came up with these little coasters. I have much more fabric so I may be adding some additional items prior to Wednesday when they will be presented. Coasters are such an easy gift to make and I hope they get used.We are cleaning up from the camp-out and preparing for late Mass. We usually go to 8:30 a.m. Mass and I am always amazed at how much time there is in the morning until 11 a.m. Mass. I just don't know what to do with myself. My darling husband is one of the organists for our parish and he also plays in a number of other groups at select Masses. Today he will be playing with Trinity Session at 11a.m. Someday I'll actually count up the bands he is/has been involved with. I'm too tired at the moment. I need to get a better sleeping bag so I'm not so cold on these fall camp outs.

New Holland Market

Today Amy and I were stand holders at New Holland Market. It was not a good market day. Well, it was not a good day for selling quilts, or coasters, or totes, or felties. No, I didn't sell one thing.

It was a great day to sit outside and talk to a friend. I think that was totally worth the day. Thanks, Amy, for being a great friend and for making the time fly by.

Here are some pictures from market today. The top picture shows the new set-up for my quilts. It was a bit windy in the morning so I had to pin them bottom and top but this method helped show off some of my quilts a bit better than I have done in the past.
Here are Amy's newest creation: burp cloths. It made me want to have a baby on my shoulder just so I could have the most stylish burp cloth around. She should have these up in her etsy shop soon. Below are some of Amy's flowers that she and her husband grow around their house. Don't those tomatoes just make you want to take a bite and let the juice run down your chin?And here is the best picture I could get of the pinwheel quilt. It certainly did get some attention which was nice. It looked so nice hanging there in the breeze and sunlight.

Harry Potter Mania

We had a great time last night at Dogstar books. Nolan won a free copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. We stayed until midnight to pick up the copy. I guess we should stay awake till midnight more often because Nolan swam his personal best in backstroke and swam faster in freestyle than he has in several weeks at the swim meet this afternoon. The above picture shows Fred, George and Ginny Weasley and below is Fred and his Patronus Charm.

Thank You

The one thing I really wish blogger would change is that I can't send emails to people who comment on my blog. It makes me feel ungrateful or something. Blogger's solution is to respond on the comment page but I don't think people return to the comment page after they comment and so that solution doesn't work for me. Here's my solution for now: A thanks post.

First, thanks to all those great people that I am lucky enough to know personally: Amy, Michele, Heather and Xia. Read their blogs because they have a lot of talent and a lot of great things to say. I wish you could all know them.

Secondly, to the people who have commented that I am not lucky enough to have met in person: Alice, Cici, Matilda, LadybugmommyMaria and Betty. It has been my pleasure to get to check out the other blogs out there. I have to admit I was totally amazed to have had a comment from people who DON'T know me. So, thanks.

Matilda and Cici, thanks for liking the Toile quilt. I have come to like it much more since I've been quilting it. As requested I will post the directions and a full picture in a day or two. I'm hoping to finish the quilt today.

Finally, check out Dawn's Late Spring Field Day post. There are some fabulous pictures and amazing links (I have to find some time to check them ALL out). You'll see some familiar kids (mine) in the post.

Thanks again for reading and have an amazingly blessed day enjoying the every-dayness of it all.

8 Things About Me Meme

“For this meme, each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.”

So I had to look up the word meme. According to the Urban Dictionary, one definition is "an idea spread from blog to blog." This may take me awhile.

1. I have always wished my name was Elizabeth, not just Beth. My brothers' names are Brent and Brian and so I guess my parents were on a roll with the B names. Unfortunately, when my mother was getting us all confused I was called Breath because I was the only one without an R.

2. I vowed as a child and as a young adult that I would NEVER name all of my children with the same first letter. I should have known better than to say never. We didn't name Nathan and Nolan purposefully with the same letter but knew the names were right and so I just bit the bullet and did it.

3. I first met my husband when I was about 14. He was (and still is) in a band called the Innocence Mission and some friends of mine introduced us. We didn't give each other the time of day. Later, he came to my high school graduation party (he is 5 years older than I). Still didn't think about each other. Finally when I was 21 he chased me down. Yes, girls, despite the fact that he was a rock and roll star and toured the country and made records (yes, he used to make RECORDS) he chased me and not the other way around. Lucky me.

4. I was in a band called Beatnik Love Affair when I was in college. We made a demo tape and a friend shot a video for us. I still have it if anyone wants a good laugh. No, I will NOT post it on the internet. Private viewing only.

5. I am a terrible housekeeper. At all times there is lots of dust and cat hair covering most of the house. Mike cleans the bathroom. Did I mention how much I love my husband?

6. I thought parenting would be a lot of picnics in the park and laying on the living room floor coloring. I'm still waiting for my kids to open that pack of crayons and the coloring book I bought 11 years ago.

7. I didn't realize parenting would involve so many bugs and creepy things (we have encountered so many snakes lately that a trip to the library was necessary for some understanding of our belly slithering friends). I also didn't realize how much I would love this.

8. Finally, I love homeschooling. I love being with my boys every second of the day and sharing in all of their learning. I did not expect this. I love being the person they talk to about bugs and Egyptians and being asked (for at least the 100th time) which is my favorite wild cat. I love that we can be on a wonderful faith journey together each day, that my husband works from home so that we all interact throughout the day and that Mike and I are the primary people forming the characters of these fabulous boys. I will say it again, I love homeschooling.

Well, that was easier than I thought once I got started. Now I have to tag 8 people. I don't know that many bloggers so some of these people may be really surprised (and I hope not annoyed)! I tag Alice, Rebecca, Dawn, Ladybug Momma, MaryAlice, Nissa and Xia, Bill and Stephanie.

Because I just CAN'T post without a picture, here is a mini quilt I made the other day.

Inspiration

I promised you a cute cat picture, and here it is. The kids were disappointed that the farm cats were too wild to pet and we didn't have enough time for them to work on making friends. I had fresh from the patch strawberries for breakfast this morning after discovering a wonderful blog called By Sun and Candlelight. I was inspired by her nature journaling and also how she incorporates feast days in the children's education.This is something that I strive to do with my boys but don't always accomplish, especially in the summer when school is "out" and our day is less structured. I love to add hands on learning whenever possible and the boys retain the lesson so much easier when this happens. I highly recommend you check out her blog.This is my cousin, Bob. It was his farm we visited yesterday. Bob (or Bobby as I still call him) was my most favorite cousin as a child. He is about 8 years older than I am and must have always been super nice to me as a little girl because I had the hugest crush on him when I was three or four. I insisted that I wanted a Bobby doll. Since my mom is the baby of five kids and I was the baby of my family I was very spoiled by my grandmother. Thus, the search for a Bobby doll to please me.I still have it. It doesn't look anything like Bobby but is in fact a Howdy Doody ventriloquist doll. I think they must have picked it for the outfit, sort of farmer-like. This is one of my most fond memories of growing up. We went to visit my grandmother every Sunday afternoon on her little farm and I just loved having all of that space and freedom to roam, barns to explore, kittens to discover and fresh water from the spring to drink (from a pan no less!).
Here is my mom (on the left) and her sister, my Aunt Mary. Mary is Bob's mom. Not only did we get to pick berries, but I got a lesson in tobacco growing. I won't bore you with the details but since it was such a huge part of both my parents' childhood I found it interesting.

I think I'm rambling now. It is nice once in a while to walk down memory lane. By the way, today is Trinity Sunday, the first Sunday in Ordinary time. We have a little paper doll priest on our wall and the kids like to change his vestment to the correct color depending on the Church season. In case you don't know, Ordinary time (which means the days are ordered, NOT ordinary) is green - just like the world outside right now. Have a great day.

Eye Candy

One of the reasons I look at blogs is to see what others are making. I mostly like the pictures. My husband is the opposite. He likes the words. The more the blog looks like a newspaper, the more he likes it. I think he's weird but I love him none the less!!

My friend Amy just got her blog up and running. It is called Fresh Vintage. Click here to check it out. I also found this super fun blog and web site. Nolan and I had quite a bit of fun scrolling through these pictures. If you happen to have a little boy in the house, he'll like it, I promise.

Finally, the picture above is my newest creation. If you remember this quilt, you'll notice some similarities. I had enough squares and just enough batting to make this little dolly quilt. It is for sale in my etsy shop. The big version sold in about two days so I'm hoping someone will like the little one too.

Indian Steps Museum

Another homeschooling/church friend invited us to go along to the Indian Steps Museum and a hike today. This was loads of fun. We liked the museum but loved the little pond outside with frogs, toads and tadpoles.
I love homeschooling.

Prince of the Ladybugs

For some time now my 9 year-old has considered himself "Prince of the Ladybugs." I think the fascination goes back about two years. What I never knew about ladybugs (which isn't surprising) was that they do a complete metamorphosis from the time they are an egg until an adult ladybug. Nolan received a Ladybug Land in his Easter basket and we sent off for the eggs immediately. The eggs were mostly hatched into larvae (which, IMHO, are very ugly creatures) when they arrived. We watched them grow and shed their skin and Nolan watered them faithfully every day.It was an exciting day when the bugs attached themselves to the wall of the Ladybug Land and began to pupate. An even more exciting day happened a week ago when we watched the ladybugs hatch. To me these processes of the natural world just confirm my faith in God. I just don't see how anything this complicated could happen without being part of a Master plan. I'm very scientific, aren't I?Last night we let them go. It was wonderful to see them take flight and to let them crawl on our hands and knees for a while.Do you know how ladybugs got their name? In the Middle Ages when farmers found these little spotted creatures helping to rid their fields of bugs that would eat their crops they named them after "Our Lady, Mary" in thanks.In college, my Biology professor was an Entomologist. The man loved bugs. He talked about them all the time. I thought it was the most hideous class I'd ever taken. I'm sure God has a sense of humor. He gave me boys who love bugs and have made me think they are the most fascinating creatures too. Tomorrow I'll show you the "Prince of Butterflies."

Give Away What You Have

OK, friends. Here they are to some lucky commenter (is that a word?). I will be off blog-world for a few days as I am going to be speaking to our Parish Mother's group about Finding the Joy in our Vocation as Mothers. I want to do a good job so I will have my head in the books and my knees on the floor for a few days.

Leave a comment on this post (or any other) and in a few days (or a week) I will print them off and pick one out of a hat. The lucky winner will receive this set of four coasters (cow print front, 2 black, 2 black swirl backs) and this very fun, summery bubble bag.

I hope you are all enjoying the beautiful weather. See you in a few...