a Quiet Saturday morning....

It's a luxury, I know.....but I do love to sip my coffee, spend some time on the computer and sit quietly.  Not having a huge agenda for the day, I can sit here for a little while and enjoy the quiet.  I can catch up on a few blogs that I haven't made time to check on this week.  I can pray when I see/read about  a friend who needs it.
I can relish in good ideas and pretty things to make/cook/buy.  I can LOVE seeing how people have put such effort into their home and they are just right now for their family.
I have taken a little break recently from reading blogs....I find sometimes that I just have too much input and need some down time.  I need to clear my brain of good intentions/good ideas/good thoughts of OTHERS and make some time to be quiet and relish in my own intentions/ideas/thoughts.  I bet you know what I mean.

  But how nice to find them all there waiting for me when I can catch up.  Or to know that I might not read them all today, but one day in the future, I will discover them by surprise.  I LOVE the blog world, the friends I've made who I might not ever even meet in person.  But my life has been enriched by them.  I also have to remember, however, that a life online does not replace a life lived in the present.  Community is what God intended for us to live in......
Anyway, if you're my blog friend, you may have not seen comments from me lately......I've just been more busy, taken more time to do things with some friends here, and taking a little more time to be quiet.  Sometimes being quiet is a good investment to make, right?  It's a little like cleaning out that overflowing closet.......time to clear the mental clutter.  INTENTIONALLY cleaning out the closet of the mind.........something I need to do more often.  Not that all my real closets are in order!!  While I had only one working arm/hand, it was challenging to do some things, so it was easy to just throw some things in the closet......well, you can imagine I have a little catching up to do now that I can use both arms again!!  But I will indeed get to those closets this spring!
In all this randomness today, I will also mention that I miss my kids........I hope we can have a family reunion together soon, because while I love the quiet, I miss being in their lives and knowing what they are doing, what they are enjoying, what they are dealing with, just being with them!  I don't miss them in a sad, maudlin way....I just miss them.  I will call them today just to say hi, and at the end of the conversation tell them I love them and miss them.  Thank goodness for the telephone! 
I hope you enjoy your weekend.....rest a little if you can.....take a moment to be thankful, to be quiet, to clear out a little clutter.  You'll be oh so thankful.

Oh taste and see that the Lord is good......let us exalt His name together!

Funny Friday (inspired by a friend!)

My friend, Shannon, over at Crescent City Ramblings, is having Funny Friday today! She is a good friend, and def. has a sense of humor.
While on Facebook this morning, I saw this Youtube clip that had me in stitches........take a look, for a quick chuckle!  Also, go back to yesterday's post and read about some REALLY great personalized tote bags!!! Happy Friday, y'all!!!

Simply Bags – Tote Bags

We all know that Monogrammed and Personalized Tote Bags are all the rage right now........
I wanted to share a GREAT location to browse for your own Personalized Tote Bags!   Mr. Shirilla recently contacted me to see if I would be interested in receiving a tote bag, personalized for me, to share with you readers!  Of course, I said yes!!!  I would love to try out new things and companies to be able to pass on to you good, honest businesspeople!  Who doesn't want a good recommendation!!??


So the good folks at Simply Bags

  sent me this bag with my name on it embroidered in Kiwi Green!!!  I LOVE it!!!
It is such a good size, a great fabric for keeping clean, and has such potential!  Here are the specs.....

Embroider - Maximum 10 characters - Thread colors (Lt Pink, Lt Blue, Lt Green, Fuchsia, Red, Gold, Beige, Kiwi)

Black Embroidered Tote Bag is nylon micro fiber construction, measures 20"W x 15"H,  with a  5" gusset.
Overall height 28".  Two inside compartments, one with zipper.

Retails for $29.95

 You don't often see bags that are 20" wide!  OH boy, will I ever have fun using this one.....maybe it will go to Paris with me!!!! =)
Simply-Bags not only has this bag, but they have a huge selection of types of bags, and types of fabrics!  You MUST go check them out......
So run right over and do a little shopping!  I do think you will like what you see over at Simply-Bags!!!

Things I won!!!!

I love being in Blogland, where anyday might be a happy Mail Day......as it was for me recently.  Thanks to the generosity of some blog friends, I won a few things lately....and they  definitely added cheer to my days.  Many of you know that I've been going thru Physical Therapy post surgery, to get the use of my right arm back after the shoulder surgery I had in December.  Well, it's tough....and it's been fun to get a few fun, happy things in the mail to brighten some of the days when I wanted to throw in the towel that I use to do towel stretches......what is a towel stretch you ask???  Well, take a towel, hold it in your left hand, dangle it down behind your back, and reach around with your right arm behind your back to hold it and lift .......for someone with a wounded wing, it stretches and pulls and generally if you are doing the right thing, hurts like _____!!!!!
So I bet you're wondering what I won???!!!  So I'll share!
First of all, my friend, Tanya (and yes, she has become a sweet friend over the years of us reading each other's blog) at Frou Frou Britches  hosted a giveaway for some Arbonne bath salts (she is a rep, in case you need something!) !  They are just the right prescription and they smell heavenly!!! Ahhh.....

When she emailed me to tell me, I could hardly believe it....and what a perfect way to unwind, especially after Physical Therapy!!!
THEN, (yes I won TWICE!!) I won a beautiful necklace from my friend, Cricket @Cricket's Cafe !  It is handmade by Theresa Mason, and it is simply beautiful!!!  You can see Theresa's work here at Theresa'sCreations.  She has got some totally gorgeous collections and pieces that she's made!! Need a special gift? She has lots of choices!! So a HUGE thanks to Cricket and Theresa, as well!! Here's my necklace!

Isn't it BEAUTIFUL????????

 And lastly, I was given an opportunity to try out a new tote bag......from Simply-Bags.com!

They contacted me to see if I'd like to have one so that I could share on my blog about their products! I'll be telling you more about that tomorrow....You're going to love it!

finally coming out of hibernation.....

Much like the Groundhog earlier this month, or like Baby C here peeking out from her cocoon like stroller cover, I am peeking out from my bloggy break, getting ready to come back to Blog land.  I really didn't intend to take such a long break, but somehow PT has been wearing me out, and I've been on the lookout for my Bloggy Mojo.......every time I think I was ready to emerge, it waned.  It waxed and waned, leaving me with exhaustion and not a lot I felt like blogging about.  Alas, it is returning, so stay tuned for that giveaway I last talked about two weeks ago, stay tuned for my telling you about some awesome giveaways that I WON!, and stay tuned for a few other items that are bringing the mojo back...yes, dear friends, I am feeling the mojo start to gurgle...anyone else felt like that??? I have read a few posts from you, but even my blog reading has waned...just felt the need to take a break.  and catch a cold.  So I do hope I haven't lost all of you.......please tell me I have a few bloggy friends/neighbors left out there.......tomorrow I'll be telling you about some things I won as giveaways!!!  Lucky me!
And lucky me, that I get to be a Grammy to this little angel pictured above! This was taken by her mamma, who had her all bundled up for a neighborhood jaunt with the dogs!  Isn't she adorable?????

Gee, where does time go???

How can it be time for Friday Fives again??? Wasn't last Friday just two days ago?  I started my Physical Therapy, and not only does it take up a good chunk of time daily, but it HURTS!!! It is more painful by far, than the surgery and recovery from that!  Geez, Louise......but I am working thru it, and looking forward to my getaway later this spring.....Wanna know where we are going?????  Ok, here's a hint.....

YES!!! My husband and I are finally going to Paris for our 30th anniversary later this spring!!!  I am beyond excited, of course.....SO, on that note, let's do a Friday Fives about traveling!!! What do you say?  I don't know how many readers I have left since I've been just a tiny bit delinquent and absent in my blogging.....not daily for sure, so I hope a few of  you are still out there, and will leave a little shout out to let me know who's still reading....and yes, that giveaway is still coming up, but I"m still working on it, so I hope it's going to be amazing and that you'll come back for it....so for now, let's have some fun.....

FRIDAY FIVES:

1.  What was your most favorite vacation you've ever taken?

2.  What is your favorite WAY to travel?  Do you mind flying, would you rather take a train, drive a car????

3. If you had $3000 and a long weekend, today, where would you head?

4. What is your favorite traveling tip, especially any of you European travelers that have tips I may need to know!!

5.  Do you fold, roll or just throw in your clothes in the suitcase when you travel?? Best packing tip????

Have a great weekend, y'all........I'll be seeing you around!

Wahoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No more arm sling for me!! I can start Physical Therapy, or physical torture as a friend's child says, this week.  Hopefully a couple of months of that and I"ll be back to normal.  I can drive freely now, but no pulling, pushing or heavy lifting!!! Yes!!!

On to cleaning closets!!!

Friday fives!!!

Here in the Houston area, we are "ICED" in......roads are not good, so no driving for me!  Yesterday, the thought from the weathermen was that we would see rain/sleet/snow, but we got no snow....just lots of ice and treacherous road conditions!
  I had hoped to post  my Giveaway today, but I'll postpone it for next week, so I can get together all I need for my it.
Any thaw that could possibly happen today will be undone tonight when temps plunge again.
So let's move on with the Friday Fives today......
I'm sure you can imagine my theme....hah!

1. Have you ever been snowed in?  How much snow have you seen in your lifetime?

2. Have you ever made snow  ice cream?

3. What's your favorite cold weather comfort food?

4. Have you ever made a snow man?  How big was it?

5. Have you ever snow skied?

Stay warm, y'all......this is really weird winter weather when the temperatures in South Texas are colder than other places north of us!!!!

Coming up soon....don't miss it!

A giveaway for my 500th post...which I've already actually surpassed by a few....I'll be giving away some of my favorite things......stay tuned to see what those are!

It is a bone chilling day here in Texas...actually colder today here than in New York, Boston and Atlanta!!!!  Mother Nature is sweeping thru the nation.  I pray for those of you that are snowed in, and those without power.  I pray for your safety and your sanity!
The groundhog says we are in for an early spring....are you ready?? or is that a dumb question?? LOL.
Wishing you a happy, warm, cozy day with warmth, hot drinks and peaceful hearts.

Take care,
Suzanne

Book recommendations....

Especially if you are a Jane Austen fan or a fan of books written from this time period, I've recently finished two books that I would highly recommend!  I first read The Apothecary's Daughter at the recommendation of a friend, who also brought me The Girl in the Gatehouse.  A perfect time to catch up on some reading, with my arm in a sling, right?
So, my favorite so far has been The Girl in the Gatehouse, although both were very pleasant to read.  I am looking forward to reading Julie Klassen's two additional novels in my spare time.  I have pictured them here for your info.  Check them out, they are well worth the time spent with them.  In fact, I am  hoping she continues sequels of these books, as the characters are very endearing!!!

I Look forward to these two!!
check out this author--you won't be sorry!

Wednesdays with Willow House

Have you checked out the Weekly Deals on my outlet?   They change every Monday morning and last the week, and most of them are about 70% off!!  Here's a picture for you of ways to use the Trellis Plantholders(available for only $7.96 this week!!!)--created by another friend and consultant, Denise Cosgrove.  She is so generous to share; the spirit of generosity is what I love so much about working for Willow House.  That is encouraged and rewarded, to share and help other consultants!
Take a look and if you find something in the Outlet that strikes your fancy, go ahead and get it because these deals may not last long at these prices!! I'll be doing my Giveaway on Friday, so check back.....it may just be something from the Outlet!!

My outlet can be found at southerninspiration.willowhouse.com, and if you purchase, would you add my name as hostess when checking out? thanks ever so much!!!

Melanie Grant with Willow House...some FRESH ideas!!!

If you will search YouTube for other Melanie Grant videos, you can find even MORE Willow House Inspiration!!! Enjoy!
For some reason, the right side is cutting off...anyone know how to tell me to fix it? If not, If you go to the YouTube site, HERE, you can view all of Melanie Grant's Willow House videos there..she is adorable and has wonderful ideas!
All products can be found at southerninspiration.willowhouse.com. Be sure and check the Outlet and the Weekly Deals also!

Friday fives!!

1. What is your favorite restaurant?

2. What would you do with $350?

3. What is your favorite kind of soup or stew?

4. What is your favorite movie or television show?

5.  What is your favorite type of music?

Thanks for playing along!! I am typing much better, so I hope to be blogging more in the future....hope I haven't lost all of you in the meantime....
AND.....guess what....I hit my 500th post this week!! How exciting is that?  I never thought I'd be consistent enough with blogging to meet that accomplishment!  I have to admit in the last two months, it's been touch and go, and I've missed more than I've blogged...but life has happened.
Anyway, to celebrate, I'll be doing something special, probably a giveaway sometime soon.....come back and visit!! I hope to make that happen in next week's blog posts or the very near future!

Take care and Happy Friday!

Have YOU noticed?

How is your dishwasher doing lately? Not cleaning so well?  Are you having trouble getting your dishes clean?  Are you finding them "filmy" even after they've gone through a complete cleaning cycle?

Just recently, my husband shared with me that the dishwashing detergent companies (mainly Proctor and Gamble) have recently taken out phosphates from the manufacturing process of making their detergent, namely Cascade...which I've used for some time now, because I find it worked the best.  I would mostly use coupons when I had them, but even if I didn't, I'd still use/buy Cascade because I thought it did the superior job.  They took out the phosphates in an attempt to be a greener company....and did it with no announcements or PR letting customers know what they had done.  I'm not sure about other companies, but it is my belief that other companies are following suit.  Some people (I heard on a CNN news story) have taken to adding trisodium phosphate to their dishwashers to get the same benefits.....but how much, I don't know.

So recently, I called the 800 number on the side of the box of Cascade that was found under my sink.  They did not deny the fact that phosphates have been taken out, but they did not say they are working on a substitute for a more earth friendly yet equally as effective.....they simply offered to send me a coupon.  They also suggested I try the capsules that contain more "enzyme" ingredients, but which cost a bit more as well.
When I googled this issue, I found some interesting reading offering several solutions.......you can read here:

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=185479
Well, lo and behold, look what I have found thru my research.....apparently commercial institutions don't have the same restrictions as homes, so one can purchase THIS product found here, and it still contains the phosphates....ok, people, I know that I may encounter rage from some but I cannot abide dirty dishes.  I am glad to recycle and do what I can for earth friendliness, but the dirty dish problem is not one I can deal with.  So if you feel the same, look here:
http://www.restockit.com/Cascade-Automatic-Dishwasher-Detergent-85-oz-%2834953PG%29.html?pnl=1_4#ReviewHeader  Read the reviews, and come back for mine after I have received mine and will let you know the results...right now, I am ONE HAPPY CAMPER!!
This post and the research to write it may have saved my sanity!

Edited to add an article that explains the whole story, in lengthy detail....
http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/another-triumph-greens_536862.html

total Inspiration

A lady, turning 80 on 1/11/11.......inspired me.  I found a link on We are THAT family blog to a blog called Momedy (clever, huh?) and she wrote about Jean--enjoying her 80th birthday; go see!  It sure inspired me!  Not to go out and sled on a snowy hill--I'll wait until my shoulder is completely healed for all such activities!  But to live everyday to its fullest, and not live in fear!  What inspires you today?

when I finally progress from drawers to closets............

when i make progress in healing and move from small jobs to larger jobs like the linen closet, i will indeed be inspired by this youtube video!!!

an epiphany, of a different kind.

It must be getting to me that this is the second Monday of the new year and I've been unable to get much accomplished!  I wake up with a zeal to get things done and then feel stymied by the fact that I am one handed!  Also a factor is that major surgery is an energy zapper!  just doing a few things requires a lot more energy than normal!

  I know it's only temporary so it's definitely given me compassion for folks who live with handicaps daily!  But , nonetheless,  I feel the need to seize 2011 and get something done, even if it a few small things!  In fact, now is the best time to get them done, knowing that I cannot do big things nor will big things crowd out all the hours  in the day!

The epiphany came to me at 4:05 a.m. this morning!  For some strange reason, I woke with the thought that I could accomplish small things that need also to be done, such as cleaning out and organizing all the drawers in my house!!!  Who thinks of these things at 4:00 am in the morning??  Well, it was an epiphany of sorts that I woke up thinking of cleaning out drawers, and a helpful one!  I am going to focus on what I CAN get done rather than my limitations!  So my goal for this Monday is to clean out at least three drawers! 

What's YOUR Monday goal???

Would you consider helping???

http://ameliarobinsue.blogspot.com/

A dear friend out in blogland has the pleasure of a precious little grandbaby.  Congrats, Kathy!  However, coupled with this immeasurable joy is also immeasureable grief in the loss of her amazing daughter-in-law
(at birth) and the mom of sweet little Amelia.  In trusting that God will provide all that this family needs, I would like to pass on to any blog readers I have, a way to partner with the efforts to provide for this tiny little angel.  If you'd like to read the story, go on over to the blog that was started to tell the story.  A memorial fund has been set up and details are there for all of us to make whatever contribution possible.  I can only imagine how difficult this must be, so coupled with my prayers for this dear family, I chose to donate to the memorial fund, and wanted to give you the opportunity to do so as well.  If you are unable to give, please at least pray for this child and her precious family.  Thanks, friends!

we all have our choices...........

A friend shared this with me ........another little gem about perspective!

Whale or mermaid?

Recently, in a large city in France , a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said, "This summer,do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?"

A middle-aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern,
Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans.)They have an active sex life, get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp.

They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia,the Bering Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia .

Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don't exist.

If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or human?They don't have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them, not to mention how could they have sex? Just look at them ... where is IT? Therefore, they don't have kids either. Not to mention, who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me: I want to be a whale.

P.S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver, and a piece of chocolate with my friends.

With time, we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies.
So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy.
Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, ¨Good grief, look how smart I am!¨

What will you choose today???? Have a terrific day!

willow house wednesday!!

The new catalog is out with some of the most adorable new things in it!!!  Check my newsletter out and find the link to the new catalog in there.


http://www.imakenews.com/theinsider/index000486002.cfm?x=bhVbhn4,b5PTsyF5