Borrowed from my sisters blog (Library Linda)

I'm going to steal this from Linda's blog because sometimes you just have to think about these things...

• "What brings you joy? What do you just LOVE?" We were not allowed to answer anything that included newborn babies, ourselves, or our family. Those might have been the pat answers that any and all of us would have and could have answered. There were little girls who answered and they gave answers that were nature-related, like "flowers" "The ocean." Stuff like that. It was nice. Misty's ending though for us was that WE are the crowning creation of God. And I know that. I have a great deal of self-worth and appreciate the crowning creations of our Heavenly Father. But can I just tell you what makes me smile?

She hesitated to state hers...  I'll share mine.
I think my first would be BRIGHT blue days with puffy clouds.  I have a thing for puffy clouds.  Why?  I think it really stems from laying the grass in the spring and finding shapes in those puffy clouds... just laying in fresh green grass and finding shapes, animals, things in the shapes.. watching them change into something different... just "being"... Now instead of laying in the grass watching the clouds (something about age and bugs...).  I will find myself laying in the pool on my back, watching clouds.  Such a fun past time.  It's been a recurring theme in recent pictures too... I find myself taking more pictures of clouds, sunsets, sunrises... just nature in general, most are posted on face book and not to the blog. 

Just the other day I was driving to an appointment in the morning and had to pull over to take a picture across a field in the misty early morning... it was just beautiful... I like the dew on the grass... the peace of it all. 

I enjoy early morning on the back porch, coffee in hand watching the squirrels play.  I regret taking the peach trees out last year as they have nothing eat back there... so not a lot of squirrel watching anymore... the pecan is on the side and is producing nuts... so they're eating them, just not where I can sit and enjoy them :o|  May have to plant another fruit tree back there!!

So there are my simple things... things that bring me joy (oh, and finishing long overdue projects!  ha!)

What greeted me when I came in the door today!!

Oh, so pretty!!!!!

And what I did to it once I looked at it closely...

What it looked like after I got hold of it....

Must say I love, love, love the way the glass looks between the back splash and counter at the bar - beautiful!!

 Yes, I felt SOOOO destructive.  I ripped out ALL of the travertine halves...

Why you ask?

Because I knew if I had to look at the way it was for the rest of the life of the kitchen I would go bonkers... and this, ladies and gentlemen is why:

The travertine on the right is MY travertine I pulled out - the travertine on the left is what will be going in it's place tomorrow.  There is a HUGE height difference between the two and it looked nice from a distance, but a CLEANING nightmare up close.  Sigh.  It was soooo pretty though... but the problem will be fixed tomorrow with the new "shorter" travertine being put in.  Crisis averted and it will look even MORE beautiful that it did the first time around!! 

Goodness - looking at this post you really can't tell there is NO tile in the holes...

how funny (and sad!)

Projects, Projects everywhere...

Here is the before for a project I have had in the works for a year... for those of you wondering - 1 year is the magical number - before I hire things done.

I should hire the yard done first, but honestly, I don't go to the back of the yard and all but FIVE trees are dead now, so it's a lost cause... so I fixate on the inside for now... and here is the before!

Tomorrow you will either see a during or an "after" look for this room :)

The hint of what is to come in on the counter... yep, you guessed it!!  I'm excited.

Angela...

Today, Angela is officially.....

60 inches tall... that's 5 foot - whoop!!

The doc said today that she's due a growth spurt... yep, just in time for winter when pants will be effected... it's about my luck ;o)

Congrats my now BIG girl!!

Projects spiffed up... and one more "complete"

I have only fessed up to a few what this cake stand started out as before it became what it is...I think I have a bit more work to do on the process, but it's really cute and a few more tweeks and I'll be in LOVE with it.

One that DID get a tweak tonight was this one:

Finally using my robo for my OWN projects again :)