Testing 1...2...3...Testing

Edited: I tried getting this to go on the bottom of the page, but no such luck.

Magnolia in the backyard...can you see the raindrops on the petals? This was taken through the window and the screen! This one you cannot click to enlarge but the others you can.

Hello from the rain-soaked land of eastern lower Michigan! We are suppose to get another inch of rain today...I think we may float away!

I am testing my new camera today. I've been wanting one of my own for a very long time. I have had 2 hand me down digitals and now I own my very own. I saw one at Costco and I really like it so far. I've only been able to take some inside shots but I think they're pretty good, better than my old camera. This camera is the Canon PowerShot SX200IS... Now I hope I can take some good shots at the graduation : ) 2 more days!

I brought my Gerbera Daisy inside because it has been darn chilly!

Here's a face you know and love! I know I love that mug and her toofies!


AWWW could she be any more innocent!?!

Sorry this is short...just a test...I have bunches to do before Saturday!

Have a wonderful night!!

Hugs!

Kim

The First 2009 Pumpkin Update

Hello! Here we go...the first pumpkin update of the season! Saturday we decided to buy some of our vegetable plants. They sell out quickly at our favorite nurseries. Here are the pumpkin seedlings, you should see how much bigger they are already!

I bought a pretty Gerbera Daisy for me : ) Wanted the patio to have something pretty for the graduation party this weekend. It's suppose to only be 60 degrees but it is suppose to be sunny too. Maybe some people will want to be outside.

Next up we have the girls! Emma is hard to capture in photo, she really wants to see what the camera is up close and is almost always trying to get it. But, here she is sitting with the hubs...


And here's the old girl, Cocoa! She is 4 months post-op from her cancer surgery and 2 months past her given prognosis of passing on. She had other plans! I hope she sticks around for a long time but I do know that most dogs die within the year of this diagnosis (cancer of the blood vessel walls). I'm just glad she has beat the odds so far!

Tomorrow, I will be getting real busy with the graduation party prep. I hope you are all having a great week!

Hugs!

Kim

Emma Fix

Hello! I thought I'd give you all an Emma fix! LOL! She seems to be pretty popular! She sure is with us! She is soooo sweet! She is potty trained and has slept through the night 3 of 4 nights, woohoo! I took these pics a couple of weeks ago and I think she's bigger already. She's quite heavy for me to pick up. Her baby teeth have been coming out and her new ones don't look all too crooked : ) Some bulldogs get pretty crooked teeth. We think she is allergic to the grass though. On the weekends she spends lots of time outside with the hubby and every time she gets a rash. During the week she usually just goes in and out...no rashes. When I take her for her last shots, I am going to ask the vet. Well...here she is...

This was a favorite toy while she was doing the most of her teething.

My SIL sent her this pink piggy for Easter. She love her!

I am so excited that warmer weather is on the way for the weekend! It is sooo chilly and gloomy here...ugh!

Hope you all have a great day!

Hugs!

Kim

Happy Secretary's Week!

Hello!!! Wow, it's been a while since I've posted! I really needed the break and probably won't be updating as much as before...but who knows...once the garden is in and when I start feeling more creative, I probably will.

This week is Secretary's Week! All the years that I was a secretary, my boss never ever recognized it! I make sure the ladies in my hubby's office are not forgotten! These are for Phyllis and Kathy, they are so nice! With hubby in Chicago all week...Phyllis makes sure she packages up leftovers from lunch meetings for hubby. (So he won't starve...HA!) And Kathy makes sure to supply us with coupons for doggy treats for Emma and Cocoa. She always remembered Cocoa at Christmas and I know she will remember Emma this year. They, also, help out a lot in the office (of course!). So...this is what I made up for them this year...I found these cup and saucer (all one piece) planters at our local nursery, popped in a Gerbera Daisy, made a pretty monogrammed flower poke and added some pretty ribbon. I hope they like them!

The monogram letters are Stampin' Up but I cannot remember the name of the set. The ribbon is Stampin' Up too, Sky Blue and Ivory Taffeta.

I love how these daisies look!

Everything Stampin' Up except the orange ribbon (Michael's), SU red grosgrain 1/4" ribbon.

Lots of buds down inside the plant getting ready to pop up!

The weather is super wet and gloomy. The creek will probably runneth over if it continues to rain. Hopefully, the grass will green up some more from all this rain!

Have a wonderful day! Hugs!

Kim

Graduation and Birdie Stamping

Hello!!! I am so glad it is Friday!!!

I finally finished my daughter's college graduation invitations. They are super simple and went quick enough. I stamped them in her school colors. Making invitations saved a bunch of cash!

(Click to enlarge)

Next are a couple of stamping projects I made for the Birdie Swap I participated in. I really like how they turned out.

The tags with the branch and bird...I saw a similar sample of this in the new Stampin' Up catalog and copied it (shhhh!!!). Love the colors!

I showed this before. I made 2 of these, one for me and one for my swap partner (Terri of Grace Notes). All the stamps are from Stampin' Up and I found the frame at Michael's for $1).

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I am sooo glad it's here! Tomorrow we will have nice weather and then it goes downhill from there, back to winter-like weather...yuck!

Hugs!

Kim

Surprise Mail and Happy Tears!!!

Morning!!! Look what came in the mail for ME!!! I received the most beautiful Random Act of Kindness package from a very sweet blogger and we have the same name!!! We are both Kim V's, she is Kim V of BellaDella. If you don't know Kim, you should really stop by her blog! You will fall in LOVE with her sweet farm and old store! I soooo want to visit! Anyway...look what she sent me...

The sweetest, prettiest, bright and cheery card! It is now hanging in my den, so I can see it when I'm on the computer! A little package of Laura Ashley magnets that match the colors in my kitchen perfectly!!! And a surprise all wrapped in bright happy blue!

It's a journal!!! Oh how cool is that!?! It is so beautiful!!! I LOVE IT ALL!
Thank you so much Kim, it has really brightened my day and it brought happy tears to my eyes! I have such wonderful friends here in blogland!!! I wouldn't trade you guys for anything!

Today is college graduation invitation making day...whew that's a mouthful! Now all I need to do is get Emma to take a nap!

Have a wonderful day!!! Hugs!

Kim

Birdie Swap and Thank You

Hi everyone!!! I have missed you all so much!!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your well wishes and prayers! It means so much! This has been a very trying last few weeks! I pray this is the beginning of things improving. It's a very long story and I won't go into it all here. My hubby and I are wonderful and so are the kids. We have just had a tough time with outside of our immediate family and their issues. Maybe one day I will fill you in...for now we are trying and praying that things get back to normal asap!

I did get a HUGE pick me up this week from my Birdie Swap partner Terri from Grace Notes !!! She sent me a wonderful package full of all things birdie!!! I just love it all and thank her so very much! It was fun getting to know her better through the swap...stop by and say hi to her!

She made me the cutest little bird house, which is now on my kitchen windowsill. I started making over that windowsill just before the package arrived. Perfect timing!!! The sweet little birdie and nest are also on that windowsill. Terri picked up the nicest little bird book, now I can look up all those new birds that show up on my patio! She made me the sweetest ledger book! Love the colors...hmmm...maybe I can learn to stick to my new budget using this book! Perfect timing AGAIN! And lastly, the prettiest picture frame! It is now on my mantle awaiting a photo of Emma! (You can click on the photos to enlarge)

Look what else she sent...isn't she sweet to remember Emma!?! Her doggy Gracie sent Emma this really soft, squeaky ball. Emma LOVES it!!! She loves things that squeak, especially balls! I will post some of the things I sent her soon!

I hope to be back to blogging soon! I need to regroup and catch up on everything here that I couldn't get to due to the crisis. I, especially, need to make my daughter's graduation from college invitations! Those should have gone out this week! So, yeah, I am WAY behind!!!! I will soon try to catch up with all of your blogs too. I have been lurking so I could have mental vacations...lol...but haven't left many comments, sorry!!!

Thank you all again and thank you Terri!!!

Hugs!!!

Kim