Question for Bloggers #4

Blogging is time consuming. Right? I think it is. It is coming up with ideas and taking pictures, uploading them and  finishing up the post. Then you have blogs you visit and that takes more time. So how do you find time to blog if you are an active blogger?

See my picture above? I am uploading pictures as I am folding laundry. For some reason I can only upload one pic at a time anymore. I used to choose and upload multiple so I don't know if it has anything to do with my new camera. Anyway, I multi-task. I have kids, chores, you know the busy stuff of life and don't find much time to sit and just blog so I try to squeeze it in. If I am laying down with the little one, I often have the computer on the bed somewhere. In the kitchen I might be cooking and uploading pictures then. Sometimes I think I could have a job for the time spent but it would be out of the house and not as enjoyable. So how do you make time to blog? I am dying to know.

Patriotic Welcome

I am known for decorating for every possible holiday. I don't know what it is about holidays, but I love them, embrace them and use them for an excuse to break out some more decor.

The outdoor summer decor went up yesterday. We lovingly call bunting "bunty" as that is what my now 13 year old used to think it was called.

There's my kitchen window where I watch the world go by.

Our flag holder has its stars and stripes in place for Memorial Day.

I always have to have some silly lighted ornament. My kids have come to expect it so I have a huge collection.

Even the veggie garden gets decked out.

Linking to:

Met Monday

Barn Hop

Show off your cottage Monday

Coastal Charm

Tues. To Do Party

Gearing Up For Memorial Day

I love Memorial Day. A chance to show our thankfulness to those that served, our pride as Americans and a great excuse to decorate in red, white and blue. Plus, it is our families annual rib fest. School is almost out and summer is on its way. What a great weekend.

We have patriotic colors all year long so they fit right in.

My red and white quilt on the blue couch is perfect.

God Bless America! Every year I buy my hubby something patriotic to go with his collection. This was picked up at an antique store. Don't know if it is old or not but I just loved it.

That's just a taste of our decorating for the summer holiday.I will show you more later.

Linking to:

Seasonal Sundays

Met Monday

Mod Mix Monday

Table Top Tuesday

common ground

SNS

Here Chicky Chicky

My love of all things chicken is no secret. In fact I want a few of my own but my hubby has other thoughts on that matter. I long to go collect fresh eggs and watch the chickens peck around my yard. In our city you can have three on a city lot. My daughter's friends have several and sent me these darling little eggs one day. We made the cutest little wee fried eggs with them.

For now I have to settle for chicks in other forms. Picked up these clearance pillows when I ordered my curtains but can't seem to find a home for them. Too busy I fear on the red couch.

I just have fake chickens and display their fake eggs. Though this guy is a rooster I'm thinking.

This guy looks like he wants to be free peeking out the window.

Linking to:

Show and Tell Friday

Ugh Bug

This was me yesterday. Only not so cute. Caught some sort of  bug. Enough details right there. But boy was I tired. Other than some ham and bean soup I put in the crock pot, I did nothing else. Climbed into bed. Other than feeling crummy all day, I rather enjoyed the excuse to do nothing. To just sit in my bed most of the day (outside of trips to pick up daughter from class) and stay in my sweats and do not a thing. Every other day of the year I would feel awful doing this and guilty about accomplishing nothing, but hey, I was sick, and so it was my day off. Thank goodness for older daughters who can clean and cook. Or should I say hubbies that can cook and clean. My man came in and finished up dinner and made drop biscuits. Other than having a wad of dough stuck in the whisk he shouldn't have used, it was all good.
I am sitting in my room last night listening to them at the table, "Ham is dead pig." "Are there bones in this soup? Why are there bones in this soup?" "Don't put butter in your sister's hair." "Don't spit on me, I'm serious." I am splitting in here. They are crazy people. How am I related to such poor table manners? Remember there is only one three year old out there. It hurts to laugh.

My Love of Flowers

Knows no bounds. I have pots all over the patio.

Even the playhouse has a bucket of flowers.

My favorite reading spot gets the most pots though.

I told you there is always some dog sneaking in our people photos. They just can't help themselves.

Happy Gardening!!!

Linking to:

Show and Tell Friday

Common Ground

The Charm of Home

Tootsie Time

Some Fun Vintage Blogs

With the coming retrofication of our kitchen, I have been having the best time finding other retro vintage blogs. I wanted to share a couple of them.

Are these not the best bowls ever? I think she found them at a yard sale.

Kitschy Vintage

These remind my of my childhood and candles my mom had.

Into Vintage

Oh my and who doesn't already know about 

Love this gals style. So FUN!

Happy Loves Rosie

Blogging Question #3

Have you hit blogging burnout? And what did you do to re-charge your batteries.

I see this all the time on other blogs. The need for bloggers to take a break and not post for a while. I have not had this happen to me yet but I do occasionally take small breaks when I am busy with life. I think this helps me to give it a rest and feel that yearning to get back at it. I also take lots of pictures on days when I just feel blah about blogging. This helps to give me new ideas through the pictures when I view them.

Also, I am not as you can probably tell a type A person. I am not a perfectionist and will post with stuff in the background of pictures. I just get it on there. I often say I am a type D personality. I am cranky when tired so I try not to get that way. I rest more regularly if needed and try to keep my mood up. This helps to keep stress at bay but it is always nipping at my heels. I have a hectic life so blogging is a break for me. If I feel I don't have time to blog then I don't. Let me know your thoughts.

He's the Cream in My Coffee

Yesterday was starting to become one of those days for me when I let the little things get to me. Nothing big, just the busyness of life with the antics of a grumpy three year old thrown in. But the best part started with a text to my lineman. He was at work and texts through the day are a highlight but this one was filled more with things like how I was going to implode. No drama there at all on my part.

I was just sitting in my room when I then received this text, "Sorry wish I was there to help you." and then the best part that just melted me, "We need to make the best of what we have. Life is good. Got healthy kids, food, a roof and a job. And the best of all each other!" It just stopped me in my tracks and I just felt this wonderful mellowing. He was right. Snap out of it Elaine. I responded with, "How did I ever land a guy like you?" and he of course said, "Just lucky I guess." Lucky for sure. He is the cream in my coffee. He makes life   

more mellow and since I use flavored fattening creamers, he makes life sweeter too. Thanks honey!!

Linking to:

Raising Homemakers

WMFW

Maltshop Now Open

Broke out the Hamilton Beach Mix Master for the warm weather. I swear my cupboards are like a time warp up there. This is another leftover from grandma. We love to make malts in it.

It even has the original recipe book with it.

The malt glasses are leftovers from a restaurant my parents owned in the early sixties called the Twilight Zone.

All set. Chocolate is my favortie of course. What's yours?

Linking to:

White Wednesday

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays

A Bowl Full of Lemons

Wow Us Wednesday

Very Merry Vintage Style

Brambleberry Cottage

BNOTP

Thrifty Thursdays

Vintage Thingy Thursday

The Charm of Home

My Romantic Home

Your Thrifty Treasures

A New Friend

A new little friend, a Mother's Day gift, made it to the dining room table.

Which made it necessary to find a new home for this tray.

But a lamp took the place of this bee hive so it landed on my little red chair.

And this quilt, another Mom's day surprise, found a home on my red sofa. Still no pillows. But see my daughter back there? I do have her trained to unload the dishwasher.

Some extras are now gracing the green bookshelf that I really need to paint.

By now you see a coffee break was needed.

And it all went nicely with one of these.

Linking to:

Amaze Me Monday

Met Monday

Tabletop Tuesday

Coastal Charm

Sunday Breakfast

I love to create morning breakfast out of leftovers from the fridge. This morning we had a small piece of steak, one baked potato and some mushrooms. Scrambled them up with some eggs.

Topped with chives from the garden and a perfect skillet breakfast.

A few highlights from yesterday. If anyone could enjoy a birthday, it is our little one. She loved and gasped at everything she received. But this new bike from grandma and grandpa was a huge hit and I caught her expression.

Three!!

Things are always very wild around here. The noise level is amazing. Yes, we are crazy. My hubby here playing with the bubble gun. I was trying to avoid them and to get a picture in. Oh well. It is real life.

There is rarely a perfect family portrait. Some dog is always running in the frame or no one is looking.

Happy Sunday!! We are off tonight for a rare night out with grown ups. I am tired from yesterday. Can you say nap?

Picnic Anyone Take Two

With the Blogger debacle I managed to loose this post but it is back with a  little extra. After I put together this summer picnic vignette, I found a great little vintage picnic cookbook in the drawer in the kitchen. It was left in the house when we bought it after my hubby's grandma passed away.

I thought it was perfect. I have put it out to enjoy for the summer season. Such cute graphics.

Love the vintage graphics on this cooler

Linking to:

Seasonal Sundays

Masterpiece Monday

Met Monday

Twice Owned Tuesday