Link Love...

More vacation pictures today. A few are from our fishing expedition. I say a few because that's about all I took. The seas were a bit rougher this year and what started out as a nice six hour tour quickly turned into Pukefest 2011. Most of us got sick. At one point I turned to Ryan and told him to throw-up, it would make him feel better and then he could go on fishing. And, that's exactly what he did! The first mate was quite impressed with the fact that we stuck with it so long. We didn't catch as many keepable (we caught quite a few red snapper which weren't in season) fish but that's okay. Our whole impression of the Gulf was that it was pretty to look at but it's rebuilding after the spill. Not as many birds, hardly any crabs (the ones that we saw were dead) in the water and no shells on the beach.

I'm off to have another cup of coffee. Getting up early to watch the royal wedding got the best of me. Enjoy the links....many are wedding related in celebration of William and Kate!

1. I originally bookmarked this site for the votives that they hung over the bride and groom. What a beautiful and simple idea. But, then they had a short video at the end of the post with my all time favorite song. Well, if that didn't do me in! Then, I caught sight of the history of the bride and groom at the end. Have your tissues ready as you read. Best of luck to this couple, they deserve much happiness.

2. Love these DIY Sequin Heart Toppers! What a great and easy way to spice up a party table.

3. Who would have thought burlap and bling would go together. This is beautiful!

4. Kate's dress=spectacular! And her sister-equally as beautiful. Those commoners know a thing or two about fashion!

5. Lastly, I'm sure you've heard how the newlyweds wanted all gifts to go to charity. Here is their site. They are one class act!

enjoy the weekend everyone!

Making...Spring!

It's way too nice to be inside in front of a computer. Plus, I have absolutely nothing to show in the the knitting/sewing/cooking department as I have been a bit lazy coming out of vacation mode. So, I will give you pictures of my garden finally awakening. I'm going back out to sit on the porch before the rain comes, yet again. Hope you are having a fabulous day!

5 things....vacation style!

We are back! I'm still tackling mountains of laundry and sweeping up sand from the laundry room floor but as I work I continue to think about the memories that we made in Florida. I think all the adults and kids agree that this was one of our best years yet. The boys are self-sufficient and the little girls that travel with us are growing up too. Less meltdowns make for very happy people.

If you have never been to the Panhandle, specifically here, put it on your list. It's a magical place worth visiting.

1. We had a photo contest. Two of us blog, many of us have flickr pages and we all have cameras. I felt like we were the paparazzi. There were cameras all over the place. At the end of the week, the slideshow was presented and prizes were awarded!

2. Last year we all agreed that we didn't ride our bikes enough. We changed that this year. Trail riding, quick trips to town and a long ride to breakfast were fun for all.

3. I am amazed at my sons and how they have grown to love this place. We were walking home one evening and Matt leaned over to me and declared that he only had four more years here and then off to college. Bittersweet moment for sure.

4. The mornings were overcast and not great for picture taking...but I did get out once. I decided to sleep a bit more in the mornings...a treat for me.

5. Wishing I was still walking the paths, but am also glad to be home.

Will show more vacations pictures in the coming week. Let me know if you get sick of seeing them!

Have a great week and now I'm off to do some more laundry!

5 things...

1. I'm off to the beach in a few days

2. So I don't have time to play on the computer.

3. I need to pack

4. And finish knitting a sweater (but in all honesty, I think it's coming with me)

5. See you all in a couple of weeks. I'm going cold turkey with the computer. I promised the boys!

Link Love...

I went bathing suit shopping today. Enough said...on with the links!

1. Kerstin and Liv are a mother/daughter team.. Their love of beads, crafting and just spending time together have prompted them to open their own etsy shop.The beaded bracelet above and the necklace below are made by Kerstin. Liv makes cute jewelery for young ladies (which I happen to have one of her originals too). They were kind enough to send me the necklace as a special gift after I admired it on their flicker page Go check them out. They are making great stuff!

2. Happy Birthday pancakes just make me smile.

3. What a determined young girl. I love the way she uses her hands to try to help herself.

4. A rooftop wedding in NYC. That would be a blast!

5. uh, no. Would you?

enjoy your weekend everyone!

5 things...

Okay, I'm going to try to remain positive as I write this. Because, I just got up to get another cup of coffee and looked out my window. It's snowing so hard, I can't see the playset in the back. The yard is quickly being covered by more snow. The piles from the winter haven't even melted yet. So...let's go on!

1. One of my Lenten goals was to try to remain more positive. I'm trying and I see a vast difference around the house. It takes a lot from deep inside some days, but I'm trying to lead by example.

2. I'm also learning to love my lines a bit more. They are coming fast and furious now and I need to remind myself of all the fun and living that got me here. The top photo is "touched" up to soften the lines a bit. Again, more practice with Photoshop Elements.

3. This is totally untouched, without makeup and I'm wondering if I even combed my hair on this day. Not sure how much longer I can go with growing my hair out. It's the longest it has been since my early 20's.

4. We are into single digits on our countdown to vacation. Not sure how we will be able to wait much longer. Ryan is all packed and could leave tomorrow!

5. I've got to go hit the treadmill. If I'm going to eat all that yummy food on vacation, I've got to make room for it now!

Have a good day and I sure hope it's not snowing in your neck of the woods!