Hello Beautiful Monday

A few weeks ago my frozen friend Tauna tagged me with this little diddy.

"I'm suppose to tell 5 things I won't leave home without."

See, she really has nothing better to do as she sits amongst her 9 foot snow drifts.

Oh and she does play with her husband's power tools and she does do somes awesome arts and crabs!

(Reagan calls it "arts and crabs", it always makes me giggle when she says it.)

I really do feel sorry for her so I will play along with her request

even if I am two weeks late.

I took the following pictures with my handy cell phone.

Gotta take the purse.

Gotta have my watch and a bracelet.
My watch is from Brighton and I've had it for 10 years.
The cute bracelet right beside it came from my sweet friend Connie.
She bought it in China when she was there last year.
The other bracelet with the big flower on it came
from that sweet Tauna. She brought it to me when she came
to meet me at Sissy's funeral. She also
brought me a cute matching necklace.
(Connie also came, bearing gifts, to meet me at Sissy's funeral! Such sweetness from both of them.)
Neither one of them knew I was such a bracelet freak.
I've been known to turn around and come back to the
house to get my watch and bracelet if I forget it on my
hurried way out the door.

I feel naked with out them.

Truck keys, credit card, (I never carry cash) and cell phone.
Which I am using to take these pictures.

Water bottle or Diet Coke.
Usually the water.

These big wipes!
I have 3 packs in the truck right now, one in my
purse and I make the Sweetheart keep them in his truck too.
I do have hand sanitizer in my purse but I just like these wipes better.
Especially on Sunday's when we shake so many hands.
Once we sit down and the meeting starts I pull these out and make sure we both wipe our hands good. The Sweetheart can never be to careful.
He has zero immune system, due to the anti-rejection drugs he takes.
I always wipe down the grocery buggy, the gas pump handle,
my steering wheel, little GRAND~girls germy school hands,
etc, etc, etc!!

I know this is and extra item but along with a toothbrush and tooth paste and dental floss in my purse and another set in my truck we also have these every where.
Since buying my first pack several years ago we have completely stopped buying wooden tooth picks. These are wonderful! A pick on one end and a little brush on the other.
They are in the Sweetheart's truck as well and in several drawers in the house.

So here's to you dear Tauna, thanks for giving me a new post.

I do love ya and I am really sorry that you are freezing,

as I have every window open and am listening to the birds sing

and the temperature is 85* outside today!

Hurry up Spring, Tauna needs you!

We Have A 4 Year Old!

Birthday Party at Katy Kastle!

Happy Birthday Girl

Jumping and running and sliding!

Birthday Cake!

Balloons

Presents!

Pinata!

Friday Photo Shoot Out ~ Shoot From The Hip

From the Hip!

That's right. Taken from the hip.

Walk through a store or park or main street with

your camera on your hip, shooting away!

You can shoot high........ you can shoot low.

You won't know! Or just shoot ahead of you

as you walk. Maybe once in a while, shoot behind you.

I shot from the hip while at the Zoo on Monday.

I'm not so sure these pictures are that good

but for not looking through the view finder

most all these pictures were sharp.

You can't really tell here in this picture

but the zoo was very busy.

Monday was a holiday and the girls were out of school.

GRAND~daughter Shelby, niece Anna and youngest GRAND~Reagan.

Waiting for the train to pass.

It was a beautiful warm day.

We all enjoy being out side and watching the animals and the people.

For more Friday Shoot Out participants or

to join in the fun check here.

Hello, What'cha Doing?

Tasty Tuesday

And YES I know it's Wednesday.

Chocolate Brownie Pudding

Chocolate Brownie Pudding

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cups chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 milk
2 Tablespoons melted butter

Topping
3/4 cups brown sugar
1/4 cups cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups boiling water

Mix flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder together. Add milk, vanilla and melted butter and mix until smooth.Add chopped nuts and pour into a 8x8 square greased and floured pan.

Topping
Blend together brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa. Sprinkle over the batter. Pour boiling water over the entire pan of batter and topping. DO NOT STIR. Bake in preheated oven at 350* for 40~45 minutes. This will makes it's on chocolate pudding. Very moist. Be sure to top it with some ice cream or whipped topping.

Yum!!

Silly Monkeys

The monkeys really put on a show for
us at the zoo yesterday. They were
so playful and just didn't let us get
in their way of fun.
It was almost as if they knew thay had a
big audience and were happy to put on a big
preformance! We watched them for about 25 minutes.
Anna took a video. I just kept snapping
pictures.

Pretty Bird, Pretty Bird

This one bird will work for both Mellow Yellow Monday and Ruby Tuesdays.

Yes, I did take this picture at the zoo today :)

Today

No School + 80* + Sunny = Jax Zoo!!

(pictures to prove it to come later)

First Sign Of Spring

When it gets 82* outside like it did yesterday,

take your gnarly winter feet and go get a

spring pedicure.

Nothing says spring like some pretty polish and a new pair of flip flops.

Friday Shoot Out ~ Twisted ~ Thursday Challenge ~ Trees

It's been months since I entered any pictures in the Friday Shoot Out

or the Thursday Challenge.

Thursday Challenge theme this week is "Trees".

To view other Shoot Out Members pictures go here.

And for other Thursday Challenge photo's click here.

I'm trying to get back to normal.

I love these trees wrapped in vines.

They were take on St. Simon's Island, GA.

Happy weekend!

Studio Lighting

This is a cell phone picture from the class I am taking at the college.

That's my teacher Chris Johnson and model Megan.

We learned so many things and I was really excited.

One of the things we learned was about hard lighting.

This picture is a good example.

I love this picture of Marilyn Monroe.

Can you see that dark diagonal shadow under her chin?

Makes the picture look dramatic.

See the shadow under her chin in this picture.

Not as much or as dark.

Now this one had very little shadow at all.

So the direction and height of the off camera flash

really makes a difference in how a photograph turns out.

It was so interesting how different our models pictures

were from the different angles we took her pictures.

I'll never look at portraits the same.

Cool isn't it?

Wordless Wednesday

V.D. Treats For V.T. Sisters

Thank you for the idea Connie.

They turned out so cute!

Best box mix ever!

Both of the above cupcakes were made from this mix:

Ghirardelli Chocolate Triple Chocolate Cupcake Premium Mix

Normally I do not like a box cake mix b u t ...

This cake mix rocks!!!!

I saw these on someones blog this week except

they were dipped in milk chocolate instead of white chocolate.

If it was your blog please leave a comment so I can give you credit.

These are just square pretzel with some peanut butter in the middle

then dipped in chocolate.

Wonderful!

Thanks to Kimmie at "Pink Cookies With Sprinkles."

These just say Happy Valentine's Day don't they?

I had a great time baking and delivering these treats

to the Sisters and to my family.

And, drum roll please .......

It was sunny and 72* today!

Can you say B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L!!

Beautiful day and thank you Heavenly Father!

Time To Snap Out Of It!!!

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you my friends!

~~~~~~~~~

I've been around but I've been in mourning.

I've been so sad.

January was a sad month.

Starting with Sissy's death.

Then the Sweetheart's,

Uncle, Aunt, and Cousin in Law passed away.

Then the first week of February a sweet little

lady from our Church family passed away.

Along with the deaths everyone in my

family has been sick, except me.

I'm really thankful I've been well

and able to help care for the sick.

But I think I am done now!

Please, no more deaths and no more sickness!!!!

Please!

I really need this week to be happy.

We are suppose to have a beautiful warm week.

Every day sunny and in the 60's.

Bring it on!!

Goodbye January!

Welcome February!