With Gratitude and Thanks

On this most special of days, I wanted to take time to express my gratitude to the men and women who with their unselfish service, protect our country and guard our freedoms. Thank you to our veterans who without their service we would not have this blessing of freedom. And to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice--we remember and honor you and your families on this day.

I wish you all a wonderful Memorial Day as you celebrate with your family and friends.

Take time to remember ...................

My Patio

With the days of Winter a distant memory and the threat of frost behind us, it is finally time to venture outside and ready the patio for Summer. My patio is one of the things I love most about my house. It is not a very large space but one of comfort, one that invites you to stay a while with a good book and a nice tall glass of iced tea. We have had many a family gathering on my patio and in the Summer it becomes an extension of the inside rooms of our home. As a family we eat our dinner on the patio and even my husband enjoys watching a favorite sporting event while seated among all the potted flowers. I finally finished up the last bit of planting today and then grabbed my camera to snap some photos to share with you all.
Gardening gives me such great pleasure. All of the amazing colors and the small details of each flower that makes them so unique unto themselves. This year while preparing to plant, I began by collecting all of the clay pots and containers from the shed. Each time I entered the shed I heard the tiniest of chirps. For the life of me I could not figure out where that sound would be coming from. Then out of the corner of my eye I noticed a nervous Jenny Wren with a little worm hanging from her beak flying from the ground to the roof back to the ground. I quickly stepped from the shed and watched to see where she was headed. To my surprise, she flew right into the shed and it was then that I realized where those little sounds were coming from.....
In my haste to clean up at the end of the season last Fall, I carelessly hung a wilted and withered geranium plant on a hook in the shed promising to empty it at a later time. Well that time never did arrive and it is a good thing it didn't. That sweet little bird decided it would make the perfect place to call home and to raise her precious babies. This is what I saw when I carefully peeked inside.
I guess I made just enough noise that those tiny babies thought I was their mother bringing them something yummy to eat. Four little mouths open wide waiting for their lunch. I gathered my containers and quietly closed the shed doors as not to disturb this wonderful new family. I feel blessed to have been allowed to witness this newness of life in nature. A little miracle ......

What Have I Been Up To????

Once again time has slipped away from me. How easily that seems to happen these days. A friend asked me this morning if I had given up on my blog----Oh my goodness no---I just need a few more hours in my day. Anyway here is a little up date as to what is going on in my life. Oh I knew having a new puppy would be lots of work but somehow I forgot just how much. What a little fireball she is. In my mind I pictured her laying by my side in my studio as I worked on all of my projects. As it turns out she does love being in my studio however her favorite thing to do is grab hold of the end piece of nicely wound ribbon and run for her life. She is so playful and fun. The house training thing is still a work in progress. Let's just say if you are looking to purchase stock, I would suggest Bounty Paper Towels or Clorox Clean Up Wipes. All of my favorite Somerset Life and scrapbooking magazines have been put on the shelf for now. They have been replaced with puppy training magazines and books on understanding your Beagle. Apparently Sassy wasn't overly excited to see that I was reading all about how to teach her to be a well behaved little girl.........

She has certainly stolen the hearts of our whole family.......

Another exciting event for our family was Alex's Junior Prom. We had been preparing for this for weeks---the new suit, shoes, shirt and tie were all purchased as were the corsage and boutonniere. Finally the day was here.....He looked so handsome it brought tears to my eyes. Could this young man standing beside me actually be my baby boy??

His date was lovely

Alex and Tina attended the prom with a group of friends and we were invited to the home of one of them to take pictures. The had a beautiful yard, the perfect place for photos. They whole group looked so wonderful.

Alex had a great evening. What an exciting time in his life. He has so much to look forward to. I could not be prouder.

A Loyal and True Friend

When you bring a pet into your home you know you are going to love it. But what isn't realized sometimes is just how much. They become part of your family. You count on them to always be there, tail wagging, welcoming you home. Supplying you with that unconditional love even when you are crabby and have had the worst day. They can look at you with those brown eyes and easily change all that is bad to good. There is just something about that kind of love. And the best part is that as much as you love them they love you back twice as much. We had a bit of sadness in our family this week as we lost our beloved friend, Lucy. Her illness just didn't allow us to care for her any longer. Let me just say that it was the hardest decision that I have ever made. Her gentleness and meekness made her so special and loved by our whole family. I find myself missing her so much. I can still hear her tail wagging as it hit the wall beside her bed. I find myself still calling her name to offer her a treat. She followed me everywhere and I will truly miss her companionship.

Not that there is any good time for this kind of sadness, but it was especially hard for our family as today is Alex's 18th Birthday. We had been asking him for some time what he would like for this milestone birthday but he was always unsure. In light of this recent situation we thought it might be a good time to invite another puppy into our home. When we discussed it with Alex, his response was "That would be sweet". To interpret for those of you who don't understand the language of an 18 year old, that is a good thing. So we did some investigating and here is the newest member of our family.....

Athena Velvet Buttons

What a name huh???? Well seeing that our last name is Panormios (very Greek) we decided that it would be only fitting to have a matching first name. As for the Velvet Buttons, that addition was the contribution from the little girls I babysit. They too were having such a difficult time with losing Lucy that we thought it might be fun to include them on the naming of the new puppy. It worked---they love her too. Athena is a 7 week old, full breed beagle pup and I know from growing up with a beagle I have a lot of work ahead of me. But how could I not love this sweet little face?

Although I love this little darling so much already, there will always be that special place in my heart that belongs only to Lucy ......and it always will.

**********A LITTLE EDIT TO THE ABOVE POST***********

After spending the day with family and watching the puppy interact with family members and their dogs we have decided to have a slight name change. We had a blast watching her play and bark at all the bigger dogs totally without any fear. Chasing their tails and biting at their ears all in such puppy fun. We have decided that the name Sassy fits her personality a little better. Sassy she is but oh so sweet!!!! Sassy Velvet Buttons-------we could not love her more !!!

And the Winner is...............

Just to be sure this give away would be fair, I enlisted the help of my son, Alex to help me pull the winning name. (what a good sport he was)Without further ado, the winner is.........
Pam is a wonderful friend that I have met through my blog. She is also a very talented artist and creates the sweetest, most whimsical watercolors. If you click this link it will take you to her blog. Take a peek I know you will love her work. Congratulations Pam!!! on being the winner of my first blog give away. Thank you to all that left me a comment. I had fun with this give away so look for more to come in the future.
Pam just email me your address and I will send your prize right away :)

Happy Birthday Dandelion Wishes

I can remember it so well. Sitting at my desk, staring at my blank computer screen, wondering if I should actually begin a blog. "Oh I'll give it a try" I thought to myself. "Maybe my family will enjoy reading it now and again" As it turns out I was right. My family and my close friends did read my posts and would leave me a comment or two. I enjoyed writing and looked forward to their comments. So a month turned into two and then three and four. As time carried on, I began to notice comments from others that were not in my family. What fun it was to think that others actually visited my blog and then left me comments to make me aware of their visits. I began to visit their blogs as well getting to know them through their pictures and posts. And so I continued my blog, meeting and making so many new friends along the way. Four months turned into five and then to six until I sit here today marking the one year birthday of my blog. Who knew that my little blog would help me to meet and befriend ladies from all over the world. All because of this little thing called a blog. I am so grateful for these friendships -- the old and the new. So on this, my blog birthday, I want to celebrate and say thank you for all of your visits and comments by having a little give away. All you have to do is leave me a comment on this post. I will put all the names in a hat and pull a winner on Sunday April 19. Now for the fun part-------here is a little sample of the prize (just a sample, it's always fun to receive surprises)
******A sweet little birds nest, a hand soldered charm with vintage lace, and a package of peek a boo love notes. (plus a few more little surprises) *******

Thanks to all of you for making the past year so lovely with all of your visits, comments and inspiration. I am looking forward to another year full of friendships.

xoxoxo

Mimi~

A Blessed Easter

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again." 8 Then they remembered his words.

Luke 24: 1-8

Wishing you a Blessed Easter filled with family and the wonderful reassurance of Christ's love for us. How he demonstrated this love by suffering and dying on the cross for our sins. And then rising again on the third day so we would know that he truly is the Son of God. Have a beautiful Easter day.

xoxo

Mimi~

With a Heavy Heart

Life is busy. Days become filled with the everyday chores of life that are so familiar to me. There are meals to plan, groceries to purchase, laundry to do, house cleaning that needs done, bills to pay, homework to help with, sports practices to make, phone calls to return --the list could go on forever. It is so easy to take for granted that each day will start the same, be filled with these chores and end with a goodnight kiss from my loved ones. Every once in a while something will happen to remind me of the uncertainty of life and just how much each day is a gift. Last Saturday a situation occurred here in Pittsburgh that ended so tragically with three of our city police officers losing their lives. It was a senseless act leaving several small children without their Daddies and many family members asking Why. As I watched on my television this afternoon the procession of family members, officers and the public filing in to pay their respects to these fallen heroes, my heart just broke. My heart aches for their loss. Their lives are changed forever. Through this senseless tragedy I have been reminded to stop in life's ongoing rush and appreciate my family and all that I have. It also reminds me to appreciate those who place their lives on the line daily for our protection. With a brother-in-law who is a police officer and a son contemplating this profession, this tragedy brings home to me how we need to pray for the safety of these special men and women. In support of our police officers and to honor those who have lost their lives we have been asked to place a blue light in our window. A small token of support to those who give so much of themselves for us. Thank you to all those who serve.

Weekend Fun

The weekend, a time for relaxing, sleeping in, spending time with family, and just doing something you enjoy. This weekend my sister and her family came for a visit. They only live a couple of hours away but you know how life gets busy and before you know it months pass without seeing each other. We decided to take a trip to the Strip District. I have posted about this wonderful area of Pittsburgh in previous posts. It is one of my family's favorite places to visit. We had breakfast at one of my mom's favorite diners, Pamela's and then did some shopping at all of the wonderful shops. Because this trip was in honor of my mom's birthday, I thought it would be nice to take a picture of her and all of her grandchildren. I love this picture. Believe me this was not an easy one to capture. It's hard to get three silly boys to stand still and smile without making silly faces at the camera. I reminded them it was for Grandma's birthday so they finally behaved themselves. Oh boys will be boys.

After the Strip District I decided to take a little walk around the local antique store. They were having a sale---anything with the color blue was 15% off. Oh I surly could find something blue. And guess what, I did!! I have a love for vintage children's books. I find the illustrations to be so delightful and innocent. I found two of the sweetest books (both with blue on the cover) I scanned one of my favorite images to share with all of you.

The other book was filled with nursery rhymes and the accompanying sheet music. When I opened the cover I had the instant idea to incorporate these sweet images into note cards for my shop. Here is what I came up with.........

Simple but sweet. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend doing all the things that you enjoy.

With a Little Help from My Friends..........

...........Dandelion Wishes at Sweetpea's is officially open. For the past three weeks I have been working nonstop on items for my little shop. There were so many things to accomplish before my deadline of April 1. Collecting items for my display, making inventory, pricing inventory, and preparing all the little things to make my shop special. I have had the display set up in my living room for weeks arranging and rearranging to get it just the way I had envisioned it my my mind. I must say I have been blessed with so many friends and my family who provided me with so much encouragement and support. When I started to become overwhelmed with the task of labeling and pricing all the merchandise it didn't even take a second for my friend, Heidi to volunteer to help.

And when the day finally arrived to set up shop, my mom and my friend, Joyce were right by my side to lend a hand.

I am really excited and pleased with the ending result...........

I am not sure where this little adventure will lead but I am so looking forward to the journey.