wedding in the summertime

The wedding was beautiful!

The flowers were PINK! :) One of the two flower girls

walked down the aisle with the ring bearer

with confidence and a smile.

One needed a little coaxing.

She agreed to walk down with the maid of honor.

:)

The location was lovely...

everything was in bloom at the vineyard.

The groom's pastor Dad married the happy couple.

:) And his Mom, my friend, Susan,

didn't stop smiling all day! :)

~*~

The bride and groom had their engagement photos taken

while bike riding and that became their theme.

Guests signed their framed engagement photo.

The centerpieces continued the bicycle motif.

The cake was simply darling.

...and the happy couple danced the night away!

...a delightful day indeed!

LOVE

God bless America land that I love...

The flags are waving

in the summer breeze...

There's a cake in the oven for my daughter, Jade's cook-out tomorrow, that will look like

this when it's decorated.

But , my husband and I won't be going to the cook-out.

We'll be packing up our bags

and heading north to attend

the wedding

of my very dear friends' son,

{who happens to share my birthday}

It will be held at

Zorvino Vineyards

in Sandown, New Hampshire.

I'm sure I'll have plenty of beautiful pictures to share.

I L.O.V.E weddings!

What are you doing this

July 4th Week-end?

There's still time

to sign up

for my giveaway!

Just leave a sweet comment

HERE.

And whatever you do,

I hope your holiday is FAB!

ENJOY!

100 things and a 100th post giveaway!

100 things I want to do this summer:

1 Read Unclutter Your Life in One Week!! by Erin Rooney Dolan
this week.
2. Unclutter my life next week! :)

3. Host a yard sale.

4. Paint my front door a pretty shade of pink.

flickr.com

5. Add flowers to the front porch that complement the door.
6. Order materials and new curriculum for school.
7. Read Francine River’s newest book, Her Mother’s Hope.
8. Write my Philosophy of Christian Education paper to finish the course!
9. Find the electric sander!
10. Sand and paint the hutch in my breakfast room, white.
11. Paint the inside robin’s egg blue.
12. Purchase new handles and knobs.
13. Replace the old ones.
14. Go to the beach.
15. Look for shells, sea glass, and heart shaped rocks.
16. Bring home a zip lock bag full of beach sand and display my finds.
17. Work on gardening curriculum for school.
18. Catch fireflies in a jar.
19. Host a family Independence Day cook-out.
20. Make Mom’s potato salad and strawberry/blueberry shortcake.
21. Add sparklers to the shortcake to serve.
22. Go to the fireworks in the evening.
23. Toast marshmallows.
24. Make S’mores.
25. Paint a Lightning McQueen mural in Dayton’s bedroom…
26. …and a Noah’s Ark mural in his playroom.
27. Take a canning class.
28. Get the bike from Dad’s barn and attach my new basket.
29. Add flowers.
30. Sort through all the paperwork from Mom and Dad’s estate.
31. Get up really early and go for a walk.
32. Pick wildflowers on the way.
33. Make a lemon meringue pie for Mom to share at the nursing home.
34. Get my nails done before “the J’s” wedding.
35. Get a pedicure too.
36. Buy a pretty summer dress.
37. Paint for pleasure.
38. Try a new Weight Watcher recipe.
39. Make an appointment to highlight my hair.
40. Go on a garden tour.
41. Super clean my classroom and re-vamp my desk.
42. Go to a matinee on a rainy afternoon or when it’s just too hot.
43. Have movie theater popcorn and Diet Coke for lunch.
44. Scour the thrift shops for the perfect living room coffee table.
45. Go for blood work prior to...
46. …my annual physical.
47. Print photos with Zig Ziglar’s quote for my WW friends.
48. Take a photography class.
49. Take living room curtains, linen tablecloth & napkins to the dry cleaner.
50. Get a tan.
51. Keep a food journal to track WW points daily.
52. Plant the rest of the flowers I’ve already bought.
53. Send some “Bluebird Notes” (note cards, really) to Koralee.
54. Add lime slices to my seltzer water.
55. Paint B’s room and make into a “guest room.”
56. Put the pineapple bed from Mom and Dad’s in the guest room.
57. Purchase new bedding and curtains.
58. Paint the living room.
59. Paint the downstairs bathroom.
60. Touch up the paint in the upstairs bathroom.
61. Take deep breaths.
62. Design Lap books for gardening classes…
63. … and American history classes.
64. Make Christmas gift list and take it when I go thrifting.
65. Look for a replacement piece of glass for ballerina picture.
66. Fill a box of books to sell to “The Book Bear.”
67. Look for cheap vintage dictionaries to shred and punch…
68. ..or vintage French dictionaries…ooh la la!
69. Plan a vacation getaway with my husband.
70. Schedule a day with C, B, & J to go through and pack up stuff at Mom and Dad’s.
71. Look in the barn for gardening tools to donate to school.
72. Invite a few friends over for a bonfire

(just a fire really, but doesn’t it sound better than a “just plain” fire?)

and conversation.
73. Look up at the sky and find the Big Dipper.
74. Drink a Corona Light with lime.
75. Paint Olivia’s dolly high chair to match her kitchen set.
76. Add a vintage decal.
77. Find one first. :)
78. Read blogs about “Where Women Create.”
79. Organize craft and gift storage room.
80. Begin an inspiration bulletin board.
81. Help Beth with decorating Olivia’s bedroom.
82. Talk to pastor about Sunday School curriculum ideas.
83. Pray continually.
84. Count my blessings.
85. Look for the simple pleasures in every day.
86. Start a blog for recording inspirational quotes and scripture verses.
87. Think of a name first.
88. Organize my home office.
89. Do something about all the wires!
90. Set up bill pay system for self and estate.
91. Sit and Relax…
92. Soak up the sun.
93. Swim in the pool.
94. Remember these are the days we long for in the middle of winter!
95. Invite a friend over for lunch.
96. Serve chicken salad on a croissant,

green grapes,

potato chips

and something sweet and lovely for dessert.
Any suggestions?
97. Set a pretty table.
98. Use Mom’s Waterford Crystal glasses.
99. Finish crafting my photo note cards for my

100th post giveaway!
100. And lastly… Don’t fret if it everything on this list doesn’t get done!

Now if you're still with me after all that...

I have a framed 8x10 photograph

and a set of "BLOOM" note cards

I crafted using photographs

that I've taken in the last few weeks.

SO,
post a comment.

Post another if you're a follower.
Grab my button on the sidebar and/or

post about my giveaway on your blog,

and you'll be entered for each oportunity.

I 'll choose a winner on Sunday, July 11th.

This is just a small way of saying

Thank You

to all of you who make it so delightful

to be a part of the blog world!

Many blessings,

Susan

beginnings and endings

Today is the official last day of school for the year.

:)

Before the year ended, however,

There was something we were just beginning...

*

Holden Christian Academy

received a sizable grant

to plant a garden with our students

and to start a gardening/botany,

food, nutrition, and fitness program.

*

*

We spent one Saturday with

a carpenter, volunteer parents, and staff,

building the raised beds

after many hours of planning.

*

*

The following Monday soil was delivered

and students began the work of filling the beds.

*

During Fine Arts Day

one of our projects was to make a

mosaic stepping stone

for the garden.

Each of eight mixed~grade groups

(the whole school participated)

was given a piece of fruit

and a bagful of broken dishes

as

iNsPiRaTiOn.

*

*

I was quite pleased

with the way ours turned out.

*

Use your imagination now.
Do see the sun, moon, palm tree on an island, sailing ship, ocean and sky?

Each grade was assigned a certain type of seed/s to plant.
First and second graders (my class) planted
sunflowers
&
carrots.
(after we read The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss together.)

*

This week we've seen "little visitors"

a couple of sly foxes...

leaving footprints on the bridges

and eating strawberries.

The next plan of action is fencing!

:)

We have staff and families signed up to

weed, water and harvest

during the summer months.

SO...

These may be considered our

"before" pics...

Stay tuned for the "afters!"

HAPPY SUMMER!

woohoo!

fly!

I made this collage this afternoon.

Before leaving for my nephew's graduation party
I decided to check on the little chickadees.

I opened the box and that
anxious chickadee {on the left}
flew right out and into a tree!

Guess my nephew,
and my niece who graduated today, too,
weren't the only ones

ready

to

fly

!

tiny dancer

It all began with a dance leotard,

and a tiny pair of ballet slippers.

*

*

But it was Olivia

who made it magical~*~

~*~without a single leap or plie'.

Gosh I love that tiny dancer.

how nerdy is this?

These are the glasses I've been sporting since Sunday!

I lost the screw and the one in the eyeglass repair kit is too BIG!

I only need them to read,

but I seem to do an awful lot of reading of one form or another!

I asked my daughter, "What could be nerdier than this?"

To which she replied, "They could be taped in the middle!"

True that!

I hope I can get to the eye doctor's tomorrow.

Anything nerdy in your wardrobe?