HGTV Dream Home Giveaway

I just wanted to remind all my friends to go to hgtv.com and enter to win the 2009 HGTV Dream Home. I would love it if someone I knew won it! If you do, make sure you invite me over for a visit!

Homemade Necklace Holder

I accumulated a lot of necklaces over the years and could never find anything to display all of them so that I could look at them all at once. So I wrapped two sheets of poster board with a cut up old dress and hot glued it on the back. Then I took some clear push pins and stuck some sparkly flowers to the tops of them. Voila! A necklace holder that I attached to the back of my closet door that holds all my necklaces. You would be very impressed if you knew how creatively challenged I am.

I Bought a Bell

I bought a bell and set it by the back door. I am going to try to teach my dogs to ring it every time they need to go outside. They are already housebroken, so I may be too late. Do you think this is going to work or am I just a "ding-a-ling"?

New Year's Eve Dinner

Last night we went to the best place in Cincinnati for prime rib, J. Alexander's. After dinner, we ordered cappucino and they were served with these little crystal sugar stir sticks. Aren't they great?
I got this really great picture of Emily when she leaned forward under the light. I liked it even though she was being silly and stuck her tongue in the cup.

A Year in Review

Cindy at My Romantic Home is doing A Year in Review. This blog is very new, so I don't have many pictures yet but I still wanted to join the party, so here is my mosaic.


I hope this link to her blog works.

Happy Anniversary, John

It's been fifteen years since this picture was taken at the World Famous Chapel of the Bells in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Our physical appearances may have changed, but our relationship hasn't. You are still my knight in shining armor. You come to my rescue if you are down the street or if you are in Haiti.
Your faith in me is enormous and completely unwarranted. You have put up with all my crazy ideas and supported all of my many failures. From selling Mary Kay to writing children’s books to getting a nursing license to selling real estate, you always said that one day I would hit it. Whether I do or not is unimportant. The beauty is in the hope, faith, and effort. I hope the kids have learned this. I would rather see them try one hundred times and fail than never to try one thing at all.
You have given me enough love and support that it no longer matters what anyone else thinks.
We are the stupidest people on earth with regards to our finances. We could make Suze Orman go bald and Dave Ramsey curse. And I don’t even care. We are old and in debt. But gosh, we have had fun and seen some great things. I hope to see a lot more and meet a lot more interesting people. Remember that lady in New Mexico? She was great.
You run out for milk any time, day or night.
You help with the dishes.
But, what really epitomizes the kind of person you are and how you treat me, when we are laying in bed late at night, watching television, and I say, "I don't want my gum anymore", you hold out your hand.

Sweetie Pie

We recently got to spend the evening with some close friends, Mike and Tonya. They have a precious four year old daughter, Monafia. Spending time with a little one makes you aware of things that you took for granted when yours were that age.


They not only let you take their picture, they will hold a "cheeeeeese" for as long as necessary.
They will let you put shiny black patent leather shoes on their feet and dress them in black velvet dresses with matching tights.
They will let you put sparkly barretts in their hair.
They will let you pick them up and you can!
They will let you kiss that incredibly soft little neck that smells like heaven.

So, if you have a child going through the "terrible twos" or "terrible threes", get out a camera and pick them up and bury your face in that neck and take a big, long, sniff.

I like this picture better

We always crack ourselves up over nothing.