The Skirt

 Sewing!!  I do not sew.  Not because I don't want to, it's because I don't know how.  

BUT....BUT...

Sometimes you can do things without knowing how to use a sewing machine..

I have been working on a skirt for over a month and here is the outcome....↓↓↓↓

I actually feel pretty good about the way it turned out.  

Mylee (youngest granddaughter) attends a private school and they wear uniforms each day.  

She is a senior and every year, just before the end of school, the school holds a "Senior Chapel."

The senior girls get to decorate one of their uniform skirts to represent the College they are planning on attending in the Fall.  The guys usually wear a Tie that represents the college they will be attending.

Yesterday was the day....and Mylee's skirt was finished just in time. 

She looked so cute in her SFA skirt and her SFA white boots.  

This chapel is about each senior choosing a teacher that has been a big influence to them during their high school years.  The students then give the teacher a KEY which is meant to represent ..... 

Gratitude...

Trust....

lasting impact....

Appreciation....

It's a symbolic token, recognizing that the teacher helped unlock potential knowledge or opportunities for the senior...acting as a guide for their future.  

Mylee selected her mother (Shanda) as her teacher...

Shanda is a Dyslexia Specialist and she recognized that Mylee had severe Dyslexia issues during Mylee's early school years. 

 

Shanda teaches her students New ways of learning to where their minds can absorb the information. The kids are taught with multi-sensory activities as well as phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, reading fluency and sound-symbol association.  

 

 Shanda was actually selected by 6 other students as the teacher who would receive their key... this is such an Honor for Shanda.   

Another student giving Shan her key..

The skirts were all so cute...however, Mylee's was my favorite...

Why?  Because I must have put hundreds of hand sewn stitches into decorating that skirt.  lol. 😂

I had a lot of fun working on this...

I am very thankful that Mylee has had the opportunity to attend a school where they teach the bible and they place a strong emphasis on teaching their students about serving the Lord.

🩷🌸🩷🌸🩷

Anyways... this skirt is my sewing adventure for the Year!!

Shug....💜

  

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May Calendar and a Hodgepodge

       

It's a May Calendar and a Hodgepodge!!

Joyce asks the Questions:

We answer the Questions:

Join Here

1. Are you feeling more reset, restart, or full speed ahead as we move into May? Tell us why. 

As we step into May, I'm not easing in....I am going full speed ahead.  

My calendar is packed so tight I'm surprised it hasn't asked me for a break.  Doctor's appointments here and there, a graduation party for our granddaughter, her big graduation day, and all the little things in between that somehow take up big space. It's one of those seasons where life is moving fast, but it's moving with purpose....and I'm holding on and showing up for every bit of it.  

It's busy...but it's the kind of busy that reminds me just how blessed my "heart calendar" really is.  

2. Painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, cinema, theatre, music...what's your favorite form of art? Elaborate. 

Painting, arts and crafts, DECORATING, ....anything that lets me create something beautiful with my hands.  I love to take a blank space or simple piece and try turning it into something that feels alive. I don't need a rulebook or a perfect plan...I just need inspiration and the freedom to make it my own.   

3. What time is dinner at your house? How do you feel about leftovers? 

Dinner at our house stays pretty simple.  You'll find us eating somewhere between 5:00 and 6:00 pm.  Nothing fancy, just steady and familiar.  

Leftovers?  Bless it....I just don't do them. I cook enough for Sam and me, and when the meal is done, it's done.  No containers waiting in the fridge giving me side-eyes the next day.  When I was growing up there were never any leftovers.  My parents and us four kids usually ate everything that my mom prepared.  Our food was always freshly cooked.  

4.What's the last thing you fell down a rabbit hole investigating? 

As for the last rabbit hole I went down.....well, it must have been long enough ago that I can't even remember.  And maybe this if for the best. Not everything needs to stay stored in this head of mine.  

5. And now for a question from the book Marilyn (Memphis Bridges) gave me...

At what are you 'self-taught?' 

I taught myself floral design.  I didn't learn it from a book. I learned by doing it.  By owning my own floral shop (back years ago) I worked by trying...adjusting things and using my natural abilities to create something beautiful out of what was in front of me.  I taught myself how to make bows, homecoming mums, floral arrangements, funeral pieces, rose vases, corsages, wedding bouquets, and all of the other things that went along with owning your own shop.  

Flowers taught me patience, balance and how a little creativity can turn something ordinary into something that makes people pause and smile.   

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

How much more I can fit onto my May calendar?  

I love Hodgepodge Wednesday....

Shug...💛

When I Grow Up....

Note:  Hey all....The past few days have been very difficult and I have spent most of my time taking care of Sam. He is much better today!!  

"When I grow up I want to be a Seagull..."

I came across a quote the other day that stopped me mid-sip of my glass of sweet tea and it made me laugh out loud. 

OLD PHOTO that popped up on my phone!! 

Vicki, ME, Joyce and Susan

I thought about this little quote for a few minutes and said (to myself) "Hold on! This might just be the most honest life goal I've ever heard."

Because if I'm being real honest for just a minute, adulthood is not exactly anything like full time beach days and snack breaks being handed out like crazy.  

Adult life is more like Laundry, paying bills, having to make decisions, and being frustrated about high grocery bills.  

But...a SEAGULL?

They have it all figured out..

First of all...Free snacks any time of the day...🍟 🍕 🍔

No planning meals...No grocery list and No "What's for dinner debates."

They just swoop in like tiny feathery bandits and claim what they want..

Pure confidence.

Then there's the beach..🏖

Can you imagine waking up every day with the ocean as your front yard?

No emails. No schedules.

Just waves rolling in and out like a sweet lullaby, that touches the soul.

AND....it is ALL FREE!

Meanwhile... (WE) get maybe one week to go enjoy the beach and if we are lucky....maybe we can have two weeks vacation on the beach. 

AND...it cost a pile of money..

Permission to scream anytime you want!!  This part spoke to me.

There are moments ...  when you just want to let out a good, loud, unfiltered scream.  Not because things are terribly wrong, but because life can be a lot. 

What do I do instead?  

I smile and I say..."All is fine."

I keep stirring the pot, folding the towels and just keep on keeping on. 

What do SeaGulls do? 

They "CAW! CAW! THIS IS MY MOMENT!"

Nobody even questions them, no one thinks they are crazy.  Nobody says, "Are you Okay?"

LOL....they just scream and keep on flying.  

Sounds like it might be a lot of fun to be a SeaGull.  

What ya think?

Shug....🌼 

 

Black-Eyed Susans.

 This is a beauty and it is growing right here in my backyard.  

Black-eyed Susan.  We have had a good bit of rain which has caused this plant to double in size and have multiple blooms..  

Here are a few things I learned about the Black-eyed Susan plant/flower. 

• The Legend of Susan and William: A popular 18th-century poem by John Gay tells of a maiden, Black-eyed Susan, searching for her lover, Sweet William, on a ship. It is said that if you plant Black-Eyed Susan next to Sweet William, they will bloom simultaneously, representing a lovers' reunion.
• Symbol of Protection: Known in some areas as "Devil's Flight," the flower is believed to ward off negative energies and protect against malevolence.
• Medical Lore: Native American tribes, including the Ojibwa, used the roots for herbal remedies, such as creating a poultice to treat snake bites or a decoction for cold treatments. The juice was sometimes used to treat earaches.
• Symbolism: Due to their hardy nature, they represent justice, encouragement, and motivation.

Who Knew?  

Here are a couple of new little solar lights that I found and at night....they are too cute for words...

Lighted flying bees.  🐝

And.... tiny little red mushrooms.

Hopefully I can grab a few photos of them tonight so you can see them shine!

"A black-eyed Susan doesn't complete....she just outshines."

Happy Saturday! 

Shug....💛