A SIMPLE "TO DO" WALL PROJECT

Are you a procrastinator when it comes to doing paperwork?

I am probably the worst.

Mr. Goo Shoes does the bulk of ours, 

but I am quite the dilly-dallier 

when it comes to doing things on my To-Do list that I don't want to do. 

To add a little inspiration to my home office,

I created a "To Do" wall.

I'm still putting off till tomorrow what I don't want to do today, 

but at least I have something nice to look at while I'm not doing what I should be doing.

Come over to A Little Claireification and I'll tell you all about it.

 

As always, you'll make my day if you leave me a comment over at Claire's.

Linking With:
Best of the Weekend
Foodie FriDIY

GARDENING WITH TOPIARY FORMS

Hi, remember me?

I've been m.i.a. lately.

We were away on vacation for a week, 

and since I've been home, I've been swamped with...... 

STUFF! 

I've been cracking the college whip --

Write that essay!

Start that application!

Research that school! 

I'm also knee-deep in finalizing plans for our fall fundraiser,

preparing for guests to come this weekend, 

and driving Junior Goo Shoes all over the map!

HOW DID I USED TO WORK FULL-TIME

AND GET EVERYTHING DONE?
 

Now, there aren't enough hours in the day.

Guess that explains why I haven't written a blog post this week......

or, why I haven't had the time I'd like to visit your blogs.  

I hope you'll forgive me!

I did manage to write a guest post, however :)

Come over to Claire's at A Little Claireification and I'll show you how I use 

my favorite garden accessories -- topiary shapes -- in flower pots.

Click here...and we'll be off! 

LINKING WITH:
Best of the Weekend

 

Using Herbs in Flower Arrangements

How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells?

My garden is quite the contrary.....with pretty herbs all in a row.  

Truth be told, I haven't done much cooking with them,
but the herbs have found their way into my flower arrangements. 
If I may say so myself, they look pretty darn good! 

I'll show you what I did over at A Little Claireification.
If you wouldn't mind, 
I'd love for you to leave me a comment to let me know you were there. 

Happy Thursday, 
and see you tomorrow night for Best of the Weekend!

LINKING WITH:

Home Sweet Home 
  

DIY WATER BEAD LANTERNS

Do you have an outdoor fireplace, fire pit, or chiminea?

We have no adequate place for a fire pit;
a chiminea on our wooden deck doesn't seem like the safest idea,
and the only outdoor fireplace I'll ever see at this house
is the one saved to my Dream Home Pinterest board.   
Yep, the closest we get to a campfire is  
sitting around a couple of citronella candles on the deck.

Perhaps, this is for the best.

When I was 17, I worked as a waitress in a sleep-away camp.

One of the many talents I came home with that summer 

was the ability to build a real campfire.

Somehow, I convinced my parents to let me show them -- 

in our grill. 

My dad was standing by with the hose, just in case.

Good thing, because within minutes, my campfire was raging, and not in a good way --

but in an it's-almost-time-to-call-the-fire-department way.

 Let's just say they were impressed with my skill,

but that was my first and last campfire performance.

And so, now, I stick to candles.

Closely watched candles. 

Citronella candles get boring, so this season,

I tried my hand at something a little more attractive --

Water Bead Lanterns.  

I think they came out pret-ty pret-ty good!

(BTW - Did you hear that Curb Your Enthusiasm is coming back to HBO? Yippee!

I just realized that if you don't recognize "pret-ty pret-ty good" from that show,

you'd have no idea why I just added this in here).

 

I'll show you how I made the lanterns over at

A Little Claireification (click here).

I always appreciate your comments over at Claire's,

so thank you in advance! 

See you tomorrow for Best of the Weekend!

And, don't forget, you can still link up your patriotic posts 

at our Yankee Doodle party -- click here!

Linking With:
Wake Up Wednesday 

Let's Get Real 

Home Sweet Home 

 

 

7 Reasons To Be a Backyard Bird-Watcher

Are you one of the 60ish million people in the US 

who are obsessed with bird-watching?

I never really paid attention to what was flying around when I was a kid,

but thanks to a neighbor who told me that blue jays 

were the meanest birds in town, I was terrified of them for years.

(The same neighbor also scarred me for life about squirrels, thank you very much).

When I lived in New York City, pigeons were the only birds I saw. 

They didn't thrill me, as they they thought nothing of flying way too close to my head,

nor, did they feel the need to move out of the way when I walked down the street.

And, yes, I got pooped on more than once.

Yeah, yeah, it's good luck, I know, but it's no fun 
showing up at the office with a big splat of bird doo in your hair.  

Trust me, no one wants to go to lunch with you. 

 

So, it's kind of amazing that I actually ever became infatuated with birds. 

Now, I can't imagine living anywhere that I couldn't hang up at least one bird feeder.

I can spend the entire day watching birds flit around the backyard

(Did I just hear multiple "clicks" of people un-friending me 

because they think that's weird?)

Now, I know that there are plenty of you out there 

who are equally obsessed with bird-watching, 

but for those of you who don't get what all the fuss is about,

I've got seven reasons that you should be a backyard bird-watcher, too.

You'll have to come over to A Little Claireification to see what they are; 
 just click here. 

If I convince you, the first bag of bird seed's on me

(just kidding!).

PS - I love your comments over at Claire's!

 

LINKING WITH:

Best of the Weekend
Home Sweet Home
Let's Get Real

Simple Spring Centerpiece and Fundraising Success!

Can someone please tell me what is with this crazy weather?

After being teased with glorious spring weather for the last month,

winter is back with a vengeance.
It's been really cold, windy, and we've even had some snow this past week.

Okay, granted, it was just a dusting or two, 

but once the yellow daffodils and pink magnolias have blossomed,

the last thing I want to see is the white stuff.

Blech!

Even though spring has abandoned us outdoors,

it's alive and well on my kitchen table.

I made a simple spring centerpiece that started with a rosemary plant. 

If you want to see it, you'll have to pop on over to A Little Claireification, okay?

 ******

Before you go, I've got a few pictures of the fundraiser  I've been so busy with.

This is the second year that I have been the fundraising chairperson at my synagogue,

and our gala was this past Sunday.

We had a great turnout and made a lot of money!

There were a couple of minor glitches, like the wrong tables being delivered,

and running out of white wine,

but all in all, it was a terrific evening.

I was so busy that I didn't get to take too many pictures, 

but here are just a few. 

Our theme was the Roaring 20's.

I did not do the decor -- we had a sub-committee for that.

The jazz silhouettes and gold spray-painted bottles were so festive!

They did a great job on a really tight budget. 

The pearl "napkin rings" doubled as necklaces.

Over 200 people came to the gala...

this must have been when I was speaking...

look how attentive they look, lol!

Photo by the rabbi

Everybody do the hora!

It was a really fun night!

We've got another event planned for September,

so there's barely time to catch our breath.

Don't forget to visit me at Claire's to see my centerpiece!
If you'd like a lift, click here, and we'll be off.

A comment at Claire's would just make my day! 

Flower Rain Boot Vase: A Spring "Faux-cal" Point

Are you ready to give winter the boot?

The weather has been absolutely glorious this past week here in NJ!

We have been enjoying unusually warm temperatures,

which has me ready to fork over my credit card to the local nursery,

and fill the front porch with flowers.

As tempting as that is, I know that I've got to be patient.

Instead, I gathered up some springy items,

and put together a little "faux-cal" point for my front porch. 

Come and take a look over at A Little Claireification...

and if you'd be kind enough to leave me a comment there,

it would make my day :)

 Click here, and we'll be off!

 LINKING WITH:
Best of the Weekend
Pretty Pintastic

DIY Mason Jar Wedding Centerpieces

Do you know anyone who is getting married in the near future?
I've got three weddings to go to in the next year --
one in a barn, one more traditional...
and the third is still in the planning stages.
Weddings are no longer cookie-cutter events,
but highly personalized to capture the personalities of the couples.   

When we got married, 

I thought we were breaking the mold