Paints for Grandgirls

I've been making my own Summer Smoothies...with a bit of champagne included in the evenings while I read. No wonder I've been reading, you say???? :P


Painted doll furniture and bird houses my friend, Darlene, and I made for my granddaughter, Amelia's 9th birthday this month. We had such fun.

I'm back. It's only been months and apologies are in order; however, nothing has been going on in the stitching department. Only reading and finding and exchanging and searching out books and finding bookish friends has been happening lately. :]
I've not even been writing on my Bound To Be Bookish blog, though.

It's been a good break. Sometimes we just find ourselves burned out of one thing or another. It's nice to get a fresh new perspective and a new journalistic slant.

Visiting old friends' blogs will be lots of fun, so expect to see a note from me here and there!

Hope you've enjoyed the pictures attached.

Love and hugs and warmest "hello's" to friends one and all!

Deb

A Scattering of Odd Pictures

There are lots of goodies to see here. All except stitching because I'm nearing the finish of several pieces and I don't want to show them, yet!
The books below are some new ones I've just downloaded (cheaply! Love it!)from my "Stella" Kindle...and synced with "Brindle" (named that for=best friend's kindle).
I believe I told Nicole if I eventually get a Nook, I'd have to name her "Newella." It's a cross between "new" and a reminder of "Stella," but also "Cruella," because it would just be cruel if I have to purchase another one just to get a portable library ebook carrier!!! Oh, well.... Anyway, the following are some of the new books I'm adding on my Summer Vampire Reading List. :] See the Amazon link to the side here if you want to read reviews on these books...







I want to introduce you to Elaine's and my dear friend, Darlene. She is the other friend of Elaine's who helped take care of her throughout all the times over the past several years. We were a fast and close threesome. Darlene is doing a good job of keeping me pasted together these days...and I think I help her, too. We miss Elaine an awful lot. She still seems to be around us...in fact I've had a "visit." If you want more information on that, you'll have to email me privately.


I'm adding this humorous one because here I am looking like something the cat dragged in and responding to a man who's just randomly come up to say how happy and "pretty" I look cooking there for everyone....and, my friend, Evonna is standing to my side wearing the itsy bitsy bikini. Which girl was he really admiring???!!! :P





Clara on the beach at Sanibel Island. She and "daddy" were having an outing.


This is my youngest son, David, with his new son and my baby grand, David John. He is little brother to Jack, who is only 2 1/2 himself. We're just thrilled to have him! They tell me he has red hair! I love that! David John's beautiful mother, Adrianne, has strawberry blond hair... :]

Foodies Unite!!

I am so tired and hot and hungry. We went to Bocca de Beppo's for a late night dinner and sat with friends in the kitchen of the restaurant. It was still warm...but it was so much fun!





The End!

Oh, yes, let them eat cake!!

Deborah is 60 and she's loving it. What a decade I'm planning! Below is my birthday in pictures...I hope you don't mind the indulgence. If you do mind...skip to bottom of entry.

It all starts here, on a hot day/early evening in Naples, FL. A just turned 60 yr. old lady is bent over talking to her little mini poodle, Larry, when her DH (who likes to take candid camera type photos) catches her with her bra strap showing and her dress falling off of her. Isn't this cute! Not!

This picture will actually make my children wonder if the lady has had a nip or two too many. Which she did not! She only drank one glass of tea! I was schwitzing, tired and falling out of my shawl and shoes....and dress....do you think I had anyone around to tell me to pull myself together!!??? :P

Another picture of the same, in case you missed the first one. We were just getting back from a perfectly lovely dinner alone at a beautiful restaurant downtown Naples. We ate early so we'd have the whole place to ourselves...it was like being in the Casablanca movie! ;]

Dear little Clara kissing Mama happy birthday...she probably has an ulterior motive because she loves buttercream icing. :[ Mama's just blown out one of her candles. Daddy thinks mommy is only "39" because he says she's really so young looking.... Mommy loves when Daddy talks like that. XXOO

Clara is alert to the fact that Daddy now wants a frontal picture of her and she hates

it with a passion. Showing her disgust here. But, he gets one anyway.... Note that we think this is a great coup and are laughing our heads off. It takes so little to make Daddy and Mommy crack up!!!

And, now, let's get serious because Larry Kaplan the First, is a picture (whore) model. He loves to get his picture taken. He looks right into the camera and expects perfection all around. Mommy is having anxiety because she's not sure she can measure up to Larry's expectations.

My pretty, "real" birthday cake that my DD, Jessica, asked my DH to buy me. It's my very favorite thing to get for my birthday. I'm so proud of it!!! Thanks, ZeezieKo!

Guess what I'm doing now.....

All in all a very happy day, and one I'll remember for all of YOUR notes and well wishes and comments on Facebook and emails and cards sent to me. I was so completely overwhelmed by your outpouring of love to me. Thank you all so much! It was so unexpected and made me happier than I can even tell you.

It's just a true blessing to have friends and family and children and grandchildren like God's given me. All I can hope for is to continue to live in His grace, and to love back in return.

I'm sending out so much love to all of you, and hopes that this year will be all you hope it to be.

Also, please join me in praying for our military sons and daughters who are giving thier lives to protect and serve us. And, don't forget their wives and children and families at home.

Lastly, I want to thank very special friends for sending birthday gifts to me:

Jinger--thank you for the precious card and words of friendship, and for the threads; so pretty and thoughtful of you:

Barbara (my birthday twin)--what a wonderful friend you are to me--your card meant so much, and I'm in love with that pretty strawberry packet with all the threads and beads! --thank you sooo much:

Deb H.--what a surprise to find your gift for my birthday in the mail! I gasped when I opened it, it was so awesome to hear from you. I don't have a pincushion like it, and I'll cherish it always. Thank you so much for your dear card and for your friendship.

Pictures of all will follow in my next blog, everyone!

Hugs, Deb, your bloggish stitching friend

PS: My darling children made a DVD with especially selected music and pictures of my life with them and my grandchildren as a birthday gift to me. It will always be my most cherished birthday gift. I want to share some of the pictures with you on my next blog...so please come see me again soon.

P.S. Go see www.laurenwillig.com/ to read about her latest contest to cast your vote on who the greatest hero in literature is!

Diamonds in the Rough

A first picture of Larry.

As promised, DHs metal detecting treasure from the beach. Isn't it pretty? I still can't help feeling so sorry for the poor engaged girl and boy who lost this. They both must be heartbroken. :[ But, Anthony says...and I suppose he's right....that it's now found a new home, and all things happen for a reason. Still, I can't wear it, and I've put it away in his secret drawer for him to enjoy.

BTW, please excuse the bit of birthday cake stuck under that pointy fingernail! LOL Can't believe it, but we took the pictures right after we had a piece of my cake. :P

Pictures of those birthday will follow.... Just not today.

Hugs and soooo much thanksgiving to all of you precious and dear friends who wished me a Happy Birthday. I love you guys!! Your friend forever, Deb

DH and Diamonds on the Beach & Bookish Thoughts

Aren't these gorgeous book covers? Really, some of them could just make a wonderful framed grouping for our bedrooms, couldn't they? And, Lauren Willig is such an interesting and good author, too. Below is an early book and it's cover dating back to 2005. There is an updated cover which you probably would find in most bookstores.

".... friend Jane Austen had warned her..." Do we really need to read more than that to get us to pick up this new book? :] It's coming out later this year. I for one will be saving my pennies.

Lauren Willig is a great author of historical mystery novels with a creamy dollop of romance. (oooo...that sounded worse than I meant in the context, please forgive! ) If you go to her website http://www.laurenwillig.com/ you will find the most interesting visual and her thoughts on different covers for different years and issues of her books. I find this sort of thing fascinating, particularly with books that I love to read like eating M&Ms on a summer day! If you haven't tried one of her books....I started with the Secret of the Pink Carnation and really got hooked in the regency romance sort of way. I say, try different genre for different moods!! :]

Yes, we never thought it would happen, right Deb (of "Cattails"), but Anthony finally struck platinum and diamonds on the beach with his metal detecting equipment!!! He's soooo thrilled. He found a beautiful diamond engagement ring for a petite little finger (so sad :[ for the poor little girl who lost it), on Naples Beach at Vanderbilt. He had it appraised at the jewelers yesterday for over $3,000., $5,000. to insure. It's his treasure!!!

DH has been metal detecting and bringing home pieces of sad lost metal toys for years...as well as many a beaten up coin. Although, he did once find a very tiny diamond ring and a wedding band in front of a little old church in Fargo, ND, when Deb S. and I were there for a Stitchaway years ago at Shakespeare's Peddler. Will attach a pic. in my next entry...when he gets home to take it! Causing all of you to wait with "bated breathe" as the Bard said.

Until then, I remain, your bloggish friend always,

Hugs, Deb

Elaine Sympathies

Dear Sweet Friends,

Thank you so much for your kind words of comfort and sympathy about Elaine. I'm working things out in my heart with prayer and sunshine here in Florida. Larry has managed to work out well with my little Clara, so they are living together peacefully...which is a great relief to me!!

I've been resting, watching movies on tv, and reading. I feel very tired and know this is a combination of several things...as you can imagine, but I'll be up and running again in about a week, I'm sure.

I just wanted to tell you how very much your notes and comments and emails mean to me. You each are special to my heart.

Love and hugs,
Deb