ok, so remember?.....

when the birds ate our patio chairs.  i posted about that 

here

so we got some new cushions for the chairs and they looked great...

but then our $5 garage sale replacement patio umbrella broke and i posted about that here

here 

well, don fixed the umbrella again and it all looked pretty again,

until last week...

when someone (and i'm not naming any names this time either  cough, coughdoncough) left the umbrella in the up position 

again... 

and we had a pretty nasty windy storm...well you can guess what happened, can't you?

wrong!!!  we still have the umbrella...however,

it performed like a sail and sent our table flying into the corner of the stairs to the doorwall and 

now our table is topless!!!

sigh!!!

and it was really pretty glass, a pale aqua with leaves imprinted into it and a built-in lazy susan

i guess we will just cut a big old piece of ugly plywood and slap that on top of the frame. 

hey, it will probably make the umbrella look good!!!

nature as art....

i found a robin's egg when i went for a walk a few weeks ago...

then i brought it home and found this

in the house

i just happened to have the perfect match in a paint sample that i picked up.....

i love decorating inspiration, especially when it comes from nature...

and we all know how much i love turquoise!!!

what a happy color!!!

a new, old mirror

i picked this mirror up at the habitat for humanity re-store this summer trying to do my part
to reuse and recycle the world's crap junk...

 it was hideous.  seriously, who would have this......

in their house?  a woman was hauling this out of her car to donate when i spotted it.

she took $5.00 for it....

i was horrified, yet strangely fascinated at the same time.
  

then i was horrified again when i saw the big crack in the frame.

well, a little bit of glue and my

very best friend, heirloom white...and....

hello, gorgeous

please ignore the crack in the driveway....we had a crappy builder...

(what is with that face??? is that how i look when i take pictures??  i'm surprised kids smile for me at all!!)

another piece rescued from fugly
and
from 70's sick to shabby chic...

then, i saw this on someone's blog

a very close match to my little redo project.
the price tag on that mirror???  $65.

score!!!

first day of school 2010...

my boy is in 8th grade now...last year of middle school.

his best friend nick is going into 7th grade this year...

these are some of his bus stop buddies...

and that huge blue bag???....football equipment!

and mama is having anxiety about time passing so quickly.

8th grade already...wow!

here is another try with the actions

here is the picture straight out of the camera (sooc)

cute isn't she???

here she is about a year ago........

and here are her sisters...

and here she is after a nice skin softening/lightening action..

off to practice some more!!!!

i love a man in uniform....

my former sister-in-law has five boys.

the oldest, nick, is in the military...the army.  

he has been deployed and was home on leave about a month ago when his mom called me and asked if i would take some pictures

of him and their family.  he was only going to be home for a couple of weeks so we made

arrangements for me to do the pictures.  

she called me about a week before we were scheduled and told me that 

nick had surprised her with...

a new bride!!!!

he got married back in april but waited until he got home to break the news to his family.

:-0.... :D

so the family photo shoot turned into a sort of mini wedding reception that bridget threw together in just a week....

we took the boys to a little park in town

where we met up with the boys grandparents

(and my former in-laws, whom i didn't realize how much i missed until i saw them again)

and took pictures with them

and some pictures with mom and her boys....dad is working out of the country and won't be home until christmas time....

i took some more of the bride and groom who were so sweet....

and just adorable....

the boys were fantastic and good natured and wonderful....

yes, he was in the tree on his cell phone...if that isn't a sign of the times, i don't know what is....

we left the park

and went back to their house for a mini-reception with the rest of the family....

the godparents with the bride and groom...

where i got to see my ex-brothers and sisters-in-law and their kids
it was wonderful to see everyone again,  you guys are all great and i can't believe how grown up all of your kids are....wow~!!

bridget and alex..you have both done a fantastic job raising your boys...i love them!!!

nick has been deployed and is in iraq again...please keep him in your prayers....i will be!!


nick and casey....i wish you both every happiness in life.  

and i will pray for your safe return to your family!