Stressful Shopping

Sometimes shopping is a chore and is very stressful.  I'm not talking about grocery shopping.  I find it very stressful and a dreaded chore to try to find large items for our home.  I can't stand the smell of Home Depot.

I was not happy that two rugs needed finding.  Finding is the word I used because where we live, we have limited shopping.  Very limited!  I don't want to order certain things, things that I really want to touch and feel the quality or lack of.  Things that I may have to return if it doesn't work. 

Starting last Monday (over a week ago) and again this Monday, I had literally searched almost every store for a large industrial rug for the mud room and the perfect runner for the short hallway.  Nothing store after store after store.  I'm not going to spend money on stuff that will just make do for a while.  I've never understood people doing that. 

At the last few stops, two separate stores I found what I prayed would work.  Both rugs were easy on my budget and would be no problem taking back if I needed to. 

 

We are all happy and they are both working out great.  I feel like the rugs will serve us for many years to come.  Now I want to settle in and decorate for fall.  Please my sweet Builder Man, don't send me back to Home Depot anytime soon and don't suggest anything extra for me to have to shop all over town for.         

   

A Little Crafting Pleasure

Here's a little sneaky peaky at what I've been doing this week.  Crafting!  I decided to revamp some of my old tired looking fall decor that I've always used throughout home and Matt's childhood.  I'd much rather continue using these family favorites rather than buying a bunch of new stuff.  I do buy things here and there that I just have to have but my favorites will live on.  

I've also been heavy cleaning this ole' home sweet home so I can decorate it for fall. 

 

I made the big cloth pumpkins above years ago. This year I decided to take them down to just the pumpkin (ripped off the felt leaves and raffia bows) and redo them using natural burlap, grungy sunflowers, and pip berries.  My sister gave me the big cloth turkey years ago and he needed a facelift too.  I don't have a craft room like a lot of ladies do but I do have a big laundry room so this is where I usually do my crafting.    

 

Ignore the raw wood walls of my hallway, that's one of the main construction projects going on around here right now this week.  But do look at that big ceramic pumpkin.  I added our initial and re-stained it for a grungier look.  Arrange a few pip berries and there you go!  I think it'll look better than ever when I get going with decorating the our little farmhouse kitchen.  Shhh, don't tell but it's really a cookie jar. 

 

More sneaky peaky pictures to come.  Have I mentioned I'm ready for fall?  I think I've put that in the last few blog postings because I just can't help myself.   

 

Our Special Day

It just doesn't seem like my sweet Builder Man and I have been married 20 years.  Today is our wedding annniversary, our special day.  I do love that man. We'll go out and celebrate one night this coming weekend.  The middle of the week is just too busy for us.   

 

 

 

I tried to add Dailey & Vincent singing the beautiful Statler Bros tune My Only Love but could not get the audio to work.  I hope you enjoy the pictures anyway.   

 

These 20 years have been filled w/ joy and sorrow. Love, laughter, & tears. Many prayers, suffering, overcoming, growing, weekness, strength, goodness, happiness, mountains, and valleys. Loss and gain.  God has been first in this wonderful thing we call life. I love that man more than 20 years ago, more than yesterday, but not as much as I'll love him tomorrow. 

 

I don't know about you, but this ole' girl is fall cleaning and rearranging.  I'm getting ready to decorate for fall, hopefully the first week of September.  

 

My mom and I are already talking about the Thanksgiving menu.  I need to start adding the special ingredients to my weekly grocery list.  I started doing that years ago and it makes it so much more affordable.   

 

Have a blessed week.   

 

 

Time For The Color Change

OK, I've worn red all summer.  It's time for burgundy to come out and play.  Even though we're still wearing flip flops and will be for a while. 

 

I prefer O P I, but around here I can only get it at one place and that's Target. I wasn't near Target and this beautiful Rimmel color caught my eye. It will do until I can go look at the O P I colors. Hopefully it won't chip. I don't think I've ever used this brand before. Nope, this is not a product endorsment that I'm being comped for.  I promise.  Believe me, I'll tell you when I don't like products and have wasted my money on them.  And I don't like advertisements all over blogs.   

And just look below at that cute little cider barrel.  Isn't he cute?  I already have it on display but I am not and will not be fall decorating.  Yet!   Can you figure out what I have it sitting on to make it taller?  Did you guess a bark nut bowl from years ago?  

 

Can I ask a favor?  Can I request that you please pray for me?  I am going through something in my life right now that has got to change.  It's a very private issue and I really need God to move this mountain and change this situation for me.  I appreciate it and do take prayer request very serious so thank you all and have a blessed day. 

 

So Ready!

Hey there!  Please tell me I'm not the only one tired of summer.  I'm so ready for fall.  But no matter what it says on the calendar, this is Florida and we'll have to start autumn/fall off with hot temperatures as every year.   We're used to that and it doesn't stop us from decorating and enjoying it in every way possible.   

What I need to do is stay out of Hobby Lobby.  I did stay away for several weeks, but finally had to go in there for a framing project and there it was.  All of there beautiful fall decorations sitting on shelf after shelf begging me to walk over and take a look.  And to tempt me even further, someone had hung inviting signs saying that everything fall was 40% off.  What's a country lovin' farmhouse decoratin' fall lovin' girl supposed to do? 

Have a blessed week everyone!  Thanks for stopping by Lillie Mae Acres. 

But I Don't Need A Bath

It's just another hot summer in Florida.  Rufus loves being outside (limited basis) running and chasing tennis balls.  It's been raining a lot so you know what that means.  Wet grass, wet dirt, wet paws, dirty dog.

 

But I don't need a bath!