Lillie Mae Acres

WHAT? Did you say you like Bluegrass?

2012-02-17T22:17:00.004-06:00

What? You like Bluegrass music? You like to listen to banjos, mandolins, fiddles, guitars, and a big ole' upright bass? Well so do I! Here's a short video of my favorite banjo picker Matthew picking with DEEPSOUTH. They play at a local restaurant in town every Thursday night and decided to film a little after the restaurant closed the other night.

That's my boy! He was raised on fried chicken, butter beans, squash, turnip greens, and fried cornbread. He knows as much about raising chickens and guineas as he knows about almost anything.

ENJOY and have a blessed weekend!

Love and Joy Everyday

2012-02-16T05:54:00.009-06:00

Did you have a lovely Valentine's Day? I hope you did and I hope and pray everyone everywhere is constantly surrounded by love and affection from special people. Of course I hope and pray that you also show love and affection to others.

Several weeks ago I made reservations at our closest P F Chang's Rest, which is quite a few miles away. Wayne took the whole day off Tuesday and we drove over earlier than we planned since it was raining. We managed to get in a little shopping (more looking than shopping) and actually arrived at the restaurant about twenty minutes early. They said thank you for coming early because we are fixing to get very busy.

It worked out perfect for us since I had not requested a booth (their booths are the best) and we were able to get one. If we had arrived at five, I'm sure we would not have gotten a cozy booth. And of course the food was yummy, it always is.

We both love Bass Pro Shops so we took advantage of being right there at it. Our big purchases were a couple of bags of snacks, but I got a great idea when I was looking at the smokers and cookout supplies. I'll work on it and show you later.
HINT: When my mom and I were shopping after her doctor appointment yesterday, I found the large easel for my new project.

We got these BIG TEX HOT n SPICY jelly beans. We had fun eating a few after supper on the way home. Late Tuesday night when Matthew also got home he almost screamed when he ate one.

FUNNY! They are hot folks! I can eat a handful of Hot Tamales at one time, but these mamas are huge in size and cinnamon heat!

So with Valentine's Day 2012 behind us, we can all start looking forward to spring and the many project we all have rolling around in our heads. I'm headed out to work this morning and since it's supposed to rain for the next few days I'm glad I'll be at work. Then next week when I'm off I can hopefully enjoy the outdoors. I have a doctor appointment next Wednesday for myself, but Sunday thru Tuesday I can pack as much spring cleaning and decorating in as possible!

Have a lovely day!

Come On Pretty Weather and Let The Projects Begin!

2012-02-12T12:14:00.011-06:00

So here we go again!

It wouldn't be spring around Lillie Mae Acres without a project or two going on. We're already gathering up the supplies, and of course I'm adding to the list of wants. The list never ends you know!

Our weather has been so warm all through January and now it's turned cool again so some of the projects have to wait a little while...like replacing the windows with french doors in the master and gutting the bathroom. Don't want the cold air blowing in.

We've already started on the first major project. My two favorite guys are already on the first steps of closing in the back porch creating the mudroom making both the mudroom and laundry room full additions to our little brown farmhouse. I've already got interior decorating fever. But I know stress is just around the corner when it's my turn to start picking out the flooring and lighting. I don't do too good at that because all of the choices confuse me. Too many choices. Instead of using sheet rock, the walls will be wood so at least I don't have to go through the painful ordeal of choosing a paint color.

Yuck, I sound like a whiner! I'll stop now.

I've missed my blog. I've missed your blogs. I've missed my laptop. This ole thing was in and out of the shop for the past several weeks and I think it's finally back as near to itself as it'll ever be. I've never had to go through the ordeal of having a new hard drive put in and everything reprogrammed, NEVER want to again either. It's been a nightmare.

Still loving my part time job, but also still loving my home sweet home relaxing and family days.

So come on pretty weather and let the projects begin.

Hey There ... Go Away Writer's Block!

2012-02-08T19:51:00.003-06:00

HELP! Writer's Block and a broken laptop for over a week! But I've been enjoying reading yours with coffee and a snack, plus I'm enjoying the beautiful spring like weather we've been having around Lillie Mae Acres.
I've been outside a lot, getting things spruced up. I just read where it's official, January 2012 goes down in history as the warmest on record.
Have a blessed week!

Happy Mama

2012-01-26T21:18:00.003-06:00

Yes Matthew made it home sweet home after enjoying two weeks in the Colorado snow. Lillie Mae is one HAPPY mama, and I'll post some of his beautiful pictures (they look like Christmas post cards) when I can sit down and write a really good post. Have a lovely evening everyone!

Am I The First To Say: SPRING FEVER?

2012-01-15T20:42:00.003-06:00

I don't have spring fever, I just have a lot of ideas and plans rolling around in this head of mine already. I'm mentally making my spring to-do list. Mine and hubby's list...he only knows about a few of the things on the list but I'm sure he'll be ok with the other things too.

Let's see, the biggest things are enlarging and remodeling the bathroom, then closing in the back porch and creating the mud room. Those he knows about. And of course those two projects are huge and will involve redecorating.

He's currently against painting the front door a red color but he'll give in. It's already a deep burgundy shade and I want it a pretty shade of red, maybe similar to barn yard and adding a beautiful door knocker. When I took the Christmas wreath off I noticed the paint scratched in several areas so I haven't hung another wreath yet. I'm thinking the scratched paint will prove to him that it's time to paint it. Oh those sneaky wifely things we do.

I haven't gone sunflower crazy yet but in another month or so I'll be in a hurry to create small arrangements of them throughout the house. I do love having sunflowers around to brighten up the rustic decor and add a little spring look here and there.

So you see, I'm already making mental notes but I'm not ready to declare spring fever. I'm enjoying our cooler weather too much and enjoying my buffalo plaid throws thrown around the living room. I'm enjoying my fur lined bedroom shoes at night and waking up each morning with a chill in the air. It gives me an excuse to say brrrrr and reach for my furry robe waiting on the coffee to perk.

I guess I'll hang a spring to-do list on the fridge soon.

Are you doing the same thing? Are you bouncing ideas around in your head to start on when it warms up?

What's going on in your neck of the woods right now?

P.S.
I'm really really really missing Matthew. He flies home on the 24th and I wonder if he knows that his crazy mama is going to be so glad to see him that I just might embarrass him at the airport. I'll try not to of course!

Up uP AnD AwAy WeNt the SoN

2012-01-11T09:08:00.009-06:00

Well he's just not my little boy anymore, but he'll always be my baby boy! I really don't care if that title embarrasses him or not because this mama loves her boy and I'm not going to hide it. Matthew and I have a very close relationship as he also does with his dad. We're just a small family of three, he's been home schooled since 5th grade, and raised in the country. Raised and taught to value loved ones and friends, praise God for everything, and live an humble simple life. But, he's grown now and trying his wings. Well, he'll be 18 years in late February and he flew out to Colorado to spend time with his uncle for two weeks. So he trusted Southwest wings.

We had to get up very early for him to catch his flight out. We have to drive about 45 minutes to the airport so we were able to have a little fun with Hee Haw signs as we were loading the truck. If you ever watched Hee Haw, you know what Hee Haw signs are.
I didn't realize Matthew was still half asleep. And that sweet hubby is dressed for work so he's not in his Sunday best.

Matthew's Mema (my beautiful mom) graciously spent the whole day with me, shopping and lunch after we got Matthew off on his trip. We love her so much and we're so thankful to God that we have her in our everyday lives. Just ask Wayne, she's the bestest ever mother in law a guy could have too.

As I told you in my last post, I've gone to work part-time. It's just the cutest specialy store for babies, gorgeous fine nursery furniture and beddings as well as the nicest strollers, carseats, and everyday items. It's a small mom and pop corporation with three locations in three neighboring cities that has been in business for a long time and I am loving it. Friends and family had already started asking me if I'm ready for Matthew to marry and start giving us grandbabies. The answer was and still is NO! He needs to live a little and get his education thank you! But working around all this beautiful furniture and other baby stuff has me thinking that when it does happen (no time soon please), that baby will have some very nice things.

When I suddenly started work the week after Christmas, it was practically full-time for training purposes for two weeks. But I've tapered down now and I'm ready to be part-time. Oh how our clean little organized farmhouse has suffered. My two favorite guys have been just fine, they've actually been wonderful. They've been a big help with laundry and trying to keep the kitchen clean.

I'm off today and taking a break right now after spot cleaning my Shaw area rug. After Christmas I saw a few spots on it (probably coffee drips) and now it looks so pretty and new again. Laundry is going, and we'll be sleeping on crispy clean sheets tonight.

Well, that's it folks. Thanks for stopping by for a visit to Lillie Mae Acres. It'll just be maw and paw for a couple of weeks until our Banjo Boy gets home.

A New 2012, Some New Changes

2012-01-08T07:08:00.004-06:00

Hey there everyone. I'm still here, I'm still kicking, I'm still breathing. The week after Christmas I went to work at the cutest little baby store in the city, so of course I haven't had much time for anything around this ole' farmhouse. It's a mess! I'm working way more than I will after I'm fully trained, so I'll be back with all the juicy details.

I pray each of you had a wonderful start to 2012. A new year to be filled with love, joy, happiness, and many blessings from above. A new year to make positive changes in our lives, and and a new year for new adventures.

We'll be putting Matthew on the plane this week headed to Colorado and a two week stay out there. Oh how I'm gonna miss that boy! But, he's grown now and we know that we raised him right and God is with him at all times.

Below is what hubby got for Christmas. We're enjoying playing all our old vinyls and cassettes, then recording the GREAT ones onto CDs. An old look with the latest technology. When we start building again and add on creating the new entrance/mudroom there will be a special place for it to sit.

See ya later!

Just A Simple Wish For You

2011-12-23T07:22:00.003-06:00

I just want to take a minute to send a simple but sincere and loving Merry Christmas to each of you and your families.

Thank you so much for your beautiful blog posts allowing me inside your lovely decorated homes and celebration plans to honor CHRIST and all that He means to us.

Do You Pin?

2011-12-18T14:09:00.002-06:00

Do you pin? Are addicted to Pinterest? I just got started and am loving the great ideas I am able to see and save for future use.
Join me!
http://pinterest.com/lilliemaeacres/

At some point soon, we plan to close in the old small back porch for a much needed mud room. At some point we plan to remodel and enlarge our bathroom. Hopefully these two construction projects will happen sooner than later. It's not too early to start gathering ideas and pinning them to my board on Pinterest so Wayne can actually see what I'm describing that I want.

Let The Baking Begin

2011-12-15T20:33:00.004-06:00

On the way home from a day in town this afternoon, I mailed off the stack of Christmas cards. One more thing that I was able to check off the "To-do Before Christmas" list.

That can only mean one thing...let the baking begin!

Bring on the huge jar of peanut butter, the bags of chocolate and butterscotch morsels, the sticks of butter, the pounds of confectioners sugar, the cookie cutters, baking pans, and parchment paper. Bring it all on, I'm ready!

Are You Enjoying This Beautiful Season?

2011-12-14T11:20:00.006-06:00

Our beautiful rusty barbed wire wreath bids a Christmas welcome to everyone as you enter Lillie Mae Acres as it continues to adorn the gateway. Come on in, sit for some Christian fellowship along with piping hot coffee and maybe a piece of something yummy to nibble on.

Are you enjoying this beautiful season, beautiful time of the year? I'm getting loose ends tied up as they say. Our small nativity scene adorns the center area of our living room. The small wooden stable, straw, and little glass figurines representing that special night. The scent of a Mulberry candle fills the air, Christmas carols in the background, household chores getting done with a cheerier step. I haven't started baking/making goodies yet but will next week.

I want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas now, just in case we get so busy with family and friends that I don't get a chance to write another post before Christmas. May God's blessings fill your lovely homes, lives, and families keeping each of you safe and warm.

Thank you all for being such faithful readers, followers, and friends throughout 2011. Thank you for your wonderful blogs lettting each of us into a small piece of your lives. Love and hugs from our little country farmhouse to your lovely homes!

Another Little Building Project

2011-12-10T10:09:00.004-06:00

What's been on Lillie Mae's sweet honey-do list for a long time now? A mud room and remodeled bathroom! What just got built? One side of the wrap around porch.

I'm not ungrateful, I sincerely do count my blessings and thank God for my two favorite hard working guys and their skills. It's just that the wrap around porch came out of the blue. Honestly it seems like one day my sweet hubby asked be to go outside and look at something (the side of the house) and he told me what he was fixing to do. Then practically the next day he picked up the (pre-ordered) cypress and lumber from the sawmill and my guys went to town building. Hmmm, pre-ordered? That means this idea was rolling around in his head and actually planned out as I was showing him pictures off the internet of my new mud room and bathroom desires. Hmmm, them men sure are sneaky!

Of course I had a flower garden that was going to interfere with this side of the wrap around, so I had to get out there and move it. No problem, the weather was beautiful both days I worked on it.

Here are a few pictures of the new porch. We do plan to bring the roof line over to cover it in the near future and when we buy two new rocking chairs for the front porch, we will bring the Adirondack furniture my dad built over to this side of the porch.

In the above picture, I've labeled the things we still plan to get out there and do before it's too cold! Bringing the roof line over will probably not happen anytime soon.

Our weather is finally cool and sometimes cold, so the Christmas spirit is flowing. I think I'll start my baking soon. Have you already started yours?

Good Morning from the Christmas Kitchen

2011-12-02T10:33:00.003-06:00

Here's a few more pictures for you. Here's our Farmhouse Christmas Kitchen. This just happens to be my favorite room in the house, if you've been following Lillie Mae Acres for a while you already know that.

I do love to make our small home comfortable and cozy for us. I think home should be your favorite place to be, the place you look forward to going to after being away. The place where love, respect, and peace overflows and almost drowns you (but it's a good thing).

Enjoy your blessed day and come back soon.

Whoo, It's Gettin' COL*D

2011-12-01T16:25:00.009-06:00

This is what I woke up to this morning.

It got down to the high 20s last night but quickly warmed up today. We saw 58 degrees and it was so SONny and beautiful. I thought it was nice that our first dusting of frost was on December 1st.

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful day and we had a great one this year but doesn't it seem like time flies way too fast after Thanksgiving? I want to enjoy every second of the festivities and decorations. I enjoyed a day of shopping out of town yesterday with my mom and step dad. I've been enjoying decorating and making our home warm and cozy for the season, and I'm already thinking about what goodies I want to bake for us to enjoy and share.

YUM, hot coffee while looking out over the frosty grounds.

I'm collecting the Cracker Barrel coffee mugs below. As soon as I seen them, I just knew I had to have them. One side has the famous logo and the other has a well recognized item from CB. Yesterday I found the rooster weathervane and thought it was the end of the collection but my good friend Benita sent me the CB site today showing a bunch of different pictures. I've lost count, there seems to be at least one to please almost anyone on your gift list. There's no way I can collect all of them. I've already squeezed seven in my cupboard. My other coffee mugs are shamed, they are not near as beautiful as these not even hubby's John Deere ones.

I'll be back soon with more Christmas decor pictures. Take care and come back soon!

Still Here

2011-11-28T23:32:00.002-06:00

I'm still here, I'm still breathing, My little country heart is still ticking. I've just been so busy this month. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and we're all looking forward to a wonderful Christmas celebrating our Lord Jesus Christ, our faith, family, and our blessings from above.

I'll be back as soon as possible with an update, a more interesting post, or just a simple hello from Lillie Mae Acres.

I sure miss ya!

From Our Neck of the Woods

2011-11-19T09:06:00.002-06:00

Just a little note from our humble home in our neck of the woods to yours, I hope each of you have a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving.

I will spend this weekend making sure Lillie Mae Acres gets a spit n shine, making sure I have all of my ingredients, and trying to contain my excitement. My mom and I have a shopping trip planned for early in the week, our last chance to pick up what we don't already have.

I can almost smell the turkey, dressing, and sweet potato souffle. I can almost taste the pumpkin pie. I can already hear me and my dear sweet hubby exchanging conversation while cooking, me trying to get things done and free one burner so he can squeeze in and fry up the collards. I can see my grandmother's silver lined up at each place setting, the small cut glass platter that jellied cranberry sauce has been served from since my childhood and probably before, I can even faintly hear the Macy's parade on the living room TV.

Most of all, my mind has been in the place of thankfulness for some time now. Even before November rolled around. How about yours? Doesn't everything seem more important than it used to? Doesn't everyone seem more special than they ever have before? God is just so mighty, His love, mercy, and power so crystal clear in every inch of my life.

Busy Busy Bunch of This n That

2011-11-15T08:14:00.010-06:00

Hey there everyone. Don't ask me what all has been going on, I can't even begin to list how busy we've been around here. Just a bunch of this and a bunch of that.

Here's a small hint at something I've been doing a little of each day.

For some reason, I seem to be hitting dead ends with decorating ideas and motivation this year. Our home is really not much bigger than a cabin. It's a very small home so I have to be careful to save room for people to actually walk around. Honestly folks, it's almost that bad but we love it and love our land around it. So I'm not complaining when I say it's small.

Week before last, my mom and her hubby were on staycation (a week at home to do whatever they pleased) so I hopped in their vehicle with them and took two day trips out of town. We had so much fun.

Last week dear sweet hubby and I went on a little day trip out of town, just me and him. He had one mid morning appointment then the rest of the day was ours for miles and miles. He surprised me with a late lunch at P F Chang's (yummy), then we took the plunge and got the Nissan Armada LE that I've been dreaming of.

After driving a mid-size GMC Jimmy for years, this thing feels so roomy and comfortable. When we go out of town this coming Friday, I think I'll pile in the back and watch Christmas movies.

We do give God all the glory for the many blessings He sees fit to bestow upon us, He gets all the glory and praise. With Thanksgiving here upon us, I'm thinking about our blessings (not just personal) more and more, America is still the most blessed country, to have loving family and friends is a blessing, and of course the list just goes on and on.

I allowed myself (inadvertently) to get behind with my end of the homeschooling paperwork, so here I am pulling my hair out this month playing catchup. A little weepy too, Matthew took both junior and senior classes this year so he's done after mid December. He'll have a diploma in his hand and will have to decide when to start college or trade school. My son is grown, I want my little boy back!

My beautiful niece and her hubby scheduled baby Colliar's dedication back to God for this past Sunday and I was so thrilled that she had it video taped and got some good pictures.

I sure do miss them but they are doing so good and we are so proud of them. I do thank God for modern technology.

Our weather here around Lillie Mae Acres has been a little warm. We had a cold snap a few days ago, then it warmed right back up, right now as I type it's 66F. I sure hope it cools off next week, just to add to the holiday atmosphere a little.

I'm definitely a planner. I have lists in my purse and these menu plans are currently hanging on my refrigerator.
Are you a planner too? I can work alright under pressure, but pre-planning is so stress free.

Today, I'm going to go plunder in the shed and try to come up with an empty plastic box/tote. I'm sure I can combine a few things so I don't have to go to the store and buy yet another one.
What did we ever do before some smart person invented these things?

Starting Tomorrow

2011-10-31T21:02:00.006-05:00

November 1st, it'll be here tomorrow and that means NOTHING can stop Lillie Mae from decorating for Christmas. Well in all honesty, I've snuck and started already. I started Saturday when Matthew brought the big tree up from the shed. It's pre lit so it just stood here in the living room until today without any ornaments on it. I'm going to just do a little each day even if it takes all week.

The kitchen is still decorated for Thanksgiving until afterwards, usually the weekend. I enjoy taking my time and decorating early enough so we can all enjoy the seasons and holidays along with all the beauty that surrounds them.

I already have the boxes of Christmas cards sitting out so I can get started on them soon. I've got so much end of the year paperwork to complete and turn in with Matt's school work, that has to be done first. So him and I both will be very busy next week. His end of the year is mid November. That's one of the joys of homeschooling, you can take twelve months and spread it out, taking as many breaks as you want. The way he likes to travel and plays in the bands, there are a lot of times that we can't work a whole month without time off.

Starting tomorrow November 1st women everywhere will start their holiday decorating. I can't help that I've always been a preplanner. Although I work well under pressure, I do much better with a set of plans rolling around in my country head.

I can hardly wait until we all start sharing pictures of our homes decked out for the special months ahead.

See ya later, I've got to get to bed so I can be an early riser in the morning with the roosters and do a little bit more decorating.

Our New Little Man

2011-10-26T08:29:00.005-05:00

Well here's our new little man, just a little early but healthy as can be. My niece called me in the wee hours of Saturday morning, I think it was 1:25am. She said she was in at the hospital and a little less than twelve hours later at 1:07pm baby Colliar arrived.

They are all home and settling in to the routine that one more little family adds. He's a good sleeper so far and it only took Lily one night to settle down and basically get back to her set bedtime, etc.
I am so proud of Mandy and the life her and Aaron have created for themselves in Missouri.
Her and I were just talking and she said the temps dropped dramatically overnight, but her and the kids are getting ready to go out for the first time to an appointment. Aaron went back to work this morning and she's got things to do, so off they go and it'll become easier and easier.
I just praise God for His greatness and for this new little healthy bundle of yummy love and joy. I wish I could be there to hold him and love on him but that's not possible right now.
I hope you all have a lovely day. I can't believe it's already Wednesday. I'm hoping to go Christmas shopping with my beautiful mom tomorrow and I've already started ordering what my two favorite guys want. I want the whole month of December to be relaxed and joyful, feasting upon the beautiful time of year and God, family, and friends.

This Time of Year

2011-10-25T14:06:00.004-05:00

Here is an unfinished list of my favorite things about this time of year.

Colors of fall, we're in FL so mainly inside decor
Cooler weather, less muggy
Choosing a scent(s)to use this season in our home - this year it's Mulberry
Talking about the holidays and family gatherings
Making lists and plans for Thanksgiving
Pulling out favorite recipes for the big day
Thinking about a fire
and smores
and marshmallows
and chili
and pumpkins
Wearing snuggly PJs and sometimes socks
Changing the throws in the LR, putting out the winter ones
Finding fall clothes in the back of the closet I forgot about
Thinking about a Christmas list and Christmas lunch
TV commercials
etc
etc
etc

I doubt this list could ever be finished. There is just way too much about this time of year being so wonderful. It seems like everyday there is something else to think about or wish I could do. Right now, I'd love a hayride!

Bringing Out the Thicker Ones

2011-10-21T21:09:00.004-05:00

I do not decorate my living room for fall. As it get's cooler outside, it seems to take on a fall/winter theme with little effort. This week, I simply packed away the summer throws that I had sitting around and cuddled under all spring/summer and brought out the nice cozy winter ones. Buffalo plaid and checks of all colors are sitting around just waiting to be snuggled under for months to come.

Pretty soon the fireplace will need to be cleaned out and prepared for use. I want it to be all ready for that first roaring fire.

That may be something I do this weekend, I may bring the wood rack up to the back porch and get it stacked full of wood. Then a week or maybe two before Thanksgiving, we'll put up the big Christmas tree.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Pitty in Pink

2011-10-17T11:34:00.009-05:00

My beautiful pink cuppycake Lily just turned 2 years old and she is pitty in pink. Pitty is how she says pretty! Her mommy made sure to take a lot of pictures of her for us and of the big girl bedroom they created for her while she was out with her grandmother. Then they surprised her with it when she got home. I did the same on Matthew's 2nd birthday, way way too many years ago. Sniffle sniffle! I think the 2nd birthday is the perfect age and occasion to create a big boy/girl bedroom if possible.
My niece said Lily was so excited! She wouldn't let anyone on the bed because it was HERS. As of this morning, she still doesn't want anyone up in the bed except she did want her mommy to lay down with her for a few minutes. I just can't believe she's already 2 and in a big girl bed!
I love it! I made and sent her the wooden L I L Y letters for her wall and the decals on the new furniture match her bedding perfectly.

She looks pretty happy to me! Or should we say Pitty Happy!
Her grandmother made her a sock monkey cake. Isn't it adorable? Her baby brother is about to arrive any day now, mommy (my niece Mandy) has already had a few complications so they didn't dare plan a huge birthday party. They planned her big girl room and a few more nice gifts, her grandmother took her out for lunch so her parents could do this, and then I think they were going to take her to Chucky Cheese.

Mandy said these huge letters fit perfectly and cover up most of her play floor in her room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Matthew, oh that banjo picking boy! We are so proud of him, not only for his great talents but for his walk with God and his personal relationship with God. He's a fine young Christian man and seeking His will for his future.
He just had to have this beautiful 1989 Granada! It's a Gibson banjo, and of course mom and dad wanted him to have it too because he is so serious about his music and picking in church and in the bands that he belongs to. If you don't know (which I didn't until recently), this banjo is a VERY GOOD thing!

Today I mowed the grass for the last time this year I think. It wasn't too high, I just wanted to trim it all up pretty one last time. My plants are fading away for fall and winter, soon I'll pile them all close to one another and get ready to cover them when the weather man tells me to.

Well, that's it folks. I've got a dirty kitchen to get up and clean and a huge comfy bed to go crawl into as soon as I can. Thanks for stopping by and I'll see ya later!

Looking Ahead & Getting Excited

2011-10-15T10:19:00.006-05:00

Am I the only female that does not like shopping in crowds and fighting my way through big sale events during the Christmas shopping season? Surely not! You know I love shopping at a slow easy pace plundering through thrift stores, antique malls, and flea markets. That's way different than trying to decide what to buy someone for Christmas and running out to get it at the lowest price of the season, etc., etc. It's madness and spoils the reason for the season so I will not do it. You won't catch me in town the day after Thanksgiving. You won't catch me in town Christmas Eve or the day after Christmas. I'll wait a few days after Christmas and start checking on the sale and clearance isles as I go into town to grocery shop. That's when I find my seasonal bargains. People are back to being friendly then too. Have you noticed how the holidays bring out the worst attitudes in people that let it? What a shame!

I'm happy to inform the world that this year both of my favorite guys are wanting things that have to be ordered! Yay! I thought we were going to have to go laptop shopping for Matthew but he's decided he doesn't want or need one since he's fixing to get a new phone. So he has already placed some nice things in the checkout of an online catalog for musicians, and when I'm ready to place the order I'll just CLICK and it's done. How simple is that gonna be? He even told me a couple of the things are things his dad wants. BINGO!

I sure hope the above doesn't sound materialistic to you. Believe me, our greatest joy is the decorating and celebrating. Gift buying is certainly the least pleasure of it all. My mom and I have both started shopping each week for special items for the people that we wish to give a little something to. It's a pleasure to find stuff that I can stop and think about rather than just grab something for someone just because I think I owe them a gift. I do not like that feeling at all!

CELEBRATING and DECORATING....that's Lillie Mae's love. I love what Christmas is all about. I love the Christmas story, beautiful nativity scenes, cooking/baking, family, and friends. I have several get togethers bouncing around in my head for us to host here on Lillie Mae Acres and hope it all works out.

But first we're are already looking forward to Thanksgiving! My mom and I have already discussed and re-discussed the menu and the day. Who will cook what! I love Thanksgiving too. How about you, are you already looking ahead and getting excited? Are you already thinking about Thanksgiving?

Looking Forward To Decorating for Christmas

2011-10-13T15:59:00.005-05:00

Hey there everyone., come on in. Plop down and enjoy yourself as you read this short post. I promise it's not a long one full of too many pictures like the last. I just had so much to share with you the other day!

Are you enjoying beautiful fall weather yet? We've had just a little, right now it's warm again. It won't be long though until we have steady cool temps to lead us into the upcoming holidays.

I was watching either HSN or QVC this morning and they had a beautiful fireplace and mantel decorated for Christmas. I looked over at mine and gave it a little itty bitty thought for just a second or two. Too early! I can't hardly wait though, how about you? I know I have some brand new lighted garland and other decorations that I got off of clearance isles after last Christmas. I try to hit those isles as much as possible and can usually get beautiful decorations for almost nothing. It's always like receiving presents when I open my storage tubs because I forget what all I've gotten and packed away. Of course I keep telling myself to STOP, it seems like each year I have to add a new tub to my already huge collection of tubs labeled Christmas out in the storage shed.
(I got this lovely graphic off the internet, it didn't list a source)

My niece moved earlier this year and was limited what she could take and actually wanted to take. I've collected Holly pattern dishes for a long time and she ended up giving me her collection to add to mine. So I guess you know what I'll be doing Thanksgiving night or the weekend after! The dishes she gave me are "new" to me. I'm excited

One more thing, I've been having problems commenting on a lot of blogs for months now. What is the problem? Are any of you having that problem? In the past couple of days I've written out comments only to have the page go back to my log in page. I log in AGAIN, then I've lost the comment I spent time preparing. Getting frustrated! So please don't think I'm not reading your lovely blogs and enjoying them, I have been and I will figure this comment problem out real soon hopefully!

Have a blessed weekend.

Such a GREAT Visit, Too Short

2011-10-05T20:23:00.025-05:00

WARNING: Tons of pictures for your enjoyment so get yourself a cup of coffee and plan to visit for a while. I should have made us something sweet to nibble on.

I had so much fun! Matthew was determined to go to IBMA in Nashville, Tennessee for the second year in a row. He just couldn't decide how to get there. He wanted to fly, yet more of them could go if they got together and drove. The trip was on, then off several times. Finally, him and two of his Bluegrassin' buddies got together and made concrete plans to drive. That's where I come in.

A few weeks ago, my aunt and uncle stopped by Lillie Mae Acres for a short little visit on their way back home to north Alabama. They invited me to stay with them if Matthew and his friends decided to drive instead of fly, the guys could just drop me off on the way. I knew it would be a wonderful visit with two wonderful people that I really did want to spend some quality time with. So, that's exactly what we did. Such a GREAT visit, but way too short. I missed that sweet hubby of mine so much, but I sure was having a good time.

One day we spent almost a whole day driving around Amish country in Tennessee. Beautiful land speckled with Amish families among English families (that's us). Beautiful homes and barns, beautiful farms, and such sweet simple beautiful people. It was nothing like I thought. I don't know why I expected it to be more commercialized. There were no stores, no large showrooms filled with beautiful handmade items. These folks have no electricity, no running water, and there are no large quantities of anything. Large items like outdoor furniture are ordered unless he already has something made up and not sold yet. They tell you when it will be ready and you can come back for it. They will mail you a postcard, no phone call. They do not have phones!

We actually went to their homes. As we drove the beautiful winding roads we would come across wooden signs at the end of a family's driveway. Little white signs with black painted letters. These signs told us what that man and his family made and sold. Lumber, outdoor furniture, jams, pepper sauce, fresh produce, etc. Cash only!

Nothing fancy, nothing flashy. We even came across a selection of Kudzu Jelly. YUM, it tasted almost like Plum Jelly. KUDZU, that wild vine that smothers hills, buildings and anything else in it's path if it sits there long enough. Who knew it bloomed and was even edible? Everything on the Kudzu plant is edible except the stalk. The root is even cooked like potatoes. I sort of want to try one of those.

I only took a few pictures. We would have been stopping EVERYWHERE if I took pictures of everything that I wanted to.

My uncle told me that they do not want their picture taken. I suppose it was alright that I took a few of the buildings, and did sneak a distant picture of one of the girls. Then I felt almost ashamed, because I was intruding on their life and going against their wishes so I stopped.

In the above picture, my uncle is asking her where her husband is. They speak German inside their homes so their English has a very strong German accent. Especially the children. I can't remember what they sold here, I think it was supposed to be wooden outdoor play sets for kids. We found the family that builds those and they are such good quality. It doesn't take an expert to tell the difference right away between their products and those you see in stores.

Above, tabacco hung to dry out in the shop where the lumber is cut.

Above is just one of their schoolhouse - church buildings. No indoor bathrooms in any of their homes or buildings.

I was just fascinated with their homemade clothes. Pants worn by the boys and men with no placks, no back pockets. Most of the women and children were barefoot. The straw hats with the thin black band. How simple and plain, and it makes you wonder what they are thinking about us and the way we dress.
No curtains in their simple yet beautiful homes. All of them are painted white with black trim. None of their windows have curtains. The weather was so pretty that some of the windows were open. I would love to see inside but was told that never happens. Except, my creative, talkative uncle did get invited in a few years ago by the man that he ordered a lot of beautiful furniture from. We went to his home and was told that him and his family moved on about two years ago. What a shame.

One family grew pumpkins. I wish I had taken a picture of them, they were so bright and pretty they almost looked fake. Just piles of them. At that same home we were able to go to the building where a few pieces of furniture was. Her husband made beautiful hickory furniture and left the bark on. I purchased the quilt ladder in the picture below.

Not a nail, screw, or sign of glue on it anywhere. Just beautiful.
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My aunt already had plans at her church so she invited me along. It was a sit down dinner with a guest speaker talking to us about the high number of children in foster care in Alabama. Each table was decorated in a different theme, all beautiful. We chose to sit at this beautiful PINK table, decorated in honor of Breast cancer Awareness. The food was yummy, the fellowship was so fun, and the cause was very touching.
My beautiful Aunt Vegie and me at her church. I met some really sweet and talented ladies that night.

See the above picture? How cute! One morning we went to a very small little country cafe for breakfast. It actually used to be the family's garage. So delicious, so friendly. I love places like that and sadly they are too few and far between.

I came home with some wonderful new recipes and you all know how I love those. More important is that I came home with new and old memories to treasure and share.
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Below are pictures of those CRAZY Bluegrassers that can't even wait until they get to Tennessee to pick.
A good CD is always nice to have for a long trip, but live music is even better.

Of course they all had fun, met a lot of their favorite famous pickers, a lot of new pickers and fand, and that banjo pickin' son of ours called us wanting to buy a new/old banjo. He called me and I said call your dad. He called his dad and he said talk to your mama. His plea was that he got to pick it and HAS TO HAVE IT!!! Oh yes, the guy shipped it overnight yesterday and it arrives today! It's a very old Gibson and I've recently been educated (in the past two days) on these things by Matthew. If the banjo is quality, the older it gets the better it sounds and this new/old Banjo that is on it's way is the best.
Below are some more IBMA pictures of Matt's.

I guess they ran off and left Jeff in charge of most of their instruments.
J.D. Crowe and one of his biggest fans Matthew!
Doyle Lawson and one of his biggest fans Matthew!

That beautiful famous Ryman!
Kenny Smith picking Jeff's guitar. He complimented it too!

Someone made this Bass. Not the usual look!
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I hope you enjoyed all of these pictures from our trips last week. Come back real soon.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sweet Lady

2011-09-28T22:18:00.001-05:00

Tonight we celebrated my mama's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY sweet lady! I cooked her a spaghetti supper and served it with hot rolls and a 7-layer salad. Then we had a yummy cheesecake with cherries on top. Oink Oink, but oh so good! We had a nice family supper, a little chit chat, we gave her some comfy pajamas, and took a few pictures. Simple and sweet. I do love her so much and am so blessed that her and I have a close daily relationship. We even live near each other!

I'm almost packed for my trip to see my aunt and uncle. I'll be leaving very early in the morning so help us pray for a safe trip. Once they drop me off, Matthew and his friends will have another 300 miles ahead of them.

I hope each of you have a wonderful rest of the week and weekend, enjoying beautiful weather and fellowship with family and friends.

Thanks for stopping by Lillie Mae Acres again. You're always welcome, and remember this is the country and we don't dress up so feel free to visit in your pajamas. My mom and I are both pajama wearing ladies, and we're always in ours!

I like to use this special plate that I picked somewhere in my thrifting for everyone's special day.

Skipping The Fair For Something Better

2011-09-26T22:40:00.001-05:00

I'm NOT entering anything in the county fair this year. Nope, not a thing. Instead, I'm going to visit my aunt and uncle, and possibly driving out to an Amish community. It'll be the first time traveling to visit them and the first time I actually go to an Amish colony. Just getting to go spend time with them is way better than the county fair, so whatever we find to do will be wonderful.

The two days for entering preserved and canned goods into the fair is this Friday and Saturday. Wayne said he'd take it all down there and enter it for me, that was sweet of him. I only have three things ready, so I've just decided to relax and take this year off.  I can always enter stuff next year. I'm devoting the first part of this week to me and Matthew and getting us ready for our trips. He's heading to IBMA in Nashville with some friends and they said they'd drop me off at my aunt and uncle's, then pick me up on their way home. GREAT oppurtunity for me. They were both here visiting a couple of weeks ago and we sort of planned it then. When the guys decided that they were going to IBMA and could drop me off, that was that!  I'm excited, yet worried about leaving Wayne by himself. I've never left him before.

Poor pitiful Wayne. What will he do? What will he eat? Who will take care of him and keep him safe? Who will tell him what to wear and when to eat? Wait, strike the last one! Actually, strike all of that, he was a bachelor for about ten years when we met.  Actually he can take care of himself, I just choose to think that he'll ball up and cry if I go away.  Strike that too, that would not be too attractive or manly! LOL

Well, come to find out he's already got plans of his own. Work and a short road trip to visit an uncle that's not doing so good these days. So I'm really not worried, other than him missing us TERRIBLY. We know he won't be able to eat or sleep. We KNOW he will be so bored with having the living room TV all to himself.  He'll have extra chores to do each evening so that'll help with the boredom.  He'll have to water and feed the animals, fix himself something to eat, and clean the kitchen. Poor thing! He'd better clean that kitchen!

Matthew and I went shopping this afternoon, so I think we're ready to pack and see if there are last minute things we forgot about. My destination is a good five hours away and then they'll have to travel another 300 miles to theirs. UGH, I do not really like traveling, but am excited.

I found the above picture online. I would love to look outside my window and see all this color.

I hope you all have a wonderful week too.

SPECIAL NOTE: My beautiful mother is having a birthday Wednesday so I plan to cook her a spaghetti supper and make her a cheesecake. I'm so blessed to have her in my daily life, and it's not something I take for granted.

Lovely Miss Hen Goes to Market

2011-09-23T20:25:00.001-05:00

Look what my sweet friend Benita made for little o' me! I love it. I think I'll name it Lovely Miss Hen Goes to Market. Sounds like a child's storybook, doesn't it? I think she's on her way to market but she's going to stop by Lillie Mae Acres first for a short visit and share a cup of coffee with me.

That Benita is such a sweetheart and a great friend to have. Thank you friend!

Cute Little Thangs

2011-09-23T07:56:00.001-05:00

There's always something going on around here. When the local feed and seed notified us that they were able to get some Guinea Keets we reserved ten. Picked those up yesterday morning, then went back yesterday afternoon and got seven more.
We're getting our Guinea flock back up to 20+ like we've always had. These little creatures are going to grow up to be the best pest control service you can pay for with chicken feed. They will eat all day, any bug in the grass plus the bigger things like lizards and snakes. Well worth having around.
Yes they are loud especially when there's a bunch of them. Yes they roam the woods and travel to nearby homes feasting off of their land too. Something happens when you explain that they are eating the rodents and snakes, the neighbors decide they like them too.
Aren't they adorable? Cute little thangs! Matthew built this smaller pen on high legs so they are way off the ground. Then we put this inside the large chicken yard so everything and everyone is locked up tight each evening. We do have those pesky little fox and cats you know, along with the coons and during the day hawks fly over sometimes looking for an easy catch.

Just Can't Decide

2011-09-19T20:43:00.000-05:00

I just can't leave stuff alone for too long! Most things sitting around decorating our little farmhouse get's rearranged many many times. Today I decided to change around my fall decor on the end of my kitchen counter, adding my little fly screen. I just can't decide how it looks best.

I guess I could spend the rest of the fall/Thanksgiving season switching it back and forth, giving it a fresh look every few days!

Above, I put my Candy Corn candle that my wonderful mom gave me in the pie pan and tilted the screen.
Below, I covered the sunflower salt/pepper shakers with the screen on the tin. I like both ways! How about you?

Time For County Fairs

2011-09-17T16:18:00.001-05:00

What comes to town every fall of every year? The County Fair! You all know what that means, let the judging begin!

I've been lazy all year and haven't done any canning. I've put plenty of our harvested fruits and labor into the freezer, but no canning. That is until this week.

So far I've made yummy Pear Honey and Uncle Tom's Salsa. Now the wheels in my little country head are turning with ideas of what else I'd like to can and enter when the fair comes to town.

I'm trying to talk hubby into entering a few of his beautiful wood pieces, he makes the prettiest stump boxes out of different kinds of wood. So far he's just saying maybe.

I hope you all have a great weekend with beautiful cooler weather. If you get rain and have some to spare, send a little our way.

Piddy Shoes and Pictures

2011-09-12T22:48:00.000-05:00

When is the last time I posted a Miss Lily blog? She's growing up way too fast and Aunt Necie (me) is missing out on so much because she's living in Missouri. They are fixing to welcome baby brother Colliar to the family around mid October. YUMMY, a sweet little boy for sweet little Lily to help mommy and daddy with.

They are doing so good, they've only been there since the beginning of June. Aaron (Lily's daddy) is already employed by the union, which is why they moved there and he was on a waiting list ... he sure didn't have to wait long Praise the Lord. Mandy (Lily's mommy) has a great medical job lined up to start after Colliar is born and she can work from home while also starting her nursing classes. To top it all off, they've just moved into the prettiest home, close to everything they need and in a great neighborhood. Ain't God good!!!

The girl does love her picture taken! And she also loves oreo cookies, look at that face!

See her "piddy" shoes? (pretty shoes) Mandy said Lily seen them in the store and just had to have them. She's already a SHOE gal, in the doctor's office the other day she told the nurse her shoes were piddy. The nurse had on pink shoes (probably Crocs) and Lily liked them!

Enjoy the pictures and have a blessed evening. See ya later!

Baby Colliar will be here before we know it!

Isn't Mandy's new kitchen beautiful? I love the large windows too!

Beautiful wall colors! I think this is the dining room and I can't wait to see the furniture they choose.

Aawww, Aunt Necie (me) made her precious Lily some wall decor for her piddy room.

All belly, it doesn't look like she's gained anywhere else.

Come Around to the Backdoor

2011-09-12T13:10:00.001-05:00

Come on around to the backdoor. I always seem to decorate the front porch but that's not even the door we use. It just happens to be what you see as you drive up and get closer to our home. So, once in a while I decorate the back.
This little guy and these juicy (wooden) apples welcome family and friends as they come around to the backdoor.

I hope you're all enjoying pretty weather and getting decorated for fall. I read and tried to comment on several blogs this weekend and was not able to for some reason. Maybe whatever the problem is will be fixed. I hope each of you have a great week.

Another Sign of Fall 2011 Coming

2011-09-05T16:56:00.005-05:00

Gourds drying on the vines!

The garden is tilled and ready for planting when these heavy rains go through and some of the heat is lifted. That should be in another week or so. But in the meantime, these ugly/beautiful gourds are just another sign of fall coming to our little farm.

And when Shadow saw me with my camera, of course she wanted her picture taken.

Time to Start Cozying Up the Farmhouse

2011-09-03T08:01:00.016-05:00

It's almost here folks. It's time to start cozying up the ole' farmhouse here on Lillie Mae Acres with fall harvest decor. I think I'll keep it very simple this year. We're hosting Thanksgiving again here so I can always add more beautiful things here and there when that time comes. And here's something I didn't even think about, I'm undecided about what I want our home to smell like through the fall and winter months. Most of us automatically think of pumpkin, spice, cinnamon, and apple scents for our home and of course they are already on the shelves. I'm always attracted to those cute cinnamon brooms, then when you get them home they don't last so no more of those! The other day while browsing around one of my favorite stores Cracker Barrel, I smelled it. Not the usual scents that I just listed, it was a familiar scent from my past. A scent I first fell in love with while vacationing in the mountains. Mulberry! Years ago, I coated our home with the scent of Mulberry. That got old and I moved on to other scents. I actually haven't thought about or even seen Mulberry scented anything in years. I inhaled and inhaled and inhaled and still walked out without buying anything Mulberry. I've about made up my mind though, that I will! I did get a few cute things that I'll share with you later.

Ready to start the fall 2011 tour of Lillie Mae Acres?

This will be the first fall/winter holidays with our farmhouse table. I just can't hardly wait to serve a huge family Thanksgiving on it to the ones I love.

Notice. I still have not decided on a welcome mat for the front porch. Remember my post about looking for one a few postings ago? Actually, I haven't really been looking lately. I need to!
We've been having some winds here so I already have a lot of leaves everywhere. I think they are the ones left hanging on the trees from winter.
Every time I look down at this basket of canning jars, it reminds me that I need to start thinking about the county fair and what I want to enter.

I love my little miniature display.

A bit cluttered on top of the pie safe so I'll probably change this around.
Why doesn't mustard show up pretty in pictures. This candle shelf is grungy mustard but looks pale yellow. ??

I need to redo my wreath on the front door, it is warped for some reason. Hmmm?
Check out my artwork. I created this cute little welcoming scarecrow with my much loved liquid chalk.

One of my trees showing the signs of fall.

My mom and I have already started discussing the Thanksgiving menu. You're probably thinking that it's way too early, but I've also started buying up my ingredients each week. I do love to be able to plan and be in control of things when I can.

I love love love my fall apron that I got from Cracker Barrel a few years ago. I've already seen one there this year that is burgundy with a beautiful turkey on it so I just might have to have it, along with the Mulberry scents i found. Still thinking about it.

That's it folks. As the weather changes and starts getting cooler, I'll pull out a few of my warm cozy buffalo check throws for the living room, but I won't decorate for fall in there because on Thanksgiving day I'll have the large family Christmas tree up for family to enjoy. I hope you enjoyed my fall tour. I can't wait to start seeing yours.
We're getting ready for the fall garden and hopefully that's where the collards will come from for frying up. YUM!

Thanks for coming by. Have a blessed weekend and stay safe if you live in the areas getting bad weather.

Stay Tuned for Fall 2011

2011-08-30T13:46:00.003-05:00

Hey there. I've been decorating for fall a few days early so I can't wait to sit down and post about it. My mom and I are going shopping tomorrow so no telling what we'll find. Stay tuned!
I can't wait to start seeing all of your fall posts. have a blessed evening.

Just a List and Much Treasured Horse Pictures

2011-08-23T21:23:00.008-05:00

Here's just a list off the top of my head or from a small portion of the inside of my head of whatever I'm thinking about:
1. I enjoyed shopping and lunch with my beautiful mother today.
2. I love the fact that it's almost fall and will actually start cooling down one of these days here in Florida...towards early Oct probably.
3. I'm really trying to keep my small farmhouse home extra clean these days so tidying up is all that's needed. Did I really just put that on here?
4. I'm already wondering where to put the big family Christmas tree this year.
5. I have fall fever so bad but am making myself wait until after Labor Day to decorate.
6. It's almost time to mow the grass again and am wondering how many more times we'll have to do it this year.
7. Excited about Thanksgiving and cooking.
8. Kind of shaking my head about the earthquake in Virginia today, but I do realize that we are living in the end days, and the Bible is being fulfilled.
9. Sitting here creating this posting, it's 9:31pm and listening to hubby SNORE.
10. Loving the new horse picture my uncle surprised me with. Picture below.

Well I got the ten things and decided to stop. The large fabric horse picture behind my couch was given to me by my uncle a few years ago. When he was a teen, he went through the cowboy phase. Don't all young men? Matthew sure did and we still have the horse out in the pasture to prove it...still feeding her...still paying a farrier to come out for trimmings...still repairing fences...still have a tac room full of saddles, blankets, bridles, ropes, ointments,etc.

Back to number ten.

My grandmother had a lady make this fabric horse picture, and it hung in my grandparent's home until they passed away. As a child we were not allowed to touch it, several of the horses are stuffed for a 3-D effect so of course we wanted to mash them. Long story short, I never knew there was a smaller picture also. Now I have it too! I guess my uncle took the smaller one with him when he grew up and left home; therefore, I never knew it existed.

That's My Niece

2011-08-18T14:42:00.003-05:00

The older Lily gets the more talented she gets. Yep, that's my niece. I'm so proud of her that I'm going to take at least some of the credit for her talent. Her mommy called me this morning and told me Lily and her grandmother were "building" a house out of a huge box, and decorating it with construction paper.

Look how adorable!!

I've been a busy bee today. I've mowed grass, watered everything, cleaned up the yards, and floated around the pool almost falling asleep. Now, what should we have for supper here on Lillie Mae Acres tonight? Sure wish I didn't have to cook.

Fall Decorating poll for you!

2011-08-14T15:05:00.003-05:00

Hey there, and thanks for dropping by Lillie Mae Acres today. It is so hot here, we haven't been doing much porch sitting. We've been drinking plenty of cold sweet tea though. How about you?

This is Florida! So although the weather man and calenders will officially announce fall in a little over a month, it's not going to feel like it around here for a very long time.

That's why my mom and I have fall fever so bad. We both have a very bad case of it and stores like Hobby Lobby are not helping. They have the prettiest stuff out already and all the candles and scents smell so good.

In years past, I've started my fall decorating throughout the month of September. In recent years, I've tried to control the fall fever and wait as long as possible. I just think that it's supposed to be cool weather outside when pumpkins and hay is sitting around and pumpkin spice scents are in the air. It's really hard here in Florida. It'll be warm on into October.

I'm trying my best to wait until at least October. That beautiful mom of mine is not making it easy for me either. She's already adding small touches a little at a time in her home. Soon she'll be lighting her candles. It'll be beautiful, but I can't let it tempt me to do the same.

So here is the poll for you.
When will you decorate your home for fall? And when will your weather start turning cool?

New Welcome Mat

2011-08-11T14:15:00.012-05:00

I am looking for a new welcome mat for the front porch. I want it to be welcoming, but it has got to be very durable. Believe me, it will get it's share of use. So here we go looking online to get some ideas. Nothing fancy for this farmhouse, nothing cute, but nothing too plain either.

The one below is on the Bed Bath and Beyond site, I like the stone look and that it's a half cirle.

The one above is very pretty. I found it on Amazon.

Personalized like below? Maybe, maybe not. I do like the coco mats though. They seem very durable, and it will be protected by the covered porch.

I really like the two below, both on the Lowes site.

I can already tell, this is gonna be a chore! I want the mat before I start decoraing for fall, probably at the end of next month. I guess I'll be doing some looking around. Thanks for dropping by!

Fresh Look...Cheery Change

2011-08-08T14:52:00.005-05:00

I have been looking for a new comforter and shams for months now. Come to think of it, longer than that just not as much. You know me! I've told ya'll before that when I buy something, I buy exactly what makes me happy instead of settling. That doesn't mean I spend whatever I have to spend, in fact that's usually the deal breaker for me in what makes me happy. I'm never happy when I feel like I over spent or was taken to the cleaners as they say.

Isn't it beautiful? If you like country patchwork.

The old one below had literally been on our bed for years, except at Christmas each year when I put my snowman comforter on. It was past time for a fresh look, a cheery change!

But as you can see, I blended in the same skirt and throw so I didn't have to spend so much money. I slipped the burlap off of the pillows and recovered them with the beautiful yellow floral print that coordinates with our new comforter.

I also didn't have to change the chocolate brown curtains because we are changing the windows for french doors soon. I will probably only put blinds on the french doors. The paint chip is already hanging on the refrigerater so we can paint the room after hanging the doors. I'm keeping the red wall behind our bed and darkening the other three walls. If you know what color Jiff peanut butter is, then you know what color the walls will be.

Now here's a shocker. The new comforter and shams came from Walmart. I've looked at every store I could think of in the last few months finding nothing that made me happy. Then i had to shop at a different Walmart the other day and there it was. I got the last King size in this pattern and the last three shams. I'm mighty proud of myself. I'm sure it will be on our bed for years.

I Cheated but I'm Entitled

2011-07-30T18:36:00.008-05:00

Yelp, I cheated! Lillie Mae cheated and is not a bit ashamed of it.

I cheated but I'm entitled because I'm a middle aged housewife that loves to cook for her two favorite guys and I've done so as lovingly as possible for years. Tonight for supper, I cooked frozen store bought meatballs. They were good too. Not as good as homemade of course, but I just didn't have the time or energy.

I like to keep a quick meal or two in the freezer or pantry for just such a night. Don't you?

I also broke a rule I guess. I served Italian and Chinese food on the same plate for the same meal. Who cares! We're just country folk and we love good food, no matter what kind.

Here's what I cooked up in a hurry tonight. Meatballs smothered in sauce, meatball shish kabobs with seasoned onions, peppers and tomatoes from our garden, and steamed bok choy. And it was GOOD!

So, how about you? Do you ever cheat and buy frozen prepared meat or meals for your family?

When Pigs Fly...Oink Oink!

2011-07-28T22:36:00.024-05:00

Doesn't everyone love pigs? Our childhood cartoons and stories were filled with pigs. Porky Pig, the Three Little Pigs, all the farm stories had at least one pig, Charlotte's Web. And today in our beautiful prim, country, farmhouse kitchens most of us cook up a lot of pig, hog, pork while some of us even decorate with pigs. Don't forget that famous answer to something that's not going to happen, "when pigs fly".

A few months ago my mom was teaching Lily (my 1 1/2 yr old great niece) what her piggy bank says. That kid was laughing so hard at her Mema saying oink oink, she was almost losing her breath. She actually has a furry piggy bank that oinks when you put money in it. And of course we all count baby toes as little piggies. This little piggy went to the market, this little piggy stayed home, etc.

When I started dating my sweet hubby years ago, he started bringing me flowers, flowers, flowers, and more flowers. After the flower phase, it was adorable little pig figurines to collect in the Pigsville Collection. Pigs, pigs, and pigs until we had to stop.

We finally had to say Enough! And in cleaning out storage about a year ago, we actually got rid of a bunch of them.
But oh take just one guess at our wedding cake topper. You guessed it, a lovely pig bride and groom.
These days my sweet hubby is having to go over to his mom's house and try to clean it up so maybe it can sell. When she died earlier this year, he went over and came back home with a beautiful large brown hog.
He said it was his favorite and was glad I liked it enough to keep it. I tied a red gingham bow on it and gave it a proper home in our farmhouse kitchen.
He took a break and didn't go for awhile, his back started bothering him and he has really suffered for well over a month now. He has started back cleaning the old house out the best that he can with his back, and not getting much help I should say. He usually stops by after work, he says if it gets done he knows he'll have to do it although the other family members will be holding their hands out when it sells. That's the way it is! Matthew and I agree and may end up having to go help him even though the woman couldn't stand us so we really don't like being in her house. ANYWAY, he recently brought home a cute little mama pig and piglet set. We already had one just like it painted white with black spots. The one he brought home from his mom's was painted, well let's just say the lady couldn't paint. LOL We almost threw them away but I thought maybe I could save them with a new paint job. See them below, I SAVED them.

I thought I'd go around our home and show you our not so small collection of pigs, hogs, swine.

Wayne made my pig cutting board in the picture above years ago.

I found this cute little quilted pig above at a thrift store.
Here's a few that sit around in different little corners.
Various pewter pigs.
Bacon Presses.
Hog Head mold!
Hog hook.
I couldn't resist these folkish looking figurines above a few years ago, I actually found them in a Dollar Tree store. I love how chubby the pig is.

The HUGE steel hog above stands tall in Dothan, Alabama. He has stood there for years overlooking the highway below. He used to be rusty looking steel, which to me was so much prettier than painted pink.

Here's a link so you can read about this huge wonderful creature.

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11092

Below are just a few cute pig items I found pictures of online.

So how about you? Do you like little piggies?

Not Gonna See Cool For Awhile

2011-07-25T19:16:00.008-05:00

Hey there. Everything is HOT, green, and beautiful here and although I am beginning to get a bad case of fall fever, we're not gonna see cool for awhile. No matter what the calendar has marked on it as the first day of fall, around Lillie Mae Acres it won't feel it. We usually have warm Halloweens. No kidding!

There's no reason not to enjoy and take pleasure in the lush green and beautiful blooms even though the temperatures are usually in the high 90s and even the 100s everyday. I took a stroll around this afternoon and took a few pictures. I still have a lot of flowers surviving the dry heat because I'm pouring the water to them faithfully.

We don't seem to be getting much rain this summer compared to the past few years. I sure wish we would and we're all hoping August brings some "dog days". Just in case you don't know, dog days are never ending rainy days and if we're blessed with them, it sure will help us through August. We're on high land so many days of rain won't cause a flooding problem for us; although, I know for many it will.

Have a wonderful week!

Baby Boy Blue

2011-07-22T23:30:00.003-05:00

Hey there everyone. I sure hope you're keeping cool in all this heat and that you've got a wonderful weekend planned. My mom let me know this morning that it's been a while since I posted. I guess I didn't realize it.

My precious little delicious pink cuppycake Lily is going to have a baby brother to boss around...oops I mean to love and help with.

As you already know, she moved with her mommy and daddy to Missouri last month so I don't get to enjoy having her spend the night and play here on Lillie Mae Acres anymore. But we talk on the phone and Skype. I miss them terribly, but they are all settled in and enjoying it.

My niece Mandy and I talk everyday so of course she called me with the news before I seen her cute announcement picture to all her friends and family. The picture above is what she posted on her Facebook page for everyone to see. You may not can read the name, it will be Collier Thomas. Isn't that cute!

So if Lily is my yummy tasting pink cuppycake frosting and sweet bubblegum, what will Collier be? Maybe he will be my sweet delicious blueberry muffin lemon gumdrop baby boy blue cotton candy! YUM, I can just taste him now.

They are supposed to come home for Christmas, her due date is early November so he'll still be pink and wrinkly.

Thanks for dropping by and have a wonderful weekend full of love and laughter.

Memory making Fun

2011-07-06T20:12:00.011-05:00

I sure hope all of you had a fun and safe July 4th. Around here, we couldn't have asked for prettier weather. It rained several days in a row before, didn't rain on the 4th, and has rained again since. It's just been so beautiful and I certainly thank God for it.

Wayne and I hosted the family party this year, right here on Lillie Mae Acres around the swimming pool. We had way too much good food and dessert, but that's what celebrating is all about.

Our family knows how blessed we are to be Americans. We all feel so blessed to have the freedom to publicly and privately live Christian lives and raise our children in Christian homes without outside interference. When we do gather together, it's always memory making fun with a lot of picture taking.

So while most of us were here in Florida, my niece and her family (including my precious pink precious Lily) is now in Missouri. We connected and wished each other a happy 4th over Skype, while enjoying the same holiday and the same sunshine in the same great country U.S.A.

In the above photo, Mandy being born and raised in Florida...she can't live anywhere if her hubby doesn't provide her with a pool.

Happy Independence Day

2011-07-02T11:00:00.002-05:00

Here on Lillie Mae Acres we are cleaning the everyday living mess and clutter off the back porch and getting it all ready for the big family get together. Come Monday evening, we'll be lighting the grills for hotdogs and hamburgers, splashing in the pool, sitting and enjoying each other with fellowship and laughter, and celebrating July 4th.

So how about you? What's your big plans?

Whatever you do on this long holiday weekend, I sure hope you enjoy it and stay safe.

Faux Bovine ... really fake cowhide

2011-06-28T08:32:00.003-05:00

Last week Wayne brought home this awful looking footstool. The word "tacky" didn't even describe it properly. It was reddish looking vinyl with some kind of oriental looking trim going around it. Oh but just LOOK at those beautiful wrought iron legs! I knew I could take it and give it a face lift, allowing it to find a nice home right here.

I admit it, I love wrought iron. I think all three of us do around here. It is just the most durable, lifelong, heavy and heavy duty stuff and it fits right in with everything here on Lillie Mae Acres.

You all know by now that my living room is decorated in a cabin/lodge style, along with a few antiques and farmhouse items to blend in. I get a lot of western decor catalogs in the mail and have seen many little cowhide/cow print footstools so that's what I automatically thought of doing with this stool.

I went to town yesterday, hoping to find a really nice Cowhide uphostery material in white and brown. Well, the best thing I could find was labeled Faux Bovine. How funny! The printed side is soft and feels like calf, but the underside is a silky feel. Wayne had to help me recover the stool because the "faux bovine" a.k.a. really fake cowhide kept slipping and sliding. We got it done though and we love it. It looks and feels real so just us and all of you in blogland knows it's not! And I told him if I ever find something better we'll just have to recover it again.

Throw It All In

2011-06-27T16:32:00.003-05:00

This is one of our favorite suppers. Well, it was and then we all three got burned out on it. But here it is again...partly because I'm tired and it's easy and partly because Matt has a friend over so I know this feeds an Army. You do know that two teen boys are equal to a mess hall filled with hungry people, don't you?

I love the ease of it. I throw EVERYTHING but the kitchen sink in and bake it covered for about 50-60 minutes on 350F.

Lining the bottom of the pan is chicken thighs, covering them are frozen corn cobs, two cut up onions, a bunch of small red potatoes, lightly sprinkled celery seed, some crushed garlic, salt, and a big GLOP of butter. Tonight I threw in a few small whole tomatoes, but usually don't. That's it...throw it all in and call it SUPPER.

Have a good evening.

Possessive Over My Kitchen

2011-06-24T00:05:00.008-05:00

Are you like me? Are you possessive when it comes to YOUR kitchen?

Here on Lillie Mae Acres, that's just the way it is. When we invite guests over I usually do all the cooking. I very seldom ask guests to bring anything because I like to have it all preplanned and organized with NO surprises.

I have every kitchen bowl, pan, tool, etc just where I want it. My cabinets and drawers are organized according to my wants and needs.
I can't help it, it just messes me up for someone to get in there and start asking questions, going through my cabinets, etc. Can you tell that this has recently happened to me? I'm venting and you're the lucky set of ears (in this case eyes).

There is always an exception to every rule, right? The exception to this rule is my mom. She's helped in my kitchen before and it didn't bother me, I guess because I don't consider her a "guest" or "company". When they're coming over, sometimes I go all out and get fancy with my china sometimes I don't.

So here it is! Some of you may say that I should be glad to accept help in the kitchen while others of you may agree with me. We're all different. Here's another shocker for you. I also like to be the ONLY one to fold the laundry. I just like MY WAY of organising the linen closet too.
There, I did it! I told you just how POSSESSIVE I am, and I don't plan to go to a therapist about it either because I'm HAPPY just the way I am. Whatever works well, just keep doing it.

Have a good weekend.

HAPPY DADDY'S DAY

2011-06-18T14:19:00.008-05:00

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all the daddy's everywhere. I love my husband, and am so proud that he's a GREAT dad to our wonderful son. I'm blessed that he's a Christian, he loves God and allows God to lead him and guide him as the head our family and home.

He is down with his back and we don't know what all is going on yet. Of course we were going to take it real easy and enjoy a relaxing weekend. Now he's over doing it by making plans and cleaning up outside. WHAT?? Whatever!

Matthew and I are just shaking our heads and trying to tell him to slow down and do what the doctors said...basically he is supposed to just be laying or sitting, whichever is comfortable at the time. He's on a lot of medicine right now until the specialist can see him. You just can't tell some people anything, so I'm sure he's going to be in a lot more pain. None of us have had a decent night of sleep in over a week and we are so tired. I may have to start propping my eyes open with toothpicks.

Sorry folks, I'm venting a lot out of stress and lack of sleep. Please forgive me. I'm just really worried about him and worried that he's over doing it. Thanks for stopping by Lillie Mae Acres for a little visit. I do hope each of you enjoy this special weekend with the ones you love.

God's Blessings

2011-06-15T08:58:00.006-05:00

I want to take this beautiful summer morning to thank God for all blessings, big and small. He's never failed us...He's always been right on time.

I am enjoying the blessing of having my own personal little produce market in our farmhouse kitchen. As we bring the fresh pickings from our garden in, we are enjoying the rich flavor of homegrown, pesticide free goodness for supper almost every night.

We are also enjoying grilling on these beautiful warm summer evenings.

Are you enjoying spring/summer yet? I hope so.

Blog Comment Problems?

2011-06-10T07:02:00.001-05:00

Is anyone else having problems posting comments on friend's blogs? I'm not able to for some reason this morning and would sure love to.

Beautiful Gladiola

2011-06-09T07:56:00.004-05:00

Around Lillie Mae Acres, we spend time and enjoy the backyard way more than the front. Flowers are scattered throughout, some in pots others in the ground. I walked around to the front of the house to water the flowers and that's when I seen it. A Gladiola, getting ready to open but snapped by the wind before it could. I think this lovely one allowed the wind to break it before it bloomed so I would bring it inside and it would get more attention and appreciation than it was going to get.

I hope your day and weekend is as beautiful as this Gladiola flower.

Florida Folk Festival

2011-06-05T09:47:00.007-05:00

Last weekend Matthew and I traveled to the 59th Annual Florida Folk Festival. It was beautiful, it was HOT, and there were a lot of great Florida artisans there showing off their craft. One in particular caught my eye, the potter. Wayne and I both love pottery and I have always wished I could make beautiful pottery so I just watched, and watched, and watched. I bet he thought I was stalking him.

On our final day there, I picked out some of his beautiful signed pieces of pottery to buy and bring home.

His name is Matt Brabham and here's his website if you want to take a look. http://brabhampottery.com/

The reason we traveled down there was that one of the groups Matt picks banjo in was performing all three days of the festival.

It was a fun experience, very different festival and atmosphere than the bluegrass festivals we're all use to. Almost every style of music and dance was represented, along with Florida artisans showing off their talents, costumes, and Florida history.

See Ya Later not Goodbye

2011-06-03T19:11:00.008-05:00

Hey there everyone. It seems like FOREVER since I've sat and blogged, we've been busy around Lillie Mae Acres. Here's just a short posting of what is currently on my mind, the big deal right now.

Our family has been so blessed to seldom have to see loved ones move far away. Honestly, I can't think of one close relative that has moved away in years, so this is new to us. With many prayers, thoughts, planning, and well wishes...we said see ya later to my beautiful niece Amanda, her hubby Aaron, and my precious pie Lily the other day. I didn't know for a fact that I would be able to stay strong on our last day together, but with God's help I did.

Here are a few pictures of us trying to spend extra time with Lily, while her parents spent a few days packing and loadng the truck and UHaul for the big move. I hope you enjoy them and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Thank you for stopping by. See ya later...not goodbye.

What is Beautiful to You?

2011-05-22T14:15:00.007-05:00

Sometimes I need to go for a walk, sometimes I just want to. Just me and God, so I can talk to Him, soak in His love, mercies, goodness, and blessings. Thinking and praying with just the sounds of nature. When I think about it, I take my camera.

What is beautiful to you?

I love wood, rust, years of wear and tear. Everything doesn't have to be pretty and new. There is beauty all around.

This and That on A Monday

2011-05-16T13:22:00.004-05:00

Hey there everyone. Here in Florida, we are having the prettiest weather. We got a little rain over the weekend so now it's very chilly at night and in the mornings, then sunny and warm during the days. It's already May so we know it won't last long so we're trying to soak in every minute of it. How's your weather?

I am a mama that loves her kid! We are both so proud of him and the young man he has grown up to be. Last night before we left for church, I just had to have a picture of him wearing this red tie. He wears it on stage sometimes, so decided to try it out on the church folks. LOL

He told the pastor he was going for the Scruggs look. You know Earl Scruggs, which of course is one of his banjo pickin' heroes.

Matthew was out of town last weekend until Sunday afternoon. So of course I was sulking a little, having a pity party because my boy wasn't here on Mother's Day. Both of the groups he picks in was booked at a festival from Friday thru Saturday, then they had to travel home Sunday (Mother's Day). But look what beautiful vegetable plaques he gave me. He went shopping while he was away and picked these out. He has good taste I'm telling ya'll.
This is not the first time he's shawn me that. He's the one that picked out our living room area rugs. I had another print in mind and he pointed out all the negatives about it until he sold me on the one we got. No regrets either! He was right about the colors and print.

The Hickory farmhouse kitchen table is all finished. We ate our first meal on it last night after church. We're missing one of the side chairs because Wayne noticed a crack in a bottom rung when oiling it. It'll be about two weeks before the replacement rung is in. Then all three will be down the same side.

Total seating for the seven foot long table is eight, maybe nine if a fourth person can squeeze in on the six foot long bench. I told Wayne and Matthew that they still have to turn it over and sign and date it with the wood burner.

I'm usually in the city on Mondays but decided to clean housse today and grocery shop tomorrow. I hope everyone is having a wonderful day filled with laughter, love, and letting SONshine in. See ya'll later right back here on Lillie Mae Acres.

How Cute and How Cheap!

2011-05-14T18:51:00.005-05:00

Here's how $2.00 plus tax made Lillie Mae happy.

I haven't been to a Cracker Barrel in a long time, so I guess I missed the "Tea" collection. I have no idea what all they had, but I know they had a cute little salt and pepper set. We had to go out of town Thursday, so we stopped and ate at Cracker Barrel on the way home. You know me, I find the sale and clearance section almost everywhere I go shopping.

I instantly saw the cutest salt and pepper set that I just had to have. There weren't any other items matching it anywhere around and there was a 70% off sign on the table.

Aren't they adorable? You know I didn't "need" these, but I knew they'd match my window planters and at that price, how could I leave them sitting there all alone?

If any of you wonderful friends out in blogland have pieces to this collection, I'd love to see them.

Farmhouse Table has Come Home, well almost!

2011-05-13T18:06:00.008-05:00

First of all THANK GOODNESS they've got blogger back up and running. And to update you on our beautiful GS dog Banjo, he's doing good. He's been on Phenobarbital for a week now and so far no seizures. It's a waiting game. I really do appreciate your prayers, advise, and kind words.

That super sweet, terrific, talented, hubby of mine (sorry I'm so sappy) has brought our kitchen table and bench home. Him and a friend made it at the friend's cabinet shop and he has brought it home for him and Matthew to finish. They put the first coat of Tung Oil on everything but the bench today. They have a little work to do on the bench, then sanding, then Tung Oil. I don't know how many times they plan to rub it with the oil, Wayne said until it looks just right. It's beautiful and I already cherish it.

It's just one more handmade piece of furniture in our home that's meant to become a family heirloom in years to come, cherished by Matthew and his family, followed by their kids and their kids, etc. I know how much I love and cherish the furniture I have that my dad made and the antique items that once belonged to family members from the past lovingly given to me by my mother. I know I can't be the only sentimental lady alive.

The above pictures are right after they unloaded it. Unfinished and before we sanded on it a little more. Wayne wanted me to be able to tell him when the corners looked just right to me, after all we did draw this table and bench out, and designed it perfect for our farmhouse kitchen. It measures seven feet by three feet. The bench is six feet and fits perfectly between the table legs.

Below, the table and chairs are getting their first coat of Tung Oil. Look at that beautiful grain of the hickory coming through. We chose not to put a stain on it, with the oil it will darken with age.

Last but certainly not least, we just celebrated Wayne's 55th birthday. Not in the big way that I wanted to like taking a family trip to the mountains but we enjoyed it just the same. I made him a chocolate candy bar cake to go with ice cream after a spaghetti supper.

I hope everyone is doing alright with all this crazy weather from state to state. It's HOT HOT HOT, already reached over 100F some days here in north Florida. As I create this post, it's pouring outside, pounding on the metal roof, thundering and lightning. The rain is more than welcome, but I sure wish the other would go away. I really hate to complain though, because neighboring states are having it much worse, some losing so much. Our prayers are going out to all of them, especially the ones losing loved ones and friends.

Thanks as usual for stopping by Lillie Mae Acres. You're welcome to come back anytime and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

What A Blessing! Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-07T18:55:00.010-05:00

What a blessing to be a mom and to have my mom.

Me and my beautiful mom.

The reason I am a mom.

To each and every one of you, have a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY.

FAMILY table

2011-04-30T08:20:00.006-05:00

That sweet talented husband of mine and a friend of his (cabinet maker) is building my new beautiful kitchen table and bench at the friend's shop. The five unfinished Windsor chairs that I ordered sit here tucked in corners of the LR waiting for their turn.

Here's the plan:
Wayne couldn't build anything that big in his overcrowded work shop with the sawdust floor, and this friend of his does beautiful work. So using my design on crumpled paper from years ago, Wayne went and picked out Hickory from somewhere (sawmill?), and it's all being built in the nice cabinet shop. It's causing him to be home late some evenings, but that's ok.
When it's built, Wayne and Matthew will haul the table and bench home to their shop and haul the five Windsors out there. They will both stain, finish, tongue oil, whatever! Wayne won't tell me anything for sure and I'm not even aloud to see a picture. I'll be banned from the work shop, but that's ok. It's my dream table and I've been waiting for years so I won't cheat and look.
I know the table dimensions are 36" x 7'. I know the bench will tuck under both legs on one side (the side facing my kitchen counter) and I know the 3 unarmed Windsors will fit perfectly along the other side with each armed chair on each end. That's it, that's all I'm sure of. I sort of wanted to have my hands in this major project too but I'll just wait.
This is going to be an heirloom piece, so I haven't "settled" for anything found in stores that was even similar to what we wanted. The table and bench will be signed underneath by all three of them, to be passed down for generations.

About a year ago, Matthew finally got it in his head that everything we build and put love into is heirloom, HIS heirlooms. Pieces of furniture or decor that will help make his house a home many years from now. We could tell instantly that when that clicked with him, a since of pride took over and he finally understood why Wayne wants everything to be near perfect. Now Matthew is even trying to do everything he does around here as good as he can.

What style of table? Well, some pictures I see online are labeled Harvest Table, others are labeled Farmhouse Table. So mine will be somewhere in those styles. What I know is that it is going to be our family table in our farmhouse kitchen and will be the setting for many many many blessed meals for ourselves and those we love dearly.

I can already see Wayne's mom's hurricane lamp sitting in the center or a beautiful flower arrangement. I can already see my Phaltzgraff Folk Art china on it, I can already see people sitting around, laughing and enjoying a meal together. I can already see sweet tea and our favorite meals sitting on it, and I can already tell you that it's going to be beautiful. A beautiful heirloom for us to enjoy, Matthew to enjoy, his children to enjoy, etc., etc. I just have to be patient for a little while longer for my dream FAMILY table.

Have a wonderful weekend. Please keep everyone devastated by the storms in your thoughts and prayers. They are our neighbors, they are children of God, and they need help.

Real Florida commercial featuring Matthew

2011-04-27T10:08:00.003-05:00

http://www.realfloridatv.com/
Click on: Special Events and Organizers
Click on: Orange and Bluegrass Festival (it's currently the 1st listed)
The video commercial starts out with The Bluegrass Pilgrims (Matthew on the banjo) and it ends with them also after all the little business ads. ENJOY!

Our Easter Weekend

2011-04-27T07:07:00.013-05:00

Such a beautiful time of year. Such a meaningful time of the year. I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend and Resurrection Sunday.

We enjoyed a family gathering at my mom's home enjoying great food and watching the little ones hunt eggs.

It ended up being a wonderful weekend, but Friday was really scary for us. My poor little GSdog Banjo started having seizures. He had four Friday, and now we realize that he did have one a little over a month ago.

Banjo is only 2 1/2 years old, so a major health issue like a brain tumor is unlikely. Let me back up a little, over a month ago he had one but we explained it away as a bad dream and him getting hung up under a low foot stool. By the time I heard the commotion and got into the room, he really looked terrified and was trying to fight his way out from under the stool in a dark room. We wasn't aware of a medical problem. Then before daylight Friday morning, he woke us up having one because he sleeps on his bed on the floor at the foot of ours. He was in a full seizure so we kept him on the floor, he was shaking violently so we rubbed him and called his name telling him it would be ok. Then he wanted outside, so we walked out with him, he appeared to be blind and deaf, and was very disoriented. He had another one shortly after, so we headed to the vet. We use a vet clinic that specializes in farm animals also, they are located about 30+ miles further in the country, but were waiting on us. Long story short, he came home after blood work on Valium and antibiotics, had two more seizures that day/night, and none since. The blood work showed nothing but low potassium, so after the antibiotics are finished and he's weaned off of the Valium...we'll see if he has another one. If so, he'll have to go on Phenobarbital, which I sure don't want but if that's what he needs!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With all of the above happening Friday with our precious dog, that sweet hubby of mine stayed home with Banjo Saturday so Matthew and I could go be with family and enjoy no stress for a few hours. I hope you enjoy the pictures below of our day.

Matt's Been a Pickin'

2011-04-17T09:10:00.007-05:00

We've been on the road. We've been busy packing up, unpacking, loading, unloading, constantly going, little sleep, etc. Don't even get me started on the yucky fast food and junk we've put in our bellies. Mine let me know it too, so I just started starving until I could get some vegetables. But oh how FUN! Oh how rewarding to watch our son do what he loves! SWEETWATER RUN playing at The Orange and Bluegrass Festival this weekend. Matthew is an award winning banjo picker and Garrett is an award winning fiddle player (although in all these pics he's got his guitar) so this group is catching on BIG and getting a lot of attention. The BLUEGRASS PILGRIMS are below. Matthew is also their banjo picker. These are good Christian friends of ours and Matthew claims them as his second set of parents because he enjoys camping at some of the festivals with them and has learned a lot from them. Below is another great band called DEEPSOUTH. Garrett is also in this band with his dad on the base. Below is GRASS ROOTS, also a local favorite of ours. SWEETWATER RUN debuted their white suits to a packed crowd Friday evening at The Farmer's Opry White Sands Music Festival. We had a ruff time getting white suits and shoes pulled together. Took a little more effort than say black or brown, but well worth it. And Samantha (fiddle player and lead singer) always picks out the prettiest dresses. Now we are HOME SWEET HOME resting. I think Matthew's words were, "just let me sleep until I get up". He'll probably sleep through lunch. Wayne and I are just about to fix us some tomato sausage gravy, we may save Matt some we may not. Have a wonderful day, see ya later!

Ready for the Heat, Well Almost

2011-04-15T10:25:00.003-05:00

It's beginning to look a lot like summer around here! We've been working so hard cleaning and fixing so all we have to do is just maintain when the real heat of summer sets in.

Matthew and I've been busy busy busy trying to locate, go get, and order items that he needs for one of the bands he's in. Do you know how hard it is to locate a white double breasted suit for a guy that's right at 6'2", and find a pair of white oxfords in size 15? Lucky for us there is a great little suit shop within about 37 miles, but he doesn't sell shoes. We have just located the white God Father hat online, but too late for tonight's performance. We'll have to order it next week. We went through this same hunt and chase last month pulling together the black suit, shoes, hat, and several shirt and tie sets for different looks. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

We're just about to leave for a festival about 2 hours from here, then another festival tomorrow. I wonder if I'll get to lounge around after church Sunday and enjoy all our hard work around the yards?

Have a GREAT weekend folks. See ya later.

Oh, This Blooming Weather

2011-04-10T16:17:00.011-05:00

I'm so glad you stopped by Lillie Mae Acres today, let's enjoy a walk around outside and see what's in bloom so far. It's just too pretty to stay inside isn't it? The chickens and guineas are enjoying spring along with Shadow and Banjo. Shadow wouldn't come out from the shade for me to take a pretty picture of her, but who can blame her. We're already seeing temps into the 80s. I've painted river rocks to sit around. I have a few ladybugs, bees, and a flower so far.

Well, are you tired and hot? After such a long tour you probably are so let's step inside the farmhouse for a cool glass of ice tea and I'll give you a peek at my pantry door. Wayne is not finished with it yet, he's got some work to do along with wrapping the hallway walls in knotty pine and staining the trim. But you can get the idea.

I hope you enjoyed your visit today. Thank you for stopping by, you're welcome to do so anytime.

That's Our Banjo Pickin' Boy

2011-04-09T09:26:00.003-05:00

I was so surprised when my good friend Melony told me Matthew was on the front page of the newspaper where they are all pickin' n grinnin' and camping this weekend. Actually they've all been there since Wednesday. Here's the link.

http://www.troymessenger.com/2011/04/07/jammin-with-rex/

Have I said lately just how much Wayne and I love that boy? Have I said lately just how proud we are of that boy? I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend with beautiful weather. See ya right here at Lillie Mae Acres next week.

Another Beautiful Spring Monday from the woods

2011-04-04T05:47:00.006-05:00

Good beautiful spring Monday morning to everyone, coming to you early early early from the woods (Lillie Mae Acres). I recently set myself a bedtime, not really a specific time. Just to get the chores that have to be done after supper done so the moment I feel tired I can just say my goodnights and crawl in bed. It's working and I'm getting up brighter with more energy. Sometimes I'm up and going way before hubby and have to make sure I don't wake him. Other days we are getting up at the same time and enjoying quiet mornings together.

The flowers are starting to bloom, the grass is green and needs mowing, and the pool water is a beautiful blue, almost matching the sky. It's as beautiful as it sounds, although there is always something that needs work. Wayne is getting the big garden plowed up and I've planted my personal little garden of lettuce, green onions, and tomatoes. I like having a "salad" within walking distance, a short walk off the back porch. Wayne will be planting peas, beans, tomatoes, peppers, and who knows what else.

I've got to start helping my mom plan the family Easter get together, which I am so glad to say is going to be at her house. Shortly after that we'll have say goodbye to my neices Mandy and Lily as they take off to Missouri to live. I'm a lot sad and a little happy, but refuse to be selfish. Mandy says they have great nursing schools and that's what she wants to do, plus her hubby will be able to make a better living there. I'll miss my two girls and am really thankful for the modern technology we have today. We plan to skype, among all the others ways of keeping in touch.

I hope you all have a good day. My 3rd cup of coffee waits for me along with my peanut butter toast that just popped out of the toaster.

New Cookbooks & A New Patio Cover

2011-04-03T19:19:00.007-05:00

Hey there strangers! Well, I've been reading blogs, just not posting new ones very often. So it's me that's the stranger I guess!

I'm still excited about being in two new Gooseberry Patch cookbooks. I've already received my copies in the mail and I think they'll be in stores later this month.

I have one recipe in each book. In the book titled Mom's Very Best Recipes, my recipe is on page 123. It's a stuffed squash recipe and a yummy one. My mom made this for us growing up and it was and still is a favorite of mine. I am proud to say that Matthew even eats it and he's not a big squash eater.

In the book titled Best Ever Cookies, my recipe is on page 89. It's for yummy tea cakes and they are so simple even your hubby can make up a batch.

I just love Gooseberry Patch, don't you? I hope you'll look for these new GP cookbooks and try my recipes. Nothing beats good ole' country cookin'!

I'm also excited about our patio finally being covered. If you'll remember, we poured a huge patio from the back door to the pool last year. Our goal was also to cover half of it laast year but never got around to it. That wonderful talented hubby and equally as wonderful and talented son has just finished it. I'm so blessed with these two hard working guys of mine.

We have so much still to do. The wrought iron patio furniture has not been painted in several years so that needs doing. Lights need installing, and I found a cute little iron candle chandelier to hang over the table for citranella votives. My mom and I went into our local Kirklands last week and there it was, reduced in price, and too good to pass up! I'll have to take a picture once it is hung.

See my cute little ladybugs in the above photo? I gave them a fresh coat of paint today, but initially painted these little river stones a long time ago. They came from the Smoky Mountains. I plan to try to paint a few up like bees and frogs too this year.

In my last few posts I mentioned my new pantry. Well the pantry is done, just still no door. We did buy the wooden screen door from Lowes, and hubby has taken it apart to resize it, so that's still to be complete. Don't you just love spring and all the exciting projects getting done around the house? We do. Once summer temps set in, it's really hard to be motivated for extra projects so they're getting done now.

I hope your temperatures have already been warming up wherever you are. I hope you've been enjoying good health and happy blessed filled days. Thanks for dropping by Lillie Mae Acres to see what all we've been doing. See ya later!

The beautiful Amaryllis above was my dad's. I have several of his potted and taking care of them for him since he is in Heaven enjoying the beautiful gardens up there. This one just bloomed and the others are fixing to.

Busy Busy Busy

2011-03-28T06:11:00.008-05:00

We've just been busy busy busy around Lillie Mae Acres. How about you, have you been busier than usual around your lovely home? Spring weather always brings new energy and ideas. If you're still having old man winter outside your backdoor, don't envy us. Just know that those of us down here in the south that have early springs, end up with scorching summer temps way earlier than you too.

My two favorite guys were busy all last week working on the backside of our home, so nothing new got done inside. It's VERY rare for that sweet hubby of mine to take a whole week off, so last week he devoted it to putting a metal roof over half of our patio/pool area. It really blocks a lot of the evening sun and will help with our electric bill too. It's taking us a little time to get used to it because now the sun is not blasting though our back windows so it kind of seems like it's cloudy outside.

One of the Bluegrass groups Matthew picks in had a big night Saturday and performed very well. They did so good! I haven't been to any of their practices so a lot of the songs were new to me and I could tell that they have been working real hard.

I found my Lily a BEAUTIFUL Easter dress at JC Penneys today so tomorrow I hope she'll let me take some pretty pictures of her outside. We'll see. I hope everyone has a wonderful week and thanks so much for dropping by.

Just a Sneaky Peeky

2011-03-20T14:45:00.006-05:00

Hey there! HAPPY SPRING to you, I hope your weather is SONshiny and beautiful where you live. It sure has been pretty here. I've been outside a lot getting things all clean and cutesy (is that a word) and seeing what all survived the cold temps of winter. A lot of my plants did, and I have to admit that I didn't do much to protect them. I've also been enjoying my clothesline more and more. I love my clothesline! I'm seriously thinking about doing what my friend Lisa does. She uses good liquid fabric softener in the wash (which I already do), and she actually hangs her towels out then just fluffs them up in the dryer for about 5-10 minutes. I wonder if the energy savings would actually be enough to be worth it? I already hang our sheets, jeans, and work clothes. And anything big and bulky like comforters.

This is exciting! Here's just a little sneaky peeky at something that I will be posting about later in the week. Hopefully!

It's not finished yet. You'll just have to wait and practice MUCH patience like I always have to do with all of our DIY projects around Lille Mae Acres. Of course almost every thing that goes on is a DIY project unless it's something that we just can't handle on our own.

Thanks for dropping by. Have a blessed Sunday evening and week, filled with SONshine, love, and joy!

Overnight!

2011-03-14T22:41:00.012-05:00

QUESTION: When does a little boy become a man?

ANSWER: Overnight!

Sitting in church Sunday morning, I couldn't take my eyes off of him during singing. He stood there, on stage, picking the guitar. He was the tallest man up there. He had on men's clothing and men's cowboy boots. He had a nice short haircut and close shave. A very handsome young man.

He favors the baby boy, he favors the toddler, he somewhat still looks like the little boy. It's just that he's not any of those anymore, not on the outside. He's still got the same heart beating inside of him, he's still got the same beautiful blue eyes and smile, but his voice is different. It's deeper, way deeper.

His manners, friendliness, and some of his expressions are the same as the little boy, a lot less shy of course. A lot of his actions and ways he conducts himself are different than those of the little boy, more mature. His movements are slower, less playful.

I see him up there and my heart is filled with love, pride, joy, but sadness too. How is that?

Didn't I know this would happen?

Didn't I realize 17 years ago that he would become a grown man one day? I did realize it, I just didn't think it would happen overnight.

I read this book to Matthew so many times when he was little. I'm sure most of you have read the book, so I'm sure you know that you can't read it without crying.

"I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be."

Slowwww Progress, But Every Litl' Bit Counts

2011-03-12T17:52:00.007-06:00

Hey there everyone! How's everyone doing these days? I'm sorry I haven't been posting regular in a while, there always seems to be SOMETHING that takes my attention from it. I haven't been keeping up and commenting as much either, but plan to get back into that routine. I know I've missed a lot and have a lot of reading to do! I miss it with my morning coffee, but with the weather warming up like it has been here in Florida, pretty soon I'll probably be able to sit outside and enjoy coffee, Bible reading, then blogging in the mornings. I miss that all winter!

The major spring projects are slowwwwly getting started around Lillie Mae Acres.

Here's a SNEAK PEAK at what is going to be my new kitchen pantry. It was our central air conditioner closet until we got a new heat pump unit installed so now everything is outside. What better way to make use of the space since it's just a step or two from the main kitchen area.

The inside will be the same pretty yellow as my kitchen backsplash, I think I'm the lucky one that gets to paint it tomorrow after church. Wayne already primed it and painted one coat of the yellow, then he caulked it after building the shelves. It'll be ready for the final coat tomorrow. He's got to frame the door opening out. The pantry door will be a beautiful wooden screen door painted barnyard red with an antique fork (from my very own family) bent and attached for the door handle. Just wait and see, it's gonna be purdy!

I had Lily today and keeping her out of the freshly painted wet area was a trick. Sneaky little thing kept going in and stomping on the floor when she found out she wasn't supposed to. Luckily, it was almost dry!
I'll post the pictures as soon as it's all done. I'm so excited!

Not Much Going On Right Now

2011-03-02T15:11:00.003-06:00

Look what my sweet friend Benita made for me. She is always creating and finding the prettiest and cutest graphics to send. Thank you Benita!

Not much has been going on around here, the improvement projects are SLOWWWWWWWLY getting started, and not fast enough for me. The pantry, the covered patio, and the farmhouse/harvest table for the kitchen. That's the three BIG projects on the list that is vital for my sanity.

I've already purchased the paint to freshin up the iron patio furniture, I saw a few rust spots the other day. I've been outside inspecting my plants and am glad to say that most everything survived winter. A lot of green is popping through the dirt.

Here's a thrifty find to report to ya'll. The Dollar General has a good selection of garden flags for $1.50 each. It's the ones for the iron stake, not the wooden poles. But I have a few from Michaels and the quality of these seem just as good. I've paid $6 for some of the ones from Michaels. They also have the stakes and then also have the sets. Maybe if you're interested you can find some at your DG too.

I hope all of you are enjoying warmer weather. I know it's not beautiful everywhere yet, I know some of you are still covered in snow. Here in Florida it has been averaging 70's and even low 80's most days. Don't be jealous of us though because you know we'll be in the 100's, windless, and sometimes little rain in a couple of months and we will be suffering.

Hopefully, I'll have some exciting news of at least one completed projest real soon. Thank you for stopping back by, as always each and every follower and reader is appreciated!

Beautiful Weather & Red Toenails

2011-02-22T11:55:00.006-06:00

How's everyone doing these days? Everything is going just fine here on Lillie Mae Acres. Spring is here in Florida, it's been in the 70's each day for a week now and beautiful.

I've been needing a vacuum cleaner for a while now, and FINALLY picked one out. I'm old school, I hate that there are so many choices these days for everything you need and want. But I am so grateful for the internet so I can do my own research without having to find people that can tell me about an item. I almost had one picked at Walmart out, but watched an infomercial from Shark and I was sold on the new lift away they were showing. I started my own research and made my decision. Then BARGAIN BETTY kicked in when Sunday's paper had a 20% off coupon for Bed Bath & Beyond. I got it yesterday and I LUV it!

If you sign up for BB&B emails, you'll get a 20% coupon emailed to you, so I did that too. I used that coupon on the Vidalia Onion Chopper that I have been wanting for our fresh salads. LUV it too!

I'm so glad you stopped by today. It's almost time for lemonade and strawberries.
It's almost time for flip flops

and sandals.
It's time to get our toenails painted shiny red for the world to see. Pack away the winter pajamas and bring out the spring/summer ones.

It's also time to PLANT that garden. I wonder what all we'll have good to eat this year?

FRESH Crisp Cool Salads

2011-02-17T10:57:00.006-06:00

Fresh crisp cool salads, oh my that sounds good. That's what we're in the mood for around Lillie Mae Acres these days. I stocked the refrigerator with a good variety of dressings and toppings, so last night I made us a wonderful salad with Romain, Green Onions, Baby Spinach, and yummy Broccoli Slaw. We added chicken strips and called it supper.

I've always wanted a salad spinner. I finally got me one and I love it. This is the one I got and I have to say that it's almost pretty enough to leave sitting out.

It works great and you're not left with water at the bottom of your salad bowl.

Now I want your opinions on mandoline slicers. Are they worth it? I would love to have one and was talking to a lady yesterday that loves hers and actually uses it all the time. I know I want one that has the bowl/container under it and would like a few different attachments for variation. Give me your opinions please if you have or have ever used one.

I don't know of a big nice Farmer's Market anywhere around the cities where I shop. You would think there would be some nice ones, there are a few little ones that I've been to. Wayne likes the Amish Butter and I have to drive to a small outside market to pick that up but their produce is never anything to get excited about.

Well, I hope you're enjoying beautiful weather wherever you are. I'm having a hard time keeping my spring fever under control. Have a GREAT SONshiny day and thanks for stopping by.

Remember, if you recommend or do not recommend investing in a mandoline slicer let me know.

CORRECTION: I meant Chopper/Slicer not mandoline. Oops!

Blessed To Have Love

2011-02-14T19:53:00.011-06:00

I hope everyone had and is still having a wonderful Valentine's Day, celebrating with someone you love. I have two favorite guys in my life. Yes, I am a very blessed lady and I do thank God for it. I have my wonderful husband and my wonderful son who will be 17 years old on the 23rd.

We stayed at home tonight and will probably go out tomorrow when the restaurants aren't as crowded. Boy howdy, we do like things simple and low key.

I made red velvet Whoopie Pies for tonight's dessert and they are so rich and yummy. I didn't make them from scratch, I used this cute little mix from the Valentine's isle at Walmart so you may want to check and see if there are any left.

Hubby came home with flowers and a beautiful card, so we exchanged cards and had BBQ chicken for supper.

My son has got us all HOOKED on Burn Notice, the tv show. He got the first three seasons on DVD for Christmas and between that, Pawn Stars, and American Pickers...that's all our tv has had on it for the past few days. Pretty good show if you don't already know.

Have a good evening!

Not Hard to have a Kitchen Like Grandma

2011-02-12T11:48:00.012-06:00

It's really not all that hard to achieve the look and feel of a down home farmhouse kitchen, kind of like grandma's. I'm not talking about having cabinets and walls just like grandma, I'm talking about the feel, atmosphere, overall simplicity and look. The fun kitchen that everyone likes to hang out in.

I'm no expert, so the following is just my humble thoughts and opinions about the makings of a true farmhouse kitchen. As I was heavily cleaning mine this morning after breakfast, I thought of this because my farmhouse kitchen is truly my favorite room in our home.

To accomplish the look and feel, you don't need to set your mind on one certain theme or color. Farmhouse is the theme and style. Generations before us didn't concentrate and spend tons of money buying everything to match. It's just that simple. Of course you also don't have to do without modern luxuries like the dishwasher and microwave, I know I'm not going to have a wood burning stove like my ancestors instead of an electric one.

You don't have to start a collection of one thing, you don't have to find a store that sells chicken, apple, or sunflower themed kitchen items. Of course if you already have a beautiful collection of something, that will fit right in with other items too when placed around the room. And don't be scared to actually use your pretty collections and stuff. Why just look at it and never use it? I have collected Pfaltzgraff Folk Art dishes since the 80's, and consider this my china pattern not my everyday dishes. I actually use them though whenever I want and enjoy doing so.

You can start by plundering through the back of your cabinets. I bet you'll find something in there to inspire you. Something you forgot you even have! Something with memories and meaning, like maybe an old plate or bowl that someone handed down to you a long time ago. Maybe mom or grandma? Maybe an old wedding gift or flea market find? If you like it, use it! If you want to display it, do so! I love using old bowls to actually mix in, serve out of, store in, display fresh eggs in.

A beautiful farmhouse kitchen is yours for the making! It's simple and not matchy matchy, it's stress free. Whatever you have, love, see, find, etc. And for goodness sakes, don't cover that window up with heavy blinds and curtains. Keep it light and let the SONlight through. Let Him shine through your kitchen and home.

We remodeled and enlarged our kitchen a few years ago and I knew the look and feel I wanted and needed was Farmhouse. Our home is small and in the middle of the woods; therefore, I've always decorated and kept it simple. Simple and very comfortable, making sure to include cherished items we love and use, hand me downs, heirlooms, and junkin' trip treasures.

Right now, my seven foot long farmhouse table is in the building process while the unfinished steam bent Windsor chairs are on order. The table legs won't match the chair legs. I don't want them to. We are also converting the old air conditioner closet into my new pantry. We will hang a screen door for the pantry door and use an old silver fork from one of my ancestors for the handle/pull. A lot of changes are on the way for my kitchen, but the look and feel will remain!

I guess the very best thing about the look and feel of a simple farmhouse kitchen is that it doesn't cost a lot of money. It's just taking what you have to work with and changing it, adding to it, taking away what you don't want and bringing in what you do. And it happens over time. It's not a weekend project. You don't have to run to the store or hop on Ebay and BUY BUY BUY. Just take your time and enjoy every minute of it.

I've never wanted any room in my home to look like it came from the housewares department at Walmart or Target. Or that I ordered everything off of a page in one of my favorite prim or country magazines. Mix it all up, use old and new. It's no fun if your kitchen looks just like your neighbors or sisters.

Ok, that's my opinion on how to achieve a wonderful kitchen, one that it's fun to plan and cook meals in for the family. A room that will constantly remind you of simple days gone by, wonderful family and friends, maybe help you create healthier meals, and maybe even bring the family in to cook and enjoy time together.

P.S. Don't forget to display and actually use those aprons! They are pretty and useful. I keep at least one hanging close to the stove at all times. I try to remember to put it on, especially when frying.

See ya later.

Spring CONSTRUCTION vs cleaning...oh my!

2011-02-11T06:58:00.005-06:00

We all know there is a huge difference in cleaning and construction. My home has never been completely finished so something small is under construction most of the time. But now, it's big projects that we are trying to get done before spring.

I've been semi-spring cleaning since clearing away the Christmas decorations. Doing all the little corners, nooks, and drawers properly. It's almost fun yet stressful when you have to stop until you have just the right item that will help. My wonderful mom helped me complete mine and Wayne's closet yesterday by finding and picking up just the right little set of drawers for the closet floor while she was in the city. Thank you mom, I love you!
The CONSTRUCTION is awful. That dear sweet hubby told me the new air conditioner was coming this week, it wouldn't take too long for the men to install it. Well, they're coming back today to complete what they started yesterday morning at 8:30a.m. I have HUGE holes in walls for new ducts, a HUGE hole in the side of my house, and the furniture in two rooms is all pulled out in the middle of the floors. Kind of hard to clean and relax this way. Plus they had to dig up my satellite dish and we lost service. Thankfully hubby fixed it after they left, we all know how long it takes Direct TV to come fix stuff.
I'm really not complaining.
Our old unit was not going to make it so when the heat sets in I'll be so glad we have air. But the air is just a small part of construction. My back porch, half the patio, and my wash room is fixing to be UNDER construction, a KEEP OUT zone for a few days probably. Not complaining though, when we are enjoying it for the rest of our lives I'll think back on this mess as a good thing.
Oh and one more construction project, a NEW PANTRY. Our new central heat and air is all outside now, so that left a nice size closet in the hallway, just a few steps from the kitchen. Guess who claimed it! Guess who has already showed hubby the screen door she wants hung? Guess who needs to find the antique forks her mom gave her a long time ago that belonged to great and great great grandparents?
You're now wondering why I need to find the forks, right? Well it's because I'm going to pick one out, bend it into a handle/pull for the screen door and use that instead of a regular one.
That's it! That's my week in a nutshell. It's been hectic, but oh how I love God and my life. I praise him for every big thing and every little thing. I praise Him for all the wonderful family and friends that I have (including my blogging buddies) and I even praise Him and thank Him for life's lessons.
So how was your week? Do you have spring fever as bad as I do? I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Betty Strikes Again! She's Been Busy Crafting Away!

2011-02-04T16:08:00.006-06:00

Bargain Betty a.k.a. Lillie Mae went all over town to almost every Dollar General picking through their 25 cent sales last week. It was fun too! That's what they had marked their Christmas decor items down to. It still wasn't as good a deal as my mom and I found at one of the DG stores with leftover fall decor. It was well worth it though. Let's just say, I am well stocked!

I'm sure you've all seen the little battery operated candles that were only $1.00. Well, they were even more attractive for 25 cents. Attractive in my mind as I was seeing them painted and decorated! Not at all attractive as they were!

On several blogs, I've seen others take these and prim them up or change them in ways to look a lot better. I instantly knew what I wanted to do to my bargains. I am so happy with the way they turned out. I'm not finished with all of them yet, but here are the ones I've changed just in time to put together a small Valentine's Day arrangement in the kitchen.

I used sand paper to lightly sand the plastic pieces. You can use whatever colors of inexpensive spray paints you have or want, and you'll need your hot glue gun to create the look of dripping wax. That's it folks! Then just decorate with pip berries, ribbon, or whatever you want.

And below is a wonderful book that I found on the bargain rack at Books-A-Million the other day. I have no idea why my mom didn't legally name me Bargain Betty!

This book is filled with beautiful pictures of homes that Randy Florke has purchased and decorated in prim, country, farmhouse styles. Oooh, last night I just piled up close to the fireplace and read and examined almost every page and picture. The book is a few years old, but we all know prim and farmhouse doesn't change! The world changes around our homes, but we just keep plundering through the flea markets, thrift stores, estate sales, and antique malls for precious treasures to use in our homes.

I'm so glad you stopped by Lillie Mae Acres today, please come back soon. Thank you and have a wonderful weekend filled with blessings from above.

Have A Wonderful Weekend

2011-01-28T15:26:00.003-06:00

We have a busy weekend planned. I wish it was going to be a full weekend of planning, building and redecorating around Lillie Mae Acres, but it won't be. We sure have a l-o-n-g list though and we want it all to be done before spring. Doesn't everyone?
We'll be going to a benefit sing Saturday afternoon out of town, but it's for a good cause. Maybe next weekend we can get to that long list of projects. Till then, have yourself a wonderful weekend, I hope you have beautiful weather, and I hope you get a lot done around your home if that's your plans.
Here is a sneak peak at something new in the farmhouse kitchen. You can also see in the background that hubby hasn't had time to prim up my hand pump. It still looks new so I haven't been able to get the look I'm aiming for yet.

Being THAT Age In Life & Giving A Pig A Home

2011-01-27T13:11:00.004-06:00

Hubby and I are here! We're here at what is called middle age. He's in his mid 50's, and I'm in my mid 40's. We're THAT age in life, and I'm so glad and blessed that we're here together. We're here through the happy things happening and the sad things. Together we are passing through the middle ages!

Leading up to this! My sweet hubby recently lost his mom. His dad died years ago and his mom just passed earlier this month. The daunting task of having to clean out her home has begun. I know how he feels. My dad passed less than a year ago and I've just found places in my home for what I decided to keep out of my dad's home. My sister and I have just sold his home and finalized almost everything with the 1 year anniversary coming up.

Wayne and Matthew had big grins on their faces when they came home the other day and announced "look what we brought you for the kitchen". Oh my goodness, the BIG beautiful brown pig has always been a favorite of Wayne's. Unfortunately he can't remember if his mom made it or not. She made so many ceramic pieces a long time ago, he can't remember. That's ok though, because we all three love it and will give it a good home. And just look, Lillie Mae has already gone shopping for it and bought it a red gingham bow.

Well, that's it for now. Not much has been going on around Lillie Mae Acres but some redecorating and pre-spring cleaning. How about you, what has been happening around your neck of the woods?

Fever has Returned

2011-01-20T00:14:00.003-06:00

Well, I've got it. I've got it real bad, and a bad case of it. I think most of us already have it because of this C*O*L*D winter, unthinkable C*O*L*D.

I'm talking about spring fever, but I guess it could have sounded like I was talking about the flu. Praise the Lord I haven't had that!

I'm ready to clean up the backyard and decorate around the pool. Oh it'll be a while yet before I can do that! I've made the mistake of decorating for spring too early one too many times. I've made the mistake of buying new plants one too many times. Spring brings little surprises with her. Cool, frosty, very windy little surprises at the beginning.

Did you notice the beautiful glass milk bottles in the first two pictures? My sweet little niece brought them back from her Christmas vacation in Kansas City, Missouri. That's what their milk is in. Still! I haven't seen glass milk bottles in a long time around this area, but the last of our local dairies has disappeared too. That may have a lot to do with it. She knew my mom and I would go crazy for them so her and her hubby hauled their empty ones all the way back, different sizes. She said chocolate milk came in the real little ones. CUTE! I just love them.

There is some redecorating going on around here, so as something new get's completed I'll be in a hurry to post about it with pictures. But no matter what get's done, I just about now that there is not going to be a cure for my spring fever. I guess since it came on and came on strong very early in the year, I'm really going to have to suffer with it. I'll be ok, I'll try to slow down the wheels spinning in this ole' head of ideas, wants, needs, preparations, etc.

Something that will take my mind off of it is Matthew's birthday at the end of next month. He's wanting me to host a big bluegrass gathering here at home, we'll see. His birthday celebrations have always depended on the weather. Winter/February is not the best time of the year to have a birthday. Too C*O*L*D for outdoor entertaining and activities, yet a crowd indoors is always hard to plan for. We'll see!

Stay warm, dry, and safe. See ya later!

So Pretty, So Red, So Useful, Great Price

2011-01-18T18:06:00.008-06:00

NOPE, I do not get paid by anyone for anything I put in my blog postings. I sure wish I did though.

My new best favorite shopping place right now is World Market. I've looked around in there a few times but never really bought much from them. A little thing here and there. But when I seen this past Sunday's sale ad, I knew what I wanted to go look at Monday before grocery shopping. I spent some time plundering around on the internet Sunday afternoon, doing valuable research and looking over anything similar, reading a lot of reviews.

Here they are! The prettiest red leather storage cube ottomans I could find. I did my research.

For the price, I couldn't get a better deal. I have been fighting the famous electronic cable/cord war for too long. I know when hubby puts the cedar on that wall, he'll be putting all of the cords inside the wall BUT I just can't look at them any longer.

These cube ottomans are so useful! Not only are they hiding ugly black cables and cords, they have storage, and can be used for two extra seats. They are also serving trays. The tops flip over and are a beautiful wood serving tray for those wonderful morning coffees I love to have with my friends. And the BIG thing is they are so pretty and look so good against the brown leather furniture. They are not a true red. They are what I call barnyard red, maybe almost burgundy. The sale ad shows them as a very true red but I was so glad when a lot of the online reviews said they were not.

If you are close to a World Market, go in and take a look around ever now and then. One of these days you just might find something you can't live without. Something you need to complete a wall in your home. Something that SCREAMS at you "take me home"! Now if I only had a HomeGoods near me!

When you read that I am redecorating a room, you've got to understand that redecorating and or remodeling around Lillie Mae Acres DOES NOT happen over night or quickly. We do almost everything on a cash basis so it's usually a slow process. I have a beautiful area rug ordered and a matching entry way rug but they will not be used until those wonderful talented guys of mine close in the back porch for the long awaited mud room. You'll just have to have patience along with me to see the rugs. I'll tell you this though, they are designed for a cabin/lodge decor.

Well that's it folks! That's what I've been up to besides fighting the crud. I haven't been sick sick with it, but oh boy has it been trying to jump me.

What have you been up to? Have you been doing some redecorating around your homes?

Thank you for stopping by, see ya later!

So Warm and Blessed

2011-01-12T06:01:00.009-06:00

It's C*O*L*D everywhere these days. We personally haven't seen snow or sleet or flurries here on Lillie Mae Acres, and that's just fine with me at this point. It happens every year. When the holidays are over and I get our home cleaned up and back to it's regular decor, I'm done with winter. That's funny, because really it's just begun! I am so warm (inside) and so blessed. I'm really not complaining because I have no right to, God is GREAT and in total control of every aspect of my life.

I'm not miserable with all this cold, the excitement of possible snow is just no longer thrilling to me. If it does snow this far south, I will go outside and play though! I'll take advantage of it. I am very glad we didn't go to the mountains for a Christmas vacation, the news reports are showing people snowed in rental cabins (some of the very ones we were considering)and newcomers are told when they book to bring chains, extra food just in case, etc. We DO NOT own chains and do not know how to use them, LOL! We'll just wait thank you.

So how's it going around your neck of the woods? I've enjoyed two early morning coffee get togethers here since Christmas, enjoying good Christian fellowship along with good food. A few days after Christmas my mom, sister, and neighbor came over and we just lounged around and talked after eating delicious homemade sausage gravy and biscuits. I usually make something sweet for morning coffees but decided everyone had probably had enough sweets and would like a warm comforting breakfast. I was right, they loved it. Then last week I invited a small group of church ladies/friends for morning coffee and lunch. We did the same thing, we enjoyed coffee and cream cheese pound cake, then I cooked up a delicious lunch for us all. I cooked sausage & onions to put over rice and baby Lima beans. We do eat good out here on Lillie Mae Acres.

The other big deal happening around here is that I'm getting used to bifocals. I was prescribed bifocals over a year ago and actually had a pair made. I decided that I didn't like the frame I chose, so I never wore them. The other day, I had a new exam and picked out two pairs of frames, had them made, and am very happy with them. I'm having to make myself keep them on when I'm reading and on the computer because out of habit I want to take them off. I've also been getting other doctor appointments and tests out of the way earlier this month and later this week I have another appointment. Starting the new year off right!

I've worn wire frames and frameless for years so this time I decided to go with the latest fad and go PLASTIC.

Here's the brown ones.

And here's the black ones. Of course my two favorite guys are calling me the professor.

We have so many home improvement jobs that we were going to start right before and after the holidays but nothing yet other than new ceiling fans hung. As always, we'll get to the projects when we get to them. We are do-it-yourselfers around here! It's nice having Lowes and Home Depot within driving distance so that they are handy when we have the money and time to do building projects. Lack of spare time has kept us from starting on the ones we are fixing to. No biggy, there is always tomorrow.

Wherever you are, stay safe and warm. Thank you for dropping by Lillie Mae Acres. Come back soon!

P.S.,
I have two new loves in my life. I'm madly in love with lotion, almost any scent from Victoria Secret since all of her stuff smells delicious! I've raided the BIG semi-annual sale twice now and thre's a lotion in almost every room of the house for me to lather in when I please. This could turn into an addiction!
I'm also in love with red and black buffalo checks. I'm thinking about finding me some of the fabric and making throw pillow covers for the living room for next Christmas.

Fresh New and Uncluttered

2011-01-04T08:23:00.006-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR from Lillie Mae Acres to your neck of the woods. It's a fresh, new, uncluttered year. I hope your holiday celebrations were all wonderful and you've rang in this beautiful new year of 2011 with happiness in your heart.

The Christmas decorations are put away until spring, summer, and fall come and go again. This ole' homestead is being redecorated and cleaned, getting back to the regular everyday look and feel.

We rang in the New Year on Saturday with family. We had a Low Country Boil, and since it was raining and trying to storm we cooked it on the front porch. Of course my mom made yummy black eyed peas and brought them, we also had fried collards, cornbread, ambrosia salad, and dessert. We lost electricity after we ate so coffee and dessert was canceled. The temps warmed up between the Christmas and New Year weekends, but are trying to cool off again now. All in all, Florida has been very pleasant.

I do hope this year is a wonderful year for you and your families. Happiness, health, good finances, love, and peace. See ya later!