Extra Love And Hugs To All Of You Today!!!!!!!

Feel free to share this photo on your blog or with friends and loved ones today. I created this just for you...Why? ...just because :) :) :)

Hey there,  How are you all doing today? I'm having a great day so far.  There's a neighbor that lives right across from my dad and I...in a different apartment complex, that's seperated by a wire fence. Everyday I walk by their back porch and see these beautiful roses. I've tried so many times to take photos, because the roses are beautiful and I've felt a bit sneaky...but what can I do? Those roses were just begging for a photo. Anyway, the other day it was like the rosebush just bloomed and there were all these beautiful clumps of roses. So I snapped a photo of the ones you see up above here!!!! Enjoy them.  It's the middle of the week. I just wanted bring some smiles to your faces today :) :) :)

I did see "Stubby" kitty today...meowing and letting all know that she's there. I tried to get a photo of her today...because she was looking especially cute. However, she decided the apartment gardener was more interesting...so the photo will have to wait for another day :) :) :)

Wow, I've had some wonderful  ladies join my blog the last few days..What a surprise!!! So let me welcome everyone before I forget...

WELCOME TO: Vicki at Bunny Cottage. Click here to pay her a visit. If you like anything related to tea...definitely check her out. She has some lovely pieces to share with you.  Also I love vintage anything ...and she's got lots of that, too!!!

WELCOME TO: Lady Katherine of Lady Katherine Tea Parlor.  Click here to pay her a visit.  She  has lots of lovely tea things...and she had a post recently talking about canning.  Both topics I'm really interested in. There's something about tea in a lovely setting that just makes the everyday things seem more beautiful somehow :) :)

WELCOME TO: Martha of Martha's Favorites.  Click here to say hello and visit her blog. She has lots of lovely tea things. I love the combination of Victoriana and Americana on her blog site, too!! It's really lovely!!! She's another  tea friend that you'll enjoy visiting!!!


WELCOME TO: Cindy McGough...I noticed you joined my blog. Thank you :) :) :) I didn't see a link to your blog if you have one...if you do, please let me know, so that I can post a link here...so my friends can come pay you a visit. Otherwise, I'm so glad you joined!!!

Here's another lovely Scripture from Prairie Flower Farm. I thought this would encourage you as much as it has me today. Click here to pay Linda a visit or just click on the button on my right sidebar. She talks about the quilt used in this photo. Isn't it lovely? You can tell there's a lot of love in this quilt!!!

So my dad and I got rent paid.  I bought a second copy of "Mary Janes Farm" magazine. Apropos, MJF...there's a button for her on my sidebar. Check it out.  I always take the copy I receive in the mail and gently pull apart the pages and place them in my own three-ring binder. I keep two binders now full of ideas, recipes, decorating tips, crafts etc..that I want to use now and ones that I'll use later if God blesses me with a husband and a family of my own. Well, until the hubby and kids come along, I'm just working on making my home a hospitable and lovely place to be :) :)

I went to three different stores to look for a product called Pink Zote Soap. Click here to see an image of it at Lehman's. By the way, that's where I'll be ordering this soap from them.  I was visiting my blogger friend Maryjane over at "The Beehive Cottage". There's a link to her blog on my sidebar. She has a really nice recipe for 16 pound batch of homemade powdered laundry soap. You can use Fels Naptha OR "Pink Zote Soap"...and I wanted to buy the pink soap, just so I could have really pretty pink powdered laundry soap. OH, click here to check out her recipe...

Anyway, I went to Albertsons, Fred Meyer, Winco and even two towns over to Walmart...and NO LUCK...no pink Zote soap to be had anywhere :( :( :( Well, it's not the end of the world...no...but I'll have to wait awhile before I can make homemade PINK powdered laundry soap :) :) :)

So my dad and I came home.  I was a little sad...but I quickly recovered. I wasn't going to be grumpy simply for lack of a nice big bar of pink soap. HOWEVER, I am going through yarn withdrawls...major!!! I was supposed to buy some more cotton yarn today..and I forgot. I'm going to run out today and I'll have nothing to knit with. That'll be a good time to pick up my crochet cotton, instead...Aunt Lydia's crochet cotton here I come.... :) :) :) I love my "Aunt Lydia's..:) :) :)

That's all the happenings so far today!!!! Oh, I'm up to 9 uses so far from the homemade powdered laundry soap I made awhile back. Click here to visit the recipe I used...or click here where I broke down the cost of materials. I'm marking each time I use a "serving" of this laundry soap, so I can see how much it actually costs me per use!!!!

Alrighty...I have so many ideas for things I want to make for the apartment...and not enough hands or hours...hmm...how about I give up some sleep. Sleep is overrated anyway...well, not really...it's very necessary for our bodies and keeps us all looking beautiful!!! In my case, I need to sleep a lot :) :)

Before I forget, I've been doing this really cool Bible study by Pastor Mark Driscoll on the book of Ruth called "Redeeming Ruth"  Check out Tressa at "Walking in His Path" and Micah of "Unfading Beauty". both of these ladies are leading the study. They are two young women who've committed their lives to following after God. They are true beauties and real sweethearts. Also the study is really encouraging...so please join, if you are interested...One thing that I really like, if you go back and read the book of Ruth...when Ruth and Boaz first meet, she's out working in  a field. She's probably stinky and very dirty...and Boaz doesn't even think about that.  He sees her character and that's what he finds attractive!!! Something to think about ladies :) :) :)

Love and hugs to all of you. Thanks so much for being a part of my blog and blessing me with your lives. You all have something unique that makes my heart very glad :) :)  That's the news from Oregon, Heather :) :) :)