Leggo of those Legos!

      Third child is 16 years old. He has always loved his legos-the hand me down (do you believe I even have my old first run legos?) from sister and brother, Duplos, his first sets, Star Wars, Western,boats,  racing sets, etc. The favorite of all are the Harry Potter sets. On Christmas, He would open the set and he was done...it didn't matter if there were other presents to open! He loved sorting the pieces as much as building with them. When he finished, he would play with the set for hours, BUT, he would not take it apart and do it again. I thought that would be fun-he had done that with previous sets but not HP. They were put together and stayed together. Then the models were put on shelves and dressers and displayed. I asked him to take them apart many times-but no....Look, I loooved the Harry Potter days of reading the books together and going to Barnes and Noble to the midnight release parties and dressing up as Harry for Halloween, so I really understood. Then they stopped making the HP sets...(Star Wars was back) or else I couldn't find them...

          Now, he needs a bit more room in his space. He decided to take them apart and put them away....Fine -good idea....

           NO-now I am the one who can't let go! I guess I feel these are the last "toys" he played with and as long as they were there, that little boy was, too.

            So, I said calmly,
                   "Why don't you fix them up (blow the dust off) and put the sets into ziplocs and we will keep them for other kids?"
                    (am I thinking grandkids?)

             Then he makes my day, by saying that it's a good idea and he fixes them up and takes photos of each then puts them into the bags! How great was this!

I got to see him surrounded by his legos again and keep that picture in my mind! It took a few days!!

         

Yes, pretty sad that I can't LEGGO, but this is the baby....senior year in the Fall-and I just can't believe it, I guess...

Anyone else going through this? September -take your time!

 

 

Cute Find at Big Lots!

       I found this little rack at Big Lots- $2.00. I figured I could put it somewhere for that investment! Well, it ended up on my counter-even though it has been my mission to put less on the counters. I found a little spot and loaded it up with breakast dishes....

The mugs are from Target last year...such great colors!!!

These are my beloved Anthro bowls.....making Cheerios happy every day!!!!

These candle were $1.60 at 75% off and I could kick myself for not getting more!! I was in a rush and grabbed 2 not knowing they were sooooo inexpensive! They came in green and turquoise, too! Why didn't I grab them??  I knew the yellow would be great with my dishes, but the others could have been used anywhere and later as glasses! Be on the lookout BL shoppers!

So everyone likes taking breakfast dishes off the cute rack....not so much unloading the dw and putting them back on...Hmmmm.

FREEBIES

These are some freebie’s I found today…



Back to school (groan) offer from Ziploc-before July 30, 2010. Fill out the form here and perhaps you will be one of the 10,000 recipients!

Each gift pack contains:

• One box of 50-count Ziploc® Brand Sandwich Bags

• One box of 25-count Ziploc® Brand Storage Bags

• One package of Ziploc® Brand Containers



For a sure deal-freebie, go into your local 7-Eleven and receive a free small Slurpee on this Sunday, July 11, (7-11). This happens to be 2 of my 3 children’s birthdays! Lucky day and a free Slurpee for all!

Thanks to all who missed me :) or wished me well!!

My Go-To Gift for Grads

   Whevever a friend's child graduates from High School, I try to get the same gift. We have been doing this for years and it seems to be a hit. I get a great bath towel monogrammed for them to take to college.  I always do the block letter arrangement in the color of their college choice! Villanova -Navy, Fairfield- Red, Siena -Gold, Eastern Connecticut-Navy, Syracuse-Orange, Cortland-Red, Fordham-Maroon, etc. Sometimes, I do he towel in the color, if available, and the monogram in white or the secondary color of the college. What also makes it fun is that I have to go to the website of the college that they have chosen to find out (make sure) of the color. In that way, I look around a bit nad find out more about their future college. I can write something that I have learned in the card or talk about it when I see them. I had been going to Fortunoff's for a long time, but they recently went out of business. I would get a luscious Ralph Lauren or Nautica towel and they monogrammed and wrapped for free! This year, I used Land's End and was very pleased with the towel and the monogramming, which was free for a few weeks! Here is the finished product...

So, this towel (and usually a check!) makes for a happy grad! Nothing says hands off my towel better than a monogram!

Was Feelin' a Little Tipsy...

                                        
     No, I haven't bee drinkin'. I had the craziest thing.  In May, I felt I had an allergy thing going on...the usual....but then I felt as if I couldn't focus. I thought my eyesight changed almost overnight. I felt as if the floor was not under my feet and I couldn't read. The worst was the computer screen. I kept shaking my head to focus!  I had my eyes checked and they were pretty much the same. Got new contacts, thinking mine were damaged. It was clearer, but out of focus! I was still subbing, but getting anxious! One day, I couldn't read the Teacher edition of the Soc book. When I had to walk the class out I was feeling very weird on the stairs. I went home and took a nap...Every day I felt I needed a nap! And soooo nauseous! Then I felt as if I was walking on a slant. I couldn't walk a straight line! Finally, I went to the doctor...I had a sinus infection and my ears were so full of fluid that I had pretty bad vertigo-I mean, I was holding onto walls, people, chairs -anything- to walk! Antibiotics and clarinex? It took a month for me to feel somewhat normal. I am not a complainer, and I never go to the Doctor, but this was really causing havoc in my life! I had so many events to go to for the end of the year for my son and family- visits, parties, etc.-Driving was out of the question-I could hardly walk so I certainly could not drive- I couldn't even find the car door handle! Even cooking was hard because the counter would be swimming under my nose!  I felt pathetic.... and worst of all -I could not blog!!!! I tried to visit a few of you, so you would not forget me, and because I love all of your blogs so much, but I was so tired after reading one, that I could fall asleep in a blink! At least, I did some gardening and will have picks up soon.
         So, I am sorry for this tale of woe, but I am finally feeling better! I think this thing took its sweet time, but I think I am almost back to normal! I am really very healthy, but since having the flu this past year, I never felt 100%! These past 3 weeks, I think there has been something almost every day! SATs, ACT, SATIIs, Regents classes, concerts, final HS sports events and dinners. Now we have the prom (my son is a Jr. but going to the Senior prom) and several friends have children graduating on Saturday. That is when summer starts!  I am thankful for that! Blogiversary came and went... I will get on that, too!
        Thanks for not abandoning me! Will be back in the swing of it now! I have been trying to keep up with all of you, but will read "back" now that I can!
        If you left a comment, that I can't read, please try again-or is that spam when it has boxes instead of words? These are the things I still don't know!


Love,

Happy Mother's Day Video and #7 of BB

#7. M y favorite thing about me is that I am a mom. Simple and true. It is what I always wanted since I was a little girl. No high ambitions....little did I know that it really is the highest. My mom is gone 5 years and my MIL, too. It is so hard not to have them to go to. I still need my mom to run things by and make decisions, I only hope that she is thinking that I am doing okay. Funny, that I never thought Mother's Day was for me until there wasn't a mom for me to honor on that day! 

Every day, I try to slow time and it does not work. My kids and husband say, "I wish it was Friday." and I say "Don't rush my life!" I want to hold on to every day. We have been blessed with 3 wonderful, sweet and loving children-who love eachother above all. My prayers are for them to "stay safe, healthy and always happy." and to live, love and laugh.

So grab a tissue and watch this...

Happy Mother's Day to all of my friends who I meet here in blogland.

Here is the link for  "The Gift of an Ordinary Day" by Katrina Kenison .

Thanks kids!!!xoxoxo

(almost forgot this kid!)

Delinquent Blogger!!! and # 6!

     So, I got a bit overwhelmed and backed off the blogging...I have been subbing a lot and since there is no routine or pre-arrangement, very often I am not prepared to be running out to sub. Then it's Kindergarten or 6th or Music or Library and I am a little over-extended! Today was a half day, so I was able to recharge a bit...yes, I finally got to go to TJ Maxx for a few minutes! I applaud all of you who work full or part time and have the kids and school and meetings, etc. I think that is what did it...so may PTA and other school meetings and bake for this and that  and run and get the shirt for the concert...and the fact that none of my clothes feel right...ugh.
          I also am in the middle of my beautiful blogger and feel as if I have an unfinished homework assignment...So, here I go again!!!!  Grab a cup of tea for this one!

6. I LOVE transferware. I started when I found my first plate at a cute shop. It was brown and I fell in love.

                               It just says English Ironstone England on the back.

                                                                               
            Then I discovered Spode and Old English Castles by Johnson Brothers. First I will tell you a bit about Transferware......                                                    

 Transferware is the term given to pottery that has had a pattern applied by transferring the print from a copper plate to a specially sized paper and finally to the pottery body. While produced mostly on earthenware, transfer prints are also found on ironstone, porcelain and bone china. Most transferware, around 90%, was made in the Staffordshire county of England, but it was also made in other areas of Great Britain such as Leeds, Liverpool, Swansea and Scotland.

At first the patterns were copied in style and detail from the Chinese. As transferware became more popular it was anglicized and many patterns were copied directly from prints and etchings that were popular in the early nineteenth century.

Transferware first started appearing on the market in the late 18th century, and exploded in popularity in the 1820s and 1830s. Although the styles of the transfers changed over the years, it has been made continuously since then. It is only since the 1990s that the pottery industry has moved its production off shore and out of Great Britain.

Although more blue was produced than other colors, colored transferware became popular in America in the 1830s and was exported in red, pink, purple, cranberry, brown, black, green, yellow, gray and various combinations of these colors.

Here are a few pieces from my collection!

Old English Castle and my lilacs....ahhhh

Old British Castles and Spode

Asiatic platter  and Old British Castles plates and teacups

Old British Castles bread and butter or I use it for coins and shells and candles...

The green is Ridgway by Staffordshire. I love the OB Castles, because each one depicts a different castle in England...for example-Blannary, Dudley...

The Christmas plates are Queens (inexpensive) and the white with blue-bottom left- is

Royal Doulton (Classic Rose-LOVE) and probably not transferware-but pretty! The upper left is made by Unicorn (from TJ  Maxx <3) in Stafforshire England, and inexpensive.

You can find transferware in antique shops, flea markets, garage sales, Marshalls and TJ Maxx, on line sites, ebay, etc. Pick up a few and you may become addicted!

Next time 7! I'll try not to take so long to post again!

~Nancy