Friday, June 29, 2012

Email Frustrations!!!!

I found out someone had hacked into my email account.  I went in and changed my password.  I tried about an hour later to get into my email account and I couldn't!  I tried an hour later and same thing.  I called Time Warner and explained the situation to the first tech I spoke with.  Well to make a long story short, I ended up speaking to 8 techs!!!  This is just ridiculous that you have to get passed around to so many people.  The last tech said he could help me and he did.  Well with one catch!  I had to sign a form and have John sign it, fax it back to them and then get on a list for everything to be fixed which they said could take 3 or more days!!!  In this day an age isn't that just absurd!!  What is wrong with Time Warner??????  I am so frustrated with them right now that I am probably going to switch.  I want to retrieve my address book first and then I'm part ways with TW!

I think I will start using my gmail account instead of the carolina.rr account.  When I figure out what is going on, I'll let all of you know.

All I know is I'm one unhappy camper right now!!  Thanks for letting me vent!!

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Lovely Summer Vignettes

As all of you know John and I are living in an apartment until our new house is built and while there are some really great outdoor areas at the apartment complex, I have been dreaming of things I would love to have at the new home.  I of course, resorted to looking and daydreaming on pinterest.com and here are some lovelies I found:

(all photos via pinterest.com)

 I could just see myself having some tea with my daughters or a friend on a lazy summer afternoon!
 John and I miss our garden pond with our little goldfish in it and I thought this would be a lovely replacement.  Very serene!
 This conservatory is just gorgeous!  Who wouldn't love dining in there or having a tea party with friends!
 I really love this idea.  Those lights in the pergola are just great!  They would be like little stars shining down on your while you eat alfresco!!
I saved this photo for last.  If I had this hammock with the cute little table next to it, I would never leave the hammock!!  I could read, knit and just wile away the hours.

I hope all of you have a special place that you like to go, if not maybe one of these would work!!

Monday, June 25, 2012

Good Weekend, Start of another Week

This weekend was a quiet one for John and I.  Saturday morning we had breakfast with friends, which was really nice because we hadn't seen them in a while.  Then we came home and I started to make some jewelry.  John washed Teddy, our Golden.  In the afternoon we went over to Megan's and went swimming with her until it started to rain.  We visited with them for a bit, which was really nice.  Sunday we slept late (late for us is 9:00!!)  We had a nice French Toast breakfast and then around 12:30 I went to knitting and John went into the office for a few hours.  They have been swamped with work at his office and he has been putting in some over time.  Last night I finished the Flower Vine Vest I have been working on for a while now!!  It looks really nice.  When I get it all washed and blocked I will take a photo of it and post it on here! Now this week I'll be able to plan a new project-I'm so excited.

Now today starts a new week.  I wonder what it will hold-hopefully good things!!  We are still waiting to hear about our mortgage for the new house.  We are also waiting for the builder to change the granite selection for us.  Tuesday night I will be knitting with my knitting friends.  Other than that the week will be a quiet one, atleast for now!

I was on pinterest.com last night for just a little bit and here are some lovely photos I found on there:

(all photos are via pinterest.com)

 I love this photo!!  What a beautiful place this is.  I wish I was there right now!!
 I'm going to save this photo for after we move.  I have a beautiful china antique chocolate pot about the same height of the one in the picture and I'm going to make a floral arrangement in it!  Just love it and I love the runner on the table.  What  beautiful embroidery on it!!
 I love photos of doors and this old one is a favorite of mine!  Just gorgeous!!
 I love cherries and I love the wire basket these cherries are in!  They look yummy!
 Peaches are one of my favorite fruit and this peach on a toile plate is a beautiful still life!!
Now this picture of the sea is one of the most beautiful I have seen.  Look at all the colors in it!  Nature is a wonder isn't it?

Well I hope everyone has a wonderful, fun week this week.  Don't forget to always stop and take in all the beauty around you!!

Friday, June 22, 2012

The best day of the week!!!


The loveliest day of the week is finally here!!!  What are your plans?  I have a pretty subdued weekend and that is just the way I like it!  Tomorrow morning John and I will be having breakfast with our friends from the old neighborhood.  Then we have to go over to our storage garage in our apartment complex and find a box of books that were put in the storage garage by accident.  After that we will probably go to the pool at our complex or maybe over to Megan's neighborhood pool and soak up some sun and cool off in the water!  Sunday is just a leisurely day after church.  I will be meeting up with some of my knitting friends for a few hours of chatting and knitting in the afternoon.  Just a lovely weekend planned!!

Hope everyone has a Fabulous Friday and an awesome weekend!!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Not such great news!

The other day I posted the Builder would be starting our house soon.  Well Friday we got a delayed start e-mail that was automatically generated by the Builder.  The email wasn't very nice.  We called our Builder's Rep and some paperwork has not been put in on time, so we are now looking at a 2 possibly 3 week delay on the completion of our house.  So instead of an October 1st closing it will likely be the middle of October. It isn't the end of the world, but needless to say we are disappointed.  We let them know we are not happy with this and that their better not be any more delays.

Just another day in the building world!!

Monday, June 18, 2012

Happy Birthday to my Hubby!!

I'm very late posting this but it was a really busy day today!  Today is John's 58th birthday!!!  Megan, Ken, Jenny, Owen, John and I just got back from Red Lobster for dinner.  We had a marvelous time and a wonderful, very funny waiter!  Jenny works for Darden, so they treated us like Kings and Queens!!  Owen spent alot of lap time with Papa, which made both of them really happy!  That little boy loves his Papa!!

Saturday we went up to Jenny and Kevin's for a Father's Day/John's Birthday celebration.  We had a wonderful afternoon/evening there too!

 Papa and Owen chilling out on Saturday.
 Father's Day trifle Megan made for the fathers.
 John's Father's Day card from Megan, Ken, Jenny, Kevin and Owen.  Can you tell John love chocolate!!
Owen looking cute as usual!!

What a wonderful Father's Day and John Birthday celebration had by all!!

Happy Birthday sweetheart!!  What a wonderful hubby you are!!

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Remembering our Fathers this Weekend!

                                                          My Dad with Owen 8/2012

My father is 75 yrs. old and not in the greatest health right now.  I live in NC and he lives in northwestern NJ.  I won't be visiting with my father in person this weekend, but I will call him and chat for a little while on the phone.  While getting ready to type this post I was thinking of all the things I could say about my Dad.  Here are a few things that come to mind:

Hard working
Loves the Outdoors
Honest
Extremely creative
Stubborn

The last one may seem a little harsh, but my Dad is of German-Dutch background and he can be very stubborn.

My Dad is a retired residential home builder.  He retired about 7 yrs. ago due to his health, he has Lupus.  Dad still builds things in his woodworking shop and never uses plans!  He has all his knowledge stored in his head.  Just amazing!!

Dad loves to garden and even though he isn't feeling very well right now, he is still gardening every day.  The other day I called to see how everything was and my Mom told me Dad was in a lot of pain (in his back) but he was sitting in his favorite comfy chair shelling peas from his garden!  He couldn't bend over when he needed to plant some seeds so he decided he would get some copper piping which was waist height and put the seed down the pipe and tamp the earth with his foot, that is how my Dad is!

I was thinking back to my earliest memories of being with my Dad and it brought to mind the time he took me to the cement block yard with him in his dump truck to pick up cement blocks for the house he would be starting.  He got out of the truck to give the driver the slip for the block and he left me in the truck.  The truck had an oval back window which I could look out and see my Dad talking to the worker.  Something happened and the boom that was carrying the cement block slipped and the blocks crashed into the window and almost broke it.  My Dad ran over to the truck all upset thinking I might have been hurt.  I told him I was all right and he said to me, "we don't really need to tell you Mom about this, because she won't let you come with me anymore and that wouldn't be good".

My Dad is not a fancy man, he doesn't like his picture taken (but lately he has been letting people take it), he loves things from the "olden" days as he calls them, he doesn't like eating chicken of any kind, doesn't have and never will as he says have a computer, likes to read and likes to create.

Well that is about all I have to say about my Dad right now other than LOVE YOU DAD!!  HAPPY FATHER"S DAY!!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Good News, the Builder will be breaking ground soon!!

We heard from the builder of our new home the other day and they will be breaking ground in the next week or so!!  We are over the top excited.  It has been very trying at times living in the apartment and to hear that we are getting closer and closer to October just made us giddy LOL!!

John and I have to met with the builder in about a week to go over the plans again with him to make sure everything is set just the way we want it.  I really want to talk to him about the granite choices.  We only had 3 granite selections and I really didn't get the choice I wanted.  They switched out the granite samples and it didn't include the one we saw in the model.  I picked Uba Tuba which is black and I really wanted something that was a cream color with brown streaks through it.  I'm sure we can come to some arrangement, they seem like reasonable people.

I really am having a hard time with not gardening this summer.  While Megan, our oldest daughter is "babysitting" my plants and doing a great job of it, I miss my plants!  She sends me texts with pictures of them so I can seem them blooming-isn't that sweet of her!!  This Fall we can still put some plants in and maybe even start a Fall/Winter Veggie Garden but until then I guess it is the Farmer's Market for my fresh flowers and veggies.  It could be worse I know.

I have a mantra that I say every day, "We only have 3.5 months in the apartment, we only have 3.5 months in the apartment, we only have 3.5 months in the apartment...

Thanks for putting up with my whining!!

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Worldwide Knitting Day

I don't know if anyone knows but today is Worldwide Knitting Day.  Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden was having a celebration of this day.  It was from 9-3.  The yarn shop I got to Cottage Yarn in Mint Hill, NC had a table there.  Sara Furr is the owner and she had a very busy day!  Here is a picture of Sara with another one of our knitting friends named Ginny.



 Outside they had 2 little Romney Sheep, Mama and 2 kids goats, Papa Goat was also there.

Here are the 2 little Romneys.  Aren't they cute-they look like Teddy Bears.

Mama Goat and her 2 kids.


Here is Ginny with her little Romney Sheep friend!

 This is a beautiful painted daisy at the Botanical Garden.  The flowers were so pretty!

Jerusalem Artichoke at the Garden

I didn't take a picture of our table of knitters but Pam, Julie, Jenny, Sabrina, Ginny, Sara and I had an awesome day knitting, chatting and visiting.  Looking foward to next year!!

Friday, June 8, 2012

Some Lovely Friday Summer Thoughts

The weather here has been a little cooler than normal here in Charlotte the past few days.  It is summertime and I had to put a long sleeved sweater on the other night.  I also had a mug of hot tea not the usual cold to cool off!  I love it though!!  I was home by myself for a few hours last night so I decided to indulge in one of my favorite past times-scrolling through pinterest.com.  I found some really lovely summer photos.  I thought I would share a few (all photos via pinterest.com):

 This is Carolina Beach, NC.  Isn't it gorgeous!!  I hope to be able to go to the Beach atleast once this summer.
 I thought these espadrilles were so cute!  I love the color and they would look wonderful with linen pants, a cute summery skirt, jeans, shorts, really any outfit!
 When I saw this Strawberry Water I thought how beautiful!  I bet that would cool you off on a hot summers day.
 I am using my lime green leather bag right now and I love it but wouldn't this pink bag be awesome!
 Who could resist wearing this lovely!
 What would summer be without our flips!!  Aren't these cute with the little whales on them.  Love them!!
 Summer flowers are in abundance right now.  I have to say being in the apartment with no gardens is really hard this year but I love looking at what other people are growing.  These lily of the valley are just beautiful in the green mug.  I can smell them from here!
 Summertime is a time for slowing down, taking it easy and I could do that in this hammock!  That isn't Teddy in the picture but it could be.  He would be in the hammock with me though-LOL!!  He loves to be close by for sure!
 These popsicles bring back memories for me.  My Mom would always have popsicles in the freezer.  My sisters and I would eat the out by the pool to cool off from the hot summer sun.  Love the colors in these popsicles!
Last but not least I love this tote!!  You could use it at the Beach or you could use it as a handbag.  I love these types of totes too-they are usually really strong and durable.

Well I hope you've enjoyed this little summer post!  What summer memories or favorite items are at the top of your list!  ENJOY your summer!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Wonderful Decorating Ideas!

I woke up really early today and decided to check out pinterest.com.  (I just can't get enough of that site!!!)  I found some really wonderful decorating ideas and I thought I would share them with you!    

(all photos via pinterest.com)

 I love the clean look of this beautiful kitchen.  Those little green topiary trees add a lovely punch of color!
This conveniently placed shelf across the windows is an ingenious idea I think!  My plants would love it!  I an just picture some colored bottles and little knic knacks up there!!
I love, love, love this idea!!  The antiqued white table and chairs with the beautiful colored cushions are just gorgeous!  I love the hints of color, which you could do in the napkins, a table runner perhaps, glasses or like the beautiful jug on the table.  I could also see a candle arrangement of some kind in those lovely muted aqua colors.
Now this is my kind of bedroom!  First of all I love white and blue combos.  This is just muted the right shade for me!  That bed looks so comfy, I could just crawl in there and never get out-LOL!!!

There were so many more ideas but I will save them for another day!  I must get ready for work now!  Everyone have an awesome day!!


Monday, June 4, 2012

I love my knitting friends!!

Yesterday some of my knitting friends and I met at Dilworth Coffee in Mint Hill, NC. We celebrated one of our friends birthday (which was Saturday). I made her a pair of earrings and she really liked them! She loves the earrings I make so I figured I would be safe making a pair for her. We were knitting and chatting for about 4 hours and then we all left and went our separate ways. While I was driving home, I realized even more how much those knitting friends mean to me! We are from all over the US, we are in all different financial stages in our life, we are basically the same age with a year or two, all of us have had children and some of us are grandmothers. We have been through lots of things in our lives and we have supported each other through it. I guess what I'm just trying to say is that they are a great group of women and they mean alot to me! Some of the girls joke around and say that we are all going to form a knitting commune when we retire and we'll cook, clean, do laundry, shop, knit and just be!! Sounds good to me!!

Friday, June 1, 2012

Fabulous Friday!!

(photo via pinterest.com) Friday is here!! I know it has been only a 4-day work week but I am so glad Friday is here! Let the weekend begin! Tonight John and I will be chillin' out. Tomorrow is busy! I have a knitting class in the a.m., lunch with my friend, Julie after the class we are taking together and then Owen will be with John and I for the day! We will be taking him back home and having dinner with Jenny and Kevin. Full day but a good one!! Sunday I will be knitting with my knitting friends at Dilworth Coffee in the afternoon and then chillin' with John afterwards. A perfect weekend!! Hope everyone has a good one!!