Shoppe Around the Corner

It is the Spring Sale at Shoppe Around the Corner in Palm Harbor, Florida, a wonderful and magical place whose profits go to helping sustain the local Meals on Wheels. The above picture is the display that greets customers when they enter this lovely gem of a place.

When Glo suggested she and Marcia, who had never been to the Shoppe, go with her today, I said yes immediately. Glo picked up both us and, after a delightful lunch at Peggy O'Neills Irish Pub (great Cobb salad btw), we went two blocks up and one to the right and there we were.
There are so many lovely things to see that it took quite a while looking here, there and up and down. One section is currently devoted to Spring and Easter with odds and ends that are seasonal also scattered throughout the store.

I did ask before I took these photos as some places do not like photos to be taken. Not so at this place filled with pretties. Some of these bunnies and little chick are so nostalgic and many of the displays got my creative juices flowing!
Talk about a beautiful way to set an Easter table...love how the napkin is folded and the ceramic bird with the candle nestles inside.
Another section has the most gorgeous kitchen ware imaginable. And look...my grandmothers' table cloths and dish towels!

I love this display of French related table decorations...How beautiful.

The prices are very reasonable and more so during the Spring Sale since one item is 25% off.

These lovely little necklaces are priceless....my favorite: "Maybe I want to look Cheap". lol
And a tiny 5inch by 7 inch scrap book....
This wreath with the streamers would look lovely on my front door.
The ceramic rabbit is a definite garden must have.
So, what did I buy...this white painted rod iron book holder. It has two round balls suspended from chains for keeping a books' pages from flipping.
And this tiny little peep called out to me when I went by. My Nana always put those tiny little yellow chickies in my Easter basket the years we spent in Iowa. This is a fancier version of those. And look how pretty she looks perched on my flower cart I found last visit to St. Louis.
This display caught my eye too...what a great pencil holder. The frames in the shop are so beautiful and creative too.

This is how I am going to use my book holder with it's tiny birdie perched on the top. Until I put my layouts into albums (which is sometimes weeks and weeks), they just sit on my desk top stacking up. Now I have a way to display the latest and keep them all together one behind the other.
Thanks Glo for suggesting our day...you have the best ideas!

Tomorrow is my Glam and Glitz class at Posh from 10-noon ish and in the afternoon, E and I are heading to Spring Bayou for the annual juried art show...one of the biggest in this area. We have not missed a year yet. Speaking of years, come May 3, we will have lived in this house for five years. So hard to believe and each year gets better and better.

Our dear friend, Linda Adams, arrives Sunday and we're thinking a late lunch at Molly Goodheads. We do love that place. It was one of the first local restaurants we ate at around here.

Our day in Sarasota

was erroneously posted on my altered blog and I am too tired tonight to redo it so if you are interested, please click on the link in my list to the left. The pictures are fun! Apologies and thanks.

Sat. Crop at Posh with the NW Tampa Scrappers

I had such a nice day with these lovely ladies. They have made me feel so welcome to the group. I got five layouts done and the one on the top is of one of the Wed. Gals . Four of us crop together every Wed. we can at Posh Scraps in Palm Harbor, Fl. At a recent Cheeky Chics Crop in St. Pete, Fl, Jacque was the Queen of the Crop for a time and her she is flaunting her royalty!

The rest of the layouts are of the Grands, of course!




I have had nothing but trouble lately with my laptop...first someone hacked into my email through Face Book and then I could not access several of my favorite boards or my hotmail. Thank heavens for my techie son, Rob. Today he came over and scratched off my Computer Woes list item by item. Turns out that when I upgraded my virus protection, it was set too high and prevented me from doing tons of things. All better now.

Very busy week ahead.

MON: zoo with Chris and Kristen,their friend, Vickie, and all the grands

TUES: WW weigh in and then driving to Sarasota (St. Armand's Circle) to meet Janet M and our friend, Lynda Kay who is finally in her new home in Ft. Myers, at the Columbia for lunch and some shopping, of course.

WED: cropping at Posh with the Wed. gals

THURS: pre packing my kits for Sat. Tech class I am teaching at Posh

FRI: meeting Glo et al for lunch and then to The Little Shop Around the Corner for some Spring shopping

SAT: my class at Posh 10-noon

and next Sunday our dear friend, Linda Adams arrives in town for a week's visit. Can't wait.

Hope your weekend has been a delight!

Spring Break

Today was Kristen's last day of school and it is officially Spring Break. She wanted to do something fun so we all met out at Miss Vickie's on the Anclote River for dinner and drinks.

E and I got there first and scrounged around til we found enough chairs and the people next to us were leaving so we snagged their table before the kids and grands arrived. And the icing on the cake was Randy Vincent, one of our favorite local singers. This man plays and sings the blues so amazingly.
Colvin and Landon both handled the water in the cups pretty well for little guys. We still use the topped sippy cups at Nana and Papas and they use them at their house but we were outside over crushed shell so what is a little water, right?

Leighton slept until just as her mama's food was being delivered, of course. lol
Colvin either wears his baseball cap backwards or to the side for the most part. I think he does this because having the bill in the front restricts his sight.
Here are the twins and Little Mama and Big Daddy.
Little Mama and our cutie patootie, Leighton
The kids friend, Tom, (and our house sitter) joined us for a beer and, on our way out, the boys took turns astride his huge motorcyle. Neither one seemed the least afraid of either the bike or the height.



Landon and I took a nice long walk and then, in imitation of a boy about six, he threw rocks and shells into the river with pretty good aim!

I managed to keep my points down by having a salad with only a teaspoon of dressing and a beer. This Simply Filling is working!

Happy Spring Break everyone!

Cropping at Posh with the Wed. Girls

I so miss these days and so enjoy the Wed. I can crop at Posh with these women, Cynthia, Diane and Jacque. I did three layouts (two pictured here and one was still drying when I left...all 3 can be viewed at Posh Scraps in Palm Harbor, Florida).

We broke for lunch at one of our favorite eating spots, Marathon Grill. There are several menu items that are on the Simply Filling Weight Watchers Power Foods list with only a point or two added. I had the Mediterranean salad with the baked skinless chicken breast and pasta. I got the salad dressing on the side and took a pass on the pita...total points :3!

I loved the new Jillybean papers for scrapping some of the food photos I have but found the balloons too light colored. I used the Yasutomo Pearlescent Watercolors to add a bit of zing and used waxed twine to emphasize the balloon strings. This is the seafood broil that E does down at the beach for all of us every summer...so very good.

I had a lovely hour twenty brisk walk this morning with cottage cheese, O cal Greek yogurt with fresh blackberries and raspberries for breakfast. Having lunch with Linda, who is doing a jewelry party for me next month at Dimitri's on the River so checking out the menu in advance. So far since starting the Simply Filling WW plan, I am down another 3 lbs over the almost four I had previously lost. I am bound and determined to make goal and get Life Time before I turn 65 this June...wish me luck but more than that wish me will power and determination!

Candids from Chris and Kristen's camera

Our happy baby,Leighton Kay.
Colvin, trying to fill Daddy's shoes. He has a bit of an obsession with shoes.
The twins in their new baseball hats.
Landon is not a big hat fan so his does not stay on long.
The boys on a visit to every male's dream store: Home Depot.


I am off today to crop with my Wed. gal pals at Posh. I don't get to crop much during the school year on Wed. with them because that is our Nana/Papa day with the grands. We swapped days and had our turn with the little kids last Monday so today I am cropping! ! and next Wed. too because it is Spring Break.

Busy week this week and next: having lunch on the Sponge Docks tomorrow with a new friend, cropping Sat with the NWTampa Scrappers at Posh and next Monday, off to the zoo with the kids, Tues, Janet and I are meeting our good on line friend, Lynda who has recently built a home outside of Ft. Myers at The Columbia in Sarasota for lunch and shopping, then Wed. is cropping with the Posh Girls, Thurs is book club, and on the 31st I am teaching my Glitz and Glam class at Posh (see my altered blog for the tag samples). And I can't forget WW check in. I am bound and determined to make goal and Life Time Member before I turn 65 in June. Off to walk my hour before I pack up for the crop.

Have a great week.

My hotmail was hacked

If you get an email from me with nothing in the subject line or with a link, so not open it and please do not click on the link. If you did open and/or click, change your email pass word ASAP.

Thanks and apologies.

Before we headed to Spring Bayou last Sat. afternoon for the photo shoot by Adriana Davies of Angel Lights Photography, E snapped a few shots of Leighton Kaye and her ol' Nana.
I think maybe I had the head band a bit tight for this shot! lol She didn't try to take it off the entire day but by about 3:30, she was done with the dress and it's petty coats, cameras and all she wanted was her mama.
Can not wait to see Adriana's pics of all of the Grammies and our Grands!

No longer a virgin

That would be E in regards to the Marathon Grill in Palm Harbor, Fl. Had ya going there for a moment, didn't I? lol

I first learned first hand about the culinary pleasures of this little restaurant tucked to the side of a strip mall off HW19 many many moons ago when Jacque and Di adopted me at what is now Posh Scraps on Tampa Road. We took to gathering to scrap on Wed. and they lured me to this place again and again for our lunches out. In return, I took them to Jack Wiley's Tiki Bar and Restaurant where a large white bird developed a crush on our Jacque.

Today, E and I were right near Marathon, to which I had been trying to get him for at least the last two years, opening a saving account for our next year's trip to Aus/NZ at the credit union. It was after 1pm and we were hungry and he caved...and he will cave again and again. He loved it. And what is not to love...I got the low fat chicken plate and he got my favorite ...the chicken feta spinach with the basil chips. To die for.

I ate about 1/4 of my salad and have half left of my meal (top photo) for dinner tonight...it's left over night at our house. E fixed us shrimp in a lemon sauce over pasta meal last night that would melt the enamel off your teeth...and for Lynda Kay...he has no recipe...he just winged it.

Busy weekend coming up filled with fun and frolic...stay tuned and hope yours looks good too.

Nana and Papa Play Day March 14

The boys were totally Joe Cool today with their shades. We wore socks on our hands, our sister's hat on our heads and learned to walk on Nana's feet as she walked. A good time was had by all.
And here comes our little Easter Bunny. I found this darling outfit at Children's Palace . The pants have a big cotton tail on the back...way too cute. And, bad Nana is teaching Leighton how to do the Rrrrrrrrrrrrrassssssssssberry just like I taught her brothers. She is at the stage where she grabs her feet and rolls side to side laughing hysterically. Gotta love these kids!


We had company today. First the cable man came to fix the cable box and the some of the Aunties came for a visit. Miss Jacque and Miss Cynthia stopped in to cuddle and chat and it was so good to see them! Looking forward to two Wed. in a row to scrap with you all!

Sat. is a hugely busy day for all of us. I have a class to teach at Posh Scraps in the morning and then I pick up my grand daughter and head home. There we're meeting up with Dee and her grand daughter, Maria and her grand daughter, and Adrianna, Maria's daughter who is an amazing photographer. We'll head to Craig Park in Spring Bayou for the Grammie/grand daughter photo shoot. Late, Chris and Kristen will come by with the rest of the gang and we'll celebrate his birthday belatedly.

Hope your week is going well.

Pleading busy busy busy for not blogging...

I'm going to work backwards through the past week. Last Sat., my step brother, Steve, and his wife Loren, came for a visit on their way back to Mich. We gave them the 35 cent tour, headed to Dimitri's on the Anclote River and sank into the Greek food and wine and beer! We headed back to the house after roaming the Sponge Docks and sat on the lanai catching up with each others' lives. It had been since Papa Joe's funeral since we had all been together and that has to be at least six years. Steve is the spitting image of Papa Joe but with hair.

E fixed his infamous Spanish chicken and I did a salad from the Columbia. And we even had a bottle of the authentic dressing to make it perfect.
It is Chris' birthday and Kristen had such a lovely day planned for him: we would baby sit and give him a day off , golf with a pal and no cares or worries. But, the best laid plans...it is still Snowbird Season here and she could not get a tee time for the guys today. Baby Leighton and Colvin had follow up dr. apt.s so Landon and I hung out exchanging clever repartee. Ok...so not so clever but we did laugh a lot.

This is from last Wed. : Landon wears the coolie cups like boxing gloves

Colvin: a very serious driver
Landon today
showing me his muscles (and tummy)
Colin, who has taken to wearing his baseball hat non stop, backwards...probably because if he wears it bill in front, the little kid can't see!
and Colvin last week on the zoom zoom...shouldn't ever Speed Racer wear a helmet?
I'm posting a couple of my latest layouts on my altered blog. I don't do that often but this one is filled to the brim with Proud Nana stuff...lol

Enjoy your week!