Spring Time in Wisconsin, A Metamorphosis.

Hi Everyone!
I am joining my good friend Chari @ Happy to Design, for Sunday Favorites!  Make sure you check out her lovely blog, you will not be wanting to leave!  This post was from 3/14/2010.  Boy what a difference a year can make!
We have mounds and mounds of snow right now and it's cold as heck!
Maybe by reposting this, things will start to warm up!
Enjoy your Sunday everyone and if you have warm weather then I am jealous!

Oh Happy Days!!  It hit a whopping 65 degrees here today!  And for the first time, in almost two weeks we saw the sun!  The snow, which gradually had been melting nearly all disappeared!   I spent the day enjoying the weather and adding a few touches of spring to my home! 

I took a picture of a cardinal yesterday.   The one side of our yard slopes, and we get all the runoff from the woods.  See all of the snow still around him.

Here is that same area today! Go snow, Go!

And over here.  Just a wee bit of snow left around the edge of the woods.

And with the snow melting and the sun shining I decided to add a little Easter and Spring to my window ledge.

A homemade Easter Tree.  I spray painted the container white, grabbed some old branches, added some eggs and ribbon and for hardly any moola, I have an Easter Tree.

Here, I used some ribbon and flowers to make a springy arrangement in the little watering can.

I added this ceramic bunny that I won last year from Gloria @ Happy to Be and topped it off with the tag that Karen from Some Days are Diamonds so lovingly made!  Thanks Ladies!!

I love that these window's have such wide ledges!  They are great for vignettes and I love to change them to match the seasons!   On this one, I used a little tray, added my apple tea-pot, a little white cup and saucer, .70 cents at TJ Maxx and the spoon that Sherry made for all of us at our recent luncheon. 

I recently found an old book of songs for a mere $2.  They seem to be all the rage right now and this book has lot's of neat old songs in it.  My Mom has always loved this one.  She has many relatives in Kentucky and one of her dreams is to go to the Kentucky Derby.  I found the frame in a free box at a garage sale and I added some lace, buttons and tea dyed the little flowers!  I have  plans for more crafts with some of the other pages.  My Mom liked it and now she is dreaming of the Kentucky Derby!

Well that's it for my little bit of Spring-i-fying!
 I am adding to the following blog parties!
 Met. Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Tabletop Tuesday @  A Stroll thru Life.

Thank-you Ladies! 
Cindy

Spring Fever, oh soooooo Bad!

Hi All!
Do I ever have a bad CASE of Spring Fever!  We had temperature's in the upper 40's and low 50's last week.  The snow was melting and I could actually see the pavement on the back-roads again.
Well Old Man Winter blew in again last night.. it's been nasty!  I think we have at least a foot or more of new snow.  I am starting to have daytime and nighttime dreams about spring.  So I hope you won't mind a little peak into some of last year's pics.  All were taken around Applestone Cottage or nearby.

Nothing makes my heart sing like apple blossoms in bloom!

And the rich green of our yard!  I even love dandelions when they first appear!  Not so much later on.

And when the lilacs come into bloom, I am one happy camper!  I cut and cut and fill and fill our home with their lovely fragrance.

More beauty to take in....

It's been a trying week at our home.  My hubby is a teacher in his 30th year.

My sister is a teacher, my hubby's sister is also a teacher and my son is as well.

I have no intentions to make my blog political.  But it's been a trying week for our family here in Wisconsin.

My hubby, along with his sister and I traveled to Madison on Saturday.

Just let me say it was a day we will never forget!

But I would rather leave you with a poem.

A Prayer in Spring

Robert Frost (1915)

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;

And give us not to think so far away

As the uncertain harvest;  keep us here

All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,

Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;

And make us happy in the happy bees,

The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird

That suddenly above the bees is heard,

The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,

And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,

The which it is reserved for God above

To sanctify to what far ends He will,

But which it only needs that we fulfill.

Have a great week everyone!

Cindy

I am joining Marty @ A stroll thru life for Tabletop Tuesday.

And Susan for Outdoor Wednesday.

A Day for Love. Our Wedding Reception, Valentine's Day 1998

A Valentine wish for all my bloggy friends...
May you share this day with the one's you love.
My wonderful hubby surprised me with these beautiful roses!

They haven't opened yet but I can see they will be stunning!

A dozen roses~

I feel so blessed to have such a thoughtful and caring husband.

Dan and I were married at the Little Brown Church in the Vale in August of 1997.
We had our honeymoon in December of that year and our wedding reception was held on Valentine's Day 1998.
Above Dan and I and my little sister Susie and Dan's brother Mark.

My Mom and my daughter Katie, age 7.
Now she's a Mommy and all grown up!

And finally a romantic wedding dance. 
Valentine's Day, a special day for love.
Happy Valentine's !
Cindy
I am joining Marty @ A stroll thru life for Tabletop Tuesday.

A Thrifty Valentine Table and Addison's Valentine dress, a gift from Jane(Blondie's Journal)

Hi All.

I wish I didn't have to try to post so quickly!  But work and my grand-baby are calling my name!

I set this table on the cheap using what I had instead of buying new..

The sweet centerpiece was a birthday gift from sweet Gloria @ Happy to Be.  I am sure most of you know her but if not head on over because she has the best sense of humor and she will have you in stitches!

I used a piece of lacy material that I already had in my sewing box as a table runner.  I just scrunched it a little and it works perfectly.
The roses are soap petals from the Dollar Tree.  Chari @ Happy to Design told me about these and they work great!  And after dinner you can use part of your tablescape to take a nice soothing bath with!

My.75 cent chargers are from Wally World.  British Castle dinner plates are from TJ Maxx- about $4.00 each.  Noritake Ivory salad plates..4 for $1.99 @ Savers.  Red heart bowls .99 at Michaels.
I won the napkins and rings on blog give-away.

I bought this etched glassware at a garage sale last summer.  There were 6 of them for $5.00.

And Addison's darling pink velvet dress was a gift from Jane (Blondie's Journal).

Don't you just love it!  I was in a hurry and I couldn't find her little black patent shoes.   But I wanted to get a picture so she just went shoe-less today.

 I am joining Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.

And Laure @ Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie for her Valentine Party.

Thanks for coming by everyone!

I so appreciate your sweet comments.

It's taking me a little longer to visit everyone these days but I just keep plugging along.

Cindy

Are you ready for some Football? Or Go Pack Go!

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?
Grandpa Dan and Addison are ready to go!

Oops!  Now she's ready!

I 'm getting the food ready....

And a shrine, oops I mean table ready for the hubby!

We got some reading material just in case anyone needs a bathroom break!

LOL!

Even the little critters are sporting their little cheese- heads.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday Everyone!

Cindy

Family.

Hi All.
The past two weeks have been a real adjustment for my daughter and I .  Katie went back to work and I have been babysitting Addison full -time while still trying to work part time myself.
I definitely have been worn out by it  but I think we are getting into the groove of things.
It's been hard on my daughter too.  She misses her baby but she knows that she has to work to help provide for her. And when I look at this picture, I am reminded of just how young she still is.
She is such a good Mommy and mature beyond her 20 years.

And I know I am biased but isn't she just the cutest little thing!  Addison turned 4 months old yesterday and she is such a good baby!  Her sweet smile keeps me going when I am all worn out.

Last weekend we had a belated family Christmas with my side of the family.  Pictured above are 3 of my six brothers!  Jeff, Matt and Mike.  Jeff is a spitting image of my father at that age .

Packer fever is gotten to an all time high this week.
The whole state of Wisconsin is excited about the game .  They have even added green and gold lights to the dome of the State Capital in Madison.

And a fan near us spent a lot of time sculpting this baby.They certainly weren't hurting for the snow to build it with. It's gotten so high there is hardly anyplace left to park it.
Now my hubby Dan, who is a rabid Packer fan is super excited!  He will be glued to the TV most of this weekend. And my step-son Jacob will be right beside him.  They have a blast watching the games and it's good Father/Son bonding.  This will be a special one, since the last time the Packer's went to the Super Bowl Jacob was only 7 years old.
So that's what we've been up to around here. 
I hope all is well with my bloggy buddies and I will be around to visit as much as I can!
Happy Week-end and of course Go Pack!
Cindy