The babies are flying!

Good Thursday evening to you all:)


Last week I got a call from my husband telling me to "come quick, the baby herons are flying".  I grabbed my kids and away we went.  When we arrived the babies were resting but the mama and papa herons were each on a different tree waiting for the babies to resume their flying lessons.  Thankfully we didn't have to wait too long to see one of them go out to the edge of the limb and fly!  What an amazing, wonderful thing to watch.  It took the parents a bit to notice that one of their babies had chosen to fly to her own tree.  One of them went racing to find out where she landed while the other flew to a limb near the nest to watch the other baby.  What fun:)

Here is one of the parents.

She is getting ready to fly.

There she is in the pond.

Here is the other baby still in the nest.

Of course, I don't take the best pictures and these are not showing you how very cool it really was:( 

You get the idea, nature is amazing to watch:)

Enjoy your evening.

Dena

A fun browse:)

Good Tuesday morning girls. 

I hope you are off to a great start to your day:)

I wanted you to look at one of my favorite stores in all of the world... Sesame and Lilies.  Here is a link to their website.  When you get there, click on tour of shop.  www.sesameandlilies.com

Dena:)



Summer Days...

Good Monday afternoon,

Wishing you a seashore filled day:)

I love this picture of the kids at the beach:)  I hope you are somewhere amazing today or at least making your day amazing wherever you are!



Choose to be happy:)

Dena

Do you see it?

Good glorious sunny Friday morning:)

For those of you in Oregon, quick, look out your window, I know, it's bright out!  That there girls is the sun:)  I had forgotten what my yard looked like with the sun shining on it...

I hope your day is fabulous!  I am off to garage sale:)

Dena

The poor people of Bethany.

Good Thursday morning to you all:)

Sooooooo, my oldest daughter wanted a ride to Bethany Athletic Club to meet a friend to work out.  It was only 10am so of course I wasn't dressed yet.  This is what I may have looked like:

Love the jammy bottoms and cool old 70's green fuzzy coat:)

This wouldn't have been a problem except that I happened upon a sign that said "Multi family garage sale TODAY".  Well, you know I couldn't pass this up:)  Off I went to this garage sale looking like that.  I am so glad I did because I found everything I am about to show you all for $14.50!

No, the cutie is mine.  The scarf is brown with flowers and the shirt she is wearing.

A Hollister bag.

A cute skirt and cotton scarf for me.

Cute Hollister shirts.

Two more Hollister shirts.

So, I am very sorry to the people of Bethany who had to witness me like that, but I am one happy camper:)

Oh, here is a tip, something you all probably know, but I am a SLOW learner... Every morning I make myself a mocha with 4 shots of espresso.  The problem  is I use the same coffee grounds for all four shots.  I couldn't figure out why Starbucks with 3 shots always tastes sooooo much stronger than my 4 shots.  I knew that I was probably using the grounds too many times, but I am lazy.  This morning I used the grounds for only 2 shots and put new grounds in.  Wow!  What a difference.  I think I don't have to work out today because my heart is pumping quite fast:)

I hope your Thursday is amazing!

Dena;)

Oh the blue herons!

Good Wednesday morning,

My husband works by an amazing park with many bridges, ponds and walking trails.  For the past two years we have had the opportunity to see baby blue herons.  If you know me and have been unfortunate to have been with me in a car when I spy a blue heron you will know that I go a bit crazy for them.  A few weeks ago I went to see the newest baby blue herons.  I didn't have great luck, but we got some great pictures of mama:)

The nest is there but hard to see.

Do you see it?

There is mama getting some lunch.

Don't you just love the blue heron?  I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday:)

Dena

Happy Summer!

Happy Tuesday, first day of summer to you:)


The weather cooperated on this first summer day!  What a wonderful thing.  I got to change out my spring banner with my summer banner which I may have shared in the past.  I got these banners from etsy.

This is where I store them until it is their turn:)



I love this etsy store.  If you are interested in looking at her talent, go to :  www.etsy.com  under shops type  funky shique.  You'll love her work.

I hope your day is sooooo sunny.

Dena:)

Looking, looking, just keep looking.

Good Monday morning to you:)

Our family is getting a lazy start to our summer.  Except for my youngest, we started stirring around 9:15ish this morning.  What a wonderful way to start a Monday:) 

A few months back,  I thought I had the most beautiful armoire for a little girls room from Craigslist.  The lady said I could buy it so I put my middle daughters armoire on Craigslist and sold it in an hour.  After the armoire was out of her room and I was waiting for the woman to get back to me on when I could come pick up the new one, she wrote me back and said "sorry, someone else came and bought it".  Lesson learned.... wait to sell your old until you get your new.  We still had our changing table in the garage so we cleaned it up and put my daughters clothes in cute baskets on the changing table.  I have been looking ever since for an armoire to go in her room.  On Friday my wait was over.  Take a look at this:

It is just the right size for her room. 

I love the lock on the door:)



It even has a pole to hang things.

This just goes to show you that if you have patience good things will happen:)

I hope your Monday is wonderful.

Dena:)

Fossil shells:)

Good Wednesday morning,

I am so blessed to have inherited a friends mother in laws collection of fossil seashells.  I cannot wait to do projects with these beautiful white shells.  My mind is turning with ideas:)  For now, I have them all in a basket and they look amazing!  I cannot believe sometimes how intricate they are...

Thank you for this wonderful gift Lani:)

I hope your day is filled with sunshine:)


Dena

It's a propeller, it's a candle holder, no it's a weapon.

Good Tuesday morning.  Only two more days until summer begins:)  I always love this time of the year!


While on girls weekend I found this:

I picked it up and petted it, imagined how I could use it in my home, put it down, and kept going back for it.  It was meant to be mine.  I still am not sure why... it is just so cool to look at:)  One of my friends suggested it be a candle holder or hang it on the wall.  The sales woman suggested it be used as a weapon.  This is how I am choosing to use it:

I think it looks like something you would find in Restoration Hardware.

Cheers to things in your life that make you smile:)

Have a thrilling Tuesday.

Dena;)

A fun card

Good Monday morning,

I hope your weekend was full of fun:)  I was able to spend my weekend with some amazing women at the beach.  Our groups age ranges from 42 to 72.  I always come away from these times with these women full of insight.  I am in awe of all of the wisdom I glean from these women.

I love looking at black and white photos and I found this fun card to display.

It is a bad picture of her but I think you get the picture.



It is difficult to read but it says "Making waves day after day is exhausting."  So true:)

I hope you have a fantastic day.

Dena:)

The thrill of a purse:)

Good sunny Thursday morning,

Yesterday I had one of my moments where I am begging the person next to me to PUT DOWN THE PURSE.  Of course this is inside my head:)  But look at it...

Isn't it too adorable?  Luckily for me, she did put it down so I could get it:)

I hope your day is amazing!

Dena:)

There is something about that pillow:)

Good Wednesday morning,

I cannot believe that it is already the end of another school year.  How the time does fly!

I don't know how you feel about pillows, but when I find the right one it makes me smile.  I am always on the look out for that ruffled smiley pillow.  Here are three that I have that make me :)

I love this pillow!  The women in their swimsuits and big hats are too fun:)

And ooooo laaaaa laaaaa this one makes me smile the most.  I think I will curl up with all of those ruffles and take a nap:)

Cheers to our pillows!

Dena:)

Let the spray painting begin:)

Good Tuesday to you all,

I don't know about you but I can never have enough chairs.  I spotted this cool rocking chair and knew I had to have it.  I had a bigger rocking chair on the porch but it was too big for the space.  This one would fit just right.  The best part is that I can move the bigger rocking chair to the backyard.

If you know me, you know the problem... it is not white.  No problem

I roughed up the wood and started spraying.

Ahhhh, much better.

I can now fit two chairs here instead of just one.  Let the party begin.

I hope you are able to get out your spray paint and make something over.

Happy Tuesday,

Dena:)

Vintage treasure?

Good Monday morning,

Wow, what a weekend:)  The sun came and stayed the whole weekend!  I hope you all enjoyed its presence as much as I did. 

I found these at a garage sale for $1.  I thought they were so cool I had to get them.  I asked the owner what she knew about them and she said she and her husband didn't remember anything about them.  Do any of you know what they were used for?

They are pretty cool huh?  They have what appears to be a mesh on the sides to keep out bugs but to let the air come through.  If you know what they are for, send me an e mail:)

Have a fantastic Monday,

Dena:)

Garage Sales & Bob Marley

Good sunny Friday to you:)

What a gorgeous day it is outside!  I am such a happy camper.  I got to see the sun, listen to Bob Marley and go to amazing garage sales:)  At one sale I found all of these brand new items to fill my gift closet all for $56!

This woman owns a store and every year she gets rid of brand new items for less than $1 each.  This is what garage sales are all about.  I can spread joy to all of my friends and when I am thinking of them, pop them a small gift.  I am in heaven:)

On a different note, if you don't know, on my actual website www.seashellhome.blogspot.com I follow many wonderful blogs.  Today's blog from My Sweet Savannah had me drooling.  This house is for sale somewhere here in Portland.  I guess I need to break it to my family that we are moving into this amazing house:)  (I wish)

mysweetsavannah.blogspot.com

Enjoy looking at this house.

Happy Friday

Dena:)

A new use for a fire pit.

Good sunny Thursday to you:)

Did you all see that bright ball in the sky this morning?  I woke up with such a smile:) 


Two garage sale seasons ago I came across a fire pit on the sidewalk that said "free".  I jumped out of my van and shoved it in.  It was around this time that I was planning an end of school party.  The invitations had gone out, activities were planned and this added one more fun activity.... roasting marshmellows.  My inner kid thought this was going to be such an added bonus to our end of the school year celebrations.  I stopped by the local store and bought some wood, marshmellows, graham crackers and chocolate.  The kids came home from school and oooohed and aaaahed over what fun this new find was going to be while my husband shook his head and said "one more thing to move when I mow".  The last day of school came, pizza was ordered, my kids ran through the end of school banner I make and their friends came over.  It was time for the smores.  The fire was built and the smoke started flowing everywhere.... just like a camp fire.  This was not what I had intended.  We all smelled like camp fire:(  The plan was for all to come in and watch a movie together.  One major problem, our clothes wreaked!  One by one we got the stinky clothes into the garage, new clothes on and we have never in two years lit another fire in that pit.  And Wayne was right, it has to be moved, it has collected rain and has rusted.  I am starting to realize why it was free looking pretty brand new.  Yesterday while at Goodwill I came across a huge metal bin that fits nicely in the pit.  You can put ice in it and use it for an outdoor cooler (someone else has had the same luck as me with the smoke).  I cleaned up my pit a little, put the bin in and filled it with flowers and candles.... aaaaahhhhhhh, much better:)

I love it:)  My husband wasn't as thrilled as I... he thought about all of the water it was going to collect and the muck that would get in it and the mosquitoes that would nest there...  Oh well, for now it looks good:)

I hope your Thursday is amazing!

Dena:)