Pinned!

Stayin Alive

 

Most small businesses have had to make big changes due to the economy over the last year, so this year's theme for the Illinois State Florists' Association was "Stayin' Alive".    Frankie Peltiere, Festive Atmospheres, designer.

Amy Steiner was our designer of the year last year.  That was especially fun for my class because Amy is our fearless instructor. 

We all love Amy and she did such a good job, but her little girl Hanna stole the show!

And here's how  to make a casket spray the ICPF way. . .  Bill McKinley, instructor

Friday @ ISFA Convention

 From yesterday's class.  Love the little bird, but not sure  I'll ever be able to do another one.  (Don't tell PR that--he would make me turn my I Can button upside down!)  Now I know why it's affectionately called "that damn bird!" among the flower folks who have taken his class :-)  The instructor and his assistant can make them in one minute. 

Off to a sympathy flowers class this morning and Amy's show tonight. . .

Flower School

Today I took off my social worker hat and went to flower school.  Here's Phil Rulloda, the master of tropical designs.   He taught us how to braid and weave foliages into all sorts of designs.  Now if I can just remember a tenth of what he taught us.

And here's my instructor Amy, who was the Illinois State Florists' Association's 2009 Designer of the Year.  Patty, a sweet friend and classmate,  is admiring one of the designs that Amy  made for her show tomorrow night.  Stay tuned for more pictures from the convention!

I Love You Too

birthday wishes from the best mom in the whole world (BMITWW). . .

Birthday

Today's my 54th birthday.  V gave me a  new phone, so I can text more, and I love the spiffy new red color.  Mark, TBHITWW, and I took the day off and we're going to breakfast and out to The Farm. 

I am blessed today.  Lots of good wishes from my facebook friends, a day off from  a job I'm thankful to have, the next four days off for flower classes (yay!  the black spirl-y thing in the picture is for a corsage), two sons that I'm so proud of, two beautiful grandchildren, and on and on and on. . . 

So a few aches and pains, a few worries-- those are just life's way of reminding me to focus on my blessings and how good I have it in so many ways. 

Love to Tami and Terry and their families today.

March 1st

I have a new spring resolution--no more griping about the weather! How long you think that will last?   I did find 5 Things To Do Instead of Complain over on Jon Gordon's blog this morning.  Maybe those words of wisdom will help. . . along with a good dose of above-30-degree temps and some sunshine!

Repost

Even if I knew the world was going to pieces tomorrow,

I would still plant my apple tree.

Martin Luther King, Jr

Thursday Bulb Garden

Sweet little bulb garden from True Colors.  I always try to go by Rae's shop in the early spring to get one of these.   Love the garden look and  the big pop of color.   Another early spring annual trek--stopping by the Apple Barn and going thru Gayle's greenhouses to see what's new for the year.  Maybe this weekend!

More Tulips Please

This isn't my favorite time of year by any stretch, but I have to confess that I use the weather as an excuse to pick up just a few more of these. . . cause I need 'em, ya know?? 

Saturday Tulips

This little bouquet went to V today.  Tulips in February. . . I don't know exactly who grew them, cut them, shipped them to my favorite florist, but I am thankful for each one of those people. . .  February tulips, in a vase that you love (this one was given to my by Lori),  make life a little better. 

Happy Valentine's Day

Our first picture of Kyle with his eyes open!And Betsy, eyes shut,  enjoying her valentine heart.  My granddaddy, Raymond White, always bought us heart-shaped boxes of candy for Valentine's.  He was so good to us in so many ways.  And now Betsy will have those kind of memories too.

Olympic Sunday

This little arrangement was inspired by the Olympic bouquets.  Every medalist gets a beautiful bouquet with green spiders and hypericum berries.  No hypericum here, but those little kermits look good in everything.  Container from PJ <3

Also From Lori's

J Parkes Originals with aprons. . . and some ruby slippers!

If Dogs Could Talk

Here are Zoe and Lucas at Lori's house.   As I was going through their pictures tonight, I remembered another great book that I read last week--The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. Loved it! Quick, easy read that makes you want to sit down and have a conversation with your canine best friend. Don't you wonder what Zoe and Lucas are talking about here at the front door?

Book Update

Did I tell you about the Wally Lamb book, The Hour I First Believed? It was about a couple who worked at Columbine and their life after the shooting.  I loved it.  Sad, but really good.  And I read Columbine a while back too--by one of the journalists who covered the story.  It made me think about our trip to NIU, after the  Valentine's Day shooting in 2008.

Then I thought I should stay away from shootings for a while, so I went to The Testimony, by Anita Shreve.  Her story also takes place in a school where things go terribly wrong at a high school party.  Next was The Spire by Richard North Patterson.    It also took place at a school, but this time the main character was an alum who returned as the administrator and had to clear up a mystery that occured while he was still a student.
On the way back from Kentucky, I read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  She has a blog about her project too.   It was a fun read.   Cause we all want to be happy.  And a lot of us want everybody else to be happy too.  Wish we could all feel that way. . .

And now I'm starting on Chris Bohjalian's Secret of Eden.  My mom told me about it because she knows that I'll never get over what CB did to us with Double Bind. 

Betsy is reading No Diapers for Ducky and If You Give a Moose a Muffin.

  Speaking of books, Lori has a fabulous new library in her house.  Beautiful recycled floor to ceiling bookshelves that are full of the books she and Todd love.  Be sure to tell me what you're reading too!

Kyle's Big Sister

Betsy didn't care much for the hospital.  She kept her Boo Boo busy walking the halls. 

They'll be welcoming Kyle home today!

Two Days Old

He looks different already!

With PaPa

These were taken on Tuesday, Kyle's birthday.

Kyle Warren Jones

Here's our little boy, just born this morning at 8:15 am.  He is 21 3/4 inches long and 9 pounds.  He looks a lot like his sister did when she was born.