To Blog or not to Blog . . .

That's the question I've been asking myself quite a bit lately.  For months, actually.  

Seems I've been in a rut most of this year. 

I've been 

Uninspired

Unmotivated

Uncreative

In a down right funk.

Guess you could say I've been in a funky rut.

Can't put my finger on it.  

Don't know if it's mid-life kicking in hard.  

God willing I live to be 96.

It could even be the onset of pre-menopause. 

Maybe it could be the realization my boys aren't quite boys anymore.  Just proving even more I'm getting older! 
My older two both officially over 21 now,  and the youngest starting high school.

Possibly a combination of all of the above.

I can't say it's been a bad year . . . 

not a particularly great one . . . 

But overall I can't, shouldn't, complain.

As for my blog, I feel with all this funky rut stuff going on, I've not had much, if anything, to offer.  When I started this blog, my main objective was to feel more a part of the blog world I obsessively loved to visit.  To share a little of me with so many wonderful bloggers who've shared themselves and their homes and their ideas.  Hell, I haven't even visited so many of my most favorite blogs in forever.  Frankly, I'm hardly on the computer at all anymore.  I check my email from time-to-time and keep track of my bank accounts and bills.  That's pretty much it!

Maybe it's a computer thing.  

Maybe I've burned myself out with all the ongoing, never ending amounts of stimuli out there on the world wide web.  

So, I've decided to let my last 4 or 5 regular readers {if that} know that I'm officially declaring a blogging hiatus.   My heart doesn't tell me to shut it down.  I'm hoping I can break free from the funky rut eventually, and get back in there reading and sharing with all the wonderful bloggers I've met over the years.

I felt the need to compose this little post just so ya'll knew.  There's been a few bloggers whom I just loved to visit, and then one day with no word, no warning, they just stop blogging.  Hoping it wasn't what some might think is the worst obvious scenario, I could never understand why they never published a little blurb if just to say "that's all folks". 

Let's hope I can find a way to get rejuvenated and dig up that inspiration and motivation to get the 

oohhh sooo many unfinished projects completed.  Start the ones I've had tucked away in the back of mind forever.  And get back to reading and enjoying the blogs I've loved for so long.  

Can't say I'll be gone for a week, a month or even a couple months.  Let's hope it's not much longer than that!  In the meantime, I'm going to at least try to get back into reading the so many blogs I've loved for so long.  

Thanks to those of you who are fairly regular readers and leave comments.  

I've truly appreciated your readership.  

Thanks for visiting!

Leave a comment so I can get to know you.

Red, White and Blue

Hope you all had a super-fun fourth!

I intended to get this post out yesterday, but my camera and computer must have had a tiff because I couldn't get them to communicate with one another.  By the time I got the computer to be nice and talk to the camera to allow the pics to be uploaded, it was time to race out of the house for some July 4th festivities.  

Oh, I guess I could have planned a few days in advance, and had the post prepared to launch on the 4th, but it's been pretty hectic around here lately.  Son No. 1's college roommate flew up from North Carolina for a visit for a couple days.  Son No. 3 was in golf camp for most of last week.  For me, work got in the way . . . darn work!  So, as in pretty consistent CosmoGirl fashion, I'm a day late.  

Better late than never, right?!

I thought it would be fun to share just a few of the patriotic-inspired touches I have around the house.  I also threw in a few summery, beachy vignettes.  I'll let the red, white and blue fly a few more days, then I'll change a lot of it out for more summer-inspired accents.

Every year I tell myself I'm going to make a few more quilts like the one above.  It's a placemat-size table quilt.  How cute would the kitchen table be with a little quilted flag at each seat?

To show our patriotic spirit, I gathered all sorts of items from around the house that donned our flags colors, and used them here and there around the house.

Small accent pillows from Son No. 1's bedroom and Son No. 3's crib quilt I made more than a dozen years ago on a side chair in the kitchen.  It was nice having that quilt out again.  It's been buried under other quilts on a rack where I almost forgot about it. 

The shelf on the hutch, below, gets changed out all the time.  Whether it's seasonal or holiday inspired, I like to change it up a lot.

See Susan Branch's Summer book up there?  I love her books.  I have every one published.  I love her artwork, recipes and especially the personal stories she shares in all her books.  

Dishtowels in red, white and blue . . . 

Check out those cute solar lights stuck in the planter down there.  

Walmart ~ $1.50 a piece.  

I think they may have to stay out all summer!

Especially since the flowers in that pot aren't doing so well.  Maybe I should think of making plant change there.

The kitchen table centerpiece has been changed out to something a little more summer than patriotic.  

Small terra cotta flower pots painted and adorned with jute and sea shells hot glued to the pot.  Add a little sand and some votives.  Super easy and cute. (hummm . . . Think I need to add something more to that tray ~ more starfish, seashells . . . It looks little sparse in the photo.)

On a personal blogging note, I wanted to take a minute to thank you all for your readership.  I've reached 100 followers, and I'm so humbled by that.  With all the absolutely fabulous and wonderful blogs out there, I am so very humbled to know that even just a handful of people visit my teeny tiny corner of blogland.  

I do appreciate your readership, and if you have a blog, I appreciate you sharing yourselves.  Lately, I haven't had a lot of extra time to visit all my favorites as frequently as I'd like, and many times when I have visited, I just haven't had time to comment on all the wonderful things you post.  I'm hoping when things settle down a bit around here, I'll have more time to really visit with all my blogging friends ~ old and new :o)

Thanks for visiting!

Leave a comment so I can get to know you.

Tiny Treasures in the Mail

Boy, did I have a fabulous treat come in the mail the other day!

My sweet blogging friend,

Angie of Hopemore Studio

sent me one of her amazing works of art.  

A beautiful collage egg.  

I knew it was coming.  She emailed me a while back to let me know she had saved one for me in case I didn't receive one of her amazing creations in an Easter egg swap in which we both had participated.  Disappointingly, I had not, so she told me she was sending one out to me.  

How sweet is that?!

As if saving and sending me one of her beautiful eggs wasn't enough, she also enclosed a sampling of salvaged trinkets.  

What fun little treasures!

Then Angie really spoiled me.  With all the other wonderful treasures, she sent along a tiny wrapped secret gift. 

Gently swaddled in white muslin, tied with lavender seam binding, was another one of her amazing works of art ~ a polymer faux slide depicting a vintage scene of passersby at the base of the Eiffel Tower. 

Isn't it beautiful?!

Thank you soooo much, Angie!  

What a wonderful and generous treasure trove you gifted me.   I can't express enough how much I so love the gifts you sent.  I'm truly humbled by your generosity.

Thanks for visiting!

Leave a comment so I can get to know you.

WOO HOO!!!! I'M A WINNER!

My blogging friend, Kathy, over at 

Creative Home Expressions 

was holding a fun week of giveaways over at her blog last week.  It was in celebration of her milestone of 500 posts and 3 years of blogging.

She teamed up with 5 other talented bloggers to showcase and offer as giveaways items they created themselves or items from the companies they represent.

Each day she offered a different item, and each day I added my comment to be entered into each one of those giveaways.  I would have been tickled pink to have won any of the great items offered! 
Well, Ole Lady Luck was watchin' over me.  
I won!!!!  
The best part is I won a beautifully hand crafted sign from another blogging friend 

- and almost neighbor as we both live in the same small state - 

Paula from 

Castle and Cottage Signs

Since I first "met" Paula in blogland over a year ago, I have drooled over her gorgeous signs, vowing one day to purchase one for myself.  You can imagine how thrilled I was to find out I was the winner of her Je t' aime sign ~ French for "I Love You" ~  and just in time to incorporate into my Valentine's Day decor.  

A big huge bear hug to you, Kathy and Paula!  

What a great way to start the New Year . . . as a winner!  ;o)

Thanks for visiting! 

Leave a comment so I can get to know you.

MY YEAR IN REVIEW - A PICTORIAL

I wanted to share with you all my most favorite snaps from the past year.  These photos were chosen either because it was a favorite project, or I just plain liked the picture!  

Since there are so many, I'm going to try to keep the commentary to a minimum so your not totally overwhelmed!  

So get comfy and enjoy :o)

The B&B where we have our "girl's weekend away".
We almost got snowed in!

Backyard scene from one of the many huge snowfalls this past winter.

The reclining chair-and-a-half I recovered with painter's drop cloth.
Sadly, soon after I finished the project, 
the chair broke :o(

Spring finally arrived!  A page from an old calendar.

Cupcakes created for a good friend's daughter's wedding shower.

Goodies from my blog's milestone giveaway.

Inspirational "stones" made from polymer clay.

A church in NYC honoring fallen soldiers with their names on ribbons.

Flowering Purple Leaf Plum Shrub
My gardens gave me so much photographic inspiration this past year.
This past season turned out to be one of those "good" gardening years.

Bleeding Hearts

Kwanzan Cherry Tree Blossoms

Terrarium project from Country Living Mag created from picture frames.

Some of my Stangl Pottery collection.

Paper pieced iris mini quilt and real irises!

My Hubby.
Still looking good in uniform after 29 years!

The gardens enduring one of many heat waves this past summer.

Fresh basil from the garden.

Twilight on my deck.

Some goodies from my craft room.

The beach we love to visit.
The Towers State Park near Dewey Beach, Delaware.

Jalapeno Pepper Jam.

Salsa made from the abundance of tomatoes from the garden.

Art of my boys created from silhouettes made of them in preschool.

Old wine bottle repurposed into a lantern.

One of several paint projects.  A shelf in the master bedroom.

My PB felt leaf garland knockoff.

Quick and easy wall art for the redone master bedroom.

New wall color and bedding for the master bedroom.

Quick and easy Christmas cards.

 Thanks for sharing this past year with me.  I can't tell you all enough how much I appreciate your readership and support this past full year of blogging.  I look

forward to getting to know more of you through your blogs, and continuing the blogging friendships that I've made over the year.

Happy New Year to you all!

Thanks for visiting!

Leave a comment so I can get to know you.