Tag: family

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Finding the perfect Palm Beach Architects

One of my favorite cousins who I am very close to, called me last night and told me that she has found the perfect Palm Beach Architects to design her new home! The man Katie married is a wonderful husband and father to her two year old son. Not only that, he is very wealthy. I’m happy for my cousin, as she didn’t really have much growing up and even though she married into money, she kept her values and her roots intact. The only thing she has ever dreamed of is a beautiful house. Now she is getting one, and I’m so happy for her.

Her husband John recently was transferred to Palm Beach, and along with getting a generous raise in the corporation he works for, he also had been planning on giving the gift of a beautiful dream home to Katie as soon as they moved to where they would settle permanently. Katie sent me the link to the website of the architects she would like to use, and to be honest, I was blown away with the beauty of their work.

My dear cousin doesn’t know the ins and outs of architecture, but this firm she told me, is getting to know her and guiding her through her decisions while putting their own spin on things as well as hers. When Katie and I were growing up, she always had some awesome ideas for her dream house. Now she has help from awesome professionals and the money to turn those dreams into reality. I’m so thrilled for her.

 

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Picking out Graduation Announcements

With my youngest daughter’s graduation around coming on fast, (we have three more weeks) it’s time to address her graduation announcements. It seems like yesterday that I was sending her off to school for her first day, on the bus. I even remember what she wore that day. I get a bit “mom type” sentimental when it comes to things like preparing her now for graduation from high school, and soon she will be going off to collage. I’m going to really miss her a great deal when she leaves for school.

My daughter doesn’t want a big graduation party, which actually doesn’t surprise me much, since she never has liked a lot of pomp and circumstance, as it is. She’s is a social person, but on the same note, she doesn’t like a lot of fuss being made. We have decided to have a small get together with the family and a few close friends that she wanted to invite. I personally wish she’d like a big party, since graduation is a awesome accomplishment and also a step toward even bigger and better things in a person’s life.

The announcements we ordered are so personalized and fitting for my daughter that when her graduation photo is put inside, it is like we actually chose the announcements according to her various outfits worn in her pictures. Which actually we didn’t, yet they came out perfectly. My daughter is happy with them, the price was right and I’m happy about that. It will help with money matters, since we also plan on giving her the gift of money and the title to a truck she has wanted for a long time. It won’t surprise me if she finds a way to attach her announcement to her dashboard. This is saying something about how well they turned out.

 

 

 

 

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Mother’s Day flower boxes

The kids made me shut my eyes as they led me outside to reveal my Mother’s Day present, which were a set of flower boxes. I loved them right away! I’ve been wanting regular flower boxes for a long time, as I have a sort of project in mind,, using them and some other garden items, in the front yard, and now I can at least start on this project. The lovely flowers of all sort that apparently my kids bought and transplanted into the box, were the finishing touch on my present.

I love window boxes also. When we bought the house, there were some on the house, but they were in sad state of repair. I finally got them down and they literally were falling apart in places because of wood rot, and the fact that they were super old.

A window box in each of the front windows, as there are two of them, would look really pretty. It’s on my list of things I get while saving up my pennies. OR, I could save money and try to make my own.

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Outdoor patio heaters are awesome

When my sister got married, she and her husband wanted to have the wedding outside, with tents set up for the guests and food, but they also wanted to get outdoor patio heaters, which to me are awesome to have. My sister wanted to buy them so they could sit out on the patio in evenings that got a bit chilly. She figured also that since our family are always celebrating one event or another, we actually all wanted to go in together to get these heaters, since we no doubt would be borrowing them if needed for a big get together.

I have liked these patio heaters because though I don’t know too much about them, I do know that when we built our deck/patio, I wanted to get a small heater right away. We did a lot of shopping, and comparing prices. We changed our minds at least twenty times also. Not to mention the fact that I would like one kind and my husband wanted another. Personally, just to be fair, I don’t care really what make it is, as long as I am warmed by the machine, it isn’t too pricy and it lasts.

I’m thinking that by buying a couple of the outdoor patio heaters, we’re going to be happy with them, especially after night time swimming. Even in the summer, for the most part the evenings and into the night time, it gets a bit chilly now and then.

 

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Sad and long day

It’s been a long and rather sad day. My daughter found out one of the family dogs has cancer, and it’s hitting home pretty hard, as I had the daughter of this dog and she died last fall of the same type of cancer. The vet said that they are going to make China, my daughters dog, comfortable and give her something for infection.

This day seemed to drag on and on while waiting for news from my daughter about her pet, which actually along with her other dogs, is a family member. I know how it feels, since I have lost quite a few of my beloved fur friends in my time, and also the pets the kids all grew up with.

China and her mate Tyson, have been in the family for nearly 14 years, so the vet figured their age in dog years is about 100. She’s led a really good and fun filled life. I am so used to dog and house sitting for my daughter when they go on vacations or leave with the kids for the weekends, so I’m going to miss  China when she passes on. Tyson will be lost also. It’s sad, but a fact of life, and all I can do is be there for them all after their pet is gone, like I always have been.

 

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Barstools for gifts

One of the home furnishings that my aunt needs is to find a bar stool like the other three she already has. I love going to her house, since it almost looks like it could be a place that was built for the tropics. She has loads of hanging and potted ferns and plants in all of her ceiling to floor windows. What she calls the breakfast room, has a great bar type island and there are supposed to be two rattan and wicker bar stools on each side of it.

I’ve wanted to replace the stool for her for about three years now, and she also has wanted to replace it, but we haven’t found anything that looks like her other three. I know that the set was expensive, and looking for one bar stool to match has been so unsuccessful that she’s decided to spend the money and get the four of them that look similar, but also have more of a soft seat and a higher back to them.

She looked online and found a great set that she can also pick the type of fabric for the seat that will match her breakfast room. I love the ones she showed me, since they are even named Hospitality Key West. I think they will look very tropical in her beautiful room. Bless my Aunt, as she said to save my money for more plants, since she wants these and they are way over my budget, but not hers.

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Hot tub pumps and maintenance

For years we have had a hot tub that we’ve never had to actually put much maintenance into, but we just found out we are going to have to look at new hot tub pumps. This is fine by us though, since all of these years we have found great relaxation and enjoyment out of our hot tub, so it’s well worth the new pump.

I remember years ago, battling my husband about getting a hot tub. I wanted one right outside the patio doors in the back yard. Three steps down and we’d be in it. He refused to even look at them. At that time, I was constantly on horse back, getting older and my sore muscles totally made me feel so tensed up, it hurt. Plus at the time, my job was really very stressful. As HE himself got older, the hot tub of course, became something that was, his idea. Yep, right. At least it was one way to get my hot tub…make it seem like his idea.

For awhile, I bought the hot tub chemicals and maintained both the hot tub and the pool also. Now though, it’s up to him to maintain both. I have done it for years and it’s his turn. Kids are nearly all grown and if they want to use either the hot tub or the pool, they too will have to take turns at buying the chemicals and taking care of levels and such, because it’s my turn to relax when I want to and not worry about such things!

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The cost of solar panels

My daughter and her family are moving into a very large home this coming week. Because of the size, she and her husband will be looking into solar panel costs. I believe with this house, in our climate, this would be totally ideal for them, if they decided to use solar panels in their home. I’m hoping that they will eventually be putting them in.

Because of the fact that this home is so big, and my daughter’s husband bites off more than he can chew, I’m sure he has not given the price of heating and cooling a thought. He is out for looks and size, since he is that kind of a guy…what one owns and the more of it, to him is what counts. My daughter on the other hand has been raised with solar energy in our homes that we had while she was growing up. She is the one that makes sure the bills get paid and is also the one in that family that worries.

The home has five bedrooms with attached baths, not to name the other numerous rooms in the house, that have to be heated or air cooled. I’m going to tell her to continue showing her husband the pros and of course some of the cons, ( but there aren’t that many cons) to using solar panels. It’s would help with money matters and also be some piece of mind for my daughter. I believe in solar energy, and it might be a solution to a major heating and cooling problem that I know my daughter and her family are going to have in the future.

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Feathers, glitter and fancy fixings

Yesterday I went shopping at the hobby store and though it was a fast trip in and out, I did pick up a few items to make a mask for my daughter’s prom outfit. This year the prom theme is  Masquerade.

I was informed last night after being told by my daughter for months that she didn’t want to go to her Senior prom, she indeed was going and that she needs a mask by next Saturday. I work well under pressure, but this is cutting it thin, considering I’ve never made a mask before. With my costumes that I make, I work with big time make up to finish off the costume.

I bought a few feathers, two masks, and some little fixings and such, as I do have some ideas in mind. I’m going to mess around with the things tonight and then add to the list of items I’m going to need, once I get a creative brain storm. I might even have some of the items I need and that will save some money.

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Gardens for my daughter

After looking at hundreds of garden plans, my oldest daughter has put the decisions about what to do with the yards of her new home they will be moving into in a week. I realize I don’t have the time that I need this year to have them looking great, but it’s awesome that she would like my advice. She was never into gardens and gardening while she was growing up.

I’m thinking about putting in some simple raised beds for the time being and when she finds what she would like, then we’ll go on from there.

I have a feeling this is going to be an exciting but long summer for some beginning gardeners, for instance, my oldest daughter and my son, who is starting to get into it also!