Talented Time Travelers in Focus #37

YOU CAN JOIN THIS WEEK'S PARTY—STILL IN PROGRESS—HERE!

And remember to join me for the final week of Funny Faux Pas Follies tomorrow night.

Now, let's take a peek at some of the talent linked up to last week's party.

Maps of every sort are showing up on the decorating scene these days.  And Krysta @ Dropped Stitch Knitter decided to get in on the action. 

Would you have had the patience to paint all this detail by hand?  Well, she did!  And it certainly paid off.

We're all familiar with the wonders of paint and its transforming power.  If you have any doubts, just visit Taylor @ Living In The Woods and see what this adorable table looked like beforehand.

Here's a super cute idea for dressing up a vintage item from Create With Joy.  I love the whimsical tag stating the obvious!  ; )

Who doesn't need to be more frugal these days?   Marcia @ Frugal Homekeeping gave us recipes for using one brownie mix five ways.  YUMMY!

Button, button, who's got the button?  Curtains in my Tree does.  And she uses them in the prettiest projects!

Have you prepared your pranks for April Fools tomorrow?  You haven't?!

Well, Shauntel @ The Polka-Dot Umbrella has the cutest idea for you to borrow—just serve a dirty salad.  But you'll have to visit her for the details.

Oh, and I just thought of a way to make it even more convincing.  Fill a super clean flower pot with the faux dirt and use a clean garden tool to serve it. lol

Sometimes the solutions to our problems are right under our noses—or in this case feet.

Stop by Simply Bungalow to find out how feet led right to this sweet display.

All you Northerners are having to go the extra mile to even think spring this year.  But, Suzanne @ Pieced Pastimes is determined to make the best of it and has filled her home with warm woods, vintage goods, and little hints of the season.

Well, another fun week has come and gone at the cottage.  So what pretty projects have you terrific Time Travelers linked this week?

Where Does the Time Go?!

Happy 24th Birthday,
Darling Daughter!

Image from Asheley's high school scrapbook.

We love you, Sweetie!

Time Travel Thursday # 38 - A Bounty of Blooms at the Cottage

CHECK OUT ALL THE DETAILS FOR THE PARTY HERE!

And be sure to join me for the finale of Funny Faux Pas Follies this Friday.

Welcome to the 38th Time Travel Thursday linky party at the Brambleberry Cottage.

Are you ready for our next trip back in time and into the future?

Then let's get started!

The warmer temperatures have brought with them a bounty of blooms to the cottage.

And while the sunny daffodils and the sweetly scented hyacinths raised their lovely little heads weeks ago—while there was still yet quite a nip in the air—most of the cottage blossoms...

dared not emerge from their winter's nap, until they were assured of consistent warmth from the sun's cozy rays. 

But, they've since decided, it's time to shine!

What an unparalleled delight it is to watch the spritely spring parade of kaleidoscope color popping up all around me each year.

As the fragrant flowers of the plum trees begin to fade, the pretty peach blossoms arrive on the scene—ready to steal the show.

Their resplendent colors are a beaconing invitation to the bees and butterflies to come and taste of their sweet nectar.

And their delicate pink blooms are even more breathtaking set against the brilliant blue Carolina sky.

The Asian pear—while devoid of the flashy color exhibited by many of the other cottage blooms— 

puts on a showstopping performance...

of its very own.

The glorious details of the ever-changing landscape are just one more reason why I LOVE living in the country.  ; )

Joining Susan for Outdoor Wednesday, Tracie for Cottage Flora Thursday, Cindy for Show and Tell Friday, Bev for Pink Saturday, and Mary for Mosaic Monday.

Funny Faux Pas Follies #4 - Paying it Back!

Welcome to week four of Funny Faux Pas Follies!

Are you ready to have some fun and enjoy a bit of light-hearted humor?

Great; then let's party!

Okay.  For three straight weeks, I've let you see my blundering side. 

But I thought I would take a different turn, for this party, and show you a side of

myself that doesn't surface very often—

the prankster.   ; )

And once again, this humorous little tale involves my

darling daughter, Asheley.

If you remember from last week, Asheley was a child who was in constant motion.

She really seemed to have only two speeds—high and off.

So traveling in a vehicle with Ashe, when she was young, was quite a challenge at times.

The old familiar, "are we there yet" began forming on her lips, almost

as soon as her seat belt clicked in—and often continued, until we arrived at our destination.

It actually got so bad on one long trip, I silently prayed, "Lord, would it be a sin if I

muzzled my child?" 

Just kidding—sort of!   ; )

Thankfully, it was just a phase, and, happily, one that she outgrew.

JAKE & ASHE THE DAY ASHE GOT HER CAR

Now, fast forward to Ashe's senior year in high school.

She had been invited to spend spring break with the family of one

of her very best friends—Jake.

Jake and Ashe had been friends for a long time, and we had seen so much of him over

the years of their friendship, he was like a member of our family.

  As a matter of fact, he even tagged along with us, when it was time

to purchase a car for Asheley. 

And they even went to each other's separate school dances—as a couple.

Because we knew Jake so well, and were assured that his parents would uphold good

Christian values, we felt peace about sanctioning

this trip to the beach.

On the morning of Asheley's departure, her dad kissed her goodbye

and left for work.  I helped her finish packing and then prepared to take

her to Jake's family's home.

Shortly after arriving there, and after a few minutes of conversation with his parents,

I kissed Ashe, said goodbye, and told her to

call me as soon as she got to the beach cottage.

When I returned home, I was pleasantly surprised to find that hubby

had decided to take the day off, and had come back home,

so he and I could spend time together.

Jester Image & Jester Graphics

I feel it necessary to preface the rest of the story with a disclaimer...

I'm not the prank-playing type. 

I'm actually considered to be the serious one of the bunch—

by my family members.

But this 4 1/2 hour trip of Asheley's was just too tempting to pass up.  So I enlisted

hubby's help for a bit of payback.

It had been about twenty minutes since I had left Ashe off, but it had been hours

 since she had seen her dad.  To make her believe that he was still at work,

I had him use his cell phone to call to ask her if she was there yet—of course,

knowing full well, she was not.

Then about thirty minutes later, I called from home and asked her if she was there yet. 

Thirty minutes after that, hubby called from his cell again, to ask her if she was

there yet.

And so it went, for the entirety of Asheley's trip to the beach.

Well, except for the last 45 minutes or so—when mysteriously, Ashe couldn't be reached

on her cell phone.  lol

But we just patiently waited, until we knew that they had had plenty of time to

arrive at the beach cottage, and we called again.  This time Asheley answered.  Before I

could say a word, she said, "Yes, Mom!  I'm there!!!"

Hearing the intensity of the frustration in her voice, I decided to fill her in on the prank.

It took Ashe and Jake quite awhile before they could see the humor in my

"paying it back," for all those years of, "Are we there yet?"

But Jake's parents thought it was a hoot. 

Imagine that!   ; )

Talented Time Travelers in Focus #36

YOU CAN JOIN THIS WEEK'S PARTY—STILL IN PROGRESS—HERE!

And remember to join me for Funny Faux Pas Follies tomorrow night.


Now let's recap some of the creative mischief shared at the last party.

Want a super cute craft idea for those forlorn mason jars you've got hangin' around? 

 Look no further than Aaron @ Mudpies and Marigolds.

She used the simplest of embellishments and "prettied" hers right up.

I love salad any time of the year—but especially when the "fixins" look this delicious!

Carolyn @ Desire Empire gave us a glimpse of her beach house kitchen and tempted us with this scrumptious looking salad, to boot.

And Santa's Gift Shoppe and Ideas offered up a coaster project for all of us
French fanatics.

You won't believe how simple they are to make.

A short stroll through Blogland makes it quite apparent that everyone has anxiously anticipated spring.

For instance, Erika @ Erika... with a K has lots of pretty projects goin' on to reflect the season—like the bed full of lovely purple pansies she planted.

I just love introducing newbies to all of you—my blogging buddies. 

Being new to the blogosphere, Stacy @ Stacy' Sweets could use a warm welcome.

So be sure to stop by, and say "hi"!  ; )

We never tire of seeing terrific trash-to-treasure projects, do we? 

Well, Jaime @ Okla-HOME-a turned her trash—an old bedpost and some scrap wood—into this totally cute table.

Want another quick and easy craft?

Then visit J & A @ Joyful Living, and see how to make this simple, sweet sachet.

Sometimes, to show others just how much we care, we take the time to create special gifts, just for them.

And that's exactly what Susie @ Puddle Jumper Creations did, for the birthdays of two of her dear friends.

This adorable bunny looks right at home peeking out from the gorgeous crocuses—in the spring flower garden of Bella @ Bella's Rose Cottage.

It appears, I'm not the only one in Blogland going through a major purge at home.

Irma @ Cosas Bellas is doing a bit of purging herself.

And boy is she saying goodbye to some real beauties!

We all need more ways to make our $$$ stretch in this economy. 

And Tammy @ Busy Blessings makes it look easy—preparing three meals with one ham.

But it was her biscuits that really got my attention!



Wow!  There was lots of linky love shared last week by all of you terrific Time Travelers.

Now let's go take a peek at what you've got this week.

Time Travel Thursday #37 - Country Roads

CHECK OUT ALL THE DETAILS FOR THE PARTY HERE!

And remember to join me for Funny Faux Pas Follies this Friday.

Welcome to the 37th Time Travel Thursday linky party at the Brambleberry Cottage.

Are you ready for our next trip back in time and into the future?

Great; here we go!

Before I will even consider spending any amount of time outdoors, the thermometer on my porch has to read at least 55 degrees.

Now don't act surprised!  I shared my dislike for the cold in my very first post.

But, I'm delighted to announce, the weather is finally warm enough for me to exit my cozy little cottage cocoon.

So, on this gloriously warm spring day, I thought you might enjoy accompanying me on a scenic stroll along the winding country road I live on.

As you exit my drive, you see nothing but thick woods ahead.

However, a mere 250 yards down the road—right across from one end of my little farm—you see the picturesque pond and old timeworn outbuilding, shown in the first image.

Then, as we merrily wind our way further down the road, we encounter the blossom-bedecked farmland you see in the next four shots.

Just behind that glowing hedge of forsythia is an old log barn and a few more outbuildings.

And at the back of that sweet country flower garden—overflowing with daffodils—is an old house, where members of this neighbor's family were born.

This is another lovely scene from the same farm, with the mountain in the backdrop.

As we mosey on a bit further, we come upon the most charming farm, loaded with wonderfully iconic country buildings—like this...

and this.

Of course, this is farm country.

 So just imagine acre upon acre of beautiful fields and forests—each dotted with delightfully bucolic structures...

many of which were, at one time, the quaint little dwellings of the relatives of my neighbors.

I realize that this type of seclusion and rusticity is not for everyone.

But I so love living in this peaceful sanctuary and feel blessed that country roads take me home.  ;)

Joining Susan for Outdoor Wednesday, Tracie for Cottage Flora Thursday, Suzanne for Vintage Thingie Thursday, and Debra for Vintage Inspiration Friday.

IF YOU LINK TO THE PARTY, PLEASE BE SURE TO LINK BACK TO THE BRAMBLEBERRY COTTAGE ON YOUR BLOG.

And We Have a Winner!

Thanks to all who entered the CSN giveaway.

I know you were all looking forward to winning, and if it were left up to me, I would give you ALL a shopping spree!  ; )

But I'm afraid there's just one winner for this giveaway...

and the winner of this wonderful prize is...

 Katie @ Kathrine's Corner!

But don't lose heart.  Be sure to keep your eyes on the Brambleberry Cottage horizon—another giveaway is comin'.



Funny Faux Pas Follies #3 - A Nice Trip

Welcome to week three of Funny Faux Pas Follies!

Let's have a little fun together.  Shall we?

In every family, there seems to be at least one person who keeps everyone else on their toes.

In our family, it was always my darling daughter, Asheley.

I suspected from the start—even while she was still in the womb—that I was going to have my hands full with that child.

From very early on in my pregnancy, she seemed to be in constant motion. 

And it didn't stop, once she was born.

As a matter of fact, the older she got, the more active she became.

I think Cyndi Lauper wrote Girls Just Wanna Have Fun specifically for Ashe.

When the time came to plan for her 18th birthday, we asked her what she would like to do to celebrate.

After all, "18" is one of those major milestone years.

Ashe knew that I had a business trip that was scheduled a few weeks after her birthday and asked if she could tag along, as her present.

I know what you're thinking, "Awww!  How sweet!  She just wanted to celebrate her birthday by being with Mom."

And while we are extremely close, and we've always loved spending time together, the venue of my business meeting was what she was really after.

IMAGE SOURCE

Nope, that's not Paris; it's Las Vegas, Nevada!

To make this occasion even more memorable, I even let her choose the hotel we would stay in. 

IMAGE SOURCE

After spending countless hours on the computer, pouring over numerous hotels, she decided The Aladdin Resort would be the "perfect place" to celebrate her birthday.

"See, Mom.  This would be the perfect place.  I could stay by the pool while you're in meetings," she reasoned.

Yeah, right!  Like I would let my gorgeous 18-yr-old daughter be anywhere in Las Vegas all by herself!!!

The condition for her tagging along for her birthday was that she would have to be in the company of some of the other adult ladies from my group, when I was in meetings.

  

From the moment the plane arrived in Vegas, Asheley was determined to "see the sights."

Remember the introduction to this post—the child who was never still?

A place that "never sleeps" is the perfect environment for someone like Asheley!

So, needless to say, when I wasn't in business meetings, I was walking the Vegas strip with my daughter.

On one such day—as we were touring the strip—we noticed a decent-sized crowd gathered in a grassy area near the sidewalk.

Of course, Ashe had to find out what the buzz was all about, so we began making our way to the crowd.

Still dressed in business attire, from my morning meeting—including high heels—made traversing the sidewalk full of people rather tricky.

Just as I started stepping off the sidewalk into the grass, my heel got wedged in a crack and threw me forward into the crowd.

Thank goodness, there was a kind man standing right there to break my fall.  Of course, he didn't know he would be breaking my fall—unfortunately, with his back.

The whole crowd turned to see what the new commotion was all about—including the entertainer, who was the reason for the crowd.

As soon as I could compose myself, and, as graciously as possible, apologize for "dropping in" unexpectedly on this nice man, I was out of there!!!

Of course, once Asheley knew that I hadn't hurt anything—other than my pride—she was in hysterics.

In the midst of her hearty chortle, she jokingly asked, "Mom, did you have a nice trip?"

Which caused us both to break into hysterical laughter.

That night, there was entertainment provided at a function hosted by my company, and Ashe was invited to attend.

Any guess as to who the entertainer might have been?

IMAGE SOURCE

It was none other than the very same Elvis impersonator whose impromptu sidewalk show, I had crashed!

Like being humiliated in front of this guy once wasn't enough!!!

And since that day, every time someone asks whether I've "had a nice trip,"  I think back to Vegas and Elvis...

and especially to my darling daughter—who made it a very nice trip—

and I smile!  ; )