So many happy and wonderful things!

Well, it happened before my eyes... I turned another year older! Yes, I celebrated another birthday, and it was wonderful!

My dear husband took me out on a special date to a local antique mall. The weather was absolutely fantastic that day, and we enjoyed looking around the shop. I spotted some pieces of Johnson Brothers China that match the set I found at Goodwill years ago. The set is called "Hearts and Flowers". I just love this design. It's country, with a touch of Folk Art to it. My husband said I should have these pieces, as it was my special day, and they were priced just right. Aren't they lovely?!

We stopped and had a nice lunch, then it was off to a home and garden center. 

We picked up pretty bird pillows for our front wicker bench on the porch, along with two new big brown chairs to sit in out back near the pond my husband made in our yard.

Yes, he put a beautiful pond in, which already has tadpoles in it! It didn't take those frogs long to jump right in!

Here are some photos...

We were pretty fortunate that there were lots of rocks on our property in the woods... So we just hauled them over with the riding mower. Saved us a bunch of money!

Here are the baby wren birds in their nest, just before they fledged. It was so much fun watching them grow. It was hard to see them leave!

Here is another picture, if you look closely, you can see one of the babies on the cross, and another on the porch railing. I feel blessed I was their to witness them leaving the nest!

We also started our first garden since living here in this house in NC. We planted some tomato plants, pepper plants, green bean seeds, sunflowers, and wildflowers. Everything is looking good and everything is growing so far! 

Seeds are popping up everywhere! It's so exciting to me!

Here are my  flower plants, from seed!! ..

Some wildflower seeds I planted in a basket....

Remember my porch railing planters?! Well.... They have come a long way since my previous post! The morning glory seeds have sprouted and really have taken off! Look! :)

So pretty right?!! :)  oh and the honeysuckle in our yard smells heavenly...

A pretty ladybug cross our paths... It even had a heart shaped spot on it's back. It must have known I have a thing for hearts!

Haven't stitched too much more on our anniversary sampler... But have done half of my husband (hee hee ) :)

Been busy working on granny squares for donation blankets for veterans through the ministry at our church...

Red , white and blue of course!

Something wonderful my husband surprised me with!! He custom built me a table for my Janome sewing machine!!

He knows I have been struggling for years because it sits too high on the table I was using for sewing. 

He made me a table out of pine where the machine drops down into the table. He even cut the hole so I can use the lift bar for the presser foot! I have never been able to use that before! 

Yes we could have purchased a ready made table for my machine, but they are extremely expensive. This saved us tons!

My husband is so talented, he amazes me day after day the things he can do.

I love him so very much. He is so good to me! Here are some pictures of my new table. It is still unfinished, my husband will be painting it for me in the near future. Probably in the color white. 

Now I can sew sitting at the proper height! No more sitting on a bunch of pillows to reach the machine!

My birthday cake! :)

I love celebrating my birthdays, perhaps for some as they get older that may sound strange. To me I feel each year is a blessing. Every year I get to be here is another year to learn, love, live, and give. I feel blessed to be the age I am.

Speaking of birthdays... A very special bird turns 12 years old today!!

Happy Birthday to our Andy the Bird!! 

Cake to follow... As I am putting this post at almost 3am! 

Blessings!

Louise xx