Just a Few of the Reasons I Haven't Blogged Much Lately

Oh my......life!

It sure gets in the way of blogging creatively sometimes!  Know what I mean?

Well, I have some exciting news!  My school was nominated to be a California Distinguished School and today was our visitation.   You know how it is when company is coming over and there are so many little projects that need to be done and so much clean up?  Well picture that at a school with 27 classrooms, 16 classroom teachers, and multiple support staff.  Oh yes....I've been a cleaning organizing fool.  (And we qualified!  It's quite an honor!) 

And.....my principal asked me to help decorate the meeting room for the morning breakfast and luncheon.  So I've had a few projects to work on for that.  Did I take pictures?  Of course not!  But I did bring the lunch menu board home and got a pic of that so you can get an idea of some of the things I made.  

This is actually a chalkboard that hangs in my studio/guest room.  If you didn't guess, our school colors are blue and yellow.  A friend with better writing than me penned the menu with some of those fun chalk markers.  I made the little bunting with my cricut.

Did you see my little bluebird?  It's glued to the top corner of the chalkboard.  It broke off a Mary Engelbreit item (can't even remember what it was) and I just thought it was so stinkin' cute I had to save it and bring me some cheer.  Glue's a marvelous thing!

So, that was one reason I haven't posted or visited for awhile.

Now, I also was in a fun polka dottie swap from Cutie Pie Cottage!  So much fun!  I was partnered with famous Sue from It's a Very Cherry World.  I was pretty sure what color I needed to get for Sue.  So, after sewing the apron (which Sewing Bee helped me on tremendously) I decided I was good enough to sew a scarf!  

Okay....it WAS only a tube and then I knotted the fringe.....but I think it turned out cute!  Baby Bee tried to keep it for herself - that silly girl!

I found a cute tin at Hobby Lobby and decided I had to fill it with something yummy (and cherry, of course).  I found an intriguing recipe for Chocolate Cherry Biscotti.  (I pinned it of course!)

Oh my stars!  Oh my cherries!  Oh my taste buds!

These were delicious!  Just a wonderful combination of chewy cherries, crunchy almonds, sea salt, and chocolate.  Here's the link to the recipe (mine didn't look quite like hers did, but the taste was divine).

YUM!

And finally.....this is the weekend.  No more procrastinating.

We're painting Baby Bee's room and redecorating it with some thrifty finds for her 11th birthday present!  I'll keep you posted on our progress.  It won't be an overnight transformation but I hope it won't take to long!  I'm excited to tackle it.

Thank you so much for buzzing by for a visit!  

I saved some biscotti for you!

(But you better hurry, they're going fast!)

A Mess of Vintage Finds

My sunroom is a mess.  I don't know how else to describe it.  It's a mess!  Right now I have stray chairs, a dresser I'm thinking about keeping for myself, items I've picked up at thrift stores and estate sales to sell on etsy, and items I saved from my mom and dad's house for treasuring.

It is making me crazy, but I have not had any time to tackle it.  I have so many wonderful treasures to show you and so many things to list on etsy.  

Just a few vintage smalls.  Some are already in my etsy shop.

Picked up these bowls at an estate sale next door this past weekend.  

Love the straws!

This is a fabulous old quilt I picked up that was made from upholstery fabric samples.  I need to get photos and list this unique quilt.

While I was picking up things from my mom and dad's I found my bicycles from when I was a kid.   It's a Schwinn Hollywood from the mid 70s.  It was the bike I learned how to ride on. 

Isn't it fun?

Now I think I want to use it as "yard art."  Like these pictures I found on Pinterest.

This is my personal favorite!

So?  What do you think?  Can I make my bike look this adorable?  After all, I have fall and winter to figure out exactly where to put it.

Thank you so much for buzzing in for a visit.  

I am hoping to find more time to visit as soon as we finish with the Big County Fair and Baby Bee's School Carnival.  September and October are the two craziest months of the year for us.  Thanks for hanging in there with me.

I sure hope you also take a minute to leave a comment on my giveaway post.  I so appreciate all the visits and comments and followers who have supported my blog.  I'm giving away a $25 gift card to Amazon AND a $10 Starbucks gift card to one lucky winner.

Just click on over and leave a comment here to be entered.

With honey,

Just a Quick Visit from the Grind Stone.....

Yep! My nose is definitely to the grind stone.

All are well here at Sweet Bee Cottage, but May is a crazy month.  Crazy I tell you.  Crazy!

Over the past week or so I have:

1.  Taken Baby Bee to the doctor and she is splint free!  Her broken wing has healed quite nicely.  So now she can start swim practice for the summer rec league.  Her big end of the year dance recital is coming up in about three weeks and her piano recital is in about two weeks.  Honestly, how do parents with lots of kids get everybody to where they need to be?  This is Baby Bee's current Tuesday schedule:  5-6 PM dance class, 6:15-6:45 piano lessons, 7-8 swim practice.  I don't know if we'll be able to keep the pace up.  

last year's recital

2.  Held Open House at my school.  One of my favorite third grade standards is learning about our patriotic symbols, so we write reports on the Liberty Bell, the Statue of Liberty, the U.S. Flag, the Star Spangled Banner, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the Bald Eagle.  We then make small groups to create a special project for each of these symbols.  

a couple of my students working on their Bald Eagle

3.  Went to an estate sale and picked up a few things to sell on my etsy shop.  Do you know how long it takes for me to get a listing up on etsy?  It usually takes about 15 minutes for me to enter all the computer information and before that about 10-15 minutes to take photos and record measurements and weight.  Good thing I think it's fun.  I think etsy might be my new obsession.  Shhhhh......don't tell Worker Bee.

not listed yet, but will be soon

4.  And finally, I have been giving Sewing Bee lots of advice on her new house.  Most of it has been asked for, but some advice I have just volunteered of my own volition.  Apparently I have a very opinionated side.  Who knew?  (Well Worker Bee knew and Baby Bee knew and Wood Bee and Sewing Bee and Singing Bee and More Creative Bee and I could go on and on I'm afraid.)

kitchen before - classic 1955

kitchen during

bathroom before - ewwwww gross

bathroom during - even more gross

Mom is gutting the bathroom and kitchen of her new little house and it is going to be so CUTE and cottagey when it is finished.  I have some before pictures and some just getting started pictures.  Can't wait to show you after pictures, but that's a few weeks off.

So thank you all for checking in on me and the Sweet Bees.  I can't wait for summer vacation and the chance to fluff things up around here.  

We'll sit back then and visit and sip on Blackberry Lemonade.

Where Has the Week Gone?

Didn't I just gain an extra hour last weekend?  Why do I feel like I just can't catch up?  What does adult ADD feel like?  These are burning questions in my mind - especially this weekend.

I have had a four day weekend and my house is till a mess!  I have half my Thanksgiving decorations out looking pretty and the rest are sitting on bookshelves in the library.  I have Parent Teacher Conferences this next week and I still haven't finished my report cards.  Do I sound like I'm whining?  I suppose I kind of am.  Please forgive me - I'm not generally a whiner (I think - - - on second thought don't ask my husband).  

I've missed visiting with so many of you this week.  

But there have been some wonderful things this week.....

1.  I attended a wedding and I was the official photographer. 

      The whole truth?  My nieces came over for the morning on Thursday and we had an impromptu wedding out under our front arbor.  Cutter Bee was the preacher (who kept telling us how she didn't have time to do the ceremony again because she had to do it in English and Spanish - where did that come from?), Reader Bee was the lovely bride and my daughter, Baby Bee, was the leaf girl (no flowers but there were plenty of fall leaves to throw about).  We cranked open one of the front kitchen windows and played the wedding march and recessional umpteen times.  The girls had so much fun!  Then there was the backyard reception.  I had a bottle of sparkling apple cider and the girls celebrated the wedding out back. 

2.   I went to the oncologist again this week - my blood still looks 100% normal so in December I'll have a CT scan and one more follow-up visit before I guess I will be declared to not have ever had lymphoma.  Thank you God!

3.  I discovered the Pioneer Woman blog/website.  Where has she been all my life?  I've already made her banana bread, chicken cacciatore, and this YUMPTIOUS (yes, I made up that word and I probably better copyright that one - it sounds perfect - yummy and scrumptious)  tomato and blue cheese pasta!  That last one made my skirt fly up!  Did I take pictures of these efforts?  NO!

4.  Went to a local thrift store today and found some fabulous white dishes.  

Lovin' this Homer Laughlin "Best China."  I'm thinking it might be some restaurant ware.  I picked up 4 of these.

The other pattern was Wedgwood "Hedge Rose."  I was able to score 5 of these plates.  

5.  Baked the most delicious pumpkin muffins today.  I used Trader Joe's pumpkin bread mix and their pumpkin cream cheese spread.  Actually Baby Bee made the pumpkin batter.  I scooped a little in our prepared muffin tins, the Baby Bee put a teeny scoop of the pumpkin cream cheese in the middle and then I topped them with some more pumpkin batter.  Oh boy!  More YUMPTIOUS!  We even had some extra batter so we made a mini loaf and took it over to the neighbors.  

6.  Spent some time snuggling with my Baby Bee.  

So - I shouldn't beat myself up, right? 

(Best part?  Snuggling with Baby Bee!)

Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to come by and see what the Sweet Bees are up to.  It's always such a delight to see you.  Do you get just plain ol' tickled when you see friends have been by to visit?  Well I sure do!

So nice to see you!

Getting Ready for the Fair

So sorry dear friends, but I have been swamped with projects for school, Baby Bee's Parent Teacher Club and the last minute preparations for the county fair.  I'll be back to post the fair pics soon and announce the winner of my one year blogthday giveaway!

Thanks for buzzin' in and I hope you don't mind if I buzz around while you stay a visit for awhile.  Don't worry, I won't put you to work.....I think.

It's Been an Extremely Busy Week

Don't you just hate it when you forget to turn off the alarm on Saturday mornings?  Well, that happened today and now I'm up at my usual weekday time and I really needed to sleep in.  I have been burning the candle at both ends and the dark shadows under my eyes almost make me look like I have black eyes.

I cannot believe this past week.  I haven't had time to post and I've barely had time to visit with my bloggy friends.  It started with Parent Teacher Club meeting on Monday at my daughter's school, then the start of piano lessons for Baby Bee, then Back to School Night at my school on Wednesday, to many projects for both PTC and my school in between.  Good thing dance doesn't start until next week. Last night we went to the big city as soon as I got home to buy dance clothes for Baby Bee, dance shoes, paint for a special project, and a ginormous trip to Costco.  And now I'm up at 6 AM.  It's still kind of dark outside.  I should go watch the sunrise, but I'm just not that motivated to do that.  

So, I oh so casually mentioned we bought some paint.  Did that catch your attention?  Are you wondering what project I might be tackling?

(This is part of the long bookshelf.  See how it's a dark green?  That needs to change too, but not today.  The curtains are staying because I LOVE THAT FABRIC.  When we turned the dining room into our library we didn't need as much bookshelf space out in the sunroom so I now store dishes, etc. behind the curtains.)

Well, I have been wanting to make some changes in our dining room/sunroom.  When we first moved in here I turned the sunroom into a garden themed room. We had a custom bookcase built all along the wall underneath the living room window.  I had bent willow furniture and lots of dark greens, bright florals, and white/ivory in there.  I had a loveseat in a seating area and a little table set up for games or projects.  It really was a very cheery room.  Do I have pictures of it somewhere?  I'm sure I do, but they are not digital and..........um..........true confession, my photos are NOT organized at all.  I vow every summer I'll get them organized, but I always find something else to do instead.  So, I digress, which I tend to do.  Why am I telling you all this?  Probably because it's 6 AM and I'd rather be in bed sleeping, oh and that I can't show you what the room used to look like.

Okay, okay, I'll get to the point.  We turned our sunroom into our dining room because the original dining room was WAY TOO SMALL.  Oh dear, I'm still not getting to the point.  I need a latte.

(I told you it was still dark out - not a lot of light to help with this picture this morning.)

So since we turned the sunroom into our dining room I have not worked on many projects out there.  It's time to start  s-l-o-w-l-y.  Today, I am painting my china hutch and Worker Bee is pouting about it.  Worker Bee gave me the china hutch for Christmas many years ago.  We are big buyers of unfinished furniture so he finished it.  He did a lovely job, but his feelings are hurt because I want to paint it.  I feel bad for him, but it needs to change.  I'm pretty sure he will live.

(yep, still fairly dark outside)

The outside will be this gorgeous mossy green and the inside will be white.  I'm toying with the idea of buying some lights to put on each shelf - the shelves are solid wood.  Just don't know yet.  I have some crystal stemware from when we got married and I have a lot of Depression glass.  I think I'll paint it first and then see.

Please don't forget to enter my giveaway!  You have until midnight tonight!  California time!  You don't have to be a follower, just leave a comment on my giveaway post.  You can reach by clicking on the picture on the top of my sidebar.  (I've got to make it a little complicated, right?)  

Thanks for buzzing in for a visit. 

What are you doing this long weekend? 

I've got lots more to share soon.  Reader Bee's (my niece) birthday party is tonight, my husband's aunt just sent us the most gorgeous quilt, and of course, the transformation of the china cabinet.  Hope you can come back soon.  

Next time we'll have a quiet visit and we can share a nice white mocha.  Sound good?

You're always such a delight to see!

Just Buzzin' Around

Whew!  

Things have gotten busy and I'm afraid it's going to get even busier.

One of my nieces is graduating from college in southern California one weekend in May......

 and one of my nephews is graduating from college in northern California the next weekend. 

 Road trip anyone?

The kitchen garden is sprouting!  So fun!  

This is Sam.  I belong to him.  Baby Bee belongs to our other cat.  Worker Bee does not belong to either of our cats.  Poor Worker Bee!  He at least has the six goldfish. I know one of them loves him dearly after he saved its life.  I digress . . . . . again . . . . .

I participated in a fun swap put together by Sarah at the lovely My So Called Junky Life and received these little charmers from Carol at Heirlooms for You.

Oh that Baby Bee, she absconded with these before I could do anything about it.

Can you see the sweet box she made?  I forgot to take a good picture of it.   So pretty!  And look at these goodies!  Roses and lace - so lovely.  Hmmmm....I'm already thinking little projects with these.  

And how sweet are these?  Baby Bee tried to run off with these too but I grabbed 'em back.

And (oh dear I hope this isn't bad swap etiquette) this is my favorite part.  Isn't that lock and key so sweet?  It went right on my inspiration board in my "studio."  Oh and the box is in the background again.

And Progress Reports go home this Friday.  I've gotten a wee bit behind on my grading so I've been catching up.  

So what have you been catching up on?  Anything keeping you buzzy?

Oh yes and I feel like a wee bit of a tease, but I'm looking for a little something to add to my next giveaway so it's not quite ready yet.  Soon I hope!