Good morning.  Is it the end of the month already?  This one kind of snuck up on me.  I am embarrassed to say that today is my anniversary but because it's been such a busy month I nearly forgot.  I kept thinking it was at the end of the month and before I knew it...it was the end of the month.

Needless to say, our plans are a little loose for today but we will do something to celebrate our 33 years together, have no fear.

But first let's talk Shout Out Saturday.  If you've been blogging for as long as I have, you really get to know the people who leave comments on a regular basis especially if they are fellow bloggers. Today I'd like to introduce you to a few of the ladies who have been so faithful in their encouragement to me over the years.  (This will definitely take me more than one Saturday, so if I don't mention you today, I will next time.)


First up is my friend Pat from On Crooked Creektt.  I know you will love her blog.  She is one of

We've had such a mixed bag of weather here the last couple of weeks.  One minute I'm reaching for sandals and short sleeves and the next I am glad I haven't put away my sweaters for the season.  Is it that way where you are as well?


With next weeks summer clothes series starting on Monday I am focusing my attention on warm

The series will show you how you can take what you already own, along with one or two new pieces, and come up with enough new looks to carry you through any occasion that may arise this summer, from a quick trip to the grocery store to an evening out with your hubby or friends.

I am planning on posting Monday through Friday for the next two weeks with a regular non fashion post on Saturdays.  I hope you'll join me not only in reading the posts but also in styling a couple of new outfits for your summer wardrobe.

xo, Patty

If you're like me you know just how lucky you are to have a mother who loves you in your life.  I haven't always shown it (yes, I was that rebellious teenager) but my mom truly is my greatest inspiration here on earth.

That makes it extra fun to scour the internet for the perfect gift to show her just how much she means to me.  I thought it would be fun to share a few of my great finds with you, just in case you still have a bit of shopping to do for your mom or heck if you are the mom, then for you!  (I may or may not have fallen into the latter category as well, wink, wink.)

I found all these great gifts at Kohls...

I enjoy having friends over especially when there is a theme for the gathering.  Either a holiday or event that lends itself to specific decor or food.  It makes it easier for the hostess to come up with a menu as well as giving the guests an idea on appropriate attire


For a recent gathering of friends I decided it would be fun to go with an "all American feast" of hot

If you're here expecting to see Shout Out Saturday have no fear it will be back.  I just thought it would be fun to mix it up with a new Saturday offering called Inspiration Saturday where I share some of the things that are inspiring me at the moment.  I hope you enjoy it.

I took full advantage of some recent free time and got busy in my craft room playing with paper and paint.  It had been a long time since I allowed myself that luxury and it was much needed.  I don't know why I wait until I'm creatively parched to quench my soul thirst?


I knew full well the world would be calling soon enough and I would lose that little

With the weather heating up for weeks at a time I finally put my boots away for the season and broke out my sandals.  It was kind of bittersweet because boot season is rather quick here in Southern California and I really like my boots.


But I love my growing collection of sandals as well.  The nice thing about summer shoes is that they

I spent a considerable amount of time pinning and planning for my family command center.  I shared a few of my favorite command center pins with you a couple of months ago and I even had a spot picked out in the hallway to use.  But as with all of the best laid plans, it didn't quite go as I had envisioned.  While the space was big enough, it didn't have an electrical outlet for charging the laptop and cell phones plus it was not as centrally located as I would have liked.  So it was back to square one and on to plan B.


There is a little section between the buffet under our front window and the bar that divides the dining

I am such an "I can do that" person that it never dawns on me that other people might not be programmed the same way.  When I see something that makes me smile or that I find beautiful, the wheels in my head automatically start turning and I begin trying to figure out how they did it and how I can do it, too.


One of the things I love about blogging is translating the things I create into easy to duplicate projects

The rain is gone and the sun is shining in these parts, I hope it is where you are as well.  It's Saturday and time for one more Shout Out Saturday post this time featuring conversational blogs.  Conversational blogs are the ones that make you feel like you are sitting across the table from the writer sharing a cup of something hot and enjoying each others company.  I love those kind of blogs, don't you?


My first share is Shannan from Flower Patch Farmgirl.  I have been reading Shannan's blog for as

As much as I love celebrating birthdays (or any holiday for that matter) I don't like paying the price of over indulging in heavy restaurant food and rich desserts afterward.  I have a major sweet tooth and as I've shared before not much willpower in saying no to the sugary stuff that goes with celebrating.  And since I am not one who believes in totally denying yourself the foods you love, I have no intention of giving up sweets forever.


What I've found works for me is to give them up for a specified time as a sort of detox.  Once I rid my

Last Sunday I was in the mood to bake and this recipe for easy crumb topped lemon bars came to mind.  I am a sucker for any sweet involving lemons and these layered bars are no exception.


They are very good just as is but I thought I'd try tweaking them a little bit for added crunch and they

Today is my 55th birthday.  Yep, I said it,,,fifty five, inching closer to the big 6-0.  Yikes, when did that happen?  I am not a big numbers person, birthdays don't normally bother me, but I have to admit this one is kind of getting to me.  How can I be half way through my 50's when I still feel 39?


I found this picture of actress Ali Macgraw and shared it on facebook last week.  She is 77 years old

Can you tell I have had gardening on my mind lately?  I'm sure it's the gorgeous spring weather and the way everything in the garden is coming to life right now.  It seemed only natural that this weeks SOS feature would be my four favorite gardening blogs.  I have many more than four but I purposely limited myself to that many or this post might get a bit long.


Here we go, in no particular order...

Fishtail Cottage was one of the first gardening blogs I found and her garden just gets better every

It's hard for me to imagine that some of you just got fresh snow and we are in the high 80's here in Southern California.  Here I am breaking out my flip flops and some of you are sliding into snow boots.  I don't know which I really prefer in April.

Closing in on 90 degree temperatures this early in the year is not what I would have wanted.  But then

One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to sneak out into the garden early in the morning and snap some pictures before the sun is fully shining.  It's in that quiet time when every flower in the garden is coming to life.


I think my neighbors have gotten used to me in my p.j.'s at the crack of dawn, camera in hand.  They

I love adding a little something handmade to any gift that I give and one of the easiest ways to do that is with a fabric tag.  Because they are so quick and easy to put together I will usually make a few extra to use whenever I need them.


I put together an easy tutorial for these fabric tags to share with you today.  Even if you are not a

Hello Saturday and hello Shout Out Saturday.  Today I am focusing our attention on budget friendly bloggers.  Those that encourage us to watch our spending and stretch our dollar.  I don't know about you but I need all the help I can get in this area and never tire of learning new habits and ways to save.


First up is my good friend Elaine at Sunny Simple Life.  Elaine is a blogging friend turned real life

Well, it's official pink is in and it's official color title in 2016 is rose quartz.  I for one couldn't be happier.  I love pastel colors in spring and this palest of pinks is one of my favorites.  I thought it would be fun to give you a sampling of what I have in my closet in this hue and pair it with white straight leg jeans and some simple platform sandals and see what you think.


I need to offer a slight disclaimer, I love white jeans...on other people.  For some reason I am almost