Rings Rock!

While going on a shopping run with my sister, we stopped in at one of our favorite shops in town. Our parent's friends own a 'Head Shop' called On the Wildside. They sell a lot of tie-dye, hemp jewelry, beaded jewelry, candles, incense, etc. It's always just fun to look around. I came across a box full of polished stones in a large variety of colors... I instantly thought ooo pretty rings!

I picked out the ones that were flat enough to glue to ring blanks and wahlah! I love all the blended colors and shapes of the stones, perfect look for spring!

They were a lot of fun to make and love how they turned out!



Tid-Bits

I couldn't resist taking a picture of this cute little snail inching across the sidewalk. My sister's new house is surrounded by hundreds of snails, they have to really watch their step. :)

My sister and I stopped for a quick lunch at a local restaurant called Coco Bolos. We sat on their amazing patio and enjoyed a nice breezy/ delicious meal! I had the Chicken Fajita Quesadilla with a side of Navajo Rice. Scrumptious :)

My sister had the Chicken Mole Wrap with Jalapeno Ranch. Also AMAZING!

I love local restaurants with flair and the flavor of their food surpasses chain restaurants by a long run.

Out with the old. I traded in my 07' Monte Carlo, I will miss that car but I needed a four door. So...

In with the New. I got a 2008 Grand Prix GXP and so far I love it! Much more room and... it's pretty fast. Not that I drive fast or anything... just nice to be able to do so. :)

**Update on Pete: He had his surgery yesterday and it went wonderfully! He no longer has wires on his jaw or his canines and he doesn't have to wear that goofy muzzle anymore. He is allowed to eat solid food soaked in water and he is free to open his mouth as he pleases. I think he is a lot more comfortable now that he is less restricted. His face is a little lop-sided from the shifting of the bones in his face. They still think his jaw might line up a little better now that those wires are gone, we will have to wait and see. He goes back in two weeks to see if he's ready for teeth removal...

Thank you for all your thoughts and warm wishes for his recovery!!



Surgery Day #1

Well, we took Mr. Pete in for his check-up on Monday and they decided that Wed. (today) would be the day that he would be put under for X-Rays and then wire removal.

We were told that he has approx. 5 fractured teeth that will have to be removed in a week or so and at the moment, his two canine teeth are rubbing, which apparently is problematic for dogs. So if his jaw does not realign a week after the wires are removed then we have to decide what we want to do about the Canines. The Vet is uncomfortable removing the canines because the teeth support the jawbone so we may have to take him to Kansas City for a procedure where they file down the canines and do a root canal.

So, that is three different surgeries that Pete has to undergo before this whole ordeal is over. Pete is my $8000.00 dog :) He has been such a good boy throughout and I hate that he has had to go through all of this hurt. I just wish our neighbor, who hit him with his dually pick-up and drove off, knew everything that he has put us through. This guy has effected our lives greatly and he hasn't slowed down one bit when he drives by...so frustrating.

I hope all the surgeries go smoothly for Pete.



Sunday Drive

I got a new car!... more on that later... Sunday was such a nice day full of sunshine! We decided to take my new car out for a little Sunday cruise. We opened all the windows and the sunroof and headed down our favorite country road.

Farmers were burning their pastures so the grass will turn bright green. The hills were on fire and smoke was rolling thru the valley.

I love seeing all of the old abandoned buildings. They make me think of the past, Who lived in these homes? Who let  them waste away? Makes me want to fix them and bring them back to life. On this road, there are crumbling stone houses peeking out from behind the trees, Faded wood barns leaning and houses next to them long gone.

There's a really neat stone church that they began raising money to repair. So far, they have replaced the roof and placed a new wood cross. The church is surrounded by an old cemetary. Such a pretty place.

We stopped to take photos of the cows with their new calves. They looked at us like we were crazy...

It was a much needed relaxing adventure and time well spent with my hubby. Hope you all enjoyed the view!

Happy Valley

My favorite Chinese Restaurant, 'Happy Valley,' closed awhile back because their family moved back to China. I was heartbroken... But I heard they were moving back a few months ago and since then, my mouth has been watering and my tummy aching for 'Happy Valley' Chinese food. They opened about a week ago and I have been begging my husband to take me out! He dislikes Chinese food so of course he would not take me. Who doesn't like Chinese?! :)

He was out of town yesterday so I called my Mother and Sister up and said, Girl's night out! Let's go! NOW PLEASE!

We tend to eat like we haven't eaten for days, it is so good!

Their garlic sauce for the eggrolls is to die for!

Vegetable Lo' Mein

Sweet & Sour Chicken

Everything was so fresh and yummy, I am so happy they are back. I already want more...

Puppy Recovery

Just a little Dog Update: Pete is doing awesome, he has had his jaw and canine teeth wired since he was hit by our neighbor's truck on Feb. 4th and the impact broke his jaw. To reinforce the wires he has had to wear that blue muzzle all day, every day. That thing drives him crazy and it gets pretty dirty so we have to clean it and dry it once a day. We feed him a very soft, canned food mixed with water a few times a day and he is now able to drink water on his own. Pete decided he was done with his feeding tube awhile ago when I came home and he had removed it himself. :/ He also sneaks the muzzle off of his face when we aren't home. He has maintained his weight and he has his energy back.

Pete is going to the vet Monday for x-rays to see if his fractures have healed and if he is good to go, then they are going to set up a time to remove the wires and have the surgery to remove around four teeth to line his jaw up properly. Poor pup, it has been a very long and tough month for him but I am happy to see him recovering and his tail wagging!

Welcome Spring

Spring time in the country is absolutley amazing. We live in a valley where we are surrounded by hills turning a vibrant green, the wheat fields are sprouting and there are bright purple specks all along the groups of trees from blooming Redbud trees.

Redbud trees bring Morel mushrooms which are all the rage right now, personally I don't enjoy eating them but it's always fun searching for them. Minus the ticks. Yuck.

I am just so glad that Spring is here so I can take in all of the colors and smells and enjoy the sunshine.

Topeka Flea Market

My Mother collects these figures; She calls them
'George & Marthas'

Over the weekend, I went to a flea market in Topeka that I frequently shop. Every time I go, I find lots of fun items! Again, I ended up packing the back of my car full...I need a bigger vehicle, my two door Monte Carlo just isn't cut out for my line of work. ;)

Colorful buttons, perfect for jewelry making!

More buttons!

1965 Little Women, love the cover and the pictures inside!

Adoreable Old Dog Figures

Awesome Retro Goodies! 



No Place Like Home

                                                             Judy Garland as Dorothy

As a little girl from Kansas, I was a HUGE fan of The Wizard of Oz. I had posters, figures and I even dressed up as Dorothy for Halloween. I loved her singing voice. The other night, hubby and I were out renting movies when I came across the 'Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows.' I never knew much about the girl who played Dorothy, Judy Garland's life was definitely not all rainbows.

Judy Garland 

I had no idea that she went through so much in her short life. She signed onto MGM when she was 13 years old. She was called "Hunchback" and she was always looked over because she wasn't as glamourous as the other actresses during that time. MGM started her on pills to keep her thin and energetic, they even controlled what and when she ate.

She was finally given the role of Dorothy Gale when she was 17 years old and they wrapped her body under the dress so she would look skinnier. From then on, Judy always had a problem with pills.

                                                        Judy with daughter Liza Minnelli

Judy suffered from low self-esteem, always wanting attention and affection. She was married 5 times and she had 3 children. The movie that I watched was told by her daughter, Lorna Luft and it was very interesting. Judy Garland died from accidental overdose in 1969 at the age of 47.

The movie made me an even bigger fan and I plan on watching more of her movies, 

I had no clue that she made so many!

Read her Biography!

It's a Zoo Out There!

The weather was amazing over the weekend... a little windy but other than that, a great day to spend at the zoo! Since Manhattan's zoo only has small animals, we decided to venture to the Topeka Zoo instead. I love the Topeka Zoo because they have the lions, tigers and bears oh my! ..okay I had to do that, I'm from Kansas. :)

Giraffes are so pretty in person. I used to hate giraffes because when I was in middle school that's what everyone called me because my neck was long...kids are cruel. But now I think they are beautiful.

Hubby wasn't too excited about me making him stand next to the Apes sign. There was a monkey in the building that was sitting by the window with a blanket draped over his head, aww so cute!



I feel sorry for them, living life behind bars.

The Elephants were enjoying the sunny weather. The Topeka Zoo has two elephants, both of a different species. There has been a lot of debate on whether the habitat is fit for them to live in and whether or not two different species should live together. There has been some intense protest on trying to get the elephants relocated to a sanctuary. I'm not sure how I feel about it because the elephants have lived in the zoo for so long I would think it would be a shock for them to be relocated?

                                                                                Last but not least, look at the adoreable baby hippo!