Guest Posting @ Natural Nesters

Happy Thursday!  Just wanted to let you guys know that today, you can find me guest posting for the lovely ladies over at Natural Nesters.



I "met" Brittany through the Texas Bloggers Facebook Group.  She is currently on a 10 day mission trip and didn't want her sister to have to take care of all of the posts while she was away.  I gladly volunteered to be part of her "Texas Bloggers" series.  Please take a few minutes to check out my post and show Brittany and Cassey some blog love.

My Latest Scrapbook & Unveil Your Genius

REVISED:  I just started following Taylor earlier this week or I would have saved this post for her Unveil Your Genius Link Party.  Anyway, because sometimes my finished projects are few and far between I am linking up with a post that is a few days old.....so sorry if that is a NO, NO!!!  I promise to to better next time.  Make sure to check out Taylor at Goings On In Texas.  She is a fellow Texas Blogger and I kinda LOVE her blog...I bet you will too!


Sorry this has taken me so long!  I wanted to get this posted over the weekend, but there was just too much going on, not to mention I have been battling sinus junk and haven't felt like  a million.  Anyway, I know that I have posted several sneek peeks of this scrapbook over the last few months, but I was really excited about how it turned out so I wanted to post it in it's entirety

Ed threw a surprise party for his lovely wife Diva for her 40th birthday.  After the success of having a photographer at my mom's surprise party last year, I managed to convince Ed to do the same.  All the photos contained in this scrapbook were courtesy of Winn Fuqua.  He captured everything and was great to work with!

Click here to view these pictures larger

They were absolutely thrilled with the book...I don't think that they could have been any happier. I can never ask for anything more than that!  For me, presenting the finished product is my favorite part of the process.  Don't get me wrong - I love the creative side of it as well, but there is nothing like seeing the recipient enjoy their first glimpse of their scrapbook or collage. It truly makes my heart sing!!!!

Diva, Ed and Ed's mom looking through their album

Ed, Diva and I

As I have mentioned before, I am struggling to get good pictures of my scrapbooks, but thanks to some suggestions that I have received, I am hoping for a vast improvement on the next one....fingers crossed!  In case anyone is interested you can see all of my projects on my Pictures & Pens Facebook page. 

Puppy Photo Party & Cats #3

It is the last Monday of the month (how can that POSSIBLY be) and you know what that means.....

Yep, I am linking up with Becky @ Reinventing the Ordinary for the third monthly Puppy Photo Party & Cats.  There are a few of us representin' with our felines and this month, I am adding one more to the mix.  We have added four paws to our already bitty apartment.  I would love to say that it has been a smooth, breezy transition....however, adding a new cat to the mix is tricky at best.  There is definitely a power struggle going on and not from who you would expect.  Without further delay, here is our new addition...meet Jessi...

Jessi in my parent's yard before we brought her home

Around my place, the cats seem to have a bit of zen

Wanted to show her unusual markings

Don't let her petite size and sweet little face fool you, this little girl is a pistol!  She is letting Jack know, in no uncertain terms, who is boss.  Much to my surprise, Jack is really trying to make friends.  Unfortunately, she has turned hissing into an art form and is having no part of making nice.  It has barely been a week, so I am definitely not giving up....I have very high hopes for this friendship!  Jessi is another one of my parent's finds.  I tell you, there must be some secret feline word of mouth because the cats in trouble FREQUENTLY find my parents.  Zach and I have been the recipients of the last two.  It has been on my mind lately to find a friend for Jack...I had hoped that it would be good for him and might calm him down a bit, but I guess that still remains to be seen.  Anyway, I can't leave Jack out of this post....he has truly been a trooper the last week and my fingers are crossed that this union turns into a good thing in the near future.  I would defnitely love to have them together in a photo eventually!\

Jack loves the metal base of this coffee table...he is not above chewing on it like a puppy...what the what???

Playing dead...it isn't just for possums

No craft project is complete without a bit of help from the man



That's it for today from the crazy cat lady (easy people, that IS a joke) but don't forget to drop by Reinventing the Ordinary and give Becky a little shout out, or better yet show your furbabies some blog love and link up!!!!

Are You A NO-REPLY Blogger?

Just a quick post.  Several months ago a fellow blogger brought to my attention that she was unable to respond to a comment that I had left on her blog because I was a NO-REPLY blogger.  Luckily, we were communicating via computer so she didn't witness my "deer in the headlights, what the heck" expression.  I am not exactly at the top of the class when it comes to being blog savvy - especially the technical stuff.  She was kind enough to walk me through the process and got me all straightened out.  Why is this necessary, you ask?  Well, for those of you that are like me, I enjoy responding personally (at least via email) to followers that comment on a post or ask a question.  Recently, I became a follower of  Amanda @ Royal Daughter Designs and I noticed this button on her side bar:


If you aren't sure whether you are a NO-REPLY blogger, you owe it to yourself to take a few minutes and read this post.   It was written by Jodi at Pleasant Home.  She gives you step by step, easy to follow instructions to check your blogger status and to correct if need be.  It is totally worth your time and has the ability to truly enhance your blogging experience...especially if you are like me and enjoy connecting with your followers.  Hope everyone is having a great day!

A Whole Lotta RANDOM!

Yep, this is going to be one of those random, all over the place posts so bare with me.  I am so far behind that this is the only solution to the problem.

Back at the end of last year, I had my blog redesigned.  Overall, I adore it...it kinda screams me. BUT, over the past six months I have started to pick at it.  Nothing major, just little things here and there that have been nagging at me. So, with that being said A Beautiful Day is getting a little work done.  I am really excited to finally have it just how I want it.  Hopefully, after that it will only be header and button updates.

Speaking of the blog....my followers are SLOWLY but surely climbing.  Just shy of 50!  There for a while I thought it was never going to happen.  To keep the momentum going, once I hit 75, I will be doing a giveaway.  Haven't decided what, but it will be something fun.

A couple of weeks ago I went out to dinner with one of my dear friends Megan....she has made blog appearances before.  She and I live really close....like same zip code close, but schedules are hectic and sometimes it is hard to coordinate get togethers.  Anyway, we try to make a point at least every few months to get together for dinner and to catch up.  For our latest dinner she suggested this place:

Mind you I am not a traditional sushi fan.  I prefer cooked, plain and simple.  But Megan rarely, if ever, steers me wrong, so I took the plunge and dove right in. I AM IN LOVE!!!!  Feast your eyes on the Latino Roll:

 shrimp tempura, asparagus, ginger cream, cream cheese, avocao, crab, jalapeno, cilantro (I have mine minus the crab)

I seriously think I could eat this once a week, every week FOREVER!  I have already been back once.  If I haven't sold you on it yet, the martinis are pretty "Killer" too.

Our little apartment has grown by 4 feet errrr....PAWS!  Come back on Monday for all the details when I link up with Becky at Reinventing the Ordinary, for the Puppy Love & Cats Photo Party.

I finished my latest scrapbook last week.  As usual it was a big one, chock full of fun pictures just like I like them.  I am not going to get into specifics about money, cause that just isn't me but I was handsomely rewarded for my efforts. I cannot begin to tell you how rewarding it was to have someone actually realize all the hard work, not to mention heart, that goes into projects like this.   Don't know why the photo won't rotate, but it is kind of fitting, because when I saw the check, I did pretty much fall over.

Anyway, check back soon for the Scrapbook post.  Hopefully, I will get it done sometime this weekend.   Hope everyone is having a great week!  Wednesday is almost behind us, so that means we are on the downhill slide to the weekend!!!

On more thing....for those of you that read my previous post about Lucy, you have to read this: A Lazurus Moment.  It is nothing short of a miracle, and once again  proves in my mind that prayer is indeed a powerful thing!

P.S. Before I was able to post this, I hit 50 followers!  This may not seem like much, but I am THRILLED!  Thank you to all of my followers and especially the ladies in Texas Bloggers Facebook Group that made it possible to hit my first blog milestone.  I feel lucky to be connecting with such great ladies!

A Good Weekend & Prayers for Lucy

Good evening!  I told you that you would hear from me before the weekend was out.  I am sure by the time I post it will be Monday, but can I get an "A" for effort???

It was a good weekend.  Was there anything over the top exciting....resoundingly no!  However, productiveness was at an all time high.  Not only did I get just about everything done on my "to-do" list, but my sweet boy was in a great mood, and even pitched in with chores today.  I was amazed and it was a good day!

There were other things on my mind to post about tonight, but right before I started this post I read about Lucy.  You can read her story at Three Kids, a Mini Van and a Mortgage.  Lucy has been battling cancer for 18 months.  Her family has recently been notified that the cancer is back and there is nothing more that can be done.  Lucy is a beautiful little girl and her mother says that she brings joy to all that meet her.  If you are of the praying sort, please say an extra prayer for sweet Lucy and her family.  Their hearts are breaking and they are going through things that no family should ever have to endure. 

Little Lucy

This is one of the things that I love about blogging....people from all over can reach out and lift this little girl and her family up in prayers. Do I know them personally, no, I do not but I do believe in the power of prayer and what it can accomplish.

Sorry to be a downer, just reading things like that reminds me to never take a moment with my son for granted.  No matter whether they are still snuggling in your lap or quickly approaching their teens....hold them just a little tighter, count your blessings and never pass up a chance to tell them that you love them.  Good night....I am off to snuggle with mine.

Happy Anniversary

Happy Weekend, Everyone!  It has been one of those weeks....super busy and just haven't been motivated to come home and get in front of the computer after going 90 to nothing all day long.  But enough of the negative.  I am here now.  My "to-do" list for the weekend is a mile long and I am planning on attacking it with gusto just as soon as I finish this post - even though the post IS on the list. 

Today is a special day.  There will most likely be no celebrating other than maybe a nice dinner out, but that makes the event (especially in this day and age) no less momentous.  My parents are celebrating their 44th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!!!!!  These days marriages come and go with sometimes barely a thought of the commitment made or the broken vows, and that makes me even more in awe of my parents and their love for each other.  Making the duration of their union even more incredible is the fact that they were both pretty much babies when they married.  My parents value their privacy so I am not going to go into a bunch of detail, but they have been through a lot.  Through good times and bad, and especially through sickness and health, they have stuck together.  Their love and admiration for each other is evident and thinking about it truly makes my heart sing!  I am so blessed to have these two amazing people as my parents.  I love you both more than you can ever know!  Happy 44th Anniversary...and many more!

My parents at my my mom's 60th birthday party

Mark my words...I will be back before the end of the weekend - I have more to say, but that list is screaming to be tackled, so I have to get to it.  Enjoy your Saturday!