Flowers...abundant flowers...

Week one...of wedding one...YES! it's that time again...but I must say this time I've really got wedding overload...2 weddings...in 2 weeks...WOW! Just a preview of the flowers I'll be using for wedding one...until the weekend has past...I will be up to my elbows in beautiful flowers...I LOVE it that way!


Enjoy the beauty and colors. Purples/dark blues/whites/creams with touches of a celery green...should be gorgeous. Some of the flowers I'm using are hydrangea, vendala roses, white/cream freesia, lavender freesia, lisianthus-deep blue/purple, stock white, bells of Ireland, lemon leaf, and touches of misty blue...I'll try to get some good pics to post later...but this is going to be the one wedding where I'm pretty much on my own...so my time may be limited. OH! and did I tell you that I am getting bids from moving companies in the midst of all this AND getting bids to replace the roof, along with dealing with our insurance company to pay for the hail damage as they are SUPPOSE to AND trying to get a few personnel things packed up...AND help with another wedding (which is the fun part) AND finishing up loose ends here and in California, not to mention sneaking in some blood work, a mammogram and a bone density test in the midst! Did I mention to you I like to wait till the last minute...yea, less than 3 weeks out and we are out of here.

In closing I am asking for prayers for our sweet neighbor, PLEASE she is in the hospital again, got a call late last night to retrieve their sweet puppy from their home...I am so thankful Annie (the pup) is so adaptable and loves our home...she always livens things up around here! Please pray for Betty and Mark, she had another seizure, we're praying it's only b/c of a med. change...I'll keep you posted.

Flowers...to be used this weekend!
White Stock...














Beautiful Bella Donna Dark Blue Delphinium...love it!!























Bells of Ireland...another favorite...















Dark blue/purple lisianthus...minus the teddy bear of course.













Purple stock...









And finally...a mock up of the bridesmaids bouquets...I will be adding some dark blue/purple hydrangeas to this...the charm will not be added...just ribbon. The brides bouquet will be done in all creams and whites...w/a touch of very light blue/lavender...just a hint of color...mostly whites/creams...with her grandmothers hankie, brooch and rosary added for sentimentality.

WHY????

A possible rant here...I'll try to keep it short and sweet...TELL me WHY in the world anyone would need to ride their motorcycle down the highway, traveling at speeds well over the posted limit, while weaving in and out of traffic as if it were standing still AND passing cars in the center...all the while driving it like THIS
.... SERIOUSLY these folks are adrenaline junkies or just have a death wish...I was out yesterday...driving along the interstate and in my rear view mirror I caught sight of something very weird approaching me at an extremely high rate of speed. At first I wasn't able to determine exactly what that thing was...until he came zipping by me and I saw that it was a motorcycle and the rider was driving for quite a length of highway while he was doing a wheelie! A WHEELIE at 70+ mph. Then to make matters even more treacherous he comes upon a car in the left lane that was going at a much slower speed than he...so what does he do, does he put the bike back down on all two's...NO! heaven's NO...he whips his bike while still in full wheelie mode right in front of me. GEEESSHH...I just knew he was going to bounce that thing right of the asphalt...oh! but not to worry he had a helmet on...so his head filled w/outlandish ideas might be cushioned but the rest of him was going to be ground up like a piece of pork at a sausage factory. He finally dropped it down...but never once did he stop speeding and weaving in and out of traffic. I actually saw him pop another wheelie one more time and travel quite a distance...before I actually exited the highway. WHY??? People...why? If he wants some kicks...go find a dirt bike trail and have at it...but don't endanger yourself and all those around you by playing like you are Evil Knievel...sorry...this just really had me a tad un-nerved yesterday...don't know why it did...it's his life, his bike...but he was driving on a public highway, along w/many other sane folks and risking all of our lives. I have to admit he seemed very talented at keeping the bike on one wheel (maybe he could put those talents to something a little more constructive, such as entertaining crowds at motor cross or something)...but honestly the mom in me just wanted to chase him down...make him stop...so I could jump out of my car and smack him upside the head! You know...for being so STUPID!!...but I wouldn't because then I would have to break the law to catch him at such a high rate of speed...and I try NEVER to break too many laws!! RANT OVER WHEW!! Thanks for letting me vent!

Inspection Day...

Today is inspection day on our home in Texas...for those of you that have been keeping up OR not...our home sold last week...so we are stoked. Asking all my prayer warriors to please pray that no unforeseen boo-boo's pop up during the inspection and that it will go without a hitch! Thanks so much! I'll keep you ALL posted...in the meantime...I have to leave for 3 hours with our pups...so the owners and inspector can "check" things out! My fingers are crossed, I've said many a prayer and I am believing things will go well.

Update...

I've been hesitant to say anything...b/c I like for things to be a "sure" thing before I start talking too much about it...BUT...in my last post I mentioned we had a contract offered on our home in Texas the first week it was listed...however, the couple who wanted the house had to sell their home first and we weren't really ready to accept an offer with a contingency....WELL...guess what??? They sold their house 4 days after they put the offer in on ours...so they re-submitted their offer w/o the contingency...so I suppose when everything works out...like their getting funding and close on their current home, inspections are complete and ALL goes well...we will be closing on June 25th. You can not believe how PERFECT this is...my prayer was that our home sell quickly and that we could stay in our home till at least the last couple of weeks of June...because I am currently working on 2 weddings for that month...one on the 12th and the other on the 19th...I wanted to be able to be in my own home surrounded by family until all the weddings were done! Looks like my prayers have been answered!! We still have folks coming and looking at our home, in fact we have an appointment tomorrow for a realtor to show it! We will continue to do so until we know for sure all has gone right with this current contract...but from what I understand the couple who wrote the contract want our home very badly, so I DO hope if it's meant to be...it works out for all of us. Thanks to all of you who have joined me in my prayers...I am relieved to have most of this behind me...so now I can concentrate on these 2 spectacular weddings AND getting packed and ready to head west.

In the meantime...I will share with you some gorgeous pictures my daughter and daughter in law took of our property in California while we were all there over the Mothers Day Weekend...ENJOY!!




An old bench that sits in the back portion of our property...I love it and wonder just how it came to be there...and who used to sit on this lovely and dream the day away....







One of three lovely peony shrubs in the front portion of my gardens...they are just about the most lovely flower I can imagine growing...now if I can just learn about Freesia and if it grows in northern Cali...I will be one HAPPY gal!










One of many beautiful rose bushes in our front garden...this is one of my favorites...it varies from very pale pink to white...so gorgeous...and the sweet smell is heavenly!






I believe these are native to California...in fact I think they are the state flower...the California poppy...don't quote me on this...I'm still learning...but isn't it GORGEOUS...I feel so blessed that the previous owners loved flowers as much as I do...and man what a green thumb they had...I'm going to have to really read up to manage them as well as they did.






Another lovely rose bush...this one looks as though it is some sort of antique rose...the color variations are just unbelievable...I love it, too!



I hope to have pictures of our home in California to post, soon...I took some while there...but I fear I may have already packed away the cord that goes to the camera to download pictures...WHATEVER that thing-a-ma-jiggy is called!!

Back in Texas

After 11 glorious days in sunny Sacramento...I am now back in Texas, trying to tie up loose ends...finish preparations for 2 weddings in June AND most importantly get my home "SOLD"!

This is a picture of our home in Texas...we have had it on the market less than 2 weeks...and it seems to be doing alright. We did have an offer come in today for almost full asking price...but it was a contingency and we're not ready to accept a contingency upon selling their house at this time...it's too early in the ballgame. The offer was actually made by the first guy to look at it...so if he sells his home quickly...he is free to make us another offer. I've also included pictures of the back of our home which sits on a little over 2 acres...it's probably one of my favorite things about our home...I love sitting on our back porch in the glider watching the birds...our dogs...bunnies, the occasional fox and of course the ever popular skunks...that Maggie our lab has gotten up close and personal with a few times. I think she's finally figured it out...at least I hope so.

I'm going to miss our home...and all our great family and friends...BUT I am also very anxious to get settled into our new home in California and begin a new chapter in our lives...We were there over mothers day and all the kids were able to join us...it was a glorious time...and I think the kids actually loved, loved, loved the new house...plus they are so supportive of our decision to move...it makes it a lot easier to make that decision to move on. I know it will be hard at times (I have done pretty well w/driving so far, which I considered to be my most daunting task, but I have already managed to find "Homegoods, Target, Trader Joe's, a couple of antique shops and a GREAT furniture consignment shop)...all in all...I think it's going to be an experience well worth taking. I've already started a new journal and will most likely continue journaling through blogging as well! I'll post pictures of our new home and ALL the lovely gardens and flowers as soon as I upload them off my camera. For now...I'm very busy keeping things in pristine order around here...you know the "joys" of selling a home.

To my prayer buddies...we are asking for prayers for a quick sell and we know God has the perfect family already picked out to live here and continue to make many memories here...just as we have for the last 19+ years.


Here's to starting fresh...can't wait!!

Cali Home....

I have been uber busy getting our home in Texas ready to go on the market...AND it did on Friday May 1st...Please asking all my prayer buddies to "pray", "pray", "pray" that it sells quickly. I just know it will be a WONDERFUL home for a family, just as it was for us for nearly 20 years. It looks FAB if I do say so myself.

On to Cali...NOW...acutally arrived here on Sat. morning...and this is what "greeted" me at my new home OH YES...I have peonies...I am so thrilled...I Love, Love, Love peonies...and now I have 3 beautiful peony bushes and right now they are LOADED with buds. I am loving my new yard, it is full of all kinds of roses, cala lilies, alstromeria, dianthus, lavender, wisteria, fruit trees AND PEONIES...I am in flower heaven. The previous owner had such a wonderful talent when growing all these beauties...I'm just hoping I can learn quickly and keep them just as lovely. I know I'm going to have fun learning all about growing things I never imagined possible...I'm completely THRILLED!

I will be heading back to Texas as we still haven't officially moved to Cali...we did buy beds and a few household items to have here when we need them and should be moving out here...very soon.

I will post pictures of all my glorious blooms when I arrive back in Texas and can download them from my camera. In the meantime...I'm loving the beauty that now surrounds me, learning how to "get around" a new city and praying my old home sells...very soon!

Tootles to all...I'll keep you posted...Let the ADVENTURE begin!

Happy 3rd Anniversary!!!

Today is the third anniversary of my darling daughter and her handsome husband...it was a beautiful April Day 3 years ago...just as it is today. Wishing this awesome couple a day filled with laughter and love. I love you both with all my heart...Happy Anniversary...you guys!!



This picture was one of their engagement pictures taken along the Pacific Coast just outside of Huntington Beach, CA. I love it b/c it is spontaneous...just like the two of them...they are full of life...love adventure and are really a very awesome couple...they always make me laugh whenever I'm with them...and of course I couldn't be prouder of either of them...They are really making a life for themselves and I look forward to seeing what they have up their sleeves for the upcoming years!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY...JACKIE AND NAT!!