Has it already been a year...?

...since I said "I do" to my sweet hubby?

Yep!! According to the invitations it indeed was a year ago today that Johnny and I became one in marriage...

...and it has been the happiest year of my life!

Be sure and check out our fun, fun country wedding pics here...we had such a blast! And the honeymoon...to die for!

______________________________

...what a cutie - and quite simply the sweetest most wonderful man on the planet!


I love you SO MUCH Baby! Happy 1st Anniversary!!!______________________________

"...and the two will become one flesh." Ephesians 5:31

The Best Laid Plans....

"My times are in your hands..." Psalm 31:15

"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." Proverbs 16:9

______________________________

Well, *ahem*, the Birthday Bash didn't quite come off as planned! :o) I really was miserable (at first) not being able to follow through with the plans, but I got over it about a couple of days past when I realized that there are indeed some things more important than blog birthdays...shocking I know, but true none the less...(Sorry Just Bee 'n Me, I know I probably hurt your feelings :o)

Everything is great - there are no big problems or roadblocks or illnesses - just not enough time in the day these days...at least not enough for me to blog and still keep sane and love on my hubby and tend to the boutique and spend time with the family, and oh yeah, spend time with my Inspiration for all of this to begin with, my loving and ever-patient God!! Ouch!!

I truly admire (and am probably a bit jealous of) those of you who are able to blog daily or almost daily, do it really well, and you work full time too and illustrate/craft on the side too, but you also raise kids and garden and cook and sew and on and on too...and I'm amazed. I love reading about your lives and sharing your victories and sorrows and looking at all the beauty in your posts of every variety. It is one of the most wonderful things I know of that so diverse a group of people from all around the globe are able to sit down and share their lives and connect in such a way...and I am so very blessed to be a small part of it all....and to have met the most fabulous people that I truly cherish.

So, I didn't say all that as a prelude to quitting the blog or anything like that - just wanted you to know what's on my heart and what I've been pondering...thanks for listening...

BTW, YES, I will still be having a giveaway, you bet'cha! I have most of it together and am very excited about sharing it with you just as soon as I can. I want to make it special and do it right, so it will be next week before I can have it all together and photographed. Sweet hubby and I are rolling out of here Wednesday evening and heading off to Louisiana to visit the kids and grandkids for a long weekend, so I'll be out of pocket for the latter part of the week. I will be taking lots of pictures to be sure...and though it may be a month later, I will share them with you :o)

______________________________

Speaking of photos - I have a few more from the Just Bee 'n Me Boutique - specifically of the wall that was pretty much blank when I first opened the space...here's how it's shaping up now....

amazing the difference a coat of paint can make on an old frame...

here's a before photo of the painting and frame...


a chipped bowl, mis-matched teacup, earring bling, ribbon, a silk rose, and some E-6000 glue combine into this sweet little wall hanging...


I re-painted this wooden tray black and painted some pansies and assorted flowers...



I've run across a slew of these little wall pockets (gold, plastic) that I've painted off-white - shown here holding a collection of vintage embroidered napkins...

this little sweetie is sold already...it was a tarnished silver-ish metal holder with an oval glass divided tray - I painted the metal pink and added the organza bow and ribbon rose...

I love this plaster wall plaque - I wish you could see the detail of the relief in person. I spray-painted it off white and used rub-and-buff antique gold to highlight the detail...


I'm taking more photos today of the other wall which has changed and has lots of new goodies...I'll share those soon.

Thanks for indulging me as I rambled earlier...and thanks also for your patience as I work through this busy, sweet season of my life...you are all so special to me and are so kind and understanding...I am so blessed!

Sorry - Giveaway Reveal Tomorrow

Sorry guys - just too many irons in the fire today - I will do my utmost to post the giveaway photos tomorrow, along with Way Back When-sday. Thanks for your patience :o)

_____________________

Just Bee 'n Three!!

Just Bee 'n Me is Turning Three!!

Well, dear friends in Blogland and beyond, it is hard to believe that 3 long, short years ago I sat down at this computer, in another entire state (both physically and emotionally), and wrote out these few words:

______________________________

A Tentative Venture
Well, a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step (or something like that)...so, here I step. I'm officially entering the blog world with the enthusiasm and starry-eyed optimism of of a newbie. For anyone who happens to stumble onto this; welcome. As I unpack and get settled in I hope to be able to show you a bit more hospitality, but for now you'll have to be content to pull up a cardboard box and have a seat. I've been inspired of late to open a blog of my own to share tidbits of artistic fumblings and snippets of hazy daydreams. Since I can't seem to write a sentence without a metaphor, you'll have to be adept at reading with your whimsy turned up and your logic turned down. As an artist masquerading as high-tech professional, I live in a constant struggle between whimsy and logic. Perhaps I can find harmony between the two as I venture into this high-tech arena with my art in tow. I'll simply insist that they play nice together. I hope to include imagery soon (I hate bare walls) -but for now, these few words will have to do. I look forward to saying absolutely nothing of consequence again soon - come back if you have nothing better to do.Blessings to all. Good night.

______________________________

Although it is only been 3 years, it seems like a lifetime ago in so many ways. LOTs of water has passed under the bridge since then and the blog has certainly changed as have I...

I invite you to celebrate this milestone with me all throughout the week (June 9th - 16th) - I have lots of fun things planned, not the least of which is a wonderful Birthday Bash Giveaway that I will reveal tomorrow!! Just a quick hint - the prize package will include at least one item made by/illustrated by me from each year of the blog!

Other highlights from the week will include a Way Back When-sday feature for the year 2005...it was the most traumatic year of my life, but many, many shining bits of light shone through the trials, and have lots to share about it all.

Also, I'll have updated photos to share from the Just Bee 'n Me Boutique, a couple of tags to play that I have been meaning to play for a long time, introductions to some great blogs, and a Father's Day tribute - plus so much more!!

I hope you'll stop by often for cupcakes and strawberry lemonade - and LOTs of fun - and of course, you'll want to start signing up on tomorrow's post for the big giveaway!!!!

Thanks from the bottom of my heart for stopping by and visiting - it means the world to me!!

The Just Bee 'n Me Boutique

(June image from my 2008 Calendar - it's really quite appropriate for my life right now)

"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me." (Psalm 138:8)

Happy June to you all!!

Sorry for the long space between posts, but I've been a tad bit busy. Between preparing for the opening of the Just Bee 'n Me Boutique, an unbelievably busy 3 weeks at my day job, and back-to-back weekends of family and friend milestone celebrations, blogging has had to take a back seat - I have missed you all so much!!

I wanted to share a little peek at my brand new Just Bee 'n Me Boutique space inside a sweet antique and gift shop called "Whispering Willow". It is very much so a work in progress with plenty of blank spaces, but I got a lot of the basics moved in and displayed over the weekend. Enjoy your little tour, complete with some befores and afters...

______________________________

My welcome sign :o)

The space before - with just my china hutch in place (cool Craigslist find)...


After...

Before...
After (this is the section that needs SO much more merchandise...)

Do these corner pieces look familiar...?


This is what they looked like before (each corner unit cost only $10.00!)


More detail on the china hutch - we displayed vintage embroidered linens on the open hutch doors...



Throughout the hutch I'm featuring what I call "re-purposed treasures" - these are serving pieces made of odd inexpensive pieces of glassware, china, and metal that I have put together in new, fresh, useful (and hopefully beautiful) ways. This wire basket pedestal bowl was a 25 cent wire basket and a 50 cent wooden candle holder - I spray-painted them, glued them together then handpainted a little pink rose...

Only thing I did to this old china piece was weave the cutout pattern with a pretty ribbon...


I got all 4 china pieces for $1...and glued them together with glass candle holders to form a 3-tier serving piece...


An orphaned vintage butter dish with no lid coupled with yet another glass candle holder and a jaunty ribbon became an elegant pedestal soapdish - I simply wrapped a discount store fragrant soap with a lace medallion and topped it with a ribbon rose for a sweet guest soap...

With some linens my Mom and I already had and more garage sale goodies, we decked out a fresh cottage table with a floral stoneware set, vintage napkins, old enamel pitcher with a silk arrangement, and a re-purposed serving piece in matching stoneware...


My $5 rug find anchors the space with roses in blues, pinks and cream...

That's it for today's tour - hope you enjoyed it half as much as I enjoyed putting it all together. And a BIG hug to my Mom for all her help setting up and pricing...as well as to my sweet hubby for fixing, painting, and hauling all the big stuff and for being with me every step of the way from purchase to completion...he's a keeper!!!

I will be sharing LOTS of photos in the days and weeks to come as we embark on this new adventure and continue to fill the space with an ever-evolving collection of treasures - so please come back by soon! Also, the BIG BIRTHDAY BASH is right around the corner - a peek at the giveaway prize package is just a few days away...don't miss out!!

______________________________

"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." (Proverbs 24:3-4)