A Sweet Ride

I'd like to share a unique and fun way to celebrate a birthday or special occasion. This past weekend we attended our niece's birthday party and her parents had an ice cream truck from Shelbi's Sweets and Treats parked in the driveway during a portion of it. Each guest could then choose whatever sweet treat they desired as part of their party treat! Why this ice cream truck is EXTRA special is because it's main goal is...

"bringing happiness to families dealing with childhood cancer. ” All proceeds go to doing just that.
Shelbi Martin (her sweet little face appears on the side of the truck) lost her 15 month battle with cancer when she was only five years old. The dream of helping children and families with similar struggles was quickly born and family and friends dove right in to make their dream a reality. An ice cream truck! Who doesn't like an ice cream truck? Read more about their story here and see how it all began.

Check out how fun this is! The special child of the day gets to hand out all the cold treats to his or her guests.


And such a fun variety too...something for everyone!
And one of the best parts is fun party music is played the entire time the ice cream truck is parked. As you can see, my girls loved every minute of it!


So if you're looking to have a party with a little added flair and that includes a wonderful charitable cause, check out Shelbi's Sweets and Treats in Massillon, Ohio or look for a similar venue in your area.

And always remember, "it's not about the ice cream..."

Be well,

No Cost Moss As Home Decor

We've been quite busy lately, preparing to relocate and all. One of the major parts of our move is getting our home prepared for this lovely real estate market of ours. Eep! Chris and I have been busting our tushies decluttering, cleaning, finishing landscaping projects and everything in between. You name it...we're doing it! We want to squeak every dollar that we can out of this house without spending a lot of money doing so.

Imagine my surprise, hearing Chris' claim of salvaging the brightest green stash of REAL moss found deep inside our home's gutters. Realizing he just finished cleaning them out, I never thought they could produce such bounty!

Note: Most do not produce these types of "goods" when they are cleaned on a more regular basis. (Not a knock on my husband...we just seem so busy to think of these things sometimes.)

Once I saw all that I had to work with, I gathered a couple containers from around the house to use for my budget-friendly plantings. Nice!
To make it easier for drainage and cleanup, I inserted small glass dishes inside the pots. They were then filled with mini pebbles and rich home grown soil derived from leaf compost from our gutters.

Then, the planters were topped off with that gorgeous green moss my husband saved for me. Wow! I love them.

And him.

It's nice having someone that "gets" you, isn't it?

So, what do you think? Do you try to use nature's goodness in your decor? I'd love to hear how you include it in your home.

Taking junk to another level.

Consider Me a Southwest Junker

Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights.
~Pauline R. Kezer

I am happy to share one of the reasons my posts have been so sporadic lately. After nearly forty years as an Ohio girl (from birth), my family and I are moving to the southwest! Specifically Arizona, baby! My husband recently accepted a new position within his company that offers great opportunities. Relocating our family to the Chandler, Arizona area is part of the deal. Knowing how thorough my husband is regarding the purchase of a new toaster, I knew what a move like this would entail for him (thankfully). He and I would gather every bit of information we could regarding the area and the new position prior to his offer acceptance...hence our trip to Chandler this past weekend.
We enjoyed staying at the historic Crowne Plaza San Marcos Golf Resort in downtown Chandler for the weekend. A simply gorgeous place and just steps away from great shops and restaurants downtown. It's funny I had the misconception I wouldn't see anything but a bunch of cacti in the landscaping!

While Hubs spent Friday getting familiar with his coworkers and his new position at work, it was my job to cruise the local areas with the relocation specialist assigned to us. However, I found myself with three hours to kill before meeting her. What to do?...What to do?

I know what to do! (You can see where this is going, right?)
Of course I went in search of the local thrift stores, antique, and junk store hot spots. I mean, really. If I wouldn't have come across any...well...that would have been the deal breaker for us relocating for sure. Certainly you would agree.

Thankfully I came across a few! One in particular was called Merchant Square Antiques & Home Decor. Allow me to take you on a little tour of it...
This place stopped me dead in my tracks at times. So much to see...yet not enough time!
Old jars and wooden spools...
This pretty little red and white display of chotchkies.
The most perfect chippy and rusted iron gate...

An array of fans...

Touches of old white enamel all around.
And then of course, you're in Arizona, so cowboy boots are a requirement, I do believe.

I am so ready to build my brand in these parts and it looks like I can do it easily.
So as you can see, I didn't struggle very hard with trying to feel right at home. (Having fabulous views in the neighborhood isn't half bad either.) I gave my thumbs up...it matched my husband's thumbs up...so we'll be on our way to Arizona sometime very soon...

Although this midwesterner will miss so much about her home state, she knows deep in her heart that...
change is good.