Greeting Cards

Do you like to receive and give greeting cards?  Our oldest daughter, Tiffani, and I do.  Brooke and her dad, not so much.  Tiffani and I can spend hours looking for the right card.  Kevin and Brooke think giving cards are a waste of money.  :)  There have been times in the past when he has asked me "do you want a card?"  Seriously!!!  I am happy to say that he no longer asks.

For my birthday he gave me a beautiful card.  Here is the wording:

A man like me has a lot to be thankful for.

And at the top of the list is you--

a woman who knows me, accepts me,

and whose love has made so many things right.

I'll never know what I did

to deserve a life this good.

But I do know what's at the very heart of it:

You.

Beautiful you.

Happy Birthday.

The first thing I said was "I love the card."  Then I asked him "did you read it?"  He said he did.  Maybe we are making progress after almost 27 years of marriage!

Take care,

Debbie

Celebrations All Around!!!

I can't believe I let my 200th post slip right by yesterday without celebrating.  Life by the Pool...it's just better! came to fruition on May 7th of last year when Nelly gifted me with this awesome blog.  You can see that post here.  I have had so much fun with it.  I see and document our lives so differently since I've started blogging.  Everyone knows I am going to have my camera ready at a moment's notice so those that choose not to be "captured" start dipping and a dodging.  :)  Kevin knows that I am going to take photos of our food before we get to eat it.  :)  Gotta love it, right?!!!

Why did I let it slip by me?  My birthday, of course!!!  This beautiful box was on my desk when I opened the door to my office.  Isn't it gorgeous?

I took the photos outside so you can see the details of the box.

Winifred really knows how to package a gift!

 Look at what I found inside!!!  I immediately changed out the jewelry that I was wearing for this beauty!!!

Nelly gave me a gift certificate for a beautiful planner (will post as soon as it arrives) but Ms. J insisted on getting me these comfy slippers, glitter (she loves glitter!) and Mod Podge.  Isn't she the sweetest?

Kevin and my mother-in-law gave me money that I am going to apply to a day of pampering at Bergamos Spa Retreat.  The girls and I went there for some pampering a couple of days before Brooke's wedding and had a great time.  I think it's time to have a "redo".  :)

Kevin wanted to take me out for dinner, but I requested that he bring Gringo's Mexican food home instead.  It was so nice.

Chicken fajitas, rice, beans and chili con queso.  Yumm!!!!

He picked up Bundtlets from Nothing bundt Cakes.  I had put in a request for the Red Velvet.  He also got the lemon, cinnamon swirl, and pecan praline.  Our favorite, hands down, was the lemon.  It was so yummy!!!  I brought the leftovers to Nelly and she loved them!!!  Her words "this cake is so good"!!!

You should really try them if you haven't already.

I had a very nice birthday.  Thank you to everyone for the cards, gifts and best wishes.

Sweet P and I will be celebrating our birthdays again on Sunday.  We are all going to Texas Roadhouse after church to have a family celebration.  Her birthday is on February 2nd.

Hope you are having a great day!!!

Take care,

Debbie

It's My Birthday Today!!!

Woo Hoo!!!  I am 56 years young today!!!

I am incredibly grateful for all of the wonderful people I have been blessed to have in my life.  My husband, my children, grandchildren, family and friends.

I am grateful to have a job that I love and coworkers that have become special friends.

Over the years I have been blessed with opportunities that I am eternally grateful for and 

I am very excited about the opportunities that are laid out before me.

I want to say thank you to all of you that stop by my little piece of the big wide web.  I have really enjoyed getting to know you.  It is such a gift to see how other people live out their lives.

I have this quote on a wooden sign in my office/craft room at home.  It reminds me just

how blessed I am.

May God bless you and keep you safe!!!

Take care,

Debbie

My Biker Chick Outfit

Jou Jou Faux-Leather Moto Jacket from Macy's $29.99 (reg. price $59.50)

My brother and sister-in-law are members of a Mardi Gras Krewe and the theme for their Mardi Gras Ball this year is Harley Davidson.  :0)  We are going to the ball this Friday night with Brooke and Brad.

I have to admit it took me a while to come up with this outfit.  I ordered several jackets before I settled on this one.  (yes I have to make returns!)

Cut Out Embellished Top from Venus $29.00 (reg. price $36.00)

I ordered the top from Venus.

Rock & Republic Linen Blend Motorcycle Vest $24 (reg. price $80.00)

I had the vest before the jacket.  I decided to keep it so when I take my jacket off it will still have a look of a biker chick.

Rock & Republic Mixed-Media Motorcycle Leggings from Kohls $40.50 (reg. price $54.00)

I absolutely love the pants.  They are so comfortable.  I told the hubs we are going to have to find somewhere else to go so I can wear them again.  We might have to start "going out".  Haha!!!  Seriously.  They are so dang comfortable.

Black Glitzy Ankle Boot from Chicos $40.00 (reg. price $179.00)

I purchased these boots a couple of months ago when Chico's had a really good sale.  I can't believe I got these for $40.  They are really comfortable.

We are looking forward to this weekend.  We will be partying, gambling (winning!), and hopefully eating crawfish!!!

Take care,

Debbie

P.S.

For those of you in the north with all of that cold weather and snow....be safe and stay warm!!!  We are sending warm vibes your way!!!

Fun Weekend

We had a really fun weekend.  We went to see the American Sniper on Friday night.  It was a very thought provoking and moving movie.  There were quite a few older gentlemen in the theater.  I couldn't help but wonder if some of them had fought for our country.  Most movies have music playing as you walk out.  This one didn't.  You walked out in total silence.  I would definitely recommend going to see it.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of the men and women that have served our country and continue to serve our country.  You are truly appreciated.  Thank you.



On Saturday I made my favorite Chicken Tortilla soup in the crockpot.  I did a post on it here.  I was really craving Tex-Mex so I thought this would be a much healthier version.  :)

It makes me happy to know that we are doing our part by recycling.  This recipe calls for quite a few cans!!!

Yum!!!

Sweet P had a roller skating party on Sunday afternoon to celebrate her upcoming 6th birthday.  We had so much fun.  The last time I had skated was on a pair of inline skates (about 10 years ago).  I was skating with a group of women (that were way better than I was) in the street near our home and I busted my rear on the concrete.  For two weeks it hurt to sit.  Needless to say I gave away my skates and all of my protective gear and never looked back.

Sweet P

Sweet P

When I was growing up, my friends and I would go to the skating rink every Friday night.  At that time, I would have considered myself a pretty good skater.  :)  I could skate backwards, hold hands and go in circles, etc.

I think roller skating is similar to riding a bike.  You have a memory for it, only I'd say that roller skating is a little harder to get back in to because you have to find your balance again so it takes a little longer.  I fell on my left knee on my second lap around the rink.  Ms. A thought it was so funny!  Thanks to the hub I was able to get off of the floor.  :)  I rested for a bit (until it stopped hurting) and then made my way back on the floor.  I am quite happy to report that I did not fall again.

Nelly, her Nerd and Miss J

I wish I had taken more photos.  :(

We all had so much fun.  Our rink lets adults skate free on Sundays so we are going to add it to our list of activities.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!!!

Take care,

Debbie

Happy Friday!!!

My desk faces this building.

Good morning!!!  I hope you are having a good day today.

I want to share a few pics of the view from my office.  Let me just say that these photos do not do it justice.  It is so beautiful in the morning with all of the lights from the buildings.  There are so many photos I want to take in the morning so I can share with you the beauty of downtown in a big city. 

 

Little blurry  :)

Do you have any special plans for this weekend?  My main goal is to finish placing decor throughout the house so I can check that off of my list.  I also want to get to the gym so I can get some swimming in.  I am really missing it now that things have slowed down.

After today's rain, the forecast shows five days of sunshine.  Woo Hoo!!!

I am hoping to finally get to use my power washer.  :)  Our driveway could use a good cleaning.  Along with the patio and around the pool.  There's nothing like a good cleaning.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!!

Take care,

Debbie

Today's Modern Woman

Couldn't find link to give credit

I saw this on Pinterest and I think this just about sums it up.

What do you think?

Hope you are having a great day!

Take care,

Debbie

Happy Monday!!!

I hope you had a great weekend.  We had three days in a row of sunshine.  Oh happy days!!!  I am very happy to report that the sun is out again today even though we started with a terrible fog.

All of our Christmas decor has been packed up and put away.  Can I get a woo hoo?!!!  You are probably thinking that we forgot the LSU figurines but we didn't.  They go inside the glass doors of the hubs desk.  

This year I laid out the decor on the pool table so I could "rethink" where I wanted to place it.  It is way too easy to put things back in the "usual" spot and I wanted to change things up a bit.  

I pulled these magnolia topiaries out of the attic.  I have had them for so long that both of the girls have used them in their homes at one time or another.  I am going to rework them and maybe put them on the mantel for a different look.

Can you tell I like fleur de lis?

 

Lamps of all sizes and shapes.

I forgot to take after photos.....maybe I'll get to those today.

I am so very sore and tired.  I am looking forward to my massage this afternoon.  :)

Did you do anything fun and exciting this weekend?

Have you seen this dashcam video from the Dover Police Department?  It is so cute!!!

Hope you have a great day!

Take care,

Debbie

Pomegranates

Let me start out by saying that I love Pomegranates!!!

I think they are beautiful both in color and shape and they taste good.

Warning!  It can be quite messy removing the seeds.  The first thing I do is cut off the

crown.  Next, I score the fruit from top to bottom all the way around.  I then grab the fruit

with my thumbs on the top center, press down into the pomegranate and pull it apart.  It

breaks apart and then you can work the seeds out.  I like to do it while watching my favorite TV shows.

Seeding a pomegranate may seem like a lot of work for just a piece of fruit but the benefits are worth it.  The pomegranate is rich in phytochemical compounds.  They contain high levels of flavonoids and polyphenols, and potent antioxidants offering protection against heart disease and cancer.  A glass of pomegranate juice has more antioxidants than red wine, green tea, blueberries, and cranberries.  Pomegranates can be stored in plastic bags in the refrigerator for up to two months.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend with beautiful weather!

Take care,

Debbie

Packing Up Christmas With a Little Help From the Grinch

 

I imagine by now that most of you have finished packing up your holiday decor.

I am knee deep in packing up ours.  :)  My mission is to have everything packed up by

Saturday evening.  Why you might ask?

Monday is Martin Luther King Day and I am very lucky to have that day off.

My goal is to have two days to relax so I have been busy packing up Christmas....with

a little assistance from the Grinch himself.  He was a big help to me last night as I

dismantled his tree.  

I have three more trees to dismantle, the one in the master bedroom (piece of cake), the large one in the family room (easy because the decorations are big) and the LSU tree (too many little ornaments).  My goal is to use large decorations on the LSU tree later this year (note to self).  Large decor goes up really fast and packs up really fast.

I am looking forward to "shopping my home" to redecorate after the packing is done.

I want to try things in different places....no reason to keep something in the same place

all of the time, right?  :)

On another note, the sun just came out.  Whoo hoo!!!  We have had no sun for seven

days straight and we are so excited to have it for the next couple of days.

Here's what click2houston has to say about our weather:

HOUSTON -After several dreary and cold days, sunshine returns to the Houston area Thursday.

The morning begins wet, but by the afternoon temperatures will warm up to 54 degrees with plenty of sunshine.  The sun will stay throughout the weekend.

I hope the sun is shining for you today!!!

Take care,

Debbie

Whatever!!!

If you are a parent, mother or father, of young children or teenagers, I am sure you have heard the word "whatever" pronounced as "WHAT - ehv-errr".  I can clearly remember how much I despised that word.

We raised two girls, ten years apart.  I can tell you that when our oldest daughter began using the "W" word her younger sister was repeating it right behind her.  So imagine a 13 year old and a 3 year old both telling you "whatever".  :)  It didn't take me long to ban that word from our home.

Yes, you read that right.  I banned that word from our home.  "Whatever" was used in place of "whatever you say" and "I don't care what you say".  Only it sounded nicer.  Right?  Wrong.  The intention of the word was to dismiss anything I had said and to express her indifference.  Of course, the 3 year old had no idea she was being impolite.  The teenager, oh yeah, she knew. :)

You are probably wondering why am I bringing this up now?  Yesterday, at lunch, Nelly (from Nelly and Her Nerd and Miss J) was telling me about her conversation with Ms. J the night before.  Ms. J asked her what whatever meant.  Apparently, that day, her Kindergarten teacher had gotten frustrated with all of the children because they were all saying "WHAT - ehv-err"!  So she called them into a group to discuss how they are not to use the word "whatever".  I immediately had a flashback.  This was the first time I had ever heard that someone else had banned "that" word.  :)  Way too funny!

Here is an adorable video clip I found on youtube of a little girl being taught to say "whatever" with attitude.  Something tells me they will come to regret that one day!  Just saying!!!  She is so cute!!!

Take care,

Debbie

Celebrating Brooke's Birthday

She loves Tinker Bell so I got this for her desk.

Brooke's birthday is on December 24th.  That's right.  Christmas Eve.

The first thing we do on Christmas Eve is celebrate her birthday.  She decides what we are going to eat and this year she chose roast, rice and gravy, corn, mashed potatoes, and black-eye peas.

The theme for her party was the New Orleans Saints.  She loves the Saints.

 Her favorite cake is a yellow butter cake mix with a milk chocolate icing.  Nothing fancy.  To look at this cake you would think I never baked!  I just skipped the most important step of leveling the cake!!!  Ha ha!  Oh well.  It sure tasted good.

Here are a few photos of Mr. W thoroughly enjoying his cake.

Looks like he wasn't the only one that liked it!

Being silly.....

Isn't he adorable?  Posing for his maw maw!!!

Here's the three of them wearing the silly hats.  As you can see, Mr. W had to change his clothes because there was so much chocolate everywhere!

We all had a great time!!!

Happy Birthday Brooke!!!!

Take care,

Debbie