The Flossie Chronicles ~ Sweet, Happy and So So Funny .. Tails of an English Springer Spaniel

 

 

Well .. I can't believe after looking through my posts tonight that the last time I wrote about my Sweet Flossie she was just 1yr old.

 

We are rounding the corner to 3 yrs old in November .. and my has she ever grown into a beautiful young lady ...

 

Since I'm a single gal with no children.. Flossies my sweet little girl .. She kinda has pig tails with those long ears of hers don't you think ? .. LOL !

 

I've had dogs for as long as I can remember ... Black Labs, Yellow Labs, a Lhasa Apso, Golden Retrievers and Now an English Springer Spaniel ...

 

 

I hate to say it because it may sound unkind but from the time I was a little girl I loved my animals more than people ..

 

I could spend hours on our little farmette ..playing in the barn, on the wood pile, riding my pony buttercup ... playing with my yellow Lab daisy .. and watching mom feed the chickens the horses Sugar and Star and the pig ( no name it was for eating) .

 

The animals were always a great comfort to me and I felt completely at ease when I was with them.

 

Although we don't have a farm full of animals today (even though I would love too) .. I have Flossie and she fills that maternal place in my heart which is a good thing !

 

As Many of you know My parents and I share a home together ..

So Flossie gets a Ginormous amout of Love seeing that they are both retired.

 

Dad Brushes and walks her twice a day.

 

Mom gives her carrots and sometimes potato during the day .. Flossies Favorite is carrots she eats 1  a day and sometimes 2( did you know carrot is great for keeping their teeth clean ) ..

 

Today we took Flossie out for a little photo shoot .. Dad's an avid skeet and trap shooter and some of the guys and gals he shoots with wanted to see Flossie .. But it's a long drive to where he shoots and it's a long day away from home which I'm not sure Flossie would be too thrilled about and I think the noise of the Guns would probably and literally terrify her .. so our next option was send pictures .. not exactly the same but at least they can see what she looks like ...

 

Here's a few of the photo's that we took ...

 

 

 

 

 

There are a couple types of english springer spaniels .. "Bench" and "Field" .. you may be more familiar with the "Field" type that has shorter ears and is more freckled .. they are typically bred for and used for hunting ... while the bench type which is what Flossie is .. is a "Show" dog .. they have a blanket .. the all black as you see on Flossie or in the case of the Liver (brown) and white springer a brown blanket on their backs and legs .. Flossie has a few freckles or "Sprinkles" as we call them 3 on her nose and a few on her lips.

 

She has a sweet disposition and is a major cuddler and lover .. Throughout my work day while at the sewing machine she loves to bathe my legs in kisses until I have to tell her enough ... She periodically uses her nose and pokes me in my thigh which means she wants a hug ... and once she gets the hug off she go's to visit Mom or Dad and get one from them too ..

 

She's quite the character and keeps us smiling all the day long ..and she's amazingly smart .. I've never had a dog in all my dogs as smart as her. She has a basket full of toys well over 20 . We give names to the toys when we bring them home and within 10 minutes she knows the name of her new toy .. Then we play the game of asking her to find in her basket a specific toy .. and she nuzzles through the basket until she finds the toy we have asked for .. I still don't know how she determines the right toy with the right name ..i'm in amazement...

 

She loves going bye bye but seriously what dog doesn't.. whenever we go shopping to a store that she can go in .. Home Depot, Lowes, Hobby Lobby .. we take her .. pop her in a cart and wheel her down the aisles and she is in absolute heaven ..

 

Well I could go on about all the wonderful things I love about her ..and Maybe I'll share that in another post .. I don't want to bore you all with my gushy proud mama moments ..LOL !

 

I just thought I would share some up to date pictures of her .. since it's been so long....

 

 

If you have a pet ... give it a hug and some love .. Animals have feelings too ..and they need attention and love ..

 

Wishing you all a beautiful and Fun Filled Weekend ..

 

 

 

Starting the week with just saying "I Love You" .. ~ Our Daily Bread

 

This morning I opened up my inbox to find my "Girlfriends in God" .. devotion waiting for me.

 

I love starting out my mornings with my devotions. It always gives me some good thoughts about myself and my relationship with the Lord throughout the day.

 

Today's devotion touched my heart .....

 

I hope it does yours also ..

 

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I Just Called to Say, “I Love You”Sharon Jaynes

 

 

Today's Truth
‘Call to Me,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will answer you and I will tell you great and mighty things which you do not know’ (Jeremiah 33:3, NASB).

Friend to Friend
It was an unusual phone call from my son, Steven. It was the second week of his second semester, his third year in college.
“Hey Mom, this is Steven. I just wanted to call and say ‘hello’. I haven’t talked to you in a while and wanted to see how you were doing.”        
“Hey bud,” I replied. “How are you? How are your classes? Do you like your professors?”
We volleyed questions and answers back and forth. It was a nice intro, and I kept waiting for the request such as, “Could you put an extra $50 in my account for another Philosophy book I had to buy?” or “Does my car insurance go up if I get a parking ticket?”
But those type questions never came.
“Mom, how are you doing?”
“What have you been up to this week?”
“How’s the new book coming?”
After about fifteen minutes into our conversation, I reluctantly asked, “Is everything OK?”
“Yea,” he chuckled. “I just called to talk. Are you surprised?”
“Sort of,” I sheepishly admitted. “But it is a wonderful surprise!”
A few minutes later we said our “goodbyes” and “I love yous.” Then I sat there and savored the joy of knowing that my son had called…not because he needed anything or had a problem to solve, but just because he loved me.
Then God spoke to my heart:

Sharon, I want you to remember how you feel at this moment. Your son, who you love more than life itself, has just called to talk to you…not because he wanted anything, not because he had a question about a decision or a detail of life, not because he had a problem to solve. He called just to talk, simply to see what was on your heart—because he loves you. That, my child whom I love more than life, is the same way I feel when you talk to Me—not because you want something, not because you have a question about a decision or a detail of life, not because you have a problem to solve. That is how I feel when you talk to Me simply because you want to learn what is on My heart…simply because you love Me.

Steven’s call was a poignant reminder that the God of the Universe delights when His children call…just to say, “I love You.”
“Call to Me,” says the Lord, “and I will answer you and I will tell you great and mighty things which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3 NASB)

Let’s Pray
Dear Father, I love You. That’s really all I want to say today. I love You, not because of what You do, but because of Who You are…my Heavenly Father.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn
Have you told God you love Him lately? If not, one of the best ways to praise Him is to use the names of God found in the Bible. Let’s look at a few. I’ll give you the Hebrew name found in the Old Testament and the English translation.
God I praise you that you are:

• Jehovah – The Self Existent Onewho had no creator and was before all things (Exodus 3:13-16

• Jehovah-Raah – The Lord my Shepherd(Psalm 23

• Jehovah-Jireh – The Lord Who Provides(Genesis 22:8, 14)

• Jehovah-Shalom– The Lord of Peace (Judges 6:24)

• Jehovah-Rophe - The Lord Who Heals physically, emotionally, and spiritually (Exodus 15:26)

• Jehovah-Tsidkenu – The Lord Our Righteousness(Jeremiah 23:6)

• Jehovah-Shammah – The Lord is There(Ezekiel 48:35)

• Jehovah-Nissi – The Lord my Banner(Exodus 17:15)

• Jehovah-M’Kaddesh – The Lord Who Sanctifies(Leviticus 20:8)

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Even Though I'm not a Mom .. and I don't relate to the above devotion in having your child generally call or come to you over something they need ..

 

I could relate to it on the side of being a daughter throughout the years and being that child (young and adult) that has gone to them numerous times with needs on every level. And Yes just going to them on many occasions to just say "I love You"

 

But it was a great way of showing our relationship with our heavenly father and how we go to him constantly with our needs which we are supposed to do .. We go to him in praise of all he does for us.. .. but how often do we go to him with "I Love You" .. Simply "I Love You "..

 

I can say in all honesty that most my prayers are for thanks, Praise and need of myself or other's with I love You mixed in.. but not as often are my prayer's just simply "I Love You's" .. with no other attachments.

 

It's something I can't wait to begin implementing in my walk with the Lord ..

 

And what a great way to start the new week .. a Monday that begins a week of Simply "I Love You's"

 

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Wishing you all a Beautiful and Blessed Week ..

 

 

 

 

Flip ~ Flop ~ Flun ~ ...Kick off the Summer with some cute Flip Flop DIY Tutorials that are so easy !

 

 

 

~ SUMMER FUN ~

 

June 21st marks the first official day of summer .. and it's time to slip on those summer flip flops !

 

However if you're one of those that live in the drier and warmer climates year round like we are ..flips flops tend to be the mode of transportation for your feet pretty much year round...

 

I own a dozen pair of flip flops and they are my first choice in footwear these days .not because I'm that in love with flip flops.. but my feet are. I've got feet that have lot's of issues and shoes and my feet don't make a happy couple.

 

I love cute flip flops ..but lately I haven't found any that have that cute quotient I'm looking for .. they all seem a bit plain so I started looking for ways to make them cute, classy and sassy !

 

And here are some super cute ways to dress up some inexpensive flip flops for yourself, your kids, or your friends ..what great summer gifts !

 

So this first pair is so classy ..

 

I could see wearing these to church with a beautiful long white skirt ... Or a summer wedding ..

 

I love all the pearls and beads ...and there's a step by step tutorial showing you how to  make them .. with all the fabulous beads out there for jewelry making these days you could get super creative and do these up in colored beads .. and they used a pair of the easily found rubber flips flops that I just saw at Wal -Mart and the Dollar store for Just a buck .. ( do you know why we refer to a dollar as a buck ?) check the end of this post for the answer. 

 

 

 Tutorial HERE

These cuties have been dressed up with ribbons by the ribbon lady ...

 

How cute would these be with a denim skirt or denim shorts ! .. and love the touch of the black jewel in the center of the ribbon rosette .. 

 Tutorial HERE

These just say "Summer Fun" ... I love the mix of the tie died rosettes and the striped flops ...

 

The color combo just makes me smile ..

 

 

I imagine just about any young lady or teenage girl would be thrilled to recieve a pair of these or even sit down and make a pair with Mom , Grandma and some friends ... so check out the tutorial ...and make a girls day to make some personalized flip flops ..

Tutorial HERE

 

 

 

 

For those of us who have more flips flops than necessary ..LOL  ..

 

I thought this tutorial for turning wire hangers into flop holders was awesome .. so so easy ..

 

And I love how they used metal shelf brackets  and pipe to create a low floor space hanger for organizing them in the closet ..

 

 

 

 

 Jean Lover's Unite !

 

For those of you that Love Denim and have some old jeans that you don't wear anymore ..this is a great way to upcycle them and make some blue jean flip flops ..

 

 I think I would refer to these as my Kick Back Flip Flops ...

 

 Tutorial HERE

Mom's and Grandmom's ... do you have a little snugglebug that tip toes around on those tiny little feet ...

 

Well here's some super girly ruffled flops that are absolutely darling... I want these in my size ! and I haven't dressed up my toe nails in polish in a long while but this sure makes me want to ...

 

over at the motherhuddle ..they teach you how to make these for your little snugglebugs ...

 Tutorial HERE

Cottage Charm for your Feet ... These remind of a day at the beach .. walking the boardwalk and letting the ocean breeze kiss my face .

 

 

I love the striped bows ..and especially the body of the flop dressed in a cute floral pattern ...

 

Another simple yet easy way to dress your flops for that summer vacation .

 

 

 

Tutorial HERE

 

 

Baseball Moms and Gals ... Here's the Flop for you !

 

 

Simple rubber flop with too too adorable baseball flower ..

 

I couldn't find a  link to show how to make these cuties .. But ...

 





I found this picture tutorial on how to take apart a baseball and turn it int a flower ..seems pretty self explanatory .. and pretty easy .. if you're young man plays ball I know that they end up with old baseballs they quit using so ask the coach for one of those throw aways ...

 

 

And Lastly ... with 4th of July on the way ..  I couldn't pass up these "Patriotic Cuties" ...

 

Looks like some cute "old navy" Flops .. wrapped in patriotic ribbon with ribbon bows ...

 

Another Fun and Easy way to dress up some inexpensive flops with the kiddos ... How fun for them to make a pair to wear on the 4th of July !  You could even add a few extra sparkly rhinestones !

 

 

There's dozen's more ways to DIY your own flip flops .. I was amazed at all the ingenious and yet simple ways to dress them up I found in my search .. If you have a pinterest account .. in the search box type " DIY Flip Flops" ..and the ideas are endless ..

 

 

~ Happy Summer Y'all ~

 

 

and Yep ..here's why refer to a dollar as a buck ...

 

The most likely explanation why a dollar is called a Buck is that the word Buck was derived from the word buckskin. Buckskin was used for trade between Indians, Native Americans and Europeans in the days of the frontier, from 1748. As the skin became a less common medium of exchange the word 'buck' was likely to have been adapted to use for the dollar currency which had replaced it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turning Homemaking into Fun and Saving a little money along the way with Sugarpie Farmhouse

 

Well Hey Y'all ... Hope you have all had a lovely week and are having a lovely start to your weekend.

 

Today I spent the morning at the Vintage Marketplace visiting several of my friends whom are selling their wares there .. and Flossie Dog went with me .. She had the best time and wow was she ever tuckered out this evening.. She was as snug as a bug in a rug , curled up in her bed. We were all real quiet so to not disturb her ... But I imagine she'll get rested up tonight and be all wound up for another day of play tomorrow ...

 

 

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So My Start to my weekend has been awesome even though this is going to be a working weekend for me. May was really busy for us and I'm doing some catch up work to make sure everyone gets their farm goods in the promised time so they can begin decoratin' or gift givin' with their new goods.

 

 

The 2nd start to a great weekend was opening an e-mail that's been sittin' in my inbox since monday from my Dear Sweet Friend Aunt Ruthie of Sugar Pie Farmhouse ..

 

It was hard not opening the e-mail all week but I had to save it for an evening when I had plenty of time to enjoy it and really savor it .. and tonight was the night.

 

Of course after I got through the e-mail ... I just had to share about it with you all !

 

 

Aunt Ruthie  has been so blessed to be a stay at home Mama to 4 lovely children 3 of which are grown up now and have families of their own and 1 of which is on the verge of being all grown up ..

 

Being a mama to 4 .. just like other mama's out there Aunt Ruthie has some wonderful tips, Inspiration and encouragement on Homemaking and she's just released her first 2 Videos ...

 

 

 

She teaches you how to make your own Laundry Soap ... In her fabulous farmhouse kitchen and girls ..you may have to watch her video several times like me just to keep up with the directions because your eyes start wandering checking out her cute granite top table or her adorable glass front cabinets .. Oh my what a kitchen ..  but then you get drawn back in to Aunt Ruthies farmhouse charm and her clear, precise and simple directions to make your own laudry soap in a jiffy and save money doing it .. Who doesn't want to save money these days ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You also get a 2nd video .. and seriously she comes up with the cutest titles ..

 

"Cup 'N Saucer Chat ...

 

Oh Lordy is that just adorable !

 

 

I didn't want the chat to end .. I loved it .. and she had a little blooper which she left in which I loved it just made my heart smile and I got to giggle with her .. I'm sure it's not easy makin' a video. I did a video tutorial once several years back .. and Oh my there was alot of time and effort that went into it .. take after take trying to get all you want to say in and say it right ... so I applaud Aunt Ruthie for her videos ..she did an amazing job and she's just a natural on the camera .. Her true personality that I know from our get togethers when she ventures out here to CA really shines through ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And Yep .. she included several other bloopers for her audience to enjoy .. bloopers are the best ..!

 

 

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You all might be wonderin' about now .. You've said so many nice things about Aunt Ruthie's new Video series ..did you get paid to write this .. and the answer's no...

 

Aunt Ruthie is a friend of ours .. and I've known her for many years as aquaintance and then friends .. we are sisters in the Lord and we love to lift up and encourage each other as well as those that follow our blogs.

 

Life should really be about encouraging one another ..boy wouldn't that make the world a better place ..

 

So I'm just givin' a sweet little shout out that if you'd like to know more about homemakin' and soap makin' and get to know Aunt Ruthie a little more personally .. well gals go grab up her videos which you can do HERE

 

 

 

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Well take care and have a great weekend .. Keep smilin' .. Cause the Good Lord Loves You ... You're Pretty Special to Him !

 

 

 

 

The Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks ... This Friday, Saturda, & Sunday

SAVE THE DATE! Okay Gals, It's SHOW TIME. June 6,7,8...2014. A show you don't want to miss. Shoppers fly in from all over the U.S. Just outside the city of Temecula,CA in Rainbow . A beautiful setting under old Oak trees. Come on out and have 3 days of shopping fun. Easy access just off the 15 Freeway.

 

 

See Ya there on Friday Morning !