The Monkey & The Moo

Remember yesterday when I showed you all the cool stuff I got at Home Goods? 

Well the Monkey decided that this little Moo Cow was hers and hers alone. 

And she's pretty much obsessed with it already. 

She gets extremely attached to her things. 

She'll hug it and kiss it and squeeze it all over....

And Heaven help anyone who wants to take it away from her. 

The Moo Cow even stuck around while the Monkey ate her dinner. 

Thankfully my old girl, Lily, was quite content to keep pulling all the stuffing out of Duckie.  Poor Duckie. 

I hope your evening was as much fun as ours!

Happy weekend, folks!

Things That Brighten My Day

Some mornings it's just hard to shake off a "mood" - this morning was one of those mornings. 

My older dog has this terrible habit of waking the house before dawn. She wakes my younger daughter first (she sleeps in her room) and after she gets out for her morning business she runs up the stairs and sits outside my door. Whining. Crying. Whimpering. It's beyond annoying and I don't know how to break her of the habit. If my daughter doesn't let her up the stairs, she sits inside my daughter's room scratching at the door and whining and being annoying. Either way, we don't get enough sleep. Ever.

And after a while it wears on you. Big time.

Today was one of those days. 

My older daughter is traveling (again!) - this time she's on her way to Egypt via Istanbul and I can't help but worry about her. So, it was a night of tossing and turning for me, and there will be many nights like that until she returns safely on the 23rd. Say a prayer.

I'm tired. I need a really good night's sleep.

Today I'm going to post some simple things in my world that always make me smile. In the hopes that they will brighten both my day and yours.

And I know they will. 

Autumn morning light on the deck - best place ever for my morning coffee

My sweetie got exactly 3 flowers on his hydrangeas all season....and he cut them and brought them to me!

Weekend mornings deserve cappucino

The morning light hits the green bubbly glass knobs in the kitchen and makes them glow

The best thing about my dog waking me up before dawn

A housewarming gift from a friend - it makes me smile every time I see it

My little monkey always manages to find the sunshine

The foliage in my back woods

My evening sanctuary

My old girl who won't let me sleep - she loves her new toy - it's hard to stay mad at that face 

Waiting for a party

My home, my haven

The blue jays come in one after the other now for their peanuts and entertain us to no end

The morning sun hits the trees right outside the kitchen windows and they light up the room

My little monkey is a big Giants fan!

Sunshine....Makes Me Happy

I was always a HUGE John Denver fan. Oh, I think I've mentioned that before!! It's actually where the name of my blog came from....via my daughter.

But he had it right, didn't he? Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy. Really happy.

One of the things that I absolutely fell in love with when I first toured my new home was the sunlight streaming in the windows. It was a very cold day in early November when I first came to see the house yet the sun was shining so brightly through the windows making the whole place so warm and welcoming.

This morning the sun was beaming down on the deck causing steam to rise from the heavy dew that had settled on everything overnight. It was a glorious sight.

The sun shone down on my garden cottage, seen through my bedroom window as I was making the bed.

The front windows get the most sun in the mornings...the new windows will be installed next week which will be great for energy efficiency but unfortunately I'm losing a few inches of sunshine on either side.

Just look at the way the sun streams across the room. How can that not make a person happy in the mornings?

I'm not the only one who cherishes the morning sunshine!

What a cutie. My little Daisy. Also known as the Monkey.

I guess Duckie loves the sunshine also!

The dining room table is starting to get decked out for fall....the warm glow and the pop of orange really brings a cozy energy to the room, perfect for this transitional season.

My newest happy place. I love sitting here in the mornings with a cup of coffee for a little quiet time before the day starts.

The lower level gets great sunshine also, which is a huge plus! This plant is so very happy on this windowsill...I don't have the heart to move it to let in even more light!

I hope you found something that made you happy this morning also, my friends!

Styling a Dresser

Good Morning, All!! I hope you all have wonderful plans for the weekend ahead....make sure you find time to do something that makes you happy!!

Today I'm thinking about how to style the new dresser in my bedroom. It's been naked except for a small lamp since it arrived, while I gave some thought to what I'd like to put on it.

This morning I shopped my house to find a few items to place on the dresser, as we are having company tonight who have never seen my house....I certainly can't have them looking at a naked dresser!

(Excuse the horrible photos - my daughter absconded with my good camera so I was forced, kicking and screaming, to take photos on my iPhone.)

Soooooo....it's better, obviously, than a naked dresser but it still needs help.

What's a girl to do?

First, get ideas.....Pinterest to the rescue!!

Via

Via

Via

Via

Via

Via

So many great ideas out there and hey, doesn't that doggie look alot like my Lily/Tubs?

I'm noticing a trend here and it tells me the first thing I need to get is a pretty mirror for on top of the dresser....which is exactly what I was thinking!! The dresser is across from a window and I love putting a mirror across from a window to increase the amount of sunshine in a room.

I think I'm also due a trip to Home Goods for a good look around.....who's in?

I call shotgun!

How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?

What do you do when your doggies wake you up before the sun is even up to go out for a pee? You grab your camera, of course, and capture the amazing sky that you are so fortunate to witness at 5-something AM!!!

Patti Page on YouTube

The sun was still below the horizon, and the storm clouds were incredible. 

The clouds were blowing and the sky was changing every second - I couldn't help but take a BUNCH of photos, even though my eyes were barely open yet. 

You would have thought we would get a whopper of a storm with these dark clouds but we ended up with barely a drizzle. 

It sure put on a heck of a show, though!!

So.....back to that doggie in the window.....

which one do you want?

This one?

Or this one? 

Let's see that again.....

This little Monkey?

Or the Tubs? 

Because the next time they wake me up at 5-something in the morning they're going in the window with a FREE sign!!

Monkey is ready. Her bags are packed. 

Tubs wants to stay. She has it too good here. 

Sigh. They have me wrapped around their little paws. I could never part with them!!

I guess they're staying. 

You'll have to find your own fur babies.