Today I ate an apple

 (<--- not my photo)

A Gala Apple to be exact.

 I am ready to confess! I'm not a very healthy eater. I rarely eat fruit. If you asked me when the last time I had a piece of fruit was ... I would have to say ... maybe a couple of weeks ago ... maybe , I had a banana when I was on vacation.

The reason for this confession? In a few weeks I will be going back to work ... working long hours. I need to eat better. I need to have more energy. I need less salt ... less empty calories.

Loosing 20 to 30 pounds will not make me a super model, but i will help me to feel more energized. Not that I really have a set goal of what I want to lose ... I just want to feel ... better and have more energy.

So, if you have any tips ... PLEASE SHARE THEM!!! 

I know that a great deal of my success will be planning. I mean ... how much planning goes into grabbing a bag of chips?

~Welcome Summer~ Thematic Photographic 201 . . .

AND . . .~ Abstract~ Thematic Photographic 200

I hope you don't mind me combining these themes. Last week I was out of town. I only had my laptop and for a good part of the week, no Internet connection. The place we were staying at was in the process of updating their Internet equipment. By the time everything was in place ... my family and I were swimming, visiting with friends, eating pizza, etc. You get the picture. 

Anyway, I have decided to start back up with project 365 and post fresh new photos. This is suppose to be done daily but I do it weekly, just easier for me when I am working. So come back often, leave some comments, and even post your own photos.

Here is my photo for ~ABSTRACT~

It was taken the first night of our trip. I was playing around with the lighting by the pool.

Thanks Carmi  for the perfect theme! Here are my ~WELCOME SUMMER~ photos . . . fresh from last week.

See more "Welcome Summer" photos at Written, Inc.

~ Got the blues~Thematic Photographic 199

Okay, okay ... I confess! I feel responsible for today's Thematic post. You see, last night at about 11:30pm I posted to Carmi asking about the post ... which was not there.

Please accept my apologies Carmi. I wasn't trying to be pushy. And I was not trying to down play any of your other posts. I hope you understand that many of us look forward to Your weekly meme. I know you are very busy and that the Thematic Photographic theme is not the 1st thing on your mind. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to post to us daily and to provide a  fun meme for us to be involved in.

I also want to thank everyone for the comments they left on my post last week. Many commented on my 1st photo. That was taken early in the morning, the sunrise after a rain storm.

The 2nd photo that people asked about is the woodpecker. It is a Red bellied woodpecker.

Here are my "Blues"

BLUE seems to be a very popular color in New York graffiti

Friday night in Times Square

Sunrise in Waikiki 

Sunset in Waikiki

On the way to Florida

BLUE waters of Jamaica

Thank you Carmi for another wonderful meme!

You can see more "Got the blues" at Written Inc.

What has kept me away from blogger ... continued ...

As you know, (if you don't, go back a couple of posts and read) "Baby Girl" is having a baby at the end of July.

The day before her "surprise" shower all the decorations were all put up. Not that there were really all that many. It was more ... moving furniture and cleaning.

and of course, right before the guests arrived a few things needed to be put out.

Isn't this a cute way to display Fruit Salad! 

"Best Friend" found it on Pinterest. 

She and her Mother made it.

"Free Spirit" (oldest daughter) and "Teenybopper" (granddaughter)

made the "flower" cup cakes. The flowers are made from marshmallows.

Here are the games we played.

How did we get "Baby Girl" to the shower? 

From the start we had an idea of what would get her there. Although, it changed several times, it always went along the same lines. "Baby Girl" is obsessed with the idea that 

everyone in our family produce a handmade item for "Baby Boy's" room.

Thus, we have "craft days". "Free Spirit" suggested that we do this on this day. Then, I text "Baby Girl" and told her that "Jack of Trades" (my hubby) needed help moving some thing in the garage and would like "Daddy O"  to come and help. Forty-five minutes later I text her again saying "Jack of Trades" is going to take us out to lunch, so be here at 12:30pm. ( This was a must! We wanted "Baby Girl" dressed in something other than "Yoga pants" for her shower.)

When "Baby Girl" walked in "Teenybopper" handed her the shower invitation to read. Did she read it? NO, not really... Was she surprised?

"Baby Girl" and "Best Friend"

You can see she got a little teary eyed.

"Baby Girl" and "Free Spirit"

In the end, I think she was really "surprised" and totally enjoyed herself!

"The Natural World" ~ Thematic Photographic 198

As usual, I'm a little late in posting this ... BUT ... better late than never ... at least that what they say.

Carmi, over at Written Inc , posts a word each week. He then post a picture and blogs about it. Then it's your turn to do the same. Most post pictures to go along with the theme, some blog about it.

Why not grab a cup of coffee and click on over there. The pictures for this weeks theme are beautiful!
Nature always puts on a great show.

Here are my pic's from this past April.

Thanks for stopping by!
~Vicki~
To view more of "The Natural World" go to Written Inc.

What has kept me away from blogger ...

Well ... as you may or may not know ... Baby Girl is having  a baby boy at the end of July.  Both my daughters are much like me. They feel they have to be in control of everything. (I have gotten better and know that it won't kill me to loosen up a bit.) So, Baby Girl had decided when and where her "Baby Shower's" would be and who needed to be invited. OH...REALLY???

Thus ... the "SURPRISE SHOWER". Baby Girl's best friend wanted to throw her a shower. So we snuck around making things, making plans, and getting ready. But most of all we listened to Baby Girl tell us what she did and did not want. Now, when I say "listen", it's kinda the listening your kids and husband do. Just shake your head and agree, get part of the sentence so that if asked, you can relay back a detail.

Here are a couple of the decor things I made.

Baby Girl registered for one of those Baby, Safety Kits. (Actually, she registered for a couple.) I bought the largest one and incorporated it into this "diaper wreath." There are 28 rolled, disposable diapers, secured with rubber bands, tied onto a wire wreath. The hardest part was weaving the blue ribbon in and out of the diapers. Along with the Safety Kit are things like socks, wash cloths, traveling size baby shampoo and powder.

Here is where Baby Girl sat. On the mantel you can see two blue pails. Those have "flower buds" made up of baby socks "planted" in them.  Those took a little time, you want to make sure to get the "buds" tight or they kinda fall apart when you are inserting the floral wire.

You can view a tutorial here.

Baby Sock Flower Buds

I also made cute little favors using canning jars and Jelly Bellies. Now... this was a little costly, using Jelly Bellies, but you could use small mints or M&M's and it would cost less and be just as cute.

The labels were made with my own computer. I found a "label making packet" at Michael's Craft store. The price was $9.99, but I used a 40% coupon to save on the cost. With this kit you get an on-line code to go to a website and make the your own label. There are a variety of fonts and pictures that you can choose from. You make a sample to make sure everything is how you want it and that it fits on the stickers. Once you are happy with your creation, you print it out on the sticker paper from your kit.

Come on back to see the shower and if Baby Girl was surprised ...

See ya soon!

~Vicki~

Good Morning Monday!

I know it's been awhile. I had planned on posting a couple of times a week ... but life ... just kinda got in the way.
Hopefully, at least for a little while I can re-connect with my "Blogging Buddies". I look at and read your blogs and want to comment or participate ... but that also means that I have to revisit you in a timely manner. For awhile that has not been possible ... UNTIL NOW.
So... I'm looking forward to reading more, participating more, and hearing for you more!
~Vicki~