Giveaway Winner and Rambles

Congrats to Mary who won the giveaway. She entered through Facebook here. We are having some lovely weather today.I have my windows open and the breeze feels amazing.I've been getting some schoolwork done and housework too. Saturday I got the living room spring cleaned. This weekend I will hopefully get the dining room and kitchen completed. I plan on spending some time tomorrow getting some seeds planted. Since Winter hung on for so long I have been holding off on starting my seeds. I knew they would get to leggy by the time it warmed up. So I will have a late start on gardening but better late than never right? I might get some plants from the farmers market to get started with but I'm not sure yet.
It would be nice if I didn't have to work tonight. I would love to spend some time outdoors. I am thankful to have my job though so I will be content. I hope to be able to get started on a blog post for my ministry blog ( I know, there hasn't been a post there in ages). I have had  a thought on my mind and heart all day and I just feel that is where it needs to go. I'm really wanting to revitalize my blogs. I miss them...I miss readers and commenters too but I know they will return soon. My Daughter and I were discussing how it seems a lot of our bloggy buddies seem to have taken a break for a while too and some have just left the blogging world. If you are still out there writing and reading be sure to stop by and leave a comment or two. Blessings on this beautiful day! ~

Spring Cleaning Time ... Free Checklists

Winter has finally loosed its grasp here in East Tennessee and the temps are warming up.Saturday was a nice and toasty 64. I think it was fantastic especially since we had TMan's birthday cookout  at my parent's house. Of course with Spring finally making its way here, it is time to clean. I heard you groan lol I feel the same way at times but deep down I do enjoy having the fresh feeling of a deep cleaned house even if I don't enjoy the actual cleaning. I love having the breeze move through the open windows. I love bringing the outside in. I think the house smells so much cleaner when the Spring air moves through it. Even though I love a deep cleaned house , the motivation to clean can be hard to rustle up. To help out I make a list of things I want to accomplish and mark them off as I go. Getting started is the hardest part ...it is all downhill from there. I usually just write my list out on paper but I found some neat (pardon the pun) cleaning lists that can be printed. I thought they might inspire me to get going...now I don't know which one to pick....
Be sure to look at these and see if you can find one to suit your needs :) Happy Spring!
P.S. Don't forget about the giveaway I'm hosting. It ends Sunday :) Blessings! ~

Spring Cleaning Checklists

http://www.freshandorganized.com/2013/02/the-31-day-house-cleaning-routine.html

http://www.cleanmama.net/2013/03/clean-organized-2013-free-march-cleaning-calendar-2.html

http://www.familieswithpurpose.com/spring-cleaning-checklist.pdf

http://creativemamma.com/free-printable-a-spring-mini-kit/

http://zoocutieprintables.com/freebie-friday-operation-clean-house-printable/

http://howtonestforless.com/2013/02/08/spring-cleaning-free-printable/

http://www.honeybearlane.com/2013/02/spring-cleaning-printable-checklist.html

http://scatteredsquirrel.com/2013/03/spring-cleaning-printables/

Hello Again Give-away

Happy Spring everyone! I've dusted out the cobwebs here and I am looking forward to being a more regular blogger. After dousing us with some last minute snow, Winter finally left and let Spring show through. Today is nice and warm and filled with abundant sunshine. Today is also my oldest son's 18th birthday, Happy Birthday T-Man! I love you :) Last Wednesday my "baby" turned 13, Happy Birthday Roosie! I love you! :) Now I am officially the Momma of 4 teens. At least until August when my oldest daughter turns 20. I'm not sure where the time is going so quickly but its moving fast. I enjoy being with my family and watching them grow.
Anyway, to celebrate Spring and the renewing of my blog, I am doing a little giveaway. Its nothing huge but I hope the winners enjoy it :) Anyway, here are the "rules"...
 There will be 2 winners... each winner will receive a a mini lotion, a lip balm and a full size SSS Signature Silk lotion from Avon.
 Set 1 : full size SSS Signature Silk lotion. Spring Fling mini SSS Signature Silk lotion and a Spring Fling Candy Petals lip balm

 

 Set 2:  full size SSS Signature Silk lotion. Spring Fling mini Vita Moist lotion and a Spring Fling Coconut Flower lip balm

HOW TO WIN: I will put everyone's name in a hat and draw out the winners :) When leaving comments please state if you would prefer set 1 or set 2. I will draw separately for them.
1. leave a comment on this post stating which set you would like to win. = 1 entry
2. follow my blog ( let me know in your comment on this post) = 1 entry
3. post about this giveaway and leave a link in your comment on this post. =1 entry
4. I created a FB page for my blog and you can find it here TnMtnRose, like my page and let me know in your comment on this post. = 1 entry
Winners will be drawn on Sunday April 7 at 8 am.
So, you can earn a total of 4 entries :) I hope you enjoy the giveaway .... looking forward to spending some blog time with ya! ~ 

 

October....:)

I just love the month of October. I love Autumn and October is the month when Autumn shows off. Color here is beginning to reach peak in some areas and others are just getting started. DD and I started a new part-time job together last week. We like being able to work together. We are off on the weekends so hopefully Saturday I might be able to take a drive and get some pictures of the colors. I just wanted to write a short post this morning and post some pictures. So have a great day!

Wreath I made yesterday. Took about 10 minuets. Everything, even the grapevine was harvested from around my yard.

Goldenrod and Ironweed growing in my garden.

Purple coneflower in bloom in Cherokee NC

Black eyed susan in NC

Rainy and foggy day at Clingman's Dome.

My parent's neighbor's Passion vine grows through my parent's fence :)

I dead-headed some of my FIL flowers last year and planted some of the seeds here at my house. This hollyhock is from that bag of mixed seeds lol It is actually over 4 feet tall and has bloomed itself silly since Spring...still going strong :)

Brrr, Good Morning (*shiver `n` shake*)

I guess you can tell from the title that it is a bit cool here this morning. I'm loving it. We had our windows open yesterday and last night and it feels so good, chilly but good. We had a great service at church last night. We have been visiting a great little church not far from home and I love it there. Not sure if it will be our new "home" but if it is  I would be happy. We will be enjoying a fellowship dinner there Saturday. I'm really looking forward to it.
We took a lil trip to North Carolina Tuesday. We had a great time together as a family. We love to roadtrip and it was a hoot and a half. We got to see some turkey and elk and drive and walk through the clouds which wsas so cool. Clingma's Dome was cloaked in heavy clouds due to the rainy weather we were having. The kids decided the next time we hike it they want to do it when the cloud cover is heavy. Not sure if that will happen this Fall because they will be closing the road at the end of October.
The leaves are showing some color on the road to Clingman's though if any of y'all are looking for a nice drive. On the NC side of the mountain there is some color too. Driving over from Cherokee to Maggie Valley you can see some yellows are reds.The leaf report also said the drive through the Blueridge Parkway is showing color too. Plus Maggie Valley is getting all decorate for Fall :) I love driving down that road and seeing all the decorations.
If you would like to visit the Smokies  this Fall here are some links to check out the Fall foliage report and guided history tours.
 http://smokiesinformation.org/nature-wildlife/fall-foliage-updates/
 http://smokiesinformation.org/things-to-do-see/ranger-guided-events2/
 http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/fallcolor.htm

Have a blessed day! Blessings ! ~ Nikki

Long Time Away...Needed A new Mindset

I have been away from this blog for a while. I have been lurking and reading my blog roll faves but whenever the thought of posting to my own would flit through my brain, all I could see was a blank page. Sometimes things happen in life and it drains everything in you. Mine has been a landslide of changes since early August. Basically I have just felt whiny and irritable because life didn't work out according to my plan this Fall and I let it steal all my joy. Worry has been my constant companion. And I should know better...I do... it is just sometimes getting your heart and head to sing the same tune is a difficult thing. To make a long story short (and therefore reducing my chances of whining even more), I lost my job and my funding for school. So I have to put off my Nursing classes for another semester and maybe even next Fall. No job (plus the loss of "extra" cash left over from my school loans, which helped pay some things) has meant things are more than tight here at home. No new job yet although I'm looking :) My DD's funding was affected to so she had to put off her classes til Spring. All that combined with all the "little" things just made a mess of my plans and I have been  upset and moody and heartbroken....you know, all the things a mature ( I once thought) CHRISTian should be. Anyway, I'm tired of feeling whiny. I decided to put my big girl pants on and move on. I need to focus on the good things God has done for me and concentrate less on what I feel like I "lost". Yes, I have efficiently been chastised :)
So , in the spirit of a renewed mindset... Preacher had surgery last week and is doing well. Maybe he can now have relief from his shoulder pain. Fall began to sneak in around the end of August (to say it is early is an understatement lol ) and all the wildflowers of the season are in bloom and cooler temps are here YAY! I had a wonderful birthday cookout with my family in August. We just finished our first week of homeschool and it went fantastic ( by the way , I will be updating that poor neglected blog of mine ). My DD made this cute template for me for Fall. I love the crow. She mad it using coloring sheets and PSP :) Best Christmas gift I ever bought her!
I do have a most urgent request for your prayer lists, my BIL Chris (whom I love like my own brother) was recently diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. He is praying for healing...will you pray with us ? The fact his cancer was found at all is a pure God thing so I know God has great plans for him through all of this. His wife (Preacher's sister) and daughters long to keep their husband and daddy around for a while longer so please be praying for them.
So much good has been given me than I could put here in this blog post and I have been too self absorbed to enjoy it ... but I'm gonna start to now lol So I'm off for a bit but have a great day ... get out in the Autumn sun and have some fun today...I'm going bug hunting with my baby DD :) Life is good...God is good ALL THE TIME :) If I ever forget that again will you kindly remind me ? Thanks:) Blessings ! ~ Nikki

Late Night Rambles

I hope this post finds all of you in Blogland doing well. We have been enjoying cooler temps and lots of rain in our area. Everything is turning green again and Preacher actually had to mow this week. This drought and heat has been terrible for so many. Gas has already risen back to $3.18 her and we were at $2 .92 around the 4th. Food prices are expected to  soar too. Now would be a great time to stock up if you have not already. Buy while it is cheap :) Stretch that dollar til it screams !
School has been going ok so far. This summer I am taking speech and a humanity; neither which I like. Oh well, it must be done. At night while at work I try to accomplish all I can on homework when I have some down time.
Today I managed to can some salsa. My parents had an abundance of "maters" so they shared with us. This was my first time making salsa but it turned out so yummy. I tweaked a recipe from the Ball canning book. I will write up a post about it later; hopefully tomorrow :)
Signing off tonight I will leave you with this interesting tidbit:
As I have mentioned before, my DD BabyGirl is a writer (an amazing one at that) and she is having an interesting discussion on her blog. You should check it out!
Words On A Page