Monday, April 8, 2013

Mindless Monday, Free Spring Dates, Blog Linkage (Birthdays), Anniversary Balloon Gift Idea

Good Monday morning!

And what a beautiful Monday morning it is! Wow. When Spring comes to the South, it is really amazing, isn't it?

RANDOMNESS #1 - Mike and I went on a Botanical Gardens Date late Saturday afternoon.

I've talked about this date before, but just as a reminder, this is what we do...

1. We drive directly to Western Supermarket in Mountain Brook (a mere stone's throw from the Botanical Gardens) and choose from a fresh salad bar, soup bar, sandwiches, chicken, vegetables, desserts, etc.

2. With our meal for the evening in boxes and bags, we drive to the Gardens and pick out a little table and bask in the glory of Fall or Spring... whichever season we happen to be enjoying at the time.

3. After we eat a leisurely dinner, we walk around the Gardens and I take pictures of Mikie and flowers. And somewhere along the way, Mikie grabs the camera and takes a few pictures of me and flowers.

For some reason, I don't even have to ask. He gets a little artsy with my camera.






I know what you're thinking.

Why is Belinda's hair big on one side and flat on the other?

And...

What's the deal with her fingers?

The answer is quite simply, "I don't know."


I'm a little over-exposed in this shot... and when I say over-exposed I mean washed out and looking a little strained.

Again, I don't know why.

When we entered the gates of the Gardens, it was evident "something big was going on." In fact, there were three or four "big things going on."

We had to parallel park at the entrance of the Gardens and walk because of the large number of cars and limos in the parking lot.

After an hour of eating and observing, Mike and I came to the conclusion it was prom night for at least one school (maybe two) AND there were two weddings taking place.

Talk about being under-dressed.

I don't think the fashionistas in New York City witnessed a better fashion show during Fashion Week than Mike and I saw while we ate our box dinners from Western Supermarket Saturday evening.

No, sir.

Allow me to fill you in on the latest and most stylish prom frocks.

1. Peaches, corals and other pastels ruled the runway. (But there were still plenty of all of the other colors and prints, too.)

2. All of the "cut-out" dresses which I noticed last year were few, but the short in front and long in back skirts were huge this season.

3. Hair was mainly worn down with tousled curls. (There were some straight and put-up hairstyles, but not quite as many as last year.)

4. After looking at dresses for awhile, I started looking down, and DOWN is where the fashion was hiding.

Shoes, Baby! Crazy, high, bedazzeled, colorful, no-two-pairs-alike SHOES!

They were beautiful.

Did they look comfortable?

Uh, no. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I think most of the girls were barefoot by the time they walked in the doors of their actual prom... but for picture-sake, they looked divine.

Mike and I stuck with our usual "flowers and us" pictures, even though there was certainly MORE to be photographed at the Gardens.

However, I'm sure Mike and I ended up in a couple of group shots here and there.

And I'm just as sure we were cropped out before those pictures hit Facebook Saturday evening.

RANDOMNESS #2 - The Boy is hosting his last sports radio show at JSU tonight.

It's the end of an era, I tell you.

Mike, Melia and I are heading to Jacksonville to sit in the booth and witness firsthand The Boy's vast sports knowledge and broadcasting abilities.

And, of course, I'm going to take a few photos.

RANDOMNESS #3 - I'm going to put it in writing because I think I may be more likely to actually DO IT if it's in writing. (But we all know that isn't completely true, is it? Think back to my Paula Deen Recipe a Month Challenge... that lasted TWO MONTHS!)

In reviewing my Pinterest Boards, I want to make a butterfly feeder, and plant lemon grass in huge clay pots. I want both of these projects on my back deck.

One will attract beautiful butterflies, and the other will repel mosquitos.

If I actually do it, it appears to be a win-win kind of situation, doesn't it?

Anniversary Balloon Gift Idea

I saw this on Pinterest, and I'm thinking it might be a "do" for my 26th anniversary next January.

Pick a color scheme and have one balloon for each year of your anniversary hanging over your bed. Attach love notes, a memory from each year of your marriage, one thing you love about your spouse, favorite candy bars and/or old photos to the strings of the balloons.

I would use royal blue and white balloons because those were some of the colors used in our wedding.

Blog Linkage - Click on eighteen25 under My Blog List and scroll down today's post until you see the words "Older Post." Click on Older Posts and read the girls' April 7 post entitled "[Past Projects] Birthdays."

They have some great, easy, colorful and fun birthday projects you may want to try if you have a birthday party in your near future.

Free Spring Dates

You'll need to Google these "dates" in your area, but Spring is a great time to try one of these dates.

1. Local Art Shows and Festivals - Many cities have local art shows or photography exhibitions that are free to visit. Look in your local newspaper or city's website for listings near you. The cultural benefits are a nice bonus!

2. Free Outdoor Concerts - There are hundreds of free outdoor concerts during the warmer months, and you can even turn it into a fun dinner by bringing a picnic!

3. Be a Good Sport - Whether it's playing catch with a Frisbee, kicking the hacky sack, or shooting some hoops, you're sure to have some fun. If you have a whole day, you can play a lot of different sports and take breaks for snacks in between.

NOTE - If Mikie and I went on this date, it would include bike riding, hiking, boating and bowling... and maybe horseback riding. We'll leave the hoop shooting and ball tossing to the younger generation.

Have a tremendous Monday. I'll be back Friday with more Spring dates, two NEW cookie recipes (for me), pictures, Randomness, etc., etc.

Take care, and I'll talk to you the end of the week.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

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