Happy June Birthdays!

This weekend we celebrated my birthday and Father's Day. Our family enjoys dining on the patio and this was the perfect weekend to do so.

Friday my family treated me to a wonderful birthday dinner. While my husband and our 5 children worked the kitchen and the grill, I finished planting flowers around our house. We haven't done any formal landscaping since our remodeling project in 2006 - but the flower beds are all cut in. There are lots and lots of spots for summer blooms. I usually plant a few flowers the beginning of May - and then wait for the big sales the beginning of June to fill in and replace anything that isn't doing well. I'll share some photos after everything adjusts and grows in.

For dinner my family served antipasto, fillet mignon wrapped in bacon and shrimp. Dessert was a birthday cake with pretty blue roses on white frosting. At least I think so...I never got to take a good look at the cake....as my daughter was carrying it out of the house and across the porch - singing "happy birthday to you..."...the cake started sliding back and forth on the tray and......after a series of very comedic adjustment attempts on her part.....flipped off the tray and landed upside down right beside the patio table. It was a classic home video moment...unfortunately we were not filming so I don't have the video to share. Her arms swinging back and forth, the cake in mid air, the sound of the cake hitting the floor, the look on her face, the silence in the crowd as the singing stopped, and the out burst of laughter that followed... are sure to be recalled by family and friends for years to come

*****

I have always enjoyed celebrating my birthday in the month of June. In south central Pennsylvania it is the first month of summer. The weather is usually just right - the spring chill and damp weather is finally gone and the summer heat has not set in yet. Summer nights, beach trips, gardening, swimming....have all newly returned to schedules and the end of school is just reason enough to add a celebratory mood to everyday life.

I wanted to wish everyone celebrating a birthday this month Happy Birthday. I am sharing my birthday bouquet with you!

June Giveaway

June Giveaway

Leave a comment on this blog

(just click the comment link below)

and you will be entered in the drawing to win this

Smell the Roses Yard Art Stake!

Last entry day is June 30

Winner will be posted by July 3!

Visit my store to check out the detail on this great cottage sign!

http://www.shelleybhomeandholiday.com/smell-the-roses-metal-yard-art.html

Winner of the May Giveaway

We have a winner for the May Summer fun Recipe Drawing. Entries were drawn from recipe comments left on the May 19 post.

Our winner is....Wendy Byrd. Thank you Wendy!! She has won the Raz Imports recipe book stand.

You can check out her great Strawberry Cream Pie Recipe by scrolling down to the May 19 entry....Click on the comments link at the bottom.....

WELCOME JUNE!!!

Summer is here....Its beautiful in eastern Pennsylvania ....

This is my favorite month ~ it might be a developed habit as a child~ you know end of the school year and all. I think it just has to do with the great "time to be outdoors" weather we now enjoy. Flowers are planted, Sun is out - not too hot-. This weekend I ran a lap around the neightborhood on Saturday and took a family bike ride on Sunday. Exercise always helps to brighten your mood and energize!

NEW AT SHELLEY B HOME AND HOLIDAY

This month at Shelley B its all about the porch and patio. I spent last week shopping for great porch and patio home decor items. Many can also be used indoors- but because I am working on a porch makeover -great outdoor items were my focus.

I have place several large orders and am now waiting for great new merchandise to arrive!! Lee my Fed Ex driver is going to be very busy next week!! I will begin previewing some of the items this week at shelleybhomeandholiday.com/.

This Garden bench is great for holding small potted flowers or other garden themed decor - I just added it to my store today. The vintage rose, green and cream colored quilt is also available at shelleybhomeandholiday.com/.


It caught my eye because of its white color. I am hoping to break out my paint brushes and paint some pretty pink roses as part of my porch make over. For years I was a decorative artist- painting on anything from canvas, walls, and furniture. I even had my own line of custom made, hand painted lids for Longenberger baskets. I am missing my creative outlet and think Shelley B Home and Holiday is the perfect place to add a few unique hand painted items!!

I am going to try to find some old photo files of previous work and create a flickr file.

Website FREE Gift

Order $25.00 or more at shelleybhomeandholiday.com by May 31 and receive this patriotic word art FREE. Great for your summer decor and year round Americana decor. Regularly $12.99


Visit shelleybhomeandholiday.com for great home, garden, and patio decor!

Weekend....

My family enjoys day trips to nearby large cities. On Memorial day weekend we like to visit Washington DC. Spending the day walking among the many memorials is a good way to remember the purpose of the Memorial Day holiday.

This trip we visited Jefferson Memorial and Robert Lee's home in Arlington Cemetery for the first time. I have a few photos posted below.

Jefferson Memorial view as we walked around the tidal basin

we walked under the famous cherry blossom trees

unfortunately no longer blooming in May

front of Robert E Lee's House
(sorry there isn't more in the photo-

I was admiring the huge front porch, columns, and the dental trim)

this is the view from Robert Lee's front porch
the building at the end of the bridge is Lincoln's Memorial

A great way to visit the city is to park at Arlington Cemetery and then walk across the bridge to the back of Lincoln's Memorial. Visit the memorial, sit on the front steps and enjoy the view for a little and then continue on-the Washington Mall is directly in front of you and hosts all the war memorials.

graves and flags at Arlington

flowers at the World War II Memorial

Monday we honored Memorial Day with a small town tribute and parade. I live in between 3 small country towns that make up our school district. I think the combined population is 17,000. Each memorial day one of those town takes turns hosting the parade and tribute. This year the town of Richland hosted the event.

It started with our high school band playing at the town's World War II memorial park where a wreath was placed. Then a small parade of veterans lead the band, the boy scouts and some fire trucks up Main Street to the town cemetery.

At the cemetery the crowd was addressed by a local pastor and a current officer in the military just back from Iraq. There was a 21 gun salute and taps and our band closed the ceremony.

here are some photos.

placing the wreath in the memorial park at the start of the parade

Here is our high school band.

They are awesome!!

parading down Main Street to the cemetary

arriving at the cemetary

helmet, gun, boots

tribute at the cemetary

How do you spend your weekend? I hope it was filled with family, friends, fun, good weather and food....and thoughts of appreciation for our military and their families!

topiary art

This pair of topiary tins is available on my ebay site. This morning I put them on sale at $16.50 for the pair - with an opening bid of $13.25..... I have a few sets left but then they are discontinued....

you can find them at http://www.shelleybhomeandholiday.com/ too!

I hope everyone enjoys thier holiday weekend...ours is filled with soccer games, a local parade and hopefully a day trip to Washington DC. Its one of our favorite day trips - along with New York City and new to the list Philadelphia. We spent an afternoon walking around Philadelphia in April during a college visitation to Drexel University. The statues that are on display throughout the city and carved into the old buildings are amazing. Next time I will be sure to take my camera to share a few photos with you.

Reminder: The May Summer Fun Recipe Giveaway is in progress. Find the entry by scrolling down this page. Use the comments link at the bottom to post a favorite summer recipe and you are automatically entered in my drawing to win a decorative recipe book stand. valued at $30.00. My blog is very new with a small following so be sure to enter - you have a great chance of winning!!

Enjoy your weekend kicking off Summer 2008!