The Conclusion of the Holiday and a Cool New Shirt

Patriotic deck...love the view...we've been lucky that no one has built in
the field behind us the entire time we've lived here.  I know it is coming,
but for now, I remain oh so grateful for our amazing view.

I keep my patriotic decor up from Memorial Day through Independence Day...kind of a festive welcome to summer.  After July 4th, however, I'm definitely ready to put it all away.  So, in a little bit of productivity for the day, I got it taken down and put away for next year. 

Until next year...

Hmmm...I'm thinking pinwheels for the remainder of summer.  Wouldn't those be fun, festive, and inexpensive?  Here is a quick and easy DIY tutorial.  I love it.  What do you think?

Anyway, moving right along.  I should have been working in the yard today, but realistically, that is going to wait a week...there is nothing that needs to be done urgently enough that I'm going to brave 100 degree weather to do it.  Nope, just not doing it.  Instead, after a morning spent running errands like getting another package off to Superman, after Valiant headed off to work, Buttercup and I retreated to the basement where it was nice and cool, even without the air conditioner on.

Cleaned my desk, ironed some napkins, and watched "My Cat from Hell".  Love that show.  Jackson seems to really care.  I'm just astounded by how little common sense people have.  Then again, I'm a cat person, so maybe obvious to me isn't obvious to non-cat people.

In the meantime, I needed to keep busy in the basement.  I'm not good at sitting around doing nothing.  I had one more plain t-shirt in Valiant's size and I knew just the image that would bring a smile to his face.  So, I got out my Silhouette machine and some heat-transfer vinyl and got to work.

Heat transfer vinyl is so cool!  Just remember to cut the mirror image of your
final look...

Once I cleaned up the image, I flipped it so I had a mirror image and sent it through the Silhouette.  A few minutes weeding the excess vinyl and I was ready to iron it on.

Ironing it on takes 30 seconds...

A few minutes later, I had a finished product designed to appeal to a teen-aged boy. 

"Everyday, I'm Shufflin'"...

When he came in from work, the smile on his face told me that Valiant did, indeed, like his new shirt.

Day 117.  Another day closer to Superman coming home and I was successfully productive again!  Woot!

Home of the Free Because of the Brave!

I know I'm late today, but my dad and his wife arrived in our neck of the woods yesterday and we've been spending time with them. I couldn't let 4th of July go by without some acknowledgment.

The United States. Do you know how unique we are? Our Constitution is the model for constitutions all over the world. Our representative democracy continues to have peaceful transfers of power from one administration to the next, no matter how acrimonious the election might have been. Our military is an entirely volunteer force...Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. People volunteer for numerous reasons, but the truth is, they are committing to put their lives on the line because they believe in the ideals that formed this nation. Perfect? Heck, no! Worth fighting for? Absolutely. I still cry when I hear the Star Spangled Banner.

So, my husband, my brother, my step-brother, my father, my cousin, friends, sons of friends, on this 4th of July, I salute you. Thank you for serving your country. Whether you did it in the past or whether you are doing it now (or, for one young man I'm thinking of, whether you're shipping out in a few months), we are proud of you.

Happy 4th of July, my friends!