Penny's Passion: May 2017

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Thinking Out Loud Thursday - June 1, 2017

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  Hope you link up below and share what you are thinking out loud about today.

When I typed the date in the post title today, I kind of did a double take.  How did June get here so quickly?!?  I'm so glad summer is upon us, but what happened to spring?  Time is just going by way too fast these days!

Today I'm thinking out loud about last weekend.  Eric, Kayla and I traveled to Kansas City for the annual washers tournament and, more importantly, a graduation.  Kelsey is the youngest daughter of my friend Linda and she graduated with honors on Sunday.  Talk about time going by quickly -- how she is old enough to be graduating from high school is beyond me!!


I was lucky enough to be able to help with the decorations for the graduation party.  It always amazes me how a little paper can be transformed into some awesome decorations.  Here's a picture overload of a few of the items used to set the festive mood ~







All the die cutting was made possible by my favorite toy, the Silhouette Cameo.  If you are into crafting and don't have one, you should definitely add it to your wish list!

At various times throughout the weekend, the gathering of family and friends shared stories of Kelsey as she was growing up.  Kelsey was a rather rambunctious child so there were plenty of crazy stories that kept everyone laughing.  The story I shared was one from a visit Linda and her daughters made to my house when Kelsey was around 3 or 4.  Kelsey was sitting at our kitchen table having a pudding snack when she decided she didn't want anymore and banged the container down with quite a bit of strength.  The pudding flew in the air, hitting the ceiling fan and proceeded to literally whip all over the ceiling.  We were stunned!  Good thing I love you Kelsey!



When the party was over and we all piled in the car to head back to Linda's house, we started giving Kelsey bits of advise.  Linda said something so profound I'm still thinking about it and feel it is definitely blog-worthy.  Her advise to Kelsey was to be present.  Show up for your life.  I couldn't agree with her more!

How many of us make the choice to not do things because it takes a bit of effort?  Or the drive is a bit too long?  Or (fill in the blank)?  There are always reasons NOT to do things.  But there are also thousands of reasons TO do those same things.  Trust me, more times than not the little bit of effort you put forth will be so worth it!  The memories you make by "showing up" are worth it.  Those are the things that make life fun and interesting.  Time does go by fast and we all need to pack as much living into our days as possible.


What advise would you give a high school graduate?  What advise do you wish you would have paid more attention to when you were graduating?

Now it's your turn -- what you are thinking out loud about today?  Can't wait to read your posts!




Enjoy more Thoughts for Thursday at:
This is How We Roll
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Friday, May 26, 2017

Five on Friday - May 26, 2017

Friday is here!  If you read my Thinking Out Loud Thursday post, you know I'm excited to get this weekend started!  All weekends are great, but a three-day one is exceptional.  Before I totally turn into weekend mode, here's my five for this week.

1.  Memorial Day
Even though Memorial Day unofficially marks the beginning of the summer season, it originally was a day set aside to honor the men and women who died while serving in the US military.  In 1971, Memorial Day became an official federal holiday.  Before 1971 it was known as Decoration Day and originated in the years following the Civil War.  Please take a moment out of your weekend to honor those who have lost their life while protecting our freedom.



2.  New Blue Bunny Ice Cream Treat
Now that summer is here, it's time to break out the ice cream!  Blue Bunny has several enticing new varieties and the one I'm most excited to try is the salted caramel pretzel snack.  Blue Bunny describes it this way ~ Vanilla flavored reduced fat ice cream layers with salted caramel and chocolate covered pretzel pieces enrobed in chocolate flavored coating with caramel candy drizzle.  Sounds delicious, doesn't it!

3.  Pirates of the Caribbean:  Dead Men Tell No Tales
Planning on catching a movie this weekend?  The new Pirates of the Caribbean movie is opening today.  Rotten Tomatoes summarizes it like this, "Johnny Depp returns to the big screen as the iconic, swashbuckling anti-hero Jack Sparrow in the all-new "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales." The rip-roaring adventure finds down-on-his-luck Captain Jack feeling the winds of ill-fortune blowing strongly his way when deadly ghost sailors, led by the terrifying Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem), escape from the Devil's Triangle bent on killing every pirate at sea-notably Jack. Jack's only hope of survival lies in the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it he must forge an uneasy alliance with Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), a brilliant and beautiful astronomer, and Henry (Brenton Thwaites), a headstrong young sailor in the Royal Navy. At the helm of the Dying Gull, his pitifully small and shabby ship, Captain Jack seeks not only to reverse his recent spate of ill fortune, but to save his very life from the most formidable and malicious foe he has ever faced."


4.  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
We read this book a few years ago in book club and I loved it!  I was very excited when I heard they were making it into a movie and this week that excitement grew even more when I heard that several of the actors and actresses from Downton Abbey cast will be in it.  The lead will be played by Lily James (Lady Rose MacClare) and others in the film are Matthew Goode (Henry Talbot), Jessica Brown Findlay (Lady Sybil Branson Crawley), and Penelope Wilton (Isobel Crawley).  The book is uniquely written in the form of letters between Juliet and various people on the island of Guernsey just as London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War.  This would be a great book to add to your summer reading list!  You can purchase it HERE.


5.  Hmmmm.......
35 Funny Quotes #Funny #Quotes

Have a safe and fun holiday weekend!  I'll be back next week to share the fun we had and show you some of the graduation decorations we are using at Kelsey's graduation party.  

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Thursday, May 25, 2017

Friday Favorites Linky Party - May 26, 2017

Happy Friday!  Enjoy all the features today!  

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Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:
Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
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Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL
If you are featured this week, be sure and grab a featured button for your blog!
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You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!
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Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Thinking Out Loud Thursday - May 25, 2017

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  We are so close to the weekend and I can't stop thinking about it getting here.  Three glorious days off work and lots of fun activities planned.  It just doesn't get much better.  That's what I'm thinking out loud about today!

Memorial Day weekend is when we gather for the annual washers tournament with my friend Linda and her family.  Have you ever played washers?  I had the good fortune of being paired with Linda's dad a couple years ago and we managing to pull off the win.  Hope the washer gods are with me again this year!


Washers is a great yard game where the whole family can participate.  You basically are tossing washers at the center of a wood box that is 25 feet away from you.  Points are given for getting your washer in the cup (center) or in the box, as long as your opponents doesn't cancel your point out by getting their washer in the same spot.

GoSports Premium Birch Wood Washer Toss Game
Click HERE to purchase
We play that you also can earn a point if you have a "leaner" (washer resting on the wood trim of the box).  It takes an entire day to work your way through the tournament and it's a fantastic way to kick off the summer season!

Image may contain: 1 person

We'll also be celebrating a graduation!  Kelsey is my friend Linda's youngest daughter.  It's so hard to believe that the little girl I've known since birth is old enough to be finishing high school.  This young women has a wonderful future ahead and I'm excited to see what lays in store for her.  Linda and I made the decorations for her graduation party a few weeks ago when she was visiting.  I'll share them with you next week.


I'm hoping to capture all the weekend festivities with my new Canon Rebel T6!!  I've been wanting a DSLR camera since......well, forever and it finally happened.  We decided to get the bundle package and I'm still wading through the shipping box admiring all the things I know nothing about, but hopefully by the weekend I will at least know how to take a picture.  Check back in next week to see how I did!  


So that's some things on my mind today.  What are you thinking out loud about?  Link up and share your thoughts.




Enjoy more Thoughts for Thursday at:
This is How We Roll
This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks!

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Five on Friday - May 19, 2017

We've made it to Friday!  We have had fabulous weather this week and the warm temperatures has me so excited for summer.  It's been great to be able to take a walk during lunch and I love seeing the miles accumulate on my FitBit.

The warm temps definitely had an influence on my five today.  Check them out ~

1.  National Strawberry Day
It's a sure sign that summer is coming when you can pick fresh strawberries.  Enjoy National Pick Strawberries Day on Saturday.  Eric and I love going to Eckert's, a local farm, and pick fresh berries.   Do you have a place to pick near you?



2.  Ice Stick Trays
These ice cube trays make the perfect shaped ice sticks for your bottles of water.  I bet they would also be perfect for Swell bottles.  The set sells for $8.99 and comes in a set of 3, making 30 ice cubes at a time.  Because the narrow shape, they freeze quickly.  I use normal-shaped ice cube trays to store my earrings.  I'm thinking these would be great to hold necklaces.


Does the warm weather make you sweat?  Like really sweat to be point of pitting out your shirt?  Or do you dramatically perspire when you get nervous?  Well, these babies might be your answer.  Don't worry about raising your arms.  There will be no wet spots there!  Underarm shields are highly absorbent and hypoallergenic.  They firmly attached to your clothes and you can just throw them away at the end of the day.  Click HERE to get some for yourself.


Kleinert's - 24 (12 Pair) Disposable Underarm Dress Shields From Kleinert's From $4.79 to $24.99

Is there a trip to the beach in your future?  Bet you could use this set of 4 mesh sea shell bags to gather your beach finds in.  They come in four different colors so it would be easy to identify which bag belongs to which person.  Get all 4 for only $13.99.  Click HERE to grab some.  Girls weekend coming up?  These would super cute goody bags.  Add a beach towel, magazine and a bottle of sunscreen for an adorable gift.  

5.  Summer Reality....

                    If only my teeth were as white as my legs!  Dentaltown - Dentally Incorrect:

Have a great weekend!  I'm headed to a friend's house tonight for a Scandal viewing party.  Looking forward to ganging out with some gal pals!  Tomorrow we're having dinner with Kayla and Ian.  Hopefully in between I'll get a ton of chores done.  See you soon!

Linking up with:
Simply Sweet Home
High Five for Friday
5 on Friday
Oh My Heartsie Girl

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Friday Favorites - May 19, 2017

Let's hear it for Friday!  Who else is ready for the weekend?  I can't wait to read all the link ups today.  My feature this week is from Brooklyn Farm Girl.  Can't wait to make the Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole.  Have fun picking your favorite!

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Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:
Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Christine at Light and Savvy - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Maisy at Becoming Alice - FB | G+ | Pin
Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL
If you are featured this week, be sure and grab a featured button for your blog!
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You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!
And if you love all of this week's favorites, please pin, share, and invite your friends to this week's linky party!

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Thinking Out Loud Thursday - May 18, 2017

Welcome to this edition of Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  I'm thinking about a whole cornucopia of random things today.  Let me share some things I'm thinking out loud about today ~

Even though the wedding I helped with a few weeks ago is over, it's still heavy on my mind.  It could be because I still have not totally cleaned up all the paper scraps from making the table numbers and name cards, but I think it's because it was just such a beautiful wedding I can't get it out of my mind.  Erica Turner, of Turner Creative Photography, was the one capturing all the memories on film and she dropped another magnificent preview ~

Image may contain: one or more people, people standing, wedding and outdoor

Speaking of weddings, I want to make a little public service announcement on behalf of all the brides out there.  PLEASE remember to RSVP to those wedding invitations (or any invitation for that matter) you were honored to get in the mail.  We've all accidentally forgotten to mail our reply back, but we should make every effort to let the bride know if we are intending to go to the wedding OR if we aren't going to be able to make it.  That's right, RSVP even if you can't go.  There are so many last minute details to weddings.  It's unfortunately that many brides are stuck trying to figure out if people are coming or not that haven't made their intentions known.  Be a good person - RSVP!

via Rustic Wedding Chic
One more random thought for today.  This past weekend Eric and I saw the newly released movie Snatched.  Although it's a bit raunchy at times, we both were entertained.  I laughed out loud several times and so did Eric.  This flick is getting sub-par reviews, but I'm still glad it was the movie of our choice this past weekend.  Have you seen it?  What did you think?

Image result for snatched

So what are you thinking out loud about today?  Link up and share your thoughts.  



Enjoy more Thoughts for Thursday at:
This is How We Roll
This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks!

Friday, May 12, 2017

Five on Friday - May 12, 2017

Wow - where did this week go?!?  I'm not complaining - I'm more than ready for the weekend!  The weather is supposed to be great and it will be so nice to spend some extra time at home.  Due to the rain we had a few weeks ago, Eric and I still haven't got our postage stamp sized garden planted or a single flower in the ground.  Hopefully by the end of this weekend those things will be done.  

Before we get to that, here's my five for this week ~

1.  Happy Mother's Day
Just in case you haven't heard, Sunday is Mother's Day.  Are you ready to honor your mom?  Being a mom is hard work.  I'm thinking we need an entire month to celebrate, not just a single 24 hour period.  Here's wishing all of you a very special day and I hope you spend it doing something that makes you happy.  Too busy to shop for something for your mom?  Think about giving her a Kindle Unlimited subscription.  Thousands of book would be available for her reading pleasure and truly a gift that keeps on giving!

Mother's Day - Second Sunday in May

My friend Linda accidentally left this book at my house and I'm so glad she did!  I picked it up and started reading it.  Now I can't put it down!  I'm turning the pages very carefully so it still looks like new when I return it to her.  Here's what Amazon has to say about it ~ "Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can't seem to heal through literature is himself; he's still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened.
After Perdu is finally tempted to read the letter, he hauls anchor and departs on a mission to the south of France, hoping to make peace with his loss and discover the end of the story. Joined by a bestselling but blocked author and a lovelorn Italian chef, Perdu travels along the country’s rivers, dispensing his wisdom and his books, showing that the literary world can take the human soul on a journey to heal itself.
Internationally bestselling and filled with warmth and adventure, The Little Paris Bookshop is a love letter to books, meant for anyone who believes in the power of stories to shape people's lives."
Click HERE to get your copy.

                            Image result for the little paris bookstore

3.  Paris
Reading The Little Paris Bookshop started me daydreaming about how much I would love to visit the Eiffel Tower.  Paris has always been one of those places I wanted to venture to someday.  Well, someday is going to be this summer!  Eric and I booked our vacation to Paris!  I'm so darn excited I can hardly stand it!!  So, if you have any helpful hints or must-see places in or around Paris, please pass them on.  We're enjoying this planning stage and welcome any and all suggestions.  Merci!

Image result for eiffel tower
4.  Snatched
This comedy opens today and is definitely on my list of movies to see.  I'm hoping all the funny parts aren't the ones in the previews!  Here's the description from Rotten Tomatoes, "After her boyfriend dumps her on the eve of their exotic vacation, impetuous dreamer Emily Middleton (Amy Schumer) persuades her ultra-cautious mother, Linda (Goldie Hawn) to travel with her to paradise. Polar opposites, Emily and Linda realize that working through their differences as mother and daughter - in unpredictable, hilarious fashion - is the only way to escape the wildly outrageous jungle adventure they have fallen into. Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn star in the new comedy adventure SNATCHED, which also features Ike Barinholtz ("Neighbors"), Wanda Sykes ("Bad Moms") and Joan Cusack ("Working Girl")."  

Image result for snatched

5.  Parenting tip in honor of Mother's Day

Have a wonderful weekend!  I'm spending the day with Ian and Kayla on Saturday.  We're doing brunch and catching a movie.  And then there's that work we need to do around the house.  See you back next week!

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