Mr. Wiggins

This is a view into my back yard. Notice anything special? If you look closely you will spot my new best friend…

Here is a close up in case you missed him. I’d like to introduce to my new bunny rabbit friend. I've named him Mr. Wiggins.

Isn’t he darling? You can’t see his cute cottontail, because he’s sitting on it, but believe me—it’s adorable. We met a few weeks ago when I was outside one morning watering my plants. I heard a rustle in the bushes and I looked over to see a tiny, precious, wild bunny rabbit. I went over to introduce myself, but my new friend was quite shy. He took off in a sprint and actually fell into the pool! He was actually quite a good swimmer, but his little rabbit arms were too small to get over the edge to get out. I screamed and started yelling, “Don’t worry bunny—we will save you!!” I was practically hysterical. No bunny was going to die on my watch! I was this close to jumping in the pool to rescue bunny when my husband grabbed the pool skimmer and picked him up out of the pool! Phew! Bunny was saved! And I guess you could say the rest is history. He now lives behind the water feature on our pool and has quickly become my little “pet.” The good news is that he now stays very far away from the edge of the pool. Now that’s a smart bunny.  

May Flowers

Contrary to popular belief, things actually do grow in the dessert. April and May are my favorite time of year in AZ. Not only is the weather perfect—not too hot, and not too cold—but the desert is looking good! Everything is in bloom! Our normally brown landscape is covered in bright yellows, pinks, and orange. Here are a few lovely flowers around my yard.

However, my most favorite desert flower is the saguaro cactus blossom. Once a year, the “heads” and “arms” of our dear saguaro cacti are covered with these gorgeous white flowers. They look like they are wearing Easter bonnets or giving bouquets to their cactus girlfriend. I love it! It’s the cactus way of saying, “Hey, I may be prickly on the outside, but I’m just a big softie on the inside.”

Spring Fling

I learned how to make this adorable plaque craft last Halloween and I was instantly hooked. I made several for Christmas, and I recently made one to add to my Easter décor. 

It’s so cute and so easy, so I thought I’d share the DIY instructions with everyone. The great thing is that you can make one for any holiday. It would also make a cute decoration for a kid’s room--using a child’s name and favorite colors. You can purchase the supplies at any Michael’s, Jo Ann’s, or Hobby Lobby for about $5 - $7.  Can't beat it!

Here is what you will need:

• Wooden board and letters
• Scrapbook paper
• Spray glue
• Ribbon
• Glue gun
• Mod Podge
• Glitter 

Step 1: Sand down any rough edges on the wooden board and letters. Paint the edges of the board and letters. The front of the letters will be covered with glitter, so you technically don’t have to paint them, but I put a quick thin coat on the front of the letters in case any part of the wood shows through.

Step 2: Spray a light coat of spray glue (I used Easy-Tack) onto the board and glue the scrapbook paper to the board. No need to cut the paper down to size—just apply the entire piece of paper with the excess hanging over the edges.

Step 3: Time to glitter the letters! I used Mod Podge and a paint brush to apply glue to the letters, and then applied a fine glitter. (Martha Stewart’s glitter is my personal favorite.)  

Step 4: This is the best trick ever! To remove the excess paper from the edges, simply take sandpaper to the edges and lightly sand off the excess paper. It leaves a perfectly clean edge. Genius!

Step 5: I know what you'r thinking--who wants glitter all over their house? Well, not to worry! I have a solution to keep that glitter where it is meant to be. After the glitter has dried, spray the letter with aerosol hairspray and let them dry. It keeps the glitter stuck to the wood and not stuck to your floors. 

Step 6: Using a staple gun, attach ribbon to the back of the plaque.

 Step 7: Using a glue gun, attach the letters to the front of the plaque.

  

And voila you are done! Happy Spring!

93 Million Miles

In the words of Teen Girl Squad, I am “totally crushing” on this song right now. I have long had a thing for Jason Mraz, and his new song, 93 Million Miles, is my new crush. It reminds me of the people in our lives that we may not see every day, but no matter how long it’s been and how far apart you are, they always have a home in your heart.

How Sweet Sixteen It Is

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a H-U-G-E fan of March Madness. Thanks to my Grandpa Hancock, I grew up as a loyal University of Arizona basketball fan—Go Wildcats! In college I filled out my first March Madness bracket, and I’ve been hooked ever since!  

I live for March, so when my husband and I found out that March Madness would be in Phoenix this year, we jumped at the chance! We went to three games last weekend and it was So. Much. Fun. We went to two Sweet Sixteen games and one Elite Eight game. It was a dream come true, and something I can now check off my bucket list. Thank you March Madness for coming to Phoenix. You certainly made my March. 

Snow Day

Last weekend we headed up with some friends to stay in Flagstaff for the weekend. The whole purpose of the trip was to travel north and visit this:

But instead, we woke up to this:

It snowed over 17 inches in the city, and over 35 inches in the mountains! I'm only 61 inches tall, so that's more than half my height--simply wrong! It was quite a site, but unfortunately all of the roads in and out of Flagstaff were closed for two days, so no Grand Canyon for us. Sad face. We still had a fabulous time, and made the most of our weekend, but it was a great reminder of why I don't live in the snow. You should never have to shovel snow for an hour just to go out and grab lunch. It just shouldn’t be allowed! Anyone living in snow areas you need to come down and visit sunny Phoenix, ASAP!

Fresh Air

Last week we headed to San Francisco to visit Sean’s family. We had a lovely trip and it was great to get away for a few days. One thing I really enjoyed was a walk along Crystal Springs. The weather was gorgeous and the scenery was stunning. Being there made me realize how much I miss things that are green! Here are a few pics from our walk. I am amazed at all of the beautiful places in the world.

One of Sean’s Aunt suggested that ocean air and some greenery would work miracles for my migraines. I have to say that I agree. However, my idea of ocean air is the South Pacific. I told her that I’ve been trying to figure out a way to move Bora Bora since 2004, but no luck so far. Who knows, maybe a new climate is just what the doctor ordered. I say BBOB (Bora Bora or Bust)! Are you with me? In the meantime, I will enjoy the trees and ocean air when I can get it.

Daydream Believer

My heart is a little bit broken today. I just learned that Davy Jones of The Monkees passed away. Davy Jones (be still my heart) was my first official crush. I had--okay, maybe have—a major obsession with The Monkees. I used to watch reruns of their t.v. show every weekday afternoon. I couldn’t wait for The Monkees to come on! I would get out my tambourine (yes I owned a tambourine—that’s how obsessed I was) and play/sing along with the show. I’d daydream about hanging out with The Monkees at their awesome Malibu Pad.

In fact, my first ever cassette tape was The Monkees Greatest Hits. I still remember when I got it. My parents had gone on a trip and brought back the cassette tape as a present to me. I was the happiest girl in the world! And just maybe, a few years ago I got a copy of that very same album on CD. I know what I’ll be listening to on my way home from work! You will be missed, Davy Jones. I’ll always be your daydream believer and homecoming queen.