Musings on Life and Blogging~ A letter to you!

Dear friends,

I have been out of town for a few weeks and just now coming up for air.  Re-Entry is what a friend and I call it, and sometimes it can be rough.  Trying to take it easy though.

I have loads on my mind and want to write about 5 blogs simultaneously.  Not sure that is a good idea.

Did want to share with you that I am going to a blogging conference soon.  Ack!  A little nervous.  Really a lot nervous, but as I read blurbs from other conference attendees, I see this nervous thread is very common.

We all get nervous when we have to meet new people and wonder what they think of us...I just forget that the other gal is thinking the same thing about me.  It doesn't seem possible that she might be just as nervous as I am.  Really?  But I think she is.


The  Declare Conference  is coming up for me in August, and I am excited to learn and meet and dream and scheme.  This blogging thing is interesting and exciting to me.  I just feel like I have loads to learn.  Some of the techy things eat my lunch.  I compare to others and think I fall short.  I read other's writings  and think, I have felt that way, too.

 Not sure where this blog is going to take me and I am the kind of person that likes to know where I am going, so I feel a little nervous right now.   But, I am ready to learn.  Try new things.  Be stretched a little or a lot.

I think the Lord wants all of us to do this, whatever we are facing... What are you having to try that is new?  Oh, and would you like to come with me to Declare?  It would be such fun!

xoxo,
Leslie

Vacation Flowers

Whenever I go on vacation, I am always amazed at the flowers.  You see things you recognize or kind of recognize.   Sometimes they are ginormous.

reminds me of an Allium sp?

These purple beauties were huge and I started seeing them everywhere. I think they are related to the onion family.  I wish I had another picture to show you as these sit on top of a long, thin stalk and then have a burst of these purply-blue flowers.  Almost look like a firecracker!

On our hotel grounds

These were growing all over the hotel grounds and were loverly.  The green of the bush contrasted so well with the purple thistly blossom.  Loads of bees digging these.

Growing in the sand

Remind me of a mini carnation

Not sure what these were called, but looked like what I call Pinks or sometimes known as Dianthus.  They were just plopped in the sand at the hotel.  How do they make it?  The green part reminded me of Rosemary.  

Yellow beauties

These yellow guys were clinging to the rocks high up above the ocean.

Pebble Beach Hanging Basket

Look what I saw at the golf course....they had big balls of Fuchsia pansies hanging in the arches of the storefronts.  Yummy.  How do they water these?  I want some.

Cousin to the Aloe Vera?

Not sure what these are called, but they grow all huge together.  Remind me of an Aloe Vera or the tentacles of a sea monster.

Bougainvillea

Beautiful walls, beautiful flowers.

I always love flower boxes!

In downtown Carmel, everyone has flower boxes with all kinds of flowers spilling out.

I start feeling a little sorry for myself, remembering our hot Texas summers and how my plants never quite look like this.  It's like the weather is magical out here- sunny days with a cool breeze blowing....they can grow anything.

Check out this house and its amazing garden-Wow-Zah!

I want to live here!

Succulent on steroids

I am having a crush on succulents; this one is amazing.  The size of a dinner plate.  

So hope you enjoyed seeing some of these flowers I have seen.  I am always amazed at the Lord's creativity when I see all these new flowers. He planted Sursees all over for us to enjoy, and I am thankful for that.

Stitch Fix My Way

I know you have heard about Stitch Fix...this super fun way to get some help shopping and making decisions and getting fashionable.  All at the same time.

  I read about Stitch Fix the first time here.  I started telling everyone else about it, but actually have not tried it out myself.  I think partly because I like- TRUE CONFESSIONS TIME HERE-  shopping.  OK, I said it.  Now you know.

Anyhoo...a group of gals were talking the other night at Creative Night, and one friend wanted to try it, but she said she needed help making decisions .  So one gal said we should Stitch Fix her.

 So, I, being the helper that I am, volunteered to stitch fix her.

Ha!  I am pretty indecisive and not sure I have the best fashion sense,  but I do love to help people and I do love to shop, so we made a date and met.

Now, if I was a truly professh blogger, I would have pictures to insert HERE.

And Here.

But, I am not a professh blogger, and I don't have any pictures,  so you will have to use your imagination.   We met at Francesca's  and had a ball.

Francesca's has loads of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, scarves and racks of cute dresses and tops. A veritable candy shop for clothes and accessories.

My friend tried on several outfits and looked amazing in her long chevron-striped maxi- "You look like a Grecian Goddess!" I exclaimed.

I picked out a super fun belt.  She wasn't sure so I made her put it on. Belissimo!  She smiled.  I think she liked it.  Stitch Fix is going well. Friend is looking good. A cute top. Maybe this headband?  Oh, look at this cute orange date purse...

"Here let me hang that up for you."  Who remembers shopping with your mom and her job was to hang the garments back on the hangers?  Well, that was part of my job, too.

"I'm not sure about that."
 "Just try it on..."
 "Love it"
"You need a POP of color for your necklace"
"I want to be safe"
"No, we are not going to be safe.  We are going to be FuN!,  and you will smile when you wear this."
"How do I wear this?  Where else can I wear this? "

This is what friends do for each other.

 I have been on the other side of these questions many times, and it so helps to have another opinion or a friend's thoughts as you are perusing the strands of necklaces or the spinning racks of earrings.  I can never decide.

So, today, I was the decisive one.  Helping my friend figure out what she LoVeD!  And she did have ideas and thoughts about what she liked, and they were good ideas.  She just needed someone to help push her over the line.

I was the helper today, and it felt good,  Hopefully, she will turn around and help someone else have confidence and learn they have what it takes inside of them.

Sometimes it just takes the Stitch Fix Friend to help you know~ you have what it takes!
What a great SURSEE~ 

Next up, Closet Clean-Out...stay tuned...
xo~
SSFF
Sursee Stitch Fix Friend

Footnote 1....Can you tell I was trying to practice adding links?  So fun.
Footnote 2... I would love to meet you for a Stitch Fix, just call.  Or maybe you could do one for me?