A hairdresser friend of mine turned me on to this amazing product and I am so happy she did!! It’s called milk_shake Incredible Milk. It smells SO good that it made me bake cookies as soon as I got home lol!!
And…not just any cookies but some difficult Neiman Marcus Cookies that I’d never made before that involved shaving chocolate and grounding oats. It may not be the same pull to baking for you as it was for me, but please let me know if it does that to you too!
For as long as I can remember, I wanted a Jeep. Not just any Jeep but a Jeep Wrangler. I’m sure it was Daisy’s Dixie on the Dukes of Hazzard where I first had hearts in my eyes over one. My little girl self watching Daisy ride the roads of Hazzard County in the Dixie was a world I wanted for my own. I was Jeep Dreamin’ even then.
Fast forward to years later, around 2006 I believe, I finally got my own Jeep. It was a 2004 Jeep Wrangler Columbia Edition. Oh, how I loved it. If happiness was a vehicle, that was it. After I got divorced, I still had my Jeep but owed quite a bit on it and money became really tight. There was no choice but to sell it.
2004 Jeep Wrangler Columbia Edition in the Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee
To say I was devastated was an understatement. We’ve all seen the movies or television shows where people have fallen with their against a wall and just slid down it. It’s so dramatic! But, that’s what happened when the guy who bought my beloved Jeep left in it. I lost my world. Silly, I know. And, anyone reading this who doesn’t “get it” will think I’m ridiculous, thinking those kinds of things shouldn’t matter. Maybe they shouldn’t. That didn’t change the fact that I felt as though I had a death in my world.
After I sold it, I paid off the remaining balance of the vehicle and used the rest to pay off some things and then get another vehicle. A 1998 Jeep Cherokee. It looked similar inside to the Wrangler. While it was NOT my Wrangler, it would pacify me as much as another vehicle could.
1998 Jeep Cherokee
Finally, things were going better financially for me, and I could look into another vehicle. With the Cherokee needing repairs, it was time. I test drove a 2017 Jeep Wrangler. Oh, how I loved that Jeep! The salesman knew I loved it, too, because he sent me home on an overnight test drive. I let people get in my head about it…your parents are getting older; do you think that’s a wise choice if you have to take them somewhere or if they have car trouble? They can’t climb in that, can they? I mean, they were right. I definitely didn’t want a 4 door Jeep…it wasn’t the same to me. The Wrangler wasn’t practical for those reasons but…but…but…just look at it.
2017 Jeep Wrangler
So, I let the ole fuddy-duddies’ voices take over and bought a 2019 Jeep Compass Limited. It’s nice. It has all sorts of bells and whistles I had no care for but again, it’s what I needed from a practical standpoint. I don’t hate it. It’s actually super comfortable but feels more like a car than an SUV to me. It’s hard to call it a Jeep, if that makes sense. Not that I’m shunning it, but it’s a Jeep as I’ve known and loved Jeeps.
2019 Jeep Compass Unlimited
Now for the reason for this post. I just bought a 1997 Jeep Wrangler in an auction and picked it up Thursday. I’m SO excited! There’s so much to do here but let me show you:
1997 Jeep Wrangler1997 Jeep Wrangler
There will be lots more to show because it needs some love. Immediately, the front end needs work. The tires need replacing (there was a fresh plug in the sidewall of the inside of the passenger tire, why would someone do that and not mention it??). There’s more but those are the first two things that need attention. I can hardly wait to share my new Jeep adventures with y’all.
Have you seen these? They are the Baofeng UV-5R VHF UHF Dual Band Ham/Portable Two-Way Radio and they are something that everyone should own, if you think about it. These are amazing devices:
Baofeng UV-5R
You can find them at GREAT affordable prices by clicking here: Baofeng UV-5R
This painting is more than meets the eye…though intuitive people will recognize that it is deeper than it may appear.
Raven/Crow Painting by thecozyloft
I had some reclaimed wood pieces that I’ve held on to for quite some time. In an effort to minimalize, I’ve pulled all of that wood out to start using it. This one is an uneven and oddly shaped piece. Initially, I was going to cut it down to a perfect rectangle but felt a pull to use it as is. Cracks, nail heads, angled cut on one side. It speaks to me and would be a boring piece without that. This painting was a journey for me, full of emotions that ended in overwhelming freedom.
This week in the studio, a friend had asked for me to create something for her home that had all of her grandchildren’s names on them. So, this is the idea I came up with for her…tt has each grandchild’s name on a heart that’s attached to the piece. Plus when she has more, I can just paint a new heart for her to attach. It’s always a joy creating things like this for my friends. Thank you Teresa for the order!
Grandchildren Wall Art
In the kitchen, a dear friend (thank you Mrs. Gloria) shared a hush-hush recipe for Coconut Cake. It turned out so good and everyone who I shared it with gave so many compliments! My uncle had even said it may have been the best one he’d ever eaten and that included his mom’s (my grandmother’s) coconut cake. That was the ultimate compliment because Grandmother could flat out cook.
Secret Recipe Coconut Cake
Back in the studio, I worked on a new St Patrick’s Day wreath for the shop. Deco mesh is so pretty and I love this lime green with the white, green and shamrock ribbons. It all worked up to be so cute!
I had placed a large order from Michael’s to start preparing for the Easter season and all the local baskets I make. Last year I ran out so hopefully I’ll be able to accommodate everyone this year with just enough of them. I’ll share more of these in the future but for now let me show you the adorable moss bunny rabbit I bought for myself! Link to them: https://www.michaels.com/assorted-7in-moss-bunny-tabletop-decor-by-ashland/10683143.html
Moss Bunny Rabbit from Michaels
After learning I had just gotten a Cricut, I had a local order for three name labels for Yeti cups. I designed three different ones, printed them on foil and they turned out so cute! (eBay Cricut Maker affiliate link: https://ebay.us/kf8hzj Cricut Maker link: https://tinyurl.com/bdemm87d)
For Fat Tuesday, a local bakery participated by making King Cakes and also they sold them by the slice all day. I went by and made sure to pick one up. It was so good but no baby this time. Maybe next year.
Fat Tuesday King Cake from Linwood Confections, Lexington, TN
I took this last month but thought I’d share the tulips emerging already. I planted these last year so I’m super excited to see them coming up beautifully this year!
Tulips emerging 2022
Ladies Night Out this time was for a fun St Patrick’s Day wreath. This one has battery operated lights and turned out so cute! If you are ever able to go to one of these, definitely jump on it. They are so much fun!
Ladies Night Out, St Patrick’s Day Wreath
Here’s a look at some of the Easter candy and goodies I’ve gotten for this year’s baskets. There’s all sorts of things here.
Easter Basket candy 2022
I did find something I had to keep for myself though. See this little lamb? My heart was stolen by him so this one’s mine. I did go and purchase another one to replace him. Then these are some of the tags that will be on my baskets this year. So much fun!
Sweet Little Lamb
I’ll include this week’s video footage below for you to check out if you’d like. xoxo Rhonda
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