"Too young to be a hippie, but raised in the heart of the hippie era."

I have a desire to do some sewing applique on a sleeveless jean dress that I was going to bring to the thrift store. Nothing wrong with the dress at all, I just never wear it. What if I appliques a retro hippie flower and stem going up the side and embellish in some way with a couple of those doilies I have. Or maybe not the doilies. They really don't give the hippy vibe. I asked GPT Chat to show me some ideas and I love the results!

Happy Birthday America!

Wow—250 years of being Americans. As we celebrate this milestone, one can only hope that today’s national tensions will come and go, just as many others have throughout our nation's history. Through challenges, disagreements, and change, the United States has endured, evolved, and moved forward. May we continue to do the same for generations to come.

The Ultimate Baby

She is the last of six grandchildren and she is such a sweetlums. I just love her cuddles and taking her serious face into the widest smile I've ever seen on a baby. Sweet Aly!

Plant Confusion

Christmas Cactus blooming on Easter Sunday!

Deep Dive

As I plan for retirement, I dream of having a little cash flow for all the things I want to do during retirement. This Pinterest/Amazon affliate work looks so intriguing becaause all of it is so natural for me. I mean designing pins in Pinterest in Canva and posting and tagging. Fun! I'm hearing that you no longer need to have a website to direct your lookers back to. I need to continue my deep dive and research this more. I also should turn off my auto pay on Hostinger. It's been fun learning and building a blog, but I have all I can do to keep up this blog!

Pinterest Affiliate - : (

If I’m being honest, I didn’t expect researching the Pinterest affiliate program to feel quite so… overwhelming. At first glance, it seems simple enough. You sign up for affiliate programs, create some beautiful pins, link your products, and watch the commissions roll in. That’s the dream Pinterest sells so well—soft, aesthetic, and just a little bit magical. But once you actually sit down to figure it all out, the layers start piling up quickly. The first hurdle is understanding what’s even allowed. Pinterest itself doesn’t have a traditional “affiliate program” in the way people think. Instead, you’re navigating a mix of Pinterest’s platform rules, individual affiliate programs like Amazon or others, and disclosure requirements. Suddenly, you’re asking questions like: Can I link directly to affiliate products? Do I need a blog? Where do disclosures go? Why does every source say something slightly different? And that’s just the beginning. Then comes the strategy side. Pinterest isn’t just about posting a pretty image—it’s about keywords, SEO, pin formats, consistency, and trends. You start hearing terms like “fresh pins,” “rich pins,” and “monthly viewers,” and it can feel like learning a whole new language. What started as a creative outlet quickly begins to feel like a part-time marketing job. And let’s talk about design for a moment. If you’re anything like me, you want your pins to look polished and professional—but not overly complicated. Clean, calm, and intentional. But then you wonder: Is this eye-catching enough? Too simple? Not clickable? Too busy? It’s a strange balance between staying true to your aesthetic and trying to create something that performs well. What surprised me the most, though, was how much information is out there—and how little of it feels grounded. There are endless blog posts, videos, and “ultimate guides,” but many of them either contradict each other or skip over the practical, step-by-step reality. It can leave you feeling like you’re missing something… like everyone else understands the system except you. But here’s what I’m starting to realize: the overwhelm is part of the process. Anytime you step into something new—especially something that blends creativity with technology and marketing—it’s going to feel messy at first. There isn’t one perfect way to do Pinterest affiliate marketing. There’s just your way, built slowly through trial, error, and small wins. So instead of trying to master everything at once, I’m learning to take it one piece at a time. One pin. One link. One small step forward. Because behind all the noise and confusion, there’s still something that drew me here in the first place—the idea of creating something beautiful, useful, and maybe even profitable. And that part still feels worth exploring.

Cancun - Margaritaville

March 9-16 Tim takes the girls to Cancun

Thank you

Today I’ve come to the reluctant realization that I need to accept something I once found hard to believe — that many in the younger generation no longer feel the need or desire to send handwritten thank-you cards for wedding gifts. Sadly, we’re now going on three years without one from our next-door neighbors, and since last December from a former co-worker.

Unsubscribe

Go to your email inbox and https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=rm&ogbl#inbox change #inbox to #sub this will take you to all your subscriptions. Delete which ones you no longer want.

Lisa's photo adventures - stumbled upon this

I always wondered if I took any pictures of my Christmas curtains that I made with firring strips and eye screws with twinkle lights. I DID! I was really excited when I found this picture on an old DVD.

Witness My Own Life

Recently I created a task on my Google calendar that will repeat every week on Tuesday. The task: write something on this blog. I never stared this blog with the intention of others reading it but more for myself to track thoughts, growth, seasons and patterns. So just to be funny I will post my latest pattern, literally a sewing pattern.

This past weekend I sewed this 100% cotton short wrap dress. I made it from quilting fabric. The islands we visit are sometimes 90% humidity and any polyester or nylon mix with cotton will not breathe! I'll take this new dress to Cancun to give it a test run in March.

I'm Ready for Winter's End

Minnesota is extremely cold this winter - the weather is to be expected. The social climate is toxically fridgid. My comfort zone is staying home. And I thrive best by creating.

How will this turn out?

The plan to turn the SheShed into the Bread Shed!  Taking various ideas from Pinterest and Tiktok.  Hopefully I can get this all hung with the final picture on Saturday!

 

My Dad's Grapes

Dad's grapes

10 cups!

Thinking of my mom while I did this.  She loved making jelly.  

I need to use my mom's canner next year.

 

 Happiness is all these little grands!  Two not so little anymore ; )

Sign of all Time

Sign of All Time

Moving to Richfield in 1995 was an exciting time for me. I had always thought of Richfield as a great place to raise a family. Back then, the city was just beginning to show signs of Minneapolis blight creeping in, but for the most part, it still felt like a nostalgic slice of what America used to be. There was a locally owned hardware store and countless mom-and-pop shops.

I remember one sign on Lyndale near 77th that I always noticed—a real “sign of times past.” Every time I passed it, I’d check to make sure it was still there, knowing it was only a matter of time before it disappeared. For 24 years, I kept telling myself, Lisa, you’ve got to get a picture of that!

Recently, while walking to the car dealer from work, my route took me down Lyndale. As I approached the sign, I said to myself, Today’s the day!

Heading south on Lyndale

Heading north on Lyndale

Ending the year in the Bahamas

 2024 was a year of wonderful beach trips.  

March - Puerto Vallarta
April - Fort Meyers

May - Madeline Island

July - Danbury Yellow Lake cabin

October - Kailua Lona Hawaii
December - Bahamas 

Family photography

 It's been a while but this year everyone was game for a photoshoot.  I took advantage of great shote to create nice collages to be framed to enjoy this year in the house.  As I was finishing these up, Alyson Jane was born.  Grandbaby 6!  She is beautiful and I will be posting  about her soon!

"Capturing Lily: Gramsie's Artistic Journey"

A long-awaited photo sesson! I was so looking forward to Lily's Sr, portraits. My camera lens has shared countless moments with her and each photoshoot has always been an adventure full of energy and grace. A quick glance at my Google Photos reveals nearly 4000 snapshots of her adorable face—just the tip of the iceberg compared to the uncountable images nestled in my hard drives.

Lily has a remarkable poise and poses so easily for the camera.  She is just a photographers dream.  I just have to remind her every once in while to tip her head straight.  The tilt here works and the smile is genuine.

Almost 4

                                                             Archie scouting the backyard.

                                                                Almost four years old