October Garden

It is starting to cool off a little in Georgia.  I took some pictures of my garden before the leaves all start dropping.

Finally, the 3 hibiscus I had in containers all bloomed at the same time.  I love the way they look.  I am not sure they will survive the winter, but hope they do.

The houses are close together so the garden is long and narrow.  I like how it is looking now.

I am thinking for winter I will get pansies to keep it happy and bright. :-)

Is Ello the next big thing?

I must admit, I was not very excited about another social media site.  I am already a member of facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, pinterest and more.  I read a little more about Ello and they do have a good pitch.
 
Ello, the ad-free social network capitalizing on the perception that it's the "anti-Facebook"

They launched about a month ago and it is invitation only at this time.  Sadly for me, I have received no invite. :(

They do not ask your name or gender so you can be more anonymous.  That could be good and bad. 

It appears they are going to upsell users on special features as a means to make money.  This eliminates the need for ads.

As soon as I get an invite (you can request one on their site), I will check it out and post an update.  I really spend alot of time on the various social sites I use now so I don't have alot of free time for a new one....unless it is amazing.

We shall see.
 

Knock Out Roses

I do pretty well with plants unless they are high maintenance.  Most of the plants I picked for my garden were rugged.  When I was at Home Depot they recommended a knock out rose.  The minute I heard "rose" I tuned out.  I picture all the special fertilizers and food you have to give a rose and even then they can door poorly.  I was told knock out roses are rugged and don't need to be pampered, so I gave them a try.  I am impressed with how tough they are and how frequently they bloom.  No black spots on the leaves or insects attacking them.

They are easy to grow, disease resistant and bloom a long time.  If that wasn't good enough, they are reasonably priced. I bought the smallest container and the plants doubled in size quickly.  I did give them a little plant food, but that was it as far as care. 

If you want the beauty of roses without the hassle, these may be for you. I am very impressed with them.

Contests

I want to have fun contests on this blog.  As I am new to the blog world, I will need to figure out how to use rafflecopter and anything else related to contests (hint: any tips are welcome).

Let me know what kind of things you would like to see as a prize.

Some things I am considering:

Beauty items: Cleansers, soaps, makeup

Dvds: Kids and adult

Supplies: for sweepers or business use

Of course GCs are what many of you want so I will do some of those contests.

Hang tight, once I get a little further along with the blog I will run the first contest.

Inspirational Quotes

As you can tell from the blog, I try hard to keep a positive outlook on life.  One thing I love is seeing inspirational pictures and quotes.  Here are a few of my favs:

• Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. –Robert Frost

• The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. –Amelia Earhart

• Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans. –John Lennon

• Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover. –Mark Twain

• I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. –Maya Angelou

•  Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.  Live the life you have imagined. –Henry David Thoreau

This is one of my favorite quotes overall.  To this day I am a huge admirer of Walt Disney and his vision.

•  Dream, diversify—and never miss an angle - Walt Disney

What are your favorite quotes?  I am always looking for new inspiration. :)

About Me

My name is Heather and I live in Georgia.

I created this blog as a place for people to get inspired, share positive thoughts and ideas.  I wanted a place were people could help each other and share their knowledge on different topics. 

I love decorating and recently bought a new house that needed much work.  You will see a lot of decorating and home improvement tips along with budget information. 

Of course all blogs need contests, so I will have plenty of them to keep you entertained. 

Welcome!  I am happy you stopped by.

Appliances for my home

I have had my house for a little over a year.  It had been a foreclosure so it needed alot of work when I moved in.  This was the first house I bought that required many updates.  I wanted to keep to a tight budget so I watched sales especially Home Depot since they have good discounts when you buy multiple appliances.

I needed all new appliances which was a daunting thought.  They had been abused and some were not working very well.  I was pretty much a regular at Home Depot asking the appliance associates when was the best time to buy, what was the best brand etc.  It was all worth it as I got amazing deals on all of my appliances.

Here is the kitchen.  I replaced the dishwasher, microwave and gas cooktop.  I had to buy a fridge and washer/dryer set. 

It was alot of expense but I am glad that I got it done.  I won't have to buy any of this stuff for a very long time.

Tips: Look for sales at Home Depot and Lowes where the item is on sale and you get an additional discount when you buy 2 or more.  That really saves money and in most cases they deliver free and haul away your old item for free.  Of course check reviews on the item and ask the associate if the one you want has alot of returns.  At Home Depot they note how many are returned or have problems and will tell you.  That helped me decide between a Whirlpool and LG fridge.  Also their 4th of July sale is very good on discounts.