How We Got Here

Tom, and I relocated from Memphis, Tennessee to Tampa, Florida a few years ago. We own and run BuzzOFF Mosquito of Tampa Bay and hope to be retiring in a few years, so we can spend more time with our 3 wonderful children, their great spouses and our four perfect grand children (no really, they are all perfect!). One of the reasons I began Sunny Days was to share some of the places we take those four perfect grands. It’s nice to have some insider information when you visit.

Reluctant Caregiver

For a couple of years, I became a caregiver for my beautiful mother. It was extremely difficult but rewarding at the same time. I am only mentioning it because she became so ill that she was approved for Hospice. I won’t lie, it was a dark day for me. We brought Mom home from the hospital thinking we were going to do the best to make her last days comfortable and happy. Well, Mom fooled us all! She got better, not right away but slowly and steadily. So much better that they kicked her out of Hospice. They actually said she was discharged. I prefer kicked out, she is a beast. She now drives and I still take her to doctors appointments but I am now just a happy daughter. My mother is also a big part of my journey. She is the most artistic, creative person I know. 

Florida Fun and Sunny Days

We love living in Florida. It gets hot but we lived in Connecticut for 6 years. I’ll take the heat  and the sunny days any time. My car never slid down a hill on the ice in Florida, I’m just saying. We have a pool and air conditioning so we can handle the heat. Florida is beautiful, with so much to see and do. Awesome seafood restaurants on the water, fun places to visit like Weeki Wachee with their mermaids, the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs, Busch Gardens and gorgeous beaches. Of course we also have Disney and Universal! 

I will be exploring this beautiful state of Florida and commenting on things I discover. We explore special places to take the grand children, especially when they are a bargain. I seek out seafood restaurants, usually ones on the water with a view. You never know what you will find. 

My Experience with DIY, Design and Creativity

I was a decorative painter for many years. I worked mostly with Donna Precise McDuffie Designs and a couple of other decorators in Memphis. Before that I worked as a stencil designer and taught classes in Delaware and Pennsylvania. I learned to sew from my mother and started out making Barbie clothes. I have always enjoyed being creative. There is nothing more satisfying than creating something with your own hands that comes out perfect, or at least, how you pictured it. 

If you like design, creativity and DIY projects you have come to the right place. In fact, I think I might be a DIY addict. I love checking out Pinterest and seeing all the great ideas and then trying to implement them in my life. In the old days we cut ideas out of magazines and glued them into notebooks or idea boards! Can you imagine!? Pinterest is such a game changer and it takes up so much less room!! I also come up with quite a few ideas on my own, like a beautiful and easy faux etched door for my pantry. When I say it is gorgeous. I’m not kidding. Every person that has seen it and was amazed that we made it our selves.  I’ll be sharing that later.  

I started Susan’s Sunny Days to share some of my ideas and projects. I hope you get some good ideas from my posts.

I want to share some of the projects we have done like removing a wall in our home, or some outdoor projects like building a potting bench and eventually paving the area so it will be my open air She Shed. Yes, Susan will have a She Shed.

So thank you for visiting Sunny Days. I hope to see you again soon. I would enjoy hearing from you!