Life is a Beautiful Place to Be

Hiking

2012-01-28T09:00:00.002-06:00

He says to her,

"I'm not going hiking with you anymore. It completely defeats the purpose of exercise if you are going to bring cake and tea to snack on."

In response she grins up at him with the wide eyed innocent look she has perfected for moments such as these.

{at least the clementines were healthy}

Scraps

2012-01-25T16:40:00.001-06:00

I think, through the years of writing this blog , I have shared the true colors of my character

and have made it quite clear that yes,

I am a paper hoarder.

I say that with my chin held high and, quite frankly,

without any shame.

I like paper.

I love pretty paper.

I own an abundance of paper.

And paper scraps.

With the making of the last half dozen or so of journals, I have bagged the leftover scrapbook paper.

So now I have half a dozen or so of bags of scrap scrapbook paper.

I also have large scraps of watercolor paper from said journals.

Last week I decided it was time to utilize one of these bags o' scraps and I made cards.

Because....

This past month I have been in need of a card, on several occasions, yet have not had any on hand nor the time to sit and make one.

So last week, when I did have time, I pulled out a bag of scraps {from this journal} and made some.

I kept them super simple, which made making them super fast, with as little cutting as possible.

I had a little stack of scalloped circles, tucked away in a drawer, that I pulled out and used for a simple embellishment.

Now when the need arises for a card I can grab one, stamp or write an appropriate sentiment on the front

{or not and leave as is}

say what I have to say on the inside and send it off.

I know it's not a WIP, but I'm thinking I can group this project within that category and give myself a pat on the back.

I did use up a whole bag of scraps you know.

What Would Jane Think?

2012-01-18T18:44:00.001-06:00

Scene:

It's the week after Christmas.

A Farmboy, a Graduate and a Girl walk into Barns & Noble.

The Farmboy veers right, towards the magazine racks, to look for Farmboy crack.

{i.e., European car magazines}

The Graduate and the Girl continue forward.

Once near the back of the store The Graduate and the Girl split off-

one goes to find ancient history and the other, books on painting.

Fifteen minutes later the Girl feels an arm land across her shoulders and a book on one of the Caesars is thrust into her face.

{she has told him she will buy him a book, since Santa forgot to do his job properly}

Suddenly her phone beeps at her. A text.

"Donde estas?"

"Arte. Estas tu in cafe?"

{obviously she has no idea how to speak Spanish regardless of the 8 years she sat in a Pre-K Spanish class 5 days out of every week}

Despite her terrible attempt to answer him in another language, he understands what she is asking.

However, he chooses to ignore her subtle plea for a latte.

As the Girl and The Graduate wander out from the mystery section five minutes later, they meet the Farmboy.

His hands are hidden behind his back.

A smile spreads across her face and she claps her hands like a happy little child.

She thinks he has brought her the life juice of her people- coffee.

She is wrong, but not disappointed, because he has instead brought her this...

Jane Austen's Northanger Abby.

In comic book form.

She now giggles when she reads it and wonders what Jane would think.

Feeling Plucky

2012-01-15T16:33:00.001-06:00

I'm patting myself on the back right now.

I've managed to mark an item off of my January To Do list.

Before February.

I've completed all of my homework from the One Little Word class I'm taking.

It was so very enjoyable to work on and it helped me to specifically answer a couple of questions still floating around my head about my word... Fearless.

I decided to house the class work within one of my favorite journals I made last summer.

And so far it has worked perfectly and is making me oh so happy!

Also making me oh so happy right now,

this quote from Mary Oliver.

It seriously sums up what the word Fearless sums up for me right now.

"I want to think again of dangerous and noble things.

I want to be light and frolicsome.

I want to be improbable, beautiful and afraid of nothing as though I had wings."

Such a plucky quote.

Finish

2012-01-10T17:19:00.000-06:00

I was talking to a friend last week about my word for the year.

She jokingly commented on how maybe I should have picked the word

FINISH.

Heh, heh... seriously though, she may have something there.

I do have a tendency to start a project and then get sidetracked from it, only to then let it sit there and collect dust. All the while thinking how I should really finish that, because I really like it or it's a really cool idea.

Then a few days later as I was standing in the studio doorway looking at all of those unfinished projects, I thought of another friend and how she stated on her blog last year that it would be her year to finish all of the unfinished projects she had sitting around.

So I thought maybe, just maybe, if I stated it here for all the world to see,

{regardless of the fact that the whole world doesn't read my gibberish}

I will finish 12 unfinished projects this year.

There. Stated.

PS. Even though I unofficially thought I might maybe give a 365 photo project a go, again this year, I have actually, unofficially, so far done it and have taken a photo a day.

I hope I didn't just jinx it.

Right Now

2012-01-06T12:57:00.000-06:00

Right now...

I'm sitting outside, on the 6th day of January,

feeling the warm sunshine on my bare arms,

listening to She & Him radio,

eating a sweet, juicy Cutie,

watching a little, white pig-dog stare at the orange in my hand

{trying her hardest to use her Jedi mind tricks to move the orange from my hand and into her mouth}

all while knowing I should have not spent the morning making up imaginary tasks to occupy my time with

{ignoring the long list of real tasks written in the notebook sitting on the table inside the house}

just to avoid going to the gym

and writing a blog post that has to do with nothing instead of writing the one I had intended

{which had to do with something + adding a photo that has to do with neither}.

Happy Friday!

On Life

2012-01-04T17:41:00.000-06:00

It's about time I showed up around here, huh?

I'm still trying to clean up from the aftermath of the holidays and get back into the normal flow of things.

I did, however, want to drop in and share a little something.

A few days ago I received the kindest email from a lovely lady named Pam.

In discussing the ups and downs of this past year, she said something I found quite poignant and oh so true

{and sometimes I need to be reminded of this bigger picture}

"The reality of it is--

Here's to a year filled with

beautiful moments,

ridiculous moments,

disappointing moments,

maturing, growing moments,

moments filled with tears and sorrow,

moments filled with much laughter and joy,

fun moments.

In essence,

another year of LIFE!"

I concur, Pam.

Here's to you, Life.

You are such a beautiful place to be.

Welcoming 2012

2011-12-29T16:27:00.000-06:00

I can honestly tell you, this has been one tough year.

But, as always, there have been beautiful bits strewn throughout.

So as I say goodbye to 2011, I will do so with a thankful heart and carry with me the lessons painfully learned and hold tight to the memories of loved ones who are terribly missed.

I'm ready.

Really ready for 2012.

Early one day last month my word for 2012 leapt out at me.

It came out of nowhere.

I had a vague thought of knowing it was the right word, but pushed it away.

I was not ready to think about just then.

I still had two more months to get through.

It did, however, get me to thinking about this years word,

Action

and I got to contemplating on where I stood with it.

I most definitely started off strong.

I most definitely achieved some of my action goals.

I most definitely failed at both my 365 projects!

I realized part of the problem I have with my word, is if I don't have it plastered up in front of me, I get too side-tracked sometimes.

So this year I decided to give myself a little extra help and I've signed up for Ali Edwards' class

One Little Word 2012.

I'm excited.

But then, every year at this time I get all tingly-excited.

Like what it must be to swim through a glass of Dom Perignon tingly.

Wait a sec.

I've totally forgotten to mention what my word is.

I got side-tracked.

{ha! see above}

That happens when the Farmboy walks into the room talking to me with a Scottish accent.

2012 is my year to be

Fearless.

Umm, but while it's still 2011 I better get into action and get my book made for the OLW class.

See ya on the other side!

Still Life No.3

2011-12-22T22:40:00.000-06:00

Christmas.

I'm breathing in that heady evergreen scent.

I'm loving it.

Christmas.

I'm up to my ears in it.

I sooo don't have everything ready.

And I'm okay with that.

Because I'm breathing deeply of evergreen.

And loving it.

To Tradition or Not To Tradition

2011-12-11T13:42:00.000-06:00

Day Two

I won't lie.

This has been a difficult holiday season for the Farmboy and I.

Too many important people missing.

Too much sadness.

However, I am most grateful that the sadness felt comes in short spurts.

Thankfully it has not been a constant.

That really makes a difference.

{ADD? If so, no need for Ritalin here... we'll take it.}

So we're doing things a little different around here this year.

Breaking with traditions.

For me, being me, this was difficult at first.

I'm a stickler for routine.

Not a fan of change.

But, I'm keeping a positive attitude.

Maybe we're making new traditions.

Fa La La La La

2011-12-08T14:27:00.000-06:00

I'm still moving stuff around.

I'm so over it.

But only half the house is put back together.

Hoping there will be a couch, in front of a television, to sit on tonight.

I needed a break, so I thought I'd pop in and share

Day One.

Day one is all about the music.

I LOVE Christmas music.

But we have a rule in this house.

No Christmas music is to be played until the day after Thanksgiving.

I whine a lot about it just before Thanksgiving, but the Farmboy sticks to his guns.

And he's totally right.

He knows if we start before then, we will totally burn out before December 25 gets here.

However, it doesn't ever stop me from purchasing it before I can listen to it.

This year I downloaded two albums.

Mindy Gledhill's Winter Moon

and

A Very She and Him Christmas

(Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward)

I've been Falalalalaing since the day after Thanksgiving.

What are some of your favorite Christmas tunes?

It's A Start

2011-12-05T13:57:00.001-06:00

I've been trying to post this for half a week now, but I've been too busy moving everything, that everyone living in this house owns, around for the last week.

Literally.

And the reasons will no doubt end up within the covers of this journal.

A week ago I managed to get my book put together.

I hand bound Basic Grey's Wassail paper collection together

(I knew my paper hoarding problem would come in handy at some point)

and housed it within this fabulous vintage book called

The Fireside Book of Christmas Stories.

I'm so glad I took the time to do a little online shopping to find this book instead of just using any old book I happened to have on hand.

I'm completely reusing this old book outside and in...

whole pages, illustrations, as well as, specific words and sentences.

If I didn't like the things I own so much, I would totally have an estate sale just so I didn't have to move everything about anymore.

And then I could use all that precious time to play in my

December Daily journal.

November Glance

2011-12-01T08:41:00.000-06:00

boys and bbq

homemade bread

coffee breaks

photo shoots

downtown art

architecture

lacy bark

and

busty moss

dulce dates

pig naps

bangers and mash

a night at the theater

boys playing cars

fun house mirrors

toads south of the boarder
and

a beast that asks you not call PETA

December Daily

2011-11-26T21:02:00.000-06:00

I did it.

I finally finished my December Daily.

From last year.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Last year.

And it's ridiculously thick.

We either did a whole lot last December

or I have an affinity for three dimensional embellishments.

I think it may possibly be the latter.

And I have just enough time to build my book for this December.

Which hopefully, I'll finish this year.

They Didn't Last An Hour

2011-11-23T11:05:00.000-06:00

The night of our Pumpkin Carving Contest I baked.

And I was greatly loved for it.

I might even go so far as saying,

I was everyone's favorite person that night.

I found this recipe here.

Amazingly simple, fast and good.

1 box of Spice Cake mix

1 can of pumpkin

1 cup chocolate chips

Bake for 15 minutes at 350

and then EAT.

Have a beautiful Thanksgiving and/or weekend!

The Process

2011-11-21T18:13:00.000-06:00

Layer One

paint

letting it flow freely

like a lite, foggy mist.

This One Is For Robin

2011-11-17T13:13:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time in a land called Tejas...

The Farmboy came home one day carrying on about wanting/needing a little Jack Russell he could call his own. He knew what he wanted... a little girl with a smooth coat. So we decided to go look and see what we could find.

We stopped by our animal shelter first, not thinking they would have one. We walked in and the first dog we laid eyes on, in the first kennel in the shelter.... there she was. She was sitting there, next to the front of the kennel, playing her shivering, little match stick girl role. He stuck his hand in to let her smell him and she laid her head in the palm of his hand. It was love at first touch.

She had just come in and wasn't available for 5 days. We went to a few pet shops to see what they had and only found wire haired boys whose demeanors were very similar to flying a kite in a tornado.

We talked more about her and both said the name Daisy at the same time. It was just meant to be.

On the day she was up for adoption he was in Austin, so I got up at an indecent hour. I camped out front of the shelter with a chair, a book and my mom brought me plenty coffee. It's "first come, first serve" around here.

Ahh, what one will do for her Farmboy.

After being there an hour, a family of three showed up, sat around out front for about 30 minutes and then asked which dog I had come for. I told them. They left. It was probably good I got there first... they had a four year old and it turns out our Daisy is too high strung to be fond of children.

When he called me later in the day and asked if I got her, I told him no... another couple had gotten there before me. He didn't believe me. I'm the world's worst liar. But he played along as he always does.

We've had her for 7 or 8 years now and our sweet, little, meek, $10 Daisy May has cost us thousands of dollars because she used to pick fights with my baby... the 50 lb., black and white beast we fondly refer to as Lucyfur.

But the Farmboy got his dog.

And to this day is still trying to make it love him, as much as it loves me.

The End

I've Cracked It Open Again

2011-11-14T22:14:00.000-06:00

These are a few snippets from some pages in my art journal.

These were done months ago.

It's been that long since I've worked in it.

I've missed it terribly.

Last Friday I pulled it out.

I blew the dust off of it

and cracked it open.

I slowly looked through the previous pages.

I like to do that often when I'm working it in.

Then I pulled out some paint

and sighed a big sigh.

*********

PS. The bread turned out great and so did the soup.

Despite what the "children" thought.

PSS. HELLO!! to all of my new visitors!

Fuzzy Lambs, Sticky Hands and A Winner

2011-11-08T17:25:00.000-06:00

This was my day today....

The alarm went off at 6:30 and I hit snooze three (maybe 4) times.

I killed the sinus headache and ball of snot in my stomach with 3 Advil and half a pot of coffee.

Then I met up with a Bestie and drank more coffee and headed over to The Woolie Ewe.

Because every 5 years I relearn how to knit.

While there the Farmboy showed up. He needed something I had with me.

"Where are you?"

"The Woolie Ewe."

"The What?"

"The Woolie Ewe."

"Huh?"

"Woolie Ewe. Like Fuzzy Lamb."

Sometimes the Farmboy can't understand my accent.

Evidently.

Anyway, I'm ready to start now.

Right after I look up on the internets how to do it.

Thank you, Al Gore, you're a life saver.

After lunch I went back home and attempted to make bread.

Attempted is the correct term here.

This is my first time to make bread.

To me that picture makes it obvious enough that I shouldn't actually have to say that.

Is it supposed to be that sticky?

Martha's never looks that sticky.

It's in the oven right now, so we'll see later if the Domestic Goddess left the building before I began or not.

Next I will start making soup.

Soup I'm sure nobody here will eat.

Carrot and sweet potato.

Some days you've got it and some days you don't.

And now for the Artful Blogging magazine winner....

*********

Natalea

*********

Yay, Natalea!

Bet your pretty excited I'm sending you a magazine and not that sticky bread dough.

For You

2011-11-05T19:21:00.000-06:00

A few months ago Jennifer Jackson Taylor asked me if I would write an article for Artful Blogging.

"Gladly", was my answer.

After mulling topics over for a bit, I finally decided to base my article on knowledge.

Specifically the sharing of knowledge within this community.

This creative and artful living community that both you and I are a part of.

And quite frankly, if it weren't for you I probably would never have been asked to write a single word for Artful Blogging.

So, THANK YOU!

Thank you, to Jennifer and the amazing Stampington team for making my photos look amazing

(and any spelling corrections)

and thank you to

YOU.

You who are reading this now.

You who drop by occasionally.

You who always leave me words that make my life a little bit more beautiful.

Speaking of comments,

leave a comment on this post if you would like a copy of this edition of Artful Blogging.

I'll chose a winner Tuesday.

Thank you again.

I know I've said it before, but you guys are really the best.

Pumpkin Carving

2011-11-02T12:42:00.001-06:00

Sunday night we had our annual Pumpkin Carving Contest.

This year we changed things up a bit.

Instead of just the kids and us carving it up, we had family over to play too.

We divided up into couples...

the Graduate & That Girl

the BIL & SIL

the Niece & her "Friend"

and

the Farmboy and I

We, the Farmboy and I, were pretty sure we had this one.

We were congratulating and patting each other on the backs before we were even finished.

Behold, our creation...

The Wolfman

Pure brilliance.

Chocolate Twizzlers sliced and cut up for fur. Chocolate chips glued on for stubble. Garlic for teeth. And an avocado... the skin for ears and the pit for the nose.

It turns out however,

pure brilliance is nothing when up against

Ironman.

Who knew.

*********

PS. It also turns out, that it's not really worth the time to poke a gazillion little holes into a pumpkin and then carefully stuff strings of Twizzlers into each one of them.

Pumpkin juice and chocolate Twizzlers equates to something very much like

laser hair removal.

And the Goodie Bag Goes To.....

2011-10-30T11:07:00.000-06:00

So sorry I'm late!

I'm finally getting a chance to cool my wings and smooth my feathers back into place.

The Farmboy had an all day photo shoot yesterday and needed his sidekick assistant with him.

(that's me)

We have picked a winner for the little, witchy goodie bag I've put together.

But first a big ol'

THANK YOU

to everyone who stopped by and left such lovely and much appreciated words for me.

And those of you who had parties yourselves...

FANTABULOUS!!!

Also big thank you again to our dear hostess Vanessa.

Now on to the winner.....

******

Bertie

******

Congratulations!

Her Book of Spells

2011-10-22T00:00:00.002-05:00

As she set the full and weighty tome down upon the table, she remembered.

She opened it.

Ran her hand across the faded image of the woman and remembered.

Remembered her soft yet direct voice. The lessons. The wanting, so badly, to be just like her when older.

Her long, thick hair. Her dark, knowing eyes.

She remembered.

As she turned the page she took in the list of names.

Names of those she loved as family. Names of those who loved her. The names of those who made the circle complete.

She remembered.

Remembered the light trill of their laughter and the lull of the rhythm when they crooned their chants.

The crackle of more pages turning. The mixture of nature and magic beneath her finger tips. The dried pools of ink and the indentions from the sharp quill.

She remembered.

The smell. Mustiness from the old paper. Sweet, bitter, earthy.

She remembered the smells that came from the bottles. The rows and rows of bottles. Some she could touch, others she was forbidden to until much older.

She remembered.

Light from the full moon shone through the window. A bell chimed from the grove outside.

It was time.

She closed the book.

Her time for remembering had come to an end.

A second chime from beyond the open window.

Time for her to complete her own circle now.

Her own circle of sisters.

************

A big thank you to

Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist

for hosting.

For more ghostly frolicking you can find the list of party participants here.

************

And also a special thank you

to each of you who have stopped by to visit my little circle of sisterhood.

I'm Just Going to Make It

2011-10-21T09:59:00.000-05:00

Barely.

I think.

No, I will.

Because I really, really don't want to miss out on all of the fun at this year's

Halloween Party!

Hosted by the ever magical

Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist.

It's TOMORROW!

Now, I need to go.

I have a lot of spells to cast if I'm going to be ready.

Have a beautiful Friday and I'll see you back here tomorrow!

Summer's End

2011-10-18T07:45:00.000-05:00

I checked the 10 day weather forecast just before the start of the weekend.

According to them, summer is finally coming to a close this week.

But seeing as how it was still going to be warm on Sunday, I decided we needed to have one last summer picnic.

I also thought it was a very good excuse to make up a pitcher of my latest summer craving...

Cherry Limeade

Seriously.

Last summer I couldn't get enough black cherry sno-cones.

This summer it's been all about Sonic's cherry limeades.

And then the Food Network gods sent me a gift.

A gift in the form of The Pioneer Woman.

I've been reading her blog daily and cooking out of her cookbook for a long time, so it was only natural that I watch her cooking show.

It was during episode 4.

The clouds parted and rays of cherry-lime goodness rained down on me in the form of a recipe.

Because quite frankly, it had never dawned on me that I could actually make it myself
and not trek the 2 miles from my house during Sonic's happy hour to fulfill a craving.

I've made it several times now.
And oh, is it good.
So, so good.

Autumn Hues

2011-10-13T11:55:00.000-05:00

I'm a cool color person.

I also like neutrals.

I like to feel as if I'm gently twirling and floating.

Warm colors sometimes make me feel anxious.

Gyrating and spinning out of control.

{photo sources}

But sometimes when the tones of those warm colors are just right,

I feel as if I can take on the world.

*********

Thanks for playing with me again.

All of those items are being used right now in an art journal.

Still Life No. 2

2011-10-11T11:11:00.000-05:00

from my studio

dusty miller, eucalyptus, linen bag, lace

buttons, candle, dip pens

What would you create?

Journal No. 4 ~ Chicken Feet

2011-10-06T16:04:00.000-05:00

A couple of months ago I made another FTB journal.

This one was journal four.

Or maybe it was journal three- part two.

I don't know.

But I do know that I dig it.

It's happy.

I created it from the photo album I willed into existence.

Those two look as if they are having such a swell, spiffy kinda time that I thought it needed a whimsical feel to it.

Polka dots always seem to do the whimsy trick for me.

And the binding stitch...

again, fun.

I can't look at it and not think

chicken feet.

I'm a little weird.

I think the inside is pretty happy too.

I had been saving two, not very big, pieces of flocked wallpaper for something special.

And something special finally happened.

Yay!

*********

Thanks for playing along with me in the last post.

I would have happily scarfed down everything y'all would have made with those ingredients.

What I made with them...

roasted chicken with shallots, pears and walnuts.

Pretty dang tasty.

Still Life No.1

2011-10-02T20:07:00.000-05:00

from my kitchen

rosemary ... garlic ... lemon

What would you create?

My New Companion

2011-09-29T14:48:00.000-05:00

Awhile back I found this book,

The Embroidery Stitch Bible.

I have purchased a handful of embroidery books. Each time I have had high hopes that it would be THE book that I was looking for.

Although I really wasn't sure what THE book would really consist of.

Well, I have finally found it.

A simple, to the point, well illustrated, perfectly sized, no fluff or extra un-needed words stitching instruction book.

I've known how to create basic stitches for quite awhile now and was ready to move on to some more advanced and fun stitches.

Again, this is the book.

Something I've realized with this book is that most of those seemingly difficult looking stitches are based off regular basic stitches.

They really aren't as difficult as I once thought.

So now whenever I get a chance to pick up this piece I'm working on, this book is always within my reach.

PS. The embroidery pattern I'm working on is by Pam Garrison. It looks like she's sold out of them though.

Thank You

2011-09-26T21:25:00.000-05:00

Thank you, to all of you who have left me a comment or sent an email and to everyone who has kept my family in their thoughts and prayers with the passing of my Mother-In-Law.

They have all been greatly accepted with open hearts.

She and I didn't always see eye to eye.

(and both of us could be called bull-headed)

When the Farmboy and I were dating, his mother and I didn't like each other at all.

She thought I wasn't good enough for her son.

I thought she was just a mean, old woman with a chip on her shoulder.

After she lost her husband, the Farmboy and I decided she should come live with us.

It took a lot of adjusting for both her and me.

Then one day we blew up on each other.

It was nasty.

So nasty it had the Farmboy tip-toeing backwards from the room so as not to be pulled into the middle of it.

It ended with me calling her a "crazy, old lady" and her calling me a "crazy bitch."

Then we both burst into laughter and tears and hugged.

The ice had melted.

She finally respected me.

She was an incredibly strong woman.

Independent. Hard working. As giving as a person can be.

One day when I was whining about something or other that she had done to irritate me, my father looked at me and said,

"You listen to her. She's lived a long, hard life and is full of wisdom because of it."

I couldn't see it at the time.

But this last year I've spent with her, I've seen it as clear as day. It may not have always been within her words, but it was definitely within her actions.

She raised two amazing boys and loved them more than anything.

And she gave me an unexpected gift when she died.

She brought my Sister-In-Law and I closer together.

Unexpected because we were already so close, we didn't think we could get any closer.

I used to joke with her that she wasn't allowed to die on my watch.

She would cackle and tell me she most definitely would.

I'm sure she thought she got the last word in, because that is exactly what she did.

But by now she probably knows she was wrong.

I feel more than honored to have been by her side when she left us.

Honored to have seen her off on her next journey, letting her know how much we all love her.

As I sit here now and write this, I can hear her fussing at me,

"Stop your crying over me, Weezie, and go make something pretty!"

So that's what I'm going to do.

I Will Love You For Always

2011-09-20T16:58:00.000-05:00

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says: "There, she is gone!"

"Gone where?"

Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear the load of living freight to her destined port.

Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says: "There, she is gone!" There are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout: "Here she comes!"

And that is dying.

~Henry Van Dyke

Christmas In July

2011-08-31T17:41:00.000-05:00

No, wait...

it's not July, it just feels like it outside.

In fact, it's August. The last day of August.

So here's the new post title...

Christmas on the last day of August, just mere hours away from September, though outside it feels like July.

Regardless of the heat,

I have a fun holiday tutorial in the latest issue of Somerset Holidays & Celebrations.

If you can look past the lengthy "materials and tools" list and despite the many steps

(with lots of drying time in between)

it is actually quite an easy project.

And the options for the little scenes on top are endless.

Like when I did these way back here.

If you decide to give it a try, let me know. I would love to see a picture of it.

*********

I want to thank you all.

I have felt the love and it greatly warmed my heart.

I hope I am able to return the favor if you ever find yourself in the center of a storm.

My love to you all.

Storms On the Horizon

2011-08-29T17:32:00.000-05:00

I have had a few storms sitting on my horizon.

Big storms.

Possibly life altering storms.

Some have been there for quite awhile, waiting to roll in at full force.

I suppose I knew it would happen sooner or later.

I have yet to decide if it is best to fare one storm at a time or have multiple storms hit me all at once in one fail swoop.

I suppose it really just depends on the storms themselves...

their type, their force, their duration.

What I do know, and I know this with every fiber of my being, is that I get to choose how I react to them; both during their frenzied passage through my world, as well as after they have died down.

I hope I am always able to have enough strength afterwards to see the significance of the storm.

To learn from it. To grow from it.

To be better for it.

I can see a few more out there.

I know some might blow themselves out before reaching me and others might not.

But right now, I am ready for a little sunshine.

Journal No. 3

2011-08-12T14:38:00.000-05:00

I'm still in Full Tilt Boogie mode.

If you know me well then you know that this class has to be really good, because I haven't walked away from it with the projects only half completed.

I just keep steaming forward not wanting to stop.

This is part one of week 3/journal 3.

This was another book I had been saving for a specific project...

a writing journal.

Though I'm an avid list maker, I've never been one to keep a journal for my inner most thoughts and feelings.

(Which may partly be the cause of what my Farmboy likes to call my "solar flares" of emotion.)

So I had been saving this book for this purpose and it seemed like just the right time to create it.

The reason I wanted to use this specific book for my writing journal is because it is white.

Lovely, clean, soothing white.

And lord knows, if I'm going to dump the whirlwind of thought and emotion from my heart and head into this book, I'm going to need a little soothing and surrounding calm as I do it.

So again, with that in mind, I chose the fabric (aqua and chocolate brown) and the papers inside (all soft colored scrapbook papers) for the same reason.

The binding stitch for this journal is really great.

And I figured out a way to dress it up a bit with some itty bitty buttons.

So very happy with it.

*********

While I'm talking of Mary Ann, it would be really great of you if you could send a warm thought and/or prayer her way, as she has recently lost her beloved Buck Moss.

Maybe even leave a comforting note for her over at her place if you have the time.

Thank you.

Ask and the Universe Will Provide

2011-08-10T15:31:00.002-05:00

I don't do a lot of online shopping and around here I have a hard time finding antique, celluloide photo albums.

When I do find them, they are usually priced around $60 to $70.

Call me a tight-wad, but I have a hard time paying that much for something I'm going to tear apart.

The other day I got it into my head that I really, really wanted to use a photo album for my next journal.

And I'd already used the only one I had.

(Which I'm still having SO much fun playing in)

So when my brother called me the day before last to ask me to meet him for breakfast the next morning, I decided that afterward I would stop into an antique mall that I hadn't been into in awhile.

On the drive over I used my mighty brain waves and visualized a pretty, little photo album sitting in the store- in decent condition, just the right size and just the right price.

And low and behold, there it was sitting locked up in a cabinet waiting for me to find.

I sure love it when things work out!

I Was Starting To Think It Wouldn't Happen

2011-08-05T16:30:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had a great idea, gathered the supplies needed and then sat down to begin, but once ready it just didn't feel right? I mean, you haven't even started yet, but you know this isn't going to be what you want it to be.

This happened to me months and months ago. So I walked away from it. When I pulled it all back out and changed up a few ideas, it still didn't feel right.

I seriously don't even know how many times I went down this path with this one project.

And now the idea is not even remotely like the original. But I do think it's going to be great now.

Sometimes all it takes is patience.

Two Spell Books and A Guide to Italian Architecture

2011-08-02T15:30:00.000-05:00

The second half of Sunday was spent making Journal Two of the Full Tilt Boogie class.

In fact I made two journals on Sunday and another one last night.

(spell book no. 1)

Journal Two has a hidden binding, but I decided not to use the bead string again. I used embroidery floss this time.

I still haven't gone out to get some waxed linen nor ordered any. Should probably get on that seeing as how this book binding will be a regular activity for me.

In the first spell book I attached a ratty, velvet strip to the inside of the spine to create a bookmark.

(spell book no. 2)

My second spell book had a dark green cover, so I painted it black. I think I'll put something around the spine or on the front cover, as well as add a closure ribbon.

I think I may leave the inside as it is, for a special something later on, but the first one I am super excited to fill "Practical Magic" like.

(a guide to italian architecture ~ journal no. 3)

This journal was meant to happen. Quite a few years ago, I bought this book to make an altered book/kind of scrapbook that would house all the architecture photos we took while in Italy. Obviously I never got around to it. Creating my own book block for it has totally spurred me forward with this project though.

I haven't decided yet if I'm going to leave the cover as is or gussie it up a bit.

Hmmm, what do you think I should do with it?

Of Spell Books and Cauldrons

2011-07-28T19:53:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday, after saying goodbye to the last of our company, the Farmboy and I were kind of at a loss as to what to do with ourselves on the way back home.
Just as our exit came up to take us to our house, that spontaneous Farmboy veered off track and we drove up to McKinney to wander about the square.
(despite the 100+ temperature)

As we slowly tootled along, glancing into this shop window and that shop window, I was doing what I do best when alone with the Farmboy.
Babbling.
Babbling about every topic whirling about in my little head and then some.
As we came to a stop, waiting for the light to tell us we could cross, I came to an unexpected silence.

And then I exclaimed,
"OH! I need a cauldron!"
The Farmboy blinked.
"And maybe a couple of spell books too."
Another blink.

Luckily he's used to odd out bursts of this sort.
And being the good Farmboy that he is, helped me search and find a couple of books that will beautifully hold some spells
(plus a mid to late 1800s ledger)
and even a humongous cauldron.
(well, it was actually an antique candy making kettle)
However, just as fast as he found it, I decided that maybe I didn't need a cast iron cauldron after all.
I have a better idea instead.......

Right Now....

2011-07-25T12:09:00.000-05:00

I think our revolving front door has come to a stand still.

We've had family in and out visiting for about 3 weeks now.

It's truly been fantastic.

And now this morning I seem to be having a little trouble getting back into the swing of normal-ness.

I was able to sneak in some journaling time here and there.

And as much as I love my family, I'll admit, it was tough to walk away from that book at times.

I think I'm finally ready to make Journal 2 from the Full Tilt Boogie class.

Hoping that will happen this week.

Have a beautiful Monday!

Mid-Summer Update

2011-07-14T10:02:00.001-05:00

At the beginning of June

I said this is what I would do during the summer.

And this is what has actually happened so far.

I have not really spent any time relaxing...

in fact I almost feel busier with all the family we have had and will have coming to visit

(but they are worth it)

I have listened to 4 books

(Audible is awesomness)

and have actually read one and now on the down hill side of Under the Tuscan Sun

(which I am loving)

I have not finished a single WIP

(nor even touched one)

I have not taken a single nap

(but I did come really close the other day)

I have not completed an art journal cover to cover, but at the rate I am going I might

(yay!)

I still have loads and loads of past photos to process in order to get caught up on my 365 photo project.

However, I am participating in Natalea's July in Photos challenge

(and am only one day behind.... at the moment)

and my other 365 project, I haven't even thought about

The only thing I've baked is a chocolate cake (from a box) for the MIL's 74th birthday

(cuz that's what she wanted... not cuz I'm a crappy DIL)

I have not cleaned out any kitchen cupboards

(but I did take everything off of the tops of them and purged)

I have not stitched a sampler

(but my fingers are SO itching to!)

I have not made a quilt

(I am still very inspired to. Especially after seeing these blocks... though mine will not be this elaborate)

How has your summer been going?

Right Now....

2011-07-10T17:23:00.000-05:00

I am in

Full Tilt Boogie!

I've been journaling during every spare moment I've had.

Full Tilt Boogie

2011-07-07T15:57:00.000-05:00

Last month Debe and I were talking about journaling.

I mentioned that I thought Mary Ann Moss' class Remains of the Day looked like a really cool class and I wondered if it was still available.

Debe had taken it and told me that I needed to take it.

That it was fantastic.

And that coming from Debe (as Debe doesn't even journal) made up my mind.

A week or so later, I actually remembered that conversation.

However, I found that Ms. Moss was offering up a new class.

Full Tilt Boogie

I signed up immediately.

Boy, am I glad I did!

I gotta be honest here, folks.

It's been a while since I've really enjoyed and learned new techniques from an online art class.

And that Mary Ann Moss is a hoot!

This is my first completed journal from the class.

I used what I had on hand, which was beading string.

I won't be doing that again.

Next time I will actually make the trek outside of my home to get what I need.

I just dont' think it's thick enough for a visible binding.

Lesson learned.

Now I'm gnashing at the bit to start filling the pages, as well as, start making the next journal.

If you journal I suggest you check it out.

Just Hanging Around

2011-07-05T14:54:00.000-05:00

For me there is just something happy about garlands and buntings and hanging decorations in general.

Maybe it's the association of celebrating.

Whatever it is, hanging bits of pretty make me smile.

When I first joined Pinterest, one of the first boards I created was called Hanging Around.

I have pinned all sorts of hanging things....

fabric, shells, rose petals, globes, paper, ribbon...

you name it, I've pinned it.

The last time I went to Canton, I saw a sweet little garland created from doilies. This garland also had letters hanging from it (I can't remember what it spelled out), as well as, baby shoes, ribbons and bits of this and that. It was pretty, but not quite what I wanted. So before we left I made a second stop (I had already purchased a huge bag full of textiles) at the linen lady's booth to pick up a handful of doilies in just the right neutral shades.

This was so insanely easy to make!

I took several yards of seam binding and simply folded the end of each doily over it and ran a zigzag stitch across the doily and seam binding to secure it in place.

Voila!

Easy and pretty, to boot.

Down the Rabbit Hole

2011-06-25T05:00:00.129-05:00

Oh dear.

Where is everyone?

They are late!

Late, late, late!

SHE is late

and

they are late.

Tsk, Tsk...

Where can everyone be?

The tea will be cold!

OH! Goodness me, thank the White Queen's stars, you've arrived!

How do you do? How do you do?

Would you like a cup? Would you like a nibble?

I dare say, you know, you are quite late!

Tsk, tsk.

Is your watch not working?

Never mind that.

Do sit down.

Hurry now.

There is still some tea left.

Yes, left. You see, he has already been here.

Who?! Why the Hatter of course.

You do remember him, do you not?

From when you came before?

A very lovely time it was, yes indeed it was.

You know, I know of a quite good clock maker...

eh-hem... if you need your watch repaired.

Eh-hem, well yes.

What was I saying?

Oh yes, yes.

We had a jolly good time...

riddles and songs and all.

You know how it goes.

Please, please, help yourself.

There is plenty to chose from.

Yes, yes... please don't dawdle.

No time for dawdling.

No, no time for that.

Unless you're Dum or Dee of course.

OH!

Oh, no.. no you are not either of them.

So sorry.

Well now, I do so hate to be a party pooper...

but I believe it is time.

Yes, yes... most definitely time to go.

So sorry, but we do keep a tight schedule around here, you know.
It was very nice to see you again, but...

Many more parties to attend.

Many more cups to sip.

Many more friends to see.

Ahhh, yes, yes....

eh-hem, about that clock maker...........

Gilded Girl Stash Society

2011-06-21T12:16:00.000-05:00

I've posted a little bit about the kits I have received from the

Gilded Girl Stash Society.

Debbie and Shea of A Gilded Life began this kit club in January of this year.

I missed out on the first three months and was kicking myself for it. However, I was able to get on board in April.

I have received three kits now and each time I find myself gaping in awe.

If you are a mixed media artist and elegant, gilded, romantic, vintage, feminine or any word similar to these is a near reflection of your style, this is truly a kit club for you.

(I know it is for me!)

When a new kit is sent out a news letter goes out as well, full of updates and lovely sentiments from Debbie and Shea. The Society also has a Flickr group where we can share our creations and soak up inspiration from each other and a private blog which features tutorials.

I have had the honor of being asked to join the GGSS team as a designer for the Society blog

and I would like to take a moment to say to all of the Gilded Girls who have given me such a warm welcome,

Thank You, Ladies!

I'm really looking forward to creating with you all.

She Dances Amongst the Stars

2011-06-17T20:24:00.001-05:00

Well over a year ago I purchased a vintage book titled Russian School of Ballet from Wanda.

I knew immediately what I wanted to do with it.

Create my own book of ballet within its covers.

I soon began collecting bits of this and that to use, but I was never really inspired to start it.

That is until I received that first Stash Society kit.

My box of stars completely inspired this first spread...

She Dances Amongst the Stars

I started with a background of midnight velvet... wet, crushed and air dried.

Everything, other than the velvet and embroidery floss, is from the kit.

I trimmed the tulle from around the embroidered applique and hand stitched it on.

Then stitched the silver lace across the bottom.

The lettering started off... well, shall we say rough.

But after changing the embroidery floss from a metallic DMC Light Effects to rayon, things became much smoother.... literally.

The ballerina was created out of the decorative paper, pleated ribbon, rhinestone chain, a bit of the applique and tulle cut from the selvedge of the sequin material, all from the kit.

Once she was glued onto the velvet I sewed on the rhinestones.

And she began her Dance Amongst the Stars.

Gilded Again

2011-06-13T21:59:00.001-05:00

A couple of weekends ago I had the utmost pleasure of attending the final Gilded Life event here in Dallas.

The first evening we came together for a Pre-Event Social.

Good Tex-Mex, lots of laughing and a name tag contest.

The next morning, bright and early, was a bus trip to Canton.

Fun as always!

On Saturday we gathered in The Church for a full day class, taught by Lesa Dailey.

(my half completed project)

And on Sunday, we created a stunning bracelet taught by Shea.

It was another incredible weekend spent with Gilded Girls, old and new, sharing beauty, friendship and talent.

(gorgeous necklace created by Charlotte Perez)

This Summer....

2011-06-08T15:23:00.000-05:00

I will

spend more time relaxing

read at least ten books

finish at least three WIPS

nap weekly

complete one art journal cover to cover

catch up on both my 365 projects

bake pies and cobblers

clean out and organize all the kitchen cupboards

stitch a sampler

make a quilt

What will you do this summer?

Have You Heard???

2011-05-31T11:07:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year again.

Party Time!

Will you be joining?

I will!

See you at the end of June.

The Process

2011-05-25T16:24:00.000-05:00

For at least two weeks

it has gone something like this...

trace and pin

stitch, stitch, stitch

rip, rip, rip

stitch, stitch, stitch

rip, rip, rip

growl

trace and pin

stitch, stitch, stitch

rip, rip, rip

stitch, stitch, stitch

rip, rip, rip

growl

and on and on and on....

tangles, re-threading, crooked lettering

I can win this.

I am more cunning than embroidery floss.

I just hope the velvet doesn't fall apart first.

Inspiration To Creation

2011-05-23T19:13:00.000-05:00

Colors.

When I look at something, I usually see the colors of it first.

Inspiration

Source: lovelyclusters.blogspot.com via Alisa on Pinterest

to Creation.

*********
Inspiration

Source: rachelwhiting.co.uk via Alisa on Pinterest

to Creation

*********

Inspiration

Source: greylikesweddings.com via Alisa on Pinterest

to Creation

*********

Oh, how I love these colors.

More Catalog Inspiration

2011-05-14T16:55:00.000-05:00

As I was flipping through Pottery Barn's April catalog, I came to a screeching halt when I saw this photo.

The table was not what caught my eye... sorry Pottery Barn.

It was the books. Specifically the stamped numbers on them.

I have lots of old books scattered around my home and I also have book innards (as I like to call them) lying about too.

When I make journals I use unloved library books, purchased from the library. I gut them and use the covers/spine as a base for the journals. So I have a lot of book innards.

Just what I needed for this project.

Because my books were too bright I made a tea bath for them and I'm a messy crafter so I did this outside.

And I remembered how hot the bath was when I went to push the book down with my finger.

Of course, I didn't bring out any type of utensil for pushing/flipping the books.

And just so you know, in case you too want to do this, a stick tends to get mushy and quite worthless as a pushing/flipping utensil. Best to remember to bring out some tongs with you.

Once the books were the color I wanted, I laid them out to dry.

A heat gun helps speed this process up.

Now for the fun part. The part that this project was all about.

I simply used some number stamps (foam worked best here, because I was able to conform the stamp to the tea warped spine) and Tim Holtz Distress Ink.

Distress Ink is totally the best.

In my humble opinion.

Once the ink was dry (in no time at all) I was able to get to work creating new and pretty vignettes around the house.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

A quick and fun project.

Thank you, Pottery Barn, for the inspiration.

I. AM. GIDDY.

2011-05-11T12:30:00.000-05:00

Giddy, I tell you!

I have a very basic sewing machine.

A very basic sewing machine that I can no longer find the manual for.

For a long time now I have wanted to try my hand at free motion stitching.

It was one of those things that I wanted to try, but instead of doing it I popped it into the

"will try someday" bin

for reasons that really didn't need to be reasons like,

I need to get a free motion foot

and

I need to figure out how to drop those blasted dog feeds.

(can you tell how excited I am....that was a ridiculously long sentence)

So after a lot of tinkering and looking I finally got on line to see if I could find out how to drop the feeds.

Nope. Nothing.

Nada for my machine.

So I'm going to assume that they can't be dropped.

But that's okay, because I read that you can remove them or, even easier, just cover them.

Then it got better and I read that if I just set my length at 0 I'm good to go.

So I did.

(ignoring the foot issue entirely)

And afterwards the dog cocked her head at me trying to figure out if my squeals meant I was hurt or just a lunatic.

(she finally decided they were my normal lunatic squeals and went back to sleep)

Not perfect, but not too shabby for a first time either.

So now with two deadlines looming,

I have one more thing to distract me.

Have a beautiful Wednesday!

On My Work Table

2011-05-06T14:23:00.000-05:00

Today, on my work table...

Have a beautiful weekend!

The Catalog

2011-05-04T17:59:00.000-05:00

Just before we left for The Island, I received this Anthro catalog in the mail.

It was full of island-y-ness.

I knew I wanted to bring an art journal with me and after looking through this I thought it would work perfect as a base for a journal.

Along with the catalog, I packed two small bottles of paint and a bottle of gesso, some embroidery floss and a needle, a glue stick, a small pad of scrapbook paper, small scissors, a fine tipped Sharpie and a handful of Copics.

I had everything I needed supply-wise.

And between the catalog and The Island itself,

I had plenty of beautiful inspiration.

I've worked in it a little bit since the trip,

but I think I'm going to set it aside until summer when I'm feeling all island-y again.

Today

2011-05-02T12:17:00.000-05:00

I should be cleaning house,

tackling the mountain of laundry

and figuring out what to feed the hoards this week.

But this is all I really want to do

on this cold, dark stormy day.

Have a beautiful Monday.

Camping Vs. Glamping

2011-04-27T22:07:00.000-05:00

Some like to camp.

Others like to glamp.

Some prefer to prepare their meals in the dirt.

Others prefer to prepare their meals on a well stocked camp kitchen.

Some like to eat their freeze dried camp food out of a bag, on their lap.

Others like to eat their cast iron skillet, camp fire cooked food on pretty enamel camp dishes, at a table.

Some prefer regular ol' roasted marshmallows.

Others prefer a perfectly roasted strawberry marshmallow nestled within the center of a brownie.

Some like to sleep on the ground in a wadded up sleeping bag.

Others like sleeping in comfort.

Both prefer to bring at least one of their pets along

and take lots of pictures.

And everybody likes having a great time.

Can you guess which I prefer?

Camping or Glamping

Coincidence???

2011-04-25T20:01:00.000-05:00

This is what was sitting at home on my work table, half finished....

... when I opened my fortune cookie on Friday.

Hmmm.... What do you think?

The Kerchief

2011-04-22T10:20:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had a million and one things that had to get done, pronto.

So I ignored my list of must do's

and made kerchiefs instead.

Why?

I don't really know.

I dug through my huge stash of hankies.

Pulled a few out and some good, heavy vintage ribbon.

Ironed the hankies.

Pinned on the ribbon.

Used a pretty decorative stitch with my sewing machine

and voila.

Someone else got a pretty, little kerchief too.

I'm thinking about stitching her name on it,

but I'll probably wait to do that when I have another humongous list of to do's in front of me.

Cuz that's just the way I roll.

Have a beautiful weekend!

Blooming Stars

2011-04-20T15:00:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday I heard the delivery man leave a package at the front door.

I, however, did not deem it necessary to actually get up from my comfy chair, as I was quite sure the package only contained car parts for a certain Farmboy.

And those boxes are always so blasted heavy, so I decided to let it stay there for awhile.

Egads!

Little did I know!!!

Once I had to get up, I figured I'd go ahead and lug that box inside.

I stepped out onto the porch and thought how nice that the box wasn't 4 ft. x 4 ft.

As I was lifting with my legs, I was surprised that it didn't weigh a ton and that's when I saw it...

The label!

It was for ME and it was from THEM!

Them... the Gilded Girls!!!

It was my first Gilded Girls Stash Society box!

(I was kicking myself for letting it sit there on the porch for over an hour)

I slowly opened the box, letting the anticipation build.

A small sigh escaped my lips as I pulled the packing out.

It was like looking into a box full of glittering stars.

This little, poem wall hanging is my first creation from my box of stars.

I really liked how Debbie and Shea used handmade tags and an antique spool to wind the trims on,

and I thought they would be perfect as the base for a wall hanging.

In fact, in the piece, I also used the seambinding and the silver floss that was used to tie up this and that from the kit.

The only two extras I used from my stash were the cream cardstock, that I wrote the poem on, and the Osenberg fabric

(which, it would seem, I cannot create anything without)

Ahh, I do so love a GOOD supply kit.

Three and a Half Months

2011-04-18T22:00:00.000-05:00

It's now been 3 1/2 months since I began the act of wrecking.

This is what has occurred since the last time this poor little journal made an appearance here.

It has been sent USPS from the Virgin Islands to Texas.

It has had the edges doodled upon.

It has become a poetry note pad.

It has had fat and thin lines drawn in it and an entire page colored.

It has been used as a flower press.

It's been ripped up and glued together.

It has had pages torn out, crumpled up and turned into airplanes.

It has had one word written in it repeatedly.

It is continuing to gather fruit stickers.

And now postage stamps.

It has had a secret message hidden in it.

It has the beginnings of a four-letter-word word list in it.

It has been used as a knee pad while gardening and a pillow on the beach.

It has also been used,

unsuccessfully

(though not for a lack of trying and there was a weary arm to prove it),

to knock coconuts out of a tree.

Where Inspiration Abounds

2011-04-11T15:27:00.000-05:00

If you do not already know of it,

which I'm sure most of you do,

you should go right now and check out

Pinterest.

(actually you can finish reading this and then go check it out)

I've been pinning for a week and a half.

And I can't stop.

Just a few short weeks ago BP

(before pinning)

I would find myself most nights, about 30 minutes before getting into bed,

on Facebook battling it out on Tetris.

I found it a great way to slow my brain down and veg after a full day of doing.

Alas, I may never reach level 19 now that I have crossed over into AP

(after pinning)

I go to bed now with a mind full of beautiful, inspiring images whirling about.

(which makes for pretty dreams)

Here are my boards. I have a total of 20 already.

Garland Love, Out for a Sunday Ride, Inspires Me, Words,

Mmmm, My Style, Handmade Pretties, Dance Me to the Moon,

Pretty, Pretty Princess, Kiss, Sigh, Daydreams,

Oh the Places I Will Go, Alfresco Please, You Can Find Me Here, I Heart Carousels,

Tea Party, Garden Delights, Home Sweet Home, Enchanted Forest

If you're already on, let me know so I can follow your boards and if you aren't and want to be shoot me your email and I'll send you an invite.

Oh Pinterest, how I love your loveliness.

(all photos/credits via AlisaN on Pinterest)

Because Even Tough Girls Bake

2011-04-06T10:50:00.000-05:00

The Graduate has been dating the same girl for over a year now.

We fondly refer to her as

That Girl.

At first we wondered.

But it didn't take long for her to become part of the family.

(I have tucked her safely and snugly under my wing with the boys.)

We wondered because she is the complete opposite from The Graduate's last girlfriend.

You see, That Girl is a rough and tumble tomboy.

She plays soccer (one of the best on her team), she plays shoot'm up video games (she shoots better than my boys), she's the first to jump head first into a stupid teenage prank (thankfully The Graduate is level headed.)

That Girl is going into the Marines at the end of summer.

Even though I think she is much better suited to teach music to children with special needs.

See, she may be a rough and tumble tomboy, but she has a very soft side to her too.

Next to those children, part of that soft side includes baking and sharing.

That Girl's birthday was last August.

And I, being the Ambassador of the Perpetually Late, was nearly 8 months behind in making and giving her her birthday gift.

Fitting, don't you think?

(That's me, by the way, not her. And though I'm not a tough girl by any means, feisty and bull headed at times maybe but not tough, those are my cute camo kicks.)

Along with the apron, I decided she needed a tough cupcake recipe book too.

Quite honestly though, I hope I don't receive any wasabi cupcakes any time soon.

A big {belated} Happy Birthday to That Girl.

p.s.

One should really remember to check her ISO settings before shooting a gazillion photos.

I apologize for any graininess that my cause you to go cross-eyed.

About That Timeout...

2011-04-04T16:04:00.000-05:00

...it wasn't planned, but I'm sure glad it happened.

Let me tell you a little story.

{Part I}
If you read Rebecca Sower, then you know she likes to unplug periodically.
I used to wonder what the heck did she do during her unplugged times?
And then I realized, oh she's actually living life during those times!

Me, well I would have an utter conniption fit if the power should go out and I had NO internet service.
And then one Sunday (not too long ago) I was at home all day long doing regular ol' at home stuff all day long and at the end of the day I realized I had not touched my laptop at all.
Not one single time.
And the world had not stopped spinning.
And I was still breathing.
And I was still functioning like I always have.
And I liked it!

So, I did it again the next Sunday.
And the Sunday after that and the Sunday after that.
And......

Sometime after all that happened I read this post of Christen's.
A year or two ago, I decided it was okay if I missed a day or two of posting here on my blog, but if I missed a whole week I felt guilty.
Christen's post reminded me that that's just ridiculous.
I mean when you get right down to it, it really is!

{Part II}
The second week of March we flew down to the island.
I packed my laptop and my camera and all the accompanying cables, because I had full intentions of taking photos and blogging while there (for 11 days).

On a side note, do you have any idea how heavy a tote can become when toting a laptop, camera and all the accompanying cables plus three books, two magazines, two art journals, a pencil bag full of markers and paint, stitching stuff, your wallet, phone and favorite trail mix?
Let me just tell you it is HEAVY.
And it gets even heavier when a Farmboy looks at you and tells you that no he won't carry it for you, you packed it you carry it; without even once blinking those pretty green eyes at you.

I lugged all that techno stuff down there (and back) and I took three photos with my big camera and check my email one time.
Why?
Because this is what I did.

I did this in a lounge chair, in a hammock, on the beach and right there in that bed when it was raining or during the heat of the day.

When I wasn't doing this, I was working in an art journal like my life depended on it.

I liked it.

It was awesome.

When we got back home I was still kind of in that mind set (or maybe I just didn't have anything to say).

Either way, I unplugged, stayed unplugged and didn't feel any guilt about it.

And now I feel rejuvenated and am so happy to be back.

Talk to you soon!

I Called a Time Out

2011-03-31T08:03:00.000-06:00

to rest, to relax, to sleep, to sit, to read, to breathe, to be

1. Day 21: How far would you go to read a book?, 2. Sitting Quietly, 3. CLX0908Elyse50-de, 4. sigh

I think I'll be back very soon though.

Meet Elsita

2011-03-09T10:04:00.000-06:00

I recently came across an artist named

Elsa Mora

aka

Elsita

One word...

AMAZING!

I first found her here.

(there are several other places she can be found, which I will link at the bottom of this post)

I was thinking maybe I should try my hand at paper cutting.

However on second thought,

after 14 years of working as a Pre-K teacher

I'm pretty sure the majority of my patience

was sucked dry by all of those Littles.

They can do that, you know.

So I think I will just admire Elsita's work instead.

Here are some other places she can be found.

main blog

Elsa Mora's Blog

doll blog

Dolls Have Feelings too

style blog

The Hidden Seed

(I oh so totally love her style!)

miniature books blog

Miniature Artist Books

and

her shop

Elsita

I hope you find as much enjoyment from her and her work as I do!

(all photos shown here are property of Elsa Mora)

She's Back Again

2011-03-07T12:23:00.000-06:00

and with her comes a sigh of relief.

My naughty little muse is whom I speak of.

She did the same thing around this time last year.

Only this year, she wasn't gone for just a couple of weeks. She took off for an entire month.

She and I rocked January.

It was non-stop creating... mainly in art journals.

It was so nice.

And then when February rolled in, she was off like a flash.

Not hide nor hair to be found.

But it's all good... I understand.

The well is full now and our hands are messy again.

Have a beautiful Monday.

The Post With Many Titles

2011-03-02T14:13:00.000-06:00

Such as...

You Vs. Me

How a Post Came to Be

Down, Down, Down

Down the rabbit hole.

That's where February went

and I can vaguely remember it.

But went it did.

Down, down, down

tumbling head over heels

spinning out of control

and then it was gone.

March feels like it is starting off this same way

and I am desperately clutching hold of it.

It needs to slow down.

I need to go with it.

But at a normal pace.

I need to be present and live it.

I need to be able to remember it when its gone.

This is how I have felt all morning.

Maybe it's because my head hurts.

Regardless of the reason, I decided I needed to pull out of this spinning hole

so I went for a walk.

It didn't go quite as planned.

Before I knew it I was writing a blog post in my head.

It wasn't good. It wasn't happy. I said the "F" word.

It was full of other people's gremlins.

(here's a title: You Can Take Your Gremlins and Shove Them)

As the post spewed forth in my brain

(and yes, it was most definitely spewing)

I realized I was creating an art journal page in there too.

It was like watching a vimeo.

I saw my hands creating it piece by piece, element by element.

It was intriguing.

When the post/rant came to an end, I started to feel better.

It helped that every person I passed on the trail smiled or had a friendly word for me.

On the way back home I almost let the gremlins back in.

But they are a waste of my time.

I am who I am.

I am authentically me.

I live an authentic life.

My home and my blog are authentic.

I am who I am and I like it that way.

How about...

I Win, You Lose

I Thought I Didn't Have Anything to Say, But It Turns Out I Did

Baking: It Does the Memory Good

2011-02-28T09:24:00.000-06:00

One day last week, I mentioned that I wanted to bake a Pandowdy.

At the mention of a pandowdy,

the MIL broke out into song...

"...apple pandowdy makes your eyes light up, and your tummy say howdy."

Pandowdy brought back memories.

Memories the MIL hadn't thought of in years.

Memories of her aunt dancing around the house with her and the other children

singing...

"...apple pandowdy makes your eyes light up, and your tummy say howdy."

*********

Apple and Rhubarb Pandowdy

from Rustic Fruit Desserts.

Baking time: 45 to 50 minutes

Serves 8 to 10

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature, for pan

1/4 recipe (1 disk) All-Butter Pie Pastry

3 to 4 tart apples, peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced 1/2 inch thick (1 pound prepped)

1 3/4 pounds rhubarb, trimmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick (5 cups or 1 1/4 pounds prepped)

Zest and juice of 1 large lemon

3/4 cup packed (5 3/4 ounces) brown sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, for serving (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Butter a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan or cast-iron skillet or a 9-inch square baking pan.

Toss the apples, rhubarb, lemon zest, and lemon juice together in a large bowl. Separately, rub together the brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt, then add to the fruit mixture and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan.

Roll out the pie pastry to roughly the size of the pan. Top the apples and rhubarb with the pastry, tucking in any excess pastry between the fruit and the side of the pan. This is a rustic dessert, so there is no need to spend any extra time making it look fancy; the beauty lies in its rough look. Cut a few steam vents in the crust, then place the pandowdy on a baking sheet to collect any drips. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350°F and bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the fruit is bubbling around the edges or through the steam vents.

Cool the pandowdy for 1 hour before serving, topped with a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

Storage: Covered with a tea towel, the pandowdy will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.

*********

"I never get enough of that wonderful stuff!"

Color Inspiration

2011-02-25T12:25:00.001-06:00

It's been a crazy week around here

and I could really use a bit of

freshness.

via

Shades of Aqua and Yellow

Have a beautiful weekend.

New Growth

2011-02-23T11:40:00.000-06:00

Saturday we spent the whole day in the front garden.

Winter clean up.

And clean up we did.

Thirty-eight large lawn bags were filled to the brim with leaves.

That's a lot of leaves.

While the boys worked on the leaves and trimmed trees, I cleaned out beds.

Last spring I dug up all the front beds and re-planned and re-planted.

By the fall I had thought that the summer heat had "done in" all of my hard work.

However, on Saturday the boys had the pleasure of hearing me squeal in delight a total of 9 times.

Which was each time I found a budding Hydrangea or Daylily.

Everything else I had planted was D.E.D... dead.

They were all perennial hybrid plants of one kind or another.

Now I know and this year I will stick to good ol' regular plants.

While out there I got to thinking about new growth and how there has been quite a bit of new growth inside the house as well.

The Teenager and The Drill Sergeant.

were fighting for the crown.

Oh wait... that was the Lion and the Unicorn.

The other day I quoted my father.

I could do that again today, because there has been

change, adaption and mutation

around here.

And along with those three verbs

we have now also experienced

new growth.

Within us both.

The Teenager and The Drill Sergeant.

And as Martha would say,

That is a good thing.

50/365

2011-02-21T11:30:00.001-06:00

My life

in 50 photos.

Despite the drama, cancer, surgeries, ADHD and drill sergeant attitudes,

I think it is

a beautiful place to be.

The One Where She Admits She Has A Problem

2011-02-18T11:02:00.000-06:00

Hello, my name is Alisa

and I have a magazine addiction.

There I said it.

But in my defense, I have gotten a whole lot better in the past year.

I took some organizational action this week

and purged magazines.

This was only half of them.

I'm not exaggerating.

It truly is only half.

There is a stack of Farmboy mags in there too,

however, the 500 dollar stack of Stampington & Company magazines is mine.

Yes, you read that right.

And I now feel better for admitting it.

After taking two loads down to the library for donation,

this is what is left.

Not too shabby, thinks I.

I do also have a stack of Cooking Light magazines not shown,

but I'm not keeping those.

I plan on going through them and writing down the recipes I tried,

that the boys really liked.

(that's a future post waiting to happen)

Wishing you all a very beautiful weekend!

Lots of yard work planned for ours.

*********

Post inspired by Organizing My Life

Do You Know Robin?

2011-02-16T10:56:00.000-06:00

Robin Thomas

from A Nest with a View.

If you do, then you'll understand.

If you don't, then you should go visit so that you do understand.

Robin is an amazing woman.

She has that straight faced, dry wit that I love.

The {best} kind that doesn't make me laugh...

it makes me snort.

She is talented with not just fabric and thead,

but yarn and needles as well.

She is incredibly gifted with words.

Oh how I wish I was able to express myself as she can.

{because quite frankly the chimpanzee faces I make when crazy happy and the guttural caveman noise that I have a tendency to emit when angry, don't always get my point across}

And on top of all of that,

she puts together fantastic giveaway packages

for milestone post celebrations.

Thank you, Robin!

*making chimp faces at you*

Another Change of Plans

2011-02-14T10:18:00.000-06:00

"Change, adapt, mutate or die."

~my father

I like a plan.

I like a schedule.

I like consistency.

I'm slowly getting over that.

I'm learning to adapt to the happenings around me.

(with out freaking out)

I think I'm starting to enjoy it.

(kinda)

My parents have flown in from their island.

There wasn't a complete plan, when planned.

Now there is.

Today my mom is getting a new hip.

So any plans for today have now changed.

And I'm okay with it.

More than likely I'll get back on schedule later in the week.

(ie: blog posts and 365 photos)

Have a beautiful Valentine's Day.

Kelly Rae Inspired

2011-02-10T12:52:00.000-06:00

I had a whole 'nother post intended for...

well...

yesterday.

But it didn't happen.

So it was going to happen today.

But now it's not.

Because I listened to this podcast this morning

and really enjoyed it.

Now I may turn a blind eye to the laundry room and the mountain of magazines,

sitting oh so patiently on my kitchen table,

waiting to be purged.

Instead I may just pull out my paints.

The sun is shining and the boys don't really care whether or not they have clean underwear

or have to eat dinner on the couch instead of at the table.

Have a beautiful and inspiring day!

Spiced Sugar Pecans

2011-02-07T21:59:00.000-06:00

This little, yummy treat is one of my family's favorites.

They are great.

I make them for holidays, dinner parties and picnics too.

And the best part is they are super easy and quick to make.

Preheat oven to 250*.

In a large bowl whisk 1 egg white and 1/2 tsp. salt together until frothy.

In a second, small bowl mix 1C. sugar and 1 1/2 tsp.cinnamon together.

Pour 4C. pecan halves into the egg white mixture and stir until all are coated.

Pour the sugar mixture over the pecans and stir well.

Grease 2 cookie sheets and place flat side of nuts down.

(I don't do this. I simply spray one cookie sheet with cooking spray and then dump the nut onto it spreading them out across the pan.)

Bake for 15 minutes.

Turn off heat and leave in oven for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let stand for 1 min.

Loosen with a spatula and separate once cool.

(If I don't stand over them once they come out of the oven, they start getting eaten right away. A good quality spatula is handy for swatting grubby boy hands out of the pecans so that there are some left to serve to guests or pack into your picnic basket or pack into goody bags, etc.)

These are really good as an appetizer

{served with cheese and pepperoni or sausage}

or served with dessert

{on top of ice cream, with apple slices or even by themselves with coffee}

Enjoy!

Spontaneous Hearts

2011-02-04T22:56:00.000-06:00

The Farmboy says I'm not spontaneous like I used to be.

He might be right.

Around midnight last night I woke up and noticed it had begun to snow.

My exclamation of "OH!" woke the Farmboy.

We both ended up with our noses pressed to the window watching the big, white flakes come down.

It was very nice to see after three days of hard, cold ice everywhere.

When we woke up this morning it was still snowing and everything was blanketed in soft, fluffy white.

The Farmboy doesn't think I'm spontaneous anymore.

But he might be wrong.

Because I spontaneously decided we needed to have a family photo shoot today in the snow.

Then I decided it needed to be a Valentine photo shoot.

And you can't have a Valentine photo shoot without hearts.

So I quickly whipped some up.

And now that they are done being used as props,

they are hanging in the dining room windows.

Where they used to hang...

when they were curtains.

I hope you have a beautiful {and warm} weekend!

Shop Update

2011-02-02T11:50:00.000-06:00

*SALE*

I've marked all that's left from the

Autumn Collection

down 25% off,

while I prepare for the

Spring Collection.

A Month of Wrecking

2011-01-31T16:18:00.000-06:00

In one month it has

been used as a notepad and a cutting mat

had owner information entered into it in everyway imaginable

had pages numbered
had the spine cracked

had holes poked into it with a pencil

been scribbled in with wild, violent, reckless abandon

had dinner documented in it (perfect, simple chili, cornbread and butter)

collected fruit stickers

taken a shower with me

been used to test markers, paint, pens and colored pencils

had a countless number of grocery lists written in it

had purse items traced onto it

had a sudden, destructive, unpredictable movement made with it

cleaned up a mess

been infused with a smell of my choosing (rose perfume)

been left in a public place to be drawn in

been vented in while angry (very angry)

I am losing my inhibitions it seems.

January Actions

2011-01-29T17:45:00.000-06:00

I thought I would share how my relationship with my one little word is coming about so far.

My word for this year is Action.

And so far, I feel we have warmed up to each other quite nicely.

I have started exercising again.

(P90X{again}heaven help me)

I got a "hotspot" organized.

(yes just one, but balance and I became good friends last year, so it's all good)

I've been a killer cook in the kitchen lately.

(not that I've actually killed anyone with my cooking. what I mean is, it's been damn yummy and a lot of it to boot. we've cut way back on the eating out this month)

I've been making new plans for the back garden.

(and if I keep up this good cooking, I just might get some help out there this year)

I've been up to my elbows in paint and glue working in my art journals.

(the reason this post is happening today and not yesterday. I just couldn't seem to stop creating and close those journals)

I've been on top of this 365 photography project.

(for the most part anyway. but to be honest, it's been tough at times)

And last but not least, I have some projects coming along for a publication.

So tell me, how are you and your word getting along?

A Lasagna Story

2011-01-26T10:17:00.000-06:00

Way back in 1995,

when I was a young wife and mother,

I barely knew my way around a kitchen.

In fact, I didn't even own a cookbook at that time.

My two year old was an extremely picky eater, so we ate very basic, very bland, very boring food.

In January of that year, when my baby brother's

(one of my most favorite people in the whole, wide world and I would do absolutely anything for)

birthday was just around the corner, I told him I would make him a birthday dinner.

He asked for lasagna.

"That should be easy enough," I thought. "Noodles, meat, sauce, cheese."

Then he asked for a vegetarian lasagna.

"Even easier!" was my next thought.

I made him a piping hot lasagna and a humongous cake (from a box) in the shape of a fish.

(the fish... that's a whole 'nother story)

Feel free to laugh at this next part, because it cracks us up.

As I proudly serve him his birthday lasagna,

he looks at me and grins,

"Do you think you may have forgotten something, Alisa?"

"You said you didn't want meat in it," I reply.

"Yes, but this is just noodles and cheese."

"Yes."

"Oh."

"OOOOHHH!"

I had baked him lasagna noodles with cheddar cheese on them.

I won't lie.

Not my sharpest moment.

Fast forward 16 years.

I now know my way around my kitchen.

I also own a cupboard full of cookbooks of all kinds.

January and my baby brother's birthday rolls around again.

I text him, "Give me another shot at a birthday lasagna."

"LOL... Okay, but this time I want meat in it and a red velvet cake."

"Done."

Both were a HUGE success!

Not a bite of lasagna was left in the pan.

And the cake was gone almost as fast too.

Happy Birthday, Little Bubba.

I love you.

(both recipes came from The Pioneer Woman Cooks)

Kisses & Hugs

2011-01-24T09:40:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday!

I hope you had a nice weekend.

Mine was full of cooking and art.

It was good.

Last time, I shared the Valentine Tag Swap I took part in and today I have the second swap.

Kandeland's Valentine Ornament Swap

I wanted this ornament to be simple and elegant, so here is what I came up with.

osnaburg fabric and white lace

vintage millinery and a bit of pink velvet

and a message

kisses & hugs

Until next time....

A Little Sample of Love

2011-01-20T08:49:00.001-06:00

Back in November I told myself I was going to take a break from swaps.

No more joining any swaps for awhile...

maybe even for the whole year of 2011.

So what did I do?

You got it...

I didn't even hesitate and signed up for,

not one swap,

but two swaps

before 2011 even started.

Today I'll share the first one.

Kandeland's Valentine Tag Swap.

I had been wanting to do an all fabric and stitched tag for awhile

and even considered holding a fabric tag swap last year, but couldn't find the time to.

And I thought a little "love" sampler would make a cute tag.

On the back I made a little lace pocket to slip my card into, since it would have taken forever to have hand stitched all of my info.

I love, love, love the fabric I used for the back!

So much so, I considered making a skirt with it, but the Farmboy thought it would be way too over the top. So much for that idea.

So maybe instead, I'll just pin a big swatch to the wall so I can gaze at it whenever I like.

I'm really pleased with how they turned out.

Have a beautiful Thursday!

PS. I'm a little slow to the punch and just yesterday realized Blogger had an updated editor.

So what do you think of my new look?

I Am Learning

2011-01-17T12:19:00.005-06:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of getting together with a few of the Lovelies in my local Soul Restoration group.

The day was rainy and yucky and I got ridiculously lost.
However once I found my way, the day became warm and friendly and quite comfortable.

It was full of good food, good creating and good conversation.

Yesterday I learned that I am not alone.
Others have the same fears and hesitations as I do.
It's nice to not be alone.

Have a beautiful Monday.

Week 1 ~ The Sideboard Reorg

2011-01-14T10:24:00.007-06:00

Beware:
Dirty Pictures Ahead

Well, I did it.
I wasn't just all talk.
Granted, it was just a small job, but I'm a believer in "baby steps".

This week I cleaned out my sideboard.

Before:

I had reached a point where I had just started cramming things into here.
I had the china up in a cupboard in the kitchen, which really made no sense considering the whole reason I bought the sideboard was to hold china and such.
The drawers were crammed full of linens and I had two more stacks tucked away in the laundry room.

During:

I pulled everything out and purged, getting rid of a lot. Including half of all my linens.
Washed the piece of furniture squeaky clean (tightened knobs after the photo)and then started moving stuff back in.
(someone has a bird fetish in this house)

After:

One side now holds serving pieces that don't get used every day and the other side holds china, Fostoria and glasses that also are not used every day.
I still have a few more place settings of china that need to go in and at Thanksgiving I found a box of crystal that evidently my parents gave me when they moved. I didn't even realize I had it. So once those items all get unpacked they will go straight into the sideboard.
On my weekend agenda, is to go to The Container Store and get containers that fit into the cubbies to make it easier to fetch stuff out of them.

The only thing that I pulled out that I haven't found a home for yet is a stack of aprons. But I'll find a place for them.

Have a beautiful weekend!

*********

Post inspired by:

Gitter Done!

and

Organizing My Life...

Soul Restoration

2011-01-12T13:05:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was the day.
The day Soul Restoration began.

Last night the Farmboy asked me why I was taking this class.
He told me he thought my soul was in good condition and that I was very brave already.

In my forty years, I've restored my soul twice.
I won't lie, it was hard work and it took me awhile to do it both times.
But do it, I did.

The last restoration my soul had was about 10 years ago and I had a little (or a lot) of Farmboy help with it.
We helped each other to heal in fact.

So when he said that, I couldn't really deny it. He was right for the most part.

I told him I thought I needed some direction. And then when I went on to explain what I meant, I got kind of tongue tide and did a pretty lousy job of explaining.

I'm not that strong of a "worder" you see and it takes me awhile to translate my feelings into words.

But I've got a grasp on it now.

I'm taking it, not for a full "soul house renovation", but because I think my soul house could use, in addition to a new paint job and maybe some fresh curtains, a new addition.

A whole new second level in fact. I'm just not quite sure yet how to go about building it. And also, I'm pretty sure it's going to take a little more bravery than what I already have unbottled.

So that, my dear Farmboy, is why I'm taking it.
(If you would like to be my equipment manager and hold my nails for me, I'll let you.)

Organization

2011-01-10T09:42:00.006-06:00

It never fails, at the beginning of a new year, that I make a decision to get organized.
I'm sure it is like that for a lot of you, as well.

I usually start off well and always have good intentions.
But I really never get very far.

This year,
the year of Action,
It. Will. Happen.

And to help make that happen, I'm going to follow along with Heather and Marianne.

Heather is totally keeping it real on her blog,
Organizing My Life... One Week at a Time.

And she's already made accomplishments that can be seen.
That's always a big help for me...
if I can see that I'm making headway, then I'm more likely to continue forward.

Marianne of Songbird is on a roll too with her Gitter Done challenge.

She will be sharing her "gitter done" posts on Fridays.

I think joining these two ladies will help keep me going with this action. However to be quite honest, when I think of posting photos of my "hot spots" I start to twitch.
I was taught not to air my dirty laundry in public, after all.

We'll see if I can overcome the twitches.
Have a beautiful Monday!

365

2011-01-07T12:13:00.005-06:00

Today I was going to share with you my Project 365.
However as of yesterday evening, I now get to share with you my two Project 365s.

A few days before the New Year I decided, on a whim, to try my hand at capturing a photo a day, starting on the first and following through to the last day of 2011.

Now keep in mind that I'm that person that has five hundred and sixty-seven gazillion have finished projects lying around and double that many half filled art journals.

(seriously, I could not man up {or lady up in this instance} and tell you that it's not my fault. the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. but I won't say that or climb up any family trees here. I know, it is my fault.)

What I will tell you is this,
I thought this would be a breeze.
"I pretty much take at least one photo a day as is," I thought to myself.

HA!

But I'm not giving up so soon. I can do this!
(At least I know that I can for 7 days.)

I've put a link on my side bar over there -->. It shows the picture of the day and links to my 365 set on Flickr.

Now for my second Project 365.

Yesterday evening I met up with an old friend whom I had not had the pleasure of seeing in quite a few years.
Just getting to see her again was fabulous enough, and then she gifted me with the book Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy.

I am so super excited about this book!
And the best part of this 365 is that she picked one up for herself and we are both going to keep each other on track with it. Which means I'll get to see my dear friend at least once every month!

So there you have it.
365 days of action in the works.

What about you? Are you trying your hand at any year long projects?
I'd love to hear about them if you are.

From Sampler to Pillow

2011-01-05T08:46:00.006-06:00

Remember this from last September?

Well, I finally finished it.
Completely that is.

The sampler has actually been finished for months now.

And while I was stitching it, I decided what I would do with it.

A pillow.

I thought a pillow would be the perfect something to turn it into.
A pillow for a certain somebodies.
Who happen to live on a certain beach.
Of a certain island.

Certainly the best function and place for it.

PS. This is the first pillow I've ever made. It's really not much different than making a sachet... which I've made lots of.

PPS. Note to self: use smaller piping next time... sheesh!

Hello 2011!

2011-01-03T10:59:00.006-06:00

I am ready for you.

Last year was all about balance for me.
Over all it was a good year and I managed to find my balance.
The best part was learning to keep my balance.

This year it's all about action.

At first I thought this word was only going to cover one aspect of my life.
But I quickly realized that that wasn't the case.
This exciting word, action, is probably going to be finding it's way into a lot of places around here.

I was really apprehensive about it at first,
but now I'm just excited!

What's your word for the year?

Good Morning!

2010-12-27T08:51:00.004-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and thank you for sending Christmas wishes my way.

To be quite honest Christmas was just not Christmas for me this year.
But despite the odd lack of Christmas Spirit leading up to it, it really was wonderful.
My BIL & SIL have been spending a lot of time at our house and it's been very nice.

And even though it holds a bit of anxiety for me, I'm ready for the new year to roll in.

This is one reason why.

I'm super excited to see the end result of this journal.
I've read through the thing 3 times already from cover to cover. And just reading some of the instructions have been difficult for my personality to think about doing.

I've already gone WAY out of my comfort zone with this one and licked a page with candy on my tongue. (Still gives me the willies just thinking about it... blech.)
I'm ready to take on the challenge though.

Oh and totally cool- the Farmboy and my niece have both voiced an interest in having their own Wreck This Journal too!
Awesome.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T11:29:00.002-06:00

Wishing you a picture perfect Christmas!

From my family to yours.

Wrapping Things Up

2010-12-22T10:20:00.004-06:00

I wish I could say I have everything ready and wrapped up for Christmas, but alas, I don't.
And I'm trying to make myself not stress about it all.
Mind you, that's a whole lot easier said than done.

I do have most of the presents wrapped.
And I made this part of the "getting ready" fairly easy on myself.
Simple brown paper packages wrapped up with yarn and pompoms.
The name tags are even simpler-
shipping tags with a stamped initial.

Now if I can just finish up those last minute handmade gifts...

Are you ready?

It Smells Like Glue

2010-12-20T10:22:00.006-06:00

Saturday was my birthday.

I did something I haven't done in several years.

I asked for a cake.
Specifically, I asked for this cake.
Plus the frosting.

So the Farmboy, being the most wonderful Farmboy in the world, set out to make it for me.

I was quite impressed seeing how he has made maybe a total of 5 cakes in his lifetime.
And none of them from scratch mind you.

When he got to the second half of making the frosting I hear him say,

"This just smells like glue."

Hmmm.... smells like glue.
Gives one pause, those words.
Wouldn't you agree?

Glue, however, was the farthest thing this cake (and frosting) tasted like.
I can now see, or taste, why this is her "go to" cake.
O.M.G.
That is good cake.

Tangled and Tied

2010-12-17T10:10:00.005-06:00

What a week.

I didn't mean to be gone all week.
I did mean to visit everyone,
but haven't been able to.

This photo of the Beast sums up our week.

And the short story is,
they should really have comfortable chairs in the ICU rooms.

The good news,
things are untangling themselves.

The MIL is coming home today (most likely).
Chemo is being kicked to the curb and a new plan is being put into place.
The house is neat and tidy, because nobody has hardly been home this week.
As of this morning, the Farmboy will have presents under the tree on Christmas morning.
And by the end of the day, everyone will have clean underwear again.

Things are untangling. Life is good.

Have a beautiful weekend!

4 Thru 7, Without 5

2010-12-13T11:06:00.007-06:00

Today I have a December Daily update.

Day 4
(Farmboy photos)

On the 4th, we decorated the tree.

It worked out well that this is what we did on the 4th,
because the page had a pocket and we always take lots of pictures as we put the ornies on the tree.

I put a picture on both sides of one tag and on the other, a picture on one side and journaling on folded cardstock.

Day 5

Day 5 we took family pictures. We took a gazillion family pictures.
And I have yet to go through them all, other than to pick one out to send in Christmas cards. I've decided that I don't want to use that one for day 5 . I'd rather use the misfit pictures on this page.

Day 5 is on temporary hold for now.

Day 6
(Alisa photo {with some Graduate help- pushing the button})

Day 6 was cold, so lots of snuggling was done that day. Super simple. Added my journaling to the photo before printing it.

Day 7
(Alisa photos)

On the 7th I finally got around to decorating the house. I added some hand stitching on felt to this page. I'm not in love with this page, but I found myself spending way too much time on it, so I just let it be.

That's all I have for now.

Have a beautiful Monday!