Blue Bird Art

2011-10-21T17:29:00.004-04:00

hellooooo! is anyone home?

I can just imagine Pooh sticking his head into Rabbit's hole or maybe even Christopher Robin"s front door and asking, "Is anyone home?" GIGGLES

Well, this bloggie cottage has been vacant for awhile. But, I've decided to move back in for a short stay and share a few photos and an update. Facebook has really put the old blog out of business since it is so quick and easy to share artwork or other happenings when I am so short on time. Still, its not the same as being able to share a bit of myself through my words and photos.

This autumn finds me knee-deep in school - both work, and my own. With every course I'm getting closer to my goal. It's exciting and intimidating at the same time. Just after the new year I will be preparing to take the state board exams and this time next year will be preparing to student teach. Still, I'm trying to take it one step at a time. Doing what I can to gain valuable experience and thinking about my options if I am unable to get my own classroom right away. In the meantime, I've had a few adventures. One that involved the Golden Girls - if you follow me on Facebook you know I'm not referring to the 70's sitcom! And another that took me into the woods for fifth grade camp. This was a great experience on many levels. It was a gorgeous drive every morning and I loved being outdoors.

I was also fortunate enough to see these beauties up close.

In family news, we are all well and continue to roll with the punches. Brady is as tall as Cam now and I hope to get some photos over the holidays. Time passes much too quickly. This is a great time of year to take stock and think about what the year has been and what will be in the one to come. I look forward to lots of family time in the next couple of months!

For today, I'm relishing the sunshine, savoring a nap, and snuggling up with a good book after finishing some homework.

Take care and I hope to drop by again soon!

2011-07-12T13:59:00.007-04:00

I thought it best I begin titling my posts by season since the likelihood of getting back here to post on even a semi-regular basis is slim. School has kept me incredibly busy even this summer. I have about 3 more weeks left of my two online courses and then I'll have a bit of a break until classes resume in late August. At least I hope it's late. I could use a break!

In fact, I had been dreaming of going to Lake Michigan this summer ever since stumbling upon these two sister's blogs HERE and HERE. Their photos of beautiful wildflowers, farm stands and lakeshore made me long to walk along the dunes gathering driftwood and playing in the surf. Fat chance of that.

Inspired by another blogger and artist I recently discovered, I decided to paint my own little piece of shoreline to have right here at home. I had never attempted anything as large before and was a bit concerned it would be too cartoon-y, but I love how it turned out and surrounded by shells and other weathered things I can almost imagine the sand and the water.

The summer is flying by. Aside from classes and a little crafting and shopping here and there, I don't have much to show for it. But it's not over yet! I hope to continue my 30 bags in 30 days decluttering challenge, get my teaching supplies organized, finish up the laundry room project I started before school was out, and attempt to make a slipcover inspired by yet another blog favorite. Time's a-wastin'!

I hope this finds you enjoying summer just the way you like it!

Day 14: en l'honneur de l'amour

2011-02-14T06:23:00.000-05:00

Day 12 & 13: en l'honneur de l'amour

2011-02-13T09:14:00.004-05:00

"Above all else, hold unfailing your love for one another."

--I Peter 4:8

Day 11: en l'honneur de l'amour

2011-02-11T18:32:00.003-05:00

Day 10: en l'honneur de l'amour

2011-02-10T18:51:00.000-05:00

Day 9: en l'honneur de l'amour

2011-02-09T06:48:00.004-05:00

"A kiss is a pleasant reminder that two heads are

better than one."--author unknown

Day 8: en l'honneaur de l'amour

2011-02-08T06:26:00.003-05:00

My salute to love and all things Valentine would be incomplete without an homage to my favorite romantic literary character - James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser . Here are a few Jamie-isms to give you an idea of just how perfectly romantic he really is. Seriously, if you enjoy a good story set to a historical backdrop accompanied by a bit of mystery and lots of smoldering romance then you must give the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon a try.

Photo Source: unknown

"Blood of my blood and bone of my bone. You are mine and I wilna let ye go. For I give ye my Spirit, til our life shall be gone."

"I talk to you as I talk to my own soul. Your face is my heart."

"Dinna be afraid. There's two of us now."

"Da mi basia mille - Give me a thousand kisses.

Dien mille altera - Then a thousand more."

"You are my courage, my conscience.

You are my heart - and I your compassion.

We are neither of us whole alone."

Day 7: en l'honneur de l'amour

2011-02-07T06:43:00.000-05:00

"LOVE - a wildly misunderstood although highly desired malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise, and lips to pucker." -- Author unknown

Photo credit: Teresa McFayden www.paperbellastudio.com

Day 6: en l'honneur de l'amour

2011-02-06T06:31:00.002-05:00

"There is no suprise more magical than the suprise of being

loved. It is God's finger on man's shoulder." --Charles Morgan

Day 5: en l'honneur de l'amour

2011-02-05T10:15:00.001-05:00

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways... --Elizabeth Barrett Browing

Day 4: en l'honneur de l'amour

2011-02-04T06:46:00.001-05:00

Love is an irrisistable desire to be irrisistably desired.

--Robert Frost

Day 3: en l'honneur de l'amour

2011-02-03T10:11:00.001-05:00

Here's a clip from one of my favorite movies with a salute to
L-O-V-E. Enjoy!

Day 2: en l'honneur de l'amour

2011-02-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

en l'honneur de l'amour

2011-02-01T09:24:00.004-05:00

In honor of one of my favorite holidays, I'll be posting a little visual and quote inspiration each day leading up to St. Valentine's Day. So, check back for my 14 day salute to love.

I have learned not to worry about love, but to honor its coming

with all my heart. --Antoine de SaintExupery

SNOW * SNOW * SNOW

2011-01-21T16:08:00.011-05:00

Here in the midwest, we've had a lot more snow than in recent winters. For those of us fortunate to ride out the winter storms inside, it affords time to nest and cuddle together. All that luxury however, means we'll probably be going to school well into June!

While I was dreaming of vacationing down under by watching Oprah in Australia, my sweet husband was determined to clear the driveway - just in case we wanted to venture out. Right. Not me. I've been finding plenty of things to do inside while sipping my coffee and hot chocolate. Here are just a few highlights from our little snow day vaca.

I made Okey Dokey caramel corn. Very delish - and addictive! Have you tried it?

Preparing for Valentine's Day by signing up for the latest e-zine with the Bella Queen herself.

Enjoying old-fashioned fun by making and stringing pom-poms into garlands.

Having way too much fun with the photos we had taken before Christmas. SO, so glad we were finally able to do this. I recently purchased an 11x14 canvas of the boys.

And just ordered a 16x20 of this one of Jeff and me for Valentine's day - in black & white, of course. fuN! I've been ordering my canvases from HERE.

Doing lots of reading and homework. The timing of the snow was great from that perspective for sure. Very excited about my classes this semester. Particularly, the Multi-Sensory Methods of Teaching course. It's all about incorporating the arts in your teaching. Right.Up.My.Alley. We are even having a trash to treasure assignment in a few weeks. The twist is we won't use our own trash to create our treasure. GAAAH! So excited about that!
Watching lots of movies. Ran across this one last weekend. Loved everything about this movie. The costume and set production were beyond beautiful. Add in the romance factor of Keats and his beloved Fannie and well, WOW! I saw it on STARZ, but Momma Bird tells me you can rent it at your local movie store.

Finding inspiration from some new blogs. Did a twist on a project I saw here: Life in the Fun Lane. I love the graphic punch of the lettering. Ran out of crepe paper trim so I need to add a bit more to the "E". Here are a couple others I'm frequenting on a regular basis:

Miss Mustard Seed

My Sweet Savannah

Pretties and Posies

Finished my last "for fun" read for awhile. Just finished reading Nicholas Sparks' Safe Haven. It was good, but not my favorite of his books. I need to choose something to read over Spring break. Any suggestions for a must-read? Of course, I'll be checking in with Jamie and Claire when I just canna take it anymore. ;0)

So, how are you passing the time this Winter? Have you ventured out for some outdoor fun? Making something handmade? Tried a new comfort food recipe? Well, then do tell!

Until we meet again, stay warm!

UPDATED 1/23/2011: Several have emailed requesting the Okey Dokey Caramel Corn recipe. So, here ya go:

Ingredients -

1 bag of Okey Dokey puff corn OR Old Dutch puff corn

1 cup butter (not margarine)

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

2/3 cup light corn syrup

1 tsp baking soda

Directions -

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Combine butter, brown sugar, and light corn syrup in a 2 quart sauce pan.

Cook on medium heat until the mixture has melted.

Once mixture has melted add the baking sode. (This will cause the mixture to foarm)

In a large roaster pan pour puffed corn and pour caramel miture over the corn and store until well mixed.

Place in oven for 45 mintues, stirring at least every 10-15 minutes.

Remove from oven, pour on wax paper and break apart.

Let cool and enjoy!

2011-01-08T16:47:00.006-05:00

Hello, friends. Are you still out there? I hope this finds you enjoying all the new year brings - satisfaction for what was accomplished in the previous year and great expectations for what's to come.

I love the start of a new year. Its a time to reflect and to attempt new things. A time to begin again and make another run at LIFE.

One of the rituals I've participated in the past several years is to choose an action word for the year. My word for 2011 is CAN. As in I CAN. Yep. Whatever I hope or imagine. With God's help I CAN do it. Foremost on my mind is my schooling. I'm more than half way to fulfilling a life-long dream of teaching by earning my masters degree and my certification. But there are lots of other things I'd like to accomplish in this new year. Throughout the year as I attempt them, I will remember that I CAN.

So...if you were to choose your word for 2011, what would it be? Here's to bringing that word to life in this new year.

Bonne Anne!

Having My Cake...

2010-07-08T20:41:00.001-04:00

We had a quiet 4th of July holiday and it was so nice. Just hanging out, going to the movies and being still. Summer is in full-swing and it was nice to take a break. Although this is only the second summer I've had off, I was caught a bit off gaurd when I started classes and realized I didn't have near the time I thought to work on projects and to actually do some fun things. But now, I'm hitting my stride, finding my mojo and taking some time in between classes to do a few creative things.

Over the holiday weekend, I even got out paints and attempted a collage-y painting inspired by who else, but this gal. It was a fun process, but I'm not sure I quite have a handle on her whimsical style. I loved giving it a try though! ;)

And on Monday, I started an e-Zine workshop on art journaling taught by one of my creative heroes. It's felt so good to be back at creating something - anything. I love cutting and gluing, mixing colors and learning new techniques. Although I don't often venture far from the example, I do love the challenge of trying to recreate the examples.

Once in awhile, I do come up with my own thing. One of my favorite things is incorporating the bits & pieces I tear from magazines, junk mail and whatever else I happen to spy. The face on the sun and the wings on the clocks are from a take-out menu!

AND, I made a meal tonight! Yep, told you I was on a roll! It was SO delicious and very simple. The corn and zucchini salad was particularly good since the ingredients were homegrown. I loved the combination of the fresh lime juice and the sweet corn that made up the dressing. So, so good! Both recipes were from Everyday Food magazine and can be found HERE and HERE.

Well, I'm off to do my other favorite summertime activity-READ! I am unbelievably addicted to the Outlander series. I just started the sixth book, A Breath of Snow & Ashes and I can hardly put it down!

However you're spending the summer, I hope you're finding a way to have your cake... and eat it, too!

Something About Mary

2010-06-23T11:47:00.005-04:00

Even after all these years, I just love the art of Mary Engelbreit! Did you know she has a blog? I loved her most recent post in which she gives us a peek into her creative process. This is the end result, but seeing how she got there was very cool.

I also love how she just seems to come up with the perfect illustration to go with a quote. This one really struck me.

Sometimes that's how it feels isn' it? I call those Chevy Chase moments (remember Nat'l Lampoon's Family Vacation). We're in such a hurry to create the moments and memories that we don't enjoy and embrace them when we finally arrive at that point in time. Or just too busy to have them to begin with!

Anyway, I continue to be charmed by her artwork and intrigued by the brand she's created. Like many of you, I was disappointed when she decided to stop publishing Home Companion magazine, but I am excited about some of the other things her company is doing. She recently held her first-ever artists retreat here in our very own hometown at the Chase Park Plaza. And she has a new association with Papyrus cards. So be watching for that sweet card with the owlie and the bluebird this spring!

Now I'm itching to get into my tub of ME goodies I tucked away a few years ago. I knew that I'd want them later on! And I've already stockpiled some of the beautiful posters she's licensed for teachers. I just love all the reading ones, of course!

There's just something about Mary!

10 Things on Tuesday

2010-06-01T23:24:00.004-04:00

Taking a nod from a fellow blogger, I'm putting my spin on a familiar list. Here's 10 things on my mind on a Tuesday. (Well, that's the day it was when I started the post!)

1. I didn't think I'd like The Newsboys with Michael Tait as their new lead singer. But I really do. Their new single is very reminiscent of DC Talk-IMO. UPDATE: It's now hit #1-guess I'm not the only who's lovin' it!

2. Sunshine makes me very happy. Although the trade-off is humidity. Without the beach. Still, I'm happy to see the sun after a rainy May. Slather on the sunscreen. UPDATE: Yes, after a couple days of gloomy rain I'm ready to see Mr. Sun again. Humidity or no.

3. I love Jenny Doh's (former editor-in-chief of Somerset magazines) newest venture, Crescendoh. Love the name, the mission statement and the products. Here's one I had to have first thing..

I did these on a pretty spring day. Outside under a big tree chit chatting with some of my favorite third and fourth graders. We were actually doing a lesson - observing MO songbirds and writing about what we saw and heard. ;)

UPDATE: Did you know that the MO Dept of Conversation has an entire curriculum you can get for FREE?!? I recently received it and can't wait to use some of it in my reading lessons. I'm developing a unit of study on Owls-whooo's suprised?! ;)

4. Really enjoying XM radio this evening. Sometimes its just so nice to have music on in the house. I don't do that often enough.

5. Speaking of music, I have recently discovered Colbie Caillat. I know. Late to the party. Her cd's will be the soundtrack of my summer. Well, except for Newsboys and Toby Mac. But mostly Colbie and dreaming of the beach. I really love her first CD-tracks 18 and 19 especially. On her second CD I love track 7. Or is it 8? The one about blue eyes. Reminds me of JAMMF-if you don't know what that stands for then you won't get why I like the song either. Sorry.

6. Nothing makes me smile like a clean fridge. Well, except maybe a fridge stocked with healthy groceries. Maybe the clean space will inspire me to buy and eat more healthy. UPDATE: Here's hoping-still.

7. I'm still determined to get organized. I have been back to the 15 min/day plan. Although I have to step it up quite a bit to get to where I want to be by the end of the summer, it's a start at least. But I think my to do list is perhaps already overscheduled. Need to rein it in! UPDATE: Um, overcomitted much?

8. My newest favorite color is gray. Is that really a color? Hmmmmm...DISCUSS!

9. Trying to decide if I should purchase a Vera Bradley tote or make one out of Amy Butler material. What's your vote?!? UPDATE: Or maybe just use something I have. Yeah, ever once in awhile I choose the high road!

10. I'm nearly delirious about summer. Popsicles, cookouts, outings, late nights and everything else that goes with this magjcal time of the year. Summer makes me giddy! UPDATE: As if my summer would consist of such things. More like lectures, term papers, phone interviews followed by more of the same. I think I'll just daydream about the others. Hey, maybe I can eat popsicles while typing?!? Now, that's problem-solving!

BONUS THING: Are you a Gleek? I TOTALLY AM! And I love that they're going to repeat all the episodes this summer! YAAAAY!

Okay, JUST ONE MORE: I am loving Eric Carle and didn't actually realize he has written/illustrated as many books as he has. I had never heard of Mr. Seahorse, but fell in love with it! I had hoped to try his tissue paper collage method, but chickened out and did this in watercolor while daydreaming about the beach and visiting HERE. Have a mAgicAL summer!

completely random thoughts

2010-05-12T22:42:00.002-04:00

a few completely random thoughts. as those are the only kind you can have when you are throughly exhausted.

i'm tired. yeah, said that already. sorry.

throughly enjoyed Brady's first band concert. i hope it is truly the first of many. fingers crossed.

i would love to sleep in on a rainy sunday and read the paper over a lazy breakfast with lots of luxuriously chocolatey coffee.

i am planning a carnival. i did this once before. as a fundraiser for the march of dimes. i think i was maybe 12 or 13. they announced my name on Mr. Patches.

only 14 more days of school. there. i said it. i could use a break. so could the kids. they definitelly need the break.

i bought so much cotton candy from the $1 spot at Target tonight that a lady looked at my cart and gasped. seriously. you, too? it's for the carnival.

i am the lorax. i speak for the trees. what?

now i know why the kids hate the rule about not starting sentences with i. it's hard. obviously.

must have sleep and dream about starbucks coffee. maybe i can get up in time to get some before school.

be back soon. promise.

dear aby

2010-03-19T20:19:00.004-04:00

Have you seen those shows on TV where a professional organizer comes into a home and radically changes the family's life? Well, that's what has been happening at our house the past three or four weeks. Think Clean Sweep minus the hunky handyman and the yard sale!

Jeff and I recently contacted Aby Garvey of Simplify101 and asked her to help us jump-start our operation organziation. For awhile now, we had been finding ourselves overwhelmed by stuff and determined once-and-for-all to take back our space. No small feat after nearly eight years of living with clutter.

Enter dear aby who has changed our lives for the better. I had heard a lot about her and the online organizing classes she offers from a number of bloggers. After checking out her website, we knew she was the gal for the job and invited her to tour our home and develop a plan to conquer paper clutter and complete some projects that would make life more enjoyable for our entire family.

And that she did! Along with several "aha moments," Aby helped us find under utilized areas, establish new habits for handling the paper that comes and goes from our house, harvest low-hanging fruit and use it to earn some cash, befriend the kitchen timer to manage the precious time we have to declutter and organize and helped us fall in love with our house all over again.

I wish that I had taken a BEFORE photo of our master bedroom closet. Let's just say it could've landed us a spot on one of the aforementioned TV shows! I cannot tell you just how happy it makes me to open the door and see this. All thanks to dear aby!

We are learning what is most important to us and how to make our home a refuge. Check out Aby's website for more info about Simplify 101 and the online courses she has to offer.

http://www.simplify101.com/

P.S. My beloved handyman hung the additional shelves in the closet. Eric Stromer has nothing on you, Dad!

2010-02-14T14:58:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you are spending the day with those you love. We're huddled inside watching it snow and just enjoying a quiet day.

Love to you!

Once Upon a Study Break

2010-02-07T19:22:00.005-05:00

Outside my window- the sun has set and stars loom behind the clouds. I wonder if snowflakes linger there, too.

I'm thinking- about what I'll write for my school paper tonight. Lots of thoughts swirling in my head. Now to get them down on paper/computer.

I am thankful for- my Sunday school kids. They touch my heart when I least expect it.

From the kitchen- taco soup again. Jeff is addicted to this stuff! Thankfully, it is super easy and yummy. I like mine served with a bit of avocado on top.

I am wearing- a t'shirt I purchased from New Missions to benefit their rebuild efforts there. We sponsor a 10 year old boy through them. The t'shirt says, "Save a Life/Sponsor a Child" in French Creole. And of course jeans, my fav roll cuff ones I wear with my uggs.

I am creating- on the fly! I have a project going that I've dabbled with all weekend. Taking a lead from T McFayden and her Paper Romance eZine, I dyed some ribbon and ric rac with cherry kool-aid this morning. Smells so good! Hopefully, I can get back to this after I finish homework.

I am going- to chillax this week. Seriously. Life is too short for drama.

I am reading- actually, I just finished reading Water for Elephants. Great story. Rumor has it will be a movie soon with Rob Pat and Reese Witherspoon in the leads. Well, if you believe the gossip rags that is. :)

Around the house- some things never change. I'm hoping to enlist the help of a personal organizer to help me get some major projects accomplished and to work with our family to develop some tidy habits. Bring it on! maybe it will carry over into some other parts of our lives.

One of my favorite things- is an icy cold diet A&W rootbeer. Had one today and it brought back a flood of sweet memories.

A few plans for the rest of the week- start a new book, organize something-anything, make valentines and a trip to the Science Center with my sis and the kiddos.

A picture to share- proof that I really am trying to keep the creative ball rolling. With a bit of luck this pile will be a valentine-y mobile by the end of the day. Love that I will get to use some of the vintage seam binding I found at The Leftover Store last weekend. Boy, do I love that place!

bookworm

2010-01-16T09:30:00.000-05:00

Whether intentionally or by accident, I am slowly booking a bookworm. A couple of years ago, one of my new year's intentions was to get back to reading. I set a paltry goal to read two or three books. Yes, for the whole year. Nice. Not very confident in my ability was I? No.

Here I am two years later becoming a bookworm. I was recently introduced to goodreads.com, a website with book reviews and all sorts of other info to help you choose your next - wait for it...good read. You can also compile lists-my favorite part. Lists of books you've read, those you intend to read and those you're currently reading. Yep, I've also become that kind of reader. Just out of curiosity, I began to compile a list of the books I've read since I set my short-sighted goal of reading two or three books in a year. I was shocked to see how many had added up!

Some may say I've had alot of time on my hands. But reading is a worthwhile pasttime. Reading makes you a more well-rounded person, keeps your mind busy, increases your vocabulary, exposes you to parts of history or cultures and places you might otherwise never visit. Reading is a good thing.

My reading habit will be further perpetuated (yep, a reader's word!) by my schooling this semester. My next class requires that I read 7 different novels in addition to our two texbooks and reading for pleasure. Um, yeah, can you say, bookworm? Albeit (another reader's word), the novels are intended for a younger audience, but it's reading all the same. By the way, some of the best books I've read in the past year were written by childrens book authors (many of whom also write adult fiction). Our first assignment, in addition to reading, is to write a reader's autobiography. To share our earliest memories of reading or learning to read, to discuss those who've influenced us to be readers, our favorite books and our current reading habit.

Hmmmmm...where do I begin?

Like a Slow Movin' Train

2010-01-08T19:06:00.006-05:00

I'll tell ya, I am sooooo slow. Particularly when it comes to creative things. I am just amazed at how free and relaxed some folks are when they are making things. For some, it seems to just come naturally. I've been trying to embrace that free and easy side of things lately, but I'm like a slow movin' train. I hem and haw around like noone you can imagine. For starters, I believe I have a phobia of the sewing machine. While I've managed to make clothes, quilts and complete other sewing projects in the past, I always struggle with the mechanical workings of the sewing machine. So when I discovered Mary Ann Moss and her Remains of the Day journal class I thought it was a perfect opportunity to overcome my fear of the sewing machine. Mary Ann's technique uses needle and thread to attach all manner of paper and fabric to create one-of-a-kind journals.

So while we've had a couple of snow days here, I managed to set up my machine, get the book out and thread the thing. A small victory, but then the bobbin ran out along with my zeal for dealing with the machine. Intrigued and inspired by Mary Ann, I continued to dig in my scraps and whipped out my glue stick just to see how things would look. I also thought if things were tacked down it would help when I attempted to sew the papers. Besides, it's WAAAY too cold to venture out and purchase more thread or contemplate the new BROTHER machine at Target that autothreads and winds the bobbin. ;)

That was two days ago. I still haven't venturned out into the cold for thread. But like a slow movin' train, I'm making my way out of the station. Here are a few of the pages I have ready to sew. It's a start...

I am loving this process of creating layer upon layer of stuff to create a visual journal of my days. Mary Ann uses this type of journal when she travels and I can't wait to create one when I head out on my graduation trip in a couple years. I know - I may move slow, but I do like to plan ahead! And what a great way to get rid of some stuff. I definitely need to do that!

So I'm going to keep at it. Tomorrow I think I may even leave the house to get thread and then give the sewing machine a go again! I know it's been cold most everywhere lately. Besides working on this new journal I've been doing alot of cooking for my husband and just started reading a new book. What have you been doing while staying inside and trying to keep warm?

Happy Holidays

2009-12-30T11:03:00.004-05:00

As is par for the course, December has been a real whirlwind. Try as we might, we are never able to avoid all the craziness that comes with preparing for the holidays. In fact, had I posted in the midst of it all this post would likely have been titled, bah, humbug! or maybe even is Christmas fun, or what?! But from this side of the holidays, I can truly say the craziness is worth it in the end! And while I could go on and on about all the things I was unable to accomplish, I'm choosing to focus on the things which I was able to complete. Some crafty, some just things I wanted to do during the holidays. Mind you, the holidays are hardly over so I'm still at it-whittling away at my list! ;)

made fleur de sel caramels and French chocolate bark and coconut macaroons for a cookie exchange-fuN!

decorating the tree with my mom and all the handmade things she made me (i'll post about them later-she's been a busy bee this year!)

wrapped my packages in pretty paper and bows. i really struggled with the papers this year. so thin-hate that, but I managed. my favorite was the candy cane striped ribbon and the light blue paper i found at Target!

made a fabric wreath inspired by who else, but pamG! loved this, but hurried a bit, i think. best thing was the upholstry fabric i picked up in a cut-off pile for .50 cents! i also liked getting my feet wet with embroidery again. hoping to do more of that in the new year.

used some of that felt to make pins for my co-workers. a little martha stewart joy spread around!

played with some of my vintage pieces to create vignettes. my new favorite is my homage to the nativity using some tiny deer and glass dome i recently found.

making the sad tom inspired ornaments for my sunday school kids. barely got this done again this year. whew!

the letter Brady received from Santa this year was a total spur of the moment thing at one in the morning, but SO worth taking the time to do!

had my family here for Christmas day. i love having them here.

saw White Christmas at the Fox. it was SPECTACULAR! the colors, the costumes and of course the music! some of the backdrops were very Pam Garrison-esque. i loved that!

listened to LOTS of Christmas music. my favorite this year was listening to the xm radio show hosted by Michael W Smith. didn't mind at all that it was in a loop that played Christmas eve and all Christmas day. and i love the playlist this blogger put together which includes Michael Buble-can't get enough of his voice lately!

I hope you enjoyed a holiday to remember and look forward to a new year filled with possiblity!

UPDATED 12/30/09 4 pm: One more thing completed on the list!

This little guy is from Teresa McFayden's Comfort & Joy eZine. Simple, but fun little techiniques to try-sugar sprinkles for the glitter on his hat, gloves and socks and the pom poms were made by simply rolling a bit of batting in between my fingers. fuN stuff! I think I'll keep him around a bit longer with my snowmen. Speaking of which, that's a vintage little cupcake topper-I bought a bag of them at a just-for-the-holidays boutique my sister and I visited before Christmas. Okay, going to see if I can get another little project completed!

Santa's Workshop is Officially OPEN!

2009-11-25T09:41:00.003-05:00

While most folks are scouring ads and planning their strategy for Black Friday, I'm gathering my supplies, instructions and inspiration for a handmade holiday. Earlier this week, my mom said it best, "It just doesn't seem like Christmas if we haven't made it." It's so true for me. But with limited time, I had to scale back my vision of what that was this year. Nonetheless, there will be handmade scattered among the store bought that's for sure. In fact, I've already signed up for what's become a yuletide tradition for me-Teresa McFayden's ezine, 12 Days of Comfort & Joy. So while I love to shop nearly as much as I love to craft, I'll be sleeping in the day after Thanksgiving , enjoying a facial at the spa, a relaxing lunch and an evening doing a little crafting! My kind of celebration to kick start the season. Just.can't.wait!

However you plan to spend Thanksgiving Day or the day after, for that matter, I hope it will be with those closest to you and in the way that means the most and makes for the sweetest memories. Enjoy!

a love for all seasons

2009-11-15T21:33:00.006-05:00

I am so thankful to have my husband home this weekend after being gone for a week on a golf getaway. Just not the same around here without him. For one thing, it was much too quiet while he was gone. Yep, someone who out talks me!

Every pot has it's lid and that is certainly true for us. Love him and he loves me in spite of all my idiosyncrasies--I love that about him. And those who know can tell you it's not always violin strings and hearts around here, but we love each other regardless and just keep working at it day after day. That's really what it's all about, right? Okay, enough of that! But I am thankful for him and just in case he pops by here I want him to see it in print. ;)

Also, wanted to share a few peeks from our recent family photo shoot. This was very impromptu and the weather was dicey that afternoon, but we did our best to roll with the punches. Here are a few I like. And I just couldn't help playing with a couple of them to create a simple story board. So fun! IBut I have to go on a diet and have that "guacaMOLE" removed sooner rather than later!

Finally beginning to get in the Christmas spirit so I'll be back soon. I have lots of stuff swirling in my head. First up is that Advent Calendar I didn't quite get finished last year. I found a fantastic old frame this weekend to use since the other one turned into a chalkboard!

Have a great week!

My Sister, My Friend

2009-11-05T11:00:00.004-05:00

I can still remember sitting on the edge of my parent's bed as my mother held out the tight little bundle and laid her in my arms. Eyes tightly closed, mouth pursed she seemed so fragile. Not at all like my dolls. Would I ever be able to play with her? Would she like me or pull my hair and tease me unmercifully like my younger brother? Would we be best friends or strangers sharing the same room?

My sweet sister celebrated her birthday this week. In many ways, she has remained a mystery to me. But of this I'm certain, that tiny, fragile little thing I glimpsed her first days of life has grown into an amazingly strong, kind, generous woman. I am proud to call her my sister-and my friend. What a treasure you are to me, Marisa!

Here are just a few pictures from our celebration this past Sunday. Beautiful day inside and out as we enjoyed the company of loved ones. Made sweeter still by the presence of another little pixie who has recently welcomed a new baby sister. I wonder, will they grow to be best friends, too?

I love that she calls my sister GiGi

Lots of peek-a-boo that day!

This girl is becoming a beautiful lady, too!

We're going on a bear hunt! Actually, deer, but they were equally as serious!

In her tiny handy they don't seem near as annoying. Sweet!

2009-10-22T17:38:00.000-04:00

I just have to gush over my fabulous weekend even tho' it was nearly a week ago now. I was determined to do as many things on "the list" as possible during my break from class. However, I must say my list and my husband's list were two different things, but I tried to strike a balance. To most folks, these were ordinary things, but things I needed to take the time to do and enjoy.

The weekend began with a rare night out with my hubby on Friday. We saw Matthew West and Josh Wilson in concert. Such a great evening of fabulous music and inspiration. Josh Wilson was very impressive. The guy gives new meaning to "one man band" with the loop machine he used. So cool and very effective. More than anything, it was just good to be out together.

Saturday morning found me in my pj's, coffee in hand puttering away with crafty things while I picked up and straightened. Glue this, glitter that and voila! Here is Talulah Bell ready for All Hallow's Eve.

This project was designed by Cindy Gilstrap. She has an incredible eye for detail and I've been admiring her creations from afar for awhile now. This is how this fun little project was packaged up with adorably fun directions that got you into the spirit of things from the moment you opened the package.

I couldn't wait to get to this item on my list! ;)

Talulah Bell was longing to be surrounded by a vignette so this is where she ended up. It was also a great incentive to clear off the top of the buffet! Still haven't hauled out all the Halloween goodies, but managed to create a seasonal island here. In fact, it seems the rest of the world has moved onto Christmas already. I was looking for goodies at M's to complete these and there was practically nothing left. Needless to say, I managed. :) These are teeny-the card base is only the size of a baseball card. Making a couple larger size ones, too (5x7). So fun and very relaxing to put together.

Inspired by those clever Red Lead sisters, I managed to knock these out, too. After the Diamond Glaze learning curve, I love how these turned out. Here I copied their collage sample, but I mixed it up on the others.

The weekend rounded out by reading a book just for fun and a movie with Mom-Where the Wild Things Are, and just enjoying the freedom to do what I chose without the pressure of school work. The crisp air and golden sunlight really got me in the mood for all sorts of craftiness. Definitely have to strategically plan my holiday gift making this year if I hope to do any at all. Still, a girl can dream.

Better start my list for this weekend. At the top once more will of course be school work.

a bientot!

Let the Wild Rumpus Start!

2009-10-16T19:30:00.000-04:00

Lots of reasons to do a little happy dance.

Completed first class and survived my first grad presentation.

6 FULL days to do just what I want with no school deadlines-YIPPEE!

Date with hubby tonight to see Matthew West in concert. Should be alot of fun!

White chocolate mocha from Starbucks. It just warms me up head to toe now that it's turned soooo chilly!

Making some Halloween treats-I've been having withdrawl from creative things. So jealous of mom who was giddy yesterday with her ever-evolving list of projects to complete. Hopefully, I can accomplish something in the next couple days. Thinking of taking a drive to visit the Red Lead sisters, too.

Going to see Where the Wild Things Are this weekend. This movie looks incredible. Can't.Wait.

Love, hope, adventure. What awaits you today? Lovin' my "Max"-athough, this morning he was actually behaving like a wild thing! Still, love him so.

So long to Summer

2009-09-07T10:53:00.005-04:00

Gone are the seemingly endless days you bring

accompanied by farmstand produce,

visits to the lake and

impromptu trips to destinations unknown

With fondness we'll remember

your fairs and vacations,

snowcones and icecream

and smores 'round the campfire

Photos and momentos to keep us

until you return once more
with warm days, starry nights
gifts you alone can bring

So long, sweet Summer

Nip Tuck

2009-08-24T20:34:00.003-04:00

The facelift on our master bath was completed today. I love how it turned out. We had the gross carpet removed and ceramic tile installed. Our vanity was falling apart so we also had a new vanity installed along with new faucets. Finally, we had the bath and our bedroom painted. I'm usually not an accent wall kinda girl, but I decided to give it a try and I like how it turned out. Very Tori & Dean-well, in my head. ;)

I may be away from the computer quite a bit in the next few months. Brady and I have returned to school and work and I will be starting classes of my own this week so I'm afraid my time in general will be limited. This past weekend I packed away most of my art supplies and hauled them down to the studio. Kind of depressed about the lack of time to be creative, but confident I'll get back to it once I establish a routine for the school year.

Looking forward to all this new academic year holds for all of us embarking on a new journey. Brady has been doing amazing navigating the transition to middle school. I've been so proud of him.

I recently came across this quote by C.S. Lewis,

"You're never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream". Although I do feel too old to be setting such goals I'm excited about rising to the challenge and the possibilities the future holds. And I'm going to try and adopt Brady's go-with-the-flow attitude. One day, one class, one course at a time.

Take good care dear readers and I'll be back soon.

Walk Like An Egyptian

2009-08-04T11:37:00.003-04:00

Seized the opportunity for a little mini-vaca last week with Julie and the kids. We traveled to Indianapolis to visit the Childrens Museum there. Specifically, we went to see the King Tut exhibit since the boys will most likely study Egypt this year in school. We had a really nice trip thanks in no small part to my trusty navigator and all-around relaxed spirit of my sister-in-law, Julie. I seriously felt myself being more low-key. I know-nearly impossible!

There was so much to see and do in Indy, but unfortunately we did not plan to stay near long enough to take it all in. The museum was very nice and reminded me of our Science Center. The kids enjoyed the Tut exhibit as well as others such as, Star Wars the Clone Wars, What If, Dinosphere and to my delight, one on trains. I love that they still love trains! Lots and lots to see. My favorite was the Chuhuly glass displayed throughout. I would have loved to see the glass tower lit up at night. I was also beyond thrilled that Brady was patient in the LONG Tut exhibit and did take the time to read the info and that he was so much more hands-on than he'd every been before. He even donned goggles to dig at the dino exhibit!

Had a little time to poke around and visit a Super Target. I'd never been to one and I was excited to see if it was much different than a Target Greatland. Other than the attached grocery and the expansive number of checkout lanes, I was disappointed it was not much different. But still, it was Target. My favorite! We also enjoyed a nice meal out, but probably the most fun was when we returned to the hotel for the kids to hang out at the pool and then we all piled on the beds to eat popcorn and watch Harry Potter. Just loved hanging out together and listening to the conversations. Emily and I also had fun hunting down the Starbucks locations and me trying to scare her off caffeine addiction. :)

Not many more lazy days of summer left. (BIG SIGH) Looking forward to finishing off a couple small projects here at home, seeing a couple more movies and then preparing for return to work and school this week. Trust me, I'm going to try and squeeze in as much as I can!

Aunt Bonnie's French toast

2009-07-26T22:56:00.004-04:00

I know there are several versions of this overnight French toast, but this is the one I'll be keeping in my repertoire. Not only because it was passed to me by my Aunt Bonnie, but because it is divine in so many ways--

it uses brioche which gives it a lightness
the maple syrup in place of vanilla results in a mellow richness
the secret is in the sauce-o.j.

without further adieu, here is the recipe:

Ingredients
12 slices of brioche, cut into 1" cubes
2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, cut into 1" cubes
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (not thawed)
12 large eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 cups milk

Coat 9x13 glass baking pan with cooking spray. Place half of bread cubes in pan. Scatter cream cheese over bread, then blueberries over cream cheese. Place remaining bread cubes on top of blueberries. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, syrup and milk. Poor evenly over bread. Wrap with foil and place in refrigerator overnight.

Next morning, preheat over to 350 degrees. Remove French toast from refrigerator and place in middle of oven. Bake for 30 minutes with foil on, 30 minutes uncovered, until puffy and golden brown. Cut into servings and top with blueberry sauce.

Blueberry Sauce

Ingredients
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup orange juice
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

In 1 quart saucepan, mix together sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Add water and orange juice; cook over medium heat until thickened. Add blueberries and simmer for 10 minutes or until berries have burst, stirring occasionally. Serve over French toast.

Enjoy!

I "heart" Leftovers

2009-07-23T20:29:00.006-04:00

My husband Jeff does not care for leftovers. Won't touch 'em. On the other hand, my brother-in-law, Steven loves them. In fact, he maintains that most food tastes better the second day. And he's right-soup and chili especially. And who doesn't love Thanksgiving leftovers? Lots of things are better the second time around.

One such place filled to the brim with items waiting to be used a second or even third time is, The Leftover Store or Leftovers, Etc. One of the places I was determined to visit this summer, I paid a visit there today. I LOVE the concept of this place which provides a way to recycle everyday items that can be used for arts & crafts and which would otherwise end up in a landfill. Open to the public, patrons are encouraged to bring in items for donation when they shop providing a constant flow of inspiring materials for artists, teachers, scout leaders, and others working with children. The epitome of recycling! And they have LOTS of really cool stuff as well as resources for project ideas and a book and video exchange. I almost hyperventilated when I started looking through all the bins. My favorite of which were the hundreds of little yogurt containers filled with goodies. Check out the fantastic things I found for just $2 on my visit there today!

So while there are those who have yet to develop a taste for leftovers, I'm with Steven-I think lots of things are better the second time around!

P.S. There are places like The Leftover Store in communities throughout the country. To find one near you, try googling leftovers and then your city or county name.

Life is...

2009-07-20T16:01:00.003-04:00

just a bowl of cherries!

For years, I have admired the artwork and quote collection of Mary Engelbreit. One of my favorite prints was a stack of whimsical bowls in an equally whimsical overstuffed chair. The quote was a play on words-Life is just a chair of bowlies. Inspite of all that I could find to complain about, life is good. As I'm oft reminded-it's all about attitude.

This weekend held plenty of moments to make me smile and be grateful. We had such an enjoyable weekend with my niece and nephew who came and stayed with us for a day or so. Guitar Hero quickly became the most popular entertainment at our house. Particularly, when I gave it a go. It's SO fun and addictive!

I also had a chance to spend some time with my sister yesterday. Among other things, we ventured into Old Webster to check out Red Lead's new store location.

It really is a great space and the gals are so energized by their new home. I recently signed up to join their newest ATC Holiday Swap.

Excited to count myself as one of their Swap Sisters now.

And it's official-I'm going back to school. When I left my office job about a year ago and began working for the school district my hope was to complete my teaching certificate and work on my Masters degree. Well, beginninng August 25th I'll be doing just that as a graduate student at Fontbonne University! I'm very excited, but nervous about the magnitude of returning to the classroom as a student. I just keep thinking about another Mary Engelbreit quote,

"Why not go out on a limb. That's where all the fruit is " --Mark Twain.

So while there is always plenty to whine and complain about, I'm continuing to learn to roll with the punches and keep moving forward. And to be grateful for new opportunities and the blessings that each day affords.

Here's to life!

What I did on my Summer vacation...

2009-07-13T15:43:00.010-04:00

Summer is quickly passing by and this morning I found myself wondering what I would have to show for it when school arrives in just 4 short weeks. My main goal for the summer was to give my house a good cleaning. You know, clean out cabinets and closets, wipe down baseboards, get rid of clutter, yada, yada, yada. It's taken me nearly two months off and on to go through the entire house and while I'm making headway, I'm still not finished. Hopefully, in the next week or so I'll be done with everything except my studio. Hopefully.

Aside from a couple of trips to the Lake, we haven't actually done much vacation-y stuff. But I still have hopes of squeezing in a trip to the Zoo, the Botanical Garden or Science Center and maybe another trip to the Lake or to Jeff's folks before the end of summer. We have taken in a couple of movies and rented several. I've also read several books-still hoping to get a couple more in before I have to start reading for work and school.

The next few weeks should be jam-packed if I add in some sewing and continue to work on my art journal. I've really neglected those goals while I focused on the house. Where does the time go? We still have doctor and dentist appointments to squeeze in, too. What was that they say about the lazy days of summer?

I'm so grateful to have had time off this summer. You can tell lots of things had gone neglected around here and it's a great feeling to be able to catch up on them. It's also been good for Brady to be home and just hang out. He's really gotten into drawing this summer-so happy about that.

Well in the midst of it all, I've run across a few things this summer I just LOVE and wanted to share them with you. If you have a summer favorite you'd like to share please do so by leaving me a comment. I love to hear from my readers!

Here are some of my favorites this summer:

A recent convert to Bare Minerals makeup, I love this primer for the summer months. It preps your skin for makeup by smoothing the surface of your skin and keeps it from becoming shiny throughout the day.

Love, love, love this drink mix I found at Marshalls. Add sparkling water to the mix and the included drink umbrella to a glass and you have a festive beverage that instantly tranports you to the islands. The Peach Mango lemonade was a big hit at the lake over 4th of July!
This lip gloss is another Bare Minerals product I really like. It has a plumper hence the name-Buxom Lips. It goes on sheer and is not gloppy at all. I think the names of the colors themselves are a hoot-I'm using Dolly right now, but there are others like Bambi, Amber, Sugar and Trixie.

If you've ever welcomed Mrs Meyers into your home you know you just love her! I've used this all-purpose cleaner to wipe down my baseboards and everything else this summer. It doesn't leave a residue and has a naturally clean scent. Along with inexpensive white washclothes it's been my favorite cleaning product by far! Target recently began carrying Mrs Meyers. mmmwaah!

I've made plenty of trips here this summer, but may make a few more because of their most recent promotion. If you purchase a beverage before 2pm you can return with your receipt after 2 pm to purchase any grande beverage for just $2. Love that!

My sister told me about this one. The flavor tastes like summer to me and they're Sugar-Free! You can find them in the checkout aisle at Target. ,)

I love my summer dishes. I spied these in a magazine and ordered them from CS Post & Co-they're by Moda Home and are melamine. The pitcher and glasses I found at Pier One on clearance over 4th of July. Can't wait to serve iced tea in them-or that yummy drink!

And finally, I have to send a shout out to two of my favorite bloggers. First, Becky Novacek, a photographer and scrapbooker whose blog has been a daily staple for me this summer. I love her weekly "b lists" and the fresh and honest way she shares herself, as well as, her gorgeous photographs and other creative pursuits. Check out Becky's blog HERE.

Second Teresa McFayden, founder of the popular Silver Bella retreat and whose Paper Bella e-Zines have been a creative lifeline for me. At a mere $20 per subscription they are a GREAT value. You receive online access to 10-12 "lessons" or articles-many of which include custom downloads. Special guest artists are an added bonus and I love that I can work through the projects at my own pace using supplies I have on hand. If interested, you can subscribe to her most recent e-Zine, A Journal of Interest HERE and find her blog HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I'm off to check something else off my to do list!

Permission Granted

2009-07-10T17:45:00.004-04:00

Giving myself permission to rest and relax today. Time to regroup and think. Lots to process over the past few days. Some of you may be aware that our beloved Grandma Alice passed away on Monday. We're back home after being with family for a few days so I'm unpacking and trying to get back in the swing of things. I also gave myself permission to play in my art journal.

Catching up on the first five lessons from the e-Zine, A Journal of Interest, I first chose to work on Wednesday's lesson, Blind Contour Sketching. I had never tried this technique before. It's alot of fun, but you have to commit to losing your inhibitions and abandon perfectionism. That's for sure! The idea is to sketch the object without looking at the paper. Naturally, I chose a bluebird which my Aunt Bonnie recently gifted to me. Probably a little too detailed a subject for this exercise, but I did it anyway. In our journals we are encouraged to use a variety of mediums as well as techniques. I used color pencil, charcoal pencil and pastels for shading and watercolor on this page spread. I'm anxious to get writing on it!

It feels really good to get back to something creative today. It soothes my soul.

Three Cheers for the Red, White & Blue

2009-07-05T22:02:00.005-04:00

We had such an enjoyable time this long 4th of July weekend. Brady and I took off and went down to my folks's lake house on Thursday and as soon as we arrived Mom and I headed into town for a girls day. I had the most fabulous Monte Cristo sandwich at On the Rise, a restaurant in Osage Beach that Mom had wanted to try. I told Mom if I closed my eyes I could imagine eating it at a cafe in Paris-it was that good! I enjoyed spending time with her just wandering around. I did purchase a couple things, but mainly we just window shopped and hung out. It was a welcome change from cleaning and sorting that has occupied most of my summer thus far.

On Friday, my brother and his family arrived followed by my sister's on Saturday. We spent the weekend cooking and eating, playing games and visiting, fishing and riding in the paddleboat, reading and napping. The adult kids even got into a water fight. The biggest kid of all (Dad) got involved and managed to not get wet while soaking everyone else-how does he do that!?! We truly love spending time together and believe we are blessed to be able to do so.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend. I didn't take as many as I like, but managed to get a few shots I loved. I hope you and your family enjoyed a long and relaxing weekend celebrating our country's independence-another incredible blessing!

(Click on the collage to see a larger version.)

getting creative

2009-06-30T08:54:00.003-04:00

One of my goals this summer was to take time to be creative in a more organic, relaxed way. Well, at least relaxed for me! My hope was to complete some projects I'd set aside earlier in the year (or longer), to get a headstart on Christmas gifts and to art journal several times per week. This summer my main focus has been to get our house in order and I've felt like I couldn't do anything creative until I had finished cleaning and organizing. Needless to say, I've fallen short of reaching my creative goals, but it was starting to make for a crabby, frustrating and very uninteresting summer. I knew I couldn't go on that way for long. So, I recently subscribed to Teresa McFayden's journal e-Zines, Write Place, Write Time and A Journal of Interest to encourage me to reach at least one of my creative goals this summer.

Yesterday, I was determined to do a good deal of homekeeping and then reward myself by working on the first e-Zine assignment-creating an art journal. I had wanted to make a coptic journal like the ones Pam G and Teesha Moore use, but was intimidated by the process. I even considered ordering one from etsy, but never found exactly what I was looking for. To my suprise, our fearless leader discovered a super simple method for assembling a similiar journal. Further simplified by having Office Max cut my paper to size and punch uniform holes.

This is what my journal started out as.

After a trip to Michaels and Office Max here is what it looks like now.

This method is designed to use what you have and you can easily cut your paper stock to size and punch the holes yourself, but I was all about making it easier on myself and getting to the creative part. BTW, my trip to Michaels proved a little dangerous. Making Memories has released a line of vintage inspired findings. I just couldn't resist the velvet flowers and Dennison style labels. They've even reproduced the highly coveted foil dresdens-the birds are to die for. If you're a fan of vintage you're gonna love this line!

And my non-artsy little guy was curious about all the creative stuff for kids. He spied a volcano making kit, but momma wasn't too hip about the guaranteed 9 eruptions. Finally, he settled on a book about how to draw Japanese manga.

Here's his first manga character 'cause he's all about making up his own stories and characters right now. I think it's pretty good! He's adopted my white eraser and Heidi Swapp color pencils, but I don't mind. I love that he's getting creative because I know first hand the benefits of doing so!

happy monday

2009-06-22T12:11:00.003-04:00

Since I was in college, Monday's have always been a day to regroup. Most of the students and many of the faculty travelled every weekend so we didn't have classes on Monday's for the sole purpose of being able to study, do laundry, etc before beginning the week. After graduating, it took several years for me to acclimate back to Monday being just a regular day. But today, I'm definitely using it as a day to regroup and recuperate from the weekend. However, in the spirit of taking it easy yet making progress I'm going to take a cue from one of my favorite bloggers and piggyback on the idea of this journal technique from The Simple Woman's Day Book. Here goes-

Outside my window - the sun is shining, the sky is blue, the yard holds more things to do. BIG SIGH

I am thinking - I haven't been this tired in awhile. Hate that. I felt so energetic all weekend. Must have been adrenaline.

I am thankful for - family. Always thankful for family and time spent with them. Even tho' the circumstances were not the best, I had such a good time with Jeff's family this weekend and with my dad and sister yesterday. So grateful we got to see Grandma Alice.

From the kitchen - hoping to put Jeff's Father's Day gift to good use tonight. A little grilled chicken and vegi's is sounding really good.

I am wearing - my pj's. Yep, still in 'em and it's nearly 11:30 in the morning, but it's Monday after all.

I am creating - more of a mess the more I try to get organized. I'd like to be creating quilts, purses, canvases and journals instead.

I am going - to run errands including a drop off to resale today. I am.

I am reading - I just finished reading, The Horse Boy by Rupert Isaacson. Can't wait to share about this book and some of the thoughts it's generated. I'm getting ready to start reading Let Them Eat Cake by Sandra Byrd. I'm looking forward to reading something lighthearted.

I am hoping - I can accomplish all I've set out to this summer. I think I can, I think I can...

I am hearing - Brady play downstairs, the dryer tumbling and The Message playing on XM radio.

Around the house - I am surrounded by piles and I am determined to decrease them today. They are making me crazy!

One of my favorite things - are Brady's hugs. I can tell he's decompressing today, too. He's needing lots of them.

A few plans for the rest of the week - bowling league and a movie with Matt & Brady tomorrow, hair appointments, more cleaning and organizing, maybe a date with my husband.

A picture to share - here's one taken during part one of our Father's Day celebration. We had such a good time kidnapping our dad and taking him to Fitz's in U City for lunch a week or so ago. My sister and I drove down to see him at the Lake yesterday. Memory making in action.

2009-06-15T10:14:00.007-04:00

Dear Readers,

It's been nearly one month since my last post. Please forgive me?

Some of you may have been wondering what I've been up to now that I'm a a lady of leisure for the summer. And you may also be aware that my list of things to do over the summer was growing more and more rapidly as the end of the school year approached. This no concise list by any means, but lack of inspiration and time affords it. So here goes...

Traveled to Maeysville IL for an antique and flower show with Mom, Missy and Shirl as part of mine and Shirley's birthday back in May. (I know, that's even before school was out, but I haven't had a chance to highlight some of my adventures so I though I'd throw it in!) Although the weather could have been better that day, the company and adventure were wonderful. And it was a miracle-I didn't buy one item. Nope! not one! But I did take lots of photos of the bluff and this sleepy German village. Here is one of my fav shots I still have left. Yes, for all my non-deleting of photos even after they've been downloaded, I managed to delete most of them before I got them to my computer. So frustrating!

For Mother's Day, my sister and I took Mom to see A Chorus Line at the Fox Theatre. (Just throwin' it in the mix, folks. I'm getting there!) It's always so wonderful to go to the theatre and this is one of Mom's favorite musicals. I think because it is so Fosse-inspired. Can you say, "JAZZ hands"?!? As an added suprise we ran into a dear friend of mine from youth group days who sat right in front of us! It was a great afternoon.

Okay, so since school has been out I've basically been alternating between fun stuff and necessary stuff. Like...taking Brady to bowling league. He hasn't been doing too bad. He's pretty into it until after the 2nd game (they're required to bowl three). Then he complains his thumb hurts and he's tired. Kids today! I have to find some other things for him to do this summer-we're considering drum lessons and horseback riding. Hmmm...

I got away for an afternoon to see an art movie at the historic Tivoli theater in the U City Loop and to have lunch at the equally renown Blueberry Hill. Since it was on a Wednesday afternoon it was as though we had our own private screening. I enjoyed the Loop so much my sister and I dragged my Dad and Brady there for lunch on Friday that same week. More about that later as it was part of our Father's Day celebration. We like to sustain the festivities for as long as possible you may have noticed!

Oh, and we had new blinds installed in our bedrooms and master bath. These were a longtime coming and they are to. die. for! The ones in the front windows make such a HUGE difference. I should've taken a BEFORE shot so you could get the full impact. But having one blind rather than two with a gap in the middle is HUGE. These were my birthday present from Jeff and his mom. Really loving them (the blinds and Jeff and his mom)!

But mostly, I've been here at the house trying desperately to clean from top to bottom. Going through clothes and papers that have nearly consumed us. I am making some good head way now and after spending a week in the master bedroom and bath have moved on to the rest of the house. Loading up resale stuff and rediscovering just why we fell in love with our house.

I could not do it without this guy.

Yes, it is ALL too much and Peter is helping me work through the process.

In fact, I must get back to my list which is VERY long. We have company coming on Saturday and I want to have everything, but closets and my studio completed. Quite an undertaking, but I can do it! Hope to even have some time to putter around outside. Ha! it'll be more than puttering, but it will be good to get out and do some yardwork finally. If it ever stops raining. Maybe it's a blessing today-keeps me inside working.

If you're still with me after such a lengthing rant perhaps you are someone who's missed reading my silly banter. And I thank you. I'll be back, because you know I always have something to say! (WINK)

I have books I'm reading at night before I fall fast asleep and "good things" I'm discovering for the summer that I want to share. And my list of things to make is nearly as long as my list of things to do. So that will give you something to look forward to when I return. Hopefully, sooner rather than later. And not nearly as long winded!

Playin' Catch Up

2009-05-25T11:19:00.004-04:00

Seems the past several weeks have been so hectic. School is winding down at a fever pitch and with a holiday thrown in the mix that makes for alot of activity! Caught my breath for a few hours at the lake this weekend. Really nice to just BE. Armed with a couple magazines and a book, I spent most of my time on the chaise lounge and enjoyed the chance to relax and take it all in.

Mom and Dad's place is lovely this time of year. Everything is so lush and green. I especially love the dappled sunlight that filters through the trees creating a woodland feel in the upper part of their yard. Here are a few shots I took when I managed to get up from my respite. By the way, I was on the look out for all those bluebirds my dad is always saying hang out at his place. I didn't see even one. Boo!

Today, I'm back at home trying to play catch up. Errands to run, lots of work around the house that needs to be done and wanting to cram in some family time to see a movie and prepare Brady for the end of the school year. Hope to carve out some time this week to catch you up on some of the other fun I've had this past month, too. Lots to say, photos to share, but no time to get it down here-yet.

Hope you are having a great holiday weekend!

Dearest Mother's Day

2009-05-11T13:07:00.007-04:00

What a wonderful Mother's Day I had yesterday. I was able to spend time with both my mom and Jeff's mom as well as my two boys. Of course, my sister was along for part of the day and always makes our celebrations even more fun. The two of us took Mom to lunch at "Cam's place" - Max and Erma's. That way, I got to see him a little, too. Next Sunday, will be Mother's Day Part Duex when Missy and I take Mom to see A Chorus Line at the Fox-we can't wait!

The night before, I made this for Mom while watching a movie with Jeff. When it comes to doodling I am most often inspired by Pam G, but recently discovered this GAL and was inspired by a couple things I saw on her blog and the gift she made for her PAL.

I didn't have a vintage photo album page in good enough shape for the base so I grabbed a mat at Michael's and used vintage French book paper for the cutout. The flowers have a vintage feel, but are new and a Prima item Michael's is now carrying-love these.

And although I copied alot of elements from the original, I personalized it a bit here and there including the vintage paper I chose. The Rose of Sharon has always been a favorite of my mom's and she tells stories of how she and her sisters would use the blooms as dresses for their clothes pin dolls when they were little girls.

And the two phrases I used are favorite quotes of mine. This one from Mary Engelbreit. I was proud of myself for breaking out of the box a little (baby steps, you know!) and completing this project.

One of the things that touched my heart this Mother's Day is what a privilege and gift it is to be a mother. Often taken for granted and many times belittled, it is the greatest role we can fulfill. And so, in celebration of this wonderful privilege of being a mom, I leave you with this poem created by one of my students. May God bless each of you mothers as you care for your little (and big) ones. It is truly the most important and rewarding job on earth!

The Most Precious Sound

The most precious sound might be

the sound of my mother talking to me

telling me she loves me.

The most precious sound of all is

the sound of my mother's lullaby

in my room helping me to go to sleep.

As I lay dreaming the most precious sound I hear

is my mother's sweet voice whispering in my ear,

"Good night sweet child of mine".

i got nothin'

2009-05-09T11:09:00.006-04:00

one of the kiddos at school always says this when he is trying to get out of doing his work. "i got nothin'," he'll say as if that will give him an automatic out to coming up with the answer. well today friends, i've got nothin'. i'm on my second round of antibiotic for this croop that's made a semi-perminent residence in my head and chest and i'm just...kapoot! my body is tired and so is my brain. just nothin' left after a week of trying to get through the end of the school year. who knew it could be like this?! we are all in full countdown mode including the kiddos. i'm hoping once the school year ends the croop will leave and my creativity will return.

until then, while i've been tryin' to get over this yuck I've been making a few more yo yo's and have been inspired to make these after seeing them HERE and HERE.

made some manly ones for brady's teacher's gift this week, but didn't have a chance to snap a pic. they were just like these only burlap and black & white ticking. they looked great tucked into the raffia on the kraft paper wrapping. my favorite thing about these though are the little flags cut from an old spelling workbook. love that pink line across the bottom. ;)

the art teacher at school gifted me with a mini sketchbook to keep me busy in my "downtime" when not grading papers so i've been doing alot of this "in class".

however, some of the girls have spied me doodling and one got in trouble for drawing instead of listening to the teacher this week. oopsie! my bad. just trying to keep the creativity comin' if only a bit here and there.

hope to be back with a mother's day post tomorrow or monday.

until then, i got nothin'...in particular.

along came pretty little May

2009-05-04T00:01:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite Rogers & Hammerstein tunes is June is Bustin' Out All Over from Carousel. And one of my favorite parts is when they sing about pretty little May.

Then April cried and stepped aside

and along come pretty little May...

click HERE to see a clip from the movie

You can certainly see the effect of all the April showers we've been having. The irises are particularly showy, but I've also noticed that the azaleas and now the snowball bushes are in full bloom as well.

Received this jewel from my pal Shirley today. We share May birthdays so we both have an affinity for lily of the valley. Just love these delicate little bells.

Here's to May flowers and welcoming summer. I am SO ready to see the sun and enjoy the warm temperatures. Do you think it will ever arrive-and stay?!?

Life is like a yoyo...

2009-04-21T19:45:00.004-04:00

It's true. Life is like a yo yo. Up and down, up and down. It's that way for most folks, I suppose. Hopefully, with more up's than down's of course. So, how do you recover from a down day? Whether from the ordinary daily things of life or something major like an illness or the death of a loved one. How do you keep going? Stay energized? Cope?

I know I've written here before about how making stuff keeps me sane. And it does. It's a way to work it out, think it through or just express my feelings. I've also been known to do a little retail therapy much to my husband's dismay. And then there's Häagen-Dazs!

A couple of weekends ago, I was decompressing on a Saturday morning and started making these little cuties.

I'd been wanting to try this technique and hope this summer to make a throw out of them. Of course, they'll have to be a little bigger than these! Doing this handwork was soothing and I love that accumulating them in this pretty jar is so gratifying. And it gave me lots of time to breathe in and out and do some thinking.

So tell me, when life gives you lemons how do you make lemonade? When the going gets tough where do you go? How do you recover from one of those days? I hope you'll take the time to share with me and all my blog visitors.

P.S. You may recognize the fabric I used for my yo yo's. I used scraps of the Heather Bailey material from one of the quilts I made at Christmas time. A great "green" project in honor of Earth Day tomorrow. :)

picnik-ing

2009-04-19T23:39:00.001-04:00

113_1838, originally uploaded by psmullican.

Having some fun tonight using picnik via flickr. I always feel like I'm the last one at the party, but I finally decided to give this a try. Just not brave enough to learn Photoshop. So I like that this allows you to try some fancy schmancy things without having to delve into all that.

Wish you could know what it took to get this photo. I got several good ones in just a short time in the overcast sunlight before the rain set in late this afternoon. My boy just doesn't like to have his photo taken. SIGH.

Love the polaroid look. Love this boy. SIGH

Drum roll, please...

2009-04-17T17:52:00.006-04:00

Retro Groovy Bag No. 15 designed by Lila Tueller, fabric is Soiree designed by Lila Tueller for Moda. Pattern and fabric purchased HERE.

Well, here it is! Finally finished and ready to send to it's rightful owner. Truly, one of a kind. Since I don't have the fortitude to make another. What a shame 'cause I think it's REALLY cute. I'm a sucker for those round bamboo handles. Lots of fun as always with mom by my side translating the pattern and helping me with details. Yep, had to have her help me with a couple things. But that's okay, I'm learning.

Anywhoo. There you have it. Something creative. I'm going through withdrawal though from my paper and glue. May just have to make something this weekend. Trying to hold off until school is out to do some major things, but don't think I can make it. Need creative therapy-soon.

Stay tuned.

Belated Easter Greetings

2009-04-13T11:14:00.003-04:00

I'm getting a little spoiled with our recent school breaks, but I'm not complaining. There always seems to be plenty that needs to be done. Of course, with the additional time comes the temptation to procrastinate. Trying to balance relaxation with productivity is quite a balancing act. Hopefully, by the end of summer I will have gotten better at it!

Anyway, plenty going on around here the past week or two. Cam had a birthday and turned 22. YIKES! How did he get to be that age so quickly? We were able to have a fun dinner at Chevy's with him and his girlfriend last week complete with birthday sombrero and fried ice cream. Followed up with DQ ice cream cake and LOST. He was a happy birthday boy! I forgot my camera at home, but managed to snap this one of the boys once we were back at the house.

Jeff's season is off to a quick start and he's been working on a balancing act of his own. It's that way alot since golf is so dependent upon the weather. And it's been crazy lately-warm and balmy one day then cold and rainy the next. We managed to sneak in a visit with Jeff's folks on Friday. Always so good to see Mee-Moo and Baw Baw.

BTW, Phil Keaggy will be in their area for a benefit concert on April 25th.The proceeds from the concert will benefit the family of Abby Adams, the young girl who recently passed away due to a heart condition. Her grandparents are friends of Jeff's parents. Her family continues to covet your prayers. But I also wanted to help get the word out about the benefit. Several Christian artists were asked to prepare videos to show at the benefit and when asked, Keaggy said he would just come. The event is now part of his current tour and will be held at Aldersgate Methodist Church in Marion IL. The event is free, but a love offering will be taken to help with remaining medical bills. You can get more information by visiting philkeaggy.com.

This year was pretty low key for us as Easter's go. But in some ways it made it much more reflective. The service at our church yesterday was outstanding. The music and drama were both uplifting and well done. Our preacher spoke about the hope that comes from a risen Savior and the power of the promises we have in Him. We followed the service up with a nice meal at a local restaurant, naps and a movie. A very good day.

So that's the relaxing part. Now I need to get on with the productive part. Not as much fun, but necessary. Hope you and your loved ones had an enjoyable holiday, too! Hope to be back soon to share some creative things.

Until then...

just a peek...

2009-04-07T22:17:00.005-04:00

With ALOT of direction from my Mom, I finally finished the project I'd been working on for my mom-in-law's birthday. Turned out great, but lessons learned-not all patterns are created equal and know your limits. As sometimes occurs under creative stress, we had a brief moment of hysterics out in the garage one evening trying to cut through a gazillion layers of fabric to set grommets. Um, and dad may wonder just why there's a grommet through one of his old t-shirts!

Anyway, without further adieu, here's a little peek. I won't unveil the real thing until Friday when we meet Jeff's folks for a pre-Easter lunch and shopping bash. Ha! Linda, you probably thought you were going to get a preview. No way-after all, it's only been nearly a month since your birthday. Don't want to spoil the surprise now!

Oh, and just for fun. This is the one I made.

And this is the one Mom made.

You can tell who's been sewing the longest, can't you? Just a few tips and tricks results in a much more professional piece. I think if I hadn't been exhausted from working on the main project all day I might have done better. I'll be trying it again though. This is a great use for scraps and make great little gifts. Fabric designed by Lila Tueller for Moda. You can get the free pattern on the Moda website.

you've GOT to be kidding

2009-03-27T22:24:00.004-04:00

we may get 3-4 in of snow tomorrow night.

1800gotjunk wanted to charge us approx $400 to haul away our junk. our local trash hauler is going to charge approx $40. thanks for the tip, karen!

brady stubbed his toe. the x-ray said it was broken. i let him gimp around for 3 days, but the "bone whisperers" (mom and dad) knew immediately it was broken.

bare minerals comes from "untouched" soil. hope i don't glow in the dark!

i got approx $170 for the clothes i took to resale this week. i took about three years worth of brady's clothes.

my friends from high school haven't changed a bit. we graduated 28 years ago this coming may-YIKES! good to see ya'll (that's for you, robin!)

spring break ends in 2 days. BOO!

What's for Dinner

2009-03-25T21:01:00.007-04:00

One of my favorite columns in Martha Stewart's magazine each month is What's for Dinner. What I love about the column is whatever meal she features includes an appropriate pairing of dessert and the meal is often uncomplicated, but always elegant.

Well, here's what we had for dinner tonight - Ina Garten's Parmesan Chicken with baby greens and lemon vinaigrette. Oh, and potatoes because I'm Irish and I can't have a meal without potatoes!

And this is what we had for dessert. Strawberry shortcake-one of mine and Jeff's favorite desserts. Had to try this recipe for cornmeal shortcakes. And only real whipped cream would do-YUM!

Having a great week and making progress around here. I'm planning to do some sewing tomorrow again and Brady is planning to play some golf with Daddy. TTFN!

Oh, here are the recipes:

Ina's Parmesan Chicken

from Barefoot Contessa Family Style

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 extra-large eggs

1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Unsalted butter

Olive oil

Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry

Lemon Vinaigrette, see below

Pound chicken breasts until they are 1/4 inch thick. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese Coat chicken breasts on both sides with flour mixture, then dip both sides into egg mixture and dredge both sides in bread crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.

Lemon Vinaigrette

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper.

Ah, Spring!

2009-03-23T10:42:00.009-04:00

So many lessons and parrallels can be drawn from the changing of seasons, but none more so than the change from Winter into Spring. There's just something about it-this pattern of renewal and rebirth that I find so refreshing and inspiring. I love this time of year when we can throw open the windows and breathe in the fresh air scented with new grass, daffodils and rain. Change is all around as the dull, lifeless landscape gives way to bright pops of color--forsythia, dogwoods and redbuds begin to bloom. And the birds make their return and dash madly about gathering materials for their new nests. Their songs accompany the abundant activity of this new season. Ah, Spring!

I'm hoping to tap into some of that spring renewal this week. Brady and I are on Spring Break (YEAH!) and I have list upon list of things to accomplish. However, we're easing into things today and trying to get organized a bit. Thought I'd start here since I've been absent awhile. The nasty cold I had has lingered for more than two weeks now and completely wiped me out. But I'm on the mend and have things to do and places to go! My hope this week is to get my house in order-literally and have time for some sewing and artwork, too. Way more than I can accomplish in one week, but I'm sure going to try! Here's a couple things inspiring me right now. Perhaps you'll be inspired too or better yet, let me know what's inspiring you!

Nothing says Spring like green and yellow. I'm seeing these colors everywhere -clothes, shoes, purses and I'm completely drawn to them! Can you guess why?

Mrs Meyers. I love the idea behind these products and I'm totally gaga for the packaging, but can't let go of my Tide and Clorox. But it inspires me to clean so that's a good thing!

This bag + this material. Need I say more? MMMWAAH!

She is making me want to get back to my art. Love her take on Alice In Wonderland, but her Frida is magnifico! Check her etsy shop HERE or read more about her in the latest issue of Somerset Studio magazine.

2009-03-13T21:29:00.003-04:00

I could star in a Nyquil commercial. All of those classic symptoms-fever, headache, chills, stuffy nose, cough. Yep, I've got 'em. Wouldn't be so bad, but this is the third one I've had this season and they seem to last awhile. They say it's because this is the first year of working at a school. Hopefully, next year I won't have as many.

Had high hopes for this weekend, too. Spring cleaning, working on some artful things, inspiration trips to a couple shops and a facial. Looks like I'll have to alter my plans once more. Hoping to finish a couple of books I'm reading for work, watch a good movie or two and some doodling. Thank goodness for TIVO and the internet. They provide a plethora of inspiration and window shopping when you're stuck on the couch. Perhaps a good magazine and some soup will enter the mix as well. Whatever it takes to pass the time as I try to get better before heading back to work on Monday.

Also, dreaming of all things Lilly. Thanks, Martha for reminding us just how ingenious she was proving once more necessity is the mother of invention. I'm loving her right now as I countdown to Spring Break. Here' a little fuel for daydreaming... 'cause I can't even afford a pair of her sunglasses let alone a trip to Palm Springs!

Sweet dreams. Sweeter tomorrow. Even with a cold. Thanks, Nyquil!

Mmmm-good!

2009-03-05T21:33:00.005-05:00

One of my favorite blogs to visit is that of Alicia Paulson. Known mostly for her charming sewing patterns and projects, she often shares new recipes she's auditioning as well as family favorites. Inspired by Alicia, I'd like to share a recipe I recently tried from the pages of Country Home magazine. With a few cool Spring days yet to enjoy a warm, hearty soup this is perfect for a weeknight supper or weekend lunch. Bon appetit!

Tortellini Meatball Soup

1 c chopped sweet onion (1 small)

2 medium carrots, quartered lengthwise and sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 - 12 oz container reduced sodium or all-natural chicken broth

1/2 c water

1 - 16 oz pkg fronzen Italian-style cooked meatballs

1 - 9 0z refrigerated 3 or 4 cheese tortellini

1 tsp Italian seasoning, crushed

3 c chopped fresh spinach leaves

3 tbsp chopped bottled roasted red sweet pepper

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp snipped fresh basil

In a Dutch oven cook and stir onion, carrots, and garlic in hot olive oil for about 3 minutes or until tender. Add chicken broth and water. Bring to boiling. Add meatballs, tortellini, and Italian seasoning. Return to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 4 minutes. Add spinach, red pepper, and lemon juice. Simmer, uncovered, for about 3 minutes more or until tortellini are done. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in basil.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

2009-03-03T23:33:00.003-05:00

Today is Papa Bird's birthday. Poor dear (and Mom) has been sick for several days with the flu. I don't remember them ever being sick like this at the same time. In fact, Dad is rarely sick. Hopefully, they're both on the road to recovery. No fun being sick on your birthday!

So much I could say about my dad - I love him so. I've always been so proud that he is liked by most everyone he meets. I am amazed with his construction and woodworking talents. Given the opportunity, he could have easily been an engineer. I'm grateful for his strong work ethic and the example he set for us kids. He can tell you all you'd like to know about local wildlife and I love that he taught us to spy hawks, deer and the like along the side of the road. I'm grateful for the afternoon he took me cross-country skiing several years ago and all the trips to the creek and the river as kids and now times spent at the Lake. I love the way he always made us feel safe and I love the way he's at the door the minute we pull in the drive and waving us off as we pull away. I love you, Dad.

Happy Birthday!

2009-02-28T23:45:00.000-05:00

house·warm·ing \'haus-wor-ming\
noun: a party to celebrate the taking possession of a house or premises

You may have noticed the new look of my blog. Well, those who know me well know that was not entirely my doing. Recently, I was thrilled to discover the newest venture by one of my creative idols. Heidi Swapp along with Rhonna Farrer and Janet Hopkins have created House of 3 Design District- an online boutique of their digital artwork, printables and more. What an awesome idea - particularly for those of us too techno timid to try some of these creative effects on our own! I've already purchased several printables along with the new blog couture you see here. And only these gals would be clever enough to come up with the term: blog couture-I love it!

House of 3 is celebrating with a housewarming party this weekend. Check out their boutique HERE and see all the exciting projects and tutorials they've launched and join in on the fun. I'll be working on some of these throughout the week and will try to post when finished. Can't wait to get started!

Best wishes to the "ladies of the house" as they embark on this journey together. Only in a techno-savvy world could they do so from the comfort of their homes literally worlds away from one another. Rock on, ladies!

P.S. I'll be trying on some other blog couture later in the week. Let me know which one(s) you like best. Just curious!

que sera sera

2009-02-27T20:47:00.003-05:00

Whatever will be, will be."

Can you hear her singing? Who, you ask?

Well Doris Day, of course!

One of my favorite pop icons-the voice, the hair, and that smile. Oh, that we could all have that sunny disposition day in and day out. Seems no matter what happened-she just kept smiling and rolling with the punches!

In my role as a teaching assistant working with kids with special needs, I have had to learn to embrace change, to stifle my inner control freak and to adopt a sunny disposition day in and day out-or at least as much as possible. Although I love my new job, it has been hard work (for me) learning to say, 'whatever will be, will be'. But I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn to do so. Here are a few lessons I'm learning by going with the flow...

A smile is a gift anyone can give.

There is joy in giving of yourself.

Be prepared and be willing when the opportunity arises.

Trust your instincts.

Be the change you want to see in the world around you.

Now, if I could only learn to go with the flow more at home!

Que Sera Sera!

Happiness Is...

2009-02-24T16:48:00.003-05:00

Yes. Happiness to this boy is a donut. Truthfully, whether it's on his birthday or not! We got a group hug out of this one this morning. Having lots of fun celebratng today- plenty of happiness to go around. :)

SK8R BOY

2009-02-22T15:38:00.003-05:00

This boy melts my heart. I can hardly believe in just a few short days he will turn 11 years old. The time is passing so quickly. I'm grateful for photos that allow us to freeze time if only for an instant.

More to come of this skater boy as we've already driven passed the skate park twice today and visited the skate shop for stickers for his helmet and a stocking cap. He can hardly wait for warmer weather and is already learning the lingo. Off to buy pads so he can try out on his new board. So fun!

happy valentine's day

2009-02-14T16:17:00.001-05:00

I'm having a "lovely" day - hope you are, too!

Feelin' the Love

2009-02-12T19:18:00.006-05:00

How's your week going? Are you feelin' the love yet? I'm feverishly attempting to get all my valentines made for our party day at school tomorrow. Just some simple things - or so I thought when I decided to make them! :)

I have admired the paper garlands that Pam Garrison has been making for awhile now. Originally inspired by a display at Anthropologie, she is teaching a couple classes on how to make them out of unbleached coffee filters. I know, sounds crazy doesn't it? But trust me-they are very pretty when mixed with vintage sewing patterns and music and other vintage papers. Pam recently shared on her blog a little bit about the garlands she has made using cupcake liners. Yes, cupcake liners! Here's one I've been working on. Just a little valentine fun - I mixed in pages from an old school workbook that was predominantly printed in pinks and reds.

And speaking of feelin' the love - Abraham Lincoln is getting his share today on the bicentennial of his birthday. We love Abe at our house and if you haven't paid a visit to the presidential museum and library in Springfield, IL, I encourage you to do so. It is captivating!

Today, more than ever before we can see the influence of Abraham Lincoln and his ideals on our country. What a moving scene on inauguration day to see him overlooking the festivities as the first African American president was sworn in on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

One of my most favorite things about Lincoln are his quotes. Here are some of my favorites:

All I am, or can be, I owe to my angel mother.

And in the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.

If you look for the bad in people expecting to find it, you surely will.

Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.

Whatever you are, be a good one.

Good stuff. Thank you, Mr. Lincoln. Happy 200th Birthday!

Sweet Nothings

2009-02-10T20:47:00.005-05:00

Seems I'm running in circles this week and accomplishing very little. Energized by the warm weather we had again today, I did manage to gain some ground catching up on errands and picking up & straightening. Hey, sometimes it's the little things! Still, so far alot of thinkin' about valentines, but not a whole lot of doin'. In honor of my progress or lack there of, here are a few sweet nothings . :)

This is a bracelet I made from a Red Lead EZ kit using faux resin. So simple and fun to wear keeping me in the Valentine spirit all week long. Check out their WEBSITE to shop 24-7 or visit their shop in person to fall in love with them. Love these gals!

If you are looking for some inexpensive ideas for Valentine's treats check out Heather Bullard's BLOG for some inspiration. BTW, has anyone seen Strawberry Milkshake WHOPPERS? I can't seem to find them anywhere!

Love these stamps (again from Red Lead) and the unassuming library card pockets. Fillin' these up with little treats and a valentine for my coworkers. Fun, fun, fun!

Finally, I love this new ad from Dior. Yummy candy colors and of course the City of Love is

tres magnifique for Valentine's Day!

I'm off to bed to rest up and give it a whirl tomorrow. Sweet Dreams!

Love In Any Language

2009-02-09T17:44:00.005-05:00

An impromptu stop at Helzberg Jewelers over the weekend yielded my newest collection. I particularly liked the pins in other languages. See the blue one in Hebrew? The one in French is of course my favorite and I have plans to share the one in Russian with one of the teachers at school. Besides being just plain charming, the I Am Loved® pin actually has quite a history.

According to the Helzberg website, over forty years ago Barnett Helzberg, Jr., had just proposed to his girlfriend. Exhilarated by his engagement, he decided that everyone should experience the joy of feeling loved. So he created the I Am Loved® button as a way for people to express their feelings--even if they weren't quite ready to deliver a diamond ring. What Mr. Helzberg realized was that even the smallest gift, given in the right spirit, can have an enormous impact.

Love itself is such a gift. I think it is one of the universal necessities of life. The smallest token of love or friendship can make such a difference. Everyone wants and needs to feel loved so take time this week to demonstrate a gesture of love. Say a kind word, let someone ahead of you in line, say "thank you", make your own valentines for your children or spouse, give a hug.

"Remember, no act of kindness no matter how small is ever wasted." -Aesop

Happy Monday!

i {heart} valentine's day

2009-02-08T22:29:00.004-05:00

Valentine's Day is one of my most favorite holidays. I love everything about it-cupids, lacey hearts, palest of pinks and velvety burgundy, exchanging tokens of affection, whispering sweet nothings, nibbling chocolate. I love it all! Inspired by all things love, I'm looking forward to a week filled with all things valentine.

Check back throughout the week to see sweet somethings I plan to make for my friends and loved ones. Hoping to top it off on Saturday with a yummy dinner for my wonderful husband and a cozy night cuddled on the couch watching a romantic movie. Just the way we like it!

Here's a peek at a card I'm working on for my sweetheart. The Springlike temps and pamg inspired this. Oh, and Ewan McGregor's lines from Moulin Rouge! ;)

I hope your week is filled with love. After all, love is a many splendored thing.

Let's Face It

2009-01-26T21:15:00.004-05:00

You may have noticed a recent addition to my sidebar. I finally succumbed to my curiosity and joined Facebook. I must say, it's a bit addictive-and fun! There are so many options and applications-I love Flair (little virtual pins that indicate your interests). I have been rather amazed at the interconnections we have with others (think six degrees of separation). Looking forward to reconnecting with old pals. The internet certainly makes it easy to keep in touch with those who live half way around the world as well as across town. If you haven't checked it out you should. And be sure to add me to your friends list if you join!

In other news...Brady completed his science fair experiment. He was trying to find out which paper towel brand was the most absorbent. Here he is performing the experiment.

In case your dying to know just which paper towel is the most absorbent, Brady found that among the five brands he tested Viva is actually the most absorbent. We also wanted to find out if Bounty was really "the quicker picker upper". To my suprise (loyal brand user) it was not. In our tests it was actually the slowest! Fun stuff!

Okay, I'm off to check the weather and pray for a snowday. This cold is killing me!

For Missy

2009-01-23T18:53:00.004-05:00

Just a quick post to keep my sister from disowning me. I've been down with another cold-ah, the perils of working with children. I keep telling myself my body is just building up resistance to all those germs! Anyway, just wanted to share a couple photos from our outing to the Blues game last weekend. We had such a great time and were tickled when we arrived to find out just where we were sitting -our seats turned out to be really great. Lots of laughs and as always just good to be together.

Among the usual stuff, this weekend will be filled with basketball and finishing a science fair project-totally on mom duty. If I'm feeling better I hope to find some time to work on Valentines projects that have been laying unfinished for two weeks now. May even try to squeeze in a movie since we didn't get there last weekend.

Have a warm and cozy weekend!

just playin'

2009-01-17T11:30:00.003-05:00

having a lazy morning.

enjoying a delicious cup of coffee doctored up with lots of cream, cinnamon and nutmeg. love that i don't have to leave the house and go to starbucks to have some. will definitely have to make it a treat and not a usual kind of thing. too much caffeine for me, not to mention the cream. yummy. yummy. i could be a barista!

<----- this came in the mail yesterday.

i've always liked the idea of journaling, but have never been very consistent. a journal combining doodling, words and taking away the element of "keeping up"-now, that appeals to me! as always inspired by the one and only pam garrison, i've been doing some playing of my own this morning. right on top of my to do list! need to find my markers-where oh where could they be?

looking forward to a swan sibling outing tonight. we have tickets for the blues vs. blackhawks game. fun, huh?!? i haven't been to a hockey game for a very long time. taking my camera along since you never know what will happen when the three of us get together!

i'm off to hop in the shower and head to target. then more play time with valentine stuff. lots of fun planned for this three day weekend!

enjoy your weekend and take time out to play!

my new mantra

2009-01-08T19:43:00.007-05:00

I have been admiring this poster print for some time now. I was lucky enough to receive it from my pal Shirley for Christmas-thanks, Shirl! Those who know me well would agree it is a mantra I should readily adopt! This phrase is appropriate on so many levels. Just in case you didn't already know, the poster is a reproduction of one the British government posted during the bombings of WWII in an effort to lift spirits. It will be displayed prominently in our home.

Have a great weekend and remember to .....keep calm & carry on!

A Return to Normal

2009-01-05T20:28:00.003-05:00

The older I get the more often I wonder what normal really is. Don't you? Normal is one of those things which is completely relative I think. What's normal for you may not be normal for the next person and vice versa. I never know just how much I like normal until it isn't well, normal. Anyway, all that to say we got back to work and school today and it feels so good to be back to "normal". I think what that really means is it feels good to be back to a regular routine. Up at the same time and to bed at the same time (hopefully). To celebrate the return of normal I cooked dinner this evening. Well, it takes a special occasion, you know?!

This time of year comfort food is just so...comforting. So I decided to use my new Martha Stewart dutch oven to try and make my mom's Chicken Fricassee with biscuit dumplings. I think it turned out pretty well and what do you know-my husband liked it! The kitchen smelled wonderful while it was cooking and it certainly warms your tummy! It's a rustic, hearty kind of meal.

Well, in keeping with normal I'm going to curl up on the couch and watch TV and read for a bit before bedtime. Have a great week and enjoy a return to normal! :)

Year In Review

2008-12-30T02:02:00.005-05:00

Several fellow bloggers are particpating in a Year In Review celebration. I thought I'd join them by sharing some of my favorite photographs from my past year's blog posts. This has been by far one of my most creative years yet. I have been inspired by some of my favorite artists to try new techiques and to venture out of my comfort zone. I may have even found a new passion or two along the way. And hopefully, some of my creations have brought joy to those who've taken them for their own.

I look forward to all that the new year has to offer. I hope to continue to stretch myself artistically and to live a creative life everyday. Thank you for peeking in on my adventures and leaving a comment from time to time. May God bless you in the coming year!

Photo mosaic created HERE as found on this BLOG and this ONE. Check them out!

merry randomness

2008-12-27T13:06:00.003-05:00

happy belated Christmas wishes to you all! we had such a wonderful Christmas and i'm soaking up this time off to rest and relax with my family. we are having very unusual weather here though today-70 plus degrees, thunderstorms and tornado warnings. eek!

i've gotten several emails asking how the girls liked their quilts. i think they were a hit!

although it was alot more work than just buying presents, making them is worth it in the end when you get reactions like that and this one from my niece, Emily. she loved her bag!

in addition to the unusual weather we're having today, it's also unusual that my husband is home on a Saturday. we'd hoped to go to a movie today, but may just stay home instead. started the morning out with belgian waffles.
mom bought me a waffle iron for christmas. i'd bought a pancake and waffle mix at williams sonoma this summer and never purchased a waffle iron. what a treat. they were delicious and this one turned out like a snowflake (it was the last of the batter)!

whatever you're doing today, I hope it's .....

Do the Spit & Roll

2008-12-21T22:06:00.004-05:00

I had another great day sewing with my mom. The projects we make are only half the fun. Sometimes we get so wound up we make ourselves laugh. Today it was Dad who was laughing at us-he said we were like Martha Stewart and her daughter Alexis on Whatever, Martha! He just wasn't sure who was who. We've also developed a new technical term-the Spit & Roll. You know when the pattern calls for pressing the seam? I haven't quite mastered it yet so I always ask Mom to do it for me. I started calling it the Spit & Roll because she dampens her fingers and rolls the seam between her fingers before pressing. I told her it reminded me of the Bend & Snap in the movie Legally Blonde! Anyway, I've just had the best time and what a gift she's given me to pass on her wealth of sewing knowledge and build such great memories together. Such a gift!

*WARNING: if Emily is reading this STOP READING NOW and DO NOT SCROLL DOWN!*

Here's what we made today. This is the Amy Butler bag I made my niece for Christmas. Isn't it cute?!? I can't wait to make one for myself to carry this summer.

Oh, and I'm just about to wrap up the quilts-literally. But before I do I had to show you the adorable matching pillowcases I made for the girls to store their quilts. This is Rachel's which is my favorite because of that green fabric and the wide cuff. I used the cutoffs from the jelly rolls so I wasn't sure if I'd have enough. I was able to squeeze out just enough for a narrow cuff on Morgan's. I can't wait for the girls to open their packages on Wednesday morning!

If you haven't already guessed, I had a Starbucks about 5:30 this evening so I'm am pretty wound up. I plan to stay up as long as it takes to finish wrapping and get this place cleaned up a bit. This is going to keep me smiling all through the night. Isn't she a beauty? I love the marbling and she looks as good as I'd envisioned in my vintage silver container. SIGH

Okay. Gotta update my lists and keep movin'. Just in case you didn't know...

All Thumbs

2008-12-18T19:41:00.004-05:00

All thumbs. That is exactly how I've felt this week. With only 7 days until Christmas, I've been pushing myself to complete the projects on my list and make the final preparations for the big day. But most things I've had to do at least twice and more often than not have given up in frustration. I've been less than inspired in the wrapping department this year, too. Such a bummer since that is what I usually enjoy most. I know I totally overthink things. Like whether or not these little guys should be framed by wire or not. By the time I made a decision it was too late-I'd already glued the buttons on and they wouldn't allow me to add wire without having to dismantle the whole thing. UGH!

This is a project I made from Teresa McFayden's Comfort & Joy eZine.

There have been some rare moments of inspired success. Again, courtesy of Teresa McFayden and her Comfort & Joy eZine. She inspired me to create this little bag/ornament for my Secret Santa recipient. A little tricky with vintage wallpaper so it's not perfect, but hopefully she'll appreciate the sentiment!

How's your list coming? Are you getting everything completed? Are you stressed out or have you managed to avoid all the pre-holiday madness? If you have, let me know your secret!

I'll leave you with the only decent holiday vignette I've managed to create so far this year. I just look at it and sigh. But alas, there is more to Christmas than packages and bows, right? I love the lyrics to this beautiful modern carol written by David Foster. (My favorite version was recorded by Michael Buble.) It's time to start thinking on these things instead of all this other nonsense-at least that's what I'm trying to do-thumbs and all!

Well heaven surely knows

that packages and bows

can never heal a hurting human soul

No more lives torn apart

that wars would never start

and time would heal all hearts

and everyone would have a friend

and right would always win

and love would never end

this is my grown-up Christmas list

TGFASD!

2008-12-15T12:18:00.003-05:00

Oh, thank goodness for a snow day - rather an ice day! I'll regret the day off when summer comes I'm sure, but for today I'm grateful for a chance to catch up. Among other things on the list for today: wrapping up all the gifts,

giving these guys a little character,

finishing up these for gifts, a roast for Jeff, and putting up our tree. Yes, our tree is still not up. But hopefully by this evening we'll be basking in the glow of twinkling lights.

A shout out to Mom who is snuggled in at home today working on finishing up her own handmade Christmas. She is FOREVER my biggest cheerleader. With her help and a little good time management this week, I believe I'll be able to complete all the handmade gifts I set out to make. Love you, MOM!

Hope you'll take time to enjoy all the season holds this week. I'm looking forward to the taking-it-all-in-and-enjoying-it phase very soon. CHEERS!

Christmas Extravaganza

2008-12-07T14:06:00.003-05:00

Just in case anyone is wondering, I'm still here. I've been nursing a horrible sinus infection for the past week or so and like others this time of year, I've just been plain busy. This weekend my sister and I traveled to attend the annual Christmas Extravaganza at my mom-in-law's church. It was a jam-packed couple of days and a real treat for me and Missy to take a little road trip together. I had a whole list of things I wanted to accomplish while we were in town, but it was such a whirlwind of activity that I didn't cross anything off my list! But we did have a wonderful time in the company of some sweet ladies who run circles around us. I've never seen gals with so much energy. They have decorating a space and taking it apart down to a science! And what a party they throw-beautiful atmosphere, fun activities, festive music and delicious homemade food. What a time we had!

One of the highlights of the weekend was helping to make 240+ cinnamon rolls. I'm talking the made from scratch full of cinnamon goodness kind, too. Missy and I accompanied Linda to her dear friend Pat's house on Friday night and spent the evening greasing pans, rolling out the dough and filling it with butter, cinnamon & sugar and nuts. As you can see we had a blast! And Pat was kind enough to send us home with a copy of her recipe-we can't wait to try it next time we're all at the Lake.

As part of the event on Saturday, I displayed some of my artwork. This was the first time I have done this and it was good to get some feedback from the public and to network. My sister and mom-in-law are so supportive of me and my craftiness and I really appreciated them this weekend. They gave me alot of good advice and lots to think about as the new year approaches.

I did a little make 'n take at my booth which I also had never done before. It was alot of fun and I think the gals who were brave enough to try really enjoyed it. Anyway, here are a couple shots of my booth-the lighting was not the best so my photos are a little blurry.

I had alot of fun working on my display and my sweet husband gave me an early Christmas gift to display some of my items. She'll have a semi-permanent home in my studio so I'm trying to come up with a name for her. Any suggestions?

Although I didn't manage to get half the stuff made I'd wanted to take, I did manage to make a couple of new things in between blowing my nose last week. Once more inspired by Carolyn Peeler (she does such simple yet rich in detail pieces), I made this "danglie". I love the gothic window shape and picking a jumping off point and going for it. Anyone recognize the kiddos in the "vintage" photo?

If you guessed me, my cousin Jennifer and my brother Mike you'd be right! We look pretty happy-guess we got all that we wanted that morning for Christmas!

Drawn to that gothic window shape again and our beloved Grandma Alice's photo, I made this one inspired by Carolyn and the Red Lead girls. I kept thinking of the song, "Baby It's Cold Outside" while I was working on it-I love that fur cape! I was pleased with the way it turned out since the night I made it I had been struggling with a canvas I'd planned to donate for the silent auction. I've discovered a deadline seems to stifle my creativity, but the sinus infection didn't help either! Anyway, out of my frustration came this.

Well, I hope you've had a wonderful weekend. It's time to regroup around here and prepare for the week. I love this time of year, but the weeks leading up to Christmas become a bit of an extravaganza themselves at times. There is always so much that needs to be done or we want to do and never enough time and energy. But, oh what fun it is to try!

Have a great week!

2008-11-28T09:48:00.005-05:00

What a wonderful day we had yesterday. It's always a little crazy and loud when we're all together, but that's half the fun! Yesterday was no exception. The weather here was beautiful, the food was awesome-Mom outdid herself and topped it off with a phenomenal pumpkin trifle dessert. I think my favorite part of the day were all the traditions-mom's 38 year old turkey candle on the table, my Aunt Bonnie's cranberry salad, grown-up kids gift exchange, reading the ads and wish books (catalogs) together. Nothing unusual, but there is comfort in tradition and just being together. For that I am most thankful.

I even managed to be productive by getting the binding sewn on quilt #2 (Rachel's). And after such a "loud" day it was nice to be at Mom's machine sewing. Hoping for more of that productivity to continue today. While many are out hustling and bustling at the "day after sales", I'm here at home working on my handmade holiday. Enjoying music of the season and soaking up the sunshine as it warms the house-the perfect setting for creating. All that's missing is Starbucks-sometimes I wish they delivered!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and the beginning of the most wonderful time of the year!

fini!

2008-11-24T18:08:00.000-05:00

One down. Yes. I've finally finished quilt #1. In reality it didn't take all that long. I wish that I'd tracked the exact number of hours. Jeff says about 400-funny guy! I have really enjoyed working on these quilts for my sweet nieces. The quilter has done an amazing job on both of the quilts.

I love the way she played up on all the shapes in the rickrack and the fabrics for the quilting designs. I love the back almost as much as the front! Rachel's (quilt #2) has been quilted I hope to get the binding on it next week. I didn't have a chance to take photos yet so now I'll wait until it's bound. I still need to do some kind of signature tag on each of them and I'm also planning to make a pillow case for storing them by using some of the jelly roll cutoffs for the cuff. But then they will truly be fini!

I wish I could say the same for the other projects that are in various stages on my kitchen island. Not sure when I started working on multiple things at one time, but it's not the best idea. It just leaves more unfinished projects resulting in frustration. I tried desperately this weekend to make some headway, but just grew more and more frustrated after I started yet another project before finishing up the others. Why do I do that to myself? I hope to focus on the odds & ends of several this week so I can concentrate on the quilts and a couple major projects over the holiday weekend. Here's a peek at a couple of the projects I have going.

advent calendar inspired by Becky Novacek-spent way too much on the frame when my junk store frame turned out to be too small. liking these tags, but may start over and make them more french and shabby-not sure yet.

milagros (sacred hearts) inspired by Teresa McFayden-these are addictive-going to make a couple with Amy Butler papers next, but these I copied from Teresa-except for the handstitching-after binding quilt #1 I was in no mood for handsewing.

I almost forgot to mention that a blogging buddy of mine is hosting the MOST AMAZING give away on her blog. Cindy of Hyacinth Quilt Designs is giving away a quilt! That's right-a quilt! Head over to her blog and leave a comment for a chance to win one of Cindy's beautiful quilts. Be sure to say in your comment how you heard about the give away. Have fun and good luck!

Okay, time to get something accomplished this evening-take care!

hello there

2008-11-18T17:33:00.005-05:00

forgive my tardy post about this past weekend. i know i promised to share the fruits of my crafting labor, but i didn't get near done what i'd hoped. although i did make good progress and overall i was able to get alot crammed into those two little weekend days including a movie with the family and shopping. hope to have some show & tell later this week. by the way, i'm loving the project I've been working on that was designed by Teresa McFayden. a little different, but alot of fun to make.

took a couple minutes this afternoon to take my camera out and snap some photos of our holly bushes. they have been so loaded with berries this year and the light around 4 o'clock here is stunning so I just couldn't resist. i've heard the hollies have been so pretty because of all the rain we had in the early fall. the birdies will be very thankful particularly, if we have the kind of winter they are predicting. brrrrr.

check out the wooly worm i caught a shot of several weeks ago on a bright indian summer day. yep, if you believe those sort of things you'd better bundle up. it's going to be a cold one!

have a great evening snuggling inside. i'll be watching dancing with the stars snuggled under quilt #1 working on hand stitching the binding. :)

2008-11-15T10:04:00.005-05:00

Feeling a bit like Cinderalla this morning. This weekend is the 3rd annual Silver Bella paper arts retreat. Today is the Bella luncheon with guest speaker Mary Engelbreit (a longtime favorite of mine) and last night was the Bella Prom. Really wishing that I had gone. The vendor faire last night (part of the Bella prom) would have been worth the drive alone. Andrea from One Hundred Wishes and Deb from Curious Sofa in Kansas City were going to be first time vendors along with goodies from Pam Garrison, Heather Bullard and the queen Bella herself, Teresa McFayden. Oh, well. Maybe next year. Still, would've loved to have the chance to take a class with Sally Jean, Jenni Bowlin and Rebecca Sower again. I learned so much last year, especially from Rebecca.

So today I'm going to have my own little mini Silver Bella. With Starbucks in hand and Christmas music playing, I'm going to dive into my creative to do list. My list includes a project designed by the Queen Bella and an advent calendar by Becky Novacek, another Omaha native. Hopefully, by Sunday evening I'll have lots to show you. Until then, have a lovely weekend!

Me in Rebecca Sower's class at last year's Silver Bella.

photo by Kim Haynes

Not For the Faint of Heart

2008-11-11T23:04:00.002-05:00

Well, I did it. I've completed two quilt tops (with pieced backs). Whew! My mom can testify that there were times-especially this week, I wasn't sure I could do it. As my dad so aptly put it this evening, "you can't be on a time schedule with quilting". That's for sure! But I'm soon to reap the reward for sticking with it. Tomorrow I pick up the first one from the quilter. I can. not. wait to see how it looks after being quilted! Here's a peek at the top of the second one. Those of you have been following this adventure will notice I decided to do the same pattern, but in different material-Heather Bailey's Pop Garden and Bijou. Mom says she thinks this one is her favorite. It's hard for me to choose-I love both sets of material! A friend suggested that I make the girls pillowcases for storing their quilts with the jelly roll cutoffs from the pieced back. What a cute idea, huh?

Off to bed for some much needed rest. A shout out to Mom who has diligently stayed right beside me this week cheering me on. Thanks, Mom! Quilting is definitely not for the faint of heart!

happy birthday to you!

2008-11-03T20:58:00.002-05:00

I've been in quite the blogging funk lately writing several posts, but then feeling as though they aren't blog worthy and not posting them. Hopefully, I can get it together with regular posts again soon.

I'd be remiss however, if I didn't take the opportunity to wish my sister a very happy birthday today. Happy Birthday, Missy! Hope you had a wonderful day. Love ya!

Can You Believe It?!?

2008-10-25T11:48:00.003-04:00

Christmas is only 2 months from today! My lists of things to make and do are growing by the day. YIKES!

I was teasing my sister-in-law earlier in the week about always starting her Christmas shopping so early. She had emailed asking for the boy's wish lists already this week. Then I remembered technically, I've already started my gift collecting. In fact, I took one of the quilts I'm making for our nieces to the quilter yesterday. I'm excited to get it back and see what a difference it makes. And this afternoon I plan to start on the next one. That will be two gifts down. Well, when I completely finish them that is!

Although I won't be making all my gifts this year, I am looking forward to making several of them. One of my favorite things about Christmas is making things by hand. I have piles of books and magazines marked with all the projects I want to try this year. This one is particularly pulling at me. I've been trying to find a similiar cabinet so I can make this before December arrives.

from Somerset Studio Nov/Dec 2008

And ever since Martha began making those ornament covered wreaths several years ago, I've wanted to make one. Now you can just go out and buy one, but what fun is that?!? I've seen other versions-some out of vintage ornaments which I like best. But I think I'll use new ornaments with vintage inspired colors and go for a moderate sized one. Although this magnificent one by Jennifer Paganelli makes me swoon! Most of those are vintage ornaments!

from Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Ideas 2007

Speaking of lists-check out Janet Hopkins' chic organizer for the upcoming holiday season. I love the modern feel of it. Wish I were near Arizona to make one in the class she's teaching! Okay, enough daydreaming and list making. I've got to get busy.

Have a wonderful weekend being productive or choosing to just relax and enjoy the crisp autumn weather and activities! In between quilting I'll be trying to sneak in a quick trip to the antique mall and Target. Maybe even a chai tea latte-yum!

wannabe

2008-10-22T22:13:00.002-04:00

I've been thinking alot lately about what I want to be when I grow up. LOL! I know, kinda late to be thinking about that. Or is it? What's that quote?
"It's never too late to be who you might have been" --George Eliot

I spent most of my childhood playing school. I fought becoming a teacher in college thinking instead I was going to be a famous singer. And then the first job I landed after graduating from college was-yep, teaching. Then life happened and I got married, had a baby and tried to stay home, but more life happened and I fell into other jobs that utilized other skills and went on with life.

Over the last several years we've had a few challenges with our youngest son and it's become more and more evident I needed to be at home when I could with him. After moving from a full time to a part time job for several years, I recently made the choice to take advantage of a position with the local school district in order to be home for my son when he is out of school and to eventually get back to where I started-teaching. Thus the thinking about what I want to be when I grow up. I'm glad it's never too late to be what you want to be-personally and professionally.

There are so many things I want to be...
an artist
a teacher
in the know
a Bella
relaxed
energetic
skinny
accepted
loved and loving
inspired

ME!

Hmmm.....I feel another creative therapy session coming on. :)

Maria Shriver has a great little book I have on my reading list called, "Just Who Will You Be?". Written during a time of transition in her own life, I'm looking forward to being inspired by this successful woman and how she answered this question for herself. Check it out HERE.

So, who do you want to be?

2008-10-16T20:38:00.003-04:00

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." --Pablo Picasso

I've seen this quote lots of times, but when I saw it today it might has well have been on a big neon sign. It really sank in just how true it really is.

Over the weekend I just felt ick. I needed to make something. Work things out by creating. So, I got to work and inspired (once again by Pam Garrison and Lisa Kaus) I made this collaged canvas for my niece Emily's fifteenth birthday. By the time I went to bed on Saturday I felt so much better. Having that outlet to decompress while trying some new techniques was so relaxing. Listening to Michael Buble on my Ipod didn't hurt either.

Some may think it completely self-indulgent to spend so much time on creative pursuits. But I think the goal should be balance. Finding time for ones self to do art, workout, garden and spend time with friends are just as important as life's other daily tasks. It's about reducing stress, finding relaxation and renewal and stretching ourselves. All good time managers encourage making time in your schedule for rest and renewal. So, however you are able to find refreshment-schedule some in the next few days.

Rest, renew and Enjoy!

P.S. I almost forgot to send a shout out to my niece, Emily. She turned 15 today and will be getting her driver's permit tomorrow. Happy Birthday and good luck, Em!

The Secret Life of Bees

2008-10-11T11:11:00.003-04:00

I love to read and when I take the time to enjoy a book I always wonder why I don't read more often. I just finished reading Sue Monk Kidd's, The Secret Life of Bees. I'd been wanting to read it for some time now and was intrigued by the title more than anything. But with the movie adaptation coming out very soon, I wanted to be sure and read it before I saw the movie. What a wonderful book! I enjoyed it so much and could picture the actresses in their roles as I read. So much so that I almost don't feel like I have to see the movie now-it was that good!

If you haven't read, The Secret Life of Bees I encourage you to do so. It is a moving story of love, forgiveness and redemption set among the racial turmoil of 1964's South Carolina. The author weaves the story of the main character so vividly you can't wait to find out how things turn out for her. Lots of layers and depth to this story that celebrates the power of forgiveness and the strength of women.

Here are a few "secrets" I learned from the book:

Live a life of no regrets.

Sisterhood is a powerful thing.

Healing comes in time.

Forgiveness is more necessary for you than the other person.

Like women, bees are wonderfully complicated creatures.

One of the greatest gifts you can give is to allow someone to tell their story and validate it.

You are stronger than you think.

Love and family can be found where we least expect it.

Here's a little preview of the movie and a clip of Jennifer Hudson singing, You Can Make It If You Try.

*The Secret Life of Bees stars Dakota Fanning and features Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson and Sophie Okonedo. In theaters October 17th.

Disney Adventures, Part III - Even a bad day is good at Disney

2008-10-08T19:17:00.000-04:00

We were so blessed to be able to enjoy all of the parks at Disney World. It really is difficult to pick a favorite as they are all so unique. Animal Kingdom in particularl is one of a kind. Part wildlife refuge and part amusement park, it is filled will all kinds of wonder. We had a more abbreviated trip to the park this time, but each of us managed to get to do at least one thing we had really wanted. Brady and Jeff rode Expedition Everest a total of 4 times before finally calling it quits. Brady ended up with a headache and had to take an afternoon siesta to recover. Before heading back to the resort though we were able to see one of Disney's newest productions, Finding Nemo the Musical. This was such a delight! The story of the little clown fish and his rescue is told using puppetry. But not just any old puppetry. Well, you just have to see it to believe it. I was able to get a few photos so take a look for yourself. The music and choreography are broadway quality and the bubbles raining down on us at the end of the show were just the right suprise at the end of this feel good story.

Our fourth day had to be my favorite day. We were finally in vacation mode and spent the day at Disney's Hollywood Studios. So that we would all have a chance to get to do our favorite things we split up a little on this day. Jeff and Brady's coaster count for this park was 6 times on the Rockin' Rollercoaster. I was able to watch street performers, do some shopping, attend a Disney animation class (we drew Tink!) and walk through -a museum and documentary about Walt Disney. We were able to get a turn on the new Toy Story ride and spend time in Pixar Place. What a cool ride-no wonder the Fast Passes were gone before 2 in the afternoon. It's as though you've been dropped into bedroom and your playing the different carnival games in 4D! So cool! But my favorite thing I did this year was the museum and documentary about Walt Disney. What an amazing story about this man who worked his entire life to fulfill the dreams of his imagination until they were reality. He truly is an inspiration to dreamers everywhere.

We rounded out the day by having dinner at Ohana at the Polynesian Resort. It's always so fun to ride the monorail and get a bit of a bird's eye view of much of the Disney property including the Grand Floridian and some of the golf courses. We love this restaurant-so family oriented and the food served family style is AMAZING-especially the bread pudding with vanilla sauce just like m grandma used to make! The cherry on top of our day was heading back to Magic Kingdom for Spectro Magic parade followed by fireworks. A dream of a day!

Our last day at Disney was very quick. We did the Breakfast with Mickey again and I'm so glad we did. This was probably the last year Brady will want to see the characters and this venue just works so much better for us than waiting in line at the parks to see them. They are so good about spending as much time with each child and their family as you'd like while ensuring everyone gets a turn. We rounded out the day at Magic Kingdom and just didn't have near enough time. There was time for riding Space Mountain at least 3 times and seeing the new Monsters Inc show--Brady's fav character this time was Mike Wazowski. I got to walk through Main Street USA a little more and enjoy all the beautiful fall decorations. We always think there isn't that much we want to do at Magic Kingdom, but then leave wishing we'd had more time. It was a little sad to head out for the airport that day. I loved this message carved in pumpkins over the archways as you leave the park-See Ya Real Soon.

I'll close with a quote from one of the songs from the musical, Wicked. Can't help but think of Walt Disney when I hear this lyric: Happy is what happens when all your dreams come true. If you've come back to read all three parts of our Disney Adventures-thank you. Hopefully, I've been able to give you just a glimpse of how much we enjoyed our trip.

May all your dreams come true!

NESTING INSTINCT

2008-10-04T16:01:00.005-04:00

Maybe it's because we've been away from home or the time of year, but I'm finding myself craving wanting to be at home. Cleaning, purging and sorting, sprucing up. Could just be that everything is a mess and I can't stand it anymore, too! Hoping to spend the next few weekends here at home getting things back in order. Then I can get back to all the projects I have swirling in my head.

It's a beautiful indian summer day and I have made a bit of progress. I have my Itunes going and my favorite candle lit and I'm going to reward my progress by putting together a new kit I received today from Kenner Road. You can read more about the designer and her kit club HERE. Very cool seasonal vintage materials to work with-I'll share a photo of the finished project tomorrow. And I'll have Part III of our Disney Adventures so tune back in.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with a photo of the "man in the moon" pumpkin my mom painted for me. Just love him and have been so inspired by my mom lately. She's gotten all kinds of projects completed lately including several I'd planned to try. That's retirement for ya!

Until tomorrow...

Living in the Moment

2008-10-01T18:42:00.002-04:00

One of my greatest faults is that I fail far too often to live in the moment. Either dwelling on the past or worrying about the future I often overlook the blessings of tOdAY.

Several scrapbook bloggers are participating in the Give Yourself a Present challenge. Participants are encouraged to take 10-12 photos representing their life NOW and create a minibook they can carry in their purse and look at each time they run across it prompting them to be grateful for the life they enjoy now. A year from now to the day we'll look at our books and see how many things which were present in our life a year ago may be gone or have changed and journal or scrapbook about it. This is a celebration of your present with all it's good, bad and indifferent. Give yourself a present today and check out Stacy Julian's blog for more info. I encourage even you nonscrapbookers out there to do this challenge. One of my favorite scrapbookers, Heidi Swapp is participating. Check out her take HERE. She's such an overachiever!

Also, this week Ali Edwards is doing her A Week In the Life album prompts on her blog. She has such great ideas for documenting the every day. I love this quote she has on her sidebar. It reads in part, "Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are." --Mary Jean Iron

Check out Ali's blog for great ideas for capturing those everyday moments that fill our memories.

Here's a little more inspiration courtesy of Trace Adkins. Quick, go grab your camera and document your life!

You're gonna miss this

You're gonna want this back

You're gonna wish these days

hadn't gone by so fast

These are some good times

So take a good look around

You may not know it now

But you're gonna miss this

Disney Adventures Part II - Around the World in a Day

2008-09-30T18:02:00.006-04:00

Day 2 at Disney found us at Epcot. It pained me to get off course by switching up our days, but since they were still calling for a bit of rain on Tuesday we headed for Epcot in hopes of better weather the following day when there would be fewer inside attractions.

Epcot has to be our very favorite park at Disney World. Of course, the main attractions at Epcot for the boys were Mission Space and Test Track. I did manage to ride Test Track once. Knowing what was coming made it alot more enjoyable this time. However, it never quite prepares you for slamming through that door and out on the track at 0-70 plus mph in a matter of seconds. Sponsored by GM, the ride ends up at a car show which Brady always really loves. I've never seen a kid more excited about driving. (He's had his eye on my mom's car since he was just a tot!) He got in the driver's seat of every car he could including an H3-his favorite in red. I managed to find a car I loved, too-the Saturn Vue in Sea Green. The color matched the tank top I was wearing and was gorgeous! Yea, had to take a picture because I doubt I'll be getting it anytime soon.

The other ride we love at Epcot is Soarin'. We are just amazed by this ride. It truly feels like you are gliding over the state of California-you feel the breeze, your feet dangle, you swoop down over people in their canoes and PGA West and you can smell the grapes as you fly over wine country. If you ever have the chance to do this you must. It is awesome. We've riden it at least a dozen times and never tire of how real it seems.

There is so much to see and do at Epcot. Unfortunately, we found ourselves only being able to hit our favorites. We did manage to make it all around the world this time in World Showcase. Again, this is such a cool thing and you could literally spend an entire day just in this section of the park. I was determined to visit every country this year. Although I did have to skimp on Great Britain and Canada I managed to walk through all of them. I had so much fun visiting with the college students from each host country who man the shops and the Kidcot stops. A highlight for the children and adults, too is having your passport stamped at each country and a greeting written to you in the native language. I decided to make my own passport this year and had a blast collecting stamps and signatures. I'll add my photos to it later for a little album of my trip around the world in a day. We visited Mexico-where Brady sent a hilarious electronic postcard to my mom, Germany-where Brady had a Bravarian pretzel and I managed to spy a Hummel bluebird in a window display, Norway, Italy where we watched a street performer while drinking a Lemon granita and saw examples of the massive cathedrals that make up the skyline of this history filled country. We had our photo taken in front of a Chineese temple and got a taste of a Moroccan village where we spied Alladin, Jasmine and genie! We even made a brief stop in France where I dreamed about visiting the real French markets. And my favorite girl of all was signing autographs as we entered Great Britain-Mary Poppins. What a whirlwind trip we had that day. I love that it gives you just a glimpse of the heritage and customs that make each of these countries so unique.

Our visit to Epcot ended with dinner at Coral Reef in the Living Seas. We had alot of fun watching the sealife in the massive aquarium which is the focal point of this restaurant. The divers inside are so funny as they swim up to the tables along the glass. They say sometimes you can even spy Mickey swimming in the tank, but we didn't see him this time. We did see HUGE sea turtles and a manna ray and had fun trying to identify some of the other fish. I had the best mahi mahi with a mango chutney-delish! We had great service and it was nice just to slow down and relax and enjoy a nice dinner together. This year we didn't stay for Illuminations (the nightly fireworks over the lake in World Showcase), but we could see alot of it as we walked to catch the shuttle back to our resort. Epcot is really the prettiest at nightime I think. I especially love the twinkly lights embedded in the walkway as you pass through Innoventions on the way out of the park and all of the fountains changing colors as they dance.

Check back soon for some of the highlights of our day at Animal Kingdom. I promise it won't be nearly as long! ;)

Disney Adventures, Part I - Hurry Up and Wait

2008-09-28T17:05:00.000-04:00

WOW! Our trip is starting to catch up with me. I literally crashed yesterday staying in my pj's all day. Today I did manage to get to church and teach Sunday School, but was more tired today than yesterday. Took a loooong nap this afternoon to try and catch up. Not sure if I'm ready for the week to begin, but ready or not. Right?

We had another wonderful trip to Disney World. So grateful that we could make this trip again knowing it could be the last trip like that for awhile. We felt guilty at times with all that was going on economically during the week. Trust me, we're on lockdown over here. Those of you aware of Jeff's winter mode know what I mean. Well, you can triple or quadruple that now. :)

It was a good trip, but it did have it's share of hiccups at the beginning. Starting with Jeff and me being out of it at check-in and realizing on the resort shuttle that we had forgotten to get our keys (to the kingdom) at the front desk which was now almost two miles away. Fortunately, you can just keep going round the circuit 'til you get to where you want to go. In the meantime, the very diligent Albert from Honduras who had waited on us at the front desk sent a runner to meet us at our room with our keys! No worries. They just cancelled and reloaded our keys. Okay, back on the shuttle.

We made it to Hollywood Studios just in time for the skies to open up and start raining. It rained pretty much all afternoon. Guess where the umbrella and ponchos were? Yep, at the resort. We'd been in such a hurry to get to the park to start riding the Rockin' Rollercoaster that there'd been no time to grab such necessities. Managed to find cover in and out of venues, but by the time we made it to Epcot I finally just gave in and put on Jeff's ball cap and carried on.

Evening of our first day found us at Jeff's favorite restaurant, Le Cellier in Canada at World Showcase in Epcot. We made all of our dinner reservations 6-8 months prior, but found that on one of the busiest nights of the year they had our reservation scheduled for the night prior. We gently explained it was clearly a mistake because last night we ate Hamburger Helper and were packing. In true Disney fashion, they managed to get us in and Jeff enjoyed not one, but two filets! Yes, Brady now eats from the adult menu at Disney and was not hungry, but overly tired and well, Jeff just couldn't see that steak go to waste! And believe it or not, afterwards Jeff and Brady managed to ride on Soarin' before going back to the resort. Quite a full first day!

More to come of our Disney adventures which I'm happy to report only had one more hiccup the entire trip! It's good to be home, but we're experiencing post-vacation blues and we have lots to catch up on around here. I was hoping the fairy godmothers would have cleaned this place up a bit while I was gone! Anyway, might be a day or so before I post again, but please check back. I was particularly touched this year by Walt Disney's life story and want to share some interesting things I learned about him.

Remember, dreams do come true!

YOO-WHooo

2008-09-24T08:00:00.006-04:00

*EDITED Sat, 2/27/08: okay, so I thought I was being SO clever to do this in advance. We got in late last night and just checking emails and such this morning and discovered that I forgot to "post" so this would have posted as planned on Wednesday. LOL
More to come about our Disney adventures later.

Guess where I am? Just wanted to say hello and that I'm thinking of you all. Here's a little hint if you're still wondering where oh where I might be...

M-I-C see ya real soon! K-E-Y why? because I like you! M-O-U-S-E!

Have a great week wherever you are!

Creative Therapy

2008-09-19T17:27:00.000-04:00

I have been reading about a blog for awhile called Creative Therapy. Finally decided to check it out and found their catalysts to be intriguing. I found one of the most recent particularly intriguing: "What talent/ability do you wish you had?". The idea behind the Creative Therapy blog is to use each catalyst for a little art therapy. The site has a team of contributors who then invite readers to participate in the catalyst. Although I did not post mine, here is my therapy session in art. I was inspired by several collage artists-Pam Garrison, Anahata, Corey Moortgat and Lisa Kaus. Mostly, Pam Garrison though.

I went a little off the beaten path as far as the catalyst was concerned. I've been missing this part of me that was such a huge part of my life for so long. It was who I was. What I was known for. My identity. When I gave it up I lost a part of myself. That's a big reason I've been on this creative journey. I needed a way to express myself and to be able to identify with myself again. My music brought me great joy for many years and I cherish so many wonderful memories of sharing it with others.

I often wonder if I would still be able to sing and perform like before or if I am even capable of putting myself out there and opening myself up in this way again. Not sure how I did it all those years before. But sometimes I think about it and remember what it was like when I would SING.

Check out Creative Therapy and plan a session of your own. It's good for the soul!

UNHAPPY CAMPER

2008-09-18T17:53:00.003-04:00

<-----We received this letter in the mail yesterday from our boy. Just in case you can't quite make it out, it reads:

Dear Mom and Dad,

I'm not having fun here at camp. Please pick me up as early as possible or as soon as possible on Tuesday. I miss you guys sooooooooooooo much.

P.S. Please hurry. I have to clean the toilets tomorrow.

Love, Brady

Priceless. It's Thursday and he's made it through the whole week of camp. I hope he's still speaking to us when he get home tonight. We're so proud of him. We never thought he'd go let alone stick it out the entire time. Can't wait to see him and hear about his toilet cleaning experience!

Water, Water Everywhere

2008-09-14T20:20:00.004-04:00

It was appropriate that our lesson through the Bible in Sunday School class this morning was on Noah and the flood. Ike made it's way inland and arrived here early this morning and dumped several inches of rain. The ground was already wet from rain earlier in the week and we've had an exceptionally cool and wet summer by comparison to most summers. The creeks and streams just couldn't take it. This was the excitement we saw after our lesson on Noah.

This is the golf course and driving range where my husband works. My husband's clubs are inside. He's not a happy camper since he has a tournament tomorrow. We're hoping the water quickly recedes back into the creek from which it came. The ducks, well they're just swell. And the froggie he seemed a little lost. He's almost as green as a pickle! (Sorry, Mom-just couldn't resist getting a picture of him.) And look at that worm. Yep, it's a worm nearly ten inches long-thought it was a snake at first. And check out the fellas in the sailboat. We weren't sure who they were, but I guess they saw an opportunity to work on their skills. There was a decent sized crowd standing "on shore" cheering them on.

We've had lots of excitement today. Our little guy headed off to fifth grade camp this afternoon. I'm sure he'll do great, but it's hard to let him go and have these adventures. I know he's in good hands and I'm going to keep busy while he's gone so I won't think about it.

<---This is Mr Hirschi, his teacher. He is VERY tall. Brady's trying to do bunny ears over his head!

I'll remind myself of the lesson we had today in Sunday School this morning that God keeps his promises and that he's in control. I'll be thinking of those in Texas and Louisiana tonight too and the long days many of them have ahead. I'm hoping there will be a rainbow in the sky just for them.

10

2008-09-12T16:11:00.000-04:00

Just 10 short days until we leave for Disney. I can't wait. Not just because this is one of my favorite places, but because we have needed this vacation for such a long time. In fact, it probably wouldn't matter if we weren't going anywhere at all, but we'll be happy to get away from it all with Mickey and all of his friends.

Here's a list of the Top Ten things I'm looking forward to the most.

10. Taking a "class" with one of the Disney animators. I'm hoping Brady will do this with me again. He really suprised me last time and got into it. Wonder who we'll get to draw this time?

9. Dinner at the Polynesian-we didn't really know what to expect last time so we're happy for a do over. We did get a walking tour of this property last time though-we got off the tram at the wrong stop! It's like you have been dropped off on a Pacific Island-all the plants are so lush and beautiful. I hope Brady gets a chance to do the coconut race this time.

8. World Showcase-there is so much to see that we didn't make it all the way around the world last time. Hoping to get to the other side and spend a bit more time in Paris-since that's probably the closest I'll get. Can't wait to see Alice and Mary Poppins and watch the Beatles perform in merry old England again, too.

7. The Living Seas Aquarium-we didn't walk through this last time so I'm hoping to get to do so this year. The tanks are HUGE!

6. A Bug's Life 3D-this totally makes you feel like a kid again. Every sense gets a workout and everything seems so real. Not sure I can get Brady to go back to this one. It kind of gave him the heeby-jeebies.

5. Soarin'-the imagineers worked overtime on this one! You truly feel like you are gliding over California. Wonder if we'll be able to see Arnold waving at us! Seriously, you can smell the grapes as you pass over wine country. It's awesome!

4. The Spectro Magic Parade-we had a great place to see this parade last time. Hope we're as lucky this year. This is an AMAZING parade and all of the characters come out for this one. Cinderella's coach is my favorite with Prince Charming on board.

3. WISHES-there's nothing quite like fireworks at Disney. And even tho' I know it's really just someone on a zipline, there's something magical about Tinkerbell flying towards Cinderella's castle to start the show.

2. Stopping to look around and realizing all of this was because one man had a dream and followed his heart.

1. Just spending uninterrupted time together making memories. That's the absolute best part of a vacation no matter where you go!

It was hard to limit this list to just ten things. It's so much fun watching Jeff and Brady interact at the parks. They canNOT wait to ride Yedi mountain or the Rockin' Rollercoaster. The most adventurous I got on the coasters last time was to ride Test Track at Epcot. It is very cool-my dad and brother would love it. Then there's the new Nemo show all done with elaborate puppetry and Haunted Mansion that we didn't do last time and riding on the riverboat at Magic Kingdom and breakfast with Mickey the last day we're there. I'm also hoping to get to window shop a bit at some of the shops. See? There is so much to see and do.

Ah, Disney here we come!

Finders Keepers

2008-09-10T17:33:00.002-04:00

Look what my dad brought to me from the lake! Bluebird feathers! Look at that color would ya!?! That blue is electric! Dad had been looking for weeks for just one feather and he told me he found all of these within 50 feet of each other. Kind of don't want to think about that too much. Visions of Sylvester and Tweety Bird come to mind-ewww. Anyway, they are my treasures. Thanks, Dad!

In other Blue Bird Art news, I hope to add a couple more items to my etsy shop over the next several days. Thanks to all of you who have been checking it out. I sold my first item on opening weekend. I may not sell another thing, but it was a thrill to make that first sale. I had so much fun purchasing tissue and making my own tags to seal the package.

Here's the hand-doodled logo I came up with. I'd been drawing this for awhile now since seeing some of Pam Garrison's doodling in, you guessed it-Postmark LA. Still loving that book! I hear the Bellas are coming out with another and I can't wait!

Anyway, I love the idea of the bird in the cage and thinking about it flying free. If you're old enough to remember Mork and Mindy, you might recall Robin Williams as Mork yelling out, "Fly! Be Free!". Okay, that's not exactly where I was going with this, but I like the idea of "let yourself fly". That's another blog post all by itself.

Have a good rest of the week and keep your eyes peeled for the ever-illusive blue bird!