Word for the Day

I cleaned off and re-arranged the top of the fridge with my mixer, cookbooks and a great word! CREATE! I don't need to be reminded to do this each day but I just love seeing the word greet me each time I go into the kitchen!

I am going to wait until we get our new chairs before starting any new charts. Hopefully I won't have to wait too long. The thought of sitting in my very own brand new comfy stitching chair is enough to make me put all new starts on hold!

It feels like our horrible heat wave is over for now. I HOPE! Yesterday was definitely still hot but by no means unbearable and in the 100's! I am looking forward to Autumn now! Cool, crisp days. Beautiful colors on the trees as the leaves change. Even though my boys are no longer in school, I still enjoy the sound of the school bus making its rounds. Pumpkin carving time. Geese flying overhead on their way to find a warmer place to spend the winter! And sweaters!

Harold is taking some vacation time soon. No plans to go anyplace except to the dr or an occasional errand to run. Since we would like to have the house finished up by the holidays, we need to get busy!

Lazy Days

A picture of a collection I forgot to mention in a previous post. Mini Books. I really enjoy them. And they are small enough to put a nice sized collection into a large bowl. Our bookstore usually carries a small variety year round then offers a larger selection during the holiday season!

No stitching the past couple of days but I am only a matter of days away from completing THEIR SONG. I should be finished by the end of the week if all goes smoothly! And I will share one final picture sometime during the week!

There really hasn't been a lot going on around here lately so there isn't much to report on! With the extreme heat, it's been a week of lazy days to try and keep cool.

Dog Days

When I look at how far along other gals have gotten on charts I am only now beginning (or planning to begin) I feel REALLY behind! But as the old saying goes "better late than never" and I'm sticking to that!

Now that I have been stitching awhile again and making up my wish list I have found that I am partial to reproduction samplers, Quaker samplers and samplers featuring birds and/or houses. There are plenty that don't fall into any of these categories that I like but the majority do. Of course, you gotta love those quick and simple charts!

Aren't these little books adorable? My friend, Sheila, sent them to me. She says she bought them but they look yummy enough to be homemade! I have find some special uses for these! The mailman also delivered my new thimbles today! What beauties!

I did some shopping today. Out around town AND online. I picked up some fabrics and threads for AAFG plus several other charts. Everyone at the store was very impressed that I was going to tackle AAFG and asked me to bring it in when I finish! A quick run by the post office to drop off another circle journal. Plus several other quick stops where I picked up a few items for some neglected collections! Then home to shop online a bit for a few more charts! YEE HAW!

It was still hot today but not quite as bad as the past few days! That was a relief! And for those of you wondering how I have been doing on not smoking -- ALL IS GREAT! I just passed my 4 month mark without a cigarette. If you want to stop I highly recommend you ask your doctor to give you a prescription of Chantex!

Goof Up

REJOICE by Carriage House Samplings. I just can't seem to bring myself to work on it anymore. I still like the pattern and hope to finish it one day! It was one of the few charts I had remaining when I began my stitching again and it was mainly started with the intentions of keeping my hands busy until some orders with new charts began arriving. Basically I can say it served it's purpose. For now I will just say that you are on hold, dear friend but I will keep you on my Current Project List (just in case)!

I usually read a few blogs each morning over my first cup of coffee then backtrack to leave comments. This morning I got a comment mixed up and posted it on the wrong blog! My apologies for this! The best excuse I can think of is "it was early and my coffee had not started working yet"!

I spent yesterday evening studying my new AAFG chart and making the list of threads I need to get. I love that this chart is divided into sections. Otherwise it would definitely be too overwhelming!

August is looking to be a month of things to get excited about! New chairs and rug for the living area. Eye exams which means new glasses will be close behind!

Good Vibes

Blogging mistake yesterday. I said I had only 2 circle journals left to do and these projects would be complete but I forgot about one so now the total is 3 more to finish up!

I stitched on THEIR SONG some more and it is really coming along! It should be finished in a matter of days now! This verse means so much to me because of my bird feeding practices. Those of you who know me, know that I feed the birds from the end of October through the first part of June. This covers cold weather and the nesting season when they need a little extra help. From June through October there are plenty of insects and berries available to them so they can eat as nature intended. To help nature out a bit and to keep the birds around, I have planted oodles of berry bushes in our yard. They have many different selections - blueberries, blackberries, pyracanthas, barberries, cotoneaster, viburnums, Virginia Creeper and more!

"I value my garden more for being full of blackbirds than of cherries and very frankly give them fruit for their songs"

The mail man left some stitching goodies for me today! The JCS 10th year anniversary collection of Christmas Ornaments book, Jeanette Crews 51 Little Houses AND (drum roll, please) And A Forest Grew chart! YUMMY! I am already so in love with this one! I need to check my threads and make a run for any colors I don't have!

After some searching I found the doilies my grandma crocheted for me. They were really dirty (probably the reason I had put them away) but have been washed and set back out for all to enjoy! And the room is humming with good vibes again!

Picking out only a few charts from my LONG wish list is NOT an easy task! LOL! Since I am prone to frequently changing my mind I will keep the choices a secret until I actually order them! *UPDATE* I have already changed my mind 3 times since making my first choices!

I'm Melting! I'm Melting!

Another miserably hot day (it got into the 100's) and the rest of the week should be just as bad! During this heat, inside is a good place to be! Thought I would share a picture of several thimbles from my collection.

By the end of the month (if not sooner) I will have enough completed (both circle journals and THEIR SONG) that I will be able to begin a stitching rotation schedule to begin on September 1st. I could start at any time but would like to finish up the previously mentioned items before doing this.

I have finished up my WISH LIST for the time being! It is probably long enough it could be called a WISH NOVEL! LOL! I sure hope Santa plans on being REAL good to me! *wink! wink!*

A list of the first ones I have my eyes on to start are posted below. I may have toss a coin to see which ones get chosen first! There are many more which are not yet listed so not worry! The ones marked with ** still have to be purchased!
1. Willow Tree Sampler
2. Hunt Sampler by Homespun Samplar **
3. Because Nice Matters
4. Birds of a Feather by Long Dog Samplers **
5. And a Forest Grew
6.Home is.. by Sampler House **
7. Matter's Choice by Carriage House Sampling **
8.When the Calling Bird Sings by Exemplar Dames **
9. The Needle Charmer by Exemplar Dames **
10. Crowflower by Workbasket **
11. Paradigm Lost by Long Dog Samplers **
12 Acorns and Threads by Carriage House Samplings **
13. A variety of smalls

The sound of the UPS truck got my attention earlier as I am waiting on several things to arrive! He pulled up at our house. He sat in the truck. He left. Nope - he NEVER even got out! What a bummer to get me all excited and then pull a mean trick like that!

As hard as it will be I have vowed NOT to buy anymore scrapping supplies until my current stash status reaches a certain point. You know the old saying "Waste not. Want not" and I have enough to keep me scrapping for quite a while without any worry of running low!

What I did today: stitched on THEIR SONG, got another CJ ready to mail (only 2 more to do),

Mid Week Heat

Here is my progress on THEIR SONG so far. I am working on finishing up the cherries on the branch then I can move on to another section of it. I goofed on the word "blackbirds" by doing the entire word in black instead of using brown on the last 4 letters. No biggie. I like it this way!

It has been at least a week or more since we have had any decent rain and without some moisture, this hot Southern summer sun is doing a real number on my plants so I spent a good part of the afternoon making sure they all got plenty of H2O along with refilling the bird baths! Nothing like some cool refreshing water on a hot HOT day! I would love to see a good steady rain for several days! And I'm sure my plants would be thrilled for that to happen too!

We are planning to get a new rug and chairs for the living area. A new recliner for Harold and a nice cozy TV / stitching chair for me.It's going to mean some furniture re-arranging but I think it will be worth it!

The more I look at the chart And A Forest Grew by Rosewood Manor (and pictures from gals working on it) I want to get it and start on it! It's one of those "the more I look at it, the more I like it" type charts! *UPDATE* I have ordered the chart and it should be arriving by the end of the week!

Working on my stitching / project weekly rotation chart as well as my wish list! After all, the holidays really aren't that far away and it doesn't hurt to have some ideas ready!

What I did today: Stitched on Their Song, ordered And A Forest Grew.

Some of This. Some of That.

Today is my last day of such harsh restrictions! YEA! Tomorrow I begin partial restrictions and will be allowed to go out among people. I just have to be careful and continue to stay away from small children and pregnant women! That shouldn't be too hard. Also I am not to cook food for others for a few more days.

Also, after today I can work on some more Circle Journals. I have been fine with working on things for myself during this "quarantine" period but I didn't feel that I should work on something that belongs to another person!

These are the faux apples I bought on sale the other day! Don't they look good enough to eat? Also they are surrounded by part of my pie bird collection. It isn't a big collection anyway but there are a few in the kitchen. Most of my collections are a small to medium size right now. I guess because I enjoy collecting such a variety of things and the fact we are limited on space, small to medium collections are best for me! If I feel a collection is getting too large and starting to take up too much space I get frustrated and put it away or on rare occasions have been known to just toss it and start completely over! So what do I collect? Other than hobby stuff, that is!

1. Stoneware mixing bowls
2. Quilts
3. Pie birds / vents
4. Thimbles
5. Gnomes
6. Santas for Christmastime
7. About anything with houses on it
8. Cookbooks

and I am thinking I would like to collect Cross Stitch Smalls such as pin cushions, scissor fobs, needle rolls and sachets.

I really REALLY need to get busy! It seems like most of the stitching blogs I read almost always have some sort of show and tell! A part of me wants to jump in and share while another part of me isn't sure my work is up to the same standards as these gals!

The WIP that I found hidden away yesterday is Rejoice by Carriage House Sampling. I realized that I changed some of colors around and forgot to write them down on the chart! Oh brother! This is gonna be fun trying to figure out colors and match them up!

What I did today: Stitched on Their Song. Cleaned out my scrapbooking area and supplies (still have more to work on). Looked through my other charts for a new start.

A Change of Mind

Here it is the 2nd day of August! Where did the first day go? Oh yeah -- at the doctor's! LOL! Last night Harold slept beside the bed on his air mattress and Whiner slept on the floor (both of them at least 7 feet from me).

Last night I started on a freebie by Drawn Threads (The Tree Keeper). Loving the ease of it so far. As soon as I can poke my head out of this hole (meaning to step out into the world again) I need to pick up some tiny gold beads for it! I know! I know! I said that using beads on my cross stitch just wasn't my thing but this little piece really does need them. Hoping I can do this sometime on Saturday! I hate not having everything I need as I need it! But that happens when you are building your stash up again! Hopefully I will this one finished to show by Sunday!

As I was going through some supplies I found hidden away I came across another unfinished WIP! No telling how long it has been sitting there just waiting for my attention. Probably at least several years! I will be adding to my list of "current projects" and have officially become a "more than one project at a time" kind of gal! LOL!

My August stitching goals will remain fairly simple but definitely good to do!

1. Continue working on building up my stash
2. Post to some group blogs
3. Work on some finishing techniques
4. Complete at least 2 projects this month
5. Print out some freebies
6. Finish up Their Song

Glowing

Today was the big day - in a manner of speaking! LOL! Harold keeps joking around and saying that I will glow in the dark tonight! LOL! Three days of stitching, magazines and lounging about in my jammies!

When I quit smoking, my primary doctor gave me a prescription for some anti-depressants (even though I didn't think I was depressed) to help me cope if I needed it. My moods became unbearable! I was MEAN beyond MEAN and just totally NOT NICE! The doctor gave me these before we knew about my thyroid and he feels that this medication just helped to make a bad situation even worse! So I am now off the anti-depressants and feeling like a much nicer person again! THANK GOODNESS!

I picked out some small charts to stitch on over the next few days! I thought it would be nice if I could add a few more to my list of completed items for the year and get some ornaments done at the same time!

I know I said that I didn't like working on more than one project at a time. This may be changing very soon! I end up getting frustrated with the medium to larger size projects because they are taking longer to finish and I am NOT a patient person! So I need to work on these several days a week and do some smaller ones that are quick to finish on the other days! *big grin* Besides, these smalls are so neat! How can you resist them?

I am VERY tiffed at our town! We have NO cross stitch/needlework shops or scrapbooking shops! Oh we have Michaels and Hobby Lobby which carry a dabling of these items as does our local Walmart but I am talking about stores that specialize ONLY in these crafts! Totally not fair that they are all so "out of the way" from here or in some ridiculously large city that dh hates to drive in!

I totally forgot to mention that we went to the Biltmore Estate earlier this month! FUN! DH had never been and I haven't been since I was little so it was like going for the first time again because I saw things much differently than when I was a child! Today's picture is but one of the beautiful sculptures there that took my breath away!

On the Eve....

When they do the radiation on my thyroid tomorrow I will not be allowed to do a number of things for 3 days. A brief run down of all my no no's!

1. Cooking for people other than myself.
2. Doing other people's laundry.
3. Sleeping in the same bed with DH
4. Doing any type of errands or shopping
5. Being around small children or pregnant women
6. No picking up Whiner or being too close to him which will be hard since he is my shadow!

and I must stay at least 3 feet away from people. Seven feet the first day! So I am planning my hibernation! I am stocking up on magazines and craft supplies so that when the time comes, I will just stay in the bedroom and enjoy my mini vacation - of sorts!

Even after the treatment (a pill), it will take about 4 months for the radiation to eat away the bad part of my thyroid completely. So I have been told I will continue to have days that aren't so good but they should gradually happen less and less. Unfortunately this isn't an overnight cure but I sure like it a lot better than the thought of surgery!

I told Harold and the boys that there was plenty of food they could cook for dinner while I am unable to cook for them but I know my guys. They will be ordering pizza or a quick run for hamburgers for a few nights!

Harold and I noticed that it is beginning to get dark earlier now. Even though we are still on DST the days are getting shorter. Last week this time, I was able to take Whiner out at 9 pm without turning on the outside lights. Now it is totally dark at 9 pm.

Yes, I am still scrapbooking! Just not sharing a lot right now since I am doing more family than nature layouts. And I have been doing more stitching lately than scrapping. It is very soothing and relaxing for me and that is just what I need right now!

What I did today: worked on my current cross stitch, finished up a CJ to send on, laundry, watched a tv show that was recorded last night and printed out more freebie charts! Can't get enough of those!

Survey Questions

Found these fun questions on a survey in a CS magazine so thought I would answer them here!

What type of fabric do you prefer to cross stitch on? Aida vs. Linen. I tried some linen the other night because I know that most swaps and round robins do require linen or evenweave now and NO aida! Call me old fashioned but I am probably one of the few who are more partial to aida cloth! At first I felt this may cause some problems but then I realized there was an easy solution! I will keep some linen on hand to use for swaps and such while I stitch the pieces that I plan to keep for myself on aida! Good plan!

Do you work on more than one cross stitch at a time? I usually don't like to have more than one project going on at a time. It's too distracting for me to handle. But I can handle one medium/large project and a small (ornament, ect) at the same time! No problem!

Have you ever used hand dyed fabrics to stitch on? Sort of. I have tea dyed my own cloth before stitching on it. Does that count?

How do you feel about embellishments on your stitching? I love the look of beads on cross stitch but I just never do it. Not practical enough for me. Of course I do love adding buttons to help liven up a piece!

Have you done variations when stitching? Oh, this is something I have always been notorious about doing! Changing colors or even the pattern it's self by not doing part of it so that I can finish up quicker! I'm impatient that way! And occasionally I like the main part of the chart but not all the extras. Sometimes less is more! I did a Home Sweet Home awhile back and I left out about 30% of the pattern on it but you would never know it cause it looks great!

How do you prefer to finish off your projects? In a frame or another way? I would have to say both ways. I am anxious to get my "wall of samplers" completed but I see so many boxes, fobs, bell pulls, needle rolls and more that I want to do as well! And now that I have a new sewing machine, I can do a lot of fun finishes! Too many projects, not enough time!

I was told that I needed to list the charts pictured in my previous post! LOL! I might get in trouble if I list them all but here is a brief run down --

1. Merry Sunshine by La D Da
2. Their Songs by Blackbird Designs
3. You are my sunshine by La D Da
4. Season of Rest by Little House Needleworks

What I did over the weekend: Stitched on my current WIP. Bought a couple of CS magazines, subscribed to Just Cross Stitch magazine, ordered the JCS Christmas Ornaments 10th Anniversary Collection, printed out some freebie charts from The Drawn Thread, picked up several new hoops in smaller sizes and some specialty threads.

On the Road Again

Went to see the endocrinologist for the third day in a row! Days 2 and 3 have been for the iodine scan. Next week I go for the radiation treatment. According to my doctor, hyperthyroidism is much harder to control than hypothyroidism. So the point of this procedure will be to make me hypo thyroid then it can be controlled with medication that I will remain on for the rest of my life. I was also curious about the fact that I was gaining weight instead of losing which is a symptom of hyperthyroidism. It seems that it is not very common for this to happen but it DOES happen. Your appetite will increase thus the weight gain. This is what is going on with me right now. It feels like I just can't eat enough! I have gained but not too much and it should come off fairly easily after this is over but for now I sure am loving all the good food and the way everything just seems to taste so wonderful! Just glad to be on the road to feeling like my old self again!

I am anxious about our eye exams next month! New glasses! Hopefully I will be able to cross stitch on something other than 14 ct. aida and the help of my Mag Eyes magnifier! The thought of using 28 or 36 count linen is exciting! But I'm not going to push my luck! I would be happy just to be able stitch on 18 count aida again!
We recently bought a new sewing machine. Definitely different from any other one I have ever used so I need to find the time to play around with it and learn to use all the bells and whistles it came with! Then I can do some awesome pillows and finishes!

Stopped by the craft store on the way home and picked up lots more DMC thread that was on sale! Nothing like a good sale especially when you are building your stash back up! Our mail man brought me lots of new goodies this week! Enough new charts to keep me busy for a long time!

Catching Up!

Ran across a great sale and candles, faux fruit, potpourri, wreaths plus lots more ended up coming home with me!

Cleaned out my closet which is a nice way of saying that I made room for more junk! I will be so glad when we have an extra room (after ds leaves) for storage space!

I was ready to start on my next cross stitch piece when another one caught my eye! I may be putting Mockingbird by La D Da aside for awhile while I stitch on Their Song by Blackbird Designs. I hate doing that but this piece is just screaming my name to work on!

I set up our appointments for eye exams in August! YEA! New glasses are in my future and I definitely need them!

I had the appointment with the endocrinologist about my thyroid. It was determined that it is time to remove the bad part of my thyroid. He gave me the options and let me make the choice. I chose Radioactive Iodine treatment instead of surgery. Much simpler and effective. I go back tomorrow and Friday to begin treatments that will determine how much radiation I will need then will get the final treatment next week.

After that I go back once a month for several months to let them observe my thyroid's stabilization and that will determine whether I need to take thyroid hormones the rest of my life or not.

In short, I should begin to feel ALOT better very soon!!!

Long Days

This weekend we decided to set a goal for ourselves to have the house finally finished up by! I told Harold that I wanted to finally see it how I wanted instead of just dreaming about it! I picked out the colors for the kitchen am so excited to get started again! We did a good bit last summer but came to halt and never got moving on it again! Now's the time! Hopefully I will have to lot to report within the next few months!

The first thing on our agenda is to finish painting. Then re-arrange furniture, get a few new pieces of furniture, a new rug for the living area, get rid of junky clutter (which will be a job for a family of pack rats) and hang all of the pictures, samplers and signs I have made or bought recently. I know it sounds like a lot but actually we have already done a lot of the big stuff and we have most of the paint sitting here just waiting to be used. Pictures are bought and just waiting to be put up. I hope to have a lot of pictures to share showing our progress!

I have spent alot of time working on re-vamping my blog lately. Notice the side bar! Lots of additions and changes! After thinking it over, I have decided to make MOCKINGBIRD by La D Da my next WIP. Yep - another La D Da chart! I am loving their stuff and have quite a few more waiting to get started on!

The new Technique Tuesday stamps, Tool Time and Rocket Man are on my list of TO GET items. I am also anxious to see the new Mustard Moon papers and Autumn Leaves stamps start rolling in from CHA!

I finally heard from my doctor's office and my appointment with the thyroid specialist is on Wednesday! Maybe I can get a few answers then and hopefully be on my way to some sort of treatment that will resolve most of these issues I have been dealing with lately!

Twiddling My Thumbs Wins!

I am still waiting to hear when my appointment is for the specialist! It sure is taking a long time to set it up! *Update* I spoke with the doctor's office and I should be hearing something very soon. They are just trying to find the best specialist for me! So I can either pass the time by cleaning or twiddling my thumbs! It's a coin toss!

It is time for CHA and new scrapbooking goodies! I am anxious to see what all will be coming out. I will have to fight the temptation to get everything that comes out and remember that I still have oodles of unused stash from CHA Winter!

During the past several weeks, I have done enough shopping for cross stitch supplies to keep me busy for quite a while! Patterns (over 20), fabrics, threads, needles, carrying bag and more! Getting my stash built back up will definitely NOT be cheap! LOL! But in the long run it will definitely be worth it!

Now that I have completed the piece I was working on (By Her Hand) I am ready to begin another but which one!! Maybe I will wait a few days and see which pattern strikes my fancy to start on! I realize that the present year is already half over but I hope to have a nice long list of finished pieces by the end of the year for my future "wall of samplers".

Two Times in a Day

Today hasn't been one of my better days so I have been taking it easy with some stitching, catching up on some of the blogs I read and reading new blogs recently discovered!

I have made up my WISH LIST of cross stitch patterns and reformatted my blog to accommodate my stitching also! There are only about 784 patterns I want to get AND complete! LOL! I'm sure a lot of them are older ones but they are all new to me since I haven't stitched in quite a while! Thus the LONG list! I am discovering new designers while enjoying new looks from familiar names! I am currently working on BY HER HAND by La D Da.

Out of curiosity, how do you know when your blog is almost full? Do you start a new one then or just delete older posts?

Just What the Doctor Ordered

Several years ago I was diagnosed with an over active thyroid. My family doctor sent me to see a specialist who kept telling me "it isn't bad enough to treat yet. Come back next month." It seems that since then, my condition has taken a nose dive and I am near what is called a Thyroid Storm which isn't very pretty from what I have been told! I am anxiously waiting for treatment to begin so that I can get back to feeling like my old self again! Oh, I am NOT going to see the same doctor that wouldn't treat my condition earlier! A new doctor for me and hopefully one that will actually do something this time!

In the meantime, I was asked if I had a hobby. Something I could give my attention to. Something to help keep my mind focused and calm. Well, yes I have a lot of hobbies but none of them really seemed to fall into the calming category. Then I remembered when I did cross stitch. That would definitely work but then I remembered why I stopped stitching.

I had to quit this hobby eventually when my eyes paid the price for all of the close up work involved. Over the years I have tried to stitch only to get a horrible headache each time. After all, you can't keep a true stitcher down! Then Harold and I went out hobby shopping. Cross stitching patterns called my name! Oh, but what about those horrible headaches? We found magnifier called Mag Eyes. Different and better than any I have tried before!

I have re-discovered my old love and have been stitching with the help of the Mag Eyes magnifier with NO headaches! I am one happy camper! And my new goal is to keep all the pieces I finish for our home and catch up on lost stitching!

Goals and Plans

No, I didn't miss the 4th of July! As a matter of fact we celebrated with some more day trips! Fun! As soon as I get the pictures downloaded, I'll be sharing some!

Now it is time to get myself back in gear and organized all over again! I picked up several weekly planners because I had found myself bound to the computer calendar which wasn't always convenient! Now I have a planner to use at home and one to carry in my purse. I also picked up a new address book to replace our current one of 20 years! Amazing how much the new one has changed. I also picked up several organizers at www.gooseberrypatch.com this weekend! I just LOVE the stuff here!

I decided it is time to tackle that "gonna do" list! You know what list I mean. I find myself saying "I'm gonna do (fill in the blank) one day" about various things but more often than not they never seem to get done! I have made my list and I am going to start on it NOW! Not so much because they have to get done but because they are things I want to do and I hate leaving them dangling! I don't think I will share my list right now or it might seem too overwhelming and I will end up quitting before I even begin once again! But I will definitely keep myself up to date as I complete each goal!

Where Did the Time Go?

What is the glue that holds you together?

Everyone has something (or several somethings) that help them keep sanity and reality in focus. An interest. A hobby. A job. A passion. For some it is reading. For others it may be more hands on like gardening.

My glue consists of many ingredients.

1. Creativity - an absolute must. If I go too long without it, I feel incomplete.
2. Nature - there is so much to absorb and it has such a restful effect on me
3. Details - I love to look for details as we are out riding around!
4. Family - especially on a good day when everyone is home and content. Whether we are interacting or not, we are still together.
5. History. I love a good historical tour or day trip! Just soaking up history and feeling connected with the past!

Do you ever feel like you are standing still in time and not accomplishing a single dang thing? I sure do! I just realized that my third anniversary to online scrapping is approaching and I have not achieved the goals I had set myself back then! That really makes me sad and also pretty darn mad with myself! What the heck have I been doing? Time to get my tushie busy and start really concentrating on accomplishing (or trying to accomplish) some of these!

Here and There

That's where we went on day trips while Harold was taking some vacation time! It was definitely a rainy week (and we needed it) but we managed to work around it and still have fun!

The Transportation Museum
A Civil War tour
The Mountains with lots of wildlife habitats
and a few unexpected adventures on the side!

I took approximately 700 pictures and am now trying to catch up on some long over scrapping before we decide it's time for some more day trips!

Monday Thoughts

Time for plants and time for planting! Can you guess what I've been up to by that opening sentence? We had over 250 square feet of pine bark mulch delivered last week and I worked on making an "island" in the backyard. When I ran out of mulch (and I need to get more) I began working on the area of our yard I call the "birdie buffet" because of the berry bushes I plant for them in this section! I added two more bushes - a rosy glow barberry and a cotoneaster! I also found a blueberry bush I am hoping to pick up this weekend to add to the group!

We are also looking at retractable deck awnings! The sun hits our deck almost all day which heats it up and makes it almost impossible to sit outside except in the early Spring or Fall. One of these awnings would be wonderful to have by providing shade and cooling off the deck area. It would also help keep the sun from hitting the back of the house so much thus helping cut back on our high air conditioning use!


In the Spring and early Fall, I work in the yard. During the hot humid Summer and cold Winter months, I scrapbook! Like a friend of mine told me -- "Balance. Keep the balance". *big grin*

Time to share another winning recipe! This time it's Homemade Tomato Dill Soup and sooooo good! Bake some fresh bread or pick up a loaf of fresh caraway seed bread at the bakery for eating with this! You can easily double this recipe which I often do! The fact that this soup is delicious either hot or cold makes it perfect for any season!

2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 (28 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
1 bay leaf

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring until tender. Stir in the tomatoes and condensed chicken broth, and season with dill weed, salt, pepper and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

Remove from heat, and discard bay leaf. Use a food processor or blender to puree the soup in small batches until smooth. Serve immediately, or chill and serve cold. A spoonful of sour cream is delicious on top!

Feeling Good!

What gets your blood pumping? Is it a passion? A secret? Maybe it's a little of everything! Here are a few things that really keep me on my toes!

Sales! I love a good sale and saving a few pennies to stash away for a rainy day! Whether it be scrapbooking supplies, groceries or anything else I need -- let it be on sale!!

Words! I love single words! I just got some of Heidi Swapp's new one word stamps that I can't wait to use!

Cooking! I really enjoy to cook when I have a good recipe, all the ingredients and the kitchen to myself!

Blogs! I just love to read them! I often forget to leave comments but I do read them! I love to keep up with my online friends daily lives and see what they are up to personally and creatively!
Mini Books! I love the look of these and the whole idea of having smaller scrapbooks for certain things! I just don't do them as often as I wish I did! Maybe I should work on changing that! How do you decide what topic to use on a MB? Do you only do holidays or seasons? Certain people like your kids? Do you break out of the box and find a fun and different topic or do you just do whatever comes to you with no certain topic or theme?

Stamps! For while it was stickers. Then rub ons. Oh, I still love and use both of these but for now my blood really gets pumping when I shop for stamps! Clear stamps, rubber stamps or any ol' stamp! *GRIN*

Photography! When I have my camera in tow, my eyes are always alert and watching for that special picture opportunity! And what a wonderful feeling to download a picture that completely takes my breath away!

Style! Granted, my basic style is simple but every once and awhile I feel dangerous! Not enough so to completely change my style but enough to add some extra splashes color or a few surprises that are out of the box for me!

Sketches! Recently, I have really been getting into these! And it is so nice to use these instead of moving things around for 3 hours while looking for the perfect layout design!

Stamps and Cameras and Cooks - OH MY!

I admit it. I am officially stamped out! At least until the new stamps begin to roll in! Lately I have indulged in Technique Tuesday, Autumn Leaves, Bam Pop, Rubber Soul, Fancy Pants and other brands of clear and rubber stamps! What happened? When I first started scrapping and up until recently I had no desire to do any stamping and had told myself that even though they were pretty I could use the money on other supplies! YIKES! I fell into the stamping trap! But I enjoy them so as long as I keep it reasonable, who's complaining! Besides, did I mention that I got most of these on sale or with gift certificates? That makes a big difference too! *big wink*

New pictures! That always makes me feel like scrapping! A fresh palette to work with! We will be going to see my folks so that will provide lots of new pictures and we are making plans for another day trip up to the mountains which is always full of great photo opportunities! This time we plan to go up to Grandfather Mountain and visit the nature habitats! Cougars, eagles, bears and more! Yep, there's nothing like new pictures to get my scrapping juices flowing!

Another winning recipe from my kitchen!!

Honey Mustard Chicken
4-6 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup prepared mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
Place chicken breasts in baking pan. Combine melted butter, honey, mustard, salt and curry powder then pour mixture over chicken. Bake at 350 for 60 to 70 minutes, basting every 20 minutes with pan drippings until nicely browned.

Roasted potatoes and corn on the cob will complete this and for dessert try a coconut cake or ambrosia for a lighter touch!

NSD and Food

Well, did everyone have a wonderful National Scrapbooking Day yesterday? I certainly did! I spent it over at Peek playing games and scrapping for the majority of the day! I told everyone here to just pretend like I was gone and they did! No one bothered me all day long - at least with anything major or stupid! *Big Grin*

As I promised, I am going to share a yummy recipe with you today! This meal was so easy to make but it didn't taste easy! My family (which consists of 3 hungry men) enjoyed it alot!

Zesty BBQ Chicken
4-5 boneless chicken breasts but I like to use a bag of chicken tenders
1 bottle BBQ sauce
1/2 bottle Italian dressing
1/4 cup brown sugar
Worchestire sauce
Put chicken in crockpot. Mix BBQ, Italian dressing, brown sugar and several dashes of worchestire sauce then pour over chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

To complete the meal there was corn on the cob, salad (I love to add chick peas to salad now) and a yummy cake dripping with hot fudge (a complete mix from Betty Crocker). GOOD EATING!

Mid Week Tag

Sorry for not posting any updates lately! It has been a BUSY BUSY week!

1. The pros came out about the problem with mice and I am glad to report NO MORE MICE have been seen or even the signs of any and all my dishes have been washed and put away again! I have my kitchen back!

2. We had a free termite inspection done and found signs of the little munchers! I am totally in favor of termite protection no matter what! After all, this is our home! But this finally convinced dh to take action so the house will be treated next week and we will be under the protection of the pros!

3. We have discussed a getting a patio. Right now we have a deck and it's not much to look at! Small and getting very old looking! It needs repair but I would prefer a patio! I might call about getting a free estimate on having one put down!

4. The stop smoking campaign around here is going pretty good! Every now and then I get a craving for a cigarette but not enough to actually light one up!

5. American Idol! I wasn't too surprised about Chris R. being chosen to leave but I was a little disappointed about Phil! In the past couple of weeks (since Country Week) he has really blossomed and shown his stuff! I do feel he will get picked up for a record deal in the near future so I'm not worried about him! Plus I have to say "Bravo, Phil." He showed how to leave the show with class as he sang his final song! He definitely knows how to act like a pro!

6. I have not been able to do very much for that matter. I have been on crutches this week! I had myself a bad fall in the parking lot of a local restaurant and ended up heading over to the closest Urgent Care unit (since it was Sunday) for x-rays. Luckily there were no broken bones or fractures but the doctor did tell me I was going to be in pretty bad shape for about 3-5 days and he was right! Unfortunately certain things still have to be done. Clothes, dishes, fixing dinner, taking Whiner out and with no one here to help me out during the day it leaves me no choice but to hobble around as best as possible!

See ya soon!

A Busy Week

Big week around here! We have a new family member! It's a JEEP! And she's silver! We are the proud parents of a new Jeep Patriot and we are loving it! Sunroof, heated seats and lots of other extras to make traveling even more fun!

Last Saturday was Astronomy Day so the local Astronomy club got together at a known bookstore to help inform the public. I went along with Harold. Mainly as an excuse to ride in the new Jeep and a chance to get some yummy coffee at the bookstore coffee shop! While I was there I picked up two new cookbooks that look fantastic! I can't wait to try to some of these recipes! As I try some, I will share the ones I am impressed with!

Mice! Ugh!!! Since we live outside the city limits in what could be considered a country area, it isn't uncommon for us to see ONE mouse about every 4 or 5 years. We set a trap, catch it and that's it for another 5 years or so. But this time they are coming in one after another and we can't find where they are coming in at! We keep setting traps and have caught 7 so far! I told Harold this HAD TO END! My pots, silverware, platters and more are having to sit on top of the counters because the mice keep running around in those cabinets! I WANT MY KITCHEN BACK! It's time for the professionals to come in! *update* The pros are coming out today! YEA!!!

This month marks the (possible) end of an era at our house! We are smokers -- there I said it! Both Harold and I have quit several times over the years only to resume the habit. We both freely admit that we have no will power when it comes to this. Our doctor told us about this new stop smoking medicine called Chantix (www.chantix.com) that seems to have had good results with others so we decided to give it a try. It works GREAT so far! We really don't miss the actual cigarette. But we have had to change a lot of our habits because certain activities or times of the day were automatically associated with smoking and we wanted to avoid that urge. People who have never smoked really don't understand how hard it is to do this but I have to give credit where credit is due and this medicine is WONDERFUL! We have agreed NOT to say that we quit smoking and instead just say we are going to see how long we can do without them.

See ya later!!

Is there a Tuesday song?

Oops! Looks like I forgot about my blog AGAIN!

What makes your mornings run smoothly? I have a regular routine each morning that I follow or my day feels pretty much out of whack!

1. Get up and dressed around 6am on the average
2. Take Whiner out.
3. Set out Whiner's breakfast and fresh water
4. Put on coffee
5. Get clothes in the washing machine
6. Load dishwasher with dishes that mysteriously appear overnight
7. Make up the bed
8. Take out the trash
9.. Eat a little breakfast so I can take my medicine
10. Get online while I enjoy that first cup of coffee.

Whew! Just reading it, wore me out! LOL!

My tomatoes didn't survive the unexpected cold spell we had. I covered them up each night but they were just too young and tender. I hate it because they were just starting to take off really good but if need be, I can get more. I will have to get some more.We have had some really nasty weather lately with severe storms, tornados and high winds in general!

I haven't had much time to scrap lately and that makes me sad! I feel like I need a minimum number of hours per week to devote to this! For my own creative feed. I need to start putting aside some time JUST for this! And I think that's just what I will do -- starting today! I'm looking forward to Harold taking some vacation time when the weather gets nicer so we can take another day trip. New pictures!! I desperately need some!

End of the Week - at last!

I have come to the conclusion that I won't be surprised at all to see Sanjaya make it into the top 5 on American Idol this year. It really doesn't bother me any more and I don't know why it ever did. Just a chain reaction, I guess. The one thing that makes me sad now is knowing that at least 2 of my faves (Melinda, Lakisha and Jordin) will be sent home because there can only be one winner. Of course there could be another surprise outcome with all three divas being sent on their way. Even if this happens I feel confident that each one will be quickly picked up by some smart music producer and go far in the industry!

These are more of the stamps I ordered last week. Aren't they just adorable? They are Autumn Leaves Astro Boy. Not sure how often I'll use them but I couldn't resist!

I haven't done any scrapping in about 5 or 6 days and I really want to before a scrapper's block completely takes over! I haven't even pulled out my camera in about a week! I have several layouts in mind to do. Now to just make myself sit down and do them! Sometimes that is much easier said than done!

I covered up the plants last night in preparation of freezing weather! I hate how Mother Nature plays these weather games with us around this time of year! Everyone was loving their shorts and flip flops again only to have to pull the sweaters and flannel jammies back out!

5 shows I watched on TV this week
1. American Idol
2. The Wedding Bells
3. Entertainment Tonight
4. Ghost Whisperer
5. Take the Lead - movie on HBO

5 foods I ate this week
1. Fried Ice Cream by Bryers - think I'll stick with Starbucks
2. Zesty Chicken BBQ - new recipe
3 BBQ take out
4 Lasagne
5 Salad

5 songs I listened to this week
1. Sway - Michael Buble
2. Save the Last Dance for Me - Michael Buble
3. I Only Want to be With You - Hootie and the Blowfish
4. Peroxide Swing - Michael Buble
5. Me and Mrs. You - Michael Buble

The List Queen is Back!

Splurging is always fun but after it's over I always wonder why I did it! Impulse buying is not my style but has become a common thing for me to do lately and I need to stop it before it becomes a very bad habit! Best get back on track before I'm derailed completely!

Once again my top three favorites on American Idol this week were
1. Melinda
2. Lakisha
3. Jordin
They have been the same since the beginning. Sometimes varying in rank but the names are always the same.

My bottom three picks for this week were
1. Sanjaya
2. Gina
3. Haley
Exactly in that order! And Gina was voted off this week. I was totally thrilled that Michael Buble was the surprise singer! I love love love his music!

The weather is changing. We have had summer like days in the 80's and nights warm enough to keep the air conditioner running. But for the next 5 days, highs will only reach into the mid 60's while the lows drop into the 30's. My flowers and tomato plants were just starting to take off really well too! Looks like I will be making a trip outside each evening to cover them up to keep the frost off during this cold spell.

I read an interesting article about daily routines. Please don't ask me where I read it because that piece of information has totally vanished from my memory bank for the moment! After reading it though I began to think about our lives and a few of the things that are normal for us. Time to make a list!

It is Harold's job to change the ink in the printer. He has tried to teach me but I just let him do it!

Doing laundry early. I like to get it out of the way as fast as possible!

A pot of coffee is almost always on!

Music. Either from Michael's room, Ryan's room, the computer or the kitchen.

Making Lists. I am the official list maker around here and make a list for about everything imaginable!

Stampin' It Up!

What is it that draws me to buy stamps?

I love them. I buy them. I am thrilled when they arrive.Then I put them away and never use them! What is that all about?

I know they aren't too complicated for me to figure out! LOL!

I will often list using my stamps as one of my monthly goals. One layout gets stamped (usually a date stamp) then no more. Last night I opened my stamp drawers (yes, that was a plural) and I it was too overwhelming for me to even take the time to count them! Acrylic stamps. Rubber Stamps. Foam Stamps. It's an addiction. Plain and simple. But I can think of other things that would be a lot worse!

I have to justify these stamps and the money I spent on them! I feel guilty knowing that I spent good scrap supply dollars on them only to see them laying around in their unopened packages. One of my goals at this month is to scrap no less than 5 layouts.Five is a safe number. No pressure. I am almost sure to meet it and often go over without feeling pushed. I will add another goal to use my stamps on no less than 2 of these (Start slow and build up).

Wrapping up with a few mid week observations!

Some of my flowers are really taking off while others are doing nothing! Seems like these are totally bored with whole idea of blooming!

A breadmaker might be fun to have! Good hot bread and yummy smells floating through the house!

This house needs a good paint job! Inside and out!

It's time to try out some new recipes. Meal time is getting so boring and predictable!

I really don't miss getting all the subscriptions to my scrapbooking magazines I have had in the past. I can usually read and see enough online about it to satisfy me.

Making Choices

Do you ever feel like you have too many layouts?

And if you keep scrapping at this rate you will be totally over run by them! Sometimes I do but then I remember how much I enjoy it and like everything else, it has it's good points and not so good points. It's just a matter of weighing them out and choosing to do what you feel best about!

1. GOOD. I probably enjoy this craft/hobby more than any other one I have done.
2. BAD. The store I bought my albums at stopped carrying them so I have to look for a new place that carries them.
3. GOOD. I enjoy being able to combine so many of my interests into one hobby.
4. BAD. I have been known to spend quite a bundle on supplies when I should be getting other things I need. For instance, my splurge on stamps this past weekend!
5. GOOD. After working on my family history I realized just how important the story behind the picture really was and scrapbooking gives me the nudge to do this.
6. BAD. Too many pictures to scrap. But I don't remember seeing a rule that says I have to scrap every single one (even though I may try to). Pick the best and leave the rest! Just picking out the ones that really speak to me.
7. GOOD. I just can't say this enough - I enjoy it. Simple as that. Enough said!

I have always been an advocate of having a hobby! I encourage my family to find hobbies and support them in their current ones. Hobbies help a person unwind, relax and breathe. Something to focus on other than the problems and worries of everyday that tend to pile up whether we realize it or not. Plus they have an uncanny way of making you feel good about yourself! I can't think of any better reason than that! Can you?

Choice made! I will continue to scrap!

Keeping it current!

What keeps you coming back to the blogs you read?

I have my favorites that I read regularly for various reasons.

1. I know the person writing the blog
2. Good information
3. Good format
4. It stays current
5. It revolves are a variety of subjects that keep me interested.
6. Pictures. Nothing like a little eye candy to get my attention.

I know I am guilty of neglecting at least several of these so I have added my blog to my list of monthly goals over at Peek (http://www.apeekintoyesterday.com/index.html). These goals always help me push myself to accomplish things I would otherwise let slide. Some months I get each one completed while other months I don't but I still can't ignore the fact that posting them over here really does help me! For whatever reason!

The rain moved in on us over the weekend. Nothing like an overcast dreary day to catch a few extra zzz's and my new flowers will definitely benefit from it but this also made it hard for me to get outside to make some new pictures. And hopefully it has washed alot of that icky green pollen out of the air!

Friday Countdown

Ok, I'm guilty! I love love love houseplants! I love bringing home a new one but I am realistic and have my share of artificial plants sitting around as well. These are the ones I find on sale and feel will compliment a certain corner or either complete the balance where a live plant just doesn't work. Houseplants look pretty and fresh plus they help keep the air clean. And the right plant doesn't take much care. Those are the ones I buy. The low maintenance, low light plants (because inside our home doesn't get a lot of natural sunlight). Houseplants are but one of my many loves along with my backyard birds, photography and cheesecake! LOL! Part of the variety that adds spice to life! So now you know. Scrapbooking is not my only passion. There! I said it!

Starting today I will be doing a Friday Countdown at Peek each Friday so it seemed like a good idea to add it to my blog as well! A different topic each Friday and each one with 10 answers.


10 THINGS I DID THIS WEEK

1. Repotted flowers for new container garden
2. Went to the doctor
3. Laundry - of course
4. Cleaned around the bushes in the front yard
5. Went out to eat with Harold
6. Worked on a circle journal
7. Went to see MIL at the nursing home
8. Sat on the deck to enjoy my morning coffee
9. Made a quick grocery store run
10. Fell asleep during a movie on TV

Thursday Thoughts

Very seldom will I do a layout with all the same brands of PP. I just love to mix it up! I love to go through my stash and find older papers that I either forgot about or have become "in style" again! I'm a clean, straight lines scrapper. I'm just not comfortable with it if my design has no flow to it. I want the eye to glide over the finished layout instead of jumping around. Of course, others scrap this way and I just love their results but it just doesn't look as good when I do it! I have recently become hooked on using silhouette borders. They are so simple to make but using one or two in a darker or contrasting color can add so much to the layout!

Michael recently started a new job. Kind of far for him to drive each day but if that's what he wants to do then so be it! Ryan is looking around for a part time job while he still takes classes. Harold has been on his temporary icky schedule at work for almost a week now. Hopefully the remainder of the time left on this will fly by! I am usually able to get a lot of scrapping done when he is working these hours but not this time. Whiner has been driving me nuts! I'm not sure if it's the change in the household schedules or just old age but he will not give me more than 15 minutes of peace and quite before something happens and I have to jump up to take care of the situation! We talk about it being time to have him put down but then he seems to get better so we dismiss the idea and after awhile it all starts up again! But the time will soon come when we can no longer dismiss it or ignore it!

American Idol. My two favorite guys have been bumped off now - Sundance and Chris S. There are a few other good ones left but their style just doesn't really appeal to me that much so I will just concentrate on my favorite gals from here on out. I hate to see good singers knocked out of the loop for others who can't sing worth a toot just because a lot of star struck, giddy 13 year old girls think he's cute! I'm talking about Sanjaya of course. What's sad, is that I think Sanji boy is really starting to believe he's still there because he's good!

The weather is supposed to be cooler the next few days and mixed with occasional rain showers. It will probably feel more like Spring than mid Summer. Just as long as we have no overnight freezing temps, my flowers should enjoy it all.

Chatter

I haven't been getting on my scrapbooking message boards as often as usual. Several reasons. The warmer weather has been a magnet, pulling me to sit or work outdoors and enjoy these perfect days. Harold's schedule at work has kept me busier than usual doing extra things to help him out. Whiner hasn't had very many good days lately and just like a small child, he wants to be held and loved by mommy when he feels bad. I do try to check into my boards once or twice during the day whether I post anything or not.

American Idol is one of the few shows Harold and I watch together so even though we often feel bored with it, we watch it because it is our time to be together. Frankly I just feel sorry for Sanjaya. The little 17 year old boy who seems so overwhelmed and intimidated by the whole thing. Even if he does get voted off, this whole thing will probably leave a big scar on him for a long time! He reminds me of a deer caught in a car's headlights and just can't free himself from the inevitable disaster!

We have looked at some new houses just for fun. Sort of wishful window shopping. It is extremely doubtful that we ever move again but it is still fun to look and dream about a new place with space for things we would like to have but just don't have the room for here.

If you stop by, say hi! I always love to hear from you! And here is a splash of summer color to make you smile!

Hot Days and Bright Flowers

March is an odd month for us, weather wise. It can get extremely cold and even snow one day and the next day it will be a beautiful spring like day in the mid 70's. The past couple of days haven't been cold or even a comfortable like a Spring day. They have been HOT like a summer day in mid July! But the mornings and evenings have been pleasant and those are my favorite times to sit out back on the deck with my camera and cup of coffee while I enjoy the birds. Harold and I decided to take down a lot of older bushes that were starting to die off or getting too out of control. I will replace a few but not all of them. I can't stand the thought of not having another flower garden around the deck so this time around it will be a potted garden. Much easier in the long run because I can skip the awful chore of weeding and just as pretty to enjoy!

With the weather so warm, everyone has started their planting. I honestly think Spring skipped us completely this year! While we were out doing some weekend errands, I just couldn't resist picking up some plants to set out in my new container garden! Red petunias, colorful snap dragons, big yellow pansies, orange and red gerber daisies and of course some tomato plants! I agreed that these were enough to get me started and keep me busy until I go out again next weekend for some more!

Even this Wood Thrush enjoyed splashing around the birdbath today to cool off!

I'mmm Back!

I took a well needed break from blogging as you can see. Not something I like to do because I always guilty for neglecting my "duties" to it but sometimes you just do what you gotta do. One reason I haven't been around lately is that I've been lost in another world! The world of new products over at Peek (http://www.apeekintoyesterday.com/index.html)! So many new and wonderful supplies arriving almost daily! Some delicious new brads by Imaginisce and 7 Gypsies, Basic Grey's awesome new collections, some adorable things from Bam Pop and Rubber Soul plus so much more! Too much to name all at once! It's enough to make a gal feel light headed and woozy!

I recently started in on my spring cleaning routine. It's not Spring yet but who wants to be stuck inside and cleaning when the nice weather does arrive? Not me! The first thing I tackled was my scrapping area. It's more like a scrapping corner but it's amazing how much it was able to hold! As a matter of fact things kept piling up until I just couldn't find anything I wanted or needed. Time to re-organize and I did. It took a while but I am so happy with the results and I can find everything so easily now. My patterned papers are now in page protectors inside binders that sit on the bookshelf! This freed up a lot of space. Now I can thumb through the binders to find the PP I want to use instead of shuffling through stacks of unorganized papers! My rub ons, stickers, brads, stamps punches and more all have their own special "home" now and I can go right to them when needed. I am so happy with the outcome of all my hard work that I have promised myself to keep it neat! After all, it only takes a few minutes to clean up each time compared to hours if I let it go untended!

Plus I've been catching up on other blogs I like to read and the world of online scrapbooking in general. I found it interesting to read about tips for getting published or chosen for a Design Team! No, I'm not out to try and do either one of these. I guess I was amused more than anything. I have no intention of changing my style or scrapping just so it will make others happy. To do this just to gain recognition seems fake. These are my layouts that stay in my albums. I am more than happy to share them online and if they make a few people smile that's good but I will be true to my own style first and foremost! If I haven't been "discovered" by now, it just ain't gonna happen! LOL!

January ends

Alot of the message board people have gone to CHA and the message boards already seem SO lonely!! I need my chatter and gab! I can feel comfort in knowing that they will be picking out some wonderful goodies to stock the stores with! So for now I will scrap and wait for everyone to return so the chatter can resume then all the new goodies will be arriving soon!

My youngest ds went to register to vote after much lecturing from us about how it was his duty to show his support and vote. He received a letter the other day by registered mail from the County Board of Elections saying he had been denied voting privileges because after careful investigation it was determined that he WAS NOT a citizen of the United States!! ROFL! Uhhhh, I beg to differ with them! I should know. After all, I WAS THERE! So obviously their investigation wasn't as careful as they claim it was! LOL!

Whiner has started his new medication and to be honest I am already NOT very happy with it. I realize it has only been 3 days but is he really supposed to get worse before he gets better! Since he started the medicine we have noticed a BIG change in him and it is definitely for the worse!

If there is one I hate, it's being the new kid on the block in a new scrapbooking message board! I like to feel established (so to speak) with my roots firmly planted so I tend to shy away from joining too many new boards for that reason (as you can see in my sidebar links). However, the gals at Scrapper's Bliss have made being the "new kid' a very enjoyable experience and I plan on hanging around for quite awhile to let my roots grow firm and strong!

For some reason I can no longer get onto several of the message boards I have frequented in the past. It has happened before for short periods of time then we would be able to fix it by adjusting or changing the settings on our computer. I have not been able to acquire access to a few of these boards for over a month now and we have tried everything to no avail! I am no longer trying on a daily basis but I occasionally give it a try with no luck. Some people have told me it's possibly my server but we just aren't ready to change to another one yet.

Good News, Bad News

My biggest fear is becoming a realization. I took Whiner in to see the vet only to be sent home because of an emergency that arrived while we were waiting. We went back later in the day. It was a good news, bad news type of visit. We are going to put him on some medication that will hopefully help ease the confusion he suffers from but there are other things that just can't be "fixed". The vet wants me to start preparing for the inevitable decision. It won't happen immediately but he feels I need to start preparing myself so that I can come to terms with it emotionally.

On a brighter note, I am loving all the CHA sneak peeks popping up around the web right now. I need to form a game plan of sorts but that is almost impossible to stick with once all of these wonderful supplies begin to roll into the stores!

More Momisms

Here are some of my Being Mom pages for the 6x6 album I am working on. I have had to take a break from it for now. Other projects and commitments are calling my name and Whiner is needing alot more attention these days. We are even beginning to think it may be time to put him to rest. I hate thinking about it but watching him get worse each day just breaks my heart. No major decisions right away until we have discussed it more and definitely talk with his vet.

New Project

At the beginning of the week, I started a new 6x6 mini book about being a mom! I have been doing a page a day and it has been fun remembering fun things I've said to the kids or they have said to me over the years. Some of them weren't so funny at the time but in looking back, I managed to get a chuckle! I thought it would be fun to put this book together and hopefully one day when my boys pick it up they will also be flooded with fond (and funny) memories. This is the cover and I will post more later!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

A New Year is right around the corner! A brand new clean calendar! It's up to each one of us what we do with it. Each year I make the same goals with a possible extra or two tossed in for good measure. I prefer to use GOALS instead of RESOLUTIONS because I feel that I am taking already important things in my life and putting my focus on strengthening them.

1. To make an effort to learn something new every day. The joy of knowledge is indeed a blessing no matter what you choose to learn.

2. To make time for myself. It's amazing what 15 minutes sitting on the deck with a hot cup of coffee and watching the birds can do for my soul. A little time each day to refresh my spirit is all it takes.

3. To take time to appreciate each day. Too often we forget to see the beauty around us and take the simple things in life for granted. My continued goal is to look with my eyes but to see with my heart. To simply and enjoy life and all that is a part of it.

4. To enjoy my family and friends. I am lucky to have each and every one of them in my life.
5. Organize and Simplify! Two key words I always yearn to make a part of my everyday routine but often lose focus on. Organize doesn't mean I have to go on a cleaning rampage each day. It just means I need to get my life and things that are a part of my life in some of manageable order so that I feel comfortable instead of constantly overwhelmed. Not putting things off until the last minute can contribute greatly to this cause! Simplify! Just what it means - plain and simple! Stop making a mountain out of a mole hill, do what I can and leave the rest, don't volunteer for more than I feel I can handle or feel will stress me out!

And of course the New Year just wouldn't be complete without a few scrapbooking/crafting goals!

1. I will allow myself to create more freely. Stop depending so much on current trends and go with what is in myself instead.

2. No pressure. Keep the fun and joy in scrapbooking. This is why I started in the first place!

3. Get pictures! Enough said. I am sharing one of my favorite photos from 2006.

Wishing everyone a wonderful and Happy New Year filled with everything good!

Holiday Hangover!

I have been really lax about keeping up with my blog during the holidays so that will be one of my New Year's resolutions! It has been such a busy season around here that I feel like I have a hangover now that it's over! DH was working some horrible hours with little time off and we were unsure if he would have Christmas day off but thankfully, they finished up in time and he was able to take at least part his remaining Christmas vacation!

I was in several Christmas swaps with scrapbooking groups and was totally thrilled with everything I received! Not to mention the extra holiday gifts and birthday surprises! I am always sad to see the holidays end but those after Christmas sales sure help to lift my spirits! No time to go check them out today but I am tomorrow brings some free time so we can see what's left on the shelves in the stores!

It's the Most Wonderful Time

I have been very bad about updating my blog lately! Shame on me! Since the holidays began over Thanksgiving weekend, it has been something constantly around here! DH has a terrible work schedule right now and doesn't see any relief from it in the very near future so all holiday plans and outings are still on hold.

I have been busy this week with my holiday baking. So far I have knocked out Bourbon Balls, Rum Balls, Cheese cookies, chocolate dipped cookies, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Walnut balls, sausage balls and eggnog cookies. I still have Cream Cheese Bread, Monkey Bread, fudge, a German Chocolate cake, a Rum Cake and mini cheesecake bites left to make! Whew! But everything taste delicious if I say so myself!

I will try to check back in as I can during the holidays but here's an early HAPPY HOLIDAYS and MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all!

Additions

Just a quick post so I can say I haven't been ignoring my blog to badly over the holiday season!

I am exhausted at this moment from going through all my baking supplies so I can complete my list for things still left to buy! Of course the list keeps growing as everyone keeps adding treats to my baking week! The additions include: eggnog cookies, pecan balls, Rum cake, German Chocolate cake and peanut butter blossoms! Yikes! I may as well pitch a tent in the kitchen for that week!

I hope everyone is getting in the holiday spirit!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I spent yesterday going over my holiday baking list and deciding which week would be set aside for my cooking fest. I decided to start on December 11 and will make one or two items each day through December 15.

Day 1 - Cheese Cookies (Ryan's favorite)
Day 2 - Rum Balls and Bourbon Balls
Day 2 - Fudge
Day 3 - start the dough for my Cream Cheese Bread (Harold's favorite)
Day 3 - Chocolate dipped shortbread cookies
Day 4 - Finish up the Cream Cheese Bread
Day 5 - Cream Cheese Cake mini bites
and on Christmas Eve - Monkey Bread (Michael's favorite)

of course, I love it all! I skipped all the extra baking last holiday season so I am really looking forward to it this year. Thanksgiving will be different this year. Harold has to work (for the first time since we've been married), Michael will be out of town and Ryan has made other plans also. I have decided to save my big turkey for Christmas. Of course I will bake a small turkey so they can still get their left over turkey sandwich fixes!

Once again I'm getting the itch to do 12x12 layouts. It happens every so often but in the end I am always happier with my 8.5x11's. I have a large bed scanner so the stitching wouldn't be a problem but I am just not happy with the color on this scanner. It looks washed out. My regular bed scanner gives me the color I want.
So I will make my arguements for 8.5x11 once again!

a. I still have lots and lots of 8.5x11 page protectors.
b. I still have some unused 8.5x11 albums
c. I am used to size format.
d. the albums fit perfectly on my bookshelf.

Enough said! And I can always roam the online galleries at all the wonderful work in this size!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE!

Finding the Good in the Bad

Yesterday brought sad news. One of my favorite scrapbooking websites/communities will shutting it's doors. I have been here for over 2 years and met many wonderful ladies that I am proud to call my friends. Today I will try to focus on the good things instead of dwelling over something that makes me so sad.

1. The test results (mentioned in my previous post) came back and all is well.

2. I am still working on my Gratitude Journal. I just haven't found the time to scan the images to upload.

3. I have bought our Thanksgiving turkey and have planned out the menu. I've also been stocking up for Christmas baking that will begin shortly after Turkey Day!

4. Ryan asked me to take some pictures of him last night. Maybe I can convince him to let me take some more and get him to smile next time!

5. DH and I are hoping to take another day trip soon.

On My Soapbox

I have been wanting to scrap these photos since our trip to the mountains this month and I finally got it done! We are already talking about our next day trip. We have the destination picked out but the date is still undecided. But I am definitely looking forward to it! It will be a Christmas excursion to see some wonderful decorations along with a trip to their bakery for some homemade goodies!

Yesterday was check up day at the doctor's office. My original doctor retired and forwarded my records to this new place. I'm not too sure I like it very much. I had always been in and out within a time frame of 20 minutes before. I was in their office for two hours yesterday and there was very little waiting. Just a lot of tests, poking and proding! Why do doctors seem to want to fuss at you about every little thing! If I were to live my life their way, I would probably be in a glass bubble instead of enjoying life! I know they are doing their jobs and I respect that. I just ask for a little breathing room during the process! DH has a doctor who was always on his case about one thing or another until one day when dh was at the store and saw his doctor purchasing a few of his own "bad habits"! LOL! Nothing else has been said! LOL!

Blessings

As promised, here are the first few pages of my Blessing Art Journal and the cover! I am loving the size, the book I'm using, the theme and all the wonderful Fall papers I am finding in my stash!

Busy Days

What a busy week it's been so far! Over the weekend, we took a trip up to the Great Smokey Mountain Railways for a train tour of the mountains. Unfortunately, the leaves hadn't changed as much as I had hoped but it was still beautiful and definitely cold! It was nice to get away together even it was only for a day and we have decided we need to spend more quality time together so I am already looking around to plan our next outing!

Later when I was ready to pop dinner in the oven, I discovered it wasn't working! Nothing would heat up! The repair guys are coming out this morning and I hope they find the problem and this never happens again!

It's hard to believe the holidays are just right around the corner! It seems like it takes forever for them to get here then after Labor Day, the calendar just goes into fast forward and they are here in two shakes! I bought some new decorations on sale last year that I'm excited about using this year and hoping for some good holiday photos. I never seem to get those. Also, it's time to start stocking up my dry goods at the grocery store for holiday baking!

Last night I started on my Thankful art journal over at DML and I hope to get started on my circle journal tonight. I will be posting these later! I still love doing my layouts, but lately I have been craving variety and smaller albums seem to fit the need perfectly! Later today I will get a head start on the Christmas Cookie recipe swap over at Peek!

It's a Pink Day

If I am up early enough, I like to watch the sunrise and even take pictures of it in all it's glory. The sky is usually filled hues of orange at dawn ranging from light to dark and no two sunrises are ever alike. But this morning the sky was filled with pinks and blues! Such a difference and just as beautiful! Maybe it was because of the rain we got last night or maybe the heavens just wanted to catch my attention. It worked!

When I see a sunrise my heart feels full. How can you see something this beautiful and not believe.

I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.
(refrain from His Eye is on the Sparrow by Civilla Martin)

Lost and Found

I was working on a Christmas art journal last year and never completed it so I decided to that now! Uh oh! It was gone! I looked all over the house for it and came to the conclusion that when we packed up some of the rooms for the flooring guys to come in, it must have accidentally landed in the trash pile and been thrown out! So I am starting all over on it instead of abandoning the idea! The journal I bought to use is big enough to accomidate the 25 days of the challenge but also hold alot of unscrapped holiday pictures from years past and extra entries over the years to come!

I chose my theme for my circle journal. I will be doing "It's what I have that counts". Everyone has something that makes them feel good so this should be a fun topic! I hope to get the cover, sign in page and intro/instruction page done this coming weekend!

Our trip to the mountains is coming up very soon now! I have been keeping an eye on the weather forecast for the area and as of right now it looks like a sunny day and cool enough to take along a sweatshirt! Just how I love the weather - especially in the mountains! I will be recharging camera batteries so we can take plenty of pictures!

Eenie Meenie Minie Moe

All of the Memory Trends sneak peeks are beginning to pop up around the internet. What are you excited about? I am anxious to get my hands on these great new swatch book impress ons by Danelle Johnson (posted on her blog at http://everydaydanelle.typepad.com/)! I know there will be more "must haves" added to my list as more things are introduced over the next few days but for now, these rank #1.

I am excited about the circle journal we are getting ready to start at DML! I have always admired the work in other CJ's and this will be my first opportunity to do one! I still have not completely chosen my theme. I am using a 6x6 journal and each person will do 2 pages in the book. Right now it is narrowed to 3 possible ideas. a) Seasons of My Soul or b) In My Kitchen or based upon a BOM layout I did c) It's What I Have That Counts. Maybe I should choose by using the standard eenie meenie minie mo method! LOL! Any suggestions? LOL

It's Everywhere! It's Everywhere!

I am just floored by all the inspiration I am surrounded by! The gals in the scrapbook communities I frequent are so talented! I look at their layouts and think "that's how I want to scrap"! I finally caved in and bought a set of these yummy Art Warehouse stamps by Danelle Johnson! As I said before, I'm not much of a stamper but I am determined to use these and the other stamps I have bought! It won't be long now before a lot of new stamps and other goodies are introduced at MT!

The weather is slowly beginning to cool off and feel like Fall! Especially in the mornings. I need a sweater when I take Whiner out for his morning walk around the house! I am hoping that when we go to the mountains this month, the leaves will be at their peak!