Heart to Art

2011-12-31T06:00:00.000-08:00

To the faithful few who still follow my blog, thank you! I don't usually make New Year's resolutions, but I am hoping to spend more time with you here next year. I've missed you and my little online scrapbook...

Two new little ones in the family!

2011-11-03T23:25:00.000-07:00

This precious little girl arrived October 18th, making me a GREAT-grandma!

We'll be bringing this little '57 Shasta home next week, making me one happy camper!

'Wedding Bells' June and 'Independence Day' July Happy Homemaker Tags

2011-07-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

Whew! I finally made my June tag and finished my July tag just in the nick of time! I think a lot of the swappers have dropped out, so it's been hard keeping my momentum going. No new techniques to share. Both tags are pretty simple and involved sewing on trims. I did design the brides dress, veil and sequin shoes though, lol. Thanks for stopping by!

Oops, I almost forgot the link to more Happy Homemaker tags...

2011-05-30T11:14:00.000-07:00

This year a group from CompassionBloggers.com is traveling in the Phillipines to meet with the children they sponsor through Compassion International. Each day they blog and tweet about it hoping that more people will share their enthusiasm and joy in sponsoring children by sponsoring a child themselves. From what I've read, Compassion International is a great organization. I love the support and encouragement they give their sponsors through projects like Compassion Bloggers and these yearly trips.

We have been child sponsors through World Vision and Holt International for almost thirty years because of our ties through adoption. (Melea was adopted through Holt, which began, in part, through the ministry of World Vision founder, Robert Pierce.) Each experience has been different. Some long term. Some short term. Sometimes we've learned more about 'our' child than other times. Some correspondence has been personal, some generic. Of course we love it when we receive letters and pictures from 'our' child, but the most important thing to us is to make a difference in the life of a child who otherwise would have little or no hope. Period. That is our greatest joy and reward. If I can encourage others, if I can encourage you, to find it in your heart (and budget) to sponsor a child, I promise you this; you won't regret it! Feel free to send me an email if you'd like to hear more about our experiences.

Our sponsored child from Ethiopia. (Since 2010)

Our sponsored child from Haiti. (Since 2002)

Happy Homemaker Tags for May

2011-05-09T21:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome, Happy Homemaker Tag-a-longers! Can you believe we are almost to the half way mark? Yep, we are, and once again I opted for a tried and true theme for my tags over the more ambitious options such as Oyster Day, No Diet Day, Lumpy Rug Day, or Potatoes and Limes Month.

My Mother's Day/May Flowers tag is pretty simple, but I thought I'd include a close up shot to better show three of the less visible 'techniques' I used on it. #1. I machine stitched the flower stems. #2. I cut flowers from Material Girl patterned paper to put behind the Material Girl chipboard flowers for added dimension. #3. I folded the Material Girl's arms behind her back to make it look like she was hiding her bouquet for mom.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope to see you again next month. Who knows, maybe I'll go with something crazy for my theme. Which would you choose? National Splurge Day, Waffle Iron Day, or the ever popular Name Your Poison Day?

Happy Homemaker Tags for April

2011-04-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome Swappers! Welcome spring! We've had a huge dose of April showers already this month (39 days straight!), but that's Oregon for you. It's also the reason I went with April Showers for my tag theme even though April is also National Pecan Month, National Welding Month, and International Guitar Month :)

I used a cocktail umbrella I've had in my stash for the umbrellas. The handles were little plastic swords, also from my stash. I struggled over what to use for the clouds. I fiddled with ribbon, felt, craft foam, and cotton balls. I liked the pieces of cotton balls best, but after I stuck them on with Herma dotto I didn't like the look after all. I tried to pull the pieces off but some of it stuck. That turned out to be a happy mistake because I liked it! So added enough Herma dotto to cover the top, added more cotton, then pulled it off.

To complete the rainy day theme I applied JudiKins Diamond Glaze to make a "puddle" along the bottom and over the Material Girl's galoshes. She sure looks happy holding that butterfly. Maybe she's thinking about the sunny days and May flowers to come? I know I am!

Multitude Monday

2011-03-14T00:18:00.000-07:00

76 ~ Memories of Hawaii spraying from a bottle of Plumeria perfume

77 ~ Open hearts like Ann Voskamp's

78 ~ Ann's book, One Thousand Gifts

79 ~ Mr. & Mrs. Duck living in our ditch and eating from under our feeders

80 ~ The wide variety of birds that come to our yard: house finches, chickadees, woodpeckers, doves, hummingbirds, scrub jays, red winged blackbirds

81 ~ Clean water from the tap

82 ~ The machine that washes our clothes for me

83 ~ The machine that dries our clothes for me

84 ~ Grace upon grace

85 ~ Waking up to snow in February

86 ~ Pain medication in my cupboard

87 ~ Winter storm warnings, snow? :)

88 ~ Hard Eucharisteo that means opportunities to trust God and grow in faith

89 ~ Waking to snow. Again!

90 ~ Watching it snow with a cup of coffee from my cozy, comfy couch

91 ~ A happy phone call from Melea (no work due to snow day)

92 ~ Woke up. Again :)

93 ~ Dandruff shampoo

94 ~ Beautiful sunny, clear, crisp morning. 21 degrees!

95 ~ Abundant food choices

96 ~ Full pantry

97 ~ Full freezer

98 ~ Full fridge

99 ~ A husband who washes dishes for me

100 ~ God's comfort and strength during my dad's illness and death

101 ~ New birds at feeder, Varied Thrush

102 ~ Spring is in the air. Lord willing this will be my 56th!

103 ~ The blood shed from Christ's torn body speaking grace for me today

104 ~ The (in)courage book club

Happy Homemaker Tag for March

2011-03-11T10:33:00.000-08:00

Hello, Happy Homemakers! Sorry I'm late to the swap. This picture of my dining room table gives you a hint as to why I'm late. I kept telling myself that I would clean it up so I could start fresh and make a new mess making my tags. But, by the 10th that still hadn't happened, so I decided I just needed to take the plunge, to "just do it," as they say at Nike. So I did. Right on top of all the mess you see here. I hope some of you can relate!

ere it is. I really struggled with coming up with a creative theme for March. As you can see, I lost the struggle and went with the obvious St. Patrick's Day. Did you know that March is also Deep Vein Thrombosis Month, National Eye Donor Month, and National Kidney Month? Hmmm... on second thought, maybe St. Patrick's Day wasn't such a bad choice after all!

Another thing I have been struggling with is using the little Material Girl on all of my tags. Should I, or shouldn't I? I still haven't decided for sure. Will my tags all look the same if I do, or will she tie them all together? Decisions decisions...

One thing I didn't struggle with at all was the button card. I've been anxious to use my new Button Boutique stamps from PAPERTREYinc. There are about 24 stamps in the set so the variety of button cards you can make is limitless. Perfect for Button Floozies like me! And even though I have oodles of green buttons, I "made" these myself from glittered foam shamrocks from Michaels by taking my handy dandy whole punch and punching two holes in the center of each one.

So that's my story for March. Thanks for stopping by! I'm off to the Happy Homemaker Tag Along blog so I can follow the links to your tag :) After I get some breakfast and take a shower, that is!

Inspired Ideas Digital Magazine

2011-02-24T14:24:00.000-08:00

I just bought my first copy of Inspired Ideas Digital Magazine by Inspire Co. It has lots of fun craft ideas and eye candy to browse through and get the creative juices flowing- perfect for a snowy day like today and I didn't even have to leave home to buy it!

Valentine Sweets for My Sweet Valentines

2011-02-13T21:21:00.000-08:00

This is the adorable card I received from Elizabeth, of Bluebird Papercrafts, for participating in her Dolly Dingle Valentine Exchange.

This is like the one I made for her. You really should check out her blog to see all the Valentine goodness going on over there. Check out the links at the end of her Dolly Dingle post for even more fun!

But before you go, a little something I made a few years ago...

*Happy Homemaker Tag Along Swap, the fun continues!

2011-02-09T21:14:00.000-08:00

Welcome! These are my "Material Girl" tags for February. Elizabeth suggested that we share the techniques we use on our tags. Mine are pretty simple really, and not too difficult to figure out, if I'd taken a close up shot, but it's late and the lighting is bad, so I'll just point out a few:

At Elizabeth's suggestion, I sandwiched a cereal box foundation for the tag between the background papers on the front and patterned paper on the back of the card. Then I stitched around the edge a couple of times.

The heart was also cut from a cereal box, then adhered to self-adhesive felt and cut out again. I used pearl cotton thread to hand stitch around the heart and secured the needle in the paper doll's hand for a fun affect.

To stick to my theme of using sewing notions on all of my tags, I also glued a teensy button to her dress and tied bows of pearl cotton to her pigtails.

That's it for this month! Maybe next month I'll take pictures of the steps involved in making the "Material Girls."

Thanks for stopping by,
:Debbie

*Click on the post title if you want to see more tag along tags.

Sew much fun

2011-02-09T11:13:00.000-08:00

I'm having *sew* much fun with the Cosmo Cricket Material Girl collection! Besides using it all year for my Happy Homemaker Tag Along Swap theme, I'll be using it for Valentines like these, and a few more to come.

Welcome Happy Homemakers! Let the fun begin!

2011-01-08T22:43:00.000-08:00

Yeah! I managed to pick my Happy Homemaker Tag Swap theme, Material Girl, and finish my first tag on schedule :) I chose Material Girl for my theme because I love Cosmo Cricket and I love using sewing supplies for embellishments.

The banner on the clothesline reads, "2011," and the words in the grass say, "Fresh Hope," because that's how I feel about the New Year. It's fresh and full of hope! This year I'm hoping to make some new friends as we share this tag along journey. How about you, what are you hoping for?

Hugs,
:Debbie

From my heart to yours ~

2010-12-24T15:55:00.000-08:00

May the love and light of Christ my Lord fill your heart and home this Christmas and throughout the new year.

Love,
:Debbie

Busy baking and...

2010-12-23T20:44:00.000-08:00

~ Looking forward to a Christmas Eve bonfire with our youngest, her boyfriend, and his family. It's a tradition for them and a first for us.

Cute as a Button Cookies

2010-12-14T15:51:00.000-08:00

Since this is one of my all time favorite Christmas cookie recipes, and Christmas is just around the corner, I thought I'd re-post it just in case you missed it the first time....

I've been a member of the Button Floozies blog for quite awhile, but I think today is the first time I've posted something there. International Button Week seemed like the perfect time to share this recipe there and I thought I'd share it here too, but be sure and check out the Button Floozies blog if you love buttons of the non-edible type! For now, enjoy some of these...

Swedish Wafer Christmas Cookies
(from Marilyn Stender to Rosalind Hose to Debbie Doughty to you!)

Cookie:

1 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 cups sifted flour (I'm not sure if sifting is necessary with our "modern" flour, but I do it because I love using my sifter, lol)
Plate of granulated sugar, set aside

Combine butter and whipping cream in mixing bowl.
Mix with an electric mixer, slowly adding flour until well blended.
Cover and Chill until firm
Roll dough out 1/3 at a time to 1/8" thickness
Cut into 1 and 1/2" circles.
With fingers or spatula, transfer to plate of granulated sugar and coat each side.
Transfer to ungreased cookie sheet. They don't expand much so they can be close.
Prick each cookie with a toothpick four times so it resembles a button.
Bake @ 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes. Watch bottoms closely, they brown before the tops.
Cool and fill

Filling:

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg yolk (you can use dehydrated eggs yolks if you prefer. I tried them for the first time with this batch and they turned out fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup sifted confectioners sugar
Food coloring. I usually make half pink and half light green.

Combine butter, egg yolk and vanilla in mixing bowl.
Beat with an electric mixer, slowly adding confectioners sugar until smooth and creamy.
Add food coloring drop by drop until you reach desired color.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

A fun project for the new year!

2010-12-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

I just love Elizabeth's blog, Bluebird Papercrafts. She is so VERY creative and generous with her ideas and images. She also hosts the best swaps. I usually wait too long to join them, or am too intimidated to even try, but not this one, the Happy Homemaker Tag Along. The commitment is for two tags per month for the whole year. Wish me luck!

I blame Facebook!

2010-11-15T12:19:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged in nearly two months and I blame FB! It's quicker and easier and it seems that most people prefer that. With so many amazing blogs and internet sights to visit, I must admit, FB does have its advantages, BUT, I miss blogging! To me it seems more personal, like an online journal. Blogs are definitely more appealing to the eye ~ and I love eye candy! Sooo... I thought I'd better stop whining and stop neglecting my own blog.

I've been feeling Christmas in the air for a long time now. I even put up my faux tree about a week ago. I'm hoping to get it decorated this week, but before I get too carried away I thought I'd share this card I made for a friend's birthday last month. I copied the little girls from a vintage pattern envelope and cut them out by hand to layer over the faux pattern scrapbook paper. I typed out the "sew glad we're friends" on my trusty ole typewriter from the thrift store, cut them out and glued them on. The "lace" was made with a Martha Stewart punch. A little embroidery floss, a Jenni Bowlin button, and sewing machine stitches around the edges complete the sewing theme. Hopefully I'll be finishing up more projects and sharing them soon :)

With Christmas just around the corner I'd love to hear your gift giving ideas. Leave me a comment if you have one you'd like to share. Thanks!

Another Multitude Monday on Tuesday

2010-09-21T11:08:00.000-07:00

69 ~ Celebrating my birthday early with Melea and Ben

70 ~ Getting to spend time with my brother, sister-in-love, nephew, and niece-in-love, after way too many years

71 ~ Wisdom gleaned from Beth Moore

72 ~ Getting to attend Bible Studies at my church home

73 ~ The ladies who facilitate our Bible Study

74 ~ Freedom of religion

75 ~ Freedom in Christ

Multitude Monday on Tuesday

2010-09-14T10:49:00.000-07:00

61 ~ I am so grateful for men like Shaun Groves who use their voice to speak for the poor like this:

62 ~ and their time with projects like this:

63 ~ And I am grateful to these bloggers:

64 ~ Amanda Jones, and,

65 ~ Ann VosCamp, and,

66 ~ Lindsey Nobles, and,

67 ~ Lisa-Jo Baker, for going and sharing so those of us who may not be able to go can still SEE and Do something. Like this through Compassion Bloggers, or this through World Vision, or maybe even this through Holt International!

I've been following these bloggers as they traveled to Guatemala City last week and I can't get the people or these verses out of my mind:

"This was the sin of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned; they did not care for the poor and the needy." Ezekiel 16:49

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

68 ~ I am so grateful that it takes so little (from my perspective) to "release a child from poverty in Jesus name" by partnering with organizations like Compassion.

Multitude Monday

2010-09-06T12:09:00.000-07:00

49 ~ Crisp fallish mornings

50 ~ Blue skies full of bright cotton clouds

51 ~ my God who forgives my sins and hears my prayers

52 ~ time spent alone

53 ~ time spent with others

54 ~ the new Costco in town

55 ~ September birthdays

56 ~ the gift of praise

57 ~ our worship team at Redeemer's Fellowship

58 ~ our pastor

59 ~ Stacy & Connie

60 ~ Marian

Lani nui loa!

2010-08-23T12:21:00.000-07:00

Halau Hula O Aulani keiki (children)

Halau Hula O Aulani dancing Maori. This one's for you Siany!

Me, Amy Hanaiali'i (one of my favorite Hawaiian music artists!), John

I couldn't go to Hawaii this year, so guess what, Hawaii came to me! I just happened to see a commercial on TV last week telling about the First Annual Umpqua Hula & the Arts Multicultural Festival. Let me tell you, my jaw dropped and my heart raced! The next day I went out and bought our tickets for both days. What a weekend it was! I didn't even know we had the renowned Kumu (hula teacher), Pekelo Day, living near our little town! Students from his halau (hula school) here in town and all over southern Oregon came to participate. He even pulled some friendship strings and brought in award winning Hawaiian music artists to perform as well! Combined with our local Kuma Sharon Smith and her halau, Halau Hula O Aulani, the dancing and music was literally non-stop for two days. Oh yeah, it was lani nui loa (very much heavenly)!

Multitude Monday

2010-08-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

The 37th anniversary of this day is August 18th, just two days away. So today for Multitude Monday, and in celebration of that long ago day, I'm going to share 37 ways my husband has blessed my life so far and one to grow on. (The numbers start where I left off in my gratitude list.)

11 ~ Faithful to me

12 ~ Gentle

13 ~ Patient

14 ~ Makes me laugh

15 ~ Fun to be with

16 ~ Quick to say he is sorry

17 ~ Quick to forgive me

18 ~ Supports my dreams

19 ~ Always tells me to spend lots of money and have a good time when I go shopping

20 ~ Shops with me

21 ~ Loves our daughters

22 ~ Prays for our daughters

23 ~ Would give you his last dime

24 ~ Has given me his last piece of chocolate many times

25 ~ Longs to grow in faith

26 ~ Prays that others will do the same

27 ~ Cries with me

28 ~ Cries without me

29 ~ Always sees the good in others

30 ~ Has a servants heart

31 ~ Will drop what he's doing to help others

32 ~ Loves his dog and spoils her

33 ~ Spoils me

34 ~ Thinks I'm beautiful

35 ~ Laughs with and at me

36 ~ Works hard to maintain our yard and make it beautiful

37 ~ Pretends to put up with my cats but secretly loves them

38 ~ Pretends to listen country music 'for me' but secretly likes it

39 ~ Brings me flowers just because he loves me

40 ~ Feeds all the birds in our neighborhood

41 ~ Worked 30 long years to provide for his family without ever complaining (well, maybe a few times right before he retired!)

42 ~ Still works two days a week to provide for a few of our wants

43 ~ Offers to help around the house whenever he sees me working

44 ~ Took over dish washing duty when he retired

45 ~ Makes dinner one night a week, most of the time!

46 ~ Tries to listen to me even when I interrupt a program he's watching

47 ~ Buys me two candy bars when I ask for only one

48 ~ Tells me he loves me EVERYDAY!

Wanderlust

2010-08-10T09:33:00.001-07:00

These are the places I've been to so far this summer...

~ All over Australia

~ The Appalachian Trail

~ The Alpujarras foothills in Spain

~ Haines, Alaska (pictured)

And these were my tour guides:

Bill Bryson ~ In a Sunburned Country

Bill Bryson ~ A Walk in the Woods

Chris Stewart ~ Driving Over Lemons

Heather Lende ~ If You Lived Here,I'd Know Your Name

One Thousand Gifts

2010-08-09T16:57:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about miracles and blessings and serving a lot lately. I serve a big God and I want to do big things, great things for him. I think it will take a miracle for me to do great things. But I think he has been trying to show me that little things can be big things too. And sometimes the little things are miracles. I just need to keep my heart and eyes open to see them. In serving him, in serving others, the most important thing is the attitude of my heart and the amount of love that goes into it.

With those thoughts in mind I have decided to join the Gratitude Community over at Holy Experience to help keep me focused on the many blessing in my life, big & small, and just as importantly, the ways I can be a blessing to others.

1 ~ phone calls from my daughters

2~ remembering I don't need to fix dinner tonight because there are leftovers in the fridge

3 ~ a husband who is content to eat leftovers

4 ~ a husband who loves to garden and provide fresh produce for family and friends

5 ~ quiet times spent talking to God in prayer

6 ~ quiet times spent listening to God in prayer

7 ~ the assurance that God loves me just the way I am, but isn't finished with me yet

8 ~ two stacks of lovemade pillowcases, ready to be delivered. One for Conkerr Cancer, one for my grandsons

9 ~ traveling vicariously through books all summer long

10 ~ the sound of the breeze blowing through our maple tree on a cool summer afternoon

Well, that's ten down! Only 990 more to go, lol...

Ready, Set, SEW!

2010-08-02T09:34:00.000-07:00

This is the fabric I chose to make pillow cases for the Craft Hope project #9 :: ConKerr Cancer. I've never made them before, but figured they couldn't be too hard. Then I found this easy-peasy-quick-as-a-wink tutorial on YouTube. Since I don't have a serger I finished them using french seams.

Seriously, these only take about 15 minutes to make so I'm going for more fabric today! Check out the tutorials below and let me know if you decide to make some.

French Seams (There are no raw edges to unravel with this method!)

1 ~Fold the pillowcase with the wrong sides together. Stitch 1/4" seams. Trim the seam allowances to 1/8".
2 ~Turn the pillowcase wrong side out and press. Stitch 1/4". That's it!
3 ~Turn so the right sides are out, press, and your pillowcase if finished :)

Fabric Requirements for the Easy Tube Pillowcase:

3/4 yard of bright 100% cotton print (if you are making these for Craft Hope/ConKerr Cancer)
1/3 yard of bright 100% cotton print (if you are making these for Craft Hope/ConKerr Cancer)
3" of bright 100% cotton print (if you are making these for Craft Hope/ConKerr Cancer) This is totally optional. I didn't use any for the two in the pictures.

I've read that the greatest need is for pillowcases that would appeal to boys and teenagers. You may want to keep that in mind when selecting your fabrics.

One finally note. After making mine I prewashed and ironed them so they will be ready for the Oregon area coordinator to deliver. You can find out your area's coordinator by checking here.

This morning...

2010-07-23T16:46:00.000-07:00

I went out to the garden for my daily appointment with God. It's a commitment I made last September and one that I try my best not to miss. We usually meet in the spare room of my house, but the weather has been nice in the mornings lately so I decided to take advantage of that. As I sat there on my swing I couldn't help but think of this quote:

"One is nearer God's heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth." ~author unknown

It's such a lovely thought, but I'm so happy it isn't really true. My God is willing to meet with me anywhere and everywhere, and in fact, my heart is his home!

I love these guys!

2010-07-17T15:21:00.000-07:00

"Christ said go and help the widows and the poor. It's really Christianity 101 and we should actually be doing it!" ~Duncan Phillips (of The Newsboys)

If you've been looking for a way to Go and Do you really should watch this video and check out this link. Then start praying about it for next summer...

They have a new CD out too!

Sidetracked...

2010-07-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

I was checking out my Bloglines this morning when I came across the Poladroid Project at Vintage Pleasure's blog. It's very cool. And now I don't have to keep kicking myself for passing up that Polaroid Swinger (exactly like the one I had as a teenager) at our church garage sale a couple of years ago!

Sew busy!

2010-07-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

I made this Jane Market Bag, another lunch size bag and a couple of little wallets this week. Feels good.

Happy Independence Day!

2010-07-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

My childhood friends and me at the foot of Lady Liberty this January. Little did we know only three of us would remain by Mother's Day. Now those memories are even sweeter. Give your loved ones some extra hugs as you celebrate today!

*This little guy just informed me that this is his favorite holiday "because it involves explosions!"

Sweet signs of summer

2010-07-02T17:09:00.000-07:00

It drizzled as I picked these from our backyard this morning, rained a little later, and it is still cloudy and gray, but these remind me that it really is summer despite what the weather is doing!

Button Card Monday

2010-06-29T11:58:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, it's Tuesday. What can I say? I finished this late last night and I needed better light for picture taking. Anyway... I love pretty much all things mid-century, so when I discovered Creative Breathing it was love at first sight! I just love the way she incorporates vintage images from cards & postcards into her art. She has hosted some of the coolest tag swaps. Like this one for example. I've been tempted to try and do one, but I feel intimidated by the quality of the art so when she posted this and asked for others to tag along I jumped right on board.

If I were a post, I'd be totally random like this one.

2010-06-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun twist on an old survey that floats around the internet from time to time. I saw it on Malissa's blog, Sleepy Hollow Folk Art, and decided to play along. Let me know if you decide to play along as well, or just leave me a comment with your own favorite "If I were" answer.

If I were a month, I'd be September .
If I were a day, I’d be Sunday.
If I were a time of day, I'd be 7:00 PM.
If I were a font, I’d be Vintage Typewriter.
If I were a sea animal, I’d be a dolphin.
If I were a direction, I’d be North.
If I were a piece of furniture, I'd be an easy chair.
If I were a liquid, I’d be honey.
If I were a gemstone, I'd be diamond.
If I were a tree, I’d be a redwood.
If I were a tool, I’d be a stapler.
If I were a flower, I’d be a peony.
If I were an element of weather, I'd the wind.
If I were a musical instrument, I’d be a cello.
If I were a color, I’d be deep red.
If i were an emotion, I’d be joy.
If I were a fruit, I’d be a pineapple.
If I were a sound, I’d be waves lapping on the shores of Hawaii.
If I were an element, I’d be oxygen.
If I were a car, I’d be a convertible.
If I were a food, I’d be dark chocolate.
If I were a place, I’d be Hawaii.
If I were material, I’d be flannel.
If i were a taste, I’d be dark chocolate.
If I were a scent, I’d be a tropical breeze.
If I were a body part, I’d be the heart.
If I were a song, I'd be a song of worship.
If I were a bird, I’d be a hummingbird.
If I were a gift, I’d be time.
If I were a city, I’d be Venice.
If I were a door, I’d be french.
If I were a pair of shoes, I’d be slippers.
If I were a poem, I’d make you ponder.

And here's one of my own:
If I were a summer day I'd look like the one in this post :)

"Stops Rain"

2010-06-07T09:23:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Dawn's blog while blog hopping this morning and at first glance I thought it said, "Stops Rain." I guess my mind read it that way because I'm not in pain but, I am sick of the rain. The last time I mentioned that fact someone told me they love the rain in a tone that implied I was somehow inadequate. This is Oregon after all. Land of liquid sunshine. Land where people don't tan, they rust. Land of the web-footed humans and all that! So let me say in my defense, I love rain too! Seriously. As soon as fall is in the air I say bring on the rain. Winter? No problem, bring on the rain. (In fact, I'd rather have rain than gray skies.) Early spring? Let it rain. BUT, come late spring and certainly by early summer I say ENOUGH! Stop it already! It's time for a little sunshine. A little warmth. Even a little heat. I used to hate the heat until the summer we had none. Now I realize there is a time for every season. I just wish the rain realized it too!

{There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven... Ecclesiastes 3:1}

*I am more than happy to bring you this weather update:

"Five fingers too"

2010-06-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

This weekend my six year old grandson was drawing pictures of his family for a book he was writing; carefully counting out five fingers for each hand. When he came to his Bompa's (grandpa's) hands he stopped to ask me, "Do you guys have five fingers too?" Somehow I managed to answer without laughing, "Yes, grandparents have five fingers too."

Remembering All Who Served

2010-05-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

Freedom Is Not Free
By Kelly Strong

I watched the flag pass by one day. It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
and then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of TAPS one night,
When everything was still
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That TAPS had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free

My daughter borrowed the picture & poem above for her blog today. I borrowed her sentiments below for mine :)

"Even with the freedoms and beliefs that I hold dear often threatened, and with all that is wrong with this country... I know that the price that has been paid for me to be free to voice my opposition, the price for me to take a stand when I see the need, the price that has been paid. It's value is one I find hard to say anything other than THANK YOU. This land we love may be imperfect, but the people who have fought to keep my freedoms available to me, the families who have given their loved ones whether I would say thank you or not, the men and women who wonder if they will ever come home again. No matter what their reason, or whether it is right or wrong that they are serving... They SERVE. When the government tells them they are needed, whether or not they agree, THEY SERVE. I have seen the scars that some of my friends and loved ones have returned with. I have witnessed the effects of scars that can't be seen with the eye. The price is high. You don't have to have lost your life to have paid dearly for this country and it's people. There are missed births. Missed childhood milestones. Broken marriages. Broken souls. The least I can do is say THANK YOU. Because the sacrifices they have given for nothing in return from me... they deserve my thanks. So THANK YOU. Thank you children. Thank you wives. Thank you mothers. Thank you fathers. Thank you brothers and sisters. I am forever grateful."

I HEART BABIES

2010-05-22T16:31:00.000-07:00

I made this for a friend from church that just delivered this little sweetie last month. Is there anything more precious than a sleeping baby? Tell me if you know what is.

{...you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:13-16}

I HEART NY

2010-05-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

And the guys at ImprovEverywhere. Fun stuff :)

The Red Thread Sessions

2010-05-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

Rebecca Sower is sharing some tutorials for projects she's come up with using red thread over on her blog. She's calling them "The Red Thread Sessions." The first one was super cute and super simple so I've decided to try and keep up with the rest as well. I just love her art!

Lookie here, M.Kate!

2010-05-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

I finally finished it AND it's in the mail!

My favorite song right now

2010-05-14T20:56:00.000-07:00

"I've loved this song since I first heard it. The honesty and vulnerability of the lyric reminds me that to pray means to come as I am, imperfections and all, because ultimately, God seeks communion with us, the real us... and that's freeing." ~Amy Grant.

Psalm 34:18 -

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." (New International Version)

"The Lord is there to rescue all who are discouraged and have given up hope." (Contemporary English Version)

"If your heart is broken, you'll find God right there; if you're kicked in the gut, he'll help you catch your breath." (The Message)

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Whenever I do something that reminds me of my mom it makes me proud :)

Good times & Turkey Eggs

2010-05-02T15:57:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun this weekend with my daughter Rachel!

It all began Friday with a trip to The Wren's Nest for this. But first we stopped in Eugene to look for vegetarian cookbooks because of this. I bought this one. And this one. I/we still plan on eating meat, but only from pasture-raised, hormone, antibiotic and chemical-free sources like this one we found Saturday right here in our own area. We were so happy to find this guy!

I bought these turkey eggs from him.

Yum! They taste just like chicken eggs. Seriously.

The Farmer's Market and Master Gardener's Plant Sale were the only places on our agenda Saturday, but naturally, like all good shoppers, we hit a few garage sales too. Enough to fill the CRV to the brim with treasures :)

I get to spend next weekend with my daughter Melea! More good times, I'm sure, but I don't think there will be more turkey eggs :)

Call me CrAzY!

2010-04-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

Not only did I start another project today, I also set up a new blog for it. (Don't worry, M.Kate. I WILL finish your project. And Rachel, I liked your idea, but I thought it would be FUN to have another blog. Like I said, call me CrAzY!) This project involves inchies again, but this time they will be stitched. 100 of them! Lookie here if you want to play along.

Fun with Color

2010-04-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

Yeah! The sun is out today so I grabbed my camera and went outside to catch up on a couple of Picture Spring prompts. My DH is the artistic gardener in our family. These are shots of one of his gazing balls and his bottle tree.

#1 : Today seek out impossibly vibrant, vivid color.

#2: Be on the lookout for a shifting of exposure, rainbow light refractions and sunspots to name a few of the unpredictable elements of shooting directly (or nearly directly) into the light.

{I thought, "Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness. ~Ecclesiastes 2:13}

Daily Rounds

2010-04-21T14:46:00.000-07:00

Two more pics for my Picture Spring project. The prompt was to look for circles in your daily routine.

The first one is a freestyle embroidery project I'm working on. I never noticed all the circles before. Even the beads and flourishes on the 'Bloom' are round.

The second one is of rounds I see daily in the bathroom.

Now I'm off to get ready for my #2 grandson's 10th birthday party!

Dew drops on Bluebells

2010-04-12T19:02:00.000-07:00

So pretty. So spring. What says spring to you?

What a Cutie!

2010-04-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

I'm having fun with the Picture Spring project, but some of the prompts are a bit of a challenge for my little Kodak Z612 point & shoot!

I love California Cutie Mandarins this time of year. Delicious! This peel was the perfect subject for today's prompt: seek out a little magic today as you go about your daily chores, whatever they may be. Enchantment awaits those who look.

Thriftstore Quilts Tell No Tales

2010-04-07T17:47:00.000-07:00

But it's obvious I'm not the first person to love this quilt!

Tut-tut, it looks like rain!

2010-04-06T17:13:00.000-07:00

I love the idea of the picture-a-day-for-a-year challenge, but I know I would never finish it. So when I heard that Big Picture Scrapbooking was doing something similar for the 30 days of April I decided to give it a try. This is my self-portrait pic for the day 6 prompt. So far, so good! They're all on flickr if you want to see more :D

No greater love than this...

2010-04-03T15:25:00.001-07:00

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

Wishing you an Easter filled with joy and all the blessings and love God longs to give you.

(Easter isn't just for Christians; it's for skeptics too. Curious? Read this.)

It's so true...

2010-02-25T12:01:00.000-08:00

And so is scrapping about it! I made two of these. One for the Confetti King, our host while in NYC, and one for Carol, our hostess while in New Hampshire. Just a little something to thank them for helping make our trip to nostalgia unforgettable!

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T21:40:00.001-08:00

I've been so busy lovin' on my two youngest grandsons and helping my daughter with her move, I almost forgot to post this! Hope you were able to spread a little love today...

{Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. ~I Corinthians 13:4-8}

ICK! YUCK! BLECH!

2010-02-05T14:59:00.001-08:00

Not these. The new ones. In the new packaging. With the new flavors. Ick! Yuck! Blech! That's the bad news. The good news is you can still find the original ones at Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Family Dollar, 99 Cent Only, Freds, Odd Lots, Wakefern, Sav A Lot.

Why the Necco Company thought they had to go and change the flavors of this "American Classic" is beyond me, and from what I've read online, a lot of other people! Hopefully they will listen to us and bring back the original flavors, but just in case, I'm stocking up!

Priye pou Ayiti (Pray for Haiti)

2010-01-22T09:57:00.000-08:00

I have admired Rebecca Sower since I read her first book on "Scrapbooking Life's Little Treasures." I not only love her style, I love her heart. Her heart is what I want to share with you today.

Rebecca has had a heart for Haiti long before the earthquake, in fact, she had just returned from there not long before it hit. She'd brought back with her beautiful items handmade by some of her Haitian friends with the plan to set up an etsy shop to sell them; the proceeds going right back to her special friends.

She not only did just that, she has since started a new blog, Haiti By Hand, which is devoted to sharing creative ways we can all help whether we have "extra" money or not. For example, bundle up some art/crafting supplies in pretty packaging and donate to the etsy shop. I'm pretty sure most of us have plenty of extra supplies we could part with, but maybe you don't. Either way why don't you check out the blog and see if there is something you can do? While you are there won't you leave her a word of encouragement? And please, don't forget to priye pou Ayiti...

A few more vacation shots...

2010-01-21T14:29:00.000-08:00

Photo OP with Harry Smith on the set of the Early Show in NYC:
Tossing confetti New Year's Eve in New York City:
Lobster Roll & Fries @ Bob's Clam Hut in Maine:

NYE in NYC

2010-01-07T16:09:00.001-08:00

Hi Everybody! I'm back. I got in early the 6th. 2am Oregon time, 5am East Coast time. My internal clock is still trying to adjust from that, and the crazy hours we kept during the trip! Who knew I could get by on less than 5 hours sleep per night!

This first picture is of my fellow "Confetti Dispersal Engineers" aka: Carol (whom I've been friends with since I was four years old), Me, then Mary & Mary (whom I've been friends with since Junior High). We'd just gotten our building assignment and passes for the night.

This is the Minskoff Theater where we dispersed confetti from right above the Lion King billboard at midnight.

The next two are views of "The Ball" from atop the Minskoff.

Due to the rain, a lot of the confetti that would normally be blown back over the street stuck to the ledge and railings instead!

So glad I was up here and not...

down here!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The one about Christmas, the New Year, and some mushy stuff

2009-12-24T09:20:00.000-08:00

Don'tcha just hate thinking up cleaver post titles? This old timey postcard kinda says what I want to say, A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR to you! (Xmas doesn't bother me like it used to. I heard somewhere that in Greek (?) X is the symbol for Christ. I'm not sure if that's true, but the most important thing to me is to keep Christ in my heart and to share his love everyday and in every way I can!)

It's Christmas Eve already. Just a few more cookies to bake, a little bit of picking up to do, and then I'll be all set for the family to start arriving. The Birthday Girl comes tonight and my Rachel and her family tomorrow :D I'm trying to stay focused, but I leave on my trip Sunday at 3am (!) so that is on my mind too. I still have a few details and packing to do for that! I'm hoping to come back refreshed and with lots of creative blogging energy. If nothing else, I should have some fun pics to share :D So...

Before the hustle and bustle begins I just wanted to take a few minutes to wish you a very blessed Christmas and 2010, and at the risk of getting all mushy, and even though I've been a bad blogger for quite some time (I hope Santa didn't notice!), and even though this will end up being a terribly long run on sentence, I just have to tell you once again that I cherish every friendship I've made through blogging. Thanks to every one who takes the time to leave a comment or send me an email. I know how precious your time is and you are very precious to me. See you next year!

Truly blessed...

2009-12-17T10:36:00.000-08:00

In just 10 more days I am leaving for the East Coast to spend a week with some of my BFsF from High School and New Year's Eve in NYC!!! One of them I have known since we were only five years old; that would be half a century! Pardon all the exclamation points! I'm just crazy excited!

In the mean time, I'm slowly but surely getting ready for Christmas and my baby's birthday. She'll be 28 this year :(

Santa's Workshop

2009-11-29T15:22:00.000-08:00

The elves and I are off to a good start. We just finished this Catitude Dude designed by Alleycat Tales and next we'll be working on Christmas cards. Oh what fun! :D

Hear ye, hear ye!

2009-11-24T18:05:00.000-08:00

TO ALL YE PILGRIMS

Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, beans, squashes, and garden vegetables, and has made the forest to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as He has protected us from the ravages of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience; now I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on Thursday, November ye 29th of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty-three, and the third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor, and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.

William Bradford
Governor of Plymouth Colony, 1623

"Grandma,

2009-11-11T11:49:00.001-08:00

put these on your blog, OK?"

You bet, Macs, 'cause I *heart* you too!

Crazy Happy Times

2009-11-06T17:46:00.000-08:00

That's what my mom titled this picture taken years ago with my DD and SIL. I meant to post the layouts she made about her adventures as Curly the Clown last month as a kind of tribute to her on the anniversary of her death, but I've just been so busy with other "stuff" that I haven't had time to take pictures of them. I'd also intended to participate in Dia de Bloglandia/Day of the Dead the first of this month, etc., etc., etc. Oh well, we can only do so much, right? I figured this is better than nothing!

This is the journaling from her layouts:

"Once upon a time there was a funny grandma that always wanted to be a clown so she talked her daughter-in-law, Mitzi and her granddaughter, Rachel into making clown costumes and off they went to make children laugh and to the rest homes to make the old folks smile. They did this till they got bored and so they went on to other things. But it was fun while it lasted."

"My Rachel is so cute as a clown and the old folks just love her. And OH MY, what a good daughter-in-law will do for her silly ole mother-in-law."

And what I wouldn't give for more crazy happy times with you, my dear sweet mom!

Not your mother's grocery store!

2009-10-23T08:58:00.000-07:00

Not mine either, but this brought a smile to my face. I hope it brightens your day too :)

Button Goodness

2009-09-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

I made this card using one of the Everyday Button Bits stamps from Papertrey Ink. It's part of a set that includes chicks, flowers, balloons, and much more. So cute and the perfect excuse to buy more buttons!

I just posted this over on the Button Floozies blog and figured I should share it here too :D. My good friend Jill sent me the stamp set for my birthday. The little photo album is for my friend Donna's birthday next month. She's a new grandma so I made it to hold a picture a month for the baby's first year.

Double Nickels Day

2009-09-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

Last year was my Beddian Birthday, this year it's my Double Nickels. In other words, as of 7:45 this morning I am now 55! How on earth did that happen?

(I was posting funny quotes on aging here, when I got sidetracked by this and remembered that I am BLESSED to be able to grow old. Then I decided to make a donation for this in honor of my birthday and in hope that these little ones may grow old too.).

Never forget

2009-09-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

Here's what's for dinner - all month!

2009-09-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

Well, not exactly. But that is what's cooking over at Amy's house. EVERY NIGHT THIS MONTH. Yep, beans & rice. You can read all about it on her blog, Building the Blocks. As for John and me, while we will be eating a lot of beans and rice, we will also be eating what we have on hand all month so we will be able to donate the grocery money saved to Amy's Pass it Forward Adoption Fund. Whew, that was a mouthful!

I'm hoping, praying actually, that you will get excited about what Amy is doing and join me as I join Amy in her goal to bring a child home. If you do, be sure to try this delicious authentic Cuban recipe from our long ago friends and neighbors, Luzma & Alfredo. And won't you please share your fave recipe for beans or rice with me!

{Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight... ~ James 1:27}

Talk about talent!

2009-08-15T21:46:00.001-07:00

This girl is amazing. I'd never even heard of sand animation before watching this on Mary Green's blog. Had you?

Fall already?

2009-08-04T19:48:00.000-07:00

It does seem to be in the air. School supplies in the stores. Halloween - even Christmas displays in some! I'm not sure I'm quite ready to leave summer behind just yet, but Stephanie just posted a heads up about this year's Dia de Bloglandia. If you're interested in participating this year it isn't too early to at least start thinking about it.

WoW, tWo PoSts in A rOw!

2009-08-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

A few days ago my friend Siany tagged me on her blog. The mission, should I choose to accept, was to share what's on my Wish list. Before I could accept, I had to make a Wish list! That led me to a sleepless night last night, lol, but I finally finished it and actually had fun with it. So without further a do, (I know you can't wait to see it!) I present to you, MY WISH LIST (in no particular order):

I wish I could travel anywhere and anytime I want to
I wish I could dance the Hula and like they do on Dancing with the Stars
I wish my daughters and grandsons lived in my town
I wish I had a granddaughter. Just one.
I wish I could play the piano, violin, and cello
I wish I could fly (like a bird)
I wish my parents were still alive (they'd be 75 & 76 this year)
I wish I had a beautiful singing voice (so I wouldn't embarrass myself in church)
I wish I were miraculously fit & trim and could stay that way without ever having to exercise or watch what I eat
I wish I could relive all my happiest memories

And now, should you choose to accept the challenge, post your wish list and let me know if you do :)

Once I finished my list I continued to toss and turn wondering what picture I could use with this post, because, you know, a post without a picture is Just Wrong. I couldn't think of one but managed to finally fall asleep despite my obvious dilemma. Fortunately, while checking my Bloglines this morning, the Shutter Sisters Super Hero Challenge: Bathroom Portrait solved my dilemma! I just happened to have the Bathroom Portrait you see above from the unexpected road trip John, Josh, and I took last December to rescue Melea from the San Francisco Airport. FYI, that's the hotel bathroom. So tell me.... do you take pics in bathrooms during your travels?

*Trying to keep cool

2009-07-31T17:37:00.000-07:00

That's what I've been up to the past couple of weeks. We are in the middle of a heat wave here in Oregon and I hate heat. I can bear the 80s, but anything much over that sends me indoors. I've mentioned before that summer time = reading time to me. If it's nice outdoors I love nothing more than to spend the afternoon out back reading from my Happy Spot. (Ideally, followed by a nice nap.) When it's too hot, I move to the cool indoors. (I don't know how we survived for years without AC, but we did.)

Here's what I've read so far:

Every Woman Has A Story, compiled by Daryl Ott Underhill
Living A Charmed Life, by Victoria Moran
The Joy of Doing Things Badly, by Veronica Chambers

I enjoyed all of these, but if I had to pick a fave it would be that last two. I know, that's cheating! What's the best book you've read lately? I often read books I've seen recommended in blogland, so I'd love to hear.

Currently working through:

The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron (a twelve week course in "Discovering and Recovering Your Creative Self." I'm on week one)
The Unsavvy Traveler: Women's Comic Tales of Catastrophe, by multiple travelers.
Attitudes of Gratitude, by M.J. Ryan
30 Days to Taming Your Tongue, by Deborah Smith Pegues
Shelter for the Spirit, by Victoria Moran
Younger by the Day, by Victoria Moran
What's So Great About Christianity, by Dinesh D'Souza

Wish me luck! I'm gonna need it, especially if the weather cools down, lol!

*got this picture free from The Graphics Fairy. Love that site!

Sidetracked

2009-07-07T16:06:00.000-07:00

That should be my middle name! OK, so here's the story. I was going to work on a layout and card or two today. But first, thinks me, I should clear off my desk so I can see it again and not feel guilty about playing the rest of the day. So I shred some of the papers I have filed away IN my desk to make room for the papers piled high ON my desk. HOURS later, when I get to the bottom of the pile, I find these notepads. Nearly twenty of them. I use these to make lists of things to do, groceries and things I need, books I want to read, quotes I like, etc. As tasks get done I tear out the pages UNLESS they have info on them that I want to keep. So today I decided it was finally time to organize that info. It is now nearly time to fix dinner. I have made a dent in the pile, but I don't think I'll get to my layouts and cards today. Still, it feels good to FINALLY be getting this chore done. Some of these are from 2002, so on second thought, maybe my middle name should be Procrastinate!

Here's one of the quotes I'll be adding to my stack of favorites,

"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts."
~Einstein

Happy 4th of July everyone!

2009-07-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

52Q 19 & 22

2009-06-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

These little tags are so much fun. I don't do them all, and that's OK. They're a great way to try out new techniques (like this one) while recording a few random facts about me. You know, just in case any one should ever want to know!

Call me cRazY, but,

2009-06-17T10:50:00.000-07:00

these old clothespins make me happy! So much so, I just had to show them to you despite the fact that I have other things I need/want to be doing, and one of those things is post about all the other things I have been up to lately! This will have to do for now. Tell me, what silly thing makes you happy?

Masters of Occupational Therapy

2009-05-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

Melea and her friend, Joni.
Melea and her boyfriend, Ben.

Just a couple of quick shots from Saturday. She not only graduated "with distinction", she was also named the Alumni Association Outstanding Graduate in the School of Occupational Therapy. Needless to say, but I will anyway, I am SO proud of her!

And one last shot from the day just because I can't get over how tall my 15 year old grandson is!

Happy Memorial Day!

2009-05-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

My dad served as a radioman on an airplane in the Navy! I always get a kick out over that :)

Today my thoughts and prayers turn to all who have served and are currently serving our country. We owe our freedom to you! Thank you and God bless...

And this funny equation from morenewmath.com
MEMORIAL DAY = LABOR DAY - THE SUMMER

Singin' a happy song :)

2009-05-22T19:38:00.001-07:00

Today I've been busy getting cards made and things packed for our trip north tomorrow. My baby and her boyfriend are graduating with their Masters Degrees! She's worked long and hard to reach this milestone and I am so proud of her. She has a job waiting for her in August, and still needs to pass the national boards before she can officially put OT (Occupational Therapist) after her name, but tomorrow we get to focus on, and celebrate, the end of her college years. Yippee!

Yumilicious NoCal Cupcakes

2009-05-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a batch of these Pin Cushion Cupcakes for the Christmas Tea at my church. You can find the "recipe" here if you'd like to "bake" some.

If dreams came true

2009-05-10T09:24:00.001-07:00

this is where I'd be right now! And my mother and daughters and all my blogging friends would be with me in Hawaii too :D (Yes, you too, Jess - even though you will really be there soon!) Happy Mother's Day everyone!

Totally Sidetracked =

2009-05-01T11:24:00.001-07:00

Spending the whole morning on the internet where I found this on Keri Smith's blog:

Which reminded me of the flickr group, Faces in Places, where I found this from Georgios Karamanis' photostream:

puppy, originally uploaded by Georgios Karamanis.

Which somehow led me to my new favorite blog, New Math, where I found this on I-can't-even-remember-whose blog:

Which led me to share all that on this post!

So, what does YOU + SIDETRACKED = ?

THREE years already!

2009-04-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Three years ago today I entered Blogland with this little post. No fanfare, no comments. Three years later I'm still at it and some days I still feel like I'm talking to myself, but that's OK. I have made a few friends along the way and my world is a brighter place because of you! I hope yours is too!

52Q - 11

2009-04-15T17:08:00.000-07:00

He Is Risen!

2009-04-11T19:42:00.000-07:00

CUTENESS ALERT!

2009-04-08T14:54:00.000-07:00

I'll admit I'm a bit biased, but seriously, isn't my grandson too cute? He really is a character! Fortunately he loves having his picture taken. His mom took these great shots.

The journaling tag on the second layout says:

Macs,

I love that you styled your hair just the way you like it!

I love that you knew what you wanted and went for it!

I hope you always do!

Love,
Bgma

On a lighter note...

2009-04-04T11:41:00.000-07:00

I just finished the journaling for this layout I made last weekend. I wrote:

Sadly, I don't know much about this picture. I think I was 2 or 3. That would make my mom about 23 or 24. I think we were in Kansas at my dad's relatives farm, but I'm not sure why I think that other than the fact we were sitting on bales of hay! Maybe we were on our way to California from Florida? So many unknowns :(

What I do know for sure is that I love everything about it! The colors, mom's hair, the scarves, her over sized flannel shirt & green corduroy capris, the walking stick & hay, my red sweater & the ruffles on my dress & socks, my shoes, her sandals. Like I said, all of it! Because it all speaks to me and reminds me of my mother's love and our bond. It has always been there and always will be, though I miss her terribly still, and always will.

And just in case you are needing some encouragement today:

For more about this amazing young man, check out his website, Life Without Limbs.

Never again? Then what's this?

2009-03-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

These tell the story far better than I can. Please take a few minutes and watch at least one.

While a candidate for President, Senator Obama said, "If peace and security for the people of Sudan are not in place when one of us is inaugurated as President on January 20, 2009, we pledge that the next Administration will pursue these goals with unstinting resolve.

I don't pretend to know what I, or any government, can do to help. All I know for sure is I can't sit by and do nothing. I have to start somewhere. If you feel that way too, please join me in urging President Obama to keep his promise. You can do that here. If you are one of my friends from across the pond, I think it would be great for President Obama to hear from you too!

According to SaveDarfur, "The Sudanese government's recent decision to evict major aid organizations could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe. Millions of civilians are at immediate risk of starvation and disease." As if their own government didn't pose enough of a threat to their very survival! So please call, write, donate. Do something. Today. I promise you, you'll be glad you did.

52Q 10 and Singing Frogs

2009-03-18T15:32:00.000-07:00

The prompt for 52Q #10 was, "Name 5 movies that inspire you creatively." On the back I wrote:

color
unusual plot
music
period piece

or a combination of the above are the reasons for my top five movie picks. Titanic and Sense & Sensibilities also come to mind.

About the frogs. There are hundreds of them in the ditch behind our house. At least it sounds like it! And I know frogs croak, not sing. But the sun is shining and their croaking is like music to my ears. It finally feels like spring is just around the corner!

Spring isn't in the air.

2009-03-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

Not here. Not yet. Today there is rain in the air. And cold wind. But it is in the buds on the trees and the flowers peaking through the ground. So I know it won't be long. Maybe not by Friday, the first official day of spring, but I feel it in my heart. And for now that will have to do...

I made this card using one of the ATCs I made for an Easter swap. How about you, have you done anything springish lately?

My #1 Grandson

2009-02-20T19:10:00.001-08:00

The little boy in *this layout* is now a whole foot taller than his Gma, who is a mere 5'4"! She can remember the day he was born as if it was yesterday and not fifteen years ago today. She can remember when she could change his diaper on her lap. She can remember rocking him to sleep out back on the swing on warm summer nights while listening to the frogs and crickets sing. She can remember how he used to wrap her hair around his fingers as he fell asleep. She can remember watching Thomas the Tank Engine and Pokeman videos with him. She can remember camping out in the living room with him. She can remember sitting in church with him on Saturday nights. She can remember all this and so much more. What she can't remember is where the time has gone.

*The pictures were taken five years ago, but I just made this layout today. Better late than never, right?

BTW, the pictures were taken on the Oregon Coast. In the summertime. Why the long pants and sweaters? Because, pretty as it may be, it ain't Hawaii!

Read any good books lately?

2009-02-16T15:44:00.001-08:00

Why yes, I have!

John and I both read a lot while we were on vacation. As you can see, he caught up on Harry Potter. I like to read books about Hawaii while I'm in Hawaii. Books that give me a better understanding of its people and history. Books like,

Moloka'i, by Alan Brennert
Song of the Exile, by Kiana Davenport
Poisoned Palms, by Dorothea N. Buckingham

And just for fun on the flight home,

Such a Pretty Fat, by Jen Lancaster

And just because I can't get enough of Hawaii, as soon as I got home I ordered this one from Amazon.com and read it right away,

Makai, Kathleen Tyau

(BTW all of these books are available on Amazon)

Happy Valentine's Day My Sweeties

2009-02-13T09:25:00.000-08:00

Would you? Pretty please...

{I love these little Whitney Made Valentines. The verses are and font are so sweet. Don't you agree?}

52Q - 3 & 5

2009-02-06T15:16:00.000-08:00

#3 - Do you believe in fairies? (No, but it's fun to pretend)

#5 - How do you feel today? (Like I could use another day in Paradise)

Check out Emily's blog or our flickr group if you'd like to join in on the fun!

WoW, 2 poSts iN 1 dAy!

2009-01-29T23:14:00.000-08:00

This one is for Emily's 52 Questions - Year of Mini Art Journaling. Her fourth Q and my first tag. Yeah! And it puts me back in Hawaii. Double yeah!

Tomorrow I'm off to see my youngest for some girls-only-time this weekend. Hope you have a great one :D

2009-01-29T09:30:00.001-08:00

I haven't wanted to post because it will take me one post further from Hawaii, but my DD Rachel tagged me a couple of days ago and is waiting, so Aloha, Hawaii post.

But I'm leaving the music on!

And I'm changing the rules of the tag.

'Cause I want to.

Here are the new rules:

1. Go to the section of your computer where you store all of your photos.
2. Select the 2nd folder.
3. Select the 2nd photo from that folder:

4. Post and explain that picture:

My picture happened to be one I took for the Day in My Life project. I had and have been eating oatmeal almost every morning in an effort to lower my cholesterol. Guess what? It worked! It went down 7 points, just like in the commercial!

Despite the fact that I had my blood work done not long after eating all of these:

And the rest of the batch.

And a ton of other December goodies.

5. Tag 2 other people:

M.Kate and Malissa, now it's your turn!

Shadow Shots from Hawaii

2009-01-24T10:12:00.000-08:00

A day early here, but people are already posting for Shadow Shot Sunday over at Hey Harriet so here are mine :D tfl

Aloha 'Oe

2009-01-23T13:42:00.000-08:00

Mahalo nui loa, Hawai'i. A hui hou!

This place touches something deep within my soul. I already miss her...

Another new friend :)

2009-01-19T21:22:00.001-08:00

This little honu is about the size of a desert turtle, so I'm guessing he's pretty young. I spotted him while sitting on the beach watching the waves. I've been doing a lot of that since we got here. It's hard to tell from the picture, but his shell really blends in with the rocks he was feeding off. I got the biggest thrill watching him come up for air time and time again. Yeah, I'm easily entertained.

Heart to Art

Two new little ones in the family!

'Wedding Bells' June and 'Independence Day' July Happy Homemaker Tags

Happy Homemaker Tags for May

Happy Homemaker Tags for April

Multitude Monday

Happy Homemaker Tag for March

Inspired Ideas Digital Magazine

Valentine Sweets for My Sweet Valentines

*Happy Homemaker Tag Along Swap, the fun continues!

*Sew* much fun

Welcome Happy Homemakers! Let the fun begin!

From my heart to yours ~

Busy baking and...

Cute as a Button Cookies

A fun project for the new year!

I blame Facebook!

Another Multitude Monday on Tuesday

Multitude Monday on Tuesday

Multitude Monday

Lani nui loa!

Multitude Monday

Wanderlust

One Thousand Gifts

Ready, Set, SEW!

This morning...

I love these guys!

Sidetracked...

Sew busy!

Happy Independence Day!

Sweet signs of summer

Button Card Monday

If I were a post, I'd be totally random like this one.

"Stops Rain"

"Five fingers too"

Remembering All Who Served

I *HEART* BABIES

I *HEART* NY

The Red Thread Sessions

Lookie here, M.Kate!

My favorite song right now

Happy Mother's Day

Good times & Turkey Eggs

Call me CrAzY!

Fun with Color

Daily Rounds

Dew drops on Bluebells

What a Cutie!

Thriftstore Quilts Tell No Tales

Tut-tut, it looks like rain!

No greater love than this...

It's so true...

Happy Valentine's Day

ICK! YUCK! BLECH!

Priye pou Ayiti (Pray for Haiti)

A few more vacation shots...

NYE in NYC

The one about Christmas, the New Year, and some mushy stuff

Truly blessed...

Santa's Workshop

Hear ye, hear ye!

"Grandma,

Crazy Happy Times

Not your mother's grocery store!

Button Goodness

Double Nickels Day

Never forget

Here's what's for dinner - all month!

Talk about talent!

Fall already?

WoW, tWo PoSts in A rOw!

*Trying to keep cool

Sidetracked

Happy 4th of July everyone!

52Q 19 & 22

Call me cRazY, but,

Masters of Occupational Therapy

Happy Memorial Day!

Singin' a happy song :)

Yumilicious NoCal Cupcakes

Sew much fun

I HEART BABIES

I HEART NY