Faith & Chocolate

Spring Has Sprung!

2010-03-25T15:42:00.011-05:00

It's Spring!? Where does the time go?! It's hard to believe that January was my last post....
So here I am ready to post the latest...

We didn't have big plans over Spring Break, but it turned out to be a good week. We had friends we haven't seen in a long time come in town and spent a little time with them.

Elizabeth, Teagan, and Perryn met us one night at Chick-0-flays (as McKenna says it), for some fun playtime and conversation.... It was a hoot to get a picture of all of them...

Katie, Liam, and Allison made a surprise visit up at the church on Friday while I was working... that made my day! Then all of us met up with the Romo bunch for dinner and then a movie. It was sooo good to see them all! I'll post to my Facebook the pictures....

But to top the whole week off, we started the first weekend of spring break with some warm and fuzzies.... we've been wanting to get a cat or kitten for a long time now and so we finally did it. And we now have two sweet and adorable little kittens, Bunny and Bella (Belle), as additions to our family. Both girls came from a litter of five. So they are sisters, and they love each other as much as they love their new home and family....
There's a new life about this family now.... everyone is excited to get up in the mornings, get chores done, and eat their dinner at night, so they can play with the girls before bedtime. I love it. There's new energy seeping everywhere. I guess that is what springtime brings, in and of itself, too. The blooms on the pear trees are disappearing in amongst the big full green leaves. Today, it's hard to imagine it just snowed inches less than a week ago! Crazy Texas weather....

Some fun creative happenings coming..... haven't been on top of anything much lately... but there's Silver Bella 2010 registration right around the corner, and Paper Cow girl registration today? tomorrow? perhaps! And I'm sure there will be another Gilded Life Event at the church down the road.... I am in need of some creativity that doesn't involve construction paper and coloring sheets (just a different creative breed, Brandi! ;) )

And so... since I probably won't get another post for at least a (week) lol, I am wishing everyone a Happy Spring and a Blessed Easter. I pray that you and your family feel the energy of spring, and the glory of our Savior!
Hugs!

The BIG 4-0....

2010-01-21T22:02:00.008-06:00

Yep, I am officially out of the 30's and headed into the 40's.... Today started so sweet with my two littlest ones jumping into bed with BIG birthday wishes. Braden and McKenna had such huge excitement in their eyes in anticipation FOR me. Then McKenna snuggled in next to me while I ran my fingers through her hair and gently tapped my finger tips on her forehead- oh those little moments....

Awwww...... 40. What does that number mean? I was really, really dreading this birthday. I know it's just a number, but 40 is a much BIGger number. Am I young or am I old? I didn't cherish 30 much either, but I was okay with 30 because I was a fairly new mother, and was in the midst of enjoying my new journey of motherhood. I had dreams of a family of 4 or 5 (all-together), yet ahead.....
And I was still carded at the counter when purchasing wine to make Martha Stewart's yummy "Bolognese Sauce". So I was considered "young"-looking, right?
....I could still sit with legs crossed on the floor and get up and not be sprung back into an awkward position in a shocking and surprised pain. Ooooo, so I was still "limber", right?
Hmmm.... And let's not forget that the size 8 that I was before getting pregnant was what I thought to be (at the time) "heavy" for me.... Maybe I can still wear a size 8 (in one brand), but there's excess baggage that interferes with the "comfortable" feeling I used to feel in them.

But if I look back in the last 9 years, soooo much more has happened. Yes, there has been schedules added, more wrinkles (yet the noticeable gray hasn't totally emerged!-shhhh Tammy), and a nagging "teenage" acne problem, no splits or high kicks in these legs, and few pounds changed-give or take- but my life is SO blessed with three little souls that dance around me day after day after day. I have learned so much without a textbook, I've met some incredible people, experienced places and things I never even thought of in my 20's. God is SO good. And as my sweet friend, Brandi, says over and over, "He is good ALL the time". Overall, He most certainly has been good to me every day in these past 9+ years.

But 40. What will the 40's bring to me? I certainly feel a "shifting" of sorts (and in more ways than one!) I mean, for the next 9 years, what will life have in store for me? 9 years. Yikes. It's amazing how fast time rolls after schooling, right? But it's even more amazing how fast it goes once your own kids are in school!
I don't want to feel older. I don't want to have to buy a size bigger. And I certainly don't want to miss out on any of the "little things" that matter most. But it's okay not to do the splits ever again. ;)

So a better way to put it is, what does God have in store for the next 9 years?? I'm not entirely sure, but I am feeling a calling... I am making the decision to pray every day about it, along with making other choices to be a healthier me- inside and out. I am currently reading (a non-artsy crafty) book titled, "Honor's Reward" by John Bevere (a totally awesome book). And I am going to give honor where it is due- to my family, my friends, my leaders, my co-workers, myself, but most of all, to my God. And I know He will give BACK to me mounds of blessings in return.

So, here's looking at you 40! A continued, yet slightly adjusted journey through a different set of numbers,
that's all.

A Little Artsy-Something to look forward to!

2010-01-13T12:33:00.006-06:00

CAN NOT wait for this little event in February! Shea and Debbie threw a wonderful Christmas Party Gathering, and I can only imagine what they'll have in store for Valentine's! Two very talented ladies, Lonnie Jenck and Natalie Hansen, are guest instructors, as well as the exquisite Miss Shea will be teaching her glitz as well! There's only a few reservations open for February 6th and 7th.... so see if you can reserve a spot! What Happens Next

Bella Sneaky Peeks and Agenda.....

2009-11-08T08:38:00.004-06:00

It's almost time! Are you ready? Me, I'm ready to hop on the plane without my bags, swaps, supplies, and PJ's... but that wouldn't be all that smart, now would it? I can't believe how fast this fall has swept by. I am still working on my last swap, and pennants have mostly come in for my Vintage Sparkle Winter Banner swap I'm hosting. The Bella Board is swarming with flurry about this and that. Everyone is soooo excited... including me!

Well, if your just tuning in.... Here's a little of what I'll be doing this coming week....
Monday and Tuesday will be spent tying up ends at the church for curriculum, so I hopefully I don't leave Lauren with any holes! ;) Along with packing, packing, packing- or figuring out the Silver Bella Packing Puzzle! Every time this year, the Bella board is buzzing with questions relating to how to pack for the event... ;) This is my third year, I'm not sure I have it down yet!

I will fly out Wednesday with Valita, Heather, Alisa, Joanna, and Marie. I'm not sure what Wednesday will be like, but probably settling in, a quick lunch, and maybe a little downtown shopping, with an evening of last minute swap preparations. It's time to catch-up with my Bella friends that I haven't seen since June.

Thursday, Miss Jessi Nagy has rented us a BIG Bella bus to take us on tour to the Brass Armadillo, Hobby Lobby, Archivers, and a fabulous lunch! She's quite a Bella girl- Love that Jessi!
Thursday afternoon/evening we check in at the register table to get our classroom assignments and name tags (the ticket to Friday's 100 Aprons Vendor Market!) and meet and greet with the rest of the Bellas coming in on Thursday... Then that evening we meet with ALL 150+ Bellas for dinner and class taught by Stephenie Hamen. And the night won't end there. It will be time for some Bella Swappin'! There were SO MANY swaps this year! I wanted to join in every one of them, but alas, there's just not enough time.

Friday starts classes.... I will be taking Kaari Meng's Vintage Rosary Necklace, Jennifer Murphy's Snowman Clip Ornament, and Rebecca's Cigar Box Assemblage classes- a full day leading right into the long-awaited evening event: 100 Aprons Bella Market Faire. The doors for the Faire are open (then quickly closed again) for us Vintage Bellas at 6:30, while the public eagerly awaits the doors to open for them at 7:00 pm. You will never see so much glitter, glam, and sparkle anywhere!

Then, bright and early Saturday morning, after not much sleep Friday night, classes resume with Pam Garrison's Holly-Days Countdown wreath class, and finishing off the fabulous time with the stars ;) I spend time again with Kaari Meng and make a Vintage Charm Bracelet. We will all meet again for the luncheon and get to meet guest speaker Jo Packham, the creator and Editor in Chief of Where Women Create! Oh, I simply cannot wait!

Saturday night is always a big ending to the weekend with a dinner, most likely at the Upstream Brewery Co., downtown Omaha. It's a favorite among many Bellas. The atmosphere is fun and energetic (what we need after two days of straight creating), yet is warm and cozy with a great Nebraska corn-fed beef steak. It's our last "hurrah" before saying our good-byes to good friends (old and new).

Then it'll be back to reality without all the glitter and sparkles (unless you track some home with you) on Sunday, but not until all of us figure out how we'll get all that Bella goodness back home on the plane with us! (Last year, I had to undo my luggage AT THE AIRPORT to take out/rearrange jeans, shoes or something to keep it from spilling over the weight limit!) Course, there were other bellas (and I won't mention any names-you know who you are), who had to take out the 5LBS OF CHOCOLATE they packed! LOL

Even if we leave behind a glitter trail all the way from Omaha, we will have brought back glittered pieces from swaps and classes and sparkles of memories of time spent with some really great girls who love vintage art, jewelry, paper & sewing just as much as I do! See you when I get back....

Here's a couple sneaky peeks for ya.... and I'll post more of the event when I return. It's time for some Bella Bliss...

Happy Halloweeen!

2009-10-31T21:18:00.008-05:00

Soul Sisters in the Fall...

2009-09-17T16:16:00.007-05:00

Oh...... I can't tell you how excited I am over a new ladies group (to me anyways) and bible study that I have just started attending.
Soul Sisters is the name of the group... It's sorta new to me because I had known about the group in our church that meets on Thursdays (I almost started going a couple years ago, but then didn't)... And I kinda forgot about it... til now!

Our group "leader", the lovely Pastor Laura, is the sweetest and kindest lady. She makes you feel sooo welcome. The group is all about Soul Sisters in Christ and as a dedicated close friend-kind-of thing.

The bible study we are doing is "Discerning the Voice of God" by Priscilla Shirer, which can be found here. The jist is, how to recognize when God speaks to you. So far it's been totally wonderful. I was thrilled and passionate about this study because, well, I've come to wonder sometimes if God is talking to me or is it ME thinking this or that.... and to tell you the truth- the study has just supported my belief that He most definitely is talking to me! I can look back on periods in my life where I thought, yes, this has got to be God BUT (as doubt sets in)... and only two weeks into the study I KNOW at times it definitely was... God is so truly amazing! I am really so excited about this... ;)

If you are in the Flower Mound, TX area and are needing some time "Discerning the voice of God"... you might just check it out! You can read more about it HERE.

On a different note.... what are your thoughts on this weather??? (for those of you in north Texas) Oui! I know many are getting really sick of the rain, but for me, it's been kinda nice for a change of scenery. I don't like that it's made a muck of flooded areas for many.... but for today, since it hasn't been too rainy (in Lewisville), and warmer feeling... I just get the feeling of FALL sitting here looking out the window. And I REALLY enjoy that feeling! Fall IS here, and I L-O-V-E fall!
How about you?

Prayers for a Friend....

2009-09-14T15:21:00.004-05:00

I am posting today in hopes that those of you that may not know yet, and to those of you that are willing will bend down and lift your hearts in prayer... A sweet friend, Tina Wright - head cowgirl of the Paper Cowgirl art event is need of good thoughts and prayers right now. She has recently found out she has cancer. Please pray for her, the doctors & specialists, as well as her family and close friends. It is going to be a rough road ahead for all, and I will be praying for her all the way. I hope you will join me, as well. If you hop on over to the PC blog, Mendy and Lisa are putting together a book with pages made from friends. If you are interested, go check it out here.

I'm praying God's healing miracle for ya, T!

Where oh where have I gone?

2009-08-06T00:38:00.004-05:00

Oh yes, I'm still around... just very busy, since I started working up at the church, summer activities, and vacations! So sorry. I am missing all of you in the blogging world! I hope to catch up sometime soon..... Hope your summer is cooler than mine right now! (as I type this in my 86 degree room.... something is definitely going on with the air conditioner!)

Hugs!

A Couple of Shout Outs!

2009-04-28T21:13:00.007-05:00

Oh yes, busy as ever around here.... pink eye and ear infections top the list for this week! ;P But before April slips by with the least amount of posts ever, I thought I'd give a shout out to a couple of gals...

First one is for the infamous Teresa McFayden... Oh, a few posts ago on her blog, she posted a "new" kind of Chicken and Rice Casserole recipe. I thought it sounded different, and the ingredients sounded all yummy to me, AND I hadn't fixed chicken and rice casserole in a l-o-o-o-n-g time. So I thought I'd give it a try. Holy CHICKEN AND RICE! Let me just say, it's by far, hands down, THE BEST chicken and rice casserole EVER!!! You simply must try it sometime. Go HERE for the recipe. Mmmmm..... good. Thank you, T!

For the next one, I want to give a shout out for a new bloggin' friend, Celita. She is a part of the Christian Paper Artists group I belong to. She is celebrating her 1 Year Paper-Cutting Art, and is hosting a little give-away on her BLOG, "Days Ease" to celebrate. Go check it out, she is quite the paper-cutting artist! I love her creativity in the themes of her art. Simply amazing and fascinating!

So there ya go. I haven't been very crafty lately... too many outside things going on at this time of year, as well as another (part-time) job. Paper Cowgirl is right around the corner though.... so there's bound to be some "Rootin' Tootin' Cowgirl Fun" involved!
Stay tuned....

Silver Bella Excitement....

2009-04-17T12:17:00.005-05:00

It's going to be another fabulous year!

Are you going?
;)

The Soldering Tale Continues....

2009-03-31T14:40:00.011-05:00

If you remember back last September, I took a beginners soldering class from Heather Ales and posted about it here. And yes, the tale continues...

So I hadn't really picked up the soldering iron (brand new in the package still) until recently... Though I was very excited to be a part of Tina's Glass House Swap. We've had 3 months to create and solder these little houses, and I finally (after a creative slump) pieced mine all together, then soldered them! It was so fun and I am thrilled that I didn't break a one! That's the wonderful part of this tale... the not-so-wonderful, horrifying part is this...

It's down to the wire of getting the jump rings on their little roofs, and sending them off to each of their new owners. (Doesn't sound too bad, uh?) Welll.... it IS if you plug in your iron and LEAVE IT ON for at least twenty-four hours, of course, forgetting that you have done so! Needless to say, my iron is okay, but the tip, however, is not! Now my little houses will be late joining their little neighbors... Again, I'm so sorry girls! ;(

But, as promised to them, and if they chose to take a sneaky peek, here they are....

Sorry the pictures aren't the greatest. But I hope they will all like them, once I get them completed with jump rings and sent off!

UPDATE THIS EVENING: I have just found out that TWO other gals had done the very SAME THING over the weekend! Totally weird... So watch out- something's in the air! OR as Robin puts it, there's WELLER ABUSE going on! LOL!
Hugs,
Shan

Sharing...

2009-03-24T18:47:00.002-05:00

I love the sounds of a guitar and after a great Sunday, here's a tune to delight your ears from Justin McRoberts....

Happy Saint Paddy's Day!

2009-03-17T10:48:00.012-05:00

Are YOU wearing GREEN today? That was the FIRST thing my kiddos were checking the second they got up out of bed! I remember St. Patrick's Day when I was little....going to school and making sure everyone had on some green, or else they got a pinch (and LaVonne could give a major pinch!) ;) Bummer the kids are on Spring Break this week and won't be able to "check the green" on their friends. We might have to visit Daddy's office for them to give everyone some fits about not wearing green! ;)

Hope it's a beautiful springy day where ever you are today!
Enjoy the day, and
WEAR SOME GREEN!
(or my kids will find you and give you a pinch!)

And here's a linky to Seneca Pond Crafts for a freebie:

St. Patric k's Day tags!

Please be sure to thank her for her generosity! ;)

And here's some more fun vintage green for ya...(and pink!)

Hugs!

I'm A Diggin' This!

2009-03-12T22:15:00.010-05:00

Oh looky here! It's been awhile since I have run across a new product that I just gotta have... Martha Bonneau over at Craft Critique had a little diddy on this little gem: The Chatterbox Brad Maker

You can make cute little brad's with your own VINTAGE (or favorite) images! Well, like, cool, dude! (wow, that dates me) And the design of the brad themselves are fabulous! Take a look for yourself:

You can get the full scoop and where to purchase online over here. Or maybe you can get it at your local scrapbook store! Or maybe you beat me to the punch (no pun intended) and already own one! Tell me what YOU think?!
I'm really thinking I need one soon...
Seriously cool.

Hugs!

FUN AND LOVE...

2009-03-12T10:30:00.003-05:00

Well, I've resorted to the fact that I'll just be a little (ALOT) behind in my posting.... but I don't think anyone will mind... cuz it's fun- all the same! ;)

These pictures are from Karla Nathan's "PUPPY LOVE Tag Book Swap"... (sorry for the broken ones...I delayed posting this trying to figure out the problem and I'm still trying to fix it. I'll try and take another picture and replace them)
These are the cutest little tags and Karla packaged them up in one cute little bundle as you see...
The cover was made by Miss Karla, herself, just love those two little puppies, and her hand-painted rose and leaves at the bottom! She is one talented lady!

The first tag is from Valita at Vintage V's... Love all the pink, poodles, and french... oh and the lovely pom pom fringe I believe might be the trim we bought down in Waxahachie for pennies! She and I must have had a mind connection while doing this swap... both of us used pink doilies in our tags! Love it, V!

The second tag is from Sarah at My So Called Junky Life...
Who can't love vintage wallpaper and trim? LOVE it! And I especially love the photo with what appears to might be a Saint Bernard? I had 4 Saint Bernards (at different times) growing up. They are BIG dogs, but I love them! I love it Sarah!

The third tag is from Sheila at Blessed and Distressed... And distressed this tag is! VERY cool, indeed. I love the little collage image she put together.. with various digitally created emphemera and images! NICE job, Sheila!

The fourth tag is from Marilyn... I don't have a contact for her, but I think her tag is preciously wonderful in all it's puppies and pinks! Those images ARE just precious, don't you think? Cute little charm, too! ( I'll try and get a new picture soon...)

The fifth tag is from Gretchen... I also don't have a contact for her. :( You probably can't tell, but the paper she used (front and back) is flocked! Kinda like vintage flocked wallpaper! OOOO, it's soooo sweet! The image is to just die for with ice cream and two sweet kids! The vintage trim is so dainty and works wonderfully as a little picture frame! Love the little silver edge on the velvety flowers, too! An last but not least, sixth tag is from Simply Sage.... She went all out and really dolled up BOTH sides of her tag, and it's quite stunning... For starters,she crackled the front of the tag's background (I love peeling paint),the "sage" green and pink colors are so soft... then on the back, she crackled the inside of the heart with a dimensional crackle medium. Neat idea!!

Please take a moment to check out each of these ladies blogs, or comment on those that don't have contacts... They did a fabulous job, wouldn't you say?

This other is an extra I had made, a similar duplicate to one I sent in. And here are all the ones I made.... the fabric tags were fun, I extended the idea from my banner swap (you'll notice the same fabric and technique). It was just too much fun!

I have more projects and things to tell you... But I need more TIME to blog them! So, as I get them them typed, you'll see more.... ;) Hugs!

Paper Cowgirl Yahoo! Group...

2009-03-04T08:54:00.011-06:00

Weeelllll.... it's underway! Paper Cowgirl registration is finally here... It will be a super fun event, the hoopla has already started with the new Paper Cowgirl 2009 Yahoo Group! I am hearing of swaps that will be getting started soon. And other fun happenings..... So for anyone going to PC- better go sign up for the group, and if you're thinking of attending PC- git on over there and sign up! Tina is telling me a couple classes are close to filling up! (And just an FYI- the lunches will be delicious!)

It's Been a Blonde Kind of Day.....

2009-02-23T22:45:00.009-06:00

Well... yes, in case you can't tell in my picture, I am blonde. But I never thought of myself as the kind of blonde that was the butt of all the jokes- you know the kind I mean. Yes, they can make me giggle, too- so I'm okay with them... but I just never thought that I would ever BE the joke!

First, I have to say that it's not ALL a blonde thing... I have been up since 2:30 AM this morning! Why, you might ask? Please tell ME!??? I don't know. I just couldn't sleep. Sometimes that happens. Then I hit the carpet running this morn, and didn' t stop until about 9 pm tonight in front of this, here, computer.

So, my blonde moment, you might wonder? Wellll..... I decided to fix a couple of broken links in my blog roll, that have needed to be fixed for awhile now. Doo, da, doo... click here, click there and well, I fixed them all right! I fixed them so well, that now I don't have them! In fact, you will notice that I do not have ANY links to my favorite blogs and places anymore! Ugh. (UPDATE 3/4: now you will notice I am slowly getting my blogs back together! lol)

Sigh.

Blonde? Yep.

Go ahead... let the jokes begin. ;)

But wait, there's more...

My oldest daughter, who is also a blonde (a most beautiful blonde girl, I might add), had a blonde moment today, as well.

To set this stage, you have to know Bailey... she is a vibrant, bubbly, happy and silly little girl. I love her for all of those things! So, as everyday, she was being her vibrant, bubbyly, happy AND SILLY little self while walking out of her P.E. class this morning.
Apparently, she was paying attention to the floor (rather than what was ahead of her), and proceeded to slam herself into the bar between the double doors to the gymnasium, and knocked herself onto her keister! She has a bruise and knot on the forehead to prove it. Of course we're all laughing now, AFTER the trip to the emergency care to make sure she was okay!
And to think we made her middle name GRACE.... ;)

I love you, Gracie!

Blonde or not. PLEASE tell me we ALL have these moments???

She was SO blonde... that she tried to put M & M's in alphabetical order.

And now, this blonde is GOING TO BED!

Wishing you a...

2009-02-14T23:15:00.001-06:00

ARtSy FaRtSY!!

2009-01-29T05:30:00.004-06:00

Yes, that's what I said, ARtSy FaRtSY!! I've actually jumped back in and am knee (shoulder) deep in creating and swapping... with banner swaps, a tag book swap, a charm swap, and a lovely soldered houses swap (oooooo!) Can't wait to see these with all the other lovely pieces. Here's a looky at what I've been up to....

These are for the valentine banner swaps I'm in over at Christian Paper Artists Yahoo Group. The last two are from the mini banner swap... a fun little size at 3x5!
There will be more to share in the days to come...

2009 Paper Cowgirl Retreat...

2009-01-28T15:00:00.006-06:00

I also have something else to share... In September, I attended a fabulous little art retreat in Waxahachie, TX called "Paper Cowgirl". And the 2nd annual retreat has been officially announced...

It will be held June 26-28, in Waxahachie at the Hampton Inn, with registration starting March 1st (you can link directly to the Paper Cowgirl Blog by clicking on it in my side bar or on the button in this post).

The retreat is put together by two of the sweetest girls I know, Tina (Glue on my Fingers,Paint in MyHair) and Cindy (Yapping Cat Studio). And the wonderful blog button was created by the talented Miss Dale (Sea Dream Studio), who was one of the instructors at last year's event (as well as this year)! Valita and I had a really great time, and I plan on attending again this year. YEE HAW! So, mark your calendars!!!

Thank You!

2009-01-28T09:24:00.005-06:00

Oh my sweet friends... thank you all sooooo very much for all your sweet thoughts and prayers for my grandmother and myself... Your prayers have definitely been felt all around... I talked to my sister this morning, and she has been told by a friend/nurse that grandma is doing a bit better.... she's talking alot more, but still not eating. Of course I don't know the outcome of anything, but I pray for her, and I will let God handle the rest...

Be still, and know that I am God….
Psalm 46:10 KJV

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Matthew 18:20 KJV

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV

Hugs to you ALL!

Crying Tears...

2009-01-21T17:39:00.005-06:00

Hello everyone... You know me, I normally like to post about the happy, fun, up-beat kind of thing.... And with today as my birthday, (not that I like getting a year older), but it IS my birthday, and that usually means that I don't have to cook, but rather go out for a meal with the family or friends.... A fun, good thing, right? But today, I just don't feel up-beat and happy. I am feeling rather sad and down... and it's so funny with my prior post being on JOY....

I intended to post about the projects I've been working on, but I just don't feel like it. Maybe later, maybe tomorrow. I just want to type some words out to spill out my sadness for my ill grandmother. My dad's mother, whom I have adored and learned so much from is very ill and we don't expect that she'll weather the storm.... She is the last grandmother for Bryan or myself. It's so hard to see through the tears... She is the last big part of my childhood back home in Colorado, and the little girl inside (and apparently out) cries out and doesn't want to let go. I know this is how life is, and life after death, for me, is a beautiful thing- she will live lively and gloriously with the Lord, our God. And I will see her again. But there's more to letting go of her, like I said, it's letting go of some physical and emotional part of my childhood. I don't know if it's harder because my mother is gone, as well, but it just really hard.
Tears have flooded the keyboard, now.... so I will just ask for prayer from you, and hopefully tomorrow will be a brighter day...

ELECTED JOY..

2009-01-11T14:50:00.018-06:00

Happy New Year, my friends! Whew!- what a whirlwind of parties, festivities, photography, giving & receiving, music, joy, games, family, friends, and much thankfulness with a little icky virus thrown in...

I'm back, and I see that everyone is coming back out to play after the holiday season... I'm itching, as well, since I haven't "played" at all since Silver Bella! It's such a shame, too, so much inspiration around Christmastime. Oh well, a new year and a new passion of creativity! There are so many swaps happening out there, bursting of hearts and love for Valentines...

Today I come back with a welcome, and some heart & soul inspiration...
We missed church last week, due to everyone running temps and being ill with a virus. So getting back was refreshing, with a feeling of hope for 2009. I just thought I'd share some thoughts and notes to help begin your new year with a positive attitude, and a wholehearted desire for JOY, because God truly wants us to feel joy in everything, and not just in the circumstances...

I know the Lord is always with me;

even at night my heart instructs me.

I know the Lord is always with me.

I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

No wonder my heart is filled with joy,

and my mouth shouts His praises!

My body rests in safety.

Psalms 16:7-9

1) You can have joy because God has chosen YOU.
2) You can have joy because God leads you through hard times.
3) You can have joy because He transforms your attitudes and actions.

Rejoice in the Lord Always!
~Phillipians 4:4

More reading:
~1 Peter 1:8-9
~Matthew 25:21
~Isaiah 53:10

Well... I'm off to get some more laundry done (two weeks-plus worth!), and I'll try and find the joy in that! ;)

Catch ya later, friends... til then, lots of HUGS and a little Valentine for you!

HOLIDAY GREETINGS & BEST WISHES....

2008-12-13T08:05:00.007-06:00

Sweet friends & family.... as much as I LOVE to blog, and think and wish I could "do it all", I am going to have to give my Christmas greetings and best wishes now (And come back after the new year). Things are sooo busy- recitals, parties, planning, baking, cleaning, laundry, and family coming in from out of town over the holidays.... I truly want to do it all!

I wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, and a BLESSED NEW YEAR! I'll see you then!
Many hugs!
Shannon

Wanna Laugh?

2008-12-04T09:34:00.006-06:00

IN THE DOGHOUSE...

Check it out for a giggle or two...
Happy Thursday!

Thankful Blessings...

2008-12-02T10:43:00.009-06:00

I have so much to be thankful for... My wonderful family, who loves me, and all my many friends from the long-time and recent past... Thank you all for your love, generosity, and commitment to our relationship. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with just our little family. Quiet, but eventful. We worked on gearing the house up for Christmas (no decorating, but cleaning purging, and organizing). With the fall sooooo busy around here, I fell behind on keeping up some organizing around here (surprise, surprise). We are not completely done, but well on our way to being done!

After Silver Bella, I came home to have a wonderful little package sent to me from my wonderful friend, Nancy at My Crafty Little Page. She posted on her blog in November about these cute little turkey candles (which I mistakenly thought were for sale), and inquired her about how much she would like for them. The reason I asked was because they are the EXACT same turkey candles my mother had as part of our Thanksgiving decorations that my sister and I used to put out as we decorated for the holiday feast. Oh those days, those memories, those cute little turkey candles.... Anyways, after an embarassing oopsie (made by, yes, surprise, me) she offered up a set, and I promised I would bring back Silver Bella goodies for her. And now, I have these three little turkeys (even in real life! lol), that will be a part of our Thanksgiving decor for years to come and share past

memories of my childhood to remind me of some really wonderful times with my Mom, Dad, sister and brother. ;) And NOT only did she send me the package, she also sent each of the kids a little something, too. She gave them little ornaments! And also tucked in a vintage Thanksgiving postcard and gummed holiday stickers for me. Just fabulous! Thank you soooo much sweet, friend!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I also want to say thanks for the little bloggy award she gave to me too! Nancy has awarded me the
Marie Antoinette Award
for inspiring in this little crafty/bloggy/creative little world! Thank you, my friend, I feel the same about you! Now, of course, I must pass this along to at least 7 more friends/bloggers (aren't they one in the same?) ;) , and post the guidelines...

1. Please put the logo on your blog

2. Link to the person from whom you received the award

3. Nominate at least 7 or more blogs

4. Put the links of those blogs on your blog

5. Leave a message on their blogs to tell them.

And now, I hand this award over to:

Tina ~ Glue on My Fingers, Paint in My Hair

Jana ~ These Are the Days

Linda ~ Linda Joe's Obsession

Valita ~ Vintage V's

Charlene ~ My Heart's Ease

JoAnna ~ Sweet Finds

Heather ~ My Everyday Life

Alisa ~ Life is a Beautiful Place to Be

Thank you ALL for your inspiration, love, generosity, and CREATIVE PASSION!

SILVER BELLA POST ~ Part 1

2008-11-24T11:37:00.028-06:00

Wow! What a Bella party.... this year was sooo different (in a good way). It was nice to know that I knew girls BEFORE I went. Though I wouldn't change last year for the world! It was fun to see "new-found friends" from last year and meet new faces... Blogging is truly amazing... It has changed my world forever. I am so glad to have met the people I have. We talked all weekend about the fact that we all connect so well because we "get each other". Vintage art, vintage inspired art, vintage crafting... it's all very strange to some people, but for others (like the 160 or so) girls of Silver Bella (among others), we all know what it's like to find a special treasure- whether it's found, unwanted, at a local thrift store or flea market, or up for grabs at an estate sale, or passed down within our own families only then to use it to create a wonderful gift for someone else, or add it to our own homes to tell a story of who we are... THAT'S Silver Bella in a nut shell... ;)

There is so much to talk about, that I think it would be best for me to break it down into bits....

So....I left a day early (Wednesday) with other Texas Bellas- Valita, Heather, Alisa, and JoAnna, to browse the downtown shopping... Our first stop was most definitely SECOND CHANCE ANTIQUES:

They, of course, knew the Bellas were headed into town, so they were definitely ready for us! We had a ball going through all the wonderful old treasures that they had lined up for us. I realize now, that Heather is not in this picture. But with her pregnancy, she was a bit exhausted, so she stayed back to nap a bit...

Then it was back to the hotel to meet up with Jessi for a little chit-chat, and where she showered us with a sweet little gift (big thanks, Jess!)...

Then Thursday came, we did some more shopping and fun before it was time to pick up our packets meet up with our other roomie and fellow Texas Bella, Jana, and get ready for the "meet and greet"...

and finally to our dinner and group class later in the evening... Our table was set with a goody bag full of fun stuff, and our class kits all neat and boxed up...

Amanda & Maija

Jana and Valita

Kim, Suzanne, Jessi

Heather, me, Valita

After class, it was time for swapping.... Come back in a couple of days to see all that fun...

Texas Bellas, pajama-style!

Woohoo! Silver Bella!!

2008-11-12T00:43:00.007-06:00

Well... I was going to have a whole weeks worth of sneaky peeks for Silver Bella... but getting ready/packing, etc., etc., got in the way of that! And I needed to give some attention to my poor family. I think they will ever be ready for the day when I say "I'm done with Silver Bella!"... just a few more days, my sweets...

Tomorrow's the big day! Valita, Heather, Joanna, and Alisa are headed to Omaha... Jana will be joining us on Thursday.
Anywho- here's a few more shots before I go... I will post the real deal when I return! Have fun swapping, feeding kiddos, going to the movies, or whatever you'll be doing while I'm gone! :) "See" ya when I get back!

Silver Bella 2008 Sneak Peek~ Day Three

2008-11-04T22:15:00.005-06:00

It's getting closer...
One whole week away!!!
;)

Spooky Kooky Night...

2008-10-31T16:22:00.009-05:00

Silver Bella Sneak Peek- Day Two

2008-10-30T15:56:00.003-05:00

So I'm a little behind on this post... tons going on around here! Though, at any rate, these pictures will keep you guessing...
I'm getting... no, I ALREADY AM so excited for Silver Bella to be here!
So many emails flying back and forth, plans being made and finalized Ooooo! It's crazy, yet so exciting at the same time... I just can't wait... ;) I'll be back!

Publish Post

Happy Birthday, Little Man!

2008-10-27T21:41:00.005-05:00

Happy 7th Birthday to my
Little Lego Man!!
I love you bunches and bunches!

Silver Bella Peeking... Day One

2008-10-16T23:03:00.008-05:00

Okay, I can't leave town, and not leave you with something:

Here's a peek at my part of some

Silver Bella Swapping....

Part of my workspace- (well, what it looked like yesterday... today it's not NEAR as neat!

I know, not much. But I have to spread this out a bit and keep ya guessin'. ;) I'll get to the glitter and sparkle next week! (Plus, it's LATE, and my day was a bear...) I'm gonna get to bed!
Have a FABULOUS weekend!
TaTa!

Praises to my Kids...

2008-10-15T16:14:00.005-05:00

It's rare I post more than one post a day, but something just happened and I have to share....

Sparing you a great lengthy and confusing story, I will say that I am SO VERY PROUD OF MY TWO OLDEST CHILDREN!!! All the "Safety First" reminders, long talks on watching what goes on around you while walking to and from school, and knowing there are some-pretty-shady-people-that-would- like-to-hurt-them-talks have so paid off! They ARE listening, and paying attention! Yay!

... Long story short...

The kids were still not home at 3:35, and I had lost track of time from about 3:15 (at which time I expect them home). When I realized they were still not home, I jumped into the van and drove the route in which they go to and from school.... no signs of my kiddos.... drive to the school, still no signs... okay, alot more worried now... Back at the house, the bikes and scooters are all there and garage door is locked? Strange. I unlocked the door, and the phone rings. It's the neighbor down the street, calling to let me know that the kids are there because they couldn't get in the house, and I didn't answer the door when they rang the doorbell. Praise to the Lord!

I don't know why I didn't hear the knocking or the doorbell, but they did as they had been told to do when in a time of trouble... went to a pre-determined safe house. And all was well. ...Thank you, Jesus, for watching over and my children.

To all you moms and dads that worry about the safety of your little ones- GOOD FOR YOU! But know He is always with them, and is watching carefully.... And always remind your kiddos to be aware of what is going on around them, and know what to do when they cannot reach mom or dad... Be safe.

ZZZZZZZzzzzzzz.......

2008-10-15T14:00:00.011-05:00

I'm still here! Just very busy working away at SILVER BELLA SWAPS, fall projects the kids need help with, as well as, all the normal catch-up... AND I will be leaving this weekend on another trip -AGAIN! Yes, I can hardly believe it myself! I'm no world traveler, but I'm working on it! LOL

This time, Bryan and I are flying to NASHVILLE/FRANKLIN, TN to visit with some good Texas friends (that relocated back to Tennessee) :( . Eric and their son, Liam, and Bryan will be going to the football game on Saturday, while Katie and I are headed out to a wonderful artsy-craftsy district of Franklin... she's planning it all out and I can't wait! Any of yous out that way? we could meet for lunch! ;) I have never been to Tennessee, so I am so thrilled to get the chance to go. Bryan will actually be flying to Memphis tomorrow (work), stay the night, and fly back Friday morn, to fly back out to Nashville Friday night!! (glad it's him and not me!) hee hee!
Soooooo..... Stay tuned and I'll post Silver Bella sneaky peeks next week!
Now, back to working on swaps....

;)

PAPER COWGIRL MUSING....

2008-10-01T10:08:00.027-05:00

Yee Haw!! What a fantastic weekend at the Paper Cowgirl Retreat! Tina and Cindy, you really know how to put on a fantastic artsy-craftsy kind-of-party! There really was no such thing as too much fun there.... I am soooo happy that you'll be doing it again next year! (so note that, girls~ Paper Cowgirl will be happening again sometime in June 2009! You will want to attend!) They are two of the sweetest cowgirls you'll ever meet!

As I had said in my last post, Valita picked me up Friday morning to head on down to Waxahachie to do some shoppin' before Vendor Night. And we did just that. Once there, we were off to a slow start, spending two hours in a little home decor shop... they had great selection of trims on clearance that we just couldn't pass up! (The two hours was NOT spent shopping, we had our trims picked out in a matter of 20 minutes. It was the check-out process that took sooo long!) We will know better next time...

It was about lunch time, so we decided to walk to and eat at a little pub that was quite quaint in all it's "pubbness" (?) They had some yummy deep-fried, cornbread-battered pickles! lol After lunch, we headed off to our first (and last of the day) antique store. We had a great time looking and digging, then happened upon a wonderful lady who was in to see the new jewelry treasures of one of the booths in the store.

We talked and searched for wonderful little jewels, all-the-while learning some really great tidbits on what to look for in quality vintage jewelry! Valita and I realize that we have passed up some really fantastic pieces in the past, thinking they were brand new, or almost brand new. But it's just the finish that was used at the time...;)

We checked into our hotel, then pranced off to the Little Pink Cottage where vendor night was to begin... So cute!! It's an adorable, literally pink little house made into a tea room, and was perfect for all the little wares that each vendor had. There was SO MUCH creative bliss in that tiny little cottage!

I purchased this sweet little birdy collage from Dale at Sea Dream Studio .

And this wonderful prayer collage is from Ms. Paper Cowgirl herself, Tina!

There was some wonderful little tidbits I purchased, but I have actually been efficient (ya, surprised me too), and tucked them away where they belong before I thought of a picture... and at the rate I'm going, I should have posted this over the course of two days... oh well.

And my blogger friend Nancy, was so sweet to give me these little vintage cupcake toppers and beautiful clock hands from Round Top! Thank you sweet friend.
We finally got to "hug" each other in real life, and I am ever so glad I have met her. She and her long-time friends all came and you must check out Nancy's blog and see the crazy-packed-car they came in!!!

ANOTHER blogger friend and roommie, Ms. Valita,( such a wonderful friend) gave me these goodies all wrapped up in a cute little bag with pink and aqua cowgirl boots paper topper! The little cowgirl necklace is so adorable. (The back of it is the first photo you see up top...)

She is so super sweet! And we had one rootin' tootin' time together! And I look forward to more fun with her at Silver Bella, as well as, just crafty and fun get-togethers down the road...

SATURDAY, we started out super busy with Dale in her lantern class. She is such a sweet person. She had a ton of extras for trading or adding to our lanterns...

Then we had a quick break for lunch that was catered from Two Sisters Lunchbox Cafe. Both Valita and I had Chicken Salad Sandwich with Cranberries on whole wheat bread and cute little cupcakes that were DEliCIouS!!!!! (I scooped one up before I even thought about a picture) You have got to go there, too!

Then off to Jan's banner class (and I'm not the bad little girl, really!). She had a wonderful selection of fabrics and papers in our kits.

After that, we did Joanna's class of Santa Art (the only project I actually got finished!). It was then time for a dinner break for some more antiquing. And the time went fast.... it was back to class with Sharon teaching her Face on a box class. She had our class kits in these cute little bags she painted, transferred, and such... so adorable...

What a great class this was, in that I reached outside the box (so to speak), and learned some great techniques. She was a wonderful teacher, and I think all of us were pleasantly surprised with outcome of all our boxes:

(Valita's and I's boxes)

Last class of the evening was Tina's Soldered Cowgirl Pendant. I was nervous, but Tina encouraged me to get soldering. So I did, and well... needless to say, it needs a little more work. And I still need to solder the jump ring on, then polish it up. She made up these cute little class kits in a disposable coffee cup! How cute is that?! ;)

It was an absolutely wonderful time. The Crafty Scrapper in Waxahachie is a FANTASTIC little store- worth the little trip, if you get the chance. And I want to thank them, Tina and Cindy, all the teachers, and all the super-fun ladies of Paper Cowgirl! What a fantastic weekend! I can't wait to do it all over again next year! ;)

Go and check out the other blogs for more pictures... and Tina started a Flickr Group, too!

Well, I had better zip-it... This probably goes down as the longest post yet.... ;P

Yeehaw! It's a Cowgirl Weekend!

2008-09-25T20:43:00.004-05:00

Whew! Another weekend away from home...
My hubby is sooooo sweet to let me go. ;)
It's PAPER COWGIRL WEEKEND in Waxahachie! Valita is coming to pick me up in the morning, and we are headed south for some shopping along the way, and then we meet up with the rest of the girls at the Cottage for vendor night. Then Saturday is full of artsy-crafty goodness all day til almost midnight! "See" ya when I get back! I will update all the happenings around here sometime next week....

Colorado, Here I Come!!!

2008-09-17T22:54:00.010-05:00

Hiya! I don't really have a great post for y'all. This week is super busy... I leave town tomorrow for COLORADO to see my SISTER! Yay! I am so looking forward to some time with her. ( I love you Tammy! See you in the morning... don't have to talk on the phone on the way to work!!!) We will be going to WOF- yes, you read it right... I'm going again! This year she didn't win tickets, but wanted me to go with her. And frankly, I am looking forward to it!

And then....NEXT WEEK is final preparations for The Paper COWGIRL RETREAT in Waxahachie, September 26-27. Valita and I are so excited! How's about you, Nancy? (can't wait to give you a big ol' HUG!) I have recently learned that Cindy of Junque Art will be attending, as well! And then there's Cindy, Tina, hmmmm.... so many!
OH! Go take a look at Valita's new look and new NAME.... very cool! And I just saw a little sneaky-peeky of Silver Bella Swappin' goin' on over there.... ;) (nice job V!)
Okay, back to WILD Vintage Cowgirls and a couple of days of nothing but thrifting, VINTAGE shopping, and crafting! Vendor night is going to be in this cute little pink house!

Well... off to pack, finish packing/mailing swaps... and hopefully a trip to Michael's to get some supplies that are on sale for Silver Bella/Paper Cowgirl. EEK! Ms Heather had to give us the countdown to how many days left (I have promptly forgotten, since it kinda freaked me out how close it REALLY is!
Have a wonderful rest-of-the-week, and fantastic weekend!

Oh, on another note.... Hurricane Ike is long gone.... but the mess he left behind is not. In fact it'll be around for a long time to come.... I just saw satellite pictures of the condos/townhomes today... not a pretty sight at all. The message board I ran across had people that owned one, or had RCI weeks for those townhomes, and everyone is really bummin' that they are such a mess. There isn't a beach left, a pool that once had water to splash and play in, is filled with debris and rubbish. Very sad indeed. Even more sad, many of the beach homes nearby, belonging to residents are gone... ;(

I'll leave you with this perfect little picture... look at ALL those smiles!

COLORADO, HERE I COME!!!

Storm Prayers...

2008-09-12T13:15:00.013-05:00

My heart and my prayers go out to all those fellow Texans down along the coast... Galveston, Surfside, Freeport,... Surfside is where our good friends, Michele and Erik have their condo that we go down to in the summertime. It's just so sad to see all the pictures of houses and areas we have seen, or even walked past! Our wonderful beach we played on, built sand castles and drip castles -gone, underwater, for now. Even the houses waaaay up past the beach, have at least ankle-deep water underneath it. This year we saw so many new houses that went up, old ones remodeled, painted and spiffed-up since our trip last summer. It's not the prettiest beach in the world, but Surfside, with it's small-town character was quite quaint and perfect for all of us. It's most likely the condo will be hit and suffer damage- how much? I don't know. And there are so many people in those beach-front communities that have chosen to stay and weather the storm... so scary.

I had a video of Surfside, but there were questionable pictures where the video ended and froze... so I chose not to display it on my blog.
But here's the link: Surfside waiting for Ike

For all of you, all or your relatives, friends, co-workers you have down there... I pray for safety. I hope many of you/them have already left and are making your way to a safer place...

My better photographic memories of Surfside...

Two photos (flooded surfside/ike radar) at top courtesy of wfaa.com

Soldering... A Beginner's Tale

2008-09-09T09:57:00.013-05:00

As I was blog surfing, I came upon a blog of a new found friend, Joanna, who will also be attending Silver Bella. I met Joanna for the first time at Heather's soldering class a little over a week ago. Joanna blogged about her experience and posted pictures of class (she was a good little girl, and remembered her camera). I hadn't given it much thought to blog about my experience because I didn't know anything about soldering (except what I learned that day). So it occured to me that, duh, you don't have to know everything about something to blog about it! And it was a milestone for me, so by golly, I'm gonna blog about it!

I say a milestone, because soldering is something I've been wanting to learn more about for a really long time. I will be taking a class at Silver Bella with the Queen of Solder, Sally Jean in November. And it's not the Soldering for Virgin's class... I am dying to dive in to her Partridge in a Pear Tree class, which requires at least a basic knowledge of soldering.

So, that beautiful Saturday at Heather's home, I had a great time learning the basics. Met some wonderful ladies, and was thrilled to find Heather is a wonderful teacher. She told us all she knew to get us started, answered numerous questions, and had lemonade and lemon-frosted cookies to boot! (Oh they were yummy- and I won't tell your secret, Heather!) And now, I think I am hooked... a new found love for another craft. Yes, my efforts were very crude, to say the least, but that's okay. I am totally cool with that. Heather says, "Practice, practice, practice!". So that's what I'll have to do. Everyone has to start somewhere, right?

The picture is of the FIRST charm I did. Rather rough, wouldn't you say? It really only got that way because I tried to go back and make it "smoother"...

Mistake #1, Lesson #1. Don't go back and "try and fix" what you call mistakes. It will only make them worse. (at least as a beginner) ;)

A new friend, Charlene, also found this out the hard way. Both of us found our second charm to be pretty acceptable (for just learning), so we both felt that we had a better grip to go back and "fix" the first one a bit.... Bad news. It ended up worse than it started. Oh well. We've learned our lesson, haven't we Charlene?
I cannot show my second one, as it is a gifty for a friend, whom I won't mention, because it's a surprise. (So ya know that it MUST have turned out better than this one!) ;)

Thanks for everything, Heather! I mean, who would buy their cookies at Walmart and ice them with a scrumptious homemade lemon icing? (Did I say secret? LOL!) They were delicious, and tasted every bit homemade! Big hugs to ya Heather! (and to your husband for putting up with us!) ;)

So if your in the DFW area, and want to learn the basics or more about soldering, taking a class from Heather is highly recommended!

Click on Heather's name to link to her blog...
Click on Joanna's name to link to her blog and see more pictures of class that day...

A Quickie Recap of Women of Faith...

2008-09-03T10:19:00.014-05:00

(My BFF, Michele and Me, miss flat-head-need-a-haircut)

(Cynthia who hates her picture taken- hee hee)

(The Girls ~ "but" what's that "stickin out my butt-thing" all about?) ;P

Just a quick post to let you all know I'm still kickin'... it's crazy mad around here! Women of Faith was totally and greatly AWESOME! (Once again!)
Michele's sister, Kim, came this time and since she lives up by me, and we go to the same church, we ended up riding together. And that was fun. Anita Renfroe was a bowl full of giggles and laughs... We were not disappointed. Course, if you were there and disagree, blame it on your thyroid! LOL Then each of the other porch ladies, opened their hearts once again, and reminded us that we are NEVER alone, as women or a child of Christ. Their stories and encourgement were uplifting and peaceful. And we were certainly NOT disappointed with basically mini concerts from Nicole C. Mullen, Nichole Nordeman, Natalie Grant, and of course the WOF praise and worship team. It was an emotional roller coaster, yet again... but one that I will forever ride over and over and over again! If you have never been, I highly recommend it... but grab a friend, sister, or mother- it's an event you don't want to experience alone!

We stayed at a house south of Dallas, and rode the train to and from the American Airlines Center, lots of stories there.... ;P Overall a wild ride, but great fun with great sistas and a beautiful comfort- feeling Christ's love so powerful and strong!

(Backyard of the house we stayed in)

I'll come back later, with some creative stuff when I get the chance... Silver Bella Swaps are opening up, and I dove in and decided to host one! EEeek! Good or Bad? I don't know.... but I am TOTALLY THRILLED about it! LOL It will be fun. Catch ya all later!

It's For Good Reason...

2008-08-20T22:07:00.012-05:00

I happened upon this poem on my friend Elizabeth's blog, who found it on her friend Amy's blog. I'm going to keep it "going" by posting it here. It's a healthy reminder that God IS there, even when we think he might not be listening...

I asked God to take away my habit.
God said, No. It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No. His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No. Patience is a byproduct of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is learned.

I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No. I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No. You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, No. I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.
God said...Ahhhh, finally you have the idea.

Picture courtesy of
Diana Wolverton Studio
Hymn Script ~ The Art of Hymns

If you love abstract art arranged with layers of color and words (in this case, hymns), you should go and check out her site. She has a ton to offer: inspiration (of all kinds), art prints, art on t-shirts, mugs, etc., as well as some FREEBIE DOWNLOADS of greeting cards, note sheets, bookmarks, etc.

Have a blessed weekend... I'm off to Women of Faith!

Gearing Up & A Winner...

2008-08-19T11:09:00.021-05:00

It's that time again... the summer is winding down, and school is about to start. We have dance classes that start this week. Bailey has decided to take ballet this year... She has not taken ballet since she started dance waaaay back. She is a bit nervous (silly girl). I told her it'll all come back to her, once she starts. The new dance studio isn't quite ready yet, so we are still in the old location. We are all anticipating the new move over though! CAN NOT wait! It will be soooo nice! If you are in the Lewisville/Flower Mound area and looking for a studio, you definitely want to check out Amy's studio:"Footlights Dance Studio". She's been in business since 1996, is a Christian, and a wonderful instructor and mom. We love it there! ;)

We spent the weekend (TAX FREE!) shopping for back-to-school clothes and shoes.... Yikes, these kids grow too fast! They had fun, and mom and dad were thrilled to save (much) money between all the sales, coupons, and NO TAX!!! Yippee! I had forgotten to take the camera with us, which is too bad, I could have had a couple good "bargaining" pictures of Bailey! ;)

Thursday is meet the teacher night, and then I'm off to Women of Faith! I'll be going with the same bunch from last year, and I can't wait! ANOTHER dose of Anita Renfroe is what I'm needing. And she will the speaker for the pre-conference on Friday- YAY! She is such a hoot! If you have not heard (which I can hardly believe) her Momsense song,then click on over to her website... she also has the new "Dadsense" song... ;D LOVE IT! lol I feel so blessed to have met and speak with her not only once, but twice last fall. She is just so hilarious! Her comment on this picture taken with my sister and myself was, "Gee, let's take this picture, I feel like I'm a boob-sandwich!".

Then after a wild "girly" weekend, the kids will be off to school bright and early Monday morning... It's gonna be tough. Normally we would have started the earl(ier) bedtime routine to get them in sync before school starts, but they have been staying up late watching the Olympics. They love watching, and I figure it's better than all the other junk they get too much of!

So..... waiting, waiting for a winner of another MINI ART JOURNAL..... I drew a name last night, but could not post... Blogger/Google give me fits with my password sometimes. I change it to the exact same thing, but yet it doesn't let me log in... Ugh. So here I am finally logged in and ready to reveal.....
But first, THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU who left a comment. I appreciate you taking the time to do so. Each one means alot to me! This blog is always a work in progress... so tips and ideas are always welcome!

And the winner is?

Thanks for stopping by and go and check out Linda Jo's Obsessions... Linda, send me your addy, and I'll send your little gifty (and November can't come soon enough ;)!!

Again, thank you all for your comments!

YOUR TICKET TO A GIVEAWAY....

2008-08-12T18:38:00.012-05:00

Thanks to my friend, Nancy, I've been messing around with the background, the colors, fonts and such.

Now tell me what you think...
Do you like the colors? Does it flow? Tell me what your thinking... ~but please be gentle!~ ;)
I'm putting together another mini journal and thought of giving it away. If you leave a comment on this post through Sunday evening... I'll randomly draw a name and it'll be yours. Sorry I don't have a picture yet... but it'll be good, don't worry!
{{{HUGS}}}

GIRLS AREN'T THE ONLY ONES

2008-08-09T21:11:00.016-05:00

that have fun here...
the boys in the house have just as much fun too!

Braden loves, loves, LOVES Legos... he first got a couple of the Star Wars ships, added a small Nascar set, and then an original Lego set. He's been creating new ships, vessels, maps, you name it! I'm so glad he loves playing with them. He takes them apart as fast as he puts them together though! So here's the one shot I have of his creativity as of recent...

HUH? WHAT? WHO?
I'M 40?
wHAT hAPPEneD?...

Sorry sweet, for the picture post ;)... but it was just too good not to!

My wonderful hubby turned the big 4-0 on the 7th. He IS taking it well, considering what the picture might portray... (better than I will!). All of us headed to the Blue Goose Cantina for the big celebration.... Mmm, Mmm, Mmm... how it was so yummy!

Look at those smiles... I just love my boys!

Back at home, we showered him with gifts...Bailey made him a little desk organizer from a kleenex box, a picture holder from modeling clay and paper clips, and doodads just because. They also gave him a T-shirt from Family Christian Store. He LOVED it! (the back is shown at the bottom)

HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY!!!
Here's to another 40+ years of loving you!
I love you 4Ever and Always, my Bubba! ;)

ATCs and some PAPER ARTS FUN!

2008-08-09T19:10:00.020-05:00

So, in my last post I said I was feeling a creative jive... joined some swaps, and here's a little bit of what I've been up to:

ATC International Swap

Crowns and Tiaras ATC
Bailey joined in with me, and even swapped ATCs with another girl her age! Here's what she's been working on... quite a little budding artist, I must say! I am so thrilled she loves to be right at my side creating, it's a ton of fun when were singin', inkin', paintin', cuttin', gluein'... hmmm, there's a little jingle in there somewhere. ;) (She's a little busier than I am, hence more production takes place). lol

Then... I am sooooooo excited! Last year I attended Silver Bella Paper Arts Retreat for the first time. I went by myself, which was a little bit frightening ( I have never traveled by myself before). But it was in Omaha, Nebraska- How bad could it be? That was practically back home where I grew up! So I felt like I was in some-what familiar territory... I was so lucky to have been able to register after someone had canceled, because it ended up a sold out event. (Miss Foof sure knows how to put together one doozy of a retreat!) I then made flight and hotel arrangements, and Little Miss Cinderella was on her way! I am so glad I went, it was total paper arts heaven! And now I'm attending again this year, and I am sooo excited to go and see friends I met from last year! Yay!

And not only Silver Bella, but I'll be headed south to the Paper Cowgirl Retreat in September. Tina, who hosted the Cowgirl Swap a couple months ago, along with her friend Cindy, are going to be hostesses of this big paper pow-wow! (Tina will also be one of the talented artist, teaching a class!) I am so excited because I'll be going with Valita (who I met at Silver Bella last year), and I'll be meeting Ms. Nancy ,(whom I've never officially met in person... we met via swapping over the internet and have been blogging "friends" ever since! I never thought when I started blogging, that I would have met soooo many talented and absolutely wonderful people. Oh so much fun and excitement!

Party Freebie...

2008-07-31T14:06:00.006-05:00

So, I actually have a creative jive going right now (yay!)... but I have to play around on the computer every once in awhile (to change things up a bit-ya know?)
And looky what I found...
FREE printable place cards from Rachael Ray. You just print, cut and fold! Now all I need is the dinner party to go with! Hmmmm...

Thank you Rachael!

(There are several styles to choose from!)

The Art of Bento Boxes...

2008-07-29T00:01:00.008-05:00

I am simply amazed at what can be accomplished by 'other types' of artists, and I don't speak of those in the studio or craft rooms -I speak of the ones in the kitchen...

Inside this adorable little box, holds the artistic intuition and creative spirit of a person driven by the same madness as artists, like myself, but with a whole other palette in which they work from. The boxes (or canvas), can be a simple plastic box with possible cartoons (or anime) printed on them, to an elaborate lacquer box- one that might have multiple compartments. They can be an art form in-and-of-itself.
I love this cute one with cherry blossoms!
Oh... back up, you might say. Bento? What in the world is a bento? Bento is a Japenese "packed meal", usually a lunchtime meal. A Bento box has come a long way as to what foods (or artist's media) are packed in a box. Traditional foods include rice, bite-sized fruits, vegetables, and hard-boiled eggs... Nowadays, you might find chicken nuggets, cheese squares, meatballs, and even leftovers. It's not really "what" you put in though, it's "how" you put it in... And I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves. . . ;)

Aren't they just fabulously amazing? And just so visually stimulating? They are so full of color and speak a story all their own. All the work and care that goes into one little piece of art...

What fun! I love the whole idea of Bento Boxes... it sure beats a turkey or PB&J day after day (course, don't get me wrong- I love PB&J!) But I mean, imagine opening up your lunch bag/cooler and pulling out an adorable-looking little box, then opening it up and finding a piece of art, TO EAT!?
-It's after midnight, and I am soooo hungry!

Well, I find these little packed meals so inticing and I've had thoughts of these for my kids lunches this fall... With fresh ingredients of fruits and veggies, rice... it's a healthy treat!
Here's a little site I found that has more background information, etc. It also has an onigiri How-to. (Onigiri are "rice balls" or as in the pictures above, rice piggies or hello kitties...) You'll find it HERE.
Now, go and eat something- fresh and healthy! ;)

My first award...

2008-07-27T15:07:00.000-05:00

Wow! I've been awarded the Brilliante Weblog Award from my friend, Nancy, over at My Crafty Little Page. That is sooo very sweet of you, my dear. Thank you!
Now, the rules state that I must give this award to at least four other bloggers... hmmm.... how can I choose? There are sooooo many brilliantly talented bloggers in "blogland", and it would be hard to choose just four.
First, the rules:

Put the logo on your blog.

Add a link to the person who awarded you.

Nominate at least 4 other bloggers.

Add links to those blogs on yours.

Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

Oh, dear, before I choose, know that all of you inspire me, make smile, make me laugh, even make me cry (for good reasons!), and touch my life in some way... I choose:

Gina {Gingerbread}

Elizabeth {E2C2}

Tina {Glue on My Fingers, Paint in My Hair}

Amy {Inspireco}

Sherelle {My Crazy Life}

Rebecca {RS Out of Hand}

Thank you, girls, for your words and images of inspiration, kindness, and fun!

Gotta love a do-rag....

2008-07-25T08:23:00.005-05:00

when it's on kids as cute as these! The older two made theirs at library camp... and when they came home with them, McKenna had to have one, as well! Then they posed for the camera and gave me everything they had! Nothing like a big smile to brighten your day?

Time for a crafty post...

2008-07-22T15:39:00.008-05:00

My mother-in-law is starting to understand my vintage and artsy craze. I think she might think I'm a little nutty still, especially when I tried explaining to her about using old ledgers. But I was excited when she sent me a vintage card for mother's day! (One from her Gran-gra's old stash!)

Here's a little card I made for her
(with a vintage card, no doubt!)...

Hugs!

Life at the beach...

2008-07-18T15:18:00.028-05:00

Awwwww.... the beach. Total bliss. Total fun.

Total-ly what we needed.

What a wonderful and relaxing trip with some oldy, but goody friends! This year, we bought the kids BIGger, sturdier boogie boards, in hopes that they would last (and they did). Even the "big boys" went into Lake Jackson and got a couple more so they could go out and surf with the kids. We were glad they did, because they had a really great time. There had been storms waay out in the gulf, and it was causing overcast skies and some REALLY BIG waves, the first couple days. But they were great for boogie-boarding!

Here are some great individual moments...

McKenna is at a perfect stage/age this year. I didn't know how she would react to the sand, the surf, etc... But she LOVED every bit of it! She was timid and not so sure of the water at first (because even at the shoreline, the waves were strong). But she soon became brave and decided it was either her or the waves (the waves lost). She walked right in, water up to her ankles, sat down, reached for handfuls of wet sand and let it all run through her fingers... over and over. She was so fun to watch. She was also fun to photograph, because she stood still for more than two seconds!

This year, Bailey had the goal of finding a whole sand dollar. After last year, when only one was found by Griffin?, I really didn't have much hope that she would (course, I didn't tell her that!)
The kids went out two mornings and an evening over by the bridge (where the good shell hunting is), but it wasn't until their last outing (on our last day there) when the tide had gone waaaaay out, that they found some beautiful big shells and SEVERAL whole sand dollars! Oh there was so much excitement... and I shared the joy of the blessing with her (me of little hope sometimes.... ;)

A new and rare find was jellyfish. The kids saw a couple out in the surf, while a few others had been washed up onto the beach. I had never seen one "in real life" before... funny how it resembled those silicon implants that I'll never need... ;P

Most of our nights were spent playing games of all kinds; the latest being Pirates of the Carribean LIFE... Arrgh, fun game matey!

But of course, one night had to be spent 'crabbing'.... Oh what fun! I would say "the kids" had a blast, but the adults had just as much fun. Poor Michele would have had so much more fun, if her knee hadn't been giving her such fits! :( Sorry, Michele!

We found all sorts of crabs... The prize crab was a blue crab... we caught several, but it was either Erik or myself that caught this beauty!
We went and got shrimp and crabs for our big seafood boil for the next night's feast... oh and I must say.... sooooo very YUMMY!

My little photographer girl...Bailey took the beachy seashell photo, and I thought it was a nice little set-up she put together!

We had a family picture taken this year in hopes that there was one for the Christmas cards for this year... the wind was sooooo uncooperative! And if one or two kids were looking the right way, the other*s) weren't. But it was fun, and I think there will be something we can use between the two cameras... Candid fun was all I was looking for anyways.

And take a look. I literally cried in pure joy after downloading and seeing this....

Childhood is the most beautiful of all life's seasons.
~ Author Unknown

All in all, a wonderfully blessed trip! Thanks for checking in.
'Til later...

Winner! Winner! Winner!

2008-07-16T15:00:00.008-05:00

Oh, sweet friends.... thank you for your patience! The beach was a fabulous trip, one that we needed quite a bit- but I'll tell you more about it in another post, cuz I know you've anxiously and patiently been waiting for the revealing of a winner from my 50th post giveaway.

Thank you so very much for your sweet and dear comments! You make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. ;) It's so heart-warming to read your comments and know that I've touched your heart in some way.

Now, without further ado...
Using the system from random.org, the winner is.....

If you haven't been over to Gina's blog, you simply must go visit (click on her name above, or on my side blogroll)... she is quite the little talent in so many ways... look for some of her scrumptious recipes!

Congratulations, Gina! Email me with your addy info!

50th Post Giveaway!!!

2008-07-08T10:02:00.000-05:00

Wow, my 50th post! I know, I know- there are many blogs out there that hit their 50th post within a couple months... and it's taken me almost a year! What can I say? (maybe a little more? LOL)
Well, it's been an adventure... and I didn't know if it would be something I would enjoy, but I'm definitely liking this blogging thing. I've have been so blessed by meeting some great new friends, and keeping touch with wonderful and dear family and friends... Thank you All for inspiring me, supporting me, and saying hello! It's truly fun and endearing to write what just comes to mind, and find that it has inspired you or touched your heart in some way. So to celebrate, here is a bloggy giveaway for you all...

Leave a comment on this post between now and Saturday, July 12 and you'll be entered into a random drawing for one of my mini journals, along with a lipstick mirror and gloss... I will announce the winner on Sunday or Monday when I'm back from the beach! Good luck!

{{{HUGS}}}
Shannon

Off to the Beach...

2008-07-03T07:00:00.013-05:00

Well, it's been an interesting week. I never plan enough time to prepare for a trip... So scurry, scurry I go to get everything together. ;P
But whatever I forget, I guess I didn't need it that bad (unless it's McKenna's diapers?! lol)

I leave you with a smile, a cheerful good-bye, good thoughts and many blessings until I return!

Be on the lookout for my auto 50th post and GIVEAWAY while I'm away!!!

Beach Sand by Raymond A. Foss

Maybe it is the memories
the change of pace that brings us there
the sense of vacation
maybe the smell of the place
the sights of the gulls, the dunes, the grasses
but oh it is the feel of it,
the crunch and slide of it
the feeling of beach sand
so different from dirt, soil, loam
no, not earthy, moist, rich,
but oh so granular and gritty
even when wet,
moveable paper spreading under toes
sliding beneath the soles
smoothing my skin
clearing my mind
unburdening me of the rest
drawing me to the tactile, the feel
of beach sand...

Yee Haw, Cowgirl Swap! ~Take Two~

2008-06-28T21:53:00.006-05:00

My Cowgirl Swap goodies I sent to Liz B:
An Art Journal, 4 Altered Cards, a Lipstick Mirror & Lip Gloss.

I figure she can use these altered cards as hmmm..., altered art, or tags, or perhaps add them to an atc collection?

Lipstick mirror (aka: altered bottle cap)

And last but not least, the altered art journal, using lots of fun vintage papers, scrapbook papers, handmade paper, and pages from a vintage children's book about cowboys
(cowgirls are alot harder to come by!).
I've had a ton of fun making these lately, some of which will be in my etsy shop soon. Hope you like your goodies, Liz!

I want to thank Tina for hosting such a fun swap!

Yee Haw, Cowgirl Swap! ~Take One~

2008-06-28T21:18:00.010-05:00

These are the goodies I recieved from my partner, Liz B for Tina's Cowgirl Swap. I wish I could link Liz, but she doesn't have a blog (yet) ;) ...I was so thrilled to see such a cute little "cowgirl" apron... she made it, and did a terrific job. Then she also made a little fabric needle book with vintage fabrics. Little did she know that I had made several felt ones, but had given them all away and didn't have one! She also sent the cutest little gun & holster with barbed wire lasso. So, so cute! And to top it all off, she personalized it with a lovely little blingy 'S' lapel pin! Thank you so very much, Liz! I love all my cowgirl goodies!

Poetic Reprieve...

2008-06-25T10:15:00.010-05:00

I picked up a book from the Salvation Army a few years ago titled, "A World That Sings!" from Helen Lowrie Marshall. I absolutely love this little book... so many little verses that touch my heart. Even the few illustrations are quaint. I hadn't picked it up in months, and yesterday I did. And I'm so glad I did. I have felt so overwhelmed lately, and this little poem puts the REAL picture in perspective. God has such a funny way of talking to us, doesn't he? ;)

Even though we feel overwhelmed from day to day, imagine what it would be like to have ALL of life come at you in one day, rather than in the thousands of days over a lifetime? I think I'll take my small dose here and there, don't you agree? After reading this, and a couple other verses... it lead me to read some of my old children's books, including a childhood bible. Aaahhh. A breath of fresh air. I felt a bit refreshed, and hmmm, not so overwhelmed?

So I think I will share her words with you today...

ONE DAY AT A TIME

I'm glad life is given to us bit by bit,
In minutes, and days, and years;
For if we were faced with the whole of it
How filled it would be with fears;
With all of its laughter, and all of its pain,
It's sorrow and joy and care-
Why, even its beauty all at one time
Would be more than we could bear.

But God drops a bit of happiness here,
And lowers a shadow there,
and each of us has his portion of both,
The bitter and the fair.
And, whether the way be rough or fine,
It's a comforting thing to know
We've only one step to take at a time,
Just one little day to go.

{{{{{HUGS!}}}}}

100th Birthday Card...

2008-06-23T02:03:00.005-05:00

Karla Nathan's Great Auntie is turning 100 years old this month, and she had asked her blogging friends if they could make 100 cards to give to her on her birthday. Aunt Caroline is and has been a crafty gal herself, and Karla thought it would be fun to give something crafty back to her... So she has ended up with over 100 cards to give her Aunt Caroline! You can see all the cards in her Flickr group here: Great Aunt Caroline 100 Birthday Cards

This is the card I made and sent...

A little interaction is always fun, right?

It was a fun card to create. I have so many projects going and have not cleaned up from, that I just used what was sitting around. (That's one way to tidy-up, now isn't it?)
So this is just some more of my past-due blogging! And there's yet more to come... ;)
(including my 50th post giveaway! ~
So be sure and come by again!)

POWER LAB SUCCESS!

2008-06-22T22:58:00.023-05:00

We did it! VBS was a total success! Even with the threat of bad weather, a power outage, and a stormy morning or two.... Through it all, it proved to be a truly amazing event... Over 1,100 kids total, and a week full of spiritual blessings! I had a team of five working with me to finish odds and ends for the preschool crafts. They were a fantastic bunch of ladies, and new friendships have begun through our time spent together. The Lord poured out His blessings on us all. And I am so very thankful. The week ended with the Family Fusion Night on Friday night. There were jump houses, water slides, rock climbing, a petting zoo, popcorn, pizza, lemonade, hair painting, ice cream, kid tattoos, laser tag- whew- Let's just say a really BIG celebration! Glory, Glory! Our kids had a ton of fun, even little McKenna- she really didn't want to leave the big fire truck jump house. Bailey tried to dry off climbing the rock tower... but was still soaked through from the water slides. And Braden had the energy of the Energizer bunny still going at 9:00pm!
Still going...
and going...
and going....
which then led to be interesting because they both had friends, Amber and Jared, come spend the night! (Well, actually, it wasn't too bad- they all had the lights out and were almost asleep by 10:45... and that was after they all had showers!)

Here is what the final crafts were and how they turned out:

Day 1 Friendly First Aid Kits

(Our budget allowed 4 band aids ($store) and a smiley sticker (for cheering up ;) Pink color is a cut piece of card stock that fits snugly inside the lid portion of the soap box)

Day 2 Oozy Goop Experiment

(Recipe: 4 tbls cornstarch, 3 tbls water, 1 drop food coloring)

Day 3 Growing Friends

Day 4 Friendship Wrist-Ties (they made two, one for them and one to give to a friend and invite to church or the Family Fusion Night)

& Picture Frames...

So much fun, lots of high energy, and tons of prayers answered...

HUGS,
Shannon

Valley Creek Church

(Click into new window, then right click and save to your computer)

Show and Tell Again...

2008-06-14T20:59:00.019-05:00

I know, I know, I've been a bad little girl and not keeping up lately! WELL..... among the end of the school year activities, VBS (Yay! it's this week!), a swap, kids library camp, kids with unexplained symptoms/sickness, and a little treasure hunting are what was and IS happening around my neck of the woods...

Heidi (Birds of a Feather ) is hostess of " Show and Tell Sunday" this week and it's all about Flea Market Finds! Well, in my quest for cornstarch and (yes, you read right- cornstarch for VBS this week. LOTS and LOTS of cornstarch... 50 boxes to be exact!). Anyways- I HAD to stop by the Estate Sale on my way to the store, and I happened upon a Flea Market on my way to the other store. ;) Here's what I found... (And by clicking on Heidi's link, she has a list of S & T Sunday participants)

Vintage Journal/Record Book- 75 cents ( I have never been able to find one of these unless it was on Ebay or in an antique store for a WHOLE lot more) Most of the used pages had been cut out, unfortunately, but that's okay- there was plenty of blanks to use!

Vintage Baby Thank Yous- 75 cents for 8 w/envelopes

Vintage Children's Books- 25 cents each

Vintage Piano Books Lot of 8- $20 (Truly- I can't believe I happened upon this one)

Here's a few from past outings...

Vintage Cabinet Photos $2-$3 each

Vintage 1940's typewriter- $22 Works great!

Vintage Playing Cards- 25 cents to $1 each

Vintage 1902 Sears Catalog- $3 (Another truly amazing deal I couldn't believe!)

Wish I could find a handful of these hat pins!

Vintage Crown Brooch- $3

Pretty Pink Towl- $1

Diamonds in the rough, I say.... I love a cheap treasure! Thanks for stopping by. I have soooooo much more to share with you! Stay tuned this week... But I must be off to the church again for VBS. I will visit everyone later! ;)

Hugs,
Shannon;)

HELLLLOOOOO!!!!!!

2008-06-04T12:14:00.004-05:00

I know it's been waaaay too long for a post. I'm post overdue! It's the end of the school year, and we are just crazy busy... I'm off to the 4th grade End-of-the-Year Party now.... Watch for new posts of the goings on- soon! ;)
HUGS! Shannon

Show and Tell Sunday...Vintage Linens

2008-05-18T13:39:00.020-05:00

I have never participated in Analise's "Show and Tell Sunday" before, just enjoyed browsing blogs of those who did.... But after seeing Cerri's post that she was hostessing this week's theme: Vintage Linens... I so wanted to share... For sentimental reasons (I've been feeling sentimental lately...) As well as, sharing the bargains I got at an estate sale on Friday. So here we go!....

These linens come from my husband's grandmother (or"Gran-gra"as she was also known by). She was the sweetest lady eva! I love(d) her so much... From day one, when meeting her for the first time- I knew I was in for a wonderful Swedish treat! She had the best gingerbread cookies, baked like there was no tomorrow, and ALWAYS had her house open to anyone... She had a guest book for her guests to sign each time they came to visit... And EVERYONE would sign- down to the youngest visitor! I thought it was the neatest thing. I said I would always do that, but sadly I never have. I guess it's never too late to start!
So, gran-gra was a cross-stitcher. A very talented one, at that! She cross-stitched something (if not multiples) for each family member, I think! She cross-stitched a framed art piece for our wedding, one for Bailey's birth announcement, and another one of my old cat, Tiger.

Anyways, these were some of her embroidered pillow cases and table linens ....

She cross-stitched these table linens...

These were a sample of her tablecloths and table linens from Sweden...

And these were some miscellaneous linens that were hers, as well....

These are a few aprons from my collection...

I just love this hankerchief apron made from- well, hankerchiefs! Simply adorable!

A few hankies... (you should recognize this one, Nancy!) ;)

And these are a few bargains that I found just this past Friday at an estate sale! I'm kinda kicking myself for not grabbing a few more...

The doilies and towels were $1 each(with the smallest doilie thrown in as a "party favor" ;) ) and the tablecloths were $3 and $5!

His and Hers... CUTE!

I would also share my mother and granmother's linens, though they are in another closet where little McKenna is resting her wee little eyes at the moment... so another day, perhaps!

You can find a list of blogs participating on Cerri's blog: Little Pink Studio

Happy Mother's Day...

2008-05-09T05:00:00.001-05:00

My mom is a neverending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune.

~Graycie Harmon

I love you mom and will forever miss you from the bottom of my heart!

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms, grandmothers, and ladies who have touched a child's heart with your grace...

A Few Favorites...

2008-05-07T09:47:00.011-05:00

My friend Elizabeth had tagged me to list my favorites... and I finally have sat down to do them! First, is a picture of my most favorites in the world! And here are a few more...

1. 5 Things I Couldn't Live Without for Under $5
-Hand sanitizer
-Chapstick (it's so funny, our entire family calls it Lip-Stuff..."Mom, my lips hurt, I need some lip stuff!" LOL
-Chocolate Chip Cookie
-Sonic/Chick-fil-A sweet tea
-Most anything vintage at an Estate Sale/Garage Sale! lol

2. 5 Favorite Movies
-Indiana Jones (any of them)
-There's No Business Like Show Business (1954)
-The Parent Trap (1961)
-13 Going on 30
-Under the Tuscan Sun
-The Whole Nine Yards

3. 5 Baby Names I Love But Won't Use
-Audrey
-Sebastian
-Evan
-Marshall
-Peyton

4. 5 Songs I Could Listen To Over and Over Again
-Amazing Grace (My chains are gone) by Chris Tomlin
-Salt and Light by Jamie Smith
-Cinderella by Stephen Curtis Chapman
-We Got It Going On by Bon Jovi
-I'll Always Love You by Blackhawk
-Any Lionel Richie or Fleetwood Mac song
-I Can Only Imagine by Mercy Me

5. 5 People Who Have Influenced My Life In A Positive Way
-My Husband & Children
-Jesus
-My Parents, Bryan's parents, as well as my Sister and Brother
-My Grandparents
-Many people from our old church- MANY... Elizabeth, Kecia, Katie, Holli, Valerie... the list is just soooo long.....

6. 5 Things That Stay In My Purse At All Times
-Wallet
-Chapstick
-Hand Sanitizer
-Junk- can't stand it- but it's there. Once in awhile it comes in handy! lol
-Checkbook

7. 5 Moments That Have Changed My Life Forever
-Becoming a Christian
-Saying "YES!" to my high school sweetheart and soul mate!
-Moving to Lewisville/Dallas
-Attending Highland Fellowship
-Becoming a mom

8. 5 Obessions I Have Right Now
-VBS
-VBS
-Teacher Appreciation Week
-Teacher Appreciation Week
-Did I mention VBS and Teacher Appreciation?

9. 5 Places I Would Like To Go
-Italy
-Paris
-Africa
-Canadian Mountains
-Northern East Coast

10. 5 People I Would Like To See Their Top Five
-Nancy
-Tammy
-Valita
-Rebecca
-Sherelle

Have a day full of hugs!

Happenings & Childhood Toys...

2008-05-03T22:22:00.036-05:00

I know I haven't been much of a blogger recently- just been too busy running around, taking care of sick ones, and now it's VBS time... Ah yes, it is. I am the Preschool Crafts Captain (aka "Squeaky Beakers" Captain). So, I've spent many hours planning, shopping and such for the big event on June 16-19 at Valley Creek Church in Flower Mound, Tx. The theme this year is Group's "Power Lab -Discovering Jesus' Miraculous Power!". It's going to be a really fun time... if you're in the area, you should join us! Click on the the VBS theme to take you to Group's site and learn more about Power Lab, then click the church's link above, to register!

Now, I DID have a moment or two to take a look-see at a few other blogs, and ran across some that had joined in Scrappy Jessi's Favorite Childhood Toys Party... I missed it last week, but she added me to her list anyways, so I'd better get to tellin' ya! ;) Thanks, sweet Jessi!

Oh, I had many favorites.... Baby Alive- without the modern, overly-large head... (remember, she ate "real" baby food, then "pooped"!) LOL- Okay, gross... but I had fun changing diapers...and let me tell you I'd so rather change those diapers than the kind I have to now! EEeewwww! I remember this oh so cute pink halter dress! I just love it!

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Then there was my Shaun Cassidy doll. With his "secret decoder" guitar! OOooooo! He was waaaaay cuter than Ken! (Though my sister didn't think so.)

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My Barbie Townhouse! Okay, it was shared with my sister ;).... it was so much fun, 3 stories high( It was taller than either of us-or so I remember!). It had an elevator and the best view Barbie could eva want!

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Spirograph and Tomy Fashion Plates: The fun I had with these... I hung up lots of graphic circles and shapes all over my room. You could tell I was headed into the world of fashion photography-turned-artist, since I made numerous clothing catalogs with my fashion plates. I still have the original colored pencils and box! I even got the "More Fashion Plates" set! (Have you seen how much fashion plates are going for on Ebay!???!) Check these out... I spent hours and hours of fun creating:

Notice the title of the far right catalog! It's not just fashion, it's a
FASHION FASHION FASHION Catalog!

Swimsuits and shorts...

Skirts, shirts, pants- in different colors. Love that brown and yellow ensemble- NOT!

Spring fashions...

Shoes and boots...

Even HAIRSTYLES! lol! Notice the girl on the right page-
"Buy em!" she says. ;D

If you remember there was also a cheerleading catalog. Yes, I was a cheerleader/pom pom girl/flag girl. The flag ensemble was inspired by our high school flag girl uniforms, right down to the flag. Um, what age was I?

One of our pom/cheer uniforms.... right down to the knee-hi socks!

And our pant uniform...

Here are the ones that were ready to be published in another catalog or two.... guess I figured out how old I REALLY was... ;) What can I say? I loved to be creative...

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Moving on to more toys....

Paper Dolls- oh yes, I loved my paper doll collection. Oh I wish now,I still had them! My grandmother gave me some really fun ones. If you like paper dolls you should check out this PAPER DOLL BLOG...

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Super Simon & Merlin! Remember those electronic games? This was waaaaaaay before XBox, Wii, Nintendo, even Atari...oh yeah- I had loads of fun with Atari too... but I remember hiding under the covers of my bed with Merlin and Super Simon (hmmm.... sounds a little racy, uh? lol), hoping that I wouldn't get caught playing them late at night! lol

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I briefly had a Dressy Bessy doll, until one of our dogs decided it was his, not mine. :( I was very sad. So then I got Holly Hobby Doll! I then had Holly Hobbie purse, pants, shirt to go with and a Holly Hobbie Oven! (Easy Bake Oven, in Holly Hobbie form) It was a blast! ( I know, baking by a lightbulb... what in the world?) I'm thrilled it still works!

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Little People! With the house that had a doorbell! My sister had a sesame street set with Ernie, Big Bird, Bert, Mr. Hooper, Gordon, Susan... and my brother had a tree house set that had a swing and a slide in the trunk. It tree top "popped" open when you pushed down on it... I cannot remember who made it, and I have never seen it since I was little- but it was cool! OH and remember Weeble Wobbles... but they don't fall down!?

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Roller skates! My sister and I would skate all day long out in the quonset (a big corrugated steel building that housed tractors, combines, trucks, even our car... what can I say? It was the biggest garage by far in the county!) We would use the shop broom to "pave" roads to roller skate on or ride our bikes on. Oh man, those were the days...

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My sister and I would play "school" alot. We had a huge chalkboard on the wall in our "toyroom". We even had two of the "old school" desks from grade school, the ones you had to open the desk top to put all your supplies in)! Again, many hours of fun that was!

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I also spent a ton of time drawing and coloring in coloring books with crayons. I love the smell of Crayola Crayons upon opening a brand new box of 64's! Every year we would get a new box for school... Where all the old ones went, I'm not sure. But there's nothing better than the smell of crayons and opening the box to see shiny, pointy crayons all in a neat row! (I know, I'm a little insane...)

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Oh, and I mustn't forget our kitchen set. It was of the METAL INDIVIDUAL PIECE kind, not the molded plastic "all-in-one" kind. Those don't compare to the each individual appliance. A stove, a frig, a sink, and a hutch/cabinet/counter-top combo. They were avocado green... so in case you didn't know what era I'm from, now you do. We had real aluminum pans, dishes, cookie sheets, cooking utensils, and ironing boards! OH, what ever happened to those? FUN, FUN, FUN!!! Jessi and I had nearly the same set... you can check it out HERE. Scroll down a bit... isn't she a cutie?

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And ya know- I guess judging by this picture, that a Mr. Potato Head accessory, a doll trunk, and a plastic honey bottle playing a TV news anchorwoman with my sister was some good old fashion fun, too! (I have no idea what the honey bottle was for, nor what my sister is doing in the background... ;) )

Okay, I've probably over-killed this post... but it's been fun reminiscing childhood memories. Tammy(my sister), do you remember all those fun times? (I said FUN, mind you.) ;) I love you!

OH what memories.... Hope you had as much fun as I did! ;) And if you get the hankerin'... tell me what favorites you had as a child. I'd love know!
Hugs to ya!

Thank You Surprises!

2008-04-23T07:47:00.009-05:00

Guess what came to me over the weekend? My absolutely fun and wonderful new friend, Nancy (My Crafty Little Page), sent a little surprise and thank you to me and the kiddos... It is to be part of my swap package from her, as well as, a little thank you for being her swap partner. I just love my new little individual serve dish! She had to wait and get it in Round Top, because she had a hard time finding it anywhere around her. It's the first "little" dish to my collection! How fun! Every thing was sweetly bundled in the green felt container.

I love the vintage word cards...

And my lovely new dish and some sunshine yellow pom trim...

Some fabulous vintage fabric... OOOooooo!

And three cross necklaces for my three little blessings to put together...

Thank you SO much, sweet friend!
Hugs to ya!

And THEN, my long-time friend, Elizabeth, sent me this cute thank you card she made with her new Cuddlebug die cut machine...Adorable! (A few other friends and us go in together to make a big order of clear envelopes and mono adhesive every so often to save money.) You can also check out her card & cake business blog here.

I feel so blessed to have so many friends around me, here in Texas, as well as many other states, countries, and you- all my blogging buddies! You all are wonderful! I HUG you all! ;)

Old Fashioned Fun...

2008-04-22T19:05:00.022-05:00

"Happy Day, Happy Day!" is what McKenna has been singing over and over for the past two weeks... Oh yes, our baby girl turned two on April 13th. We had planned a party at the park with close family friends, but instead came indoors at
the church because it was just a little too nippy and windy to hang outside for that amount of time. We went with an old fashioned ice cream and cake party theme. Most the kids were older than McKenna, so they all had fun choosing toppings for their ice cream, and loved the ice cream cone cakes I made for everyone. We played limbo to some fun, "old-time" music, as well as danced the Hokey Pokey, The Chicken Dance, The Twist, and even the Name Game song. Fun was had by the 2 year olds to the- well, us older folks. The kindergarten room at church has a big indoor slide, too, that the kids went down over, and over, and over and over....

She was scared to death by the candle flame that singing "Happy Birthday" didn't go quite fast enough for her! (poor thing) But I guess it's not every day we have candles lit up in front of us! She had a ton of fun, loved every last crumb of cake, and every drop of ice cream, and I feel most blessed by this precious little girl...

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY, MY SWEET MCKENNA FAITH!

Extraordinary Sunday...

2008-04-06T15:18:00.008-05:00

Well, well, well.... so happy last week is done, and I'm on to a new week! I know it's the time of year that things just speed up a little, but I wasn't ready! ;) Nothing too significant, just busy.

My kids have been saving money instead of spending, which I've been very proud of them doing. Well, (fairly) recently, they had seen a sign at a store advertising WEBKINZ: 2 for 1. And did that excite them to no end! We were not able to stop the day they saw it, and they have not let me "forget" about it ever since.... that was one month ago.

Today, after church, Bailey asked if we could go. I really didn't have a reason not to, so after lunch, we headed on over to check it out. My fear was that they would be disappointed because the 2 for 1 sale would be over. However, mama wiped her brow and gave a silent yeehaw! when they noted the sign was out in front of the store. And I was ever so proud of them when they decided to work together, save some of their money, and each buy one , only costing them half of one (which was higher than most places- but oh well). Not only did they not spend as much, but they are saving money and not adding to the overgrown "stuffed-animal pool".

Sooooo, here is what they have been doing this afternoon...

A WEBKINZ EXTRAVAGANZA PLAYGROUND! Complete with monkey bars, swing set, slide, trampolines, and rock climbing (plastic boxes in background seen in video). What little Webkinz wouldn't want this fantastic little Tinker Toy playground? ;) That's what I love on a Sunday afternoon- no tv, no video games. Just plain, good old-fashioned fun- together. They insisted that I take a video, so I did. (though I am having troubles getting it loaded- sorry!)

Which brings me to this... my friend Tara over at Days Missed on a Hammock has invited me to play the Six Word Memoir that represent your life's motto.... The rules are:

1. Write your own six word Memoir.

2. Post it on your blog.

3. Link to the person who tagged you.

4. Tag 5 more blogs with links (leave a comment on their blog with an invitation to play).

Whew! This took a little thought, but here is what I have come up with:

See the extraordinary in life's ordinary.

This one comes next:

Please, Mom, just one more time!

So after I kinda rolled my eyes at the request of my presence in the loft to "see" what my kids had been doing, I had to stop in the moment, smile, giggle, and see that the moment was extraordinary in what would have been life's ordinary moment. ;)

Here are some others, not one's that I had come up with, but one's that I have collected and have found humor in or just find worthy and true... ;)

I think, therefore I am late

What does this button do? Oh.

Can't sleep, clowns will eat me.

Don't procrastinate now - do it later.

Live well, laugh often, love much.

For God so loved the world...

Live like there's Heaven on earth.

Imagination is more important than knowledge. -Albert Einstein

I now will invite: Elizabeth (you have nothing better to do since you can't walk!-lol), My Crazy Life, Gingerbread, My Crafty Little Page, and Counting Your Blessings... tell the world your 6 word meme!

Three Little Chicks...

2008-04-02T15:49:00.021-05:00

Once there were Three Little Chicks sent to me one fine spring day....

Sweet, sweet and creative Nancy, over at My Crafty Little Page... Just look at what she sent me for Vintage Indie's "I Dream of Spring Swap" ! Miss Nancy has a way of packaging everything oh so cute, don't you agree? There is so much goodness in there... the vintage Dick and Jane flashcards are soooo cool- perfect for my three cute little chicks! And the chick pick is sooooooo cute in her little vintage storybook lined pot! ( It's a bummer I don't have a close-up of it) :(
So, that is mama chick, then she sent 3 little flocked chicks (thus, my three little chicks- are ya getting the theme here?) and she even sent one of her oh-so-cute handmade button arrangements she was making for a local women's group in her community! She wrapped the wooden spool with a strip of a vintage children's storybook page, and covered the top and bottom too... even with chicks on them! And just look at the beautiful embroidered and crocheted hankie... oh I just love this!

And get this.... she loved and was inspired by the pictures of my three little snow chicks when we had our snow day in Texas back in March, that she made a little scrapbooking ensemble, a tag for each of them with their names, ALL set on vintage Dick and Jane cards with the letter of their first name! And a "Snow Day in Texas!" tag- OH it's just so creative! I love them and can't wait to use them! And to the left of those, are three little Mary Engelbreit book tags! Very springy! They say, "That's What Friends are For"... and that's exactly what she is, a new found friend! Thank you so much Nancy!
She was such a joy to shop for as my partner in the swap... she said that I was psychic or went to her house at night and made notes for what she would like- LOL She has apparently liked what I had sent her:

I just loved the little plastic teapot napkin holder... and the crocheted trivet was beautiful!

It was really fun! Go look and see the matching "sets" she ended up with!
Then check out all the group photos on Flickr.

Sweet Bliss...

2008-03-27T11:34:00.011-05:00

Isn't this a picture of pure sweetness? I just love my 3 darlings! I just had to share this moment with you...

I also want to share this... look what I received from Barbara over at Oodles and Oodles! She was having a blog giveaway and had 11 of these cuties to share with 11 lucky people. I happened to be one of them. I had shared that I love embroidered floursack towels that my mother, grandmother and great grandmother all used to embroider... but I had never seen an apron like this one. So, so cute. Barbara has a really fun blog. You should go and check it out. She even shared the embroidery pattern on the apron for all that wanted to reproduce it! You can get it here.
Oh the memories this brings back... ;)
Thanks for stopping by!

(picture courtesy of Oodles and Oodles)

HOPPY EASTER!

2008-03-23T00:31:00.004-05:00

Have a warm & springy Easter! May you be blessed in countless ways...

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Let Israel say:
“His love endures forever.”
The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!
The LORD’s right hand is lifted high;
the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!”
I will not die but LIVE,
and will proclaim what the LORD has done.
Psalm 118: 1-2, 14-17

A cheery Easter Day song from a 1950's Jack & Jill Magazine:

ART RETREAT!

2008-03-22T16:34:00.010-05:00

I was over on Pam Garrison's blog, and she and Anahata Katkin had this posted! "Art in Ashland"...Oh, how I would love to go, but I already have vacationing plans at that time... :( I'm sure it will be fabulous though! (The hotel looks just grand!) If you're interested.. go check it out here!

That's pretty much what I've been up to... blogging, working on some Etsy shop things (it's still to come, I had hoped to have a grand opening before Easter... but ya know, it just isn't gonna happen. ;) AND we are all about spring break and Easter eggs today! (Pictures to come)

Happy Saint Paddy's Day!

2008-03-17T07:04:00.009-05:00

An Old Irish Blessing
May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

_____________________________

A Wish for a Friend
Wishing you a rainbow
For sunlight after showers-
Miles and miles of Irish smiles
For golden happy hours-
Shamrocks at your doorway
For luck and laughter too,
And a host of friends that never ends
Each day your whole life through!

Some family fun for your "green day"...

Family Fun: recipes, crafts, games and more!
coloring page
shamrock tetris-like game (lots of fun!)
word scramble
word search
online dress-up game

2008-03-15T12:44:00.008-05:00

Still into crepe paper rosettes... ;) and needed a wedding card. Why not put a rosette?
Also, a friend sent this in an email: What is your Fairy name?

Your fairy is called Feather Hailglimmer

She is a protector of the lonely.

She lives in high places where the clouds meet the earth.

She is only seen when the sun sets on the day of a completed harvest.

She wears pale blue like the sky. She has cheery turquoise wings like a butterfly.

Aaahhh... a little fairy wearing blue with turquoise wings, protecting, living high in the clouds... Sounds gentle and peaceful.
Catch y'all later! Got to get back to work & play...

Easter Carrots (Cheeto-style)...

2008-03-14T16:39:00.010-05:00

Today was McKenna's class Easter Egg hunt. Each of them were to bring 7 filled eggs. We filled hers with a bag of Hershey's Kisses mini cookies. I thought they were a fun treat.
We also made an Easter treat for each of her classmates to take home with them: Cheeto Carrots! The kids just loved them(as did her teachers, and a couple of other moms who happen to catch us carrying them in... Later, when I picked McKenna up from school, I saw them bringing in Cheeto carrots for their classes!) It's just soooo easy...

I have seen these carrot-shaped cellophane bags, and even boxes, filled with orange M&M's or orange jelly beans.. but for a two year old, I didn't want all that candy. (I know, are Cheetos any better?) But it's Easter, there will be plenty of candy in their baskets!

Supplies you will need:
Triangular-shaped bags
(I just used cake-decorating bags because I had them on hand)
Green curling ribbon
(or large width satin ribbon looks pretty too)
Cardstock (for tags)
Tag punch (opt)
Scissors

Fill each bag nearly full (leave about 2 inches clear) of Cheetos (Hint: select 2-3 smaller cheetos to place in tip of bag) Cut two 14inch ribbon lengths, tie one to close bag, tie the other with tag attached. Curl ends, and viola! You've got Cheeto Carrots, a really easy and fun treat for kids of ALL ages! Enjoy!

Ta Da!

2008-03-11T12:04:00.004-05:00

Well, I know it's rough, but it's my first attempt at making a web banner... I wanted something more than a white framed box, so I gave it a shot. ;) If anyone has any helpful hints on making a banner, throw them my way?! (other than: "You know you can pay someone who knows what they are doing!?") lol
Not much more to write about today... I may drop off on posting in the next few days... I am hoping to get my Etsy shop up and going soon. OH, surprise! Yes, I am getting around to making a go of it~ finally! I'll keep you posted as the time approaches... Until then, lotsa HUGS!