A rose instead

I fought the urge to put a new photo of David Cook up...and put a rose instead.

This is a close-up of one that DH gave me for my birthday.

I'm leaving for Savannah, GA on Wednesday!! I'm really looking forward to it. DH and I will just be pure tourists there and that Sunday, June 1st we'll drive over to Hilton Head, SC for a few days. I've always wanted to go there... so I am excited. I have two books that need reading.

I don't know if I'll get any photos uploaded on my blog while I'm away, but I should be able to do some posts as I'll have DH's computer. Thursday, the 5th, is our 32nd wedding anniversary!!

David Cook!

YESSSSSSS!

Another Year!

Yes, yesterday was my birthday... let's just put it this way - next year is a big one! See the bracelet I got!!! It's from Anthropologie! My DD gave it to me! And my friend, Virginia, made the necklace for moi! Roses from DH! I didn't take a picture of the great purse my DS gave me... it's by Fossil and I sent him the picture and pretty much everything but the sku. I was with my DD when she bought my bracelet. Do you think I have control issues? Well, they did ask for help. I don't think I ever showed you the bug and butterfly inchies I got in the swap... and these are my inchies for the Alphabet Swap on Christian Paper Artists Yahoo Group. I have the letter "s".... Now...go vote for David Cook on American Idol!

Monday, May 19th

It's my birthday!

It's Friday Again!

Yesterday was pretty productive for me. I did a lot of CLEANING HOUSE and... I did art! I made this little booklet a few months ago and just couldn't figure out what to do with it. After getting my great book from Natalea the other day, I decided I should sew some ledger pages in it. Now I'm going to mail it to someone on my CPA RAK List today! Oh...look...one more shot of it! I think it would be good to put quotes in? It's basically a folded book. Then I worked on my piece for the 4 x 4 Patriotic Swap... again on CPA List. Today I'm going out to look for red/white/blue crepe paper... I tried painting my white, but not too great - I was just making myself stay home yesterday and use what I have. Well, today is a new day and I'm goin out! That is Martha Stewart glitter on the edges. Napkin base. AND.... I finally sat down and put together my charm bracelet kit that I bought from Altered Belly! I love it. I NEEDED another bracelet.

I ALSO worked on my star inchies for the CPA List swap...but I will save that for tomorrow ... or later today.

Just Tuesday

Christine wanted to know what a greenbelt was. See above. It's a bike trail, walking trail, greenbelt..... I'm not sure why they call it a greenbelt - where I live is called "the livable forest" so it's all green...but there are these trails that run through it and TPTB call them "greenbelts". More flowers - everything is blooming!

I got the above in the mail yesterday from my friend Anna! All good stuff... vintage buttons and then tags that she bought for me at Sweetpeas & Snapshots in Santa Monica. When I read on her blog that she was going there for the day .... with Amanda.... I grabbed the phone and called her and said "You MUST go to this store!" They loved it - of course! Friends don't let friends miss good shopping. Also some other goodies!!! Nothing like a bag of paper art goodies to set things right in the world.

Happy Mother's Day

I hope you have had or are having a very happy Mother's Day!!!

Mail Came!

Look what I got in the mail today!!! The bug is a "hostess gift" from Corbi. She sent it to me with her bug/butterfly inchies. He's sooooo cute!!! So you get a more upbeat post from me now. Isn't it true that as a blogger you always have your camera close - and when great gifts arrive they must be photographed for the blog! Natalea , my Silver Bella buddy, sent me an early birthday gift! Yes, it's later this month...... She is so sweet and she knows EXACTLY what I like! Thank goodness for the internet and all the friends that it has opened us up to. The card with the bird on it is beautiful! And look at the book she made me. I missed it's appearance on her blog yesterday - be sure and go look on May 8th and you can see better pictures. I just saw them when I copied her link. Good grief...I would've been so excited! Here is a peek of the inside. This was made from the class found here on Teresa McFayden's Casabella Ezine. I took those classes, too...an online E-Zine that ended today. But she has another one starting soon on journaling that I'm sure I'll also take part in.

Stop and Smell the Flowers!

The flowers in my yard are all bursting out! I took pictures of everything that was blooming the other day - but I will spread their publication out over a period of time - I know you don't come here to see my backyard. I love the smell of Gardenias! When Charley and I walk on the greenbelts these days the smell of honeysuckle and wisteria is in the air. I could just take a chair and sit out there. Maybe one day I'll do that - there will be talk - people will whisper about the old lady in the chair on the greenbelt. Anyway, I'm very disgruntled the last 24 hours. So I'm trying to take in the good stuff. I have three friends going through chemo or radiation right now. One is my friend's dad, one is my friend's sister and another is the mother of my son's college roommate and high school friend. Her husband died of cancer last year and she's been fighting it for over two years herself - it has now spread further. I often drive her to chemo, as I did today - she is amazing. I am afraid I would just curl up in a ball somewhere, but I know that God's hand is with her and He gives us the strength we need if we ask Him for it. And then I get irritated with people that are late or unresponsive in their art swaps. If they give me a reason for it - then I always understand. I need to work on my patience and understanding of unorganized people. I'm not as organized as I once was myself. I'm just so thankful to God that at the moment my family is healthy and safe. I am so blessed and I praise God for that. And I ask him to bless my ailing friends and comfort them and their loved ones as they go through these days of pain and turmoil. Sorry for such a downer post. Are you having any trials in your life right now? I do hope you ask God to help you with them.

In the House

Today I've stayed home waiting for people to come and measure windows upstairs for new blinds and also to have a new ceiling fan hung in the gameroom to replace the old one that died. So after actually cleaning house abit, I headed to the art room.

Nathalie is hosting a House ATC Swap over on Christian Paper Artists Yahoo Group.

I dirtied the one up here..for Barb...what do you think? Can't change it back, btw. I think it's fine.

Do you think this one with the chimney is too busy? On the back I wrote "Come home, come home, Ye who are weary, come home; Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling; Calling, O sinner, come home".... I love that old traditional hymn. I grew up Baptist and I feel very sure they still sing it. I don't hear it so much in the Methodist church. This one now has a sun, Nathalie! Okay...here it is revised per your suggestion to add a bird, Nathalie. The bird was so obvious...how did I miss that? I LOVE it now... I must copy these at Kinko's before I send them off.

So these will go in the mail to Nathalie tomorrow. Please leave any suggestions for making one better!

....ing butterflies

You see yesterday my title was Rain and today it's ...ing butterflies. You have to pay close attention to get all the subtleness on this blog. Try and keep up.

Okay...today I made my butterfly inchies - I love them - but they didn't photograph very well - maybe scanning would work better? They are on those pop dots....so not sure...will try later. I also added something to the top of yesterday's friendship skinny. See below!

RAIN

The title of this is "Compulsory Education" which is the name the artist gave his painting of the girl and her dog. I did this for Laura's Challenge , which was to be a 3 x 5 with a friendship theme. You must remember that friendship for me includes my dog....Charley... who is usually right at my feet in the art room. So it wasn't until I scanned this that it hit me that maybe others might not get the friendship part of it. Oh well! Be sure and visit Laura's blog and participate in one of her challenges. I'm not sure who I'm going to send it to... probably someone on my RAK list! Do you love this bird right above here? Cindy Ericsson sent it to me last week as a RAK. (Random Act of Kindness) on the Christian Paper Artists Yahoo Group....link on sidebar. I love it!!!! I really love the buttons linked together to hang it with! My friend Anna sent me this card ... as she is apt to do... and I thought I better photograph it and share with you, too. Another bird. Yes, my friends know I have a thing for birds!

I titled this post Rain because it has rained ALL day here in the greater Houston area. So I've actually stayed home and gotten a few domestic things done - like cleaning up my art room - that's domestic. Right? Right as rain!

I Declare Myself Exempt From Future Tagging for Weird Lists! ha

Irma tagged me to name 6 weird things about myself. I've done this or variations of it twice before.... I'm trying to think of new weird things about me....but it's so hard. ha! The rules are as follows: 1. Link to the person that tagged you. 2. Post the rules on your blog. 3. Share six weird things/habits/quirks about yourself. 4. Tag six others. And let them know they've been tagged!

Okay, so here are my weird, random things:

1.The above quilt is one I made for Jerry ver Dorn to put on The Guiding Light. He played the part of Ross Marler for YEARS. So this quilt was on the show at least twice. I do not know where it is now. But at the time our "Blossie" group went wild on the internet...this was in the 90's when the Marler twins were born. Even though this doesn't seem weird to me, hopefully it counts. Making quilts for fictious people isn't really all that strange in blogland. 2. I have to sit on the aisle at the movies and in church...or my husband can sit there and me right next to him. I'm not so bad on a plane...that's weird. So some of this is a fear of being trapped...but if I'm standing up I'm okay. TMI? 3. I like peanut butter and banana sandwiches - also good with a little mayo on it. And even better if you have Fritoes with it. 4. I really hate spiders, but I think their webs are pretty and seldom destroy them. 5. I love the smell of bus exhaust, newly mown grass, paper and new books! 6. I don't use the drive-thru at my cleaners/laundry because I like to go inside and smell the starch. I am tagging 6 others....this is VERY HARD. I have done this twice before and so I'm declaring here on May 1, 2008 that I am now Exempt from Future Tags of Name Weird Things About Yourself. Here ye! Here ye! However, it was fun...and I appreciate you tagging me, Irma. Now everyone go visit her blog! Now....Here ya go: 1.Christy 2.Chris 3.Cindy L. 4.Katie 5.Carrie 6. Patti