Will make you happy....

It rained in Houston...btw

Yesterday was my son's birthday. Tomorrow is his fiancee's birthday. So last night the two families of these young adults ... can't say children.... went into Houston for dinner. I had a horrendous day that I won't go into here... but it involved electricians and as the post before this one mentions... back to the veterinarian's office. And then a trip that suddenly became drenched. I had not been watching the news as I had other things going on.... Well, after my daughter and I sat in her car for over 30 minutes in a horrible storm declaring we were not getting out til the rain stopped.... and then we realized we might have to roll our pants up and wade in if we didn't escape soon.... we went inside.... Then when we FINALLY got our party of 12 seated ... for some reason people were not leaving this Favorite Mexican Restaurant .... the POWER WENT OFF!

But about an hour later we were sitting at one of their dry and has power locations... on Richmond! They gave us a $50 gift card to use.... so we survived. That's fiancee's niece on her lap. And, yes, birthday boy has a baseball cap on under his sombrero.

For her very funny take on the rainy day.... go visit my Silver Bella Buddy Julia's blog.

So....

So.... look what Anthropologie sent me for my May birthday! Like my daughter said when she saw the above little pouch... if they had only known you would have been totally satisfied with the button pouch, they didn't need to include a 15% off coupon! Took these pictures when I was there Saturday night!

For even better pictures, visit Charlotte Lyons blog. And, no, she goes to the one in New York City.

Look who busted his sutures out and had to go back to the vet on Monday afternoon and be re-sutured! This time they put a bandage on!

They were afraid he would eat the bandage before.... but since he's blind in his right eye, he really doesn't do well with the bucket on his head.

Great News on Draft Day!

Great news! The vet called Saturday morning and said the biopsy came back showing it was benign! Yeah!!!! Thank you for your prayers and thoughts..... Art Dog was able to watch the NFL Draft in peace!

Bird Alert!

Sunshine!!! This is Sunshine.... my friend Olga's canary. Sunshine belonged to her dad, who passed away last year. Sunshine escaped from his cage yesterday - but Olga grabbed a towel and threw it over him.... returning him to the safety of his cage - for which he was very grateful! Sometimes we don't mean to wander off...

Olga was on a photo taking rampage yesterday! I love this little dove in the nest in Olga's backyard!!

No, she doesn't have a blog.... I'm just featuring her today!

Junk Journals Still

I'm STILL making those junk journals....

I have started piles for 3 different ones.... one is going to be about polka dots and circles, another is blue and another is pink - I know a lot of pregnant women right now.

Below is my desk....I have one other journal that I just completed for a friend..it's on the left. And to the right is the possible beginnings of another... just thought you'd like to see my desktop. I like to see your desktops!

See below how I fold the insides in.... someone taught a class on that ... or one of Teresa's Ezines or something. Anyway... not my creation, but I like it as it makes the paper a little stronger where you bind it.

In the above background you can see where I've started making some little baskets out of peat cups. Saw that on Artsy Mama's A Year of Color.

...and below is the journal I received from Mardi in the Christian Paper Artists Yahoo Group Cereal Box Journal Swap that started me making all of these non-stop! I leave mine pretty blank that I give away.... Mardi's is more embellished.

It's Earth Day!

Okay...today is apparently Earth Day..... and I'm linking you to Natalea's blog. I stole the above picture from it...so go see what it's all about. She didn't post it as an Earth Day post.... but it works for that. And here is my friend Anna's blog. Anna is an earth mother and I adore her. I give her a hard time about it... go visit her blog and leave a comment also.

Thank you, God, for putting these women in my life!

Art Dog Surgery

Charley has surgery in the morning to remove a small "growth" on his back leg that recently appeared. Keep him in your prayers that it's "nothing" and his recovery will be easy. He's seven!

P.S. Update on Monday the 20th.....

he did great in surgery and is home and still dopey! Biopsy results won't be back for 5 - 7 days. Thanks for your prayers!

Cereal Box Journals

I'm in a cereal box journal swap

on

Christian Paper Artists Yahoo Group....

This is what I made yesterday to send off...

I really like it and want to make more, more, more....

what a great way to use up stuff.

And some of my favorite papers that I don't want to use -

I need to make one of these for ME!

Then I can just sit and hold my favorites in a book form

and one day maybe I'll actually write in it!!!

The page below with the woman and the quote

is torn from an Anthropologie catalog.

I added the little rubber stamp on the bottom corner.....

zettiology/Teesha Moore -

who actually inspired us to make these.

...go make one and show me!

Silver Bella 09

Yes, I'm going to Silver Bella again!!! Are you?

Paper garlands, paper garlands....

After months of great longing...... paper garland satisfaction was achieved!

This one was made by Karen who hangs out with Malisa at Moonlight Hollow. Is it not incredible!!!!!!! We loved it. There is so much to be gained by working with others.... we fed off of one another's creativity!

These are mine, Virginia's and Malisa's...piled in the middle of the table!!!

It's hard to imagine how different each one turned out! We were using the same piles of paper ... basically!

Below are some close-ups of mine I took today..... when trimming the coffee filters down by hand with scissors, they left these little tendrils that were in circles. I said I wanted to use them. Someone said just hang them in there.... someone else said to double them.... we loved it!

These are made from coffee filters, cupcake liners and all sorts of papers that we cut by hand and with punches.

Of course.... our inspiration is Pam Garrison.

Malisa and Karen posing for me....

and, yes, Karen...I can photoshop her out!

Karen and Virginia working hard.... that Karen is a possessed woman when she gets started! And...last but CERTAINLY NOT LEAST... I'm in a swap with four other women and here is a peek at what I sent them. I'll tell ya more about it soon.... but I told them I was putting a peek up, and I have been s l o w!!!

Birthdays in April

April is a big birthday month in our family! Here is DH's!! Yes, he's going through another facial hair stage - we'll see how long this one lasts! Anyway.... fun was had by all!!! Tonight was opening registration for Silver Bella 2009 . Looks like I got all the classes I wanted!!! How about you?

Have a blessed Easter!

Barbie Becomes a Grandmother!

One of my Dirt Diva Friends (we all used to work with high school youth at our church ...therefore we have gone through A LOT together and gone a lot of places....long story short...) anyway.... Connie became a grandmother for the first time.... thus a party.... Barbie had to be aged ... note the highlight foil in her hair and she has roots...they don't show up well. Of course, Barbie ages really well....she has some extra lumpiness under her towel now though!!!!!

Book for the Grandmother on things we think a grandmother should do.

I did the doll. Melinda altered the tub area with handrails (potty is mounted above in the box with a handrail) and the towel rack became a walker! Click on this one to see it larger for sure!

Connie and Lori checking out the walker. Garland hanging has the baby name on one side and photos she has emailed us constantly on the other side.

The cupcakes were made by Olga and have picks in them that Lori assembled for me with the sonogram picture!

Nancy couldn't be with us as her husband was still in the hospital recovering from kidney cancer surgery. He's coming home today! PTL! He's doing great!

Easter Mosaic

1. Easter Sunrise, 2. Easter Egg, 3. Påsktulpaner ~ tulips for Easter, 4. Happy Easter, dear flickr friends!, 5. Easter egg cookies, 6. The Glory of Christ - Easter Day 2008 by Stephen B Whatley., 7. Greek Orthodox Easter // 1 of 6, 8. Two eggs, Nestbox #1, yesterday afternoon, 9. Mourning Cloak Butterfly, 10. Easter eggs, 11. Hopped Out - Happy Easter, 12. the cross

Did I show you these?

Saturday we went to a wedding. Left to right...Mike (son's best friend), Boo (father of groom) and my son. Mike and my son were groomsmen. Aren't they all so cute! Did I show you this? I glued this piece of wood that I collaged onto a box and poured those little micro beads around it...

Above is my bulletin board... I need to finish that one big piece!

I made this book in Kim Kwan's class at Silver Bella 2008!!! I finally dug out some seam binding and bound it Friday. I'm going to put pictures of things I've made in it!!!! Here's one page done. ha! Need to write about it.. that would be a good idea.

Future DIL!

I got that bracelet that I won on Teresa's Ezine... from Debi Vincent! It's soooo pretty. I should've worn it to the wedding. I forgot it was in the egg bowl!

I came across this. Sometimes I keep things I make because I like them so much. This is one of those things... a simple accordion book. I should make more of these. I remember I gave a bunch as RAKs one year....

And below are some little images that I bought at Silver Bella 2009 from

Karla Nathan. I should use them, shouldn't I? I used one....not sure where...

Okay...that's all for now....