Vana63

What I’ve been up to…the shortened version!

2010-07-06T20:25:00.001-07:00

yep, its been just that crazy busy around here….I had to go back thru my calendar just to make sense of it and well, consolidate it, LOL!

The last 2 weeks of May…how bout some photos from my P365 folder to bring you all up to date-

These Iris’ are Beautiful, dont you think? Thank You Bunny (DSO) for the awesome template, just at the right time!

We had the opportunity to meet Patty and Teresa…Facebook Friends, Thanks for a beautiful afternoon ladies! Thats me on the right, not sure why we didnt get one with Teresa, next time gf :-)

and my dear niece Kelsey graduated from High School…Thanks for the great pic Kath (Mom)!

ok, stick with me here, June…

Work wear that I embroidered for my BFF and coworkers, Luv Ya GF! Did I mention Sandy is getting Married, he popped the question on Memorial Day and the big day is coming up 2nd weekend in Aug, wheeee!

The 1st day of Summer Break wasnt looking to good for Dyl and I…

but it sure was a beautiful day as we tested the new toy for the Willow Farm Family BBQ!

and another beautiful day for the pool and the carnival!

Wow, what beautiful evening with DH spent listening to some great music at Soldier Field. The tix were his Fathers Day gift from the kids and I :-) Eagles, Keith Urban and the Dixie Chicks, woot, woot!

yep, 3 women putting 75 of these together heated things up, LOL…but nothing us girls couldnt work thru :-) Luv Ya Kels, see ya at the Open House! <3 Big Hugs Bran, I couldnt have done these without you, xxx! I think the last burst of the steroids helped too, LOLOL

See, you made it to the end of this one, LOL….really, so much more has come and gone that dont show in these pics but that would surely put you to sleep, hehee. So again, watch for the next post to find out what Loucee has been up to while Ive been MIA.

WOJ a stamp per day Give away…

2010-07-03T19:43:00.001-07:00

Katherine is cleaning her craft table and 7 people are going to be very Lucky and Happy! Open till July 10th…Elisabeth Bell stamps, wheeeee!

“Over the next 7 days (starting today), I will give away 1 stamp per day, of the new City Girl II collection, to one of you. Also included is a package 2 spritzers and 2 daubers by LuminArte".”

another post (or 2, ggg) to follow about what Ive been up to for the last 6weeks, eeek :-)

Amethyst Charm, Hybrid Template, SCS…

2010-05-15T21:44:00.001-07:00

and, as always, sooo much more, LOL! Its all go, go, go now here at Willow Farm but somehow I managed to squeeze in a few moments of crafty fun and do a favor for my dearest friend, shewww :-)

Have you seen Lou’s newest kit, Amethyst Charm? Its Gorgeous and available at DSO, just look at these rich colors!!!

and here’s what I did with this beautiful kit…Thanks Lou!

I used the Matchbook Album/Notepad Hybrid Template by Pixel Geek and added a paper flower that I made by way of another SCS tut that DD had discovered. Thanks to all those who create wonderful designs, templates and tutorials…such a nice treat, especially for time challenged folks like me :-)

Speaking of DD, Brandi…she gave me the most wonderful Mothers Day card this year! She had asked if she could get an afternoon in my craft room about a week before and of course the answer was yes, (I knew what she was up to) but only if she agreed to not bring anything…and I really meant, nothing! What a better way to know that Id for sure luv whatever she created than by using my very own hand picked craft supplies! Its AWESOME! Big Hugs Bran, Thank You for a very special Mothers Day <3

and before I go…the DSO Collab Bag is up! These bags are always excellent quality and you can see the details by clicking the pic…

and the bright colors of Hot Dotty are making me wish Summer would hurry up and get here! Another great one Lou, Thanks! click the pic to go to the store :-)

wheeee, another long post so Ill save my favor for my dear friend till next time…thats just how good a friend she really is, she always waits for me :-) Im off to bed as its another busy day tomorrow!

Feeling Crafty at the Farmers Market

2010-05-05T20:50:00.001-07:00

now hows that for a title, LOL…there are the 2 new beautiful kits from LouCee and it also totally sums up what Ive been up too!From sewing to paper&digi crafting to ALL the crazy-busy spring time duties on the farm, wheeeee!

While I was sewing away creating gifts, Lou was creating the coordinating Feeling Crafty kit to scrap them with! Wow, is it just me or does it seem like she reads minds, LOL…Thanks Lou! And Thanks go to Bunny at DSO too..she shared her awesome template skills with her FB friends just at the perfect time!

I used fabric leftovers from the Main House redo for these cute Raggy Pillows, 8coasters and 4hot pads. The pillow LO’s and the white felt flowers are from theDIYdish and the other flowers (and coaster/hotpads not shown) are from Martha Stewart’s website. Just like scraplifting but with fabric, hehehe. Luv how they turned out and so hope the receiving family think so too :-)

And of course, anything titled Farmers Market is gonna get my attention, LOL! Another adorable kit from Lou and this one is part of the DSO’s May 2010 Pic Ur Bits kit so there are some great matching mini’s and alphas to go with it!

One of the first spring afternoons that the boys got to graze in the main pasture…it was such a lovely day I had to grab a few pics, LOL. Thanks Lou and Thanks too for my friend Jazzy, for always coming to my rescue with beautiful designs and wonderful wordart to match the moment of the memory, xxx

Ok, just a couple more things to show ya…if you need a potty break, Ill wait here for ya :-) Somehow, Somewhere I found a few extra minutes to “craft” 2 more goodies…one, a really cute LO of my fav subject, Dylan at his 7th Birthday party at Chucky Cheese. I know thats not the right spelling, ggg. Ill have to edit in the credits for this one, grrr

and this Thank You card…yaa, I know, like I have time to color with markers but I just couldnt resist this adorable image! Thanks to Tracey Malnofski (The Stamping Boutique) for sharing her talent and her luv of horses :-) Oh and I did finish it off with a matching bow in the center of the tag but didnt get another pic, dang! Its cute anyway :-P

shewwww, I think Im done…and to quote a good friend, my carriage has turned into a pumpkin so its time for me to say goodnight. Till Next Time, XO

Easter, My Fairytale & Bronzy Bits

2010-04-11T23:00:00.001-07:00

Do your adult kids still look forward to an Easter morning gift?Mine do and I enjoy that they do…wellll, as long Im ready when the special day actually rolls around, LOL! This year I was ready, ggg…with the help of Lou’s new kit, My Fairytale and another great tutorial at SCS here :-) I think it took me all of about an hour to print and assemble all 3 at the same time in an assembly line fashion, wheeeee. My only regret is that I never found the exact match to one of the ribbons Lou put in this kit and I know Ive seen it but alas, not to be this time, maybe next. Oh, and you know there will be a next because just look what's in here…

child…fantasy…

adult…traditional…

awww, the possibilities! Thanks Lou, Beautiful Kit!

LouCee has new CU Bronzy Bits just out too! I can so see these in Summer LO’s with warm colors…you rawk GF!

Speaking of warm…its time for me to add in the links and get off to my warm bed! It is my day off tomorrow but toooo many late nights in a row already, zzzzzz

yep, Loucee did it!

2010-04-05T22:49:00.001-07:00

And really really well too, woot, woot…did you see DSO’s pick for Gallery Standout week of mar28-apr3? OMGoodness, my SoCo Treat Bag Cover and Lou Ann’s Love LO were both in…and both were created with LouCee Creations Southern Comfort! Thanks Lou for making such great stuff to create with!

Now, one post back I was catching up and though it was a long one, I nearly made it! I was playing with Lou’s newest kit, My Montage and its now available here at DSO. I so luv this style, Hugs Loucee!

And I wanna pop in here to say Hey to my good friend Charlie! She’s busy as ever and has put up the new CU Charming #3 that is part of the DSV April Collab Grab Bag. Looks like all awesome stuff from guaranteed great designers in this bag!

and Charlie’s charms…just perfect for this farm girl, Hugs GF!

ok, so if I end this here and post Ill be as caught up as Ive been in months, LOL…and of course you know Ill be back, theres always something in the works :-)

Time Flies By…

2010-03-19T22:24:00.001-07:00

and wow, have I got LOTS to catch up on!!! I started this post over 6wks ago and it seems like its just been only a few days, eeek! Ohhh, Ive come back here more than a few times to just open, write in a few sentences, get sidetracked (again!) and close as a Draft on my way to bed, argh!

Ill start here and say Best Wishes to Charlie! She has decided to really focus on her first love of Photography (and rightly so, this girl has the eye!) but no worries, we’ll still find her great CU designs at DSV!

Special Hugs to Loucee for putting up with me and my crazy life! You are a doll and I hope you are having a really nice Birthday Getaway with the DH and Roman…cant wait to see more pics! And speaking of a celebration, LouCee Creations is having a special Birthday Sale at DSO, can you guess how old she is ;-)

and her special kit for the party…Le Chic, woot, woot!

and my LO…This particular afternoon in March the snow was lifting into the air so Dylan could literally see what the saying means (in like a lion, out like a lamb), Spring is coming!

So even though Ive been totally MIA here, I was able to get in a small amount of crafting done in the background! Stay with me here as I start my travels backwards…there is some yummy stuff coming next, ggg

Our Beautiful Daughter Brandi had her 27th Birthday this Month too! I used Lou’s part of the DSO Collab, Southern Comfort to make a Treat Bag Cover for a B-Day card. The tut is at SCS here if you want to have a go...yep, Im a green, gold and dark red/plum/burg kinda girl, hehehe, Luv this kit!

still going back…Lou’s kit China Blue! I know Blue OPnion comes in many patterns but each one makes me instantly think of 2 things…My DMIL and Ducks! Being in a hurry and not having a good fitting photo of Peggy I had to go with our resident ducks, Peepers, George amd Flip :-) They ended up here on at the farm as rescues from the feed store as someone had ordered 50 boy ducklings and then only took 47 of them. Peepers cause she is a girl, George because he was 3x too big and Flip, well poor Flip has some Neuro issues (thus his name, Flip). In truth they got the luckiest…happy and healthy waddling along on Willow Farm for the rest of their natural lives :-)

and to almost bring me up to speed, here is a LO of Dylan’s BFF, Naveah :-) She has the most darling smile and her eyes just pull you in, she really is Beautifully Unforgettable, Hugs Nevi! I used Lou’s Forever And After kit…all these kits are available only at DSO and on sale right now too!

Although nearly finished, that has to be it for now…Im falling asleep at the keyboard, LOL. With any luck you’ll see me again over the weekend, nite ;-)

A Lil More…

2010-01-23T17:53:00.000-08:00

Blog Candy That is :-) How can you not want a chance to win these awesome goodies from The Stamping Boutique! If you’d like a chance too then click on the pic, read the details and follow along…Good Luck to everyone who plays!

this giveaway ends Jan 31, 2010

Digi CU Sale, Blog Candy and a new computer…

2010-01-23T17:22:00.001-08:00

Charlie has a Sale going on a few of her CU items at DSO and DSV… but only till the end of January so hurry if you’d like to get a great deal on quality CU!

and look what else I’ve come across today at Epiphany Art Gallery…I Luv these images and Tracey is offering one lucky winner these (Rubber and Digi) just for telling you about them, then linking back and if you become a follower of her blog you get a 2nd chance into the drawing. Well, heck yaaa, that's easy enough and I was already a follower, LOL! Thanx Tracey!

Well, can Ill just finish by saying that I'm really liking Windows Live Writer! I mean, I know I've got a long long way to go but how cool is it that I can open and draft a new blog post from from the desktop, woot, woot!

OK, back to getting this new computer loaded up…wheeee

testing…

2010-01-20T14:05:00.000-08:00

so I finally got my new computer, yeah! Now to figure out how this live writer works…anyone have any tips/tricks to using this? ok, wish me luck with Windows 7!

Clearly Delightful Bunny...

2010-01-11T19:01:00.000-08:00

I am! and there is just the challenge going on at Laurie Wilson's Clearly Delighful blog. Its new for her and well, coloring stamped images is new to me so its only fitting that us newbies get together, dontcha think :-) Ok, so the theme is any card or project with a Bunny on it as Laurie is giving her soooo cute Bunny Wabbit digi stamp just for playing and everyone who submits goes into a draw for some really awesome Scrapping Candy! So without further ado...my Bunny card :-)

isnt she cute! The stamp is a Phendy's Place digi image I printed onto basic cardstock and colored with markers. Its pretty ovious that Ive not colored in many many many years but I had fun and I think its turned out really cute! Wish me luck and Thank You to Laurie!

Charlie's New CU...

2010-01-10T23:29:00.000-08:00

at DSO and DSV! The patterned overlays have me longing for Spring already, ggg and those strings are always Awesome! You can get both now at the intro special...

DSO or DSV

DSO or DSV

Make sure to follow Charlie's blog as she is always up to something good, Hugs Charlie!

Talk soon...will there be 2 posts in day? Only ever happened once but you never know, LOL

Love Actually and my 1st Card to offer...

2010-01-08T09:07:00.000-08:00

Once again Dear Lou, Im over the moon!!! She asked if Id like to offer the file I made up with her beautiful new kit, Love Actually, to create this card with. R U kidding, Id Luv to but now I have 3 things to take care of...1. I dont usually get too finicky about size and placement when Im putting together a printable jpg of papers&elements for a hybrid Im working on for myself, heck, I can adjust it as I go (insert: trim here, paste there, fidge this, angle that, etc) however offering it to others that may not "think" the same way I do is a whole nether matter, LOL! 2. Like the complete airhead I am at times, I misplaced the original WordArt file so I could credit the rightful designer...however that was fairly easy to figure out as Jazzy's folder is always my 1st choice when Im looking for wordart, so with a quick email the mystery was solved, Thanx Jazz, Hugs! And 3. and its a biggie...4shared, eeeek!!! So I signed up for a free 4shared account quite awhile ago but Ive never used it or so I thought, LOL...seems there is a message box in there and there was a message in it! Thank goodness is was from Jan 1st of this year cause it really could have been from last year for all I knew, dang!

Ok, here we go...The kit, Love Actually

and the card...its clickable for the printable file if you wanna have a go :-) Quick blurb about how/what I did: I started with a 5x7 base card and printed the file on basic white cardstock. Then cut and trim the pieces and went over the wordart and the flower edges with glitter pen. I glued seed beads to the center of the flowers, added the little pink brads between the letters (Moments) and punched the holes to run the ribbon thru. On the jpg file you'll see that the flower w/hearts cluster is on there 2 times...1 to cut up (flowers and heart) for the front of the card and 1 to just cut round as a whole to decorate the inside of the card. If I messed anything up here or if you'd just like more instruction, please let me know!

Thanx Again Loucee and Jazzy!!!

its 2010...really?

2010-01-01T12:43:00.000-08:00

Where did 2009 gooo...did it fly by you too? When I was in my teens, the "older" folks always said "the older you get, the faster time flies", oh, how I did NOT believe them back then...but now, oh yes, now I know exactly what they meant and arghhh, its all true!!! Im usually the one always looking forward, making plans for future dates, coordinating the family and farm, etc...but for some reason, this past year has me lingering while looking back. There were some great things and there were some not so great things but mostly...I must be "older"now too, ggg...I just want to remember it all :-)

Most recent great thing is Charlie! How I ended up lucky enough to be on her CT, Ill never know but Im sooo happy she puts up with me, Hugs and Thank You Charlie! She's in on DSV's January Collab Bag and I am definetly going to be using her part :-)

and to my good friend Lou, get lots of well deserved rest and feel better soon GF! I played with Snow Ho Ho again and it was just finished when Charlie came with these cute charms so Im hoping to get those together soon and will be back to post the newest version of this LO :-)

edit***somehow its gotten late, hehe and here Im still trying to get this posted, eeek! Ill try to make it back here tomorrow, maybe with whats the beginnings of P365 2010 :-)

Flakes are Flyin'...

2009-12-18T18:37:00.000-08:00

and it looks like its gonna be a White Christmas! Its the only time I really really WANT snow...I know, not good for a girl that lives in the north, hehehe. Each flake is so sparkly when its fresh and just addes the perfect touch...

Speaking of fresh and adds the perfect touch, Charlie has new Notepaper Flakes up at DSO! Ive not had the time to play with these files yet but I can assure you I will so watch for a new LO soon and more than likely to include DGS and his Gingerbread House :-) I had a great time today with all the kids in the classroom making these, I got to shake on everyones Fairy Sprinkles...Thanx Bran and Dyl, mwah!!! Thanks Charlie!

For the record, Im about one and a half a projects behind at this point in the holiday madness! With any luck this weekend Ill make some great progress and maybe even work on one that I promised quite awhile back now, eeek. Here is the Debbi Diaper Bag I made for a friend of DD's. The Mom to be (Debbi) luv'd the bag, its a one of a kind and that it was made with the recieving blankets she picked on her registry :-)

ok, Im off for bed...another long day awaits tomorrow, full of more flakes, LOL!

Digital or Paper...

2009-12-02T15:11:00.000-08:00

or both, wheeee! Thru my newest adventures in Hybrid, I found Whiff Of Joy :-) Katharina is an awesome artist and designer and her blog is a wealth of inspiration and how-to's!!! She's celebrating the Holidays this year with an Advent Calendar...besides 25 days of incredible stamping and papercrafting goodies, you can win her gorgeous stamps too! Sign up for the newsletter if you dont wanna miss a day...trust me, you dont wanna miss a day, ggg Thank You Katharina and everyone on your Creative Team, Happy Holidays!

My linky is added over on the right there...about half way down :-) wow, 2 posts in a day, LOL...Talk Soon!

Dang...

2009-12-02T11:46:00.000-08:00

my post didnt upload :-( I was making it here 2 days in row but as I was posting last night when my computer just switched off, again, eeek! So, since timing is everything, right...looks like Im buying a new one for Xmas! What do ya think...desktop or laptop? Keep in mind that we already have 2 laptops for when we travel...

Big news at DSO!!! Charlie is Designer of the Month and has her whole store 50% off for December and she's including her CU products :-) She's done up a brand new Super Glitter Bundle to celebrate too!

Also, if you enjoy playing along with the monthly challenges at DSO then make sure to check out the new DSO Challenge Blog here!

ok, its getting a little sketchy on this puter again so Ill get off here for now, Talk Soon!

Charlie and a Quick Post?

2009-11-30T18:41:00.000-08:00

Charlie is off to the beautiful coast of Australia, hope you are having a well deserved relaxing holiday friend :-) Actually, I hope she is having so much fun she doesnt see this till she gets home, hehehe! Im popping in with a quick post of the really cute Post It Note Holder I crafted using her First Noel digi kit she had released at DSO before hittin' the road. I saw Tracy's tutorial for this cute project along the Holiday Garden Walk Blog Hop...can you say, perfect match and instant inspiration :-) Thank You Ladies!

***click the pic for a better view***

ok, Ive got the next project well under way but if Im to stay on schedule then Ive gotta run...see ya tomorrow ;-)

Ive got...

2009-11-26T20:04:00.000-08:00

so much to be Thankful for! Here I am, headed into the holidays not sure which way its going to go this year...you know, the best laid plans and such...turns out, I have the bestest family ever, mwah, Thanx Bestest Family! and I received a couple unexpected happy surprises along the way this week too so Im really \o/\o/\o/

a surprise brown envelope came in my mailbox from an unknown AR of Rileyville, KY...its marked SewN2U Swap group #4 and its FULLL of the most beautiful FSL Ornaments of all different sizes and colors :-) My heart is bursting as my sewing friends are also the bestest! If you are one of my sewing friends reading this, you know just how many hours it takes to stitch out 30 of these free standing lace designs and its no small feat! Thank You sew much angel AR and to Patty, Hugs and Blessings!!! Ill get a pic to edit in here!

Then yesterday I got an email that says I won! What did I win you ask...well, last Saturday night I was blog hopping and came across the awesome Holiday Garden Walk sponsored by Cathy of Paper Garden Projects and her team :-) I luv lookin for inspiration and its very nice to get a chance to win some great goodies just for looking at the gorgeous projects and saying Thank You to each designer! Hugs and blessigns to everyone who participated there as well! First of these Ive ever won, heck, Im one of those people that never wins anything, LOL, so Im beaming knowing that the mailman is bringing another special package. Watch for something made with these goodies in the very near future, theres adorable snowmen and mice stamps in there, hehehe :-)

and to finish up the week...Thanksgiving Dinner is done and the first projects on the afore blogged "list" are completed on schedule :-) Next up...diaper bag for a friend of DD by Dec 6th, which also just so happens to be my 29th Wedding Anniversary, Luv Ya Babe!

Ill be back in a day or 2...rumor has it that Charlie has a few new things up her sleeve for while she is away on vacation and Loucee is being suspiciously quiet at the moment which usually means she's busy busy designing and crafting, so keep a steady watch on her too!

Into the madness...

2009-11-24T18:51:00.000-08:00

of real life, the holidays and Fall on Willow farm, wheeeee! As much as I dislike having to go out into the snow, Im that much looking forward to being snowed in for guilt free quiet time, LOL! Oh, and if the kids and pets could stay healthy now, that would be good too :-)

Charlie has been busy designing at record speed to be ready for a well deserved vacation to the coast of Australia...Im soooo envious, Have a great time GF! She's released an adorable new holiday kit at DSO before she goes, First Noel is a great bundle with matching cards and glitter and Charlie's take on the traditional colors are perfect! You can get this individually too, Thanx Charlie!!!

Ive got a few projects in the works with this and you'll be seeing those soon!

Somehow the afore mentioned holiday (sewing) projects are still on track and I think they've un-officially givin' me the day off on Thanksgiving, woot, woot...I really really wanna get my cards in the mail the first week of Dec ;-)

Its beginning...

2009-11-11T20:07:00.000-08:00

to look alot like Christmas! The special part...Thank You to Loucee Creations...is that its coming complete with Snow Ho Ho! Ive still not even touched the possibilities with this adorable kit, here are a couple things Ive been working on...

The card is unfortunately still a bit of a dry run...I sooo Luvvv this lil snowman and thus, very determined to get him on here with more glitz and glimmer in the very near future! And the tree is a Fav as well as you can see its made it onto the 2nd Card front (by way of LO) Im also working on...you can find the kit here at the DSO :-)

And the not so great part of the holidays you ask...Watch Out for the crazy people in parking lots, you know, the idiots that will go face to face with ya for your parking spot, Handicap, I might add!!! Ive heard it referred to as "Hell Mart" and oh, is it true today...OMG, Ack, Spit, Grrr! This woman came tapping on my window asking me to hurry up and leave so she could park there...Whaaaat, are you kidding me, Ive just barely gotten DGS and the groceries into the car, how rude and yes, there is a reason they give me a Handicap spot! Shame on you nasty lady in the parking lot of Walmart acting like that and especially in front of my grandson :-(

Ok, rant is almost over as that makes #3 in my string of bad luck...in the last 5 days Ive been to the emergency room, a different hospital and then chased 7 loose horses across 200 acres, mannn, its been one wild week and its only Wednesday, goodnight!

Shopping, hmmm...

2009-11-03T18:06:00.000-08:00

I am, are you? Im looking round for whats to become this years "special" Christmas cards...you know, the ones that get extra special care for giving to the extra special people in your life :-) I purchased my first 8 Copics markers at Scrapfest and am looking forward to using them with either digi or stamped images for these "special cards so Ive been browsing round the market for a month now...look what I just found, hehehe...

Charlie and her designer friends put up for November Grab Bag at DSV! Exclusive to the vault, Here, you can pick up Seven BRAND NEW, FABULOUS Commercial-Use products and you won’t be disappointed!

(thanks for loaning me your wording Charlie?)

Well, it is only Nov 3rd but things are rolling along very nicely on my aforementioned (1 post back) Holiday schedule...how bout you? Talk Soon!

Are you ready...

2009-11-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

for the holidays? Well here they come, ready or not, LOL! Ive already committed to a few projects and so far my schedule still looks manageable, but we all know how the best laid plans go...wish me luck it all goes as written :-)

First holiday up is Charlie's Birthday, Happy Birthday Girl and to your little one too! Charlie is having a 39% off sale for the whole month at DSO to celebrate so make sure to check it out...can we guess how old she is, hehehe :-)

And if November 1st doesnt just make you think Christmas then Loucee and Kimb surely will! Check this out...a hybrid Advent Calendar made with Candy Christmas, Woweee! A working calendar would be a first for me but those 2 so make me wanna try one, Thank You soooo much ladies, Hugs :-) Images are linked...

Before we leave Halloween 2009 in the past, Ive gotta show ya how cute Dylan was and the Vampires I put together for his classmates. Gone are the days you could have one costume for school parties and for going house to house so we had a Pirate and a Ninja! sidenote-the Vampire sucker covers were really really easy so if anyone would like the info, let me know :-)

ok, I said I was gonna use my extra hour today for blogging but I think its been 2, hehehe...so Im off for now, Talk Soon!

One Grrreat Month...

2009-10-26T18:09:00.000-07:00

October turned out to be! Remember, my September 09 went down as one of the busiest Ive ever survived, ur, umm, been through?! Wheeee, right into the next month and technically we still have a week to go but its lookin' like its gonna finish up just as great as it started :-) So much to tell ya so here we go...

First up...Im still in AWWW!!!...Di (@Legacy4Life) picked my Sophia at the Beach LO for DSO's Scraplift Challenge for this month! Thank You so much Di and I luv, luv, luv everyones submissions and Hugs for all the wonderful comments :-) This really is so humbling for me, Im gotta move on quickly, smiling and blushing...

then Charlie...she has a new CU Grab Bag for October up at DSO and DSV, I sooo see holiday gifts for family and friends in my very near future (gifts AND I get to hybrid, woot, woot)...and Ive heard a few other mumbles around too so I might not be the only one who has had this vision, ggg! Watch this space, as they say and my teamates as well, for even more inspiration...links to their blogs on the right sidebar :-)

And just when I think it cant get any better but what happens, the very very very talented Vicki (TxBubbles/DSO CT) picks my Hearts In It LO as one of the DSO Gallery Standouts for the Week of Oct19-Oct25...OMGoodness, thats it, I nearly fainted!!!!!!! Thank You soooo much Vicki, I know you surely know what this mean to me, Hugs!

To the ladies who are really the ones with the irresistible talent and inspiration...Lou (LouCee Creations) for your always beautiful designs and Jazzy (Words to Delite) for you perfect WA, Hugs and Thank You!!!

Well, this has turned into a long one tonight...I knew it was gonna, hehehe...and truth be told Ive been sick for a nearly a week now :-( Not the piggie flu, whew and I am feeling better now by the day, so heres to hoping it will soon be a distant memory! Talk Soon!

Super Saturday...

2009-10-23T22:37:00.000-07:00

Sale at DSV! And Charlie's Garden Bites 2 are only 2$...thats an incredible deal on quality cu and you can find all the info here

As its already gone saturday now in my part of the world so Im off...See ya again soon!

LouCee is...

2009-10-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

such a Romantic :-) She's proven it again with a beautiful new kit too, Tracey! As her work is always to die for, Lou has been called to do up a Wedding Album so she did this kit in the bride's colors, Great Job Lou, Im sure she will Luv it!!! Make sure to check Loucee's blog as she posted a few very romantic hybrid projects she made up with yummy Kimb papers/kits and very pretty beads and baubles! Speaking of the famous Kimb, for my LO Ive used a template she kindly offers as a freebie on her blog (limited time and still available as of this post but ya better hurry), Thanx Kim!

Im sooo bad at journaling I decided to rework this with a Helen Keller quote that I think is perfect for the pic..I know, I know, Im so true to my birth sign, Libra, just call me Ms Indecision but I really do like it better with her words instead of mine, LOL. Make sure to check in on my CT team mates too(links on the right), they've got some matching beautiful goodies with this kit for you :-)

Gotta pick up DGS off the school bus...see ya back here soon :-)

Charlie, Changes and...

2009-10-10T18:20:00.000-07:00

hibernation :-) Wondering what these 3 things have in common...well, its what Ive been up to lately of course, ggg

to start, I am completely off my feet, swooon...Charlie of Charlie's Digiscrap accepted my application to her CT, can you beleive it, Woot, Woot!!! And it wasnt easy for her either, I was pretty much gone the entire month of September, Thank You for your patience and Big Hugs Charlie! My first LO for her using her newest kit, True Love :-) Its Adorable! Make sure to check out all my wonderful new teamates blogs tooo...on the sidebar.

And Charlie does the best designer items too...you can find her quality CU products here

Next, Our First Fall Harvest of Pumpkins!!! This was huge for us as last year (our real first) was sadley a bust so everyone here on the farm carefully tended to them thruout the summer. When DH and Dylan had the privledge of gathering the bounty I was sure to be there with the camera! Loucee 's kit was perfect for it...I already knew that, hehee and told ya you'd be seeing Changes again :-) Thanx for another winner Lou!

Which brings me to...hibernation! It seems that winter is coming early here in the midwest, eeek, ack, spit! And though I really really dislike the freezing temps, I LUVVV having an excuse to stay in house with a fire burning to keep the chill away :-) With that warm thought and the fire that has now gone out signaling its past time for bed...Talk Again Soon

woot, woot, LouCee is...

2009-10-01T18:43:00.000-07:00

Designer of the Month at DSO! She's done up a beautiful fall kit to celebrate she rightly named Changes...you can find it here for just $1 for the entire month of October! In addition, all of LouCee Creations at DSO are 50% off too for the whole month :-)

and don'tcha think my Hybrid Coffee Can project with this kit turned out great! The seasonal theme made for a nice gift for my oldest son too...even he grows his own sunflowers in his garden :-)

Make sure to check Lou's blog as she's got a little add-on for you and lots of beautiful inspiration from the rest of ladies her team! Watch for Charlie's LO, she'll make you cry with a beautiful poem for her family's furry friend passing this past week...Hugs GF!

WHEW, WHAT A MONTH...

2009-10-01T16:38:00.000-07:00

September was!!! and yes, Im yelling as it became such a frenzy by the end that I am just that happy its done and over...well, for another year anyhow :-) Scrapfest09 was a great time and they've just announced the date for 2010...Sept 17th-19th at the Mall of America again...hummm, just maybe, LOL. The trip was great for my Project 365 too, Ive gone thru and pulled photos for an album...hopefully soon Ill get a few downsized and posted here but for now heres a look of the Kick Off Crop in the MOA Rotunda :-)

another blog post to follow so Ill end this one here...

Happy September Blog Candy

2009-09-06T21:15:00.000-07:00

Not long ago I came across Creations by Louby Loo's blog by way of an adorable little horse named Charlie of Clear Dollar Stamps and what a find, talent and eye candy galore :-) And wait till ya see what she is so generously giving away :-) Fall is my Fav time of the year and september is my birthday month so I really think I should automatically win...but Im pretty sure Im not the only one who feels that way, LOLOL

this gives me the chance to show off my one and only Charlie stamp too :p I did this as a test run for the little gift card holder (split coaster stampers tutorial) I did up Hybrid with Loucee's Party Dress designs and Luggage Tag Alpha one post back...Ive probably watercolored about 20 of this one stamp trying to learn watercolor painting with markers so it was a quick grab at test time for a hopefully finished project if it all went well. Yep, it went well :-)

LL, Thanx for sharing inspiration and for the chance to win your Charlie Harvest Box and all those goodies!!!

Grab Bags and Bad Blogger!

2009-09-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

Wait...that really should say "Bad Blogger" first...yep, thats me, I cant believe its been over 3 weeks, eeek! Sorry :-(

Good news in the digi scrapping world...Loucee has new designs up for DSO's Birthday complete with an incredible Grab Bag, check it all out here! I got to play with a few of the goodies just ahead of the big announcement and let me just say, Thank You Lou for creating such beautiful art and encouraging my Hybrid attemps :) Ill never get as good as the Queen (yaa, Louise, thats you, ggg) but Im having' fun tryin', LOL! This cute Gift Card Holder which also has its own seperate little card that goes into it is a project from Split Coaster Stampers here and these way cool colors and the tag alpha were easily transformed :-) Getting the pics was the hardest part...it really was, LOL!

and how about a natural beach layout with an adorable little girl enjoying the sand and surf...this is my grand niece Sophia, taken by her memaw (grandma) during their summer trip to the beach this year :-) Im finding that these colors are just my style and I luv Classic!

'

Speaking of Bad Blogger and Hybrids, Ive a got a couple others projects to show ya...what Ive been up to...Country Living Note Cards and Tote (SplitCoasterStampers) and Jean Genie, my own LO.

and as usual Ive run out of time in the day...how does that happen, I told the clock to stop about 6 hrs ago, LOL! See Ya Soon!

Country Living...

2009-08-12T20:09:00.000-07:00

in more ways than one, LOL! First, Loucee has a new kit up called just that and remember one post back when I said this Lady must have ESP...well, she's done it again and its another Winner!

Words to Delite WA from Be Yourself pack was perfect as always Jazz, Thank You!

oh and the 2nd reason for Country Living...we went to the mall today! No I mean a real mall! 3 levels and a play area...a good time was had by all but I was happy to come home to the quiet country life :-) I was gonna load a few pics here for P365 but all of sudden blogger doesnt wanna play nice and Im too tired to argue! Just wanted ya to know that even though Im behind on pics Im still in the game :-)

Jean Genie K is for Kelsey

2009-08-02T19:54:00.000-07:00

Loucee has a new kit out, Jean Genie and I swear at times this woman has ESP or something, she always seems to come with just what I need without any words between us, Hugs GF! AWESOME...This kit is for the denim junkie and is packed with lots of girlie glam! there are 12 papers, 40 elements and even an alpha! Its 30% off at the moment too.

This kit was such a natural fit with the dear pics I had just recieved and with Hutchie's LO (Lou's scraplift challenge at DSO) it was perfect! Kels is such a Denim Country Girl...just like her dad but a little (alright, ALOT) more refined, LOLOL.

K is for Kelsey...Isnt she Beautiful! We think so, beaming with pride :-) Kels came out to the farm to have her Sr Pics taken and DD took some shots from behind the scenes :-) Thanx Bran, you did good!!! Cant wait to see the photographer's shots...

ok, Im off to bed before it gets too late and I sleep half my "day off" away :-)

Freshly Picked at the Animal Kingdom

2009-07-21T17:49:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the challenges over at the DSO Forum? Gorgeous stuff as usual I say and Im very happy to also say that Loucee is back this month with her original Animal Kingdom Challenge! But this time with a fun twist, you can check it out here. Lou is also hosting the Scraplift Challenge again this month (you go woman) and she has picked a very Beautiful LO created by Hutchie called All you need is Love. ..which brought me then to a very difficult decision as per my norm, TIME is always too short to get it all in this month! Freshly Picked by LouCee Creations to my rescue...the perfect kit to pull it all together and the perfect mix of all my fav colors! You are one buuusssyyy lady Lou, Thank You and Hugs!!!

My "combo" LO...I started with getting the pic in the garden (with all the zoom my little pocket canon has, ggg) for the scraplift challenge and isnt it funny that unbeknown to me Lou was in the background creating a matching kit while I was risking my bum to a bee, LOL!

ok, Ive gotta get this posted before my head hits the keyboard but watch for some fun news coming in another post...Scrapfest 2009 :-)

Win $1,000 at TheCuttlebugSpot.com!

2009-07-11T10:51:00.000-07:00

Look what I found...Thanx for the heads up to Bunny and Shannon! And yep, I copy and pasted the following, LOL...Thank You to TCS for posting the wording :-)

Win $1,000 at TheCuttlebugSpot.com!

I have just discovered that The Cuttlebug Spot is having a contest - "The Journey to 1,000"! They are trying to reach 1,000 followers by the end of July and need your help. To enter all you have to do is go to their site, sign up as follower and complete a few easy steps and you could win a $1,000 gift certificate to Custom Crops (www.CustomCrops.com)! GO NOW and check it out at www.TheCuttlebugSpot.com

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

I was so hoping to make it here earlier today (late jul 3rd) but as my story always goes...the best laid plans, blah, blah, blah...never happens for me!

I promised Loucee Id let everyone know she is having a 50% off sale at DSO for the holiday...I gotta hurry before the clock strikes midnight here (I know Lou, its already tomorrow for you) eeek! One of the reasons Im sooo late...Loucee posted a wonderful July 4th mini kit on her blog for everyone and since I luv what she did with our tradional colors I had to whip up a LO :-) Thanx LouCee!!!

Brandi and Dylan on a carnival ride at Libertyville Days...it was a beautiful evening and eveyone had a great time!!!

Hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Holiday!

DD Crafts...

2009-06-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

wonderful handcrafted cards! Just popping in quick to give Brandi 3 cheers for the wonderful cards she created this year for Mothers Day and Fathers Day \o/\o/\o/

Great Job, MWAH!

Ive been doing a little crafting as well but I cant show mine, yet, hehehe...till next time :-)

Happiness is...

2009-06-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

facing your fears, learning lots and having it turn out just fine :-) So Loucee put me to the challenge with her new kit Happy Place, made me really really wanna try again at extractions. This is a beautiful kit that just screams (nicely, hehehe) Fantasy so here is my first try (that Ive been willing to show anyway, LOL) at it...Dylan and Mrs Ray at the Adler Park Kindegarten Graduation, we are so proud you Dyl! Check out her blog and my other teamates blogs as well to see how versatile this kit really is, Great Job Girls and Thank You Lou!

Ive got a few other creative things in the works...Ive about gotten all the supplies together for the July Sew Along and also working on a couple things for the Holiday Ornament Swap Im participating in over at the Sew-N-2-U yahoo group. Yep, thats me...always signing up for waaay too many fun things at the same time, hahhaa

one more note...Big Hugs Mom for starting your own blog(s) and playing in the DSO Challenges, you are doing GREAT!

Now, thats better...

2009-06-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

what do ya think bout the new look of my little blog? The adorable farmer, animals and red barn design header that was up yesterday will be back another day :-) The cluster frame is Blogwear Special Day by ABCDelf Scraps at Digital-Crea.fr , the paper is from my stash that I used Atomic Cupcake Inked Edges action on and the font is Comic Sans. There are a few other elements to this too and you'll be seeing those as I figure out how to customize and post them :-)

Thanx Mom for all your help and constructive critism getting my bandwidth use under control, Hugs!!! Whaaa, I do kinda miss those blinkies and music though, LOL!

Plain Blog...Ick!

2009-06-09T18:59:00.000-07:00

So Im seeing all these Awesome new style blog layouts and feeling like its time to redo mine, ggg! And since Im still with the internet connection woes, Ive got to get serious bout clearing up the bandwith sucking elements...whaaa, I luv ALL my blinkies but until I either scrap a new blog LO or buy one, Im going with plain :-(

Quick while Ive got a connection I wanted to post a couple pics...first up, Cowgirls Rule Bootie Bag! This is the contest bag I had mentioned before...Thank You Ann, Dottie and Jericho Designs for inspiring me to finish this project from Sue and Jackie!!!

and the card I crafted for Dylan to give Mrs Ray :-) She crafted each of the kids a Memory Book complete with projects each child did thru the year and pics she had taken along the way as well. Its Adorable...Ill have to get a pic of it to show you! Anywho, I think she was more than deserving of this cute little card...I used Clearly I Stamp Charlie Horse Spring Stamp and Watercolor Markers...Im such a newbie at card making but I am happy with how it turned out.

onto to my "how to scrap your own blog" search...any pointers from the gallery (thats you if you are reading this and know anything, hehehe) is always appreciated, LOL

LouCee Creates!

2009-06-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

Well, Louise has been one busy lady and its allll just Beautiful!!! Check her out...you might wanna get your coffee first as this post is gettin' long, ggg

Oooh La La, her new kit has awesome pinks, black, greens...and theres poodles in this cutie too! Loucee is hosting the new Animal Kingdom Challenge in the forum at DSO, perfect for the animal lover in me...and with Jazzy's wonderful wordart and Gunner waking me up in the morning, Im all in :-)

Check out the other CT members blogs too for matching Awesome QP's...Maryse, Anne, Denise, Kim and Lyn, Hugs and Thank You Thank You Lou, Jazzy and fellow team mates :-)

Wow, then she comes with this Gorgeous Hybrid Project she put together with Angels Tears by Kimb and Jen (Chaos Lounge) ...make sure to click the image below for the full view of the project and the kit used :-)

you can find full instructions and printables on LouCee's blog...and let me tell you, its a NOT to be missed project!!! You know, Kim was right on when she nicknamed you the Queen, Lou...Hugs and Thank You Again Ladies!!!

thats it for me tonight, Im off to bed...the satellite connection did get hooked up yesterday however its not gone as smoothly as I had hoped so I ve been at this computer all day fidgeting with settings, eeek, nighty nite!

Scrapbooking and Sewing

2009-05-31T21:06:00.000-07:00

Yep, its Sunday night and here I am blogging till into the wee hours in anticipation of sleeping in on my "day off" :-) It was the usual busy (exhausted) 6th day of the work week but I did manage to get in a few minutes for creating...even DH was asking if my craft room needed dusting from lack of use, whaaa!

So I started with a project that really should have been finished along time ago...that Bootie Bag from more than a few posts ago :-) I managed only making it thru step 2 (of 3) for both bags so today I completed 1 of them! I had put the machine embroidery designs on 3 weeks ago and today was the last day to enter the digitizers Fun Cowgirl Alpha Project Contest...another 2 for 1, wheee...project completed and contest entered, I luv when that happens, ggg. I have to wait and see if I can post a pic yet...might be private entries/closed voting.

Yesterday a friend recommended a new blog and I finally got a chance this afternoon to check it out...WOW, Scrappin Out Loud has incredible scrapping, stamping stuff, Thanx Bunny! Wish Id made it back a little quicker as she is having a Blog Candy Giveaway that ends today...hoping close off is at least midnight central time, wink, wink. Check it out...Ive become a little bit of a Hybrid hound, Thanx Loucee :-)

one last thing...for once my normal "1 step forward, 2 steps back" life worked in my favor, hehee...what started out as getting satellite Internet installed next week on weds am went to thurs am then to tues pm, waahoo!

feels like Monday...

2009-05-26T11:52:00.001-07:00

which is normally a good thing for me since Mondays are my "day off", haha...but its not, its Tuesday! So here I am trying to blog...I say "trying" as my internet still isnt working correctly, I signed up for a new dial up account and its painful just watching the pages trying to load :-( Satellite, here we come!

So to brighten my day Im posting up my layout with Dilys, LouCee's newest kit. Wait till you see it...the kit I mean, ggg...its BEAUTIFUL! I LUVVV the colors in this and I bet you will too!

Our Grandson, Dylan with the flowers he and Brandi gave me for Mothers Day. Iris' and Lillies are my favorite flowers...Brandi ordered these from ProFlowers.com and they were and still are truely beautiful...even though the Lillies arent open yet in the photo they are still blooming today! Thank You Brandi and Dylan, MWAH!

ok, I better get this posted...Ive been back and forth all day, literally :-) Ill get back to posting P365 pics again as soon as I can get a decent connection!

Scrappin'...

2009-05-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

catch up! boy ooh boy, I really need to get to my little blog more often than this, eeek! Ill try to do better...spring is always the busiest on the farm! Well, ok, so are all seasons but a girl can always hope, right?

LouCee got a great start with 3 kits at her DSO store...Ive a couple more LO's to show off her other 2 kits. You saw Kelsey and Garden Blues one post back :-) What a great eye for colors and elements, Thank You Again Louise!

Bollywood Dreams

Brandi and Dylan and Brandi's 26th Birthday Dinner...he insisted on wearing his tie :-)

I could have easily made this next one into a nature LO but this kit spoke vintage to me...and thats not any easy thing to do, LOL! Even though I luv crochet and lace on clothes its usually just not my creative style...but not this time, Hugs Loucee!

News To Me

My Inlaws...Bud and Peggy 1954. I submitted this layout for the DSO Scraplift May09 Challenge...Special Thanx to Jen at Chaos Lounge for always sharing her beautiful creations!

geeze, Ive got to be the worlds slowest blogger...these post take me hours, LOL! Maybe if I did it more often I get faster, wheeeee...see ya next time!

Good News/Bad News

2009-05-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

First, Ill get right to the good news, no, GREAT news...Im on my first CT! Im so honored to be working with Loucee Creations, Thank You Louise! Wait till you all see who Im in with...check her blog :-) Loucee is know by many as the Digital Hybrid Scrapping Queen, myself included, so when she opened a store at DSO and posted a call for a creative team I just couldnt resist...she already knew how much I still have to learn, digi and hybrid, and let me on in spite of it, LOL! Ill post a couple pics and edit/post more a little later, refer to last paragraph, grrr!
Garden Blues

My Niece Kelsey, on her way to her Junior Prom...Isnt she Beautiful! I did this LO for Charlie's Speed Scrap at ESS and she called for B&W photos, whaaa, Kelsey's dress is the same gorgeous deep blue as the papers and elements! Might have to put those back to color and repost :-)

I just finished this today...turned out AWESOME! Hugs LouCee!!! I think my Mom is gonna luv this just as much as I do :-) mwah to Kimb as beautiful designs, Antoinette!

Ok, And the bad news is...Ive been officially downgraded to dial-up, WHAAA! Ya know that big beautiful farm I live on, well, some technologies just havent made it this far yet and my true radio wave Broadband connection has been over grown by the trees surrounding me :-( So...Ive been meaning to sort up all those blinkies on my side bar and now might be just the right time...but not now, its 12:30AM, eeek! Hope to have good news for a new broadband connection very very soon...until then...the glass is half full, yaa, thats it, the glass is half full...Hugs!

Quick Post, I Have...

2009-04-27T20:06:00.000-07:00

NOT abandoned my blog, I promise, eeek! Ive opened this page oh say about 100 times in the last month only to close it at what has been the end of just another hectic day and having written nothing :-(

This spring has been a busy one...in addition to all the normal "farm" happenings during this time of the year the main house is nearly finished and its looking like only a couple things are coming over the deadline, May 1st :-) Its Beautiful!

Speaking of trying to keep our ducks in a row...look what Buddy and the kids found...

how cool is that! You might have to click on the photos to really see but that's a wild Mallard and she's made her nest right in the corner of the house where the concrete steps meet the back door. That's the door to the break room and office so there is people in and out of there regularly but she had it tucked so nicely behind that bush that no one noticed till they were doing more spring cleaning! The pic of the eggs actually came 3 days after they found the nest the first time...I didnt get out to get a pic till the next day and she was sitting on them (the 2nd pic) when I got there. I was nearly on top of her before I realized she was in there...her and God's camoflage :-)

ok, I said this was gonna be a quick post so I just finish by saying that Ive missed more than couple P365 days this month but Im still going along! More to come...soon, I hope, LOL

Proof...

2009-03-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

I really AM a Thread Artist! Well, thats what I call myself anyway, LOL...especially when folks start coming at me with hems and alterations, eeekkk! Patty at SewN2U redid her website and it went live yesterday...tadaa, there they are, the little totes I made one year for the girls in my family for christmas...yep, thats them, there on the top right with Patty's adorable fairies on them! Thanx Patty, you made my day GF! If you get a chance to meander around her site you'll see she's used a few of my project pics, ggg

My Mom is the true artist in the family and as the apple doesnt fall far from the tree I too love all things artsy/crafty, Thanx Mom! Ill never been as talented as you are but Im sure having tons of fun trying :-)

Way behind on posting p365 photos so Ill just stick a few in here and keep moving...I can still count on one hand how many days Ive missed so far this year and in my book thats pretty darn good!

A couple LO's that I did for the DSO March Challenges...Watch Me Grow is of Dylan (DGS), its for Bunny's Template Challenge. Bunny made the template for us to use and then offered an incredible posting bonus for those that played along. Thank You Bunny! Life Is A Journey is Logan (my great nephew)for Beth's Scraplift Challenge. Beth picked an really cute LO of Mel's for us to use as inspiration and offered a wonderful posting bonus for playing. Thank You Beth, Mel and Jazzy (for the awesome Life is A Journey Wordart)!!! You ladies RAWK!

Next pic up is my little rock star, Dylan playing Guitar Hero! Hoping to get this one scrapped soon...Im still wanting to post in more LO's for DSO March Challenges :-)

See that...that is a computer thats finally made its way home after I lost a few gray hairs getting it working properly, AGAIN! It belongs to my brother and I swear he just goes wonky trying to keep me busy fixing this thing! Did I mention that I am NOT a computer repair woman, LOLOL

More Spring cleaning here on the farm...Thats my oldest son Bo :-) There arent alot of pics of him as he is usually running from the camera, he had no idea I was up to here, hehehe

Well, Ive been at this post for well over an hour now and its lunch time...gotta grab something to eat...so Ill be back a little later as I still have lots to catch up on. I know, I know, I always say Ill be back then it could be up to 2 weeks before I actually make it but Ill try best I can, ggg

Why Oh Why....

2009-03-13T12:49:00.000-07:00

is it that Im always counting days backwards, by the week! Good thing Ive got a text note to keep track of my P365 pics and thoughts each day :-) Ive gotta get a move on here, Kimb has been up to it again with an awesome new camping/outdoor kit and I hear that her partner in crime, digi/hybrid scrapping extraordinaire Loucee has updated her blog with a few new projects! Well worth checking out!!! Ive got a couple LO's started for the March Challenges in the forum at DSO to work on too.

Anywho, here we go...for today (friday the 13th, eek) we have our resident blanket Houdini...Tyson! Let me tell ya, this boy can shimmy outta just about anything...we've had just one blanket that he couldnt get off and its now just a rag of fabric from his trying to eat it since he couldnt get it off. After a couple years (and a couple useless tries) we finally found one that he hasnt been able to get off, yet!

Yesterday (march 12) was DD Brandi's 26th Birthday...at our house the birthday person gets to pick dinner, the what and where. Jimmy's Char House is her fav and we had a great family meal together, Thanx for a wonderful evening :-)

March 11...Dylan Sings! Well in keeping with all his "1st" lately, here he is at the school Spring Concert...do you recognize him there in the front with his tie on? Yep, thats the same tie he wore to the birthday dinner, turns out he likes dressing up, hehehe.

March 10...its the first thing I see every morning, Gunner. Yep, thats it...those eyes and that nose, how could I NOT wake up in a good mood, LOL

March 9...Gracie's Peace Lily. The fact that its still living is a miracle all in itself as I have all black thumbs (really, I do!), with Brandi's birthday this week I found myself looking into it pondering some of lifes mysteries. It was given to us during a sad time in our family so its very melancholy and I thought this photo really picked up on those feelings, dont you?

March 8...Session 1 Bootie Bag. Yeah, session 1 done on one of the bags anyway. We are already into session 2 so I better get crackin on these. Its supposed to be no pressure but I really dont wanna get too far behind...especially since I signed up for 2, hehehe

March 7...Blog Award, Thanx Jazzy! Jazzy is wonderful person and its a great honor for me to receive an award from her. She has a great blog, I luv her wordart and LO's and you can look her up on her blog here or at DSO! Since this has turned into the never ending post Ill just post up the pics/awards and come back to nominate other deserving folks in the blogging community tomorrow :-)

IF THE SHOE FITS is for people with enthusiasm.

The MARIE ANTOINETTE AWARD this award is given to bloggers who are perceived to be "real in who they are"

Ok, you are officially off the hook and Im outta here, hehehe...see ya soon!

If I Hurry...

2009-03-06T19:34:00.000-08:00

Ill be caught up with P365, for now, hehehe! I starting with today as it was a beautiful spring day and perfect for a drive...which we did :-) Off to pick up Sammy for the last time, Thanks for the wonderful day Sammy. We love the drive up to Madison, all the little farmettes and old barns across the rural countryside...over the years it had become one of our getaway weekend spots, even though now its been more than a few since we've been that far from home, eeekkk. Anywho, besides really enjoying just riding along on a sunny spring day with the my soulmate, we were able to find this little waaayyy out of the way restraurant that we had discovered way be when. Sorry, the barn shots were taken going 70 down the highway, LOL

March 5...Colby Visits The Farm-Colby is my great-nephew (I think, ggg) and he was excited to see the horses, chickens and tractors on a real farm :-) Buddy, Dylan and Colby...Boys will be boys and they were off, hehehe

March 4...Spring Cleaning At The Farm-Yaa, he looks like he is working hard doesnt he, hahaha! See all that stuff in the back of the wagon, wll, they had about 5 of those and thats just the beginning, eeek. Yeah, its Warm(er) and Sunny!

March 3...Dylans 1st School Pic-I cropped out the rest of the class for this one as somehow the photography company ruined the first round of individual photos, huh? They did do retakes so those should be coming soon...isnt he handsome, ggg

Feb26-only one day left from Febuary to get in here and Thank Goodness for that, for being the shortest month of the year it certainly seemed like the longest!!! I finished off with a good one though...MWAH Casino, Luv Ya (and you too "Kid" back there)!

well, an hour and half into this and Im finally finished...I know, I know, Im missing March 2nd but that has to be it for today, all that fresh air ya know, hehehe. Till next time...nitey nite

Sitting here...

2009-03-03T12:12:00.000-08:00

in between admin duties...yes, the "farm life" has office duties, i. e. phones, data entry, records, financials, receipts, filing, etc...you get it, LOL. And Willow Farm has lots of it...just always gotta be ready with the rubber boots for the fun part of this job, hummm, Life I mean, haha. Thought Id ramble a little (Ive apparently done well there, ggg) and update my P365 :-)

Feb24...Surrounded By Friends-This is a card that we recieved from Sammmy's vet, Dr Mann and Jenny. It really touched my heart to know that they admire what our role with the horses here is...its so much more than just "chores" for us and they took the time to recognize that, Ill cherish this forever :-)

Feb25...Dylan Reads-How cool is that...Way To Go DGS! Ive definitly gotta scrap this one and soon...maybe Ill try extractions :-)

Feb26-My Mood: Gray and Foggy! It was just one of those days, even Mother Nature was gloomy...makes for a nice pic though :-)

ok...so Feb 27, I have no pic :-( In grand scheme of things though Im still very proud of myself to having made it this far and still going! You never know...I might even come across a pic somewhere with this date on it and can edit it in, fingers crossed.

Alright, the good part about this time of year in the farm life...its only 3:30pm and the "work day" is almost over, now where did I put those rubber boots :-)

Bootie Bag and P365

2009-03-01T20:30:00.000-08:00

The March 2009 Sew Along started today...remember this from January, I really enjoyed it so I signed up asap, ggg! Jackie of Jackies Desighns (Posh Patterns-Handbags) and Sue (Jackies right hand gal@bags to brag about yahoo group) picked the Bootie Bag as the project and who doesnt have a pair of jeans that wouldnt be great as a bag/tote :-) In fact I have several old pairs and I think Ive signed on to make 2, hahaha. This is great bag for beginners! ***Signup Open and Supply List posted, Feb23***

Onto P365...my pic for today is Both sets of Bootie Bag supplies since I let my indicisive self get talked right into 2 of them babies! My camera is downstairs so Ill have to edit it in!...I just realized that while Ive been working away (ohhh man!) at getting caught up here I havent been posting these days either so Im starting now, well, in an edit, eeekkk
edit done!

Well, about that "1 week with 1 pic" I mentioned in my last post, Feb13 thru Feb20... Sammy! If you've been following along, Sammy was the horse that broke a bone in his upper hind leg (tybia) for no explainable reason...well, we now know what no one could have seen coming, he had a very very rare kind of cancer, Internal Melanoma. Fairwell My Friend, See ya on the other side :-)

Feb 21...Main House Renovations On Going-Im Luving the new Kitchen Door and finally the cabinets are starting to look like they at least belong in this room, hahaha! Painters are a good sign, right? Im starting to get a little nervous about this project being wrapped up by May 1st but we'll see...

Feb22...Tyler, Master Snow Horse! I know, I know, Ive already got a Master Snow Dog but Tyler so luvs playing in the snow and I Luv watching him...well, all of them actually, LOL! Plus, it was a pretty laid back day, remember Sundays are my wind down day :-)

speaking of which...its officially now Monday so Im off to enjoy sleeping in!

Keeping Up...

2009-02-26T19:02:00.000-08:00

NOT! I see that some of my friends around blogland are complaining bout the same thing so maybe its in the moon and stars for everyone and not just me, hmmm, yaa, that sounds good, hahaha.

Still getting pics nearly everyday for p365 though :-) Its become a nice little habit...makes me wake up each morning looking for memorable moments! Anywho, back to my quest to catch up...

Feb 9, our day to just hang out...we went to the indoor waterpark(thats a picture behind us, hehe) and the game room (our loot, haha). We had a Great Day just being us!!!

Feb 10...the nice thing about vacationing close to home, we were back by 10:45AM! As it turned out that was a very long time for us to be gone, Gunner didnt sleep the whole time we were gone and had a good afternoon nap after we got home :-)

Feb 11 was my "Recovery" Day so no pics just lots of unpacking and resting :-) Which brings Feb 12 up next...remember I said Buddy (DH) is a music fanatic right, well we are now going to see Keith Urban in concert for the 3rd time in 18 month! Good thing I like Keith Urban music and heck, he is certainly easy on the eyes, BWAHHHH.

Well, thats it for me this evening...I know you are thinking Im never gonna get completely caught but I will, I promise...and my next post will cover an entire week in 1 pic!

oh, and before I forget, for my sewing friends out there...the March Sew Along is coming up and Jackie has posted the chosen Bag and Supply List for our project...See Ya's Soon!

Ack, Spit, Ack!

2009-02-22T10:38:00.000-08:00

I had this post started last night and was making a great comeback when Firefox crashed :-( So Im back to try again, maybe I better move a little faster this time, hehehe

So much to catch up on...Ill start waaaay back! Feb 6th I gathered all the supplies, printed and cut all the pieces for this AWESOME hybrid card Loucee and Kimb shared with us, Thanx Girls!!!

TaaDaa, isnt this just adorable...and it held special meaning for us as DH used to bring the Love Is comic everyday from the newspaper :-) Feb 7th I put al the pieces together...

and how bout this! My man is a total music freak so this was perfect :-) Feb 8th after we checked into the hotel I gave him this and the card...Thanx Girls for the perfect gifties!!!

ok, Ill have to come back to edit this...the horseshoer is calling for me...Be Back Soon!

LQQK...

2009-02-12T17:55:00.000-08:00

Ive got music on my blog, WHEEEE! Now if my internet would stay connected I could really enjoy it! Lots to catch up on so fingers crossed this gets posted...I might just cover a few days of p365 for now or else this post could turn into a book, hehehe

You're off easy so far as I havent gotten a pic for today and I missed yesterday completely, we'll blame it on "recovery", hahaha!

Ok, Im gonna have to try again tomorrow...Ive got a service appoinment in the morning with my ISP!

P365 Update...

2009-02-05T18:34:00.000-08:00

and more, ggg. Wellllll, where has this week gone???

Thats actually good news as it means our little 3 day weekend (sun thru tues) is only 2 days away, yeah! Only going 10 minutes up the road "where its always 86 and sunny", thats what they say anyway, Ill let you know, hehehe. If you wanna check it out... http://keylimecove.com/ Looks like a good place to take pictures too, all those bright colors :-)

Today was February Treatment Day...YaaHoo, I was on time AND I remembered the camera! Thanx Jaymi, Debbie and Angelina for taking such good care of me and for playing P365 :-) Good Job Angelina for help working the camera too, I was totally impressed! Warning...no sleeping in for me this morning and florescent lighting, eeekkk!

Feb4, finally a pic of Mac. He is the primadonna of canines here on Willow Farm, you'll never find him bounding around in any snow! Oh no, we're doing good to get him off the porch...he wears his dry southern heritage proudly and has no intentions of ever getting his feet wet unless absolutely necessary, bwahaha! There will be better pics of Mac and Molly as the weather warms up and drys out :-)

and finally for Feb 3rd, the Surprise Photo, hahaha! Its a little somethin' for DH that Im giving him on "our" Valentine Weekend...Ill have to come back afterwards to edit the real pic in, ggg. Hugs to a special friend for helping me out with this, for now I hope she knows who she is :-)
***the big reveal*** Thanx Loucee for helping me, I couldnt have gotten it finished without you, Hugs GF!

ok, thats it from me today...lots to do over the next couple days so I better get some rest!

Gotta Post...

2009-02-02T12:03:00.000-08:00

DH says he isnt visitng my blog until I get that pic of Frango from being the first post on the page, hehehe...so now you know why Im the horse nurse here, LOL!

So Ill get to posting the latest P365 photos...

Jan30th...Mike Makes Cake! I think I mentioned a couple posts back that my youngest son has suddenly taken an interest in cooking and here he is having a go at making a friend a homemade birthday cake, with the help of "Betty" as in Crocker, hehehe. It wouldnt necessarily be a bad thing if we ended up with a Chef in the family, Good Job Mike!

Jan31...Out My Window! Footprints in the snow...this pic makes me think of those cartoon pirate maps where you follow the footprints to the treasure. Well, in this case they lead in several directions including up to the living room windows and most of them are Deer tracks!

Feb 1...My Girl, Molly...isnt she cute! A little history bout her, her Mom was rescued from the New Orleans area right after Hurricane Katrina and based on Molly's (and her brother Mac, you'll see him when I can get a better pic of him) birthday she was more than likely concieved during the storm. What a rough way to start...but you'd never know it as she is a bundle of ENERGY now!!! Makes me think of June (Cens Stuff) and her new friend "Charlie" :-)

Oh, and none of those tracks in my Jan31 pic are Molly's...she's too short to meander into deep snow, she cant get out, hehehe

Feb 2...Morning Mugs Shot! Since Im sitting here wasting away a perfectly good "day off" and Im so seldom without a travel mug I thought this would be a great pic for today, ggg. Yep, that cup says "Stolen From:", its from a restraunt in Springfiled, IL where you are supposed to "steal" them as a parting gift, hahaha

see my fav candy in the background, LOL!

Ok, off to find something constructive to do today, Have a Great Day!

Ever Wonder...

2009-01-29T15:03:00.000-08:00

how a horse takes care of his teeth? Probably not but if you keep reading you'll find out a little, ROFL! The Vet...Oh, Dentist...does housecalls so theres a start...

Give 1 "Martini" for nerves and get the head gear on! Just like human dentists use for root canals...in horse size, ggg. No worries...this is a completely painless precedure for the horse, from start to finish :-)

Horses grind their food (not chew) so Dr Mann uses the drill to flatten wavey surfaces and files any sharp edges that have developed...Thanx Bo for helping Frango to stay steady :-)

Lucky (and Dudley, way back in the corner of the pic) after its all done, Thanx Dr Mann and Bo :-)

more than you ever wanted to know, right, hehehe...Awww, just another day in the life of a *spoiled* horse

The Subject Line

2009-01-28T19:30:00.000-08:00

am I the only one who struggles with Titles? Doesnt matter what its for but for some odd reason I have a real problem coming up with a short one word/short line description of just about everything, WHAAA!

Before time gets away from me I wanna Thank the ladies who stopped by and left their "gotta have em" Scrapbooking Supplies Lists for me, you girls RAWK, MWAH!

Once again playing catch up with P365, least it gives me something to chat about...and by "chat" refer to the first paragraph here cause Ive got 3 days to cover, hehehe

For Jan 26, Whats your guilty pleasure? Mine is Winter Warmth, I know its not good BUT I dont abuse it and it makes me an oh so much happier person to be around thru the gray months, LOL.

Next up (Jan 27) is Sammy on his daily walk...he is doing really well and you have to listen to tell anything is off. 5 Weeks to go...Hugs to Alicia for helping him out

Caught this one this afternoon, funny how one pic can define the depth of the season...On Willow Farm Pond

ok, thats it for me for now ..till next time!
*hey, thats a one liner, hahahahaha*

ps...Bunny, hope you and your family are staying warm and dry!

P365 and Stuff

2009-01-25T22:41:00.000-08:00

Ill get right to postin' pics since its 1am on whats really 4 days since my last post!

Friday I finished my Sew Along Bag...and a week ahead of the time I might add, hehehe. I think it turned out really cute and this is the bag Ill be carrying into Spring! Thanx Jackie for the fun project and all I learned along the way :-) Session 4 (final) was sewing and putting in the lining and then I strung a few beads on a clasp for the zipper pull-we'll see if that satys on, hummm. DD also mentioned using cell phone charms for zipper pulls which I think is a great idea too.

Saturday was another crazy day...remember last week when I mentioned that DH is off on Saturdays which leaves me overseeing the farm alone...well, this week was extra special, the battery on the Cub (tractor) died in the middle of the barn, ackkk! That's not what I got my pic of though, who wants to remember that...so I came home and promptly signed up for ITunes, hahaha. I was the last one in my family, its only odd I'm typically the go-to gal/computer geek in the house.

Sunday was a day to Relax! As much as I dislike Saturdays I Luv Sundays, DH is fresh from his day off and Im off on Monday so its a great day to just wind down :-) Brandi and Dylan took a Fun day too...they got these pics at the photo booth in the mall and then went swimming at the gym, Dyl's Fav!

are you falling asleep yet...sorry, just a couple more things, ggg

Hybrid Scrapping...Ive got a couple boxes and a laptop bag full of paper scrapping supplies that most of it is at least 5-6yrs old so I was thinking I would revamp my stash of basics and what do you know, Bunny Cates ( DSO) is a Stampin' Up Demonstrator :-) Actually I knew that already, hehehe, but then she posted about it today on her blog...how's that for a sign, LOL. Another shameless plea here, if anyone has a basic supply list for tried and true go to items they use for hybrid scrapping, Im all ears (hmmm, eyes) :-)

Last but not least...we *might* be getting away Feb 8-Feb10, Yeah! I say *might* because we're not going very far but we are being picky bout the ameneties, hehehe

Shewww, its now 2:20am...Nitey Nite

Today's Pic

2009-01-22T19:32:00.001-08:00

what to post, what to post...should it be the self portrait I got while gathering the laundry out of the bathroom or the embroidery design I stitched this afternoon, hmmm

Well, since the design is still in the testing stage Im going for the self portrait, eeekkk. How does everyone else do their self portraits...I mean, it took me a few minutes just to find a spot on the mirror that didnt have toothpaste and I wasnt going for cleaning it so here I am...spots and all, ggg

maybe I should have went for the one that had the camera hiding my face, BWAHAHAHA

ok...

2009-01-22T07:57:00.000-08:00

so this time its 3 days before I got back here, hahaha! I havent gotten a pic for today yet but wanted to get the last 2 days up so I stay on track :-)

Did everyone spend the day glued to the tv on Tuesday, Jan 20, 2009...Inauguration Day? I know I did and there I was, camera in hand shooting away at it knowing that not all of them would turn out. Well wait till you see what actually happened in one of the shots...the picture on the screen was changing and my camera caught both! Pretty Awesome, dont ya think...except for the screen glare, grrrr

Week 3 of my Sew Along Bag...Im luving how this little baby is coming along, only one more week to go! The fabric Im using for this project is by Amy Butler, its from the Lotus Collection. There are so many places online that sell her fabrics, she has a few places listed on her website...I got mine from www.fabric.com

Well, I guess I should get busy round the house here and see what comes up for todays P365 photo...oh, maybe I should get a shot of that laundry piling up, LOL! Have a Great Day!!!

Looks like...

2009-01-19T19:31:00.000-08:00

Im turning into an every other day blogger :-) Or it at least seems to be going that way at the moment, hehehe.

Today turned out to be a day of good things happening...DD got a GREAT raise at work, DS1 got his first "real" car (with a payment book!) and DS2 wanted to cook dinner for the family for the first time :-) I got a little sidetracked with helping and didnt get any pics but since he wants to have another go one night next week, Ill let him do more of the cooking and Ill be ready with the camera! Great Job Kids!!!

So my pic for P365 for today is...Bo and Infiniti G35x

Oh, and in case you were thinking I forgot about yesterday...Here'sss Gunner, Master Snow Dog, LOL

Oh yaa, before I forget...Sammy, the horse with the broken leg, got hand walked today! First time out of his stall in over 2 months...halfway to real turnout :-) Go Sammy Go!!!

Catching Up...

2009-01-17T18:32:00.000-08:00

with P365 and more, eeekkk! Settle in for a long one, Ive got 4 days to post pics for...thurs, fri, today and somehow I missed posting the 13th (kinda weird, huh) but Im still on track getting at least one shot a day so here goes...

Jan 13th- Morning Mug Shot...my fav coffee ever, Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla w/Xtra sugar, hehehe! DS brought me this Tues morning, I didnt ask or anything, ggg...Thanx Bo :-)

This is where we skip to Thur, Jan15-My Sew Along is coming along, LOL...this is week 1 and week 2. The other "extended" project Im keeping up with, yeah for me! After I cut out the pattern "pieces" I wasnt sure about these fabrics but as it comes together Im back to Luv'n them again :-) oh, the yahoo group that is doing the Sew Along Project is Bags to Brag About, its owned by Jackie of Jackies Desighns, she designs beautiful fabric handbags, purses, totes, etc. patterns. She is a great gal, Thanx Jackie!!!

next up, Jan 16...now is that the face of guilt or what, BWAHHHHH! Gunner was caught red handed (or should I say "nosed") in the garbage can, uh-oh :-( Funny thing is we dont scold him, he puts himself in time-out, hehehe

and last but not least, Jan 17-Dylan...now is that a look of mischief or what! What more could a 6yr old boy need than snow gear, a guitar and choc donuts on a snowy saturday morning, ROFL

Alright, to get this posted and head off to bed. Saturdays are always long, exhausting days for me, its Buddy's day off so the farm is all me!

True Friends...

2009-01-14T17:48:00.000-08:00

Katie and Sophia, what an adorable picture dont ya think, ggg! I did this for the Jan09 Color Challenge at DSO. Kim B always picks the best colors and when I saw these I knew this pic would be perfect! Loucee, Bunny Cates, Joni Gray, Crops2Dawn, Jen (chaos lounge) and Kim (kims scrappin) are just a few of the extremely talented folks who so kindly contributed their beautiful designs to the challenge this month...WOW, Thanx Ladies!

ok, so this LO took me hours and hours to put together and Im still not satisfied, eeekkk! Does anyone else do that...take forever to create one layout I mean? Im trying to use more elements as Ive noticed alot of my LO's dont have much beyond the pic, a frame and background paper...anyone have any hints, tips and/or Ah Ha moments they'd like to share about creating clusters? Loved using greenery for the first time! And even though the wordart fits it just doesnt feel completely right yet, kwim! Someday Ill get good enough to do these designs justice, LOL

This is my p365 for the day too! I figure if scrapbooking one LO takes this kinda time for me then it should definently be recognized as a moment worth documenting

Winter...

2009-01-12T20:06:00.000-08:00

In Chicago! and just what we need...more snow, arghhh! I know its January in Northern IL but still, enough is enough already...we had record breaking amounts last winter, again this past December and we are on track for January, eeekkk.

**edit** I took this pic this morning and as its turning out they might have been wrong bout this one...it got smaller, moved thru quickly and the winds havent picked up yet, fingers crossed! Certainly makes that old saying true..."If you dont like the weather in Chicago, wait 5 mins, it WILL change", LOL

Finally...

2009-01-11T19:15:00.000-08:00

Some Much Needed Play Time!!! Both these boys have spent waaayyy too much time indoors this winter so they had a great time playing in the snow today.

Tyson was the bit of good news from the vet last Friday...after 2 months he got the all clear to get turned out :-) Big Thanx to Dudley for taking one for the team and staying in too!

Gunner loves to romp in the snow!!! Lord Knows we've had enough for him to play in, he goes for it every chance he gets...he just thinks its never enough time so I had to pop this pic of him in here too :-)

Life is a project 365... Jan 9 and 10

2009-01-10T19:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a busy day so I didnt make it here but I did get pics, hehehe...Dylan's 6th Birthday! DGS, you'll recognize him as the usual choosen one for most of my digi scrapping LO's, LOL. We had pizza and Ice Cream Cake at his house with family and friends, Im pretty sure everyone a Great time :-) It literally snowed all day and of course I hadnt gotten him a gift so out we went...

And today...it snowed again all day, no I mean it really snowed again all day, ack, spit, ack!!! So, no pic but Im inserting one I snapped a couple days ago, having thought at the time that it would come in handy on a day like today...Pet Peeves! May as well document those moments too, its who we are, LOL. Surely Im not the only woman to ever see this...

still havent finished a scrapped page...BUT...I did get Session 1 (of 4) of the Sew Along completed and we got a little good news from the vet bout the " sick" horses :-)

Every 4th Thursday...P365 Day 8

2009-01-08T19:28:00.000-08:00

for the last 2 years and 3 months...Tysabri! Its the drug of choice for MS right now so off I go, usually half asleep as DH always lets me sleep in on treatment day :-) Which is also why I had to go with a scan of their business card (forgot the camera in my rush)this time, least I have 11 more chances this year to get a photo, hehehe

Ive been going to this infusion center for a year now and the ladies there are really nice...they dont have a public internet connection anymore but I still take my laptop as Im guaranteed sitting still for at least 2 hours anyway, ggg

hoping over the course of the next day or so I can get my first week of life/project 365 scrapped, wish me luck

Decisions & Questions

2009-01-07T13:23:00.000-08:00

Im so bad at those, LOL

I did get my pics for Project/Life 365 yesterday and today so Ill go with getting them posted and it will answer the question you are asking yourself right about now as to why this post is titled "Decisions&Questions", LOL

...whaaa, why wont any of my photo's load :-( Ill be back...ok, the problem was on bloggers end so Im uploading thru photobucket...

Jan 6, 2009...this one says it all in just one word, RENOVATION! It actually started on Monday but I didnt get pics till today and the best part is that it is NOT happening in my house...its the main house here on the farm and the owners are in Florida for the Winter so no one has to suffer thru it :-)

Jan 7, 2009...so this is the shot that creates the "Decisions", the above pic is fairly straight forward, LOL...these "supplies" are for a project on a yahoo group for purse/bag/tote sewing junkies! For people like me picking the fabric and notions isnt just hard enough then comes the decision of how to put them all together...ie, stripes for the flap, for the body, lining only, outside only or just all of one???...eeekkk, LOL

Whaa Hooo, a week into 2009 and Im still on track for a years worth of Memories!!!

oh, which leaves me with my final question...is it ok to load photos to photobucket and then onto my blog? Is that considered "linking"? Not sure if anyone who reads this will have that answer but its worth a try :-)

Taking it as a...

2009-01-05T18:31:00.000-08:00

Sign!!! I really did have the best intentions of cleaning this room today and this is only the half of it

So I finally decided what my P365 for today was gonna be and make my way to the sewing/craft/junk room late this afternoon with Camera in hand...WHAAA, the lite bulb blows :-( Its Chicago in January and you all know its pitch black out by 4pm so I decide to go with it anyway! Fits right in with Gina's (Weeds and Wildflowers ) Life 365, even if none of the pics turned out. I had no choice, I had to "get her done" as that is Gabs blog challenge today...this is one really messy sewing/craft/JUNK room, LOL!

Day 4 P365...Casino

2009-01-04T19:13:00.000-08:00

a quick pic of one of "the little things" that make me very happy... a happily eating horse! And Casino has never been one to pass food of any kind, LOL

these were taken with my cell phone, Thanx for mini sd card Brandi and Thanx Bo for helping me get it onto my card, MWAW :-)

Project 365 and Morning Mug Shot...

2009-01-03T15:06:00.000-08:00

a couple "new to me" experiences in the digi scrapping world :-) P365 basically is vowing to take at least 1 picture a day for an entire year and scrapping it, check out the link for more info. Now, many more organized folks ahead of me have failed at this mission so if it turns out (and more than likely it will!!!) I dont complete it, I wont wilt with guilt that Im the only one who couldnt make it happen, hehehe

Bunny resurrected Mo rning Mug Shot (DSO forum topic ) that fits perfectly into getting my daily pic...even on days that I dont get any further than coffee, LOL. Bunny is also P365ing on her blog...she has encredible stuff there, from cooking to sewing to digi scrapping and everything in between! Well worth the daily visit, Thanx for sharing what life looks like to you girl

here goes my first 3 days...January 1-3 2009

1. What I see every night before I get into bed...Gunner sleeping in DH's bath towels on the floor :-)

2. Morning Mug Shot 1-at my desk

3. Buddy and "The Gator"

and now the real trick happens...at some point Im supposed to scrap all these shots, eeekkk! Wish me Luck

just had to pop this one in here...

Awwww, isnt this the most precious pic...Katie and baby Sophia (Hugsss)

I See You...Workin'

2008-12-29T17:10:00.000-08:00

is what I should have named this one, hehehe...he was so into "working" at shoveling snow, which we all know what that really means to a kid...FUN :-) I luv the way the photo (black and white) works with these colors...dark against light. Big Hugs and Thank You to Boo, Kimb, Stone Accents Studio and DSO for such wonderful inspiration, designs and challenges!!! For this LO I also used elements from Andrea Dickinson and Cindy Spicer, Thanx Ladies!

I managed a few other good snow pics too the weekend before Christmas, remember that 15" they were calling for...well, we got it, eeekkk! Made for a Beautiful Christmas though and now Ive got a few LO's in mind to work on...next chance I get, I think sewing is next on my hobby time list, ggg.

Quick Update on the horses...everyone is healing well, slowly, but well :-) We're 8 weeks in for the ones (3) that are doing their 120days of stall rest. As you can see, Tyler has fully recovered from his surgery (he was # 4), mwah. DS got this with his cell phone for me, Thanx Bo!

Friends-4-Food Project: About The Friends 4 Food Project

2008-12-18T21:55:00.000-08:00

I finally made it today to drop off my donation to our local food bank...Lake County Food Bank (IL) :-) Since they are calling for 15" of snow tonight, it was get it done or get caught trying to squeeze it in somewhere mon/tues, eeekkk, those days are already full for me!

I had decided that this was a good year to start a new tradition in our immediate family...1 gift to each person and 1 RAK that we could then talk about the what and why each person picked what they picked during our special meal on Christmas Eve. Doesnt matter what it is/was and doesnt have to cost money but an act of kindness for another person. I had already decided on this new tradition prior to hearing about Bunny's Friends 4 Food Project but hey, timing is everything right and have you seen that awesome box of scrapping goodies she is giving one lucky winner, ggg. I got idea first from April Dawn (K-Joi 10 Weeks To Christmas Challenge) when she told us how her family handles their holiday gift lists, Thank You Arpil for that! When we were just youngsters with children we too had to call on what was at the time our local food charities to feed our little family so it was my first thought and when I read about Friends 4 Food I thought "see, its good karma coming right back" :-) Thank You Bunny for thinking of this and coordinating it all, Big Hugs to You! And to all the folks who are helping to make it even extra special!!!

we'll see if this works like I think its going to, LOL
Friends-4-Food Project: About The Friends 4 Food Project

Told Ya...

2008-12-01T17:10:00.000-08:00

I Luv Snowmen :-) My first real Digi Hybrid Scrapping Card, turned out better than I thought I could ever do...and who knew I didnt own some type of glitter but as it turns out I will have to add that after a shopping run, ggg. LouCee used Kim B's From Santa With Love kit to make this card and then shared the file and instructions with us on her blog...Mine isnt exactly the same but close enough to still be adorable. Big Hugs and Thanx to Kim for your always wonderful designs and for allowing LouCee to share these with us and Thanx to LouCee for putting it all together and sharing your time and talent, Happy Holidays!!! Special Mention here to April Dawn at Kjoi and the DSO November Color Challenge for trying to keep me moving forward, for both which Im late as usual, whaaaa!

Happy Holidays and Snowmen!!!

2008-11-28T18:56:00.000-08:00

whaddya think? Isnt it CUTE...I Luv Snowmen! Allie Brown used Missy's (Scraps With Attitude) kit Snow Buddies for this awesome blog LO and I think its adorable, Thanx Girls!!!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and Friends! Here comes Christmas, ready or not, hehehe. The only Black Friday shopping I did today was to Joanns and that was bad enough, hehehe...no fabric as the line was rediculous but I did pick a few things to try my hand at hybrid scrapping Christmas Cards this year :-)

Somehow...

2008-11-11T14:47:00.001-08:00

I posted a blinkie last night as a post instead of in my sidebar so Im taking that as a sign that I should put something new here! Im putting up a LO I did for the SAS-y Chat Participate Challenge. DGS and Sammy, isnt that the cutest pic you've ever seen, ggg...I might be a little bias but hey isnt that what grandmas are for :-) I used Digimom Template set12, Booland Designs Vintage Berry and Plum Pudding scrap kits and Laras Digi World Green Alpha...Big Hugs Ladies, Thank You!!!

2008-10-22T20:39:00.000-07:00

This award is called the "Proximidade Award" or "Friendship Around The World Award". Originally this award was written in Spanish, but it translates to highlight blogs that are pleasing or special in some way, and also to extend the hand of friendship around the world. And I am all for reaching out to our friends on the other side of this world along with my neighborhood friends. And now I am supposed to pass this award on to 8 great blogs.

My eight choices are: TBD-this is gonna take some time, LOL

I got this from Joni and I'm so excited as its my first ever blog award, Thank You Friend!! I fell in luv immediately with her digi scrapping goodies and if you get a chance check her blog out, she does great art :-)

2 post in a day is lookin like my limit, hehehe so Im off to bed. Seems I come here with the best of intentions for posting some new things Ive been playing with only to get sidetracked by eye candy (digi scrap surfing) and emails so Ill try again tomorrow. Maybe Ill figure out how to get it into my sidebar then too, LOL

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

2008-10-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

Wow, if you get a chance, pop over to check out this awesome costume gown! Ive done my fair share of costumes in my years but nothing like this, she did a great job!

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Allie Brown's Giveaway...

2008-10-17T19:08:00.000-07:00

Well, if you havent checked out Allie Brown's blog you should...she does the best blog candy is and is hosting her 2nd giveaway and let me tell ya, you dont wanna miss it! Check her blog http://alliebrownslayouts.blogspot.com/ or click on her blinkie in the righthand column here for all the details...of course I hope its me that wins but Ill be happy for whoever gets this awesome, one of a kind blog design :-) Thanx Allie!!!

Blinkie Heaven, LOL

2008-09-16T09:20:00.000-07:00

I just found out last night how to get blinkies onto my blog, Im sooo excited!!! and they are clickable too to get to their respective blogs :-) Thanx to Vicki20 for the link to Allie Brown's great instructions http://alliebrownslayouts.blogspot.com/2008/07/i-have-blinkie.html

Big Hugs!!!

Finding time...

2008-09-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

NOT! Im so bad at trying to get here and post something new...sometimes there just isnt enough hours in a day, days in a week or weeks in a month, hahaha!

First off...My beautiful niece Katie had her baby girl Sophia on Labor Day, how fitting is that! Go Girl!!! Arent they adorable, Katie is already a wonderful mommy :-)

Our other excitement for the holiday weekend was that one of the horses had a bad accident and we are still in the throws of getting him back to healthy...which is gonna be a long long haul! The fact that he is still alive is promising but its been an emotional rollercoaster :-(

Its Official...

2008-08-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

Im Old, EEEKKK...My first (and only, so far) grandchild started kindergarten yesterday! I really dont feel that old but when I start to think about how old I thought my grandparents were back when I was his age, it just scares the heck out of me, hehehe.

Here he is on his first day and he got to be the "leader" for the day :-)
Back To School Brag Book/QP from Ahhh Scrap

I Am...

2008-08-24T09:41:00.000-07:00

Country Music

*You are friendly, down to earth, and fairly conservative.
*You are true to your friends and your upbringing.
*Change is hard for you. But beneath your old fashioned attitude, you are expressive and artistic in your own way.
*Very few people can express pain and pleasure as eloquently as you can.

I saw this on another blog this morning and thought Id have a go...funny thing I really am and have always been a Country Music Fan!!!

http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofmusicareyouquiz/

One of my hobbies...

2008-08-11T22:22:00.000-07:00

so I saw this challenge over at DSO and thought this would be a great chance to scrap Sophia's quilt pics, especially since they were just the right colors to use the Scrap Journal kit. I used one of Bracket Album pages by Desert Designs and wordart by Words To Delight. Thanx Ladies!!!

Special Thanx for posting these pics Katie!!!

Changing Blogger Background...

2008-08-10T21:44:00.000-07:00

if you ever decide to start a blog and completely hooked on digital scrapbooking images then check out Shels blog... http://shelsscraps.blogspot.com/ ...I had no clue how to even get started but she walked me right thru it with instructions on her homepage and an awesome freebie by one of my favs, Summer Driggs :-)

Thanx Girls!

Quick Post...

2008-08-09T21:59:00.001-07:00

before I head off to bed...more of "the boys" in my life :-)Yep, there are 9 in the bottom photo but we've since added one more...Welcome to the herd Yogi!!!

Kinda Opposite...

2008-08-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

of the car, our youngest child graduated from High School this year...Congratualtions Mike!!!

Buddy's New Car...

2008-08-05T10:46:00.001-07:00

Well, there it is...I suppose it is kinda nice :-)

Sophia's Rag Quilt

2008-08-04T20:37:00.000-07:00

I made this for my dear niece Katie and her baby Sophia who is due Sept 5, 2008! Its 42" square and I love her color choices! When I first went looking for the fabric I couldnt find anything...tons of stuff already made but NO yardage, ackkk! Kudos to my local quilt shop, AWESOME :-) Unlike DD and her camera duties at the party, usually she gets the best pics. Thats Ok Bran, I know you were a little distracted << hugs >>

Before I head off to bed let it be said that DH got his dream car today...Candy Apple Red Mustang GT!!! Proof boys never grow up, LOL...hope to have pics to post here soon!

A Quiet Moment....

2008-07-24T22:46:00.000-07:00

Day 1 of my blog...

2008-07-24T22:39:00.000-07:00

Well, Im hoping this to be a place I can post pics and share with family and friends on the world wide web, hehehe! Not sure how often Ill be able to update here but here goes...

special thanks to Pam Lefore (QP), Elegant Wordart (words) and Brandi for the pic that Ill forever cherish!!!