Happy New Year

Ahhh, another new year is upon us. Another year filled with endless possibilities...365 new beginnings for us to take in hand and mold to whatever dreams and desires we have in mind for ourselves. Days filled with happy laughter and maybe a few tears, but totally ours to be used as we see fit. Let our expectations be majestic, our goals be lofty and our doubts be scarce as we face the coming year, and may we all be the best we can be. Happy New Year to all!! :)

Gosh it's been awhile....
I always think that I'm going to be really dedicated to updating here weekly, but then as usual, life gets in the way! LOL We've had soooo much going on this year, it's just been a crazy life lately! It doesn't look to be slowing down anytime soon either; but that's ok, I don't know if I could take it if it actually slowed to normal! haha

Anyway, thought I'd drop by and show a couple things that I've been playing with lately. I'm loving these little cones, and have just gone kinda crazy making them. I'm only gonna post a few of them, but I have so many becuz I just can't seem to quit making them.

Hope you enjoy looking at them....I'm sure loving making them! :D

Altered Matchbox

This is an altered matchbox that I've been working on for the last couple days. It's for a swap at the inchie board that I belong to. My partner likes butterflies, so I made it to suit her tastes. It's stuffed full of all kinds of lil goodies. :) I used paper and punches, ribbon and a little bling. I'm pleased with the way it turned out, and hope my partner enjoys it as well.

It's a busy busy summer so far

OMGosh, I knew it had been a while since I had been here and written anything, but I was totally surprised to find that my last post was in APRIL! Time just gets away so fast!

We are neck deep in weddings and I've been happily crafting away getting ready for them. My neice was married last month and had a beautiful wedding. Now my nephew will be married next month (August), and then the biggie :D (for me anyway).....my daughter, my beautiful baby girl will begin her new life with her husband in October!! Wow, that's not long!

I've been making jewelry for the bride and bridesmaids, bouquets and boutinneers for the wedding party, invitations, candles, serving pieces, etc etc etc. We are working like maniacs to make sure we're ready, but you know, I'm loving every minute of it!!

I've also been trying to keep up with my paper crafting groups...ATC's and Inchies. I just LOVE all of the activity in both of those groups. The ladies who are members are just the best, and I enjoy trading artwork with them so much. I'm going to see if I can figure out how to post some pictures, and if I can figure it out, I'll show more of my jewelry designs, and some of the ATC and Inchie swaps we've been doing.

I'm hoping that I can get back here a little more often, and with some regularity. Till next time, take care, and stay cool! :)

Graduation Day

Today is my middle daughters college graduation day. She's so excited to be getting out of school, and we're so proud of her. She'll be walking with a whole rainbow of cords around her neck to represent all of the honors she earned while working her way to this day! I'm excited for her, but I have to say, a little melancholy too. This day brings her a bit closer to the day that she'll be moving into a new season of her life; getting married and moving away! That comes in October. It's something else that she is very excited about, and another thing that I'm struggling with. It's so hard to realize that so much time has passed and we are facing the years of our children moving on with their lives, and out of our home. As everyone says when these times come, Where did the time go?

Wasn't it just yesterday that we were on our way home from the hospital with this beautiful little blonde bundle of love that just filled our hearts to overflowing? And wasn't it just hours ago that we were watching her take her first steps, and gurgle out those sweet first words? Hasn't it just been a few minutes since she was running down the field to score another soccer goal, and begging us to please let her drive this time so she would be ready to get her drivers license soon? We blinked, and the time was gone, and as much as I know that this is all a part of life, and we must accept it, the lump still sticks in my throat, and the tears threaten to spill over and flood down my face everytime I think of my babies being grown. And even though my heart sometimes feels as if it's being torn from my chest, it still swells with pride at the beautiful, smart young lady that my baby girl has turned out to be.

Megan, you have many worlds to conquer, many dragons to slay, and so much to give; and your dad and I couldn't be more proud of you and more full of love for you than we are. I know that the world is a much better place with you in it, and there are much bigger and better things to come. You are a blessing from God and I'm forever grateful that He allowed me to be the mother of such a wonderful, beautiful, intelligent and loving daughter. Happy graduation day; walk forward proudly, you've earned it!

I love you.
Mom

Sometimes a girl's just gotta whine a little bit

I haven't been here in a couple of days to talk about anything. I've been in pain! No, not in Spain...in PAIN! I'd RATHER have been in Spain, that's for sure, but my back decided that I wasn't going anywhere but to bed! Yep, I've been bed ridden for a couple of days...No, not THAT kind of bedridden :D, I have a ruptured disc in my back, and I haven't been mobile for the last few days; nothing but turning from side to side in the bed, and a journey or ten to the bathroom as needed. UGH, what an awful way to waste time...laying in the bed! I don't think I've ever told you how badly I hate going to bed have I? Well, I do! It seems like the biggest waste of time of anything I can think of. Laying in the bed, doing nothing, while the rest of the world is out there living! I've just always wished that we had been designed to not ever NEED sleep. That would just suit me perfectly I would NEVER go to bed if I didn't have to. As it was, I laid in the bed reading magazines, and looking at jewelry designs. It was fun to see the creativity of other people, but it sure was aggravating to not be able to pick up my tools and do some creating of my own!

I was finally able to get some medical attention for my back today, and along with a shot to my backside, and some pain meds, I'm feeling a bit better now. Hoping that I can get to my little work area and get something accomplished now that I'm not bedfast anymore. Here's to pain meds...may they always be there when we need them! :D

Here's a yummy recipe if you like Mexican food

My youngest daughter is turning into quite the cook and I LOVE it! I've never been too much of a fan of cooking myself; I've always WANTED to like to cook, but I just can't seem to get there. I pretty much do what has to be done and get it over with LOL! My daughter on the other hand, just loves to find new recipes, and will spend hours in the kitchen just trying new and different things, and variations on the things she already knows. This is a recipe that she has made several times, and it's always a hit. She made it again last night, and I just ate the very last serving for lunch today. It is soooo good! And actually easy enough, I think, that even I, a world class non cook (or maybe not much of a cook) can even do it! :D Wish I had pix to show, but it got gone too fast to get one. LOL



Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

1 lb chicken cooked, then de-boned and shredded
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese cut into cubes
1 can Rotel chopped tomatoes and diced green chilies
1 pkg. tortillas
2 cans green chilie enchilada sauce
3/4 cup shredded cheese your choice

Heat oven to 400. spray 13x9 pan w/cooking spray
Place cooked chicken in skillet, add cream cheese and Rotel. Reduce heat. Cook and stir until blended, and cream cheese is melted.
Fill tortillas w/cheese mixture. Place in dish and pour enchilada sauce over enchiladas.
Sprinkle w/cheese and bake 15-20 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted.

Changes we made- I use more than one pound chicken, to our taste.
I do not fill the tortillas with mixture. I put tortillas in bottom of 13x9, add mixture on top, pour sauce over, then cover all with tortillas and add cheese on top. This makes it look more like a casserole, but doesn't affect the taste.

Enjoy!!

In the zone...maybe a little too much!

Did you ever get started doing something that you enjoy so much that you just get lost in it and forget just about everything else?

My "therapy" is crafting; in particular making jewelry. I can sit and bead for hours, and think that only a few minutes have passed. That's what I was doing last night! I was sitting here happily beading away, making one piece after another, when suddenly I realized that it was THREE AM!! :-0 It didn't occur to me that it was that late because I was tired; actually I was feeling quite good and enjoying myself immensely, and getting a lot accomplished! :D But when I happened to glance at the clock I realized that no matter how much I was enjoying myself, that I wouldn't be quite as joyful when I had to be bright eyed and bushy tailed about 4 hours later!! It was time for bed, and I had to MAKE myself accept that and put my beading away; so sadly, I put all my unfinished projects aside and took myself to bed. It's funny though, because even though I stopped physically doing what I love to do so much, it all continued in my dreams! :D

The good part though is that just a few minutes ago, I sold one of the projects that I had made just a few short hours before! YAY!

I'm just NOT a photographer!

Well, another day and still no pix to post. My intention is to put pictures here and get some feedback about my work, but apparently I'm much better at creating jewelry and such than I am at being a photographer. I've taken so many pictures in the last few days in an attempt to get just ONE that would be worthy of showing, and I STILL haven't been able to do so. Everytime I load one onto the computer that I think is pretty good, it ends up being fuzzy, or out of focus, or some such. It's VERY frustrating. How in the world can photography be so hard? I'm thinking it's a relatively simply matter of just point and shoot, but even with a really good camera, it doesn't seem to work out that way. Get those lights right; press that focus button; keep those hands still....arrrgghhhhh! Not a single picture from all that I took could be used.

Oh well, that didn't stop me from beading at least. I don't even know how many pieces I finished today, but it was quite a productive day. It seems that one piece brings inspriration for another, and another, and another. I have more jewelry here now than that Imelda person had shoes! LOL And it doesn't look like there's a stopping place in my future. Well, I guess a crafting addiction is better than other addictions one could have. :D

I'll continue to work on getting that one good photo and posting it as soon as it happens. Stay tuned..... :D

Entering blogland

Well, here I am; my first post on what I hope will be a long and happy encounter into the world of blogging. I'm really kind of walking into this thing without a clue as to what I'm doing, but I'm excited about the experience to be. I did try once before, but was so intimidated by the whole idea that I never was able to make it work, so here I am again.

My intentions for this blog are to have an outlet for my creativity. I've been crafting for years, actually since I was a tiny little girl. The first things that I can remember creating were tiny little persimmon "men" :D and some "furniture" made out of kindling wood that my grandfather brought home for making fires LOL. He got the kindling at a local furniture manufacturing plant so most of it was the turnings that had been rejected for their furniture. It was a virtual mountain of treasures that my brother and I couldn't get enough of. My grandmother gave us a small can of paint, a paintbrush and a bottle of glue, and we proceeded to make everything that our imaginations could come up with. We had our own little furniture shop there for awhile! LOL Actually, we were even able to sell some of it when we put it out by the side of the road and made a little homemade "for sale" sign. Looking back, I'm sure the sales were by adults who found our little venture quite amusing, but we were just sure that we were making the best little tables and such that the world had ever seen! :D

I still craft a lot. I mostly do beading, which I LOVE, but I also do paper crafts, wood crafts, dolls, and just about everything else that strikes my fancy. I'll be putting some of my crafts and jewelry here for all who visit to see. I hope you all enjoy seeing the results from what I call The artist in me. :)