Just a couple of pictures....

We have had so much rain.....alittle was great, but after a few days, it was beginning to be depressing!!! So glad we finally had a break and we had a beautiful day today.

And just sharing a picture of my mom....she was great to come to the hospital to stay with me while the hubby was there. Gotta love that.....

Have a great weekend all!!!

Hugs,
Debbie

Settling Back In....

Hello All...I thought I needed to post some sort of proof that I have actually been doing something creative lately!! LOL
To be honest, I don't know if it is dealing with the hubby's medical stuff...or just hitting a glitch, but for the last couple of weeks I have had a horrible time getting myself back into the groove of crafting. As I have posted, I worked to turn our garage into my studio...it still needs a few things, but it is ready to work in. Then I discovered something that surprised me. I have never been one to be claustrophobic, but if I have to work very long out there...it really has started to bother me, and I found myself staying away from there. Can you imagine finally having a set up that works, with plenty of space.....geez, I even have a bathroom out there, fridge and tv......and I can't work there!!! It is just so closed in with no windows and the only door is the garage door which has no windows in it either. We were planning a few additional things for out there.....an air conditioner and finish painting...but now we have decided to add a door with lots of glass...and possibly a window. I think this should do the trick as it has never bothered me before. Strange the things that creep up on us!!! LOL

As you can see from the picture above, I have been knitting....which is something I enjoy but don't do alot of. But I am getting lots of cottage cloths done to list on Etsy and Artfire...and possibly some for swaps and upcoming shows. I enjoy doing them, and I have found this pattern to be wonderful for using myself around the house. I will get some pictures up in a day or two.

I don't know if I posted this before, but I have started the Weight Watchers online and really like it. Also, I have discovered the Hungry Girl books and have tried a few of the recipes...and my family likes them too. (Also, there is a great show on Lifetime--Cook Yourself Thin--lots of great recipes and ideas for eating better. Our library got the book in by the same name and it has some great recipes. It is one of those books that I am going to have to purchase for my own library.

And below you will see my new coffee fave.....Diet Mocha Coffee...it is my own concoction of Diet chocolate milk, sugar free chocolate syrup, coffee, and some sugar free whipped cream....and sometimes a dash of French Vanilla creamer.


I hope you are all off to a wonderful week!!! I have spent today with my favorite veteran...my hubby....
Thanks to all of you for your kind thoughts, prayers and messages while he was in the hospital...it really meant so much to us!!!
Hugs,
Debbie

A Note To God.......

I saw this on Oprah...and absolutely loved it. Thought you might enjoy it too......
Hugs,
Debbie

Say A Little Prayer Please.....

Ok, so I won't go into a long rambling complaint fest of what I think of the VA medical system.....let's just say that it is not the best we could be doing for the men and women that lay their lives on the line for their country.

BUT....we were having problems with them deliverying some meds that my hubby needs....so after several calls.....and frustrated explanation of why what they suggested was not in his best interest...they finally had him come in to see them and then they would decide if he was worthy enough for them to write the prescription for the medication that he requires......(yes, I am saying these words outloud and through clenched teeth...). Upon arriving and sharing with them that all of this and the lack of meds was causing him chest pains...they immediately rushed him to the back and the next thing I know the ambulance is there to take him to a local hospital to be checked out. Now understand, they rushed him to the back.....I had to wait out front, when they finally came to get me, all I was told was that they would be sending him to the hospital and just wait in the appointed chair for a few moments. During this time, I watched them conference with the Ambulance crew....chat amongst themselves......strap my hubby in the gurney and head out the door....all without saying a word to me. It was at this time I looked at a nurse in the hall and asked if anyone even cared that I was there.....and was it on anyone's to do list to let me know what was going on, where they were taking my hubby and how do I even get to that hospital from there?????? Nope, not a happy, jovial camper at this point....

The Upside???? They are not equiped to treat my hubby....so he was taken to a really good hospital in our area...they walked us through everything, checking with us often to see if we had any questions......were we being treated well.....could they do anything else for us...... It was a total night and day difference in the way we were treated.

They contacted my hubby's heart doctor that wanted him kept overnight...and will be checking him out throughly in the morning .... which is a major blessing. My hubby deals with so much pain on a daily basis...and the drama of today was soooo totally unnecessary....but it turned out to be a blessing that he is where he is, and getting much better treatment.

So please say a prayer for him......I would so appreciate it!!!
Hugs to you all!!!
Debbie

Hybernation......

It definitely is the rainy season here in Tennessee.....I have had a couple of days to just veg out here at home and have taken advantage of it.

It has been forever since I have had the time to just read a bit...nothing deep, nothing earth shattering.....but hubby wasn't feeling well, the house was quiet, and it was nice for some simple escapism.

On another note....the other day I wrote a post about Heartfelt Challenges....and I have been pleasantly surprised by the response. Thank you to all of you that have written that you were going to take on the challenge and appreciated the reminder. I think we all just need that nudge every now and then. AND I was truly surprised to be the recipient of the Challenge too.....the other day, out of the blue, I received a sweet phone call from a gal that I have know for probably 10 years through online groups. After reading the challenge, she decided to just pick up the phone and call me...we had a fun chat and I will be returning the favor soon. Then about an hour later, I found an UPS package at the front door....I was the recipient of a wonderful RAK from Kimmer...

Thank you for your sweet thoughtfulness to both of the gals. I appreciate it more than you know and the timing was perfect!!! And let me just say from someone that received this....that when you do take on the challenge to do for someone else...it means the world to know that someone is thinking of you, whether it is a call, or a surprise package!!! The thoughtfulness is priceless.

AND I decided to pamper myself a bit last week and went with a really relaxing pedicure.....it felt so darn good and I love the color!!! (OPI's, I'm Not Really A Waitress...)

I have lots of posts in my head for some new things...but I don't want to drop them all in this post...so have a great day, take some time for yourself, and don't forget to reach out to someone else today---even if it is just a smile, you never know how much that can mean to someone else.

HUGS!!!!!
Debbie

Headed for a Rainy Evening....

This is our sweet dog Abby.....this is her normal position.....you can find her like this almost any time of the day....except when she needs to make a short trip outside....or to request a refill on her food....LOL


These are some beautiful flowers my hubby brought in from the backyard....we have some beautiful plants...but they are the "everyman for themselves" variety as they don't get a lot of TLC from us!!! Poor things.....LOL

And now to what has been occupying me today.... I normally go into panic mode about a month before my craft shows and I have to work round the clock to get everything ready to go. I am really trying to be better about it this year, especially since we don't have the shop to worry about. So today, I have been chatting with my partner, getting dates set for the upcoming shows we want to do (in the Fall)....getting applications together to send in. I have decided (with a few exceptions) to just jump into doing all Fall/Halloween right now. If I concentrate on that for a couple of months, that should really put me ahead with stock for the shows....(ok, that is the brilliant plan in my mind....we will see how that pans out...LOL)

So I am pulling patterns, making lists of things that need to be ordered.....deciding what I really want to make and what I am willing to bypass this year. I am still trying to decide if I want to do our annual Fall Harvest Potpourri....and primitive soap.... I do know I will be making lots of fun tags (those were a big seller last year)....pumpkin dolls......primitive apples and pears..... and several new items.

I just have a tough time making things so far ahead as I am so burned out on the holiday by the time it arrives. But hopefully, starting so far ahead, it will be easier not to have to do so much at once. Plus, I am looking into some small shops that I can sell finished items to and also getting my Etsy shop/blog shop up and running.

Now....About the Scrapbook/Journal....I simply forgot about it!!! It totally left my mind....so it is on the calendar in BIG letters to get back to on Monday. Sorry for the delay.... I just really have been off track.

Just another thing.....my friend Jen and I have tossed around the idea of a radio show for some time....the people we put together didn't fit.....then the timing wasn't right....just didn't quite work for awhile. But now it is back on the "do we want to do this list".....I want it to be about life....friendship, faith, current events, home, crafting.....a variety of items that we can share, and also introduce you to some of the wonderful women that we have found through websites, blogs, books and real life....so what do you think??? Would you be interested in listening?? One difference for us over some of the others (that we enjoy listening too...)--We want to cover a broader spectrum of subjects....and from the prospective of mom's with older kids. There is so much out there for moms of smaller children and babies (I wish this had been available when I had a young child!!!)...but I think those of us that are at this stage of life need a voice to...and we have wisdom to offer those with younger children too.

That is what has been filling my day....
Hugs to you all!!!!
Debbie

Sunday's Heartfelt Challenge.....

This is a post that has been rumbling around in my head...but I wasn't sure how to frame it for my blog. The last thing I want to post is a "poor, pitiful me" entry...but I know that there are far more women (and men) that are going through something similar and it is for them that I am writing this.
So to start.....what is a Heartfelt Challenge? It is a reminder in our busy lives to reach out to those around us. It is not that we don't mean to do something special for someone else...we just get really busy...or we think of things that will take more time, more money--so the idea gets shelved for another time. By issuing a challenge...I am giving you an idea for something simple you can do...not a guilt trip, but just a nudge and a reminder that it can be something as simple as just picking up the phone.

I am in a situation that many find themselves in. My hubby is very ill. We have days that are great...and then we have days that are like the last three...where no one has had any sleep...we are all cranky, worn out and just want to hide for a bit. I am very fortunate...I have a best friend that I can call to whine to at 3 in the morning if I need too, my son is home right now--living here while attending school so he can help me out a bit (this is such a huge gift to me that I don't even know how to thank him for---and it comes with the guilt that he should be out living and creating his own life), my mom is nearby and checks in and is always sending over a new plate of some new recipe she has tried!!

But there are others dealing with these same struggles...be it a spouse, child, parent, or other....it can be so isolating!! People can judge you for being a bit (or maybe a lot) cranky at times--they don't realize the nights you have gone without sleep...or worried about finances....or just feeling alone. Living with this is much like a death.....when friends and family first hear of a health crisis, they rally to lend support, pray and just a listening ear. But even though you continue to live with this...their lives move on and you are dropped from the social calendar because you have had to turn them down so many times. They just take for granted that you "can't" and just don't bother to offer any more.

I can't tell you what it means for someone just to take the time to pick up the phone and call....and allow you to really share your heart...and not just pretend everything is wonderful. We get tired of hearing, "I don't know how you do it"....because we know that there are days when we are at the ends of our rope and we don't handle it well and just want to go to bed ourselves, pull the covers over our heads and hide for awhile. A card in the mail is a gift.....just that reminder that someone does remember you!! These are great ways to let someone know you are there...as a visit to the home can sometimes be stressful, depending on what is going on there.

So our Heartfelt Challenge....pick up the phone or mail a card. It costs so little to do these things in time and money.....but what it will do for someone that needs this lift.....priceless. Find someone in your church, your neighborhood, your workplace...and reach out to them!! It will do wonders for your heart as well.

Hugs to all of you!!!
Debbie

One Project Down......

This week has been full of procrastination...... But today I actually finished the skirt for the sink in my studio bathroom. This is just one of those simple projects that I should have been able to churn out a couple of weeks ago. I just kept going out to the studio, getting sidetracked and ending up not getting much done. So today, I called my mom and asked if she wanted to come over and work in the studio....now my mom--no nonsense--if there is a project, there is no playing around, it is to be finished in record time, before anyone else and perfectly done. Needless to say, it is finished!!! LOL (but to my mom's utter sadness, I took several shortcuts on this project as "perfection" is pretty much not in my vocabulary!!!)

Love my new bathroom....the flooring is pretty much done.....and everything is "workable and I have no excuse not to get busy!!!

Hugs,
Debbie

Getting Week Started......

Yes, we are a family addicted to coffee now..... I love the different flavors of coffee, flavored creamers and such..... Todays fave: Green Mountain Half Caf with White Chocolate Coconut creamer...just YUM!

My week is a bit off as I was called in to sub on Monday....and the weather here has been so dreadful with all the storms...it has left me just wanting to curl up on the couch and nap!

So look for the Scrapbook/Journal post on Thursday...that will give me some time to get some things together and ready to post. Looking forward to sharing!!!

For this post.....since I was at the library yesterday, I have a stash of new books AND already know that I will have to purchase some of them for my own library.....Here is what is on my nightstand reading list....

Hummingbird bakery cookbook.....OMG, you could gain 20 pounds just reading this. The recipes sound wonderful and I can't wait to try some..

Get Out Of That Pit by Beth Moore...what can I say, love me some Beth Moore and her great teaching style.

Seams to Me...Anna Marie Horner (I am really enjoying this!!)

The Slumber of Christianity by Ted Dekker

(Getting Soon!!!) Boneman's Daughter by Ted Dekker....read some of the previews of this book and on his blog about how he came up with the story...can't wait to get this one!!!

Country Living's Farm Chicks in the Kitchen.....great looking recipes, stories, decorating ideas and more...this one I need for my own stash!!

There are other fiction on the list...The Knitting Club, some Iris Johansen mysteries and such.....there just hasn't been alot of reading time lately and I really plan to spend some time reading. Also, picked up some on CD's so I can listen while crafting....

SOOOOOO.... tell me what is on your reading list???? I always get great ideas from my friends for new books, authors and such!!!

The UPS just delivered my Sephora Order....ohhh baby, I have to tell you I am a new Philosophy skincare convert and I just love this stuff!!! LOL I am off to play in the new products....
Have a great evening!!!
Hugs,
Debbie
Something Special!!!!
If you are a fabric addict like I am.....run over to the Farm Chick Blog and you will find a great giveaway for Pixie Dust Fabric!!! Love this line and can't wait to get some of it to play with...I am thinking fun pillows, pillow cases, etc....beautiful colors for Spring!! Now shoo, get over there!!!! LOL

To Make You Smile....

Sound of Music Train Station @ Yahoo! Video

Have a wonderful weekend.....

I am going to be off line for a few days....but I wanted to wish all of your a blessed Easter weekend and leave you with a little "Bebo".....(smile).

Hugs to you all!!
Debbie

Garden of My Dreams....

Ok...I have been wanting to garden--but frankly, with my knee issues, it wasn't going to happen. And I really am not that big on the outdoor stuff, so I knew that I wouldn't be able to care for something big.
Well this weekend, I found this at Sam's Club and I am in love with it!!! It even has the front gate, a hose attachment, lattice in the back for climbing plants.....I WANT this baby!!! LOL
But as a friend of mine told me last night "you can buy a bunch of fresh veggies for the price of that set up!!!" Which is true....but I am looking at the long haul and not for just one year...
So what do you think???
Hugs,
Debbie

I just love this....

Where is Spring and a Studio Update....

I these tulips! I found them over the weekend at Sam's Club and they look so good in my entryway. It is such a beautiful sign of Spring....sadly, my entryway looks like Spring...outside, not so much!

Well, I have been chatting a bit about moving the studio to the garage...it should (at least in my mind) been such a short project....but it is going to be a work in progress for awhile as I am still working on painting, the flooring...and trying to decide on lighting.
Here is the only "before" picture I am not embarrassed to post!! LOL The garage has just been one of those "dumping" areas in the house where anything that didn't have a "home" was stored.

This will be my new computer area. Right now we still haven't figured out why the wireless won't work out here on this computer when it will work on other things....

Part of my fabric storage (yep, there are many other plastic totes with fabric treasures)...

Storage and cutting table area....

Larger picture of sewing table/work area...

Another shot of cutting table area...

Still much work to do....but at least it is set up and ready to work in. So if you want to drop by, I still have boxes of fabric to fold and put away, patterns to organize and small treasures to sort....
Have a wonderful Monday...next week, we will be back to our scrapbook/journal...I hope you are ready and able to share some of your thoughts and ideas!!
Hugs,
Debbie

Retro Eggs.....

I absolutely adore these fun retro eggs....there are so many fun things that you could do with them....and great way to use up scraps of fabrics.

So if you want something fun to play with--GO to Retro Mama
You will find great instructions and pictures for making these cuties!!!
Go on....get over there....have fun!!!
HUGS,
Debbie

Yep, we have survived the flu....

You know, this picture looks pretty much how the whole family has felt the last few days...

So this is the reason I have been missing in action here....and I have missed posting and catching up on all the great adventures of my friends here.

I will be back to posting tomorrow and am looking forward to sharing my new "creative" space with you....it is not finished, but it is finally useable!!!

Alright you all....take those vitamins, drink plenty of liquids and I will be back shortly!!
Hugs,

Debbie

For Today....

"We need to find God,

and he cannot be found in

noise and restlessness.

See how nature--trees,

flowers, grass--grows in

silence; see the stars, the

moon and the sun, how

they move in silence...

We need silence to be able

to touch souls."

--Mother Teresa, 1920-1997

A Gift For God

Go Forth and Read...

Good Afternoon....
I have been online today catching up with some things...and working with a website group that I will have info on tomorrow...
But in the midst trying to read through my list of blogs...I found a post that I was saying "Amen" too and thought I would share it with you.. It is from the Bayou Belles -- go check it out and we will chat more tomorrow...
Hugs,
Debbie

Just A Note...

Just a quick note.....I am going to delay the next Scrap/Journal post for a couple of weeks. I am in the midst of painting and moving my studio and there just isn't a spot to work in right now...so I will be back with the journal in two weeks...ready to go. I will be posting other "stuff"...but let's delay the book for now. This will give some of you time to catch up, get started and such....as I would love to see your pictures and ideas.

Sweet dreams all....post more tomorrow!!
Hugs,
Debbie

Scrap Journal....Part 3

I have been feeling like a real slacker with this...so I took some time today to play with my journal. It is so funny, at times you feel like you don't have the time...but once you start--you get caught up in it and it is fun, reflective and I always leave it with a smile.

So thoughts on working with your book: There are times when I don't really have a picture in mind or a full "theme" for a page... I can see the page layout, or I have paper or accessories that I really want to use for something...so I will do the layout...and see what picture or idea comes together for finishing it later.

The two pages below were layouts that I did for my hubby and son....I haven't figured out exactly what I want to do with them yet...I just got the papers put in (sometimes I go ahead with accessories for the page too)...and then I use a post it note to remind me of who/what the page is for and any additional info I want to remember. You can have the best idea for something...and just know you are going to remember it...then you look at the page a few days, a month, 6 months later and haven't a clue about what you were thinking!!!! LOL So those post its are life savers at times.

The next two pages were completed today and are great examples of how this has worked for me. Both were layouts that were already finished....one came together exactly as I had it in my head and one came out of the blue and was not anywhere near what I thought I would use the layout for!!!

The first page is for our sweet dog, Abby. The layout has been done for awhile...I just found great accessories for this page and couldn't wait to do it. I just hadn't taken the time to get a picture of Abby together and write anything. Today I was able to catch her during her nap, snap a quick pix and write up a short paragraph....run them off on the computer and paste them in.

I have space to add another small picture or more writing later....but at least the "bones" are in place!!!

The second page was a total surprise. In looking though my pictures, I ran across my all time favorite childhood picture...it is of me and my grandfather. I simply adored this man!! Do you remember Randy Travis' song about his grandfather..."I thought, he walked on water"? That is what I thought of this man.

But the layout...the paper was from a "fairytale" paper group with glitter and other embellishments. I loved the look, but truly had no idea what I was going to use it for. As I played with the picture and flipped through the book....I saw the quote that went with this page..

A good memory is one

that can remember

the day's blessings

and forget

the day's troubles.

This verse caught my heart as that is truly how felt about the days I was able to spend with my grandfather. So I began to play with the layout and here is how it turned out.

I don't think the picture does the page justice...but I have to say it was a surprise and one of my favorite pages so far.

My advice for this week??? Think outside the box....don't worry about being so ridgid with your book....leave it open to lead you to new ideas.

I know Tiff has been working on her book.....check out her page at: http://serendipitylifephotos.blogspot.com/ (great job!!! thanks so much for sharing!!!!!)

Just remember...this is open ended, you can start at any time. We would so love for more of you to join in and share your pages, your ideas, questions, comments....

Hugs to you all.....now go journal!!!!

Debbie