All That Fluff .....and a tiny photo madness!

Christmas Crafting...

2011-12-23T17:46:00.000-06:00

My husband and I made these little mangers for each of our Sunbeams kids this year for Christmas. It was so much fun to see their reaction with them. They were quite intrigued with the "hay" and the baby Jesus.

Also, I ended up making some of these little treat bags this year.........OK I KNOW, I'M HAVING WAY TOO MUCH FUN!!

Treat Boxes...

2011-12-12T15:05:00.006-06:00

Here's a new project just in time for Christmas, a triangle box that can be filled with candies, nuts, etc. These particular ones have peanut butter filled M & M's inside ready for handing out. They would be great for any holiday or occasion or they could be made as Christmas tree ornaments. So easy and fast to make!

Merry Christmas!!

Easter Flowers...

2011-04-26T18:14:00.002-05:00

For Easter Sunday I made these Easter flowers for each of our Sunbeams. I wanted to stay away from the "bunny" theme for a handout as I thought that everything that day needed to stay on the "REAL" Easter. They were very easy and fun to make. : )

New Look...

2011-04-12T23:19:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is....my blog's new look and hopefully the last one for quite some time!! Blogger had made a few changes and it's been quite a journey of trial and error trying to figure out how to make things look right, well for me that is!! PHEW! Soooooo............now that the "new look" is done, it's time to keep up with some posts!

Handout...

2011-04-01T10:53:00.002-05:00

Wow, I see it's been some time since I've posted!

Well, here's one of the latest projects. This one was done with MAJOR help from my husband....(unfortunately I don't know how to do "layers" on the computer yet). These were mini water bottles that we passed out for our cute little Sunbeam class. Can you guess what the lesson was about?! : )

Unicorn Song...

2010-09-27T22:14:00.010-05:00

Today I came to the realization that I need to remember my age and that everyone is not the same age. It's something I rarely even think about. Yesterday I was teaching my sunbeam class (with the help of another woman) and the lesson was about being kind to animals. We talked about how Noah took all kinds of animals on the ark. One little child asked "did he take all of them?" I said "he took every kind", and then turn to my helper with my lesson papers close to my face and whispered to her, "except for the unicorn" and then smiled. She had this look on her face that told me she didn't get it. Thinking about it today I had to call her hoping she didn't think I was a crazy woman. I asked if she'd ever hear the song, you know the unicorn song. She didn't know it. I realized she probably wasn't even been born when the unicorn song was played on the radio years ago. It was played over and over on all the popular stations!! So, of course I had to send her a link to the song so she could hear it. Sure glad I got that cleared up!!! Here's the link if you'd like to listen to it! : )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EPsuOEH1fY

Changes Again...

2010-09-17T13:36:00.007-05:00

Wow, I was surprised to see the mess popping up here on my blog this week! My first thought was that my computer was acting up! (I always blame my computer) LOL!!! Apparently the website I chose my design from did some changes of their own which effected me. My apologies to those who you who came here and experienced the mess. This particular blog template will be definitely be a temporary one since I'm not crazy about it (except for the color green!). I'll be changing it AGAIN before too long!

Overpass...

2010-08-07T09:52:00.005-05:00

There's an overpass where the traffic sometimes backs up and comes to a complete standstill. It's really fun to try and get a few pictures when we're just sitting there waiting. Unfortunately the wait isn't too long so it can sometimes be a challenge to pull out the camera and take some pictures before the traffic starts to move. Looking out over the overpass reminds me of the song.... "I can see for miles and miles. I can see for miles and miles." I'm not sure if that is the name of the song but it's the definitely the truth, you CAN see for miles! (click on the picture for a better view) Guess that's why I love this certain overpass! It's one of the highest points in our area!!! : )

Changing Color...

2010-08-05T13:42:00.007-05:00

This little guy has been living outside in the front yard for sometime. I love to see if he's perched on a particular black pole sunning himself. About a week ago Scott came in from outside and told me he's out there again. So you know me.....just had to grab the camera and take some close ups of him. These photos are straight out of the camera, no editing. One thing I love about this lizard is that minute he's brown and the next a beautiful green... all depending on his environment. I especially love the blue color surrounding his eyes! If you click on the picture you can see it closer. I think he's the coolest little thing and really good to let me get really close to capture these shots. (I'm thinking the reason why I could get so close was because I had a green colored shirt on.... guess I sort of blended in with the bushes right behind him that he hides in!! Now wouldn't that have been something if he jumped on me to get away from the camera!! ) Speaking of lizard....maybe I'll go take a peek and see if he's out there right now sunning himself! : )

This Is It...

2010-08-03T16:17:00.005-05:00

I think this might be it... "the new look" for my blog! Gosh, it's kind of like going clothes shopping....... I CAN'T MAKE UP MY MIND!! Guess I'll keep it for the time being.

Blog Template Change...

2010-08-02T17:11:00.007-05:00

I'm probably confusing several of you who are wondering if you are actually on my blog or not! I just recently found out that I had to change the look due to some technical difficulties with a server. So, don't be surprised when you see my blog looking different AGAIN within the next little while. I need to pick something pretty soon since I can't handle this blah gray color (not pretty). : )

Frank...

2010-07-20T11:32:00.006-05:00

How many of you love the music of Frank Sinatra? Back when he was singing times were a little less complicated, and it was when people were singing with bands who played musical instruments that I find to be so appealing.....not to mention you can understand all the lyrics!! Unfortunately, I've been caught singing the wrong lyrics to some of today's music.... yikes, how embarrassing!! I had been thinking for some time to change the music on my blog as well as the look for little change of pace. : )

Thank You...

2010-07-09T19:48:00.004-05:00

Another basket with Jelly Belly candy inside. Bright colors for summer and a flavor of candy to match! : )

Thank-you, Jelly Belly!!!

The Red, White and Blue...

2010-07-03T00:52:00.007-05:00

Independence Day is tomorrow...... July 4th!! Here's something I made to celebrate the day. The fans and stars are out of scrapbooking paper.

The "USA" is red vinyl cut from my Cricut.
Have a safe and happy July 4th, everyone!

Birthday Gift...

2010-07-02T14:36:00.005-05:00

It's been a little while since I posted some craft idea. Here's a couple of things I recently made for a birthday gift. If you click on the photos you can see them a little closer up. : )

The fan pick with ribbon was made to dress up a potted plant and matched the little candy basket in the next picture.

I put some strawberry flavored Jelly Belly candies in a bag tied with green ribbon inside the basket.

Back In Time...

2010-06-23T10:57:00.009-05:00

We had a ward service project on Saturday at Pioneer Farms. Many hands helped that day painting the outside of two buildings, weeding gardens, clearing out lumber inside buildings, etc. Afterwards there was a picnic lunch and we got a chance to tour the farm. The farm was so awesome, it brought me back in time. I was in my element with all the antiques, quilts, old buildings, flowers, animals, etc. I could imagine how life must have been back then and how family life was simplier and contained to the farm. Sometimes I wish we could go back to these days where we could have our families close and learn how to work the land...... but then I really don't want to give up my modern conveniences and especially AIR CONDITIONING!! ; )

Flowering Bush...

2010-06-10T00:29:00.003-05:00

There's a tall bush growing in the backyard with these pretty flowers growing off the end of some of the branches. I have no idea what it's called but it does smell nice. Does anyone out there know what this is called? I'm curious!!

Clouds Before The Storm...

2010-05-18T12:05:00.005-05:00

I love the big puffy looking clouds that roll in just before a storm. They look like cotton balls or big pieces of cotton candy. Last night we had a storm come in to our area with big gusts of wind. Love it!! This picture is looking northeast of some clouds last night a little before the storm.

Food Dates...

2010-05-17T23:05:00.011-05:00

HUH??????!!!!!!

Onions and tomatoes????? WHAT???.........dated by....can you guess who? Hint: it wasn't me!!!
I was told that we need to know when to rotate them. Good one, honey!!! LOL!!!!!!!

Lizard...

2010-05-12T16:24:00.005-05:00

On Monday I was excited to see this tiny lizard in our front yard just hanging out and basking in the sun. I decided to go inside the house and grab my camera to hopefully capture a picture of him. Here's photos of him in the shade (he decided to move out of the sun by the time I got back to take pictures. He probably had had enough of the sun since it gets really HOT here!) Luckily he held still through most of his photo shoot! ; )

Hot In Texas???

2010-05-01T17:35:00.006-05:00

Well, you know it has to be really HOT in Texas when they start refrigerating the TP!! I laughed so hard when I saw this in a grocery store a couple of months ago. Couldn't believe my eyes and had to snap a picture of it with my phone. Actually the store was doing a major change with merchandise and updating so this refrigerator case was a short term solution for storage.....too funny to say the least!!

Field of Flowers...

2010-04-13T16:28:00.004-05:00

What an impressive sight to see all the Bluebonnets in a field yesterday. The color was awesome and not to mention the fragrance! OH MY GOODNESS....it was incredible! What a treat to actually find a huge field of them. No wonder there were so many cars pulled off the side of the road with people taking pictures!

Labrador Violet...

2010-03-20T13:48:00.004-05:00

I recently bought this plant and it has the tiniest purple flowers. Ok, I love miniatures what can I say!! All I knew that it was a perennial (which I'd rather spend money on than annuals) and I loved the purple flowers. Today I decided to take a look at the name of the plant after taking a picture of it.....Labrador Violet. I'm curious to know how it got it's name!

Seed Packets...

2010-03-15T18:53:00.009-05:00

For some time I've really been excited for spring to arrive..........and it's now happening here in my area!!! YEAH! Thinking of it and all the things that come with spring like flowers blooming, trees budding, warmer weather, baby animals, gardening, etc., I started to think about seeds and their packaging. To me there is just something special about seed packets and seeing them all lined up in their display cases in stores. I love the thought of planting seeds and waiting with anticipation for the first sign of little plants sprouting up out of the soil. Well, this month it was my turn to teach in RS and guess what I just had to make for a handout? You got it, seed packets........happy planting!

Spring Is Here...

2010-03-13T21:25:00.021-06:00

Spring has finally come this way. It's so nice to look forward to a little warmer weather, sunny skies and be able to enjoy the outside a little more. I took this picture about a week ago and this particular tree is now covered with leaves. Wow, Mother Nature works fast! Also, I had to post this picture of a yellow dandelion. Since I grew up in snow country, to me it's a definite sign of spring!

"Wiley" Coyote...

2010-01-06T21:34:00.006-06:00

We had a fun treat this morning hanging around in my sister- and brother-in-law's backyard . Scott asked me to come downstairs right away and bring my camera. I was kind of curious as to why he wanted me to do this. This is what I found. Wow, how cool! I've never been this close to a wild coyote. Gosh, it was so much fun to take pictures of him. We decided to call animal control to have them get it out of the backyard since the house is in a neighborhood at the end of the street. The coyote left in a big hurry........but........ you'll never guess what!! Tonight he slipped through the bars on the gate and is back hiding in the bushes again.......what in the world makes him want to stay here in this backyard?!! Hopefully more pictures tomorrow!

Chihuly Glass...

2010-01-06T12:19:00.010-06:00

This was an impressive gallery that we saw last night. Everything is for sale and oh so pretty! Pictures can't really describe how beautiful everything looked.........you have to be there to experience it. His work is in the ceiling of the Bellagio's main hallway when you walk in the entrance.

This blue color was so awesome!! I wanted to take home everything there!!! Well, at least I got pictures....cheaper that way!!

Scott asked how much this piece (see photo below) sold for.................. $450,000.00!! I asked how they shipped it. I was told it would be disassembled to ship and then put back together at your house! This was really huge, probably 10 feet high or more......but absolutely awesome looking!! I loved it....guess for that price I would have to love it! Right?

The Bellagio...

2010-01-02T19:43:00.005-06:00

The Bellagio was decorated for Christmas with absolutely awesome decorations. Can't wait to see what they have next. I'm sure they will come up with something fantastic, they always do!

This photo (below) is of the ceiling which is located in the lobby and is up year round. Just had to add it to the pictures. Love all the colors!

This photo (below) is behind the counter in the lobby. I'm wondering how heavy those Christmas ornaments actually weigh?

How tall is that tree? I should have asked someone.....I'm definitely curious!!

Christmas Color...

2009-12-18T09:31:00.005-06:00

Is this the color of Christmas?! Wednesday I opened the back door and was pleasantly surprised to see this scene in the backyard. I recently complained how we don't have the colorful autumn trees down here in this state. Well guess what, I was wrong!! Just had to take some pictures so I wouldn't forget it. I have to laugh at the timing, though. A week from today is Christmas. Shouldn't this burst of color have happened around Halloween or the latest Thanksgiving? That's ok.........I'll take it when ever. It's absolutely gorgeous!!

The Pioneer Woman...

2009-12-05T13:20:00.017-06:00

Driving to the book signing.....wow, it was wall to wall traffic that night! Stop and go, stop and go!Finally downtown....but still a ways to get there.Before the book signing....we all had to get paper bracelets....."colors of the rainbow" is what they said. We had to go get in line for our books to be signed in the color they called. Guess they didn't want a stampede of crazy women!!More people coming....by the time things started this place was jammed packed. Didn't take a picture since I'm too short to see over people and you couldn't get the full effect of how many were there....but believe me there were a lot of people!

Well, it was so much fun to finally meet Pioneer Woman (Ree Drummond) and have my book signed by her. I love her website...especially the photo section and her photos, not mention the fun contests every week! Also, we got to meet her kids and "Marlboro Man" who all signed my book too (except for her youngest son). Her kids were so polite and well mannered. Wish I could have gotten their pictures too but they were never all together in one place at the same time. They too were having a good time that night!

"Marlboro Man"

Cindy (who I met that night at the book signing)

A Few More Edited Pics...

2009-12-03T12:10:00.003-06:00

Adobe Lightroom...

2009-12-03T01:20:00.014-06:00

I'm no expert at photo editing but I sure love the difference of what Adobe Lightroom does to enhance photos. Here's a few pictures I took recently and was amazed at the difference it made with the color in each of them. (mmm, those rolls look good right now!) The colors are so much more alive and vibrant. Take a look at the popcorn machine and also the scarecrow in my previous post, they weren't edited. There's a really big difference between the pictures. I've also come to realize that through photography one has a whole new way of looking at the world around them and what a difference photo editing can do!!

(Ok, that was totally crazy to be uploading "food" pictures on my blog this late at night wishing for some of those rolls and fruit salad......thank goodness they long gone, those evil Thanksgiving side dishes!!).

Fall Festival...

2009-10-26T15:23:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite treats that we had at our Fall Festival was POPCORN. I love the look of that popcorn machine............plus, we had loads of fun there that day! Tami and her committee did such an awesome job on it. Thanks, everyone who put so much work into this past Saturday!!

Even some of the adults dressed up for the occasion. Thanks Brenda for the great "witch laugh!"

So glad this guy wasn't real......scary! Our friend's 18 month old baby was so intrigued by the spider. He couldn't stop looking at it.

Happy Fall..............y'all!!

Craft Project...

2009-10-23T21:26:00.005-05:00

These were the two craft projects that we did at a local nursing home the beginning of October. First, was the bat, the black ribbon behind him is so he can be hung up or he can sit on a table.Second, we did the little pumpkin man and cat..............so easy to put together! I decided not to go with the candy cup fence...there were too many small cutouts to do for 20 kits!

Just Around the Corner...

2009-10-13T19:06:00.005-05:00

It's hard to believe that Fall is here and Halloween is right around the corner. Kids everywhere are getting eager to dress up in their costumes and a smile crosses their faces when they think of going out "trick or treating." Pumpkins, hayrides, sunflowers, lights, cute decorations, cooler weather and the colors of Fall (especially burnt orange, oh how it LOVE that color!!!) make me smile........ what things about Halloween and Fall make you smile?

Another Baby Shower Game...

2009-10-06T22:33:00.005-05:00

I do have to say I experienced the most interesting baby shower game tonight that I have ever seen. Over years of going to hundreds of showers and playing all sorts of games this is one I really liked. (oh how I love unique things plus no "thinking" involved!!) The hostess had everyone bring their purse to the scale to be weighed and the heaviest purse would win a prize. My purse came in second...........I also received a prize............oh yeah, it was CHOCOLATE!! Never dreamed that one could win a prize for carrying around a heavy purse..............just thought it would be a sore arm!!

Halloween Stacker...

2009-10-05T00:38:00.004-05:00

Latest project......very easy to do. Colors resemble a piece of candy corn. Ooh, the colors of fall and Halloween!!

Cookie Box...

2009-09-13T19:21:00.005-05:00

Here's a new project that I made yesterday for Terrific Thursday which will be in October. It's a mini box for either a cookie or some brownies. Fairly easy to make. The wording on front is glittery which unfortunately didn't show up in the picture. The second photo shows the inside of the box. Glad the little critter inside is just a cake decoration......that wouldn't be fun to find if it was the real thing, not to mention the size!!

Butterfly Shadowbox...

2009-08-27T13:39:00.005-05:00

This is my latest project......a butterfly shadowbox. I took these pictures with the glass on front of the box and unfortunately there's a little bit of a reflection showing up. It actually looks better in person.................... it was a lot of fun to do!

Open House....

2009-08-26T22:23:00.008-05:00

We went to our nephew's open house last week. He's off to Brazil on a mission for our church. I took this picture of him talking with a couple of his friends who came to wish him well. Good luck Josh! We know you'll be a great and successful missionary.................we'll see you in two years!

McDonald's Ice Cream Cone...

2009-07-25T15:47:00.006-05:00

Talking of heat in my last post, this summer has been really hot for the last 3 months. Just for fun one day we went to McDonald's with some friends and a couple of their kids. We all decided on ice cream and to go and sit in the kid's playground area so their children could play in air conditioning. Here's a picture of their youngest (13 months old) having a blast with his first ice cream cone. It was really fun to watch him because he wouldn't let any one to take it from him and surprisingly he was able to eat the whole thing by himself!

Nothing like summer heat...

2009-07-25T15:02:00.015-05:00

Last month we helped Joe and Layne move. It just happened to be wonderfully hot that day!! Nothing like the summer heat when there's a big job to be done. Take a look at the picture of the reading of the truck thermometer!! Wow! Luckily there was a good size crew that help out loading the truck. I got a picture of most of the guys that helped. A few of them already had left before I snapped the photo. What was great about it was that it only took about 30 minutes to load everything into the truck! What a miracle considering how hot it was!

The Graduate...

2009-05-23T14:43:00.004-05:00

This morning bright and early (8 am) was UT's commencements for the Natural Sciences. Whoo Hoo...Joe graduated today with "Highest Honors (Summa Cum Laude)!" (We're so very proud of you!!!) It was awesome to see him walk across the stage! Great job....... now off to medical school this fall!

Finally Got One...

2009-05-20T22:21:00.009-05:00

Ok, I finally got a picture of a deer which I've been dying to do after getting my camera. I've been hoping for one to come through the neighborhood but when they do they always seem to see me and take off running like mad before I can capture a shot. As you can see his ears were perked up and very attentive to his surroundings. He was fairly young, just starting to grow some antlers. If you click on the picture you can see the antlers closer up. Luckily I had my zoom lense on my camera and was able to capture this shot.

Flower surprise...

2009-05-08T13:53:00.004-05:00

Today I heard a knock at the door and found a delivery man holding these beautiful flowers for me! What a wonderful surprise.........thank you so very much Ang, Rob and kids.............I love them...............and they smell absolutely wonderful!!

Wedding Reception...

2009-05-06T13:10:00.033-05:00

Here's some of the pictures I took at Jason and Diana's reception last weekend. We all had a great time and so did the bride and groom. It was held at the Oasis and had a beautiful view of the lake off the balcony.

Set Up and Decorating

Dinner Area

Dance AreaFavors Centerpieces

Flowers Bridal Bouquet Three Generations
Diana's Siblings

Bride and Groom
Wedding Cake
Cutting the Cake

Feeding Each Other

Oopps...she missed!Inside Cake "Got Milk?"

Father Daughter Dance Mother Son Dance Family
DJ Saying goodbye
Happy Couple

Groomer's Makeover...

2009-04-28T13:28:00.005-05:00

OK, it was way over time for his haircut..........wow, what a difference the groomer can make and helping him look like a Schnauzer again! Plus he smells good too!

Sun Bathers...

2009-04-20T10:31:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I saw this awesome sight. Some turtles were all hanging out together on a tree limb in the water and basking in the sun. This isn't something you see too often so I just had to get my camera and take a picture of it. Now that's the life, hanging out with friends (or family) and soaking up the warm sunshine!!! I almost felt like joining them!

Watch Out For Birds...

2009-03-26T12:57:00.011-05:00

When we were visiting with my step daughter Diana, she told us about an experience of her friend's puppy. Her friend was out walking her tiny puppy (luckily on a leash) when this huge bird swooped down and tried to take it! Can you imagine the scare and astonishment! Her friend mentioned that Diana needed to be careful and never let her own dog go outside by herself (they live in the same neighborhood). Diana has cute little Darla (picture) and they live in an area where hawks and predatory birds fly all over looking for food. Oh my gosh, I would have never thought about a bird taking your little dog!! So, if you've lost a little dog or cat in the past maybe it didn't wander off......maybe it was air-lifted! How horrible!!

Darla, be safe......and watch out for BIRDS!!!!

Baby Kisses...

2009-03-26T11:58:00.012-05:00

Last Friday night we went with some friends to "Mighty Fine"... awesome hamburger restaurant. They brought their baby with them and I couldn't resist taking these pictures of him which you see below. Right next to where we were sitting was a mirrored wall. Genell stood little Jesse up against it hoping he would entertain himself watching his reflection. The next thing we saw he was giving the baby in the mirror kisses....how adorable!! (he's only 8 months old). So glad I had a camera with me...this really deserved a picture to remember it.

Oh my gosh Genell, he's so doggone cute!!!

Aero Garden...

2009-03-16T22:08:00.008-05:00

I wanted to get one of those little inside gardens to grow some herbs so Scott bought me the"Aero Garden" which I started on March 3rd. The plants have already started to pop up and it's been really exciting to see them get bigger day after day. We decided to grow herbs (you have a choice) since we use them in cooking. I'm anxious to see how big the plants will actually get. Here's a couple of pictures.....can't wait until we start harvesting!

Beautiful Day Outside...

2009-03-16T18:17:00.023-05:00

Wow, it has been an absolutely beautiful day outside today. It's been in the high 70's to low 80's. Last week we had lots of rain (which was really needed) but the weather was really cold and damp, well at least for here in TX. We had the heater going most of last week. Well, not only did I think it was a lovely today but I'm guessin our cat Mr. Bo thought so too. He sure seemed to love being outside laying and rolling out on the back porch. I tried to get some pictures of him since I think he's so darn cute but found photographing animals isn't necessarily easy since they like to move a lot. When you think you may get a good picture and ready to snap a shot, well think again. Patience is definitely needed when taking pictures of some animals, especially Mr. Bo!Afterwards, I went out in the front yard and found this cute little squirrel running around through the trees. Guess he needed a rest and was enjoying the day too. It was really easy to take his picture especially when he decided to just hang out. I took this photo with my zoom lense. Wonder what he was thinking as he watched me taking his picture. Little did he know that this was going to be put on a blog and would be viewed by people from miles away!

Also had to get a picture of my little dog, Keito. I think he has an awfully cute face even though he needs to go to the groomers and get a haircut. One thing is for sure he poses well for pictures unlike Mr. Bo! He also seemed to be enjoying the warm weather today.And last, I got this picture of a couple of ducks swimming out in the pond. They looked so peaceful and content out there.............

.........what a beautiful day!!

Awesome Cookies...

2009-02-05T23:09:00.008-06:00

Not long ago Scott was given these cookies from a coworker from Japan . Oh my gosh, are they good! I have no idea what they are called and as you can see the bag is just about empty. Sure wish I knew if they were available here in the US. Do any of you read Japanese and know anything about them? (Click on the picture for a closer look)

Baby Shower Game...

2009-02-05T22:52:00.004-06:00

Alright, I just have to share this cute idea for a baby shower game. This past month I was invited to a shower and they had these cute little mini plastic babies frozen in ice cubes. One was put in everyone's glass of water or punch (whatever you were drinking) and when the baby became free from the ice cube you shout, "My water broke!" What a cute idea for a game and not a lot of stress to have to think. Everyone just sat back, relaxed and had a good time as presents were opened. By the way, the shower was held for the daughter-in-law of my friend, Danene. She's going to soon be the grandmother of twin boys!! Whoo hoo!!

Valentine Mailbox and Candle...

2009-02-03T20:54:00.010-06:00

These are a couple of my latest projects that I did in January for Valentine's Day and were very easy to to do. The first picture is a candle. The image of the two birds were stamped on tissue paper and then colored with markers. Next, I covered the candle with wax paper and heated the image with a hair dryer. The red heart is a metal brad and ribbon was tied around the bottom.

This next project is a white metal mailbox that was purchased from Target in their dollar section. The front is hinged which is a nice feature so that it doesn't get lost. They make another kind of mailbox where the front comes completely off. I ended up covering it with paper and thin green ribbon. The pink bow on the flag is also ribbon, a type of grossgrain. The two birds on the front were done with the same rubber stamp as the candle. The green button has thin cording tied in the holes. The bird on the flag are a die cut and I put one on each side of the flag. Fun treats could sit inside and enjoyed when the mailbox is opened! As you can see, I don't have any in there yet...it's way too early. I know I'd probably finish them way before Valentine's Day, especially if there are really good chocolates inside!

Side of mailbox...

Front of mailbox...

Inside of mailbox...white paper lace heart and pink basket shred.

Bear Paw Block...

2009-01-31T23:22:00.010-06:00

This week I got together with a couple of my quilting friends and we put together two of our quilt blocks for "Five at the Hive" and had a lot of fun doing so. Well to my surprise I couldn't believe what I had done to my "Bear Paw" block... can you see the HUGE error? I call it my FISH block!! (can you see them all eating that green square (seaweed) in the middle) lol

That afternoon I showed Scott the "fish" block and told him that it reminds me of when he went fishing in Alaska and he saw lots of bears catching salmon. Maybe I'll leave the block as is, not rip it out and do it over, in honor of Scott's fishing trip.......OK, I guess I have to make some kind of excuse for this silly mistake!

Pick One...

2009-01-13T16:18:00.006-06:00

Ok, if you had to pick just one....which would be your favorite? Spice gum drops, Good and Plenty, Skittles, or Pretzel Flipz (white fudge covered pretzels)....or maybe all of them?

Banana Bread...

2009-01-13T15:46:00.014-06:00

My husband is such a great cook and makes the best banana bread I have ever tasted. I thought my recipe was good until I tried his bread. Oh my gosh, no other compares!

Here's a couple of pictures of our friend's baby (New Year's Eve)..........his dad gave him some of Scott's banana bread when we were at their house. He was all happy and content until he ran out. As you can see in the second picture he was a little upset when his tray was empty.......just look at his face....poor little guy. That's what I feel like when it's all gone too, little Jesse!!

Advent Calendar...

2009-01-08T22:38:00.006-06:00

This was a fun project that I did sometime around November. It's an advent calendar. The circles are actually little canisters that have Velcro on the back to adhere them to the board (a painter's canvas). Each of the canisters open to allow treats, or fill with papers that list activities such as bake cookies, decorate your tree, go caroling, etc. Lettering and numbers are cut from a Cricut machine. Handle at the top is a molded metal scroll. A big thanks to my friend Danene who showed me how to do this! We had a great day!

Santa is a dimensional sticker from Hobby Lobby!

Hey...I did it!

2009-01-07T03:49:00.006-06:00

Well, I can't believe it's done! I've been wanting to add some extras to my blog.....and you know it wasn't hard at all! Took a little time to figure out some songs for a Playlist and how to put it all together but I'm pleased to say that a Playlist is finally posted at the bottom of this page. Whoo hoo! (Guess you can hear the music playing since your reading this post and I didn't really need to tell you that I have one! duh! lol)

Thanks Angela for the encouragement.....you had faith in me that I could do this and I did! This has definitely been a trial and error process but also a lot of fun figuring it all out. Ok off to bed.........it's REALLY REALY late!!

Happy New Year....

2009-01-06T00:04:00.005-06:00

Wow, can't believe it's 2009 already. Where did December go....it seems like a blurr. Well it's off to a brand new year and there are lots of fun things planned for this week. Wednesday evening is 5 at the hive. It's at Honey Bee Quilt Store. We will be making a block a month. The first month it is $5.00 and if you bring it back next month all finished you get February's block free. This goes on for the full year (12 months) and you can actually do 12 blocks for $5.00. You have to be there on the day that you have signed up for and have your block finished or pay $5.00 for the next month. A few years ago I took the challenge but had to pay $10.00 for that year because I missed one month.........almost made my goal. This year I will do it!! Genell and Danene are going too so it should be fun for us to keep up the challenge and give each other encouragement.

Thursday is Quilt Club....at Marlain's house. We'll be teaching Quilting 101. Should be fun and informative.

Saturday is the Stampin Up Workshop at Linda's. We'll be making Valentine items. Hopefully I can get some pictures of my finished projects that we'll be making at her house and then post them ! Great week ahead and looking forward to it!

Two more days!

2008-11-25T12:24:00.021-06:00

Ok, I don't know how many of you are excited about Thanksgiving but I sure am! I would say it's the best dinner of the whole year! Just think, all the turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce (homemade of course), mashed potatoes with gravy, pies.........wow, what a list! Ok, when we are done there is no doubt we'll be feeling like a "stuffed turkey" that's for sure. We have two houses that we are attending to on Thursday. It's like we'll be on an eating marathon.....yikes! First we're getting together with Scott's kids and then off to some close friends of ours.

It was a lot of fun to have the kids cook for us this year and thank goodnes we did not over due it with the food! Here's a few pictures of the day.

Working in the kitchen (Diana and Joe)

The coveted job (carving the turkey, Scott and Jason)

The table all set (Dave on his phone)

The game...after dinner

Watching the game (and texting on the phone!!)

Paper Pumpkins

2008-11-18T02:37:00.006-06:00

Here's something fun that I recently made. I brought this over to Linda McClain's house when we had a Stampin Up workshop this month. Linda took a picture of the pumpkins and put it on her blog! Thanks, Linda! Nothing like a little bit of fame!!

Remembering this...

2008-10-21T00:33:00.013-05:00

Well, it's pretty late and I've been looking at some pictures I took and put on the computer. Man, did some of them bring back memories like this particular one! I found this little baby as I was watering a container of flowers on the front porch. After a little research we realized what we had was a rat snake, non poisonous! Thank goodness! They are sometimes confused with rattlesnakes. We find all sorts of interesting wildlife here in Texas. (by the way, we let him go...AWAY from the house!)

They're here!

2008-10-20T23:09:00.008-05:00

OK, what seemed like an eternity, they've finally arrived...new G1's. Hmm......now to learn how they work. Wow, isn't technology exciting!

October's SU Workshop

2008-10-19T20:05:00.013-05:00

Ok, here's a darling card that we made at Linda's house this month. She designed it and when I found out we were making this particular card that afternoon I was thrilled..........oh, how I love that cupcake stamp! Each little cupcake has puffy paint (you heat set this) for it's frosting with a little bit of glitter sprinkled on top! Thanks Linda!

Halloween crafts

2008-10-19T19:45:00.009-05:00

Ok, I just had to share some fun things we made at Linda McClain's house. She's a Stampin Up dealer and we have so much fun at her workshops making all sorts of cute things. This is what we made in September!

It's October.....

2008-10-19T17:44:00.021-05:00

.....and today is Scott's birthday..............HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HONEY!!! I love you!!

Wow, it's already October! I love this time of year especially all the colors of fall and there is something about pumpkins that I love. Maybe it's the color. Down here in Texas the fall is wonderful because of the change in the temperature........IT'S SO MUCH COOLER!! Yes, our summers can be really hot so when fall comes it's a welcomed relief.

I'm really excited for the 25th of this month. We have a ward fall activity planned. Sounds like it will be a lot of fun........really looking forward to it. I hope to post some pictures of the event. Lynn

April Fool's Day!!

2008-04-01T10:13:00.003-05:00

Ok, since this is April Fool's Day..............well, I feel like someone is playing a trick on me!! Ha ha! Had a really hard time trying to get into my "blog" ...........couldn't be that I have no idea what I'm doing.........hmmmm!

Well I'm off this afternoon to show a friend of mine the "Cuttlebug" and also the "Bind-it-all" machine........................she's going to want both!

Have a wonderful day............and hope you don't get too many tricks played on you today!!

Starting now.....

2008-03-17T08:31:00.003-05:00

Ok world, here's my very first blog! Thought I would start one to have a place to post all my fun little creations when I finish them!
Update: Here's a little box I made for Easter. Has Dove chocolate eggs inside....yummm!