mary's rose cottage

TAST WEEK 6 ~ THE CHEVRON STITCH

2012-02-13T08:59:00.000-06:00

I have given up trying to keep up with the fabric pages to a stitch sampler book. I found the 1st lost page (under a stack of papers) and now have lost the 2nd page that had week 2-5 stitched on it. Just a long list of 'stuff' happening.
Don and I have been sick now going on 2 weeks. He has the flu and I had a really bad stomach virus. This has truely been the sick taking care of the sick. I don't get stomach viruses often but about once every 4-6 years, but when I do they seem to go overboard. I literally lost 10 pounds in a day and half. I still have not gained much of it back and am as weak as a limp dishrag. Don is feeling better but still sounds like he has the croup. I have been guzzling citrus flavored GATORADE (on my 3rd 2 liter bottle), Diet Mtn Dew (that actually seemed to settle my stomach some. I still can't eat much of anything. I made a huge pot of chicken veggie soup and am living on that, wheat saltines and some butter cookies. I went a whole week without a cup of coffee (I start the day out with atleast 4 cups) and am only just now drinking my 2nd cup in 10 days. Enough about us. As the old saying goes ~ This too shall pass~ I hope......

I have decided to just show real stitches in a work in progress from now on. If I ever find all the pages of stitches I started with I will also try to finish it ~ Maybe
Here is the chevron stitch ... the green is a practice stitch and the beads the real deal.

I will check back with you folks later. May God shed his Blessing on each of you.
Mary

PLAYING CATCH UP ~ A G A I N grrrrrrrrrrr TAST 3 ~ 4 ~ 5

2012-02-01T08:52:00.000-06:00

One more time I am going to play catch up at TAST. No ones fault but my own ~ I guess laziness. Sometimes it is like my brain shifts into neutral and won't shift out. So here are my entries for TAST week 3 ~ the feather stitch:

The feather stitch is my all time favorite. Oh it will hide a multitude of sins on fabric and crazy stitching. My favorite variation is a grape vine.

So here is TAST week 4 the cretan stitch. It is not one of my favorites. It is really hard for me to do a balanced cretan stitch repeatedly. I do love it used as chcken wire fencing as several of the other folks at TAST showed ~ I tried but ripped it out. Still working on that one.

So Now with this TAST week 5 entry I am caught up again.
This week is the herringbone. Easy to create, not so easy to repeat over and over as a balanced line of stitches. (**in case you haven't figured it out yet ~ I am a Libra which means balance is EVERYTHING is me. I absolutely suffer pain trying to do anything asymetrical.**)
So here is my creation with the herringbone stitch. It is a pretty one to do completely in beads.

So now I am caught up ~ AGAIN. Maybe for a few days.
Here is a view of my first page of my sampler book I am doing. I will go back a put the names of the stitches in each square. I have not figured out if I will just write them or what.

Now I have to go back to work on my square for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project for J A N U A R Y. Yeah I missed that deadline too !!!! But that is a whole different story... and post.
Prayer helps. I am living proof of it.
Mary

PUDDIN' N PIE IS HAVE A HUGE GIVEAWAY!!

2012-01-27T15:27:00.000-06:00

Georgie over at Puddin' n Pie blog is having a huge giveaway of all kinds of goodies to celebrate her mom's birthday. It is real easy to join in the fun and help them celebrate!! The giveaway ends at 5pm Nashville Tennessee time on Tuesday January 31, 2012.
You still have plenty of time to enter. There are papers, trims, stamps, stamping accessories, lace, yarn, just all kinds of stuff.

This is pic of some of the goodies included and NO the cat is NOT included with the goodies. LOL
Here is a link and you can go check it all out and sign up for a chance. http://georgie-hornpuddinnpie.blogspot.com/2012/01/january-huge-giveaway-what-do-you-have.html

Just a note about our recent weather. We did great at our house. My brother lives just a half a mile from a lot of the major damage in the Clay and Trussville area of Alabama. Lots and lots of damage out there. They all need any prayers you can send their way. Lots of folks are hurting.
Ya'll have a blessed weekend.
Mary

TAST TAKE A STITCH TUESDAY ~ THE BUTTONHOLE STITCH ~ WEEK 2

2012-01-16T11:41:00.000-06:00

I have spent the last week on 'the great hunt'! The fabric page I showed you last week has disappeared. I mean it is in 'Mary's Land of the Lost' ~ that is what my mother used to call things that I was using, working on, working with, wanting to work on, etc., etc. that just disappeared!! As long as I can remember I have lost things. Sometimes I find them fairly soon, sometimes it is weeks, months, years, and sometimes NEVER.
I photographed the page right here on my computer desk. (something I have NEVER done before). I thought it would make it easy ~ I was going to crop it anyway, after all it was a sheet of fabrics (moire and batiste) 15 inches by 8 inches. Not a scrap of fabic easily lost (LOL) ~ anyway that is what I thought!!! Gone ~ I can not find hide nor hair as the old saying goes. Just gone!! In my mind I can remember taking the pics and then my mind just goes blank. Nada ~ nothing ~ no image in my mind of what I did next !!!! I started looking for it just a couple of hours later when the new stitch was posted on Pin Tangle. I was going to be so good this time and do the new stitch right away and get that behind me so I could work on my piece for the CRAZY QUILT JOURNAL PROJECT. I was NOT going to wait til the last minute. No sir! I was going to turn over a new leaf for this year and NOT WAIT TIL THE LAST MINUTE. Oh well, best laid plans of mice and man.
So here I am with a whole new page and I am starting over. Here is my rendition of the buttonhole stitch. Like I said last week I am really rusty on forming my stitches, but !!! I have been doing ~~-some~~ a little practice.

So here it is ~ not much to write home about. But it will improve ~ can't go anywhere but better. Now if I could remember how to keep from sticking my finger with these needles ~ I don't remember them being so SHARP!!! Oh well atleast I haven't gotten blood on the fabric !!!
Til next week ~ May God shed his Blessings on all of you!
Mary

A QUILT HOP AND ONLINE QUILT SHOW ~ PIGTALES AND QUILTS PLUS UPDATE ON MATT

2012-01-11T10:11:00.001-06:00

Yesterday a nice lady commented on my last blog entry and suggested I check out her blog and a quilt show she is hosting. I did. Wow is it going to be something !! Here is the link http://www.pigtalesandquilts.com/2011/12/calling-all-crazy-quilters-are-you.html There is going to be a link party, show quilting, voting and a fantastic selection of gifts. Even if the only thing concerning 'crazy quilting' you like is just to look at the finished pieces, it would be worth your time. I am going to go thru my own work and see if I can get a couple of pieces finished for the judging. Thearica also has an ETSY shop with lots of vintage embellishments for crazy quilters and mixed media artists.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/GoCrazyWithMe She just opened her ETSY shop in Dec 2011 and it would be worth the time to visit and check out the buttons, lace, pins and charms for sale.
Now I have to get back to work and stitch, stitch, stitch !!

Also, Say a prayer for my nephew Matt that got hurt in Dec while working on the North Slope in Alaska. They are sending him from Anchorage to Denver for 3 months of rehab. Hopefully, he will walk out of the Denver rehab and not need a wheelchair. Your prayers are gratefully appreciated.

God's Blessing to all you !!
Mary

TAST TAKE A STITCH TUESDAY ~ THE FLY STITCH

2012-01-09T12:50:00.000-06:00

Well, finally here is my first project finished for 2012. It seems that everytime I start something all kinds of problems loom on my horizon. But you know what?? I found out how RUSTY my stitching is. I am glad I signed up for TAST and the CRAZY QUILT PRODJECT JOURNAL for 2012. I need practice.
OK, here is the link to TAST and the first stitch. http://www.pintangle.com/journal/2012/1/3/take-a-stitch-tuesday-week-1.html Just follow the comments to see what everyone else did with the 'fly stitch'. This is fun. I am going to make my own stitch book. If you didn't join the group but like to use embroidery stitches in any of your work, take the time to visit and refresh your memory about the stitches. You will also see some great variations and uses of the FLY STITCH. Here is my contribution to the TAST.

My viariations are (in case you can't figure out what I was trying to do LOL) a yellow flower part (don't ask which one), 3 champagne glasses with bubbles, and pine needles ~ all made with the trusty and useful 'fly stitch'. Here is a link to more pics from the TAST site:http://www.pintangle.com/journal/2012/1/9/tast-week-1-highlights.html

I love the turkey. Never ever thought about that one. I also liked the swirl feather one too. I don't think my fingers would behave long enough to get such evenly balanced stitches.

Please go and visit these folks and see the beautiful hand work they have done.

God's Blessings to all of you!

Mary

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND A FINAL LOOK AT CHRISTMAS 2011

2012-01-01T09:24:00.000-06:00

Hope each of you had a safe New Years Eve!! Don and I hit the thrift store to check it out. I haven't been out much this past week, been very under the weather. Actually thought I might be coming down with flu for a while. Ached all over and all I wanted to do was go to bed. Flu never did develope (thank you Lord).
We didn't do a whole lot of decorating for Christmas but I thought I would share some pics before we pack every thing up til next year.

This is a little tree (3 1/2 feet) I picked up at a yard sale a bunch of years ago. It is sitting on a very old trunk I found at a thrift store, the large bottom tree skirt I traded 2 aprons to an elderly lady at a craft show atleast 20 yrs ago.
I couldn't resist the cat (Aunt Mary gave it to Mother when she was in the hospital one time). Weighs a ton but is so very life like.

We decorated the mantle with odds and ends, a string of lights and some cedar cut from a tree in the yard. It smelled so good. Don bought the 3 wise men in the center to go one the mantle. They are really beautiful.

I guess that is about all. Got to get ready for church. I can't wait to get started on Crazy Quilt Journal Project. I have been visiting each of the blogs on the participant list just to get to know them. I have seen some really beautiful stitching. It is going to be a challenge to keep up with these folks. It will also be fun. I will keep you posted.

Happy New Year to each of you.

God's Blessings on each of you.

Mary

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND I HOPE THIS ONE IS BETTER THAN 2011

2011-12-31T21:03:00.000-06:00

WE WISH EACH OF YOU A

BLESSED

AND

PROSPEROUS

NEW YEAR !!

DON & MARY

CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS

2011-12-24T19:15:00.000-06:00

WISH

EACH OF YOU

BLESSED

And

MERRY

CHRISTMAS

DON & MARY

NEW CHALLENGES AND A DISASTER STRIKES MATT MY NEPHEW

2011-12-20T08:00:00.000-06:00

Well it is almost Christmas day and there is so much to tell. First the good news ~ I have been accepted in the CRAZY QUILT JOURNAL PROJECT and TAKE A STITCH TUESDAY challenges for 2012. I am excited. I am going to do this. I love to do silk ribbon work, beading, and crazy quilting. It is so relaxing to me. I have already layed up 3 squares to start with for the CQJP and I am going to make a cloth journal the stitches.

Now on a totally different note. Last Wednesday my nephew that lives in Alaska (age 30) and works as a medic on the North Slope was walking to his truck, hit a patch of ice, slipped and landed on his backside. Unfortunately he fractured several vertebrea, was airlifted to Anchorage for treatment, has had 2 surgeries to remove fragments and may have to have more in the future. He has 2 very young daughters, foster children that the courts after 3 years are finally going to let Matt and Melanie adopt them this Wednesday Dec 21. Matt will probably never work as a medic again (won't be able to lift patients and stetchers) and now while he lays in bed will get to figure out a new career. When they got the girls 3 years ago they were 6 months and 15 months old. We have prayed that they would get to keep the precious girls (sisters) safe from their original home. The girls Krina and Gwen don't know anyone else as parents and now when everything was finally coming together disaster struck. Please pray for them and Matt and Melanie and my brother Owen and sister inlaw Mary Elizabeth. They need the hand of God to get them thru this.
I am wishing each of you Warmest Wishes in this Holy Christmas Season. May God bless each one of you.
Mary

SHOWING OFF SOME OF MY CRAZY QUILTING

2011-12-08T13:20:00.001-06:00

I thought I would change pace here from the items I am posting to sell to just some I have made. I have been reading about the "Crazy Quilt Journal Challenge for 2012".
http://www.cqjp2012.blogspot.com/

I am going to try to join it. Crazy quilting is my all time favorite needle work. Probably because you really don't have to have fantastic eye sight to do. I mean 40 years ago I tried counted cross stitch when my eyes were fantastic and gave up. It was too much strain to see the threads to count! Now crazy quilt is really all free hand sewing. I mean the only thing you HAVE to follow sometimes is a seam and you can use your finger to do that! With crazy quilt that line with little lines branching out becomes a climbing rose or honeysuckle or wisteria when you add some flowers or beads and leaves to it. I mean your imagination can just run free, it is like holding a pencil in your hand and the only thing that limits the picture is you!! So I am going to show you the first 2 pieces I ever did in Crazy quilting.
When I was working at Hancocks Fabrics we got in all this silk ribbon and books with stitches in them and I just had to try it. I had seen some work in the craft magazines and I thought: "I can do this!!" And guess what ?? I did. It was not perfect by any means, but it wasn't too bad either, so here goes:

And then I moved on to the next project tried a log cabin?? style:

In case some of you have not gone way back in the old posts of this blog, here is the front panels from a vest I made my mother a couple of years before she died. After her death I removed the panels to remake it into a vest to fit me. Mother had an "old ladies hump" (her term) and I had made it to hang right on her.

The next two pics are a close up of the her initials I did. I think (just my own personal opinion) the initials are the prettiest work I have ever done.

My mother loved crazy quilting, yet even though she did beautiful 'regular' embroidery she never tried crazy quilting.
Well, that is it for today. I hope all of you are ready for Christmas, Don and I are putting up a tree tonite or tomorrow.
May God's Blessings be on each of you.
Mary

BEEN BUSY POSTING CHRISTMAS PRETTIES ON ETSY

2011-12-05T15:12:00.000-06:00

I have been busy posting some pretties on ETSY. I bought a bolt of fabric with beautiful Christmas cat pic on it in pillow squares. I was working at Hancocks Fabric at the time, and was stocking the Christmas fabric we had just received. And here was this bolt of cats with such beautiful snowy Christmas card scenes. I bought the entire bolt. That fabric was never put on the shelf. I have made a couple of lap quilts 45 x 60 inches, and a few pillows. Still have at least 7-8 yards left. Just don't sew as much as I used to. Or don't have time. Don't know, maybe just lazy. After nearly 40 years of working a full time job, usually putting in a huge garden and sewing day and night, weekends and holidays getting ready to another craft show, I just don't have the get up and go to 'git'er dun' like the guy on tv keeps saying. I have all these ideas floating around in my head, drifting in and out. Just don't get that much accomplished. These days I think I had rather read a book. The down side is I keep feeling like I am leaving things undone. And time is slipping away. Three weeks and Christmas will be over for another year. Time just flies and never slows down for anything. Even to let you draw a breath.
Anyway here are my latest entries for you to take a look at.

The top cat always tugged at my heart, with him (or her) outside in the cold and looking in. The second one reminded me of some of our cats in the past, curled up dreaming of how much trouble they could get into, playing in the Christmas tree. That's another story for closer to Christmas.
I always loved the old world Santa's. Mother fell in love with the Angels. I bought a 100 years of the Angels. We made quilt, purses, wall hanging, and pillows with that fabric patter. I think I still have about 25 or 30 yards left. So so pretty.
Well that is all for today.
May your days be filled with Spirit of Christmas and celebrating the One who's birthday it is.
Mary

WELL, NOW THE CHRISTMAS FUN CAN BEGIN~

2011-11-29T20:47:00.002-06:00

I joined a group called Bella Creations Group a while back. http://bellacreations.ning.com/ is a really nice group of artists with really varied interest. Friendly folks willing to post free tutorials of many varied techniques for lots of different mediums of art. If you haven't noticed it yet, give it a check out to see if you might be interested in joining, it is FREE!!! There is one group that is dedicated to all things fabric and they have a monthly challenge *** WITH PRIZES***. So here is my entry: these trees are 12 to15 inches tall and 6 to 8 inches wide, and light in weight. I designed these to sit on an office desk, or hospital table or nursing home room.

Come on by and join the fun at Bella Creations group. There really is something for all types of artists.

I am also linking with Pink Saturday over at How Sweet the Sound blog http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/12/pink-saturday-december-3-2011.html

God's blessing to all of you.
Mary

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!

2011-11-23T17:07:00.002-06:00

On this Thanksgiving Eve, Don and I want to wish all of our blog followers a Blessed Thanksgiving. We are spending today remembering the Thanksgivings from our past. Cruising thru Google images we found some pics that reminded us of those days long gone.

The Norman Rockwell image was closest to my past. Thanksgiving was usually at my Grandparents Nelson. There would be as many as could be squeezed around their dining room table. Although they never put the 'uncut' turkey on the table, it would be a hugh one (20+ pounds) sliced on platters (one for dark meat and one for white meat, [I am a dark meat person]). There would be cranberry sauce and a cranberry congealed salad (both homemade and oh so gooood!!). Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top,cornbread dressing, greenbeans out of one of our gardens, sliced tomatoes,giblet gravy, hot rolls with real butter, ice tea, and for desert would be Aunt Mary's chess pies, Grandmother's pound cake, Mama's chocolate cake, and chocolate covered mints.

Now tomorrow Don and I will have turkey (20+pounds) (I don't know how to cook any other size), turnip greens, canned cranberry sauce, dressing (Pepperridge Farms Herb dressing mix), cornbread muffins, mashed white potatoes ( I never had these for Thanksgiving or Christmas until I married Don and he never had one without it!!), giblet gravy, coffee or lemonade. Pumpkin pie for desert. Following in the American tradition I will spend the morning in the kitchen (starting around 6am) and we will eat around 2pm. The first Thanksgiving I fixed it took Don only 17 minutes to eat dinner. 8 hours work for me and 17 minutes for him to eat. That's about right for us. HoHum.
I hope all of you are with your families and do take your time eating dinner even if it is only tacos or hamburgers.

I added Charlie Brown and Snoopy because I always watched their Holiday specials. And I am adding this next pic just because it is pretty.

I am linking this post to Vintage Thingie Thursday
http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/2011/11/vintage-thingie-thursday-vintage-recipe.html
and here is my thingie. This little turkey dates back to the 1980's and I bought it go in a flower arrangement for Thanksgiving. Been using it every year (not always in a flower arrangement). To be mostly styrofoam he has held up pretty good over the years.

Enjoy the meal and remember to give thanks for all our blessing. We are looking forward to some peace and quiet.
Don and Mary

MADE IN USA GIFTS ~ BIRTH OF A NEW TRADITION ~ BORROWED FROM DONNA

2011-11-18T08:22:00.000-06:00

I have never just stolen a blog entry from someone else, but today starts a new era in my life. I borrowed this from Donna at GG Creative Corner blog. It concerns a subject very dear to my heart. When my mother and I started doing craftshows on a regular basis we used Palencia broadcloth by Springs Fabric Co. in solid colors to make our aprons and bonnets. It was not expensive, we could buy it at Hancocks and WalMart. It come in dozens of beautiful colors and the biggest plus was you could sew bright Christmas red with white fabric and guarrentee the customer that when washed THE RED WOULD NOT FADE ON THE WHITE. It did not wrinkle bad when washed and dried in a dryer and it DID NOT SHRINK!! AND ALL OF THE FABRIC WAS MADE IN THE USA. This was in the 80's and 90's. Then in the later 90's I noticed a change in both the quality, limited colors and low and behold that some of the bolts of fabric were made in far off countries. It has been years now since I have seen any made in the USA.
Used to be at Walmart when you walked in the door there were banners proclaiming " WalMart supports
America ~ Buy Made in the USA" !! I have not seen one of those signs in over a decade. You are hard pressed to find ANYTHING at WalMart made in the USA today. And don't let them tell you 'we (Walmart) can't find that item made in the USA'. WalMart either owns the companies outright or they control them financially because of the sheer volumn of orders from WalMart. If WalMart wanted it made in the USA, it would be. They are the 10 ton elephant in the room. So are Target and a lot of other retailers. They have the control. Well, so do we as the buyer. If we had the guts to do without a little while and refuse to buy the JUNK made in other countries we would NOT have the trade deficits that are killing our country economically.
All of this brings me to Donna's post which she received from a friend. Donna's blog is a collection of pretty photos of home, family and her artwork. I have enjoyed reading it. Here is her post from Nov 6, 2011

So, here is the Birth of a New Tradition.

As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods -- merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes there is!

It's time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?

Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local American hair salon or barber?

Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.

Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plonking down the Benjamines on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.

There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift
certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks this isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your home town Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.

My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.

OK, you were looking for something more personal? Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre.

Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of light, about fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn't imagine.

THIS is the new American Christmas tradition.

Post it to discussion groups -- throw up a post on Craigslist in the Rants and Raves section in your city -- send it to the editor of your local paper and radio stations, and TV news departments. This is a revolution of caring about each other, and isn't that what Christmas is about?

Now, I don't know who wrote this, like I said, I received it from two sources and figure I'll have more in my inbox as it get's closer to Christmas.

Let's not forget all of the wonderful blogging people we know who have Esty shops. There are some breath taking items in these shops. And, we'd be supporting each other. Prayer is our biggest gift to another, in my opinion.

Do what you like with this post. I took it from my email to share with all of you. Feel free to share this as well!

Abundant blessings, and may you have a Merry Christmas!!

Donna

Here is a link to her blog. http://grandma4five.blogspot.com/2011/11/birth-of-new-tradition.html
I hope you will read the entire post. And check out the rest of her blog. If you like hummingbirds she had a great post (with pics) of 'her' hummingbirds and feeders. Fantastic!
Think about what is written above. It is OUR LIVES, OUR FAMILIES' FUTURE at stake here. Our children and grandchildren are going to inherit this mess. It won't be fixed over night, it took decades to get where we are now, but it will never be 'fixed' if we don't start today.
I hope you all have a great weekend.
May God shed his blessings on each of you.
Mary

YELLOW CANARIES ~ FREE IMAGES ~ A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE

2011-11-16T13:50:00.000-06:00

You know it is really strange the things that will trigger a walk down memory lane. I was visiting some of the free image sites I have collected looking for some interesting Christmas vintage images and happened across this image on BUMBLE BUTTON (she has beautiful vintage images that are free, a lot I have never seen anywhere else). http://bumblebutton.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-10-10T19:02:00-07:00&max-results=7

Now, everyone is crazy about birds and birdcages, and I am one of the devotee's of that passion. But this particular pic brought back some memories that have not been dusted off in a long time. My Grandmother Nelson had a yellow canary when I was a young (6-10 yr old). The cage hung in the kitchen on the wall opposite the windows. I can remember it was round and kinda fancy like this one. Grandmother had made a little cover that was gathered and could be pulled around the cage. The canary was female and named Bobbie. She could sing so pretty, but sometimes Grandmother got tired of her singing and would cover it up so she would stop singing.
I had to call my Aunt Mary (at the nursing home) to find out what the bird's name was and I also found out that 'Bobbie' was Aunt Mary's bird orginally, and my Grandfather Nelson (Aunt Mary's and my mother's father) thought she (the bird) was so great that he talked Aunt Mary out of the bird and that he was the one that actually took care of her. Aunt Mary couldn't remember how long they had Bobbie. I don't either, but I do remember that when Bobbie died, we (the grandchildren) had a funeral for her in the backyard at my grandparent's house. Near Grandfather's prize winning dahlia's.
That was something else we did as children. We thought enough and cared enough for our pets that we took very good care of all of them when they were alive and when they died (be it dogs, cats, turtles or birds or goldfish) they were all given a respectful funeral in the back yard. So many people today throw away animals (and children) and have no feeling for anything. Alive or dead. I am glad I grew up 'in the old days' when a few people still cared for others (animal or human).
The funny thing is thinking about the canary and the cage got me to thinking about the Thanksgiving dinners we had at my grandparents house. I guess the tie in is that usually after dinner we kids would play under the kitchen table and could hear the bird singing. Funny how memories are.
I hope each of you are having a great week.
May God bless each of you.
Mary

I AM GLAD HALLOWEEN IS OVER ~ BRING ON THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS!!

2011-11-13T10:10:00.000-06:00

I am glad Halloween is over. I used to enjoy Halloween. It was a fun holiday where folks (adults and kids) would dress up in costumes and just have fun. Now it seems to be soooo violent and gory. I have to admit that I skipped a lot, no all of the challenges that I was beginning to have fun with because I just don't like the dark, bloody, gory violent themes. I have gone back to visit some of the blogs that I really like only to find that 2 weeks after Halloween is over they are still decorated with the dark gory stuff. Some of these are some of my favorites that most of the year have really pretty romantic cottage chic decorations and themes. I am not into witches and goth punk looking pics and themes. I was disappointed to find that they still have not moved on to Thanksgiving and Christmas themes. If I want to see blood, gore and violence all I have to do is go to any news site. There is plenty there for everyone. I realize everyone has the freedom to decorate their blog anyway they want to, but if you wonder why I haven't be by lately it just might be the witches and gore.
I will now step down from my soap box and go back to making Christmas decorations and planning my Thanksgiving dinner for my darling hubby.

As far as I know these 2 pics are public domaine. I got them from a free vintage clip art site. Enjoy.
May you have a blessed week.
Mary

OH MY GOSH!! TODAY IS VETERANS DAY!!!

2011-11-11T09:56:00.000-06:00

I cannot believe I posted TODAY and FORGOT to mention VETERANS DAY!!!!!! To ALL the members of my family, friends and loved ones who served, to ALL THE SOLDERS AND SAILORS AND YOUR LOVING FAMILIES, YOUR GIFT OF YOUR TIME, AND MOST OF ALL YOUR GIFT OF YOUR LIFE TO PRESERVE THE FREEDOMS AND PEACE we have in this country, I THANK YOU. YOU will NEVER be forgotten in my PRAYERS.

May God Bless you and Keep you Safe and may HE have mercy on your souls.
mary

COULDN'T HELP MYSELF ~ TRASH TO TREASURES GIVEAWAY!!

2011-11-11T09:22:00.000-06:00

Lynn at http://trashtotreasureart.blogspot.com/2011/11/three-year-blogaversary-giveaway.html is hosting a beautiful giveaway. It ends Nov 18, 2011. It is one of the easiest to enter, just leave a comment. That's all, no hoops, just leave a comment. And she has Four (4) seperate prizes so atleast four winners. The 4th gift is a surprise gift, nobody knows what it is. Plus she has a bonus gift. She has this huge stack of rubber stamps. The bonus is seperate. If you win one of the other three prizes and mentioned you liked the bonus gift in your comment you receive the bonus PLUS the gift. If none of the winners wanted the Bonus she will draw a 5th time for the Bonus winner. I myself want the bonus, since I have so few stamps and little money to buy them with. I would love any of the gifts they are all fantastic works of art, but I really want that stack of stamps. Maybe this time I will be lucky.

and then my favorite

What more could you ask for ?????

On a different note, the weather here is cool and beautiful, the trees are in fantastic color, almost fading. I have seen my red fox twice in the back yard (and no I don't have pics!!! It is tooooo quick for me to capture with my camera (as in 'wiley as a fox' LOL). Used up a whole set of batteries leaving the camera on hoping I would catch sight of it. But no luck. I haven't seen a fox in this area in over 30 years. Too many cars and way too many houses even though there are still maybe a half dozen 100 to 300 acre farms close by.
Well until next time ( I have been busy trying to clean house before dragging out the Christmas stuff). And if either of my brothers are reading this, fan yourself and quit laughing, I really am housecleaning!!!
May God Bless all of you and take care of you.
Mary

GECKO GALZ BLOG HOP ~ THERE IS STILL TIME TO HOP!!!!

2011-10-31T12:45:00.000-05:00

I have just spent the last hour (or less) visiting all the gals in the TRICK OR TREAT BLOG HOP ~ SEE THE button on my right side panel or the link at the bottom of this post to start it. They are giving away beautiful collage sheets and lots of prizes. I almost missed it. We have been busy all weekend with the fallen tree in the yard. A really nice guy came and cut it all up and took it away. Thank you Lord.

Thankfully I checked my blog this AM and realized TODAY IS THE LAST DAY!!!! I really had a great time hitting all the blogs (there are 11) and reading the comments and playing the game of collecting the mystery word. Kinda like a scavenger hunt. Haven't had this much fun in a long time. Take the time to visit all of the the gals, it really is worth it and I hope they do it again.

This is the starting point, so have lots of fun!!!

http://geckogalzscrapbooking.blogspot.com/2011/10/tricks-and-treats-blog-hop-october-27.html

God Bless you all!

Mary

I BET YOU NEVER KNEW????

2011-10-27T08:39:00.000-05:00

The following is from an email my brother sent me. I honestly don't know if what it contains is absolutely true or not, but it actually makes a weird kind of sense (which can be dangerous coming from my jokester brother). It IS entertaining if nothing else.

Where did “piss poor” come from ?

Us older people need to learn something new every day..

Just to keep the grey matter tuned up.

Where did "Piss Poor" come from?
Interesting History.

They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot

And then once a day it was taken and sold to the tannery...

if you had to do this to survive you were "Piss Poor".
But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to buy a pot...

They "didn't have a pot to piss in" and were the lowest of the low.

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature

Isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be.

Here are some facts about the 1500s...

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May,

And they still smelled pretty good by June. However, since they were starting to smell,
Brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor.
Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water.

The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water,

Then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children.

Last of all the babies.

By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it.

Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water!"

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath.

It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals

(mice, bugs) lived in the roof.

When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof.
Hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs."
There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house.

This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings

Could mess up your nice clean bed.

Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection.

That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt.

Hence the saying, "Dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery

In the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing.

As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door,

It would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way.
Hence: a thresh hold.
(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire.

Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables

And did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers

In the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day.

Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while.

Hence the rhyme:

“Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old”.

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special.

When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off.

It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon."

They would cut off a little to share with guests

And would all sit around and chew the fat.

Those with money had plates made of pewter.

Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food,

causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes,

so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status.

Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle,

and guests got the top, or the upper crust.

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky.

The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days.

Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial.

They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around

and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up.

Hence the custom; “of holding a wake”.

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people.

So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave.

When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks

on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive.

So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin

and up through the ground and tie it to a bell.
Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.)

to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be,

“saved by the bell” or was “considered a dead ringer”.

And that's the truth.

Now, whoever said History was boring!!!
So get out there and educate someone! ~~~

Share these facts with a friend.
Inside every older person is a younger person wondering,

'What the heck happened?'

We'll be friends until we are old and senile.

Then we'll be new friends.

“Smile”, it gives your face something to do!

I hope if nothing else you got a laugh out of this.

May God be with you and keep you safe.

Hugs, Mary

DAPHNE NICOLE-LYNDA CADE GIVEAWAY AND RHONDA @ A LITTLE BIT FRENCH GIVEAWAY

2011-10-20T13:12:00.001-05:00

You know how I love giveaways, well, while I was visiting over lululiz in lalaland (I love that title) I noticed 2 giveaways that anyone that loves shabby chic would love to win. First is Rhonda at http://alittlebitfrench.blogspot.com/2011/10/french-friday-giveaway.html . She has a beautiful shabby chic french lace journal and matching bookmark/tag to go with it. This drawing is Friday Oct 28 so you have a little time but not much to get your name in the pot. I love the tattered French lace look on journals etc. This one looks to be well worth the effort to join.

Now for the second giveaway (being second DOES NOT mean it is less, just the drawing is later than the first one). Daphne @ http://daphnenicole-lyndacade.blogspot.com/2011/10/giveaway-2-countdown-to-christmas.html is giving away a beautiful lace bag on Oct 31. Other similar bags have sold for $135 in her store so this is a super fine giveaway.

Is this not beautiful????? Oh be still my heart. Anyway, it is up for grabs in her giveaway. And while you are there be sure and check out Lynda's beautiful jewelry. Lovely, lovely work.

I guess that is all for now. The weather here is beautiful. The high in the 50's oh so great in place of 90's.

May God bless each of you.

Mary

TAG TUESDAY ~ TATTERED ROMANCE

2011-10-10T17:16:00.000-05:00

Well I don't know what I did but I was typing madly away and hit something and everything disappeared. I mean everything. Even the so called 'saved stuff'. I guess this rates up there with the disappearing comments. Oh well, one more time. Here is my entry for the current Tag Tuesday challenge http://bellesouth-blogchallengegarden.blogspot.com/2011/10/tattered-romance-tag.html

I did my own ripping and tearing to get the desired look of 'tattered'. The image I used is from http://intothemagpiesnest.blogspot.com/ . She has some great freebies collage sheets and images, plus great tutorials and some beautiful original artwork. She also has great collage sheets for sale in her ETSY shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/MagpieMine?ref=ss_profile It's worth the trip to stop by and check her out. Of course the image I used was a freebie. Perfect for the tag. I did my first distressing which is a whole different story all together. NOTHING I do does right the first time. I guess it is always the old learning curve at work. The biggest problem was the blue copy paper did NOT want to tear. LOL I mean it just did NOT want to tear. And the stamp pad I was using to distress with was 99% dry. I finally got enough off to color the edges and color bits of scrap paper to make the little torn hearts. The stamped letters are some of the new stuff WalMart has for $.97 from Studio G. Can't beat that~the whole alphabet for $.97. They are mounted on wood and you do have to use a knife or small scissors to cut them apart. I also had to trim the 'r' because it looked like a 'n' or else they put 2 'n''s in the package. The fuzzy soft stuff is torn dryer sheet ~the same one I used to distress the edge of the heart.
I guess that is about it tonight. I have to go fix supper for the hubby now. Check out the other entries at Tag Tuesday and throw together a tag and join us. Til next time.
Mary

COMMENTS THAT EVAPORATE WHEN I TRY TO POST

2011-10-04T07:12:00.000-05:00

I have been out in blogland this morning prowling around and catching up on some of my fav blogs and have been TRYING to leave comments. They just evaporate when I click post. Poof and they are gone. What the heck is going on now. Yesterday I could leave comments. Today I can't. Maybe I am being told to keep my mouth shut. I was being nice. When I see something that strikes my fancy and is pretty or inspirational I try to leave a comment. I like to get comments and I am sure others do too. It makes my day just to get one. It shows somebody, somewhere cares. I care. There are some of the most talented folks on earth out there in blogland, and now something on my blog won't let me tell them they are great. I bet that is where the problem is. Blogger strikes again. I will keep trying.
Love to all of you even if I can't personally leave it on your blog right now.
Mary

BACKGROUNDS, TEMPLATES ETC ~~~ HELP!!!!!

2011-10-03T19:21:00.001-05:00

I was trying to change my background side bars to something fallish ~ you know like falling leaves, pumpkins ~ stuff like that. I am NOT into witches and gorey stuff. Too old I guess. I did it the last time about 2 yrs ago. Now I can't figure out how to do it. I guess I am lucky to still have the old one, but it is not the colors I wanted. Ho Hum, maybe next year. Sometimes you can't win for trying or so my granny used to say. Let's just pretend there are pretty fall leaves on the side bars. I can do headers in my sleep. I know that the header doesn't go with the side bars. Oh well, better luck next time. See ya'll later.

Mary

SUPER SNOOKS 13 BEAUTIFUL GIVE AWAY

2011-10-03T10:34:00.000-05:00

Gisele at Super Snooks 13 blog is having a giveaway on Nov 1, 2011
She has the most delightful blog. She mixes altered art with card making (journals, tags and lots of other goodies). I love her style, a mixture of shabby chic, a little grunge, and lots of beautiful imagination. For her giveaway, she has made a lovely book with pockets and LOTS of art work. She also has bits of lace, some buttons, vintage images, papers and music papers. A really nice package that anyone that loves shabby and vintage altered art would love to add to their collection. It is an easy giveaway to enter. So hustle on over to http://supersnooks13.blogspot.com/2011/10/giveaway-time.html?showComment=1317654594257#c492442422182056822 and check it out.

Here are some pics:
Mary

ARTFUL BAG AND TAG TUESDAY CHALLENGES

2011-09-27T15:34:00.000-05:00

Well while we were having thunderstorms this morning, I had my trusty glue sticks out working on the Tag Tuesday and Artful Bag challenges. Here they are:
http://bellesouth-blogchallengegarden.blogspot.com/

The theme at Tag Tuesday was

"school memories". Since I was in grammer school in the middle to late 1950's, that took more than memories. It took some imagination too. I have to admit I would have used some of the Dick and Jane books, but since my ink in colors was low (read nearly non existant) in my printer I couldn't print the pics. I did find some interesting black and white line drawings when I Googled 'flash cards'. At Crayola.com, they have some nifty coloring sheets on all kinds of subjects. Worked like a charm. I needed black and white flash cards because my mother made us a set of add, subtraction, multiply and divide flash cards from the boxes that chicken pot pies came in. Yes we did eat a lot of them. There were five of us and you could get 4 cards out of each box. The boxes were white cardboard with a paper wrapper around it. Mother would wash them off and cut them up. Good thing we loved chicken pot pies (Banquet is my favorite brand) and all of us still do 60 yrs later.Swanson was good buy Banquet had double crust!! Wow, 60 yrs. ~ how time does fly!!!!! Anyhoo if you need any black and white drawings, check out

http://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/disney/

Now for the ART BAG CHALLENGE ~ I have only had a whole month to do this and as usual I am tail end charlie again. This was supposed to be paper bags with an autumn theme and Anna talked about some Alice in Wonderland theme too. I just went with the Autumn theme.

http://frostedpetunias.blogspot.com/2011/09/september-artful-bag-challenge.html

I really didn't have any 'Alice' stuff (although I LOVE the 'Alice' stuff I have seen in stamps and paper etc. Out of most colors of ink on my printer so I couldn't print anything although I have collected some pretty good clipart in vintage Alice (which is the one I am more familiar with anyway, I never saw the new movie). Anyway maybe do some Alice later on.

Once again I hit the church bulletins and cut leaves out of a pic of a pile of leaves and the rake came with it. Used brown construction paper for the purse and chiffon ribbon for the strap. (PS I have already bought an evening bag for the embellished bag in Nov. Just wait til you see it!!!!)

Well, that's about it for these two challenges, I am working on some more 'card' challenges, so we will see how they come out. Til later on this week, have a blessed day and take care.

Mary

SCRAPPY HAPPINESS FANTASTIC GIVEAWAY

2011-09-26T23:51:00.000-05:00

Scrappy Happiness is haveing the largest giveaway I have ever seen. I mean this box would just about set you up in cardmaking and scrapbook making. I have never seen so much beautiful goodies. If you can use any more supplies then this is the one to take a chance on. If you are like me and trying to learn layouts and techniques then this is one of the 'essential' blogs to follow. Beautiful layouts, examples of scrapbook pages and cards. An interesting newsletter. Everything in one place. Do your self a favor and check it out and don't forget to enter the giveaway. Here is your pic of the goodies and the link.

http://www.scrappyhappiness.com/2011/08/1000-followers-huge-giveaway.html

Have a great week.

Mary

MOJO MONDAY #207 ~ SOMETHING NEW UNDER THE SUN !!

2011-09-25T19:41:00.000-05:00

Well, since I don't have anything else to do, I have decided in my exploration of paper crafts, I will try making my own cards. It has been a trial and a learning experience. I found a site called MOJO MONDAY http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/2011/09/mojo-monday-207.html that has a weekly challenge where they give you a sketch.

The challenge is to design a card using the sketch. You can choose any theme you want, just stick to the sketch. So here is my take on the sketch.

So this is it. The biggest problem I had was getting everything to stick. I used glue sticks that have worked on my tags for Tag Tuesdays and these are regular scrapbook papers. Don't know. We will see how long they stay on.
The papers came from Big Lots and are made by COLORBOK
and is a 'Page kit' called 'MY FAIR MAIDENS'. The kit had 10 papers, stickers, 40 chipboard punch outs and other punch outs, 9 layered stickers, 71 letter and number stickers. Quick a lot for the money which I think was only $3. The image I used is from 'The Digital Bakery'. http://thedigitalbakery.blogspot.com/p/three-column-designs.html This lady has some of the prettiest Blog backgrounds and headers. The image is from a header I have been working on for my blog. I fell in love with that 'angel'. Oh did I mention her background and headers are free!!
Good thing because I have no extra money. The doily is Wilton's 4 inch and I altered it to oval. The other shapes I hand cut and the sentiment I created myself with MS Word. This is strictly a handmade card. It was fun. I study everyone else's cards trying to figure out how they made them. I read tutorials on line and take notes. I have to use what I have and do everything on the cheap. I wish I could get one or two of the paper punches that make fancy lacy borders like the 3 and 4 inch punches. Maybe someday. For me the challenge is learning something new. Teaching the old dog ( I will be 64 on Oct 5) new tricks. It's not easy. The eyes are not what they used to be. Oh well, can't wait to see what the next challenges will be.
Hope you all have a blessed week.
Mary

CLEVER CREATIONS GIVEAWAY

2011-09-21T10:58:00.000-05:00

Just a short note for you all to boogie on over to clever creations http://myclevercreations.blogspot.com/2011/08/blog-candy.html to check out her beautiful cards she makes and check out her giveaway. It ends soon 9-30 and if you do any stamping and stuff you want to enter. She has a fairly new blog and like I said she make BEAUTIFUL cards.
Mary

TAG TUESDAY ~ RECYCLE THE TRASH!!

2011-09-21T09:26:00.000-05:00

OK guys!! Look at your calender ~ today is Wednesday and I am posting to Tag Tuesday !!! Will wonders never cease.
Rebecca came up with a challenge that is right up my alley.
Recycle the trash. I save stuff. I come from a long line on both sides of my family that save stuff. Why buy new if you already have old that works!!! My moto. My grandmother Nelson saved all her Christmas cards and cut out the designs and glued them to white tissue paper for fancy wrapping paper before my mother was born. That was over 90 years ago. And then she would save those she used and recycle them again. I know. I found a box of them. Some of them were almost 3D from all the old tissue and glue on the back of them. So I have a long and distingushed history to continue.
Now a bit of confession. Last week (I missed) the theme was flower pots. I swear on a Bible that this was the tag I had planned! I just never got past collecting all the bits and pieces together. Such seems to be my life these days. So luckily and by the grace of God, Rebecca decided it was time for a recycle tag. BINGO !!!!!! I am ready! This morning I finished my tag (even if it SHOULD have been finished a week ago). I got a reprieve. Thank you Lord.

Now I am going to give you something else to go with this..
Here is a pic of the stuff I used BEFORE I did my magic thing to all the bits and pieces.

In this picture you see: 1 old church bulletin, 1 end of a Nutty bar box (compliments of my darling Don), blue wrapping paper that I rescued from the trash at my bridal shower 2 1/2 years ago (even though I told them 100+ times to save EVERY SCRAP), a small piece of foam board (left over from cutting templates), and the selvege trimmed from a rather pretty piece of SUSAN WINGATE fabric from at least 20 yrs ago. Not bad huh!! 100 % recycled (except for the glue stick I used to hold it all together!). I haven't figured out how to recycle glue sticks yet (but I am working on it). Oh I forgot the paint I used to paint the flower pot. It wasn't real new, it was old (several years) but not recycled.

I think some one should start an altered art challenge of 90 to 100% art from recyled supplies. If they have already, I just haven't found it yet. If you know of one please let me know.

Ok here is the link to Rebecca's challenge. You have lots of time to show you stuff and join us !!

Here you go ~ http://bellesouth-blogchallengegarden.blogspot.com/2011/09/recycle-trash-tag.html

I hope you join us over a Rebecca's and I hope you have a blessed week.

Mary

KARLA'S COTTAGE GIVEAWAY

2011-09-20T14:22:00.000-05:00

I am really slipping up in my old age. I know that several weeks ago I started a blog entry about Karla's cottage having a giveaway, I know I did ~ I think?? Today is the last day. There is still time if you hurry on over http://karlascottage.typepad.com/karlascottage/2011/09/craft-day-giveaway/ .

Only some of the goodies!!

She has some really neat vintage goodies to give away. She has (I think) one of the best blogs in blogland. I love to read about her crafting (she has really great pics to study for 'how to ideas', great swaps to join (that is how I met her) and I love to read about her granddaughter Sugarwings. All in all it is a fun place to visit.
Til later today.
Hugs from Mary

TAG TUESDAY

2011-09-12T17:02:00.000-05:00

Well it is Monday again and I am just under the wire for Tag Tuesday. Again. Things have been quiet on the home front. The weather has been great, cool and dry.
It feels like fall. At last. Thank you Lord. Of course it will warm up some more, back into the low 90's, but I can stand that, just not anymore 100's. Til next year.

OK here is my entry in Tag Tuesday this week.
http://bellesouth-blogchallengegarden.blogspot.com/2011/09/tag-tuesday-moon-and-question-for.html

The subject was 'moon'. The background image came from a Sunday bulliten at my church a while back. I save all of them. They have such pretty pics on them and words I can cut out to save ink.
Like I said above I am in fall state of mind.
Hope you go and check the other ladies art work. They are all talented ladies.
Mary

TROPICAL STORM LEE

2011-09-06T18:41:00.000-05:00

Well, TS Lee has come and gone. Unfortunately he left a calling card at my house that won't go away and is going to be expensive. A big tree at the back corner of my house came down.

I took this picture standing on my deck looking down the ramp . We were lucky that the tree fell the way it did. It hit the storage building and not the van (that doesn't have insurance on it because it doesn't shift gears any more) and didn't hit the house ( root sticking out came out of the ground within 4 inches of the skirting of the house). The tree is resting on the back corner of the storage building and the trees behind it. It is not going to be easy to get it off without doing damage and costing a small fortune. I have insurance, but $1000 deductible. Oh well I guess I now a new lawn ornament. It just seems to never end. Just one disaster after another. Oh well Don and I are alive and well. This too shall pass. Just like everything else. I hope all of you had a great Labor Day.

God Bless all of you.
Mary

TAG TUESDAY ENTRY AND ANOTHER GIVEAWAY TO CHECK OUT

2011-09-05T10:16:00.000-05:00

Well another Monday finds me entering a tag for Tag Tuesday http://bellesouth-blogchallengegarden.blogspot.com/ just under the wire one more time. I have had it on my work table for 4 days to glue together and just didn't get it done. Been getting ready for our tropical storm Lee to bring us some much MUCH needed rain. He has and I am happy. Back to the challenge, there are more entries this time than before which is great, the more the merrier. So check it out for some great art work from some really talented folks.

I was in a pink sorta mood. Still am. I am having trouble glueing ribbons and lace to both painted and non painted card stock. I punched to holes behind the bow, run a thread thru the back of the flower and thru the holes and tied it on, and then added some more glue to make sure the knot wouldn't come undone. What kind of glue do you all use to glue lace, fabric and ribbon on card stock (painted with acrylic paints or plain)???? Tacky glue and glue sticks don't work!!. Thanks for any help.
Now for a new giveaway!! This one ends Sept 9th so once again not much time!!! http://kylieskraftroom.blogspot.com/2011/08/2nd-blogaversary-candy.html

Wow!! she has bunches of stamps and flowers etc 8 dies, bunches and bunches of great stuff. She is celebrating her 2nd aniversary of her blog. Lots of great art to look at on her blog too!! Bunch of folks have entered so you KNOW the prize is huge. Come on over, I always like company and she doesn't have a huge bunch of hoops to jump thru to enter. Here is pic of the prize and there is a detailed list on the blog.
So here is several things to do on a quiet holiday afternoon. Hope you all have a great Labor Day and God Bless all of you.
Mary

MORE BLOG CANDY ~ AMY @PAPER TRAILS LEAVER

2011-09-03T13:38:00.000-05:00

I just happened across a blog with a giveaway of such great candy (stamps ~ paper ~ embellishments) that I couldn't resist entering one more giveaway. This one ends Sept 4 and the drawing is Sept 5, so you don't have much time to enter, but oh it would be worth it if you (or I ) win. Amy @ Paper Trails Leavings is have a really really great giveaway. You just have today and tomorrow to enter so don't even think about it twice. This is the kind of giveaway that even if you have a lot of 'stuff' already this blog candy would make a great addition. So here is the link and the picture. Go see her. http://papertrailsleaver.blogspot.com/2011/08/eeek-500-posts-giveaway.html

She has beautiful art to look at and be inspired.
While I have just about every SEWING plaything known to man (except an embroidery machine) I have very (very very ) little in the way of die cuts, stamps, ink, embossers, charms, stickers (and on and on ) that helps to make all these beautiful altered art, mixed media, scrapbook, and cards I keep seeing in blog land. So I keep entering the candy giveaways. I have won one which has only poured gasoline to my papercrafts fire. Not only did it have lots of goodies to MAKE papercrafts it also had tags, a journal, and lots of other already made pieces in it. That ready make pieces were great because I could touch and study each piece to see how it was put together. That has helped tremendously because I don't have the money to take classes (which I would give anything to do) and to buy things, especially things I might not really need. So now you guys will understand why I enter so many give aways. Somebody is going to win each one of them and maybe I will win a couple with stamps and ink and diecuts I could really use.
Now you know the rest of my story. I am really picky.
Wish me luck and pray it really does rain in my neck of the Alabama woods this next week.
God's Blessings on all of you.
Mary

THINK MONDAY ~ THINK ATC ENTRY

2011-08-29T20:07:00.000-05:00

Well, sometimes I go weeks without a post (think computer meltdowns etc) and then I do two in one day. As ole Pinkie Lee used to say "strange things are happening" and if you are not over 55, you have no clue who I'm talking about! Anyway I made my very first ATC (artist trade card to the unknowing). I don't know what happened to the focus. It may be my eyes. I honestly think I may be losing my eyesight. I think it is time to go see my favorite eye surgeon.
Anyhoo ~ here is my entry, such as it is.

I colored the keyhole ~ I think I am going to have to take kindergarden coloring 101 over again at 63 LOL. Well, they say everyone goes thru a second childhood in old age. I guess it is my turn.
Here is a link to see some how real artists treated the subject. http://tmta.wordpress.com/2011/08/29/schlussel-schlusselloch-key-keyhole/
I hope everyone has a great week.
Now where did I put that practice coloring book?????
Mary

BRAG MONDAY AND TAG TUESDAY

2011-08-29T14:42:00.001-05:00

Well I finally finished one project. I have made a tag for http://bellesouth-blogchallengegarden.blogspot.com/2011/08/tag-tuesday-letter.html one day before the challenge ended. Better late than never!! That should go on my tombstone. I used an angel that came from Dover books on clip art. The letter I found on Google images and hand painted it, and the background is from the Graphic Fairy. That image I trimmed and turned upside down to suit my purposes. I love angel images and this past week Tag Tuesday's challenge was the letter "A". So far I think we have all used a different word for the letter A. That's good, it shows kindred minds with different ideas. Here is the link to the Brag Monday at the Graphic Fairy. If you have never been the see the Graphic Fairy, I believe she has the largest collection of FREE images especially in vintage images. http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/2011/08/brag-monday-antique-chair-candy-bag.html Be sure and go see the entries at Tag Tuesday too, these folks have such varied styles of art from all over the world. Both are worth the time and effort to check them out.
I am losing my grip on reality. I almost forgot to post my entry. Oh well.

The glitter on the wings doesn't show up so well. I was trying to keep it simple. Hope ya'll have a great day and week. God's Blessings to each of you.

Mary

1000 SHEETS OF PAPER GIVEAWAY AND 'I'M BACK!!!

2011-08-26T09:39:00.009-05:00

First things first. I am back, finally. I still haven't recovered much from my computer's meltdown, but I am slowly finding my favorite blogs and sites and some new ones along the way. I truely would not wish a meltdown with no good backup on ANYONE !! Later on I am going to post some pics from some sites I had collected and can't remember whose work it is. There are 2 such pics of some things I really liked and would like to watch her progress, but lost her blog site in my meltdown and crash. That's for later.
Now I am going to tell you about one of the largest 'giveaways' I have ever seen for folks that like to work with paper. Amy at http://athousandsheetsofpaper.blogspot.com is a blog giveaway in which she will give one lucky person in this whole wide world 1000 sheets of 6x6 inch decorative, scrapbooking, altered art type papers. But that is not all!! She is giving away several second prizes of 200 6x6 sheets and a stamp. To be truthful while I would be set for life if I won the big prize of a 1000 sheets, I probably, no would be just as happy with one of the second prizes. I am very stamp poor and don't have hardly any money to buy stamps with, so winning a free stamp (all of them are beautiful!!) would be great for me even if it didn't have 200 sheets of paper. I have really gotten into the card, tag, journal and scrapbooking thing lately. It's fun, quick, and I like being part of a challenge. You get to meet folks from all over the world and it really doesn't cost so much to have fun. You get to create something new in a hurry and then see what everyone else did with the same prompt you had. Fun!! So now you should hop on over to Amy's site and check it out and leave a comment and an entry on your blog if you want a chance at all that paper. The last day to enter is Sept 23 and the drawing will be on Sept 24,2011. Here is your link http://athousandsheetsofpaper.blogspot.com/2011/08/1000-sheets-for-thousand-sheets-again.html Come on a join the fun ~ the more, the merrier!!!

JULY 16, 2011 THRU SEPT 23,2011

HELP ARRIVED AND I AM BACK ON LINE ~ SORTA

2011-08-15T15:26:00.000-05:00

The Dell man came and went in 20 minutes. That's how long it took to put a new hard drive in. 20 minutes. Part of that was paper work !! Of course it took me two hours to figure out how to 'pin a Favorites tool' on my toolbar. It still doesn't act like it used to (the toolbar). I guess I am getting too old, I hate change. I want my old toolbars back, and my favorites list like I had it. I am tired. But I do have a computer back and I am reloading all my software. I am just tired. I don't know enough about computers and I am scared to touch ANYTHING. I guess that is all for now. If I live thru getting everything back like I want it I will talk to ya'll in a day or 2.
God please bless ALL of us.
Mary

BACK IN THE SADDLE ~ MAYBE ??

2011-08-15T09:56:00.000-05:00

Three weeks ago my computer crashed while shutting down. I messed with it, trying to keep from losing all my clipart and documents. Nothing else mattered. Because we had had attacks on both our computers I had started down loading on cd's my clip art but ran out of discs, I didn't get it finished before it crashed. Was someone up above trying to warn me maybe?? Anyway, I fooled around worrying with the van (transmission is gone in it), finally got my husband's computer up again, and lots of other problems that just would no let go. I finally gave up and called Dell and for once in my life got lucky. A really nice guy named Deepak tryed to help me. We could not get him logged on to my computer and nothing we tried with him walking me thru the steps from my end worked. He asked me how much I valued my documents and clip art. He said if I could lose them I could get my computer a new hard drive for free because it was still under warranty. I hate losing all that but I just don't have the money to pay for saving it. I can let go. I don't know which is worse losing my favorites lists or my pics I had collected. I am now writing down ANYTHING I add to a favorites list. There are web sites I like that I may never find again. I am going to make hard copies of my favorite images for my art so I do not have to rely on anything electronic or mechanical. I have a thingy to plug in and back up my computer, but I only used it once and I think I am not going to use it to restore any thing. I will start from scratch again. I have learned some lessons, and I am going to put the knowledge to use. The main thing being hard copy masters of my documents, favorite pics, and favorites list. I had tried to be scientific about having folders listing my blog followers, the blogs I follow, favorite tutorials, etc., etc., I really tried but there are some sites I may never find again. I am lucky that I had printed off a lot of clipart to use for new things I am creating to list on ETSY. I can make copies of those to save (some of them from Mind Wide Open, the first challenge I ever entered). That blog is gone now and Gail doesn't have those images available for sale (atleast I haven't found them). I guess I just have to let go of some things. Over the last 7-8 years I have had to let go of a LOT of things. I have to remember that I really am lucky because I still have my home, and am still alive and able to function. I have to remember the folks that lost EVERYTHING including family members just a few miles from me in the tornadoes in April.
Thank you LORD for what I do have and help me handle what I don't have.
The repairman will be here in a few minutes.
Mary

COMPUTER CRASHES, WEIRD KEYBOARDS AND OTHER STRANGE THINGS

2011-07-29T20:26:00.001-05:00

This is going to be short. I am writing in my husband's weird keyboard and it is like I don't know how to type. I got Don's computer up and going. My computer crashed Thurs of last week and frankly there may be no hope in sight. I was doing a control/alt/delete to escape the virus attack and one of the .exe files didn't close right and now my computer is caught in 'safe'mode and just loops from boot up to shut down and boot up again, over and over. I can't even get into the computer settings to try a system restore to save my files or anything. All it will do when I push the start button is boot up and shut down, boot up and shut down with me just sitting and looking at the screen. I will be glad when July is over, it has been the month from hell for us. The transmisson died in our van and will cost more than I paid for the van. Now this thing is printing in italics?? I hate this keyboard! Anyway two computers down, one back up, van trash, refridgerator acting up, heat that feels like you really are in hell, I had the flu ( or something like it and still feel awful), Riding lawn mower won't cut. Just on and on and on. August just has to be better. Of course the Federal gov't will probably go belly up. At least I don't count my debt in the TRILLIONS. I hope you all are doing ok. Not sure when I will be back on my own computer. I will try to keep ya'll posted from the sunny and oh so hot south.What was it Carrie Fisher wrote 'Post Cards from the Edge'?? I like that title but never read the book. Thats how I feel tonite, like a postcard from the edge of somewhere!!!!
God bless all of you. I could use a prayer or two also. If any of you have any ideas on how to stop the looping on my computer PLEASE comment.
Bye ya'll
Mary

BRAG MONDAY AT THE GRAPHICS FAIRY

2011-07-18T07:25:00.000-05:00

I have been visiting the Graphics Fairy for years (and years). I just can't wait to see what pretties and facinating images she has found. Finally I am going to join in on her Brag Monday where all of us that have collected and used her images show off our crafting use of same images.
This one I already had in my collection when Soarful Challenges used it a couple of weeks ago as the inspiration image. Here is the original and my take on it.

original

Thought I would add a little humor to it. I think it came out ok since I was running out of color ink in the printer.

Anyway, thanks to Karen for all her hard work to give us this huge library of images for us to play with and give our imaginations freedom.

Here is a link to Graphics Fairy: http://www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/ and a link to Soarful challenge in case you would like to join the fun and challenge your imagination: http://jeanette-soartfulchallenges.blogspot.com/

PS she is using another Graphics Fairy image this week ~ a pretty honey bee.

Mary

COMPUTER VIRUSES AND FEAR

2011-07-11T17:05:00.000-05:00

This weekend has been interesting, confusing and just plain made me mad. My husband has picked up a computer virus on his computer. It trys to make you think it is Microsoft Windows trying to 'protect your computer from a threat'. It puts up screens with trick questions kinda like the old joke question ~do you beat your wife? If you answer Yes you tell every one you beat your wife and if you say No then you tell them you used to beat your wife. It asks if you want to protect your computer ~ yes or no. You are damned if you answer either way. Well that is what this virus or worm or what ever it is. If you answer either way you let the virus in your computer. It has tried 3 times on mine and each time I was on a different website. I am wary of ANYTHING that pops up on my computer so I just do my trusty 'control-alt-delete' and get completely out of whatever I am in. I don't care what I lose NOTHING is as important as protecting my computer. It may not work for ever but for right now it has worked 3 times for me. When I do my 'control alt delete' I hit log off and when it comes back on I hit shut down normally. Right now the only thing my husband can do on his is play solitare. He can not use the internet. We called Dell (where we bought the computer and warranties) and then called Mcafee (Our supposed computer virus protection, that's a joke) and both told us we would have to fork up $90 to $150 for a ONE TIME shot at having our computer fixed. Maybe. They aren't real sure. Good luck folks, I am going to have to dump my husbands entire operating system and hope that works. With my computer, so far so good. I have started down loading my pictures, and word processing stuff and clip art and hope I have time to get the most important stuff off MY computer before this virus changes and if it hits you and there is no way out. People that write this stuff should be taken out and hung. From a high tree limb. And left there to rot and warn any other jackass with the same ideas what will happen. I will keep you posted but be VERY VERY CAREFUL of ANYTHING THAT SAYS WIN 7 SECURITY AND TRYS TO LOOK LIKE WINDOW MICROSOFT STUFF. IT IS EVIL. AND IT IS JUST 1 CLIK AWAY.
Mary

SOARFUL CHALLENGE AND BACK AMONGST THE LIVING

2011-07-08T08:01:00.000-05:00

I know I am just under the wire on this challenge. I have had the images printed and blocked out in my mind since Monday. BBBBBut...... I have been under the weather with a darn virus (I guess, but when you don't have health insurance you don't run to the doctor). I feel better today than yesterday, so maybe I am over the worst.
I found a new blog challenge called Soarful Challenge. http://jeanette-soartfulchallenges.blogspot.com/2011/07/early-architecture.html
Now for the challenge: here is the image we had to work with.

The image originally came from Karen at the Graphics Fairy. If you have never prowled thru her blog I have a button on the right side near the bottom. I added an image from the BBC~UK~DRWHO called weeping angel. I think she is just covering her eyes. The background image is from Gail Schmidt at Shabby Cottage Studios (her old blog) which has some great images for free. She has moved to a new blog and site, so you should NOT wait to check out her old one because it could go away any time. Here is a link to her old site ~ http://shabbycottagestudio.blogspot.com/ There are some great freebies there and her collage sheets are well worth buying. Anyway, here is my entry to the challenge. I call it "Come out, come out! where ever you are".

I have to admit all those arches and such look like great hiding places. This is my first time with Soarful challenge and I will be back. This was fun, I just wish I had felt better.
God Bless all of you.
Mary

JULY HEAT, ETC

2011-07-07T09:59:00.000-05:00

Been hot as hades lately and I have not been feeling too well. Think it might be a tummy virus. Trying to work on some challenges, not getting very far though. Been in bed most of the day Wednesday and think I may do the same today. Be back soon, just wanted everyone to know I was still alive and survived July 4 although it sounded like the neighbors were blowing up the neighborhood with their fireworks. Oh well, see you later.
God Bless each of you.
Mary

BIRDS NESTS, FABRIC SCRAPS, AND RECYCLING

2011-06-30T11:27:00.000-05:00

I was up hoppin' along the internet this AM following some links to the Artful Bag Challenge at Frosted Petunias and came across a posting at Ruby Moon Art. This lady has been involved in some very interesting swaps and challenges, but it was a post about fabric scraps and birds nests that really got me to thinking. Here is a link : http://rubymoonart.blogspot.com/2011/03/spring-bunting-swap-sneek-peak.html She discussed taking her fabric scraps that were too small to save or unusable, loading them up in a suet holder, poking a stick thru the holder and hanging it outside for the birds to take the fabric scraps for their nest. Such a cool practical idea !! I know for a fact the birds would love it. Here is a picture I borrowed from her blog (I added her name to it).

That set me to remembering when I had horses. For about 20 yrs, I kept 3 horses (2 mares and a gelding) til they died of old age. Cherokee (my gelding) would always put on a really heavy winter coat and every spring I would spend days and days til I got him completely brushed out when he started shedding. We started noticing that a lot of the birds nests (we had 4 acres of trees, privet hedge and pasture) had white stuff in them. When the babies had flown the nest, we took some of them down and guess what we found. Cherokee's hair (he was a pinto with blue roan spots) was lining and worked into the sides and bottom of the nests. Talk about recycling!! But the really neat nest was the one that had metal tags and wire worked into it. My father had an aircraft salvage business and a lot of military aircraft bits and pieces would have these metal tags about the size of a postage stamp attached with safety wire. Daddy would cut the wire to remove them and toss the wire and tags in barrels for scrap metal. Apparently the birds wanted to add a little bling to their nests and would steal the stuff from the barrels. I wish I had pics of those nests. We saved them for use at Vacation Bible School and the kids had a fit over them. I guess I lost them when I moved several years ago because I have no idea what happened to them.
Being the pack rat that I am, I have alway saved fabric scraps. I used to make string doll quilts with them to sell at craft shows and still have sacks of the stuff. Now I have a new use for those scraps. I will be hanging a couple of those holders out for the birds.
Thank you Amy for such a great idea. I will be returning frequently to your beautiful blog.
Have a great start to the holiday weekend and happy crafting.
God Bless all of you.
Mary

MINI COMPOSITION BOOK SWAP ~ MINE HAS ARRIVED!!

2011-06-27T19:02:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago Tee at http://creationsbytee.blogspot.com/ hosted a mini comp book swap. My partner was Valerie at http://bastelmania-craftattack.blogspot.com/, and I received her package last nite (my husband didn't pick up Saturday's mail til last nite). WOW AND DOUBLE WOW!!! Even the envelope she mailed it in is a keeper. Such beautiful paper to cover the shipping envelope. And then there are the goodies inside. Here are the pics !!!

the envelope !!!

the package

the book front cover and the tag

the back cover

the inside ~graph paper !!!!

I love graph paper !!!

This is the first swap I have ever been involved in. It was a lot of fun and I hope to get to do another one in the near future.
Dear Valerie : Thank you so much for such lovely goodies. I will always treasure them.
I hope everyone has a great week.
God Bless y'all!!
Mary

LILLY'S LACE WEDDING GIVEAWAY

2011-06-25T11:11:00.000-05:00

This must be the season for lot's of fantastic giveaways. Cindy at http://lillyslace.blogspot.com/2011/06/two-wedding-kit-lace-giveaways.html is having 2 giveaways on July 13,2011. Bits and pieces (some large) of wedding dress and lots of lace and other embellishments.

#1 giveaway

The kind of stuff you pray to find at a sale and just drool over. Beautiful fancy stuff. Her blog is great and she is a very talented lady. So be sure and check out her archives for lots of eye candy.
mary

BLOG GARDEN CHALLENGE ~ TAG TUESDAY

2011-06-24T19:16:00.003-05:00

Well, another challenge ~ and the lucky subject ~ 7 ~ and here is my contribution to the challenge. I stuck to the adage "keep it simple ". Here is a link to the challenge ~
http://bellesouth-blogchallengegarden.blogspot.com/2011/06/tag-tuesday-number-7.html

I used Wikipedia for the languages and I rendered them by hand with a marker. I made the shapes by hand and hand painted them with Apple Barrel and Ceramcoat paints. Those shapes were not easy to reproduce. My hat goes off to the folks that have to use those numbers all the time.
Y'all have a nice weekend and God Bless you.
Mary

LYNN @ TEACUPSTITCHES IS HAVING A GIVEAWAY

2011-06-23T19:21:00.000-05:00

Lynn at Teacupstitches is have a 'Just Because' giveaway of one of the beautiful decorated bottles. The drawing is June 30,2011. 'Just Because' is because it is summer, vacations, sea shores, fun at the lake, all the good stuff of summer. Here is a link: http://lynn-teacupstitches.blogspot.com/2011/06/just-because-giveaway-for-you.html#comment-form and here is a picture.

Y'all hop on over and check out her site and the giveaway. She is worth the time just look at all the beautiful pretties she makes.
Y'all have a Blessed day and happy crafting.
Also good luck in the giveaway.
Mary

A WEEK FROM HELL AND OTHER ADVENTURES

2011-06-22T08:56:00.000-05:00

First of all I would like to appoligize for that horrible text color (neon green) last time. I couldn't read it either!! You won't see that color again.
This week started out OK. I finished my altered art mini comp book for the swap over at http://creationsbytee.blogspot.com/
"The Altered Paper" . That was fun. It is the first time I covered a book WITHOUT sewing on the cover. I will post pictures when Valerie has had time to receive her package. It went to Germany so it will probably take 10-14 days.
First I have to tell you that here in Alabama the tempature highs has not been below 90 + but one or two days at most since the tornadoes came thru on April 27. That is actually very unusal for this time of the year. Second I don't have airconditioning in my home any more. The central air died several years ago from too much lime (we have lots of lime quarries in Shelby county) in the air that ate holes in the copper coil and since the warranty had just run out on the unit and it would cost over $1500.00+ to replace AND the three different companies I talked to said it would probable happen again in 5-6 years and I didn't have $1500.00+ to spend, I have relied on ceiling fans in all the rooms, box fans, and more fans etc. etc.. Mostly I have survived pretty well except late in the afternoons when the sun hits the back of the house (mainly the kitchen and den). You really don't want to do a lot of cooking at that time of the day. We have adjusted our life style to accommodate that. Well this week the refrigerator in the kitchen with the ice maker started acting up and it has gone downhill fast. Now it does not work at all. Makes weird sounds, drips water and for some reason the water cut off doesn't cut off completely. Everyone wants at least $75 just to look at it plus more to fix it. Luckily I have 2 side by side refrigerators and looks like I am going to have reduce down to one. The one with the ice maker isn't cooling as much as it should.
Then the riding lawn mower decided to throw a pulley off the cutting deck and we have to get that fixed. I have a VERY GOOD FRIEND that has volunteered to fix that. Thank you Sandy. You are the sweetest guy in the world. And a real lifesaver.
Anyway it is only Wednesday so I am holding my breath. We are supposed to have thunderstorms the rest of the week and SLIGHTLY lower temps. We really need the rain because we haven't had but about an inch in the last month and a half and this is usually a rainy time of the year, instead we have had a drought. But if the storms are anything like yesterday I worry. I was nearly blown of the road coming back from the library and post office. Wind rocked the van. Really was afraid. Any way I will let you know.
I am working on some new challenges ~ tags etc. Will have pics maybe this afternoon.
For now may God Bless each of you and keep you safe.
Mary

DRAGON'S DREAM CHALLENGE~ IT'S ALL IN THE NUMBERS

2011-06-17T14:55:00.000-05:00

Another day and another challenge. At Dragonsdream 'tag it on' challenge they want you to use numbers. I found this picture of 2 birds and a nest and at the bottom of the picture is a nest with 4 pretty eggs. Too good to resist. The Graphic's Fairy has some of the best clipart. I check with her atleast every other day just to see the new pretties she has found. That is where I found this picture. I painted the tag with blue pearl paint from Delta Ceramcoat and added some vintage lace, the bird pic and at the bottom I used a leaf punch by EKSucess. I hand lettered the numbers on the leaves and glued them to some purple ribbon. I strung some selvege trimmings with lots of pretty colorful numbers to finish the tag.
Dragon has some pretty interesting challenges each week. You can find them at this link: http://dragon-dragonsdream.blogspot.com/2011/06/tio-83-numbers-game.html
Here is my entry. Hope you will check out the other entries (they are from all around the world). They are worth the time.

Hope you all have a great weekend. Come join the challenge if you have time.
Hugs
Mary

MORE CHALLENGES & MY VERY FIRST TAG!!

2011-06-14T17:30:00.000-05:00

I am really getting into this 'challenge' thing. I found another one that does a weekly challenge making 'tags'. Now I have seen all kinds of tags on ETSY and other blogs. Lots are very elaborate and lots are very simple. Some use lots of paper, ribbons, yarn, pics, and sometimes lots of lace and beads. I have looked at lots of tags and decided I wanted to try to make some. Well, here is my first tag. The challenge over at http://bellesouth-blogchallengegarden.blogspot.com/ uses a focus word for the theme and you can do anything you like. Now that is not hard at all. Luck would have it, that I had already been thinking about birds for a 'swap' on another blog (more about that later this week) and had printed some copies of vintage post cards to start playing with. So this afternoon I got out my box of tags, a bottle of glue, some lace and trims, and started putting my working sketch together. When I finished the parts I had sketched I decided it need a little bit more and pulled a couple of feathers from an old boa on the shelf. So here is my entry for Rebecca's challenge at 'Blog challenge Garden' Tag Tuesday. I call it "Bird in a Gilded cage". I used white Ceramcoat 'Pearls' paint for the background, Aileens 'Twice as Tacky' glue, some gold trim, gold ribbon, a paper bird from a vintage Christmas card, a pink ribbon flower I made, a sharpy pen to draw limbs for the bird to sit on, some old lace, ribbons and of course the recycled feathers. Come and join the fun and create your own tags.
Please go and check out Rebecca's challenge blog (and check out the past challenge entries) to see some beautiful art work from a bunch of very talented folks. http://bellesouth-blogchallengegarden.blogspot.com/

Here is my entry:

ARTFUL BAG CHALLENGE AND LOTS OF FUN

2011-06-08T16:28:00.000-05:00

Once again I have gotten myself involved with a monthly challenge. For several years I participated in the monthly challenge at 'MindWideOpen'. But, alas, Gail closed the challenge. Now I have found a new one to try my luck in. Over at Frosted Petunia's, Anna has a challenge to make a handbag or purse out of anything except a purse. Here is a link to Anna's site: http://frostedpetunias.blogspot.com/2011/06/june-artful-bag-challenge.html
DVD cases, paper sacks, etc, etc. I decided to use a Nestle's Quick Chocolate container for my entry.

I covered it with some batting and cotton fabric, made a lining, hinged the lid with ribbon, added a bead tassel, ribbon rose and bow on top.

I added a ribbon strap. The lid is padded also. It made an interesting little bag. (I carry tote bags all the time, too much stuff for little bags.) I really had fun with this. The other ladies that have entered bags so far have some really cute bags and ideas. I can't wait for next month. Thank you Anna for hosting this challenge.

MEMORIES, TRUE LOVE, AND 59 YEARS

2011-06-04T15:35:00.000-05:00

Norman and Louise 1941

On June 4, 1942 Norman had just received a 3 day pass and arrived in Birmingham, Ala. in the evening. Louise was attending a bridal shower being thrown to celebrate her upcoming marriage.
All the ladies in their family were at the party. Most of the men were either off stationed out of town in the military or home in bed. Both of my grandfathers were home in bed. My father (Norman) arrived at my grandfather Nelson's house and found out mother (Louise) was at the party. He headed to the party and found Louise and told her if they were going to get married before he shipped over seas, it had to be tonite. Thus started the hunt for licences, a preacher, the fathers of the bride and groom. A friend of Grandfather Nelson was a detective for the Birmingham Police dept and knew a clerk in the marriage license dept. and they got the clerk out of bed to issue a marriage license to the bride and groom. The preacher was rounded up and my parents got married at her bridal shower. There were no pics at 11. In all the excitement no one thought about a camera. It didn't matter.
After a 2 day honeymoon at the Tutwiler Hotel in downtown Birmingham my father reported back to his squadron and not much later he departed for Italy and the shooting war.
That marriage lasted until July 29, 2000 when my father died. Sometimes my mother said she felt like she had been married all her life. They had their ups and downs (my mother was a redhead) but overall I believe my parents were deeply in love. They were not very demonstative in front of my brothers and me, I think it was a old fashion feeling to them. They were devoted to each other and neither one could not go more than several days without the other one. When Mother and I would go out to work craftshows, she couldn't wait to get back and Daddy would meet us at the door wanting to know what took us so long to get home. I believe my mother pined away after Daddy died. She honestly didn't know what to do without him. She just slowly faded away. Fifty nine years together was just too long to start a new life. She never looked at another man after my father died. I honestly don't believe it ever crossed her mind. She died in 2005.
I read recently some of their old letters to each other before and after marriage. True love NEVER dies.
God Bless all of you.
Mary

THE REAL MEMORIAL DAY ~ REMEMBER

2011-05-27T11:42:00.001-05:00

This is the weekend that maybe America will pause and remember her war dead. The brave soldiers that fell on the battlefield, that went down with their ship or their airplane. Not all of America's battles have been 'declared wars'. That does NOT make their death any less significant. They died for their country. Period.

In Flanders Fields

The original inspiration for veterans to sell paper poppies for Memorial Day came from the famous poem below, which was written by John McCrae in 1915:

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead.

Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.

In 1922 the Veterans of Foreign Wars became the first veterans' organization to sell poppies nationally for Memorial Day. Two years later their "Buddy" poppy program began selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans.

My Uncle Jack was 18, laying in a bunk on the US New Orleans anchored in Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941. He told me he was reading the Sunday funny papers when the bombs started falling. He lost a lot of his friends that day but he survived. He went on to retire 30 years later from the Navy.

My Father was in the 483 rd Army Airforce in WW2. He trained on the 'Memphis Belle' after she returned to the states from England. His crew was sent to Italy. He was crew chief on a B-17 called 'The Big Ass Bird'. After WW2 his crew stayed in touch and we received Christmas cards up until the day the last one of them died. My father died in 2000 and I received cards from his Co Pilot Don Bentzen up until last year. That is how close these men were. My father told me he felt like these men were his brothers even 50 years after the war. They had reunions in the 70's, 80's and 90's until there were non left. They ALWAYS remembered the ones that didn't come home. They talked about them with quiet voices and also remembered happier times, too. BUT THEY ALWAYS REMEMBERED.

May God grant peace to their families. May we NEVER forget the sacrifices they and their families made for our way of life.
Mary

LIFE'S LITTLE LESSONS AND OTHER DISASTERS

2011-05-22T08:49:00.000-05:00

This has been a crazy week, well, actually 2 weeks.  There have been high points and low points. I finally finished Barbara's t-shirt quilt. Without any more disasters. I mean it was getting to be one of those 'what's going to happen next' weeks !! And trust me saying something like that is tempting fate. In fact you rarely EVER hear me say that, because it has been my experience that when you say 'what's going to happen next' you find out in a hurry.

Disaster number 1 ~
While I was working on the quilt, I burned my fingers on my quilting hand. Such a dumb move. Cooking spaghetti, I broke it in half (Hubby does NOT like long strings of spaghetti) and some of it broke some 1 inch or less pieces that fell on the ceramic stove top (for those of you in Rio Linda as Rush Limbaugh would say, is a stove top of glass?? with no regular eyes, just heating elements under the glass). It makes a great work area because it is flat and easy to clean. Which is probably how I got in trouble, because without thinking (something my Hubby says I do TOO OFTEN these days) I brushed the pieces away from the heat area with my finger tips. WRONG MOVE !!!! Didn't burn them bad, immediately plunged them into ice water (since I no longer have an Aloe Vera plant) ( must get a new one). They were tender for a couple of days and didn't even blister up either.

Disaster number 2 ~
I ran out of dishwasher soap tablets and figured I could use regular liquid dish soap. Before you fall in the floor laughing, I only put a TEASPOON of soap in the container. Ajax lemon scented. It is absolutely amazing how much suds a teaspoon of Ajax can make. Hubby said it reminded him of the old 'I LOVE LUCY' show where the washing machine overflowed with suds. I am sorry guys I didn't take pics. It didn't overflow (thank you Lord !!) because I heard the muffled swish of the dishwasher and opened the door. Suds were 6 -8 inches deep and I started bailing with a butter dish, and bailing and bailing. I finally figured out where the draining started right before the rinse cycle and repeated that 6-7 times until I got it all drained out while splashing COLD water to wash away the suds. All this time I had the oven going with Hubby's pumpkin pie cooking and it must have been 85-90 degrees in the kitchen.  A real nightmare in the daytime. Hubby came to the kitchen door to find out what all the swearing was about and beat a hasty retreat for cover. Moral to that story is DO NOT USE REGULAR LIQUID DISH SOAP IN THE DISHWASHER. ( and it didn't even get the dishes clean on top of that)!!!

This next week has to be better.   I will keep you posted.
Here is another freebie pic. As far a I know it is in the public domain since it was painted over a hundred years ago. I think it is pretty. I really like Edmund Blair Leighton. If he were alive today he would be painting covers for romance novels. When I look at his work, they start my mind creating a story around the pictures, even if I don't know who the subject was. He loved medieval and Regency subjects. And I love his work.

Anyway, here it is. Enjoy it and maybe make something pretty with it.
God bless all of you.
Mary

QUILTING FEVER ~ BLOGGERS' QUILT FESTIVAL ~ SPRING 2011

2011-05-18T21:16:00.003-05:00

OK, I am joining the BLOGGERS' QUILT FESTIVAL . http://amyscreativeside.com/2011/05/13/bloggers-quilt-festival-spring-2011/
There are ove 500 beautiful quilts at the above link.
Here is my entry ~ Barbara's Choir T-Shirt quilt.
I finished it 4:30PM this afternoon. Needless to say my fingers are tired and sore. Barbara is a really nice, patient (considering she has to wait a lot on me) lady that found me several months ago at a little shop down the road from where I live. Barbara had a stack of t-shirts from family reunions that she wanted made into a quilt. That one finished, she brought me another stack of shirts from music competitions during her son's school years. This quilt is going to her son's choir teacher as a gift. It will probably be hung as a wall hanging or go over the back of a sofa. These quilts are the only t-shirt quilts I have ever made. They were challenging to put it mildly. I included a picture of Barbara with her last quilt.

Thanks to Barbara for the challenge of making the quilts. Here is a pic of the family reunion quilt.

Thank you for taking the time to stop and look. God Bless you all.
Mary

REBECCA'S GIVEAWAY AND FREEBIE PRETTY POST CARD

2011-05-14T09:55:00.000-05:00

Rebecca over at "A Gathering Place" is having a give away tomorrow ~5/15. I slipped up on this one. I didn't find it until last nite and was too tired to do any posting. So here we go. Rebecca has some of the prettiest Cottage Chic beauties have ever seen. She is an inspiration to anyone who loves to create beautiful cottage chic items. Above all though, she is a beautiful Christian 'lady'. Her blog is an inspiration to find comfort in. So before this day is over, hurry on over to Rebecca's "A Gathering Place", check out her giveaway !! It ends tonite Sun nite 5/15 at 11pm central time.

I am not certain I loaded the button correctly, so, I am giving you a link too.
http://rebecca-gatheryeroses.blogspot.com/2011/05/romantic-cotage-sachet-giveaway-just.html
Just to be sure you can hop right on over to her site.

Here is something new I am going to start doing ~ giving away a freebie vintage picture today. I have collected ever so many.
You may use it how ever you like. As far as I know, it is in the public domaine.

It is called "The Windmiller's Guest" by Edmund Blair Leighton. I love historical romances and I think a really good book could be written around this picture. Have any of you ever been inside one of these windmill's before. I got to tour one in Michigan many years ago. They are so beautiful and romantic to me. Especially when set in a field of tulips. I have always wanted to tour Holland too!!
So much for today! Don't forget Rebecca's giveaway. Have fun with this picture.
God Blessings on you and your families.
Mary

MAY DAYS

2011-05-08T15:59:00.001-05:00

I can not believe it is a whole WEEK into May now. Mother's day has come and the next holiday is Memorial day. (For me atleast!!). I don't handle Mother's day very well any more. My mother died in April of 2005. For the 5 years previous to her death (and 5 years after my father's death in 2000) I worked for Walmart. A blessing (it was close to home) and a disaster (frankly I can't stand walmart any more and I rarely shop there ~ only as a last resort). WalMart believes that they are more important than family members, or any one else or anyTHING else. When Sam Walton was alive they CLOSED for holidays. Now they are open 24/7/364 days a year. Christmas day is the only day they are closed !!! (Even NASCAR doesn't race on Mother's Day!!) And frankly I believe that WalMart will in the next 5 years or so be open on Christmas Day. I was the phone operator at our store. Worked days 7-4. According to the WM handbook an employee was supposed to get atleast 1 Sunday a month off. That's a joke. Unless you were one of the privileged few that kissed enough ass to have EVERY Sunday off, you ended up working every Sunday. The first year I worked there I worked every holiday and every Sunday. Needless to say I am not accomplished at kissing ass (must be the red hair and temper!!) I ended up working every Mother's Day but 1 the last 5 years Mother was alive. I found out I had to take a vacation day and apply for it months ahead to get that day off. Don't get me wrong I did not mind working my fair share of holidays. When I worked at the hospital, I worked every Christmas ( I felt it was only right since I didn't have any children to play Santa to.) I didn't mind rotating the holidays the rest of the time. But working EVERY holiday just really pissed me off. I guess it is the guilt of working the last Mother's days my mother was alive and her sitting at home alone while I worked that really puts me in a somber mood on Mother's Day. I think if I had it do over again, I would have walked out of that job long before I did. WalMart really does NOT care at all about their employees. Frankly I think they believe in slave labor (must be why they love China and other similar countries so well and use them to produce their merchandise). The only reason I go to a walmart any more is because I can not get the merchandise I want or need ANYWHERE else. period. My motto is "ANYWHERE but there".
I hope that all of you that still have your mothers (or the person that acted as your mother) went to see them today if at all possible. At least call them. Talk to them. One day the only way you will get to talk to them is to meet them in heaven.
Mary

WEDDING BELLS

2011-04-30T13:18:00.000-05:00

Now all of you know what I was doing at 4:20 AM Friday morning. Just like a couple of billion of my closest friends we were all watching every moment of the Royal Wedding. It really did have all the elements of a fairy tale wedding. The prince, the beautiful maiden (a commoner), the delightful attendants, all the parents and grandparents looking on, a beautiful church rich in antique heritage, herald trumpets, the clergy in robes that rivaled the wedding party. Everything you could ask for in a fairytale. I wish this couple a long life, happiness to balance the heartaches of life, children (atleast the 'heir and a spare'), and a love that will sustain their marriage. I think William read some of the books about his parents' marriage. He took his time and tried to make sure (from all appearances) that he had the right partner for his life. I think Kate tried to do the same. I know some folks have been very critical of them dating and breaking up and living together for periods. William has seen the very worst of what destruction and heartache a bad marriage can bring, not only with his parents but his uncles and other realitives. I think from some interviews I have read of him, that he had rather not marry at all than to go thru what his mother went thru. In my oppinion Charles should have never married Diana. That marriage never had a chance because of him, period. But that is another rant for another day. I hope this couple will change the fortunes of royality and prove that fairytales can have a happy ending. God Save the Queen!

THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD GO I

2011-04-28T17:45:00.001-05:00

Once more I spent the day watching weather radar and checking ABC3340's weather blog. Then I would switch to the NWS National Mosaic to see how much was still to come from the far reaches of Mississippi that shares ALL their bad weather with their good neighbors is Alabama. The radar yesterday reminded me of someone standing on the Mississippi river and throwing a hand full of pingpong balls across the state at us. That is what supercell storms look like on radar. And they just kept on coming. I got up at 5:30AM Wed. morning and heated left over coffee in the microwave (yes I do like it that way and it also means I have coffee to drink while I am making a fresh pot). Besides waste not, want not. About that time the tornado sirens went off outside. I zipped over to my computer and turned it on to see the radar. I can read a weather radar as well as the weathermen can and I know exactly where I am on the map. I started buttoning down the house, closing windows and waking up my hubby so he would be awake incase we were blown away. I unplug important electrical stuff (computers, tv's, SEWING MACHINES, etc) when the lighting comes. I have seen (my brother's house) what a lightening strike can do to electronic stuff. The only thing I don''t unplug is refridgerators and stoves and washing machines. The radar looked like a squall line of storms and about 10 min later the power went off. I was able to shut down my computer first though. The storm lasted about 30 min and I read a book. The power was off for about and hour and a half. Then I started watching every 30 min to see how the radar looked the rest of the day. I was watching the internet (I don't have TV any more, too expensive for the trash on it). There was some damage from trees etc. I was also watching when the tornado hit Tuscaloosa. Saw that monster live destoying everything in its path.

If you would like to see the videos of the storms yesterday go to http://www.abc3340.com/ and clik on home or weather they have about 20 of the storms themselves and the destruction. The one thing those pics prove YOU ARE NOT SAFE ANYWHERE. It destroyed stores, homes, court houses, hospitals, roads, EVERYTHING in its path. Today 24 hours later they are still finding bodies, and injured, and have not even been able to search everywhere even with National Guard help. We were lucky. The supercells, 2 of them, one went just north of my home by a couple of miles and one stayed in the air as it went over the top us. Literally over the top. Even the national weather service station at the airport 4 miles from my house abandoned their station to seek saftey. Just the grace of God that that storm stayed in the air. I was, for the first time in a long time, terrified in a storm. Today around my home the air is clean, the birds are singing and all seems right in our world, but not all that far from me people are worn out, hurting, trying to find their loved ones, to pick up the pieces of their homes and their lives. They look in the pics to be shell shocked like casualities of a war battle, and the pain won't end in a day or two or even months. They have no homes, no belongings left, just nothing but splinters and tattered dreams. May God have mercy on their souls, and comfort them. Please say a prayer for all of the people touched by those storms yesterday, not just the ones in Alabama. Folks as far away as Michigan were hit by tornados yesterday. They all hurt, physically and mentally.

This is just a sample of the damage. (Not near me, Thank you Lord.) This was in Birmingham or Tuscaloosa, I am not sure which. Wednesday April 27, 2011. A day we will add to the other horrible weather days we remember the rest of our lives.

Be safe, all of you. Mary

A BLESSED EASTER

2011-04-24T18:08:00.000-05:00

On this most Holy day in the Christian world, I would like to wish all my visitors a Blessed Easter. May God's richest Blessings bought with the precious blood shed by our Saviour, Jesus Christ, to wash away our sins be with you and your family and loved ones on this day.
Mary and Don

STORMS AND BANNERS

2011-04-15T19:16:00.000-05:00

Well, here we go again with tornadoes, this time just a couple of miles from the house. They just keep getting closer it seems. On a brighter note, I am still sewing. More banners listed on ETSY.

I have had a real problem getting a good pic of these banners. I just don't have a contrast on a wall to shoot them. I really have had fun making these. The banners work fast and I am getting better. Just goes to show, use it (your skills) or lose it. Well it is thundering again so I will sign off for now. I always shut the computer off when it is storming. See ya'll later. Mary

WISTERIA AND ROMANTIC BANNERS

2011-04-13T11:34:00.000-05:00

Well, I guess some of you have wondered if I dropped off the face of the earth. I think maybe I have been hiding away. There have been some problems in my little world lately, but I think the worse are getting worked out.

It is truely spring in Alabama right now. The wisteria has already bloomed and once again I did not get pics of the countryside and the town of Montevallo with the wisteria in all its glory. I wish they would breed a variety that would be in bloom for more than a couple of weeks. It does not last longer than 2 weeks down here. That is sad, because I think it is the most romantic blooms in the world next to roses. Here is 3 stock pictures I found for those that follow my blog from other parts of the world.
I have started crafting ~ again~ maybe this time it is going to work out for me. I love to sew. I am happy at a sewing machine or with a needle in my hand creating something pretty. I saw some banners or flags or bunting on line that I liked. But most were made from printed card stock or burlap ???, I mean really ~ burlap?? that's not very romantic to me (just my opinion). So I dug around in some stacks of rosy fabrics and trims and this is what I came up with. These are the first two I have finished and am going to list these on ETSY today.

I am happy with these. I wanted something very romantic and that would flutter in the breeze whether it was outside or just close to air ducts or a window.

I used ribbon to make the letters and attached them with hand sewn beads. Some of the fabrics and ribbons are vintage so are the laces. I hope these sell. I enjoy making them. That is important if you have to do a lot. Ya'll be sure and check all three of my ETSY sites over the next couple of days. On Marys FabricNStuff I am going to post some fabric visors that we used to sell tons of at outdoor shows. These are adjustable and soft to the head yet the brims don't wilt down. And you can toss them in the washing machine and dryer and they come out looking just like when you bought them. They are limited in supply because I can't get the interfacing I used in them. It was like compressed quilt batting that had a firm hand and the stiffness did not was out. I used to get it in 40 yard rolls from the manufacturer and they don't make it any longer. It was made in New Jersey( or in that area). I guess the Chinese didn't want to continue making it when they bought them out. Another GOOD product bites the dust because EVERYTHING has to be made ANYWHERE but in the US. I wonder if the 'powers that be' will ever understand what that is doing to us. Then again maybe that is what they intended for it to do all along. Destroy the US. Guess I will get off my soapbox now and get these things listed on ETSY.
I hope all of you are doing great and I wish God's Blessings on each of you during Lent and this Easter season.
Love ya'll, Mary

SUNNY DAYS

2011-03-20T06:49:00.001-05:00

What a difference a week makes. Today the sun is bright and WARM. No snow in the yard and no threats of snow in the yard. It actually makes you think of spring cleaning, warm weather, washing windows ~~~ all kinds of weird stuff. My sister-in-law is back in Alaska.
I am working on a quilt for a lady. She had a bunch of T-shirts from family reunions she wanted cut up and used in a quilt. I have made quilts for years, but this is the first T-shirt quilt ever. I have learned one lesson ~~ ALWAYS make sure the shirts are of similar sizes. These shirts ranged from children's shirts to men's 2X. As many shirts as I handled when I worked in soft lines (clothing) at WalMart I never notice a extreme difference in the size of the image between XL and 2X and forget about children's sizes WOW ~~ Live and learn, die and forget!! Anyway it actually came out rather nice.

I actually wrote the above paragraphs several weeks ago. I never posted them and finally decided to today. Words have never been as prophetic as those. When you think about the things that happened in Japan. Steals your breath away. I have been listening to Japanese TV feeds on the internet. To THEIR tv. What THEY are being told and are telling the world. It makes a person want to drop to their knees and pray. Their lives, their culture, their children's lives have been changed for all time in the blink of an eye. They have problems (lost families, lost farm land, lost factories, lost jobs) that will not be solved or even handled for decades, if ever. They are a small string of islands, with a very limited amount of farm land to sustain their economy. It doesn't sound that important on the surface. When one thinks of Japan, they do NOT think of farmland. You think of factories, cars, electronics. NOT food production. But Japan was very efficient at growing food for themselves. The earthquake and tsunami (and probably the nuclear plant) have destroyed some of Japan's most fertile and productive farmland in the islands. The before and after pics are staggering. This will have a profound effect on their economy, probably forever. For all their planning and building of sea walls and buildings, nothing stopped or even slowed down this disaster. Japan was so much better prepared for this. We don't stand a chance when it happens to us. Our own citizens will be our destruction. Look at the things that happened in New Orleans with Katrina. There has been NO looting in Japan. People have remained calm. Have helped each other over and over. Have shared with each other. Looked after the elderly (instead of trying to destroy them to get them out of their way). They have been POLITE and considerate of each other. Instead of trying to grab everything on a grocery shelf, they left things for the others behind them in line. It was unbelievable when I remember the pics from New Orleans. This country could learn a whole lot about how the react in disasters from the Japanese. In case you are wondering if I have any attachments to the Japanese. The answer is NO. My Uncle Jack was on the "New Orleans" in Pearl Harbor on Dec 7,1941. He survived and went on to retire from the Navy 25 years later. I have never been fond of the Japanese, but I am truely impressed by them and the way they have treated each other during this disaster. May God have mercy on them. They are going to need it to survive the future.

10 DAYS

2011-02-19T09:36:00.000-06:00

This has been a crazy 10 days. Sometimes it seems like everything that could go wrong, does. Money is tight with us on a good day. On a bad day it gets right down scary. Projects we thought would ease the $$ problems fell through. All of which leads to depression. The problem with depression is it paralizes the mind. It is like novacaine. You can't think, therefore you can't make anything happen. I just wanted to let you all know we are still here, hanging on by the bare teeth. I can't even get into my ETSY accounts. They changed the sign on screen and the card I have for the sign on and password is hiding from me. I managed to get Rose cottage up, but I am still having problems with Fabric's 'N Stuff and Southern Gothic Whimsy. Oh well. I am even having problems with Farmville (one of the games I play) on facebook. It just doesn't end.
I hope everyone has a nice weekend.
God Bless You,
Mary

SNOW KEEPS FALLING ON YOUR HEAD !!

2011-02-09T19:55:00.000-06:00

Well to paraphrase an old song ~ Snow flakes keep falling on my head. My little neck of the woods finally caught up with the rest of the world. We have snow falling. Right outside my back door !!! Oh my gosh it is really snowing. Right on time. Exactly as the weathermen ( and women) said it would. Give the folks a hand. They got it right this time. Right now there isn't ice out there. Well not yet. Part of this is melting ~~ But not all of it. Big ole fluffy flakes. Finally. While the rest of the world has been getting snow since Christmas ( and I mean as close as 10 MILES from us), we haven't gotten nary a flake ~ just ICE. Here are pictures as of 7:30PM CST in central Alabama halfway between Montevallo and Alabaster.

You can even see the flakes without enlarging the picture. I told you all something like this would happen when my sister-in-law Mary Eliz. got here from Alaska.

She always brings crazy weather with her. I can hear her now saying "You have more snow than Alaska does" !!!!
The day she flew in it was colder here than it was in Wasilla Ak. They really have not had much snow this year and what has fallen has been melting rather fast with weird warm up's they have had. Probably means that when it should be getting warm there in May and June it will probably be snowing. Have to just wait and see.
Til my next post with more pics.
May God bless you.
Mary

Deja Vu ALL OVER AGAIN

2011-02-03T14:23:00.000-06:00

Well, here we go again. Sunday Don was walking around in the yard in Bermuda shorts and today we have ice on the deck and no one is going out the door. Thank goodness I had the get up and go to go to the grocery store this morning early instead of waiting til lunch time to do it. Didn't have to get much, mainly Advil and toilet paper, but I would have been hurting without it. And news bullentin here, my sister in law, Mary, from Alaska is flying in Saturday (that is if her connecting airports in Minn. and Atlanta are open). I can promise you that we will have weird weather while she is here. One winter when she lived in north Alabama, every time she came down between Christmas and Easter it snowed. Didn't matter what the weatherman said it would do, it snowed. By the third visit and I got up early that morning and looked out and guess what?? snow on the ground, I called her mom to find out what time she got there. It was supposed to be sunny and WARM that day and low and behold the snow didn't melt. Of course, in the summer time it usually means hurricanes and tropical storms. The first date she had with my brother we had 4 tornadoes hit the area. Should have known then what we were in for. I love her to death and wouldn't trade her for anybody, but she does have this weather thing. Oh, by the way yesterday was their 37th wedding annivesary. That day (the day they got married) was sunny and 70 F and we were wearing high neck, long sleeve blue velvet bridesmaid dresses. I nearly melted. In a pudddle.
I will keep you posted about the weather and Mary's visit.
God bless us all.
Mary

I WON A GIVEAWAY !!!

2011-01-28T09:49:00.000-06:00

I won a giveaway!! Imagine my surprise. It has been years and years and years since I won anything. I am one of those people that if there were 3 people in a drawing,I would be the last one drawn. Always !! When we were doing craft shows and they were giving away door prizes Mother would win all kinds of things. She truely had the luck of the Irish even though she was mostly Scottish. I have entered all kinds of giveaways on the blogs. I never come close. I was floored to see a comment on my blog entry telling me I had won Lorena's giveaway over at Rose Chic Friends (http://rosechicfriends.blogspot.com/ ). My prize arrived Thursday and it is beautiful. The pics do not do it justice. She painted the beautiful roses on a paper doily and added rhinestone hearts.

And as pretty as the heart pocket is, it is the little fan that I adore. I am a hot natured person living in the South, where it is hot 3/4 of the time. I carry a little fan with me all the time. Now I have a beautiful fan to take to church with me. It will fit right in my small handbags that I like to carry on Sundays. I am going to give my friend Rheba one of the tags. She loves cottage chic as much as I do.

I have this $1.00 bullentin board hanging over my computer. One of my favorite finds at the thrift store because it is so big and fits right in that space over my monitor. Now I am going to have to decorate my board to go with my pocket. Trust me, that beautiful pocket will hang there way past Valentine's Day. Thank you Lorena so very much for drawing my name. You have boosted my flaging spirits so high during these dreary winter days.
May God Bless you and your loved ones.
Mary

STITCHIN' CRAZY

2011-01-22T20:13:00.000-06:00

I know that lately I have been rather pessimistic and down. I guess it is after Christmas blues. Just to let you know that I can finish something, here are pics of a little sachet I made recently. It was a gift to go with a purse I sold.

Just a little simple thing that only took a little bit to make. Maybe now I can finally get in the groove. I am working on a pillow top that I started a long time ago. I didn't like the center part ~ a ruffled lace heart outline and a lot of ribbon work. I have gotten it out and looked at it and then put it back up. Finally I just ripped the ribbon and lace out. I had done a lot of ribbon work, but I just couldn't stand to look at it. I found a vintage pic of a lady with flowers that I had printed off on fabric and I have tacked it down and now I have decided how I will decorate it. I am not kidding when I say I have spent a lot of time looking at it. I have an ottoman in front of my recliner (that doesn't recline any more, but it is a Lazyboy and VERY comfortable to sit and sew in). Any way I put the piece on the ottoman and left it there for the last week and just looked at it when I was reading books or watching movies w/ the hubbyman. I have finally reached a decision. Now we will see if I can execute what I have in mind. Here is the now pictures and I will post the after picture in a couple of days

This is only the basic stitching. I have put a few beads on it so far, but a whole lot will follow. While I was taking that picture I decided to photograph some finished pieces, 2 of the first crazy quilt pieces I ever did.

I don't remember why I strip pieced them. I have never been able to put them up for sale. Several people have wanted to buy both of them but I just couldn't let them go. Funny how you can bet attached to some things. Sometimes I know there is a flaw in a piece and I want sell it. I have a handbag like that. I made a mistake with one of the straps and turned it wrong. I guess no one would ever even notice it, but I do. When Mother and I were sewing for shows, sometimes I would hit a piece like top stitching something, I just could not get it right. After ripping it out 3 times I made it a practice to throw it away and quit working on it, because after 3 times I would never get THAT piece right. I would waste too much time trying to fix it and could have something else finished and ready to go in that same time. Well that is it for tonite.
God Bless each of you.
Mary

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

2011-01-20T15:15:00.000-06:00

Wednesday I joined a new group. A Yahoo group called Crazy Quilting International. A bunch of ladies get together on the internet and share their love for crazy quilting. While I have always admired crazy quilts, and have been doing floss embroidery since I was in Vacation Bible school in when I was in the second grade age group many moons ago, I had never really tried my hand at crazy quilting until I went to work at Hancocks fabric in Jan. 1997. There was several ladies there that loved to crazy quilt and there were books that HF sold on ribbon embroidery and crazy quilting. About that same time I joined crafters choice book club. They had lots of books on crazy quilting and silk ribbon embroidery. I was totally hooked. About that same time I also found that I needed stronger and stronger glasses and different glasses to see different things at different distances. I bought bifocals (spent $200 on them) and still couldn't see anything period. Went back to my eyedr and he said probably the best thing was to buy over the counter glasses in different strengths for different projects. That worked. I have glasses for the computer (175's) and glasses for reading and sewing (275's). They cost $6.00 a pair at Dollar General stores and I probably have a dozen pair now scattered all over the house where I work and read. This system works perfect for me. I simply can't adjust to bifocals. Anyhoo, back to crazy quilting. This group does show and tells, round robins, challenges and all sorts of things. That has led me go get out my unfinished projects.
Before my mother died in 2005 I spent all of my none working time with her which meant a lot of time just sitting across the room from her since she was house bound. She hand quilted baby and lap quilts, almost as fast as I could get them put together and basted. She could finish a baby quilt with lots of figures to be quilted in a couple of days. She was the fastest neat quilter I have ever seen. I would pin and baste 6-7 quilts on an off day and she would finish them for me to bind in 10 to 15 days. Just sit in the den and watch FoxNew network, talk to Aunt Mary on the phone and quilt and quilt and quilt. So while she was quilting I was designing quilts and doing crazy quilting. And then I would go to work at Walmart for 6 hours (7-1:30), pick up groceries and fabric on my way out of WM and go home and sew. That was her life and my life. We didn't do anything else except go to the doctor or the hospital 3 or 4 times a year. Now I THINK I can finish the CQ pieces I was working on when she died. I put them up because of the memories associated with them and MAYBE now I can finish them. Some times it has been hard to look at them. I made mother a vest with lots of needle work on it. It was her favorite clothing to wear. When she died I took it apart (the back and the lining) and was going to resize it so I could wear it. She didn't want to be buried with it. She said there was too much work on it to put away in the ground. In 5 years I have finally managed to cut out the lining and back panel to fit me. Mother had a dowager's hump and I had made it to fit so it hung right plus I am larger than Mother was.

My mother and I both loved purple. She loved cats. I like cats. There is a difference. Anyway she and I loved fan patterns. I haven't sewed it up yet. I may add some stitchery just to make it my own.

The initials I did here are the prettiest I have ever done. This is one time I can say they came out perfect.

I have to get this finished so it can be worn. I have too many things packed away never to be seen. Mother did too. I found lots of memory pieces hidden away in boxes and trunks that she never got to enjoy. Toward the end she complained about that and told me not to do it too. To get my stuff out where I could enjoy it. That is another New Year's resolution for 2011. I will have all my stuff unpacked either sitting out or sell it this year. I have over a 100 teapots I have collected and most of them are still packed up from when I moved 5 years ago. I am too old to leave them packed up. It is now or never. Teapots or crazy quilting. It either sees the light of day or some one else will get to look after them.
God bless each of you.
Mary

SUCESS ~ OLIVIA IS FOUND

2011-01-17T15:31:00.001-06:00

The lost is found. I want to thank Mariette, Gloria, and Tammy. You all helped to find my missing blogger. As soon as I hit her site I knew I was on the right one. I also saved pics of the beautiful lace wreath she had on there. I can't wait to show it to a friend that doesn't blog, or cruise the internet. She is a cottage chic fanatic. I will have to make some new pics of her house for all of you to see. She is an inspiration to me, especially since she lives in a double wide mobile home like I do. They are hard to 'go cottage' than a regular house, especially when trying to hang pics and shelves. But I am getting side tracked here. Thank you all so much for taking the time to find her and to leave a comment on my blog. I put a link to her blog in a button on the right 'Olivia's Romantic Home'. Check her out, she has some great crafts and recipes on her blog.
Thank all of you again. It never ceases to amaze me how friendly and helpful all of you are, and that you take time out of your busy lives to read (and comment) on my blog. I feel closer to you all than I do some of my family.
May God shed His Blessings on each of you.
Mary
PS: Today the sun shines, you can walk around in shirt sleeves and NOT slip and slide on ICE. Thank you Lord.

OLIVIA'S ITALIAN CHICKEN

2011-01-16T22:11:00.000-06:00

I have a problem. A week ago I found a recipe for Italian Chicken on a blog, copied it off, left a comment on the blog saying I was going to try the recipe and now I can't find or remember which blog it was. All I know is when I saved the recipe in microsoft Word I named it Olivia's Italian Chicken. I want to find the lady and tell her how GOOD the recipe is. Good enough that my husband that doen't really like pasta dishes has declared we will have the dish atleast once a month. Believe me, for him that is a 5 star recommendation. He loved it and since I have never met a pasta I didn't like but have been dieing without pasta dishes since we got married (because he doesn't care for pasta) I would love to hug her. The dish was fantastic. It was easy to fix. It was rich. It reheated well (we both had it again the second day and I had the last of it the third day). Shoot just him allowing for leftovers was something. He doesn't like leftovers. I have talked to the wives of 2 other special forces men and they said their husbands didn't like leftovers either. I wonder if it is a special forces thing or something. I am getting off the track here. I found the recipe and put it in word on Jan. 10 just a week ago. I don't think the recipe was blogged that day. I think the lady had a lot of recipes on her blog, but I may be wrong. I don't know, other than the background of the blog was white (I think) and the type was black, and she had a picture of the dish in a glass (I think) 13x9 bowl. I am going to post her recipe because of comments she had at the end that someone might recognize.

Italian Chicken

6-9 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 Env. dry Italian salad dressing mix

1/2 stick butter

1 8oz cream cheese

1/3 c white wine (or Port)

4 sliced mushrooms

1 can cream chicken soup

1 t. chopped chives optional

1 t. fresh garlic optional

Melt butter in skillet. Sprinkle salad dressing mix over butter, saute chicken in butter until brown. Place chicken in a 9x13 pan. Add to the skillet drippings soup and cream cheese. Blend thorough. Add the mushrooms, wine and chives. Heat until bubbly and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. Serve over rice or cooked noodle (I choose noodles, but rice would be good too!)

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve on your prettiest rose dishes!

~Cottage Hugs~Anyhoo, the end result tasted good! I love to taste until the point of being full by dinner

She was right about the noodles, even my hubby thought noodles instead of rice.
If anyone can tell me which blog it is and the lady's name I would really appeciate it. I want to thank her from both of us for a dish we REALLY did like.
I did learn one lesson though. Always copy and paste the web address with anything you save. I have spent the weekend wading through blogs trying to find Olivia. I have atleast a dozen folders with blogs listed in them, 'Blogs I Follow', 'My followers Blogs', 'Etsy Cottage Style', etc etc. I guess I try to keep up with too many, but they are all so interesting. I like the people and I like to read about them and their worlds and thoughts, and families and crafts, and collections etc etc. I love it.
Olivia if you read this please comment. I want to talk to you.
God Bless all of you.
Mary

WEATHER, VAMPIRE HUNTERS, AND GHOSTWALKERS

2011-01-12T14:44:00.001-06:00

Since the sun is shining outside for the first time in nearly a week I decided to use yellow tones for my type today. The sun is shining even though up the road about 30 miles they had fresh snow today. The temp won't even get above 32F (right now at the NWS office at the Shelby County airport 4 miles from my home it is 29F). Since it is almost 3pm I don't think it will make it to 32F. I am tired of worrying about the weather, I am ready to do some thing else.
I have been reading a lot lately. Christine Feehan had a new book come out right after Christmas and of course I was first in line for it. That lady has not written anything I didn't enjoy. I have never liked vampire stuff (still don't) but she has a series of books about vampire hunters (her 'Dark" series) that I have just loved. The lady creates characters that seem real and you would want to meet and get to know. Her books follow the lives of the characters and overlap into the next book (although each book will and does stand alone) so you don't have that feeling of wondering what happened AFTER the end of the book. I really like that style of writing. It's kind of like finding out if Scarlett really did get Rhett back in 'Gone with the Wind' and not having to wait 50 years to see. Anyway, 'Ruthless Game' (the latest in the Ghostwalker series) was top notch mile a second action that I read almost in one sitting. I fell asleep about 30 pages from the end. Needless to say I finished it the next morning before I even made the coffee. If you like high adventure, romantic hunks, and leading ladies that DON'T faint until kissed by the hero, then I recommend Christine Feehan's books. You can start with any series she writes and enjoy them all.
I guess you can tell I am suffering from cabin fever when I start giving book reviews and advising about authors, but it has been that kind of a week. I have also been doing some crazy quilting too. And cooking.
So from here the frozen Southland (the low tonight is supposed to be around 10F) ~ God please Bless us and please keep the heat going.
Mary

ICE AND NO SNOW

2011-01-10T11:07:00.000-06:00

Well, the storm came just like they said it would. At 2:34pm Sunday I saw my first snow flakes. Unfortunately, that was just about all the snow I got to see. Within 10 minutes it started sleeting pellets the size of BB's and a couple of hours later freezing rain. And that is all we have had. I had rather have snow, atleast it is pretty. So far no power outages for us. I have only heard 2 rescue units go by. We live about a 1000 feet from a major highway with mostly pasture and forest between us and the road. It means we can hear everything that goes up and down the road, according to ALDOT about 8,000 to 9,000 cars and trucks and rescue units a day. That's pretty good for 1/8 to 1/4 inch of ice out there. The temp is sitting right around freezing right now with no sunshine in sight before Tues or Wed. So I guess the ice will stay for a while. As long as we keep the power I will be happy. If we don't, I will endure. Hope you all have a happy day and God bless all of us.

From iceland, Alabama
Mary

SNOW ~ ICE ~ AND OTHER WEATHER

2011-01-09T07:55:00.001-06:00

Well after days of waiting and preparing the time has come. As far as the forecast goes, my little plot in the world is sitting on the line between heavy snow (1-8 inches) and 1/4 to 1/2 inches of ice. Personally I will take snow. I have NO plans on leaving the house from after lunch today until Tuesday and possibly Wednesday. All I pray for is the power to stay on. If we keep power we will survive like fat pampered cats. I really and truely feel for all the police, fire, EMT's, and hospital and ambulance folks that HAVE to be out in this stuff. Been there, got the shirt, the pins, the hat and the hurting joints. I worked in a hospital ER (only as a clerk/aid) thru some of our worst snow and ice events. Been hauled into work (when it was my off days) in an ambulance and police car (my only trips in either one in my life) because they needed more help. I told them then if they wanted me they had to come get me. Darn if the didn't send a police car to ferry me part of the way and an ambulance carried me the rest.LOL I didn't mind going into work but I WAS NOT driving my car on snow and ICE. We had about 6 inches of snow with ICE above and below the snow. My Mama and Daddy didn't raise no fool and my insurance man would have killed me. I ended up staying at the hospital that time 4 days before I got to come home. It was unbelievable how many people managed to show up in the ER when if you didn't have chains you really could not get around the hills here. Another time when I was working in ICU one of the RN's and I started home at 11:30 PM and it was barely spitting snow and the weather men said that was all it should do, so they let us go home. Martha and I still laugh about that trip. I only had 6 miles to go and she had 4 more past my place. We got about 4 miles from the hospital and it was snowing so hard the windsheild wipers couldn't keep up. I was the passenger so rolled my window down and stuck my head out to see if I could see the side of the road. We made it to my place, she dropped me off at the mailbox (we had a long driveway ~ this was out in the country) and she decided to keep going. I wanted her to stay, but she went on. She did make it home. That was in APRIL of 1980 or 1981. We got about 4 inches of snow that night and the next day my Father and I went out in the horse pasture and took a picture of me standing with snow way up above my knees and holding a sign saying "APRIL IN ALABAMA". He sent it to his WWII B-17 co-pilot that was born and raised and lived near Detroit, Michigan. He always teased Daddy about the sunny hot south and how Daddy had never seen a REAL winter. I wish I had a copy of that picture. It looked like I was standing in nearly 30 inches of snow because the winter grass was already so high and the snow was laying on top of the grass. It was the latest snow central Alabama had ever had.
Well, according to the weather service (NWS-BHM) the low has formed in the Gulf off Texas just like they said it would. It is already moving into Mississippi. The cold air is in place (it went down in the low 20's last nite) and now we wait and see. As long as we have power I will keep you posted here and on facebook (look for Mary Albrethsen) with updates and pics.
May God have mercy on us.
Mary

SOUTHERN CUSS WORDS

2011-01-07T19:05:00.002-06:00

Well, the weathermen (and women) are using those 4 letter cuss words that start with 's' and end with 'w' and have had the nerve to add a new one with 3 letters that starts with 'i' and ends with 'e'. If there is ever a single word that can strike fear in a southerner's heart it is 'ice'. Ice in the south means people getting hurt, power outages, falling tree limbs on cars and houses (and sometimes even people). I can deal with snow. At my age I just stay inside and look out the windows and take pictures from the front door and the back sliding door. I don't go out. Ah, but 'ice' ain't no fun in the South. People keep on thinking they can treat it like rain and get out on it in cars and trucks. Just 'cuz you think you can go ANYWHERE in a 4 wheel drive DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN ON ICE ! ! ! Now our power lines are underground in our little community, the main power lines out on the highway are on wooden poles that break when that 4W SUV hits them. And there goes the power. This is the first major storm since I switched from a propane stove to all electric. I wish I still had my propane. If you can keep hot food going even if you don't have heat, and you will survive. I just could not afford all the set up costs for propane when I moved the doublewide. It also means my gas fireplace does not do anything but look pretty any more. So I will make sure all the jogging sweats are clean, and the heavy socks. I have plenty of battery lanterns, candles to heat the fondu pots of soup and pre-made coffee that I will set on my useless electric stove. Battery radios will keep us connected to the outside world.
I had to stop writting and go with Don to the store (Walmart) and do my best to keep him from buying Coleman stove (I explained we didn't have a covered deck to cook on, therefore, the deck would be covered with ICE and we couldn't go out to cook, hence no need for cook stove). We have a gas grill sitting out there already that we won't be able to get to for cooking because of UNCOVERED deck. LOL This is his first experience with ice in Alabama. Where he is from snow and ice are common everyday occurance and he just doesn't see why I get stessed out over it. That is why I have bread, peanut butter, Pringles, KFC chicken, Vienna sausages, cookies, deli turkey breast, etc.etc. and will make a couple of pots of coffee that we will only have to heat.
This AM when I started typing this blog they were predicting 4-6 inches of snow/ice. Now at 6PM they are saying 6-10 inches of snow/ice and maybe more ice than snow. Experience says that they will either be VERY right or it won't do anything. We had that once. They kept saying we were going to get inches of snow and NOTHING happened here but further south (Montgomery and south) they got 8 inches of snow. In Alabama you NEVER put money on the weather forecast.
Now to all you sweet folks that prayed for my Aunt Mary, I have an update. I finally was able to go see her Thursday. I had talked to her every day but this was the first time to see her. She has a fantastic shiner and a few stitches where she lost the fight with the door handle to the pantry when she fell. She getting up and walking in physical therapy (aided, NOT alone yet). I took a pic of her so you all can see her. She will kill me if she ever finds out I posted it on the internet, she didn't have her teeth in or any makeup on. She had just gotten her hair fixed and her nails look great, so she was partially happy.

I think considering surgery and stitches and her age, she looks great. She is ready to go and doesn't slow down talking. She seemed in good spirits. So far so good. She likes to be around people and has never met a stranger so in that respect she seems happy. I hope so. She said the pain pills have made her sleep good and she was happy with that. I printed off your comments and took them to her and read them. She was thrilled that folks from New England and other parts of the states and one lady from Singapore took the time to pray for her and write a note to someone they had never met. It made her day. I thank each and everyone of you for your time and prayers. They mean a lot to her and to me.
I will keep you posted on her journey and the weather.
I did not realize until I got home that I never took a picture of the vest that I made her for Christmas. I hope Sheryl will take a pic with her phone so you can see it. It came rather nice even if I did the work and design on it. If Sheryl takes a pic I will post here.
May God shed His Blessing and Peace on each of you.
Mary

HOLDING MY BREATH

2010-12-29T18:49:00.000-06:00

Those of you that have followed my blog have heard me talking about my Aunt Mary. She was or is my Mother's only sibling. And she is the last of that generation in my family. She was 89 on her birthday last September. She is mostly blind with only limited vision but in really good health for her age. She only takes 1 bloodpressure pill a day and an arthitis pill once a week. Pretty good for 89 in this day of MD's prescribing med for any ol' reason.

This picture was taken when Don and I got married June of 2009. She has had 2 birthdays since then but still looks the same. She goes once a week to get her hair done and every 2 weeks to get her nails done. My aunt has been a good Christian her entire life and faithful worker in her church.
This past Friday, Christmas Eve, she was in her kitchen and fell and broke her leg at the hip. They pinned it Sunday morning and today she was transfered to a rehab facility to get back on her feet. So far she is doing pretty good with only a couple of periods of confusion. She hit her head and had to have several stitches on her face, so we are holding our breath that the injury won't cause any later problems. I guess we are really concerned about that because her mother did almost exactly the same thing and never knew she was in this world again til she died. When Grandmother got hurt and had all the Alzheimer like symptoms I wasn't satisfied with the MD's just blowing it off as dementia or regular Alzheimer's. I was with my Grandmother when she fell. We were getting in the car to go Christmas shopping and she lost her balance getting in the car. The surgeon said the leg broke and then she fell because of the type of break it was. My Grandmother was talking to me when she fell and she had never had any signs of any kind of dementia. I kept hunting ( I worked in a critical care unit at the time) thru the medical magazines and books and asking questions until I found an article a doctor had written about "traumatic onset Alzheimers" . It is real and it is caused by a head injury. Needless to say, we are scared to death of history repeating itself. Please join us in prayer for my aunt and for my cousin, Sheryl. Being the only child with only her mother left, she has the immediate responsibility for taking care of Aunt Mary. Right now those two need all our prayers and support.
May the Blessing of Our Lord be with each of you in this New Year.
Love,
Mary

BLESSINGS OF THE SEASON

2010-12-25T19:49:00.000-06:00

TO ALL OF MY FOLLOWERS AND VISITORS ~

MAY THE BLESSINGS OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR BE WITH YOU DURING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.
MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM MARY AND DON

MORE LAST MINUTE

2010-12-22T21:40:00.000-06:00

Well the vest is coming along. Today I laid out the red roses (her favorite color and flower) and started the background ribbon and embroidery.

I tried the roses with no extra colors and with yellow and blue flowers. I think I will stick with the red roses and other red flowers and will add some blue beading with the green and red beading.

I have done the background embroidery and used straight pins to hold the bulky flowers in place. I will not sew them on until I sew the vest together. I am pretty good at hiding the stitches and not going thru to the lining, so I don't worry about that.

I am holding down the ribbon with green seed beads and using a varigated green embroidery floss and my favorite stitch - the feather stitch to spread out beaded flowers and buds.

I have a collection of embroidery hoops. Some of them my mother and grand mother used 80 years ago. They are the best, made with strong wood and brass screws. They may never fall apart, atleast in my life time. They weigh more than the newer cheap hoops that fall apart and the rivets fall out that hold the screws. They (the newer ones) are just chinese garbage. My older ones were made in England and the US back when people made things to last and were proud of their products. I guess I need to get off of my soap box and get back to work.

Tonight we went to church. We had our Christmas service and communion. It was done in candle light and was so pretty. It was just a simple service of carols and special music. John Tidwell played his guitar and sang some lovely carols. He has such a beautiful baritone voice and plays classical guitar style. He is a local disc jockey at 97.7 The Peach in Chilton county (our neighbor county). Chilton is renowned for their peach crops and rival Georgia in production. He did the music at our wedding last year and brought tears to my eyes when he sang "Annie's Song" by John Denver. That is such a beautiful love song. Anyway, he always provides beautiful music at our little church.
After the sevice we gathered in the kitchen and OD'ed on sweets and lots of out of this world food. We have one lady that has a catering business and she always brings such scrumptious food. All of the ladies are really good cooks and of course being Baptist we all try to out do each other in a friendly rivalry. As Don says: 'It makes for some fantastic food.' He never wants to miss a meal at church. I guess this is all for today. I am going to get up in the morning and finish the vest.
PS they are using that 4 letter 'cuss word' that starts with s and ends with a 'w' for Christmas day. That would really be something. I have only seen one White Christmas in my life and I had to fly 5000 miles to Alaska for it.
Merry Christmas to all and don't forget the real reason for the season. Our Lord and Savior's Birth.
Mary

THE LAST MINUTE

2010-12-21T14:51:00.000-06:00

I am going to try something I have never done on a blog. I am going to show you how I work. Some background first.
My Aunt Mary is 89 years old. She has a very comfortable income and can buy anything she really wants. She is partially blind (limited vision), but that is her only health problem. She used to be easy to buy Christmas presents for because she would try any craft and usually master it. She loved to read, collected cookbooks, loved to cook, entertain and travel. Now because of her limited vision she mostly watches (or listens to Fox News tv) and talks on the phone. Her only trips are to get her hair done once a week, and her nails once every two weeks (nail polish really does stay on her nails that good, I can't keep it on 24 hours without chipping). All of this has really made it hard to figure out what she would like and use when getting her Christmas presents. We have already gone thru getting the talking clocks, oversize tv remotes, talking watches, talking phones that tells you who or what number is calling, cuddle blankets, lap quilts, bed quilts, everything Alabama football and Braves baseball, a cd player with favorite books on cd etc. She loves vests. I have made her vests for every holiday, Alabama vests, Braves vest (paid a fortune bidding on 1 yard of braves material on EBAY). I have beaded some of her vests. She really likes that. I have never made her a ribbon embroidery decorated vests. I don't know how I missed that one. Every year I have racked my brain for something for birthdays and Christmas, I just missed that one completely. This is the year. Of course I didn't think of it til the last minute and for some reason I have been so lethargic (that is the only word I can think of that covers the way I have felt about Christmas) this year. So this is going to be a last minute thing. I spent almost a week just plotting this vest out in my head and FINDING the fabric I wanted to use. It seems there is ALWAYS the big hunt for the fabric especially since I have hundreds of yards of fabric. So just for the next couple of days (I have to have this ready by Christmas Eve), I am photographing everything I do to make this vest. Wish me luck because I KNOW there will be things I want to use that I will not be able to find.

So here are the first pictures. I finally found my pattern that fits her. And finally found the black brocaded rayon fabric I wanted and the black batiste to back it for the embroidery. I have it basted together so it won't move around too much. I used a beading needle to baste with (really slides thru the fabrics easy) and pink thread so I can find it to rip it out.
My next entry will show the layout of the design. Til then say a prayer for me that I can keep it together and stay on the project.
Mary

GIVEAWAYS, SNOW AND CHRISTMAS

2010-12-13T12:05:00.000-06:00

Today the sky is clear and oh so verrry coooold. For Alabama the high outside my front door is supposed to get all the way up to 32F. Oh that is sooooo warm LOL. It looks sunny and warm but oh it isn't. The weathermen are still saying we will have a chance for freezing rain by Wednesday morning. I hope not. Alabamians do NOT do well with freezing rain or ice. And on top of that it has been years since we have had any. The nitwits here think it is just clear snow. I will NOT leave my house period. Having broken a wrist when I was in college on ice I know better. I may be hard headed but not THAT hard headed. It hurt. I can still remember it propped up on pillows in my grandmother's bed with blankets draped over it to keep it warm. It hurt. That was the last time I ever remember the doctor coming to the house. It was January 1966. Brother have times changed since then. I wasn't even doing something silly then, I was standing still watching for traffic and my brothers were up the street at the top of the hill waiting for me to give the 'all clear' so they could make a run down the hill (five blocks) on their new sled. I gave the signal and turned to watch them and my feet flew out from under me and I landed on my left wrist. The sad part was I was a music major at Samford University and my major instrument was the viola. Now you can see the significance of breaking the left wrist. I never had a decent vibrato again.
Oh well the twists and turns of life. That is all I will say about snow today. And ice.
Now about giveaways. Heirloom Gypsy is have a delightful giveaway. Some keys, a pinafore (beautiful), a silver spoon ornament and vintage crochet trim and lace and last but not least a demitasse cup and saucer. So hurry over and get your name in the pot and check out all the other pretties she has. The button is in the upper right hand corner and here is a link http://heirloomgypsy.blogspot.com/ .
Now about Christmas. As you can see from my Christmas countdown widget above it is less than 2 weeks til Christmas. I was out Saturday morning about 10 AM and there was hardly anyone at the grocery store or on the road. I guess the hard financial times have every where. They have hit us, for sure. We have to be careful with penny. This year I am sending out Christmas cards and not buying but a couple of gifts. I have the stamps left from last year and the cards, too, for that matter. I like to stay in touch with friends and relations that live far away. We rarely see each other any more except at funerals. No more of the visits atleast once a year like when I was young. Most of us are getting too old to travel much on our own. And oddly enough the ones of us left don't have hardly any children to take us places like my parents did for their parents. Hadn't really thought about that until just now. My husband never had any children, I don't have any children, most of my cousins in Tennessee don't have any children. Weird how so many of us never even married or married late in life (like I did at 62), yet all of us were raised old fashion to not have children without benefit of marriage. I guess we are a literally a dying generation. Well so much for the pensive thoughts for this time of the year. We must remember what this season celebrates. The birth of our Lord and Savior.
THAT is the MOST IMPORTANT THING. THANK YOU, GOD, FOR SENDING YOUR SON.
Mary

SNOW AND GIVEAWAYS

2010-12-12T13:36:00.002-06:00

Today we have snow flurries falling in Alabama. Now I know all you folks that live in REAL snow country (including my brother in Wasilla, Alaska) are rolling on the floor laughing at some one getting excited about snow flurries . OK go ahead and laugh. I laugh too. My husband (who was raised in snow country and has lived most of his life in snow country) is not laughing. In fact if I utter THAT 4 letter word he gets upset and threatens to move us to Florida. I have tried to explain to him that Miami Fla has had snow before and not so many years ago. He just gets madder and said we would go to Arizona and I explained how the pilot of a Delta plane I was on pointed out all the snow on the ground as we flew over Arizona one time and showed him a calendar picture of snow in Arizona. I think maybe I am not the only person in this 2 person household that has red roots in their hair. He does have a red headed temper when this red head points out things he does NOT want to hear LOL LOL. Oh well I also went on to point out that the weatherman is predicting freezing rain and/or sleet for Tuesday nite and the last time we had freezing rain here was 1993 when we had 17 (that's right I said SEVENTEEN) INCHES OF SNOW on top of several inches of ice (freezing rain) and the power was out at our place for 12 DAYS. We are so OVERDUE for snow and ice here in Alabama. It actually frightens me with what we COULD have since we are so overdue. Usually we don't go but a couple of years without a snow that sticks to the ground. It really isn't much fun in Alabama when it snows or ices up. Folks down here don't know how to respect snow and ice. And they sure don't know how to stay at home and OFF the roads. We don't have that many sanders and salt trucks and NO SNOWPLOWS!!!! The only people that get around even marginally safe are folks with 4 wheel drive and they don't really know how to get around on the ice that is usually under it all.
When we lose our power it is usually because some fool hit a light pole on the road. I guess I should go and try to calm down my hubby and try not to upset him too much with the gleam of snow in my eyes every time I look out the window. And NO, none of the flakes have stuck but if you look real close in this picture you can see a few flakes flying by. LOL

NOO, those white dots on the picture are NOT lint on the lense of the camera!! And stop laughing so hard. I have enough to put up with listening to my husband !!! LOL LOL
On a better note I also wish to remind every one that Lynn at Teacupstitches is having one last giveaway this year on Christmas eve. So click on her link and get your name in the pot. She has some pretties to give away and what a Christmas present to your self if you win.
So for now I need to go get the shovel out and shovel up the THREE big snow flakes that fell LOL.
May God bless each of you.
Mary

LESSONS AND CAROLS AND THRIFT SHOP FINDS

2010-12-06T16:12:00.000-06:00

This past week has gone by in a blur. I honestly believe 'they' have figured out how to speed up the passage of time. That is what my mother believed and I think she is right. Yesterday was Sunday dinner (a monthly affair) at our church. The food was yummy and the folks were pleasurable. Last night my hubby Don and I went down to the American Village to participate in "Nine Lessons and Carols" in the chapel at the Village. The music was heavenly and the service brought home the meaning of the season. In case any of you have never attended such a service, it follows first the prediction of Christ (in the old testement) thru the birth of Christ in scripture and song. It was so beautiful. The chapel at the village is styled after a similar colonial church with high back wood pews with no cushions at all. Now I know why women of that era wore dresses with lots of petticoats and skirts. Those pews were HARD. My hubby said next year we will bring our own cushions to sit on LOL. Even his rear end was feeling the effects of sitting for an hour plus. But it was worth the SLIGHT discomfort to be there. They had a reception with refreshments afterward. The hot cider they served was SOOOO GOOD. I asked one of the hostesses if she knew which brand it was and she said it was plain apple juice and RED HOTS (THE CANDY) !!!!I am going to have to try to make some. It was the first time I had every had hot cider and I really did like it.

On a trip thru our local thrift store I found a 'gone with the wind' style lamp for the whole amount of $6.88 and 30% off of that. It is a beautiful lamp. It is frosted with a white stenciled motif of roses on both top globe and bottom. There are several place where some of it is scratched off but I don't care. Several years ago I had to sell some of my precious three tiered and antique lamps to pay the mortgage. It broke my heart to sell them, but keeping the house was more important. I have one small one left that is a real antique and is pink. I will NOT ever sell that one. It may not be worth as much as the others were, but it is the only one I have left. Here is pic of my thrift store find. $5.oo dollars is not bad for a pretty lamp and IT WORKS !!!
Well, I guess that is about all for today.
Hope all of you are well and may God bless each of you.
Mary

HOMETOWNS

2010-11-27T09:31:00.001-06:00

Today I have been cruising blog world clicking on links at other folks blogs, I guess you could say just prowling around. The one thing I usually look at on a blog is the hometown of the blog. It is amazing to me that some blogs don't give you a clue where they are located while other blogs incorporate their location in the header or background or name. Well in case any of you wonder where I am, here it is. I live in Montevallo Alabama in the central (almost dead center) part of Alabama. My little town is almost 200 years old. We have a national Veterans Cemetary here. We have a beautiful University here (University of Montevallo) that started out nearly 200 years ago as a womans teaching school. In fact it was 'all girls' unitl some time in the early 1960's when it went 'co-ed'. I didn't live here then. We (my family) bought property here in 1974 and moved here in February 1976. I was born and raised in Birmingham (East Lake section) so moving to Montevallo was moving (35 miles) way out in the country to us. The first week here (I was still working in B'ham) I was pulled over by police for not stopping for a school bus. I had stopped (on a four lane road) but since there were no kids on my side I went on. Right in front of a police man. Dumb huh??? He said "lady, you stopped, why did you go on?? I said why not ?? There was no one on my side?? He said where are you from??I said Birmingham, we just moved down here last week. He very patiently explained the laws about school buses and asked don't you have school buses in Birmingham?? I told him no, we ride the street cars (we really did).At that time there were no "school buses" in B'ham. He gave me a warning and let me go and told me he had better not catch me failing to "stop and stay put at a school bus" again. He really was very nice and could have given me a stiff ticket.
Anyway, I have decided to put a button or widget or pic (whatever) on my blog so folks will know where I am located. I wish more people would. I like to visit other place (towns and countries) and since I don't travel much anymore I have to do it on the "web". Here are a few pics of places nearby.

All are within 5 miles of my house. This is the American village. You can visit them at http://www.americanvillage.org/ and if you are ever down here it is a beautiful place to visit in person.
Well, I was going to add some pics of the area, but blogger is acting up and won't let me. I will show more pics later.
For now May God keep you Close.
Mary

THE DAY AFTER

2010-11-26T17:43:00.001-06:00

Now is the day after. The turkey (breast) was cooked, cut up and eaten. I started cooking at 10 AM and called Don to dinner at 3PM. For all that cooking time, it took us 17 minutes to eat dinner. Next time TV dinners !!! The meal was really good (even if I did cook it). Don liked it. It got his "Heinz 57 " approval. I was so tired I couldn't move. I baked a pie (pumpkin of course), made mashed potatoes, cooked peas (NOT canned), gravy, a olives and pickle tray, and a turkey breast. Doesn't sound like much, but I sure was tired. So now we start the race to Christmas. Forget Black Friday. I DO NOT leave the house the day after Thanksgiving. I worked 5 years at our local Wally World, answering the phone. I would not go near any store, but especially WM the day after Thanksgiving. People are crazy. I can tell you that the prices ARE NOT WORTH THE TRIP. I saw people steal other peoples carts, take stuff out of other peoples carts. It was unbelievable. I really don't think you could pay me to go near the places. So to all you folks that got up at midnite to go shopping. TAKE A NAP!!! and repeat after me "I will NOT do this next year !!" Amen
God Bless you (and your sore feet)
Mary

THANKSGIVING DAY

2010-11-25T18:09:00.000-06:00

Today is Thanksgiving. No matter what our current circumstances we all have something to be thankful for. I am thankful that God led me to my husband Don. I am thankful that my brothers and their families are all healthy and together. I am thankful that my Aunt Mary is still alive and able to live by herself at nearly 90 years of age. I am thankful for my friends. I am thankful for realitively good health since I no longer have health insurance. I am thankful for the military people that protect our Nation and our way of life and for the sacrifices they are willing to make to keep us free. I am thankful for their families that live with the constant fear for their loved ones safety while protecting us. I am most thankful that I can worship my Lord and God without fear. I am thankful that Jesus died on a cross to forgive my sins.
Thank you Lord.
Mary

THANKSGIVING WEEK

2010-11-22T19:48:00.000-06:00

It is now the week of Thanksgiving. I am trying to get more crafted items ready to post on ETSY. Trying to get some cleaning up done. Do some cooking mainly pumpkin pies and oatmeal cookies. I would rather have homemade cookies than any other kind of desert. When I can I like to add things such as raisins and dried cranberries. Since I discovered dried cranberries I am hooked. I hope the oranges we ordered from the FFA kids comes in this week. I would love to make the cranberry orange relish my grandmother used to make. It was soooo goooood. I will try to post the recipe some time this week.
The weather is almost hot again. There is no need for jackets in the daytime. We have a chance for showers Tuesday and then rain and storms Wednesday and Thursday. Good ol' November weather. It really hasn't been too bad this year. Somehow I still keep waiting for the other weather-shoe to fall. We have not had our regular stormy weather like usual.

On the craft front I have put together some lavender sachet with hopes of doing special orders for wedding, Christmas favors, showers and such. As usual I can't just put lavender in the bags, I decided to change the ribbons and of course I had to make them longer to tie pretty bows.

I am also working on more strawberry pincushions and sachets. It has really been a job to get to where I can start decorating them, but now the assembly line is chugging along. More to come.
Have a nice night and God Bless you.
Mary