Show and Tell

my heart's desires... and... a true friend

Today is Saturday, February 18. It's been a low-key kind of day. Not a lot going on. Except it's quite warm (well into the 60s!). We went on a walk this afternoon — just one mile. Ken's been practicing his golf swing and apparently tweaked something in his knee, so at about 1/2 mile he had to keep taking breaks. Needless to say, I was OK with stopping earlier than we planned. I'm a little frustrated that I'm doing most of the right things in the eating department and exercise department and am still tubby. Kinda makes you wonder why in the world you're knocking yourself out. However, people keep reminding me that I was taking steroids for months and I can't expect instanteoous results. Sigh.

While we were out walking, Ken pointed out another couple about our age or a little older who were out for a walk. I don't know them, but Ken does and said that the woman was diagnosed with a serious cancer a couple years ago and is now doing really well. Those kind of stories are so encouraging to me. I'd like to see grandchildren. And... not just see them, but live long enough that I can do things with them and watch them grow. That's what I'm praying for.  

 

Here is some scripture for today.

Psalm 37:3-4

"Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires."

What more can I say? I've told you — and I've told the Lord — what my heart's desires are. Now we sit back and watch what He's going to do.  

 

This was a very easy card. The die-cuts and stickers did almost all the work. 

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Such an easy, easy card. Anyone can do this one. The butterflies are a pre-printed 12" die cut that I just cut apart and glued on in rows. The sentiment is stamped on a self-adhesive frame that I popped up from the butterflies, just to give it a bit of dimension. And that's pretty much it! Easy, peasy. 

AND TELL:  stamp is from Papertrey Ink (Fillable Frames #11); cardstock is PTI (Stampers Select White); ink is Stampin' Up (Garden Green); also used die cuts from Martha Stewart (Butterfly, Cherish Labels - White).

That's all for now. Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with another card for you. It's a gorgeous day here and I hope it is where you are, too. Thanks for stopping by and I hope to "see" you tomorrow, my friend. :) 

hope of the world... and... wonderful friend

Today is Tuesday, January 17. Yesterday was a holiday, but today was a work day. So, I went to work for awhile, but since I didn't have a lot to do... and since Kris was still here (she left this afternoon to go back to California)...and since I forgot to take a lunch for us... well, it seemed like cutting out from work to visit our local McCallister's Deli was in order. :)

I've been forgetting to tell you something. Over Christmas break, Ken and I made the decision that I would resign from the Weekday School and spend more time enjoying life. In part, it was a hard decision. I've been working there since 1995, director since 1998. It's a special place and I love all the staff, the parents, and, of course, the kids. But in part it was an easy decision. I had actually been thinking for over a year that it was probably time for me to move on... but, you know... it's sometimes easier to just carry on with what's comfortable. So now Ken and I plan to do a little traveling between chemo treatments. I'll have more time for crafting and maybe can even get some of those unfinished projects around the house done. And — the best part and the reason that I can leave the school in good conscience, is the lady who I've been working with for all those years — the other director — has been asked to take the position of sole-director... and I know she'll do great. It does my heart good to see that the committee had the wisdom to continue with what has been working instead of feeling like they needed to bring someone in from the outside. I'm leaving the school in very good hands.

 

Here's a short scripture verse for today.

Matthew 12:21

"And his name will be the hope of all the world."

Don't we all need hope? Then we should all trust in Jesus because He is the hope of all the world!

 

I don't think I mentioned that Sara Gwynn and Doug came over for dinner last night. Well, to be truthful, they came over and we took them (and Kristine) to Bricktops for dinner. And, since we were at Bricktops, we got to see Ian while he worked. Kind of a bonus. :) 

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This is the card that I made for Doug and Sara Gwynn. It was the first time I had used that Bloom Builders die (#3)... and I think I like it. :)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Fancy Flourishes, Round & Round); cardstock is Stamp Up (Pixie Pink); patterned paper is Sassafras Lass (Mix and Mend:  Fancy Free) and a pink/flower scrap; ink is Memento (Tuxedo Black) and Versamark; rhinestone brad is Recollections; also used a PTI die (Bloom Builders #3).

This is me, Sara Gwynn, and Kristine at our house before leaving for dinner. I have these metal letters that slide into grooves on a wooden track. I like arranging the letters to make little messages. This one says, "My girlfriend's back". 

You know the song, "My boyfriend's back..."? We tweaked it a bit and made a "My girlfirend's back" sign for the dining room. And we sang the song. And, yes, we had a ton of fun and laughed a lot, too!!

I think I forgot to mention that we cut back on the steroids again. Since I was at 1mg a day, the way the doctor had suggested that we drop down further is to go to 1mg every other day. So, that's what we've done. I had 1mg on Sunday, none Monday, and 1 today. Tomorrow we'll be back to none. And so forth. We'll see how it goes... so far, so good. 

Well, that's it for today. I definitely need to get ready for bed... it's after 11:00. yikes! Thanks for stopping in for a bit. I'll try to be back tomorrow with another update tomorrow. Hugs to you!

friend

Today is Sunday. It's September 4. 

I've had breakfast and lunch... and a few snacks. :)

My biggest problems from yesterday are mostly resolved... or at least not as bad. So that's good. And I attribute that kind of thing to not just the medicines, but to the prayers of you good people. So -- thank you so much for your faithfulness!

Ken & I went to church this morning. Actually, I'm not sure that we've missed since being diagnosed with a brain tumor. Maybe once. But, what do I know? I'm the one with the tumor! :) Anyway, so glad to go to the house of the Lord each week! It's always a spirit-lifter. Since it's Labor Day Weekend in the U.S., our pastor talked about what the Bible has to say about work and about what a Christian work-ethic should look like. Such great reminders to carry Jesus and His ways with us throughout each and every day and in everything we do.

For today's scripture (just one verse today!), I'm taking us into the New Testament.

2 Corinthians 7:10

"For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death."

It seems to me that the world often tells us that we don't need to be sorry for our bad behavior. We're a people who can really get into justifying every little thing we do... every little thing we say. Is that really right? I mean... I know that we can easily also go the other way into self-condemnation -- and that's not good or Biblical either -- but justifying bad-behavior is wrong. And it keeps us from repenting. And repenting (being sorry and changing our behavior) is what will bring us closer to God. That is why we need to say things like, "I'm sorry"... "I was wrong"... "Please forgive me." And not just to each other, but to God, too. And, of course, we need to mean it. And, I think that's where prayer comes in. My prayers tend to be... well... just me talking to God. Kind of like I'm talking to you. I just lay it out there. And, when I finally shut up, I'll many times "hear" Him -- or get an impression that could only be from Him. It might be a feeling of peace. Sometimes it's actual words that pop into my head. But since they're coming after my out-pouring to Him, I figure they're a part of a conversation. And that's pretty cool -- to be loved like that. And, you know what? God loves you like that, too. He may just be waiting for you to truly seek Him -- for you to start the conversation. How about today? It's as good a day as any!

So -- we actually have plans for tonight. Our cul-de-sac (and beyond) is having a potluck get-together and we're planning to go for at least a little while. Ken's got our standard take-to-a-gathering-dish ready to bake... "Grandma's Company Corn." Should be a fun evening! (Sorry... I thought I had the recipe for the corn casserole on the blog but I can't seem to find it right now. Guess I'll have to keep looking.)

Now let's move onto a crafty thing. 

 

Just another card today. I've been going through the most recent Stampin' Up catalog and am making projects using current stamp sets that I already own. I figured that was another good way to make sure that I'm not wasting my money by buying things that I don't use. :) 

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I also figure that it's good exercise for my brain. And I'm kinda all about beefing up my brain these days. :) But... now that I look at this card again, I'm wondering if I haven't made one almost like it before. haha. So much for a beefy brain! :)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Stampin' Up (I {Heart} Hearts); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Rustic Cream); ink is SU (Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip, Early Espresso, Marina Mist).

Well, it'll be time to head into the street soon. I maybe oughta take a nap before having that level of activity and stimulation!

I hope your Sunday has been fabulous so far... thanks for spending a bit of your time here with me! Enjoy the rest of your day... and I'm sending you hugs!

Lucky

that's me. Well, if I really believed in luck, I guess I would be lucky. Blessed would be a better word to express how I feel. Great family. Great friends. Yes, I'm blessed.

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I made this card for my friend, Ann. When I think about her life I can see so clearly how much the Lord loves her and has blessed her — always providing for her needs and for so many of her "wants", too. Since she loves the Lord, too, she's so inspiring to be around. And, besides that, she's just plain fun. When we're together we laugh and laugh and laugh. Gotta love a friend like that!

But, of course, I'm not her only friend so not only did I make a card for her — but I made another card just like it for her to give to one of her other friends as well. Spread the love around, you know?   

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Luck of the Irish, Tags for Spring); cardstock is PTI (Rustic White); patterned paper is an assortment from my stash; ink is Stampin' Up (Pear Pizzazz, Pink Pirouette, Taken with Teal, Basic Gray); buttons are PTI (Simply Chartreuse, Sweet Blush); twine is PTI (Rustic Jute); stickers are from October Afternoon (Farm Fresh Collection); also used a 1-3/4" circle punch from SU and PTI's Double-Ended Banner die.

Ann and I had dinner together last night. Ken was out of town and I needed to get Ann her jewelry order so it only made sense to make an evening of it, right? One of our favorite restaurants to go to has a great cappuccino that we usually enjoy after dinner.

 
I love the little rock candy stirrer that comes with it. It provides just the right touch of sweet. And we know that I like sweet. :)

Since we're talking sweet, how about another recipe that I served at the jewelry party? This one is so easy that it's ridiculous. Easy and tasty — with just a touch of sweet, too.

 
Brie Bites in Phyllo Cups — from Family, Friends and Food, find the post here. These are so, so, so easy that I may just start keeping these little cups in the freezer for when it would be nice to be able to pull out a fancy snack for unexpected company.

That's it for now. Thanks so much for stopping by today. Hope to see you again soon. :)

Sweet Friend

I have lots of sweet friends, but I made this card a few weeks ago for a sweet friend from Curves who surprised me on a Friday afternoon with this:

 
I know that it is probably counterproductive to discuss yummy goodies when you're working out, but Sara Gwynn and I often have conversations about various sweets — mostly about where you can get the best cinnamon rolls in town. This one happened to be from (surprise!) Costco and hod lots of brown sugar crunchiness mixed into the filling. Mmmm. So, of course, I needed to make a sweet little thank you card in return.

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I added a little shine to the cupcake's icing by stamping it first with pink, then stamping on top of that using a glue pad, and sprinking ultrafine glitter on top of the glue.

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (On Ice, Everyday Classics); cardstock is PTI (Kraft, Stampers Select White); ink is Stampin' Up (Creamy Caramel, Pretty in Pink, Real Red, Early Espresso); doily is from Martha Stewart; ribbon is PTI (Sweet Blush satin); gemstones are from my stash; also used Creative Memories corner rounder, a glue pad, and Martha Stewart crystal ultrafine glitter. 

OK. I've spent about 30 minutes writing and deleting — and then rewriting and deleting — a personal update on what's been occupying my time and it just comes out whiny sounding. And nothing bad has been going on. Just lots of mostly work stuff to sap my energy away. It's not physical work — just mental work. Why is that so exhausting? I must have a weak mind. haha.

So, I think I'll just end this here. Hope things are going well for you — and thanks so much for spending a little bit of your time here with me! 

I get by with a little help from my friends

How true is that? Before I get to today's card, I just want to thank you for visiting — and for commenting, whether it's just once-in-awhile or regularly. I sort of think of this blog as a conversation and when you leave me comments in response to something I've written — like how you declutter your stamp sets... or that you don't...  :) — well, it just makes my day. Sometimes I have the time to respond to comments and sometimes I don't — but I do read every single one and smile and think warm thoughts of you, my friend. So — thank you very much for taking the time to come visit. You're one of the friends who helps me get by!

SHOW

You may see a lot of old Stampin' Up sets making appearances here for awhile since they're all still in the middle of the floor while I decide what to do with them. I think this is the first time I inked up either of these stamps — and I like them. I think this set is a keeper. There's a simple open heart image in the set, too, and I used it on a card that I'll post later this week. Is it possible to have too many hearts or flowers?  

AND TELL:  stamps are from Stampin' Up (Sage Advice); cardstock is SU (Rich Razzleberry) and Papertrey Ink (Lavender Moon, Rustic White); ink is Memento (Tuxedo Black); ribbon is from Michael's; colored with Copic markers(PTI's Lavender Moon trio plus YG03, G24, and the colorless blender).

I'm almost done with the Flylady 31 Day Beginner BabySteps. Yesterday was Day 29. Things really seem to be winding down, as it is looking like the tasks lately have to do with becoming familiar with the website. I guess that makes sense. There has been a lot of information and stuff to do over the past month. Stuff that has to keep being done, like, everyday — so I think I'm glad that she's not still throwing things to do at me! :)

Anyway, on Day 29 you're supposed to set a time to do the weekly pampering mission. I'm actually pretty good at pampering myself, so I probably don't need to be encouraged to do so more — but I thought I should take a look anyway. :)  This week's mission involves "pampering your ears" by listening to music you like with the purpose of just relaxing and enjoying it. I often have my iTunes songs or one of my Pandora stations playing while I'm doing other things (cleaning, creating, reading blogs...) — but it's more than just background noise to me. My playlists are filled with Praise & Worship songs, so I often find myself pausing to have my own little worship session. I gain so much peace and comfort from Christian songs that I rarely listen to secular music. To me it's an application of Philippians 4:8:  "...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things." 

I think that's it for today. I plan to be back tomorrow with more cards. Thanks again for taking the time to stop by!

Hydrangea Friend

I love hydrangeas. I used to have a gorgeous one on the side of the house. This year I noticed that it has bit the dust. Hmmm. I'll have to investigate that.

In the meantime, I have a hydrangea card that was made for our stamped image swap at stamp club. This was the first image that I tackled. Truly, I was putting all of these cards off this year. I didn't really care for any of the images and it looked like they were all going to require coloring. Eeewww. I'm not all that good at coloring (yet) so making these cards was not something I was looking forward to. I was inspiration-less. But — once I got going they all turned out OK. In fact, I really liked them all. I shared one yesterday and showed how I got around coloring it. Now, here's today's card. 

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I know that it kinda looks colored, but I didn't use a marker or a colored pencil on this one. I simply used a paper towel that had been tapped on my ink pad and gently rubbed onto the image. Easy and non-threatening. Just what I needed it to be. And, can I say, I was delighted with how it turned out? So soft and pretty!

AND TELL:  main image stamp (?), sentiment stamp is from Papertrey Ink (Mixed Messages); cardstock is PTI (Stampers Select White) and Stampin' Up (Bashful Blue, Sahara Sand); ink is SU (Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery) and PTI (True Black); ribbon is from Michael's; also used SU's Square Lattice embossing folder and Scallop border punch, Cuttlebug's Tiny Tags die, Scor-pal, and a Martha Stewart butterfly punch.

I thought maybe you'd like to see all the hydrangea cards that were returned to Sheri, the owner of the hydrangea stamp.

 
Didn't they all turn out great? 

So, yesterday I attended the funeral of my friend's mama way down in South Carolina toward the beach. Like a good little blogger a took a few pictures to show you. The little Presbyterian church had beautiful windows. And, it was a little church. Maybe 24 pews total — 12 on each side of a center aisle — each one filled with people who love the DuBose and Wilson families.

The service was so sweet and God-honoring. Just the way Fannie Louise would've wanted it to be, I'm sure. 

Of course, there was good southern food and fellowship after the services.

All those people standing in the kitchen area were there to serve. And the food. Oh, my. The line formed on the left and went on both sides of the kitchen counter area then turned to the salad tables you see in the picture with the gorgeous fresh flower arrangements (coincidentally featuring hydrangeas). Then there was another station with tea and another with desserts and coffee. I had the most delicious squash casserole that I have ever tasted in my life. Then at the dessert table I chose a piece of coconut cake that was so scrumptious. The church had a cookbook for sale. If those two recipes were in there it would've been worth every penny of the $25 price. I should've looked.

And then, the scenery. We didn't travel on a single interstate highway. It was all back roads.

And my friend Debbie, who drove, was so cooperative to stop the car so I could take a picture or two. We just don't see Spanish Moss like this in Charlotte.

Kudzu, yes. Spanish Moss, no.

I don't have much to report on the Flylady front, since I was gone most of the day and was pretty tired when I got home. Yesterday was Day 8 for me. Beginner Baby Step Day 8 says to find a 3-ring binder and put some notebook paper in it — which I did last night before I went to bed. Then I remembered that it also said to write something on the notebook paper, but since I couldn't remember what it was and I'd already turned off the computer for the night I decided that lightning probably wouldn't strike me if I waited until today to do that. :)

And, to prove that I'm a total goof-ball sometimes, I took a picture of myself before leaving yesterday morning. If you're following my Flylady journal here, you'll notice that I did actually wear the dress that I put out for myself the night before. And I do agree that putting a little thought into the wardrobe the night before saves time in the morning. Who knows how many dresses I would've gone through and how badly I would've trashed the bedroom that morning if I hadn't decided on everything (including undies, shoes, and jewelry) the night before.

Well, whew. These sure get long when I post cards, Flylady, and personal stuff! I don't blame you at all if you skipped through all of this!

Hope you've had a blessed Sunday. I'm off to do a few things now. See you tomorrow with another stamp club card. Thanks for stopping by! 

Play, wonderful friend!

That's what I've been having fun doing — just playing! Specifically, I've been playing a lot with tissue paper — all inspired by the theme for this month's Papertrey Ink Blog Hop:  to create something that uses tissue paper. What fun!

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So — while I love the bright yellow fluffy center of this flower, it's not really a practical card for sending. Come to think of it, most of the cards I've done lately aren't all that practical for sticking in the mail. Eeek! I drank the Kool-aid! I remember looking at cards on blogs and thinking — "Pretty, but not practical." Now that's me! Yikes! With that in mind, I tried to tone down the fluff factor on my next card.

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Mini Scrapbook Series: Tabs, Blooming Button Bits); cardstock is PTI (Hawaiian Shores, Stampers Select White) and Stampin' Up (Wild Wasabi); printed paper is PTI (Bitty Dot Basics) and Heidi Swapp (houndstooth); ink is PTI (Hawaiian Shores) and Stampin' Up (Wild Wasabi); also used PTI's Large Scallop Border and Flower #2 dies, Stampin' Up's 1-1/4" circle punch, Spellbinder's Nestabilities Circle die, yellow and white tissue paper, and a glittery yellow brad from my stash.

Here it is.

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Well — it's not quite as fluffy, but there's still that big bow and quite a bit of bumpiness. So — I've gone back to the drawing board and I'll show you a very mailable card that uses tissue paper tomorrow. Don't forget to come back! 

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Round & Round, Blooming Button Bits, Mini Scrapbook Series: Tabs); cardstock is PTI (Sweet Blush) and Stampin' Up (Ballet Blue); ink is PTI (Sweet Blush, Hawaiian Shores) and Stampin' Up (Ballet Blue); ribbon is PTI (Hawaiian Shores and Sweet Blush grosgrain); button and rhinestones are from PTI (White & Cream, Lavender); also used PTI's Large Scallop Border and Flower #2 dies, Stampin' Up's Lots of Tags Label 1, Spellbinder's Label 4 die, PTI's Woodgrain impression plate, pink embroidery floss, old sheet music and pinking shears. 

Thanks so much for stopping by tonight! If you're hopping — enjoy all the inspiration that's out there! And, tomorrow I'll show you my practical side. I promise, there is one. :)

friend to friend

Quick card, quick post.

SHOW

 
I'm on a roll with posting and I hate to break the streak, so I whipped this up quickly after work today. A little 4-1/4" x 4-1/4" card.

AND TELL:  stamps are from Unity Stamp Co. (Feb 2010 KOM: Nothing but Blue Skies; June 2009 KOM: Perfect in Every Way); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Stampers Select White); patterned paper is Cosmo Cricket (Material Girl Measuring Up) and several scraps (orange and yellows); ink is Stampin' Up (Garden Green) and PTI (True Black); ribbon is PTI (Dark Chocolate Swiss Dots); button and twine are PTI (New Leaf; Rustic Jute); also used PTI's Rick Rack die and Copic markers for the leaves.

That's it for tonight. Short and Sweet. Thanks so much for stopping in for a little visit! 

Lucky to count you as a friend

That's the sentiment on the front of the birthday card that I'm sending to Kelley. Today is her birthday! Of course, I haven't mailed the card yet so it'll be late. But — oh, well. She'll get a little peak of it here before she actually gets to hold it in her hand.

It also is my second attempt this week at Kazan's Sketch 50 on 2 Sketches 4 You.

 

 

SHOW

 
I know, I know. More of that paper. I tell you — I'm obsessed with it!

AND TELL:  stamp is from Papertrey Ink (Luck of the Irish); cardstock is Stampin' Up (Crushed Curry) and PTI (Stamper's Select White); patterned paper is My Mind's Eye (Confetti Collection); ink is Stampin' Up (Crushed Curry); ribbon is PTI (Raspberry Fizz satin); button and twine are PTI (Hawaiian Shores, Rustic Jute); rhinestones are Kaiser purchased from PTI (Raspberry); also used two Sizzix embossing folders (Snowballs, Dots & Vines).

I can't think of anything too interesting or fun happening in my real life right now. Ken went on a little overnight golf outing so I'm alone until about dinner time today. Lots of free time to make stuff. That's fun!

He's the type of guy who is always volunteering to help the neighbors out — which is a good thing. He's a wonderful neighbor. Sometimes, though, that means that I get to help out, too. Not a bad thing, understand. Just not my default setting. (I'm not proud of that, by the way.) Anyway, our next door neighbors have been out of town and Ken is taking care of their invisible cat and their ferocious German Shepherd. Well, the cat's not really invisible — just cat-like. You know — she doesn't come running when you open the door or anything. I'd never even seen her until Ken was "teaching me" how to do his take-care-of-the-animals job. And the German Shepherd — she's not really ferocious. She just acts like she is. But — last night and today I'm the neighbors' helper. And right now I hear their dog barking like crazy. I think I better put her back in the house — can't have her jumping the fence on my watch!

Thanks so much for stopping by today — and, if you have time, pop over to Kelley's blog and wish her a happy birthday! See you tomorrow!