Show and Tell

Unfailing Love... and... Lovin' Neutrals

Today is Friday, February 17. I think I mentioned that we were going to spend Valentine's evening with our friends Ron and Teri at King's Kitchen. You know I love that place.

Me and my blue-eyed friends. :) I used to be pretty decent at getting the eyes clear of the red-eye glare, but no more. So I gave up and just used the picture as it was.

I've shown you my favorite fried chicken from King's Kitchen before. A couple times, I think. But this is the time I've shown you one of their desserts.

We don't usually buy dessert, but — hey! — it was Valentine's Day! This is the first time we've had King's Kitchen's banana pudding, which they're known for. Delish! And a great way to end our evening with our friends.

 

Scripture for today from the Psalms.

Psalm 36:5

"Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds."

God is so faithful. No matter what is going on in your life, God is there faithfully holding, loving, and guiding you. His faithfulness is as wide as all the heavens... vast and unending. This makes me think of the Third Day song, "Your Love Oh Lord" (video here). What a great song. What a great God!

 

I did something I don't recall really doing before.

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I made a totally neutral card. Usually I'm much more into color, so this was a bit of a departure for me. But a pretty fun one. However, I can't imagine doing this very often. I love color just too, too much. :) 

AND TELL:  cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream); twine is PTI (Rustic Jute); button is PTI (Fine Linen); also used PTI die (Beautiful Blooms #3) and Stampin' Up embossing folder (Designer Frames). 

That is all for today. I've got to get busy on more cards and things so I have more crafty stuff to post. Don't want you getting bored, now, do we?

Thanks so much for stopping by and I'll hope to "see" you again tomorrow. Love and hugs! 

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!

If it seems we are crazy... and hello there

Today is Thursday, September 1. One month ago today I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The poor emergency room physician that had to give us that news. By the look on his face and the tone in his voice when he told us, I'm quite sure it was his first brain tumor. Poor guy.

So -- I woke up in a bit of a funk again. But... this time I did something about it. Not right away, unfortunately, but within a of couple hours. I turned on my iPod (which is loaded with praise and worship music) -- and, do you know, that it may be impossible to stay down in the dumps when you're listening to music that magnifies the Lord?

Hopefully I can remember that... because I'm not remembering a lot these days. And that is very frustrating. Like -- I can't remember the keystrokes to make a long dash on my PC. (Maybe someone can help me there? It just occurred to me that if things were written down for me... well, so far, I can still read...) I know there is more stuff that I've forgotten how to do, but, ironically, I can't remember what they are right now. :) 

So, I'm a little concerned that after just 7 days of chemotherapy and 5 days of radiation to the brain that my memory has become so bad. Does that mean I'll be twice as stupid after 14 and 10 days? And then three times as stupid, and etc? It's a scary thought. I have no shortage of things to pray about! 

Let's get into the Word for a bit...

2 Corinthians 5:13-15

"If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ who died and was raised for them."

Continuing to praise God when going through tough times probably does seem a little crazy. But, here's what I find. Praising God gives me a new attitude. It changes my heart. Makes it happy. And, when I am worshiping Him, it seems like His love enters into me and begins to control me -- and makes me want to live for Him... not for me. And that is a very, very good thing. :)

 

So -- today we had a new adventure. We went wig shopping. My hair hasn't started to fall out yet, but it probably will in a couple of weeks and they say to buy your wig while you still have hair... probably because it's not as traumatic shopping for wigs when your head is still covered. And, guess what? I decided to go brunette! And a little longer. Who knew that browner hair would look good on me. Well, actually... I only tried on two wigs, one blond and one brown and the brown looked better so that's the one we bought. We also bought a few scarves. I don't know how to tie them to my head, but it just occurred to me that I can Google that. And now that I know where the wig store is... well this could be kind of fun. Different colors, different styles... oh, the possibilities. :)

Actually, I think what I've been told is that most people only lose the hair at the point where the radiation goes in... which I think in me is at the top of my head. So I guess I'll look like a man who is balding at his crown. That'll be interesting, won't it? And, since I wear a mask (over my whole head) during radiation that was fitted when I had hair, I'm not allowed to cut my hair or shave my head. I think I'm going to be quite a sight when this really gets going. Good thing that I've never been a hair-focused person. But I may find that my hair is more important to me than I thought. We'll see. (It  seems like I may have told you most of that before... if so, sorry for repeating myself!)

 

Changing the subject again... since there have been questions, I've been wanting to address the topic of what kind of meals to take to families in crisis -- like us. So, I can only tell you from my perspective... I'm sure every family is different and, of course, everyone has different likes and dislikes. Interestingly enough, we, who are pretty picky (well... Ken is pickier... :) ) have been eating everything that has been given to us... even stuff that we thought we didn't like. And, you know what? It's all been great! So -- we either only know great cooks, or we aren't as picky as we thought we were. :)

As far as meals that are easy? They're the ones that are brought hot and ready to eat... and close to dinner time. We have enjoyed having hot, substantial meals. Well... probably I've enjoyed it more. Steroids make your appetite... um... shall we say, hearty? 

Putting the meals in containers that don't have to be returned is so, so helpful. That said, if your favorite dish has to baked in glass to be good... by all means do that. We consider it an honor to eat whatever it is that you bring us. And, Ken is pretty organized and good about things (and he is not fond of stuff sitting around on the counters...), so he'll return the dish as soon as he possibly can. Now... I imagine that most people are not like him, though... so you may want to consider the person and the situation before you send a dish in glass. (But that was an excellent meatloaf baked in Pyrex!)

You may want to consider making your dish for more servings than is needed for the family you are taking it to, and that is easily reheated -- because, left-overs are good. Since there are only two of us, we usually get at least two... maybe three (or even more) meals from each. Which I think is good because it doesn't stress our "food chain" too much (our meals are two days on, three days off). It also means that we have enough for lunches, too.

So -- I know that answer to Tricia's question about what kind of meals we have enjoyed wasn't filled with specifics... but, since everyone's taste is different... well, I guess you just need to consider the family and the situation when taking a meal. We have no dietary restrictions, so that makes it easy to bring us food. And, while we thought we were picky, we have learned to like all kinds of new things. Well, "learned to" is not the right phrase... we have found out that we like stuff that we had never tried before. Funny thing, huh? :) (Hope that answered your question well enough, Tricia!)

 

OK -- now let's move on to a crafty item.

I have a rule... maybe I've mentioned it before. My rule is that I have to use my new stamps before I buy more (from the same company...). And so, since I wanted to get more Papertrey Ink stamps... well, I had to get cracking! 

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I'm kinda liking the contemporary cameo sort of look. :)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Tag-its #5, Iconic Images); cardstock is PTI (Stampers Select White); ink is Stampin' Up (Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink) and PTI (True Black); ribbon is PTI (True Black satin).

 

 

Probably that's plenty for today. Thank you so much for stopping by -- hope your day is going swimmingly! 

 

hello and I'm out of sorts, but surely I'll get better

Today is Wednesday, August 31. The last day of the month. And I can tell you that I'm a little bummed out. I'm tired of having a brain tumor. My attention span is apparently one month long -- and now I'm tired of the whole thing. I'm sure I'll get back to my usual cheery self, but right now I guess I feel like having a pity party and -- lucky you -- you're invited. 

What I want to be doing today is showing kids around their preschool and reassuring parents that their children will be loved and nurtured when they're with us (at school). That's what I want to be doing. Instead I'm taking naps, waiting around for a radiation treatment, and watching a little HGTV. Oh, and snacking. Although the desire to eat seems to have gone down a bit. That's probably a good thing.

So -- I'm kind of tired of the whole thing... and I suppose that's normal and OK. It's just not normal for me and I really don't like to feel sad or out of sorts. So, pretty soon I'm going to take another nap, maybe watch another TV show, and try to get out of this funk. I'm also going to read some of today's scripture from my Bible. Surely that will help.

2 Corinthians 4:15-18

"All this is for your benefit. And as God's grace reaches more and more people, there wil be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

"That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now, rather we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever."

And all of that should be reassuring. And it is reassuring. But I guess that today I am severely out of sorts. 

OK -- I wrote those words a few hours ago... I think it's time to let them soak into my head now. My body may be dying (well, so is yours... all of us are dying from the moment we are living, aren't we?), but that doesn't mean that I give up living. And the way I live my life impacts others. So -- all of this stuff that I'm going through (which, really, is not all that bad... I've just been "having a moment")... it's just for a little while. And it is for my benefit... it'll make me a better me. And, more important than that, my prayer is that you will be encouraged as you sit on the sidelines of my life. :) That you will learn to look beyond your momentary struggles to the things that last forever. I can't say that it's always an easy thing to do -- but it does renew your spirit! (And, I must say, I am feeling much better now... crazy as that may sound!)

Wow -- after a pity party, naps, radiation, and having friends visit... well, it's already past 5:00. And I know people start getting nervous when I post too late... so I better start winding this up. But first, of course, a little crafty inspiration.  

 

 

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This is a "yay for the Stamp-a-majig" card. :) (For the uninitiated, a Stamp-a-majig is a tool that helps you position a stamp in just the right place. I needed it to get the cups in the center of the doilies...)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Stampin' Up (Tiny Teacup, Delicate Doilies); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream); ink is SU (Regal Rose, Melon Mambo).

So -- while I'd like to write more, I think I better quit. My mom already called... I think to make sure everything was OK (... it's good to be loved, isn't it?...). :)

Thanks so much for stopping by here today. I'm sure I'll be in a better frame of mind tomorrow. I sure hope so, because being crabby is absolutely not fun! Love and hugs to you!

Confession, Concerns, and the Papertrey Ink Blog Hop

First of all, if you clicked over here for the Papertrey Ink Blog Hop you'll want to scroll down, down, and down some more. There is a card in here — I promise. But if this is your visit, you'll be wondering (to quote Nichole Heady) what you've stumbled upon. Briefly, I was dianosed with an inoperable brain tumor on August 1 of this year — which caused the blog to take a new direction. Well, not completely new. I still do something crafty most days... at least so far. But now we have been starting out with some medical updates, some scripture, some spiritual thoughts, and some ramblings of someone who is looking at life through a new lens. So — you've been warned. If you want something to think about, you may want to read. If all you want is a little crafty inspiration — scroll until you get past all the "talk". :)

Now let's get into the format that has become the new normal. Today is Thursday, August 25. It also is the day of my first radiation treatment. We'll talk more about that later.

So — first of all, confession is good for the soul, right? And I'm going to just lay out all the ugliness right here. Yesterday I was crabby. And ungrateful. And selfish. And self-centered. And greedy. And just overall not very nice. And I'm ashamed of myself. And I'm horrified that it's so easy to slip into that sort of behavior. And so hard to get out of it. 

Here's the scenario. A meal was going to be delivered. I look forward to each and every meal — they've all been so delicious — but for some reason I've been sort of fixated on this one... Pork Sliders. Don't ask me why — I can't explain it. I was really, really looking forward to those little sandwiches. 

Britt was going to be here for dinner — and for the rest of week, too. And, that's a very, very good thing that we've been looking forward to. And Ken invited our church elder and his wife to dinner. And then he invited Britt's high school friend (and maid of honor), Ruth — who lives nearby, to come and eat. And then my selfish greed set in as I (in my mind) saw that I had to share those yummy pork sliders with even more people. And I was ugly about it. 

As I look back on that now, I'm not sure exactly what my problem was. I guess that's the way sin and selfishness are, isn't it? Not rational. Fixated on self and on imagined "wrongs" to your own person. And this is all embarrassing to admit — but I've been pretty committed here to just laying it all out... so you get what you get. And now you're getting the ugly truth.

And here's the way the story ended up. I served myself first (of course! :(  It's easy to justify things like that when you're "sick"), taking what I wanted (although I did pracice some measure of self-control by taking just one little sandwich so everyone else could have at least one) and sitting down to eat. And then later I had one more slider. And, your know what? There is still left-over pork, a couple of rolls, and all the fixin's. Kind of a loaves and fishes type of thing. Which, of course, adds to my shame. Yes — my faith is not always large. But my selfishness is. Oh, Lord. Help me to be gracious and kind and generous! I do not like the "me" that came out yesterday! (Oh — I should probably say that I did relax and have a great time with our company and I'm so grateful that they came... that they prayed over me and encouraged me... it was a special evening for me. Even though I was quite out-of-sorts as the evening started.)

Now, let's get into some scripture for today. It's gonna be kinda long, I think. Actually, maybe I should break it up into pieces. We'll do that.

Psalm 40:1-3

"I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord."

The pit of despair is somewhere that I've tried really hard not to go to — but I can tell you that, at times, that takes a tremendous amount of effort. If those around me are observant, they've noticed that every so often the praise and worship music will start playing through my computer speakers. That's part of my defense against enemy attacks... I try to intentionally focus on my Savior... on what He has done and continues to do on my behalf. And since this brain tumor has affected my balance somewhat, "He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along" has an extra special meaning. :) "Many will see what he has done and be amazed" and "put their trust in the Lord" — yes, that's my prayer through all of this. Lord, be glorified.

Psalm 40:4-5, 8-10

"Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord,... O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them....

"'I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.'

"I have told all your people about your justice. I have not been afraid to speak out, as you, O Lord, well know. I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart; I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power. I have told everyone in the great assembly of your unfailing love and faithfulness."

and this is from tomorrow (I couldn't resist looking ahead :) ) —

"Lord, don't hold back your tender mercies from me. Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me."

And I'm so glad that I added that bit from tomorrow's reading — because here's the deal. This treatment has the usual side-affects — fatigue, hair loss, stuff like that. Then there's one more that, to me, is pretty scary. Blindness. They'll be radiating — or whatever — close to my optic nerve. Things could go awry. And — really, I don't want to be blind. And — as I'm typing through tears — I'm trying to surrender that. And I'm begging the Lord to spare my eyesight. But — if I truly want to be faithful, do I have to be willing to be blind? If God can use me more without my sight, shouldn't I be OK with that? Talk about a crisis of faith. So — you can lift me up in prayer as I try to surrender what I want for the greater good of what the Lord might want. Of course, I want His will to include good health, long life, and good vision — but I have to be willing to sacrifice my desires. And it's a struggle. So — please pray for me.

I guess it's pretty obvious that I'm not going to get into writing about taking meals to people and stuff like that today. This is going to be too long already. But I'm so thankful that you stop by, read my ramblings, and give me words of encouragement. You cannot know how much those conversations mean to me — whether I chime in or not. You all have become such a huge part of my life over the past few weeks and I'm incredibly grateful for each little bit of interaction. I'm so fortunate and blessed to have so many wonderful people on this journey with me. It would be incredibly lonely to walk this road without all of you — and, of course, without my Savior. That would be impossible. So — thanks so much for traveling with me. I sure do love all of you!

 

OK — if you've been waiting for my entry into this month's Papertrey Ink Blog Hop, here it is. Finally, huh?

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This month, again, was a picture inspiration — so here's the picture that Nichole provided. I'm hoping that it's pretty obvious how I used the elements in the photo to inspire me. Because this post is wordy enough without me pointing out the obvious!

Now, it seems I can always find a way to improve something I've created — these days more so than ever before — but I'm fairly satisfied with this one. (Except for a few relatively minor placement issues that I'd change, but... whatever...)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Damask Designs, Iconic Images, Fillable Frames #9, Fillable  Frames #12); cardstock is PTI (Fine Linen, Stampers Select White), Stampin' Up (Poppy Parade), and Creative Memories (Metallic Silver); ink is SU (Crumb Cake, Poppy Parade) and PTI (New Leaf, Simply Chartreuse, Hibiscus Burst); ribbon is PTI (1/4" silk); also used PTI's Fillable Frames #9 die and Picnic Plaid impression plate.

And that is probably, again, more than enough for one day. I'm posting earlier today, selfishly, so that prayers — specific prayers — can begin. I think my appointment begins around 3:50 this afternoon (Eastern) and is scheduled to last about 45 minutes. There are last minute calibrations to be made and then the actual radiation takes about 10 minutes. My head is covered with a mesh mask that is snapped to the table — with the idea that it keeps me immobile. When the initial calibrations were made, it seemed to me that there was a lot of play in the mesh and that maybe I moved (because I could) and I find that a little disconcerting. So — you can pray for peace and stillness for me and accuracy for the radiation treatment. 

Thank you so, so much for visiting my little blog and for all the encouragement you leave in my email box, on my Facebook account, and in the blog comments. You absolutely cannot know how much that means to me. Sending love and hugs to each and every one of you!!

 

Ribbon Bits

Edited to add:  a couple friends encouraged me to link this up to the Embellish Rainbow Color Trends Challenge that is about to expire... you know how I like last minute linkings. :)

I made this card for Sue's Scrappin' Sunday #5. I've wanted to play along since she started her little "let's use up our scraps" challenges, but this is the first time I've been able to. Actually that probably means that I have way too much to do and I'm avoiding doing it, but... whatever. :) Here's my card for this week's challenge — which is to use up the bits of ribbons that you (inexplicably) save.

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I'm pretty known around here for saving bits and pieces of all kinds of things. Here are my ribbon bits that I drew from...

Yeah... they're pretty organized, but — as you can see — I really need to use a lot more of them. Maybe I need to incorporate ribbon tabs into more of my projects. :)

Or — I could do what Sue did, which was to cover cardstock scraps (yes, I have those, too...) and use them as a focal point. I think her butterfly card is pretty fabulous. (You can check it out here.) I'd like to try that, too. {sigh} So many ideas, so little time...

AND TELL:  stamps are from Stampin' Up (Bella Toile) and Papertrey Ink (Everyday Button Bits); cardstock is SU (Basic Black) and PTI (Stampers Select White); ink is Memento (Tuxedo Black) and VersaMark; also used Stamp 'n Stuff Detail white embossing powder and leftover bits of ribbon.

OK — now a little more from our midwestern trip. Hope you don't mind. We're getting into family stuff now...

because the main reason for our entire trip was the Hayes family reunion.

Saturday night is what's known as "the cousins party". It started out as a time where the young people (the cousins) could get together without all the old folks around. Now most of those young people are no longer young.

Ken's parents were always kind of "honorary cousins" who were allowed to crash the party. Now Ken's mom is the only party crasher left.

As you can see, she's a pretty well-loved party crasher, though.

The party is in the backyard of one of the cousins...

and is relaxed and fun with lots of casual conversation around the tables. 

On Sunday Ken loves to go to the cemetery in the morning.

We visit his dad's grave and the graves of his grandparents, great grandparents, and a host of aunts, uncles, and other relatives. It's a nice little cemetery next to a little country church — way off the beaten path.

And, then we let the GPS take us whatever way it likes to get us to the town where the official family reunion is held. Sometimes the GPS doesn't do us too well...

trying to take us on roads that are underwater...

or, just generally, in bad condition. It is quite an interesting trip. :)

But eventually we do get where we're going...

to the park where we always meet in the same pavilion for conversation, food, and reminiscing...

I really should do a better job of getting pictures of the people at the reunions. Maybe I'll focus on that next time. Cousin Kay probably wouldn't mind having some current photos to add in with the family history that she works on throughout the year.

And that's it for today. Only one more day of photos from our trip. Whew. Bet you'll be glad to have me move on to something else! (I think I'll be glad to move on, too!)

Thanks so much for spending a little of your precious time here with me. I so enjoy your visits. Hope to see you again tomorrow!

 

Hello, One Layer Wednesday

Hello! Thought I'd pop in with a couple One Layer Wednesday cards. The first one is for this week's challenge (which expires tonight... you know how I like to squeak these things in!). OLW59 is an inspiration challenge based on the photo at right (found on Pinterest by Susan).

 

 

 

 

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Hopefully you can tell how I used the photo as inspiration. And hopefully you'll overlook my very amateur coloring job on that daffodil. Maybe someday I'll work on my skills. Or lack thereof. :)

AND TELL: stamps are from Stampin' Up (Great Shapes) and Papertrey Ink (Year of Flowers: Daffodils, Mixed Messages); cardstock is PTI (Rustic White); ink is SU (Soft Sky) and Memento (Tuxedo Black); ribbon is from PTI (1/4" silk); also used three yellow-ish Copic markers.

The next card is one of my "make-up" cards from several weeks ago — OLW49, where the challenge was to use "new rubber" (previously unused stamps) and the colors pink and green.

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Since I had some new stamps and also needed a couple thank you notes, this was a perfectly timed challenge. In the process of making the cards, though, I smeared ink on one. Grrrr. But, you know me... I don't redo, I just rework. So to the right you can see the other version.

AND TELL: stamps are from Stampin' Up (Printed Petals, Silhouette Sentiments); stationery paper from a store going out of business; ink and markers are SU (Wild Wasabi; Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette); also used Divine Twine (Cotton Candy).

Here is where the family stuff begins (and I'm afraid it's a little lengthy)... so, feel free to duck-out now. :) While I was absent from the blog, I was mostly in the car with my husband, going from place to place in the midwest... visiting family and eating some of our favorite delicacies (a term I use loosely as you'll see over the next few posts). We drove 2100 miles in about 4-1/2 days. Thankfully we travel well together.

Our trip started early in the morning last Thursday.

Yes, before dawn. And that photo was taken after we'd been driving awhile.

On the plus side,

we did see a pretty sunrise. :)

Soon after the sun came up, though, we got into the mountains...

and some rain... which to me is way better than having the sun beat in on me through the car windows. But, then, I'm not driving. And when it gets too tense (like the rare occasion that I disagree with the speed at which Ken is barreling down the rain-slick road...), I just go to sleep. It's a great escape and makes the trip go so much faster. :)

One of the good things about traveling with Ken, is that he drinks lots of coffee... which requires lots of stops. So I never have to ask how much longer until we arrive at the next facilities. I just know that it will be before I'm desperate.

One of his favorite places to stop is at Pilot gas stations/truck stops/convenience stores. They're usually clean and have lots of food and drink choices.

I thought these were pretty. And I like slushies, but my beverage of choice is coffee so I just admired the pretty colors through the lens of my camera... much to the amusement of the ladies behind the counter...

who posed for a fleeting chance at fame (as though that would come through my blog... haha!). :) People are friendly down here in the South.

By the time we reached Cincinnati, the sun had come out.

Sort of, anyway.

(Love Cincinnati's bridges.)  [Edited to correct:  OK. So I don't pay close attention when Ken's driving. That is not Cincinnati. That's Louisville. So, I guess that I really love the bridges in Louisville, not the bridges in Cincinnati. Or, well, maybe I do love the bridges in Cincinnati, too. I just don't remember them right now. Guess we'll have to drive through there next year so I can compare. :) Sorry for the confusion!]

Although the sun hid away again as we approached Indianapolis...

and made the first stop on our tour of favorites.

I love the Mexican Hot Chocolate at the Chocolate Cafe in downtown Indy. And I can take the strange looks from people when I order it in the blazing heat of summer (which didn't apply this year as it was probably in the 60s throughout our entire trip... a nice relief from the 90+ degrees that we've been experiencing in North Carolina).

In a change from our usual schedule, we made a stop at the Indianapolis airport to pick up Ken's mom, who flew in that day from Florida...

which gave me a new view... one from the backseat. And, the backseat naps just about as well as the front seat does, so that was fine with me. :) (It's good to be able to sleep almost anywhere, right?)

Shortly after I woke up, we arrived at Winona Lake, where Ken's sister and brother-in-law have a house. Another sister had driven in from Kansas City, so there was lots of good conversation around the table.

And a gorgeous view of the sunset over the lake.

Ah... so peaceful. Just what you want after being on the road for over 12 hours.

And, I think that's more than enough for one day. How about if I show you more tomorrow? Don't worry, there will be something crafty, too. Couldn't leave that out! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit. I've missed hearing from you, so be sure to say hi — and I'll plan to see you again soon!

live laugh love

Today is the last day that I plan to showcase Papertrey Ink's anniversary set from last year. Can you stand one more Round & Round card?

SHOW

 
To make the flower I punched several layers of the tissue at once, stamping them after punching. Using sharp scissors, I clipped between the petals so that the flower would be a little floppier when it was all put together. The cardstock button was sewn through all the layers using a needle threaded with embroidery floss.

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Round & Round, Button Boutique); cardstock is PTI (Stampers Select White); ink is Stampin' Up (Regal Rose, Old Olive); rhinestones are from Kaiser Craft (clear); also used PTI's Buttoned Up #2 dies, embroidery floss, SU's large flower punch, and old sewing pattern tissue.

I am so happy to see the weekend — maybe you are, too. Thank you so much for stopping by for a little visit here in the midst of all your weekend fun. :) Hope to see you again tomorrow!

Oh — and if you haven't entered my 2nd blogiversary giveaway drawing yet, you have until tomorrow noon Eastern time (Saturday, April 16). To enter you need to comment on last Saturday's blogiversary post (here). The winner receives Papertrey Ink's Round & Round set (2010 anniversary set), some "vintage" papers, a few handmade flowers, and the card I made for the giveaway post.

 
Good luck! I'll be back tomorrow afternoon. See you then.

One Layer Wednesday 47

Yikes. I just realized that I have less than an hour to post my card for last week's One Layer Wednesday challenge #47 — a sketch challenge this time, issued on Jennifer Styles' blog. So, here goes:

SHOW

 
I used a square punch on edge of a sticky note to create a mask... centered it on my 4-1/4" square card base... stamped the polka dots... added the center focal point stamp... glued on a little embroidery floss bow... and I was finished. A quick and easy one layer card. So quick and easy that I decided to make another... this time in yellow. (That little round tag stamp looks kind of Christmas ornament-y to me... maybe shoulda used a Merry Christmas sentiment. Oh, well.)

 
AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Polka Dot Basics II, Tiny Tags); cardstock is PTI (white); ink is Stampin' Up (Real Red) and PTI (True Black); DMC embroidery floss.

Today was interesting. We had big storms go through in the middle of the night last night that tore down electric poles and wires and traffic lights and generally made a mess of things about 2 miles south of our house. In fact, the road is still closed down there. Fortunately we didn't lose power at our house. Fortunately again, I don't go south for my 3 mile commute to work... I go north — so I didn't have to go through detours and horrendous traffic like most people in our part of Charlotte did. However, when I got to work, this is what it looked like inside:

 
Yep. No power. But the staff showed up...

 
even though they had to use flashlights to find the right colors of construction paper for art projects. :)

And the kids showed up, too...
enjoying art and stories and playing in our classrooms that, fortunately, have big windows that let in a lot of the sunlight that was streaming in once the storm clouds had passed.

Crazy day. I'm longing for just a normal, ordinary, run-of-the-mill day at work. It's been awhile. Maybe tomorrow. :)

Gotta get this posted... and gotta get to bed. Thanks so much for stopping by for a little visit. Hope to see you again soon!

What a day...

Today we had photographers taking black and white photos of the children on the playgrounds. And it was cold... maybe maybe 50 degrees. And it was on and off misty/rainy. And I spent my entire work day ferrying children back and forth to the playground... entertaining them while they were waiting for their turn... getting the children inside when it started raining too much... holding coats while pictures were being taken and then rebundling after they were done... playing "chase" and "fireman" (I was the siren... me... who can barely make a car noise... haha!)... whew! I am exhausted.

So — after a yummy comfort food dinner out (a baked apple pancake at The Original Pancake House — yum!), I'm sitting on the couch, Ken's in the recliner, and we're watching last night's DVRed shows — Law & Order SVU and Criminal Minds Suspect Behavior — while waiting for CSI to come on. Not exactly relaxing TV, but just sitting feels good after all the activity of the day!

But, you probably didn't come here for all that. How about a card?

SHOW

Last weekend our "adopted daughter" planned a deck party at her house, since her parents were here to visit, and we were invited. We took this card along with a few food items to share. Just wanted her to know that we are glad to have her (and her parents) in our lives. She put the card on display in her kitchen. Kinda makes a cardmaker feel good, you know?

Last week's Papertrey Ink Make It Monday challenge was to use embroidery floss on a project. So, I made this card in response to that challenge... but ran out of time to post it. Funny. Yesterday's card was also inspired by a Make It Monday that I ran out of time for (using distressing techniques). Wonder if I'll find time for this week's challenge? [Edited to correct... the floss challenge was for the March PTI Blog Hop, not Make It Monday. Gosh... so many challenges I just can't keep them all straight! haha! ]

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Fillable Frames #1, Sending You); cardstock is PTI (Kraft, white); ink is PTI (Hibiscus Burst, Tea Dye Duo) and Stampin' Up (Pear Pizzazz); ribbon is PTI (Hibiscus Burst satin); embroidery floss is DMC; rhinestones are Kaiser; also used SU's Tulip Border embossing folder, PTI's Sending You and Flower Fusion #2 dies, and a doily.

When we went to Brittany's house last Saturday night, one of the food items we took to share was...

Garlic Feta Cheese Dip (on the left, above) and Pepperidge Farm's Pretzel Crisps. (The picture is from the jewelry party I had a few weeks ago... I made it then, too.) This dip is so good (if you like garlic). And for some reason, I doubled the recipe both times I made it. Not necessary. I'm a slow learner, I guess. I was originally pointed to this recipe from some food blog out there somewhere, but can't remember where... so you'll find a direct link to the recipe here. It's good stuff — and easy to make, too.

Well, our TV shows are about finished now. And I think that's all I have to say for tonight. Thanks so much for stopping by and hanging in there through all my rambling. :) I'm off to rest up so I can repeat today tomorrow... when we'll be photographing more kids on the playgrounds. Hopefully not in the rain this time, though. And I hope it doesn't rain on you tomorrow either. Have a great one!