Show and Tell

Worn out, but hopeful... and... Candy Cane Christmas

Today is Sunday, November 27. All the guests have gone home now. Britt & Kenneth went to church with us, but left to go back to Raleigh before the Panthers game began. It's definitely time for me to try to get back into a regular posting routine. I've been a little lazy for awhile now.

Since we haven't talked about medical things for awhile, let me give you a quick update. Because everyone was leaving today, it seemed like a good time to go down one more milligram on the steroids. You know that always makes me a little nervous, so you can pray for my mind to stay clear and focused. I sometimes wonder how many of my "issues" with the step-down process are of my own making. It seems like a lot of fighting this tumor may be a mental game, so I'm trying to win the battle of the mind. But... I'm pretty excited that I started out this journey in the hospital taking 16 mg a day and am now down to just 4mg. The goal is to get to zero, of course, so I'm on my way.

How about something much more interesting than medical stuff? Like... here are some of our Thanksgiving decorations this year.

 These tea towels were sent to me by Kenneth's parents... and I love them. They looked so great hanging on the oven doors in our kitchen.

And here is the sideboard in the dining room.

The thankful banner was given to us by our neighbor Maria. I think she received it at a Stampin' Up party she attended a year or so ago. I attached it to the wall with something we use at school called Teacher's Tape. It holds things really well and doesn't damage the wall or leave stickiness behind (or, at least, it hasn't ever for us... if you decide to try it you may want to be cautious). We love it for school and I love it for home, too. (If you're interested in trying it, they offer free samples to educators on their website.)

 

I'm going to give you a couple scriptures to think about tonight. Both are from the Psalms. This first one is from today's passage in my daily Bible. It may be a verse you've heard before.

Psalm 119:105

"Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path."

God's Word is like our instruction manual for life. It tells us what God expects from us. It teaches us how to live. The wise read their Bible and take its instructions to heart.

And here are some verses from yesterday's reading that I'd like to share, too.

Psalm 119:81, 88

"I am worn out waiting for your rescue, but I have put my hope in your word...

..."In your unfailing love, spare my life; then I can continue to obey your laws."

I can tell you that tonight I am pretty worn out... physically and mentally. I'm tired of being sick and as the day has gone on I'm more and more tired — inspite of the fact that I had a nap that caused me to miss the entire third quarter and half of the fourth of the Panther game. And I never nap through a game.

So, I'm a little discouraged — at least, at this moment. I truly feel worn out waiting for God to rescue me... and am wondering if He will. Or if He will in the way that I want Him to. I pray that He will decide to spare my life so that I can continue to love my family, go to work, blog... and hopefully make a bit of a difference in my little corner of the world.

And, after I write all that, I get a grip and go back a little farther in my Bible... reading this reminder from 1 Peter: "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." I may not like what is going on in my life, but I don't doubt that God loves me. I can trust Him with all my concerns. And it's important that I not let doubts cloud my faith.

So, Lord, tonight I pray for myself and my mind. I pray that You will give me peace and not allow my mind to be filled with doubts. You are so good and Your plans for me are good, too. Your love never fails and I will continue to trust in You and Your goodness.   

 

Well, this is the last card that I've made and not shown you. Hopefully I'll have time to make some things tomorrow — because, if I don't, these posts may get a little boring for the craft oriented folks. 

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This is a card that I made in response to my "use-everything-you've-bought-at-least-once-before-buying-anything-new rule". It's a good rule, I think. It puts a bit of pressure on me, but that's probably not a bad thing. And it can keep me from impulsively buying things that I like the look of and then get and have no clue what to do with them.

I bought the Candy Cane Christmas set exclusively because of the mug. I just love that mug. And I can use it at other times... like I did on the thank you card shown here. The Tag-its #8 set? Well, I bought it solely because I can't resist a series. I know. That's a bad reason. And, I really do not need any Christmas sets at all. I don't usually make Christmas cards (we order photo cards). But it was only $5.00 so it was very affordable. Worth it, right? I mean, those are snowflakes... surely I can find a way to use them in January. :)  

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Candy Cane Christmas, Tag-its #8); cardstock is PTI (Stampers Select White) and Stampin' Up (Melon Mambo); ink is SU (Real Red, Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose); baker's twine is The Twinery (Pink Sorbet); also used a tag doily from Martha Stewart, duct tape (PT-candy) from Fortis Design, and PTI dies (Candy Cane Christmas).

Thought I'd share a few photos from our Thanksgiving day before thinking about moving on to Christmas stuff.

There's the bird... fresh out of the oven. Ken always cooks our turkey. In fact, he makes the entire Thanksgiving meal. I have never cooked a turkey or made stuffing or put a whole big meal like that together. A few posts ago, I promised you the story. In 1982, a couple years after we were married, we invited some college friends — 5 of them — from Chicago and Kansas City to join us for Thanksgiving in St. Louis. Ken & I were excited to be hosting our first traditional Thanksgiving dinner. I had made a menu, done the shopping, and we were ready to go... until I got sick. And I was sick for the entire week of Thanksgiving. Ken came into our room on the morning of Thanksgiving, looked at feverish me, and determined that there was no way that I could cook the meal. I was even too sick to get out of bed. So — I had an aunt who lived in St. Louis. Ken called her and she walked him through the process of stuffing and roasting a turkey. And he's the only Hayes from our house who has ever done it. I kinda figured... if he knows how, why should I learn? Besides, he gets a great deal of satisfaction from the fact that he can get the entire meal on the on the table and have it all hot and ready to eat exactly when he says it will be ready. I'd hate to deprive him of that! Yep. He's quite the guy. (I think I'll keep him!) And that's the story of our first Thanksgiving. :)

So, moving on... here we are gathering for a prayer of Thanksgiving before the meal.

Instead of passing the food, we had a buffet line. 

We've found that to be a bit easier with such a large group.

After dinner, while the adults visited...

the kids played with the ducks that a preschool family gave to me...

and joined Kenneth for some games on the iPad.

The dogs even got a little attention from Ken's cousin's daughter...

which, I'm sure, pleased them greatly.

And, as the evening winded down, so did the activity level...

with the afghans and the puzzles coming out...

It was a great Thanksgiving Day. And, a very typical holiday around here.

Thanks for bearing with me as I chronicle our life. And thanks for your prayers as we walk through this interesting journey. Maybe you can tell, but the way I feel and my mood and thoughts often change quickly. But I always come back to the Lord's goodness and His love for me. I have so much to be thankful for! And one thing I'm thankful for is all of you who read my blog, send us your love, and pray for us. We sure do appreciate it! xxoo 

 

Beauty from within... and...Thanksgiving Dinner Placecards

Today is Thursday, November 24. Thanksgiving Day in the USA. As I write this, the smell of roasting turkey is wafting through the house. Michael (who is a talented classical guitarist) is playing the guitar in the living room. Sounds from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade are filtering in from the family room. Oh, my... it's a beautiful day at the Hayes house!

And last night was pretty beautiful, too. You know, when I'm writing a blog post I'm just sort of talking. Like I'm talking to friends (which I am!). So, it seems that I must mention going to Pinkberry quite often. So often that Ken's sister Lynne expressed interest in trying it while she was here. Well, the only time we had was last night... so, even though we had eaten frozen yogurt at the mall earlier in the day, well... we had to make sure that Lynne had some Pinkberry. It was the right thing to do. :)

 Don't you agree? :) I had the chocolate and peppermint yogurts swirled and then topped with white chocolate shavings, chips of peppermint bark, and magic shell chocolate. Oh, so refreshing. Mmmm. But, really, sharing one of my favorite spots with my family was the most fun of all. 

 

Today's scripture is, again, from 1 Peter. I think you'll see that it's quite appropriate for my situation. 

1 Peter 3:3-4

"Don't be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God."

I must admit to smiling a bit when I read these verses. Of course, I like to look nice and stylish but I've never been consumed with having lots of the latest clothes and perfect hair and makeup. Good thing, right? Because here's what I look like today when I'm not wearing a hat.

Nothing like losing your hair in a weird sort of pattern to keep you humble! But, I figure... it's just hair. I think it'll grow back. But, even that's not that important to me. I just want to continue living. And I'd like to live my life with a spirit of love and gentleness... and, well, all of the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control — Galatians 5:22-23). I'd like my life to be a positive example to others... not because of anything I do, but because of what God does through me as I surrender to Him. He is my strength and my protection (Psalm 71:7) — and He will be yours, too, as you learn to live for Him. Something to be thankful for on this day of thankfulness, isn't it?    

 

I've been making placecards for our Thanksgiving table for a few years now. It's fun for me, but a bit of a challenge, too. The challenge is that when we registered for china in 1980, I was a pastel sort of girl... light blue, light pink... those were colors that I loved. Um... not so much anymore. But, of course, I still have the china. And we still use it on special occasions. And I still do like things to coordinate. But working with spring-y colors in the fall is a bit of a challenge, I think. Anyway, here are our placecards from the past two years...

And here are this year's...

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The only way I've figured out to marry autumn colors with my china pattern is to use a blue and a purple in the design. Well, this year, I forgot about the purple (must've been a brain tumor moment)... but I did use some blue so I think it'll be OK. :)

Those are the placecards for all who will be attending our Thanksgiving dinner. 17 people... ranging in age from 2 to... well... let's just be non-specific and say over 80. I love having several generations together. It just makes for a rich, fun gathering. Don't you agree?

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Places, Please) and Stampin' Up (Straight Up Alphabet & Numbers); cardstock is PTI (Stampers Select White, Rustic White); ink is SU (Not Quite Navy, More Mustard, Basic Gray); rhinestones are Kaiser (brown); also used the PTI Placecard die.

So, I thought I'd leave you with some Thanksgiving inspiration from the preschool. First, in the way of artwork...

 

Then in the way of feasting...

  and preciousness...

 and plain, old fun... 

I hope your Thanksgiving Day is filled with many, many of the Lord's richest blessings. Thanks for spending a bit of it here with me. Sending you lots of love and prayers for a blessed holiday!

happy thanksgiving

Today is Wednesday, November 23. The day before Thanksgiving. The cards above are a little teaser of my November stamp club cards which are included in this post. Just to keep you craft-oriented folks interested. :) 

Ken's sister Janis, his mom, and I left the house this morning around 10:00 and went to the mall to do a little shopping.

Yep. That's the three of us. :) My mission was flat shoes with a peep toe that will show off my next pedicure. We finally found some at a department store and they were on sale... and then rang up even lower than the sale price. That's always a pleasant surprise, isn't it?

On the way to finding the shoes, though, I got distracted by a sale in Anthropology. Love that store! Love their clothes... but not so much for me right now on my newly chubby body. I did get quite a few little stocking stuffer types of Christmas gifts, though, and this...

 beautiful rug. It was 50% off of the orignal price and then an extra 25% off that, so I had to snatch it up, right? I think it will really liven up our foyer and provide a cheery welcome for guests.

 

Now, how about some convicting scripture? At least, it was convicting for me.

Psalm 119:36-37

"GIve me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money! Turn my eyes from worthless things and give me life through your word."

OK. These were not the verses that I was originally planning to post today. But I read them again and — probably in light of my trip to the mall — was a bit convicted. Talk about a place that can skew your values and make you feel like you need a lot of stuff that you really don't need at all. I saw a beautiful fireplace screen (and, of course, wanted it)... but when I looked at the price tag it was $1,295. That is a bit excessive, I think. Or at least hard (well, impossible) for me to justify. (Although, I must admit to trying to figure out if I can get a similar look with some large crystal Christmas ornaments and a good glue.)

I think it's OK that I like to have nice things... as long as I am also tithing, paying my bills on time, and caring for those in need. And, aren't we all aware that there are so many people in this world who are in need? The contents of your mailbox may look like ours — full of letters from ministries and worthy causes who depend on donations to continue doing their good works. It can be a bit overwhelming at times. We obviously can't support every single need that is presented to us, but I believe that God pricks each persons heart for specific things and that if respond to His promptings every need will be met.

So, Lord, turn my eyes from worthless things. Give me an eternal perspective and show me how to live for You. I want to be useful for You!  

 

These are my stamp club cards for November. The theme was Thankfulness or Thank You cards... so I made Thanksgiving cards. I didn't get them finished before our meeting, so I'll distribute them at our December gathering. I think that'll be OK. :) 

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I couldn't decide... should I knot the twine through the button or should I tie it in a bow? So I did some of each... and I'll let our stamp club members decide which they like better.

I don't usually send Thanksgiving cards, but this year I'm using these cards as the welcome cards for those who are staying at our house for the holiday — Ken's mom, his sisters Janis and Lynne, brother-in-law Michael, and Britt & Kenneth. They'll each have a card on their nightstand or bed when they arrive. It's just what I do. :) 

One more thing that I try to remember to do on my stamp club cards is to stamp a small coordinating image on the back cover of the card and sign it with the year and my initials. Just an extra little touch. And, since most of our club members do something similar, it helps all of us remember who made what.

AND TELL:  stamps are from Stampin' Up (Array of Sunshine, Thankful For); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Rustic White) and Stampin' Up (So Saffron, Ruby Red); SU marker (Riding Hood Red); ink is SU (Riding Hood Red, More Mustard) and Versamark; buttons are PTI (Scarlet Jewel); twine is PTI (Rustic Jute); also used SU's Square Lattice embossing folder and scallop border punch, EK Success Dotted Scallop edger punch, Creative Memories corner rounder, and Perfect Pearls in gold. 

Well, I had more that I was going to post but it'll have to wait for another day. My goodness. It's after 10:00 p.m. Definitely time to finish things up and get ready for bed!

Thank you so much for stopping by. I am planning to post tomorrow, but it'll be a day full of family, food, and fun — as I hope yours will be, too! — so we'll just have to see. Hugs and love to you!

 

Be Encouraged... and... Happy Thanksgiving

Today is Tuesday, September 27. I slept in a bit this morning and, while that feels good sometimes, it also really makes me out of sorts because it makes the whole schedule a little more rushed. Of course, nothing has been normal around here for a couple of months, but the most usual thing seems to be that I wake up on my own sometime between 5 and 5:30. I read my Bible and a couple devotional books and then spend some time making a card or something. About 7:15 or 7:30 I start the whole grooming process and am downstairs for breakfast by 8:00. My radiation appointment is at 9:00, but we're usually there by 8:50 — and normally they take me in fairly quickly. This week, however, there have been a lot of new patients who take a little longer and today the machine lost power and had to be powered back up, so everything was way behind. Where I'm usually in and out quickly... today I didn't get out of the office until closer to 10:00. Not good when you're already tired and crabby! 

But, I came home and took a good nap. Woke up in a better frame of mind. Had some lunch. Had a couple visitors and now, at 3:30, I am finally getting to today's blog post. 

Oh! I got a couple of my Etsy and internet purchases today. Nothing like some happy maii, right? First the internet. I had ordered Flylady's water bottles because I was tired of the squishiness of the plastic water bottles from the grocery store. They make too much noise and are not very eco-friendly — so I thought I'd give the Flylady stainless steel bottles a try.

Pretty, aren't they? I'm using the smaller one right now am loving it.

And then Etsy. I love ordering stuff from Etsy because the sellers almost always do a little bit extra to make what is already fun mail into mail that is more fun.

Nothing like tissue paper and curling ribbon to make something you paid for seem like a gift. :)

And here's me wearing the chemo cap that was inside.

I figured that this color may be good for Panther's games, which I hope to start going to again. Or, at least, I can wear it while sitting on the couch eating crackers, cheese, sausage, and fruit cut up into an attractive display by Ken. :)

 

So — here's some scripture for today. Don't take this first part too literally, OK?

Psalm 69:29-33

"I am suffering and in pain. Rescue me, O God, by your saving power.

"Then I will praise God's name with singing, and I will honor him with thanksgiving. For this will please the Lord more than sacrificing cattle, more than presenting a bull with its horns and hooves. The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God's help be encouraged. For the Lord hears the cries of the needy; he does not despise his imprisoned people."

In case you are wondering, I personally am not suffering or in pain. At least not so far. But it's great to know that if I ever am I can call out to the Lord for rescue. And because I know His character and because I'm confident of His great love for me, I know that whatever challenges come my way that He will help to see me through them.

But what God really desires from us is praise and thankfulness. He is the One who will meet all our needs and He deserves to be recognized for that. And He desires that recognition. I think that as humans we sometimes try to make deals with God. You know... God, if you get me through this situation, I'll ... whatever... stop swearing... go to church... be nice to that person I don't like... you fill in your own dot-dot-dot. I don't think God is really interested in making deals with us. He just wants our hearts. He wants us to be humble enough to admit that we're not in charge. That He is. It says here that when were are humble we will be able to see God at work. And, to me, that is encouraging. Really, I would much rather He be in charge of my life because every time I have tried to be in charge things haven't gone all that well.

And then most encouraging, I think, is the fact that the Lord hears us when we cry out to Him. I mean, face it. We are a needy people. What can we truly do without His help? Or may I should say, what can we truly do successfully... what can we truly do that will be of lasting value... without His help? He hears our cries. He does not despise us. He desires to help us. Shore up your relationship with Him. It is where you will truly find peace.  

 

And now it's time for today's card. It's the last card that I'm doing in this Farewell Tour for Stampin' Up's All-Year Cheer III — a very old Stampin' Up set that I'm purging from my collection and giving to someone else to enjoy. In case you've missed it, you can click here, here, here, and here to see the other cards I made using this set.  

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For not really having a plan when I started, I think it turned out fairly well. Of course, I rarely have a plan when I get started... I just kind of see where the supplies lead me. :)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Stampin' Up (All-Year Cheer III, Spring Solitude); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream) and SU (Dusty Durango, Marigold Morning); ink is SU (So Saffron, Early Espresso); stickers are Martha Stewart (Harvest Collection Leaf); also used SU's Square Lattice embossing folder and Lots of Tags Label 1 die.

And since it's after 5:00 now, I think I'll close this up. Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you've had a fabulous day! Sending you lots of love from me!

Thanksgiving Dinner Placecards

I've been trying to get this (very long) post finished since Thanksgiving Day. Factor in a house full of company, computer router difficulties, an unexpected shut-down and loss of several hours (on and off) of unsaved work (totally my stupid fault on that one...) — and, well, here it is Sunday and I really need to get this done!

We had 19 at our house for Thanksgiving Dinner. Well, actually 18 because Ken's cousin's daughter's husband (got that?) was sick and stayed home. But we were planning for 19 — so 19 placecards were made in preparation for the big meal.

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I like to make placecards for the table, but then struggle with the colors. The problem is our china. It's rather, um, Spring-y. And light blue. And lavender.

Not perfect for a harvest-time dinner. But — when I darken the colors and add a little golden yellow, it all seems to work out OK.

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Places Please, Mother); cardstock is PTI (Enchanted Evening, Stampers Select White) and Stampin' Up (So Saffron); ink is Encore Ultimate Metallic (Silver) and PTI (Plum Pudding, True Black); rhinestones are Kaiser (Black); also used SU's 1/2" circle punch and PTI's Placecard die.

Thanksgiving is a big deal at our house. We've hosted for years. And, we like the idea of having everyone sit at the same table, but — well, who has a table that seats almost 20 people?

We solve the problem by putting all the leaves in the dining room table and putting it end to end with a card table and a 6-foot folding table — extending it all from the dining room into the living room.

The living room is slightly sunken, so the height of the card table makes a nice transition between the two longer tables. And the three white tablecloths bring it all together visually.

The above picture shows that we somehow did not get the whole group of tables centered in the rooms. Oh, well. By this time it was a little late to do anything about it. :)

I sometimes have Ken take the full-length mirror down from my closet so that I can use it in the center of the dining room table. It enhances any kind of centerpiece nicely, but looks even better at Christmas time. I'll have to show you that next month.

A couple of years ago I wrote some Bible verses that reference thankfulness onto cardstock, using JustRite stampers and copper metallic ink to stamp the word THANKS in the proper place, and scattered them around the Thanksgiving table. Since I had saved and recently rediscovered them, I decided to incorporate the verses again this year.

About Thanksgiving Dinner, it's Ken's meal. He does all the planning, shopping, and cooking for it. This started early in our marriage. The first year we were going to be hosting the big meal, I was sick for the entire week of Thanksgiving — the kind of sick where you can't even pull yourself out of bed — and it all fell to him. And he came through. And he's been coming through ever since. All I have to do is set the table and show up. Gotta love a holiday like that! 

Here he is with his turkey. And the next picture is to reference the speed at which he moves while cooking...

It's a little crazy really. He runs from one side of the kitchen to the other — back and forth. Best to keep the small children outside...

Before we ate our Thanksgiving feast, Ken offered a prayer.

The way he's holding his hands looks extra spiritual, doesn't it? Well, truth be known, it was really more of an effort to calm himself down and keep himself from strangling me. You know how I said all I have to do is show up? Well, that was the old days. Now I have more responsibilities. I have to mash the potatoes. And I wanted sweet potatoes in the meal (which he doesn't care for), so those became my job, too. And then I had an opinion on the rolls and that didn't work out too well. So, while we usually eat exactly at the time he says — this year we were at least five, maybe ten, minutes late. Maybe more. It was my fault — and tardiness and Ken Hayes don't go well together. Maybe it's a good thing that it took me several days to write this post, because we're past that tension now and can laugh about it. Almost. :)

So, anyway — back to the meal, instead of passing the food, we served it buffet-style.

Next year we'll probably go back to passing — at our daughter's request. She doesn't think that carrying china through a line is a good idea. And she thinks that passing the food connects the people at the table. So we decided she's right. Ken's making notes on next year. Because he's the organized type that keeps spreadsheets of cooking schedules and lists and comments and ideas for the next meal.

Now for specifics —

The menu:  turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, corn casserole, sweet potato casserole, cran-raspberry gelatin salad, rolls, ham, chunky applesauce.

The desserts:  pumpkin pie, apple pie (both types made by Britt), and Godiva Double Chocolate Cheesecake (made by Cheesecake Factory). 

And, because cousin Kay asked, the guest list:  our immediate family (Ken, Janelle, Britt, Ian), Ken's mom (Evelyn), Ken's sister, her husband, and son (Lynne, Mike, Zach), Ken's cousin, her daughter and son-in-law, their daughter (Jeannie, Mary, Donald, Chloe), Britt's boyfriend (Kenneth), and our next door neighbors (John, Maria, Molly, Chloe, Nora, Hayden). Oh, and two more...

our dog, Roxie (photo taken before her Thanksgiving haircut and bath)...

and Lynne & Mike's dog, Ivey (who has the whole "please feed me because I'm so cute" look down pat!).

Well, that's it for Thanksgiving. Finally. Hope all my U.S. friends and family have had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Thanks so much for ending it here with me! See you again soon.

 

Loving Life

Edited: I forgot to mention that I used Sketch 16 from the Get Sketchy blog when making this card. The sketch is perfect for a long sentiment like the one I had already chosen to use. Since I also wanted to showcase the embossed and stamped background, especially the one solid red heart, I adjusted the card size and the position of the components to make more of the card base visible. 

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29 years ago today, Ken and I were married. We've had a great life together and I look forward to many more years of love and laughter. He's such a great guy and I'm so fortunate to be living life with him by my side!

AND TELL:  stamps are from Technique Tuesday (Ali Edwards' Loving Words); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Kraft) and Stampin' Up (Confetti Cream, Riding Hood Red, Certainly Celery); ink is Stampin' Up (Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red); button and twine are from PTI (Scarlet Jewel; Rustic Jute); also used Stampin' Up's Spiral Punch and Sizzix Textured Impressions embossing folder Argyle #2, Large, from the Hello Friend Set. 

  

Did I tell you that Ken cooks our Thanksgiving meal? He always has. I've never cooked a turkey and wouldn't know where to begin. He loved it this year when his cousin's daughter's daughter (would that be his first cousin twice removed?) wanted to see what he was doing when the turkey came out of the oven. (She wanted to see what he was doing, but she didn't want me to take a picture of her seeing what he was doing!) 

We tease him about his spread sheets and timelines, but we always eat when he says we're going to and all the food is always hot. I love that he's organized and time-conscious. Those are definitely not strengths of mine! 

What a blessing he has been to me. My love for him grows with each passing year and I'm thankful to the Lord for putting us together.

So glad you were able to stop by here for a little visit today. Have a great one!

Hi there. Hello.

Don't know whether or not I'll ever get up to date with the Clean and Simple Stamping blog's card layouts, but I'll keep trying.

This first card is for FTL66. I think I've said it before, but I just love the little bird that I used on this card. I love it so much that you're probably getting sick of it!

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AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Turning a New Leaf, Mega Mixed Messages); cardstock is Stampin' Up (Crushed Currry, Tangerine Tango, Certainly Celery) and PTI (Vintage Cream); patterned paper is a scrap from my stash; ink is Stampin' Up (Old Olive); also used Stampin' Up's Merry Details die.

This second card I made for our daughter's boyfriend who came with her to our Thanksgiving celebration. Everyone who stayed overnight received a welcome card beside their bed along with a few hospitality items (gum or mints, spiral notebook and pen, snack mix, ...). I used FTL17 as inspiration here.

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AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Turning a New Leaf, Mega Mixed Messages); cardstock is PTI (Kraft) and Stampin' Up (Soft Sky); ink is PTI (Terra Cotta Tile, True Black); button and twine are PTI (True Black; Rustic Cream); also used Stampin' Up's Merry Details die.

By the way, our daughter did receive a card, too. It's one that I had made earlier. She said she liked it, so I saved it for just such an occasion. You can see it here. Apparently I've got a thing about birds right now. A good thing. Unusual for me, because I had a rather traumatic (in a funny sort of way) bird experience that has given me a pretty big aversion to them. Go figure.

Kay, Ken's cousin, left a comment on my last post requesting a picture of the dining room chandelier. You know me. I'm here to please. And, being the over-achiever that I am, I'm posting not one, not two, but three photos. Chandelier off, chandelier dimmed, chandelier bright. Click on a photo to see it bigger.

When we remodeled the downstairs a couple years ago, I bought all new light fixtures. And I bought them all online. Many people call me crazy, but it worked out well. I love them all.

And here are a few photos from Thanksgiving (which, by the way, was absolutely perfect!). First, a picture of the table. (That's Ken's mom and his cousin Jeanne in the background.)

We put three tables end-to-end to give us the look of one long, continuous table from the dining room into the living room — and, even though the living room is one step down from the dining room, it worked well.

Here is our youngest guest.

Isn't he precious in his little Thanksgiving outfit?

And here is the matriarch of the family, Ken's mom, with our two children.

My goodness. When do children get so big? So grown up? (Especially since we're still so young!)

That's it for now. Thanks for spending a little bit of your day here today. Hope to see you again tomorrow!

Celebrating Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a pretty big holiday around here. I'm sure I'll share more about Thanksgiving at the Hayes house when the time gets closer, but now I want to share some early preparations that I made.

The Papertrey Ink Guest Star Stamper contest in September included a Thanksgiving Project category and I decided to take the opportunity to get a head start on table decorations. (Here is a link to the current information in case you want to play along next time.) 

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My challenge with Thanksgiving table decorations has always been my china. Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking 29 years ago when I was picking out china for our wedding registry. One thing for sure, I wasn't thinking about Thanksgiving. Or Christmas, for that matter. Must've had Easter on the brain with those Noritake pastel blues and lavenders. And, while I love dishes and would be thrilled to have a nice autumn-y set — well, that would probably be excessive. And, where would I put them anyway?

So, I pulled out papers and tried to come up with something that would look like fall but still blend with my dishes. I'm pretty excited about what I came up with. (More excited, I must say, after finding out that I won the category! See here for Nichole's announcement.)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (2009 Autumn Tags, Simple Alphabet); cardstock is from PTI (Stamper's Select White) and Stampin' Up (Basic Gray, Buckaroo Blue); printed paper is PTI (Bitty Box Basics in Plum Pudding); ink is Stampin' Up (So Saffron, Basic Gray); buttons (Plum Pudding) and twine (Rustic Jute) are both from PTI; also used scallop scissors and circle Nestabilities.

So glad you had the time to come by and see me today. Hope to visit with you again soon!

Moving Toward Fall

The weather this week has been more like October than like August. I even took a sweatshirt with me to the Panthers game on Thursday night. Unheard of. Sure beats sweltering in the afternoon sun — which is what I'll probably be doing on Sunday, September 13, when the Panthers play the Eagles.

I have a couple of cards for you today, both using the colors from Dawn McVey's latest Raspberry Suite Color Challenge. Love these colors together. I think I'm ready for the change of season.

I didn't set out to make two cards. It just happened. I had certain elements that I wanted to use, but couldn't get them to work on the same card — so I divided them up and made two little cards instead. They're just 3-3/4" square — a fun little size!

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AND TELL:  all materials are Papertrey Ink — stamps (2009 Autumn Tags), cardstock (Dark Chocolate, Kraft, Summer Sunrise, Vintage Cream), patterned paper (BItty Box Basics Dark Chocolate), ink (Summer Sunrise, Vintage Cream), ribbon (Vintage Cream saddle stitch), rhinestones (orange); also used Stampin' Up's 1-3/4" circle and ticket corner punches, Fiskars Apron Edge punch, and Spellbinder's Nestabilities Labels Three. 

And, here's the second card.

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Love this one. To add a little interest underneath, I tried stamping the tags in varying degrees of darkness. And, since four buttons of the same size were boring, I jazzed up a large button with adhesive gems. I've seen others do it, and it does add a touch of class, don't you think?

AND TELL:  everything is Papertrey Ink unless noted differently — stamps (2009 Autumn Tags), cardstock (Dark Chocolate, Vintage Cream), patterned paper (Bitty Dot Basics Summer Sunrise), ink (Dark Chocolate, Vintage Tea Dye Duo), buttons (Dark Chocolate), rhinestones (orange), Rustic Jute Button Twine; also used Stampin' Up's Bigz Lattice die and Modern Label punch and K&co. adhesive pearl.

So much to do today. A few last minute details at school. Gotta get to Curves before noon as I promised myself I would get to 800 workouts before school starts and today is my last chance to be at 800 before Tuesday as they're closed the rest of the holiday weekend. (I know, I like to cut things close.) Need to run up to IKEA for a few little things. Dinner tonight at our regular Monday night company's house. Her parents are in town — her mom's making some swags for her living room today and cooking her birthday dinner tonight while her dad is pressure washing her back deck and painting the concrete on her side porch. I'll post some pictures if I can get my camera working. We're having issues. :( 

Ken's up at the church (school) now waiting for me so I best get going. Have a fabulous weekend and thanks for coming by today! Hope you get a chance to stop by again soon. Bye.