my arty inspirations

Tracks in the Snow

2014-01-29T18:16:00.000-06:00

We had a fabulous day today having an unexpected snow day. I live in Pelham, Alabama. We don't see much snow. Yesterday started out as a typical Tuesday morning. I got ready and headed to work at my usual time and saw a few snow flakes falling on my way in at 9:30 a.m. By the time I drove the 7 miles to work the snow was falling like crazy and I could see it blowing across the streets. An hour later the parking lot was completely white. An hour later when my co-worker arrived, I was basically snowed in at work. I had a couple of options, I could close the store and go home, or stay put a few hours and let some of the people get home and off the road. I kept watching the news on a computer and could see traffic outside of the mall where I work and could see that it was a gridlock of traffic outside. I waited it out until 5:00 p.m. I left the Riverchase Galleria to drive the 7 miles home, planning to pick up a stranded co-worker on my way home at 5. My friend was just 3 miles away and it took me 4 1/2 hours to get to her. It was horrible driving on a thick sheet of ice. I drive a Honda Fit with a manual as well as an automatic transmission. I put my car in the lowest gear and drove in bumper to bumper traffic going around 5 mph. There were cars stopped and abandoned all along the shoulder of the road and some even in the middle of the street where they ran out of gas. It looked like a war zone. Our city is not equipped for this weather. It was not predicted at all. It took our city by total surprise. I finally got home last night around 10:30 safe and sound with my friend in tow. We were safe and warm and home. I checked around on my other co-workers and many were not as lucky. Two were stuck downtown and didn't make it home. One slept in her car in local Wal-mart parking lot. Two made it to a friend's house. One stayed in our store in the mall. But, everyone was safe. We all got home today and I had a fun day with my family.

We put on our warm gear and took a tour of our neighborhood. It was like skating part of the time but was beautiful around our neighborhood.

We carefully walked out of the house and on to the circle where I live.
We made our way to a lake in our subdivision. This is my daughter and MOMD slipping and sliding across the street.

Arriving at the lake it was a beautiful sight. We walked on around the lake and walked the trail that surrounds our subdivision.

As we walked along the trail we saw many animal tracks.

We think these were coyote and deer tracks.

These were bunny tracks.

We saw tons of bird tracks and some raccoon and opossum tracks.

MOMD and I made our own tracks along the trail. I live in a beautiful area along a bubbling brook.

My little angel made her own tracks making a snow angel in the yard. We do not have a lot of snow and I had a great day today playing in the snow that we did get. I am blessed that my family is all safe and home off the roads. We have made the best of a bad situation. I hope everyone that was stranded on the roads over night last night got home safely today. Can't wait to see what the day holds tomorrow. We have temps dropping to 12 degrees tonight and the roads are still frozen. We will thaw out tomorrow hopefully by noon. Be safe everyone!

My Morning Walk

2013-05-08T19:14:00.000-05:00

I want to take you with me on my walk this morning. I usually walk with my dog, Emma, but I got out without her this morning. It is a glorious day today. I wish I could just play hooky from work today and play outside all day! But, I can't. My walk was so pleasant I just wanted to share it. So come on along....

I love to hear the birds sing and the squirrels scamper about. The creek can be so peaceful too. Check out each video. I wish I could record the smells too they were so sweet today. The Hedges were blooming and the honeysuckle. Not only beautiful to look at but to smell too. Thank you God for making this world so incredibly beautiful for our enjoyment.

If pictures could smell these pictures would be heavenly!

Walking Among The Lillies

2013-04-10T11:30:00.001-05:00

I took my dog, Emma, walking this morning. I love to walk in the mornings along the trail that meanders beside a creek that surrounds my neighborhood. The weather was absolutely beautiful today. The birds were singing. The creek was bubbling and Emma had many smells to smell along the way. I am always in awe of God's gift of the beauty of the earth but today was exceptional. I saw robins and cardinals flying about. There were squirrels scampering about looking for the acorns and nuts they hid over the winter. We saw a couple of chipmunks that were as interested in looking at us as we were watching them. Emma wanted to play with them, or eat them, I'm not sure which. Watching the chipmunks was where I saw the beautiful white Lillies blooming among the leaves and mess of the woods. I have walked this trail for eight years now and I have never seen these Lillies before. I felt like God gave me flowers today not because I deserved them but because He loved me anyway. Thank You, God! I picked them and brought them home to let my family enjoy them too. Now I am sharing them with you!

I hope this inspires you to get out and walk and see what gifts you get!

Re-Invention

2013-04-03T08:33:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been a very long time since I posted anything on this blog. I have been extremely busy re-inventing myself. I am still wondering what I want to be when I grow up but I like the direction I am going in. When I last wrote on this blog I was unemployed and learning to make jewelry. I was selling it some but not really making money. I was just barely getting by financially. Since then I have improved my jewelry making skills and am now working and selling my handmade jewelry in a shop in our local Mall. I love the girls I work with. They are like a new family to me and I love working in the store. It is a beautiful, unique place. We have only been open 10 months but it has been well received by the public and we are now expanding to a larger location. The store's name is Harper Lane. It is locally owned and we sell works created by local artists.

It has been a blessing to see how much has changed since coming to work at Harper Lane. I have met some really nice people and the girls I work with are so much fun to be around. I also sell my handmade jewelry in the store.

These are some of the items that I have placed in the store. I love making jewelry but I especially love seeing the customers wearing or giving my pieces as gifts. We have been open for 10 months and now we are expanding. The store is going through a new transformation. We are moving from one location to another inside the Mall. We have outgrown our space and need more room to add more artists' work. I am excited about the move but the process is exhausting. We are working literally around the clock to move. I will post pictures of the progress and new store as I can. We hope to re-open early next week.

The rest of my family has gone through a few changes as well since I last posted. I will fill you in on those later. I am glad to be where I am in my life. I have been through some tough times but they have made me a stronger person. Re-invention is painful at times but necessary not to live a stagnant life. I am grateful for the journey. Hope this inspires you to make some changes in your life to make your life better and more enjoyable.

A New Year!

2012-01-11T10:08:00.000-06:00

It has been four months since my last post. I seemed to have put my life on hold when my son was diagnosed with cancer. That became my focus and everything else was put on hold. I think even my breath was held until he was free of cancer. Now, it seems, life can get back to normal. The Handyman is back at work and feeling good. His energy is up and his hair is growing back. I am breathing again and I am trying to reinvent myself. I don't know what that is going to look like but I have to get some order back into my life. I have been so busy the entire month of December making stuff. MOMD gave me a new sewing/monogramming machine for Christmas and I am keeping that gift humming. I love it!!!! Here are a few examples of some things I have been working on.

These are sweatshirts I did for my Daughter, the Princess', boss. I was so excited about how these turned out. I have also been making jewelry from some silverware that MOMD had from his maternal great grandmother. It was a mismash of patterns and pieces and we didn't know what to do with it so I got this idea to make jewelry from it and give it to his family as gifts for Christmas. They were a challenge to make but I love them. I think everyone liked having something practical and beautiful to remind them of their grandmother.

They were all different yet similar. I used freshwater pearls to make the chains and I handmade the clasps. I was very pleased with how they turned out. The patina on the individual forks and spoons was beautiful. All I really had to do was polish it up. They are really very comfortable to wear. I want to see about adding some like them to my etsy shop. It feels really good to get my life back to some normalcy. I am ready to start a new year and create a new life!!!! Here's to new beginnings!

Fall and Football

2011-09-25T19:49:00.000-05:00

As it turns out, MOMD is an Alabama football fan. He is a transplant from Ohio to Alabama. His son is a student there so we were invited to tailgate with his son and friends before and after the game. It is my first Alabama game though I have lived here all my life. I enjoyed the company and the game. The weather was nice, 82 degrees, with a slight breeze. Our tickets were given to us by an acquaintance of MOMD. They were great seats, around the 50 yard line, and most importantly, we were in the shade the entire game. I took a few photos to remember the game. MOMD enjoyed the college life for a few hours, hanging out with the kids. You don't realize that college is the best time of your life until it's too late and you are in the middle of a job you don't like and bills that are always due and there are demands on you that you don't want to meet. You try to tell the kids that but they just don't see it. They think life is so hard with all the study and tests but it isn't, it's the best time!

The Million Dollar Band took the field before the game. The cheerleaders got the large crowd all excited about the game.

The teams warm up and the excitement builds.

Here is the first play of the game. . . .

here is the final score. I was glad the team won for my first game. It made the rest of the evening a lot of fun. Of course the highlight of the day were the Nachos Grande that were covered in jalapenos! I had a great time in Tuscaloosa and especially enjoyed spending it with MOMD!

Changes!

2011-09-05T10:57:00.000-05:00

Life if so full of changes. Sometimes I would like for things to remain the same, at least for a little while, but they don't stay the same, they are constantly changing. The weather is changing and I do enjoy that! But there are some changes that I just don't like. My life keeps changing. I have had many changes over the years that were exciting and fun and changes that were painful and sad. One change that has happened lately is with my son, the Handyman. He is twenty four years old and an outstanding young man. He has been married to his high school sweetheart, the Tough Chick, for three years. I was really hoping for some grandchildren to come along soon. But, my son was recently diagnosed with testicular cancer. It started with a random pain in his lower back, like maybe he had a kidney stone. He was in a good bit of pain and luckily went to the doctor. He is not one to go to the doctor regularly unless he has a problem that just won't go away. Tough Chick got him to go and have it checked to see if he indeed had a kidney stone. They did an ultrasound and saw "something". NOT a kidney stone. He went from doctor to doctor having xrays that whole day. They sent him for a biopsy to see what the "something" was. We were all waiting for the doctor to come in and tell us what he found and he came in and just said it... CANCER. I almost had to shake my head because I was sure that wasn't what he just said. But it was. He was certain it was cancer but uncertain as to the type of cancer he had. I was blissfully unaware that there were different "types" of cancer. I have since learned a whole lot about it. It is always best to know everything you can about an enemy. I was shocked that it was something my "baby" would have to face. It is amazing how, when faced with a trauma, a grown man can quickly turn back to a three year old in your mind. Tough Chick fell apart and luckily her dad was with her and he was able to help her. Handyman was stilled drugged from the procedure so he was oblivious to what the doctor was saying. I was hanging onto every syllable coming from the doctor's mouth. I wanted to know what I was going to be dealing with. The surgeon was blunt but honest. He gave me information, and in his own concern and query about this particular cancer and where it was located he gave me clues. (It was in an unusual spot, the middle of the abdomen. It didn't look like pancreatic cancer, it looked like testicular cancer, but we won't know without further testing.... wait on the results of the biopsy, he said.) I just wanted it out of him and my son back to normal. Where this tumor was located apparently isn't a place cancer usually starts. So we had to find the original source. Dr. V called a cancer surgeon to see if he could see us immediately and the next day we started our journey down a path I never wanted to be on. In a span of two weeks we had been to several doctors, Handyman had taken a leave of absence from his job. He was viewed inside and out from head to toe. A battle plan was formed and the fight has begun. We have been on an emotional roller coaster, and I hate roller coasters, for the past three weeks. Many changes have taken place. We have had a few attitude adjustments and now we have our game face on and are fiercely fighting the enemy, CANCER! Handyman started an aggressive round of chemo. It was five days, all day, of chemo. It was tough on him but he faced it bravely and is through with round one. DING DING DING!!!! We will have two more rounds before we evaluate again. He has two weeks off to recover his strength and gear up for round two. I am so very proud of how he has faced this problem. I,on the other hand, am waiting to fall apart, but AFTER the enemy has been defeated. We have had so many people encouraging us and praying for him. I know that God will heal his body. I also know that we all have lessons to learn from this. I hope that we learn to never take one single day for granted. That we appreciate the small things and love our families and friends unconditionally. If you have read any of my older posts you will have read about the pennies. That seems to be the way God reminds me that He is still right beside me and is taking care of me even when I don't realize it. The day that Handyman, Tough Chick and I were seeing the surgeon, to find out what we were about to face, we stopped for lunch on the way. I found a penny on the floor of the restaurant and smiled. I knew before we ever talked to the doctor that everything was going to be okay because God had just reminded me that He will go before me. All my life when there have been mountains that were in my way, God would go before me and remove them so that I didn't have to climb them. Most of the mountains were "me made". I felt peace and calmness before going in to see the doctor. I knew that whatever he told us we wouldn't be facing it alone or unarmed. I put that penny, that I call "a blessing", in my pocket to remind me to let God be in control. I have it sitting above my dressing table in my bedroom so that I can see it every day and be reminded. I made a necklace from the penny I found when my daughter was in a car accident. I don't know what I am going to do with this penny when the enemy is defeated. For now it sits and waits, like me, for the enemy to be obliterated. I know that everyone has enemies to face and mountains looming ahead, but I hope that you face them with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords at your side. When He leads the battle, the defeat of the enemy is eminent. He has the ability to move the mountains. That is not to say that we won't face difficulty or have pain or sadness but we won't have to handle it alone. Nor do we have to use our own weapons. We have pea shooters compared to weapons of mass destruction that God can provide to annihilate the enemy, whoever or whatever it is. We just have to depend on Him and His strength. If you let Him, He will speak to you in a way only you can hear, because you are the most precious thing to Him. He won't let you face things alone as long as you call on Him. Be encouraged to put on the Armor of God daily because the enemy is always creeping around. Be prepared by reading His word and praying. He will be there for you, just as He is there for me and my family right now. Don't delay, call on Him today!

Be inspired to Have a great Labor Day!!!!

The Empty Nest!!!!

2011-07-27T09:41:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I noticed that a Mockingbird was building a nest in the Crepe Myrtle in my backyard. I went inside and removed some dryer lint and placed it on a limb next to where she was working. I sat quietly in the backyard and watched her take twigs and pine straw and some of that lint and build a fine nest. A week or so later there were eggs. I was preparing to leave on my trip to Gatlinburg and I forgot to take photos of the eggs. I didn't get to photograph them at all because they were already hatched by the time I got back from my trip.

There were four cute little screaming, hungry babies in the nest when I returned.

From my vantage point, in the backyard, I watched the mommy and daddy birds taking turns hunting and feeding their growing family. The babies were voracious eaters. It was a constant rotation of feeding almost all day. It was amazing to watch the birds alternate coming and going.

This activity continued for a week or more. As I sat on my screen porch I could hear the babies screaming for more food. The parents worked continuously, one after the other, feeding the babies as a team. I don't think a single bird parent could keep up with the demand, it definitely took two birds to keep the family fed. I have a garden near by and they picked the bugs off the plants as fast as they could and fed the babies.

Yesterday, I was sitting on my porch watching the Hummingbirds feed, and photographing them, when I noticed that I didn't hear the screaming babies. I saw the mommy bird sitting on the fence but the babies were chirping instead of screaming. I turned my camera and zoomed in on the nest and I caught the babies leaving. It was all very exciting. One by one they took flight until all were gone. I just kept watching and snapping pictures. Be sure to click on the photos as a baby leaves in each one.

All that is left is an empty nest. I wonder if the bird couple will start over and raise another family or will they totally abandon the nest. I will be watching and waiting to see what happens. I know that today they are probably resting from all the work they put in to raising their family. Are they sad to see them all go? Will they still see their babies? What happens to the family once the babies leave home?

I too have an empty nest. My two baby birds have flown the nest and though they come back from time to time, I am still trying to decide what to do with the nest. I am not going to abandon it because I love my little nest, but I am changing it around. I am spreading my wings and trying to find my place in the world of creativity. I don't know where I am going or what I will be doing but I know that I will be enjoying the journey along the way. I will be sharing my nest with you as things settle in. It is all a disorganized zoo of chaos right now but little by little I am feathering my nest to take me to the next phase of my life. It is exciting to think about where I might go or what I might do. I am really grateful to have MOMD to go with me. I just had my fiftieth birthday last week. I can hardly believe I am 50!!! I still sometimes feel 18 and yet I look in the mirror and realize that those years are long ago gone. I have a great life. It is not without bumps in the road but an interesting adventure none the less. I feel inspired to spread my wings and fly but I don't know where to go. So for now I am sitting on the fence looking out at the possibilities. Life is a journey. It could be a short journey or a long one, only God knows, but I plan to spend each day of the journey grateful that I am blessed beyond measure. I am creatively inspired to journey on. I hope you have a creatively inspired day too!!!!!

Vacationing in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Tennessee

2011-07-14T17:26:00.000-05:00

We took a family vacation last week to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Tennessee for a family reunion. MOMD (man of my dreams) and I had a wonderful time with family! We wandered around Gatlinburg seeing all the sights and enjoying some great food! Here I am standing in front of the stream that ran in front of our hotel. We watched a cute little beaver scrounge for food while sitting on the balcony overlooking the water.

We met the rest of the family at a beautiful mountain cabin above Pigeon Forge. It almost took your breath away when you saw the view from the deck of this beautiful cabin.

It rained most afternoons and cooled things off but the very first night we saw a beautiful rainbow after the rain. That was a good sign that we would have a wonderful time. And we did!

I have so much I want to share about the trip so I will save it for tomorrow. I had a really great time with MOMD's family. I got to spend a lot of my time just chillin'

It's nice to find the time to just put your feet up and enjoy each other's company!
Hope this inspires you to spend some quality time with your family soon!

Happy 4th!!!

2011-07-04T13:32:00.000-05:00

I hope you have an outstanding holiday with family and friends. I am going to be spending the day with my son and daughter-in-law, my mom and MOMD! The only way it could be better is to have my daughter home and MOMD's children included as well. Maybe next year! We were all together for Memorial day and that was fun. I want to thank all the members of the armed forces who are currently active and those inactive for all they do for the freedom we have as a nation. I am grateful for the freedoms we have. Many times we take all that for granted. We are truly a blessed nation. One Nation under God. Amen!

Pink Chic an Etsy Treasury

2011-07-03T07:37:00.000-05:00

I just created a treasury for Etsy. It features some of my teammates on the Etsy Entrepreneur Team. Check out the items I featured and see if it makes you smile.

'Pink Chic' by jewelswiredup

I love the color pink. It makes me happy! I hope you enjoy my treasury!

Handmade Wire Wrapped Square... jewelswiredup $19.00	5 pcs. 25mm x 18mm Hot Pink,... Studio11Charms $3.99	Beach Pink Beach Sea Glass N... beachglassshop $28.00
Heart abstract painting SIGN... charmsbydiana $69.99	Summer Special Cotton candy... TinyCheeksBout... $5.15	ROSES Janisfineart $15.00
Keep Calm and Have a Cupcake sassytalk $20.00	50% OFF SALE - Blushed - Pin... susidjewelry $13.50	Perfectly Pink tutu dress-Ne... Lilybeansbowti... $20.00
Tickled Pink - Scrabble Tile... londongirl99 $7.95	I LOVE BUNCO - Pink and Whit... FancyThatBag $20.00	Necklace AAA Hot Pink Chalce... DesignsbyALY $68.00
Pink Hand Painted Bridal Par... ArtworkByKimTy... $60.00	Vintage Mid Century Metal Se... CottageChicKay $14.50	Simple Elegance - Pretty in ... GlitterBugBout... $46.00
Sweetie Pie Pals - Peyton th... chickabeestudi... $25.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

New Clothes!!!

2011-06-24T10:18:00.000-05:00

Why is it when you are extremely happy fat always follows? I am coming up on a year with MOMD and in that year I have gained 40lbs. (I have also never been happier.) I am going to a family reunion with MOMD's family and I have discovered that I can't get into any of my summer clothes from last year. I went shopping and I couldn't find clothes to fit that were cute and affordable. I don't like the size I am but I can deal with that I just don't want to look like a "fat old lady". (I may be one but I don't have to look like it!!!!)

When I was in high school and college I made most of my own clothes. I didn't like to look like everyone else and I couldn't afford what I really wanted wear so I made my own. I learned to sew when I was 8 years old and I got fairly good at it over the years so my clothes didn't look "homemade". I decided to try once again to sew or embellish my own clothes.

I found some really comfortable t-shirts for less than 5 bucks each so I bought several in different colors. I saw some examples and tutorials on the internet for some really cute tops so I sat down at my sewing machine to try my hand.

I started with two light blue v-neck t-shirts.

I wanted a more rounded hem so I cut the bottom in a semi-circle.

I used the hem on both t-shirts since I needed some pieces that were 1" wide. These were the right size. I cut them each into two pieces so I would have four strips.

I cut 4-2 1/2" strips from the t-shirt I was not going to embellish.

I stitched a seam down the center of the 1" strips. I used the fold of the hem as a guide for the center. I pulled the bottom thread to ruffle all four strips.

Then, I cut open the 2 1/2" strips to stitch together to make two long circles for the ruffles on the hem. I pulled the bottom thread to ruffle them and pinned them to the t-shirt. I stitched the bottom ruffle to the shirt first and then the top ruffle just above it following the semi-circle shape I had cut previously. After finishing the ruffled hem I pinned the four ruffled strips in a "paisley" shape at the shoulder and hip of the t-shirt and stitched them in place.

The finished shirt is both flattering and comfortable. I am a little thicker around the middle and the embellishments add a distraction to the negative while complimenting the positive. I loved the finished shirt. I can't wait to wear it on my trip. It only took an hour to do this and it cost less than $12.00 to make. I may even come back and add some beads or "sparkle" to it. I haven't decided yet. I will take a pic of it if I do.

I enjoyed making it so much that I found a plain white tee with a scoop neck and added some quick flowers to embellish the neck and added a few tucks to the sides. I added 15 flowers that I made around the neck. The flowers were made from some pieces of sheet, sheer curtains and tulle. I hand stitched the flowers onto the shirt and hand stitched the tucks on the sides. That took less than 1/2 hour to do and it only cost $3.00! I can't wait to wear my new shirts!

I hope this inspires you to do something like it for yourself. If you do send me a photo. I would love to see what creative things you came up with. I have a few more tees to work on. I will post the photos of them when I get to them. I apologize for the poor quality photos. I had the wrong setting on my camera when I took the pics. It was a last minute thought to take photos. I got caught up in the creativity and forgot to take photos along the way.

Leave a comment or suggestion for the other shirts. I would love hearing from you. Have an inspired day!

Faithful Friday!

2011-06-10T08:31:00.000-05:00

We use the phase "thank God it's Friday" all the time but have you ever really stopped and thanked God it was Friday? I was sitting on my back porch this morning having a little quiet time before I got my day started, listening to the birds sing and enjoying the coolness of the morning when I thought about how grateful I was that it was Friday. I am really very grateful every day for just one more day but I forget to voice that gratitude to God sometimes. Have you ever wondered why we are left here on earth after we accept Christ as our personal Savior? Why is it we are not just brought to heaven right then and there to serve the Almighty King? We are left here on earth to live among sinfulness and selfishness and the activity of our enemy, Satan, until we die or until Christ returns and takes us back with Him to live in Paradise eternally. I was reading my devotional book, "Morning and Evening" by Charles Spurgeon and the devotion for the day addressed this very thing. The verse is from Romans 14:8..."We live unto the Lord". We are left here on this battlefield to live each day unto the Lord. We are to be actively working bringing others to know His love. We remain on earth as sowers of good seed, as plowmen to break up the fallow ground; as heralds publishing salvation. We are here as the "salt of the earth", to be a blessing to the world. We are here to glorify Christ in our daily life. We are left here as workers for Him and as workers with Him. Our lives must answer its end. We are to live earnest, useful, holy lives to the praise and Glory of his grace.

That is a lot to do and be! I know that I fall short of that daily but I keep trying. God blesses us with so much if we will look around for the beauty that surrounds us. That is all a gift to us. The whole world could be gray. The birds could all make the same sound and be the same dull color. The flowers could all be gray as well but they are not! They are vibrant and colorful. There are so many different sounds and smells and colors and they are all a gift to us to enjoy. God is the original artist and His work is never ending. We are to be like Him. Today, pick up the brush that is life and paint your own masterpiece in the world. I want to inspire you to be an "Arty" blessing today!!!!

These flowers were a gift from the Creator and I am sharing them with you. I wish I could share the beautiful scent these flowers have but you will need to find your own for that. I would love for you to share your beautiful "gifts" with me. Leave me a link to your photos in the comments. Be Inspired!!!!

-Renee's Joy Journey-: Daily Charming Chore

2011-06-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

-Renee's Joy Journey-: Daily Charming Chore

Wordless Wednesday.

2011-05-18T09:09:00.000-05:00

Here are some beautiful photos of some flowers in my yard. Just pretend they are a bouquet from me to you!!!!!

Giving My Heart Away!

2011-05-17T11:30:00.000-05:00

I bet you thought I was talking about MOMD!!!! I gave my heart away to him a long time ago! No, I am talking about a heart necklace I made. May 7th I went to my second Craft fair in Helena. It is called the Helena Wild West Trade Days. If you live locally you should plan to be at the next one, Saturday, June 4th from 8-3. There will also be a farmer's market too. Anyway, I met a really sweet lady who is trying to adopt a Korean baby. She is still in the preparation stages and raising money. Her name is Melanie Huguley. She came by my booth at the Trade Days and bought a couple of pieces of jewelry to auction off to raise money. She asked if I would consider donating a piece to add to it. She suggested this heart necklace.

I made it for my Etsy shop but hadn't listed it yet. I made a second one to list and I sent her the one pictured. If any of you have adopted a child you know the pressure and expenses can be overwhelming. People are judging whether or not you would make a suitable parent, seeing all of your good and bad issues. Poking around in every aspect of your life. It is grueling. Anyway, I wanted to help out in their pursuit. You can check out their blog and make a donation or see what needs they have or even send them advice if you had the same experience. I'm sure they would covet your prayers as well. They are choosing to adopt a special needs child and will need lots of prayers throughout the long process. They have a blog with all the updated information. You can find it at malerieandkevin.blogspot.com

If you would like a necklace like the one I am sending them, it will be listed in my Etsy shop by the end of the day. Be sure to check out all the new stuff!!!

Here's wishing you an INSPIRED Day!!!!

Beauty in the Midst of Tragedy

2011-05-03T09:49:00.000-05:00

If you have been watching the news lately you will have seen the tragic devastation all around here in Alabama. It has been heartbreaking to watch. It has also been encouraging. It is great to see neighbor helping neighbor. Stranger helping stranger. I get so frustrated with the selfishness in the world. Everyone looking out for themselves with no seeming regard for anyone else. But that has not been the case this past week. I have seen so much devastation yet so much faith being expressed. I have seen young people getting involved in volunteering their time off to go and help someone they don't even know. I have felt guilty that my life and my family were spared this tragedy yet knowing others who have lost everything including family members. My daughter-in-law (aka the tough chick) went with some of her friends to volunteer to help on their one day off. They called their friends and family for clothing, blankets and food. They gave their time to just go and do what was needed.

MOMD and his son went to help friends who lost homes and family. I am amazed at the stories of survival and faith as people share what happened to them. It is encouraging to me that people are giving God the praise for saving them and that they have the attitude that they will just start over.

In the midst of all of that tragedy, I have noticed the beauty of Spring. Flowers are blooming, birds are singing, new life is springing forth from the "dead of winter". God gives us the example of new life every spring. He shows how He can take what appears dead and bring new life from it. It is an encouragement to know that we don't have to face our "storms" alone. God is there, sending strangers and friends to help, and comforting as only He can comfort. If you feel discourage in the circumstances of the "storms" in your life, I hope you will be inspired to seek God and His love and comfort. I have had many "storms" in my life. I have had much and lost almost everything but God never left me. I want to remind you of the beauty of life that blooms year after year, season after season.

I wish that you could smell the incredible fragrance coming from these beautiful flowers. Be inspired to face the "storms" of your life with beauty and grace. Spring will come!

My Garden is Growing!!!

2011-05-02T10:56:00.000-05:00

My garden is all planted. I am so amazed at how much it has grown. MOMD and I planted the last of the garden last week. I have already harvested one round of radishes. The yield was over five lbs. They were the best tasting radishes ever! We have re-planted radishes along with carrots, bell pepper, bush and pole beans, cantaloupe, cucumber, asparagus, squash and zucchini.

The tomatoes and peppers we planted earlier are growing like crazy. I can hardly wait to eat them. I love fresh vegetables especially ones I have tended to and watched grow.

We found out right before Easter that we have a bunny who loves our vegetables too! MOMD took care of that with a rabbit fence around the garden. So far it has worked beautifully. I have room for only two more cantaloupe plants that I hope to get in the ground this week. MOMD goes out almost every day to check on the "babies". I think this is his first garden and he is enjoying watching things pop through the ground. He especially likes the radishes. We have them with almost every meal!!! It is so fun to pick things!!! I can hardly wait to see the garden fill in with new growth.

Our compost pile is working too! We need to add another bin to move the compost around to give it room to work. I can't wait for it to make soil for the garden for next year. We got several tubs of fat, juicy earthworms to help with the garden. It is so exciting to turn the soil over and find the earthworms have made babies! The soil in the garden is a work-in-progress. MOMD tilled it up and we amended it with garden soil and fertilizer and our trusty worms hoping to improve it. The soil in the raised bed was brought in because the soil here is like concrete. We wanted to try to amend the soil in the new garden and add compost as needed. It will be a couple of years before it will be at its optimum best. It is fun to learn and experiment. I would like to double the garden in a couple of years. I like providing food for my family. I will be preserving and canning this year. It has been a few years since I have done that. I will be posting updated photos of the garden as it grows. If anyone has a garden and wants to share photos with me I would love to see your garden and hear what you planted.

Meet Morris the Turtle

2011-04-20T07:02:00.002-05:00

I was out checking my garden and picking some radishes when I found this little tiny turtle. I couldn't believe how small he was. Never able to resist a good looking turtle I picked him up and took him inside. He is a hatchling painted box turtle. I have had several turtle in my lifetime starting around age 7. I am a huge Elvis fan so of course my turtles have all been named Elvis. I put Elvis in a glass bowl with some water, rocks and radish leaves and watched him most of the evening. I have a friend who has an adorable little girl named Macy. I called to see if Macy would like a pet turtle. Her mom said cool and they came and got him the next day. I told them that his name is Elvis in honor of my adoration of the icon. Macy is almost three and (gasp) has never heard of Elvis. She kept calling him "Melvis". She was so excited about her turtle that she couldn't wait to show him to her daddy.

Well, "Melvis" went home with Macy and she played with him in the backyard. Somehow his name got altered again. By the time her daddy got home to play with her "Melvis" had turned into "Morris" and that is his name today!

Morris is a beautiful little guy and Macy and her daddy are having a fun time playing and feeding and taking care of him. Macy says that "she just LOVES her turtle!" Morris has a nice new home with lots of love and fun. What more could a turtle ask for except maybe a cricket or two for dinner. What a life!

My First Craft Fair

2011-04-12T08:51:00.000-05:00

It was a busy place around Arty Inspirations Design Studio the past couple of weeks!!! I had been preparing for my first craft fair. It was held Saturday, April 2,2011. It was a roaring success. I had a double booth. I make jewelry most of the time but I also help out a friend with her Monogramming and Appliqué business. She doesn't sew so I have been busy sewing in-between making jewelry. You can imagine what my house looked like. No time to clean up! I barely got dinner on the table. It was stressful and fun all at the same time. Below are pictures of our booth. We will be doing the Helena Wild West Trade Days the first Saturday of the month through November. The first one was a success and I hope it only gets better from here.

This is the front of our booth. I was impressed that we were able to put it together so fast. We were finished setting up before a lot of people got their stuff out of their cars. One half of the booth is my jewelry from Arty Inspirations Studio 117( jewels wired up) and the other half is Ashley's Creations Sew Sweet. We make children's clothes and accessories and we monogram and appliqué.

See those cute diaper wipe cases? We had the best time making them. Everyone thought they looked like clutch bags. Maybe a new project for next time, but they are decorated wipe cases. They would make a dirty job so worth the cleaning!!!! I don't know why they didn't have cute things like that when my kids were babies. I would have had to have had one!!! I also made our cute aprons. They have our names monogrammed on them but you can't see it in the photo.

It was an unusual mix of items for sale but it worked. Ashley took some custom orders and I sold a good bit of the stock that I brought. It was a lot of fun to meet so many people. I am looking forward to next month when we will be featuring Mother's Day Gift items. I had a give away of a sterling silver necklace and earring set. I am hoping to get a photo of the winner wearing the items so that I can put it on my blog. The winner was Katie Smith. She is a friend of my Daughter-in-law (tough chick). They came out to spend part of the day in Helena. It was fun to see family and friends there. As soon as I get some pictures I will post them of the winner!!!

This week I will be putting my house back together and cleaning up from the last two weeks of neglect. Maybe I will not have so much pressure to get so much accomplished for the next one. I have a plan in place and I am busy working the plan.

I just got my Facebook Fan page up and running and I am in the need of fans. I would appreciate it if you would stop by and "like" it. Thanks !

arty inspirations studio 117

I hope you have a blessed day!!!

Spring has Sprung!!!!

2011-03-22T10:40:00.000-05:00

My Garden is Started!

I have had a garden for the past 20 years. Some have been successful and some a total failure. More success than failure I must admit. I don't usually start my garden until after Good Friday. I don't really remember why but that has been my rule. MOMD has not had a garden before and has been really anxious to get it started this year. He is so willing to do the heavy work in the garden, tilling, toting soil, weeding etc. My son (the carpenter), built my raised bed the spring after we moved in in 2004. I live in a garden home community and I have a rather large lot but I didn't know if my neighbors would be happy with me planting a garden so I tried to make it a little nicer than just digging a hole and putting a plant in it. My plan is to increase my garden yearly adding more area to plant until I have it the size I want it. I have tried a few experiments over the past couple of years that have not worked so MOMD tilled up a plot to double the size of my raised bed.

This bed will take a little more work to get it up to par but this is a great start. MOMD tilled the area several times to break up the lousy soil that is there. We have amended it with some garden soil and manure. We also put some worms in it to help aerate the soil. We have a little more work to do before we can put the rest of the plants in but we have potatoes and onions already in the ground.

We also put worms in the raised bed as well. The soil in the raised bed is really rich and has been prolifically producing for six years now. We have radishes, lettuce, sweet banana peppers, jalapeños and tomatoes planted in there. We may add a couple of things like carrots or herbs but this bed is essentially finished.

We have been composting since October and the compost has been going directly into the garden but we wanted a separate compost pile so we built a bin. I don't know how successful it will be, since I have never composted before but we are enjoying the process.

The compost bin is built from a wooden pallet, found in the garbage, and fencing wire. We don't have trees on the property so we walked down to the fishin' hole with two garbage bags and gathered leaves to place on the bottom of the bin to get started. We lined the bottom of the pallet with a thick stack of newspaper before putting the leaves in. We also added manure and soil along with some grass clippings and composting from the kitchen. We are still tweaking the container but we are having fun learning. Problem solving is the best learning tool!!!

We will be adding more vegetables in the coming weeks. I will keep you posted on the progress. Do you have a garden? What do you plant? Do you have any tips? Post a comment and tell me all about your garden. I would love to see it.

Gone Fishin'

2011-03-10T07:37:00.000-06:00

When the week-ends are pretty, MOMD (man of my dreams) and I like to walk down to the fishin' hole near our house and spend a few hours fishin' and laughin' and talkin'. One Saturday afternoon the temperatures rose above freezing and we headed out. Poles and "stuff" in hand. We even took the dog! Yikes!

We have a walking trail that borders our neighborhood and we like to walk back there often. The trail follows a creek and that is where we like to spend a few hours fishin'. We have our favorite spots. Spots where a tree has fallen giving me a place to sit and read or rocks we stand on and cast. We usually hit them all trying to find a place the fish are bitin'. This day the sky was so blue and the temperature was around 68. It doesn't get any better that that! We walk to our favorite hole and MOMD baits my hook.

The water is so clear and beautiful. I was sure to catch a fish. If I don't get a bite in about ten minutes I have backup. I always bring a snack and a book! I tied the dog to a post and went to fishin'.

Emma was watching and hoping I would catch something she could play with. I didn't. I tried for at least half an hour. No luck! I got out a snack and a book and settled in to watch MOMD fish.

I am sitting on a fallen log, leaning on a tree for support and in heaven listening to the sound of the water gurgling by. MOMD is catching really small fish and enjoying every minute of it. We walk down to another fishin' hole to see what's bitin' there. I don't get a bite so I lay down on some rocks to check out the sky. It is an amazing color blue.

I am lazing around watching the clouds roll by and thinking about how wonderful my life is and thanking God that He made such a beautiful day just for me to enjoy when a flock of birds came and filled the trees above me. They were all talking at once and I was desperately wondering what the fuss was about. Were they fussing at us for being in the area? Were they just chatting with each other about the beauty of the day? I kept laying on the ground watching and wondering.

Emma was watching too, but I think she was hoping one of them would come and play with her. Or was she wondering what one of them tastes like?

I'm not certain. Either way, we packed up and walked home. Life doesn't get any better than this!!!!!

What a perfect day!

Is this Your DAILY Prayer?

2011-03-04T07:16:00.000-06:00

I try to read a devotional book along with my Bible every morning to get my spiritual heart moving. It has the same effect my cup of coffee has on my physical heart. I just need it. When I don't get it I miss it terribly.

I have been reading Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening lately. I think I have had this book for 15 years and I have read it along with my Bible off and on consistently that long. But it seems fresh every time I read it. It's like it is the very first time I've read it. The Bible is a living Word and it does that to me too! I have read it over and over again all my life yet sometimes I will read a scripture and it speaks as though it is the very first time I have ever seen it, knowing full well that I had read that time and time again. I love that!

I have a prayer that I try to pray every morning that is like my dedication to the day and to the Lord. Is this your Daily Prayer too? I encourage you to write it on a note card and place it where you will be reminded to read it every morning:
"Lord, help me to glorify you. I have talents; help me to extol You by using them for You. I have time; Lord, help me to redeem it, that I may serve You. I have a head to think; Lord, help me to think of You. You have put me in this world for something, Lord, show me what that is and help me to work out my life-purpose. I cannot do much; but as the widow put in her two mites, which were all her living, I cast my time and eternity, too, into your treasury. I am all Yours. Take me and enable me to glorify You today, in all that I say, in all that I do, and with all that I have." AMEN!

"To HIM be glory both now and forever" 2 Peter3:18

I hope you have an inspired day!

A Blessing!!

2011-02-25T09:08:00.001-06:00

This is a continuation from the last post so if you haven't read the first post you may want to read it before reading this one. I am going back to the pennies in the driveway. After God gave me peace in knowing that He is in control of my life and that I can trust Him with everything I started finding pennies everywhere. It was almost like it was raining pennies. I would just see it, smile, relax because God was reminding me that He was still there and still in control, I would pick up the penny and put it in my pocket with the certainty that what ever I was anxious about He was already there and I didn't need to worry. This went on for a while. I somehow managed to get my bills paid and feed us. I got a job so that I would have some health insurance and extra money, my divorce was finalized and that stress was over and God was there right in the middle of it all. Beside me or in front of me all the way.
I had teenagers I was raising on my own. Boy, that was interesting. It amazes me how teenagers find so many things to get into that are bad for them. I knew that they both loved Jesus and they were both saved but still I felt I needed to be a one woman show and beat away the enemy on my own. I learned quite quickly that that wasn't God's plan. Once again I got a penny reminder. My daughter, (aka the princess) hit a rebellious point in her early teens. I thought I was watching her pretty closely but sometimes I just had to sleep. One night she called and said she was going to the movies with a friend and her mom so I said okay and went to sleep. I asked her to call when she was back at her friends house to spend the night and off the road. Well, she called and said she was leaving the movies and would be home in about fifteen minutes. A short time later she called and said they had been in an accident and to come quickly, it was bad. I leaped into my clothes, grabbed my son and his fiance and went to where the accident happened. It was really bad. Teenagers laying out in the street, a car wrapped and folded around a tree, emergency and police everywhere. Total chaos. I found my daughter in the street and checked to make sure she was okay. She was hurt but she could talk to me. I could talk to all the teenagers but one. It was the middle of the night and I was the only parent on the scene with all minors. My daughter was about to be taken by ambulance to the hospital but I couldn't leave the scene as the only parent and one teenager being cut out of the car and then being air lifted, it was going to be a while before I could leave. My son was allowed to ride with his sister to the hospital and I would follow later. My daughter had been laying in the middle of the street on a backboard. After she was placed in the ambulance I looked down at the street where she had been laying and right in the spot her head had been was a penny. I immediately felt peace wash over me and I knew that whatever happened God was there and it would be okay. He had been sitting right there, with her head in his lap, while she waited for me. I found out that I couldn't be with my children all the time to watch over and protect them but God can. After the princess got out of the hospital she wanted to go back to where the accident happened. Where she had been when the car hit the tree. Low and behold, God had placed another penny there. I picked it up and told her my penny story about how God had protected her and her friends. I took both the pennies to a jeweler and had them made into very plain, very simple necklaces. Now when we wear them and someone asks why we have a penny around our neck we share the story of God's love and protection. I have had many more struggles since then and I'm sure I will have many more in my lifetime but God is constantly reminding me that He is there by dropping pennies everywhere. When I find one, I smile and say " Look, a blessing!" and I pick it up and thank God that He loves me and I put that penny in my pocket with the peace that passes all understanding. I am so unworthy of His love yet He gives it freely. Has there been a time God blessed you? Would you like to share that with me? I would love to hear your story. I want to encourage you to release your cares to Him. He is strong enough to carry them and wants to carry them. I hope you are inspired to live a life of peace and love and freedom knowing God loves you.
Here are a few scriptures to remind you of His love....
"Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall." Psalm 55:22
"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you." 2 Thessalonians 3:16
"I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies." Psalm 16:3

I hope you have a Blesssed day!

Bad Days Make You Just Want to Bury your Face in a Carton of Ice Cream!

2011-02-22T13:07:00.000-06:00

I woke up this morning looking forward to a great productive day and then reality kicked in and I felt like someone punched me in the gut and knock the wind out of me. It is a bright sunny day outside it feels like spring but my mood is dead of winter in a blizzard. I just want to bury my face is big tub of ice cream and wait for another day when the sun rises again and all is good! Have you ever felt that way? Emma, the queen of my household, is demonstrating just how to get down and get the very last lick of ice cream out of the tub.

You just stick your whole face down in the tub and lick 'til you taste nothing but cardboard! That makes everything all better!

Totally Twisted!!!!!!! I hope you are having a better day than I am. But..... you know what they say.... The Sun'll come out tomorrow!