Unfocused!

Link Roundup

2012-01-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

Source: searchquotes.com via Lee Ann on Pinterest

100 days – Week of Blocks – Octagonal Orb Block Tutorial Sewing; Quilting
I really like this block!

Toaster Cover Sewing; Tutorial
Too Cute!

”18 Months Same as Cash!” … Really? Finances

Is zero interest for 18 months REALLY zero interest? If you can walk a tightrope while juggling flaming torches, then maybe. But beware – many of these offers are fraught with conditions that will make your head spin.

Wordy Wednesday

2012-01-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

Warning: Do NOT advance to the bottom of this post if you get queasy at the sight of blood and/or wounds. Thank you.

On Thurday, January 19th, around 4 PM, I started making Mini Meatloaves for dinner. These have become a favorite that I/we make once or twice a month.

I started out with the cheese. We get a block of cheese and grate it instead of buying shredded cheese. It is so much better and more delicious if we grate the cheese ourselves. Even the mozzarella for our pizzas is bought by the block and grated ourselves. It melts better and you don't have all the additives that you get with package shredded cheese. (Some of the additives in those packages are to keep the cheese separate inside the package and can be avoided if we grate cheese ourselves).

You would have thought I learned my lesson over the fiasco on Christmas Eve using a Zester. But, nope. The Christmas Eve incident was minor compared to what I did last Thursday. From now on and forevermore, I will never touch a Microplane Zester again. It will either be a box type grater or I will use Dan as slave labor ahead of time to get what I need for my meals. Most likely, it will be the latter. Ha!

Anyway, It was a disaster of epic proportions. At least, it was in my mind. I immediately went to the bathroom to take care of the wound. it was bad enough that droplets of blood ended up on the floor and onto the paper towel roll.

I had read that applying ice to a wound is not a good thing. So, I immediately applied pressure with a paper towel after giving it a quick rinse. I knew it was too small of a wound to require emergency care. But, I could not get it to stop bleeding. After about five to ten minutes, I eventually gave in and sent a message to Dan. I also said to myself "frak this, I'm going to ice the wound and see if it helps."

Dan arrived about 25 minutes later and the wound was still bleeding something awful not to mention the pain was off the charts. It was all I could do to keep from breaking down and dissolving into a puddle of tears because I was in throes of both pain and panic.

Dan agreed with my internal assessment of the wound after taking a look. I continued to apply pressure for a long time. In the meantime, Dan took over the preparations for dinner.

After about three hours or so, it finally slowed to a bleeding ooze. I made Dan take a picture for posterity sake. These pictures was taken approximately four hours after I had hurt myself. Dan then bandaged it up for me with Neosporin + Pain Relief and a bandaid. The Neosporin was primarily used to prevent the bandaid from sticking to the wound. But, I've got to tell you that the Pain Relief part did its job. Within 30 minutes, the pain went from bad to just barely there.

I'm telling you that it was fun and games. NOT!

Tuesday's State of Affairs

2012-01-24T08:45:00.000-08:00

Note: This is formerly known as Fabric / Quilty / Crafty / DIY Tuesday. I've changed it to "Tuesday's State of Affairs" until I can come up with a better generic title. Any suggestions?
First of all, I just have to give a shout out to I have a Notion store. I bought a very small item from this store for the first time not long ago. I received the item along with a refund on shipping! Needless to say, I was immensely impressed. Most businesses would have just kept the change. But, not Kelly! By the way, Kelly has a wonderful blog that I follow which often gives demonstrations and tutorials including items in the quilting world.

Now, let us move on to the state of affairs in my fabric, quilting, and sewing world. One item I have on my Finished Year List is to "finish organizing my fabrics onto “bolts” – 2 or 3 a day should get me there eventually". Well, I have been consistently organizing my fabrics onto 'bolts' every day. I have been doing at least six most days. This is what I have done so far:
Fat Quarters and Quarter yardages. Note: the ones with the key tags are quarter yardages.
Half Yardages and One Yardages (or more). Note: the Half Yardages are on your left and the other is on the right.

So far, I've been organizing the fabrics by blenders and novelties. The categories may expand as I get more fabrics onto 'bolts'.

So, what have I been doing sewing-wise? Sad to say, the Layer Cake Quilt (backing) has not been touched since before Thanksgiving. I need to get back to it. In the meantime, I have been sidetracked. I am currently working on making something for my cats.
I discovered that BOTH of my cats love flannels. They were caught several times sleeping together on two flannel shirts that were tossed on the bed. Now, you have to know my cats. They are not at all fond of one another. But, I guess flannel brings them together. Ha!

Anyway,I bought these flannels at a bargain and I am currently turning them into bed runners. The one that is ready to sew is actually an orange color with the same print as the brown. We'll see how these turn out as I am just winging it - using idea(s) and pattern(s) that are in my mind. Ha!

Bloglovin'

2012-01-22T15:44:00.000-08:00

Rumor has it that Google Friend Connect is going away in several months. I signed up for Bloglovin to

provide an alternative to Feedburner (which is owned by Google) and Google Friend Connect and

to see if it is a better alternative to using Google Reader to follow blogs.
I shall give it several months trial and see if I like it better than Google Reader. I will also let you all know what I think of Bloglovin'.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin'
In the meantime,

Link Roundup

2012-01-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

Source: thefinestkind.wordpress.com via Lee Ann on Pinterest

First of all, I want to let you all know

Accuquilt is having a scavenger hunt on facebook (ends 1/30/2012). Hunt up codes for a chance to win a cool prize.

American Patchwork American Patchwork and Quilting is having a $10,000 crafting giveaway (ends on 11/14/2012). You'll receive cash to renovate or stock up your stash.

Quilts and More is having a $1000 Quilt Shop giveaway to spend at any of the shops found on a link listed on the giveaway page.
Check out the Giveaways Tab above for more details on the giveaways I just mentioned.

Scrappy Mug Mat Tutorial Quilting; Sewing
This is really cute!!!

The Trouble with Blogging

But never forget that what you see on the screen is not the whole picture.

Never forget that the people behind the blogs are, well, people…with unorganized cupboards, unmanaged time schedules (ahem!), cranky children (ahem again!), painful stories, crafty train wrecks, struggling marriages, unpaid bills and burnt meat loaf. (Those are the examples I use, because those have all been me behind the scenes.)

Never forget that their story and their journey and their choices apply to them, not to you.

You are who you are for a reason. You are where you are a for a reason. Don't do what I do and beat yourself up for not being where someone else is. It's a colossal waste of time.
In God We Trust: Your Money and a Higher Power Finances

I asked him why he’s not searching for a job or addressing some of his other concerns and he told me, “God will provide. I just have to be patient.”

Personal faith in God can be a powerful thing. I’ve witnessed how such a faith has helped guide people to some incredible positive changes in their lives. I’ve seen how a community of people guided by their faith can keep a food pantry running. I’ve seen people of faith making sure that children have a wonderful meal and a nice gift at Christmastime, and I’ve witnessed countless other positive results from personal faith.

One key factor that unites all of these good things, however, is taking action.

Wordy Wednesday: "Redbull Busted"

2012-01-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

Background Information: Dan started racing F1 (Formula 1) on the XBox 360 with a group of co-workers a couple of years ago. From there, he started watching the real Formula 1 races. He got so addicted to the races that he would download the races to watch them at work during lunch. He often would listen to the races while studying up on this or that. He is good at multitasking. If his co-workers start to talk about the race before he gets a chance to finish watching, he would stick his fingers in his ears and go "la la la la". Not really. But, you get the picture.

Well, back in early December, the guys started racing the new F1 game. If I remember correctly, Dan smoked the second game they raced after losing badly the first time. One of his co-workers sent an email with a picture attached to the group razzing Dan out (in fun). Here is the email and picture (with important details redacted).

For Immediate Release
December 12, 2011

Following their success and record breaking results throughout the last two Formula One seasons, the Red Bull Racing team was visited by the FIA motorsport council to present them with the an Achievement Award at their HQ in Milton Keynes. However, during the visit we found Red Bull was CHEATING. Their top driver and Team Principal Dan ******* was found reading the condense setup manual from team Ferrari, McLaren, Lotus and Sauber. Dan was immediately inputting the setup info into his simulator code. This setup is how Red Bull was able to recreate the Blown Diffuser mapping used during low speed corners. This is a direct correlation to how successful Red Bull has been for the last 2 seasons. FIA is actively looking into the DanResearchGate Investigation into Ferrari, McLaren, Lotus and Sauber for collaborators. Initial research has shown, Red Bull was adding Sodium Pentothal (Truth Serum) into their famous Red Bull energy drink to chief engineers at the above 4 factory teams.

Stacy Von Heikle
FIA Press Director"

Dan's response:

You say “Cheating”, I say “Research”.

By the way, that’s an autographed copy of “The Adrian Newey Guide to Formula One Setups”. I can neither confirm nor deny the source(s) of his information.

Immediate Reply:

Adrian Newel is unavailable for comment when TMZ called for an interview. TMZ photographers spotted Adrian Newey in Tibet serving Red Bull to the local monks. We want to know why Adrian is serving Red Bull to the highland monks. Maybe it has to do with the myth that Tibetan Monks can glide? This will make Red Bull harder to beat if they glide across the track. More info to come.

You get the picture. Those guys are addicted and they got Dan addicted to a sport for the first time I have ever known him. Now I understand what it means to be a "football widow" except I deal with racing instead of football. Ha! They sure do have a lot of fun in that office. It's the best place in the world to work in my humble opinion.

PS: I really really like that picture of Dan reading some textbook and watching the race.

Snapshots of Christmas Break 2012: Part II

2012-01-16T09:06:00.000-08:00

On December 28th,

We met up with my youngest niece, and her family (including her Mother) at IKEA. I had fun looking at all the stuff!

We visited for a bit and had a lovely time.

On December 29th,

We met up with my oldest niece and her family. This little girl is happy all the time. She is such a joy to hold and watch.

And, I enjoyed watching this girl play with a little toy she received. She really enjoyed this silly thing.

On December 30th,

We went to the Ft. Worth Stockyards. This is the view from above Love Shack -- a really good foodie place that accepts cash only.

And, Dan surprised me with a little side trip to the...

Fort Worth Water Gardens. One area of this garden, the Active Water Pool, is awesome!

I had injuried my hip; so, I could not risk taking a trip down into the "center". However, I took some pictures of Dan going down.

It is really deep, huge and loud!

We spent some time with my eldest brother and his wife on December 31st. I really love their little piece of property -- it is so much like what I wish for when we get a house of our own.

Life sort of returned to normal when we returned home late New Years Day.

It was a wonderful Christmas break. And, I hope we can do something like this again!

Link Roundup

2012-01-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

Source: punjabigraphics.com via Lee Ann on Pinterest

Soap Explosion
A cool experiment to do with kids using Ivory Soap and a microwave.

What will happen when a piece of the soap is placed in the microwave?
Milk Crate Cover Sewing; Tutorial
A neat way of repurposing an old milk crate.

Broken Pots Christian; Inspirational

Real Marriage: The 1950s, Pre-Feminism Kind Christian

Ladies, you know “submitting” doesn’t mean acting like a lapdog with your hubbies. But if there is one thing every modern, progressive woman should do to submit to their husbands, it is this:

Stop treating him like a freakin idiot.
Guess what guys, marriage isn’t a prison. How is going home to a woman who has your back no matter what a prison sentence?

Five Minutes: Roar

2012-01-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

The Gypsy Mama puts up a "5 minute" word challenge almost every Friday and leaves it up for a week. If I do the exercise, I post my results on Thursdays.

Here is my fourth effort at the 5 minute challenge. It was written late Friday afternoon, January 6, 2011. The word for the week is "roar".

Sometimes I love the silence. Okay, most of the time I would rather have the silence because sound can be meaningless. But, other times, I just want to shout and let it all out. That is part of a refrain in the song Shout sung by Tears for Fears that I sing with all my heart on occasion. I just can’t help myself.

There is some things within me that just long to be expressed and I have suppressed them in fear of rejection and ridicule from both society and family. I mean, I am already different. Why do or say something to really set myself apart? Oh wait, too late. I have already done this through misunderstandings and more.

I longed to belong most of my young life that I tried to be what others wanted me to be at the sacrifice of my self. In hindsight, I realize that nothing would have changed whether or not I conformed.

Lately, I find myself just wanting to take certain people by their shoulders and yell at them to listen – listen to your loved ones, listen to me -- just listen. I find it sad to see people talk over one another; but, never truly listen with their hearts. If only they would truly listen, they might discover who the other person is. They might even become a hero and save someone from themselves. And maybe, just maybe, they would not box me up in their memories or fantasies and let me be.

I find I just cannot express my thoughts and feelings verbally simply because people are not making the effort to listen, or worse, they laugh at me because they do not believe or understand. I also fear that I would be misunderstood.

This is why I have turned to written words and have done so since I was a little girl.

So, lately, I have been shouting through written words for my soul can no longer be contained. I have hesitantly shared some with the world and prayed for understanding. I have reached the point in my life that I no longer care what others think of me. But, I am still fearful. I hold secrets.

{I confess that I cheated and edited this piece a tad. This piece, for some odd reason, is very important to me.}

Shout! Shout! Let it all out
These are the things I can do without
Come on – I’m talking to you,
Come on

~Shout by Tears for Fears; 1984

Wordy Wednesday

2012-01-11T04:00:00.000-08:00

We met my youngest niece and her family at IKEA on December 28, 2011. While browsing around IKEA, I came across this sink:

I nearly died from stiffling my laughter.

What does this sink look like to y'all? Am I the only one with a strange mind? And, why in the world would anyone want this sink?

My sister-in-law caught me taking a picture and her first thought was I was taking pictures of items I wanted. No. I certainly didn't want this sink! I told her why I took the picture. She took a second look at the sink and then laughed!

Snapshots of Christmas Break 2012: Part I

2012-01-09T13:09:00.000-08:00

On December 22nd,

we went bowling.

"Whoa! The Dude can bowl" Ha!

My ungraceful self. I am not that fat. I was wearing a huge unflattering sweatshirt. Dan and I tied first game. I did lousy second game. And, I barely beat Dan the third game. I paid the price by being sore for a couple of days.

On December 23rd,

my sister-in-law made these delicious power cookies.

And, I practiced bokeh photography.

Not too bad. It is not quite what I want; but, I think I am getting better. Next time, I should get the perfect shot. Ha!

On December 24th,

I managed to zest my thumb.

Now, why in the world would I take a picture of my thumb? I actually was practicing with the macro lens using my thumb as the subject. I could not get the picture I wanted. Something to do with layers, lighting, and crap. This is actually a picture I converted to a black and white image and then bumped down the transparency to 50%. The result is not so bad if I say so myself.

Two men were trying to get a tape out of a ancient video camera and once they got it out, they attempted to fix the camera. I do not know if they succeeded or not.

This young man played babysitter for his older brother's two dogs.

This is Banjo. I really liked this dog. He's a good temperament and size. I could not get a decent picture of Juliet, the other dog. She has a lot of white and that tends to wash out. Maybe next time?

My handsome husband!

On December 25th,

We had dinner.

And, then we all (including the dogs) went over to Mother's place to have a "jam" session on my youngest nephew's newest toy.

Mother enjoyed listening to the music while eating Thanksgiving dinner.

And, then certain people got goofy.

Part II to come at a later date.

Link Roundup

2012-01-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

Source: elembee.com via Lee Ann on Pinterest

Note: Link Roundup will now be posted on Saturday mornings. It's just a slight change to my blog schedule / routine. Other than that, Link Roundup will remain the same as always as I know many love this part of this blog.

Random Tutorial Generator
-- also has a search function for whatever is in the database.

Robot Art Crafts; Painting on Canvas.
Looks very easy to do!

Craft Snowman magnets Crafts - A tiny bit of painting on "flat" marbles.
{Remember that I love me some snomwen?}

Semi Homemade Mohawk Beanie Cap Tutorial Crafts; No Knit
This would be too cute for those little boys in your life! {I have to confess that I’m thought of a grand-nephew and a grand-cousin when I saw these! I also have to confess that I thought of making one for myself! Ha!}

The Skinny Pincushion Sewing; Free pattern

Free Mini Quilt (or Wall Hanging) pattern Quilting; A January BOM; Snowman; Winter
Note: This pattern will be up for January only. Also, this site will have free patterns every month! How awesome is that?!? I’m hoping to keep track through their facebook page.

Birthday Board DIY; Crafts
This is a great idea for large and extended families!

What Are You Going to Finish in 2012? by Jon Acuff; his #FinishYear list

Why are we doing FinishYear?
Because completed dreams change the world.
The Fight Goes On On Depression

When depression sufferers fight, recover and go into remission we seldom even know, simply because so many suffer in the dark…ashamed to admit something they see as a personal weakness…afraid that people will worry, and more afraid that they won’t. We find ourselves unable to do anything but cling to the couch and force ourselves to breathe.

When you come out of the grips of a depression there is an incredible relief, but not one you feel allowed to celebrate. Instead, the feeling of victory is replaced with anxiety that it will happen again, and with shame and vulnerability when you see how your illness affected your family, your work, everything left untouched while you struggled to survive.

My Word of the Year & #FinishYear List

2012-01-05T04:00:00.000-08:00

Source: piccsy.com via Lee Ann on Pinterest

I tried the UFO concept with Judy at Patchwork Times; but, I was an utter failure with that effort. I think it's because it focused only on the crafty/quilting part of my life. The Word of the Year, which replaces a list of resolutions, was a better effort for me. The word is often a concept that we desire to embrace, a quality we wish to embody, or something we wish to have more of in our lives.

My word of the year for 2011 was “do”. I accomplished more than I ever did before. There is always room for improvement though. I decided to make “finish” my word of the year for 2012 and extend the word “do”. They complement one another, don’t you think?

But, I still need something more than just a Word of the Year. I’m a list person. I need something to shoot for. Most of the time, making resolutions never worked for me and I think I know why. They tend to be too general and need to be a little more specific to work.

Jon Acuff turned on the light for me with his ”Finish Year” concept. He is doing a series of posts to help us set up our lists. I think this concept may just work because the focus is on efforts not results, which may be the biggest bane to my existence.

{Start from the last link I provided above and work your way through his newer posts to get the gist of what “Finish Year” is all about.}

So, I listed items in the car on the way up to the Dallas area to see family before the New Year. Dan wanted to know what I was doing; so, I explained the concept to him and how it is done. He kind of joined in with his own list.
Here is my original list:

finish the Layer Cake Quilt. In the process, learn to machine quilt.
read at least six books
hand quilt Dan’s quilt
clean / purge the office
clean / purge the Master Bedroom
make meal plans (every two weeks)
save up for “new” car
make flying geese blocks using charm squares and special ruler
take a stitch on Tuesdays
add money to house fund
walk a mile (two miles is ultimate goal)
either relearn to play piano or learn to play a mandolin
establish an etsy shop for crafts
write down thoughts frequently – once or twice a week
design a quilt
learn to swallow a pill
organize my fabrics onto “bolts” – 2 or 3 a day should get me there eventually
finish the cross-stitch project that is half done
take a picture once a week

Here is Dan’s list:

finish the mustang!
relearn/play the banjo.
finish the desk/nightstand
learn custom framing and matting.
finish professional photography – at least establish a SmugMug account and even get some business cards

We are supposed to wean the list to five. Dan is fine. However, I am not! Ha! So, on the way home from the Dallas area, I weaned down the list. Let me tell you, I had a difficult time weaning the list down. I noticed that there were several small items that could be done every day until the task is completed. So, I weaned my list down to five keeping the original list separate so that I can add to the new list whenever one is eliminated. I also created a separate list that could be worked on in a routine manner (aka Flylady).
Here is my five:

I am going to finish learning how to swallow a pill. I may not ever learn how; but, I am determined to try.
I am going to finish the Layer Cake Quilt. In the process, learn to machine quilt.
I am going to finish saving up for “new” car. We only need a couple more thousand.
I am going to finish walking a mile (two miles is the ultimate goal)
I am going to finish cleaning / purging the office. I can only do this if Dan helps the process as half the stuff in there is his. I hate to nag him; but, this is important to me.

Here is my secondary list (in no particular order):

I am going to finish making meal plans (every two weeks).
{I started and completed the first plan on 1/2/12.}
I am going to finish writing down thoughts frequently – once or twice a week – journal style.
I am going to finish organizing my fabrics onto “bolts” – 2 or 3 a day should get me there eventually.
{I started this on 1/4/12.}
I am going to finish taking a picture at least once a week
(I started this on 1/2/12.)

I've placed my #FinishYear list inside my calendar organizer for safekeeping and easy reference. Here's to hoping for a more successful year!

Blogger's Choice Fat Quarter Bundle

2012-01-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

{Note: This post is a Fabric Tuesday post.}

Quokka Quilts is having a fun challenge. Click here for the specific details. Basically, one chooses twelve prints and three solids from the Fat Quarter Shop to create a "Blogger's Choice Fat Quarter Bundle". The deadline for this is January 15th and there is a possibility of winning tons of fabric if you're picked!

Now, I have to tell you that my chances of winning is very slim. I just wanted to have some fun designing a bundle of my own.

I have been into black and white fabrics of late. So, I started out with a favorite print (the first one in the collage below). I then went from there adding a couple fun prints along the way. I have to tell you that this is NOT typical fabrics I would automatically pick out. However, I am loving what I have chosen for the bundle. The bigger challenge would be to make a quilt out of these fabrics. Ha!

Happy New Year!!!

2011-12-31T10:00:00.000-08:00

Source: meltingpot.fortunecity.com via Lee Ann on Pinterest

I'm a little bit older, a little bit wiser, a little bit rounder, but still none the wiser.

~~Robert Paul

Be at war with your vices; at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.

~~ Benjamin Franklin

Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go.

~~ Brooks Atkinson

May you all have a wonderful beginning to 2012 and a blessed year!

Memories, Dreams, & Reflections: 2011

2011-12-29T08:20:00.000-08:00

Template used to create this post.

{All pictures taken by me in the year 2011 unless otherwise noted.}
{Text in bold is the subject of the picture}

Me! This picture is part of a self portrait challenges and I really like this one; although, I like the "material girl" shot too. It is so hard to decide!

Even though 2011 had tons of crappy moments, I'd like to think I have improved in the areas of writing and photography. At least, I shared a little more of my writings this year. And, a DIY project, the trash-to-treasure nightstand, was completed. So, something was accomplished (finished) this year. I have sewed up a bunch of blocks and finished quilt tops even though a quilt haven't been completely finished yet. I have done a few other crafty projects. And, we did make bread until life hit me with a ton of bricks. I am planning to pick up the bread making once again in the New Year.

So, I guess I did okay with my New Year goals for 2011.

I Love You! This is a "old" self portrait Dan took for me back in February of 2010 at my request. I wanted a picture of him before he trimmed up his "rugged" beard for the summer. This is the most current picture I have of him. Yes, I need to get a new picture of him. But, this will have to do.

This man is the love of my life. He is so supportive in all ways including when I'm very sick. He doesn't like for me to take long road trips by myself. So, he does not hesitate to take day(s) off from work to rush me back home if I'm needed. He listens to my infrequent passionate rantings and often smiles at me in amusement. He is my BFF (Best Friend Forever) and my rock on this earth.

source: Dan

This subject of this pictures is suppose to be Still Laughing; but, for the life of me, I cannot remember such a moment. However, I'm still experiencing Quiet Joy over one of the newest member of the family. So, "quite joy" replaces "Still Laughing". She is growing up too fast!

Winter Wonderland: It snowed on February 4th and it was quite an experience for me living in the south Texas as we do not often get snow down here.

What I got for myself on My Birthday. 'Nuff said.

The cats are My Friends. Sad to say, I don't have pictures of me with friends. And, even if I did, I would not post them without their express permission. My family is different -- they know that I am nuts and will post pictures. However, I do try to respect them and ask beforehand. Anyway, my cats are an ever present source of companionship and amusement. So, I guess they'll do in the subject of "friends". Ha!

I Was Inspired by this DIY Showoff blog post to get me one of these soda crates. It can (and will) serve as a multi-purpose function throughout the year. We are planning to make some cute little wooden drawers for this crate using some Luan.

This represents Spring Fever to me. The honeybees begin to stir when spring arrives and gets busy gathering pollen. I adore honeybees and often wish I had a hive.

A favorite taken on our Vacation at North Padre Island.

{not the best picture as it was taken with a digital water camera while the sun was high in the sky}

Tubing, whether it be at a water park or on the river, is always a reflection of Summer Days for me. I can hardly wait for Garner next year in June. I'm hoping the water will be higher and flowing. Please Lord, let it continue to rain periodically!

A Day in my Life {December 19, 2011}

Seeing this little girl always makes me Smile.

{I do not have any pictures for Autumn Harvest in 2011. Fall was basically shot considering I came down sick and all that -- I just did not feel like taking pictures during this time.}

Some of my Family while bowling -- December 22, 2012.

source: Dan with my camera

My sister-in-law's Power cookies are a reason to Celebrate! anything at any time!

source: Dan

Let's Do It Again. I love cooking with Dan. I love that he's willing to do things with me including photography. I love that he's willing to teach me all that he knows in this area. I love that he gets my weird sense of humor and that he caught on by coming up with this picture all on his own.

{I Miss You is supposed to be the next picture/category. But, I really miss a man (my dad) that passed away almost three years ago. This Christmas was the hardest for me considering my Mother's circumstances and changes. I also really miss a fine lady (my grandmother) who passed away long ago. And, the strangest thing is that I miss a cat that I really bonded with and loved that passed away over 12 years ago. I still occasionally wake up in the night and feel for her at the foot at the bed only to realize she's gone. No other cat was like her before or since.}

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". I do think this Cicada is Beautiful. Cicadas remind me of the dog days of summer and innocent days of childhood when I did not mind catching and holding one of the buzzing critters.

Dress Up with my new boots.

I think this Sand Crab is the best Macro picture all year long. It's also My Favorite.
Bokeh for the Holidays. I attempted to practice on 12/23 with Dan's fixed lens. I love me some snowmen; so, I focused on them on the Christmas tree. I still have a long ways to go before I achieve what I desire in a picture. But, I think I am improving, am I not?

Don't Ever Change. This is a tough one for me. I know we all change. We all grow up. We all go on our separate ways to lead our lives. We all grow older. We all eventually die. Well, I've gone macabre. The point is that this doll from my childhood will never change. We can all count on that. Ha!

Just Because...So There!
{Original Screw-in-a-Screw post}

My Hopes and Dreams is to live in the sewing room someday. Ha! Seriously though, I'm working on a "Finish Year" list and will share that with you all soon. My word of the year for 2011 is "do". I think I accomplished much more than I ever did before. There is always room for improvement though. I think I will the word of the year "finish" for 2012 and extend the word "do". I am longing to do do much more and finish a few projects. The two words, "do" and "finish", complement one another, don't you think?

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2011-12-24T16:00:00.000-08:00

Hello All!

Today is Christmas for those who celebrate this holiday. I hope everyone who observes this day is having a wonderful day. For some odd reason, I am having a very difficult time. You would think it get easier without a loved one, after 3 years; but, it is not easy. The times of grief are fewer and fewer; but, the pain/grief does not lessen. And, the changes on and around the holidays are difficult for me to grasp and hard for me to accept; but, I must in order to move on.

I am thankful for family and those who put up with this old lady. I am thankful to see Mother is in somewhat good spirits in spite of her circumstances. I am thankful for friends, old and new, real and virtual. I am thankful my for Dan who puts up with my idiosyncrasies and loves me in spite of them. I am thankful for the newest precious little ones who have entered the world. And, last but not least, I am thankful for God who saw me through the last several difficult years.

Posting will be sporadic from now until the New Year. I am planning on at least one post; but, for the most part, I will be silent. In the meantime, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Link Roundup

2011-12-23T06:46:00.000-08:00

Source: punjabigraphics.com via Lee Ann on Pinterest

Chocolate Pretzel Candies Cute and easy to make!

Learning About Exposure – The Exposure Triangle Photography

I dare you to do this with me (aka Finish This or Finish Year)
How to Build a Finish List
Don’t Overkill Your resolutions

A Day in My Life {Storybook Picture}

2011-12-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

Monday, December 19, 2012

{To see a larger version, go here.}

First thing in the morning: Prevacid.

Bills

Breakfast

Catch up on the Interwebs

Meet Dan for lunch: Wendy's

Mail bills

Took pictures of Gracie's paw

Dinner: Cracker Pizza

Books I won came in the Mail with two cute Amish kids magnets

Wordy Wednesday

2011-12-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

An Early Christmas Present from Dan:

With Jeans. Lurve!

With a skirt. I <3 these boots!

Pictorial Story: A Lizard's Tail

2011-12-19T04:00:00.000-08:00

On August 28th, I screamed bloody murder upon spying something moving among the blinds. Dan was like "what!?!?!" I could only point toward the blinds as I was rendered speechless.

I laughed at myself upon realizing what the critter was. The poor lizard is missing part of his tail. I doubt either of our cats were responsible.

He was promptly captured and not at all happy about his situation.

However, he was extremely happy to regain his freedom outdoors.

The end.

{Disclaimer: no critter was harmed in the making of this tale.}

{Note: I know that the pictures are of poor quality. They were taken in a hurry. But still, they make for a good story...}

Link Roundup

2011-12-16T10:48:00.000-08:00

Source: et-ernity.tumblr.com via Lee Ann on Pinterest

Brown Butter Double Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cookies Recipe
I rarely post links to recipes. But, This. I’ve. Got. To. Try!

Slow Cooker Cheesecake in a Jar! Recipe
Uses a Crockpot / Slow Cooker; includes a video

I Spy Ornaments Holiday Crafts

Christmas Origami Tutorial Holiday Crafts; Large Cute Ball / Ornament.
Here is a review on the making of one of these balls. It is through this review that I found the next link I’m posting.

Junk Mail Snowflakes Seasonal Crafts

Melted Snowman Ornament Holiday Crafts
This is way too cute! But then, I’m a snowman fanatic.

I Spy Tree (a.k.a. Junk Tree) Crafts
A neat upcycle project using items from your junk drawer (& elsewhere)!
{I posted this on facebook. I’m reposting the link here for those who are not on facebook.}

Christmas Ornaments Holiday Crafts
easy for kids (and adults) to do!

Unraveled: My First Quilt HILARIOUS!

Google Owns Me… And You Humorous and Yet So True

One Hundred Words: #88
This tiny story is me. No, I'm worst! Ha!
{Note: I did NOT write this tiny story}

Wordy Wednesday

2011-12-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

{Paper Wasp; Snapped on 8/13/11 with a macro lens}
Me: My, What beautiful stripes you have!

Wasp: All the better to sting you with my dear.

Bwahahaha!

haha!

ha?

Ahem.

I am finally getting around to process tons of pictures that I have let languishing in a folder. I was surprised to see a couple, including this one, that came out really well.

{By the way, these wasps are not Yellowjackets. The stripes in the picture above are distinctively different from Yellowjackets. I do not destroy wasp nests or kill them unless they are aggressive and/or they are in a bad spot as wasps are beneficial to the natural environment.}

Pictorial Monday: For Foodie Lovers! {Bread}

2011-12-12T14:26:00.000-08:00

Way back in August, we turned the kitchen into a photography studio and Dan took all the pictures. For the life of me, I cannot remember which recipe I used to make this bread. This is the closest recipe I could find that matched the pictures. We've since moved on to making wheat and honey-oat bread. So, the original recipe is lost.

There are tons of recipes out there for making bread and they're all more or less the same. I remember that I chose to use active yeast instead of instant because it was what I had on hand AND I'm most comfortable with active yeast. We are trying to use instant yeast now that we have that on hand.

I also know I chose to NOT make it in my kitchen-aid mixture like the original recipe indicated. I just love making bread the old-fashioned way. So, I chose to do it all by hand.

Mix warm water and yeast per package directions

Add the rest of the warm water

Was this warm butter? It looks like melted butter to me!

I know this was salt!

Dump the Flour

Start mixing

Start Kneading

Two extra hands help!

Making bread is very therapeutic!

Dump in a bowl that has been buttered up or just use Pam!

Cover and set it aside in a out-of-the-way spot (I use the oven if not in use).
Let rise until double in size.

Magic!

Punch down.

Roll out.

If I remember correctly, the width is approximately the size of the loaf pan and the length is about twice the size of the loaf pan.

Roll up into a log shape. Tuck ends in.

Dump it into a greased loaf pan and let it rise until double in size.

Magic!

Bake until done.

Yummo!

Ohhh, butter makes it even better!

If I remember correctly, the original recipe calls for doing this several times. I only did it once. It's fattening enough! But, it sure does make the bread look nicer.

Slice

And, serve!
This bread is delicious and we made it several times. But, I have since moved on to making more challenging and healthier bread. I really really like the honey-oat version I found. I need to make it several more times to iron out the kinks in the recipe. After all, I am a novice baker of breads. Ha!

Link Roundup

2011-12-09T10:16:00.000-08:00

Source: Uploaded by user via Lee Ann on Pinterest

Stocking Pattern from United Notions.
Thank you Moda and Thimble Blossoms!
Tweet Winning Announcement from chatting on Talkin’ Tuesday.
I am getting two Always and Forever charm packs! ::Happy Dance::
Thank you Fat Quarter Shop for being a sponsor!

Holiday Freebie: Paper Pieced Tree Quilting; Sewing
Recycled Bread Tag Snowmen Crafts
The no-bake, no-cook, no-time gift solution – 4 snack mix recipes in a jar
Uses Mason Jars. You could go all out and create your own favorites!
Use a Lower Angle to Challenge Your Perspective {Photography Tips} Photography
The Lost Art of Being an Apprentice
Learning from those before you is a dying art that just might bring your dream back to life.
Life Isn’t Fair, but it’s still good
A repeated article called “45 Lessons Life Taught Me” written by a 90-year old woman. A few of my favorites:

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.