Fox Hollow Tales

Be Merciful

2010-07-18T10:21:00.003-05:00

"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

Luke 6:36

Have a blessed Sunday…

Silver Bella

2010-06-29T00:36:00.000-05:00

Each November crafters flock to Omaha, Neb., for Silver Bella, a weekend getaway that promises fun, fellowship, and craft workshops. This year, I get the priviledge to attend along with some of my bestest crafty friends. The best description of Silver Bellas comes from a Country Living magazine....

'Nebraska paper artist Teresa McFayden wanted to give creative women a forum where they could gather, share ideas, and learn new skills. So in 2006, she invited fellow crafters to her hometown of Omaha for a weekend of camaraderie and workshops taught by noted crafters and paper artists. Soon news of her workshops, which she named Silver Bella, spread on blogs. To McFayden's delight, dozens of women from as far away as Australia headed to Nebraska to hone their skills in decoupage, collage, jewelry-making, and more."

Go to the Paper Bella site to learn more....you will see why I am so excited about going this year. I will be blogging more later on the classes I have enrolled in and the swaps that I will be participating in.

Staging Your Home for Sale

2010-06-18T00:37:00.000-05:00

Found a great website for ideas on getting your home ready to sell. Or like me, want to do a few updates. There is a blog site called Remodeling Guy. It is packed full of great tips and ideas for any home. This week he is featuring an aricle on painting the inside of your cabinets.

Repainting Door Knobs

2010-06-05T09:37:00.002-05:00

This caught my eye on a blog and wanted to share this with you. I listed a house a few weeks ago and the house was so cute, but had all brass hardware! Yuk! So....I encouraged the owners to paint the brass, if buying all new hardware was too much on their pocket book. They did and it made ALL the difference.

This morning on the blog site infarrantly creative , she had a great tutorial on doing this. Becky gives you a fabulous step-by-step (ooh, baby) tutorial.

Spring Cleaning

2010-04-09T10:00:00.003-05:00

I'm a follower of Simple Mom Blog. You are correct..I not longer have little children, nor big children at home. But, guess you are always a Mom at heart. I love this gal, her thoughts, her wonderful ideas for organizing our lives and living life simpler. So, today...she had this quote along with her Spring Cleaning week. Check it out on her site.

I have a ton of stuff around the house I have been meaning to ebay, garage sale, or take to Goodwill....so tomorrow will be my day to work on this. Hope you have a good weekend as well!

Bit Overwhelmed

2010-04-08T23:19:00.000-05:00

I am feeling a bit overwhelmed right now with so many projects that I want to get done around the house indoor and outdoor. We just finished our new privacy fence which encloses our courtyard aka our back yard. This little space is in a bit of a mess right now since we had to move everything attached or near the old fence. Now time to get things back together. Not too hip on attaching a bunch of my junky stuff to this new fence. It is a work of art. I am going to be very picky with what goes up on this fence.
I have had to start with a entirely new landscaping project for the area. New flowerbed, new shrubs, there is so much to do.
There are more projects inside the house....bathroom remodel, kitchern counters, painting, and floor for livng/dining space. I want to get this all done.I will keep you posted if I don't go crazy first!

Silver Bella

2010-04-07T23:57:00.000-05:00

Someone needs to pinch me because I'll be going to 5th Annual Silver Bella 2010, along with my best friend. The Event of the Arts is the weekend of November 11th - 14th in Omaha, Nebraska. A few of the Event highlights: 9 nationally recognized instructors teaching 18 Workshops exclusive to Silver Bella, Friday night's Bella Market with juried and talented artisans from all over the country, fresh group workshop and presentation by Teresa McFayden, and a closing dinner featuring Guest Speaker Jenny Doh! The venue for this Event is The Embassy Suites, located in downtown historic Old Market District of Omaha, Nebraska. I've never been to Nebraska and I am sure it will be cold. But who cares? Its Silver Bella. It was very tough to choose my five classes at enrollment. Here are some of the fabulously creative women that will be teaching.

2010-04-03T22:38:00.000-05:00

2010-03-19T00:00:00.003-05:00

Lately, I have had this stir of creatism in life...redecorating around the house, creating some art, moving things around...I am hungry for Spring. The news this evening said that by tomorrow nigh,t it will be cold once again... then a possibility of snow. NO NO NO....its time for all this to end!
Oh well...said it and now I will just have to deal with it and spend the weekend painting inside! Want to share this great lamp that has inspired me to decorate with some feedsacks.

I love this, the big wooden base and round shade with the feed sack cover. Here is another photo of the same lamp, you too can see all the other items in feed sack design that is shown on this blog, the polished pebble. Check out all the really cute pillows.

Projects Galore

2010-03-15T22:37:00.001-05:00

It is obvious that Spring is near and my mind is swirling with projects for around the house. Some of the things I would like to accomplish by the end of summer are:

Paint living and dining area
Replace kitchen counters with granite
Remodel guest bath
Replace old privacy fence
Design a new inviting entry gate
New flooring in living, dining and office. Preferably wood in all areas.
New flowerbeds and landscaping.
Paint patio concrete.

I feel like this is quite a list, but need to get started and begin the process. Sometimes the list looks a little overwhelming and with my ADD personality, I tend to jump from one project to another. A winter sitting inside the house and on my bum in front of this computer has landed me with some extra pounds. Not too pleased after I worked so very hard at Weight Watchers to lose what I am slowly gaining back. I listed the house projects, but getting back on track with my weight is top priority.

My creativity has been flowing....another reason for sitting on my bum.....
I wanted to show you my St Pat's Day lucky pennies that I have made for friends. They are so cute.

And here is a canvas that I am finishing up....I have already set it on my kitchen table to go with my other Easter items...

I have a couple other projects that I am currently working on...wood houses and little box cover that looks like a house. I'm going to hold on till I am done on the litter box cover. But these little houses below are 15-18" in height. I have some thoughts rolling around inside my mind on how these will be embellished, painted and adding my own mixed media effect.

Every woman should…..

2010-03-13T22:25:00.001-06:00

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …
enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
a youth she's content to leave behind….

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to
retelling it in her old age….

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ….
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
one friend who always makes her laugh… and one who lets her cry…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a feeling of control over her destiny.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
how to fall in love without losing herself.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without; ruining the friendship…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
when to try harder… and WHEN TO WALK AWAY…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
that her childhood may not have been perfect…but its over…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
what she would and wouldn't do for love or more…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
how to live alone… even if she doesn't like it…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..
whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't take it personally…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
where to go…
be it to her best friend's kitchen table…
or a charming inn in the woods…
when her soul needs soothing…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
what she can and can't accomplish in a day…
a month…and a year…

-Maya Angelou

2010-03-07T22:23:00.000-06:00

It has been so nice to have a Sunday at home to rest and catch up around the house. I have been working a couple offers on house deals but, those have been brief phone conversations that allowed me to get back to where I was....
After returning from my trip to Art and Soul my energy has pushed toward creating. I have made a couple more boxes and still need to coat them with a layer of wax.

This box I tried adding Pearl Mica that gives the wings a glitter effect.....I like how it turned out. On the right side I added a crystal...

then on the other side a key hole....

The second box looks like this...

and then the sides look like this...

Lisa Kaus inspired me with her arts for several years now...and after taking her class...I feel the courage to make my own art boxes. Now I must take my style and go with it. Hope you have a good week!

2010-02-27T21:39:00.006-06:00

Well I returned on Wednesday of this week from Art and Soul in Las Vegas…it was a glorious three days learning a new craft from the best artist in the nation and Canada. I felt lucky to have the opportunity to do this. My good friend, Sheryl and I had planned this trip several months ago. We were like two school kids full of excitement about attending.

We stayed at the Paris Hotel. It was quite pretty and if Paris looks like this, its a nice place...LOL. We spent long days in class and chose not to go outside the hotel after dark. Our first day there we had went out to shop a little and started seeing some unique characters come out after dark.
The slot machines and gambling are not my thing. I rather spend my extra cash on the art and art supplies, which I did. Oh, I should add that I bought some MAC lipstick that had just came out on the market and lucky they had it in stock. I am a huge fan of MAC products and try to hit their show whenever I am in a place it is available.
My first class was with Julie Haymaker, Ship of Dreams. She is an accomplished artist teaching how to use a simple dry brush technique over a background collage of vintage torn paper , and then adding more collage elements to create our whimsical design She taught us how to texture the image with pencils, fabrics ,mica, glitter and embellishment. Then my favorite part was learning how to create a simple painted whimsical face.

The next day, my class was with Lisa Kaus. She was my full intention for going to meet her and learn her technique. She was everything and more that I expected. A very kind soul and excellent teacher. We explored mixed media techniques incorporating found object, painting, collage and wax on a small but heavy duty 3-dimensional wood substrate. Using a simple shape of a bird, house, flower, or another simple motif. We explored painting techniques to create unique artwork. I learned all about Golden Absorbent Ground and its amazing range of possibilities. I am totally addicted to Golden products now. We used them in both classes. It doesn't yellow over time like mod podge...it is archival safe.

Prepackaged Experience….

2010-02-16T21:37:00.003-06:00

2010-02-10T21:49:00.000-06:00

Feeling this need to do some writing....to blog, they call it. Especially, when I get so inspired reading other blogs. Trying to decide whether to drop my real estate web site and totally focus on the real estate blog. That's work...this is relaxation.

So...I love my Canon camera but I really want one with alot of fancy lenses. Saw this wonderful camera bag...gotta wait till I get that fancy camera.

Alice.com

2010-02-09T20:53:00.000-06:00

Discovered a great way to save and wonderful convenience with Alice.com. Check it out on the link to the right. They search out if the product you are buying has coupons available at the time of purchase, its free shipping to you door!

2010-01-26T19:43:00.000-06:00

Steve Jobs will probably never speak to me again for announcing before his launch. That's okay, he never speaks to me anyway.....
Tomorrow is the big anouncement of the Apple Vook. As you know it would be a wow! if Apple is excited about it...kindle move over. This is multimedia enjoyment.

http://vook.com/vook.php

2010-01-24T22:05:00.001-06:00

My evening companion.
He is our Burmese cat that I have was given when I lived alone.
He is around ten years old
His loves his Halo salmon treats and runs when I open the cabinet they are in
He sleeps with me and my husband
He has disappeared twice for a few hours and scared us to death.
We were devastated since he has not claws (front or back).
He loves to watch me on the computer
Every now and again he even walks across the keyboard to help me out.
Spelling & grammar ya know?
I blame him for my mistakes when leaving comments on your blogs.
I love that cat!

Duncan Demon Bracelets!

2010-01-11T20:03:00.000-06:00

My crafty neighbor is making the cutest Duncan Demon bracelets.... check them out. They would make cute Valentine's gifts for those special girls in your life. If you are interested in one....you can contact her at kerrybarrick1@hotmail.com.

2010 Here I Come!

2010-01-09T21:50:00.001-06:00

Here it is the second week into the new year....my Mom used to tell me that time flies must faster the older you get. Oh how right she was! And how I wish she was around to talk and share my life and thoughts with...miss you Mom!

So, my goal for the new year is to make some impact with my work blog and hopefully a slight impact with my personal blog. This blog is actually a time to share my thoughts, photos, would love to get feedback on things that I post, I just wish I knew how to get my blog out there for more to read...if you can help me, send me your thoughts!

So, do you have a Wii? Do you use it much? I bought one last year with an attempt to use it for exercising. It hasn't happened. So, I am going to buy "Just Dance". I have heard others say it was a blast, you work up a sweat...and I like the sound of both those things. I would love to hear your feedback if any of you have one. Let me know!

2009-12-25T18:16:00.005-06:00

Delivering my Dad's Christmas gift today was like taking a sleigh ride. Oklahoma received more snow in the last 24 hours than I have seen since the snow storm in the early 80's. A 'state of emergency' has been declared for Oklahoma because of the Christmas Eve blizzard.

I prefer staying in the house by the warm fire and enjoying the view from the inside out. I slept in this morning and then we made Crate & Barrel's Holiday Pancake Mix. Oh yum....were they good. We decided we wouldn't mind having those again next year. Opened our gifts to each other and then later dug out food prepared for guest that did not show up last night. So we slept and ate alot today. All and all we both enjoyed our day together. I hope you and your family had a wonderful day.

2009-12-24T20:24:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays &

Happy New Year!

At the end of this year, I would like to wish all of you, and especially all of you bloggers out there who inspire me, a wonderful holiday season!

Holiday Time

2009-12-15T21:30:00.000-06:00

Not to get off on a sad note here at the holiday time....but, it is especially sad when we are going through loss of those we love at the holiday times. So, often we take life for granted.
My father-nl-law is going through terminal cancer. Enough said for that subject. It is so hard watching those around him, watching him slip away from their lives. We leave in two days to be with them. It will be tough to see him like this. It keeps bringing back memories of my Mother going through cancer. Death is never a pretty site.
So, take time this holiday season to remember those that have lost someone in their life and are going through this holiday season alone. Or maybe someone that is going through a terminal illness and suffering at this time. Stop and pick up the phone and tell them you are thinking about them. They will appreciate it. They will feel better. And so will you.

God bless you and may we all be thankful for our health.

2009-12-10T22:22:00.003-06:00

Watch this, it did my heart good to see it!

2009-12-07T21:56:00.001-06:00

I love decorating for Christmas. Here is a photo of the dining room with some of the holiday trim that I have added. I have stuck to the red, white & silver theme the past few years and I shop all year long for items that will fit into this color scheme.
The winter has turned cold, we have the lights hung outside and the fireplace is burning. It gets me in the mood for Christmas. No really big plans, some gatherings with friends and family members are generally the highlights for us. We love the fellowship of a good meal with those we love. I remember the most cherished times when raising my children, was when we would sit down for an evening meal and talked about our day. Never thought much about it at the time...but, later in the years, I realized that was when some of our best conversations took place.
We have so much to be thankful for that we can do for those we love, have been blessed with good health, and have our family and friends in our lives.