Birthday Book

I love blurb.com!!!
I have been working on this small book about my mother’ gardens for her birthday. I ordered it and it came about 5 days later. It looks great! The paper used is top quality and the dust cover is beautiful.

It actually looks better than I thought it would (having seen others made from different sources). I have not given it to her yet, but fear not, she will not see it on my blog as she has no (realistic) idea how to use a computer. She recently started watching NCIS and she now thinks that everyone (i.e.-me) with computer has the same capabilities as the NCIS and the same knowledge as Abby for using it.

Anyway, everyone around here knows that come Spring, my mom can be found in her gardens or in someone else’s garden digging and planting. She loves her flowers and no one has flowers like she does. Anything grows in her garden. So, not being a person who ever wants gifts, I thought I would make her a book. I think she will like it.

I have been busy with all kinds of things lately (in my head); wish I had the time and energy to do them all. However, I did start a project that I had in mind for a while. Last week I posted pictures I took of Claire. I printed them out on vellum and started to put a collage of sorts together of several different poses. Here is what I have at the moment.

I covered painted blocks of wood with them with gesso.

Hope to have some finished ones when I check in next week.

Until then...God Bless and Keep you. Mary

some new pics

I had an idea for a particular project, part of my wood block project I told you about last time. Naturally, Claire was a willing subject. She hears a camera click rooms away and shows up with a ready smile. It is also a good thing that she is the perfect model. Because I am her mom, she is pose-able; she moves and responds naturally and comfortably when she is being photographed. I have a few really good ones for my project and some for the family scrapbook as well. Here are a few to look at now.

Until next time...Mary

Sunday Morning

I woke up this morning to a glistening of frost on the grass and the sun breaking through the trees. We have had warmer days and cold nights this past week. But Spring is really trying to break through!

The domesticated Mister “M” was cooking sausage and listening to “County Classics” on the “same radio he bought with paper route money over 30 years ago”.

One kid is in the shower. One is on the floor rolling around with the dogs, and I am on my computer blogging… a Sunday morning tradition around here. Church service starts at Noon and the rest of the day is all planned out. Its catch-up day…I catch up on the laundry (and put a second coat of paint the bedroom, make dinner and such…), Gabe and Claire catch up on homework and house work, and the Magnificent Mister “M” is fixing my breaks. How about that ladies…A hubby who fixes breakfast and then your car…I swear he can do anything!!!

Hopefully I can get some play time today. I have a plan and 20 or so primed pieces of wood, again, thanks to the “Crafty Mister “M” who cut and sanded them to my specs. I will post my finished pieces if I get a chance (to start on them).

I will leave you with a new scrapbook page I was playing with this week.

Until next time...Peace and Blessings...

Mary

Not much happen’n

Not much to talk about…I think I am thawing out from the long winter. Here is what is happening today in my neck of the woods. Monday is my day off, so I made curtains for the bedroom and the bathroom (I will post the before and after pics when I am finished), caught up on all the housework, nursed my sick baby girl (very bad cold), and cooked dinner.

Here is dinner…

Jambalaya, Buttermilk Soda Bread, and a Blueberry Cheesecake mixture. This is a great quick and easy soda bread recipe…let me know if you want the recipe-it is really good. All there is yet to do is play on the computer, and wait for NCIS to come on (my new fav).

Any snow that was lingering was washed away from this weekend’s torrential downpour.
Here is the front and the backyard today. I dropped in a summer shot of the backyard to show you the difference!!!! I am seriously tired of all the grey!

Now, I have never been the type of person who believes

dogs should be on furniture. In fact, I still maintain that I am not a dog lover - over all…dogs are dogs. I just like my dogs…(yea, I know…how come we keep getting dogs…) but this little one, our newest, Teddy boo, has stolen my heart. Against my better judgment, I taught him to jump up and sit on my lap (and give kisses), all with permission of course. I... have... created... a monster! Now, I can not read without Teddy attempting to get my attention…he is “outa” control…but he is just so stinking cute…!

Here he is…He Who Will Not Be Ignored...!

Until next time..Take care and lots 'a' Blessings Mary

New Scrapbook Pages

Here are some new pages I was fooling around with this weekend...

Until Next Time...be blessed...Mary

Just figured out how to load a video...not sure how to condense it to just the song part...this one is of Claire singing the National Anthem before a game. She really belted it out. We were really proud of her. She is doing a lot of singing these days and loving it.

The Great Thaw

There is a light at the end of the snow storm...


The great thaw started last week...


It was 51 degrees and the fog was thick
over the fields and pastures















































Until Next Time, and Waiting for Spring...Mary