My Weblog

True Heroes

 

Memorial Day.

 A time to reflect on true heroes...and their families, who have sacrificed beyond our imagination...in order that we, as a nation, might be blessed with the freedom that comes from such selfless giving.

Thank you.

Party, Celebrate, and a Giveaway!

There's a two year birthday celebration going on in the land of Pink Saturday!

In fact, our dear hostess of this event, Beverly, was recently interviewed and a feature article on Pink Saturday appeared in the latest issue of ARTFUL BLOGGING. Squeals and clapping could be heard throughout the land of Pink Saturday participants. It is always fun to see wonderful things happen to nice people!

In honor of this big day, I made the digital card above combining a photo of flowers from my garden, several layers of digital onlays, a favorite old photograph, and a little bit of digital manipulation.

In addition, I've come to this birthday celebration with a present in hand and will be sending it to someone!

 
All you need to do is leave a comment on this post and you'll be entered in the drawing for this giveaway gift. Pink Saturday gals {and the occasional gent} are a very inclusive group, therefore, you need not be a participant of Pink Saturday to throw your name in for the drawing. All comments rec'd before 11 PM, EST, on Wed., June 2nd will be entered in the drawing.

I love this book! Jo Packham and Jenny Doh did an amazing job...beautiful photography...a more personal glimpse into the lives {and studios!} of many artists I have long admired...and so much more!

A complete listing of all today's participants can be found on Beverly's blog. I'm looking forward to visiting as many as possible over the next few days to see how the rest of you will be celebrating this joyous occasion!

p.s. Wanted to mention an online class I spotted in learning the basics of Photoshop Elements for anyone who might want to check it out. Gail has a short video clip you can watch which gives a highlight of how she will be teaching. There's also a description listed here and she's offering a huge discount but the offer ends May 31st. It looks very interesting. I'm tempted....!  

Living with a Perfectionist

 Or in my case, he is ME! 

More often than I care to admit I allow myself to let that horrible imperfection of perfectionism to stand in my way of JUST DOING IT.

 He is a rotten fella to have in your inner circle, let me tell you what. You'll have to trust me when I say that the best way to deal with him is to send him packing the minute he arrives. If you don't, he'll hang around making himself so comfortable that before long you forget that he ain't even supposed to be living with you, let alone telling you how to run your life! 

I can't tell you how many times I've had to kick him out. Because of that, today I decided to make myself a sign to remind me of this stinkin' fella and what is true concerning his nature.

He is not a good friend.

He doesn't make me better.

He prevents me from reaching my true potential.

He's a shameful jerk!!!!

Gasp! I even used the tin letters I've been "saving"...saving for what, I don't know. Double gasp! I punched holes in them!!!!! And by the time I'd strung quite a few together with wire I wished I would have looped the wire through more than once. But I knew I was making progress when I didn't go back and fix it!!!!!

 My poor craft room has been a miserable, disorganized mess because of Mr. Perfection. He kept sweet talkin' me, telling me things like "wait until you get all the right stuff before you try to organize this mess....don't waste your precious time on something you'll want to change later....blah, blah, blah." 

But today I ignored his dribble. I made some progress in the pursuit of getting organized. Still a long way to go....which brings me to a second thought...I think Mr. Perfectionist has an evil cousin named Mr. Hoarder.  

Never mind. I'll save that story for another day of TRUE CONFESSIONS.

 
**First and last photo images from the Graphics Fairy.

 
  
An on again, off again, rainy day in Georgia. Since hubby decided to work from home, I had the perfect excuse to skip a little housework in an effort to not make any unneccessary noise. Not that it takes much coaxing to do so especially when each new day outside holds some new surprise.

The hydrangea patches are so loaded with blooms this year. I'm wondering if it's because of the colder winter we had this year. Each day the newly emerging clusters change from their greenish-yellowy-creamy colors to their grand finale color of blue...

 Plucking armfuls of them, I bring them in and stick bouquets everywhere.

Just off our kitchen is a small upper deck we use for grilling. I've had my eyes peeled for years to find a reasonably priced, smaller-scaled table and chairs. Sometimes things just find you when you aren't looking. I just happened to be driving to the grocery store and there sitting outside one of my favorite thrift stores was this little white wrought iron set [table + 4 chairs]. At a fantastic price, no less... Needless to say, I was thrilled!

Let me also introduce you as well to my newest "dress form"...a man one! Paid $26 for him...did I pay too much? I've got some plans brewing in my head for him...

The base is painted such a great color and has just the right amount of shabby, chippy beauty.

What I'm thinking about is to mount a steel collar plate around the metal pole and to that attach a galvanized steel washtub, or an old oblong enamelware pan. In other words, use the new "manny" as a base for something purposeful. I also think you could mount a tabletop of some sort if you wanted as the base is quite heavy and could handle a little weight. Wouldn't he be a fun, unconventional, end table?!

 I guess we'll both have to wait and see who he grows up to be...

Oh and by the way, look at the one I found currently for sale on Ebay at an asking price of $1100+....yipes. Too rich for my budget, but still quite gorgeous.

 

xo, sue

Needed: A Case of Magic Bandaids!

This photo of our oldest still makes me laugh. She's now 21, so those magic band-aids that could fix all of life's boo-boo's way back when, most likely wouldn't have the same effect today.

But if they did, I'd be buying a case for me!

Seriously...it's almost been hilarious. My life, that is... I just shake my head and say, okay, what next?!!!

Life was rocking along with me working like a mad woman digging in the dirt. Dragging home and planting lots of flowers. Finally feeling a bit of motivation to tackle some of those projects that have been needing some attention and finding any excuse to work OUTSIDE instead of INSIDE.

[ pink perennial yarrow...new additions to my flower beds]

Then it started.

DAY 1: Bent over while vacuuming to pick up a dog toy and whammed my forehead into the sharp corner of the fireplace mantle. Cute lump and bruise in middle of forehead! While bringing in the meat I had grilled on the rotesserie spicket it slipped and I seared the chubby pad area on my hand creating an awesome blister. An hour later as I hid behind a french door [teasing my dog who likes to play hide and seek] she comes around the corner, sees me and in total excitement, jumps against the door. My little bare piggy toes act as door stop. I am now missing the first 4 layers of skin on two toes.

[let me interject that these band-aids are the best...]

 
  Saying good-bye to that day...I woke up the next day with a frozen shoulder. Very painful.   

I had this same condition four years ago and after months of physical therapy it took almost 6 months until I fully recovered. So you can imagine the downer I was doing...

On the bright side, the bump on my head and band-aids on my hands and toes from the previous day didn't seem like such a big deal. LOL! 

And besides, things were bound to look up as I did plant some HOPE in my garden this year...

okay. maybe it can get worse. because it did.

Day Three: breaking out in a terrible rash all over my torso that over a week has continued to spread like wildfire...

Can you say miserable?!!!!

Which caused me to doodle this in one of my journals i keep...

FINALLY, after too many nights of fitful sleep due to the intensity of my rash, yesterday I went to the doctor. I have a nasty case of poison ivy or oak. Have no earthly idea how...but given the severity of my case, I rec'd a big old shot of steroids in the cheek, and will now do a prednisone taper over the next week.

But things are looking up...my shoulder is 90% back to normal...enough to get back to my garden therapy. For it to unfreeze in less than two weeks was nothing short of a miracle in my book.

 I also couldn't help but think during this time how much I take for granted. There are countless souls who would trade my eetsie-weenie [in comparison] physical setbacks for their chronic conditions in a heartbeat... 

So skip that part about me wanting a case of magic band-aids, instead, I hope this latest rash of challenges will cause me to be more grateful...

...more grateful for all those things I take for granted.

 

Happy Mother's Day

   (my mother taken in the 1940's) 

Mother's Day is one of those days that can stir the emotions like no other day...At different times in my life, those emotions varied. During seven+ years of infertility, or following a miscarriage, the day stirred an emotion of deep longing. But the one consistent theme year after year was a deep sense of love and appreciation for my own mother.

Now at age 87, she is mother to six, grandmother to 18, great-grandmother to 22, and even a couple  of great-great grandchildren! No doubt those numbers will continue to increase as there are still 7 grandchildren {our 3 children and my baby sister's 4 who have yet to either get married and/or start their own families}.

One consistent theme in my mother's life next to having her family visit in person, are the piles of photos she loves to receive and sort through often.

 

She also loves to receive my handmade cards. Despite the fact that my creative muse seems to have taken a long vacation and refuses to return to me, I knew I had to try to come up with something. Recently I stitched the little verse that I blogged about here and decided it would be perfect to use in my card.

{front} 

 

{back}

Starting with an 8.5 x 11" piece of heavy chipboard I covered the front with an old piece of drapery and began layering different elements. The back was covered with a piece of vintage wallpaper with a photo added of my mom from days gone by. It always tickles her to see one of these forgotten photos included in my cards. [the little fragments of green glittered lace on the two corners were from Patty and now shared with my mum...]

 Despite the fact that my mother lives 1200 miles away and I won't be able to share this day in person, I know how blessed I am to still have her. 

Here's wishing all my bloggy friends a most blessed Mother's Day.

 [And huge hugs to the hearts of those for whom this day stirs the sadness emotion for any number of reasons.]   

Clever and Kindness...

When I was young, I admired clever people.  Now that I am old, I admire kind people. 

~Abraham Joshua Heschel

 

But when clever and kindness become intertwined and it arrives in your mailbox....

blessed be the recipient...and in this case, that would be me!

Is this presentation not A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E. or what?

And there's still another view you have to see to appreciate the entire gorgeousness...

 

 Now you have witnessed seriously A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E. Not to mention, clever. 

And if that isn't enough, check out what was tucked inside.

 

(click on any photo to enlarge)

There was even more. More clever and more kindess.

 

...just a sampling of what was tucked in this box of kindness...i've considered making a special blankey {our word for special childhood security blankets} out of the goober-silky-soft french velvet ribbon in a heavenly aqua color.. 

Patty, your kindness warmed my heart to it's core. You are such an inspiration to the blog world and I A.D.O.R.E. your generous heart.

xo,sue