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Why God Made Mothers

 

...how time flies...blink, and we're now well into May.

My days have been jam packed with fun, and the not-so-fun...in other words, life. One of the funs is my continued love of taking photos.  Today, to wish my sweet bloggie friends a Happy Mother's Day, I'll share a few of those photos taken of my flowers.

But with a little humorous twist...

You've all probably seen this somewhere along life's path, but it's just too stinkin' cute not to share again. It's entitled: Why God Made Mothers. The answers were given by second graders. Enjoy...

 
WHY DID GOD MAKE MOTHERS?

1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

HOW DID GOD MAKE MOTHERS?

 1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
 2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
 3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger 
parts.

 
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE MOTHERS MADE OF?

1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in
the world and one dab of mean. ha ha ha
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use 
string, I think.

 

WHY DID GOD GIVE YOU YOUR MOTHER AND NOT SOME OTHER MOTHER?

 1. We're related.
 2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.

 
WHAT KIND OF LITTLE GIRL WAS YOUR MOM?

 1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
 2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty 
bossy.
 3. They say she used to be nice.

 

 WHAT DID MOM NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DAD BEFORE SHE MARRIED HIM?

 1. His last name.
 2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk 
on beer?
 3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to 
chores?
{{having been a former elementary school teacher in one of my lives, i can attest to the fact that these answers are mild compared to what many teachers hear!}}

 
WHY DID YOUR MOM MARRY YOUR DAD?

 1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot
 2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
 3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

 
WHO'S THE BOSS AT YOUR HOUSE?

 1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof 
ball.
 2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the 
bed.
 3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

 
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MOMS AND DADS?

1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work. 

2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause 
that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine..

 
WHAT DOES YOUR MOM DO IN HER SPARE TIME?

 1. Mothers don't do spare time.
 2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

 
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO MAKE YOUR MOM PERFECT?

 1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of 
plastic surgery.
 2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

 
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOUR MOM, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

 1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid 
of that.
 2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did 
it not me.
 3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of 
her head.

 
Here's sending out loads of gratitude to all the mothers of the world, and those who practice the gentle art of mothering {a trait found in many women who never had their own biological children}, the world is a sweeter place because of you.

And special hugs and whispered prayers for the precious hearts that for a number of reasons, find this day extra hard. May grace give you the strength you need...

Xo, Sue

p.s. Joining Miss Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday today!

Happy Day of Love

 
...thirty-seven years sharing this special day with my sweetie...

...six of them while dating {{{high school sweethearts}}}

However, Valentine's Day isn't just for sweethearts. It's a day to remember all those special people in our lives.

 Blessed are the we who have friends and family in our lives.  

And for those who've had their hearts crushed because they've loved {and that would be most of us} love is always worth the risk. High risk, high reward. But I would rather look like my old Teddy Bear...with a few love-rubbed spots on my heart, than to have a heart that was never taken out of the box. 

You too, I hope...

May your day be beautiful, however you plan to spend it...

 
 Speaking of love stories, I noticed Karen at My Desert Cottage is hosting a Share Your Love Story event today! I always think the stories of how couples met are so fun to hear. As for my beloved and me, we met at the ripe old age of 16 at a bowling alley.

He loves to quote the line from the 1981 Dudley Moore movie "Arthur"...

"Usually one must go to a bowling alley to meet a woman of your stature."

YYYYYYYYYYY

credits: textures used on photos from Kim Klassen and Designerdigitals

A Rosey Winter Day

Day FOUR of schools closed, no mail, freezing temps, and an icy blanket of snow covering metropolitan Atlanta.

 

Thank goodness on Saturday, during our pre-storm grocery run I grabbed this bunch of pink roses to bring home.

 

They were just meant to be enjoyed...

 

...and perhaps to even take outside, tuck into a tree and photograph.  

Surprisingly enough, these little fellas proved to be quite hardy. The afternoon outing in freezing temps didn't ruffle, droop, or discolor their little petals one single bit.

I think there's a lesson from nature tucked in there somewhere for me.

Pink Roses

 

Given to excessive quantities of "distractability" seems to be intrinsic in my nature...

or wait...

...maybe it's merely high levels of interest in a multitude of pursuits?

...or a volatile mixture of both!!!...

 No matter...either way, "focus" is a word I often have to remind {{{beg}}} myself to do!

Another challenge for me in life is passing up beautiful bouquets of flowers at the grocery store that are reasonably priced. Like these beauties...3 pkgs for $12. Not only do they add enjoyment and beauty to my surroundings, but they are also fun subjects to photograph.

    
But adding to the pleasure of getting lost in my own world with a dozen pink roses, baby's breath, and a camera, was the reflection of light on the water! Ignoring my disdain for cold weather and sacrificing being able to feel my fingers, I headed outside in order to capture my newest "groceries" in the glory of the early morning light.

 
Before long I remembered that old window in the garage...the one that hopefully will one day soon house my favorite photos of our children. Plans are to convert some favorites to sepia tones and place them behind each square pane. So many ideas...

 

And as long as my old green chippy chair was still outside from another camera outing...

 

 
(without a texture applied)
 

 
 

  

 
I took a pathetic number of pictures...roses floating on water, tucked in other flowering beds...you name it, I tried it. And I have the picture file to prove it!

Playing around with textures in PSE only adds to the fun of it all...I would love to take Kim Klassen's newest e-course on textures that begins soon, but that old naughty calendar tells me this would not be a good time. Poo!

So many details of life to attend to in the coming weeks...

...yes, I do believe that LIFE is in the details..

 
And a huge thank you for all the great suggestions on my paint challenge...! That's one of the details in life that needs my "focus" right now. I'm now mixing paints to find that perfect color...how pathetic is that?!

May all your details be fun ones!

Xo, Sue

credits: All applied textures are from Kim Klassen.

 My time in the mountains of western North Carolina was over before

I could blink. But it is always time well spent. Lots of laughter, good food, beautiful scenery, drives through the countryside...

...an hour or so walking through the shops...you could spend days in this area going through hundreds of unique shops if you so chose...

...each visit I usually try to check out a place I've never been before... 

...most times I even remember to grab my camera...

...Mr. and I drove to one of my favorite antique shops tucked way back in the woods on a twisty, narrow mountain road that gives me the creeps because there are precious few guard rails...and someone in the car who shall remain nameless drives way too fast on those roads... 

...I was so happy to have survived the ride that even finding the place closed barely even caused my emotions to fluctuate one iota...of course, finding these beautiful pink roses growing along their fence was more than compensation for having driven so far...

  ...and wouldn't you know it? On our way back to the cabin we just happened to drive right by my favorite shoe store in Highlands. Look at my {SQUEAL} new shoes! They are incredibly comfortable and just plain FUN! Just what I needed for all the traveling I'll be doing in the coming days....

Where am I going, you ask? Why I'm off to visit creative spaces across the globe during theWHERE BLOGGERS CREATE PARTY! 
 

credit: free background image from rubyblossom [Flickr]

Company is Coming and I'm Running Away...

Sort of sounds like a nasty in-law story or something, huh? Happily so, that's not the case.

The company coming is about the HUGE tour of work spaces coming up next weekend and Mr. Fun {my DH} is talking about heading to the mountains for a getaway. Oh dear! 

In my figuring little head I had a plan...a plan on how I would be ready on time...a plan on what I'd do each day......

What I didn't figure in was a trip to the mountains. Or that today I would get distracted and drive ninety miles off course because....

A. I am highly distractable

B. I saw these gorgeous pink roses Terri digitally altered

C. I had some pink roses

D. I had a camera

E. I am highly distractable {repeat intentional}

 

It wouldn't be so bad if I would just shoot a few shots and get back to business...

....but oh no....that would be too sensible....

 

 

Instead, I just clicked away and digitally edited for way, way, way too long....

That old Wizard of Oz song now comes to mind...If I Only Had A Brain....

Hope you're being more productive than I am today!

xo, sue

 

Pink Roses

 

Timely words for me, indeed. You see, the first photo features a dozen beautiful pink roses I found at the grocery store on clearance. I look for them all the time in order to do this to them. But my time ran out as I was busily preparing to fly away for a week and visit my mother in another state. But wouldn't you know it...while I left these behind, I discovered these growing outside a restaurant back in the northern woods of Wisconsin where my mother lives.

 
  After I placed my take-out order, I asked the young gal helping me who planted all the beautiful roses outside. This look came across her face as if she were thinking, "Beautiful roses? I've never noticed any roses outside." Seriously. I kid you not. But she turns to this man sitting behind her who she identified as the owner of the place, and asked him my question. His whole body shifted and he visibly sat straighter as a huge smile crept across his face and he proudly announced, "I planted them." Well, I only further made his day when I asked him if I could take some photos of them. 

He might still be smiling for all I know. That would only be fair because everytime I look at these photos, they sure make my heart smile.

I hope you'll enjoy their little faces as much as I have...

   
 There's lots more pink to be seen by visiting Beverly at How Sweet the Sound where you will find a complete listing of all of today's participants in PINK SATURDAY! But before you do that, I wanted to share a blog I've enjoyed visiting of one of our newer Pink Saturday Ladies. Her name is Tammi and the name of her blog is Visions of Vintage. 

Thank you for stopping by! I always enjoy my visitors and your sweet comments.

xo Sue 
 

PINK SATURDAY

 

Click on any photo to see it enlarged.

Welcome! So glad you had a chance to stop by. It will tickle you pink to visit our hostess, Beverly, for a complete listing of all of today's participants. Just click on her name and it'll take you to the pink list...

 

Might as well face it I'm addicted to............ {remember that song?}

• pink
• victorian scrap
• vintage postcards
• digital manipulation
• etc.

However, it's a beautiful addiction to have...so today I thought I'd show a little sampling of what makes me search for more, and more, and more. At the end of this post, I've scanned in the little pink wreath of flowers for you. If you have this addiction too, please feel free to copy it for your own personal use.

  This is an old calendar top from 1895. Through digital extraction I've used the little pink girl in my banner.

The details in this old postcard, which I'm guessing is in excess of 100 years old, is excrutiatingly stunning. At some point in time I'm hoping to carefully remove the victorian die cut in order to make a scan of just the card. It would make for a beautiful frame to use for other creative endeavors. 

 

Any day that I am fortunate enough to find one of these lovely postcards, is a good day. During World War I and II, our overseas soldiers used to purchase these to send to loved ones back home.

The embroidery is just exquisite...all done on a sheer netting and then framed in what was often times a heavily embossed card.

   Above is the copy of the little pink heart I scanned for you.

I hope as you continue on through your day, that your little heart finds you happy.

Thanks for visiting, and a big thank you to Beverly for hosting today's event!

The digital white frames used in several photos above are the creation of Sande Krieger and available for purchase at 2Peasinabucket.com.

 

Shabby love...

 

 

Photos from little treasures found in my studio.

Shabby, as defined by Webster, can include such words as:

               ~ ill kept

               ~dilapidated

              ~ inferior in quality

               ~mean

               ~despicable

But to those of us who love shabby, we would use words like:

               ~warmth

               ~relaxed

               ~character

               ~interest

               ~inviting

               ~comfortably cozy

               ~history

Do you suppose the differences in our perceptions has to do with love?

Makes me wonder how many other things in life, if viewed through the eyes of love, could be elevated to a more favorable position?

Deckle frames designed by K. Pertiet