Family Fun

I'll just warn you now.....this blog post has a million pictures. This post might be best read over a few days. Just sayin'. We had our first (of 2 this year) Prom a couple of weeks ago. Beautiful Boyfriend (or BB) came down from MN to take Sweet Daughter (or SD). It was a fun night for them to hang with some of SD's newest friends.
SD is so beautiful. I think her proud daddy would agree to that.
One of SD's BF's. They are quite a pair. They have very similar personalities. It is fun to hang with them....the little that I am allowed. Ever since I lost my "Cool Card" I have been limited in the time I get to spend with the "IN" crowd.
SD went with these beauties and their dates to the best restaurant in town (my house) and then to the dance at the SAC Museum. They danced under a huge old airplane. SD said it was cool.
SD and BB have been dating for quite a while now. They are best friends and enjoy spending every minute they can together. This week SD and I will travel to MN for BB's Prom. They do it up in style with a Grand March and everything. I am very much excited for that.
Next on the list of exciting things in my life right now was my short trip to Idaho. Kim and I got our eyebrows "done" and Michelle had a front row seat. Lucky her...HA!
Miss Lu has gone from that pre-teen look to the...."Holy Cow...time to lock her in the basement" look. She is stunning and her parents are in for a fun time trying to keep the boys away now!!!
SD and her bessfriend Baby Cy. SD and BC were SO dang cute together. First thing BC asked for in the morning was her besfriend.
Yes, my eyebrows are a bit dark (and fierce) for now. But you just wait until the scabs fall off....hahahahahahahahaha ICK!!
Baby Blue Eyes....he is such a little boy. There really isn't a better way to describe him. He is all boy...and a true leftie, like his Auntie Lori.
SD and I got to hang in the sun a couple of days that we were there. It was SO nice.
SD giving her grandpa a hug. I just love this girl.
The Fabulous Ms. Zeffie and I. The ATV was the warmest place to sit and believe me, we took advantage of that.
Grandpa blew some bubbles for the babies to chase. They were so cute about it.
SD and her buddy Auntie Kim. These two are so much a like. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
BC with her Mama. We had a fun time hunting for Easter eggs. BC was a pro!
This is Miss Smartie Pants. She is a freakin' genius. I love listening to her talk about the things in her life. She also has THE BEST imagination. The things she comes up with keep us entertained for hours.
I'm calling my little buddy here AAA....All Around Athlete. He is so strong and determined. If he wants to do it...it gets done. Whether is is sports or improving his reading skills...this kid is amazing.
So in a nut shell.....all of this has been taking the majority of my time. SD has had some health challenges lately....but she is finally on the mend and I hope to have her back to normal soon. Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes sent her way. This Spring is whizzing by and I hope to have time to sit and do a crafty thing or two in the near future. Until then, my peeps, Live Long and Prosper.

It's Been a While

I really am around. I've got a lot of things going on. You know, crafting, Zumba classes, medical tests....you know the usual. The tests aren't for me. My daughter has been sick for the last 6 months or so. We have tried many things to get her feeling better. None have helped. So we are going in for more tests today in hopes of ruling out some big scary words.....(None of which are cancer, thank goodness!) But I didn't want anyone to think that I haven't been making things and thinking things and doing things. There are just a lot of other things going on as well. I'll be back with a lot of pictures of the things I've made in between all the madness and stress of the hospital. I might even share some pics of the Prom and sweet daughter getting ready for (and waking up from) her stomach scope. Good stuff there!! So now it is spring break and we are going to try to pack as much into the week as we possibly can. Rest assured that you'll hear all about it later!!

Freedom

I get asked a lot how many pairs of shoes I have. In the grand scheme of things....I don't have that many. There are a fair number of shoes I have left at the store. Most of the shoes I have represent something different to me. I know....that is a lot to ask of a pair of shoes....but that it how I roll. The black and white pair are the shoes I bought for my Mom's funeral. The grey peep toes are the shoes I bought for my Dad's wedding to sweet Zeffie. The aqua pair I bought in the dead of winter while I lived Minnesota. A reminder that Spring really would come again. My newest shoes are a frilly, girly representation of my battle with my inner critic.....I claimed a victory and those shoes are the victory dance. While these shoes are beautiful and give this girl a much needed self-esteem boost....they cannot compare with the feeling I get when I look at (and wear) these shoes...... These shoes represent so much. I bought my first pair of running shoes just about 2 years ago. Back then my dearest friends were training for a 5K. Not a long race by any means....but for HH it seemed a steep goal. For me it seemed impossible. I was horribly out of shape and 20 pounds heavier than I am now. I mentioned that I was thinking about joining my friends for this race to a trusted person in my life. I valued their opinion and was looking for a shot of courage. What I got instead was, "You can't do that." Unfortunately, I believed them and didn't even try. I told my friends I couldn't run the race with them.....and I felt terrible about it. The next year they decided to run again. Dear Nae was going to try to beat her Half Marathon time and HH wanted to run a 5K with me. She thought I could, Nae thought I could.....I thought I could....So I began to train. It was slow going. I faced many set backs and trials. But I didn't give up. A big boost for me came when I was running on the treadmill one morning....in the training schedule I was set to run for 20 minutes, uninterrupted. I wasn't sure I would be able to do it. The person who just the year before, told me I couldn't, was there at the gym. Would I prove them right? Would I gut it out and prove them wrong? Well, let me tell you,I stayed on that stinking treadmill the entire time and even boosted up the speed for the final few minutes. You know what this person said to me? "Huh....I didn't think you could do it. I am impressed." While that felt good....it made me a little mad. Why had I given them so much power over what I thought about myself. I missed out on an entire year of training with my friends. I had missed out on an entire year of being healthier. When I crossed the finish line of my very first race....I was elated. I had run a 5K. No, I didn't have a very fast time. But I finished. I hate running....I do. Me and running might never be friends. But to me these shoes represent more than just running. They represent freedom. Freedom to do hard things. Freedom to decide what I can do. Freedom to try new things. To me, these shoes represent the courage to try. These are my new running shoes. They've never heard the phrase, "you can't". To these shoes, anything is possible. And so it is.
Note of clarification...My sweet hubby has always been supportive and isn't the nay sayer spoken of. Thank you. :)

What a Mess

Here is my own little corner of the world. My craft room. Actually it is more of a storage room, as most of my crafting is physically done in the kitchen. I tell hubby that it's because I like to stand while I make stuff.....and while that is true.....It is hard to be creative when your space looks like a war zone. Piles waiting to be put away.....unfinished projects.....I keep waiting for the Health Dept. to come shut me down. ((And then as if to illustrate my point, Nellie just came in and puked on the floor!!!!!!! HOW RUDE)) Aaahhhh.....Some semblance of order. I can even fit my computer on the desk now. More piles.....more projects. I moved all the almost finished projects to the same shelf where I can get to them easily. Now when I have a few spare minutes I can finish them one at a time. I think I can even sit there and bust out a blog post or two..... Don't look too closely.....Hoarders might be called in at any minute. ((Of course you know I did have to push some of this crap stuff out of the way so I could stand in the room.....sad...... So much better. And yes...those are stuffed animals on the bookcase taking up valuable storage space. Five of them are from my Mom....and one is handmade by my sweet daughter.....they make me happy. On the wall shelf I have things from my Grandma, one of her sisters and my childhood. Some days I like to just sit and look at them. Good times..... Is there a room in your house you'd never let anyone see? Do you have a room where you create or dream? In my house they tend to be the same room!!!

All About the Shoes

This is one of those materialistic blog posts where I wax poetic about possessions.....shoes to be exact. If you have ever seen me all gussied up you probably noticed one thing....I have some stinking cute shoes. It's true. The thing I love most about shoes is no matter how "fluffy" I am feeling I can ALWAYS wear cute shoes. If you are a size 5 or 25 your shoes can help you feel like a million bucks. Dear Hubby and I got to go to a work dinner last night. The place we usually end up going to looks like a hole in the wall from the outside....but it is pretty swanky inside....so a cute outfit is in order. I found these shoes at Kohl's last time I was there and had "the reaction" upon spotting them. I only buy shoes that are gasp-worthy. Sweet Daughter and I will be shopping along and turn a corner and have been know to gasp in unison over a sweet pair of shoes. Then we know they are destined to come home with us. I had some tan (with kind of a gray thread running through the fabric) capri's that I wanted to wear. Of course it started to snow just before we left...but I still wore them. I threw a sweater over my purple/gray/black and tan tank and was ready to go. This is my hot date. Yes, he is smiling (love you babe!). We had a lovely dinner and some great conversation with his "pan guy", Pat, and some of the guys (and their wives) that Jim works with. I love these shoes so much than when I got up from the table to get my salad I was SO tempted to tell everyone "Look at my shoes!". I didn't...but I wanted to. So now you know I am shallow enough to go on and on about my fabulous shoes....what are you obsessed with? I really want to know!!!

Goodwill Make Over

No...I didn't give the entire Goodwill a make over....although they could probably use it. I just needed a cupcake/cake platter. You know....a pretty tiered display platter. I looked for one assembled and ready to go...but no dice. So I decided to make one. I gathered some supplies. My original intention was to find some pretty plates, spray paint them and glue them to a candle stick.I loved the scalloped edges of the green plate.....but I couldn't find any pretty plates to go with it. Then I found the small star platter. hhhmmmmm......An idea....What if I found some pretty platters and skip the spray paint? Well....I bought the only one at the two Goodwill locations I checked. Then I hit Thrift America. SCORE!! I found a big star platter, a pretty lattice-ish platter and a beautiful crystal looking candle stick.
Yay me!! I loved this one so much that I decided to keep it as is and just use it. I don't know why....but it just spoke to me.
Little star platter was perfect for my platter though.
And the big star platter was going to be a beautiful base.
So, I pulled out the ol' E-9000 glue and got to work. This stuff holds like no body's business and dries clear. I did end up gluing some clear glass tea light holders to the bottom....for feet.
And now I have a pretty cake platter to serve yummy treats to my friends and family.
Not bad for a $6 investment. Not bad at all.
I'll be linking with these parties........
Metamorphosis Monday
I Made THIS Tuesday
Show and Tell Wednesday

Paper Flowers

My friend, Renae, found a tutorial to make these cute flowers. There is one part that was a little tricksy for me to follow....shocker I know. So I decided to put in some idiot proof tabs so I can remember how to do this for a really long time.
I cut 16- 2 1/2" circles in coordinating colors and 1- 4" circle. You can use two sided paper if you have some in your stash. If that is the case, only cut 8- 2 1/2" circles.
If you used single sided paper, use a glue stick or tape runner to adhere them together....right sides out. Then fold them in half. I put the plain paper side toward the inside.
Fold the circle in half again. That way you have an "X" mark on the back for a guide.
Open up the circle and put the plain paper side up. Take the edge of your circle and fold it so the round part comes up to the cross lines. Clear as mud? Good!
This was the tricksy part for me. Put the plain paper side down on your work surface. Hold onto the part you just folded and bring it to the middle crease line. "K"?
Do the same with the other side.
It should look something like this.
Now take your 4" circle and some craft glue. Glue your newly folded paper flower petals to the bigger circle starting at the top and continuing around so you have 4 on the circle.
Then place the other 4 in the gaps and slide them in together so the outside edges are lined up in a nice circle. Grab a button from "Ye Olde Button Jar". Glue it in the middle for a pretty flower center.
And there you have a pretty, pretty paper flower. Now you can make it into a brooch for your favorite sweater or put a clip on it and use it in your hair. I will be putting some on a wreath (Crazy, I know!! And so unexpected!!). I hope that was clear and that if you are "challenged" like me that it made perfect sense.
I am linking up with these parties....be sure to check them out!!

I Made THIS Tuesday
Whatever Goes Wednesday