Mish Mash of weekend activities

Finally a warm 'summer' day off on Monday, It was in the 80s, quite a change from the low 50s on graduation Saturday.
Our fun Fuzzy Bear

The garden, one of my most pleasurable places.

Our family with Bubba and his diploma.

sMOOches

Fun and whimsical.....sMOOches.... get it???

I would never take credit this is my own, but I'm not very good at writing the name down from where I CASed the project. My process of creation often is: work in my office in the late afternoon and night time where I go blurfing and check out galleries on Splitcoast Stampers... from there I look at blogs and then other 'artist' blogs from links, sometimes it could be 3 or 4 deep into it the original post.... I see something I like and I start to doodle away. A few days later after it's been completed, I take a digital picture of the weeks works... then I upload it to the computer. And then through the week, I highlight something 'cre8tive' on my blog.

The cow is doodle and then cut out and popped up. I made the clouds from inking circles to look like a cloud. This could be a love you card for a friend! xoxo

Graduation.... check

my little boy did it!

Like no other

I've got to do this more often.... thumb prints, finger prints....(not that I've ever had this done, but I feel like I'm having my finger prints taken by the police, only in happy colors!!!) Update: Just remembered. I have been finger printed!! Just not with ink... when I became a school paraprofessional a few years ago they had to check my police record and they took prints, but they were digital (?) just rolled my finger tips on a screen... and instantly with no mess they were in or on my record!

Just using my sharpie fine tip marker, just a doodle around the print... make them into flowers, balloons, animals, bugs, sunshine...... they are so cute and fun! thumb body loves you, thumb body is thinking of you, you left an imprint on my heart, thumb thing for you.... what can you come up with? The above is a sun shiny greeting card, down below... gift tags.

Graduation Eve

A little look back and my high school senior who graduates tomorrow, May 28, 2011. Look at my two blondies....

Dancing Queen & Jedi Warrior - I was so thrifty then... made the mask out of a milk jug and painted it... sewed the little costume along with gators for over the boots....

Goaaaaalllllll.....

Cat eyelashes

Did you know that cats don't have eyelashes? But they use their whiskers like antennae, to judge the width of tight spaces.. their nose pads are like our finger prints, no two are alike.

Cute little orange kitty above, colored in with layers of pencils in straw, orange and brown... it's as if he is saying.... "Hang in there". I love cute animal cards!!

Hoop Dreams

4th day installment about my son who is part of the class of 2011

Think about the theme to the Harlem Globetrotters.... he's a great forward.

Murfreesboro, TN Y2K

The Tassel is worth the Hassle

The end, the finals.... graduation. You did it, way to go, follow your dreams, imagine the possibilities.

Time for graduation cards. How do you make them personal, but general for others to buy... can't go wrong with black and white, and then a spot to put a gift card, that's what every graduate needs.... money! These cards all have a sentiment I designed and printed on the computer.... cut to size for the card, and added the graduation 'symbol'... the hat, cap, mortar board, of course with a cute tassel.

The Mortar Board, or the graduation cap was named because of it's similar appearance to the 'hawk' or spade used by brick layers to hold the mortar. Viewing paintings from the Renaissance period many Italian nobles wear the casual capo (captain) head wear of the 15th century. The higher and the wider the hat... the more importance of the wearer.

The tassel has a significance... which side you wear it on, and when you cross the stage as a graduate you move it to the other side. School colors is often the choice for high schoolers, then as you go on to college... the tassel color can relate to your field of study or it can mean the honors with which you graduate.

Ice, Ice Baby

In 2003 Bubba got his first set of official ice skates, all the padding, helmet and stick. He started playing in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin.... tryouts here in the dining room!

Time goes by...

Just hanging with my sissy in the happiest place on earth, Disney World!!!

It's been a busy and fun year for this second grader. The school year 2000-01 has brought many changes. Bubba loves to play on the computer and try to do math problems. They write stories and get asked to go to the Writer's Round Table. He made some pretty cool friends like Alex & Jimmy and of course our neighbors Michael & Sam!

This Halloween was cool cuz my teacher Mr. R knew how much I liked hockey, he even wanted to see me skate... so he cleared the hallway of the k, 1st & 2nd wing and let me go.... as fast as I could up and down the hallways. It was so cool.... roller blading in school!!




I love to play baseball. I'm ready! Put me in coach!

This was 10 years ago. Happy Sad!

Kiss on the Cheek

Toe head

kindergartner

It's all about this guy. Bubba. He graduates from High School this week. His public school career has taken him from Tennessee k- (half of 1st), Wisconsin 1st -7th and Illinois 8th-12th. And then when this pattern continues the next 4 years will be the University of Iowa.

Will he remember being Student of the Month, Special science projects, birthday parties playing laser tag, making Valentine boxes, receiving medals and awards for baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey and tennis....practices, games, matches? Field trips to amusement parks, perennial gardens, zoos, museums, corn mazes, playing in the band, manning a booth at the school carnival, selling candy bars for fundraisers... roller skating in the hallway?

Will he still let me give him a kiss on the cheek when I say good-bye in August... as he lets his wings grow and expand when he starts a new chapter in his life....

Imagine the Possibilities

class of 2011

And they lived, happily ever after....

Next year one of my dreams will come true, I will be with this man for more than half my life. It's just something I always thought about.

Yesterday we celebrated 21 years after saying I do on May 19, 1990. I like this picture a lot. True smiles... not posed ones. We are laughing because we can't cut into our wedding cake. We are trying, and trying and laughing .... thinking how hard it must be.... our photographer John says to wiggle the knife a little bit, slide it back and forth.... boom.... sliced! Unbeknownst to us, we were trying to cut the plastic tier that supports the next layer.... knife ain't going to cut that!!

Frugal, frugal.... my mom and I made my veil... I wrapped the head band and added the beading....she sewed on crochet flowers on the toulle that matched the lace in my $125 dress from JC Penney Outlet. Along with my friends mom, we made all the boutonnieres, flowers, cake topper and ribbon on the knife.... did I really save all that much money?

Sissy thinks everything about me is puffy.... puffy hair, puffy veil, puffy sleeves.... I like how happy and young we look!!! I love this guy!

Imagine!

Imagine: to form a mental picture, to think or have a notion

If you think about it.... the word IMAGINE changed it's meaning in 1971 and then again on December 8, 1980.... the year the song was released and then the day John Lennon died.

Good song writers, artists, musicians, actors, authors... can take a word, a definition, a script, a painting, a photo, a musical note, a vision.... a feeling.... and change the way we thought we heard it, saw it or felt it. What a gift to be able to share. (And these are 'just' people in the arts... think of those scientists and scholars who truly find a way to change the world in science, health and mind)

Imagine all the people, living for today, I hope some day you'll join us - and the world will live as one.... Imagine

As a high school or college graduate, or someone who is thinking about changing direction in their life....Imagine the Possibilities!!!

Hopefully in my small way... I can have a notion... or a way to bring happiness and joy to someone when I cre8te a card with a heartfelt, grateful greeting and a whimsy fun interpretation of the event!!

How to brighten a Midwesterners' Day

More birthday wishes! Just so you know... no guys out there are celebrating birthdays. These have all been girly girl pink cards. They are fun to make, whimsical treats. Swiss dot background embossing folder, ribbons and brads, popped up sentiment and glittery flowers... and an adorable little girl (CASed).

Just like everything else in life... I keep trying to *convince( Why do I need to convince myself, it should JUST be!) myself that I live a good mid-western life. I live in the heartland of America which is one of the 4 geographic regions the United States is made up from. Good mid-western values... which basically are gratitude for the simple things, including value for your word! Midwesterners pull together when needed, yet give each other space to live independently. For me right now it's keeping the house and the home in good working order...

... and then I start to read other blogs, or I read the newspaper or I watch the 'spin' on news and truly.... some deep blessings occur all around me... but also some masterful sadness and heartache happens too! And I am at a loss of what to do! Can I be a solution and not a continuation of the problem???

I have been reading 365 Thank Yous, by John Kralik... it was recommended. And although I don't have the great life challenges he does... I think I have been doing a few things he suggests... and with my faux card business I have an easier time of finding creative ways to express the simple act of daily gratitude from big to small things... yet it isn't enough to just say thanks....this story will continue!

*Sniff*

After a whole year, I'm excited to say we found Mickey's nose!!!

As a silly and fun element of my secret garden we started purchasing different gnomes and other garden surprises. Last year Mickey got a little tipsy and fell flat... on his nose and we lost it.... couldn't find it in the mulch, hostas and other creepies. We looked, and looked.... last week we put up the fountain and I was just sitting and enjoying the sunshine and I see this black blob that looked like a beetle... just sitting there ....Mickey's nose!!! hip hip hooray!!!

Sissy and I got gnome Mickey last year while at a v-ball tourney in Orlando.... authentic Downtown Disney purchase. Although Mickey Mouse started out as a cartoon character he has become the symbol and an icon for the Walt Disney World enterprise.... he can be recognized anywhere. According to my sources, Mickey is getting a make-over.. they are going to have less emphasis on his pleasant and cheerful side and re-introduce him with more of a mischievous and adventurous side!
Bubba has a little over a week left of his high school career!!! DH is busy getting the new business going and flowing. Sissy is practicing getting her behind the wheel hours higher, and I'm the one making it all harmonize together! (ha)

Make a Wish!

And blow.... birthday candles are part of tradition that used to be a superstition. A lit candle on a special sweet treat would glow like the moon... the candle light would help send signals to the goddess of the moon...Greek scholars believed that the signals and prayers sent up to the sky and to the goddess Artemis would then watch over those... and then in return she would send good luck to those in the coming year. Do you make a wish, close your eyes and blowwwww......wish all your wishes come true.

To make candles glow on a whimsical fun card, I use crystal stickles that has glitter and glue mixed together from Ranger. The background paper has cute butterflies and swirls from DCWV, the Blossoms & Butterflies stack. I love the whimsy of it all.....FuN MaiL!!

Spring Come Back

I want to smell the flowers

especially from my beautiful lilacs...

sunshine and warmth... please come back... please