I will be taking a break for just over a week. If I get back to blogging when the holiday is over, great! If not, that is okay too. I am currently experiencing problems uploading pictures to my photo hosting site which makes blogging extremely frustrating. I hope the site has resolved the issues when I get back.
For those of you who celebrate this holiday, I hope you will have a fabulous day!
This was a kit and I it found bagged in a small aluminum foil pan up in my mother's kitchen cabinet above the refrigerator. There was another foam wreath in the kit. FYI: I love ornament kits and have tons stored away that I purchased over the years.
I decided to take the kit for myself. I thought I could repair the one pictured; but, the damage was too severe. I ended up cannibalizing the old one to make a brand new one with the extra foam wreath. (There was not enough supplies to finish a new wreath.)
The maker of the kit is LeeWards which is no longer in business and, after many stores closed, it became Michaels. The kit was dated 1976. I also found a sticker price of $1.89. Wow. I was eleven or twelve years old when this kit was packaged together for sale.
My New Year's resolution is simply to write 2016 instead of 2015.
I have not even started making a new year's resolution list and whatnot like I have in the past and maybe, just maybe, I will skip it this year. I know! Shocking!
Here's another tribute to St. Patrick's Day which is tomorrow, March 17th. I was walking out front and glanced down and noticed a bee flying amongst clover. My first bee sighting! I was thrilled. I took quite a few pictures hoping two or three would be decent. Much to my surprise, nine of them were decent! I must either be getting better or got lucky. I think it is the latter. I could not decide between the nine; so, I am posting them all. Enjoy!
Since March 17th, St. Patrick's day, is coming upon us fast, I thought the following pictures are appropriate.
Gracie
Abby Gail
Both were taken on February 25, 2015. We have a huge patch of clover out back. It is kind of unusual rectangular shape and I speculate that the owners before us had a garden plot in that particular spot because it is the only bright green area on our land.
I left the lid off the Christmas wrapping paper to go do something and returned to this sight. Gracie destroyed a few sheets of tissue paper and made herself a bed. And I, the "spoil the kitties" kind, let her stay. But, once she left, I quickly cleaned up the "mess" and closed the lid.
Dinner table all set -- so pretty.
(The stockings belong to my brother's family and were rehung after being raided.)
We had a very good time just relaxing, visiting and vegging out. There was much fun to be had playing Cribbage -- the one game I love playing most. We also played a game of Hand and Foot the night before we returned home. It had been eons since we played and I forgotten how intense the game can get. I do hope we get to play more often.
The bird, cooked by Dan, turned out pretty good. I must confess that I am wanting something different. Not sure how or what. We need to experiment with different recipes throughout the year. However, I am not sure if we will find the time or the inclination to do so with all the other projects we are working on. We tend to just take it easy with weekend meals because we are often so tired after working hard all day.
I have to mention that my sister-in-law and I went to the local factory outlet mall and I am so glad we made that trip because I scored three pair of new jeans for the price of two at $7.98 each. I needed new jeans desperately as my old jeans were either a tad too big or too messed up from working around the house (covered in stain, paint, etc., and etc.) I need to remember to NOT wear these new jeans while working on projects.
I hope everyone that celebrates Christmas (or Hanukkah or whatever you call it) had a very good holiday time! I know we did.
Mini MMs 8/2/2012 {for a challenge I never completed}
Valentine’s Day is coming up. I have to confess that I am not a fan of the holiday. I think this goes back to my elementary school days. It was just a popularity contest – who gets the most cards. And I, of course, would be one of those who would get the fewest.
I even had a teacher who had a rule that each student must give a card to everyone in the class. I was thrilled with this rule; but, when card exchange event occurred, I was sorely disappointed because I received only a few. When she asked if everyone received all their cards, I said no. I remember seeing disappointment all over her face and scolding the class. From that day on, Valentine’s Day was just another holiday to dislike and I was so happy that it was done away with upon entering Junior High (which was sixth grade for us).
So there you have it, how I learned to dislike Valentine’s Day. And indirectly, I have come to dislike roses and extravagant gifts over the years, because to me, it is all falsehood. In other words, it is faked and/or an obligation to do something for those you love.
I think the expression of love should not be forced by a holiday. I have to ask. Should not every day be Valentine’s Day? In other words, when you love someone, you express that to them any time and any day. You do not need to wait for a special day. Every day is special. Why wait for the one day of the year when it may be too late? After all, no day is guaranteed to anyone. Tell or show your love one now and often.
Now, don’t get me wrong. If your loved one’s love language is “receiving gifts”, then give them gifts. But you do not have to do it only holidays like Valentine’s Day or even Christmas day. Yes, they most likely love the whole holiday thing as it makes them feel loved; so, do not exclude the holidays. However, I think gift giving can also be done on ordinary days.
Well, I think you get the point from all the rambling I have just done. I hope and pray none of you were offended by my thoughts concerning Valentine's day.
Live every moment, love every day, cause before you know it, precious time slips away.” ~Reo Speedwagon
Well, I said I would endeavor to post week #14 last Friday. I never made it due to sickness. In fact, I am still sick. I even lost my voice (Laryngitis) and let me tell you it was not fun. So anyway, here is a week in pictures Enjoy.
Source: iheartfaces.com via Lee Ann on Pinterest
Wrapped 12/21/2012
I wrapped my wrist with lots of bracelets. This works, correct?
Warmth 12/22/2012
These mittens were made for my brother’s family by our Grandmother. I still have a few of my own from her including some socks.
Bokeh 12/23/2012
I did not spend a lot of time with this and honestly, I did not really care. But, this turned out pretty good, correct?
Twas the Night 12/24/2012
…to party and pig out on delicious food!
Unwrapped 12/25/2012
All the papers and boxes ended up in a neat pile in the center of the room. And no, these are not ours…
Toy 12/26/2012
Dan collects Mustang cars and for the first time in several years, he found a couple.
Favorite Thing 12/27/2012
I have had this pen bag for a very long time and I do love me some Sharpies and more.
Christmas Lights (outdoors) 11/30/2012
We put up Christmas lights for the first time in years. It is not much; but, it is a start. Next year will be more as I hope to buy some outdoor lights on sale after Christmas.
Source: iheartfaces.com via Lee Ann on Pinterest
i heart faces: {1 Photo – 32 Days} December Photo Challenge.
I am not actively participating in the challenge itself by posting to other forums such as instagram, twitter (with hashtag, #iHeartFaces), flicker, blogs and more. I am just taking a picture of the day and sharing them via post(s) on my blog.
Me (Introduce Yourself) 12/1/2012
{To see a larger image, go here}
I am a wannabe DIYer; but, in reality, Dan does most of the hard work while I just have the vision. I am actually scared of power tools; so, I will only use them when he is around. On this day, Dan was working on putting up the new casings around the doors. He needed three hands; so, he asked me to help. He gave me the nail gun and showed me where to shoot it on the casing. The first time I hit the trigger, the air coming off of it blew in my face and I let out a tiny scream. It scared me to death. Well, not really seeing that I am still alive. Ha! I kept on using that sucker until all side casings were up. I actually had fun in spite of being terrified!
Dan knew I needed to come up with a new picture of me and he suggested the idea of me using the nail gun. I loved the idea and set the camera and tripod up. I had Dan push the trigger (on the camera) since he was readily available. In the end (the last shot and above picture), we went for the real thing because all the other pictures looked fake. I told Dan I would fire on three. He pressed the shutter on three and this is the result. I was actually trying to smile and keep my eyes open; but, holy crap. That gun scares the bejabbers out of me. The picture of me actually makes me laugh!
By the way, if you are new here, you can go to my About Me page. My life is still in chaos; but, it is happy chaos at the moment. My sewing and cutting table is still at the furniture shop. So, I haven’t done any sewing lately. It is just as well considering that room is a disaster and still needs to be unpacked. I am slowly unpacking; but, it is taking time because I am determined to put the fabrics onto “bolts”. It does not help that I am “unfocused”. I’d start a task and then remember to do something else only to return to the original task two hours later. Dan can testify to this problem of mine if you ask him. Ha!
Elf 12/2/2012
This is a childhood beaded craft Christmas ornament. My mother had us kids make a lot of beaded ornaments while growing up. I do not know which one of us made this particular one – most likely all three of my older brothers each made one (there are three of these total) as sticking pins in a plastic doll is a tough thing to do. The red felt like texture on the doll has faded and discolored throughout the years. However, it is still a darling little ornament.
What You’re Reading 12/3/2012
In Every Flower by Patti Hill. Third in the Garden Gates series. Christian Fiction.
I bought the first three books of this series on an extreme clearance. All three are okay reads. I just recently read this quote from this particular book and it made me chuckle.
She spoke over her shoulder. “I have a new theory about global warming, and I’m dead serious about this, so don’t you go pooh-pooh-ing it. You know, don’t you, that there are 40 million baby boomer women in America, all being taken off their estrogen at the same time? Every room I walk into shoots up thirty degrees. Now think of 40 million women hot flashin’. I know I’m right. Get yourself somethin’ to drink, sugar, while I cool down a bit.”
Shadow Play 12/4/2012
This idea is not unique in itself. This is one shot, one picture, taken on a timer. I had to wait until after 3:30 p.m. because it was raining and cloudy most of the day. The sun finally came out and I was glad because I did not know what else I would have done. I do not think I will ever do this again with cats as they are very uncooperative subjects. I also do not think I will ever do something like this again which requires some heavy editing of the photo itself. However, I am very pleased with the result. It is not perfect; but, I am satisfied. It will do.
Someone I Love 12/5/2012
This is my Grandmother, Viola Mae. I love her very much.
I had a really hard time with this category. I love my Dan; but, he is away at work during the day and he is not a very cooperative subject (I think he does not like getting his picture taken). I love all my brothers. I love my nieces and nephews and all their children. I adore many of my cousins and enjoy seeing their children grow up virtually. However, these people are not readily available for me to take pictures. Plus, I am not comfortable posting pictures of people (besides Dan and me) on this blog.
I love my mother and my dad. I wanted to take a picture of a favorite picture of them together; but, I do not have one printed yet. I am planning to get one printed and hang it out up the wall in the hallway along with my Gram.
The above picture will have to do.
Burst of Red: Wide Angle lens 12/6/2012
{To see a larger image, go here}
This was my toughest challenge yet. By the way, red doesn’t translate well into the pictures – especially lights!
I had a tough time choosing a favorite among the few that turned out well. They are all very different. The above picture was taken with my wide angle lens. You can get that starred effect with any lens if you understand lighting, aperture and all that crap. I am still struggling with the concepts; but, I understand so much more these days because I am forcing myself to practice and not only practice, but think about those things.
Burst of Red: Macro 12/6/2012
Burst of Red: Psychedelic 12/6/2012
Cribbage (Board Game) 11/23/2012
We played Cribbage over Thanksgiving holidays. I forgot our board; so, we borrowed my Sister-in-law’s board to play. This board is not ours. Ours actually is bigger – it has four rows (instead of three). Everyone in the family played at some point or another. It is a fun game and a wonderful way to sit together with family and friends. The last game we played was unique as we played in teams of three. It was interesting and the best part was that we all sat just played cards.
Morning at the Lake 11/24/2012
Christmas Tree 11/25/2012
We put up the tree -- first time in over five years! Opening up the box of ornaments was like Christmas. Wait, it is Christmas!
Beads and Sequins 11/26/2012
Ornament kit. Crafts. Enough said.
Chrysalis 11/26/2012
I was thrilled upon discovering this Chrysalis. I am hoping to witness the butterfly emerging from its hibernation. I have been checking on it daily (along with the other two I have found).
Monarch Butterfly 11/26/2012
{To see a larger image, go here.}
I was outside with Gracie and, as always, I had my camera with me. I didn’t expect to take pictures though. But, this critter fluttered by practically in front of my face. It was big and beautiful. When it landed on some yellow flowers, I dropped Gracie’s leash to see if I could capture a picture or two. I was pleasantly surprised and thrilled to discover it was a Monarch butterfly. It posed for me fabulously and was a very hungry fellow.
Beaded Christmas Ornament 11//22/2012
