Category : Creativity

622 posts

Reflective thoughts

It seems as we get older, time speeds up. The years that seemed so far in the distant future are now upon us. I know in my brain that time is a constant but my heart has a different idea.

I get very nostalgic at years end. It has extra special significance for me. Mr. G and I reconnected and made plans for our future on New Years Eve 24 years ago. And our daughter, Mini-me, was born New Years Eve eve. reflective thoughts

As I was creating my mind began to wander. Thinking about how life has changed over the past year.

reflective thoughts

It feels as if my baby girl has been 14 for about a minute. How can she be about to take her permit test.

reflective thoughts

What happened to the cute little dresses she wore while playing rough and tumble with her brother and the neighbor boys.

See what I mean…nostalgic. Not that I’d want to start over by any stretch of the imagination but I do wish that for a moment I could step back into that time and bottle it up.

reflective thoughts

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T Tuesday: half of December edition

I admit it…I’ve been neglecting my blog again. I haven’t had anything artsy or craftsy to share so I figured I wouldn’t bore you to tears with nothingness. As I began to pull photos together for this post I realized that I have a multitude of things to share, with many different facets.

Last week I skipped T Tuesday entirely both posting and visiting….in fact, I hardly touched my computer all week. I realized how truly close to Christmas we were getting. With something on the calendar every night after work, I couldn’t quite wrap my brain around blogging too. Gosh I miss it though. Sitting at the keyboard typing away is so soothing…it’s like therapy without paying someone to listen to you bare your soul. No, there will be no soul baring today.

Where should I start since I can’t remember what order things came in anymore. Ok…first of all…I’ve abandoned my December photo challenge. As I got further into my list I was just not loving it or getting inspired for that matter. It’s supposed to be fun…not work. I’m sure I’ll do another at a later date but for right now…I’m good with my occasional random Instagram posts.

Speaking of Instagram…I posted this the other day…after getting it from Fitbit.

I thought that was pretty cool! I can’t wait to see what my next badge will be.

We had some beautiful weather so I decided one of our favorite summertime meals was in store.

Crab boil or Low Country boil complete with a Corona beer. See how I snuck that beverage in there. :)

We attended the kids Holiday choir concert.

And got to hear the boy sing up close and personal.

 

The weekend was spent in the kitchen….

J and I made Krumkake…his favorite. My old vintage Nordic Ware iron is well seasoned….it may not look pretty anymore but it makes the best krumkake. Way better than the electric one my mom had given me a couple years ago.

Mini-me and I tackled lefse making. Neither of us have perfected rolling them out round but they taste the same no matter the shape.

After we got the majority of the flour swept up…(trust me…its everywhere…ugh.) I was recruited to help out with a mouse trap car. Thankfully Mr. G was available to lend a hand as well. That wire is tough!!

It’s not the prettiest thing but it definitely moves!

I have made some progress on the hat I am knitting but I set that aside after work today to make this little hat for a very special early delivery.

It’s hard to believe that will actually fit on a little ones head. Hopefully not for long!!

I’d also like to take this time to wish you all a very Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

T stands for Tuesday
What are you doing today??

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T Tuesday: November into December edition

I can’t believe we are into December already!! I think its because we have no snow that I’m having a hard time wrapping my brain around it.  Although that is supposed to change in the next couple hours as I write this. I am happy to say that we at least have the tree up and the house decorated…as much as we do. We aren’t outside light people. I admire those who do…it’s just not us.

Last year after the holidays I bought a tree on clearance at our grocery store of all places….totally sight unseen. All I knew was it was pre-lit with white lights. It was such a steal that I couldn’t pass it up especially since out old pre-lit tree had a band of dead lights smack in the middle.Isn’t it pretty!?!? Not bad for $34.

Mini-me put together some new hanging decor for a bare corner of the livingroom.  I gave her a little springboard idea and she ran with it while I was busy. It turned out really cute.

Last Friday I had the privilege of supporting a couple of students on a field trip to Orchestra Hall. I hadn’t been there since Mini-me was in preschool.

It is so unique inside…and beautiful, not that my quick phone picture really captured the beauty.

I spent a good share of Saturday trying to decide between designing a photo card and writing a Christmas letter to send out this year. Who knows…I may do both.

Oh that’s right…I need to update you with my photos to finish out the November photo a day.

22. A favorite thing…..Marvin, of course

23. I made this! ……fabric star ornament (shared the tutorial links last week)

24. I need to do this! ……put all this crap away…just keepin’ it real folks.

25. Time……clock I made over a decade ago….likely should change the battery one of these days.

26. Wall…….my favorite wall especially this time of year.

27. I’m thankful for this…… Love

28. Black…….J’s school chrome book

29. So, this happened…..inflation of the new activity dome outside my school (it’s truly immense)

30. I bought this! ……not telling what’s inside though.

And with that…November is done.

This is my new challenge for December. I followed an old version of the October challenge by this same site. I’m enjoying the creative challenge of these photo a day prompts especially since most days this is my only creative outlet.

Want to see what I’ve already gotten for December?

What are you doing today?

 

T stands for Tuesday

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T Tuesday: still full edition

I swear I’m still full from Thanksgiving dinner! Ok…that’s a bit of a stretch but geesh. Too much leftovers and too many days off. Making me soft(er).

I’ll start with a little catch-up on my Photo a day challenge. I got several days behind but have gotten caught up now.

13. Letters….just one important one. UMD acceptance letter for J.

14. For me….just a little treat of apples in caramel dip. YUM!!

15. Hot + Cold…sometimes I’m a two-fisted drinker. :)

16. After…after a long day at work it’s nice to put my feet up a bit.

17. Cooking…I unexpectedly cooked Thanksgiving dinner this year.

18. I love this…Grandma’s dishes.

19. Whole….it was a whole pie….a whole lotta yummy. :)

20. Bright….the setting sun through my window.

21. Shoes….I have a love/hate relationship with these. I love them (so cute) but my feet hate me when I wear them all day at work.

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I discovered mt latest obsession craft on Pinterest yesterday. 

Fabric star ornaments. I found the link to the original tutorial but it was in Dutch I believe. It had great photos but I was missing something in my understanding. Then I found the tutorial by Betz White that finally cleared things up for me.

I’m considering putting a button on both sides with either hot glue or tied through with embroidery thread.  Not sure but I do know I’ll be making more.

The school I work at is having a holiday boutique for staff so I’ll be bringing my crafts in. I’m so excited both to make a little Christmas cash and to see what crafts my coworkers like to do.

My baby girl starts drivers ed Tuesday…I can hardly fathom it. She’ll get her classroom instruction done just before her 15th birthday but she’ll have to wait until the New Year to take her permit test. That girl is ready to get behind the wheel….me, not so much.

Tuesday holds work of course and a choir concert…at my school. Mini-me’s choir is singing at the middle school. I think they send the high school choirs to perform periodically to keep the younger ones interested in continuing through their school career.

T stands for Tuesday
What are you doing today?

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T Tuesday: laughter, tears and knitting edition

It’s been an eventful week around here. so I think I’ll recap a few of the highlights.

I’ve gotten back in the groove of being creative on a semi-regular basis. First of which is some more work on the stocking hat I’m knitting.

Trust me…one day it will be a hat.

I also made a patchwork infinity scarf.

My original intention was to make something red, white and blue for our Veteran’s Day program at school but these colors spoke to me instead.

Speaking of the Veteran’s Day program. It was amazing! I cried all of my eye makeup off. It was very moving. I hadn’t been witness to a 21 gun salute or the playing of taps since my dad’s internment. Needless to say, I was a mess. I seriously am a fairly stoic person but that got me…as well as the Lee Greenwood song, God Bless the USA….gets me every time…especially when all those vets stood up as the line says “And I gladly stand up
Next to you and defend her still today”. The tears were rolling.

I started a journal page…well at least I threw some color at the tissue paper I glued into my journal. It’s a start right!?!

Here’s the next collection of November photo a day pictures.

7. on the floor….me, Marvin and the toy…a little view from his side of things.

8. a place…DQ of course. love that place and its a braizer so it doesn’t close for winter….yes many Dairy Queen stores close over winter around here.

9. Heck yes! …….saw this sign at school  “Make your life story so amazing that unicorns have trouble believing it is true.”

10. I do this every day….make and drink coffee.  Bam! got my tea Tuesday reference in as well. :)

11. A set…my fiestaware of course.

12. normal….my knitting looks normal at least so far.

T stands for Tuesday

In other exciting news… J got an acceptance letter from UMD today!! So exciting!!!

What are you doing today??

 

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T Tuesday: ending October, begining November edition

Last week I wrapped up my first ever daily photo challenge. I stayed on track and was only more than 24 hrs late with a prompt once. That one I missed for days before realizing my mistake. Here are the last four prompts of the month.

28. Pimp it up…not sure what that meant so I shared my freshly decorated coffee table.

29. Costume…I was a cowgirl for work….yes, we were asked to dress up for school.

30. Treats….our bowl of goodies ready for the kiddos.

31. Halloween…our neighbor out having fun along with the kids

This is the challenge I’m doing this month. It appears that FatMumSlim does her challenges in a Facebook group now but I’m still going to do them on Instagram daily and share them in groups here. In fact here are the first 6.

1. Something blue….handmade bowl J made in school.

2. I saw this!….brand new choir sweatshirt lost or abandoned one day after receiving them.

3. Weather….snow before we got the outdoor stuff put away for winter.

4. Can’t live without….my morning coffee. (got my T Tuesday beverage in)

5. 8 o’clock…that was 8AM for Marvin

6. Made me smile today…wearing my late mom’s necklace to work

Over the weekend I was inspired to pick up my knitting needles again. I’ve been helping the past two weeks in a FACS (Family and Consumer Science) class in a couple of intro to knitting sessions. The kids are using pencils as knitting needles. It’s been really fun watching them struggle through and have it click all of a sudden. We’ve had several boys in the class as well. Nice to see them trying something new. 

I’m trying to follow a pattern for a stocking hat.  The pattern is in a very old knitting magazine I found in my mom’s craft bin. She never, ever knit so I’m not sure were it came from but what the heck…I’ll give it a shot. I’m using a self striping yarn…or at least that’s what I believe it to be. Like I said…giving it a shot. I do think I need to be using longer needles. I can’t remember where I put the rest of mine though…hmmm.

T stands for Tuesday
The days this week are all pretty much the same but I’m looking forward to Friday this when our school spends the morning honoring Veterans Day. I have heard so many wonderful things about it that I can’t wait to experience it myself.
What are you doing today?

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Scrapbook journal finished!!!

I am very happy to say I’ve completed another art journal. This was a loose leaf type journal. Technically it was a Creative Memories album but I knew in my heart I’d never actually scrapbook this album…or any other for that matter if I’m being completely honest with myself.

album turned journal

On Friday night I completed my last entry. It was a very simple page that started with a piece of artists paper from one of the Stampington family of magazines. I used distress paints to alter the color.

Next I used gelatos to created the base of a flower using my finger to spread the color. On top I drew the loose details of a flower with India ink.

I wrote with a white gel pen some thoughts I had at the moment. I purposely wrote very messy so I’d be the only one who knew what it said while creating some visual interest to the page.  This was one of the quickest pages I’ve ever completed and a perfect way to end my journal.

Although I really love working in loose leaf I do struggle with a completely blank page. Many of the papers I used as backgrounds were surface protection pages already smeared with ink, paint and glue.  I think I will always tend to stay with vintage books as the base for my journals. The background text and texture of the pages inspire me.

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