Newest project!

I had a blast making this. I began with a little kit I found at, of all places, the dollar store. I only used the back part of it (the arched chipboard that was covered in elegant black and white florished print). And from there got an inspiration for a beautiful winter wedding. The black white and red just seemed so natural to me so here it is.

It's just a table decoration but it's a perfect gift for Valentines or a wedding!

It measures 13" long and 4" high and includes such fun as Basic Grey rub ons (both black and white flourishes), Provo Craft Alpha chipboard, Bo Bunny rub ons ("true", "Love" and "Always and Forever") and flowers of many different kinds. Not to mention the plethora of ribbons! I had so much fun making this!







Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings,
Lissa

Projects con't...

These are all for the cub scout book I'm working on... (Yeah I know. I've not done a single thing for myself in ages!)

These are all very simple. Nothing I can do for the scouts can be my usual frou frou stuff as it would take me FAR too long to accomplish anything so thus, simplicity, ease and quick scrapping. The tags on the layouts are blank for the leaders from last year to record names and memories from the trips. These were done this summer.

The bag is from Dalton's teacher gift from the end of the year. (LOVE the cricut for cutting out those letters for me. I'm SO glad I no longer have to be xacto challenged to cut those out by hand any longer!)

I'm so bad about posting my projects!

So I've got a couple projects I have created not only recently but some over the summer. I've been horrid at actually posting said projects. This summer it was illness, this fall it was schedule and now it's time. I've finally gotten my computer where it needs to be (if you remember my horrid computer repair fiasco from January through May... it is STILL not satifactorily completed but I've let it all go). Indulge me while I upload some OLD but fun projects!

From Our House to Yours

Make a Smilebox greeting

It was a magical time of year...

Christmas has passed and while I have had issues with the photos I took, all in all I think they truely reflect the magic of the season.

My "almost dad" sent me a wonderful email (sent to his distribution list of folks and posted on his blog too) that helps keep the season in perspective.

"Let the Light Shine" from exploringfaith.org

Whatever we do, however we share, we mark the time,
the season, the feast as a place of light and love. And
in so doing, the gift of the Baby under the star has a
chance to transform our world into a bright oasis of
grace and mercy.

So as you gather today, whether with friends or even
by yourself, mark the time. Mark the day. Mark the
feast. And let the light of Christ come into the world.


This is truely how I've felt once Christmas day arrived. Before that, admitedly, I had trouble getting into the spriti of the season. Financial issues, heat pump problems, car troubles, etc etc all add to the issues of the hustle and bustle that increases this time of year. While I still have the hope that all this is improving and will continue to do so, I also was recovering from the surgery which requires me to sit on my ever increasing in size derriere while I wait and watch others do what I want so badly to be doing. I wanted to get up in the attic and get all my decorations. I wanted to get my tree up before Dalton's birthday. I wanted to get my house clean (I'm still praying and waiting on that one to be completed) before Dalton's birthday so I could have it here but that didn't happen either. All these things prevented me from fully enjoying the season, the reason for the season and getting into the mood properly. Not even the beautiful magical eyes of my darling little boy could brighten up my spirits.

We had Dalton's 8th birthday party and it was wonderful. To hear him say to my dear friend Susan, "Miss Susan, this was my best birthday EVER!" was awesome. I wasn't into it really despite having tried so hard to be there.

To hear him tell me how excited he was about Santa's impending arrival and how he knows that Jesus and Santa had to have been friends when Jesus was alive on the earth because where else would Santa have gotten his giving spirit was so precious. But where oh where could I capture that feeling for myself??

Taylor arrived home from college for the holidays, Reaves and Taylor were getting along and we were all actually laughing together. But even that wasn't enough. Both my older boys asked me on Christmas eve eve, "Geez mom! Please! You've done nothing but hollar for four days. You're so grumpy about everything. Please stop!"

It wasn't until I snapped these photos the day before Christmas I finally found it inside me. It takes the magic of a little boy, the faith of a child that no matter what, Santa and Jesus are going to come and there is going to be a holiday. Not one filled with gifts, but one filled with joy, love, peace and happiness. It is a holiday filled with the love and faith of a little boy in a baby who came to save us all from the evils, all the sins we commit daily, all the hardships from which He wants us to be freed. Dalton is a true believer. He shows me daily how faith is simple. It's easy. You just believe. You simply put all your faith into one basket labeled "Jesus" and all your troubles, sins, transgressions, issues, what ever you call them, all go into that same basket.

Also into that basket go beautiful words like "blessings", "gifts", and "joy". Dalton brought it home for me. Watching him decorate the tree and the look at all the house decorations I finally managed to get up brought me to watching him lovingly touching one of the many nativities I have. Describing to me and to the baby Jesus what the wise men looked like, what Mary and Joseph must have been thinking that night. Telling me about a star that shone so brightly and how the angels sang beautiful songs heralding the heavenly child's birth. It was through this little boy, I finally found my spirit once again. Sounds like history repeating itself doesn't it? We can and should all take a lesson I think...





I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. I hope you all found your "reasons for the season" and had a blessed and magical Christmas.

Peace and love to all of you...

Ooo I've had a fun time!

This past summer, knowing Christmas would be lean, I decided to make some Christmas presents for some gal pals of mine. I bought the beads, bought findings, used some beads my dad had given me that belonged to my mom and proceeded to design what I wanted to make. Then I put it in a box and left it there.

Fast forward to yesterday! I made all of these in two hours! Made me wanna buy more beads and make make make!

I also made the little boxes that I put two of them into to give as pressies last night. Love the cricut! I do wish I had the expression so I could cut larger boxes but it's all good. They do say good things come in small packages!

Here are the latest bracelets and earring sets I made yesterday along with the little boxes.






Click on them to see them larger if you want.

Thanks for taking a look! Happiest of holidays...

Just a few cards...

I've got so many thank you's to write for all the folks who were so sweet to me during my hospital stay. These are a few of the cards I made to say Thank You!

There is also an altered diary (with a little lock) and a sympathy card I made earlier in the summer for a friend of Kevin's who lost a relative.









I'm so hoping to get my Christmas cards done in time. Who knows what I'll get done.

Enjoy...

Hello All and Merry Christmas!

Well as a quick update. The surgery on the 25th went well. The doctor said (in the hospital on the 26th) I was doing really well. I've got to remember to take it easy and not be too eager. He wants me to walk and that's it. No lifting more than 5 pounds, no bending, twisting cleaning cooking etc and I'm really trying. But you have to put yourself in my position. I have three boys (two at home) and a husband. None of them are winning awards at cleaning, care taking or cooking. So, if I want it done, I either wait four or five days or I end up doing it myself.

Case in point. We have four cats. Two of them are outside, one is indoor/outdoor and one is strictly indoor. The ONLY thing the boys will do (including the biggest one) is feed them - IF I ask.

So, that leaves the matter of the cat box. Thank goodness there is only one cat using it because it's not been cleaned since Thanksgiving. (That darn litter was expensive but when it said you only had to change it every two weeks it was serious! No smell, no problems!)

Then there are the dishes. They hate dishes. I don't know why. Of all the jobs in the house, this is by far the easiest. Nope... the dishes stay dirty. So what happens? When the big one is at work and the oldest of the three is sleeping (don't ask, I swear I think he's a vampire) and the little one is at school (the middle one is away at college) at some point I actually do get hungry. So, I manage to get up, go to the kitchen and voila! All the dishes call out to me because, hungry though I might be, there is NOT ONE clean dish off of which I may eat. Okay... if that's not bad enough, should I even want soup, there's not a single clean pan in which to cook...

No, I'm not kidding.

So, between my dad, my friend Susan and I, we have read the "men" in the mix the so called "riot act" and let them all know what the expectations are. If I'm seriously not going to be allowed to do housework for 90 days, they have REALLY got to step up to the plate. Daddy swears he'll put the house on the market and move Dalton and me in with him. At first I thought he may be just upset and would never seriously entertain this idea, until he told me he'd already investigated the schools, where Dalton would go to school and, he says, "By the way, you KNOW he already has friends next door so he won't be hurting for playmates. I'm not kidding about this."

Hmmm... yes, I have to admit the idea is a bit entertaining. I LOVE Daddy's house and I could seriously use the break and I know darn well I'd heal a lot better up there because I wouldn't be tempted into doing things I"m not supposed to be doing, but it would make me crazy at the same time. I'd seriously miss being close to my friends and at least able to chat via phone when I wanted to rather than costing a fortune in long distance charges.

Then again, if I could convince Daddy to get cable internet... hmmmm... yes, becoming more and more inviting...

So, I'm two weeks into my so called convalescence. I still have no feeling in my foot but the feeling is gradually returning to my thigh. My calf is still gone and I still don't have full muscle control. I may not ever regain complete control of the leg as the nerve has been compressed for so long it may be permanent but we're holding out for FULL and COMPLETE recovery. That's what I'm claiming anyhow.

I have to admit not being the best of patients. I know I have UCTD. I know I have Fibromyalgia. So what??? I know I have the same issue in my neck I have in my back only that's not been operated on ... yet. (Supposedly my neuro wants to looking into that in the Spring. We'll have to see.) I know that because of that, my healing will take longer and is more strenuous, but honestly people. Do you know me? Do you really know me?

I will NOT sit still, I can't sit still. I have to be doing something or it makes me nuts. I made all of Dalton's little birthday invitations. (They were adorable if I do say so myself. While I forgot to scan them, I can tell you they were of a pool (blue vellum) with waves (cut on the Cricut) with little girls and boys in the pool relative to for whom the invite was intended. For instance, for my friend Susan's kids, Wesley, Walker and Whitney, there were two little brunette boys, one brunette girl and little blonde Dalton in the pool swimming. In the lower right hand corner, also cut from the cricut it said, "It's A Party". Darling really.)

I have organized his party to be at the local recreation center where the children will swim for an hour, then we'll go to the party room for an hour and have cake, ice cream and presents. It's a small party, not too much for mom but fun for Dalton to have a swimming party in the middle of December to be sure.

I've completed nearly all my Christmas shopping (thanking you God for On-Line retailers who carried black Friday sales) and of course, my old stand by, Ebay.

The only thing left to do is to wrap. This is proving to be quite a challenge. I can't bend over the table. The chairs I have are all too short. I can't sit on the floor because I can't get up and I"m not supposed to have my legs at a 90 degree angle to my body (I'm supposed to stay in a reclined type position when I'm not walking). Yeah... wondering how to get the wrapping done but this too will happen, I'm certain. I might just get my friend Lisa to wrap everything for me in order to get it all done right.

I have bought all the cookie stuff to make holiday cookies and Dalton and I will be making Christmas Candy this afternoon and on Saturday for presents too. Monday, his real birthday day, he'll be taking cupcakes to school that he will be making with me on Sunday. It's going to be pretty full time wise around here.

Oh yeah. and at some point, putting up a tree might be nice. I'm the Christmas tree putter upper. No one but me. Everyone else hates it. So I'm interested in figuring out who's gonna do that.

Let's just hope it's not the day before Christmas folks.

Enough about me, how's everyone? I've got so many of my good friends on my prayer list. The economy has been so horrid. I want all of you to know that you're in my thoughts and prayers. Typically recessions pull out within two to three years so let's hope we're at least a year down into this thing. I remember well what it was like living through the last one. It was tough but doable. We'll all get through this in time. Gas around here (I live in a tourist town - ugh talk about a bad economy) has finally gone down to around $1.76 for mid grade. Regular is, in some places, $1.59. Never thought I'd see that again. Food remains outrageous but I know my waist line is appreciative. Even the dollar store "oreo" cookie packages are getting smaller for the same price. Shame but it really does help us all eat better. You cut out all the junk and focus on what's good for you.

I suppose that's it for me for now. Remember to keep your eyes looking up, sending your prayers to the heavens. For which ever God you pray, thank Him/Her for the blessings of your life, your love, your health (however minimal or troubled) and your gifts. Focus on the positives and be positive. Claim what is yours and believe in that. Live your life as fully as possible and remember that HE wants that for you too.


Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Holidays and much love from my house to yours.

Lissa and family