Hello My Dear Friends! Merry Christmas!!

Oh my gosh, it's been so long since I've written, I'd almost forgotten how to get on, write and post to my blog!

I have been so busy - I visited with family all over the country through October, and then began a series of oral surgeries.  Why do we women always think, 'ah, not a big deal, I'll be up and around in a couple of days!'  Really a good question - it's because WE ARE WOMEN!!  When did we take time being sick, or lazy or down when our children, or even our grandchildren were really little - we didn't - unless we were half dead!  Which may be the reason things hit us so hard now.  But, I digress.  The last surgery I had was a 3 hour bone graft 10 days ago.  Doc explained, 'going to be taking bone from the back of your jaw and screwing it in here (showing me on ex-rays, like that's really English to me!)  If we need to - we'll take some from the chin area - ack!  Wait a minute, CHIN AREA???  Like - isn't that going to leave a bruise?  'Donna, you're going to have quite a bruise anyway, this is major surgery.'  Hangs head - me, that is.  Well, at least it was scheduled after all of my business meetings.  My sweetie is still taking really good care of me.  Tonight - Christmas night, I ate my first full meal - last one for a while because I'm in a lot of pain now, but it was yummy, and I did get to help cook most of it.  We were able to laugh a bit throughout this entire process, no talking really because at first I sounded like Scooby Dooby Doo, then like Sylvester the Cat (still do when my mouth starts to hurt because my tongue swells badly.)  But we go on - life is good, it's wonderful, today is the day our Lord and Savior was born to save us all!

Our garden still has it's lovely visitors - even though we have had many nights at 25 degrees.  Because we are so close to the coast, we still get many, many hummingbirds.  They must know how much we love them, as we are still feeding them at the rate of - - - drum roll please - - - one half gallon of sugar water A DAY!!  We have two feeders up, about 10' apart or so, and they love our home we have for them!

It's really something to see so many birds feed in our yard, and then our neighbors for a block in all directions my get a stray bird once in a while.  The only thing I can think it could be is water.  They will not feed on tap water.  Ours is reverse osmosis and they'll drink regular water if it is boiled, but most people won't take the time to do that for them.  It's so worth it for us!

We have about 2 months when we have no birds at all, and take the feeders down - usually January or so, then one will go up for a month around March, then the other goes up shortly after that.  At first, we will get One male who will try to lay claim to the feeder - but when all come

home, and hundreds are here, there is no room for bossy boys here!  They say they come back to the same feeding area each year, and I must say, each year, we have had more and more birds.  Feeding one half gallon of sugar water a day is feeding a lot of birds - and they are a joy to watch.  These are the two feeders we have.  The blurs are 'birds in flight!'

Have you all been keeping your crafts up?  It's so much fun to create something with our hands!  I've been making tons of journals.  I love making them for gifts.  I can't seem to find my folder that has all the photos, so here's the latest one I made.  I made it for one of the ladies in our Daughters of the American Revolution chapter as a Christmas gift.  I loved having a tree, symbolizing the 'family tree' aspect of the group!

Then, as always, I have a crochet project in the works.  My friend told me of this pattern, though she never knew the name.  She said, 'all you do is double crochet 10, chain 10, until you have the length you want, then I'll show you how to twirl and tie it up.'  You know me, I'm always game for something new, so I double crochet, chained 10 to what I felt was a comfortable width, and length - it looked like this -

Then twist the chain 10, pull through the next chain 10 and repeat until all are finished.

It's actually very pretty and looks as if it's braided strands and not twisted and brought through. 

When all are twisted and brought through, I went around the entire afghan twice in a very nice half double crochet, placing 3 stitches in each corner to have it lay straight.  The color scheme I used was a variegated with dark brown, medium brown, orange, tan, and beige - 6 colors total.  The pattern was 5 rows of each 6 colors, 3 rows, 1 row to the variegated and then 1 row back, 3 back 5 back. 

The colors came out beautiful!  The size was a bit smaller than I first thought it would be, but never making it and not having much to go on, it's great.  My next one will be twice the size, as this is just for one.  But, it was given today to my newest granddaughter - my grandson was recently married and they are expecting their little wee one on March.  This will keep her nice and toasty.  The fringe was a new one for me, a triple knot.  I really like it, for fringe.  Only on one end.  I prefer no fringe because it always tickles or makes me think something is crawling on my neck when I'm sleeping.  But, it was a gift, so I fancied it up.  I read a pattern on Pinterest some time back and they had a variation of this as a ripple and called it Jacob's Ladder.

Also done a bit of sewing.  My little Wee One, Leila, asked for a Yoshi blanket for her gift.  So how does one make a Yoshi - well, first buy the material, then take it all to Colorado to my daughter there and ask her to help!  My son married an Angel and she sews like a professional, so she helped me.  Son made the Yoshi pattern, I cut, daughter did sewing - a family affair!

She loves it Auntie Kim!!  Thanks Uncle Jeff for helping, too!  And yes, each piece is sewn on separately!  It was a lot of pieces, a lot of work, I can't thank Kim enough as she has this beautiful, professional sewing machine that really hit the mark! 

These are my kids who do costuming professionally.  She does the sewing of costumes of fabrics and leathers,




he does all of the props or items fabricated in different metals or plastics.  They are an amazing team together!

And, so with that my good blogging buddies, as Yoshi to the right is ready to say good bye for now - I promise it won't be another 4 months before I stop back by.  I do get by to see many of your blogs, but have just not had time, as you read to leave messages.


May God bless each and every one of you, keep you safe, loved and forever thankful we live in the greatest country in the world. 

For those who have soldiers away from home, God bless you and them.  Thank them and thank you for your service to our country.  Without them standing on the front lines, keeping our liberty and freedom, and you all keeping the home fires burning, we would not live in the greatest country any longer.  God bless you all.

May you all have a wonderful, healthy, and Happy New Year!  May it be all you want it to be, bring you the happiness you deserve, the prosperity you work for and the health our Lord bestows on you.  This new year I look forward to better health, a brand new Great Granddaughter (Grandson and new Granddaughter will be having her in March) and a wonderful new year.

Blessings and hugs,
Donna

While The Kids Were Away ~ ~ ~

OK, OK ~ This isn't what you thought by the title, but I couldn't help it!  It just fit!!!

So, I've shown you "How I Spent My Summer Vacation"  parts 1 & 2, and I had a really great time, most of the time - Didn't really like chasing dogs half asleep (me - not the dogs!)  because that was the best form of exercise, or for a good time first thing in the morning (because it wasn't!)  However, I loved taking care of the wee ones and cooking!

When Mom and Dad got home from their vacation, oh - did I mention they spent one week in Spain and one week in Italy?  Well, they did, and the photos they sent back were spectacular! The countryside in both countries was beautiful, the museums, the Cathedrals!  Magnificent!! Stunning photos, and even a few of them thrown in - and they are a handsome couple!  They were smart and took private tours and said it was worth every penny!  Best way to see a country, or even states, we're not familiar with!

Grandpa, for all his efforts - taking me shopping before I went, helping me pack, taking care of the house and garden in my absence, and missing me a lot (I missed him, too!) received these beautiful Italian Gloves!

And, The Glove Fits!!  Beautiful brown leather gloves, purchased in Italy!!

Sure will keep him warm in the cold weather of winter!

And, very nice for driving, too!

They took private tours of both the Sistine Chapel and saw the works of Michelangelo! Something I can only imagine and take that tour online!  They said it was MAGNIFICENT!!!  And, by taking the private tour, they saw things you wouldn't normally see - so if anyone is planning a trip to Italy, and you want to see it, they highly recommend paying the extra dollars for this tour.

When they spent time in the Vatican, they stopped in the Vatican Gift Shop and purchased my new Rosary and this beautiful box with the carving of the Virgin Mother and Baby Jesus.  I've had many Rosary's - I was given my Baba's 2, one that he prayed daily with, and a very large wooden one given to him by a Priest, and others that belonged to family elders.  But the only one I ever was given to me as mine personally was a plastic one given to me when I made my 1st Holy Communion and this one.  This is absolutely beautiful.  Many don't understand this as a beautiful object, Catholics not only see the beauty of it, but know the significance of it.  The box, when opened plays a tune I am unfamiliar with, I will ask a dear friend what it is.

I will keep these by my bedside always and thank my lovely daughter in law and son.  Thank you both so much, both mean a great deal to me!

That's it for this evening.

Blessings everyone!
Donna

How I Spent My Summer Vacation ~ Part 2

So, for two weeks, the children and I did what Grandma's and grand kids do, I cooked, they ate and played.  When I have the opportunity to stay with them, I love to cook for them.  Like my own Granny, for me, cooking and feeding the family is my love to them, or for them, an expression of love you might say ~

So, I shopped before going over and had the opportunity to put up many items so when my daughter in law runs late with kids going here and there one night, or just needs some help one night - she can reach in and grab something already made - meatloaves (of course!), Minestrone Soup frozen in many sizes, Navy Bean and Ham Soup, in many sizes (so my daughter could grab a size for lunches for herself!), Chicken Cordon Bleu, Chicken Parmesan, Zucchini Bread (sliced before freezing), lots of pancakes and waffles.  Just made double or triple the amounts of dinners I made for the children, then put up a family meal in a "Food Saver" bag - gotta love those!!

And then there were our family derelicts -

Lucy - THE DIGGER

The Digger - Lucy - who can dig a hole under the fence a be gone before I could run to the bathroom and get back to let her back in!  She found the muddiest place in the development to get full of mud before I found her!

Molly - THE FETCHER

Then there's Molly - yea, look at that face - but don't let her fool you - she waits for Lucy to dig out, and me to go running after Lucy - then comes in and makes that hole a bit bigger and takes a nice long walk!  When she a Lucy get out together, it's like herding cats!

Molly loves to play catch, too.  She runs after the ball and brings it and puts it right into my hands.  She was a great one to play with - but still - an escapee!

Scout - LOVES SCOUTY TREATS!

Last, but not least, Scout.  She's a boxer.  All muscle, but a tad lazy.  No fetching here, just "Snacks please" - can you see that question when she look at you, too?  So, since she never went under the fence to escape - extra treats for Scouty!

After two weeks away from my home, sleeping in my own bed feels marvelous!  Instead of the little arm, or little leg throwing over my body from the little octopus sleeping with me - I'm home sleeping next to my wonderful sweetie.  I sure love my wee ones, but I sure missed Grandpa!  Home to my garden, my birds, my home!

Home only two days - then a jaunt to the Los Angeles area for a DAR trip ~ which I will show you in my next post!

Til then, I hope this week is a marvelous one for all of you!  Have fun, stay cool, love on the kids and grand kids!

Blessings dear friends,
Hugs,
Donna

How I Spent My Summer Vacation - Part 1

Ahhh - remember going back to school and the first essay, story, paper - what ever your teacher called it - was "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" - remember way back when ? ? ? Well, I do!  I remember spending time with Granny and Baba, who I adored and spoiled me (just a little)!  And, the opportunity to go to the Girl Scouts 2 Mile Walk and Sleep Over in the 4th grade - my only childhood occasion to try, eat, eat, eat and eat smores!!  Oh, they were so good!!!  Two weeks camping in Yosemite and seeing the firefalls each night (yeah, I'm that old)! Or, how about, "What Good Books I Read During Summer Vacation?"  Are you kidding, reading books?  OK - I was one of those nerdy kids who did read - I loved to read, and still do!

So here's part 1 of "How I Spent My Summer Vacation."  My son and daughter in law took a 2 WEEK trip Spain and Italy!  How grand is that - OK no, I did not get to go - but I got something better - I got to spend the entire two weeks with my wee ones.  And, you all know how I love spending time with my grandchildren.  The oldest two are 22 and 19 this year, so grandparents aren't THAT important any more!  he he he - Actually, having two different sets of grandchildren has been kind sweet - best of both worlds I think.  I had quality time with the older boys when they were growing up (way too fast) and now these three (time is still going by too fast!!!)

Off to Camp!!

Week One - Isaac and Elise go off to camp.  This is a Christian Camp and it was up in the Sugar Pines area of Yosemite.  What a beautiful National Park (and Wonder of the World) it is. Look at these happy campers on the way to camp!

My Sweet Elise - Ready to Roll!









Isaac is ready - no I-pod, no computer, no X-Box - OH MY!!!

It's Me and You, Grandma!!

And, Little Missy, too young and Grandma's shadow!  She has her own post a few down helping me make Zucchini Bread!

You know how hard it is to get them in to the shower, get cleaned up and go to bed early - not a problem the first day home.  First things first - Isaac wanted to know what was for dinner!?  His favorite, Meatloaf!!  Of all of the things I cook, my sons and grandson always want a meatloaf when they're coming over for a few days

Here's the morning after they returned home!

Please - can I sleep a little bit more?

Do I have to get up, Grandma??

Yes - of course Grandma let them sleep in longer, a lot longer, and did she have to get up - heck no!!

Guess having all that fun with Grandma was just so tiring for Little Missy!

Good Morning, Grandma!

Trust me when I say, Good morning did not mean, Okie Dokie I'm getting up with you!  I mean Cinderellie had a tough week, she had to eat lot of good food, played so hard with her Webkinz, played on brother's X-Box, watched movies with Grandma and ate lots of zucchini bread - that she made with her own two hands!!

Well, we'll be back in a day or two for "How I Spent My Summer Vacation -Part 2!"

Hope you are all enjoying what's left of your summer vacation!  Some have already gone back, some next week!  What ever happened to going back AFTER Labor Day????  Oh Yeah - - - I remember - - -

Blessings,
Donna 

They're Back!!!

These two are keeping a watchful eye - maybe even directing traffic!

You all know how I love our Hummingbirds!  Well, we've been a bit worried we may have lost their homing in on our home because of a new development being built behind us.  And, for the first couple of months of the season, we had a few birds - but this last week, we went from feeding 1 quart of syrup each week to 1 quart of syrup A DAY!!  Yes, you read correctly - a quart a week - to a quart a day!!

The five blurs are those coming in and going out!  It's a busy feeder!

A second feeder will need to be put up this weekend to accommodate all of the birds.  I counted 19 at one time trying to feed this morning.  (Before dawn, and I couldn't get my camera set up quickly enough.)

All are beautiful, the males have the gorgeous iridescent neck and head feathers!

The males are so beautiful with their bright purple/pink iridescent head colors.  We love having them fly in - but with this crazy weather - are they going north or south?  Coming inland from the Coast?  Our weather patterns have - well - been rather unusual as they have been over much of the US and probably the world!

The blurs are birds coming and going!  I was so amazed this morning!

Honestly, no matter to me, to us, about what or why - they are here now and we love feeding them and caring for them!  Next year we hope to have a spraying fountain with mist for them to bathe in and a butterfly bath and feeder.  These are the closest things to pets we have and we love caring for them while they visit us!

Would love to see some from other parts of the US as the colors are so vibrant and beautiful!

Have a marvelous weekend, my friends!
Blessings,
Donna 

Oh Where, Oh Where Has Grandma Been, Oh Where, Oh Where Has She Been ? ? ?

Well, I know where I am now!  Home!!  Praise the Lord.  I have been away from home for much of the last month, without my sweetie.  It's been busy for both of us, a tad lonely being away from him and home, but fun as I spent time with my little wee ones and then friends.  I'm home for about a week, then fly out again for two weeks.  But, my next trip, I hope to have time to leave blog posts.

Thank you to all of my dear friends who sent messages asking if I was OK, my Sweetie was OK, if my home was OK? Thank You, Thank You, and yes ~ everything is wonderful!  Just much busier than I like it to be.

I have some photos I would love to share ~ I'm working on a post for tomorrow.  So for now - it's good to be home, good too sleep in my own bed, and end each day with a kiss to my sweetheart!

Hope you've all been well, happy, cool and blessed!

Hugs,
Donna

A Bit Of Laughter And Cheer, A Smile Or Two!

I've been away from home, away with my wee ones while Mom and Dad are vacationing.  They are have a marvelous time - and so are Mom and Dad.  The first week, the two older ones went to camp and it was just me and mini me.  Now it's the four of us, oh and three dogs.   Oh yes, three dogs!   That's a story in and of itself!  For another day!    Actually for another month!   When my mind is a bit fuzzier!

My dear friend sent this over to me to put some laughter in my day (and honestly some are hysterical, some so-so  but the entire thing is funny)  Plus some extras my Sweetie sent along. So, for those of you who need a bit of laughter and lots of smiles ~ here's a few to help you!  You all know how Blogger can be with spacing and all, I did what I could, think I got all of the duplicates out and do hope I bring you a laugh and a smile!

Have a wonderful Tuesday ~ 

Blessings, and hugs, 

Donna

PARAPROSDOKIANS...

(Winston Churchill loved them) are figures of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently humorous. 1. Where there's a will, I want to be in it. 2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list. 3. Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright          until you hear them speak.

4. If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong. 5. We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public. 6. War does not determine who is right - only who is left.. 7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. 8. They begin the evening news with 'Good Evening,' then proceed to tell you why it isn't. 9. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research. 10. Buses stop in bus stations. Trains stop in train stations. On my desk is a work station. 11. I thought I wanted a career. Turns out I just wanted paychecks. 12. In filling out an application, where it says, 'In case of emergency, notify:' I put 'DOCTOR.' 13. I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you. 14. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy. 15. Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman. 16. A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory. 17. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice. 18. Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with. 19. There's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away. 20. I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure. 21. You're never too old to learn something stupid. 22. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target. 23. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be. 24. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine. 25. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car. 26. Where there's a will, there are relatives. And mine is......... I'm supposed to respect my elders, but its getting harder and harder for me to find one now.

  ·         I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn't work that way.   So I stole a bike and asked for       

            forgiveness.

   ·         Do not argue with an idiot.  He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience. 

   ·         I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather.  Not screaming and yelling like the passengers 

             in his car.

   ·         The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.   

   ·         How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?

   ·         Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very        

             edge of the pool and throw them fish.

    ·         A bank is a place that will lend you money, if you can prove that you don't need it.

    ·         I saw a woman wearing a sweat shirt with "Guess" on it, so I did, saying, "Implants?"

    ·         Some cause happiness wherever they go.  Others whenever they go.

    ·         I always take life with a grain of salt, plus a slice of lemon, and a shot of tequila.

    ·         When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.

    ·         Some people hear voices.  Some see invisible people.  Others have no imagination whatsoever.

    ·         A bus is a vehicle that runs twice as fast when you are after it as when you are in it.

    ·         If you are supposed to learn from your mistakes, why do some people have more than one child?

    ·         Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the 

              paint is wet?

    ·         Why do Americans choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America ?

    ·         A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

    ·         The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!

    ·         Always borrow money from a pessimist.  He won't expect it back.

    ·         A diplomat is someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you will look forward to the trip.

    ·         Hospitality:  making your guests feel like they're at home, even if you wish they were.

    ·         Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.

    ·         I discovered I scream the same way whether I'm about to be devoured by a great white shark or if a 

              piece of seaweed touches my foot.

In The Kitchen With Wee One

Grandma's and granddaughters in the kitchen ~ is there anything better to hand down in a family but home made love from the kitchen?  I loved being with my Granny, and I love when my girls want to help!

While mom and dad are vacationing in Europe, we are with the children.  The two older children actually went off to camp this week, so Wee One and I have had a blast 'just hanging out' and having a great old time!

You all know one of my favorite things to do is creating in the kitchen, and I've shown you bits and pieces of our garden.  One of the kids, big and little kids, favorites is Grandma's special recipe of Zucchini Bread.  Here's the first bread sized zucchini from our garden!

This guy came in at 4 pounds 9.75 ounces!  And it made a total of 6 loaves of bread, 12 cups total of shredded zucchini!  And, this little gal helped with the entire process ~

Cleaning this guy up ~

Shredding ~

Stirring ~

Measuring the dry ingredients (yea, we got a little goofy!)

OK - we added the zucchini and dry ingredients - then got serious - "hey, Grandma, doesn't this look like zucchini puke?"  Yea, maybe we got a little goofier!

We stirred, stirred, stirred, never even complained once, not even spilling a drop on the floor, t-shirt, a girl after my own heart!

Then she looked at me very serious and said, "remember what the special ingredient is?"  'Yes, I do ~ do you?'  "Yep, stir in my love with my finger!"

I've always told the kids is my secret ingredient is love, by sticking my finger in and giving the recipe a good stir!   


6 yummy loaves of bread, with lots of love in them, and a great time in the kitchen!  Being a grandma is one of the most precious things God blessed me with ~ 5 wonderful grandchildren!

Blessings to all,
Donna

What A Difference A Few Days Make!!

Boy, we all prayed for some sunny, warm weather for so long, and then it happened!  A heat wave that started in the Eastern States and spread all the way to the Pacific Ocean.  For those of us with gardens, we are really happy because it makes everything grow so well.  At least certain plants, tomatoes, peppers, squash of every variety and so on.

Here are our winter squash, peas and beans in June a few weeks after we planted them.  We were so happy they had grown so well in just a couple of weeks, but unlike the middle of the country to the Atlantic Seaboard, we were only seeing occasional 'hot' days and remained in the 70's and 80's for the most part.

We planted 3 Butternut and 2 Spaghetti Squash plants, and in between the beans and peas. Yes, everyone has asked the same question - "Why so many plants?"  Well, because one year one plant gave us so much we had to give them to everyone we knew and the following two years, well one of them?  Not a squash to be found.  They would shrivel up and die before they could grow!  The following year, could not buy a Spaghetti Squash plant anywhere because the weather was cold too late in the season, and the Butternut Squash was barely enough to get through the winter, eating one squash every two weeks or so.

This year however, we will be giving them away once again!  We have literally hundreds of squash, both Spaghetti, already the size of footballs, and Butternut, which are growing a bit slower, thank goodness.  What we are afraid of now is the Spaghetti squash splitting before it has a chance to dry on the vine.  So if anyone out there knows how to hasten the process, please email me!

Here are the plants now, and this is after several trimmings.  We keep trimming it every time it grows in to the lawn, or out under the fence!  What a difference 4 weeks and 20 to 30 degrees hotter makes!  We go out and push the plants towards the middle away from the lawn at night, and every morning it's crept back out.  Like it's got little legs!  But, we'll have plenty of winter squash this year, basically all winter long!

Tomorrow I'll show you one of our Zucchinis - we're really excited about growing some of our own veggies!  When we lived in the Monterey/Salinas area, there wasn't enough heat or sun to grow much of anything but herbs.  So we are still learning!

Is anyone else growing a garden this year?  What did you plant, and how is it doing?  We'd really like to know, "How does your garden grow?"  You knew that was coming, right!?

Blessings,
Donna

A Journal To Cheer A Friend

I so enjoy crafting and making cards!  One of my DAR Sisters fell and fractured her ankle and was hospitalized a few days, now spending time in a Rehabilitation Facility to help her get back on her feet a bit faster.  I made this pretty little Journal for her.

I thought a journal would be nice for her to be able to write daily notes, keep track of visitors, cards and flowers or gifts!

These flowers are again from Wild Orchards and are two toned with a deep rich burgundy while the rose goes from dark to light pink

Thought it was pretty, but needed a kick of color - when I used the burgundy velvet it was too little, when I used the big pink it looked too plain BUT together Wallah!

Threw in some pearl sprays, a bit of gathered lace along the edge of the journal a row of pearls on top!  So pretty!

Hard to see here, but I also added a nice long piece of ribbon as a book mark or place mark.  I glued it in by bending both front and back covers together poured a bit of glue down the books middle behind the binding.





I wish you all cooler days, breezy nights!


Blessings,
Donna 

New Birthday Card For Our Dear Friend!

This card started out as a 12x12" piece of K & Company card stock.  I cut 3" on the top off, folded it in half, then covered the bird with Glossy Accents.  It already came glittered and had a bit of resist on the bird and the floral design, but wanted more on the bird.

Next I took Wild Honey Distress Ink (Tim Holtz) and inked up the entire front of the card and love the way the ink resisted the bird and design!

I had to use some of my new Magnolia flowers I just received from Wild Orchard Flowers!  They are really beautiful! Glued a leaf around each one, made a little birdie nest with two baby birds looking for Mama (and dinner) matched a piece of Bazzill card stock that matched perfectly to the ink (I always ink up the sides all around my cards, too.)   

I used embroidery thread to thread a tag I had a friend make for me and cut on top and bottom of the beak so it looks as if the bird is actually holding it in her beak!  Always need a bit of ribbon, but on the neutral side.  Lined the card with another piece of card stock to insert our personal Happy Birthday message for a dear friend!

Even Mama bird knows we need to teach our young ones, "Life Is Sweet!"  Happy Birthday, Jan, for making our lives a bit sweeter, just by knowing you!

Tomorrow I'd love to show you a card I'm finishing up for our doctor.  I also have something special I'm working on for a DAR Sister who injured herself, broke her ankle and now in a rehab facility - Ouch!

Hugs,
Donna