Big Wishes

I won a set of Unity stamps from Maren Benedict's blog (http://zanynotcrazy.blogspot.com) a few weeks ago and thought I would make a quick birthday card with one of the sweet sentiments from the set It's Your Day. The photo doesn't pick up the distressing very well, as the card is a bit darker and grungier in real life. Thanks again, Maren!

Behold the Power of Cheese

Here's another page from the family recipe scrapbook I made for the girls several years ago. Laura's favorite dish was mac and cheese. But it had to be KRAFT mac n cheese. It's about the only thing I could get her to cook when she was growing up. Even now she says she only has a kitchen because it came with the house. It's not that she can't cook, it's just that she chooses NOT to cook. Her son, Jonas, is following in her footsteps as his favorite dish is also mac n cheese!

What a Charmer!

Would you just LOOK at this face??!! I'm the luckiest grandmother EVER! My grandson, Jonas, turned 2 in May and is our source for laughter and entertainment. He loves EVERYTHING and ANYTHING with wheels!! My daughter is bringing him over tonight for our weekly "dinner at mom's". Jeremy is taking classes and doing homework at night so this gives him some "quiet" study time and gives us some "FUN" time with my daughter and grandson.

Christmas in July

I've seen so many blogs this month hosting Christmas in July creativity, so I thought I would share a holiday card using one of my FAVORITE Santa stamps. I did resist embossing in the background with a snowflake stamp, then added some additional snowflakes using white craft paint. I also added embossing powder to the image, though it's hard to tell in this photo. Simple but I love the results.

I had dinner with a very dear high school friend this evening. Pam and I have known each other since Jr. High and it's always so much fun getting together for some fun conversation. She has promised to giving "blogging" a try and I am looking forward to seeing her blog up and running real soon.

Kids Having Fun!

Here's a recent pic of my grandson, Jonas, and my niece, Danelle, having some comfy reading time on top of our toy chest. Jonas got the biggest kick out of getting his blanket out and having his cousin read to him.

Happy Birthday, Son!!!!

Today is my first born's birthday! I remember vividly when he was just a few weeks old, I was rocking him after a 2 a.m. feeding and wondering what kind of man he would grow up to be. The man he became just makes me so proud! I love you, son! Have a great birthday!

Happy Birthday Renee!

This is a pic of one of my best friends, Renee. She and I met MANY years ago when I was living in Tucson, Arizona. Her sister and my sister were best friends and that's how we met. We hit it off IMMEDIATELY and it's been a great sisterhood ever since. She makes me laugh, she makes me think, she makes me look at and appreciate the world around me. She is a force of nature to be reckoned with and brightens up any room just by walking in. She's one of those people that EVERYONE wishes was their best friend. Thanks for being mine, sweetie! Happy Birthday!

Bittersweet Memories

I was responding to a post for vintage photos (http://www.heartwarmingvintage.blogspot.com/) and couldn't help but stop and reminisce for a while looking at this family photo in my archives. This picture was taken on my aunt's front porch back when big rambling wrap around porches were so popular. The young boy in the bucket is my brother, John, when he was about 2-1/2 years old. We lost my brother John years later when he was only 20 years old to cancer. So to see this photo just brought back a plethra of emotions of both smiles and sadness.

Key Lime Poke Cake - Oh My GOODNESS!!

There is NOTHING I've had lately that is as good as this luscious cake. Just enough tart and sweet and it literally melts in your mouth. I found this recipe and shared it with my friend, Joyce, who brought it to potluck party last night. All I can say is WOW !!

Just go to bettycrocker.com website and search for Key Lime Poke Cake. You won't be disappointed. GREAT summer dessert! ENJOY!!

Cleaning Day

Okay, this is what our bedroom looked like before four years of cat fur and clutter overtook it. Today I'm doing some MUCH needed spring cleaning. Although it'll probably take me a week if I'm going to do it right. So far I've cleaned ONE window/blinds/curtains. I've cleaned the floor on my side of the bed and had to empty the canister already. I've got the linens in the wash and am thinking about tossing the pillows you see here on the bed. If I actually knew how to sew I would make new slip covers, but since that would take more time and energy and knowledge than I possess, I'l going to opt to watch for a sale at JCPenneys and get something new. I'm taking a quick break to make this post then I'm heading back into the vortex and start on my chest of drawers and going to TOSS a lot of stuff. Maybe I'll have two empty drawers by the time I'm done. I've also got two bags of clothing ready for goodwill from the closet. WOOHOO ... somebody stop me!

Card Creations

I love stamping on old book paper for a shabby chic look and it's a great way to use up scraps of paper.

Using a scrap stamped image that wasn't perfect, I added several layers of UTEE and then "cracked" the image for a distressed look, and then used some scrap papers I had. I was actually very happy with the end result.

Again, using some scraps and I came up with this card creation.

My brother and I used to play hangman during church services in order to keep quiet, so I thought I would make a card with the hangman game theme.

I was playing with my Ranger distress inks to make a colorful "sun" in the background and then just added a tree image and sentiment.

Here's a card I made over the weekend using scraps. It's hard to tell from the photo, but I added several layers of UTEE to the heart to give it a high gloss look.

That's it for my FIRST "public" display of my card art. Let me know what you think!

Stormy Weather in the Heartland

We had quite the storm system tear through town last night. It got pitch black around 7:30 and then winds in excess of 70 mph downed trees and power lines as a line of storms roared across the city. I stood watching the shelf cloud approach and it went from calm to crazy in 5.8 minutes! Me and our three cats ran to the basement seeking shelter while hubby watched the storm from the front porch blow through the neighborhood. Surprisingly, our subdivision didn't lose power, but there were lots of neighborhoods that did. We got over an inch of rain within the first hour of the storm system before it finally tappered off. You just gotta love Nebraska weather - kind of like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates - you just never know what you're going to get.

Bathing Beauties

The photo on this page is that of my Grandma Ellie and my mom, Pearl, taken back around 1950. The recipe is one my grandma would always bring to our family picnics, which we had several of every summer. My grandma came over from Denmark by herself when she was just a young girl and had lost her parents. My sister, Gloria, has been able to find both a photo of the boat she came over on as well as the manifest she signed at Ellis Island. Simply amazes me how someone so young could make such a trip. I sure do miss her, but have fond memories of her teaching me how to crochet AND how to play poker.

Sisters ... Sisters

Here's a page from that same family cookbook. This photo is my sister, Gloria, and her daughter, Trisha. Gloria makes this tater tot casserole often ... as in, A LOT. But it is crowd pleasing and easy to make AND a family favorite. Note: Trisha recently gave birth to her first daughter, Avlyn Pearl! (congrats Trish and hubby Craig!)

License to Steal My Heart

Doesn't this pic just make you want to smile out loud? Although I probably wouldn't advise driving with your eyes shut! But we'll work on that. This is my grandson, Jonas. He got this nifty little mini cooper for his 2nd birthday in May. His face shows his uninhibited GLEE during his very first driving experience.

Tuna Casserole

Who doesn't remember how popular tuna noodle casserole was in the 1950's! I don't think it has ever lost its popularity as I remember making it for my inlaws just shortly after my first marriage in 1972. I remember thinking I should double the recipe so there would be enough ... but the only thing I doubled was the amount of noodles. The dish turned out so dry you in was like sawdust in your throat, but no one said a thing. I do remember being so embarrassed and was thinking that my mother-in-law probably thought her poor son would starve to death with a wife who couldn't make a simple casserole.