Homegrown Hospitality

The DayThat Got Away...

that would be today..

it is 4:54pm, Wednesday evening...I have to be to the school in about 19 minutes to help with set up for Back to School Night but I thought I would give you a quick once over of my day...

Woke up at 4:04 to check and see if a Tsunami was going to wash over us..nope but I had my snorkel ready just in case.

Got my coffee (and Hazelnut Non- Dairy Creamer) and headed out to ye' old Shead-Teau to do some early morning clean up...ugghhh..but the good news is the trash is empty as well as two additional plastic trash bags full of scraps....and the counter is ready for attack.

I got the kids up and off to school and then decided that I should start something new...like I should??? no, but I did...and now, my new done nails look like someone "distressed" and "Inked" them..Timwould be proud..BUT, ugghhh...my fingers hurt like nobody's business because I made 21 paper flowers in halloween colors while watching Regis & Kelly & the View AND doing lunges and deep knee bends (it was my own way of getting in a little cardio because I did not have time to run this morning).

Then I decided that I should UNLOAD my car from Las Vegas...and came across my most favorite project EVER *(I will show you, hang on) then I vacuumed the soccer fields OUT of my car (not that they are not going to be back in my car by the end of Sunday)

and then I looked at my most favorite project ever...over and over and over...

Here is the thing..it is made from 100% scraps and the 7" x 13" Chipboard Book...all from the Teresa Collins Lines...you name it, it is probably in there and it is in no order.  stuffed with all  of the photos I LOVE LOVE LOVE (and there are alot!).  Now, if you know me, than you know I LOVE the concept of "Granimals".  No matter what cha' got, it will go together...and even if it did not necessarily "go", it did..and I LOVE it.

Do I want to teach a class on this project..absolutely...will I?? Not sure..It would be an 8 hour class...at least..with LOTS of Diet Coke, water, Chips & Salsa...and I am sure salty and sweet snacks...anyways..here it is, in all of it's stuffed glory ( I need to get the BIGGEST WIRE, the wire on there now is too small and it is busting out of the seams)

Okay, I am totally going to dork out on you right now..but seriously, I would teach an 8 hour class if I knew that everyone would have that giddy LOVE IT feeling from this

book....

okay..I REALLY have to go....I hope that you are having a fabulous week..I have LOTS more to share this week, just gotta get to it...

for now..tell me, what does Blue & White Gingham & Red Glitter remind you of????? I have a few extra goodies that I brought home from IU and would LOVE to share...

so tell me...

PEI...

Yesterday I had Post Event Ick. 

"PEI"  is a real thing for me...happens every time I do, plan or teach anything big, plan a wedding, work CHA, have a baby, etc..you get the picture....

it always happens...comes on like a tsunami and mine hit on Sunday morning before the sun even rose on my way home from Las Vegas...I was near Baker California, home of the worlds largest Thermometer. 

I actually had to pull over and sleep.  Yes, it was that bad, but 45 minutes of sleeping in the parking lot of a roadside gas station next to the world's largest thermometer helped so much, that I woke up and made it all the way home...straight to the couch...pretty much until today.  It is like having the sleep flu, jet lag AND if it is even possible, throwing in a hangover without one drop of alcohol...

That was me...needless to say, I will not be driving alone next year...Valentine has already committed to coming with me....wait...

did I say next year???????

yes, I am one of the TEACHERS for next years Inspiration Unlimited....gasp..with Teresa, Janna and Elizabeth Kartchner....and the key note speaker is Melody Ross, hello!  more details to follow soon...

anyways...I did manage to pry myself off of the couch to get my suitcase emptied and put away, got to Trader Joes to get a little food in this "Mother Hubbards" cupboards, and the sheets off the bed and into the wash..but that was it!

oh, and I got my nails done but even though my eyes were open..I was a zombie and probably asleep.

Today, I am fine!  Like a leprechaun clicking his little heals and over the rainbow, fueled with creative energy, happy happy giddy giddy fun fun emotions from the Inspiration Unlimited event this past weekend...and ready to share as much as I can because you know...

"What happens in Vegas..stays in Vegas"...

Personally I do not like that saying.  It is like someone gave you a free pass to be bad...and oh no, we were not bad...on the contrary....good, fun,  creative, crazy times had by all!!!!

anyways...

in a nut shell...here is a look at IU 2009 (click on the IU2009 hyperlink under the screen)

"IU2009Show"

Create a free slideshow with Picnik!

Now I am off to pick up the boys, get them to school, paint a few signs for the PTA (no, not the Piggy Tales Academy!) then over to bible study and then out to the shead-teau where the poor little thing needs some TLC!

Have a fabulous day..glad to be home!

a few things before I go...

It is 4:29am & I am sitting here with my coffee...waiting for the timer to go off so that I can wash the color OUT of my hair...car is loaded, cookies are baked...I am ready to go. 

I am glad that I have KFI (talk radio) that will get me almost all the way to Las Vegas.  I definitely think I need to cut back on watching the news though.  I have faith & trust in God that he is my co-pilot, but man there are some wacko people out there in our world and I just do not want to stop at a gas station in Tim-Buck-Two, be seen alone with a trillion chocolate chip cookies, tons of brand new colored markers and HUGE pink tissue paper flowers and catch the attention of some hungry, paper loving Hobo (that is what we call strangers) that suddenly feels the urge to doodle....

I will be fine. 

I am just going to ask that you keep me in your prayers for a safe, "stay within the speed limit" drive there and back.  If you would do that, it would be great!

The timer to wash the color out is going to beep, so I must go...here is a doodle for you.  I did it a while back and am not sure if I ever shared it....I like it!

See you Sunday..or, if you are headed to Inspiration Unlimited, see you tonight!

This is gonna be a LONG one...

 This weeks lesson, teaching & message on "Life's Healing Choices" revolves around HOPE mixed in with last weeks message on CHOICE...and most importantly, POWER. 

THREE big powerful words that more important then we often realize.

First...WE have a CHOICE...the thing is, do we choose to do what WE want OR do we hand it all over and CHOOSE to earnestly live by what GOD created US to do....

we can not do BOTH

and WE, at least I, sometimes forget & try to.

It is one or the other and it is really hard but should we do what we are supposed to, well then LIFE WILL BE RADICALLY DIFFERENT..and doesn't that sound amazing???

I want a RADICALLY DIFFERENT LIFE...not that I am unhappy with what I have because I LOVE my LIFE, but the possibly of it being even better is GOOD NEWS!!!!

BUT ( and this is the only good time to have a big BUT)  it takes work and LOTS of POWER that can ONLY come from GOD.  WE cannot do it on our own, so as soon as WE are able to admit that we are powerless (regardless on how many vitamins we take, how far we run, or how often we eat right) we MUST believe that GOD is our POWER source and we MUST walk that walk NO MATTER WHAT..

and then...we are going to feel the POWER SURGE that will fuel our journey.  Sounds good, huh? I am in...are you?

Now, moving onto my creative life, I am on my way to Henderson, NV very EARLY tomorrow morning to meet up with Teresa & crew for Inspiration Unlimited.  I am so so looking forward to just sitting and listing to Teresa & Janna ( I LOVE accents!!!!W.I.W.T) and we are going to have lots of giggles, talks, projects and more giggles...BUT before I can get to that point, I still have LOTS of stuff to do, including FINDING my dum FLIP camera! The crazyness I have to do in the next 12 + hours is all me. Follow along...this all ties into doing what we should do, doing what we want and choice....

 

 If you don't already know this about me..I create my own CHAOS because I think I seem to work better at the last minute, I think. It is all part of being Simply Complicated...you see, as I am feverishly creating some last minute projects for the Thursday night "Trunk Show" .

I could CHOOSE to STOP & empty the trash can when it gets to the top but why when I can just keep stacking and stacking and stacking until it all slides off onto my feet. All I have to do is just stand on top of it all and keep working..and keep stacking...and as you will see, when there is no place left for the piles to slide to...the scraps end up other places..

Who needs Hazelnut Non- Dairy Creamer when you can have Teresa's Friendship Paper line...(no trans fat, for sure!)

 and just so you know...because of the wonders of computers and my Simply Complicated "Create my Own Chaos"nature, at the same time I was typing this, I got two kids up and off to school, and baked a double batch of Choc. Chip cookies ( I can not show up to I.U without them, duh!)...the laundry is going, Valentine (who is NOT working today) is counting out 150 worksheets for Friday's Class...and  I am getting ready to go for a run..when the last batch comes out of the oven. (I am getting to the point again that IF I don not run..my day (& my mental health) does not go as smoothly..and besides that, when I run, I have THE BEST conversations with GOD, truly...)

 

and you know why????????

because HE is my POWER, and even though I do too many things at once...I can..because my Power source is totally charged and that is why I can do this:

 

THANK you LORD!...have a fabulously creative and chaotic day...

It Is Good To Be Poor!?!

Who knew it would be so good to be poor....and if you are going to be poor, you might as well have some cookies with your 1/2 full glass of milk (or ice water!)

This morning is bible study and I am doing my Bake & Take today.  I packed up a few cookies in a little brown bag, printed out a doodle with this weeks verse, mounted it on some REALLY CUTE pink gingham paper, tied it on the bag and wha-la!

I thought that maybe you might want to do the same...so here is a PDF file of  the doodle...

     

Enjoy today!

a new week..a new day...

Today over at Homegrown & Handmade 2009 "Not quite an E-zine, sorta like an On-line class" I am starting to teach a little basic Needle Felting 101...

Are you signed up??? If so, check your in-box.  You should have a little blah blah blah from me and the instructions are up and all ready for you...

If you are not signed up that is okay, but you should know that this is a "work-at-your-own-pace-in-your-own-place" kinda thing and it inly started last week..and it runs until Christmas..so there is PLENTY of time! All you have to do is look up at the right hand sidebar...

Happy Monday!

Saturday Morning Post...with a PSA at the end.

Right now I am fine.

About 30 minutes ago, I did not know whether or not to throw my camera out the window before I threw the computer out the window or just throw the camera at the computer and kill two birds with one stone ( I hate that saying!)

but now I am fine. 

I am going to gently read my camera manual to see why my camera is acting like a teenager.  It seems to do what it wants..when it wants....whenever it wants and does not want to do what it is supposed to do.

But now I am fine.

I should be getting showered and ready for the first of two soccer games.

But I am not.

I wanted to entertain you with a little of what is going on around here

RIGHT NOW.

I actually made two layouts this week, from the first day of school, just could not show you because my camera did not feel like it...until now.

     

also...the "House of Couch" has moved into the "Garag-mah-hall" and we have a new little couch in the living room (and a freshly groomed dog I must add!)

  

The gara-mah-hall is also getting a new "station" for our computer set up so that I can sit in there instead of in Ben's room at 4am

  

Personally, if you want to know what I think, I think that there is so much room in the gara-mah-hall to sit, set up tables, use the computer (oh and do laundry) that it sure would be fun to have a workshop once a month...ya know..just a thought...

also, Jack is turning 14 this next weekend, but I will be at Inspiration Unlimited with Teresa & friends...so after our 7pm soccer game tonight, we are headed to the K1 Go Kart Track.  If anyone knows me, 8pm and beyond is not my prime time, so it looks like I will be napping at some point today..

okay..and now my public service announcement.

First, yesterday on the view, Kathy Griffin was on. Okay, YES..she is brash, crude, sassy, etc...but she is also human and talked about all of her plastic surgeries as well as the botched LIPO she had done.  She showed AWFUL photos of what it looked like after...as a warning to people NOT to do it..

welp, I have a photo, not of lipo silly!...I have been tossing it around for 10 days now on to show you, not show you, but after watching that show yesterday and being totally grossed out, I feel my photo is one of those things I feel is "Something YOU already now...YOU just forgot to remember and need to be Reminded" type of lessons. 

Please do not misunderstand me, this is not a botched procedure...nothing like that...but a reminder to you to

WEAR SUNSCREEN.....

you might remember that two weeks ago I had a few "odd and suspsicious" spots removed....and that I have not mentioned anything about it since then..When the Dr. called me from home...I knew that was NOT a good sign. 

GOD is using me as a creative crash test dummie to remind ME & YOU to

WEAR SUNSCREEN

here is the photo..

stitches come out of this one on Tuesday..and then we move onto the next.

just remember to WEAR SUNSCREEN, duh!

okay..I need to get ready to get to the field.  I hope to have some photos of soccer and Go Carts for your viewing pleasure tomorrow!

 

 

 

Wanna see something pretty cute....EDIT #1

If I don't say so myself....

yo should go here and see how words like

or maybe would look

really cute printed on paper that looks like

   or maybe or maybe even

and just imagine HOW CUTE something like this

  would look with anything..

because I the color KRAFT, duh.....

now, I could spend the day showing you everything in our new digi collection

 but I would never spend that much time on digital...not that I do not accept and embrace my friends that are immersed in the digital age...but you know me...LONG LIVE PAPER...why you can go over and take a look at everything new...I will show you this that my DIGITAL partner in crime made from PAPER....YEah Steph!!!!!!!!

 

Now, I have more stuff to show & tell, but my mom duty hat is on, gotta get one more kid up, one to school, dog to the vet and a drop off at the post office...so I will either be back later..or tomorrow....

p.s. if you are going to bake..let me know...I wanna share....Let's create the Great American Bake & Give..wait, how about a world wide Bake & Give..

reminds me of a doodle...

 

I think for 2009, I may have to re-doodle this to read "Bake (or give)  a little bit of goodness wherever you are, it is those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world"

Let's overwhelm the world!

HOLD ON JUST A MINUTE.........

after I finished the post this morning, I went back to read the comments left from yesterdays post ..and here is a confirmation to me, that I am working my purpose...to simply remind people of things they already know to do..just in a creative way...

THANK YOU "Nana D" for the amazing comment...

"Well, I baked those chocolate chip cookies. (your recipe)
It was amazing to change a person's day with a bag of cookies. I decorated little brown paper paper with rubber stamps and markers. I loaded up the bags with cookies and started delivering. I went to 3 homes. One of my neighbors had been crying before I got to her door. The other gal said it HAD been the worse day and she needed to talk. So she made coffee and I listened and when I left she said bringing those cookies to her and just visiting meant so much. Soooo...thank you for giving me the idea of blessing others yesterday because....I am the one that ended up being blessed."

okay..We have SOUTH AFRICA Baking(WIWT!)....CANADA...Wisconsin....just a thought...are we messing with Global warming...ABSOLUTELY!!!! we have ovens warming up all over the world!

Just Bake & See!

Like I always say..."Focus, Breathe, Pray"...well, and do laundry....

oh, and drop off, pick-up, sign this, pay for that, make dinner, take the dog to the vet, clean the windows, change the sheets, switch off the lights, sweep the floor, fold the towels.."did you do your homework" "did you finish your homework" "do you have any more homework", get in the shower...okay, get out of the shower, wipe the floor, get on your jammies, get on your clothes.....and on and on and on...

PLEASE DO NOT GET ME WRONG...I am NOT complain what so ever, on the contrary, I love my little life, the craziness of my days and the exhaustion of my nights...but does it sound familiar?  Just re-reading it make me exhausted...I wonder what it does to the ones that I am saying these things to...

I am sure they are exhausted as well...so,

I have come up with a little project/plan...I am going to create little checklists personalized for each of my boys with a place for them to check off and be held accountable for what they should do and what they need to do...that way they do not have to hear my "did you do this" voice..and either do I!

whew!

Now, in the midst of this, that and the other...

One must make time to bake. ( you are probably thinking "Where did that come from???") I know that many do not bake, they buy, but TODAY, or sometime in the next few days, I challenge you to BAKE and GIVE (okay, save some for your own family) but do this...

BAKE & GIVE. 

I guarantee, it will change the mood & mode, possibly even the entire day for someone,  just because YOU did a little something out of the ordinary for someone (trust me, I have seen it happen and I have felt it personally!) 

The someone that receives your little sweet treat may be so touched, they may be inspired to "pass it on" so lets all try it..see what happens...                                                                                                                                                        

Let's set a wave of baked happiness around the world...oh, and if you need a recipe, I know a really good one, so just send me an email...

oh, and if you are going to "Just Bake", I would LOVE to know about it...I want to share with everyone here on the blog how a little bake goodness can go along way..possibly all the way around the world!

Go out and "Bake It A Great Day!"

UPDATE...

Becky in Florida is going to bake...

Susan in Ohio is going to bake...

Deborah in Wisconsin is going to bake...

Judy in Florida will be baking a Chocolate Pumpkin Cake..I emailed her for the recipe!

Deena, Julie,Michelle, Me & Michelle are California is going to bake...

Jan is going to bake (I am waiting to hear where she is from..)

Kristi G is baking in Texas...

Life's Healing Choices - Week 1

This past Sunday was our first week of the new series at church called "Life's Healing Choices".  My mom and I absorbed the words Rick spoke & taught, Valentine and I met with our couples Small Group Sunday night to work on it together and Tuesday morning I met with 499 other women READY to make a change..to make the choice and to work on ourselves. 

As you may or may not know, the opening line of Purpose Driven Life is "It is not about you"..but now, this study is exactly that..ABOUT ME, and you. 

As you know, I have committed to hosting my own study, right here on this blog.  I was able to send out a handful of the book, "Life's Healing Choices" by John Baker as well as issues of the Purpose Driven Connection Magazines for those to follow along with.  It REALLY pulls on my heartstrings that I was not able to send books out to all that sent me emails! I will do my best to share with you each weeks lesson, notes, thoughts and verses.

You can pick up the Purpose Driven Connection magazine at Wal-Mart (I saw them at the register at our local Wal-Mart).  The issue has a workbook inside the magazine as well as a DVD with the lessons lead by our pastor, Rick Warren.  I suggest that if you are going to follow along with the next 8 -10 weeks of my lessons, that you grab the book and magazine.

 To read my follow up to this weeks firstlesson, please refer to the left hand side bar under "Life's Healing Choices".

see you tomorrow with something creative!