Homegrown Hospitality

Happy Birthday

Today is my valentine and his bro's birthday (yes, twins) and because of a dear friend...I have enough candles for the cake and secretly super excited about the "trick wicks"

I will be baking a "Red Velvet" cake later this morning, after bible study but before it reaches the forcasted 90 degrees....but I will not be eating any cake...and not just because of Gluten...but rather because I put on some pants that I wore last summer..and the damn things do not fit! (insert big long pouty sigh)

Happy Birthday Babe...i love you..

 
Thanks for being an amazing husband, an awesome super step-dad, a loving uncle, a really good garden grower, weed wacker,pumpkin carver, zutter puncher, sorta good cotton candy spinner, ridiculous Ace Ventura pet lover, soccer game sitter, turkey carver, christmas light hanger, semi-good bed maker, really good toast crumb maker, shead-teau builder, obsessive car washer, kinda funny snorkeler, wanna-be fisher, pretend kayak-er, Maui lover, unbelievelable neighbor, heavy equipment operator...

okay, I will stop...

and Happy birthday Bro2..love you too!!!

 

Finding Happiness...

 
Personally, if you threw me a snuggie and put in a movie..I'd call that a date. 

That is how simple I am.

I find happiness is the most normal, almost ridiculous things...like the 10 buck salad I made for myself last night...and took pictures of..

 
hey, if I did not take a picture..how would you know how to make it?

lettuce, duh...Mango Papaya Salsa from Trader Joes...AMAZING!...Avocado (earth's butter)...white corn (I used defrosted frozen and will till we have a crop in the backyard!)...Fresh Cilantro and Onion (chopped)

That is it.

No, I do not use dressing...Just toss these ingredients and add a little salt & pepper....so happy! {I was equally happy with the color palette..}

Now, I do not find happiness in cleaning the bathrooms. 

I live with boys. 

Enough said..but I do find happiness when I am cleaning the bathroom and find this on the messy soap dispenser:

 
and I feel happiness when I hear the UPS truck slow down in front of my home sweet home and deliver a box of paper...eek!

 
and happiness is having friendships that were created between the lines of the internet!

today...go out, or stay in..and find happiness.  It is there. You may have to adjust your focus...but it is there.

I promise.

"Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you" Proverbs 4:25

 “We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”Frederick Keonig

 

Crash Test Dummy Example, Again.

I know that I am not the only one that does something that I know I should not do...but yet, keep doing it....So don't feel like you have to admit anything here, I will be the "Crash Test Dummy" for this one too...

"I do not understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't..."Romans 7:15

In my defense, I tan easily.

but, I have spent wayyyyyyyyyyy to many hours in the sun.

I am sure I have logged as many hours as a lifeguard, but good thing I wasn't one. A Lifeguard, that is.

Trust me..you do not want to see me swim. I can not stroke, breathe and kick at the same time...so it is a dang good thing I am not a Tri-Athlete either!

Told you I suck at sports.

anyways,

back to the tan thing, I have to be "checked" every three months because of this....and well, I am thinking that you know where this is going. 

uggh...Farewell old friend

 
Wear Sunscreen.

 

Thought for the day...

and speaking of Delight....look at what Spela from Slovenia created in "Doodle, Too!"

For me, THIS is delight.  Knowing that people are willing to take a chance with me to step away from their normal creative safe space to experiment and create! (insert heart singing)

Thank you Spelinea...and to ALL of you that are starting to create with "Doodle, Too"

A Closer Look

Here is a closer look at one of the projects that I show you how to create in the "Doodle, Too!" e-Course. 

 
and a great quote that I use on a few projects and one that we should all pay closer attention to, just sayin:

For more information on Doodle,Too, please click here.

Happy Sunday!

Seriously..Happy

thank you. THANK YOU..thank you

I am overwhelmed with your love for "Doodle, too!" and your courage for taking a step out of your safe creative zone, and the possibility that it may transform the way you create.

I am so happy that you are accepting the challenge to create art, with me!

 
I think that you are going to find a new passion...I did...and based on your LOVE for "Doodle, too" I am going to keep going forward with the ideas I have swirling in my brain for our next step...

Seriously, it makes me happy that you are happy.

This is me happy:

 
actually, this is me dorking out last weekend when we had "Date Night with the Neighbors" 18 of us "Big Kids" went to dinner & Bowling and I, (excuse my language)...SUCK at all sports. (my friends tried to tell me that bowling was not even a sport) WHATEVER....

I figured as long as I was just sucking at bowling, I might as well dork out at the same time...and guess what, as soon as I took my scarf off of my jacket and placed it around my forehead...

I bowled a strike.

X

anyways...I was a good sport but next time, we are making crafts, so be warned neighbors.

 

"Doodle, Too"

It is finally time...whew!

The wait is over...thank you for your patience!

The site is up and the class is officially available for purchase...

  
Here is what is included in the "Doodle, Too" Online Class:

• Password & Access to the protected "Doodle Too" website
• PDF files that total 27 pages of Inspiration
• The "Life is Good" Journal Class
• FIVE different Project Instruction Sheets
• FIVE different Technique Worksheets
• THREE pages of my favorite quotes, bible verses and inspiring words
• TWO pages of templates and patterns
• and the ability to stay at home, use your stash and create things just like this: 

whenever and wherever you are...

all for $35.00!

Coordinating "Life is Good Stamps" can be purchased through Purple Onion Designs here.

 
Here is the button..all you need to do is push it and go!

 

 

 

        

    

Today...

is Ben's birthday...12..TWELVE...12? one more year until I have two teenagers...yikes...Happy Birthday buddy...I LOVE love LoVe you...

 
That is Ben..Jumping for Joy on vacation...and speaking of Jumping for joy, I am too!

I am done.

7 trillion hours later....27 pages...over 5,000 words, 113 color photos, 6 Technique Worksheets, 5 Step by Step Projects Sheets, three pages of patterns three pages of my favorite quotes and words...and a little "blah BLAH blah" from me..

"Doodle, too!" is 99.9% done.

done...and now I am finishing up the website...eek!

Make sure that you are on the newsletter list....I plan on launching this lovely by the end of this week!!!! eek!

Thought for the day...

 

Stamp Happy

Thanks for all of your great comments and compliments regarding the upcoming release of new stamps...it has been awhile and I am excited to leak out that there are lots more where those are coming from...

In the meantime, all of the older (more mature) designs are still available through Purple Onion Designs.  Here is a look a few of my favorites and a link to all of them:

http://www.purpleoniondesigns.com/StephanieTafoyaAckerman.html

Happy Stamping!