life happens...

Life happens....even if your sleeping...

What time is it, you might ask well it's 2:27 am and a magic number I kinda think. Sleeping these days is tough, when your mind doesn't stop running. I think that I am spending alot of energy just chasing thoughts. As you know I read alot, online and in print. A few days ago I found this number from a friendly little blog.

It wasn't until today I learned how to make it work here. uggghhh... Then again it wasn't until today after watching for this about the 5th time I realized, today was the day, I was meant to learn how to embedd something into my blog page. It has been nearly one year I have been doing this blog, and only today I figured it out. If you knew me like some do, that's a surprise...so with that today is the day I am meant to play it here....

One thing she said was that it was greatness. I think that I'll agree with her. I'll laugh and I'll cry and I'll remember those I love....

(turn down that crazy Christmas music I got going and enjoy with me)

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If your up and stopping by, share it with "The" friends...you know you all have them..

This is dedicated to my dear friend who cried with me yesterday....

I promise to believe.....

christmas goodness...

it's three a.m.

Well it's 3:24 am, chilly and dark...

No one to talk to cause everyone is sleeping.
They are part of the real world.

The place where humans do sleep.

Sleep well, with a snore and a tuck under the covers.

They remain cozy and warm, until a crazy non sleeping mom awakes them.

They stretch and yawn and start their day out well.

What does a girl do at 3:24 am everyday, you ask.

Wish that I could sleep more

I tend to ponder life's happenings.

I grab the warmest thing I can find, which typically isn't mine to wear.

Mr. C's clothing is the most comfortable in the world.

I jot down to the studio and think of what to create next.

Some mornings I read alot!!

Or you might find me crocheting, some wild hair I've gotten lately.

(let's talk about that later)

This morning I am here with you and I am counting the number of times the furnace kicks on.

Which is way too $^%& many times.

But then in the frozen tundra at -13.8 what can you say.

3 am sounds, while the earth sleeps here in this corner of the world

It is dark a cold hard dark.

The only sounds I have are the snores of the Retriever, and the clicking of the Yorkie pacing.

3 am he drives me crazy click click click...he travels from one heat vent to the next.

3 am he presses himself up tight to absorb every drip of heat pushing from the vents.

He is unhappy with the choice to be out of bed to early.

3:24 is the time of choice.

Why? Got me.

Nothing happens not a thing, except my brain turns back on is wanting to go.

3 am I have great ideas, they are clear and well laid out plans.

Which of course is easily gone by 6 am.

I love my 3 am ideas.

Maybe I should draft an addition to the house.

Maybe I should draft a new landscape for the backyard.

Maybe I should start a new business.

Maybe I should take up wood working.

Maybe I should paint the entire house in shades of white.

Maybe I should rearrange the living room.

Maybe I should clean the studio, find the floor.

Maybe I should cut my hair. Short.

Maybe I should color my hair. Blonde.

Maybe I should get a new career.

Maybe I should be a dog groomer.

Maybe I should dig in the shed.

Maybe I should dig in the loft.

Maybe there's some goodies to sell.

Maybe I should create something.

Maybe I should cook.

Maybe I should think of better things to do a 3 am

Maybe I should sleep......

3:24 is anyone out there....

I am....

believe.....

I wanted to share one more photo of a "full" spot on the Charlie Brown tree. Or as one little boy calls it my "ugly tree". Oh now, have faith and believe, someday he'll see the beauty in it, he's only 3.

I love the tree it sits in all it's glory in the front room in a 2gal crock filled with sand and rocks from the shoreline. It is covered in one string of lights and my vintage ornaments gathered from all my favorite places. A couple of the ornaments came from a Great Aunt, in my case that's some old ornaments!!

My favorite thing about the tree, aside from the $4.99 price is how the top isn't even straight but it holds the topper up just fine.

"Charlie" ( as I love to call him) knows it is a beautiful tree and it is proud to have a place to call home. He has less than 2o branches and some of those don't count. One side is bare, which works out great it fits next to the window better that way.

When we were purchasing this lovely little tree ,the lady behind me humored me by stating "what a sweet LITTLE sparse tree" Did it really come from here? the place where only the wealthy trees stand. Yes, it does come from here and isn't it lovely. Our brief encounter ended with "My family always needs 2, 9 ft trees, we have very tall ceilings you see." As we move to pay she then breathes a moment of relief to see we also have a real tree... Boy I am so glad I didn't let her down, in her coat valued at more than I make in a week and her car worth more than my house. I hope she came to the conclusion that I don't live in a mud hut with very low ceilings.

In this world if it isn't big or comes with a price tag, you must talk of then it, must not measure up. I think same goes for everything these days. Whether it be the car you drive or the house you keep. If it isn't big, than what is it....just an ugly tree...

As a child we didn't have much and some years were better than others. I think that even if we had been wealthy, my brother and I probably wouldn't have known it. My family wasn't and still isn't about the "flash" of money. One year things were so tight I can remember we cut a random tree from our woods. It was a pine tree of some sort, not a fat evergreen tree. Certainly not a Christmas tree. Honestly, I am sure there may of been something still living in it, and at the time I can remember thinking it was the pits. Not to have a "real" tree. It was simple and plain.

A few years ago, when Belle was a baby I purchased an artificial tree. Which, I love and think is beautiful. But I bought that tree for only one reason.....that no matter what there would always be a tree... that's what I tell myself...I must admit, it is, in the attic this year. I have to ask myself when did I decide it was so important to have a certain kind of tree, one that rests in the attic in the box. I'm sure that the world thought I needed that tree.

Last year my Dad appeared on my door with a pitiful little tree, found in the woods sure to die in the winter. I lovingly decorated it, for the front stoop, stuck it in a crock. That was one of my favorite trees ever, 3 feet tall and full of attitude. All I could think of was the year of the pine tree. Isn't funny how life comes full circle. And how what we thought wasn't good enough is what we seek the most. Simple.

Simple.

Don't get me wrong, the bigger the better I some times say. I too will someday live a great big house. With very tiny ugly trees...

_L.

toooo long....

well, hello world ....it's been awhile...

as many of you have been reminding me it's been awhile and the mice

have begun to mold and frankly just ran away.

soooooo......today I say Hello....

We have been very busy here at the Studio getting ready for the Holidays and setting

out on a new adventure.

I have opened a small store on Esty and it is doing very well. I say thank you.

To all my shoppers I hope you will enjoy your notions and thank you to my family

for supporting me all the way. You'll have to check it out I'll try to get a link here ( that's another thing to learn, I say with a sigh...)

As the world knows we had our first blizzard in the Midwest and this morning it was-15 no including the wind chill. Last night all in the same hour the recoil, the oven and the furnace all stopped working. I am certain there is a black cloud called my life. We woke to a house that was 52 degrees in the kitchen and 58 degrees everywhere else.

Furnace man cometh and taketh my monies..... but I'll have to say he came today!! Thank you Thank you...He was lucky enough to earn a big bag of candies.

Above you'll find the pity tree...I found this little lovely in our favorite greenhouse. It lie on the ground tossed away for trash...No one to love it. No home to go..Until I came along, the guy looked at me like I was nuts pulling it out of the trash. What do you want for it?, I asked. He smiled and said $4...sold....

In ten minutes we had two trees and decorations to go....The guy shook his head and congratulated my hubby. That's the fastest tree purchase he'd ever seen..."Lucky man you are!"

it really is beautiful..i'll take better pictures next time...got to run...esty is calling....

L-

all the mice are in order....

Geeezzz...It is barely over and now we are on to more holidays...I need to get all my mice in order. Everything is going so fast and there is no time to get it done.

I wanted to share these adorable little tasty mice with everyone. Homemade chocolate covered cherries with a Hershey kiss for the head and almonds for the ears. How stinkn' adorable are these. As much as I'd love to claim that I made them I must confess..my mil made them, she always finds something to cute to eat. Love them.
Note you must love chocolate in order to eat them and not have a mouse fear. I have a little dislike for chocolate, but the mice guts are delicious!!!!
I think I'll be off to trap me a mouse....
L-

I told you so...

it's done. it's done. I started this Sunday and whallaaa it is Wednesday and I am done...

I hate having to wait for things to dry...a girl with no patience..I am....

I love how it turned out I hope you do to....I love my canvas...

Thank you for sharing...

Hey Mom, what do you think?

Creatively Me.....

L-

The flower is beautifully light blue, and the others are deeply lovely red...the canvas is water color and the flowers acrylic, with a ton of texture.....nothing is great without a little vintage button here or there.
bye

it's done it's done.....

Let's wait for the sun....I can't wait....it's done ! it's done!

Check back tomorrow, I can't wait to share the entire thing....yayayayyayyyy

L-

bars.....

Today is a special day for me & MrC. so I baked myself a little pan of pecan bars....he hates them...doesn't do the nut thing, well. Needless to say I baked them anyway, the idea was calling my name. I love the top and hate the crust...guess what I taste, got it---I eat only the top.

When you get to my age there's no time to waste on the stuff I just don't like, so I bake it on the bottom just so it will hold the top of the yummie goodness. Funny huh, old is more like, with no time to waste I tell you.

Today is a special day for me & MrC. Happy day, my hubby of so long...

I promise I wouldn't make him eat these.....

L.

got a wild hair....

Got a wild hair this weekend...

Like I needed more on my desk...

Everything else was so willing to move aside and wait quietly...

Then all the goodies began to dance on the canvas...

Everything is starting to pop off the canvas..This morning to flowers are beginning to dance in color. I am in love...I can't wait to share and finish this yummie little goodie. I'll keep you posted. Unless something else pops into my head in the night and this slides over awhile too.

This weekend we had a chance to attend a Girls and Science event, at our Science Museum.
It was pretty good, Belle had a fabulous time and couldn't get enough. The only thing she was sad to find or not find, was they didn't have enough biologists attending. Imagine that. Mainly she was looking to bend the ear of a marine biologist or zoologist. Next time someone from the zoo would be fabulous, we would be there special. However, this photo below is just a taste of her great day. She would have spent all the time in the world with the surgeons, registered nurses and cardiologists from St. Jude, the women were inspirational.

If you get a chance to explore a heart even a pig heart do it. She was so very intrigued. If your local Science Museum sponsors a special day like this don't miss it. Be sure to support your Museum today these are the things that matter most. A simple day...time well spent....

One note Mom loved the color of the gloves...enough said on, why I am not the doctor in the house to easily distracted, " Oh look, purple gloves" Even worse I'd be " ohhhh, something shiny"

We had a chance to meet botanists, geologists, entomologists, meteorologists, physicists, molecular biologists, ologists, ologists, ologists.....( you get the picture etc, etc, etc...) I decided ahead of time if anyone should ask (which they did not :(....) I would be a momologist!!! scrapologist, creatologist, or a junkologist) I was hoping to come up with something.......instead I spent the day in awe....Thank goodness for all the "ologists" in the world....we need more of them.

Create Joy Today....L-

mayberry's fall showers........

Welcome to mayberry....today you'll have a few showers..nothing fancy, just rain. That's what he said, who you ask, my weather boy I tell you. Just rain, I think my weather boy should be granted an office with a window, then he could take a good long look outside even at lunch. Cause that's when he repeated himself again...just rain....what? I am thinking it's a no raise review this month, and that will haunt him..poor thing..maybe he should think sales...cause somebody's buying this....

Just rain huh, I think that the snowman decided differently....that's right people

"It's raining, it's snowing, this old girl ain't snoring"

A much as I love the seasons change in the neighborhood, I'd pay big money for FFFFlorida right about now.

I want to be singing Christmas tunes and decorate the halls with bells and holly...HOHOHOHOHO

Have a super creative weekend. Get out the glitter and make the season sparkle..

Live from Mayberry Let it snow Let it snow Let it snow.....

L-

feeeeevaaaaaaaaaa

imaginative.....i gots me some bad spring fevaaaaaaaaaa...every time i say the elvis is singing it to me.
what better way to use some of those s&h stamps from the grocery store when we were kids right? this little goodie is created with some delicious fabrics and paint of course! then well my little old sewing machine got carried away and didn't want to leave the paper. but isn't it just yummie.

l.

spring fever.....

the weather is uckie and the leaves are fallin' all around. I have spring fever.....I am sure of it...

Today we left the house with a wind chill, a wind chill in October...I mean please....

Therefore I have decided that the spring fever theory is the one I going with today.

Looking forward to blooms and buds on the trees. I can't wait for the sunrise to happen before I rise not two hours after...ughhhhh.

So the layout I am going with is spring fever. What I love about this layout is the texture and the out of focus photos. I may have thought at first that the photos weren't worth keeping, but the more I embraced them the more I realized they were perfect. They captured the movement of a sweet child puddle jumping. One thing is for sure they don''t stop moving, once you say yes to the puddles.

L.

tuesday inspirations............

Good Morning.........Tuesday's inspirations......These goodies are just making me happy and each one has inspired me to create a little something with lots of pretties....
I am in love with Anthropology....

I love how you can find inspiration anywhere....

Create beautiful...

L.

5 things that make me happy.........

FIVE THINGS THAT MAKE MEEEEEEEEEEEE HAPPY!!!!!!

1. Fabric

2. Paint

3. Stitching

4. Ink

5. Texture Texture Texture Texture Texture

Say that 5 times fast without smiling, come on I dare you.....

Oh Happy Day....

L.

fall colors....

It's hard to believe fall is upon us....for our yard the season changed so soon, that the leaves haven't had a chance to become all the beautiful colors. They have become brown or many are still green, with snow wanting to cover the ground. Our poor leaves haven't a chance...It's their cycle to shade us all summer and reward us with beautiful colors....

Fall is a favorite time of year around here...it is when all things good happen...so here's keeping my fingers crossed.

This little layout is made with my Slice. The leaves are from the recycled brown paper bag. Cut and crumbled to perfection. Then they are misted multiple times for texture and color variations. The final touches are a rich golden yellow all around.

Thanks for stopping. Happy Fall.
-L.

& Mr C bakes too.......

Mr C. bakes, that's right he is right handy in the kitchen. Well for the most part, it is kinda a BIG production when he cooks. Who knows...he thinks to bake something this time of year.

Sunday it was pumpkin pie and lemon meringue. Aren't those peaks pretty. Only thing is neither one of us like the topping but you know what's a lemon meringue without the meringue.

Just not natural....

Funny thing for the most part Mr. C. really doesn't even love pie, so he must have been ill. One great thing about baking with him is this..."We need this and we need that"...."What we don't have one of those thingys?" We have to get one...or "Man we could use a NEW one of those"

After too many years I think we need to have ourselves a "Stayed Married Shower" and replenish all that has wore out!!! Sooooo I am going to go shopping this afternoon and I'll share my new favorite choices...heheheheeeeee( He thought we were just making pie)

Get where I am going with this...cooking with the man rocks cause I get new stuff. Nothing is better than new utensils and kitchen stuff. He likes to pick out the good stuff and it's cute stuff.

Needless to say, Mr C. and I, had lots of fun and nothing even burned. Score!!!!

We are a cookie kind of house...I love to bake cookies...one good thing about that is I don't eat them. Especially if they have chocolate chips in them. Mr C. loves cookies...any cookies.....lots of cookies....it is the one thing I can make that will bring him to his knees....with honor and praise for the cookie that is..

Mr C. is a rockin' cookie monster..

I say bake away Mr C. bake away....maybe I'll get a new kitchen (hint..hint)

L.

seriously????

"It's beginning to look alot like Christmas"

Seriously........4, 4, FOUR, FOUR inches in October......well, Merry Holiday to you......
No matter how you say it, yell it, whisper it, it is still snow and it is still FOUR inches.....It is snowing hard enough for limited visibility and drive slow recommendations....

I am very excited to see the 3D Christmas Carol movie, which comes out Nov. 6. Until today seemed like a crazy ridiculous notion.

I say, lets get out the decorations and celebrate the holidays....
It is just a little too early for me. So today I am blue and hoping it will soon become 80*.I still hold faith the temperature will return, a few years ago Belle's birthday had an 80* day in November....anything is possible.

I just had to share the weather with you, for with out the weather what would we have to talk about...

I am excited to share that I scrapped all weekend and cleaned the studio, which is in need of a major overhaul. Belle's under the weather so it was a great weekend to stay in.I am working on some fun projects and can't wait to share.

I am thinking about remodeling our home(HAHAHAHA)....we aren't looking for much bigger but maybe laid out better. I can tell you we will be making the studio BIGGER if not any other room. Ughhh===dream ,the largest room in the home is...................to the right girl it'll sell! Even that random sink I tell you!! That's what I tell Mr. C.Who says I should complain this is my space and I am grateful. I realize this, however....I am feeling cramped. I spend so much of my time organizing and I love it , sort of. Big would be good.

Greetings from the winter wonderland.

L.

i can't love thisanymore....

I can't love this anymore.....This age is willing the lay in the front yard in her jammies....This is the daughter of a cameraphen....

She thinks nothing of the camera, she at one time had a love, hate relationship with the camera...But growing up with it, I think she wonders why I'm not taking pictures sometimes...Mom where's the camera..It is as if it is part of what we do...yeah for me...

May she always lay in the front yard in her jammies...

Maybe if we were more willing to do that, in this world life would be a little easier and simpler......L.

where have you been???

I have been no where lately...just taking a break..it is a time of year that I have found myself with not alot to say.

Ever get that way??????

I think that maybe I'll share a favorite

cup of love with you....

I love my Starbucks and sadly they

have all but moved away from me...

My sweet man use to travel on the week days and once in awhile on Fridays he'd bring a cup of love to my door. This was the last one I have gotten since they left us.

I wonder how they have done that. They didn't even ask how we feel about this. They walked away, closed up shop, dripped their last drip.

Needless to say it gives me a wonderful excuse to travel into the city to find a little cup of love. People say well you still have the little one in the grocery store. I say fine for a fix but not for love. The smell isn't there, the atmosphere, the flavor of Starbucks in gone. Gone, I tell you...vanished....

In case you might be curious the stamp is from Studio Calico done with paint...and the manila color that you see is in fact masking tape punched with a EK Success punch.

I do, have lots of new work to share and I'll be looking forward to doing that in the next few days. Then it is off on a new project..shhhhh top secret.....

I attended a SUPER fun crop weekend with two of my dear friends and a plenty of crazy women. I got 47 pages nearly done!!!! I know it rocks....I just opened the box of "DONE" today and I was so surprised at how cute they were. I can't wait to share.

Check back I'm sure you'll find one that will make you smile..

L.

ethel calls....let's dish....

meet ethel....ethel calls.....ethel dishes....ethel's looking for thelma....and I'm sure we're talking about norma....all friends...good friends...the three ladies of Mayberry....

Norma..Thelma..Ethel....

The phone rings and I answer it "Hello"

In a gravelly old lady voice..."Yeah, she got the same kind a car she had before...same"

I say "I'm sorry I think you have the wrong number", ethel says"what?, oh...."click

Really she clicked me. I guess at ninety something, click is all you have time for right?

But man, she so clicked me. Here's the thing: These ladies got my number and they click me, all the time. I am clicked.

That was it! What ever happened to phone Etiquette. Even at ninety something something our phone manners are gone. I have greeted with "Hello". You think that I get a "Hello" or maybe a "sorry" I wouldn't even mind getting to know these Mayberry Ladies.

Let's talk dishin', I am humored by the three ladies calling and dishin'. No matter how old we get we still dish on our lady friends. What's the deal? I'd love to have a party line to hear this visit, I am sure we're probably dishin' on, who canned what. Can you believe she made pickles like that, crazy. Or, can you believe what she wore to church Sunday? I am sure she wore that to his FUNERAL. Let's not even talk about what pew she sat in. What kind of gossip can we have at 90?

I so, can't wait to discover this and I can only hope that my "Norma" is stilling calling me a 90.

So the next time you get a wrong number maybe we shouldn't click so quick. You never know what you might learn about your Mayberry.

L'

I would like to acknowledge that even at ninety we dish...we dish....

To ethel I'd so like to know what kinda car she got......

on the mend....

life has been crazy busy....

and yet not much has been going on...

Our sweet little Oscar Clement is on the mend. He has been so very sick since Thursday and we have been at a great lost on how to help him.

Our Vet ran a few tests and found him to have an intestinal infection. So once they hydrated him, filled him with antibiotics they sent him on his way. We have special medicated food and antibiotics for 6 days to give him. He already is getting back on his feet, slow but sure. It has taken alot out of him, he is just to small to get sick. I'll tell you though he doesn't like the meds period. How can such a little guy put up such a big fuss? It is a half of pill no less.

He has become a big part of our lives. It pains us to watch him go through this. May he, be well soon. It is funny how animals become so important to us. It seems these days they are more and more important and I think that is wonderful. It is funny how something is darn tiny can turn our days upside down.

Life moves so fast that in a blink of an eye a day, a week, a year, heck ten years has past. He has been with us a year give or take. In that year so much has happened to us. Lots good, some not so good, but more good. I can only hope that the next year is filled with all good. And that this week ends soon, its been a tough one.

So today I guess I am missing Jorge and grateful that Oscar is well.

Thank you for your thoughts..

L'

under the weather...

under the weather....strangely our little puppy isn't feeling well.. We have been up all night with him. We not sure what has caused this but he is gloomy and got it going on..uggghhhh and uck..
I have bathed my doll times 3, all in this night. Today, It seems to be better, but you can just tell he got a bug. We're not sure if he got into something in the yard, but whatever the case he is too small to be sick. I have been warming towels in the microwave to warm him. He doesn't even move. I hope it passes soon. It is just as if we are back to the baby days.
Poor thing............................
Mom and Dad need sleep...I am to old to be up in the night like this.

Never get tired

I never get tired of creating layouts, with my smoochers. I love, love to create layouts with my dogs.

This is how my little Oscar goes fishing. If there isn't a tail to lick or a minnow to chase in the boat, he sleeps.

I have been working with a a lot of space on my layouts. When it is with the color backgrounds I am good. When it is with a cream or white background, I am challenged. I mean challenged.

So today I will press forward and learn to adore, less is better.

create on...........l-

the cows are out!!!

the cows are out no kidding.....yes we live in town. They came running from the nursing home and decided to make a break for it. They made their rounds today and had a good run of it. All ended well but with a little excitement. It is about all you can ask for, in Mayberry. We then spot them running in his "new field" which, is filled with a new vineyard. Luckily they didn't get caught in any of the wires that support the vines. Eventually the cows went home....

If that happens too often we just might have a few tipsy cows. "Honey, the cows were in the vineyard again. " MooooWine.........MooooooSpirits......MoooooVineyard......."

I am inspired by their spirit to run...to be free...to be out...to be their own cows...spread the cow wings and fly....to let out a mooo and speak their cow minds....

Run Cow Run!!!!

l.

Make Mine a Moorlet....

blooms of days gone by....

I still can't believe she was ever this little. My girlie has always been her very own fashion statement. Even then she loved, I mean LOVED, to wear her socks on her hands. Her favorites were the ones with ruffles at the top. Go figure.

I am still working to overcome my white card stock inabilities. Fear is more like it. I must admit I love my flower. It began as a water stain stamp in yellow, then I outlined it with black added a few petals and a center. Painted it with a wash of color. Then a little "candlewicking" for a few stitches and I have myself a flower. I love it... The journaling is simple: You are the flower, the bloom within my heart, and fills it with love and joy....

The days are winding down to the start of school for us. I am having a heavy heart. It is more than time for them to get back to school. They need it. Maybe I do too. I am not sure, one thing I am sure of this year, will sure be different. They say change is good. I think this time I'd just like things to stay the same, safe and sound. Without uncertainty or worry.

Well whatever comes of this season I hope that she blooms and grows with confidence. A strong sense of herself and her goals.

L.