Hercules beats the heat

This morning I woke up to find Hercules sleeping directly in front of the fan. It's been extremely hot this past week and staying cool has been a challenge. I managed to snap a photo of him sleeping almost flattened against the blanket with the fan blowing his fur. He looked so cute and was sleeping so peacefully and I liked how his fur looked from the breeze of the fan. He usually snuggles with me however it was obvious he hadn't moved at all during the night. He has so much fur it's hard to keep him cool. It made me smile to discover that he had found the perfect spot to beat the heat and make it through another night and without taking any of the benefit of the fan away from me.

Updated photo of altered box

From this to that...

This is a wooden box that I have had for quite a while. I have always wanted to alter it and finally decided to get it done. I used some beautiful cardstock called Willoughby from The Angel Company and covered the box piece by piece. I used Modge Podge to adhere the paper to the box and then sealed the box with another layer of Modge Podge.

Originally it was going to be a box to hold greeting cards or maybe a small album but that was no longer possible. All the cardstock made the lid to thick to easily slide back and forth into the box itself. In order to make it into a usable project I forced the lid on knowing that I would never be able to remove the lid again. I ended up chipping off a piece of the wood from the lid of the box and used the flower to cover it up. I still like how pretty it looks and it's now sitting on my scrapbook table. My only regret is that I didn't take a photograph of how pretty it looked inside the box before it was sealed forever.

I really wish the last photograph showed just how pretty this box is. I'm going to try and get a better photo later today.

Fashion Show by Hercules

Once a week Hercules and I visit mom and last night I decided to add an extra element of surprise to our visit. As you can see by the photographs Hercules made quite the fashion statement when we walked through the door. The look on all the ladies faces was priceless. They were smiling, laughing and a few of them screamed with admiration when they saw him. There is so much joy in watching how such a little guy can bring so much joy to so many people's lives. Best of all is the look of joy on his grandma's face as she is parading him around sharing him with all her roomies. And I can't forget the patience of Hercules as he is being loved and admired by so many adoring women.

Butterfly Swirls

I love butterflies and this butterfly is from one of my favorite Angel Company stamps. I used Angelee Cardstock; the Butterfly Swirls stamp set; white organza ribbons, misc. buttons and some string. I was going to enter this card in the Terrific Trio Contest this month but came up with another one instead (which I will share later).

Memories and Mom

I have this childhood memory of mom coming to my school and my classmates telling me how pretty she was. I was so happy. Forty six years later I still remember that moment as if it had happened yesterday. Memories - to me that's what life is all about. I created scrapbook albums for my loved ones before it was popular. I think part of why this is so important to me is that I don't remember a lot of details from my childhood and didn't want that to happen any more. And so began my love affair with journaling and creating albums - anything to help me remember the moments in time that were making up the story of my life and as one of a kind gifts for my loved ones. Memories of the times spent with my daughters, my grandsons, friends, family, the jobs I've had and don't have any more, my accomplishments and yes, even the times of challenges, struggles and heartache. Every memory from my life has helped shaped who I am and are a part of me and each of those memories are precious to me.

It was a little over a year ago that mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and I have watched this disease rob mom of her memories and it's heartbreaking. Once a week I wash and style her hair. She is a woman that has always taken great pride in her appearance. She never walked out of the house without her makeup on or a single hair out of place. She has deep blue eyes, a smile that lights up the room, an infectious laugh and the most beautiful shade of gray hair I have even seen. I always ask her if she thinks I will be lucky enough to have the same shade of gray hair one day and she just smiles at me. In third grade I thought mom was pretty but today I see just how stunning she is.

This past Sunday I was talking with mom while she was eating her breakfast. I told her that I had brought her some cinnamon coffee cake from Starbucks (it's her favorite) and how it was full of cinnamon. She looked at me with puzzled and perplexed eyes and asked - "Do I like cinnamon". "Yes" I said and she asked "how come I don't remember that". And it was at that moment that I felt like someone had just kicked me in the gut wearing combat boots. It broke my heart!!!

Preserving memories has taken on a whole new meaning for me now. I still want to create a life full of memories not only for me but for everyone that I love and cherish but I also want to leave a legacy of memories of times spent with everyone that I love so that they have lives full of good memories too.

Altered Clipboards

In the past 3 years I have altered more than 100 clipboards. A couple of years ago I altered 50 of them to give to children that were patients at Children's Hospital in Seattle. The others were sold at a Holiday Craft Bazaar. The Paris clipboard is my favorite - I have been offered some serious bucks for this one but I will NOT part with it. The other one I really like because it's purple and has flowers. I decided that tonight I was going to share these clipboards on my blog to show something different. There are no stamped images on these clipboards - just something I altered which is actually one of my most favorite things to do.

A Work in Progress

This is a glass cabinet that I found on clearance at Michael's well over a year ago. Each square is 4" x 4". I have decided I am going to alter it and turn it into a family album (of sorts). It's my daughter Lynette that seems to find the best clearance items (especially at Target) but I was the lucky one this day. Now I just need to decide how I am going to alter it, which family photos and embellishements to use. If you have any ideas just send them my way.

"Just To Cool For School"

This is a card I made from a small paperbag. I used the "Pop Rockz" cardstock and the "Little Friends" stamp set from The Angel Company. What makes me smile are the sunglasses on the CHICK.

A couple of years ago I made over 200 cards to help raise money for the Susan G Komen Foundation so that I could walk in the 3 day 60 mile breast cancer walk. I sent a box of handmade cards to my sister Dana in Medford, Oregon so that she could sell them. As soon as Dana received the cards she called me laughing saying that as soon as she saw the "chick" she thought she was "Just to cool for school." Every time I see this card I chuckle because I actually agree with my sister.

I had been wanting to use the sunglass buttons for a long time and late one night it was as if my brain had put all the pieces of the puzzle together while I slept. I woke up happy and excited and couldn't wait to make my first card. I just knew that the sunglasses were going to be a perfect fit. This chick with sunglasses turned out to be one of my best selling cards. The other one was a cute little pig (from this same stamp set) that had a pearl necklace around her neck. Dana would call me and say - "send more pigs".

It was a busy time for me and I lost a lot of sleep but it was fun, challenging, I was able to walk the 60 miles and finally able to use those sunglasses.

My challenge was to make a card using as many recycled items from around my home as possible. I found a piece of cardboard and pulled off the top layer to give the corrugated look and cut it to the size of a card. I used some scraps of cardstock, stamped the images and tied a piece of string around it. The stamps are from The Angel Company and unfortunately they were recently retired. It's not the most elegant looking card but it was simple and fun to put together.

4 x 4 Post It Note Holder

Sometimes in order to get my creativity flowing I need to make something that gives me some instant gratification. I came across these 4" x 4" post it notes in one of my supply boxes and decided to make a quick holder for it.

I used the Mia's Cottage TAC cardstock and the Spring Flowers and Bookoo Blessingings stamp sets. I used colored pencils and some Stickles to add a little bling.

Simple yet fun and it was a great way to get me inspired to get a lot more done over the past weekend.

I will be sharing some of those items a little later this week. Have a blessed day!!

Friendship Hanging Frame

This is another item I made for a TAC contest. I made each frame from chipboard, cut out the centers and then covered each piece with the Lily Anna Cardstock from TAC. The stamp set is called "Seeds of Blessings". I used eyelets and then some cord to piece it all together. Each frame measures 3" x 3". I also used some of the Shimmery Chalks to color and highlight the stamped images and words and Stickles for a little bling.

I didn't win the contest but it was featured on the Savvy Projects Blog on May 23rd. There are a lot of great ideas on this blog so check it out sometime. Just click on the The Angel Company website link and click on the Savvy projects link and do some exploring.

Simple Journal

I found this journal for a buck at Michael's. I have a tendency to stalk the dollar spots at JoAnn's, Michael's and Target and have found some interesting items to alter and just have fun with.

I entered this journal in a TAC contest. I didn't win the contest but it still was fun to make and it was featured on the Angels Only Showcase Blog which was a nice surprise. I used one of my favorite TAC stamp sets - "Deco Designs" and the Sands of Time Cardstock.

Times passes so quickly

It's amazing to me that almost three months have passed since I wrote on my blog. That is going to change. The last several months have been full of surprises, challenges and miracles. I have made a promise to myself that I will be giving more focus to this blog because it is important to me.

I have started writing in my journal again and I am carrying my camera with me (no matter where I go) and I feel like I have found a piece of my heart again. It's a part of me that I do not want to lose again.

I have finally taken my daughters advice and changed the photograph on my blog. One of the things I love about my tiny place in this big world is my view of Lake Washington. I loved the photograph of the snow but it's summer now and full of new possibilities and dreams. I also decided to take things one step further and changed the look of my blog. This is still a work in progress but it's also time to find my new wings and discover where they are going to take me.

And one day I may even be writing updates on my blog from Paris. Now that is an exciting thought!!

I will be posting cards and other projects I have made using rubberstamps from The Angel Company.

This blog is still under construction so please stop by often.

It's finished...

This chest is finally finished and I love it!! I kept thinking I had to add stamped images or something but in all honesty - I have a tendency to lean towards the more simple and hopefully more elegant look. I struggled with this decision for quite a while and I just reached the point where I wanted this chest finished. I decided to add the knobs and I knew I was done.

The only problem is that I'm hooked on doing this type of altering and I'm already trying to figure out how I am going to alter another chest of drawers that I have. The paper I used to cover the drawers are from The Angel Company. One of the things I love best is the bottom drawer that shows the Eiffel Tower - I want to go to Paris!!!!! It's a big dream and goal of mine.

The Power of Cheese

This is a video of my little Hercules and the Power of Cheese. I am breaking my own rules by using cheese to entice him to perform however it was the only way I could get him to perform his tricks on video and without a crowd around us. Sometimes rules are meant to be broken and this is definitely one of those times. And thanks to my darling daughter Lynette who helped make this video. She also helped get a couple of other tricks on video that I will share at another time. This little trick (behavior) is usually something Hercules does when he is sitting in the seating area of a shopping cart and some one is coming towards us screaming (as if they had just seen one of the Beatles) "Oh my gosh he is the cutest dog". That's when I tell Hercules to say hello and he begins waving his paws like he does in the video which of course gets him even more attention.

I think one of the reasons I want to get some of his tricks on video is because one day (hopefully not for another 20 years) I will have to say goodbye to my little guy and I desperately want to find ways to keep as many memories of him as possible. This little guy brings so much joy and love into my life. He loves attention and he knows how to turn on the charm to get it. He has not only brought joy into my life but into the lives of so many other people. He has fans all around the U.S. and he may be tiny in size but his heart is HUGE and is such a blessing in my life. I always tell him that God created him especially for me.

Thank you Lynette for getting this video (and the other ones) for me. 1437

Tribute to my best friend Bob

Yesterday was Bob's birthday!! I decided since I can't celebrate his birthday with him I thought I would write a tribute to him. He was an amazing man and I miss him terribly!!

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My Dearest Bob

I miss you!! I think of you everyday. I can't watch Prince of Tides without remembering how that was "our" first movie and how you made me promise that I would never watch that movie with anyone but you. That movie opened up a lot of painful memories for me but from that first moment that you held me close while I cried - I knew you were my safe place.

It was because of your unconditional love for me that I learned to love and trust again. Words can never express how much I appreciated you ALWAYS being there for me. I have a heart full of priceless and precious memories because of you. Memories that always put a smile on my face and a song in my heart. You were such a wonderful, compassionate and loving man.

I remember how we danced that one New Year's Eve and you held up my dress because it kept slipping off my shoulders and all without missing a beat as you twirled me around the dance floor. I remember thinking how beautifully you could dance. And just before I left you gave me a single rose and said - "Happy New Year Sweetness". Oh, how I loved that nickname and I will never forget the last time we talked and you said - "I will always love you Sweetness".

You were my protector. You were always there to celebrate the highs and lows of life with me. You are my hero. You were my safe place. You were my biggest fan. I was so blessed that you a part of my life.

I will love you forever and always. I miss you so much!!!

Thank you for touching my life and my heart in such a special and lasting way. I know you are still watching over me and one day I will get to see you again.

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I was so lucky to have met Bob so many years ago. Thankfully he was part of God's plan for my life. He was an amazing man and it's sad that he had to die at such a young age.

I remember talking to him one night when he called to talk about his upcoming heart surgery that following morning. He told me he was afraid that he wouldn't survive. I didn't give much thought to that comment because it's normal for anyone going through surgery to have concerns or fears about not surviving. I did what I could to reassure him but I don't know how successful I was. Little did I realize that the next day I would get a phone call telling me that he was in a coma. There had been complications from his surgery. I couldn't believe it and I was a 1,000 miles away. I called every day to check on him and was told he wasn't getting any better - the doctor said his prognosis wasn't good. I finally asked the nurse if she would put the phone up to his ear so I could talk with him. I wasn't expecting him to answer me but I knew he would hear me and I had some things I wanted to tell him. As I talked with him I had to choke back the tears and to the surprise of the doctors and nurses he woke from his coma when he heard my voice. And all he said was - "I love you sweetness - forever and always" and I told him I felt the same and he was gone. His death was so painful for me - to be honest at times it still is. He truly was a good man and I am so blessed that I was a part of his life.

My Scrap Happy Place

I love my scrapbook area. It's been a challenge getting everything organized since I live in a tiny place. Ironically the more organized I get the more challenging it becomes to find the things I know I have. My best friend Hazel always tells me that I am the most organized disorganized person she knows (and now I know what she's talking about). It can be very frustrating.

One of the things I love best about my craft area is my view. I am really looking forward to the warmer weather so that I can leave my sliding glass door open and look at my beautiful view as I am working on my creative endeavors. I'm also hoping that this will help provide some much needed muse. I've felt a little creative dry spell lately.

A new look for an old piece of furniture.....

I finally did it - I have been wanting to do something to alter the appearance of this 3 drawer chest for quite some time now. It has taken several attempts but I am finally happy with the results.

I used one of my favorite cardstocks from The Angel Company called Amberley Grace. I used Matte Mod Podge to adhere the paper to the drawers and will add a couple more coats to seal and protect. I love it!!! All I need to figure out now is what kind of knobs to add plus I still think the drawers need something else but what??

If you have any ideas or suggestions please share them with me.

My Little Guy

This is one of my favorite photographs of my little Hercules. He is such a sweetheart and I've always wanted him to have his own yard. I was determined that one day that dream would come true and in August of 2008 it finally became a reality.

That's why I love this photo so much. It's the look on his face that melts my heart because somehow he knows that he is finally King of his own yard. Ironically he has no idea that this isn't a large yard but to a 5 pound Pomeranian it's huge.

He has been such a blessing in my life and I love to see him so happy!!!