Visiting and a Card

Good morning y'all!     Is it cool in your neighborhood this morning?     In my neck of the woods, I seen birds with sweaters on this morning!!!!!    For real!!!    NOT!!!     hahahaha      No, not really, but they could have used one as cool as it was.     I had gotten comfortable with the mid 60's and sometimes lower 70's.     And then yesterday, it never made it out of the 40's and then steadily dropped and by the time I got up this morning, it was 20*.     I just know all the new tender vegetation got frost bit.     But, that's just part of the cycle, isn't it.    It surely isn't anything new and it won't be the last time either.     As a matter of fact, some are predicting a snow on March 31st.    Don't know if that will happen or not, but I guess we will find out.  It is fun to look at the almanac and see if the weather plays out like the almanac says.     That used to be the only way farmers could tell what to do in advance, was by checking the almanac.    My Grandfathers could go out and look at the night sky and plan what they would do as far as crops was concerned.     I always found that interesting.     At some of the souvenir places you used to be able to buy a "weather rock".     If it was wet, it was raining.   If it was white, it was snowing.    If it was hot, the sun was shining.    If it was gone, a tornado had just come by.     hahaha   That's a pretty simple way of predicting the weather, but it is always accurate.      There was also a "weather string" you could buy too.     It was basically the same as the rock except it had another example on it.    If the grass string was moving about, the wind was blowing.     hahahaha      Oh well, for centuries people have been trying to pin point predict what the weather is gonna do.      My philosophy on that is, wait just a minute and you won't have to predict it, it will make itself known.      Whether cold, or hot, wet, or dry, or what ever the weather is, we will deal it and go on, just like people have been doing since the beginning of time.    Any way, I hope y'all have sock on your toes this morning, otherwise they may get cold.

I was blessed to get to go to my Mom's for a short visit this week.     We had a real good time.    It's always good to spend time with her.    I usually get to see a brother or two and a few friends.    And this time was no different.     There's always lots of laughter taking place.     On Tuesday afternoon one of my sisters-in-law came to visit with us for a bit.     Then later on Tuesday night another one of my sisters-in-law came for a visit and lots more laughs and fun was had.    On Wednesday, we met a great family friend at Slappyz Restaurant and I had my fav.     If you have read my blog much at all, and read about any of the other trips I have taken to my Mother's, you know I love frog legs and fried green tomatoes!      That is a necessity for me when I go up there.    My mother used to cook fried frog legs all the time.     My brothers would go gigging and then they would clean the frog legs and she would cook them and then we would gobble them down!!!!      It is a delicacy to lots of people.     Now, I have to say, about the fried green tomatoes, I came up with a recipe last year that can't be beat.     I have to say that mine are the best I have ever eaten.      But Slappyz is a close 3rd with my Mom's being 2nd and hers was #1 until I found this recipe last year.     My Mom had a fish sandwich with fries, which has gobs of fish strips on it and she doesn't eat it like a sandwich, she just eats it like a fish dinner and eating the bun as bread.    And that is her fav meal at Slappyz.      My friend got shrimp and fried green tomatoes and she really enjoyed it.     After our meal was over we all came back to Mom's place and a couple of my brothers came and that was all it took to bring the roof down with laughter!!!!!!      It so amazing how easy it is to find something to laugh about when you are with family and good friends.     Reminiscing of the days gone by will always do it.   That night we went to Mom's church.   They was holding Revival this week and we got to go and that was an awesome time.     Seeing a full house for revival was such a good sight to see.     Also seeing people I had gone to school with.     It really is funny how everyone but yourself changes.     hahaha     You know what I mean.     I know you do.      You have a picture of someone in your head form 35 - 40 years ago, and you know exactly who they are when you see them.      Oh well, time has a way of catching up with every one us.     Some people try to cover the years with product, other don't.     I'm one of the one's that don't, any more.     I am a low maintenance type person.     My hair is the color God made it.     I guess I figure if He seen fit to put a lot of gray/white in my hair, who am I to cover His handy-work.      I used to pay good money to have highlights put in my hair and now God does it for free, can't beat that!!!

I didn't get to see Mom on or near her birthday, so I had to sit on her card for a long time before I could post it for y'all to see.     It is a triangle card.     Like it's name implies, it has three sides and each one is decorated really pretty.     It was one of my most favorite cards of all time to make.     I just love it.    I hope y'all do to.

This is the card laid flat out.   Basically, it's three squares, scored corner to corner.    You take three more squares that is 1/4 of an inch smaller and cut it from one corner to the other corner and place those on the scored base, centered, and then glue the squares together as shown and the decorate all the places shown.   That's a really poor description of how it's put together, but hopefully you can look at it and figure it out.

Side 1. I used all kinds of bits and bobs while decorating this card.    I used different sizes of flat back pearls and flowers and tags.   

I know humming birds are a favorite of Mom's and I had saved that one just for her card.

I made the little "happy birthday" sign and used liquid pearls to look like little rivets.

Side 2.    I made the little tag at the top that is held on with a really tiny clothes pen.    Then the medallion in the center has a flamingo in it.    The little pink flower was from a die that a friend let me borrow and then you see all the flat back pearls and little pink feathers down in the right hand corner.

I really love this medallion.    It has little sequins in it, kind of a shaker type thingie.

The little flowers and feathers.     I really like the feathers a lot.

The feathers came in a set of three different size dies.    This is the smallest die of the three.    It's about an inch or so.   They have been very useful to add to my collection.    I inked them a little as well as everything else.   

The tag at the top with a bit of sheer ribbon tied in it. 

Side 3.  I love how colorful you can make this card.    And it almost seems as if each side was planned in the color scheme and I can assure it was not.    I just started pulling stuff out of my "stuff" drawer, this looks good, oh, and this looks good.....that was my process.   No plan at all.

That butterfly is beautiful.   I love it.    I get most of the embellies at Mighty  Dollar.   The most fav store I love to visit when I go to my Mom's.   We always make a special trip just so I can rack up on some "good stuff".     And I racked up on 2 bags of "good stuff" on this visit.     hehehe

This is another of the small flowers in blue.   I did use my McGill tools on this one.   The pink one on one of the other sides, I left flat.

I love this burlap flower.    I misted it lightly with a bronze color glimmer mist.   They are so fun to work with.     I didn't want to put much coloring on the flower, I wanted it to be neutral in color.      For the closure on the card, I used a tiny bit of velcro on each piece and it works like a dream.    The sticky on the back of this velcro sticks like stink, gggg, so I made sure to use a small a piece as possible.     Otherwise, it would torn the card up the first time I closed it and opened it.     I used my envelope maker to make the perfect envelope for it and then tied it with a piece of sheer ribbon and also attached one of the bookmarks I have been making.     Mom loved her card, and I was thrilled!!!    Yay!!!    I look forward to another visit here in the next 2 or 3 weeks and she does too.

Back just after the last snow had gotten off the ground I was running to the garage for something and I always keep an eye on the back yard.    Someone in the years past tossed out some crocus bulbs and other short blooming flowers like those that bloom early.   So, I always keep my eyes peeled for the first signs of those sweet little pops of color and low and behold, my little crocus was in bloom and boy was it a beauty!!!!!    I ran in and got my cell phone and took a pic of it and hoped to get more in a day or two when another bud would be open.     Drats, I believe a rabbit snacked on it, because it started looking pretty sickly, so I didn't get any more shots of it.    I hope you enjoy looking at what I did get though.

If you will look right down at the base of the flowers, you can see another little pop of purple getting ready to spring up.

I really love the colors in this little flower.     Of course purple makes me happy!!  I just wanted to go and throw some glitter on it.    hahaha

Just bling this little flower up some.     Oh, not really, it's beautiful enough by itself, don't you think?

As I leave this afternoon, I leave you with this scripture:   2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not sight.

The Message Bible says it like this: 2 Corinthians 5:7 It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going.

We live in a day and age in which what we do see with our human eyes doesn't make much sense any more.    Paul said that as long as we are in this tent; or our earthly body, we groan.    I just have to say "Amen and Amen" to what Paul said.     As long as we are in these tents and groaning, we will have to live by faith.    Our goal can not be seen with human eyes, as long as we are in these "tents" that Paul called our earthly bodies.    But......one of these days, when we are strolling the streets of gold, we will be walking by sight then, and ohhhh the sights that we will behold.     If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, I just pray that you will continue to walk by faith, just trusting each step you take to the Lord.     I pray that we will all be reaching for the hand of someone that hasn't started to walk by faith yet and share with them why we walk by faith and live a life that is pleasing to God thru Jesus Christ.   

This Bible verse comes from what is called the Resurrection Hope.     This hope is what sustained Paul while he was still alive and writing and encouraging other believers along the journey of life which leads to the end goal: Heaven.     Next Sunday is Easter Sunday.     Without the Resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, we would have no hope; Resurrection or otherwise.     So, I am so thankful that while it may look as if we live in a day and time in which there is no hope, let me tell you, my friend, my hope and your hope rests ONLY in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ!      Without that, there is no hope!      With Christ Jesus, we have HOPE and an abundance of it!!!!!!      The cross is empty!    The stone is rolled away and the tomb is empty!     There's no grave stone!!!      There's no death certificate anywhere, because death could not keep Christ Jesus in the grave!!!     He is at the right hand of God the Father, just waiting for the Father to say, "Go get 'em, bring my children home"!     On that day, in the twinkling of an eye, it will happen and from that day on we will be living by sight and what a glorious sight it will be!     Friends, I hope you are walking by faith and not by sight.     Live your life based on the Resurrection Hope and you will walk by sight, and what a glorious sight, in glory land.    Not my promise, but the promise of God, the Father thru Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Look forward to seeing you Easter Sunday, Ladybug!!!    Sweetpea loves you!

I hope you seen or read something here you liked today.     If you did, I would love for you to leave me a note.    I pray for God's blessings upon each one who visits this page.    I pray that He makes Himself very real to you.      Hope to see you back here real soon with another fun project, until that time, just remember that God loves y'all and so do I.   
hugs, Patty

Some Tags and Weather Photos

Good evening Y'all!     I hope you are having a wonderful pre-Spring evening.     The time change has a wonderful way of helping lift the Winter doldrums, doesn't it?    Although the sun hasn't shown today in my neck of the woods, just looking out at 6:00 pm and seeing daylight just makes the soul feel good.    When the sun does shine, it will have longer to do so.   Yay!!!!    I am so thrilled.

The snow in our yards has finally melted away.    Hopefully, sometime soon, all the dirty snow piles around town will be melted too.    There are so many pot holes around town, in parking lots and on the roads that you could loose one of these little Smart Cars in some of them!    Goodness gracious, I went out town yesterday afternoon, after my hubby went to work, to run a couple of errands and I was startled at some of the parking lots.     I drove thru a parking lot and where there used to be those speed bump humps, they had been graded completely off by the snow removal crews.     Some of the parking lots had pot holes that had been patched at the end of last year.   Guess what, those patches had been pulled up and graded away by the snow crews.    I may have to decide whether I want to shop in those places or not.    If there isn't good parking, it won't be good walking either and I really don't need to risk another fall.    The best that I can say right now, is Praise the Lord, the worst of the cold, snowy, bad weather is behind us.    It may snow again and we may have ice again, but with the time of year it is, it won't last long now.     So that's a good sigh of relief.

I realized I hadn't posted on my blog in  a few days.    I had been busy with some projects that I can't wait to share with y'all.    I took all the bad weather days and just had some fun in my craft room.    While I was going thru my projects and pics to post, I found a bunch of tags and weather pictures that I wanted to share y'all.

I have been making tags, lots of tags, and lots of tags.   hahaha     And lots of tags.     Got lots more tags to make.      I take pics of several at a time and I have a few to show.

This one is a tag I made specifically for a friend.   I know she loved it and is enjoying it.    Of course it has purple in it and y'all know how I love purple!   Yay!!

This one and the next one are two that I made at Christmas and forgot to get them posted.   I really love the simplicity of these two tags.

This is some of the other tags I have made.   I really love the two toned ones.   They make me happy!    I don't even try to put matching colors together and I think they look great.   Just inks and stamps and few stickers makes for some beautiful tags.

Some more purple on purple on purple and others.     Yay!!!    

A couple of more purple ones and then I do have a cover up to share with you.   On the second one from the right hand side; the teal and yellow one; I made a big mess while stamping the sandals.    I got ink on the stamp block and of course I touched it down on the tag and then there was a big ole' honkin' black blob on it and I was ready to smack myself, but I knew it would hurt, so instead, I decide to try and fix it.    

I put my thinking cap on and I came up with a coverup.   The last time I was up for a visit with my Mom, we went to Mighty Dollar.    They have a pretty sweet craft area and I always dive in feet first.    I had picked up a couple of packages of K and Co two layer stickers.    They were sea shells and seahorses and stuff like that in varying sizes.    So, I found some of the shells and cut one in half and it covered the black blob up perfectly.    I put the other half on the card and also another shell on the card and I was thrilled I saved that tag.    I then went on to put them on several of the other tags.    So, most of the time, there really is a good save for most of the disasters that we have.  

I also have some weather photos that I wanted to share.

This just isn't supposed to happen in the south!    But it did!   And not just once but twice and maybe even more times that I didn't photograph.    This was on February 3rd, 2015.

This one was on February 23rd, 2015.   This is our digital thermometer.   It usually registers a couple degrees warmer than the other one.    The other one had gotten frozen up and was not working at the time I took this photo.    Yes, you see it right, 61* inside.  We turn the heat down at night and then back up in the morning when I get up.

These pics was taken on March 3rd, 2015.    I was singing "I'm Dreaming Of a White Christmas" while trudging out thru the snow.    I had gotten my new snow boots so I could get out and take pics.    Wish I could have put them all up.    It was fun.

The shrubbery just looks so cold, but it did have a nice blanket of snow on it.    There was places that the snow was up to my knees almost.    It doesn't look that deep around the house, but around back it was deeper.

Well, if your are tired, I will offer you a very soft seat.    It was about 6 inches in that chair and it was 8 or 10 inches around the chair.    Anyway, I got to get out and have a little fun in the snow.   

As I leave you this evening, I leave you with this favorite verse of many and I love it too.

Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11   (The Message)  I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.  

These are words that God inspired Jeremiah to write to those in exile.    Letting them know that they were not forgotten by God.   I know I am pulling this verse out of context.    With that said, let me ask this.    What are your plans for the future?    Tomorrow, next week, next year, eternity?    Do you know what the future looks like?    Do you have a day planner all planned out for the next 20, 30 years or more?    I know some people that do.    They have their life planned and written in ink already.     Planning on their plan.     Well, for me, even if I pencil in something on the calendar for tomorrow or next week, a lot of the time, I have to erase "my" plans and ask God what His plans for me are.    Do we include God in our day to day plans, or do we just wait till the big stuff comes up and then ask Him for His help?    God is constantly reminding me that He cares about every minute of every day of my life.   He wants to be included in all that I do.    Why is that?    Because He already knows everything that's gonna take place.    I don't know what my tomorrow is gonna look like.   But I know the One that will bring me into my tomorrow, and no matter what tomorrow brings, God will see me thru it.  There's nothing that will catch God off guard.    Although it could certainly catch me off guard and turn my life upside down, I am rest assured that God has a purpose and a prosperous plan for my life.     I love The Message rendering of this verse.    God knows what He's doing.    He doesn't need my help.     He's already got my life planned out and He's already in my future.   I love that!     Just knowing that although I may be in the midst of some of the storms of life, God knows what the end result will be, because my future and my hope is in Him, through Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior!    My desire and prayer for you is that your future and hope is in Him too!!

Hey Ladybug!   Sweetpea loves you lots and hope to see you soon! 

God bless y'all with a great night of refreshing rest.    Hope to see you back here real soon.    God loves y'all and so do I!    hugs, Patty