Busy, busy, busy

Isn't this a pretty little picture I found at the thrift store?  It's now hanging in our bedroom, reminding me of our rose garden that blooms like crazy all summer long.

We were so lucky when we moved into this house, because the landscaping and gardens had been done by previous owners.  Some of it is very old, like the apricot tree, peach tree, pears...but also a zillion rose bushes and rhododendrons, that brighten our yard in the warm weather.

I spent a whole lot of time yesterday getting up and running on Etsy Cottage Style, which dear Jen Duncan invited me to join.  What a neat community, with immediate back and forth...click on the badge in my side bar to visit!  I have pics posted, but am not set up to sell yet.  Just need to do it, get PayPal, etc.  

Periwinkle tagged me with a meme about 5 favorite blog posts (my own), but since I'm somewhat new, I'm going to do what she did (she's also a newbie) and just write directly about each topic:

1. Family-- I grew up in an absurdly happy family, where we all loved each other and had a happy life.  Really.  My own family now consists of my husband and our 3 kids, ages 26, 24, and 14, all beautiful adopted children.  Our two older sons are both Asian, and our daughter is a happy mix of Hispanic, Caucasian, Pacific Island (thus explaining her volumes of dark, billowy hair), etc.  Gorgeous.  My husband is a music teacher who used to be a worship director, and he and I do a whole lot of singing together.  In fact, we first met in a band that we were in.

2. Friends-- We have the greatest group of friends, lots of them, for which we are very thankful.  They are really more family than friends, and when we're all old, we plan on moving into the same old folks' home and raising hell.

3. Yourself-- Hmmm... obviously I love artsy-fartsy stuff--all kinds.  I'm also a school teacher, though I quit to raise my kids and have time for other things in my life.  I've been a pop-style singer for a loooong time and have sung my brains out all over the place.  Maybe that's what's wrong with me.

4. Something you love-- I LOVE a warm spring evening, walking around our yard with my husband and a glass of white wine, looking at new buds and sprouts, dreaming of all the great things we want to do with our yard, which we'll never really do...

5.  Anything-- I love to read, sew, craft, thrift, watch TV, and take naps, and I hate to work outside my home.  I'll do almost anything to keep from having to go out to work.  Love being a homemaker, and I wish I had a billion dollars so I could be one for ever and ever.  There.  I've admitted it.  I'll bet I'm not the only one.

You're Not Gonna Believe This

Right now I'm loving this little chick with her big blue sunbonnet.  Easter is NEXT month and I'm still in winter mode.  I need to get out more, feel some sunshine...

Remember I had a little spin-out on the icy freeway last week?  Well, you're going to think I am a maniacal driver, because three days later (Saturday) I was involved in another car accident, here in town.  I had just dropped my daughter off at the bowling alley for her league practice and was sitting in the left-hand turn lane, waiting for the light to change.

All of a sudden a car zooms around the corner to go past me driving the other way, but instead of going past me, she rammed right into me, head-on.  Whoops.  Both cars looked like heck (I think mine is totalled), but nobody was hurt.  Thank you, God.  Not a fun day.

You know those awful Final Destination movies, where people's time is up, one by one, and they can't prevent what happens?  I sorta felt like that!  Since the accident on the pass didn't get me, maybe the "fates" were trying again on Saturday!  Thankfully, I don't believe in fate, so I figure that's nonsense, but it still creeps me out.  Now we are down to one automobile, a  huge pickup truck that sucks gas like a thirsty camel.  Once again, POOP!!

The only nice thing?  I'm on Vicodin for back and neck pain, and Vicodin makes me purr, and tell everyone in my life how much I love them...  I LOVE you guys, too!  Purrrrrrrrrr........

The Day After...

Since I haven't had a chance to post many pics of my stuff (it's all at the Boutique, or it's Christmas stuff, put away), I thought I'd put this pic up for you to see.  The day after a holiday is always so pathetic in the stores.  At the grocery store, all the beautiful candy boxes and gifts are stuffed in a couple of shopping carts with clearance signs on them, when just yesterday, they were arranged in all their glory, waiting to be purchased for that special someone.

I went in to the Boutique and retrieved my various Valentine's Day things that hadn't sold, and they'll go into storage for another year.  Just wanted to get a quick shot of this vignette before I stuff it in a box.

Hope your holiday was full of love, chocolate and gorgeous crafts, gifts and (hopefully) a little revenue for all your hard work!

Bunny by Day, Bunny by Night

I just put together this little spring vignette last night, and I'm still experimenting with taking pics.  In this case, I think I like the night time shot.  The day shot shows that lovely mess out in the driveway-- last summer we went to the Oregon coast for a week, leaving our 23 year old son in charge of dropping by to feed and water dogs, cats, take in the mail, etc.  

I jokingly said, "No parties at my house while we're gone!"  No worries, right?  Because he's got his own place.  Apparently his own place wasn't big enough, because when we returned, we could see the evidence of PARTY CENTRAL out in our yard.  He had set up volleyball standards, a "misting" tent,  tables and chairs for guests, and he had gotten hold of a huge screen and showed a MOVIE, all in our front yard!!!  I wonder how the neighbors felt about that.  They were gracious enough not to say anything... Oh, and he had made iced tea by pouring boiling water over tea bags, into my treasured vintage pitcher- which-looked- like- the-one-my-grandmother-had, and exploded the bottom right out of it!  :(  I think that was the worst part.

Anyway, you can still some of the remains of his party gear left in our driveway.  Not a pretty sight.  And not a pretty story.

I like to make the vignettes pretty from all sides, even though it has a definite front view.
Spring IS coming, you know.  Even though if you could take my camera and pan upwards, you would still see my giant ornament wreath hanging in the bay window.  Pitiful.  

Our school district is now on "winter break" over Presidents' Day weekend so I've got the family here to help get those Christmas things put away once and for all.  Of course if I wait long enough, I can just leave them up because Christmas always rolls round again, doesn't it??

Of course, 14 year old daughter just left with a group of friends for a movie, and husband is in the other room scanning his laptop for rentable movies that we haven't seen, so we'll see how much work actually gets done around here.

Maybe I need to just give up and get my lazy behind in gear.  I really don't need help, I just like to pretend it's someone else's fault for not getting done.  Have a lovely weekend!!!  I'm going to clean house and take more pics!

Okay, Okay...

That last post was a little depressing, so after looking at all of your pretty Valentine's greetings, I'll send out this simple valentine with a little children's song that I wrote many years ago:

              I'll take some pretty paper, a bit of lace or two,

          I'll sprinkle it with glitter, and fasten it with glue.

          I'll write a tender message, I know just what I'll say,

          That "You are very special!  Happy Valentine's Day!"

I could even sing it for you, but I'm not that ambitious today.  But I still love ya!  Have a Happy and Blessed Valentine's Day!

Road Trip to Hell

Well, I wish I had a picture for you, but I haven't had the heart to take one yet.  My poor car.  Yesterday my mom and my oldest son and I were traveling I-90 to Seattle at about 4:30 a.m.  We were taking him over for plastic surgery on a self-inflicted neck injury (that's another story) and had to be there by 7:15.  Snoqualmie Pass has been horrible, with avalanches and closures constantly the last few weeks, but my son was determined to make that appointment.

Long story short, we spun out on the ice and crashed into a guard rail, ending up facing the wrong direction on the freeway with giant semi-trucks closing in on us, in the dark, on the ice...  nobody hurt except the car, but it was drive-able, so I turned around the right way and made my way to the nearest town where I could turn around and go home.  My son was livid, my mom was extremely grateful, and I just wanted to see my home again.

Next time he can go with someone else.  I've gotta call PEMCO.

It's a New Day

Hey, it's sunny and bright here today, most of the snow is gone and I'm only sniffing and snorting a little bit.  Things are looking up.  I, too, am one of those people who suffers from SAD (seasonal affective disorder) during the winter months, so I REALLY look forward to the spring!  Seems a lot of us northerners have the same problem.

Of course I know this is NOTHING compared to what people in many parts of the country are going through, so I have very little to grumble about.  God bless all of you as you try to dig out of the season's storms and trauma.

Here's little girl apron #2...  I haven't been working on anything too much (again, I blame SAD...) but these are making me smile.

Here are some works in progress, waiting for stuffing, smelly stuff and fussing up with bits and bobs.
And here's a little pillow just finished, but it has a little tear that I had to mend, so I guess I'll keep it for myself.  Pooh.
And here sits my little teacher "bag of tricks," waiting for me to take it substitute teaching.  I'm still waiting for all the paperwork to be finished.  Kinda frustrating, but with all the whackos out there these days, I guess we can't be too careful about who teaches our children.
Well, my dear husband is home for lunch, so I guess I'll wrap this up.  Back later...