Brave Mothers and Daughters (and Fathers)

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Just a little random happiness

Random happiness

Just a very quick post

Actually this is more of a "test" than a true post. I want to see how easy/hard it is to post from my phone. I'm trying to get a feel for if this will work for quick posts and what have you. You'll have to be patient with me as I go through some "growing pains" in respect to my blogging. I am working at it, I promise you that!

Goodbye 2011, HELLO 2012

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Creative things

I haven't been blogging at all, much less about what I'm doing creatively...well, that's about to change! While watching CraftTV the other day I saw a video about altering a book in a way that uses it as a picture frame. I thought, what a GREAT idea...especially for those people in my life that are avid readers. Here is what I made for my dad for his birthday. The pictures are kind of blurry and I apologize, but didn't realize that until after I mailed the book out and couldn't retake the pics. Now my Dad loves westerns and has probably read every Louis LaMour and Zane Grey book out there. Thanks to my stepmom I had a copy of the three of us (from like 1987) where we were dressed up kind of like hillbillies and thought "this would go GREAT in a old western novel. I immediately thought "wouldn't it be great if I could find a Zane Grey novel?! I went to the Goodwill and guess what I found? A Zane Grey novel for $2.49!!! (The books have to be hardcover or the technique doesn't work.) Anyway...I thought PERFECT!!! So this is what I ended up with...

Okay, maybe it's not very modest to toot your own horn, but I think it turned out sooooo cool! And my Dad loved it. It wasn't difficult at all. I printed the picture in a size that would fit on the cover, then traced it on the back of the cover. I then cut the hole a 1/4 inch smaller all the way around to give it a border for the picture to be attached to. I inked the edges of the "window" so that you couldn't see the bare book board and to give it kind of an aged looked. Then I taped the picture onto the back of the cover and covered the back of the cover with appropriate paper. He thought it was so cool and even took it to work with him to show his friends! He has actually read the book before but because of the way you do this, none of the book itself is damaged and he plans on reading it again! It was quick, easy and cheap to make! I have some plans for Christmas presents using this technique.

I hope to be sharing more photos of techniques and even some videos soon. I'm trying to get back into the groove of blogging....it's tough for me sometimes, just to find the time. But I enjoy sharing so I hope I can get back to it.

God bless and go make something beautiful!!

So much to be thankful for

Today's Thanksgiving and I'm sitting in my apartment with my cat...with no turkey and dressing or the "fixings." I spent about an hour this morning (at work) feeling sorry for myself, that it looked like I would be spending Thanksgiving "alone." After my hour long pity party, I put my big girl panties on and started looking at my life (in between the many customers CVS had today LOL) and realized that what in the heck was I feeling sorry for myself for?! No, I wasn't having a traditional Thanksgiving. There was no family waiting at my house for us to eat a meal together (though I shouldn't say that as I think of my Ellie -my cat, as family LOL.) I was working an 8 hour shift on the register at CVS, waiting on many people that were less than gracious towards me and the fact that I was working while they had the day off and were on their way to spend time with family and friends. But you know what? I have SO much to be thankful for...so bare with me as I list all the things I'm blessed with. They may not seem like blessings to everyone, but they do to me.

• I have a job


• I have a kitty that thinks I'm the world (hey that matters after a bad day at work)


• I have family that loves me even though we don't live close to each other


• I have a husband, that even though we aren't living together right now, loves me and is willing to work on our relationship


• I have amazing friends


• I have a hobby that allows me to make extra money while doing what I love


• I have good health ...allow me to explain that further. I have fibromyalgia which is not the most fun thing in the world to have, but for the most part, it's managed very well and interferes with my daily life only a little. I have asthma that is managed very well as is the case with my allergies. There are a lot of people that are a lot worse off than I am health wise.


• I have an apartment that I absolutely adore and a landlord that is so very understanding and gracious in working out the rent with me when things get tight.


• I have customers that come in to the store and stop to say hi to me specifically, because while we never see each other outside of the store, we have developed a relationship that matters.


• I have good health insurance that allows my health issues to be dealt with, including my depression.


• Going back to my friends, I have friends that allow me to be me, which is amazing to me. I was always the kid that didn't fit in and now I feel like I while I may not be like everyone else, at least most people love me for who I am.

I could go on and on about everything I'm thankful for. I guess I look at my life and think, "no, it's not perfect....but damn I have it good." Yes, I have financial struggles (who doesn't in this economy) but some how it always seems to work out. I'm amazed everyday at the blessings I have. The computer I'm using right now...my laptop crashed and I was worried as I run my business basically through the Internet...within three days, I had a replacement computer, monitor and was up and running again, thanks to friends and my husband.

I guess I'm feeling a little "preachy" right now about the way people complain about their lives. We all have hardships. There are days I wake up and the pain makes me want to crawl back into bed, but I push on because I know that if I make myself get up and don't give it, I'll feel better after a hot shower and moving around. Yes, so many people have it much harder than I do, I know that. One of my best friends is dealing with some family issues that I can't even imagine having to live through, another friend passed away recently and her husband must be heart broken (we all miss her.) So when I feel "poor me" I think about all the things that could be worse and all the things that are so amazing.

A lot has happened in my life in 2011. A lot of really tough things, things I wasn't sure I could survive through. But I did survive and I'm stronger now and know that when the next obstacle comes (as it will) while it'll be difficult, it will not be impossible.

I don't love my life everyday, but am thankful for it regardless.

One of the things that made me stop and think about being thankful is I saw my "other" children today. Long story short, I had a friend that had three little ones that I fell in love with. While I'm not friends with her anymore, I still love her babies like they were mine. As I walked up to my place today after work I heard them yell for me (they were at their Papaw's just two doors down from me) and came running to see me. It made me realize that they will always love me and they know I'll always love them. It made my heart swell with happiness and love. Another thing is I have a very strained relationship with my mother, but I called to wish her and my step dad a happy Thanksgiving. She sounded happy to hear from me. That made me feel good. Even though our relationship isn't the best, I know she loves me and I could hear that in her voice today.

So now that I've babbled about all that, I guess my point is...we all have trials and troubles, but if we look to our blessings we can see what a good life we do have. Life is what we make it, not what it makes us.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. And be thankful EVERYDAY, not just on Thanksgiving!!