A Pictoral Review

I love photos and take MILLIONS of them everywhere I am. Driving to work, shopping, birthday parties, holidays, whatever the occasion.  So enjoy some pics from 2013 - LOTS of pics from 2013. :)  My everyday blessings and not even a drop in the bucket.  Thanks to all my family, friends, blogger peeps, - I appreciate you all so much! And mainly, thanks to the Lord above for everything good and loving in my life. :)

 

Friday's Letters!!!

B is for Bethie - My friend Paulene created this most beautiful B and I claim that it is 100% for me. Dear friends, Thanks for reading my 31 Days and for your encouraging comments.  I'll keeping it up - so far so good! Dear weekend, I'm ready for you!! Lovely autumn weather is in store - not too hot and not too cold, so maybe we can get some pics of both sweet nieces this weekend at a pumpkin patch. So hopeful. Dear decisions, I totally don't want to deal with you right now, but I think I may not have a choice. Dear coupons, how I tire of trying to keep up with you, shop with you, save money with you. But I also hate paying more than I should. *sigh*  Dear Dave Ramsey, I'm very thankful for your class, for the advice you have given and for this feeling that I may be able to control my spending and get "there" one day!! It's an actual goal that I may see happen! Granted, I've spent all my dining out money and still have a week to go unti pay day. Hmm...

Ya'll, thanks for joining me - I love hearing from you and appreicate your time. :)
Have a GREAT weekend!

Gathering Inspiration

Click to find this on Etsy!

A friend sent me this email with a great idea!  It's basically a chain letter with NO BAD LUCK - only blessings!  Read below, you'll like it, too:

We are starting a collective, constructive and hopefully uplifting Bible verse exchange. We hope you will participate. We have picked those we think would be faithful and make it fun.

Please send an encouraging Bible verse to the person in position 1 below(even if you don't know him or her).  

It should be a favorite verse that has lifted you when you were experiencing challenging times. Don't agonize over it - it is one you reach for when you need it - or the one that you always turn to. 

Position 1 (I'll let you know if you participate)

Position 2 (Again, I will let you know.)

After you've sent the verse to the person in Position 1, and only to that person, copy this letter into a new email, move my name to Position 1 and put your name in Position 2. 
Only my name and your name should show when you email. 
Send to 20 friends BBC (blind copy).It's fun to see where they come from. Seldom does anyone drop out because,  we all need new ideas and inspiration. 

The turnaround is fast, as there are only two names on the list and you only have to do it once!

Thanks!


Trust me, I could have used some of these uplifting versus easily in the past year.  My problem is, I don't have emails for 20 people - but I do have blogs for many of you and I think you would particpate.  If you are intersted, please let me know (comment below and I'll email you back). I would LOVE to have several bible versus to add to my memory when things get tough and I need some encouragement.  I bet you would, too.  Please join the fun and pass it along to others.

Now, I'm not PROMISING this, BUT, I MAY be able to turn the bible versus into a gift for you if you participate! :)  Even if I did personally email this to you, you'll be counted in the fun.  No promises, but I bet I could come up with something. :)  Looking forward to your participating!

A Spark!

Oh my imaginary friends, I'm so excited today...bubbling with happiness! It's due to the creative beast that has grabbed a hold of me and is allowing me to FOCUS and WORK and accomplish things. Love it.



I realize this doesn't look organized, but it is - organized chaos I suppose. I knew this long weekend was coming and I required myself to make it count. Friday night I started cutting and laying out scrapbooks to assemble.

Saturday was a time out to visit Paulene. So happy to see her! She is so inspiring, positive, happy...just awesome. AND the visit included Lizards Thicket, oh yeah. Yummy Thickey goodness in my tummy!

Sunday I wasn't feeling well so I kinda crashed and re-watched Downton Abbey season 1 to gear up for season 3 that night. Love love love this show!

Then Monday came. Oooohhhhhyyyeeeaaahhhh.. Bow bow, chickachicka... Do you even know what song I'm singing? Think Ferris... ANYWAY, this crazy long post to tell you I've created new books!



This craziness is turned into books! Four are ready to go and another is well on it's way...


See them all lined up, ready to be posted on Pressed Clovers? I'll let you know when they get there.

The last one I'm working on today. It's made me think of my grandmother the entire time I've worked on it. So I think that's how I'll market it, a grandmother or mother, or even a generations book.

Do you know I've never made one of these books for me to keep? I think I'll make me one of my grandmother and me. She's been gone about six years now but her influence and love is still keenly felt. So maybe the last book I make this week will be a keeper. :)

For now, I'm hitting the shower and then visiting friends for lunch. I extended my weekend by taking today off from the full-time job (yay!). Hopefully, I'll have new inventory in the store by mid-week!

Friday's Letter

Dear Muffin, sweet kitten, I know you are thankful for the electric blanket finally getting warm on your side of the bed. And I'm thankful you are no longer lying on top of me. It's hard to breathe with 20+lbs on your chest...

Dear Pressed Clovers, I'm very thankful for the sales this week! I'm so very exited and very honored people are choosing me. :)

Dear Macy - girl, you are so stinkin' cute and funny! My morning visits with you are awesome, I love it! And I'm very thankful for the good news from this week. Whew!

Dear God, thank you for so very much, SO very much. Including the beautiful sunrises and sunsets I get to see on my daily drives... but seriously, so very much.

Dear USPS... seriously? My package was destroyed. Totally opened at the top and ripped down the back. And I received it about 3.5 weeks after it was mailed. And it's missing the letter that was inside. I'm not overly happy about this, just so you know.

Dear Readers... wish me luck as I attempt to be crafty this weekend. Or maybe I'll be chef-y. I'll let you know once I figure out what's on the agenda... Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Linking up with Ashley at Sweet Season!

Friday's Letter

Dear Friday's Letter, I'm sorry my life revolves around my niece, Macy, these days. I took some time off and spent it spoiling her, so I will have more variety of photos now that I'm back at work full-time. Dear New Year, I'm asking that you be kinder to my family than 2012. I realize I received many blessings - MANY blessings - but please let 2013 have a bit less drama. Dear One Little Word, the reason I'm choosing this word for 2013 is because of the drama of 2012.  My word this year is Simplify. Simplify my life, my living, my material things, my desires, my goals, my focus, ... get back to the basics.  I'm very excited about this word.  Dear Pressed Clovers,  I'm very excited for you, too. I had my first sale to a stranger totally new customer AND she came back for another book!!  Dear Cara Box, I'm so giddy over being part of this for the first time this month. I hope I can live up to some of the other boxes I've seen featured!  Dear new blogger friends - this has introduced me to the most faithful people I've ever met. You inspire me everyday to read with you as you overcome struggles and celebrate blessings. Thank you for opening your hearts and lives up to me with every post!! Dear Praying Peeps, please keep my niece, Macy, and my dad in your prayers as we have a few more hurdles to overcome! :) 

OH! And thanks to Clover Lane for teaching me how to make a dadgim banner for my blog! Holy Cow Batman, it took me long enough, didn't it? Now it's cuter and prettier... Thank You!

Join me at Friday's Letters on Ashley's new blog, The Sweet Season!!

Thirty Things on Thursday - 9

Keeping up with the Thirty Things ....

Week 9: List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.

1. My parents (do they count for two?).  Ok, They count for two. They are awesome. Seriously great parents, consistent when we were kids, they backed each other up, they didn't argue or complain about money in front of us, they supported us in what we wanted to try if they could afford it and they raised us in the Church.  As we became adults, I'm finding out some of the trials they survived and the tough times they had when we were kids and I respect them all that much more.
   
2. My grandmother. She was a very strong woman who kept her 12 kids clothed and fed with little money coming into the house. She was a Christian woman, knew the Bible and hummed hymns in the kitchen. And she never spoke poorly of anyone... she just wouldn't say anything at all. I wish I could be much more like her.
   
3. This might sound silly, but Laura Bush. I have looked up to her since she first came on the scene because she has such poise and grace under any circumstance.  She is someone I've wanted to learn more about and mimic, although I'm nothing like her.
   
4. Paulene.  When I first met Paulene, she was so very shy and quiet. Since that time, she has turned into a mastermind  behind her own Etsy shop, proudly selling her designs on stationary and invitations and doing VERY well at it. She's much more talented than me and confident - she's definitely an inspiration to me that I admire greatly.
   
5. MJ. MJ is very much like Laura Bush, but she's actually someone I know! :)  It's with her support and encouragement I have volunteered in leadership positions and tried for other areas of personal growth. She is a great influence and sports a huge heart.  I'm thankful to have her as my friend and mentor.
   
6. My Ex BF.  We were friends for a million years and I made a very tough decision to let him go so I could move forward.  But make no mistake, he was a huge influence on my life - especially during the three years we dated.  He helped teach me to stand up for myself, to logically present my "case," to debate with the best of them, and he made me feel very beautiful despite being one very chunky monkey.
   
7. Grace.  She and I really butted heads for a while there, and I know me - I didn't change. But one day she did and I can't imagine how difficult that was to do. She is someone I greatly respect now and I'm so glad we are friends! It's a crazy story to look back on, but she is a much bigger person than I am. I have a lot to learn from her.
   
8. Sherry!  Sherry is one of the most unique individuals with a radar for people. She can tune into what the issue is in a blink.  It's amazing. I've turned to her for counsel many times over the years and I respect her opinions. I wish she lived closer, although she probably glad she doesn't so she doesn't have to listen to me as much!
   
9. YOU. You, the bloggers, the commenters, and the readers. I love to see what you are doing, to learn from you and how you handle adversity in life. I've been inspired by your talents, your faith, your positive energy. So thank you for sharing your life with me!
   
10. My parents counted for two! :)

OK. that's a long submission - but there you go. I hope you notice I rarely look up to celebrities and such. I have little time for them. It's the people in my everyday life that I have the greatest appreciation for and look to for their input and direction. 

so...yeah. that.

Heck if I know what's twirling around in my mind. I feel like I've neglected the blog this week simply because of my schedule. And probably the lack of sleep factors into that, too.  My sleep has been interrupted by crazy dreams... one involved those huge lizards, Komodo Dragons?

Yes, these suckers.  Isn't the thought of that enough to give anyone nightmares? Although how they appeared in my dreams, I have no idea. It's not like I've ever seen one in person. But it still makes for an unsettling sleep.

So this week has passed in a blur. I feel a bit out-of-place or like I forgot to do something or I'm missing something.  Do you ever feel like that? For example, in one morning, I forgot to disarm the alarm before walking out the front door. I NEVER DO THAT. Then I fumbled for my key fob and turned it off. Rearmed. Then forgot to lock the front door. I NEVER DO THAT EITHER. I was half way down the road when I started thinking about it, turned around and went back to discover that yes indeed, my door was unlocked.

Do you remember that someone tried to kick in my doors? So yeah, I don't forget things like that.

So what's wrong with me? Am I just losing my mind or what? Who knows, but something's got to give because I really need my brain engaged.

Despite all of these bizarre feelings of not being in sync with myself, I'm actually excited about wrapping up this election (which is still 1.5 months away) and moving along with Pressed Clovers! I really can't dedicate the time to it right at this moment, but there will be a time that I can and I'm looking forward to engaging the creative side of my brain for some fun stuff with paper.  I've considered instead of everything having to be an entire complete scrapbook, to sell individual pages for sale. Hmm... any thoughts on that? Just an idea.

But for now, it's 10 p.m., I'm still sitting in my office at work and I need to go home. Already Donna has called to see if I'm on my way or if the office boogie man snatched me up.  It's time. (But inside, I'm still having a little Pressed Clover party...) Sweet dreams, my imaginary friends! Don't let the bed bugs bite!

Friday's Letters - 6

Dear dear friends Sara, Grace & Donna, it was lovely seeing each of you this week (ok, Sara should have been last week, but anyway). I love having time to catch up, visit, laugh together and share concerns together. Ya'll are each so awesome in your own individual ways. <3

Dear Macy, you continue to grow so fast and it sometimes just makes me so sad to see how quickly you change! I pray for you - that you'll be a joy-filled child of God and will follow His plan for you! :) 

Dear Sister, I am so proud of you! Helping you decorate your classroom yesterday, seeing how much thought you put into everything - the order of the posters so they create a timeline, the bulletin boards with artifacts of the first chapter & shout outs to the outstanding students, the books you have for them to read, - you care so much about these students. You are an amazing teacher and these students are so lucky to have you! 

Dear Gabby, YOU GO GIRL! You rocked the Olympics and held your faith high for all the public to see! You are a great inspiration for so many girls and I'm very happy for all your success!

Dear Olympics, I'm ready for you to end. I feel like so many of our sports and athletes aren't featured at all in our media and attention is only given to particular ones (sorry Gabby!).  So please end and let's get back on schedule. Thank you. 

Dear Blog Universe, Friday's Letters readers, random peeps - THANK YOU! I have found the most amazing people out there to follow, from designers, decorators, cooks, creative people, everyday life people, faith-filled people, I LOVE IT! Thanks for dropping by my slice of the world and inviting me to be part of yours! 

Join the fun!

Life is a Highway...

"There ain't no load that I can't hold The road's so rough this I know I'll be there when the light comes in Just tell 'em we're survivors..."

Dear Imaginary Friends,
Let's just say, when it rains, it pours. So not only does Katie scare the stuffing out of us, Dad takes a tumble this weekend. Yes, glad mom is retired to take care of the sickies. I'm sure that is just what she planned to do with her first week of retirement.

Thankfully, both are doing better which is such a blessing. Both could have been so much worse so we are sooooo thankful.

While I have you here, would you like to see one of my mom's friends?




This fellow visited while I was over at their house, checking on Pop.



He hopped over to the hydrangea and all I could think is I bet it's like a bubble bath, all soft and frothy-like. I'm not sure he/she appreciated me spying on their bath!

Ok, I'm going to go rest, because heaven only knows what is coming up! Goodness!

posted from Bloggeroid

Days Fly By...

This is my desk calendar for the year so far.

I was super interested in using my co-worker's name stamp and decorated the entire right side of my calendar with her name. Over and over and over. I also notice lots of snow days. I hope we don't have that happen again. I hate the stress of snow.

 February I was obviously happy about Valentine's Day, although I had no valentine. Two elections and two birthdays livened up the look with some color.



 Not sure why these items deserved the color they received (calls to ADT, my bank, insurance, etc) The Sun Drop bottle label made things more interesting at the bottom...

 Wow. April. What can I say besides BUSY!  Two elections, four birthdays, lots of playdates with friends and the first "movie night" with Gary. - He's also the Lake Lure in the bottom right corner.

May brought a WONDERFUL visit to my friend, Sherry! She deserves lots of color!

Oh thank heavens for the beach! A wonderful trip with the family! You probably can't see the pencil marks, but immediately after that trip, I went into teaching mode for two weeks.

Again, I left color behind for the two weeks of classes I was teaching, but July was actually pretty busy. At least Independence Day received some patriotic colors. And my state outline.

Do you see how boring August looks! Very little color, just blah pen and pencil. Seems that I need to pull out the markers and highlighters for September and liven life up a little bit!  Sheesh, I can't believe it's September already. Where did the time go?

I've never really used a desk calendar before this year. It just wasn't efficient in my previous employment. Here, however, it's kinda cool to look back at life and see all the details - the movies and dinner dates with friends, the work schedule, the doctor's appointments and random numbers involved in everyday life. :)

I should go ahead and color the next three days, when I'll be home working in my house to reorganize and get ready for FALL! I seriously considered just going ahead and decorating for Christmas, but I think I can hold off on that for at least one more month. But no bets on waiting until Halloween.

Ya'll don't miss me too much this week, my imaginary friends, and I'll catch up with you at least in time for Muffin Monday! :)

Yes, I felt it.

So yesterday was the first confirmed earthquake I've felt.  A little shakey shakey while sitting at my desk at work. My coworker and I looked at each other, looked outside at the fact there was NO wind, and hesitantly asked, is this an earthquake?

Nothing bad enough to freak out about, but kinda interesting all the same.  Twitter lit up with all kinds of comments which confirmed our theory.  (If I ever want to know what's going on, I hit Twitter really quick to see what the buzz is... and usually I'll find my answer!)

I do feel bad for those folks closer to the center.  Seems some of the older buildings are damaged, which makes me sad.  Such history, workmanship, pride, artistry - damaged in just 30 seconds of shaking. I hope they are able to repair things quickly.

Any interesting "I survived the great earthquake" stories out there, my imaginary friends? Let me know!

Sunshiny Weather Gadgets Make Me Happy!

The sunshine on my desktop weather gadget makes me so happy to see today!  Yesterday's gadget was dark and dreary, predicting overcast skies.  I could have used that sunshine yesterday after sleeping three hours and working 15 hours. I never sleep well before an election, afraid I'll oversleep and find myself in a heap of trouble. So instead I toss and turn most of the night.

But I survived, slept well last night and dreamed of elections. (Can I count that as timed worked on my time card?? ha ha!)  Today I'm even wearing my Hello Kitty hairpins, which are just adorable.  I never take the opportunity to wear and share them with the general public. Hm... now I wonder if the cat heads should be facing in the other direction? Maybe I should have tossed my bangs to the other side. Oh well, too late now!

This picture just tickles me because I love seeing those photos of AH and Ellie in the background.  When I first interviewed for this job, I was asked what I would do on my first day.  Obviously, I had no clue what answer they were looking for here - do I say I'd follow my co-workers around and pepper them with questions? Or should I read a manual that I'm not even sure exists? Or what? So I answered truthful (imagine! The truth!) and said - I'd unpack all my family photos because that is one of the most important things to me - my family. I spend so much time at work, I like to know they are there with me. :) Guess they liked the answer ok, I got the job!

I hope all of my imaginary friends out there are enjoying your week and enjoying the sunshiny days before the dog days of Summer kicks our butts! :)  Happy Happy Joy Joy!

Soul in Bloom

My Daddy's pear tree in bloom on a beautiful Spring day!

If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul

by a flower in spring bloom,

maybe your soul has never been in bloom. 

~Terri Guillemets

Happy Tuesday to all my imaginary friends! I hope your week is beautiful and you take time to enjoy the miracle of Spring bursting open all around us.  :)

Life at a Distance.

I'm hopelessly addicted to OPB - Other People's Blogs.  OPB gives me the perfect opportunity to dive into other people's lives and yet, not really participate in those lives.  But it's now a compulsion, I must click on "Next Blog" at the top of the page and read whatever comes up.  Provided it's in a language I understand. The most recent one was in German and the lady was an incredibly talented knitter. She even did an entire fashionable dress! And she had a cat, so you knew she was a great person. Just couldn't understand a dang word she said. Or wrote, rather.

But I do love seeing the crafts and recipes, the baby pictures and happy families. I worry about the sad people, those who have lost so much, their loved ones, their children, their jobs, their basic grip with this life. They struggle with cancer or stand by someone they love who is battling it. Some are dark. Those concern me.  And after a while, I have to click "Next Blog" and leave them behind.

Every once in a while I find someone I want to follow and I do. You can find those in my profile. I think I'm right about this - my brother managed to find a lot more on this website than I did! But you can nose into others' lives like I did. Or just keep coming back here and nosing into mine - I don't mind. :)

My first...

I'm a talker, a writer and nosy as all get-out. So why haven't I started one of these before? I'm not overly concerned with people reading it. I just find it fascinating to have access to my thoughts at random points in the day or across the time of my life. Mainly because I can (hopefully) see how a prayer was answered or how I've grown.

So you are welcome to join me in the ride. Share me with friends. Or just be a quiet lurker in the background thinking I'm crazy and being glad this isn't your life. (ha ha).  Either way, I welcome you into my life.

I usually try to think of something I want to do in the new year, but I rarely accomplish it. Not weight loss or to stop biting my nails but something more specific to me.  One year I wanted to visit more local towns within a day's driving distance. That one, I sorta accomplished. I shopped in all kinds of random towns across SC/NC... some great, some slightly sketchy.  Last year I wanted to start writing in a Thankful Journal each night.  I might have 12 entries.  Not so successful at that one.

Which is why I'm starting a blog for this coming year's resolution, for lack of a better description. I at first wanted to be part of the 365 project, where people take a picture every day.  (See info here) But let's get real, even with the camera phone, that ain't happening. So my goal is to do AT LEAST one picture a week, that will be shared here. (365 pictures, 52 pictures... yeah, it's close enough.) So bear with me, my imaginary friends. I'll see what I can do.

And hopefully I'll lose some weight and stop biting my nails along the way. But don't hold your breath.