Raindrops on Roses & Whiskers on... Bunnies??

This photo was taken last weekend, just off our patio, after a rain shower. I was hoping the raindrops would show up better than this, but what you see is what you get. (Click on the photo for a closer view.)

This little guy is, apparently, the newest addition to our family. Curtis was mowing the lawn last night when he saw this little guy. The bunny wasn't moving very fast and Curt was afraid he'd run over him. He put the dog crate in front of the bunny and he hopped right in. I wasn't home at the time and Curtis really should have known better than to keep him around until I got home. When I got here he said "Do you want a new pet?" I asked him what kind of pet and he just said that it was cute and furry. Now how can I resist cute and furry??? Anyway, when I picked the bunny up, he snuggled right up against me and didn't seem to mind the attention a bit. After checking him over, I discovered that one of his back legs has been broken, in the past, and never healed correctly. He has no mobility in that leg and it kind of sticks out to the side of his body. That would be why he wasn't moving very quickly in an effort to get away from us. Curtis saw three more bunnies who were, obviously, siblings to this one, but they were VERY fast and ran for cover. Normally, I would have sent this one back out to live with the rest of them, but we have a dog as do most of our neighbors. I just think that if I send him back out there I'm just tossing the dogs a snack. I can't do it!! I HAD decided that if he didn't eat very well for the first 24 hours, that I'd send him back to live with his siblings. If he wouldn't eat for me, then he'd probably be better off out on his own. I shredded two baby carrots last night and gave him some dry rolled oats and water. By noon today, all that was gone, SSSSSOOOOO... I made a trip to PetsMart to get a rabbit cage, a dish, and a water bottle. He's snuggled safely in his new little Wabbitat now and seems very content. I took him to work for the second half of the day today and my friend, Christy, called him Tripod (he's only got three good legs). I think that name just might stick.

Teacher Appreciaton Gifts

These turned out SO stinkin' cute!!! I decided, some time ago, that I was going to make teacher appreciation gifts for the kids to give to their teachers at the end of the shool year. I got the template for the post it note holder from Dawn Griffith and I ADORE these things!!! They were super easy to make. I found the mini gel pens at Staples yesterday, which is also where I bought the jumbo paperclips to make the bookmark from. I used the 'Tart & Tangy' stamp set and colored directly on the stamp using my SU! markers before stamping the image on Whisper White cardstock. I stamped directly over that image using Versamark and then added Iridescent Ice embossing powder before heat setting. I punched the image out using the 1 1/4" circle punch and matted it on a piece of Wild Wasabi cardstock punched with the 1 3/8" circle punch. Those two pieces were adhered to Real Red cardstock, which was punched using the scalloped circle punch. I added the white dots to the scallops with my Signo Gel Pen. I added a piece of 'East Coast Prep' designer series paper to my post-it holder and then added the scalloped image using Stampin' Dimensionals. I punched two holes at the top and ran a piece of Wild Wasabi double-stitched ribbon through and tied it in a knot in the front. (Click on photos to view larger images)

The bookmark was made by using a piece identical to the one on the front of the post-it note holder. I made two of them and adhered them to each side of the paperclip using Stampin' Dimensionals. The last step was tying a piece of Wild Wasabi double-stitched ribbon around the clip. Too cute!!!

My flowers are in full bloom. The tulips and jonquils, and azaleas have come and gone, but the roses, wild strawberries, and mock orange are here. I planted two climbing rose bushes next to our patio last year. They did well last year, but didn't have nearly as many buds as they do this year. Between the two bushes, there are over 35 buds on them right now. Here are a couple of the ones that have already bloomed.

I wasn't sure how wild strawberries would taste, but they looked just yummy, so I tried one. They are much more pretty than tasty!! They weren't bad... just didn't have any flavor. I'll just have to enjoy their beauty while they're here!

This is the mock orange, as is the next close-up photo. The flowers are absolutely gorgeous and smell wonderful!

Thanks for visiting today!! I'm going to go work on my Father's day cards for the upcoming class on Thursday night. Enjoy your holiday weekend!! Toodles!

The Birds & The Bees

I know what you're thinking and that's just WRONG!! The birds and bees I'm referring to are the ones frequenting my hummingbird feeders. I've had lots of hummingbirds and butterflies all summer, but today was the first day I came home to a swarm of bees. Any of you who know me very well will know that it took a LOT of courage to get close enough to take this picture. I'm sure you all would have been laughing at the way I jumped back every time I saw something move out of the corner of my eye.

I just had to put a couple of shots of my sweet boys in here. Ernie is the one who seems to get all the press, so I thought I'd show off my other two boys. This is "Wesson" playing in a bag from Panera Bread. Who knew you got free kitty toys with a "Bagel Pack"?

...And this is "Smith" napping on the loveseat. "Wesson" is sweet when he wants to be, but "Smith" is my full-time sweetheart. He's VERY shy, but he loves his mama!!

...Okay... On to the other things I've been doing this week. I've only cycled about 50 miles this week, but am planning on a 70-ish mile ride this Saturday. It is an organized ride, so we'll have SAG (Support And Gear) support. That's always nice since the sponsors provide all the food and drinks at the rest stops. I always make sure to take drinks and snacks with me, though, just in case.

This first card is one I made for one of Curt's customers who was getting married last weekend. I used cardstock in Basic Black, Whisper White, Groovy Guava, and Soft Sky. The polka dots are stamped on with Whisper White craft ink and are heat embossed. The cake was stamped using black StazOn ink and then I watercolored it using re-inkers in Soft Sky and Groovy Guava.


I think this next card needs something else, but I can't decide what. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment. I just think it needs something in the lower right-hand of the piece of cardstock that has the flowers stamped on it. I used Apple Cider DSP (Designer Series Paper) and the True Friend stamp set. Cardstock used was Close to Cocoa, River Rock, and Really Rust. Classic inks were used with the stamps and included Really Rust, Wild Wasabi, and Close to Cocoa.

This is probably one of my favorites, so far. I used some "cheapy" paper that I bought in a ginormous economy pack and I've hated it ever since. I REALLY, REALLY like it on this card, though. The only piece of the "cheapy" paper is the striped paper on the far left-hand side of the card. I used Brilliant Blue cardstock and stamped the circles (Polka Dots & Petals stamp set) in Whisper White craft ink and then heat embossed them. The base of the card is Real Red Cardstock. The letters were cut using my Cricut and the "Back To School" text was printed from my PC on Whisper White cardstock. The ribbon is from Hobby Lobby, but coordinates very nicely with my SU colors.

This next card is very unique. There are actually three parts to the card. There is a sleeve that the card slides into. The card is the Very Vanilla cardstock with the Baroque Motifs swirl stamped on it and the So Saffron tab at the top. The third piece is the band that goes around the sleeve for decoration. I used the Au Chocolat DSP for this card and cardstock in Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, and So Saffron. Inks used were classic SU inks in Rose Red and So Saffron. This is what it looks like when it's all put together...

...and this is what it looks like when you pull the card out. I'll write a note or a sentiment on the card before sending it. I made it so it will fit in a regular card envelope.

That's about all I know right now. I haven't heard from my brother, Tim, yet. I'm assuming that Tiffani and Peyton are doing just fine and that he's still in shock and awe over the presence of this precious new life in their home. If that's NOT the reason he hasn't called, then he'd better have a REALLY darned good reason!! :) TTFN!!

Not Doin' Much...

I haven't posted in a while because I really haven't been doin' too much. I really need to be doing more cycling than I have been in the last several weeks, so I'm going to get REALLY serious about it again... tomorrow. I PROMISE!! I'm going to load up all my gear and my bike tonight so that I have no excuse when 5:00 PM rolls around tomorrow. The best places for training rides are on the farm roads outside of town. By riding those roads I eliminate all of the stops that have to be made in town and can really get some speed up.

I have really enjoyed the wildlife in our back yard this week. We have recently had several hummingbirds frequenting the feeders on the patio. I know there are at least two males and one female because all three of them were at the feeders at the same time yesterday afternoon. Despite the squirrels being a nuisance in my garden this year, I did enjoy watching one sneaking food from the bird feeders outside the dining room yesterday. I had just filled the feeders and the birds hadn't discovered the food yet. It doesn't take those squirrels long to find anything. The pictures didn't turn out very well, but I think they look fairly good for pictures that were taken through a tinted window with a screen in it.


These next pictures are some of the cards I've made recently. I can't take the time to list all the supplies used, right now, but will try to come back later and add that information.

I talked to my brother, David, who lives in Dekalb, IL (suburb of Chicago) on Friday morning. I had seen the severity of the storms that had moved through that area Thursday night in Friday mornings news. Unfortunately, they were one of many families evacuated Thursday night due to flooding. The water was waist high, at one point, inside their house. They are trying to salvage some of their belongings today. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. They have friends to stay with, but I can't imagine how stressful and trying the whole situation must be for them.

Happy Birthday, America!!

Happy Independence Day!!! Curtis and I both had the day off today and we just toodled (is that a word?) around the house today. We spent a little time in the garden this morning gathering the vegetables that were ready to be picked. That pile of green beans, which can be seen in the picture below, filled a 5 gallon bucket. I was able to freeze 7 quarts and cooked about 2 quarts with some new potatoes, bacon, and onion for our meal today. We didn't eat all of those, mind you, but we'll be able to enjoy them the rest of the week. We have yellow squash running out our ears, so I made a squash casserole today, too. We also enjoyed salads, made using only things we grew in our garden, and some grilled chicken, which was NOT grown in our garden. I'm really enjoying our home-grown veggies. A BIG thanks to Uncle Jim and Aunt Helen for the card table you see in the veggie picture. It has become my official "veggie-picture-taking table".



About a week ago I planted two climbing rose bushes in front of the trellises on the back patio. We had our first rose in full bloom today and we have several more buds. I'm anxious to see what they'll look like next year!



That about sums up our day. It doesn't sound like we did much, but we stayed busy all day long. We did a little shopping late this afternoon and went out to see a movie tonight.

For those of you who are keeping tabs on my training for the MS150, I rode 76 miles last week. So far, this week, I've ridden 46 miles and have plans to ride about 25 tomorrow night. I have also registered to ride in an organized ride on Saturday in Mt. Vernon, Missouri. That ride is a benefit ride for an organization called K-Life (http://www.klife.com/), which is a youth ministry, and I plan to ride 65 miles that day. Thank goodness for those padded shorts!!

Squirrels Don't Like Squash

Apparently, the squirrels don't like my squash, THANK GOODNESS!! I picked the first squash this morning and had seven of them ready. Everything else seems to be growing along very quickly. The tomato plants are loaded and I think I'm going to try some cayenne pepper as a squirrel deterrent next. The smelly liquid concoction that I bought from ACE Hardware didn't really do the trick. We also have radishes, lettuce, green peppers, and spinach ready for picking. I'll have to try to do that tonight. My bike ride was rained out last night, so I'm planning on trying to get 25 miles in today after work. We have thunderstorms in our forecast for tonight, but it's partly sunny right now. I'll keep my fingers crossed!!

The First Harvest

I picked the first of the veggies from our garden today. We had two grape/cherry tomatoes that were "ripe for the picking". The one on the left probably needs to ripen for another day or two, but the one on the right is gone. That's right... I ate it! It was the best tomato I've had in years. That one tomato made the whole garden worthwhile!!

I'm Hunting Wabbit...

I got home from work today thinking I'd take a long bike ride since I REALLY need to start some serious training for the MS150. One of the first things I do, after getting home from work every day, is to let Ernie out and check my garden. Ernie and I played ball for a few minutes and then I stepped over the fence to check things out in the garden. I was looking under squash leaves for new squash, under cucumber leaves for new cucumbers, and under cantalope leaves for new cantalopes. When I squatted down to look at the green beans, a "Wascally Wabbit" was wooking wight back at me. After wooking at each other for a few seconds I said, "What are you doing in here?" He didn't answer. He just wan wight out of the gween beans and wight thwough a hole he had, obviously, chewed in the fence. SSSSSSOOOOO... my bike ride was put on hold while I made a quick trip to Lowe's for some GALVANIZED WIRE fence. I took out the old fence, which was made of some sort of plastic, and mowed the fence line. I got the wire fence up, but forgot to get wire cutters while I was at Lowe's, so the majority of my second roll is going to have to lean against the fence until tomorrow when I can go back to get the wire cutters. With the amount of rain we've had in the last several days, the garden is thriving. I had no idea that vegetables could double in size in 24 hours. I need to get out there and pull the weeds sometime. The grass seems to be coming back in faster than Curtis tilled it up.



This picture is quite humorous, I think. Apparently, Ernie REALLY likes the smell of freshly cut grass and couldn't resist rolling in it as I mowed. It doesn't show up very well with the dark green grass in the background of the picture, but he looks like he's wearing a green mask - and he looks to be very proud of it! No worries... I called the groomer and she has an opening on Saturday morning. Kelly (Ernie's groomer and friend) can get ANYTHING out of white hair!!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

My garden is coming along quite nicely. I have baby cherry tomatoes, baby yellow squash, and the beginnings of a baby bell pepper. I never thought I'd love gardening this much, but it has really grown on me (no pun intended). Here are some pictures I took earlier today...





It looks like it's going to be a busy summer for us. Curtis and the kids will be spending two separate weeks in Iowa with Curt's parents. I will be spending a week in Denver, CO at the annual Stampin' Up! convention, I will be meeting my three biological brothers the weekend of July 21st, and Branden will be testing for WINGS (Working with the Individual Needs of Gifted Students) on June 23rd. If he does well with the testing, he'll be attending the gifted program one day a week beginning this summer. Oh... and Branden will be going to church camp the week of July 9th with the 4th and 5th graders from our church. They'll be going to Windemere, which is where his dad worked while attending college. It's also where his Ye-Ye (that means grandfather in Mandarin Chinese) worked during college and his Nai-Nai (grandmother in Mandarin Chinese) was a summer staffer. It's going to be a busy summer, but should be lots of fun! TTFN!!

Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy Mother's Day to everyone! We hope you enjoyed your day. Before telling you about ours, I have some catching up to do...

We had a WONDERFUL weekend last weekend with the Iowa Barrett's and the Stafford's. Unfortunately, no one thought to take pictures until Sunday morning as we were all getting ready to meet for breakfast. The Stafford kids spent the night at our house Saturday night, so these pictures were taken just before we left to meet the rest of the gang at Shoney's for breakfast. We're so glad they were all able to make the trip and that everyone enjoyed their visit. We sure enjoyed our time spent with them!! Here are a couple of pictures of all the grand kids (and the grand dog).

Curtis and I spent most of our day, today, putting a garden in. It was hard work, but I'm looking forward to the payoff when we pick the first ripe veggies. "Farmer Curtis" ran a rear-tine tiller for the first time in his life today. I think he enjoyed it, although he mentioned that it was quite a workout!

I'm not sure it shows in the picture or not, but Ernie's little face was green and brown by the end of the day. The brown came from rooting in the dirt and the green was from rolling around in the freshly cut grass while Curtis was mowing. He's definitely going to need a bath!