Heart Card #2

My co-worker Barb told me Wednesday that her beloved dog Griffey died Tuesday night. So,I had to make a second "my heart is with you" card. I had walked around the corner at work and noticed she and I had the same scrub top on. I said "Barb!" and just smiled. Then she said my name while choking back tears. I immediately asked "What????" and she told me. We stood in the hall and cried together for fifteen minutes. I know all-too-well how her heart aches right now. All day at work my heart just fluttered with anxiety since her loss drudged up the familiar ache in my heart about losing Macy. I still miss Macy and now Barb and her husband will know that deafening silence in their home of no pitter patter of paws. My heart aches for them. Barb is such a dear person and we have many heartfelt conversations about life, family and faith. She gives good hugs, too. It was my turn to give her some good ones back. :(

I looked through my remaning felt hearts and also found this mint green rounded felt square. I decided to sew on a button using linen thread. I added a piece of scrap patterned paper from my scraps box, some more linen thread and the same sentiment. I really like the sentiment paired with a true heart shape. It really helps emphasize the thought behind the card. I tried numerous different cardstock colors for the base, but ended up with Kraft....AGAIN! I am telling you, I think the stuff whispers to me when I am in my craft area. It says "Pssssssst...choose me!" LOL!

Here is some happy news....remember Kristie I have written about on here before? Lady my age with breast cancer that spread to her brain. Get this! Her latest body scan was CLEAR. No cancer in her body. She does have swelling in her brain due to the healing process from her last surgery, plus the scar tissue. However, her PET scan on Wednesday was clear for cancer in her brain and her body. Our God is an Awesome God! Wow!

Legend of the Dogwood

I took these photos of our two dogwood trees out back. The white one is full grown and the pink on was planted right after we moved here. We certainly enjoy them every Spring.

Tuesday was a rainy day and you can see the water collected in the flower centers. I love the veining and color variation on this pink blossom. How beautiful!

This blossom from the white one is actually still green since it is so brand new. Click each picture for a really close view at one of God's natural beauties!

Legend of the Dogwood (no Biblical basis, but a nice poem to share)

At the time of the crucifixion, the dogwood had reached the size of the mighty oak tree. So strong and firm was the wood that it was chosen as the timber for Jesus' cross. To be used for such a cruel purpose greatly distressed the dogwood. While nailed upon it, Jesus sensed this, and in his compassion said. "Because of your pity for my suffering, never again shall the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used for a cross. Henceforth, it shall be slender, bent, and twisted, and its blossoms shall be in the form of a cross–two long and two short petals. "In the center of the outer edge of each petal will be the print of nails. In the center of the flower, stained with blood, will be a crown of thorns so that all who see it will remember."

Although there is no Biblical basis, when I see a dogwood blossom I think of the sacrifice Jesus made for my life. :) Thanks for stopping by. Hope this made you smile today.

My Heart Is With You

This card was made with one of my friends in mind.
I look forward to writing a message from my heart inside and giving it to her soon. :)
All supplies are SU! except the American Crafts felt heart and Crate Paper patterned paper.
Thanks for stopping by!
I was just outside with the boys and noticed both dogwoods had bloomed just today! I'll share pics tomorrow. :) I love love love our dogwoods.

Friend

I made this card for a friend whose birthday is in May. I used the SU! sets Fifth Avenue Floral and Noteworthy. Cardstock colors are Very Vanilla, Always Artichoke, Kraft and Regal Rose. Ink is Vintage Cream Hybrid Ink from Papertrey Ink. I love that ink! It is far superior to the SU! Very Vanilla craft ink by a mile! It stamps very evenly and dries faster. The ink pad itself stays nice and juicy. On the card I added some paper piercing and distressed the edges of the extra vanilla layer. This card was inspired by the flowering tree in my neighbor's yard. It is packed with yummy pink blossoms. I noticed the brown of the tree trunk, the green of the grass and the pink of the blossoms. I "muted" the color combo a bit by choosing Kraft instead of brown and Always Artichoke instead of a grassier green.

Thanks for stopping by!

Keepin' Cool

It's a hot one here today, folks! In order to entertain and keep the boys cool, I decided to blow up the kiddie pool we had bought for Macy years ago. It was still in the package, so that tells you she was never in it. LOL! I thought they would just run and splash and pounce and so on... Well...little did I know!
Riley wasn't too sure about it when I was blowing it up and took his careful approach when he introduced himself to the "thing". I would splash them and then let them taste the water on my fingers. They acted like I had introduced them to an alien! Well, it was round like a flying saucer...LOL!

Riley finally got all four paws in and drank the water like I had given him a watering hole in the middle of a desert. I figured he'd barf up gallons of water the way he scarfed it down. LOL!

Ooh...Momma...this is kinda fun! I can splash and dig and scratch. Yum...it's even tasty!

Meanwhile, Jack took a different approach.......AVOIDANCE! He didn't like the hose, the water, the splashing and really didn't like the idea of Momma setting him in the middle of the "thing". He decided to keep his distance and at any time Momma would open the back door, he disappeared out of sight. Lil Chicken!

You can see here just how wet he got....not very! That was from what I rubbed on him to coax him into the cool, yummy water. Nope, he didn't like it.

This routine lasted a mere five minutes tops with both boys. After that, it was bath time for Riley. He needed a bath anyway....he smelled like "outside puppy"....kind of a mix of dried worms, dirt and grass. LOL! Well, so much for entertaining these pooches, huh?!

I Am Second

I browse various blogs daily and one today talked about this website called I Am Second. She had a couple videos on her blog that showed exactly what it all meant, etc. so I watched. I then followed the link to the main website about I Am Second and watched more videos. What it showed me is that no matter if you are famous or the average person, we all need Jesus in our lives. It reminded me that I must put Him FIRST. Take the time to visit the website HERE. Scroll over each picture to see their name and a glimpse at what they will discuss. You'll surely find one or two or ten that speak to your heart. It is pretty awesome to see how Jesus' love humbles even the most broken, weary and sometimes selfish of hearts. Just wanted to share today...

Thanks for stopping by!

Julie's Bridal Shower

Julie's bridal shower was held today at my parents' house. The bridesmaids came up with some adorable ideas. The invitations are by Vera Bradley and matched the wedding colors of black, white and fuschia. Click the pic to read the wording about the "around the clock" theme. Along with the colors, the tables were decorated with Eiffel Towers since Julie and Josh will honeymoon in France and Italy. Wow! Everyone was asked to wear black and white and the bride-to-be wore fuschia.

The last part of the shower was when Julie opened her gifts. She did them "around the clock" at times of 8am, noon, 5pm, 6pm and 11pm. It was fun to see what everyone got her.

Her friend Megan sneaked in one piece of lingerie in the mix of gifts. Julie just laughed, smiled and went on to the next gift. LOL! She did say "Thanks for the padding." since the cups were padded. :) Julie is so funny...she just goes with the flow.

Not the best picture with her mouth full of food, but here you can see her Eiffel Tower earrings and the matching linens on the table. The variety of brunch foods were all so delicious. Mom even had fresh mint leaves for the iced tea and fresh lemon slices for the ice water. I don't think any small detail was overlooked. It was such a nice event.

The mother of the bride, Rhonda. If you click her picture, you can see the nametags. I stamped the one flower from Fifth Avenue Floral set using Basic Black and Pink Passion inks to match the wedding colors. It is an easy way to make a simple mailing label match any event.

My sweet mom Stephanie, the grandmother of the bride. She and Daddy opened their home to about 30 guests and everything turned out so nicely due to their loving hard work.

Julie and her sister Brooke, the maid of honor. It was rather windy today, but the weather was just gorgeous and about 80 degrees. Now, since Julie's wedding is outside in June we hope for weather like this on that day!

I had 6pm as my time for the gift I gave Julie. I was sort of stumped on what to get since we already bought the wedding gift. I literally bought her gift Friday night. My co-worker gave me a cute idea to make a sundae basket filled with goodies and toppings. All Julie and Josh have to do is buy the ice cream. I made a quick and easy gift card holder for the Olive Garden gift card inside. I thought it would be cute to give them a night out for dinner plus dessert at home afterwards. Believe it or not, I got everything I needed (including the Olive Garden card) at our local Wal-mart. I don't like going there much, but it sure saved the day this time!

I simply scored and folded a piece of black cardstock. I added a velcro circle under the flap so she could open it easily. I used markers in matching colors for the stamped sentiment. The shape was cut out on the Cricut. I added a strip of ribbon and punched a hole to thread the curly ribbon through. I didn't even have to adhere the card to the package since the curly ribbon held it on.

I added a fun poem about my gift that made her smile. I know how that 6pm time can be when you wonder what on Earth you'll make for supper so this will help her on one of those nights.

Rhonda made these yummy cupcakes with matching sprinkles. This is just one of the yummy foods from today.

Since the weather was so nice we were able to get a group picture outside. It was so nice being with others who love Julie and have been a special part of her life. She is such a nice friend to everyone so I am not surprised at the love and support she received today.

Mom and Rhonda made two collage frames with pictures of Julie and Josh through the years. I remember the side ponytail, the Esprit outfits and the junior high hairdo! LOL!

Josh was just as cute growing up. It was neat that his mom was able to provide all these memories, too.

Each guest took home two favors. Mom made some yummy chocolate covered pretzels with matching sprinkles. Rhonda and I made the "grateful" favors.

The card was attached to the adorable heart-shaped cookie cutter set and inside was a recipe for friendship. Click the pic to read it. Cute! The black cardstock was run through the Cuttlebug for the raised dots and we used one stamp and some punches for the sentiment on the front.

Each guest was given the opportunity to write a thought/piece of advice on a piece of cardstock that had been cut out on the Cricut. I also took a picture of each guest. In an 8x8 keepsake album about today's shower, Julie will have a picture and thought from each lady. I plan to develop pictures and assemble the album soon.

Well, that's a wrap! What a nice bridal shower for an even nicer young lady...my dear niece Julie!

Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday Recap

Not much going on today. After work, I took Jack for his bordatella (kennel cough) booster shot. He was only 22.8 pounds today...just up from 22.5 last visit. I was happy to report to Dr. Lynn that his new food is agreeing with him, too. He did better this time in the car. He was very happy to get out of it when we got there and went right in the door of the office. As usual, he visited with all the ladies at the office and soaked up all the lovin' and the "you're so handsome" compliments. :) No whimper with the needle stick and a smooth ride home (aka no doggy gas!! LOL!). Riley was happy to see his Bubby when we got home. They just love each other. I cut a few things out for a project with the Cricut while they napped and heated up supper after Kevin got home. Yep, dad had made pasta and all I had to do was heat it up....my kind of cooking (thanks, Dad)! I shared some with Wanda as there was plenty for all of us, plus leftovers. Kevin made me laugh because he said he had forgotten how great it was to have mushrooms in a dish. You see, I don't like the slimball shrooms, so I rarely to never use them in dishes I make. I deprive the poor man. LOL!! Blehhhkkkkkkkk...shrooms are slimey! I asked him if he wanted me to make him a mushroom dish with mushroom gravy and some mushrooms on the side. He added that he would also need mushroom soup with that meal. Uh, yuck! LOL!

A light thunderstorm came through and once the sun started shining, I looked for a rainbow and found one!!! I love them! Now the storm has pushed to the east and the sun is shining here again! The boys weren't too sure about the thunder and kept looking for "the noisy thing" out the window. LOL!
*click for a closer look* You can see a very faint 2nd rainbow on the right. It was hard to capture with the camera, but was there. The sky was darker to the east and the sun was shining in from the west and I saw this one across the neighbor's back yard.

More of the main rainbow. Ahhhhh...isn't it beautiful? I love it!

In less than two minutes, this is how the sky changed. Weird, but neat! Love it! Rainbows are awesome. My friend Valerie (*waves to Valerie*) had e-mailed some wonderful rainbow pics the other day. Made me happy that I saw one here, too. :)

Well, I'm going to watch American Idol (go Adam Lambert!) later and do some more Cricut cuts. Kind of an easy day! I have to get more things done for Julie's bridal shower on Saturday so not much other stampin' going on here...Later, tater. Thanks for stopping by.

Bath Time

I got some more pictures developed recently, so decided to do this page about the drowned rat named Jack. LOL! He looks more like a wet weasel!

The patterned paper is from Crate Paper (Kaitlin collection, Bubbly pattern) and I chose it for the color that matches the bathtub in the picture. The solid yellow cardstock and ribbon is from Papertrey Ink (lemon tart color), the water splash stickers are from Cloud 9 Design (sky color), the photo mat cardstock is from SU! (Bordering Blue color), and the scalloped edges are from Bazzill. I simply cut two of their Just the Edge pieces to create four pieces. I cut the base cardstock to 11"x11" to accomodate the scalloped edges and allow the page to fit in my page protector. They were a bit tricky to get even, but it still gave me the white edge I wanted. Improvise, I say...improvise! The tilt of the photos in this layout was inspired by a layout I saw in one of my scrapbook magazines.

*click picture for a closer look*

This pre-made title is from Jolee's Boutique. I think I picked it up at Joann's a long time ago....so long ago that it was meant for a Macy page, but anyway...

Oh, I love the terrycloth texture. See the little label on the bottle? It says "sham pooch" instead of shampoo. Funny!

Here's a close-up of the frosted overlay with white polka dots. I think Connie gave it to me and I can't remember where/when I used the other half of it. LOL! It reminds me of a frosty clear shower curtain so the texture it gave the page worked for me.

This shows the back of the double-sided paper and how I adhered the Bazzill strips. I had a hard time getting the corners cut off in a rounded fashion. LOL! Yep, they're all wonky! Gotta love that handmade factor in scrapbooking, huh? LOL! I had originally bought this cardstock because I "liked" it. Good thing since I actually "needed" it to do this page. See, impulse buying isn't so bad, huh? LOL! The only thing I left off this page was JOURNALING! Don't worry...I'll at least add his name and date to this one. Mom and Connie can stop sweating now. They are such journalers, you know....NOT!

Time for a song to go with this layout....click HERE and click the play arrow on the first song. Feel free to get up and flop around like a fish! Splish Splash! :)

Happy Everything

*click picture for a closer look*

I made this card today using one of the images Lisa stamped for me from The Angel Company. I used my Prismacolors and Gamsol (odorless mineral spirits) to color the image. The So Saffron cardstock was run though the Cuttlebug with one of my embossing folders. I added a sentiment and some ribbon for a simple, cute card. The main image was punched out using my Marvy scalloped oval punch and adhered using Stampin' Dimensionals. You can't tell in the photo, but I buffed on some irridescent chalk over the entire scalloped piece to add a subtle sheen. Thanks for looking!

Counting Today's Blessings

Today was a wonderful day. I needed this gorgeous sunshine-filled day after a series of rainy days. I got up early, took Riley to the vet, got a haircut, picked up our order from Angel Food Ministries, and worked outside. Then, it was time to relax. These pictures aren't in order, but are just some of the many blessings from today. I'll have a list of more at the end of this post.
blue sky, fluffy clouds, light breeze, fresh air, lots of sunshine (this pic was taken at dusk)

The boys enjoyed some peanut butter bones outside. They have to stay outside or they'll stain Momma's carpet. :) I created a monster as they then wanted to go out about a billion times to lick them. *rolls eyes*

Wow, what a handsome boy! His fur is so fluffy right now. I brushed him a bit since he will get hotter faster in warmer weather and needs to shed. The fuzz was flying! LOL! I saw a lot of panting boys today since it was probably almost 70 degrees here.

Jack showing off for his "girlfriend" Bailey next door. hee hee She's part Boxer, part Blue Heiler(I think that's how you spell it.) She isn't too sure about me, but loves the boys. Silly girl!

Riley saying hi to Austin next door.. The boys just go to the fence and whimper and wag tails.

I have Johnny Jump Ups in the same spot as last year....the crevice between the garage foundation and the patio. I love happy little flower surprises!

Ahhhh...yummy green grass. I had to put my bare feet in this lusciousness! We mowed, picked up sticks, raked leaves and ran the weed eater. Nothing like the first mow in spring. *sniff sniff* Oh and yes, my allergies are wacked now. :) I know you want to click this picture to make it bigger and sniff your screen. LOL!

happy little hostas in the flowerbed behind the garage

Riley had his first routine hearworm bloodwork. It was negative so we got more Sentinel pills for heartworm prevention. My pups are so worth the bills of good vet care. :) Check out his cute pup band-aid....or his "badge of courage" as Dr. Lahmon called it. He didn't even whimper!

He was a whopping 8.8 pounds today...that's a jump from his February weight of 6.5 pounds. We still wonder how big he'll grow since he's a mixed breed. He's still a little guy. :)

And, last but not least....perhaps one of the BEST things about today was getting a sweet thank you card from my mom. I'd know that handwriting anywhere. Makes my heart thump when I see it. Love you MOM!

More of today's blessings:

crunchy granola raisin bran, cold skim milk, comfy jammies, warm shower, windows open all day, sunshine (even though I am now a bit sunburned), a nice vet office, Abby my hair stylist, Wanda my neighbor, Kevin in mismatched pajamas before his nap (striped shirt, plaid bottoms...he wouldn't let me take a pic!), seeing a friend drive by and honk, my camera, looking through old scrapbook mags and seeing notes from Mom (we share mags), more daffodils, both dogs wanting my attention at the same time, Angel Food Ministries, bare feet outside, a lower electric bill in the mail, Kevin unloading the dishwasher and helping outside, laughing, smiling, the moment backyard poop patrol was over (ick!), getting an e-mail from Julie with cute Tucker pictures, sitting outside, feeling safe in my neighborhood, hearing the birds singing, smelling a yummy supper, eating fresh strawberries, reading the newspaper (with minimal interruptions from pups), Riley snuggling next to me on the couch, Jack looking adorable while napping, hearing my dad's voice on the phone when he said "Hi sweetheart.", several glasses of ice cold water, doing the puzzle in the newspaper flyer, empty recycling bins, doggy nose marks on the window, seeing my sister in traffic and waving, Puffs Plus, allergy meds, my slippers, my health, memories of Macy, getting my to-do list done, seeing God's love from others, and....realizing just how blessed I am today! :)

I wanted to elaborate on Angel Food Ministries. It is an awesome ministry! Anyone can purchase foods through this once-a-month program. Just go to www.angelfoodministries.com and see what church in your area is a distribution center. They have a main food package each month for just $30....that amount will feed a family of 4 for one week and the variety varies each month. They have additional add-on packages for a very reasonable amount. Today was the second time we've gotten their foods and we might do it again next month. Check it out! There is no "qualification" for this program. It is simply a way to save money and the people who started the program do it all to glorify God's name.

Celebrating Amy

My friend Amy was born in 1969. She turns 40 this weekend and I made her a card with a very "circa 1969" color combo (Summer Sun and Really Rust). Kinda barfy? LOL! Hey, back then it was so stylin' and I just wanted to make her smile. :)

The double-sided patterned paper is from October Afternoon (Weathervane line, New Pencils pattern). I used that along with solid cardstocks from SU!, some punches and a big yellow flower. The stamps are from Papertrey Ink and SU!. I punched 1/8" holes in the corners and along each scallop. The edges were inked with my sponge dauber and Really Rust ink. Lastly, I added some Really Rust dots around the card front.

I decorated the inside of the card, too. After adhering the rust-colored piece, I realized I had nowhere to really sign our names. So, I added the Very Vanilla strip as a last resort. :) This card isn't a masterpiece. Heck, it's really not even pretty. But, if it makes her smile....so worth it!

*(said in adorable puppy voice)* Hi, I'm momma's little stinkerbiscuit. I like to whine to get on her lap, then I sit on the desk for a big boy view of the room. I like to be her blog helper. I know you already know my real name is Riley. I am so stinkin' cute I know you don't forget me. Plus, my momma likes to talk about me all the time. I am a sweet boy. I like to bite Jack, though. hee hee Bye! Time to find my brother and fight!

Even a simple task like reading the daily newspaper in my jammies and slippers turns into a "lap hog dogfest". Jack gets jealous if I hold Riley so he just jumps on my lap or wherever to get his love and attention. These boys crack me up!! Can you even see Riley? He's the little beady-eyed caramel blondie behind the big white boy. You can see his dark tail under Jack's belly. I told Kevin to get the camera to capture this silly moment. Oh and yes...I finally did get the newspaper read....barely. LOL!