Quick Hello

It's Thursday night. I just enjoyed an hour on the treadmill. Love it! I am doing laundry. Tomorrow night Mom and I are going to a crop from 6pm-2am! I am off work tomorrow, so I am going to sleep in, then kick it into high gear planning the pages I will work on at the crop. I hope to have some creative goodies to share soon. Thanks for being so patient with me posting here less. I am filling up my extra time lately with wonderful time walking or doing miscellaneous. I stay busy with Weight Watchers, Bible Study and whatever else goes on around here. I still need to post two Halloween cards (mine and Connie's) soon. Thanks for stopping by! How about a great song? Click HERE, then click the play arrow to listen. This was the last song I heard on my MP3 tonight. Awesome! I am so glad I am His!

Big Pumpkin Little Pumpkin

We drove down to Julie and Josh's this afternoon for a family get-together. Tucker greeted the guests wearing his adorable puffy pumpkin costume! LOL! He is a sweet, sweet little dog. Since he has gotten lighter, he and Riley look more alike in ways.
Kevin wore his orange shirt, but not on purpose. He and Tuckman matched!

He is just a peanut and that costume was hilarious!

Later on, Kevin tried on the costume, but it didn't fit. ha ha LOL! ha ha LOL! ha ha LOL!

I came home and baked Halloween cupcakes to take to work. I also made these cute little spiders on Saturday using cardstock and punches. Just punch two scalloped circles, photo corner shapes and 1/2" and 1/4" circles. You sandwich a peppermint patty candy in between the scalloped circles. Aren't these funny? I had seen the idea online somewhere, but Dawn Griffith also shared a version HERE. Have a spooky week everyone! I will show my Halloween card idea later this week. I have a busy Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week, so I'll try to sneak in another post soon. BOO!

Wednesday Ramblings

I added this Welcome to our old wooden back door. It is from Stampin' Up! and I ordered it when I was invited to a workshop here in town. This is my second attempt using their Decor Elements items. Easy!

I created my own vinyl wording using my Cricut and their brand of white vinyl. Can you tell from the dog hair and dead bugs this is on the back window of my car. ha ha Yeah, I'm going to get those bugs soon. I did clean my car windows today, so that's progress. This wording is from the Graphically Speaking cartridge. I try to enjoy life each day, so this was perfect for my car.

We took the dogs to Mohican State Park today and hiked the easier trail between the Covered Bridge and Pleasant Hill Dam. They loved it! Riley wanted to explore. Thank goodness for leashes or the turkey would be gone!

Jack had something in his mouth and we freaked when we thought it was a mushroom. Nope, it was an oatmeal cream pie that some kid probably dropped. I know Jack wishes he would have chomped it to at least taste the cream inside! ha ha

Jack rested and smiled on our pit stop near the dam. Ah...sunshine makes us all happy!

I love the sound of the leaves under our feet (and paws). Swish Swosh Crunch

What is this?! Riley thought he needed to stand on my shoulder and PUT HIS BUTT ON MY HEAD in order to see out the back window. Oh brother! Never a dull moment here!

At one point, Jack was on my lap in the back seat, then Riley thought he needed to be ON both of us. Yes, I know I look haggard. Excuse that look and just check out that cute pooch in the middle.

Until today, Jack HATED to ride in the car. I guess he just snapped out of it and decided to enjoy the ride. He put his front paws on the console and leaned on Kevin. Oh and he also sniffed big time since the front windows were wide open! ha Yeah for Jack!!! Atta boy! Dogs are supposed to enjoy this!

Oh, some days he looks so much like Macy it's freaky. You know...this time a year ago she was at the vet hospital. Friday marks the one-year anniversary she died. Jack really looked like her today when he looked out the window on the car ride. *sigh* She was a great dog and so is he!

Progress

Well, tonight was weigh-in at Weight Watchers! I am down 10.8 pounds in five weeks! *doing the happy dance* I walked 6 out of 7 days this past week and it paid off! Kevin and I have been craving pizza, so tonight I gave in and got Little Caesars on the way home. Yum! Then, I walked/jogged on the treadmill for an hour, burning 400+ calories! I felt great after that, plus I had that super healthy glow on my face! The dogs stood at the top of the basement stairs where the door was closed and whined. ha Too bad...Momma's movin' her blubber! The good thing is that Kevin is very understanding that I need my exercise time. It helps me mentally and physically. It is also a time for me to listen to my MP3 player which is filled with Christian music. I praise God while I exercise. I can't sing a lick, but He doesn't mind. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!

Here is one of the songs I listened to tonight while walking and it brought tears to my eyes. It cuts out a few times on this website, but keep listening. The words are wonderful! Click HERE, then click the arrow to play. He is good. His love endures forever.

Happiness is Fall

I sent this card to my dear friend Karin for her 3rd wedding anniversary. I had received this card front in a swap at a Stampin' Up! event ages ago. I can't take credit for anything except trimming down the entire piece, changing the sentiment and mounting it on a folded piece of Kraft. Sometimes, when my mojo is absent, I need to grab a swap in a pinch. I have very few cards in my stash now, so I really need to get my mojo back soon and get stampin'!!! 99% of what I share on my blog is my own creation, but this one is NOT mine.

As you know, I have joined Weight Watchers (Monday is weigh-in day). I have been spending most evenings walking for exercise. I have to bundle up pretty good since the chilly fall weather is here. This time I had a hoodie, scarf, hat, gloves and coat. Brrr...

Today Kevin and I went to Mohican State Park to see the fall foliage and walk around. This picture was taken from the side of the Covered Bridge looking downstream. If you click on the picture, you can see the little Amish kids playing on the fallen log. There were van loads of Amish down there today. Most of them were playing volleyball in their long dresses and dark coats.

This is the side of the Covered Bridge where we were engaged on February 9, 2000. If you count to the third tall pole on the railing (or third point along the roof) from this end...it was right about there. *wink*

I love the colorful blanket of leaves in fall. Happiness is Fall!!

10 Minute Home Decor

I kid you not that this plate rack has hung on our bedroom wall for over five years...EMPTY! I used some Stampin' Up! Decor Elements words to decorate three tiles in less than 10 minutes. Now, I must ask myself why on Earth it took over five years to fill? I guess it just needed the right thing on the tiles. I used these words as it is part of the verse used in our wedding (9 years ago today) and it just seemed fitting. Perfect, I think! I am happy with them!

I got the boys some blue monster costumes at Target today. They aren't so sure about the head gear! LOL! I will take better pics to use on a scrapbook layout....with adorable monster paper to boot! I found the paper first, then the costumes. Perfect! They make me laugh.

Jack was feeling tortured. That's an Eskie for ya....doesn't want messed with! :)

Whatcha been doin'?

You may have thought I felt in a well. Nope. You may have thought I ran away from home. Nope. You maybe even thought I didn't love blogging anymore. Another nope. I've just been busy busy busy. With Weight Watchers on Mondays (down 9.2 pounds so far...yeah!), Bible Study on Tuesdays and trying to keep house, finances, groceries, etc. in line...well, I'm just a busy woman. Here's some highlights of what we've been up to this past week.
I managed to make and send this card the same day. My friend Karin's little boy turned 2 on Saturday. It took me forever to make this because my mojo must be in Egypt somewhere. *sigh* Oh well...I hope he liked it anyway. He's a cute little guy, too!

Entertainment for an unemployed man includes a joy ride on the tractor in our neighborhood. Oh brother. He put the "legal Beagle" red triangle on the back and off he went. He never knew I took these pics from inside. I think he was grinning from ear to ear. I know he was when he got back. He said all the people at the university soccer field just looooooooooooooked his way. Not every day you see a tractor in the city. LOL!

There's hubby and Alice getting ready to go for a stroll down Smith Road. Ha!

Riley got groomed on Saturday. I told Maria to trim his little face shorter. Ugh. I know I told her to do that, but I am still not used to his "no fuzz" face. It will grow. I will just have to trim by his eyes if I keep it longer. He's still a cutie pie.

Don't you just want to kiss that little nose? I sure did. He was sacked out and never even knew the camera was in his face. ha

Now this is serious. Jack was passed out it seems. I was on the couch while they napped a bit on Saturday morning before I was up and at 'em to exercise and do yardwork. I enjoyed a wonderful 45-minute walk around the neighborhood with my MP3 player that is loaded with awesome Christian music. It's my time to relax, reflect and praise God.

Yes, Jack...we know you are cute. ha Isn't he a handsome devil?!

Some of the afternoon was spent on my lap...fighting over one bone, you know. They love me. I love them. It's great.

On Sunday, these two were serious couch potatoes. That is the newspaper from Saturday that still hadn't been read on Sunday since so much time was spent on Momma's lap. It's hard to read through fur, you know. ha

Oh, yes. We can't forget Blankie Tug-o-War with Riley. He whines at his kennel until I open the door so he can get out his blankie. He purposefully looks where my hand is so I don't close the kennel door behind him. He grabs it quick! He brings it to me, whines and then wants me to grab the blankie and pull. Then, I cover him up, he wiggles out and we start all over again. I tell ya....that is hilarious!

So, as you can see....I have not fallen in a well, run away from home or lost my love for blogging. I have been busy walking to lose weight (and get some alone time with God), busy with WW meetings, Bible Study and misc. life stuff. Not sure when I'll get crafty again. My mojo is absent as of right now. I will let you know if I find it somewhere. OH and did I mention I did THREE hours of yardwork on Saturday? That is for the birds!!!!!!!!!! Kevin and I got three huge bags of weeds, etc. Yuck! Ok, off to wind down and get ready for bed. Have a wonderful week!

I haven't done a song in a while. Let's find a good one....

Ok, HERE you go. Enjoy! The lyrics are incredible! Although things in life are constantly changing, His love for me never changes. His incredible Unfailing Love!

Layoff...again

Well, today Kevin got the news he's laid off. He has been at his present job just a few weeks shy of a year. Must to the branch manager's dismay, he had to notify Kevin of his layoff. Hopefully, when business picks up in the Spring, he'll be back on the road again. He was promised to be called back as soon as business picks up. The waiting begins now, but also we must praise God in this, too, as we know He is in control...always! I told Kevin to keep his chin high, not sleep all his days away (and get depressed), not to think he's on vacation (!) and I asked him to step up to the plate and help with more around here. He told Ron he'd wait about three months while drawing unemployment, then he'll have to get serious about finding a different job. So, the journey begins again. I'll keep you posted.

On a lighter note, I haven't done anything creative lately. I have recently been showing you all the layouts I did during my last creative marathon. I have been busy lately with Weight Watchers on Mondays (down almost 9 pounds now!), Bible Study on Tuesdays and miscellaneous with church/life/family filling in the gaps between. I am in great need to enjoy the free moments I do have so I can rejuvenate my brain and body. I have to get back to the drawing board on adjusting time, budget, etc. So, I'll be a busy girl with some other things as we adjust...again...to life on unemployment. I count my blessings and in no way want you to think I am down-hearted right now. I am not. I have His peace to keep me afloat. I am so grateful for God's love and guidance in all things. He is good...all the time!

Riley Pup

Click to see a closer look at these details:

flocked paw print cardstock

adorable Riley when he was a tiny boy

fun felt alpha letters

I used the new Creative Memories large circle template to cut the three circles so I could layer. The largest circle is cut from the brown so I could layer towards the inside and have the photos matted under the page. Make sense?

Happy Easter 09

Click on the picture to see all the details.....including the crooked faux stitching. LOL! Isn't Tucker cute as a bunny? Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Easter

Click on the picture to see more details. Notice the photo of jelly beans I used to mat the title on. I think it's fun to take pics of seasonal items and use them to either mat photos, embellishments or cut letters or shapes from it. Thanks for stopping by! I'll show another Easter layout tomorrow.