Happy Monday
Taught a painting class this morning - had a blast - we painted poppies on a tall terra cotta pot ~ everyone did a gorgeous job - I managed to take my camera with me today but did forget to check with them to see if it would be okay if I posted their pics - so after I do that - I'll share the photos.
Here is what I painted this weekend:


THIS WINDOW TOOK ME VERY LONG! I have never been a fan of painting magnolias. I love them and think they are a gorgeous flower - I am a southern girl you know ~ LOL.

This took me twice as long to paint as the other windows I've been painting - just cause the detail that goes into a magnolia and of course since it's not my favorite flower to paint I was VERY critical ~ but have to admit I'm pleased with the final product.



SOLD









I also painted an apron so that I can wear it to my painting classes and not get paint all over my clothes ~ plus I just thought it would be cute to wear.


















Here is a close up of the apron - wild rose with pansies and daisies.


















Found this great plate and knew it had to be painted - to plain with the great decoration and nothing in the middle. I painted a peach on it and it's actually going to be given to someone at a conference - the lady that got it from me needed something that was really "Georgia" so what better than a PEACH?!


SOLD

















One of my favorite flowers has always been the dogwood. The trees are absolutely gorgeous when they are in bloom and I really like the ones that have that hint of pink on the edges.













I am doing something really exciting tonight - I've been invited to the Perry Arts League to do a demonstration for their program tonight. I'm very nervous but excited! I'll share with ya tomorrow how it went.
Have a great week!

WEEKEND CATCH UP
Where has this week gone? Here's what I've been up since my last update.
I never woke up Thursday. Was so tired all day long and went to bed at 9p.m. Felt like a new women on Friday! Got some painting done on the windows ~ and painted a window and cake plate for the boys bowling league raffle.


I painted these Friday ~
Love poppies. We used to have HUGE red ones in our garden when we lived in England and they were absolutely gorgeous. I love the wild ones too that grow on the side of the I75 here in GA. Pink, Red and White poppies all mixed together and such a pretty sprinkle of color.









I love blue and white and have some really cool Spode Blue and White dishes from England. I have some of them on display in my kitchen but since my kitchen is primarily GREENs I didn't put it all out.



This is the window I did for the bowling league raffle. Think it was well received a quite a bit of money raised for the league which is great!





Got home from bowling and took my Dad's car to get a new battery. Then on the way home almost got into one of the worst wrecks ever. This guy went up over this hill and the ladder which was way too long to be in the bed of his truck went flying out! It landed on the road thankfully and narrowly missed taking out two motorcyclists. Two cars in front of me stopped cause she saw the ladder and it landed right in front of her car. The guy in front of me had a motorcycle in the bed of his truck and it went on it's side as he swerved and then I ended up just on the left bank of the road still in the grass - thank God no one was behind me and I was able to stop. The lady two cars ahead didn't realize she couldn't run over the ladder as she was trying and the guy behind her got out and moved it and put it in his truck to take to the guy that lost it. AGAIN, thankfully no one was behind me still on this VERY busy road. I was able to back up and get around these two cars and get home - shaking all the way!

THANK YOU SHARON!!!!
I got this trade in the mail today - Sharon's Artist's Trading Card. LOVE IT. I'm mailing yours on Monday. THANK YOU very much.






Hubby is off with son #2 for a soccer game and I'm off to my painting room to get some windows done. Will share later.

BRAIN BLOCK
I've had brain block all day and cannot figure out what I want to paint, how I want to paint, etc. I feel like I've gone around in circles since I got up this morning. I probably should have gotten up at 5:30a.m. when I was awake ~ instead of going back to sleep and getting up at 6:30a.m.
Oh well.
I did manage to get my new canopy (for my upcoming craft fair) put together ~ thought it would be a good idea to get it out of it's wrapping and put it up since I've never put one up before. TOOK me over an hour - it's hard to get all four corners to go out when you are just one person pulling in one direction ~ you know what I mean.
Anyway....enough about that.
Had a painting class yesterday at HL and it went fabulously well. The ladies did an awesome job on their plates ~ they went with the popular vote "the pumpkin plate". Forgot my camera so asked them to please take pictures and either email them to me or bring their plates with them to my next class so that I can take pics. HAVE TO REMEMBER my camera.
I did have a play yesterday with the CRICUT machine since my friend Terry is coming back from the beach today. Here are a few things I cut out:

I started just before the boys came home from school and started making some flowers and Christmas stuff and then when they got home and loved what this machine was doing - I made them some bookmarks with animals on them. This machine is incredible - when it works properly ~ OKAY, when the operator knows how to work it properly. HAHAHA
The details are so intricate. You have to know when to adjust the pressure of the cut and the speed at which it cuts - all things I think it should know when you decide what you are going to cut. You have to tell it those things and I THINK it would have been easier to have a button asking whether you are using card stock or regular paper. Verdict is still out on whether or not I wil purchase one for myself - might wait til they go down in price.
Painted this last night. Has two hummingbirds, one butterfly, 4 bees and 1 dragonfly ~ can you find them all?











Here is what I managed to paint today ~
Still not what is in my head but hopefully by this evening I will figure that out and paint it!


Made this one so that you can put 4x6 photos in the vine windows. Not sure if I'm gonna add something to the bottom ~ thought maybe something ~ Bloom where you are planted ~
F A M I L Y ~ hooks for hanging things on???
Let me know what you think I should do!

Bowling day ~
Okay here they are, my bowling scores for today: 134,155,191 (480 series) I started off slow but found my game in the end thankfully.
Hung out at the Georgia State Fair yesterday for about 5 hours and had a fabulous time. Lots of walking - kids were out of school and their admission was free ~ it was also Military appreciation day so we only had to pay my admission. Boys rode tons of rides, played lots of games and we ate way too much Fair Food! YUMMO! Funnel cakes, corn dogs, cotton candy!
I fixed the flower pot on my topiary window - took about an inch off each side of the pot and am more pleased with it. Not sure if it's enough but it's staying like it is.






















Lovin' this window - I painted it yesterday after we got home from the Georgia State Fair.
Love this pink roses with the purple flowers mixed in.










Working on some wooden plates for an upcoming painting class I'm teaching at Hobby Lobby. Love those stamps I bought last month!

Not sure if we are gonna do this plate or
the one below with mums on it.
I like them both but the VOTE this morning with my three boys was this one with the pumpkins.
Maybe, the class attendees will get a choice - we'll see.














Fall Mumms

Missed a Day!
Can't believe that I missed bloggin' yesterday. I was doing so good to blog every day lately and yesterday just got the best of me! Didn't get much of anything done although I needed to get a lot done. I did however, get my easle at Hobby Lobby that I wanted with a little help from my friends ~ read below to see what I mean.
I had a friend come over yesterday and got one of the peach ornaments that I've been making to take to a conference where she needed something that represented GEORGIA. She loved it and hopefully the recipient will as well. Here were the options:


flat ceramic ornament (peach painted on one side)
Love the ribbon ~ Wal-Mart find ~ burgundy one side and mustard yellow the other - DIRT CHEAP and gorgeous!
















Peach Glass Ornament (bubbled ornament - not round like a christmas bulb but flatter which is much easier to paint on). Have to admit that the ribbon came on a package of chocolates that came from switzerland ~ my mom picked up some chocolates in the shapes of soccer balls, a soccer player, a soccer cleat, etc. SOOOO WISH I HAD TAKEN A PICTURE BEFORE THEY WERE DEVOURED BY MY THREE BOYS!!!! The ribbon was too good to throw away so I recycled it.

This is the ornament she chose to take and give away at the conference next month! :) :) :)






Here are the windows I painted today ~




Hydrangea topiary tree in a flower pot.





Might change the flower pot to NOT be so big on the bottom ~ the advantage of painting on glass you can scrape away where you want to! :)






I just had to paint this beach scene on a window and this was the perfect window to do so ~ it had white speckles in between the two panes of glass. When you put it in the light it is sooo pretty.
I can just imagine this in someones bathroom or in a tanning salon or well I don't know where but I'm sure there is the PERFECT place somewhere for it.
SOLD
This is the easle I got yesterday. I helped some of my friends with a project and they decided to go together and take a donation for my time ~ which was totally not necessary but soooo appreciated! I used their gift card and a 40% off coupon that HL so graciously gives you on-line and got this $150.00 easle for $15.00!!!!!!!! It is perfect for painting my windows and I know will be perfect for my canvas pieces as well.
I have this terrible HABIT of having to STAND when I paint and well.....when I do just about anything....especially scrapbooking I have to stand. I have stood for hours at crops, etc. scrapbooking and not sitting at all. Not able to sit. HAVE a much better look at it from a standing position - I'm HOPING that this easle will allow me to sit on a stool (that I already have) and SIT while I paint. I'm not sure it will happen BUT I can tell you right now that my feet are killing me after standing all day on my hard wood floor in the dining room and ceramic tiles in the kitchen! OUCH!

I've been looking at this cricut machine sittin' on my table and SOOOOO want to have a play with it. I have so much to do that I haven't had time to play around and make some titles for scrapbook pages I'd like to ~ but hopefully tomorrow after church I'll have time to play with it. Will share more of my thoughts about it tomorrow ~ not too convinced that I need to spend the money to purchase one ~ especially since my good friend Terry would let me use hers if I need it for something.

Thanks for the awesome emails I received lately about my work! Also about purchasing some of the items I've been doing and sharing ~ will check into postage on those and get back to those that have emailed me about purchasing some of my windows! :)
Glad you LOVED the flower pens as much as I did! and YES, I hope I have enough groceries to last me at least two weeks ~ other than the essentials ~ like milk, salad stuff and fruit. So far so good! :) We're certainly blessed and are not going hungry ~ which I thank GOD for every day.

Well, had our OSC board meeting today and although my hubby said the flower pens were hideous I decided to do them anyway. I was too tired to get ready to leave early and finished what I didn't finish last night. THEY LOVED THEM ~ as I knew they would. I have to admit I usually listen to my husband and VALUE his opinion very much but I didn't have a plan B and liked plan A too much to not do them.



I passed them around in this great terra cotta pot (hobby lobby).

After the meeting I had to go grocery shopping and when the lady told me my total I said "NO WAY!!!!" It was $474.00. Now this momma's cupboards were bare but I didn't think they were that expensively bare. My boys are 10,11, and 12 and I can only imagine what my grocery bill is going to be when they are 14,15, & 16 and so on. YIKES!

Paid for my pitch at an upcoming Fall Festival so HAVE to get on the ball and get painting - I picked up some more windows yesterday to paint. The windows were in much better shape than the first batch. I didn't mind paying more for them since I didn't have to clean off all the bug body parts. I've got a lot of ideas and a lot of things in my head that WANT to come out and be painted so I'm hoping I get that done this weekend.
Cami, I'll let you know my opinion on the CRICUT after I've had a good play with it~ hopefully tomorrow ~ right now the verdict is out but not looking too promising for a purchase.

PLAY DAY! Well not really.
My friend Terry brought over her CRICUT machine (cause I'm too cheap to purchase one for myself) NO, I actually wanted to check it out to see if I really want one like I want one.
It's fun. It's aggrevating! It is fast but it also tears if you do it wrong!
She's gonna leave it with me a couple of days (what a friend) to have a play with it.










I started playing with the machine and my hubby called me to ask me to bring him some clothes for his physical therapy appt. (knee surgery months ago) and although I didn't want to drive 30 minutes to get the clothes there I thought of all the places I could stop on the way back so I went! Stopped at Michaels on the way back as well as Hobby Lobby. Picked up this pumpkin at 50% off cause I wanted to paint one. I love how this turned out and in true SANDY fashion I'm giving it away to my friend tomorrow.





















We'll I've played enough and now it's time to get some spouses club stuff done since I'm running a board meeting tomorrow! For the board members I was going to make these cute little boxes with the CRICUT machine and put a small treat inside - way too much trouble and way too much time! So I got these really pretty sunflowers at Michaels and was making those fun pens with the flowers on the end and my hubby walked in and said "those are hideous" SO...although I don't have to do anything I wanted to take a little something for everyone on the board tomorrow as a small thank you for all their work and time! Might have to stop at good ole trusty Wal-Mart and see what I can pick up last minute.

Encaustic Art
I just had to share this - my friend Terry did it yesterday at one of our OSC craft club events. I'm envious I didn't get to go and learn how to do this - but she's gonna show me how ~ huh?



I loved watching the guy on CreateandCraft TV while we lived in England make this art. It's amazing how quick and easy it comes together when you know what to do with the iron and wax. Sometimes when you don't know what you are doing with it it still comes out looking awesome (abstract usually) but cool.
This art isn't very big in the states yet. Our OSC artist that runs our craft groups is actually from England does amazing things with this art.
Sorry I missed this class and will certainly be at the next! Awesome job Terry!

Had an AWESOME day at bowling today ~ I haven't done this well since moving here and was thrilled with my scores today. I bowled a 168, 151 and a 219! YAHOO!!! Was thrilled. Had a bowling luncheon afterwards then a scholarship meeting and rushed home to be here for the boys when they get off the bus. Now, rushing to finish this update and get ready for the homework, soccer practice and hopefully a bit of painting. I've also got to catch up on Rhonna's challenge - I'm way behind!

More Painted Windows ~
Here are windows I painted yesterday and today.








Pumpkins, wheat, and sunflowers.
SOLD










Grapes vines with grapes and dragonfly














Had to wait at the car place for 3 hours to get my DH's car fixed. Had lunch with DH at a Korean restaurant which was okay but after eating in Korea myself it just didn't compare! Had to go to the doctors and get 4 moles on my back frozen ~ OUCH! that hurt so bad. Have to go back in 3 weeks for a repeat ~ already in pain just thinking about it.
Thanks Lynette for your very sweet EMAIL! So glad you are enjoying my blog and even more thrilled that you are inspired now to take some painting lessons! Wish you were down here in GA with me so I could teach ya. Also had a fantastic message from my great friend Nancy in NE about how much she is enjoying keeping up with me through my blog ~ Miss you bunches and cannot wait til you get your BLOG started ~ you are so talented and I cannot wait to read yours everyday ~ so hurry up already!!! :) SMILES
Going bowling tomorrow - hope my scores are as good if not better than they were last week.
Have a great week! Don't forget to smile.

Painting Class ~
I had such a great "first" painting class yesterday at Hobby Lobby. My class was full (6 students) and thankfully my great friend Terry took pictures for me ~ something I always forget to do. Everyone did so well and I think all were pleased with their finished project. We painted sunflowers on the wooden Tissue Box. They actually finished quicker than I thought so some added extra flowers and painted some other sides of their box.
I was so inspired after my class that I had to come home and paint. I got a STEAL on some windows at a local flea market store and decided to start painting them for a local fair that I'm doing this month. Can't believe it's already October! It's HOT still in Middle Georgia ~ mid 80's today and so DRY.
Here are photos of the windows I painted:



The white pieces of paper are where photos would fit in. There are photo corners attached to the window so you can insert and change photos whenever you wanted to. Thought this would look so awesome in a Shabby Chic room~ a style I LOVE but don't have in my house anywhere.






Out of all the flowers I paint ~ I love to paint sunflowers. I saw something similar to this and decided to give it my twist. Love the hummingbird in the bottom right corner.

Got an easy week this week. I'm hoping to get a bunch of things painted! I managed to get some scrapbooking done on Friday ~ my friend Jamie came over and we cropped for 4 hours. I finished 18 pages in my Iceland Album (we lived there from 1995-1997). I'm just a bit behind on my pictures ~ don't ya think?? I'm also behind on painting orders and just took on a big project to paint table centerpieces for someones wedding reception. Plus, the goblets for the head table (2 dozen). They are getting married in Texas so I'm thinking Texas Blue Bells and Yellow Roses. Will share of course as I get them done. Thankfully it's not until April so I have time to get them done!
Have an outstanding week!

DRAGGING!
I stayed up last night and watched Project Runway and paid for it all day. I've been dragging since I got up. I only stayed up til 11p.m. which isn't that late but it is an hour and a half past my bedtime. Hung out with some friends today working on a project and then had lunch with my pal Terry and shopping at Wal-Mart and I yawned the entire time! I should have taken a nap before the kids got home from school but thought I'd be worse for wear if I did that. Going to bed early tonight!
I'm trying to do one of Rhonna's Challenges (see my link to the right for Rhonna)
Still working on the first creative prompt and finished the second - which was to play around with different types/styles of font. Here is what I did. Sure do wish I could use my computer to it's full potential cause I'm sure it can do much more than I know it can. Loved the way it turned out though. Will share the 1st creative prompt when I get it finished.

Painting class project ~
These are the tissue boxes we are going to paint in my first HL class this Saturday.
Haven't decided if we'll have time to paint all the way around the box or if we'll just
get one side done and they can paint the rest when they take it home.












Sunflowers with white daisies








Sunflower with bee

Off to meetings today (OSC scholarship stuff) and then shopping to get all the supplies for my class on Saturday.

Yesterdays bowling scores are worth noting : 170, 181 and 173. Had a 524 series which ties me for the highest series of the season so far! YEAH! I'm sure it will passed - it's early in the season.
Supposed to be HOT today around 90 - is it fall where you are? It's still summer in middle GA most days!
Paid $2.09 yesterday for gas and my in-laws paid $1.94 this past weekend I think in South Carolina. If it gets below $2.00 I'm gonna take a picture of the sign. Wish I had done the same when it was around $3.00 a gallon.

No longer MIA
Can't believe it's been almost a week since I blogged. I have to admit that I got on several times and was just too busy to sit and write.
Thursday of last week we had our spouses club BINGO - didn't win a thing - didn't expect to so wasn't disappointed when I didn't. We had a record number turn out for our function which was very exciting. Friday, I helped some friends work on a special surprise for an event they have coming up. Hubby came home and ran out the door with son #1 and #3 to go to the McTier Family Reunion in Thomson, GA. I had the car packed (forgot some items - allergy medicines, socks for son#1) and they were off. Kendall had 3 soccer games this weekend so we stayed behind to go to those. It makes me so nervous that they put him in as goalie. He did really well though the entire weekend and they won 2 of the 3 games. He had some awesome saves! Here is a pic of him during practice just before game #1.











Family came home while we were at the third game yesterday which we won 5-1 ~ all exhausted from a busy weekend and way too much food! My fabulous father-in-law had these beautiful pomagranites (SP?) growing in his yard so he picked some with me in mind!! SWEET! He thought it would make good inspiration for a painting! I'm working on it and will share when I'm done.












My friend Terry is coming over to paint this morning and I got a head start. I haven't painted in well over a week and it was driving me crazy! As soon as I got my stuff together I couldn't wait and got to painting. I LOVE this canvas painting. I got the idea from a painting Donna Dewberry did for the auction during Super Education Convention this summer and I just had to do something like it. I couldn't get a great picture of hers at the auction because of all the stage lights but had a blurry enough picture that I got the idea of how things were painted. I've also been looking through the Sunday paper ads for inspiration with bed spreads, curtains and any thing else that is similar to this. Haven't decided if I'm going to frame it or not. It's in my dining room right now (the red room) but since I never keep anything that I paint for myself I'm not even sure it will stay in my house.















After I painted the canvas I had WAY too much paint on my plates so I had to paint something else. I used the fabric paint on both (a new paint by PLAID that is UNBELIEVABLE!!!!) Right now it's only available on HSN and Donna will be on HSN on the 28th with more hopefully! It's soft, doesn't dry hard, and is so easy to apply. I love the green and white on this ORANGE shirt. I applied swarovski crystals to the middles of each flower. Wanted to go crazy with the crystals but thought the shirt had just enough on it without going over the top.
Not sure what Terry and I are gonna paint today but have so much to get busy working on. I've been picking up ornaments here and there and should get a jump start on those before the holidays. Have some Christmas presents I need to start working on and some glassware for my mom's friends. Just not enough hours in the day!
Have a fabulous week!

Bowling Tuesday - OUCH!
I should have stayed home from bowling today actually - my scores were terrible!
My average had gone up to 155 but after today I'm sure it will go WAY down.
I bowled a 121, 160, and a big whopping 117.
Good NEWS though - I filled my first One Stroke painting class at Hobby Lobby!!!! YAHOO!!
I had a fabulous painting class at my house yesterday and this is what we painted:






Had a great class and the ladies did so well!! Now they have something to hang on their wall for FALL. Love the stamps - we used those instead of painting the letters. It was nice that I could lay them out to get my spacing before stamping each one! I'm busy busy busy for the next couple of days with spouses club stuff. We play bingo on Thursday - but I never win so if I do it will be a big deal!!! and of course I'll post my winnings!!

YAHOO!! Our town got a HOBBY LOBBY!
Went to Hobby Lobby last week to see if they had a One Stroke Painting Instructor
yet and they didn't and were very excited that I came in. YEAH! They will provide me with a class room and allow me to teach classes and the only deal is that the attendees must purchase their project items at Hobby Lobby! Win Win situation if you ask me!
I met my friend Terry there on Friday morning for their soft opening and spent 2 1/2 hours shopping. It was overwhelming the amount of stuff they have and so much needed in this town. The only other craft store in town is Michaels and belive me they will have a run for their money now - cause you could fit 4 of their stores in HL ~ which means the selection on everything is so much better.
After shopping Friday, I had to go back on Saturday and get the things I saw and wish I had purchased on Friday. On Friday, when I was finished I walked up to the register with no lines whatsoever and on Saturday it was a different story - 11 registers I think and all about 15/20 deep with people. It was a mad house and very crazy!
Here are some of the goodies I got and all of it was 50% off!
The stamp set I think was my best value for money item ~ 70 stamps with the entire alphabet (upper and lower case) plus punctuation and numbers ~ originally $24.99 and I got it half price! The green and orange boards I'm gonna use for my painting class tomorrow here at my house ~ we're painting something for FALL/HARVEST.
The round ceramic ornaments that I already started painting like PEACHES, since I live here in GA ~ thought those would make awesome ornaments and they were the right price .50cents each.
LOVE LOVE LOVE the London and Paris signs! After living in Europe for 5 years I just thought they would look awesome in my house. Now, I'm gonna work on some canvas collages using the pictures I have from both places. Would still love to find ROME as this was one our favortie places we visited as a family while living in Europe. They were cheap too $12.99 and $9.99 and then half off!





























Love these bath enamel pans! Don't be mad at my Terry! We both loved them when we saw them on Friday and we only saw this one set up on top of a shelf. They were being used to decorate the top of a shelf and I just had to find out how much they were when I went back on Saturday. The larger one was only $14.99 and the smaller one $8.99 PLUS 50% off that! I looked for another set cause I was actually gonna buy them for my friend T but they had no more that I saw. sorry.
They look great on my jacuzzi tub!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA!




It's my grandma's birthday!
This photo was taken when she
came to visit us in England in 2004.
Gosh, look how young my boys are!
They sure have grown.
We love you grandma and hope you
have a fabulous day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOLLAND!
My baby is "10" today!!!!
I cannot believe that my youngest is already 10 years old. A decade! Where did that time go??? I never really believed it when people would say "they'll be out of the house before you know it" and here my baby is "10". YIKES!
Holland is the comic in our family and at least once a day cracks us up with some joke or remark. One of our favorite to date is ~ one day he asked DH and I where cognito was? Get it INcognito. He thought it was a place you go and it just cracked us up to the point of sore ribs from laughing so hard.
Speaking of laughs ~ he has a great laugh! It makes me laugh or smile when I hear him laugh cause it's just so cute and contagious!

Update on my dad is that he doesn't need stints in his heart but during the surgery his blood pressure dropped dramatically and they kept him in the hospital overnight. He'll hopefully get to come home tomorrow - chatted with mom today and she was exhausted!

One of my favorite stores is opening this week and cannot wait!!!! HOBBY LOBBY!!!!!!
I walked through it today to chat with the manager about teaching painting classes and SAW SO MUCH STUFF THAT I ABSOLUTELY LOVED!!!! It opens this Friday and the Grand Opening is next Wednesday (Sept.18) might be doing a demostration painting during this time. Will keep you posted and post any pictures if I do.

Have to go and decorate this cake before my boys get off the bus.
Ciao!

UPDATE: Got the cake decorated and ready just before the boys got off the bus. We ran a couple of errands and then ate a fabulous dinner at Longhorn Steak House. They surprised Holland with a nice LOUD song and bowl of ice cream. Sure do wish I could make steak like that at home! Melted in my mouth!
Uncle Matt, Aunt Debbie, Hannah and Andrew came over for cake and ice cream (which Steven and I didn't eat any of )boohoo boohoo - we are off sugar right now and I got a headache while slicing it up just from smelling it. Holland wanted chocolate cake with vanilla icing between the two layers and chocolate icing all over! YUM!!! I so wanted to sit down with a fork and eat a bunch of it. DH has lost 12 lbs. so far and me 10 lbs.

Prayers and hugs for my dad!
He is having surgery tomorrow (in Germany) to see if he needs stints in
his heart or if they have to do open heart surgery! Will hopefully hear how the procedure went and hope he is well and healthy.

Bowling day today ~ I was so tired and wanted to stay home actually but after my
terrible first game (119) I bowled a 167 and 168.

I'm off to take a nap ~ something I don't get to do too often ~ but I'm tired kids will be home soon!

Busy busy today but made time for ART today! Took my oldest and youngest sons to their bowling leagues this morning. My oldest has moved up and is now bowling with the Jrs. & Srs. This means that he is bowling with kids his age and up to 19/20. YIKES - He is 12! I don't want him exposed to what they will be talking about not to mention their actions. He is on a good team though with other 12 year olds and one 17 year old that is very kind so at least he is not mixed in with a bunch of 18 & 19 yr olds. They both bowled well and had a great day! I was BUSY and didn't get to watch either of them bowl today. I am a parent coach so I help the bantam preps (6-11) and make sure they bowl on the right lane, keep their shoes tied, keep them seated until it's their turn to bowl and give lots of high fives and "way to go" and "it's okay, don't cry, you'll get another ball".
Middle son had soccer today and they won 2 to nil. He played in goal the second half which makes DH and I so nervous! He plays again tomorrow (URGH! You'd think that in the Bible belt they wouldn't have sports on Sundays) and the game is in Savannah - 3 hours away - so that will be 6 hours travel time for a hour game or just over. Crazy.
Here is what I did today: I saw Keisha Campbell (on Christi's links) do something similar to this with the clipboard and I just loved it. Took a picture of myself and just created.













END OF SUMMER SALES:
Picked up these two pairs of flip flops at the craft store for close to nothing about a month ago and decided since I had paint out I'd get them painted as well. Good thing I can still wear them - it's still summer down here in middle GA.

September 8, 2006
Happy Friday!
I was quite busy the past couple of days and had no time to write. Had to get ready for a spouses board meeting and then had that yesterday as well as a program by the Aviation Musuem for the board. That was fun. Then off to lunch with the the First Lady of Georgia, Mrs. Perdue to talk about the importance of Court Child Advocates. Very interesting. Very sad and disturbing to hear all the facts about abused and neglected children.
Today was the first day this week that I am just at home - don't have to go anywhere or do anything expect clean this house of mine.
Wanted to share a BEFORE picture with you of a piece of furniture I picked up at an auction while in Nebraska this summer (visiting my awesome friend Nancy and family).
It was dirt cheap $15.00 I think and was covered in terrible brown paint. It's not an heirloom piece but fun with the magazine pouches on the sides. I've been inspired to paint it a certain way - of course, it's up in my head so now I have to get it out! Will share when I do.
Have a great weekend!















BTW: Gas was $2.37 a gallon yesterday.

bowling scores
Okay...before I wash them off my hand let me tell you how I bowled today. My first game I came out blazin' with a 173 then reality hit and I bowled a 136 and my last game a 158.
Not too bad but typically inconsistant for me.
Back on the no sugar thing and all was going great til I read Heidi Swapp's blog about chocolate chip cookies and that is all I've thought about since yesterday after reading it. Today I feel sluggish, tired and would really like to crawl under the covers but no a mother's work is never done so I best get myself in gear and get dinner going, homework finished, and since I have one on restriction from the TV I should see if he wants to read with me. Maybe a small bite of a C.C.C. won't hurt me.... or maybe I'll just smell it and dream ~ I'll keep you posted.

BTW ~ Gas today was $2.45 -wow, hope it keeps coming down.

LABOR Weekend
I think my husband took the Labor Day weekend literally and thought we needed to do some hard labor around the house!
We had fun though and make such a good team! We put railing around our deck out back and it looks awesome. He said he was going to Lowes to see what they had and he came back with a van full of stuff to start the fun. We put the entire thing up after church on Sunday and yesterday he went out to get paint and stain to complete the job ~ something I'll do when the kids are in school and daddy is at work. This was one of those unfinished jobs left by the builder and it just looked incompleted so we completed it and we're very happy with our handy work if I say so myself.
I rearranged some furniture - something my hubby just loves to do - NOT - and finally got a rack to hold most of my paints so that I can have them in one place and not 5 different drawers. Probably need to get a second with as much paint as I have - OR - I just need to paint more - that sounds better to me.
Back to work and school today and I'm off to bowl with the wives! Bowled way to high last week since those numbers are used to set our averages and now we'll have to see if I can keep it up.
Miss all my girls in England - thanks for checking out my blog! and my bestest friend Nancy Mc. got your message ~ almost made me cry ~ thank you!
Have a fantastic week!

Family weekend
Soccer season and bowling leagues kick off next weekend and this is our last family weekend together at home where we really have no where to be and no schedule to follow! We LOVE weekends like this and starting next weekend we'll be going in many different directions getting kiddos to certain places. We are fortunate that we don't have too busy a schedule on a normal basis and even when the kids are involved we limit it to one activity at a time so that we aren't going in 50 different directions every day of the week. It's gray outside ~ makes me just want to crawl up on the couch with a blanket and my family and watch movies. When you walk outside though - it's HOT and humid and if the clouds clear it is suppose to be up to 92 degrees today.
Told you I'd keep you up to date on the gas prices - $2.49 a gallon today. Not to shabby and hope it keeps coming down especially before the holidays.
I've started painting fall and Christmas things and will share as I get them done.
Have a fantastic Labor Day weekend!


















This plate had a white poinsetta on it from this summer when I went to Super Convention. I hated it! So I cleaned it off and painted something for fall. Think I might add some acorns to go with the leaves on the border of the plate.

16 YEARS of Wedded Bliss
Wow! Today was the day 16 years ago I married the man of my dreams! The day I met this man I knew we would be together for the rest of our lives. We are best friends! Still crazy about each other like the day we met. Pulled this pic off an album page that I wasn't too crazy about and wanted to share. DH and I looked through the album and tried to remember names of people (we didn't write down all the names) and chatted about all the memories leading up to the wedding, our wedding, the reception, and our honeymoon in Hong Kong. BEAUTIFUL!




















Unfortunately, I think so many people put all of their energy into the planning of the wedding and the wedding day and don't really plan or think about what the future holds. Even after only knowing my DH for 6 months we talked about the future. We TALK a lot and actually hear each other. All the planning didn't go into our wedding but into our future and the life we saw that we wanted together ~ if you know what I mean.
I used to always joke because of my luck with men or should I say bad luck that God put my Mr. Right in Ethiopia or somewhere cause he wasn't around where I lived. Well, He actually put him in Okinawa, Japan. He had it all planned. What an amazing, awesome plan! Lucky me!