Living Life Beautifully

Happy Halloween!!! It's beautiful outside. Makes you want to spend the day doing something outdoors. Our neighborhood is doing a hayride this evening. I don't know but a few of my neighbors, so we'll probably skip it,but maybe we'll have a little fire pit going and hand out some candy when they come by. We've only lived in the house for about a year. The properties are large so your not that close to your neighbors. I LOVE that! Although it makes it hard to get to know people unless you go to the property owners association. :) We haven't been yet. The boys have a game this evening where the band is going to do their version of "Thriller". Sounds like fun. Alex has the sniffles. It got pretty cold last night. When the heater finally shut on there was a burning smell in the house and the fire alarm went off. Bruce got up and walked the house looking for a fire. I had started the woodstove earlier so he went outside and looked at the chimney ...

HAPPY almost HALLOWEEN!!! This is Mr Gretta. (Thought he was a girl, turned out to be a boy) You can do just about anything to this sweet boy, and he just soaks it up. Some days I wish I had that magic bewitched nose. Oh how wonderful it would be to twinkle my little nose and have all the mess cleaned up in an instant. After an hour or so of each person in my home going through every cupboard and container trying to find the perfect part for their halloween costume, my house is a wreck. No matter. I head for the kitchen and, as flylady would say, I shine my sink. Or rather, I did my dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. It's amazing, when everything is a mess and incredibly overwhelming, all you have to do is clean up the kitchen and it gives you hope. :P I didn't have a clue, when I chose to have children, that it would be as difficult as it is. You go through those baby years of waking up at all hours of the night, smelling of spit up, and getting that bath routine down ...

I just got back from lunch with my cousin Candy. We always have fun hanging out. Lots of laughs and stories about our lives. I feel pretty fortunate to have a close friendship with at least three of my cousins. We all understand the genetic pool of stuff each other has to deal with. Good and Bad. Always makes for a laugh. I have a headache today. Seems to be getting worse as the day goes on. I'm suposed to go to our church this evening for something called trunk or treat. I'm thinking a cup of tension tamer tea, lots more tylenol, a good movie, and a soft bed sounds wonderful. Yesterday I started on one of my large rag dolls. I think I've made a total of 6 of them in all my years of crafting. This is a photo of the one I made for myself. The one I'm making now has more blue in the quilt, is tea stained, and has a lot more lace. I never know how they'll turn out. I guess that's what makes it fun and why I don't like making any two alike. I tell ya,...

It's a beautiful day, I've done my chores, and I have about two hours before I have to pick up the 10 year old. So I thought I would update my blog and then work on some craft projects. I've got two doll bodies ready to go. I hope to complete a rag doll and a Santa by the end of this week to post on my Etsy page. That's the goal. I've made quite a few dolls over the years and kept some of my favorites. This is one of my Santas. He's made from an old quilt that's seen better days. They take a while to make but their a lot of fun. As you can see I'm into the shabby chic look. Just about everything I have is imperfect. I love the history behind some of the things in my home. I have things that are so beaten up but have a great story behind them. Even my home itself has a wealth of stories. My Dad was working on the door to our kitchen, and he put this great trim piece right under the window. Well, when I looked at the door, all I could see was an...

Hey there, I'm really excited about starting my own blog. I've been writing in a journal since I was a child of 12 or so. It should be pretty easy for me to post often. Although my spelling can be rather interesting. Bare with me. :) For over a year now I've been on a mission to find joy in my life. That kind of joy that makes you feel like your actually LIVING your life, not just letting it pass by unnoticed. I thought it would be fun to share my journey with others and maybe get some good ideas along the way. I am an open book. That can be considered a flaw, however I find it helpful for others when I look like a fool. So, don't be surprised to find yourself laughing at my expense. If it's one thing I can do for your day....I'm good with that. :) I am a wife of almost 20 years, married to my best friend. I am a Mother of 4 wonderful boys and 7 great furry friends. I am a Christian, a crafter, a decorator, a singer, and the type of person who loves...