Darn It!!!!

I know it's been a few months since I've been here, but the one time that I absolutely HAVE to come in & look for something from one of the blogs I've followed for YEARS and I find my reading list.....completely empty! :(   Google & Blogger have removed me from all of the blogs that I loved to visit.  I'm all for improvements and I understand that over time things happen, but this...something so simple and innocuous as a reading list of blogs....so frustrating. 

Has anyone else had this happen?  Did you have to spend days going back and trying to find all of your favorites or did you just resign yourself to starting over? 

I want to share some Christmas posts with you, so I'll be back later on.  If you're in the mood to flip through pictures and not worry with the hassle of reading posts, please feel free to stop by my Tumblr, House of Roses, any time you'd like.

*sigh*

 

Playing "Catch Up"

I cannot believe that it's been nearly a month since I've been on here. This is what happens when life gets in the way of all the things you want to do. Figured since the next 6-8 weeks aren't going to be much better, I'd make today a show n tell kind of day. Ready?

I managed to do a bit of thrift store hopping. I picked up these adorable glass pieces, for less than $5 combined. I found the LONG pearl strand at a converted house in Ogden, called Pnuji's Place, and had to stop myself at just one pretty...she has some milk glass and other goodies that I'd LOVE to get my hot little hands on!

I finally managed to get my funky window in the master bedroom covered. Again, thanks to a thrift store jaunt, I picked up six of these Battenburg panels for $8...only needed four for the window, so I plan on using the remaining two for my back door.

Here's a single panel so you can see just how pretty they really are...

One of our friends didn't get to participate in our Christmas in July swap (we had an odd number sign up, so she volunteered to sit out)...we've all been sending her gifts over the last six months and this is my contribution. I got the stocking at Dollar Tree, then used some tiny doilies and trims that I had and stitched them on. I think it turned out gorgeous & if I know Sharron, she's gonna love it!!

I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

I've got the top of my entertainment center all decked out with my winter forest again. I've added some white bottle brush trees this year and an angel that I got at JoAnn's last year on clearance.

I saved one of the trees for this little project. I had a new blogging buddy send me a GORGEOUS antique Ball canning jar with a zinc lid and I just had to use it one of the darling ideas that we were gushing over on Pinterest...I think it looks fantastic sitting on my bookcase with my shelf of antique books.

Thank you Linda (beautiful hostess of the Prairie Flower Farm blog)...I love this jar and will treasure it and our new friendship always!

Well, that's what I've been up to lately. I'm hoping to be able to share some more really soon. I'm making some last minute Christmas presents, burning files to DVD/CDs for the end of the year and I've got to save everything I've ever purchased from PC Crafter since 2007. They announced a week or so ago that they're closing down their website, which really stinks, because so many ladies are being left out in the cold in regard to the purchases we made with them. They smacked us TWICE when they said if we have any money sitting in our "PCpurses" (aka store credits) that we don't get it back, but we're more than welcome to spend it at their new focus...cricut.com. Sorry, Provo Craft, I don't own a Cricut, I never will, and the way that you have handled the closing of the PC Crafter website makes me want to sell my Cuttlebug, dies, and folders. There are so many things they could have done differently.  Trust me when I say that I can be perfectly happy using Tim Holtz dies/folders by Sizzix, my Spellbinders, and throwing a little money toward some yumminess over at Paper Trey Ink!  *sigh* Okay, kiddos, I'm jumping off my soapbox...tons still left to do before the end of the year.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great rest of your day!!

I don't get it...

Call me a dork, if you like, but I CANNOT for the life of me understand WHY we'd have a day of THANKSGIVING followed by a frenetic weekend of consumerism & blatant commercialism.

The next 28days are going to be hectic....by our design...folks running back n forth trying to find the perfect Christmas gift for people on their lists, attending party after party, standing in line for hours to ship things in the mail, and never stopping to relax and enjoy the reason this time of year is really for.

I've never been a fan of Black Friday...I've done it TWICE in twenty years and regretted both times. The last time was 2001 and I swore never again. I stood for half an hour in line, while the woman behind me repeatedly banged her shopping cart into my back, hips, and legs. I lost it, tossed the items I was going to purchase onto a nearby shelf and told her flat out that I was going to forget that I was a Christian for five minutes and shove that shopping cart right up her backside if she didn't knock it off. People around me clapped, while she looked at me like I was nuts, then I left & went home to my family. Right where I should have been all along.

Guess folks really don't have a gratitude attitude after all. People are rude, disrespectful, and sometimes downright mean when it comes to getting that last item on the shelf. That desire to be there first and say they got it at the best bargain price...yeah, you may have, but at what cost? Lost sleep, gas & mileage on your car driving all over the place, fighting the crowds in the name of getting a good price, and more importantly...missing precious time with your family. I'm sorry, to me it's just not worth it.

I'm HUGE on hunting for bargains...you can ask anyone that knows me. I'm a thrift store junkie. If I can find it on the side of the road for free and still usable, that's even better. I enjoy making things with my own two hands. Always have. I also know that the truest gifts you give to someone come from the heart NOT the wallet or the fanciest stores.

Love, kindness, respect, generosity of spirit, & your time...those are the gifts that truly matter this time of year. Heck, let's be honest here, they matter ALL times of the year, not just in that little 28day window that makes people feel all warm and fuzzy.

You want to do something meaningful this year...something that will REALLY give you the warm fuzzies? Donate that money you'd spend on expensive electronics for your kids to a children's charity - St Jude's, Bikers Against Child Abuse, Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Distrophy Association, Muscular Sclerosis, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, The Shriners Hospitals, Ronald McDonald House...KNOW in your heart that you helped someone that would appreciate another day on this planet with their families.

You just feel that you HAVE to buy a gift for your neighbors that you really only see in passing on the street or in the next pew at church on Sunday? Then stay away from the big box stores that took all of our work over to China and away from people here...buy from a local store or go on Etsy and buy from a crafter living in the United States.

Are you talented enough to make something yourself? Hit the Salvation Army stores, or other local thrift stores for items that can be re-purposed and given an extended life.

Go to the homeless shelter with your kids and serve food for a day...you'll understand what gratitude truly is.

Take a book or your family Bible to the VA Hospital and read to our soldiers that can't be home this season because they're recovering from injuries they sustained protecting your freedoms.

Get back to the basics people, the things that truly matter...you'll be glad that you did. AND you'll be teaching a future generation that the best things in life aren't things.

EDITED TO ADD: Here's a great site to search out American-made products - http://www.madeinusa.org/

The Power of Lyrics

My eyes are open wide
By the way I made it through the day
I watch the world outside
By the way I'm leaving out today

I just saw Haley's Comet, she waved
Said, "Why are you always running in place?"
Even the man in the moon disappeared
Somewhere in the stratosphere

Tell my mother, tell my father I've done the best I can
To make them realize this is my life, I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance

Please don't cry one tear for me
I'm not afraid of what I have to say
This is my one and only voice
So listen close, it's only for today

I just saw Haley's Comet, she waved
Said, "Why are you always running in place?"
Even the man in the moon disappeared
Somewhere in the stratosphere"

Tell my mother, tell my father I've done the best I can
To make them realize this is my life, I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance

Here is my chance
This is my chance

Tell my mother, tell my father I've done the best I can
To make them realize this is my life, I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance

Very Pinteresting....

Just thought I'd share a bit of what I've been looking through over on Pinterest today:

{PLEASE NOTE: the titles under the pix will take you to the actual sources, NOT the Pinterest pages}

Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese Sammies

Paris by Anti Pati

(thinking about printing this one onto some fabric...just not sure if I want a pillow or a t-shirt...)

Kai Lounge Pool Float

(just looks so COMFY! and it's kinda warm here today, so being near a pool would be nice...)

Drawer Pull Hanger Bar

(wouldn't this be cute for necklaces & scarves?)

Detoxifying Smoothies that have bonus benefits

Chicken Enchiladas in chipotle sour cream sauce

Being totally jealous of Becca's Cards

Christmas ornaments

I'll warn ya right now...Pinterest is highly ADDICTIVE...some folks get sucked in & aren't heard from for days on end! I can, at times, be one of those people, but today I have to help Youngest Child's teacher mark reading fluency charts, so I'm setting it aside...at least till tomorrow! *LOL*

Had a dream this weekend...I was leaving my house to run errands and found two white hawks lying dead on my doorstep. I just looked down at them for a moment, stepped over them, and never gave them another thought...wonder what that means?

A Different Kind of Candy

The blog candy alerts that I've posted in the past usually have tied to crafts. This ties to creativity of another kind...makeup as art. I have to confess ~~ I have makeup issues. My mother used to inundate her bathroom with Clinique and a few other pricey brands. I swore I'd NEVER spend for foundation what I could spend on an entire outfit in my closet. To me that was crazy! I was, for years, the "cheapo girl" - Maybelline, Cover Girl, NYC, Rimmel London, etc - and I was good with it. (NOTHING against them...for their cost, they were good makeup brands at the time).

Now, after 3 kids, living in the mountain desert for almost 15yrs, and just flat-out getting older, my skin needs have changed, so my makeup needs have, as well. I don't wear makeup most days. I'm too busy & don't get out as much as I used to so I don't need it as often. The biggest reason, it really screws up my skin. Too many chemicals. They either leave me with big dry flaky areas or I blister and break out. I even have problems with it making me itch and BURN. Not cool any time, but on your face? YIKES!

About 5yrs ago, I moved to Neutrogena for my mascara & have done really well, and the Physician's Formula for eyes, lips & foundation was working. Now the makeup is giving me problems, and the mascara? OMGosh...itchy, blistering, watery...making my eyelashes fall out! I cannot believe how sensitive I've become to things that I took for granted every day. It's very disheartening at times.

I'm considering trying new brands, but some of the "better" cosmetics are so EXPENSIVE...I bought a sampler of Bare Minerals last month to the tune of $20 plus tax...folks, I've had lip gloss pots that were bigger, lemme tell ya! I'm okay with their foundations, but I really like their concealer. Nice & smooth going on and doesn't cake up in those teeny creases...you know the ones I'm talking about.

I even like the matte moisturizer from Lauren Hutton, but at $30 for a small bottle, I haven't ordered any in quite some time. I'm perfectly content with my Dr Bronner's/baking soda facial scrub, apple cider toner, & grapeseed oil moisturizer. For now, it works and works well, so I'm sticking with it.

I have found a place online where I can buy minerals to MAKE my own - foundations, eye shadows, & lip colors. I just have to wait till I can afford it...the starter kits aren't cheap. Everything but the mascara. I did make some of that last month & it was a success, to a degree, meaning my eyes didn't water or burn, but it's missing something to make it thicker & I think I know what it is, but I want to verify with some experts first. I'll share that with you tomorrow.

Today, though, I thought you'd like to know about a GIVEAWAY from Jangsara...yup, you guessed it...makeup! {You knew I'd get to the candy portion eventually, right?} Sign up once between now & the 30th of this month & you could win what's pictured below. Click her name under the picture to head that way....good luck!

Jangsara

Thanks for stopping by & have a great rest of your day!!

Miscellaneous Monday

Yup, I've got the blues today....

I actually LIKE these blues, though...they make my eyes, brain, & heart happy. Blue is so cool, literally AND figuratively!

Miscellaneous Monday

REDS!

Most people think red is an angry color. I don't know...it kinda makes me feel cheery!

Memories

Today I washed up a 2lb bag of white seedless grapes and stuck them in the freezer. As a kid, these were our favorite treats when my sister and I went to Gary & Paula's to play with their boys. Aunt Paula would stick some grapes in the freezer while we chased chickens, ran in the field throwing dirt clods at each other, rode bikes up and down between the two hills, and swam in the pool. When we were too hot to do much more, she'd fill up some huge Tupperware glasses of those grapes and we'd sit on the deck, eating them, recharging for the next round of adventures. My sister always poured water over hers and used them like ice cubes till they thawed and didn't hurt her teeth so much. *LOL*

Ah....memories! What fun, summery treats did you enjoy as a child?

The Lawn Mower

A preacher was making his rounds on a bicycle, when he came upon a little boy trying to sell a lawn mower. "How much do you want for the mower?" asked the preacher.

"I just want enough money to go out and buy me a bicycle." said the little boy.

After a moment of consideration, the preacher asked, "Will you take my bike in trade for it?"

The little boy asked if he could try it out first. He told the preacher he hadn't ridden a bicycle in a long time and wasn't sure he could still ride one. The preacher told him, "Just keep trying. It'll come back to you."

After riding the bike around a little while, the little boy said, "Mister, you've got yourself a deal."

The preacher took the mower and began to crank it. He pulled on the rope a few times with no response from the mower. The preacher called the little boy over and said, "I can't get this mower to start."

The little boy said, "That's because you have to cuss at it to get it started."

The preacher said, "I can't cuss. It's been so long since I became a Christian that I don't even remember how to cuss."

The little boy looked at him happily and said, "You just keep pulling on that rope. It'll come back to you."

*ROFL* As you can see, I'm feeling better. Thanks for the prayers & love! I'll be back in a bit with project for ya...

Memorial Day

Today, while you're enjoying your bbq, picnics, fishing at the lake, and time spent with friends and family...laughing and smiling....take a few moments to say a prayer. Be sure to include thanks for those that have passed & served with honor, a thought for the families that are without their loved ones today and having a difficult time, and ask for continued safety for the brave men and women that are sleeping on the hard ground, eating sand, and trying to save their friends while taking enemy fire. It's because of those brave men and women that you were given a long holiday weekend and they deserve to be remembered, even if Congress and the Press barely give them a thought anymore.

The following two songs were written and sung by a friend of a friend. Chuck put into words what is felt in a lot of hearts, not just today, but every day.

God bless our troops ~ past, present & future!

Pondering Brown

No, not the famous International shipping company. The color. I'm sitting here on a cool, rainy morning, drinking my cinnamon/caramel coffee, munching on toast and strawberries dipped in

I realize that I'm surrounded by the color. Khaki t-shirt, sand colored walls and carpet (which I'm NOT crazy about - it's really more baby poo colored than sand - bleh!), and wood furnishings. Most people turn their noses up at brown. Brown instantly conjures images of mud....dirt....makes you think you have to clean & not many enjoy that particular task. Not me. I actually LIKE brown. Brown can be:

RICH

SOOTHING

COMFORTING

WELCOMING

DEEP & DECADENT

LIFE

CHOCOLATE (everyone's fave - it's definitely mine!)

Brown in decorating can actually be INTERESTING if you use it properly

INVITING

COMFORTABLE

Brown is a great NEUTRAL for decorating

TASTY

Brown can actually be an IMPROVEMENT!

So next time, if you're one of those people that turn your nose up at "brown," reconsider. You might be happy with the color. Thanks for stopping by & have a great rest of your day!!