Morning runs...

...are not for me!!!  I knew this, but I decided to try it anyway. Well it was very nearly disastrous! My legs just DO NOT want to work that way in the morning. About 10 minutes in, I nearly busted it. So I think I'll just stick with my runs in the late afternoon after I get home from work.

The really nice thing about a morning run--it wasn't nearly as hot as it is in the afternoon (of course). Plus, the humidity was low this morning until about 10:00. And, not as many dogs were out to bark at me! *grin* 

The other bad thing about a morning run--I come home to Julia Child on PBS Create cooking with Jacque Pepin...so then I was really really hungry!!

But, this also greeted me as I got back to my house...

...beautiful flowers, quality of pic not so great--it's an iPhone pic...but still pretty!

I'm going to try to paint the kitchen today--not sure how far I'll actually get, though. Wish me luck!

“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. 

Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor 

was dressed like one of these."

Luke 12:27

Thanks for stopping by! 

Update...
Painted the back wall of the kitchen! Couldn't finish the bits by the doors (on the right side of each door, not visible in pic) because I didn't have any short roller covers *bleh* And, yeah, it's YELLOW!! BUT, most of the wall will be covered by a cabinet unit that will be built soon (hopefully) *grin*
 

You Better Belize It!

Hahaha!!  I just had to put that as the title of this post because it's such a cheesy little phrase--but of course it's everywhere in Belize. Which is where I went on vacation. Or holiday for you Brits reading this ;)

As I said before, my parents live in Belize, just outside of the capitol, and I go down every year for a week plus a couple days. I did not get to go last year, so I have been DYING to get back!!

Having said that, this post will mostly be some pictures. I don't have the snorkeling pics yet, but when I do get them back, I'll be sure to post them.

Enjoy!

These are the boys at the school my parents run in Belize. Those are my parents in the middle--Lyle and Rose.

This is my dad again and Pastor Frankie. Frankie is now the director of the school, and this is the symbolic handing over of the keys. Frankie actually was in the first graduating class of the school back in the 80s. If you haven't visited Global's website from my other post, please take a look here-->GOBVT.

Just some of the loveliness of Belize. The first pic--I have no idea what kind of flower that is, but it grows beside the sidewalk on the way to the dining hall of the school. The hibiscus grows outside my mom's office (and everywhere else--by their house, beside the sidewalks, etc). And the last pic up there is my parents' front yard taken from the porch.

My mom, Rose--standing on the front porch of their house.

A wild papaya tree in the yard. They are also pretty much all over the place.

Some type of tiny orchids growing on the side of a tree by one of the houses on campus. Pretty huh?

Speaking of orchids, below are the black orchids (which I believe are the national flower of Belize) growing on a piece of an old stump at the bottom of the steps up to my parents' porch.

And next are just ONE of the many bunches of bananas that grow around my parents' house. This one is at the back corner just outside of the window of the room in which I stayed...

 

This lovely is the newest addition to the guard dog fleet. Full-bred Rottweiler named Toby. He's 4 months old. I do NOT want to see him full grown!!--he's gonna be HUGE!! Right now though, he mostly can just lick you to death *grin* 

The schoolhouse at GOBVT. Three classrooms, a library (center) that doubles as another classroom, and a computer lab. 

Teak trees that are planted on campus.

Now some pics from San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. The first is the view from our hotel room. *GRIN* Lovely, yes? The second pic is of a local Catholic congregation observing Palm Sunday. You can't see in the picture, but they are carrying palm fronds, headed to the Catholic church just up the road from the hotel.

Dolphins! Spotted as we made our way out to the reef to snorkel. Two here, and 3 or 4 more on the other side of the boat that wouldn't come up for us.

I had a wonderful time and hope that I get to go back at some point. My parents will be moving back to the states in July, so it might be a while...

Hope you enjoyed the pictures! I'd love to hear from you, so please leave your comments below!

And have a very happy Easter, remembering the true reason we have this HOLYday.

Live a life filled with love, 

following the example of CHRIST. 

He loved us and offered himself 

as a SACRIFICE for us, 

a pleasing aroma to God.

 Ephesians 5:2

I'm a Wreath Girl! (aka Spring Wreath Tutorial)

Today I'm sharing my first tutorial! 

I decided the other day that I needed a new wreath for my front door--I still had the red berry wreath up from Christmas, and although it is holiday neutral, I decided it was time for a change.

So this is what I came up with...a cheery, happy Spring Wreath!

Here is the list of materials you'll need to make this wreath:

• One wreath form--I chose a straw form at Hobby Lobby because it was cheaper, but you can use a foam form if you prefer
• Felt sheets in the colors of your choice--quantity will vary based on the size wreath form you use--my wreath is 14" diameter and I used 12 felt sheets total
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Complementary shade of grosgrain ribbon for the hanger--I used 1/2 yard
• Three complementary shades of worsted weight yarn for the roses
• Size G crochet hook
• Yarn needle
• 6 extra long straight pins (optional)
• Pinking shears or other decorative edge scissors

Take your felt sheets and cut them in strips about 3 inches wide and long enough to wrap around the wreath form. Using the hot glue gun, shoot a strip of hot glue across one end of the strip and, pulling the other end tight, overlap and secure it in place.

You can choose any pattern you'd like--I used purple, pink, green, pink, green then started over.

Once you get it all covered, it'll look like this:

You can see at the bottom of this picture, the last purple strip is completely on top of the other strips. This is where I chose to place my crocheted flowers.

The tutorial I followed for the crochet roses was from the pompom Emporium and is very easy. However, you can use any flower pattern you like.

Note: If you use the pompom Emporium's pattern, leave a long tail on the beginning and end of your crochet--longer than the 10" she instructs. That way, you have plenty of yarn with which to tie your rose to your wreath.

I made three roses, but you can use however many flowers you want--it's all up to you how flowery your wreath will be! (I like things in threes and other odd numbers)

Once you've completed each rose, use the long tails you left on each end to tie them to the wreath form. Once you've knotted the ends, cut off any excess yarn. (sorry I didn't take a picture of this step!)

To make the hanger, lap the ends of your ribbon over each other (once again, I neglected to take a picture of this step) and sew across the width of the ribbon--either by hand or machine. Then, using your hot glue again, attach the hanger to the back of your wreath. I used six extra long straight pins to reinforce the hanger--you just pin them right through your big blob of hot glue.

Once the hot glue on the hanger has sufficiently cooled (about 5 minutes does the trick) you're ready to hang up your Spring Wreath!

Voila!!

Easy peasy, right?? 

I hope you enjoyed my first tutorial. Hopefully there will be other ones in the future, and hopefully I'll remember to take a photo of each and every step!

(Update as of 3-16-12--> now seen on That's the Ticket Blog Hop!! Check it out! 3-18-12 check out Rusty and Redone KISS party too!)

WIP update

So I finally finished the embroidery on the fish! Well--on the body of the fish anyway. 

It took an entire skein of embroidery floss. So I'm off to the store today to buy another so I can complete the fins and tail. After that, all that will be left to embroider are the other two lily pads!

I'd love to hear from you, especially if you decide to make your own Spring Wreath--let me know how it turns out!

Happy Friday!!!

These are my two lovely daffodils that I bought at Wal-Mart yesterday. I have not repotted them yet, so for now, they are sitting in the kitchen window. I love daffodils--they're one of my faves, and I remember them always being in the yard at my Memaw and Granddaddy's house. Just thought I'd share them with you for a cheery start to a good Friday!

I worked on both the quilt and the polka dot squares last night. No pic of the quilt, but here's an update on the polka squares. :)

4 new polka squares

I certainly hope today is a wonderful Friday--for you and for myself! Although, I am kind of sad that Fringe won't be on for four more weeks. I truly dislike the March Madness! But, if I'm lucky, the weather will be nice, and I'll get to go watch my nieces play soccer Saturday morning!

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 

Worship the Lord with gladness;

come before Him with joyful songs.

Psalm 100: 1-2 (NIV) 

Another Sneak Peek, a WIP, and Some Other Stuff

Another Sneak Peek!

Hi Folks!!  Happy Leap Day! 

I've been working more on my quilt--appliqued another item onto the background. So here's the sneak peek...

it's a lily pad! the detail isn't that great in this pic...

WIP

Now let me share how much of a procrastinator, lazy bum, insert other descriptive words here, that I am. I have, for the past 2 years, been working on a knit afghan. It's a patchwork pattern that I got from LionBrand, and it has three different stitches--garter, moss, and seed (that's my favorite). Why it is taking me so long I have no idea except that I think I just get tired of working on it! So, I put it down and don't go back to it for a few months. So call it what you will...

Here are the three different squares/colors/stitches. It will be GREAT when I get it finished. I'm making it to keep in my living room to cover up with when it's chilly...

red =  garter stitch, oatmeal = moss stitch, grey =  seed stitch (I think!!)

And the Other Stuff...

Over the last couple years I've been fairly crafty...a little of this, a little of that. First up is the Etch-A-Sketch ornament I made for my Christmas tree :)

love it!!  :)

It's felt, with embroidery, and there is a green grosgrain ribbon hanger that is not visible in this pic. (I also do some embroidery every now and then. I can't remember if I'd mentioned that previously...)

...

My sister's BFF had a baby not so long ago, so I decided I'd make her a little Bunny Blanket Buddy :)  I also decorated the craft box that I gave her the bunny in so that she could use that in the nursery as well. She had a little girl...(she looks just like her dad by the way)

bunny blanket buddy

Isn't it the most precious thing?? I have to brag on myself a little bit because I had to tweak the pattern a bit (mostly because I didn't like the way it looked according to pattern)...and here's the box in which I presented the bunny:

...

For Christmas 2010, I made my sister a multi-giant-granny square afghan. (She was all pouty because the Christmas before, I made E and R--my two nieces--knit afghans haha!! just kidding sis...). I can't find the pictures of the girls' afghans, but here is one of the squares of my sister's. I LOVED the colors in this one...

...

One year for Christmas, right after I learned to knit, my sister made me this CUTE ornament for my Christmas tree...I love it. And I have really wanted to make some myself to give to people, but I just haven't made the time! Again--I'm a procrastinator like that...

knit tree ornament by my sister :)

...

Now, the rest of my post is dedicated to the "little bit of life" that I refer to in my blog description. First up is a pic of one of my favorite flowers--the gardenia. This is a picture of the gardenia bush that grows at the corner of my great-grandfather's old house that I rented up until a year and a half ago. It's actually on the corner of the garage, so everyday when I'd get home from work and get out my car, I'd be greeted with the wonderful scent of gardenias :)  LOVED it...

beautiful, yummy smelling gardenia

  ...

In February 2010, my first cat, my sweet Desi, died. She was almost eight. Shortly after that, I went to a workshop on Art Therapy and the Grief Process (I'm a counselor by day, remember). It was there that I picked up chalk! (and it may be then that all this crafty goodness started in earnest, too). 

The following three pictures are irises, done in chalk by me, and they hang above my bed. I'm very proud of them, as I actually consider myself to have NO artistic ability whatsoever. But every now and then, I'll get a spurt of it from somewhere, and this kind of stuff comes out...

irises in chalk

I also did a calla lily triptych, but those aren't framed, and I also cannot find the picture I took of them. Maybe one day I'll find it and post it here, because those are really lovely.

...

And this...this is my sweet, lovey-dovey kitty Jude. Around 6 months old, he loved getting into the trash can in the bathroom. Luckily, he would usually only get in if it was empty...He's now nearly 2 years old, and he is still lovey-dovey and the sweetest cat. And of course he has me wrapped around his little paw--I'm trained very well :)

my Jude

So there you have it--another sneak peek, a WIP, and some other stuff. Hope you enjoyed it!

I'd love to hear from you, so leave some comments!!

Crochet Flower Triptych and Polka Dot Squares Update

First order of business today--I am SO excited!!!  I've just looked at my stats, and I've had EIGHT views from the Ukraine!  How cool is that?!?

Now for an update on the crochet flower triptych. I've primed and painted the frames...

pre-primer

during primer

painted

and allowed time for proper drying. The color doesn't show up well in this picture, but it's a very pretty "satin nickel."

Now as I said before, I got these frames for cheap, and they didn't come with hangers (other than the cut out on the backside of the cardboard backer). So, I bought some hangers and hammered them in. When you do this, just make sure you MEASURE first (as I did NOT) so that you can get them centered the first time! :) These just hammer right in--no nails required.

hammer-in hanger

(These are my "it's between warm and cold outside so I'll wear socks and flip-flops" toe socks :) I promise I do NOT wear these in public--except to my Granny's house. Just thought I'd share a little socky happiness today!)

Now back to the triptych...

Put it all together, and VOILA! Beautiful crochet flower triptych for my guest bedroom!

the triptych

detail--the red flower (sorry about the glare)

I also mentioned yesterday that I've been working on some polka dot squares for a polka dot afghan. I got the idea from yet another wonderful crocheter--Little Woollie.  I'm not sure how big my afghan will be yet--but it will probably be just a lap afghan. 

You can make this with any color combination, and they are REALLY easy and quick. Little Woollie has very good and clear instructions for this pattern. 
Here's what I have completed so far:

multi-color polka squares

 And I just have to say that it (so far) is a BEAUTIFUL Saturday in Mississippi :) 

This is the day that the Lord has made; 

let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Psalm 118:24

My first post!!

Well. This is my very first post on my very first blog. To tell you the truth, I have NO idea what I'm doing! But I have been feeling particularly creative these days, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

So I've been working on a few things lately. I get my inspiration from others--blogs, Pinterest, Etsy, etc. 

Last weekend, I made a terrifically cute "happy flower decoration" that I found on one of my favorite blogs--Attic24. (Lucy is a FANTASTIC "happy hooker" as she calls herself. She has more creativity in her little finger than I have in my entire body I think. You have to check her out if you don't already follow her). 

Anyway, here is my version of her "happy flower decoration" (sorry about the fuzzy picture quality):

I have mine hanging in the window of my back door in the kitchen. It's a cheery thing to look at every morning! (And now I'm laughing at myself for the use of the "!" because I am not an excitable person--at least not usually).

The other project I've been working on is a crochet flower triptych that will hang in my guest bedroom above the bed. It, too, was inspired by someone more creative than I, and you can find the inspiration at Bunny Mummy's blog. 

I'm not quite finished with the project, but here's a preview...

I crocheted each flower, then mounted them onto water color paper with double sided craft tape (Scotch brand--got it at Wal-Mart). I had the 3 black matte boards cut to size at Hobby Lobby. Now all I need to do is spray paint the frames (which I got half price--also at Hobby Lobby). That will be a weekend project--as long as it doesn't rain all day Saturday. *fingerscrossed* If my luck holds, I'll have a pic of the finished triptych for you by Monday!

I hope that you'll come back and visit my little corner of the blogosphere. I can't promise that I'll have updates everyday...but I hope to keep things fairly up to date--which will mean that I have to stay busy crocheting and/or knitting! Thanks for stopping by!!