Thankful on a Rainy Thursday

This was the beautiful sky the other night when we had to make a quick run to Walgreens to get NyQuil...

The sky was so awesome! I tried really hard to get a good pic with the camera phone! It was glorious! We were in awe! I only wish I had my real camera and could have taken a better pic to share with you. But, it was in that moment that Dynamo and I both stopped and realized just how beautiful the night sky was!

And, then, this morning on my way to work I fought severe downpours. The sky looked like this...

WOW! What a change! But, instead of being dreary and sad about the rain we've been getting since yesterday morning, I'm grateful. It's been such a hot, dry summer here. The crops were poor, the flowers stopped blooming early, water restrictions are on, and my Nannie's well is pulling sand. This rain is a blessing. Often, it comes "a day late and a dollar short," as they say, but it comes in its own time.

Rainy days are good days. They are days when we're forced to stay inside and cuddle up together. Last night that's just what we did...Dynamo, the Steed, and I...together. Rainy days give us time to stop and talk to one another, to eat at home, to watch t.v. together, and to go to bed early! They, like snow days, help us to reconnect to one another and be grateful for another day together, even if it is us having to be inside.

So, in my list of thankful things for the week, I include...

21. RAIN!!!! RAIN! RAIN!
22. the after rain effects - After the rain everything looks so crisp and clean...ready to start fresh.
23. my umbrella
24. the door already being unlocked when I got to work so I didn't have to fumble with keys, etc. in the rain.
25. rainy days

So, take advantage of the rainy days and enjoy one another!

Welcome home

This is a "welcome to your new home" card for a co-worker's daughter! She recently got her first apartment and I wanted to celebrate the occasion. Along with the card I put together a rubbermaid box of goodies that I thought she might could use. I remember when I first went away and needed something like a screwdriver or hammer or thermometer or bandaids or tape or vaporub, etc. I included in the box lots of random items that you wouldn't think to buy until you need them. I thought it might be a good idea.

Here's a closeup of the card...

And, here's a pic of the box...

For the card I used:

Stampin' Up! - designer series paper, not quite navy and early espresso cardstock, welcome neighbor designer paper

JBS Mercantile - "HOME" sentiment, green polka dot designer paper, lined paper

Thrifted - yellow ric rack

Mole's Birthday Celebration

The birthday girl!

Last week we had our girls night birthday celebration dinner for Pauline (AKA "Mole"). My  mom gave her this nickname years ago! It seems to have stuck...at least for Mom and I! We had a lovely dinner at Outback and my responsibility was to make the cake. Mole requested anything with chocolate...lots of chocolate. So, I went sifting through my various cookbooks (yes, I collect those too) and stumbled upon my favorite one of all.

This is a good cake cookbook. There's an excellent recipe for Hummingbird cake that is just divine, but remember I was in search of chocolate. Inside was a recipe for Easy Chocolate Party Cake. It was pretty easy and pretty chocolatey! So, I gave it a try. Everyone was pretty pleased. Mole thought it was great! I, myself, am not a big fan of super chocolatey, but if I were it would be great if I do say so myself. It was very dense and rich. You could only eat a little before you were on chocolate overload! Here was the result...

They never quite look as good as in the book, but we'll take it. After all, I am an amateur!
Here's a pic of Mole cutting and serving her cake...

Of course, Kathy had to stick her finger in the frosting (gross) and taste it! Good thing we had already gotten our pieces before that happened!

Here's a final pic of Mole and Gladys!

This group of ladies were my mom's girlfriends before I came along, but now that I'm all grown up I'm one of the girls. I look at it as having lots of extra moms and friends. These ladies have watched me grow up and have been there for me all of my life. It's kinda like the Ya-Ya's!

October is coming soon!

Shortly it will be October, which is one of my favorite months. You know why? Well, because Halloween is one of my most favorite holidays!!! It's just so much fun to dress up. The colors are so spookalicious!!! Purple, orange, green, black...almost any color can become spooky! I was so excited to find an awesome fat quarter bundle at a quilt shop the other day. It was full of beautiful Halloween prints. Is it really possible to say that Halloween prints are beautiful? Well, to me, yes! I just had to buy the bundle! I've been diligently working on little projects ever since. I'll share more projects as the month goes on.

In anticipation of October, I decided that I wanted to make myself a little tote bag for the month! I carry a tote to work everyday with my junk in it. I have lunch, magazines, books, and other stuff. So, thinking of that criteria, I created my own pattern and got to work! It's super easy to make these totes and really fun. The longest part for me is always cutting out the material. Here is side 1 of the bag!

 A closeup of side 1 here (I just love those spiders don't you?)...

And, here's side 2...

I just loved the big green dots! All the dots make your eyes go crazy huh? How fun!!!
And, for the handles and lining (I always line my bags because it gives them a nice finished look) I used some white dots from my clown costume material from last year!

Happy Tuesday!

Mountain Bike Monday - Fun at Poor Farm Park

The Clark Family,

The Rosen Family,

and the Chieppa Family (I'm taking the photo so therefore not in it)...

...met at Poor Farm Park in Ashland for a Saturday morning ride. The goal was to take the Clark girls on some relatively flat trails to get them used to it.

It takes a lot of prep to get ready to ride as you can see by all of the gear. There was shoe tie-ing...

and sunscreen application...

Here's a group photo on the trail...

And, here Mike and Lisa were helping Madison over her first log. We were so proud of her for wanting to try to make it over. She tried a couple of times. Later in the ride, she actually made it over a pretty good size log with some coaching from Jim.

Here's a picture of Madison waiting for Jim to lead onward...

And, here's a pic of Dynamo and Lisa on the trail...

Jordan and Madison did great! Jordan didn't like the roots too much, but she stuck it out for a while before heading over to the track to ride some smooth pavement! She might be the road biker in the group!!

What a glorious day it was! We so enjoyed spending time with friends! Hope you have a great Monday!

Sunday Sermon - September 26

Location: Suffolk, Virginia

Thanks, Kristi Sutphin, for this sermon!

From the heart

This card was created for a neighbor who needed a pick-me-up. I stayed monochromatic, which turned out pretty well, I thought.

Here's a closeup...

I used all Stampin' Up! products except for the thrifted sheet music and trim tape. (Birthday Wishes stamp set, brocade blue cardstock, not quite navy classic stampin' pad, NEW antique brads, and designer series paper.)

I really LOVE the new antique brads! They are so beautiful and vintage. You should check them out!

Thankful on a Thursday

Last week I received my very first note to my email inbox after my Thankful on a Thursday post. Even though it was from a friend who probably felt obligated to read my blog, it was still really special when I read it. At the end of last week's post I asked what "YOU" were thankful for. I thought I'd share what my friend emailed me...

"I like it….

I am thankful for:

Oak trees that cover my commute on the way in

A beautiful hotel to work in each day

An ocean outside my building

A river and marsh down the road"

So, when thinking about what to post for this week, I went back to my email inbox and re-read her note to me. I'm sure that not everything I post on here everyone can relate to. I'm sure that some days you read my blog and stop before looking at the entire post because it's not for you. That's ok. I'll forgive you. But, I was so pleased when I actually got an email from someone saying she liked what I wrote about and then shared what made her thankful. That made me grin from ear to ear.

If you blog then you understand what I'm saying. Most days I wonder who is really reading this stuff. I occasionally hear that my friends and family read what I post. But, sometimes I wonder who's out there. I love to get comments on my posts. It's so exciting to see what people think about something you've put out there. It's really nice to get an email saying that what you said really made someone stop and think about what they were thankful for today.

On another note I want to thank my followers. It's so much fun to get a "follower" officially. It's so cool when a new image appears in the sidebar. I called my friend recently and said "I got a new follower and the best part is that I don't even know who they are." It sounds so bizarre, but it's really cool when someone "follows" you and it isn't someone that is your family or friend already. It's really cool to have new friends in blogland. After months of writing it's really awesome to finally see that you're getting more page hits each day and have new followers that you don't know!

So, these Thursday posts are not just the chance for me to share what I'm thankful for, but for you to stop and take a moment to thank God for your blessings, great or small. So, thanks for reading, for your comments, and for your emails.

This week I'm thankful for...

16. YOU...thank you for reading my blog. Thank you for your comments. Thank you for taking the time to venture into my world.
17. new followers! You rock! Thanks for thinking this stuff is good enough to come back to!
18. vitamin C...Dynamo's a little under the weather, and I think I may be coming down with something, but for the longest time we've been pretty healthy and I owe it to exercise and Vitamin C!
19. birthdays! Monday night our girls' nite group celebrated another birthday! (more pics and details on the cake next week) I look at birthdays as a positive!
20. bug spray! I'm not sure what I would do without that stuff! I've gotten chiggers once this summer, but that's enough to teach you not to forget your spray. Those critters are brutal.

That's all for this Thursday! I'm going to offer it up to you again this week to share with me what you're thankful for. I'd love to hear about it! I know others would too! So, if you're so inclined to take a moment in your busy day and think about some of the things you're thankful for post them in the form of a comment on this post or email me. Happy Thursday! To read more of the Thankful on a Thursday posts from other bloggers, click  here.

Dyeing some tags

I decided that I wanted to dye some tags to use in my craft projects. I read about this process in one of the Stampington and Company magazines and thought it sounded pretty easy. In the magazine they used blueberries to dye, but when I used blueberries in cold water (maybe I should have used hot) I wasn't so successful. So, I pulled out the good old food coloring. Easy as pie. I thought you might like to dye some of your papers, especially with the holidays coming up.

First, gather the supplies...

Then, add the desired amount of food coloring to the water bowls...

Crinkle the tags and then give them a dunk...

Voila!!!! Now you have dyed tags. I used some parchment paper to lay them on. Use something like that so it doesn't absorb the dye.

Lovely bird

And, a closeup...

This was a wedding card that I made at the request of my mom for a wedding last weekend. I thought it turned out pretty good. The bird, music designer paper, "LOVE" sticky letters, and vintage wallpaper are from JBS Mercantile. The pink piroutte textured cardstock, very vanilla cardstock, early espresso cardstock, and sentiment (Occasional Quotes Hostess Set) are from Stampin' Up! Bingo card and gold thread are thrifted items. 

Happy Tuesday!

Fun at the County Fair!

Every year in September I have to work the County Fair for my job. This was my 7th Fair. I thought I'd share some of the scenes from the weekend with you all. It was a lot to see and experience. We are pretty tired. Dynamo is such a good sport! He always comes on Sunday to help with cleanup, which is the worst part of the job!

First, there was moo-ing...

Then, there was oink-ing...

Next, there was, baa-ing (sheep from our friends at Walkin' In High Cotton)...

Dynamo tried to coax the sheepies over to him, but they were most interested in eating. He did get a little pet. By day 4 they are over the petting, loveable, "I'm so cute I want to see everyone" stage...

Then, there were rides...

And, of course lots of food, which was super dangerous! Look at all that sugar! Good thing this Fair only comes once each year!

And, this photo of the ice cream truck was hilarious. Do you see what I mean?

Quiz: Does anyone know what this animal is? It makes a humming sound when it's a little nervous. It's a herd animal, and is super soft!

Hope you enjoyed the photos. The Fair is a great time to enjoy agriculture, food, fellowship, and the outdoors!

Sunday Sermon - September 19

Location: Prince George, Virginia

Another birthday or two...

One of my mom's best friends, Pauline (AKA "Mole"), had a birthday this week! Here was the card I made for her! We're celebrating early next week. She requested a chocolate cake of some sort for dessert! Humm....what could I make? I'll let you know what I decided on next week!

For the card above I used Stampin' Up!'s Playdate Designers Series paper, old olive cardstock, marina mist cardstock, and melon mambo classic ink. Cancelled check and other DSP from JBS Mercantile. Vintage Bingo card and button were found items. Birthday sentiment is from Close to My Heart.

My college roommate recently had a birthday too! Here was the card I made for her!

See that beautiful butterfly? Well, that's a Melody Ross embellishment! I was so excited to discover those.
Here's a closeup...

Notice I used the sewing machine! Remember...It's National Sewing Month!
Other items used: Clock embellishment from Tim Holtz, Bingo Card and blue ribbon from JBS Mercantile, Elegant Eggplant cardstock, Kraft cardstock, old olive classic ink, and Big Shot Polka Dot embossing folder from Stampin' Up! Birthday sentiment from Close to My Heart.

Thankful on a Thursday...Moo! Moo!

Recently, I noticed something that I have never paid any attention to before. I was coming into the office and heard lots of mooing...yes, moo-ing! Cows! I have worked here for over six years and never noticed the cows mooing in the morning, except on the days when they have cattle sales. Then, they're REALLY mooing (they know where they're headed). I have noticed the mooing every day now. They are bound to have been mooing all this time, but I've never been listening. I must always be distracted by the fact that I need to get into the office and what I was going to be doing that day.

Just so you know...I work for a rural locality that is on the outskirts of a very busy area of Virginia. We still have lots of farmland and wildlife. I remember the first few weeks of work here when one day I was late to work because a flock of peacocks decided they were going to take their time crossing the road. At the time I thought it was normal to encounter such holdups...and, boy was I irritated...But looking back on it and finally noticing the cows I realized that this isn't normal for other people. They might be held up by a traffic jam or road work, but it's not very often that you hear of peacocks stopping traffic. Mind you traffic means me...one car...no more.

I'm often held up by slow moving vehicles, namely tractors....green ones, blue ones, red ones, old ones, new ones, etc. I take it in stride and am grateful for those moments. Because without cows mooing and tractors we would have no food, no farmers, and no farms.

I was not looking forward to when school would start up again because my commute gets altered due to the slow buses and the school zones, but coming to work and seeing the two little boys waiting at the bus stop with the neigborhood dog lounging in the middle of the road keeping watch over them (again, another holdup because you have to wait for him to decide to move out of the way) I realized that I had missed seeing them over the summer. They wave at me and I enjoy seeing them (and the dog). For this I  am grateful because they make me smile. They are always laughing and playing while waiting at the bus stop.

So, today, here is my list...What are you thankful for today? Check out the other posts here.

11. farms, farmers, food, tractors, cows, peacocks
12. bus stops
13. dogs
14. patience
15. EARS to listen

Play date with Dr. Seuss and more birthdays!

More vintage Dr. Seuss for another birthday! September is a big birthday month, so you'll see lots of birthday cards! I also used Stampin' Up's Playdate Designer Series paper, real red cardstock, old olive cardstock, and the scallop circle punch! The milk cap and tiny type letters are from JBS Mercantile. This card was for my cousin's birthday.

Here's an up close view...