A new Merchantile on the horizon!

We've embarked on a new and exciting adventure! A dear friend of mine, Heidi, as in Heidi.... Scarlet's mom...the famous Scarlet that is the love of Tucker's life, Scarlet, has invited me to join her and another chickie to open an online merchantile! We are all beyond excited as we share such similar interests and values and are all really just displaced farm girls. We are announcing the new store front any day now! Heidi makes the most adorable children's clothing. She has many more things up her sewing sleeve so stay tuned and prepare to be wowed! Heidi is our resident cowgirl and rodeo queen, so she has quite the surprises in store. W
My passion is beautiful, lovely, breathtaking paper, as you all know, because many of you share the same affliction. You can add to the obsession ribbon, buttons, bling, metal, ephemera and anything I can use glue on to alter. I'm always on the hunt for something vintage and yummy to add to the mix. :) My latest creation is one I want to share with you.



This is a 16 page Vintage French Country Mini Album that is aged to perfection, and now available as a kit for you to create yourself. You get everything you see in this album, except the photographs. I'm sure you'd rather have your favorite photos in this album than mine. ;)







***UPDATE*** This kit is now available at my Etsy Shoppe Nest Feathers Paperie.
Top brand name lines are used in this album kit as well as some unique vintage pieces that I feel added just the right touch. I dipped into my personal stash of vintage items and ribbons to make this kit extra special and unique. Limited quantities available and... just a hint...they started selling before they hit the site. :) I have many more things in the works: greeting cards, altered items, journals, mini album kits and scrapbooks and pages. Custom orders always welcome. If you have something in mind, or need a gift for a special occasion, just drop me an email. Enjoy and thanks so much for looking!

♥♥♥ What is it about Winter? ♥♥♥

That makes everyone want sweets? It can be a piping hot cup of cocoa, or a plate of warm cookies...it really doesn't matter. Just so it's sweet. Tucker has been begging for caramel apples... a lot. In fact, he said it would be 'life changing'... his words. ;) So, we piled everyone in the van and went down to the local candy store here and this was the result.
His very first. Can you just feel the excitement? lol





And after an afternoon of sledding, here is Wyatt's first taste of hot chocolate, complete with snowman marshmellows. Oh yeah baby, that's what I'm talking about!






And to top it all off, how about a batch of old fashioned mud cookies?



Come spring, I've got two words for ya. Weight Watchers. ;)

Lots of knitting time....

It's been 4 weeks now since I decided not to turn the light on while coming down the steps from the bedroom. I missed the last two steps and ended up dislocating my right foot, breaking both ankles and my fibula in my right leg. Sigh. Funny thing is, I didn't want to bother anyone by turning the light on. Yeah, I didn't really accomplish that now, did I? lol As a side note, this is the first time in 20 years of marriage that we've been without health insurance. Sigh again.

On the bright side, which I've worked really hard at keeping my mind dwelling on, I've had lots of time to knit! I'm a new knitter and as a family we took a vote and decided that Wyatt (a brand new 4!) should get the first completed projects I could manage. Here they are! Isn't he sweet? He's so proud of his new hat and scarf and knows that mommie made them just for him. ♥♥♥

If it's winter time where you are like it is here, please be careful on all the snow and ice. Oh, and turn your light on. ;)

After 33 years...

Our family has been reunited with someone that's never left our hearts. ♥ My husband's stepmom, who we affectionately call our "bonus mom", made the heartwrending decision to give up precious baby girls for adoption. She did it for their own safety and the amazing desire for them to have a better life. This was before she became my husband's stepmom and came into their life. I had been working with Sue for over 11 years to try to find them, then 3 more on my own. We filled out every form we knew to fill out, and I blasted internet adoption sites and boards with their info. We had nothing to go on, nothing. Records were locked up tight. Sadly, my mother in law passed away very unexpectedly three years ago. But I continued looking. I made a promise. I'm glad I did. 4 weeks ago I got an email from one of twins. I couldn't believe it. Could not believe it.
After many phone calls and emails, one of the girls is going to come see us today. She's flying across the country with her husband and baby girl. We can't wait. I've been working on two quickly made scrapbooks for the girls full of photos of their mom. I used premade photo albums, the kind with the pockets for 4x6 photos, altered the front covers, added in patterned paper thru out, covered the front and back inside covers, and added in embellishments. I sprinkled facts about their mom thru out the pages, too. It was such an honor to work on something so important for them. Can't wait to give it to them today.

First Memory

I'm still working on layouts for the Book of Me project. How many times, as scrapbookers, do we chose every other subject but ourselves? I'm trying to sprinkle in a few layouts about myself as the months tick by. My children love them. It feels good to record the stories. How about you? Are you working on this project, too? I'd love to hear what subjects you've loved telling about. ♥
(Melissa Frances papers and embellishments, Prima flower, Tim Holtz ink)

Lasterday

I love this word my little Wyatt uses. Kind of makes sense, doesn't it? ;) We got home lasterday from a huge family reunion that was really just quite amazing. It was the 65th annual family reunion of the Way family. This is my hubby's great grandfather's last name. There were over 100 of us there, all camping in tents and rv's. It was wonderful. The reunion is funded fully by the Family Night Auction. Now that was fun! Whoever wants to donates items to be auctioned off. There were new items, vintage items and my favorite...hand crafted arts made by family members. These included birdhouses, pottery, homemade brew, jerky, aprons, scarves, jewelry, tote bags and blankets. I made some greeting cards, paper and chipboard purse and an altered journal. All together we raised just right under $4000! This pays for the entire campground and much of the food for the 4 1/2 day event. What a great family! We're so honored to be a part of it! ♥

The Littlest Cowboy

Tucker and I have been making cards with he and Wyatt's photos of them from their first rodeo a couple of weeks ago. I love this photo of Wyatt in the stands. Isn't he sitting like a little man? :) He's three. Love that baby! I distressed all the edges in this card, inked them with Tim Holtz's Vintage Photo, added foam tape for demension under the denim strip and then used my bracket punch for the bandana trim. I like the way it turned out. The card is heavy enough that it can displayed on a little easel by the boy's grandma or aunts. Hope they like it. I'm going to go now and pinch his little cheeks! ♥