Day Seven! One whole week!

So I haven't said much, busy with Christmas preparations and I'm sure you have been too. But I'm plugging away at the goal, 21 days straight at the gym to create a habit.( now Suzi is saying 28 days, I have heard them both, who knows. So I am on day 7 and feel accomplished with that, though the last two have been hard! I still did it and feeling strong about my commitment and seeing changes in my body and much less anxiety about body issues on my mind! Join me! I'm only a few days ahead of you, I can tell you how the water is- Come on in, the waters fine!

Day 2

Ok, day 2. I said I'd explain today. Awesome Artist Suzi Blu had a blog post about body image, exercising and it taking 3 weeks to establish a habit. She committed to exercising everyday for 3 weeks and though she didn't present it as a challenge, I took it as one! I've been wanting to get back into the habit of going to the gym and I thought if I know she's going every day, I can do it too. "They", the expects, I guess, say it takes 3 weeks to get into a habit, to make a "rut" in the brain. ( Why is it that it takes about 1 second to get OUT of one.) OK, we were not talking about that. It does seem so easy to START a thing but so hard to complete it. But, I'm committed to this, so committed that I'm actually posting about it. That way I can't go back on my word.(Not that I want to.) You know how it is when you have a walking buddy? I love that, the time goes by so quickly and if you don't really feel like doing it, the other person encourages you. So, I'm pretending that I'm pedaling with Suzi at the gym everyday. Just one day at a time. For 3 weeks. Come along if you'd like, we'll walk together! :)

National Gingerbread Competition

This is The National Gingerbread Competition winner 2010. I saw it recently at the lovely and famous Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC. It is so beautiful and Christmasy ( apparently not a real word, but I know you all get it ;) , just thought I'd share it with you. Hope you are having a great day!

Day 1 !

Hey, it's Day 1! This is just a teaser. I'll tell you about it tomorrow! :)go to sleep already! I'm wiped out. Good day, very good day but time for lights out....awww, yawn

I am an Artist. Suzi says so.

You already have everything inside you to be an artist. You are an artist NOW. Feel it. Know it. Believe it. Be. it. An. Artist
-Suzi Blu

ADHD-Told you I'd talk about it! Article by Jennifer Koretsky

Although the stigma of being diagnosed with ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, seems to be lessening, there is still be a tendency for people to focus on its negative effects. People with ADHD, which is sometimes called ADD, are often very creative. They can be driven, completing tasks far more effectively and efficiently than others, and often have a very loving side.

As we head into the holidays, following are some reasons to celebrate ADHD, provided by Jennifer Koretsky, founder of the ADD Management Group, Inc. Check out your local Albany bookstore to pick up a copy of her book, Odd One Out: The Maverick's Guide to Adult ADD. 

• Compassion - People with ADD have a tremendous power to connect with other people, but also have an advanced ability to empathize with others, and to see many different perspectives. 
• Creativity - Writers, painters, musicians, film makers, designers, sculptors, comedians—the list goes on! Artistic talents are abundant.
• Drive - When an ADDer is bored with a task, completing it can seem like torture. But give an ADDer an interesting project to work on and watch his or her productivity explode.
• Problem Solving Ability - ADDers thrive on solving problems and puzzles. If an ADDer finds an interesting problem to solve and he or she won't be able to drop it until the solution is found. 
• Hyper-focus - The ability to hyper-focus is something that ADDers can use to their advantage. When kept under control and directed towards productive tasks, like accomplishing goals and living dreams, it can be an incredible asset that allows for getting the job done, and done well.
• Sense of Humor/Comedic Flair - Most ADDers love to laugh, and many also have a knack for making others laugh.
• Resiliency - There's no denying that even though there are many great qualities that come along with ADD, there are also challenges. But ADDers have an incredible ability to bounce back from those challenges. 
• Intuition - ADDers have a sharp sense of intuition. This may be due to highly tuned levels of perception, or great insight into the human mind.
• Idea Generating - ADDers are wonderful idea generators. Not interested in being bothered with details, they can come up with ideas at lightning speed.
• That "Special Something" - Many ADDers feel that they have a unique way of looking at the world, a perspective that others just don't understand. That is, until the ADDer meets other people with ADD. There are many good aspect of being on the same wavelength! 

"Broken PEACE"

Little Christmas collage- PEACE

Just thought I'd show you a little Christmas collage. Five photos for me is a very little collage.
I love the little S'mores man in the center. He really is very little. The white disc under him is about the size of a quarter. See the red glass ball with the peace sign across it? Its broken. I broke my peace. It was hanging on the hutch, as it has for years and I bumped into it. Hard. But isn't it good that our peace is not external like that? A "thing" that can be broken in two. Real peace comes from above. Real Peace, peace that passes understanding, comes because of this time of year and a babe that was born two thousand years ago. He lived, He died, He rose again. May you be blessed with His peace. PEACE on earth and good will towards men...

Warning! ;)

Warning! Do not try to sharpen an eye pencil using the wrong size sharpener and your glasses off! It's like trying to carve a toothpick with a chainsaw...blindfolded! I know someone will need this tidbit of info today to make their lives complete. Just saying... ;)

Morning sky

I love to start my morning with a gorgeous morning sky. Don't you? Just snapped these very quickly going down my driveway this am, nothing perfect, but gives you an idea. Now just multiply it by, idk, 10,000X and you will really get an idea of its grandeur!

Rice Crispies with Banana! ...AND drumroll...Dark chocolate Almond "milk"

Just had a little snack that reminded me of my childhood: Rice Crispies with a banana! Yum! I sprinkled it with cinnamon and just the tinniest swirl of honey! I had to use regular milk because I had already consumed the carton of Dark Chocolate Almond Milk! Have you tried this stuff? Have you heard about this stuff? Oh my! I could be their spokesperson! It's thick and creamy and oh-so-chocolaty, PLUS it's full of calcium, antioxidants and vitamin E! I had just seen an advertisement for it in a magazine this week and just had to try it and am oh so glad I did! My chocolate fix minus the fat but with all the satisfaction. Gotta run to the store to get more. Well, I guess I could wait till tomorrow, it is almost midnight. So when I do get it again tomorrow, and I will, I'll try it on my Rice Crispies with banana and with that chocolate, it will almost be a banana Split! ;)

Altered fall photo

So long October!

So long October
I'm determined not to cry
You take your brilliant colors
And your sparkling blue skies.
Your carpet of green
With it's blanket of fragrant needles
And crunchy leaves
And your sweet Indian Summers
Just to tease me...
I will miss the smokey air
And your warm sun rays
Your misty cool mornings
Turning into perfect days.
How can you leave me?
Did you not just appear?
And now I must wait for you
Almost a whole year?
Gray skies will come between us
Snow and then buds my dear
A hot, hot summer
But I refuse to fear...
I will not say goodbye October
For now it's just so long
Because I now that soon
You will again sing your sweet autumn song....

MVW 10-31-10 11:52 am

October is Red and Golden and Brown

"October's the month
When the smallest breeze
Gives us a shower
Of autumn leaves.
Bonfires and pumpkins,
Leaves sailing down-
October is red
And golden and brown."

-Can Teach Songs-

Fun with Scrabble

Just having a little game of Scrabble with me and my macro!

Fall Quote

"Just before the death of flowers,
And before they are buried in snow,
There comes a festival season
When nature is all aglow."
* Author Unknown

Somedays just Stink!

Bad days. Everybody has them. We are all just trying to hide them. But for those of us who struggle and don't have it all together, this post is for you. In the interest of being honest, real, transparent, I just have a few things to say...
Have you ever read the book: Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day... ?
It was a favorite at our house. Everything that could go wrong for him in that day, did go wrong. He lamented several times that he was just going to move to Australia!
Somedays just stink! Let's face it. Somedays are crummy. Somedays are painful.somedays nothing seems to work out. Somedays you don't have it all together. Somedays just do not
work out! You feel as though you don't have what it takes, and nothing is going "right"!
Somedays you are depressed. Somedays you are in a bad mood or hormonal. Somedays you forget to take your vitamins, your meeds, your hormones! Somedays you forget to exercise. Somedays your kid is in a bad mood or sick or a project needs to be done today! Somedays you are lonely, feel all alone in the world, feel rejected, hurt, betrayed, left behind. Somedays it SEEMS like everyone else does have it all together, are never depressed, never go out in just a T-shirt with no make up and their hair in a pony tail.
Somedays you feel insecure, dumb, foolish or forgetful. Somedays your tattoo won't
dry. Got ya! Just kidding, I was just checking if you were still reading and trying to lighten up a bit...somedays you stub your toe, have the flu or a rotten sinus infection. Somedays your socks don't match, the muffins burn, you forget to buy milk and bread. Somedays your friends don't call, somedays your crazy phone won't stop ringing! Somedays you just want to cry, eat too much chocolate, stay in bed, on the couch or watch TV or stay on the computer too long...somedays you get a flat tire, your hose have a run, your nose has a run, you get in a fight with your loved one! Somedays you are just plain tired, off, cranky: yuck!
And you know what?
You are not alone.
Because really, the rest of us, including and especially, yours truly, DO-NOT-HAVE-IT-ALL-TOGETHER! Life is not, if anything, picture perfect! BUT... The good thing is: Tomorrow is another day and we get to start over, fresh, new...sigh
And in the words of Mr. Alexander, "Mom says, somedays are just like this, even in Australia!"

PS Go out there and make it the best day you possibly can, just for this day...and remember we get a fresh new start tomorrow!
Love ya! :)

Imperfect Fall Leaf

See this little maple leaf? Pretty, huh? I love how the yellow and red are seperated right down the center, with another little dab of red on the side. It fasinates me to see so many leaves, shaded, colored, spoted in a million ways... But maybe you are not noticing the colors of this little fall leaf, maybe you are noticing that it has parts missing. Its little skelaton is showing, it has spots, its imperfect... To me, that makes it all the more intresting, because it reminds me of human beings, of me. Imperfect, flawed, parts worn away, spots showing. Who are we trying to fool anyway? We ALL have spots and flaws and it makes us who we are, sets us apart. It makes us truely beautiful. I've given up on perfection, I believe its over rated! AND, by the way, unatainable!
So show me your spots people, your tears, your wounds...you are truely stunning!

Tiara Fridays!

A group of my Brave Girl Sistahs' have come up with an idea! Its called Tiara Fridays, and simply put; you wear a tiara on Fridays... To chear you up, to have fun, to be fun, because you can, because people are not going to be able to figure you out, because we DARE, because we are BRAVE! It has its own facebook page, check it out...
Tiara Fridays
The question is:
DO YOU DARE TO WEAR...? :)

Java Chip!!!

OH, Starbucks coffee Java Chip Frappuccino ICE CREAM!
You make my HEART sing!

Creative Mess

This is the creative mess I've been working on today...
No pages completed in my book, but fun with my cameras-
AND a few MACRO pics ...

October Morning Sun Rays over the River...

Birdie "Singin' in the Rain"

It's raining on this beautiful fall day...I'd like for it to be sunny, but maybe if I just wait a few minutes... Anywho,( that's super Southern for "anyway", for those of you who don't speak "Southrin")I have the porch door open and there is a birdie " just goin' to town" with his song! He's singing at the top of his lungs...in the rain. There's a lesson in that for us...
ps The sun is out again!

Oops again! 50 and 100 gallon drums!

Maybe I shouldn't blog so late at night!
The truth about Mod Podge is that it comes in 50 and 100 gallon drums!
Woohoo! Love it!
Thanks Amy! Be sure to stop by her site www.modpodgerocksblog.com

www.modpodgerocksblog.com

I need to make a correction!
The website for the awesome Mod Podge that I talked about yesterday was not correct. It is
www.modpodgerocksblog.com
Sorry!
Thanks to Amy for letting me know and informing me that, yes, Mod Podge does indeed come in 55 gallon drums!! Who knew? Now I just have to come up with a project that would require an entire drum! Yes! Hummm, my house, a fence, a cool old rusty Ford truck...
Also lovely to know that Amy is a fellow Brave Girl! Get on board peeps! We are going to be all over the world!

Brownie pic?

I know I didn't post a brownie picture. I didn't on purpose! Otherwise they would now be calling YOUR name! :)

Brownies

Oh! The last of the Ghirardelli brownies are gone that I made yesterday! Wheeuu! Thank goodness! No more random dark strangers calling my name!

Mod Podge !

Have you ever heard of Mod Podge? I so hesitate to ask you that because I'm wondering if I'm the only one who was left in the dark about this amazing stuff? At BRAVE GIRLS Camp, I was introduced to this awesome,"Waterbase sealer, glue & finish"...Oh my! This stuff is unbelievable! Where have you been all my life? All my years of crafting with just regular ol' glue, tape, and random inadequate adhesives! It will hold ANYTHING, has an awesome Gloss-Luster Finish and even comes with sparkles, if you so desire! Heck, this stuff even has it's own website! Check it out, modpodgerocks.com Oh, Mod Podge, I plan on never being without you! Now that I know you exist, you will always be in my craft room and hopefully on my fingers. I LOVE how you smell! You will always remind me of my amazing experience at my beloved Brave Girls Camp! When I open your lid, I am transported back to that joy! In the words of one of my Brave Girl sisters,( who had not had the lovely experience of Mod Podge yet either ), "Mod Podge rocks my world!". I only have one question left: Do you come in 55 gallon drums?...

BRAVE GIRLS CAMP

Just got back from Brave Girls Camp in Idaho! To say it was absolutely awesome, life changing, beautiful, fun, & amazing would not give it proper justice. I have thought about it for the last couple of days and I am still processing all that transpired. There will be more later, but I just had to say a few words and give you the website. Incredible. Every woman should be able to experience this, but until then, check this out:
www.bravegirlsclub.com

Beauty Marks...

Life is not defined by your years or your tears,
by your sorrows or your joys
your heartaches or your toys...
Life is defined by what you leave behind on the lives of others.
Were you kind?
Were you compassionate?
Did you offer a listening ear or
a comforting hug?
Could you bother with a word of wisdom
 or a sweet smile?
Did you offer the gift of Love?
Would people say that you are an encouragement?
Because when it is all said and done, when it is time for us to go,
what is left behind, what is truly only left behind...
are the marks we have made on those around us.
Beauty Marks.
They then have the opportunity to leave their marks behind
on the lives they have touched,
hopefully influenced by you, and so the cycle continues.
What is your story, and what mark will you leave behind
on the people in your life and those who come into contact with you?
I challenge you to make it beautiful!

I once was lost...

...I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind but now I see, Amazing pity, grace unknown and love beyond degree...

Lazy Chickens

Oh my chickens, my lazy chickens! Do you know how much I HATE BUYING eggs? Its such an insult after the bounty you produced this summer. I know it getting colder and darker and that you are even molting. But if you could just spare an egg or two each day between the 9 of you, it would make me so happy. It just feels like such a waste to get my hopes up and yet find ALL of your boxes empty. Then to add insult to injury, yesterday I actually had to break down and buy a dozen eggs! Oh the sorrow!Please get with it!
MOLT
1. (of birds, insects, reptiles, ect. ) to cast or shed the feathers, skin or the like, that will be replaced by a new growth.
-verb
2. to cast or shed (feathers, ect )
in the process of renewal.
WOW! There is a lesson in everything. I came on here to lament my lazy chickens and realized that it is about time for me to MOLT. (Not as in feathers silly ) The casting off of the old ways, habits, thoughts and things that are dragging me down. Its a good thing that, " Every morning is fresh, with no mistakes in it" !

Would you like a little "spot of tea" ;)

Just testing you out.mm

Use the Talents...

Use the talents you possess, for the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except the best.
                                                                                                       Henry Van Dyke

14 out of ten people...

In scientific studies, it's been proven that 14 out of ten people like chocolate...I've also heard it said that eight out of ten people like chocolate...I personally would not trust the other two people, either in judgement or taste! :)

14 out of ten people...

Limb?

Why not go out on a limb?
That's where all the fruit is.

Mark Twain

Yum!

Homemade Salsa!

Just made a huge bowl of homemade salsa! Yum! Have another "child" off to college and for this small moment I have the kitchen to myself. ( And the house!) This is so rare, so I am really enjoying it! I've got the Christian music on (loud!). Listening to the messages and making a big, fun. creative mess out of my kitchen. A craft project going on and I'm thinking of making that Irish Cream Cheesecake! I got the ingredients this week, but most of the Oreos are gone. So, shoot, I will just have to improvise and use brownies for a crust! LOVE changing things up, even when they already work really well, just can't help myself. ;) Hope you are having a good day too, feeling really blessed!

Don't use a recipe for the salsa, but here is how I do it:
 About 10 to 12 ripe Roma tomatoes
4 white, sweetish onions
2 jalapeno peppers
juice of one lime
salt to taste
1 Bunch of Cilantro

 I have one of those little hand-turned, chopping thingies. :) Can do it just on a chopping board also, have many times. Chop the tomatoes and onions to about the same size. I like mine pretty small, so would almost call it, minced. Seed the hot peppers(unless you like it really hot). Chop these very small. Would surely call these minced! Juice the lime, add and I put about 2 Tablespoons of salt. ( I said it was a BIG bowl, and thats a lot of veggies). Oh, don't forget the chopped cilantro, its the best part! I love that fresh, fragrant cilantro smell, it just "pops" !  Pull out your favorite salsa chips, we have about 5 favorites in this family, and ENJOY!

Henhouse Mystery!

So my chickens lay brown eggs. Brown ones. Always. They are New Hampshire Reds, and they lay BROWN eggs. Until the a few feeks ago when I had a great, big WHITE surprize! I was shocked, shell shocked, to be exact. Oh, how corny! :) The size and the shape were different as you can see here. I wasn't sure what was going on, still don't know, but it has happened several times since. What do you think?