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...