Friday, October 21, 2011

hellooooo! is anyone home?






I can just imagine Pooh sticking his head into Rabbit's hole or maybe even Christopher Robin"s front door and asking, "Is anyone home?" GIGGLES




Well, this bloggie cottage has been vacant for awhile. But, I've decided to move back in for a short stay and share a few photos and an update. Facebook has really put the old blog out of business since it is so quick and easy to share artwork or other happenings when I am so short on time. Still, its not the same as being able to share a bit of myself through my words and photos.




This autumn finds me knee-deep in school - both work, and my own. With every course I'm getting closer to my goal. It's exciting and intimidating at the same time. Just after the new year I will be preparing to take the state board exams and this time next year will be preparing to student teach. Still, I'm trying to take it one step at a time. Doing what I can to gain valuable experience and thinking about my options if I am unable to get my own classroom right away. In the meantime, I've had a few adventures. One that involved the Golden Girls - if you follow me on Facebook you know I'm not referring to the 70's sitcom! And another that took me into the woods for fifth grade camp. This was a great experience on many levels. It was a gorgeous drive every morning and I loved being outdoors.






I was also fortunate enough to see these beauties up close.





In family news, we are all well and continue to roll with the punches. Brady is as tall as Cam now and I hope to get some photos over the holidays. Time passes much too quickly. This is a great time of year to take stock and think about what the year has been and what will be in the one to come. I look forward to lots of family time in the next couple of months!




For today, I'm relishing the sunshine, savoring a nap, and snuggling up with a good book after finishing some homework.






Take care and I hope to drop by again soon!

















Tuesday, July 12, 2011







I thought it best I begin titling my posts by season since the likelihood of getting back here to post on even a semi-regular basis is slim. School has kept me incredibly busy even this summer. I have about 3 more weeks left of my two online courses and then I'll have a bit of a break until classes resume in late August. At least I hope it's late. I could use a break!




In fact, I had been dreaming of going to Lake Michigan this summer ever since stumbling upon these two sister's blogs HERE and HERE. Their photos of beautiful wildflowers, farm stands and lakeshore made me long to walk along the dunes gathering driftwood and playing in the surf. Fat chance of that.




Inspired by another blogger and artist I recently discovered, I decided to paint my own little piece of shoreline to have right here at home. I had never attempted anything as large before and was a bit concerned it would be too cartoon-y, but I love how it turned out and surrounded by shells and other weathered things I can almost imagine the sand and the water.




The summer is flying by. Aside from classes and a little crafting and shopping here and there, I don't have much to show for it. But it's not over yet! I hope to continue my 30 bags in 30 days decluttering challenge, get my teaching supplies organized, finish up the laundry room project I started before school was out, and attempt to make a slipcover inspired by yet another blog favorite. Time's a-wastin'!






I hope this finds you enjoying summer just the way you like it!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Day 12 & 13: en l'honneur de l'amour

"Above all else, hold unfailing your love for one another."
--I Peter 4:8


Friday, February 11, 2011

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Day 9: en l'honneur de l'amour

"A kiss is a pleasant reminder that two heads are
better than one."--author unknown



Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Day 8: en l'honneaur de l'amour

My salute to love and all things Valentine would be incomplete without an homage to my favorite romantic literary character - James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser . Here are a few Jamie-isms to give you an idea of just how perfectly romantic he really is. Seriously, if you enjoy a good story set to a historical backdrop accompanied by a bit of mystery and lots of smoldering romance then you must give the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon a try.



Photo Source: unknown

"Blood of my blood and bone of my bone. You are mine and I wilna let ye go. For I give ye my Spirit, til our life shall be gone."



"I talk to you as I talk to my own soul. Your face is my heart."


"Dinna be afraid. There's two of us now."


"Da mi basia mille - Give me a thousand kisses.
Dien mille altera - Then a thousand more."


"You are my courage, my conscience.
You are my heart - and I your compassion.
We are neither of us whole alone."


Monday, February 07, 2011

Day 7: en l'honneur de l'amour

"LOVE - a wildly misunderstood although highly desired malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise, and lips to pucker." -- Author unknown


Photo credit: Teresa McFayden www.paperbellastudio.com

Sunday, February 06, 2011

Day 6: en l'honneur de l'amour

"There is no suprise more magical than the suprise of being
loved. It is God's finger on man's shoulder." --Charles Morgan
















Saturday, February 05, 2011

Day 5: en l'honneur de l'amour

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways... --Elizabeth Barrett Browing

Friday, February 04, 2011

Day 4: en l'honneur de l'amour

Love is an irrisistable desire to be irrisistably desired.
--Robert Frost
















Thursday, February 03, 2011

Day 3: en l'honneur de l'amour

Here's a clip from one of my favorite movies with a salute to
L-O-V-E. Enjoy!


Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

en l'honneur de l'amour

In honor of one of my favorite holidays, I'll be posting a little visual and quote inspiration each day leading up to St. Valentine's Day. So, check back for my 14 day salute to love.


I have learned not to worry about love, but to honor its coming
with all my heart. --Antoine de SaintExupery


Friday, January 21, 2011

SNOW * SNOW * SNOW

Here in the midwest, we've had a lot more snow than in recent winters. For those of us fortunate to ride out the winter storms inside, it affords time to nest and cuddle together. All that luxury however, means we'll probably be going to school well into June!



While I was dreaming of vacationing down under by watching Oprah in Australia, my sweet husband was determined to clear the driveway - just in case we wanted to venture out. Right. Not me. I've been finding plenty of things to do inside while sipping my coffee and hot chocolate. Here are just a few highlights from our little snow day vaca.
  • I made Okey Dokey caramel corn. Very delish - and addictive! Have you tried it?

  • Preparing for Valentine's Day by signing up for the latest e-zine with the Bella Queen herself.

  • Enjoying old-fashioned fun by making and stringing pom-poms into garlands.



  • Having way too much fun with the photos we had taken before Christmas. SO, so glad we were finally able to do this. I recently purchased an 11x14 canvas of the boys.

And just ordered a 16x20 of this one of Jeff and me for Valentine's day - in black & white, of course. fuN! I've been ordering my canvases from HERE.



  • Doing lots of reading and homework. The timing of the snow was great from that perspective for sure. Very excited about my classes this semester. Particularly, the Multi-Sensory Methods of Teaching course. It's all about incorporating the arts in your teaching. Right.Up.My.Alley. We are even having a trash to treasure assignment in a few weeks. The twist is we won't use our own trash to create our treasure. GAAAH! So excited about that!

  • Watching lots of movies. Ran across this one last weekend. Loved everything about this movie. The costume and set production were beyond beautiful. Add in the romance factor of Keats and his beloved Fannie and well, WOW! I saw it on STARZ, but Momma Bird tells me you can rent it at your local movie store.



  • Finding inspiration from some new blogs. Did a twist on a project I saw here: Life in the Fun Lane. I love the graphic punch of the lettering. Ran out of crepe paper trim so I need to add a bit more to the "E". Here are a couple others I'm frequenting on a regular basis:


Miss Mustard Seed


Pretties and Posies


  • Finished my last "for fun" read for awhile. Just finished reading Nicholas Sparks' Safe Haven. It was good, but not my favorite of his books. I need to choose something to read over Spring break. Any suggestions for a must-read? Of course, I'll be checking in with Jamie and Claire when I just canna take it anymore. ;0)

So, how are you passing the time this Winter? Have you ventured out for some outdoor fun? Making something handmade? Tried a new comfort food recipe? Well, then do tell!


Until we meet again, stay warm!


UPDATED 1/23/2011: Several have emailed requesting the Okey Dokey Caramel Corn recipe. So, here ya go:
Ingredients -
1 bag of Okey Dokey puff corn OR Old Dutch puff corn
1 cup butter (not margarine)
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
Directions -
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Combine butter, brown sugar, and light corn syrup in a 2 quart sauce pan.
Cook on medium heat until the mixture has melted.
Once mixture has melted add the baking sode. (This will cause the mixture to foarm)
In a large roaster pan pour puffed corn and pour caramel miture over the corn and store until well mixed.
Place in oven for 45 mintues, stirring at least every 10-15 minutes.
Remove from oven, pour on wax paper and break apart.
Let cool and enjoy!




















Saturday, January 08, 2011


Hello, friends. Are you still out there? I hope this finds you enjoying all the new year brings - satisfaction for what was accomplished in the previous year and great expectations for what's to come.


I love the start of a new year. Its a time to reflect and to attempt new things. A time to begin again and make another run at LIFE.


One of the rituals I've participated in the past several years is to choose an action word for the year. My word for 2011 is CAN. As in I CAN. Yep. Whatever I hope or imagine. With God's help I CAN do it. Foremost on my mind is my schooling. I'm more than half way to fulfilling a life-long dream of teaching by earning my masters degree and my certification. But there are lots of other things I'd like to accomplish in this new year. Throughout the year as I attempt them, I will remember that I CAN.

So...if you were to choose your word for 2011, what would it be? Here's to bringing that word to life in this new year.

Bonne Anne!