happy new year...

I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for taking time from your busy schedules to look in on me from time to time. This blog journal has come to mean a lot to me...not only sharing with you what I'm working on but sharing with you a small part of me.

I'm excited about the New Year but then I always am...it's just part of my nature...new seasons...new school years...and a brand, spanking new decade. I don't know if your out there...I try not to obsess over it...whoever you are, I pray you have a blessed, abundant New Year!

Blessings,
Patty

family memories...

Just a quick post tonight...I am off to spend the day with my mom and sister, who is visiting from Texas. It will be a day for just us girls...Before I go, I wanted to share with you the plaque I made for my SIL...

These adorable little ones are her son and new baby granddaughter...

The paper is from Cosmo Cricket, the lace is a tea-dyed piece from Melissa Phillips, the sentiment is from tattered angels and the rest of the embellishments are from my stash.

I was lucky enough to get a new camera from my DH for Christmas but have yet to figure out how to use it...be patient with me as I learn to edit photos. I know I'm gonna love it in the long run.

Blessings,

Patty

family dynamics...

I don't know about your family but in a family as big as mine, there are bound to be some hurt feelings and maybe even an outburst or two at most family get togethers. Well, this Christmas was no exception...the only exception, is the person who had the outburst...okay, tantrum...that would be me. I have just spent the last hour on the drive home trying to spin this...to find the "yeah, but..." that would let me off the hook but the truth of it is, there is no excuse for behaving poorly. It seems I have stepped out of the lines again, and of course, it was in bright red for all the world to see. I have already apologized to my mom, who graciously supplied some "yeah, but..." excuses for me but I feel like a wretch all the same. The only fortunate part is that I didn't take anyone down with me...I behaved like an idiot all by myself.

Where is the New Year when you need it...

Ignore the irony (family ties...love grows here) but...this is the 5 x 7 canvas I made for mom as part of her Christmas gift. It has a bunch of techniques that I plan on exploring this year...

there is some beaded jewelry work...

some mixed media...paper and fabric...and embroidered details...

If I promise to behave...I hope you'll come back and see a few other gifts that I have wanted to share but couldn't because...they wouldn't have been a surprise for the people who received them.

Keeping it real in the no spin zone...

Patty

Christmas past...

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends. I just wanted to show you a few pictures from Christmas day. We went up to my FIL's on Christmas afternoon. He cooked a turkey and we brought all the sides...there was not one green thing on the table...not a salad or vegetable to be seen...just plenty of delicious starches and cheese. Mmm...mmm...good.

He did a great job decorating the tree and the fireplace...

Our kids came by Christmas morning. Of course, there were more gifts than any two children need and we made a pact not to buy more than one toy for each grandchild next Christmas. The highlight was the rocking horse that we bought for Andrew...

Emily was not too sure of it but she took a turn...

Andrew is taking his time making friends with it as well...All in all it was a memorable Christmas day. Tomorrow we are off to my parent's for another celebration. It will be the first time in years that all five of their children will gather around the table for Christmas tamales. With the exception of my nephew who is in the Airforce, the entire family will be together. I know it will be a time I will cherish forever.

Be thankful for all you have...for we none are guaranteed what the new year will bring.

Blessings to all,

Patty

staying in the lines... {D}

These cards are from my latest Copic Marker coloring class. Our instructor, Chelle, (she's the best) has been leading us up to coloring in the lines...now if your like me, staying in the lines can be hard to do...sometimes you get carried away and oops, you're out of bounds again. Up until this session we've had the luxury of learning the technique and then cutting out what we colored which is very forgiving cuz you just cut out your oops...Not this time...we had to learn what our boundaries were and stay within them, if you went out, there it was in bright red for all to see.

Sounds a lot like life sometimes...your cruisin along no problem and then bam...your out of bounds...in bright red...for all the world to see.

This is my modified version of the same card...notice I went back to cutting out and around all the oops and mishaps...

Hebrew 8:12 says, "And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins." I am so thankful for a God who remembers my oops and mishaps no more, if...I confess them to him with a repentant heart. True, the bright red may still be out there for all to see because the consequences still remain...but my forgiveness is secure. My oops and mishaps have been cut out and I am back between my Father's lines.

I hope you all have a blessed Christmas.

Living day by day in His grace,

Patty

annie's birthday...

We celebrated my oldest daughter's 25th birthday on Sunday. She has grown into a beautiful, young woman...a generous daughter...a loving mother and a strong Navy wife.

It is so nice when your teenagers turn into young adults...the whole mother daughter dynamic changes. You become friends...a luxury that isn't always possible while they are struggling through adolescence. Your opinion and advice suddenly makes more sense...you aren't just trying to spoil their fun...and things aren't as different now-a-days as they thought. Plus if you're really lucky they give you beautiful grandbabies.

If you have children in that tween age, hang in there...it's worth the wait.

Blessings,

Patty

a few more pictures...

I can't believe we're closing in on Christmas day. My goal is to have all my presents purchased... (just a few more to pick up tomorrow), and wrapped...(I'm waiting on my fairy elf to show up), by Sunday so that next week I can bake to my hearts content. How bout you?

I wanted to show you just a few more pictures of my SIL's before I move on to another Christmas wonderland...

more pink and green in the powder room...



some vintage red in her entryway and above her china hutch...

Most of what you've seen has taken years to accumulate. I call her the queen of repurposing because she is one of those people who can enter a thrift store or flea market and just smell a good bargain or can look at something really ugly and know instinctively what she can turn it in to. If I didn't love her so much I might really resent her for that.

I wish there was a way that my pictures and words could convey her heart for the Christmas season. The way her ornaments and baubles can stir her memory of Christmas' past and stories that always bring a tear to my eye...a favorite cookie recipe that is a more special gift than anything money can buy...I have been truly blessed in the SIL department...she is my sister in law by marriage...my sister in love through friendship...and my sister in Christ by HIS blood.

Tomorrow I am going out to visit another SIL who holds just as special a place in my heart and if I can twist her arm...I will be bringing back some pictures of her warm and cozy home.

I tell ya all this love is almost more than one girl can take.

Blessings,

Patty

The tour, part two...

Okay, where was I? We are moving into the "pink" rooms on the same home tour...My SIL has a split decorating personality...one side retro, funky and one side soft and romantic...

can you guess which side we've entered...

Yes, this is her master bedroom and yes, she makes her bed like this everyday and no, her husband doesn't' mind.

more beautiful baubles and trims...

You must be thinking this all takes A LOT of work...you're right...weeks and weeks of hard, dangerous, ladder climbing work. Every year after it's all done, I make my personal, one on one visit, we sit and I admire and she says, "I don't know if I'll do as much next year", but time has a way of making you forget the work...the time...the sacrifice...the painful, achy joints (sounds a lot like childbirth)...and I know the itch will come again, the crates will come down from the garage and the decorations will go up, even more beautiful than the year before. After so many years it can only be a labor of love.

Did that sound like the tour was over? Oh, no...more to follow.

Blessings,

Patty

Christmas Tour...

As promised, I wanted to share a few (or twenty) pictures of my SIL's Christmas cottage. I could share the most wonderful, hilarious stories about her decorating adventures but because I value her friendship too much, I will save those for a more anonymous post. Warning...these are not for the faint of heart...do not attempt this alone. Enjoy!

Vintage spatter ware...

the queen of repurposing herself...

vintage looking mug set...

the elf collection...

Trust me when I say this is just the tip of the iceberg and my photos can't capture the magic of the twinkling lights and cozy atmosphere of her home. Much to her chagrin, I arrange spontaneous tours annually. She says I bring complete strangers through but this isn't quite true...I have usually known them at least an hour or two.

I will share more pictures in the days to come...

Be inspired,

Patty

making spirits bright...

I'm feeling a little bit nostalgic tonight...Every year the holiday season comes with so much anticipation and expectation. I always envision slowing down and really enjoying every aspect of the Christmas season...then life rushes in and somehow those plans seem to get steamrolled over and replaced by the hustle, bustle and chaos of the everyday.

Sometimes my life seems as busy as these little mice, scurrying from here to there...

I guess it's not too late to slow down...to enjoy a quiet evening...to sip hot chocolate...to bake a batch or two of cookies...to curl up with my favorite movie...to start a new book...to browse through a magazine.

Well...a girl can dream can't she.

Blessings,

Patty

Christmas Blessings...

The decorating is done and my annual Christmas tea is but a beautiful memory...I just wanted to share a few pictures of my home in all it's holiday splendor. How I do love Christmas time...

I usually don't like pictures of myself but I had to show you the adorable apron my mom made for me...

the gingerbread friends...

the nativity scene...

my fireplace mantle...

I will be sharing decorations from a few of my favorite Christmas homes over the next few days. One house may spread over a few days because there is no way I can share only a few photos...it's all so beautiful.

Enjoy the spirit of the season,

Patty

new traditions... {D}

Yesterday, Emily and I went on our first "alone" outing together. Since she just celebrated her first birthday, I thought it was time that the two of us started establishing some of our own traditions. We spent the afternoon looking at beautiful stores all decorated for the holidays...we oohed and aahed over the lights and the sparkly ornaments...we were amazed by all the gingerbread men and we bought her first gramma to grandaughter Christmas ornament in what I hope will be an annual event for the two of us. Then we headed off to Target for some more browsing and a quick bite to eat. All in all it was a wonderful afternoon...

Be still and know I am God...

Does your relationship with God ever feel a little dry, like you're in need of a personal revival? I have been feeling like that lately...

A few months ago my SIL gave me a book to read called The Calvary Road by Roy Hession. I've started reading it a few times but it's one of those books that really makes you stop and realize the change that needs to happened in your life to move forward in your walk with God, so I'll put it away until I have more time to really get into the content of it.

Realizing that I will never have the time...I picked it up again with renewed conviction to finish it. I only got through two pages before I was forced to come face to face with an area that I need to change if I hope to have a revival in my relationship with Jesus...

Hessian says, "There is one simple but all-inclusive guide the Word of God gives to regulate our walk with Jesus and to make us know when sin has come in. Colossians 3:15 says, "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts." Everything that disturbs the peace of God in our hearts is sin, no matter how small it is, and no matter how little like sin it may at first appear to be." Wow, that can be an overwhelming thought...to deal with all the things that disturb my peace in any given day...Some days I wouldn't be able to function. He goes on to say, " He (God) will show us, to begin with just one thing, and it will be our obedience and brokenness on that one thing that will be the first step into revival for us."

So my prayer this morning is for God to reveal to me that one thing...my starting point to total revival in my walk and relationship with him.

In hope of a revival,
Patty

the big 5-0

Pop-pop and Andrew's big adventure...
double checking the seat belt harness and helmet...

and off they go...

Today is my husbands fiftieth birthday...wow, I can't believe I just typed that. Where did the time go? When we were young(er) 50 seemed so old...it still does...but it doesn't feel that old. Does that make sense? When it's your life progressing at a normal rate, with no major illnesses and relatively good health...age just seems to happen. No big deal, no big changes...

We were awakened last night by a hard rainfall and my husband turned over and jokingly said, "I feel achy, my bones are so stiff...what's going on?" But the truth of the matter is that 50 is just a number, nothing really changes, sure we slow down a bit...certain food doesn't agree with us like it used to...and we can't read a menu without our reading glasses but life is still what we choose to make it. One of the things I most love about my husband is his ability to still dream and still dream big. He has so many plans for his life and if you know him, he usually acts on those dreams (which is one of the things that drives me most crazy about him)...he is young at heart...he is a quiet, very private man...not given to many words until you get to know him, then you can't get a word in edge wise...he is a generous man...he is dependable and loyal...he is passionate about what he believes (read into that what you will and you are probably right)...certainly not perfect (but neither am I). We have been married nearly 27 years and I am still crazy in love with him because he is who he is.

We are off tonight to spend a evening with his father and our children, just what he wants to do...no big party after all it's no big deal...it's just a number.

Blessings,

Patty

the day after...

Just wanted to pop in and wish you all a Happy Day After Thanksgiving. I pray that your time spent with family was enjoyable...that you are all still feeling completely full and satisfied...and that you will be able to wear clothes without an elastic waistband before Christmas so that we can do this all over again...

joy...wonder...delight

Now that it's officially the holiday season...I am off to start bringing down the Christmas totes from the attic, break out the Christmas music and begin to transform our house into a Christmas wonderland. Have a beautiful, long weekend.

Patty

the life you imagined... {D}

A few birdhouses I'm working on...

Pink Paislee paper...

Melissa Frances paper from a pocket I ordered from Melissa Phillips...

Some Bo Bunny Christmas paper and K and Company chipboard...

I had the best weekend...Friday night my oldest daughter Annie, her husband and sweet Emily came for dinner...Saturday morning I made breakfast for my daughter Jessica and her family. I checked some home projects off my to do list and had a leisurely Saturday evening with my husband and a couple of old episodes of 'The Big Valley'. I know it might sound kind of hum drum but I loved it...to see my family come full circle and be at peace, for however long it might last...

Sunday morning after church I went on a local home tour with my SIL and one of my best friends. This has sort of become the unofficial beginning to the holiday season. One of the homes had a plaque that said, "Live the life you imagine"...this thought started the best conversation about childhood memories and the dreams we have for our own families. These two ladies know the real me and my life history. They have seen my ups and downs and the imperfections of my world. We laughed at how I reflect the good in my posts but you know, I figure you all know that yucky stuff happens in my life and I know that yucky stuff happens in yours...why focus on the ugly? It doesn't change anything...why not focus on the good...why not find the lovely...why not search out the pure...why not live the life you imagine? I'm not talking about burying your head in the sand. There are things that you have to face and deal with, and I do. I am talking about attitude...the perspective with which you view what happens to you. Do I truly believe that God is in control...that he wants the best for me...that he will use all things for good? Do I merely believe in God or do I believe God?

Sure, I could fill my blog space with the yuck but what kind of seed would that sow? In the worst times of my life this verse from Philippians 4:8 has helped me keep my sanity, "Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable, and right and pure, and lovely and admirable. Think about the things that are excellent and worthy of praise."

It's all about attitude.

Blessings,

Patty

distractions...

A peek at some Christmas memory books I am working on...

The paper is from Cosmo Cricket...

I love the cheery prints and sentiments...

Fresh, fun, colors...

Does your life ever get so full of distractions that you neglect what's truly important? I know mine sure does. As my life gets fuller, my quiet time seems to get emptier. As my quiet time gets emptier, the less I have to give to the ones I love.

I came into my craft room this morning ready to get started with my devotions and quiet time and the very room I created for my own seemed to pull me in every direction that was not quiet. Don't get me wrong, I love being in my room but between the unfinished projects, the bookshelves full of books and the ideas in my head, it's hard to settle my thoughts.

So I am in search of a new spot meant only for my devotions. Nothing around to distract me...nothing calling me that needs to be done...a place to pray for friends...a place to give thanks...a place to hear His still small voice.

If I have missed an opportunity to be there for you...or hear you cry out...or just listen...I am sorry. I will try to do better. You know I love you all.

Blessings,

Patty