Day 31 - Let Them Eat Cake

The sweet tooth hit in today so I went through my recipes. I didn't have enough ingredients to make the brownies I wanted so I settled for this Apple Harvest Cake. Ummmmmmmmmm the house smells so good right now it is driving my dog crazy. She is my oven timer around here, lol. When the beeper sounds telling me to go check with ever is baking she goes nuts. She know what was smelling so good is coming out of that box.
I don't know I just might join her going around in circles because it does smell that good.

Day 30 - Pockets

Honey, could you sew my pockets again? My response: I don't think I can repair them again, there isn't any thing left to sew to.

This is the reason he gets holes in his pockets!




The man carries ten dollars worth of change in his pockets! I am not kidding, one day we took it out and counted the change. These jars are a testament to the change we have laying around the house. I have a bag full of pennies that we save for the grandsons which I don't have in the picture. He use to just drop the change where ever in the house, I at least have him putting it in the jars now. There is one on each level of the house. I took out the pennies one day and counted the change. We had $54.00 dollars in just the silver alone. I think I will keep that as our vacation jar. I might get a cruise yet, lol!!!!

Day 29 - Sleeping Buddies

My husband doesn't believe that Lexie is his buddy. I feed, walk, take her outside for her business and all things you need to do for your pet. But if he is home she is right by his side, guess he is the Alpha dog, lol.

Anyway the photo for today is the funniest. We got Lexie after having to have our other dog put to sleep who was 13 yrs old. It was like having a baby in the house again, I was exhausted running out the door to train her. We learned that these dogs like to den, so we crate trained her, best thing ever. So as you can see even when not in the crate she likes to have her head under something like she is in her den.



In this first picture she had taken her head out to see what I was up to but soon when back to sleep, and then there goes the head back under the couch skirt with just the body sticking out!

Day 28- Chili for a Chilly Day

I didn't want to post another snow picture as beautiful as it can be. Right now we are under about 8 inches of snow with it still coming down an inch an hour. So it seems like a great time to make chili for supper. These are my ingredients I use in my chili, I have a picky eater so I can't use onion but I do use onion powder to fool him, lol. We like our chili with macaroni and cheese on top making for a more filling meal.

Oh, one more thing Faith Sisters is having a blog train right now, "Love My Pet" is the theme. You can grab these great mini kits by the designers through the 31st just go to my design blog
to get my part you see here. There is something for every pet lover in these kits.

Day 27 - Beauty of Ice

We are in the midst of a major winter storm that is to last for 24 hours from now. The projected snow totals for us are eleven inches or more. I am hoping that we don't get that much but at least we aren't suppose to get ice, whew. That is hitting a lot farther south than where I am located.

Ice is really beautiful with the light hitting it like in these pictures. I love being able to see the detail of the pine through the ice. Stay warm where ever you are.

Day 26 - Flower power

Still stuck on flowers for today, this is one I took this past summer. On the cropped picture you can see the bee inside the flower with pollen all over its legs.

Day 25 - Thinking Spring

Oh, how I'm longing for spring flowers, warmer temperatures, no heavy coats etc.. I hope no more sinus problems at least until next winter. I just had to post a more colorful picture today, not one I took today of course because all the flowers are dead and under snow.
I guess I am feeling this way because right now my head is splitting with sinus pressure. So it is hard to even think at the moment I will be more myself tomorrow I hope so I'm off of here. Have a great day see you tomorrow.

Day 24 - Light

I love this photo that I took of my dog for a photo challenge. We were to take a picture by a window with the light coming in. Now trying to get my dog to stay there long enough to get the picture was a challenge. I later took the same photo and did a pencil sketch with it, which I use to make "Thinking of You" cards.

I couldn't put my pictures in my posting today the way I like because every time I go to photobucket this thing pops up (antivirus 2009) wants to scan your computer and it says you are infected. We warned this is a virus don't fall for it, bail out. My dd already had this one on his computer this week and was able to go back to a restore point to get rid of it. It will want you to pay for this software which is totally bogus.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

If you want to know more about doing the pencil sketch I wrote more about it on this blog post here

Day 23 - Water

Water an essential element that we can't live without. It refreshes us and cleans us up! I love to sit by a fountain or slow moving water and hear the sound of it moving over the rocks.

I bought this fountain last year for a ladies retreat I was heading up called, "Heart Spa". One of the songs that we learned was titled, "Come to the Water", it was one of my favorite songs.




I love the look of this one I put a filter on it which makes it looks like a painting I thought. I even makes my wall paper look really good, lol.

Day 22 - A Dash

Have you ever wondered how much is a dash of salt? How about a pinch or smidgen? I was in a cooking club for a brief time and was sent these spoons. How cool is that, I no longer have to guess how much a dash is. A dash is much larger than I thought it to be.

A recipe is a balance of certain ingredients to make brownies that make your mouth water. If you add to much of one ingredient it ruins the whole recipe.
Our lives are much like a recipe in that we need a balance of activities in our lives. To much of one thing and it can throw our whole lives out of balance. Making us ill or ruining a life. Take a few minutes for yourself today, breath in breath out and let go of the stress of the moment.


There now don't you feel better? Sending a ((((hug))) to everyone today as everyone needs to know that they are special and loved.

Day 21 - Time

Taking this shot today has me thinking about how fast time goes by. When we were little it seemed like forever before Christmas or birthdays came around. We thought we would never grow up fast enough. Now as the years have pasted the older I get, the faster that clock seems to go. The hours, days, weeks just fly by and then another year.

How many opportunities past us by to show kindness to someone, a word of encouragement, a hug, or saying "I love you" to those close to us? Take time today to pass along a part of yourself in some small way, it will mean the world to someone.

Day 20 - SnowRise

A few mornings back we had a beautiful sunrise and I could not get my camera to work. I thought I had lost this moment until yesterday when I was playing around with my camera. Well on the cameras memory not my memory card was one picture of that sunrise. So here is that moment of splendor.

Day 19 - Half Full or Half Empty?

Today I have a half full glass as my pic for the day or is it a half empty glass? It really depends on how you look at life, if you go around looking at life with a negative view point then your glass is always going to look half empty. I strive to always look at life with a half full glass, look at the positive in things. Is this hard? You bet it is but the more you do it the easier it gets and those difficult times in life are a lot easier to get through if you keep this positive attitude.

I challenge you to keep your glass half full!

Day 18 - My Favorite Shoes

These are my favorite dress shoes right now. They are sexy and in a pinch I could use them as a weapon. I know they aren't what is in fashion right now but I love them. The newest trend is the ugly rounded dress shoes. I know because I tried on I don't know how many pairs trying to find some new shoes. None of them worked out because they have a heel that is way to high for me or they don't have my size. I have a small foot (5 1/2) so I have trouble finding my size and I can no longer where heels that are more than 2 1/2 inches high because of back issues. Anyway these will remain my favorite I guess until they wear out.

Tami Gave me a Blog Award!!

Wow, I am so honored that Tami gave me a blog award. There are so many awesome blogs out there I can't believe I got one.

We need to list 5 things we are addicted to.....only 5? Ok, here it goes...

1. Tea- I love a cup first thing in the morning, and through the day. Love all kinds too.

2. Taking pictures. I always have a camera with me.

3. Chocolate. I have to have it.

4. Designing and scrapping, I'm at the computer most of the day, lol.

5. Music. I am in a Southern Gospel Group as a singer, on the worship team and bring solo's too

It talks to my heart and expresses how I feel about my Lord and Savior


Now to pass on the award.....once again we are to pick 5. I agree that 5 is such a low number. Look at all that talent out there! Its hard to pick just 5

Susie: Great photos

Michele: Great pics

Iris: Great photos/ stories

JJ: Awesome photos

Biancka :She temps me with Chocolate/ Great perspective on her photos

Day 17 - Icicles

I could kick myself for not charging my camera last night! I missed the most beautiful sunrise because of it. It was awesome with the oranges, reds reflecting off the snow, well it taught me a lesson.
Since I missed that one this is what I have to offer for today, it is still beautiful though. This was taken looking out my kitchen window. With the freezing temps we have had I've seen some hugh icicles hanging from the gutters. These are small in comparison to those but I still liked them.

Day 16 - Count Your Blessings

Wow is it cold out there!!! I just got back in from taking my dog outside for her morning bathroom break. Even she thought it was cold and it doesn't usually bother her and she was picking up her paws because of the cold. It is minus 12 outside with wind chills at minus 33, any way with that in mind. I am counting my blessings that I have a warm home to stay in. On the news last night there were people out with blankets trying to make sure those with no homes had one.

So it may not be this cold where you are at but what blessings are you thankful for?

Day 15 - Frosted Windows

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr is it cold today we are looking at a -2 right now. So I am house bound today unless I have to take out the dog.

The window in the kitchen this morning is all frosted so I thought this would be my pic for the day. The sun was just starting to peak through and I tried to get the long icicles hanging from the gutter.

Day 14 - The Crowd

Nothing dramatic today as it is to cold to take any pictures outside (wind chills in the below zero) brrrrrrrrrrrrrr! While these are just a pile of buttons I got to thinking (dangerous I know) While we are all different, we strive to stand out in the crowd searching for that something that is missing in our lives. We often fill it with activities that fill the time but not the empty void.

So what are you filling the void with? I have filled mine with the love that God has for me, and it still amazes me the Love he has for each and every one of us.

Day 13 - Joy

There is nothing like starting the morning out with a nice hot cup of tea. This cup not only keeps it nice a hot while I'm busy designing but the word "JOY" is a daily reminder to focus on the joy that is out there. I helps to keep a positive focus on my world and that is my wish for you today too!

Day 12 Here's Looking At You

I hate taking my picture but thought I would give that a try today. Maybe I should do this every morning as I saw how I needed to touch up my eye makeup, lol.

I added a dreamy filter using virtual photographer on these next two.

Day -11 Ice Age

Yesterday it was so bleak and dark with all the snow flying so it wasn't a very good day to get pictures outside. I did brave a few today as we are beginning to thaw out and the sun is shining on the snow which makes it look like glitter has been sprinkled around.

I love the ice hanging off the vine and looking through it. Here are a few more that I took while I was out there. This next one was the ice that formed at the bottom of the vine and you can see the ground cover peeking through with a little bit of green.



And then here is the prints left by my dog on the porch snow.



And a close up of the ice a the bottom of the vine.

Day 10 - the Office

I thought I would show you where I spend most of my days. I am lucky to have a whole room as my design office at home (the advantages of an empty nest) It isn't a fancy setup but it works for me. They had an old office desk at the church where my dh ministers so I salvaged that. It weighs a ton it takes two of us to put it together and then I added a small bookcase. To make my room look bigger I started going vertical with everything, by adding the other selves on the other side. I had to turn the white ones sideways and then the middle part was from an old desk that got broke in one of our moves. Not a bad setup for almost being free!

A Little Salt & Pepper

Hey, I wanted you to see I can take pictures of something besides snow and my dog!
I was trying some macro shots of these little salt & pepper shaker I got for Christmas. I am still experimenting with lighting so I don't end up with so much shadow.

Looking at Winter

I love the look of my world when it is all fresh with snow makes everything look clean and pure.
I don't like driving in it though, it was so bad last night they canceled church services. We didn't get alot of snow but it was blowing really bad and there was ice under the snow which does not make for a great combination to drive in. Anyway here are a few views around my house this morning, I braved the single digit wind chill to get, lol.

I loved the pattern the snow made with the stone work in my front flower garden.


This is the barrel where I plant flowers in summer with just the remnants of them left.
We love to sit out on the back porch but this is a little to cold for me.

This was taken in the front at ground level looking at the snow cover world.

The Bone

There is a story behind the bone, oh not this one but one I gave her at Christmas. We had ham for our dinner at Christmas with a big bone in it. I boiled it and got all the excess ham off before giving it to her. I was busy with something on the computer so I wasn't paying any attention to her or the bone. The next thing I know she only has about 3 inches left from the bone that started out being 8 inches long. Now who would have thought a dog could eat a bone that fast? I had to trick her to get the rest of it away from her, she had tried to bury it in the covers on the couch. So while we took a trip outside my dh did away with the rest.
Then come the next morning with many trips outside to get rid of the effects of the bone, she even woke me up twice in the night to go outside. (which she never does) This continued into the next day although I wise up a bit (I know a bit late, lol) and only gave her a little plain rice to see if that would stay down. Called the vet for advice and was told to continue with nothing my mouth for 24 hrs. Did you know that ham is toxic to a dogs liver? Well, I know one thing she will never get another ham bone for now on it is only the raw hide ones. So you can see that is why she was enjoying this one so much.

Out My Back Door

We woke up to no snow and by 9 am we had the ground covered with sleet expected later today.
This is the view out my back door now.

Furry Subject

I don't have to many willing subject around so Lexie is always willing to be a subject of my experiments.

Stay on Target!

Ok I'm already starting behind on this 365 days challenge. So I need to get caught up so I will be posting 4 pictures to get caught up. I promise I will try to stay on target after this!



I love this one of my grandson but I had to be creative with the background. My dd didn't want his belly showing in it next to him.