Sicky :(

Madison woke up feeling yucky today and decided it was a day for her to stay inside the house. I guess with it being so chilly, she picked a good day. I have a bit of a sore throat too. I hope that I don't get sick...but I would rather it be me than the kids. So, Madison cuddled on the couch with one of the dogs (alternating of course) and watched movies "with me" while I made spiders and clips. I am attaching pictures of the most recent and then posting them on my etsy site for sale. I'd like to say that I had a productive day, but honestly...nope. Man I am bored and ready for school to start. It's sad to think that the most exciting part of my day today was walking to the CX to buy the children a peach tea. WooHoo! Party girl--hold me back.

I am also posting pictures of my girls at Emily's party and a picture of Ava's arm that makes me want to fire up the oven and eat a baby for dinner :)

Just A Saturday

We spent the day doing a whole lot of nothing. Big Michael had to work, and the kids played outside--getting mad every time it started to rain and I made them come in the house. I spent the day watching a movie, beading, and dead-heading some flowers in the garden. Not too exciting, but hey...this is my life. I was walking the dogs and ran into some friends. I made a comment about how we should schedule a BBQ or gathering of some sort and "POOF" we were doing it tonight. As many of you know, this may have caused me anxiety on a normal day, but I was actually OK with it because I was having a down day and needed something to take my mind off of it.

They came over around 6:30pm bringing with them chips, dip, cheese squares, grapes, chicken, shrimp salad, a Russian dish that I don't know what it is called, some wine for the women and liqueur for the men. I provided juice boxes, plates, wine, baked mac and cheese, and a tomato/feta, olive/basil dish. Peoples' food was very well received. A couple of neighbors came as well. All in all it ended up a really good day. It could only have been better if Big Michael could have been home instead of working.

I have pictures from tonight, BUT I don't have their permission to put their pics up on the Internet so I don't want to do it yet. I will ask though since it was so much fun watching all those brown children running all crazy (interestingly enough, all of us are mixed couples). So, I will post a different picture from whatever I find in this months folder on my computer. I don't know why, but the posts always look so naked to me when they don't have pictures. I have decided on one of Little Michael running. The premise of this picture is that everyone was playing kickball today...yes the adults were playing too. We were all a big bunch of kids.


There was also a point where the boys (adult boys too) decided to race because no one can beat Sierra and see if they could finally do it. I give you two guesses as to the outcome of the race. MAN CAN THAT GIRL RUN!!! It is a God given talent to which I can't relate because i hate to run. Well she amazes me much like Madison's musical ability, and Micheal's ability to morph into Eeyore at a moment's notice...I am sure there is more than that with him, but honestly the "woe is me" is pervasive in his live. This is due, for the most part, to being a teenager. Poor kid...he "never get what he wants!" Honestly, I am surprised he didn't choke on that one.

Sharing Past Work

I thought since JennyP was sharing some of her past work, I could share some of mine. The colorful blanket was created by me for one of my nephew's birth. The first one with all the blues was made by me for me to use as a lap blanket---Madison took it. The last one on the middle right with the flower border was made by me for me to use as a lap blanket because Madison took the first one--Sierra took that one. The bright one on the top right was created for the same reason and Charlene took it. I still don't have my own lap blanket BTW. The peacock tapestry is still being created for my grandmother. She already has a beautiful one of the Lord's Prayer that I made and my mother had matted and framed, but this one is her awesome one. It truly is a thorn in my side. The one on the bottom left is called Earth Angel and still does not have a home. It was created for someone that asked me to make her something and told me to decide what to make. THEN when I was done she told me it really didn't match her decor. WELL, needless to say...I kept it. The one with the little girl is for my JennyP and is hanging in her sewing area. The little redhead made me think of a little me and the black kitty made me think of her. It was the perfect gift. Sometimes I do OK :)

I finished quite a few new dragonflies today as well as a couple of new spiders. I will post them on etsy very soon. I have added so many, that I should stop making them but it passes time. Boy am I bored over the summer. I really should read more, cross stitch more (Lord knows I have more than enough to do there), finish a lap blanket that I might be allowed to keep--Kelly is lucky that I didn't take the one Corinnea made for her the other day because I wanted to. I mean really it's only fair since others always take the ones I make for myself :)

Right now I am getting ready to make one more red dragonfly for Corinnea's mother so that I can bring those to her tomorrow. I sure hope she likes them as much as she thinks she will. Apparently, she has a large picture window that birds keep flying into so she hopes these will help them to stop doing that. She asked for two, but she is getting three. Consider it my contribution to helping mentally challenged birds :)

Fest and Craft Fair

Well, here are some pictures from the craft fair at the multicraft store and from the 4th of July Fest. The store was supposed to be closed today but opened up anyway. I think they did OK business wise, but I didn't look at the books :) I do know that I paid for the girls to take a "Kid's Craft Summer Camp" from the 4th through 8th of August. They will make different crafts everyday, which as most of you know the girls will LOVE. The crafts are ceramic dish, marbled paper, book, t-shirt and one other thing I can't remember. It is from 11:00 to 1:30 each of those days, the craft supplies, and instructor are part of the price. I think it will be money well spent.

I think that the pictures from the rides turned out pretty. My three girls look SO cute! The fair was good, chocolate covered strawberries were GREAT! Dad took the girls to the movies, the fest, and they got home around midnight from the fireworks. Little (I guess not so little) Michael hung out the whole day with his friends eating junk food and chilling. They all rode home together. All-in-all, it was a really great day.

Working on Display

Well, I kind of put together a little display for the craft show. See, the dragonflies look pretty hanging from trees as well...you know for Christmas. Of course they look good in a window with the sun shining through or on the fridge as well. I want to post a copy of the Christmas Legend with the spiders, and possibly place them on a doily so that it look similar to a web. Maybe I will bring a few pretty rocks for them to sit on too. I am not sure if that will be OK for the store, but I think it should be fine for the craft show. I can't think of a way to hang the dragonflies on the suction hooks though. I guess I will just lay the rest out.

So, that's what I have done so far todayother than give myself a facial. BTW, it made my skin very soft. Anyway, I am going to go outside and enjoy the semi-sunny day for an hour or so. You know sun = happy makers = less depression = more fun to be around. :)

More Spiders :)

Ok all, I had to share these with everyone. I am so happy with how these turned out! I can't wait to put them in the store and have them on the table at the craft show. They are a bit harder to make than the dragonflies-at least for me. They take more thought for the legs AND the beads are way smaller than those for the others. I like making them just as much as the dragonflies though. I like to watch both of them take form and become what I see in my mind before I start. I know that the pictures aren't taken in the light box, but its really not necessary as I am not selling online, which was the main reason for making it. I guess now I will just use it because I have it :)

Spiders, Spiders Everywhere!

I am attaching a picture of my best spider to date. I am giving it to my JennyP because she wants one for her tree (the German Christmas Story) and because, like the picture says, I love her :) I am making a really pretty lavender one now and I am getting better with each spider.

Right now I am taking the Fourth of July dragonflies to the store so that they are out there before the craft fair. Maybe I will get lucky and people will like them as much as I do and buy some. If not I will cry my heart out. OK, not really...I might think they have no taste though :) OH, and by the way the red spider below was upside down because I wasn't paying attention to the way I bent the legs. So NO he is NOT supposed to look like a Rastafarian.

Arachnophobia Conquered

Arachnophobia is an issue that many people suffer with in varying degrees. I wonder if it would be better if all spiders looked like the ones I have created today. I am having difficulty making it so that the legs don't spin and it is frustrating for me but I will keep trying I think. My favorite one is the orange one. I like the legs the best. If any of you crafty people reading this have suggestions regarding the legs and keeping them in place, I would be so happy.

I have placed my dragonflies on etsy inactive so that I can work out some logistical issues with regard to shipping. I am not allowed to ship from my APO address for reasons of military regulation, and after going to the German Post I realized it's NOT cost effective for me to ship that way and I actually ended up losing a little over two dollars on my first sale. Regardless of some obvious loopholes, it isn't worth the risk to me or my husband to ship through the military and I don't mind giving them away to friends but I am not willing to give them away to strangers and what with losing money I actually paid to give them away. Not too bright I suppose :) I am disappointed though. But for now I will confine myself to selling from the Patch Multicraft store--which is fine and still makes me happy.

Oh, a note about the girls...their hair was NOT too ratty last night so that was pretty exciting. Both of them did see my point about hair on your neck in the summer making you hot and wore braids today though. It's funny when children realize their parents actually know a thing or two. Imagine that :)

Trying Something New

Well, I tried out a new light box that I made (one of the instructions says not to cut yourself...guess what I did) and took pictures of some new stuff. I tried my hand at making a spider. Be kind, it is my first one. Personally, I think he is kind of cute. It was JennyP's idea for me to create a light box for my etsy pictures, so she found one online for me to make, brought me the box, paper and then I bought the required poster board then put the whole thing together. So not only can you see the new beading ideas, but you can also see the new way to take pictures for the Internet. It seems to work great, but I will have to play with it a bit.


I have to say yet again that we had a great time today playing with the Parrish girls. I have so many pictures to choose from for the photo album. I mean I took over 200, JennyP took some, and Big Michael took some. JennyP told me that between the three of us we had over 700. UMMM, maybe we went a bit overboard. The good news is that there are so many to choose from that I can pour over them for hours. The bad new is actually the very same :)

A Lot of Work

Well, I spent a few hours in the flower garden yesterday. My legs are sore from squatting so much. I did go to the buildings that they are tearing up to get stuff, but traded Cindy D for her Hastas because I get partial sun (which they need) and she gets full sun. They are pretty, but now that area is missing some stuff in the front. I will see what I can do. I was also weeding the flower area and digging down to put bricks. You know the border kind that you can't just put on the edge. My across the street neighbor's house still makes ours look like the ghetto though. I have attached some pictures to this post. It definitely still needs work but I do the best I can. I am in the process of deciding what I want to plant in the empty spots, but I know I have to think of something. I can't have the other building showing us up. I want some more red, pink and purple flowers. I want lots of pretty colors.

Oh! speaking of lot of pretty colors, I am ordering some wire, glass beads, and the pliers necessary to make the dragonflies like my Aunt does. Right now I have 15 hanging in my window along with some sun catchers she made me. I am hoping to be able to sell the dragonflies either on ETSY or at the Patch Multi craft Center. If not...I guess I'll have a lot on my windows. They are fun to make and the finished product is rewarding. My Aunt Ann sells them for $5.00 a piece to include the little suction cups so that they can be hung in the window. I love them personally and they make me feel happy. Maybe I am easily pleased. I am attaching pictures of them so that people who visit the BLOG can see them and let me know what they think. I know my JennyP likes them and even has some of her own. I encouraged my Aunt to sell them online, but I don't know if I was taken seriously. I made several of the ones that are in my house, so I know how to do it. I think it would be fun to try my hand at it. There are more, but I think there are enough posted.

Finally, Cooper has now been neutered and we can pick him up in a half hour. The receptionist told me that he did very well. Poor little guy. Now he will have a real reason to be scared of the VET. I think that I would be too. :) If he ends up needing a little cone or something I will post a picture of that too. UPDATE: Cooper is home safe and sound. He is sore but has used the bathroom and our biggest problem so far is that we have to keep him from playing with Buddy and visa verse for around ten days. No cone unless he won't stop licking the sutures. I am glad that he made it through OK though.