A new penpal...

Remember my Artful Penpals post? Well, my penpal's letter was delivered today. I want to start this post off by telling Jen (that is my penpal's name)... Jen, I haven't forgotten you! I can give you excuse after excuse, but I want you to know I haven't forgotten and plan to get your letter out in the next couple of days!

This guy here was in my mailbox today. What a lovely letter to find in my mail box amidst the junkmail and bills. I just had to share this fantastic envelope with you!

Jen's letter was so fun to read. She is an artist through and through. Cool little people were drawn to add expression to her letter and the doodles down the side of the paper were a nice added touch.


Jen collects vintage photos and shared this one with me. On the back she wrote a quote (everyone knows I love quotes)! It says:

While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what live is all about. ~Angela Schwindt (from quotegarden.com)

Amen to that. I have learned more from my children than any other time in my life that is for sure!

Jen also included one of her water color signs that says "I approve of myself". LOVE IT! My scanner isn't cooperating with me this evening. I am sure it is OE (operator error), but I am just too tired to figure it out. So...you can see it by visiting her blog called My Heart is Full. It is on the right hand of the page. While you are there, take a look at all her fabulous photography, collages and watercolor drawings. Jen is very talented!

Thanks again Jen for brightening my day. My letter will be on it's way soon, I promise!

A try at domino pendants...

Katie wanted a domino necklace like her little friends have. Since I had all the supplies, and was wanting to try this anyway, I made each of the girls a little pendant.


Katie's is a free stock photo of kittens I printed on regular cardstock, cut out, modgepodged to the domino and covered with diamond glaze and placed the little rhinestones while the glaze was still wet. Nikki's was her name printed on scrapbook paper, then adhered to the domino the same way.

A fun and easy project. You can do these with Scrabble tiles too!

I was wondering....

If you all would be able to help me out in lifting someone's spirits.

As you know, my beautiful mother has battled ovarian cancer valiantly in the past year. We thought for the past 4 months, that the cancer was gone as the CA125 blood test as well as her PET scans were not showing any. However this past week when the doctor did a bowel re-section to rid her of the colostomy bag, they found several small tumors still there.

Mom is having a difficult time physically recovering from this surgery as well as facing what the future holds. She isn't sure she wants to continue with chemo treatments. We are supporting whatever decision she makes. I'm not sure I would want to after the fight she gave in the last year being in the hospital for 6 months straight with a wound in her belly getting chemo treatments at the same time which are enough to knock even the healthiest person to the ground. She is tired, and I understand this. I am hoping that she will be stronger once she heals from this surgery. What I would like for her right now is to experience the peace and love of all of you who have been praying on her behalf.

Tabitha at I Choose Bliss requested this a couple of weeks ago for her aunt who has been told there is nothing more they can do for her cancer. She said she heard a smile in her aunt's voice when she talked to her. Now I would like to ask this on my mother's behalf.

If you would like to help out, I am just asking for a simple sweet uplifting card or message to be sent to my Mom to help lift her spirits as she makes these difficult decisions. Please let her know she is being prayed for. If you are interested, please email me at lanieintx at comcast dot net, and I will give you a P.O. Box to send your card or note.

Tabitha wrote: I know that LOVE CAN CONQUER ALL. I know that LOVE CAN push through the darkest day.

I truely believe this.

I pray for Mom's healing, comfort, peace and for her to know she is so very loved.

Friday Favorites (6/26/09)

Erin at $5 Dinners shares a recipe for Beef, Snap Pea and Broccoli Stir-Fry. The cost of this dinner was just $3.59. YUM!

The Long Thread shares 50 Summer Crafts for Kids. Who couldn't use more ideas for entertaining children during the summer months?

Melissa at Bloggin' It shows us how she made scrappy paper dolls. What a great way to use extra scrapbook paper and have fun with your little girls at the same time. We will definitely be doing this!

Little Birdie Secrets shows how to make party poppers for your July 4th celebration. I bet the kids would have a blast with these!

Ashlee at Pretty Partridge made really cute fun photo wall art with scrapbook paper. Another great way to use some of my stash of paper!

Naptime Journal shows us how to do some plastic basket weaving using plastic crates and ribbon. These would make fantastic decorative storage or cute containers for holding gifts.

Emily at Not So Idle Hands shows us how to Make old, broken crayons fun again. I have already picked up the trays to do this with my daughters. Very cute!

Have fun!

Pay It Forward...

Some of you know about and are participating in my Pay It Forward Crafting Style.

Yesterday, I received my craft from Emily at Not So Idle Hands. Is this not the cutest? She said she remembered me saying I had 2 little girls so she thought they would like this. She was so right! Katie snapped it right up and loves it!

It's a chalkboard made out of vinyl. Emily sewed the adorable fabric and ribbon to the back to create a chalkboard for a child to take along anywhere they like. Sew cute! I mean soooo cute!

Here is the link to the tutorial. Go take a peek. She also did a "whiteboard vinyl" one.

Thanks again Emily! We love our craft!

To those of you who are participating in my Pay It Forward, I will be contacting you soon if I don't have your address.

Monday Musings... A.A. Milne

I have often seen and loved the many sayings of Winnie the Pooh and friends created by A.A. Milne. Just a few for you this Monday morning...

Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. ~Christopher Robin to Pooh

Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again? ~Winnie the Pooh

"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"
"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh.
"What do you say, Piglet?"
"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.
Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing," he said.

It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily.
"So it is."
"And freezing."
"Is it?"
"Yes," said Eeyore.
"However," he said, brightening up a little, "we haven't had an earthquake lately.”

“When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.” ~Winnie the Pooh

Have a great day!

Artful Penpals

So, this week I stumbled across a blog called Artful Penpals.

Shelagh (beautiful name isn't it) is an artist and mom in Nova Scotia. Her blog Alice in Paris Loves Art and Tea is full of her gorgeous colorful artwork and photos. You really have to stop by and see all her work. She also has a link to her Etsy shop. Make sure you give her some bloggy love.

Shelagh has started the Artful Penpals to help bring back the lost art of letter writing. I absolutely loved the idea because I too feel that going to the mailbox and receiving something more than junkmail or a bill can really brighten one's day.

Here is what she writes in her post:

I had written a post in my blog a while ago about the joy of the written word and how lovely it is to hold a precious letter in your hand. Exciting to go to your post box and discover a wee personal treasure just for you, waiting to be opened. I was surprised at how many people felt the same way and longed for that kind of personal touch. So I thought I would facilitate a small, return to the handwritten letter ...."festival"!

To participate, all you have to do is send one letter, the kind of letter you would like to receive, to your penpal and they will do the same in kind. Lovely stationery, big bulky, slender elegant, something enclosed, it is up to you. I will match you with a writing partner. You don't need to have a blog to sign on. I will add your name/blog to the side bar once you have signed up:)

So, go visit Artful Penpals and sign up! What are you waiting for? Registration closes on June 14 so that Shelagh can match each person up with a penpal. While you are there, visit Shelagh at Alice in Paris Loves Art and Tea. I promise you will love it!