Of Crafting and Photo Taking

The photo of my dining table at dusk is the next to the last one you'll see from here for a while. Amazingly, it turned out okay, but just prior to that and for the afternoon all pictures had horizontal lines running across them like the one below plus they're overexposed and I can no longer adjust my apertures. Oh great, make a liar out of me, little picture. Perhaps the lines are better seen on my car fender or perhaps my car just needs a trip through the car wash.

By the way, if a blogger talks to her pictures, is she crazy? Don't answer that! Perhaps you can see it better if I enlarge the photo.

 I can see the lines. Can you?

(And what's going on with not being able to enlarge photos to take a good look at them anymore? Did Blogger run out of room? Do YOU know the secret? If so, pray tell.)

Next weekend, my sister and I, and any of the following generation, are going to have some craft time. I am thinking of two crafts. This *Snowbird Ornament Tutorial* from Miss Sandy at Quill Cottage and this *Mitten Tutorial* from Dawn at The Feathered Nest. Both of these delightful bloggers are offering their tutorials free of charge with some guidelines that you'll want to check on. The Mittens could become a sweet garland similar (only better) to my own. It would have an elegant Victorian look over the country look. I'm going to find out! =) The Snowbird is so lovely. Please go check!

Soooo, where was I? Oh yes,  next time you see me, it'll be cute graphics all the way. Sigh.

 Graphics Source

Stay cozy!

Clean Up Ensues

Another busy day here. Online shopping until I was dropping and clean-up and decorating and I even ironed my tablecloth at long last. I am plum tuckered out. (I need excuses for why I'm posting later and later every day.)

Thanks to all who expressed sympathies that our tree branch blew off. I sometimes forget that it's not possible to remember all the finer details of my life here, but this is not my tree branch. We live on the proverbial postage stamp and everything beyond this way of the fence you see there belongs to my excellent neighbor who is outside even now trying to clean it all up with a toy chainsaw. John would take pity on him except he's in the midst of his own troubles trying to get this last/front side on the house. John knows he's on borrowed weather time.

Yes, there's my neighbor now. I can just see him. Isn't the light lovely at this time of day? All one minute and thirty-six seconds of it? It makes everything outside look as if it were bathed in a blue haze. Scrumptious.

Thanks also to the most honest group of gals I've ever been privileged to call friends. I'm going to make John read all those fantastic comments on yesterday's post. Not sure about reading Judy's though. =)

Have a delightful weekend...

Nag, Nag, Nag

Nagging is the repetition of unpalatable truths.

~Edith Summerskill

What an interesting name has Edith! Is it summers kill or summer skill?

Okay, I've been nagging. (I just know that you're shocked and find it difficult to believe that sweet me could be guilty of such a thing.)

The winds have been howling and I really didn't want John out on the ladder today. As I was making my case at the breakfast table and in mid-sentence, Crrrrrr...aaaaaaa...cccckkkkkk, down came a huge limb before our eyes. I've rarely felt so vindicated or had my nagging so well punctuated, though my niece may differ with that assessment as she's forever telling the story about the day I said something I should not have and there was a clap of thunder so sudden and violent that I jumped up onto the sofa apologizing to the Lord as I went.

Anyway, I shall miss this branch so massive that it could have been a tree all on its own. It has been featured here before...

And here is how it looks after this morning (forgive the reflections)...

So, tell me, do you ever nag? If you do, what does your husband think of it?

 

Rainy Day in December

Come on in! No tea today as I'm serving up

hot chocolate. Unusual for me, but so tasty.
Do you have any marshmallows on you?

Question/s for you: Do you ever deny yourself something for no good reason? Do you ever deny yourself something because that's the way you've always done it before? Do you ever deny yourself something for fear of what other people might think?

My epiphany for the day was to realize that I could so too have the Christmas lights on today even though it is daytime. I wanted them on because they are cheery on a rainy day. I told myself "no" because it was daylight. It took me a moment to realize why I was denying myself and now I'm wondering how often I engage in this idiotic behavior of parenting my inner child. =)

So here's to Christmas lights on in the daytime!

And fuzzing out the photo edges we don't like. And taking a nap in the afternoon. And not posting until later in the day. And making curtains out of painter's cloth...

Enjoy a great afternoon!

A Kitchen Project and More Decorating

Rolling right along here. No, don't look at the Thanksgiving dishes still waiting to be put away or the groceries on the counter or the wrapping paper on the floor. No, I am not even going to show you the last two. There's just something about a stack of dishes that I find appealing. Do you like bubble lights? We love them around here and use them as nightlights year round.

And an audible groan was heard throughout Blogdom...What?! That mitten garland again? You don't want to see the final result? (I just finally made it back to the grocery store this morning and remembered the candy canes this time.)



I am still in love with Gradient 6 (PhotoScape). Doesn't it look as if it's still autumn? Oh, that's right; it is still autumn. Okay, doesn't it look as if it is still November? Those oak leaves hang on forever.

So this is my Kitchen Project Story. You may remember that recently I removed a cabinet door in an experiment to see if we'd miss it. We don't miss it; we like reaching up and grabbing a glass or mug all easy-peasy like. The look, however, was not completely charming.

I went looking for Manuela who does this all the time and learned that she is not blogging just now. Wah! I hate when this happens and hope that she returns one day soon. Manuela, I miss you! So I Googled and found a Farm Chick who actually is already on my blogroll. Anyway, her directions are here. Mine follow.

You can not believe how complicated I can make a thing. First of all, my cabinets are not brand new like Serena's. I have gaps in the corners that needed covering so I opted for covering foam core rather than the method Serena chose. Then I learned right quick that foam core can get royally stuck and you will destroy it trying to get it back out of your cabinet. So I made "rip cords" for all of the panels. This is very good because you can see that I changed my mind about my paper choice. Someday, when I don't have groceries on the counter, I'll show you a better view. We like it. It'll do until I feel like getting out the paint brush again.

Many more pictures to show you, but it dawns on me that I've not visited you so I'll save them for another day.

Oh, have you found the candy cane pudding yet? Hmmm...

Sugar! Doesn't that Gradient 6 just get in the way sometimes!

Have a happy day, my friend.

Night Glow~Mosaic Monday

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.

~Hamilton Wright Mabie

 Christmas Glow

Don't you just love peeking inside people's windows at Christmastime? Oh yes, from a safe distance, of course. These are photos of my own windows and my own yard so I'm definitely safe.

At last, I am participating in Mary's Mosaic Monday at Little Red House once again. I missed November altogether. And I still haven't visited everyone in October. I'm falling back on Mary's request to visit the ten listed before me and the ten listed after. I think that's what she said. Anyway, I think that that is definitely doable.

Wishing you a season of much love and joy.



Mercies in Disguise

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. ~Jesus (John 16:33)

...And what if trials of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are your mercies in disguise?

~Laura Story

One thing just leads to another. I don't think that I found this "by chance." Perhaps you'll find it as meaningful as I have.

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