What is going on with me?

I have been so absent from here for MONTHS. It did start with the computer and it continued with how busy we were for the three shows we did this fall. My sister and I both felt like we were working from behind. I still kind of feel that way. Our first two shows were successful and the last one wasn't very successful. What we learned this Fall was we shouldn't do any shows into November. I think we'll probably stick with the two successful shows we've got going on.

Our Etsy store has also continued to increase! We are up to 80 sales and are believing for 100 sales by January 28th which is the date we had our very first sale (a set of magnets my sister made). I really enjoy having the store and having a place to sell whatever I decide to make.

Well, I thought I could do a longer post to let you know I may be back (more so after Christmas probably), but I'm now due to go for a walk in this 19 degree weather. Thank God it is sunny!!

Bear with me peeps!

We've been having computer problems the past few weeks. Our main computer (which the laptop goes through to print, etc.) is operating at full capacity and it is time for us to get a new one. In the meantime, the laptop did not have a program on it to download or open pictures! We've never had the need for it to, so.... You may not be seeing any pictures with my updates until we can get this ironed out.

Also in the meantime, sales have picked up in our Etsy store (we are up to 35 sales!) and orders from people locally. We've really been working hard to get everything done AND make new product to put in our store. This is a good thing, but means other things might go by the wayside for a bit until we're able to get back to them. Between the computer and selling our wares, I'm doing all I can right now. But never fear, you are not forgotten!

FYI--our Santa Fe is now fixed from the hail damage it sustained upon return from our vacation to New Mexico (freak hailstorm with everything from pea size hail to baseball size hail--yikes) and our neighbors got a new air-conditioner! Yeah to both!!

Musky cologne, dramatic movies, and why I haven't blogged sooner

I'm sitting outside on my patio on a blanket, finally enjoying some cooler weather as night is falling and the crickets are singing. I was laying down and watching the clouds drift by when I smelled it again and I knew I needed to share this moment. It's actually wafting from our neighbor's open window, if you can believe it. That's how strong it is. It's hard to enjoy the smell of the night with this reaching out for me and embracing my nostrils. It's the smell of a man's musky cologne. Now I'm not one to tell someone how much cologne they should or should not use, but I question if this may be a little much if I'm outside their house and am a good fifteen feet away from the open window. We are separated by a screen and a picket fence. If it were actually a good smelling cologne, I probably would enjoy it. This one's just simply a bit too musky for me. Let me try to put my finger, er nose, to the undernotes and see if I can give you anything else to go on besides musky. Give me a minute. Maybe some berganot? Some rotten sandalwood? It may actually smell pleasant if it just weren't so strong. And maybe either of those shouldn't be mixed with musk. Then I want to question what type of musk. Muskrat? Musky doe? Musk of ox? Not sure.

I suppose I may also owe you an explanation for my month and a half absence from blogging. It was kind of a combination of things for me starting with the fact that the pleasure of doing was almost overriden by my obsessive need to post almost daily. While that is something I'd like to do, it can get to be a burden rather than a blessing and then it's time to stop for a bit and return. I was also having to take care of a lot of housework I'd put off to get my Etsy store up and running (20 sales so far!!) and I spent a lot of time cleaning it and getting ready to go on our family vacation to New Mexico for my parent's 40th anniversary (lots of fun, although tiring as I seemed to always be getting up much earlier than you should get up on vacation) (would like to share it with you, but I also have lots of other things that happened in between to share as well, but it will probably just have to be when I get around to it as I'm not going to push myself and am going to keep my house a bit cleaner and work on some paintings). I was also a little sad and was still dealing with the death of not only my grandad, but my grandma from a year ago. It's hard to lose two so close together, really three within a four year period and to go from having four to having one. I'm slowly adjusting.

There you have it. Thankfully, the cologne smell has slowly abated and now I'm hearing whatever dramatic movie he is watching (can tell it's dramatic from the way the music soars, then crescendos). I just hope it isn't Titanic as I can only watch/listen to that movie so many times because 1) it always ends the same and 2) I'm slightly claustrophobic and when the ship fills up with water it gets a bit hard to breathe and I have to remind myself I'm not underwater with them. One might wish he'd just close the window, but he can't as either their air-conditioner is broken and/or they can't afford to run it. He HAS to have the window open and I sure don't begrudge him whatever air he can get, especially when the temperature has been steadily in the upper 90's and 100's. So keep the musky cologne wafting and the dramatic movies playing!

Addidas Sandal By the River

I still haven't figured out how someone can lose one shoe while out walking. Do they just walk out of it and keep going? We found this on one of our walks by the river in March (yes, I'm still trying to catch up!).

I think I mentioned to you a week and a half ago that we had to find a new place to walk. We did and we've been walking there for a week and a half now. I'll save the where's until I finish up the pics I need to get on and finish posting stuff we found by the river. I've got to say I'm a little sad about not being able to walk where we usually do. They've got the jogging trail all torn out now. I want them to hurry, but have no idea if they are or not. All I know is that I hope their new design accounts for all the benches that people have donated money for in memory of a loved one in places along the river. I would be so mad if I donated money for a bench in honor of my loved one and it was gone after the renovations.

The garage sale was successful in that I sold a vehicle load of stuff, I donated a vehicle load of stuff to Goodwill, and I brought one vehicle load home. That was a lot of hard work, which would also account for me not getting right back to posting. I did finally finish my special project yesterday, so now I'm back to putting stuff on Etsy and making more stuff for Etsy (and trying to make/get my gifts for Mother's Day so I can mail them next week). I've got to say my garage looks so much better without all that stuff and I feel lighter.

Unexpected Project and Garage Sale

Sorry, peeps, that I've been unable to post this week. I thought I'd better let you know what's going on so you know I'm okay! I've just had several projects this week (including an unexpected one from a friend who needed my help with some errands/packets of info/goodie bags), so that took some of my focus as she needed part of it ASAP.

The rest of my focus has went into a garage sale that my cousin and I are having today! Those are a lot of work, but the reward of getting free of a bunch of junk (and getting paid for it) is a beautiful thing! I'll let you know how it goes. It is 4:45 am and I'm awake and need to start getting ready. We've got to try to get set up by 7:30 am because you want to be ready for those people who come early and we'd like them to see what we have rather than just a bunch of un-opened boxes!!! (I'm taking the last of 3 full vehicle loads over there with me.) (Yes, I've had all that extra in my garage for more than a year!)

Gotta go!

Our Family Walk and the Umbrella is Un-trashed

We went for a family walk the next day and what do you know? Someone must have just had to take the umbrella out of the trash and open it because this is where we found it. Then I had to tell Pooker that yesterday, it had been IN the trash can. Very funny.

Pooker and Bippa just love to climb up on all those dirt "ramps" in the bike area.

They are my cuties (and pose so easily for me to take pictures of). We all enjoy our family walks together.

Trashed Umbrella

We saw this umbrella in the trashcan by where we walk when we are out by the river. The can always gets a cursory (sometimes a little more thorough) sniff, so I noticed the umbrella right off. This is as we found it. I have no idea what was wrong with it (and did not take it out to see). I thought it was interesting how it was hooked over the edge of the trashcan and not just thrown in. Was someone coming back for it later or was it just picked up and this was someone's way of saying 'I found your umbrella, let me just put it right here for you'? A little odd, but interesting.

Dangling Shoes

I went to meet my cousin for coffee in March (she drinks the coffee and I watch her drink it) and came across these shoes. I periodically see shoes thrown over telephone wires, but have not been in a position to get a picture until now (as these were on the wires right above a parking lot). I like how in the first picture it looks like the vine is reaching out to try to help the shoes. Interesting.

My preshies

Look at these two snuggling--how precious!

Family walk on Turkey Mountain and a creepy old wheelchair

We went for a nice family walk on Turkey Mountain. It's always fun to go there and walk, but sometimes it can get crowded on the trails with people, people and their dogs, mountain bikers, and horses.

We went down a trail kind of off the beaten path and ran across this creepy wheelchair in what felt like still air (no movement, no sounds). What's really creepy (besides the wheelchair from the 70's) is that it is in this "circle" of tree limbs/trees. Where I'm taking the picture of is from the only opening into the circle. There was no way I was stepping into the circle, but I did zoom in a little closer on the wheelchair to give you a better look at it. We did not continue on this path, but turned around and went the other way. We had a very nice walk, but could have done so WITHOUT creepy wheelchairs and the pictures to prove it. (Ditto for any lone chairs in any woods. How did they get there and most importantly WHY are they even out there in the first place.)

Flowers in my yard

Once again, I'm trying to catch you up on a month's worth of pictures!!! (I've been busy--sold another set of bookmarks today (thank you again, Lori!) Be sure to check out our Etsy store http://3creativesisters.etsy.com/ to see the 140 items we have on there to sell!) I don't normally show you pictures of dead flowers, but liked how the rose I didn't trim off from last season looked amidst the green leaves that are sprouting this year. And, of course, the pretty purple flower from below is probably only a weed, but it sure is pretty. Weeds can grow some of the cutest little flowers. I don't know why that is, but I like it. These pictures are from mid-March.

We discovered an old dump site

Bip and I walked somewhere we'd never gone before (still by the river) and discovered a place people had used as a dump. I think it must have been early 80's and before from some of the stuff we were seeing there and the fact that a lot of dirt is over the top of most of the stuff. Could have been earlier than that. Why you'd want to dump your stuff near a river is beyond me, but we sure checked it out.

This office chair is a little creepy (no, this isn't the wheelchair yet). This was a little behind where we were in the first picture. If this little "dump" weren't so close to the trail, I would have been a little more creeped out by the office chair in the woods by itself, waiting to be sat in which will probably never happen again.

This is heading back up to the trail from the "dump." I liked these twisting, curling vines with a bit of greenery and wanted to show them to you.

A bit of bad news about our trail--they are "closing" it for who knows how long to make renovations to it (alledgedly a bike trail and a jogging trail side by side). I sure hope it doesn't take them as long as it does when they work on the streets. Again, I have no idea why they would have to close a two mile stretch at one time. I'd think a mile at a time would be enough to work on at once. I don't like being displaced and I wonder what all the other regulars are going to do in the meantime. Aaarggghhh. Well, it hasn't closed yet, so we'll continue our walks by the river as long as we can.

Happy Easter!

I probably should have taken a picture of the cute Easter cards I sent my Dad, Mom, and Grandma this week, but didn't think about it sooner. (Don't worry--I have others just like them I could take a picture of to show you.) I just wanted to wish you all a Happy Easter.

We went to a wonderful, illustrated Easter service tonight. Before it started, I wondered why I do that to myself year after year. It's hard (for me) to re-live what Jesus went through. To see him whipped, mocked, jeered, crucified and all the while sticking to his plan is really amazing. He'd let nothing deter him from us. I couldn't have done it (and that's what I tell him as I'm watching "him" get whipped). I'm glad he did do it.

Tonight, I really emphasized with Peter. I wish I could say I was like a Peter, but of all Jesus' disciples, I'm probably most like Thomas striving to be like Peter. (Same thing with Mary and Martha--I wish I was a Mary sitting at Jesus' feet, but I like to make sure everyone is taken care of so I would have been slaving away in the kitchen wishing I could be out sitting at Jesus' feet and resenting Mary a bit. But hey, everyone wants to eat, though, right? Someone's got to cook the food.) Peter just loves Jesus. He met him when he was just working at his job, fishing, and he was never the same again. Jesus told all the disciples many times exactly what was going to happen to him, but when it actually happened, it seemed so unbelievable to them. He had a way of talking that was so direct and straightforward, yet so profound and so riddle like. Peter just didn't get it. None of them did. They didn't understand when he went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray and asked them to pray with him, but they fell asleep. They had no idea what was going on and no inkling of things to come, despite Jesus having told them. And Peter was so striken when he denied Jesus those three times and realized what he had done. And then they took Jesus and crucified him and there was Peter, devastated because of what he had done and because Jesus was gone. What a dark few days for them until they found out the tomb was empty. When they went rushing to see and indeed, found it empty, then in a burst of light Jesus appears. Peter grabs Jesus in a massive bear hug and just squeezes him so tight. Jesus motions to Peter to go tell the others he is alive and Peter starts to run off to do it, then abruptly turns around and runs full on at Jesus and grabs him again in an exuberant hug and lifts him right off his feet. He finally sets him down and runs off to tell the others. Peter just goes full tilt. And on Peter, the rock, Jesus built the church. Amazing.

It's the same with others--Lazarus, the woman with the issue of blood, the woman caught in the act of adultery, the leper. Seems like anyone who had looked at Jesus, who had Jesus look at them, speak to them, or touch them in any way, was never the same. I think when he looked at them, they could see it in his eyes. His eyes must radiate such intense love, power, and assurance that they couldn't help but be changed by him. I think it is the same today. Anyone who has encountered Jesus, has had divine intervention, who has been overwhelmed by his love and his goodness and his graciousness, who has truly seen him, isn't the same. I've encountered Jesus and I'm not the same. If you haven't encountered Jesus yet, just wait. He knows where you are and he cares about you. I have a feeling when you look in his eyes, you won't be the same either.

So, on this Easter Sunday, I wish I could say you'll find me out with a palm branch in the street laughing, dancing, singing, crying, and shouting "Hosanna in the Highest." That would, of course, all hinge on Jesus riding down my street on a donkey and the availability of a palm branch. I have a feeling, though, if Jesus were to ride down my street, I'd be in a pile wherever I fell totally overwhelmed by his presence with tears streaming down my face unable to speak a word. But in my heart, I'd be dancing, singing, and shouting "Hosanna!"

A little snooze

Here's my cutie resting a little bit on the couch. She doesn't often lay with her feet in the air, but something about this couch invites you to sink on down in it and wallow around a bit. It's a very comforting couch.

Bookmarks and more

Here is what I've spent the majority of my time on this week. They are a lot of fun to make and I really enjoy it. Since I've got them spread out all over my kitchen table and a folding table near the kitchen table, I kind of have to focus on "paper" crafts when I have it all out. (It's a lot of stuff to take out and put back up.)

I've got to get to some more baby blankets, paintings, and tote bags, but we've also got to take advantage of being outside on the nice days and trying to take care of things around the house. It will all get done, but not in a day. And that's okay. Unfortunately, then I neglect you peeps a little bit for the sake of my craft and much needed time in the sun. But that's okay, too. I know you'll forgive me when you finally get to see all the great pics/stories I've been saving up (one involving a creepy wheelchair). (Oh, and a red fox.) Feel free to remind me about them if you haven't seen/read about either within the next two weeks.

Pooker made it back safely (complete with a magnet for me from New York to add to my "happy place" magnet collection). We've had an Etsy sale this week (bringing the total number of sales off Etsy to 12), a basket of our stuff in a teacher's lounge which has been really selling (which also resulted in a few more sales thanks to our new fan, Lisa, and thanks to Nee's friend who kindly took the basket in in the first place), and a sale in Mardel's while I was laminating my bookmarks (thank you, Lori, who bought 26 bookmarks from me right then and there). It has been a busy, but fulfilling, week.

Geese in the water and Pooker in New York

Honestly, the geese just never left. They've been here since last spring and they just stayed. Personally, I thought it was a good sign that meant it wouldn't be too terrible of a winter and it really wasn't (except for the 24" of snow my parents got last weekend). I'm fascinated with watching them, especially when they are swimming around. That's probably because I love movement and I'm in awe of how wonderfully complex God made animals (and us).

On a side note (seeing how the geese all hang out together), Bippa and I are missing Pooker who is in New York on business (which is none of your business) (whaat? have you never seen the movie Clue?). He'll only be gone one night, but he is loved and missed. We're waiting for a phone call (probably after he gets back to his hotel after eating supper in Hell's Kitchen (not the TV show's Hell's Kitchen). In the meantime, I'm working on making some cards and updating this blog and am perched over my keyboard manning our store waiting for the next sale. It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it.

Shadow Paw

I really love paws (and of course, tails). I liked how Brownie had hers crossed and the shadow they were making on the floor (looked like a monster paw). This really is a primo spot for a little nap.

OSU Football in the sand

We found this outside by the river on one of our walks. No, it's not our football and no, I didn't touch it at all. This is exactly how we found it (and left it).

A tree is doown

It's really kind of sad, but this tree (and others like it) have simply fallen right off the edge of the river due to the large amounts of rain we've gotten at one time. There are places where along with the trees, the path has also disappeared. This has all happened within the past year. It's just wrong somehow to have this big, majestic tree with all its roots exposed, laying there dying. Once again, the circle of life rears its head and I have to flow gracefully along with it.

Beautiful Purply Spider Mum

This is a beautiful Spider Mum that my cousin gave me for my birthday in February. I kept it in a vase by my sink so I could look at it all the time. Surprisingly, it lasted about a month until I finally had to throw it away last week.

Where are my cuties?

Where are my cuties? There they are! Under the "tent" I set up in the living room for Brownie to hide under when she hears all that thunder (our snowstorm was complete WITH thunder and lightening and she's not crazy about thunder). I came around the corner and there was Pooker with his head under the tent, too. I had to get my camera. Loved the way they are both looking at me in the second picture.

Dripping and Melting

I loved the way the ice was melting off my rose bushes and how the snow melting off the roof formed droplets on the leaves.

And this beautiful concentric circle--loved it! (The snow was melting from the trampoline and with all the rain we've gotten, the water just dripped in such a steady flow that it kept the water rippling in a circle for hours.)

We got copious rain and big fat snow

We got at least six inches of rain (probably more), then the next morning it turned into big fat snow. It snowed all day yesterday and we ended up with at least three inches of snow. It turned our yard into one big mess. Brownie sure enjoys playing in it, though. She loves to bury her ball in it and "find" it by pouncing on it and dragging it through the snow. (I love watching her play in her pretty pink jacket.)

My parents (I should say our because I do share my parents with my siblings and this does involve the area where they and the majority of my aunts and uncles live) got 24 inches of snow and were without electricity for three days. This may not seem long to some, but when you are in the country country it's a long time to be without. Especially since without electricity, you can't flush your toilets or take showers or anything else. As for food? Whatever you've got in the house. They just got their electricity back on at 6:30 tonight, but they are still not able to get out to get hay to all their cattle despite their best efforts to get around. And that was WITH the sun shining today and it melting. Guess it takes 24 inches a few days longer to melt than it does four. Not fun, not fun, whether you live in the city or the country.

Vintage Patterns

These patterns are just a few of the items I've been working so diligently to get in our Etsy store. I came back from the funeral with a big bag of patterns Nee had cleaned out of the drawers in Mom's sewing room (although to call it a sewing room is a stretch due to the fact that I have her sewing machine and it also contains the washer and dryer). They have been lots of fun to look through and I'll eventually get them all on, but it just takes a while to do it. I'd rather just do two or three here and there and work my way through it that way (not so overwhelming).

I've talked to Mom today and she said they lost their electricity this morning (due to the high winds and ice). When I talked to her this evening, they'd just gotten their electricity back on. During the course of our conversation, they lost it again. She said they've gotten 9 inches of snow and it is still falling (alledgedly will keep snowing through noon tomorrow). Crazy. We've probably gotten that many inches of rain between yesterday and today with the chance of snow in the morning. I hope that doesn't happen as I have things to do that involve actually leaving my house to do them (one of which involves letting a dog (not mine) out to potty in the evening). Mom was sad they didn't have electricity (for obvious reasons) but also because she can't get on the computer to see if she has any new friends on Facebook. She just got on there this week and she's been adding friends like crazy. Yesterday it was 20 friends, who knows how many more today? (I haven't checked mine today, either, so I couldn't tell her if she had any new friends or not.)

Well, I'm getting sleepy so better stop. You know how I get when I get too tired. I know I start to slur my words in person, but don't want to take a chance that I'll start slurring my typed wooorrrths. Oops. May be too late.

Funeral, Prayers, and Craft Time

We're back! We've been here for a few days, but I haven't been able to do much besides unpack, get more vintage items put in our Etsy store (that I brought back with me), and take care of some errands. Plus, funerals and all that go with it sure take a lot out of a person. I haven't felt like doing much else.

Yesterday, my sister (Nee) said a good friend of hers (who loves her creations) offered to take our items in with her to the school she teaches at and sell them for us! How nice and yes, please! Then, Pooker said his peeps at work wanted to see some samples of my stuff (after having sent a cake (from Merritt's) with him to work (last person who has a birthday brings the stuff for the next one) and a card I'd made for them to pass around and sign. They loved the card and told him to bring some of my stuff in. Wow! Two requests in a day. I've got to get busy and make more stuff to send in with both peeps as I can't/won't take items off my Etsy store to send in. This will take some time, but I'm more than happy to see where it goes.

Another friend also called yesterday and was needing me to cover some of the fake Dr. appointments next week (to help train residents by sending in "fake" patients that they don't know are fake until the end of the visit). It's like doing improv on the stage. A little frightening, but fun to do. I think the patient I am playing this go around has Irritable Bowel Syndrome. (Yes, let's talk about poop's consistency and color.)

In case you were wondering about the funeral, it was very nice. Grandad looked great (so great even that Grandma looked at him and said if he had looked this good, she wouldn't have let him go). They do a great job at the funeral home out there. They are able to erase years and illness quite wonderfully. It was a sad day. I cried on and off at various times, but really cried hard when at the end of the funeral, the congregation sang "Victory in Jesus." That song is a good one, but not one you'd think you'd cry over. When the congregation started singing, something in me just snapped. It was as if I could still hear Grandad singing that song and it made me sad that he is gone and I'll have to wait to hear him sing again. I couldn't join in until near the end of the third verse (complete with tears streaming down my face). I think we were all glad when that day was over and we could move forward. It was like the release of weight off our shoulders because Grandad was taken care of and we don't have to worry and pray and wonder and be in limbo anymore. Neither does he. In fact, I think he's got the better end of this deal.

Well, gotta get to my crafts if I'm going to have a nice selection for people to choose from. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. They were felt and they do make a difference.

Grandad is now in Heaven

Grandad passed away on Saturday night, so we'll be going home for the funeral this week. It has been a roller coaster of emotions for the past seven months since Grandad had triple bypass surgery and then ended up with accelerated dementia. His passing was both a relief (his little body was so wasted away and he had no quality of life) and terribly sad (I want my Grandad). I'm happy for him, yet my heart will grieve anew this week as we lay his body to rest and try to adjust to life with Grandad now physically gone. It's hard. We've lost far too many grandparents in the last four years and I can't speak for anyone else, but my heart is still grieving for the loss of the other two. It makes my last Grandma extremely precious (as if she wasn't already extremely precious). I know so many people either didn't get to know their grandparents at all or only had one or two growing up. I know I've been blessed to have all 4 for so long.

Once again, God has been so gracious to us. Instead of having Grandad waste away slowly for years in a nursing home (again, with no quality of life), he went ahead and took him to heaven. That is truly gracious (and you know that if you've had any association with the elderly and nursing homes, especially with dementia and Alzheimer's). I am overwhelmed with God's graciousness, not only to Grandad, but to us.

I'm sorry to have to do this, peeps, but I probably won't be able to blog anymore this week as I have things to do to get ready to go. I'll try to resume next week as I've got lots to show you (as usual). In the meantime, take care of yourselves and try to make it through a blogless week as best you can. (I just know I'm the highlight of some of you all's days!)

Tiny Gift Tags and Teeny Tiny Gift Tags

These top two are teeny tiny gift tags -- only an inch by an inch and a half!

These yawning mice are tiny gift tags - measuring an inch and 3/4 by 2 1/2 inches.

Vintage Cookie Cutters

1970's Tupperware

1989 Wilton Reindeer

1970's made in Hong Kong


My sister went home a week ago and she helped our Mama clean out some things in her kitchen to help her better organize her stuff (it was getting difficult to get to some of the pans and such). They unearthed these vintage cookie cutters and she decided she could part with them. So, they are now for sale in our Etsy store (thanks, Mom!).

Mushroom Triad

They're back! Just when you think there couldn't possibly be any more mushrooms, we rounded a corner on our walk this morning and I gasped to see the mushrooms sprouting. I guess with the deceptively nice weather, lots of things had starting growing including this mushroom triad. In my mind, the ones above (both pictures in the middle) alternate between looking like little rolls of dough rising and marshmellows. Very surprising, but oh so interesting!