Tuesday, November 11, 2008


They Did Their Share

On Veteran’s Day we honor
Soldiers who protect our nation.
For their service as our warriors,
They deserve our admiration.

Some of them were drafted;
Some were volunteers;
For some it was just yesterday;
For some it’s been many years;

In the jungle or the desert,
On land or on the sea,
They did whatever was assigned
To produce a victory.

Some came back; some didn’t.
They defended us everywhere.
Some saw combat; some rode a desk;
All of them did their share.

No matter what the duty,
For low pay and little glory,
These soldiers gave up normal lives,
For duties mundane and gory.

Let every veteran be honored;
Don’t let politics get in the way.
Without them, freedom would have died;
What they did, we can’t repay.

We owe so much to them,
Who kept us safe from terror,
So when we see a uniform,
Let’s say "thank you" to every wearer.

By Joanna Fuchs

Friday, November 7, 2008

Tag Challenge

The theme for the challenge this week at Tag You're It is, "Tic Toc". We were to create a tag using a theme that has anything to do with time, clocks, watches, etc.

For some reason the theme instantly brought to mind one of my favorite poems, "The Children's Hour" by Longfellow.

Dawn at Crafty Ramblings chose the theme this week!

Thank you for taking a peek at it! Have a great weekend everyone!

I noticed after I posted this (and made it uber-huge by clicking on it) that I forgot to credit the author on the tag! I will be fixing it!



Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Children’s Hour

Between the dark and the daylight,
When the night is beginning to lower,
Comes a pause in the day’s occupations
That is known as the Children’s Hour.

I hear the clamber above me,
The patter of little feet,
The sound of a door that is opened,
And voices soft and sweet

From my study I see in the lamplight,
Descending the broad hall stair,
Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,
And Edith with golden hair.

A whisper, and then a silence:
Yet I know by their merry eyes
They are plotting and planning together
To take me by surprise.

A sudden rush from the stairway,
A sudden raid from the hall!
By three doors left unguarded
They enter my castle wall!

They climb up into my turret
O’er the arms and back of my chair;
If I try to escape, they surround me;
They seem to be everywhere.

They almost devour me with kisses,
Their arms about me entwine,
Till I think of the Bishop of Bingen
In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!

Do you think, O blue-eyed banditti,
Because you have scaled the wall,
Such an old mustache as I am
Is not a match for you all!

I have you fast in my fortress,
And will not let you depart,
But put you down into the dungeon
In the round-tower of my heart.

And there will I keep you forever,
Yes, forever and a day,
Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,
And moulder in dust away!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

What Time Is It?

This blog sure has kept me busy! All I do is read other blogs!! I decided since I haven't posted anything in a few days, (and have not worked on any crafts, or cooking or anything!), that I would post a quick little note about my own personal Bah-Hum-Bug! Usually by this time of year, I am INFECTED with the holiday spirit! I mean, listening to Christmas music, watching all of my holiday movies, filling the house with pine scented candles....you know the drill! But I'm just not into it! One of my favorite holiday movies was on television last night, and I skipped right over it with a siiiiighhhh. I'm just not ready for this...



... or this...



And certainly not this...



... or this...



What I think I really want, is to eat a piece of pumpkin pie everyday until Thanksgiving! I know some believe that to celebrate Christmas before Thanksgiving is wrong. I don't really usually "celebrate" it that early, I just like the "warm fuzzies" that comes with it all. Maybe this weekend, I will throw some pine needles in the simmer pot, and crank up some Christmas music. Maybe that will get me going! Some people have snow at home already. I have to wonder if this has given them the Christmas bug......hmmm.....

Friday, October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween & a Tag Challenge!

Shadows of a thousand years
rise again unseen,
Voices whisper in the trees,
"Tonight is Halloween!"

~Dexter Kozen


This week over at Tag Your It the challenge is to create something ghastly with a Halloween theme. So I made a set of coffins, kind of a "before and after"!


The template for the coffin is from Created By Hand (they posted it about a month ago). Thank you for taking a look, and have a Happy and Safe Halloween everyone!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

A Thrifty Idea

I was working on some cards today, and thought I would share this thrifty idea with everyone. The pictures below are just a sampling of various wedding invitations, programs, RSVP cards and etc. that I salvaged from a printing company's sample book. The book was discontinued and replaced with an updated one, so I took it home and started yanking things out of it! If you have ever been into a Bridal Shop, you probably have seen them. They are huge books just filled with high quality paper waiting for their second life! It is a little time consuming prying them from their pages, as they are stuck on tightly with what I call Uber-Sticky-Cement-Glue! So if you can score one of these books (give a ring to anyone in your area that sells wedding invitations and ask for their discontinued books), grab a cup (or two) of coffee and plop down in front of the TV and start prying away.

These are a few items of vellum that I have from the book...


Some very nice frames and bookmarks...


Some various frames I have already cut the text out of...


And some more pieces with vellum.

I probably got at least 20 times this amount from one sample book. I have to be creative, because they are invitations to weddings, and have text on them. But the quality of the paper is great, and the price is just right!

Thank you for stopping by!


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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Here, There, and Everywhere!

Since I began blogging (or at least making the attempt!), I have been enjoying Dawns blog over at Crafty Ramblings. She has a fabulous prize in celebration of reaching 20,000 visitors! The challenge is to post pictures of your crafting area on your blog.

This is a tad bit embarrassing to admit, but my craft supplies are currently spread out between two different rooms, one storage shed, and a basement! So here are a few pictures from the various nooks and crannies that I have crammed my supplies into!

This is the bottom drawer of my desk, which is storing various bags of foam letters, paper scraps, buttons and what-nots!


Here I have the bottom of an entertainment center-turned-crafty nook storing some scissors, paint brushes, scraps of stationary/cards, and various other this and thats!


This next little space is the corner of my desk. It has some tags, pens, pencils, paint and my candy dish full of lip glosses. I'm a lip gloss junkie!





I would also like to say thank you to everyone who has left me a comment! Since I've started this, I am spending WAY more time looking at other fabulous blogs, instead of snazzing mine up!
And by "snazzing" mine up, I mean making a new post every other day or so. It took me just about forever and a day to figure out how to put a visitor counter up! Oh well, baby steps!

'Til next time,

Monday, October 27, 2008

LeeLou Launch Party

Check out this site for some fun drawings, and other cool stuff!

Sunday, October 26, 2008



Found this wonderful technique for leaf rubbing. I can't wait to give it a try!
WhiMSy love: Leaf Rubbings Tutorial


Also, here is a graphic titled "harvest spirit".



Friday, October 24, 2008

This is my tag for Tag Your It challenge. The challenge was to use a Christmas Tree in the design. I created this tree using the same method used to make a "paper snowflake".



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