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...right outside my door. Free!

Yep-I'm trying to walk, or do some kind of exercise 30 minutes a day. Lately I've been leaving my shoes and socks by the front door.

This is what I usually wake up to when I open my door (6am), gorgeous isn't it?!

I have no excuse not to take advantage of this weather!!!

...For those stuck in snow. I'm sorry.

Drawing on the computer

Lily asked if she could draw on the computer, and I said sure- not realizing how good she is at "drawing" with the tools.

I can't even control them like she can, and everything comes out looking like a kindergartner!

She's illustrating a story she wrote. I'm hoping she'll have books one day and I'll have the original art! (This is a knight giving the king a dragon's horn.)

There's a squirrel in the house

OK, Can I just say I love being home?! Because this is what I get to do, instead of listening to a boss - I get to play in my craft room and make glitter squirrels! Such a necessity..

I saw a smaller 4" squirrel ornament online and loved it. I found a silhouette of a squirrel, and printed it off onto white paper, however it was a bit too small for me.

So I enlarged the photo again, cut it out of the paper,

then traced it onto chipboard, and cut it out again.

Next I painted the chipboard brown, then after it dried, I coated it with glue and Martha Stewart bronze glitter.

My friend was getting rid of a wreath with artificial flowers/leaves, so I reused it by taking everything off and saving the twig wreath. I tied the squirrel to the wreath with some bronze ribbon and hung it on my hutch.

I now like the wreath, and now it is mine.

Happy Fall!

P.S. There are no squirrels in Hawaii!

My older sister and me. Some say Sawyer looks like me...I don't see it,but maybe I'm biased? I don't know how old I am here, but my hairdo is over the top, flip out rockin"!

Someone thought my fridge looked blank..

...and decided to fix the problem with his own artwork.

Umm -do you know?
(and yes I wish the owner would buy a stainless steel fridge,in place of this hardworking monster)

Birthday beach

I went to the beach on my birthday...

walked past lots of pretty foliage...

Hibiscus!...

and didn't realize it was high tide.

Right after I found a spot, (by that coconut in the photo) and sat down , a big wave came in and washed over all my magazines and books! Yikes! I grabbed my purse up in time, but not the book bag.

I eventually moved away from the shore up onto the grassy,bushy area and tried to relax. Earlier in the day I had my yearly eye exam and for got that the doctor has to dilate my pupils -so I was dizzy and nauseous. Plus I think I wasn't supposed to be in bright light for at least 3 hours, not a good idea I guess. I came home and a friend had dropped off some delicious cases of Pierre' and a dozen roses. So thoughtful. I took a nap,then later we watched "Up" a new movie from Pixar. Very good, and a nice low key day all in all.

Card Class updates

Cards from class time...
Last week, I used this older set called "Gifts of Joy". It's hard to see, but I used a new embossing folder on the red paper as well. I added glitter, because I love the sparkle!





This set is a new hostess set called "Patterned Pines". I used one ink color to make this card , and it's one I don't normally use-Sage Shadow. I love the background paper "Wintergreen", but unfortunately its discontinued. Bummer -once it's gone, it's gone . Again, I added glitter and a few pearls on the main pine tree.

Well, lookie here-another older stamp set! "Polar Pals". Funny, there isn't any hint of winter here where I live in this warm weather state, but I wanted to stamp up this little image and use glitter AGAIN. I've also been using the white craft pad -way more often this year. I added a discontinued felt snowflake for an accent.

Shes got a happy little face!

My gift to me..

It is 1 am, yep, I am up. It is now officially my birthday. I had decaf coffee this evening with a friend, and when I came home everyone was fast asleep. I hadn't cleaned much today (Veteran's Day/ i.e...kick back day for me) so when I came home, I was faced with dinner dishes in the sink, and a couple of clean piles of laundry...

I decided to clean the house like a "little nighttime house maid" , and when I awaken in the morning (dog tired) I will be greeted with a very clean house! (I will then proceed to have another "kick back" day because now its my birthday, and I'm giving myself the day off.

(The squirrel I found last year at an antique store, the candle Mr. B bought last year, from Pier Import, for me, and the leaf bowl , from Vermont, $2 bucks - thrift store! yeah!)

Happy Fall Good night!

Candle Worthy

I read the blog The Nesting Place-and she was suggesting using candles to bring warmth into the home. The word emphasized was "using" them, not "decorating" with them, but actually lightening them up.
I so agree! I buy them when they are on sale at the grocery store, discount store, or from a garage sales - and put them around the house and love to light them!

I've got them in the kitchen..

in the living room...

in bedroom...

my bathroom...

Outside...

and inside...

I even have them hidden ...

Behind my pictures.

The best advice is don't just wait for "company", light them up for you, and your lovely family-for their comfort and benefit and to add a little warmth into their life.

If I can go a step further-I also suggest -using the "good" dishes, and towels, and cooking

and cleaning up the house not just for company, and special occasions,but...drum roll please.. for your family as well!
They are MORE important than company-yeah?!

We live everyday in our homes, not our company, and we can set it up to be warm and fun and inviting for our sweet lovely kids and hubby, as well. Plus its fun! When they see the candles and smell the food and say -who's coming over? then you can say-you are! you're my company! and then watch, and enjoy their reaction.

I'm getting out my Thanksgiving dishes and decor to celebrate and be thankful for who God put in my life.

Now go light a candle! you are candle worthy!

Cleaning out the closet

I stuffed my closet with everything I didn't want to deal with finding a space for, or clothes I couldn't fit, or didn't like.

I didn't like the doors open, or seeing the clutter inside.
I felt depressed, or stressed every time I went to get something out of it. So.. Monday morning , I decided that is enough. The closet is supposed to benefit me-so I decided to purge-BIG time. I started throwing things out on the floor.

Then I took out all the shoes that were dated or uncomfortable and threw them out of the closet.

I bagged it all up, and placed it by the front door.

I saw how much space I had, and all the extra hangers I could use!

I realized I own way to much black attire, and made a mental note to get more " color" in my life/wardrobe.


And I motivated myself to only purchase clothes that made me feel pretty, or fit well, and I cleaned out my purse! It was a great motivator- I know I can always buy more clothes, because there's always a sale, and it will be fun as I lose weight.

Sunday Family Day

Brian's birthday fell on a Monday this year, so on Sunday afternoon, we had a "family day" to celebrate together. He drove over near Diamond Head, to the beach.

Sawyer wore Levi's goggles the whole time.

He picked up sand ...

and threw lots of sand back into the ocean.

The kids collected coral and shells,

and Levi boogie boarded.

I relaxed and soaked up the warm sunshine.

Afterwards, Brian wanted to show the kids a Cactus garden at a local college.




I did not realize there are so many varieties.
I took a lot of pictures , but do not know the names of the plants.
This one was bulbous at the bottom...

And this one looked like a tree-, but without leaves and poky, spiky things instead.. (real scientific aren't I)


This obviously isn't a cactus , but I liked this tulip tree...

Afterwards, we drove around the island past Hawaii Kai, and stopped in Waimanalo at Keneke's to surprise the kids with a shave ice. Look at the shock on Sawyer's face -they were so huge!

We got home in the early evening, had a lite dinner, then watched Ice Age 3 together. It was a great family day.

PS (Saturday Mr.B and I have a "date night", to celebrate our November birthdays together)