Weekly Artchix Challenge Entry

Hello!

This week's challenge for Artchix is to create a piece using pink and brown. I used wings from the Artchix Whimsical Wings Transparency sheet and a "new" image I found while antiquing. She's such a sweet little girl with her jewelry and socks pulled high!

I antiqued a stars border scrap that I had from a greenish brown to brown and added chocolate colored brown dots through-out the image as well as brown squiggly lines. The rest are shades of pink papers, crayons and markers.

Wish me luck this week! :)

Best wishes and high hopes to you all!

Jennie

Good morning!

Wow...didn't realize it was Monday morning already! Happy President's Day to each of you; we are so very fortunate to live in the USA and so fortunate to "want" to celebrate our former leaders! And our new leader seems so very promising!!

Over the weekend I finished my cards for my niece, nephew and Mom but of course forgot to take pictures so just trust me...they weren't too bad! I purchased an antiquing medium at Hobby Lobby and what a wonderful difference using it makes!

I did put together a couple more journal pages and a little fairy house that I want to share. The house was so much fun! Now I understand why so many people make them; I see many more in my future!

Have a wonderful Monday and get out there and charge up those credit cards..."mama needs a job"!

Best wishes and high hopes to you all,

Jennie

Valentine's Day Early

Thank you so much to dear Maureen from Celestial Charms - this is truly a lovely card! I truly love animals, especially little Pekingese dogs (not that my love for my little Fox Terrier is any less). Don't forget to visit her site - she's just posted some lovely variations on Valentine's Day cards; they are shades of blue rather than red! So pretty!

Thanks again Maureen!

Best wishes and high hopes to you all!

Jennie

The Background Fairy

Oh my...what a great site! Thank you so much Karen for providing all of us such beautiful backgrounds! Now if I could just wallpaper my den with this and add some lovely accents from your antique store...

Please be sure to visit: http://www.backgroundfairy.com/ and http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/.


(I adore this picture from Karen's Graphics Fairy blog!)

Top Chef / Last Meal

So, if you haven't noticed yet.... I LOVE FOOD. This week's Top Chef episode challenged the chef's to prepare various "last meals" as requested by legendary chefs. So, I have become obsessed in the last hours about what my last meal would be. Since I cannot seem to narrow it down I'm going to stretch the fantasy to "last day meals".

For breakfast...

• My Mom's sausage balls with jalapenos
• My Mamaw's angel biscuits with my Mom's homemade sausage gravy
• A fresh beefsteak tomato at room temperature, lightly salted with sea salt
• Coffee and beignets from Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans
• Icy cold Mimosa made with Orange/Pineapple juice and Perrier Jouet Champagne

For lunch...

• Lobster Bisque
• Vodka penne pasta with diced roma tomatoes, a slight hint of pancetta and lightly dusted with asiago cheese
• Bruschetta with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
• A bottle of chilled Chateau St Jean Gewurztraminer, 2006 vintage
• Chicory coffee and a slice of my Mom's chocolate cake (she makes one with an orange icing that is outstanding!)

For dinner...

• Caesar salad with the dressing made from paste rather than actual anchovies.
• Filet Mignon, butterfly/medium well and king crab legs with fresh garlic butter from LG's in Palm Springs
• Braised asparagus and scalloped potatoes
• Pork tenderloin from the Healdsburg Charcuterie
• Flourless chocolate cake with fresh cream and raspberry sauce
• A bottle of Caymus Cabernet Sav, 1997 vintage

Oh my goodness....it's impossible for me to narrow it down so I'm eating a lot! I'm so in awe of food I've had in the states, I can't imagine how I'll be if I ever travel abroad! Now, fortunately in this scenario it's "my last day" so no worries of hangovers, indigestion, etc!

So what would be your last meal(s)?

High hopes and best wishes to you all! Bon Appetit!

Jennie

Aussie Fires

I don't know about each of you but it's been pretty easy for me to get caught up in my own stress lately. I watch the news but more to see how the DOW closed or whether we might possibly get rain. I find that I spend most of my time fighting off the desire to sleep away the day so that I can avoid everything... So that being said I'm delayed in hearing about the horrible fires that have stricken Australia; I'm shocked and saddened by the casualties - both human and animal. This is just more devastation for people who have the same struggles as me, you and everyone else.

If you have a chance and can afford a dollar or two please visit the website for Wildlife Victoria http://www.wildlifevictoria.org.au/cms/ and donate. I am sitting here worrying about how I'll continue to pay my mortgage and bills since I'm not working but I cannot help but believe that whatever I can contribute will make more of a difference to the animals than to my bills. Please donate what you can.

Best wishes and high hopes to you all. May God bless all creatures impacted by the fires.

Jennie

New Journal Entries

Hello,

Below are a couple of my new journal entries....

Oh my goodness!

I'm laughing my tush off reading a blog I just randomly found. If you haven't already discovered it you must visit. I haven't laughed this hard before coctails in a long time!

http://waitresswheresmymartini.blogspot.com/

Fingers crossed....

I have another interview tomorrow. I am so pleased; I really admire this company and would be honored to work there. Fingers crossed!!!!!

"Mama" may be working soon....

Lovely weather in Texas

Not too often a gal can say that! It's truly beautiful, balmy and warm with rain finally due. Spent the day Sunday with my dear Mom and had a wonderful feast of Chinese food. I ate so much. Ahhhh....sweet Chinese food.... Wait, sorry...I'm drooling....


No new journal pages to post just yet but I'm working on some and also working on some Valentine's day cards for my niece and nephew. My nephew is just mad for trains so I'm trying to create something a strapping young man of 6 can appreciate. I know....good luck! ha ha ha


The sweet little Girl Scouts were not at Walgreens Sunday but I'll keep watching out for them. Not too many places to sell them in my sleepy city so I'm sure I'll see them again.


Now, in the meantime, Maureen from Celestial Charms (http://celestialcharms.blogspot.com/) has tagged me to share 7 random facts / bits about myself. When you have a chance, please visit her site, she has wonderful vintage images!


So, here we go...

1) I'd love to be in a room full of hundreds of puppies because I just adore puppies, their full bellies and their little puppy breath. (Yes, I am actually an adult...)
2) The only time I've ever sung Karaoke was at a gay bar in Dallas. Several of my friends dared me, at the time I was pretty much the only girl there. I got on stage to boos and jeers and belted out "It's Raining Men". By the end of the song I was surrounded by gorgeous men cheering me on. It was awesome!!!!!!!
3) I love to swim but I have to wear nose plugs.
4) I love high heels, they don't have to be designer or expensive...just high. (I am from the South....) However, I refuse to wear red shoes....in my head lucite isn't nearly as suggestive as red.
5) I have a piece of lead in my pinky finger from when Shaun Odem stabbed me with a pencil in 4th grade.
6) I want to participate in a Tornado Storm Chase some day. I grew up with my daddy taking me on drives to watch tornados and have been hooked ever since.
7) I dance in my car at redlights.


Now, I'm passing the "tag" on to a couple of other bloggers. If you haven't the time or interest no worries!


1) Gillian from http://scrappydoo-gillian.blogspot.com/. I am constantly going back to her blog and looking at all of her mixed media pictures. She has such an amazing eye and every piece is inspirational to me.
2) Nellie from http://earlymorningthoughts.typepad.com/my_weblog/. She alters vintage books and they are beautiful. Each one is a treasure.

Best wishes and high hopes to everyone!
Jennie

Home Ownership....part 2

So...I managed to purchase the turbine but now I have to figure out how to get it installed and hope that I purchased the right size. I have a ladder but being short I still can't reach the roof without risk of giving my neighbors a good laugh! So, in the meantime I'm hearing a symphony of metal on metal, so lovely. I thought about filling up balloons with WD-40 and throwing them at the squeaky turbine but again, there's that risk of making my neighbors laugh. Plus, how do I explain if I over throw and hit my neighbor's car? YIKES

However with much joy and delight I made my first Girl Scout cookie purchase today. Ahhhhh....Thin Mints, crispy bites of Heaven. But I must encourage everyone, if you haven't tried "Lemonades" they are just as addictive. Holy Moly they are tasty. So much for the ole diet!

I was so impressed with the maturity and salesmanship of these young ladies that I can't stop thinking of them. I think I'll drive back tomorrow and see if they are camped out at Walgreens again and share with them some of my old badges from my GS days as a thank you. I literally have a box full of badges that wouldn't fit on my sash and pretty good bet some are "vintage"! ha ha ha

Anyways, here's a snapshot of my sash and some of the badges. Congratulations to all of the young girls and women are are involved with Girl Scouts!

Best wishes and high hopes to you all!

Jennie

In memory...

In honor of my very best friend who had to help her fur-baby cross over to the Rainbow Bridge last week. Maggie was a 13 year old Sheltie who thrived on the adventure of car rides, would bark anytime someone sneezed and loved hugs. Dear Maggie - you will be missed and loved always; God bless you and all of God's creatures.

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

Home Ownership

Aughhh.....
So we are having an incredibly warm and windy day here in Texas. The weather is wonderful. Unfortunately, during the night the bearings on my turbine thingy with the attic fans decided to wear out. I'm currently listening to metal on metal while I search the Home Depot site to make sure I know what the howdy I have to purchase to fix it.

Wish me luck on my turbine buying adventure!

New Journal Page

On Wednesday I was walking around my yard and found a wonderful patch of moss (not too common in Texas). I knelt down, dogs excited because it must mean I found something for them, and rubbed my fingers across it. So soft and it had such an earthy smell; for a moment I was a kid again playing among pine trees and imagining elves and fairies lived among the tree roots. That was such a wonderful feeling, even though it was fleeting. My best friend and I used to always play among tree roots making little houses and pretending that we were small enough to live in them. I'm trying my best to hang on to that feeling of whimsy and bliss because it felt so good. Inspired by that feeling I created my Wednesday journal entry, "I dance in fairy circles."

Happy Tuesday!

Hello and Happy Tuesday!

Well, spent yesterday feeling sorry for myself. Monday's are just so hard; they should be full of promise of the week to come but instead I just find myself wanting to hide because I'm afraid of getting another "thanks but no thanks" email from a potential employer. Luckily I had cheesecake that my Mom gave me to coax me out of bed!

So in between my deep melancholy I've been making Valentines Day decorations and I wanted to share them with you. They were so much fun to make and I learned a lot about things that I never considered before, glue, glitter, scissors, etc.

Here are some of the pipe cleaner people I've made:

I've also been making Valentine dangles, a craft idea borrowed from Scott and Martin at http://www.vintageimagecraft.com/ . They have a GREAT site and an even better monthly newsletter. They share ideas and great free images via their free newsletter. You've just got to visit them! I've probably made 2 dozen dangles but my favorite is the one with leopard print. A woman can simply never have enough leopard in her wardrobe or decor! (Now no comments about the fact that my poor plant needs some TLC! :) )

Lastly I wanted to share one of my favorite collectibles: Sweetheart Pillows. Something so romantic about a boy away from home and thinking of his Mother (nothing gross y'all) or his sweetheart and sending a pillow case to profess his love and admiration.

Best wishes and high hopes to you all!

Jennie

Sunday Surprise!

SueAnn from SueAnn's Journey gave me an award! Thank you so very much - I'll be smiling all week with this one! Please visit SueAnn's blog; she a wonderful artist out of New Mexico. She is working on a Fairy journal that I can't wait to see; who doesn't love fairies! http://wwwsueann.blogspot.com/

So a condition of this award is to share 5 aspirations, likes or such that I'm working on this year. So here I go!

1) I'd like to take some art classes, either online or in person, to learn how to age images and create softer backgrounds.

2) I'd like to study religion more, not just mine but others. I feel a need to really be more spiritual. I'd love to find a way to express it in collages.

3) I want to go horse-back riding with my beau again. We went locally several years ago and had such a wonderful time. I'm not really comfy with horses so I was placed on a "gentle" one. Turns out "gentle" meant stubborn and lazy and full of "hot air" if you know what I mean. That girl ate every weed she could find, tried to go into a pond and tooted non-stop! Needless to say we couldn't stop laughing. Of course, this next time I might like to be on one that can digest food a bit better...

4) I'd like to try canvas art - maybe doing exaggerated versions of ATCs.

5) Oh....and I need to get a full-time job. The dogs seem to be insistent about having to eat!

Now, I'd like to pass the award on to the following individuals who like SueAnn are wonderful at their craft.

Dawn at http://the-feathered-nest.blogspot.com/ has wonderful ideas and tutorials!

Rhonda at http://rhondamum.blogspot.com/ is my French inspiration!

Nancy's blog, http://smallworldofinchies.blogspot.com/ is like being in a candy store - so many inchies!

June at http://artfreebies.blogspot.com/ shares the most amazing images for crafting!

Jenn at http://noodleandlou.blogspot.com/ has a very modern take on folk art that I just love. If I were working I'd buy all of her clay dolls! heeee!

Thanks to all of these ladies and for all of the artists for sharing your lives and craft with me through your wonderful blogs!

Best wishes and high hopes to you all!!!

Jennie