New Blog Home

Hey all my friend and followers. I have been absent for quite a while, but I have combined all my blogs into one and I will be posting 2-3 times a week on my new blog. It is named Dixieland Blessings and you can get to it here:
http://dixielandblessings.blogspot.com I have been trying to keep all my craft blogs seperate for the people that like that craft only, but art is art whether it be sewing, paper crafting, pottery or whatever. I found myself not writing to any because I was tired of swapping back and forth. I hope you will join me in the future as I take on new projects. Come visit and leave a comment so I know you have been there. Take care. Be healthy, happy, safe. Smile 'til your face hurts and always hug those you love. God bless ya'll!!

She Smiles!!

"Strength and dignity are her clothes and she smiles at the future" Proverbs 31:13

She smiles!!!! It has been a long hard road for my baby girl, but she accomplished her goal and opened new doors in her life. I have very seldom seen her smile over the past two years while in nursing school, but that has changed. I have heard nothing but laughter and giggles since the phone call I received the other day saying school is over, I passed, and I am out!!!!!! Last night was the pinning ceremony and today is graduation. Her teachers had such sweet things to say about her. I felt so proud!!!! She has a job with our local hospital working on the cardiac floor. She takes her review for state boards next week and then her certification test. She set high standards for herself, and her face shows that she has accomplished these. The guy with her is her long time boyfriend. They have been together most of the past 7 years. The future holds many exciting things for these two, and I expect to see many smiles in the future. Be healthy, happy, safe. Hug the ones you love, and may God bless ya'll---He sure has us!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Funny how God works!

It is funny how God works. I have been struggling with lots of trials lately, and have been asking God for a little more help than normal. I made a vow at the first of the year that I was going to get more involved in my church, and I have. Little did I know that He would use me as a voice for Him. I have been seeing this lady at church who has just started working at the hospital where I work. She always speaks to me, by my first name and I speak back, but I am sad to say I did not know her name. I even struggled last week in the hall when she introduced me to her husband at church, and I was very thankful that my husband was down the hall talking because I would not have known how to introduce her to him without asking her name, and I felt this would be awkward. Anyway, I saw her at work Wednesday, and she told me she and her husband had decided to join our church. I was hugging her and telling her how proud I was and she told me that her husband had wanted to join for a while, but she was nervous about going down front and standing in front of all those strangers. She said she just did not know if she could do it. I immediately told her I would walk with her if she wanted me to, and her face just went from sad and scared to happy and joyous. As we talked some more she told me that she really had not known if they would fit in our church. I still am not sure what that feeling is about, but I feel like she just needed someone to accept her and make her feel welcome. We have a very large church and a wonderful pastor, but we, as all churches do, have some who hold themselves on a higher ground than others and I feel that she was being intimidated by these. Anyway, after a long conversation of when I could walk with her--we are out of town this weekend and there is another conflict the next week--I feel like she feels she can do it alone now. I found out her name immediately after our conversation, and I made this card for her. The scripture is Phillippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". I am attatching it to a small gift I got her and am taking it to her tomorrow. I wrote a little encouragement in it. I feel like God used me to witness to her to not be afraid. I also learned that if someone takes the time to know who you are then you better take the time to learn who they are. I know that my heart is better for this experience and my spirit is rejuvenated.

The cardstock is Brazzill and the designer paper is from Pebbles Inc. It is the "So Tweet Collection". The stamp and cross are from Papertrey Ink. The buttons are from Doodlebugs. I hope ya'll are having a blessed day. We are going out of town tomorrow for a soccer tourniment and will be gone all weekend. Stay safe, be happy and healthy, hug the ones you love and may God Bless Ya'll!!!!

HELLO!!!!!!!!!

I am not lost. I have returned. My life has taken a roller coaster ride lately, but things are calming. Free time seems to be something I do not have much of these days, but I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I decreased my time at work, thinking I would have more time to be creative and play, only to find that everyone I know has something they have been wanting me to do. I will be posting soem projects this weekend, but not finished yet. I decided to post today, because of this great blog candy I saw this morning while blog hopping. The site is
http://www.zhibit.org/elisabethbell/blog/super-scrummy-blog-candy-give-away It is awesome what she is offering. Please go look. I will be back later today with some news and pics. Ya'll take care. Be safe, healthy, happy and as always-----May GOD bless ya'll!!!

Cupcake Gift Tags

I found a little time to play today, and this is what I came up with. These are gift tags. On the back, I stamped a sentiment by Unity Stamps that says "have a sweet day". I used chocolate ink from CTMH to stamp the images and sentiment. The cardstock is Brazill and the designer paper is from ki memories. It is the Bloom Collection-Canopy. The ribbon is from Stampin Up and I used my scalloped punches. They are a happy thing and I can just see them hanging on a package with bright colors and tissue paper.

Everyone made it home safely yesterday. Last to arrive was Carre about 4:30. She and her friend stopped in Millington, TN and got her friend a new puppy. It is a female Westie (West Highland Terrior-I think) and her name is Gypsy. I cannot wait to see her. The hunters did not have any luck. Jack made it in from New Orleans in time to see the 2nd half of the Ole Miss game. What about those Rebels? I went to Mississippi State and my children have split the colleges. One went to State and the other to Ole Miss. There was a time when I could not have thought about yelling for them, but I have mellowed and I can thank my kids for that. The other person that made it home yesterday was Logan, one of my friends grandbabies. Hopefully with continued prayers Landon will be home in a few weeks. I spent a little while yesterday rocking. He is so sweet and loves to lay on his stomach and cuddle on your shoulder. I thank God everyday that these boys have progressed this far so fast.

Well I guess I better cook supper and get these boys fed. Simon has spend the night company and I decided to fry some fish I had in the freezer. Ya'll take care, be healthy, happy, and safe. See ya tomorrow. God bless ya'll.

Happy New Year!!!

I wish for everyone a blessed, healthy, happy new year. I plan to be more creative. My goals are to make at least one card a week, and to spend more time at home instead of work. I am tired!!! I also have started sewing again, and plan on taking a quilting class in late January. I also am going to keep my other blog updated weekly or more as well. Life is to short to waste time. Enjoy every minute. The above card is my new motto for 2009--Go for long walks, indulge in hot baths, question your assumptions, be kind to yourself, live for the moment, LOOSEN UP ( my kids will love this one), scream, curse the world ( only if it really needs it), count your blessings (daily), just let go, just be!! Try it folks, you might like it too.

Update on the babies--Logan is coming home tomorrow. Yea! Yea! Yea! Landon is planned to come home in two weeks. He will have to come home on oxygen though, but that is minor to where they have been. I appreciate all the prayers that ya'll have given for these two. God is great and he has blessed my friend and her family with these beautiful babies.

Ya'll take care now. My family is really spread out this holiday. Me and little buddie (Simon) are home, Carre is in Gatlinburg with friends welcoming in the new year--they called me at 2 am to tell me Happy New Year and they were in for the night. God bless youth!! Doss is up a tree somewhere hunting, I will see him later in the day, Daddy is also hunting, but he also will be home this afternoon, and Jack (hubby) is in New Orleans working. Have a blessed day, hug your loved ones, and stay warm( it is even cold here!!). God bless ya'll!!!!!!

Oh, almost forgot. Saw this while blog hopping this am--2009 is the year of the cupcake!! Cupcakes are happy and I think I will also follow this. Have you ever seen a cupcake that did not make you smile?? Take care!!

My Pink Christmas Tree

HEY YALL!!!! Wow time flies when you are insanely busy. It has been a while since I wrote anything so let me update you and you will see why. Family is great. Daughter just finished her 3rd semester of nursing school {doing really good, keep praying for her, please}, oldest son doing great with his job, and little buddy just being little buddy--the greatest little kid I know. Hubby has not been working as much as usual--always slow this time of year, but slower than normal this year. Being that his work is slow means he is home. He usually works on the road 4-5 days a week, and home on the weekends, well he has been home about 6 weeks. This has been quite an adjustment. Less stamping and creating---more cooking, cleaning, and washing. Life is good though and I hope all of you are the same.

Last post I wrote about my friends grandbabies, well Landon and Logan entered the world at 29 weeks. They are in the NICU in Jackson { which is about 1 1/2 hours from here} but doing great. Landon weighed 2 lbs 5 oz. and Logan weighed 3 lbs. 5 oz. They were born here in our hometown. I was at a soccer tournament with my phone on silent--you have to know me to know I never do this--when it all went down. I had 5 missed calls and numerous missed texts when I realized my phone was off. I finally got my daughter on the phone and went to the hospital. They were already born, but I got to see them before the ambulance arrived to take them to Jackson. Dawn {the actual granny} and I got to take Mary Beth {the mommy} to the hospital 5 days after they were born to see, touch, and spend time with her babies for the first time. It was awesome!!!! She was not supposed to travel yet, but seeing that her mother and I are both long time nurses we talked theOB doc into letting us take her. Great Day folks!! You just should have been there. As of yesterday, Landon weighs 4 lbs. 7 oz. and Logan weighs 6 lb. 3 oz. Keep praying for them. I do not think they will make it home by Christmas, but you never know. Miracles happen everyday. Now with all that said, I did have time to decorate my PINK Christmas tree that I have in my office at home. I even made a lot of the ornaments with my cardstock and designer paper. I will take a close up pic and post on another day. I also have been sewing a lot. Making Christmas presents and smocking for the babies. I started a new sewing blog, but I have only made 2 entries. If you would like to visit the address is http://sewblessed3.blogspot.com/ . My fingers are tired. I have not been use to all this typing. Going to Jackson tomorrow to wrap up my shopping and to see the babies. Plan on starting to cook this weekend. Yall don't give up on me now. I am fixing to get back in the swing of things and start writing and showing my creations on a regular basis. Be safe, healthy, loved and God bless yall!!