Be Present - Be Real

So happy to have you here!

2009-11-14T02:04:00.005-06:00

Today's focus is on friendship and I am so blessed to have many God-given friends in my life.
I hope you do too!
I remember going on a mission trip [way out West] when we were young and without children... we were the youngest on this trip and the "older" women
[probably younger than I am now - ha!]
were talking about having good [women] friends in our lives.
I admitted I didn't have any close friends in the city where we lived
[we'd moved for my husband to attend college.]
And they immediately prayed for me - [I can feel the Spirit as I write this]
and asked the Lord to give me some good close women friends.
And He blessed me with that request.
Since that day, I haven't been afraid to make that same request over and over again
as we moved from place to place.
And God blesses.
Right now I'm praying for those who read this and asking our Lord to bless you with good, strong, trustworthy friends like these pictured in my layout - good friends for over twenty years - friends we can share our hearts and hurts with;
friends who pick each other up when we fall.
Here's the next link on the blog hop

Penny Smith

www.artfullyembellished.blogspot.com
Need a Challenge?
www.thestorymatters.blogspot.com

I apologize for the late post on this i didn't get the link until Saturday evening since I was out of town Friday evening and all day Saturday -
For a complete list of blogs participating go h ere
http://www.ilovepapercrafting.blogspot.com

Encyclopedia of Your Ordinary Life - C

2009-11-13T02:03:00.000-06:00

A few years ago I had the opportunity to complete this extraordinary scrapbook album designed by CathyZ and based on the book, Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Rosenthal. While I still haven't read the book, I love the concept of this album - a random sampling of those ordinary facts about your life [my life.] The homework involves keeping a list, A to Z, of random memories for several weeks and then gathering photos [or not] to support these memories. Love it. The album is really very simple [a la Cathy Z] and easy to put together with only two square photos per page and two to four 'definitions.' Have I said I love this album? And I want to share some of my life with you so I've committed to do just that in 2009 [keep in mind this was completed during the summer of 2007.] I'm going backwards and today I present: C

COUSINS

Such a [HUGE] part of my life as there were 32 on Mama’s side, and 12 on Joe’s side of the family. We have cousins that range from being older than our Mom to a few years younger than me. I’ll always remember going to Mama Moland’s and being excited that ‘the box’ was coming too! The box held all sorts of clothes that we passed from cousin to cousin between the girls. And as the youngest girl cousin I always got the last pick. But so much fun anyway! These cousins and aunts [on both sides of the family] have certainly helped mold me into the person I am today.

CAMPFIRES

Campfires are a special place to commune with God, friends, family, and nature. My earliest memory of a campfire is not actually of a fire, but of hearing Joe and Mama laugh and talk about Ronnie, a young neighbor of ours in Chattanooga, playing in the fire and being told he’d wet the bed if he continued with it. I had wonderful times at youth camp [church] singing praise songs and sharing our testimonies around a campfire. Mama and Joe would have fires in the backyard for the boys to roast hot dogs and marshmallows on, and we continued that while camping with friends and at our own home with our fire pit. There’s just something relaxing about sitting around a fire and visiting with friends in the quietness of the night.

CELL PHONES

Luxury? Necessity? So good to be connected to others most of the time. So very different from when I was growing up when all we had were land-lines and it was sooo pricey to talk to someone long-distance.

I smelled fall today

2009-11-11T15:25:00.005-06:00

well,really, a couple of days ago as I walked into my skin doctor's office
[for a twice yearly oh-so-fun visit to nip the pre-cancerous spots in the bud.]
You know that smell - crunchy and woodsy and, well, just FALL.
Fall has been slow to come to our part of the South and since it's my
favorite time of year
I was concerned it might be brief but turns out -
we're having a gorgeous fall season.
Today is beautiful and since it's a holiday I've checked quite a few things off my[perpetual] list of things to do - made pancakes for breakfast - took a carload [yes!, another one!] of stuff to donate to the thrift store - painted my little metal flag out front - cleaned the hardwood floors [wow! they can get really dusty underneath furniture!] - redid / refreshed a couple of dried flower arrangements - replaced the lights in my foam pumpkins [so not fun] that have little stars cut out all over & placed them on the bench out front [cute!] - deep cleaned the kitchen -sat out back and just enjoyed watching the leaves fall - cleaned out my car - and finished up my latest crafty project [still gotta hang it on the wall.]
So now I'm going to grab a bite to eat and then I think I'll scrap a bit -
I'll share some ideas with you in the next few days.

photoshop fun

2009-11-09T05:24:00.000-06:00

Been playing with photo shop - and just wanted to share some different looks I created with actions [free!] from The Pioneer Woman -

First straight out of the camera -
1 -Boost - sharpen this - slight lighten [49%]
2 - sunshine [adjusted] - boost - quick edge burn
3 - define & sharpen - lovely ethereal x2
4 - vintage - quick edge burn - sharpen

Another, straight out of the camera-

1 - using colorized - boost -lovely & ethereal -soft and faded
2 - using sharpen - bw beauty - boost [just a little]
3 - lovely and ethereal - boost - soft & faded
4 - heartland x2 - boost - quick edge burn

This sounds like so much fun!!

2009-11-08T13:26:00.002-06:00

Twelve Fridays! Weekend Celebration!

A few wedding photos

2009-11-08T12:46:00.002-06:00

First a few notes:
1]I'm very new photoshop and realize I went a little over the top with some of my shopping techniques,
2] Many of my photos are noisy since I didn't use a flash in an effort to be considerate of the assigned photographer,
3] the originasl and shopped versions are included here,
4] as always, if you want to see the photos bigger just click on the slide show, and
5] these files are HUGE and are posted here since I've failed MULTIPLE attempts to send them via email to the bride and groom - hence, they will only be here for a few days and then be deleted, so for now: ENJOY!

Just wanted to share a little picnik action...

2009-11-07T15:10:00.003-06:00

Understand, therefore,
that the Lord your God is indeed God.
He is the faithful God
who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations
and lavishes his unfailing love
on those who love him and obey his commands.

- Deuteronomy 7:9

Blessed

2009-11-06T04:09:00.000-06:00

We've been looking for a new table for the past three years and finally gave up and painted our old one [bought in 1987] black to match the chairs we’d bought earlier. But I just wasn’t loving all the black in the area we’re using as a ‘dining room’ so I’ve had my eye out for just the right piece – and I’m happy to report that we found it last weekend. Love it – and am blessed that we could just scoop it up right then. It's a great brown stain with black in the grooved areas so it goes perfectly with our black chairs and the rest of the wood furniture in the room. There are times when I feel like an ‘impulse-shopper’ but the truth is, for most of our larger purchases we spend a great deal of time looking, and pricing, and comparing, and looking, and pricing, so when we see “IT” we know it and grab it up. I’m blessed that I can share many home-cooked meals and soup nights with friends and family around this table – and as an extra bonus, those sitting on the side won’t have to straddle a table-leg any longer!

Altered Art

2009-11-04T05:30:00.000-06:00

I’ve been playing around with some altered art pieces this week.

And I think I’ll call it trash art – because I really am going for the
‘this-is-made-with stuff-I-picked-up-around-the-house’ look.
Some pieces I like better than others – here’s a couple to share.

Check back next month because I’m already working on my next piece –

not so much ‘trash art’ since I’ll be using a printer’s drawer

[okay, okay – that WAS picked up out of someone else’s trash]

and some prints of my very own sunflowers – CAN’T WAIT to get this finished!

The Smokies

2009-11-03T05:09:00.003-06:00

I wanted to share just how much we enjoyed the quietness of nature during our

recent visit to The Smokies. We stayed right downtown in Gatlinburg beside the Little River [or creek as we usually call it] and it was so nice to sit out on our little patio and ‘play’ on the computer while listening to the water rushing over the rocks and watch the occasional ducks go by. I sure feel God’s presence when I’m close to nature –
and this was a great weekend for that.
We had beautiful crisp – fall weather the whole weekend.

On Saturday Craig had planned a fly-fishing trip
and we rented waders for me so I could tag along and take photos.
[I don't have a fancy-dancy camera, but mine does have a pretty good zoom and some features I enjoy playing with when I have the time [as well as capability to use manual modes when I want.] And, I'm feeling more comfortable with PS so all of these have been 'shopped' up a bit using The Pioneer Woman's actions -
pretty fast and easy-peasy once I learned how to use it.]
Such a fun feeling walking into the water and at first feeling like you’re getting all wet – but staying completely dry…and oh, how beautiful the trees, water, and mountains were!
As usual, I took way too many pictures!
-- but I had such a good subject!!The next day, Craig fished along the creek, hmm, river, in Gatlinburg, and after I’d finished taking photos I got out my Bible study and sat along the creek bank and read The Word. Such a pretty and quiet [even right in town] place to meet the Lord. I didn’t want to leave. For me, there’s just something special
about being out in God’s creation where I can celebrate His majesty.
It makes me think of this verse,
"Look who's here! Mountain shaper! Wind maker!
He laid out the whole plot before Adam;
He brings everything out of nothing - like dawn out of darkness.
He strides across the mountain ridges,
His name is GOD."
Amos 4:14 [The Message.] - love it.

Once a Month [old stuff] Giveaway!

2009-11-02T02:30:00.001-06:00

I know this is a bit late -
but there's a lot going on in October - and
Okay - so I [still] have bunch of stuff that needs to GO -
and I'm really tired of seeing the OMG abbreviation everywhere
[I try hard to make my mind read 'oh my goodness!]
so am hoping that we might also come to think of it as
'Once a Month [old stuff] Giveaway!
I plan to randomly draw a name from the comments on this post
and send that person a little bag of goodies that hopefully they can use
[new to them and all, you know...]
Just post a comment about your favorite post in October!
Time's up at midnight [central x] Friday night.

Choice

2009-11-01T07:33:00.000-06:00

The power to make positive choices

is arguably the greatest gift that we human beings have.

It is the gift of conscious & of consciousness.
Treasure it.

Been walking down memory lane...

2009-10-31T05:30:00.000-05:00

And I'm surprised to find that I don't have photos from Every.Single. Halloween. that we have celebrated [and I'm more than sure that each and every one was celebrated at this house!]
But here's a few to share with you - I've actually scanned and printed each of these [and more] individually and put them in a little mini-album made using the entire kit from The Girls' Loft - but I just haven't taken the time to scan the album... maybe eventually -[as always - click on the photo to see it larger]
1. Matt in his bee costume; 2.All of us & Ryan at Cornucopia in the Botanical Gardens; 3. Drew wearing Trey's clown costume; 4. Drew as Peter Pan for 'storybook' day - no celebrating Halloween at our schools - but we still had dress-up fun on the day nearest to Halloween - ha!; 5. Both our guys at Opryland's Halloween Spooktacular; 6. Matt as Frankenstein for storybook day - we had to search HIGH and LOW to find that little book for him to take along!; 7. One of them, maybe Drew, as Bugs Bunny [Mom made this costume for Joey]; 8. Drew and Ryan; 9. Matt and Drew as Ninja Turtles [Mom made these costumes for the boys - she didn't have a pattern for Matt's - too cute!]; 10. Our Halloween cake; 11. Matt in the big Ninja Turtle costume [we still have these btw]; and 12. One of them scaring the trick-or-treaters [I'm thinking this is Matt.]

When we moved to the 'old' street a few years ago --
Halloween lost its glory for us.
There are no lights on in our neighborhood, and no trick-or-treaters want to navigate 1/2 acre up a hill to ring a door bell anyway...
But back in the day - we had some really fun times!
Happy Halloween!
Be Safe! Have Fun!

Encyclopedia of Your Ordinary Life - D

2009-10-30T02:01:00.001-05:00

A few years ago I had the opportunity to complete this extraordinary scrapbook album designed by CathyZ and based on the book, Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Rosenthal. While I still haven't read the book, I love the concept of this album - a random sampling of those ordinary facts about your life [my life.] The homework involves keeping a list, A to Z, of random memories for several weeks and then gathering photos [or not] to support these memories. Love it. The album is really very simple [a la Cathy Z] and easy to put together with only two square photos per page and two to four 'definitions.' Have I said I love this album? And I want to share some of my life with you so I've committed to do just that in 2009 [keep in mind this was completed during the summer of 2007.] I'm going backwards and today I present:D

DREW
Our first-born precious son who is quiet and focused so much of the time. Love the painting he did [shown this page] when he was in third grade. There was a vase with the flower and lots of other things sitting all around it. They were told to paint what they saw and it’s easy to see that Drew zeroed in on the flower. It’s a good trait to have. [See the contrasting drawing on the EOYOL - M post] Drew is such a great young man who loves the Lord and seeks His will as he makes his way through life.

DISNEY
The happiest place on earth! Where we can escape from the ‘real world’ – on most visits anyway- and enjoy a little magic, if only for a moment. We’ve made trips to Disney since 1996, usually every two years or so. We stay in the campground with two – three other families that travel with us, and always have a blast! Our favorite things change from year to year, but we always love Epcot and Tomorrow Land in the Magic Kingdom. Craig and I enjoyed a special fireworks show a couple of years ago [during a quick trip to Disney alone] when we took the ferry from the Polynesian Resort to the Magic Kingdom and it stopped in the lagoon so we could watch. Really spectacular!

DISHWASHER
This is one of my favorite appliances that makes our crazy busy life soooo much easier. I often ask myself, “Why do I dislike unloading it so much?!” So I try to stop and say a little ‘Thanks” that I even have one!

Faith Based Pages Classes

2009-10-28T17:20:00.003-05:00

We've been working on a little devotional tag book over at the Faith Based Pages Classes Yahoo Group these past few weeks. It's designed to be a little daily reminder to us as we rush through the Christmas season that Jesus [really] is the Reason for the Season. And how blessed we are that we can set aside time and celebrate His goodness - even in the midst of our struggles and hurt.[as always - you can click on the photo to see it larger -]

Today - I wanted to share the instructions and some photos of the projects. The gals in the class are talking about all kinds of ways to interpret this project [spiral note cards, flip album on their kitchen counter, etc.] and I can't wait to see their 'take' on it.

Let me know if you make one too - I'd love to see it!

Where have we been?

2009-10-26T08:14:00.001-05:00

Here's the hint: candy kitchens, pancake houses and old tyme photo booths...

First person to guess correctly wins a little scrapbook goodness....

A beautiful wedding...

2009-10-24T08:07:00.003-05:00

It's Chocolate Pie Day!

2009-10-23T05:25:00.004-05:00

[Photo taken in a hurry, on our way to a big event, a little blurry.]

In Memory of my dad - today is his birthday
- and oh how he loved a good chocolate pie!I sent a little care package to the boys
so they could remember [and enjoy] too!

Just a little altered art

2009-10-20T05:38:00.000-05:00

to go into our newly re-painted laundry room-
my first attempt at something like this ---
and I think I like it.
[The wall color is 'something -pine' and actually came off a green paint card]

Last Harvest?

2009-10-18T15:33:00.006-05:00

Possibly - I'm waivering between tearing it all down and putting it all in the compost pile or waiting a while longer... we still have some green tomatoes on the vine, and obviously the banana peppers are still a peppering away... and I'd love to see just how long we can sustain it. Those little cantaloupe were planted in July so I never expected them to make - I just dug a little hole in the ground outside the garden [think: no improved dirt for them] and they went a little crazy - so I'm already thinking that next year we'll definitely have cantaloupe and maybe I'll try pumpkins too.
Don't you think this weather is delicious? We had one son home from AU and enjoyed having him here while he enjoyed seeing friends most of the weekend. But our weekend goal was to complete the laundry room re-hab. And, yay! It's done! We still need to get another load of trash out [our bin is full] and a carload of stuff to goodwill, but once we had add a few more shelves for storage it will be complete. And I'm happy to know it's all cleaned out, because, quite honestly, I haven't spent a lot of time in there since the great rabbit massacre of 2008... now there's a story for another time...

Happy Fall!

2009-10-17T02:57:00.002-05:00

Enjoy the cooler weather! We're in the middle of laundry room re-hab and hoping to get it all spiffed up before the weekend ends. Until then - enjoy the color -

Encyclopedia of Your Ordinary Life -E

2009-10-16T02:00:00.000-05:00

EDDIE BAUER

This is my absolute favorite clothing line. I love the style, the comfort, and the fit. I can’t remember when I first bought “Eddie’s” clothes, but I know I’ve worn only this brand of jeans for the last 15 years. I have dresses, t- shirts, pants, and sweaters, even a bathing suit from “Eddie” and love them all!

EQUALITY

Something I believe in strongly. As a [white] child growing up in the sixties I don’t remember prejudice in my house. Instead I remember Joe allowing his friends of color to do work for pay [digging our basement, etc.] He would go pick them up and drive them home and say to us that he wanted give them a job because other people wouldn’t hire them. I also remember his anger at Wallace when he blocked education. When schools were desegregated I was told we were merging school zones and that there would be a lot of new faces in our classrooms, nothing racial. My memories…so different from the world’s…

EASTER

This is one of my favorite times of the year. A time to celebrate Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection! Our Christian faith – completely. Easter Egg Hunts, and dying eggs have always been a part of the celebration [and Mom and Dad surprising the boys with a basket full of goodies,] but the real joy is celebrating our Lord with songs of praise – and thanksgiving for what He did [so willingly] to allow us to have eternal life.

Once a Month [old stuff] Giveaway!

2009-10-15T06:42:00.002-05:00

Winner! For September!

Gloria L. said...

Hi Judy! I liked your take on your CKU projects, and commend you for finishing them!

September 29, 2009 9:18 PM

Gloria! Send me an email [Judy@faithabsedpages.com]

and I'll get your [old stuff] goodies int he mail to you!

Anita [winner for August] -

still need your address or meet-up time as well!

A fun week

2009-10-11T14:57:00.004-05:00

topped off with our kiddos here for the weekend...

October Cookie of the Month

2009-10-08T18:17:00.003-05:00

Made a quick little cookie recipe while we're here at the beach -
Edited: After much taste-testing it was decided that these would be more delicious if the pecans were doubled and the butterscotch left out - they'd be like sweet pecan sandies...

Butterscotch Pecan Cookies

1 (18.25 ounce) package butter cake mix
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant butterscotch pudding mix
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
In a medium bowl, stir together the cake mix, instant pudding and flour. Add oil and egg, mix until well blended. Stir in the pecans and butterscotch chips. Batter will be somewhat crumbly.
Scoop cookies with a small ice cream scoop or compress 1 tablespoon of dough into a ball. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. [I flattened them with the back of a spoon a few minutes after putting them to bake.]

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are just starting to brown. Allow cookies to cool for 2 minutes before removing from baking sheet to cool on wire racks.

These are VERY sweet, so we're hoping the kids will eat them all up before they leave...