Just a Little Update

Have you noticed I've been gone?  It seems like forever. 

Well I finally got my computer back.  Neil and I took them both to our computer guru who fixed them.  Yea!!!  Now we just have to get a router and get them both running at the same time.  But I've been so busy with the living room painting job I haven't had a chance to get anything posted. 

On top of that I've been having a lot of pain that - well, just through me for a loop.  It all started with my big toe, which sounds ridiculous and then spread to my knee, then to my hip and lower back, all on the left side.  I'd been having so numbness and stuff in my left arm and leg for a few weeks now.  Not bad enough to go to the hospital, just kinda a wierd.  I didn't leave the bed at all yesterday.   Thank goodness I have a follow up appt. with my Dr. tomorrow and can get with him about this.  I hope he doesn't laugh, believe me, I haven't been.

Anyway, I just wanted to pop in and say I hope to be back on track any day now.  I sure have missed you all.

Hugs...Tracy :)

There's a Cricut Giveaway Going On!

Lisa's having a great giveaway over at Mermaids Crafty.  And for good reason.  She is about to hit the 500 Follower mark and has had almost 35,000 hits!  WOW!!!  Congratulations Lisa.  

She's giving us a chance to win some great CRICUT BLOG CANDY!!  She is giving away the Picturesque cartridge.  So stop in and visit her and enter her giveaway.  You'll find she's just as nice as pie. 

 

 

Have a great day Y'all!!!

Hugs....Tracy :)

I'm Crushing on a Younger Man - Please Don't Be Jealous Kate

Yes, I have royal fever, too.  This isn't a new thing for me.  I've always been a little fasinated by them.  It's just the first royal heir I've ever thought was dreamy.  I mean really, come on, who couldn't go a little bonkers over William in this cowboy hat.  This is a totally new look for Wills and I'm lovin' it!

Kate's just as cute as can be in her western wear too.  I am totally in love with Will in jeans sporting this casual plaid shirt.  The color is awesome on him.  Do you suppose the color of the hats were chosen to represent the Good Guy image he posses?  And check out the cowboy boots, to boot. (sorry, I couldn't resist.)

No matter where Kate might be, she always looks elegant.  She has the most incredible style sense.  I know she may have a stylist but even then you have to admit it takes style to be able to choose one.  Just look back at what Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's last stylist did for them, namely at the royal wedding.  I love Kate's chic red hat and that stylishly demur clutch.  Isn't that tassel the perfect touch.  Hmm, wonder if I can create that bag?  Everything she wears is designed with simple elegance.  She is today's fashion ICON.

Oh' look at this photo below.  That is the essense of this couple.  It is the most enduring thing about the Prince.  The thing that just draws you in and makes him irresistably attractive.  The true love that you can read all over his face.  There is no denying this man is totally in love with this woman.  And she with him.  Princess Diane had exactly the effect she wanted.  She instilled the values she so desired to within him.  He is a Prince of the people and will be the King of the people.  I have every confidence that he will be remembered for great things and be one of the most beloved Kings to ever rule.  He has strength and compassion.  He knows how to be everyman while still retaining the dignity of his title.  Yeah, like I said, I'm crushing.

I really don't want them to rush into raising childern but those are gonna be some gorgeous kids.  I just hope Kate has the same qualities and instills them in her childern as Diana did.

Did you see the photos of the royal wedding of Prince Albert of Monaco, lets just say you couldn't see the love there.  His wife is beautiful.  I loved her dress but it wasn't really befitting a royal wedding, in my humble opinion.  Kate's was all a royal gown should have been and I'm not usually a fan of long sleeved wedding gowns.  I never was that impressed with Diana's wedding gown.  Much too much poofy for me.  And sorry Prince Albert, though I was in awe of your mother, Princess Grace and His Royal Highness Prince Rainer,  William and Kate are the royals that have it going on.  And I'm sure will have for decades to come.

Have a blessed Sunday ya'll.

OX's.....Tracy :)

Celebrating TWO "2" Years and Lovin' It!

It was my blogiversary Wednesday and with all the computer problems I didn't even get to put a post up.  Boo-Hiss!!!

As you can see from this photo, the cats are beyond excited for me!  They can barely keep their eyes open.  Oh' to you it might look like they're bored but it's just from a long night of celebrating my 2 years of accomplishments.

And by the way, July also honor's the year ago mark, that blackie here, decided to bite me and send me for a nice 5 day vacation in the hospital.  Of course that's before she moved into the house with us, where she now resides.  She still doesn't feel we are worthy of touching her yet but she has taken a shine to Pumpkin, the meanest and strangest cat in the world.  There's no accounting for taste.  Blackie really is a sweet kitty, she's just still kind of a scaredy cat with us.  And I use the term loosely since she's probably over a year and a half old.  Anything looks little compared to Pumpkin.  If you notice he takes up a really large section of that love seat and he's not even stretched out.

And that's not all,  I just noticed that this is my 191nd post and it's only July.  That's already 1 more post than I wrote in all of 2010.  So basically in only a half-a-year I've already posted more than I did in all of 2010.  That's an improvement in my book.  Yippee!

Thank ALL of YOU  for making me feel so special!  It's been so much fun being a member of blog land and making such awesome friends.  You've all laughed and cried with me.  Supported me and prayed with me.  You've kept me company when I felt alone and encouraged me when I was down.  I've had such a good time visiting all of your blogs and getting to know you and find out how creative in all aspects of art and life you are.  Thank you from the bottom of my Cotton Pickin' Heart!!

And by the way I haven't overlooked this opportunity to share a little blog love with a giveaway.  I'm still working on something and I'll be sure to let you all in on it very soon.

Love and hugs.....Tracy :)

New Molding and Lots of Prep ~ Room Redo

If you see a smile on my face, it's only because I'm dreaming about how much brighter my house will look when we're through.  Actually I'm usually a lot  happier when I have a project to do, as long as I don't have to do it by myself.  So with me and Neil working together I'm pretty happy right now.

We added crown moldings a few years ago when we first remodeled this area of the house but we never got around to the windows and all the little finish up details.  Here's the windows before the molding was added.

Pretty Plain and dull.  Neil bought the trim pieces and trimmed them out just a few weeks ago.  No one ever said we were fast.  In the next pictures you can see the new trim which hasn't been painted yet.

It's a really open house with all the walls we removed when we started this project years ago.  No body ever believes that this is actually a 1920's house.  All new walls and bigger rooms with all new trim made a huge difference.  If you look at my old house photos part 1 here and part 2 here, you'll see what I mean.

I'm standing in the dining room side of the archway Neil created between the dining room and the living room.  It used to be the bathroom.

I really love the trim color but I would have liked to have gone to a shade of white.  Not the bright white of the window trim above.  But with this much trim, I had said I would never paint it again and I am so glad that I don't have to.  I'm mudding in all the little cracks and all around the new window trim (these things happen with an older off grade (i.e. above ground) house.  We bought a paint shade that will work with the trim so there may be a little trim touch up, but it would take forever to paint all the trim in these two rooms if I changed colors.  So yea for keeping it the same.

In the photo above you can see some of the new window trim.  Neil still has to get some trim to go between each set of two windows.  We have 3 sets = 6 windows across the front of the house, that includes the joining living room and dining room.

I always dread starting projects like this, especially mudding and painting.  There's so much clean up.  But once I get started I enjoy it.  It gives me a fresh clean feeling and I get nice and worn out so I sleep really good.  I just can't wait to see the new color.  Now, does anyone know where I can win a shopping certificate?

I can't believe Friday came so fast this week.  Ya'll have a fun weekend!

Hugs...Tracy :)

Quote of the Day

"If you hear a voice within you say, you cannot paint," then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."

         ~Vincent Van Gogh (Birthdate March 30, 1853)

{Okay maybe this wasn't exactly the painting he had in mind.} LOL

Free Recipe Book for Diabetics

My sister Joni is in the middle of changing life long habits for the better.  But change doesn't always come easy.  Most times it's just the opposite and this is no different.  We've been on the phone everyday discussing how hard it is to come up with a new eatting plan.  After her recent scare at the hospital, she has had to become very vigilent about her diet.  Learning how to count calories, carbos, fat and cholestrol.  She's diabetic and it's so important for her to eat more and better than she has been.  I couldn't wait to let her know about this and thought many of you would like to know about it too.

Free Tools to manage your Diabetes - Make a Healthy Meal Plan in Minutes. The Best of Diabetic Connect Low-Carb Recipes Includes: More than 60 delicious, healthy recipes 10g of carbs or less per serving—in every recipe. Pork, chicken, beef, desserts, soups, salads and much more.

Sample Recipes:

Savory Italian Grilled Chicken

Pepper-Lime Chicken

Grilled-Glazed Salmon

Philly Cheesesteak Lettuce Cups

Teriyaki Kabobs

Flourless Brownies

I Hear Sleigh Bells Ringing, A Jing-Jing-Jingling too!

I think I must be spending to much time in the air conditioning.   Sugar Plums are dancing in my head and dreams of artifical snow drift across my mind all day. 

Of course the snow part could be more because of all the sheetrock mud and dust we're creating while we finish trimming out the new window frame molding Neil's added and preping the walls for a new paint job.  Yippee for new paint job!  Boo for the horrible mess mudding causes and all the work that we have to do including painting. 

But even if it's because my mind is to dusty to think clear, it doesn't matter.  I'm content in my wonderland of Christmas dreams.  I can't get that song out of my head.  But I know ya'll understand, you're crafters and July means Christmas!  It's the official planning season for Christmas and that season flies by.  So let the Jingle Bells Ring and the Spirit Be Bright because I'm dreaming of Tinsel and Bulbs  shining at night.

I love these paper music ornaments.  I can't  remember where I found them yesterday.  Maybe Pottery Barn, it wasn't on a blog.  But I'm lovin' 'em and thinking these might be fun to do.  I really love the frame ornament in the top picture.

Is this mercury glass ball pretty.  I like the attention to detail with the cap being antiqued.

I think this simple but oh' so elegant glass final ornament is stunning.

And this one's all ready for my tree.  It's already got the D on it for my last name.

Do ya'll have any idea's for creating Christmas ornaments for this year or maybe even one's you've done in the past?  I'm really wanting some ideas for beach or seashell ornaments and ornaments made with Cricut!  Please share, I would love to hear your ideas?  And have you seen or heard of any new trends for Christmas 2011?  Do tell!!!

Gosh, how I love Christmas.  I'm all excited about seashells and beaches and all of a sudden, like a bubble that thought just popped and it was gone.   It's been replaced by bright colors, shiney glittering goodness and I think I even smell the scent of pine.  But don't worry I can still make room for my turquoise and sand.

Oh' by the way, my computer is still being stubborn and difficult.  So if you don't see me post anything in a day or two, please come back and check.  It may just mean that I'm thrown it through the window or smashed it on the floor.  I'm so close now......

Hugs and love ya'll.........Tracy :)

Quote of the Day

Once asked about his life, Grant responded...

"My formula for living is quite simple.

I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night.

In between, I occupy myself as best I can."

                                                    ~Cary Grant

{For those of you who don't know it, he's the only leading man ever worthy of my dreams.}