Something that I love....

This is one of my favorite things that I own....my Daddy won this at the fair one time and I always thought it was beautiful! (Probably part of the reason was that Daddy won it!) When Momma let me have it, it made me so happy....when I was little I remember using it for serving butter at least once. I thought that was really fancy!! I've never used it for serving butter, but I do keep it out so I can see it. It always reminds me what a fun  time we had going to the fair every year.....we didn't live in town, so it was always exciting driving there. When we were driving off the mountain we could see the lights of the fair! Thirty minutes of driving to get there seemed to take forever!!

Fall Fairy

Guess what...I finally have something listed on ebay!!

Click here to view my auction and to bid!!!

Have a great day and STAY WARM!

Snow in Alabama!

It snowed here yesterday....we couldn't believe it! I picked up my nephew at school and it started to snow soon after he got in my truck. He was so excited! He snapped so many pictures on the way home after it started to stick to the ground. He wanted to make snow cream and we put a bowl on the truck to catch snow, but I doubt he will get that much in there. I checked it when I left and they might have been two teaspoons full!! :) But it was pretty to look at. They live on "the  Mountain" (Sand Mountain, that is!) and I live in Scottsboro. It was nice & white when I left, but there was no sign of snow when I got to Scottsboro. Below are a couple of pictures my nephew took of the snow....

 

Tonight I'm in my studio staying warm and working on some papier mache figures...I'm trying to learn some new techniques, so there's no telling how these guys might turn out! :) I bought new fabric for dolls....I spent about an hour & a half at wal-mart trying to get someone to cut fabric for me!! After all that, I haven't even cut the first piece of fabric tonight! I wanted to get the  papier mache guys started so they can dry while I sew!

A few nights ago I was planning to paint a Valentine fairy ....but she ended up being a  Fall Fairy! This is a photo of her before I finished....just a little sneak peek!! I'm planning to list her on ebay yesterday!! Ha....since I didn't make it, I'm planning to get her on there some time this week!! Until then....she is up for grabs. If you are interested, email me at denise@scottsboro.org!

Last but not least.....I wanted to show you a picture of the view from my computer chair tonight...

Doggies found their homes!

Remember the dogs I was going to help transport? I got an update about them and they all found homes! That makes me so happy....

Here they are....how cute they all are. Its no wonder they found homes in a hurry! (You can click the pictures and they will get a little bigger)

   

Here is Boo just before he went to his forever home....

 

And here's Manny...

 

I have to admit, I might have been tempted to bring some home with me! ;) Seriously, I am still up for helping transport some animals when they need me. I have a link to Cheryl's website....maybe you want to volunteer to help out too! Just look at those sweet faces....how in the world could you say no?

Do y'all remember Buddy? I thought I would post a newer picture of him...He has put on weight (but still a little on the lean side) and he seems so happy! And he loves his friend, Blondie!

Free Pattern!

I'm offering the pattern for my peppermint sticks to you for free! Click here to download the pattern. (It should automatically open with Adobe Reader--if you don't have it, its free to download.) These are so quick and easy to make!!

I'm planning to have new free patterns at least once a month, maybe more! So keep an eye out here for new ones....

New Designs in the works....

I am so glad to be back to "work"! I can't wait to start getting some new stuff done! I have so many ideas....it will be a challenge to work on them and my studio at the same time. I wish it was ready to move in, but it will be a while!

I didn't get to transport the doggies today. There were 8 dogs so I was going to take some and another guy take some. Two were adopted, so he just took all 6. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to go, but they got to go and that's what was most important!

I thought I would share another photo....That's me in the middle holding my brother, Jason. My  sisters Ranee' (right) and Lisa (left) on each side of me. (My youngest sister, Jamie, is missing, but that was before her time!) We're in the back yard where I grew up and where my parents still live. Where we had picnics, made mud pizzas and had funerals for Junebugs we found on the ground. Where we chased lightning bugs, ate watermelons until we were sick and played in our playhouse. (I will tell you about me playhouse another time!!) Those trees in the yard behind us are HUGE now! The grapevines are gone and there is a shed on the right now. Past the edge of the yard is where Daddy always had his big ol' garden. I thought it was big, but now he has another big ol' garden on the other side of the house! See that tree in the back on the right? That's where I went to have a picnic with one of my sisters one day. We spread out the quilt and right when she was about to sit down, I saw a snake where she was about to sit!! We were always seeing rattlesnakes there, so I'm sure we thought that was a near death experience!! ha! Way down the dirt road to the right (just out of the picture) was where we had a well house and there was a big wild cherry tree there. Have you ever had wild cherries? They are really good, but so tiny they barely seem worth the time to pick them up!! I just realized that they are about the size of those cherries with a Hi-Ho Cherry-O Game!

It has been fun going through these old photos....I will share more with you later on with some stories that I hope aren't too boring!! Now back to work....working on some projects for Create & Decorate magazine!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to me!! Yesterday was my  birthday!! I can't believe I'm 39....that's all I'm going to say about that!

When I was at Momma's on Christmas, I went through her pictures and brought some home to scan. I think this may be my very favorite picture of me. I had been in a beauty contest that night and I thought I was so pretty! My sister was in it too....I think I was 4 and she was 2. I didn't win, but she won second runner up. I cried all the way home. I laid in the back window of Daddy's mustang and cried. (Was I ever really small enough to fit up there??) I think Momma thought I cried because I didn't win,  but that wasn't it. It was because my sister got her picture made to go in the paper and I didn't!! So here you see the picture I had made--after I had taken off my pretty dress and gloves and put on my favorite thing to wear, my Daddy's white t-shirt! And yes, that made me happy....just getting my picture made!

Notice the rabbit in my arms? That was a sleeping bag....you unzip it in the back to put your clothes in and it has some kind of wire form or something inside so it kept its shape. Its body is yellow plush with pink satin around her hat and her head is hard plastic. I have been looking for one to replace mine for a long time, so if anyone knows the name brand or anything to help me find one, I would be so happy!

Do any of you have any New Year's Resolutions? Here are mine:

1. Lose Weight (I have this one every single year!)

2. Start Excersing (again)

3. Complete my studio this year

4. Work less--try to take some time just to relax

5. Start remodeling our living room and kitchen

6. Do some volunteer work (starting with transporting the doggies on Saturday!)

I think that should be enough for the whole year....