Sunflower Love!

Anyone who knows me well knows that my favorite color is yellow and that my favorite flower (besides Lilacs!) is the Sunflower.

I     LOVE     SUNFLOWERS!!!

They are so bright and cheery and I can't help but smile when I look at them. They make me happy!
Whitey grows them every year and I usually let them be, instead of bringing them in so that the birds and bees can enjoy them. I took some pictures last night so that I can enjoy them too!

Daemyan's birthday

We celebrated Daemyan's birthday with my family yesterday.
It's hard to believe that he will be 11 years old on Monday! He came to live with us when he was 5 months old and he has been to joy of our lives. He is such a sweet, good natured little man and he makes us proud!
He will celebrate again in a couple of weeks with 3 of his best buds from school. Today, he was able to spend the day with them, so that makes his birthday extra special.

I guess I should have thought to move all the assorted items of clothing hanging on our rail before pictures, but...............well, sorry............

Anyway, on another note, I just love a truck full of out-of-the-field hay and that is what I got to see in my barn yesterday!!! It smells so good, and is irresistible to cats, kids and dogs, but the dogs couldn't jump up on the truck.

Dachshunds, you know!

Looks like angry cat wakes up from nap in the hay.

His beauty sleep was disturbed, poor guy

Have a wonderful Sunday and please don't forget to pray for the souls of all the victims of 9-11 and for their families.

Ellensburg Rodeo

It was my turn to attend the Ellensburg rodeo with my dad this Sunday.
For the past 6 or 7 years,( I just can't remember), my sister and I take turns attending the rodeo with my dad. My mom is not a rodeo person, but she did it for years to "make dad happy". Now it's our turn! Anyway, I got my love of all things Western from my dad, rodeo included. Horses were my earliest passion. I watch the rodeo with tons of emotion, from envy of the rodeo queens to terror for the bull riders.
Most of all I feel twinges of grief for not following my life's passion. I know I need to accept my life the way it is, regardless of what I thought it should have been, but there is still that passion........ OK, I'm getting depressed, so I'll move on....

Where Tradition Lives On

The Ellensburg Rodeo is one of the “old rodeos” and has earned its place as one of America’s Top 10 professional rodeos. The Ellensburg Rodeo is the final stop of the Wrangler Million Dollar Gold Tour and hosts the World Finale of PRCA’s Extreme Bulls Tour. Started in 1923 with the same volunteer spirit that still “fuels the fire” of today’s volunteers, the rodeo has grown from a local competition among ranch hands to the Professional event of today with over 600 contestants and prize money in excess of $400,000!

Today’s best riders, ropers, and wrestlers compete in what many consider to be the best rodeo arena in the nation. The Friday night opening performance starts in the evening and ends under the stars. The Saturday and Sunday afternoon “perfs” feel electrically charged by the brilliant blue sky. It all leads up to the Labor Day Monday Championship Finals…

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Long live the Ellensburg Rodeo!!!

On a challenge roll.....

I've been in a card making funk for a while, so after participating in a few challenges I'm rearing to go again!
I spent most of the summer being very lazy productive, so when I wasn't busy on the computer, doing hard labor, I was, well, trying to keep up with dishes, laundry, mail, my animals, grand kids, various appointments to try to get my hips and back in working order (chiropractor, acupuncture, massage, ice, heat.....) and other housekeeping and domestic chores.
I am happy to report that I am much better and have actually taken an interest in my horrible neglected garden once again.
but I digress....
This week's challenge on the A Muse Studio challenge blog,
http://amusestudiochallengeblog.blogspot.com/
is to create dimension on your card using whatever keeps your card from being flat. Piece of cake, I don't even know how to make flat cards!!! They just don't seem to look right without dimension and texture, although I must say that there is something about a clean and simple card.......it's just I have a hard time making one!

Sorry about the gigantic pictures, I just thought they looked better because I can see more detail ;)
I also seemed to have used a LOT of blue!

My pinwheel card was made with a tag punch and folded a certain way and adhered to the card. The pearl brad in the center gives it yet even more texture, but kind of "softens" it.

For the choo choo train, I cut green card stock to make it look curvy and snipped little pieces to make it look like grass. The train is on dimensional squares, as well as a couple of the stars. The inside of the train wheels are brads and the sentiment is acrylic.

The clam shell is on dimensional foam with pearls and glitter to add dimension. The paper is also very dimensional because of the glitter. 

Needless to say, I do my part in keeping the USPS in business since I can rarely mail a card with regular postage. Always glad to help the economy..........................

Fabulous Felt Challenge

Moxie Fab World has a felt challenge, so I thought I would post this card. I love felt on cards!

I had to take the picture with my old camera since I broke my "newer" camera :(
The quality is not that great and I didn't have time to mess with it since I'm off to the Ellensburg Rodeo with dad.
I'm running late, as usual............

A Muse Studio challenge

I ran across a link to this card challenge while on Splitcoaststampers this morning. The challenge was to use this picture for inspiration, and today, I was in the mood for a little creative inspiration! 

I have been very lazy this summer with card making (and pretty much everything else!), and was ready to play with paper. I liked this color scheme, and although orange is usually not the first color I go to when making cards, I decided  to challenge myself to use orange without making a Fall or Halloween card.

This is what I came up with;

I had some old Chatterbox paper that I had been hoarding saving for years because I liked it so much.
I didn't want to cut into it, which is pretty silly since that is what it is for!
I used the color scheme and butterflies for inspiration and added the sentiment from an older A muse stamp. The butterflies were from an old piece of patterned paper in my scrap drawer, punched out with one of the Martha Stewart butterfly punches. The strip towards the bottom of the card was cut from a multi colored striped paper by We R Memory Keepers (I think...).
I love the way the color worked so well with the floral Chatterbox paper.

Anyway, I'm off to watch Pioneer Woman on the Food Network Channel. Ree Drummond, aka Pioneer Woman has a great blog which has become my new favorite!

Happy Saturday!

First Day Of School 2011

I cannot believe that Daemyan is in 5th grade!

Today was his first day, which, of course was met with excitement and anxiety. (By both of us!)

Once he was re-united with his best buds, I was pretty much non-existent, a.k.a., embarrassing.

I have come to accept this painful part of  growing up.

What I don't tell, (and never would),  his homies, is that he still likes to snuggle at night and get a back rub. He still wants me to make up stories to help him fall asleep. He still wants warm milk, his vitamins and a papaya tablet. As "insignificant" as these things seem to be, they are precious and fleeting as life itself. I understand his need to break away from grandma in front of others, but I know better!

His precious little life is growing and changing and I have to help him be independent by just "being there". How cliche, but how true.

He came home excited and enthusiastic and my heart is filled with joy and gratitude.