May I show you a few pictures?

May I?  After all it's already May! It's a been a while since I've posted so I'll just play catch up today.  My nephew's wedding was fabulous.  It was really a weekend-long celebration.  We caravaned down in trucks, vans, and cars, helping to make the long (10 hour) drive fun for the grandkids.  I had a number of surprises for the kids, and every hour or so (when they were in our truck) I'd try to pull out something new.   

But you can't keep a princess from her sleep...

The wedding candy bar that my neice and sister set up was a hit, as any candy bar will be.  I painted the signs to match the wedding invitation colors.  ("Love is Sweet" has been selling fast in my Etsy store!). 

Young and old alike enjoyed selecting their favorite candy:





Last Saturday I had a table at our local Home Based Business Fair.  What a blast to meet so many people and be able to show my hand-painted signs in person!  A lot of people asked me if I stenciled the signs--no! I hand-paint each and every letter!   I also had made up some wood totes (carpenter totes, garden totes) to fill with things for Mother's Day or Father's Day. I had painted a strip of chalkboard paint on the side, and included chalk.  I even sold some of my dress pattern kits, altered nest spoons and clothespins, as well as sets of Brown Paper Bag Scrapbooks.  I also took orders for custom family signs and other custom signs. 

I finished the Passion Week booklet-study guides and gave them out to a lot of ladies (about 45).  I shared the study with our Ladies Bible study, as well as gave them to my family and even mailed a few out.  It was a study of Jesus' final week before dying on the cross and was ressurected from the dead (Easter Sunday).  It was encouraging to see so many ladies really get into the Bible that week and become passionate about Jesus' final days.  They learned so much, we shared and encouraged each other and were all affected in so many ways.  I really would like to offer it as a download, so let me know if you have any interest.  After I printed them out (4 small pages per page) I could them down and secured the pages together with binder rings.  I may offer it as a (free) download on Issuu.com or Mediafire.com, if I can get one of those to work for me. 

Speaking of Issuu, Amy Power's previous issues of "Inspired Ideas", such as the Christmas issue, are still available to view for free.  Check her blog to purchase the "Spring Inspired" issue  ($3.30). So many of the projects can be used other times of the year as well.  Soon, though, Amy will be releasing her lasteest issue.  I can't wait, I'll let you know when it's out!

Mother's Day is Sunday, whoo-hoo!  That means breakfast in bed for me (my Mark is the best!).  Just today I saw on the blog, One Pretty Thing, a wonderful collection of Mother's Day ideas.  They are good for adults and children, go look and get ideas now. I love that blog.  Here's a card she gives us link for:

On to more sign painting now. I hope by now you are getting a little more sunshine daily!

Blessings, Heidi

{{Linked to:  "Whatever Goes Wednesday #64 at Someday Crafts

and "What I Whipped Up Wednesday at Sugar and Dots.}}

Love is Sweet

So much going on here, but through it all we are still looking for spring!  We've had another cold spell, I even saw snow at 7 AM yesterday.  Though the ground is soaking wet, too wet yet to even begin pulling weeds, the grass is so green!  I am optimistic that we'll see some spring temperatures this week, as I'd sure love to be outside working in the gardens a little.

Here's John Mark looking for Spring (wearing my Mark's hat):

My friend Christina, who is ubber talented, coordinated a Home Based Business Fair (North Bend, April 30)  and I will have a table there.  I'll be showing and selling my signs and various other craft items for sale.  That is if I can get a supply made up in time! I painted a few new ones this last week:

{{Love is Sweet, sign.  24 inches long.}}

{{Home Sweet Home sign, 24 inches long}}

{{Yes, yet another "Sweet Dreams" sign! 24 inches long}}

{{Love is Sweet, sign. 

Many people are using these for wedding Candy Bar signs!

This one is 16 inches long.}}

Another big project I've been working on is a Passion Week Bible Study booklet for the ladies in my Bible study group.  I started out with a week long Bible study for Passion week, for the ladies to "find" where Jesus was each day on His last week on earth before dying on the cross.  I did this study on my own last year, but this year I wrote it all out in a booklet form to share.  I am very excited about this booklet and am hoping it helps the ladies develop a fierce passion for getting closer to Jesus!

Finally, next weekend is our nephew's wedding!  So we'll all be in a caravan traveling down to California for the wedding and celebrations!  Jessica will be joining us in the long drive down, so it will be fun to spend some time with her (Craig, sadly, has to work).

Easter is just a few weeks away and although I don't put a lot of decorations up, I do always do some.  So far...unless you count the Beanie Baby chick-in-an-egg set out.  We've had the grand- kids over a number of days too, and I will always set everything aside to play with them! Here's a few recent pictures of them.
So you can see why I haven't been able to post lately.  But thank you for visiting and I always appreciate your comments!

{{Playing on the kids' table with some homemade playdough.

This batch was a little dry, but as long it was blue they were happy!

Ellie sings and talks...non-stop! 

These kids are sweet!  Love is sweet!}}

{{Baby Claira.  She is sweet!  Love is sweet!}}

Blessings!   ~Heidi

(linked to Cindy's My Romantic Home Show & Tell Friday here;
and linked to Women Living Well Wednesday Linky set. )

Making Birthdays Happen

signThe first thing is this:  Birthdays happen!  Birthdays will come and go...yearly, whether we want them or not! 

      Birthdays happen!

(me on my birthday last year!)

Let's kick up our heels and make them happen with happiness.  With style.  With fun.  With a bang!  It takes just a little planning to help someone celebrate their own special day, but it will be remembered always!  Do it!  Even if it's just sending a card or making a phone call! It's still March and we born in March need to support each other.  It's still feeling like a wet winter month here on the Oregon coast, and I know many others in the country are also feeling winter may not ever end. But a March birthday brings reason to make a party out of winter.  My birthday was March 2, and I think I've been celebrating the whole month so far. I have other family members with March birthdays, too.  My oldest sister, Sue, celebrated her birthday Friday.  And our oldest grandchild, John Mark turned 5 last week. 

I made up some party favor bags for the kids that included a set of water-color paints.  The kids used those right at the pizza parlor!  We all helped John Mark celebrate at a local pizza parlor on Saturday night.  It was so much fun!  He wanted a Thomas the Train party so Melissa made Thomas the Train cake!  It was cute, and very yummy (homemade cake always is!).  

After researching online the best toy for a 5 year old boy we ordered the "Stomp Rocket Junior Kit" (glows in the dark).  

Afterr he opened it we tried it out right there in the pizza parlor.  This was an immediate hit with the kids, I highly recommend it! Did I mention that parlor was wild and super busy that night?  There were several other birthdays going on and our table was close to the door. Every time someone walked in with a present John Mark thought they were bringing them for him!  It was cute!

A week ago Monday was sweet Amy Power's birthday! Her blog, InspireCo is the very first blog I ever read!  And what an uncoming online publication do you think she's about to publish?  Yes,  birthday issue!  Can't wait for the day she announces it's ready for viewing!

I think I'm about finished painting signs for Jessica's friend's wedding, this is the final "Thank You" sign:

I've run out of pre-painted old blue barn boards!  Does anyone near me have any old boards like that--I'll take them off your hands, pick them up, too!  Thanks!

Have a beautiful SPRING day!  ~Heidi

(Linked to Between Naps on the Porch's Metamorphosis Monday)

Seeing Red ~ Redensday

Today I'm venturing out in our truck, with the trailer attached. On that trailer is our 4-wheeler.  This is going to be a first for me, I've never driven the truck with the trailer attached....by myself!  I need to take the ATV to the shop, the clutch needs some fixing!  This ATV is used almost daily here. 

In the picture there is a RED ice chest which usually holds....nope, not food, but my tools!  (Mole trapping stuff, cutters, my chainsaw oil, etc.)  During the recent storms we actually had two big trees blow down.  We had barely cleaned up the first one, when the second, even larger, went down across one of our creeks.  If you've ever cleared a down tree on a creek you now what I'm talking about when I say:  this is hard work!

Anyway, we need the ATV to pull the branches and logs out.  So off to the repair shop I go, hoping to only drive straight (no backups, or weird turns)...wish me luck!

Red-venture?  Adventure?  It's all fun....it's a wonderful life, rain or shine!

Blessings, Heidi

LINKED to Rednesday at "It's a Cherry World"

Doggie Chips and Salsa

This is Project Number 5 in my "Scottie Dog Cookie Cutter" series.  I'm using my cute little vintage Scottie Dog cookie cutter because he's just so dog-gone cute.  But you can use your favorite cookie cutter, or a variety of cutters for any of my projects.

Scottie Dog Baked Corn Chips

I love chips and salsa but often run out of chips before salsa.  So I decided to make a batch of my own.  Luckily we usually buy the large quantity of corn tortillas, so I had those on hand.

Just cut out as many chips as you'd like to eat:

Experiment some by cutting a stack at once, trimming around your cookie cutter to cut a large batch at once.

Coat with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees for about 5 minutes.  Turn them over and bake an additional 3 minutes or until crunchy just the way you like them.

Serve on a vintage glass snack {dessert} plate, adding a good heaping of guacamole sauce and your favorite salsa.

A fun and yummy snack, kids and adults both will enjoy!

Happy Spring!

        ~Heidi

(Linked to Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday here, and

Cindy's Friday Show & Tell here, and Niffy Thrifty Things Sunday #28 here.)

Sweet Dreams

Have you ever had a nightmare that is vivid and seems real?  The next morning you wake up and remember the colors, the sights, the sounds, the smells, the horror?  The people in my dream were sort of mixed up, but I sure didn't like what happened!  (It was an accident.) I usually attribute wild dreams to having eaten spicy food!  I'm not sure if that's true for all people, but it's true for me.  I think before I go to bed I need to read from my Bible...

"...He gives His beloved sleep..."  Psalm 127:2

And then talk to the Shepherd before falling asleep!  He is going to be up all night anyway.  One of my favorite books is "God Works the Night Shift", by Ron Mehl. 

Here's a sign I painted a couple years ago, "Sweet Dreams".  I made it to go with a pretty soft baby blanket as a baby shower gift:

The recent tragedies in Japan and the people there weigh heavy on my mind.  First a outrageous earthquake, then the tsunami, and now the nuclear plant meltdown.  Mark and I are praying for the people in Japan.

In the wee hours of the morning (one week ago) the tsunami actually affected our coastal area as well.  The tsunami warning sirens rang up and down the coast here in Oregon and the west coast.  The great distance the tsunami traveled dispersed the waters enough that the damage here was minimal.  But the scare was not minimal for many people living on the low lands near the ocean.  They were all told to "move to higher ground".  Many didn't sleep at all. 

(I took this photo)

(I took this photo, it's hard to see but it says, "TSUNAMI WARNING")

Knowing God is still in control gives me comfort, and I should sleep in peace. 

Sweet dreams, my friends, sweet dreams....

    ~Heidi

(Linked to Romantic Home's Show & Tell Friday)

3:16 is as easy as 1-2-3

It's as easy as 1-2-3...

Let's mix up some similar numbers now....

The bug-chewed daffodils remind me of myself: imperfect.  Yet, Jesus, who was the Perfect Lamb, died on the cross for me.  His death, burial and resurrection (on Easter) and my acceptance to Him is the reason I have hope.  Hope, as in a sure thing. Not, "I hope this chair doesn't break!"  

The "hope" I'm talking about is this:  "Hope= The absolute expectation of coming good!"  That coming good is eternity with Christ Jesus!  He made my bug-chewed life like new again!

This is clearly spelled out as today's date!  3:16 

"For God so loved the world {you} that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."   John 3:16

Pretty simple to understand, right?  Questions?  Ask me! Or find your Bible and go to this verse and keep reading!

Here's a sign I recently painted:

If you die today, or tomorrow....do you know where you will spend eternity? 

You have two choices, heaven or hell.  By not choosing heaven, you've made your decision for hell.

Come to Jesus today!

     ~Heidi

Souvenier Spring 2011 FREE Online Publication by Heather Bullard

A wonderful new online publication was just "published" yesterday!  It's called "Souvenir" and is put out by the talented Heather Bullard.  It is a seasonal lifestyle gazette loaded with outoutanding photography, arts, crafts, a recipe and so much more.  You will love this, I am sure of that. Sign up here, and it will be delivered to your email address.  I'm loving every pager, with many of our favorite blog friends included!

I've been working on a number of projects.  My birthday (yes, I continue to draw out the celebrating!) and birthdays in general are at the top of the list.  There sure are a lot of spring birthdays.
             Birthdays:  a good thing!

When I begin working on a project I love to just start piling up items to use...

I love to buy inexpensive bags of costume jewelry at our yearly flea market.  Yes, we only have one flea market a year here!  So I really appreciate birthday gifts like one I got, the magazine "Flea Market Style".

Just one more thing....the daffodils are blooming here!

Have a blessed weekend!

 Heidi

(linked to Cindy's My Romantic Home's "Show and Tell Friday")

C-ing things: Claira, Cranberry COOKIES, Cheeseburgers & Chalkboards

In my cake picture (in my last post) I see my photograph of Ellie, Claira and I was when Claira was in the middle of a outfit change!  I wanted you to see her in her pretty party clothes.  Here she is (held by Jessica):

Notice the cookies she's reaching for, which we didn't let her have!  These are such yummy cookies, I'll share my recipe with you.  When I made these, or regular chocolate chip cookies, I can't eat more than 3 even if I want to.  If I do, I wake up with a bad headache, from the sugar I guess.  Does that happen to any of you?  

Here's the recipe:

Heidi’s Cranberry Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter -- softened
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs -- beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups quick cooking oat meal
1 cup craisins
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°. Blend together butter, sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Mix in 2 beaten eggs. Gradually add all remaining ingredients. Drop by rounded teaspoon 2" apart on to ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.   Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our two girls planned the party, Melissa was in charge of grilling the cheeseburgers:
  They were so good, in fact, so good I ate two!  And I never eat more than one! Jessica made sweet potato oven french fries, and there was a macaroni salad.  (Check out Allrecipes.com for sweet potato french fries.)

A few more things to say about chalkboards:  Did you know you can make your own chalkboard paint?  Neither did I until recently.  One of my daily stops if CresendoH, and today one of the blogs Jenny Doh pointed out was  The Idea Room Blog, which pointed me to Martha Stewarts craft website which told how to make homemade chalkboard paint! (Did you follow all that?)

Looks simple to me, watch for what I come up with!  You know I love painting chalkboards, walls, tables, frames, menu boards, and anything that doesn't move!  Here's a set I hung on our guest room wall:

(Still one more to add, I like sets of 3 or 5 better!)

Blessings, Heidi

(Linked to Today's Creative Blog's "Get Your Craft On",  Sugar & Dot's "What I Whipped Up Wednesday, and Someday Craf's Whatever Goes Wednesday",

 

Sew Somerset Tweet Birthday Card

Okay, I'll confess....I am a year older than when I last posted.  Yes, I had a birthday.  But, oh, was it a fantastic birthday, as it fell on a Wednesday.  You do know the rule for a Wednesday birthday, right?  It means celebrating both the weekend before and the weekend after, as well as the week of the birthday.  That's exactly what I did.  Loads of fun, lots of ice cream, Boston cream pie, ice cream cake, a wonderful White Chocolate cake (homemade by our daughter Jessica), and top all that off with more Rocky Road ice cream.  Melissa cooked cheeseburgers for everyone, and I even ate two!  (She made them taste so good!)Now I remember why I do, in fact, love birthdays.  They make me feel special, no matter what the age, as if I were a little girl again.

One of the birthday gifts I received was the "Sew Somerset" pulication.  It's "the art of creative sewing with mixed-media".  (Any Somerset publication is always on my wish list!)  I was inspired by the "Beloved Birds" project made by Colette Copland ( A Bird in Hand blog).  I used her bird idea for birthday cards....

Here's a sweet little sign I painted for a special friend of mine...

My friend loves being a grandmother as much as I do!  There's a special sort of love you feel in your heart for grandchildren.  I'm so thankful for the joy our grandchildren bring....and plenty of laughter too!

(Linked to Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday.)

Blessings!  Heidi