Being Present

I didn't realize just how long it had been since I had written in my blog.....obviously it's been a bit. I have so much to share and will do so, most likely, later in the day.

You see, I've been trying to be more mindful of being "present" in what I do. I have "multi-tasked" for years and I don't know that it has REALLY been serving me all that well. Yes, I get a lot done, but at what cost?

The last 2 weeks I've been trying to be "fully" there when I'm doing something and I've decided that I'm liking the results. I may not be getting as much accomplished as I'm used to but when I'm with my family I'm "with" them.....my mind is not racing on 10 other things I need to be doing. When I sit and hook it's almost meditative and when I was wrapping packages I really enjoyed the process instead of thinking...."I need to get this done so I can do x,y,z".

So, if you find my posts more random than they were before you will know that I'm fully in the moment of doing something else.

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Here we go again....let's hope not!

Issued by The National Weather ServiceSpringfield, MO 2:54 am CST, Sun., Dec. 14, 2008
... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM CST MONDAY...

A PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN FOLLOWED BY A PERIOD OF SLEET WILL OCCUR OVER MUCH OF SOUTHERN MISSOURI SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING.

Say it isn't so!!!!

I want SNOW.....do you hear me?

SNOW....not ICE!!!!

So sick of ice I could scream!!!

We've had ice storms 2 years in a row now......on the first one we were without power for 12 days....I just don't think I can take it!!!

This was my street 2 years ago

Please be wrong Mr. Weatherman and bring me this instead....

beautiful, fluffy, romantic, festive SNOW

As I type it's 51 degrees....

with a high of 62 expected by 3pm....

then it's going to plummet to 22 this evening

...please be wrong Mr. Weatherman....I beg you!

A little extra time

Cute sheep rings from Soop that I found on-line this morning...how fun!

Today is a "task" day for me.

Finishing the painting in the utility room,

hanging the final icicles on the big tree,

making up some photo transfer onesies for a co-worker who just had twin girls

and running to the grocery to get a few things to make some buffalo stew.

.....and since I have so much to do I decided to also

start transfering my Wool Snippets group on MSN

over to a new site called "Multiply"

......I like being busy!

Tammy

It's beginning to look a lot like.....

at our house.

Kenny should have his own show!!!

This is made from his collection of vintage Christmas tree stands....this year they hold poinsettias, greenery (from the back yard) and candles.
The outside is decorated as well.....one tree is like a winter wonderland.

As well as cheery snowmen.

Hand-glittered pinecones adorn a garland in the dining room window.

One of my favorite pieces...this antique Santa that we found on an antiqueing trip a few years back.

Yes, there is laundry to be done as well, but for now Lonnie thinks it makes a good place to rest and enjoy some peace.

Go forth and be creative,

buy nintendo wii console online

A little surprise fairy dust!

We woke up this morning to fairy dust falling from the sky....so beautiful and peaceful.

I've spent quite a bit more time over the long holiday weekend working on the "Going in Circles" rug.

I think some of my favorite spots are the wild plaids and checks like these.

I've kind of worked sporadically all over the rug trying to get the colors balanced and now I've started hooking more from the middle out, because the rug is getting rather heavy.

I thought maybe today I should take a color and then black and white picture to see how the values are working with each other. One block was bothering me...the really pastel-y babyish block. It's the one down towards the right end that is pink with blue and then orange in the middle. I think maybe a dark stripe around the orange would help it some....what do you think?

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Black Friday

Friday was anything but black for me....it was joyous!

I got to sleep in with both of the dogs snuggled up next to me, then we got up...I had a little coffee and then played on the computer for a while.

That is where I came across this website. http://www.befunky.com/ You can take your pictures and cartoon-ize them....that is how I made my banner....I could spend hours playing on there!!!!

Here are a few pictures that I played around with of Cleopatra.

Then you can take your pictures and have them put on coffee mugs, t-shirts and the like.....hmmmm....thinking that these might make good Christmas gift ideas!

Another site I came across was Rust-Tex.

I was "googling" how to do image transfers and came across her site....very interesting....something I might one to try one day....not quite NOW, but in the future. Look at the wonderful things she makes! Rust on fabric...who knew?!

I did finally find some info on transfering images here using soap flakes and turpentine....has anyone ever done it this way? I'm wanting to put some vintage images on some onesies for a friend who is having twin girls. I have the transfer paper, but thought this might give a softer look.

I also put out our Nativity scene, Kenny and I took the dogs on a long walk in the dark to look at Christmas lights (not too many up yet) and then spent the rest of the day and evening hooking, nibbling on left-overs and watching "Michael Clayton"

.....such a great day!

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Recipe

This is one of my "must have" things to eat at Thanksgiving. I think my Aunt Joan makes hers with strawberries.....I can't remember, but I do remember how much I love it. I make mine at Thanksgiving with cranberries.....can't wait to dig into it!

Cranberry Jell-O Salad

Ingredients:

2 pkgs.raspberry or strawberry Jell-O

2 cups boiling water

1 (16oz) can jellied cranberry sauce....I like the one with whole cranberries in it

1 (20oz) can crushed pineapple, drained

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Combine the Jell-O and boiling water; stir until Jell-O is dissolved. Mix in cranberry sauce and pineapple and pecans.

2. Transfer to glass serving dishes or casserole pan. Chill until set.

Serves 12......unless Tammy is there...then it probably serves 4-5 :)

A little down time

With my "dog blanket" Lonnie.

He is absolutely the world's most snuggly dog!!

I painted most of the day yesterday, so last night we had a lot of "snuggle time" to catch up on.

I am blessed.

Watching paint dry

Only a crazy person would do this two days before Thanksgiving......but I gave myself Thanksgiving as my deadline..........I've been stripping old paint from the cabinets in our utility room over the past few weeks....what a job.

Then I primed the cabinets with this "fifties green" primer last night and night before last. You can see the primer on the door.....pretty huh? On top of the dryer is my grocery list....I have most of my Thanksgiving stuff and I hope to be able to do a lot of my prep work tonight and tomorrow.Last night I started stripping the wallpaper border from the wall and got that all done this morning and now I've started painting the cabinets......oh my.....how many coats is this going to take? Right now I'm waiting for the paint to dry so I can start on the next coat.....stay tuned to my chaotic life to see how it all turns out.

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Coolest Blog & Tag

Hey, I got a "Butterfly Award" from Vicki at Hogscald Holler.....how cool is that?!

AND I've been tagged by Plum Purdy Primitives!

~ For the gamethe rules are as follows:
Rule #1 ~ Link to the person that tagged you.
Rule #2 ~ Post the rules on your Blog.
Rule #3 ~ Write 6 random things about yourself.

So....here goes!

6 Random things about myself:

1. I'm a morning person. 2. I'm trying really hard to be a pescetarian/compassionate carnivore....Yes, I like to make up my own categories.....I try to eat like a vegetarian, but do eat fish and I try to only eat meat that comes from animals who are raised with compassion.....for example I will eat beef that was raised on a family farm where the cows can graze or chickens who are free range. I've done this since July and so far my only downfall has been eating cashew chicken from an Oriental restaurant down the street from me twice during that time....it's my weakness. I try not to eat "factory farmed" meats

which generally means no meats when I go "out" to eat.

3. I love to paint rooms in my house when I have time off from work...right now I'm working on my utility room....cabinets, walls and trim....this has been a big undertaking and I'm hoping to get a lot of it finished today, but the stripping of the wallpaper border is about to make me loose my mind!

4. I tend to hoard wool that I love and end up hardly ever using it...always looking for a "worthy" project for it.

5. I love having my dogs snuggled up next to me.

6. I went from having hair that hung down to the middle of my back to "really short" hair in one day and have never looked back.

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

The busier you are.....

.....the more you can accomplish.

Yes, I believe that's true and I'll tell you why......lately I haven't been very busy and I don't feel like I've accomplished much of anything. However, when I'm REALLY busy I can get GOBS done.

Go figure.....

I've been watching movies, reading magazines (mindless stuff), hooking a little and just basically lounging about. I've had a bit of a cold for the past couple of days and I've banked LOTS of sleep. Thank goodness for Nyquil and Lonnie, my dog blanket. He has to be the cuddliest dog on earth.

I've loved it, but now I think I'm ready to get back with it and jump in on more of my projects that I want to complete.

I have been hooking a bit on the "going in circles" rug....it's coming along nicely, but never as quickly as I'd like.

Another nice note......Ethan has found a home! YAY!

So, today I've scoured http://www.dogster.com/

trying to find a new doggie to feature on the blog and I've found this guy,

Edgar.

What a cutie pie with that spotted ear and happy smile!Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Capturing beauty

Capturing beauty.....

...that is something that Kenny is so wonderful at.

As the garden was going to sleep he clipped these fading beauties and brought them indoors to enjoy just a big longer. The tall spikey things are from the hostas that were in the front of our house back here. The peachy colored leaves are faded begonias that were also in front of our house here by this little statue that came with our house....

....it's a favorite object to photograph.

Here is a picture that he captured of our backyard.....breathtaking.

Another moment of beauty....

.....Trey....

...who was featured here has found a home.

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy