~Ruby and Reggie Best~

*Kathy just sent me this picture of her Mom and Dad together and I LOVE IT!! *This is the only picture I have of them and will treasure it!*

~Interesting Vintage Photographs!~

I always seem to find a few really interesting photographs in my search for collage pieces to use on ATC's....


*This one is really cool...Notice the pet parrot sitting on top of it's cage!!*


*I found this photo on a "Vintage 1950's" site!! Definitely ALOT of 'comedic possibilities' for this one!! Hehe!!*

*My First Attempt At Making A "Matchbox Shrine"!!

*This is the "ELVIS" themed Matchbox Shrine I made for a trade with someone!
Not too bad for a first attempt, if I don't say so myself!!*

*Some New ATC's*

*"Mixed Media" ATC Swap* (Collage work with acrylic paint overlay)


*"ATC's With Text" Swap* (The look on that little girl's face is PRICELESS!!)


*"She Sells Seashells" ATC Swap*


*For a one-on-one trade I did with someone! (Yes, that's Abby's head! Haha!!)


*"All Bottled Up!!" ATC Swap*


*Another one for the "All Bottled Up!" Swap! I thought this bottle really looked like a "Bong" and wouldn't it have been funny to put a tiny picture of Michael Phelps
swimming around in there?!! Haha!!*


*"Hand Drawn/Painted 4-Letter Word" ATC Swap* (The word was "MOOD" by the way!)





*"Momiji Doll" ATC Swap* (Hand drawn and colored with markers/colored pencils)


*Another card I made for a one-on-one trade!*


*"Mini-ATC" Swap* (These went to a "Swap Hostess" in Italy!!)


*"Inchie Swap"* (YES! They get smaller! These are 1-inch by 1-inch!!)

"Triptych/Diptych" ATC Swap

*"EL DIABLITO" (The Devil) theme*



*"Our Lady of Guadalupe" theme*



*"Serenity" theme*



*"SIRENA" (Mermaid) theme*

~These were such FUN to make I almost hated to part with them!~

~"Jellybeans For Breakfast"~

~I was searching around on the internet for pictures to copy and use in a swap themed "Childhood Memories" and came across this book I used to read to Misty when she was little!

~I've such fond memories of hauling her in the wagon down to where the Bookmobile was parked, filling it full of books, then hurrying home to begin reading them! We both were excited to open each book and explore it's pages!! No wonder the kid STILL loves to read books till this day!

****~"We'll ride our bikes to the moon, go barefoot all the time, live in a treehouse in the woods, AND eat jellybeans for breakfast!"~****

~"The Story of Two Wolves"~

A Grandfather from the Cherokee Nation was talking with his grandson.

"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.
"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves."

"One wolf is evil and ugly: He is anger, envy, war, greed, self-pity, sorrow, regret, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, selfishness and arrogance."
"The other wolf is beautiful and good: He is friendly, joyful, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, justice, fairness, empathy, generosity, true, compassion, gratitude, and deep VISION."
"This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other human as well."

The grandson paused in deep reflection because of what his grandfather had just said.
Then he finally asked: "Grandfather, which wolf will win?"

The elder Cherokee replied, "The wolf that you feed."

*Oh My! How Time Flies!!!*

~This Winter sure has gone by fast! I have been so busy and lame-brained that I didn't even realise how close to Summer we actually are!! (YAYY!!)

~So, anyways...Here is an update! Humm...Let's see........

*On March 4th Mikko celebrated his FIRST BIRTHDAY ("Bird-Day"??)!! He has grown up soo fast in the last year and is starting to finally settle down some and become 'civil'!
His vocabulary is really expanding too and he seems to enjoy imitating as many words and sounds I make as he possibly can! (He also has a few things he says that sound so much like Denny you would swear he was standing right there talking!)
Misty was home the other day and amazed to hear him yell out "Spikey!! Shut the F%#K up!!", Hehe!! I guess I need to start watching my 'sailors mouth' more!!

*Misty is currently HOME on Spring Break but headed back to Columbus this Sunday (March 29th) and will be starting her new Spring Quarter classes on Monday.
She will be taking the "GRE Test" on April 4th which, hopefully, will increase her potential of getting into Ohio State's Graduate Program! (*Fingers/toes crossed!*)

*Denny is dividing his time up between working, tinkering around the house and helping with his Mom. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in December '08, has quickly declined in health and mental capability and is living with his sister, Peggy, for now.
Something cute that she did and I wanted to make sure I made note of was when Denny took her back to "visit" her house one day! She didn't want anything in particular but just enjoyed walking around and looking at her stuff. She went over to a large picture of Dean that hung on the wall, touched her hand to it and said "See? I told you I'd be back!".
That brought tears to my eyes when Denny told me!

*I have been making jewelry and stuff all Winter to sell, so hopefully I can find either a craft show, a retail store that takes consignments or set up at our local Farmer's Market SOON! I have put too much time, effort and money into making things to just leave them sit in a box somewhere so hopefully I will find something suitable and sell most of it! (*If not, guess what everyone will be getting for Birthdays and Christmas this year??? *wink*)

*I also have developed an 'addiction' to making and swapping/trading something called "Artist Trading Cards"....

~"ARTIST TRADING CARDS are miniature works of art created on 2 ½ X 3 ½ inch card stock.
They are originals, small editions and, most importantly, self-produced... anybody can produce them.
The idea is that you trade them with other people who produce cards, either at TRADING SESSIONS or wherever you meet another ATC trader in person.
It is important that you meet other people in person to trade - i.e. it is ok to trade by mail or to participate in editions but the main purpose of this performance is the trading session and the personal meeting.
It's not about money: participants in trading sessions and editions should not be charged any money: the point of the project is the exchange of cards as well as personal experience and enjoying the creativity of making ART."~

*So far I have participated in about 17-swaps and done a few 1 on 1 trades with people! Here a few examples of my work....




*From the "Birds-It's a Layered Thing" Swap*


*From the "1950's Retro" Swap*



*From the "EasterTime" Swap*



*From the "Food and Drink" Swap*



*From the "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" Swap*



*From the "House Shaped ATC" Swap*


*From the "Be Sweet!" Swap*



*From the "Silhouette!" Swap*



*From the "Chinese New Year" ("Year of the Rabbit") Swap*





*From the "ZETTI!" Swap which was my favorite!! The last card is titled "EAT SOMETHING!!!"...Hahaha!!!*

~WHEW! So that is my little update! I will try to post new pictures of the ATC's I make as time permits!
The swaps I am currently working on are: "All Bottled UP!" (a photo of a bottle with something inside it that 'shouldn't be there'), "Mixed Media", and one called "Triptych/Diptych" in which you shape the card like a little shrine! *I am having alot of fun with that one!*

~Paul Harvey~ (1918-2009)

~This is something I've had saved on my "favorites" for years but still enjoy going back to read now and then....

"We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse.

For my grandchildren, I'd like better. I'd really like for them to know about hand-me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meatloaf sandwiches. I really would.

I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated.

I hope you learn to make your bed and mow the lawn and wash the car. And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.

It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.

I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him.

When you want to see a movie and your little brother wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him.

I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your 'driver' to drop you two blocks away so you won't be embarrassed to be seen riding with someone as un-cool as your Mom.

If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one.

I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books. When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what Ivory soap tastes like.

May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.

I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle.

May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays.

I hope your Mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through a neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.

These things I wish for you -- tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness.

To me, it's the only way to appreciate life."
~By: Paul Harvey~

~In Memory Of Sammy~ 2-24-08 (9:04pm)

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~I miss you...my little green fluff of feathers. Not a day goes by that I don't think about you and wish you were still here with me.

~I pray that you are in a better place and have forgiven me for only doing what I felt best at the end and for not being able to give you the best life possible while you were alive until about the last 7-years...but they were a good last 7-years and I take some comfort in knowing that you (and I) were happy.

~Rest in peace my sweet boy! You will always be with me in memory and spirit!

*25-Random Things About Me!

1) I LOVE my coffee strong with a tsp each of sugar and Coffeemate!

2) I have always enjoyed being the only one awake in the house and still stay up until 3am often!

3) I love stargazing but still don't own a telescope!

4) I am a weather geek! (Thunderstorms excite me!)

5) I am double-jointed and can still do a split on good days!

6) Seeing a flock of Canadian Geese fly over honking like crazy makes me extremely happy!

7) My comfort foods are popcorn (salt, no butter), Coke floats and saltine crackers with a little butter on them! YUM!

8) My daughter is my hero and I often wish I could be more like her!

9) My husband is, and always has been my best friend!

10) I have really ugly, tiny feet and my toes are (almost) all the same size!

11) My hair is very long and I don't plan on getting it cut until my 50th birthday! (*About the same time I shall begin wearing purple as well! Hehe!)

12) I have always had a pet bird/parrot as far back as I can remember!

13) I don't "do" mornings and can never get up on time! Hence, I am usually late for anything I have planned!

14) I love making stuff with my hands and can look at just about anything in a magazine or online and copy it!

15) My dog's full name is "Abigail Zoe Sacred Hart"!

16) I collect old rosaries, Occupied Japan and anything parrot related!

17) I almost always have music playing and sing while I'm doing chores!

18) I am a pretty decent pool player!

19) I once swam from the island in the middle of the Ohio River to the bank on the Marietta side!

20) I got drunk on Peach Schnapps once when I was younger and shot macaroni out my nose when I was throwing up! (*My friends thought it was the coolest thing they had ever seen! Haha!)

21) I used to be a real nutcase about keeping my house spic and span...now I don't give a crap!

22) I still love laying on my back and watching the clouds on a warm, sunny day and making "shapes" out of them!

23) My Dad had a series of strokes or something about 5-years ago and has some sort of Dementia-related mental illness that keeps him from enjoying life and his family anymore. I miss him sooo much!

24) I am terrified of needles and have no problem letting a nurse/DR know about it!

25) I love anything water related and plan to (*hopefully) live beside a lake someday...perferably right on the shore where I can sit on my porch and look out over the water all the time!


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