Sunday Morning In Upstate New York

We woke up at 2:02 am to no power. Lucky for Pat and I, our new bedroom linens are so warm. before we new it both boys(the two little ones) climbed in until morning to stay warm. But we where so happy to wake up to this beautiful scene in our backyard.

The geese are above the trees trying to land on the water down back. The entire family has been sitting with our nose pressed against the window waiting to see the snow drop and the beauty we are so lucky to see in our own backyard.

Hopefully we don't have too many down branches with so many leaves left on the trees.

Oh and this last one is my wonderful little student of the month for the month of October. He loves to rub it into his sister and brothers that he has had that honor 4 years running now. I am not the bumper sticker kind of mom, but I am a blogger mom so here is my cyber bumper sticker....MY KID IS STUDENT OF THE MONTH!

CREATE SOMETHING FABULOUS TODAY!

It Started With Greece

I was getting some of my new prints together today when I needed to pull some atlas pages. When ever I get a new (old) book, I like to take a minute to look it over. I like to see what is inside. The condition it was left in by the original owner. I love running into the occasional note or pressed flower. It gives you a real since that it truly meant something to someone at a time that has gone by.

Today was the two atlas hard cover books that just arrived. I opened up the larger of the two and it went from being a simple old book that I was going to use as the base to all of my creations, and turned into a walk down a lane that I never took the time to think about before.
As I turned the pages I found myself saying..."I've sent one there, I've sent another one there" and so on. So I went and got piece of paper and decided to start a quick list and see at least a few of the places my work has traveled to. OMG....The list brought a smile to my face that I could not believe. And then I realized, like how haven't I already realized this, but can you truly imagine that some day your creations would be hanging all over the world? Well mine are and I am giving myself the moment to be so proud of this. So to all of those people that think I sit around all day and do nothing because they have no idea my wonderful hubby created a studio for me, these are some of the countries around the world that my work hangs in. Not bad for the artist in the country!

USA(FROM SEA TO SHINNING SEA) GREECE RUSSIA POLAND

FINLAND SWEDEN NORWAY GERMANY

IRELAND ITALY FRANCE CANADA

CHINA JAPAN ENGLAND SCOTLAND

BELGIUM AUSTRIA SWITZERLAND NETHERLANDS

DENMARK SPAIN MEXICO HUNGARY

TURKEY MOROCCO THAILAND KOREA

INDIA AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND BRAZIL

PERU CHILE VENEZUELA MADAGASCAR

I am sure there are many I left out but even this list leaves me tickled pink. My first one outside the US was Greece and it seemed to just roll from there. Be proud of something you have done and you will find self fulfillment where you may have least expected to....inside of you!

CREATE SOMETHING FABULOUS TODAY!

Workin On Holiday Ornaments Today!

Back n forth, back n forth and it is only the beginning of the season. Started playing around with some rounds today.

This one is waiting for a little more glue to connect it with. Some how, the one time I am trying to finish something, I run out of glue sticks. Arrrrrrggggghhhh. Any who, last year I had purchased the Martha Stewart tool that makes all of the folds the perfect distance apart. You just run down the lines with a bone folder and you have the perfect fold. Around the edge I used the crepe paper and glitter look. I have been looking at many antique ornaments and I can't believe how many incorporate paper or are totally made of paper.

I better be off. Need to get some sleep before I take a trip to find glue sticks Friday!

CREATE SOMETHING FABULOUS TODAY!!!!

My New Keep Calm Line

Whether on Atlas, Dictionary or regular old(vintage) book pages I am Keeping Calm and carrying on! I have a list a mile long and counting. If you have requests that you don't see on my site please let me know. Sometimes I have them but just have not listed them yet.

I love this sewing one. I know how many crafty gals are out there so I also have a scrapbooking one and a couple others that will be wonderful to decorate your creative space with.
Then the tea one. I know that you all know my GIANT love of coffee and I have one for that. But it is green tea that I drink twice a day that has totally saved me from the roller coaster ride of sinus infections that I lived with for years. Yes I know it is hard to believe, but I drink two cup of decaf green tea(hot) per day and I do not take any meds that I had been taking daily for many years. It is one of the best things I have done for myself. No more steroids being sprayed in my nose each day, no more Advil to reduce the swelling in my sinus(which gave me a ulcer by the way) just the sheer will to drink two cups of green tea a day and I feel fabulous!

And this last pic is of my Mothers Day Gift(the best one ever). This is my puppy Bella. She is now 6 1/2 months old. She is so loving. If you have ever had your own Boxer you know how loving, loyal and down right beautiful. She chews things a little more then she should but I hope that changes soon. But never the less, she is the best little girl and I love her to death. I thought you would all like to meet her!

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7:30 IN THE MORNING IN MY BACKYARD

My husband was off to work. Noah, both dogs and the chickens have been fed so it was time to take the camera out in the yard. There is a totally different light in the morning in the fall. The lawn and everything else that will sit still is littered with leaves.

The Cat tails are starting to change form down by the water.

The shrubs I moved this summer are such a beautiful red.

The pond has a wonderful light that only hits the top of the trees as the sun is coming up.

The flowers are still here and there around the yard but are almost gone for a long winters nap. And the chickens are not sure why the leaves keep dropping from the trees and landing on them.

The swing is my favorite place to hide while waiting for the geese to land on the pond.

And I guess now I have become a part of my Autumn back yard so a picture of me is in order, well at least of my boots!

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Party On A Thursday Night!

Last night was my dad's 29th Birthday. Well, he is not really 29 but I will not out his age to the world! Any who, we had a wonderful time and celebrated my moms at the same time. Hers was just a couple of weeks ago. So last night was the perfect time to get the 13 of us together to eat laugh and celebrate!

There where contests to see who could keep a spoon on their nose the longest.

There was a height contest that Joshua won every time except for against my dad.

We had the evening catered by this wonderful Italian restaurant so there was no cooking on our part.

And then time to blow out the candles.

And as always, when this group of 13 family members get together there is no lack of laughter, loud stories and the knowledge that none of us walk alone. When ever we are out there in the world no matter were we travel we are part of something larger and more then just ourselves. We are part of this incredible, wonderful and loving family!

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THURSDAY'S RECIPE SIMPLE BUT YUMMY!

So I really never cared about what I ate. I was never a package label reader but my husband is. So this weeks recipe is for something simple that I am sure, like me, many of you probably have never paid much attention to, croutons. My boys LOVE Cesar salad. So croutons are used around here weekly. But if I am eating these little tan cubes of bread, why is red dye#40 and yellow dye #5 in the ingredients. Nothing looks red to me, plus when I went to the market, there was not a bottle of red dye #40 for me to add to my own homemade croutons so I needed to find a different recipe I guess...lol!

So here is my great recipe for croutons. The entire house loved them and you know what....no preservatives, yes world, it is possible!

• 
  
  5 Thick Slices of Bread


• 
  
  2 Tablespoons Butter


• 
  
  2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil


• 
  
  1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic


• 
  
  1/4 Cup Parm Cheese


• 
  
  1/2 Teaspoon Oregano Crumbled


• 
  
  1/2 Teaspoon Thyme Crumbled

Preheat oven to 300

Cube bread. In a large saucepan combine butter, EVOO, garlic and melt without burning it melts quick. Remove from heat, add herbs and stir. Add cubed bread and mix to cover all of the bread. Transfer to 9 x 13 and sprinkle with parm cheese. Bake for 40 minutes. I stirred them every ten minutes are so for even cooking. I also added a little more EVOO before I put the pan in the oven because I used a very thick bread so you may want to do that is needed.

And it is that simple to know what you are eating. We used some that night and put the rest in a freezer bag. They are there to be used as needed, just take out 15 minutes or so before use and they are perfect!

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WHAT'S IN COLOR

For this weeks whats in color I have three of my fav's. One prints subject matter does not have anything to do with the others but I really like all them. The first one is one of my French Market Collage prints. There is both black and white and color in this fabulous combo.

And I think you will like this mushroom print as well. I have this one grouped with 2 other black and white prints and the pop of color really makes a statement.

And last but not least this one maybe crabby but that is just the way I like him. The color on this print is wonderful because it is really neutral so it can go perfectly with other colored prints as well as some of my lovely black and white prints from under the sea.

I hope you like them all and are inspired by them. I would love to hear what you think of these colored prints!

CREATE SOMETHING FABULOUS TODAY!

What I Saw Out My Window Today

Have you ever looked out your window and saw nothing but then that something special is there for you to see?

Well this is the little guy I ran into. No I am not really sure if it is a guy or a gal, but I know this, it is TOTALLY AWESOME! It is amazing that a bug can look like a stick and act like a stick, but is really just a bug. Now mind you, these are not a dime a dozen. They are not like the horrific "sketers" we have had flying around. No these bugs are true head turners. I have only seen a few in my life but I do enjoy it every time I do.

I do wonder, do these stick bugs have body image issues? Do they see the reflection in the windows that they climb and wonder..."am I too fat"? Well either way I am sure that I see a lovely creature that I hope I run into again.

So what did you see out your window today? Or did you take a minute to look? If you didn't it must be at the top of your list. You never know what you will see. Today a stick bug tomorrow the man of your dreams....but don't hold your breath for either of them....lol!

CREATE SOMETHING FABULOUS TODAY!!!!

I Keep Forgetting To Post These Guys!

Well there they are. The beginning of another year may be behind us but we are still chugging along and it seems to be going fine.

Not even sure what this guy on Joshua's shirt is but it totally is the kind of shirt that fits his personality.

And last but not least, we and yes I said we, have started Morgans senior year. Holy S@#% how did that happen? I know they say that life goes by fast but this is crazy, I don't feel like I can keep up with this but I guess I have to accept it, I DON'T WANT TO, but I will.

Well I am off to create some new prints and get everyone off to school so everyone have a great day.

CREATE SOMETHING FABULOUS TODAY!

WELCOME SEPTEMBER!

WELCOME SEPTEMBER! Yes it is true, there is a little bite in the air which can only mean one thing....September is here. I have spent the last two months watching kids slowly get out of bed everyday, but now it is almost time for the craziness of school days to start again. I love this time of the year. I have always thought that I was born in August just so I could be around to enjoy the fall. I LOVE the fall. Everything from cool nights to pumpkins and mums at every turn. I was made for the fall, it inspires me in so many ways.

So here is some of my recent inspirations. I love collage. The layering, the way different images play off one another, I have become totally obsessed. It has this great french market kind of feel that I long to see in real life and I will someday. But for now I will keep creating it.

And hydrangeas have entered my personal gardens in a big way this summer. I added some along the side of the house that are so beautiful. I added a bunch of them to a wreath in the family room that looks terrific.

So what do you think of my new prints. They go along with a bunch of other that can be seen HERE

I have been building a large grouping lately. They have been inspired too by the fact that I want prints for my house that I am just not seeing out there and these Vintage Book Page prints are really a passion of mine.

Well it is time to get the big kids up. The local County Fair started yesterday and they both have jobs there again this year so they need to get to work. Hope you all enjoy my creations and I would love to here what you think!

CREATE SOMETHING FABULOUS TODAY!

NEW FRIENDS ARE RENTING A ROOM!

Well we are so happy to welcome our 6 new friends! We have had these beautiful feathered creatures in a XL tote under the heat lamp for the last couple of weeks. They are Rhode Island Reds. They well be laying brown eggs hopefully starting this summer some time. We are so excited to watch them grow. All of the kids are having a ball with them. The above picture is the day after they came home. They where just 10 days old.

Here they are 18 days old. They have grown so much. It is unbelievable how many feathers have grown in on them. The colors are incredible. They are almost the exact color of Noah's hair. And the best part of it all....I can call myself a farmer now...lol!

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MAPLE SYRUP TAPPING

In our travels this weekend we ended up here at Mapleland Farms. Noah has always wanted to know how the "real" maple syrup process happened. So this year we took him to see. One of the owners took the time to take us out and show the entire process, which the boys loved!

Patrick and I loved the breakfast. I am not a pancake fan but these where incredible.

My DH totally loved them even though he was being watched by that big guy behind him in the blue shirt. They only do this a couple of times in March each year so the place is packed for breakfast.

Logan loved his hot chocolate!

And once again I did not make it into one picture. I swear I have got to get my husband to use the camera once and a while so the boys know there mom was around when they where growing up!

CREATE SOMETHING FABULOUS TODAY!

April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day!

Well as many of you know, Autism is a very big part of our life with our youngest being diagnosed a year ago this past January. He is a JOY to have in our life. We are very, very lucky because we have a wonderful support system that have taught him so much.

When he was first diagnosed, I had such mixed emotions on what was going to happen next. This was not my first major diagnoses. When my oldest was 6 she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Yup, a lot of why me's where going round and round in my head. So here are the feelings of a mother that was relieved because she finally had some answers, but sadden because all of the sudden she could not picture what life had in store for our family next.....

A child melts down

Sadness hits a mother hard

People don't understand why my child is like this

Everyone stairs when he looses control

Reality hits a mother harder

Gentle hands hold on tight

Everyone wonders how I am holding it together

Right now I don't know

Someday I will be the one that helps him defeat this

So that is my little poem. I would love to know what you think. This challenge for us seemed at first to be the biggest hill I have ever climbed. But then I realized, this might be part of what makes this wonderful little boy so amazing. He is so incredible and loving and I would not change any of this for the world.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEG!

16, WOW it is incredible that my lovely God Daughter is 16. We had a wonderful Mardi Gras themed cocktail party for her. I know we all say how life goes by so quick, but it amazes me all the time how true that is. This little girl and now young lady by the law of percentages should not even be here today. When her mom was pregnant with her, her mothers water broke at only 23 weeks. They will not help at the hospital until you are 24 weeks because the baby would not be able to survive. A wonderful doc basically lied to the hospital to the staff so they would give her the medication to stop labor. Meg's mom laid in the hospital for 10 weeks until she just couldn't wait anymore and decided to show her beautiful face to the world. Born at just over 3 pounds, and weeks in the NIC U, here she is. A 16 year old healthy, happy and beautiful girl.

The boys and my hubby had a ball!

Wendy and I love any reason to get dressed up and dance!

As the night came to a end it went by all so quick!

CREATE SOMETHING FABULOUS TODAY!

AmyLynn