gettin crafty

I had this idea a while back (like 2 years ago) about making fridge magnets out of flat marbles and scrap book paper, so I made some up and handed them out as Christmas and birthday presents. I slacked off like I'm prone to do, collected a crap load of papers that I thought would make good magnet sets, and let the paper sit in a box for way too long.




Tonight my fingers started itching to make some again, and since my friend Crystal just had a house built and has a very sad and bare fridge door I thought I would make her some. I have two sizes, little 2 inch marbles, and then bigger idon'tknowwhatsize marbles. I was going to make the big ones for her, but when I got all my stuff out i couldn't find my big magnets. so she's getting small ones. Anyway, here's some pictures of the ones I made tonight. Nothing fancy, but I think they're pretty cute.

dollywood yesterday!

I went to Dollywood yesterday, woo! Here's how my day went:

browsing for books in the outdoor book store....

they had very pretty flowers blooming....

lunch at ham 'n beans....

cute piggy banks in a toy shop...

the Lucky 7 Mine is open again!!!!

pausing at the fountain....

I love the blown glass shop! One day I will own several of these glass ornament balls that are so beautiful yet so very expensive.

the snail says hi!

woo woo woo!

and on the way home this cloud appeared from behind the mountain as the sun was going down. it looks like a baby elephant chasing a bunny rabbit. Yes, it does.

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catching up is hard to do

Just a little update of the last few days. It's been raining off and on for last 2 days but Monday I had gone out to water the flowers and as I was moving the hose back and forth something flew out of the Mexican sunflowers. I thought it was a butterfly but then it moved again and it was a big ol' praying mantis and it flew straight for me and so I ended up screaming like a sissy girl. But it curved and kept on going around a bush. By the time I got done watering and got back out there with my camera I couldn't find him so I was a little bummed. But this morning guess what was back on the sunflowers? The praying mantis! I ran to get my camera and took a few shots of him, but the sun kept going in and out of the clouds so I would have to adjust my settings and by the time I got it set the sun would change again. I got a few good shots I think. He kept looking at me every where I turned the camera. I just told him to stay where he was and don't jump on me. The first shot isn't particularly great but i like the way the flowers are glowing in the background. I didn't do any editing except increase the color a little, they just came out that way.







And then I saw this little spider on the fern so I thought I would include him in the party. Not that I like spiders but he felt left out.



Since I had a day off work today I decided to start on a project that I've had on the waiting list for a few months now. I thought it was going to be easy, but it was a lot more involved than I anticipated and it seems like every time I start sewing my allergies act up and I spend the day with tissues stuffed up my nose so I'm able to use the sewing machine without dripping snot everywhere. Sorry but that the way it is.





Anyway, I got a good start on the booties before I just absolutely had to stop for fear of blowing my nose to pieces. It started raining so I took a break and got out the camera again and got a few water drop shots. I want to be able get better at spontaneously taking pictures and not worrying about what people think.












It occurred to me the other day while I was waiting for my dog to go potty that I take a lot of close up shots. I love to get right up on something and see how much detail I can get. But it was just one of those "aha" moments that I was bumming about not being good at landscape shots like this guy whose pictures make me want to cry they're so beautiful. My sister laughed at me when I told her that, but it's the truth. This little voice in my head said "you take close up shots because you can't see the big picture". Wow. Is that true? Am I so caught up in my own life that I can't see what's going on around me? If so then I need to change something, and not just so I can take better pictures, but because if I'm only concerned with myself then I'm not doing the will of God. I take things as they come, you know? I know I can't change something that's already happened so what's the point in worrying about it? If God wants it to be this way or that way, who am I to question His methods? I've never worried much about what's going to happen next because I figure God knows what he's doing. Does that mean there's something wrong with me? I do know it's not all about me, and most of the time I put the credit off on somebody else, then why am I still so self-centered?






I think though maybe it comes from the knowledge that He tells us this in Matthew "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." But if I'm not worrying about tomorrow shouldn't I be using that energy to forward His kingdom? The answer is most definitely yes, but am I doing it? Sadly no. Knowing that God will take care of all my needs does not forgive me from going out and helping others who have far less than me.

I know I've rambled far off the subject, but I don't know how else to express this realized feeling of being so insignificant because I'm so wrapped up in my own little bubble I don't see the suffering that goes on at my own doorstep. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:27 "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ." In fact that whole chapter describes being part of the body of Christ. And maybe knowing this is part of the reason I do close ups. I'm just a small part of something much, much bigger and to try to be more than I am would not work. Maybe I'm not supposed to "see the big picture" just yet. Although in my head it sounded like a negative thing. That sounds stupid to compare taking pictures to being a part of God. I don't know how else to explain it. I guess that's why I didn't major in philosophy.



Ugh, the more I write the more confused I get so I'm just gonna stop now and let it go as what is is. I'll try to start looking past the end of my nose and see what happens.

oh the possibilities

Some little bird had made a nest in the crook of our front porch drain pipe. I haven't seen the babies which I'm sure are long gone, but I do remember the adult birds building the nest.



My wysteria vine is taking off like a rocket after 3 years of coaxing and babying and hoping. yay! Maybe it will actually get flowers on it before I keel over.



AND!! I totally meant to say this last night, but when I got to Q's house to pick her up for the book club I had a box waiting for me from another friend and look what was in it!!

Yes! Williamsburg pottery! I had seen the vase in the first photo on her ebay page and since we have a trade agreement told her that if nobody bought it I would like to have it. I expected one vase but instead was very surprised with a whole slew of pottery. And very nice pottery I might add. I do love unexpected surprises! A big thank you to Chrissy at Our Vintage Treasures over on ebay.

I am doing a 365 self portrait blog and most days I am very uninspired. Well, today I found the most awesome skirt at the thrift store I had to show it off. But Dawn inspired me to go back to the 70s, with her KERchiffs and I have a couple that I always want to wear but feel like a dork when I do. So now I'm left with the dilemma of do I show off the skirt or do I show off my non-existent fashion sense.

I chose to showoff the skirt for the self portrait, so where oh where do I put the other pics that I just can't let sit on my hard drive and go to waste? why, here of course!

I don't really like to do full body photos, but I like the overall feel of this one so I guess it's ok this one time. And what do you think, do I look nostalgic enough?

This is a record for me, three posts in three days. Maybe I'm getting better.

post book club extravaganza

Ahh, the book club....this was the sky on the way to my sister's house. So loverly with big white poofy clouds.




The taco fixin's I didn't get to eat but enjoyed looking at.




While we waited on everybody to get there Q played with the baby while I took pictures. He's so cute.




My non-spicy non-hard mushy bean burrito with cheese and lettuce.
And yes, dang it, I put a tiny bit o' mild salsa on it.



After we ate and discussed the book and there was only me, my sister, and Q left we discussed tattoos and where to get them. This is the one i would like to get between my shoulder blades. It's the triple suns from "The Dark Crystal"



Although, this one is nice too. We talked about getting this one on the inside of our wrist, since there's three of us and that's where Q wants her next one. If I ever actually go through with it, I'll have a hard time deciding.

book club here i come

Book club tonight at my sister's house. We're talking about Nocturnes by John Connolley. I couldn't finish it, it creeped me out man. We are having as our supper a taco bar, which I cannot eat because I can't have anything spicy or hard for 3 weeks, thanks to my recent dental surgery. That make me very sad cause I really want a taco. Just one, that's all I need.

Well, I must go get ready and pick up Q so we can start not eating tacos. Boo.

on top of it all

I had dental surgery today to remove a baby tooth that was dying. They drilled a hole in my bone and put an implant in the hole so that later they can put a cap on it and nobody will ever know that I have a fake tooth.

After the whole foot thing, I'm just about doctor-ed out for this month.

It was seriously not as bad as I had it played out in my mind to be. I'm so thankful for that. My jaw hurts, but I was expecting that since they sliced open my gum and all that good stuff. I have no words of wisdom or witty comment or anything, I'm still in recovery mode for crying out loud!

my mouth is still numb!

not feeling so hot....

that's what you get for showing off

ok, I have not updated in forever but I feel the need to do so today. Over the weekend I went swimming at the creek, my first time in 2 years, and ended up not being able to walk. Let me elaborate.

I am a member of the Flickr group Self Portrait Challenge and this months theme is childhood. I got the brilliant idea to take a shot of me at the creek since that's where I spent a large chunk of my childhood summer days. I had visions of me getting the perfect shot as I jumped off the big rock where we used to swim and visions of me jumping gracefully into the water to get that perfect shot. Two things....I haven't been swimming in the aforementioned 2 years, and I am not graceful.

My first set of pics was all me standing on the rock because I waited too long to jump. The second and third set was...wrong. So I decided to get creative and go up higher to get a different angle. The water was up because of the rain and it was a little murky. I had forgot that in the particular spot where I was aiming to jump the water was shallower so as I jumped I was not expecting to hit solid rock. But I did. My left foot hit the rock and my right butt cheek followed. I just thought, dang I'm gonna have a bruise on my butt. Oh I was so wrong. My foot hurt a little but I just figured it would go away but as the day grew to a close I could not put any pressure at all on my heel. It hurt super bad.

So I figured it wasn't broken since I could sit on it and it didn't hurt. Only when I tried to walk. The first dr i went to basically told me, hey you have a bone spur and you hit it. Here's some medicine and wear tennis shoes. Wow. Really? I didn't know that. I wasted $100 for her to tell me something I already knew.

The second dr I went to (yes, ok? i was desperate and in pain) told me I had a tiny hairline fracture on the bottom of my heel and to wear a boot cast for 6 weeks and it might get better by then. Well, at least he told me something I can understand.

So now with 2 totally different opinions I still can't walk and the people at work are mad at me for making them come in on their day off. Can I help it if I can't walk? If I had a desk job it wouldn't be so bad but chasing after kids all day you kinda need all you limbs to work.

In any case, that's my update. If I can get myself together I'll try very hard to update more often. Those of you that know me and bother to read this are laughing right now.

"Stupid garbage compactor ..."

"Stupid garbage compactor ...", originally uploaded by JD Hancock.

maybe it's late hour but this is freakin' hilarious!! Seriously I have tears in my eyes from laughter and I'm wheezin' like a fat man going uphill cause I don't wanna wake anybody up...

ok, carry on......

self portrait challenge is....challenging

The theme this month is "headless". Now you wouldn't think that would be a difficult challenge but it's turning out to be harder than I planned on. The desire to be creative is overtaking my practical side which is telling me I could just take a photo any-ol-where I want to. I love my backyard and the mountain that is so close by, but sometimes I feel like I see the same things over and over again. I guess the spring fever has hit me and I'm ready to start going places again. And so the search for the perfect place begins. I'm talking about thought provoking, wow-why-didn't-I-think-of-that places. It's hard!

My uncle's lake house is the perfect place to take numerous pictures, which I soon will not be able to take advantage of because he has put it up for sale. It breaks my heart because I know that soon I will no longer be able to come to the place where a majority of my childhood summers were spent. Sometimes I feel like bursting out and crying "How am I supposed to get married at the lake if you sell the house?", because that was one of the options I had for my wedding (the other was Cades Cove but that's another story). If there was any way I thought I would be able to live there I would do it in a heartbeat. I'm not a public swimmer, so losing the privacy is gonna be hard but I guess I'll have to get over it. Maybe it won't sell this summer and we can still go there and swim in the privacy that it offers....is that being mean?



I couldn't decide which shot to use for this week's challenge, so I may use one of the other ones I took for next week. Is that cheating?

can I vent for a sec?

How do you tell a parent that their son is the devil and needs a good spanking?

Final week of SPC Introduce yourself

After a warm spell over the weekend I chose the coldest day of last week to go hiking just to get a shot of my most favorite trail close to my house. It was extremely cold and I took my coat off to get a better pose and well, it was really cold. I was a little hesitant to post my picture after seeing this shot by Kiera Eve which is absolutely gorgeous.

My first thought was "dang it she stole my idea" but I decided to post it anyway because 1) I already took the shot 2) I don't have time this week to come up with a new one 3) it 's not her fault she posted before me, who knew we would have similar ideas? and 4) even though they are slightly similar in feel, they are totally, totally different. You may not see the similarities, but I do.

This is my introduction to the trail where I spent a majority of my childhood, where every spring if the water is high enough we go tubing over and over, where you can go at any point in the summer and find any number of people camping and sometimes bathing in the creek ( hey I live in the foothills of the Cumberland mountain range, I'm a "hillbilly").

This is the trail to the creek where one day a few summers ago I was tubing in the rain with a friend and we just happen to pass under some branches with the largest number of snakes I have ever seen in my life, there was no way around it so we had to go through it. That was a fun day. This is also the trail that freezes over in the winter and very large icicles that we like to go and break hang from the cliff face. That's a tradition in my family. It's not winter until you break the first icicles on the trail.

Yep, this is one of my top 5 places to go, any time. If you live anywhere near here and you own a kayak you've probably been to my creek, and I've probably seen you and whined about not owning a kayak to anyone who happened to be with me at the time.

So here is me, showing you my trail. I have more to say about it on my flickr page if you want to click on the picture.

I totally scored the most awesome thing today. We went into Goody's today since they're up to 80% off and they were selling all their fixtures and mannequins!!! yes that's what I said. I am now the proud owner of Frances (that's what I named her), the mannequin who will help me display my vintage clothes that I'm starting to sell on Ebay. I had been looking for one online but I was definitely not paying any of the prices that were listed but today I got one for under $100 and that was the highlight of my day. Really.

I went to see a preview of a new movie for the IMAX theater near the Chattanooga aquarium last night. It was good but all the swimming 3-D fish gave me a headache.



They did a speaker demonstration before the movie started which was cool. I wasn't that impressed with the whole experience, does that make me a bah-humbug person?
These are some of the speakers.


Since the weather has been warm for a few days I've been noticing my flowers sprouting and it's so exciting to know that pretty soon my yard will be full of beautiful colors and wonderful smells.



My cats are spending more time outside since the weather is warmer and I like to watch them jump over each other while they play and climb trees and just be nosy cats.

SPC Week 2 Introduce Yourself

I missed the first week of this challenge, go figure. That seems to be my theme for this year. A day late and a dollar short.
Anyway, so I first found Self Portrait Challenge way back when it was Self Portrait Tuesday and I really don't remember how I found it. I was surfing blogs and found it on one I was looking at.

I'm a simple girl really. I live in the house my grandparents bought when they moved off the mountain to be closer to town. I don't know how many times I'm going to get to post this month so I'm going to put more than one picture in this post. Just to give you an idea, you know.



Someone once asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and my answer was "I want to be a mommy". That hasn't happened yet, and I'm beginning to wonder but in the meantime I am surrounded by children every day. Yes, I work at a daycare and sometimes I seriously reconsider having kids. Seriously.


I shop at thrift stores, I enjoy going to the Smoky mountains. It doesn't take that much to amuse me although there are quite a few things that bore me. I am amazed at the women that home school their kids, are so very crafty, have their own organic gardens, and have time to document it with photos and blogs. Where do they find the time and energy? They are truly super heros.

I have a weird sense of humor,

I'm shy until you get to know me.
I really enjoy acting in plays at my local theater, as well as working back stage and working with costumes. The costumes are my new favorite thing to do.
A recent photo of my feet in costume as I'm waiting to go onstage.


That's me to begin with, I hope to post more often but you just never know with me. I'm unpredictable that way.