Oh.my.land...where in the world have I been?

No where really...I haven't done anything exciting at all!

But I HAVE waited WAY too long to post!!!

Truthfully, nothing amazing is going on around here.

And I haven't been creative, even just a little bit!

I did get a few hours to get out and treasure hunt so

you just KNOW I've got to share my finds!!!

A magazine, a book...a precious toddler slip and baby shoes ~

It just doesn't get much better than that to me!

Are any of you familiar with this wonderful UK magazine

Daphne's Diary???

O.MY.LAND.

I just LOVE IT!!!!

It's about 14.00 at Barnes & Noble and has SO much goodness inside.

Here are a few photos to share:

It truly is WONDERFUL!!!

Next, I will share a few snippets from Fifi's wonderful Prairie Weddings book ~
It's not just for the wedding planner...I mean it.

Happy Tuesday angel friends!!!

hugs and love,

Dawn

Wow....2400 posts, are you kidding me?

I just noticed this!!!

I'm starting this post and look over at the number...

and it's my 2403rd post!!

WHAT?

My goodness....how amazing is THAT?

I really do still love it.

I know I don't post like I used to

but blogging has changed quite a bit in the past few years.

There are zillions of bloggers now and it's just not like it used to be.

Facebook is the hot thing because it's quick and to-the-point

but I still love my little blog.

And it seems that blogs now feel the need

to post a new DIY project

for each and every post....

and some of the ideas are just not that good!

I guess that I'm considered "old-school" now.

Simply sharing thoughts, photos and images and a few ideas.

But, I still love my little blog...

sharing my finds and what I'm doing ~

even if it's not very much!!

Here's the beautiful quilted fabric that I want to make

a few needle books from.

It's just one simple pillow sham I found a few years ago

at Marshall's I think.

But I can see them in my mind's eye...

Now, to actually MAKE them!

To those of you who have been with me from the beginning,

and for those of you who may have just found my blog...

I cherish you so much!

Thank you so much for visiting me here to see what I'm up to ~

I'm certainly hoping my creative muse will give me a swift kick soon

so I can get a few things finished and in my shop!

Happy weekend precious friends!

Remember to be kind to yourself...

Hugs and love,

Dawn

The wonderful gift of a new year ~

Have you ever stopped to think about that?

Time is a gift.

A gift some are not blessed with.

My precious friends Tammy and James lost

their 18 year old son a few days after Christmas

and it has rocked my world.

Not to mention how it has devastated theirs....

I met Tammy and James when I started college in the fall of 1979.

We were all going to be art majors. I had a full load of classes and

then this amazing 2 hour art class that was THE BEST!

The teacher was the most wonderful man, Tommy Daughtry...we all loved him.

Tammy and James met in that class and fell in love.

The rest is history.

I have to tell you a precious story though.

All of the art students gathered together for a Halloween party at

someone's apartment, I don't even remember whose it was.

But we were all so excited to go!

Tammy was going as a baby....A BABY!

She wore baby doll pajamas...

had a bonnet, pacifier, bottle, THE WORKS!

Well, she'd been flirting with James (a guy in our art class) and well,

he decided to go to the party as Groucho Marx!

He had the suit, painted on mustache...

he looked just perfect for the part!

I went as a cowgirl...boring.

I wore jeans and a plaid shirt.

Big deal. I probably didn't want to mess up my hair...

Well, the night was going wonderfully, we were all having the best time!

Then James and Tammy emerged from somewhere and she had the

BIGGEST black smudge all over her sweet mouth from where 

Sweet Groucho had gotten a hold of her!!!!

And truly, the rest is history!!!

My husband and I were the Matron of Honor and Best Man in their wedding...

and she's one of those friends that if you don't talk to for six months,

it doesn't matter.

We pick up where we left off...just loving seeing one another.

She and James rented a room at The Plum Tree when we had

our antique store because

they love antiques just like we do.

Dennis and James worked together for a few years too...

Tammy has created beautiful floral bouquets

for my in-law's 50th wedding anniversary,

Clara's baby shower...

and even Emily's wedding bouquet

when she married our oldest son Brent.

I'll stop.

But I just wanted you to know how wonderful they are

and that they need your prayers.

They have two older daughters Becca and Alex

but the Saturday after Christmas

their youngest son Jonah was in a fatal car accident

and they lost him.

Please pray for this precious family and let's all count our blessings

and thank the good Lord above for the gift of this new year!!!!

hugs and love to you all,

Dawn

Sharing a little Christmas joy!

Can you believe that I JUST finished decorating this little dinky tree of ours???

Yes, I have.

(This is a little 4 ft. fake tree I found at w-mart for 25.00

that was adorned with red berries and pinecones and was pre-lit too!!!)

On December 21st I finally finished the little guy and just love it.

It's my nature-inspired tree and it's so perfect for us!!

I totally think it would have looked wonderful for me to have wrapped

our gifts in kraft paper and used jute twine to tie them up but I had purchased

this gorgeous snowflake paper at Hob Lob last year after Christmas
and,

well,
I just had to use it!!!

The little tree has been topped with a few cuttings
from the plumes of ornamental grasses,

the garland is simple raffia strips that have been wrapped around the tree.

I've added feathers I've collected, store bought bird's nests and

even some botanicals have been added too.

Burr oak acorns have been placed in the nests as well as

some seed pod stems that I had ~
It's simply perfect for our little farmhouse!!!

There are many things in our life that STEAL our joy....

and when that happens it affects so many aspects of our life.

This year will soon be coming to an end
and my goal for the new year is to
STOP, STOP, STOP

letting the everyday trials of this life

steal. my. joy.

It has affected my creativity, my blogging and of course my attitude.

But the funny thing??

It's all up to ME!!

It's all up to how much I will let it all overtake me
and my desire to create.

I just wanted to share a few private thoughts ~

All I ever really want to do is make something beautiful

so I can share it with you!!!!

Happy Monday precious friends ~

hugs and love,

Dawn

joy

joi/

noun

1.a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.

A few days in the life ~

So...what's been going on around here???

Regular ol' every day things ~

washing clothes, cooking yummy dinners and

in the last few days, I've given a few hair trims!

I've cut our boys hair their whole lives and our next-to-the-youngest, Chase,

needed a trim Friday. Then, little Murray and Clara, our grandbabies, needed

a trim as well! Then their mama, Emily wanted an inverted bob...so I did it!

She ended up loving it!

I'm sorry, no pics though, I was just too tired!

All the while we have a soap order in our General Store Soap Shop

for 65 fleur de lis soaps for a special party

and guess what???

We have ONE mold!!!

So I've been pouring them constantly, popping them out,

then pouring another...

but it was a wonderful order and worth the effort.

Wishing you a wonderful day precious friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

What's happening over here in my neck of the woods!

Well, when you don't see me for a while it's always because I'm busy!

I've been working on MORE pumpkins for a special order from Etsy.

She didn't like the original stems that I added so I trimmed them up

just for her!!! Still, no sale.

So now I offer this sweet set of three to you ~ the very last of the season!

Simply click HERE to see my listing...

PLUS!!!! We are having a fall sale in our General Store Soap Shop as well!

Simply type the word LEAVES into the Coupon Code box when checking out

to receive 20% your ENTIRE ORDER!!!!!

The VERY best part of my week so far???

Our second born son has found a precious girl and is so much in LOVE with her!!!!

This right here makes my day, my month, my YEAR!

Happy Tuesday angels ~

hugs and love,

Dawn

A little work-in-progress!

I've been thinking of creating this sweet doll for a very long time!!

I finally started her today by creating aluminum foil forms.

I bought the cheapest, thinnest foil I could find too.

It's much easier to manipulate and "sculpt" into body parts.

I want her limbs to move and hang freely, so I used wire to create

a "U" shape and inserted into each limb and to the bottom of her head as well.

I added glue to the edges of the wire and inserted them ~

so they should stay put!

As for the body, I made more "U" shaped wires and inserted those as well BUT

I did not glue those.

Once I form the paper clay over the body and limbs,

I'll have to be able to link them together!

Then I will glue the wire pins into the body.

Stay tuned....I'm still working on the head!

The torso and limbs now have paper clay added ~

It always, always feel so good to be making something to share with you!!!

Happy Saturday precious friends ~

hugs and love,

Dawn

What to do ~

(My very first paper clay art doll was purchased by
artist Lauren Mumford back in 2007...
I was so honored that she bought her!
I always loved Lauren's artwork in the Stampington publications)

I have two HUGE bags of beautiful lavender buds..fragrant...

just waiting to become sachets.

I have so much gorgeous fabric, you know I do,

I've shared so many photos here!

And even this week I received a wonderful package packed

full of wonderful fabrics too!!! What a precious friend,

she doesn't want to be mentioned but I will share photos soon.

But all I can think about is creating a precious art doll.

I can see her in my mind's eye ~

using vintage fabrics for her clothing.

My thumbs are about to fall off from cleaning so many egg soaps and

we have even MORE orders to complete (a true blessing though)

I just keep wondering how long will I talk about making art dolls...

I need to JUST DO IT!

Look at this wonderful video ~ a beautiful handmade marionette!

Happy weekend precious friends!
hugs and love,
Dawn

The beginnings of summer ~

Even though it's not officially summertime around here

we sure do act like it!!!

Noah's out of school and enjoying being with his friends from

his youth group most of the time. Do you remember being 16 years old?

I felt the same way. Always wanting to stay busy!

He only has his learners license (thank goodness) for now

and is enjoying hanging out and swimming with his buddies and brothers.

I'm feeling so much better and have been busy, just not with creating much new.
But I guess making soap should count, right??

I did watch these two sweeties this week!!!

Our precious grandbabies Clara and Murray.

Their mama, Emily, had a doctors appointment and we got to spend

a couple of hours together on their turf.

It's so easy to watch them at their home as they have all their toys

and things right there.

Plus Murray has the perfect and safe "baby jail" to play in!

I snapped a few photos of them to share with you ~

Yes, Clara has her very own tablet....thanks to her Uncle Chase!

She is so great at operating this thing it amazes me!!

After playing and watching a Winnie the Pooh movie, Murray decided to catch a few zzzz's.

Look how grown up this five year old child looks!!!

Oh my goodness little Clara ~

Since we opened our General Store Soap Etsy store back up we've been very busy!!!

Here's an order we've been working on for the last few days ready to ship out ~

Thank you so very much for your sweet comments on my mammogram results.

You all truly are such blessings ~

Wishing you a wonderful weekend,

hugs and love,

Dawn