Secret Santa Project Gift 5,6, and 7

 Canadian trip to the Red Carpet for New Moon.  This is her face photoshoped into the photo with the sign that says "Bite Me Hard Rob".  She is a Team Edward fan from the Twilight series.

Canadian Penny and a Coaster from Margaritaville

 This was all placed in an envelope and left for her.  She loved it! 

 This was for her trip to the islands. I wrote in the letter saying that Edward wanted me to give her this necklace to hide the bite marks and to please explain.  She really liked it too. :)

 This is her Oriental package.  She was called a Bimbo at work by a client (can you believe the rudeness of that?!) so in this letter from secret santa I said that I had it on good authority that she considered being an oriental bimbo but she could not consider that since she is "our little bimbo". 

 The satin oriental bag from China and a oriental stamp helped "seal the deal".

 She didn't work the day I brought this one in and hung it on the staff lounge refrigerator.  I made it to look as though she mailed us a postcard.  I wish I could say that I did the Photoshop fixes with her picture but I have not learned to do that yet so a friend of mine helped me out!  Too cool and fun!

Secret Santa Project Gift #4

Reading material for her journey with book marks. 

Everyone had to fill out a questionaire and she likes vampire stories and Team Edward from the Twilight series. 

Now the fun begins..........

DeGrace Christmas Card with Ali as Santa

Picture In Portrait 5x7 folded card

Unique party invitations and greeting cards by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

The Secret Santa Project (gift #3)

I left this on her car window yesterday.  It's a travel back pack. 

The Secret Santa Project (gift #2)

So yesterday I put my cute little message in a bottle in my my co-workers communication slot.  She never checked it all day long!!  Guess today, the addition of this adorable panda luggage tag with the phrase "Not all those who wonder are lost" will go in beside it & hopefully catch her attention.  I also made several tags from scrapbook paper, a vintage atlas, and printed phrases and quotes.  This one is the first of 7. 

Secret Santa Project Gift #1

Message in a bottle, explaining the journey

Secret Santa

We do Secret Santa at the veterinary hospital I work at every year.  We draw names at the last staff meeting in November and that gives us a month to spoil our co-worker with little trinkets, candy and gifts until the reveil gift is given just before Christmas.  I am fortunate enough to have several dollar stores nearby and also a recovery sales outlet so sometimes I can find really great deals for next to nothing.  The plan is to spend up to $20 on small things that are given once in a while and then get the bigger reveil gift for about $20.  Not everyone has to play, you sign up if you want to participate.  It is always really fun and some people come up with great ideas.  One of the doctors always spells out Santa Claus and looks for gifts that begin with those letters. 

This year I am sending my person on a vacation.  Hmmm?  How can I do that for under $40?  I will post photos as I go to let you see what is being left for them in their boxes or on their desk.  Check back often between now and Christmas so you won't miss out!

Ideas for home decor

Love this idea in Pottery Barn of using an old ladder suspended from the ceiling done up with  Christmas decor .



This one is too darn cute!  Who would of thought of making a sock monkey trophy deer?! Love it!




These are streamers made of book pages sewn together.  Great idea!




Mason jars hanging from a tree branch (suspended from the ceiling)with pages of an old book & sticks in each jar.




Same jars but closer look of stick and cut out corrugated leaves and cut out copper sheeting leaves-Colorful & Pretty

I'm fortunate enough to live by the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri, USA.  Unfortunately, I can't really afford to buy many of the things that sell there... but I still enjoy going and looking around & "window" shopping.  After Thanksgiving all the windows will be decorated for Christmas and it's a real treat to see what all they do for a Holiday display.

I wanted to take photos in this one store (I won't mention the name) but the ladies that worked  there gave me and my friend that same look that Julia Roberts got when she walked into that shop on Rodeo Drive- you know the scene from Pretty Woman?  I must of looked too poor to stand outside and even window shop so how dare I actually enter the store.   I didn't want to whip out my camera under those conditions but maybe I should have anyway~  Kudos to them as they really had a very nicely decorated store with a mix of antique and modern decor.  Maybe next time I won't feel so intimadated?

However, nothing they had beats the Sock Monkey Deer!  That was the Anthropologie Store.  Exceptional handcrafted decorations all over this store!  Maybe you will get some ideas for your home from some of my photos.



Heart Catch lights

I took Senior pictures of this darling girl and had to share this one.  If you look at her eyes her catch lights were perfect hearts!  I dodged them a bit in photoshop for this picture to really make them pop but they are all her's. 

On another note my cousin Darren is improving!  His 51st birthday is TODAY.  He is celebrating in the hospital but he is out of ICU.  We sent him a cookie cake with a balloon for fun but doubt he will be able to enjoy eating it much as he is only eating jello and broth still...but he will love to share with all those nurses and doctors and his Dad and sis. 
     Thanks for the prayers!

Valentine says to tell you all hello :)

SPOOKY!



original photo no adjustment made


 This all started on Christmas Eve in 2006.  We were at my mom's celebrating and my little great niece had just learned to walk and was practicing going up and down my mother's little steps.  I took this photograph of her backside because she just looked so tiny and cute.  The face that emerged in the photo was noticeable immediately on my digital camera.  The whole family was freaking out.  Once I got it home it was darker on my actual computer & didn't show up so well so I adjusted the levels in photoshop and it showed up even better than the first time I seen it. 
My mom thinks it's a total coincidence because she had a velvet dress on.  I think it was something bad.  You can definitely see facial features and either a wicked smile or scream.
  Tell me what you think? 



changed to b/w and adjusted lighting levels in photoshop



Levels adjusted but left in color



pray for Darren

My cousin Darren was born mentally retarded.  He is 50 years old and has been a great joy to all our lives.  I would say he acts more like a 6 year old child.  He talks loud, loves to tease and be teased and is a messy eater but loves his food.

 He is fighting for his life right now because of MRSA.  Please put him on your prayer list at home and at your church.  

Here is an email from his sister that I think really drives the message home of how wonderful Darren is:
Darren has staph infection of the blood and pneumonia. He is fighting for his life!


This is what you maybe don't know! Darren is the life, youth and innocence that keep a bit of kid in all of us, especially Dad and I. He is always wonderful to be around, loves all who love him. Although we don't see each other as much as we should, Darren creates this incredible bond between us. He loves to eat, have fun, and yearns to see and greet any or all of us. "OH NO!!! Greg! Stacey! Uncle Jim! How are you?" If more people in this world could know a Darren and not take it for granted, it would be one amazing world.


Can any of you imagine a future without seeing or hearing him? I know I'm his sister and I cannot picture a life without him in it! Please pray or just take a moment to look back on the impression he has made on you. When I grow up I want to be like him!!!


Lisa

GIVE A WAY!!! :)

 This week is National Veterinary Technician Week in America.  Because I am an RVT I would like to honor my profession by giving away this handmade (by me) soldered glass charm. 

All you have to do is follow my blog and leave me a comment that you would like to be included!  So easy!  I'll ship anywhere in the world. I'll draw the name on Sunday Oct. 17th and let the lucky winner know ASAP.  If you do not have a blog that I can leave a comment on then look at my blog post for that day as I'll announce the name on Sunday's blog post so you can leave me a comment on how to contact you for your shipping info. 
Good Luck all my blogger friends!!! 

See this movie!

The Town was an outstanding movie!  We really liked it and found ourselves rooting for the bad guy played by Ben Affleck (it's those eyes!).  I highly recommend it to anyone that likes a good action thriller.  Very well done all the way through. 

Colton is #1 today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Early morning thoughts.

My son turned 25 yesterday.  Weird to think he is already a quarter of a century old.  I hope that 25 is a turning point for him and he starts really taking his life seriously.  I know he would like to find "the one" and settle down but right now he is not in a good place to attract the best girl.  He has a good heart and is kind but can not manage his money what so ever and is still to into partying (which is probably the reason he has no money in the first place). 

It's just hard as a mother because you want the best for your children and sometime that is more than they even want for themselves.  I woke up this morning with him on my mind and just had to journal some thoughts.  If there can be a magic number, let 25 be it. :)

On another note- my grandson is having his 1st birthday party today (his actual birthday will not be until Wednesday).  1 is always a grand number, it has to be magical. 

Prayers and request for God's blessings for them all, it's the best I can do. 

Collaged project

Here is my newest art work.  My friend asked me to make her something, anything, anysize for her grand daughter.  She wanted it to say "I love you to the moon and back".  Her grand daughter is eleven so I thought she would like something sparkly so I created this for her to hang on her wall.

I had purchased this black framed print of fruit at the $1 store.  I put sticky back canvas over the fruit print and began to paint.  The jewels are all vintage peices that have been repurposed here.  The charms are from my collection of odds and ends.

Grandparents Day at the Kansas City Zoo

Colton is almost a year old!  Can you believe it?!

We both loved the polar bear exhibit.  He swam circles and got right up to the glass.  He was adorable.

Me (Grandma) and Colton at the mercat exhibit. 

One of the Elephants.   They did look miserable.  I felt sorry for a lot of the animals.  I don't know how many were ever in the wild but they sure have to miss it now after being in captivity.

Butterflies are crazy this year!

They were getting all over me!  Butterflies everywhere.

Drawn to Water

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