365 Project Day 115

Here are the cards for my next swap. The one was titled "Funky/Colorful Caterpillars." It was a great chance for me to try out a lot of my fun new colors! Time to sign up for a few more swaps!

365 Project Day 114

I'm so excited! I found a really good deal on a new set of Prismacolor pencils. They are usually really expensive but I was able to find a really good deal on Ebay and pay for it with money I made selling some of my yarn on Ebay. Now, instead of being limited to 12 colors in my drawing, I get to play with 48 colors!! I'm so excited and have no idea where to start. Hopefully youll be seeing some of my experiments soon.

365 Project Day 113

Here are the cards for my next swap. This swap is titled "Bits of Wisdom" and basically requires you to use a saying or proverb and create a picture to go with it. They arent my favorite things I've done but they will work for this swap. (By the way, the last one is "If you dont have something nice to say, dont say anything at all.")

365 Project Day 112

Phil went back to the tattoo guy and had the color added to his tattoo. The detail is really pretty amazing and the guy wants him to come back for more detail and stuff. Phil is really happy with it and probably happy that I have quit telling him he has something on his arm. ;) I would have zoomed in a little and cropped out the extra but then I saw Zoe in the background. When I took the picture I didnt notice her there. I think she was cuddled up to him and when I made him move she wasnt very happy about it. I just couldnt crop out her indignant little face.

365 Project Day 111

Okay...so I'm gone almost a week and while I'm gone my son decides its time to buzz his hair. He does this occasionally so its no surprise really. I dont know when he did this while I was gone but he was nice enough to leave the pile of hair on the floor in the bathroom for me. Isnt he sweet?!

365 Project Day 110

Here are the other three cards that I made for the Sun Swap. I've signed up for 2 more swaps and now that I'm back home I am eager to create so look for more soon.

365 Project Day 109

What a difference a day makes! The day before was full of deluges of rain and periods when it was so dark that it looked like 9 at night instead of 2 in the afternoon. Today is absolutely beautiful and although its hard to tell, the water has receeded some in the creek. I was able to get much closer to the edge of the yard than I was yesterday so it may not seem like it in this picture.

365 Project Day 108

I also snapped pictures of the creek in the back of the house which normally cant be seen because it drops off so much at the end of the yard. As you can see, that much rain makes it easy to see even from the house. When I was a kid, the trees behind the house were so thick that you couldnt see the house on the other side which is no longer there and you definitely couldnt see the main road running into Friendswood. Now however so many of the trees have been cleared out to improve drainage that the road that was invisible now looks close enough to reach out and touch.

The top picture was my attempt to catch something that I only see at Mom and Dad's. After a rain storm they get this amazing green glow over everything as the sun comes out. I loved it when I was a kid and never, ever see it where I am so I felt blessed to be there and get a picture even though the picture doesnt even begin to show just how beautiful this phenomenon is.

365 Project Day 107

My trip home from Mom and Dad's was delayed by a couple of days due to weather. The Houston area had a huge storm pass through over a two day period. In Friendswood, the estimate was a total of just under 9 inches of rain that fell in those two afternoons. As soon as the storm passed on Saturday I went out and did one of my very favorite things when I was a kid, hunt crawdads in the front yard. I cant really call it hunting when they are everywhere and so easy to catch but it is fun just the same to wade barefoot through the puddles in the yard and scoop them up as they come out of their waterlogged holes.

365 Project Day 106

My next swap is for hand drawn or hand painted suns. This one was the first of the 4 I made to send off for the swap.

365 Project Day 105

Okay...this is probably cheating but on this day I wanted to wish a very special Happy Birthday to my dad who turned 86 years young today. I was very blessed to get to spend his birthday with him this year but...stupid me...didnt take a single picture. This one is so great though of Dad and his sister, Shirley, posing together.

Happy Birthday, Daddy! and many many more...please!

365 Project Day 104

Yet another card! This time for a swap of all things pink. That was the only requirement and a challenge for me as I am really just not a pink kind of person.

365 Project Day 103

Here is a picture of a very adorable but very reluctant little bunny. I had to really fight to keep her still for a picture but couldnt resist her in her bunny ears!

365 Project Day 102

Here is Trinity in her Easter dress. She and Sarah missed church this morning but they came over and spent part of the afternoon with us. They blew bubbles and colored eggs (well, Artha and Sarah colored eggs) and we had a nice dinner before they headed home. Getting pictures of her is harder and harder these days as she is learning the power of the word, "NO" and delights in saying it whenever the camera comes out.

365 Project Day 101

Here are Artha and Ashley looking mighty good considering they were at the tail end of a 40 Famine. The middle school youth group at our church has made this an annual event with a 40 hour fast, lockin and servant events. Artha and Ashley graduated to the High School group this year and were not allowed to participate with the group. They decided to commit to the fast anyway and Ashley spent the time with us so they could encourage each other. I am so proud of them both for their commitment to something that has become a traditional part of their Holy Week observance.

365 Project Day 100

Its become a tradition for some of the kids friends to write little notes to us on the white board in the kitchen when they come over to visit. I actually think Ashley started this but its been a long time since she has been able to be here. Its nice to see her on the board again. Love you too, Ashley!

365 Project Day 99

Bethany had her first communion on this Maundy Thursday evening. A night of firsts as this was the first time we celebrated communion in our new church building.

365 Project Day 98

The chickens were back to visit the yard behind us this week. Mama and at least 2 of her chicks, who have really grown since their last visit. I would have posted one of all of them but I really loved this one that Artha took. She said Mama flew up to the top and then over while the chicks found their way under the fence to meet her on the other side.

365 Project Day 97

The "rosebush that will never die" is blooming. One of the few times each year that it does this. Its really in the wrong spot to get what a rosebush needs but it was here before we came and will probably be here long after we are gone. Even my brown thumb and I cant seem to keep it from returning year after year.

365 Project Day 96

Here are the cards I just finished for my next swap. This swap was titled Farmer Brown's Barn and the theme was drawing or painting old barns. It was really fun and I'm pleased with how they turned out. I'm really enjoying drawing and plan to do some of old houses, churches, etc. A favorite subject anyway and now a new way to enjoy them.

365 Project Day 95

Trinity got to hunt eggs for the first time at Point of Grace's Spring Festival today. Despite the amazing wind it was a beautiful day and we all had a wonderful time.

Blessed Holy Week and Happy Easter to all!

365 Project Day 94

Phil and I went out this afternoon to take pictures of old barns for the next swap I am participating in. We also stopped and took some of other buildings that interested us for future projects. We had to include this small, unassuming building which has actually been featured in a number of movies shot in the area including the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Secondhand Lions was filmed just down the street and many of the locations in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas are also right there.

365 Project Day 93

Tonight Sarah, Trin and Sarah's friend, William came over for dinner and games. We had a really good time laughing and playing until 2 in the morning. No one would let me take decent picture of them and believe me I tried so this is all I have to show for it. **Sighs**

365 Project Day 92

This is the third one for the swap I mentioned. This time I drew the jar, collaged an image in it and gave it a tag for some depth and extra interest. I'm really pleased with them and hope the people that get them like them too. I'm already working on my next swap too but that is for another post.

365 Project Day 91

This is another of the cards I made for the "All Bottled Up!" Swap. Both this one and the previous one were done using a transfer technique using packing tape. Its a really fun process and the results amaze me everytime.

365 Project Day 90

So...one of the other fun things to do with ATCs is to participate in a swap. The host of the swap chooses a theme and all the participants then create 3 cards in the theme. My first swap to participate in was titled "All Bottled Up!" and the theme was anything in a bottle or jar of some sort that shouldnt be in there. I created my cards (this is the first one) and mailed them off to the host. When she gets everyone's cards she will then mix them up and send them back out to us. We wont know what cards we will get or who will get ours until its all done. I like the idea of creating my own take on a specific theme and I'm looking forward to seeing what I end up getting back in return.

365 Project Day 89

The child who was born saying "Cheese!" has realized the joy of saying "NO!". In this case to having a picture taken of her covered in spaghetti sauce. She was a sight let me tell you but even funnier was her yelling NO...NO...and hiding her face from the camera. Luckily she was trapped in the high chair so I could get this one and she couldnt run off leaving a trail of sauce in her wake.

365 Project Day 88

My girls throw a fit if I try to take a picture of them but I have a million of these self portraits that just appear on my camera from time to time. I'm grateful. I mean if it werent for these I would have precious few to show for them these days. Now if I could just get Austin to take a few I'd really be in business!

365 Project Day 87

I cant believe its been 20 years since Phil and I spent a decade...sorry...I meant a year (it just seemed like a decade) living in Killeen. We were in Killeen today for the first time in years and decided to drive by the places we lived when we were there. The first ( which is actually the second picture) looks a bit shabbier than it did (not much though) but it actually is the same trailer we lived in 20 years ago. We celebrated Sarah's first Christmas in that drafty little thing. I can still remember laying Sarah on a blanket under that tree on the first warm day of Spring. Of course both Sarah and the tree were a lot smaller then. The second place (which is the first picture) is the same lot we lived in but not the same trailer. I seem to remember hearing that the one we lived in was either damaged or destroyed by fire after we left. Sad too because it was really not a bad place. We celebrated Sarah's first birthday there. I'm realizing that my memory lane is getting a lot longer. Would it still be a lane or would it be considered a rural highway by now?

365 Project Day 86

If you've never played Apples to Apples...you really should. Better yet, come by and play it with us!

365 Project Day 85

So...while I'm experimenting with all these different kinds of media I am really having fun practicing some drawing. I have always put drawing on my list of things I am the least comfortable doing. Its something I can get by at but not something I truly understand as far as how to make things look the way I want. Well one night I just really felt like drawing and a picture that my mom gave me of a house she lived in growing up was calling to me. This is my attempt at recreating it. I'm actually pretty happy with this considering my lack of drawing skills. I love old houses, churches, barns etc. so I plan to take some pictures of favorite ones around here for practice. I also have some wonderful pictures of homes from my family that will make for some fun too.