*~*FriDaY FuN FaCt*~*

Thanks to Michelle for starting this. It's always fun to think of stuff, although sometimes, I can't think of anything. Does that mean I'm boring? LOL

My fact that I want to share today is about my love of animals and the plethora of pets I have had over the yrs. Right now, we have 3 very spoiled dogs living with us. Belle, who had her 11th b-day earlier this month, a supposed mix of dachshund, chihuahua & spitz mix, Indy, whom we rescued from the pound in Texas, and Akita/Malamute mix & Sasha, a Samoyed, who was also a rescue.
But the pet I want to talk about today is Jinx. (Sorry, I don't have any pics) Jinx was a rat ("was" because she has passed away.) She was actually my 4th rat. Yes, RAT. Have any of you were had a hamster? Well, just ignore the tail and they are about the same. Except rats don't bite, and they are trainable. They are clean(as clean as you make their cage to be). They love to play. I had Jinx when I lived by myself in an apartment. Shortly thereafter, I met Charlie. He had a hard time with the rat, but his curiosity got the better of him, and now he's a believer too. And when my soon-to-be step-daughter came to visit, she just thought it was the coolest thing! She would sit for hours and play with Jinx. They aren't scary or mean or nasty. They can be quite entertaining. And at about $3, they are about one of the cheapest pets you can get. The down side is that they have a very short life span, about 2 years.
I guess I need to explain how I started with the first rat. The first one was actually a mouse named Candy. I was maybe 10yo. My parents decided to get a snake. A red rat snake. Then they moved up to a Boa Constrictor. Well, you have to feed them. And as you can imagine, two mice make a lot of babies. So I asked to keep one as a pet. Then when Huggy ( the snake) got bigger, we got bigger food. We got rid of the snake a few years later, but I had already fallen in love with the rats.
I guess I need to also explain that my parents live on 10 acres, so we also had horses, dogs, cats, chickens, turkeys, even a peacock. At one time, my mom even resuced a baby red bird. She really loved that bird.
As you can tell, I got my love of animals from both my parents. And I want to pass that on to Dane. I want to teach him to love animals but to also respect them. I don't want him to be afraid of them. We catch frogs and pet them, but then let them go. He plays a little rough w/he dogs (thnks to Power rangers) but I make him hug them and be gentle with them.
I know some people just don't like dogs or cats. I couldn't imagine my life w/out them. They are always with me. And sometimes, they can be the only hug I get. When hubby & I argue, at least I know I can vent to them and they will listen :0)

SOUP OF THE DAY:
The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed.
~~Albert Einstein

DESSERT OF THE DAY:
It is better to keep your mouth closed & let people think you are a fool than to open it & remove all doubt.
~~Mark Twain

Gigi & Papa's Scrapbook

Just wanted to share some layouts that I did for a little 8X8 album that I made for my grandparents of their great-grandson. I gave it to them this past Christmas, and made two more lo to give to them last week while on vacation.
I wanted to add more "stuff", I've come to realize I like "cluttered" lo's (kinda like my house LOL) but I thought that it might be too much for the grndprnts. So I made these pretty simple.

This lo is titled "My Shadow". It's a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson that my grandmother would read to me religiously. I thought she would really enjoy seeing the poem with a picture of her great-grndsn.

Making up for lost time

Dane with a chocolate mouth :0)

Well, we got back from vacation on Sunday, but it took me two days to get the house back in order :0) I feel so out of it since I haven't keep up with any of the challenges or even read the 2 peas message boards. I've got a lot of catching up to do. And today is hubby's off day and we usually spend the day doing family stuff. I'm trying to sneak some time in while he's still sleeping.
I wanted to post some pictures of Easter. One of my best friends invited us to her parents house for a big Easter gathering. We had a wonderful day.

BOOK RAK UPDATE: For those of you that participated in my Book RAK, first of all "Thank You". I had hoped this would be a success and it was. Secondly, I wasn't able to get the packages out until Saturday, I'm so sorry. We just had so much going on that I just wasn't able to make it to the p.o. any earlier. But they are on their way and I hope that you enjoy them.

SOUP OF THE DAY: Men wonder at the height of mountains, the huge waves of the sea, the broad flow of rivers, the course of the stars-- and forget to wonder at themselves.
~St. Augustine

DESSERT OF THE DAY: Always do right; this will gratify some people & astonish the rest.

~Mark Twain

*Please Forgive Me...*

Please forgive me for having random updates through out this week. We are on vacation and staying w. my MIL. So there are anywhere between 4-6 people trying to share the computer plus just trying to do so much in the week that we have with all our family and friends.

Easter update: We were invited to one of my BF parents house for a huge Easter dinner and egg hunt. It was great. Ate way too much food (ham 2 kinds, mac/cheese, colesalw, sweet potato casserole, baked beans, broccoli salad, corn casserrole,) and then there were the desserts. My SIL made four: cheesecake (the best!) banana pudding, oreo pie and cupcakes). Then the egg hunt. Our little man was trying so hard to keep up w/ his 13 yo cousin, he was running his little legs off! But he found a basket full of easter eggs, got more candy and some fun with goodies. He was a tired 3 yo that evening. He spent the night with his Nana & Poppy.
Monday update: Did a little car shopping(Hubby is looking for a car). Took our nephew with us. Had lunch w/ my MIL & SIL. Later in the evening, went to the movies~saw "Failure to Launch". Cute movie. Maybe not worth movie price, then the girls went to Target and the boys stayed at the movies to see "Bench Warmers." Came home and went to bed, I was pooped!!!!

Challenge for Tuesday:
Challenge: list 5-10 websites on your Blog... websites that you like to visit, frequent often... let's all learn about some cool websites fr ea other! Websites can be sb-related or not.. anything!

1.French General
2.Tracy Porter
3.Paper Relics
4.Paper Bella
5.Anthropologie
6.Annies Annuals
7.Junque
8.The Junk Gypsy Co

I'm not at home on my computer, so I'm trying to pull these out of my head. This is all I can think of for now. Hope you enjoy them!
~Ciao for now...

*~HAPPY EASTER~*

Just wanted to tell all my friends:
Have a Fabulous Easter and Spring!

*FrIdAY FuN FaCtS*

Michelle is back today with the Friday Fun Facts. I really like these but sometimes I can't even think of anything. That's sad. So here are 5 random tidbits about little ole' me:
1. I love coffee! any kind, any flavor. It's all good
2. Sweet tea for me. I even have Dane drinking it now
3. Favorite tv: I don't watch regular tv. DH got us a TiVo and I'm addicted. I record decorating shows (Decorating Cents, Find & Design), Rachel Ray, Flip this house and Supernatural (both of us watch this, we love it!)
4. I LOVE movies!! We almost buy a movie every week. Right now, we have almost 200 DVD's. Love my movies!!
5. I love animals. Right now we have 3 dogs. Another show I watch, Animal Cops. That would be a cool job. It amazing what some people will do to their animals. It makes me mad. And FYI, two of our three came from the pound. The third one, Belle, just had her 11th bday last Thursday. I made a special treat. (Argh...pics aren't loading). I'll try later.
Anyways, hope everybody has a Happy Good Friday!

*Book Fair {1}~ RAK *

Good morning. Sorry I've been away for awhile. Working on 21 days of procrastination is really a handfull :0) As part of my quest to accomplish my goals, I have wanted to have a "Book Fair". It is somewhat like an RAK. Below are four books that I am giving away. The only things that I ask in return is that:
1)Pay It Forward- After you are done, pass it along either by posting on your own blog or to a friend or family member.
2) Post some of your own books. I'm sure there are a few books around the house. Use this as an excuse to do a Spring Fling!
3) Only one book per person, please.
I know this might seem kinda weird, I don't know of anyone doing this before. But then I've always been kind of a weird person anyway :0)
If you are interested in any of the books, just put your name and address in the coment section of the appropiate book. I am hoping to make a post office run on Friday since I'll be on VACATION next week!!! Yippee!! We are going home {Mobile, AL}. I can't wait.
I hope this works out. Thought with summer coming on, it might be a good chance to get some reading time in. And with me on vacation next week, I'm sure I'll have more books to offer. If anyone has any suggestions or questions, just email me. FYI: Today is hubby's off day and we usually do some running around so it might be later this evening before I get a chance to reply. Have a great day!

*Book Fair RAK* The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom

Eddie is a grizzled war vetran who feels trapped in a meaningless life of fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. His days are a dull routine of work, loneliness, and regret.
Then, on his 83rd bday, Eddie dies in a tragic accident, trying to save a little girl from a falling cart. With his final breath, he feels two small hands in his-then nothing. He awakens in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a lush Garden of Eden, but a place where your earthly life is explained to you by five people who were in it. These people may have been loved ones or distant strangers. Yet each of them changed your path forever.

*Book Fair RAK* Songs in Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry Morris

It's the summer of 1960 in Atkinson, Vermont. Marie Fermoyle is a strong but vulnerable divorced woman whose loneliness and ambition for her children make her easy prey for dangerous con man Omar Duvall. Marie's children are Alice, seventeen-involed with a young priest; Norm, sixteen-hotheaded and idealistic; and Benjy, twelve-isolated and misunderstood and so desperate for his mother's happiness that he hides the deadly truth he knows about Duvall.

*Book Fair RAK* The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve

"I wonder this: If you take a woman and push her to the edge, how will she behave?" The question is posed by Jean, a photographer, who is 1995 arrives on Smuttynose Island, off the coast of Maine, to research a century-old crime . As she immerses herself in the details of the case-an outburst of passion the resulted in the deaths of two woman-Jean herself enters precarious emotional territory. The suspicion that her husband is having an affair burgeons into jealousy and distrust, and ultimately propels Jean to the verge of actions she had not known herself capable of-actions with horrific consequences.

*Book Fair RAK*~Queenmaker by India Edghill

"For over forty years, Michal lived and reigned in David's court. She was the beautiful and proud daughter of King Saul and the prize David would risk his kingdom to win.
Queenmaker introduces in unforgettable detail the characters of one of the greatest periods in Biblical history-their public deeds and private thoughts-and gives us the court of the kings as only a woman could see it."

~*{21} Challenge~Day 8, 9

*Day 9 ~Good better best, never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is Best.

*Day 8~
Made a postcard for
postcardx . Like my little birdie?

* Holy {Purple} Cow *

Dane's

very first

Purple Cow!

Yummy :0)

*~* Great Mail Day *~*

Boy oh boy, did I have a great mail day yesterday!! And I really needed it :0) Thank you so much to Bonnie Rose and Bonnie.
I {heart} all of my goodies!! And the fact that both ladies sent me a handmade card, I'm just happy, happy, happy :0)
Big {{HUGS}} to both of you!!!


~XOXO~

* {21} Day Challenge- Day 5, 6 & 7 *

Day 7~Rhonna's quote: A nail is driven out by another nail. Habit is overcome by habit. My quote: We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. ~Aristotle
Day 6~My first layout posted on 2Peas!! Not very happy with it. It was a 12X12 & I have {NO CLUE} how to "stitch" so I took a pic.
Day 5~I finally made my charm bracelet!!! Rhonna's quote was: do yourself a favor....be a part of something exraoRdinary.
I added: extRraoRinary chaRm bRacelet. I also made three pair of earrings from some old ones that had screw on post. Something else I have been putting off !!

{21} Day Challenge - Day 3 & 4

Here are Day 3- Happiness

and Day 4- Pimento Cheese. This recipe is from my grandmother (Grace) and I have wanted to make this for a very long time. I don't like anybody else's pimento cheese except hers :0) The stuff you buy in the stores is all lumpy. Hers is so smooth. And yes, I made it and it turned out great! This will be great for lunches in the summertime!! I'm off to finish Day 5!

Day 1 & 2 of Rhonna's {21} Day Challenge

The irony of all this is that my "habit" to break in this 21 days is procrastination and here it is day 6 into and I'm just now posting my first two lo's!! I have found in this process that I'm not a fast scrapbooker. It takes me awhile to get everything together. But I think that I am learning to get it done a little quicker. I have day 3 and 4 done, I'll get them posted later today.
Just a little background info on my goal. I have a list of 15 things that I want to do in this 21 days. Some are things that I have wanted to do for a really long time and some are more current. I have made 15 tags to put with each day as a kind of acknowledgement of these task being completed. The first one was on day 2, I got a library card. I know it may not seem like a big deal to some of you, but this has been something I have wanted to do for almost four years. I guess the main reason behind the procrastination on this one is that to get a library card you have to have a driver's license for that county. We have moved 8 times (Alabama,Florida, Mississippi,Florida, Texas, Florida) in the last 6 years. So we just kinda put it off because we never knew how long we were going to stay.
So now I have a library card for Leon county. Yippee!!