Cleon and Janie

Hi All,

Sorry I haven't been around for a bit.  It's been crazy hectic at work besides being hit by winter storm Cleon!  I was born in the Chicago area, so I know about snow - not so much about ice.  Besides, Texas doesn't have the resources to clear the roads that they do up north.  This is what my street looked like.  And the second picture is an example of what the grocery store shelves looked like.  There appears to have been a run on eggs!  Our offices were closed but our due dates remained.  So I braved the elements and drove in to work.  The news reports called it cobblestone ice.  What I saw was at best, washboard ice and in some places, 6 - 8 inch waves of ice.  But I made it to the office and back home again without incident.

 

 

 

Janie

 

Today is my friend Janie's birthday.  I did get a little crafting time in to make her this card.  I hope she likes it.  Almost everything is by Anna Griffin.  The paper is from the Fleur Rouge collection.  The cream card base is Close To My Heart's Colonial White cardstock.  I roughed up the edges with Tim Holtz's distressing tool and added a couple of pearls.  What do you think?

 

 

 

 

 

Happy December, 2013!

Happy December to you all.  I always wonder where Fall disappears to.  This year is no different.  Although it is still technically Fall, everything seems to be focused on Christmas.  Before I slide into Christmas, I wanted to share with you a photo of my beloved pecan tree.  It's a huge tree that sits in my front yard.  Every year, it puts on a spectacular show of color just before closing down for the winter.  It's show was especially beautiful this year.

 

Seeing these colors and the beautiful glow given off makes me wonder what the world would like if God had chosen a different color palette for nature.  What if the sky was green?   Just one of the strange thoughts that pass through my mind! 

 

I think one of reasons Fall is so fleeting, is the early due dates put on us for Christmas.  The cut-off for Operation Write Home Christmas cards was Oct. 31st!  My holiday auction cards are due tomorrow.  Even the Salvation Army Angel Tree gifts are due by tomorrow - December 2nd!  I even saw a Facebook post with suggestions for "last minute stocking stuffers."  While I can understand the reasons for most of these due dates, the rest just make me feel rushed.  I want to savor the holiday season.  What are your thoughts on the matter?

 

I spent some time going through last year's Anna Griffin Ultimate Christmas Cardmaking Kit.  I got it in one of Anna's great Super Sales.  Which, btw, there's another one tomorrow - December 2nd.  If you're an Anna fan, these sales shouldn't be missed.  But I digress.  Last year's kit was not very aptly named.  I believe this year's kit is far better.  But I did manage to eek out three cards.  They're more retro than elegant.  But I think they're cute.