Nellie's Cottage Retreat

Find the Rainbow...an Irish blessing

2012-03-03T19:34:00.004-08:00

My mom loves to decorate for the holidays!
This year she left up one of her Christmas trees to decorate for each holiday and season.
She already has a decorating plan for the whole year!
This is the Irish tree:)

Mom uses this plate from pampered chef for all occasions.

You simply add ribbon and cling-able embellishments.

She also has a book for every occasion:)

I keep thinking about the phrase "Find the Rainbow"...so many possible meanings,

so many opportunities, so much hope. I am going to try and see the rainbow in life just a bit more.

Rainbows are a miracle, they are a promise from God. Sometimes it may be hard to find a rainbow in the midst of one of life's storms....just remember the rainbow only comes AFTER the storm!

So.....rainbows are really mercies and blessings from heaven:)

I leave you with an Irish blessing...

“May God give you...For every storm a rainbow, for every tear a smile, for every care a promise and a blessing in each trial. For every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share, for every sigh a sweet song and an answer for each prayer.”

p.s. Thanks mom for always making our holidays fun! Thanks for all the quotes and inspiration.

This is a great free printable called "Will we have rainbows"
http://makingitlovely.com/2011/05/23/will-we-have-rainbows-day-after-day-free-printable/

Peanut Butter Bars

2012-02-22T13:26:00.001-08:00

I know not everyone loves peanut butter, but I don't know any of those people:)
I grew up getting a tiny jar of peanut butter in my stocking, and eating peanut butter by the spoonful! This recipe has been around since my children were small.
It has a really wonderful texture and an even better taste!
Sometimes I add chocolate chips to the dough. Sometimes I top the bars with the yummy peanut butter icing and sometimes I use my chocolate fudge icing recipe. No matter what these bars are always a crowd pleaser!

Peanut Butter Bars
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c butter
1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp butter flavoring

Mix well then add the following:
1 cup flour
1 cup quick oats
1/2 tsp soda
1/8 tsp salt

Bake @ 400 in an 8x8 pan for 20-25 minutes.
I usually double recipe and bake in a 9x13 pan this requires a few more minutes in the oven. I take the bars out when they look slightly under done so they will be more moist.

Peanut Butter Icing
1/4 c butter
1/2 peanut butter
1/4 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

If you just have to have some chocolate then this icing recipe is fabulous on these bars!

Chocolate Fudge Icing
1/2 c butter
4 Tbsp cocoa
6 Tbsp milk

Bring to a boil then pour over
2 cups powdered sugar

Pheneka!

2012-02-18T14:46:00.000-08:00

I made an album for my niece Deneka for her engagements pictures. She married a Stephen and so the nickname Pheneka was born:) They took some darling pictures that really show her fun personality.
I used real vintage lace!

You can see a sampling of this One Event/One Design album on
my Nellie's Cottage facebook page.
www.facebook.com/NelliesCottage

Cookie Makers!

2012-02-14T13:53:00.000-08:00

One year my daughter Danielle and her best friend Kami decided that it would be fun to earn money making cookies. I smiled on the outside and said "Of course you can use my kitchen"...on the inside I was dreading the mess and inevitable loud sighs about half way into the project once they figured out how much work this would be! I always found it ironic as a mother that you work harder than anyone when your kids are working to earn money! Oh, but it is worth the effort years down the road when they know the value of a dollar!

Notice on the last page the look on their faces at the end of this day.....priceless.

They never wanted to make cookie bouquets again:)

How do I Love Thee?

2012-02-13T10:31:00.000-08:00

This is a wonderful phrase we need to answer often for those we love from a famous poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

I made this framed scrapbook art for my Valentine plan this year.

Bazzill pink cardstock, red numbers overlay, layered frames- Storybook cartridge,
fancy corners- Cindy Loo cartridge,
off kilter words to mimic handwriting- printed and cut out by hand,
stamped & embossed hearts

Valentine plan for the hubby...
1. Put this framed art on his dressing table.
2. Write answers to this question on heart shaped post it notes.
3. Put the notes all over the mirror in the shape of a big heart.
4. Slather my lips with red lipstick and kiss the mirror:)
5. Place chocolate covered strawberries and truffles by the frame.
( I bought them from kids going to church camp)
6. Pick up our favorite Tortellini at a local family owned Italian restaurant.
7. Buy a DVD of Nottinghill...a favorite romantic movie
(he actually wanted to watch this the other night!)
8. Wear a red dress.. because that is what I wore on our first date!
9. Really believe he loves me with all his heart.
10. Love him with all of my heart everyday....forever and ever

Happy Valentines to all.....
let someone know HOW you love them!

p.s. I have a blog post from last year about the date with my daughter-in-law, and ideas for sharing love with all of your friends and family.
It is under the holidays and family labels.

*A young lady has a lovely rendition of this poem on youtube...enjoy!
http://youtu.be/B8xByF8RTZE

Beautiful...who decides?

2012-02-10T11:30:00.000-08:00

It all started with an auction many years ago. My husband and I were auction rookies without much money. We really didn't see anything that we couldn't live without UNTIL... Michael came back from a break and said "You have got to see this painting" He took me to a part of building where not much was on display. In a lonely spot there it was...

....a painting of flowers that reminded me of my grandmother Nellie's gardens.
It brought tears to my eyes and I knew this was meant to be mine. We had it brought up for bids and waited anxiously hoping that no-one else would bid against our meager student budget. A few minutes later it was ours! When I look at this painting I feel peace, and beauty and Nellie's spirit comforting and encouraging me.

Yesterday Mom and I met at our favorite local wholesale florist. It is an oasis of floral eye candy with isle after isle of flowers of every color, plants, baskets, ribbon, and all things floral.
Mom moved along confident in her ability, choosing from hundreds of flowers to create the perfect arrangement. I just say yes:) I have a decorating flair but missed the "fabulous floral creation" gene. I can walk swiftly down an isle and choose what jumps out at me, but she knows how to put the flowers together in a magical way that brings joy to my aesthetic senses:)

One could rate each flower on beauty and each of us would have our favorite, but who decides which is the most beautiful? They are each uniquely gorgeous.....just like us. Who can say that an amaryllis is better than a gladiola, or that the bird of paradise makes a rose look pale. I have all of these flowers in my new arrangements! I wanted to mimic the idea of the painting with a tumble of different flowers...and that is just what mom created:)

We struggle so much as women with comparison. Some of us are roses, some gladiolas, and some tulips. Why do we debate who is the most beautiful, the smartest, the best mom, the most fit...and on and on and on.
I think it is time to embrace the unique beauty we all possess.
We are most beautiful when we stand with each other, just like my flowers, creating an amazing blending of gifts and talents to influence and change the world!
All day today I kept going back in my living room to behold the flowers again and again. They brought me joy every time! Imagine the joy we can bring to those around us if we decide to be beautiful, if we decide to stop comparing and competing, if we can freely give and accept compliments.

For many years I would not allow any pictures of myself to be taken. I got a digital camera in 2007... I was 43. I was playing around taking pictures of myself like I had seen the kids do and this is the first picture in years that I was able to say...you aren't bad!

2007

It was a life changing moment for me.

I am beautiful, a perfect blend of Martha & Danny and all of my ancestors before me.

My parents 1964

We NEED to feel beautiful for our daughters, granddaughters, nieces, friends and all the women we love!

My girls! Danielle & Brittany 2011

Today I am a gladiola, tomorrow maybe a rose, and on Sunday I will choose to be a bird of paradise:) Stand with me and declare your beauty...after all who decides? We Do.

p.s. Dove has done a great job on their "Real Beauty" campaign.

I thought this video was wonderful!

http://youtu.be/Omf2gwLUE8E

Janene's baby shower

2012-02-07T14:17:00.000-08:00

Janene's baby shower was especially happy for me!

We were anxiously anticipating the birth of

Savannah Jane who was born on December 28th.

We had her shower at Nellie's Cottage..of course:)

Another "One event/One design" album by me:)

See the whole album on my Nellie's Cottage facebook page!

www.facebook.com/NelliesCottage

Nellie's Vanilla Custard

2012-02-02T19:46:00.000-08:00

This is an old family recipe...Nellie's recipe.
We do not make banana pudding any other way in this family!
It is really a custard, do not confuse this with instant pudding...
there is no comparison:)

Nellie's Vanilla Custard

Sugar 1 cup
Flour 1/3 cup
Eggs 2
Milk 2 cups (use whole milk for an extra rich custard)
Butter 3 Tablespoons (real butter-not margarine!)
Vanilla 1 teaspoon (I double!)

Mix all ingredients very well. Stir over medium heat until thickened.
Cool completely before combining with bananas and cookies for banana pudding.

*I always triple this recipe to make a 9x13 pan of banana pudding.

Tips from me:)
Don't even think about cooking this in the microwave!
You can crank the heat on the
stove to 6-7 if you do not leave the custard!
Stir constantly.
You will stir for what seems like forever but then magically the custard will begin to thicken. When you can "make tracks" with the custard it is done.

Fast cooling method: place custard on a cookie sheet and cover with saran wrap to prevent a "skin" from forming.

I just had to try the new cute mini Nilla Wafers (the off brand just doesn't cut it!)

I love the homemade look of banana pudding in canning jars. Perfect for retreats at Nellie's Cottage!
I start with cookies, then banana slices, then pudding, repeat!
This would be easier to put together in the short wide mouth jars.

And there you have it old fashioned vanilla custard which makes the perfect banana pudding!

Children's artwork idea

2012-01-31T21:28:00.000-08:00

I can't bear to throw away the children's artwork!

See my idea for saving and displaying at

www.txscrapbookingretreats.com

Happy Banana Pudding Day!

2012-01-31T19:21:00.000-08:00

Sunday I got a text from my brother Mark.
"Ya'll having banana pudding at your place today?"
I responded "Made it yesterday for my retreat! Put it in canning jars:)"
He replied "Lovely! Enjoy."
To anyone but my siblings this is a silly exchange over pudding, but to us it is a day we remember our dad. It was my dad's birthday. He has been gone for 23 years now and every year we celebrate him with snickerdoodles or banana pudding. Now this isn't just any banana pudding, it's a homemade, stir on the stove forever banana pudding. My sister called me that afternoon because she couldn't find her recipe. No other recipe will do! The pudding (which is actually a custard) recipe is my grandmother Nellie's.
My dad loved banana pudding and somehow in a magical way when we make this on his birthday it tastes better than any other time!

I have very few pictures of my dad which makes them priceless!

1964

We had this Pontiac for 13 years and it became Old Bessie:)
I cried when Dad sold this car, it was part of our family!

We lived in a 8'x40' trailer until I was 3...can't even imagine!

Village Creek 1967

At night we would sit on daddy's lap and he would read books before bedtime.

One of my dad's birthdays.
Notice in the next picture he still has the same shirt years later!

Dad's graduation day April 1971

This last picture is the day my dad got his accounting degree. He went to school for 5 years while working full time at a chemical plant, being a dad to 4 children, and serving in church. He is the only one in his family of 10 children to get a degree! He was known for honesty, tenacity, and being absolutely faithful to his beliefs. I am glad he was my dad.

Happy banana pudding day siblings:)

p.s. Banana pudding recipe to follow:)

p.p.s I have a snickerdoodle recipe post

Sausage Balls 101

2012-01-29T14:34:00.000-08:00

Our family grew up camping on Lake Toledo with Uncle Joe's family.

Steinhagan Lake

He is legendary in these parts for his camping cooking and campfire stories! The little kids would always hear about the Steinhagan Lake monster that sneaks in your tent and eats your toes if they are not covered up!
Uncle Joe taught us the "proper" way to make pancakes, hot chocolate from scratch, and how to eat sausage balls with honey! He would say "Come on over here, we are gonna have pancakes(or fill in the blank) 101!"
This recipe is a Christmas Eve tradition in my family. They are good for breakfast, lunch, dinner and all the times in between:)

Sausage Balls

1lb Jimmy Dean sausage (I am a sausage snob and will only use Jimmy Dean)
Maple sausage is my favorite, although it is fun to use different flavors.
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese (try different kinds of cheese to mix it up)
3 cups Bisquick

options to add: finely chopped bell peppers or onions

Mix ingredients all together...this will be tough!
I find it easier to use my hands than a spoon. If you have men in the house have them do this!

You will mix and mix and finally everything will bond together. Roll into balls. Sometimes I make meatball size balls for a meal, or walnut size balls for a party. Adjust your cooking time accordingly.

Bake @ 350 for 15-20 minutes. Do not over cook! They will be slightly brown on the top. I usually open one to make sure the sausage is cooked.
Best served warm with honey, ranch, or most anything else:)

Still feeling blue...decoratively speaking:)

2012-01-26T20:52:00.000-08:00

It all started with a stencil, a scrapbooking stencil that I have been dying to use in a big way!

I am so in love with my blue door that I have been looking around my house for more things to paint blue:) I have this fabulous cabinet with iron legs that my sister in law built!
It was begging to be blue:)
I used the same blue as my door adding aqua as my stencil color.
I distressed the whole cabinet with black.

I painted one coat of the base blue

The stenciling took hours...it is the drying time
of one section before you can over lap the stencil for the next section.

I started out doing 2 light coats, realized how long that would take
and then just did one fairly generous coat of paint.

You can see the difference between the stenciling
with, and without, the black distressing.

I chose a portion of the stencil to center on the drawers.

I found these great knobs at Hobby Lobby.

I chose to leave the shelves unpainted to break up the blue.

I love my cabinet just as much as my blue door
.....what else can I paint blue?:)

P.S. The stencil is called "Swirly Vines" from a company called Crafters Workshop.

More... of the best things

2012-01-24T21:26:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wonder what God thinks of us down here on earth racing around in our quest to acquire more and more things. I know that more isn't always good... unless you are talking about grandbabies or chocolate:)
I was sitting in church singing this hymn when I realized here were some things that I NEED more of...attributes that I painfully lack in different amounts. And so this year I am going on a journey of more...more of the things I really need and this song is my study guide. I will go line by line and phrase by phrase studying those key words from God's word. What does holiness really mean? How can I have patience when life is hard?
I also realize this is quite a task and I know that it won't miraculously turn me into a saint:)
I do know that I will have a better understanding of what is really important, and that I hopefully will be a better wife, mother, grammie, daughter, sister, friend and member of my community.
And so I begin my quest for more...of the best things.

More Holiness Give Me

More holiness give me, more strivings within,
More patience in suff'ring, more sorrow for sin.
More faith in my Savior, more sense of his care,
More joy in his service, more purpose in prayer.

More gratitude give me, more trust in the Lord,
More pride in his glory, more hope in his word.
More tears for his sorrow, more pain at his grief,
More meekness in trial, more praise for relief.

More purity give me, more strength to o'ecome,
More freedom from earth stains, more longing for home.
More fit for the kingdom, more used would I be,
More blessed and holy- more Savior, like thee.
Text and music: Philip Paul Bliss, 1838–1876

P.S. Enjoy a beautiful rendition of this song
..........a few minutes of peace:)

http://youtu.be/sLxv4v9OB3A

Decorating my planner:)

2012-01-22T17:41:00.000-08:00

Like most people in the world, I buy a new planner/calendar each new year.
This becomes the center of organization for my life!
Since my calendar becomes a permanent part of my kitchen counter I thought it would be fun to decorate!
I layered paper, rub-ons, stamped images, and a prima pearl embellishment.
I did put on a really thin layer of matte Mod Podge for longevity.

Each item of embellishment was chosen with purpose and meaning.

Poppies are such happy flowers:) This paper was the perfect backgound.

I chose a bicycle stamped image to remind me to enjoy the journey of life.
A treble cliff image reminds me that good music soothes my soul.

Rub-on words I included:
Unique- to remember I am a "one of a kind" child of God.
Cherish- to remember how blessed I am to have a family.
Joy-to remind me to be happy!
Love- a reminder to serve those around me.

I added a punched tree because trees are an anchor to the landscape, and a comfort to me.
I hope to be an anchor and comfort to those I know.

The pearl flourish adds class and beauty reminding me to seek for true beauty.

I find that surrounding myself with meaningful creativity makes life a little more sweet...
even decorating a lowly black planner!

Album display for New Years goals

2012-01-21T21:30:00.000-08:00

I created this album display last year

...still working on my project for this years goals:)

This was constantly before my eyes reminding me

what I wanted to accomplish!

See the whole project at

www.txscrapbookingretreats.com

Behold the Blue Door!

2012-01-16T19:44:00.000-08:00

As I was leaving my driveway the other day I looked back at my house and realized I didn't like my black door anymore!
Black is great, but I just got a decorating bug and had to do something different:)

Originally I had a hunter green door which was a popular color in the 90's, but today it became blue, not just any blue but..."Running trout stream" blue!

I love all shades of blue...
the sky,

the ocean in Cozumel,

my son's eyes,

and my beautiful glass tile bowl which was the inspiration for my door!

I painted 2 coats of semi gloss paint, then dry brushed black paint into the corners and panel edges.

I liked the look of the black edges so I dry brushed the whole door:)

Behold the blue door!

I added my January wreath which has frosted magnolia flowers with a

crystal swag intertwined in the flowers.

I love my door so much that tomorrow I am painting my back door blue:)

Snowbunnies in Pink!

2012-01-15T19:43:00.000-08:00

Beautiful girls, snow, vintage lace, painted chipboard,

embossed snowflakes...

See my album @

www.txscrapbookingretreats.com

And the retreat winner is...

2012-01-14T18:16:00.000-08:00

Charlene Shaulis!

Congratulations!

You won our Nellie's Cottage

2nd anniversary

weekend RETREAT giveaway:)

Call me (Kimberly) to schedule your retreat
409 768 0266

Snow, Shimmer, Sparkle & Shine

2012-01-08T08:35:00.000-08:00

Snow, Shimmer, Sparkle, and Shine

A scrapbooking blog post

txscrapbookingretreats.com

Miracles happen!

2012-01-06T20:17:00.000-08:00

We just had another new baby join our family! Savannah Jane came into the world on December 28th. She is healthy, beautiful and has very chubby kissable cheeks:) She is miracle number one.

Miracle number two is my son who used to be a paintball shooting, 4 wheeler wrecking, fireworks popping, and radio tower climbing charming bundle of trouble! Think... Dennis the Menace meets the Terminator!

His tenderness and care with his new little daughter is sweet and endearing. He is protective and supportive of his wife Janene. I say to all mothers who have teenage boys you would sometimes like to take out of this world...hang on...miracles have not ceased:)

Baby Savannah is perfect in everyway.
What a blessing!
What a relief!
What a joy!
What a miracle!
I am Grammie again and that is just what I want to be:)

our photographer is a talented Dallas area girl:)

http://kyliecphotography.blogspot.com

Free Retreat giveaway!

2012-01-04T10:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Anniversary to Nellie's Cottage!

Once again I will be giving away a
free retreat weekend for up to 8 guests.
*Become a follower on this blog to enter!
Drawing on January 14th.

Scrapbooking, quilting, sewing, crafting, re-connecting with friends, spa weekends....everything is perfect at our charming & cozy 1938 cottage!

We cater (optional) our retreats with homemade goodness from our family recipes. Five weekend meals are $55=tx per guest. (not included in free retreat giveaway)

We have a full kitchen for those that would like to cook themselves.

We have 8 comfy twin beds in our upstairs loft, and downstairs accommodations at our cottage apartment for those that can't climb the stairs.

We have open shopping during the retreat at our Scrapbook Boutique. We carry items not found in the local chain stores.

Tables, lights and comfy chairs are available.
We also have wireless internet and TV/DVD.

This was my grandparents home. They were generous and kind people.

We follow their example by pouring southern hospitality onto each guest:)
Come to the cottage where your memories will bloom!
p.s. see our guest comments page!

Out of the Box & onto the Wall!

2011-12-31T10:17:00.000-08:00

My sister just found a box of long forgotten pictures tucked away in her attic. We had the best time laughing at her 1980's outrageous outfits and giant hair. Our children were laughing so hard! They kept asking why they had never seen these photos.

Make one of your new years project goals to...
get those pictures out of the boxes and onto the walls!

One of my favorite things at Nellie's Cottage is my vintage photo table. I began with a $35 garage sale table circa 1970s. I gathered Aunt Helen's old photos, scanned, printed, and adhered them to the table with regular scrapbook adhesive. My sweet daughter in law & son arranged them beginning in the middle. I had a glass cut for the top and glued old lace around the edges.

I took the original windows out of the cottage and used them to create a wall display
for Nellie's Nook, our downstairs apartment.
I have a blog post with "how to" details in February 2011 called "The Window Project"

Create a layout to put in a frame with vintage lace & a chipboard embellishment.
You can pick up 12x12 frames at the big craft stores.

These photo displays for vintage photos have caught my eye while cruising the web and pinterest...which by the way, is much more fun that cruising Main street ever was:)

I hope these ideas spark some of your own ideas about
getting your photos out of the box and onto the wall!

One night, One gift, One reason

2011-12-24T20:41:00.000-08:00

This is a quiet Christmas at our home this year. Our youngest daughter is our only child home at the moment, the others will be here next week. It has given me much time to reflect upon the season.

We have a long standing tradition in our family of opening one gift on Christmas Eve. Some years these are gifts from mom & dad and sometimes they are our family gift exchange gifts. This year with only one child opening a gift this night, I am struck by the symbolism of the one.

As we read the Christmas story again I was reminded of the following truths.

There was only one baby born in a manger that would change the world.

There was only one who lived a perfect, sinless life.

There was only one who gave his life that we might live again.

There is only one who paid the price that we might have eternal life if we follow him.

I didn't realize the significance of the gift I chose for Danielle to open tonight.

It was simply on the top of the pile in my closet and easy to wrap.

She is leaving for Jerusalem in a few days for a semester abroad.
She will be going to the BYU Jerusalem center for near Eastern studies.

We ordered some comfortable hiking shoes for all the field trips she will take as part of her study in the Holy Land.

These shoes will take her to places where Jesus performed miracles.
These shoes will help understand her Savior better.
These shoes will be a part of a life changing experience.

It makes me think of the shoes I wear.

Where do they take me?

I think of the one gift I can give this Christmas...

to more closely follow the Holy One of Israel.

Beautifully decorated...until the grandbaby comes:)

2011-12-20T21:40:00.000-08:00

I remember looking longingly at perfectly decorated homes in magazines when I was a young mother. I couldn't imagine being able to decorate my home and have anything stay where I placed it! Now I have that luxury...until the grandbaby shows up and then I am back to "Decorating 101" again!
I love the beauty of the Christmas season decor, but will happily take it all down when Annabelle arrives next week!

I wanted to share my pre-grandbaby Christmas decorating, so here is
Christmas at the Crossleys!

The Tree:

Our girls play the violin so I use them in my Christmas decorating.

Display your Christmas stories, take time to relax and be inspired during this season!

Pictures of "Christmas past" on display...instant conversation starters!

My golden nut tree!

Once a year my dining table is set and I wonder why I don't do this more often!

My white porcelain nativity is many years old, a favorite,
and definitely being put away before the baby gets here!

I am a fan of mini trees. A few years ago I went on a mission to simplify my decorating so I literally hot glued the ornaments into the trees. They stay completely decorated year to year. I simply walk them to the attic until next year!

My daughter's tree matches her bedroom:)

Another idea for cutting down on decorating time is to simply add holiday bling to your regular home decor...like adding glittery poinsettias to existing arrangements, and ornaments to an urn with decorative balls.

The porch:

My "trees" are tomato cages spray painted white and wrapped in white lights. The are left over from my daughter's Christmas time wedding in 2008. We wrapped them in tulle and lights for a winter wonderland effect at the reception.
It is so easy to pull them out of the attic and set them up on the porch.
Classic pre-lit garland placed around the columns.... and I am done!

I love decorating, I love having my house stay decorated, however, I love my grandbaby more!
And so Christmas will remain for years to come "beautifully decorated.....until the grandbabies come:)

Golden Nut Tree

2011-12-19T22:46:00.000-08:00

I love my golden nut tree!
It has survived several Christmas decoration purges.
It adds a bit of class to my holiday decor.

This is a simple project. You just need a styrofoam cone, mixed nuts, glue gun, & gold spray paint.
Just randomly glue the nuts on the cone...be very generous with the glue. Spray paint the whole tree with at least 2 coats of paint.
Admire your creation!

Do not store this in the attic or garage!
Heat & humidity "eat" the hot glue and you will find yourself re-gluing some of your nuts every year...
not that I know this from experience or anything:)

Holiday Photo Checkist!

2011-12-14T09:29:00.000-08:00

Do you ever get to the end of a holiday or special event and realize all the photos you DIDN'T take?
This is a great list for remembering all those photo opportunities! I cannot take credit for this list-I got it at a women's group organizing class. Keep your camera ready to go and in a visible pace this holiday to really capture the memories.

Good luck getting the family to look natural when you stage the photos:)... and for heavens sake, BE IN some of the photos!
p.s. Great photo's mean fabulous scrapbooking layouts which means you will need a weekend retreat to do all of that creating.....hummmm where to go?
I know! Nellie's Cottage:)

Caroling optional:)

2011-12-13T22:32:00.000-08:00

I still remember this night from 1972 when we went Christmas caroling! My brother Todd was smiling in the picture but spent most of the night grumpily trying to get Mom to let him take off that bow:) He still hates caroling!

Kimberly almost 9, Todd- 6, Mitzi- 3, Mark- 20months

Caroling is a wonderful tradition we tried to keep in our family. Some years were more successful than others...depending on how many disgruntled singers we had in tow:) Just for the record I never even tried the crepe paper bow idea with my children!

I think caroling is a wonderful personal expression of holiday cheer, of course I love to sing which I will admit is a plus. I love the way I feel when I sing Joy to the World. I love spreading Christmas cheer, and I love the surprised smiles by the recipients, which in retrospect may come from the goodies presented rather than the songs we sing!

Crushed Peppermint cookies

2011-12-11T20:37:00.000-08:00

Sometime in my childhood my mom found this recipe and...well you can see how much we like these cookies by looking at the well used recipe:) I love the smell of peppermint...cookies, lotions, candles, anything. I find it very invigorating!

Crushed Peppermint Cookies

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup crushed peppermint

3 cups flour

Cream butter & sugar, add egg & milk. Stir in baking powder, flour, & crushed peppermint. Bake @ 375 for 7 min.

Mini candy canes are easier to crush than regular peppermints.

Caution: Make sure hubby doesn't use your cookie pan to hammer the peppermints!

Double zip-lock bag the peppermints and gently crush with a hammer.

Lovely pink dough:) You could add red food coloring for a deeper pink.

Roll into balls. You can dip in colored sugar or crushed peppermint.

Another option is to do a thumb print and fill with chocolate chips or a hershey's kiss.

Quickly take the cookies off the tray before the peppermint sticks.

At our house we think everything taste better with a bit of chocolate!

The Christmas Dress

2011-12-10T14:33:00.000-08:00

I just recently finished my first handmade garment in many years. My mother taught me to sew when I was twelve. I made most of my own clothes all the way through school. Aunt Betty would always give me a stack of fabric every time I cleaned her house so I had quite a stash of fabric. I made beautiful dresses for my girls but it eventually became easier to buy them clothes....any mother of teenagers knows this!

Now with grandchildren joining the family my suppresses sewing desire is re-surfacing!

I found this adorable pattern called Lollipop Lola at the quilt show. (link to that blog below)

I love the endless possibilities of fabric combinations possible with this pattern.

I have had this particular bow motif fabric for years. I bought several yards so I will be able to make matching dresses for future granddaughters, like Savannah who is due at New years!

I love starting with a stack of supplies and ending with a boutique style dress.

Creating is starting with beautiful materials and putting them
together in a unique way to make something fabulous!

I mostly love the way Annabelle looks in my creation:)

I think that is a bit of a mischievous look on Annabelle's face:)

I enjoyed making this dress so much I actually broke down and bought a new sewing machine after 25 years. I got the Brother 420 Project Runway machine. It had great reviews online and was reasonably priced. Amazon was the best price as usual. I plan to fire it up after the holidays and hopefully go on a sewing spree! I can see the dresses lined up for all the holidays...beautiful blues with snowflakes for a "winter" dress. I see reds, pinks and hearts for Valentine's Day, and so on.....

I love giant rick-rack. It was cute alone but I added
shiny green ribbon to make it a bit more dressy

The pattern doesn't add a bow but I think all little girl's dresses need a bow!

My children at a local festival of trees. Festive!

This pattern the Lollipop Lola can be found at

lilatuellerdesigns.blogspot.com

The Sweet Spirit of Christmas

2011-12-02T04:54:00.000-08:00

I believe in up-cycing:)
I love the thrill of taking something old and making it new again.
I also love the challenge of being thrifty when it comes to decorating:)
I followed this mantra in creating ornaments for my
Nellie's Cottage Christmas tree.

Yarn, as it turns out, can be add excitement to the plain white Christmas ornaments we used at my daughters wedding!
I simply added some funky red yard in a messy bow at the top.

I wrapped the tree in antique lace from Aunt Betty and bought some cute handmade ornaments from a local artist/crafter.

I have a 5 ornament rule...
I allow myself to buy no more 5 new ornaments a year.

I am working mostly on an angel theme because it reminds me of

my angel grandmother Nellie!

Nellie Geldard 1905-1990

Nellie lived the sweet spirit of Christmas every day. She was sweet and kind to everyone. She spent her life serving her family. She always sent her guests home with something, canned jam, homemade cake, vegetables from the garden, or a plant she had rooted.
She was an angel to me. I wish I could tell her about her cottage and the wonderful women that visit and create in her home. I wish I could tell her how much she meant to me. I hope that when I am gone my grandchildren will feel the same about me...that I tried to live the sweet spirit of Christmas every single day.

Merry Christmas MaMa, I love you

S is for Savannah

2011-11-28T20:07:00.000-08:00

My sweet daughter in law and "mother to be" Janene
has been browsing Pinterest...who hasn't?!!!!
She found a beautiful button monogram idea that was $100 to order-yikes!

I quickly informed her that no self respecting crafter would consider paying so much for something that could be created at home:) So we happily went shopping for supplies and embarked on our new project. S is for Savannah!
Apparently I was almost a Janna Anna Mahana...thankfully my mother intervened and convinced my dad that that was not a good idea and so I became Kimberly. I am always quick to tell men that they do not have an equal say in naming their children:) Anyway...Annabelle and Savannah are lovely southern names for my granddaughters of which I heartily approve:)

Here is our project:

Begin with a canvas. We purchased two 11x14 in a pack for 5.99 at Hobby Lobby.
We covered the canvas in white burlap, using hot glue. This is easier with 2 sets of hands.

I cut a S from the Songbird cricut cartridge. I cut 3 before we had the perfect size.
It is a good idea to cut an image out on cheap paper first!
We tried 2 different positions for the S on the canvas.

We bought this multi colored trim in the fabric section at Hobby Lobby .
These Prima flowers were perfect!

Trace your letter onto the canvas, preferable with pencil.

Lay the buttons all out BEFORE you glue them down!
Some of these buttons have been around in my button box for 30 years!

After the button S was complete, we added the trim and flowers.
Lay out your design BEFORE you glue!

This can be hung on the wall or put on a small easel.

"Canning" Chocolate!

2011-11-16T18:05:00.000-08:00

Some people can jam.
Some people can vegetables.
Some people can fruit.
Some people even can chicken.
I just "canned" chocolate:)

I have always been into being self sufficient with food storage and all that jazz but I am taking it to the next level:) I piggybacked onto a big chocolate order that my sister and her friends put together. Buying in bulk is no mystery, it just takes someone to do the research, and gather people to join the order.

Large amounts of chocolate is beautiful!

Semi-sweet chocolate

White chocolate chips

Cocoa powder

I came from a family of bakers and married into a family that loves chocolate...a match made in chocolate heaven:)

Chocolate can be frozen for a year. Be sure and label your bags.
For now I will be dreaming about all the things I can do with my chocolate:)

p.s. Just so you know guests at Nellie's Cottage always get a yummy chocolate dessert

Thai silk miracle

2011-11-14T23:01:00.000-08:00

One of the things I love about creating is the instant satisfaction and creative high I feel when I make something beautiful!

Mitzi & I went to one class at the International Quilt festival. She is a quilter and I am not (yet!), so we found a class we could both enjoy. I am now in love with Thai silk scraps! This project involved 3 techniques; couching, applique, & spiraling.
It looks complicated, but if you can sew a straight stitch you can make this piece.

These are 4"squares. The wonderful thing about silk is that you don't worry about raveling.
The strings are part of the charm.

This is 80 yards of silk "strings" about 1/2 inch wide.

Couching is simply twisting the silk string while zigzagging over the top.

The silk is backed with interfacing, cut into flowers shapes and stitched on with either a straight stitch or zigzag.
Two layers of stitching looks the best.

These machines were quilt and smooth! I have an almost 20 year old machine...
I think I am now in the market for a new one:)

I did all the applique flowers first and then added the spirals to the center.

To create a spiral flower you open the silk string and straight stitch down the center of the fabric.

The most difficult part is starting in the tiny middle.
You work around and around the circle until you have the desired size flower.

I did not want to stop! The next morning I left my bed unmade, stayed in my pj's,
and didn't do one other thing until I had finished my project:)

I am going to have this framed for my scrapbooking & sewing studio.
I love the colors. It just makes me smile!

You can buy these skeins of Thai silk Sari ribbon at
www.leilaniarts.net

A fabric festival of eye candy!

2011-11-14T22:30:00.000-08:00

My sister and I had a girls day out at the International Quilt Festival in Houston. Oh my...I could have stayed for days but alas this was our only chance to soak in as much inspiration as possible! I have purposefully stayed away from the quilting world because I have too many creative loves already, but after this quilt festival I may not be able to hold myself back!
Here are just a few of my favorites that were entered into the quilting contest. I got in trouble for taking a picture of a wall size quilt of the "Last Supper." The worker came running over and stood there while I deleted the picture:) I had no idea I was violating a sacred quilt law!

This is so unique! "Central Park"

The buildings are stuffed fabric cubes.

I absolutely love this bouquet of flowers.

Each flower is pieced individually.

The entire quilt is made of tiny slivers of fabric!

This would take the patience of Job:)

Mitzi & I walked for hours among the vendor booths.
These are some of the designs that caught my eye...

A creative clock.

This is my kind of quilt! Rows of ruffles...perfect for my baby granddaughters:)

Who doesn't love butterflies & flowers?

I liked the scalloped layers on this pillow.

My sister thought this would be fabulous to do with our grandmother Nellie's real aprons.

What a fun valentine!

There were some fun decorative projects as well...

I am going to have do this for my daughters zebra room.

Just a giant paper flower.

This is a beautiful decorative lighting piece.

Someone just added charms & beads to a scarf. Simple & classy.

While my sister was in hot pursuit of "fat quarters" from the endless supply of fabric designs, I was buying patterns, rickrack, & chenille ribbon for my next project-sewing for babies Annabelle & Savannah:)

What a glorious day!
It was like being in a fabric candy store:)
I am so inspired to begin sewing again and
who knows, maybe I will give into quilting!

I Pledge Allegiance

2011-11-11T15:45:00.000-08:00

I attended a Veterans Day program today at one of our local schools. I sat there watching the veterans that were being honored and kept wondering what they were thinking.

Each name was called.
Each branch of the military was represented.
Each one must have some amazing stories to tell.

As the band played the song for each different branch of the military the men would stand. They stood tall and proud to have served our country. Some of them stood at attention, some seemed as though they were remembering the nightmare of war. I wonder what they see at night in their dreams.

A colonel spoke to the crowd about the three beginning words to the pledge, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE.
He was passionate in a plea for us to take responsibility in the I. We aren't pledging as a group or as a nation but as an individual!

The word PLEDGE means to give your word, to covenant. We live in the most blessed nation on the earth...do we stand by our pledge to be good citizens and make a difference?

The next word ALLEGIANCE means loyalty and honor.
In 1988 I stood and watched my British husband raise his hand and swear allegiance to this country. We do not allow dual citizenship in this country. He had to literally renounce his homeland to become a citizen of the United States.

I have in men my family tree who fought in every war. Some who died. I owe them my gratitude and respect. I am free because they truly meant it when they said.....
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE.

Enjoy the Mormon Tablernacle singing "This is My Country" with a beautiful slide show!
http://youtu.be/P7ucWU9yGfs

Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-31T16:37:00.000-07:00

We had a fun family night activity last year with

pumpkin carving!

Visit my other blog for the One Event/One Design layouts.

www.txscrapbookingretreats.com

The Innocence of Halloween

2011-10-27T03:00:00.000-07:00

I miss the days when Halloween was a child's holiday. When you dreamed for months which character you wanted to be, when costumes were homemade and not so scary. I am sad that adults have taken over and spoiled what used to be a fairly innocent holiday. I am appalled at the raunchy and revealing costumes that some wear in public. I wish we could turn back the clock to my childhood "Trick or Treating" memories where you could canvas whole neighborhoods because you trusted everyone.
Oh, I know "Harvest Parties" are fun, but I do miss being able to say Halloween without my neighbors raising an eyebrow. When I think of Halloween my mind conjures up ballerinas, ninja turtles, cowboys and clowns. I do admit to loving cute little green and purple witches with funny hats.
Just one night of the year children and adults can be anyone they want.....why are some choosing the evil and the dark side? I wonder if I am the only one who misses the real Halloween, the one just for children?

The Innocence of Halloween.
Photo circa 1988

ps. Halloween came after this post and obviously my children don't share my notalgia! This year my daughter, son-in-law and grandbaby were skeletons, my youngest daughter a gangster, my oldest son a vampire, and my son & his beautiful pregnant wife were zombies.........on my..... so much for Halloween innocence!

A Puppy Party:)

2011-10-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

My darling grandbaby is one!

Annabelle LOVES puppies so her mommy put on the best puppy party ever!

Her daddy was a bit surprised at all of the party preparations:)

We are do it yourself party planners. This party cost just over $100!

Everyone knows that cake is THE most important part of any birthday party.

Brittany used yellow cake mix and added icing and then
raspberry jam between the layers.

The icing is homemade buttercream with crushed raspberries.

She baked the cake in 2 regular cake pans and 4 small loaf pans for the legs.

Travis carved out the shape. We decided it looked more like a gator or pink piggy

but with a few details declared that it was a cute puppy.

Nutterbutter cookies dipped in chocolate became the ears and tail.
The eyes are made of Oreos.

Daddy brought home balloons on his moped:)

Grandad built a dog house!

Party Time!

Actual dog bowls from the dollar store were perfect for
the homemade chili & cornbread.

We were allowed to use spoons!

Grammie let Annabelle destroy the cornbread:)

The doghouse became a cute photo prop!

Uncle Keith has taught her important things like "vroom, vroom" ,
how to shake her head no, and how to ring a bell.
He bought her a "Mater" truck in honor of her front teeth:)

Aunt Danielle has been the best babysitter!

Finally the moment we have all been waiting for...what will the baby do with the cake?

Brittany took the left over cake pieces from the puppy carving,
iced the top and added the puppy detail.

She kept putting her foot in the cake:)

She spent most of her "cake time" munching a Nutterbutter.

Presents!

This photo captures her personality perfectly!

What a joyful day with family & friends!
I believe it takes a village to raise a child
and that there can never be too
many people to love and care for a child.
Annabelle's future is bright because she is so loved!

And there you have it...a happy one year old
and a perfect puppy party!

p.s. Grammie cannot wait to create a scrapbook album!
I can see cute puppies & polkadot pages:)

Gratitude with Gifts:)

2011-10-18T21:04:00.000-07:00

In gratitude for all of my Nellie's Cottage guests...

Any Booking in November is $20 off.

Overnight retreat guest will receive the $20 discount individually:)

That is in addition to the $15 off for being a scrapbooking retreats member.

Click on the link to my scrapbooking blog and you can join for free!

www.txscrapbookingretreats.com

In the Spirit of Christmas...
Every retreat guests in December will receive
a $25 credit to our Scrapbooking Boutique.
We also have aprons, cookbooks, frames,
& photo displays in addition to our
unique scrapbooking supplies.

A Halloween Love Story

2011-10-15T22:14:00.000-07:00

We had just moved 700 miles to a new town. Danielle was so excited to be in a "real" neighborhood. We had live on a state highway for several years and had never had any trick or treaters. She wanted to dress up and hand out candy for the first time ever!
The night was very cold with freezing rain. Danielle got all dressed up and waiting patiently by the door...she waited...and waited...and waited, and no one came. She was heartbroken and so was I. Suddenly the door bell rang and there on the porch was a headless man...it took her a minute to realize it was her dad:)
Very soon after the neighborhood kids began to ring the doorbell. We learned that we were the last street on the "neighborhood route." I will always remember how much love I felt at the moment I saw my husband at that door...it was truly a Halloween love story.

Indian Summer Wreath

2011-10-12T20:19:00.000-07:00

I am never quite ready for fall leaves and pumpkins in the early fall. I consider October early fall:)

So I made myself an "Indian Summer" wreath packed with a riot of warm colors and textures.

This wreath was a breeze to make!

I love BIG grapevine wreaths---as big as my door will allow.

I chose sunflowers in fall colors and other silk plants and flowers all in the colors of autumn. Well, I also threw in some dusty pink flowers just because they were in the attic:)

The trick to this wreath is:

Just stick the flowers in with no design plan!

I wanted the random tumbled look of a field of wild flowers.

Simply stuff the flower stems in-between the vines and secure with hot glue...
(preferably without burning a finger!)

Twist some wire on the back.
Hang on your door for a festive fall welcome to your guests!

Cowboy Bisquits

2011-10-10T20:45:00.000-07:00

I love these biscuits!

They have the bragging rights of a yeast roll

with the convenience of a biscuit.

This recipe came from an old church recipe book and was submitted by a famous and formidable woman known in the community for her fierce loyalty to family, and outspoken nature. She was tough as nails!
Don't worry the biscuits are not:)

Once you have a good dough you can make any variety of delicious temptations.
I never make biscuits unless I am catering a retreat, or having company.
Some of us can't resist such a temptation:)

The possibilities are endless, but first the basic recipe:

Cowboy Biscuits
1pkg yeast
1 cup warm water
2 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
6 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water
This always makes me nervous-if the water is too warm it kills the yeast.
If the water is too cool the yeast won't be activated. So make your best guess:)

Add sugar, oil and buttermilk
Yeast loves sugar so that goes in first! I keep buttermilk powder on hand for baking.

Combine flour, soda, baking powder, & salt
Honestly with the yeast, soda, and baking powder if these things don't rise......
it is not the recipe's fault!
Tip for flour-don't dip the measuring cup into the flour container, it packs the flour.
Spoon the flour into the measuring cup for lighter biscuits.
The dough will be a bit sticky so you can be generous with the flour as you roll the dough and cut the biscuits.

*The beauty of these biscuits is no time spent waiting for the dough to rise!

Bake about 25 minutes at 350
I set my timer for 20 minutes and usually declare them perfect.

Biscuits and Country gravy with bacon bits.

I cheat and use the Pioneer Country gravy mix and add bacon bits.
Don't tell my brother, he is a master gravy maker ALWAYS from scratch!

Ham & Cheese Roll Ups

Once you roll the dough anything can be sprinkled on top!
Here is mesquite ham and cheddar cheese.

Carefully roll the dough into a log and slice into pieces with a sharp knife.

My sister converted me to baking stones-they are wonderful!

Serve warm with a bit of honey for dipping or a side of raspberry jam for a "Monte Cristo" taste.

Cinnamon Rolls

I divided one batch of dough and made half with ham & cheese and half as cinnamon rolls.
Melt 1/2 stick of butter and decorate the dough with brown sugar and cinnamon:)

If you could resist such a beautiful creation please call me personally!
My icing is never the same twice. I overloaded this batch with vanilla for a rich flavor.
I usually start with 1/2 stick of melted butter, 1-2 cups of powdered sugar and 1-2 Tablespoons of milk, and always vanilla...sometimes 1 teaspoon and sometimes 3:)

If it is true that the way to a man's heart is food, then these biscuits should be at the top of your recipe priority list:)
I would add that such culinary creations also make you the most popular mother on the block..at least until they are gone!

"Fall in Love" layout

2011-10-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

I have discovered that my favorite holiday

displays include a scrapbook layout.

The reason is simple...

I love photos of my children

and I love creating scrapbook art:)

I tore the tree trunk and punched a variety of circles with a 1 1/4 "circle punch.

Curled edges on the circles add dimension.

Kraft paper was used for the mats with a simple strip of paper
at the bottom of the photos.

I placed a couple of sentiments and photos of
beautiful young couples in love

and there you have it...

"Fall in Love!"

Buried:(

2011-10-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

I have been stalking from the movie room to the kitchen many times a day muttering darkly as I move bits of paper from one pile to another. It seems that every surface in my home is covered with stacks of documents labeled with post-it notes!

When my mom called me this week I didn't say hello but greeted her with
" I didn't get my dad's accounting gene."

I have declared to anyone who would listen how stressed out I am and that I would rather dig a ditch than do paper work. I have been buried under my Nellie's Cottage tax return. Yes, I should have done this months ago. I have decided that it is not worth getting an extension on taxes! It hangs over your head like a black cloud there in the distance throwing a shadow on every sunny moment. I have no one to blame but myself! I have cried to my accountant, moaned to Michael and my children and generally behaved like a whiney child.

I decided to document this odious task in the hopes that I will learn my lesson and overhaul my book keeping system or rather put a real system in place!

I have watched the presidential debates vowing to vote for anyone who promised a flat tax! I told Michael this terrible task required real chocolate, not not any old chocolate but something with toffee bits, if I was to survive my ordeal. He sweetly acquiesced to my request:)

4 different kinds of chocolate and black currant drink from England:)
Now I can finish the taxes!

Lesson learned???
My accountant, who is a childhood friend, said with sympathy " Kimmie, you know you'll do this next year too" I declare...NO I will not be buried this way again!
Well maybe.......

Fall.....in love:)

2011-09-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

It seems that the last few years I have made a trek (by plane!) to Utah in the fall, October to be exact. It is by such happy coincidences that family traditions are born. I expect this will be a temporary tradition for as long as we have children at university. Nonetheless, I love the fall leaves, cool temps, and the beautiful faces of my children seen through the lens of my camera.

This was a 2008 trip when we had a very sappy just married 2 months couple, and a very playful soon to be married in 2 months couple. What a combo! The very air was filled with looks of new love and total adoration. Ahhhhh, the very idea of such idealistic love feels one with a longing to be young again:)
I totally staged this photo shoot. Trying to get the lovebirds to kiss at the same time was like herding cats! The couple on the left are just married....and the couple on the right are engaged:)

We did a bit better on the individual photos...

After the kids had had enough of my photo shoot I went in search of scenic places around the college campus to satisfy my desire to document this fabulous fall display of color!

And so I end with the duck pond...they were happily oblivious to my camera and uttered no protest
............"Mooomm enough already!"

Love that Mississippi Mud!

2011-09-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

We live only 20 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, a body of water full of Mississippi mud. Our water is brown and not very attractive but the cake that is named after Mississippi mud IS VERY desirable! My Michael has had this particular cake since 1982 when my mom made it for his 23rd birthday. I personally think she was a trying to capture a son-in-law!

This was the day before he drove 1500 miles/24 hours straight in my dad's car to propose to me at BYU...now that is another story:) I think it was the Mississippi mud cake talking!

It's funny how things are more special if they are not over used. I don't think that we would have quite the same level of anticipation if I made this cake often. Good lesson for the rest of life!

The most beat up recipe books indicate that what lies on each page has weathered the test of taste buds over and over again!

This is one of those recipes:)

And this is how it is done:

The batter is very thick, like brownie batter. I add another 1/2 cup of nuts and "guesstimate" my vanilla, erring on the very generous side:) I have used both pecans and walnuts-like them both.

I only bake cake for 20 minutes.

Put the marshmallow cream on the hot cake by the spoonful and allow it to melt a bit before spreading.
The marshmallow will be slightly golden after the 5 minutes.
Advanced method: You can broil the marshmallow for a roasted effect. Do not leave the oven if you attempt this! I ruined a cake one year and had to redeem myself and make a second one!

Yes...let this sit for 30 minutes!

Very creamy, high calorie, high fat,

Weight Watchers NOT APPROVED chocolate icing!

Layers of heaven!

One very consistent and happy man,

or as someone posted on Facebook

Happy Birthday Mr. Nellie's Cottage!

...till we meet again next year in the Mississippi Mud!

San Francisco has a piece of my heart:)

2011-09-05T10:05:00.000-07:00

A scrapbooking album blog post on my other website!

www.txscrapbookingretreats.com

Scrapbooked Shoes:)

2011-08-31T16:03:00.000-07:00

I can't bear to throw things away if there is a chance I might be able to fix them! I get that from my Dad. We had the typical garage with bicycle parts, old paint cans and everything in between all neatly organized on shelves. We did not throw much of anything away! I worry about our disposable mentality in this country. My grandparents Nellie & Albert would be horrified! Anyway off my soap box...my broken shoes presented a nice challenge to put my creative brain to work!

How to Scrapbook Your Shoes!

I lost one of the leather medallions somewhere in town one day running errands. No problem! I found my heavy gold metallic card stock and punched three 2" circles and one 1" circle.

I rolled the circles in a ball to distress them. Vintage 1980's earrings just hanging around in my drawer were perfect for the center of my shoe embellishment:)

Clear acrylic spray was used on both sides of the paper circles. I probably won't test this in the rain!

I hot glued the first circle completely down and then the rest of the circles I only glued in the center.
The earrings came next-hot glue of course...
And there you have it, Snazzy Gold Metallic Scrapbooked Shoes!

p.s. I wonder if there are help groups for this "scrapbook everything in sight" disease?

Classes Day 3 & hopefully a better me:)

2011-08-31T16:00:00.000-07:00

At this point I am very glad that I only attended part of this week.
I figure that the improvements I need to make will take me until I am 112!
I can remember when I was 14 and had looked ahead to the year 2000.
I would be 30.
I naively thought that all of my character flaws and personality quirks would be sorted out by that point.
I repeat...I was so very naive!

Day 3 of Classes at BYU-my notes

Creating Harmony at Work & Home

Today 90% of men and 70% of women are in the workforce.
Work has become more pervasive in our lives as we have moved to a global market place.
ANYTHING outside the home will affect the home.

More than half of all families report and work/family conflict.
This creates a "Spillover" effect of Emotions, Energy & Time.

*Emotions: The professor interviewed children who talked about knowing how they would be treated when their parents came home from work just by the way the door knob was turned. One boy would run and hide in the bathroom for about an hour waiting for his Mom to decompress. What emotions do we bring home?

*Energy: The positive or negative energy from a day at the work place often dictates the type of positive or negative energy that flows through a home in the evening. I personally remember a close friend's mom who just laid on the couch everyday after work till bedtime because she had no energy left for her family.

*Time: People who have some flexibility in their jobs have the least work/family conflict. Of course not many of us have such a luxury but companies are starting to realize that happy homes produce more productive employees.

Fun Fact: IBM found that their best managers were mothers of teenage children! Who better to handle conflict:) Almost nothing scares me anymore...I survived 4 teenagers:)

Priorities and Time
do not equal each other!

If your priorities are out of order you loose the
very power you seek.
1. Our first priority of God. Your own spiritual well being is a catalyst for a happy life. Consistency is key (prayer, reading scriptures, etc.)
2. Our second priority if our companion (spouse)
We need to spend enough time with them and TREAT them as our second priority. Tell them how much you love them everyday. Date each other...if you can afford the gas-go as far away from the children as possible:)
3. Our third priority is our children. We need to urge and advise with tenderness. Have monthly chats with each child, set goals for each of you... example:daughter will stop whining, daddy will read a story everyday. Go on individual "dates" with your children.
It will change everything if you really get to know your children!
4. Church service is next but don't neglect your family in the process of serving.
5. Jobs are a priority-it is hard to be spiritual when you are out of work. Adam was commanded to work! The kids used to get so mad when I would give their friends chores at our house...hey I just treated everyone like my kids:)
6 Civic responsibility is a priority-be involved, make a positive difference. My children tease me about running for mayor someday in our little hometown. Luckily I live outside the city limits:)

Day 2...so much to do!

2011-08-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

One of the challenges of attending inspirational and motivational classes is NOT getting overwhelmed with all the things you want to change in your life! I did remarkably well considering I have a list as long as I am tall just from the first day:)
Here is Day 2 at BYU education week and these are my notes.
Day 2
Using Our Unique Spiritual Gifts

*We are children of God and as such do we have private spiritual experiences?
*Do we identify those experiences as a manifestation of his love for us?
*Answers from prayers are NOT just when things happen, they also come as feelings, inspiration, peace, or warnings.
*Do we trust Him?

*We are spiritually mature when we are more interested in his answers than ours. Scale of 1-10 how spiritually mature and I according to this definition? Not telling:)

In the Old Testament Numbers 21 we learn about the whiny children of Israel. They were ungrateful for the manna and so the Lord sent fiery serpents among them. When they saw that they were dying from serpent bites they went Moses and requested that he ask the Lord to take them away. The Lord had Moses put a serpent on a pole and if they would look at the serpent after being bitten they would live. The people kept dying because they would NOT look!

ARE WE LIKE THAT?
Not willing to look at what the Lord does to help us because it is too simple or doesn't seem to make sense?
Trust in Him.

The Anatomy of High Trust Relationships:
Candid Communication

"To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved"
David O. McKay
We all know people that we love but don't trust!

Life without trust is like a car without oil. We actually burned up a car engine because we had an oil leak and tried to drive it to the repair shop...it seized...not good!

To Build Trust there must be 1 to 1 interaction that is:
*Frequent
*Personal
*Positive
*Low Risk
The professor gave this example... "I play Candy Land with my little girl today so I can talk about boyfriends in years to come."

How to have high trust?
"The Core 4"
1. Compassion-having the best interest of the person in mind
2. Open-feeling safe to share information
3. Reliable-being predictable in our actions, someone to be counted on.
4. Expert- We wouldn't want a plumber stitching us up! I didn't really want my hubby/doc doing my tiling either! I said to him "Wouldn't it be easier to just work more shifts and pay someone to do this?" Translation-I don't trust you to tile my floor!

Candid Communication
We tend to think that when we have good intentions we can't be part of the problem. guilty:)

It is better to be like the apostles. When Jesus told them at the
last supper that one of them would betray him they said
"Lord is it I?"
This should take quite a few years for most of us to master:)

We need to admit mistakes. This probably works better is we admit our own!

An interesting study found that higher performing(successful) families reported more mistakes.
The key word is REPORTED. Admitted, came clean, ate humble pie...get it?

The reward for eating such pie...Openness, honesty and TRUST!

My self improvement list just got a great deal longer...sigh.

Inspiration...anyone?

2011-08-18T22:14:00.000-07:00

My grandmother Nellie always shared whatever she had...flowers, vegetables, hand crochet, meals, inspiration, and love.

This week I am being inspired...may I share with you what I am learning?

Once a year BYU opens it's doors to the public for education week.
I have always wanted to attend but alas our school has always
started that week and I never wanted to miss the first day of school with the kids.

Empty nest perk number one...education week here I come!

This is the face I really came to see:)

My girls joined me in classes this week

It is so hard to choose classes!
These are some that I did not choose for various reasons:)

*Entitlement and How It Snares our Kids

(We sent our kids to a college with this motto "Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve" :)

*Square Foot Gardening
(my strawberries & bell peppers already died)

*Developing Strength to overcome Life's Challenges
(I simply eat chocolate)

*Legal Ethics in Business Transactions
(my dad taught us that taking so much as a pencil from work was stealing)

*Ending Carbohydrate cravings
(I am on vacation and didn't want to hear this now)

*Making the Old testament come Alive
(I woke up at 5:30 for a whole year to learn this in Seminary)

*How all Addictions "Hijack" the Brain
(I am happy with my chocolate hijacker!)

*Marriage-Building Love that Lasts
(29 years and I still believe in the phrase for better or for worse)

From Family to Business, Retirement Finances to Christians in Egypt,

this is a wonderful week of learning.

The following are the notes from the classes I did attend.

These are my notes on the first class.

I will continue to add to this post as the days go by--a series of sorts.

Day 1

Influencing a Change of Heart
without the Use of Criticism(especially in marriage)

People don't change people! People change themselves or are changed by the Holy Spirit.

Criticism is more likely to kill the desire for change than to inspire it.

Ask yourself when thinking of faults in your spouse...

Did he get everything he wanted in me? (ouch!)

We are modeling marriage to our children and therefore our grandchildren.

Before we make a comment, STOP and ask..

How will this make my spouse feel?

Humility trumps communication skills!

We need to have a triangle of love;

Love of Christ

Love from Christ

Love like Christ

God's love produces growth and change, and loving our
spouse in that way produces growth and change in them:)

And that is the miracle we are all hoping for...
p.s. they are hoping the same thing in us:)

The Art of Under-Reacting!

I sent my hubby this picture with a text "Going to this class is like me giving you flowers!"

I love the movie "Father of the Bride" where the father (Steve Martin) is explaining to his daughter that she comes from a family of "over-reactors." I have a bit of that family history:)
I took a great deal of comfort to see that this class was full!
Here are my notes...

Who would you be without your problems?

WHO WOULD YOU BE WITHOUT THE PROBLEMS OF OTHERS?

Ask yourself WHEN and WHY do you FREAK OUT?

Usually it is a result of worry, panic, the need to blame.

Reasons we FREAK OUT...

We are already stressed out

It is a veiled form of showing concern

We want to demonstrate seriousness

We have an addiction to drama

The solution...the three A's

*ASK

*ASSESS

*ACT

1. ASK

What can I really control?

Is stressing really helping?

What is the worse that can happen if I let go?

What message am I sending by reacting this way?

Am I acting out of fear?

2. ASSESS

Do I take active or passive action?

If passive then I am only to monitor the situation, if active then take APPROPRIATE action.

3. ACT

Remove yourself, untangle yourself

Expect the best

Change it-lead with love.

You may not be able to fix the problem,

but you may find a way to help something surrounding the problem.

Give it away-ask the Savior to be your partner.

Under-reacting gives you more peace, leads to more faith, and opens yourself to miracles to solve the problems.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can......

Seeking harmony

Finding Peace in a Busy Life

Life is a symphony and you are the composer, orchestrator, director, and performer.

Creating personal energy is part of finding peace.
*Physically taking care of yourself
*Social activity
*Energy creating thoughts-positive
*Spiritual renewal-top priority

Don't get bitten by A.N.T.S.
Automatic Negative ThoughtS

Your thoughts with focus and prayer CAN BE KEPT UNDER CONTROL!

Things to increase our energy
*There is power in apologies-especially in marriage
*Novel experiences create energy and slow time down
I have been with my grandbaby all week and she has so much energy because life is so new and interesting to her!
*Spiritual experiences
*Using your gifts to bless others
*Organizing your life into Must, Should, Nice to do, Can be done anytime

Seek for quality time in the crossroads of the day--meal times, bedtime, going and coming from the home.

Bundling is a wonderful concept of doing 2 things in Harmony such as taking a walk with your spouse
(exercise AND bonding time.
(This should not be confused with my extreme multi tasking-doing 15 things at once and feeling fragmented and stressed!

Do less
*Voluntary simplicity
*Reduce activities okay...laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, pulling weeds...:)
*Let go of material things (I love making a goodwill run-it feels so good!)
*Outsource I am always in the market for a pool and yard guy--hubby is not:(
*Focus on priorities
*Learn how to say no kindly

I have MUCH to do to organize, simplify, and focus on priorities to find peace in my busy life!... Isn't that ironic:)

He just started all over...

2011-07-19T23:00:00.000-07:00

1938 found the Geldards struggling through the Great Depression.
A young husband and father of 3 girls found himself homeless. The house they called home had been lost because there was no work, no paychecks, which meant no mortgage payments made to the bank.

His name was Albert and he was my grandfather.

Albert in front of the home he lost.

Instead of filing for unemployment, welfare, or food stamps they did what people did back then...moved in with family. My grandmother Nellie had a brother who lived in Vidor and so they moved with their daughters into a garage with a dirt floor. I am sure there were plenty of terrible moments of despair and hopelessness. I am sure there was embarrassment. I am sure options were few,
but they found a way to start all over.

Albert vowed he would never go into debt again. He lived up to this vow. They found an acre of land in this logging community of Vidor and paid $25 down. They paid $25 a month until the $150 for the property was paid in full.

Albert & Nellie on their land in 1939

Albert was a carpenter by trade and so he started building a home for his family. First just 2 rooms and a shanty kitchen. As cash became available the house slowly expanded.

Albert's oldest daughter Helen in front of their home around 1940

My grandmother didn't get to go down to her local building supply and choose her flooring, fixtures, doors, or moldings for her new home like I did. Albert would trade materials with other contractors. One was grateful for any building materials. Eventually the house had 2 bedrooms, a real kitchen, bathroom and even an upstairs loft.

I often wonder what he would think of our wasteful culture. I think we could do with some motivation to try and live by their generation's motto:

"Use it up

Wear it out

Make do or

Do without!"

I tried to follow that advice as I was renovating their home which became Nellie's Cottage. One such project was digging up bricks from his old patio and creating a landscape focal point.

I tried to use as many "found" materials for the renovation of his home as I could. We salvaged the original living room ceiling, kitchen floor, and cast iron kitchen sink.
I like to think he heartily approves of what I have done with his home!

Albert found a way to overcome a terrible trial.
I admire his courage.
I am amazed at his perseverance.
I am proud to be his granddaughter.
He not only was a hard worker and honorable man,
he was a survivor and
he knew how to start all over...