Mom's turn: Crafty Cricutting

My handsome hubby & DD gave me a Cricut for Christmas of 2006. Unfortunately with all of my physical therapy & surgeries, many travels, and moving in the past year it hasn’t gotten much use! But I guarantee I’ll make up for that in the coming year! I used a friend of mine’s Animal Kingdom cartridge and am hooked…that will be the next one I purchase for my collection. There is so much fun stuff to do with it – and of course they have elephants :-D So, here is my first project to include something cut from that cartridge. My grandmother-in-law adores mice and she cooked us a fabulous quail dinner to celebrate Teeny’s birthday – so I decided to make her a thank you card. I cut the mouse with my Cricut and added a couple of brads for the eyes, and used Stampin’ Up products for the background print and circle thank you. It turned out adorable!! Hope she enjoyed it. I even had a mouse stamp and footprint set from a previous project…so I decorated the envelope to go with.

Mom's turn: Inherited the ART

My husband is a very talented artist, although he would never admit it! But there is no denying that my DD got the gene for her talent from someone…and it most certainly isn’t me! The only end of a pencil I know how to use is the eraser and paint is strictly for walls! Travis started taking lessons at about the same age as Christina did, 11 years old, but he stopped when he was around 13 or so.

Travis' Swamp Boat

Christina’s love for art rekindled her daddy’s passion and they started taking lessons together for a bit a couple of years ago, and remarkably with the same instructor that taught him as a child!

Travis' Reflections

Travis' Puddles

That was a sweet site…although sadly it’s been put on hold while he gets our business past its growth spurt and more able to run on its own.

Christina has worked with several art mediums, sometimes even mixing them, nevertheless pencil remains her favorite.

Teeny's Lab Family

Teeny's Shanty

Teeny's Birds

She has worked on many different themes, as well, ranging from still life to fantasy and many things in between. I love watching how she progresses as she grows, both as a young woman and artist. I think her study of Japanese has enhanced her love of the Manga art; she’s actually very good at it. Perhaps we’ll all move to Japan and let her art work flourish in the comics over there :-D It’s definitely a possibility…the wonderful world of art opens up many of those! Thank you BOTH for making my life fuller with your beautiful and creative outlook on things. I adore you!!!!!!!!!!

Esmarelda

Warrior Woman

Fantasy

Harp Player

Fairy Princess

Eye See You

Dragon Slayer

Mom's turn: Feeling TART-ish

I’m continuing with a challenge from a bloggy friend across the Pond that I found on Ginger’s page. It sounded right up my husband alley because he loves to research his family’s genealogy and I thought it would be a great “father/daughter” opportunity…however, he’s headed out of town bright and early in the morning. Sooo – since it was my idea, guess who gets to follow through :-/

Okay – that mentioned…I know nothing about his genealogy except that the Matheson’s are on his paternal side and he can trace them back to the Isle of Skye! And although it’s said "if your heart beats faster at the sound of the 'pipes, you must be Scottish,” which my heart certainly does, my genealogy consists of only Swedish and Cherokee Indian mix…how interesting! My parents made an odd couple indeed. I have been to the dinner play of Brigadoon, but I hardly think that qualifies me as Scottish :-D But it certainly doesn’t stop me from admiring the family tartan! Who would have thought that it would be something so complementary to a blond haired, blue eyed Swede, because YES, my daughter has inherited those traits from me. My family has always said that Swedish blood runs deep! Unfortunately like my friend Ginger, neither Travis nor Christina have any articles of clothing in their clan tartans. Something to strive for because I think it’s beautiful…and now I can “officially” wear it as a married clan member :-D

Matheson tartan

So, check here and then show us YOUR tartan!

Happy birthday Teeny!

Today my baby turned 15!! I can't believe it's already been 15 years since God blessed me with such an incredible miracle. Teeny is such an honest, sweet, talented, incredibly smart, funny, beautiful young lady so full of love and joy it makes my heart sing. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect daughter!!

This morning started with giggles and grins with friends and continues into decorations, hamburgers, cake, games, presents, and football after church. What more could a little girl, er excuse me, young lady ask for?

Mom's turn: Race Day!

Today my husband tried to kill me! Okay – perhaps not intentionally, but that’s how I felt all the same! He signed us up for the Mardi Gras Mambo 10k race as “practice” for the CCC in March! HUH!?!?!?! With encouraging words and an excellent cup of Kenyan coffee (it helps with speed, I swear!) he woke me up at 6:30am!! To my dismay, the thermometer read just barely 42 degrees (which, by Southern standards, is freezing!) and it was misting outside! At least he was willing to suffer with me; it must be love. So to the unpacked boxes for “cold weather” running gear and out the door we went. Try as a might, I couldn’t be my PR of the last 10k I ran before my foot surgery, but it’s really all about the SWAG! I got a fantastic new shirt and will be the envy of every Mardi-Gras goer this year…that’s what I keep telling myself! I will never admit I’m psychotic just for the thrill of the run!

Samson helping with the post-run recovery session...A NAP!

Mom's turn: A Southern Garden

Living in the South during Christmas time may not bring snow…but it does bring beautiful blooming flowers of several types! When you say the word “southern” the camellia plant comes to mind instantly…but most people don’t know that there are more than 82 species of the plant and it actually originated from three camellias indigenous to Japan. In Japan the word tsubaki, coming from tsuyaba (glossy leaf) and ki (tree), is used for the most commonly used garden variety, the Camellia japonica.
This variety spread worldwide as a garden plant after the 19th century, of which we have three in our back yard. These begin blooming in late winter, are unscented, and last only a few days after they bloom before falling to the ground. It is said that the Samurai did not like the camellia because it resembled a war prisoner having his head cut off. However, this is a myth. Some of the greatest cultivars from the Edo Period (1603-1867) were from the Samurai. The blooms make a nice table arrangement floating in a bowl of water and the greenery is available all year long and lasts for weeks in a vase, which is great for flower arrangements of any type. What is amazing to me is the fact that several different colored blooms will appear on the same tree. Ours come in shades of dark red to the lightest pink and variegated, too. Other colors can be whites and creams both solid and variegated shades.

The other very common variety and staple to any Southern garden is the Camellia Sasanqua, of which we have the Crimson Bride cultivar in our front yard. This is an early bloomer that appears in fall. It is a single blossom flower that can grow up to 12’ tall and looks much more delicate to me. Ours is actually more pink than crimson and it has a very mild, sweet fragrance that is intoxicating in the mornings lingering in our heavy southern humidity. The C. sasanqua is better than the C. japonica at taking extremely cold winters, but thankfully this is not a frequent problem in our area.

The camellia is used in teas, as well, but I’ll just enjoy it for the beauty.

Additional info from:
http://www.flowertending.com/camellia-flower.html
http://homepage3.nifty.com/plantsandjapan/page021.html

In the driver's seat

I'm SOOO excited! I turn 15 years old in just 8 days! I also got an early birthday present...driver's ed! I am really nervous about it but excited too. My parents say I have to drive to Colorado for our vacation in March to practice! Watch out world, here I come!

I love early morning surprises!

What could it be???

oooooh the anticipation...

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!! I can't do THAT!!!!! What if I wreck with my instructor????

I love it! Thanks Mom & Dad.

the "GIFT"

GO LSU

LSU WON! WE ARE THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!!

My mom, my dad, and I all watched the game on Monday!
It was fun. My dad grilled steaks and my mom made some dips and appetizers: we ate chips and salsa, sausage bites, cheese, and some olives stuffed with blue cheese. The olives smelt really, really bad. We blew up our blow up mattress and the dogs watched too. I thought my dad was going to break the TV when Ohio scored that first touchdown so fast. We have a friend who lives in Oklahoma and enjoys watching LSU play, but unfortunately they had some bad tornado weather that night so we kept them well informed by texting them every time a touchdown was made. I was also texting all my other friends who where watching the game. I must have used over 150 send receive that night! Good thing I have unlimited!!!