This past Saturday!

Fall colors on a couple of the trees in our front yard.

The water was down enough near the locks  so that we could clearly see the diversion damn remains.

A Banana Spider... can you see her? She is toward the center of the photo.

With each flooding event this table sinks deeper and deeper.

I love this "weed"

EARLY Mornings!

I have three more weeks of 3 AM starts on Mondays and Wednesdays... ah the "joy" of Christmas. It's really hard to have any Christmas spirit when you've been looking at and moving Christmas stuff around for MONTHS before Christmas. And we've been getting in so much MORE of EVERYTHING since our direct competition closed. I'm so weary of the stuff. Ah well... at least I am getting some descent hours that I know will not last after the New Year. And I will enjoy them while they last. I understand how Retail Payroll is limited but it doesn't mean I have to like it when I am the one getting cut. I do sometimes miss the money attached to Management but I in no way miss any of the STRESS! So we will just adjust our spending and continue being creative in how we manage our income.

Scott and  I will not be buying gifts for many this year as we just can't afford it and the family has gotten so large. I may make a few small gifts but nothing major. None of my siblings have shone an interest in gift exchanging in years so I don't see a reason to anymore either. I LOVE to give but I also like to feel the gifts are appreciated. I put a lot of myself in the things I make and it does hurt when they are not appreciated. Besides I feel like a total outsider most of the time and they don't have time for me anymore.  No pity party... just accepting the fact.

Perhaps it is too early for me to be writing a post as this sure does sound all WOE IS ME! But it is how I am feeling these days.

You know it really is no wonder people become isolated from their families when no one reaches out to the others. After awhile the infrequent invitations into their lives become...  well... a bit shallow. I mean it's like ... "oh yeah.. I suppose we should invite them". But it's been so long since the person invited has spoken with them they feel... well... like a complete burden and after thought. The apprehension level is so high it makes them throw up a barrier and return a RSVP with a "No". It's not that they don't want to see their family anymore it's just that they'd like to feel a part of their lives and not just as an obligation or after thought. Ah well it is what it is and I should be used to it all by now... it's been my life and my experience and that is how it is and it will not change. So I will find love and support from my dear husband and our son. I will search out people that enjoy me for me and truly want me in their lives.

This is just a post of me venting and coming to acceptance and moving on.

The Completed Set

Chip board box, mini paper bag album and card for my "secret" swap partner

Project Finished

Well I finished the box that I created today. It's all ready to be filled and I have begun a small paper bag mini to go inside. I hope to finish that tomorrow. And I will share some photos when I get it completed. Now it's time for this gal to get some sleep... it is only 8:30 PM but feels like 11 PM... am I getting old?

Good Wednesday Morning!

It is another truck delivery morning. I'm sick of Christmas decorations all ready and Halloween hasn't even arrived yet. We are moving into Christmas earlier and earlier it seems. SO crazy! Yesterday I switched out I can't remember how many power panels from Fall to Christmas and came home covered in glitter. Maybe it was the glitter that lead me down the wrong path with the hair color. When I get paid I will get a nice safe brown and hope for the best. I should have just stayed gray,  Ah well live and learn!

I've got several projects in the works on my central craft table. One is the box I created for a swap I am in and I have begun covering it in paper. The top is a blue background with the light pink roses and the bottom will be covered with the plaid paper.

And the other items are ATC's that I started a month or so ago... got to get them finished this week so I can get them off my work table.

I have another envelope mini album to make and more projects just floating around in my brain.  Well I better get my "work costume" on and head out the door. I sure hope my co-workers aren't too brutal about the hair color.

AH IT'S RED!

PLEASE Let it grow EXTRA fast!

A Halloween Mini Album

This little album is made out of envelopes and cards that I bought at a thrift store a little while back. I think it turned out really cute and it will go to someone that loves Halloween as much as I do. I hope that she will like it.

The covers are made out of recycled card board that I brought home from work.

The pages are made out of the envelopes and the cards were used for the flip outs on each page.

I will Never Understand Waste

Last night Scott and I walked from our house around to the new neighborhood going in behind our neighborhood and we are always appauld by the waste we see in such a developement.
First they leave hardly a tree standing...

And then they build 5 houses in the same space 2 would have been built years ago ( like in our neighborhood)...

And then there is the horrendous waste...

ALL these brand new bricks were the remains of a delivery that they did not use and instead of moving them to the next home's site they threw them out. This was repeated on every building site we past. Drives us crazy... SUCH WASTE! While we have projects waiting because we don't have the money to complete them. With all their cast off's we could get our cabin started for next to nothing. CRINGE!

No wonder these Vultures were circling AND landing... yes we checked the dumpsters for a body as well.

On the walk back home I took this picture of this sweet vine... it's red trumpets were so lovely,,,

And this is one of the neighbor's cats... I couldn't resist. It sleeps in this birdbath ALL the time.

First Seasonal Truck

Today is our first Seasonal truck delivery and we will get a second truck on Wednesday so thats two 3 AM starts. This means I am getting up at about 1 AM to get awake enough to be alert before hitting the road and to have enough time to eat some breakfast. Long days! But the paycheck will be better than it has been the last few pay periods which is REALLY good. Things seem to be falling apart right and left around here. The drain to the bath tub failed in the hall  bathroom and we are having to wait until payday to get the parts to fix it so it's been showers only around here and boy would I love a nice hot soaking bath to relieve these muscles aches and pains. WHEW! Only a couple more days.

I haven't been able to get much crafting done the last few days as I've either been working or sleeping. It sure was nice being able to go over to my Mother-in-laws for a mid-day dinner  yesterday and then come home and crash for a few hours. I was so exhausted mentally and physically. I had to condense a huge section of merchandise down to half the space in another area of the store and then set the area for a new Christmas plan-o-gram. I got everything done except for adding the new labels. I will finish that today. .. I think. They tell me one thing at the end of a day and by the next morning plans change.... thats Retail!

I don't have any recent pictures to share so I decided to go through the pictures on my phone disc and see what was taken on previous October 14ths....

October 14, 2011 = A Zesto's Banana Split

October 13,  2012 - Did not have a photo for the 14th - Tesla "Chillin'"

Sweet Swap Package in Saturday's Mail

A nice selection of papers, bottle caps and wood pieces.

An on-line friend (Heather) and I swapped for some handmade flowers. She sent WAY more than I was expecting because we had said we would fill a "small" flat rate box and she sent a medium. So I will have to make up a surprise RAK for her now to be even. Here are the crafting goodies that I received.

more paper, more wood, a handmade note pad holder and flowers.

A little dresser made out of match boxes.

A bunch of tiny crafty bits from out of the dresser drawers.

Heathers Handmade paper flowers, a flower made out of plastic spoons and some embellishments she made out of hot glue are to the right.

A couple vintage bottles and she made the gift boxes out of paper! And some wonderful vintage bottles to alter.

BUSY BUSY... Projects and more projects!

MORE ATC's

Some tiny crocheted cotton  "doilies" to use in mixed media projects and to share with friends.

Last nights walk up to the house after a nice walk around the neighborhood.

A completed mini-album created with envelopes.

Front of mini-album

Showing inserts that go into 6 pages.

Remaining 3 pages hold tags vertically.

Planning my next envelope mini-album.

So whats on the camera....

The Garlic King! Trying to get a good photo to use as a Profile Picture on a website.

The spider plants that I bought for about $5 and divided. It was quite pot  bound and happy to be divided. And I love that I got to use the gorgeous pots that I bought while working at Jo-Ann's y ears ago. The basket is FULL of garlic - I need to send out some "Vampire" packages I think. Shelf was a curbside rescue.

ATC's and a Card

I received these ATC's yesterday in the mail and I think the gal did an awesome job and I love them.

I love how she used leaves to create a dress on her dress form.

These little birds are so brilliant!

And I LOVE Halloween so I adore this one!

Tonight I created this card to send some well wishes and words of cheer to a gal I "met" on You Tube that was recently hit by a Utility vehicle while on her bike. Her back is broken in two places and her leg is badly injured as well as a severe head injury. She once sent me a beautiful quilt kit and I want her to know she is in my thoughts.