Harry the Elephant and Maggie's Gater

There once was an elephant named Harry who rode a magic hay carpet, 

He loved his magical hay carpet but it made poor Harry sneeze!

But being the polite Pachyderm he always said,”excuse me please!”

Sometimes he thought he was a fairy because he could could fly upon the breeze,

 But he had to be careful how high he went or his magic carpet would freeze.

Harry wished he could just fly forever because he and Girdy the birdy had plans, 

They’d planned a picnic in Paris so that Girdy could buy himself a tam!

Birdy Girdy was so smart, he got Harry to do all the work, 

He’d lay on his back so proud of himself on his face was a silly smirk.

Sometimes people thought he was scary because he wore a funny top hat,

 Little did they know he only wore that hat so his hair wouldn’t go flat!

That Harry was an inventive fellow, the grind of the circus he did escape,

He flew over lakes and meadows, looking for the perfect home to create.

Then he found a pleasant valley, other elephants he could see,

I wonder if there’s a lady elephant that might like someone like me?

He landed, found a mate and started his brand new vocation,

The sign on his door read,are you ready for this?,”Pachyderm Pilot Aviation.”

This is a game I started on Facebook. I would post a photo and start with one line, then everyone else would add a line or two. After several additions to the poem I would combine them all and make everything fit!

For some reason my font is going crazy, I hope you can read this!

Her daddy fished the swamp and found the baby gator, 

She had no mama so he thought he would save her.

But all Maggie wanted was a plain ol’ dog, not a mean ol' gater,

The kids at school would point and laugh, not wise to smirk and bait her.

But along came Billy,who thought he’d be silly and, 

dipped her pigtails in ink. 

Maggie’s stomach did sink and she said “you’re a fink, 

I’m going to tell my new pet that you really stink.” 

With a smirk on his face, Billy laughed and pointed at the gator

 And said “yea right, I’ll see ya later!”

So she gave her gator some rein and walked down the lane and 

But no one thought that gator was tame. 

The gator was hungry and let out a hiss,

Maggie looked at Billy and said that he’d better run, 

Billy turned all white and let out a whine 

He’d scamper on home and he’d “get his daddy’s gun.”

Maggie smiled at the near faint Billy and said let this me a lesson

When a girl has a gator, that’s not who you should be messin’.”

KC Willis Altered Book.....FINISHED!!

I went to KC WIllis' class about three weeks ago and started this altered book. Many in the class finished but my friend Jan and I were left in the dust! SO, after getting home from California and being around all those creative women, I decided to come home and finish this book. My theme was cowgirl girlfriends. It was hard to find photos of groups of cowgirls!

These photos are terrible! I used iron on sheets which are too glossy for my taste but it's what we were using in class so I did too. Any suggestions for iron on sheets that are not glossy?

I used different friendship poems, some that I wrote. I got a little carried away with all the fabrics but it was hard to stop adding. I just couldn't decide what photos to use so I used them all.

I found one of those old crosses they use to give us in the Methodist Church! I thought I would go ahead and use it, I keep saving too many things that I never use.

The poem on this page was mine:
"When others watched my hand shake, you held it.
When I feel like I'm walking through sand, you smooth it.
When I cry at moments of no sence, you console me.
When I lose my way, you drive me.
When my body took a different path, you paved it.
When I gave you my friendship, you held it."

This was another one I wrote:
"There are days when I feel I have nothing left,
Like it's all been taken by an ill mannered guest.
I find myself looking to see through the forest and the trees,
to see who is left standing beside me.
I see you there like an oak with roots to the core,
offering your branches, helping me soar.
Sometimes when my soul feels like a ghost,
you offer your hand when I need you most.
So I tell you this between us two,
my life has been made better by meeting you."

"I hope to be friends forever, you and me.
Because you want to be around me no matter what you see.
A true friend hold you in their heart, like a wounded dove
protecting you, wings folded and giving fate a shove.
When I get down I know you're there, if only in my thoughts,
I feel your strength to move ahead, sad days I have fought.
I see you as a beacon of smiles, comfort and always laughter,
I love you today, I love you tomorrow and into the ever after."

Can you believe how thick it is?! I love it! Thanks for letting me share. xoxox-cindy

An Affaire at Tiffany. It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This!

Have you ever dreamed of a palace covered in pink and teal blue where you could be silly, be creative, learn new projects, laugh until your stomach hurts and make wonderful new friends?

Well then this was the place!! Kim Caldwell's event ,"An Affaire at Tiffany", had a theme based on the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and she did everything perfect. From the decorations to the vendor night where everyone put on their finest Audrey attire, we all felt so special and pampered, no one wanted to go home.

I got butterflies in my stomach just seeing my place setting.

My bestest friend, Charlene Gray was my roommate and partner in crime for this event. We made great roomates! She's the reason I went to this event and I can't thank her enough. We had the best time and didn't even get tired of each other! She didn't even mind my over use of hairspray!

Holly and Karla have been coming to this event for years. They're both very talented and so fun to be around. I have been to several events with Karla but this is my first with Holly. She's now in my good friend roladex for sure!

Ah, and there was Vickie who just charmed us all! This was her first time to the event as well and just bowled us over with her swap projects. We would all wait and wonder who would get her swap because they were so beautiful and over the top. Her jewelry box was to die for!!

Adorable Tiffany Dixon spent the entire time taking photos of us crafting, acting goofy,(which we did a lot), and posing of course. She is one of the sweetest most down to earth women I have ever met and her photographs are fantastic. After photographing over 60 wild and crazy women for days on end, she went home where she has her photography business, The Fancy Farmgirl. Her photos of girls in petticoats and cowboy boots are precious. It gives new meaning to senior photos!! I would love to have her take my photo any day!

Elaine Smith and Lauren Conrad were so much fun. They both live in Austin so I plan to drive down and spend some more time with them. Elaine is known for her doll creations and has been teaching for years. I'm hoping we can talk her into teaching a class for us!

This was our scrapbook/journal project. Our instructor was great and gave us the freedom to do what ever we wanted, and she made this so much fun! We were slapping paint, putty, and everything else we could find onto our books. Mine didn't quite look like this when I was finished, but close enough!!!

This was our lampshade class and it too was a lot of fun. This was my table mate's Rochell's. This photo does not give it justice! She used a vintage teal and white hankie on one side of the shade, and the panel in this photo had her grandmothers glove sewn on. She was so creative and imagineative and she sat next to me so everything I made paled in comparison to hers!

This was one of the evening bag swaps, this one was made by Karen Hillman, so no wonder it turned out so cute. The bag was plain when she bought it and she added all this bling!

Just adorable

This was the jewelry box that Vickie made! I told you she was over the top. Is this not beautiful! You should have seen the box that she had this box in, we were all in awe! Elaine was the lucky one to recieve this swap, lucky lady.

Another jewelry box masterpiece. Everyone put so much effort into their swaps and Kim made sure everyone could enjoy the excitement of each swap being opened.

This is Rita and Michelle swaping their evening bags. Michelle slipped a monogramed "R" flask into Rita's purse and it was filled! Michelle said it would be just rude to give someone a flask without something in it! 

This is one of the bottle swaps. This one was made my Michelle Duke as well. Talk about BLING! It looked even better in person.

The tiera swap was crazy. Everyone was going crazy to see what everyone got. I grabbed Molly to get a photo of this one, isn't it grand!

Karen Frances and her dress form swap. It was almost as big as she was!

After all of our classes and the mess was cleared we had a pajama party and watched,"Breakfast at Tiffany's" and ate two tons of candy! Kim had set up in a beautiful blue and white candy bar. I wish I had photos but once the doors opened the candy was gone in a flash!

OK, m-a-y-b-e Charlene might have been getting tired of me by now. But it was too fun just to mess with her anyway.

Our fearless leader, Kim Caldwell. 
I'm sure she went home and plans to sleep for a week after putting together the event of the year! I cannot thank her enough for a beautiful event that I will remember and cherish the memories forever. If you have ever considered going to this event, don't hesitate next year when she has another one. It was perfection! Thank you Kim!

A New Blogger Guidebook

My usual computer gal Miss Lovie has been failing to help me very much these days so I was so excited to see that 

Karen Valentine has written another Blogger's guidebook. 

Her book, Building Beautiful Blogs takes the mystery out of all of the new blogger widgets and thing-a -ma-giggies.  

Some of the things you will learn in this book...

• How to set up a blog
• How to Navigate the post editor
• How to Navigate Bloggers new interface and what all the settings do.
•  How to edit Bloggers new templates to make them look more like Bloggers old Minima template.
• How to configure your comment settings
• How to center the Date and Title above your posts
• Plus many, many more tricks and tips to make your blogging experience so much easier!

 More than 80 pages of great information with screen shots throughout to make it easy to follow along.

$19.99
This book will be delivered via download.

Now that Karen has put Lovie out of the computer consulting business, 

she has to be content with the new fuzzy mice I gave her! 

I laughed so hard I fell off the couch!

I just had to share this with you because it made me laugh 

till I fell off the couch! 

And, since I am heading to "An Affaire with Tiffany" in less than a week, a quote from Audrey herself:

"I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person."

Enjoy!

In the Land of Round Top, There's Royer's cafe where all will stop.

 For a very long time in the land of Round Top

There's a Royers’ cafe where all will stop.

The food was so good, you’d devour every drop,

So much so you would go home and flop.

The man at the door, they called him the king,

He sits on a throne and wears many rings.

He’d make you behave, or you'll get zinged,

But when he called your name, you’d swear he had wings.

So when we were summoned to the 
land of milk and honey,

We all said yes and sent him our money!

Our guest of honor was smart and 
cute as a bunny,

We were captivated by her, she glowed, all sunny!

The Queen spoke to all and introduced her guests,

From a far away land they gave us their best.

They spoke of a project for those who had less,

We decided right there to do our best.

So over a meal fit for a Queen,

We heard about new ideas which none had seen.

They would bring back things 
from a time we’d once been,

Things from years ago, things oh so keen.

So we listened, ate pie and enjoyed our time,

But before we knew it, the Bud clock chimed.

We bid farewell to the Court and their guests so fine,

Leaving,the our adventure feeling completely divine.

Miranda Lambert's dreamy Bridal Brooch Bouquets brought to life by Artist, Noaki.

Miranda Lambert decided to have something a little different for her bridal bouquet, she started a vintage boom of Bridal Brooch Bouquets! They are still the rage in a bridal trends today and I couldn't be more pleased that using something "vintage" is still so popular. 

When I posted about this before I used photos by several artists on Etsy but the reality is that the ones I loved the most were all hand crafted by a girl named Noaki. She has over 800 sales and over 2,500 visits to her site. 
I don't know Noaki, I just admire her work so 
I wanted to share with you!

In her words, Noaki said that this idea began because "she was trying to figure out what to do with pieces of my grandmother's old jewelry that I'd held onto for decades -- scraps of the forgotten excess of the Art Deco era that were too lovely to discard but too old- fashioned to wear. Eventually the pieces she created led to her little shop."
 As you can see she makes bridal and bridesmaid 
bouquets in any color you request!

The daughter of a fine arts painter and an industrial designer, She has had a pretty eclectic upbringing, living for spells in Japan, France, India and England. 

"My roots, however, are in California. Living overseas made me reflect on the lifestyle here -- the angled light and sea air, the crumpled terrain and buried past – rusted, shuttered canneries, splintered gray piers and bleached Deco buildings." 

"I try to bring this breadth to the pieces I make. From my Southern California studio I recycle vintage jewelry found at second hand shops and flea markets and hand fashion each piece, combining Art Deco period brooches, vintage cuff links, shoe clips and other baubles with semi precious gems." 

"Each piece is unique or very limited edition, and many can be worn with everything from a tank top to a cocktail or wedding dress." 

After looking at all her bouquets I want to have one made myself! I just can't decide what colors I would want. Maybe several mini ones would satisfy my indecision!! If you want to look at her entire collection just click on her name above to take you to her Etsy site.