Blue Jeans Baby!

 Jean Vest Lillian the Domestic Engineer

Paper flowers Magnets

      spring blooms
       all year long

  up-cycled greeting cards, buttons, felt tips and paint pumper pens are all used 
in the creation of these simple but fun blooms. These flowers are now fridge magnets.

I used a heavy needle and embroidery floss to thread up through each  flower petal. 
Finally I thread on the button and go back down through each petal. 
 Knot the ends at back and attach magnet with hot glue.

 The joy of this project
 is that you can make the flowers as simple 
 or as intricate as you like.
 Add a few more petals, give it some glitter
curl the petal edges or paint the tips
it's all up to you.



   Have Fun is rule #1

In Memory of my Mom

     Its been a long climb back up to where I can see light in the sky and a future on the horizon.
                                    
                                  

I have been absent from myself.

Paralyzed by the reality
pained by the loss I feel
Too many tears to see. 

Staring blankly and crying endlessly.
 I retreated for my sanity.
 

My life has been altered significantly.
  I lost my Mom 
when my Mom lost her way.

I hold the past now closer to my heart
In an effort to paint new pictures 
  from old memories.
Thanyou for being my Mom. I will miss you for all eternity.

                                                                

Take Time

This is a close up shot of one of the many beautiful Iris's that grew in the flower bed next to the Tiger Lillies.
The flowers grew right under my nose.
 I planted them there so that I would see the beauty of their full colorful display as I passed by in the process of coming and going from the front door of the house. 
Somehow in spite of myself and my own good intentions, I would often blindly pass the flower beds while stuck in my head. I was just too busy to see.

Said the Domestic Engineer to herself
Schedule ME time into my every day- 
Remind myself on a regular basis!

 I pulled into the driveway at home and shut off the car.
 I lay my head forward to rest it on the steering wheel but for a moment
 because a moment too long might find me sleeping at the wheel.
 
Twas the end of a very busy day and the start of an even busier evening.

 I was tired. I was hungry. I was ornery.
I sighed as I lifted my head from the wheel.
I had to march on. Time limits are real.

I loaded up my body with grocery bags and soldiered towards the house.
I suddenly became acutely aware of the warm, breeze that blew.
I was overcome with the warmth of the sun beaming on my face.
I was awed by the vision of color radiating at my feet.

I stopped in my tracks.

This was my reminder that "Me time" matters.
Put down the groceries girl.  You gotta get at it!

 I knelt down beside the Irises.
Their beauty overwhelmed me.
 The moment captured me.
 I captured the memory..