Wednesday, August 29, 2007

~~ Seashells ~~




I picked up many seashells , while at the beach. I love their colors , different textures and natural beauty. I have a huge collection.

While we were browsing the antique store , I spotted a planter that had been tiled with broken china pieces , marbles and old jewelry , it was beautiful.
It inspired me ..... I decided that I would try one with shells , driftwood , sea glass and other items I've collected over the years.
But when I got home , I realized there was something else I wanted to do with the shells. I have an old wooden counter , that we've been using as a bar outside on the patio and I decided to tile it with the shells.

I had planned to redo the outdoor furniture this past spring , but never got to it. I'm hoping this project will give me the kick start I need. I have started gluing the shells in place , then I will grout it and seal it. I will show you some photos as I go along with this project.

Hope your day is great , full of creativity and love !!

Monday, August 27, 2007

Count Your Blessings Monday









On this Monday I'm counting my blessings. Check out Marci .......................at http://amazinggrazefarm.blogspot.com/ for more info on Count Your Blessings Monday. I wish I knew how to make the link clickable , feel free to tell me if you know. I'm thankful for the herb Echinacea also known as purple cone flower featured in the photo above. We had a birthday party for my grandson on August 5th and something flew down my swimsuit and stung me on the breast. I never saw what it was. I'm not allergic to bee stings , but for some reason I developed an infection. I started taking my echinacea about two weeks ago and it is finally healing. Last year I bought the herbal plant , echinacea and planted it. It didn't grow very well in the spot I planted it , so I moved it in the spring and it has did better. You need to wait 2 years , before harvesting. Next year I plan to make my own tincture from my plant. I'm so thankful for this special herb the creator has blessed us with.
We were blessed with some much needed rain last night also. Thank-You to the creator for these wonderful blessings !!!

Thursday, August 23, 2007

** ~ Oak Island Adventures ~ **



I'm back from a much needed vacation. We left last Friday for Oak Island. My SIL , her BF , Ayla , Jake , hubby and myself , arrived Friday night , turned the a.c. on and went out to eat chinese for dinner.

Saturday we rode to Holden Beach to visit my brother , spent the afternoon by the pool and went to Joe's Barbecue for dinner. I had catfish and shrimp , it was delicious. Jake loves buttons (shrimp) , we don't know why , but for some reason he calls shrimp , buttons (LOL).

Sunday , I babysit Ayla for my SIL , so they could go to the beach for awhile. She's a very good baby. My SIL and her BF left for home that afternoon.
My youngest daughter and her BF came down Sunday evening . Jake was excited to see Mom and Dad. We went to the beach and enjoyed watching Jake explore the ocean and the beautiful sunset.

On Monday we took Jake to visit the Oak Island Nature Center. It is built near the marshes , so we explored some and went inside to see the animals. They take injured wildlife and pets that are no longer wanted.
After we left the nature center , we stopped for homemade ice cream. It was a gift shop , but outside they served ice cream from a small trailer. They had it decorated tropically and Jimmy Buffet playing all the time.
They called this little paradise * The Leaky Tiki *. Jake wanted pink ice cream (strawberry) and ate the whole scoop , then announced he was ready for chocolate (LOL).

My brother grilled a feast for us on Monday night , hamburgers , hotdogs for Curious Jake , ribs , garlic bread , peppers and onions , red potatoes all cooked on the grill. He's a great cook and it was all delicious , I bet I gained a pound or two.
We where going to go fishing Monday morning , but the ocean was rough from the storm.

Tuesday we decided to checkout the antique shops and thrift stores. We also took Jake to the small airport to watch the planes take off and land. Jake was fascinated with the airplanes.
Jake wasn't thrilled about shopping , but the antique store had a shop cat and she held his attention. He loves cats , I have two cats and he chases them and tries to torture them when he can. But they love him , when he was sick , they stayed near him , even napping with him. Most of the time they keep their distance.
I bought a 50's chicken motif bill/letter holder , my kitchen is decorated with chickens and vintage 50's items.
We took Jake for that chocolate ice cream he wanted the day before and to the beach that afternoon . I picked up some driftwood and shells.
Later that evening we went to play putt-putt , this was Jake's first time playing putt-putt. He was so cute , he would take the ball and sit it next to the hole and knock it in. Hole in one everytime (LOL).

Wednesday morning , my daughter and I went to the beach early and picked up shells. I will share more about what I plan to do with the shells this week.

It was wonderful to get away and enjoy some new scenery. I enjoyed the quiet mornings , when everyone else was sleeping. I did some sketching and reading. I started reading The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron w/ Mark Bryan , great book to help with that inner critic. Some of the glitter girls have spoke about this book and recommended it. I found it a couple of weeks ago at a thrift store , a great book at a great price.

Will share more about the trip and art this week.
Hope everyone is doing well and THANK-YOU for the wonderful birthday wishes.

**** Happy Hugs ****

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

*~* My Birthday *~*


Yesterday I celebrated another year of living. My hubby treated me to lunch at our favorite mexican restaurant.
My daughters and mom cooked dinner for me. My oldest daughter made me a chocolate cake and put glitter candles on it.
I went with my youngest daughter for her ultrasound yesterday. Curious Jake is going to have a little brother to boss around (LOL).
It was a beautiful day !
I'm so thankful for my family.

We're taking a trip to the beach , for a few days. Time for some R&R !

Saturday, August 11, 2007

~*~ Learning about Herbs ~*~



I'm doing a online study course about herbs , this course is free. If you would like to learn more about herbs , here are some links.

http://www.susunweed.com/An_Article_Weed_Self-help1.htm

http://prodigalgardens.info/index.htm

After reading the Prodigal Gardens site , I found the wild herb purslane growing in my garden , see photo above. I added some to my salad this week , it tastes good and makes the salad look pretty. Purslane is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids , which is healthy for you.

I made a soul collage about herbs last night. Maybe it will get my creativity flowing.

Well , I'm heading to the kitchen , need to make another batch of salsa. I've been blessed with tomatoes this year but they're small , due to the lack of rain.

~~~~ Hope your day is Blessed ~~~~

Friday, August 10, 2007

Herbs


I have been interested in herbs for many years. I've read alot about them and use some regularly. I buy mine at the GNC store. But a couple of weeks ago I decided that I would like to learn more and do an apprenticeship with a herbalist.
I've been making some herbal vinegars this week. I'm using local wild herbs to make these vinegars. I've made plantain , dandelion and red clover. All of these herbs can be used as a calcium supplement , 2 to 4 tbsps daily can reverse and counter osteoporosis. My youngest daughter will be taking the dandelion vinegar , it is good for liver problems. When she was pregnant with Jake , she had a condition called ICP. The liver doesn't function properly and bile starts building up and causes intense itching. We're hoping and praying this will not happen this time , but there is a 50% chance it will. I hope the dandelion will keep the liver cleansed and working properly.

Well , it's about time for Curious Jake to wakeup from his nap. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.