Brutus, The Garden Cat: ^^ An Impromptu Summer's End Photo Shoot

Happy Day to you.

It's a beauty of a Friday and we've been

watering and mowing.

Our monsoons are gone so we

are back at it with the hose and water cans.

But the temps are cooler now and it's a joy to 

be there just soaking up the 

last couple weeks of summer. 

Do you have adventures planned

for the weekend or are you going to choose

a quiet "last weekend"

of summer?  

I actually just realized...

It IS the last weekend of summer 2018!

Oh my...

Time to reflect on all of the loveliness

and wonder of those beautiful summer

days that have come and gone this year.

That will be my next post.

We are packing up to spend the weekend

with some of our kids and grandkids.

We've rented a large house on a little lake. 

It's only about 20 minutes from here.

It's going to be a beautiful weekend

for some fun and family time. 

No special  big plans. 

Of  COURSE it will be special.

* sleepovers together

*sit in the jacuzzi

*walks around the lake

*drink wine with grown-ups

*annnd... hot cocoa with the kids

(anytime is hot cocoa time)

Yes?

Just some simple family time.

Isn't life filled with simple pleasures?

But before I go, I want to put a little

 post out and say hello to my lovely

friends~

Here are a few fun photos of

Brutus... 

He's such a character.

One can almost read his mind here.

Hahaha!

Moving in for a closer look...

And closer...

 Guess what happens next? 

(wink!!)

 Out of all of the cats that we've ever had,

Brute is the nature lover.

Is it just me, or does he look love-struck?

And definitely mischievous! 

He cannot resist flowers and herbs.

When I have vases sitting  

 on the table, he will jump up

 to smell them and lay

by the vase. Of course, being on the

table is a no no! So I take his picture and 

then shoo him away. 

;)

Whatta cutie!

I do need to go. I have packing to do 

and groceries to buy.

I want to wish you all a fabulous

last weekend of summer.

I hope it's a perfect way to end your

season. And don't we have so many

delightful things to look forward to 

in the fall?

Hugs and blessings to you and 

many thanks for coming by for a visit.

Tamara X

decorative, altered book... a dream is a wish that your heart makes

It's Thursday and the morning is quiet.

I'm listening to the soothing music of Eva Cassidy.

She has a voice like a songbird and 

the songs are very soulful.

It fits my mood this morning. 

I'm always tired after our evening of music.

It's so fun but you know that fun is usually work, too!

I've done my watering which takes

 about an hour and half.

The morning is beautiful and being out 

is one of my first loves. 

Just listening to the birds,

collecting squash from my garden and 

watching the butterflies flit about.

Liberty follows me around like my personal body guard.

Oh, how I love that sweet dog!

*****

Today, I wanted to share a couple of pictures from 

this altered book.

It's just an old book that I picked up from the Thrift Store.

I have made these to sell and they are gone 

so I'm making some more.

This time, I tried tone on tone and I love the way it turned out.

I'm sorry that my photos are not very clear. I even checked them in my

editing program and zoomed in.. They were clear. I wonder if it's blogger.

Anyone else experiencing this?

Here, I'm trying to sort out my layout. I used several different

mediums. Which is my favorite way to create. Colored texture paste,

gesso and rubber stamps.

I used an old library card to create the lines. 

I am very fond of the grunge look. 

The ragged edges with smudging and distressing.

I have learned to use a splattering technique 

and try it whenever

it fits a project.

Here is the finished book.

A DREAM IS A WISH YOUR HEART MAKES

What wish is your heart making, friend?

Life should be filled with dreams and wishes

and of course, seeing them come true.

And we know that takes sacrifice, hard work and holding on 

like your life depends on it! 

And in some ways it does..

Isn't there SO much more to life than just breathing?

And what is life without that hope of our dreams in our hearts?

It's NEVER too late to reach for the stars. 

So we keep it ever in our sights.

Here's a link to Eva Cassidy singing

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW

What a bunch of lovelies I'm with here. We were out for a movie.

We have a s historical theatre here in our town.

It was built in the early 1900s and we try to

 support them  as much as possible.

And of course our family is a little movie crazy!

It has a tiny concession area and the bathrooms 

can barely fit two people.

But aren't those places special?

They have history and character.

I'm so happy that the new owners didn't

do too drastic of an update when they bought it.

Just think of the lovely people that have 

gone on first dates there and

taken their kids for their birthdays.

Oh... What a magical thought! 

Brutus would like you 

to think that he's always working in the gardens but 

here is proof that he does nap sometimes. 

Haha!

What a cutie..

Do you love this brilliant color of Blue Flax?

I have always loved these in the wild and 

was thrilled to find them for sale in

a local nursery last year.

Celebrating life's special moments.

 Jeff surprised me for our

anniversary and made us both appointments for pedicures.

What a thoughtful and unique gift! 

Hello Beauties! 

I just love seeing these majestic elk. 

We see quite a few when

we drive to Alpine every Wednesday to play music.

Not a great picture; I took it on my phone.

Life is so full. 

I'm learning to navigate it without carrying guilt for the 

things or people that I can't get to.

I hope it's that way for you, too.

We do our best don't we?

And, knowing that, we have to let the rest go.

That's so healthy for you and I.

Clink.. clink..

HERE'S TO YOU!

Here's to HAPPY~

AND...

 here's to a lovely day, a wonderful weekend and

doing whatever is in your heart to do.

Enjoy

Relish

Celebrate

My heart is overflowing with gratitude for all that life is.

Thank you for coming by and s special thank you to those who take

the time to say hello!

Peace and blessings~

Tamara xo

Back Home Happenings~

Hello Everyone!

It brings tears to my eyes as I think how long I have been away!

How I have missed all of my lovely friends and visitors.

I had no intention of being unplugged for so long and it has just confirmed

that we are making the right, but very difficult decision, to 

cut back on our travels back east. 

It has gotten to be too much .

It's interesting that I was gone for 3 1/2 weeks and it's taken me almost 

exactly that long to get back up to speed. 

(It's possible that I could be doing more but have

lost the motivation to try to be Super Woman 

and I'd rather enjoy

making more of every experience.)

We won't be selling our Sugartree cabin but will be renting 

to our niece and youngest daughter.

I have mixed feelings about that but I believe it's a good thing

and the right time.

Fly away little bird.

So, I have been planting and gardening 

like a crazy plant lady.

Spending hours every day out side 

trying to water, mulch, plant and arrange. 

I haven't taken many pictures but will share some soon!

It takes a while to get things looking pretty and our temperatures 

have been in the mid-90s. 

We have been spending so much time with our kids having 

cookouts, going to the movies, eating out, 

birthday parties and other family celebrations!

Whew! It has been lovely so far and  it seems it's just beginning.

Our singing engagements are up to at least two a week and though 

it's work we find it to be great fun as well.

Not only do I say FLOWERS always FLOWERS!

I say MUSIC always MUSIC :)

I'm not sure if I ever made it clear that I'm on a quest to 

know my self better and to find my true authentic self. 

Anyway, I am and  have begun by being more

 honest with myself and others.

I want to live in a place where I am more real and free to be me.

It's not easy but worth it. I see it as a kind of refining and what 

I have in the end will be more pure.

My masks have been removed.

I am so happy to be back and can hardly wait to come and visit.

 I apologize to those who left comments and I never got back to you

and to those whose emails that I haven't answered yet! 

I am slow but will get it done.. 

Thank you all so much for your patience and for coming by to visit!

Please, please do tell me what you've been doing!

I hope you're enjoying your summer so far and

 that life is being kind to you.

Tamara

XO

The Decision to Take Care of Ourselves And Then.... the Journey

Taking care of oneself may seem like a 

natural and easy thing to do for some. 

And having to make a conscious decision 

to do so may seem ridiculous.

(I'm talking about much more than 

just the basics of

 eating and sleeping and general care.)

But for others, including myself, 

it truly is a journey of

self-discovery and recovery. 

It's a learning process

that happens only if we are 

willing to peel off layers

of wrong thinking, work at

 getting to know ourselves

as well as making changes.

It would take a small book to share

with you the revelations that have come from 

seeking to take better care of  myself..

well-being and a healthier,

more balanced lifestyle.

I used to think that I was healthy.

Several years ago, I came to a place in my life

where I felt numb. I had died inside

and I knew that if I wanted my 

life to be different,

I was going to have to accept boundaries

and live more intentionally.

(I don't mean to sound snooty)

I needed to begin to stand up for myself

and stop making commitments that were

helpful to others but that left me feeling exhausted

and drained physically and mentally.

This was difficult because I love people and

helping them.  But I had to come to realize that

I could still love them but I didn't have to

push myself beyond healthy limits to show that love.

I was saying no to outside commitments at times and

that was good but I wasn't considering limiting

 social outings or time with family as part 

of my care. 

Two years ago, I realized what a 

true introvert was and that I am one and that

it's ok to be one! Haha..

And furthermore, it was ok to fashion my time and 

life in a way that allowed me the solitude that 

I needed to stay rested and to feel like 

my life was not out of control. 

I don't LIKE this about myself but I'm 

grateful to have the understanding.

It's so freeing to be able to make 

decisions based on my needs 

without (most of the time ;) feeling guilty.

Can anyone relate to what I'm saying?

I have learned that I'm not selfish but wise

when I say no to invitations to social events.

Not answering the phone is ok if I'm not up to talking

at that moment. Responding to social media in 

a time frame when I feel rested and can enjoy the

connection is the right way for me.

Learning to listen to our minds and bodies 

and to be able to respond to what we hear, is a gift. 

It requires focus at times and honesty

with ourselves and others.  

People don't always understand. 

My test run circumstance did not end well.

There were broken relationships

and a severing of ties.

It's very sad but I am healthier.

Be prepared and take care of yourself anyway.

If you don't, who will?

This is one of the 

toughest parts of our journey. We don't

want to offend or hurt others. There are always

going to be needs. We can't begin to meet them all.

I was raised to work.

And the harder I worked and the more I accomplished,

the more I was praised. I can tell you that this

set me up for a life time of pleasing others

and totally losing touch with who I was 

or what my needs (and wants) were.

I don't dread telling people no anymore. It

feels good to take care of myself. I enjoy life

soooo much more. The quality

of each experience has been heightened

to the pleasure that it should be because

I have learned to pace myself and reserve what I need

to really be present and enjoy that time. Not wishing that the time

were over so that I can go home and rest.

If you're in need, I hope this has helped 

and made sense to you.

Life is too short and our bodies and minds

have limitations. If we ignore this fact, 

we can do irreversible damage to our bodies

and lose out on the quality of 

life that awaits 

each of us.

There's so much more to it all. 

But too much to write in one post. 

At another time, I would like to write

about the things that we have and how they

demand of us.

(This is a huge one for me and I'm still working on it!

And then beyond our needs are our wants... 

which I would also like to write about another time.)

We have only one life to live.

One time around.

A limited existence with so much to experience.

May yours be blessed. 

Filled with richness and peace.

Thank you for your visit.

I would love to hear any words of advice or 

any stories of what you've learned.

Tamara xo

An Ordinary Matchbox Altered For Spring

Happy day everyone!

I hope that your week is going well.

I have been absent again! 

I'm not sure where the time goes but I am determined...

to figure this out!

And I'm actually praying about letting it go for awhile.

I love it but I'm not sure if I can make it fit with 

the other things that I've added this year.

I need to simplify my posts.

I joke with my husband (though it's very true!)

about how I am SO good at complicating things.

But I am learning to turn that around.

YAY!

The magic and beauty of spring can be found 

all around. I have been walking about and finding lovely surprises 

all over the yard. The most wonderful have been the two peonies

that I marked off of my list of survivors from last year's plantings.

I am so happy and excited about seeing them come up and am anxiously

waiting for them to grow!

I want to share just a little project with you today.

It's an altered matchbox.

I love taking something ordinary and making it pretty.

Do you like to do that?

I apologize for the photos.

They aren't very creative or even good.

 I  covered it with some pretty, spring paper and gathered some embellishments.

Ferns are one of one of my favorite plants.

So I picked some to use.

 Boxes are so fun to decorate for gifts, craft storage or for decorations. 

And the possibilities for decorating are endless!

This one is pretty simple. I do love losing myself in creating with details though.

***********

I have been so very busy with family outings.

This last week I had a spontaneous shopping trip

with my youngest daughter, a visit over breakfast with two of my daughters and

granddaughters. Thursday, we took five of our grandkids to 

see Beauty and the Beast.

Family outings are so special and celebrating

those relationship often and having fun

makes lasting memories that we'll always treasure.

This evening there's a girls night out eating dessert and going

to the movie to celebrate a daughter's birthday

and then.....

tomorrow dinner with our oldest daughter and SIL to

celebrate their anniversary..

WHICH WAS IN NOVEMBER!

HAHA! ;)

With a (very) large family, and packed schedules, 

it sometimes takes months to squeeze those special outings in!

 Having girl time with Liberty is something I try to do once a week. 

That probably sounds a little odd, but she's getting older and 

she is a good, kind dog. She deserves special 

attention and I love doting on her.

It's always a good time to work on adding a little color or 

something new to add some cheer to my home.

There's something warm and wonderful that happens to a room

when you add something new. I can imagine it smiling.

A bit like getting a new scarf or pair of earrings! 

This floral cheer came from a flea-market.

I loved the colors and it was only a dollar! I was so surprised....

I bought a pile of pieces to bring home and sew into pillows or something.

I have been reading the most wonderful book!

It is packed with inspiration and wisdom.

I will share it with you soon.

(I need to get busy on my posts!)

The excitement of what I'm learning in my personal life or

through my reading sometimes bubbles over and keeps me up late

journalling and drawing.

Do you ever have thoughts or ideas that you want to get onto

paper before you go to sleep at night because you know it will be vanish

while you sleep?

I loved this entry.. it came from the devotional:

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

I have to remind myself of this often and so it really spoke to me.

What speaks to you?

Well dear ones..

Here's wishing you a lovely new week!

Thank you for coming by. 

I hope you were able to take away something

with you that was encouraging or inspiring!

Blessings and hugs...

Tamara

There Was A Time... Shall We Get Back to It?

Hello!

(heart)

Being here feels so foreign after nearly three weeks between posts!

I have missed you and wanted to come and tell you so.

I am trying to  change so many things in my life.

Te be more in tuned to people around me.

I can be so self consumed in the moment.

It has been a beautiful spring here and with the

loveliness of life there has also come the busyness.

There was a time when I was

posting two times a week but I can't seem to stop

overthinking about this and get overwhelmed!

But I'm going to work at getting back to it.

 Spring came early to the mountains and there has been work to do 

outside. The tender care of mulching,

 and weeding. I have to do a sort of plant hovering in the spring

because the baby plants come up and then WHAM!

We get snow and cold temps again.


We had a beautiful, wet snow

the other evening and Liberty and I took a walk and came back dripping wet!

It was so fun and refreshing that I was trying to find reasons to stay outside.

Those walks take me back to my girlhood days when I use

to wander the farm in all kinds of weather.

I do love seeing the new plants popping up and 

the trees heavy with blossoms.

There's also been the sorting and cleaning out of every 

"nook and cranny"! It has felt good but has been a lot of extra work.

But in the midst of the work, I've been having so much fun

 learning new songs and playing a lot of music.

It truly is my #1 obsession!

And I'm excited that there are many singing opportunities

coming up. I enjoy the people so much but

to be honest, I am not a very good performer.

I'm more of a passionate, closet musician. Haha! So, I'm having to learn to 

be more expressive when singing for others.  I always felt like that

was show-offey. But I understand now that it's just enjoying

myself and letting it be about the music not me.

Isn't there always so much to learn?

(the azalea bush that my daughter gifted me for my birthday. 

I love pink!)

 There was a time.. 

I tried song writing. 

Have you ever let something die just because

you felt you weren't good enough?

Maybe it's time to turn that negative thinking around and try again. 

Don't think too much about it. 

Just follow your heart, Dearie!

There was a time ...

when I worked like a crazy person making things..

Well...I have been working on projects again now that

the biggest part of the sorting is done.

I have finished another book page, angel. 

She is woodsy and all about spring!

I will share her soon.

And my late evenings and Sunday mornings are a good time to make cards

for friends and family. Thank yous.. Birthday cards and any other

reason that I can find to make them! I do enjoy paper crafting so much.

Do you have certain times set aside that seem to work for you?

There is a new friend that has taken up residency here... 

I will call him my new studio assistant.

He was a gift from my husband.

He received a very nice bonus from work and he

bought ME a gift :)

He is so very thoughtful and giving!

I will reveal this new little love of mine before too long.

I'm so excited to have him along as my crafting and artistic pal! 

What's been happening with you?

I know that life isn't always fun and exciting.

There are hard things and lots of hard work. 

Even when most of life is going well.

I hope that you're finding the grace and strength to 

work through the hard things and that there are good things

 to bring magic to your days and put a smile in your heart.

Thank you so much for coming by and may your cup 

be full and overflowing.

Tamara XO