The Look of Love....

Sorry random pic...just LOVE buttons..sigh.

Is that title sappy or what? I know Valentine's Day is a big commercial holiday..but I can't help but fall for this sweet celebration just the same. I mean red/white is one of my fave color combos and they are of course perfect shades for amore. Better than that are Valentine crafts...which are just plain fun to make. Reminds me of being back in school with the old Elmers (what about that cement glue...aghast...THAT smell)making Valentines shoe boxes to hold our cards. I wanted to share a little box (a box you say?) that I covered and embellished and a little chipboard frame I made & covered. I put a snippet of bird scrapbook paper in it and hung it from my lamp. The XOXO...was actually XQXQ...I cut the Q's squiggglys off...JoAnns didn't have any O's...no biggy. Well off to make more....I am on a rollllll. Can I say I am looking forward to TRUE BEAUTY tonight....yes I am hopelessly addicted to it. What can I say. Now where did I put that red Martha glitter at????? Night night!

Thank-you soooo much for all your honest replies about my fireplace....much of what you said as been rolling around in my head for some time and it felt good to have you confirm it all! When monies and time allow...I do think it needs some beefing up on the sides.....the mantle always has seemed to float. So glad that I exposed my unloved fireplace finally. rofl.

Very Random..

See the laundry behind the canisters........IT IS FOLDED>

This is the only one I could find of a white mantle and rock....I have an inspiration pic but can't find it of what I originally had in mind.

This is what happens to my pillows....thrown helter skelter.

I always have a half-finished layout......laying around!

My amaryllis I got for my birthday from mother-in-law. Husband put it there...not me.

So a bit of a warning....this is just a random post with random photos. Took some pics of Jeff and I going out to the big ole town of La Pine (said with much sarcasm). As you can see Riley is ridin shotgun. He ALWAYS rides shotgun. The dog lives for his ball and the rides out and about town. You see (pause)....the dog gets treats every time we venture into society. His Mommy, yes that is referring to me, is addicted to her mexi-mochas. He knows that he gets doggy treats at the drive-up. He will bark to remind them he is there and looking oh so cute. He has the girls well trained . One even fixes him a cup full of REAL whip cream with the dog cookies on top. I see your eyes rolling, don't think I don't! You think he might also have us well trained too? Anyways...I took random photos of the scenery outside. One of our cross hanging from the rear view mirror (made by dh's grandma who passed this last year). See the crack in the windshield? Yep. That was made by RILEY. Protecting the car. We can't afford at the moment to get it fixed. Just keeping it real for ya all. It is a lovely little Corolla that gets from point A to B...and at the moment that is all that matters.

As for keeping it real......I thought I would show that fireplace I don't like...in the great hopes that maybe you all could suggest something that could make me fall in love with the old girl. I know many have asked to see full on shots so here they are. I threw in one of what I was going for. Suggest away.....bring it on. I am not scared. I am not easily hurt. Really it is ok. What was in my mind and what came to be reality never meshed. So there I bared the white elephant...along with pell mell pillows, and cracked windshields....anything else you would like to see that isn't tricked out for the camara? I have plenty areas to share in that arena. Let me know if you want more. I am being serious here..would love to know what you enjoy seeing when you come to visit me! Oh yeah I found those little canisters at St. Vinnies today! 2.00! I plan on redoing them. Ohhh and did you see my amaryillis growing...ain't she a beaut? I always do paper whites..but they were sold out. I had to throw some more of my humble artsy fartsy photos. Ok so I said this is random and it is. I will try to do better next time. Off to snuggle with the boys. I just Realized I live with 4 of them? Two human ones and two fur ones. For REALS. Happpppppy Friday! EDITED TO ADD...I have had several of you ask what camara I own....I have a Canon Rebel XTI.....which I know nutting about...hopefully that will change. Cherry

Boy Time flies....

Riley is grumpy......wants his ball thrown!

New end tables.....I think I need to bang them up a bit...MORE distressing.

Man I can't believe it is venturing towards the middle of Jan. already. I had a wonderful Christmas with our family. It came and went with furious speed as it does each year. I hope all of yours were wonderful and full of sweet memories. Like many of you, I am sure, it felt good to get everything put away and to have a new clean uncluttered space. I spent and still am doing some deep Winter cleaning. I was blessed to get a bit of Christmas money and used it to buy two new end tables in our family room & bought two organizers for my wonderous ever growing scrapbooking obsession. So I have been cleaning, tweaking here and there, doing a few Valentine projects, organizing, and , purging as good as the next gal. I also have a paint project going on in our master. So my juggling is not stopping in this new year.

One of the things I hope to do is learn more about my camara. Stop keeping it on automatic and stop being scared of it. I took some pics today of my bathroom and of our mantle in the Winter morning light. I thought I would share those with you. The pic of the corner chair is my fave place to snuggle up with some cocoa! I snapped one of some of our fave blankies...the green afghan is one that my grandmother knitted for me many years ago. Of course Riley got in on the act...he is bugged at me for not playing ball with him! I found the boxes last night at Tj's all for of them for 5.00! They say LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE. I love them and love the subtle reminder they bring to our family room. Been playing with textures etc. The one of the rock is our fireplace...my one white elephant. I love the rock but not the mantle...owell. Anyways....I missed ya all and hope to get to visit you all soon! I have many projects to share! Hugs, cherry