What...if Anything Have I Learned this Week

On the ‘Morning Joe’ show (on MSNBC) all the talking heads gather together at the end of each show to take a turn in sharing… “What did we learn this morning?”

I’ve decided to take a page from “Morning Joe” and include a "What did I learn this week” section in my blog. So here’s my first...

"What did I learn this Week..."

That I can use silk flowers by the stem…for much less than the cost of the scrap-book and card making flowers that come in fancy tins, packets, etc… on my creations. I’m sure everyone else out there has already figured this one out, but I only just chanced upon it today.

I went to Michaels specifically to get some white MM mini blossoms.

While waiting to pay, I noticed a silk flower stem lying behind the checkout counter that looked to be the exact size and color I needed...at 50% off. I purchased that baby and what-do- you-know…it worked!

Of course, the silk stems don’t have fancy patterns or polka dots, etc., but for the solid colored flowers…it’s a lot cheaper. Just pull the “blossoms” off and store in a small container.

There is the problem, however, of the left-over denuded stem. For those of us who like to recycle and watch what we toss in the trash, this presents an issue [and I am left with a whole lot of flowers!]. Hmm…I sure hope I don’t have to re-think this idea!

Thanks for stopping by...

Busy...

Been spending all my time working these past two weeks on looking into all things re our (more than potential) new home and town, i.e., house rental or house purchase, schools, etc. etc., but hope to be back soon with some new cards.

Roads with a view...

where we might live...

So how different can life be...

in a small, western university town when you get served hot chocolate that looks like this?!

Hot chocolate presented to our son at Coal Creek Coffee. The Barista who whipped this up is headed to the Barista Championship in Portland, Oregon in March. We wish him luck!

Thanks for stopping by...

From this...

Our street (in a large old growth tree area) in Northern Virginia


To this...
A neighborhood (in a high altitude plain area nestled between two mountain ranges) in a small western university town

How our lives...they might be a'changing…soon.

A smile is on my face…

because yesterday I made this wonderful purchase…my first on Etsy! It’s by doe-c-doe, one of those happy recent blog finds I mentioned earlier. You can find her at http://doecdoe.blogspot.com/

I bought this for my mom…who sewed all her clothes and mine and who did real hand-stitched smocking.

Thank you doe-c-doe…for putting a smile on my face!

Thanks for stopping by...

A HUGE Life Decision...and a Thank You!

It’s been nearly a month since my last post. I’d been sick since mid-January…first with a bad cold/virus and fever and then bronchitis…and have since been left with some residual respiratory ailments.

More recently, however, my husband and I have been consumed with a huge life decision…“Do we leave the D.C. area (where we’ve lived for the past 25-30 years) to move to a small University town in one of those big box states?”

The immediate answer should be a resounding “yes,” since it would fulfill my husband’s dream of being a full-time Law Professor. Yet…the cut in pay, a questionable seller’s market and a 12 year-old whose life is rooted here…make it a difficult decision.

I’ve spent the past two weeks scouring the internet to learn as much as possible about our potential new home town. Now this weekend, we’re going to visit. I’m keeping my fingers crossed (that we’ll fall in love)!

So the crafting and the blog posts have fallen (once again) by the wayside.

To reduce my stress level, I’ve been stopping by some of my favorite blog sites and have also happily chanced upon some new ones that have left me...“all-a-twitter.” So many talented and awesome ladies out there…and generous to boot!

So thank you kind and generous ladies, who have helped to erase...momentarily...the worry lines from of my forehead as I wonder…”what’s in store for us this next year?”

And really…shouldn’t there be a card lurking in (or come out of) all of this?