January 2024 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

I can't even begin to list the number and kinds of animals I've had in my life, but there has always been a cat.  I love cats.  I got my first one when I was about 4 and never went long without one since. My first published painting book was on cats.  Besides Boo and Jake, I also have 10 barn cats in the horse stable.  All of them were born here and range in age from 7 months to 10 years.  Yes, they all have names and are almost as spoiled as Boo -- heated houses, water dishes, and breakfast delivered at 8:00 each morning.  All of them get pet or held daily.  In return, they keep rabbits out of my garden.  And, no mouse in his right mind would dare step into that building :)  

Click  HERE  to Download

Fan Freebie --

Couldn't let the dogs miss out on all the fun!  My favorite dog was my black Great Dane, Duchess.  She's been gone a good many years now and I just never found another dog that could take her place.  She was a fun dog.  But, if someone came to the door, she would quietly place herself between me and the person at the door.  If it was a friend, she was good.  If it was a stranger, she would just sit there and stare at them until they left.  So, until the right dog comes along, I'm happy with my cats and horses and, occasionally, the neighbor's dog comes over to visit, too.

Click  HERE  to Download

The Boo Update --

                  "Thank goodness Christmas is over.  All that rustling paper and commotion!  

BOWS!!!  Oh, I love bows!!"

Boo developed "Miliary Dermatitis" last summer.  It's tiny little bumps around his neck, usually caused by an allergy of some sort.  Some days would be better than others, but it never totally went away.  So I took him to the Vet again, and we put him on prescription cat food and had lab work done to see exactly what he was allergic to.  The cat food made a big difference and it seems to be improving.  Not gone yet, but improving.  I also had them do a full blood workup and found out that he is allergic to grasses, trees, a variety of plants, so on and so forth.  Our vet said she has never seen so many boxes checked.  At that point, I knew this was going to be expensive.  But, what do you do, right?  I just shook my head.  I've said it since Day 1 -- this is the most unusual cat I've ever had~!  But, at least he's feeling better, the new food agrees with him, and there definitely is improvement.  

Happy New Year everyone!

December 2023 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

Oh boy!  It's almost Christmas . . . again!  Take lots of pictures to scrap and preserve your memories.  Time keeps moving forward even when you wish it would just slow down for certain times throughout the year.  Pictures help not just to document the moment, but gives you something to savor and enjoy months, sometimes years, down the road.

Click  HERE  to Download

Fan Freebie --

These truly are some of my favorite things.  I love snow for Christmas (but wish it would melt the first of the year), lights and ornaments, gingerbread (or any decorated Christmas cookie actually), fresh cut pine trees with homemade ornaments, and Elves.  I can take or leave Santa, but I definitely need Elves.  It's those added simple things that make any holiday special.  Come to think of it, I wish someone would give me an elf or two for Christmas to help me clean up after the holiday is over :)

Click  HERE  to Download

The Boo Update --

Boo's most favorite part of Christmas is the tree.  He'll spend time napping under it from the first day we put it up, while I'm decorating it and everyday thereafter until the day we take it down.  He tends to leave the decorations alone unless they jingle and then it's fair game.  And once in a while if he spots something "interesting" up higher, well....those branches coming out of the trunk are the perfect ladder to climb up to get a closer look.  

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

November 2023 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

I have to admit . . . this month's color scheme didn't speak to me.  Usually I can look at the colors and know exactly what I want to do with them.  So, I looked at the theme suggestions -- kitchen and boho.  Kitchen was out because I try to spend as little time as possible in the kitchen these days.  Ok...so let's go with "boho".  Hmmm....what exactly is boho?  After googling boho and looking at the many examples that came up, I saw that boho was somewhere between cashless college student of the 60's and "whatever goes" after that.  I just shake my head.  But, I have to admit, it was interesting to find that I can still create and even have fun while working on it even though it all still boggles my mind.  (That's probably pretty close to what my Mom thought of my sense of style growing up in the 60's with our bell bottoms and mini skirts.  But, hey . . . we were so cool~! Enough said.)

Click  HERE  to download

Fan Freebie --

I usually like to create my fan freebies to add onto the blog train piece, but not this time.  When it comes to holidays, I'm a traditionalist.  November is Thanksgiving with all the beautiful colors I see all around me outside. 

Click  HERE  to download

The Boo Update --

Well.  Boo usually knows he is not to be on the counter EVER.  But, I made an exception this time because he was watching my husband doing the dishes and he looked so beautiful sitting there so patiently waiting for dishes to be done and play time to begin.  So, I let it slide and grabbed my camera instead.  He's not spoiled at all :)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
May your turkey be tender and your pumpkin pie perfect.

October 2023 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

I like Fall.  We still have warm days, but not as hot as the summer months were.  And, we're finally getting some much needed rain.  

I loved the colors for the blog train this month.  Perfect for pumpkin patch pictures.  (Try saying "pumpkin patch pictures" 10 times real fast!!)  Hahahaa... 

Click  HERE  to download

Fan Freebie --

The kit above was so much fun to create, I thought I'd add another scarecrow and more elements for you to have fun with!

Click  HERE  to download

The Boo Update --

Boo's birthday is the end of this month.  I can't believe he's 5 already.  Seems like just yesterday I brought this pathetic little kitten in from the barn.  He loves laundry day.  As I fling clothes into various piles, he jumps in the air and tries to catch them.  If they hit the floor before he can catch it, he just dives into the pile of clothes and then wonders what I'm laughing at.  He puts the fun back into work :)  And, yes . . . he can also be quite a pest when he sets his mind to it!

Til next month . . .

September 2023 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

September is here and kids are heading back to school again.  I took two of my granddaughters clothes shopping a couple weeks ago.  We had such a good time!  We laughed when things didn't fit.  Ooo'ed and awww'ed when they did.  It was so much fun spending a day with those two.  

I also wanted to thank everyone for their nice comments here and on my facebook page.  I really appreciate it.  

Click  HERE  to download

Fan Freebie --

Here is some graffiti to dress up your pages using the kit above.  Enjoy!

Click  HERE  to download

The Boo Update --

Boo tends to find the most unusual places to sleep.  I always smile when I catch him under this cabinet. It's like having a cat in the chicken coop :)  It's a jam/jelly/candle cupboard that I painted several years ago.  There's nothing like picking up a plain wood piece of furniture and turning it into something special.

See you next month!

August 2023 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

 Winter was a bear, so I was really looking forward to this summer.  Now, I can't wait for it to be over.  I had to pull all the horses off their pastures and feed hay.  Good thing we brought in an extra trailer of  hay last fall.  The downpour we finally got this morning is promising, but we'll see.  It's supposed to be in the high 90s for the rest of the week, so we'll be filling water troughs more than once a day.  You can tell I'm a country girl.  My horses mean everything to me.  My stable is my happy place.  And, weather is everything around here.  It's the first thing I check in the morning and the last thing I check at night so I know what we'll be up against the following day.  Would 72 and a little rain each day be asking for too much?  

Click  HERE  to download

Fan Freebie --

Here are some extra papers and grafitti to go with the kit above.  Have fun with it !

Click  HERE  to download

The Boo Update

"Mom . . . your faucet is dripping again!"  Now if I could just teach him how to turn the water off when he's done!  I had been thinking about getting one of those "touch" faucets.  But, then it occurred to me that he might learn to turn it on himself, but would he remember to then turn it off?  When I think of all the things that could go wrong with that idea!  Trying to train a cat . . . WHAT was I thinking!!

See you next month!

July 2023 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

Although I used to live in Southern California, spent time on the beaches in South Carolina and Florida, it's a very rare day if I go more than ankle deep into the water.  But, I do love walking for miles on the beach with sand under my toes and the sun on my back.  Salt water just isn't my thing.  Truth be told, my favorite view is my horses in their pastures everyday and watching them run toward me when it's time to move into their corrals for the night for brush downs and treats.

By the way, last month I forgot to add the papers to the June Fan Freebie.  Oops!  They are available in the post below.

Click  HERE  to download

Fan Freebie --

We've been expeiencing high temperatures and little rain this summer.  I can't even imagine how much water I've been spraying on all of my flower beds.  At the end of the day, it's wonderful to  put my feet up in a lounge chair in the backyard to admire the flowers and watch the birds until the sun goes down.

Cliick  HERE  to download

The Boo Update --

Boo doesn't care much for 80+ degree weather even with the air conditioning on.  He much prefers the 70's with the windows open.  Nothing spoiled about him!!  

Meet me back here August 1st !!

Missing Fan Freebie Papers

 Oops!!  This is what happens when I have too many irons in the fire!  I fondly call it the "Month of May".  Yes, indeed, I forgot to add the papers to the June Fan Freebie kit in the next post down.  You can download them  HERE   

June 2023 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

I love June.  Spring roundup is over.  The horses are on pasture grass once again and off hay.  All the new perennials are in the ground and growing.  And new baby kittens are in the stables somewhere.  A few more weeks and their moms will bring them out of their hiding spot to meet me.  

I know a lot of you will be traveling this summer, so how about a little "Road Trip".  The best vacations I ever had were driving "blue highways".   You know, those little blue lines on a map that go places where freeways don't exist.  Sure, it takes longer, but there are so many interesting people to meet, places and things to see along the way.  Have fun this summer and drive safe out there!

Click  HERE  to download

Fan Freebie --

And, for those of you who will be staying close to home, throw a backyard get-together for family and friends.  Whatever you do, be sure to take lots of summer pictures.  You can pull them out in the middle of winter and have something to smile about :) 

Click  HERE  to download

The Boo Update --

Boo is a happy cat when I go shopping.  There are all sorts of bags and boxes for him to play on and crawl into.  There have been occasions where I can't find him anywhere.  Sure enough . . . he's sound asleep in a bag or box :)

Meet me back here in July!

May 2023 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

 In my family, we have at least one birthday in each month of the year except for February and September, so basically, we celebrate "something" every month.  Valentine's Day in February and Back to School in September.  I no longer have children living at home, BUT it's really less hectic shopping when other people's children are back in school :)

Click  HERE  to download

Fan Freebie --

What's a party without a lot of "noise" to go with it?  I love graffiti on my scrapbook pages and use it often to add that extra "zing" to the pages.  It's like an "After Party" party!

Click  HERE  to download

The Boo Update --

I told you last month how much Boo loves to "help" me with the plants.  This cyclamen is his very favorite.  At least once a day I'll find him sitting by it smelling the flowers.  While he was watching the flowers grow, I rather enjoyed seeing him other than totally black as the sun bounced off the crystals hanging in the window and gave his fur patches of red color.

Until next month . . . 

April 2023 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

 I had to stop by the feed store to pick up grain for the horses a few weeks ago.  It should have only taken maybe a half hour, BUT . . . their baby chicks had arrived!  All different kinds of them. Soooo cute!  A couple hours later when I finally pulled myself away from them and headed back to the ranch, I thought about where I could keep chickens and how to protect them from predators.  I used to have chickens and dearly loved them.  They're sweet and actually like any other pet if you spend time with them.  One time, it was the middle of winter and I went out to take care of all the animals.  Well . . . this Pollack chicken had gotten herself caught between two posts.  I got her out simply by lifting her up where the posts spread wider, but it didn't seem like she could stand on her feet.  I thought they might have gotten frozen.  If you knew me well, you'd know exactly what I did next.  I took the chicken into the house, put her in the bathroom off from the kitchen and turned on the heat lamps.  I made sure she could reach her food and water without having to move much.  When my husband came home from work, he took one whiff and asked if we were having chicken!!  I told him "no, but check out the "rehab center" in the bathroom".  To make the story short, a couple days later, I came downstairs in the morning to make breakfast for the kids and found my chicken pecking on Benny's food on the kitchen floor.  Benny was my parrot and that silly bird was clutching food in one foot and tossing it through the bars of his cage onto the floor for the chicken.  He'd make a laughing noise and then throw out more.  It was the funniest thing I think I have ever seen!

Click  HERE  to download

Fan Freebie --

Yes, I've had rabbits, too!  If you haven't noticed, my entire life has been devoted to critters and kids, and I've loved pretty much every moment.  The colors in this kit match the one above so you'll have interchangeable pieces to build your scrapbook pages.  Hop to it!!

Click  HERE  to download

The Boo Update --

I love gardening in the spring and summer here.  During the winter, I keep my hands in the dirt with a ton of house plants to care for.  The orchid was a gift from my daughter.  I ice it once a week all year long and before the snow melts outside, it blooms.  Boo has a great interest in the plants as well, especially the flowering ones.  I think he must be able to smell the flowers even though people can't.  He just can't resist jumping up and giving me a hand.  Ummm . . . maybe I should say "paw" :)

Happy Easter everyone!

March 2023 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

I was just going to head into my studio to get some work done and all of a sudden I realized that tomorrow is March 1 and I hadn't posted the new blog train yet!  Geez!!  I guess I'm not as proficient at multitasking as I used to be!  Lately, every time I think I'm getting ahead, I find myself running to catch up.  I definitely have too many irons in the fire at the moment, but it's mostly of my own doing.  I decided to take Spanish lessons AND piano lessons on top of everything else I'm doing.  I figured that if I don't do them now, when am I going to, right?

Click  HERE  to Download

Fan Freebie --

This month, I added more graffiti, frames, tags and a few charm buttons to enhance your layouts.  The colors this month were so much fun to work with.  Enjoy!

Click  HERE  to Download

The Boo Update --

Boo will take the sun wherever he can find it!  

Until next month . . .

February 2023 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

During our last big snowstorm, I started my annual flower shopping at BluestonePerennials.com.  I gave most of my plants by the berry patch to my daughter last year knowing they would all look better in her garden.  So I have 3 box garden beds to fill this year.  My husband is sure I did that on purpose so that I could try out all the new varieties of plants that I've been looking at.  "Uh-huh...so what's your point?" I said.  He's a smart man.  He left me alone while I was adding things to my wishlist.

With everything white and cold outside, the greens and browns in this palette just warmed my heart.  Kind of like buying garden flowers in the middle of winter :)  I love doodle flowers, too.  They can be colored any color that fits my kit theme and are the perfect touches to digital scrapbooking pages.  The graffiti shown in this kit are actually in the Fan Freebie kit below, so be sure to download both.

Click  HERE  to download

Fan Freebie --

I added more papers, graffiti and elements to this kit to match up with the one above.  Working with these colors helped me to forget about the snow blowing outside.  I swear, the older I get the more I dislike winter.  

Click  HERE  to download

The Boo Update --

Boo isn't so crazy about winter either, even though he is strictly a house cat.  He loves the heat that comes out of the floor vents.  So do I quite actually!!  Move over, Boo~!!

See ya next month!