February 2024 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

Wisconsin is a state of extremes.  While I was working with these beautiful spring colors just a few weeks ago, it was snowing and blowing outside.  We ended up with about 24 inches of snow in two days, the snow drifts were much taller.  And then the temperature dropped well below zero for another week.  With the wind chill, it felt even colder.  Because of my horses, I had to be out in it.  My arctic gear helped, but I didn't spend any more time out there than I had to. And now, just two weeks later, it's in the high 30's and everything is melting. In Wisconsin, we call that a "Heat Wave"!!  It feels more like spring than it does winter.  Works for me!  But, it is February 1st.  All this can change like the flick of a light switch.  As I'm writing this, I think I should have called this kit "Cold Fingers, Warm Hearts" !    

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Fan Freebie --

I used the same colors as the blog train, but added two of my little ducks into the mix.  Easter is just around the corner afterall.  We won't see Daffodils and Hyacinthe for quite some time yet, but they look so pretty with the ducks :) 

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The Boo Update --

This picture was taken last month.  I think Boo was bored so he just plopped himself on my recipe book and watched me press cookies on the baking sheet.  My grandson told me that his Mom would never let their cat on the kitchen counter.  I turned around and said to him "he's not on the counter, he's holding my recipe book open for me.  That's how smart he is."  

Meet me back here in March!

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 :)  

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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.

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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.

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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 :)

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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.)

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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.