Dolphin Tale's 'Winter' and Paver Pumpkins

Good morning!  

I hope your weekend was great!  We went to see the movie "Dolphin Tale".  It is sooooooo good - please go see it if you get a chance.  It is based on a true story about a female dolphin that gets injured and how she is saved.  The star of the movie is 'Winter' and she is in Florida at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.  If you want to check her out - I've put up her live webcam feed in the upper right hand corner for the time being.  You can see her in all her glory - no tail and all!!!  Truly amazing!!! And if you want to know more, check out the Clearwater Marine Aquarium website. Just follow the link!

Now on to today's post.

Since it is now fall, I thought I'd show you a keyhole paver painted as a pumpkin.  To me pumpkins just signify fall, Halloween, and even Thanksgiving so these cuties could be used for a nice period of time in your decorating! 

This project is very simple with wonderful results.  They would sit nicely just about anywhere.  I like them as they're pictured below - sitting among a fall type garland.  They would look really good on a mantle or entryway table.  But no matter where you decide to show them off, they would look great!

Here's the link to nightowlcrafting.blogspot.com to see how it's done!

Paver Pumpkins!

Cute, huh?  What are you waiting for?  Time to decorate for fall!


Have a great Monday and I'll see ya soon!

Recessed Picture Frame Cabinets

Good morning! Hope your day is great so far!

A couple of weeks ago I was online and came across these cabinets. I thought that they would be great anywhere in your home.  I think that the uses are endless. For me, it would be that place to stash all our remotes in the living room! 


Anyway, if you want to check out this unique cabinet, just follow the link below:

Recessed Medicine Cabinets with picture frame doors! No mirrors!

Have a fantastic day - see ya soon!

Tagxedo - Word Cloud with Styles

Good morning!  

Just a quick post today.  A while back I showed you wordle.net for all your word cloud needs. At least I thought so. But, I had not come across Tagxedo. It's basically the same concept except you can use shapes to make your word clouds. I've played with it a little bit and if you want to play too, go here to see what it's all about:

Tagxedo - Word Cloud with Styles:

If you are do digital scrapbooking, this program will come in handy to add interest to your pages.  If you like to personalize items such as t-shirts or mugs or anything else, you can use this program.  So I think it is pretty versatile.  Give it a look see!

Have a great day.  See ya soon!

Birthday Cake (again) & Book Page Pumpkin

Good Morning!  I've been MIA lately since my hubby had a week vacation - but he went back today so here we go! 

Happy Monday to you and Happy Birthday to me!!!!!  Yes, it's my birthday and I can't believe I'm already 48 years old.  It seems like yesterday that I was 18.  30 years has certainly flown by - some good and some not so good - but all in all a good life so far.  Of course, I've been joking that in 2 years I'll get my AARP card - not a joke though, right?  I really will get it then - LOL!!!

My wonderful hubby baked me a chocolate cherry cola cake yesterday. Yes - he did it all by himself and it came out wonderfully.  I guess I'm rubbing off a little after almost 18 years!  Here's a pic - check it out!

Didn't he do a fantastic job?  And it tasted as good as it looks!!  Thank you  for helping me celebrate with a beautiful cake, sweetheart - I love you!

Now - on to today's post.

With the first day of autumn this Friday (wow, where did the summer go?), I wanted to show you a project that will get you started with your fall decorating and crafting.  I just think this is the cutest thing - in fact I'm going to have to go through my old paperbacks so I can make one of these!  It really couldn't be any easier - go here for the how to:

Book Page Pumpkin Tutorial | Creations by Kara:

Thanks Kara for sharing this tutorial with us!

Have a happy day.  See ya soon!

Birthday, Bees and Frogs, Oh My!

Good morning!

Cristian turned 9 on Monday! It's hard to believe. It feels like yesterday that we brought him home.  We had a great time at the Carolina Mudcats game on Sunday evening. Cristian got a game ball and had it signed by Muddy, their team mascot. They lost 8 to 7, but it was an exciting game. The whole thing came down to the last pitch!  Afterwards, they shot off fireworks. Very nice! His friend spent the night and then Monday we cooked on the grill (cheeseburgers - his favorite!) and had cake and ice cream. He asked for a lemon cake so I did a 3 layer with homemade butter cream frosting!  It leaned a little but hey, that's what makes it homemade, right?  Here's a pic - see the lean?  Oh well, it tasted good and he liked it!

As I've mentioned before, my friend is a 1st grade teacher. This year she decided that she wanted to give her students a beginning of the year gift. The theme in her room is bees. Her fellow grade level teacher has a theme of frogs and liked the idea of a little something for the kids, as well. So we came up with and made cute little bees and frogs!  Check them out!

All 50!

Close up of Bee and Frog

Queen Bee Pen Holder for her Desk 

Queen and Her Little Worker Bees

They look so happy, don't they!

It took some doing, but we got them all done in a relatively short period of time. Our better halves did all the cutting and sanding. Her girls did most of the painting and we did the planning and decorating. It really was a family affair. We were quite pleased with how they turned out. From bare wood to bees and frogs in a blink of an eye. So cute, if I do say so myself!

Have a great over the hump day!  See ya soon!

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

This is a direct copy of an e-mail that I recently received from my hubby's sister, Donna.  Their mom (my mother-in-law) was diagnosed with Stage IV and battled the disease for 4+ years until sadly, she passed away in April 2006.  I want to pass this along because it is important and something that all women and men should know.

"Please read all the way through and forward to everyone you know, men included, all men know at least one woman!  Few cancers are as sneaky as ovarian cancer.  In it's early stages, the symptoms are vague and often go unrecognized.

OVARIAN CANCER....it whispers, so listen!

What is Ovarian Cancer?


Ovarian Cancer is a disease in which malignant or cancerous cells are found in the ovary. An ovary is one of two small almond shaped organs located on each side of the uterus that produce female hormones and store eggs or germ cells. Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of new cancer cases. In women age 35-74, ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer related deaths. An estimated one woman in 55 will develop ovarian cancer during her lifetime. The American Cancer Society estimates that each year approximately 25,000 new cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed and 14,000 women die of ovarian cancer.


Every woman over 35 should undergo an annual recto vaginal exam.  If an irregularity of the ovary is found and/or symptoms are present, further diagnostic testing should be performed, as no one test is conclusive.  These may include a CA-125 blood test and a trans vaginal ultrasound.  No consistently reliable, accurate screening test to detect ovarian cancer exists.  The pap smear DOES NOT detect ovarian cancer.


Be persistent: Time is of the essence.


Risk Factors - 


While the presence of one or more risk factors may increase a woman's chance of getting ovarian cancer, it does not necessarily mean that she will get the disease.  A woman should be extra vigilant in watching for early symptoms.  Risk factors include:

• Personal or family history of breast, ovarian, endometrial, prostate or colon cancer
• Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer or syndrome
• Unexplained infertility, no pregnancies, and no history of birth control usage
• Use of high dose estrogen for long periods without progesterone may be a risk factor
• North American or Northern European heritage and/or Ashkenazim Jewish population
• Living in an industrialized country

Symptoms or potential signs of Ovarian Cancer - 

While the symptoms of ovarian cancer (particularly in the early stages) are often not acute or intense, they are not always silent, they whisper, so listen.  Some ongoing symptoms of ovarian cancer include:

• Pelvic or abdominal pain or discomfort (sometimes vague)
• Vague, but persistent gastrointestinal upsets such as gas, nausea, indigestion, constipation or diarrhea
• Frequency and/or urgency of urination in the absence of an infection
• Unexplained changes in bowel habits
• Unexplained weight gain or weight loss particularly weight gain in the abdominal region
• Pelvic and/or abdominal swelling, bloating and/or feeling of fullness
• Ongoing fatigue with or without back pain
• Menstrual disorders or pain during intercourse
• Abnormal postmenopausal bleeding (this symptom is rare and typically occurs during final stages) 

On April 29th, 2006, my mother lost her four years and three month battle with ovarian cancer; she was not quite 64 years old.  Before being diagnosed, she felt tired, bloated, had gained a little weight, and felt a little short of breath when climbing stairs. What woman doesn't feel this way/have these problems sometimes! The final symptom that made her go to the doctor was "abnormal postmenopausal bleeding".  She did not know the symptoms and had no family history! She was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer, the final stage. Only 25% of women diagnosed at stage 4 live longer than 4 years.  Please help spread the word, don't let your loved one die this horrible death. XOXO Donna/Grace"

******* PLEASE pass this information on to every woman you know and be vigilant of the early warning signs.  You might just be saving a life....