Self Portrait Challenge { speech bubbles }

This month's Self Portrait Challenge theme is "Speech Bubbles".

Obviously we are to add a speech bubble to any part of the photograph. Over on Flickr, you can add notes onto the photo itself, and some of us are allowing others to add a note to the speech bubble for what we might be thinking or saying in the photo for fun!






This was from our anniversary cruise to the Bahamas last week. I've never been on a cruise or off the North American continent before, and we had a marvelous time! More photos to come later this week, as I'm still catching up around here.

I've left this week's bubble blank, to allow others on Flickr to add fun notes for I could be thinking of. Otherwise, I kind of like the way it looks like I'm thinking about nothing at all, after all, I was on vacation!

Self Portrait Challenge - { breaking the rules 2 }

Wear your shoes if you're going to play outside.





I actually break this rule a lot!


This month's Self Portrait Challenge theme, Breaking All the Rules, has been lots of fun so far, come check it out.

studying......

Who is studying harder here?

{ berry picking }

I am so drawn to the pairing of red with light turquoise, and really enjoyed working with the fabrics for the three new listings in my etsy shop with this beautiful color combination...


the countryside dress




vintage chenille halter dress




skirt and top set

Self Portrait Challenge - { breaking the rules }

This month's Self Portrait Challenge is "Breaking All the Rules",
things like don't drink out of the milk carton
or never say never...

So here's my submission for the week:

Rule: Go to School.





For the record, the part of this rule that we're breaking is the "Go" part... as you can see, we're still doing school!

I've been homeschooling since my oldest (on the left) was 4, and she's now finishing 4th grade. I know this is the right choice for my family, even though it can be incredibly difficult from day to day.

Also, for the record, I have nothing against schools or teachers (my closest friend is a teacher), or against people who don't choose to homeschool. We all have different walks to walk.

...... seaside dreams ......

I've had a lot of requests for larger sizes,
and since I have such an obliging model for the big girl crowd...





This dress is newly listed in my etsy shop, and can be found here...

:: salt water taffy ::

Do you remember all those colorful candies in such a variety of delicious flavors, found in little shops down by the seashore?





That was the inspiration for a new little line I've just listed in my etsy shop...

lesson: learned

Always check your kids' pockets after they've gone to a festival, before you do the laundry.





All this came out of one pair of shorts and was found floating around my dryer. The butterscotch candy had half-disappeared inside the wrapper.

So why is it they had to ask me to carry their stuff for them at the festival, anyway? Seems their pockets are plenty big, but it was mine that were bulging that night!

... Mother's Day Weekend Sale ...

Purchase and pay for a ready-made clothing item from my etsy shop, and I will refund $10 - that's $10 off all ready-made clothing!






Send me a convo if you have any questions...

a rebus story

Yesterday, we took

to the





for a regular check-up.

Their office is currently





for renovations, so when we were leaving, a





construction worker said to me, "You have a





As I stood there staring at it woefully, thinking "UGH, I have to





in the hot





with two kids and a dog in the car,

the friendly worker says to me, "Don't worry, I have a





and we'll fill it up for you."

He ran back inside, brought it out, and filled up my tire right on the spot!

When he did, we found it had a





so the leak was a slow one.

I drove straight to the





and it was fixed right away.




I am blown away on how God took care of me with this situation.

If this had happened at, say, the post office or the library, I would not have had a friendly team of construction guys there to help me with a ready air compressor!

With Chad out of town right now, I couldn't have called him!

And my afternoon was free, so the trip to the tire store wasn't a huge imposition (I didn't like it, but who would?)

I am so very thankful! Very!!

Self Portrait Challenge - { square 4 }

Thinking Outside the Box





For the final week of Self Portrait Challenge's "Square" theme.


Still working on learning how to use textures... I used two that came from pareeerica for processing this.