Ho Ho Ho

Yes, slowly getting into the holiday spirit, and spent yesterday wrapping gifts, making brown bags into Xmas bags, "spoke" by email with a close cousin who has walked through breast cancer (worse than mine and diagnosed nine years ago in early 2000) and came thorough it wonderfully - she inspires me. I received a wonderful t-shirt from a very special gal - Korie - she made it for me and you should go take a look at her blog (We Will Always have Paris) and visit her ebay shop. She has some wonderful Nancy Drew Calendars... to make. On her blog - right now, boys and girls. I love Nancy Drew and love the new t-shirts/hoodies in the catalogues: WWNDD (What Would Nancy Drew Do?)

OK, I had to put on my new Think Pink with my Pink Turtle Neck and Black Jeans and head out to get a few more little items and then got back to decorating bags!

William & Somona worked out pretty well with Big Red Buttons and the front of the Sundance catalogue and a few red painted stars! LOL

The Starbucks bags work well also,

When I went to college in Oklahoma City I met up with a wonderful family -- he was my Episcopal priest, his wife was an actress, and they had a daughter in high school who adopted me as her big sis. We are talking the end of the 60s - like '68. Last year she found me on Facebook after all these years and have been following this blog. After reading my blog post from yesterday, she sent me an email last night admonishing me for not doing any holiday decorating.
OK, Vicki, I found some stuff not "under the stairs" - are you happy now.....


Hixley is, Harley refuses to play....

Love the elf I picked up in Helsinki, Finland. Well dinner is calling as usual. I did get over to Larcy and Phil's to exchange gifts. Oliver loved his gift and just got tuckered out while Phil was holding him.... such a party animal - Oliver that is, not Phil....

He did perk when I got ready to leave. Love that pup!

Good Morning StarShine

I know, I know, it has been over two weeks and I apologize. Yes, it is 5:40 am and I have to admit that I got a little spooked about my blogging. It seems every time I blogged the last few months I seemed to take two steps backward. Really, peeps, really. Superstitions! Well, to prove a point. Two weeks ago on Sunday when I told you I was feeling OK, getting ready to go back to see my trainer and do cardio --

Food Poison hit....took a day and a half to get over.
Went back to work on Tuesday - a cold hit - takes me usually 2-3 weeks to get over one.
Went to see the "Chemo" doctor for a "get to know you" - she told me they had to send my tissue off for more tests - could not tell me if I was "low" or "high" risk. "High" gets chemo.
Did get to do one 30 minute cardio that week.
Went to meet the radiology doctor and spent three hours. Fascinating. She was pleased with the lab they sent my tissue to and said they would be able to tell us exactly what type of treatment would be the best for my type of cancer. She said if I didn't need chemo I would see her again in early February after surgery on Jan. 12.

All in the space of a week that was.

And then last Saturday I made the decision NOT to decorate for the holidays, NOT to post on the blog for a while, went out to get the Xmas gifts, haven't wrapped them yet but working on it today. Saw my surgeon, got two days of cardio in, worked all week, and cold is getting better.

The chemo doctor called on Thursday with results of the tests from California. My breast cancer is low risk and will respond to hormone and radiation. I don't need chemo and she wants to see me on Tuesday to get me started on the hormone before my next surgery or radiation. Yes, I am kind of doing the Snoopy Dance, and kind of not... remember my

Superstition. . . . sung and danced to the tune of "Tradition".......

and blogging. BUT, I say that be damned right now. Yes, I am doing the Snoopy Dance and wanted you to know at 5:54 am on a Saturday morning. In the mail yesterday, I received art work I had sent off to Stampington & Company - I believe Take Ten for a challenge - F O U R years ago and it was just returned and no it was not published. I will show you later on today or tomorrow morning. ONE of my fav creations since it was one of my first "lunch bag" books. Enjoy your Saturday. I am and am headed down to get some coffee. Hugs to all and to all have a great day!

Quelle nouvelle c'est que ca?

We will translate a little later my Frenchy Honeysuckles. Check out "the mouse writer," Huxley. He jumped into my bag today while I was at Starbucks drinking way too many calories. Yes, Quelle nourvell c'est...


Oh my, oh my.... the rolls of fat are rolling, rolling, rolling,

Oh man, oh man, yes, I talked to trainer James and am headed to his place after work tomorrow for some "cardio" time....... Now, don't get excited, I am not getting carried away but need to get back into my schedule...... you know, I hate cardio but WOW, the weight shifters have made their way into my condo and they are rolling the fat around and they have to be stopped. They are worse than bed bugs. YIKES, weight shifters come in the middle of the night and whoosh - another 1/2 pound appears right there. Crummies. Oh my oh my C A r d i o O......

So in honor of the rolls of fat, I created a page in my Gratitude Journal (nope did not use my Trader Joe's bag - later),

Have not worked in it for a while. The last page I did was called "Carnival".....

Today's creation takes items on my desk here and ended up in a grab and slap...... and titled it, "What fresh hell" ..... Just begin with one blank page,

Add paint and embossing powder....

Add stuff from the former India Pages and Mexico Pages, and anything else hanging out on the desk,

A nun is always good to add into the mix, you know why not.....

Skeletons are always fun, some words stamped on old music,

And, after all is said and done today, my little honeysuckle breezers, we can't forget that Harley may or may not accept Huxley but it won't be for Huxley not trying,

And the translation, try the google translator from French to English *wink* *wink* Hope your weekend was restful, tomorrow will begin a busy week for me, two doctor's appointment and at least one cardio workout. I will try to post, really I will. Hugs, kids!

Trader Joe's

Ahhhh, sweet respite on a Friday. A lunch and quick visit to one of my favorite grocery stores. I don't call it a grocery store - I call it an "experience" ...... just to walk down the aisles is a walk in the park....

and I'm very sorry for those of you who don't have one. Where else can you stand and read the toilet paper..... I ask you? Where else?

Today I went on a search for their low sodium Soy Sauce and some zucchini squash....

I have to admit to you, my lovely honeysuckles, my all time favorite item in the store is nothing more than their brown paper bags and what a pleasant surprise today when I spied the Holiday motif. ...

OK, I admit the front of the bag is just a tease... the back

and the side,

and the other side,

Hmmmmmm, what can I create with this bag?

Well, maybe you will see tomorrow. I have worked all week after being off for two weeks with the surgery and everything and I am a little tired. So I plan to stay close to home this weekend. I know my energy level is increasing and I hope to maybe add a workout with my Trainer James next week, I need to call him. He has been good and left me alone knowing I am healing. I have a number of doctor's appointments next week as a "Getting to know you....." type appointments and will keep you posted. I hope you have a great evening. I plan to curl up in the recliner with a throw blanket (it is freezing here in the Northern VA area) and watch my crazy crazed Ghost Adventure guys. They are nutz, boys and girls, they make me feel sane! OH no.......

Dia de Los Muertos

Hello my little peepers. Greetings from the Honeysuckles. Or, Hola, amigos! That is the extent I know of the Spanish language. As you can imagine Dianne received her "Mexico" pages and so I can show the creation I made last weekend. This is an 16" x 16" watercolor paper (folded to make 8x8 pages) painted with acrylic paints.

The first page was dedicated to Dia de Los Muertos - the Day of the Dead celebration held in Mexico around November 1.

The image on the first page was cut out of a beautiful cookbook and then decorative items were added such as clock parts, jewels, and a skeleton's hand. I used a scrap piece of floral ribbon around the cut-out. The shinny image behind the image is a cutout from a food package. Here is a close up of the clock parts used as an earring and at the top and bottom of the oval:

Here are the two inside pages. The left side is from a cookbook explaining how to prepare your chilies.... yes in Spanish. The right side is an image from a cookbook describing Cinco de Mayo. The skeleton was cut out from other clip art I had - thanks to Michelle Ward and our September workshop. The skeleton and skull went so well with the loving couple I had to use them....

Don't know what creative vent mused me into making a flap but I did - I had a playing card of the heart and a stamp and so used this theme on the inside:

Oh ooppps, the dreaded camera wrist strap...... YIKES.... oh well, too late to redo since Dianne has her pages,

And the heart stamped on a transparency and highlighted with a red sharpie pen....

And finally the last page.....

Nope, I have no idea what made me use this pear. Can't even remember where I got it from but I did have a playing card with the Spanish word for Pear..... These were really fun to work on and I am so happy Dianne "loves" them. So don't have much more to say except to use a portion of my identifying tag made for this art work and say,

My little honeysuckle peeps --- Adios or as they say, Hasta la Vista! Whoop Whoop

Six Players / Six Months in the Breeze

As you know, I am in a Round Robin and my theme is Sunflowers. This month I received the beautiful art work of Elizabeth and her sunflowers are spectacular! Literally, spectacular. Have a peek:

The one above is such an intriguing work of art. A little bit closer:

An image on a transparency and Green Stamps - two of my favorite things!

My brother especially loved this page that Elizabeth did with all of the sewing, me too!

And Elizabeth's tag was like looking into Wonderland or even Never Never Land or Narnia..... the layers, the sparkles, the "cobwebs" - what else could a girl ask for?


Elizabeth - you did one heck of an incredible job and I love all the pages. I love your art work!

And now, my Honeysuckle Breezers, I really must share with you a sad sad note. One of our six players, Gina Wise, passed way unexpectedly from a heart attack the Friday after Thanksgiving. We are all still in shock. There have been some beautiful tributes to Gina and I especially was moved by Elizabeth's who knew her much longer than I did. In only a few months, I fell in love with her sense of humor and her creative art work. I count myself extremely lucky to have received her art work in this swap. If you remember her sunflowers:

And Gina's tag - in all her beauty and innocence. You will me sorely missed Gina. I wish I would had a longer time to get to know you, however, I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to be in this round robin with you. You touched my life. May your soul soar among the angels and sing in the beauty of God's love.