Happy New Year!

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

This past Year 2008 ~

1. Derek is still playing the Bass! ~ & started jr. High ...
   
2. Samantha still at St. James ~ a Junior, got a '93 jeep Cherokee ...
   
3. Alex continues studying Fine Arts at ESU {p.1 @the kiln} ... and is officially engaged! {2011}
   
4. Zac and Mo are in Cleveland ... celebrated 1yr! {engagement video} & {wedding photos}
5. Peter still commutes to Wyoming to work ...
6. I survived two surgeries, etc. & continue to work part time ~and hold down the fort ...

We are Grateful we are all healthy, today! We each took time to visit Zac/Mo in Cleveland, where they will remain while Mo continues to work on her Doctorate, in turn we enjoyed Zac's visit over Christmas - we wish Mo could have joined us, but understand she was needed at the Hospital. I continue to have mixed emotions regarding giving up my Suburban and loving my "Black Crystal Pearl" Jeep. We pray our vehicles hold together &get us safely where we need ...

Goals 2009 ~
... Keep on keeping on. Continue to work on the house, school, work ~

... and play?

To use my STASH ~ to Scrapbook & Quilt {disappearing 9-Patch}
To be Healthy, Wealthy and Wise. May we all find time to do the things we enjoy with the people who are dear to us ... to all, a Blessed 2009!

Feast Day of St. Nick

Once upon a time,
there was the Pay It Forward "blog candy" ... and the winners were posted,
i waited for their addresses...and as they sent them in, Life happened
... NOW, i felt it only appropriate on the Eve of the feast of St. Nick
... as befitting the season, i would get the gifties in the mail!
(and i am finishing the things i start,
~ before i allow myself to start anything else!)
... SO here is a peak!
Scrapbook Survival Kits, {inspired by Artist Survival Kits}
...the contents vary,
~but the "kits" themselves include enough to start a {wallet album} !

~ i can't wait to see the finished wallets!~enjoy!

I thought i'd share the Inchies i sent off in a swap! Likewise...

Mrs. Bobbins Print @ the Pickledish Store

... stumbled on this print today, and thought it significant, as i just committed to "NO BUY" for a year on my Stashbusters group. Our goal is to finish projects started and pay the fabric penalty if we buy fabrics that do go toward backing, binding etc of already started projects... cool, huh?

ps.
Dear Santa,
if your reading this, I was Bad (or someone was) ... and I can't find my camera. Last time i saw it, i was charging it... then, well - i was good and cleaned my house and looked every where, i waz certain it would show up... it has not. HINT. HINT. HINT. =0(

The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.
Pablo Picasso.

Visiting Zac in Cleveland ....

... life is good ~
some of our best times, walking, nature and a good talk. The only thing i felt was missing was our long lost Raffi, {Golden Retriever} darting on and off the trail, teasing us. Good times.

~ Caro { Carofaniello } & Fry {est. 1982}

{Adrian family home: Hillsboro Kansas}

FAMILY TREE {link}
~ Caro/Fry Family origin est. 1982 ~
 (under construction/revisions)

 ~ Carofaniello  ~ 
Caro aka: Carofaniello of Monte Calvo, Italy 

{ Marianna & Pompilio Carofaniello }

and family Immigrated to USA 1927
+

{Taggert: German/French decent}

= Caro: Peter Caro (4/25/58)
+
Fry- Caro: Toni (11/14/62)

~ Geneology:Nickel - Adrian - Unruh - Pauls - Janzen ~

  Sam: Nickel/Unruh, + Adrian,Pauls,Janzen
~Mennonite Movement to KS 1874
Minnie Adrian & Sam Nickel:
{"Nanny" ~ Grandpa Sam: Nickel/Unruh, + Adrian,Pauls,Janzen}
 +

Fry: Grand-Daddy "Alec" Fry - Essex, England 

(Immigrated to Canada 1914 then to the USA 1916
Blue Ridge Rail Road

+

Granny: Grandma "Bonnie" Butler/(Mock) - English/German/Irish/Scottish decent

Adrian/Nickel Family Reunion Group:

  
  Click to join samnickelfamily

SO WHAT!

~ oh yeah, and happy 26 years of BLISS to me and what's his face ~

~ lOok WhaT i CaN dO! ~

... you can too~

(still haven't found my camera =0(

I CANT FIND MY CAMERA

so, i have very much to be GRATEFUL FOR ~
... but, i realized, my camera is not where i thought it was ... and, we've been not just putting in hardwood floors, because as i learned IF YOU GIVE A MAN A PROJECT... he will decide he needs to turn it into a process. If you put in new flooring the ceiling wont look right, if you dont want your wife to loose her mind, you replace the ceiling first, before you put down the new floors! ... and the list goes on. We also learned, much to our surprise, that WE're OLDer.

(photo shamelessly borrowed from artist Photographer Jill Greenberg,)

~ peace.

so, in light of this past month, plus, and originally intending to celebrate my ONE year of blog'ville ... which came and went without much pomp and circumstance ... I found this and wanted to share it!
....life is what happens when your making plans!

... enjoy the little things, for someday you may find they were the big things....

... WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE?!

~ feeling ChallEnGeD?

this week I ~ {keep forgetting to take pictures! or am not able to upload! above} BUT...
- enjoyed my new more fuel efficient JEEP ... traded in our Suburban (driven a Sub over 10 yr)...
- finished my nieces Birthday book...
- started and will finish a "moving" scrapbook ... with photo ready pages and journal prompts...
- worked several days (and will work 5 days straight ... big wow? ... my kids may feel orphaned)
- mailed stuff: mothers day gifts ..
- MAILED: my son's quilt!!! ~ and (Christmas goodies, no NOT late- early for next Christmas~) !!!!
- made teachers gifts ... and i forgot to take pictures AGAIN ... and those i have not posted, i will blame on my cat, (my mom sent me the picture via email above! ... and that is nearly what my kitty does! thought i'd share! )
I will try to:
- get serious about remodeling ... maybe? ...really!
UPDATE: found a '93 JEEP for my daughter ALSO! yea! who'd thunk we'd become a JEEP family! 2 JEEPS in one month!

YOUR TURN, Show~N~Share!
... creative challenges everywhere!...
Maybe you have some others that you like to share?
... PLEASE DO
... leave a comment of some of your favorite links ... or your own =0)

FUN EMBOSSING TECHNIQUES!!!

.... EMERGING COLOR TECHNIQUE!
check out the tutorial, feel free to post a link of YOUR finished work!
thanks for sharing!

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/emergingcolor.php

oops i did it again...

i made somthing cool... alas, i gave it away before i got pictures =(
.. pictures of the workshop we made a 2page layout, from CHERISH - and did the Emerging Color embossing technique ... in Dutch Blue, Olive, and Chocolate... using Rustic Trails
... mAYbe SOMEday i'll get pictures of the layouts posted...

... surfing today ! ~!

HAPPY DANCE!

I HAVE THE DAY OFF!

... I CROP TOMORROW.... SO, i am heading to my scrappy place to play! ...
Prepare, a day for me, ME! ... how long has it been! ...
=0) started off my day with a cup of the best coffee, Raspberry Chocolate!
today, life is good,
and i have so much i want to do i feel i am going to explode.
... like a firecracker into a million different directions,
and afraid i'll get nothing accomplished.
~ and the quilt shop hop starts today... OMG. . .

..... ~ FOCUS!

Bookends...

"Time it was, and what a time it was, it was
A time of innocence, a time of confidences
Long ago, it must be, I have a photograph
Preserve your memories, they're all that's left you"

... BookEnds, Simon & Garfunkel ...

Sunday Snapshot

~from September, 2007
actually, OUR 25th Anniversary, we went bike riding!
stopped on the trail to talk to zac(on the phone/phone photo!) ~who was congratulating us for putting up with each other for so long ...


It's so great to find that one special person
you want to annoy for the rest of your life.
~Rita Rudner

BEING A MOM ... is my favorite

Easter BLESSINGS!
Spring break was just not long enough!
Lent was bearable - after the fridge/freezer was repaired and basic food REPLACED... we decided giving up TALKING about, thus doing anything, about th house for our sacrifice.
We are refreshed and ready to think about our HOME...
EASTER: did not feel the same ... no dying of easter eggs.....
~ we are pretty much down to the "last two" kids =(
We took a overnight train trip ... then back
... and onward to ESU for Easter Services {congrats! Shawna}
~ then bounced back.
Yup, i feel like a red rubber ball...
one that's been bounced around in the school yard,
shoved in a pocket and worn,
loved and sure there is some bounce left ...
but, let me sit on the window sill for a bit.

Spring is around the corner! =)

"Patches"

Once upon a time there was a little boy who loved his favorite clothes. When he quit growing out of his favorite clothes this made him happy, when his clothes started to wear out this made him sad, ALAS! he would continue to patch them - even adding NEW POCKETS!

This little boy, now grown, also loves to go barefoot - and when he "dresses up" he puts on FLIP FLOPS!

Part of a favorite poem:

Blessings on thee, little man,
Barefoot boy, with cheek of tan!
With thy turned-up pantaloons,
And thy merry whistled tunes;
...With the sunshine on thy face,
Through thy torn brim's jaunty grace;
From my heart I give thee joy, -
I was once a barefoot boy!
Prince thou art, - the grown-up man
... In the reach of ear and eye, -
Outward sunshine, inward joy:
Blessings on thee, barefoot boy!...

by ...Whittier, John Greenleaf
One of the best-loved American poets of the 19th century,

Random Photo: by Peter

SO... who else is sick of this stinkin' GLOBAL WARMING?

~ get real. So, peter commutes from here to Wyoming ... and shoots random photos. When Derek was asked what his dad did fore a living i overheard his response, he paused, and commented "HE'S A PHOTOGRAPHER" ...! Well, Peter was touched. Cuz, during his down time he plays with his camera. And i would like to say he has always seemed a little... competitive? with me (and I thought he was being supportive ...OH HE IS, but now i know why...) I don't Photograph so much, so well (i forget) ... AND He is starting to hoan his drawing skills. very cool.When i was working on a quilt challenge, he kept adding his 2cents, so i told him to get his own fabric and make his own quilt... and in competing with me, he is trying hard NOT to finish his either? ... ha ha.

My dear heart is coming out of being a CLOSET ARTIST ... and we now argue, motive and STYLE! ... SO, since i don't think he will blog, himself, yet, i would love to share his stuff too! ...
like in Phenomenon, I am going to "buy his chairs" ... cuz he has bought mine all these years!

HAIL MARY ~

OH my word~ where does the time go?
i vowed i would "make art every day" and i have been Experiencing art? kinda... i have been playing around with downloading photos and using my camera-phone (quality?) ... and i keep forgetting to take photos of stuff i finish~ so, i took my quilt to a meeting at the quilt shop, and forgot my REAL camera, where the lighting is wonderful. but ...

1. i have been doodling in an upturned altered book in progress nearly every day for a little over a month... its a start =0)
   
2. i have been working on PROJECT LINUS with my daughter and her classmates ... i did go on a field trip (artist date!) with my son's class to the Nelson-Atkins Museum
   
3. i have been trying to get back into the work routine part-time; really this time...
4. i would like to say my prayer life has improved ...
5. i would like to say my home is clean - oh yeah, i caught up on all the laundry from having holiday company... WOW!
6. i have been trying to get ahold of our finances....
7. i will be ... enrolling my baby in jr. high=\
8. i will be working on my oldest sons wedding pages - oh (HI, i will burning you a disc of wedding photos ... and i want to make you a cool holder - that will take me a full day, both)
9. i will be mailing his quilt - (hi, i hope you took your cat to the vet, cuz he will not soil it)!
10. i will be ... oh, participating in the FRACTURED FABRIC CHALLENGE...
    

~that's sufficient for now.
i did not die, i did not give up on my blog .... I AM SEEKING BALANCE.
TODAYS "FORTUNE" :
CALMLY SEEK CLARITY.

MIA ~ Mia Culpa ~ BLOG BREAK

After the wedding =) kinda wanted to bask in the memories... =)
yup. I've been kinda MIA in Blog'ville. oh well.

and... we all seemed to be in the midst of some nasty Strep throat,
several rounds of antibiotics ...
then MORE surgery for me ... happy-merry~ WHATEVER...

~i think everyone is healthy, mostly.

I finally got the binding COMPLETE! on the quilt!
... great timing for the Thermostat? to go out on the furnace...

(are you *$$@?$$!!!* kidding me!?)

OF COURSE, climb under the quilt and work on it!
MORE firewood ...kids treated it like camping inside, fire and card games.
Comfort foods, reading, napping,

... and trying to be healthy: physically and emotionally.

NOW: kids back to school, crappy weather and back to work.

something cheerful?

THE SUN WILL BE OUT TOMORROW~

gOaL:
~Make Art Every Day!~