~ Merry Christmas ~

This has been a very different Christmas season this year. My little sister Angela and I have become much closer as a result of our dear mother's passing a few months ago. I have inherited some of my mom's precious jewelry items and I wear the occasionally to have her close to me. In order to heal from the grief that all this has brought up, I created about 60 Christmas Cards this year. One of them is posted next to or near this blurb.

Last night, I attended my Dine n Swap group's Christmas Party. It was awesome! Everyone was so giving and friendly. We exchanged some wonderful gifts and cards and chatted away in between dinner, bites of chocolate, dessert, and coffee all coordinated by our gracious moderator Renee Nowell of Tempe, AZ.

For next year, I decided to stay with the group and also joined the Secret Sister monthly exchange. I also look forward to learning new techniques, making new friends and simply enjoying our get togethers and sharing new ideas and whatever else comes to pass.

My DH and I will be hosting a Christmas Dinner for about twelve people. We will be serving a roast leg of lamb, several side dishes to accompany and of course, dessert...my DH plans to make Chocolate Eclairs from scratch. Sure wish that you could all be here with us :) Maybe next year.

~ Time to Give Thanks ~

With Thanksgiving being a few days away, I thought to check-in with my blog and post a short update.

These past four months since my dear mother has made her transition have been a whirlwind of emotions, probably why I have not posted regularly. I am grateful that I have not fallen into a deep depression, my life overall is very good. I am thankful to have a wonderful husband, two healthy young men as my sons, and friends far and near that I keep in contact with regularly.

Lately I have been re-organizing my Chateau de Papier (Paper Studio) which has helped me to cope quite well emotionally with my feelings. My DH put together a beautiful stamp cabinet in which I have neatly organized all of my loose rubber and clear stamps. Bookshelves were moved around in order to incorporate a shabby chic daybed for my little sister Angela's visit next February. She, my nephew Thomas and her significant other are planning to purchase a vacation condominium in Prescott sometime next year. That is something that I am very excitedly looking forward to. I made a trip up there a few weeks ago to scope out some properties that she and her realtor had planned for me to look at. The trees were turning and it was 20 degrees cooler there than here in Phoenix.

And, so to speak of Thanksgiving...my DH and I have been graciously invited to a mutual couples' home for the day's festivities and will bring along a wonderful Black Forest Trifle that my DH will make from scratch.

As for the weekend, we might do some shopping locally in anticipation of the forthcoming Christmas holidays. I look forward to decorating our Christmas tree, which will probably go up around the second week of December. Although I do not over-do the rest of the house, I am still mesmerized by the beauty, lights and decorations, along with all of the memories that a Christmas tree holds.

Drop me a note to let me know how you are doing this time of year. Perhaps if you live in town, we can meet for a cup of tea at one of the Tea Houses in Glendale to share our love of rubberstamping, card making or simply sit and chat.

~ Peace ~

It has been a while...

...since I last posted on my blog. My life has changed dramatically.

In July I received a frantic phone call from my sister in New York telling me to come asap, hat our mother was in the hospital with pneumonia and was undergoing some tests to determine the underlying cause of her condition. I made an airline reservation that evening, flew out the next day, got there and my life will never be the same without my mom. She passed away, peacefully and painlessly with my sister, brother and myself taking turns to make sure that she would not be alone when her time came. She went in her sleep.

It has been almost two months now and I still can not believe that the woman whom I shared so much of my life with for the 51+ years that I am alive is not longer available to call and tell her how much I love her.

My faith in God is steadfast and still I am feeling the loss so deeply. This is something that I have no idea how to handle, only to do what I love as much as possible...which, of course, is to stamp and create cards and send them out to people that I care about and others through the RAK group at Splitcoaststampers.com.

All of my close friends have been very supportive at this particular time in my life. I have received nearly a hundred cards from friends, relatives and fellow card crafters.

What else can I say? Life goes on...

The most recent card that I created was from a Stampin Up set Summer by the Sea. I reminded me of when I was little and our family would go to the beach for the day and picnic, swim in the ocean and have fun.
Those are wonderful memories that I have from my childhood growing up in New York with the best parents anyone could ever want to have...both of them gone now...forever...together...again...in Heaven.

~ Dine and Swap ~ Celebration ~

This past Wednesday evening, June 20, I attended my Dine and Swap group gathering for the month. It was held at our coordinator's home and what a splendid home she has. Along with creating some very precious and beautiful cards, she also paints. These were display throughout her home. Her speciality in that modality appears to be rugged western scenery. Truly awesome!

We all had a great time. She cooked delicious burgers along with salad, beans and lost of treats!
The cards that I received in trade are fantastic! I am so inspired by these get togethers to create more on my own to send out to family and friends in Celebration of our great country's Birthday!

My DH and I are planning to have an Italian evening this Saturday. It is a small dinner party and we enjoy having some of our closest and dearest family and friends over to enjoy my DH's favorite hobby of gourmet cooking. He will be making lasagne, not your ordinary one though :)
And I will be creating an antipasto dish...one that I remember fondly while growing up in Brooklyn, New York and Bay Shore, Long Island, New York.

Although I might not have much stamping time this weekend, I will be thinking of what to do with what I have in anticipation of my next themed swaps and projects...ABC and Paper Dolls.
So, if any of you have any suggestions, I would definitely appreciate your comments.

Au Revoir!

~ Fleur de la Dame ~

Now that I have learned a little more French, I decided to name this post "Flower of the Lady".

Over the past few weeks, I have been extremely busy with getting cards ready for a few swaps that I am involved in, beginning with the Music cards with the little birdie in the middle. I had so much fun with creating those cards, they came together quite effortlessly.

Then on to another project of creating red white and blue themed cards for my Dine n Swap group which will be meeting this coming Wednesday evening in celebration of the 4th of July.
I am very excited to see what everyone else has created. This is a group of very talented card artists and all of the swap events that I have attended were so much fun!

And, to top it all off, perhaps I have saved the best for last...a stamp that I truly love and dedicated this blog post to...Flowahbella!!! I joined a Bella swap on splitcoast and these lovely ladies are ready to be sent off to other bella loving card artists. I have to admit that this little lady is the most loved of all of my stamps...perhaps she and I have something in common...well, some of you may already know how much I love flowers...truly, I do. I was able to use some scraps of floral backgrounds for these cards, therefore there is some variety to this set. I find it difficult to create too many cards all exactly alike.

That's about it for now. I may need to rest my weary little fingers for a few days, perhaps making a card here or there. My DH and I and another couple are taking a trip to Telluride, CO in ten days to participate in the Wine Festival there. We are so looking forward to the cooler temperatures and fresh mountain air.

Hope that you all are enjoying Life as much as I am...

Au Revoir!

~ Birthday Thank Yous ~

These are the ~Thank You~ cards that I have been working on today.
They will be going out in the mail in a day or two to all whom have
celebrated my "29th" Birthday with me again this year :)
P.S. It is not over yet...there is another celebration this Sunday...

TTFN,

Linda

Happiness Is...

...a perfume which you cannot pour on someone without getting some on yourself."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

That is such a profound quote. When I came across the stamp with those very words etched upon it, you know I just had to have it! I enjoy using it over and over as a sentiment in the cards that I create. Those are the words that resonate in my heart as I create cards for family, friends, and loved ones.

~ God Bless You All & Keep You Safe ~

Linda