I am a magazine addict. I have so many magazines that I am running out of places to put them. I am generally not a pack rat. I am constantly going through and throwing stuff out or giving it away. My husband is the pack rat. I am constantly having to throw away piles of clutter and paper that he leaves laying around. He is always saying, "Don't throw this out yet, we may need it." The problem is he never throws it out. On our last move I caught him packing piles of junk mail. Anyway, to get back to my point. I do have way too many magazines. But, I can't help myself. I refuse to throw them away. My favorite thing to do during Aunt Flo's visits is sit in my chair with piles of magazines around me and look through them and read the articles over and over again. My faves are: my collection of Expression Magazine (sadly,no longer in publication), Paintworks, Home Companion, Somerset Studio and many of the Somerset special publications, Belle Armoire, Belle Armoire Jewelry, Altered Couture, Cloth Paper Scissors, Create and Decorate, and Juxtapoz. There are a some others that I get if they look interesting. But, these are my faves.

I recently found another magazine that I may have to add to my list of faves. I have devoured every page of this magazine. It is called Hobby Farm Home. I am captivated and truly jealous of the people in the magazine and their way of life. Delightful is the word that comes to mind. I even looked in my thesaurus to find another word, but none were right. I really enjoyed reading it.


This is a new publication that I thought I should check out as well. It had some really great ideas for fashion redesign if your are interested in that sort of thing. My daughter is and that is why I bought the magazine. It had some really simple projects that we are going to try to do together.


Today I am grateful for: getting over my persistant cough, goat cheese, a clean badger dog, a clean kitchen, and a sunny day.

New items listed on Etsy





I have sold 3 crosses total from my Etsy shop. I am pretty happy with this. Making a sale at all is a mile stone. After 4 months, I was beginning to think it would never happen.

I started working on a new 12" cross today. I am doing something a little different with it.

I feel like I am in a state of waiting right now. All of my Christmas shopping is done; and I don't have anything I have to do until Christmas Eve, when I make my family's big Christmas Eve meal. But, I don't want to start on any major projects until after Christmas. This whole waiting thing is not easy for me. I had intentions of taking a day off to spend the whole day watching chick flixs and drinking hot chocolate. It hasn't happened yet. I am finding it hard to sit down and not do anything. Tomorrow, I am going with my Bible study ladies to deliver our gift bags to the nursing home and shut in ladies. So, Friday is the day. Friday I will sit and watch chick flixs and drink hot chocolate. I may even put a pile of magazines in front of me and look at them as I am watching movies. I love looking at my magazines. I will rest on Friday. I have said it aloud and typed it here, so now I have to.

Today I am grateful for: Luna Azul restaurant, not organizing my studio, my husband's gift wrapping skills, and grapefruit juice w/salt.

I have not sat down at my table to work or play for over a week now. I have been so busy getting caught up on everything I neglected while getting ready for my last show. I have cooked more in the last week than I did for the entire month before my show. I am now almost completely caught up on house cleaning and laundry.

I am getting ready to get back to my studio. Tomorrow is out of the question. Bill and I will be meeting some friends for lunch. We have an hour drive there and then another hour coming home. I am quite sure we will be at the restaurant for awhile, then we will finish up our Christmas shopping and head home. Maybe Wednesday I can play. I have a few new ideas I am wanting to work on.

I made my Italian soup tonight for dinner. I am so full, I can hardly breath. My Italian soup is one of the few things I make that everyone in the family will eat. We are all walking around holding our bellies and moaning tonight. Nothing makes me happier than to see my family full and satisfied. I am in a cooking mood in a big way. None of the menus I planned for the next two weeks are quick meals. I will probably regret this going in to next week, but the groceries have been bought, so there is no backing out now.

I am also planning on making my mom’s Chicken –n- Dressing recipe for our Christmas Eve meal. The last time I tried to make one of my mom’s recipes, I had an emotional breakdown, and it was just potato salad. That was about ten years ago. I have come along way in my cooking abilities since then. I may never try to make her fudge, but I feel confident enough to give the Chicken –n- Dressing a go. I have my sister as my life line, just in case. She has made it before.

I am going now to get into my PJs and fluffy socks and settle down to some mindless TV watching.

Today I am grateful for: my Italian soup, 60 degree weather, a sunny day, grilled cheese sandwiches (the best sandwich in the world), and good Christmas music.

I made another Etsy sale.

I'm so excited. I hope the sales continue. I have having issues now with posting more items. I need to take pictures which has been almost impossible in this dreary, yucky weather. On sunny days, the light coming into my back room is perfect for photographing my items. I'm just not happy with the pictures that I have tried taking the last few days. Anyhoo, I have all day today to try to figure out something.

My Bible study ladies came over last night and we put together gift baskets for our nursing home and shut-in ladies. Everyone brought a few gifts to put in the baskets. The idea was to bring fun items that they don't usually get. We want them to have fun and smile and laugh as they are pulling items out of their bags. (We had way too many items to put into baskets, so we are having to go with bags.) I was so impressed with the items the ladies brought - silver Christmas socks, glittery pink nail polish, little teddy bears, soaps and lotions, glimmering lip gloss, decks of cards, candies, and so on. Everyone brought lots of really fun trinkets and we had so much fun put it all together.

I made my chicken salad and these cookies for the ladies coming over.

I have always wanted to make the fancy pinwheel or checkered cookies with the different colors, but never wanted to go through the trouble. Anyhoo, I had this idea to make Neapolitan cookies using different flavored dough, coconut, chocolate and strawberry. They turned out so good that this recipe is going to be my thing. Whenever I have a party or potluck to cook for, this is the desert I am taking. Leave a comment if you would like this very easy and wonderful recipe, and I will happily email it to you.

Today I am grateful for: my Bible study ladies, generosity, the nice lady at my post office, fellowship and time to take care of and pamper my family.

I re-opened my Etsy shop today and added these pieces. I will add more late in the week.

12" Patchwork Clay Cross

5" Patchwork Clay Cross

5" Patchwork Clay Cross

5" Patchwork Clay Cross

5" Patchwork Clay Cross

These are the crosses I sold at my show yesterday. I sold some jewelry pieces as well, but I don’t have pictures for those.

My show did not go as well as expected. The promoters changed the format a bit, and it just was not set up very well for the vendors. It was not the worst show I have ever had though.

I did have one really great moment. A lady who has bought from me before came to my booth and let me know how much she liked my work. She had bought a cross from me last spring for her daughter. Her daughter had liked the cross so much that they redid her room using the cross has inspiration. I cannot express how good her words made me feel. Making money is important and necessary, and I am grateful for every sale I make. If people didn’t like what I make, they wouldn’t buy it. But, there is such an incredible feeling of accomplishment when something I have made becomes something very special to someone else. So, when you buy a craft of piece of art from someone and take it home or give it as a gift, let the artist know how special it is whenever you get the chance. Yesterday, she bought more crosses from me, as well as some pieces of jewelry. There is no better compliment than a repeat customer.

We have had such a busy day today. First, we went to church this morning, made cookies for the Church Christmas Party, then got dressed and went to the church children’s play and after party. I was very grateful today that we only have to walk next door to go to church since the weather today is cold and moist. It is hard to believe that yesterday I was outside sweating and today I am wearing my coat and scarf. That’s Texas weather for you.

Today I am grateful for: a loving and generous church family, central heat, fuzzy socks, Christmas lights, and hot chocolate.

This beautiful new red 12" Patchwork Clay Cross is on it's way across 3 states to my sister's house in Colorado. She is giving it to a friend for Christmas.


I have actually had this cross for awhile. My sister has admired it since she saw the first pictures I posted. So, it is also on it's way to Colorado to hang on her wall.


I have sent out several special orders this week as well as my first Etsy sale. I am always nervous when I drop my packages off at the post office. My goal is to protect whatever I am shipping with enough bubble wrap, foam peanuts, and paper that my fragile pieces could survive a tumble down a long flight of stairs. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all arrive in great condition.

Today I am grateful for: Lemon Berry Slushes from Sonic, warm weather in December, a long walk in cool morning weather and kind comments.

I sold my first item on Etsy.

This cross will be making it's way to Kentucky tomorrow.
I'm so happy. After 4 months, I finally made a sale. I really haven't gotten discouraged. My biggest problem has been keeping enough crosses on hand to place in my Etsy shop, because I sell so many at the shows.

Because I have sold so many crosses, I am going to shut my Etsy store down so that I can take the crosses I have listed to my next show. I had thought that I would wait until after the first of the year to open again with more items, but maybe I will re-open next week. A lot depends on how well I do at the show.

Today I am grateful for: my first sell on Etsy(of course), having most of the day to myself, the relief of completing a not-so-fun project, and being very busy.