Trying to Get My Groove Back

Hello all! I am back to my full-time job, while still recovering from being ill. Not 100%, BUT better! In fact Madelyn and I made a Halloween bunting/banner for the fireplace last weekend. Minimal, but I love it! Get yours at the Etsy shop Land of Enchantment. Enjoy! Thanks!!

Ain't She Sweet? My Butterfly Princess?

Oh, and my husband. Doesn't he look great? Now girls, I don't want you all writing and asking for his number okay? He's all mine. No fighting about it. I know you all are looking for a good-looking man like this, but he's taken. But........everyone has a price.........







Hope you all had a great Halloween! Take care!

Warmly,
Leslie

When Someone Crushes Your Dream

http://www.dailyjournalonline.com/articles/2008/10/28/news/doc4907215e39fab572558509.txt

The above link and article might give you all an inside look to what is going on here on the homefront. My husband and I attended our first City Council meeting on Monday night. We went in regards to a letter that we received Friday afternoon at out home. It was sent anonymously from someone in our subdivision. Our contractor never informed any of us. It just so happened that a neighbor was walking in the neighborhood and saw a very small sign posted on the empty lots where the large construction equipment was parked. Very well hidden. The sign was to announce the hearing for the rezoning of our subdivision for low-income rental duplexes.

We have lived in our new home for only 13 months. It is our VERY FIRST real home. We have lived with family, rented low income housing and bought and lived in a double wide trailer for years while I attended nursing school. To say that this house is our dream come true is SUCH an understatement! It is not JUST our dream, it is our investment, my daughters future and where we chose to live and raise our family.

I know that our builder/contractor is having financial trouble due to the economics of our country, but who isn't? All of the homeowners in this development had a dream, just like our builder did. I am very sorry that he is having $$$ problems, but you do not give up on your dream of a great, beautiful, special and really different development when times get tough. He should not give up on his dream that he had for this area.

It is like making us homeowners choose the lesser of two evils. Either 700 square foot low-income rented duplexes, in a housing development that the LOWEST square footage built here now is 1750, OR he builds stripped down, 1400 sq foot, no garage, gravel driveway houses, that if he does not sell he will rent anyway.

I don't know. I can't cry any more tears that are just useless anyway. I am too exhausted.

From the feelings that I got at the council meeting, it may not pass. But, this is just one battle. I can not see him giving up, or letting his business go bankrupt. I think this is going to be a messy fight.

There is much more to the story than this too. I forgot to tell you that 3 of the larger houses out here are owned by his subcontractors that could use some work too, so not everyone out here is against this new development. But most are and a good majority spoke at the meeting.

Thanks for listening to my woes of the day. Sorry to bore you all and bum you out too! Keep us in your thoughts please! Have a great week and Happy Halloween! I hope to pop back in and post some pictures of our Halloween! Take care!

Warmly,
Leslie

Halloween Decor.....Take 2

Hello again all! Yes! Here I am again....I know, twice in 2 days.......can you believe it? I should be concentrating on the art show coming up November 22 & 23 that I am participating in, but instead I am having too much fun trying out all of the Halloween projects from The Craft Crow blog.

Yesterday evening Tim, Maddy and I made these ghosts. I had left over ribbon from the Halloween banner and instead of using monofilament and hanging them horizontal as shown in the instructions, I came up with the design above.......again, we make do!

Tim made his own design too, and I gave Maddy a print-out for her to color, but she was more interested in the play-doh after coloring the first ghost.
Here is my husband Tim's design. Actually, I messed up the first set of ghosts, this set, and he made these instead of throwing them away. Those eyes are tricky to cut out without a craft knife and I did not like how they turned out, so I started over. He outlined the eyes in black and then just started drawing on them after Maddy got her hands on the marker (see ghost "B"). Oh well, when all else fails make lemonade!

My next project is to finish the book sculptures I have been working on.....strangely enough also listed on The Crafty Crow. I saw them on Etsy long ago, and since I am an avid reader fell in love with them at once and I new I could make some for myself.........sorry Etsy sellers, I want to do this one myself instead of buying them.......I apologize for not supporting you all on this one!!!

I hope you all enjoy more of the decor here on the home front. It has been so much, SUPER FUN this year with Maddy! I tell ya, they just get better every day..........remind me I said this when I come on here and vent about her on one of her bad days!!!

Enjoy, and again, send some of your holiday pics to me of your own decor, and if you want I will do a post on my readers holiday crafts and link your blog too, if you have one!

Go forth and create!

Warmly,
Leslie

Halloween Decor.....Take 1

Hello all! It is not my day to work in the store and I did not have any senior centers scheduled today, so I kept my girl home today for a "little mommy and me" time. One of the items on our agenda was to make this Halloween banner you see here! I found it online HERE yesterday at work and we quickly whipped it up this morning. I could NOT find ANY ric-rac at the store yesterday, but the cute thin black and white checked ribbon looks nice (I know you can't see it, but it is rather cute). I would have rather had the ric-rac for the texture and design, but we make do huh? I also did not print it out on card stock as suggested, that is up to you.

I think for Thanksgiving we will do one as well, and let Maddy color them with traditional fall/seasonal colors. I will post that here when the time comes. Also, if you browse a little more on her site you will find OTHER free tutorials and patterns. I am kinda excited to print and hang the holiday dangles come Christmas.

Well, enjoy! Let me see some pictures of your great banners you make with this wonderful freebie. And post some comments on more ideas of what we all can use these banner letters for....holidays, birthdays, baby showers, etc.....and of course comment on what we all could do to "color the up" a little!

Thanks! Have a great day. GO FORTH AND CREATE!!!! All of you......that means you too!

Warmly,

Leslie