Evaluating my list...

We are at the end of February and I think I'm doing a darn good job on my "Things to do for 2009" list.  {pat myself on the back} You can follow along with me if you are familiar with this post from New Year's Eve.

Garage Sales: A

I have hit some garage sales so far, probably about 4 out 6 that they had in my little old town so far this year...rain, sleet, snow or shine, I was there! Still sleeping, but there!

Sunday Grilling: F

We haven't grilled a thing yet this year. I'm still working on that because I think it will require a trip to Lowe's for a new grill!

No grudges-No negative thoughts: A

Really! And don't make me think of any!!!

List Items in MY ETSY STORE: A

And I just did that tonight for the first time and I had one sale already!!!! And 5 people already {heart} me! :)

Keep in touch with high school friends: B

Not doing too bad but could do better.

Exercise: F

Does thinking about it count for extra credit??? maybe? NOT!

Take a Photography Class: I

I'll put myself an "I" for incomplete at this time. Might catch the next semester! {I am thinking positive...}

To Cook More instead of  eating out: C 

hmm. I'll be honest and put a "C" because...I didn't actually say that I would cook more this year. Thad has been doing such a darn good job almost every night so I won't take all of the credit.

To do things because I want to, not because I have to: A+

And I feel good! do-do-do-da-do...oh yeah!

Play Bingo at least twice a month (& win): A+

Yep, I brought home the $$$ already baby!

Blog often: A+

January and February are almost my two highest posting months! Whatcha think matters, Quality or Quantity???

Be More Thankful: A+

Haven't I told you I really appreciate you coming to see me??? :)

Go to the Movies at least once every two months: I

Another Incomplete. I plead my case because there is still 2 days left in February and you never know if I'll be eating some popcorn or not! {There's that positive thinking again!}

Send birthday cards: W

I put myself a "W" because I withdrew that from my list. Just now. It was affecting my GPA...

Listen to my iPod more:  D      C

Does listening to my iTunes on my computer count for extra points? Okay, then I'll just change that to a "C"...{teacher's pet}

Learn to Sew: D

Does buying scrap material every time I go to Wal-Mart count? Fine then, the "D" stays and I'll try harder I promise.

****************************************************

My GPA for the first 2 months of 2009:   2.010 = C-

So with all of this in black and white, do ya know what this means?

I certainly have room for improvement!

How are you doing on your 2009 list??? Please share...maybe we can cheat off of each other learn from each other before re-evaluation time rolls around again!!!!! :)

Someone stole all of my pictures this morning. I mean the dog ate my pictures. I mean they flew out the window of the bus. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

 

Because Someone Said...

This is how the story goes...

I received an email today...notifying ME that I owed her a tutorial or two. (Yeah, you know who you are!) Well, I politely emailed her back letting HER know that I don't give tutorials very well, however I really enjoy everybody else's that they may post.

Greedy? Me? No, not hardly. First of all, I just don't have that kind of time on my hands...I do work full time ya know. Secondly, giving tutorials was never the intention of my blog. I just like to post pretty pictures and make up a story or two! I don't want to have to come home after work and work some more! Are you following me?

Anyway, my question for you today is...Do you like these eggs in the pictures above? Good, then keep reading!

Well Miss S.R., I hope you feel guilty that supper isn't cooked, the clothes are not clean and the dog needs to go outside BUT here is your EGG TUTORIAL from ME! Just in time for Easter!!!!

I'm really happy to do this, I hope I didn't scare you away!! I'm happy see? :)

Okay, let's get these eggs rollin'...

You will need these things:

• Paper Mache eggs
• Acrylic Paint (neutral color)
• Mod Podge (I use the gloss finish)
• Two sponge brushes (one for paint and one for mod podge)
• Scrap Paper

Step One:   (Optional)

Paint eggs a neutral color. This is necessary only if you will be using light colored paper. It is to provide a lighter background if you miss a spot when covering the egg with the paper.

Note to self:   go wash your fingers before you touch the camera!

Step Two:

Cut little strips of paper about 3/4" wide and the length (from top to bottom) of your egg.

Adhere paper strips with the Mod Podge and rub out creases with your fingers. (this gets a little messy) Work all the way around the egg until egg is completely covered.

Note #2 to self: go wash your fingers again before you touch the camera!

Step 3:

If you'd like to seal them, you can apply a light coat of acrylic spray on them. This will protect them and give them a little glossier look if you would rather them shiny. (I do this step)

Let dry and you are DONE in THREE SIMPLE (but messy) STEPS!

Do as many or little as you want but below is my stash of eggs to display in my home for the Easter Season. I used many patterns of my scrapbook paper scraps. This was a great way to use up those little pieces of paper that you just couldn't bear throwing away.

Oh, Miss G., isn't today GREEN WEDNESDAY? You girls just totally inspire me with your recycling and tutorials and such...you stress me out but totally inspire me! Enjoy!

I've been loving it since November...

On a cold rainy weekend in November, I treaded my way to Omaha Nebraska...

A place I had never been, but dreamed of.

A place where I knew no one prior to my arrival...

A place where I was very unaware of what I was about to see or what I was about to become.

A place called Silver Bella...a meeting of like minds & hearts.

Little did I know that I would meet someone very special...a gypsy soul of sorts.

She carried on her wrist something handmade....something simply beautiful...something Victorian inspired.

One like no other I'd have ever seen.

And I envied her so, until today.

Because today, I have realized many things since that cold day in November...

I have realized that I became a Bella...

I have realized that I became a Friend...

And today, I have become a Sleeve Sister to a wonderful person with a creative and very generous heart.

Today, she sends me the matching cuff of the handmade, simply beautiful, Victorian inspired cuff that she wore the day I met her.

Therefore today, the only envy I have of her is...

I wish that I was as talented as she.

This beautiful cuff bracelet was handmade by Sandi Moran, you may know her as The Victorian Gypsy.

My Heart is Filled with Delight!

Thank you Sandi, I love it & appreciate it more than you know.

Favorite reads...

My name is Jodie and I am a magazine junkie. Plain and simple.

I have a few several subscriptions...(maybe 4, 5, 6, or 7ish ~ but who's counting?) that I refer to as my 'prescriptions' because every time I pull one out of the mailbox, I am suddenly cured from whatever is ailing me at the moment.

This month, I received some good news in the mail...

Stampington & Company sent me a little postcard telling me there were some exciting changes coming to Somerset Memories. Instead of being published bi-monthly, this magazine will now be published annually. Since I have a three year subscription to this particular Somerset magazine, I will now have a huge credit on my account along with an additional 15% as a 'thank you' for my years of support! Yippie, jump, jump, jump! So if I am missing for a while and you cannot find me, you can probably bet that I will be shopping at Stampington & Company for some more goodies!

Who says Winning isn't Everything???

Look what 'winged it's way' over to me this weekend...and YES, she stamped and doodled this on the envelope! How cute!

Out of 200+ comments on Lisa Cook's One World One Heart giveaway, I was the lucky winner of an envelope filled with this...

I carefully unwrapped the vintage goodness and I just thought I'd died and gone to heaven! Or won Lotto! (well, you get the picture)

How generous was she to give away all of this ephemera...if it were me, there's no way I could have parted with this envelope! NO WAY...but I'm so glad she did and I HAVE IT!!!

Vintage ledger papers, calling cards, millinery leaves, flash cards, and tatting...

Vintage wallpaper, ephemera, trimmings, sheet music, stationery, old bank checks...

Did I miss anything? My little mind is so blown away...

A big thanks to Lisa, her blog is so cool.

It's okay friend, you are more than welcome to go visit her and tell her how jealous you are of me, I'm okay with that.  ;0

She's in the Blog House!!!

Okay girls, the moment you've been waiting for (even though you didn't know you waiting for it)...

Silver Bella Sandy at  Sew Revived is online and she has created a wonderful and inspiring blog with only two posts already! 

I met Sandy last November at Silver Bella. Her witty sense of humor and her big heart drew me to her immediately.

This girl loves to create art, anything from sewing to collage and loves to honor her grandmother while doing so. She shares cool ideas and has a gold membership from her local library...(I think she has read every craft book on the shelf!)

Now tell me Sandy...With the internet at your fingertips, who goes to the library anymore these days???

When you get a chance, stop by and tell her hello. Please give her a warm welcome to blog land (& the 21st century)...

I am sure she'll be happy to hear from you!!!!

Studio Pretty...

 

My blogging intuition tells me that there are some beautiful creative spaces out there. I am talking about the little room you have all to yourself where you can just relax, read a good book or create something beautiful straight from your soul.

My little room may not compare to some, but to me it is my little corner at the end of the earth loaded with all that I need  my soul needs to survive in this sometimes unforgiving world.

My little room... 

Supplements me with the tools I need to create...

Nourishes my roots of creativity so I can continue to blossom...

Provides ample storage to save my dreams until I find the time to make them come true...

Creates a future to share with others who are willing to take what I have to offer...

and so much more.

My wish today is that you all have a little corner at the end of the earth loaded with what your soul needs to survive...where ever you choose it be.

Mardi Gras 101

What you are about to see (& learn) may make you never want to come back and visit me again...{ I hope that doesn't happen }.  However if you choose to leave right now, please take the flowers below with you as my gift for stopping by and I hope to see you again soon.

If you want to learn a little bit about the Cajun Mardi Gras history in rural Louisiana, then kick back and I'll be proud to share my Cajun heritage with you.

FYI: Our Cajun Mardi Gras is nothing like Mardi Gras in the Big Easy ~

We'll start from the beginning as I share a few photos from 2006:  {I have no idea where my pictures are of 2007 & 2008...I don't remember if I was sober enough to have taken any!}

It's still not to late to quit reading ~ you can still take the flowers and go if you like.      oh, you are staying?     Great!    Let's begin!

Cajun Mardi Gras 101

• Mardi Gras means FAT TUESDAY
• It is celebrated on Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday
• The Courir de Mardi Gras means "the run of the Mardi Gras" consisting of those who run in traditional Mardi Gras costume accompanied by the Capitaine which is the man (or men) on horseback who leads the way through the country roads and keeps everyone behaved. {or attempts to for the most part, the sheriff is there for back up, really.}

Note: I live on 6 acres and this is my frontage property of about 320 feet lined in garland to try and keep the horses out of my yard.  Riders would stop to use the bathroom behind a tree, bush,  vehicle or whatever they could find...not a pretty sight.

• The Courir de Mardi Gras in my hometown averages about 2500 riders. They are men and women dressed in traditional costume which is usually hand made of scraps such as potato or rice sacks, scrap material, fringe...& even the well collected Crown Royal bags as seen below. There are no rules.

• Some wear the traditional Capuchon which is a tall pointed hat with a mask in order to be disguised.

• Riders will wake up very early the morning of Mardi Gras and meet downtown riding their beautiful horses (& sometimes donkeys as seen above) and decorated trailers.

• Breakfast is provided by local merchants consisting of  'all you can eat' boudin which is a sausage stuffed with pork meat, liver, rice, onions, parsley and seasoning...lots of seasoning! {See why they stop anywhere to use the bathroom ???} They are also supplied with 'all you can drink' beer, absolutely no limit.  The run starts at 8a and wanders through the country roads of the outer city limits.

• Trailers carry live bands and portable restrooms. So think about it, with almost 2500 people in the run, trying to catch a moving portable restroom is a lot harder than catching a bush on the side of the road.
• When passing through the country, they knock on doors and beg the locals for charite' which is French for charity. They beg for items needed to make the evening gumbo. A gumbo is a spicy chicken & sausage stew of thinner water.  Offerings are chickens, eggs, onions, and cinq cent meaning nickels (5 cents) to buy whatever they don't have for the gumbo at the end of run.

• Since the Mardi Gras runners are beggers in disguise, the locals want to get their charity's worth in amusement so they throw the chickens loose and the runners have to chase them and catch them. This is where the phrase 'chasing of the chickens' was born.
• They will finally make their way back into town where the township is waiting to cheer them on and help them make their gumbo after a long day's run. Some do not make it back to town due to exhaustion or intoxication...or both. Live bands are playing and everyone is anxiously awaiting to catch those infamous Mardi Gras beads. Now let me tell you, in the country there is no need for lifting shirts to be thrown a bead. Everyone is VERY generous with their beads!!!! Matter of fact, don't be surprised if you get knocked in the head by a huge clump of beads at any given moment!

Now don't they look generous??? I told you so.

• The festivities of partying, drinking, dancing, and eating run through the evening until midnight. At midnight, Lenten season begins and Mardi Gras is officially over.  Well, almost over. It's the same old story the next morning "oh, I gave up drinking for Lent" or if it was really bad... "oh, I'll never drink again in my life" or if they were caught on film perhaps a little indecent... "I ain't running Mardi Gras next year" etc. etc. 

Overall, there is much fun to be had by the young and the old. This is one day of the year that everyone can let loose and carry on the Cajun traditions of long ago. Not so bad right?

As for my family and my friends coming in from out of town, we will not run Mardi Gras. Instead, we will be sitting outside, frying chicken or cooking a huge gumbo.  We will surely be watching the Courir de Mardi Gras pass by and maybe even give a nickel or two. And, you can bet that I'll be catching some beads with the opposite hand that's holding my drink!

I will leave you with one question to complete your course in Cajun Mardi Gras 101:

When are you coming to celebrate Mardi Gras in Cajun Country?

{there is no wrong answer of course! Believe me when I say this, it's not for everyone!}

{Everybody was a Winner} Update...

Remember my little 99th post giveaway a couple of weeks ago?

Well I have to tell ya, it was fun! Everyone who left a comment on that post was a winner and should soon be receiving (or has received already) their little sumptin' sumptin'  from me in the mail. Did I tell you that I had fun doing this? I really did!

Although Valerie won the big box of vintage goodness, I was still able to share a little (handmade by me) vintage inspired beaded bookmark with the rest of the 16 girlies who took the time to stop by and leave a sweet comment.  In the pictures, there is one missing...only 15 are shown. Why am I telling you this? Because to no surprise for those who know her, my dear sweet cousin Sonya personally came over to my house and picked hers up immediately after reading everyone was a winner. I didn't mind...she stayed & helped me package them for mailing!  ;0   I just don't know what I'd do without her!

When you get the chance...stop by these awesome blogs. These are some of my bookmark recipients...they are great! There were three other awesome {anonymous) girls in my family who entered and they have no blogs...what's up with that???

Greetings from Geralyn

Cpaphil Vintage Postcards

{glue on my fingers} paint in my hair

Frippery

Sew Revived (a brand new blog coming soon!)

The Barber Bunch (Valerie was the big winner!)

The Victorian Gypsy

My So Called Junky Life

Silver Trappings

Pretty Petals

It's All Good

The Victorian Parlor

creative ramblings

vintage girl at heart

Coming down from my cloud...

 

I see it is Tuesday now and my fairy tale weekend is almost just a memory...Thanks to all who came along with me to the castle.

I am sort of speechless today as we are gearing up for Mardi Gras festivities down here in Louisiana...everywhere in sight is purple, green and gold. It's Carnivale Time & spirits are high!

Feel free to right click and use the picture if you feel inspired to make a 'pink' project.

A Valentine Fairy Tale...

 

Have you ever been to a castle...       

A castle located back in the deep bayou ... of Louisiana?

No you say?

Then come with me and I'll take you there.

Please, do share in my Valentine fairy tale of yesterday...

On a dreary Valentine morning deep in the bayou country we gathered, friends from close and far to make our way to Louisiana's Le Petite Chateau de Luxe {the small luxury castle}. We were cordially invited on this special Valentine's Day by the castle's second generation private owner & resident.

Traveling through narrow windy unpaved roads greeted by Louisiana's majestic moss covered live oaks...

And abandoned buildings that could tell a hundred stories...

Passing by the old irrigation pump that provided water from the Mermentau river to drench the fields that were once planted with rice, soybeans or possibly sugar cane of long ago...

We soon arrived at the old wooden gate which was our entrance to a Louisiana enchantment only few knew existed to this day.

Still with me? Shall we begin?

Enjoy your first peak through the trees of the castle that awaits us!

The gardens were beautiful even through the wintery gloom of February. It leaves the mind open to wonder what the grounds would look like in the Spring, covered in blooming azaleas of pink, red and white and leaves ever so green...

Shall we enter? You first please...

When I looked up, my breath was shallow as I can only imagine Rapunzel's golden braided hair hanging from the open window of the ornate fleur de lis round tower...

Could it be Rapunzel peeking at us through the window above?

Or could it be Juliet waiting for her sweet Romeo?

Truths about this fairy tale castle:

A young and prosperous French man with a dream began construction in the early 1950's on the bank of the Mermentau River.

It took over 10 years and 10 brick crews with over 330,000 bricks to complete just it's outer shell.

The castle sits on 19 acres and consists of 15,000 square feet with 31 rooms which only 6 rooms are occupied today.

His wife grew up on this land, which has been in the family for over 150 years. The above structural remains is the old schoolhouse that his wife and her siblings once attended. Later it became his workshop and now, it remains only as a reminder of how the fairy tale began.

On all four corners of the brick wall that surrounds the castle stand these guard towers. Not with intentions of warfare but with a simple reminder that God is their protector...

Being devout Catholics, reflecting God in the gardens is also a statue of what I believe to be St. Frances of Assisi.

The man with the vision and the originator of this fairy tale castle passed away 14 years ago at the age of 91, never seeing his castle completed. Out of 8 descendants, only one son was faithful to fulfill his father's wishes.

And now the son, at the age of 71, lives with his wife and children in the castle of which they are proud to call their home.

To this day, he has been the first and only resident. He grasps tightly to an uncompleted list handed down from his father and works diligently to fulfill his dream.

Although much may look abandoned when passing along the river, know that there is life in there...and a dream.

A constant upkeep of enduring devotion and love...

weathered by years of a seemingly impossible task.

But there is hope...in a new growth {a new generation}...

That will one day be able to finally say...it was a labor of love.

Happy Valentine's Weekend and I hope yours was filled with lots of  L~O~V~E.

The Le Petite Chateau de Luxe belongs to Philip Desormeaux and is located in Mermentau Louisiana