Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens

Yesterday I went to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens in Belmont with friends.  The flowers that were blooming were just beautiful and I took tons of pictures!  There were a lot of flowers that haven't quite reached their peak yet.  I think in 2-3 more weeks, the visit would be awesome!  They are presently doing an exhibit designed to take a look at how the tradition of our outdoor space has evolved over the year called "Come Sit a Spell."   There are more than 50 chairs, rockers, benches, swings and other furniture designed by artists, companies, schools and community groups placed around the garden.  From rustic to whimsical to colorful art pieces, the exhibit includes some expected and unexpected ways to honor the tradition of the southern front porch.   This chair below was one of my favorites!  I'm a ladybug gal.

The first part of the garden was called the White Garden.  I didn't know there were so many white flowers.  It was beautiful.

  

 

The weather started out pretty cool but as the day went on, it warmed up and was very nice with high's just barely 70.  When I got home, we went out on our boat with friends of Sonny's.  I bundled up with my long johns and ski jacket.  But, after we tied up with the other boats, it was really quite warm. 

Idol loses another one

Just a quick post before I hit the sack.  I had a really busy day today which I'll tell you about tomorrow after a good night's rest.

Just wanted to touch on Idol briefly.  I was dreading all day watching the results show tonight because I didn't want anyone to be sent packing.  They were all so good last night it just wasn't fair for one to have to leave.  My feelings going in to the show was that it would be Mike .... just because.  I talked to Ashley and Marianne before watching - Ashley predicted Siobahn and Marianne hoped it would be Siobahn but thought it would be Big Mike.  Well, the bottom three were Casey, Mike and Siobahn so I knew one of us was right.  Turns out it was Ashley!  Siobahn did her final song and left tonight.  Siobahn has been the one that had me smiling every night with her quirkiness but it was starting to wear thin.  She stayed true to herself but she just took it a little too far.  Add that into her screaming at the end of her songs and I guess she was the one that had to pack it up.  That leaves one girl in the final - Crystal - who I think will win.  I am just so surprised that there is only one girl left because at the very beginning I thought the girls were the most talented and the prediction by many was that this would be a girl's year.  I'm thinking the final 2 will be Crystal and Lee but it's a toss up who will be #3!  What do you think?  Next week, the singers will be mentored by Harry Connick Jr. and perform songs from Frank Sinatra.  I like me some Harry!!

American Idol - a Tough One Tonight!

Tonight Shania Twain was the mentor.  I used to be a big fan of hers.  This should be good tonight. 

• Lee Dewyze sings You're Still the One - I like that he made this his own.  All the judges liked it.
• Mike Lynche sings It Only Hurts When I Breathe - Simon thought it was "wet" whatever that means!  Think he means it was too girly.  I liked it.
• Casey James sings Don't - This was one of Casey's best.  The judges agree.  This should keep him out of the bottom 3 this week. 
• Crystal Bowersox sings No One Needs to Know Right Now - Not her best of the season but there's nothing she can't sing!  Her boyfriend was in the audience tonight.
• Aaron Kelly sings Youve Got A Way - I was set to bash Aaron and officially pick him to go home. Not gonna happen. Aaron has been bad but he redeemed himself tonight. I think that is the best he has sounded all season. Going home? No
• Siobahn Magness sings Any Man of Mine -  She sounded good but I thought you could close your eyes and think it was Shania singing the song.  She didn't make it "her own" in my opinion.

Tonight was a tough one!  I think it's going to be a toss up as to who will be in the Bottom 3 and who will be going home.  I'm afraid it might be Big Mike.

Finally - found the outfit

Yesterday I played bridge.  It's been a long time but it was good to see my friends again.  Afterwards I went shopping to find an outfit for my nephew's wedding.  I bought a capri's outfit on Friday but have decided it may be too hot to wear in Texas at the end of May.  Marianne met me at the store and helped me find a great dress to wear.  And then I found some fushia colored shoes to match!!  Now if I could just lose about 20 pounds and get a tan!!  After shopping, we headed over to Chilli's and shared chips, salsa, fajitas and a yummy margarita!

Here is a card I made recently.  I used the Vintage Vogue Wheel from the Occasions Mini Catalog (only 3 more days to get it!) along with the Little Butterflies Embossing Die and the Scallop Trim Corner Punch.  The colors are Rich Razzleberry and Pretty in Pink.

Little Black Sammy

We had another family night dinner at our house tonight.  Our local grocery store had a sale this week - $5.00 for a steak, baked potato and ear of corn.  So, my mom bought enough for all of us and brought them over for Sonny & I to cook it!  I made brownies so we had a feast!  On Friday my sister, Angela, who lives with my mom was given a little black kitten by their mail carrier.  She had found it while delivering the mail in their neighborhood.  I don't think the kitten could be much more than a couple of months old.  It is the cutest little thing - jet black - and is already litter box trained.  They are going to hold on to her for a week to see if anyone claims her but if not, they will take her to the vet to get her checked out.  My mom is loving little Sammy.  She wanted to name her Sambo but we encouraged her not to since we believe it is a girl kitten.  Here are some pictures I took of her tonight:

This is Harrison, Marianne's son, holding Sammy.

Marianne on the floor playing with her.

The little raincoat bear plays "Singing In The Rain."  Sammy was intrigued by it and kept trying to creep up and "paw" it.  It was so funny!

Last week I took a card class at the local stamp store taught by my friend, Deb Holland.  Deb is sooo talented and oober-organized!  The theme of the class was Pink & Orange.  Here are the cards we did:

This was colored with my Copics, but I think it would be just as cool watercolored.

This card uses a Cuttlebug embossing folder on the bottom.  I colored this one with Tombow Markers.

This one is white embossed vellum.   Marianne did hers in black and white & used it for a wedding card.

I love this effect.  We spritzed the watercolor paper with water.  Then we used Shimmer Paints for the watercolor effect.  Twinking H2Os would work as well.

This is very simple using patterned paper.

Sunshine Award

Imagine my surprise and delight to open my In Box this morning and discover I had been awarded with a Sunshine Award! Sunshine awards are given to other bloggers who help spread Sunshine and a positive, upbeat attitude while sharing what we love and do -- stamping, of course! Often my life gets busy and I don't have the time, or take the time, to express my appreciation to those of you who make my day with your comments, feedback, questions and with your inspiration! One of the things that I enjoy most about Stampin' Up! is the sharing community.  I've met so many great friends through Stampin' Up!  - both directly and through electronic communication.  We are all a creative community and I appreciate and value the friendships I've made and creativity that we share.

 A special thank you to my friend, Cathy Snipes, who is also a North Carolina Stampin' Up demonstrator.  Cathy was recently my Monday Mailer partner and I received some great cards and inspiration from her.  Check out her work HERE!! 

The rules for the reward are this:
1. Put the award on your blog
2. Pass the award to other bloggers who bring you sunshine.
3. List the Nominees in your post.
4. Let the Nominees know you nominated them by leaving a comment on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to the person who gave you the award!

My nominees are as follows:

Mary Fish - http://www.stampinpretty.com/
Wendy Bell - http://wickedlywonderfulcreations.blogspot.com/
Tammy Howell - http://tarheelstamper.blogspot.com/
Paula Goff - http://inkingaddict.blogspot.com/
Deb Holland - http://debspapertrail.typepad.com/debbies_paper_trail/

Monday Mailers from this week

Didn't get much card making today.  Sonny and I went out to breakfast this morning.  I talked him into going to a restaurant I have recently discovered in Mooresville called Gail's Cafe.  I have been there a couple of times for lunch and it is delicious!  They serve home cooking - good veggies, biscuits, gravy, etc.  All those good Southern things.  Well, my husband being the Yankee that he is, doesn't like Southern cooking.  He's a meat & potatoes man and boy, does that get boring!!  Well, I figured he'd be ok with breakfast - eggs are eggs, etc.  Well, I wasn't as impressed with their breakfast as I am with their lunches.  It wasn't bad or anything but I like some of the other places we go better for breakfast.  My main complaint was that they used American cheese in my omelet instead of Cheddar!  But my biscuit was yummy!!  After breakfast, I even convinced him to go to Belk's with me .... shopping!!  I need to get something to wear to two weddings in Texas Memorial Day weekend.  One of them will be more casual.  It is an outside wedding with a carnaval theme!   Different, huh??  The other one will be dressy since it is an evening wedding.  I ended up buying a dressy pair of capris and a top, but now I'm not sure - it may be too casual!  I'm going to take pictures and send to my fashion expert, Ashley!!  After shopping, we went to the movies and saw Date Night.  It was a really cute show.  It's not going to win a Oscar but it was entertaining.  Then, we headed to BJ's and Target!  Whew - a long day! 

I don't think I shared my Monday Mailers from this week.  So without further ado .....

This is the card I made and sent.  I used the Vintage Vogue wheel (from the Occassions Mini Catalog).  I also used the Butterfly Embosslits die that I finally got (it was on backorder) and the Scallop Trim Corner Punch.  The paper is Rich Razzleberry and Pretty in Pin,

The Occasions Mini Catalog ends April 30, BUT the following items will be available for purchase after April 30!  Wippeee!!

Item # Description Price

116519 Charming stamp set $19.95
118598 Vintage Vogue  $17.95
118091 Tiny Tags  $22.95
117535 Decor Elements F IS FOR FOX CHOCOLATE $4.95
117536 DE G IS FOR GIRAFFE CHOC $4.95
117529 DE "IS FOR" BLACK $4.95
117541 DE L IS FOR LION CHOCOLATE $4.95
117542 DE M IS FOR MONKEY CHOC $4.95
117544 DE O IS FOR OWL CHOCOLATE $4.95
117528 DE SCALLOP FRAME BLACK $6.95
117549 DE T IS FOR TURTLE CHOCOLATE $4.95
117552 DE W IS FOR WHALE CHOCOLATE $4.95
118072 PINKING HEARTS Corner Punch $9.95
118870 SCALLOP TRIM Corner Punch $9.95
117191 LG 2 STEP BIRD Punch $15.95
118073 LG FANCY FLOWER Punch $15.95
117649 PINKING HEARTS Border Punch $15.95
117190 MED JEWELRY TAG Punch $10.95
117193 SMALL HEART Punch $5.95
117310 BIGZ L MINI MILK CARTON $32.95
118138 BEAUTIFUL WINGS Embosslit $11.95
117332 SCALLOPED HEART OF HEARTS Embosslit $11.95
117335 PERFECT POLKA DOTS Folder $7.95

Here is the card I received from my Monday Mailer partner:

She used the Awash With Flowers set.  This is a sneak preview stamp that will be available in the new catalog coming out this summer.  I love this stamp and need to get it out and stamp with it tomorrow!!

Hope your weekend is great!

Believe

A friend sent me this earlier in the week and it has really made me think.  I forwarded it to my son and daughter and thought all my friends out there in "blog land" would enjoy it also.

I Believe...
That just because two people argue,
It doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue,
It doesn't mean they do love each other.


I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if
We understand that friends change.


I Believe....
That no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.


I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance.

I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant
That will give you heartache for life.


I Believe....
That it's taking me a long time
To become the person I want to be.

I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with
Loving words. It may be the last time you see them.


I Believe....
That you can keep going long after you think you can't

I Believe ...
That we are responsible for what
We do, no matter how we feel.


I Believe...
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.n keep going long after you think you can't.
I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences


I Believe...
That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.


I Believe....
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be
the ones to help you get back up.


I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry - I have the right to be angry,
But that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.


I Believe....
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had
And what you've learned from them and less to do with how many
birthdays you've celebrated.

I Believe....
That it isn't always enough, to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.


I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken
the world doesn't stop for your grief.


I Believe....
That our background and circumstances
may have influenced who we are,
But, we are responsible for who we become.


I Believe....
That you shouldn't be so eager to find
Out a secret. It could change your life Forever.


I Believe....
Two people can look at the exact same
Thing and see something totally different.


I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of
Hours by people who don't even know you.


I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give,
When a friend cries out to you -
you will find the strength to help.

I Believe...
That credentials on the wall
do not make you a decent human being.


I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life
are taken from you too soon.

Cheers to you

I got this great card yesterday from my Monday Mailer partner.  It is so soft and pretty - this picture just does not do it justice.  Jana did the Two Step Stamping on this which is one of my favorite techniques and pretty unique to Stampin' Up.  That is what got me interested in Stampin' Up to begin with.

This card below is another one I received yesterday from Jana.  It is not another Monday Mailer but a card in response to my recent trip to the Outer Banks and THIS blog post!  Jana said that my post reminded her of her college days.  Yeah, Jana, I know what you mean!  I had some wild and wooly college adventures at ECU, OD Beach, Carolina Beach,White Lake, Lake Waccamaw  .....!!  Oh what good memories!! 

Anyway, I love this card!  It's scary how much she looks like me (ha - I wish!)  And, I did a little cocktail waitressing at Myrtle Beach back in the 60's!!  Cheers!

Idol Top 7

Here we are again ... Tuesday night.  We are going back and forth between American Idol and the Stanley Cup Hockey playoffs .... go Penguins!! 

Tonight is inspirational songs with Alisha Keys being the mentor.  She is one gorgeous girl!!  Guess she will sing tomorrow night during Idol Gives Back.

• Casey James sings "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow" - Not so sure about the inspirational aspect to this song and it was a little boring to me.  Nothing memorable.  He might be in trouble tonight.
• Lee DeWyze sings "The Boxer" - Great performance!!  I love this song and I love Lee .
• Tim Urban sings "Better Days" - Not bad but not the best either.  He just doesn't have the range or the voice that Lee, Crystal, Mike and Siobahn have.  Will the teen votes save him again?
• Aaron Kelly sings "I Believe I Can Fly" - He has a big voice that's for sure.  Judges are split on him. He just doesn't have the stage presence for me. 
• Siobahn Magnus sings "When You Believe" - Her weirdness is getting old. I'm not laughing tonight.  It was hard to even pay attention to her singing for looking at what she was wearing.  Who dresses her - the Idol people or her???  It was just too distracting.  There's no question she has a super voice but that might not be enough.
• Mike Lynche sings "Hero" - I liked it but he's one of my favorites.  Simon said it was a song about Spiderman and not inspirational.  I disagree .... everyone needs a hero to inspire them.
• Crystal Bowersox sings "People Get Ready" WOW!  She is just so good and she looked gorgeous. She got really emotional at the end but that was ok - it made it real.  Her performance was the BEST!  Unfortunately, AGAIN, the show ran over and our DVR clicked off during Kara's critique so I didn't get to hear what Simon had to say.  I'm sure it was good though.  Wish they would stay within the time limit!!

My picks for bottom 3 - Casey, Tim and maybe Siobahn???  Not sure
Top 2 - Crystal and Lee

I've been a little worried about Crystal.  I heard this week that Ryan Seacrest gave her a little pep talk a couple of weeks ago and suposedly talked her out of quitting.  She was hating the attention the show was bringing to her and planned to go back home to her family and son.   But a few days later on Facebook, Crystal confirmed the rumor, writing: "We all have moments of doubt. As much as I miss my kid, the big picture is this: I'm doing this for him and my fans. I'm having the time of my life!"  Just hope the public doesn't interpret this to mean she doesn't want to be there and if she wins, she won't be able to handle the pressure. 

Another finalist will be sent home Wednesday on a special episode that will serve as the "Idol Gives Back" charity event, which benefits Children's Health Fund, Feeding America, Malaria No More, Save the Children's U.S. programs and the United Nations Foundation.  Black Eyed Peas, Jeff Beck, Joss Stone and Mary J. Blige are among those slated to perform.