In my reading today I came across a common phrase that I have heard/read many times before, but for some reason it stuck with me and I started wondering about the various different meanings of it. Sometimes that happens to me, you know, sorta like when you type or write a word that you've typed or written a thousand times and all of a sudden you can't remember how to spell it, or you look it up and it's spelled correctly but for the life of you it looks wrong. And the more you look at it the more wrong (wronger) it looks.
The phrase I read today was: "She marveled at how little things had changed." And I wondered, was she marveling that everything had not changed much, or was she marveling about all of the little things that had changed? Think about it. Makes me go, "hmmmmm." It's one of the many reasons why I love and adore the English language, and how words mean things, sometimes different things in different contexts. It's delicious.
Another one of those phrases that blew my mind recently was "make believe." Think about it. MAKE BELIEVE. Really — think about it. Incredibly awesome... or am I just a little bit nuts?
The image above is from one of my new clear stamp sets by Impression Obsession. The set is called Read This and the SKU number is CL305. Click on the image for a link to see the whole set and how to order it if you're interested. Lots of other great designs in this set as well... and as always they all are also available as individual cling or wood-mounted rubber stamps.
Anyway, let's all thank God for our powerful minds that let us appreciate and understand language and communicate with other people on the planet through little squiggles on a screen or a page. It's a wonder. It's full of wonder. It's wonder-full. Wonderful.
"Language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts run and out of which they grow." —Oliver Wendell Holmes
"It's a strange world of language in which skating on thin ice can get you into hot water." —Franklin P. Jones
Here's another reminder. I need lots of reminders. Let's make it a good week!
"A thing o
f beauty is a joy forever;
Its loveliness increases;
it will never pass into nothingness;
but still will keep a bower
quiet for us,
and a sleep full of sweet dreams,
and health, and quiet breathing." —John Keats
"Think of all the beauty that's still left in and around you and be happy." —Helen Keller
"Beauty is the promise of happiness." —Stendahl
I needed this reminder (and maybe a kick in the butt) today...
"It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about." —Dale Carnegie
"Some pursue happiness; others create it." —unknown
I've been under the weather this week. It started as a little head cold then progressed to where I was just completely out of it yesterday. I had to just lie down and sleep it off. That's hard when there's so much to do but I had no choice. Feeling a little groggy but much better today. The weather yesterday was the poops - cold, rainy and VERY windy, so it was a good day to hunker down anyway. Hopefully things will improve from here.
Thought I'd share some more cards from the Impression Obsession design team, using a few of my new designs that were released at CHA last month. Card Number One, "2011," is from Laura Fulcher, and it uses my CALENDER NUMBERS set. Click on the photos for for more info. Card 
Number Two, "Time Began in a Garden," is from Jenny Gropp and uses a stamp from my IN A GARDEN set, and Card Number Three, "To Love and be Loved" is from Deborah March and uses an image from my A LOVING HEART set. And as always, each of these stamps are also available individually, either as clings or wood-mounted. Thanks ladies for the beautiful cards! Lovely!
That's it for today - toodles, and I hope you have a nice long Presidents' Day holiday weekend!
"A faith like Lincoln's would transform the world!" —James Oppenheim
"George Washington is one of the beacons placed at intervals along the high road of history." —Orestes Ferrara
"I would rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world." —George Washington
February Fourteenth: Happy Day of Love to you all! I am blessed to have Rich as my every-day Valentine! We've been married for almost 23 years now, and I am so thankful for him! I was mostly an idiot in my 20's, but one good choice I did make was to marry that man. What a treasure he is to me! Rich, I love you. You are my eternal sweetie. Here's our wedding pic, taken on one of the three happiest days of my life: April 29, 1988. Don't you just love my poofy 80's hair? Oh, good times...
Here's romantic: Rich and I are going to spend the evening at Home Depot and Lowe's looking at stuff for our kitchen remodel! Don't be jealous, ladies! But seriously, there's nowhere else I'd rather be than with my hubs. He's awesome!
Okay, now it's off to work! Make it a great day.
"Love is what you've been through with somebody." —James Thurber
"Bart, with $10,000, we'd be millionaires! We could buy all kinds of useful things, like... love!" —Homer Simpson
One of my new favorite blogs to stalk: REMODELAHOLIC. So many great ideas here! I am hunting for new ways to decorate while spending little to no money. It's fun! I am really loving all of the painted surfaces and the French-Farmhouse-Cottage look, with lots of natural fibers, brocade prints, and ticking. And old chippy garden ornaments. And big candlesticks. And glass cloches. And old botanical prints. And lots of lamps and pillows - I love lamps and pillows! And of course I need plenty of inspirational quotes around, on the walls, on pillows, in frames, etc... Can't wait to see how everything comes together here in our new-old house. It will be work in progress for a while. And always changing, of course... gotta keep it fresh!
Just got hom
e from a Friday night date with my hubs. Went to Green Acres nursery to look at grape vines and fruit trees, then had some yummy pasta, soup and salad at Noodles & Company, then wandered around The Fountains, which is an amazing shopping center just a ways down the street from our house. Rich bought me a new white ceramic mixing bowl (a big one - love it!) at Sur la Table, and Rich scored himself some brown rice miso paste from Whole Foods so we can make more soup this week. Now it's home to relax before we tackle more organizing and unpacking projects tomorrow! Pretty exciting life, am I right?
OK - that's all for today - time to put my jammies on and my feet up... good night!
"A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams." —unknown
"At home find comfort and rest." —unknown
Good morning. What a beautiful day it is here in Northern California! We have a sparkling blue sky, and just the smallest amount of frost on the ground which will melt away soon. Daffodils are blooming, birds are singing, and life is good!
The cabinets for our new kitchen island are being delivered today (these are the ones that I get to sand and distress and paint black — the rest of the cabinets will be a natural hickory with a clear glaze), and we'll be placing the order for the rest of the cabinets tomorrow. Next week is demolition time! Should be fun taking a hammer to those awful 80's tile countertops! We have not done an extensive remodel like this before, so hopefully it will go quickly and smoothly and we will live through it. I hear they can be stressful... don't need more of that! My goal is to keep my mind and heart set on the end result and to stay positive. Exciting times!
I thought I'd share one of my new "love" stamp designs with
you today. "When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive — to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love." This is one of my favorite sayings — so positive and life-affirming! You can get this stamp individually here, or as part of this clear set (Impression Obsession CL315). In fact, I love this clear set so much I've included a picture of it here. It's a great set if I do say so... lots of possibilities with this one!
Well, it's time for me to run. So much to do these days it makes my head spin. Moving, working, remodeling the house, getting organized... but it's all good!
"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in." —Morrie Schwartz
