Let the FUN begin! Junk Journals

I love every step I take when making an Altered Book or Junk Journal.

It’s fun to daydream and design the cover.

And then to choose pretty paper and junk paper to use for the pages.

Then of course I love to be creative with each page…

adding special elements to make them all different.

And then it’s time to ‘embellish’! Putting tags and cards here and there, gluing and tucking them in place.

I want to give credit to some of the talented people that encourage me!

Stephanie from The Enchanting Rose sent me one of her pocket cards filled with tags and pretties from her shop here.

My sweet cousin, Cindy sent me stamps and paper and all kinds of crafting supplies this year for my birthday. Girlfriend Danice from Homespun Hannah’s Blog sent me the most beautiful handmade journal covers.

And my oldest son even slipped some stickers in my birthday card!

I’ve printed images from the internet but I’ve also bought some pretty embellishments from Camillia’s Paper Craft HERE and from My Scrap Cabin Shop HERE. It’s fun to have lots of goodies to choose from. I started off this ‘hobby’ thinking I could use all the things I already had but of course I discovered right away that I need want more! lol

Do you have any new crafting or sewing projects to work on this month?

Follow your heart!

I’m joining Mosaic Monday HERE .

A bird that says Meow?

Well, it’s actually more of a ‘catty mew’!

And yes, it’s a Catbird!

We get so excited to see a ‘new’ bird at Blue Run Park in Dunnellon.

You all know we go there often so it’s fun to see something ‘out of the ordinary’!

All About Birds says this, “If you're convinced you'll never be able to learn bird calls, start with the Gray Catbird. Once you've heard its catty mew you won't forget it.”

It was the first bird we saw so we listened for it’s call all along our hike.

After only a few steps we looked over into a swampy area and saw two Limpkins.

They are such fun to watch.

It’s a dark area and I walked up close before I realized they were there.

I’m glad I didn’t scare them away.

Hubby got some nice close ups! Thanks hubby!

And we were happy to see our Little Blue!

Guess what? He’s still white! heehee!

But doesn’t it look like his head is turning blue?

The juvenile is white but will he ever grow up? lol

The weather has been so gorgeous that we have been able to get in two hikes a week this month.

Are you having a nice weekend?

Follow Your Heart

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

and I’d Rather B Birdin’.

“Follow Your Heart”

I like to choose a word to focus on for the new year but this year, I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted. And then when I put out a few decorations over the weekend, I found it.

Follow your heart!

That’s what I’m going to focus on this year. I have some ideas. And it will definitely mean stepping out of my ‘comfort zone’ to accomplish some of them but I’ll let you know as the year goes by what I do that’s different.

I’m just like everyone here….I have a lot of good things going on in my life…I am very blessed…. but there are little hurts and heavy losses all along the way. I lost 2 loved ones this month that made me sad. And I had some hurtful things said to me that made me ….let’s see? Would the word be MAD? Well, upset might be a better word.

So I’ve been thinking…..and probably thinking too much!

Now I need to change my focus and decide to ‘follow my heart’.

The whispers of your heart…oh I like this from Princess Sassy Pants!

It’s funny how you see your word or phrase used after you’ve chosen it. It’s all around me now…in books, on tv and even in a movie we are watching.

I’m still going to work on my altered books (or junk journals).

Here’s a couple I am working on right now.

And we are taking hikes this month to take advantage of the beautiful weather. (we have 5 hikes this year already!)

What can you do this year to ‘follow your heart’?

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays.

‘Special Days’

We all have them! And mine fell on the weekend! So I am having a special weekend that is extending into Monday!

It’s my birthday!

I’ve talked to several of my blog buddies that have January birthdays! We should form a club!

My sweet cousin sent me this old photo recently.  It was taken at her house when we were playing dress up. How do you like our hats? We had on high heels too.

And the nice lady, Tricia at Castles n Crowns made my banner a few years ago. I LOVE it!

I’m writing this ahead of time and hoping all my dreams come true. I’m hoping my weekend will include a hike and some football. Oh, and some special meals that hubby has planned. I had hoped to have some sugar free cheesecake from our favorite bakery but they don’t make it any more. What will I do? I may have to get creative! I don’t miss sugar very often but it does seem a shame not to have dessert on your special day!

How many years ago was this taken? I’ll never tell! hahaha!

Happy Birthday to all my January blog sisters.

(and all my blog buddies born in the ‘50s!)

Join me in the celebration this weekend! How long can I keep this going?

I’m joining Mosaic Monday HERE .

Featuring the “Ibis”

We started hike #3 at Blue Run Park in Dunnellon by walking down to the boat ramp. The water level has gone down some now. It has been high since Hurricane Irma but we are seeing differences now, in the river and the swamps. I walked down and then just happened to look to my left and saw the most beautiful Ibis, dipping into the water and not at all disturbed by my presence.

It looks like he’s found a ‘crawdad’ here but I’m not sure.

What a beautiful way to start a hike!

He kept posing for us and we didn’t want to leave!

Here he is going down, almost all the way under to ‘fish’ these shallow waters.

It’s unusual to get this close.

I hope we get to do hike #4 Saturday! I’ll let you know!

We had some cold overnight temps but it’s been pretty nice all week and supposed to be in the 70s this weekend.

How’s your weather now?

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

and I’d Rather B Birdin’.

“The Give Way of Life”

When I was much younger….years and years ago….I was privileged to hear Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong give a sermon on the ‘give way of life’ versus ‘the get way of life’. It made an impression on me that would stay with me my whole life. And it’s helped me live a more positive way of life.

We all feel sad and even overwhelmed in life and when that happens, it’s a good time to look beyond your own problems and see what you can do for someone else.

It can be a gift of your time or something you know someone else would like and appreciate. Most of you know that I love books so that has become a favorite gift that I give…and give often.

And it’s more fun to sew or craft when you’re making something for someone else. I like to make my friends and family ‘homemade’ gifts and many of you sew for charities too. There’s always someone in need.

So that’s my little contribution to the PERK project!

It sounds simple….and maybe it is!

Learn to live the GIVE WAY of LIFE!

You’ll be blessed!

And spreading happiness!

(all photos taken on Hike #2 at the Florida Trails)

Are you taking part in the PERK project too?

I’m joining Stacey and Jemma today HERE

and I’m joining Mosaic Monday HERE .

1:40BR70

Take a walk with me! It’s the first hike of the new year.

We’ll walk for 1 hour and 40 minutes at Blue Run Park with the temperature at 70 degrees! Sound good?

I’d just like for you to see what we see in this amount of time. I think everything we saw was on the river side of the trail today. The swamp runs along one side of the paved trail and the Rainbow River runs along the other side. Once we reach the bridge we’ll see even more!

Here we go…

Anhinga

Common Moorhen

Grebes

baby grebes

Anhinga swimming by

and the BEST sighting of the day! A River Otter!

Our Little Blue Heron…yes, he’s still bright WHITE!

And now we’re at the bridge looking out at the Withlacoochee River. (70 degrees with a light breeze!)

And an Anhinga flies over!

Great Blue Heron

and another pic of our Little Blue.

We’ve turned around and now we’re on the way back

Turtle

Cormorant

Tired yet? We stopped quite a bit to take photos so let’s keep going!

Cormorant AND Ibis

Egret

Pileated Woodpecker

And a Juvenile Great Blue Heron

We made it back to the car! WHEW!

(that’s not my car and that’s not my real license plate! heehee)

Want to go again?

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

and I’d Rather B Birdin’.