It Lives!!!!

Well, here I am once again. I actually made it here twice this month. WOW, impressive right.


 Anyway, what to talk about. Hmmmmmm....

 Well, I walked into my kitchen a few days ago and got the greatest surprise ever. My gardenia that I thought I killed has actually made it through the winter. It looks pitiful, but it made it. A little back-story first then I'll show you what I walked into the kitchen and saw.

 Those of you that know me that read this know that I live in Tennessee. Last year we had major flooding here in the mid-state and sorry to say but my family was affected. My nephew drown in the floods in Nashville, TN trying to get home to his children whom he was worried about and loved so much. He had a favorite flower which is the gardenia. Everyone in the family was given a gardenia plant in remembrance of him.

I love flowers and don't have any issues growing pretty much anything except this gardenia. It spent a week or so in a hot garage before I got it, and then it became infested with spider mites. I took the plant outside so I could spray it once a week and finally after about two or three months they were gone. YAY!!! Unfortunately, the leaves started to turn yellow and fall off. It looked pitiful. When it turned cold and we got our first freeze, I forgot to bring it in the house so therefore ALL the leaves got burned and fell off.

I thought that I killed this plant. My nephews favorite flower. I felt HORRIBLE. So, I stuck it out in the garage for a few months while it was really cold outside and tried to forget about it. I was telling on of the ladies that I work with about it and that I hated the thought of having to through it out. She told me to scratch some of the bark off with a knife or something sharp and if it's green underneath then there is a chance it might make it.

When I got home from work that night I promptly went into the garage, scraped it, and got really excited because it was green underneath. I immediately brought it in from the garage and put it on my kitchen counter next to the sink, where it has been sitting for a few months now. I've waited, and waited, and waited and finally I walk into the kitchen the other day and this is what I see......

YAY!!! That is why I am so EXCITED!!! I didn't kill it afterall. I'm so happy!! Now all that's left to do is to repot it with some new soil, but I may wait a while before doing that so I don't throw it into shock and do more damage to it.

Well, that's it for this post. I just wanted to stop by and share my excitement with everyone.

Hope everyone has a GREAT weekend!!
Traci

It's been a while.....

Wow! It's been about a year and a half since I've been on here to do anything. A lot has happened in that year and a half. Good things, bad things, and exciting things. Life has happened and I'm just kind of going along with it.

At the moment  I am taking a Business Systems Technology course through TN Technology Center in Pulaski, TN. So far I have earned a General Office Assistant Certificate and I am on the Director's List for having an "A" average. I have also become a Microsoft Office Specialist for Office Word 2007. I am in the process of hopefully becoming certified in Excel, Access, and PowerPoint as well. All I have to do is pass 3 more tests and I'm good to go. I am also on my way to becoming a Medical Administrative Assistant and will either be certified in billing and coding or transcription. I'm trying to do both but I'm not sure if I'm able     (time wise) to do that yet or not. I'm trying to get as much done as I possibly can.

I didn't like school when I was there last time (which was about 15 years ago) so this isn't something that I thought I would ever do, but I'm glad that I've done it. It has allowed me to learn new things and to meet new people. I look forward to going to school and I actually enjoy the work. Don't get me wrong. There are things that frustrate me this time around as well, but I have learned to deal with them and move on.


I still work part-time at our local library here in town as well. Life is very interesting and busy for me right now. I don't have as much time to spend with my family but I just keep telling myself it will slow down a bit in the fall when I'm done with school and then there will be more time.

Well, that's it. That's my first post in a year and a half. Maybe I'll get a chance to stop by and do this again but hopefully a lot sooner than last time.

:)   Traci

YAY!!! School is back in session!

WOW! It has been one busy summer around here this year. I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted anything. Pretty soon it will be time to get started on making cards for the holidays. It seems to take forever for me to get them done so I decided to start really early this year and will hopefully have them done just in time.

I'm glad that school is back in and the kids are excited to be back in school but I have to say that with all the noise over the summer it is just a bit weird to be in the house and not hear any kid noises. I think Daisy (my basset hound) even finds it a bit strange because she keeps going upstairs and walking through their rooms and coming back downstairs to look at me as if she's saying "well, where are they at?"

Our house in the summer time is dark and like an icebox because so many of us in the house have such bad allergies that it's easier to control this way. Well, after picking the kids up from school the other day, I guess Taylor thought that Daisy was looking a bit cold so she decided to share her winter coat with her.

It was so cute I just had to get a couple of pictures of her.





Well, guess that's it for today. Hopefully I'll get a chance to get back to creating some things but I'm trying to get over a pretty good case of poison ivy right now that my 4 year old niece was kind enough to share with me.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Traci

Cottage Rumble #9... Birthday Cards

Well, it’s that time again. Another rumble at the cottage. This time we had to make a birthday card with stamping on the inside as well as the outside. I have to admit that this one was pretty easy for me, time wise, because I needed to make a birthday card for my DH anyway, so why not take care of both things at one time.

Here is the card that I made:



· All stamps used from Clear Artistic Stamps A Little Note and I’m Just Saying
·Cardstock from CutCardstock: Malmero Perle 92# cover weight in Noir(black) and Blanc(white)

1. Stamp all music notes onto white cardstock then cut out.
2. Cut a white layer of cardstock and stamp with the birthday phrase then attach to the black cardstock with glue dots.
3. Attach all music notes to the white layer with glue dots.
4. Attach big music design on the inside of card.
5. Personalize the inside how you want then you’re done.


Want to get in on the rumble fun!

Make a birthday card with any stamps any way you like it BUT you also have to add some decoration/stamping on the INSIDE of the card

Here are the RULES:

1) Make a birthday card that also includes some (or a lot) of decoration inside. Upload it to your blog or any other gallery and go back to the cottage with a comment and link to your creation so that we all can see!

2) You can use ANY stamps for one entry.

3) If you use Clear Artistic Stamps you get two entries!

4) If you use a Technique Junkies technique (any stamps) you get two entries as well!

5) If you upload to SCS please add the keyword: cottagerumble9

6) Entries accepted until Friday June 26 midnight, the day of our NEXT rumble :)

All entries will be entered to win a Freckles Bearthday Set !



Have fun and we look forward to seeing what you create.