ooops I did it again

Life just gets hectic and a million things distract me and I for get to come on and occasionally check the blog or write in it. I keep being told that blogging is a great way to get things you do and make out into cyber space. But I so rarely read a blog, unless one of my friends posts the link on Facebook I never remember to check. Mostly Holly & Mike as Holly posts the link to her new blogging and I love reading her perspective on being a Mom of 3. But recently a friend and fellow crafter asked me when I go to a specific site would I click the link in her blog. So of course here I am back in the blogasphere.

I always like starting with happy, happy is good. Who wants to be sad? (actually I know a couple of people no matter how much we try they will never and I mean never be happy)  Poppy got full time in less than a year at Publix, she is doing amazing, is in a long distance relationship with a young man from Canada (they had been friends for the longest time). Young man won brownie points recently

he sent her a stunning bunch of flowers.  So for now he is a keeper.

Mac-Ella, where do I begin with this little monster?

She is my mermaid, she just loves to swim. Most days I want to pull my hair out as she really is non stop but my how my life is full of sunshine and joy with her. She is smart as a button and just like a sponge, she soaks up everything going on around her. 

Me, well I am on a new journey, 8 weeks ago or so Mum guilted me into weightwatchers and we have been going. I struggle, I love all the wrong foods as well as all the right ones but I have been doing remarkably well. At this point and time I am 28lbs down and the lowest weight I have been in the past 5 years. But I still have one hell of a journey ahead of me. It is difficult in so many ways, when you don't feel like cooking because you know that the only person whom is going to wash up is you and it has already been a long day but you can't get takeout, it is no longer an option. The pool has been a help and I try and go at least 3 days a week but push for 7. 

This year has seen my Mum become a widow for the second time, no woman should have to go through this. Only this time it has been so much worse for her. She doesn't have a distraction like she did with Dad. But if nothing else the woman is damn strong and he has a will like no other woman I know. I grew up a lot the day we lost William, in all my life I have never wanted to see someone after they have left this world. But on January the 11th I stayed with William, held his hand and  talked to him as he left us. Mum couldn't bare to see him leave her and something inside me of me I needed him to know we cared. I never thought in all my life I would say this but I miss him, he had character and a good heart. The things you learn in death about people open your eyes to things they did in life. He wasn't perfect and more often than not we butted heads but now I understand why he was the way he was. I also know that he loved us all in his own way but William had never known what a family was, he didn't know how to express himself. 

He was a Vietnam veteran and a true hero, he used to joke with Mum he was James Bond and now with sealed files and things we have discovered it looks like there may be some smidgen of truth to that. Rest well William, you are certainly missed. xxx

This week saw the passing of Phillips paternal Grandmother, so very sad for my father-in-law. It is never easy to loose a parent regardless of your age. In the correct order of things we know that one day we have to loose them but no matter how old we get or they get we are never ready for such things. I only got to meet her once on a trip to GA for Thanksgiving, but Phillip often tells me stories of his childhood with Hawian punch and cheese balls with his cousin. Virginia was a Marine and something Phillip is fiercely proud of. Rest well now and you are reunited with your husband. 

So on an ending I am now once again crafting like no tomorrow and enjoying it, weather it be card making or die cutting the cans to make magnets I am loving it. 

One I made recently from a print and cut file on Craftsuprint. To see all the die cuts I have done of late come find the group on Facebook By The Sheet.By The Sheet

I will certainly try and update this more often and add photos of things we are all upto. Stay safe all and enjoy your summer :)

Oh my goodness, it is totally official I am the worlds worst at writing a Blog!

I just came to follow a lady and take part in a crafty competition and thought I would check the last time I wrote in my blog..... Umm 2011. So many changes it is untrue, I mean seriously life changing things. Will start with the sad as I know in a previous blog I had talked about our fur babies. Sadly we lost Smokey a couple of years ago and it broke Phillp's heart and my Mums bank account. Then earlier this year Smirnoff got sick and we had to do what was best for him. But Poppy got a puppy, well he is a year old now so really not so much of a puppy lol. His name is Monty and he is a bundle of bounce, Tigger would have been a better name (am I the only person that does the T I GG ER when they type Tigger?)and he is now a part of the family. Talking of Poppy she is now 21 and a wonderful young woman. She has her own business on Etsy and makes phone charms and Key chains .As of last month she also got a job working in Publix and is doing amazing things. So very proud of her. Also before I forget she does conventions in and around the area.

But I suppose the biggest news and I really do mean BIG lol is that we are no longer a family of 3 (well human wise), we are now a family of 4. Back in 2013 we welcomed Mac-Ella into the world. She was a total surprise but a joyous happy one and is the sunshine in our world. I know that some may wonder why Mac-Ella? When I found out I was pregnant (funny story, my Mum actually asked my husband if I was pregnant after we went for dinner and at that point he said "no don't be silly". He then told me and I realized that I hadn't been visited by the monthly curse for quite some time (months and I had put this down to stress of being flooded out of our apartment and moving.)so next morning I did a pregnancy test and yep Mum was right lol)we talked about names as you do and the only thing we could actually decide on was if it was a boy he would be called Mac after my Dad. Phillip wanted Willow-Rose for a girl and in all honesty I liked it but we had a cat back home called Willow. So I decided boy or girl they would be called Mac. This of course made my Mum happy and she suggested the -Ella so it was a girly name. So here we are 3 years later with a little girl that is way to smart, loves to swim and is just perfect (as every parent says). This week I will update and do photos of our little monster.

Recently I have taken to the crafting community on YouTube and it I fun, I have made a couple of project share videos and will see where it takes me and if I want to set myself up for the trolls in this world. Also a new thing for me pocket letters, so now I say why everyone liked them lol.

Other big news Mum has started her own business making house items and furniture and twice a month we go to #Pierce Street Market in Clearwater to vend.

Hope all of you are well

Bad Lystra

Where does time go? No really? Doesn't seem like yesterday that I posted on here but apparently I haven't posted since March!!! I must get better at this.
Some thing don't change I am still a bad daughter-in-law and owe Joan 2 letters, I do sit down everyday in the evening and say I am going to write and then something has to be done and by the time I have time to write I am dozing off on the sofa waiting for Phillip. The 4 to 6 hours sleep I get nightly just isn't enough..

Again life has been busy and interesting and lots has gone on. We have managed to gather a few new friends along the way.


Here is Cadbury showing his new friend Caramac how to enjoy nap time.




This is Smirnoff, this little guy was rescued by one of the neighbours who was scared of it and doesn't like cats. 3 weeks ago you couldn't get near him, now he thinks he owns us.

We re homed another ginger kitten and he is spoilt and enjoying life.

Did we need more family members? Not really but they needed someone to love them and a place to call home.

Craft and create is doing well and has a regular monthly customer, I didn't realise that we had been doing the mature folks home for so long. Tomorrow we are going to paint picture frames and decorate them. I love this time of year as all the back to school stuff is in the stores and I can buy glue at a great price so look out for photos on me stocking up.

Phillip and I have started selling Avon, I can't rave enough about Avon I love it..They always have some great deals, the have nice perfumes. Poppy loves the makeup and nail varnish. 1 campaign in and we did good and this one is looking OK.
you can check our on-line shop out here.




Time for me to go shower and start my day. Check back soon as I am hoping we have managed to blog again.

A new venture

Where does time go?

I have been terrible at writing my blog and haven't been near or by in over a month. Life has just been hectic and busy. Both Phillip and Poppy celebrated Birthdays, Poppy is 16 and Phillip is about the same age with 12 years body experience (making him 28). So for a couple more days the age gap is only 8 years between Phillip and I, makes me feel better for a short while.

We had a friend come visit from London and was great to see him, Phillip loved it said it was fantastic having another man in the house. If living with two women is bad imagine how Carlos must feel with 4 women in the house and 2 of them teenagers. Feb just flew with Sam visiting and Poppy and Phillip aging life just didn't stop. So bad that I now owe Joan 2 letters (will find the time this weekend to write).

March so far has been busy and fun, Phillips parents came into town and we had a lovely visit. I saw my first Braves game (this is my team by marriage) and we won against the Yankees. The weather was nice and it was a pleasant afternoon. We were treated out to dinner for our Birthdays (we were treated all weekend and was spoilt, thank you Joan and James.), Poppy tried ma hi ma hi (dolphin fish, not dolphin) and chips and got upset when Phillip mentioned dolphin. We also took in the Strawberry festival but was disappointing, I/we expected more strawberries. Was pleasant enough but I like the State fair more, we also did that in Feb. Once again I got to feed the Giraffes. Poppy got to go twice, once with her friends and then on valentines day with Phillip and I.

I have a billion things to do and so much more to say.. Craft and create had it's first paying Job and got booked again. Trans Atlantic cards had it's first shop sale. Phillip sold quite a few cards at work.

My aim is to blog at least twice a week although I would like to make an effort and blog daily. For now I have to go do some work.

Making plans

So today i had intended to do so much but as always no point me making plans as they never go accordingly. Phillip and I however did manage to go to Win Dixie today and have a nose at some of the deals they have going on. I know we spent $32 and saved $38, Phillip was over the moon with this and tried to call his sister Emily as he knew she would be happy for him.



Poppy is staying upstairs with her friend tonight and the 2 of them have been giggling all night, I kid you not these two kids are crazy. But it is so nice to see them laughing and joking together. Jessie hasn't been feeling herself and I have spent most of tonight upstairs keeping her company. I pray to God that she gets well soon as no one deserves to be in that much pain. I feel very lucky to know the people I do here, they are such a mixed group and each bring a different quality to my life.



Tonight I was privy to a conversation between two Mums or Moms discussing their 16 year old daughters and birth control. Now I am confident that when Poppy is ready to have that kind of a relationship with a guy she will come to me. What worries me is putting your daughter on the pill doesn't actually solve much other than pregnancy. Now if Poppy were to come home pregnant I can deal with that, would I be happy? Not overly as a child changes your life in such a big way, you no longer have a life of your own and I want her travel the world, see new things and live before she has children. But STD's scare the hell out of me, you can't give HIV back or put it up for adoption. HIV is the scariest but there are so many other diseases that can be caught. Would I put Poppy on the pill? Probably but only after I had drummed it into her that a) Sex should be between two people in love and a committed relationship. Preferably someone you intend to spend the rest of your life with. b) Condoms should always be used.

Being a teenager now scares me, I am after all no saint I had Poppy at 20, but honestly believe she was a gift from God to make my dads last few years happy ones. My Mum says she was meant to be, that Poppy was sent to our family for a reason. She held us together when life was at it's hardest, when we had nothing to smile about Poppy could make you happy. I don't know what is the right answer, I know in an ideal world our children would be waiting till marriage to make these choices but that's not the world we live in.



Poppy and I summer 95

Jessie Turned 40

Wishing Jessie a very Happy 40th Birthday. I have to say she doesn't look a day over 39 and 365 days. She looks Amazing! Tonight I cooked her Macaroni and cheese from scratch as well as Yorkshire puddings, she had asked me for both for her Birthday dinner and being so wonderful (her words) I made them for her. I made her card and am happy with the way it came out but will work harder on the next one (Poppy's 16th).

Saturday is Jessie's big 4 0 Party and she is excited and looking forward to it.

I am mildly concerned about my mother 2 days ago she told me she would call me back as soon as she had finished her game of golf on the Wii.. But still not a word, am concerned someone may have buried her in the 9th hole. I will call her in the morning and check she is alive and well. Don't hold your breath on Mum calling back when she says she will.

So tomorrow I must take some more photos of cards I have made. Time to go and work on my blanket and chill in front of the TV. If I get a chance I will take a photo of my first ever crochet piece.