How HOT Can it Get??!!

Oh my goodness! HOW HOT CAN IT GET?? I always thought TEXAS was closer to heaven than the rest of the world but.....I don't know...this month, I am beginning to think maybe we are closer to the other place!! heehee

(here's the readout from the Jeep!)


This heat makes it difficult to do anything outside unless.....you have one of these neat little babies!!


The Little Missy is away at camp.....Hurry home kiddo soooo we can swim!


(pic from last summer...no! I didn't color my hair again!)

Project Update:
Here's the latest bracelet line I have been toying with. They are all wonderful scriptures and verses surrounded by 40-50 year old vintage pearl buttons. Hey just thought about it....pearls and scriptures....Pearls of wisdom, heh? Here's my favorite one so far:



I couldn't get a good picture...pooey! The scripture on this bracelet is Psalm 31:1 "In You oh Lord, I put my trust" In Proverbs the bible talks about remembering the God-given things our parents taught us. It says we should keep them written on our heart and tie them about our neck! Ha! guess we could literally translate that to a necklace?? how about a bracelet? No, seriously the point of that scripture is to continually keep these good instructions in front of us! It goes on to say in a later verse that these very same instructions will lead us and keep us in our sleep. I like that! I'm telling you guys....these have been a hard few months of RE finding myself! (just proofreading and it hit me....refresh, repurpose, recycle, re-love!! ha! who would have known this would mean ME!! and not my house!!) I couldn't have remained in one piece with sanity intact without encouragement from my walk with my Daddy GOD!! Sometimes we have to go through some things to truly feel the depths of HIS love!
Love you guys!!

Long Time No Talk.....

HI!!! to all my sweet blog buddies! Thank you all for the super sweet and encouraging emails! And yes...MONICA...I am blogging sooooo stop your darn nagging!!! Sometimes I forget that even the most mundane things can be interesting to friends. It's hard to sit in front of this computer and think of things to say! I sometimes think that everyone else in the world has such interesting and exciting lives, how could they possibly want to hear what this unemployed, overweight, almost forty, CRAZY WOMAN has to say?? But from all of the emails and phone calls and texts (I love you Mandy!)...I suppose you guys are just crazy enough to WANT to hear from me!!!! and that my friends, makes this creative crazy gal smile!!!! I won't bore you with a long "catch up" post but instead just show you a few things I've been working on!


I discovered glaze products and have been in a "glaze daze" for 2 months now!! I am constantly looking for things to glaze!! This pic is of one of my favorite charm bracelets I made out of scrabble tiles. RECYCLE, REPURPOSE, REUSE!! THAT'S MY MOTTO, BABY!!! I love how the pinks turned out and the words AMAZE, INSPIRE, and COURAGE.



These photos are of a bracelet that I sold in my Etsy shop. JOY, CREATE, BECOME, LAUGH, COURAGE
I simply love this bracelet. It personally speaks to me! It serves as a reminder to "be JOYful", Always put some of my heart in everything I CREATE!, Strive to BECOME who I want to be, LAUGH often and sometimes at myself! and lastly have the COURAGE to do all of these things no matter what is happening! (exact description from my shop :)heehee!)

.....and speaking of laughing at ones self....I decided recently to visit the local "hair school" thinking I could get some fabulous highlights and a haircut that even MY budget could stand. Well...the highlights, although they took FIVE HOURS came out great!!!! The hair on the other hand weeeellll....I will have to "scrunch" it until it grows out! what do you think? Hubs loves it....go figure!




p.s. I haven't killed the azaleas....not yet at least...

Mid Life Crazy?

Just thought you might like to see a tiny sliver of what rolls around in my brain 24/7!

I need to blog but how will I explain the long break. I could make up an elaborate story...involving swine flu, little people and strange social disorder......or maybe a crazy month long vacation to a secluded spot where no internet was available.....or maybe I could tell them I was in rehab.....no one would believe that....or would they?? hahahaha or maybe just ignore the huge elephant in the room....what elephant?? I don't see anything!


Did I miss someone's birthday? I feel like I did...who the heck is it?


I wonder if my azaleas should be planted on the side of the house or in front? Oh what the poo....who cares, I most likely will kill them before anyone gets to see them!


The dogs have fleas again....crap! now we have to treat the yard. Why isn't that smelly stuff I put on their neck working? Do we have super fleas....killed them so many times they now have super mutant strength? It could happen!


Dang it! I HAVE GOT to balance the checkbook! Or I could just keep spending till the card is denied...no embarrassing moment ahead there?? naaah!

Oh pooodittle I don't have a stinkin clue what I am wearing to the banquet tomorrow night. Not that it matters...I am HUGE and might as well wear a tent! Hey, maybe I could bedazzle it? Ha! That would be some serious repurposing.......

The whole fam will be here next Saturday....I wonder if they will expect my house to be "spotless"? I mean, I just sit at home all day since I got layed off, right?.....

Speaking of next weekend....what AM I GONNA GIVE MY MOM?? I don't have a clue! I am sure an organized woman would already have this taken care of.

180 what??? Surely this freaking thing is broke!! Maybe if I hit it a few times and then try again??.....Hitting it sounds WAY to appealing at this very moment!

I thought I saw an old boyfriend today. I wanted to melt in to a puddle under the table!!! While I was hoping he wouldn't notice the "chubbed out" version of me I heard them call "order ready for Jim, order ready for Jim" I realized my old flames' name was NOT Jim!! Whew, that was close! Or maybe he saw me and said to his date....hey there's this girl over there and I really don't want to talk to sooo....just play along when they call me Jim, ok? Whoa, Paranoid much??

I wonder if Monica will sell me her treadmill?....I wonder if my fat a** will actually use "said" treadmill? Or will this one become a clothes hanger like the last one???

Oh MY Holy goodness... my brain won't freakin shut off! Is there a switch somewhere?? (actually I believe the magic switch does have a name....W-I-N-E)

Am I looosing it??? probably....Maybe this is my sick version of mid life crisis? More like MID LIFE CRAZY!

40 is coming....I don't want to talk about that! I SAID I DON'T want to talk about it! NO! I mean it!! ok.....fine.....8 months, 13 days and 2 hours until FREAKIN FORTY!! THERE! Now, can we not talk about it?? thank you

Did I download the pics from the camera? no....where the fudge did I put the download cord? Maybe if I would actually clean the house I would know where things were!

Speaking of house cleaning....I still need to do dishes.....why do I loath dishes soooo bad?

EWwww...Harley! did you just fart....ugggghhh!

Did the hubs just drive my car past empty so that I will have to put gas in it on my way out? THAT IS SOOOOO FREAKIN FRUSTRATING!


Did I leave a load of clothes in the washer? Oh, that's gonna smell nice and ripe by now!

OH MY GOD!

I AM EXHAUSTED!!

......is it any wonder??

Now that I have allowed you a peek into the psycho ramblings of my brain, what do you think? Normal? Freak of Nature?? Psycho? Mid Life Crazy?. Anyone who really knows me knows I am freaking nuts!!!

Goodnight all my sweet bloggie peeps.

Sometimes It Took a Dog To Help Us See

The Hubs and I watched Marley and Me last night. And YES, I cried, thank you very much! (shhhh...don't tell the Hubs I told you, but sooo did he!) The author, John Grogan wrote of how he had learned valuable life lessons from his special dog. Here are a few of John's quotes:


"Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things - a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty."


"Was it possible for a dog - any dog, but especially a nutty, wildly uncontrollable one like ours - to point humans to the things that really mattered in life? I believed it was. Loyalty. Courage. Devotion. Simplicity. Joy. And the things that did not matter, too. A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. Status symbols mean nothing to him. A waterlogged stick will do just fine. A dog judges others not by their color or creed or class but by who they are inside. A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his. It was really quite simple, and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not. As I wrote that farewell column to Marley, I realized it was all right there in front of us, if only we opened our eyes. Sometimes it took a dog with bad breath, worse manners, and pure intentions to help us see."


Wow! That's good! In my life, I have never seen a more loyal love than that of my ever present shadow, companion, lap heater, tear licker, running partner, gaurd, my Harley.

He pines and mopes when I am gone. He only eats when I am home. When I drive up to my house and see him looking out the window, I know that he hasn't moved from that spot for quite literally hours. He is standing watch. Waiting for Mom to return. Watching every passing car, hoping it is me. And boy howdy WHAT a welcome!! He can hardly contain his excitement! He never fails to meet me with great enthusiasm. He is never too tired, too busy, too moody, too preoccupied or too lazy to give me the most gracious homecoming! We could all learn from my Harley. What about you, when your family comes home, do they feel you are excited for their return? Do you meet your hubs at the door with a big smooch? Do your children know that you have thought about them all day? I know, I'm preachin' to the choir, right?? Maybe this is just for me?? I want all of my families homecomings (rather they have been gone for hours or days) to feel as exuberant and the ones I receive from my Harley. Well....minus the licking of course! That might be a bit awkward!


Is it possible for a dog to point humans to the things that really matter in life? I look at my Harley and agree with John Grogan, he is the clearest, most vivid picture of exactly what loyalty, courage, devotion, simplicity, and joy look like. "Sometimes it took a dog....to help us see"

The Demon Triplets-Shame, Self-Doubt and Accusation

Have you ever felt like when things are finally falling in to place, and you begin to feel an excitement about the future, then WHAM! every demon in hell is released on you!!!! This has been been the case for me lately. I am reminded of a excerpt from one of my all time favorite books, Captivating.

"..the long and sustained assault on femininity, on woman, is part of something much larger, the most wicked force the world has ever known. The Enemy bears a special hatred for Eve. If you believe he has any role in the history of this world, you cannot help but see it.

The Evil One had a hand in all that has happened to you. If he didn't arrange for the assault directly then he made sure he drove the message of the wounds home into your heart. He is the one who has dogged your heels with shame and self-doubt and accusation. He is the one who has done these things in order to prevent your restoration. For that is what he fears. He fears who you are; what you are; what you might become. He fears your beauty and your life-giving heart.

You really won't understand your life as a woman until you understand this:

You are passionately loved by the God of the universe.
You are passionately hated by his Enemy.

As so, dear heart, it is time for your restoration. For there is One greater than your Enemy, One who has sought you out from the beginning of time. He has come to heal your broken heart and restore your feminine soul."

"Shame", "self-doubt" and "accusation".....Those are the exact names of those stinking triplet imps that have been doggin' my steps for days! I hope this helps and encourages you to celebrate your feminine, life giving heart and do not believe the assaults from the triplets!




PS...Speaking of things falling in to place.....check out the latest little cutie for my Etsy shop!! This is the best to date!!

Severe Blog Neglect!

Hello to all of my sweet bloggy friends! I have finally completed something! Yay me! It's funny, but I thought being unemployed meant I was going to have a spotless house, finished projects, lunches packed, dinner on the table by 5:30, dogs bathed, lunch dates with girlfriends, garden weeded, daily walks taken, plenty of time and energy for "on side business" (watch Australia.....then you'll understand!)with my hubby, house painted, books read, lots of quiet time, and last but not least, my blog would flourish!!! Somehow, not being at the ole 9-5 job became busier than when I worked!! How'd I do that?? I think I put sooooo many pressures on myself! Do you guys do that? I guess that is a woman thing! Enough rambling on....Here's the latest little creation! I am totally crushing on this one!! I can see how much my sewing skills grow with each new project I tackle.

Check out the magnetic snap and cute green lining and pocket fabric!


Speaking of the movie Australia, I had the rare joy of having all of my babies home on Saturday!! We had a fabulous dinner (Chicken Fried Steak, yummmmmm) and kicked back to watch a movie together! Did I mention that we pigged out on brownies and ice cream too!! I love family time! (notice my dog baby is in the middle of the mix!)



**NOTE** hubs says I misquoted the movie....he said it is "wrong side business" not as I said "on side business"...hmmmmf! I am still looking for a way to incorporate the quote "big fat cheeky bull" from the movie into my blog! ha!****

And the Winner is......

And the lucky winner of My 1st Giveaway is......Nikki from the Blah, Blah, Blah Blog. Everyone head over to Nikki's blog to tell her congrats!! WOW! What a fun first for me! Thanks to everyone who stopped by!

I have finished up the purses for Little Missy's 16th Birthday!


This one is lined in brown and this print is soooo fab!!!! It is super roomy and double reinforced seams soo she can load ALL of her stuff in this bag!! :)


This Vans inspired bag is a bit shorter and I toyed with a stiffer interfacing to give it more oooomph! It doesn't photograph well....my camera had trouble focusing on this print!...I added an elastic loop on the seam of the back panel and now need to add a BIG button on the front to finish the closure! What do you guys think about adding a different color BIG button like bright yellow of blue to make it a bit more funky??

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Lotsa New SITStas!

I had such a blast meeting all of the SITS girls on Tuesday! Giveaways GALORE!! It was literally an all day party! What fun! By Tuesday night I wasn't feeling too well. Too much party?? Actually I caught some kind of nasty bug from the hubs and am just now getting my strength back! Talk about a party pooper!

I will draw for my giveaway tomorrow! My sweet newbie blogger friend, Sami will be coming over to help me with that!

Tonight I got a sudden burst of strength and starting working vigorously on some projects for the Little Missy's 16th Birthday!! She is the biggest fan of my purses, and is always trying to sneak away with them soooooo...here's a teeny little sneak peek of a couple I am working on for her.


This is such a poor picture but this bag is coming together BEATIFULLY!! **squeeeeels**


You would have to understand how nutso my teen is about Vans to understand the true beauty of the fabric I chose for this bag!
look closely to see even the socks are vans!

Enough babbling on....I have to get out there and leave some late night comment love for some of my new friends!!

Here's a pic of the new friends I made on the way to the mailbox today.

My 1st GIVE AWAY! Brown & Aqua Yo-Yo Bangle!!

The SITS girls are having a Spring Fling!! With tons of giveaways!!! Soooo...I decided it was the right time to do a little giving myself!! Since this super cutee brown and aqua bracelet has really gotten a lot of attention on my etsy shop, I thought it would be the best one to give away!!



I am sooo loving how great these yo yo's came out on the fabric wrapped bangle!

Comment this post for one entry. Follow this blog for 5 entries. Post about my giveaway on your blog for 2 more entries! I will draw an entry on Friday and announce the winner Friday night!!

Mental Blogging A.K.A. Talking to Yourself

Am I the only one that mentally blogs?? Oh come on...You know what I mean! You are driving down the road, taking the dogs for a walk or waiting in line in the grocery store and a great blog idea unfolds. There you are, mentally jotting down the whole post. Tell me I'm NOT the only one! I do it ALL THE TIME....so much so, that I believe I have told you guys things when actually I haven't! I decided it was high time I tell you a few things I have obviously NOT told you in real life! Just know I am always talking to you guys in my head! (does that make me crazy?)

Thought I showed you this:

My mission style coffee table that I repainted for a more cottage style!!


Or these curtain rods made from broomsticks...betcha wondered what happened to the ragballs from this post, huh?

silly me....can't believe I didn't show you THAT!!

Remember how I talked about how fabulous my aqua and brown bedroom was gonna be?? Well....after an unfortunate accident with an ink pen in the washer WITH with my bedding, my room may have to take on a whole new color scheme!! I am mad at aqua and brown and am not ready to kiss and make up! My new best friend might be red and ivory toile! (NO I am not willing to consider counseling for me and ole a&b! sometimes it is just best to say farewell!)


This one was really big! Remember when I told you about my Christmas Toy

well....she didn't last!!! I broke two things off of it by mid January!! Sears stood behind the product and gave me the cash back!! YAY Sears!!!
My new, new toy looks like this:

My sweet Wilson went off to college with my oldest daughter! I do miss that pain in the bootie! (the dog not the daughter....geez guys!)**more clarification needed here...I miss them both but only one of them is a pain! heeeheee** I would have a pic of the two happy roommates here.................

but Meggie still hasn't sent me ANY!!

I have a new obsession with drinking lemon water

...just thought you might want to know....

I made my sweet Little Missy two purses

one super cute plaid one for her trip last weekend and a lightweight, soft "flour sack" style one for everyday.

Remember the rockin' Amy Butler fabric and pattern that I got on my Birthday??? Well here it still sits...

I cut out the pattern but that is as far as I get....I am intimidated...Ms. Butler stop bullying me!!

Ok, I think you guys are all caught up now!!!

Weebles Wobbles and Failing Forward

Are you a child of the 70's like me?? Did you ever play with Weebles?? We called them "Weeble Wobbles" Remember the slogan from tv?? "Weebles wobble but they don't fall down"?


Wikipedia defines Weebles as children's roly-poly toys shaped like eggs with a weight at the fat, or bottom end, they wobble when pushed, but never fall completely over. How funny is that??? I feel like a Weeble Wobble...roly-poly and weighted at my fat end! I wobble when pushed but NEVER fall completely over!! Mind you, I belive I have kissed the earth on a few of those wobbles, but never stayed down!

One of my all time fav authors, Dr. John C. Maxwell recently wrote an article entitled "Failing Forward" that really struck a chord with me.


He told how Vincent Van Gogh failed as an art dealer, flunked his entrance exam to theology school, and was fired by the church. He also explained that Albert Einstein was expelled from school and even failed his college entrance exam!!! I couldn't believe it when I read that Michael Jordan was cut from his sophomore basketball team!! WOW! Some would say these guys were FAILURES!! Thank the Lord their stories didn't end there.....And neither does mine!!!! In a failing economy I was recently layed off from my job. (I definitely wobbled then!) But I can't let that become who I am! Maxwell goes on to say that "failure didn't stop Vincent Van Gogh from painting, Albert Einstein from theorizing, or Michael Jordan from playing basketball, but it has paralyzed and prevented countless others from reaching their potential." I will not be paralyzed by my latest encounter!!! Will you??? What has happened in your life lately that has made you feel like a failure?? Made you feel like you are wobbling? Like your little weeble self might not wobble back upright? Will you let this event define "who" you are??? NOT ME!!! Maxwell goes on to say: "In the face of adversity, shortcomings, and rejection, they (achievers)hold onto self-believe and refuse to see themselves as failures."



Maxwell gives seven principles for "Failing Forward"

Reject Rejection
I will not base my self-worth on my performance. I will maintain a healthy self-image.(ooops...does that mean no more roly-poly/fat end jokes??) I will learn from my mistakes!


Don't Point Fingers
If I blame and point fingers at others I become a victim!! I will take personal responsibility for my decisions!! Cuz, GUURL!! I am no one's victim!!!


See Failure as Temporary
I am not permanently stuck in the current failure! It is TEMPORARY!!
I will not wallow in failure, I WILL look forward to success. Maxwells words: "By putting mistakes into perspective, achievers are able to see failure as a momentary event, not a symptom of a lifelong epidemic." Now that's just good....

Set Realistic Expectations
Unrealistic goals doom people to failure...... nuff said...chew on that for a minute!

Focus on Strengths
Don't invest time on trying to change your flaws while not spending time investing in your strengths. I loveeeee how Maxwell sums this up: "You're built to give your talents to the world; be diligent about finding expressions for them in your career."


Vary Approaches to Achievement
"In the Psychology of Achievement, Brian Tracy writes about four millionaires who made their fortunes by age 35. On average, these achievers were involved in 17 businesses before finding the one that took them to the top. They kept trying and changing until they found something that worked."

Bounce Back
I will have a short memory when it comes to my failures!! I will not let the memories of my mistakes eat away at my self confidence!! I will quickly forget the negative emotions of setbacks and press forward resiliently. I will remember that the past can not be altered but I can learn from it!!



Maxwell sums up his article with this:

"I believe it's nearly impossible for any person to believe he or she is a failure and move forward at the same time. For those who have been downsized, let go, or bankrupted, the temptation may be to internalize failure. My hope is that anyone who has suffered setbacks recently will be able to separate life's unfortunate events from their self-worth. Failure, like death and taxes, will happen. Your response to failure holds the key to your future."

Wow! Has he been readin' my mail, or what!?? Couldn't have come at a better time!!
Just remember if we are like those little Weebles and just keep bouncing back, with good attitudes and belief in ourselves we too can wobble back upright!!!






You can read the full article at Giantimpact.com or Maxwell has a book entitled "Failing Forward" also available.

Back in the Saddle Again!

Ok Guys! I had lunch with a gal pal today and then went thrifting with another friend. WOW! I can say that today is the first day that I really stopped and enjoyed NOT working the ole 9-5er!!!! I kept having to "retrain" my brain.....I mean.....I always spent my lunch hour looking in these places and having to hurry! I had to tell myself a hundred times today...."you have time....stop, take your time and enjoy"!!

Thought you might enjoy seeing a few of my finds!!


I found these little ribbon belts for .75 cents! I'm thinking the blue one and the solid red one will make dandy purse straps!! and the "D" rings are great for purse making!!! and Oh boy, Oh boy I loveeee those little bamboo rings! Watch for those to show up on a bag real soon!

Aren't these just the sweetest little vintage hot pan holders?

And look at these super huge wooden purse handles!! These may be on the first purse I make!! Only one problem....I MAY not be able to give this one up!!!!



I fell in loveee with this small decor shelf!! I think I will remove the metal detail and put a vintage fabric over it instead...what do you think??? I'm kinda diggin the blue paint and will probably leave it be.


Here's a pic of all of my thrift store find this week! Do you see those fabulous brown and orange placemats???? I'm thinkin' apron!!! and check out the red/yellow/navy combo placemats with red and yellow napkins! I love those! Did anyone notice the wood bread box?? and YES another chandy!! YAY!!


I can just hear Gene Autry singing the words now..."Back in the Saddle Again....out where a friend is a friend......"

I had a blast and am feeling more like myself than ever!!! I have enjoyed taking care of my family a lot more!! Yay for MOMs!!!



ps...have you checked out my etsy shop yet?? SHAME ON YOU! go check it....dottiepearldesigns.etsy.com