my first clay thingy

These two are doing really well together. I saw Emma laying her head on Sugar's back this morning while Sugar was working on a chew.


Here is my first clay thing I made. It's a turtle and I went way overboard on decorating it. But it was fun to mix the clay up and see what colors would come out. I used ecru, moss and gold on the turtle. I mixed some of the together and mixed all colors together for different things. I made a little starfish. And the pin and the razor blade, I made little handles for so I could pick them up safely. There is a little bead made from the colors I used in the turtle, too. I baked all this in the toaster oven on a piece of index card paper.

I had to prop the turtles head up with this piece of paper until it baked so that it wouldn't fall down.

I made a few different beads and baked them in the little bead rack. It keeps them off the surface so that they don't get shiny spots or burnt spots on them. They are not shiny when they come out of the oven. They have to be sanded with wet/dry sanding paper and then buffed.

I think I will enjoy making the beads and other things. These are not uniform or perfect and I would not give them away or sell them but the more I practice the better they will look.


I broke my pasta machine that rolls the clay through to make it different widths and helps condition the clay right out of the package. I think I might have to buy a better quality pasta machine so I'm going to look for an Atlas...that will probably cost me about $50 or more but Atlas model has a motor that can be added to it. That's a good feature to have if you are a serious clayer...from what I understand. And the little bit that I've had to crank that pasta machine...a motor doing all that cranking would be a good thing so that you can keep both hands on the clay so that it won't stick to itself.

Emma Lee the Siamese Dog

Sugar and Emma sharing the tent. Yesterday I caught them in there together. I was so happy because that was the first time in two days that's happened.

This was the scene in the bed this morning when I got up. Emma likes to sleep between my legs. Sugar doesn't do that ... I'm glad both of them don't do that.

She is just a little doll.


Thank you for all the sweet words yesterday on Emma Lee. She and Sugar seemed to be getting along great. They sat outside on the front courtyard area next to each other. Sugar and Tiny used to do that all the time. They now get in the tent together.

Yesterday I had to leave the house for a little bit and I was afraid Emma would scratch the door down, but there was no damage when I got home. I tell them before I leave that I'll be back in a little bit and I think she will get the routine pretty quickly.

The first vet that she saw in Jacksonville thinks she is around six years old but I am looking forward to seeing what my vet thinks. I think she might be younger than that.

The husband L-O-V-E-S her. He says she is beautiful. Her coloring is so unusual. She is long and thin and has the color of a siamese cat...so I think we have a cat-dog!

I had a chance to play with the clay so I'll show you what I did...it's so elementary I'm almost embarrassed to show. But it's a start. I have a long way to go!

Emma Lee aka "Emily"

The husband has claimed Emma as his girl! This is her first walk on Sunday.

This is Emma riding on Aunt Sue on the way home from Jacksonville on Saturday.

Emma sat on Aunt Sue the whole way home Saturday

This is where Emma likes to sit while I'm in my office. She is under my craft table.

This is Emma and Sugar on the couch with the husband on Saturday night.


I told you I had a surprise for today!

Alfredsmom sent me a link to Southeast Pug Rescue a couple of weeks ago and it was for little girl pug named "Emma"...imagine that! Emma was a former puppy mill pug and was rescued by Southeast Pug Rescue last November. She has been living with a foster mom since November. She needed a home where someone was home most of the time. And that is a good fit for me.

It took about two weeks from filling out the application until I got the call from the foster mom. In between that time, SEPRA checked out my reference and a call to our vet. And questioned me and sent someone to our house to do a home check. I appreciate that they really check out the person and their home before doing a placement. There is a $250 adoption fee. It goes back to helping the organization with the vet bills. Emma had a mild case of heartworms that she was treated for and she is fine.

Friday, Aunt Sue and I drove over to Jacksonville and spent the night and met Emma the next morning. Emma was living with her foster mom and three other pugs and three cats. It was wonderful to see all the animals in the house. They were everywhere! So much fun. The cats were up on the furniture and so friendly. There was a doggy door and they would all go in and out! We stayed about an hour visiting and playing with the pugs. The foster mom was expecting to get another foster pug very soon. Some puppy mill had just turned over 9 pugs.

I hate that pugs are treated the way that they are from puppy mills. Emma came from a backyard breeder that was not a "puppy mill" so much as just she was living in a pen outside on dirt, grass, concrete. He gave up three pugs including her. The foster mom said she did not know how to eat out of a bowl when she first got her. She has never been on walks.

We took Sugar in the stroller and the husband walked Emma. She walked really well. She rode in the car great. Aunt Sue held her the whole time so I don't know what would have happened if I had belted her in to the back seat. She is just so sweet. She is a little bitty thing. 15 pounds according to the foster mom. She eats really well. She doesn't like to go outside in the cold or wet...but what pugs do??

I think she is going to be just fine here with us. She deserves to have a good life. I am thinking her good life is starting now and she'll live out her days in peace and quiet and comfortable.

I know having puppies are so fun and I recommend everyone that wants a puppy to get one at least once in your life or more...but a rescue pug is just as wonderful and most of the time they are already settled out of the puppy stages and just want to come to your home and sit on you and love on you and have a good life and make you happy. It would be nice for every puppy pug that you get in your life, that eventually you get a rescued, older pug when you can.

Thanks Alfredsmom, for sending me that link! We know have an "Emma" of our own.

seashell michelle

Here's Seashell Michelle, the leader of the dolls.


Stayed tuned for Sunday or Monday I will have a surprise for some of you and it's a good one! Some of you already know what it is and are looking forward to seeing pictures!

dolls come out during mardi gras

Well, thank goodness my daddy sends me pictures sometimes because I have not had time to go out and take any. My work exploded this week and no end in sight....which might be a good thing, but I might need a break for a day.

My mama likes to decorate and Mardi Gras is in full swing just about around these parts. So this is sitting in her living room.

Do you see those doll things on each side? They come alive after lights out and dancing around....I'm glad I have not witnessed that. But there a real big one called Seashell Michelle that is the "boss" of them all. Maybe my daddy will take her picture and I'll show you. I have been trying to get the parents to get rid of these for years.

Belle Tales

Belle, my parents' dog up on the bed ready to go to sleep. I'm not sure if she puts herself to bed or not?? She is a funny girl.



Magnolia Sun and I went to lunch today and neither one of us thought about taking a picture until we were finished and outside. We both took a picture of the palm trees outside, but I'm too tired to go get the camera and load the picture on here. I had to get back home to get some work that was coming in for me so we didn't have long to sit and talk like we like to. So hopefully in the next week or so we can do that again.

I went to Michael's again because the polymer clay was on sale at a good price and bought some...I'm spending too much money on this craft. Somebody stop me. My work has gotten so busy that I have not had a chance to sit down and do the crafting...looks like this week and weekend are not going to allow me to do it then either.

summertime picture

For all my cold friends!!! This was in July of 2006...but I wanted you all to warm up from all the snow y'all had north of here.


I worked all weekend so I have no new pictures. I did go to the clay class Friday night and enjoyed it. I learned several things, including what I was doing wrong when I was conditioning my clay. I learned better how to use the pasta machine for conditioning the clay. I do believe I'll be taking more classes.

Still reading the boring book and hopefully will finish it tonight or tomorrow...it's the third book on the same subject by this author and it's just too boring for the third time.

It was cold here but no snow...just cold rain on Saturday. Maybe I'll have a new recipe to show this week.

conditioning the clay

Tonight is my clay class, so last night I got the clay I am taking and had to "condition" it. You just take it out of the package and roll it and knead it and run it through the pasta machine a few times to make it pliable. I learned a few things last night and here they are:

1. wash your hands after conditioning EACH color. Otherwise, your white clay will end up a bit purple and your purple clay will end up with white bits in. (this goes for all colors.)

2. Don't forget that you have a razor-type blade instrument in your hand when cutting the clay and it WILL CUT you. Ouchy.

3. You need a bigger work table when rolling out the clay with the pasta machine.

4. The clay is sticky and sheets of it stick to each other (even if the instructions say to lay the clay sheets on top of each other and then separate them, it's not going to work for you (meaning me).

5. Your hands and neck and back are not used to kneading clay and you feel like a truck has run over you at the end of a couple of hours of doing this.

Now, here's a few pictures from last night.

My first package of clay. I hope to look back on this picture a year from now and see how far I've come.

The clay after conditioning.

I have a bead roller and I put some of the scrap clay in it and rolled it around and it makes some pretty beads.

Another picture of the beads.


My instructions for class were to make a skinner blend cane. (class tonight not last night) Being brand-new at this I had to find out on the Internet and in books what this was. It looked pretty easy in the instructions so I set out to do this with my white clay and purple clay and by conditioning the clay and then stack the two different colors of clay on top of each other and then cut on a diagonal and then separate the pieces...that was easy except my pieces stuck together like glue and that was not part of the plan. So I said to myself this will have to do anyway. So then it was time to run them through the pasta machine. This is fairly simple except that the clay will stick to itself if I don't have my hand down there to pull it straight...but as the clay gets longer and you keep running it through the pasta machine, you have to have a hand holding it up top and one hand holding it on the bottom and then you have no hand to turn the crank on the pasta machine. I have seen that some people have a motor on their pasta machine with foot pedal. That must be how they use both hands to keep the clay from sticking??

Anyway, my skinner blend cane is not happening unless I get it done before I go to class tonight.

Random things

Wesnlani tagged me to do this...so here goes.

The rules are to link the person who sent this to you...and leave a comment on their blog.. so their readers can visit yours.
*post the rules on your blog
*Share 7 strange/weird facts about you on your blog
*Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, linking their blog
*Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving them a comment on their blog...


1. I grew up loving cats and not liking dogs. Can you believe that?

2. When someone I love dies and I go to the funeral, I cannot wear the dress or shoes or anything that I had on again. It goes in the trash...I don't even want it to go to Goodwill.

3. I cannot watch medical operations on TV.

4. I could not ride a bike until fourth grade.

5. Years ago, I would get in my car and just drive and listen to the music by myself.

6. I don't like to go to bed without getting a shower.

7. When I'm at home, I can only read a book laying down. (this does not mean magazines or study-type books...just leisure reading.) **But if I'm in a waiting room like someone is having a procedure done, then I can read sitting up.

All right, friends, now every time I do one of these, you get to know just how weird I am!

I'm not tagging but if you do this, let me know so I can see what you had to say.

potato and asparagus frittata

Here is a recipe that I made the other day. I changed the ingredients in my dish but I am printing the original recipe here. What I did differently was put three whole eggs and three egg whites in it, a little more parmesan cheese. I did not have an ovenproof skillet so I had to transfer it to a pie dish to finish it in the oven.







Asparagus and Potato Frittata

1 large baking potato, peeled and thinly sliced
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into ½ inch pieces
4 large eggs
4 egg whites
½ cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 onion, chopped

Preheat oven to 500 degrees
Put the potato into a saucepan and add enough water to cover by 3 inches. Cover the saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat; boil 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook 2 minutes longer. Drain and set aside to cool.

Combine the whole eggs, egg whites, milk, 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese, the salt, and the baking powder in a bowl. Mix in the potato and asparagus.

Heat an ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Coat the skillet with nonstick spray and add the onion; cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Add the egg mixture and reduce the heat to medium. Cover and cook until almost set, about 10 minutes. Uncover the skillet, sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese, and transfer to the oven. Bake until the frittata is cooked through and the cheese has browned about 5 minutes. Invert the frittata onto a plate and cut into wedges before serving.

Sugar put herself to bed the other day. I went looking for her and there she was, all up in the pillows.

It's mardi gras time around here. Lots of decorations and activities going on.

Looks like these people used their Christmas tree to decorate for mardi gras.

I saw this bird sitting on a twig on a bush.

I found out this doggie's name is Snowball...I think he/she needs a "person's" name.

Santa is still waiting to get in the garage...the reindeer took off without him.


I have a recipe to share tomorrow. Other than that, my work is picking up and I don't know if I'll get out of here to take pictures the rest of the week.

I won the grand prize in Girlville's blogaversary giveaway!! It's the newest book by Mary Kay Andrews titled Deep Dish. Girlville is going to take it to the book signing in her area soon and then she will send it to me. I can't wait to read it and then it will stay on my bookshelf as a special book. Thank you Girlville! I hope to do giveaways like that one day.

I am working on a small craft project now for one of our blogging friends will soon be adding to her family! Anyone can guess who that is?? I hope it turns out like I want it to. I can't show you all because it's a surprise for her. It's not my clay craft. If it turns out cute, I might make this same project with a different theme for a giveaway! I know you all like the suspense of this.

I shopped online at Crate and Barrel after Christmas and got these items half price. I wanted some picture frames for Chichi and Tiny and Baxterman and Sugar ... so I had already bought a frame I saw somewhere else for one of them and then saw these so got these three. So now I'll have these to hang on a tree in the future with their pictures in them.

Sugar in her stroller

Naomi requested to see pictures of Sugar in her stroller! I'm always happy to show Sugar riding her stroller. The stroller really is her favorite part of the day and I think it is mine, too. So here are some picture of her from the past couple of days.







I worked all weekend and I'm still reading the boring book. I don't think I picked it up but once last week. Today I am giving Sugar a bath and cleaning up some around here...I've let it go too long and it's messy because I was working.

One of my nieces got engaged this past weekend! She works in Tampa, Florida, and her fiance is a wonderful guy and they met the first day of university at Florida four or five years ago and have been together ever since! I asked her to send me a picture of her ring because I love to see the bling!!! It didn't photograph too well, but I'll be seeing her in February so I'll get a better look then. But here it is!


I think I'll be planning some type of party to give her...not sure if it will be a shower, or bridesmaid lunch or engagement party.

the beach at Seaside

Here are some scenes from last Sunday in Seaside. I still think of what a beautifully perfect day it was for visiting over there.

Aunt Sue and MS down on the beach. I stayed up high on the cliff because I figured I may not make it back up that hill once I got down it.

I love pictures of palm trees and I thought this made a pretty picture.

I use this picture as my desktop picture and it really is pretty when it's enlarged.





Thank you to all who commented yesterday and to the folks who have never commented before or only once in a while, it was nice to hear from y'all.

I saw in the local newspaper where our little city is going to only pick up garbage once a week instead of twice a week. It's a test to see how well it goes. I know most of the time our can is full even at twice a week pickup...so I don't think I'll like the once a week and I know it must have struck fear in the next-door neighbor because sometimes they need to put some of their trash in our can because they have two little boys and create trash more than we do! They are trying not to raise the rates...but I bet they lower the amount of pickups and in a year they will raise the rates, too!

Looks like I'm working all weekend and that's a good thing...so no getting started on crafting yet.

One of my husband's former co-workers called and invited us to a luncheon that's also a fundraiser. I just happened to answer the phone. I used to work with her, too, at the courthouse. Her husband was my husband's boss a few years ago and he is SO GOOD LOOKING and I worked in court with him, too. I am guessing she knows I think he is so good looking because before we hung up, she said, "M.... will be there, too," with a tone to her voice like she knew I would be happy to see him!! I must say, he is easy on the eyes. If I go to the luncheon, I'll try to get a picture of it...but I'm not making any promises. I hope my hubby will find someone else to take with him because I don't like going to these things and some of you know how if I feel trapped, I have to get out and sitting in a luncheon with a bunch of people I sort of know but don't feel safe with, will make me want to run out of there.

I'll have some pictures of Sugar in her stroller next post...I have had a request to see her in that stroller!

Hello Day and scenes from strolling

Today is National Delurking Day! I hope you all that visit here that don't comment will leave a small little comment today to say hello. You can even do it by staying anonymous. I think National Hello Day would sound better than "delurking."


Here are some pictures from this week while I've strolled Sugar in her stroller. Love that stroller! Yesterday she finally laid down in it. She has always sat up. She didn't lay down for long, but she did twice for a few minutes.

Yesterday, the mailman brought this present from Leah, Oscar and Daisy! It's a wooden likeness of Baxter. Leah had sent us the likenesses of Tiny and Chichi after they passed away this summer and they are hanging in my office. This will go next to Tiny. These are so special because those babies will always be in our hearts and it's nice to have these to hang on the wall to remember them by. Thank you, Leah and Daisy and Oscar!!



Here are some pictures from this week while I've strolled Sugar in her stroller. Love that stroller! Yesterday she finally laid down in it. She has always sat up. She didn't lay down for long, but she did twice for a few minutes.

This Santa has been waiting to get into that garage for a few days!

The Hickory trees are turning yellow and losing their leaves now. It's so pretty to see the sharp yellow colors in the sun.

This doggy barks hello at us whenever he's outside. Some day I am going to find out his name. I call him "Buddy." And I always say, "Hello Buddy," when I pass by.


Anyone seen the show Cashmere Mafia?? I've seen both episodes and it's okay.

Thanks for all the comments yesterday about my crafting! I am looking forward to getting started. I ordered a bead rack for baking beads in the toaster oven. I keep seeing so many things I want to try. I have a plan for those ribbons, but it's a surprise. Those ribbons are all Christmas designs so if my project turns out nice, I might be sharing them with folks.

I'm wearing my shorts this week and sandals. I had gotten some sandals from Wal-Mart last year and put them up. I got them out this week and started wearing them. I'm glad we had a hard freeze this year, if only to kill some of the bugs and things that seem to live through the winter around here. Looks like it will cool down next week.
The husband turned on the air conditioner last night.

All right...you all come out of the Internet and say hello!

craft area

I am signed up to take a polymer clay class soon. I've been doing some studying and looking on the Internet at blogs of people who do polymer clay crafts. This is something I can do that doesn't cost a whole lot after the initial buying of the supplies and I don't have to have any big equipment. I'm sure it will take plenty of practice to produce something that I like. I'm going to get started soon. I need a few more things before I get started.

This is my craft area. It's in my office right next to my desk. The pugs' bed used to be here but Sugar has her little tent now that she likes to lay in so I'll have to find another place for the big bed that was here.

I bought some ribbon on sale after Christmas. I do have a project in mind for some of this.

This is some of the clay that I've bought so far.

I bought a pasta machine to roll the clay out flat for some projects.

When finished making the polymer clay item, you have to bake it in the oven. It's preferred that you use a toaster oven designated for the clay because it can be toxic and you would have to clean your "big" oven after using it every time. I don't have enough room for the toaster oven on my craft table so it will have to go somewhere else until needed.

Seaside Part II

Part II of Seaside....lots of pictures. I have more but I'll save them until Friday!

The tiny post office.

My favorite chair.



I think the dog lives above the shop.

I've seen a picture of the inside of this church and it's really pretty. The windows along the side let in lots of light.

I like the light blue color of the walls in this store. And the white trees and white lights were nice.





I like these windows boxes made with mosaics. Punchy, I bet you could do these.



Aunt Sue picked this as her house. I hope no one was home when she was "acting." But it looked like a hotel room through the windows.

This is the back porch to Magnolia Sun's house.

This is Magnolia Sun's house. Lovely and huge! I think it has six bedrooms and six and half bathrooms.

Cute blue house.

Cute blue birdhouse to go with the cute blue bigger house.


I watched The Nanny Diaries last night. I enjoyed it. I'm working on kind of a boring book and will be happy to finish it. I'm still studying the craft I'm going to try. I will show you my craft table and area tomorrow!

I am way, way past the bedtime now. That's not doing well with my resolution. I have not drank a diet coke yet. I have had a real Pepsi. But I've been doing well with the water with Kool-aid-type mixes in it. Working is picking up again so HI HO HI HO...OFF TO WORK I GO....when the sun comes up.

Weekend fun part 1

Magnolia Sun got back in town and we got together on Saturday at the Fishhouse and had lunch. The food was good and we had a good time sitting and talking. After we finished our lunch, we sat outside for a little bit.

These are corn fritters and they are fried and soft on the inside.

This is MS's dinner. She and Aunt Sue like fried okra and greens. I don't do greens. I don't like much of anything green to eat. But I heard these were good.

I did eat this salad because it was covered in good dressing and fresh croutons.

Aunt Sue and I both had the grits a yaya. It's the restaurants signature dish and this month is their 10th anniversary so they had them for $10 instead of $19.


Sunday MS came over and we drove over to Seaside, Florida and had a nice day. We strolled around the streets and went over to the beach and she stuck her feet in the water!! Too cold for me but she said it was warmer than the water up north in the summertime. I'll share more pictures of Seaside tomorrow.

We went to P.F. Changs for lunch and it was good. I'm not much for Chinese food but I had heard of the lettuce wraps and wanted to see what that was all about. They were good.

These are the spring rolls.

These are the crab wontons...my favorite.

More of the lettuce wraps.



We also stopped by the Fresh Market and we all loaded up on a few snacks. I hope MS does not decide she can't hangout with Aunt Sue and I because we like to E-A-T. It really was a fun day! I wish all of you blogging friends were here to enjoy this weather and the beach...this is a good time to be here if you like it not humid!

cold day

Today was so cold!! I know it doesn't compare to what friends up North are feeling. Sugar got to go to her grandmama and grandpapa's today and Sugar's daddy let her wear Tiny's pink shirt. He had put the shirt up after Tiny passed away because his "little girl" wore it. Now Sugar is getting to wear it because it's so cold. I guess we'll be back in the 60 temps this weekend. We don't get this kind of cold nearly enough. I just would like it to kill all the "roaches" but I think they can outlive most anything.



I got a table today set up in my office to do my craft! I've been studying about it and I'm signed up to take a class. I'll let you all know what it is soon. I need to get a chair.

I better get to bed so I don't miss my deadline of 11:00 tonight.

Frozen flower in the yard

My new calendar book for this year. Aunt Sue always gets me the Frank Lloyd Wright desk calendar for me to write my jobs down. This year she gave it to me in November and the husband bought me one, too, not remembering that Aunt Sue always gives it to me. I'm lucky. But I did take the one back from the husband.

Little Sugar received a gift from Meimei and Miko! A cute red and green soft ball and I got three little pug ornaments for the tree representing my three angels that are in doggie heaven. Thank you so much Manda!


I bought some of the Wal-Mart brand Kool-aid things and some of the Crystal Light ones and I really like them. So far no diet Mt. Dew for two days! I did get in my bed at 10:30 last night and wanted to finish the book I've been reading. I finished it finally at 2:30 a.m.! I was so tired today...I had to sleep late. The book that I was reading is Peachtree Road. It was a good read. It's a little over 800 pages so it takes a while to read it. Some things in it were shocking (dealing with a crazy person) but most of it was fun to read. Near the end, things happened that I didn't expect.

Aunt Sue and I are taking Belle home tomorrow. She has been such a good girl but she misses her parents and her routine.

It's so cold here! I do not know how you friends up North live in this for months and even worse than we are feeling now. If the wind is not blowing, it's not too bad. But my skin is so dry and itching. I hope we don't have any pipes burst or other damage from freezing.

Be sure to register for the HGTV Dream House givewaway! It's a beautiful house. I watched the show about it last night and my mind kept thinking about hurricanes and flooding and wind and then I see that pretty scenery out the window and think how nice it is. Oh, well, I could not afford the taxes and insurance so I'd have to sell it. But if I were lucky enough to win it, there would be a bloggy meetup there before the for sale sign goes up.

2008

Happy New Year! A decorated New Year door that Aunt Sue pointed out to me.