Animal Crackers - An Evening around the pens

Howdy -
   Last night just as the sun started to set Hubby and I went around to have some quality time with our children. I love hugs and chatting with the animals at this time of the day. Mornings they really could careless about wanting love. They just want breakfast and now!! Now of course they are the same way at the end of the day, but usually they will pause enough for hugs and a few photos. Until they see Hubby get closer to the hay barn... then they all start screaming cuz they know Super is coming soon.

First photo up is one of my favorite. Macie and her first baby...  Angelina "Lina".

I can't believe that Lina is almost 5 years old! Does she have her Mom's face or what? Always have said that Macie has the most beautiful eyes of all the ladies. Well Lina and her other daughter Felicia have those same big brown eyes with the long eye lashes.

Got a photo of Miss Gabby (Gabriel) - She is super friendly, and most importantly she is super healthy!

If you remember, Gabby was my sick baby. The one that ran temperatures of 114! She actually spent a day here and there in the house with air conditioning when she was so little. Well she has grown up and her internal thermometer has all the kinks worked out. I look at her now... and I see her older sister Rosie. We sure miss Rosie, that girl never in her two years of life was 100% healthy, and was always on meds. Hubby and I were both extremely close to Rosie, one of our earlier babies. Totally miss her, but I sort of feel like she is sort of still with us in Gabby - Gabby and her Sister Lydia both have a bit of Rosie in their looks. But Gabby... she is almost a clone, and has the same personality of Rosie. Or what I would like to think of as a Healthy Rosie.

Next was the goat pen. Look how stunning these two girls are becoming. Camilla and Lady Di.

Camilla really has gorgeous fur. They both do really. I had to run the ad this week for the goats. YEP it really has been hard this time. There are so many of these 17 kids that I don't want to part with. So far no one has come out to see them. That might be because the first two days of the ad... I had my phone number wrong. OOPS. Hubby thinks I did it on purpose. NO I did not.. ;0}

Luke is one of the boys I just adore!!

He is the most outgoing and friendliest of all the babies. But I just love his markings too. Those blue eyes and that zig zag on his face just add so much to his personality. NO I did NOT put the wrong phone number in the ad on purpose...

Watch out... Hubby just fed the goats!!

It is the same routine every night. There are feeding buckets all down the fence. They all know that Hubby walks down the fence and everyone gets fed and there is plenty for everyone. But that first bucket that gets the grain... it is an insane fight to get to it first and get the first of the grain. LOL I love that Shirley is just walking across everyone's heads... and take a look at Lady Di on the top left! Geronimo!!!!  I guess she figured she would just leap and hopefully land close enough to the grain to get a bite! One second later they split and about 1/2 of them realize that the next bucket has feed in it.. and the third... and the fourth... so they thin out enough to eat and not panic. LOL

Our standard - our big baby Teddy or formally Ted E. Bear was standing just outside of the goat pen... Now Dinner for us please.

He would like to think that he is reserved and in total control... but he almost as bad as the goats. He let me snap the photo, and scratch on the backs of his ears. But as soon as he realized that Hubby went out the gate and was 1/2 way to the hay barn... I had to step way back, he was in a hurry!  I think he thinks that if he isn't there to shove on Hubby... bump the door of the barn a few times... and snort and grunt a few times that there is a chance that Hubby could forget to feed him.  No way will that happen Ted. We know that if we forget to give you dinner that your feelings might get hurt. And then you might try and eat my truck - or the side of the barn - or a fence or two. WE will not go into detail why we know that  ok?? (Yes... my truck, the barn and a few fences have Ted bites in them)

Uh oh.. Jolene is done with photo loving time... Dinner NOW please!

Once one group gets fed, there is no waiting to do any other pens....

Thought this was a cute photo. I was trying to get photos of the dogs. They had baths Thursday night and they are all so fluffy and soft! But they love watching all the donkeys and goats get fed. Hearing all the talking... and then barking themselves. But then I saw Tuco and his Mom Libbie standing one the other side of the yard...

 Tuco has sure grown up. He is probably going to be closer to Autie's size. But man I love that Blue Merle coloring. Tuco has the copper as well... really stands out on his legs and sides. But the end of his tail knot is copper too. Cracks me up that little end of copper. Libbie sure does look petite, doesn't she.

Whats up for you this weekend? Us... believe it or not. NOTHING! I don't think we have anything planned all weekend. Shocking huh? Today I think we have planned to stay home and just putter around doing a few things that need to be done, but nothing to tough. HA! We both could use a easy day. Honestly a total Re-coop day I could really use. I am not even planning to change out of my worn out baggie sweats - or put make up on! A Nap sounds good too... LOL  Sounds wonderful doesn't it?

Hope you have an easy weekend planned. Or something fun?

Whatever - have a great one!
HUGS and-

Whimsy Stamps - Lovin' Alex

Howdy! I colored for fun! Yep, now I was so tired and run down that this card took me a few days to do. LOL But I feel more like me now and last night I finished up this card and started another. Now how could you not have some fun while coloring up Alex?

Hot gal huh? Love these new image from Marika Collins and Whimsy Digital Stamps. Is she perfect for Valentines? Or any "Love" card. I colored her with my Copics, then cut her out. Then I printed a second one and colored it with Copics, but her, I colored in Greys. Then I pop dotted her over the grey image. A shadow effect sort of, right? I added stickles to her necklace. Then Diamond Glaze over the balloons and her lips. :0)

The papers are from Graphic 45. Love the colors in the Bird Song collection. I added some black card stock, and a zig zag stitch with black thread. A black ribbon around the papers. Then I stamped out my sentiment from Whimsy as well. Treasured Moments Tickets, is one of my favorite Whimsy sentiment sets. The Ticket Die to cut it out and then matted with the Fancy Ticket Die. Love that one! I added some Viva Decor Pearl pen to add little pearls.

Here is a close up of Alex -

The inside is left over pieces -

 And here are my Copic Colors -

Have you visited Whimsy Stamps lately? WOW there are lots of great new images, and embellishments! And totally loving the new papers!

Trying to catch up on things around here - after two weeks of shows, the house got a bit insane. And then I was not 100% and really didn't have the energy to care at all. LOL But I am doing 95% better and really caring! So today is a cleaning day. And then... I think I deserve more coloring time :0) What are you up to?

Better get busy!
HUGS and

High Hopes and Ribbon Carousel Blog HOP!!

Howdy!

Today we are pairing up with Ribbon Carousel for a fun Blog Hop. Each of the High Hopes DT have used some ribbon from Ribbon Carousel while the Ribbon Carousel DT have each used an image from High Hopes. As you hop along each of the blog, be sure to leave a comment because there is candy from both Ribbon Carousel and High Hopes! 

Now if you haven't had a chance to look through the Ribbon Carousel's site... plan a little while! Oh my if you are a ribbon o'haulic like me it is a dream! A Candy Store of beautiful ribbons! I decided to use the gorgeous Pink/Light Pink Reversible Satin Stitched Edged Ribbon. Love the wide size, the heavy feel of the ribbon and adore that it is reversible. Or basically two shades of pink, one ribbon!

Here is my card - 

I had lots of fun using the new High Hopes image "Birthday Belle"  - too perfect for way to many ladies that I know! hehe

I colored with my Copics (colors below), added some stickles for some bling and fire glow. And then worked on my card with papers from Prima and the Rondelle collection. I sewed all the pieces together with a zig zag stitch. Then I ran my pretty pink ribbon across the card and tied a big ribbon. I took advantage of the reversible colors when tying to show off the darker side. Close up of the ribbon - 

Here are the Copic Colors - 

I hope you have fun hoping all around to all the DT's sites and seeing lots of High Hopes images with gorgeous Ribbon Carousel ribbon!

Animal Crackers - A few Puffy Animals

Howdy - I am so glad I went out and snapped a few photos earlier in the week!! We are doing an antique show again this weekend, plus I have just been worn out beat and fighting something. So coming home after the show last night, I was not up to taking photos even it had not been pitch dark outside.

Earlier in the week I went out with Hubby for dinner feeding and snapped a few photos, I love how fluffy or puffy the animals look in the winter as a cold front comes through. Their fur just puffs out and gives them such a thick gorgeous look.

First I headed out to check on the goats. This is "the weekend" - you know the one... where I am suppose to advertise the little ones and start selling. Well too much going on and I am just not ready to part with a few just yet. So I told hubby I would do the ad later in the week, once I know for sure who is going and who is staying. He just rolls his eyes and walks away from me.. LOL

Peter is one that if I didn't have too many "males" already he would stay. Not only is he a looker, he is sweet too!

I called his name and snapped just as he looked up, seems I interrupted his dinner. LOL You can see he is a little puffed out - especially his legs. And is he a stunning boy or what? Love that black dot above his little smile. And yes, I think they smile :0)


Here is a group shot of quite a few of the "kids" you can see that some seem a bit colder than others and have really puffed out that fur!

Poor Luke in the front right must have really gotten a shiver! LOL

Our standard Girl - Cocoa. She has always been one of my favorite winter gals.

She is a gorgeous red/brown coloring. But in the winter after she has had some real sun bleaching on her coat, she is a bright red. And when her face puffs out, she is so luxurious! Really a beauty. And please do not judge that neck roll ok? Some of us "thicker" women do not like to discuss our rolls. You would think she just gets fed all day with treats and grain wouldn't you. But nope, this gal is a grazer, a bit of coastal and for treats... she is a nut case over baby carrots! I know... spoiled, but my donkeys love those baby carrots. The plain ole normal big carrots - nope. The cute little baby carrots washed and chilled please :0)

Headed over to what we call the Adult pen. Uh Oh... someone has knocked over the water bucket and hauled it off playing with it. Ok... who did it?

LOL Love the look on Lacey's face, "Who me... wasn't me, I promise" LOL She is pretty puffed out. Bella. she is not a big puffer, and man is she thin! Now that she has weaned off her baby she'll put back on the weight. And then Miss Gloria - now this girl! She is like Cocoa - She really puts on a heavy wide fur when she it is cold. If you have been following Animal Crackers for a long while you may remember that as a baby she was nicknamed "Buffalo Donkey" She could hardly see she had so much fur!

Did a bit of laundry one night this week and I was folding while switching loads, and the dishes, and packing for the show. Yes, doing a bit of multi tasking - well I folded Hubby's shirts and when to put the next load from the washer in the dryer before I hauled things off to put them away. Hubby called me and asked if I had seen Gato....

It had not been but maybe 5 minutes since I folded those shirts! Can't you hear her? "mmm nice cozy warm bed" She was already asleep too!

As we were coming home the other evening this was how we were greeted. It is nice to have kids looking forward to you coming home :0)

This is just after you come through our gate. We have a long dirt drive from the gate to our house.  And you go through what we fondly call "The spooky forest", really it is just a group of trees on both sides that is very shaded. Well just after the gate we started up to the house and just before the "spooky forest" Miss Moxie was stretched out in the middle of the drive. It really seemed as if she was making sure to not miss our return, and greet us. Such a sweet doggie. She hoped up moved over to the side of the drive then ran along side us all the way to the house to get her attention. (and make sure that we were not hiding any leftovers from some yummy restaurant) Sorry.. Mox, had salads for dinner and didn't bring any home.


Well that is it this week. Not to much energy this week from me. LOL I am thinking a entire day of sleeping - LOL I would never be able to do it. Between the dogs and my list of needing to get done wouldn't be able to stay there and relax. No matter how tired I am, I can't relax if there is something on a long need to do list. Sigh, oh well.. better get the list done. Then I can  get some rest and feel better.

Have a great weekend! HUGS and

High Hopes - Whooo Loves Ya!

Howdy! Ok, so this post is a couple of days late. Sorry - the antique show this past weekend was great, long and exhausting but great. But finally yesterday I was able to sit down and have some quality time, just me and my crafting supplies. Was fabulous!

Better late than never right - Here is one of the new High Hopes release for January from the Two by Two collection.

Feathered Friends and Sentiment "Whooo  Loves You, Baby!!" for this weeks High Hopes Challenge-

This weeks challenge is a sketch by the totally fabulous Anna Wight. Don't you just love her? It was perfect timing too as my brain didn't have to think at all! Just color and put it all together. So my Feathered Friends are colored with Copics (colors below) then cut into a circle. My branches are cut out so I could keep the circle a little smaller. Then I followed the sketch, keeping it simple for me. I used a piece of paper from Simple Stories with Core'dinations card stock. Some tan lace for the bands in the sketch. The sentiment is stamped on a sentiment block from the paper stack collection. I added three buttons in the bottom corner with twine tied through them.

Copic Colors -

Just love these two owls. Totally adorable! Now head on over to the challenge site and join in on the fun of the sketch! It is a fun sketch and you could be this weeks winner and win some High Hopes of your own!

OH and while you popping around High Hopes Challenge make sure to visit the High Hopes Main site. You are gonna want to sign up for the new Newsletter. Yep... that way you won't miss any new info about all the fabulous High Hopes Stamps! I got my email in as soon as I heard about it.

Now better run, weigh in at the Doctors today. Hope it is good news there, then a couple of errands to get ready for the next antique show! This new "job" is a lot of fun, but WOW it is a lot of work too! LOL

HUGS and -

Animal Crackers - How about a little more Then and Now?

I had so many tell me how great it was to see Tuco and Ammo's baby and then "grown" photos last Sunday - so this week for Animal Crackers I thought we would do a little more then and now shots.
Honestly... we are doing the antique show and I have not gotten out to take photos, first of the week it rained and was nasty, and then last part of the week we have been getting home after dark. Neither very good for taking photos. So I love seeing my "babies" and how much they have changed so I hope you will too this week -

My "Smiling Donkey" that named my blog :0) He is our handsome stud Jack  -

We purchased him when he was only 5 days old. We were lucky that they let us bring him home with his Mom as a loaner until he was old enough to wean. That way we could bond with him.

How about Lucy - one of our first baby goats. I totally fell in love with her and bonded right away with her.

Here she is all grown up with her last group of kids.

Josephine "Josie" - One of our  girls that has a fabulous sweet loving personality. Love this shot from this summer of her.. she is funny too.

As a baby she had the most adorable "Bangs". (odd both shots are through a fence huh?)

Chloe - or as well have affectionately nicknamed "pycho goat", Gorgeous but not a friendly girl. Very cautious. 

I guess the main reason for her being so stand offish, is not much handling as a baby. She was born just after my accident, I was not allowed to be out with any of the animals... that nearly did me in! She was a cutie wasn't she?

Gato our cat. She is like most cats. She owns the house. She is so much above the dogs it isn't even funny. We are very lucky she lets us live with her -

We are lucky to have her. Just don't tell her ok? Hubby and his brother found her when she was just a few weeks old. She was riding in the engine of our business delivery van. Yep.. she went all day riding in the engine. Then when they finally tracked the meowing down ( the engine is not the first place you look you know ) she freaked out and ran into the frame of the van. Have a while they finally got her out and Hubby brought her home. She was so tiny and young, I told him NO more cats. We had multiple cats over the years. It was nice to not have a little box, climbers, or something for the dogs to chase and break things. But she came home anyway... just until we found her a home. Yea... I know, I saw that little face and the meow, and that was it. She was my kittie too... I held her all day there for a while cuz she was so little. Now I can't imagine the house with out her.

 My boy Autie... my love, my funny man. He is our big boy of all four toys. A little too big in fact. Sometimes it is hard to remember the little tiny timid puppy we brought home -

Oh my he was so little! Totally round and fluffy. You could hold him in one hand.  Just too darn cute to even describe. 

And since I showed Autie... how about Miss Libbie... she is a beautiful dog. Well when clean and brushed she is a beautiful dog. 

Oh man was she a totally stunning gorgeous puppy. I use to snap photos every day, she LOVED to pose for me. And would just stop and be in one of those magazine perfect poses too. And those eyes... they would melt you! (still do at times, and they get her out of trouble too)

Hope you enjoyed. Hubby and I really sat here and oooh and had a little remember fest over all the photos. I could have kept going and showed off all of them, but I already went pretty long can you even imagine if I did everyone? LOL

Day two of the antique show! Better run!

HUGS and have a fabulous Saturday!

High Hopes January Release Blog Hop!

Howdy - 

Today is the blog hop to celebrate the Double Release. The Dream Team will be showcasing some of the designs from both the "Two by Two" and "Senior Moments" releases. Both releases will be available to purchase today. 

There will be candy along the way, but you won't know where. Therefore, make sure you leave a comment at each stop just in case that's the home of the candy!!

The blog hop ends at 7pm EST on Sunday, Jan 13th with the winners being posted on Tuesday.And now it's time to hop along to the Dream Team's blog for some fun and inspiration...

Kristine

Karen

Alie

Michelle

Aaemie

Lynne

Alex.Anna

Lacey

Andrea

Here is my card for the hop - I used Toucan Twosome from the Two by Two collection! 

Really went up a tree on this one huh? I colored with my Copics, and then cut out the few leaves on the right. I used a Memory Box tree branch die and ran them across for the "hint" of a large tree. The leaves are Magnolia dies, and the fence is a Memory Box as well. Love the sentiment, it is part of the new Two by Two Collection that is being release today - 

Inside is super simple with left overs from my papers. 

Now it is time to follow those links and see all the other DT's projects. And don't forget to leave those comments - as no one knows where the prizes are....could even be me! 

Alrighty I am off - Weigh in at the Doctors office this morning. Hair cuts at my Mom's beauty shop. Need to hopefully find time to get my nails done before we have to start setting up tomorrow for the weekend Antique Show in New Braunfels! And I still have to finish getting things together and we have to pack the trailer this afternoon. Gonna be a long day I think - Sigh..

Hugs and - 

High Hopes Release Day Two - Senior Moments

Howdy! It is day two for the High Hopes January Release and today we are also making it the first challenge of the year for the High Hopes Blog. Today we are showing off the second collection being released. And this one is just fabulous! "Senior Moments" perfect for so many fun cards!

And the challenge? To make a card using a High Hopes Stamp and have stitching included. That can be "Real" stitching or "Faux"!

For my card.. oops I did two! They were so fun I just went nuts! So for my CARDS I used the fun Cat Lover Cathy image and the second I used Betty Bubbles! The names are as fun as the images.

Cat Lover Cathy -

OH I know a few people this card would be great for! I colored with my copics - You can see I did my stitching! Blanket stitch around the papers. The sentiment is also from High Hopes -

Second card - Betty Bubbles

Great fun image as well... I know a few women that this would be pretty funny for as well. I colored with Copics - and added Viva Decor Sparkles to the bubbles. The Sentiment is from High Hopes as well and is part of the new Senior Moments collection!

Make sure to pop over to the High Hopes Blog and see all the great cards from the DT! Then pull out a High Hopes stamp do a little stitching on your project and join us for a chance to win some great new stamps!

Sorry a bit of rush post today.. wanted to show both cards, and well.. I am behind getting ready for the antique show this weekend! So I am just a tad more nuts than normal! I know scary huh? LOL

Come back tomorrow... more High Hopes for you to see!

HUGS and-