High Hopes Challenge - Clean and Simple

Howdy -

Tuesday and that is High Hopes Challenge day - and I will be totally honest here... this one was hard for me!! The Challenge is "Clean and Simple" and that type of card I struggle big time. I don't do clean or simple well. Messy and Complicated works better with my style. LOL

But I tried and that is what the challenges are all about right? So here is an attempt at it -

I know ... not the most simple with all those dots is it? Sigh... Oh well I am trying. I used the new image "Fishing Friends" - with the sentiment "Just dropping you a line!" Colored with Copics - papers by Papertrey Ink with a satin ribbon.

Inside -

Here are the Copic Colors used - 

Fun Challenge this week.. so please join us at the High Hopes Challenge for a chance at more High Hopes!!

See you tomorrow for Whimsy Challenge -
HUGS and

Gardening Sunday - A little Heat

Howdy -

Well the Greenhouse heated up this week - we had a couple days of warmer temps and that really heated up the inside of the greenhouse. And heat... that makes thing grow!

The Beans are now at a point where we are going to have to start thinking about moving them up into other larger pots or go straight out into the garden. It is still a bit early to go outside though... so we are leaning towards larger pots. We are gonna have veggies much sooner than "normal"!!

Here is Hubby working in the greenhouse -

You can see the beans are getting huge aren't they? Kentucky Wonders and Rattlesnake Pole Beans.

Back ground are the cucumbers, Squash and such and they doing well too... just starting to see some real growth in the tomatoes finally, they are always so slow though.

Here is a better shot of the fruit trees than I showed last week. There are more blooms now -

 I had a few ask last week about the pink flowers - Those are the peach trees mainly. Those blooms are what we are protecting from the night time frost right now. Don't want to loose them in a freeze then we won't see fruit. We have Peaches - Plums - Pears - Apple - and Grapes in this pile...

Hubby is really getting the ground ready - got a used disk this week for his tractor so it really is starting to look like he is farming! LOL As soon as it is safe things will go outside... I can't wait for some fresh green beans and tomatoes... there is nothing better.. yummy!!

Hope you have a wonderful day - Make sure to enjoy a little nature today -
HUGS and

Animal Crackers - Delivering Donkeys

Howdy  -
Well earlier this week we delivered the two donkeys that were bought last Sunday. Marissa and Josephine now live in a new home. We are going to miss these two terribly. Marissa is just like her Mom Patti - Super Calm and Super Sweet. And Josephine has always been a favorite of Hubby's. His nickname for her "Little Bitty One" describes her well, she too is very sweet. I was surprised when he said yes he would sell her as they have a special bond. But we needed to sell... and with the couple that purchased these two girls we FOR SURE KNOW that they are going to be loved and spoiled. Heck Hubby and I discussed on the way home from delivering them that we wouldn't mind going and living on this property with the Marissa and Josie.. LOL gorgeous place and they have a huge 28 acre pen on a 785 acre place for them and on calf named Bosco... which they are not too sure what he is and if they want to get too close, but they will warm up in a few days I am sure!

Good news is that we have already been invited to visit again soon. :0)

Hopefully the baby that Patti is going to deliver anytime will be like her older sister Marissa!

Snapped a photo of Jolene yesterday - She is Josephine's Mom - When we first got Jolene I wondered if we would ever tame her down, and get to love on her ever. She was insane crazy! Tiny little thing, and kept escaping the pens and was nearly impossible to catch and get put back. But after time she warmed up to us, calmed down and now is one of the first to meet us for some hugs and rear end scratching. She is a gorgeous donkey, with that fabulous black nose! Josephine didn't get that nose...

But when we paired her up with Black Jack one of our Studs - we got Pepita... Wow... 

She is a cautious timid one, but man is she a looker! Actually is a clone of her Dad Black Jack in many ways. Well other than being a girl.. LOL Caught her yesterday scratching that beautiful black nose.

Speaking of generations ... Found these three enjoying some rare alfalfa!

 Paintbrush is one of the original 4 goats we purchased. She was years ago a show goat, and even has blue ribbon in her name. Lucy was in the quads with her very first group of kids for us. You may remember the quads... Lucy, Ricky, Ethel and Fred... LOL I sold all the other three but couldn't let go of Lucy. Then a couple of years later Paintbrush had triplets... Rhett, Scarlett and Ashley. Ashley didn't make it he was so tiny and weak. But we kept Rhett and Scarlett and both those girls have given us stunning babies. Heck all of Paints kids and grandkids have been stunning! LOTS of COLOR!

Found Peso wanting his photo taken.

This buck is a total panic scaredy mess... but he loves to have his photo taken and loves to be talked to. Just don't step towards him to fast - or raise an arm without food in it, cuz he freaks and runs across the pen screaming... you know that high pitched I am not a brave man scream... LOL But we still love him and he too has helped produce some really pretty kids.

Well better run - Hubby is having some hay delivered anytime today - That is one reason everyone got Alfalfa yesterday - we ran out of coastal faster than normal with all the really cold weather we have been having and had to order in a truck load. So everyone got treated special to a feeding of "the good stuff"  Kind of like having Cake for dinner.... Feeding the coastal tomorrow is going to be loud here... they will want the good stuff again! LOL

Have a wonderful blessed day - and I will see you tomorrow for a Garden update!
HUGS and-

Whimsy Stamps - Blog Hop

Hi Everyone and Welcome to our special Ashlan Valor Tangles

Showcase blog hop!!!!

Today we are showcasing a collection of beautifully hand drawn Tangles by artist Lori St. Clair.

Tangles are a relaxing, contemplative, non-objective art form that permits a viewer to enjoy every opportunity for imagination and inspiration to swell as the image before them unfolds.You discover what a creative moment holds when you share in the process of letting it lead your imagination through the intimate details it possesses.

Tangles touch each individual personally. Share one with someone you want to touch in an extraordinary way. To quote Lewis Carroll: “When you are describing, a shape, or sound, or tint; Don’t state the matter plainly, but put it in a hint; And learn to look at all things, with a sort of mental squint.”

All Whimsy Stamps digital images are 300dpi for high print quality.You can re-size, flip, or rotate to fit your own project To find all of  Ashlan Valor Tangles images please visit the Whimsy Stamps Store

Don't forget to leave comments along the way as there will be 2 mystery DT Members who will each be choosing a winner from the comments left on their hop posts!

These winners will each win an Ashlan Valor Tangles digital image of their choice. The Grand Prize winner of the hop will be chosen from the very last stop, which is Valou

This winner will receive all 5 of the Ashlan Valor Tangles digital stamps of their choice from the Whimsy Stamps Store

The hop will run for 1 week and end on Friday 14th March at 12 Noon EST, when the lucky winners will be announced on the Whimsy Inspirations Blog

Below is a complete list of the hop in case you get lost along the way

Charlene

Jackie

Lisa

Morgyn

Michelle

Ruza

Kelly

Andrea

Suzi

Audrey

Valou

Here is my card - I used AVT image called Nesting Time - 

I used some really old papers from My Minds Eye - Linen Closet I think... or something like that. I colored the image with my Copics - and then cut out some die cut letters -

Close up of the eggs -

Inside I did a computer generated sentiments.

Here are my Copic colors used -

Now it is time to HOP ON!!! So head on over to - Ruza now and make sure to leave those comments.

Have a great day and I'll see you tomorrow for Animal Crackers!
HUGS and -

High Hopes Challenge - Flowers!

Howdy -
So Winter has made a punch again here in Texas so this weeks High Hopes Challenge is just in time to remind us that Spring will come! The challenge this week is to add flowers in any way to your project.

I pulled on the new image "Basket of Love" If I can't see the flowers out the window I will just color some up!

Bright and cheery huh? I colored up to match the Graphic 45 papers. Colored with Copics - then I sewed down all the layers. I matched it up with the High Hope sentiment "Thanks a bunch!'

Inside is left over papers -

And here are my Copic colors used -

Have you played the High Hopes Challenge recently? Your really should!! Great chances to win more High Hopes of your own so POP on over to the challenge HERE. Lots of great flower DT projects to see!

Hope you have a wonderful day - Around the house chores day for me. Sigh... one of those days that you just must... LOL then later once I find the desk I plan to turn on the little heater under my desk and sit and color for a while :0)

Hugs and -

Gardening Sunday - What a difference a week makes!!

Howdy!

Now I could start off by telling how great the seeds did this last week... but photos do show it off better!!!

The Cucumbers were the first to poke there leaves up! And man they are anxious to get going!!

But the Beans decided that they did not want to be left to far behind.

They were really fun to watch as they didn't poke out as fast but the dirt looked like it was moving and making large lumps then suddenly bam! They were out too.

Everything is growing great actually -

Hubby has heat lamps and heaters for the chilly nights and everything seems to be loving the new greenhouse!

We had even let the fruit trees spend some time in the greenhouse as we had a couple of nights that we froze again and I really didn't want to loose any of our blooms!

They are beautiful... but they also mean fruit!

We are so excited about all the plants. Hubby even bought some new stick thing that goes on the back of the tractor to dig up the soil. Yea I am really paying attention to terms and names of things aren't I? LOL WE have decided to make things larger in pen that we were planning for our garden and now we are going to spread out more - fruit trees need room and looks like we might have a high percentage of our seeds that want to move on to the "big garden"!!

If the weather is ok this next week Hubby hopes to start planting the fruit trees... I'll snap photos as "we" do. He rolls his eyes when I say "WE"... LOL

Have a blessed and wonderful Sunday!
HUGS and-

Whimsy New Release Blog Hop for March!

Howdy again -

Welcome to the March digital release blog hop!!!!

We have lots of new images to share with you today created by

Marika Collins Collection

Crissy’s Digis

Miss Rach Digital Collection

Ashlan Valor Tangles

Moon Cookie Gallery

All Whimsy Stamps digital images are 300dpi for high print quality.You can re-size, flip, or rotate to fit your own project To find all of today's new releases please visit the Whimsy Stamps Store

Don't forget to leave comments along the way as there will be 2 mystery DT Members who will each be choosing a winner from the comments left on their hop posts!

These winners will each win a Whimsy digital image of their choice. The Grand Prize winner of the hop will be chosen from the very last stop, which is Charlene

This winner will receive 5 digital stamps of their choice from the Whimsy Stamps Store

The hop will run for 1 week and end on Saturday 7th March at 12 Noon EST, when the lucky winners will be announced right here.

Below is a complete list of the hop in case you get lost along the way

Charlene

Jackie

Lisa

Morgyn

Michelle

Ruza

Kelly

Andrea

Suzi

Audrey

Valou

Now would you like to see what I made with the new images? 

This is a project I worked on with the images and a poem by Crissy Armstrong - LOVE these Furry Bunnies and the poem is fabulous!

I had so much fun with this set!

Now make sure you hop on to the next person on the list and leave those comments for your chance to win some Whimsy of your very own!

HUGS and -