Tomato Cage Christmas

I've been seeing so many Christmas tomato cage ideas on Pinterest, I decided to share how we've been creating tomato cage topiaries for nearly 15 years.  

I first saw the idea of twisting a garland around tomato cages in Southern Living.  Loved the fact that it is beautiful both during the day and at night.  

To duplicate this look:

Sneak Preview

OK.......I can't resist....our Christmas card is in the works and I had to give you just a little sneak preview.  Jokingly, I claim that we have a fan base for our Christmas cards. Therefore, each year I try to design a card that trumps previous years.  And an unwritten (till now) rule is that I can't repeat any card.

Seek the Welfare of the City...

"Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you..." 

Jeremiah 29:7

We were involved in a wonderful community service project on Saturday in which churches from all over the city joined together to clean up vacant lots, buildings, streets, and to share the love of Jesus with everyone we met.

To see photos from the day, click HERE.

Little Picture - Big Job

Some projects are easier than others.  And some that don't seem to be big are actually huge.  That's the case here.  

The original is only 2" x 1.5".  The size, along with the amount of damage, made this photograph one of my tougher restoration projects.  I'd love to actually breathe a sigh of relief, but I have another project in the works that makes this one look like child's play.

Something Different

Tim and I just returned from 10 days on the coast of Oregon + Redwood National Park + Crater Lake.  For something just a little different than my regular restoration posts, here's a link to some of our pictures.  I will be writing about an experiment I'm conducting regarding vacation pictures.  First installment should be available later tomorrow.  See you then :-)

Soulful Eyes

Some stories are happy.  Some are sad.   Some are silly.  Some  are completely make-believe.  And unfortunately, sometimes, the stories are nothing short of tragic.  So it is with this young boy with the deep, soulful eyes.

As I worked to uncover and brighten his young face, I kept wanting to rescue him.  To make it better. 

Home on the Range

I wanted to be a cowgirl.  You already knew that.  But my time as a cowgirl was, in reality, just dressing like a cowgirl.  It was make believe.

You see, I lived in town.  Even though Granddaddy bought a couple of old horses and a pony for the grandchildren to ride, there weren't any bandits or stagecoaches or herds of cattle to drive across the range.  We had no tumblin' tumbleweed.  We weren't cowpokes.  We were just kids.  

Not so for this young boy....

In the Meantime...

I am working.  Really I am.  It's just that the projects I'm currently working on are all to be given as surprise gifts.  So I can't post them. Yet.

One post will be entitled, "Home On the Range".  Another will be  "Just a Little Bit".  A third project remains unnamed, but the story behind the image is one of the most touching I've heard.

In the meantime.....

Taste of Chicago

Chicago.  Just got back from a wonderful week visiting what was our home for 6 years.  (Ok, technically, we lived in a suburb of Chicago, but we like to claim the City as our home).

We stayed downtown so we were able to walk to whatever we wanted to do.  It has been four years since I was there, so I wanted to revisit some of the things I love most.

Like Father, Like Son

 I love days like today.  First of all, after so many days of excessive heat, humidity, and unrelenting sunshine, it rained.  A cool, refreshing rain that was heralded by glorious thunder and lightning.

Second, this football picture project is nearing completion and has been a total delight.