Runs with Scissors….and Meatballs!

Oh, hello there! Hope you don’t mind the yummy smells wafting throughout Penny Black’s blog today. I’ve got the crock pots going with the Swedish meatballs for my dinner this evening. There are thirteen friends coming over to share Valentine’s Day. For one couple, it is the 43rd anniversary of their engagement; how romantic is that?

I set the tables last night and brought the meatballs along so I could still run with my scissors and share some last minute Valentines.

I’ve just combined the delightful banners with the flirting owls from Furry Affection. I opened Ms. Owl’s eyes so she can return Mr. Owl’s coy looks. The hearts are the punch outs from the Hearts in Circle die, covered in Glossy Accents.

Speaking of the Hearts in Circle die, here it is providing a background for the two little mice from the Furry Affection clear set. Valentine’s Day is such a great chance for me to use red and white polka dot papers (one of my favorite things).

I think the Rose die is perfect for making Valentines. Here I’ve combined it with the Cupid’s Wish die and a tiny sticker heart to cover the junction of the two diecuts. Pink and white dotted paper is almost as good as red and white!

I have a story to tell on myself and I hope my adult kids are not reading this; it could cause them worry and me a new address at an assisted living residence.

Last Sunday as I was getting ready for church, I went into the kitchen for some reason (I think I knew why at the time, but don’t remember now) and my husband saw my incomplete outfit of black slacks and a black shell and commented, “Oh, the Johnny Cash look”. And he hadn’t even seen the black and white jacket I was going to wear over the shell. He made a valid point and it made me rethink my outfit for the day. After all, it was Valentine season and maybe what I needed was something brighter to better suit the coming holiday.

I went into my cavernous adequate walk-in closet where a large percentage of the clothes were some combination of black and white (I do have some gray outfits) in search of something colorful. Way in the back, the last item on the rod, I spotted a clear plastic garment bag. That bag has been hanging in that spot for a very long time. It has survived multiple purges because I thought it contained the red jacket dress I wore for a significant birthday years ago. I knew it no longer fit and should have been donated, but I could not part with it because of the memories attached to it.

Thinking that perhaps the jacket might work with my black pants and shell, I took the plastic bag off the hanger and reacted with confusion and surprise. There on the hanger was not the sentimental red dress, but a lovely raspberry colored jacket dress, with delicate same-color embroidery on the dress top and the jacket front. AND THE TAGS WERE STILL ON IT! Obviously, I had never worn it and absolutely had no memory of buying it. It must have been a super sale (I would not have paid the price on the tag) and evidently I didn’t buy it for a specific occasion. It must have been one of my “just in case” purchases.

Now, the name of the department store on the bag is a store that is here in Alabama, but not in Wisconsin so that means the dress is no more than nine years old. (Thank goodness the price was not in Roman numerals, but for all I remember, it could be that old). I tried on the jacket and was happy to see that it fit; unhappy to see that the jacket was made with shoulder pads attached, another clue as to the age of the dress.

Well, I snipped those shoulder pads out and stood in front of the full length mirror and decided the burst of color was just what I needed. No more “Johnny Cash goes to church” for me. I just hoped I didn’t look like a bright raspberry tulip bursting through a black asphalt parking lot!

And I wonder what I did with that special red dress? That may be a story for another day.

Here is a CAS card using the Triple Banner die with the white embossed sentiment from the I Heart You clear set. Notice I used up a little designer paper.

I colored this image with Copics and used a paper towel moistened in blender solution to pat the cap and dress to add a textured look; a fun technique. Looks like Mimi and her friend are having fun on their bicycle built for two.

My husband and I have been in that “built for two” situation a couple of times. We’ve been sea kayaking and canoeing where I took the back seat position and he the front. I thought it was a good idea to sit where he couldn’t see that my pitiful paddling wasn’t adding much to the effort. Somehow, I think he knew that anyway.

Speaking of special friends, a package arrived last week from a stamping friend with a “non-Christmas” present for me and another for Cooper. Sally shares her home with Abbey and Spirit, her much loved cats. Abbey and Spirit love cuddling in their fleece blankets and wanted Cooper to have one, too. Cooper immediately displayed how dogs are different than cats by rough housing with his new “blankie” and insisting on a game of tug of war. I guess he believes “real dogs don’t cuddle with blankets”.

Well, it’s time to unplug the crockpots, put away the scissors and get home to my dinner preparations. I have Amish noodles to boil and dinner rolls to bake. Cooper loves it when people come to visit; it almost makes the trip to the groomer’s worthwhile.

Thank you for your visit. I wish you all a happy Valentine’s Day!

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