And remember, no matter where you go, there you are.
                    ~ Earl Mac Rauch

After almost a month, the Crop Crib (my craft studio) is finally unpacked.

Here's the before.

The during . . .

and, drum roll, the after . . .  (you can click on any of the pictures to enlarge them).

Yep, that pale green had to go, so my Tom and I painted it this glorious gold to match the living/dining room.

Dad's roll-top desk is my workstation. Its drawers and cubbyholes are perfect for tucking in my adhesives, tools and play things. My Dad made the bookshelf to the left when I was a little girl just out of some scrap pieces of wood. It's been painted about every color imaginable and holds my tape/CD/LP player, an old tray full of embellishments, favorite scrapping magazines, etc.

To the right of Dad's roll-top is this great built-in student desk. It will be my cutting/embossing/tool station. Punches, Big Shot dies and paper trimmers are in the drawers and that fun old Samsonite suitcase holds my embossing folders and Nestabilities. My Dad made the steeple clock on the right for my Mom years ago – love it's gentle chimes. My sewing machine is tucked under the desk behind a big jar my mother-in-law used to keep flour in; I've re-purposed the jar to hold some of my scrap ribbon.

To the left of Dad's roll-top is this wall of cabinets. The two white cabinets are from Ikea and the sewing machine between them belonged to my Grandma on my Dad's side. Her feet went a hundred miles an hour pushing the pedals to make me clothes when I was little. Dad lovingly restored it.and it still works! The turquoise basket on Grandma's sewing machine was my Mom's sewing basket – we always reached for when we needed to hem some pants or fix a button. I found the white baskets inside the cabinets at World Market to hold my ribbons. If you click on the picture, you'll see that between the shelves is a display board of some of my favorite projects.

Across from Dad's roll-top desk and to the right as you enter the room is one of my favorite places to sit and read, cruise all your blogs, play on Facebook, etc. Sometimes my Tom will sit here and keep me company (or else, he complains, he's a craft widow). The portrait of the boy in the straw hat is one of my favorite art pieces. The portrait and the fern table beside the chair came from my Grandma on my Mom's side.

This closet is where most of the things went from those gazillion boxes. Saturday, when I unloaded the boxes, I filled up the original shelves in the closet so full, they came tumbling down. So, I tore out what was left of all the original shelving, trucked over to Home Depot and bought and assembled the strongest set of industrial shelves I could find. It was a perfect fit. If you click on it you'll see I used my trusty label maker on all the different containers. The clock to the left of the closet was a gift from my in-laws, hand-painted by a neighbor of theirs.

So, that's the nickle tour. As you can see, except for the boxes in the closet where I truly try to maximize storage, I like to find creative and vintage ways of storing my supplies. I love this room, not so much for is decor, but for the joy it gives me with all the treasures and sweet memories from Mom, Dad, my Grandmas, my mother- and father-in-law . . .  So, no matter where I go, there I am, and I bring my precious family treasures with me.

sanc·tu·ar·y [sangk-choo-er-ee] – noun, plural -ar·ies.
8. a tract of land where birds and wildlife, esp. those hunted for sport, can breed and take refuge in safety from hunters.
                              ~Dictionary.com

My craft studio, we call the "Crop Crib" is back and my sanctuary is restored. I know – sanctuary might seem like an exaggeration for my craft studio. No souls are converted or lives preserved except, of course, my own. Honestly, though, without the easy access it gives me to ink, glue and glitter, well, it's just not pretty . . .

Yep, that's me trying to keep it together after a month without my studio, unpacking, starting a new job, unpacking, transferring to yet another new job, unpacking, well, you get the picture. Hee hee – so much better than my driver's license photo! I posted this on Facebook and got these great suggestions for a caption:

• I have to go now, my 147 cats need me.
• My son, Ben, to my daughter, Caitlin: " I told you, it was your turn to watch her!"
• MOM!!! SPIT OUT THE CAT FOOD!!!

But, my favorite caption for this self portrait comes from Elizabeth Gilbert in her book, eat, pray, love (Great Book!):

I had a sudden horrifying image of the woman I might become if I'm not careful: Crazy Aunt Liz. The divorcee in the muumuu with the dyed orange hair who doesn't eat dairy but smokes menthols, who's always just coming back from her astrology cruise or breaking up with her aroma-therapist boyfriend, who reads the Tarot cards of kingergarteners and says things like, 'Bring Aunty Liz another wine cooler, baby, and I'll let you wear my mood ring. . . .' Eventually I may have to become a more solid citizen again, I'm aware of this. But no yet . . . please. Not just yet.

Love how that woman writes!

So, stay tuned, pics to come of the Crop Crop – yes, I have evidence that it's restored. But, right now, I have to go play with glitter!

The Good . . .

• Wonderful new neighbors who welcomed us with wine on the patio, brought us their newspapers, taught us pool maintenance 101, and gifted us with a huge sandwich platter and chips on moving-in day.
• Dips in the pool, our sanctuary, where I've created a self-imposed rule to not think about all the boxes, worry about the kids or stress about our new jobs.
• Messages and care packages from all of you making us feel missed, loved and comforted.
• My beautiful new craft room.

Yes! My new craft room has two windows and lots of built-in light, a desk, a ceiling fan . . . ah, someday it will be Heaven on Earth.

The Bad . . .

• I found my Patron Saint of Lost Objects, but now I've lost the accompanying prayer card. Still can't find the TV remote. (If I ever move again – God Help Me! – I will hide the remove from the movers!) We've finished unpacking all the kitchen and family room area and declared it the no-box zone, but lurking somewhere in the house is still a Cuisinart and a bunch of plates – probably with the car maintenance supplies!
• I haven't been able to post because (A) lost the cord to connect the digital camera to the computer for a few weeks; (B) new boss lady sending me all over kingdom come (aka Central Texas) on nursing home surveys; (C) trying to create more box-free zones; (D) haven't been able to create anything  because the craft room is outside the box-free zone . . . see below!; (E) haven't been able to create more box-free zones because boss lady keeps sending me out of town (see B).

The Crazy . . .

This is my craft room – well, what I could show you of it, because it's so full of boxes I can't get past the door.

My family knows that creating and crafting are what keep me grounded and well, as close to sane as I can represent. It's gotten me through the toughest times. I'm a little on the crazy side these days since I can't even get a whiff of some ink, glue, paper, glitter . . . ah, my touchstone is in there somewhere!

A little homesick, seriously overworked, missing my kids, craving my touchstone . . . okay, I'll admit it, I'm a little on the whiny side. Save yourselves! But, don't give up on me . . . I'm coming up for air and safe harbor is in sight.

Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe, and enthusiastically act upon . . .
must inevitably come to pass!
                 ~ Paul J. Meyer

My fun paper craft toys are still boxed and in route to our new house. So, you get to put up with more stories about our moving adventures . . .

There it is – the BiG Mama truck that picked up all our stuff on Thursday.

My Tom e-mailed these picture to me while I was in Lampasas finishing up a nursing home survey. I got there just in time to see them pull out of Round Rock. Oh my! That truck looks bigger than the whole house.

It broke my heart to leave Austin and Round Rock, our home for 26 years. I cried all the way to the Title Company. Poor Title agent didn't quite know what to do with me. But, you'll be happy to know, I pulled it together, sucked it up, and signed all the papers that made me no longer a resident of Round Rock.

Hee Hee – Someone else may be living in my house – but MY initials will always be in the driveway. 

This morning, we woke up in Waco as Waco-ans. We're still in the apartment my husband's company furnished until we can move into our new house next week. Being in an apartment, just the two of us, is kind of romantic, that is, after we recover from climbing the stairs to our third floor abode.

Still a little depressed over leaving Austin, I asked to drive by the new house and got to meet the current owners. What a lovely, lovely couple. We learned our house was built (in 1959) by Paul J. Meyers, for whom the Baylor University basketball arena is named. I Googled Mr. Meyer and learned he was a millionaire by the time he was 27 years old. He founded Success Motivation International, Inc., and was the first to condense books and record them on LP records and then on cassettes. How fun to have a house with such great history (and Karma!).

Getting acclimated to Waco, we drove out to the airport and  the lake and sprung the dogs from their boarder for a 30-minute romp out to the nearby pond. Ah, the shade was sweet!

So, here's what I've learned about my new home, Waco . . .

• Cute little airport. So small, there's free parking and only one entrance and exit.
• Fun little burbs within the burb, even one called "Beverly Hills."
• The cookie section in my new neighborhood grocery store sucks. This is not good.
• Beautiful stop-you-in-your-tracks-gorgeous Southern women – with butt ugly purses. This has me completely puzzled – why are there so many ugly purses? I will get to the bottom of this.
• A lovely, locally owned scrapbook store just minutes from my new house. I expect I'll soon be to them what Norm was to Cheers!

If you've read all the way to here – thank you for letting me get all that out of my system. You are a trooper and a friend!

I missed participating in the Paper Garden Projects blog hop this week, but that doesn't mean you have to. There are some beautiful summer projects by my friends at the Garden!

Enjoy the stroll, have a wonderful Father's Day gentlemen, and I'll be giving sending more pictures of our adventures and mis-adventures soon.

Whoever dies with the most toys wins.
                         ~Anonymous

I am not proud of this – in fact, I'm kind of mortified.

This is not the van they sent to move my house.

That's the van they sent just to bring the boxes, tape and other misc. packing supplies to get my house ready to move.

Tomorrow the real van shows up – the 18 wheeler. I'm not going to be there to see it – I'll be back in my new office in Temple. What an amazing site that should be – an 18 wheeler backing up to my house to take away 20,000 pounds of stuff (the mover's estimate). Wow, that's not even counting dust bunnies – another 1,000 pounds by my estimate.

Yes, someday, I really will post a paper-craft project. Don't give up on me . . . somewhere among all these boxes from my craft room is a project just waiting to be designed. Someday . . . Soon! Well, someday after June 28 when these boxes arrive in Waco.

Maybe, when the dust settles from this move, I should seriously consider going on one of those reality shows for hoarders.

Glorious St. Anne, I beseech thee to grant me guidance in finding all of those things that I have lost.
I also ask that you provide me with the foresight to put things in places that I will remember.  Amen.

You guys will appreciate this . . .

Moving day started today! Rumor has it a big moving van showed up at my house and some men started boxing up my house in Round Rock, courtesy of my husband's new company. I only know this second hand because I'm in Lampasas in the middle of a nursing home survey. I'm singing praises to the Gods in the Heavens, Mother Earth, the cosmos and the universe, the Ying and the Yang . . . for anything and anyone who had a hand in arranging for some strong men to do all the labor, and let me just stress from afar.

My big assignment for our move was to find my Saint Anne figurine to watch over my move – to be our protector of lost objects – to make sure every thing was accounted for and found it's proper place in the new house. Only, I have the box she came in and the prayer card she came with, but . . .

I've lost my Patron of Lost Objects!

Oh, this is not good.

What is good . . . My Caitlin landed safely in Costa Rica and is having amazing, over-the-top experiences. She's blogging about her new life there, and you can follow her adventures at her new blog, Quarter Life Caitlin. I know I'm completely biased, but I think she's an amazing writer writing about amazing things. You might enjoy a peak.

When you die, if you get a choice between going to regular heaven or pie heaven, choose pie heaven.
It might be a trick, but if it’s not, mmmmmmmm, boy.
             ~ Jack Handy

As I travel about Central Texas surveying nursing homes, my co-workers all know I'm on a very serious quest – to find the best chocolate meringue pie in Texas. Right now Bluebonnet Cafe in Marble Falls (they actually have a pie happy hour) and Franks Restaurant in Schulenburg (between Houston and San Antonio) are neck in neck. But, when I transfer to the Temple office this week and my territory expands, all bets are off.

Friday was my last day working in the Austin office. I hate goodbyes, especially to such sweet folks. They've been my family for the past couple of years, and it's been such an honor to hang out with them. Check out what one of them gave me – a chocolate pie made out of felt! (Yes, this is a very serious quest, worthy of being commemorated with felt!)

I think I finally found the best pie in Texas . . . . Thanks, Kathy!

We're still crazy busy getting ready for our move to Waco so I didn't get a Texas Tuesday card made for Libby and her gang this week. But, I have the next best thing – a song about pie! If you've never seen the movie Michael, it's worth renting for Andie MacDowell's tribute to pie. Enjoy

Pie
Pie
Me oh my
Nothing tastes sweet, wet, salty and dry
all at once o well it's pie
Apple!
Pumpkin!
Minced
an' wet bottom.
Come to your place everyday if you've got em'
Pie
Me o my
I love pie
     ~ Andie MacDowell in Michael

My Caitlin made cake balls and I helped (okay, just a little bit). It was such a process she said, never again – one and done!

Meanwhile, we were holding our breath while Butler held onto their lead against Michigan State. Oh my goodness, what a game! My Tom and I grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, when Indiana University was the undisputed champs and Bobby Knight was King. We're proud to see Butler represent. Love their Cinderella story – it's what makes college basketball so much fun to watch.

Onto Monday! And, if Butler loses, well, at least we can drown our sorrows in Cake Balls!

Caitlin's ingredients were pretty simple. She used a cake box mix, canned icing, almond bark, food coloring, and my crazy assortment of sprinkles.

1. Caitlin just baked the cake according to the box instructions and let it cool.
2. Then she broke the cake apart until it had a even, crumbly texture. **Tip** You might want to cut the top and bottom crust off the cake before crumbling. This makes for a more consistent and pure texture, look, and taste.
3. Caitlin then mixed the crumbled cake with the can of frosting by hand (you can also use a mixer). She added just enough icing to make the cake/icing mixture hold its shape when molded (about 1/2 to 3/4 of the can of icing).
4. She rolled the cake/icing mixture into small meat-ball size balls and put the cake balls on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.  (Here's where my help was invaluable, well, sort of.)
5. We put the cake balls in the refrigerator to set overnight.
6. Finally, she melted the almond bark. added food coloring and dipped the cake balls into the melted almond bark.
7. Caitlin added the sprinkles and drizzles of almond bark before the melted almond bark had a chance to set.

Fun Cake Ball Combos:

• Strawberry Cake with Strawberry & Cream Icing.
• Funfetti Cake with Funfetti Vanilla Icing.
• Chocolate Cake with Double Chocolate Icing.
• Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing.

If you'd like more details, here's the link to the recipe/instructions Caitlin used: Cake Pops.

We got a little carried away with the sprinkles.  Yum!

(and Caitlin)

So . . . here's some cool stuff I've stumbled upon today . . . for your cruising enjoyment.

Taylor Usry just wrote a fabulous article over at Craft Critique comparing cardstocks and how they respond to different effects such as printing digital images, sponging, stamping, and punches. She looked at Prism's Prismatics textured cardstock, Stampin' Up's line of cardstock, Bazzill textured cardstock, Georgia Pacific White cardstock, Neenah Solar White, and Papertrey Ink Stamper's Select. There's good information in the comments, too. Just click on the icon below and scroll down to the January 14, 2010, post.

One of my fellow nurse co-workers sent me this video (hey, Anita!). I love it. I think I may just watch it anytime I need a little pick-me-up (well, like today). Besides being a lot of fun, it's also for a wonderful cause. Turn up you speakers and get ready to rock out with the Pink Glove Dance!

Rock On!

Dictionary.com says vigor means healthy physical or mental energy or power; vitality; a force of healthy growth in any living matter or organism. That sounds cool, right? What sounds even more cool are some of the synonyms for vigor (according to Thesaurus.com): ability, bang, capability, juice, kick, moxie, punch, vim, zing, and zip. Aren't those great words for a new decade? I even found a great quote.

To resist the frigidity of old age [boy I need that!], one must combine the body, the mind, and the heart. And to keep these in parallel vigor one must exercise, study, and love.
                              ~ Alan Bleasdale

2009 wasn't without some great moments: my Caitlin's graduation from UNT, a wonderful trip to Wyoming, visits with brothers and sisters in Oklahoma and Indiana, fun adventures with Pillow Pup, and precious encouragement and inspiration from co-workers and dear crafting friends. Here's a review of some 2009 projects. If you click on any of the pictures, it will take you to the original post for all the deets.

January – Rusty Rooster (a fun technique)

February – Sweet Stems and Lovely Letters Stationery Box

March – You Crack Me Up.

April – A Quilt of Scraps

May – Mom's Paper Garden

June – Scene From a Garden

July – Bountiful Butterflies

August – Lots of Bots

September – Bucket Booty

October – Round 'em Up Texana Designs

November – Mo Snow

December – Let It Snow

Thank you precious readers for all your support this past year . . . and here's looking forward to a vigorous 2010.