Our Fabulously Crazy Easter!

What a wonderful day, from start to finish!  

The day started off so wonderfully as I was blessed to be able to play my violin at a friend's church.  As I opened the church door, I was greeted by the smell of Easter Lilies, and OH the memories that rushed back from my childhood!  New clothes,  the Easter Bunnies visit, hunting for eggs.  So many wonderful memories!

I got home, and it was time for Easter baskets... YES CRAZY BUT TRUE!  I do believe that well behaved BIG KIDDOS still deserve Easter Baskets... so Easter Baskets they received!  I think I have as much fun making them as they do getting them!  

My husband and I, both being photography fanatics, NEVER end up in photos together!  Another "Crazy, but true fact", so it was essential to take the first picture in years!  I love this pic as I am a firm believer in hugs.  Hugs are precious and so important to give... not only on holidays, but on ordinary days when craziness is going on around us!  You never know what tomorrow holds, so HUG those you love like crazy.

Onto the Easter Feast!  Such a wonderful time to sit with the ones you love, to talk, to spend time reminiscing and then looking forward to what the next holiday may bring.  Dinners around the table are the tops!

We enjoyed our meal of roast beef, carrots the Easter Bunny left behind, = ) mashed tators & gravy, green bean casserole (always a  must have) and corn!  Our family enjoys comfort food, and in a crazy way, it always puts a warm smile on our faces, 

as well as a warm spot in our tummies!

and the Place Cards... 

Were a success!  It was SO much fun hearing my 21 year old son gush over his  place card.  I think he realizes just how 'crazy' his mom is about him... it is the little things that reach their 'big kiddo' hearts!

And the 'piece de resistance' ~ "Strawberry Shortcake"!  

SO Southern ~ SO 'crazy' yummy!

Again a comfort food.  And a MAJOR SUGAR RUSH

 after all of the candy! = )

And of COURSE I must include Nermal ~ my sweetie in the EASTER MIX!  He really does love his bunny!  I just caught him in this funny pose!  Our 'whole' family, cats included is ending the day with a blessed feeling in our hearts.

Blessed for the Special Easter Holiday where we celebrate our faith and belief in a Risen Savior, and the wonderful thought of spending eternity together.  Blessed, for the love we share for each other and blessed for the times that we know are 'the stuff that memories are made of'.  Memories that will never be stolen or taken.  Memories of joy, happiness, and crazy, crazy, love for each other and our future.

On Easter Day the veil between time and eternity thins to gossamer ~Douglas Horton

Hoping your day was just as special, and just as memorable.

Living, Laughing, and Loving the moment,

Patti

Smiling Like "CRAZY"

"A cheerful heart is good medicine"

Proverbs

I have always loved to smile as it definitely beats the alternative!  And I always love to have others smiling with me.  I thought I would share a short blog with you of things that make me smile.  And reasons that smiling is SO important for YOU and those around you!

Hugs from Family and Friends... make me smile

"If you don't have a smile, I'll give you one of mine"

author unknown

My Cats make me smile

"A cat is all love and energy"

author unknown

Being at home makes me smile

"A smile is the light in the window of your face 

that tells people you're at home."

author unknown

A Positive Attitude makes me smile

 "Life is like a mirror, we get the best results 

when we smile at it"

author unknown

Being healthy makes me smile

"It takes a lot of work from the face to let out a smile, but just think what good smiling can bring to the most important muscle of your body... the heart!"

author unknown

Creating makes me smile

"Keep smiling...

it makes people wonder what you have been up to"

author unknown

Peaceful activities make me smile

"Peace begins with a smile"

Mother Teresa

The "Little Things" make me smile

"If you smile when no one else is around,

you really mean it"

author unknown

"A smile costs nothing but gives much.  It enriches those that receive without making poorer those who give.  It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.  None is so rich or mighty that he cannot get along without it, and none is so poor he cannot be made rich by it.  Yet a smile cannot  bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away.  Some people are too tired to give you a smile.  Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give"

~author unknown~

Writing this blog has been an exercise of counting my many blessings... and there are so many that I am simply grinning from ear to ear!  And I bet once you start counting the things that make you happy you will be wearing a smile that lights up the world around you!

"Every time you smile at someone, 

it is an action of love"

Mother Teresa

Living, Laughing, Loving and Smiling like "CRAZY",

Patti

My "CRAZY CUTE" Easter Place Cards..."CHEEP" and FUN!

I was so inspired by another crafter's Easter Place card!  I will start out by giving credit where credit is due!  Jennifer Hadfield shared this little beauty below!  

I mean~REALLY~ Jennifer's Place cards are the BOMB, 

and here is a link to her site! 

Tatortots & Jello

The pictures and all directions are on her blog!

I decided that I too needed to make some crafty, creative, crazy, little place cards, to mark each special individuals place, who would be sharing Easter Dinner with me!  But, not having the letterbox press tool that Jennifer was blessed to have, my creative, improvisational brain kicked into gear and here is what I came up with!

The great thing is that each place card cost me roughly only about $2.50 to make. I am going to share with you step by step, how I created my place cards, and give you a list of things needed to make these little cuties!  And then, I hope you are inspired to create something CRAZY FANTASTIC of your own for your Easter Dinner Table!

I headed off to Michael's Craft store with ONE thing in mind and came out with something all together different!  I am truly crazy that way.  I could not find a decent sized nest for a good price, so I checked out the 40% off Easter 'goodies aisle' and found these adorable little containers, marked down to $1.19 a piece!  An idea and a picture began to form in my mind.  Why not create the base of my place card from these containers?  YES!  I loved the idea.

I also purchased the little chicks you see in the box.  I got them for $1.19 making them about $.07 a piece in the place card.  The Reese's Peanut Butter Pastel Eggs were on sale, so I MIGHT have spent $.02 total on each place card. And the 'Easter' ribbon I got on sale for $.50~ I probably used about $.05 worth on each carton!  

The 'little' problem came with the Name markers Jennifer used, as I did not have the letterbox equipment, BUT!  I had a box of these fabulous little 'stock card' blocks, which  have different 'cut' edges. I purchased these at JoAnne Fabrics a few years ago.  I also had several plastic stencils which I purchased for clay work.  They are made by Making Clay, and purchased in the 'modeling clay' aisle at Michael's.  That stencil, combined with some acrylic paint, laid on top of the cards, gave me the look I was after... but, more on that later! = )  

HERE WE GO!

I took my 'crazy' cute little Easter Crates and removed the lid.  I placed some tissue paper in the crate to act as a filler.  I cut enough of the Easter ribbon to go around the container, and then hot glued the ribbon around the rim of the bottom half of the crate, as it was left bare after the lid was removed! (messy glue gun I know, but it has seen a lot of action!)

I then laid green decorative moss on top of the tissue.  This can be purchased at any craft store. Then with glue gun in hand, (I  look VERY dangerous- lol)  I glued the lid upright to the back section of the container, holding it in place until the hot glue had dried!

How Crazy Cute is THIS!

"CRAZY IN LOVE" with my 3 "CRAZY CATS"!

To say I am "CRAZY" in love with my cats, would be an understatement!  These 3 lovable, crazy, critters, whom  have found me or whom I have rescued, have 'kneaded' a spot in my heart, and are forever entwined around my soul.  People may say that cats are fickle, persnickety, or aloof.  
I say, NOT my 3 boys!  They each have such individualistic personalities, as if they were each a child in a family~ united by family but so separate in temperament.  My 'furbabies' are lovable, sensitive, and 'oh so' comforting, especially when they curl up in bed with me to slumber and snooze.  So, come along and meet my furry family, and you too will fall in love!

~SOX~

Sox is my 'eldest'!  He was introduced to us by his mother, Jasmine, as we named her, a stray whom we adopted when we moved into our present home.  "Jasmine", unbeknownst to us was a new mommy.  We started feeding her and apparently she became SO comfortable with us, so trusting of us, that one day she came for a visit with a bundle in her mouth!  One by one, she brought her babies to our home and hid them in the foundation vents  under our house.  Oh, we felt SO blessed! The kittens would come out in the evening, and slowly  became familiar with us, to the point that we could bring them inside and cuddle, love and feed them.  We laughed as they played with each other, and giggled at their antics.  We eventually took the whole family to the vets, got their shots, and adopted all, but "SOX" our, TUXEDO LOVER, out to loving homes.  So, Sox joined our family and won his way quickly into all hearts who reside here!

"A cat's eyes are windows enabling us to see into another world." - Irish Legend

"Tuxedo cats are very elegant felines. They are definitely some of the best-dressed creatures I've ever seen. Indeed, tuxedos look like they're always ready to go the opera or a special gala." 

Sox~ doing what he loves best~ 'napping'

~NERMAL~

Nermal is the man, and named after Nermal, the 'cutesy' kitty from Garfield, who was despised for his cuteness!  We adopted Nermal when we decided Sox needed a friend and companion when the kids and I returned to school.  We went to the animal shelter seeking the perfect companion.  Nermal, although tiny showed enormous spunk, so he became the 'chosen one'.  We drove home with Nermal safely tucked in his carrier.  We were eager to witness the first time these two 'new friends' would meet!  This plan seemed like such a great idea, until they did indeed have their first encounter!  When Nermal and Sox met for the first time, it was 'hate' at first sight!  I went into my 'anxiety, crazy' mode, and called my friend who knows all there is to know about cats.  She told us to leave Nermal in the carrier and let them get to know each other.  Nermal's carrier quickly changed into a room of his own as Sox could not even stand the sight of him!  They quickly became friends while batting their paws together under the door!  Of course as I sit here typing, they are hissing and spitting at each other!  LOL!  I guess old habits die hard.  But, for the most parts they are good buddies, and will sit nicely together as good friends should.  Nermal is a definite 'people person', and makes the acquaintance of all who enter our home.  He brings us joy and laughter! 

Always curious... one of Nermals 'supervised' visits into the wild outdoors!

"When the tea is brought at five o'clock 

And all the neat curtains are drawn with care, 

The little black cat with bright green eyes 

Is suddenly purring there" -- Harold Monro

~TIGER~

Tiger, our most elusive and shy kitty, while skittish around strangers, is so loving and so desirous of affection with our family.  Tiger, came from another of "Jasmine's" litters.  We caught as many of the litter as we could and once again, took them to the vets, got their shots, and adopted them out to loving families!  Tiger joined our family, and was a fabulous fit with the other two furry family members!  Tiger, is such a pretty Tabby.  We almost called him 'Professor McGonagall', due to the 'eye glass' like markings surrounding his eyes, but because he was male, we decided he would be highly offended... so TIGER he was named!  He brings such joy and contentment as he rubs against your leg, all the while continually endearing himself to your heart!

"What greater gift than the love of a cat?" - Charles Dickens

I seriously believe Tiger is saying "Dear Lord...." in the most reverent of manners!