Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving and giving thanks to the Lord for all the blessings bestowed upon me and my family today and everyday!  May God bless you in all you do.  So thankful for each and everyone of you. 

Artichoke Stuffing

Food from my childhood always evokes the most special memories of my daddy cooking from the night before Thanksgiving till the early hours of the morning.  The Cajun Gumbo and Artichoke Stuffing always reminds me of my childhood and my Thanksgiving would not be the same without it.  I make it every year.  The picture is of the stuffing before it's baked.  I can't wait till tomorrow to smell it cooking, the tang of the cooking lemons never fails to make my mouth water.  I hope you'll try it.  It's the best!   Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families.  May your day be filled with family fun, love, laughter and great food!!!

 Artichoke Stuffing

Ingredients:

2 – 14 oz. cans of artichoke hearts

1 ½ - 15 oz. canisters of Italian Style bread crumbs

3 lemons

½ cup of parmesan cheese

2/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil

2/3 cup of water

3 cloves of garlic chopped

Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl add the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and garlic powder and mix well, then drain the artichoke hearts and break them apart into the bread crumb mixture add all of the other wet ingredients including the juice of 1 ½ lemons and the chopped garlic.  Slice the remaining lemons and set aside.  Mix together all of the ingredients till a dough ball forms.  I usually use my hands for this part because it’s easier than trying to mix with a wooden spoon.  Then press into a baking dish.  Place remaining sliced lemons on top cover well with aluminum foil.  Bake at 400 degrees till a brown crust forms around the edges.  Enjoy!

New Followers

I'm so excited about all of my new followers and I just wanted to take this opportunity to say hello to all of you.  Hello to all the others that are following me as well.  I hope you are all enjoying seeing the things that I've been enjoying making.  I'm going to be going out of town for a few days but will be back Sunday and will be posting first thing on Monday.  I've made some cute little treat boxes and will be posting those as well as a few things that I made for my niece and nephews for Halloween that I didn't get a chance to post yet.  I hope you'll be stopping back by to see.  Have a wonderful weekend.  And as always thanks for looking

~Rebecca

Celebrating A First

The blog challenge for Friday was that's a first.  You were supposed to create a card to celebrate a first birthday, anniversary, etc.  I chose to make a card for my niece's first anniversary which is coming up.  Yay for me that I'm done with it way before I need it.  I hope you all love it!  I had a great time making it. 

I was trying to do all the challenges for the week. But Saturday's challenge was to do some sewing and stamping on your card and since my machine is not working right now I can't do it.  :(  I'll be trying for 7 days this week with the new challenges.  Keep stopping by as there will be lots more.  Right now I'm also working several crafts for my sister and I'm also involved in a swap on Facebook with some lovely ladies.  I can't post the pictures till I send out the packages just in case my secret diva comes to take a look.  But I've been taking pictures as I go and will have a lot to show you all.  Thanks for stopping by

~Rebecca

365 Cards: Day 319 - That's a First

Love...blog challenge

In this blog challenge you were asked to think about something uplifting for the ones you love and share it on your card.  I chose to do a card for my friend who is at the end of her chemo but will be beginning her radiation about a month later.  We have been keeping each other company since my first chemo.  I was nervous and upset and she really helped set me at ease.  I'll still have 2 more treatments left when she is done, I'll miss her so much and wanted to convey my love, friendship and thankfulness with this card.

The inside will read... Love is what gives us hope, keep the faith, find the strength and have the courage to continue to fight the fight!  Don't forget to FIGHT LIKE A GIRL...wishing you all the love and support that you've given me for these last few months.

I just realized that the picture didn't post.  Here it is!  :)

~Rebecca

If you'd like to check out the blog challenges here's web address.  Click on the HOME button and you'll see all the cards for the past week.  Enjoy!

365 Cards: Day 318 Love is in the Air

More Blog Challenges

For this challenge you were supposed to highlight your sentiment, give it a pop of color and make it stand out.  I'm pretty sure that my bling accomplished this task.  I love Stickles and used it to give my sentiment a pop. 

I also used the Stickles to highlight the snowflakes that are floating around on my card.  I used beading to give it a little bit extra because it just didn't look like it was done.  Hope you love it.   Thanks for looking.
365 Cards: a new card challenge every day

For Day 317 you were supposed to make a card with a "flag".  I'm really into Christmas cards right now with the upcoming holiday and thought this was a great way to add some challenges to my Christmas card collection.  I love doing these!  I hope this will help you to embrace your inner creativity.  I have a few more touches to put on the others that I've created for this weeks blog challenges.  I did all 7!  SO excited!  Hope that these will excite you too!  Come back for the rest later

~Rebecca

365 Cards: a new card challenge every day

Blog Challenges

If you feel like your crafting/cardmaking has gotten a little rusty...why not try some Blog Challenges.  I've been pondering this thought for several days.  I finally decided to do it.  So here are my creations.  The first challenge was to follow the sketch provided.

The second challenge was to raise up at least four items.  I have been making these triple stamped cards for a little while...I'm really in love with them.  For this one I decided not to layer them one on top of the other, instead I chose to set them off center.  I also raised the snowflakes but not sure if you can really tell.  I'm really excited by the way this one turned out. Hope you like it too!  I'll be posting the rest later today.  Hope you'll stop by to see them.  I hope that this offers you some inspiration.  Thanks for stopping by

~Rebeccca

365 Cards: a new card challenge for every day

100th POST CELEBRATION

I was so excited when I realized that I was on my 99th post and wanted to share my excitement with all of you!

In celebration of my 100th post I would like to share some blog candy.  It's going to be very easy to win.  All you have to do is be a member, or sign up to be a member and then leave a new comment either on this post or any other post.  In 2 weeks I will pick a random winner and post it here.

It's going to be so much fun.  As soon a s I get a chance, I'll post a picture of the blog candy that I'm going to be giving away. 

Hope that you all come back to see what's coming.  As always, thanks for looking

~Rebecca

Penguin Christmas Cards

My daughter was the inspiration for these cards.  She loves, loves, loves penguins.   I stamped the penguin then hand colored with Copic markers. If you love coloring with Copic markers you should check out my Maggie tab.  I have been hand coloring these for about a year now and I think I'm steadily improving.  I hope you'll stop by tomorrow to see more.  Thanks for looking

~Rebecca

Star Christmas Cards

These were made using red, white and and craft paper.  They are simple but I think they're very pretty.  These are all A2 size cards.  I am making other sizes just haven't posted them yet.  Will post those next week sometime.  Keep looking.  Thanks for stopping by

~Rebecca

On the Bright Side of Pink

Today I had my 5th of 8 chemo treatments.  I'm so happy to be nearing the end.  To be past the halfway point is a reason to celebrate.  For the past 3 weeks I have dreaded this day.  The last few have really been hard on me and I've had a lot of people tell me the that further I got into treatment the harder it's going to get.  I was fighting an internal battle because I also couldn't wait for this day to get here and then to be over.  The countdown to the end is getting smaller with each treatment. So this was a big day in both ways.  I arrived at the center late, which if you've had more than on treatment at my center you'll understand why it's not a big deal.  They're always behind.  I've never not had to wait to be seen or to have a treatment.  In the beginning I was very frustrated but quickly realized that that was the least of my worries! :)

We waited 40 minutes this time but it's really no big deal.  I'm very talkative but from the first time I entered that building I was quiet as a church mouse.  I worried that people were too sick to talk or wouldn't want to talk about their illness, what I have come to realize is that they are just waiting for you to look in their direction and then they are open, friendly and sharing.  In such an unlikely place, I've made so many friends!  It's so inspiring to look across the aisle to a lady who is so evidently sick and have her smile at you.  I don't know her name and we've had some of the greatest conversations.

Even though it's been a rough road, I wouldn't have the experiences that I'm having if not for this illness.  The chemo was terrible today.  I've had so many hot flashes that I feel like I'm on fire.  But it was still a great day.  I know it sounds crazy but I laughed through chemo!!  My hope and prayer is that everyone going through this can find the bright side of pink!  I hope that you can laugh through it!  Laughter, after all, is the best medicine!  Keep your head up and smile across the aisle...

Have a good night.  I'll probably be off the computer for a while for the next several days.  But I'll be back with more, thanks for stopping by

~Rebecca

Snowflake Christmas Cards

 

More snowflake Christmas cards for this year.  I hope you are enjoying all the cards that I've been creating. I've loved making them and can't wait to send them out to family and friends.  I usually mail out really late...about a week and a half before Christmas.  This year I will be able to have them done and in the mail before the beginning of December.  I'm so pleased with myself.  I'm having a great time making these and I love sharing.  :)

Fall Banner

 Here is the fall banner that I made for my oldest daughter this year. 

 This is a close up of the words.  I used my Cricut to cut out almost everything. 

 This is the beginning of the banner and the end is very similar. 

This is what each letter looked like when it was finished.  I just love the sunflower.  It matched the color of the letters perfectly.  My sister and I both made one for another of my daughters.  I haven't taken pictures yet but will post sometime next week.  Come back for more and as always, thanks for stopping by

~Rebecca

Baby Shower Cards

Last weekend my daughter came downstairs and frantically asked me to make a baby shower card for her friend's shower that she was going to attend in about an hour...lol!  Go figure that she waits till the last minute to ask me to make a card.  Like I said previously, I usually make 2 at a time.  Usually they are the similar but different.  This doesn't take too long and I find that I waste less paper by doing it this way.  She chose the one with the whale on it and I saved the other for another day.  I made a box with separators and labels so that I could keep everything organized.  I'll post it later this month.  

~Rebecca

Inchie Christmas Cards

Here are more of my Christmas Cards for this year.  I've been doing so many this year.  I usually do 2 that are similar but different so that I can use all of the paper that I cut.  I got this very small snowflake punch and wanted to do some inchie cards. You can see where I put the snowflakes on the inchies.  I will be posting more this week so come back to see all that I've done.  Have a great day...thanks for looking

~Rebecca

Breast Cancer Awareness

As some of you may have already caught on...Earlier this year I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer.  It doesn't run in my family and I was in a very low risk category as I had nursed all 6 of my children.  However, I did not know that if you have fibrous tissue in your breast after the age of 40 that your risk of breast cancer significantly increases.

My brother was diagnosed with colorectal cancer earlier this year and I was in New Orleans visiting so that I could be there for his surgery.  His surgery was on Tuesday and I stayed till Thursday.  I woke up on Friday morning to my grandson jumping on my bed.  He accidentally grazed my right breast.  It didn't really hurt just shocked me and I flinched and winced.  On Sunday morning I woke up to find my breast swollen, tender and red.  Still it didn't really hurt.  So I figured that it was no big deal and would call my GYN on Monday. 

On Monday it was much worse and I put a call in to the GYN.  He was booked for the day so I made an appointment for Tuesday.  He checked me sent me for an Ultrasound and said that I had a broken blood vessel and significant bruising, that my body would absorb the blood and I would be fine. During the ultrasound I saw what appeared to be several more lumps in my right breast.  After I left the doctor's office, I call my husband.  I was very concerned about the other lumps that showed up in the ultrasound.  He asked me if the doctor had checked my other breast as well...he hadn't.  When I got home I gave myself a Self Breast Exam and found that I had several more lumps in my left breast as well.

I call the doctor immediately and tried to get back in the same day but he was all booked up so I had to go in on Wednesday.  After another ultrasound I was reassured that everything was fine and I would get my results by lunch on Friday.  On Friday at lunch still hadn't heard from the doctor's office so I called and they were gone for the day.  Long story short, I got the call on the following Wednesday that my lumps were suspicious and the doctor wanted to send me to a surgeon for a biopsy.  That night I didn't sleep and I did a lot of research.

The following Wednesday I went for a mammogram.  I had had one about 18 months before this happened and my doctor told me that everything looked fine even though my breasts were both filled with fibrous tissue.  The  following Monday I went to see the surgeon we scheduled my biopsy for Thursday.  He would have the preliminary results of the biopsy/excision on Friday.  It was the longest night of my life.  I remember going to Starbucks with my mom and my sister in law and telling them that I knew I was going to be fine but in the back of my mind I already knew.  When we saw the doctor the next day it took forever for us to get called back.  The nurses wouldn't look at me and that just confirmed my suspicion that it was bad news. 

We got so much information at that visit that I was on information overload and was crying and exhausted by the time we left the office.  Days later I made arrangements to see the doctor again so that I could get more clear information.  I made appointments to have second opinions and then made a trip to FL to see some doctors there that would give me my second opinions.  All of the doctors were on the same page.  I had breast cancer and would need more surgery and possibly chemotherapy.  It's been a long road.  I've had a double mastectomy and I'm now halfway through my chemotherapy.  Tomorrow I have my 5th treatment out of 8.  I'm so happy that I'm halfway through.  My husband has been my rock and my comforter.  Without God and my husband I don't think I would be where I am today.  I've had so many blessings on this journey and so much to be grateful for. 

The reason I posted this is to remind all of you ladies out there to have regular mammograms and do monthly Self Breast Exams.  If you notice anything suspicious see you doctor immediately.  I had noticed for the past several months that my left breast was itchy.  It's a symptom.  The summer before I has some slight leakage (also a symptom).  I had no idea.  I was so complacent about having nursed my kids and to my knowledge no one in my family had ever had breast cancer.  As a matter of fact, out of my extremely large family the only ones that have ever been diagnosed with any cancer was my maternal grandmother, my brother and I.

Hope you all have a wonderful day.  Thanks for stopping by

~Rebecca