Happy 2010 Y'all!!

After serious & cautious consideration...your contract of friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2010!It was a very hard decision to make...So try not to screw it up!!! My Wish for You in 2010. May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debts. May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills. May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips! May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy. May the problems you had, forget your home address! In simple words ...........May 2010 be the best year of your life!! Happy New Year!!
I've been so busy trying to close up loose ends of 2009 for work (still working parttime) and getting all bills paid around here, as well as taking down all the Christmas stuff and putting it away, making sure all the clothes are clean, the groceries bought, the house clean and put back in order, etc, etc that I have not been here in a couple of days. Hope all had a wonderful Christmas and will have the most marvelous new year in 2010. I've got lots of photos of the great nieces from Christmas to scrap so will be busy doing that after tomorrow. This page was done using the freebie by Rainbow7203 and SBF called New Year 2010 and the bottle card is a freebie by jpdesigns from digifree, the 2010 contract is from an e-mail I received. Y'all have a SAFE and very happy New Year! Will chat more with you in 2010~Luv ya bunches! Mat

White Christmas?? In Texas??

Where are my lights? They looked lovely shining through the snow.
See the snow still falling?
Yep, been here 36 yrs and this is the FIRST white Christmas we have had. We went from 78 degrees on the 23rd to 1/2 inch of rain that turned into 3 inches of snow on the 24th and it is still there this morning with the 22 degrees and wind chill of 10! The sun has come out and it is finally beginning to melt a little bit. Here are some photos I had fun making last night. The wind was so terribly cold and blowing the snow sideways and sometimes in just whirlwinds. It is so lovely to see from the inside with the warmth of the fireplace. Glad it won't be sticking around though. Hope you and yours are having a most wonderful of Christmas' making lots of favorite memories. From our home to yours a joyous holiday with your loved ones. Chat later y'all! Luv, Mat

Hayden did NOT like Santa

Awoke to 64 degrees and lite drizzle this morning! After noon the front is to be here dropping the temps and more rain or possible flurries! No wonder everyone is sniffling around here! Supposed to be a 40 degree drop by Saturday morning! Glad I am finished with all the shopping I am doing. Anyhow, I got these from Penny and just had to share them. Miss Hayden did NOT like Santa at all. Hope you enjoy these pages! Will be back to chat more later, make lots of memories today! Luv, Mat

First day of Winter?

First day of winter and it's 65 degrees? In the fall we had 10 degrees! I think something is screwed up somewhere! It will change again in a couple of days, but at least we didn't get any of the eastern snow storms that hit over the weekend. Been busy all day doing last minute goodies and distribution, weigh in one last time BEFORE Christmas, pick up mail both at the office and from my PO Box. Paying bills, filing claims and now I am tired! Finished for today so thought I'd upload a couple of pages I made last evening of the cutie pies, Hayden, Jade & Ruby! Some freebie QP's and free stuff from Miss Linda too! Hope you have a terrific week and have a few minutes to be by yourself and thank the good Lord for another wonderful year! Make as many memories as you can, cause you only go around once! Chat more later y'all! Luv, Mat

Happy Anniversary Linda & Dennis

OMG! Can't believe I almost let this slip by me, have had the page made for a couple of days! You know how it is when you get old and forgetful? When I went on my blog walking rounds I happened to remember, so Happy Anniversary Linda & Dennis. Hope you have a most beautiful of days! May you experience many more happy years together. Luv ya bunches! MatThis freebie is called Big Snowy that I got from digifree site.

The Eyes of a Child

Morning all! I got a nice surprise yesterday! Penny finally sent me some updated photos of Miss Hayden! She surely has grown and has gotten even prettier despite looking like her daddy...LOL! Anyhow, took time out to do this page really quick last evening, thought I'd share it~she has piercing brown eyes, so cut this one down for this page~Enjoy! Back to making my Christmas goodies for friends and neighbors as some of them will be leaving for the holidays this weekend. Hope you all stay dry and WARM and are so very busy making memories to share! Chat again soon! Luv y'all! MatThe BG and frames are from DS Charming Xmas kit, the other elements are from various artists in this years Aussie Sleigh Ride Blog Train and still others and the wordart are by me!

Good Sunday Morning!

We have SUNSHINE again...yipee!! With the weather so frightful in so many places, guess we should not complain here with our recent cold snap, but 30+ degree drop in just a couple hours with lots of wind is NOT normal for Texas this time of year. Takes a toll on the old body too, so am happy (as are my aching joints) that the sun has chosen to shine today. Temps should rise as rapidly as they fell a couple days ago too! The "girls" will be happy to be allowed a few minutes outside too, to investigate all my dead plants that got frozen despite covering them up. Anyhow, guess I will get up from this computer and go out to enjoy it with a fresh cup of coffee. Before I go, will leave a couple of new pages I made of Jade and Ruby with some of the new photos I got off Christina's facebook. Enjoy the autumn or fall backgrounds I used from last years Fall Splendor Blog Train. Thanx Linda for the wonderful Wordart you give so freely! Y'all continue making great memories to share and those of you that are experiencing sub zero weather, hope you are staying warm. Luv y'all! Mat

Wow is it cold here today!

I know, we don't really have it bad....but it is too cold to be outside today. It's noon and the windchill is still at 10 degrees. No snow, but so much WIND! Bone chilling to us, so staying inside, fire going and scrapping, scrapping, scrapping! They are doing a challenge on SBF for grandmother's so, I've put together this page of my mother "gazing from heaven" at her grown grandchildren and even some of her great grandchildren that she never got to see. The kit is called Blue Castello, but has no TOU so not sure who did it! Anyhow, back to the fireplace, hope you and yours are staying warm and cozy and out of this miserable weather. Will chat later y'all! Luv, Mat

I got new photos of Jade & Ruby!

Got new photos I pinched from Facebook of Jade & Ruby so had to make these 2 pages. It is surely cold here, been in front of the fireplace for 2 days now and it is supposed to start that cold rain tonight, We had sleet just a couple miles west of here today. I got my running around done today, but have a manicure and pedicure due tomorrow. Got my haircut and new glasses should be in tomorrow or next day! Good thing too, because my left lens fell out tonight, could not see to fix them or to drive to get them fixed. Sure was a mess there for awhile. Anyhow, settled back down now, dinner is over, dishes are done and the girls are fighting for time with me at the computer. Thought I'd upload these 2 pages then back to the fire. I guess I have been spending too much time here as my shoulder is aching a bit! Hope y'all have a great week and stay warm!Thanx for looking at my growing great nieces! Later y'all! Luv, MatJade is riding a stone donkey and having a blast, the wordart from Linda fits this just perfectly! The kit is some of cuddlebeez 30 day freebies as is the kit for Ruby and the wordart is by Miss Scarlett. Thanx ladies for all the freebies that make my pages so lovely and sooooooo much easier to make.

Happy Birthday Ladies

Well, well, well! 2 birthdays today. My S-I-L Myrl and my flower loving cyber friend Judy! I hope both you ladies have a wonderful, wonderful memory making day! May your next year be a blessed and happy one! Love you both!Myrl's page is made with kit #4 of 30 from cuddlebeez and photo from Sebrina's graduation.Sunflower kit is 3's enough Autumn Passion and the photo I pinched from her Anniversary Blog! Chat later on ladies! Have a terrific Sunday! Luv, Mat

Santa Baby

Miss Scarlett sure hit the nail on the head with her Santa Baby wordart. I had the perfect photo of my N-I-L Tiffany to go with it, so scrounged and opened CJS Xmas kit from last year and this is what I put together. Thought the photo with the sultry, sexy look so appropriate. She is such a beauty, as sweet inside as she is lovely outside! Enjoy! Sure is cold here, supposed to snow again tomorrow...staying warm by the fire and the "girls" are terrific heating blankets too! Later y'all! Luv, Mat

What is this white stuff?

We awoke to wet falling snow this morning, I took the girls out so they could see what it was. MzKitty and Oreo are 5, Pumpkin is 4...they have never seen or been in snow before...LOL! It was hysterically funny. MzKitty would not come beyond the stoop of the door (under the overhang), Pumpkin ran out into in having a blast, Oreo crept along beside the house under the eaves, but would not get into the snow. When the flakes hit her back, she shot back into the house! I laughed until I hurt! I made the background of the geranium and Pumpkin, then a small photo of each one just so y'all could see. The snow is already coming to an end, so we are just getting a good dusting now, but supposedly more by Friday! We so seldom see snow down here that everyone was out taking photos like I was...LMAO! Have a terrific day and will chat with y'all later! Luv, Mat

I'm ignoring you~

Just took this on Thanksgiving day of the neighbors cat that I totally adore, I give her lots of loving and of course treats. She is such a sweet and beautiful cat. She hisses at my "girls" when she sees them. Just adored her attitude in this photo, which is typical CAT! Hope you are having a great day, cloudy, cold and rainy here! I have a large pot of Turkey Noodle soup on and staying inside where it is warm and cozy with the girls. Have a terrific day, chat more next time y'all! Luv, Mat PS the kits I used were freebies called Turquoise, As Time Goes By by Teri, Torn papers by Cindee and WordArt by MissScarlett, thanx to all of you for sharing your work!

Happy Birthday Carol

To my Canadian buddy, Miss Doodle, Angelscrapper, Blog Fairy, Louise or CAROL!!!! Happy Birthday! Just a chance to let you know how special you are to me. Hope you have a terrific day. Don't work too hard, stay warm and have a couple of drinks to celebrate another wonderful year! I used a QP I made with your kit of Make Ur Own Cluster! Will chat more with y'all later! Have a terrific week ahead! Luv, Mat

Stuffed to the gills

What a fantastic feast for Thanksgiving! Way too much good food! Good Football on the telly and got new pictures of my nephew Jeff's wife, Tiffany! Isn't she gorgeous? This is my sister Kathy's youngest son's wife. Just had to do this one page for her, there will be others. This is in a QP by Y2Bonnie called a Winter's Tale. Hope you enjoy it. Hope you all had a blessed holiday and today a day of great bargins....Chat later y'all! Luv, Mat

Happy Thanksgiving to All of You

I got this e-mail last week and decided to make a Thanksgiving page using it. I have received it about a dozen times since...LOL! I'm off to another day of busy! Therapy, by the office to check mail, by the post office to send out mail and check my own, over for an MRI and Ultrasound and then to the doctor's office for another exam to see if all is healing like it should be. Another tiring day, plus my neighbor is having surgery so will be checking in on them too! Anyhow, just wanted to get this posted in case got to busy to put it up or to remember to wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving! Chat later y'all, Luv Mat

Happy Birthday, Penny!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday sweet Penny, Happy Birthday to you! Just wanted to wish my baby sister a very happy day! She is still under the half century mark, just barely! ROFLMAO!! She will kill me for this one! Anyhow, hope you have a marvelous, memorable day! Luv U bunches. I made the QP awhile back using Angelscrappers Summer Breeze kit. The photo is from a few years ago, but still one of my favs of her, just used it as black and white this time. It's raining here this morning and turning a little chillier than last couple of days. Got lots to do today so will be on my way! Chat later, y'all! Luv, Mat

First fireplace fire of the season!

The power went off at 4:50 last evening during the weather portion of the news where they were saying we had a 25 degree drop in temperature for one day and the wind chill bringing it down to 39....great, I'll build a fire for warmth and light! Call to the Electric Co states should be back on by 8 p.m~they showed up several times to the transformer in our backyard and the one down the street. Neighbors gathered around the fireplace to talk in the candle/firelight! The "girls" really enjoyed the fireplace warmth! We munched on apples and chips thinking power would be back on any minute....WRONG...2:30 a.m. we finally had electricity again. Good thing too as we finally had to turn on the heat this morning as it hit 40 degrees for real without the windchill of 29 degrees. I think someone up in Canada forgot to close her door and let all the cold air descend upon us....LOL! Just kidding Carol! Supposed to be colder this evening, so guess we will have another fire for the "kitty girls" to enjoy, except I will make a nice big pot of soup to have for tonight. I thought I would upload this page I created for a Extraction Fun challenge on SBF. The challenge is to take a couple of photos and make one that looks real, but would never be, and scrap the created photo! Whew! Lots of work, but I am pleased with the results. Hope you like it. The first page is the finished product, the second page is what I used to create the page. The "girls" were extracted from photos in the backyard or house and the bg is a photo I took in Roundrock, TX in 2007 of the huge Agave Cactus on the hotel property where we were staying. The frame I did with brushes and the elements are from Miss Doodles Autumn kit (Angelescrappers), the wording is all mine this time! Well, got work to do...so guess I better get to it! Thanx for stopping by and will chat with y'all again soon! Luv, Mat

Another with the template challenge

I had so much fun with the first attempt with this template that I decided to do another one, this time using Miss Doodles mini hand painted kit and Miss Boots wordart. The photos are of my sisters Kathy, Penny & I. The lower one even has our brother Edward (Pepper to us) in it, must have been about 1964. The top photo is of Kathy and I in about 1978 as she was headed to Germany and Jeff was a really small baby. The middle photo is Penny and I about 1983 or 1984. This was a fun trip down memory lane making this page. Y'all have a great Sunday and will chat with U later! Luv, Mat

SBF Template Challenge

There is a challenge on SBF to use Mirella's first template, so I chose to use my 3 great nieces. I chose to use red white and blue because of the snowflakes she used in the template....turned out pretty good for her first template and my first time to use a template. I also put the page in the Family Matters-Nieces challenge too! Hope you enjoy! Chat more later y'all! Luv, Mat

Trying to learn wordart

I've been playing with different brushes, blending techniques and how to make wordart. Here's a sample of my wordart. but I made it a png so it is transparent. Here's pages I made of the girls using this wordart as well as some blending of their photos.I created a fill layer, then a photo layer that I blended, then another of the photo layer with the background removed and the wordart.Here's Oreo where I put her on a background of painted papers by Angelscrapper, blended her into it and added the wordart.I did the same with Pumpkin on a different painted paper background by Angelscrapper, blended her in, then recopied her photo over it so her whiskers would show and added the wordart. I have also made the word art without the cat silouette and with some different brushes. Will try making pages with them later. Hope you all have a great day...while I keep trying to perfect this....LOL! Chat more later, y'all! Luv, Mat

Good Morning to All

Morning to all, looking at another lovely fall day today! Daddy got up all the leaves in the side yard, so the "girls" can go out to play, so here is a QP I found by Angelflight that I wanted to use. Don't they look happy? Anytime they get to go out they seem happy and sleep so much when they come back inside! But, that allows me time at the computer without one in my lap or one on the desk...usually! But today...Oreo is here softly snoring as I type! MZKitty and Pumpkin are asleep in the bedroom, one on the bed, the other on the headboard on her pillow. I have clothes in the washer and the rest of my "housework" done. I suppose I really need to do a little grocery shopping so will sign off for now and get that done early! Y'all have a terrific memorable day and will chat with you again later! Luv, Mat

Our Neighbor's Cat

This is our neighbor's outside cat (she will NOT stay inside), Navy! She stays here more than anywhere else. She runs to me like a puppy would when she hears my voice. Of course, I brush her, give her treats and love on her about as much as I do my own "girls"! She is such a gorgeous cat, I caught this shot yesterday and thought I'd do a pretty page for her. Another loverly, but overcast, day today! I think it is about time for the "girls" to go outside for a few. Have a terrific memory filled Sunday! Chat later y'all! Luv, MatThis is from a kit called An Apple A Day by AW Designs.

Autumn Magic

Today has been an unbelievably gorgeous day for the 7th of November! The "girls" and I were outside in the side yard. I took oodles of photos of the "girls", the fallen leaves, my plants, etc. I just did this page and uploaded it to SBF for the Inspire Me Challenge. I used a photo of the yard with the leaves as the background, then layered and blended in the girls in the same area, relayered them again and did the same with the close up of my geranium. I used Miss Linda's awesome Autumn Magic wordart to complete the page. Hope you like it! I also hope you are enjoying your Saturday! Chat more later y'all! Luv, Mat

Ft Hood Memorial

Photos from the net, some from e-mails, the papers are from SBF In Loving Memory kit by Debbie & Laura Sumner.
Just felt compelled to make a page of this horrible tragedy! My heart aches for the families of the lost, wounded and those that have to deal with the how and why this all occured. Please keep all of them in your prayers for some solace and ability to cope! Luv, Mat

Sunshine, Sunshine, Sunshine!

We are so happy to see sunshine! The girls and I actually got to be outside in the small yard off the kitchen yesterday! We listened to the birds and the music of the falling leaves. It was a beautiful quiet time in the neighborhood with no dogs barking, no cars or car horns, nothing! Amazing how peaceful it was. We actually heard the leaves dancing across the rooftop on their way down. Pricked the girls ears and caused some darting a few times. They were surely comical to watch! Anyway, after about 30 minutes, life resumed and they went inside as I went to the front flower beds to attack some of the much neglected dead plants and weeds. It's a real slow process as one handed don't get it done fast, but I got about a third of it cleaned. Now, IF I can stand today or attempt to bend over...LOL...I will tackle some more of it. I cannot believe I still have so many flowering plants that are full, full, full of blooms. My geraniums are simply bursting and the begonias are so full they are overflowing their pots. (now that I can see them...LOL)! I will try taking a few photos today to scrap and share. Today's pages are someI made for some challenges on SBF...hope you like them. Make today memorable and we will chat later y'all! Luv, MatThis is for a specific challenge of only using ABC in the page, I have an Autumn background, Button, Bird & Butterfly and Cats and clip! The photos are mine of course of my "girls" the rest is by TLC Creations from the CWKHM kit and cuddlebeeze 5of30 kit.This is for a dimples, dimples, dimples challenge. The frame is by Lady Shannon.This is for animal encounters challenge. It is Mike's dad in Custer State Park in South Dakota who got out to photograph the buffalo up close against advice to stay in the car...LOL!

We want to go out and play!

On Wednesday night it started a slow rain, kept it up all day on Thursday and within 24 hours we had gotten 4 inches of rain. Check out the rain gauge in the window. It was dark and dreary for 3 full days before we saw sunshine and cooler temps. Yesterday we hit 73 degrees from a start of 45, this morning it was 56 and going to 73 again with lots of wind blowing the leaves down AND another front to bring us another 2-4 inches of rain this evening. My poor girls are really angry I will not let them outside in the wet grass, so they sit on the table or in the window sills with the open windows and watch the rain. I think we need to change to a larger more sturdy boat as it keeps being shipped to Wisconsin or Ohio or Tennessee to my other friends that are so very tired of the wet weather. Anyhow, thought you might like to see all 3 at once trying their best to "meow" their way out of doors! I hope the rain subsides by tomorrow morning as they promise as I have a busy day of driving, since I'm doing it left handed, I don't need the hassle of the rain to contend with either. I have therapy at 9 a.m. in Bedford, then by my office to pick up mail, then over to Southlake for an MRI & Ultrasound at 11 a.m., then WW meeting at 12 a.m. in North Richland Hills, then over to Bedford for an xray at 1 p.m. then to the doctor's office in Grapevine for a follow up visit at 1:30 p.m. Probably will not be on the computer at all tomorrow. Mike has gone to work for a few hours!The "kitty girls" are all sleeping! Today I am going to watch the Races and football, make some of that Buffalo Chicken Dip and relax. That is, while I do 2 more loads of clothes. Got to go put the ones from the washer in the dryer now. Have a terrific day....chat later y'all! Luv, Mat

In the blink of an eye

Got this fabulous wordart from Linda at Random Thoughts and just had to do a page using it. Since I did a page for Kathy and her family, I decided to do Penny's this time. I'm sure she and Weymond can relate to these words. Seems like yesterday they married, then had the twins and then Amy! Now they are all graduated from high school, Lamar is in college at Troy, AL. Lance married Margaret and are parents to Hayden the first grandbaby and Amy is working a full time job. Doesn't take long, but then I can remember when Penny was born and she was my baby sister to care for! O lord, I am getting old!!!! :o) Maybe it's this rainy, rainy weather that has me melancholy...nah, just old age catching up with me....LOL! Y'all have a great evening and I'll chat more with you later! Luv, Mat I used a freebie BG an older photo of Penny before her marriage to Weymond, since I did not have a clear one of him I used one from Lance's wedding and desaturated them both to b/w as if they are remembering. The photo of Lamar is from graduation, I took the one of Lance & Margaret Thanksgiving of 07 before they married, the one of Hayden is one of the few of her I got in May of 09 and the one of Amy is from Lance & Margaret's wedding. The elements are from Silver & Black kit by Sherry C and the wordart is Miss Linda's.

Grandma's Love

Just back from therapy, still tired, but I had made this QP for Kathy of her grand daughter's Miss Jade & Miss Ruby so thought I would upload it for her along with the new one of her son Jason with his family and her son Jeff. So, surprise Kathy, these are for you. I hope you all have a good evening and I'll chat more later, Luv, MatI just did a fill background for the blending of Kathy's photo that I have used before that was taken by Jeff in May of this year. The babies pics are from earlier this year and snitched off facebook, the Frame is by Raspberry Road and the WordArt is by Jennifer, the cat and paws are brushes. The cat is to represent Kat's kitty Stick!This is another photo I snitched off facebook. I used a kit by cuddlebeez!This photo I snitched off Jeff's page and the QP is from Angelscrapper where I made using her kit. Thanx for looking.

Yipee we saw some sun today!

Yep, no more rain, chillier temps, but also much, much drier with that front passing through. All in all a perfect fall day. After working this morning, I opened all my windows and washed clothes, then cleaned until I finished. Feels great to have the weekend to do as I please. I've been toying with a couple of pages learning how to use brushes on layers, etc to make QPs. I had gotten some free cat brushes....so, guess what? The 1st 3 pages are for the "kittygirls" of course. Hope you like what I've done or can give me some constructive pointers! Anyhow, I'm beat and just crawled out of a hot soaking tub and ready for bed. Y'all have a terrific memory making weekend! Chat later! Luv, MatPumpkin is just sweet as can be, but what an attitude she has. She is the softest cat I have ever petted.
Oreo was sitting on the bathroom vanity looking at water in the sink.
Just love it when MzKitty stretches out and her tail curls over her back, this photo really shows her lovely colors. I made everything on these pages, the BG, the textures, the photos. The brushes were freebies by Auntie Social Creations and the WA is from Miss Scarlett on Pumpkin and Miss Boots on MzKitty, I made Oreo's.