Sweet Tidings For A Happy New Year...And Fun Craft Tags

Merry Greetings and Sweet Tidings 

to you all!

And fling open wide the doors to

 the new adventures and 

possibilities of

a new year. 

A fresh beginning.

Does that give you hope

in your heart?

***

I do hope that you're all doing 

well and have had a 

joyous time this past month.

My holiday was more meaningful this year.

Sharing our music was a joy as several 

  family members visited 

a home for the elderly. 

We sang carols and 

visited with these sweet ladies. 

They were so grateful and we just LOVED

our time with them! 

We also sang at the community 

Reason for the Season

program and were able to have two benefit

nights to raise money for

local Angel Tree kids and the volunteer

fire depts. I was so happy to be able to make a difference for Christmas by sharing our music.

The time was full while trying to keep in

 mind that Christmas 

is about love and that

kindness and sincerity are some of the most 

precious gifts that I can share.

This season has been 

 filled with so much 

good cheer and good things.

Cookie decorating with our

 kids and grandkids.

Twinkling lights~

Sparkles of the garlands~

Brightly colored packages 

with pretty ribbons and bows~

I enjoy it all so much!

But this year I took a little more time for me.

Making time to sit by the fireplace with 

hot cocoa and a good book.

Taking walks, reflecting 

and putting more value on my time.

I had a lot of peace 

this Christmas just 

knowing that God is working in my life. 

I'm so grateful for His goodness

and guidance as my life takes a

different turn. 

He is with us always.

But to be honest, there were 

some sad times too. 

I was missing my dad so much. 

We said goodbye to him 

16 years ago on Christmas eve.

(I wonder if they know how much we miss them.)

And missing my Ohio girl is always there.

 My heart goes out to all of you 

who have had hard things 

this Christmas season 

and heading into the New Year.

Amidst the magic of these special times, 

I found a little creative time and 

enjoyed making these

tags for my 

grand daughters.

Tags are so easy and can be 

for any occasion. 

I love layering and using bits and

baubles of any kind. 

They each have a

 pocket to tuck a little surprise in. 

 Both were tied with

a ribbon and a had a tiny note written 

on the back with the date. 

*************

I am sending warm greetings to

each of you for a New Year

that is abundant in love and wisdom, 

MAGIC and inspiration!

Prayers for finding your way through

the hard things while

embracing the times of growth.

May your hope and peace

 be overflowing for all that

comes your way.

Here's to you

and your best year yet! 

May it sparkle.

Cheers to 2019!

clink ;)

Blessings to you and thank you for 

coming by.

Tamara

XO

Ready for Fall While Looking Back at Summer

Well, here we are off on our

autumn adventures!

Though I am always up for adventures,

I am slow to let go of what came before.

 Do you enjoy looking back 

and savoring days gone by?

Like holding onto that good taste of something

that you just want to last forever?

And did I say slow?

I like to think of myself as living in

the moment...

Being present.

This is something that I have had 

to work at.  

My shutter painted mustard yellow. YAY for paint!

I'm a planner and I'm in love with life.

But I felt that I was missing so much

by trying to do too much and always

thinking ahead or of something else.

VERY distracted.

My daughter and 6 of my grandkiddos. Love them all to pieces.

 That's Escudilla mountain in the background.

My life is so very full of rich family times, just living, projects and change. Right now, I'm 

going through some big changes that I hope to

be able to share about later.

It's been a time filled with many emotions 

and physically exhausting. 

But I'm trusting God and He is

ALWAYS good.

These are just some of my memories that

I captured and a few photos of some of the beauty

of my summer. I hope that you don't mind if  I'm not up to speed with fall.

I wish I could keep up like other folks. I have

tried but it just doesn't work for me.

 I have many more garden pictures to share later.

The magic and calming of music that flows through my days and fills my heart is

a gift to me that I unwrapped as a very young child. It's melodies and harmonies have

filled so many cracks and crevices in my soul 

and changed my life forever. And now that goodness overflows and with God's

blessing, is touching the lives of others.

I am so grateful!

JOY... 

BLISS...

DELIGHT... 

EXUBERANCE...

GLADNESS...

HAPPINESS...

and sisterly LOVE!!!

with a dash of ornery ;)

Simply 

MAGICAL ~

I cannot resist faded petals. I have a collection of geranium 

flowerlets that I've been gathering all summer to be put in a jar.

Fading beauty is a part of life. Aging is a natural process that reveals a beauty all it's own. 

Being able to embrace it all as we pass through each season is a sign of a life richly lived. 

My geranium after wintering in my 

kitchen bay window.

It doubled in size this summer.

I had to cut it back to bring it back 

inside. I love their scent!

Jeff and I play with the group Bush Valley Rounders and the two

 of us have our own two person band called BackRoads. 

We were delighted to have our first summer ever booked from June to September.

We played nearly 30 times. It was a little daunting at times but we did it!

And we're so grateful for all of the support!

On the nights when we play music, the couples get out on the patio under the nights and dance. The merriment of the music rolls out across the valley to meet the mountain carrying the sounds to the elk, deer, foxes, bears, wildcats and coyotes.

 Making our yard and gypsy camp come alive

with flowers and plants is something that I look forward to every year. The refreshing that it 

brings to our spirits is a reward for 

the hours of energy, commitment and time 

devoted to it. During the hottest part of the

morning, I sometimes take a break under the pines

and spend a little time reading and resting.

Three cheers for going on 

a little different kind of adventure!!!

Annnndd.... 

for family togetherness.

lots of clapping! ;)

Cormorants

This week, we will pack to leave for Ohio.

I hope to be hanging around on the blog and coming to say hello.

Now I must go taste the peanut butter pie

that Jeff brought me last evening.

Darbi's in Pinetop, Az...

I lost count of their restaurant awards!

And they have theee best pie on the mountain.

Have a lovely weekend. Please tell me of your

fall outings and adventures.

Thank you for being here!

Hugs and blessings,

Tamara xo

Brutus, The Garden Cat: ^^ An Impromptu Summer's End Photo Shoot

Happy Day to you.

It's a beauty of a Friday and we've been

watering and mowing.

Our monsoons are gone so we

are back at it with the hose and water cans.

But the temps are cooler now and it's a joy to 

be there just soaking up the 

last couple weeks of summer. 

Do you have adventures planned

for the weekend or are you going to choose

a quiet "last weekend"

of summer?  

I actually just realized...

It IS the last weekend of summer 2018!

Oh my...

Time to reflect on all of the loveliness

and wonder of those beautiful summer

days that have come and gone this year.

That will be my next post.

We are packing up to spend the weekend

with some of our kids and grandkids.

We've rented a large house on a little lake. 

It's only about 20 minutes from here.

It's going to be a beautiful weekend

for some fun and family time. 

No special  big plans. 

Of  COURSE it will be special.

* sleepovers together

*sit in the jacuzzi

*walks around the lake

*drink wine with grown-ups

*annnd... hot cocoa with the kids

(anytime is hot cocoa time)

Yes?

Just some simple family time.

Isn't life filled with simple pleasures?

But before I go, I want to put a little

 post out and say hello to my lovely

friends~

Here are a few fun photos of

Brutus... 

He's such a character.

One can almost read his mind here.

Hahaha!

Moving in for a closer look...

And closer...

 Guess what happens next? 

(wink!!)

 Out of all of the cats that we've ever had,

Brute is the nature lover.

Is it just me, or does he look love-struck?

And definitely mischievous! 

He cannot resist flowers and herbs.

When I have vases sitting  

 on the table, he will jump up

 to smell them and lay

by the vase. Of course, being on the

table is a no no! So I take his picture and 

then shoo him away. 

;)

Whatta cutie!

I do need to go. I have packing to do 

and groceries to buy.

I want to wish you all a fabulous

last weekend of summer.

I hope it's a perfect way to end your

season. And don't we have so many

delightful things to look forward to 

in the fall?

Hugs and blessings to you and 

many thanks for coming by for a visit.

Tamara X

Summer Magic Under the Apricot Tree

Happy September!

Can you believe that 

fall is just around the corner?

What a beauti-"full" summer it has been!

So many special times with family and friends.

Playing music and making memories

 that will last a lifetime.

Working hard to accomplish goals and

 keep commitments. 

Enjoying all that as well as

 allowing some hard

things to bring me closer to 

who I'm meant to be. 

Each page of my story is a collection of experiences and circumstances.

The part that I am thankful for is that no matter 

what those circumstances are, I get to 

have a part in how the end is written!

********

Summer is not complete 

without a little magic~

 Beautiful colors swirling together in the breeze.

Underneath the fluttering green leaves of the trees.

A dog of the gypsy kind lies protecting the door.

Pretty little rugs create the softest floor. 

Come on inside says the Gypsy cat.. 

Amidst the sparkles and flowers...

What is more magical than that?

The princess' invite you to come in for a spell.

Please come!  Please come! 

But sshhh..... don't tell. 

(Wink Wink!!)

 The light is dancing all around 

As if to say,  "Look what I've found!"

On her beautiful rug, the sweet princess sits.

Her thoughts faraway like a boat adrift.

The melodic wind chimes in the tree,

Singing in harmony, listen to me!

The sound is enchanting and 

the birds stop their singing,

While each circle of whiteness 

keeps on ringing.

This was such fun creating for my grand

daughters. The girls were enchanted

and loved having Liberty and Brutus

join us for this sweet time.

I hope your summer has been magical

and that you've tucked away some

unforgettable times to add to your story.

*************

It's gorgeous here as we are in the midst 

of our summer rains.

 I will share some pictures.

We went to Phoenix for a little get

away and a concert. 

It was so inspiring.

  

When we returned, our grass

was very high and the house

needed attention.

 However, the mountains were calling 

so we went camping.

 The scenery is breathtaking

right now. And to sleep in a tent during thunderstorms is quite an experience!

There were kids, dogs and all kinds of 

big people huddling by the fire. We 

spent time making s'mores, 

building forts with sticks and

hanging sleeping bags to dry.

 Throughout the week, we travelled nearly

 800 miles! Some of these roads included 

some steep and narrow

mountain roads we trekked 

to sing at a wedding.

Where has your summer 

adventures taken you? I

 would love to hear about them and 

thank you for coming by

and sharing some of mine with me.

Blessings to you,

Tamara 

XO

Up-Cycling... A Crown Royal Box: From Trash to Gift Box

How is your summer going?

Are you enjoying the rain and the sunshine...

and a little of that carefree feeling 

that seems to settle around us during those hot, summer months?

Have you been getting lost in a 

good story and forgetting 

the time as you turn the pages of a good book?

I read The Pearl by John Steinbeck. 

It was very interesting. 

I decided a few years ago that I was going to

read some of the classics that I missed

while growing up. 

What kind of books do you like to read?

 It's been two months since I last posted!

It seems like so much longer.

Learning new songs and instrument

techniques takes up so much of my inside time. 

I've also been working on some song writing.

Hobbies and passions add so 

much richness to our lives, 

but we know that they're also a lot of work.

 Though I have been determined to 

read and play more this summer, 

there's a lot of plant love to 

pass around and that consumes 

a lot of my outdoor time.

But I'm not complaining.

I love it all! 

I've added a lot to the 

 my gypsy camp gardens this summer 

and I'm excited to show you!

I finished a little rock path and built a wall as well 

as doing some simple 

terracing for some new herbs.

I had to wait for our rains to 

begin to complete the rock work.

It was just too hot in June and July to work on

that kind of project. 

I took some pictures 

yesterday to share soon.

************************

Anyway...

Today, I'm here to show you one of my

 trash to treasure projects.

This is honestly one of my favorite ways to create.

Taking something that would most

likely be thrown away and 

transforming it into something special.

Above, is the Crown Royal Box just waiting to be

all dressed up! 

Below, you see it's all finished.

I used a harlequin card stock for the front and top.

I wanted to make it dramatic and classy.

I made the flower and added

 a pretty, sparkly piece.

Sequins is something that my mom used often

in her craft projects. Don't you love

 how it shimmers in the light?

The Tim Holtz inspirational 

stamp sets are some of my favorites.

I enjoy the detail work and so often

get lost in the process and just enjoy... 

It's usually late and quiet and I

have my Spotify music playing.

I have the idea that I might use it as a gift box 

along with some black and white or even red, tissue paper.

I nearly always have company... 

Liberty our dog, Sonny the Dragon or

Prim, my sweet grandkitten.

Miss Primrose is sweetly napping. 

She is anything but Prim.

Haha... 

I've never seen such a wild, fearless

little creature. She's probably 

dreaming of something

mischievous to do when she awakes!

She loves to sleep on my computer. I guess the warmth is comforting. I had to start closing
it though. One time she activated the voice over
feature and it took me awhile to figure out to
turn it off.  She also managed to turn the music
on several times!

I am on track now to share some more

 posts and will be back soon to visit.

I hope you are enjoying the last days

of this magical season.  

All the seasons are filled with wonder and

are something to look forward to.

Have a lovely rest of your week and

 thank you for coming by.

Blessings and hugs...

Tamara X

Linking up to join some friends!
Cooking and Crafting