"National Hot Tea Month"....which is now pretty much offically .....over.

In "Honor" of this "National Hot Tea Month," which is nearly over in about 40 minutes by my time zone....I have a couple items I want to share with you quickly.

I've been meaning to say something on this all month....but I kept delaying it and now here we are in the last "minutes" of it. HA!

We can always.....extend it......say.....for 11 more months. That works for me because I really do celebrate "Hot Tea" all the time actually.

My favorite all time tea is....."Twinings English Breakfast Tea."
Of course I have other teas I like and drink, but this is my all time tea "standard" and my "comfort" tea for when I need warmed up, or don't feel well, etc.....

Last month I found a new Tea Blog that I liked and have been reading and you might want to take a peek at it as well.....it's called "Steph's Cup of Tea."
Steph is a kindred spirit to me already on many things....but especially in the area of her love of TEA too! Check out her site.

I have found TWO more "Tea" sites that I want to pass along to you for your viewing pleasure......one as recent as yesterday even!

This first one I found via "Steph's blog" and it is......
Angela McRae's blog called "Newnan-Coweta Magazine's Tea With Friends."
I think you will enjoy this site as well.
I checked it today infact and she had some wonderful looking "White Chocolate-Cranberry Scones" she had made and photographed on there along with the recipe that I WISH I could be eating right now! Yum!

"Tea in my Cup" is a site I just found last night that is ran by "Alice" and she had some very good recipes and interesting information on her site as well. I think she is worthy to be looked up too!

This is my "main" Tea Cabinet that holds some of my most precious Tea Treasures....China cups from Ireland that I brought back, my Grandmother's China dishes, Silver Flatware from my Great Aunt...all sorts of fun things..most of which relate to putting on one mighty fine Tea Party.
This Antique French Cabinet was a Mother's Day present to me from my sweet husband a couple of years ago.

We had spent the Saturday before Mother's Day out in the Antique shops outside of town walking around, windown shopping, having lunch, just spending a special "date day" together. THAT is what I wanted for Mother's Day. To have this time alone with my husband doing something we didn't get to do often, that was still also relaxing and fun.

While we were out I spotted this cabinet and fell in love with it upon seeing it in one of the shops we visited.
Later that week....my husband was unloading it at our backdoor with two of our sons as a HUGE surprise for me.
I was SOOO BLESSED can I tell you!

Now it contains various items that are all "memory filled" for me.
Things from people that no longer are alive and things from people I have loved dearly. It is a virtual "reminiscent experience" every time I open the doors to it to pull something out to use or to put something new into it.
At this point....it's pretty well stuffed full of things so much so that I can't get anything more into it.

That is unless it is tiny, like the miniture "Limoges, hinged Teapot box" that my good friend Diane gave to me for Christmas. That was a real surprise and a great gift to put into my cabinet. You can see it on the top shelf on right side near the middle of the cabinet.

One day I may take a few closer shots of specific things inside of the cabinet.

I have more tea things to share with you but they will have to wait for another time.

But for now my friends......"Hot Tea month" is about to pass in close to one minute and my computer may turn into a pumpkin and my "Hat and my beautiful Tea gown" may fall off and I will be wearing sweat pants and a long sleeved tee shirt that says....
"Louisiana State University, BCS Champions."

I need to scurry for now because it "won't be pretty."
Good night!

Ayana Features: 1 Feb 08

Mizusugi's Designs

In this shop you can find ribbon ornaments, jewelry, handcarved wood pendents, pocket mirrors, key chains, bottle openers and my favorites flower hair clips and brooches. Now I know I'm biased about flowers, but who cares.....this is my feature. :D

Now unfortunately "my" Blue Mum Fabric Hair Pin has just been sold. *sigh* On the bright side I can always get a custom made hair pin. ;)

Here's a brooch that has not sold yet. (Ahem) Buyers what are you waiting for? These flowers are made with cotton fabric in a kanzashi, Japanese fabric flower, style. You can view more of these beautiful flower creations by visiting her Etsy shop http://mizusugi.etsy.com/
or going to http://www.flickr.com/photos/amizugirl/

100 Hearts and Counting

I would like to thank everyone on Etsy who has hearted my shop. That truly means a lot to me. Thanks so much.

2008 Spring Trends: "Point of Hue"

Vibrant colors are in this spring (as what we have seen in some of the RTW clothes and accessories, plus some of the trends I wrote about before). Apparelnews writes that electric shades are in this season that includes the colors violet, fuchsia, turquoise, green and citron.

Here are some examples:

It's going to be a very colorful spring this year!

fukity fuk

I had planned on making a big deal about post 100...and I went and let it slip me buy with my 'strt by losing weight' post.

Bah. Fuk you anonymous poster for ruining it. You know, I thin E was Anonymous. It was a leeeeeeeeeeetle bit coinky dinkity for it since he made mention of reading my blog and found a post he didn't like AT ALL and was very upset about it RIGHT around the same time Anonymous posted that I should lose weight. Hmmm....

Any guesses on what post upset him? One hint: In my defense, I DID say it probably was only an ego stroking and not serious AT ALL.

So I will end my 101 post with an announcement: I GOT A JOB, not just A job, but a CAREER. And I am so flipping stoked about it that I am NOT going to post anything ever about it because I do not want to jinx it.

my blog happens to be a jinx mmmm'kay?

Cheers

All About Reciprocity

One of the virtues I live by is reciprocity, in that whatever you put out in the world (whether good or bad) eventually comes back to you. So I've been thinking about how I would go about promoting other artists. I have recently inlcuded a mini gallery of some of my favorite items on Etsy, some of which will hopefully be mine one day. Wahaha! (evil laugh) :D

I am also going to start featuring certain artists who have an "ayana creation." Ayana means beautiful flower in Ethiopian. So every week or so I'll be looking out for handcrafted floral items. I hope you enjoy my Ayana Features.

LV Monogram Mini Lin Croisette Collection

These are some of the items from the Louis Vuitton Monogram Mini Lin Croisette collection. The main design for this line is a white leather trim combined with either blue or pink.

Monogram Mini Lin Croisette Round Coin Purse - $225

Anémone Wedge Sandals - $525

Monogram Mini Lin Croisette Long Scarf - $195

Monogram Mini Lin Croisette Bandana - $145

Anémone Open Toe Mule - $550

Monogram Mini Lin Croisette Key Holder - $420

Monogram Mini Lin Croisette French Purse - $600

Monogram Mini Lin Croisette Speedy 30 - $750

Monogram Mini Lin Croisette Marina GM - $1,500

Source

About me and "Writing"....and photos of my Middle son.

I did some calculating and counting on my fingers....and figured out last night that we have "family members" in "EIGHT states" and "friends" in just as many.

This isn't counting the friends we have and stay in touch with "World Wide"......so this is one MAIN reason "why I blog."

The second reason is well, because I have a love for "Writing" and I've always done that as well all my life.

As a child even, I always wrote my Grandparents in Missouri once my Mother and Stepfather moved to Iowa. I wanted them to know I loved them and was thinking of them. I didn't want to loose touch with them.

Later after my Grandparent's died (my Father's parents)and we were going through things in their home....we found a this amazing drawer AND a box FULL of letters....and they were allfrom me.

Stashed away since I was EIGHT years old only for me to "find" years later. I had never known she'd even done it.

My Grandmother had KEPT THEM ALL. She was so unwasteful and kept alot of things so.....that shouldn't have surprised me but that was such a interesting "find" to all of us. And so sweet of her.

Blogging is actually a "Godsend" in many ways for a person like me because I am able to use this form of communication to fulfill both my gifts.

This is one of the best ways I have found to stay "connected" to those we love and miss and want to stay in touch with.

And it's fast.

I mean you can get immediate attention to your cause or situation.....as in when people are in need of prayer and such. Or you need to raise "awareness" to an issue.

I love that part.

Now, I don't just write on my blog nor via e-mail. I am a FIRM believer in the "Handwritten" letter and notes, and such.

I myself STILL write many letters and cards that way. I think it's becoming a lost and dying "Art" form unto itself now days.....But I don't mind using modern ways to stay in touch as well, especially for long distance and saving of time AND if someone won't do the other but WILL send an
e-mail or will call me. I'm all for it.

Besides....most any and all means of "staying in touch" is good. Especially compared to where "communication" has come from compared to now..say....
"The Pony Express Days."ugh....can you imagine it taking so long for a letter to reach you or a loved one?

Please consider not giving up on sending "personal" handwritten notes and letters if you can.
I think it's speical to the person who sends it as well as the person who recieves it.

I always love to hear back from everyone as in any form.

However, some people are not "Communicators" or "Writers" and I never get bothered by that because I TOTALLY understand people's....."giftings and talents" and sometimes...it's not in their "gift mix."
So who can get upset about that? Surely not I.
Got to run for now.....

Please...."Stay in touch you all...if you can!" :-)

Here are some recent photos of Caleb......and his new friend.
Caleb and Phoebe at her "Winter Formal." Last weekend.

Photos.......

I was able to get new batteries (I can't believe they were DEAD again already!)put into my camera a few minutes ago so I wanted to post these photos on here quickly.

I have a million other things I SHOULD be doing...even at this moment.
I am having a horrible "time management" problem today. I'm totally distracted for some reason and am not getting much of any one thing done.

It's okay though. It will get better I think..... I'm hoping that it will anyway. HA!

Here we go........cabinets first.


My husband did all the painting and work....although our middle son who is a "high end" cabinet installer by trade helped his Daddy put in the cabinets. Mainly help hold them in place while my husband did the instillation. HA!

Next up "Gumbo"....and I will have to explain the first photo for you because it will look.....well....odd.What do YOU think is in the bowl along with the gumbo??
IF you guessed...."a hard bolied egg AND potato salad" you guessed right and let me now explain. I know.....it's weird. But they do that here.
Sort of......depending on where you live.

We lived in a small South Louisiana town for several years. The people there really ARE "Cajuns" much unlike many of the people in the big cities here in LA.

When I first learned to make gumbo in the city we lived in before moving......I was taught with a "mix" and to add "okra"....which is more of a "New Orleans flair"...and they don't do that in the area we used to live in. HA!
IT was in fact...nearly appalling to them.

So....a lady came to my house when we lived in the smaller town, and TAUGHT me how to to make the....."real gumbo" not one from a mix. I used to make it in a MUCH larger pot when my family was larger..now with only 4 of us...there is no need to make so much. It still will last us two days or more. I used "ANDOUILLE" sausage in this gumbo. I usually don't because those sausages have "scary" things in them.
I normally use a low fat turkey or chicken sausage but I did it different this time and the Andouille was spicey HOT...even for my husband. I'm going back to the other sausage. It works for us.

You ALWAYS have potato salad with gumbo in those parts of Louisiana and they do it as well in the restaurants here where we live. Served on the side usually.

However in some parts of the state, like where we lived before....they put it right into their bowl. Which is how I learned to like it.

Another thing......the hardboiled egg came into play because "if" you ran low on "meat" in your gumbo pot say....on the second day of serving it or whenever....they "stretched" it by adding "hardboiled eggs".....so I also got used to that as well.
Believe me I thought it was VERY FREAKY at first.

Now I like my gumbo with an egg and a dollop of potato salad....in the bowl.

Hey.....I HAVE seen worse so this isn't bad at all and the tastes are all quite good together actually.

Now..."Chicken legs, chicken necks, gizzards, livers, hearts." That's some really scary stuff when it's dished into your gumbo bowl at someone's house....but.....
it isn't all that bad at times.
And let me say that "Cajun" people are highly resourceful "food wise."

Cajun food is VERY good and it is world reknowned...you better not ask what is in it though and IF you do....just be prepared. HA!

"Blackbird jambalaya"......yeah, I'm SURE not into that.

Stella McCartney for Lesportsac

These are the designs for the Stella McCartney and Lesportsac collaboration. I'm not sure what you think about them, but I think they're quite nice, especially the one she made for kids: a bunny bag!

You just have to like that bunny backpack!!

Source

Many things.......

Who doesn't just love sweet little violets? They have no pretenses to them at all.

I couldn't resist using this photo tonight because the violets look so pretty and calm and peaceful and well.....purple.
Purple is good.
Plus the sight of them sort of "carries one away" from where your at and take you to someplace else. I felt that while looking at the photo.

They take me back to my Grandparent's backyard in Missouri. I used to pick them as a child and then run with a tightly squeezed, handfuls of them into the house only to hand them off proudly to my Grandmother.

She would in turn, put them in some water in a tiny vase and proudly set them on the table or some other very visual place.

That's a fun memory on a chilly January day. It's good to think back at times and smile. :~)

Many things have been happening. Not just for me but for many people I know personally and "know of."

I'm going to update you all on a few items and push some of my cheesy photos off on you as well at the end of this writing.

Let me state several updates first.
My good friend Nora......firstly....thanks so much to everyone who has prayed.
It has made a difference and it really helped her today.

She went to her Oncologist today.
The report was as we knew it would be....Cancer is back. That is definite.
However, she was told it was probably a "new type" of cancer last week.

It isn't. It's the same one she had previously. She was clear of all cancer in October, now it has "metasticized" and is in some new parts of her body.

She feels "really good" about her report. She told me FIRST thing on the phone when she called me today....."it's the BEST report I could have hoped for."
I feel good that SHE feels good and we will continue to pray for her.

It's still not all roses but you know what.....we are looking at the cup HALF FULL!
Not half empty.
I think that is the biggest part of a battle in most cases of anything.
How you look at it.

It's still "Stage 4"...it's still a "rare" cancer that creates tumors and it is agressive.
Her two Dr.'s (she saw her other Dr. next) told her......
"Your going to be fine."

So...She's pressing onward already!
They will know in two months....what's happening as far as growth and if the going back on the chemo pills are helping or not and if not they will switch things up a bit.
They did not order radiation nor intravenous chemo. They don't treat this particular cancer that way.

They treat it with the pill form of chemo. She already started her new chemo pills today.

Tonight we received word that the Pastor of our church and good friend, is having a consultation with a special "Dr." on Wednesday.
I can't go into great detail right now as you can probably understand, but it is a serious situation and he needs prayer.

Deena. Continue to pray for her she's got a very good disposition in a hard situation as well. I think she's doing great actually!
Check out her blog.
And I don't think I have mentioned to you all of the
"Two Ethan's" that we have been lifting up in prayer.

They are both children.

One "Ethan" is a baby in Arkansas....many people have learned of him or know of him.
He's at St. Jude's right now. Please pray for this family and for Ethan.

The second "Ethan" is a young boy who lives in Iowa in my sister's neighborhood....I think he's 15 years old. He's in a huge battle as well.

These things are ALL very serious.

But we must keep our spirits UP so as not to come under the load of them. That way......we stay "on top"....and that is important.

Sooooo....."Cheesy photos" coming right up now......

Cheesy photo number one is my hick version of some of the very cool photos I see online. It's what I like to call my...."computer desk setting 'Valentine's Extraordinaire.
Ummm......cool tee towels I got for the kitchen for Valentine's....ummm....cool cupid canvas artwork painting that I had...resting on a cute Bettina "Fleur Des Leis" easel that I bought in St. Francisville.

Glitter "Love" banner I found at Target in the "Dollar bargain bin" thing that is in the front of the store.

"Very pretty" glitter gift bag I bought about 4 years ago and had shoved somewhere in a hall closet.....and just found the other day purely by accident....just in TIME for this Valentines Day. Because I've forgotten all these other years.

And here are some other tossed in pink or red items that I thought would match.

Little teapot with red detailing....tissue paper, some shoe "wallies"... silk roses in a tiny vase. Woodwick candle I just had purchased too. They are supposed to "Crackle" when you burn them. Interesting.

Sorry......no fluffy boarders for that shot either.

Next...Gumbo shots.....made it yesterday. Should have done it FRIDAY or SATURDAY when it was sooooo freezing here. But I didn't feel good and was crabby so....I made it yesterday when I felt better and wasn't crabby.

Well.......your going to love this.
I didn't download the "gumbo and cabinet" shots like I thought I had and now my wretched camera is dead so....it won't download.

Guess we will show those photos tomorrow once I check the batteries in the camera.

Please stay tuned.