My Girl

I adore this picture of my sweet girl. She's beautiful. I hope she can see this because I see it every time I look at her.

Cousins

I took these adorable pictures when Josie came to play one day during our winter break. I just had to share here! These two are awesome together and love to play! They always look forward to the next time we can get together. It's the sweetest thing ever to see the two of them.

A New Hobby: Tunnel Books

I have found a new hobby! 

For years, I'd admired an artist on Instagram who makes these "tunnel books" and I'd always wanted to try one. This artist makes them more garden-like, using leaves and flowers and they really are pretty, but I wanted to take it a step further and make more of a themed book. Christmas made for the perfect theme! And one day, I decided to just go for it. I had to start somewhere.

My goal is to make it more of a book rescue art project. I want to use what I have on hand as much as I can, or certainly what I can find cheaply. To me, all images must come from books or magazines or other print material- no printing from a computer. I collect books from the used bookshelf at the library, used book sales, I keep what Annabel wants to get rid of, I scour used book stores, and so forth...so I have a lot of source material to work with. My Christmas tunnel book idea started with a few Golden books and it took off from there and voila! I LOVE how it turned out! It's SO sweet! 

After I made that practice one for myself (which took nearly 10 hours, mind you- so much cutting, into the book and intricate cuts around images...it's all a learning curve too!) I immediately wanted to make one for my mom and quickly (well, okay, after another 10 hours more like) whipped another book together. Hers came out beautifully!

I have lots of plans for future books and can't wait to make more in 2024!! What other themes shall I make?? A Disney one is high on my list!

2023 is a Wrap!

2023 summed up. Pretty perfectly, I might add. Thanks, Google Photos!

Reading glasses for me, Crystal Falls week at the cabin, girls weekend trip, bell tower tour, Lover sweatshirt for Halloween, tall sunflowers, 15th birthday, new baby cousin, and Hamilton field trip fun!

We're ready to see what 2024 holds now. This will be the year Daniel learns to drive! That much I do know! 

Happy New Year!!