Category Archives: holiday

Oct12

Halloween fun!

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I started to cut the square for this card from last night’s card and I took a double take. My cards were getting much larger than 4″ x 4″. I don’t know when that happened, but if I could cut off 1/2″ or less to get back to 4″ on a few of the ones I made in the last few weeks.
I try to do at least one duo with pointed hats each year for Halloween. I will probably do another few Halloween ones-remember I have 365 collages to do-minus about 45 now.
Then I made this postcard for a little girl with a brain tumor from Ohio. Reagyn is unselfishly running an effort to collect soda tabs that will help Ronald McDonald come to a big town’s hospital near her. I have her address (which is the school’s address) if you’d like to send her a postcard from where you live and tell her a little about your area. That’s all she asked for.
A homemade postcard for Reagyn
Today I made an item for a friend, it’s autumnal and I want to send it off before sharing it. It turned out so cute. Brian thinks I should be making lots of stuff like this to sell.
My mom went to the doctor and has a terrible allergy which she say she has seen a lot of lately. Mom’s blood pressure was a little bit high which concerned the doctor, but it may have been because of where she was or is stress related. She tends to jump to conclusions. It was like 156/73. Mom will be in the next town over to get her hearing aides adjusted but didn’t act like she would come over here. I hope she changes her mind.

Sep14

Keep Life Simple and some Autumnal decor

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As usual, when I tidy up my papers, I get some ideas for my collages. I had recently clipped a tourist guide for Ireland and saved the awesome cliff and ocean photo. Not knowing what to do next, I happened upon a postcard booklet of Gustav Dore and chose this lady who looked like she was looking over the cliff. I picked ‘Keep Life Simple’ as she was enjoying the view over the cliff. I found out I used an engraving with ‘purgatory’ in the name! No, this doesn’t now change the meaning of the card!
Also, here is my dining room table with some new things added. I got out my table cloth with the autumn colors. I had bought the new cloth napkins from a flea market and they are from Anthropolgie, as are the mushroom s&p that Brian gave me a few years ago. The sandwich plates and pine cone bowls are from The Christmas Tree Shoppe-$1.99 each and they are nicely made. Bri gave me some flowers yesterday and I added them to an acorn lidded piece. The fireplace has some sunflowers across it, but I’m still working on it. Please ignore the messiness in the sofa area, things are being sorted out to put away. I’ll miss the summer seashells and things.

Autumnal Decorated Dining Table
Autumnal Decorated Dining Table
Sean and I will hopefully take my mom somewhere for an early birthday gift, though he is having a lot to say about the place in Lancaster with the craft warehouse. He took off from work as he thought we were headed to the beach, but that’s a long drive. Hope he thinks about what his grandmom would like first and not himself.

May31

Roses and Spookiness

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Happy Memorial Day. A day to reflect and remember the brave soldiers and those who gave up their lives for our freedom.



Yellow rose bush with 17 buds, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

Yes, and they all have bloomed except one or two. My other roses, though not as big, are blooming nicely also.

Here’s a pink one:
Deep pink rosebud
The guys are both home today. Not planning to do too much.

We decided to take a vacation to Ocean City, MD this year as Brian’s dad hasn’t been well and it’s not a plane trip away like a Carribean trip would be. Plus, the prices are better and I told Sean we can stay right on the beach if we could find a reasonably priced place. We pinpointed a place through Ex*pedia, but he has to see when he can take 3-4 days off.
Yesterday I had the entire afternoon to myself. I read, I sat a spell, I cleaned lawn furniture and I planted the last of my herbs. The bugs are coming out, so I need to buy mulch. My flowers in the front garden are much happier and productive being mulched.
Saturday I planted some perennials in my round bush edged garden where I have mainly irises. My pretty irises did not like the 4 feet of snow and only 7 out of 15 varieties made a show this spring. I then went and planted flowers in the pond garden and Brian edged it for me. It looks so much better.
I’m reading a young adult fiction by a lady also named Dianne (K. Salerni)
Sean and I were in a bookstore a few weeks ago and he saw her name on the cover and pointed out that she spells her name like I do! I then remembered she was the daughter of prominent church members and that there was an article in the paper about her writing ‘We Hear the Dead’-so I bought it. It’s based on a true story about the Fox sisters from the middle 1800s who were said to start seances. There are yet other coincidences besides our first name. In the first 30 pages of the book, there are two names of people with the same first and last names as people I know or have known. The doctor’s name is my maiden name of Knowles and they have an older brother David! Spooky. I plan to have Dianne autograph her book for my niece and I will pass it on to her in a year or so. I found Dianne on Facebook and we friended each other there.

May9

Photo Hunt-Mother

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A little late for the hunt, but now I can add ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ to all the giving, loving mothers out there!



Dianne and Sean at Epcot, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

The greatest gift in my life was to become a mom. Although I only was able to have one child, he is truly a special young man. Sean’s had a rough year since his graduation and he is still hoping to land a job related to his field. This was taken on Mother’s Day, 2005 a fun time at Epcot in Disney World.
My own mom has been struggling with issues that need to addressed and solved. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers-it’s going to be hard to get her to change her ways.

Mar16

So far so good

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Hey pals! I wanted to stop by and let you all know I am doing fine 11 hours after my end. ablation (actually had 3 things done). The only real drawback is that I was coughing through the entire procedure which made it last close to an hour (I didn’t know this, but I did see a few flashes of movement). I was very dry-hadn’t had a drink for 10 hours, they laid my head flat and put an oxygen mask on me. I had a coughing attack the night before, so it was irritated anyway. I was really hyper after they told me this and was glad when I got discharged. I am not having much discomfort at all where the procedure took place. What bothered me the most-get this-dry mouth and an irritated throat. And my knees too because I probably have arthritis in them. I tried to get comfy on the sofa, the chair and finally I used lots of Icy Hot on my knees and got in my jammies around 5 and slept for close to an hour-made the world of difference! I had only had a chicken sandwich all day. The first time I tried to eat it around 1:30, I could barely swallow a few bites. Bri watched over me well, maybe too well. He was worried about me. I asked him to go outside and start to pick up some of the fallen branches-we have tons-and he obliged. It was such a gorgeous day too. I did go out then and took a solo walk around the yard, but my throat was still funny. I thank goodness for my neti pot as it took away that ‘threads in the throat’ feeling I had (which is always on the right side, my favored side to sleep on too).

I’ve only had to take one pain pill-knock wood-an Advil. I have a prescription for Percocet, but pain pills generally make me feel sick. Crossing fingers that in the coming days I only need the Advil or Tylenol.

We had frozen pizzas and coconut shrimp that Bri mostly got ready, I can eat again! And let me tell you about the treat of the day….made right here in Philly-Zitner’s Coconut Krac eggs, my favorite Easter treat. You can order from that link! Bri finally found me some! He’d bring home another kind and I said, ‘not the krackle’.

Also hope to get outside even longer in the coming days!

Mar11

Sweetness

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Some new Easter finds

Bunny egg cup and Sparkle house from Cmas Tree shop. Love house by me.

Sean and I went out yesterday to see ‘Avatar’. When we got to the movies, a fire engine was out front. The place had been evacuated! There was a faulty hand dryer that set off the alarm. We decided to go to ‘The Christmas*Tree Shop’. Ever been to one? It’s like a Big*Lots and Dollar*General rolled into one-the prices are great! This isn’t a photo of what I bought, but I will share. This is a Snowbaby but as a Bunny baby with a tutu and a photo of my Grandmom Ruth when she was about 6, so about 1909. Miss her-it’s been almost 10 yrs since she passed away at age 96 1/2!
Dreary, wet weather is coming here. I can surely find plenty to do! Tomorrow I go to sign the papers for a gyn procedure that will hopefully make me feel so much better. I’m nervous, but the procedure is only 90 seconds!
We are going to Washington, DC next month around our 26th anniversary. Sean has a Geologist conference there. We still haven’t made hotel arrangements, but have to soon. We will miss the Cherry Blossom festival by a few days. Doesn’t mean they won’t be blooming when we are there. Photo opts!
Have a great Thursday and TGIF!

Dec27

Another Christmas

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I love to decorate and bake for Christmas, but the gift buying and all not so much-it helps if you have a lot of money! : ) Maybe when we have a grandchild or two down the road, it will be fun again. I got some lovely craft and cookbooks that I asked for and a few other things. I do like surprises and Brian gave me some sweet smelling Crabtree* and Evelyn bath items. My brother gave me a Cricut that he bought from a fellow employee which is neat-it cuts out letters and shapes for scrapbooking, etc. My guys liked what they received too.
My mom was in a bit of a mood and was exhausted and not herself when she was here. My brother is living at her house now, but says he will not stay. I think they are too much alike. Plus he’s lived alone a long time and doesn’t like cleaning up after other people. That’s my life-lol. : ) She said she was bored here as she can’t hear very well and about 4 pm on the 26th went in our room and we didn’t see her the rest of the night though we watched a rented movie and asked her to watch too-she refused. She couldn’t decide where she was sleeping and ended up in the family room and was ready to leave at 10 this morning. I had taken away her keys as she wanted to go in the pouring rain yesterday. That’s one reason we all stayed put all day yesterday. She was in a terrible way and it took my uncle and me a while to calm her down. She finally left and went over his house again and I hope she gets back to her place before dark. I will be calling about hearing aids-she must get one!
Last night I was going through my craft items and papers and made a few things I will share soon. I put on my MP3 headset and it relaxed me a lot. So that’s my life for the past few days. I need to get some makeup on to go out to Chili’s or someplace down in Delaware as I’ve been stuck inside myself for a few days.