I was watching HSN the other day, and saw the new Sew Ribbon thingie on. I thought the concept looked very familiar, and sure enough, in my pile of scrappy tools, I dug out my Making Memories Instant Setter and the Ribbon Slot Punches that go with it. I also rummaged around and ended up using foam stamps, acrylic paint, and stickles. The stamped flowers are actually quite a neon pink, but no matter how I photograph it this morning, I cannot get it to show up as more than "bubblegum"! Hopefully by Sunday afternoon, I will be able to make a little more time for this project, because WRMK makes a few different patterns, and I would like to duplicate at least some of them.

18th Birthday Card.

My oldest daughter, Beverly, will be turning 18 in a couple of weeks. I just know she will love this card.

I cut the bee from the Cricut Paisley cartridge and flocked the yellow parts, the flowers are Prima with a flocked brad center, and the Martha Stewart border punch came in a set from HSN.

Deep. Cleansing. Breath. and a Happy Birthday for my lungs.

Today, my lungs are 3 years old. Three years ago, today, I quit smoking. Completely. With no slip-ups. Well, except for the fifteen pounds I gained that won't come off!  My day now starts with coffee instead of a cigarette. I breathe without the "snap, crackle, pop" that I was developing too soon to be a thirty-five-year-old woman. Oh, I still have the same noises, but now, at thirty-eight, it is coming from my bones! And even with those stubborn fifteen pounds, I can run if I need to, whether anyone is chasing me or not.

My first blog post. Wow.

     I am actually really excited, and find myself hoping this blog will be a motivating factor in taking more photos, getting out a bit, actually using more of the crafting supplies I have built up, and just generally sharing thoughts.   My blog name, southernhomemade, is pretty self-explanatory.  I am from South Mississippi, and have a tendency to make things "from scratch", whether I am cooking or crafting. 

     One of my goals for the next few months is to really step up my photography skills, so I'll be posting a lot of pictures.  I also want to get a lot of crafting projects done, and will be "forcing" myself to be accountable by posting those as well.

     Oh, and I really love to read, so I will try to post the title and author of whatever book I happen to be loving at the moment.

     Thanks for stopping in, and hope to see y'all back soon!