Light It Up for Autism Blog Hop 2015

Today is Light It Up Blue for Autism Speaks and to promote awareness there are a few, well quite a few crafters who have linked up to the tenderhearted Tenia Nelson and Veronica Fletcher Zalis. 

Thank you for stopping by my blog today and see a little card I made with "blue" on my mind for this hop. I was working on this project for another event and when time ran out to make a special card for this hop I realized I actually already did. Whew, I was thinking blue already!

Painting Posies Card

There will be an ever growing link up gallery on our hostess' blogs. All you'll need to do is hop back to main blog post for details about the hop, sponsors and how you can be eligible to win prizes from 25 plus sponsors!

One more thing. If you are wondering what autism is about, you can go to the national campaign site for Autism Speak and learn more.

My project is being showcased on a previous post today so if you want to see the details just take this link, but comment here for the Austism Awareness blog hop! 

Thanks for stopping by.

I'm in search of flower help

Do you know any of the flowers in this picture? I'm trying to find photos or clipart for them. (Right-click on the image to open up in a new window a larger image.)



I think A and C are the same delphiniums, but if anyone knows what they are please let me know.

Thanks for your help.

Blog Award

Hello everyone!

I need to make a quick post about a very sweet Jen who nominated me for a Kreativ Blogger Award a week ago! I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to post about it. I thought if I ever got one of these award nominations I would post about it as fast as my fingers could type! I never figured I'd be in the midst of children's Bible school and then sick children on top of that.

Thank you Jen of I Create blog for nominating me for this award!

To accept the award I have to do a few things.

1. Thank the person who nominated me for this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on my blog.
3. Link the person who nominated me for this award.
4. Name seven things about me that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate seven Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the seven blogs I nominate.
7. Leave comments on all seven blogs letting them know I nominated them.

Seven things you {might} find interesting about me:

1. I am the youngest of four children that span 13 years.
2. I have competed in powerlifting and bodybuilding for at least one year each.
3. I love cycling and can easily enjoy a 50 mile ride on Saturday though I haven't done that sans children.
4. I live 26 miles from the university where I graduated and have not been to a reunion since the first one (5-year)
5. I bite my finger nails.
6. I started a picture framing business because a coworker needed a manager's gift framed and it was easier to do than I had remembered it to be.
7. I've never stayed with one hobby for more than a year before moving on to something else AND I don't get rid of all the other supplies for my past hobbies. (LOL- Just ask my mother-in-law how many things I've gotten her into and then gone on to do something else.)

Here are the blogs I nominate:

Jackie of http://kreatewithme2.blogspot.com
Kim of http://impressyourself.typepad.com
Rebekkah of http://diamondintherough24.blogspot.com
Shanna of http://bananastamper.blogspot.com
Cindy of http://luciesfloozies.blogspot.com
Maureen of http://buttonsandbling.blogspot.com
Tricia of http://simplystamping.blogspost.com

All of these ladies have touched my heart with just simply sharing and showing their personality in their blogs. I love it!

Update: I have no idea the origins of this award and it is amazing that I have blindly followed the copy and forward model of the decade because I rarely do so. What I have seen is that it is a friendly gesture to those blogs you visit and no actual award is given to you or your blog. Please let me know if you understand differently.

Today's not my birthday

span style="font-size:130%;">...but it sure feels like it.

It started yesterday. My neighbor remembered how much I liked a cake she brought to last years spring gathering for our block so while our little ones were playing in the sandbox she informed me I was getting that cake for my birhtday. Mmmmmmm...
We found out late in the afternoon that our refinance loan went through so this morning we signed the stack of papers. It felt so good to get that done. We have an extremely low rate, fewer years to pay off and lower monthly mortgage payment. Now that is a great early birthday present.

When we got home from that the door bell rang and FedEx presented me with my new iPhone. [sung with vibrato] Ahhhhhhhhhh. While we were gone the post came and sitting on the step next to the FedEx courier was a box addressed to me, from my sister! Again. Ahhhhhhhh. It was a money bouquet. I wonder where they got the idea for that?

So here is all that's gone on today in pictures.




And tonight my husband and I are going to Shakespeare by the river.

New Blog Banner

I've actually spent some time in a pixel editing software to make a new banner. It's all preset images with the exception of the font which came from Amanda's Free scrapbook fonts over at her website.

It's been raining and cloudy here so I must have needed something a little bit more bright and cheery to look at when I blog.

Have a great day!

Macro Photo Suite for Free!

Hi all, I've been so tickled about my homemade photo setup that when I ran across someone asking how everyone took their photos, well I just decided to make a post about it.

I searched on the web and ran across some great instructions. I proceeded to go through the house and find everything I needed. So my box was free to make. Well, I had bought the lightbulbs and workshop hanging lamps at The Home Depot a couple of months before I made this small box, so I guess it was about $10.

Go to the "instructions" link above to get the details, but here is my setup and the object I took a shot of in my photo suite is the photo at the beginning.

Dinner FAST!

Over the years, I've collected food magazines and tried to come up with fun ways of eating old things. Post children I've gone back to basics. I've pulled out the tried and true, "Better Homes and Garden" Cookbook (red and white checker cover) and the results have always been positive.

Tonight I made a "Creamy Herbed Pork Chops" on page 232. Since I don't know if I can legally write out the recipe I'll give you a general idea of the recipe. It has, of course, 4 servings of pork and cooked in a skillet with butter and finely chopped carrots. When cooked, no more pink, you remove the chops and put in flour, parsley and a mellow herb, beef bouillion and then milk to thicken. Finish with a splash of dry white wine or water. Ours was sans wine. I loved it. My husband liked the sauce. The kids however, was a mixed review. Our son is under the weather so he just wasn't eating and our daughter said she like the sauce but didn't eat much of it.

No matter what, it was quick and I had everything on hand. You have to like that!

New Cover to my Craft Room Door

Hi everyone. Today I ventured up a ladder to do something that I have been itching to do. Now I am not a ladder person, I'd rather stay on the ground.

So today is the day I decided to just climb on up and install a curtain rod on the entrance to my craft room. This room is at the end of our upstairs hallway so there isn't a door. I put the rod up and then went to my closet and pulled out an old sunbleached flannel sheet. Oh yes, I did. I went to my sewing machine and made a rod-tunnel (anyone know the seamstress name for that?) on one end and then slid it on the curtain rod. It is not pretty at all. My intent is purely utilitarian.

I've wanted to do this for two reasons. The craft room is just a few feet away from my children's bedrooms and any noise I make seems to echo to loud for my liking. The second reason is the light goes down the hallway. Okay so here's the no money door cover I put up this afternoon.

Brand New Blog

My blog name, Rain Puddles Design, stems from a home business I've had for years. The type of business doesn't matter so much as the meaning behind the name. Rain puddles don't sound all that artsy. They aren't, however most artistic endeavors come from a feeling or memory inside you. My memory? I remember as a child running down to the corner of the block after a Colorado downpour and playing in the largest puddle of gutter rain possible. Sounds dirty, yes, but I just remember having the time of my life. It was care free and personal, so my designs are reflective of that. At least I hope they are to the people that receive them and hopefully to you, the viewers of this blog.

Some of my favorite blogs to scan daily are;

http://pickledpaperdesigns.blogspot.com/

http://www.bakerella.com/

http://paperfections.typepad.com/

You'll probably see my style stem from these wonderful artists. I hope you visit their sites and check out what wonderful talent they have.

What are the details of the photo?

Thanks for wanting to know.

The photo is from a cookie bouquet I made in 2007 to give to my sweet hubby on Valentine's Day. I made the best cookies from a recommended recipe on Cookie Madness blog and the frosting is a meringue decorator's frosting. The green balls are sadly discontinued Harry and David Creme de Menthe Malt Balls. I secured the cookies in the pot by making a batch of krispie treats with added cocoa to make it look earthy. They are so much fun to make and yummy to boot.

Janelle