Change

I decided to update the look of my blog. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the kids are laughing in the pool, life is great. But my blog, ugg... So, I've updated with a new background, compliments of The Cutest Blog On The Block. Thank you to these ladies for the cute background & fresh new look!

I've also started a personal blog called Stumbling Upon Life. Have a great day & hope you enjoy the new look!

Convention Update

It's been 42 days since the Prim Mart Convention and all I can say is AMAZING! After a 3 hour delay b/c I panicked about leaving, the 5 1/2 hour trip to pick up Marie of Mamaw's Creations went by faster then I expected. Then the next 3 hrs. to Harrisburg, PA. went by even faster-despite the rain and darkness. The weekend proved to be such a surreal experience of meeting these ladies I'd only spoken to via phone/internet for the past four years. Each one of these ladies were more I expected. I learned new altered art crafts which I hope to incorporate into my website shortly. What a fantastic business trip!

Prim Mart ladies, you are the BEST! Can't wait to see you all again next year in Georgia!

2009 Prim Mart Crafter's Convention

I signed up to go to my first Prim Mart Crafter's Convention. I am so excited and nervous. I have been a part of the Prim Mart Community for almost 4 years and have only met 2 ladies in this time. I have spoken to many via phone, email and IM, but never in person. Oh my gosh, I'm so thrilled to finally meet my boss Shelly, the rest of the staff from Prim Mart, and all the wonderful ladies that I consider my extended family. I think these ladies know more about me then my own family. They are the best group of ladies you could ever know and I get to FINALLY MEET THEM!

Custom Countdowns & MySpace Layouts

Happy New Year!

Can you believe it's 2009? My parents always said the years go by faster the older you get. But wow this year went by fast. This year I'm looking forward to the clean slate and all the possibilities of the fun and excitement to come. This year I stayed up to greet the New Year head on. There was no way I wanted to miss the celebration with my kids, husband and family. We all watched the ball drop and as the millions of lights came on, I felt a hope that positive change was coming for my family. Then I vowed to keep my resolutions for this year. Did you set any resolutions? I decided to make some this year. One of my resolutions is to start blogging more. It is so much fun to read what others are thinking. It's inspiring. I hope that through my blogging, I can inspire someone to start a blog too. So to my Prim Mart friends that have proded me to blog, thank you. Here goes my journey...

Summer ~ Shed Your Shoes & Worries...

I cannot believe how fast the time has gone by. I haven't gotten the hang of blogs yet. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to type, so I put it off. As I sat to type out my newsletter, I thought, "some of these items could go into my blog". So we go...

I don't know about you, but I love going barefoot. Shoes don't bother me, but I prefer to be barefoot. Even in the winter, I wear no socks or shoes around the house. So the barefoot quote fits me perfectly. This year, I went barefoot earlier as the following quote challenged me to do.

 

"If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall."- Nadine Stair

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This next quote I found as I was reflecting on how life changes as we get older. I've been gathering 16 years worth of baggage for a garage sale. Where did time go? There have been happy times, sad times, fun times and yep, not so fun times. Well, that got me to thinking about what I have done and those things I'd like to do, but haven't, either because I was too shy, scared or didn't have the funds. I realize that life passes so quickly. It's time for me to step up the pace. I'm not getting any younger (I'm not old by any means), and time is swiftly passing. I'm going to "shed my worries" along with trading the long pants for shorts and boots for barefeet.

I made a list of the things I'd like to do for fun, new adventures I'd like to brave, and places I'd like to go. I snicker at that thought because I know where some people would like me to go! But, that is a tension I'm going to try to shed. Their opinion is just that, their opinion. If the same respect I give to them is not given in return, I shouldn't dwell on it, right? They do not deserve the time and energy it takes to occupy my thoughts and strangle my happiness. Every minute spent worrying about why someone else is treating us this or that way is a minute wasted without making us happy! If we focus on the bad, we only see things as bad. We must try to think positive and happy. Next time there is a possible negative word, action, or situation, before placing a negative spin on it, try to see a positive first. See how the impact of what was said or occured changes with the positive outlook. I will also do the same. I will try to focus on this next quote:

"Summer is the time when one sheds one's tensions with one's clothes, and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit. A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all's right with the world."~Ada Louise Huxtable

Here is a blurb from my newsletter for you to think about:

"Summer is a good time to take those adventures you dream about. Be a little more carefree and just live in the moment. Have you ever water skiied or went tubing down a river?Have you ever taken a fish off a hook or put bait on? Maybe a simple thing like learn to light the grill?
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This summer, enjoy the breezes and take time to dance in the rain. Make this the summer to be a kid again, even for a moment. Grab that cone of cotton candy, slide down the kid's Slip 'N Slide, run through the sprinkler. Dare I say be brave and shh, skinny dip off your dock?

Well, yep, guess I said it. Take time for something that makes you happy and brings a smile to your heart and face!"

 

Here's a summer recipe to try for the 4th of July:

Red, White, and Blueberry Cheesecake Pie

8 sheets phyllo dough 1/4 cup butter, melted 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese 1/2 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs 2 cups fresh blueberries 1/2 cup strawberry jelly DIRECTIONS: On a flat surface, place one sheet phyllo dough. Brush it with melted butter or margarine, and cover with another piece of phyllo. Repeat until all 8 sheets are used. **Using kitchen scissors, cut layered phyllo into a 12 to 13 inch circle. Carefully press circle into a greased 9 inch pie plate; gently fan edges. **Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees c.) until edges are just golden, 6 to 8 minutes; cool slightly on a wire rack. **In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs until well combined. Fold in 1 cup of blueberries. Pour filling into prepared crust. **Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees c.) until set, 40 to 50 minutes. **To prevent over browning of crust, gently cover pie with foil for the last 25 minutes of baking. Cool completely on a wire rack. **In a small bowl, beat jelly until smooth; spread over cheese filling. Arrange 1 cup blueberries on top in a star pattern.

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Pepper-Mint Limeade

4 limes, juiced
1 cup white sugar
2 sprigs fresh mint
1/2 gallon water
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, sliced
DIRECTIONS:In a large pitcher, stir together the lime juice and sugar until dissolved. Stir in mint sprigs, and mash with a wooden spoon to release some of the oils. Pour in water, and mix well. Mix in jalapeno slices. Put a lid on the pitcher, and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight. Serves 8.

Until next time, have some fun, try something new,
and shed those tensions along with your shoes! Walk barefoot in the grass with your hands outstretched in the breeze! Isn't it beautiful!

Welcome To MAMA's Country Shed Blog

It's the New Year and with that comes changes. Some are good while some not so good. I am crossing my fingers that there will be more good this year then not. So to start a new and good change, I'm jumping on the blog bandwagon. I hope this will be a wonderful adventure for all of us. I'm new to the blogging community and hope that this will prove to be insightful and fun. Thank you for taking this journey with me.