A Magical Mystery Tour to Spain and Portugal

What a perfect theme for me this month at Art Journal Journey.  Thank you Hazel.  What a surprise I had in March!  My son called me and said "Mom, do you want to go to Spain and Portugal with Daphene and me?"   YES!!!!  The magical part is the part where I tell you that Scott and Daphene treated my husband and me to the whole two week whirlwind including airfare!  Wow!  I haven't been with my son this long since he left home for college some 34(?) years ago.  The whole journey was indeed shear magic.  The mystery part?  Daphene planned everything.  All we knew was that we would land in Barcelona and drive through Spain to Portugal. We never knew where we would stay or for how long.  Basically it was a business trip for Scott and Daphene.  They own a company which is growing by leaps and bounds.  So we went to two manufacturing companies, one in Madrid and one in Porto, Portugal.   I can't begin to tell you how much fun we had together.  I really want to go back to Spain and Portugal to stay longer in a couple of the places we visited.  

This is my son Scott on the right and  Jose who lives in Madrid.  Jose was our host in Madrid and Portugal and I mean to tell you we had such a wonderful time with him.  Thanks Jose for happy memories!  Jose is younger than my son and took to calling me Mama.  He also teased me every bit as much as Scott does.  One night we had dinner with Jose and his beautiful wife Maria.  What a pleasure and the restaurant was so elegant.   I am indeed a lucky Mama!

This is my handsome son Scott and his beautiful wife Daphene.  Thank you kids, you make me so proud and happy!!

This was one fantastic meal in Madrid and I enjoyed every mouth full!

I want to start handwriting in my journal but had a hard time  -- maybe y'all can give me some pointers as to the best pens to use.  My quote says "We travel not to escape life but for life not to escape us .."   unknown.

I hope everyone is well and happy.  I so appreciate your comments and it does encourage me.  I know I have a long way to go!

My best to you and yours - Sandy

 I am posting this to Art Journal Journey

10TH TEA CUP EXCHANGE

I do have a special post.  This is my second time to participate in Stephanie's Tea Cup exchange.  You can find Stephanie here.

This is so much fun so this time I decided to participate in the tea cup exchange and the mug exchange.  It was really a hustle bustle for me as we had been out of the country to Spain and Portugal and my names came while we were gone.  I had no time to personalize each box and barely got my gifts in the mail on time!  Plus the fact I forgot to take pictures of the boxes I sent!  I will do better next time Stephanie I promise!!

This was in the box I received from Ronnie -- such a delight!  It seems we have the same sense of humor.  The Mug is hysterical -  and I love it!!!!

Now would you look at this -- Ronnie tells me that she looks for pretty spoons and then her husband cuts them to make necklaces - it is really gorgeous!!!!!

Thank you so much Ronnie -  it really was a pleasure with your letter telling me about you and your family!!!!

This is surprise number two coming from - you guessed it!  SUE!!!!  I thought it was so neat that she included post cards of where she is from.  I will do that in my next boxes for sure!  She also saw that I make cards and like to art journal so she included a special package full of goodies for my craft making.

Her yummy was Easter Chocolate and some homemade maple syrup.  You heard me right - her husband makes their very own maple syrup!!!!!!  Plus a diary, crochet flowers and beautiful napkins.  I think she knows I like to use napkins in my art journal!

The tea cup she sent me is absolutely gorgeous - yellow roses.  I love the color yellow especially when paired with red.  And what is that next to the gorgeous tea cup?  A really beautiful antique sugar spoon.  It is really quite nice and perfect to use for tea parties!!


Thank you Ronnie and Sue -- I appreciate your kindness and generosity so much!

Although it is fun to receive surprises, for me it is more fun to make a box.  I am collecting little bits and pieces throughout the year to try and make my boxes special.  So much fun!!!!!

I will be posting again soon - I have to catch up with my art journal!!!

Thanks for stopping in for a cup of tea - your visits and love are always appreciated!!
Sandy xx

Napkins, Napkins I do love Napkins!

I never thought I would have so much fun playing with napkins.  This is my  version of 50 shades of Red in my art journal.

Why is it that the pictures never seem to show the REAL picture!!!  But I did have fun making this page - cutting up pieces of the flowers on a napkin and sometimes tearing them up - finger painting and stenciling and using a black out line pencil.  Then I let black ink run down the edges of the paper and then smooched the ink with a baby wipe.  The butterfly is a TH die cut and the seed bead body is a trick I learned from my friend Anne.

I do have another memory about my Nanny.  She and Paw did not have very much money.  But she sure did like to fussy up her home.  Dime store dishes of stale hard candy left over from Christmas were in her wee living room.  A found bird's nest full of marbles set by her front door. She would find these marbles when seeping the city side walk in front of her house.  The side walks were made with brick and oh so beautiful.
Now this is going to sound horrid but periodically she would catch a butterfly - somehow put it to sleep without harming a spot on it's wings.  Then she would tenderly pin the butterflies to her drapes.  She didn't  have many but what she had looked beautiful flying across her curtains.

I am posting this page To Art Journal Journey  - 50 shades of Red.
And also to Creative Carte Blanche - Love is in the air

I want to thank all of y'all who have so sweetly taking the time to comment on my blog and to read about my Nanny and Paw.  I hope all is well.
Sandy xx

A Sweet Life

 At the very last minute I am posting my newest journal spread for Art Journal Journey.  I did have more fun doing this than I thought I would have - maybe I am starting to relax and just learn to have fun.  My inspiration for this came from my sweet British friend Sarn at Stamping for Pleasure
She makes the best art journal pages.

Last time I told the story of being brought up by my grandparents and having the most delicious Southern Food.    I all but lived with my grandparents and they always had a garden in their back yard.  They also had a detached garage and it seems that there was always  a litter of wild kittens living with their Mama under the garage.  I would lay on my tummy and stick my skinny little arm way under the garage and occasionally I would get lucky and catch a little kitten.  But more times than not my arm came out with a bunch of little scratches.  YES!  It was a sweet life and I loved being with my grandparents!

I really want to do more work in my journal as I do learn a lot - I just hate messing up!!!!  I would also like for you to visit my friend Valerie who is one heck of a good artist - I love her posts and all of her pictures.  She is so much fun to visit.

Thanks for visiting - I do appreciate all of your encouragement.  You all are the best!

Sandy

I am going to link this post to Art Journal Journey

Southern Lady

I was born and raised in the South (yes I know, you raise corn and rear children) but in the South you are raised!  I lived mostly with my grandparents and miss them terribly, They taught me about unconditional love, about being content with what you have and a love for Southern Cooking.  I mean to tell you my "Nanny" could cook.  The best cornbread and collard greens in the world.  You would slather your cornbread with real fresh country butter and it was like eating gold.  Nanny never kept her butter in the refrigerator - no it stayed in a special dish on the kitchen table. And my grandfather "Paw" would cook the best T bone steak fried in a cast iron frying pan on the gas stove.  They did not have a grill.  Most of the pans they cooked in were cast iron.  I sure wish I had my grandmother's cast iron pans!    I do cook in cast iron pans now - couldn't make biscuits without a good cast iron fry pan.
Please enjoy some home made biscuits with chicken gravy and fried chicken.  Or how bout some fried catfish with cornbread and collard greens?  Of course to wash it down you had a big glass of ice cold sweet tea!   Enjoy!!!!

I am posting this to Art Journal Journey.
The theme for this month is story telling and I would love to share some of the Southern United States with you!

Thanks for visiting!!!  Y'all come back now ya hear? 
Sandy