a birthday celebration

Two years ago today we had a beautiful little gift come into our lives. She has given us so much joy and happiness that we wanted to celebrate her birthday especially this year, so we decided to give her a puppy party. No other dogs were invited- but still, she had a blast! I found a template at Van Laar Designs for a party hat and resized the print to fit her tiny little head. Then I traced the template onto scrapbook paper, cut it out, glued it, and added a little cupcake sticker to the front. Doesn't she look adorable!?!

She had a special birthday cookie that said, "Happy Birthday," with little paw prints on it. And, of course, it wouldn't be a birthday party without some gifts. She got a cute little pink dress, a Hello Kitty shirt, and a cute frog that ribbits when you squeeze it—lol. She just loved having all the attention and getting spoiled. 

At first, my husband thought I was a little bonkers talking about having a puppy party, but once he saw how cute she looked with her birthday hat on I think he changed his mind- lol. He's not always on board with my ideas- at first- but he usually changes his mind and gets into the spirit of things once he sees how much fun it can be. Personally, I think we should celebrate all life- human or animal. These little angels show us so much love and give us so much comfort, that they deserve to have a special day once a year too. 

She was so tired after playing she had to take a nap.

Do you celebrate your pet's birthday? If so, we'd love for you to share with us in the comments below.

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in the spirit of spring

We've enjoyed the warm weather the past few days- so much that I started doing a little spring cleaning. The hubby even built me a little display shelf (below) for my collection of cameras. The other day, I ran across this cute little lamb at a flea market. It reminded me of one that I had as a child so I just had to buy. ;) I displayed him with the cameras- isn't he cute!

This beautiful machine is now displayed in my "clean" craft room. Yes. I will admit I let my craft room go a bit- but I like crafting, and things can get out of hand sometimes. My crafty friends know what I mean- right? ;) My grandmother gave me her 1950s Singer sewing machine and sewing box when we visited Christmas. I've been waiting until I could get my craft room clean before I took it out of its case- I'm so happy to finally have it done.

My grandmother is ninety-six years old and still lives on her own. She cooks, cleans, and even walks to the post office every day. I just pray I can do at least half of what she does when I'm that age- lol. She's amazing! She's not able to see well enough to sew anymore though- so she decided it was time to pass it down. I'm her only granddaughter, so she wanted me to have it. She taught me how to sew when I was about six years old. I had a cute little purple sewing machine that my mom bought me- loved that thing. I would spend hours making all kinds of goodies. My mom still has my adorable works of art pillows and pin cushions I would make for her.

I'm just so happy to have this fabulous piece that brings back so many memories. :)

Does anyone have a special Grandma and me story? We'd love to hear it! Comment below and tell us about a special memory you & your grandmother share.

lovely clouds pattern

Lovely Clouds Pattern

Here's a little embroidery pattern I made to share with you guys. It's cute kawaii clouds with hearts dangling below. I have finally been able to start some new projects this week- due to being snowed in. I hope to get some of them shared before Valentine's Day.  

Download the Lovely Clouds Pattern

 These are some photos of the snow we've had in Arkansas. 

It's beautiful looking out and seeing the beautiful white fluff covering everything. Although I've enjoyed it I'm more of a warm weather kinda gal- and I'm very much looking forward to spring.

Well guys- I hope you enjoy the pattern and until next time... keep smiling and stay warm!!

wonderful news: photography and a baby

Hi everyone. Hope you all are staying warm. Just thought I'd catch you all up on my little part of the world. As some of you may know I've been learning to use manual on my dslr camera. I don't get to practice as often as I'd like to- but I'm learning slowly. When we went to visit our family over the holidays I made my daughter and niece model for some photos. I need tons of more practice (as you can see below)- but I think I'm improving. I'm not trying to be a professional photographer by any means- I just want to be able to take photos that I'm not scared to show anyone- lol.

This is my beautiful daughter- Megan Nicole.

  

And this little red headed cutie is my niece- Journey.

So what do you guys think? I'd love some feedback. If you're a photographer and have any tips for me I'd love to hear from you. I'm always open to learning new things. :)

Now I'm moving on to some exciting news...

I've also learned that I'm going to be a grandmother. My oldest daughter- Heather- not pictured- is going to have a baby in August- my first grandchild- SUPER excited!! Needless to say- I'll be getting lots of photo practice when the baby arrives. ;) 

They haven't learned the sex of the baby- but shhhh- I'm secretly hoping it's a girl. And not because I think my daughter deserves some revenge for her teenage years- lol. I just loved the experience of having daughters- and I hope she gets to experience it as well- but we're going to be excited no matter the sex. 

I had never really imagined myself being a grandmother- I know two daughters and never- but the answer is "no". I guess I just tossed the idea of it out of my mind. I still see my girls running around with pigtails in their hair lol- it's hard to picture them all grown up and having babies of their own- but that's life and I'm loving it!! Going to be a #1 Grandma!! :)

Well- I guess I'll let you guys go surf the web- until next time- keep smiling!! :)

a much needed vacation

We've been working hard to finish up some of our over due projects this month- so we can take a little vacation. It's looking like a go- because I just finished my last table the other day- yea!! This one turned super cute- I think. I used a method that I found online- which made it so much easier to destress. It's a method using vasoline to keep paint from sticking to the areas you want to destress- and I can't for the life of me find the blog I saw it on- but full credits to them- it worked GREAT! It's now for sale in our Etsy shop.

Now we can focus on a little relaxation. Where in the world will we go? Well- it probably won't be very far- lol. Just a few days to visit family and friends in Mississppi- but I'll take it. It's hard being away from all of them. We love it here in Arkansas everyone's been so nice. I just get a little homesick from time to time- ready to be back in my neck of the woods.

It's going to be a great little trip- so excited! Not only to visit with everyone- but I get to visit some of my favorite thrift shops while we're there- yea!! I think Baleigh (our darling poochie) is excited too. I asked her if she's ready to go see her mawmaw and she just wags her tail and looks at the door- lol. She's a spoiled little thing. My mom treats her like she's one of the grandkids. The last trip we made she bought her a new toy, blanket, and a big plush puppy-shaped pillow to sleep on- and Baleigh loves them- lol. I don't think a dog could be more spoiled?

Here's a photo of her sleeping with her puppy- lol. Spoiled!!

Well- I guess that's all for now. I haven't been on here for a few weeks and wanted to share a bit. I hope y'all have a wonderful week. Until next time....

Anyone have a spoiled pup story to share? Comment below we'd love to hear from you. 

i spy challenge | day ten | something colorful

i spy challenge | day nine | something round

i spy challenge | day eight | something cold

i spy challenge | day seven | something pointy

i spy challenge | day six | something strange

i spy challenge | day five | something fuzzy

i spy challenge | day four | something clear

Don't you just love Mason jars? There's so many uses for them. I look for older Mason jars (like the one above) at thrift shops to store my threads and other crafts supplies. I love the turquoise color jars- not only just handy they're pretty too!

Today's I Spy was to post something clear- so I chose the Mason jar. This one holds my extra embroidery threads. I leave it sitting out for decoration in my craft room. I just used clothes pins to wrap my threads around- but bobbins would be pretty too. You can find some super cute downloadable bobbins over at Wild Olive along with other great printables.

Tomorrow will be a photo of something fuzzy- wonder what "I spy"!! You can check out and play along with us on Instagram. Use the tag #opsispy and post your photos. We'd really love to see! 

i spy challenge | day three | something shiny

Okay guys... I think I'm ready to get back to the challenge. I know it seems a little wacky to start one and then have to take a break- but there's just not much one can do when ill. Actually- I haven't been ill the entire time- just for a few days- but those few days really messed me up. I found myself having to finish some other projects- you know- ones that make the money. ;)

Let me ask you guys something- Do you join any of the Facebook online yard sales groups? I think I have joined almost every single one in Arkansas. People post some really great items on them for sale. A couple of months ago we purchased three tables that a lady was selling on fb. The lady let us have them at eight dollars a piece- so it was a really great deal. We refurbish furniture and these were right up our alley. When we went to pick them up and got them home we just stored them in the workshop for a rainy day- we never really inspected them.

Well- the other day I decided to do a little work on one- and when I flipped it over it was stamped- Tables by Baumritter New York. I did tons of research on it and found out that it's an Early American Art Deco probably 1960's style table. I couldn't believe the prices at which these tables are selling- hint: more than eight dollars. I decided to let my husband do the refinishing on it- and he did a great job it looks wonderful. You can see a photo of it in our Etsy shop- Blackberry Acid Vintage. 

This really was a great find- it's just an example of the great items people get rid of everyday and put on these online yard sales. If you get a chance you should really check out Facebook to see if there's any in your area.

Okay enough of that and on to the challenge.

 

Day three of the I Spy Challenge was a photo of something shiny. I searched all around the house to find just the perfect shiny item- and I think I found it- well them- since I chose two. I picked a tube of Mary Kay True Dimensions lipstick and a pair of my favorite hat pins. I just love the sleek shiny case that the lipstick comes in and I'm just a sucker for old hat pins. I remember my grandmother wearing them in her "Sunday" hat when I was a child. Some had feathers on the tip and others jewels- she would never let me hold them because she thought I'd get pricked by the pin. I always admired the way women dressed with their hats and heels back then just to go to the grocery store- those women really had style and class. Now days your lucky if you don't see someone in pajamas- or pants hanging off their tushy- especially in my neck of the woods- lol.

Well guys this was my "I'm a little late but I did it" day three of I Spy...yeah!! Tomorrow will be a photo of something clear- wonder what "I spy"!! You can check out and play along with us on Instagram. Use the tag #opsispy and post your photos. We'd really love to see!

not feeling so hot- freebie!!

Well guys it doesn't look like I'm doing very good with the I Spy Challenge. I've been sick the past few days and haven't felt like doing much of anything. Since I only got two days accomplished I hope to just pick up where I left off- when I'm feeling a better- of course.

Meanwhile- here's a little freebie for all my fellow scrapbookaholics out there. I hope you enjoy it! Have a blessed week and I'll be bloggin at ya soon! :)

{click on image to download}

If you use the sketch shoot me message along with a photo of your finished layout to ohphotoshootgal@gmail.com- I'd love to see what you create. Pssst- It could also get featured on OPS! ;)

i spy challenge | day two | something smooth

This is our little chihuahua- Baleigh. She's the first dog I've ever owned. We got her when we moved to Arkansas last year. She's been a blessing to us for so many reasons. When we first moved here we didn't know anyone and she made being homesick a like more- tolerable. When she was about 4 months old she jumped out of our vehicle while it was going down the road. My husband pulled over and got her in the car to rush her to the vet- but when we got there she got up and was great. Needless to say- the incident scared me to my wits end. I use to never understand how people could get so attached to pets- but in that moment I felt my heart sink and it all became clear. This little pooch is like one of my kids. She's spoiled rotten, sweet, a little hard headed, whines when she doesn't get her way, and loves to dress-up in her little clothes. She's also a daddy's girl. She goes absolutely nuts if she thinks he is going to leave her. She loves to give him the sad eyes- lol.

Moving on now- this is day two of the I Spy Challenge. I picked Baleigh to be my something smooth. She has the smoothest hair- as you can see in the photo. At night she snuggles up next to me and rubbing her puts me right to sleep. She's been a little playful today- so it wasn't easy getting her still long enough for photos. I had to get the hubs to step outside so she'd get on the bed and watch for him-lol. She would have stayed there for a while if he hadn't come back in.

The photo above was taken a few months ago. As you can see she's a prissy little thing- lol. She actually sticks her arms out when I'm dressing her- she's so spoiled! My husband and I don't have children together- so as you might can tell this is our little- angel!

Well- this was my i spy something- smooth. You can check out and play along with us on Instagram. Use the tag #opsispy and post your photos. We'd really love to see!  Well- goodnight! Until tomorrow...

How spoiled is your pet? Are you a cat or dog lover?  Leave us a comment below.

i spy challenge | day one | something edible

Don't you hate it when you plan and plan on something and then all plans go out the door? Me too! That's what happened to us this weekend. We were all stoked about going to the Watermelon Festival- but it got cancelled due to the weather- bummer! Guess I'll have to wait another year- ha. Since we couldn't go to the festival we did get to stop at a few flea markets. At one store one of the owners had the cutest little live monkey- yelp I got pics! He's so cute I just have to post one now- and I'll post the rest in a later post.

Okay now it's challenge time! Day one of the challenge was to take a photo of something edible. First- I took a photo of a box of thin mints- but I didn't like the way it turned out- so I decided to go with a bowl of grapes. As you can probably tell by the photo I'm an "amatuer photographer". I don't think I'll be getting any awards for food photography anytime soon- ha. I have been trying to learn to use manuel on my camera- I think it's improving a little- because at first the photos would just be way to dark- thank goodness for lr! If there's anyone out there reading this and you have some useful tips on how I can improve my photography- please feel free to share- I would really appreciate it.

Tomorrow I'll be taking a photo of something smooth- hmmm wonder what it'll be!?! Hope you guys will play along with me! Anyone that wants to play along can post their photos to instagram using tag #opsispy.We would love to see!


Well... until tommorrow's photo! :)

I Spy... A Fun Challenge

image source

Hello! I can't believe it's almost fall- can you? Where did the summer go? Well... I'll tell you where mine went- working. That's why it's been so long between my posts. Things are calming down a bit now- so maybe I can focus on the other things I really love to do- like blogging & photography.

I hope to get some really good photos at the Watermelon Festival this weekend. We moved here last year and didn't know about it last August- so needless to say I've been waiting for it this year. It's nothing to big just craft vendors, good music, food, lots of friendly people, and of course- watermelons- yum! I will post more about the festival later- because for now it's on to a little challenge.

To get me started with my blog posts I found these cute printable scavenger hunt cards (above) over at Lisa Moorefield.com and they gave me the idea for a photo challenge. It's not going to be a month long challenge- it's just a little something to get me motivated. I figured if I post the challenge on here I'd have to stick to it- I think I can- I think I can- lol.  

The idea of the cards is to play ispy using digital photography. Great idea- right? You just list the ispy items on the card and post a different photo each day. Since the list is for ten things it will be a ten day challenge. Ten days hmmm... yea- I can do ten days- lol.

I will be using the "i spy something card" that Lisa already has made in her printable set that you can download here. This is how it will work- my day one challenge will be to photograph something edible, day two a photo of something smooth, and so one. I will start my challenge in a few days and post ten days in a row.

If any of you guys need a little self motivation please feel free to join in on the challenge. If you do and you use instagram please share your photos with us using hashtag #opsispy. We would really love to see them!