Teacup Tuesday and Some Extras

Hello again! I'm hooking up today with Martha for her 7th Tea Cup Tuesday . Martha is quite the collector and has so many lovely things to show. I shared a story with her some time back of being in the grocery store, seeing someone and thinking to myself "that looks just like Martha." Of course, I had to remind myself that it couldn't be because Martha is in California and I'm in Kuwait. See what I mean about feeling that you know people even when you've never met face-to- face.
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This sweet angel cup was given to me several years ago by a friend.

Some of you may consider it a coffee cup but I drink my coffee from a huge Starbucks mug. This little cup is dainty and perfect for a hot cup of tea. (It would not hold enough morning coffee for me.)

I only drink green tea and these are my favorites at the moment.

And this is usually what I have as a snack with my green tea ...

We can sit in this cozy living room and enjoy a chat.

Love the casual and comfortable look of this room. I showed you the CottageStyle magazine yesterday. Certain images remind me of certain people. My cousin Gwen at A Charming Home is fixing up her guest room and one wall is purple so this made me think of her.

Speaking of purple, my friend Susana makes these fabulous tea towels with fruit inspired teapots.

The cluster of grapes next to it was made by the Trash to Treasures program at the Phillipino Women's Shelter -- they use old magazines and flyers to make the most wonderful ornaments, decorations and jewelry. I'll show you the jewelry tomorrow. The program gives these ladies something purposeful to do with their time while they are waiting to leave the shelter.

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Friends are kisses blown to us by angels.

~Author Unknown

Have a great night sweet friends!

Peace & blessings, Tammy

Meatless Monday, a Party and Pretty things

Greetings! I hope that you all had a relaxing weekend ...

and that you've had a great start to the week ahead. One of my favorite meatless meals is black beans with brown rice and condiments.

I season canned black beans with vege broth extract and garlic powder then serve them over brown rice with salsa, chopped fresh tomatoes, chopped avocado, diced onion and a dollop of sour cream. Yummo! If you need a last minute meal and your family will eat beans, it's a great meal that is filling and healthy.
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Zack had his team party on Saturday. Balloons were involved ...

as was a lot of really loud popping. And certificates were received ...

While little league season is just starting in the States, we are ending our baseball season here. We have to take advantage of our winter temperatures. No one could survive the summer heat.

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Over the weekend, I got this great magazine.

Although I am not presently decorating in this manner, I love, love, love just about every single image inside. In fact, I relate some of the photos to amazing blogging friends I've made over this past year. I've always been the type of person that when I shop, I think so and so would like this ... and so and so would like that ... and then I buy one for me and one for them. I will share that with you tomorrow. It's amazing how certain images remind you of wonderful people ... even if you've never met in person.

I found these lovely little notebooks with the sweetest images. Only about .40 cents each. I think I will use them to make friendship quotations book. I can use scraps of paper and quotations to make a nice little gift for special friends.


And this last image shows the sides of a box I bought to help try and organize my scrapbooking supplies. I loved all the crafting images on it. My dining table is a BIG mess! Will I ever get organized? That is a mystery! Have a great week dear friends!

Peace & blessings, Tammy

Baseball, a Bear and Pillows in Pink

Hello sweet friends! I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. Yesterday the weather was very muggy and dusty for Zack's last ballgame of the season.

The game went into overtime because of a tie. It was a really good game and YEA! his team came out ahead.

Unfortunatley, they only won 4 out of 12 games so it has not been an easy season. Next weekend is closing ceremonies and the following weekend we go to Dubai for the Little League tournament. Zack is busy with lots and lots of practices right now. He's also on the Badminton team at school and has practice this morning. Travel team practice for baseball this afternoon. This, of course, means that I have to don my chauffeur hat quite a lot.

After the game yesterday, we showered and just felt the need to veg. I had such a headache. So the rest of the day was pajamas and crocheting. This is the beginnings of a bear.

Only his head right now. I'm not one for following patterns so I am just making it up as I go along. Over Spring Break, I started what was going to be a baby afghan with the Red Heart yarn that sweet Jodie sent me, but I didn't like the checkerboard pattern. The great thing about crochet is you can take it apart and start over. I used the squares instead to make small decorative pillows, combining cross-stitch with crochet (inspired by Gloria).

Yesterday I finished three and am quite pleased with how they turned out.

I am finding this easy and rewarding so am thinking to make more until I tire of the process and need to find a new direction in crafting. Like everything else in life, I go through phases. Wishing you all a beautiful day. Peace & blessings, Tammy

Thursday Thoughts and Things

Today is a very blustery, dusty, cloudy, rainy kinda day. Mostly dust as it is hard for the rain to get through the muck. But it's the weekend and that's a good thing. So many projects left undone. So many things I want to do and keep putting off.

I finally sat down and made a sweet and simple paperbag scrapbook for my friend Leslie.

When I scrap, it is true scrapping. I rip and tear and glue. Hard to find scrapbook supplies around here. All that I have is bought during our summer vacations to the States. Graphics, of course, are easy to find and print.

I cut tags from cereal boxes and then decorated them and stuffed them inside the openings of the paper bags.


I sent it to her today through interoffice mail at school as a surprise. She was quite happy and thought it was very cute.

It's nice to have friends who appreciate the simple thoughts and deeds.

Friendship blessings to one and all. Tammy

Wednesday Wishes

I hope you are all having a wonderful week. Last nite I attended a dinner to benefit a local animal shelter that recently experienced a devastating fire. 41 animals were lost due to smoke inhalation. Many organizations and individuals are working tirelessly to raise money so that rebuilding, expanding and improving can occur in the next few months. Animal welfare is a huge issue in Kuwait and the two organizations dealing with the problem are solely reliant on volunteers and donations.

There was a raffle with many prizes to be won. I never win anything but always buy raffle tickets to support whatever the cause may be at any given time.

There was one lady there who won four prizes in a row. First she got a gift certificate, then a box of chocolates. So when the next two prizes came up, and she won, and they were both boxes of chocolates, she gave one to a guy she knew and the last one she gave to my friend Maria. Immediately after that, Maria actually won a prize with her tickets and handed it over to me.

It's a gift certificate to a furniture store called Freedom which I've not heard of before. Apparently it's an Australian company.

25-KD is equivalent to $75, but judging by the prices shown in the magazine, I might not be able to get much for my money. The good news is that it's at the same mall where I can get the white chocolate ginger cheesecake. Remember this ...

Definitely worth a trip! Hope your day is beautiful and filled with unexpected surprises! Blessings to you, Tammy

Back to School Blues

Okay, so going back to school after our 10 day Spring Break wasn't so bad (although I am sure the kids would say otherwise). My boss and his wife went to Germany for a few days over the break and brought me back this gorgeous tin Faberge egg. It just happens to be in my favorite colors (and is sitting on a crocheted piece I finally decided to finish up this evening).

It is filled with yummy chocolates also shaped liked eggs and filled with a little something something to make them extra special. (Two down, three to go.)

I think I have a sickness. I am looking at the box the egg came in along with the insert and wondering how I can use them in a project. I can't seem to throw anything away without thinking twice.

I hope everyone had a beautiful Easter day. The colored eggs we made yesterday became tonite's dinner.

I know it might look a little messy but the kids love it. They won't eat potato salad because neither of them likes mayo. This dish was something I learned from Sam's family. Boiled potatoes and boiled eggs mashed together with salt and lots of pepper. What makes it delicious is the olive oil drizzled on top. We bring our olive oil from Jordan and it is so good. Makes everything taste yummy. The olive oil I find in grocery stores in the States doesn't have any taste at all.

Olive oil is also what makes this spinach dish delicious. Cooked and drained spinach stirred in with onion that has been wilted in olive oil. Both of these dishes are eaten with warmed pita bread and are quite tasty and healthy to boot.

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead. Blessings for good health and much happiness. Tammy

Hopping By To Say

Hope you have a happy day!

Wishing you much joy!

Easter blessings to one and all. Tammy

Days Come and Days Go

April sure did sneak up on me. Haven't had a lot of time for crafting since the fun I had on Thursday.

Yusef decided that my glue gun looked like fun too so he designed this crazy thing using a ball of yarn, coffee stirrers, the stand for the glue gun and some marbles (which he glued on). Sort of looks like a demented rabbit!

Zack had a baseball game on Friday and has also made the travel team so that means extra practices.

We will go to Dubai April 22 for a Little League Tournament. A great experience for kids to play against teams from other countries.

Today I met up with friends for bowling. Luck was not with me this time but I came in third.

We took our friend Maria out to lunch for her birthday.

Happy Birthday Maria!

I can't believe tomorrow is Easter. And for us, Spring Break will be over. Back to school on Monday. Going, going, gone ...

Easter joy and blessings, Tammy

Gun Fun and Other Crafty Ways

Hello friends! This might come as quite a shock to all you crafty, creative folks out there but for the first time today I used a glue gun! I bought it weeks ago and finally decided to heat it up. My inspiration came while visiting Sandra at Stone Creek Market. You can check out her Easter Glitter post here.

Yesterday I found the sweetest Easter ornaments and remembered that I had heart shaped glass jars with cork lids. The jars were purchased years ago for 30 cents each and never used for anything. A little Easter grass, some hot glue and voila. Need to buy some more Easter candy to fill up the last three.

I have been inspired by so many bloggers who are decoupaging plastic eggs so that was next on my list of things to do, along with a cheese box makeover (you know, those round boxes the triangular cheese comes in) -- that idea was inspired by Christmas boxes made by Dee Dee over at Dee Dee's Craft Spot.

This plain black box held a very lovely birthday present from a dear friend. Of course, saved it (as I do most every box and paper and jar that comes my way).

Now it is the perfect gift for another friend who just had a birthday.

Filled with lots of little goodies.

Even the small boxes get a little scrappy makeover. I'm already considering what me and my glue little gun can do tomorrow. Hope you are having a crafty day wherever you are! Many blessings, Tammy