Looking Back & Happy New Year

Well today is the last day of 2011.  I'm thinking it's been a pretty good year. My daughter got engaged and my son got married this year.  I joined a senior center (I'm one of the youngest there) and have been having fun making cards & jewelry.  I lost 13 pounds but I think 5 found their way back! LOL.  My family had this photo taken. I've always wanted to have one taken and never had. This was the best year to do it since we would include my two newest kids (Diana and Jay).

My husband and I made a trip to Atlantic City. We didn't win anything but we had a great time. I hadn't been there in years. My whole family (kids & grandson) went on the annual trip to Ocean City. It was lots of fun. I look forward to that trip every year. This summer I also saw Bill Cosby at Pier 6. He was awesome. I have always wanted to see him. It was a real treat.

My parents have been in fairly good health for 83 and 84. I'm so lucky to have them. I realize I won't have them here for ever so I try to spend as much time with them as possible.

This year I began making greeting cards. I made all my Christmas Cards and have made several get well and birthday cards. I had a friend tell me she planned to keep all the cards I sent her when she was sick. That made me feel good! :)

So I hope your 2011 was a good one too. If not, remember, there's always next year and it can only get better! So I wish you lots of  blessings in 2012, health, happiness and prosperity. Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog. :)

Paint Party Friday!

So lately I have been making cards. In fact I made all my Christmas cards this year. I made a bunch of  Get Well and Birthday cards and I've given most of them away.

The other day I made a bunch of Valentine's Day cards that I hope to get up on Etsy.

I have a ton of paper these days...I'm become quite the paper addict. Anyway, I was thinking one day when I was getting ready to paint these Angel ornaments that it would be cool to combine the paper and paint. So here it is. I just LOVE the way it looks. I painted the wings and faces but the dresses are scrapbook paper with embellishment. I also did some snowmen  but I did the hats in paper. And, I did some snowflakes that way. They are all in my Etsy shop. Go take a look: http://www.etsy.com/shop/JYWheeler?section_id=5261008....Happy Paint Party Friday!

For more Paint Party Features visit: http://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/ 

What Do These 2 Things Have in Common?

 The kitchen! Yes, I'm finally going to get my wall under the cabinets tiled. I wanted to do glass tile but it seems lately everyone else is doing that so always wanting to be different, I decided that I would go to tumbled marble tile. It's every beautiful and very European. And I think the design will be timeless.

So stay tuned. I'm having the best contractor in town do the work, my brother! Joe Yori is the owner of Yori's Building Improvement. He does  awesome work if I may say so myself. He does every thing. My Dad always says he's 7 contractors in one because he can do everything, carpentry, brick & stone work, drywall, windows, asphalt, siding concrete ...he does bathrooms, kitchens, additions, siding...commercial or residental....whatever you need he can do it.  He recently did a bathroom rennovation, just finished 2 kitchens, a whole house window replacement & commercial tile work for a restuarant in Ocean City.

Look at these beautiful brick steps he did for me. I was away on vacation, came back and they were there! All I asked for was another row of brick on the top step so my Dad could come in and out of the door easier and he just rebuilt them. I even had a kid who was trick or treating tell me he loved the steps. How funny is that?

So stay tuned for the finished product. I'll post photos afterwards.

Yori's Building Improvement. 443-250-9899 in the Baltimore Area as well as Lower Delaware & Maryland Eastern Shores.

Kitchen Craft Project Gone Wrong

Sometimes I wonder why I even walk into the kitchen. Most times I have one kind of disaster or another. Yesterday's disaster was quite entertaining.  So I saw this candy tray on Pinterest and thought, "I can do that" How many times do we think "I can do that." but never do but I was determined since I had some peppermints and the oven was already hot to try it.  So I printed out the directions and followed the instructions:
1) preheat oven to 350 degrees
2) put wax paper on cookie tray
3) unwrap peppermints and place in a pattern.
4) bake 8-10 minutes
5) cool on cookie sheet and remove carefully as it is fragile.

I did just that. Well what do you know. My oven began to smoke like crazy! It was so bad I had to open the window. Now the little window usually has a little doll sitting on it. It's a cute little doll made for me by Pocomedio of my Etsy Team, Old Farmhouse Gathering.  It looks like my husband and sits on the window. The DH (darling husband) said, "put the screen in." I said, it's too cold for bugs to be out. It will be fine." and I carefully opened the window."  Before long, I hear the DH say to me, "He couldn't stand it anymore and he jumped out of the window."   "WHAT???" I said, thinking it was something on TV.

I turned around and this is what I saw. Stoney was GONE!  Oh my. I ran outside to retrieve him. At first I couldn't find him. Where could he have gone. He must be here some where. Finally I spotted him, face down in the bushes.   Whew!  I picked him up and put him back on the window...this time I closed it as all the smoke had left the family room & kitchen.  I checked the tray...it's a little lopsided. Here's what it looks like. I can't make anymore because I'm out of those peppermints. I believe the instructions should have said to turn off the oven when it reaches 350 degrees and let it sit for 8-10 minutes. That would have been enough to melt them....Lesson Learned.....Maybe after Christmas when all the candy goes on sale I'll try this again making sure Stoney is out of the window if I open it.

 And people wonder why my email is HeyLucy1....well I gotta lotta splainin to do!   Merry Christmas.

Paint Party Friday

It's sure been warm here. We've got spring for the first days of winter here on the East Coast and I'm really enjoying it.....well enough of the weather report. Today's post for Paint Party Friday is a butterfly watercolor ACEO. I love butterflies. There is a bush next to my parent's which always has a ton of butterflies on it.

Recently I've gotten in to card making. I was thinking one day that it might be fun to combine my art with my card making and so my Art on a Card was born. It's an original ACEO in plastic adhered to a handmade card.  So it's a Greeting & Gift in One!!!!   The ACEO slides easily out of the plastic. The card is blank inside. I have 4 so far in my shop. More to come.

For more Paint Party Features visit:  http://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/ 

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Link to this card on my etsy shop: 


http://www.etsy.com/listing/72640673/art-on-a-card-watercolor-aceo-original

Christmas Menu Planning

Every 4 years I get the rotation for the Wheeler family Christmas. It's always painful for me because I hate cooking, baking, etc. Not to mention that I burn things and have my Lucy Episode Kitchen Catastrophes!

Well this year on the menu is Turkey (of course), Honey Spiral Ham, Sausage Stuffing, Scalloped Corn,  Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, Biscuits, Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, Brownies, Rum Cake and pie. So what do you think My son is bringing another pie.  My daughter is bringing a sweet potato casserole. My sister in laws are bringing pie and a vegetable casserole and my brother in law is bringing mashed potatoes. You might laugh but my mashed potatoes are called Mashed Potato Surprise in my house. I just cannot make them from the real thing. It's either burned, watery, lumpy, or too thick. It's better left to someone else.

I generally make kielbasa and sauerkraut but the place I get my polish sausage from went out of business and I don't feel like driving to Baltimore to get it from Ostrowski's. I really need to find a place locally that has it. All sausage is not the same. I cannot stand the stuff from the grocery stores with the thick casings! Yuck!

I cannot wait to do the muffins. Here's the recipe...so easy:

1 box yellow cake mix
15 oz pumpkin pie filling
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Fill ups 1/2 way, Bake 350 for 12 min. Drizzle chocolate on the top. The blog I got it from gave a good tip. Melt the chocolate in a baggie, cut off the tip and then use it to drizzle the chocolate!   Here's the link to the blog: http://cheatdaycafe.blogspot.com/2009/06/chocolate-chip-pumpkin-muffins.html

Hope your menu planning is going well!

Paint Party Friday

Today's Paint Party Feature is my little tribute to our service men and women....it seemed appropriate now that the war in Iraq is winding down. 

Thank you for your service. I know it's very hard to be away from your families not to mention the danger. My heart goes out to your  families who miss you every day especially during the holidays. 

My prayer for this Christmas is that all our service men & women will one day all be home with their families & that there will be peace on Earth....


For more cool Paint Party Friday Features go to: http://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/


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Link to this snowman  hand painted porcelain ornament: http://www.etsy.com/listing/87779301/hand-painted-porcelain-cammoflage

It's just less than a month before...

..my baby (well not so much a baby anymore) gets married. I am so delighted about the young woman Jacklyn Nicole Wheeler has grown up to be. She makes me proud every day of her life. Not ust because she went through one of the most difficult majors in College (Chemical Engineering) with both a bachelor's degree and master's degree. Not just because she is a successful professional woman. Not just because she's beautiful (and she really is). Not just because of her creativity. And not just because she is the most down to earth person I know and a loving daughter, sister, aunt and grand daughter. Not not just because of all of that....I am most proud of her because of her life in the spirit.

Her life is a daily testament to the gospel. It's how she lives her life in faith and in charity in everything that she does. I have always told God I just wanted my children to bring glory to Him...and I feel like my prayer was answered. I am so delighted that she found her soul mate...Jay Perry. He is the perfect match for her. He's a very talented graphic/web designer and artist. What I'd call a "Big Brush". A match made in heaven. 


So on January 14, 2012 Jackie and Jay will wed and I will be the proudest person in that church and I will say a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift I was given when God blessed me with her by beautiful daughter. I will pray for this  new chapter of  their lives. God Bless you both. I love you.

Paint Party Friday

Today's Paint Party Friday feature is this little tea caddy. China painted on porcelain, I painted 51...yes you read it right 51 of these little guys for my daughter's bridal shower. They all had different designs on them. Mostly floral or fruit.  I had a decal made up for the back that I fired on them. It read "Jackie and Jay 1.14.12" (the date of their wedding).

They were a big hit at the shower. Everyone loved them. I also painted several teapots for game prizes. The one in the middle I painted for my daughter and the one behind it with the grapes was painted for her new mother in law.

So that's what I've been painting lately! LOL.....the little grape tea caddy pictured is available in my Etsy shop. Here's the link. http://www.etsy.com/listing/87893177/hand-painted-porcelain-tea-caddy

For more Paint Party Features visit:  http://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/

Paint Party Friday

Ewe EEE...it's been a while since I participated. I really need to get back to my blogging routine. But you know how life has a way of taking you downstream.......like a leaf in a stream...well that's me it seems in a fast running stream to boot. So now I'm trying to swim back up. LOL So today's feature for Paint Party Friday is this beautiful china painted rosary box.

I painted it with a dogwood desing and then I thought, well it still needed something. I toyed with the idea of edging it in gold but then I thought I'd try some little scroll work around the edge. I like it much better with the scrolls. It's something different. I may do the other ones I have with scrollwork. But then again if I do too many it won't be different will it. Oh well.

I love dogwoods and I was thinking that rather than being headed for winter, I sure would love it to be spring. So it's spring in my mind.

For more cool Paint Party Friday Features go to: http://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/
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If you like the Rosary Box, it's available in my Etsy shop. But I do a craft show tomorrow so I can't promise it will still be there in a day or so. I'm putting my Etsy shop on "vacation" mode tonight until Sunday. But here's the link.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/86965504/hand-painted-porcelain-cross-shaped

Openhouse at the Farmhouse

Come to the Farmhouse Gathering for Christmas from December 5-9 .....on Etsy search "OFG Open House" and look in the shop announcement line for Christmas Sales. My shop JYWheeler will be offering 20% off using Coupon Code: Open House.....come to the Farmhouse Gathering...you won't be disappointed .