Art for the Heart Update

Art for the Heart is about to shift from the marketing stage to kick-off.  I have my first class lined up for the month of September as I hit a few snags in August.  Boo!  But as Wayne and Garth say “Game on!”  So game on it is for this art program that I have started to serve underprivileged children in Dallas via outreach and community centers. 

But I’m not doing this alone, I have received a bunch of donations and honestly, I have more than I know what to do with at the moment.  All I could do as I sorted through all of the donations last weekend was smile and smile HUGE!  What a blessing to know so many people with big hearts.  Thank you, friends –thank you for all of the donations.  And a TEXAS SIZED THANK YOU to Caroline and the folks at Maya Road for an abundance of paper, ribbon, and so many other supplies.  I am really out of ways to say thank you but I truly am grateful for their generosity.  They have ALWAYS been one of my favorite scrapbooking companies and now they are very near and dear to my heart and to the lifeline of Art for the Heart.

As I mentioned, I spent last weekend sorting supplies –lots of work but so much fun too!  Here is a preview of just some of the stuff.  I still have an x-large crate in the garage of products that I am donating to my own program –lol! 

Much more to come!

Goodbye, Sweet Girl

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we suffered a major loss two weeks ago when we put our sweet Sadie to rest.  We miss her every single day and reminders of her are everywhere.  In addition to her 13 years of age, Sadie had complications from what the vet suspects was a brain tumor.  While I was out of town she deteriorated and days following my return she continued to deteriorate.  So we spent our last few days with her and put her down on Saturday, August 13^th.

She is missed TREMENDOUSLY but I think we all know that no one misses her more than her best friend, Jeremy.  Here are some pictures of the last day and a half we spent with her.  Thank you to all of our friends and family for the love and support that they gave us through this very difficult time.  I am not shocked at the vast amount of people that adored this sweet dog.

Thank you, yellow dog –for the laughs, the love, your loyalty, protection, and companionship.  You are what so many people called “the perfect dog”.  I will miss sharing my goldfish crackers with you, my very sweet girl.  Wait for us on Rainbow Bridge, wait for us. 

This song played often in our home...

Best friends till the very end.

 Very last night at home with us.

 Sweet dreams, sweet girl.

 Pooped out after her very last and very favorite walk on the walking trail.

 Lots of love from dad.

 Mmmm...goldfish crackers.

 You have no idea how much he adored her...and still adores her.

If I could turn back time

Mood:  Anxious

Music:  Hysteria by Def Leppard

I am slowly but surely becoming my mother.  Okay, don’t get me wrong, I adore my mother.  She is my best friend.  I have been able to tell her the most personal things about my life without fear of disappointment.  She is my best friend.  But she is also someone who fails to do for herself…who forgets to stop and smell the roses because she is consumed with so much.  Yeah, I’m guilty of that quite often.  We’re all busy, I know that.  But I just feel like I can’t keep my head above water these days because I’m inundated with the things that I love to do –my art!  This weekend was more of an art maintenance weekend and I still didn’t accomplish everything that I set out to do.  But I do have a lot to share will all of you about Art for the Heart and I made and added a bunch of new pieces to my online store!  But as usual…I will get to the details soon enough.  Too bad I love the minutia of it all and wish you were right here with me so that I could show you all the lovely things I surrounded myself with this weekend.  But instead you have your own busy lives…so I will try to bring you some of my world in the coming days and I will try to be better about sharing my world with you, my crafty friends.

Until then, have a great week!

Peace, love, and MAKING time,

Ms. Ruin

Pretty in Pink

Hi everyone!  I haven't been as busy creating but I did manage to sneak in a few projects here and there.  I will add details to my nephews Space Age book (see post below) soon.  For now I will leave you with this very beautiful pretty in pink baby carriage mini album that I made for Cali Haynie, my niece's soon to arrive baby girl.  :)

This Old House

Parting is such sweet sorrow

It has been an incredibly sad weekend in my household.  We are grieving the loss of our beloved Sadie --definitely one of my favorite subjects to photograph. 

She's got legs...

How sexy is this photo?  Rawr!!!!

I think about YOU

Return to Sender

In a darkened room

This old house...so full of mystery for a girl with eager brown eyes.  Will you take a moment to sit with me, to tell me the stories of the people that once called this deteriorating beauty their home?

Hello, Dixie

Your trash, my treasure

I'm in love with this image.  Many will see an eyesore, a building tattered with broken glass and overgrowth moving in and clinging to walls.  I see a treasure, a treasure full of wonderment.  If only there was truly a place to put these old buildings when towns grow tired of them.  I would take their photograph, no matter the pose.  My lens does not discriminate.

I don't NOSE anything about anything.

Imitiation is the sincerest form of flattery, however, there is ONLY ONE Ms. Ruin.  Got it?  ;)

The Bridge

He's got the Jack...and Jacob

::Cue sigh from audience::  Meet Jack and Jacob  --my darling little nephews.  Well, one of my best friends Rae and I are like sisters so that makes me an auntie to these sweet sweet boys!  I've gotta tell ya, I wasn't prepared to photograph these precious boys.  I thought I was!  But they are so tiny and fragile and the lens was too big for the area I was shooting in.  Blehhhh --but I still managed to get in some nice shots.  This is Jacob, stretching, stretching, stretching.  And below is a sweet picture of Jack getting some love from Daddy Bryan.  I love this family.  Lots more to come from them!

Happy Birthday Space Cadet, Anthony