Short Note

Thought I would share this sweet picture with you. My "boys" went to the vet yesterday to be neutered (ouch!) and they were a little out of it last night. This is my mother (who lives with us) holding Smoocher. He's sleeping like a baby. Aw-w-w-w---how cute is that?

Something more substantial later, friends.

Snow Day????

This is what winter looks like in Nashville, TN. It snowed like a fury all day. The only problem was that the next minute the sun came out & it went away. Off and on all day. I was crossing my fingers-I love snow and want just one good one before winter is over. This was supposed to have been a "snow event" as the weatherwoman said. I'm sure folks in the north country are sick of snow, but I guess we're never happy with our weather or our lives for that matter. ha



Truth be told, I was glad to just stay home today and lay low. I guess this is as good a time as ever to open up and say that I have rheumatoid arthritis. Some days are better than others. Last night I was in alot of pain and didn't sleep well, so I was kinda out of it today. I have a great doctor and try very hard to keep a good outlook and do all that I'm able. I am blessed to be able to stay home which makes it easier for me to cope and also have the best husband in the world. I am fortunate to have a pretty upbeat attitude and really believe everything happens for a reason. Your prayers and thoughts would be appreciated from time to time. Meanwhile I will continue to create and let you see it! As the TV commercial goes, I am NOT my disease!

Is this too much information? Didn't mean to burden ya'll. Nerm

Newest Addition

This is my latest completed painting. Well, I think completed anyway. I'm still debating on whether I should give her a necklace or not. I do love to accessorize so i might do a few minor changes!

My sister (Amy) really likes her and thinks she should be hanging in one of her daughter's bedrooms. Although this one I'm going to sell, I think I will have to make one for her 2 girls. They are adorable with big eyes and blond hair.

I, like Nerm love bright colors. I guess I feel that there is so much bad in the world, I just like to brighten it up. This also goes for why I love romantic comedies more than anything else. What can I say? I love happy endings! Now my husband on the other hand, doesn't quite feel the same but he's pretty tolerate of them. haha. He's more into action packed thrillers. Oh well....we try to compromise.- Kitty

Help Me! I'm Crafting and I Can't Stop!

Well, here is the latest, but not greatest, project completed. The pictures are backward since you should see the outside and then the inside pocket. I am still learning this blogging thing!
This is a tote bag made for my middle daughter, Amy. She needed something to put her lunch, books, misc. in to take to work. I think the colors are great-it's "Summer in the City" by Urban Chick for Moda Fabric. I LOVE color-you should see my house!
I am really getting in the mood to do a quilt--not a big, bed quilt. I like to make lap and wall quilts. We are blessed to have several "real" quilts handed down from parents & grandparents, so I don't really need big quilts. My daughters are too young to want anything so quaint on their beds as patchwork-ha! There just seems to be so many projects and not enough time. My biggest problem I will confess is my scattered nature. I enjoy doing too many things: knitting, crocheting, sewing, paper crafts & scrapbooking. How to choose the next project? I am my own worse enemy in that I keep buying books and magazines with more ideas. I get Idea overload!
Anyway, as my favorite expression goes, "chip, chip".
Inside pocket of tote with rick rack trim.

Completed tote shown on Big Tom's leather chair which isn't the best background-ha.

Hope you all are well and happy-bye for now! Nerm

Adrianna--Kitty's kitty

This is Adrianna, my little kitty. I love her and although she is always into trouble, she is my dream come true. My husband gave her to me for Christmas back in 2002. She is truly a prissy cat and has such a personality. I once dressed her up as a fairy princess and for the most part she went along with it, for a minute anyway. haha. I will have to track down those pictures and post them.

I love to watch the food network (because I love to cook in addition to painting) and whenever I sit down to watch it, Adrianna jumps up on the couch, curls up and watches it with me. As soon as I'm ready to head to the kitchen, there she comes to keep me company. She just lays all the floor looking up at me, meowing every once in a while. She is a very loyal kitty who loves to put her two cents in! I have only been married over a year so I try to get ideas from different shows to cook for Tom (husband). My favorites are "Paula's Home Cooking" and "Everyday Italian". I can say some of my attempts have been successful but NOT all!! I have burnt my fair share but I'm learning and that's what counts.

Animal House

It's time to introduce important members of Nerm's household. The "boys" are they are affectionately called. They are shih-tzus which Big Tom gave me for Christmas. I was only supposed to get one, but they were littermates and were the last two in the litter. They were inseparable and ole softie Tom couldn't bear to see them separated. So I got two cuties for Christmas. They are comedians and certainly spice up our lives. The white one is Smoocher and the little black one is Boomer. They sure live up to their names.

This is Boomer trying hard to reach into Bella's bowl for leftovers. Stretch, Boomer!

Bella is our Newfoundland. She really doesn't want to be bothered with the boys, but they love her. She moves from room to room trying to get away and they follow her closely.

I must tell you the story of these dogs. For years Big Tom and I have had big dogs when all I wanted was a little white lap dog. First it was a Boxer (wonderful family dog), then it was a Bouvier des Flandres (funny, hyper) and then Bella our Newfoundland(sweet, patience and wonderful with children). But no little lapdogs. The year our Bouvier died, we decided it was time to get a new dog. We saw pictures of Newfoundland puppies on the internet and I said they were cute (which they were). So-o-o Big Tom thought (or dreamed) that I wanted one. So that year it was the family joke that Nerm wanted a little white lap dog and got a 150lbs. black Newfoundland!

Finally Big Tom got the message and this Christmas my boys arrived. See, patience IS a virtue.

Well, it has been yet another rainy and cold day here. I know spring is just around the corner but I can't hardly wait. It seems that this winter has brought nothing but rain.

Here is another bright and colorful painting from my collection. These are so fun to paint and I think they bring some cheer all year round!

I am also currently working on a new piece which I hope to have completed this weekend. Keep you posted. -Kitty

A Quiet Day

Not much going on today which is good because I'm kinda tired. Kitty and I had lunch today at one of our favorite eateries http://www.daviskidd.com/ They have a great little restaurant called "Bronte's" which is quiet and a good place to go for undisturbed conversation. Their homemade soups and quiches are outstanding-wish they'd publish a cookbook! I can't get Big Tom (hubby) to go there b/c he thinks real men don't eat quiche! He doesn't know what he's missing.

I'm working on another baby quilt for the Wee Care program at church. I mentioned this on our old blog. Once a month women get together on Saturday and knit, crochet, quilt, etc baby blankets, bibs, and so forth for the local city hospital's indigent new mothers. Then our blankets are added to a tote bag

aka diaper bag, and added to diapers, shampoo, pacifiers...you get the idea

It's been going on for a couple of years now and is a great way to feel you are making a difference. Here are a few of my squares: (I need some more green). Hope you have had a nice day-hope the sun is shining where you are, because it sure isn't here! ha

Hello everyone. This is Kitty (the daughter). Just wanted to introduce myself and post one of my paintings. I love to paint whimsical flowers among other things and I will be posting more very soon.

I am a free spirit in every sense of the word. Some people like to tell me that I live in my own world and I guess maybe I do. But my world is full of creativity and imagination and I love seeing everyone's new ideas. Hope we can all be great friends!

Merry Christmas!?!

Let's just say that I fell behind in my gift making this past Christmas. All those good intentions. All the planning and buying materials. Which have stacked up in my "sewing room". (We'll address my sewing room in another post). At any rate, this is a journal cover I made for Kitty. She's a big time journalist.

I made it from Michael Miller fabric which I quilted, trimmed in bias tape and added a vintage button from my stash. Viola! Only two months late. I suppose I could save it for this year's Christmas, but I can't wait. Now I only have one tote bag and a collage to finish and the 2007 holiday will be behind me. Sigh.

More on Valentine's Day

Boy, did I have a great Valentine's Day yesterday! My sweet hubby got me some roses for the special day, but not just a dozen. No, he got me 4 dozen! And they smelled good. Many roses from the florist don't have much of a scent but these did. Then hubby cooked me a gourmet dinner including shrimp and asparagus! Yum. He didn't seem to mind that I gave him a handmade card and wrote him a cheesey poem. Guess I'd better keep him.

Welcome to our Blog!

Hello & welcome! We are Nerm (mother) and Kitty (daughter). We both enjoy the creative life. Nerm likes knitting, quilting and multi-media papercrafting. Kitty paints and enjoys photography. We hope to have some fun things to show you soon.

Meanwhile check out the shortlived old blog we had: http://mereetsafille.blogspot.com and catch up with our previous posts.

See ya soon!